AUGUST 2014

AUGUST 2014

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Did you see the story about the 16 pound baby born in Longview, Texas yesterday?

It's one of the biggest babies ever born in Texas.  I hope they didn't buy too many baby clothes because the kid has, obviously, outgrown them already.  I'll bet mama will never forget that experience!

New stuff downtown!

I almost missed the new La Crosse Olive Oil store when I walked by.  It's across from the cathedral and the whole store is devoted to cooking oils. I can't imagine that La Crosse would be big enough for such a specialized business but what do I know.  Just in case, I'll make sure to stop in this coming week so I can check it out before they close again.
The Cabin Coffee Company has been in the works for a while but it looks like they're just putting on the finishing touches this morning.  Our new coffee spot is a fairly new company that started in Iowa.  La Crosse is their newest store.  You can enjoy their coffee inside or take some home to brew your own.  This is their website http://www.cabincoffeecompany.com/

I remember having a birthday party just like this when I was about 30 years old.

Click here for a funny You Tube video

I have no idea who said this but I love it:

"When I turned two I was really anxious because I'd doubled my age in a year.  I thought, if this keeps up, by the time I'm five I'll be 64."

But, here's the best one on age (and, I know who said it),
"Inflation is when you pay $15.00 for the $10.00 haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair."
(Sam Ewing)

We've had a good stretch of quiet weather but that could change this weekend.

There's a chance for an isolated thunderstorm late this afternoon and tonight but a better chance tomorrow and tomorrow night for thunderstorm activity with damaging winds and large hail.

Speaking of weather, our normal high, this time of year, is 85.  Yestereday we hit 92.

Here's the perfect Wisconsin drink.

BEER MARGARITA

1 can of frozen limeade concentrate
12 ounces of tequila
12 ounces of water
12 ounces of beer
1 lime cut into wedges
Ice

Put all the ingredients in a large pitcher.  Stir it up and add lots of ice.

The Birthday Girl.

A rose between two......
(you can fill in the rest)

RIP: Betty Ford

"It's always been my feeling that God lends you your children until they're about eighteen years old.  If you haven't made your points with them by then, it's too late."

Friday, July 08, 2011

A good picture of Donnie. The Andes of Bolivia ain't bad either.

A quote from Albert Einstein that I like:

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.  The important thing is not to stop questioning."

A morning report from Donnie

To beat the heat here, I had half the back porch stained before 7 a.m. today, so I am already pooped.

Yesterday we saw the new Woody Allen film, "Midnight in Paris."  Typical Allen, a charming romance about people and places; no guns, no murders, no violence.  The lingering views of Paris certainly makes one want to visit and live there.  Paris reminded me of Buenos Aires.

Art Fair on the Square is this weekend in Madison

Which reminds me, Art Fair on the Green is July 30 and 31 at UW-LaCrosse.

My horoscope, today, says I know how to take charge and give orders.

I LEARNED THAT FROM MY MOTHER

I liked George Suttons letter to the editor in the Wisconsin State Journal this morning.

Click here to read the letter about Social Security.

STEVE LAWRENCE IS 76 TODAY..KATHY IS 21 TOMORROW.

The best one liner I've seen today was on Twitter.

Steven David said, "My girlfriend is always complaining that I don't take her anywhere expensive so I took her to the gas station."

Lonely Planet has an interesting article, on their website, about the strangest museums in the world.

They include the worlds worst art museum in Massachusetts to the hair museum in Turkey (wonder if Donnie has been there?).  And, then, there's the toilet museum in India.  I'm sure, by now, you want to see the whole list so CLICK HERE!

Don't plan on any big outdoor events for Sunday. Click here for more info.

The National Weather Service says we could see strong storms and damaging hail.  The rest of the weekend looks pretty good.

Leave it to the Norwegians.

Norwegian Cruise Line is introducing 24 hour pizza delivery service on all their cruise ships.  $5.00 for a 16 inch pizza.  I suppose that's OK but when they start 24 hour lutefisk service then they'll have something.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Duane has been doing some bird watching this afternoon.

