Ace Wisdom

I see that there is one city in California that has zealously adopted “healthy food” for their school lunch program.  I’m sure it meets all Federal mandates and guidelines.  Because the food is so bland, kids are bringing their own salt and pepper from home to make it taste better.  Salt and pepper is considered contraband (smuggled illegal goods).  It is a punishable offense.  Really?  Don’t our public officials have something serious to worry about.  Like teaching our kids math, English and history.

Your Mom dragged me to Dr. Bartels (chiropractor) yesterday.  He keeps telling me that I am back to “normal”, whatever that means. He is encouraging me to swing a golf club and get back on the golf course.  Of course if I re-injure myself, he gets more business.  Dah!

The Greek government has told the European Union (of which they are part of) to go screw themselves on all matters financial.  The Greeks refuse to pay down the mountains of loans they have been extended over the years.  So now the Greeks have no source of new cash.  They are broke.  Nobody seems to care that almost 20% of every dollar spent by the government goes to pensions (by comparison, the U.S. government pension obligation is 5-6%).  The Greeks all want to sit on their a– and collect a monthly check.  Tell me it isn’t so.  There is a lesson here!

Packers start camps in 2-3 weeks.

Love,

Dad

It is hard to believe that half the year is gone.  The 4th of July weekend is ideal “lake, boating, and fireworks”.  And then you blink and the Green Bay Packers will be starting the football season. Whoa!  Slow down, you’re going to fast!

Things could be worse economically.  You could live in Greece.  All bank accounts are frozen.  Each person is allowed $66 per day from an ATM (if you can withdraw before the cash runs out).  You have to pay mortgages, rents, medical and food from the cash.  All banks are closed for a week.  If the country of Greece can’t figure out how to pay off their “mountain of debt”, it will get worse.  My mother would have been a survivor.  She always had a cash stash in a coffee can.

I’ve marked my calendar for the State Fair in early August.  The food offerings include “Beer Battered Pretzel Coated Deep Fried Cheese Curds”.  If that doesn’t suit your pallet, there are “Deep Fried Pickle Dogs” or “Bacon Bottom Porker pizza with bacon-weave pizza crust”.  You get free prescriptions of Lipitor (cholesterol lowering medication) to unclog your arteries.

Basketball coach Bo Ryan has announced he will retire after next season at UW-Madison.  He has named his assistant as a top candidate to replace him.  There is only one replacement and he coaches for Virginia.  His name is Tony Bennett.  Think big Wisconsin.

I’m going to the Huckleberry Camp Ground in New London tomorrow night for the spectacular fireworks!

Love,

Dad

 

I need to correct the only error I’ve ever made in my life.  I said last week that Grasshopper No.4 was our only “Summers” child meaning he was the only one born during the Summer months. Technically, Grasshopper No.1 is also a Summer’s child being born on Sept.19.  I apologize to No1.  I wonder what my second mistake in life will be?

Your Mom and I happened to mosey through Plymouth last week. Her family occupied the big home “on the hill”.  We took a few minutes to walk around the block.  It has been almost 30 years since the old homestead was sold.  Of course it is different.  The house still needs painting, there are unsightly bushes, vines and weeds everywhere.  I have memories of the lawn back in the 1960’s.  Grandpa George had the property landscaped and put in a new lawn.  He declared war on weeds.  I remember him on “hands and knees” pulling out rogue weeds.  The front lawn was as close to “perfect” as possible.  No more!  If you look today, weeds rule.

The Plymouth house “on the hill” once had a covered front porch circling the front and side of the building.  It was a reminder of the old south.  It was perfect for a rocking chair during a warm summer rain.  It was dismantled for a stone front needing less maintenance. If a person had enough money (and family nostalgia), it would be fun to go back and restore the home to it’s original design.  Your Mom and I could “rock” on the front porch and our kids could come to visit.  What a bunch of bullsh–!  It is fun to fantasize.

Alas, we can’t go back but there are over 40 years of memories in the Plymouth “house on the hill”.  With memories you can go back.

Love,

Dad

Grasshopper No.4 celebrates another birthday on Monday, the 29th. He is our only Summer’s child.  I wish him success as he pursues “golf perfection”. He will be the only one in the world to ever achieve it. Happy Birthday No.4.

Grandson Nevin also has a birthday on Monday.  Happy Birthday Nevin.

The Green Bay Packers have notified me of the annual Stockholders Meeting on July 28.  I turned down a potential nomination to the Board of Directors to join such notables as Mr. Kohler, Mr. Bergstrom, Mr. Ariens and a great number of other dignitaries.  Of course I did!  It is very flattering but I just don’t have the time for more obligations. Stockholders are offered 4 tickets for the annual meeting held in the stadium at Lambeau.

