Ace Wisdom

The 2016 college football season has begun.

We do not have season tickets to the UW-Badger home games at Camp Randall for the first time in over 35 years.

It has taken awhile to understand the Camp Randall experience. Yeah the football games were good, but it really about family.

Initially we traveled to Madison on Saturdays to watch Grasshopper No.2 perform in the Marching Band starting in 1980. Grasshopper No.2 performed for 4 years and was awarded a UW blanket to prove it. Siblings No.1 and No.3 (I think No.4 got to see his sister perform but he was really young) would join in. Each Saturday was filled with music. A day began by meeting No.2 in the morning, we would congregate at the South Union to enjoy a pep rally, march to the stadium with the band playing music, we’d watch the pre-game and half-time Band performances and then march to historic Bascom Hill for a closing pep rally. Yep, we’d do all that. Oh, and there were football games besides. Don’t forget dinner afterward. It was a day of family and it involved fun.

There were many games where Nana and Grandpa would join us. They endured the same rigors of a long day and enjoyed every moment. Reflecting back, Nana and Grandpa would have been in their early 70’s. They lived to see a Grandchild perform for in the Band and be included in family outings. How precious is a family gathering that includes Grandparents?

After 4 years of watching the career of No.2 at the football outings, tradition and nostalgia “kicked in”. We continued to buy season tickets for the next 30 years.

In the years that followed, it was still about our family joining together but it got extended to son-in-laws, daughter-in-laws, Grandchildren (Dano, Grant, Mitchell, Collin, Dominic and Tommy), and Uncles and Aunts. There were occasional guests.

There was always anticipation.

There was always upbeat music.

There were championships and outstanding football players.

But there was always the family getting together to make it special. Thanks to all for the all the memories.

Love,

Dad

 

 

Happy Birthday to Grasshopper No.1. She was born on Sept.19, many, many years ago. She was the first. We have the pictures to prove it. The first born is always perceived as being the favorite. That is because she is. On your special day, may all your dreams come true.

Yesterday I had my annual “come to Jesus” meeting with my local cable company. They raise rates every October by 10%-15%. I respond by calling to complain. By some sort of magic, we reconfigure things and by the time we are done my rate somehow drops. Our new deal includes improved “whole house DVR” digital service capable of recording 6 stations at a time with a few premium networks thrown in. My bill went down. How does that work?

The service technician for the Cable Co. has been here and left. We have the new DVRs installed. We have new remotes. We have a reconfiguration of stations we receive.

What we do not have is access to old recorded programs. Sh–! When our DVR was replaced, we lost all stored data. Things like “America Has Talent”, gone! “Dancing with the Stars (2 years worth), gone. Old time cowboy movies starring Randolph Scott (he got me through my hospital stay several years ago), gone. We will survive but it is a shame recorded programs could not be transferred.

As I analyze my cable bill, it has dawned on me that the charge for a phone service, internet (super turbo) and TV is fairly reasonable (around $100) month. The devices needed to support the services like DVR’s, digital adapters, and internet modems are rentals. The cable company makes almost as much money on the equipment rentals as it does on the service. As the cable service tech was leaving our house with an arm full of “old equipment” I discovered that nothing gets thrown away. They rebuild each electrical box with new chips and reuse everything. Let me see, refurbish old equipment and charge full price rentals. Clever!

The Packers travel to Minnesota for a Sunday night game against the Vikings in their new billion dollar domed stadium. I would like visit the dome just to see what a billion dollars looks like.

Love,

Dad

 

I was never a fan of the “X-Files” TV series in the late 1990’s but I recently ran across the series on Netflix. I got hooked on the “alien stuff”, ghosts and unexplained phenomenon.

Which brings me to Hillary Clinton. This not a political statement. She collapsed on Sunday during the 9/11 celebration in New York. They “wisked” her off to her daughters apartment and a couple hours later she appeared outside on the sidewalk talking to people and commenting “what a beautiful day in New York”! It was like nothing happened. But wait! I watched the X-Files and this is a clearly a case of having a “body double”. The person appearing on the street was her double and the “real” Hillary was being attended to medically. The lead character of the X-Files, Fox Mulder, would postulate that this whole illness coverup of Hillary’s is part of a conspiracy theory and who knows, maybe aliens are involved. Just saying!

You know when your Samsung Note 7 explodes in your pocket that it is going to be a lousy day. I’m told that I should not charge my lithium battery and I am advised not use the “Note 7”. How do I text? How do I download apps? How do I check the time? How do I check my fantasy team? Oh my!

Of course the my situation gets worse. Nintendo is going to release their Super Mario app as part of an arsenal of characters in Nintendo inventory. The format is similar to Pokemon Go. It is targeted for release during the Holidays. I think the collectables in the game are coins (?). Now I am waiting for delivery of one of most popular game franchises in history and I’ve got a burned up Samsung Note 7 cell phone in my pocket. Can one exist without a cell phone?

Some days are just harder than others!

Love,

Dad

 

Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of 9/11, the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. The event was orchestrated by Extremist Muslims in Middle East. They hated us “westerners” then. They still hate us.

“My” Green Bay Packers travel to Jacksonville, Florida to open their NFL season against the Jaguars on Sunday. Nobody knows how good the team is because none of the “first string” played during the pre-season. Lombardi would be turning over in his grave. He played to win every game including preseason. Game time is supposed to be 90 degrees F. with extremely high humidity. Grasshopper No.3 would say “suck it up”.

