It's my dutch blood that makes me so stubborn so I can understand the 17 folks who got arrested in Amsterdam today. They were squatting, either in protest or celebration (I'm not sure which), a law that went into effect a year ago that bans squatting.
I would have, probably, been right there with them except for the fact that my squatting days are over. I can squat alright but the old bones just don't have the strength to un-squat anymore.
AUGUST 2014
Saturday, October 01, 2011
SO, HOW COME I NEVER HEARD OF BEEDLES BAR AND RESTAURANT?
I can't believe someone, in the family, hasn't been there. I discovered them on TWITTER and then checked out their website. Which you can look over right here. Looks like a nice place.
THIS IS THE LAST DAY OF OKTOBERFEST IN LA CROSSE
I'm sure there are still some die-hard festers who will spend the day at the fest grounds.
By the way, if you're planning a trip to Europe, National Geographic Traveler has a nice article on the best beer trips in the "old country" Click here to check it out.
By the way, if you're planning a trip to Europe, National Geographic Traveler has a nice article on the best beer trips in the "old country" Click here to check it out.
FOR SALE
Willard has a 1973 HAMM'S BEAR DECANTER for sale. These are hard to find for collectors and are listed on the internet at almost $200.00. He's selling his for $85.00.
HERE WE GO AGAIN
Here we go again. Manning Beef, out of California, is recalling 80,000 pounds of beef. It may be tainted with E. coli which is something I really want to stay away from. In its worst forms, it can cause kidney failure.
WORLD TRAVEL
For those of you into travel, there's a great Norwegian travel story on the BBC website this morning. Take a look here: BBC
CLOSE TO FREEZING!
In fact, some folks were BELOW FREEZING this morning. It was 34, in La Crosse, at 6 A.M. but 27 at Sparta. Austin (Minnesota) was right at 32 and Rochester had 36. If this keeps up I'll have to get my parka out.
WHAT DAY IS IT?
I just put a load of clothes in the laundry. I never wash clothes on the weekend but it has been Friday to me since I got out of bed.
I just discovered it was Saturday when I ordered pills from Walgreen's and their response was that they'll be ready for pick-up on Sunday. I always get next day pick-up so I did some research and, sure enough, this is Saturday!
Every day a few thousand more brain cells become extinct.
I just discovered it was Saturday when I ordered pills from Walgreen's and their response was that they'll be ready for pick-up on Sunday. I always get next day pick-up so I did some research and, sure enough, this is Saturday!
Every day a few thousand more brain cells become extinct.
WHERE'S THE BEST HOTEL IN THE U.S.A.?
The Global Vacation Trips website has a video showing the top 10 hotels in the USA and I was surprised to see the best of them all is pretty close to home!
BOY! HOW THE TIMES CHANGE
I had to chuckle, this morning, about another story in the La Crosse Tribune about a competition the grade school kids are having in which they can earn points for walking to school.
Back in the days, when I was in grade school, you either walked or you didn't get there at all. As I recall, we didn't get points for anything.
The story brought back memories of how mad Gladys would get when she saw Dad and I walking to school. He was going to work at the high school, upstairs, and I was going to school at the grade school downstairs.
Dad and I would walk past the Nelson house wearing light jackets that were, usually, not even buttoned up and we never got a cold or the flu. Gladys, on the other hand, would bundle up Jeff and Kathy with so many clothes they could hardly walk and they'd be sick with a cold or flu from October to May.
Now, we've gone from the simpler days of old to the outrageous days of now...with a bit of help from the freaky Fox folks. Blowing a sneeze into a circus
OUR FIRST ROUNDABOUT
I'm anxious to make the trip out to Rita and Rogers place to see the first roundabout in La Crosse County which is just about finished. There's a story and picture in the LA CROSSE TRIBUNE this morning: ROUNDABOUT STORY
Friday, September 30, 2011
DONNIE REPORTS ON THE TEXAS "COLD" FRONT
"We are enjoying a cool front this weekend, our high only getting up to a "chilly" 90 degrees."
