I vowed years ago to avoid the obituary section of the newspaper. Alas, as the years go by, I find myself glancing at "obits" because it might include people I know. So much for my "vow".
My Monday morning golf league is for retired men. The ages range from the late 50's to guys in their 80's. Golf partners are random based on the tee-times you select. Over the last several years I found myself regularly paired with Frank. He was in his early 80's and he always wore long sleeved shirts with a high neckline. He had a keen sense of humor. You could tell he was "grounded" by the stories he told. There was mental anguish when he talked of losing a big oak tree in a storm. You'd think the horses on his farm were his kids. You get the idea. Frank was a really nice guy.
It turns out that Frank Wright was a medical doctor (a general practitioner). In the early days, he actually made house visits. He ended up with severe radiation exposure from holding the arms and legs of kids while their broken bones were being x-rayed. Constant exposure to radiation gave him the lifetime allowance of millirads. He could not take anymore radiation. So he wore long sleeved shirts with high collars and a broad brimmed hat to protect from the sun. He also developed cancer. He began to get random tumors on his body and they couldn't use radiation to destroy the tissue. The cancer kept reoccuring.
Frank died this week. I'm going to miss him on the first tee. He was my expert source of information on most medical aches and pains I experienced. I'm sure Frank had no regrets. He lived! My how he lived!
The lesson Grasshoppers is that you meet many people along the path of life. Most have something positive to offer. Even though these encounters are for short periods of time, they can have a profound impact on you. Listen for the meaning!
Love,
Dad
Thanksgiving is over!
This morning I was greeted by 18 degree temperatures and 35 mph winds. Jesus it was cold. The artic blast looks like a 2 week endeavor with the jet stream from Canada dipping into the mid part of the country. Dress your kittys warm.
Our Christmas tree is now in the living room. It is not trimmed but it is in the right location.
My morning task was to turn off all out-door faucets so they don't freeze. It is not good to freeze water in your outside pipes. It could create a mess you don't want to deal with.
My stash of "left-over" food is gone. Gone is the dressing made by Grasshopper No. 1. Gone is my pot of chili. Gone is the container of ice cream. So now it is back to the same old boring sh--.
Grandson Tommy has a birthday today. Grandson Mitchell is next week. Suddenly as we approach December there is a plethora of birthdays to celebrate. My brother Jerry has a birthday on Dec. 27 and Grasshopper No. 2 is Dec. 30. Most people lament having a birthday close to the holidays because it gets losts in all the other celebrations.
I finished my "no call" registry for our telephone. Alas I think my info will get lost in the great abyss of government documentation. You don't really get your number screened from unwanted callers, you just think you do.
Music at the mall is good stuff this time of year. Christmas music by Elvis, Bing, Gene and Burl Ives. Almost makes you want to spend money. The operative word is "almost".
Stay warm!
Love,
Dad
Usually the season for "working out" begins in January after everyone over indulges for the holidays. It involves outdoor walks, treadmills and even joining a sports gym. Not this year.
Grasshopper No. 3 has his whole family enrolled in Gold's Gym in Appleton before the holidays and I'm sure the pounds are melting away and everyone is feeling good. I understand Keely ran 2 miles. Go, go, go No. 3.
And then there is the Madison chiropractor who has incentive from her employer to enroll in a health club and exercise 7-8 times a month and get reimbursed for most of her expenses. The whole family is running, lifting weights and doing aerobics. I know Grasshopper No. 2 can do a 3 mile run easily (along with Mitchell). The result of all of this is defined "six-packs". Show off! Go, go, go No. 2.
I know that Grasshopper No. 4 has been using the frisky puppy as an excuse to exercise every morning and it does have a positive effect. It will be interesting to see if the new job interferes with the daily routine. Do you exercise in the morning or in the evening when your ass is dragging? Whatever you do, don't give up on the routine. Go, go, go No. 4.
I keep my daily 3-4 mile regimen at the mall. Combined with my elimination of snacks, I have lots over 20 pounds. So I'm just your normal handsome (No. 2 says that having hair generates the illusion of handsome), svelte jock. So late last week as I'm finishing my daily walk routine, a middle aged woman approaches me and asks "there are 3 ladies that say you were just married recently and they'd like to know your age". Ho, ho, ho! I said "how old do they think I am"? The guess was early 60's. I said that I was married but it was a little more than recently (try 47 years) and I did tell her my age. So now I either have 3 secret admirers or the lady making the inquistion is interested. It dawned on me that they don't care about my exercise routine. They just want to catch some poor unsuspecting bachelor in a moment of weakness and turn him into some sex object. Say it isn't true! Probably widows looking for husbands. Go, go, go Dad go!
