Last night was Collin's last soccer game. I think the team lost one game all year. I don't know if they won the championship? Collin keeps getting shots at the goal from the left side of the field meaning he needs to use his left foot. He tries but it is like a "skatter gun" result because he is right footed. Then last night, late in the game he is flying down the right side of the field and he got to use his right foot to attempt a goal. Bingo! It was a nice way to end the season. Make a goal. Enjoy the moment. Go home. Dream about next year. Next is sophomore soccer at North High School.
Now about wieners. The Milwaukee Brewers announced that they were adding a new sausage to their current stable of hot dogs that stage a race at Miller Park (people dressed in costumes) during the baseball games. I don't know all the current types but I think there is a Brat, a Hot dog, a Polish sausage and something else (maybe a Kielbassa). The new sausage to be added has to do with Latino heritage. It is supposed to be hotter and loved by all hispanics. The new sausage races will be 5 "dogs" instead of 4. Here is the strange part. The new Latino sausage will be introduced Saturday when it attempts its first race. Then you have to wait until 2007 to see the "Latino" on a regular basis. It seems there is a rule in baseball that you can not introduce a new mascot during the current baseball season. Huh? What difference does it make to other clubs? It is a local celebration! Technically the Latino sausage is not really a mascot. Bernie Brewer is the mascot. So all the fans will have to wait until 2007 to see the full compliment of wieners race because of a stupid rule. Maybe they have to check the "green card" status of the Latino dog. The biggest wiener of all is Major League baseball. How can you deny a wiener introduction.?
Now more recognition of wieners.
Collin was mentioned earlier but he is not a wiener. A hot dog maybe, but not a wiener.
Never promise you will take a family member fishing and then not follow through. That is a wiener.
The French have denied Floyd Landis the Tour de France cycling title until they check his positive urine test for testosterone. The French continue to be wieners.
Then if Landis really did use steroid enhancers to get his testosterone level up, he would be a wiener.
I end by mentioning that Debs ends her Wisconsin Vision career today. I think it is about 18 years of her life. It is now on to Wausau, a new career and a new life. That sounds very positive to me! There are no wieners here except maybe Wisconson Vision because they didn't realize all that Debs did for them. She cared about their customers. Oh, my!
Love,
Dad
Last week was "mini vacation" week for your mom and I. First it was off to Lake Geneva to visit the Three Amigos. Kelly along with her sidekicks Grant and Mitchell were down in Lake Geneva soaking up the rays. We got to spend some time in their vacation haven. Lots of swimming pools. Lots of tourist traps. I have never been to Lake Geneva which became famous years ago for the Playboy Club and the magnificent golf courses. I did not get to frequent either. Downtown Lake Geneva is like Disney Village. Lots of shops and sidewalk cafes! And then there are the boat trips that leave from the town of Lake Geneva. Nice to visit. Nice to leave. The company was special.
Then it was off to Minneapolis. Grasshopper Margaret had prepared an agenda that kept us busy. Can you imagine being couped up with your parents for a couple of days and nothing to do? I met the enchanting Dr. Jones (Indigo). I met her special friend Shawn who helped make the excursions enjoyable. We did things like eat at the Town Talk Cafe in the middle of a war zone. No, it was just a tough part of town with security people on display everywhere. The food was great and we survived. Then there things like St. Anthony Main and the Stone Arch Bridge.
The center piece of the weekend was Chanhassen playhouse. We knew for a month that we would take in the play "Singin' in the Rain". We have been to the Chanhassen before. It is similar to the Fireside in Fort Atkinson except after dinner, you stay right at your table to watch the play.
Now to Lena Lamont. If you remember your movies, "Singing in the Rain" was about the movie business making the transition from silent movies to "talkies". Lena Lamont was a star of the silent screen and was asked to talk in the first "talkie". Her voice turned out to be like scratching your fingernails across a blackboard. The actress that played Lena, did an excellent job of projecting a high pitched, annoying squeeky voice. They the play they ended up dubbing Lena's voice with that of another actress and eventually Lena faded to obscurity.
I dwell on Lena for a moment because she is your worst dream. I tried to imagine being married to her. It would be great as long as she didn't open her mouth (I resist 100 really good jokes at this point). Just imagine a bride with that grating voice saying "Honey, I'm pregnant". Eeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh! Give me the electric chair.
Lena provided the comic entertainment in Singin' In the Rain and it was a fun event. Obviously she made an impression on me.
So we are home where I can resume my exercise program, eat good food like hot dogs, and play with my computer. Call me old fashioned, but I like it here.
It would be remiss not to thank the Three Amigos along with Margaret and Shawn for the enjoyable moments. I hope we can do it again.
Love,
Dad
I will confess to a weakness. I deal with big issues really well. I don't do as well with "little things".
