I see that Warren Buffet, the financial guru from Omaha, Nebraska agreed to have lunch with 4 people. The key was the lunch was put out for bid. The highest bidder for the package of 4 guests got the honor for a mere $1,600,000. The money goes to charity. I wonder what people would bid to have lunch with me?
Yesterday was Grasshopper No.4's birthday. My calculations say 37 years and counting. He got a birthday card from someone that opens to the music "Macho Man". That must have set his heart "aflutter".
Coincidently, Grandson Nevin also had his birthday on the same day. 22 years and counting.
To finish off the birthdays, Mom's sister turned 70 in May and her younger husband turns 70 in August. They have celebrated and celebrated and celebrated!
Wait, one more person to remember. Grasshopper No.2 has always hated her birthdate of Dec.30. She has intentially picked the halfway point in the year to celebrate. It has something to do with the festivity of Christmas making her birthday less important. So here is a happy half year birthday wish making her 47.5 years of age. My brother Jerry has a birthday on Dec.27th. The timing always spoilled the celebration.
Last year, we had a landscaper do some major "surgery" around the house. We pulled bushes and shrubs. Weeds came out. Roundup Weed Killer was the choice. Then we planted and had mulch hauled in. In really kept the economy going.
This year Grandson Collin and I have tackled the landscape job. It beats the $40-50 per hour for professional landscapers. Collin has a stronger back. I have lots of supervisory experience. What a combination! It is amazing what two people can do over 8-10 hours. My contribution to slowing down the economy is doing my own landscape work. It is the economy, stupid!
Rumor has it that Grasshopper No.3 has sold his 21 foort Checkmate boat. I can't imagine what is next. Maybe a hovercraft? I think the love affair with going very, very fast trying to achieve the perfect synchonized maximum out of a 235 horsepower Mercury engine might just be exchanged for "fat assed comfort". Getting older does that for you.
The lesson Grasshopper is that life keeps moving. It waits for no-one. Make the most of it!
Love,
Dad
I had a casual conversation with Grasshopper No.3 recently regarding parents and children. As all of you know, I never attended any of your activities when you were growing up. Yet I have many, many pictures to prove I was there for you. Hmmmm!
I did miss No.3's soccer involvemnt when he was a senior year in high school. I think the year was 1982. This was the first year of competitive soccer at the school and North High was part of the Fox Valley Conference. No.3 had to choose between football and soccer. Soccer won out and the rest is history.
North High played 12 conference games. They went 11-1 and were declared Conference Champions. Grasshopper No.3 went out a winner.
Where was I? This was one of those situations where I missed the drama. I vaguely remember the interest in soccer but I had no idea that soccer would go on to be something big. I don't remember going to any games but if I search our photos long enough, maybe I'll find one where I am present.
No.3 did not score any goals. I was informed that he played defense and he didn't have the opportunity to score. That shows what I know about soccer. I asked if he was any good. His response was "we were champions weren't we"? He has a picture in the school Annual to prove his accomplishments.
So in this instance, I failed as a supporting father. I'm sure that No.3 gained much needed acclaim and sense of accomplishment. This must be the only instance where I didn't render my support to you kids growing up?
By the way, the North High School mascot is the Golden Eagles. Go big birds!
The lesson Grasshoppers is that sometimes parents miss the precious growing experiences of their kids. You can't ever get those moments back. I do know you always had unconditional support.
Love,
Dad
Father's Day came and went. It was exciting as usual. I was surrounded by my children and their families. I was treated to steak from the grill, lots of gifts and the day ended by watching the U.S Golf Championship on TV. Lastly, a messeuse showed up to give me a one hour massage (one of my gifts).
Then I woke up from my dream. Yep it was a dream! I read a few cards and took a few "love you Dad telephone calls". I fried my own brats. No massage!
When I was a kid I remember a song that contained the lyrics "Where Have You Been Billy Boy, Billy Boy". The song kept running though my mind as I watched the end of the U.S.Open Golf telecast. Instead of "Billy", I substituted "David". "Where have you been David Boy, David Boy. Where have you been Charming David. He has been to seek a life, the true meaning of his strife, it's a tough thing he needed to discover".
