Ace Wisdom

The significance of Christmas is of course the birth of The Christ Child. The season is festive and mystical.
There is usually something that ushers in Christmas for me. It can be a soft falling white snow, a sentimental movie or an act of kindness by somebody. I remember sitting at Christmas programs at middle schools put on by you Grasshoppers (yes, I did attend). The Chorus was generally “off-key”. Band members missed notes. I remember thinking “how much better can it get to sit in a warm auditorium(or gym) surrounded by friends, listening to your young child play/sing Christmas music”.
This year Christmas came from a strange place. I was working out at my favorite fitness center (the local Mall) with an 87 year “young” couple. The lady (Margaret) was reminiscing about Christmas. We got on the subject of candles and using them for decorations. They are symbols of warmth, angels and hope. Margaret mentioned that she learned a song as a student in catholic grade school about candles (probably when she was 8-10 years old). She then began to sing the “candle song”. She serenaded me with the entire song. When she finished, there was just silence. It was a special moment. It was amazing that she remembered every word. She ushered in my Christmas season.
May there be many candles in your Christmas.
Enjoy the season!
Love,
Dad

The implementation of Obamacare is beginning. It is supposed to reduce healthcare costs and allow insurance coverage to millions of people who aren’t presently covered. Starting January 1,2014, every employer in the country will have to pay a $63 fee for every person it employs. It is supposed to cover the costs of insurance for people who presently are uninsurable. You can bet most employers are going to pass the $63 on to each employee. It is just part of not increasing taxes to the middle class. Yep! And you believe in the Easter Bunny too! Remember “63”.
Tomorrow is 12/12/12. Just in case you didn’t notice, the date has three “12’s”. By coincidence, Aaron Rodgers wears number 12. My understanding is that the State of Wisconsin is proclaiming the 12th Aaron Rogers day. In high school, I wore the number “21” on my basketball jersey. I’m not aware of any ground swell effort to declare 12/21/12, Chuck A. day. Life is not always fair. Remember “21”.
The famous Mayan calendar ends 12/21/12. The Mayans were supposed to have some sort of mystical, extraterrestrial insights and that Dec. 21 was the day the world would end. Wouldn’t you know that my newly proclaimed Dec.21 “Chuck A.” day would end up being the last day of the world. Won’t that be memorable. Again number “21”.
The good part of the world end coming on the “21st” is that you don’t have to buy Christmas presents. There won’t be a “25th” celebration of the birth of the Christ Child.
Trust me! The world will not end. The only date worth remembering is “25”. You need to keep buying presents. Celebrate the occasion. God wins!
There are just too many numbers. Enjoy the season!
Love,
Dad

It is Dec.7, 2012. It was 71 years ago today that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and we declared War. No, I don’t remember the day because I was only 20 months old. It did affect my life. My Dad went to war. My Uncle Bob went to war. My early life was influenced by people coming and going to war and then the “relief” after the war. So today as always, I pay my gratitude to all those who protected our nation. There aren’t many left.
Today across the nation, movie theaters are showing the documenatary “Honor Flights”. It is the tribute to World War II veterans and their pilgrimage to Washington D.C. to see the World War II memorial. It is supposed to be very “moving”.
For many, Dec.7 is one of those days where people can tell you exactly where they were when they heard the of the bombing. The earliest date that I can remember that shocked me was when John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas in 1963. I was having a noon fish lunch at the VFW hall in West Allis, Wisconsin. The “hall” was stunned. So to all my faithful readers, do you remember where you were Dec.7, 1941? Wait, that means you would have to be at least 80 years old. Nobody reads my “stuff” who is 80.
A belated Happy birthday to Grandson Mitchell. He turned 15 on Dec.5. That is the same night St. Nick comes. Does that mean his birthday gift gets tainted by the St. Nick offerings? I hate when that happens.
The Green Bay Packers play this Sunday night, maybe in a snowstorm. Early weather predictions are from light snow to 6 inches. I was offered 2 tickets to the game (at $92 per pop). Yeah, right. I’m going to sit in 30 degree weather, heavy falling snow and windy conditions. Really!
Enjoy the season.
Love
Dad