Your Mom with her combination of nutrition and exercise continues to get compliments. She has had two guys recently approach her in stores and start conversations. Say it isn't so. Go, go, go Mom go!
The lesson Grasshoppers is that staying active is not only great for the body but it can be great for the ego. Just stay focused and comitted to staying in shape. You will feel good. You will continue to be "looking good".
Love,
Dad
Your Mom and I headed northwest last weekend to Norwegian "Uper" country. It is the land where bridges fall down (no disrespect intended) and they serve stinky fish. Yep, we were in Minneapolis.
Our travel day going north was Friday, the day before gun deer hunting officially begins in Wisconsin. We stopped counting "car kills" along the road at around 15. The deer herd is at an all time high count and of course they were moving around as a result of hunters. Then there is this thing called the "rut". A male deer in the "rut" can mistake a Saab car for a female deer. Go figure. "Bucks" get stupid when they are in the rut. Imagine loving a Saab?
When we got to Minneapolis, we were surrounded by a "sea of red". The Wisconsin Badgers were in town to play Minnesota on Saturday. At times it felt like we were in Madison. The game was not available on cable in Minneapolis because it was the exclusive presentation of the BTN (Big Ten Network). The Badgers did win and I lost a bet to Grandson Mitchell.
Grasshopper No. 5 kept us busy with some Christmas shopping. The downtown Nicolett Mall was in the process of being decorated and extortion prices adorned the gifts. Crate and Barrel!
Barnes and Nobel! Maceys! Actually the spending was fairly frugal. It was a festive atmosphere.
Then we attended a presentation of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". The theater is like the Fireside in Fort Atkinson. It is a family operation. It was a delight. They selected a young (around 10 years old) boy and girl from the audience to be in the play. It created lots of interest as you watched the untrained young actors actually particapate in the action. Yes, there was a young stud scantily dressed in a loin cloth prancing around the stage pretending to be Joseph. It wasn't the same as a half naked Donny Osmond. It was the first play that I have ever attended that after the play, the whole audience stayed seated and enjoyed band music as it performed for another 5-10 minutes.
After a light Sunday brunch, we left the "Uper nort" country for home. The weekend passed so fast.
Grasshopper No. 5 is a gracious host. She ochestrated the visit of her guests in flawless fashion. She said to give all her siblings a hug. So hug, hug, hug, hug!
The lesson Grasshoppers is that family visits are precious. Life comes at us very fast. It is good to take time to smell the roses.
My Thanksgiving started early today. I stopped to get snow tires put on the Saab. I used a dealer frequented by Calnin-Goss and my favorite son, Grasshopper No. 3. There was no-charge. They wouldn't take my money because I was the dad of Grasshopper No. 3. Hey, hey, hey! It isn't how much you know, but who you know.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
Dad
The computer inflitrates everybody's life. It helps us make decisions with instant information in any form you want it. Ain't it a great modern marvel. You can watch e-Bay bids as they happen. You can check your credit score any time. You can transfer money instantly! The computer can be a great decision-making tool! Too bad they didn't have computers years ago.
But they did! The year was 1870. John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil ran a telegraph wire to his home in Cleveland. His oil fields were in Pennsylvania. When he came home for lunch in Cleveland, he would check his personal "teletype" machine for updates on gushers and dry holes. He would then telegraph his brother in New York to adjust the price of oil for the European markets and his brother would pass on price adjustments via Atlantic Cable to Europe. John D. Rockefeller had learned to do morse code so that he could send and receive his own telegraph transactions by himself. Isn't that the same as sending and receiving e-mail? By golly, the instruments may have been "crude" (to use a pun), but "John D." had the equivalent of his own computer helping him make decisions. Say it ain't so. 1870! People making quick decisions using the power of electronic information.