I am talking about David Duval. 10 years ago he was ranked number one in the golfing world. He was rolling in money. He had discovered nutritional eating and developed a body building regimen that made him really "buff". He won the British Open title in the late 1990's.
Suddenly David disappeared from competitive golf. He played in some tournaments but didn't do well and recently was ranked 882 in the world (only the top 150 get reasonable recognition). He is 37 years old and the last 10 years have kind of slipped away. Then this last weekend as the U.S.Open unfolded, this sloppy overweight guy dressed in loose fitting clothes was challenging to win the Open. To eliminate the suspense, it was David and he did not win the Open but he did finish 2nd. Given a few breaks, he could have won.
So the question is "Where have you been David Duval"? He has started a nice family and his priorities are balanced. Golf obviously did not provide the satisfaction he was looking for. It is hard to feel sorry for David. His 2nd place finish earned him $560,000 for 4 days work. He stood on the "recognition stand" with his son cradled in his arms. He seemed at peace.
So maybe the real winner of the U.S.Open was David Duval. Surrounded by family and a nice check for finishing second, his enjoyment of the moment (and Father's Day) had to be very satisfying.
So Grasshoppers, it ain't complicated. Enjoyment of life involves what is important to you. The world "balance" always seems to come up.
Love,
Dad
Your Mom's birthday is Saturday. It is usually the longest day of the year. I think the official start of Summer this year is Sunday. Let the celebration begin.
I have resisted turning on the air conditioner so far this year. Part of the reason is because I'm cheap. Another part of me remembers the City Club in the 1950's. Nobody had air conditioning. The big old City Club building had screens on every window and doorway. If you ever look at old pictures of the building you will see large screens necessary for covering the huge entryways with an average size screen door nestled within for customers.
I remember the electric fans. There were no ceiling fans but lots of floor fans and some window units. At 7:00 AM, my Grandma Myrna would open most doors and windows to let cooler morning air into the building. The tavern officially opened for business at 8:00 AM The major bar-room faced east receiving the morning sun. Any window that didn't have a fan, had a pulled shade. So if you were a customer, you came into a darken bar room with the sound of fans everywhere.
Mornings were fairly comfortable but as the warm summer days "heated up", you had to rely on fans moving lots of air to be comfortable. Sometimes in the early afternoon my Dad would drive our family out to Elkhart Lake to the public beach to go swimming. It was a cheap way to stay cool.
By the end of a hot summer day, the City Club would get very warm. The key was to keep serving cold beer, cold soda and mixed drinks with lots of ice cubes. Automatic ice machines worked overtime.
So for the last few weeks I did like we did at the City Club. I opened windows and doors of our house as early as possible and let cool morning air blow in. I turned on some key ceiling fans (that we didn't have at the City Club). As I walked through the high ceiling living room with open screen doors, for one brief moment I had haunting recollections of City Club.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that discomfort is relative. Somehow my family survived hot summer days at the City Club without "air". As the world gets more populated and energy shortages become common, maybe we will return to days of yesteryear. You too might have to live without air conditioning. Ohooooooooo Nooooooooooooo!
Love,
Dad
I have been changing my electronic delivery systems. In plain language we have morphed our TV, telephone and internet services into one company (Time Warner Cable) all in the name of "cost savings". I also dropped HBO from "cable". So we are now down to "rotgut" fees of $150 per month for everything. Then I remember the 1950's. TV delivery was free (yeah I know you only got 6 channels). There was no internet. Phone services cost between $6-$10 per month. We've come a long way baby.
So Friday night I noticed that my cable provider was teasing me. As I flipped through stations to find a good movie, I notice HBO and cineMAX channels were available. That had to be 20 more premium channels to pick from. Whoaaa? Friday was the day that all TV services switched to digital from analog. Did Time Warner make a mistake? Was I going to get billed for all these new channels?
So I became like a kid in a candy store. Lots of movies to chose from and some special presentations. HBO last night had a new sports talk show with Joe Buck. His first guest was the great Brett Favre. So I got to watch first hand the greatest show on earth. Favre kept denying he had made a decision to come back and the Vikings allegedly have only a passing interest. It was good drama. Like watching a stage play. Brett even swore because it was HBO.
Today is Tuesday. I went to my HBO and cineMAX stations to see what I had in store for me today. Gone! No more premium. I was back to normal. I have the same boring cost effective stations as before.
