Welcome, 2017!

Like many people, I couldn't wait for the end of 2016.  I won't harp on the many celebrity deaths or the election season that put a pall over the entire year, the latter of which will be discussed ad nauseam for months and years to come; but I will say the death of local celebrity, Prince, was when I really started to feel there was something "not right" about 2016.  Everything after that proved it.

On a more personal note, the last three months of the year were especially exhausting, so much so I was starting to develop feelings of anxiety.  During the early part of my current role, I felt I wasn't quite the right person for the job, and even told my boss as much during a moment of exasperation.  Now, I feel perfectly capable of doing my job, but there are so many things that need doing and not nearly enough time to do them.  

Much of my time is spent being reactive and putting out fires (fortunately, I work in air conditioning, so this hasn't been a literal problem), but my primary responsibility is to be PROACTIVE in driving sales in aftermarket parts.  This requires me to be on site at distributor locations in the southern and western parts of the country to conduct business reviews.  This is especially important now as the summer (peak cooling season) was not as lucrative for my regions as it was last year, and down considerably against other regions. Our General Manager insisted I visit the underperformers to develop countermeasures to get them to plan, or at least flat from last year.  So, I had multiple business trips in the lead-up to the holiday season.  I have learned that business travel is a young man's game and I'm no longer a young man.

I had a few more vacations days I hadn't used, only recently earning an extra week from passing a milestone anniversary, and was looking forward to taking the last week of December "off from work." I knew I wasn't going to be fully away from the office, as I would have my cell phone (mobile office) with me.  My First Mate and I made one more trip to Wisconsin to finish out the year.  Her grandparents moved into a condo in Racine to be closer to family who could care for them.  They stopped just a street short from actually moving in with them.  We were going to be reinforcements to spell MFM's aunt and uncle from the constant care they had been providing the last few months.  We would only be there a couple nights, but the break was welcomed.

As one can imagine, this wasn't a relaxing trip.  What should have been a five-hour car ride was extended by over an hour as I envisioned Racine much further south of Milwaukee than it actually is.  Two clues we made a wrong turn were 1.) highway signs we were approaching Rockford, IL; and 2.) sporadic time checks of Google maps on a cell phone said we were 45 minutes away at one point, then 90 minutes away some time later. We brought our dogs, Jack and Jill, with us and Jill, as usual, spent most of the trip on my lap as I drove.

Our accommodations at the condo were fine, although we were relegated to the chilly, somewhat furnished basement.  Turns out, this is where My First Mate's aunt and uncle would stay so as to be responsive immediately to Grandpa's needs.  They had a great system set-up, too.  Grandpa had a call button that would activate an alarm in the basement.  The tone of the alarm was the Star Spangled Banner.

We went to bed just short of midnight after some dinner, TV watching and getting Grandpa settled for the night.  Our heads barely hit the pillow when the first alarm sounded.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

My First Mate is a nurse and she immediately sprang out of bed to see what was the matter.  The issue was a small one and she returned a few minutes later.  Over the next hour, we heard the alarm sound three more times; one of which I went upstairs as well to help re-position Grandpa in the bed.  There were no more alarms after one in the morning.

Now, Jill has us trained to let her outside to go to the bathroom every two to three hours during the night.  Jack can probably wait until morning, but he takes advantage of the opportunity.  I'm the lighter sleeper, so I'm usually the first to her Jill softly growl to be taken outside.  I've tried to put her off in the past, but she will continue to growl with increasing intensity until they become little yips.  About three in the morning, Jill decided she needed to go.  I stood outside in the cold for a few minutes as the dogs did their business.  Once done, I took them downstairs, crawled back into bed and closed my eyes.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, . . .

F*CK!!  

"Hey, Honey?  Grandpa needs you."

Those were long couple of days and by Friday we were ready to head home.  The next day, we were going to Treasure Island with our established ringers in of the New Year (a tradition almost 12 years in the making), then eating and drinking at our house.  We paced and behaved ourselves at the casino, and I was able to break even at the blackjack table.  I could have left $100 up, but I couldn't recognize the heater I was on was cooling. We finished the night playing the card game El Presidente to about three in the morning - a time I'm used to being awake thanks to Jill.

Here's hoping for a wonderful 2017 filled with great times, good humor, and pictures capturing every day!

Image 001:  01.01.2017

The Aftermath.  Maybe not too impressive, but the
bin was empty and My First Mate & I are over 40.

