Today is already a hard day. I woke up at 6 am with all the questions about Wyatt's death, that we haven't got answers for, swirling in my head. I just don't understand how he could have fallen from a fifth story window so easily. I talked to the mother of the volunteer that was right in front of him when he fell. He wasn't running or putting undue pressure on the window at all. He simply took a step backward and leaned into the glass. Why was the window so big and low to the ground? Why wasn't there safety glass in the big fifth floor window? I have asked a asked the Peace Corps and the Hotel Edinburgh owner to send me pictures. They don't respond. I want a full accident report. Don't we have a right to it? I don't know if CPR was performed. I did find out from the funeral director that he landed on his feet, both ankles were broken. He said Wyatt didn't have bruising or lacerations on his chest at all. The death certificate says he died from shock and a lacerated lung. But his left lung and his heart were not damaged. The witnesses say he had a weak pulse for about 20 minutes. It took 30 minutes for emergency care to arrive. I am so frustrated! I know it won't change anything, after all the questions are answered my son will still be dead. I am so distraught. Why did he have to die? Why wasn't there a miracle for him? These are the questions I ask God, over and over again. There won't be an answer. I feel like my life is over, shattered like glass at my feet. And yet the sun came up again today, and I am trapped in this god forsaken world.

I'm sorry. Thank you for listening.

Wyatt Dean Ammon

I cannnot believe I am typing these words with tears in my eyes. My only, dearest son Wyatt died on Nov. 18th, 2005, from injuries received in a fall, while working in the Peace Corps in Zambia, Africa. There are no words to express what our family has been through the past 2 weeks. No parent should have to lose a child. I thought I understood when I lost my younger brother in a car accident at age 21. Now I know what my parents went through, for I am living it myself. The pain, the grief, the guilt at still being alive while my son lies dead, is over-whelming. It has taken me 2 weeks to be able to even type this. I know I will live on somehow because we must, but my life will never, ever, ever be the same. At the same time, I want to thank from the very bottom of my heart, all of my family members, Wyatt's friends from Dell Rapids, Hamline University, Washington DC, and around the world, and all of our very dear friends and neighbors here in Dell Rapids, who have opened their hearts and homes to us during this time. To all of you, Thank You for all you have done for us. We are overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity and love. You know who you are. We love you.

Oh Sugar Sugar!

Hi, it's Ginger, I'm on here to post some photos of my mom's new dog, Sugar Honey. I haven't seen her in real life but she's awful cute in pictures.


Oh Honey Honey


You are my candy girl


And you got me wanting you!

Witticisms & Useful Quotes

OK, they probably really aren't useful or witty but for some reason, these are so un-PC that I just have to post them. I personally laughed my a** off, but that's just me...

How many men does it take to open a beer?
None. It should be open when she brings it.

Why is a laundromat a really bad place to pick up a woman?
Because a woman who can't even afford a washing machine will probably never be able to support you.

Why do women have smaller feet than men?
It's one of those "evolutionary things" that allows them to stand closer to the sink.

How do you know when a woman is about to say something smart?
When she starts the sentence with "A man once told me....."

How do you fix a woman's watch?
You don't. There is a clock on the stove.

Why do men fart more than women?
Because women can't shut up long enough to build up the required pressure.

If your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door, who do you let in first?
The dog, of course. He'll shut up once you let him in.

What's worse than a male chauvinist pig?
A woman who won't do what she's told.

I married Miss Right.
I just didn't know her first name was Always.

Scientists have discovered a food that diminishes a woman's sex drive by 90%.
It's called Wedding Cake.

Why do men die before their wives?
They want to.

It's all in good fun. Enjoy it then.

The Big Five-Oh

On Nov. 12th, I celebrated my 50th birthday. I think that's a pretty important milestone, having achieved it. Somehow, it just happens. You get up, go to work every day, struggle to pay the bills. One day you realize that you're old...OK, I'm gonna stop right there. I am not old. I'm only 50, and to those of you who can't even imagine saying that, well, not too long ago, I was you. The years, they do fly by. I have no regrets and feel the best part of my life is yet to come. Now, let me tell you about my birthday surprise. I'd already let my feelings be known about celebrating my 50th. No big blow-out, just a family dinner at my house. I was certain Jeannie would honor my wishes so with no agenda, I rolled out of the sack last Monday morning. "Don't forget, you promised to go look at that house with me this morning", my bride reminded me as I ate breakfast. "Better hurry, we're going to meet the inspector there". I showered quickly and we jumped in the car and headed south. "Now go down Minnesota Ave, it's the fastest route". OK, I drive down Minnesota. "Now turn into the airport." You're kidding me right? Why would I want to turn in there? "The guy that rents the house has the only key and he works at the ticket counter at the airport." OK, whatever. "Now turn into long-term parking." I refuse to turn into long-term parking. I will park in front and you can run in and get the key. I highly doubt I'll get arrested as a terrorist if I park in front of the airport for 5 minutes. "No, you don't understand. You HAVE to park in long term parking. We're flying to Las Vegas for your birthday!" Now I ask you- is that a good woman or what?? After the initial shock wore off, I was elated. And we had the greatest time ever. But no more time to write now, I'll tell you about it next time.

OK, still not a mechanic....

but I don't need to be with friends like this. Kyla came home last weekend with a two-fold purpose- get her brakes fixed and Tim's confirmation. The estimate that she got in the Cities was $634. Total cost for the same job here in SD? $85 and a case of Miller Lite. Thank you, Anthony Oberg.
On a totally non-related note, last night was Halloween. We've always geared up with a nice display and lots of candy. I think we were the only house on our block with the lights on though, so business was slow. Maybe 40 kids????? So, lots of left-overs, which nobody residing at my house needs to be tempted with. I hope I never turn into such a curmudeon that I find it neccesary to either leave the house or sit there in the dark, just so I don't have to hand out candy. Man, I just don't understand some people. I hope they use the money they saved on candy to upgrade to the ultra-plush velveteen lining in their casket. Then all the penny-pinching will've been worth it.

OK, I'm not a mechanic

and I'm OK with that, but the bottom line is, Kyla's car didn't get fixed. I did take one side apart as far as possible til I realized that I didn't have all of the correct tools needed to finish the job. Naturally. So here I sit, on my butt in the hotel parking lot at 8 am Saturday morning. And not just any Saturday morning, but the day before the Packers- Vikings game at the Metrodome. The biggest day in professional sports in Minnesota. A) I don't know how we even managed to get a hotel room at all, let alone a nice one. 2) Our hotel was packed. And it's a little unnerving to try and attempt auto repair in the parking lot with cars whizzing by, inches from my out-stretched legs. So, I decided to bag it, and walk away while I could still walk. Kyla's coming home this weekend, and we'll try it again in a more suitable enviroment this time. But the rest of the weekend was fun, we shopped, went to the aquarium, went out to eat,ect. But the most fun was the Halloween scene we went to in Shakopee. It was really fun, like a Halloween amusement park. Check it out, www.trailofterror.com. But the worst part was, Jeannie discovered Ikea, the giant Swedish home furnishings store. This doesn't bode well for me.

