Okay Men, let's say you're thinking of fixing that hole in the drywall and since your wife is away you've decided to surprise her by having it all done when she returns. Let me interject here that jumping on the project after only 2 and 1/2 years should be enough of a thrill.
Now let's say you've got the drywall piece you need and the mud and and the screws and all that is left to find is something to spread the drywall mud with.
The tool doesn't need to say Sears Craftsman or Stanley on the handle. Anything will work, especially if the trowels are out in the shed and it's raining.
Well I found a new, cute little trowel that my bride had purchased and I used it. It was perfect. The problem is that when she returned she didn't notice the patch job. She did however notice the trowel I had used. She wasn't happy. So here's the hint. It IS important that it says Craftsman or Stanley on it. AND it's important where you find the tools. If it's in with all of the other kichen utensils and it says Pampered Chef...it could be a 'frosting knife.'
Just so ya know.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
February 19th View From The Porch
Wishing you and yours a Blessed Easter.
We will be attending church services and then hosting sixteen people consisting of family and friends.
We will be counting our blessings and giving thanks to God for the sunrise that has been bursting over that horizon since time immemorial.
"He is Risen!"
Monday, March 17, 2008
I like to dream about 'what if . . .'
The following is my current column in the Midwest Producer. It can also be seen at : http://midwestproducer.com/
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Edition
I like to dream about what if. What if I were to win the lottery? What would I do with all of that money? I know I would give a lot of it away and build a house. Then what would I do? Would I move? Where could I move to that would appeal to me 12 months a year. The fact is that when I go on a vacation to fish, it becomes like any other job after about four days of it in a row. When I go somewhere to play golf it is a lot of fun until I get there and write down two double bogies in a row. Then I again begin to dream. Like what a set of Ping golf clubs will look like after being run over by a tractor trailer on I-80. Lately I dream about what if we had really nice winter weather. Now this part I'm not serious about because I don't want to live in a 'destination' state. If Kansas and Nebraska had great winter weather, then we'd become what we despise when we go to the big city. I like looking out of my front door and looking at dirt, not people. Dirt with grass, dirt with corn or beans growing on it, or in today's case, dirt with snow on top of it. I like the fact that if someone drives by my house this time of year that I must get up to see who that was. For crying out loud, that's the second car this week. We may need to do something about it.
What we do and who we are usually depends on who our folks were. My dad was a farmer on the Missouri River bottom 50 miles north of Omaha. So am I. He raised corn and beans. So do I. Dad started out farming with horses but got rid of them as soon as the tractors took over. As for me, I don't remember a time we didn't have tractors but I have horses anyway. Yes, Dad was smarter than me in a lot of ways. But in this regard there is a good explanation. Mom didn't like horses and wouldn't ride one. My wife does.
What if Dad had been a greens keeper in Hawaii? Today I could be mowing grass, raking sand and taking orders from a Polynesian who is even larger than me. (Not likely on the last part)I could be greeting mainlanders with a big smile and inviting them to play golf. "Why yes of course we take Visa," I would say to them, and then I'd put my arm around their shoulder and quietly say, "Wait until you see the girls running the beverage cart." Wink, Wink.Then I am brought back to reality in the most brutal of ways. My doorbell rings and some guy dressed for a trip to the North Pole asks if it's okay if he does some deer hunting. He has on one of those Russian style hats, a camo coat and he has tobacco juice running down his uncut beard and I'll not even describe his smile. I say "yeah, go ahead and hunt all you want." Then, as he turns and starts to walk away, I say, "Wait until you see the girls running our beverage cart." Wink, Wink. He stops, then turns and stares at me and says "Huh?"
"Ah, never mind, I didn't say anything, I've got something in my eye."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Edition
I like to dream about what if. What if I were to win the lottery? What would I do with all of that money? I know I would give a lot of it away and build a house. Then what would I do? Would I move? Where could I move to that would appeal to me 12 months a year. The fact is that when I go on a vacation to fish, it becomes like any other job after about four days of it in a row. When I go somewhere to play golf it is a lot of fun until I get there and write down two double bogies in a row. Then I again begin to dream. Like what a set of Ping golf clubs will look like after being run over by a tractor trailer on I-80. Lately I dream about what if we had really nice winter weather. Now this part I'm not serious about because I don't want to live in a 'destination' state. If Kansas and Nebraska had great winter weather, then we'd become what we despise when we go to the big city. I like looking out of my front door and looking at dirt, not people. Dirt with grass, dirt with corn or beans growing on it, or in today's case, dirt with snow on top of it. I like the fact that if someone drives by my house this time of year that I must get up to see who that was. For crying out loud, that's the second car this week. We may need to do something about it.
