Barb's Birds

Chicadee

Tufted Titmouse

Fluffed up Junco

Last Day of February

What wonderful things has the last day of February brought to Kansas? Snow, glorious snow and cold. The birds are staying in the trees mostly but have come down to the porch to peck under the finch feeders. I can tell that I will need to go out sometime this morning and replace the suet block and I might throw some food down for the juncos. The weather was 75 for Wednesday, 55 for Thursday, 35 for Friday and today it won't make 30. Typical Kansas weather. If you don't like the weather, wait a day and it will change. But ain't it purdy?

We leave Kansas City at 6 AM tomorrow morning and arrive in Lubbock by noon. I hope to find a sports bar that has the KU game on and have a nice lunch there. It will be a chance to play Missouri at our home and put Missouri in third place. As I said last time, the fate of the BIG XII conference championship is in their hands to win or lose. I did see that a lot of K-State fans are really bitter about the Hawks being on a roll. Barb and I are fans of K-State when they don't play KU. Win or lose, sports at the university level is at best a game and no matter who or what, someone has to win. I am just as concerned that players graduate with a good education and a championship. I was sad to see many underclassmen leave KU this last year when they won the big dance. Money in the short haul is nice but they need to return to complete their degree as soon as they can.

Speaking of money, if you had any, what would you be investing in right now? The stock market rule is to buy low and sell high. Don't listen to me on advice there. I have shares of GM stock that are tanking out right now. My last 401 (k) was a stock market based plan and it is now a 200.5 (k) and not headed up. Most of the rest of our investments are in real estate or Government Money Market funds. You know the kind that say the return of your money is more important than the return on your money. If the Congress keeps spending at the rate they have for the last month even those won't be worth much for long.

Oh well, guess I need to sit back and watch it snow for a while. Boo Hoo for me and yea for you.

MUD

Government 102

I want a Federal Government that does what the Constitutions requires and little more. There are mechanisms to change through additions to the Bill of Rights or Constitutional Amendments. The Major things are:

• A postal Service that delivers mail State to State. They could stop the stupid delivery of any packages over 3 Lbs for all I care.
• Regulation of Interstate Commerce. For obvious reasons.
• Raising and leading an Armed Service for common protection of our country. The Border Service and the Coast Guard should be in the Military only.
• Making Laws and procuring money to pay for the essential things.
• Coordinating Disaster mitigation, not funding to States for them.

In my perfect world, there would be a guarantee to be a success or failure. If you want to live in a State where there are lousy schools and lots of poverty, live there without my being required to fund what you and yours don't. I cannot imagine a more wrong thing for the Federal Government to step in and take money from me to give to a State so they can do things for their people. If your State wants to dole out their dollars to the poor and undereducated, more power to them. If I wanted to live in California, I would.

I hate the idea of abortion. I absolutely refuse for it is ever be right for the Federal Government to legislate or fund any part of that discussion. If you feel strongly, give your time or money at the local level to choose. What ever you do, don't ask the Federal Government to make a choice for you and protect your right. Once you let the nose of that camel under your tent, what else will they want to control?

Let me make this clear. The US Government is not the Oprah program. They don't give you a free car, a free house or a free ride. What they guarantee is the right to get out there and win or lose in the big world of life. They don't realize that their mechanization's with/of the banks caused the problems of today. When the bankers could walk away from the need to collect on the loans by off loading the bad stuff to Jenny Mae how long did it take them? Do any of you remember the short time back that while Hillary was on the stump for the Presidency that Bill Clinton said we need to cool off the economy and slow things down. It did and now Pelosi Galore and Harry Reid are out there trying to spend it back to health? Did anyone read that there is another 400 Billion in the works to step up spending?

I love my country but I fear my government. It has grown so big that it is almost consuming everything we produce.

MUD

I Get It!

Yesterday at the Master Food Volunteer Training one of the instructors had a 20 LB Pork Loin in a pan on the table. She spent about 10 minutes showing us how to cut one up and make neat things to eat out of it. This morning I read about the 9,000 items in the Porkulus bill. Now I get the symbolism of that giant pork loin there being cut up into smaller and smaller pieces and how and why she finished the demonstration by cooking small pieces for us to taste. I get it! What a great idea and I'll bet no one else in the room will wonder about it.

MUD

Life 101

Have I just gone brain dead? We got a credit card application in the mail and it offered us the great deal of 18.8% with only a 20 day turn around a minimum interest payment of $1.00 and a great rate of 25% if we were late a day. WTF? I have a nice 12% rate from the local credit union with a 30 day no late payment fee and no minimum interest. With the interest rate so low, how come a guy like me (who pays all his bills, or at least Barb does) doesn't get requests for cards at 8%? All those non payers out there just keep those that can pay, paying through the nose. Well, screw you Master Card. Just so you will know, this credit card was from Sam's club and was a Master Card. Oh sure, I could get 2% of my total Sam's Club purchases back if I paid all year and on time.

There was an article in the local paper about the value of real estate in Shawnee County holding its value for tax purposes. Duh! Just how the heck would you think that the County would lower the value of our property? In fact, it isn't the appraised property value that raises or lowers the taxes, it is the proposed spending in the budget that sets the amount of money they will get and the appraised value just determines how much of that pot you have to pay. If all the values go down and the pot amount stays the same, the mill levy on your house will go up. With a straight face, the county Commissioners will tell us that they didn't rise the mill levy for a year and the county appraiser just raises the value of our houses by the 3 or 4% additional money they want. (Notice I didn't say need) If you really want to have fun, try to sell a house for the appraised value that the County Appraiser gives it. The Real Estate people have come up with some formula that gives your house "comparables" and adjusts the value based on what they sold for. Yes, I know it is all paper money.

It is a sign that spring is almost sprung when the first of the finches at the feeder shows in a coat turning yellow. I notice the red cardinal also is sporting his bright red coat also. Even the giant flicker on the suet block looks pretty good in the early light. I am not sure what he is doing besides throwing chunks of far and corn on the ground for the juncos. He seems to tear up the block more than eat the contents. That is probably more based on the fact that I bought those blocks of suet for a buck each rather than a real observation. Cheap bastard that I am...

Drove the 53 pickup to Lawrence yesterday and man am I glad that the fuel gauge reads light. It has about three gallons left when the gauge reads empty. I didn't remember to fill it up the last time I drove it and headed out for the 25 miles to the nearest station in Lawrence it said the tank was empty. I know it was pretty dry when I got to Lawrence because as I went around the corner to get to a pump the needle didn't move because of splash. The tank is about 15 gallons with some room for expansion and I put in over 14 gallons, almost 15.

