Today marks my Dad's 90th birthday. It is possible if things had worked out, that he would still be alive and part of my life. It is hard to fathom that he could still be here. Actually, I'm sure he is!
My rumor mill tells me to brace for a big tax change in 2011. Those of you that work and get a paycheck are issued a W-2 Earnings and Benefits statement at the end of each year. If your employer provides most of your healthcare, the value of that healthcare benefit is going to have to be reported by you as 2011 income. That means you will have to pay taxes on your previously "tax-free" benefit. For example, if the value of your benifit through your employer is $8,000, that becomes taxable to you. I guess when our esteemed government officials pass a healthcare plan consisting of 2500 pages that nobody has read, you should expect surprises.
As I write this, British Petroleum (BP) is optimistic about "plugging the damn hole". I am for finding new reserves of oil and gas because the world is consuming it so fast. On the other hand, the environmental devestation caused by the oil accident is really tragic. Lots of innocent people affected. Lots of wildlife destroyed. I'm not sure what the answer really is! Maybe just being damn careful when drilling occurs.
I have been "cruising the internet" checking cottages for sale around Crystal Lake. It seems your Mom and I sold way too soon. You don't get much for $500,000 these days. I counted between 12-14 cottages for sale. I guess there is just so much water to go around.
I've been doing my exercise routine outside the last week. It has been around 60 degrees early in the morning, gentle winds and sunshine. The lush growth of everything (even weeds) reminds me of walking to work as a kid at Stokely Canning years ago. Early morning is the best time of the day.
Grasshopper No.1 sent me some DVD's. One was "Cannery Row". I've always loved the movie. It is a spoof about a small manufacting community with lots of strange (but nice) people running around. It captures the essence of life. Maybe it's not a spoof afterall?
Memorial Day weather is supposed to be incredible. Nice temperatures. Low humidity. Lots of Sunshine. Enjoy.
Love,
Dad
My blog entry yesterday went the way of the great electronic abyss. Apparently it just disappeared. My website consultant indicated things like that happen. She asked if I had happened to back it up on Microsoft Word! Nope!
The cry goes out from Washington D.C. to fix the oil spill. "Plug the damn hole"! With wisdom like that, we shall surely prevail.
Minneapolis is still a good place to visit. Our host last weekend was Grasshopper No.5. She does have a good feeling for the social life in the big city. Her job managing the entertainment website of the Star Tribune might have something to do with it.
While we were in town, the Brewers were playing an "inter-league" baseball contest with the Minnesota Twins. We were asked if we'd like to see the Friday night game. Nope! I don't need to travel 300 miles to see the Brewers lose. The Twins beat the Brewers 16-3. Ugly.
There is an IKEA furniture outlet near the Mall of America. I wish I owned the business. It was "non-stop" people buying tables, chairs, lights, china, and bedding. The volume of traffic was unbelievable. We did buy a couple of lamps.
We have to travel across the Wausau tundra to get to Minneapolis. Son-in-Law Tom got to experience the birth of his first Grandchild last week. Mother and Grandson are doing well. Congratulations to all. As we traveled through Wausau, there were banners everywhere clebrating the occasion.
Rumor has it that Crystal Lake, Wisconsin has a lot of cottages for sale or rent. This is the time of year to sell a cottage because buyers are anxious to enjoy the water and warm weather. I'm waiting for a Grasshopper to buy a cottage and invite me out for a boat ride and a "brat fry".
That sucking sound you hear is the electricity being used to run our air-conditioner. We just couldn't hold out any longer.
Stay Cool.
Love,
Dad
This has been great growing weather for raspberry plants. We are promised a little rain tomorrow. Those little "plants of promise" are looking good. Yum!
In the next two weeks, Grandson Grant graduates from 8th grade (I think they call it middle school). Whoa! Where does the time go? Four more years and he'll graduate Middleton High School. Congrats to the "big guy".
I am determined to keep the air conditioner turned off as long as possible. Today's temperature of 80 degrees really tested my patience. When the air conditioner turns on, it sounds like a hovercraft or a low flying helicopter. It sucks so much electricity, all the households along Lake Michigan experience dimming lights.
Sometimes big problems are not what they seem. When I was working 12-15 years ago, I bought a very high quality watch. It was supposed to be a "life time" investment. A month ago I pulled out the "stem" to change the date and the stem came off in my hand. I don't think that is good. My first thought was, "there goes my investment". I was prepared to buy a new Seiko. If I "cheaped" out, I could settle for a Timex. I took my Longines timepiece to a local watch repair specialist. He ordered a couple of minor parts and my total bill came to $30. I salvaged a pretty nice watch. I need all the luck I can get.
My next big decision revolves around golf. Last year I injured my psoas muscle (I pronounce it "sore ass" muscle) that winds it's way through my right hip. Grasshopper No.2 adjusted the back trauma but it took 3 months for my hip, leg and back to feel good again. I admit that I am really scared to temp fate by swinging a golf club again. For a few hours of pleasure on the golf course, I could have another "sore ass" for the summer or forever. The question is "can my life exist without golf". Hell, Tiger Woods can survive without golf, so can I. Stay tuned.