WIND DAMAGE
It looks like those high winds caused problems all over Wisconsin yesterday. In Door County so many trees and power lines were blown down that they've had to close all the state parks and trails until they can get the mess cleaned up.
LYNNE SENT THIS. I THINK YOU'LL LIKE IT.
This is a story of an aging couple Told by their son who was President of NBC NEWS.
This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and president of NBC News.
In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed.
Here goes... My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car. He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet. "In those days," he told me when he was in his 90s, "to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it." At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in: "Oh, bull shit!" she said. "He hit a horse." "Well," my father said, "there was that, too."
So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars -- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941 Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth, the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none. My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , would take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.
My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. "No one in the family drives," my mother would explain, and that was that. But, sometimes, my father would say, "But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one." It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.
But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown. It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with everything, and, since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.
Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother. So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. "Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?" I remember him saying more than once.
For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work. Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage. (Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)
He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin's Church. She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home. If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."
After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: "The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored."
If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, "Do you want to know the secret of a long life?" "I guess so," I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre. "No left turns," he said. "What?" I asked. "No left turns," he repeated. "Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn." "What?" I said again. "No left turns," he said. "Think about it.. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights." "You're kidding!" I said, and I turned to my mother for support. "No," she said, "your father is right. We make three rights. It works." But then she added: "Except when your father loses count."
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing. "Loses count?" I asked. "Yes," my father admitted, "that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again." I couldn't resist. "Do you ever go for 11?" I asked. "No," he said " If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week."
My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90. She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102. They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)
He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.
One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.
A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, "You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred." At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, "You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer." "You're probably right," I said. "Why would you say that?" He countered, somewhat irritated. "Because you're 102 years old," I said.. "Yes," he said, "you're right."
He stayed in bed all the next day. That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night. He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said: "I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is dead yet."
An hour or so later, he spoke his last words: "I want you to know," he said, clearly and lucidly, "that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have." A short time later, he died. I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot.
I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long. I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit taking left turns. "
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance,take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it."
ENJOY LIFE NOW !!!!!!
This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and president of NBC News.
In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed.
Here goes... My father never drove a car. Well, that's not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car. He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet. "In those days," he told me when he was in his 90s, "to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it." At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in: "Oh, bull shit!" she said. "He hit a horse." "Well," my father said, "there was that, too."
So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars -- the Kollingses next door had a green 1941 Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth, the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford -- but we had none. My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , would take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.
My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we'd ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. "No one in the family drives," my mother would explain, and that was that. But, sometimes, my father would say, "But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we'll get one." It was as if he wasn't sure which one of us would turn 16 first.
But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown. It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with everything, and, since my parents didn't drive, it more or less became my brother's car.
Having a car but not being able to drive didn't bother my father, but it didn't make sense to my mother. So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father's idea. "Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?" I remember him saying more than once.
For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps -- though they seldom left the city limits -- and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work. Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn't seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage. (Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)
He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin's Church. She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish's two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home. If it was the assistant pastor, he'd take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests "Father Fast" and "Father Slow."
After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he'd sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I'd stop by, he'd explain: "The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored."
If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out -- and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, "Do you want to know the secret of a long life?" "I guess so," I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre. "No left turns," he said. "What?" I asked. "No left turns," he repeated. "Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn." "What?" I said again. "No left turns," he said. "Think about it.. Three rights are the same as a left, and that's a lot safer. So we always make three rights." "You're kidding!" I said, and I turned to my mother for support. "No," she said, "your father is right. We make three rights. It works." But then she added: "Except when your father loses count."
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing. "Loses count?" I asked. "Yes," my father admitted, "that sometimes happens. But it's not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you're okay again." I couldn't resist. "Do you ever go for 11?" I asked. "No," he said " If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can't be put off another day or another week."
My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90. She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102. They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom -- the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)
He continued to walk daily -- he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he'd fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising -- and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.
One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.
A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, "You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred." At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, "You know, I'm probably not going to live much longer." "You're probably right," I said. "Why would you say that?" He countered, somewhat irritated. "Because you're 102 years old," I said.. "Yes," he said, "you're right."