Ready to go

Yesterday was Wyatt & Kyla's birthday. To celebrate, we're going to the Cities tomorrow to celebrate with Kyla. the weather has been really beautiful and I hope it lasts through the weekend. Kyla has some fun stuff planned so it should be great. I am taking my tools along and am going to attempt to fix the brakes on her car. My long-distance diagnosis is that it needs front rotors and pads. I've never tried this in my life, so it only makes sense that I'm going to attempt it in a suburban parking lot, sitting on the ground. I can remember one other repair I made on the old Celebrity, R.I.P., in the dorm parking lot at Hamline U. I did make the repair though, after several trips to the auto parts store. I do remember it was a Saturday morning, there were like 2 other cars in the whole lot, and Kyla backed into a light pole with my van. Wow. Lets hope we have better luck this time. The Norwegian is going along, and another exchange student, Vereena from Germany. Those 2 spend a lot of time together and I know they are really looking forward to the trip so I hope they have fun. What's not to like, right? We have been toying with the idea of getting another dog lately. I don't know if anything will become of it, but it has been kind of fun just looking online. I defy anyone to go to this site and not want a cocker spaniel- www.zimfamilycockers.com. Update on my mechanical skills next week.

why do I have to be a hater?

Tonight I was surfing and I found this advertisment-

"Y! Music Unlimited"
"over 5 million songs"
"5 bucks a month"
"this is huge."

and right next to the word "huge" is a picture of Missy Elliot. I just about feel out of my chair from the ironic deliciousness of this. Hey, I've got some weight issues myself, but I ain't shakin' my fat ass on MTV either.

The way things work

Sometimes, the way things work out is just hard for me to fathom. I'm still shaking my head over this one- The first week in August, I bought a '98 Sportster from a guy in Sioux Falls. I needed a bike so Wyatt and I could take our motorcycle trip before he left for Africa. The time was right- Sturgis had already started and this guy knew buyers were growing scarcer by the day. I made him a pretty ridiculous offer and he took it. So- now I've got the bike, my friend and I basically give it a major tune-up for the trip. After a small breakdown on the road (we made it as far as Chamberlain) we're back on the road and the Sportster runs flawlessly for 2,800 miles. So, we're back home and now I own 2 Harleys, which I have made my peace with. I bought it right, I know I can sit on it 'til next spring and make some money. But- as long as the snow isn't flying yet, there may be a buyer out there. So I set the bike in my friend Wayne's driveway with a for sale sign. Wayne lives by Sioux Falls and has tons of traffic by his place. What the heck, right? One day, the phone rings-"this is Oscar. What can you tell me about the bike? I'm really calling for my brother, Hector". 10 minutes later, Hector calls. I repeat the story and encourage him to come look at it. "Well, I'd really like to but I'm in Dallas". Dallas, as in Texas? Yep. As it turns out, Oscar plays in a band that travels around the country. They were playing in or around Sioux Falls and Oscar was killing some time driving around. Just as Oscar is driving by Waynes house, Hector calls and says to his brother, "I'm thinking of buying a Harley, sure wish I could find a nice one." Oscar hits the brakes, and the deal is hatched. Long story short, and 33 emails later, Hector flys in to the Sioux Falls airport with hundred dollar bills in his pocket, we have lunch and do the paperwork, and he's on his way back to Dallas on the Sportster. Is that crazy or what? Hector turns out to be a really nice guy, he absolutely loves his new Harley, and felt it was karma that Oscar was looking at it the second he called. He felt he was destined to own it. And it was karma for me too. Our motorcycle trip is a great memory, the moneys in the bank, and I have a new friend in TX.

Autumn is here

It's Monday morning, typical Monday, stuff has to be set in motion for the rest of the week to fall together. It was a fun weekend, for the first wwekend in Oct. On Sat., J & I rode the Harley to Big Stone City to see her dad. I took a different road, one I'd never been on before so I guess you could say it was the one less traveled. ;-) The wind was strong from the south but it blew us all the way up, what a nice, leisurely relaxing ride. Of course we had to pay for it on the way home. But my only goal was to be home by dark so 60-65 was all the faster I rode. Pushing that fairing into a stiff wind is tough, like pushing a wall. Yesterday J & I drove to Mitchell to spend the day at Deb & Brians. We ate tons (baked ham &cheesy hashbrowns) watched the Viqueens lose to the Falcons, drove out to see Erik & Joleens new acreage. It is located south of Mt. Vernon, so it's a ways out but what a cool place. Really nice ranch house with hardwood floors, huge machine shed, barn, grainery, lays nice, they are really lucky. If they hadn't been working with a Realtor, they never would've gotten it. She called them and they bought it before it ever got on the market.
The last interesting thing that has been happening lately is our Norwegian exchange student, Amalie. She is having issues with waking up in the morning for school. As in, about 3 days out of 5, she over sleeps. So Kristin sits in the driveway and honks the horn, while Amalie slumbers. It is starting to tick me off. She refuses to use the alrm clock, and I refuse to wake her up. I never woke any of my own kids up for school, and I ain't going to start with this one. Which I've told her several times. So, I'm sure it'll resolve itself, it really doesn't concern me, so I'm just going to stand back and see what happens. Kristin will get tired of coming in the house and waking her up, is my guess.

Life changing stuff

So much has happened since my last post, I don't even know where to start. Wyatt came home, he and I took a motorcycle trip to Colorado, now he's in Zambia. He'll be home for Christmas, 2007. Allison moved to the Washington, DC area to live with Ginger and start a new life. Amalia Knutsen, our foreign exchange student from Norway, is here and settled in. Ginger flew home and Kyla drove home for Labor Day weekend, so we could all be together one last time before Wyatt left. Allison rode the bus 30 hrs to get to the coast. So many things happening all at once, and work has been so busy, I feel like I'm caught in a vortex. But so far the changes have all been positive, so we work hard every day and hope for the best. I watched a Dateline special on Hurricane Katrina last night on tv, and it renewed my resolve to prepare my own emergency preparedness plan. Nothing elaborate, just food , water, first-aid, flashlights,ect. I don't think we'll ever have to worry about a hurricane here, but I remember 9/11. I sat in line with everybody else to fill my car with gas. Not to sound like a delusional paranoid (or maybe I am) but what if the terrorists decide to take out some key military installations next time? We sit in the middle of a triangle that has Ellsworth Air Force base, EROS Data Center and SAC hdqtrs. on the corners. (SAC=Strategic Air Command in Omaha) My house already has a built-in concrete bomb shelter built by the first owner, as the house was originally constructed at the height of the Cold War. Lets hope we never have to use any of it.

