When I was in high school, my Dad (who was a kid at heart) would give me $1 to go over to Heckers Tavern (one half block away) and buy 10 comic books.  High priority were Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman, the Flash, Archie and Friends, and all the Looney Tune and Disney characters.  My favorite was Scrooge McDuck.  He would swim in his "pool" of money.  I thought that Superman was in his infancy in the mid 1950's.  I learned recently that Action Comics introduced Superman in July of 1938.  Recently a comic book collector sold his original copy from 1938 for $1,000,000.  Imagine having that comic book in your attic.

So when you rummage through your attics or go to auctions, you never know when you might hit the "mother lode".  There could be lots of hidden treasures.

Your Mom and I just finished the fifth season of "24".  Jack Bauer, the indestructable hero of the Counter Terrorist Unit saved the Country again from nerve gas and nuclear missles.  I've gotten so I can predict the next phone call that will change the script or when a character will be introduced that will dominate the story.  The fifth season of "24" was supposed to end on a happy note.  Instead, Jack Bauer gets abducted by the Chinese at the end and he is beat up in the "hold" of a ship headed for China.  So now we have to wait until Season 6 to see if Jack survives.  I predict he does and the Chinese will regret capturing him.  Don't screw with Jack Bauer.

College Basketball takes center stage for the next 4 weeks.  Don't bother me!

Enjoy the sun!

Love,

Dad

When I was commuting to Ripon years ago it was nice when the weather started turning warm and sunny.  I would always listen to the news as I left work at 4:30 PM each day.  In early March, WTMJ out of Milwaukee would begin to broadcast Brewer exhibition games from Phoenix Arizona preempting the news.  I could never figure out why anyone would listen to "pre-season" baseball games that are absolutely meaningless.  I guess there is something about the drone of endless commentary dribble about baseball for hours and hours and hours.  Yesterday I had to run some errands in the afternoon.  Guess what?  Endless baseball dribble.  Aaaggggggg!

I want a teachers job in the Milwaukee Public School system (MPS).  The teachers with low seniority average $56,000 in salary per year and another $44,000 in benefits including pension.  By my calculation, that is $100,000 per year package.  Only 48% of MPS students graduate from high school.  Sign me up.  Big pay with no accountability.  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!

As you know, as retired citizens, your Mom and I are entitled to Medicare insurance.  The "walk the plank" healthcare plan proposed by the Obama administration will cut Medicare benefits over the next 3-10 years.  50% of all doctors will not accept Medicare now because the reimbursement rates are too low (and it is an administrative nightmare).  So if Medicare gets cut further, maybe 0% of the doctors will accept Medicare.  WTF.

Grandson Mitchell"s Tri-County basketball team won their championship.  He has a trophy (described as high as two cans of corn) and a T-Shirt declaring them 2010 Champs.  Does it get any better?

Enjoy the sun!  Here come the warnings about global warming.

Love,

Dad

I tried singing my favorite country music song backwards.  I'm still miserable, broke and married (just kidding).  It didn't work.

So I did the next best thing to improve my financial life.  I went to a Clark Howard Seminar Sunday night along with your Mom.  Clark is the symbol of "cheap".  He has opinions on squeezing the savings out of everything from credit cards, phone contracts and mortgages to sleezing banks and life insurance.  I always learn something from Mr. Howard.  Here is some of his advice.

Never take out a mortgage that has a floating rate.  Lock in the longest low interest rate that you can.

Never buy a "whole life" insurance policy.  Always use term insurance.  Go to "insure.com".

Stay away from Bank of America on mortgages.  Their policies stink!  They have no intention of helping clients that are facing forclosure.  One person in the audience relayed a story of calling B of A for help because he had been laid off.  He started calling at 8:00 AM and was on the phone until 2:00 PM.  He finally reached the person he thought could help and he was disconnected.  I'm sure B of A is not the only lousy bank.