He stayed in bed all the next day. That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night. He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said: "I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is dead yet."
An hour or so later, he spoke his last words: "I want you to know," he said, clearly and lucidly, "that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have." A short time later, he died. I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot.
I've wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long. I can't figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit taking left turns. "
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance,take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it."
ENJOY LIFE NOW !!!!!!
BOOKS
Did you know that Rin Tin Tin was listed in the Los Angeles phone book. Did you know he made more money than his human co-stars?
I sure didn't know that but it's all in the new book"Rin Tin Tin: The life and the legend" by Susan Orlean. Read the review in in THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
I sure didn't know that but it's all in the new book"Rin Tin Tin: The life and the legend" by Susan Orlean. Read the review in in THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
WE'RE ALL GETTING OLD
Angie Dickinson celebrates her 80th birthday today and its 76 candles for Johnny Mathis.
WHAT IS ASK A STUPID QUESTION DAY?
Here's your stupid answer. According to Wikipedia, the holiday was created by teachers back in the 1980's as a way to encourage students to ask more questions in class.
THOSE AWFUL WINDS ARE GONE
I hope none of your lawn furniture blew away yesterday. That wind was really something. Some of the higher wind gusts included:
- Viroqua 40 MPH
- La Crosse 51 MPH
- Rochester 56 MPH
A CHARGE TO USE YOUR DEBIT CARD?
That's the first bad news I saw this morning. READ THE STORY HERE
And that's not all. Beginning tomorrow the Welsh government will require shop keepers to charge a fee for the use of plastic bags. The government wants to encourage folks to bring their own bags and cut down on litter. I have a feeling that could catch on in other countries.
And that's not all. Beginning tomorrow the Welsh government will require shop keepers to charge a fee for the use of plastic bags. The government wants to encourage folks to bring their own bags and cut down on litter. I have a feeling that could catch on in other countries.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
WIND GUST
The National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 51 MPH at 2:36 this afternoon at the airport on French Island.
HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL TEXAS!
I haven't heard from Donnie, yet, but I'm afraid he's not going to be very happy. I was watching the radar and saw big areas of rain forming to the west, east and south of Dripping Springs but nothing over their part of the Hill Country.
OLD FARTS FORGET
I took a letter to the mailbox downstairs. Just as I was about to drop it in the slot, I noticed I hadn't put a stamp on it.
When I got on the elevator to go back up to get the stamp another one of the old geezers who lives here got on with me.
I said, "I forgot the stamp". He said, "That's nothing. Yesterday I was walking out of the kitchen and realized I had forgotten something. I turned around and went back into the kitchen and couldn't remember what it was that I forgot."
I used to think the lines about old people forgetting things was just a joke. It's NO JOKE!
When I got on the elevator to go back up to get the stamp another one of the old geezers who lives here got on with me.
I said, "I forgot the stamp". He said, "That's nothing. Yesterday I was walking out of the kitchen and realized I had forgotten something. I turned around and went back into the kitchen and couldn't remember what it was that I forgot."
I used to think the lines about old people forgetting things was just a joke. It's NO JOKE!
I'M ALREADY SHIVERING
Donnie said, "Today will be our 90th this year at 100+ degrees. Imagine, that's 25% of the year at triple digits. I guess the equivalent in La Crosse would be for the temp to hit 0 degrees on January 1, then hit 0 every day until May Day!"
TEXAS HAS THE DROUGHT BUT IN CHICAGO.....
It's official. Chicago has had big time rains this week and, when you add those totals to the rainfall totals for the rest of the year, you come up with the wettest year the windy city has had in the entire 141 years that they've been keeping records.
TEXAS DROUGHT
Donnie and Willard have given us a good idea of what the Texas drought is like and here's another picture. In fact, several pictures. PHOTOS: TEXAS DROUGHT
THERE'S ANOTHER OKTOBERFEST
This one is in Chicago and it looks very interesting. If you're going to be in the Windy City check it out. OKTOBERFEST CHICAGO
NORM IS IN TOWN AND WILL BE IN TONIGHTS TORCHLIGHT PARADE
George Wendt, who played Norm on CHEERS arrived in La Crosse yesterday and plans to stay for the rest of Oktoberfest. He'll also be in the Torchlight Parade tonight.
