FB free for 40 days and 40 nights

A goofy Marco Island selfie (complete with Paul's finger) I would have posted had I not been "off" FB in April

I gave up Facebook for Lent. I wasn't the only one who gave it up and it wasn't a huge noble gesture that saved mankind or anything. I didn't pray during the time I would have been surfing FB. But I must say that after making social media part of my life for the past ten years, living without Facebook was noticeable. It was a sacrifice! Lenten mission accomplished.

I missed you Facebook! And by "you Facebook", I mean all my FB friends. As I posted about one week into my FB diet - it was missing out on the lives of my friends and the ability to post on FB that was getting to me.

I felt like a smoker who was jonesin' for my toke. I'd take a picture of something clever and think, "now what?" Even if nobody comments, there is some satisfaction to posting a photo or comment for others to see. And to commenting on or "liking" others" stuff.

My "so Key West" photo

I kept up with my blog whilst grounded from FB - but it wasn't the same - I felt I was sending it off into the netherworld, with no way of getting any feedback. I don't know how newspaper writers did it. Of course they were mostly reporting the news - not spilling their life stories (some would say oversharing) for all to see.

While I was gone, Facebook underwent another change. I get it...they need to keep up with other sites vying for users. But so far I don't understand it...why have they picked their own groups for my friends? They need to send me some instructions. Right.

Anyway, I'm glad to know I can survive without that FB crutch. And I'm happy to be back on board post-Lent.

Kiddo Update:

San Diego selfie

Jud and Kara spent the weekend in San Diego - celebrating Kara's 25th birthday. They had a great time according to Jud - checking out the zoo and the local food scene. Now he's back at work at Boeing - filling out the lengthy information required due to the fact that he's working on defense contracts. They needed to know stuff like where Paul, Amy and I were born. And who cuts our hair. (I made that last thing up). #thorough!
Amy is having a busy week - a good thing when one is starting one's own biz. She's taking a marketing class and the instructor said it's a bad thing when people can smell it when you have "commission breath" and are desperate to make a commission to feed your family.

Honoring Bill

Uncle Bill, Christmas 2013

I hope to get a copy of the Eulogy my cousin Amy Lamm Brownlee's husband Tom gave at my Uncle Bill's funeral. It was perfect. And he delivered it well - it a heartfelt manner, but without blubbering as I most likely would have done. Though he did have to take a couple gulps from a bottle of water - to be expected when one speaks in an emotional situation like that one. Tom's been a part of this fam for over 20 years.

I arrived in Denver last Thursday on a Frontier flight from Des Moines. Frontier is picky about carry on luggage! So I ended up checking my bag - since I couldn't smoosh my suitcase into the sizer they have. My baby girl Amy and my sis Betso picked me up at DIA. Bets had arrived a few hours before me and the girls had lunch and shopped awaiting my arrival. I'm happy they had a chance to catch up with each other - comparing MLM notes. That stands for multiple level marketing. Since Amy is starting her own business, Betsy's experience (many years as a Longaberger sales rep) is more valuable advice.

We stopped at Amy's former workplace Marczyk's Gourmet Grocery, then went to Amy's place near 10th and Pennsylvania to freshen up. Later we stopped to pick up our cutie niece Jordie and headed to my cousin Amy's home in Centennial, a Denver suburb. The freeway was a parking lot, so we took backroads - which probably took just as long - but we had fun chatting. It was nice to arrive and see the family. And get those  hugs. The Lamms are such great people - love my aunties, cousins and their fams. Bill's sis Julie from St. Louis was there too.

David, Bruce, Amy, Martha and Tom

The next morning we met sister Cindy and her son Colby in the parking lot at the church for Bill's funeral mass. Bill was a founding member of the church - near their former home in Denver. Uncle Bruce and David's wife Lisa each did a reading. And Tom rocked that awesome eulogy. The minister's talk was about doors. He said life is full of doors - we all go through them all day long. But doors are an analogy for the stages of our lives too. And that last one - death is inevitable. We don't know what's on the other side of that last door...People of faith like Bill know that what is on the other side is better than anything on Earth...