Never let your child take student loans exceeding their potential first year salary.  So if Grand-daughter Keely borrows to while going to college, her loans should not exceed the $100,000 she will make working for a big bank the first year.

The best deals on Cell phones are presently with Wal-mart.  For $30 per month, you can get 1000 minutes of air time and 1000 text messages.  For $45 per month, everything is unlimited including web access.  Clark Howard had a Wal-mart cell phone.

Anyone with a Citi-bank credit card has recently been notified that they will pay a $60 annual fee if they don't charge $2,400 on the card over the course of a year.  Apply for a credit card with a different low cost provider.  Do not drop "Citi" until you get your new card.  It impacts your credit score.

There!  I've passed on tips that will save you lots of money.  My advice is free.  Of course I have no assurance you will start listening to my advice now.

Daylight Saving Time begins March 14.  There is hope!

Love,

Dad

The Canadian skater Joannie Rochette lost her mom to a heart attack two days before her short program in skating was to begin.  Her decision was to skate for her Mom.  When she completed the short program successfully, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.  Her Dad was in the stands with tears flowing down his cheeks, Joannie was crying and trying to "keep it together" and every Mom and Dad watching the telecast got choked up.  What was remarkable is that Joannie was able to stay focussed and execute with precision.  She was in third place after the preliminaries.

Last night, Joannie needed to complete the competition with the longer free skate program.  She seemed more composed and excuted an excellent program.  There were still tears but you could tell that there was more resolve to "skate for her Mom".  When Joannie finished she blew a kiss towards the heavens thanking Mom.  Joannie got a bronze medal and all Canada was proud of the effort.  No she didn't get the gold.  She skated the performance of her life to the best of her ability for someone she loved.  What more is there?

Much of the Olympic story is about glory and big money.  There are times when the human element of competition comes shining through.  The big winner was Joannie and her heart felt effort.  Her Mom was watching.

Sometimes good things happen to good people.

Love,

Dad

The cookie was to be baked at the City park on Riponfest day.  The hard part was making it happen.  It was calculated that the cookie had to be 1 inch thick and I don't remember the diameter (I think about 30 feet).  I do know it took two large mixers at the cookie plant to prepare enough chocolate chip dough to achieve the record (over 3,000 pounds).  The pomotion said that several million chocolate chips were included.  The baking time would be approximately 2-2.5 hours.  That is hours.  Normally in our cookie ovens at the plant, we would bake cookies in 7-10 minutes.  That is minutes.

The City agreed to pipe enough natural gas to fire a crude outdoor oven.  It had burners under a metal round rotary oven plate along with burners over the top.  Our Ripon Foods employees volunteered to spread the cookie on the oven (it took over an hour).  The biggest fear was that the cookie would not properly bake and "rise".  It was a heat transfer challenge.

It turned out to be a beautiful day and the cookie got baked.  I don't remember how many thousands of hot cookies were consumed.  The City got lots of favorable "press coverage" and Ripon Foods got to pay the bills and feel good.  Nobody ever wanted to figure the costs of the cookie production but $20,000 would not be an exaggeration.  Sometimes you can't measure an effort in dollars and sense.  In terms of community pride it was priceless.

The Guiness Book of Records had representatives on sight to verify the "World's Largest Cookie".  We were certified and entitled to look in the next issue of Guinness to see our name.  The record didn't last very long.  I think the next year somebody baked a bigger cookie.  For a moment in time, the Ripon Foods cookie had the record.

Then Ripon Food's "love" relationship with the City changed when the "Foods" was sold in 1999.  Hey, no love affair lasts forever (oops, some do).

The whole city of Ripon got a sugar high that day and were part of a little bit of history.

I was there!

Love,

Dad 

It seems to me that you are really angry at the IRS when you write a 3000 word suicide note and then fly your airplane into the local IRS office.  My anger never reaches that point but I know that "fairness" seems to be disappearing from the tax process and it is so complex (even with computer software programs) that no-one can understand it.

