Category Archives: Business

2024, Business, Family, Farming Update, Health, Weather

The Two P’s

38 Comments

The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben!

As you can see from the header photo, we felt the need to add a flag to our flagpole recently. We’re liking it.

Hope you all had a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat.

Our son and daughter-in-law were here and I ordered a 15 lb ham, and had it on the grill for 4 hours, topping with honey bourbon glaze and it was very good. And there are many leftovers. And we sure had a good time.

Near the end of the day I received word my cousin Marcie had died. In May of 2021, she fell down some steps at her home, hit her head, and suffered bleeding in her skull. She never fully recovered from that, and after having a stroke in October, died on Thursday morning.

Marcie, Grandma Lillie, and myself in 1972 as Ring Bearer and Flower Girl at my sister’s wedding.

She was the youngest of three siblings adopted by my Uncle Stanley and Aunt Judy. Her older brother Mark died a few years ago, and the oldest sister Marie is still with us. It seemed like a pretty tough childhood for them. Judy seemed awfully stern to me. My perception was that she was pretty strict. My siblings say she was fun. I was scared of her.

Marcie married a good guy, and she had some really good years in the middle.

I basically have a functional heated shop now. It’s not done, but I hooked up the thermostat complete with conduit and not just ‘temporary’ and I can monitor it from my phone app.

I need to finish the interior wall and get the electricians back so they can do their thing, and figure out where to put the tool boxes and shelving, and, well… I could keep myself busy in here all winter.

About 2 more weeks of classes left. I’ve still got an ‘A’ going for ‘Interpersonal Communication’. We have to write an online discussion post each week and respond to a classmate’s post. We can see how many views our posts get. Mine never get many. It could be they read a few at the start, never got my Seinfeld references and old jokes and they quit reading them. Or it could just be they only read their friends. Or maybe they pick the short ones, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter to me, It’s just interesting.

Hey, how do you know if your computer is musical?

If it’s a Dell.

“Adele”.

She’s a singer.

Found this photo when looking for the above wedding photo. That’s about 1965. Dad is working on the blade of the road grader. I’m helping. It’s pretty clear I liked being out there and helping at an early age. The patches on the knees make me laugh. Was I that busy? Or hand-me-downs? Probably both.

When Dad was still coming to the farm and helping, “helping”, I’d usually have ‘Dad stories’ by the time he went home. I wish I had written them down. I sure can’t remember any these days. It seems like there’s a long tradition of the dads coming to the farm and ‘helping’ until they break something, and then they go home. Once retired, it’s not their problem anymore. And dad knew that too. He said the same thing about his dad. And my dad had picked up some part time jobs, so often, it was conveniently time for him to go to his other job when he broke something here. He’d laugh, I’d roll my eyes and grumble, and off he’d go.

But… perspective. Time and perspective. I don’t blame him.

A lot of situations improve with time and perspective.

At the theater we often end up talking about ‘Perception’. Sometimes It’s still enough to make me roll my eyes. I did a little searching and there’s a lot of talk about perception and perspective.

Mom and dad at their 65th Wedding anniversary. Dad died in November the next year.

I have much to be thankful for.

PERSPECTIVE?

PERCEPTION?

2024, Business, Family, Mysteries, Travel

True Blue

27 Comments

Two COMPLETELY different people live in this house.

Me.
Cashier at a store:  Are you a member of our loyalty program.
Me:  No, is it free?
Cashier:  No, it’s ____ per year but you get ___ % of every purchase.
Me:  No thanks.
 

YA.
YA:  I need one more flight this calendar year to keep my Silver status.
Me:   And this is important?
YA:  Of course.
YA:  I think I’m going to book a flight to Dallas for the Jingle Bell concert in two weeks.   If I fly down on the day of the concert, I can stay overnight and come home the next day.
Me:  You can get the days off?
YA:  I can work on the plane and in the hotel.
Me:  And this is worth the expense to you?
YA:  Oh yeah.
 

I am enrolled in quite a few loyalty programs; all but one is free.  I can’t bear the idea of having to keep track whether I’m making my money back.  The one that I do pay for is Prime and I actually only pay half; YA pays the other half.  I did keep track for the first two years and with the movies, it was a landslide so I quit my spreadsheet after that.  Most of my programs only come up once a year on my birthday.  I get the birthday freebie and that’s all.  The program at my hardware store is probably my favorite – I get discounts and coupons for stuff that I’m purchasing anyway.   Couple of my bakery programs pay off occasionally as well.  But the idea that YA would fly to Dallas to keep her status is mind-blowing to me.  It’s like there’s an alien living in the house with me.