This morning I was talking to my favorite Grasshopper on my cell phone while zipping around town in the car. When I finished the call, I kept the phone "on" just in case I might get a call. Yeah, right! Who is going to call me unless they want something? When I got home, I turned it off and then plugged it into a charger. I looked at the screen and it was dead. It usually says something like "charging in progress". Nothing! So I disconnected everything and decided to turn the phone on (it was not dead, I was just recharging from lots of use). It would not come on. There you have it. My cell phone would not activate and it would not charge. Life was in the crapper.
So I went to do some chores around the house and set all the phone equipment on the kitchen counter. Later, I'd run over to my favorite Cellular One store and get a new battery.
One half hour later, I go to pick up the cell phone to take it with me to Cellular One and I tried to turn it on. It came on. My phone activated as though nothing happened. Then I decided to try charging the phone as I had earlier. Yep, charging began and 2 hours later completed it cycle. Everything now works.
My question is "what the hell caused the cell phone to go dormant". I know there are some safety features in case of theft but I am not aware of a "dormant state".
Now, I will have constant worry about when it will crap out again. Maybe it was a one-time thing. Then again maybe it was a sign.
I am not sure what significant sign might be coming through. Maybe it is to never use a cell phone again. Maybe the Cosmos is reminding me that it can cut off my communications with the world anytime it wants? Maybe someone in the Cosmos was just playing "head-games" with me.
My take on the whole thing. It is a defective phone. I will have trouble again. It was not a sign. It is a "little thing" and as I said, it will annoy the hell out of me.
Love,
Dad
The Condo at Elkhart Lake was a 5 year experiment. In my mind the Condo was over-priced and the quality was really quite poor. The 64 units were built by Lee Construction and they were known to cut corners occassionally.
If you remember Grasshoppers, when you walked out the sliding doors on the ground floor by the pond, there was a huge gap between the Condo and the cement patio outside. I always figured it was a settling that took place over 30 years.
About a month ago, we drove through the grounds of all the Condos and noticed that the 4 units (including the one we once owned) had big steel beams pierced right through the basement just under the main floor. It looked like they were going to move all 4 units at one time. What the hell?
Then your mom talked to Katie who was staying at the Ullrich condo and she said that the 4 condos were now sitting on top of the road having been moved off their foundations.
It turns out the people that built the pond didn't properly prepare the composite materials and that the pond and the Condo's closest to the pond were all sinking. Yep! Slip sliding away.
So the whole pond and new foundations have to be built. I understand that the contractor and probably insurance companies will pay the tab. Just think, if we still owned the Condo, we would not be using it this summer. I can also promise you that every condo that has been moved will be difficult to restore to acceptable condition. There will be ceiling cracks, wall cracks and there will always be the fear of a re-occurance of the present sinking problem.
So you see Grasshoppers, timing is everything. We sold the condo several years before the existing clamity hit. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.
Love,
Dad
This year (2006) is the anniversary of two significant events in history and I can't really decide which has had the more pronounced impact on history. I need your help.
60 years ago, the "bikini" bathing suit was introduced. I'm not sure how profound the introduction really is but surely the world took notice. It has little redeeming social value. It is interesting that these little patches of clothing actually cost more than the traditional full body suits. Go figure? Other than "eye candy", I really don't understand the importance of the bikini garb. So one of the significant events you must judge is the bikini intro.
Second major event 25 years ago was the PC (personal computer) was introduced. That's right, a "boob tube with a keyboard" changed the American psychy. I guess "boob" is the operative word in choosing the most significant advance in history. I remember the first PC which was very limited in capability and initially the internet was really not in the picture. Apple Computer blasted onto the scene and the our family bought one of the first units. The most popular software was Visicalc which allowed the early equivalent of todays Microsoft Excel. I do remember a "bouncing ball" game that wasted a lot of my time but having spreadsheets available electronically was revolutionary. The rest is history. Internet searches. E-Mail. University study electronically. I-pods and much more. Personally, I think that the Internet phenomenon coupled with the mega-size storage capabilities of computer software has made all our lives different.
So there you have it! You must decide which event has had the most significant impact on our lives. Was it the bikini or the personal computer. It is a hard decision.
Actually the decision is really easy Grasshoppers. Let's see if you make the right one!
Love,
Dad
Selling your house can be a "SEE" (significant emotional event). It is a huge change in your life style and it is a combination of emotional and financial factors.
Everybody wants to get a high valuation of their home from the real estate agent. Happiness is to hear valuations that are in line with your expectations.
Second, you want your house to sell as soon as it goes on the market. You want people to praise the improvements you've made and offer full price. Yeah, right!
Maybe someone will make an offer before you have to do the dredded "open house". Even if you have to do the open house, there will be an abundance of interested buyers.
If and when you get an offer, the people who purchase your house will be very accommodating on when you have to move out. They will work around your schedule. Again, yeah, right!
In the meantime, the mortgage payments go on, taxes accrue and you keep paying for the insurance and ultility coverage.
Now after all that, you are either looking to move to a better home or perhaps move to another city. Excitement reigns supreme. Maybe you just got married or accepted a new job and are moving to a new city.
