Minnepolis

Sunday,

September 12, 2010

This week in the Great Upper Midwest the weather has been terrific. No high temps, no high humidity just temps, delightful to work and play.

The football seaason has started and the baseball season is winding down. The Twins are in first place by 6 games or so in front of their nemisis the Chicago White Sox. We have (sort of) become fans of the Twins. The new Target stadium is not far from our door step and is is fun to see fans of all shapes, and sizes walking past before and after. It's a great facility. I have been to one game and was awed by the new stadium. There is parking, bus and train station right at the door. There are also numorous watering holes and the large number of bars and beer joints nearby to take care of the large crowds that have been attending the games to experience the new seats, food, and drink and thus far the winning season that the boy's of summer have provided. Tickets are hard to come by and expensive. No matter, as there is always a sell out. beer goes for 7 bucks, a coke and a hot dog are 4 bucks each. Best advice from old Jim is, eat and drink before you arrive at Target Field. It's a great facility and I believe the best in the Am erican Leauge. There always are the naysayers who said it wouldnt work, to close to downtown, to close to the garbage burner to much downtown traffic, and on and on. The bottom line ----- it works great and its almost impossible to get tickets.

School has started and as usual, Doris is getting ready to begin her 40th year at Kenwood. See volunteered for quite a few years, before realizing they would pay her for the same effort. She now receives a pension check each month that is hers, and enjoys being back on the volunteer list again. Daughter Jane, (Eide Saw) has rented part of the secure parking lot to a 5 school bus firm. This is exciting. I don't see them leave in the morning as I never get there till later, but it is fun to see them return, back into their spots and return in the PM to collect the kids they droped off in the morning.

Speaking of Eide Saw, Jane fell at church on a wet spot, (broke her left elbow of all things) She is a lefty and is having a devil of a time trying to get used to the inconvenience. No cast has been applied as they are havung her exercize the joint regulary.

Grand Daughter Jennifer paid us a short visit last Friday. She lives in Alabama and is here because husband Steve and Son James are spending time on the river with the new boat and motor Steve brought home one day. He is from Wisconsin so he know's boats. Sounds like a great plan to me. I hope they kept a journal of their adventure.

Last Saturday was 9/11. A lot of contriversy all over the country, especially New York. A difficult time for those who lost loved ones. In Minneapolis it is the third anniversary of the I-35 bridge collapes. Their is a memorial planned for the 13 who died in this disaster. The steel beams from the collapsed bridge have been saved as there are ongoing law suits in progress and the beams are evidence. I would guess it will be a long time before all the lawers have had thier day in court.

I have been cleaning out all of the electronic garbage I thought I could not live without. The condo management team has a place that rids us of all that stuff that is now usless to us but a gold mine to those who know how to retrieve the recycled parts. My closet is now available again. My Dad had a lot of camera equiptment in his day. I some how inherited it. I found a fellow who duplicates film to CD's and he is able to find those still interested in film and is glad to take it. I still have my 35m camera and lenses etc. I will keep this in case one of the great gand kids someday expresses an interested in how we old timers recorded pictures of big fish the elctronic age.

I am never sure who is interested in this blog that was created by our Grand Children.

I publish it and never know who or how many out there read it. I mail it to those who are not yet interested or unable to join in the computer revolution. I have been told that every one has a choice, read it or delete it. I do enjoy doing it, as it forces me to comunicate. In my past life I did not write letters. Many peolple still do not write. This is OK. I never had good penmanship and the computer has solved that for me. I still have a few problems with spelling but am able for the most part to solve that. They call it (spell checker)

In a small Minnesta town that shall be nameless;

A fire started at a local chemical plant and exploded into flames. The company president announced " all our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the building and must be saved. I will give $100,000 to the fire department that brings them out intact". The flames held the fire fighters off. In the distance, a siren was heard as an older fire truck came into sight, it was the Township Vounteer Fire Company of Norwegians over age 65. The engine roared past the newer engines right into the center of the inferno. The other fireman watched in awe as the Norwegian Old Timers drove right into the middle of the fire and brought the vault out, a performance never before witnesed. The Norse old timers extinguished the blaze and saved the secret formulas. The company president thanked each of the fire fighters personally.

A reporter asked the Norweigen chief ,"what are you going to do with all that money?

"Vell" said the 80 year old chief, Da first ting ve gonna do is fix da brakes on the gol dang truck".

Thanks for tuning us in.

Have a gr jim and Doriseat week end and keep in touch with each other.