I have a lot of small things to do today to get ready for the trip to Lubbock. We will be there Wednesday night to see our Hawks take on Texas Tech. They played Texas a close game at Texas so our guys will have to bring their "A" game to take a win out of there. We lead the Big XII with three games left. Missouri, Texas Tech and Texas. Not one of those teams will roll over and let us win easy. It is ours to win or lose at this point.

Have a great day out there.

MUD

My Quote gone Horribly Wrong

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For years I always advocated that it is easier to gain forgiveness than permission. I tried to reward intuitive in my subordinates and the only way to move forward was for every once in a while things to go south.

Today was another Master Foods Class in Lawrence and we cooked, ate, cooked, ate, cooked and ate. Then we went to a local school where the instructor cooked and we ate. Can you tell that I am in no shape to want any supper tonight. I did find out that in spite of my earlier thoughts, I do not hate TOFU. We ate it in salads, food substitutes (meatballs that were darned tasty) and even in a dessert.

The instructors probably just hang their heads and wonder where they went wrong when we put out all our fish dishes to share. I hate to follow a recipe to the letter and didn't. Everyone wanted to know which menu had the peppers and poached cod in it. Who me? I'm sure that there was one in there somewhere.

Oh well, I am now ready to take a short nap and then see if there is a whole grain snack to try. (Popcorn) See ya tomorrow.

MUD

I Hate it When that Happens!

This has nothing to do with this blog. It is just another of Barb's pretty pictures.

Last night, I listened to our President's speech and I really hate it when they make the speech short so we will listen and then have to cut the details out so we will not go to sleep listening. He was positive and upbeat but there were a lot of things glossed over. There is $2,500 worth of spending in this bill for every man, woman and child in America. Who does the President put in charge? Joe Biden, "No body messes with Joe". My faith in the system was severely dented by that comment. In fact, as the person who presides over the Senate, I wonder if there isn't a conflict of interest with the guy in charge of presiding over the bill being responsible for the spending of the money.

This morning I did read that there is a tax credit of 30% of the cost of high efficient furnaces and windows and doors. I need to read the details to see if I can make this work and put a new furnace in the kids home. I think it will take some duct work but it is do-able.

With our interest in a fuel efficient car, I will also look into the credit of $7,500 for an electric car conversion. Might as well do something for me as well as for you.

Oh well, the real thing I hated worse than having a short, no detail speech was having Rahn Emanuel come on and tell what the President meant and then the Republicans telling us what they think is the truth. Guess who skipped over to another channel when that happened.

Did I mention Basketball? The Big XII Conference race is heating up with three teams at the top of the pile. Oklahoma, KU and Missouri are all in a position to win or lose a game or two in the next week and a half. With only a game between KU and Oklahoma and then another between Missouri it will be a fun stretch to watch. KU has Texas, Missouri at home and Texas Tech on the road left. Missouri has to tie the K-State Wildcats tail tonight to stay in the hunt. Then we will move on to the Conference tournament.

Oh Well, will be a great day today so I will get out on the south porch to work on the cold frame.

MUD

Across the Topics

What A Life. Surrounded by nuts and Acorns too.

Many times I find one segment of my life and discuss it adnauseam. Yeah, it kind of makes me sick to see that I have ranted on sometimes. I find ways to fill my thousand words that in the light of day should have been a few hundred shorter. Today I want to cover a few topics across the board and not one in specific.

For the last 5 years and a bunch of times since the big XII got together it seems that the Hawks have the season championship almost tied up. It is unfortunate that Oklahoma has, two years in a row been unable to field Blake Griffin for the KU game. They have nothing to be sad about as that team, without their star, gave KU all they could handle. They will dance in the Post Season and long. It is in the hands of the round ball gods now and all I want is for the remaining games to be good. I will be in Lubbock for the Texas Tech game. The game of basketball at the College level is three phases, pre-season, conference season and post season. Anyone can win any one of the seasons and to win it all, they have to end with wins. Surely some one in Oklahoma can find Blake a jacket that doesn't look like something Marty Robins left in Amarillo. (That is a quote from today's paper)

I think I mentioned that most of us don't really know when we are to die. I looked at some actuarial tables and found that a man my age should live 19 years and 8 months longer. That put my death statistically speaking (with a 20% +/- probability) that I will live to October 2028. There are a lot of variables to this but I think that's a good start.

This time of year had to be driving my friend Two Dogs nuts. He hated the Oscars and doesn't seem to share my fondness for basketball. At least we can agree that the Oscars suck. They gave their biggest accolades to a foreign movie I won't see and one to the best supporting actor that is dead. Talk about making yourself insignificant by your actions. Hell, the coverage even mentioned that stupid family from Westborough Baptist Church who showed up and protested "Milk". That movie, its name, the subject, and the actor are just wrong at so many levels.

WTF... The President has stamped the Porkulus Bill as the best thing since sliced bread and is planning on doing a Jimmy Carter and killing the economy in the next two years by cutting the deficit spending by 50%. I guess all the spending the congress has planned will keep the good afloat until he is out of office but focus man, find a strategy and stick with something. The Governors were in Washington and had a feed at the White House. They are saying that the spending bill is not good but they are lined up to get their share. Even good old Ahnold has Cal-i-fornia in for a big share. RINO that he is. I wonder how many of those Governors flew in to Washington on a private jet?

Enough, cease and desist this madness. Go out and get sunshine as it will be 60 here in the heartland. Might even take the bike to the lake for a few circles.

MUD

Bored or Boring

Yesterday afternoon I reached a point where it was difficult to decide if I was bored or boring. You know, that point where your own boredom becomes contagious. Where you have counted all the flowers on the wall, taken a nap and have no plans to accomplish anything. I have a cold and the resulting cough has my ribs so sore I can't stand to laugh. In spite of my shortcomings, Barb agreed to take me somewhere so in Glen Petty speak, I could "Blow the stink off" A lot of his terms came from his stint in the Navy and I have no idea if that was one of theirs or an old family saying. Whatever the source, a little time outside at least has me less bored.

The one thing here at Rabbit Run we can pretty much count on being different is the view out the window. I looked up yesterday to find a yearling deer about 30 feet from the house trying to decide if it was safe to get closer. This morning there is a pair of doves sifting through the seeds on the ground for a snack to start their day. I can tell the possum was here last night as there is fresh possum scat. For you city folks thats poop in small clumps of seed that looks like mouse size footballs.

Barb's sister asked a good question about baking with whole wheat. I am sure that the source of the grain is important. Bread flour tends to be a higher protein content wheat (Hard white is the highest protein) and better for bread than the "all purpose" flour. I guess 100% of a hard white wheat would be better than others. I would look for a 100% whole wheat bread flour if it is available. We are going to the Merc next week in Lawrence and I'm sure that I'll know more after that trip. I would recommend that anyone considering the conversion to whole wheat try a 50/50 mix to start off with or even a 25/75 (whole to white) blend to get their audience to move that direction. One of the instructors said that at first her kids wouldn't touch the whole grain pasta and she won them over gradually. She said her grand daughter won't touch that whimpy white bread now.

