12 December 2010
11 December 2010
C-C-C Come-on!
I had to shake my head, reach for the remote, and hit rewind. I was sure that I had misheard it!
Granted, I had my back to the television. I was listening to the TV while getting things reloaded on my PC. It is amazing what a HUGE amount of work it is even if you have full backups of everything! So I really wasn’t listening all that closely when I heard the familiar perennial commercial jingle come on.
(music playing) “Ch-ch-ch Chia!”
But then the text and music changed to talk of American history and how proud you’ll be, collecting the US Presidential Chia Pets. I am still laughing thinking of it. These things were tacky in the seventies, laughable in the eighties, dated in the nineties, now they are once again the source of derision for the 2010 Christmas season!
If you want to give someone a gift that is patriotic and educational, the commercial promises you cannot go wrong with Chia Washington, or any of the Chia Presidents! (…or the Chia Statue of Liberty with the glowing torch of freedom!)
I hope that wherever you are today, you’ll come across something that makes you chuckle!
Don Bergquist – December 11, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA
Granted, I had my back to the television. I was listening to the TV while getting things reloaded on my PC. It is amazing what a HUGE amount of work it is even if you have full backups of everything! So I really wasn’t listening all that closely when I heard the familiar perennial commercial jingle come on.
(music playing) “Ch-ch-ch Chia!”
But then the text and music changed to talk of American history and how proud you’ll be, collecting the US Presidential Chia Pets. I am still laughing thinking of it. These things were tacky in the seventies, laughable in the eighties, dated in the nineties, now they are once again the source of derision for the 2010 Christmas season!
If you want to give someone a gift that is patriotic and educational, the commercial promises you cannot go wrong with Chia Washington, or any of the Chia Presidents! (…or the Chia Statue of Liberty with the glowing torch of freedom!)
I hope that wherever you are today, you’ll come across something that makes you chuckle!
Don Bergquist – December 11, 2010 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA
10 December 2010
Travelling Weather
The forecast for my return trip is certainly nicer than the forecast was for my trip down here. Even though the forecast is still in flux, it looks nothing like the Blizzard of last Friday!
The temperatures are due to be in the low thirties when I take off, and even though there is a slight forecast for snow today, it is all predicted to be well east of the cities and therefore, completely off my radar, so to speak.
I am certain that Saga will be excited to see her Daddy come and rescue her from the doggy hotel. Though I have to say, they did something really cool. I received an email from Saga last weekend telling me she was enjoying her stay. It contained a picture of her taking a walk with one of the care-givers at the kennels I used. She sounded happy!
Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having wonderful weather for whatever it is you have planned!
Don Bergquist - December 10, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
The temperatures are due to be in the low thirties when I take off, and even though there is a slight forecast for snow today, it is all predicted to be well east of the cities and therefore, completely off my radar, so to speak.
I am certain that Saga will be excited to see her Daddy come and rescue her from the doggy hotel. Though I have to say, they did something really cool. I received an email from Saga last weekend telling me she was enjoying her stay. It contained a picture of her taking a walk with one of the care-givers at the kennels I used. She sounded happy!
Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having wonderful weather for whatever it is you have planned!
Don Bergquist - December 10, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
09 December 2010
GCs and PC Experts
Right about now, my dad must be thinking that it is nice to have PC Experts, Geniuses and General Contractors for offspring. My brothers and sister are brilliant people - smart enough to solve 99.99% of the issues that arise.
I'm creative enough (when I put myself into my analysis mindset) to discover the underlying cause of a number of things that Dad has happen and either know how to resolve it, or know which of my siblings to contact.
So it must be considered ironic that today's issue was one of a construction nature. (It's alright, Mary. I've got this one...)
Dad had a doorknob that was constantly locking them out of a room and he wanted to replace it. Looking at the doorknob to be replaced, I saw that it was the kind where you screwed together the hardware, then snapped on the face plate, and then locked the doorknob onto the post. Not too hard to replace, as long as you know the correct steps and know to remove the doorknob in the reverse order it was installed.
Now they will no longer be getting locked out of the bathroom. The doorknob is installed, the door looks good and the whole thing will make life a little better for my parents. So, for my last day in Kensington, I did a little light construction... not too bad for a computer guy!
Wherever you are today, I hope you've been able to make a contribution to the quality of someone's life.
Don Bergquist - December 09, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
I'm creative enough (when I put myself into my analysis mindset) to discover the underlying cause of a number of things that Dad has happen and either know how to resolve it, or know which of my siblings to contact.
So it must be considered ironic that today's issue was one of a construction nature. (It's alright, Mary. I've got this one...)
Dad had a doorknob that was constantly locking them out of a room and he wanted to replace it. Looking at the doorknob to be replaced, I saw that it was the kind where you screwed together the hardware, then snapped on the face plate, and then locked the doorknob onto the post. Not too hard to replace, as long as you know the correct steps and know to remove the doorknob in the reverse order it was installed.
Now they will no longer be getting locked out of the bathroom. The doorknob is installed, the door looks good and the whole thing will make life a little better for my parents. So, for my last day in Kensington, I did a little light construction... not too bad for a computer guy!
