It was 1976. I had been working since 1963 and never took an extended vacation. I had not been entitled to more than 2 weeks vacation in a calendar year. Each year I would take a full week and then milk individual days until my vacation was used up. By 1976 I had more than 3 weeks vacation elgibility. So in June of '76, your mom and I decided to venture west with 4 kids. Debs was 15, Kelly 14, Chris 12 and Paul turned 4 while on our trip.
The goal was to head west to California and see significant sights. Because the older kids were approaching graduation from high school, it seemed appropriate to go now. Wagon ho!
I had just purchased a 1976 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon with a huge 400 cubic inch V-8 engine and a tailgate that disappeared under the floor of the back deck. We bought a car carrier for the top of the car. The idea was to load as much luggage and "stuff" on top the car as possible and then you kids could sleep and stretch out in the back of the car. There were times we thought about putting several kids on top of the car.
In '76, Citizens Band (CB's) radios were popular with truckers. If you tuned to channel 19, truckers would banter about almost anything and you could join in the conversation if you'd like. I figured that if I bought a CB, I would be constantly alerted to where all the "smokeys" (state police) were located and I could avoid traffic tickets. We needed to pick a handle (our own CB identification name). I don't know if Chris picked the name or we did it together. We were the Rusty Zipper. Our car was a rust colored and yep, we "zipped along". You guys thought it meant something else!
The plan was to leave in mid-June and get back to Wisconsin around the 4th of July. The planning involved eventually getting to Los Angeles and going to Disney. At that time, Disney World in Florida did not exist. We were going to "the" Disney. Along the way, if we could, Shelby had an Uncle and some cousins in California. I had my Uncle Jerry (Grandma Alice's brother). We planned destinations about 2-3 days in advance and made all hotel reservations as we traveled west. All motels had to have a good rating by "AAA" and most important, a swimming pool. Each day, we would normally stop traveling around 4-5 PM in the afternoon so that every one could go swimming. My guess is that you kids remember certain pools as being better than others.
Now let me check! Credit cards? Yep. Traveler Checks? Yep. Cash? Yep. AAA maps? Yep. Mom in the car and ready? Yep. Four kids in car varified by count? Yep. A clear mind? Nope! If we had a clear mind we wouldn't be doing this. We were off!
Westward Ho! Fun! Fun! Fun!
More next time. If you have special memories, let me know and I'll include them in my epic blog. Margaret is excluded because she hadn't arrived at the party yet. It would be another 16 months. She might remember stories however.
Love,
Dad
Growing up at the City Club required sharing the upstairs with people that would rent a room for the day, week, or month. I think the daily rate in the early 50's was $7 per night but cheaper if you took the room for a longer period of time.
Almost all rentals were to men. It was usually older men that were somewhat mysterious. The City Club was not exactly "Donald Trump Towers West". I don't remember any women renting rooms.
There were the "Big Three" that form the basis of my memories of guys that roomed at the City Club.
First was Skinny Schultz. He worked at the Stokely Canning Company as a full time employee. The canning season began in March or April and ended in early December. Skinny went some place in the colder months but he was perceived as a regular roomer. I don't know where the name "Skinny" came from because he was rather heavy, medium stature, and a chain smoker. I lived in mortal fear that he would fall asleep some night and burn the place down. Obviously that never happened. Skinny had a raspy voice and spoke in a growl. He was a gentle giant. I would help Myrna clean his room and change linen once a week. His room smelled like hairy, sweaty gorillas had been running around. He had a fan to move air in the non-air conditioned room. He also had a hot plate, I think for coffee. I don't know what ever happened to Skinny but I can still see him coming home after a long, long day during the season of canning peas and carrots.
The second roomer was Amel Torke. Amel worked less than a block away from the City Club at Plymouth Foundry that Bucky ended up managing. Amel had a room near Skinny. Amel was very quiet and you hardly knew he was around. He worked in the foundry doing molding, finishing of castings and warehousing. I know he took a shower every day before coming home to the City Club. Amel's room was very clean and he would leave late in the afternoon to go some place. I learned that he had a "lady friend" Mary, who was a school teacher. They never married. It sounded like a mutually beneficial relationship. Amel always bought new Chevrolets. Every two years, he bought a simple, stripped down brand new four door Chevrolet and parked in in the back of the City Club. I think Amel died while still a resident of the City Club. He did make it into his 70's. He left $80,000 in cash to Mary. That $80,000 would be worth $250,000 to $300,000 in today's dollars. Who would have thought that Amel had "squirreled" away that kind of money.