John, Matt, Lauren and Kate - all very cute kids, all as close as siblings despite the Colorado to California split

There was a nice reception in the church hall after Mass. After people had a chance to greet the family, Aunt Jean and Uncle Bruce gave a short talk on their relationship with Bill. I'm sorry but my photo of them came out fuzzy. Then each of Marty and Bill's grand kids (David and wife Lisa have Lauren and John and Amy and Tom's children are Kate and Matt) each gave a short statement about their grandfather.

A beer at the Paramount

That afternoon Cindy, Colby, Betsy, Amy and I walked from Amy's place down to the Pavilion. We met Jordan and her girlfriend Jill for a beer at a pub there. We wandered around in that area for a while and eventually went to Colby's fave place Euclid Hall. We headed back to my cousin's place that evening where David's wife Lisa cooked up a mess of fab chicken. I enjoyed hearing Marty tell...well Marty stories about working as a docent at the Denver Art Museum for many years. She's a wonderful story teller and good artist too.

We met Jordie's gf Jill - nice!

I heard that in Bill's last days he told my cousin about the history of relations between Russia and Ukraine - he was well-read and informed. His sister Julie told about her memories of living on 38th Street in Des Moines - she and her sister had rheumatic fever and had to lay flat on their backs for months. Marty said she met Bill at a party and they ended up going to ski together in Aspen and other places. It was the begging of a beautiful relationship!

The Bullock girls - without our big sis Susi. Aunt Jean and Uncle Bruce Rader

Bill flew into Omaha the first time he met my grandparents and parents - and my dad was so nervous, worried Bill wouldn't like us. He must have ended up liking us okay - he married Marty after the meeting!

Betsy had to fly out Friday evening - she had other fam obligations in Reno, Nevada. Jordie graciously delivered her to the airport. Amy caddied Colby, Cindy and me back to her place for a slumber party - but we were all beat and hit the hay soon. We were up early though - Jelly called. It's my fave breakfast place in Denver.

Colby and Cindo headed back to Vail after breakfast

Amy and I had a nice day together Saturday. We were able to meet up with my Atlantic homie Julia Hoilien just off I-25 near REI and her husband Jeff Mason after their daughter's track meet. While we waited we shopped at REI and I snagged a new suitcase - one that could make it through the sizer at the Frontier gate. Boom - take that Frontier.

We met Jules and Jeff at a the Denver Beer Co. It was great catching up with those two - such interesting people. A month ago they took their daughters to an island off of Venezuela to scuba dive. How cool is that? Man I have neat pals.

They also are very interested in my life and Amy's too - Jeff and Amy had a long conversation about Amy's South/Central American trip last summer. They each took her biz card so they can refer people to her should the occasion arise. The beer was good and they were able to snag a bowl of crawfish and fixins from a food truck. Good time!

Amy and I shopped a little that evening and saw a chick flick. Sunday a.m. she dropped me off at the airport. I'll be back in a month - Paul and I have trekked to Colorado for Memorial Day for the past few years. The flight is only 1.5 hours and before I knew it I was hugging my honey - Pablo. Happy to be home.

Amy worked for a Bully

Amy update
I blogged about this a while ago...though I did it as a veiled in a manner.

Now the gloves are off.

My daughter worked for a company whose owner (a wacko jerk) is now bullying her. His behavior when she worked for his firm was part of why she didn't work there long - only a few months. He insisted she sign a non-compete contract that was so over-the-top that her father and I advised her to quit before signing it - it was too restrictive for someone like her who hoped to start her own business some day. When Amy told the guy she was quitting to start her own company he initially was supportive.

Then he became scared - I guess he's now fearful that she will run him out of business! When Amy finished up at that company she sent herself work files of some of the jobs had worked on.  That's what designers do - they put those files in their portfolios as examples of their work. Even before Amy got home that night, the guy called her and started making threats - accusing Amy of stealing and trying to take his clients. He scared her - he's a scary man who is around 45 years old.

That was in December and it's only gotten worse. At first Amy was indignant - she believed that she is perfectly within her rights to those files, she argued that point with the guy. He threatened to "out" her to former employers that she was using their files (that she'd had a hand in designing) on her website. Amy cleared the use of those files with those former employers and added a disclaimer on her site.