Do you have any loyalty programs that you like?

2024, Business, Mysteries, Uncategorized

Mall Malaise

35 Comments

I worked at the B.Dalton in Southdale almost forty years ago.  It was B.Dalton #1 – the first store in the chain, which eventually got swallowed up by Barnes & Noble.  So I knew Southdale like the back of my hand.  Southdale and Burnsdale  Center were the only two malls where I ever worked.  And not being a massive shopping fan, I never got to know any other commercial centers as well as those two.

Yesterday I needed to kill about 45 minutes so I thought I’d walk around Southdale for a bit.  WOW.  I was there around noon and was a little taken aback by how quiet it was.  And how many storefronts were covered up with photos and notices like the one in the photo about changes coming in the future.  Several stores that weren’t shuttered didn’t appear to be open and the stores that were open were almost all empty of customers.  The only lively spots were The Apple Store and the Hennepin County Government Services.  I didn’t even know that the HC Services had moved to Southdale when they closed their space next to the Southdale Library!

My guess is that big malls like Southdale may not survive.  I can’t imagine what they think they’re going to do liven it up. Even Santa’s workshop/photo op is abysmally small (and not open at noon) up on the second floor! Between the pandemic and the rise of free shipping and the seemingly growing sense that we’ve over-materialized ourselves, maybe big huge commercial centers are dying a quiet death.  I’d probably need more research to really answer this question but unfortunately it’s not research I would relish.  Just have to wait and see.

When was the last time you were in a mall?  Do you have a go-to shopping spot?

2024, Business, Health, Mysteries

How Much Is It Worth?

28 Comments

About twenty-five ago, my gym started opening locations in the Twin Cities; sales reps from the gym were available for a few hours in my company’s lunchroom, offering memberships at a huge discount.  Huge.  Another of the selling points was that most major insurance companies were now giving credits for getting healthy.  My insurance company was offering a $25 credit for going to the gym 12 times a month.  The location near my office wasn’t even built yet but I thought it was a great opportunity so I signed up. 

They didn’t start taking the money until the facility was actually built and in that six months, my company ramped up their “get healthy” policy.  If you worked out/went to the gym (the same 12 times a month), you’d get $20 award credits.  If you added the insurance money and the good healthy policy, it was more than the monthly charge for the gym!  It was like getting paid to work out.  Even when the health policy changed about ten years ago (and I didn’t want to mess with it anymore), it was still an excellent deal as the gym never increased my fees.

Except for a few months when I hurt my back, I went to the gym 12 times a months year after year after year.  Swimming laps sometimes, a few classes but most routinely the stationary bike.  (I can read while I’m on the stationary bike… win/win.)  But only 12 times.  In all those years, I think I went more than 12 times a month just a few times.  I wanted to get that credit but nothing more.

When I retired, I was able to change my membership to Silver Sneakers which is free to me.  I was pretty sure when I made the switch that I would never go to the gym again – if it was about the discount and the credit all those years, what value would I put on it if it’s free no matter whether I go or not.

Surprise surprise.  I’m still going to the gym, but I’m going MORE now.  Pretty much every other day.  Still mostly the bike and book show, but occasionally some laps. I keep think I should try the spin class but then I couldn’t read.

So why do I value it more NOW when it’s free than when I was paying for it? 

2024, Business, Family, Farming Update, Seasons, Uncategorized

Hopping

23 Comments

The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben.

Hasn’t been much farming happening at our place this week. It’s tech week at the theater. So, all day every day there.


We got almost an inch of rain Wednesday and Thursday so that was really nice. Haven’t got my corn out yet, even though they had thought maybe Sunday and then he said maybe Tuesday but they’ll get to it one of these days. The weather doesn’t really hurt it at this point, I mean as long as we’re not talking blizzards or anything, the corn can take some rain.

The header photo is a view we haven’t had in twenty years. Kelly has done such an impressive job cutting and clearing all the buckthorn on this hillside. Once she got done working from the top down, I cleared some of the bottom of the hill and she started from the bottom up. It’s a good workout for her and it’s so great to be able to see all the way through again!

I did get all the hydraulic hoses replaced on my chisel plow a couple weeks ago.