It seems to me that if the government is going to use my tax dollars wisely, building train service between Milwaukee and Madison is not part of the consideration.  Couldn't the money be better used to reduce debt, create incentive for people to build their own businesses or provide tax relief.  Hello!

It seems to me that the political "hacks" that scream "global warming" don't know what they are talking about.  I am for a clean environment and acting responsibly about pollution.  No-one and I mean no-one completely undersands the evolving "world" environment.  I have heard estimates as high as 1 new coal fueled electric power plant is "coming on stream" each day.  Have you ever seen the smoke coming from a coal plant.  China is doing just as it pleases.  Somehow my recycling a plastic bottle seems insignificant.

It seems to me that the Russian male figure skater that finished second to the American skater in the Olympics is a poor loser.  He has his "shorts in a bunch" because the American couldn't do a "quad jump".  Excuse me!  There are almost 7 minutes of other skating that count too.

It seems to me that the participants of the Olympics are more concerned about fame and fortune than trying to excel at their sport.  Lindsay Von (the female downhill skier) won gold with the first of 5 events, is projected to realize $50 million over the next few years.  Of course doing a bikini photo-shoot for Sports Illustrated didn't hurt.  Shawn White, the snow board expert, has turned his gold medals in the "half-pipe" into an $8 million per year business.  No wonder athletes cry when they lose.

It seems to me that I am the only sane person in this world with clarity of perception.  Why doesn't the whole world see things as clearly as me?  Oh well!

The lesson Grasshoppers is that everything is not as it seems.  It pays to think for yourself.

Love,

Dad

Myrna's husband was Charles Elmer Andrews.  His dad was Elmer Andrews married to the "first" Addie May.  Then history is vague.  Elmer Andrews owned an 80 acre farm around Mukwonago, Wisconsin west of Milwaukee.  I think the courthouse in the county that contains Mukwanago would have a lot of information but I've never taken the time to do the research.

I do remember Elmer Andrews.  He died in 1950 when I was ten years old.  He lived out the end of his life at the City Club (his last 10-15 years).  He is the one allegedly to have fathered twins in Canada but I never really confirmed that.

I quizzed Myrna about the history of the Andrews family "before Elmer".  Her answer was that they were descendants of Connecticut Yankees.  What the hell is a Connecticut Yankee?  The standard definition of a "Yankee" is an inhabitant of New England.  So a Connecticut Yankee was defined as an inhabitant of the state of Connecticut.  The term Yankee probably comes from the Dutch term of "Little John".  "Yankee" was also used to refer to pirates but began to be applied to to New Englanders in general.  Yankee characteristics include shrewness, mechanical ingenuity, and individualism.  Yup that is "us".  Connecticut Yankees have long been famous as entrepreneurs, inventors and peddlers who drive sharp bargains.  The first Yankee settlers came from Great Britain (including Scotland).

So if Myrna was right, our "Andrews family tree" traces back to early America with roots in Connecticut.  We seem to have been farmers and sheep herders.  I don't know about the pirate accusation.  I know there are a few "bandits" in our family.  Beyond early settlers in Connecticut, we trace back to the shores of Europe probably England and Scotland.

If you want any more history, you will have to do it yourself.   I would begin with the Andrews family history records in the Mukwonago, Wisconsin courthouse.  Then it would be a clue by clue discovery process going generation by generation.  Good hunting.

I don't know if I've made things less fuzzy but the only thread of verbal history I can remember was Connecticut Yankee.

Stay Warm.

Love,

Dad 

I was doing my exercise routine at the Mall this morning and couldn't miss a brand new Audi Sports Car on display.  It is bright red plastered with all kinds of white hearts that read "I'm yours" or "Call Me" or "Be Mine".  It is a model S5 two door heart throb that can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in minus two seconds.  It lists for $60,000 before taxes and destination charges.  I'd swear the car has my name on it.