The third roomer was Victor Toniello. Victor had the room at the top of the stairs and stayed a few years. Victor was a short stocky man with a larger stomach and he talked in broken English. I think Victor immigrated from Italy. He was pleasant. He worked at the local Cheese factory and probably earned a good wage. He would use our kitchen occasionaly to cook up Italian dishes with secret recipes. They were delicious. Victor was not a smoker but he did have a hot plate in his room also. Victor eventually married a lady from Greece that I've mentioned before named Maria. It was an arranged marriage. Neither person had met each other prior to the wedding but it was a way for a Greek female to immigrate to the United States. They built a house in Plymouth and had a son named Tony. My brother Jerry and Tony played together.
As you sit in you homes tonight with your family around you, I want you to know that my family was always "extended" and included roomers in the City Club. You met them in the halls, on the stairways and in the tavern downstairs. I know sister Addie was always leary of the roomers but to me they were just people in transistion needing a place to stay.
Love,
Dad
For those of you who forgot, Oct. 21, is Margaret's birthday. She was born in 1977 in the afternoon at Memorial Hospital in Sheboygan.
There is an erie similarity to the day. It was Friday, just like today. There was a warm autumn sun, just like today. The temperature outside was mid-50's, just like today
I guess I remember Margaret being born because it was scheduled. The first four Grasshoppers arrived when the contractions got to be 10 minutes apart (I think it was 10 minutes but but my memory sometimes fails me). In Margaret's case, there was concern on the part of the doctor that your Mom's health was at risk because of water retention and other potential complications. So it was ordained. Margaret will be born today and labor will be induced. No waking up in the middle of the night to rush to the hospital. No concern about getting to the hospital in time. No concern about the availability of the doctor. This new "spirit" was coming today in early afternoon.
Nana arrived at our house before we left for the hospital to calm the home waters.
I remember two things at the hospital. First, I was allowed to stay with your mom prior to her going into the Delivery Room. We were in this narrow little room as they monitored her progress when her water broke. I never knew a body could hold so much fluid. There was water everywhere. I am surprised that Margaret didn't arrive on a raft or a surf board. They ushered me out of the room to a lounge area while they cleaned up the mess. Then I was told that they had taken your mom into the delivery room.
The second thing I remember is meeting the "rolling bed" as they came from the delivery room. Mom was still lying flat with Margaret in her arm. I remember asking how much Margaret weighed and they told me 10 pounds, 2 ounces. Now I know I will get taken to task for getting the weight wrong but she was the only baby over 10 pounds.
I remember going back home (2040 N. 6th street), parking in the back of the house and walking from the warm sunshine into the house. Nana was waiting to find out how everything went. I know she was really excited and pleased with the outcome. I think Nana always had a bias for girls.
So you see, Margaret's delivery was carefully planned and the plan implemented. I don't know what was so difficult. It all seemed pretty easy to me.
So to Margaret who turns 28 today. May it be a very special birthday. May she receive many special balloons. I remember it well.
Love,
Dad
October 17, 2005 is the date of a full moon. Strange things happen during a full moon. More babies are born each month on the date of a full moon than any other day of the month. Dogs can start barking and "baying at the moon" in an unexplained manner and if you look real close, all female gender that have a license to ride a broomstick, go for joyrides on that day.
It turns out that Oct. 17 is a Monday. We have carpenters coming to put in a new kitchen floor. So I wander downstairs into my little computer room and turn on the light. It flashes. It goes on. It goes out. It is burned out. Okay, no big deal. So I go into the empty kitchen before the workers get here to get a bulb out of a cabinet. Oops. We taped all the cabinets shut because we were advised that dust will be everywhere. So to get my light bulb, I had to strip off all the tape on the doors. Then of course was the retape job. I taped my coffee and coffee cup away along with utensils. Everytime I needed something, it was taped away in a drawer or cabinet. I didn't let that throw me. Of course it is a full moon.