I watched part of the NBA annual draft last night.  Historically it was significant because two UW-Wisconsin players were selected by teams in the first round.  Frank Kaminsky was selected 9th by Charlotte.  It baffles me that the college “player of year” by everybody gets selected ninth. Why wasn’t he selected first?  Sheboygan native, Sam Dekker was 18th in selection by Houston.  There must be some mistake. Sheboygan fostered an NBA star?  Really?

Your Mom has printed pictures of each Grasshopper taken last Saturday at her birthday bash.  5 pictures of each Grasshopper with Mom.  5 pictures of each Grasshopper with Dad.  When the pictures are laid out on the table, it looks like mug shots from a formal police line-up. It is what it is!  It is my family.

Love,

Dad

 

 

Thank you all for making your Mom’s birthday a success.  The Shish ke-babs were absolute scrumptious (and different), the side dishes nutritious and everybody should have lost several pounds.  Who decided to put out the “best” of Rippin’ Good cookies for dessert?  Thanks for the memories.

It is hard to believe, but over the next 10 years, 3 Grasshoppers will have to make decisions on retirement.  At age 62 you be eligible for early Social Security.  The best “financial” decision if you live to be 78-80 years of age is to wait until your “normal” retirement age of 66 or 67.  You lose the early reduced payments of retiring early (by taking no SS) but you make it up with higher monthly payments if you wait.

The decision to take early Social Security or not rests on three factors.

First is your DNA.  Do you have good genes and do you have a family history of relatives living to be an old age.  My mother died at age 66, my brother at 65, and sister Addie at 65.  Not a good reference.  On the other hand, Nana lived to be 99.  I had a great uncle live to 100.  You decide.  Remember you have to live to 80 to make waiting for SS to age 67 financially worthwhile.

The second  factor affecting early SS, is luck.  From age 62 until age 80, luck plays a factor.  You could get run over by a truck, you could get a serious disease, or you might get a heart attack running a “mudder” marathon at age 79.  Do you feel lucky?  You roll the dice

The third factor for making the early decision is “life style”.  Do you eat healthy, exercise, and create “balance in your life?  I’m convinced my mother and brother died from cigarettes.  My sister getting breast cancer is a mystery because there was no prior family history. Cigarettes fall into the category of “life style” and are a personal choice.

I’m not sure where aspartame in Diet Coke falls?  I am told that I am making a serious “life style” decision at age 75.  Thank goodness it is the only bad decision I’m making.

Now you’ve got all the information you need on whether to take early Social Security.  You won’t know whether you made the right decision until you reach age 80.

Love,

Dad

 

 

Tomorrow is special.  June 20, 1940 your Mom was born.  The trumpets blared, cameras flashed and the whole community celebrated the joy just like the Princess that was recently born in England.  I’m sure that is how her parents, Nana and Grampa George remember the day.  Tomorrow is certainly a significant milestone.  You are lucky to have such a special Mom in your life!  Happy Birthday to the matriarch of our clan.

I can’t help reflect that I was always around for your Mom.  Being slightly older and living in the same town, I was there when your Mom was born.  I was there when she graduated high school.  When she proposed marriage, I was there.  Mom may criticize my behavior but I was there when each Grasshopper was born.  And then there are the baptisms, confirmations, high school graduations, college graduations, Grasshopper marriages, Grandchildren and Great-grandchildren.  Your Mom has always rejoiced each event with pride.  Yep, I was there too.

The journey has been full of meaningful experiences.  Sometimes sadness.  Sometimes joy.  Always love.

So my wish is that tomorrow is a day that your Mom will remember.  As her family gathers, she will be reminded of the life she has created.

Love,

Dad

The countdown to June 20th continues.  4 more days.  There are traditional gifts for different celebrations.  I know in the case of wedding anniversaries, 25 is “silver”, 50 is “gold” and 75 apparently is diamonds. On the June 20th we are talking about a birthday so I don’t know if anniversary protocols apply.  I’m sure your Mom wouldn’t be disappointed if you showered her with diamonds.

This morning precisely at 8:54 AM as ordered by UW-Madison, I went online to order parking tickets for the Fall football season.  I brought up the Website, followed instructions very carefully and entered by pre-assigned access code number.  What does “error – access denied” mean. I get the same message every year and every year I end up calling the ticket office in Madison for help.  Every year, they indicate they will help me and every year they register me over the phone for my preferred parking lot. I got my assigned parking spot.  The computer problem could be as simple as I’m still using AOL as my portal to the internet (and the world has passed AOL by) or I’m computer illiterate. It seems to me this whole automated order system for UW parking is like driving a tack with a sledge hammer.

In May there is “Mother’s Day”.  Doesn’t June have some sort of recognition for “Father’s Day”?  A special day?  When?

Love,

Dad