What we do and who we are usually depends on who our folks were. My dad was a farmer on the Missouri River bottom 50 miles north of Omaha. So am I. He raised corn and beans. So do I. Dad started out farming with horses but got rid of them as soon as the tractors took over. As for me, I don't remember a time we didn't have tractors but I have horses anyway. Yes, Dad was smarter than me in a lot of ways. But in this regard there is a good explanation. Mom didn't like horses and wouldn't ride one. My wife does.
What if Dad had been a greens keeper in Hawaii? Today I could be mowing grass, raking sand and taking orders from a Polynesian who is even larger than me. (Not likely on the last part)I could be greeting mainlanders with a big smile and inviting them to play golf. "Why yes of course we take Visa," I would say to them, and then I'd put my arm around their shoulder and quietly say, "Wait until you see the girls running the beverage cart." Wink, Wink.Then I am brought back to reality in the most brutal of ways. My doorbell rings and some guy dressed for a trip to the North Pole asks if it's okay if he does some deer hunting. He has on one of those Russian style hats, a camo coat and he has tobacco juice running down his uncut beard and I'll not even describe his smile. I say "yeah, go ahead and hunt all you want." Then, as he turns and starts to walk away, I say, "Wait until you see the girls running our beverage cart." Wink, Wink. He stops, then turns and stares at me and says "Huh?"
"Ah, never mind, I didn't say anything, I've got something in my eye."
Friday, March 14, 2008
Happy Birthday
An update! "Beware the Ides of March are upon us." This ominous warning is brought to you by Ralph's wife Char. Ralph came home sick from work yesterday and as Char and I visited on the phone about it I asked her if he was "Cliffing." As we laughed about that I could hear him in the background with a raspy voice saying, "I'm really glad you guys are having a good laugh over me being sick." I could tell she was treating him tenderly when I heard her say as an aside to Ralph, "Get your own phone if you want to talk to Cliff, you're not contaminating this one." So say a little prayer for Char. She's the one who must live with him.
Now back to this post.
Now back to this post.This sweet young thing is my bride of 36 and 1/2 years. Today is her Birthday.
She celebrated by getting ready and leaving the house at 6:20 this morning and traveled to Blair, Ne to pick up a van load of dogs. She brought them home, groomed all eleven of them, with some help, and is now on the way to deliver them. Our daughter went along this time. I'm keeping the kids while they deliver the dogs and then they plan to go to dinner and a movie. The kids and I are going to a fish fry at the local Catholic church.
I usually go with Marilyn because she'd rather take me along so she doesn't have to give me a kiss goodbye.
I smoked a half rack of baby backs for her at noon and we also had cheese cake with strawberries.
No regular birthday cake. There are so many things I could say, and indeed want to say about the tradition of spanking on birthdays. But I'll wisely leave mention of that alone. For now.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A Productive Cough
Marilyn was driving as we went hammer down through Kansas City and on to Omaha. Our home was just about 3 hours ahead. We decided to stop for a late lunch at a truck stop 45 minutes out of K.C. We had found what seemed like the last parking spot and settled into a booth. I ordered the special of sloppy joes with fries and cole slaw while Marilyn opted for a salad. We visited about whether it was smart to have stopped or if we should have kept going. Getting us home earlier would have been nice and the incessant coughing of a trucker in the booth behind Marilyn cemented our thinking that we should have kept pounding the pavement. The man alternated sucking on a cigarette with bites of food and talk with another trucker. They were both loud, opinionated, and like some drivers I've known, (yes I've done that for a living for a while) not terribly well spoken.
A waitress came to their table mid way through lunch with a full pot of fresh coffee. She had the look of a tough old bird who had been serving truckers all of her life. She was about to ask the man with the 'shipping fever' if he would like his cup topped off when he began to cough. The first few coughs expelled some smoke and part of his lunch. He then continued to cough. This was no ordinary cough. It made all the patrons in the whole area freeze. We all wanted to watch the outcome of this spell. It's the same instinct that makes one look at the bad accident on the other side of the Interstate. It really doesn't concern you but you must look. I'm also sure everyone was thinking like Marilyn and I, 'can this man survive this or will his life be snuffed out right before our eyes.' We should watch just in case they need to take testimony from eye witnesses.
I looked at Marilyn. She had her napkin over her mouth and kept it there. The look on her face told me we should probably make a run for the pickup before we also came down with the plague.
I looked at the waitress who had her head cocked to one side. She stared at the side of the mans head as he fought for his life. She was motionless for a full thirty seconds. There was nary a ripple in her coffee pot. She was obviously even more interested in the outcome than most of us in that eatery.