Then I get in my car to go to the mall and it is raining. The forecast was light showers. Light showers my butt. It is a drenching down-pour. So I got soaked entering and leaving the mall. Of course the explanation for these things is a full moon.
Now I notice my car is low on gas (very low) and I stopped to get gas in the pouring rain. I had been sweating from my walk and I froze in the cool wind and rain. Ah ha. Full moon.
As I turned to put the gas cap back on the car, I swore I saw a good friend driving down the street on her broomstick. I must have been halucinating.
The carpenters haven't arrived yet but I can see envision the rain and slop and wet shoes making a mess in the kitchen. It was a vision wasted because the rain stopped and they threw old flooring into their truck in the garage. They never got wet. Now things were getting better.
The dentist called to move my appointment up. That is good because I like to get it over with.
11:00 AM the sun came out. Warm breezes and a beautiful day.
4:30 PM Christopher stops over to tell us how much he loves us. Yeah, right. He just wanted to pick up left over pizza from Dano's party. It was nice to see his smiling face.
By supper time all was right with the world. We had survived another full moon. We expected the worst and we just blew right threw it.
So Grasshoppers, for those of you expecting to give birth, you'll just have to wait for the full moon in November. For those of you with broomsticks, I suggest parking them along with your SUVs. And for those of you who think strange things happen to you on a full moon, it is not true. Unless of course you are superstitious and need excuses to explain strange things.
Love,
Dad
Today, Oct. 14, 2005 I had my performance review with the social security program and because I handed in a steady performance this year, I will receive a 4.1% Cost of Living (COLA) raise beginning Jan. 1, 2006. I'm thanking you because you are supporting me with your regular contributions from you paychecks (you donate 6.2% of every dollar earned for my social security program). The raise is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which reported the biggest one month jump upward in 25 years. Undoubtedly the big reason for the increase is energy prices.
I ask you "how many of you will get a 4.1% increase in wages next year?"
But wait a minute. I've been recently informed that I will pay $10 more per month for the medicare health benefit. Double that because you mother's insurance will rise a like about. That is a $240 per year increase in cost.
And then we've also been notified that a new Medicare prescription drug program is available starting Jan. 1, 2006 for a meager charge to social security of $40 per month per person. Your mother and I will have to pay a total of $80 per month for drugs coverage or another $720 per year.
Also the supplemental health insurance we carry will offer an enhanced drug program "dove-tailing" medicare at some cost. We don't know what that will be. Probably another $300-$500 per year.
We presently do not use many drugs so paying for a new drug program is added cost. Maybe someday it may be a significant benefit?
So the way I've got this figured, I got a 4.1% raise which you will pay for, I will pay more for medicare insurance, I will pay for a drug program which I don't presently need, my supplemental drug insurance cost will go up and I will end up with a net outflow of cash. Huh?
So I thank you Grasshoppers for the significant raise...... I think!
Love,
Dad
From the time that every person begins a work career, they are made aware that they can retire at age 65 and receive monthly social security checks for the rest of their life. At 65 you get full benefit but if you retire early at 62, you are entitled to 80% of the "full benefit".
Over the last few years, things have changed a little. I think at this point Grasshoppers, you must reach age 67 to get full benefit and 80% at age 64. You can still opt to retire at 62 but you get a reduced 1/2% of full benefit for each month before age 64 that you make your selection. I actually think that if you retire early enough, you pay the government for the privledge.
Us older people with birthdays in the year 1940 had to wait until age 65 years, 6 months to officially retire at full benefit. For myself, that official date would be later in October but the rule is "the benefit begins in the month that you reach 65 years, 6 months".
So it is finally here, October, 2005. I qualify for the full retirement benefit. Hallileuyah! It is a hollow celebration since I started drawing benefits 3 years 6 months ago.
The truth is I started drawing benefits at age 62. I figured I'd get a reduced amount, actually about 77% of the eventual full benefit. But Grasshoppers, I get that 77% for 3 years, 6 months before I could have started to draw full benefit. I figure that if I reach age 80, I would have received equivalent dollars. Who knows what kind of health I'll have at 80 (if I make it). Also, the rules of social security could change again. Give me the cash!
