Tomorrow I’ll be accepting the award for the HVAC industry’s MVP customer. This goes to the most outstanding repeat customer. I excel in the furnace division. When I touch a furnace, or look at it, or speak about it in any way shape or form, it becomes sad and dies.
I will now be applying THE SECRET to all future furnace contemplations. I will speak nothing but kind words about furnaces, their attractive designs, the wonderful engineers who concepted such an engineering marvel. I love furnaces. I love HVAC. I love everything about heating and cooling.
This post will be like the Chris Berman 2 minute drill for the weekend NFL recap. It’s 48 degrees here on a Sunday morning, and I want to get outside before we turn the day over to Bears football and the season over to winter (it’s only October…lol)
Here we go:
Our summer officially starts in July, with the Wissota Nitrate Open. As usual, we started off a bit gung ho on the first evenings libations during the late night festivities…The next day Kenny (and the Estees, who drove many hours from Omaha to join us this year) was shocked by his nitrate to blood cell ratio…
Not to worry, we all recovered quickly for the golf tournament, the Wissota Open, the next morning.
The tournament actually spanned two days this time thanks to the large group of enthusiastic participants we had this year. Tournament organizers owed a thank you to Ralph who really took the tournament to the next level with an assortment of prizes.
I was lucky enough to take home a pharmaceutically sponsored shoe bag, which Dawn will be forever grateful as its odor-containing powers are beyond reproach.
Of course, other than the golf, the only thing anyone really cared about was the food. Mr. Bill K., undisputed King of Meats, went the extra mile to prepare some seriously good ‘Sasage’. It was so good I didn’t even snap any pictures, which is a first. (I must be slipping).
The Chef Off of 2007 was a big success, as usual. It was highlighted by really good ribs and smooth preparation. This year we didn’t have any of the drama, like the 2005 hair dryer incident, or the 2006 dry rub spillage. Nope, this time it was just good old home cookin.
You know what they say in Chippewa - “Where there’s Smoke, there’s Bing and Bill Cookin”
Bill threw in a new twist this year with Alaskan prawn the size of deer:
The scenery was equally nice:
It was a great time as usual. Next year we expect more of the same….
I’ll finish up the summer post shortly, but for now the Bears game awaits…
Hey! I know, we’re waaaaay overdue. I haven’t even posted the July 4th pics! If I was Catholic, I would go to confession for such a transgression. Good thing I’m not
We’ve done a heck of lot this summer, and now we’re slipping into late fall. So before I sit down to put together a more detailed update I’ll just pick one picture that most represents our summer:
We got over to lake quite a bit this year, at least compared to previous summers. Oscar is a big fan of the electronics involved with boating. I’m not sure if he even notices that we’re in a boat, he just wants to know if there are buttons that he can push.
I’ll put some more stuff up later. Hope everyone is well!
This story is getting worse by the hour - horrible tragedy…
Here’s an amazing security cam video that captured the collapse. The lady who runs in front of the camera looks like the lady who was shown repeatedly on the news pacing back and forth on her phone afterwards.
Hi everyone - I know I’m due for a 4th of July update with pics, but work has been kicking me in the rear lately. What happened to when we all used to take the summers off? Lot’s of stuff happening, ie, Oscar’s first day at daycare. Pictures to come. He did get a report card. The teachers were impressed with his ability to use a fork…hint hint.
In short, he rocked the house. I think he even picked up a girlfriend. More on that story later.
Anyhow, I’m working late tonight, but was just struck to make a quick post because sometimes you realize how good you really have it. I wanted to make everyone aware of a little benefit going on in August - the 1st Annual KIC Leukemia Benefit - held for the benefit of Kari Imhoff-Crewe, a longtime member of our fantasy football league, and a young mother battling some seriously long odds with leukemia. You can follow her story here. I’m out of town so I can’t attend, but thanks to paypal I was able to make a donation. I encourage you to do the same. Even if it’s a few bucks. Make yours here.
If you also find it a little bit tragic that a young family has to hold fundraisers to raise money for lifesaving medical treatment, I encourage you to go see a powerful movie called Sicko -by Michael Moore.
Yes I am working on my all encompassing Wissota Chippewa play by play recap. It’s coming, I promise. Although I have to admit, once your toddler can move, your style is drastically cramped at campfire parties. My On Wissota Pond retrospectives will be more like USA Today blurbs for a year or so (maybe 18?). Nah, I’m just kidding. Nothing can stop us from living it up on the 4th, and if we can’t reach the level of lakefront decadence we used to, I’ll write complete malarkey and pretend like we did. Hemmingway style.
