Say it aint' so, Jack!

Boys and girls, I know it's been quite a while since ol' Ranger Bear has sat down at the keyboard to say, "hi, what's going on?" Actually, I've been a little down in the dumps. No, I haven't been scrounging the garbage dumps like some of my relatives have been known to do -- however, I actually had an aunt who came across a replica of the Gettysburg Address one night and sold it for a tidy sum on eBay. The reason for my less-than-enthusiastic demeanor is the news about my buddy, Chancellor Jack Keating. Yes, I realize nothing is forever. I know that time marches on. And, like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives. But when I heard that Jack was leaving the university -- let's just say I was not a happy cub. I like Jack, and I hope he would say the same about me. Sure, if you go back and read some of my blogs, I've made a reference or two about how hard he works me. Wellllll, he does and he doesn't. The truth is, I've got a pretty good gig here at the Big P and sometimes I need a swift kick in the fanny to keep my game face on. Jack always told me when I was doing well, and he told me when I needed to get back on track. And he was usually right on the money. You don't have to be a genius to realize that his long list of accomplishments as the head of this place is pretty impressive. Jack Keating was good for UW-Parkside and Jack Keating was good for this neck of the woods. Maybe what troubles me the most is how quickly the past 10 years have come and gone. It seems like yesterday that Jack was introducing himself as the "new chancellor" at convocation. Of course he always introduced himself as the "new chancellor" and said he could do that for 10 years. Great sense of timing! There is some good news: Jack will be around until August. To my loyal readers, please do Ranger Bear a favor ... the next time you see Jack, shake his hand, wish him good luck, and say thanks. (How many people -- yes I consider myself a people -- get to ride in a limo with "The Boss"?)