Rita, Roger and I went to breakfast at FAYZE'S this morning.

The place was packed with people waiting to get a table.  I can understand why.  The food was delicious.

Downtown was bustling.  There are two big events going on at the La Crosse Center and the St. Patrick's Day parade is coming up this afternoon.

 

"Lovely" La Crosse is "Lively" today!

If you have a broom, your good to go!

#JobSearch School Custodian - West Salem School District - West Salem, WI Find this Job & More http://t.co/OjVpsBPFPd
— La Crosse Wisconsin (@LaCrosse_Buzz) March 15, 2014

What the hell is this St. Patrick's Day thing all about??

Don't snow on my parade might be the wish of the Irish today.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade is set for this afternoon.  The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 30's  and a very good chance for snow.  It would take a great deal of green beer to get me out in that weather to watch a parade.....but, of course, that's just me.

Here's an ad from the "good old days". Do you know any woman, today, who would be "happier with a Hoover"???

AMEN, BROTHER! From the Small Business Association:

#SmallBiz needs gov't progress. Less rhetoric, more action: http://t.co/m7ufRYNn7p #SOTU pic.twitter.com/GCUGp3omDh
— NFIB (@NFIB) January 29, 2014

You call this SPRING? We do in Wisconsin!

I've told you before and I'll tell you again. I'm a man ahead of my time.

A new survey from California transportation officials reports the number of people walking, biking or taking mass transit has doubled in the past 10 years.  Even better news is that, according to this latest report, the number of California teens without a drivers license continues to grow.

 

 

 

Americans Are Learning to Love #MassTransit All Over Again http://t.co/otIuVjyLb3
— FORA.tv (@foratv) March 13, 2014

Happy Birthday to Sly Stone. He's 71 today.

Guess what today is??

What's the real story behind the "Ides of March"?

I remember sitting at the kitchen table with Rita, on Johnson Street, the day Mother died.  I was looking out the window and the back yard was piled high with snow.

 

I guess this isn't the first year that it's still looked like mid-winter in mid-March.

I'm going to see if I can talk Roger into buying a crane.

ADOPT A CRANE – Make a difference - International Crane Foundation, Baraboo #Wisconsin - https://t.co/G0uqMQi5AG pic.twitter.com/r06CF9PR15
— TravelWisconsin (@TravelWisconsin) March 14, 2014

I want some GREEN GROG for St. Patricks Day!

March 14, 1962: Bruce Channel had the #1 song in the U.S.A.

Are you buying stuff off the web? Giving out sensative information you think is safe?

Have you heard of the "Dark Web"?

HERE'S AN ARTICLE YOU NEED TO READ

A BREEZY FRIDAY in La Crosse.

We'll see wind gusts as high as 25 MPH today with a high near 45.

Tomorrow it's back to winter with a chance of snow in the morning, rain in the afternoon and back to snow tomorrow night.  That doesn't sound like "ideal" weather for a St. Patrick's day parade!

 

If you love winter and wish it would never end, you should be living in Wisconsin.

There's a parade in downtown La Crosse tomorrow to start the St. Patricks Day celebrations.

The Irishfest St. Patrick's Day parade will step off at 12 Noon tomorrow from 2nd and State.  The St. Patrick's Day Walk/Run will start at 6 PM, Monday, on Pearl Street.  Monday, by the way, is St. Patrick's Day..  As I recall, that used to be a major holiday in my drinking days.

This is a really neat photo.

Here is Jacqueline Kennedy's selfie of 60 years ago with sister-in-law Ethel & JFK (in mirror): #Mcinnis pic.twitter.com/HamNJSFuId
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) March 13, 2014

Here's a real cutie!

Glass is clean! pic.twitter.com/idjgJxqJw1
— Baby Animals (@BBAnimals) March 13, 2014

Today is WORLD SLEEP DAY. A day to call attention to the need for a good nights sleep.

Hope you

slept well

last night.



Everybody celebrates Earmuffs Day today!

)

I guess one should thank STARBUCKS for making things so easy.

Beginning March 19 you will no longer have to worry about having enough cash to tip your STARBUCKS server.  Starbucks mobile apps will make it possible to add the tip right on your mobile phone.  Now, is that real service, or what?

Huey Lewis and the News will be in La Crosse on June 14 for FREEDOMFEST. The show will be at Veterans Memorial Field at UW-La Crosse.

)

Water, water EVERYWHERE (IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY).

FROM DONNIE:

"The City of Austin long ago imposed severe restrictions on lawn and garden watering, and is now considering prohibiting it altogether. In some affluent neighborhoods, homeowners are drilling their own urban water wells. (Yes, drilling private wells is permitted in the city. This is Texas, after all, where virtually anything is permitted on private property, by God!)

