Swearing...

No, no, no...not that type of swearing!!!  I was just sworn in as the newest member of the Portage City Environmental Board.  We make recommendations to the City Council regarding ground water, wetlands, and other environmental issues impacting our town.  Didn't think I'd have to swear an oath, but it didn't hurt and I didn't have any aftereffects.  I figured I had a leg up on the other board members since I have my very own environmental consultant on retainer - Mr. Billy Beck, Kansas State Watershed Forester!!!  That way I won't look too uninformed - I'll keep my iPhone handy just in case I need a quick consultation.  It looks like purple loosestrife is our primary enemy, but coming in a close second is the "Darth Vader" of wetland invaders - phragmites (I shudder at the sound of its name...yeah, it's a real plant - look it up).

Chip and Lucy enjoying Winter (psst, don't eat "yellow snow")

Well, Pat remains in St. Louis helping her mom recover from hip replacement surgery.  She's earning her place in Heaven!!! (As if she hasn't already earned it putting up with me for 41 years!!!)  Saint Patricia will have her shrine someday.

Dad doing Dad Stuff in the Winter, brrrrrr...

Lucy, Chip, and I are making the most of our "freedom" - get up when we want, shower (or not), pee in the yard (Chip and Lucy), pick up our toys (or not)...you get the idea.  Our meal planning strategy hasn't quite worked out the way we had hoped.  Nonetheless, we survive!!!

Finally getting around to getting the painting done - complete, finished, done did!!!  Now I can get back to retirement the way it's supposed to be.  Ha,ha,ha!!!

Busier than ever with the Tea Party as I am now the President of the VanKal Tea Party Patriots.  Good grief, it's like herding cats trying to get things done, but we are making progress.  Bring on the Dems - I think 2012 will be a watershed year for Freedom and Liberty.  Otherwise, we'll rank behind Burkina Faso in economic vitality, Chechnya in terms of religious freedom, and Greece in terms of unmanageable debt to GDP ratio.  Not a very pretty picture - all the more reason to elect a real President, a Conservative majority in both Houses of Congress, and replace the communists on the Supreme Court - Yeah, that would just about do it!!!

Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'???

Well Old Man Winter has checked into his suite and has made his presence known to all - as evidenced by Pat's 13 quilts, electric blanket, three duvets, and hot chocolate on her nightstand...body temperature having reached a balmy 131 degrees, she has settled into her winter routine - shivering during hibernation.  I think she plans to produce a new DVD - "Shivering to the Top 40 Hits" that will appear on some shopper's channel for $19.95 with a free bonus to the first 10 people to order - a second DVD entitled "Shivering to the Classics" along with a free ShamWOW - plus separate shipping and handling, of course.

Neighbors have begun the Christmas ritual of shipping freshly-baked cookies across the street, so Pat has the oven roaring and chocolate chips flying through the air (conveniently sampling one of every three - for quality assurance purposes only...ha!).  The three little Hammer kids just dropped off their second baking adventure of the season - the first was chocolate covered pretzels - Pat made me eat them so that she could maintain her "gotta fit into my jeans diet" - oh well, her loss as they were delicious!!!

We're getting ready to head south for the holiday - our yearly ritual of I-94 to I-57 to I-70 to St. Louis.  Things have gotten more complicated with Billy and Jenny now in Kansas and split holidays becoming the norm.  Oh well, we'll adapt.  Billy has become quite the hunter and has a freezer full of venison which means they won't see the inside of the butcher shop until 2014.  His third deer of the season was a large buck (previous trophies were much tastier female varieties) as depicted in these photo attachments.  Jenny is a marvelous chef and creates very interesting delicious twists on traditional recipes when she is not herding wayward kids at her job as a lead teacher at the Head Start program in Manhattan, KS.  She's collecting anecdotes in anticipation of authoring a best selling book someday - you can't make up some of the stories these kids are acting out.

