With Memorial Day weekend approaching (the traditional start of summer although this week seems like the start of spring weather-wise) I usually put out a column dealing with the Indianapolis 500 (who doesn’t get a lump in their throat at the singing of “Back Home Again in Indiana” accompanied by the Purdue marching band), the upcoming Memorial golf tournament over in Columbus, and the NBA and NHL playoffs not to mention high school tournaments and meets. However, this time I thought we’d depart from that format a little and take care of a few other things that may be of interest to only me!
I don’t often mention my brothers in this column, but this is a special occasion as my younger sibling (I’m the oldest of three boys), Mark, retired Monday after a career of almost 45 years at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Warner earned many accolades and honors during his tenure, including serving for years as President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He served in leadership roles across the Mayo spectrum, ranging from Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology (the Mayo has around 300 anesthesiologists) to the Dean of the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. Mark was one of the nation’s leading voices of patient safety and well-respected throughout the medical profession, but most importantly, it was his caring manner in dealing with his patients that truly distinguished him from others.
His wife, Mary Ellen, a Chillicothe, Ohio native, is also a noted anesthesiologist and will be retiring in the next week or so, likewise having had an exemplary career at the Mayo. To add to the family tree, two of their sons and their wives are also in the anesthesia department in Rochester, along with my first cousin, so I proudly claim that the seven Warners are “gas passers” extraordinaire!
Congratulations to my brother and one-time cohort in crime, Mark; he’s come a long way from the dairy farm on Hogpath Road and the presidency of the Greenville High School Class of 1972!!
Isn’t it great to go someplace “where everybody knows your name”? Sad news of the passing at age 76 of actor George Wendt, better known as Norm on the television classic series “Cheers”. Norm was a central character representing the “common man” that every viewer could relate to on a personal level. Who could forget Norm entering the bar to be greeted by everyone and always having a response to a question from Sam, Woody, or Coach.
Two of my favorite lines were “Hey, Mr. Peterson, what are you up to?” and Norm answering “My ideal weight if I was 7’10”. And the unforgettable “How was your day Normie?” and the response “It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, Sammie, and I’m wearing Milk-Bone underwear”! Cheers to George Wendt!!
Here’s today’s trivia challenge—name at least four of the other main characters of the Cheers cast that haven’t already been mentioned. Free beer if you come up with more than five!!
Some odds and ends of varying degrees of interest:
CNBC.com reports that starter homes now cost $1 million or more in 233 U.S. cities, triple the number from five years ago. California (naturally!) alone has 113 cities where the least expensive homes top $1 million. Makes most locations in West Central Ohio and Eastern Indiana look pretty good, doesn’t it?
The Atlantic magazine says that fried chicken is eating the burger’s lunch! Since 2019 the sales of chicken sandwiches have increased by 19% while hamburgers are down 3%. In the past five years 2,800 new spots devoted to chicken opened across the country as 1,800 burger joints disappeared! People must be listening to the Chick-fil-A commercials with cows saying, “Eat Mor Chikin”!
Did you know? We’re in the middle of one of those 10-day stretches where every day is going to be the same backwards—5-20-25, 5-21-25, 5-22-25, etc.
Who could forget Sam, Woody, and Coach, the bartenders? Diane, Carla, and Rebecca, the waitresses? Frasier Crane and the “fountain of knowledge and man in uniform, postman Cliff Clavin? An extra bonus point if you mentioned Frasier’s wife, Lilith!
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, but remember those who sacrificed for the freedom we treasure as a nation, as well as those who meant so much to us personally. Stay active and healthy!
