Ace Wisdom

Congratulations to Grandson Nevin.  He graduated recently with an Associate degree in Technical Printing and Publishing.  His persistance paid off.  A dinner celebration was the order of the day.

There is something about Subaru cars lately.  Grandson Nevin has one.  Grandson Collin has one.  Grasshopper No.3 has one (oops, I guess he has a Volkswagen diesel).  Hey it looks like a Subaru.

Grandson Collin has his Subaru “souped up”.  Supposedly he can go from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds.  There is no way a Subaru can go that fast.  His gas mileage is 12 miles per gallon of gas.  A greyhound bus gets better mileage.    There is more to life than a fast, sexy car.  Isn’t there?

I keep offering my wisdom (hence “Ace Wisdom”) to my Grandchildren.  They want to know the secret to “being successful”.  My advice is simple.  Don’t get married (the concept of sharing takes over) and don’t have kids (because they are expensive).  Alas, nobody is listening.  I guess there is more to life than fast cars and lots of spending money.  Something about “happiness”.

The Packer strategy is working perfectly.  Aaron Rodgers really does not have a leg injury.  He is faking it to get the other team to change their defenses to account for a “wounded warrior”.  The packers have Seattle right where they want them.  Midway through the game this Sunday for the NFC championship, Rodgers is going tear open the Packer jersey on his chest revealing a “big S” synonomous for Superman.  From that point on, Green Bay will destroy Seattle.  Rodgers passes will be faster than speeding bullets.  Lacey rushing attempts will more powerful than a locomotive.  The team will leap directly to Phoenix for the Super Bowl game.  Who said McCarthy didn’t have a game plan?

Enjoy the weekend.

Love,

Dad

 

 

Every time I go to my local credit union or bank for a loan, I get turned down.  Something about my “credit score” (FICA) being too low.  There are 3 credit reporting firms (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and each calculates my FICA differently.  What the hell?

I have yet to find someone tell me exactly how the algorithm (mathematical model) works to calculate my FICA.  FICA is mystical.  Information about my credit habits get dumped into this black box and out comes a number that determines whether I am credit worthy or not.  It is akin to pulling the lever on a slot machine to see if you “win credit or not”.  The closest I can come to understanding FICA is ….

35% is based on payment history (I’m not exactly sure how this works).

15% is based on credit history (apparently different from payment history).

30% is based on how close you are to maxxing out your “approved credit”.

10% is based on your ability to manage different types of credit.  Huh?

10% is based on any recent applications for new credit.

And then there is adjustment for mortgage and car payments over the last 10 years.

And then there is adjustment for missed payment or defaults in the last 7 years.

And then there is a factor for recent loan applications.

I’m sure there is more but you have the major factors that go calculating you FICA score.  The truth is you are at the mercy of the big computers and really do not have a clue on how much emphasis was given to each factor in your score.  500 is bad.  692 is the average score.  740-800 is preferred customers.  850 is God and Warren Buffett.

So go forth.  Request your score.  Become an “800” club member!

Love,

Dad

 

 

 

So far I haven’t mistakenly used last year’s 2014 date on any documents.  There, I have just tempted fate.

Today you can be one of 500 people to shovel out the stands at Lambeau.  They pay $10 per hour cash.  The Packers provide the shovels.  According to my calculations, it costs the Pack $5000 per hour for 8-10 hours of manual labor.  I get concerned because as an owner of the Packers, it reduces the obscene profit we make from the extra playoff game.  If you go to shovel, temperatures will be below 0 with 20 mph winds.

My new mantra is “take things slow and no quick moves”.  If I don’t follow those guidelines, I tend to hurt myself.  Taking things slow is not a normal thing for me to do.  A corollary would be “let the snow blower do the work”.  Years ago I didn’t have to create rules for myself because I had slave labor — Grasshoppers.

About the same time Aaron Roger injured his leg, I began to experience knee problems.  Some people call that psychosomatic meaning I emotionally “picked up on some one else’s pain because I care so much”.  Yep, that is it.  As Aaron Rogers goes, so go I.  If the positive rehab of my knee is any indication, Rogers will be okay Sunday against Dallas unless somebody steps on his leg.

Look around you.  Listen.  Wisconsinites are caught up in the Packers and it creates lots of excitement.  Enjoy the ride!

Love,

Dad

Full Moon yesterday.  Boogedy, boogedy!

I was out in the cold yesterday in my German made car.  It was 10 degrees below zero.  Suddenly my display screen on the dash board started flashing all kinds of colors and warning signals.  Whoa!  My right rear tire was low on air (it reminded me of Lost in Space TV where the computer utters “danger Will Robinson, danger).  I’ve been through this drill before where cold weather drops tire pressure.  So I pumped up the tire.  Problem solved.  Wrong.  The car computer doesn’t reset automatically and there is a 7 step procedure that you have to go through.  Really?  I thought computers were to make things simpler.