Then in January a Denver detective showed up at her door. Her former employer had charged her with theft. Right now that case is still sitting with the Denver police. The guy told Amy that if that criminal case doesn't go anywhere he's going to file a civil suit against her. This world is F'd up if a guy like that can file frivolous cases against people like her. Where is the harm to him? This thing...it has weighed on her every day of 2014...hindering her ability to get her new business. I'm sure that's exactly what the guy wants - grrr.

All along this guy sent Amy threatening emails and would then tell her not to contact him anymore. Eventually Amy decided it wasn't worth it to keep the files. So she deleted all the files she had emailed herself. Then he insisted that Amy should send him a certified letter listing all the filenames that were deleted....except that's not going to happen. Because the files are gone dude - so she doesn't have the filenames!

It had been quiet for a while until Amy was required by the State of Colorado to provide documentation that she no longer worked at that company - for medical insurance purposes. She didn't want to contact the guy. He'd insisted she shouldn't - so she contacted the HR person. That was a mistake because the rant he went (that person told him she'd contacted her) on was a bit nutso. Here's a little part of what he emailed her:

I’m sorry, we cannot help you.  You need to use your Resignation Letter to explain your situation.  You’re the one who created your situation. 

 

Your request for this info is very fishy as it doesn’t jive with my experience  with COBRA and other health care coverage.  It would appear your possibly trying to file an unemployment claim.  Please see this fraud website for review.   We will assist the State in any investigation 

 

And he spelled you're wrong...idiot! Fraud website? What? Besides...Amy was able to use this information as the documentation she needed. Haha.

 

Still we just want this and him to go away. This family has a history of intimidation tactics. My brother-in-law, an attorney helped advise Amy through some of this, but she may now need to actually pay someone (more than bottles of wine) to assist her. I don't believe the cops will throw her in the slammer over this - even the detective that came to Amy's apartment said the guy was a jerk. And everyone she has spoken to, including a copyright attorney tells her the file thing shouldn't be a problem. So why won't this guy STF up and go away? 

 

Amy is not going to steal his clients (though one actually asked her to do some work for him already and because she is classy - she gracefully said no, but hey - she's trying to start a biz and could really use the work - that's the kind of ethical person she is Jerkwad).

 

She's filed all that guy's emails in a gmail file called "puppies". She didn't want to label it with the guy's name - because that would make her nervous when she saw it. Is that someone you would want to sue? But I'm afraid that's just what this guy wants to do...because he's a Richie Rich with nothing more to do than bully people - and his attorney will just follow orders.

 

Despite the distraction of having life sentence in the Big House hanging over her due to the "Case of the (not really) Purloined Files", things are going okay for the kid. AEG Design Company is in its infancy - only 4 months old. The website is nearly complete - so the "under construction" will be removed soon. She's been doing a bit of freelance work for a Denver design firm, designed a logo for a business, had a few misfires (that wedding cake thing didn't work out) and has been networking like mad. Denver isn't as big as one thinks! Branding is her specialty and food/restaurants are her specialty. But she won't turn down any work. So if you need wedding invitations, a logo, fact sheets, help with your resume or any other publication - give the kid a call!

 

 In her free time she drives in taxi-like fashion for Uber - cheaper than a taxi.

 

So stay tuned. It's one of those times I wish I were in a movie when the good guys finish on top. I'd crush this guy. I'd either be a superhero and kick his ass. Or I'd have the kick-butt attorney who would wipe this guy out in court, leaving him a shell...taking all his money. Oh yeah!

 

I get to see her Thursday as I head to Denver for my uncle's funeral. It will be a good time to hang out with my baby. And lots of other family members as we support each other. That's what fam is for!

 

 

Mrs. Wohlenhaus and today's food nazis

The food Nazis are at it in schools across the nation. In some schools they crossed the line - they ditched chocolate milk! Gasp. I love chocolate milk. Read about it here: In Defense of Chocolate
Yep - when they took the good milk away, kids quit drinking milk and didn't eat as much. The stuff is golden!

I understand that we all need to eat better. Good nutrition is important. I would like to do a better job of meal planning and eating. Of course one needs to cook to make all that happen....