Check out the full story here: LA CROSSE TRIBUNE
Check out the full story here: LA CROSSE TRIBUNE
LET THE WIND BLOW
WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY HAIR...A LITTLE WIND? NO PROBLEM! Right Roger?
I'll bet you didn't know this:
Warm air moves to the poles where it cools down.
Cold air moves toward the equator where it warms up.
I'll bet you didn't know this:
Warm air moves to the poles where it cools down.
Cold air moves toward the equator where it warms up.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
DONNIE'S TRAFFIC REPORT
"Texas A and M University researchers report that Austin traffic is the 3rd worst in nation, after only Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Austin traffic is more congested than Houston or Dallas-Ft. Worth; and we tie with New York and San Francisco."
FROM THE CHURCH BULLETIN
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
SICK HORSES
I'm glad Rita and Roger don't have the horses to worry about any more. I see the deadly horse virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis has spread to central Wisconsin. The disease is spread by mosquito bites.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TEMPERATURE?
Texas will be in the 90's today, South Dakota in the 80's, Minnesota in the 70's and Wisconsin in the 60's.
DONNIE REPORTS:
"Now even the thunderstorms come without rain. This afternoon we had three hours of thunder and lightning and wind and dark skies--and not a drop of rain. Twenty miles on either side of us saw heavy showers, but we got nothing.
It is a supernatural curse. Someone in our neighborhood has been very naughty."
As I was reading this, from Donnie, I couldn't help thinking this would not be happening if Lady Bird was still living just down the road.
It is a supernatural curse. Someone in our neighborhood has been very naughty."
As I was reading this, from Donnie, I couldn't help thinking this would not be happening if Lady Bird was still living just down the road.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
ADVERTISING FROM THE PAST
Can you imagine an ad like this running today? Even so, I think I've had a little of that "senile agitation" from time to time.
IT'S 4 O'CLOCK
I think I'll take a break from doing nothing and have a cup of coffee and a doughnut.
This is one of the parts of being old and retired that I like.
This is one of the parts of being old and retired that I like.
WATCH THE BIRDIE!
If you want to do some fall bird watching in Wisconsin, check out this TRAVEL WISCONSIN website BIRDS TRAVEL WISCONSIN
THE WISCONSIN CHEESE SITE HAS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
You'll find cheese news, recipes and more and the Wisconsin Cheese Map is a must if you're traveling through Wisconsin.
For the map go to the website WISCONSIN CHEESE Click on "Wisconsin" at the top of the home page and then click on cheese map. There's an address form you can fill out and they'll send you the map that shows, not only where all the cheese stores are, but lots of other interesting tourist stops in the state.
For the map go to the website WISCONSIN CHEESE Click on "Wisconsin" at the top of the home page and then click on cheese map. There's an address form you can fill out and they'll send you the map that shows, not only where all the cheese stores are, but lots of other interesting tourist stops in the state.
TV TALK
Ron said, "Update on the Pan Am TV show. Penny liked it but it did not do enough for me to keep watching it"
And I forgot to mention that I stayed up, again last night, to watch part two of the TWO AND A HALF MEN SEASON OPENER. Last week I gave it the benefit of the doubt and thought it had possibilities. After last nights segment...no way. It's doomed.
And I forgot to mention that I stayed up, again last night, to watch part two of the TWO AND A HALF MEN SEASON OPENER. Last week I gave it the benefit of the doubt and thought it had possibilities. After last nights segment...no way. It's doomed.
A NOTE FROM LYNNE
"We have had 1 1/2" rain in the last 3 days and looks like more is coming. We are hoping for a sunny warm day on Saturday as we are going to the tailgate party at the UW stadium with Derrick and Jennifer. No game tickets though. Jennifer's brother has a yearly turkey boil and lots of other food. Last Saturday we went to the Warrior Dash in Twin Lakes and watched Sandy's kids and spouses climb walls, run, and the last was jumping into a mud pond to the end line. I camcorded the event. What a muddy mess. Here is a photo. Then we went back to Sandy's for a party celebrating her son, Carl's, 40th birthday. All participants were cleaned up before they got to her house. :-)
IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT
I walked by this tree yesterday and it was solid green. I walked by it today and look what happened while I was sleeping. Everything else is still green. This guy decided to get a jump on the season.
