Wednesday, March 31, 2010

SAD BUT PART OF LIFE
I went skiing this morning. It's probably the last time I will ever ski at Happy Hogadon, an uncrowded bargain for retired skiers. It snowed a little bit on the mountain last night. The wind has been blowing while the temps have been up in town. The road of the mountain started to get slick about 2/3rds of the way up. As one drives close to the Hogadon property there is a small dip which turns into a corner. A pick-up coming from Hogadon pulling a trailer jack-knifed at the bottom of the dip blocking one lane. Cars were backed up and a couple of guys were sending cars through on the open lane. I was lucky my side was moving when I came through.
When I pulled into the parking lot I heard a girl on a cell phone ranting about how long she had to wait to get through.
Someone described the conditions as "dust on crust" which summed it up. There were few skiers, no wind and the sun came out. Driving away to go down the mountain the trailer was parked by the side of the road.
All in all it was a great way to finish my over 25 years of skiing at Happy Hogadon.

Monday, March 29, 2010

BUMPER STICKER ON BACK OF AN AMERICAN MADE SUV LICENSED IN WYOMING:
"Obama Sucks
Thanks America"
The irony: the vehicle had a Chicago Bears license plate holder. Since Obama is from Chicago, do you suppose they knew each other? Na.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

SENT BY A FRIEND:
"Let me get this straight.....we're trying to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman say he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke.
What the hell could possibly go wrong?"

Saturday, March 27, 2010

I think one of the most amusing stories of the week is conservative writer Ann Coulter alleges she is a victim of a "hate crime." The irony of all this is Coulter was to deliver a speech at the University of Ottawa. She was warned by no less than the university provost that she could be in violation of Canada's hate laws which forbid hate speeches. If a writer lives by that reputation, she can be attacked for that reputation. In her retort she accuses UO students of having an average IQ of zero. How to win friends. Anyway, Ann Coulter is offended that anyone would say anything critical of her. Ah, justice. She just needs to limit her venues to Tea Party rallies.
I wonder is Rush Limbaugh is scheduled to make any speeches in Canada in the near future.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Kathy and I returned to the mount to ski this morning. This was the third day of grooming the 20 inches of base received Tuesday. It doesn't get any better than that.
After skiing we went over the the cross country lodge for lunch. They are closing Sunday so the menu was somewhat limited. Kathy, who runs the lodge, is retiring. She and her husband adopted three elementary-aged kids whom they had been raising as foster children. She is going to stay home with them. She and her husband are already grandparents. There are good people in the world.
On Thursdays, I've been taking my "Redneck" calendar pages and giving them to my "homies" who enjoy them as much as I do. It's also a great way to recycle.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I was disappointed that Prez Obama went to Iowa to sell the health reform bill. I think if he going to use that much jet fuel, he ought go where there's more of a challenge. I think he should have gone the Utah or Wyoming, the two most conservative states in the country.
Wait-they aren't going to vote for a Democrat under any circumstances.
GOOD-Went skiing yesterday morning. Hogadon got about 20 inches of snow Tuesday. There were several plows out as we drove up and came down the mountain. We only got around 4 inches at our house. Driving down the mountain the north half of Casper was brown. I guess the snowfall was in the foothills where we live and certainly on the mountain. May go up again tomorrow.
BAD-I crashed and burned for the first time this year while skiing . While turning I skied into some ungroomed snow below a jump on Boomerang. I almost made it through the season without crashing. Wasn't a yard sale, however. Ironically Kathy was the first person to ski by while I was putting my skis back on.
BAD-The rattle is back in my van.
VERY GOOD-Went to see "Hairspray", part of the Broadway Play series, at the Events Center last night. It is a fun play and the cast was outstanding.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I own one of the few Toyota models which wasn't recalled. Instead I inherited a rattle that has been driving me nuts. I took it in a year ago and they couldn't find anything. It quit for a while when the weather turned cold, it started again. The radio also started doing strange things like switching from AM to FM and vice versa or just turn off by itself.
So yesterday I took it in and got a new radio and they worked on the rattle. What was supposed to be one afternoon took two days. I hope they got the rattle this time.
I guess I could own a model that suffers runaways but rattles are also annoying.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Watching a little bit of basketball yesterday, I wondered about some of the team mascots.
I looked at the U's I've attended and could visualize most of them. I know what a Cowboy (Wyoming) is. I also have seen a Ram (Colorado State). I have no idea what an Aggie (Utah State) is. I've never actually seen one but I can visualize a Cyclone (Iowa State) and I know what a Gopher (Minnesota) is but how does a "Golden Gopher" differ from a regular gopher?
What is a Jayhawk?
I've decided that due to Kansas' early demise, in deference to bro-in-law Tom, nephew Steve, niece Amy and her husband Will, I am now rooting for Cornell. Go Big Red (at least for this week)! What's a "Big Red"?

