ramblings

Health Care

2010-12-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

I think everyone agrees that medical care in this country is out of control. If you have money, you get the best care. If you have little money, you get the bare minimum. The Clintons tried to pass a health care bill. That did not work. Now Presdident Obama was successful in passing a bill. Unfortunately it seems as if "everyone" is trying to do away with the bill. "Too costly". "Unconstitutional", "You can't force me to pay for it even though I will benefit", and so on.

Well, this is just one example of what is wrong with our current system: Earlier this year I developed some type of itchy skin on my head. Nothing seemed to work. So, I finally went to see a dermatologist (why wait so long? Co - pay in my plan is out of sight plus doctors no longer accept what the health plan pays them. I always get a "you owe us more money" bill). Anyway she prescribed a shampoo. Before filling it, my pharmacy called to say it woul cost $159 for a one month supply. I told them not to fill it. So, I then checked the web site of my provider to verify the cost: $159. But without insurance the cost would be $400. For a shampoo. I told the pharmacy not to fill it but then, they called the drug company and lo! The cost was reduced to $30!! Just like that. And you better believe they made a profit on the $30.

So, what is right about that?

Work

2009-04-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

I retired in 1964 after about 34 years of service with Uncle Sam. I thought that was about the only job I really had. But, the other day while playing cards, we got to talking about jobs. Who started working the earliest, who worked longer, etc. You know, the kind of stuff old people talk about. So, as best I remember, here it is: My very first job was not really a job in the real sense. But one day, while living in rural Minnesota, north of Mpls, Dad came rushing home, told us (four kids and Mom) to jump in the car and off we went. To dig potatoes! I don't actually remember if we were paid for that in other than potatoes but it was quite an experience. I must have been about 8 years old. After that it was delivering papers for the Mpls Star/Tribune (two deliveries a day then). That was kind of a disaster. For one the hours were not good: Early AM and then mid PM afternoon. Plus I had to collect money for the papers delivered. As I lived in a pretty poor neighborhood, most people did not have the full amount so paid half, a quarter or none at all. Plus, being poor, I was not used to collecting money so usually spent what money I collected. That meant that the Star/Tribune received very little or none. I guess I was about 10 at that time. After that I picked strawberries in Hopkins for a farmer named Glenn. That was also hard work but did provide me with enough money to buy clothes for school. I guess I was about 12 or so. Skip ahead several years. First real job was as an orderly at the Highland Park Nursing Home where my Mom and ex-brother in law worked. I was probably 15 or 16. Next up: After graduation from high school in 1959 I enlisted in the US Army. I served 3 years as a clerk typist in Karlshrue, Germany. After my discharge - I was just 20 - I went to work at a nursing home in Edina. Stayed there about a year. Then, at the advice of an old family friend I applied for a job at the Mpls Water Dept in Fridley. It was a long drive from 38th and Hiawatha in Mpls to Fridley, The money was ok - $2.79 an hour but the work was boring. Again, at the advice from a friend, I applied for a clerks position at the U.S. Dept of Agriculture. I started there in January 1964 at $3.18 an hour. I retired from there in 1994. In between I did a short stint at the Holiday store in Bloomington, MN. Worked in the camera department. Also worked as a janitor for a cleaning business for a month or so. After retirement from USDA, I worked at City Hall in my current city. Worked there for 2.5 years in the Planning Dept. Next up: Work for the Census Bureau as a recruiter. That job lasted just 60 days. Next up: Wal-Mart! Why? I was one quarter short of the 40 needed for Social Security Benefits. I have also painted homes. 6 to be exact but two were repeats. Painting is kind of refreshing. Dirty but when you are done and look at the finished project it is a nice feeling. Only problem is that I have a frear of heights so can only paint a single story home. At this point I am unemployed but have applied to work at the Census Bureau again.

A Great day

2009-03-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 22, 2009 was a really good day. No, I did not win the lottery. Nor has the disease that has plauged my body almost all of my life suddenly gone into remission: I am still bald. Instead I finally found what I have been looking for. I have been on the trail of this item for more years than I care to think about. Antique stores. Garage sales. Flea Markets. Ebay. Craigs list. Only twice have I seen this priceless item and each time it was way overpriced for the condition. If I was going to spend the money, I wanted it to be worthwhile. On Sunday, with nothing else to do, I had driven to Platte City, MO - about 30 miles north of where I live to go to an antique sale in the local high school. Nothing there even remotely tempted me. A few miles further North was an antique Mall that my wife and get to about once every three years or so. The only things I really look for are items relating to the Peanuts comic strip and old record alblums. But I am fussy about what I buy. It has be unique and, more importantly, cheap. really cheap. I did see something there that tempted me. It was a box of Peanuts stationary, complete with envelopes. Only problem was the price: $19.50. That may not seem like a lot of money but to me it was. So, I just sucked it up and walked on.

When I look at record alblums, I normally only look at the first 3 - 5. That pretty much tells me what type of music the rest of the records are. I know, I could be wrong and over the years may have overlooked some real gems. But I don't know that. I also don't look at alblums that are piled one on top of another as that causes ring wear. Anyway, I stopped at the first booth that had records. It looked a bit promising with some records on the wall. As I thumbed through the first row, my heart starting to thump a little faster. There were alblums there by the artist I had been searching for but I already had those. But just to find any by him was a rarity. And then, as I flipped through alblum number 5, there it was: The Crown Jewel. The Hope Diamond. The Holy Grail.

