I've run the edge and done my worse.
I've tempted fate and survived to date.
I've loved and lost and loved again
I've gambled all and lost my shirt.
I've flirted with the siren and chastised the deamon.
I've endulged in evil thoughts and participated in sin.
I've tried to help the hungry and the poor.
I've turned a blind eye when I could have helped.
I've bucked the system and lost.
I've played the game and won.
I've used my wits and played by the rules.
I've lied and cheated and taken advantage.
I've felt the pangs of remorse for hurts I've given.
I've felt the exhilaration for a kindness done.
I've marveled at beauty,felt the winds caress.
I've known the feeling of my life force dwindleing.
I've learned to appreciate "time" and that the sand in my hour glass will soon be ending.
I've painted my story for better or worse.
I'm one unique soul like one grain of sand-- good night all from "The Codger Man"

The five years in Maryland were from a childs point of view the best five years of my life--non stop fun,friendship learning.
We went to a small Baptist church-I was in the choir-till they asked me to leave the choir because I sang so bad--well my voice changed--I was OK till that happened--or maybe I wasn't--and they were just trying to me nice to me---

Dad coached the boys basketball team that was in a church league--great through nepotisim I would get to play a sport--I wasn't the strongest guy on the team--it took all I could do to get the ball to the basket--I didn't get in the game too often and I had 4 points in the season--one time I tried to pass the ball to a team mate and it flew into the basket by accident and another time I actually got a basket---
I was reading the newspaper clipping of one of our games and read the following----tot---als---reading it tottles - 44 points-I said Dad who's tottles--what an idiot--just a little dingy!
We won the church league championship--Dad was a good coach.
Life was a ball--we got to go flying with dad a lot--we ate good cause dad always cooked the seafood--mom could even steam crabs and cook softshell crabs and we went out to eat once and a while and Annapolis had some great places to eat.
I got to see another side of my father when he was Wing Commander of the Civil Air Patrol unit at Lee Field--My dad was really smart-when he organized searches for downed pilots--I used to sit in on the meetings with the other pilots when they were laying out search grids etc--my dad really impressed me with his take charge abilities.
I used to get to ride with dad when he practiced for competition in different small plane flying events. One was the spot landing contest--where you try to land at a line on the field--in other words--touch your aircraft wheels down on a mark drawn across the runway.
Dad was good at the events and we practiced the spot landing---dad would come in slow as he could and do what he called a side slip--that's where he would turn the aircraft partially sideways--drawing the maximum drag--slowing the plane and then snap it back at the last second and drop the wheels in on the mark--it was a strange sensation but very effective.
Dad bailed me out in school more than once.I had to do a science project and hadn't done it and it was due the next day--sputnik--had just gone up and that gave dad an idea--he got a balloon a long one,made a nose cone for it and fins and I had a rocket ship--I got an A for creativity--should say dad got an A--the ironic thing about that little creation of his--less than a year later he went to work for Martin Company-Martin Marietta-now Lockheed Martin---and had a wonderful career of 33 years for them.---He was a highly skilled engineer --working in aerospace. gotta go to work--later yall The Codger

Indian Ball

My Buddy Nancy taught me to play indian ball.
Indian ball was a fun game and could be played with two people or 20 people--here's how it goes--first you decide who's the batter first--You can do this any way you choose--next--all others go to the outfield with their gloves.
The hitter hits the ball to the outfield--whoever catches it-in the air or on the ground gets to roll the ball to the hitter who has placed his bat on the ground--the ball has to hit the bat and when it does it pops up into the air--if the batter catches it in the air he continues to bat--if he misses ,he goes to the outfield and the person who rolled it to the bat --comes in to bat.People in the outfield have to catch the ball in the air or on the ground without making an error--if they miss they don't get to roll the ball to the bat.----------Simple game--hours of fun---play ball!! The Codger

P.S The fielder has to hit the bat when he rolls the ball--if he does not--the batter continues to bat--the fielder only gets one chance per catch.
P.S.S--the outfielder can come in and hit--if he rolls the ball and hits the bat so gently that the ball does not jump into the air.The out fielder must roll the ball from where it is caught-or the groun der from where it is caught.

My life was great, I didn't have many sad times in Edgewater,my parents didn't fight as much there--dad was busy working two jobs,and taking flying lessons and Civil Air Patrol and fishing every chance he got--and us kids had so much to do--school,chores,fishing,bike riding,baseball. We had so much company--I am sure anyone who has lived on the water can attest to how much company you get--Hey --there was not that much complaining about it--we were the place to be--and it was great--our house seemed to always have house guest on the weekends--I loved it--and I had learned a lot from my buddy Nancy--so I could take cousins fishing and crabbing and to the community beach and out in the boat--not bad---
I had one of those growing up things happen----happened when I was about 12--we had family company visiting and I went flying out onto the front porch--and didn't realize that my uncles wifes sister who was 16, was changing to go swimming--and the poor girl was naked and I got an eyeful---that was pretty exciting--but my main memory was she needed a tan--
I have some family reading my stuff so I better move on to other topics.
We often went as a family to Donovans Pier---Mr. Donovan had a beautiful young daughter--blond hair and blue eyes--she was my age I think --we used to talk when we went over there fishing--mom went as well and we caught a lot of croakers--that's when I first saw and caught and listened to why the fish was called a croaker.
My moms parents visited a lot--and Grandad loved oysters and Bay Oysters were famous--dad knew a man who caught oysters if you can call picking them off the oyster bars with tongs--catching them--it isn't like they run or swim--mainly attach and cluster--anyway--Grandad wanted to test the product--so he tilted an oyster shell up to his mouth and let her slide down his throat--
Grandad always seemed to want me to do first things to become a man--like ring a chickens neck for supper--I'll tell that story later--this time he wanted me to eat an oyster on the half shell--which I had never done---Grandad,my dad and the oyster man all watching handed me a shell with what looked like a wad of snot in it and said tilt it at your mouth and swallow---Ha---I tilted and it slid straight to my stomach--and ya know what that did for me? I never ate an oyster again till I was about 30 years old-----more later Codger

