Ace Wisdom

The electrical spike we got through our home electrical system from last Monday’s lightning strike (near our garage area) was significant. We are still finding new damage. Most of the electrical damage seemed to be in anything with electronic circuit boards.
On the plus side we have upgraded some of our equipment. We now have two new electric garage door openers. The telephone system has been revamped with brand new telephones. The internet works. A new TV replaces the upstairs unit.
On the negative side, we don’t have any door bell system. Our stereo system still needs to be fixed and we found out the controller for the pot gas fired stove in the basement doesn’t work.
Monday we have an electrician coming to check out our system. Friday the serviceman comes for the basement stove.
I have bought lots of surge protectors for electrical outlets.
Our cell phone puked during our electrical crisis so our much needed backup phone system was not available. Of course a 5 year old battery might have had something to do with it. At US Cellular we were told that batteries for our old phone was not available and we would have to talk to a sales person about a “new” system. It would be 20-30 minutes to wait. No it would not. We left the US Cellular showroom. Batteries Plus had the battery we needed and we are back in business with our “old cell” phone. We still don’t have a multiple phone system, we don’t have texting capabilities, we don’t have internet access and we don’t have 3,962 “apps” for personal entertainment. But we do have cell phone capability for under $30 per month. Elderly types can be difficult!
Slowly but surely everything is returning to normal but we won’t be surprised by more electrical damage. Stay tuned.
Love,
Dad

Early Monday morning, a summer storm rolled in with thunder and lightning. One big lightning blast lit up the sky near our house. At 4:00 AM it woke me up.
Suddenly my bed side clock was making funny sounds. The clock had the wrong time on the display. I figured I’d reset it in the morning.
Imagine my surprise when I was leaving the house finding one garage door open. The storm must have “spiked” the garage door opener and caused the door to rise. I tried to operate the door, but it was dead. I tried to operate the other garage door. It was dead too. Bottom line, the electrical boards in the garage door openers were fried from the electrical spike. The doors can still be raised and lowered manually. There will be brand new openers today.
After I returned from my exercise routine, the day was filled with a never ending stream of surprises.
Our phone system was “fried”. We will see a repair man tomorrow.
Our internet access was “fried”. We got it restored after talking through the system with a guy in India.
The central hi-fidelity sound system does not work.
The lights in an upstairs bathroom do not activate.
The TV in the upstairs bedroom is “fried”. Dead, Nada, Nothing.
We are not sure what else has been affected but there probably will be more surprses. Fear not! I have homeowners insurance. Yep. $500 deductible. That means most repair costs will be borne by the home owner: Me.
Our back-up cell phone at least provided some contact with the real world. The electrical spike couldn’t screw up our cell. The phone is probably 5-6 years old with the original battery. You guessed it, the cell phone “puked” (Grasshopper No.5’s discription of unpleasant events). It cuts out, feins “low battery”, and doesn’t charge. Imagine not being able to talk to the outside world. What do we do? We can’t even schedule repair people.
Here is the wisdom. This too shall pass. The sun will come up tomorrow. The electrical spike of Monday morning will be a good story.
Love,
Dad (Zapped in Appleton)

I see the job report came out today and we added 18,000 new jobs last month. We need to generate 175,000 new jobs per month just to handle new young people entering the work force. Then, and I emphasize “then”, we can begin to re-employ all the 20 million people who were laid off or lost their jobs during the recent recession.
I look around and I don’t know where all the new jobs will come from. I’m sure our representatives in Washington, D.C., will continue to work in our best interest.
With all the parades last weekend, I am reminded of Grandpa George and his love of trains and steam engines. In his later years, George and Nana made several pilgrimages to Minnesota to the annual “Steam Engine Exhibition”. Steam engines were big black belching pieces of black iron that ran on coal or chopped hunks of wood. You would see the engines on farms during harvest time with a wide flat belt driving other machiney like thrashing machines and conveyors. They were powerful slow moving tractors that smelled like train steam engines. When you blew the whistle on the engine, it could deafen you.
There was a Sheboygan parade when Grasshopper No. 4 was 4-5 years old. Grandpa and Nana joined us at the parade. George couldn’t wait for the old steam engine to pass by. As it approached, it blew it’s shrill whistle. Grasshopper No. 4 covered his ears and ran away from the parade in absolute panic. I guess when you are surprised as a little kid that can happen.
I secretly thought about trying to find an old, used steam engine when Grandpa George retired and have him restore it to good condition. George knew boilers and steam systems. He loved heavy duty equipment. The thought passed as the dollars to purchase parts became apparent and then, where do you put a big steam engine so that you can work on it. It would have been an interesting project.
The steam engine was just a passing thought, but every now and then I think how much fun it would have been to see Grandpa George and his restored steam engine in a parade.
Love,
Dad

Strawberries picked directly from the fields are infinitely better than those purchased in the grocery store. A special thank you to Grasshopper No.1 and favorite son-in-law for sharing. The only caveat is that you need to eat them while they are fresh because they will spoil quickly.
The 4th of July weekend is usually filled with impromptu family gatherings, good food and stupid fireworks (although our neighborhood exploding rockets were pretty cool).
Grasshopper No.2 was bold enough to host a 4th family outing. The weather was cooperative and her new deck got a workout. Patented hamburger patties along with skewered marinated chicken pieces were fantastic supported by all the other “dishes”. Most (adults) was slowly sipping a funny looking drink with ice cubes and fruit. What the hell is Sangria? Is it supposed to make you talk stupid?
Grasshopper No.2 finished celebrating her “half birthday” on June 30. It has something to do with her real birthday being a non-event because it is so close to Christmas. I guess getting new lawn chairs in December would never happen.
Grasshopper No.4 got his family to celebrate his birthday at St. Anna with steak. Your Mom and I tagged along. As much as I prefer fish these days, St. Anna forces me to do the “rib-eye” thing.
We finished off the holiday weekend with steak sandwiches at Chesters in Plymouth. Now the summer is complete.
Reflecting on the weekend, the common thread is food. Maybe it is a German thing?
So now it is “Hi-ho, hi-ho, off to work we go”. Only 4 more days and we have another weekend. Enjoy!
Love,
Dad