Aug. 3rd- Sturgis in 5 days

So naturally the weather has been blisteringly hot and humid, heat indexes in the 100's. Today a front is supposed to come through, maybe a storm and then the wind will change to the north and bring us drier, cooler air. So the Sturgis rally starts officially next Monday, the 8th. At this point in time, I have no concrete plans to go. Work has been really busy, I have an open house this Sunday, so no sneaking out early either. Wyatt sent an email today stating he will be coming home on the bus next Friday the 12th. So the last weekend is probably shot too. I don't even care, really. I know most people won't understand it, if you're not a biker. For me, going to Sturgis is the epitome of what the Harley lifestyle is all about. And I don't mean the parties. I mean just being a part of this celebration of something we all love, for whatever reason. I like to go there and just ride around and hang out, soaking up as much as I can of the energy. And it is a zoo, like everyone in New York City was given a Harley and then dropped on a small town in SD. It is long lines, suffocating heat, traffic jams, cold showers, sleeping on the ground in a campground where the Harleys bark and growl all night long and more cops than you've ever seen. And it literally teems with it's own energy force, it roils and writhes with energy and life and god help me, I love it so. Don't try to understand.

movie review

So this is kind of fun, I will continue to publicly review all the movies I watch. What the heck, All a movie reviewer does is offer his opinion, which I have no shortage of. Last night there was nothing worth watching on TV, so Jeannie rummaged through the video pile and came up with a movie called "Tigerland", a Vietnam era flick starring Colin Farrell. I think Wyatt gave me this video for Christmas and it got lost in the shuffle and I never got to see it. It was a guy flick, lots of pushing, shoving, name-calling, swearing, shooting and being shot at. There were also the requisite ass shots of Farrell in the shower, which I can only imagine was included to get the women to sit through this. All in all, it did have a story line which was fairly interesting. Colin is the rebellious bad boy his whole life, in and out of trouble, jail and school. When he drops out of college, he's immediately drafted. He goes to basic, but doesn't much give a rip for the Army or anything they do. When the movie opens, he's being released from the stockade for another infraction. Of course, he ends up as the de-facto platoon leader against his will. But he has a big advantage over all the others, he somehow knows military law. So he ends up getting at least 2 and in the end, 3 men in his platoon out of the army, due to loop-holes in the system that seemingly only he and the top brass know about. It's pretty much "Rebel without a Cause" circa 1971. It did have some funny lines as he is the smart mouth with a ready reply to any order. All told, I was pleasantly entertained for 90 minutes. A testosterone fueled film that you may enjoy too.

first email today

from our new exchange student, Amalie Knudsen from Norway. She just received the letter yesterday from the organization telling her that she had been placed. She's all excited, wanting to know how old we are, how old our children are, and "what you do in a normal day?" Well now, that's a good question, isn't it?

a big turn

I have lots of different things I like to do, that most people would think are not fun. One of which is driving a semi-truck. My friend Steve has a truck and he's gone most of the time. I thought it would be fun to be able to give him a break and also fulfill my truck driving jones. So I studied and got my CDL with all the endorsements, so now I can legally drive anything on the road. Steve wanted me to take a run out west for him yesterday, as they are trying to prepare for the Sturgis rally and are trying to stock up on Coke products in Rapid City. I left Dell Rapids at 5:45 am and got to the Coke plant in Rapid City at 11. It took them 2 hours to get me unloaded. Then it was off to Colony, Wyoming to the bentonite plant. Bentonite is just a kind of clay dirt that all kinds of products are made from, and Colony is the largest bentonite plant in the world. Bentonite is the binder for many pharmacutical products, such as aspirin, the base for many cosmetics, and the material used to make kitty litter. That foundation you applied to your face this morning? Bentonite. Anyway, the inside of this amazingly huge building in the middle of the prairie is stacked to the rafters with pallet after pallet of kitty litter, all shrink-wrapped and ready to go. Their biggest vendor is Wal-mart, and that's where the load I picked up was going, to the Wal-mart in Seymour, IN. So I had to wait in line another 2 hours to get loaded. Then it's time to head for home, all I have to worry about now is crossing the scale at Tilford Gulch, and fueling in Mitchell. I made the scale OK and headed for home. Start time- 5:30 am. Home 11:00 pm. Total miles- 865. Was I legal on the logbook? You decide. PS- in trucking venacular, a turn is a run to your destination and back home. Yesterday was a BIG turn.

War of the Worlds review

I forgot to mention in my last post that we went to the late showing of War of the Worlds last night. I am not enthusiastically endorsing it. I know everyone has different taste in movies, and as a rule, I like action flicks. I also have a strong dislike of Tom Cruise, which is probably coloring my opinion. The special effects were really good, the story line was really non-existant. I left the theatre feeling ambivilant. I'll probably never watch it twice. There was one bright spot however. Dakota Fanning. That little kid is amazing. I have never seen a child actor with a more powerful screen presence..

TGIF already

Getting home on Tuesday night certainly makes for a short week. I can't believe it's Friday already. This week has been brutally hot & muggy, with highs in the 90's with humidity to match. We did get 1.30 inches of rain Tuesday night, which was needed badly for the crops. My lawn seems to be in cruise control, it doesn't look dead but it's not growing either. I mowed over a week ago and still don't really need to mow again, just a few determined stems here and there. That really doesn't bother me much, I get sick of mowing about this time of year anyway. I got my enclosed trailer lettered with the LandMark logo and our names and phone numbers before we left last week and it really looks cool. It is such a good advertising tool, I feel dumb for waiting 2 years to get it done. I washed the bugs off the trailer when I got home and I've been trying all week to get it polished. I get about 1/4 of it done a day. It's so hot, even at night, that's about all I can stand to do. Plus, when I'm standing out in the street, people stop by to visit and that is more pleasurable than work. I took a new listing last night, right off the golf course. Built new in '03, 2700 sq. ft., 5 bdrms, 3 bath, triple garage, sprinkler system, better than new for $239,900. I hope it sells quickly. Open houses this weekend, one on Sat., another on Sun. No rest for the wicked, I'm afraid.

And, we're back!