Image 002:  01.02.2017

Minnehaha Falls.  These falls are amazing as they
freeze in a different way each year & people risk life
and limb to climb around them.

Image 003:  01.03.2017

I have a stand-up desk at work now.  The only
benefit I see is I can legitimately say,
"I've been on my feet all day!"

Image 004:  01.04.2017

A couple church steeples near Loring Park in Mpls.

Image 005:  01.05.2017

Age old question:  which came first?
The answer may surprise you.

Image 006:  01.06.2017

One of my favorite places in Lowertown in St. Paul

Image 007:  01.07.2017

Had to blow the dust off these mats.
New Year, new effort to go to yoga.

Image 008:  01.08.2017

This will be one of the last times I
will be seeing this dryer.  After a year
going to the laundromat, we
finally bought a new dryer.

365 Pictures in 365 Days: 2016 - This Again?!

Don't call it a comeback,
I've been here for years!
Making excuses,
For ignoring my peers.
With updates on trips, for work and for pleasure
Creating fond memories I will always treasure.

- loosely based on 'Mama Said Knock You Out' by LL Cool J

The start of 2016 was no different than the starts of the last few years.  The Wife and I joined our friends at their house with more than enough provisions to last us the night with the two dogs.  We also had an inflatable mattress,which we would later learn had a small hole that would prevent it from inflating completely.  We ended up sleeping in the kids' room.

The festivities of the evening paralleled those we had during Christmas when we took a trip to visit two ailing members of the Wife's family who were staying at the same care facility. One is her grandfather, the other is who would clinically be called an ex-step-grandmother.  Marientte, Wisconsin is a small town - even as small towns go. Both my Wife's dad and her uncle's family were in town as well.  After a round robin schedule of visits, we all retired to my Wife's grandparents' house for dinner and games.  

We played Catchphrase, followed by a rousing rendition of Cards Against Humanity into the early morning, running through every card in the deck.  My plays of "anuses for eyes" as my super power and "being a dick to children" for what Batman does for fun, nearly killed my father-in-law, who was battling a cold, either from mold in the house or his trip to Portugal.  I guess I'll need to get the inheritance some other way.  I was the big winner of the night, having 15 of my cards selected.

For New Year's we started by playing Asshole, also known as El Presidente in more chaste circles, and always dangerous when mixed with alcohol because who really likes being told, "looks like you're the asshole!"  There wasn't a clear winner as everyone had a chance to be the asshole; but I couldn't help feeling the Wife was one, even when she was President.

Food and drink were a welcome salve to any hard feelings from the card game. Afterwards, we played Cards Against Humanity, which I felt we had done to death a week earlier, followed by Catchphrase.  I continued my winning streak with 8 cards selected, and we played Catchphrase until one of our friends fell asleep sitting up at the table. And then there were three!  The rest of us finished the night playing Wii bowling until well past two in the morning.  I found the game to be incredibly realistic as I got the same scores on Wii as I do playing in my bowling league.  The Wife, on the other hand, was knocking them down like Kingpin.

The next day could only be described as sluggish, both in movement and in appearance. We had plenty of food from the night before that still tasted good after reheating.  TBS had a nice lineup of funny movies (most appropriately, The Hangover) to keep us entertained with low mental impact.  By late afternoon, it was time to call it quits, so we packed up and went home.  The first day of the year was decent, and I thought I could carry my regular photo-taking excursions into the New Year and try my 365 in 365 project anew.

Image 001:  01/01/2016

A panoramic view of St. Paul taken from the High Bridge

Image 002:  01/02/2016

Weather was warm for January - Mississippi was only partially
frozen.  Downtown St. Paul.

Image 003:  01/03/2016

The last couple of years, the Wife and I like to visit the
Como Conservatory as an oasis from the harsh winters.

"Wan, Wisconsin! Wan, Wisconsin!"

Think you got enough room on either side of you two?

I'm not going to mince words.  I hate Wisconsin.  The more I'm exposed to the place, the less I like it, in spite of the fact my Wife grew up there.  My disdain, long cultivated before Scott Walker and Paul Ryan gained national prominence, was reaffirmed during a recent trip to the Dells for a volleyball tournament.