The man finally stopped coughing. I leaned to my left a bit so as to see around Marilyn. I could see the man had a napkin held over his mouth with his right hand, tears running down his face and a cigarette still burning in his left hand. He wiped his mouth and eyes and then noticed the expressionless, motionless waitress at his side and turned to look at her. With a firm authoritative voice she announced, "Well...Damitalltohell...winter's gone, springs on the way, and now you're gonna die!"
What goes around comes around. It was our turn to fight for air.
A waitress came to their table mid way through lunch with a full pot of fresh coffee. She had the look of a tough old bird who had been serving truckers all of her life. She was about to ask the man with the 'shipping fever' if he would like his cup topped off when he began to cough. The first few coughs expelled some smoke and part of his lunch. He then continued to cough. This was no ordinary cough. It made all the patrons in the whole area freeze. We all wanted to watch the outcome of this spell. It's the same instinct that makes one look at the bad accident on the other side of the Interstate. It really doesn't concern you but you must look. I'm also sure everyone was thinking like Marilyn and I, 'can this man survive this or will his life be snuffed out right before our eyes.' We should watch just in case they need to take testimony from eye witnesses.
I looked at Marilyn. She had her napkin over her mouth and kept it there. The look on her face told me we should probably make a run for the pickup before we also came down with the plague.
I looked at the waitress who had her head cocked to one side. She stared at the side of the mans head as he fought for his life. She was motionless for a full thirty seconds. There was nary a ripple in her coffee pot. She was obviously even more interested in the outcome than most of us in that eatery.
The man finally stopped coughing. I leaned to my left a bit so as to see around Marilyn. I could see the man had a napkin held over his mouth with his right hand, tears running down his face and a cigarette still burning in his left hand. He wiped his mouth and eyes and then noticed the expressionless, motionless waitress at his side and turned to look at her. With a firm authoritative voice she announced, "Well...Damitalltohell...winter's gone, springs on the way, and now you're gonna die!"
What goes around comes around. It was our turn to fight for air.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Flying Low
As I write this we are on our way home from a whirlwind tour. Our problem has been that between my board meetings and hauling corn, and Marilyn's kennel business we have such a short time that we can be gone. The down side has been that we went right by bloggers I would like to have visited. Some in the middle of the night. John and Terah might not have appreciated a midnight visit with a 6:00 am start so we didn't call. Next time we will stop.
We visited one of my brothers in New Mexico. He is a very busy small animal Veterinarian. We were fortunate enough to have him block out enough time to play a round of golf. They have a beautiful home and the food and hospitality is always good down there whether we eat at home or go out to a Mexican restaurant.
I have another brother wintering in Corpus Christi so we rifled down there. The trip was into the teeth of a 40 mph wind. The wind coupled with the 80 mph speed limit meant that we quit bragging about the good mileage our pickup was getting.
We stayed in Corpus Sunday through Thursday and got in three rounds of golf. We also toured the area including a trip down to the King Ranch. My brother had just purchased a King Ranch Edition Ford F-150 so we needed to take it down home. I don't think the pickup cared.
On the way home we've had just enough time to visit Marilyns relatives in Houston and Dallas and one of my sisters in Tulsa. We are in the middle of those visits and know they will be great and of course way too brief. Then it will be back to the salt mines.
Next year I hope to do something similar but with another week added to it to allow a visit to Adi and Lucy and others.
In the "Well Duh" department: I used an ATM machine in a restaurant while in Corpus. It kicks out only $20 dollar bills. I had my choice of $20-$40-$60-$80-$100-or Other. Wanting $200 I clicked Other. I then typed in $200. The next screen said: Sorry, $100 is the maximum this machine will dispense. I simply stared at the machine over the top of my reading glasses the same as if it had been a human that had offered it.
We visited one of my brothers in New Mexico. He is a very busy small animal Veterinarian. We were fortunate enough to have him block out enough time to play a round of golf. They have a beautiful home and the food and hospitality is always good down there whether we eat at home or go out to a Mexican restaurant.
I have another brother wintering in Corpus Christi so we rifled down there. The trip was into the teeth of a 40 mph wind. The wind coupled with the 80 mph speed limit meant that we quit bragging about the good mileage our pickup was getting.
We stayed in Corpus Sunday through Thursday and got in three rounds of golf. We also toured the area including a trip down to the King Ranch. My brother had just purchased a King Ranch Edition Ford F-150 so we needed to take it down home. I don't think the pickup cared.
