Ace Wisdom

The last episode of “Game of Thrones” contained a segment on trained dogs.  Big dogs.  Hungry dogs (they looked like over sized Pit Bulls) .  The master of the dogs had trained them to be aggressive and attack when ordered.  Last week, the dogs had also been starved for 7 days.  When the “master” was captured, he was put in a jail cell and his “hounds were unleashed”.  The last scene showed a big bad Pit Bull licking the face of his master before he ate his face.  Good family viewing!  I was stricken by the order “unleash the hounds”.

After 3-4 days of having Grandson Tommy stay with us this week to do meaningful things like spread mulch and cut bushes, we took him home last night. Mom and I were invited to stay for supper and the menu was large pizzas from Papa Murphy’s. After preparation, the pizza was sliced and ready to eat.  Your Mom and I were invited to make food selections first before Grasshopper No.4 “unleashed the hounds” in reference to turning Grandsons Dominic and Tommy loose on the food. It was the second time in a week that I had heard “unleash the hounds”. In both cases, you don’t want to stand between the food and the hounds.

Today was all about world financial fear. The English people voted to get out of Union of European countries (a group of 40 European countries operating in unison with common money and common rules). Now the English will again be independent.  Nobody asked me but the real issue was about immigrants.  England has been told that because they were part of European Union that had were required to allow a large quota of Muslim immigrants fleeing from Syria into Europe. The Muslim contingent contains some radicals that are seeking the 73 virgins promised upon sacrificing their lives. England people want to decide for themselves who they “allow in” their the country. Not be told!

We are letting Muslims into America!  How is that working for us? I just watched the funeral of 49 people in Orlando as some “nut” murdered in pursuit of his 73 virgins.

I don’t have the answer. Nobody seems too! I say slow everything down until we can figure it out.

Are Hillary and Donald listening?

Love,

Dad

 

Father’s Day came and went.  I used my rebate from purchasing new tires to celebrate at a local restaurant. Does that mean it was a free? Thank you for all the kind wishes.

Today is the first full day of Summer. I think yesterday was technically the Summer Solstice. Yesterday was the Strawberry Moon (full moon coinciding with the solstice).  What the hell does all that mean? Is it all witches and broomsticks?

Your Mom celebrated her birthday yesterday ending with dinner with friends (Me and Tommy). How great was that?

Grandson Tommy is visiting this week.  That means trimming bushes, spreading mulch and working for the boss (Mom). I’m informed that 15 year old Tommy spurted past 6 feet in height and is bumping 6 foot one inches tall.  People that are 6 foot tall are not common to “our” family tree.

I understand Grasshopper No.2 found a property for lease on the internet. Before she could be considered as a “serious prospect” she needed to provide credit reports from all three rating agencies.  It turns out the internet site marketing the property was a scam with the objective of getting personal financial information. I am not familiar with current credit reports.  I know they list credit card payment status, mortgage information and banking affiliations. Is there enough detail on the credit reports that “scammers” can profit from the info? I know that it is a pain in the a– to have to deal with potential problems.

For those you who watched the last episode of “Game of Thrones”, it certainly had lots of action. Fire breathing dragons, warring  armies with sword fights and clouds of a arrows and then ending with feeding of hungry dogs.  Good family entertainment.

Enjoy the week,

Love,

Dad

 

 

 

Sunday is Father’s Day.  Remember your Dad.  Think big!  Think expensive!

A special Happy Birthday to your Mom.  Her collective wisdom will increase by another year on Monday.  My guess is you don’t have to think expensive for her birthday.  Just love.

Your Mom and I did the “Fireside” thing yesterday. The presentation was “Rockin’ to the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s”.  What is not to like!  I recognized almost every song. When I think of it, anyone younger than 45 years old would have been born after the 70’s.  I guess the songs are only nostalgic to “old people”.  Oh my God, I’m one of “them” (old people).

Yesterday the Universe was just a “bubble off center”.  I experienced little annoyances. I burnt my morning toast.  The paper basket that held my ground coffee beans collapsed during brewing and I had coffee grounds in my morning brew. I pulled our mail from the mailbox and several envelopes fell the ground.  Of course, the letters fell in a puddle.  Do you ever get one of those days?