Finally, something the President is doing makes sense to me. For some reason, Congress was fighting the War Against Terrorism off the books, so to speak. It wasn't included in the budget dollars so it really wasn't clear how the entire budget looked without some work. Roll the money up in the big spending and let us know what the entire package costs. On the other hand, I want to be one of the first to tell you that the budget lies, or doesn't tell the entire truth. Congress often tells the States that they want something done and then ignore it in the funding. The money is set by the congress and they control the actual priorities for spending. The spending levels can be changed as they often fund "whatever blows their hair back".

I guess it is a lot like the way we do our home finances. When we start the month we set priorities for what we are going to spend. We spread the money out into the little categories or places for expenditure and start spending. Midway in the month, you blow a tire and must buy a new one. If you had planned for emergencies, that would be in a reserve fund. If not, you must buy it on the credit card or don't buy something else you had on your list. The problem is that most people haven't realized that having a reserve is important and just go out and buy a whole new set of tires on the plastic. This is what congress does when they create deficit spending. Even if they are put on a busget, the Persident claims to only be able to cut their mad spending by 50% to about a half a trillion or 3% of the total spending in two years in the red.

Somewhere in the training of our Congressmen, we didn't set up the training that includes the simple phrases. "Out go cannot exceed income in the long run". If you borrow it, you must have a plan to pay it back. If you legislate it, you should have a plan to pay for it. Don't tell people you are going to pass a bill to make them happy, tell them it is something we can't afford if it costs too much. When you pass a Porkulus bill and build a train from Disneyland to Vegas it will be your legacy on the line. Pelosi Galore and Happy Reid will have that one to explain someday.

Oh well, MUD

Why Are We Here? How Long Will It Last?

As we started the 1960's, I took over a paper route in Wichita, Kansas. I had the route that was most of my neighborhood and was a walking route. It was for the Wichita Eagle and Beacon after they joined forces as "the paper" to read in Wichita. I am pretty sure that I walked between three and four miles twice a day for just about a year. During that year, I developed and maintained a habit of reading the paper. I am almost fanatical about having the virgin paper to read and pretty much read it in the same order each day. Today I walk out and get the paper at the end of our driveway and love to sit in the sun with a cup of coffee and read.

I generally start out with the front page. I skim the headlines and read most of the articles that grab my attention. If the article really grabs me, I will continue reading the article as it goes to page three, four or five. There are more that continue somewhere else that I don't follow than those that I do. I give the opinion page a glance to see if Joe Schmoe has written anything controversial. Most of the time I know if there will be the chance of something there but I never know. I will read what the editorial staff has chosen as their topic for their rant but don't always read it. Those small columns at the bottom of the paper are often notes from the dis staff side and I don't read them either.

Somewhere in the paper the ads begin to fill the pages and if often skip them and move to the Obituaries. Today a dear friend from work had her obituary in the paper. I always tell people that I read the obits to make sure that I am not there. I would hate to have a "Sixth Sense" moment and discover that I am really dead and don't know it yet. My Friend Wilma and her husband Clarence worked for the Kansas National Guard for years. Clarence was the truck driver that delivered goods to our Armory for years. He was the conduit for the unofficial news from Topeka. I am fairly sure that he fostered that role to get people to come out and help him unload the items in the truck. It worked as most of us would gather around for the news and the unloading would go fast. Wilma worked in the Full time personnel office and was one of those people that would always give you the correct answer if you had a problem. I can't remember her ever giving me bad advice. She was sad if she had to give you bad advice but it was always by the book. Clarence and Wilma retired and for years gathered up a list of full timers and sent out an invitation for a yearly get together at the Local VFW.

This leads me to the point that I question why we are here? I know that Wilma and Clarence had many joys and many heartaches in their lives. They weren't rich, but they always were rich in friends. The birth of their children and grandchildren were their joy. The death of their daughter to an unknown killer was sad highlight. They were friends to many of my friends and belonged to the church that I sang at with their dinner theater. Where they here to touch the lives of so many, or for their personal joy? They will live in my memories for as long as my memories exist.

How long will it last? Last night we had our daughter-in-law over for dinner with her nephews. Kyler and Austen are two bright kids that Da' Barb's both love. They are pretty typical boys and I think they will do well in the long run. It kind of hit me that if I do live long enough to have a grandchild, there is probably a small chance that I would live to see the birth of a great grand child. At 60 I am not sure how much more of life I will be allowed to live. I am not sure how much more I want to live. 20 years? 30 years? not 40 years! It would not be unusual for Barb to survive another 40 years as her family has a long history of old women that survive the death of a husband. My dad made it into his mid 70's so I feel confident that baring some major illness I'll make it there. Neither of my grandfathers lived as long as I have so there is no frame of reference there.

I am pretty sure that if I went out on the Internet I could find a table that would tell me based on the year that I was born what the expected life length should be. How many of us would really want to know to the day how long we will live? I will live, love and laugh until the last of my days and continue to have confidence that I won't suffer long. I don't fear death and I don't long for it.

Have a sunny day and eat an orange for me. In fact, eat two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables for me. I will.

MUD

Whole Wheat Flour in my Rolls

At the Thursday class of the Master Food Volunteer (MFV) training we made bread in a bag. It wasn't a perfect whole wheat bread, but a 1/3 whole, 2/3 processed wheat bread. Barb made it into Cinnamon rolls and man were they a great treat. I was worried that they would be a little heavy and not light enough to be a sweet roll but they were just right. Barb was careful to let them raise enough in the pan so they were light. Even this morning the last roll was a treat.

I told Barb that I was fine this morning if I could sit still and sniff about once a minute. Otherwise, my nose becomes Old Faithful and erupts without warning. She said I need to adapt the cowboy spit cup to include a strap and hang it right under my nose. It would be a snot cup to catch those pesky drips. Either that or I need a shoulder strap for the Puffs box. (Never leave home without it) Perhaps if that strap also had a way to hang a trash bag underneath it would be the perfect solution. Nah, sit still and sniff and apply Vick's to your nose to cut the red.

Yesterday it was almost 70 here and today it will be sunny and work hard to hit 30. With all the basketball games on Saturday TV, I will survive. Hope you have a great weekend. Eat oranges and take a nap.

