Almost to the end of February,  and a few weeks until Spring! Things have got to be getting better, right?  But we must have had another 4 inches of snow yesterday.  It was coming down hard and heavy when we went to church last night.  Actually light and fluffy.  So it was easy to move.  But the roads became slippery quickly.  I cleaned it up this morning and it cleaned up well.  And yesterday was a cold day in the the teens,  and today is warming up to the upper 20’s.  This week looks to be decent temperatures as well.

I am happy to have my wife back.  She got in Thursday night, and even though the first leg of her flight was behind schedule she did get into Appleton early.    So we have been getting reacquainted!   And spending some time at home.  Although we were out to church last night and then out for a bite to eat at Fratello’s.   And we ran into some friends there which was a nice conversation.

The National news continues to spotlight Wisconsin, for better or worse.  While I do believe the public unions need to  get with reality and give in to retirement and healthy pay ins as most of us have,  I still think it sucks the way our Gov has gone about it.  And it seems much more about payback to the unions that did not support him in the election.   I have never been a union member, and for most of my life have thought the unions were too strong and out of control.  But I have always acknowledged it was because of the unions that I was paid well and given good benefits,  because the companies I have worked for had to compete against the union shops.   And the recession confirmed for me that many companies’ management unchecked will let their own greed take over.  Are we in for a better world if we break the unions?  Is our life today better with lower wages, more health costs, and 50+ somethings getting their jobs cut in favor or younger employees at less cost:   rather than the careers of our fathers who put in long careers but had a relatively secure employment, pensions and health insurance in retirement?    Some how I think our children’s future is not for the better.  There was fan fare last week about 160 jobs being added in the area – tele marketing.   Some how I don’t think they replace the many paper mill jobs that have been lost to China.  It is acknowledged that our economy is driven by consumer spending; if 75% of us our left with $10 per hour jobs without benefits who will keep the economy going?  Oh well.  Enough ranting.    I do have to thank our assembly man Dick Spanbauer, one of our old neighbors.   While he wants a balanced budget  he could not go along with taking back collective bargaining from public employees and voted his heart, one of the few Republicans in the state to vote against the bill.  I have to give him credit for that.

So this week will include a ride to Milwaukee Wednesday night for a stock club meeting.  With our aging members we decided to take some months off during bad weather so they would not have to drive.  I am not sure our hiatus was long enough,  but we will start up again for March.

Other than that more fun at work.  And I think we work at church Friday night.   St Rapheal’s has fish fries for Lent and we normally put a couple of nights of work in.  They do a nice job and serve around 1000 dinners.  Food is good!

So I hope your week is good!  Enjoy life!

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts on Mom’s birthday.  Because of the impending storm we had to change up our plans a little,  Skip and Claire and I had supper with her Saturday evening instead of Sunday brunch.  And niece Denise and friend stopped by afterward for Asti and cheese cake.  Mom was in good spirits and seemed to enjoy the evening.   I ended up leaving late Saturday night rather than wait and see what the roads would be like in the morning.    As it turned out I probably would have been OK,  as things started later in the morning.   I went to 9 am mass here and when I got home from mass ,that’s when it started snowing, and kept coming hard after that.   We had a wet heavy snow.  By early afternoon I think we had 6 inches.   And late in the evening we had more than that again,  I measured 8 inches on our walk.  So they say Oshkosh had around a foot, I disagree!  Because I cleaned up another 4 inches or so this morning. and the damn snow is still falling.  I cleaned the driveway at 4 pm thinking it was over, and it started snowing harder.   So I will hit it in the morning for my morning exercise.      I worked from home today.  All the major highways were labeled icy or snow covered and slippery.  Since I can work from home; why kill myself getting in,  I spent too many years doing that.    So hopefully by morning we are done with the snow for the week.   Although they say some light snow Wednesday night.

I had the roofs all clean and the yard and drive were all clean.  Now there is more snow than before the melt!  Chris and Marie are having better weather,  and MJ has off of school this week and is in Florida.  All days this week will hit 80 there.   I can leave this behind!   MJ helped me out today.  We had our cabinets installed in Florida.  Looks like things went well.   Everything looks like expected and I can’t wait to get there to see it.   Our friends helped out by keeping an eye on the installer.  They sent me some pictures this week of when Chris and I were down for the new year.