What didn’t fit yesterday’s “annoyances” was I got my rebate from my tire purchase. I now have $70 to spend on anything I want. What can I buy for $70. What would you suggest?

I really do feel everybody is entitled to live their life as they see fit.  I get annoyed by the “do-gooders” that want to save me from myself.  I see that the City of Philadelphia passed a 1.5 cent tax on all beverages sold containing sugar or caffeine. That means even my diet coke with caffeine will pay a tax penalty.  They want to save me from myself.  Prevent tooth decay. Prevent obesity. Avoid shaking from the caffeine. I guess the dastardly aspartame is not at issue.  What is next?  Apple pie and ice cream?

Monday is the longest day of the year signalling “Summer”.  Enjoy!

Love,

Dad

 

Today is officially “Flag Day”.  It bonds us together.

The combined party for Dominic and Mitchell celebrating their high school graduations was really nice.  Great weather.  Great food.  Great stories.  As you know we all got to write our favorite memories for each graduate on a piece of paper and they had to read the memories “out loud”.  Lots of shared secrets.  Lots of laughs. Good stuff.

First, I get to “roast” Grandson Dominic.  His career is headed towards law enforcement. I asked what he would do if I sped past his police car at approximately 10 mph over the posted limit.  I was informed I’d get a ticket.  I inquired about “maybe a warning” because I was his Grandpa (family). Nope.  I’d get a ticket because I broke the law. He would ticket his own Grandma, Mom, brother and even Angelina Jolie. Really?

On the proud moment side, I did get to see Dominic compete his sophomore year in high school in the State Trap Shooting tournament.  He won the Junior State Title.  I think his score was 95 out of 100.  How great is that. Mom and I got to see a state championship performance.

Dominic might tell you some of greatest achievements were on the football field.

For Mitchell I must reflect back to a family visit several years ago. Mom and I were visiting Madison on a weekend. Grandson Mitchell must have had plans and our presence got in the way.  In late afternoon when were leaving his house, I remember forgetting something and went back into the garage hallway.  Mitchell didn’t hear me come back. He was walking into the kitchen at the time and he asked his Mom, “are they gone yet”. At which point I responded from the staircase (where he couldn’t see me) “no, we’re not gone yet”, Got ya! I never let Mitchell forget his words “are they gone yet”.  It is like he got rid of a dreaded disease.

Mom and I are proud to have witnessed some of Mitchell’s football achievements. His junior and senior years at Middleton High saw him playing offensive tight end, defensive end and special teams. He played all positions really well.  I think Mitchell will tell you some of his favorite moments were “crushing tackles” or sacking the quarterbacks. On offense, Mitchell did score offensive touchdowns by catching passes at critical moments. Mom and I saw every high school touchdown he caught.  Scoring a touchdown in high school is still a premier achievement. Mitchell is now headed for Iowa State. No, he does not have an athletic scholarship but I have heard him utter the phrase “walk-on”.  At 6 foot 2 inches and weighing 215, he might just be a force to be reckoned with.

My advice for both graduates is to keep their priorities straight. First comes academics. Second comes academics. Guess what comes third! Yep, academics. Don’t lose sight of why you are in school in the first place. Extra curricular activities come ninth or tenth in priority.  Girls are nothing but trouble.  They don’t even belong on priority list. Are you listening!

Good luck pursing what comes next!

Love,

Dad

Grasshopper No.4 and No.2 are sponsoring a joint celebration Sunday for their graduates.  Check your invitations!

From an old Johnny Carson rerun, he indicated that his financial broker was E.F. Glutton and E.F.Glutton had put him in some bad investments.  Lessons learned from predator “Glutton” are as follows.

Do not buy “whole life” insurance. The insurance does build cash value but the cost of investing through insurance is prohibitive.  Buy “term life”.

Do not buy annuities. The expense ratios are prohibitive and once you turn a lump sum of money over for an annuity, it is usually gone forever. (There are thousands of variations of annuities keeping your initial payment).

Do not select a financial broker that “churns” your money by moving it around. The broker makes money every time he trades on your account and you lose your a– as a result of exorbitant expenses.

Do not buy mutual funds that charge a “load”.  That means you pay to buy the fund and many times you pay to sell. “Load” fees of 5% and higher suck up your money.   By no-load funds.  Vanguard!  Fidelity!

