By Dee Baysinger
Not too long ago I was asked the question by Sioux Falls Janet if I considered myself to be spontaneous? Definitely, yes, but I may have dropped down a couple of levels. (I no doubt would still hop on the back of a complete stranger’s Harley as I did a few years ago in Minnesota.)
Decidedly there are two separate divisions of people – those who will go when asked at the drop of a hat and those who have to think of their obligations and the possible consequences of their actions. Janet has always put the label of “fun-haters” on the latter. I have steered clear of that dreary label my entire life. Of course I have often times been a victim of what I refer to as “spontaneous combustion” which if an equation would read: alcohol + fun = trouble.
As age progresses I find it to be very appealing to stay home with a glass of wine, a good book and my thoughts. So I was very proud of myself on Monday, Feb. 25. Country Claude and my favorite ex-brother-in-law, Tim Sandness, share the same birth date. This year was special because Tim was hitting the landmark of 60! I called my greeting and found Tim on the road home from Yankton. (No, he hadn’t been in the mental hospital.)
As I was leaving the post office I spied brother Soop and Janet tooling down main street. Blame it on the bright sunshine, but I halted them and said, “Do you want to go to Mitchell and have a beer with Tim for his 60th?” They didn’t bat an eye before they said, “We’ll go home and change.” Now that’s what I love about spontaneous people.
Next, I arrived home to find two T-bone steaks laid out on the counter. I called Claude going by on the tractor and said,  “Get out of the tractor, we’re going to Mitchell.” Much to my amazement he did, without pitching a battle about the awaiting steaks.
I gave Tim the option to choose where to meet but I nixed the Kongo from the list. I have no ill-will against strippers. (I gleefully call the regular attendees “flesh-mongers.”) We settled on Chef Louie’s. Tim has a special-level status since I even gave up watching Antique Roadshow. Our group of six partied until the unheard of hour of 9:15 p.m. I was so pleased with Claude’s participation that I even let him wear his farm hat through the lovely meal.
One of my favorite spontaneous stories is when Charlie Knigge stopped me on main street on a Sunday morning and asked if I wanted to ride along in the motor home with him and Myrna to see the river flooding. (I was mad at a current boyfriend and instantly agreed to the day’s diversion.) Charlie went home and told Myrna they were going and Dee too.
We proceeded to randomly pick up friends along the way. We found Randee Beigh folding her underwear and her hubby, Gary, pulled off the road and hopped in. We had a full camper by the time we toured Wessington Springs, Alpena and Forestburg’s water levels. We had to make a few adult beverage stops along the way. We were almost back to our starting point at Woony when Myrna asked Charlie what was wrong with the motor home’s engine that she had to drive in D-2. He said, “I meant Dee was along, too, not D-2!”
In hindsight I regret very few of my spontaneous adventures which I refer to as, “Off on a Lark!” Georgia has maintained for years that, “You can’t tell Dee a darn thing, but you can talk her into doing anything.”
Cheers to my spontaneous friends.
Dee Baby
P.S. Does anyone know who the announcer was at the State B’s who mentioned me?