It is a joy to be sharing my blog with you today. I am blessed to have people like you in my life. I borrowed those sentences of "sunshine" from Archbishop Dolan who is leaving Milwaukee for New York. He is a master of pumping "sunshine". Try it. It has amazing consequences.
Our fair city got our share of snow yesterday (4-5 inches) along with blowing and "white-outs". I know the colonies of Sheboygan and Plymouth were not hit as bad.
Well, I got to thinking. If I'm going to have to endure more of the sh--ty white stuff, what would constitute a perfect downfall. It is important matters such as these that dominate my life.
First, I would want the storm to hit in the late afternoon. I'm not employed any more so I don't have to worry about the drive home. By starting late afternoon, I get to run all my errands early in the day, have a lunch with my favorite person and then settle into watching ESPN's broadcast of an important basketball game with host Dickie Vitale and Erin Andrews. Supper includes several bowls of homemade chili followed by a movie and my day is complete.
Second, the storm ends before mid-night. The plows have a chance to go through overnight and then Grasshopper No.3 shows up with the red GMC and plow. No.3 and the truck are symbiotic (they are one) and he masterfully drops the plow with feathery touch and pushes the snow into the next county. So by the time I get up, I can jump in my car and get to the health center.
Third, by the time I get home from the health club, neighbors on both sides have snow-blowed my sidewalks so I don't have to do anything. I confess that I ran the snowblower about 10 minutes to clean up the sidewalk running from the driveway to the house entrance. Damn it was cold.
So I figure, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Just make sure the storm starts in the afternoon. That would be perfect.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that there is a silver lining to everything. You just have to look for it! A sincere thank you to Grasshopper No.3 for making this blog possible.
Love,
Dad
In 1957 when my Dad died, it was November and high school basketball was just beginning. I remember thinking about whether I wanted to play the '57-'58 season. My Dad had always come to my sporting events and even coached my baseball teams. My resolve was to play the season in his memory. In fact I quietly adopted the declaration "this one's for you"!
The season turned out to be memorable. We were League Champions, something the Plymouth Panthers hadn't done in 20 years. I'm sure he was watching!
Last week, a senior named Johntell Franklin for Milwaukee Madison High School lost his Mom to cancer. It was the day of a game with Dekalb, Illinois High School. His coach offered to cancel the game but the young man, Johntell wanted his team to play without him.
The game started and Johntell showed up at the game during the second quarter. He was surrounded by team-mates and members of his high school class. I can only imagine the out-pouring of sympathy. It turns out Johntell not only showed up but he wanted to play. His wish was honored and he quickly "suited up".
Here is where it gets tricky. Coaches have submit their list of players before the basketball game. Johntell was left off the list because he was not anticipated to play. By showing up and then entering the game, Madison High was guilty of a technical foul. Dekalb was entitled to two penalty foul shots. Nobody in the gymnasium felt the techical foul shots were fair but the officials were required to uphold the integrity of the game.
The visiting Dekalb team knew Johntell's situation and really didn't want to shoot the technical foul shots. So the Coach of Dekalb instructed his shooter to miss the shots. The first ball went half way to the basket and fell innocently to the floor. By now the crowd understood what was happening. The second short didn't go as far as the first and again fell softly to the floor. The crowd stood and applauded in tribute to the missed shots and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Johntell scored 10 points in the game but his team, Madison High lost. Somehow that it didn't matter.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that the essence of being involved is sports is to build character. Johntell's loss was shared by many and winning or losing didn't seem so important.
Love,
Dad
From the time I had my first job at Allis-Chalmers in Milwaukee, flying was part of my work career. It started with commercial flights and evolved into private Lear jets capable of flying into smaller local airports. There has always been a glamour to flying. Originally it was for people in business and the more affluent members of society. It has evolved into trips to Florida for $79. Of course the chickens and other poultry go in the top luggage racks.
So I've flown a lot! I do not like to fly. If man were meant to fly, God would have given him wings. I am not alone. John Madden, the sports announcer travels only by bus. Charlie Sheen the actor will fly but observes that when a car fails, you pull to the side of a road. If a plane fails, it falls straight down at 500 miles per hour.
This week a plane crashed on approach to Buffalo, N.Y. They will never know exactly what happened but ice build up on the wings appears to haved played a major role. Ice is not a friend to aircraft.
I recall two personal ice situations. The first was in Washington D.C. I was there for business and was to fly home from Washington National Airport. Temperatures were in the low 30's. Several weeks earlier, a plane flying out of Washington National crashed because of ice build up on the wings. Ice had prevented the plane from gaining altitude from the notoriously short runways at "National". I remember sitting in the airport terminal looking at the commercial jet outside as they "hosed" deicing liquid on the wings to remove ice getting it ready for flight and thinking "what am I doing here"? We did have a flight delay but flew home uneventfully.