So for the full month of October, I can gloat that I made it to my official retirement age and qualify for full social security.
Who would have thunk it!
Work hard Grasshoppers. You too may reach your extended retirement date, choose reduced benefits and cash you checks on the bus.
Love,
Dad
When I was a teenager, my dad (Bucky) was the manager of the Plymouth Foundry in Plymouth. They also had an operation in Adell, Wisconsin located about 15 miles south of Plymouth.
One summer in August, the Foundry held a picnic at the park in Adell for all employees. Brats, hamburgers and lots of games. During the picnic there was a "buzz" that spread through the park. Casey Jones was playing horsehoes in the pits of the park. Ordinarily, who cares about horseshoes, but crowds were gathering to watch. Casey was slight of stature, kind of a crooked right arm and curly grey hair.
The first "pitch" of a horseshoe I remember from Casey's hand, spun 1.5 turns and landed in the pit: a ringer. Pretty good. Then he repeated the ringer, and another and another. He made 20 ringers in a row. He was like a machine. He was obsessive, compulsive about perfection. I remember leaving Adell thinking about what we had seen. I learned later that Casey had won 19 of 20 State Horseshoe Championships.
Several years later, Burkhardt's bowling alley in Plymouth was purchased by somebody from Adell. Yep. It was Casey Jones. His place became very popular and you could go in the alley at random times and watch Casey practicing. He would throw bowling balls like horseshoes. Every delivery was the same and 700 series were the norm. He posted many 300 games and several 800 series. He was a delight to watch.
Casey was grooming his son Chuck to take over the bowling alleys. He taught Chuck how to bowl and both posted very high scores.
Then one night, apparently Chuck had been drinking and he stopped his car in the middle of the road near Cascade. He fell down in the road and another car ran him over and killed him. He was early in his early 20's of age.
For Casey it was never the same. His interest in bowling waned and he eventually sold the business. The magic died.
Every now and then you stumble upon greatness. Casey represented greatness and it was fun to watch. He established a standard that will never be reached by most people in this world. If you happen to witness greatness, enjoy the ride. It is a privledge.
Love,
Dad
Things happen every day that make you wonder. You know! You look down and find a $100 bill laying on the sidewalk. Terrific. What a wonderful unexpected occurance. Unfortunately, the number of good things that happen each day are usually out-numbered by the bad things. By the way, I've never found $100.
Not only do bad things happen regularly. They cost money. My tooth was bothering me the other day and my friendly dentist, Mr. Brightsmile performed a root canal. I don't have the bill but my guess is $500. I remember thinking "not today". Then your mother told me her back tooth was very sensitive to touch at which point I told her to quit pounding on it. You guessed it! Another root canal. Another $500.
I was driving home from my morning walk and my high tech Saab computer display was aranging numbers and letters in funny arrays. I haven't had it checked yet, but I would bet on $200. Then I stopped for groceries, put the the groceries in to the trunk and noticed my back tire was going flat slowly. I had it checked. $20 to remove a staple. All these things happening generate a range of responses from "why is the big bird of happiness dumping on my parade" to a polite "not today".
Yesterday it was our super sized, snob appealing Sub-Zero refrigerator. The highest temperature we could generate was 62 degrees on the non-freezer compartment. Milk doesn't taste good at that temperature and the fuzz on the old chicken is yukky. So we called a friendly service man who tore apart the mechanisms and as all our food was sitting on the floor and wires were hanging out everywhere, he announces that we need a new thermostat costing $249. What are you going to do? So he fixed it. The big bird of happiness really annoys me. Again. "Not today".
I am not looking for sympathy or a hand-out. My point is these things happen constantly and you can't plan for them. I'm sure you can share many stories of incurring unexpected expenses that just seem to crush your budgets.
The solution. Save your money so that you are in a position to pay for the un-expected. There will be unexpected events. They should not "throw you for a loop". You are entitled to say "Oh, shit". Or if you want to clean it up a little, "Not today".
Love,
Dad