Ace Wisdom

First there is love. Then there is marriage. And then there is a lifetime of family memories.
Memories include the arrival of each Grasshopper (5 in all) and all the events associated with growing up. Throw in a few family trips, a family cottage and special achievements and you have all the ingredients for creating s scrapbook. There are pictures. Lots of pictures. Then again, not enough pictures.
Your Mom has painstakingly assembled scrapbooks tailored to each of your lives. Finding pictures, determining the exact date each picture was taken and then identifying the event is a huge undertaking.
The biggest problem has been the lack of pictures. In the beginning (1960), Kodak Brownie cameras were the choice. Eight pictues to a roll of film and Rexall Drug would develop the film in a “week or so”. Your Mom was a trailblazer because she bought a Polaroid Camera that took instant pictures. The problem is that it was so crude in design that you wasted lots of film by having to pull it through the camera and then coat the picture with icky, smelly gel. You get the idea. There were no 4G, internet available phones with picture taking ability. Storing 500 pictures on a camera or “camera phone” was unheard of.
So your Mom has had to search near and far to find picture memories. They come from old cameras, Grandma and Grandpas, other family members and friends. Occasionally there is a picture from a local newspaper. You Mom keeps building this trip down “memory lane” for each of you in your scrapbook. It is your memory log. It is special to you.
You have a treasure that keeps on giving. That Treasure is your Mom. Mom? Yep, your Mom.
So the next time pages are added to your personal scrapbook, give your Mom a big hug. It is a labor of love.
Love,
Dad

My company, The Green Bay Packers (of which I have one share of stock) needs to raise prices next year to be competitive. The increases range up to $5 per ticket. Hey, profit is not a dirty word. I’m glad I don’t have season tickets.
This last week has been dedicated to my “body” repair. I have spent many hours in the dentist chair getting cavities filled and crowns put on teeth. My jaw hurts and my bank account feels worse. Then this morning I had my 6 month check-up at Theda-care. I needed to drive through 3-4 inches of snow and significant drifting to get to my early appointment. I figure if my doctor can get to the office, so can I.
So we are finally done with medical expenses. Whoops, your Mom was eating a salad and a crown appeared mysteriously on her tongue. It had fallen off a back tooth. Here we go again. The best outcome is that the tooth gets re-glued in place. The worst outcome is that she needs a whole new crown.
This week end is digging out of more snow. I get to watch the golf tournament in Tucson, Arizona where they have had snow and Danica Patrick competes with all the male studs at Daytona. If things go as normal, she will crash around the 40th lap and blame some other driver for cutting her off.
Oh yeah. Don’t forget the Academy Awards. That is where lots of people get awards for movie categories that no-one understands.
What is “cabin fever”? Stay warm!
Love,
Dad

The snow is falling, the wind blowing up to 40 miles per hour but I did all the things I normally do each morning including exercise. My favorite Grasshopper No.3 plowed me out of the driveway. He gets lots of hugs.
Today is a primary election day and yes, I did vote. I arrived at the voting pole at around 9:00 AM. During the Presidential election, I was around #150 to have voted. This morning I was #19. Voting is more effective than a guns!
I understand that Grandson Mitchell is already done with freshman basketball. I guess at the freshman level, there are no playoff tournaments. From what I could tell, he had a very good year. Go Mitchell.
Grandson Dominic (a freshman) can benchpress 325 pounds of weight. Football players workout all year around. The dilemma is going to be playing him at the correct position. This last season he weighed 185 pounds and played offensive and defensive guard (or tackle). He is growing. His height has increased several inches but his weight has dropped to 160. He is probably stronger. Hey, stronger, lighter, faster. Does it get any better. I think when I played defensive safety many, many, many years ago, I weighed about #147.
Just think, in 30 days I get the snow tires taken off my car!
Love,
Dad

What do Oct.16,1967, Sept.1,1985, and Mar. 16,1987 have in common? Those are the start dates after I switched jobs during my working career. I wouldn’t remember the dates if they weren’t important. It is memorable (some people say traumatic) to switch jobs. New environment. New people. New responsibilites. And of course the promise of something better! Good luck Grasshopper No.4. Feb.18, 2013 becomes a memorable date for you.
I had my teeth cleaned a month ago. “Routine cleaning” is “double speak” for “lets see how many problems can we find in his mouth this time. This morning was one of many appointments. It was to fix a cavity. By the end, half my tooth was replaced and my jaw feels like it was hit by a haymaker boxing punch. Letting a dentist check you mouth regularly is like taking your car to the garage for a free engine analysis. Really?
I mentioned that I had entered my data into Turbo-Tax for the 2012 tax year. I let it sit for about a week to check and recheck the figures. It is still sitting. Even though I prepare my “return” on purchased software, I always get a free publication of current 1040 detailed information and changes for the coming year (Publication #17). It is like having an annual encylopedia. I went to local IRS office. Whoa! Things have changed. Anyone normally pulling free forms off the shelves will have to wait until late February or early March because they aren’t printed. They have a full time armed guard stationed in the lobby. There is no more “walk-up” window. If you want to talk to someone for assistance (like to ask for Pub.#17), you had to wait you turn. There were 6-7 people sitting on chairs waiting their turn first. The wait time was 2 hours. It honestly felt like an armed camp! So I left. I may have to survive without Pub.#17.
Be careful where you step out there. It is a minefield!
Love,
Dad

