Ace Wisdom

June 20th approaches.  Something really big happens on the 20th.  The anticipation is almost uncontrollable.

It has been several weeks since “the cookie factory” in Ripon announced they were closing the doors for good.

Everybody has a memory of “Rippin Good”.  I have had lots of people lament about how their favorite cookie would not be available any more.  Chocolate Fluffs, Mint Cremes and Wind Mills are mentioned frequently.  Cookies with marshmallow, chocolate chips and coconut had a loyal following.

It dawns on me that having a cookie marketing plan featuring people describing their favorite cookie could revive the business.  Things like people sneaking cookies late at night. Kids sitting on floor eating chocolate cookies with messy face and fingers (there would have to be a puppy involved). Women giggling over stolen moments of chocolate ecstasy. Hey don’t laugh, Oreo captures the imagination of people by twisting the sandwich apart and licking the creme filling.

All the cookie business needs is imagination and someone with lots and lots of money to purchase property, buildings, and equipment.  Then there are the “upfront” marketing costs to create the demand.  Mix in upgrade of tired equipment and add training of employees.  Oh yeah, then there are rules of compliance with the FDA.  The Union will probably not give up their bargained rights (things like 5-6 weeks vacations).  Don’t forget relentless competition from Nabisco and Keebler.

On second thought, there is a lot or money and risk required to revitalize the cookies business.  The memories are precious. But I’m tired.  I think I’ll just buy a package of Oreos.

Flag Day gets celebrated in town tomorrow.  I don’t know if Grasshopper No.3 will be in parade or not.

Love,

Dad

 

The world is consumed with excitement over anything that “Apple” does with products and software.  I read a review by an Engineer familiar with Apple products. He tried the new Apple wrist watch.  He said it was annoying to sit in a meeting with his watch vibrating on his wrist telling him that he had an incoming message on the iPhone6 in his pocket which was also vibrating.  Really?

I mentioned to some friends (I use the word friends advisedly) that I missed the leather smell in my last car.  There is just something classy about leather.  My present car has simulated leather that cleans easily but “it does not smell like leather”.  So the friends gave me a “leather” air freshener to hang from my dashboard.  I guess the idea was I could get a $1000 experience with a $1.00 freshener.  I did hang the Christmas Tree leather smelling “thing” from my dash.  Not only didn’t it work but now I have to explain what I was doing with the perfume latent French lady of “ill-repute” who had been in my car. There is a reason the freshener sells for $1.

There is more to life than money but here are a few things to ponder.  I think comedian Steve Martin composed the insights.

“Money can’t buy happiness, but maybe happiness isn’t everything”.

“Of course money is the answer.  What was the question?”

“If money can’t buy happiness, maybe it can help you buy fast car or a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside.”

Seasonal weather coming!

Love,

Dad

 

Tomorrow, June 6,  is the anniversary of D-Day in Europe.  It is the day our troops stormed the beaches of Normandy and the USA officially entered World War II.  A lot of American soldiers died to keep us free.

Your Mom and I went to see Dirty Dancing at the PAC last night.  I anxiously checked the Theater Critic’s review in the local paper before we went.  I had trouble finding the review because it was sandwiched between two obituaries.  That could have an bad omen from “gods” that we shouldn’t attend.  Actually the play was good.

Over the last week, we have had to replace a double oven in the kitchen and a canister vacuum cleaner.  I figure your Mom will be living the dream life. She can now cook “up a storm” and keep the house clean.  What more could she possibly want?

I have renewed season tickets for UW-Badger football.  We are entitled to buy a ticket for one of the parking lots near Camp Randall.  There is a hierarchy of eligibility based on consecutive years of purchase of football tickets, donations (part of ticket price is “donation”) and other alumni criteria.  Your Mom and I are way down on the entitlement list.  So on June 24, 2015 at 8:54 AM, I am allowed to log into the parking website and apply for the parking lots available to me. What if I am traveling?  What if I’m in a meeting.  What if …..?  I have been told not to worry because I can download an “app” onto my cell phone that will connect me to the UW website so that at precisely 8:54 I can procure my parking pass.  But I don’t have a cell phone.  What the hell is an “app”.  No worry, I just got a message from UW saying that they have scrapped the “app” idea for this year.  Thank God! Several things are clear.  The parking application system was designed by an idiot (probably a decorated PhD) and “complexity brings decay”.  I just want a parking pass.  Assign me one!

Love,

Dad

 

Grasshopper No.5’s cat, Indigo, has been trained like Pavlov’s dog to eat when the electrically timed food dish rings and food drops into his container. Indigo positions himself 30 minutes before the food release.  Really?

Come to think of it, I’m not unlike Indigo.  I ration my 5 blade razor blade cartridge for replacement on the first day of every month.  I refuse to throw the “old blade” away until one month is over.  The blade can be rough, damaged from dropping or just plain worn.  It needs to make it through the month.  Indigo has been trained by No.5 to discipline his life.  I train myself? For me that borders on “sick”.

Grand-daughter Keely and husband Pedro announced there will be a new addition to their growing family in December.  Congrats!  Great grand-daughter Myla needs someone to boss around.