"I've been watching the nuthatches feed their new babies.  There are two of them.  Mom and Pop perch them in the bushes and then go to the feeder to get seeds for them.  The babies are as big as mom and dad.  Love my nuthatches.  So pretty and quick and the babies make a little chirping sound when they get fed."

Here's a website you might want to check out.

http://www.discoverwisconsin.com/Destination.aspx?sdid=368

The "DISCOVER WISCONSIN" TV program will be featuring Viroqua this weekend.  There's more information on the website and you can even watch the program there!

I just read you can get rid of ants in the house with....are you ready for this?

BABY POWDER!
The ants hate the cornstarch that's in it.  You learn something new every day!

The 89th annual DAYS OF '76 is right around the corner in Deadwood.

It runs July 26 through 30 this year.  Big parades both Friday and Saturday and the big Rodeo follows the parade on Saturday.  I'd sure like to be there to see that again.  During my Deadwood days the Day's of '76 was the highlight of my year.  Of course,  that was back in the days before gambling was legal and Deadwood was known, far and wide, for another form of "entertainment".  The celebration was a whole lot "wilder" back then and I loved every minute of it.

Click the headline above to see the DAYS OF '76 website.

A report from Donnie on a rare event.

"We got a surprise, short, light shower yesterday, not enough to do any good, but enough to cheer us up for a few minutes.  Was so unexpected (and unpredicted) that it caught Linda outdoors in her nightshirt."

Is there a danger of cancer from using your cell phone? Most likely not.

There's a great article in USA Today CLICK HERE FOR HEALTH STORY about the many myths concerning health.  Check it out and stop worrying!!!  The worrying about your health is probably doing more damage than the health risk your worrying about.

Every day brings us closer to the longer nights and first snowfall.

Today we'll have 15 hours and 18 minutes of sunshine. I hate to think about it but tomorrow we'll have 1 minute and 7 seconds less daylight. If I had to choose between less daylight or more snow, I'd pick more snow every time.

It was 57 years ago today.

On July 7, 1954 WHBQ radio in Memphis played "That's All Right" by Elvis Presley.  That was the first time a record by Elvis was played in the radio.  That, of course, was also his first record.

Mark Twain said it.....

"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."

Regardless of what you'd like to believe, it is getting warmer.

According to the 1981-2010 normals to be released by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) on July 1, temperatures across the United States were on average, approximately 0.5 degree F warmer than the 1971-2000 time period.

63% of the people admit they talk on the phone and drive at the same time.

I think they're just as dangerous, on the highway, as drunk drivers.  I've heard you people talking on the phone.  Believe me.  You really don't have a damn thing to talk about. And, you'll have a hard time finding someone who actually wants to overhear the details of your love life.

It's been a couple of years since I've had a taste of chocolate.

Not even a small nibble.  Kidney disease and chocolates don't mix and I think giving up chocolate is a lot more difficult than giving up smoking.  They've got a patch to help you give up smoking.  There should be one for chocolate too.

General Mills says your Coco Puffs will cost 10% more in 2012.

The other day I was picking out a couple of apples, at Co-op, and an elderly lady (about my age) came up, behind me, and said, "It's getting harder and harder to find something you can afford to eat, isn't it?"

I had to agree with her on that one!

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

They had some nasty storms around Rapid City this morning.

1.25" hail reported in Pennington County.

Robert Kiyosaki is a well known investor in the stock market.

I just read one of his quotes on Twitter.  He says, "Experience is more important than money."
Well, I've had a whole lot of experience and I've loved it all but, believe me, the experience would have been a whole lot better with a lot of money!

Rita and Roger's neighbors have cats.

They took some  pictures of them and this is a great one.  If that isn't a yawn I don't know what is!!

Carl sent this video. If you love hummingbirds You've got to see this.

Another nice day ahead.

The forecast calls for sunny skies with a high around 80 today.

It was quiet, around here, last night but northeast of La Crosse the little town of Thorp got hit with dime size hail and 50 MPH wind gusts.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

I was just thinking....