Streaming some music while I write.  If you like some light jazz and a mix of mellow oldies and new songs,  try http://www.theavenue91.com/en-us/default.aspx  and click on listen live.   Good stuff.  They call it a non profit, trying to benefit and feature other local non-profits.  Jazz local Janet Planet is a DJ, and Steve March Torme, and David Caldwell.  So you will hear those artists fairly often.  Which is fine by me.  Stevie Wonder to Tony Bennett to….

So I was up early this morning exercising in the snow, and will be in the morning again.  So I think tonight will really be an early night.   Saturday and Sunday I thought I would sleep late, but that didn’t work.  I am not in the mode of some of my retired friends!

So can’t we play the Super Bowl again?   For 2 weeks Green Bay news stations had all Packer news for nightly news.   Now I just hear how well our lawmakers are working together for solutions – NOT.   Just trying to punish each other and political groups.  No sign of improvement.   So I guess I can skip tonights news AND weather.

Hope you all are fine.  Staying safe and warm.  Enjoy your week, life is short with no guarantees.

Mom’s birthday is Sunday.   It will be her 90th.  She is doing well, some hearing problems but at 90 I think she is doing great.  Living on her own, in her own apartment.  She has her moments, as we all do.  She enjoys her apartment,  and some time with gossip with the girls.  So we all take these good days, because as with all of us, we don’t know what tomorrow may bring.  Sunday we will celebrate!

Our weather was unbelievable this week.  Very warm, after 42 days below freezing.   Lot’s of snow melted this week.  Our road is going underwater.  All the top frost came out of our gravel driveway, so it’s a sloppy mess.   The sturgeon fisherman are still out on the lakes,  but the holes must be growing larger.  Almost a good thing that tomorrow things start to cool back down again.  We need to slow down the thaw,  as much as I hate the cold.  And I could take a pass on the possible snow storm starting Sunday night.

Music last weekend was great.   I spent a few hours at Kodiak Jacks listening to SNB.   And on Sunday there were great musicians at the fundraiser for Jim Lundstrom.  And a pretty good turn out.  And last night my homebrew club,  the SOB’s, had our annual beer dinner at Stone Cellar Brewpub in Appleton.  They always do a tremendous job for us.  Smoked Corn Jalapeno crab cake with avocado cream, paired with a members rye beer.   Wonderful!  Very moist with a light crab flavor, and a touch of spice.  And the avocado cream was a perfect compliment to the spice.  Then a hopped up gumbo.   Nice and spicy, chicken and sausage, a good tomato base, and some nice spice.  Then the duet entree.  A stone cellar alt braised short rib.   Marinated 3 days with alt beer, and I believe some garlic.  And a morel jus,  one of the members goes morel picking every spring.  And the other half of the duet a black sesame mahi mahi with Jonah crab butter.  A wonderful light flavor.  Served with some alt of course.  And a Chocolate Stout gourmet cupcake for dessert, with a members wonderful smoked coffee stout.   What a night.

So tonight I stuck to some veggies and a Yam.  Back to my diet tonight!  I have not been sticking to it,   but it helps me cleanse some days!  More exercise would help.  I have had trouble getting up early enough to stoke the fire and get a half hour on the treadmill in the morning.  So need to get on an evening routine.  Without Chris here I seem to keep busy each night and not get to bed early.  tonight another example.  So I guess I should stop boring you and get ready for the morning!    Marie continues to improve.  Chris plans to come home next Thursday night.  They will miss each other, and Chris will head back when the next surgery is set.  Which we hope is soon so Marie can put the surgeries behind her.

Take care,  have a great weekend.

Lot’s happened since my last update.   I have been to New Mexico, Florida, and back home.  The Packers won a super bowl.   The weather still sucks.

Marie sounds like she is making good progress and getting stronger.   And is having success dealing with the bags.  She did wonderfully through the funeral, now her and Chris are ‘bonding’.  Chris will stay until Marie is strong enough to get around on her own.   The massive surgery they did to her stomach is still painful.   Chris will also go back for the next surgery.

But the weather in New Mexico has been terrible like everywhere else.   When MJ and I left it was -5 that morning.  And the southwest has natural gas shortages due to the cold weather and demand.   Houses, businesses and towns have had their gas supplies shut off, in the cold,  due to the shortages.   Not a good situation.   But it looks like better weather is on the way,  they all deserve it.