I opened the big, fancy, new, garage door and backed onto the concrete and replaced or turned over the shovels so they all have good sharp points on the bottom. Two bolts in each, and I was smart enough not to hold it with my thumb as I mentioned a few stories back where I sliced open both thumbs doing this job. You might have to tell me things twice, but you don’t have to tell me three times. A couple of shovels were broken off, so I replaced those. There’s a point on each end that will wear off. Sometimes you can just turn them over and use the other point. They’ve got a slight twist to them so they either throw the dirt to the left or the right.

I was short a couple of bolts so I picked them up one morning, and then while home for an hour one afternoon, I finished all the shovels and now it’s ready to go once the corn is out.

I really like having the concrete in the shed and outside, and what I’m learning about having concrete is that it’s always dirty. I’m beginning to realize why the farmers with these concrete shops all have floor sweepers. Trying to keep it clean is an ongoing battle. In the shop, at this point without the fourth wall and the dirt floor just outside that, I use a leaf blower and just blow all the dust back out on the dirt. Same thing outside, although sometimes I use the lawnmower and drive back-and-forth with that to funnel the dust off one edge. Soon I’ll be buying more tools to keep it clean. Power broom? I’ve got shop brooms, they’re boring and too much work. Industrial vacuum? Drivable floor sweepers?? Industrial vacuum!!

Hopefully once I finish the wall and keep the door shut more it won’t be as dusty in the shop, but you can see from the photo that when I’m working on something I might bring a lot of dirt.

Speaking of buying more tools, the soybean check is in the bank and I’ve been shopping. (Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to the bills too.) I bought a few more deep well, impact rated, metric sockets to finish off the rack. Twenty mm – 26mm

And I ordered the wifi bridge so I can send the wifi signal from the house to the shop, and then put my remote thermometer and camera in there, and get the wifi thermostat hooked up, and the wifi-garage door. 😊

Also, I always get a couple new pairs of work boots with the soybean check. My lousy feet, I wear out a pair of shoes in a year.

The first college show is Saturday at 2 o’clock. “Still Life with Iris”, by Steven Dietz.

Sunday is the final open house at our old Haverhill Township Hall before the Rochester Fire Department uses it for a training burn. More on that later.

Next week we have two shows per day at the college with the final show on Saturday the ninth. I hope to be home working on my shed in the afternoons. This weather isn’t going to hold forever.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CONTROL THROUGH YOUR PHONE?

2024, Business, Family, Food, Seasons, Uncategorized

Fall Bonanza

20 Comments

You all know my weakness for seasonal goodies – so does Trader Joes.  There is normally a slew of new items each season, most of which won’t be back when the season is over.  YA and I went out a couple of weeks ago, right after the latest Fearless Flyer (Trader Joe’s newsletter) arrived in my mailbox.  There are plenty of things we like to shop for but looking at and maybe picking up some of the seasonal stuff adds to the fun.  In this respect, the YA apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

We tried fall leaf tortilla chips and potato crisps in the shape of ghost and bats.  A big jar of harvest soup, a bag of apple granola.  Pumpkin pasta.  At the last minute we tossed a box of apple shortbread cookies into the basket.  Normally the seasonal items we pick up are nice but nothing that makes me sad knowing they won’t come around again.  But this year is different.   The tortilla chips, the ghost potato crisps and the apple shortbread were all winners.  I even whipped up some fresh salsa to have with the tortilla chips.  YA ate most of the apple shortbread before I even got one. 

Over the weekend, I had to pick up a couple of things at Michaels… and when I came out of the store and headed toward my car, my eyes lit on the Trader Joes on the other side of the parking lot.  I didn’t even hesitate; headed right over and picked up more of the chips, crisps and the shortbreads.  YA was very happy to have two more boxes of shortbread but thought that my extra bags of chips and crisps boarded on “hoarding”.  She also suggested that I shouldn’t be eating the ghost/bat crisps until it’s a little closer to Halloween.

Considering that the world has been celebrating Halloween for a couple of weeks; the scary movies started up on October 1st on the dot.  I like the fall and Halloween, but I prefer not to have my wits scared out of me by scary movies and creepy designs.  I do like most folks yard decorations at this time of year; how do they keep those giant skeletons standing up? 

So we’ll be enjoying our fall goodies for a few more weeks; I’ll probably have to make more salsa!

Do you prefer the cozy side of Fall or the spooky side of Halloween?