We just rolled in from Red Lodge at 7 pm last night. It was an awesome trip. We spent the first night in Rapid City, visiting with our old friends, Lee & Lola Walton. It had been a few years since we'd had a good convo with them. We met a place called Phatty McGees, on the corner of 7th and Main in Rapid. What a cool place! And the best part was, 2 hand-tossed pepperoni pizzas and 4 pitchers of beer was $20! Not kidding. We rolled into Red Lodge about 5 pm on Friday, unloaded the bikes and set up camp, then head east to Bear Lodge, MT for the famous pig races. They aare set up just like horse races, the pigs even wear racing silks. They really run for a treat at the finish line. Sat. was the big Poker Run. The Beartooth Hiway was washed out in a mudslide earlier this year , so the poker run was re-routed through WY to Chief Joseph Hiway, which would be the back way over the Beartooth. We ended up in Cooke City. It was a very hot and windy day. The power of the wind gusts at the top of the mountains was amazing and frightening. I had a stiff neck at the end of the day from being tense. But there was some beautiful scenery. I had my tall windshield installed so Jeannie didn't get buffeted by the wind like she did with the short one. I have to admit it was nice to be able to visit without hollering over the wind. Sunday was the motorcycle rodeo, but we opted to skip that so we could go riding in the beautiful MT countryside. It was totally wonderful scenery, and we literally rode 'til the road ran out. It dead-ended in a horse camp in the mountains, and the only way out without back-tracking, was gravel. The man we talked to by the edge of the road said there had recently been a grizzly sighting, so all the hikers were on alert. Monday was a leisurely breakfast in town and packing up for the trip home. We lucked out and got the last spot in Perry's campground. It's about a mile south of Red Lodge, and a roaring mountain stream runs right through the middle of the camp. We had stayed there before on a guys trip so it was good to go back. There was a huge communal firepit every night and hot coffee and doughnuts every morning. Most of the other campers were from WA, CA ID. I only saw one truck with IA plates and I think he was lost. We left town at 1pm on Monday and took a different route home , through the Bighorn Mts. It was another day of great scenery. We spent the night in Deadwood, then fought the relentless SD wind all the way home yesterday. Good trip! I slept 10 hrs last night in my own bed. Sleeping in the tent is fun, but it must not be so restful, cause I'm always tired when I get home.

July 4th, 2005

and we had a great weekend camping again. We went back to Pierson Ranch, by Lewis & Clark Lake in Yankton. Very nice, calm, relaxing weekend. We left on Thursday afternoon and got back Monday evening. Camping was pretty much a clone of the Memorial Day trip except this time we went golfing once, and I went to the beach twice, for only an hour each time but still. At least I got some sun. And I like the beach, laying in the hot sun 'til you can't stand it another second, then dashing into the cool water. Nobody else wanted to go, so it's not as much fun by yourself, but I still enjoyed it. This trip with the camper was a lot less traumatic since the purchase of my new tow vehicle. The 2500HD crew-cab handled the camper just right, and looked good doing it. No more rear bumper dragging, and engine screaming in 2nd gear at the slightest hill. I guess it's that time of the year, in a week we'll leave for another long weekend trip to Red Lodge, MT. We're planning to go with some friends, pulling the Harleys in the enclosed trailer. Should be a fun trip, I'm really looking forward to it. I get all excited any time I get to travel out west. There is a Harley Rally and Rodeo in Red Lodge that weekend, we've been there before and it's a lot of fun. We'll be camping under the stars so that'll be a lot of fun too. Can you tell I'm excited to go? Check it out- redlodge.com or beartoothrally.com.

unexpected guests

Wyatt surprised us with a phone call and email announcing that his friends may be stopping by last night on their way through. And they did. What a nice, pleasant surprise. Fletcher D. and Lauren P. are a great couple of kids and we were pleased to be able to host them for the night, on their journey to the left coast. They arrived about 10:15 pm and shortly introductions were made, we had the maps spread all over the kitchen table. I hope I was able to offer some good advice as they are basically following the same trip I have taken before. Anyway, we had a good chat, good breakfast and a good send-off. If you guys are reading this down the road, good luck in your journey and in Austin.

Nationalism

I've been reading with great enthusiasm the comments on Wyatt's blog concerning the smoking in bars issue. Poor Christoph has been taking some hits. Somehow, the fact that he's German is being used against him, as in, well, no wonder he's liberal, he's from Europe. I know a few Europeans, mostly German, and Christoph is a voice of reason compared to some. I always value his input because of his heritage. I find the global view-point much more interesting than just our regional differences. But it leads me to my quote of the day, after which I must take my leave, 18 holes on a glorious day await me. Enjoy your weekend, all. "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries, because you were born in it". - George Bernard Shaw

Foreign Exchange Student

We are thinking about taking in an exchange student for the school year. I have mixed feelings about it. Do you think we should? Send us your thoughts.

Summer must be here.....

So lets try and cram 100 events into every weekend. By my calculation, there are only 12 weekends here on the tundra that can actually be considered summer. (ie; no chance of snow) Out of those 12, at least 2 will be inundated with torrential downpours or tornadic episodes of some degree. This weekend looks good so far for weather. And luckily so, for it is Quarry Days weekend, our annual small-town weekend shebang. Check it out- www.quarrydays.com. My sched- Thurs. 8 am- in SF to talk about Quarry Days on 2 radio stations, home by 10 am. Head to the office and try and return phone calls and get some real work done. I also have 3 lawns to mow today. 7 pm appt. with a client and contractor to bid a new house. Friday- Staff in the office in the am, golf in the Quarry Days golf tournament in the afternoon. Friday night- surprise 50th b-day party for my friend, John Rave. Sat. am- lots of Quarry Days activities but I will be set up at the J&L Harley swap meet, trying to sell a lot of unused parts, and find a new windshield for my bike, to please my wife, who is complaining of severe buffeting. Sat. afternoon- can't miss the Burn-out contest!!! Sat. night- Lee Burggraffs birthday party at the lake or Maren Hendrickson's wedding dance. Sun. am- set up in the park for the car show. Noon- head for home and change clothes for my Open House from 1-2 pm. Hope I have a good turn-out. After the open house, head back to the car show for the awards and then clean-up. Sun. eve- enjoy a cold beverage and watch the fireworks display by the river. It's a good life! "I started out with nothing, and still have most of it left".

I'm feeling melancholy

Last weekend I set my jet-ski out in front of the office with my phone number on it. Got a couple calls but no lookers. This morning I happened to be in the office when this lady walks in inquiring about it. So I show her the whole deal, doing a soft sell. She had her son with her and they both loved it. So, the deal was struck, paperwork completed and away they drove with the boat. I should be happy, I only dropped $100 off my price. So why did I feel so sad when she drove off? There were a lot of happy memories that went with that boat. I think all the kids had a lot of fun with it. I rolled it over in Lake Madison the first day we bought it and pert near drowned. After that i wasn't such a big fan, but all the kids had fun, and that was the reason I bought it in the first place. Life goes on. I guess we'll make memories on our own now, everybody's so far away. Big sigh for what used to be. "You know why they call it PMS? Cause Mad Cow Disease was already taken". Author unknown, presumed deceased!