I am not exactly a financial guru, but I know when I am getting screwed.  I have an IRA from my work days.  I wanted to re-arrange the IRA by buying a “no-load” mutual fund.  That means it costs nothing to “get into” the mutual fund and nothing to “get out”.  When I asked the broker that holds my IRA about purchase, he confirmed that “no-load” meant just that.  No cost to acquire.  Cool!  And then, I was told that the brokerage has an “accommodation” fee.  $50.  What happened to the “no-load” mutual fund?  Oh, the “no-load” fund is just that, free.  The brokerage which handles the purchase charges $50.  Accommodation fee?

I went out to the mail box to pick-up the paper this morning.  There is a skunk in the neighborhood and he isn’t too far from the house!  Peewww! Maybe the skunk has a close relative at the brokerage.

Love,

Dad

Great Granddaughter Myla turns 2 next week.  She babbles like 2 year olds do.  Happy Birthday Myla.

The last week of May has always contained family birthdays.  My Sister Addie would have been 71 (she died way too early) on the 25th.  My Uncle Jerry turned 83, also on the 25th of May.  Lastly, my Dad would have been 95 on the 28th.

Grasshopper No.5 works for GameStop.  I see they posted a 15% earnings increase in the last quarter.  Whoa!  Gamestop is going to be the center of game universe as it releases merchandise supporting Jurassic Park and Star Wars over the next 6 months.  I see the stock price jumped 7% on the news this morning.  Does all the good news mean No.5 gets a big raise?  I guess you’ll have to ask her.

I walked past a GameStop retail store this morning and there were young people sitting outside waiting for the store to open.  Apparently GameStop is re-releasing a Nintendo Classic Video game.  Sitting!  Waiting!  Anticipating! Oh, my!

My Green Bay Packer obligations are ramping up.  I have to go to the annual stockholders meeting in July.  The Brett Favre “lovefest” will be held in July as he gets indoctrinated into the Packer Hall of fame.  The first pre-season game occurs shortly thereafter.  My world is just filled with “football madness”.

June begins Monday.

Love,

Dad

 

 

 

I was rummaging through some dresser drawers and came upon a key chain from the old City Club.  It had a plastic “bob” on the chain advertising the telephone number of the “Club”.  The number was 36.  You would pick up the phone and connect with Mable at the telephone company and she would “plug you into 36”.  Today we have 10 digits for a phone number unless you are dialing internationally in which case you have 13 or more.

Mom and I traveled to Camelot over Memorial Day weekend.  Camelot is my description of Minneapolis.  They are dominated by white collar jobs and lots of “professional types”.   We ended up at the $100 store (Ikea).  You go to Ikea to buy some miscellaneous items for $5-$10 and always buy more than you expected.  It has something to do with impulse buying.

I do get surprised occasionally.  No.5 bought a new 50 inch HD Sony.  I expected the TV to be hooked up to a cable network or DISH.  Her main hook-up is through an antenna to public broadcast TV (free).  The picture is spectacular in HD.  And then (0f course) she has hook-ups to Wi-Fi like Netflix, Vudu, and Amazon.  The surprise is the national trend seems to be to dump the cable broadcast.

I still need my ESPN.  I think the only way to get ESPN is through cable.

My twin turbo 4 cylinder German car got better than 37 miles per gallon of gasoline.  It does make me smile.

I earned some extra money by bringing No.5’s old HDTV back home.  She sold it to her brother (Grasshopper No.4).  No.4 owes me for a delivery.

Memorial Day was lazy.  It is supposed to be!

Love,

Dad

 

Daughter-in-Law Jenny ran the Cellcom half marathon last Sunday.  I know she was unsure about doing it right up to the last minute.  But she did compete.  Step by step.  Block by block.  Mile by mile.  Finishing in the glory of Lambeau field.  I understand she wasn’t even tired!  She is now my hero. Congratulations.

I mentioned that our 20 old oven has short circuited and the circulating fan will not shut off.  We can not get parts.  An “friend” suggested that I cut the electrical wire to the fan because it isn’t necessary anyway.  I cut the wire.  I got sparks.  An electrical fire started.  We called 911 and it took 3 minutes for the fire department to arrive.  Damage was limited to the kitchen.  Now we need more than an oven.  We need a whole new kitchen.  Of course I’m “spoofing” but cutting the wire does bring certain risks.  What should I do?

I have been an advocate of getting rid of “social media” because it contains lots of untruths and can be used to bully and manipulate social opinions. There is some good from continual, instant communication but I’m not sure it offsets all the negative initiatives.  My hero philosopher, Charles Barkley of NBA basketball fame put it all in perspective for me.  He says “that social media is a place for losers to go to look important”.  See, that is why Barkley makes all that money.

Memorial Day weekend approaches.  I will not eloquently reminisce about cottage life and how Memorial Day kicks it off.  I do know that Grasshopper No.3 finally (after two years) has his reconditioned boat back.  It is bright red and white and it “glows”.  Now he has to hook up all the mechanicals.  It will be ready in two weeks (again).  Just in time for the “lake season”.

Love,

Dad