If a sports car is too rich for your blood, you can get 4 chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva Chocolates for $25.  That amounts to $7.50 per strawberry.  Chew slowly.  For that price, it should "stir your soul".

If you are really strapped for cash, making a Valentines Card by hand and writing you own poetic verse tugs at the heart strings.  It might be more rewarding than the car because it reflects your personal effort.

I request that all you Grasshoppers be my Valentine.  You are all special in a unique way.

I am working on my income taxes using Turbo-Tax.  I thought that when you retire, the government was supposed to support me.  It ain't working that way.  It does look like there might be a slight refund but not enough to afford the chocolate strawberries.

This weekend you should hug that special someone, let him/her enjoy your valentine and grab the remote.  Between the Olympics, the NBA extravaganza and the Daytona 500 NASCAR race, it should be an exciting weekend.  We are mid-way through February.  Warm weather and sun are on the way.

Your Unconditional Valentine,

Dad

Your Mom and I had committed to watching Grandsons Mitchell and Grant play one of their league basketball games.  Last Saturday was the day.  It is obvious that their skills (and size) have improved over time.  Grant always gets recognized for his size but Mitchell is the biggest player on his team.  I was always "a little guy" in grade school and had to fight to play on the team.  Mitchell and Grant get "automatic bids" to be on teams because they are tall.  Sh--!

Mitchell's team lost.  The other team ran "fast breaks" on offense and made lots of layups.  By the time Mitchell's team slowed down the opposition, they had fallen way behind.  Mitchell did his part during the comeback.  He scored 10 points, got lots of rebounds and finished with a spectacular "3-pointer".  He only wanted to talk about that last 3-point shot.

Grant's team is bigger, faster, and well coached.  Grant of course is the center.  His team has "set plays" that allow other players to cut and slash by using the center as a "hub".  Grant scored 10 early points with easy lay ups and jump shots.  He probably had potential 10 points that rolled tantalizingly around the rim and fell off.  Grant's team won "big".

Time goes fast.  Next year Grant is a freshman in high school.  He will be competing with many more kids.  Somehow I think being 6 foot 3 inches tall will get him on the freshman team.  Hell, he might even play "first string".

The Saturday basketball routine took me back to my basketball days when I played junior high basketball.  Smelly gymnasiums.  Lots of kids shooting basketballs during the time-outs.  Games were "helter-skelter" ragged contests with many fouls, double dribbles and kicked balls.  Ah yes, it was grand.

My respect goes out to all the parents who provide taxi-service and moral support to the aspiring basketball players.  Enjoy the moment!  It will end all too soon and you'll wish you could do it again.  I think I just explained the dilemma of of life.  It goes by all too fast.

I lost a $2.00 bet on the Super Bowl to a Grandchild.  I didn't follow my own advice.  I picked the Colts so the opposite team always wins.  The Saints victory is a good story.

Shovel fast!

Love,

Dad

Grasshopper No.4 has purchased the current Turbo-Tax software.  I have started the same process.  The software does all the calculations and formating but you still have to gather the information for data entry.  There is always some bank or government agency that sends information after you finish your taxes.  Don't file to quick.  To those of you who might profit from "cash only jobs", be sure to report the income on your tax forms.  Remember you are on the honor system (especially you Sheboyganites).

This is a free year for those who die and leave a sizeable estates.  Last year, your estate if you died, would have paid federal and state estate taxes on everything over $7,000,000.  All estate taxes have been eliminated for this year only.  So for those of you with large estates, this would be a convenient year to pass away.  You people with large estates, you know who you are.

This is Super Bowl weekend.  People buy new HDTV's just for the occasion.  Just making the Super Bowl the highlight of your weekend is symbolic of winter blues.  I picked Minnesota and the New York Jets to be in the Super Bowl.  Yep if you had ignored my picks and picked the other teams, you could have won a lot of money.  So if you want to make a ton of money on the Super Bowl game, pick against me.  I pick Indianapolis.