Bwana Billy

Recent adventures into the political world have landed me a new gig - President of the VanBuren and Kalamazoo Counties Tea Party.  We've already gotten very active in vetting conservative candidates to replace Debbie Stabenow, current U.S. Senator from Michigan and former Politburo member.  Where do the Democrats dig up these characters.  Oh well, we're working hard to bring the country back to the principles of its founding - old fashioned "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Stop...and take it all in

Well, the motorcycles are put to bed for a long winter's nap - however, we are already mapping out routes westward for 2012.  Hope to set the GoldWing on a course for the Rockies and beyond sometime in July next year with a number of day trips in the Midwest as practice runs.  Pat is already practicing sleeping upright on the passenger seat (as seen in the attached photo).  She's become quite the navigator - her internal GPS is set on "shopping" so I get a gentle nudge in the back when she spies "Sale" signs along the highways and biways - more like "buy"ways...

Pat practicing navigation...

Well, back to winter - here's hoping that all of you will enjoy the Merriest Christmas ever - but don't forget the true meaning of this holiday and the greatest gift we all enjoy!  Best wishes to you all.

Pat's puzzle addiction

We've been overrun!!!  Puzzles everywhere - and Pat is still searching rummage sales and the like for yet new ones.  Oh well, it keeps her out of trouble (and the credit cards below limits...).  She's actually pretty good at putting them together - just don't touch one of her partially-completed puzzles, she's also been practicing her mixed martial arts and she has developed a mean left hook and choke hold.  (I've learned from experience.)

I recently was certified as a Community Emergency Response Team member by FEMA - 3-day search and rescue, plus first-aid course.  I'm now combining that with an effort to develop a Neighborhood Watch program in our neighborhood.  Now working with the Portage Police Department's Crime Prevention Officer (Begeman) to get things rolling.  Also getting crime reports for this area - amazing what is going on right in our area.  I find it very interesting that many of the simple, inexpensive methods of preventing crimes go unheeded by many of the neighbors.  Lots of unlocked cars and open garage doors just tempting would be criminals.  We'll try to get folks to be a bit more vigilant before our neighborhood becomes a prime target.

Still basking in the glow of the recent World Series Championship by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Billy and I attended Game 6 - the MOST exciting game I've ever been to - won by the Cardinals in extra innings on a home run by David Freese, a native St. Louisan.  I've been hoarse ever since.  Cardinals went on to win Game 7 and the city erupted.  Makes for memories that will last a lifetime.

Great to see the Clydesdales on parade again.  We also had our picture taken with former Redbird stars Jack Clark and Andy Benes.  I still have a pair of Jack Clark's baseball shoes (autographed no less) on display in my office.  I think he wanted them back but I told him the price was beyond his means.

November 10, 2011

First snow of the season has fallen - wet, heavy, and ugly with droopy branches still holding onto their leaves.  However, it beats the January deep stuff since this snow will melt by tomorrow (hopefully).

The dogs love the stuff since they don't have to worry over shoveling it off the walk.  They just run, jump, poop and pee to their hearts content.  Next life, coming back as a dog!!!

Pat and Mom have created several several blankets to be donated to the Humane Society here, who will sell them during their events to raise money.  Nice blankets!!  Maybe in the next life I'll be the recipient of one of them.  I wonder if I'll remember who made it - or care???

Well, the GoldWing is put to bed for the winter - April is a long way off, but I'm not quite as crazy as some of these nuts who still try to ride after Halloween.  Not gonna happen!!!  Nonetheless, I can still start planning for a looooonnnnnngggggg ride West next year.  Nothing like a long ride to shake off the winter blues.

Here we are rakin' leaves in the rain in November...Holy Mackinac Batman, hit the rewind button back to September and perfect weather above the 45th parallel!!!

A new day dawns...

Uh, oh...we lost an hour of daylight somewhere.  Lookin' for the groundhog as we speak.
Will be back in the morning to put up some content.

Elderbecks