I know that the cable companies occasionally make premium channels available for short periods of time to entice subscibers to sign up. Then they pull them away shamelessly never to be seen again unless of course, I can find another $20-$25 per month. They were teasing me. Is that legal?
The lesson Grasshoppers is that electronic entertainment is expensive. There are many ways to spend more money. Don't be fooled. Lots of choices are nice. You can only watch one station at a time.
Love,
Dad
A special congratulations to Grandson Collin who officially graduated from Appleton North. He stuck his chest out and lunged across the finish line. He won the prize. Now it is on to bigger and better things. Now if we can just get him to kick soccer balls left-footed.
Today is the day you need to have your converter in place because all TV signals will be digital. Place the converter between your rabbit ears and the TV set. If you don't, everything in your life will be "snowy with static". So what else is new?
I've told the story about my Dad (Bucky) giving me two tickets to a Milwaukee Braves game in 1957. It was April. I drove down to Milwaukee with my brother Jack in our new black and white Dodge with push-button transmission. I know we saw Henry Aaron hit a home run. My Dad had to intervene on our behalf because the high school Principle (Big John Richards) was going to punish us. Bucky won.
Then came the next generation. In 1984, I bought tickets to a Milwaukee Brewers game. I pulled Grasshopper No.4 out of Grant School on 6th street in Sheboygan. Off we went. I think my brother Jerry went along. Paul says that we fried out in the parking lot at County Stadium. I don't know who won the game. In hindsight, it was "a Bucky". I had done just like my Dad. I pulled my kid out of school and we went slumming. This is contrary to the your Mom's belief that I never did anything with you kids.
Yesterday, June 11 the Milwaukee Brewers were playing the Colorado Rockies in an afternoon game. Grasshopper No.4 pulled Dominic and Tommy out of elementary school and off they went to watch baseball. It was another "Bucky". It seemed to give No.4 great delight to pick up the kids as all their jealous buddies watched and head south to Miller Park. I do know the results of yesterdays game. Rockies 5, Brewers 4. It was a nine inning four hour game. Jeepers! Ryan Braun hit a meaningless 3 run home in the ninth. I just know that the No.4 family stayed to the very end?
So you see, my Dad didn't really know he was starting a tradition. I guess we'll have to get a traveling trophy to be held by the lastest family to experience a "Bucky". I expect my Grandchildren to "pay it forward" by carrying on the tradition with their kids.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that it is okay to smell the roses. I'm sure Grasshopper No.4 and the whole family will have warm memories for the rest of their lives. It borders on sassy!
Enjoy the weekend.
Love,
Dad
I had lunch yesterday with Gordy Minch, an old business associate from Ripon. Interestingly, he grew up in Plymouth with my Dad in the 1920's and 1930's.
Gordy's Dad ran the Mitchell Hotel. It was one half block from the City Club and had a bar and rented rooms just like the "Club". Gordy has lots of insights that I don't have because he is 16 years older (born 1923).
Gordy lived through the Great Depression. He was between 8-15 years of age when the Depression occurred. Unemployment was double what it is today. Believe it or not, there was a major "booze bootlegging" operation around Plymouth. Occasional bootleg buyers would drive up from Illinois and stay at the Mitchell Hotel. They had lots of cash. Gordy would do them favors like run to the drug store or pick up snacks. They rewarded him with cash. Gordy accumulated over $300 which was a lot for a kid. He put his money in the local bank. When the Great Depression hit, thousands of banks failed. Gordy had his money in a Plymouth bank when it failed and he lost it all. There was no FDIC insuring accounts up to $100.000. I can't help but wonder how much the $300 would be worth in todays inflated dollars? Probably somewhere between $5,000-$10,000. Major dollars for a kid.
Fast forward to 2009. We are in the midst of a major Recession. There is comparison back to the 1930's. One of the major differences is that banks are not failing today like they did during the Depression. I think there have been 21 bank failures so far this year. A major reason is banks carry FDIC insurance guaranteeing our savings and checking. So by today's rules Gordy would not have lost his $300. The Fed is also pumping $700 billion into major banks making sure there is enough money in the system. Eventually this will mean higher taxes and inflation for all of us. The argument is todays action by the government was better than the 1930's when they let banks fail. I guess time will tell!
