A Cold Day Geocaching

Minnesota winters can get interesting at times. Having lived in Northern Minnesota for a decade years ago we learned that one has to adapt to the climate and make it a point to get outside and enjoy the weather so cabin fever is kept at bay.

To help the transition from winter indoor prisoner to winter liberator, we took up snowmobiling, cross country skiing and ice fishing. That made all the difference in the world as we very much enjoyed the longest season of the year.

So what does that have to do with geocaching? That appears to be one of our tickets to dealing with the winter here in Southern Minnesota.

This past Saturday we bundled up and headed out to see what treasures we could find.

I downloaded the coordinates of five caches into the handheld GPS unit and off we went.

The first location was about five miles from home. It was located in a park in North Mankato that we had never been to before. It was wide open and flat so with a temp in the very low digits and 25 mph winds, the windchill was well into negative territory.

To make a long story short, we found three of the five caches that day. The two that we could not find were in Nicollet County Parks. I sure hope the reason for not finding them was because of the snow and not someone stealing the caches from the park property.

The weather did improve that day. Actually, the weather stayed the same, we just had better "cover" at the four locations after the first wide open park.

Of course we have pictures for you. These are the three that we found.




And now a few more pictures of the hearty souls in the cold and some of the local scenery.









I guess we will do about anything to delay remodeling our three bathrooms! The way I look at it, we can't work all the time.

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

Project Update

As usual, we have been busy with one thing or another. We have been shopping for several items for Harv and Molly for Christmas from all the kids and we have found the items. I know they will like them.

Sue completed the lamp and table project.

Before



After


Our main floor bathroom project that we had hoped to complete before Christmas seems to have stalled, or is it us who have stalled? Whatever the case, it will get done eventually.

As I write this, we have plans to go exploring in just a bit. I will fill you in on the details soon. Until then, I hope you tune in again real soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Decorating for the Holidays

As you may have seen in an earlier post, Sue made a fireplace from old boxes for her office. Here are some pictures from the cozy setting.





And a few more...





And a few more just to get into the spirit...











What a festive office indeed!

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

Talk At The Table

Conversations around our supper table can get interesting at times, to say the least.

While gathered around the spread this past Thanksgiving I made mental notes of our conversations and comments.

I was shocked!

Things You Can Only Say On Thanksgiving.................
1. Talk about a huge breast!
2. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.
3. It's Cool Whip time!
4. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst!
5. That's one terrific spread!
6. I'm in the mood for a little dark/white meat.
7. Are you ready for seconds yet?
8. Its a little dry, do you still want to eat it?
9. Just wait your turn, you'll get some!
10. Don't play with your meat.
11. Just spread the legs open & stuff it in.
12. Do you think you'll be able to handle all these people at once?
13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once!
14. You still have a little bit on your chin.
15. How long will it take after you stick it in?
16. You'll know it's ready when it pops up.
17. Wow, I didn't think I could handle all of that!
18. That's the biggest one I've ever seen!!

Now really, what I am I doing hanging out with these people? I love every second of it!

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

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Not to make any political statements here...but, I hope you see the humor in the following piece.

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was
time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN McCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road
because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and
dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

SARAH PALIN: You betcha he crossed the road, but let's
not talk about that, let's talk about energy policy, and
how gosh darn hard it is for a middle-class hockey mom to
manage the budget of the only state in America with a
massive surplus, especially while surrounded by countless
Russian and Canadian chickens we have to keep an eye on.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped
that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes
me uniquely qualified to ensure - right from Day One! - that
every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to
cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken
crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on
our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against
us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can
clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that
chicken...What is your definition of crossing?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the
road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross,
and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am
not for it now, and will remain against it.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having
problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad .
So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and
take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give
this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road
and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a
chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to
the other side of the road.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking
American.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it
with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it
crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain... alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you
people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the
'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay.
And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say
we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination
that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless
phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should
not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken
crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the
road, and that was good enough.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing
roads together, in peace.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or
did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

Winter has hit Minnesota, kind of. No big blizzards yet, just some light snows and lows in the single digits. The most snow so far has been four inches Tuesday night.

Very soon I will have some pictures to post, so make sure you stop back to find out "Now What Are They Doing?"

A Great Place To Eat

If you are ever in Phoenix, AZ and are near West Chandler Blvd you must stop at the "Heart Attack Grill."


It is hard to beat a nice hamburger on occasion. My favorite is the "Bypass Burger".


You will probably agree that service is also important when you dine out. I think it is espically important that the servers are trained well, in this case CPR.


Yup, it looks like these folks really know how to treat their customers.

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

Cardboard Fireplace?

Yes, you read that right. You talk about "one time use" or disposable.

Here is the real story.

Sue's company likes to decorate and each department can do it's own thing.

Their group wanted a fireplace with stockings hung with care....you know the drill.

Sue volunteered to make a fireplace. Here are some pictures.

It all started with a box.


Lets see...cut here, fold here, tape here.....


And now.....A Fireplace!


Amazing! And, no, the fireplace does not have tail lights. I sat the fireplace on the tailgate of her truck to get a picture.

I have a few more ideas for stories, so I do hope you tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"