This falls under the category of “just wondering”. Do you think Donald Trump has ever listened to Clark Howard or Dave Ramsey for financial advice? Just wondering! How does Hillary Clinton go from being “broke” several years ago to being worth well over $100 million. She must have a hell of job in government. Just wondering?

I’ve been getting “free” stuff lately. My chiropractor in Sheboygan gave me a car. It is black. It is a convertible. It is a Mercedes. It is a 2000 model. It is a toy. I had described the car that Grasshopper No.2 had purchased to him and he presented me with my own Mattel toy replica. What’s next? A free adjustment?

Our GPS “puked” on our trip to Fargo, N.D. It turned out to be a faulty chord. Grasshopper No.5 felt sorry for your Mom and I and gave us her chord. Another “free-bee”. That is why No.5 is our favorite.

Lately I’ve been getting free grape tomatoes from friends. I think they feel sorry for me because of the tattered clothes I wear while exercising. Maybe I look undernurished. Maybe I just look needy. Hey, they are free.

It is very dark when I get up in the morning. What does that mean?

Love,

Dad

 

Your Mom and I roasted “corn on the cob” on the outdoor grill over the weekend. There is something special about butter and salt running down your arms as you devour each ear. Sweet corn takes me back to childhood. An August harvest always brought the farmers to town with a pick-up truck full of corn. The farmers would park on Main Street and offer grocery bags of corn off the back of the truck. $.25 for a dozen ears. You could feed a family of six for less than $.50.

My first UW Badger football game at Camp Randall was in September, 1980. The Badgers stunned a top rated Michigan team for the first time in decades. Glorious. Memorable. Saturday, the UW Badger football team rolled into Green Bay for a game at Lambeau (the first Badger game at Lambeau ever). It was a game on hallowed ground against No.5 rated LSU. The Badgers came away with a 16-14 victory. Again glorius. Again memorable. Alas, I was not in attendance.

I saw evidence of the celebration the following morning. I was traveling south on Highway 41. A black SUV with bright red “W” decals strategically placed all over the vehicle had pulled over to the side of the road and the driver’s door was open. The driver had hastily jumped out of the SUV and was “heaving his guts” out while hanging over the metal railing. I can’t be sure, but I’d bet the driver was headed home from Lambeau the morning following a glorius celebration. The fan must have had a great time. I’m not sure the he remembers everything. He will remember hanging over the guard rail.

Labor Day came and went. Next stop? Thanksgiving.

Love,

Dad

 

 

Your Mom slipped and bruised her ribs last week. For those of you that have experienced rib injuries, you know it affects breathing and generally any shift of the body hurts. Grasshopper No.1 brought her special nutritional offerings to speed up healing including mushroom soup. I have been warned to stay away from “her” mushroom soup.

We replaced our front door. It is amazing how the Sun ravages a door over 20 years. When the door was replaced, the house was “opened up” for a few hours. Since the installation I have killed flies, mosquitoes, moths, and little brown “field” mice. We had our version of a “critter open house”.

The UW Badger game at Lambeau Saturday against No.5 rated LSU promises to be bigger than regular Packer games. ESPN is holding their Saturday morning “kick-off” at Lambeau with Lee Corso donning a Badger costume or a Tiger costume depending on his pick for the victory. The published ticket price for most seats was $101. My guess is scalped tickets are obscene. UW Badger students holding a beer party at Lambeau. What possibly could go wrong?

If you want to double your pleasure, Harley Davidson is holding an anniversary party in Milwaukee this weekend. They are expecting 100,000 bikers on the Lake front. Harley bikers celebrating in the “Beer Capital of the World” for 4 days. Could anything possibly could go wrong?

Finally, there is a 5 day festival called “Burning Man” in the desert city of Black Rock, Nevada. It is dedicated to several principles of improving contributions to mankind. It creates a temporary airport for those wanting to fly-in. If features the Orgy Dome. My guess is that there are more offerings than beer. Again, what possibly could go wrong?

It is Labor Day weekend. Summer ends. Kids are back in school. Lots of ways to celebrate. Enjoy!

Love,

Dad

 

 

I notice that the Post Crescent newspaper ran an article on the final demise of Ripon Foods company. Any remaining cookie production has been sent to other bakeries around the country. A final auction of equipment from the Ripon, WI plant was held several weeks ago. The doors are closed.

It is interesting that the foremost memory of Rippin’ Good cookies was the Outlet Store. Buying imperfect cookie 2nds was the ultimate triumph. Lost cost cookies that were scrumptious. Ripon Foods considered closing the Outlet Store many times because in theory “every 2nd cookie sold detracted from selling 1st cookies at normal prices”. The reality of the situation is that making every cookie perfect is almost impossible and selling the “imperfection” through the “2nd store” was a good promotion.

When the history of Rippin’ Good cookies is recounted in the newspapers, the mention is of Treehouse Foods, ConAgra, and Ralcorp (a division of Ralston Purina). Each company tried to integrate Rippin’ cookies into their businesses and each failed. Those efforts account for the last 15 years. Before that was 75 years of a family business. Horace Bumby bought the cookie business in the late 1930’s, grew it steadily and passed it on to future generations of Bumbys. The genuine concern for employees came from a caring family.

The ultimate demise of the cookie business was the health food craze. Mom and Dads have transitioned to treats with less sugar, less fat, and lower calories. Even the “bigs” like Nabisco and Keebler have seen big drops in their cookie business.

A funeral can be held for Rippin’ Good cookies and the world can bask in sadness, or the world can rejoice in the joy and satisfaction that came with 75 years of delectable treats. Good memories. Rejoice!

Love,

Dad