Anyhow, if there’s one enduring image that will stick in my mind, and should be recognized by all Chippewa participants, it’s the initiation, the christening, the moment we’ve all anticipated with baited breath since, well, a year ago. All made possible by the venerable, esteemed king of SAS-ege, Mr William Kaluzny (who selflessly sacrificed and took on a 3rd job [sausage making] in the weeks proceeding the gathering) Special thanks Bill! This moment was captured in film by Andrea ‘Annie Liebowitz’ Dutcher.
All behold…
Oscar’s first…
BEEFSTICK!
Notice a few things here.
1- The number of people looking the other way (is it bad to give him so many nitrates so young?)
2- The look on Oscar’s face - Like he’s contemplating, I’m used to bananas…”what have we here?”
3- Cousin Charlie has a tortilla chip in his hand - Clearly a child ahead of his time, the second best food to a beefstick. Probably more practical for everyday living.
4- The blood on the right knee. My kid is tough. He eats beefsticks and doesn’t take any lip. (on a regular sleep schedule, otherwise it’s cry cry cry)
Yes, that is a fine moment. Almost brings a tear to my eye…
More recap to come soon. Hope you all had a safe trip home.
You can call us a lot of things, but predictable wouldn’t be one of them. The last couple months have been crazy!
We put our Chicago house on the market April 9th, and thanks to Tina Barr Chicago Realtor and some excellent ’staging’ by Dawn, we sold it in 27 days. Not bad in a market like this.
With the quick sale we had to hustle our buns to get everything packed up and ready. Since I couldn’t take much time away from work Dawn had to handle most of this, and she did, because she’s a champ.
Sadly, Oscar had to say goodbye to Anna, his nanny:
She taught him a lot of spanish and how to eat flan as part of every meal.
In the 3 weeks we had to get packed and move we also had to make time to see our friends and make our peace with the city we’ve called home for a long time. I didn’t have the opportunity to take in the sights one last time, so I went to the corner and took pictures…lol. This is a surefire way to keep from getting sentimental.
Corner of Wilson and Clark, Chicago IL
Looking south…
(currency exchanges are extremely rare in Chicago…)
The east, you see our drycleaner, good service, and they box hats (?)
Looking southeast, the liquor store. Family owned and about 5-7 ‘friends’ in the store at all times, making fun of eachother.
Looking north on Clark, nothing really here, except Carols in the distance, worlds best country bar.
Looking west, Walgreens (Dawn Hudson, Inc) and Staples (where I buy crappy HP computers)
Yes it’s quite an intersection, full of character(s), but you can see after a while you’d want a yard and maybe some fresh air.
So, after my little picture taking mission, it’s time to get packed up and prepare for the closing. 3 days to go and we’re on our way…wait, is something burning?
Yep, that would be the 6 flat next door…
This thing was HOT. I couldn’t even get 2 steps into the backyard. I tell you what, it’s amazing to me that the fire department got there in about 4 minutes, and ran straight upstairs into the burning unit. I’ve never been that close to a fire that big, and every human instinct tells you to turn around and go the other way. Firefighters are a different breed (in a good way, Kenny;)
Some more random pics:
Their garage started on fire too. Our chair on the deck had burn holes. Too close for comfort.
Fast service and Cub fans to boot. What more can you ask for?
Anyway, we got the hell out of town shortly thereafter. Drove the 26 footer through the streets of chicago and straight on up to rest stop number 1, Chippewa Falls. Great Grandpa Dundore was waiting…
The next day we closed and moved into our new digs. Immediately upon arrival we acquired new bikes (my number one priority), and Oscar got his first helmet, which he put on before we could take off the plastic visor…
I’ve probably watched that one a hundred times…
After getting the helmet off, Oscar got a hold of aunt Denise’s cell phone for some cool ringer sounds…
Oscar’s happy, and so are Mom and Dad.
We made a day trip to Taylors Falls, on the St. Croix river:
Then Grandpa and Grandma Taylor (no relation to Taylors Falls) took Oscar to our mini waterfall in the city, called Minnehaha Falls. Oscar thought it was too loud:
Then Grandma took him to the lake to chase ducks:
The next weekend we went to Chippewa on a scouting mission for the 4th of July. Oscar drove his first boat, and then proceeded to completely deprogram the fish finder.
So, we’ve got plenty to keep us occupied, and we’re looking forward to seeing some of you in Chippewa in a week or so.
To our Chicago friends, keep in touch! We’re not that far away if you want to get up north for a holiday!
