This and That

I don't have a real solid topic to talk about this day. Instead, I have some of this and some of that to share with you.

We had a spectacular sunset the other evening. Just like the sun seems to literally drop into the ocean, this sunset almost got away from me before I could reach for my camera.

Mr. sun must have been in a good mood as the very next morning I was standing out on the driveway as the sun was just coming up. I looked to my right into the woods and as goofy as this sounds, I thought that someone had decorated the woods with millions of colored Christmas lights. It took a few seconds to figure out that it wasn't holiday lights but an amazing sunrise. Sorry, no pictures this time.

We have been having a heck of a time the last few years with squirrels or chipmunks chewing through door frames on our two garage buildings.

Can you believe this? We have been trying to use wood filler to bring the level up so we can wrap the frames in aluminium. These critters chew the filler out before we can even complete the project.


At this writing, I am happy to report that this chewer has seen it's last sunrise.


I won't go into great detail how I disposed of the varmint, but I did make sure it was quick and permanent.

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Rocks Where?

Have you ever had a kidney stone or knew someone who did? I have had occasional stones over the years of various sizes.

Wednesday morning I could feel one moving down the chute from my kidney to my bladder. I can assure you that this is no treat.

Friday morning it finally popped out. Man, those sharp edges can cause some discomfort.


I guess you take your chances when you visit this site.

The bench project is now finished and all is well once again on the front deck.


One of the few remaining outdoor projects to complete before serious winter really set in was cleaning the rain gutters. Before I knew it, Sue was on one of the two roofs cleaning away.


What a relief to get that project done. Being the sport that I am, I held the ladder.

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

A Great Winter Sport

As you know, I am a firm believer in outdoor recreational activities.

Here in Minnesota we are blessed with so many options....hunting, fishing, camping, swimming (10,000 lakes yuh know!), BB-Q, Skiing, snowshoeing...you get the picture.

But, we have this season called winter that can be an obstacle at times. Here is a new idea that I saw being tried out last winter on one of our area lakes:

Snorkeling In Minnesota




That is all for now. Oh, by the way, the frostbite took about six weeks to heal.

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Updates For You On Sue and Big Blue

I should have been a poet....NOT. I don't like poetry or people who like poetry. I don't understand poetry and I don't understand people who like poetry.

Lest I start sounding like Andy Rooney from the CBS news magazine, 60 minutes, I am going to drop that subject.

OK, the update.

As you may have read on a previous blog, Sue had one of her back teeth pulled last Friday. Here is the picture I showed you of her recovering.


Now she has to make a doctor's appointment to have that blue thing removed off her face!

Speaking of blue....Big Blue, our new pop machine is doing just fine. We have several dummies watching over it.



I was asked why we have volunteers sitting staring at the machine. This is hard to believe, but I was at a loss for words. I guess someone thinks that Big Blue is going to get up and run away!

The nice selection of pop is appreciated. The staff is well caffinated and rather chipper.

I should have discussed this yesterday when I introduced the machine. Here in the Midwest the carbonated beverage is called "pop". So for those of you on the coasts, that is what I am talking about. Soda is the term used in those areas. In the Kentucky and Tennessee areas pop or soda is referred to as "coke". If it is dark, it is coke.

OK, that is enough for now but I do hope you tune in again real soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

A Special Day At Work

Now I will admit, it doesn't always take much to get me excited. That will be very evident by readings today's blog post.

Here is my story:

First off, we needed a way to have pop/soda available 24/7 at my office for staff, students, meetings and others that use our building. In the past we purchased pop and kept it in the fridge back in the kitchen. That was a chore. We were always running out and those other than staff never knew the beverages were available.

So to end that major "problem" (people needing a caffeine fix) we decided a pop/soda machine would be in order.

The much heralded day arrived finally and the Pepsi men arrived with "Big Blue" in tow.
The high school band did a great job playing out in the parking lot. We all moved our cars so there would be plenty of room for the marchers to maneuver themselves. I did feel sorry for the baton twirlers because it was rather chilly outside.

The excitement around here was tremendous. The office staff got so excited that you would have thought that Publisher's Clearing House was delivering one of their huge-oversized checks.

Me, being the thoughtful person, wanted to record the special moment so the staff could have copies for their picture albums. This way they can re-live the moment for years to come.

Of course, I wasn't excited, but wanted to play along with their unfolding emotions.

Big Blue is here...Big Blue is here!







This blog would not be complete without pictures of some of the excited staff...




Even the UPS man stopped by to help us celebrate!


The girls broke a bottle of champagne (sparkling apple juice) over the machine to christen it. I am glad it's not summer because I think we would have an even bigger ant problem than we already have.

So there we have it....what a great day!

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Cabela's!

A picture is worth a thousand words!



WOW....what a place. I never get tired of going there just to knock around. If they don't have it, you probably don't need it.

They even sell cabins...Now how cool is that?




Now going to Cabela's is no small task to be taken lightly, that is, if you want to do it properly. First you have to make sure that you are driving the right vehicle. It must be a pickup truck or a SUV. The vehicle should be clean, but not overly so. A little dirt on it is preferred so you don't look like a dimestore sports person.

The same goes for your dress. Wool clothing, vests (down of course) and camouflage would be acceptable wear. Of course boots have to round out the ensemble. Oh yes, please don't forget the cap. Red wool, if in season is mandatory.

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

The Patient Is Fine

Friday afternoon Sue had some oral surgery done. Looks like she won't be chewing ice cubes for a while.
Over the past twenty years she needed two root canals in one of her teeth towards the way back. Something went wrong in that same tooth and after conferring with our trusty family dentist, they both decided it would be best to have it pulled.
When I heard the news, I thought "wow, what a great use for our fully stocked workshop!" Wrong again Bob.
After consulting with an oral surgeon, the decision was made to put her out with a general atheistic and pull the tooth out.
Yesterday was the day. No food or drink for six hours and bring a responsible adult with to the surgeon's office. In spite of that, I came along.
They knocked her out and the fun began. Of course the tooth's roots were wrapped around the jaw with a sinus cavity nearby. The tooth came out in at least a dozen pieces....the sinus cavity was left intact. In six months they will install an inplant in the space provided.
Start to finish, the procedure took just over an hour and we were on our way to pick up "soft food" and narcotics.
We went to a larger grocery store where they had all the soft food one would ever wish for and a very good selection of narcotics.
That task being completed, we motored home and chilled the rest of the night taking in soft food, a movie and narcotics. I was only allowed to participate in the first two activities.

On Sunday we are planning to visit Cabela's in Owatonna. We ordered several Christmas gifts online and there is free shipping to the nearest store. They were offering free home delivery on our entire order except four of the items. Because of their weight they wanted over fifty dollars. Thanks for the offer, but if they ship free to the store that saves me a good chunk of change and gives us the opportunity to rattle around one of our favorite stores.
I have the feeling that we are going to leave the store with more than we ordered.
I will fill you in on all the gruesome details if you just tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"