When you want a financial adviser, pay for the advice.  Do not let an adviser who sells products like insurance, annuities and mutual funds charge you a percentage or your own portfolio for advice.  It is tainted, expensive advice.  It is okay to pay for pay for periodic financial advise.  Pay cash!

Do not invest in hedge funds.  Hedge funds are managed by sharks who are inclined to eat their young.

Do not invest in penny stocks.  You’ll lose your a–.

And so it goes.  Managing your hard earned money is your responsibility.  Read the books I have given you.  You need to be President of your own companies, “Grasshoppers, Inc. LLC”.

I know this financial stuff is boring but paying attention might make your rich!   Who do you trust more?  E.F.Glutton or your Dad? Just saying!

Love,

Dad

 

 

 

Yesterday was the was the anniversary of D-Day.  Allied troops crossed the English Channel and invaded Normandy.  I was only 4 years old at the time but I think the ground shook that day.  Hitler’s fate was being sealed.  Many, many gave their lives so we could be free.

Being a major stockholder of the Green Bay Packers, my duties begin to increase this time of year.  The OTA’s (organized team activities) are ending.  We are only one month away from players reporting for practice as a prelude to the season. The Packers need to organize Family Night and of course I need to go to the annual stockholders meeting.  I get exhausted just thinking about it.  What a bunch of bulls—!

I am concerned about the Packer fortunes.  Aaron Rogers recently announced he will not be eating any more cheese or dairy products.  He has adopted the Vegan diet.  He still eats a little chicken,  I can’t help think that his girl friend Olivia Munn might be influencing him.  It is downhill from here.  Remember what Delilah did to Samson. She cut his hair and doomed the poor bastard.  Can you believe that the leader of the Pack (Aaron), the organization known for it’s cheese-heads, domiciled in Wisconsin, won’t be eating cheese.  I know, I know.  Aaron loves Olivia.

I can attest that Grandson’s Dominic and Mitchell both marched across their respective high school stages and they do have proof they graduated from high school.

My German built car gets 37 miles to the gallon.  Your Mom and I logged a lot of miles around the State this last weekend.  While we were in Madison.  Grandson Mitchell was riding with me and he noticed I had logged 150 miles on my current tank of gas. My fuel gauge indicated I that my gas tank was still over “3/4 full”. Mitchell couldn’t believe his eyes.  He said that with his older Ford Explorer,after 150 miles, he would be looking for a filling station.  Me thinks there is a lesson in that verbal exchange!

Love,

Dad

 

 

I’ve never been invited to address a graduating class of high school students. Only highly successful people get that privilege.  You know!  Politicians.  Movie stars. Lawyers.  If I by some chance I would be asked to convey a message, what profound morsel of guidance would I convey?

Put God first? Nope. That is a personal spiritual journey.

Practice the Golden Rule. Nope. That is a given and who am I to keep reminding everybody.

Follow your dream. Nope. You should always reach beyond your grasp. Everybody knows that.

I think I would go with “never stop learning”. My experience is that knowledge is the magic elixir. The more knowledge you accumulate, the more rewarding life becomes. Knowledge fuels personal growth. Never ever, ever stop growing. Ever!

This weekend, two grandsons reach the first plateau of learning. They graduate from high school.  It is just a first step. Keep going! Come to think of it, I did get my message out.  All my grandsons have to do is read this!

Congratulations Dominic. Fly high, always. You rule!

Congratulations Mitchell. Your potential will take you far.

Happy Birthday to great-granddaughter Myla. This will be her 3rd. Already? She celebrates officially on Saturday and then goes home to Ohio.

Love,

Dad

 

 

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone.  Next stop?  The 4th of July.

Your Mom and I got to meet great-grandson Julian (Keely’s 6 month old son) who was visiting with him Mom from Ohio.  Julian is a “chunk”.  Cute and a “chunk”.