Sunday, March 21, 2010

I don't follow March Madness as I used to. The boy and I flew to Seattle when Wyoming was in the Western Sweet Sixteen. I think David was in first grade and I don't think he ever imagined that he would spend three of his college summers working in Seattle-small world.
I just consider most of the top teams as semi-pros and the players are on loan from the NBA for a couple of years or will flunk out. I like the Secretary of Education's comment that no school that graduates less than 40% of its players should be allowed to play in the NCAA tournament.
Having no team that I'm really enthusiastic about, I decided that I would root for Kansas since our daughter-in-law is a big Jayhawk fan. That came to a screeching halt yesterday, however.
Last year I didn't even know who was playing in the final game until I read about it in the paper the next day.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

The mountain got about a foot of snow Thursday night. I decided I should go skiing this morning although I usually try to avoid the weekend. I forgot about being on Daylight Savings Time which made the snow on some runs hard to read. I finished my first run at 9:11 so the snow hadn't been trashed yet. The ski patrol was testing new recruits and the Casper Mountain Racer put a course on Dreadnaught so that ruined that run. I quit about 10:30 when the knuckle draggers outnumbered the skiers by about a 3-1 margin. It was still fun. I need to regain my ski legs, however.

Friday, March 19, 2010

I think it's ironic that with 5 inches of new snow already and being under a winter weather advisory today that the Home and Garden Show opens at the Events Center this morning. I just can't get too interested in yard work while I'm getting ready to fire up the snow blower.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

24 HOURS
About this time yesterday-with temps in the 60's I was trying to scrape bugs off my windshield. If I were outside in my car, with temps in the 20's I would be scraping snow off my windshield.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day from a person who is half-Irish.
I began the day by having a bowl of cherry-pineapple cobbler along with my cereal. None of the corn beefed stuff.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I was saying my good-byes last night at dinner at the Events Center when the tournament director came up and asked me to come back and work next year and they would pick up part of my expenses. That also went for the state track meet. I was overwhelmed and I guess hard work and competence do pay off. I also was willing to work Thursdays and Fridays, days when it's hard to get volunteers. Anyway, I felt good and left feeling appreciated.
It just doesn't get any better unless a big check accompanied it.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Today is a day of mixed emotions. I am working probably my last state basketball tournament. Those whom I told I'm moving have told me they'll miss me and I do appreciate this. I will enjoy today tremendously. I'll start watching and then running the clock around 9:00 am and I don't know what time I'll get home tonight but for high school basketball junkies like me this is the day we all enjoy. I even have a special shirt provided by the activities association to wear while working a championship game (girls 4-A). I'm also timing a boys consolation game at noon but the championship shirt doesn't go on until the finals begin. What a day!

Indulge me-from the calendar:
"You might be a Redneck if...You've ever argued over the fine line between home schooling and chronic truancy."

Friday, March 12, 2010

During the BB tournament I ate lunch at the Events Center with some old friends and met some new folks. That's what I like most about working at basketball tournaments (most of the games are boring)-visiting with friends I won't see until next year and if I move to Colorado (which looks like a slam dunk at this time), I may never see them again. I guess I'll just enjoy the present.

Can't resist:
from the calendar:
"You might be a Redneck if... you moved into a double-wide to accommodate your wide screen TV."
&
"You might be a Redneck if...giving directions to your home takes over ten minutes."