At first I could not believe it. I thought: "There must be something wrong with it". It was encased in a plastic sleeve for protection and the jacket itself was still bright and shiny. I pulled the record out. It was just as beautiful as the day it was produced. No scratches, mars, fingerprints, etc. Just Pristine. I had purposely avoided looking at the price because I just knew it was going to be way more than I could afford. But, I had to find out. By now my heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to fly out of my chest. I took a quick peak: $75!! Whoa. Way too much. But then my eyes focused and the $75 turned into $15! That was doable. I grasped the alblum tighter in my hand, tried to walk calmly to the front desk where the cashier was located and asked her to hold that for me while I continued shopping. But in my heart I just knew that when I checked out the cashier was going to tell me my alblum had been mismarked and the real price was a gazillion dollars. But that did not happen. $15!!! Unbelievable!! And by the way: The record is titled "PERSPECTIVE" by Rick Nelson. It completes my collection. Like I said, it was a really good day.

Don't Fence Me In

2009-01-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know when it started but I really hate crowds and really hate having people (strangers) sit next to me. Every time I see a news clip of massive crowds of people gathered to hear the Pope, at a football/basball game, at a rally, etc, I thank the inventor of the TV! Yes, I know that TV does not have the same atmosphere as being there in person but it is sure more comfortable and convenient.

It is not that I am a recluse. I have attended concerts for Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Ricky Nelson and ELVIS. No denying, the experience was great - even if the view was not. Greater than that though is the enjoyment of close-ups, stereo sound, bathroom breaks (where do people "go" when surrounded by 200,00 other people?), snack breaks etc. when watching TV.

What brought this to mind was a recent dinner at our favorite pizza place. It is an informal place - the type where you place your order at the counter and when your pizza is ready, the cook yells out your name and then you pick it up. Well tonight, my wife and I were the only ones in the place (which has about 20 booths. We sat in the only one that had enough light to read by. Shortly after we sat down, another couple sat down right behind my wife. That was just a bit annoying as they had 19 other booths to sit in. Bad as that was, it soon got worse. Another couple came in and sat down - you guessed it - behind me! Next a third couple came in and sat behind the couple who was behind me! So now we have four couples sitting in a row. All talking at once while the rest of the restaurant was empty. Sort of like all of the passengers in a rowboat sitting on one side.

At the movies most poeple normally try to sit in the middle somwhere past the first 10 rows or so. As we like to be alone, we often pick seats toward the aisle and in the last row. Why the last row? Well, if not people will either sit a seat or two away in our row our just behind us. And talk throughout the whole show. In the last row though, no one can sit behind us. We have also learned to throw our coats over the seats in front of us so no one will sit there. If the the theatre fills up however, we do have the social smarts to remove our coats.

The same goes for parking. I normally try to park my car far enough away so that no one will pull along side me, open their doors and bang into my doors. On really busy shopping days that is sometimes impossible to do. But on most days, I can park a gazillion rows away from the store, hoping that no one will park with me. Wrong. Invariably someone will park right next to me even though there are 40,000 other parking spaces.

Where am I going with this. I don't know, I just hate crowds. So if you see me in a restaurant, movie theatre, parking lot, please stay away.

Santa Claus

2009-01-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

In todays world I wonder how many children stop believing in Santa Clause at too early of an age?

As an adult I know that the typical image of a stout old man in a red suit flying through the sky in a sleigh powered by reindeer is just a childhood tale. That does not mean that the spirt of that man does not exist. What follows is a true story that illustrates that Santa is real.

A month or so before Christmas 2008, my hometown newspaper asked adults to write letters to Santa. No restriction on content, just what would you - as an adult - ask Santa to bring? The best of those letters would be published in the paper just prior to Christmas. This is what I wrote:

"Dear Santa:

Ever since I was 12 I wanted only one thing for Christmas: a rifle. But not just any rifle (and not a BB gun). Mine had to be like the one my best friend Roy Maleka had: lever action, .22 caliber, octagon barrell with brass stock and butt plate.
Every year I peeked under the tree, but well, you know - no rifle. After awhile I begin to wonder if you existed or cared. So I stopped writing you you and instead dropped hints to Mom and Dad, then to my wife and eventually to my daughter.
Still no rifle. I am now 67 and maybe, just maybe, this will be the year?

David"

Over 400 letters were received and mine was one of those published. Several days after the publication my wife and I returned home from playing cards with friends. The answering machine was blinking alerting us to a message. This is what the caller said: "If you are the David whose letter to Santa was published in the newspaper, please give me a call".

Well, my first reaction was that it was someone offering to sell me a rifle or maybe, it was my friend Roy Maleka that I have not seen for over 30 years! It was neither. The caller said he had a rifle for me. Not quite like the one I was looking for but a rifle nevertheless. And the best part? He was offering it to me absolutely free! That's right, FREE! The next day I drove to his home and picked up my "new" rifle. Yeah, it was not quite what I wanted but it will do. And the man who gave it to me? Believe it or not, he resembled Santa (without the beard of course)!

So you see, the spirt of Santa does exist.

Words Of Love

2008-12-29T12:53:00.000-08:00

When asked what the most powereful words in the English language are,most people will say the are "I love You".Well, recently I was the recipient of two sets of words that meant much more than those.

1. I am one of four children. With the exception of my youngest brother, the rest of us are pretty much klutzes when it comes to repairs. Yes, we can all change a lightbulb (with help)or tape a torn piece of paper but that is about it. My Grandson, however, thinks differently. Recently he and my Daughter spent three weeks with us. We played a lot, went sledding, watched Goidzilla movies and played with his trucks. For him, when batteries go dead in his toys, he brings it to me to "fix". Or when the wheels fall off one of his trucks, Grampa gets to fix it.Or when his diaper needs to be thrown in the trash, guess who he brings it to? Me of course!. So, in his eyes I am the greatest fixer in the world. And I am not just assuming this 'cause one day he told his Momma: "Grampa can fix anything". You know what? After that I felt like I could.