2024, animals, Automotive, Business, Farming Update, Nature, Seasons, Uncategorized

A Little Bit of a Lot

27 Comments

The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben.

We talked about the first false fall the other day. And now the box elder bugs have arrived. 

Egg production is down.

Last year’s chicks are finally aging out. The header photo is monthly dozens. This year’s chicks have started laying practice eggs. Takes three small ones to equal two regular eggs.

IT’S FAT BEAR WEEK! 

https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

I heard about this on MPR. Made me think about Bart from the Morning Show. We know his cell phone is dead by now. Heck, it probably wouldn’t even work on the networks anymore. Trust us Bart, we’re not fat-shaming. We know you’re stocking up for winter. 

I’ve seen a lot of farmers out combining soybeans. The big farmers are worried about that forecast of an early snow, so everyone will be pushing hard. Me? I just wait for the neighbors who harvest mine to get too it. But I’ll be hoping they’re pushing hard to get theirs done so they can get to mine. It will be what it will be. 

Last week I pulled out a fence post in preparation for some stump grinding and I cleared some brush. In the process of clearing said brush, I somehow knocked a front tire off the rim. I think I hit a log or stick and broke off the valve stem. Had Appel Service out on Monday to repair that. Just needed a new valve stem. 

Even though it’s tech week at the Rep, I’ve gotten a little work done at home. To prepare for the shop heater I am having installed, I met the LP gas dealer, and we discussed where to put the LP tank. (I just had to google ‘LP vs Propane’ because this is all new to me and I learned they’re the same thing with different names. Since we live out in the country and don’t have natural gas piping in the area, and we have all electric heat in the house, I’ve never dealt with an LP tank. I guess in our old house we used fuel oil.) Depending on size, an LP tank has to be 10 feet from structures. It can be right next to the gas or diesel barrels, but 10’ from a building. We decided to put it behind the shed. Out of sight that way. I scraped off some dirt and made a level spot. They will bury the line from the tank to the building, then it can run along the edge of the steel siding. Easier than trenching across the driveway. And as long as I remember to fill it before there’s two feet of snow back there, it will be fine. 

Then I used the tractor loader and finally got the brush mower on a trailer and hauled it to a welding shop so they can fix it. Hard to explain, but the four large bolts holding one of the gear boxes came loose. It vibrated and rattled so bad it enlarged the bolt holes, and the vibrations led to multiple cracks. Repairing it was more than I could handle. Last weekend I used the forks on the loader and pulled it out of the weeds and tipped it up so I could take off the blades and related parts in preparation of the repair.

Using my extensive knowledge of picking things up, I managed to lift it up, work on it and then, again with my extensive knowledge, inadvertently tip it over backwards – on to the trailer wheel well. Huh. Oops.

From there I was able to tip it back up and get it back on its bottom. The only real damage was to the hydraulic hose which I’ll have to replace. And then from there, yet again using my extensive knowledge of redneck farming practices, I picked it up and got it on the trailer.

Luna got a ride in the truck ALL BY HERSELF that day being as the other two dogs still have a faint skunk aroma too them.

I was able to get a little work done in my shed. Started framing in the double door.

Friday, Olson’s Tree Service was out to grind out those stumps that was clearing last weekend. Glad to have that done. I can check it off the list now. 

We could use a little rain. The winter rye is off to a good start but doesn’t seem to be growing too fast. Rain would really help.

There’s a new bakery that opened on my route between dropping off daughter and me going to work. They have a Mexican version of rosetta’s called ‘Bunuelos De Viento’. Oh my are they good. 

So, a little bit of a lot going on this past week. 

Anyone grow up with frost on their bedroom ceiling nails?  What are you stocking up for winter? 

2024, Business, Family, Food, home, Technology, Uncategorized

The Yeast Of My Worries

45 Comments

We typically have pretty good luck with orders and deliveries here, that is, until recently. On July 30 I ordered six, 2 oz packages of fresh yeast on Amazon. Husband has a Nordic baking book that uses fresh yeast in the recipes. Since I had thrown out the remainder of a huge shipment of fresh yeast that I had ordered about a year ago (it got too old in the freezer) it was time to order a more manageable amount.

The order was supposed to arrive on August 5. I tried to track it on Amazon as soon as I got notification that it had shipped, but had no luck. The 5th arrived, and still no yeast. I knew it had to be kept cold or it would start to do its yeasty thing and start growing and expanding. I received a notice that it would arrive on the 9th. It didn’t. By this time, I knew something had gone amiss, and finally Amazon said that it was lost and I could have a refund. It was a bit of an ordeal, but I got the refund and ordered more. This time around I have been able to actually track where it is. It is to arrive today or tomorrow.