First, let me explain why I dislike Wisconsin so much; it's the state's drivers. I'll freely admit I'm a curmudgeon, and nothing sets me off more than the buffoonery I suffer when I'm driving; and odds are there's a Wisconsin plate on the vehicle causing my consternation.  You can't win with them!  They drive too slowly when in front of you, follow too closely when behind you, and they can attack without warning (i.e. signalling).

I have countless stories of run-ins with Wisconsin drivers. Like the driver who almost made a left turn onto a one way street from Hennepin Avenue, then proceeded to drive one more block on the wrong side of the double yellow line. I assume he thought every street in the area was a one way.  Or the woman in the Audi on I-94 heading into St. Paul, who either didn't see or ignored my signal to change lanes so she could use the travel lane to whip around someone in the passing lane. Or the cheesehead who arrived at a four way stop after I did, but made a right turn in front of me as I went straight.

I have a theory on the lack of quality drivers in America's Dairyland.  The small southeast region, from Madison east to Milwaukee and south to Kenosha, has a heavy influence from Chicago drivers.  Chicagoans, like Bostonians, are aggressive drivers, darting quickly from lane to lane in order to make progress.  This is a necessity to get around a large, tightly packed metropolis.  They're aggressive, but not stupid.  Import this behavior north of the state line and you get people who think this is the only way to drive without understanding the reasons why.

Everywhere else you'll find people who are at best two generations removed from the farm.  If they aren't driving cars, they're driving tractors.  In fact, the top speed limit in any small town off the highway is the same as your typical school zone. Seriously, if you have to get from one point in Wisconsin to another using a road not labelled 90 or 94, you might as well pack a lunch.  These areas are where the fatty deposits develop that clog the arteries of our interstate system.

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 055 through 061

My Wife's birthday is at the end of February, and we celebrated with a trip to Wisconsin Dells, much to my dismay (more on that in another post).  It may seem odd to go to a mostly summer water-themed family destination in the middle of winter, but G-Bug had a pretty big, two day volleyball competition that weekend in the Dells, so we killed two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, G-Bug didn't get much playing time, in spite of an illness that reduced the team by three members (also for another post).  My hope is the coach wants to get his core group working well together as a team and then start introducing new players into the rotation on a regular basis.  I still find it difficult to have patience for the lack of competition time she gets.  The big tournament in Florida this summer will be over several days, so G-Bug should get more opportunities on the court.

At any rate, that tournament is in the summer, and I still need to document the winter. Here is the next week of pictures.

No. 055:  02-24-2014

"Yeah, it's another negative degree day and we just got dumped
with 10 inches of snow, but let's do something that could kill
us in warm temperatures." - Minnesota logic

No. 056:  02-25-2014

St. Paul reminds me a lot of Boston.  Interesting mix of
old and new buildings packed close together.

No. 057:  02-26-2014

One of the numerous high end apartment
buildings found in downtown Minneapolis.

No. 058:  02-27-2014

I had a bouquet of flowers waiting for the Wife at our
hotel room.  Let me know if you want any tips
for romance on a budget!

No. 059:  02-28-2014

Proof there is nothing more depressing than a water park
in the desolate Wisconsin winter.

No. 060:  03-01-2014

This is one of the venues for the volleyball tournament.  This dome
housed 16 courts.

No. 061:  03-02-2014

This is the other venue in Wisconsin Dells.  G-Bug got some
court time this day.  Her team won its first match of the day.

365 in 365: Images 140 through 146

I didn't want to overload my readership with multiple postings of weekly pictures.  Yes, I'm WAY behind in posting pictures, but I wanted to break up the monotony with posts about other topics - any topic.  I have one posting under my belt about my Cape Cod vacation, and there are several others to write, but I have to get some of these weekly picture posts done.  This week's pictures can be titled "Springtime in Minneapolis."

No. 140:  05-20-2013

Some cherry blossom trees on Lake of the Isles

No. 141:  05-21-2013 (placeholder)

A rainy, foggy day in Minneapolis.  Yes, this is a part of Spring.

No. 142:  05-22-2013

The top of the Hennepin Ave. Bridge from the River Road.

No. 143:  05-23-2013

A celebrity sighting in Minnesota!

No. 144:  05-24-2013 (placeholder)

The Lake Calhoun Armada

No. 145:  05-25-2013 (placeholder)

Went to Marinette, WI to visit the Wifey's family for Memorial Day
weekend.  This is a scene from a nature walk we took, NOT
downtown Marinette.

No. 146:  05-26-2013

The sign pretty much captions itself.