Reset your clocks this weekend. There is supposed to be some "hair-brained" rationale for a later date in the Fall having to do with energy savings. Come on!
Today marks the opening of the College Ave. bridge in Appleton after 15 months of construction. At 5:05 PM this afternoon, I'm going to jump in our Japanese family car and drive across. Yeah, right!
I see that Octomom stole somebody's idea for Halloween. She is going to celebrate as a pregnant nun. In addition she is dressing all the kids (I think there are 14) in red devil costumes complete with a red hood and horns. She is striving for a reality show.
This weekend is Halloween. Our City Fathers have granted a plea by the Boy Scouts of America. They complained that hours 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM were not enough for "trick or treating" because working families didn't get home until 5:00 or 5:30 PM. So now on a Saturday (when most families aren't working) we have hours from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. The rest of the world must think we're nuts.
Favre returns this weekend. People are eating "waffles", burning No.4 jerseys and in Green Bay, renaming Bret Favre street "Aaron Rogers Street" for the weekend. Everyone thinks this is about a feud between Favre and Thompson. Favre wants his revenge. The real reason this weekend will be "nutsy" is due to money. Favre is making $12 million. Favre will sell a record number of Vikings jerseys. The networks will draw a record audience allowing themselves to charge huge advertising fees. The Packers will pack Lambeau and as usual, make lots of money. Scalpers are getting $1500 per ticket. So beware. It is what it is. It is the biggest football game of the year short of the Super Bowl. It is entertainment. It is all about money. Don't let it be your money. That would be another "set back".
Stay warm.
Love,
Dad
Return with me to yesteryear. It was the Fall of 1956. The baseball World Series was an epic event and it was beginning to be televised nationally. The games were played in the afternoon. I was a 16 year old kid with a Dad that lived and breathed baseball so I always anticipated the Series.
Our High School somehow commandeered a console TV and placed it in the gymnasium so that students and teachers could watch the World Series. They didn't have 60 inch screens in those days so you had to huddle close to the set. Kids sat on the floor, folding chairs and the bleachers.
The key to gaining the privilege to watch games was "study hall". If students had an afternoon study hall, they could go directly to the gymnasium and watch as long as they got to their next class on time. Because I participated in four different sports, my study hall was usually scheduled at the end of the day (that way I could always get to practice on time). During the World Series, I got to leave the study hall at around 2:00 PM and watch the best part of the game.
In 1956, I remember going to the gymnasium on a sunny afternoon to watch the Yankees play the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers always made it to the Series and always lost. Always. On this afternoon, the Yankees had Don Larsen pitching. He was not particularly popular as a pitcher but on this day he began to experience something special. By the 6th inning, not one Dodger had reached base. As the game moved on, the guys on the football team faced a dilemma. Do we continue watch the no-hitter (perfect game) or leave the gym to practice football. The problem was solved when the coaches stayed to watch the ball game end. The rest is history. Larsen pitched the only perfect World Series game (27 batters came to bat and 27 batters made out). I got to see the ending of perhaps the greatest game ever played.
The World Series begins tomorrow. I don't have to beg out of a study hall to watch it. Somehow 'sneaking away" to watch history on a small black and white TV in a smelly gym heightened a young kids interest. It was indeed a privilege. So I might watch an inning or two of tonights game just for nostalgia reasons. Somehow it still seems like a privilege.
Love,
Dad
It is a sh--ty day here. Cold. Dark. Rain. It would be easy to call into work feigning the H1N1 flu and then crawl under the covers. Hey there is always the bright side. It could be snow.
Grasshopper No.5 has now received hundreds of birthday wishes and she moves on with her journey. At her age, the world is her oyster. There is a light.
Grandson Collin is structuring his life to enter the Marine Corps. He has a mission. He has a goal (I almost typed "girl"). He looks like he has been working out (looking buff is the description). He has a light.
Nana has endured a bout of "light-headedness". After 2 units of blood and careful analysis of proper drug dosages, she is back "home" and sassy. I think she wants to see her first great-great grandchild born (I think I got the number of "greats" right). She has a light.
For me, with all the higher costs I am experiencing like Medicare Insurance, property taxes (can you believe that school taxes are going up 7.5%), and utility services, it would be easy to get depressed. I am hearten by the news that people on Social Security might get $250 to defray cost of living increases. That will certainly reduce my pain. I have my light. Actually I took my best girl on a date last night. She is my light.
There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. For some it is the light of an oncoming freight train (I couldn't resist that) but for most it is the inspiration to strive for something better. Go towards the light!
Before I sign off, I ponder a question. Victoria's Secret reopened a bigger and better store at the Mall. It has has a "Pink" store unit and a "Black and White" store. The promotion for the month is a "perfect support bra for the one". My question is "what about the other one"?