The good news is that the days are getting longer and when the sun comes out, it melts sidewalks and driveways.  Summer is not far away.

Have a nice weekend.

Love,

Dad

Now to the Dodge.  My Grandma Myrna never learned how to drive.  Her husband Chalk drove a Buick until he died in1946.  For several years after he died, the 1940 Buick sat in the Garage in back of the City Club.  It Myrna had to go somewhere, she paid a bar-room patron to drive her Buick.  Myrna liked the independence of owning the Buick even though she couldn't drive.  Then after she married husband No.2 (Chuck Andes), he talked her into replacing the Buick with a black four door Dodge (I believe it was 1950).  So now instead of a Buick sitting in the garage, a Dodge sat in the garage.  It had an automatic transmission with fluid drive.  I called it "slush-o-matic".  The engine would roar, the fluid transmission would take forever to shift and it would go from 0 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour in 2 hours.

When I turned 16 in 1956, I got my drivers license but I didn't have a car yet.  Grandma Myrna would let me drive her to do errands.  Being a young kid, I always knew that the Dodge was in the Garage so I would pester Myrna to let me use it.  She was a "softie" and most time I could get the car.  I took the car on dates and used it to cruise up and down the main streets of Plymouth.  I eventually got my own car but whenever I needed alternate transportation, there was always the Dodge.

Then 3 years later, brother Jack got his drivers license.  He began to pester Myrna to use the Dodge also.  Jack logged a lot of miles on the Dodge.  He also drove it more aggressively than I did.  He "pounded" it.  Wouldn't you know that he would run the car out of oil on one of his excursions. The car was 10-11 years old.  Myrna never got the engine fixed and so ended the story of the Dodge in the Garage.

My brother Jerry never got to use the Dodge (he can blame Jack).

The lesson Grasshoppers is that most of us have a car story from when we were growing up.  Myrna's Dodge in the Garage is one of my fond memories.  The fate of Dano's Mercury and Myna's Dodge appear to be the same.  It is called "scrap heap".

Puxsutawney Phil (the famous groundhog) saw his shadow this morning.  There will be 6 more weeks of winter.  Stay warm.

Love,

Dad

Why can't I have my simple instrument panel back.  Oil pressure was on display.  Engine temperature was on display.  Most people checked their oil when they got gas by pullling out dipstick.  I dare you to lift your car hood and even find the dipstick.  Simple works.

Our Camry has escaped the "sticking accelerator" recall.  2005 was a very good year.

The Fireside program was a 50's and 60's music review.  Lots of toe tapping music.  I'd recommend it to anyone.

Tomorrow night is a full moon.  All you gals can fire up those broom sticks and I'll look for long broom handles and pointed hats in the night sky.  Lots of wickedness on display.  Strange things happen on full moon days.

I've got to keep this blog short so I watch the end of "The Electric Horseman".  The horse goes free and the girl leaves Redford.  Can life get get any better?

Stay warm.

Love,

Dad

"Stay down"?  You are talking Favre.  In the third quarter, he personally thought he might have broke an ankle.  He almost crawled to the sideline.  They retaped the ankle, probably found some pain killers and there he was, running back onto the field.  You are talking "heart" here.  His Dad had taught him if you can get up, you can play.  The team depended on him.  All it would take was a few more passes for a win.  His competitive juices were flowing.  His team was depending on him.

And then when the game was on the line at the end, Favre had the chance to use his head as he rolled out to pass.  All his receivers were guarded.  He could try to force the ball to a receiver (as he always did in critical moments) or he could have limped 10 yards forward because nobody was anywhere near tackling him.  The limping 10 yards foward would have given his team a chance at a field goal by Ryan Longwell (who is terrific in critical situations) and a trip to the Super Bowl.  We witnessed the famous "brain fart".  Favre tried to force the ball down the field and it was intercepted.  The game changed on that play.  So many games changed in the late moments because Brett thought he could do the impossible.  Now the Vikings can wait until next year to see if he will return.  Packer fans know the feeling.