Your Mom is true to her word.  While you Grasshoppers and Grandchildren were growing up, I would play basketball contests with you.  I was pretty good at shooting a basketball so I always won.  I mean always.  Your Mom would take me to task for “not letting you kids win”.  Her point was that it would build your self-esteem and it would encourage you to try harder.  Now with her new iPad, she has been playing Words (Scrabble equivalent) with multiple kids simultaneously (I don’t know if you can lump her favorite Son-in-Law in as kid).  Over the last week, your Mom has lost intentionally every single contest so that you all have good feelings about yourself.  I bet you are all feeling great about whipping your Mom’s butt.

Grandson Dominic has been accepted into a Youth Volunteer Police Department program.  I have to admit he looks impressive in a baby blue shirt decorated with sewn on ID badges.  Sounds like a great program.

Green Bay Packers.  Lambeau.  Noon.  Sunday.  Very Low temperatures and dangerous wind chill.  It is not football when your tongue sticks to the goal post!

Love,

Dad

 

Happy New Year.

My New Years day was spent watching college football.  The best game showcased yesterday was the UW-Badgers versus Auburn.  The Badgers won in overtime.  Barry Alvarez was serving as temporary coach and age 68 got to live a little bit of his past.

Yesterday I intended to become familiar with our new iPad but your Mother totally dominated it’s usage.  Something about a program called “Words”.  Really?

All medical programs reset with Jan.1.  New rates for insurance kick-in.  HSA (health savings accounts) usually start over.

I sense that most people are reluctant to make New Year’s resolutions.  Most committments include diets, weight loss, exercise regimens and financial goals.  No I did not make any resolutions but I’d do well to improve in all categories.

Green Bay Packers get their “bye week” this weekend.  Statistics indicate that teams with a first round bye win the Super Bowl 38% of the time.  That is surprising low as a percentage because teams with a “bye” are supposed to be jaugernauts.  We’ll see!

I think the next official Holiday revolves around Easter.

Love,

Dad

Happy Birthday Grasshopper No.2.  You continue to be my “guiding light”.  Where else would I get nutritional advice, medical direction and chiropractic adjustments for backaches.  May your day be very special.

One of the Christmas gifts your Mom and I got from “multiple” Grasshoppers was an iPad.  It was intended for both of us.  I can’t ever find it.  Grasshopper No.5 loaded games into the menu and now your Mom takes it to bed.  You know you are getting old when your spouse prefers playing games on an iPad over paying attention to her husband in bed.

Our Christmas gathering was fun.  Your Mom deserves all the credit.  The decorations were superb and she found a way to personalized the gifts for everybody.  She created a memory.  We are lucky we married her.

I learned a new phrase from Grasshopper No.5.  When you are about to make a major decision that could affect your life you are said to be “on the precipice of the rest of your life”.  For example, Grandson Grant is in the process of deciding what form of engineering he wants to pursue in college.  He is at an occupational precipice that will influence his journey forward.  Grandson Collin is considering marriage and going college in the Fall (the U.S. Marines make the decision financially easier).  Collin is standing on a doubly high precipice.

I reflect on the different precipices in my life.  Somehow I was oblivious to the profound nature of some of my decisions.

Your next precipice is right around the corner.

Just a note on Aaron Rodgers.  A “calf sprain” is a euphemism for a “torn muscle”.  Press releases indicate that a torn muscle can heal in two weeks.  My medical experts say a torn muscle will take 6-8 weeks (or more depending on the tear).  Rodgers will be hobbled all during the playoffs.  Deal with it.

Love,

Dad

 

Why am I always the last to know?  Grandson Mitchell had “minor surgery” to treat a hernia.  Let me see, Grandson Dominic broke bones in his back and Mitchell had a hernia.  Is football a great game or what?  I know.  I know.  Rub some dirt on it.

Your Mom has threatened me.  She said if I end up with any illness or malady over the Christmas Holidays in the future, she will do me bodily harm.  I guess I will just have to rub some dirt on it.  Bodily harm?  Really?

A Happy Birthday to my brother Jerry who will turn 68 tomorrow.  He has suffered the same problem as Grasshopper No.2.  They both were born very close to the Christmas Holiday and birthdays become a blurr.  People give them gifts at Christmas to cover both celebrations.  Alas, Jerry and No.2 don’t get that special day that belongs to them.  I guess they just have to rub some dirt on it because it can’t be changed.  I still love them both.  I’ll remember their birthdays.

Brother Jerry was the last of 4 children, born in 1946, the first year of the ‘war baby’ generation.  He got to tag along with his two older brothers to baseball practice, baseball games and sporting events.  You’d think he would have learned something.  I think Jerry will tell you it was difficult being the “younger brother”.

I got to watch some old home movies of the family yesterday and, later, video tapes.  It was a nice stroll down memory lane.  I can prove that I was a lot slimmer years ago.  Almost all Christmas tapes included Nana and Grandpa.

Packers play Detroit Sunday for big stakes.  Winning would mean a division crown and I think a first round “bye”.  The bye means a week to get players healthy.  It is interesting, however; the first round bye historically has not proven to be much of an advantage.  Maybe teams lose that fine “edge” that playing weekly brings. As Rodgers goes, so go the Packers.  Rodgers is hurting.  They are trying to rub some dirt on him (it).

Hope your Christmas was special.

Love,

Dad