These people look much too happy to be in a room filled with Norwegians.

This is another photo from Donnie and Linda's reception more than 20 years ago.

This is something I've always worried about.

It happened in Milwaukee where a man was killed falling down an elevator shaft in an apartment building.  The elevator got stuck between two floors and he fell while trying to get out.

We have had folks get stuck, between floors, here but, so far, I've been lucky.  There is a phone in the elevator to call for help and now that I have my cell phone I have a couple of ways to contact someone.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed I never have to do it.

I always got a kick out of watching Julia Child.

Outside of her cooking show I really didn't know much about her and knew nothing about her husband, Paul, who worked for the State Department in the U.S. Information Service.  That, of course, immediately caught my attention.  Then to learn that both Paul AND Julia were intellegence agents in the O.S.S. during WWII I couldn't wait to read the book.

I'm in the middle of "A Covert Affair" by Jennet Conant and I have to keep reminding myself it's not a novel.  It is so well written it sure reads like one.  It's a great story and fun reading.  I'll be surprised if it isn't made into a movie.

JOKE OF THE DAY (Thanks Gary)

Ole is thepastor of the local Norwegian Lutheran Church and Pastor Sven is the ministerof the Swedish Covenant Church across the road...…One day they are seen pounding a sign into the ground, which said:

DA END ISS NEAR! TURN YERSELF AROUNT NOW
BAFOR IT ISS TOO LATE!

As a car speeds past them, the driver leans out his window and yells...."Leave people alone, you Skandihoovian religious nuts!"
From the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash.
Shakin' his head, Rev. Ole says :
"Dat's da terd one dis mornin'."
"Yaa," Pastor Sven agrees, then asks, "Do ya tink maybe da signshould yust say :
Bridge Out?!

DID YOU KNOW???

INSTANT COFFEE is a good source of FIBER!!  I didn't know that either until I just looked up a list of high fiber foods and instant coffee is on it.  You know what they say.  You learn something new every day!

EVERYBODY HAS THEIR PROBLEMS

I see $51.6 million isn't enough for Queen Elizabeth to keep up with all the repairs needed on the many palaces and castles at her disposal.  And, all this time, I've been feeling sorry for myself because I don't have enough money to fix all the things that need fixing around here.

 

ARE WE DONE WITH THE STORIES ABOUT THE BIG TSUNAMI IN JAPAN?

The troubles from the tsunami that hit Japan, in March, will be with us with us for years to come.  Right now there are parts of cars, houses, furniture, and everything else you can think of, floating in the Pacific.  Tons of stuff.  And, it will start washing ashore on the beaches of Hawaii by spring and arrive in San Francisco by 2013 or 14, give or take a month or two.

THERE GOES SUMMER

You know, as soon as the 4th is gone they start dragging out the "Back to School" and Halloween ads.  And, before we even get to Halloween there will be a Christmas ad or two.  I'm an old man.  Time is going fast enough without Madison Avenue trying to push me ahead even faster.  Still, I guess you could say fall is just around the corner.  The Autumnal Equinox  is only 80 days away and you have 173 shopping days until Christmas.

No Christmas weather today.  Yesterdays high was 89 and they say it will be about the same today.  Today, however, may bring a thunderstorm or two.  In fact, when I got up there was a large area of thunderstorms around Minneapolis and they were headed this way.

And, here's another where does the time go item.

It was 57 years ago today that Elvis made his first recording!
Free elvis.gif phone wallpaper by grumpy68


Monday, July 04, 2011

ANOTHER GREAT SHOT DONNIE SENT FROM THE 1982 RECEPTION

RITA SENT A PICTURE

She thought this was a better picture of Gladys than the first one she sent.

This is better of all of them!  Love this photo.

I TOOK A LONG WALK THIS MORNNG

I thought I started early enough to be done before the sun got too hot but by the time I got home I was "toasty".

I went through Riverside Park.  Too early for any Riverfest activities but there were a lot of people out doing the same thing I was.  Walking.

