Ace Wisdom

We are in the middle of a “birthday blitzkrieg”.

Yesterday was the birthday of Grandson Collin (I think 22).  He happens to be with the Marines in California and doesn’t answer his phone.  Happy Birthday Collin.

Today is the birthday of my nephew Michael (I have no clue his exact age, somewhere in the 40’s).  Happy Birthday Michael.

Tomorrow is the birthday of  No.1 (no, I’m not revealing my age).  It was Plymouth many years ago.  Happy Birthday No.1.

There you have it, birthdays on April 21, 22, and 23.  We are all under the sign of Taurus.  We are strong minded (sometimes bullheaded), smart and allegedly compassionate.  We have long memories so don’t screw with us.

As I get older I keep finding new ways to spend money.  Last year it was for “open heart” surgery and new hearing aids.  This year it is for dental implants for lost teeth. The “implants” prevent my developing a smile like they have in Kentucky.

Easter was spent with Grasshopper No.3 and family.  They had opted to roast a turkey with lots of veggies.  The meal was very scrumptious.  The company was excellent.

My latest frustration is the Wi-Fi system in our house.  It feeds a Blue-Ray machine in the basement.  For some reason, the Blue-Ray is not receiving the internet signal from Netflix and Vudu.  Remember I am a “Taurus”.  I will conquer this too. My final solution is always to replace the damn thing with a new one.  My problem is that I’ve already tried an alternate Blue-Ray and it doesn’t work either.  Hey, this thing is affecting my mental well-being.  I can’t watch “House of Cards” or special movies downloaded to Vudu by Grasshoppers No.1 and No.5.

My German made car (some call it Froggy) needs tires.  I could save that money and buy a different car.  Decisions, decisions.  Tires or different car.  Tires or a  different car.  As Grasshopper No.4 would say “one decision addresses a ‘need’, the second a ‘want'”.  I don’t need a different car.  Right!  Stay tuned.

The cold weather just doesn’t go away.

Love,

Dad

Grandson Mitchell will play freshman/sophomore basketball all summer.  There is an AAU League made up of promising young players.  Mitchell’s Madison team called “the Wisconsin Dynasty” plays weekend contests around the neighboring States of Illinois, Minnesota and of course Wisconsin.  Today (Good Friday), your Mom and went over to Wisconsin Dells to see one of Mitchell’s tournaments.  His team played on the Moose Jaw/Noah’s Arch basketball court at the “Just a Game Field House”.  Really!  Mickey Mouse and Goofy did not referee the game.  Mitchell is one of 14 players that rotate for playing time.  I am biased but Michell is the best defensive player on the team.  He can play well against much bigger players.  Oh yeah, Mitchell’s team lost 63-35.  Nobody else plays defense.

Grasshopper No.3 is in the process of buying a used Yamaha motorcycle.  It must be one of the larger bikes because he and his bride can both ride and there are metal “saddle bags”.  He probably needs the bike to keep him busy while waiting for his boat to be re-fiberglassed (perpetually to be finished in two weeks).  You can tell No.3 isn’t retired.  You can’t do these things on retirement income.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t remark on the water reservoir in Portland, Oregon.  It is 29 million gallons of fresh water in the form of an open lake.  It is susceptible to all kinds of contamination.  Acid rain.  Bird sh–.  Animal fecies.  The water is fed directly to the water taps of Portland residents for washing and drinking.  Caught on camera was a young man urinating into the reservoir.  He obviously was contaminating the water.  The decision was to drain the entire lake to insure the safety and health of Portland citizens.  Really?  There are more trace contaminants  such as metals and acids in the water than urine.  Don’t astronauts recycle urine for drinking?  I’m moving to Portland for the water.  They seem to have lots of money.

Easter Sunday.  We got an invitation.

Happy Easter

Dad

 

Google Glass!  Today you could purchase a device that looks like glasses except there is a little box mounted in the top corner of the glasses.  You now have a remote computer mounted on your face.  Cost?  $1500.  I guess it insulting to call the system “Google glasses”.  It is to be correctly called “Google glass”.  You can now search the web with your face, take pictures with your face and record every second of your life with your face.  I can’t imagine all the things you can do with your face.  If there ever was a chance to force me out of your life, just try wearing Google glasses in my prescence.