2. After their visit my Daughter and Grandson were heading home. As we were standing in the security line at the airport, I was taking as many pictures as I could. Just before they went into the secure area, I knelt down (to be at my Grandson's level) to take one final picture. Apparently he saw nomething that I did not know was happening to me. He moved close to me, put his arm around my neck to give me a hug and said: "Don't cry Grampa". Even at the age of 3 he understood that by leaving we would not see each other for quite awhile.

Words of Love? Yes!

Who Speaks For God

2008-09-16T14:09:00.001-07:00

I was visiting my Daughter in Florida a few weeks ago. Now, Florida is OK but just not for me. (I live in the midwest). Too many bugs, too many weeds and the weather is really the pits. Anyway, a few blocks from my Daughter's home is a church. It's name: Brown's Church. I assume it is named after the pastor. My first thought was how arrogant can a person be to name a church for celebration of God after himself? I'll admit I am far from a religious person but the whole idea sort of freaked me out.

After that I started paying more attention to churches. Do you have any idea how many different branches of the Christian faith there are? Baptist, United Church of Christ, Episcopal Churches, Bible Churches, American Baptist Churches, Rainbow Memmonite, Disciples of Christ, Assemblies of God, Christian Science, Salvation Army, Unity, United Methodist, Quaker, 7th Day Adventist, Morman and no telling how many more. The only thing they appear to have in common is that they are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. But some are more ornate than others (check out the Catholics with their fancy robes, vestments, chalices, etc.). Or the snake biting Baptists. What is that all about? Or the Baptists that picket soldiers funerals believing that God killed the soldiers. How sick and twisted is that! How in the heck did organized religion grow from the simple teachings of a carpenter to what we have today?

Have you noticed that more and more often, the number one person mentioned in newspaper and TV ads is the name of the pastor? No mention of God. Just "come and join Pastor Bob and his wife Cindy Lou. And the churches! Nothing simple there. Now many have huge auditoriums with sound and lighting systems to rival any concert hall. Nurseries, schools, even coffee shops! What happened?

The next time you go to church - if you have the nerve - stand up and ask your pastor/reverend/priest, etc, this simple question: Do you speak for God? The answer should be: No, because no one can speak for God. And you could also ask him/her if God speaks to them. try it.

TAXES

2008-04-14T17:04:00.000-07:00

The first year I was required to file a tax return was in 1959. I don't actually remember if I had to pay but I did have to file. That was in the days when the short form was really short. Pretty much of how much did I make, then this was my tax liability. All done on a cardboard IBM punch type card. Now the short form is a full page and the instruction alone is about 42 pages long. Last year - for the first time - I made a mistake which resulted in me owing extra monies to IRS. They sent me a letter, telling where my mistake was, how much more I owed and then to top it off, assessed me a penalty for not paying the full amount on time. The penalty was only about $3 but it was irrating to be fined over a simple mistake. But I got over that. Until this past Sunday. In the Sunday paper (actually the PARADE Magazine) there was an article about taxes. According to that article, 61% (that's right, 61%) of U.S. Corporations paid no taxes. That included 39% of large corporations but did not list them. Wal-Mart? Ford? GM? Yellow Freight? Sprint? Who knows? In 2007, according to the article, corporations shouldered just 14.4% of the U.S. tax burden compared with about 50% in 1940. Guess who made up the difference? This year, individuals are expected to pay $1.21 TRILLION (an increase from $1.16 TRILLION in 2007. Corporate taxes declined from $370 BILLION in 2007 to $364 BILLION in 2008. That's right: you and I pay trillions while corporations pay billions. And guess who is responsible for that? Your friendly elected representative. According to the Citizens for Tax Justice, the corporate tax burden in this country is the worlds third lowest when measured as a percentage of gross domestic product. So, the bottom line is that you and I are paying high taxes so that corporations do not have to. In all fairness, some elected officials are trying to end this. In February, the house passed a bill to end $18 billion in tax breaks for oil companies. But will the bill clear the senate and be signed by the president? Probably not. At the same time the head of the House Ways and Means Committee has introduced legislation to trim corporate tax rates while reducing loopholes. "Trim tax rates" "Reduce loopholes"? What does that mean. Less taxes for corporations or more? So, when you mail your check to uncle sam this year, think about how much you would pay if all corporations (and all citizens)paid taxes. No deductions. Everyone pays.

Tipping

2008-04-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

I was at Bob Evans restaurant last week with friends. One of the couples split a meal (but asked for separate plates), ordered water, and at the end of the meal, asked for a take home carton. Their bill came to $9.93 for which they left a $1 tip. The waitress was very attentive, refilled water/pop/coffee glasses frequently and when she brought the take home carton, included an extra dinner roll for that couple. I was embarrassed - even though I really do not believe in the practice of tipping. As I see it, it is the responsibility of the employer to play a salary based on the skill/difficulty of the job. Be a broom pusher at the mall - receive minimum wage. Be a doctor - receive a whole bunch. The salary does not nned to be enough to earn a living on, just a fair wage for the services performed. But somehow the restaurant industry has convinced us that we should pay those wages. Worse yet, they have also convinced the government that minimum wage does not apply to their business. Back to this couple. They are both in their 70's so have been around long enough to know how the restaurant business operates: Waitresses and waiters depend on tips for thier income. a lousy $1 tip will not go far. Even at 20%, the tip would only have been $2. As I said, I hate the whole idea of tipping. Unfortunately though, it is here to stay so I play the game. But I do not tip, the trashman, the mailman, the barber, the grocery store bagger, etc. I only tip at restaurants. I don't tip on the value of the meal however. After all what does that have to do with it? I mean 20% of a $60 meal is $12. That is $12 for about 10 minutes work. I know: the waiter must share with the cook, the runners, dishwasher, etc. But then, go to a Waffle House/I-Hop/Perkins/etc for breakfast with a bill of $8.00. A 20% tip is only $1.60 but the service is so much better. Constant refills on drinks, constant checks on how things are going, etc. Again, what does the cost of the meal have to do with how much you elect to tip? Go to a McDonalds type restaurant. Friendly service, fast service, food is always done right, etc. Tip? Nope. The employer pays a fair wage. So the moral of this is: If you feel obligated to tip, then tip on the service you receive, not the value of the meal.
P.S. The couple mentioned above? I went to a breakfast with him a few days later and he left $0.00