HALLOWEEN IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
What better time is there to go vampire hunting? Don't know where the vampires are? Lonely Planet does. CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE ON THEIR WEBSITE
I'M MAKING A GROCERY LIST
Thunder is out of food and I'm running low on a few things. I'm thinking I'll get the "fixins" and throw them in the crock pot for soup early in the morning. I think we've cooled off enough for soup.
REMEMBERING THE PAST
This date must bring back a lot of memories for Jayne Meadows. She was born on, September 27, 91 years ago today. It was also on September 27, in 1954, that her husband, Steve Allen, appeared as the host on the premiere of the TONIGHT SHOW on NBC. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYNE!
MORE SECURITY, NEXT YEAR, AT UWL
Interesting article in the La Crosse Tribune, this morning, about the Oktoberfest trouble on campus, at UWL, this year. CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY In past years much of the trouble has been along the Oktoberfest parade route but this year it was big trouble on campus.
As I noted, earlier, on this blog, the college students I come in contact with around here seem to get surlier and unhappier every year. I can't help but wonder if it isn't a sign of the times. And, it's not a good sign. I was under the impression that college years were supposed to be fun years to remember. Doesn't seem to be that way any more.
As I noted, earlier, on this blog, the college students I come in contact with around here seem to get surlier and unhappier every year. I can't help but wonder if it isn't a sign of the times. And, it's not a good sign. I was under the impression that college years were supposed to be fun years to remember. Doesn't seem to be that way any more.
THUNDER DOESN'T MISS A THING
He insists I include the HELLO KITTY COLLECTION for the ladies on the blog this morning.
Monday, September 26, 2011
IT WAS WARM IN THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON
When I checked, around 2 PM it was 80 in Rapid City and 81 in Worland.
NOT ENOUGH RAIN TO TALK ABOUT
It rained all morning but it was just enough to make life miserable for those who had to go outside. I wasn't one of them. I decided I'd rather get down on my hands and knees and scrub floors rather than go walkin' in the rain.
This mornings totals:
This mornings totals:
- La Crosse .22"
- Holmen .03"
- Galesville Trace
- Viroqua .23"
DONNIE SAID, "SOME OF THESE MIGHT AMUSE YOU"
He's dead wrong. As the Queen said, "We are not amused." This list hits too close to home to be funny anymore.
The perks of reaching 60...or being over 70...or heading towards 80!
01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
02. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
03. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
04. People call at 9 pm and ask,"did I wake you?"
05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
07. Things you buy now won't wear out.
08. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
09. You can live without sex but not without your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14. Your eyes won't get much worse.
15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can't remember who sent you this list.
20. And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
And never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night. And remember, the choice you have is never between now and the past, but between now and the future.
The perks of reaching 60...or being over 70...or heading towards 80!
01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
02. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
03. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
04. People call at 9 pm and ask,"did I wake you?"
05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
07. Things you buy now won't wear out.
08. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
09. You can live without sex but not without your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14. Your eyes won't get much worse.
15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can't remember who sent you this list.
20. And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
And never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night. And remember, the choice you have is never between now and the past, but between now and the future.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT
Every time I click on TWITTER I learn something new. Just now I learned that TASER, that thing the cops use, is an acronym and it stands for Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle. C'mon. Be honest. You didn't know that either.
SHORT TIMER
Rita dropped coupons off on her way to work this morning and she informed me that she has:
37 DAYS
OF WORK
LEFT!
OF WORK
LEFT!
YUMMY STUFF!
I made a hamburger yesterday and needed something to go with it. French Fries is what I wanted but potatoes are a no-no on my diet. I've also been craving potato chips but, of course that's out too.