Your time may be shorter than you think

I'm very sorry to report this, but apparently there were 2 deaths in Dells last night. The first, substantiated, happened only a block from our house at 7:30 last night. 24 yr old male, riding a 2005 Harley, lost control of the bike at the intersection of 8th and LaDelle and was thrown from the bike. After being air-lifted to Sioux Falls, he died at 10 pm. The second, unsubstatiated, was also a 24 yr old male, thrown from a 4 wheeler approx. 6 miles south of Dells. Also air-lifted to SF, reports on his condition vary from dead to very critical. Neither rider was wearing a helmet. I've been riding my entire life. I don't pretend to be Safety Sammy, not that I'm careless, far from it. Only because I don't wear a helmet. Maybe I should start. I do believe I have logged over 100,000 verifiable miles on a motorcycle without a serious accident. To what do I attribute this ? Mostly luck. For the fact is, if you ride a motorcycle, sooner or later, you will be involved in a serious accident. And it probably won't even be your fault, but there you lay, just as dead. "But officer, I just didn't see the motorcycle". So to all of you that engage in risky behavior, no matter the kind, send up a prayer to whatever god you worship that you are out there walking around today. We never know when our ticket is going to get punched.

Perfect

Today when I woke up I could tell it was going to be a perfect day before I even got out of bed. For one thing, I could see the sunshine, as opposed to the gloomy clouds that have been here forever. I walk outside to fetch the paper and I was right, no wind, perfect temp, no humidity. Time to spring into action. I spent the morning spraying weeds. I know that sounds like a waste of time, but there have been no suitable days and it needed to be done desperately. So it goes, even spraying weeds is a happy task when the weather is like this. It's noon now and I see the flag is standing straight out from the flag-pole but if you can get a couple hours with no wind here- that's pretty good. I'm going to try to go for a Harley ride tonight. "When one door closes, another one opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us". - Alexander Graham Bell

Our neice, Erin, got married on Saturday! She married Jeff Grieme from Sioux Falls. It was a beautiful wedding and she was a beautiful bride. They are a wonderful match, and we wish them all the happiness in the world! The wedding went flawlessly. Our niece Maggie played the piano, it was nice to hear her play. She did a great job. Our nephews, Ben and Alex were ushers, they are all grown up too. And it was unbelievable to see Tim in a Tux looking like such a distinguished young man. They had gerber daisies for their flowers, they were just gorgeous. I love those brilliant colors. I was lucky enough to bring home one of the altar bouquets, so now I can enjoy them all week, thanks Deb!

I just can't believe all the changes this age in a person's life brings. They just keep cascading down all around me. It is so unsettling. Some changes are welcome and nice and others are down right disturbing. I will list two categories and then see if our reader's can help add to it. Unfortunately, most blog readers aren't in our age group but you youngsters can add information gleaned from the elders in your life. So here goes.

Welcome and Nice
1) Less chaos at home
2) The house stays clean and organized
3) No parent/teacher conferences
4) Less laundry
5) Fewer groceries
6) Total freedom to do what we want, when we want
7) Watching your children become adults
8) More travel
9) Less concern over appearance
10)Don't have to worry about unplanned pregnancy

Down Right Disturbing
1) The phone doesn't ring
2) The doorbell doesn't ring
3) Our kids are adults, our youngest is the age I was when we got married
4) We have neices and nephews that are married
5) We have health issues
6) Our friends have grandchildren
7) Greg's hair is totally gray, and my hair is starting to go
8) Greg will be 50 this year
9) Our mortgage will outlive us
10)Unless we live to 100 years old, our life is over half over

So have at it, add to the lists.

Busy weekend past

Our niece got married last weekend. We were the host and hostess for the reception. We also had to help decorate the reception hall on Friday afternoon before the rehearsal, so it was a busy weekend. But it was a beautiful wedding, the weather cooperated, all in all, very nice. So, congratulations Jeff and Erin, flying even as I write this, to a beautiful Jamacian honeymoon. In other breaking news, I should be able to pull my camper now. As of last Friday, I'm the proud owner of a 2005 Chevy HD 2500 crew-cab. No, it isn't a Duramax, but no more than I have to pull, that would've just been money wasted. Cool, yeah, neccesary, no. Now I can pull the Wasta hill on my own. Erik, thanks for the offer though.

June 4, 1977

28 years ago today me and the missus was gettin' hitched. That's right, today's our anniversary. I wish I could say the day dawned bright and sunny and we had morning coffee on the deck while gazing lovingly into each others eyes, but that would be a lie. Instead, the day dawned like Seattle in November, which is to say, there wasn't a dawn, per se, just a gradual lightening of the sky to the point where you could discern that the pounding on the roof was a torrential downpour and not neighborhood squirrels running amok. We did have a fine celebratory breakfast of Belgian waffles and coffee, snug in our jammies while we watched the rain. I wish I had the formula for our longevity, but it's not one thing, it's so many things put together. Patience, perseverence, trust and respect. Everything else will take care of itself. It hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it. Once I had a poster titled " 10 Rules for a Successful Life". Rule #1 was "Marry the right person. They will determine 90% of your future happiness and success". Truer words were never spoken. Best of Luck to all those still searching, and remember to never settle. "You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, "My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!" Dave Barry

The torch is passed

Last night was the Customer Appreciation Supper at T & C's. For those not in the know, it is a family owned gas station/c-store here in Dells. Tim and Carol actually sold the business to Michael on Jan. 1st, but waited 'til now to have their last hoo-rah. It was a very nice party, there was a tent set up in the parking lot, Minnehaha Co. Pork Producers bar-b-qued pork loins, Lorna Reiff's home-made potato salad, beans and stuff. Very tasty. Congrats to Tim & Carol, a class act, happy retirement & Good Luck to Michael in the Future. They will continue to receive my loyal support. Early Onset Alzheimers Update: My cousins boy is graduating high school this weekend. Jeannie drops a card on my desk to send him. Luckily, I read the card before actually signing it. The card reads "Happy Birthday Grandson", same thing inside , along with a verse. I guess maybe "grandson" looks like "graduation". OK, I think we all know it doesn't, but I'll cover for her until the dementia gets too obvious to hide. Poor thing. I don't think they treat you real nice in the home.

Memorial Day 2005

I've been warned to quit blogging about camping and my health problems & surgeries, both of which are typecasting me as a geezer. But at the risk of sounding geezerish, I must comment on the past weekend. We had another family camp with Grandma & Grandpa, Jeannie & I, sister Deb, BIL Brian and T-bone (Tim). We were in Pierson Ranch, part of the Lewis & Clark campground complex, Yankton, SD. It was the best Memorial Day weather wise, that I can remember. Niece Erin & groom-elect Jeff came late Sat. night and stayed 'til Monday, so we had a good crowd. We played lots of camping games, played lots of cards, rode bikes, drove the go-carts and ate, ate, and ate some more. The new camper worked great again, we are very pleased. Thanks, First National Bank. My only regret of the whole weekend was that I did nothing to commemorate Memorial Day at all. Didn't even fly a flag at camp. Which is really lame, considering the supreme sacrifice so many made so we can still live in the land of the free. I don't think an hour out of my day to salute the brave men that came back from war, is too much to ask, from every one of us. I'm ashamed of myself.