MUD

Apology

Barb told me that my last few posts have sounded way too serious. She wondered where the light banter and wit has gone. I think it started with KU's loss to Missouri. Anyone but them. I then started my Taxes using Turbo Tax and first blush has me owing between 7 and 8 Thousand Federal and almost a thousand State. I had an arguement with the Topeka Capitol Journal over hits by Dennis Clemente of K-State's roundball team. Then to make it all seem worse, I have a head cold and feel crappy. None of these things are so serious that they will ruin me or my normally cheerful outlook. It will make me not feel cheerful and witty and happy.

So, In closing if you miss the old me, I apologise and promise that other than a rant now and then I will like the weather get better in the coming Month or so.

MUD

Politics - Warning, the following is a rant

Go read the next article if you want light and fluffy. This is the rambling of a pissed off person.

Just how the hell does anyone think that the Porculus bill by Pelosi Galore and her crowd think it will keep people in houses that they shouldn't have bought in the first place. If you could afford the house, you can afford it. If you are unemployed, you can't afford a house that costs more than 30% of your take home pay. You can refinance houses all day and all that will do is lower the payments, it will not bail you out for being stupid. We love you Mr President, I needs a car, a bathroom and a kitchen. You are not Oprah? Dang, I hate it when that happens...

Even the President has said that we need to be careful about what we spend our money on. I don't understand how the 100 billion to help people grew to 800 billion and filled to the brim with pork. Oh yeah, it went through congress (both houses) and we have a president that hasn't had a real job or employed people in a real business. I'll bet that if Michell had to repay the loan it would have been a lot smaller. Perhaps she will take the elevated high speed train to Vegas from Disneyland. Talk about your symbolic gestures. I'll bet you didn't think how Nancy and Harry could join forces in the bill did you? From Disney Land to Vegas.

Oh well, It will all work out in the end, or not...

MUD

Master Foods Volunteer (MFV)

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Yesterday was class two of the training and we baked banana nut bread and later on did a stir fry. It was really a Mongolian BBQ more than a stir fry but it was great whatever you called it. I spoke with Barb about out banana nut bread problems and she told me that getting the inside done without making a hard crust is very hard to do. In fact she quit trying to make it in a bread pan years ago. She uses a muffin pan now and has good results. Barb has some small loaf pans and said her bunt pan would be better.

The couple of food tips I took away from the training is that if possible we should make half of our grain products whole grain. If you look in the stores, the pasta, breads and rice all have a whole grain component. In fact, there is a store in Kansas City that focuses on whole grains and we made salads of Teff (the smallest seed) that looks like ground coffee, Bulgar wheat, cracked wheat (Tabbouleh) barley and couscous. All of the salads were made to be served cold and while they were good snacks would have been better if served the next day. There is something about the whole grains that include more fiber and nutrients that we normally mill out of our other grain products.

The second thing we talked about was the color of vegetables and how we should try to eat three cups of vegetables a day and two cups of fruit. The colors, red, purple yellow, white and green should be spread across the spectrum. Our groups cut up some of each color and as individuals put at least one thing from each color in a bowl and then stir fried them. It was an excellent snack mid afternoon. I tried tofu and beets in mine and would not normally eaten either. You do have to use a dipper of oil in each bowl to keep the contents from sticking. The instructors were very careful to tel us to throw away the bowls after we filled them and to use a clean plate to eat from. Cross contamination from the raw chicken was the big worry.

We did discuss the fad diets out there and why they are for the most part a failure on the long run. The real way for success is to serve a variety of foods, control the daily portion and get some exercise. They even went so far to say that there is such a thing as fit and fat. It just takes a lot to motivate the fat to get out and do the exercise.

We also made a loaf of bread to bring home. It was really two cups of white flour and one of whole wheat. Barb took the loaf and is making Cinnamon rolls as I write. I am looking forward to seeing what the whole wheat does to the normal light bread texture and taste. I think I am quickly developing a taste for whole wheat and more grains in my bread. I can't remember when I ate my last slice of that white wonder bread.

Eat your grains, vegetables and fruits. Am I boring you with this stuff?

MUD

Road Trip Pics for Almost Wordless Wednesday

Barb had me add this picture to show you that not all the churches in Kansas lean to the right.

Typical small town Kansas. The bakery we were told to visit was closed. No one knew why.

Main Street in Alma. Had a great lunch here.

What Kansas Town would be complete without a great big church? Yes, this picture leans

Got some great cheese here.

Stone House in the Alma park. I would love to have this little house here at Rabbit Run.

The park had a tractor for the kids to play on. Great idea. As a little boy, Dave would have loved this.

Wonder why there are so many rock walls in Kansas. This sign says it all.

Here is one of those walls.

The vistas is Kansas are where you look. It is not something, but everything.

Wabunsee County Lake is a nice little lake along K-4.

This is the low water crossing on the west side of the lake.

All these photos were taken by Barb and all I did was put them in the order they appear here.

MUD

I Hab a code!

The price for being too fat is I have a treatable blood pressure problem. The good news is that with meds I can keep it well into the normal range. The bad news is that there is just nothing that can reduce my stuffed up head without driving my blood pressure into above normal ranges. This keeps me sniffing and carrying a Kleenex (or Puffs box if I am lucky) all day. I find that my nose drips when I don't blow it every three minutes. There is no fever, a slight headache and no congestion, only that damn drip.

The round ball season is a little over half way completed. Other than Oklahoma at Norman, KU has a pretty good chance of running the table out. Teams don't go into Norman and beat the Sooners. Tonight they take Iowa State in Lawrence and it should be a darned good game. Iowa State always plays a pretty good game against the Hawks and with a few changes could be a tough match.

Yesterday I listened to a funny story about the new Post Master General. Last year in spite of having a 3 billion dollar loss, the Postmaster was given a bonus of over $400,000 to bring his compensation to just over $800,000 dollars. What bunch of idiots gave the guy a bonus in spite of the loss? Yes boys and Girls your congress did to help keep good leadership in the head position of the Post Office. They now have the temerity to shame business for paying a bonus for the same thing. More of the same, more of the same. An we keep re-electing these fools.

MUD

Defense

At the heart of the latest controversy is this guy, Brady Morningstar. He is a young gym rat that plays defense as hard as it can be played. After defending Dennis Clemente in some kind of junk defense called a triangle and two, Dennis just lost it. He threw an elbow and was called for an intentional foul and later slapped Brady's head as Brady filled the lane after a free throw. The Big XII is looking in to suspension for Mr. Clemente. I think an apology to Brady would be first on the list.

I also wrote to the Capitol Journal that I felt they should not have run the Dennis Clemente comments about feeling "Punked" and that justified the elbow. In spite of the Sports Editor's protest, the paper toned down the rhetoric and have done a fairly straight forward coverage of the events of the game.