The State of Kansas

2008-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

My home state of Kansas is somewhat noted for a few crazy organizations. For one, The State Board of Education has been trying for several years to require that creationism (as an explanation for the origins of man) be taught in the schools. I think that controversy is over. Recently, the Westboro Baptist Church has taken the limelight away from the Board of Education. For those of you who do not know who that is, they are the "christian" Church that pickets the funeral services of service men and women killed in Iraq and Afganistan. They do so because they claim the soldiers were killed as punishment for the nation's tolerance of gays and lesbians. (I don't believe than anyone can speak for god so how do they "know" this? And if we are all created in god's image, does that make god gay?) Yes, I understand the concept of free speech. Without it, we would not have a free and open form of government. But there are limits. You cannot yell "FIRE" in movie theatre. You cannot say "I have a bomb" in the airport and expect to escape punishment. You cannot slander someone. Where am I going with this? Well just recently the govenor of Kansas signed into law a bill requiring protestors to stand at least 150 feet from funerals. There is also a restriction that limits the protest to so many hours before and after the funeral. Other states have passed similiar laws. In fact a federal judge in Maryland just issued liens against the church in the amount of $5 million for its protests at the funeral of Marine Cpl Matthew A. Snyder, age 20. Unfortunately that will not stop the church. Only laws similar to the KS one will do that.

Cars

2008-03-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

It is funny what things peopple remember. While I cannot remember the name of someone I was just introduced to, I can remember the floor plan of every place I lived. But who cares about that? Cars? That is a different story. The first car I bought was right after my discharge from the US Army in 1962. It was a 1954 Mercury two door hardtop with leather seats. It had a bit of rust on the passenger side rear wheel well but it only cost me $175. Two tone orange and white. Automatic. I bought it with the money I saved while in the Army. After the mone money ran out, I went to work as an orderly in a nursing home in Edina, MN. With steady money coming in I was ready to improve my wheels. 1956 Chevy convetible, Green and Turquoise. Automatic with the wonder bar radio. I really loved that car but in a moment of weakness traded it for a 1958 chevy 2 door sedan. I think I did that because my older brother had the same car before he and I joined the Army. What a lemon!. For the first and only time in my life I backed out of a loan and returned the car to the dealer. My next car was a 1954 Dodge I bought from a friend at work. I don't remember a lot about that car except one unique feature. It had a combination standard/automatic transmission. Used the clutch to shift into 1st gear, then it was an automatic. By this time I had a better job at the U.S. Department of Agriculture so was looking for a better car. I bought my older brother's 1956 Ford Crown Victoria. Blue and white. When he owned it, the car was very nice. By the time I acquired it, things were falling apart. I did another really dumb thing: I removed the accent trim chrome from the side and had Earl Scheib (who remembers him?) paint it all one color - turquoise. The cost, as I remember - was $29.95. It really looked ugly. Next I bought a 1956 Chevy two door sedan from a friend of my wife. Bad choice. Another clunker. Eventually sold it to my younger brother who was/is a wizard with anything. For awhile he raced it at the racetrack in Shakopee. Eventually he sold it. Next up was my first new car. 1965 Corvair Monza. 110 cubic inch. 3 speed on the floor. Bucket Seats But no power on the any grade bigger than 1% And, more important for MN, no heat to speak of. But, on the plus side it was a really cool looking car. The Corvair was probably my favorite car. It looked nice and was fun to drive. I installed speakers in the rea window, added a tachometer and red line tires! My wife and I took our first vacation in that car. a trip to California through the Black Hills, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas. Destination: Los Angeles. Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Wax Museum, The observatory and the WATTS Riots. The another dumb move (notice the trend?). I bought a 1957 Ford from my brother in law. Only problem was that it would not start in the winter. I didn't keep that car very long. I kept the Corvair for a lot of years and traded it only because of a minor accident. While driving south on Cedar Ave, I hit an ice patch and spun out of control. Bent the frame. After that the car looked like it was going sideways. To replace it, I bought a 1968 Chevy Biscayne 4 door sedan. Not a cool car at all. BUT, automatic, A/C really big trunk and a 25 (?) gallon gas tank. Bt that our daughter was about 3 so we all drove out to California again, following the same route we used in the Corvair. Shortly after that I bought a VW Beetle from my older brother. While he had, he installed flared fenders on the rear and removed the rear bumber. It really looked cool. Best of all? It had a gasoline heater which was great for the cold Minnesota winters. I added glass pack mufflers so it sounded cool too. We moved to my current home in KS and brought both the VW and Chevy with. By this time we were looking to replace the Chevy. I'm not sure when I sold the VW. A friend at work had just bought a 1975 Ford Pinto and really praised it. Based on his recommendation, I bought one. Big mistake. Small. Terrible gas mileage and did not start well in winters. I only kept that car a few years and then bought another new car: A VW Rabbit. That was a nice car. Good gas mileage. fun to drive and one of the last cars to have crank out side vent windows! The three of us and one of my nieces took that car to CA. Same route as previously. We traded it only because it had a blown piston and the mileage was piling up. Next up, A Nissan Stanza. Another really nice car. Bigger than the Rabbit. 134,000 miles later I traded it for a Ford Taurus. Midnight Blue out, and light blue in. Velour seats. A/C. Automatic. Bucket Seats. (Somewhere in this time frame I bought another car from my brother in law. A really big Cadillace two door coupe. White out and red inside. 8 track tape player, automatic, automatic trunk, PS/PB, etc. Only problem was that it had some type of electrical problem that always drained the battery. We gave the car to my In-laws who lived in Monticello, MN. ) Now things really get fuzzy. I also bought a 1954 Ford four door sedan. Bought it on a whim because it looked nice. Another lemon. Difficult to start and would always "lock up" (vapor lock I think) . When will I learn? After selling the Ford, we were down to one car. I bought a 1972 Nova two door sedan from a friend at work. It was a nice car. But, by the time we acquired it, it had seen better days. I sold that car after a few years so we were down to one - which was OK with my wife but it did limit what we could do. Somewhere in this time frame, I bought a car for my Daughter. It was a red VW. Really nice car. She drove that the last two years she was in high school. When she married, I "took" the car back. I had plans for it!. Looking for that second car, I bought a 1/4 ton Chevy pickup. The owner had done a lot of exterior modications to the truck so it looked real cool. After a blown head casket though, I decided to sell it to my son in law (who owned a garage. He fixed it and then sold it). To replace it I bought a bigger pick up. Nissan. Roll Bars, bucket seats, King Cab, realy big tires. Power all over and A/C. Really a nice truck but it had a lot of miles on it and eventually it started to just fall apart. To replace the truck, I bought a 1993 GEO tracker. White with white convertible top and black interior. A/C, Power. It is a bumpy ride but is fun to ride. I still had the Taurus but it was fast becoming a high mileage car , over 134,000 miles. I traded it for a Ford Windstar Van. The van was really practical. big, front/rear heater and A/C, Traction Control, and 25 gallon fuel tank. The mile piled up on that car pretty fast. My last purchase was 4 years ago. Traded the van for a Toy0ta Rav 4. Another nice car. CD/Cassette player, A/C, power and good fuel mileage. That car now has 90,000 so it is almost decision time. Buy another car or wait a few years to see hoe fuel economy improves with the new hybrids.

