Ned Luce

After a routine visit to the recycling center and a fruitless stop at the Village Store to pick up another losing Powerball ticket, I came back home to see a fellow not known to me standing in the neighbor’s driveway. 

It was somewhat unexpected since the neighbors are out of town. 

As it turns out he was there to generate an estimate on some remodeling work they were having done. 

I parked my car in my driveway and upon my exit he hailed me and asked if I was the “famous Neal.” A little more conversation led to him understanding I was Ned and he told me he was JJ. I was astonished when he claimed to recognize me because of the picture that accompanies this column. I mean, I look so young. (Hey, I told JJ he would be in the paper this week.)

Having now brooked the subject of age I segue to the visit by our daughter’s family last weekend. 

Her family has enjoyed spending time in Kehele Park when they visit using the swings when younger and the basketball and pickleball courts as they mature. This visit primarily involved basketball and too much of the playing time included this columnist who used to score from all over the court when younger but now struggles with a foul shot. 

I can make an “air ball” scoring attempt almost anytime. 

And all this is followed by the stiffness in my body the next day, even while ignoring the ball hitting me square in the face once while going for a rebound! 

As many of you know, as we get older everything hurts. If it doesn’t hurt it just doesn’t work anymore. 

Whilst I was in junior and senior high school I played the sousaphone in the high school band. 

One of my favorite pieces of music was an arrangement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 known as “Eroica.” The version of this piece recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra is almost 15 minutes long whilst I am sure the version we played was but a fraction of that time. The sousaphone had a prominent role in the high school band arrangement supporting another one of those distant memories I hold near and dear. 

In any case, I enjoy listening to the whole symphony these days particularly with my Apple “Air Pods” in my ears as I walk the mean streets of Port Ludlow. As you may know the “Air Pods” connect to your iPhone via “Bluetooth” giving you the ability to actually call in the music or podcast of your choice to play. 

So, I can ask “Siri” to play Beethoven’s “Eroica” and enjoy it whilst I walk. 

The other day I was so inclined but I mistakenly decided to shorten the request to “Eroica,” leaving Beethoven out of it. Well, if you thought I was excited about requesting “Eroica” just imagine my excitement when I got a podcast named “Erotica.” ‘Nuff said! 

Tomorrow marks another year in my long crusade to get seat warmers for the toilet seats in the Beach Club. I continue to solicit signatures for the petition I intend to present to Brian Belmont and the board of trustees supporting this incredibly important safety feature we need for those few of us who still can feel the cold in those regions of our bodies. With some luck the staff at the LMC have finally attacked this problem during the pandemic meeting and solving one of the great issues facing our community. 

I am optimistic that this April 1 this need has been met.

Love a curmudgeon, enjoy April Fool’s Day, and go Zags! 

(Ned Luce is a retired IBM executive and Port Ludlow resident. Reach Ned at ned@ptleader.com.)