In the business world (and personal world), the speed of information transmission has improved. Wal-Mart has learned to follow inventory every moment of everyday. I am reminded of a Wal-Mart store in Chicago that was low on Panasonic TV's. They checked their computers and found that there was a truckload of TV's enroute to California. The GPS system located the truck in New Mexico at mile marker number 262 on Highway 66. The decision was made to turn the truck around and move the TV's to Chicago where they were needed the most. The time of arrival was calculated for Chicago and customers were told what time they could drop by and pick up their TV's. I know why Wal-Mart makes money!. They manage their business very, very well using computers to transmit information..
So Grasshoppers, as you send your next e-mail or post your next e-Bay offering, don't be so smug. John D. Rockefeller figured out how to use current information to become the richest person in the world. Now that you are "armed" with the knowledge that instant data is very valuable, go forth and make yourself filthy rich!
Love,
Dad
It has dawned on me that you older Grasshoppers did not get to attend plays and musical presentations as much as Grasshoppers No.4 and Grasshopper No.5. There was no oversight here. Some of it had to do with life style and affordability.
There are some musical presentations that happen to be very memorable.
Number one on my memory list is "The World Goes 'Round". Mom, Grasshopper No.5 and myself had taken a trip to Washington D.C. We had a Sunday without much planned so we decided to go over to the Kennedy Center. We just wanted to experience the ambiance of the Performance Center. We got there around noon on a warm June day (No.5 must have been about 17 years old). We found out that the presentation of the play "The World Goes 'Round" was going to start at 1:00 PM. We never intended to see a play. We bought tickets on the recommendation of the sales agent. After a light lunch on the top floor of the Kennedy Center, we attended the play. It was a surprising delight. It was kind of magical. You couldn't have planned the moment. We had a good time. Some of the tunes are on my walkman.
Number two on my memory list is "The Phantom of the Opera" performed at an old theater in Chicago. It had been recommended by a business associate as the best thing he had ever seen. So your Mom and I dragged No.4 and No.5 screaming and kicking to an overnight stay in Chicago topped off by "Phantom". It didn't disappoint. It was spectacular. The music is legendary to this day. All the way home from Chicago, we played cassette tapes containing the familiar Phantom music. No.4 had to be around 17 or 18 years of age.
Number three and last on my memorable list of musical presentations is "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". We had heard about the play and again we headed for Chicago. This time it was only Grasshopper No.5 (she must have been around 16) joining Mom and myself. The play starred Donny Osmond dressed only in a loincloth. The story was fun and the music is classic. Your Mom says it is her favorite play.
So Grasshopper No.1, Grasshopper No.2, and Grasshopper No.3, I apologize for not being able to expose you to the "arts" as much as desired but you got to experience other important things in life.
Why this rambling about favorite musicals? Well, we have a visit coming up soon to Minneapolis to visit No.5. The only way you can spend time with her is to invade her turf. She probably is telling all her friends that her Mom and Dad are coming! Yuk! During our visit we have tickets to attend "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". It should bring back memories for No.5, your Mom and myself.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that you will share differernt moments with your own children creating precious memories. Memories for each child will be different. That is okay. Treasure those moments.
Love,
Dad
No, we are not talking "rot gut" booze. More later.
This weekend is the last UW-Badger football game at home for the season. God the fall season goes by fast. Weather is predicted to be cool but dry. Michigan coming in is like Darth Vader descending on the Star Troopers. Should be a good game. A plus could be a few Air Force jets flying over since it is Veterans Day on Monday. Add the "Bud" song and you could lose yourself in the excitement.
I also heard that Grasshopper No. 3 took his boat out for maybe the last time this season with a new 300 HP Mercury "hummer" engine. This could take him over the magic 85 mph barrier. He warmed the engine and cruised at lower speeds for awhile. Collin challenged his Dad by saying "lets see what this thing will do"! It went 50, 60, 70, and then easily to 80 mph.
The excitement must have paralleled breaking the sound barrier. Whoops! A sputtering. A dreaded "missing" sound from the engine and then a slow dying growl. Grasshopper No. 3 had a friend in another boat in the area with a video tape recorder. I would guess it is embarassing to be on tape being towed to the boat landing (there was something about sticking up a middle finger). The engine had burnt a cylinder head or something. Hey, the challenge is still there and wait till next year. I know all about engines dying.
Okay, the subject is "rot gut". We are talking about term life insurance protection for a family that is dependent on one person (or two) for major income. The Financial Planning course your Mother and I are taking recommends "buy as much term insurance as you can afford, for as long as you can, at a locked in fixed premium". Imagine losing the major breadwinner in your family without sufficient insurance.