I grew up during the “Johnsonville phenomenon”.  Johnsonville brats were introduced in the mid 1940’s.  There was a butcher shop located in the little, little burg of Johnsonville that introduced the brat and began to offer them through grocery stores in the Plymouth-Sheboygan area. I am a self proclaimed expert on the legendary brat sandwich.  I was asked recently what kind of condiments “go on a brat”.  I can’t believe people have to ask about condiments.  The only thing you put on a charcoal grilled brat is pickles and onions.  Case closed.  You don’t slop it up with ketchup, mustard (yuk), relish, peppers, or cheese. If you want to relive history you get your brat with pickles and onions from the A&W Root Beer stand (now known as Chester’s) in Plymouth.  I hate having to explain these things.

The world is going nuts downloading “apps” onto cell phones.  Everything from telling you when to feed your cat to counting calories you eat every day.  I note that the newest “app” is to notify young ladies when their tampons are saturated. Does the world need an app for that?  How does the app work?  Do they bury a microchip in the tampon. The microchip could double as a GPS locator.  The app could tell a person they have a problem, identify their present location and present options to get to the nearest drug store.  Isn’t modern technology great.

Three weeks until the longest day of the year!

Love,

Dad

My family always referred to Memorial Day as Decoration Day.  Apparently Decoration Day goes all the way back to 1868.  After the Civil War, Decatur, Illinois decided to mark all the graves in their cemetery as a tribute to all those who had lost their lives.  It was done on May 30. The reference to “decoration” stuck until after World War II when our politicians decided to create a broader Memorial Day (always on Monday) and hence a 3 day weekend.

I was born slightly before World War II began. My early years saw my Dad and his brother go off to war.  My early recollections of war begin at age 5 about the time World War II was ending.  We had sunk the Japanese Navy, dropped the first Atom bomb in history and Hitler blew his brains out in a bunker.  All was well.

After my Dad came back from the Phillipines, each Memorial Day was special.  The collective relief that came with the War being over was joyous.  Memorial Day was always celebrated in late spring.  The smell of Lilacs, warm weather and a morning parade all commemorated the lives lost in battle.  The local cemetery would be the termination point of the parade followed by boring, boring, boring speeches. After the speeches there would be a 21 gun salute.  As kids we would collect as many spent bullet shells as possible.  The rest of the day was brats and beverages.

It has been 65-70 years since my early memories of “Decoration Day”.  Many generations have passed since the end of World War II.  It just seems like each year we become less aware of the serious nature of War and those who have given their lives for us.  We all need to pause and give thanks.

Enjoy the 3 day weekend.  Unofficially, Summer begins.

Love,

Dad

 

Grandson Dominic gave me a first hand look at his “new” 2003 Pontiac Bonneville. It has a remote start feature and he had the engine running by the time we approached the car.  The dual muffler system had a low pitched growl (something like the Hollywood Mufflers from my high school days).  I was told he intends to tweak the exhaust system to make it sound even better.  The car has a huge V-8, 4.2 liter Cadillac adapted engine.  Does any car maker install V-8’s any more? Dominic is suddenly obsessed with gasoline costs.  Really?  The car looks like it is great shape.

I got a trip down memory lane last night.  Grasshopper No.3 called from his car around 9:00 PM.  He was headed for Milwaukee.  His spouse, daughter and two grandchildren were stranded on the side of the road.  The prognosis apparently was daughter Keely’s Prius had a burnt out wheel bearing (and maybe had a grease fire from the frictional heat). Normally this would just be another “life event”. Wouldn’t you know, 35 years ago, Grasshopper No.2 was coming home from UW Madison via Milwaukee by bus.  Her termination location was Milwaukee.  I sent Grasshopper No.3 to Milwaukee to pick her up from home in Sheboygan (we had an Oldsmobile station wagon).  No.3 made the pick-up.  As they headed home, they had car trouble in north Milwaukee.  No.3 told me the car was burning when he called.  As it turned out, a wheel bearing failed and caused a flame.  It burnt itself out.  So I made the same trip No.3 made last night 35 years ago.  I drove to North Milwaukee “saved” family, and tucked everybody in bed by 3 AM.  Does life re-invent itself?

High school graduations will consume celebrations in the next few weeks. Grandson Dominic and Grandson Mitchell both march across the stage on June 5.

There will be one more graduation of Grandchildren in our family in 3 years. Grandson Tommy will march across the high school stage in 2019.  He will represent the last of our “grandchild” generation to graduate.

There will be a lot of “empty nest” anxieties!  That is when you can become rich!

Love,

Dad