Whilst on vacation in sunny Florida, walking on the beach, my sister Cindy and I talked about how much we loved the food served for school lunch in Atlantic. With chocolate milk. My classmate Sarah Wohlenhaus's (she with pipes of gold) mother, Mrs. Lenora Wohlenhaus was in charge of foodservice in the Atlantic school system. She could have been a five star chef in my eyes. And stomach.

the pizza wasn't too bad...

Cindy and my favorite meals:

• spaghetti made with macaroni noodles, complete with homemade rolls and honey butter
• hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes

Paul overheard our discussion about school lunch - he was jealous. He said his aunt was in charge of lunch at his high school...(Dyersville Beckman) and it was awful. I guess she was no Mrs. Wohlenhaus.

We didn't have hot lunch in elementary school until I was in 6th - and that year they started bringing the food over from where they cooked it at the Junior High in big thermal containers. We 6th graders were recruited to assist in some of the lunch duties...and we got free meals for this. I don't think I ate there every week, but it was fun on occasion. The lunch room was the gym.

One memory I have was that butter and peanut butter sandwiches were handed out with every meal. Some kids then didn't eat them and they be on the trays to be scraped into the disposal. A kinda slow kid, Mark Moore, (today they'd call him learning disabled) to eat the extras right before they hit the disposal. Yech.

School lunch should be nutritious, yes, but it also need to be yummy! I think it can be both - otherwise we're talking about another topic that I can become passionate about - food waste. Don't get me started! Thanks Mrs. Wohlenhaus (may you rest in peace) for making sure our school lunch was delish! (except for those fish sticks...).

Easter

Paul and me 1982

Easter clothes - that were also used for my cousin Amy's wedding 1992

Today I've been thinking of Easters past. Thirty four years ago Paul took me to Webster City for Easter - and to meet his parents. I'd already met his sis Jean and husband Dave - but not their four kids.

Paul had told his sister Jean he was bringing a "surprise" to dinner. Argh - how embarrassing! If I knew him as well then as I do now, I'd have chewed his ass not to have let them know he was bringing an extra mouth to feed. Jean quickly put an extra plate on the table and was very gracious about it. I suppose Goldsmiths were used to lots of mouths.

Me - I was kind of in shock. It was a lot of people and I sure wasn't  used to that girlfriend role. George and Laura Goldsmith were there. "We like ham for Easter and we're pretty easy to get along with" was what I came away with. I'm sure they were all thinking "Is this the one - not what we really had pegged for Paul." He was supposed to be the priest of the family after all.

Other memorable Easters with the Goldsmiths: We usually headed to Paul's folk's place in Earlville way for that holiday because my parents were often still in sunny Florida. I recall watching The Ten Commandments in the "front room" at George and Laura's place. (once we discovered they were also getting the porn channel by mistake!) I remember driving to Earlville for Amy's first Easter. I had purchased a little mint green dress for Sunday to show her off. She looked so cute with her cap of reddish hair. It was hotter than blazes that year. We were so proud to show her off to the family.

When we went to Earlville for Easter, Laura would make sure to have tons of candy. She would dye lots of eggs or buy them from the neighbor girl across the street. After the kids went to bed, Paul and I would hide plastic eggs filled with candy around the living room. Amy and Jud would have a blast looking for them. Paul and I would also take an Easter basket for each kid - usually with some small gift - my favorites were kites and sidewalk chalk. One year we found a long lost Easter egg later that summer. Somebody was a good hider!

The Goldsmith family gathered - mostly the locals, Carol/Irv and kids, Larry/Regina and kids - sometimes Dave and Pat would come over from Freeport with Sarah and Matt. Amy and Grandma Laura would play the organ and sing. If we were there long, our kids always wanted to go out to the farm where Paul grew up. Larry and Regina lived there with their 5 sons. The two youngest, Karl and Kurt liked to play ninja turtles, video games and took the kids out and around the farm. At George and Laura's family members would play cards and Rummy K. Those are such good memories!

On Sunday we'd make the four hour drive back to Creston. One year when we got home, Fabulous Mary Faber (keeper of the kitty cat) had hidden eggs all over our yard. The kids still talk about how fun it was to find them. Easter is a joyous holiday - quiet for Paul and me this year.