The most unreliable delivery service seems to be the US Postal Service. UPS, FEDEX, and Speedee Delivery all do a good job. The latter always makes me think of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Husband is excited that the yeast will arrive soon. I worry that it hasn’t been kept cold. We shall see.

What delivery disasters have you encountered? What are your favorite memories of Mr. Rogers or other children’s programming? What are you worrying about these days?

2024, Business, Farming Update, Uncategorized, work

Part 2: Oats Continued

37 Comments

Today’s Farming Update comes from Ben.

Last week I talked about getting the oats out.

This week we get to combining, or harvesting the oats. This hot humid weather did not aid drying the oat stems or mixed in grass. Other guys were saying the moisture was high on their oats, but usually they’re cutting it while it’s standing. That only works if you don’t have too much grass standing with the oats. . Swathing it allows the stems to dry out and then combine better.

Parm stated to combine on Wednesday afternoon. I ran a sample up to Elgin to have it tested for moisture and test weight. Moisture was 10.8%, almost too low, and TW was 30. For food grade, they want it 36-40 pounds. And the local elevators won’t even take it if it’s not at at least 34. Remember the test weight is what a standard bushel of a particular crop should weigh. So a bushel of oats should weigh 32 pounds and lighter than tat you get docked on the price.

Other years I’ve not had a problem with test weight. Inside the combine harvester, there are fans to blow out the chaff, bits of cob, or lighter crop material. Typically, buy turning the fan up, it allows you to blow out the lighter oats and keep the heavier stuff. Course, if it’s all light, lie it seems to be this year, either it blows all the crop out, or the test weight is light. For whatever reason, the experts say that letting it sit for a day will increase the test weight. And moving the oats through a grain cart and into the semi will gain a point. But I am not sure I can gain 5 points.

Yield wasn’t too great either, For all the grain that looked like was in the field, well, I mean that the deer didn’t eat and what hadn’t broken off, I’ve only got 25 bushels /acre. this year was too wet, I guess, and the rusts fungus must have been more of a problems than I expected. An d last year I complained it was too dry. I am never happy.

And then we got 2 inches of rain Wednesday night. Surprisingly, Parm was able to come out Saturday and get the rest combined. I took a sample out the the grain cart up to my local Seed dealer because I knew I could get the grain gossip from him. this time my test was only 27 pounds but the moisture was up. He said everybody was struggling to make the test weight and even our local oat champion, who is the one pushing the food grade stuff, said he was struggling to get the 34 test weight.

By the time Parm finished combining, all 25 acres I had was less then a semi load. Thankfully, I have this one neighbor that always buys some oats to mix with his calf feed and was willing to take the whole thing. I called the co-op to ask how much dockage would be on this low test weight. With a base price of $3.05 per bushel, their chart only goes down to 28 and it’s $.52 dockage at that point. 30 test weight would be $.32 dockage. Well fudge.

I like having Oats in the crop rotation, and honestly, I have made money on other years, so I remain optimistic. Maybe next hear will be better. I mean it pretty much has to be.

WHAT WAS YOUR WEIGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL? CAN YOU STILL FIT INTO YOUR UNIFORM / WEDDING DRESS / LETTER JACKET?

2024, Business, Uncategorized, work

Unfortunate Coincidences

23 Comments

My agency is going through a national accreditation review this week, which involves visits from the accreditation agency personnel and extensive reviews of our policies and operations. Everyone has been on edge. A positive review with few problem areas is important for us to continue to receive various forms of Federal funding and grants.

I giggled when I came to work yesterday morning to see, in the parking lot, the van for the business that stocks the candy and soft drink vending machines in the lobby. The workers were unloading boxes to bring into the building. The company is called Braun Distributing, and they stock vending machines all over town. They also are a wholesale vendor of alcohol. That is why Budweiser is emblazoned all over the delivery van that was in the parking lot. We provide both mental health and substance abuse treatment, and it sure looks odd to have the Budweiser van in the parking lot. I teased our clinical director that the accreditation reviewers would be pretty suspicious of how exactly we were keeping our employees and clients happy. It was a rather unfortunate, but funny, coincidence, I thought.

What are some awkward, funny, and/or unfortunate coincidences you can relate?