Like it Used to Be

I just got back from 4 days in the way, way north... fishing with my buddies and my family.  Lots of nephews, bros and guys I've known for decades.  This year there was a new guy. Lets call him George.  He's a bit older than me and I'd never met him before. From the moment I met him, I could see that he was one of the most likeable and positive people I've seen.  The next day I was taking a group out to a new lake and George tagged along. I ended up in the same boat with him for 5 hours, so you talk about a lot of stuff.  Turns out George has done 2 rounds of chemo for bone cancer.  He has taken a crap-kicking over the last 4 years that makes my little adventure seem like a walk in the park.  Our buddy Capnhardass is always reminding us that while our challenge is tough, there's always somebody who has it tougher.  I think George and I are going to be great friends and I hope I can come close to matching his positive outlook.
During last years trip I was on tx and I couldn't do everything I wanted to do.  This year I was back!  I set the pace for those young pups!  It was just like it used to be. (With the exception of the Canadian Club and stogies during the poker game!)