Across the state we go

Pablo and I are feeling it today. I bet Jud and Kara are too. The painful after-effects of moving from one third floor apartment to another. Yikes - we're getting too old for this! Next time maybe we'll suggest Task Rabbit or Two Guys and a Truck. Somebody under 55 years of age. We were glad to get to see their new place and be a part of this weekend with them. If not for our elderly bodies.

I always say moving is one of the most traumatic times in our lives - at least it has been in mine, ours. Every time Paul and I moved it was hard - even if the move was something we wanted.  Saying goodbye is difficult - to towns we've become familiar with and to friends and co-workers we are bound to lose touch with. Change is hard. But not necessarily bad.

Paul and I took off Friday afternoon to head to St. Joseph, Missouri where Jud has been living for the past 3 years - ever since he graduated from Iowa State University. At ISU he majored in Logistics and has been working for Altec, a company that assembles service vehicles, purchasing some of the components necessary to make them. Altec is a smaller company and there really was no room for promotion for Jud. So he was ready to move on. He applied for jobs in his career area online. One of those was at Boeing in St. Louis. He got the job! He started a week ago - he is doing defense purchasing - missile components.

Kara, Jud's girlfriend since his senior year of college, has been working for Cerner Corporation in Kansas City. I won't pretend to really know what she does - it's a medical software company. I think she is part of a team that helps train people to use the software - so she travels a great deal. Cerner has agreed to allow Kara to travel from St. Louis because she's good at what she does! So these two kiddos have decided to make this move to St. Louis together.

On Friday Paul and I drove through Creston on our way to St. Joe. Sharon and Al Higgins spied as we headed to check to cash at the bank. It still seems like home when we drive through - after 26 years there it's like riding a bike to drive through.

Jeannie McFee Gaffney with fam

We stopped at Chick-Fil-A when we arrived in St. Joe, When I came out of the restroom, Paul was chatting with a woman. I thought, "he sure made friends fast!" Then I realized it was Jeannie McFee Gaffney - my former roomie, Joanie McFee Bentley's sis. She was there with daughter Megan and her husband and their baby boy - on their way to Creston for Easter. Small world!

We then met Kara at the place where Jud had been bunking to load up his stuff. One of his co-workers has allowed him to room in their basement. He didn't have much there - bed, dresser and some clothes. The homeowners, a nice couple, helped load up the truck, then Paul, Kara and I headed to K.C. to Kara's place where Jud met us after fighting traffic from St. L to K.C. We loaded the truck until 10 p.m. In the a.m. we finished up and took off a little after 8 a.m. with Pablo driving the truck. I took a book on CD along to keep me entertained. Odie was along for the trip - she was absolutely no help.


Barnes Jewish Hospital

The trip took about 4.5 hours. The new 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment is in an area next to The Grove - a new/old neighborhood near Barnes Jewish Hospital. We started trotting stuff up 2 more flights of stairs - and down a long hallway. We did take time out for lunch downtown. The St. Louis Blues were just fixing to play hockey so we saw lots of folks in their garb. It was gorgeous out and I wished I could stay and look around! What a cool city. Alas we had more work to do - and the guys had big ticket items to carry. #Sherpa

Our goal was to return the truck and be done and head to Iowa by 5 p.m. We didn't miss it by much. Paul and I need a day at home! We wanted to go to Mass at our church this a.m. I'm going to Denver late next week for my Uncle Bill's funeral. Lots of travel.

We left Jud and Kara with lots of work to do - but everything was in their new place. My St. L. co-worker Scott gave me the best route to return from there to DSM - about 5.5 hours. We were beat!

It will be a nice quiet day today. We attended 7 a.m. The little dressed up children reminded me of Amy and Jud back in the day. There was a line of people already waiting for the next service when we left. During church I spent time thinking about all I'm thankful for - my cup overflows! Now - Facebook catch up awaits!

Can't wait to go back as a tourist!

Loss of a family member - Trip to St. L

Uncle Bill passed away last night. He was in hospice and was on my mind a great deal the past couple days. Still it's hard to accept. His funeral will be next Friday - Paul and I wouldn't miss it.

Thanks to all of you readers for your thoughts and prayers during Bill's illness. My Aunt Marty - who bugs me if I don't write this blog, and my cousins Richard, David and Amy appreciate it. I'm sure they're happy Bill is no longer struggling with his illness. But that empty spot where he used to be looms large.