Wherever you are today, I hope you've been able to make a contribution to the quality of someone's life.
Don Bergquist - December 09, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
More Busy Times
It has been a busy week and I have been kept hopping!
My parents had a number of doctor's appointments whilst I was up here in Minnesota, and I have gotten the opportunity to spend some time visiting cousins, aunts, uncles, and assorted relatives. In-between, there have been the obligatory games of whist and cribbage.
It is hard to believe that it is Thursday morning already! Where has the time gone!?
My dad has one more appointment at the hospital for an endoscopy of the esophagus and stomach cancers. Just to see how the treatments are going. After that, I believe the plan is to return here, take it easy, and play some more cards. There is an Alberta Clipper that has been predicted to be coming through here today and dumping a bit of snow and/or freezing drizzle on us, but looking at the lovely, deep blue of the sky above the blaze orange sun as it peeps through the woods to the east of the house, I cannot believe the predictions are correct.
I think today is going to be a lovely day, for my last day of spent with my parents this trip. Tomorrow morning I have to make my way back down to The Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) to catch my flight home.
Wherever you are today, I hope that your day is dawning with a promise of being a lovely day!
Don Bergquist - December 09, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
My parents had a number of doctor's appointments whilst I was up here in Minnesota, and I have gotten the opportunity to spend some time visiting cousins, aunts, uncles, and assorted relatives. In-between, there have been the obligatory games of whist and cribbage.
It is hard to believe that it is Thursday morning already! Where has the time gone!?
My dad has one more appointment at the hospital for an endoscopy of the esophagus and stomach cancers. Just to see how the treatments are going. After that, I believe the plan is to return here, take it easy, and play some more cards. There is an Alberta Clipper that has been predicted to be coming through here today and dumping a bit of snow and/or freezing drizzle on us, but looking at the lovely, deep blue of the sky above the blaze orange sun as it peeps through the woods to the east of the house, I cannot believe the predictions are correct.
I think today is going to be a lovely day, for my last day of spent with my parents this trip. Tomorrow morning I have to make my way back down to The Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) to catch my flight home.
Wherever you are today, I hope that your day is dawning with a promise of being a lovely day!
Don Bergquist - December 09, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
08 December 2010
New Lessons About Old Things
It is amazing the things you find out about when you start looking. For instance, my family is from a region of Minnesota currently located in Otter Tail County. I have never known until today that the town had any name other than Parkers Prairie. (The oldest building in town, the State Bank of Parkers Prairie even had it permanently etched in stone, so how could it ever have had a different name? But no! I came across this old picture of my Great-Great-Grandfather August and when looking him up on the internet I came across some fascinating things about the town he lived in. Parkers was founded under the name "Jasper." It was renamed when the county was being surveyed.
The "Parker" for whom the town was re-christened, was one of the survey team. He was the first to spot the town as they were making their way through the newly mapped county. He later drowned while fording a river and the town was renamed in his honor.
I was telling this story to my step-mom who wondered what lessons we were teaching our children by naming things after people who were uncoordinated or stupid enough to get themselves killed doing dangerous things. (I imagine the conversation one day: "What school do you go to, Billy?" "Dumb-ass memorial senior high." But I digress...)
I also learned that my ancestor's middle name was Samuel. A fact I had never before known. Finally, I discovered that Parkers Prairie was the first town in that part of the state founded by a non-homogeneous group of people. No single ethnicity, religion, or political bent was the core of the community when founded; Parkers was founded by a group of people unified only in the desire to get rich farmland on the route of a planned state road.
Wherever you are today, I hope that you've learned something interesting today as well!
Don Bergquist - December 08, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
07 December 2010
Time To Get Moving
It is so lovely this morning.
My sister called and chatted early this morning, and now I am sitting watching the snow fall on the frozen lake. The sun is up and shining through the frosty woods to the east of the house and the morning is just lovely!
I'm sitting here enjoying my second cup of coffee and running through my day in my mind. We're running down to the nearest city of any size (St. Cloud) which is about ninety miles away a bit later on today. We have a couple errands to run and I want to stop in and see some relatives while we are there.
Tonight is the Kensington Whist Club meeting... I am hoping everyone feels up to it. It has been so long since I have gotten a few good hands of whist in!
Tomorrow I am chauffeuring again. Flo has optical appointments and then Dad has a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It seems my vacation has already started and it seems it is almost over!
Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a good day!
Don Bergquist - December 07, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
My sister called and chatted early this morning, and now I am sitting watching the snow fall on the frozen lake. The sun is up and shining through the frosty woods to the east of the house and the morning is just lovely!
I'm sitting here enjoying my second cup of coffee and running through my day in my mind. We're running down to the nearest city of any size (St. Cloud) which is about ninety miles away a bit later on today. We have a couple errands to run and I want to stop in and see some relatives while we are there.
Tonight is the Kensington Whist Club meeting... I am hoping everyone feels up to it. It has been so long since I have gotten a few good hands of whist in!
Tomorrow I am chauffeuring again. Flo has optical appointments and then Dad has a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It seems my vacation has already started and it seems it is almost over!
Wherever you are today, I hope you're having a good day!
Don Bergquist - December 07, 2010 - Kensington, Minnesota, USA
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