Today is “Fat Tuesday”. It is the day before the beginning of Lent. This is my kind of day. Eat to excess. Drink to excess. Hey, I do that everyday.
In case you forget, Thursday is Valentine’s Day. I will resist my speech on “contrived commercial exploitation”. It is a day to remember your “sweetie”. It doesn’t have to be diamonds, charm bracelets, or long stemmed roses. It can be as simple as a hand written poem or a caring act. Maybe a few simple words like “I love you”. So here we go. I love you all. Please be my Valentine. Please. Pretty please!
I began entering information into my Turbo-Tax software yesterday. My intent was to “pick away” at it in pieces. You know. Income info (of which there wasn’t much) one day. Deductions the next day. Then medical detail. You get the idea. Wouldn’t you know that one hour would lead to a second hour. Pretty soon I had completed both my Federal and State returns all in one sitting. I still need to check data and file, but essentially I’m done for another year.
Grasshopper No.1 showed Mom how to prepare bean soup. It has something to do with boiling the beans and ham shank in a crockpot overnight and then adding veggies. The soup was scrumptious but the smell permeates the house for a day. Maybe that is what heaven smells like: bean soup.
Hug your Valentine (maybe even your spouse).
Love,
Dad

Rumor has it that Grasshopper No.4 has a new job. I think it means less travel and more opportunity.
Timing is everything. This morning I awoke to 5 inches of snow and the city plows had done their “thing” by heaping mounds of snow in the entrance to the driveway. No matter what I had planned, I wasn’t moving until I snowblowed the drive. My guardian angel (with the little red truck and a plow) had not come through so I filled up the snowblower with gas, opened the garage door to brave the elements and there was Grasshopper No.3, plow and all. Talk about timing. So this morning, Grasshopper No.3 is my favorite. He plowed out his Dad on his birthday (which somehow didn’t seem right) and then again on the day after his birthday.
I know that with all the talk about gun control, people have been purchasing weapons at an incredible rate. It falls under the “right to bear arms”. My exercise facility has people talking about self defense. One lady that is 78 years old apparently feels the need to take steps to protect herself. She purchased a hand gun and is taking shooting lessons in Oshkosh. At 78 she gives a whole new meaning to “pistol packing mama”. Don’t screw with little old ladies.
Stay warm.
Love,
Dad

On Thursday, Feb.7, Grasshopper No.3 turns “umpty umpt”. He has one last year to enjoy the “forties”. No.3 was born in West Allis, Wis. on a Friday (early in the afternoon). We left home to go to the hospital before Nana and Grandpa George could pick up the two older Grasshoppers for a couple of days. When Nana and Grandpa stopped at the house they found hot water that had been boiling on the stove signaling that we had left in a hurry. Grasshopper No.3 was not covered by insurance. As we came in the front door of the hospital, your Mom as taken one direction for maternity care and I was escourted to the hospital office to arrange financial payments (accompanied by Grasshopper No.1 and No.2). I think the cost in 1964 for a normal delivery was around $1,500. We didn’t have $1,500. Somehow, we found a way to pay. Happy Birthday Grasshopper No.3.
My “used” BMW, the ultimate driving machine, should serve me trouble free for many years. It is supposed to be a technological marvel. I have this little yellow light that appears on the dashboard “service engine soon”. I have less than 2000 miles on the car since the last service. I hate when that happens. Grasshopper No.3 has told me to check the gas cap. Sometimes when the gas cap is not tight, it will activate the dash warning. I guess it has something to do with back pressure. I tried to tighten the cap but it didn’t work. I’ve had the light problem in the past. In frustration, I’ve filled the gas tank to the top and sealed the gas cap. The warning light went off. What the hell? All I can think of is I had some “bad gas” and my technilogical marvel went ballistic on me. I never had these kinds of problems on my 1947 “straight 8”, hydramatic Oldsmobile.
Just a note. When Grasshopper No.3 had a engine warning light appear on his truck dashboard, he covered it with black electrical tape. Why didn’t I think of that?
The ground hog did not see his shadaw. We get an early Spring.
Love,
Dad