So water, like health care and serious education, will go to those who can afford it."

On March 13, 1960, This was the #1 song in the U.S.A. and Great Britain.
 

)

Looks like a nice day, for a change. The forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high of 45.

Neil Sedaka is 75 today.

Sand Lake Coulee Creek is flowing again in town of Onalaska.

Crews used dynamite to break up the ice!  You know it's been a rough winter when you have to blast your way into spring!

To all the women who make our world a better place – thank you. Happy #WomensHistoryMonth. pic.twitter.com/AYXfMjFL5t
— American Airlines (@AmericanAir) March 12, 2014

This comes from Rita and Roger.

Remembering  Mom's  Clothesline

 

THIS IS FUNNY AND QUITE TRUE....WE ARE PROBABLY THE LAST GENERATION THAT WILL REMEMBER WHAT A CLOTHES LINE WAS....Great  memories for some of us!  It's the poem at the end that's the best!

 

There is one thing that's left out.  We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push the clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the ground and get dirty.  I can hear my mother now....

 

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:   (If you don't even know what clotheslines are, better skip this.)

 

1.  You had to hang the socks by the toes....NOT the top.

 

2.  You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs....NOT the waistbands.

 

3.  You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

 

4.  You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

 

5.  You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think?

 

6.  Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

 

7.  Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

 

8.  It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather....clothes would "freeze-dry." I remember my Grandfather's union suits standing by themselves frozen. How many remember union suits?

 

9.  ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky"!

10.  If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

 

11.  Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed. (IRONED? Well, that's a whole OTHER subject!)

And now a POEM....
A clothesline was a news forecast, to neighbors passing by,
There were no secrets you could keep, when clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by, to spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the "fancy sheets", and towels upon the line;
You'd see the "company table cloths", with intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth, from folks who lived inside,
As brand new infant clothes were hung, so carefully with pride!

 

The ages of the children could, so readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, you'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck, as extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes and a bathrobe too, haphazardly were strung.

 

It also said, "On vacation now", when lines hung limp and bare.

 

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged, with not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon, if wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows, and looked the other way.

 

But clotheslines now are of the past, for dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home, Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life, it was a friendly sign,
When neighbors knew each other best....by what hung on the line.

This is a beautiful video.

I'll bet this was tasty!

The first soup was made from a hippo and dates back to 6,000 B.C.
— Facts (@TheFactsBook) March 12, 2014

MTU reports that bus ridership, in La Crosse, was up 3.2% this past year over the year before.

News from Lynne.

We got a dusting of snow this a.m. and now the sun is out but cold.

We have Daniel and Jon’s dog, Delilah, staying with us while they are basking in the sun in 80 degree weather. 

Mom B. is doing as well as she can. She just says she feels weaker each day. We always encourage her to eat as that helps with energy. One of us talks with her each day. Always fun talking with her as she has such a sharp mind. In May she will be 97.

In reference to Donnie’s asking about a dance in which a girl asked a boy, it was the Sadie Hawkins Dance. I asked a guy named Bob Blair. :-) He accepted three years in a row.

I am working on our Alaska pictures and it is taking hours. Between the 6 of us, there are 4,570 to go through.

Should the Green Bay Packers Pursue Julius Peppers, DeMarcus Ware? - Bleacher Report http://t.co/MmEhzvHoNA
— Green Bay Packers (@PackerNews) March 12, 2014

Our low tonight will drop down around 10 above. Let's hope this is the last gasp of winter.

It may still look like winter outside but

now I know that spring is right around the corner.  I heard a birdie singing his ass off, early this morning, right outside my bedroom window.

#Vulcan in Chicago. RT @willkim326: Another snowy commute to work. #chicago #blueline pic.twitter.com/WQkXXTUTwe
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) March 12, 2014

A joke from the patch.

A farmer in the country has a watermelon patch, and upon inspection he discovers that some of the local kids have been helping themselves to a feast. The farmer thinks of ways to discourage this profit-eating situation, and he puts up a sign that reads: 

"WARNING! ONE OF THESE WATERMELONS CONTAINS CYANIDE!" 

He smiled smugly as he watched the kids run off the next night without eating any of his melons. The farmer returned to the watermelon patch a week later to discover that none of the watermelons have been eaten, but finds another sign that reads: 

"NOW THERE ARE TWO!" 

Sounds like we're going to get a "big city" type airport for La Crosse!

Bidding will be in July and construction will start in October on a $10 million renovation of the airport.  Hey!  We're even going to get jetways so you don't have to go outside to board the aircraft.  The seating area will double in size and security screening will be on the second floor.  With the jetways, you'll board upstairs too.