On the way home we've had just enough time to visit Marilyns relatives in Houston and Dallas and one of my sisters in Tulsa. We are in the middle of those visits and know they will be great and of course way too brief. Then it will be back to the salt mines.
Next year I hope to do something similar but with another week added to it to allow a visit to Adi and Lucy and others.
In the "Well Duh" department: I used an ATM machine in a restaurant while in Corpus. It kicks out only $20 dollar bills. I had my choice of $20-$40-$60-$80-$100-or Other. Wanting $200 I clicked Other. I then typed in $200. The next screen said: Sorry, $100 is the maximum this machine will dispense. I simply stared at the machine over the top of my reading glasses the same as if it had been a human that had offered it.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Jump--Jump
I drove about 70 miles last thursday to a board meeting. I spoke out against what I thought was wasteful spending. They wanted to buy a near new building. It was much too large for our needs in my opinion and $600,000. I might have been too vociferous because I had two reporters call me yesterday from two different newspapers.
*******
I saw something yesterday that has had me chuckling every time it crosses my mind. In a nearby town there is a trampoline, near a house, on a steep sidehill.
"Mom, can I go out and jump twice on the trampoline?"
Or if they ever sell the ad will say- For Sale: Trampoline. Like new condition. Used only for short periods, usually just two jumps at a time.
*******
I saw something yesterday that has had me chuckling every time it crosses my mind. In a nearby town there is a trampoline, near a house, on a steep sidehill.
"Mom, can I go out and jump twice on the trampoline?"
Or if they ever sell the ad will say- For Sale: Trampoline. Like new condition. Used only for short periods, usually just two jumps at a time.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Just So You Know
Our tap water is 39 degrees. I just checked it. I thought you should know.
*******
The radicals are against water boarding some guy caught dragging a headless Marine through the streets because it's a form of torture.
But yet they are going to allow the Academy Awards with Jon Stewart to be shown on national television. Go figure.
*******
The radicals are against water boarding some guy caught dragging a headless Marine through the streets because it's a form of torture.
But yet they are going to allow the Academy Awards with Jon Stewart to be shown on national television. Go figure.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Survival Mode
It is -10 as I write. But the weather man says that with the bright sunny skies and wind that we can expect to get up to oh, about zero.
I've decided to not even try trucking corn and will leave the tractor-trailer in the shed. At least in there when it jells up I won't have to tow it. I can just 'tow' the Knipco heaters over to the truck.
We have gone into survival mode again. You know, things like asking Marilyn to start my pick up for me when she goes out to start her car. Planning is the key when life gets tough.
I've decided to not even try trucking corn and will leave the tractor-trailer in the shed. At least in there when it jells up I won't have to tow it. I can just 'tow' the Knipco heaters over to the truck.
We have gone into survival mode again. You know, things like asking Marilyn to start my pick up for me when she goes out to start her car. Planning is the key when life gets tough.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Things About Me You Did Not Want To Know
I have been tagged by Paul and Villas Girl to fill out some lists about myself.
I have started the first of several days of leadership type training. This training will occur on at least 4 days spread out across the year and Nebraska.
How do these two have anything to do with each other. Well I'll tell you.
The results of a personality test, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator were given to us last week at our conference. We had taken the test a few weeks earlier. The College Prof who ran the 3 hour session apparently makes his living doing this as he was very good and very entertaining. Many of you have taken this test. Out of the 8 personality types there are 16 possible combinations. I am an ISFP. Introverted-Sensing-Feeling-Perceiver
My P or perceiving scores were all max'd out. In explaining us perceiving types as opposed to the opposite type of Judging he said, "A judger will get up in the morning and make a list of priorities and really attempt to complete it before the day is done. A 'P' or perciever will not make a list. He hates lists. If he does make a list, he will lose it. His desk is a mess, his refridgerator is not neat, everything on his desk is in piles and the clothes in his drawers aren't in neat little piles because 'P's like to stir their clothes when looking for something to wear. He's been reading my mail. If you go to this website it explains my type and is really very accurate. That way when you come to Blogstock you won't have any surprises.
Now as for Paul's bucket list, I made one but I lost it. If I remember correctly it involved several changes on the county level that I wanted to help bring about while I'm still in office. (I AM the candidate of change and have learned that I really don't need to be specific to be able to say that.) I'd like to make enough money so that Marilyn wouldn't need to work so long or so hard. She just barely has enough time to clean house, cook, and bring me my iced tea and blanket as it is.
Someday I'd like to build a new house with very specific features. We have made hudreds of lists of ideas we would like to incorporate in this new house but I keep losing the lists.
We do want enough time to be able to sit on the sidelines and watch our grandchildren 'do stuff'. They are all 10 and under so that is coming up.