I did have another car that I did not drive too often. Again, the time frame is a bit hazy but it was shortly after my Daughter married. I bought a car kit - 1929 Mercedes. Before I bought it I asked my talented younger brother if he would put it together for me. Yep he said. And he did. Only problem was that the interior of the car was so small, I could barely fit in it. Same for the passenger. The interior was only big enough for a 12 year old child. For the drive train, I used the red VW I bought for my daughter when she was in high school. So, there it is, a list of all the cars I have owned/drive since 1962.

Radio Days

2008-03-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

The first radio I remember listening to was one of those furniture pieces that stood about 4 feet tall and took up substantial wall space. For some reason I can even remember one program: listening to the results of the Truman/Dewey presidential race. Why I was doing that - I was only abaout 5 years old - I don't remember. That radio was in my first home located at 13 W 29th St In Minneapolis. The next radio I remember was quite a few years later - in about 1954 or so. It was a small transister that was shared by me and my siblings. That was a real step because for the first time I could listen to what I wanted, not just what my Dad wanted. Many years passed. The next radio was actually a combination radio/phonograph I received for my 17th birthday. That was really neat! Unfortunately, I had it shipped to Germany during my tour with the US Army and in a moment of stupidity, left it there.

I bought my first true stereo from Best Buy in Edina, MN. That was in about 1965. It was just 50 watts and needed separate speakers but to me it was really awesome. I kept that stereo for a lot of years. Initially I did not own a cassette player. Instead I opted for an 8-track tape player. At the time I felt the 8-track had more to offer and would blow cassettes out of the water. I went so far as to have one installed in my 1965 Corvair Monza. It was mounted under the dash with a slide out brackett so I could put it in the trunk when I left the car attended. With a small loan from my Mother, I even bought a 8-track recorder so I could transfer music from LP's to 8-tracks. Unfortunately, cassettes dominated the business so eventually I had to switch to that format. I did buy some cassettes - mostly music I already had on 8-tracks or LP's. Then, the big switch. I bought a really good receiver - 200 watts or so with surround sound. That was when I retired in 1994. I also bought my first CD player. It is a 6 disk cartridge type so it does not take up as much room as the carousel type. My first car with a cassette player was a Nissan Stanza. After that was a Ford Taurus and then a Ford Windstar Van. My most recent car - a Toyota RAV 4 plays both cassettes and CD's. At about this time, I started buying CD's to replace the cassettes. Now, MP3 players are the in thing. And - depending on the size - can store a gazillion songs. Even the smallest plays about 250 songs! Heck, I don't know if I even have 250 favortie songs! So, I am in a dilema: When I go for my daily walk, do I carry my portable walkmen to listen to CD's, my portable cassette to listen to cassettes or the always faithful radio or go wild and invest in a MP3 player. If so, one that plays MP3 Format only, one with FM radio? With Pictures? With Movies? HELP!!!