It was 5 years ago today that I quit smoking.

Contrary to what they say, food doesn't taste any better, I don't breath easier, I don't feel any better and I have no idea where all that money went that I'm supposed to be saving.

No spring in the air today. Highs will only be around 30. Normal temperatures, for this time of year, should be around 45 degrees.

I hope Jon and Daniel made it to work OK this morning.  They got about 5 inches of snow in Chicago with some power outages reported around the city.

By the way, this is the second snowiest season they've ever had at Midway Airport with 84.4 inches of snow!

Happy Birthday Liza Minnelli. She's 67 today.

)

A story from Ron.

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: 'Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?'

Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.' 'Really!? Like a newborn baby!?'
'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'

Donnie made a sale!

"I put up for sale on CraigsList my 1960s-era Royal typewriter, a totally manual, finger-and-ribbon-run device. 

Got lots of replies but chose the young woman who declared she wants to write a book on an old manual. I told her everyone is writing a book but she may be the only one to do it the old-fashioned way. The book may be recognized more for the form than the content. 

 Next thing we know, someone will bring back hand-written letters."

Rita reports Roger is laid up with Acute Bronchitis.  He started on the antibiotics and steroids yesterday.  Let's hope the pills fix him up fast!

NO, NO, NO. I don't want no damn snow!

Band of rain and snow moving through eastern SD into western MN. Follow the latest information here. http://t.co/FEFxd03Ey6 #sdwx #mnwx
— NWS Sioux Falls (@NWSSiouxFalls) March 11, 2014

I made a mistake. I should have been a child star.

Miley Cyrus did well becoming "Hannah Montana".  She's worth about $50 million.  Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is worth $80 million.

Let's talk "TWERP"

Donnie wanted to know, "Wasn't TWERP the name given to the high school dance  to which the girl invited the boy?"

The high school dance, where the girl asks the boy, is a "Twerp Dance".

The word, "twerp", however, also means "A silly, weak-minded or contemptible person".

By the way, you might, also, see it spelled "twirp"

Probably best to make sure you use the word, in a sentence or question, in the correct context.

OK.  Who has the next question?

Our spring-like weather with sunshine and temperatures in the low 50's yesterday was a nice taste of spring but that's all over now.

Rain, snow and sleet, with temperatures in the 30's, will bring us back to the real world today.  I think I'll stay inside and hope for a better day tomorrow.

What can you say?

If you think tights are pants, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG! http://t.co/X9JRRvYnwg pic.twitter.com/BpodbMdCze
— Mind Blowing (@MBFacts8) March 11, 2014

I couldn't sleep last night so I got up and turned on the TV to see what the new Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show looked like.

I am so far removed from todays world that I, quickly, realized I should have stayed in bed.

 

Since I rarely watch TV I didn't get any of the jokes.  I had no idea who or what he was talking about.  I'm sure it was funny, though, because the audience howled with laughter.

 

The guests came out but, of course, I had no idea who they were.  People I had never heard of, all promoting their own TV shows which I knew nothing about and have never seen.

 

Still, it was a good idea to watch the show.  It did put me to sleep.

I knew that people would finally come around to my thinking.

I was delighted to read, yesterday, there were more people using mass transit in 2013 than at any time since 1956.  Nearly 10.7 billion trips were taken on trains, busses and subways last year.

No one had a better sense of humor than Oscar Wilde.

It's reported that on his death bed he said, "My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death.  One or the other of us has to go."

Happy JOHNNY APPLESEED DAY!

Not everyone agrees on when Johnny died.  Some say March 11, 1845 and others say it was March 18.  Whatever the date we know he died, of cancer, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and we remember him on this day.

Say it isn't so! Now, we've gone too far.

Bacon alarm clock wafts meat odors from your iPhone http://t.co/Jgs7RIwxEF
— Rim Black (@iusa_exhibimex) March 10, 2014

So, what's your point?

You share 98.7 percent of your DNA with this sex-obsessed ape: http://t.co/yWyW4Yxkv2 pic.twitter.com/GwCdwy7d5v
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) March 10, 2014

At 2:00 PM it was 51 degrees and you might think this is the beginning of spring.

Think again.  We're in Wisconsin.  Tomorrow will bring rain and sleet in the  morning, rain and snow tomorrow afternoon turning to all snow later in the day.  Tomorrows high will be 34.

Donnie sent a word of hope this afternoon.

"A flock of robins in our yard today.  Most certainly headed north."

It's only been four months since we had 50 degree temperatures? It seems more like 4 YEARS!

The last time La Crosse recorded 50°F+? November 17, 2013. #wiwx
— Michelle Poedel (@news8michelle) March 10, 2014

It's going to take a while to melt all that ice!

