Columns

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not athletic -- never have been, never will be.
The only time I was ever on the athletic field was as a band geek. For me, that was my way out of working in tobacco in the summer and winter.
In the summer I missed a lot of chopping weeds by sweltering on the high school pavement with a hoard of other band geeks. And, Saturdays were usually spent at some stadium in Kentucky in competition.
I missed stripping tobacco because of concert band practices and pep band for basketball games.

A month or so ago, I met a man with part of his right arm missing – he was a tree trimmer and had an accident involving a chain saw.
I asked him if the missing part ever hurt. He said as a matter of fact, it was bothering him as we were talking.
Doctors call it “phantom pain.” The limb or body part is no longer there, but the person may still feel as if it is. Sometimes an amputated foot tickles or gets that “pins and needles” sensation of having fallen asleep. Sometimes a missing arm or leg aches or itches – or hurts like heck.

Who did we vote for, or rather, what party did we vote for?
I wrote this column prior to the general election results in an effort to remain non-biased, which all reporters should aspire to, especially while writing about politics.
I am a registered Democrat, mainly because my pappaw was and I always tried to be just like him, but to say that I am a die-hard Democrat would be a misstatement.
I recently read a few letters that were submitted supporting political parties instead of supporting political candidates.

ACROSS
1. “Let’s do _____”
6. Lake in France
9. Q-Tip, e.g.
13. Verdi’s composition, e.g.
14. Hockey legend
15. Emotion at center of “The Scarlet Letter”
16. Dutch genre painter Jan _____
17. Prefix for “new”
18. *Served hot or cold
19. *Popular hue
21. *Turning pumpkin into Jack-o’-Lantern
23. Sea to a Spaniard
24. Common menu item, as on a computer
25. Busy ___