Happy Thanksgiving 2013

Food, football, hunting, shopping and discussing death panels are all activities that draw us away from the original intent of Thanksgiving. I should probably include Metro Mountain Bikers annual turkey hurl to the list. I would have to count myself as most likely if I were to attend. I will have to get back to the bicycle trainer with a vengeance after tomorrow’s feast.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and can see clearly all the things they should be thankful to God for. He’s is the great guiding light and protector.

Even more important however is the question; Is bowling exercise? I suggested it was to my wife and she immediately went to the Internet to find the answer. Having absolute faith in all things Internet she determined that bowling is exercise only if you are bowling with fewer than four people. Otherwise the time between throws becomes too great to be considered exercise. Well, my wife has obviously never witness my moves as the ball thunders down the lane after my approach and toss. If that’s not exercise there is no such thing. And the doctor says I need 45 minutes of exercise five times a week. Bowling is actually not too expensive with league discounts. Our league is off Thanksgiving week.

An image of Thanksgiving past. Excuse the jest and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

The $46 question: Where did I get the recipe for my now infamous rice pudding?

A Hunting I Will Go

Hopefully next year. Time and money have restricted any desired deer hunting adventures. I have one word for all those manly souls that took to field and forest for the great hunt;   burrrr!   Stepping out into the cold this afternoon from our somewhat warm dwelling my thoughts were not of hunting days past but of going back inside. It is a good reminder to clean my firearms. In my summer cleaning I actually found my receipts for my guns, all bought from reputable retailers. Important papers under our current regime as the police will not return any firearms if they should in anyway find them in their possession, unless you have proof of purchase.

But the thrill of the hunt is not completely lost to me. Three mice, I doubt very much they were blind, fell victim to one sticky trap. Yes, a single trap. I had found mouse sign in the form of droppings and such, clearly marking out their feed trail. After the victorious harvest my wife cleaned the area with some type of ammonia product.

“You know nothing about hunting!” I proclaimed to my wife. Confused, I had to explain to her the importance of scent and how she had compromised their trail, disrupted their routine and destroyed the opportunity for continued hunting glories and my chance to become a legend in the hunting world. She became very distraught over her faux pas. Now I will have to scout a new location.

Resources have helped consume my time as I am unfettered in my efforts to improve the house. Hopefully we will swing a remodel of our garage in the spring. No sense in planning for that however until neighbor issues are resolved. Renters do not make the best neighbors but we have some fairly good ones at present. If only this one in the alley house could learn to park, preferably on the street.

On the topic of hunting, my wife and I both enjoy “Duck Dynasty.” We watch older seasons for free via Amazon Prime on our Roku. I have cousins just like the Robertsons, though they trim their beards. They live in Arkansas by way of Northwest Wisconsin. The man who owned our house before us had roots in Northwest Wisconsin. Those on “Duck Dynasty” often say “Do it right or do it over.” My cousins are of the same mindset and similar prosperity. The previous owner of my house on the other hand didn’t do it right and didn’t do it over.

Hence my time is drawn away from writing and riding and most other opportunities to advance myself, as we climb back to economic relevance. The bike trainer is essential in fitting in any exercise especially considering the cold. My weight is still creeping down. Any virtual reality bike trainers are out of the question this Winter. I am hoping to purchase some type of GPS device and sign up for Strava when the warm weather returns to track my training.

Yes, Christmas is coming and this picture is from far warmer times. August, 2010 to be exact, at least to the month, when we visited the many vendors at the State Fair. I am lacking in current photos but what would a blog be without photos?

The $45 Question: Where did I purchase my last two firearms since I returned from oversees? See Charity Jackpot page in sidebar. If you can answer this question, the Doubler, the Bonus Question and tell me what was the catalyst for these purchases before the next post I will reward the charity of your choice $1,000.

Gales of November and Other Storms

Well they didn’t come early, but the tornados came late. The first real snow was early and Sunburst Ski Hill, home of an annual WORS race had made their snow and were opening. Then record highs, thunder, lightning and the unthinkable. The Midwest has some suffering to endure and many may still be without a home over the Holidays.

The snow is beautiful however. Thanksgiving is next week. My parents invited everyone to a restaurant for Thanksgiving. I told my mom we would bring the green bean casserole. Thanksgiving should be about sharing good humor and good food with family, not shopping. Talk about a storm…

Yes, the Packers are plating, we hope, the Lions on Thanksgiving. We should be tied for first place right now, but I guess the NFL wanted a three-way tie in the North Division some two weeks ago because the refs gave the game to Chicago and no one will speak up about it. I saw many a big Chicago play where holding should have been called. I don’t know what game the talking heads were watching. I saw an arm wrapped around the neck of one of our lineman. Then and obvious chop block in view of the whole world. Both were on big third down plays. I believe three penalties were called in the entire game. Is the NFL going the way of wrestling?

Wisconsin Minnesota rivalries are the theme for this coming weekend. Sunday the Packers play those losing Vikings. Saturday our respective State Universities go at it for possession of Paul Bunyan’s Ax. I heard that before the ax they competed for a slab of bacon. It’s true. The good old days were better.

Food will most likely be the bulk of our gifts this Christmas. I helped my brother and their three children move. What a hassle. There is not a single thing they need. When we received money for gifts when we were kids it went into the bank. Now my nieces and nephews thank us and write they can’t wait to go shopping. At least they are still writing real letters.

There are only a few things we need and they relate to fixing up our home. Afterwards we can think about new furniture, bikes or trainers, or going skiing. My used trainer will, will have to, suffice for this Winter. My weight is inching down. Let’s see if the trainer will make a difference over the Holidays.