There is a side article today that some member of the K-State staff reported that he heard ethnic comments from some of the players on the KU bench. I have my doubts that the KU players would do that and am damn sure that the coaches, including Danny Manning would not tolerate such madness. Would a Fan holler such crap. In most arenas, damn straight skippy. Would Bill Self allow it to be hollered from his bench. Hell NO! Stupid is as stupid says and actions speak so much louder than words.

Dave stopped by yesterday and reported that he was having a grinding noise coming from his left front wheel. We pulled the wheel and sure enough, the outboard pad was down to the plate and the rotor was shot. We had replaced the pads this last summer and I was pretty sure that it wasn't normal wear and tear. Sure enough a caliper was stuck and it left the brake applied enough that it wore the pad off. After replacing the rotor, the caliper and the pads, I inspected the passenger side. It was just as I expected. There was less than a 1/16th if an inch of wear on the new pads and the rotor was smooth and shiny. We will wait until this summer and replace the pads on that side when it is a little warmer outside. It was sunny and in the 40's yesterday but just not the kind of weather that my old bones need when I sit on the cold cement driveway.

Well, the State is having problems making payroll and sending tax refunds. Dave's wife, Barb Jr. is a State employee and may get caught up in this mess. I'm sure that we can keep the afloat for a little while but will sure as hell not pay my owed State taxes and the kids at the same time.

Oh well, it was almost 40 outside this morning because of a southerly wind. Guess we'll catch hell either tomorrow or the next day. After all, it is still February in Kansas.

MUD

Are News Papers Relevent Today?

I have been discussing an article with the Sports Executive Editor, Tim Beisel, of the Topeka Capitol Journal and he was in the lecture mode when he replied to me. He objected because I don't understand his standards. Yes, Tim, I think printing something a player said to justify what he had done wrong is not good journalism. I am not sure that it is even news. I think that after delivering and then reading the paper for over 50 years, I have a good handle on what should go into the paper. I think that anyone that reads the paper today can see the size and content of the paper slipping to a smaller level and if the trend continues they will be soon the same as 45 RPM records. Ask a third grader today if they know what a record is.

How do you get your information about the world today? I'll bet that a lot of people just don't read the paper or take the time to go out on line to read all the things going on. I do and hope to continue to read the paper because it is a part of my life. Even when I am in a city on the road I will get a copy of the paper and read what is going on. I probably don't spend as much time on local items but I do read. How long will the print media survive? Does it make me a dinosaur when I read and not just listen to the news.

A great point about life, made by Barb a moment ago, is the compensation given to different levels of people. Why does an Athletic Director at a college make $ 900,000 a year? Why do some CEO's make a salary of several million and then get a bonus when they have laid off workers that do all the work? I do believe that free enterprise should control the market out there but after watching parts of the NBA's All Star game, I wonder why they get paid multi millions to play a game. We are losing teachers each year because they can't survive on their salary and continue to pay sports stars millions. Hell, a lot of teachers have to go out and get a better paying job just to pay off their student loans. Now that's a real shame. We give athletes full rides in college but don't help the teachers as students.

Oh well, I better go eat some cereal for breakfast so I don't get an ulcer. Yes Virginia, I know I am a carrier not a getter.

MUD

Exciting Day in the Little Apple

Those of us that are Round ball fans of the Crimson and Blue brand saw a very exciting game on Saturday as KU finally defeated K-State. It was a game of spurts and sputters and raised my blood pressure so much that I had to get out for a walk to silence the noise in my ears. I can't imagine what it would have been like if KU hadn't been able to junk defense the Purple Pride into submission. It is what college rivalry is all about.

There was only one thing that really took the shine off that game. Dennis Clemente was really shadowed by Brady Morningstar for a long stretch during the second half. When Brady through good footwork got right in front of where Dennis was driving, Dennis threw a forearm as they crashed together. As Dennis walked away he threw an elbow into Brady's back and got called for an intentional foul and a Technical. Ku got two free throws and the ball back. To add to the hurt, the next two plays went the way of the Jay Hawks and there were six points added to the four for the elbow and the hawks went up by 10. In the paper today Dennis said that Brady had thrown an elbow and he wouldn't let anyone "Punk him out". The sad fact was that that play was shown four or five times and both elbows were thrown by My Clemente. It was his temper and poor sportsmanship that led to K-State's downfall. I am going to write the paper and chastise them for publishing that comment by young Mr. Clemente. He had the right to think it but the paper should not have published it.

Speaking of high blood pressure items, I have about reached my limit with rude cell phone users. I fully understand wanting to be in touch and the need for the ability to reach out and touch someone. I don't understand the risk taking I see. First young women get into their car and make a call and then put on their seat belt (Unless they are driving an SUV) they drive out of their workplace and because they have their right hand full of phone and the left hand on the wheel they fail to signal until they have caught up with the world. The second class of rude are those people that constantly text in a movie theater. The bright light from their screens just hurt my old eyes. Mot of the kids won't talk on their phones but the pictures they take of the screen and the testing cause light that is annoying. It was once a sign that a person was crazy when they would walk down the street talking to themselves. Now it is that blue something in their ear that they are talking to.

One the bright side, the weather today is supposed to be nice about noon and perhaps I'll get some work done on the cold frame I need to build. I found a great source for straight 2x4's and the sheathing was only $5.56 a sheet. (Lowe's) Not to be confused with Kohl's that doesn't sell lumber. To a dyslexic, the difference between Lowe's and Kohl's is hard to see. Add partzheimers to that mix and you might find yourself in Aisle 8 at Lowe's looking for a T-Shirt.

Have a great day.

MUD

Its not What you do, but When and How you do it!

- In today's opinion page of the Capitol Journal, there was a response to an article about a young woman's discharge from the Kansas Army National Guard for homosexuality. Barb and I discussed it and I think Barb clearly understands the problem and the solution.

- It reminded me of the time that one of my students came in and reported that three of my other students went out to their car for a break and were smoking Marijuana. I went down to HR the next day and asked what the heck could I do and when could I do it. The answer was then as it is in Barb's attitude. It is not what they do when they are in a private place, but how they acted in the class after they did it. If they were disruptive in class, write up their behavior not the suspected act. If their clothes stink from smoking the weed and it causes problems, send them home to change.

- In the article in the paper, the girl mentioned, had put on her My Face page that she was a lesbian. She was seen in WalMart kissing her girlfriend when she was in uniform. It wasn't what she was doing at home in private, but her behavior in public that got her in trouble. This will be the crux of the problem for the President as he re looks the "Don't ask, Don't Tell" Policy. If the behavior is appropriate, it should be tolerated. If it is not, write them up and let the crumbs fall where they fall.

