Posts With the Most
Another year come and gone. Not a particularly banner year at Frank’s Place. Of course that had nothing to do with the year that was 2016 a now popular lament as aging Hollywood stars cast off their earthly mores. Although I will say losing Princess Leia was a bit of a gut punch.
No 2016 was only a tough year for me because I struggled to manage my time. I landed a great job at the end of 2015 but the hours were so incredibly foreign, making time to handle my three main hobbies was tough. Yeah I know, cry me a river.
The work schedule actually lent itself to golf, my main hobby, as I had every Friday off. But finding time to blog here and get to the political podcast I do every week with my longtime buddy and comrade in arms was a struggle indeed. Go here: Unfiltered/Unfettered to hear two, old, fat Air Force retirees wax less than poetic about politics and society in general. There wasn’t enough Diet Coke to keep me going I’ll tell you that much.
The irony there is golf takes the longest and I’ve been able to do that the most. Blogging and podcasting might take 3 hours total a week, all after the kids go to bed. As you might imagine, one round of golf can take a bit longer and then there’s the lunch afterward. Of all three things my time with my playing partner/minister/counselor/mentor is more valuable to me than almost anything.
All that aside, it was a good year. The kids began to find their groove in their respective schools. I found my stride at my new job, and 4:30 am wake up really did get a tad easier as the year rolled on. My saint of a mother in law got married after a quarter century of being a faithful widow. We settled an old score with a certain unnamed bully. And as you might have heard, we got a mutt. Milo Dog to be exact.
Anyway, enough of my gum flapping. I actually managed to get enough posts up to qualify for a “Best Of” this year. So from worst to first, that’s by number of views not quality of course. Although I guess you could make the case views are directly tied to quality, but I think we all know I way too lazy and no where near smart enough to analyze all that.
Here they are, on the cusp of this new year, number 10 to number 1, the best of Frank’s Place for 2016. Click each title link if you want to read the actual story.
10 – Snowmageddon: Aunt Jemimah, Golf, and Pat Summit to the rescue!
Tow truck in front of me couldn’t even hold the road.
We don’t get snow that often in East Tennessee, well not in the Knoxville portion of East Tennessee anyway. But when we do git it, buckle up, cause it’s gonna be a wild ride.
Think of a death defying stunt that should only be tried by professionals. Then picture some hick named Earl easing up outta his busted lawn chair on a half covered porch he ain’t got round to finishing yet, telling his buddy Clem to hold his beer so he can show the pro how it’s done. That’s driving in Knoxville during a snow fall.
9 – War on Christmas: My wife wont let me use the laser!
Christmastime, the air is cold, the cards fill the mail box, and the house is bathed in the warm hues of the red and green season. All powered by a futuristic laser device I bought at The Kroger. What’s not to love. Even the Grinch couldn’t hate on that. Well maybe he couldn’t, but my wife could. What’s next; outlawing the Yule Log?
8 – Back to Work: Three stall monty.
Man y’all are weird. This only got the third best response as far a views, but the response through e-mail and random people stopping me at work and home to tell me about some jag-off who sat right next to them when there were plenty of stalls down the line was crazy. The old potty story, and the breaking of the unwritten rules there-in, really caught people’s attention.
7 – Tales from the Tall Grass: A tree falls in Knoxville
No trees were harmed in the writing of this blog post, Well except that one. (John Stone for scale)
This is from a new series I tried earlier in the year. Merging two of my hobbies didn’t really seem like a great idea but I was in a huge rut/writers block place so I decided to shake it up a bit. When me and John (a fore mentioned friend/golfer/preacher/sounding board and pictured left) ran into a dude on the golf course using a golf ball with the Frank’s Place logo and web site on it I knew we might be on to something. This story about a tree that terrorized me for a decade was the second installment. Again hitting trees really struck a nerve. Lot’s of response to this. And I can say it’s an area I will pursue more as I’ve finally got my time managing feet under me I think.
This is just me whining about my kids getting old. Hence I’m getting old. Honestly, who uses the word Hence but old people. Obviously seeing Anne Marie grow up is bitter sweet. But this is what were hoping for when she was born at 25 weeks. Now, we want it to slow down. Same with Frank. As the cuteness ebbs and the know it all preteen grows we both are looking for the break pedal.
Also I put my reading fairy tales in German on display. Don’t miss it.
5 – Road Trip 2016 Part 2: Hotdogs, Presidential Waffles, and Good People.
I bet I can get through this daddy!
We went to Jersey for a summer vacation. I finally listened to my wife and we took three-ish days on the way back to Tennessee and stayed in DC. Glad we did. It made for a great trip. The time in the homeland amongst my fellow Jersy-ites was great. The trip to our Nation’s Capital was even better. This story amounts to home movies in print with a twist. I did a bio on some of the interesting people we met in our few days on the ground in DC. Hint, none of them were in the government.
4 – Back to Work: Driving in Purgatory
Another work story another rant on driving in East Tennessee. This one has nothing to do with weather and everything to do with The Drive. Yes it’s the drive for which I lament. The 20 minute sled dog race with some of Knoxville’s finest motor vehicle operators that makes the 4:30am wake up such a joy. It’s no mystery why this one is in the top 5. I may be the only one ranting publicly about this but I’m not the only one who knows it’s an issue. I can almost guarantee you have a similar tale.
3 – One Year Gone: If I could make it to 30.
This one is a bit of therapy as I grieve the death of my father who passed in 2015. Mostly it’s about the rationalization I concocted for myself as an 11 year old on how I would deal with the death of my parents. Obviously it didn’t work out the way I planned it when I was 11. I made it to 30. In fact I made it to 48 before I lost a parent. Still hurts. Hard. Sad truths you can’t learn until you live through them. Life just blows the big one sometimes.
Why?
Speaking of the world just blowing sometimes. This is about Lucas, a boy from our neighborhood and Frank’s kindergarten class. It’s impossible to comprehend what must be happening to him and his family as they fight through this.
Be warned there is nothing but hard life in this post. However there is a link as well. this one to be exact : Lucas’ Fight Against Child Cancer. Click it here, click it there. No matter. If you feel led and you are able, do what you can.
I can tell you we are 9 months adrift from the diagnosis and Lucas is still battling. Still fighting the fight. The strength and courage of children is staggering.
Yeah that’s cute. So what.
Well good lord was there any doubt this would be the number one post. Just can’t figure out if it’s because of Milo’s cuteness or the fact people know I’m not a dog lover or animal lover for that matter. And yes most people’s predictions have come true. I have bonded with the dog and he with me. My kitchen floor has never been cleaner and the little bastard is sleeping on the bed. Shut up.
Well that’s a wrap. The Top Ten decided by you, the faithful of Frank’s Place. I appreciate your clicks and hope to give you more to click on in 2017.
2016 was a decent year for us personally. Every year will have ups and downs but for my ledger we came out ahead. For that we are grateful.
Happy New Year from Frank’s Place!
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