Things politicians do

2008-03-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

My city made several changes last year that affects everyone who works here or lives her. One was to make all public places smoke free. If you are a smoker that could be devasting but only if you let it. For those of us who are non-smokers it is great. For way too many years we have to put up with people who felt it was their "right" to put us at risk from second hand smoke and polute our clothes, hair and skin with smoke. No more walking through a cloud of smoke from employees smoking in the front access to a business. And, to set the record straight, the loss in business/revenue did not happen. In fact business has improved as non smokers realized they could now frequent the business of their choice and not worry about the effects of 2nd handsmoke. Life is great!
The second thing the city did was to impose a crushing motel tax. I think it is now 18% (If credit cards charged that much, or home mortgagees, it would be considered unfair, fould, etc.). The reason? To pay for pet projects that citizens did not want to pay for. Now, I realize that many cities throughout the country have the same type of tax, but I always thought my town was better than that. Guess not. Now the word is "come, visit us and see all we have to offer but while you are here, help us pay for a few special projects". I'm ashamed for the city counil that voted for that increase.
The third is the city decided to annex land south of the city. This is not the first time but it is certainly the biggest. This time the excuse went like this: development is coming so we want to make sure it is developed correctly (i.e. more strip malls). The fact that most of the residents in the soon to be annexed area to not want annexation was not a factor. Again the city just said: (more or less) learn to live with it. With the annexation my city will be the 2nd biggest in the state. But big is not always good. With it comes decay of the older parts of the city, increases in taxes to run sewers, new roads, increase in government to handle the new areas, etc. Shame on the city for this land grab.

Gun Control

2008-03-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

The majority of the U.S. Senate is applying pressure on the Parks Service to allow guns in the National Parks. I have no doubt that this is the result of "bribes" (see footnote below) from the NRA to our elected officials. Plus the majority of States now allow citizens to carry concealed weapons. All under the guise of self protection. I guess the thought is that if you see someone with a gun you can whip yours out and blast away. Well, the idea of protecting yourself by carring a gun is a false image. Most people that are killed with guns are killed in a drive by shooting, gang violence, or domestic disturbance. Would another gun have helped the victim? Probably not. And the recent mass shootings? Well maybe, but most likely more innocent people would have killed by untrained people whipping out their handguns and shooting wildly into a crowd. Although it is true that "guns do not kill people" (people kill people), the availability of guns makes killing so much easier.

In my opinion, the only solution is for the Supreme Court to take up the issue of what the Constitution says (actually what the writes meant it to say). By doing that they need to put the Article on the militia and right to bear arms in context. At the time the Constitution was written, firearms were pretty much the same for hundreds of years. Single shot, flintlock, black powder. The writers had no idea how firewarms would evolve into what they are today. But more important the writers were writing from a view of this country not having a standing professional army but thought in terms of a militia being necessary to protect the country from foreign interference. With that thought in mind, think about this: Let everyone in the country have a gun BUT only of the type know at the time the Constitution was written. Single shot, flintlock, black powder. One per individual. Try and do a drive by shooting with that. Or muder your family. Or commit robbery. A simple solution. After all, limiting the type of guns is no different that limiting the amount of loan interest, the size of a home in a neighborhood, how loud you play your music, how much you contribute to a political candidate, etc. If we truly want to be a leader a nations then we need to limit the amount of violence that happens every day - especially that with guns.

FOOTNOTE: Anytime an elected offical, appointed official or regular government employee (at any level) accepts ANYTHING from a corporation, company, individual, etc. they are in effect agreeing to do something for that entity. Yes, they may call it a campaign contribution, speaking fee, just a simple lunch, etc, and say they cannot be swayed. But they can and will. The donors know this. After all they don't buy lunches, pay for vacations, lodgings,car rentals just because they are nice people. They fully expect something in return.

Change

2008-01-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

Change is almost always good. Without it, we would still be living in caves and wearing skins to keep warm. On the other hand, some change is not ever good. I was brought up to alaways to "sir" or "ma'm". That seems to have gone by the wayside. Saying thanks was just a way of life. Today? Not many people bother. They are too preoccupied with cell phones, MP-3 players, etc to notice that you held the door open for them. Change isn't always good. It used to be that you could tell a woman that she looked nice. It seemed to make her day. Not anymore. Tell that to a young woman today and she will slap a sexual harrassment lawsuit on you. Why? Because you noticed she was a woman. Have you walked into a waiting room (doctor, motor vehicle, or been on a bus/subway where people are standing? At one time, men/children gave their seats to women and seniors. Not anymore. Hey, I got here first. Change isn't always good. At one time children were allowed to be children until they graduated from high school. Now parents rush their children into adulthood before they are ready. Maybe that is why so many young "adults" still act like children. Be a teacher and give a child a hug? Nope, can't do that anymore. Again, change is not always good. Nativity scene on the city courtyard lawn? Why that might offend one person. We used to dress up just to go downtown. Funerals, weddings, graduations and such were always an occassion for suits and ties, nylons, hats and gloves. Sort of like respecting the person being honored. Now? Shorts, t-shirts, jeans, and basball caps worn backwards. And, don't forget to stick a phone/headphone in your ear. No, Change is not always good. Men remove their hats while sitting down to eat? Not anymore. Yeah, it is changing world but I sure miss the "niceities" in life. Those things that made us civilized.