I never met Rick Majerus. He was an assistant basketball coach at Marquette University in 1977 when they won the National NCAA championship under Al McGuire. He went on to become a great college basketball coach.
I did meet Ray Majerus (Rick’s Dad). Ray was V-P of the United Auto Workers union in southeast Wisconsin during the late 1960’s. When I was working in Sheboygan, our firm was negotiating a new 3 year contract and talks broke down. “Big Ray” was brought in by the UAW brotherhood to nudge negotiations along. His opening remark at the negotiating table was “you (the company) have the money and we want it”. The remark was followed by a deep provocative chuckle.
The Majerus family lived in Sheboygan Falls until 1970 when they moved to Milwaukee. When Rick became assistant coach at my alma mater, Marquette, I began to wonder who this “Majerus” guy was. Sure enought, he was the son of “Big Ray”. Ray must have weighed close to 400 pounds. When he put his arms on the negotiating table, he had a physical presence. He smoked big cigars and his appetite was legendary. Ray died at age 63.
Son Rick battled the same weight problems (and subsequent heart problems) as his dad. Rick reached a weight of 370 pounds and the resemblance to his dad was remarkable.
The stories about son Rick’s eating were legendary. Pizzas. Lots of pizzas. He would visit Schultz’s restaurant in Sheboygan when in town. He’d order 6 Johnsonville brats without the bun. That came with cups of ketchup and mustard. And sausage. Luedtkes Meat Market was located on North 15th street in Sheboygan. Rick would never leave Sheboygan without generous purchases of fresh cut sausage. Rick battled heart problems all his life and was waiting a potential heart transplantwhen he died. Amazing that he was 64 years old, approximately the same as his dad.
I followed Rick’s career because I knew his dad. I followed him because he was from Sheboygan. I followed him because he liked good Johnsonville sausage. I followed him when he led Utah University against Kentucky in a national college championship game.
There are people who enter our lives that make an impact. The Majerus family was like that. It was interesting that Rick could not avoid the same fate the met took his dad. But Rick did live. Oh my how he lived!
Love,
Dad

Wednesday was a full moon. Strange things happen when the moon is full. By many it is considered a good omen.
I recently had a new furnace installed. Part of the reason was that the energy savings would help pay for it. There was an incentive in the way of a rebate from the furnace company. The State of Wisconsin also has an energy commission that issues a rebate for energy projects. I have received both rebate checks in the mail in the last few weeks. Imagine my surprise on Wednesday when I received a third rebate check from the local power company for $100. It is like the “bird of paradise” flew over and dumped $100 on my parade. It was raining dollars from heaven.
So I figured everything was right. There was a full moon and I had $100 in “house money” as the gamblers say. There was also a record “Power Ball” frenzy going on that day. A record $580 million dollars was going to be won by someone. I decided to take the money I had received by surprise in the mail and use it to buy lottery tickets. Being the big spender that I am, I bought 5 PowerBall tickets at a cost of $10. Surely with all the positive signs, I had a chance of winning big. Yeah, right. Out of 5 tickets (a total of 30 numbers), I had one number that matched what was drawn.
I think my mistake was that I didn’t wear my pure gambler hat. A big time gambler would have let the money “ride”. I received $100 in the mail unsolicited. I should have bet the whole thing. To take advantage of all the day’s positive signs, $100 should have gone to purchase 50 Power Ball tickets. Maybe with 50 chances to win, I would now be talking to a financial advisor about my winnings. Maybe I missed the signs to “let it ride”.
Hey laugh if you will. I’ve still got $90. I wouldn’t call that being a big loser. I can’t help but wonder how close I came to winning one half a billion dollars?
Love,
Dad

When I retired in 1999, “Rippin Goods” had been sold to Ralcorp. Ralcorp was a spin-off company from the old Ralston Purina of dog food fame (remember the checker board squares). When Ralcorp purchased Rippin Good, you could buy a share of their company for $16 per share. Yesterday Ralcorp agreed to be sold to Conagra for $90 per share. That means your investment would have grown to 5 times it’s 1999 value. That sure beats money in the bank earning .75%. No, I did not own any Ralcorp stock. Damn!
I don’t like to sound like “bah humbug” around Christmas but the start of “sales” on Thanksgiving Thursday, official Black Friday, Cyber Monday (which I understand is the biggest computer on-line purchasing day of the year) and “Giving Tuesday”, the commercialism is overwhelming. Giving Tuesday is an attempt by charities to tape into our giving mood.
I am in the process of putting snow tires on our cars. I figure by getting them on before a big snowfall, the weather gods will not be tempted to dump on my parade.
There are some birthdays on the horizon. One in Sheboygan. One in Madison.
Stay warm.
Love,
Dad

Thanksgiving reached a record temperature of 61 degrees. Whoa! I do remember a Thanksgiving when we lived on 6th street in Sheboygan. Temperatures were comparable. We grilled a turkey on the Weber outside and my sister Addie and husband Ike joined our family. What made that day especially memorable was the balmy temperatures.
This morning, “black Friday” I wandered out to my mailbox to get the morning newspaper and it was 26 degrees with 25 mph steady winds. Again whoa! Temps are supposed to be in mid-30’s for the rest of November. Welcome to Wisconsin.
Thanksgiving included eating “out”. Several Grasshoppers, my favorite son-in-law, grandchildren, one great-grandchild and friends joined us. Eating out is no different than home. Everybody eats too much. Of course having a buffet with an infinite number of choices doesn’t help.
I see that Grasshopper No.1 has posted pictures of the “Michael Jordan wannabees” shooting baskets after dinner. Even with tall grand-sons, nobody can dunk the basketball. I was accused of having the backetball rim too high! Yeah, right.
Enjoy the weekend!
Love,
Dad