The second ice memory was when I was in Sheboygan, my boss had a twin engine Beech Baron that he owned personally. He liked to fly his personal plane to River Falls, Wis. where we had an "insulated panel business". On a February day we flew into a local airport near our River Falls plant. On the return trip from River Falls on a bright star lit night, my boss says "I think we've got a problem". I was sitting in the co-pilot seat next to him and of course my response was "what do you mean we have a problem"? He explained that we were getting ice build up on the wings and it was slowing the plane significantly and if we didn't get rid of some ice, we'd have to "put the aircraft down". What the hell did that mean, put it down? I found out one solution was to drop the plane down to a lower altitude which would drop temperatures (it gets very cold up high) and maybe ice would stop forming. He handed me a high tech tool called a flash light and told me to shine it out on the wing. If I noticed a change in the build-up of ice I should let him know. I know he was playing with my "head" because he already could see the wings on this clear night. The rest is history. He dropped down in altitude, the ice began to dissipate and my kids still had their father. The experience did nothing to make me feel better about flying.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that fear rules many things we do. The statistical chances that an aircraft is going to crash are infinitesimal. It is actually a very safe mode of transportation. I will fly! I don't have to like it. I know ice could build up on the wings!
Stay warm.
Love,
Dad
When a carpenter places his level on a piece of wood that is supposed to be horizontal, he looks for the bubble in the liquid of the indicator tube to be centered. If the bubble is off center to the left or right, obviously the piece of wood is cockeyed
Our whole financial system right now is a "bubble off center".
I received a coupon (credit card) from Grasshopper No.2 for a free converter box to be used when TV stations stop sending an analog signal and switch to a digital signal. The coupon was worth $40. Did I keep the economy going?
Our government just passed a stimulus package that gives money to everybody but admittedly changes very little. The banking system is still on life support. The auto industry doesn't have any answers and needs government money. A huge amount of the stimulus money is going to the States because they have been spending too much. When you get your $13 per week on your paycheck because of a change in Fed. Tax Withholding, remember it is taxable at the end of the year and you really are getting only $9-$10 more per week. Will that change your life?
The State of Kansas is threatening not to mail tax rebates to people who paid too much on their State Income Tax. They are short money!
Your Mom and I went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" last weekend. I recommend it very, very highly. It cost two seniors $13 total for several hours of entertainment. I bought a medium bag of popcorn and a small diet coke for $11.25. Enough is enough. I can survive for two hours without popcorn and soda. No more! How is that going to stimulate the economy?
Unemployment is approaching 8% and the trend seems to be downward.
Today I voted. On the ballot was a request for $15 million to hire more teachers to reduce class size. The schools have had to lay teachers off to meet their budgets. That puts more pressure on the "working" teachers. The solution is to float a referendum to hire the laid-off teachers back plus additional teachers. It is all wrapped in "motherhood, apple pie and children". Who can deny any child anything but the best? I refuse to tell you how I voted!
Who is floating a referendum to help your situation?
The lesson Grasshoppers is that we are all experiencing a financial minefield. Use common sense. Put on foot in front of the other and we will walk out of this financial mess! Long range financial plans should include anticipating higher taxes and incredible inflation. Dah!
Love,
Dad
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Tomorrow is Valentines Day. It is smart to take pause and tell the people you care about that you love them. Everyone enjoys being told they are special.
I heard this morning that a computer plane crashed while landing in Buffalo, N.Y. All 49 passengers died. One lady was returning to Buffalo to attend festivities honoring her husband at his high school where they were establishing a scholarship in his name. The husband had been on a plane that crashed on 9/11. If I were a surviving family member, I might consider not choosing to fly.
Your Mom and I went to see "Wicked" at the local performing arts center. The title gives away the content of the play because it contains witches. It is the story written before Dorothy from Kansas crashes her house on top of the wicked Witch of the West and steals her red slippers.
Wicked is about a family of witches growing up and evolving into good witches, bad witches, green witches and disadvantaged witches. It is your nomal dysfunctional family. Good stuff! Fighting. Jealousy. Vanity. "Spells". There are strange births including green babies and "animal like" beings. I guess that all part of being dysfunctional.
I won't reveal how the production "plays out" but it has interesting twists and turns.
So just about the time you think dysfunction in your family has reached an all time extreme high, go see Wicked.
I want everyone in our family to feel wanted on Feb.14! Please be my Valentine.
Love,
Dad
First, a sincere thank you to all those who made Lyla's (several Grandchildren didn't know Nana's real name) 98th birthday celebration at St. Anna a success.
I do my walking routine at the local health facility every morning and there is a husband/wife couple that has a light breakfast each morning at the table where I drape my coat over a chair. I joke with them that their oranges always smell so good. Yesterday they finished their breakfast and left the facility but sitting on the table in front of my coat was a single orange on a small napkin. Nice thought! Nice people! I guess I looked needy. I will be concerned if tomorrow they leave me prunes.
As you know, the whole world is struggling with a weak economy. The Chinese are known for their ancient culture and wisdom. Chinese investors have been flocking to financial seminars put on by Feng Shui Masters. The literal translation of "feng shui" is "wind and water". It is their belief that the universe is controlled by alignment of the stars, planets and objects. The Chinese New Year has brought in the year of the Ox. It turns out that Obama and his Treasury Secretary, Geithner were both born in a "year of the Ox". Financially that is a very bad sign. The Feng Shui Masters indicate that this year will a complete bust and people should wait until 2010 before expecting fortunes to turn.