I didn't win

Jeannie and I just got baack from the Chevy dealer. Today is the last day of the "Hotbutton" promotion at all GM dealerships. It's free to play and you could potentially win a new car. All you had to do was go to the dealership, sit in the vehicle, push the Onstar button and follow the prompts. You were talking to a live person on the other end, so it wasn't too lame, I heard your chances were one in 3000 to win. That's a lot better than any other form of gambling I know. Looks like a desperate attempt by General Motors to pump some life into their dying franchises. I mean, General Motors stock has been reduced to "junk" status, and is on the "do not buy" list of every stock broker. What has happened? It all seems so surreal to me. The once proud and mighty symbol of unimaginable corporate power and wealth being eviserated by Toyota. The wake-up call fell on deaf ears and eyes that would not see. I have no idea what the future holds for the car business. There was a time in my life when I knew I would never drive anything that was not made by GM, just as surely as I knew the sun would come up in the east. I wouldn't make that statement today. The world, she is a changin' my friends.

almost perfect

We have returned from the maiden camping voyage, like victorious warriors, big smiles all around. Jeannie doesn't think it's really camping, and to tell you the truth, it doesn't feel like it did in the old Holiday Rambler, that's for sure. This is more like having a luxury penthouse suite in the middle of a pine forest (or next to the beach, wherever you're camping). Now don't get me wrong, our camper is not the creme de la creme of the RV world. But it is in very nice condition, has a slide-out, which makes the living room seem huge, a working bathroom and running water and a queen-size bed. It is just the difference between night and day for us. We did spend the weekend at Newton Hills state park by Canton. We got there late Thursday night, dropped into bed, was up early Friday morning so we could get to Jeannie's uncle's farm auction by Parker at 8 am. What a day that was! I was so exhausted when I got back to camp at 10:30 pm it wasn't funny. We hadn't had advance reservations so we lost our spot on Sat. night to some kids in a tent. they reserved an electrical spot so they could plug in their boombox. Funny! Meanwhile, the rangers find us the last remaining spot in camp that wan't reserved, a non-electrical tent site. No problem, Grandpa and I both double up on the same site, no electicity, just battery power. No problem, it cooled off really nice that night. Sunday we had a nice relaxing day at camp before heading home. What a trip! Good thing I wasn't ina hurry. Now I know my pickup is a little small for the camper but most of the time it does OK. The wind had to be blowing 30-35 mph out of the NW and we are heading straight into it. Yikes. Luckily we took the back roads home so I didn't have to embarrass myself on the interstate. I can see a HD 2500 Duramax diesel in the future, when my ship comes in. Can't ever have too much power. Now Newton Hills was OK, but I can't wait until Thursday when we head to Lewis & Clark at Yankton. Now there's my favorite place to camp. I won't be camping in the Black Hills 'til I upgrade the truck. Right now, there's no way I could pull the Wasta Hill, no way. "The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of the cheap price is gone".

I'm outa here

Today is absolutely gorgeous, I spent all last night packing the camper, I've got a reservation at Newton Hills, as soon as the office closes, I'm outa here. See ya next week. Time to christen the new camper.

Taking back my life

Maybe that's a little dramatic, but I can't believe how much better I feel since my surgery. The constant nagging pain I always felt every time I moved my arm is GONE! It still hurts, but I believe that's just the residual factor from the surgery. As it heals, it should get less painful and stronger every day. Yay! Update on the pyhsical therapy- I went to my appt. at the designated time, John Decker, the PT hadn't gotten the notes from my surgeon yet. Later that afternoon he called me back, "you can just take it easy and do nothing the rest of the week. I talked to the physicians assistant who was there during the surgery and he did some major carving on you, so just rest and heal for now". I don't know what he did, but it feels great! So now I feel so good, I've also vowed to drop these extra 20 lbs that bother Sandy Smith so badly. ;-) Also, today was a beautiful day, if you aren't bothered by gale force winds. There's supposed to be thunderstorms again tonight and then, the weather is supposed to clear up. If it does, I AM GOING CAMPING IN MY NEW CAMPER. Don't try and stop me. "9 out of 10 criminals support gun control. It makes their job so much easier".

I'm half the man I used to be

Well, maybe not half, but I should be a little lighter. I had orthroscopic surgery on my left shoulder last Thursday morning. Today was the big day (48 hours later) that the bandages came off and the drug pump could dome out. It must be the new thing, but attatched to my sling was a nifty little battery operated drug pump. clear sides and you could see how much junk was left inside, waiting to be pumped into me. It was filled with a novicaine solution, which pretty much explained the lack of pain. Jeannie did pretty well helping take off the bandages but had to duck out when it was time to pull out the novacaine tube. "I'll do it then" growled me, the tough guy and went into the bathroom to watch myself in the mirror. I knew the surgeon had made 3 incisions, which were in plain sight and neatly stitched up. To my surprise, the novicaine tube had it's own entrance hole. "well", I think. " must just be inserted under the skin" Oh no, this bad boy was in there 6-8 INCHES! Where it was hiding or coiled up, I don't know, but as I pulled she just kept comin'. Really a weird feeling. Now that it's out, I had to take a pain pill. I guess I'm not as tough as I thought. We'll see what kind of snot-nosed, red-eyed blubbering mass of fat I turn out to be on Monday morning, after I meet with my masochist, I mean physical therapist. Oh yeah, cut me Mick, cut me!

Thanks.......I guess

Thanks Wyatt, I never realized my name was only 2 letters away from a cool nickname like Jeg. However I'm not so sure M will be as excited. It's scary (not really) to know you have the power to go in and alter my blog at any time , but I have no idea how to do it myself. That's why I'm a little nervous about online billpay, even though I do it all the time. I just don't think about the potential problems, which is the way I get through most troubling aspects of my life. Yesterday was Mother's Day and we had a fine little gathering at the house. Rather than go out to eat, which I have never liked to do on these special days, I volunteered to make the meal for the family. And with a little help, I pulled it off just fine. I wanted to bake a bone-in ham so I would have the bone left over for bean soup. Rummaging through the freezer I found a John Morrell E-Z cut ham, so opted to settle for that instead. So, baked ham, whipped potatoes w/gravy (yes, 10 lbs of real Idaho spuds. The gravy came from a packet though), green bean w/french fried onion cassarole, scalloped corn casserole, jellied cranberries, fresh bakery buns w/real butter and a relish tray that heavily favored the black olive section. It was swell eats, if I do say so myself. Topped off by Grandma's homemade rhubarb pies and ice cream, it was all I could've asked for. Luckily for me, the one that cooks, doesn't have to clean up. PS- I'm still suffering from the aftermath of the stupid giant tree I cut down. Now, all the gutters are full of the seeds and leaves from that thing, so when it rains, the rain just courses right over top of the gutters down to the ground. Next to the foundation. Where it can run down and penetrate my basement walls. And there is still sawdust everywhere outside, which gets tracked into the house constantly, which I can't vaccuum up because it's wet and the rain won't stop. But we need the rain, and I could've had the sawdust cleaned up before it started so I'll shut-up now.

gettin' better

You all remember the trashed rental house? It is an ongoing saga, but hopefully the glimmer I see is the light at the end of the tunnel and not the headlight on the train. Yesterday the house-cleaning lady came and did her thing, that'll be $100 please. And cheap at that. I went to Menards and ordered the replacement window, bought a new bathroom door and new door handles so I can change the locks. That'll be $233 please. then I came home and tore the carpet out of the living room and hauled it to the dumpster. And all this before noon, wow! I have to staff here today at the office so this is not the time of year to neglect your floor time. Busy, busy, busy! "Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out".