Books

2007-12-31T13:41:00.000-08:00

I love to read. The first book I actually remember reading was in the 3rd or 4th grade at Grant School in Mpls. The book was the telling of the story of King Arthur and His Knights Of The Round Table. It left such an impression on me that to this day I still seek out stories of King Arthur. My collection consist of about 58 books. Some old, some new. I have also added movies to the collection as well as postage stamps. While still in grade school I graduated to adult books. Then - the 50's - adult meant books that were written for adults versus books written for kids. My favorite hangout was the Sumner Branch Library on Emerson Ave and Olsen Highway. There were two librarians there who were just fabulous with kids. Unfortunately I do not remember their names. But I can still picture them in my mind. My first adult books were written by the same author: Mika Waltari. "The Egyptian", "The Roman", "The Etruscan", The Adventurer", and "The Wanderer". Whle I still continued to read books written for kids, I continued to read more and more adult books. Mom encouraged that. She loved to read - especially True Crime magazines. It was as a rsult of reading adult books that I fell in love with ancient history. "Gods, Graves and Scholars", by C.W. Ceram hooked me on aracheology and taught me that the old stories were in a lot of cases true. And that was my goal in life - to be an archeologist. Unfortunately, my Mom and Dad did not have the money nor was I ever encouraged by anyone to go to college. At that time I thought college was for the rich and exceptionally smart and I was neither. So college never happened. The Army did, then marriage and then a Daughter. Life goes on. Some dreams are just that - dreams. At the same time I was reading books on archeology and ancient history, I became hooked on Science Fiction. I can still remember the first book I read it. It was in the Central Avenune Branch of the Mpls Library. Just walk in the front door (the front desk was straight ahead), make an immediate right then another. On the wall facing Central Avenue was a rack of Science Fiction. I picked one that told the story of Earth's first contact with aliens. there were actually two books in the series. The first delt with an alien crashing on Earth and the second when Earth was invited to be a member of the Intergalatic United "Nations". The alien's name was Clonar. Anyway from then on I was hooked. Science Fiction and Ancient History - what a combination!. I read about two books a week and always have about 3 books on the library waiting list. I mean what would happen if I was snowed in with nothing to read? Horrors! But I am not the only one in my familty to read. My Sister and older Brother read a lot. As did my Mom. I say "did" because she has macular degeneration. My Daughter is an avid reader and is passing that along to her son. Last year for my birthday, my Daughter and Grandson gave me a t-shirt for birthday. It has a picture of an older man sitting in a chair reading to a yhoung man who is sitting on a stool in front of him. It is title: Real Men Read Books. My autobiography is titled: Bookreader. That sums it up.

Winter Woes

2007-12-28T16:18:00.001-08:00

It snowed again yesterday. About 3 inches or so. This is the fourth snowfall this month! Now you would think that as I was born and raised in MN that I would look forward to winter. Not so. I dread it. What can you do in the winter unless you have places to skate, sled, ski, or snowmobile? Where I live the weather is normally not cold enough nor has enough snow for that. In fact the most popular skating rink is inside! As I shoveled my driveway and sidewalk this AM I thought: "Will Spring ever arrive? Will Winter ever end?" Normally Winter is pretty much over by early March. In Fact, the first couple of years I lived here, I would prep the lawn including fertilizer. I always used to call my younger brother (who still lives in MN) and brag to him that while he was still buried in snow drifts with another month or so of Winter ahead, I was enjoying Spring. Not lately though. Last year it was still cold when we left to visit our daughter in FL. Also, it seems as if Winters are starting earlier, getting colder and lasting longer. But maybe that is just another part of growing older! Maybe I should petition my congressman for funding so that I can move to a warmer location!

Too Little Time

2007-12-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

I'm depressed. When my pictures were not ready at the photo studio the other day, I decided to kill some time at Barnes and Noble - the bookstore. At one times I used to buy all of my books but only paperbacks (the story was just as good in that format as the hardbound variety). Then, about 6 years ago I decided that buying books was pretty dumb. The library here is very good in that it buys just about anything in print, video, audio, and music. The downside is that I may have to wait awhile for a recent book to be available but that is ok. The book will be just as good later as now. I normally check out the best seller list in the Sunday paper and order books from the library that appeal to me. Of course, there are a whole lot of books that never reach the best seller list that are really great. Maybe not up to Oprah's standards but great anyway. Hence a periodic trip to Barnes and Noble or Walden Books. The reason I am depressed is that during my recent visit I saw so many books that appealed to me but realized that no matter how many I read, I could never read them all (I guess if I gave up sleeping I could - maybe). Books are published faster than I can read. Brad Thor, Wilbur Smith, James Twining, Raymond Kourhy, Clive Cussler, Jack Whte, Bernard Cornwell, Stephen Lawhead, John Chrisham, Stephen Coonts, Dale Brown, W.E.B. Griffith, Harry Turtledove, and so on. And, I have not ready by James Paterson or Sandra Brown!. To make matters worse, each author has written not just one good book, but many. What is a person to do? Just read as many as possible and hope I live a long, ling life.

Heroes

2007-11-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

It seems recently that the definition of a hero has changed. At one time is was a person who sacrificed much to help others - regardless of the risk. Jump in the water to save someone from drowning, thor yourself on a grenade to save your friends, rush into a burning building, etc. Well, I guess you get the meaning. To a young boy his Dad is a hero. To a sick person, the doctor who makes him feel human again. I know a hero, actually a person whose life we could emulate and be a better person for it. She is my Sister. When my Dad died ofcancer in 1969, my Sister and her husband opened her home and invited Mom to live with them and their three kids. The move required remodeling the house so that Mom could have a place of her own, not just a bedroom. Vacations were planned with Mom's interests in mind. At first she lived in the basement that us kids finished for her. Then we remodeled the upstairs part of the house so that she had the entire area to herself.. That arrangement worked well for Mom but I am sure it was a disruption for Sister and her family. But she and her family always made Mom feel like she belong - she was family. Eventually when Mom was ready, she moved out on her own - the first time since she was born! But then, about 4 years ago, Mom's health started to fail. Severe back problems and macular degeneration. Mom tried to fight off the inevitible as long as possible but eventually she could no longer live alone and would not burden my Sister. For the past three years she has lived in a retirement home (aka nursing home). Throughout it all my sister has been her b est friend, confident, care provider and advocate for better care. Even though she was still working full time as a nurse, she managed to visit Mom three days a week and do her laundry for her, arrange for hair appointments, shopped for her and made sure th staff treated her with the respect and dignity. Now retired, (this year), Sister continues to be Mom's best friend. If Webster's dictionary were to re=define the word "daughter" it would simply be defined as "Pat". For her love and caring for Mom, Pat will always be my hero.