I will say this!  Favre is fun to watch.  He may be the toughest son-of-a-bitch I have ever watched.  In Brett's view, the game isn't over until the clock runs out.  He has had the enthusiasm of a little kid.  He is "human".  He has tasted victory but way too many defeats.  Favre is always standing at the end of the game.  After 309 consecutive starts, he may just be the "last warrior".  He is a good guy.  He is my hero.

We will know in August whether Favre will play again.  We will have to wait again?  Yep we will have to wait again.

Stay warm.

Love,

Dad

I have had a "low grade" pain in my lower jaw for a month.  It usually means that a tooth is abscessed and eventually forces a dental "root canal".  The pain can reach levels that force you to offer your first born for relief.  Yesterday my troublesome tooth began "pounding" and pain killers didn't help.  I think I had tears in my eyes.   So much for "macho man".

My regular dentist was gone.  His son was covering for him.  Usually that means doing some-thing temporary until his Dad gets back.  Not in this case.  Within an hour, the existing crown was popped off my tooth, my mouth was numbed with novacaine and most of the infected root was extracted.  A temporary cap was put on the tooth and several weeks from now the root canal will be completed (along with a brand new crown).  I know that root canals run $800 and new crowns another $800.  The exorbinant costs make me angry.  Having my life back without pain is priceless.

On top of incurring large dental costs, my free lunches have run out.  Our Christmas gift card to our favorite restaurant has been used up and I have to begin using my own money.  Awwwww!

This weekend sets the stage for the Super Bowl.  The winner of the Jets/Colts game will play the winner of the Favre/New Orleans game in the big event in Miami.  There is a lot of complex analysis that can take place but the truth is that a couple fumbles or interceptions can determine winners.  I believe "quirky" destiny will prevail.  Wouldn't it be interesting if Favre's team made it to the Super Bowl and had to face the New York Jets (the team he dumped after one year).  The ultimate irony would be that the Jets then beat Favre in the Super Bowl.  No.  No.  Say it couldn't happen!  You have just received by prediction.

By the way, I am not a macho man.  I have no desire to be a macho man.  Just call me Whimpy.  Make the pain go away!

Stay dry this weekend.

Love,

Dad

All of the friends and family that made contributions to the "Nana Memorial" need to be acknowledged.  That means lots of "thank you" cards.  The money needs to be directed to the proper places.

The financial affairs of Nana need to be finalized.  It sounds easy but someone has to figure out her monthly expenses (starting with her checkbook) and then estimate expenditures up to the date of her death.  It involves lots guesses.

Don't forget notifying important agencies.   Social Security.  Medicare and Medicade.  Banks.  Utilities.  Some of it requires a Certificate of Death to prove legitimate action.

The Funeral Home needs to be paid.  Nana had the foresight to set up a "funeral trust" into which money was placed to cover final expenses.  The question is "was enough money put into the trust"?

The IRS doesn't forget about Nana.  She is obligated to file a tax return for 2009.  Collecting necessary information to file on her behalf sounds easy but with all the medical programs that she was involved with, it could be very complicated.  Nana only lived 6 days during 2010 but my guess is the IRS is going to require a final return at the end of this year.  Nana is probably smiling because she don't have to worry about the IRS any more.  I wonder, if she doesn't file, will they put her in jail?

Nana didn't have too many personal possessions anymore, but I'm sure there were memories attached to some items.  In some cases her wishes for disbursement were known.  In some cases a guess has to be made.

I know Mom has begun sorting out many of Nana's pictures.  Nana cherished family pics especially those containing Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren.  I think some distribution of the photos will be made.

Finally there is filling the void created when anyone special leaves us.  It is the memories that sustain us.

The lesson Grasshoppers is that all our lives are intertwined with complexities of the world.  There are lots of detailed pieces at the end.  The good news is that the departed no longer have to worry about them.

Love,

Dad