While we are on high tech, let me take you back in time.  It was 1964.  I had started working at Allis-Chalmers in Milwaukee as a sales-engineer.  That meant I was the engineering expert on material (coal, iron ore, sand and gravel) processing equipment.  We lived in Milwaukee but I traveled to the eastern United States to help Sales people sell our products.  One of my early trips was to New York City where we had a sales office.  Since I was to be in New York, I was encouraged to take one day to visit the New York World’s Fair.  I traveled by sub-way from downtown Manhattan to a location opposite the Mets Baseball Stadium.  I had no clue what a World’s Fair was.  It was like your local “fairs” such as Sheboygan County Fair except it was an extravaganza.  Big ferris wheels, high tech rides and lots of companies displaying modern technologies.  I remember General Electric and AT&T having lots of futuristic gadgets.  You know, telephones with a push-button pad rather than rotary dials.  You get the idea.  Ford Motor company rolled out it’s shocking, low cost sporty car for the young at heart.  The Mustang was born.  It cost around $3,000 and young “chicks” all over the country could afford them.  The big engines came later.  So this year marks the 50th anniversay of the World’s Fair and the introduction of the Ford Mustang.  The world will never be the same.  Hey, I was working.

It seems my life keeps marking the celebration of the 50 year anniversary of “something”.  High School graduation.  College graduation.  Celebration of kids reaching 50 years of age.  Oh Lord, “slow down the train”.

Enjoy the snow.

Love,

Dad

 

The local PAC (Performing Arts Center) has released it’s schedule for the next 12 months.  In November there is a presentation of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe”.

So what you ask!  It was 1994 or 1995.  Your Mom and I had scheduled a trip out to Washington D.C. with Grasshopper No.5.  We intended to stay 1 week and take in all the sites.  We were there on a lazy Sunday looking for things to do.  We decided to tour The Kennedy Center several miles from downtown.  It is a huge concrete/stone structure that accommodates numerous auditoriums and concert halls.  The surprise came when we learned that there were several performances to begin within an hour after we arrived.  We decided to check out the selections and one was “Smokey Joe’s Cafe”.  The lady at the ticket counter was enthusiastic about the musical and recommended it highly.  Besides, this would be the play’s  last performance at the Center.

We decided to go to the musical.  It turned out to be more than just “taking in a play”.  “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” is a collection of random skits with incredible music and great humor.  It turned out to be a magical performance that left everybody feeling good.

You can’t always plan “magical”.  Sometimes situations occur and they just have memorable qualities.  It was that kind of day.  Washington D.C., The Kennedy Center, a lazy afternoon, a great surprise musical performance and good company.  Does it get any better.

My guess is that upcoming “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” performance in November will not have the magical qualities of that warm Sunday in 1994, but it will rekindle memories.  Hey, It already has!

Love,

Dad

Grasshopper No.3 won the family NCAA basketball pool (again).  He was a 15 ft. jumpshot away from losing.  If Traevon Jackson of the UW Badgers had made his shot at the buzzer, No.3 would have seen all his “riches” go down the tube.  My check is in the mail.

Grasshopper No.3 bought a used Glasstron open hulled boat last Spring (I think it is 19 feet long).  It needed help.  No.3 “horse traded” some landscaping services in Green Bay for repair of the boat.  Repair included fiberglass reinforcement of the inside bottom of the boat along with a new fiberglass floor (it had dry rotted).  The repair has been underway for about 1 year.  I remember riding with No.3 up to Green Bay on a warm summer night last year to check out progress.  Fiberglass was being installed layer by layer.  I was told that the boat would be done in 2 weeks.  Late in the Fall, the boat still was not done but it was supposed to be finished in 2 weeks so that it could be brought home for winter rebuild.  Yep, it is now Spring (1 year later) and the boat still needs work and new paint.  When I asked No.3 when the boat would be ready for this boating season he replied “two weeks”.

