Ace Wisdom

As you know, I am a big believer in “change”. Last week I switched to phone service provided by my local tinkertoy cable company, I also threw out my 20 year old “deck shoes” (that were crumbling) and I installed several new digital phones into our house. Yep, I was rocking with change.
My health club (the local mall) has also been changing lately too. Little things! More stores within the mall have been either leaving because it is too expensive or they have changed physical location. That usually tells you the retail environment is very difficult. The parking area of the mall has always been well maintained during the winter (and snow hauled away) by a local landscape contractor. Last winter, the local mall “pickup” trucks had plows installed and the contractor was not used. The slow removal of snow made mall access difficult at times. I have always exercised in short sleeve shirts and it has been comfortable. Lately it is cold. My guess is they turn heat down overnight to reduce costs. Controlling costs is an obvious effort.
Yesterday the parent company of the local mall (General Growth Properties) headquarted in Chicago declared bankruptcy. Officially it is called Chapter 11. That means that the parent company is under court supervision and they are allowed to operate until problems can be resolved. People who loaned $24 billion (that is with a “b”) to build over 200 malls can not get their money until things get better.
What does this mean for me? In theory nothing because the mall will operate as always but there is this ominous threat of foreclosure hanging over the operation. Potentially I could lose my established exercise routine. I’ve only been doing it for 10 years. What are my alternatives? What should I do? Oh my!
The lesson Grasshoppers is that “change” affects all our lives and we need to adjust. It is a good thing that I am so flexible and embrace change. Bring it on! Now if I can just get my new “blankity blank” phone system to work!
Love,
Dad

I was shocked to hear about an animal lover in England that jumped the barrier of a polar bear exhibit in England. She was attacked. Unbeknownst to her, there was a second polar bear in the cage. It was the first “bi-polar” attack on record.
There are moments in time where the stars seem to align perfectly. I remember my Grandma Myrna wanted to organize a Thanksgiving gathering at the City Club in Plymouth. She knew that the City Club would be transferring to new owners. Myrna was in her late 70’s at the time. It was her attempt to gather in all the my Dad’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in one place for a special occasion. Usually clambakes like the City Club Thanksgiving are not successful because everyone has their own priorities. Amazingly, Myrna was able to host several very special Thanksgivings in the huge “side-room” of the spacious City Club. Anyone who was related to my Dad was there plus special loved ones.
Your Mom’s attempt (prompted by my sister Addie) to have a family reunion several years ago in Sheboygan began with low expectations and it turned out to be a very special gathering. Since that gathering, Addie has passed on along with Mary Ann and Johnny Andrews. That same moment can never be created again.
Easter Sunday turned out to be a special gathering. Everyone in our family along with special guests were in attendance with the exception of Grasshopper No.5. That doesn’t happen very often. The weather was excellent, the food was “bring a dish” and of course ham anchored the whole thing. Everyone had time to visit and nobody “punched a relative out”. Nana’s attendance meant that four generations were in attendance. A special thank you to all that made it happen. “You created a memory” as Shelby Jr. would say. The only negative was that I was looking forward to finishing the French Vanilla ice cream that somebody brought and it mysteriously disappeared. It was indeed, a special moment in time.
Life goes so fast. Gatherings are rare. Family is precious.
Love,
Dad

I have always struggled with the concept of letting you kids win a contest to make you feel good! It must be a “mom thing”. Grasshopper No.4 and I would play the basketball game of “horse” on our driveway hoop. I would beat him continuously! Mom would ask, “why don’t you let him win”? “It would encourage him and make him feel good”. I could never bring myself to fail on purpose. I guess it wasn’t in my character.
So in this life of “feel good” attitudes where teachers are afraid to discipline kids, students are not graduating in record numbers, playstation games dominate the exercise scene (I guess the thumbs get plenty of action) and kids live at home until they are 50 years old, I ask, how is this “make your child feel good working”?
Feel good my a–! Let kids learn the hard lessons in life. The good things are worth earning. Hard work pays off. Losing is part of the journey. Suck it up. As Grasshopper No.3 would say “rub some dirt on it”.
This week I played 8 games of “horse” with my youngest Grandson from Madison. He is very energetic with an unrealistic belief he can beat me. I did consider for a short moment (very short), maybe I should let him win. I won all 8 games. There were a couple of “skunks” where he didn’t get a point. Did I mention he can’t count. Sometimes I had 3 “horses” on him and he could a only remember one. I thought only “old” people had short memories?
The lesson Grasshoppers is that life is tough. Losing is part of life. If you don’t like losing, develop the skills to make you a winner. When you earn the win, you will really feel good. I love the word “earn”.
I think I saw the Easter Bunny in the back yard eating my flowers.
Love
Dad

I’ve been searching for something to believe in! Something that is grounded in reality. Something that promises a “sunny future”.
Some people believe in baseball. It is a tradition that has 150 years of history. It has heroes of long ago. Today it has modern day steroid monsters. The Brewers charge $5.00 for a hot dog. It takes $200 to take a family of 4 to a ball game. Nope, nothing to believe in here.
Perhaps I could believe in the new Obama administration. Whoops, North Korea just shot off a intercontinental ballistic missile. It might reach the U.S. and blow up one of our cities. Our leaders shrug their shoulders and profess we need to love our neighbors (didn’t the 1970’s have their flower children). Nope, nothing to believe in here either.
Maybe the new stimulus package has promise (so far it ain’t working for me). Bridges to nowhere? Building art museums in the desert? The list of boondoggles is long. Nope, nothing to believe in there either.
It dawns on me that the Easter Bunny might be safe to believe in. They are cuddly little creatures capable of laying Easter eggs, spewing out chocolate bunnies and putting smiles on the faces of little children everywhere. Now there is something to believe in.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that there is always something of substance to attach your dreams to. Until you prove different, the Easter Bunny is the most promising figure on the horizon. I get first dibs on the long ears of the chocolate bunny.
Have a hip hoppity day!
Love,
Dad

