Rolling Stone's Runaway General

http://www.rollingstone.com:80/politics/news/17390/119236

This is a link above to the article which disposed of McChrystal. I cannot believe more people aren't angry. Greg knows this author and I am told he has a great story to tell. STAY TUNED!

Drunken Sailor Solution

What Do You Do With A Drunken Sailor?
What'll we do with a drunken sailor,
What'll we do with a drunken sailor,
What'll we do with a drunken sailor,
Earl-aye in the morning?
Chorus:
Way hay and up she rises (x3)
Earl-aye in the morning
1. Put him in the long boat till he's sober,
2. Keep him there and make 'im bale 'er.
3. Shave his belly with a rusty razor.
4. Put him in bed with the captain's daughter.

I am admitting to the auditory abuse which I subjected all my offspring too.
Can't wait to "renew my tunes" for the grand kiddos

Father's Day Yesterday!

So yesterday was Father's Day and my man heard from all his kiddos and then took his dad to the Rafter's Baseball game. He got to read his Sunday New York Times, More from Glenn Beck, walked the dog, biked with yours truly and essentially I think he had a good day.  I reminded one of the kiddos it was really my day too.  I made this all possible.
Gretchen and Josh went back to Germany and Meg had been back for a week.  We also shared our 35th Wedding Anniversary with those who were about. We wandered the Magnificent Mile, ate at the Cape Cod Room, shopped at the iStore and biked the lake walk all the way to McCormick Center.
Spring has been warm and muggy and pretty wet except for Island Lake which is low.  We launched the pontoon boat but the dock is still on shore.  So we put the boat back in the pole barn.  The wave runner is available if Michael was in Duluth.  (Guess I have to check this out.)
I have baby birds under the eaves.  I think they are Townsend solitaires...I am not sure.  I will explore more bird books.
My daily exercise continues and frankly I have quit counting.  We also are hosting a wonderful Rafter's Baseball player from California.  Wait I take back the wonderful part becuz as any parent knows; either natural or adopted, the minute you boost: children misbehave.
Well, it is off the roast the asparagus.

My Michael is Being Stalked 'Story'

Hope every ones' Mother's Day was a smashing success.  Hope all who qualify got a gift, a card, a call, or a visit.
We drove through snow and went to Duluth to simply work on projects of home and self improvement and ended up veggin', and (I 'll admit) drinking.  The plans we had for bigger things did not get done. As promised over lunch ("Thank you very much C.C.") I didn't pick up a paint brush. Ron didn't study his catechism either. We were hooked on episodes of "Breaking Bad".
But, alas my partner in crime; the sauna, got lit too!

We managed a 4.5 mile walk down the road Saturday and as the water is very low, walked around the shoreline of Bear Island on Sunday.  Fast forward to today and my personal trainers need to know I am at day 71!    (!#$%^&**&^%$!!!)

Michael's arrival rendered the most amazing "story".  He brought a friend and co-worker who grew up in Eyota, MN (near Rochester) who happened to have met him this spring on the job in MSP: graduated from UMD, used to work at the Red Star Pub in Duluth, and also worked clerically in almost every real estate office in the Twin Ports in 'them-there' college days...and Ya Ya Ya.  Well as part and parcel of his means of impressing her he decides to drive her by "The house where I was raised".   
                                                       TA-DAH!!

She emailed me these pictures.This picture was on her phone. THIS PICTURE WAS ON HER PHONE? On Her Phone? She and Mike hadn't planned this ride to Duluth...Cut to the chase and for those who don't know;  this is the house where Mike was raised.  This is the picture of the house we lived in in Duluth from 1992-2003.  She turned the tables on Mike.  She impressed the sh__ out of him!  Or else she is a STALKER!  (Keep in mind Mike was in La Crosse 2004-2009. Also keep in mind Mike isn't stalking material. Don't forget there are hundreds of these houses in Duluth...Well maybe not hundreds.)

This was also on her phone......................................................and so was this....................................

Where there more than three pictures on this 'stalkers' phone? Yes there were four in total.  The 2nd Place picture has just another house down Fifth Street too.  She is an apparent Art History Major who was intrigued with Duluth Homes.  This was her selection for best Roof Line 2004, 2005, 2006,or 2007.

Well I just had to share that.

Since the girls haven't 'blogged" I will tell you they are both enjoying Josh's return from the field. Meg dropped her iPhone (ca-pute) in the rain but now has a Lan line which works well with Penny Talk. They both are planning to be home in the first part of June. They continue to explore Europe while dodging volcanic ash.
Speaking of volcanic ash: I am told by Meg this winter will be the coldest since the 1814 eruption of some other volcano as this volcanic ash will block the winter sun sooner than later.  Well there's a Google moment.
Goodnight John Boy....
Goodnight Mary Ellen.......