Stay Warm
Love,
Dad
As I do my morning exercise routine, I get exposed to strange people. This morning it was Leon. He is tracing his "family tree". He makes trips to courthouses all over Wisconsin and even to the Historical Society of Wisconsin in Madison. Leon has printed out 14,000 pages of supporting documents and clues.
I found out that some of Leon's earliest relatives coming to this country homesteaded around Fond du lac. Why Fond du lac? The railroad ended there. There are members of your Mom's family (Stegers) that settled in Fond du lac. Small world.
Leon grew up in Wausau on the tundra. He mentioned near-by community names like Edgar and Marathon. When I mentioned my wayward Son-in-Law grew up in Wausau, he wanted to know the name. Upon mentioning Warosh, his eyes lit up and he said there were Waroshs in his family tree. So maybe I walked with a relative this morning. I guess when you think about the human race, we are all brothers and sisters.
Your Mom has persisted in scrapbooking which logically leads to our family tree. People make tracing the family tree a full time job. I know the detective work can be very challenging. There are many software programs to help discipline your efforts.
The big question is "does anybody care". A person can spend decades doing chronological studies of family history. The real value of the effort is if younger offspring continue updating the family tree. It doesn't happen often. The real reward comes to the person doing the research.
My great-grandfather Elmer is rumored to have strayed into Canada in the late 1800's and fathered twin boys out of wedlock. Try tracing that sometime. The story would make a "juicy" addition to our family tree. No, I'm not going to try.
If you are bored with life, you could tackle tracing our family tree. Knock yourself out!
Love,
Dad
We are headed to Madison tomorrow to be part of the UW homecoming experience. The whole celebration is anchored by the Iowa football game. There is always pomp and ceremony that goes with a football team returning to friendly confines of their own stadium.
In high school, the homecoming usually revolves around the last home football. I remember 1957. Our football team was undefeated with one game left to play. If you were on the football team you got "preferred status" for the week. Every teacher had an opinion on the upcoming game.
There was always a homecoming parade down Mill Street past the City Club. I got to ride a float with lots of football players. As a player you are "amped up" because you are too young to know how stupid you look. We got to wave to all the crowds lining the street.
On Friday afternoon there was always a pep rally in the high school auditorium. Students put together some silly skit that involved members of the football team. I remember the homecoming rally because a popular song at that time was "What's behind the Green Door?". It was a catchy popular song. Sure enough, somebody mounted a door on a portable door frame and painted it green. The visiting team was coming to our town and they had to deal with what was behind the green door. Of course it was their worst nightmare. It was our football team. Yep, as a football player I had to run through the green door when it opened and say something macho (probably an utterance like "yo").
The football game was a formality. We won big and finished undefeated.
Then you would take your best girl to the homecoming dance hosted by all the football super-stars. My girl was the belle of the Ball.
I'm not sure why all this energy goes into the homecoming event. It doesn't matter. It focuses the whole student body on a single purpose. Even in those days that was unique.
So homecoming weekends bring back good memories. It is a tradition that seems to endure.
Bundle up. The cold weather continues.
Love,
Dad
There are over 300 million people in our Country. As a group, the USA represents about 5% of the world population of 6-7 billion human beings. Each of us is just a "pimple on the a-- of progress (or lack there of)"
I measure things by what is happening to me.
I've been told that the recession is over. Things will be getting better slowly over time. Hmmm!
My monthly Social Security check will not get an annual COL increase in January. For that matter, Social Security may not get increased until 2011 or 2012 because we are all enjoying lower costs to live. Hmmm!
Medicare insurance costs which are deducted from my Social Security checks will increase by 7% in January making my net check decrease this year. Hmmm!
The Appleton Common Council is thinking about increasing the school tax by 10% which will get passed through to my property tax. We have 10% unemployment and our City fathers are going to charge me a higher property tax. Hmmm!
The proposed legislation to solve our healthcare crisis in Washington has been projected to increase the average worker health insurance cost from $13,000 per year to over $17,000 per year over the next 5 years. We were told any new insurance program will not cost one red cent. Hmmm!
I think Norm from the TV program Cheers said he "was the bottom of the toilet bowl waiting for the next load". I feel like Norm sometimes.
It seems to me that what I am experiencing financially does not match up with what I am being told. I guess from my perspective I am such a small part of the world that my perception of reality is impaired. Hmmm!
There, I feel better. I have now vented about my insignificant money problems. On the plus side, temperatures are warming, fall colors are approaching peak and Delicious apples are plentiful. See, I can be positive.
Love,
Dad
Just as the city of Madison has become familiar over the last15-20 years because Grasshopper No.2 and family live there, Minneapolis has become more familiar because of Grasshopper No.5.