What the.................??????????

OK, this is getting old in a hurry. Yesterday, May 1st 2005. High temp - 43F. I mow the lawn for the first time all year, but it doesn't really need it. Snow showers occur intermittantly while I'm mowing. The wind is out of the north at about 30 knots, just like it has been for the last month. This is getting old. What happened to global warming? I pray for el Nino. It's just nuts. On an entirely unrelated subject, this is National Teachers week or month or something. Which I could care less about except it's the perfect lead for my quote o' the day-"If you can read this blog, thank a teacher. If you can read it in English, thank a vet". Yeah!

Landlord time

I spent the morning hauling garbage out of a house that had been destroyed (and I'm not using that term lightly) by the previous tenant. The house has a nice lawn shed in the back yard and evidently this clown never had garbage service the whole time he lived there. The garbage was bad, but not the worst. The inside of the house was trashed too, holes knocked in the walls, holes knocked in interior doors, all the screens slashed, one window completely smashed out, carpets in2 rooms ruined with cig burns, fingernail polish adn kool-aid spills, ceramic toilet broke, towel bars pulled off the walls, sinks clogged with mud and food mixed, all the window treatments ruined, excrement smeared on the walls, I could go on but why? I think you get the idea. It is without a doubt, the worst tenant I've ever had. He suckered me hook, line and sinker. Then he has the gall to pull the exact same scam on another landlord right here in town! This guy is a pro, no doubt about it. Insurance will pay for a small portion, the rest the adjustor called poor housekeeping and normal wear and tear, not vandalisim. Whatever. I'll make it right, make it nice again, watch closer next time. This guy might think he's seen the last of me, but small claims court is in his future! I will only be pushed so far.

oops

I'll admit I was in a hurry when I posted earlier today, so it wasn't very long OR well thought out. Not that any of them are but i don't like to be hurried. This is the pleasure of blogging. You can re-read to your hearts content until it says what you want it to. Now the reason I know I was hurried is that I forgot to put my little "quote" for the day. And I know you all like to read them. I know by all the comments you've been leaving. Now Wyatt has asked about where I got a particular quote, and I think we all know that I probably don't have an answer for that. I am what's commonly known as a vast storehouse of worthless knowledge. So rest assured that on the days when I am "full of the good ones", I'll leave a little of that knowledge here for you. On the days when I am feeling fat, sluggish, lazy and out of sorts, I won't. "We have enough youth. What we need now is a fountain of smart".

Timberrrrrrrr...........

The gigantic tree just outside my back door is gone. This tree was a disaster waiting to happen. Huge doesn't do this justice. I think it would've taken 3 people to put there arms around it. Problem was, it was 3/4 rotten and just waiting for a big storm so it could fall over on my house. The real reason I didn't like it was it was constantly dropping rotten branches on my deck and yard. So when I saw the tree man in town last week, the deal was sealed and yesterday he came and dropped it. That was the deal, just drop it and stack it and I'll do the rest. It still cost $500 and thank goodness for Lee's skid loader and dump truck. I figure there are at least 6 dumptruck loads to go to the dump. That was one big tree.

windy and such

Monday, 4-25-05. It was supposed to get to 59 today and sunny. They got the sunny part right but at 3pm the temp on the airport sign said 43F and the wind has to be blowing gust up to 45 mph. It is hard to keep the car on the road. Yesterday we got home from going to the Cities to help Kyla look for an apt. There are lots of places to live there, it's mind-boggleing, really. Just pick the spot you like, there will be an apt house right around the corner. We were supposed to leave on Wed. to go on vacation again. We were going to Branson, MO with Burggraff's and Schneiders but due to an unexpected outlay of cash, we have decided not to go. Plus I don't think those other guys REALLY wanted us to come along. It has been just those 2 couples in the past. All this time leading up to now, nobody has ever said anything to Jeannie about it, and only Lee has ever dicussed it with me, so I don't think we'll be terribly missed. Oh well, the weather is supposed to be cool and rainy so maybe we were meant to stay home.

More clouds

We've seen the nicest day of the week yesterday. Today dawns cloudy with an 80% chance of rain this afternoon. If everyday was nice we wouldn't appreciate them I guess. I had a meeting with my fiinancial planner this morning. It was really kind of a joke, I'm sure not to him, but to me. And he's really a very nice, earnest young man who I'm sure has my best interests at heart, but let's face it. Over the last 20 years of saving, I could've probably gotten as good a return by burying it in a cream can in the back yard. Still though, hope springs eternal and my goal at this point is preservation of capital. I've given up on the hope of ever actually making a return. My favorite investment vehicle is the Vangaard Fund group. I have a Vangaard S&P 500 Index fund. It exactly mirrors the S&P 500, so you can look in the paper everyday and see how your investment is doing. The really nice thing is the price. Since we are not paying some "guru" to try and outguess the market, the costs are low, I think .02%. Which is pretty cheap, compare that to the expenses charged by managed funds, sometimes 5-6 %. Now you got to make 13-14% to end up with 8%. It's all a shell game anyway, and at the rate I spend money, I've got enough saved right now to last me approx. 3 months of retirement. "Most of my money I spent on booze, women and motorcycles. The rest of it I wasted".

Yep, hi, it's me

I don't really know how to explain my absence for the last couple months so I won't try. Suffice it to say this- I always thought when I was younger that when I reached this certain point in my life, things would become easier. I don't exactly remember when I thought the point was going to be reached, just that all the things that were weighing me down, causing me grief, stopping me from realizing my full potential, ect. ect., would all pass by the wayside if I was just patient enough. I'll never see 49 again and I've come to the shocking (at least to me) truth that problems, trials and tribulations never go away, no matter what your age. They are just replaced by different problems. So, having said all that, here is my philosophy for today- "There is no such thing as a normal life. There is just life". Enjoy it then.