- In simple terms, if we all behave in public, there will be a lot fewer problems. Blatant sexuality of either type is and should be frowned on. If you want to hit on someone, let it be in private, only once and if the other person says no, go the hell away. There are rules that preclude senior to subordinate contact of any type . (fraternization) My choice to be a heterosexual does not give me the right to press my female subordinates or co-workers for unwanted actions. Your choice to be a homosexual does not give you the right to hit on same sex persons either. It is not what you do, but when and where you do it.

MUD

Happy Valentines Day!

Did ch'a ever wonder why we spend so much time and money on chocolate and cards on February 14th? Don't ask me, I just try to follow suit and not get my butt into too much trouble. I have stopped buying the big box of chocolate with nuts and now buy those little bags of Weight Watchers stuff. Not because she needs it, but because she buys the stuff. I tried to find a card that didn't sing or poke fun of us too much. There was actually a Valentines card about a guy that has been with the girl so long that he no longer has to shut the bathroom door to take a whizz. What? I'll bet they think that there comes a time you don't have to wash your hands too.

Barb is working at the Master Gardner's booth at the Annual Lawn and Garden Show here in Topeka. They are letting the kids plant seeds in little cups so they can watch the plants sprout, grow and probably die before it is warm enough to put them out to grow. That reminds me that I owe Barb a cold frame and if it gets warm enough today or tomorrow I'll work on getting it set up. I am wondering what I will have to keep some of the warmth in on those cold nights. What I need is a clear plastic air mattress that will absorb the heat in the day and hod it all night. I'm not sure that buckets of water will be enough. Perhaps in a black bucket.

My brother-in-law is proposing that we all gather at his house for a shooting lesson for the family. He thinks that we all need to gain and keep our self defense skills sharp. I couldn't agree more. I am not sure when we will gather for our lessons but sounds like it should be a fun time to be had by all. From the description in his e-mail there will be guns from .22 cal to .45 caliber. I will be there with a 9mm auto. I think it will be a good time to shoot up all my old ammo and bring out the cleaning kit supplies. I'll probably choke when it comes to the price of replacing the ammo but hey, it should be worth the price of admission.

Today is the big K-State and KU rivalry game. KU caught K-State at home in a stretch where K-State couldn't hit the barn with a basketball from the inside. They now are on a roll and have won 5 or 6 in a row. The game is in the little apple so at least the fans will be all pumped up. Whatever happens, it will be a good game. KU lost their last game so they will want to at least show up and play well. They still have Texas, Oklahoma, and a return match with Missouri on their schedule. The only good thing in their favor is that you have to go back 4 years to find when KU lost two games in a row. (Other than their losses in the first round of the big dance a couple of years in a row)

The weather here has been a little up and down. Wednesday it was 70 and Friday it worked hard to get near 40. By late afternoon the wind and spitting sleet made it way to cold to want to be out. At least the sun is shinning this morning so there is hope it might get nicer today. They are predicting another big cold front storming in from the southwest by tomorrow so we'll have to see what the weather brings. I guess that is really the story in Kansas. Don't like the weather? Wait a day, it'll change.

Have fun out there and do something nice for your honey.

MUD

New Adventure

I'm off on a new adventure. I started classes yesterday to be a Master Foods Volunteer. (MFV) I am not sure what part my volunteerism will take but I know that I am always willing to speak to groups and in spite of the comments to the contrary, I am willing to write about things I love. I think with the large number of baby boomers thinking about retirement in the not too distant future, I will look into the diet related weight and health factor. For example, most of us don't have a clue what the food we eat is in terms of the total calories we need. If you could eat about the right amount, and then cut 100 calories a day you could lose 10 pounds next year. Now I'm not talking about Jarred kind of weight losses, but to turn the weight war around would be an accomplishment.

The nice thing is that in my circle of friends, there are few people that don't love to eat. I think the adjustment must come in what we eat and how much of what we love we eat. I know that it is painfully aware to me that the amount of meat I eat at one sitting is way out of whack. I should be eating an amount of meat that could cover the palm of my hand. 4 to 8 OZ is max. I typically order and eat at least a 12 OZ steak when given a choice. I eat like a truck driver when I am simply a truck owner.

The first day of class was an informational day and we spent most of it learning about the food pyramid and nutrition. A good deal of time was spent discussing the nutritional information on the side of most food boxes and what it means. We also got to see several examples of how the use of some words on the front doesn't match the side panel. Words like Healthy, natural and Organic might lead you down the wrong path. I guess when you compare a box of Bisquick with the Heart Healthy Bisquick it does look good. There is another product by Hogston Mills that is just a better buy. There is also a whole grain spin out there that makes products better but not everyone wants to eat Triscit and Bales of shredded wheat for every meal.

I have a lot to learn and am looking forward to doing some menu planning and "thin" cooking. I hope that I don't bore you with the details of this new hobby. I might even try to spin up some interest in what effect this has on my own weight. Whatever I do, I won't make it a fad diet that lets me eat a million pounds of bacon and lose weight. I want to have a sustainable lifestyle. Darn it!

MUD

41 Years

41 Years ago, in 1968, Barbara Schmoe of Yermo, CA married Dennis Petty in the Chapel of the Bells, Las Vegas, NV. Not long afterwards, I shipped out for Vietnam on the USNS Geiger. I tell everyone that I wasn't there for that first formative year and by the time I got home she was untrainable. Yes, she grows weary of hearing that joke. The real truth is that she was the kind of person that I knew could deal with me being gone and would accomplish her goals in spite of what happened to me. Now, 41 years later we have accomplished most of our goals and other than Cinnamon rolls in Yoder, KS we have almost everything we want. Lord knows we have everything we need. Yes, I still buy lottery tickets but what the heck, I don't drink, smoke or chase women.

This computer has a weird keyboard. every once in a while, it just stops, makes a stupid noise and eliminates the last couple of sentences I typed. The good news is that Blogspot has an auto update that saves the program and usually I can quit and got to the saved part and there most of what I typed is.

Today in Dear Abby (written by her daughter) there was a story that made me smile. A man with a son by a previous marriage has tried to rekindle a relationship with his son. A rumor started that because the kid stays over from time to time the guy is having a homosexual relationship. He asked what to do? I would do just the opposite and have him bring a buddy with him the next time. In fact, if you hear bad things about me spread them around. As dull and boring as I am, I need all the help I can get to be notorious. Yes, Dull and Boring is what I said. I have a couple of people that accuse me of writing bad things about them in this blog. It is a shame that they don't realize that I have enough of a time just writing things without trying to have them tie back to other people. You mean I have to write and make sense?

Let me tell you about trip to town yesterday. On out way out to the car, Barb put the water bill in her hand and said we need to stop at the RWD # 8 office just up the street. Yep'er, I can do that. Get in the car, start up the road and drive past the drive to the Water Department like I had never had the discussion. I slow down and turn in to the drive way about 100 yards past the department and Barb looks at me and says, What are you doing? Between us we completely blown off the stop. In fact she still had the bill and the check in her hand. She told me that I should have told her what I was doing. Hell, I couldn't remember the name of the water office. Crap, she wants me to be rational, correct and make sense. Here at the keyboard I can but the age related partszheimers strikes at the oddest time.

