12/19/10

Minneapolis,

Good Morning,

It seems as though I have neglected my responsibility of updating our BLOG on a regular basis.

When I started blogging it seemed like a simple task to sit down on a Sunday Morning and write about our weekly adventures here in Minnesota. As the weeks slipped by and the excuses became easier, I became lazier and lazier as spring slipped into summer and now the winter has arrived. And how it has arrived.

We hardy Minnesota'ns have been in the national news for the wrong reason. It's called SNOW.

It is also called the flop of the once mighty purple and gold, the once fearlful and fearless Minnesota, Vikings.

The largest storm since the biggest of them all, the 1941 Memorial Day Storm in wher many lost their lives.

We were warned many days ahead of the chance of a large blizzard comming our way. Many of us still remember the November 1941 storm but a lot more of us do not take it as serioius as some of us old timer's. There are many more of us crowded into larger areas now than there was in 41, none of us did'nt have, 2 or 3 cars and no one new anything about freeways or commuting. Many could'nt imagine what was soon to become realty for them.

The storm with dry snow and wind came and came and came. Lots of it. The state had 250 plus plows and additional trucks, blowers and end loaders ready to go when the snow began. Unfortunatly it was a loosing battle from the beginning. We, just like everyboby else just let it come. Tell me what else was there to do except get the kids in and hunker down and watch all 17 1/2 inches of it fall in this large metropolitan area.

We are still plowing (24 a day), streets and roads, plowing and blowing freeway lanes to accomodate the same trafic that is used to wide streets and freeways. It has been to cold to spred salt as it will not work in bitter cold and it is just recently that the bare roadways are once again beginning to show. They were the usual complaints that we were not prepared, we had'nt planned, the snow rules were planned by idiots and why could'nt the people in charge done a better job.

We now find ouselves complaing about blocked drives, sidewalks, trails, and not the least, the lack of parking on already narrow streets. Fire hydrants are buried and neighbors who know the locations of these important red hydrants are being asked to shovel them out. The firemen are also shoveling instead of relaxing in their warm and freindly firehoses. There has been a death due to a burried Hydrant and a fire truck stuck in snow near a total loss of a small business.

All of the staunch population of Minneapolis and St Paul can only say "UFF DA"

Doris and I will have turned 84 by the time Christmas is agai n upon us.

We are both happy as clams that we are able to celebrate our 84th Christmas together. My, how things have changed from our birth. Doris born into a farm family, the 11th of 12 children of Otilda and Alvin in Lafeyette County, Wisconsin an I the first of Vioilet and Lawerance both of them 20 years of age in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It amazes me how we humans in our young life time find our mates. Doris from a farm family with many children and I from Miwaukee, into a small family in a metro area of working folks and almost newly married. This year we will enjoy the beginning of our 62nd year together "Doris always turns red when I explain that she does not count the 2 years I chased her and finally caught her. This does not mean we are together on every thing, nor have we been, but we have a super long list of togetherness and are looking forward to many more of these togetherness years.

We always enjoy the holidays, especially the Chritmas cards and the memories of this special time of the year and all of our freinds, past and present that we have enjoyed and are still enjoying every day. We always remember that the fond memories never die, they live forever.

We will spend Christmas Eve at Son Jay's and wife Gina and their family consisting of son Dylan 2nd grade and the three Girls ,Emma, Allysa and Laura. now in 1st grade.

We will return back to Jay's on Christmas day with the rest of the available Battenberg's for a grand day of excited grandchildren, great food and hugs. Due to the size of our clan it's impossible to get all of us into one place at one time, so everyone is welcome to come and go as needed to the next family celebration.

It is now time to close and rest. I will need a lot of rest to watch the Vikings and the Bears play football on the frozen ground of the Uof M football field. I will also tell you of the complaints of all of those football season ticket holders who had their life inturupted by not being able to sit in their regular seats in the colapsed Mall of America Dome. I am really sorry for those who suffer in this season of hope and charity.

Jim and Doris