In summary, my life revolves around anticipating raspberry crops, graduations, managing my electric bills, salvaging a nostalgic timepiece, and health issues. Retirement has it's issues. I used to worry about stockholders return on investment, increased sales and firing some a--hole that always made my life miserable.
Enjoy the weather. Summer is around the corner. Do your favorite outdoor things. At worst, you could take in a Milwaukee Brewer game and watch Trevor Hoffman give up 3 runs in the last inning helping them lose.
Love,
Dad
I went grocery shopping this morning. Normally I buy what I want and price becomes secondary.
This morning I made a pass through my local Copps and was constantly being challenged by bulk prices. I wanted to buy one roll of Viva towels. Normally, one "big roll" is around $3.00. There was an alternative deal of 2 rolls for $5.00. Not a bad deal! And then, you could chose 6 rolls for $6.00. This a no brainer. I bought 6 rolls and we will have paper toweling until the year 2012.
Then I went to buy bottled water. A 12 pack of 20 ounce bottles was $4.19. You could get a bonus case of 28 bottles for $5.19. Another no brainer. I bought the 28 bottles. We plan to take a bath with all the extra water.
I turned a corner on the aisle to buy soda. Normally a 6-pack of 24 ounce Diet Coke is $4.19. They had a deal on 4-packs of 6 bottles for $10.00. Whoa! That works out to $2.50 per 6-pack. No brainers are in vogue. Of course I bought 4 packs of 6 bottles. Then when I was checking out, the cashier said there was a better deal on soda if I had a coupon. He had extra coupons and gave me one. I ended up with an extra 6-pack at no charge. The net deal was 5 6-packs of 24 ounce bottles for $10.00. Yep. I took the deal. It assures I'll have soda for the Christmas holidays.
So you see, I'm a smart shopper. To get good prices on products. I'm willing to buy in bulk.
By being such a smart shopper, I figure I saved a lot of money. Now I can buy other frivilous things like gas for the car. But wait, I reach in my pocket for the extra cash I've saved from buying bulk. My pocket is empty. Hmmm. I have to spend more cash to buy bulk. I have less cash but I'll have towels, water and soda forever....and ever....and ever.
One of you Grasshoppers noted that if a Grandchild turns 16, it doesn't mean they get a car. No, but it does mean a relentless begging for the family SUV. Here is my advice. If you do buy a second car, buy something old, preferably big and clunky. It should have an under powered 4 cylinder engine or a "weak" V-6, The Grandchild should pay for their own gas and insurance. Privileges for the car can be revoked at anytime! Finally pray. Pray to keep the kid safe and hope they drive responsibly.
Today's lesson was a "two-fer". Two tips for free. First, buy in bulk to take advantage of price (provided you'll use the products). Second, a family car for the kid should be "yukky", cheap and you want to maintain control.
Love,
Dad
I just got an e-mail with an attachment showing a "thriving" raspberry plant from Grasshopper No.1 (actually Tom has the green thumb). I think that means raspberries will be forthcoming.
I got my renewal notice for auto insurance and my rates went up. It has something to do with increased medical limits and more coverage for uninsured motorists. Our State government recently mandated increased insurance. A--holes.
Your Mom and I have Supplemental Insurance to Medicare. Our rates just went up 10%. There is no explanation but anticipation of the "Obama healthcare plan is in there somewhere".
I see that Walgreens had a "DNA kit" that could be purchased for $30. You swab the inside of your mouth and then mail the sample into a lab. You have to specify the kinds of tests you want performed but if you take all of them, you can spend another $475. The test lab then sends you information on all the potential genes that might cause you health issues in the future. So if the lab found you had a pre-disposition for multiple sclerosis, you could begin to do things that might fend off getting the disease. My question is, "do you really want to know that you have a one in a thousand chance of getting a disease". I think it would drive a person nuts. People would begin to imagine all kinds of syptoms common to a particular disease. For the time being you won't have to wrestle with such a deep issue because the FDA has said they have not approved the tests for validity. Get ready though. Someday you will know at birth all your genetic defects. I wonder how all the healthcare plans will deal with that?
Lastly I saw that somebody had advertised a diamond ring on Craig's List worth thousands of dollars. A person showed up at the door with 3 friends to buy the ring, mugged the seller and stole the diamond ring. I wonder if selling Packer tickets would attract muggers?
The only thing I really know is that the world is changing at the "speed of light" and I keep adapting (at a snails pace) as best I can. I am losing ground. I'm dedicated to keeping my life simple. It keeps me "grounded".
Love,
Dad
My friendly local banker (M&I) called several weeks ago to inform me that they were changing the numbers on my checking account. Normally it wouldn't concern me except with all the fraud and scams being reported, I began to wonder. Was the phone call even legitimate? I was told that they would provide new checks with all the proper account numbers. I should throw the old checks away. Now let me see, I got a random call telling me my bank account numbers were changing and I should use the new checks provided.
I stopped at the bank a week ago (drive-in window) to cash a check. I inquired about the upcoming changes to checking accounts. The gal at the window did not know of any changes. What the hell?