Yesterday your Mom and I celebrated our wedding anniversay. A special thank you to all who remembered us on our special day!
I have many memories of our wedding day. It was a Saturday. At age 20, I had no idea of the enormity of uttering those two little words “I do”. I did. She did. We did. We are!
It was 1960. My dad had died 2 years before. I was going to UW-Oshkosh studying to become a math teacher. I came home most weekends. Our family was living above the City Club. My siblings ranged in age from 17 down to 13. My mother was the sole breadwinner for the family. My life was about to change!
The thing I remember about the morning of the wedding was getting dressed for the grand event. I was not comfortable in dress suits complete with tie (thank goodness it wasn’t a tuxedo). I got to the point where I needed to “tie” my tie. When you wear leather jackets and casual shirts, you don’t get much practice. So I asked my Mom if she knew how tie the knot I needed. Nope! My siblings obviously didn’t know how to do a tie. So I did as I always did, I went down stairs into the bar room of the City Club. There was always somebody with necessary skills.
Sure enough! At the bar next to the coffee machine was Chuck Andes, my Grandma Myrna’s second husband. He knew how to tie bow ties, regular ties and any other kind of decorative cloth you might drape around your neck. I was informed that I needed a “windsor knot”. It was a little more complicated because it was a double loop but it looked better and you could slide it open so it could be lifted over you head. Then you could use it again. So I was set. I had a good looking knot on my tie, it hung properly and I was ready to get “tied up” for life.
Chuck Andes performed the “tie” procedure to a bar room of acclaim. Lots of wedding jokes. Lots of advice about still being able to change my mind. Lots of laughter.
I don’t remember much else about the morning of the wedding. Maybe the symbolism of getting my tie tied and the tie of marriage have something to do with creating the vivid memory.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that wedding days are precious. We remember lots of different things. Being “tied” to your Mom for many, many, many years is the best thing I ever did.
Love,
Dad

Your Mom and I watched the program Medium last night. The star is psychic and can see the future. Her special gift last night was a bell than rang in her head (ding-ding) when somebody lied to her.
I couldn’t help but think this would be a terrific gift. Your Mom, Shelby Jr. and Grasshoppers No.1, 2, and 5 already believe they have psychic ability. So adding a ding-ding to their repertoire would be an added gift.
It works like this. If you ask your kid “did you take the peanut butter out of the refrigerator” and they answer “no” (but they really did), a bell sounds in you head (ding-ding).
This gift would eliminate all the bullsh– from answers. Of course there is a risk that you would be hearing way to many bells.
Let your mind work!
“Honey, do you still love me”? “You know I do”! Ding-ding.
“Honey do I look fat in this dress”? “No you look great”! Ding-ding.
“Will you love me in the morning”? “I will love you forever”! Ding-ding.
“Do you take this woman/man to love and obey for the rest of your life”? “I do”! Ding-ding.
You get the idea. But it goes further. When Obama promises that taxes will not go up, you’d hear the ding-ding.
When a politician proclaims “I did not have sex with that woman”, ding-ding.
The truth is that you don’t want to hear bells go off everytime somebody lies. You would be hearing bells way to many bells. So maybe it isn’t such a great idea.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that you don’t need bells (ding-ding) going off in your head all the time to decern truth from lies. Moms (and sometimes Dads) already know when a spouse, kid or grandchild is lying. Don’t ask me how. It is one of life’s great mysteries.
Love,
Dad

I woke up last night to a thumping sound coming from somewhere in the house. That ain’t good! It was 3:30 AM. I wandered into the basement and found our furnace making a light banging noise. I ask myself “why me, why now”?
The good news is that the furnace is still running (noise and all) and the service man is scheduled for early afternoon.
I went to my local health club this morning and while speeding around the track I was passed up by a middle aged lady with multiple schlerosis. She works very hard to keep exercising the muscles in her body. With my lousy furnace problem, what do I have to complain about?
Spring weather is again ravaging North Dakota as the Red River overflows it’s banks by over 5 feet. People are working day and night to try and contain the water destruction to properties along the river. What do I have to complain about?
Yesterday a local funeral home burned down. Can you imagine losing a loved one, transporting them to the funeral home and finding out they were consumed in the fire. What else could possibly happen to the deceased? I suppose there could be a church catastrophe during the final services. What do I have to complain about?
So there will be no pity party here Grasshoppers. My furnace will get serviced today. My special partner and I get to attend the live performance of the radio show “Prarie Home Companion” hosted by Garrison Keeler tomorrow afternoon at the PAC. It should be fun. The snow they have forecasted will turn out to be a non-event late Saturday night. Finally, I will move into the forefront of the bet I have with Grasshopper No.4 over the NCAA tournament.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that negative stuff happens all the time. It is only troublesome if you let it. There is always somebody with problems bigger than yours. There will be no pity party here!
Love,
Dad