The primary reason for visiting Minneapolis the last few days is because Marjorie and Alan Diederichs were in town for a upcoming wedding for a niece (or was it a nephew) and it was an opportunity to see them again. It felt like we were hosts because your Mom and I have become somewhat familiar with the area. Of course an assist from Grasshopper No.5 added to our "expert status".
A lot of time was spent talking about the "Halverson connection". Everyone of You has some experience that flows through Marjorie and Family from 1967 through 1985 while we were in Sheboygan. If your ears were burning, you were probably being talked about. Lots of good memories.
So under the guidance of Grasshopper No.5 (she was not always with us because she had to earn a living), Majorie and Alan joined us at places like Hell's Kitchen and Mort's Delicatessen. We did begin to run out of stories to reminisce about.
As most of you know, Grasshopper No.5 is moving. The move is to a new apartment in a building one block away (actually on the same street). No.5's parents crashed into her life while she is preparing to physically move on Saturday. She has friends lined up with U-haul trailers and willingness to carry boxes and things down the block. Does any of this "move thing" sound familiar. I know that No.5's friend Shea will be there for her.
Marjorie and Alan are headed for Duluth to enjoy the Fall colors in feezing temperatures and Grasshopper No.5 will be moving to her new apartment in cold temperaturess and snow flurries. And your Mom and I are glad to be home!
Stay warm!
Love,
Dad
I found out that your Mom has not been taping Oprah's daily TV program lately. She has some other priority. The "earth moved".
I have been exercising regularly for 10 years. The building always has "elevator music" playing in the background. The music stopped. I don't know if it is cost saving thing or not. It is really erie to hear your shoes squeek or conversations from the other end of the mall because it is like a echo chamber. Again I think the "earth moved".
Last night I watched the Purple People Eaters destroy the Green Bay Packers (remember I am an owner with my 1 share of stock). I have always advocated looking at the "big picture". Most people, including Grasshopper No.4 think that football at the professional level is a skilled game. They are so wrong. It is an entertainment event. It is like a Halloween party. People dress up in costumes, they paint their faces like Indians wearing war paint, hold tailgate parties in the rain and drink lots of beer. People cheer, jump up and down with enthusiasm and spill beverages on the person sitting next to them at the game. Oh yeah, there is pre-game hype and taunting like "our team is going to whip you a--". The game last night had extra excitement because Favre (it is really pronounced Fave-ray) which is French for "ego-maniac". Favre got his chance to stick it to the Packers. The reality is that Minnesota has a really good team and they made Favre's job very easy. Who would have guessed that Favre got his chance to stick it to Thompson and the Green Bay Packers. Favre and Company entertained us. I felt the "earth move".
Lastly, Grasshopper No.4 has been losing every youth football game this year and so has Grandson Dominic's team (actually Dominic had a tie). Dominic described it as a "losing funk". Guess what? Both Dad and Son won their game last Thursday. Wonders never cease. The earth must have "moved".
I know there was a full moon on Sunday but I don't know if that can explain "the moving earth".
Love,
Dad
Tomorrow, Oct. 3 marks 10 years since the cookie company I worked for was sold.
I was 59 years old. I got up on the morning of Oct. 3 and headed for Ripon. I had to pick up some last minute financial information.
I was supposed to be in Milwaukee at the offices of Godfrey Kahn by 10:00 AM. They were the legal firm that represented the Ripon Foods in the sale of the company. The "Foods" was bought by Ralcorp headquarted in St.Louis. Key people from both sides were represented. Documents were signed and financial projections were verified. And then, in the blink of an eye, money was wire transfered from a certified seller account to all family members that owned part of the business. It didn't hurt a bit. It was all over. My regret is that I wasn't an owner! I had the wrong last name.
So now my life was about to change. I had agreed to "stay on" until the end of the year to help with the transition. The question became, then what?
My decision was to stop going to work everyday (I hate the word "retirement"). The big question was "how do we live without a paycheck". I could not draw Social Security until age 62 (remember I was 59). That was 2.5 years away. I also needed to carry health insurance so I signed on for COBRA which means I could make obscene monthly payments to the Ralcorp for 18 months. I still needed to find health insurance for another 4 years until I qualified for Medicare at age 65. Lots of cost issues and no definitive answers.
The rest is history. Somehow, someway your Mom and I have stumbled through 10 years of retirement. I do miss the involvement in the business world but I don't regret "retiring".
Tomorrow marks the 10 year anniversary of the sale of Ripon Foods. It was a major change in course in my life. There probably will be another. Who knows?
Of course your Mother's life also changed when I was suddently home everyday. It would be interesting to hear her perspective. I'm sure it has been Heaven on earth?
Love,
Dad