I finally found something at Co-op that I thought might quench my craving and it did!
They're a bit pricey but Stacy's Pita Chips are made from stone ground wheat flour, crushed oats and sesame seeds and they're baked. Of course they have a bit of salt (sea salt) but it's a low amount so it was OK to eat a few. Boy, are they good! I think I'd give them 4 stars or maybe more! They've got other goodies too. Check out their website STACY'S ALL NATURAL
I finally found something at Co-op that I thought might quench my craving and it did!
They're a bit pricey but Stacy's Pita Chips are made from stone ground wheat flour, crushed oats and sesame seeds and they're baked. Of course they have a bit of salt (sea salt) but it's a low amount so it was OK to eat a few. Boy, are they good! I think I'd give them 4 stars or maybe more! They've got other goodies too. Check out their website STACY'S ALL NATURAL
I GOT NEWS FROM LYNNE THIS MORNING
"We had a good time with Mom B down with us for three weeks. We went to Daniel and Jon's for a celebration, to Sandy's for another good time with all her family there. Beautiful weather so many got out on the boat. Her son, Chris, is a fantastic boat captain and already has his two young sons tubing.
All Sandy's kids were in a Warrior Dash, which is climbing over walls, jumping over fire, jumping into a mud pond. I camcorded all of them. They are in marathons also.
Now I am editing all the film I took and getting it on dvds. I work hours a day as have 1 1/2 years of camcorder movies to edit onto dvds. I love working on all this but will be nice to get caught up. Then it will be working on photo books.
There won't be much more time working outside on the lawn and flowers so will get more done on other projects."
All Sandy's kids were in a Warrior Dash, which is climbing over walls, jumping over fire, jumping into a mud pond. I camcorded all of them. They are in marathons also.
Now I am editing all the film I took and getting it on dvds. I work hours a day as have 1 1/2 years of camcorder movies to edit onto dvds. I love working on all this but will be nice to get caught up. Then it will be working on photo books.
There won't be much more time working outside on the lawn and flowers so will get more done on other projects."
STRANGE SIGNALS COMING FROM OUTER SPACE
Could they be trying to contact us?? Probably not but this is a good story. MYSTERY SIGNAL
HAPPY JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY
I eat quite a few apples. I got some really good organic Granny Smith's at Co-op the other day. I don't usually pay any attention to organic but I've heard that they use so many chemical sprays, etc. on apples that they're one of the most contaminated fruits on the market. So, I went with the organic and they were very good.
By the way, I don't think it's true that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. If I had any more doctors they could incorporate as a small city.
I liked this medical stuff better when we were kids. We had one doctor and he knew everything there was to know about everything. And, if we were sick, we didn't have to make an appointment and go to a clinic. We called Doc Redding and he was at our front door in 15 minutes.
I'm thinking that might not be a bad way of doing things. When Donnie and I were back in Marion, a few years ago, old Doc Redding was still up and about, looking great and pushing 100. He must have been doing something right.
By the way, I don't think it's true that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. If I had any more doctors they could incorporate as a small city.
I liked this medical stuff better when we were kids. We had one doctor and he knew everything there was to know about everything. And, if we were sick, we didn't have to make an appointment and go to a clinic. We called Doc Redding and he was at our front door in 15 minutes.
I'm thinking that might not be a bad way of doing things. When Donnie and I were back in Marion, a few years ago, old Doc Redding was still up and about, looking great and pushing 100. He must have been doing something right.
IS IT A HIT?
I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough for PanAm but, from the reviews I read this morning, it sounds like it could be a hit.
I usually don't read reviews. I don't really care if someone else likes or dislikes it. After reading a few, this morning, I remembered why I don't usually read them. Too many words.
Did you think it was good or did you not? With a review, you have to read and read and read before they ever get around to telling you whether they liked it or not. I wonder if they use all those words to impress us with how much they know about the particular form of entertainment they're reviewing. Of course, if they actually knew as much as they'd like you to believe they know, they'd be doing the acting or directing rather than reviewing it.
Did you like the show? Let me know what you thought of it.