There was one sand sculpture advertising the Sand on the River sculpture contest which comes up in mid-August.  I always go down to that.  There are some very talented artists in La Crosse.







Coming home I walked through some of the alleys downtown.  La Crosse is full of interesting alleys.  I love them.

I SUPPOSE FRIEND ALREADY KNOWS THIS BUT FOR THE REST OF YOU......

West Point opened on July 4, 1802.

GOOD LUCK TO THE FOLKS AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

I visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston a couple of times but never got to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

There's a story from AP this morning about the hard times facing NASA employees along Florida's Space Coast.  With the end of the shuttle program, 7,000 people losing their jobs.  It couldn't come at a worse time.  Jobs are hard to find, these days.  This will be devastating for a lot of hotels, motels, restaurants and other travel related industries I'm sure.

As always, however, bad news for some may be good news for others.  For retired folks wanting to move to a warmer climate, this will be a great time to find a super deal on a house.  There are a ton of homes on the market around the space center as employees try to move out to find work elsewhere.

HERE'S A 4TH FUNNY.....

The Fourth of July weekend was approaching, and Miss Terpstra , the nursery school teacher, took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism. 'We live in a great country,' she announced. 'One of the things that should make us happy is that, in this country, we are all free.'

Roger, who was a little boy in her class, came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said loudly, 'I'm not free. I'm four.'

BY THE WAY
The Bald Eagle lives only in North America.  Their normal flying speed is about 40 MPH but they reach speeds of 100 MPH in a dive.  That was about my speed back in my drinking days.  Now, I'm lucky to hit 10 MPH.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH!

Our weather is looking good for the 4th of July.  You can't beat Sunny skies with afternoon temperatures around 85!

The hottest 4th of July, around here, was way back in 1911.  It was in the middle of a heat wave that produced 100 degrees in La Crosse and 102 in Viroqua.  I think our 85 today will be a lot more comfortable.

By the way, the firecrackers started exploding a little later this morning.  I didn't hear any explosions until around 2:30.

I haven't been down to the park, yet this year, to check out Riverfest.  I think I may take a walk down there early this morning.

Oh, yes!  A bit of Independence Day trivia:  If I ask you who made the U.S. flag you're going to say Betsy Ross, I'll bet.  Hang on there, stars and stripes breath, there ain't no proof Betsy had anything to do with the flag.  She may have been darning socks for all we know.

So, where did the Betsy Ross story come from??  The first recorded mention of Betsy and the flag came from her grandson about 100 years after the flag was created.  Before that time, nothing has ever been found to indicate who made the flag.  As far as you know, it could, just as well, have been me.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

THE LATE 1950'S:

THINGS HAVE CHANGED A BIT SINCE WE WERE KIDS
"I never thought I’d see the day all our kitchen appliances would  be electric.  They are even making  electric typewriters now!"

DOG DAYS START TODAY

Dog Days run 40 days through August 11.  It coincides with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star.  These 40 days are, normally, when rainfall is at its lowest levels.  However, the way the weather comes, these days, nothing seems to be normal anymore.

MEMORIES

Donnie sent some wonderful photos from the 1982 wedding reception for he and Linda.  I'll be passing them along in the next few days.  This one is a classic!

I LOVE IT AND I CAN EAT IT

I just saved this recipe for KEY LIME PIE (CLICK HERE)

It's a great hot weather dessert.  I think I'll make it this week.

WE'RE ALL GETTING OLD. TOM CRUISE TURNS 49 TODAY!

WAS IT WORTH IT? EVERY SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH COST $450 MILLION

THE CELEBRATION STARTED EARLY

I suppose it was folks coming home from the bars. The booms and bangs erupted around 1 A.M.  Not from just one but from several locations.  HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

SUNNY 85 TODAY SUNNY 88 TOMORROW


GREAT HOLIDAY WEATHER BUT GREAT SUNBURN WEATHER TOO
THIS IS STAY OUT OF THE SUN DAY

LA CROSSE WEATHER