Today Paul and I are heading to St. Joseph and Kansas City, Mo to move Judson to St. Louis. We're moving most of girlfriend Kara's stuff too. They've leased a place in a trendy part of town. I hope it's not a third floor kinda place! Pictures to follow.

Happy Easter all, if I don't get back to blogging before then. 

Water water everywhere - and a tip for you

At the Wallace Building today, the evidence of water - that ran in through the porous roof Sunday and Monday - was everywhere. But not a drop to drink - for a couple hours, anyway. Someone decided to cap off a pipe and forgot that hundreds of people work in the building - so water was off for a while with no notice this morning. As soon as I found out we had no water, I suddenly had the urge to tinkle...why is that? We always want what we can't have....

Meanwhile...we did get notice that a contract has been let on the roof. The patch job starts in late April. In the meantime this highly technical system remains in place.

You'd think they were recycling bins...but no - the blue bins and coffee container are rain catchers
 



servers protected from rain by an elaborate system - see the hose running to the gray tote, which...see below

I'm looking forward to the pounding the tar smells. It will be a huge improvement over the indoor rain! 

This hose drains - with sump pump) from the system above - appetizing, no? (picture courtesy of Tom Anderson, I didn't go into the men's room. He says they've monopolized the best stall.)
 

In other work news, I must tell you I was feeling the effects of  work "burnout" before I left on vacation. We've all felt it. I was finding it hard to concentrate and I was frustrated with my attitude and how I was getting along with others. I definitely needed a break.

My sister Cindy was just the person to vacation with - therapeutic you might say. Because she works in Human Relations she has valuable training in that area and she was able to give me a pointer that I feel will help me in the future. I have attended interpersonal communications training in the past - but this special idea has never before been suggested to me.

So when you utilize this - remember you heard it here first. If you find yourself in a tense situation at work. Say your supervisor aggressively approaches you about something and you find yourself reacting emotionally instead of rationally. Now you'll know what to do.

Kegel your asshole.

That's right - clench those buttocks muscles and suck that sphincter in! That's sure to take your mind right off any other emotions/anger building up. Now I'm passing this tip along to others at DNR - so when unfortunate things happen, like finding a pond where your cubicle is supposed to be - clench away.



Front of the line!

I knew it would be a good trip to Marco Island when my ID and boarding pass got the double beep at the Des Moines International Airport at the check station. I soon found out that meant I was on the good list - and didn't need to take off my shoes or have the whole body scan. Woohoo! That makes such a difference. Paul (aka the urban terrorist) wasn't so lucky...it must be that little Cy the Cyclone on his backpack...

Our Florida trip was perfect. Here are the highlights:

Mon and kid

• Hanging with my sis Cindo and her son Colby - hailing from Vail, CO. They don't see much of each other during everyday life. Colbs is busy with his job as a manager of a Moe's Barbecue in Lionshead. He lives near there. Cindo works in Human Resources for Vail - the company that owns the ski resort and lots of other stuff. It's a mad, mad, mad world in Vail HR. People get fired for drug use, stealing stuff, their parents get involved - and there are people working there from all over the world.
• Warm weather. It's been hell in Iowa this winter. Florida weather was heavenly. A bit windy but warm and sunny. Morning walks on the beach are part of what gets me through cold winter mornings.

Little Bar menu is handwritten - my faves: Blackened shrimp and grouper almondine

• Our fave restaurants - there is something enjoyable about feeling like a local on vacation. Little Bar in Goodland, Crazy Flamingo for peel and eat shrimp, even the deli - Big Al's, where I get a Reuben. Good stuff.
• Colby and Paul had fishing day on Monday - deep sea in the a.m. and inland in the p.m. Fun guy stuff.
• A madcap night out in Key West for Cindy's 60th birthday. The four of us took a road trip there - it was a 4ish hour drive with a stop in Islamerada. We stayed in Key West at the Parrot Key Hotel and Resort Inn - a cool place with 4 pools! We didn't spend too much time there. 