My opinion is you should have a minimum of $500,000 total term insurance. In your 30's and 40's, you can get that kind of insurance for around $300-$400 per year. If the breadwinner dies, $500,000 would be paid out. If your family invests the $500,000 at 5% per year in a safe certificate of deposit, they would get $25,000 per year. That is not a lot per year. It is slightly more than social security. If the family decided to use the $25,000 interest and $15,000 from the principal, they could spend $40,000 per year but after 20 years, the $500,000 would be gone. If you presently have some life insurance, maybe you only need $300,000 term. You get the idea.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that term insurance in an excellent estate planning tool because it is so cheap. They call it "rot gut" insurance because the agent selling it does not make a big commission. It is a good value. You can get competitive quotes "online". Check it out.
Love,
Dad
Your Mom and I have been attending classes at UW-Fox Valley on the subject of Wills and Trusts. The subject of dying is easily put off. Actually, when Harry Stroebel died as owner of the City Club, there apparently was no will or trust and the result as near as I can tell is total chaos. The lack of planning inspired me to get more information.
One classroom session remains. This week two lawyers are being brought in answer questions about death and taxes. Great subject, huh! The course is taught and coordinated by Christina, a crusty old broad who is almost likeable. I think she is rich!
There are some things that are crystal clear.
Draw up a will. There are simple "do it yourself" Wills available and talk show host, Clark Howard, has websites to visit to get effective documents. A Will defines how your assets get distributed. Otherwise the State of Wisconsin decides.
Prepare a Durable Power of Attorney. This allows somebody you trust to make financial decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated or mentally incompetent. As people get older and older, the chances of gumming your food and losing your mental capacity get greater. Car accidents happen. Affliction with a serious illness can occur. A simple document can be attained to name financial appointees.
Prepare a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. This appoints someone to make a decision regarding your fate in serious health situations. My instructions are pretty simple. If I'm going to be a "vegetable" for the rest of my life, pull the plug. You need to name the person or persons who will make that decision. Again, effective do-it-yourself documents are available.
Our course can get very complicated. The use terms like "pour over wills", "testamentary Trusts", and "tenants in common". The net is that after the course, they want you to visit lawyers and financial planners and they will help you. Ka-ching! The dollars start to flow for all the help. It almost leads you to believe that the course is promotion for planning services. No, they wouldn't be that self-serving.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that you don't have to take a college course to discover you need a "Will" along with Powers of Attorney for financial and medical situations that occur in your life. Do it.
Love,
Dad
Okay Grasshoppers, the subject is "basic money management". I know I can do this!
Get a mirror. Look into it. Who do you see? If you don't seen anyone you are either a vampire or a witch. Assuming that isn't you, you should see yourself. That good looking, beguiling, beautiful creature is you. Not bad, huh?
Now while looking into the mirror, ask yourself "who is the most important person in the world"? If you hesitate, you are in deep sh--. It is YOU (as my mother would say "it is you, you dumb sh--)! Yes, there are lots of very, very important people in your life but you are most important to you. You manage yourself everyday. Do what is best for you. "You, You, You"! I think there is a song that starts that way.
Now, when you earn money, the first thing you should do is pay yourself! Take the cash from each paycheck, go down to a bank of choice and deposit money that is payment to yourself for all the hardwork, sweat, and sacrifice. You owe it to yourself. Keep the account separate and don't use that money for anything else. That is your money. You are rewarding yourself. Why do you pay yourself? Who else is going to take care of you? Remember who is the most important person in your life. You owe yourself some money from every paycheck.
Keeping this very simple, it is very important that you make a special effort to physically place the money you are paying yourself someplace special. Make it a bank, a savings & loan or a credit union. You can deposit cash or write a check. The money stays there and grows. You don't use it for self-gratification. That new I-Pod does not come from this money.
Keep doing that routine. Keep investing in yourself. Remember the mirror. Who did you see in the mirror? You saw the most important person in the world...You!
The lesson Grasshoppers is that you control your own destiny. Once you reach a point where you have accumulated 3-6 months worth of "pay", the focus can start shifting to longer term goals. Never stop paying yourself. Love yourself.
Love,
Dad