OK an actual fiction short story--from the non fiction Codger--

The Highway Assasin

Gerald was glad that the night was over--he told the company he didn't want to work nights,naturally they gave him a night shift--so he wasn't very happy--and not at all used to staying up all night.
He had already fallen asleep a number of times on the way home--even though they were for a fraction of a second-his tires hit the mini berms on the shoulder-and brought him back just in the nick of time.
Gerald had worked security for a short time--the pay was lousy but steady.
6 a.m finally arrived and Gerald headed to his car behind the courthouse-all he could think of was getting some sleep--gotta get home--oh that bed is going to feel so good he thought to himself as he turned onto the main st. bridge heading for Southbound 95.
The one benefit to nights was--you could find a parking space--going and coming to work was not crowded--and since he and his wife were sharing one car--he could get home in time to give the car to his wife and vice versa in the evenings.
Gerald also didn't have to deal with the tail gateing nut cases like you see on days---
The old blue Nissan picked up speed on 95 as Gerald shifted into 5th gear.His car was an old Nissan B210 and didn't look like much but had served the family well--The motors in Nissans seemed to last forever--the bodies might rust off but the suckers keep running.
With a sigh born of both relief and weariness-Gerald got off at the J.Turner Butler exit and made a left on Butler and was finally heading the right direction for home--east bound and down toward Jax. Beach.
There was practically no traffic but Geralds eyes started getting heavy already--he rolled down his window to get some air--damn it he thought ,am I ever gonna get used to night shift?
He cruised by St. Lukes Hospital--he had recently learned they were owned by the Mayo clinic--darn fine hospital.
Suddenly a motor cycle roared by Gerald doing about 110--damn rice burner he thought-kids think they own the highway-the tail light soon disappeared.
Gerald slapped his face a few times-he was adament about not falling asleep.Gerald drove by the Hodges exit and a car entered the east bound lane and pulled in behind him--they were the only two cars on the East bound side, it was a 4 lane going east and west--so why the hell is this guy on my butt when he could easily go around,Gerald thought to himself.To add insult to injury-the guy had his high beams on and was snugging up behind Geralds car and was perfectly content to ride Geralds ass and make his morning a real joy-lol!
Geralds temperture began to rise--blood pressure as well--he tapped his brake to try to get the guy to back off-on a second attempt the guy finally pulled beside him and flipped Gerald off-as Gerald was doing the same to him--then the guy pulled away and went right over in front of Gerald and slowed down --that was it--Gerald was livid--He shouted please to the powers that be--just once give me power to get these assholes!
Some one or some thing must have been listening-because-the interior of Geralds car began to glow a lime green color-and there was a momentary blinding flash of white light-Gerald said "Whoa Nellie"--as he rubbed his eyes and tried to focus--and what he saw sent chills down his spine--gone was was the plain jane Nissan interior and in its place the cockpit of a killing machine from hell-he now sat in a custom coutoured seat that fit like a glove--the steering wheel was small and loaded with red buttons, fire missels,fire cannon--what had once been a plain dashboard was now- a weapons stores readout,computer visuals with magnifying close ups of the highway--
A grin took the place of a scowl--as Gerald realized that his wish had been answered--and he focused on the transam in front of him--all he did was think missle--and that particular weapon was highlighted--he had 6-heat seekers at his disposal--the button on the control wheel flashed in the ready position--The guy was right in front of him so Gerald hit his brakes-slightly--the distance to the trans am was 150 feet as Gerald visually locked on his eyesight to the rear end of the car in front-and a cross hair followed to show the proposed course of trajectory-Gerald pressed the red flashing missle button and a blinding flash followed by a glowing red dot only visible for a second-and then an incredible explosion as the Transam blew to hell-Gerald slowed immediately and threaded his way through the wreckage--and over in the ditch was the front end of the car and sticking up like a trophy and testament to vindication a charred leg pointed skyward--asshole!
Gerald had the power and he was reveling in the glory---when suddenly he noticed a line of cars on the west bound side--and the lead car was blinding him with his high beams--Gerald thought,lets try the cannon-and he just thought cannon and followed the target with his eyes and he pushed the flashing red button on the wheel and 50 mm shells poured out of the front end of his car--and the streak of white and the red tracers- moved onto the car on the west bound side and tore it to shreds in a hail of lead and fire--one more sorry ass driver gone to the happy huntin ground!
The rest of the way to the beach was non eventful--Gerald was proud of himself and looked away at the eastern horizon and there was a slight glow and he knew dawn was coming soon--he turned onto 3rd street heading north--not far now he thought--his car was suddenly as it was before the incident--he was wondering if he had just had a wakened dream----suddenly Geralds eyes opened and he was about to hit the car in front of him-he had dozed off again--he had to turn the wheel sharply and even though it was his fault he shouted at the elderly driver and berated her for going too slow as he went around her.
When he pulled in front of her he realized he had just been an asshole himself--but was too tired to worry about it--he checked his rear view as was his habit--and what he saw shut down his vitals--the elderly ladies car was lime green inside--he could see her smiling and saw the flash-------------She threaded her way through the wreckage--and there amongst the debris was a big fried butt pointing toward the eastern horizon--she thought asshole to herslf--as she pulled into her driveway on 2nd ave. south--a big broad grin from ear to ear.--------------The End fiction 1st from the Codger