Today is July 1. It marks the implementation of the new “balanced” State budget. It is also the official date that the University of Nebraska becomes part of the BIG 10 conference (which now has 12 schools). Don’t they teach math in college. The NBA (National Basketball Association) is officially on strike. The NFL is on strike. There sure seems to be a lot of tension.
I’ve been reading articles about “old time” baseball players. Several talk about growing up in the 1930’s and 1940’s. There were no TV’s in those days. As kids. these legends of the game would take their small radios and crawl under the covers to listen to broadcast of major league games. The baseball contest would play out in their minds. Ted Williams hitting a homerun. Joe DiMaggio hitting in 56 straight baseball games. Herb Score throwing “bullets” to post another no-hitter. The baseball fantasies were played.
Believe it or not, until I was 13-14 years old, our family did not have a TV. It was in 1954 my Dad bought a new Hoffman black and white TV which required a 20 foot high antenna mounted on top of the City Club for better reception. I grew up having to rely on radio’s for my electronic entertainment. I remember having a radio in my bedroom. I never pulled it under the covers to capture but I found other ways to fully capture a broadcast. The “Shadow” was a favorite. It always began with “who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of man. The Shadow knows”. Then there would be a deep, troubling nasty laugh by the Shadow. The Shadow was always accompanied by his trusty female sidekick, Margo. I always suspected they were an “item” but that was my imagination working. Imagine that!
Radio’s brought me programs like the Lone Ranger, Fibber Magee and Molly, and the Green Hornet. All vivid presentations. All memorable. Under the covers or in a quiet room, the days of radio were special.
Enjoy the 4th of July.
Love,
Dad

Grasshopper No.4 celebrates birthday No.39 tomorrow. The day will be similar to the day he was born. Sunshine. Mid-70’s for a temperature. Clear sailing. Happy Birthday No.4
Grandson Nevin has a birthday tomorrow also. It marks No.24 which almost makes him a senior citizen. Happy Birthday Nevin.
Not family related but Ann Fuerst, a neighbor from Sheboygan also has a birthday tomorrow. Ann would babysit for Grasshopper No.5 (maybe even No.4). Happy Birthday Ann.
My last week has been filled with domestic sh–. Things like putting mulch around the shrubs bordering the house, pulling nasty weeds from the burm in the back of the house, and scraping, priming, and painting the garage door damage of the past winter. Things are looking better but I hurt all over.
I understand that my home town is doing a make-over by having murals painted on walls of old historic buildings. Apparently there was some sort of a competition between cities and Plymouth won. My first thought was the paintings would have a “graffiti” overtone but upon seeing some of the results I have to admit the artistry is very classy. Isn’t putting a mural on a wall like putting lipstick on a pig?
The murals represent everything from types of business, products and evenevents. One mural is for “Cheese Derby Day”. My sister Addie was Cheese Derby Day Queen (I believe in 1963). She was the prettiest queen ever. I have the pictures to prove it.
My Grandpa Jiggs owned Plymouth Spring Bottling Company in the late 1940’s. New murals portray Plymouth Bottling, Bottling Co. and Hi-Ho soda drinks. I’m not sure how all the names historically are tied together but Granpa Jiggs is in there someplace.
The Milwaukee Road railroad, Chaplin Airport and S&R Cheese Company are all in my memory bank. As a kid, I got a summer job washing milk cans for S&R Cheese Co. (yes, farmers put milk in cans for transport to market). All I remember is that it was a wet sloppy job and of course I was underpaid.
The 4th of July is just around the corner. Enjoy the excitement.
Love,
Dad

Grand-daughter Keely is the first Grandchild to graduate college. I think the degree is in business administration which would make it a BSBA. I guess we’ll all get to see her degree at the graduation party. Congrats to Keely. The accumulation of knowledge is something they can never take away from you. Now that she understands money, she will become rich.
Your Mom’s birthday came and went. It was spread over a two week period starting with a vacation through northern Minnesota with Grasshopper No.5 and ending yesterday with a lunch with sister JoAnn. These birthday celebrations are exhausting.
Grasshopper No.3 is selling his Volvo station wagon. It has something to do with wanting to go back to a Saab. There seems to be a restless spirit here.
Rumor also has it that Keely might be selling her Honda Accord as she gets ready for foreign travel. I’m told it is in very good condition for a high mileage vehicle.
Grandson Grant is within a month or two of getting his drivers license. I don’t know if he will be able to buy a used car or not but I know someone who has a used Honda Accord. Grant definitely needs lots of headroom and legroom.
Grasshopper No.4 is a month into a summer class at Lakeland College. It is the last undergraduate course required before admission into a Masters cirriculum. Being in a classroom on a warm summer night sucks. Been there. Done that. Somehow when it is over, it seems worth it.
Summer has officially begun. We are getting our 15 hours and 32 minutes of maximum daylight. The bad news is the days are now getting shorter.
Enjoy the warmer weather.
Love
Dad