Several days later I got a letter under M&I letterhead telling me what my new checking account number would be. I would be getting new checks by mail soon. Do I trust the M&I letterhead? Letterheads can be easily forged with new computers/printers.
Yesterday I stopped at the local bank drive-in again. I was making a deposit. The teller told me that the deposit transaction would not "go through". They had no record of my account. "I didn't exist"! This was starting to get scary. After consulting with her supervisor and accessing a special computer program, I was told that my deposit would be logged under a new number. When I asked if anyone else was having this problem, I was told I was the only one.
Late yesterday I called the main M&I office to find out what was going on. I still had not received new checks and now I couldn't access my old account. Your Mom and I have Social Security checks directly deposited into our checking account. Now what? Would direct deposits get made?
I was told to relax! Imagine a banker telling me to relax. I was told my new checks would be arriving in a few days and any old checks in the system would be honored. Anybody like the Social Security Office would be notified to deposit money into a new bank account number and everything would be okay.
It turns out that M&I is merging with some banks in St.Louis and Kansas City. I happen to be one of 40 customers that have the same account number as a customer in St.Louis. To avoid future confusion, the privledged 40 involved were receiving a new bank account number.
Now I feel better. I have the same checking bank account number as a customer in St.Louis and M&I will orchestrate an orderly transition to a new number system. This is the friendly local bank that screws everyone with late fees, processing fees and overdraft fees. They will take care of me. My deposits will probably go to the St. Louis customer.
So Grasshoppers, I'm bracing myself. This new numbering is somehow going to get messed up and my life is going to get complicated. I don't need this. Stay tuned.
I'd like to wish my Grandson Grant a Happy Birthday today. He is 15 and still growing. This summer he can take "drivers education" and one year from now, he'll be begging his Mom for the car. Yes! Yes! Yes!
Love,
Dad
I must be running a fever. What else would explain my state of confusion and hallucinations?
I imagined that my Grandson (undergoing basic training at the Marine Corp training facility in San Diego) finally got a chance to write a letter home. There has been a 3-4 week period without any communication. Alas he did write. He sent his love. He mailed his only letter to his girl friend. I must be delirious because I know Mom's and Dad's get the first letter.
I imagined that the Greek government which is "broke" having trouble getting a loan. I guess their credit cards are over loaded. All the people living off government checks are refusing to give up any benefits. Can this be true? Rumor has it that Greeks now get 14 monthly checks in a 12 month year. I wouldn't want to give up my cash bonanza either. Does anyone what to loan the Greeks money? You can only conjure this stuff up if the a fever reaches 103 degrees. I didn't think I was that sick.
I imagined that Brett Favre again declared there is 100% chance that he will not play this year. He needs a minor bone spur operation on his ankle but that did not influence his decision. The strangest part of my delusion was that Favre changed his mind and came back to play. Again. I'm not well.
I dreamed that all the people that are in our country illegally are running the country. On top of that we employ, feed and provide "entitlements" to people who shouldn't be here.. Isn't that a silly dream.
To top off my delusions, some Harvard graduate pushed the wrong key at a trading desk and the whole stock market plunged 1000 points in 3-4 minutes. Mind you that it sometimes takes 2-3 years for the stock market to inch up 1000 points but our electronic gadgets can instantaneously lose years of growth. I dreamt that our Government launched an investigation and had now installed new penalties and controls. I'm really sick.
I imagined our Government owned General Motors and Chrysler. Of course that is not real.
Don't despair. I think I'm getting better. Yep. NFL football players are still thugs. Prince Fielder is still having trouble keeping his shirt tucked in (and he is not hitting home runs). Tiger Woods is again playing golf. It is good to be getting back to reality.
Love,
Dad
I grew up in the era of World War II. There was a solemn respect for all Americans who served in the European and Pacific theaters. My family members were in the Pacific conflict.
I have been watching the HBO series called "Pacific". It follows a Marine named John Basilone in the early 1940's. He was one lean, mean fighting machine. He wins a Metal of Honor for his exploits in storming the beaches in the Phillipines early in World War II. His obligation to the Marines and our Country ultimately ends but he requests to go back. He is again a hero on the shores of Iwo Jima but is killed. As he lays on the beach dying, there is an understanding that our soldiers did what they felt they had to do. Basilone gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. He wouldn't have had it any other way. He did it for us.
Today we have people who burn flags in the name of freedom of speech. We can't put up a Christmas tree in the town square because we might offend someone. We allow people who aren't even citizens to decide the direction of our country. John Basilone would cry!
In Milwaukee an "Honor Flight" was arranged through donated dollars. A 747 took 300 Veterans from World War II to Washington D.C. to witness the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier followed by a visit to the new World War II Memorial. The Veterans got to pay tribute to their fallen comrades and tell stories of the sacrifices that were made. Most Veterans are now in their mid 80's and find it difficult to travel. But they came! Men and women in wheel chairs and on crutches. Some had never been on an airplane. As they told their stories, one couldn't help but get a lump in the throat. They deserve to be called the Greatest Generation.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that we have a rich and storied history. People died to make sure we have the freedoms and opportunity we have. It sometimes feels like things are sliding away. Don't let it happen. This Country is yours. It is worth fighting for.
Love,
Dad