Outdoors in the north

Had a good Christmas in Rhinelander. Kids learned how to cross-country ski. Did some ice-fishing with Dad. (But no ice-catching.)

Local music

One of our drivers plays with Drastic Measures

Another with Berken

One of the Berken brothers works with the band Dashboard Confessional (cool video)

Merry Mary

Woohoo!

The Christmas rush is O-V-E-R. I'm celebrating with a red and green treat: a bloody mary with a dill pickle in it.

Tomorrow the kids and I are heading in the direction of the pole for Christmas.

Joys of the season

Had a good weekend up North.

I went sledding with J&K and their cousins and friends on Saturday. Saturday afternoon I made an appetizer I invented, Brat Pockets, to take to Phil & Kelly's for their Christmas party. I had a little help from Mom.


The kids and I went to FIL's for the party, the pockets were a hit. After a Murphy's Irish Stout, I was ready to don the hallowed garb of the jolly fat man himself. I felt a little pressure as the young ones stared at me in awe. J&K didn't know beforehand, but when I walked in the room, they had a knowing twinkle of recognition in their eyes, and a beaming smile on their faces. The parents said I did well.


That was a fun night. But Sunday brought a special moment. The three of us were driving to town to shovel the new snow from the driveway of our house. We rounded a corner on Crescent Road, where a boy of ten or twelve was running after a couple of beagles. As we drove carefully past, I could see the dogs were not preparing to relinquish their freedom, and the boy was struggling with the awkward gait of the weight of his winter boots. I readied myself to warn oncoming drivers around the next corner, then I thought maybe I could cut the dogs off at the pass. I turned the truck around, drove to block the dogs, and honked the horn. The dogs, an older smiling beagle, and a young playful one, stopped and stared. I put the hazard flashers on, got out, and crouched down. A few soft words brought the pups over to me. I carried them to the boy, who thanked me with a broken cry of relief in his voice. I got in the truck, and the kids said, "Good job, Dad."

Later I heard Michaela relating the story to Mom, telling her how I had "saved" the dogs. There are many days of hard work in a man's life, days of drudgery and strife. But one moment of being a hero in your children's eyes trumps whatever hand life gives you.

Deer editor

I got another letter published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Bungee no likey

Kids gave the cat a bath.

Reworked the look of my blog a little.

I'm not a very good guitarist, but I like to strum a bit. Michaela can play a little too. Jamie asked me to show him how last night. I told him that I'd get him started. I showed him what chords were, single notes, how they sound different, but the same. He tried a little, then asked me to play. I strummed a plaintive chord sequence that's haunted me for years. He looked at me and said I brought tears to his eyes. That was pretty cool.

Dreary winter day

Not too cold out today. Did some Christmas shopping with the kids. Played some Rock Band. Had some snacks while we watched the Packers collapse, again. Working on linking my web presences together while the kids wrap presents. Found a little bit of summertime.

Mr. Lennon's Prophecy

Watched Mr. Holland's Opus with the kids tonight.

life is what happens to you,
while you're busy making other plans

Just Desserts

Playing around on Facebook this afternoon, I found U2's version of Father Christmas.

Greg Lake's original

...where I came in

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles rocks!

Don't wear fear

"Speak your truth quietly and clearly"

I watched Michael Moore's Sicko tonight.

I thought it was going to be about healthcare.
It is.

But it's more.
This movie made me feel a burning in my soul, similar to the feeling of patriotism.

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. "

It is about the empowerment of we the people.

There are parts of our society that do not work anymore. And we cannot keep saying, "well that's how we've always done it." We must re-form our society to meet the needs of we the people.

Don't be shy

Learn, grow, be confident, share your ideas and ideals, work together in order to re-form our society for the betterment of all.

Christmas rush

Can't complain about being busy when the economy is as it is. But when the Christmas rush teams up with a day-long snowfall, it doesn't seem like the most wonderful time of the year in a winter wonderland. (R)