Whoa, It's Been Awhile

Well St. Pat's Day is over for another year. I wore green today, but that is where it started and stopped. We have gone to the parade in years past, but I think it is overrated. I hate standing in the cold watching floats, and who feels like drinking green beer with frozen feet. Nope, I'll pass. We did go out for supper with Grandpa and Grandma. It was nice. I appreciate them so much. They are definitely a blessing in my life. I can't wait to go camping this summer. We play cards and dominos non stop and some bouche ball to boot. Our first trip this year will be Memorial Day. We are trying to find a good used camper. We have had the old Holiday Rambler for 8 years, and we are ready for something nicer and newer. It is different now with the kids all grown. I don't suppose any of them will be camping with us this year. So it is kind of a new experience, like reinventing the wheel. But I'm sure we will have good times. The years have gone so quickly by. And so it goes. Well, I read another good book, The Story of Joe. It is excellent and definitely written from a man's perspective. It is about a guy who has kind of a rough time through high school, and after moving away writes a book about the people in his town. It is less than flattering and then when his dad gets sick he goes back to suffer the wrath of the townies. It is a good read, and amazingly I read it in one day. I handed the book to Greg at 10:30 pm and he stayed up all night reading it, and enjoyed it too. Well, that is it for now. Hopefully this will have broken the writing fast and I will be back soon. Of course I don't even know if anyone is still reading this, so it may be a moot point. Later.

I Hate Computers!

Geez, I just finished a nice long post and somehow when I was running spell check the whole thing was lost. So much for that news. I refuse to rewrite what I just wrote. So this one will be short and sweet. How are you? We are fine.

Quote for today:
Our spirits belong to the eternal world - but as animals we inhabit time.
To be in time means to change.
Humans live in time, but GOD destines them to eternity.
He therefore wants them to attend to chiefly two things....
ETERNITY itself and to that point in time called PRESENT.
For the PRESENT is the point in time in which time touches ETERNITY.
Of the present moment, and of it only, we have an experience analogous to the experience which GOD has of reality as a whole, in it alone freedom and actuality are offered us. -paraphrased from CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters.

At the office

It is time for me to post again. Time goes way too fast. I'm here at the office at the secretary's desk while she is at lunch. This morning before I left the house. I looked at the 6 foot nutcracker and decided it is well past time to lug him up to the attic. I still have furniture to bring down from the attic too. And to think, it is only 330 days until Christmas, which means I will be decorating for Christmas in 270 days. Maybe I should just leave the nutcracker in the foyer and just cover it up with a white sheet until next year. I could dress him in costumes to match the upcoming holiday, a Cupid for February, a Easter bunny for March. You get the idea.

Business is kind of slow this time of year, but I think it is going to be a good year in Real Estate. I am started on my schedule of every Sunday open houses. I did get lucky and sold a new construction in Brandon, and I got to list the buyers' house in Sioux Falls. So it is worth giving up a couple of hours every Sunday.

I just finished the book "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath. I found it at a Good Will. I had just watched the movie Sylvia about her life. It was a pretty good movie, not great but fair. And it made me curious about her writing. The book was depressing and not that good. I guess I don't need to read about someone else's struggle with sanity, when it seems like our family is struggling with theirs. So I wouldn't recommend reading it. I am reading "The Children's Blizzard" now. It is pretty interesting. It is about the 1888 South Dakota blizzard that killed over 500 people, many of them children. The author does a nice job of giving background information about the settlers. I would recommend this book. I am just going to start reading "The Mother" by Pearl Buck. Has anyone read it? I hope it is good. On a different note, I have seen a couple of really good movies too. Ray is excellent! You just never know about a person's life. Go see it or rent it! Another extremely good movie is Ladder 49. I thought it might be kind of lame like Back Draft, but I was wrong. It is so good and well done. It should be viewed on the Big Screen rather than renting it. Trust me, it is a must see. National Treasure was ok, I enjoyed it, but it doesn't compare with the other two. Still worth seeing though.

Well, I promised a quote a day so I better get back on track:

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23, NKJV

Just right

For any of you weenies that are reading this from the comfort of a milder clime, the actual temp. reading in Aberdeen, SD this morning was -33F, with a wind chill of -55F! A couple hours south here in good ol' Dell Rapids, it was a balmy -15F. Tonight should be even better. I love it, in a perverse way. It's like, there has got to be something wrong with people for living here, and yet it gives us a sense of superiority over the lemmings that fled. There has to be a reason we live here, I just haven't figured it out yet.

I'm Back

I would've said I'm back with a vengance, but that's not exactly true. It's been a long time since my last post and a lot has happened. The Garretson project house is finished, spit-shined and sold! Never again will I buy a house at auction over the cell phone. It really turned out nicely in the end, but what a lot of work. I learned something about myself though- I'm not a slow carpenter- I'm not a fast carpenter- I'm a half-fast carpenter. (say it fast, you'll get it) But I got the job done and in the end, that's all that matters. It was a fun holiday season, I can't say I'm sorry it's over. After a month of non-stop holiday frivolity, it gets to be a bit much for an old curmudgen like me. AND, I still have outside lights to put away but at least they don't get turned on anymore. AND, the days are getting longer already, which gives me hope that the blisteringly muggy days of summer will return soon.( but as we like to say, it's a wet heat) So, I'm trying to wile away the short days and long nights of winter by engaging in my new winter hobby, ice fishing. Now I never was a fisherman, but I finally relented to go one day last year, just to shut up my friend's relentless nagging. Long story short- I was hooked. (There are few things I enjoy more than a good pun) So last weekend, after a morning of showing property in Sioux Falls, I headed north, to Waubay Lake, to meet my friends for what we hoped would be a weekend of harvesting perch in the comfort of my friends borrowed ice house. Oh yes, no more 4'x6' portable canvas shacks. This was to be the real deal. And I suppose in 1942 when it was built, it was. Let your imagination be your guide- 5 1/2' wide, barely 12' long, 2 bunks, a fold down table, full set of cabinetry obviously robbed from a mobile home that had gone to the happy hunting ground, microwave, coleman propane cook stove and coleman camping lantern that hung swaying from the ceiling, giving the constant impression of being lost at sea in a dinghy, a crank-up antenna attached to a 9" color TV with amazing reception. For your comfort, a ventless propane gas garage heater, meant to heat a 24'x24' garage, not a lawn shed filled with kitchen appliances and fishing equipment and 4 grown men. The heater was complete with thermostat as well- ON and OFF. So the night was spent intermittantly getting up to kick open the door, stagger out into the PITCH BLACKNESS without falling through a fishing hole, to cool off . Then later on, waking up again to realize that frost was forming on your nether regions, you couldn't feel ANY appendage on your body, and stumble through the bodies, amidst much cursing, to re-light the blast furnace. Yes, it was an absolute riot. No, we did not catch any fish.