Florida on the other hand was wonderful,  Temps in the 80’s was just what I needed.   Unfortunately I went down for the installation of our dining room cabinets,  but the installer had other ideas.  Suffice to say we are still working on getting that done.    But I did enjoy the weather and the Packer game.  Still trying to get caught up at work.   And at home.  I am looking for a break in the weather this weekend to get caught up at home at least, and maybe a few hours for work.   It should be a good chance to move some snow around,  and off some roofs before it melts and gets heavier than it is.  I took a heater down to the boathouse the other night and had to do some cable repairs to the plow on the ATV, and I think that is ready to go.   And I still have not been able to get to the main wood pile in the yard,  working my way through snow drifts.   But I will take care of that this weekend also.

A friend is playing with his band at Kodiak Jack’s this weekend,  so I will probably make a stop there.   And there is a benefit at O’marro’s on Sunday my homebrew club is helping out with.  Jim Lundstrom wrote for the local papers and now one of the entertainment papers,  and writes a lot about good beer.   He was on his bicycle in October and was hit by a truck.   Damaged pretty good, but survived.   But did not have health insurance.  So O’Marro is giving the space and some local bands are donating their time.  It should be fun.    I have keep busy without my wife around!

And I am getting a chance to know my new car.   I like it.   and more good news.  the heater warms up faster than any of the other vehicles.

So have a good weekend!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife Chris!  Wish I was with you!  But she is celebrating with her sister Marie,  just like Chris’s 21st birthday.   Mary Jane and I left Albuquerque.   Mary’s plane left ABQ ok,  but she had hours of waiting in Dallas before they could get a plane to fly out of there.  And I told her it was a good place to transfer because they would not have weather problems!   But she made the most of the airport stores available in Superbowl town.

My plane pulled out of the gate to get de-iced, it was -5 in Albuquerque.   But then they could not get both engines to start.  So playing around, then back to the gate.   An hour of blowing warm air on some valves and we were ready to go.   Luckily my connection from Atlanta was late arriving,  and the 2 hours between flights I had left,   and I was off to Florida.

The weather here is fantastic.   It barely got below 70 last night.  And a bright sunny day.   I was up early to get some work in and wait for my cabinet installer to show up.  When he didn’t I started on the phone.   You know the story.   So no cabinets installed, and they don’t look quite as I expected to see them tonight.

So I took a long walk on the beach to burn off some steam.   The walk was great,  but I have never seen so many man-of-wars.  There must have been thousands of them on the beach.  The strong south east wind blows in from the caribbean and keeps us warm,  but brings the man-of war up also.   So I walked carefully and enjoyed the weather.  The city beach was full, everyone enjoying paradise.

We are still in Albuquerque.   Our thanks to everyones’ thoughts and prayers.  Overall Marie is doing very well.   She did not want John to go on the way he was so there is some relief that he is in a better place.   The funeral home  viewing was very nice,  and good friend, make that family, Tom did a wonderful job with the rosary.   And the funeral home surprised Marie by having an accordian player come in to do a couple of songs after the rosary.

And the mass on Monday went very well also.  John would have liked the music and Father’s upbeat tone.   Marie has lot’s of good friends that were there, and we had a lunch in the church hall afterward.

Mary Jane moved her flight back from today to Thursday.  And I am thinking that should work fine for her.  I fly out tomorrow morning also.   Work has allowed me to work from here on Tuesday and Wednesday, which has been helpful.   I had already scheduled vacation for Thursday, Friday and Monday to be in Florida for the installation of our dining room cabinets.  And I don’t anticipate any problems getting in and out of Atlanta and into West Palm Beach.

And did I mention south Florida is around 80 degrees?  John I am sure is happy he left this life before New Mexico started experiencing the coldest weather in decades.    It is staying below 20 degrees today and will be below zero tonight.  Marie and John have never had weather like this here.   And I got to shovel a few times.    But the weather is worse south of Albuquerque, believe it or not.  The good news is it should be near 50 here this weekend.   Even today at 15 degrees, the sun was melting the roads.  Last night we were out and it was very icy.  The one snow plow for Rio Rancho could not cover the whole town.  Usually the snow melts a few hours after they get it,  but not if it can’t get to 32 degrees!

But we are doing better than a lot of the country,  so I hope you are getting through this weather safely.   Work was a little easier today since most of my contacts have closed offices today!  And trucks with my orders are not moving – we will pay for that later!  Sounds like Appleton did not get hit hard, although they said Oshkosh got it worse.   I can look forward to that when I get home Monday night.

take care