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Today I ran the clock for the state basketball tournament. It made almost 30 consecutive years I have worked the tournament. I started running scoreboards and clocks almost 50 years ago. It provides me with a free tickets, a parking pass, and one of the best seats in the Events Center.
I also run the scoreboard for the University of Wyoming when they come to Casper for the Cowboy Shootout.
In the 80's I ran the board for Casper's profession basketball team the Wyoming Wildcatters. I got two reserved seat for each game and great parking. I used to take the kids to the games when they were young. I would give them a little treat money. Once I gave them a twenty because I didn't have any change. They spent it all and the son came over to tell he was sick and threw up at the scorers table. I think that's the only time that ever happened before or since. At one Cowboy Shootout I let the daughter sit at the scorers table. The Idaho State coach went wild over something the referees called, came down to our section of the table and let loose with a stream of profanity I hope Keri had never heard before, and started beating on the table. I sent Keri back to her seat.
I also worked one NBA preseason game between the Seattle Supersonics and the Phoenix Suns.
One of my favorite memories was working a couple of times for the Harlem Globetrotters. Once it was on a cold night in February and I managed to score enough free tickets that we had David's birthday party at the game. The temps had been in the minus 20's for several days and the other parents were happy to get their sons out of the house and ,of course, they loved the Globetrotters.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The boy, who hasn't lived in Wyoming in over a decade, got a recruiting brochure from the Marines. I made sure it was placed in the proper receptical immediately.
I remember when the boy was just out of high school or in his freshman year of college. I think it was the latter when the Marine recruiter called asking for David. This was our conversation:
Marine:Is David there?
Me: No
Marine: When will he be home?

Me: I don't know (I think David was either in college or in Seattle at the time)
Marine: I leave my number and have him give me a call.
Me: I don't think he would interested.
Marine: How do you know?
Me: I'm his father and I just know, OK.

Marine: Good day, sir
I didn't get a chance to say good-bye.

From a friend:
"A new Redneck law was just recently passed
When a couple gets divorced, they are STILL cousins."

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

It's been almost 32 years since we bought our last house. We haven't made a house payment since Keri's senior year of high school. This has been a real learning experience. The last time we went in, signed some papers, wrote a check, and started packing and moving. We have signed a small electronic rain forest of contracts, claims and disclaimers, and given out more personal info than I can remember at times.
Ours was a three-way contingency with one of the parties flying back from Chicago. The deal closed five minutes before the offer was set to expire.

From a friend:
"Did you hear about the $3 million Redneck Lottery?
The winner gets $3.00 a year for a million years."

Sunday, March 7, 2010

LATEST ON THE WHEATLAND, WYOMING GAS WAR
As we came home from Denver, we were anxious to see the results of the rise in price for gas at two stations that have been engaging in a price war to the delight of those of us who pass through.
Today: The station (on the south side of the street had gone down to $2.39.9 from $2.35.9 as we were entering the stop to a price rise in 5 seconds of $2.64.9 on Thursday. The station on the north side of the street, which only went from $2.35.9 to $2.41.9 on Thursday remained at that price. I know my faithful readers were breathless awaiting the latest prices. Stations on the other side of the interstate were charging $2.69.9. Yu just gotta love a price war.

BUMPER STICKER ON AN (sic) SUV:
"We are the proud parents of a kid who skateboards"

Saturday, March 6, 2010

WHY I LIKE HULU.
There are two programs on TV that I try to watch each week-Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. Thursday I missed Grey's Anatomy because we were driving to Denver.
Friday Afternoon I went to hulu.com and watched the episode on my laptop.
Keri is now watching back runs of The Office. One of the best parts-the commercials are much shorter. An hour program usually less than 45 minutes.

Friday, March 5, 2010

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Yesterday we stopped in Wheatland, Wyoming to gas up. Two stations there have been having a gas war for the last couple of years offering some of the best prices in the region, if not the country. They even made Denver TV once.
As we pulled in the sign on both stations read $2.35.9/gal. Just as we selected one station the price on the sign jumped to $2.64.9. Their sign changes electronically. We immediately headed across the road before that station could raise its prices. It was still $2.35.9. As I filled up the a kid was headed out to change the sign manually at that station. By the time I went into use the restroom and get a drink the price at the second station had gone up to only $2.41.9. That station will do the most business for a while. It will be interesting to see the prices when we return. I may have to consider gassing up in Cheyenne.