I usually don't read reviews. I don't really care if someone else likes or dislikes it. After reading a few, this morning, I remembered why I don't usually read them. Too many words.
Did you think it was good or did you not? With a review, you have to read and read and read before they ever get around to telling you whether they liked it or not. I wonder if they use all those words to impress us with how much they know about the particular form of entertainment they're reviewing. Of course, if they actually knew as much as they'd like you to believe they know, they'd be doing the acting or directing rather than reviewing it.
Did you like the show? Let me know what you thought of it.
DONNIE LAMENTS
"I still can't believe the world is ending--I dared think the 100-degree days were over. Wrong! 102 today, 103 tomorrow, burning sun, strong wind.
I would not be surprised now to see 100 degrees in October. We don't even speculate on rain any more--it just isn't part of any forecast."
I would not be surprised now to see 100 degrees in October. We don't even speculate on rain any more--it just isn't part of any forecast."
Sunday, September 25, 2011
TV
Ron reminded me that PanAm is on at 9 tonight. I'd love to see it but I haven't been up until nine since I was 30 years old. I couldn't stay up that late if my life depended on it.
If I live long enough, however, I'll watch it in Re-runs after the show is cancelled. They're about 13 years old but I'm just now watching Seinfeld for the first time in late afternoon re-runs. It's all new to me!
If I live long enough, however, I'll watch it in Re-runs after the show is cancelled. They're about 13 years old but I'm just now watching Seinfeld for the first time in late afternoon re-runs. It's all new to me!
AUNT WILDA CALLED TODAY
We talked about 20 minutes and she sounded so good. She was with Bob and Lynne for three weeks so she had a long vacation. Now, she says, she's home until Thanksgiving.
MORE FOLKS OUT OF WORK IN WISCONSIN
FRONTIER AIRLINES is cutting back service in the state and 213 Wisconsin workers will be out of a job.
WEATHER STATEMENT
I just saw there's a special weather statement for Rock County about the possibility of funnel clouds forming this afternoon. I hope none develop near Bob and Lynne.
HERE'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND
"To be upset over what you don't have, is a waste of what you do have."
Don't know who said it but it's a good thought.
Don't know who said it but it's a good thought.
WILLARD WOULD LIKE SOME OF OUR WEATHER
"Red Flag fire warning is in effect. Hot 90's all week. I like your wet fall forecast."
IN HONOR OF COMIC BOOK DAY HERE'S A BIT OF COMIC BOOK TRIVIA
The public met DICK TRACY for the first time on October 4, 1931 in the DETROIT FREE PRESS. His creator was CHESTER GOULD.
DOWNTOWN IS THE PLACE TO BE!
I was thrilled to see the story in the La Crosse Tribune, this morning, about the high, or should I say, RED HOT demand for downtown housing in La Crosse. The lofts, in the old buildings, are getting rented before the owners can get them ready. And, where the people want to be, the businesses are sure to follow.
This has been the trend for several years in the big and medium sized cities around the country. Gone are the days when people want to live in the country, on a couple of acres...with all the headaches, work, driving and cost that goes with it.
The people that moved to the country, early, had a great life of quiet and room to spread out. But when everyone decides they want to follow you, you're no longer in the country. Your in a sub-division with the traffic, the noise, the zoning, the crime and all the rest of it that you were trying to get rid of when you moved to the country.
You know the old story. "What goes around, comes around". The "smart" place to be was in the country. Now, we're back to "The smart place to be is in the city".
CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY IN THE TRIBUNE.
This has been the trend for several years in the big and medium sized cities around the country. Gone are the days when people want to live in the country, on a couple of acres...with all the headaches, work, driving and cost that goes with it.
The people that moved to the country, early, had a great life of quiet and room to spread out. But when everyone decides they want to follow you, you're no longer in the country. Your in a sub-division with the traffic, the noise, the zoning, the crime and all the rest of it that you were trying to get rid of when you moved to the country.
You know the old story. "What goes around, comes around". The "smart" place to be was in the country. Now, we're back to "The smart place to be is in the city".
CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY IN THE TRIBUNE.
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