•  Key West is kind of a New Orleans surrounded by beautiful water, only reachable by bridges and boats. And it's cleaner. And has less music. But it's a crazy good time! I think Cindy's bday was pretty memorable. What I can remember.

smallest bar in Key West

Don't I look fab as a mermaid?

I thought this is so Key West!

Colby wheeling and dealing on hot sauce

• The day we got back from Key West (Wednesday) was pretty low key. It was Cindy's real birthday. I'm afraid I just don't pop back like I used to.

The early a.m. showed us many different shells than usual

• Colby went back to Colorado on Thursday. We took an early walk on the beach that day before heading to Fort Myers to shop briefly at the outlet mall. We were sad to see him go. Especially Pablo - no more guy talk and fishing...
• The rest of the week was pretty quiet - beach, pool, drinks, dinner. Sun! Some of the people around the pool are the same ones who have been there in years past.
• We went back to the Little Bar on Bolder's birthday - the 12th. It's hard to believe he's been gone for 2 birthdays already. We shed a tear. Miss that guy.

The Little Bar has a nut cracker collection - this is a biggie!

• It's always hard to say goodbye to Marco and Cindo. But I was glad to say hello to my bed and dog. Odie had an accident while we were gone. She bent a couple toenails back and the sitter took her to the vet to get the nails removed. $200+ later...she needed pain drugs - poor baby. She let us know about it too!

Can't beat this beach

Sad news upon our return. My Uncle Bill Lamm has had a setback and is now in hospice. He has pneumonia and was on a respirator. He just can't seem to get over the lung problem. I would appreciate your prayers for the Lamms as they go through this process with this wonderful man.

Marty and Bill a few years ago with grandkids in Hawaii

 

We're off

I'm off to a place where it isn't winter...sunny Florida. Please, please make it spring in Iowa when I return! In case you're a burglar reading this...we've hired a house sitter. He's quite strong and has a baseball bat.

I hang out in the shade a lot - my fair skin demands it...

We'll be in Marco Island, Florida - with sister Cindo and her son Colby. The guys will fish on Monday and we're going on an adventure Tuesday - we're off to Key West for an overnight. It will be my first time there. We're staying at the Parrott Key Resort. We're celebrating my sister's 60th birthday. WooHoo.

I probably won't be posting a blog until I get back. Be good!

Land of Misfit Coffee Pots and Trash Conference

Burl Ives isn't at my office to sing about it...(like he sings in the Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer Christmas Special about the misfit toys) but we have this coffee pot collection. Nobody knows where they all came from, but they've been around since I have - so at least for 5 years.

There is a cafeteria style Bunn-O-Matic on our floor - so these coffee makers are not used 

Today I didn't go to the office. It was the Iowa Society of Solid Waste Operations Spring Conference - held in conjunction with the Public Works Conference at the Sheraton in West Des Moines. I hauled the Bean Bag toss game and our booth material.

Check out the park bench we gave away. That's my Supervisor Jen manning the table

DNR sponsored Neal Bolton the "Landfill Whisperer" (I made this title up) as a speaker at the conference. The guy is a landfill efficiency expert - he studies how they do things and how they can do them better. Around landfill people were in this session. I know most of you can't imagine how intrigued trash folks are by your garbage and how to bury it.


Neal Bolton is not Michal's bro

I always enjoy hanging with the trash folks. We gave out nice water bottles to those who played the bag toss game. I got to see some of my pals I hadn't for a while too. As a benefit of DNR being a sponsor of the conference we got tickets for a free dinner at Rubes - a grill it yourself steakhouse just outside the west edge of town. Plus drink tickets.

The place was packed when we got there - those landfill and public works folks like to eat and drink! Pablo did a fine job on our small filets. I saw a few cuts of meat that would have made Fred Flintstone's car tip over...my friend Christine Richter was just fixing to eat one of those when we headed out. She was a chair of the conference and probably needed some sustenance like that...yum.

Pablo grills it up at Rube's

 

Show & Tell

I read about a new "Meet Up" group recently. Meet Ups are ways for people with similar interests to get together - they're marketed through social media like Facebook and via email. There are meet ups for dancing, sports, books, politics, games, kids - and now..."Show and Tell" - link.

You remember "Show and Tell" don't you? School children have a chance to show their classmates and teacher something that is important to them and tell about it. I'm sure this exercise has many educational benefits.