Being born under the sign of the Rat is a better omen. There is a suggestion that if Obama and Geithner would wear something on their clothing symbolizing the rat, it would offset the negative karma associated with being born as "oxen". The best solution I've heard is that Obama and Geithner should wear "Mickey Mouse" hats with the big round ears. It would be similar to the apparel worn by members of the Mickey Mouse Club. The assumption is that the mouse is part of the rodent (rat) family. If our leaders did wear the "mouse" hats, we would have a chance to have a reasonable economic year.
So Grasshoppers, there is economic hope. The Mickey Mouse stimulus solutions would have a chance to work if our leaders would wear the Mickey Mouse "ears". Life can be pretty simple sometimes.
Love,
Dad
The 1950's define my teen years (and your Mom's too). In 1950, we were 10 years old. In 1959, we were just ending our teen years. The songs or the decade are imbedded in our minds and it seems like "just yesterday".
The 50's were special. It was the era of rock and roll, swiveling hips and swooning teenagers. You could still understand the words to the music and the lyrics were just as stupid as today.
Yesterday we had tickets at the Fireside for "Songs of the 50's". I was looking forward to the trip down memory lane. Sometimes presentations at the Fireside can disappoint but not yesterday. It was a hand clapping, foot-stomping kind of day.
A diversion in the entertainment was when two people were brought up on stage to play "Name that Tune", One particpant (a man) was 90 years old. The problem was he couldn't hear very well so he looked confused as the songs played. Then being 90 years old, he couldn't remember the song titles. Being older his reflexes were slow to ring the bell. You get the idea. Cute guy but .......... During the first song of the contest, a lady sitting in the first row jumped on stage and whispered the answer to the old guy. He rang the bell and won. Not fair, but old guys are entitled do anything they want to.
Three songs "brought the house down". People were standing at their seats, clapping, dancing and singing. Old people with energy, imagine that (maybe you don't want to imagine that). The first song was Tutti-Fruitti originally performed by Little Richard (a screaming maniac). There was so much energy on stage that afterwards it left the audience wanting more.
The second song to stir the soul was "The Twist" made famous by Chubby Checker. It wasn't a pleasant sight seeing 80 year old people standing and violently rotating their bodies to the "twist".
Lastly, they performed the Jerry Lee Lewis redition of "Whole Lot of Shaking Goin' On". The only way you could see the performers on stage was by standing up.
So it was a fun day.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that you can go back in time for short periods of time through music. The music acts as benchmark to significant moments in your life. I'm sure the 70's, 80's and 90's mark your minds. When you retire, you too can go to the Fireside to see a performance in the afternoon on a Thursday during the work-week. "Eat your hearts out".
Love,
Dad
Mom has told stories about her Dad (Grandpa George) when she was growing up in Plymouth. One of her regrets is that Grandpa George was always gone because he was trying to build his business. Yeah! That is what guys tried to do!
When I graduated from high school, George offered me a summer job as a "sheet metal assistant" at the shop on Division Street. Yep, I was a flunky.
George was never known for his sense of humor. It is kind of interesting because once you got to know him, he had a keen sense of humor and enjoyed "banter". The dead give away to his enjoyment was his eyes. There was a twinkle that came over his eyes when he was involved in joking. They say that the "eyes are the window to the soul".
When I worked as a summer flunky, the two permanent employees ("Little George" and Warren) would take me along to job sites to do all the manual work. We hung a lot of gutters along the rooflines of houses. I was in charge of loading the trucks with all the ladders, compressed gas, solder pots, tool chests and other things before we left the shop. When we got to the job site, I unloaded everything and got the ladders arranged along the houses.
Long lengths of gutter got soldered together by melting alloy medal rods into the seams between the gutters. There was an alleged artform that was required to "sweat" the metal into the seams. Only trained, experienced tradesmen could perform this act. Bullsh--! It was an excuse for the older guys to sit on their ass on the sidewalk soldering while I ran my tail off doing all the heavy work. So I would always beg Grandpa George to let me solder. He would always put me off saying that maybe someday I could solder but not right now. Of course he supported the permanent employees.
I never did get to solder metal. Years later everytime Grandpa George would come to our house (or we'd go to his) I'd chide him for not letting me learn how to solder. If he had taught me to solder, maybe I could have been more successful in life. His eyes would twinkle and he say something like "he knew I couldn't be trusted". Or he say "he knew I wasn't capable of soldering". That banter would occur for 2-3 minutes and would lead to other silliness.
Grandpa George did indeed have a sense of humor. He could be delightful. We connected!
One of my great regrets in life is that I was never allowed to solder. It was so simple but I never got to add the skill to my repertoire. I was scarred for life.
The lesson Grasshoppers is you should help your kids develop their skills especially when they show a keen interest. One skill may be the key to their success. Otherwise you might be condemned to a lifetime of scorn by your own kids (hopefully there is a twinkle in their eyes).
Love,
Dad