Happy Days

2007-11-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

My Daughter and Grandosn will not be here until Wednesday bvut already the house is a beehive of activity. We removed the youth size bed from the spare bedroom and put up a crib for the Grandson (he is 2 - 1/2). We had actualy bought the crib at a garage sale this past summer for $10. The crib linens and mattress were a bit more than that but what good is a crib without them? Anway the room now (again) looks like a toddler's room. All summer long I have been buying toys at garage sales and stockpiling them: A really big Tonka dump Truck, a bigger Tonka Ccement mixer, a Tonka Car, several remote vehicles (he is too young for those) and several smaller trucks. One or two of them we will give to him for Christmas (we will celebrate early this year as he and his Mom will be leaving on the 14th). Spome of the toys needed to be repainted a bit but that is the fun part. I have hid the trucks in different parts of the house so that he can find when he walks around: Under the dinning room chairs, under tables, betweeen the couch and end tables and some places I haven't thought about - yet. My wife has been busy cleaning for the past week. Mostly dusting. The tree will go up tomorrow but we will not decorate until Daughter and Grandson arrive. He is at the age where decorating is still a fun thing to do. He has already helped his Mommy decorate their tree in Florida so this will be like the frosting on the cake- two trees! Plus he will probably help decorate the tree at his other Grandparents home in Florida. When the two of them visit we don't really make any plans. Daughter likes to connect with old friends and we are just happy to have the both of them here. Maybe go to a few of Daughter's favorite barbecue places, drive around to check out the lights and homes that are decorated and - most important: let him play in the leafs! I purposely did not rake this year (yet) for that reason. Now there is a really big pile against the fence that will be perfect to play in. That is something his Mommy loved to do when we raised her in Minnesota. All in all we hope to have a really good time. Just catching up and watching Grandson grow.

Dying

2007-11-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how much babies can change your life. For example, I have never been afraid of dying. After all it is something we will all do eventually. That is not to say that I look forward to it, just that I have never feared it. I really believe that when I die, it is over. No heading toward the light, no higher reward, etc. Just nothing. But since April 21, 2005, I have a great fear of dying. That is the day my grandson was born. When my daughter announced at age 39 that she was expecting I was glad for her but it really didn't register how much the birth of her some would really mean to me. and how it would affect my life. He was born with a birth defect that makes him extremely susceptible to infections. Two hours after he was born he was life flighted to Children's Mercy Hospital in Miamai where he stayed for the next two months. His Mother was not allowed on the flight since the birth was a bit difficult (she is fine now). But her and my wife followed two days later. I followed in about 10 days. For the next 60 days, the three of us spent our time in the hospital watching Ki struggle to live. Wathing him everyday and the life support monitors was almost more than I could stand. His Dad visited him one weekend, claiming that he had to work to bring in money. The day we finally drove Ki home from the hospital was a realy happy occassion. The next day, knowing Ki was where he should be, my wife and I left for our home in the Kansas City Area. Several hours after we left, Ki was back in the hospital with an infection. Unfortunately, it was just the first of many visits to the hospital, both in his home town and in Miami. Throughout all of this, Ki was always able to smile - smile with tubes in his hands, and feet, with infections raging trhough his tiny system. Now two and a half years later he still struggles but otherwise is a typical little boy. Every time I hear him say: "Look Grampa, watch me", my heart just bursts with happiness. But back to death. Now I look at the calendar and think: "I'm 66, Ki is 30 months so I"ll be in my 80's when he graduates from high school". If I make it that long. Will I be there when he starts greade school? High School? Graduation? Marriage? Will I even be in good enough health to help him play with his wagons, bikes,, models, etc? Most of that I will most likely miss. And I miss that growing experience with him already. So, yes, I am afraid of dying.

Responsibility

2007-11-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

The folloiwng was written by Jason Whitlock, a journalist for the Kansas City Star. It pretty much sums up one of the problems in this country: There used to be a time when people stood uyp for what was right - regardless of the consequences. If standing up for what was right meant losing a job, people lost their jobs. If standing up for what was right meant going to jail, people went to jail. We live in a different time. We live in an area of cowardice, where people only stand for what's right when there are no consequences.

vote or not

2004-06-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Not again. After more than 40 years of voting in every National, State and Local election that I was eligible for, I have decided not to vote again. Why? My vote ( and yours) does not matter. sure, I may feel better if my candidate winds (or feel bad if he loses) but that is all. My life will continue as if nothing changed because nothing will. Democrat? Republican? Independent? Green Part? It really does not matter. The politicians will continue to do business as usual, voting the party line whether it is good for the country or not. They will continue to support who ever contributesz the most to their party or them directly. Tax breaks to large corporations or the individual? Guess who! Billions of dollars will continue to be wased on foreign aid to countries that do not support a democratic type society. So, for the next election, I will sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast and read all about the election the next day. Whatever the outcome, my life will not have changed - except to pay more to keep government running for programs that I didn't want.