Then reality sets in. Your house doesn't get appraised as high as you hoped. That means that financially it is going to be more difficult than you thought. Then the realtor insists on some changes to "dress up the place". More expense! Then you have an open house and no one shows up. Awe shit! Then the new house you made an offer on has a new buyer without the contingincy of selling their house involved. So you lose the new house of your dreams.
Suddenly everything seems out of control and that there will never be a solution. Interest rates seem to be going in the wrong direction. Houses are statistically taking longer to sell. Mix in the emotion of changing to a new job and add the stress of your kids being upset about the move.
This Grasshoppers is a S.E.E. It is a significant emotional event. Patience wears thin. Tempers flare. You get tired. You just want it to be over.
All I can say is "keep your cool". Millions of people sell their house every year. Your house will sell. This is a statistical game. The right buyer for your house will come along. You will find the new place of your dreams. Your kids will adjust beautifully and everybody will live happily ever after. I would be amazed if selling your house was easy.
If it is any consolation, I hate the process of selling a home too. It is a big stakes game. Your only do it several times during your lifetime. It sucks!
Love,
Dad
Okay, this blog is about "eyes". It has to do with communicating with your eyes. They say that eyes are the windows to your soul. Because you use your eyes to receive information, your eyes reveal a lot about your personality. That is right! You cannot hide. Some people have vibrant, dancing eyes showing happiness, while some can be sorrowful, showing deep hurt. There are some people that you have trouble looking in the eye because they want to hide their emotions. When people don't want to make eye contact with you, most times there is a reason. If your spouse has a sorrowful look and a tightened jaw, you are in deep shit.
Your eyes can make contracts (get it? "eye"deals) with other people. Your eyes can indicate compliance with a conversation or a task. Your eyes can express disapproval. The eye signals are powerful.
I remember one math teacher, Mr. Sauer. He could illustrate a solution to a math problem on the blackboard (do they still have blackboards?) and be very effective at proving his point. He had this technique after proving a blackboard solution of turning to the students and asking if there were any questions. He would survey the eyes of the students and he could tell in an instant if he had been effective. He would regularly say after checking eyes "No? Then we will do it again". He understood he had not made a connection with the students and he tried again. It was an "eye"deal technique.
I have had many business deals completed because of effective eye contact. There is a connection that takes place when two parties come to an agreement. It expresses approval and a sense of common purpose.
But the simplest example I can think of is with kids. There are many times I wanted to motivate you kids to do something and most times I knew if we had a contract by looking at your eyes. There were times when I was sure communication had been excellent but we didn't have a contract. Your eyes said "no contract". For me that was an "oh shit" moment because I felt I had failed. Of course it never dawned on me that you were right and I was wrong.
A good technique for effective communication is to make your kids sit across from you and encourage them to look you in the eye during a conversation. If necessary, hold both their hands and insist they look you in the eye. You may not get the result you are looking for, but the eyes will provide all the answers you need.
By the way, a blank look is "no deal".
I am happy to say that all you Grasshoppers have "easy eyes". They say very well how you feel. You are willing to let people in readily. You trust the eye connection. After all, you are constantly making "eye"deals.
Love, Dad
Today is the 4th of July. It is a reminder of the treasure of independence. A lot of people have died to preserve it. Our flag is the symbol. Show some respect.
I was raised during World War II. I felt the risk of "losing it all". We prevailed of course and I got to enjoy the rebuilding and national pride after the War. The act of burning the flag falls under the protection of "freedom of speech". I do happen to have a strong opinion on flag burning. It is shows a total lack of respect. I'd like to punch out each and every person who even considers it as a protest.
While we are at it, the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and all it stands for is being challenged under the "free speech clause". The "under God" reference is religious discrimination and diverse groups want it removed from the allegiance. Screw them. Our founders included it in their base philosophy and it should stay. Respect my freedom of speech assh---.
While we are at it, anything religious is also under attack. Someplace in South Carolina, they want theTen Commandments removed from a public courthouse. The Federal judges have agreed that it is improper and have ordered removal. I understand that it has a religious bias but if 98% of the population wants it displayed, how can the 2% minority screw it up. Repect my freedom of speech.
Christmas has centuries of history. Yes it makes reference to Christ. 1-2% of the population objects because it is directed at one Christian belief. Yes it is. Yes you can object. No, I won't stop stop singing Christmas carols. My Christmas tree will adorn the town square. I have freedoms too. Assh---.
I guess the flare ups challenging our freedom is testimony that we have a system that has worked. My fondest wish is that the majority express themselves and don't give away freedoms to the tiny, screaming minority.
So on this day, appreciate the freedoms our flag represents. For a system that is so screwed up, we have an awful lot of people trying to get into our country. What does that tell you? It is the 4th of July. We enjoy independence in the greatest country in the world. Show some respect!
My favorite patriotic song? God Bless America!
Love,
Dad