We would like to be able to travel south for two or three weeks every winter.
I can't remember what else is on my list. The list is on my desk somewhere.
As for Villas Girl's list of quirky thing about me. I drink iced tea constantly. I'm trying to lose weight and have been since birth. I'm on our county board of Supervisors. I sit on 6 other boards. I can't say no apparently but am learning. I sleep with my best friend. (36 plus years of that) I taught my children that there will always be someone stronger, faster, richer, poorer, more talented and better looking but that they should try to be one of the best there is at something. They all have.
I play bad golf very well and sometimes a lot of it. I have done a lot of emcee work on a local level as well as entertaining with a quartet. (my wife and another couple)
Some people ask me if I have a joke for them.
I leave everything that involves a deadline to the last minute especially if it involves speaking in front of a crowd. This isn't entirely true. I have a knack for being able to predict when I will need to say something to a group and probably have rehearsed it in my mind about twenty times. Same thing with the jokes. This leads people to complement me for saying the right thing off the cuff when actually I had thought it thru. I'm not so smart as to be able to come up with stuff on a moments notice.
I've always believed that in business or government that talented, well paid people are the answer. I'd rather give a good employee a raise and cut somewhere else. My phone doesn't ring very much and that is because of the quality of the employees in this county. That may not seem quirky to you but it's surprising the number of people who do.
This is way too long.
One more quirky thing. I don't do meme's so this post is one of a kind.
I have started the first of several days of leadership type training. This training will occur on at least 4 days spread out across the year and Nebraska.
How do these two have anything to do with each other. Well I'll tell you.
The results of a personality test, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator were given to us last week at our conference. We had taken the test a few weeks earlier. The College Prof who ran the 3 hour session apparently makes his living doing this as he was very good and very entertaining. Many of you have taken this test. Out of the 8 personality types there are 16 possible combinations. I am an ISFP. Introverted-Sensing-Feeling-Perceiver
My P or perceiving scores were all max'd out. In explaining us perceiving types as opposed to the opposite type of Judging he said, "A judger will get up in the morning and make a list of priorities and really attempt to complete it before the day is done. A 'P' or perciever will not make a list. He hates lists. If he does make a list, he will lose it. His desk is a mess, his refridgerator is not neat, everything on his desk is in piles and the clothes in his drawers aren't in neat little piles because 'P's like to stir their clothes when looking for something to wear. He's been reading my mail. If you go to this website it explains my type and is really very accurate. That way when you come to Blogstock you won't have any surprises.
Now as for Paul's bucket list, I made one but I lost it. If I remember correctly it involved several changes on the county level that I wanted to help bring about while I'm still in office. (I AM the candidate of change and have learned that I really don't need to be specific to be able to say that.) I'd like to make enough money so that Marilyn wouldn't need to work so long or so hard. She just barely has enough time to clean house, cook, and bring me my iced tea and blanket as it is.
Someday I'd like to build a new house with very specific features. We have made hudreds of lists of ideas we would like to incorporate in this new house but I keep losing the lists.
We do want enough time to be able to sit on the sidelines and watch our grandchildren 'do stuff'. They are all 10 and under so that is coming up.
We would like to be able to travel south for two or three weeks every winter.
I can't remember what else is on my list. The list is on my desk somewhere.
As for Villas Girl's list of quirky thing about me. I drink iced tea constantly. I'm trying to lose weight and have been since birth. I'm on our county board of Supervisors. I sit on 6 other boards. I can't say no apparently but am learning. I sleep with my best friend. (36 plus years of that) I taught my children that there will always be someone stronger, faster, richer, poorer, more talented and better looking but that they should try to be one of the best there is at something. They all have.
I play bad golf very well and sometimes a lot of it. I have done a lot of emcee work on a local level as well as entertaining with a quartet. (my wife and another couple)
Some people ask me if I have a joke for them.
I leave everything that involves a deadline to the last minute especially if it involves speaking in front of a crowd. This isn't entirely true. I have a knack for being able to predict when I will need to say something to a group and probably have rehearsed it in my mind about twenty times. Same thing with the jokes. This leads people to complement me for saying the right thing off the cuff when actually I had thought it thru. I'm not so smart as to be able to come up with stuff on a moments notice.
I've always believed that in business or government that talented, well paid people are the answer. I'd rather give a good employee a raise and cut somewhere else. My phone doesn't ring very much and that is because of the quality of the employees in this county. That may not seem quirky to you but it's surprising the number of people who do.
This is way too long.
One more quirky thing. I don't do meme's so this post is one of a kind.
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