I am becoming the bionic man.  My chest closure during open heart surgery was done with a metal wire thread that holds my rib cages together.  The metal will be with me forever.  I am now scheduled to have a metal implant replacing a lost tooth.  That metal will be with me forever.  Can they replace all body parts with metal?  What is the fun of that?

Love,

Dad

 

 

Grasshopper No.5 used to work for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.  It is the primary local printed news source.  While she was there, it went bankrupt, then it was purchased out of bankruptcy and eventually sold to a new owner.  The Star Tribune is now in the process of being sold again to the owner of the NBA Minnesota Timber Wolves.  I’m sure of two things.  First, employees were told “nothing is going to change” so don’t worry.  Second, Grasshopper No.5 feels good about changing to a new company several years ago.  So much for loyality.

Hank the male dog mascot for the Milwaukee Brewers has been on quite a journey.  He was a stray pup that wandered into the Brewers training camp and immediately found a new home.  They “adopted” him and he has been a fan hit.  Little kids love the adorable furry face.  The Brewers have sold lots of T-shirts, mugs and “stuff” making lots of extra cash.  Wednesday he didn’t make an appearance at the Brewers game.  It turns out the Brewers had him fixed.  Thats right.  No more equipment.  Nuetered.  Hank probably never saw it coming.  I wonder if that will make Hank bark in a higher octive.  Again, so much for loyality.

A major league baseball player for the New York Mets decided to be present for the birth of his first child, a son, delivered by ceserean section.  The “social media” (whoever they are) went nuts because he chose being with his wife rather than playing baseball.  I say “social media” because the team management never complained nor did fellow players.  It was the radio jocks and TV analysts who had the expert opinions.  The players union contract actually grants up 3 days for the birth of a child.  The player made the right decision.  Lombardi would be proud.  Lombardi priorities always kept life in perspective, “God, family, job” in that order.  The problem is the radio jocks and TV analysts have an I.Q. of 1.  The player placed his loyality in the right place with his family.  Good for him.

Happy birthday to my favorite Son-in-Law.  He too is getting older and wiser.  He better be careful because I think he is gaining on me and some day we will be the same age.

Thank You for the Anniversay wishes.

Love,

Dad

 

 

 

Today is April 1st.  It is the beginning of “Honor Your Father” month.  Tradition is that you send your Dad $1 per day for the whole month.

Tomorrow is April 2nd.  It will mark 54 years of marriage.  You all know the story but it was a weekend wedding because I was going to UW-Oshkosh.  I had to choose between getting married or studying chemistry.  I made the right choice.  To my Bride of 54 years, Happy Anniversary.

Your Mom had a tooth pulled yesterday.  The dentist doesn’t pull teeth any more.  It is done by an oral surgeon and it is called an “oral extraction”.  That means they can charge more.  The surgeon prescribed 3 drugs (one antibiotic and two pain pills) and they “called in” the prescription to our  local druggist.  I went to pick up the drugs and I was told they weren’t ready.  It would be 15-30 minutes.  When I went back, I was told we couldn’t get the “drug discount” because your Mom’s insurance coverage wasn’t in the computer.  They needed her insurance drug card (which I didn’t have with me).  I paid full price.  I was told to bring her drug card and the receipt for the drugs back for credit which I did this morning.  It took 15 minutes to get it straightened out.  Really?  Bottom line is we got your Mom relief but is was a “circus” performance.

My sympathy goes out to Grasshopper No.4 and family.  They lost their cat “Squirty” to old age.  22 years of memories will live forever.

I know I am tempting fate but tomorrow I am having my snow tires taken off my car.  Would you believe snow is scheduled for Friday.

The Milwaukee Brewers opened yesterday.  It must be getting close to Summer.

The Wisconsin Badgers are still dancing.  There is a family bet on the NCAA tournament.  A Wisconsin victory (or loss) swings the results one way or another.

Enjoy the warm.  Really?

Love,

Dad