Curmudge - Goodbye Karl - Ithaca in all 4 Seasons

Okay, it’s 5:30 Sunday afternoon and I’ve just taken the 3rd call of the day from the “No on 1” campaign. If they don’t stop bugging me. I’m going to vote “Yes!”

Just back (yesterday) from an emergency trip back to Ithaca. The emergency was the hospitalization and subsequent recovery of a dear friend who loves there. While I knew before I left that it was no longer a dire need for me to be there, I went anyway so that I could attend the memorial service for my second boss, Karl Jaentsch. Karl owned an independent VW garage outside Ithaca and I worked for him for about 5 years as a service advisor, scheduler, parts runner and general office manager. He appreciated my organizational abilities and my desire to do things the right way. While I worked for him, I took and passed the test to become a certified New York State Motor Vehicle Inspector, one of the few women at the time who held such a position. Karl taught me so much about the world outside of Ithaca. And he was the best mechanic. I have been searching for 25 years and haven’t found one as honest and trustworthy.

I have to thank my dear friend referenced above for providing me the opportunity to see my homeland in all four seasons this year...the snows of early January, the promise of Spring, the lush green paradise of summer and the golden glow of autumn. I’ve seen them all! The view from Route 81 just south of Syracuse yesterday was spectacular!