Flannel Shirts

I like them. I think my favorite thing about them is that I've only purchased two of the six or so that I have. The rest are hand-me-downs from my Grandpa Hansen. I think that's kind of a cool thing. Grandpa Hansen and I really click on two levels - basketball and flannel shirts.

Grandpa Hansen was a pretty awesome basketball player in his day. He played in college and it's weird how many people I've run into over the years that are his age that remember him from high school. Guys from Aurora, York, Henderson and other areas all say practically the same thing - he was a hell of a basketball player. I wasn't that great at basketball. I had a lot of heart, and did a lot of the dirty work - rebounding, hard fouling, playing in the post against guys 4 or 5 inches taller than me. So, no, I wasn't as good as Grandpa, but I'd like to think I could hold my own. I had some pretty sharp elbows, if you know what I mean.

Grandpa also wears a lot of flannel shirts. So do I. They're comfy and keep me about the perfect temperature. They make me feel like a real man, like I should be headed out to the woods with my blue ox. I love the ones that Grandpa gives me. They've been washed enough times to feel perfect. "Vintage" would be the appropriate tag, I guess. I think mainly it's just an easy way for me to feel close to Grandpa.

Shay and I went to Hampton the other night to eat with Grandma and Grandpa Hansen since we won't be able to make it to their house for Christmas. I didn't come away with any shirts this time, but I did realize that I don't get over that way to see them enough. I'd like to get better about that. I don't want to be telling my kids about their Great-Grandparents with the nagging thought that I should've spent more time with them. I'm pretty lucky in the fact that most of my family is withing 45 minutes of my house. I should take more advantage of that.