The stories about the bootlegging during the recession were fascinating. Names are not mentioned to protect the guilty. Plymouth had a major operation going.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that the world is constantly changing. History does shape the future. The Great Depression is shaping the current recession. Cash is still good and there is no prohibition of booze.
Love,
Dad
I watched the movie "The Edge" recently starring Anthony Hopkins. He is a billionaire businessman vacationing in Alaska. He gets lost in the wild with his wife's secret boyfriend. In the movie the remark is made "never feel sorry for someone that owns an airplane".
If you own your own personal jet, I guess that puts wealth in perspective. There are many other things that people own or do that make it hard to feel sorry for them.
For example, never feel sorry for a person that owns a Mini-Cooper.
Never feel sorry for a person that travels to France so often she is known by her first name at the Eiffel Tower.
Never feel sorry that a man that owns a Checkmate boat that will go 92 miles per hour.
Never feel sorry for a man who has a roof that doesn't leak.
Never feel sorry for a man that has an e-Bay account that is larger than the Gross National Product.
You get the idea. There are lots of things to be thankful for which eliminates a pity party. No feeling sorry for someone who has many blessings.
So you ask, what things in my life would eliminate you feeling sorry for me? Never feel sorry for me because I have my health. Never feel sorry me because my kids don't live at home. Never feel sorry for me because I have been able to spend 50 years with a special person.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that we all have sh--y things in our life but they are balanced off by many blessings. Never feel sorry for a person who has the ability to live life to it's fullest.
Love,
Dad
I saw a NBC news broadcast featuring an older man that had devoted his life to Chevy. He had worked at a Chevy plant. He restored Chevy antique cars. He owned classic Chevys. He was passionate about the most popular American car.
Growing up as a kid, our family did not have a lot of money. It was the period after World War II and the U.S. car companies were beginning to crank out new models. Our family was biased to GM products. My Grandpa Chalk loved Buicks and my Dad bought used Cadillacs.
I remember sitting on the steps of the City Club and watching all the cars cruise the main drag. My dream was to own a Chevy. It was affordable and had a reputation for dependable engines. Chrysler products (Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, and Chrysler) all burned oil and belched blue smoke out the tailpipe at 45,000 miles. Ford was famous for carburator "vapor lock" which meant the butterfly choke would freeze in position and you couldn't get your Ford started.
In the late 50's and early 60's, Chevy had a cheap Biscayne model with stick shift and cloth seats. It was the entry level Chevy but with a good engine. The next step up was the Bel-Air aimed at the average family. Good value and more options. And then, the top Chevy was the Impala. It had power assists and a bigger engine. Dual exhausts with modified Hollywood mufflers made the Impala sporty and cool. I wanted to own a Chevy.
My first new car while working at Allis-Chalmers in Milwaukee was a 1965 dark blue Bel-Air. It was a stick shift, V-8 with and AM radio. No air-conditioning. Very classy but a "yawner".
Our family had Chevys for many years. We owned a 1969 Impala wagon, a 1970 green Chevy Camaro (it was our second car) followed by a brown '74 Chevy Wagon (named the Rusty Zipper for our CB radio) and 1976 white Camaro. There were more Chevys with a with a Buick and several Oldsmobiles mixed in.
So you see, Chevy is deeply ingrained into my life fabric. It is sad to see the Chevy icon slowly slip away. Dinah Shore (a singer in the 50's and 60's) had a variety TV show sponsored by Chevrolet. "See the U.S.A in your Chevrolet, America is asking you to call". Who can not remember that jingle? I know, I know. Who is Dinah Shore?
How many of you have not heard the phrase "motherhood, apple pie and Chevrolet"?
So when GM filed for bankruptcy yesterday a little bit of my childhood dream was shattered. How could an automotive icon like Chevrolet be financially un-viable?
I guess I'll just have to settle for my finely crafted machine from Bavaria and dream about days gone bye. The lesson Grasshoppers is that nothing is forever and Chevy is a victim of poor management, worker greed, complacency and foreign competition.
My consolation is that our Government owns 60% of the new General Motors. That makes all of us owners of the new Chevy products. I think I'll go to the next Stockholders meeting and share my ideas with management. I plan to be an active owner.
Love,
Dad