Great Lakes Ice Cover at 91%, Day 6 in a row above 90%. Monday lows only 25-40 F region wide, % drop TD? @JimCantore pic.twitter.com/22i1PPDZiH
— Chris Beal (@NJSnowFan) March 10, 2014

Aviation: So stuck in the '60's.

Everyone who flies should READ THIS ARTICLE

It's another fine mess we're in.

This will take up 10 minutes of your time but it's so much fun you won't mind. Besides, you know damn well you don't have anything to do that can't wait 10 minutes.

Hey! This is a familiar view! I miss the city.

RT @HerzogWeather: The stage is set for a spectacular sunrise over Houston...get your cameras ready! pic.twitter.com/fDoLB4WIDS
— Social N Houston (@SocialInHouston) March 10, 2014

Happy Birthday to Chuck Norris who used to stop by the bar when I was working in Houston. He's 74 today. Just a couple months older than me.

I'm seeing that four letter word "SNOW" way too many times on this map.

Neat photo. Reminds me of Mt. Rushmore.

Photostory: @BBCNewsMagazine illustrates the history of Rio's Christ the Redeemer http://t.co/ykCKhNl04l pic.twitter.com/0G7NjeE7uD
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 10, 2014

Happy Birthday to Dean Torrence who is celebrating his 74 birthday today!

Name doesn't ring a bell?  How about "Jan and Dean" ?  They were pioneer's of the "surfing" sounds back in the early 60's.  They met in Junior High School In Westwood (Los Angeles), the part of the city where Donnie's apartment was located when he lived there.

 

Jan suffered major brain injuries in a

car accident in 1966 which he lived with until a brain seizure took his life in March of 2004.

 

Back in happier days, they hit #1 on the charts with "Surf City" in 1963 and #3 with "Little Old Lady from Pasadena" in 1964.

 

They're coming to put a new vanity in my bathroom this morning.

Hey! I'm serious, kids. I don't think I can take much more of this weather.

The forecast says today will be mostly sunny.  That's what the forecast said yesterday too but if there was any sun anywhere it sure as hell wasn't here.

 

It was still 40 degrees, when I got up.  Above freezing!  That's good.  The weather person says our high will be near 50 today.  That would be really great!

 

Now, here comes the bad news.  Tomorrow's forecast gives us a 50% chance for snow and sleet with a high of 38.  Does that sound "springy" to you?

 

I repeat; I just can't stand much more of this.

Brain awareness week starts today.

I don't like what I just read.

According to the National Weather Service, the 8 to 14 day outlook gives us a good chance for TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL around here.  We are not amused.

Duane was gloating this afternoon.

63 in Rapid City while it's 29 in La Crosse.

This is "HIGH END" Starbucks?? Looks kinda "junky" to me.

Wonder if Donnie has been there yet?

First look at Austin's high-end #starbucks at W Hotel. New look - same drinks. Good #SXSW crowd needing to wake up. pic.twitter.com/HwUkMESymx
— Bettie Cross (@Bettie_KEYETV) March 9, 2014

The news is not good.

Missing Malaysia plane possibly 'disintegrated' mid-air http://t.co/OOgDjBdUad
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) March 9, 2014

At 9:00 A.M. it was warmer in Rapid City (45) than it was in Dripping Springs (39)

They'll have to go without me. I've already put my ski's away for the season.

Last Sunday Slalom today at 1:00:)
— Mt. La Crosse (@MountLaCrosse) March 9, 2014

He could be right!

The real reason for daylight savings: Golf! http://t.co/Y8qir11rbl
— Andrew Maynard (@2020science) March 9, 2014

50% chance for snow or sleet on Tuesday. I sure don't like the sound of that!

3 Arab countries have already banned the film.

They've banned it for religious reasons.  I've only seen the preview but, from what I see, I'd ban it because it just looks really, really awful.

 

Guess what! There will soon be another place to drink in downtown La Crosse!

Turtle Stack Brewery will be located at 125 South Second Street, across the street from the Radisson.  The craft brewery and tasting room will open some time this spring.

Happy Birthday to a favorite singer of mine who sings one of my all time favorite songs.

Mickey Gilley is 77 today!

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EXTRAS ON HAND.

OH! This sounds so good. Roasted asparagus & Potato toss. I'll bet you could do this on the grill too.

• Potatoes cut in quarters
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends removed.
• 5 tablespoons cubed butter
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 small lemons

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with foil.

Place the potatoes and asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Space the cubed butter out across the veggies.

Sprinkle with minced garlic and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the potatoes and asparagus.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes until potatoes are just tender and asparagus is just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and squeeze the remaining lemon juice over potatoes and asparagus.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS HERE!

One of my favorite cartoons coming to a theater near you.