The $44 question: What was the name of my first bowling ball? See Charity Jackpot page in sidebar.

Let's Go For A Walk

When we went out for a walk ,one neighbor stopped and ask Misao.

Neighbor: How old is your dog?
Misao: He is 4
Neighbor: 4 month old?

Me; Ike the dog: Excuse Me I'm not puppy.

Neighbor: Looks like he walks you. (Laughter)
Misao: Many people said same.

Me; Ike the dog: Yeah I walk her every day.

The Right Equipment

“60 Minutes” did a expose’ on the Go Pro digital camera; the man and the company but mostly the camera. It is a great success because the man with the vision created the right equipment for surfers, and meeting those corresponding requirements he happened to create a camera good for absolutely everything else. Go Pro was a sponsor of WORS at least for one year in the past and a product I have propped before (without compensation). I showed Misao the Go Pro web site with the videos. She says we have to get one to strap onto ‘Ike’ our dog.

It’s important to have the right equipment. I have my equipment for the gym and I have my used trainer for this Winter. I have been getting more and more use out of it. I think I would get out riding more if my mountain bike hasn’t been suffering from wear and tear. Men need new machinery from time to time to keep them fulfilled.

One thing that has kept me away from exercise and also my writing is work. I had a string of jobs and now I am trying to get in some work on my back entrance before it gets too cold. I leveled out a landing with a thin coat of sand mix during the Packer’s game. I prepped before the game and then watched the first half. I thought I would get it all done during halftime but when I finished, to my surprise, the game was almost over. If only I had been watching…

I gave Misao a Teeter Hang-up for her birthday. She has been complaining of back pain for a long time but no more. It is the most highly recommended hang from your ankles thing I could find. A DVD and a series of e-mails guide one to safe usage. One needs not only the right equipment but the right way to use it. I use it myself. It is good for the joints too. It requires some space but we really can use it tucked in the corner as it is. When you leave the Teeter site they offer you a discount price for a slightly used (free trial) Teeter with full warranty.

Misao has become a groupie of ‘The Band Perry’ and says we need to go to their Green Bay concert also. Keeping the wife happy is very important. The right equipment is certainly essential in this regard. There are some age old time proven tactics and equipment to keep the desired harmony in the home. The foremost tactic is for men to be men and women to be women all in their respective spheres.

In this quest for familial bliss the bowling ball is an essential piece of equipment. I joined an all men’s league with my friend of forty years. I started with one of my dad’s old balls but then got a new ball drilled specifically for my hand. What a difference. Nothing keeps a man happier than winning.

To keep my wife happy I call her ‘Queen Bee’. Then she sings “I rule, I rule, I rule.’ I let her live her fantasy and if that doesn’t work, I can always go bowling. Not ‘The Band Perry’ but it works.

Just call me a font of wisdom.

The $43 Question: Where did I bowl as a youth? Hint: historic landmark. See Charity Jackpot page in sidebar. The more books I get published the greater the multiplier will become.

The Greatest Show …Everrrrrr!

Yes, my wife and I made it to see The Band Perry. And what a show!

Though starting a bit late, the opening act was first rate; Joel Crouse. I was not familiar with the name but quickly recognized his songs and his band was fantastic. A substantial performance of the highest caliber.

My wife enjoyed the appearance of Scott MacIntyre of American Idol fame. A transplant recipient he gave his personal testimony in support of the shows sponsor Power2Save. I heard the woman trainer for the winning horse in The Breeder’s Cup Classic is a heart transplant recipient.

Misao liked his songs very much. The local coverage of the entire show was impressive though I would have liked to have read some explanation for the delays. I was surprised I didn’t hear any advertisements in Milwaukee. I don’t know about the country music stations. I think many of The Band Perry’s fans or potential fans would not necessarily listen to strictly country music stations. All ages made up the audience including parents with their children.

Have I strayed into the analytical. Sorry. The opening acts were great and I was expecting more of the same and then …POW! The Band Perry came on like unbelievably so powerful and like never like let up. Everyone rose to their feet and stayed there.

The stage set, visuals and energy dazzled. They reached out to and engaged the audience all throughout the show, encouraging everyone to sing along. Kimberly spoke of family and overcoming obstacles with best wishes for all their fans.

And the fore mentioned delays were nothing compared to what might have been. Let me take this moment to share a bit of my own wisdom. That being, that one should never tease someone they don’t know and who doesn’t know them. I mean, I had the mischievous urge to yell, “We love you Katy.” in friendly jest of course. Well with all those songs Kimberly sings of relationships gone wrong who knows what state she could be in. I may have set off a chain reaction of  female spite and venomous scorn that may have spread from artist to artist, artist to producer, and every combination thereof. Soon all of music-dom as we know it may have come to an end. But practicing the utmost control I instead left happy and still of this world.

My wife wanted to hear “Chainsaw” but it wasn’t part of Friday’s program. They ended with “Better Dig Two” and brought down the house. The audience was inspired and you could see the band was overjoyed at the close. It was a good night from where we sat. They love their fans and really work hard.

Our deepest wishes for their continued success as they hit Europe.

Misao bought their album “Pioneer” (special edition) at Target and spends her internet time learning all the background of their songs. She kept looking over my shoulder as I was writing this post yesterday so I had to put off finishing it until today. Why she worries baffles me.

The $42 question: What three concerts have I attended in my life? Hints; The Band Perry sang a piece from one of the groups, but in regards to the other there was no harmonica in TBP show. See Charity Jackpot page in the side bar.