Another Amazing Techno Advance

So Grrr Skype's me today almost in tears as Mike has responded per FaceBook he is not doing the Rud Family Barbeque where I am hoping to welcome Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Kirschling and this is just a Mom's Wish.  The elopement is not happening jus because I "wish4it'. So Grrr and I figured out how to conference Skype Michael and we all got to talk. (This is the 'Another Amazing Techno Advance' part of this note.) Mike didn't know he had responded to her picnic.  Mike will be there & asked to give a speech too.

I was looking at the electric bill and thinking it was a bit high for two people so I started to investigate. I started with the washer. We have lived here for four years this August and my washer has never done a cold water wash.  Every wash has been HOT.  The color coding on the spigots is reversed..Red is cold and Blue is hot.  I also found out you can now buy a solar powered hot water heater. And I found out that a geo thermal hot water heater is a kinda an oxymoron. The good news is I don't need a new water heater...but when I do:  I am thinking solar.

Talked to the girls this weekend and yelled at Grr to get on with her Blog.  She has promised she will try.  She doesn't want to talk about Josh's deployment so I told her to talk about the fact she is not going to talk about Josh.  She can talk about her expertise on Belgium beverages or running the Champagne France Relay in costume with water stops being champagne stops.  I have two Hefer cow costumes which I will get to her for next year. These are my costume creations which Ron refused to wear one Halloween so we stayed home.  I am sending them to Grrr.  They are hysterical if I may so be bragging.

And this May 6-12 2010 is National Nurses Week.  Grrr reminded dad.  Of course this might be a good time to do something nice for Ron from this nurse. I am so on a mission to plan a Wednesday surprise.   (Turn the Tables.)  

Mixing the Old with the New

So I moved the Cloned Kirschlings from one wall to another because three years ago Ron found a picture he liked and just had to have it. ( Lucky he is a very patient man)  I didn't know he even liked abstract but the following is now posted above the fireplace.

But now he says the one I did of his original (Dad still lives here) homestead is his new favorite. This was the surprise part of his homecoming.  I did two others for the group.  Surprise. Surprise.

So how strange is it to look at those structures which you pass by every day?.  Very!  We've always done it.  The German daughters bedrooms here are Biloxi art.  There are Wisconsin Barns in Minnesota. and I am writing this in the Duluth Room which you all would call the computer room. I won't get anymore boring

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's a Meteor!!!

So Last night I called 911...Honest I did: About a plane which I thought went down in the woods of Wisconsin.  It was after ten and the operator said I was the only one who called.  Today I was a little spooked cuz I was thinking perhaps it was a drug drop in the woods of Wisconsin and I locked all the doors just wondering when the "kingpins" would be a knocking.  Then Brian Williams reports about this meteor which probably landed in central Wisconsin last night.  So I unlocked all my doors cuz we all know martians can walk thru doors.  I am so silly....Unless I find the meteorite remains cuz then Michael says I can hang up my business cards...which; by the way...I have yet to order.  I am going four-wheeling in the morn! This light was at tree top level and I can only see 1000 yards out these wooded woods windows.  I hope it's a big one without martians too. (Sure glad it didn't hit the house!)

I connected with Meg today in Germany who reported Grrr and Mustard are in Spain.  Then I saw the volcanic cloud over Europe...The flights are all grounded and I decided to wait on my travel plans till the Icelandic volcano stops spurting ashes.  Good place to be grounded with your husband in Spain I guess.

Then I connected with Ron too.  He isn't thrilled about a couple of new doors I am planning.  I hired a carpenter to design a new staircase, tore up the carpet and found enuf slate to next hire a floor installer. And the art I had custom made should be out of the shop soon. Spoiled? YES!

Did I mention I was the only person in the continental US last week to pay Toyota for services on a hybrid with a bumper to bumper policy.  I was heading for Wausau  (as in Wisconsin) when the service lights came on and guess what?:  I have mice,.. no dog hair and these aren't covered.  The loaners all disappeared and I got Enterprise to pick me up.  $660.00 later (rental not included and a whole week) I am never buying another Toyota in Plover... there are Toyota dealers in Wausau and Madison.  I will be putting the book of coupons for free oil changes at Mark Toyota on eBay too...Give-away. I have five Toyotas too.  Maybe I don't need to be buying anything for a while. Recount: I only have four. I mean WE too.  "We have four."

And my garage is wired and d-Con 'd' for mice. I found a dead mouse too.  This pretty much means the sonic blasters aren't working or else this mouse was deaf.  Hope sonic blasters work on martians better....I am sooooo silly!.