When I first saw the Des Moines Register article about a "Show and Tell" meeting - I thought that it might be kinda interesting. Then I read about some of the telling...um, sounded a bit boring to me. Maybe if they had time limits it might be okay. One guy showed his grandfather's straight edge razor and talked about trying to shave with it - evidence: a photo of his bloody face. It sounds like a storytelling group with props. Some people are probably better at it than others.

I bet nobody took a kitten in a castle! That's what I did in 4th grade. Or was is 5th? That was when we got our kitten Harold - named after Harold Parks (I think that's right) the Administrator at the Cass County Memorial Hospital where my mother served on the Board of Directors. I was dying to take the new kitty (I think it was really supposed to be Betsy's - a present for her birthday) for Show & Tell - but Mom didn't want Harold running loose in the car during the trip to school.

Back then there weren't nice pet carriers available. So we used the next best thing - a Little Kiddle Castle. Genius! Little Kiddles were popular dolls that Betsy adored.

They weren't big dolls - hence the name

Our castle didn't look quite like this one - it had a handle for easy carrying and high windows that Harold pressed her face into - looking quite comical. We loaded her in through the draw bridge. It sure made the whole class laugh!

The next laughable thing was when Betsy came out from our room a year or so later and said "There are kittens under my bed!" We didn't believe her of course - she was just a little kid. But it was true - Harold was a girl! And she had gotten together with a boy cat at some point.

We kept the cute little furry things until their eyes were open and then they all took a trip to the Wickman Farm where they lived happily ever after as farm cats.

My last ever blog - #1,220

April Fools! I hope a few of you had tears in your eyes when you read the title...or at least were like, "Oh no!" or better yet, "Noooooooooooooo!" 

I can't stop myself - so no worries on me stopping blogging. Cuz I write the crap out of this blog. Collective sigh of relief. All ten of ya's. Actually I sometimes hit triple digits in readers. Not very often though.

April Fools Day - such fun. I played a trick on someone at work who wasn't even there. It was so easy!

So when Bill gets back from wherever he is...he's going to see a sign by his new coffee table in his cubicle. You see when the Powers reorganized our Bureau and brought Dam Safety and um the other people (can't remember their section name) onto our side of the building, we lost our food area - they look at maps there now. So Bill lost his personal coffee pot spot. Now Bill's relocated the coffee pot into his cubicle. The sign says:

Billbucks

(a little play on Starbucks - not to be confused with Bill Buck - Jane Buck's husband...)

"free sniffs"

Bill is very regimented. The sign might put him over the top.

I also texted our daughter to say "We've quit our jobs and are moving to Denver"
of course she texted back to say "Seriously?"
No, not really. But the way my morning started - got me thinking about it....#confrontation(not with Paul)

One of the best April Fools Day jokes I can remember was played on our very daughter a few years ago...you see - that girl - she's gullible. In a good way. Amy aims to please. When she worked at Marczyk's - the gourmet market in Denver some of the guys told her they needed her to deliver steam solution to the restaurant down the street. It was a clear liquid in a 5 gallon bucket and they told her she needed to be careful when carrying it because it could be explosive - so she shouldn't let it slosh.

Workers at the restaurant were watching closely (and smiling I'm sure) when Amy arrived with tired arms. Why? Steam Solution is water! Amy's Marczyk's bosses were so smug when she arrived back at the store after that. We thought the story was so hilarious that year - her father and I, so we told it over and over to our friends. But we couldn't remember that they'd called it steam solution - and called it bean pollution. That makes the story even better, ay? I think so since I fight pollution!

Grandma gave Amy an antique box - both my gullible girls are beautiful!

Amy comes by her gullibility from my side, I'm afraid. No - not from her cynical mother. It's from her grandmother - my mother. Those of you who knew Pat Bullock would be surprised to know that I'm sure. She had book smarts but my daddy could spin a yarn that lady would fall for every time. Then she'd say "Da - ve", making his name into 2 syllables when someone would break it to her that he was pulling her leg. My sis Betso has fallen for more than one gag too.

I think it's sweet.

It's no joke - Jud and Kara are in St. Louis looking for a place to live!

Kara and Jud look pretty happy with the arch in the background