Yesterday I was out on the deck trying to build a cold frame for Barb's new plants. I forgot that the deck slopes several inches to the outside. When I tried to get the boards plumb to the world, they looked weird. If you think they looked weird, you should have tried to get a rectangular door to close square when everything is leaning or listing to one side. You could get vertigo if you looked at it from the front. I am going to take it down and build it in the garage. If it isn't square I will prop it up in the front. It was in the 70's yesterday and only about 30 today.

Oh well, I had better get ready and see if we can find some cinnamon rolls closer than Yoder.

MUD

Go Back To School Mr. President

Last night we were told by our new President that it was imperative that we have a bail out and have it now. Speed is more important than quality. This is just absolute BS in my book. The rule of Plans, and I have written many, is that the slower you go and the better you staff it in the development of a Plan the longer it will last and have a positive effect. Throw it together today and it won't last through tomorrow. When was the last time you bought something on impulse and it was a winner? Multiply the risk by a Trillion and you have something that has the potential to stink bad, quickly. Kind of like Dad, can I have the Credit Card to go to the Mall. What is it that you want dear one? OH nothing, I think we need to stimulate the economy.

Jeez, didn't you just go there and spend about 900 Billion?

Now, let me also say that if all you want to do is to float a bunch of Pork through that would not normally see the light of day, put it in a plan and call it a stimulus. Jeez, the time for a change is sounding like more and more of the old way of doing business with a built in turbo sending our money down the road. At least a few moderate Democrats and most of the Republicans are saying what the stimulus plan really is. PORK!, More PORK and PORK (OK, a little SPAM thrown in so it will make everyone happy). There is a part of the bill that includes 300 Million for a computer system. Want to bet that most of the computers are made overseas? Oh sure, Microsoft will get a good share for the software but at least 2/3rd will stimulate some one else's economy.

I'll bet that you don't remember the insistence by the President as a Candidate that Government needs to change the way they are doing business. No more revolving door of Senators becoming lobbyists and then back in Government. Do you know what Tom Daschle was doing when he didn't pay his taxes on the limo he thought was a gift? The sad part is that Barry just seems immune to the truth. I guess I should have known that if the head of the Democratic party thinks 500 million people are going to lose their jobs (There is just a little over 300 Million Americans) and that Joe Biden thinks that FDR delivered his fire side speeches over TV there is wiggle room at the top for more lies. I told you I was going to watch. You didn't think I was going to sit on my hands and not yell like Missouri beat KU. They Did? Yes and I yelled then too.

MUD

Missouri Vs Kansas

Every year there is talk of the continuance of the Border Wars between KU and MU. Just so you know, the people of Kansas in the late 1850's did hate the border ruffians crossing into Kansas to influence the Free Staters. Abraham Lincoln did get to unfold the new US flag with the new Star count just as he started his first term in office but I doubt that those days of bloody Kansas still hang heavy in the hearts of the Missouri players.

What "gets their goats" is the fact that when you play in the Phog or Allen Field House there is a big reminder that KU has dominated the BIG XII since it inception and now have the 1988 and 2008 National Championship banners hanging from the rafters. I am pretty sure that hating the winners is something the under dog has almost always done. I love that their team plays hard against us it is their fans that need some manners. I promise you that getting to sit in the stands of an opponent and chant "Rock Chalk Jay Hawk, KU" in the closing minutes of a game as we win is nice. In Waco, the Baylor fans were leaving with 5 minutes left and the KU fans sat riveted in their seats for the first note of the chant.

Did I mention that KU and MU ramp it up tonight on big Monday? I think KU has enough gas for another game as OK-State didn't run our wheels off. In this year of parity, they need to show up tough or get sent home with their first loss of the year. This is the first game in the second half of the Conference season and everyone is working for the seating in the Post Season Tournament and the Big Dance. I am pretty sure that KU and Oklahoma will be there but as strange as the season has been, I don't feel comfortable about saying who else will make that top 64 list. It is entirely possible that Missouri, K-State, Nebraska and Missouri could win most of their last games and be right there for the nod to dance with the big guys. I don't think that KU will dance in the finals, but Oklahoma sure could. Yes, I would like to see a repeat of the 1988 Oklahoma vs KU National Championship but wishes aren't fishes.

MUD

Kansas $ vs the Feds

Did y'a know that Kansas is a cash and carry state? They have a rule that allows them to only spend the cash they have on hand and that's all folks. Oh, they can borrow money but they must figure the payments into the outgo and pay their bills. If that is such a good idea, why doesn't our Federal Government do the same.

There was a bunch of us that took one look at the projected renovation of the State House last year and said there is no way they are going to land that monster with the projected budget. In true Federal style they moved on and let the price inflate until it really has dented the budget. They also let a good year inflate the spending until they are going to seriously have to cut this year.

And you thought out Governor wouldn't go to Washington and fit right in. At least at last count she paid all her taxes.

Dennis

A Good Bite will cure it all!

see more puppies

Did you ever just feel like you needed to run over and bite someone that needs bitten? I think our Congress is about the most stupid group of people we have ever had to represent us except when I look out and see that the Sheeple out there really don't care. Wake up People, it is your future that is being frittered away.

In this land of conspicuous consumption, how can we even think that spending more money is the answer. Wow, we are all headed to hell because savings has increased from 1% to 3%. The normal unemployment has increased to less than 8% and hell is where we are headed? How many good jobs are being done by Illegals? If our Government really cared they would have a program to identify and send home those that are keeping the unemployed from working. Do they? Hell no, and more important, they don't care. Lets bail out the Credit Card companies so they will have more money to let you run your average credit card debt per household up to $60,000. That's the ticket.

"Once upon a time" we were a Nation built on principles and some of us believed that the simple lessons in life were the most important. We payed attention to the small stories. We worked hard, saved some and shared with family. The return of our money was more important than the return on our money. We didn't put all our eggs in one basket. If it smelled too good to be true, it probably wasn't. The higher the interest rate returned, the more risk there was. Risk means that on a bad day, you wouldn't get your money back. Never invest the money you need to buy your next meal. Gamble to have fun, not to get even with your losses.

When the Congress gets enough pork to make everyone happy, the new spending bill will fly through the process. We should un-elect anyone that votes to hang this enormous debt on our future. I'll bet the uninformed out there will not even get off their butts and vote the next election. When all the sheeple have to eat is grass, they will probably smoke it.

