The Daily Poop - Mon., 17JUN13

Five days and a wake-up, if I remember my short-timer terminology correctly. I'm flying out of western Illinois on Saturday morning, giving myself a few days of preparatory down time before the reunion begins. It's not time to pack yet, but it's never too soon to start worrying about the weather; a moderate breeze can wreak havoc on flight schedules at cornfield airports.

Note to the wary: When it's barely two weeks until that once-a-year time time when you return to playing music, do not slice 1/4 inch into your finger tip with a 12-inch kitchen knife while chopping  onions, causing blood to fly. Believe me, I've tried it; it ruins your spirits and doesn't do much for the onions.

Coming soon: the final annual pre-NMA Reunion Weigh-in. In previous years, dieting and exercise have returned me to





 -- my CPO weight (as depicted in photos of me in my old khakis), and, last year,  









 -- my E-5 weight (a figure recollected by those who placed bets on the 1980 Hundred-dollar Weight Loss Challenge at the SOM--can a beer-guzzling, exercise-shunning MU2 lose 14 pounds in 14 days? They said it couldn't be done...)




So, the question this year is: when I step on the scales for the official weigh-in, will I have moved my weight back in time to, say E-4? Seaman deuce? Results will be posted later this week. I know that many of you are concerned about this, particularly those who come to the reunion every year and are impressed and gratified by the fact I don't rub my trimness into everybody's face.