MUD

In The News Today

Mike, You learn to make good choices and avoid bad choices from the lessons you learn from making bad choices. Everyone that never drank a drink underage or never smoked Pot get to stand up and be angry. Don't people understand that you spent years in the pool to be able to swim? I think you deserve to have a real life and try things you have never done. If anyone played attention to what Michael Phelps ate for breakfast, it was clear that he didn't eat Kellogg's corn flakes. If they want to take their money away, so be it.

Instead of just reporting the unemployment numbers, all the channels have reported the story and their surprise at the stock market going up. When the stock market is near the bottom and it is bouncing around in the mud, don't expect it to react like it might if it were nearer the top. At 12,000, the DOW might have responded with a negative move. At 7000, there isn't a lot of negative to go. Besides, what ever happened to the News being unfiltered information. What do I care if some young person is surprised about what the stock Market does. The stock prices are based on the value of the company. In true value terms, this is the level where the stock is priced the best. Remember the old saying Buy low and sell high? The buying should support this price for a while.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer this week and had surgery. I don't understand why she doesn't retire and live the rest of her life. Many of the people with cancer of the pancreas don't live long.

Why is the spending bill being delayed? The Republicans haven't added their pork yet. It would be great if they were holding it up to try to make sense. Nah, just adding more of their pork. You can tell when a politician is telling lies when his lips are moving. Have you heard that the 800 Billion plan is now 940 Billion? Stand by for the trillion dollar bail out for all the special projects. The economy will have to wait. If 800 Billion didn't work, throw another 900 Billion and watch. BS.

MUD

Great trip and none of the animals died

I'm not sure if it is anything to celebrate but at least all of the animals and most of the plants seemed to survive our road trip. Even Porch Kitty greeted me this morning wanting his handful of food and a little petting. Dog one and Dog Two seemed to be a little dry but they are fine. I will take advantage of the fine weather today and go out for a session of throw the stick and pet the other one.

I now realize that the bird food is about a four day supply. They had emptied all but the sunflower seed feeder. Not a scrap of suet in the suet block holder. I can see scat (Poop) from the possum that comes up and eats the seeds the finches drop to the ground. It must be the roughage from hell as it seems to go right through him.

While in Dallas we went to see the new movie, "Taken". They killed a lot of people and cars, and it was loud. Barb will get to pick the next movie. The only problem I have with this type movie is that the good guy never seems to pick up the guns when he kills the bad guys. They were shooting some mini machine gun and he had a hand gun. When you kill a bad guy and he has bullets left and a better gun, take his and then kill bad guys. Oh well, I guess it was my combat training coming out.

Better get something done. Or Not!

MUD

Dallas

Based on Jenni's suggestion, we went to the Dallas World Aquarium. It was a lot of walking but the kids there from their school trips were almost as much fun as the fish and animals. Here I am sitting with my buds taking a break. If you love laughter and chatter, you too would have been in Hog Heaven

This is Barb in the tunnel where you are in the tank with the fish. This is my dream team part too.

He followed me home Mom, can I keep him? The squeal right after this picture was taken would clear your sinuses. The manatee was as curious as the kids were.

We will fly home this afternoon and be back in our bed tonight. Can't wait.

MUD

Fort Worth

This is who I want to be when I grow up. This is my cousin Paul and his wife Sarah Jane and their granddaughter, Kaitlyn. We had a great visit and laughed at the antics. Little lives bring such adventure into the world. Typical story was when it got quiet Kaitlan was in the bathroom exploring the mints (rolaids).
The weather here is nice. It is going to be in the mid 50's today and sunny.

See ya' later alligator

MUD

Happiness is

-Waco in my rear view mirror. I plan on going to Fort Worth this morning and visiting with my cousin Paul and his wife Sarah Jane. I fear that our other friend in Fort Worth has a flu that has visited his house and we may catch them on the next trip.

This trip, I rented a car from Thrifty. They had a selection called "Mystery Car" and it was a few dollars cheaper. To save $12.00 I chose that option. The final choice was either another of those damn PT Cruisers or a Mustang. Bring on the Ford. It has been a nice car to drive but no great car from a gas mileage standpoint. It was nice to drive as we toured Waco and the drive along the Brazos. It reminded me a lot of most scenic drives and we ended at the banks of Lake Waco. That is where their drinking water comes from and with at least 10,000 dairy cattle upstream it is no wonder that the water blooms algae and makes everything taste like sushi. Or at least that green sea weed wrapper.

I will admit that Waco has been a great city to visit and the people couldn't have been nicer. Baylor University has a great stadium and their chants and songs were kind of fun to watch. There is one kind of weird thing they do . They play the theme from star wars and act like a Bear swiping the air with each beat. Oh well, KU survived a run by a good team and took home a win.

One of the KU fans in the stands said he was transferred to Fort Worth by the Railroad when BNSF joined hands. He loves it here and just came down to Waco on a whim. He said one of his friends lives here and works for Mars Candy bars. He said they make Snickers here and would not have come here if they had known about the water problems. I can't imagine how hard it is to keep that taste out of their product.

Oh well, I will get on I-35 and head north as soon as my traveling partner sticks her head out from underneath the covers.

MUD

Waco Part 3

Baylor plays a scrappy game in a beautiful stadium. In the final score, Rock Chalk, Jay Hawk!
It was like a game in Colorado. There were almost as many KU fans as Baylor fans. There were more empty seats than filled seats. Great game.
MUD

Waco Pt. 2

What does a KU fan wear on Game day? His KU Sweatshirt and a stupid smile. This is after at least my third cup of coffee so I am wide awake.
The Texas ranger Museum is just north of the Baylor campus and I just couldn't not go there. Lots of guns and pictures of old men. My kind of place.

Did ya' know there is a Dr pepper museum in Waco? Here I am in the courtyard with the 48 Chevy truck. Pretty well restored but it did need a few more things.

Here is one of the highlights of the museum on the Baylor campus, Er, it was in the Cow Town behind the great museum. You would have liked the displays. (and hated the water)

Waco, TX

-Well boys and Girls, we have arrived in Waco, Texas so tomorrow night we can watch the Baylor bears and KU play. Yes, we could have stayed home and watched it on ESPN Big Monday, but what fun is that. The only thing we didn't do right so far was neither one of us brought shorts for the mid 70's weather. The students are all out over the campus in short shorts, er, at least the one's I saw. We kind of wanted to see a couple of games on the other Big XII campuses. Later on in March we will travel to Lubbock to see KU and Texas Tech.

We had to start the day our early to make the flight out of KC. I'm pretty sure that we will neither one be awake to see the end of the Super Bowl. We might watch the commercials and half time but that will be about out limit. Barb brought two books so I'm not sure she will watch any of the game. I will watch until I hit the wall and fall asleep.

So far we have driven pretty much all over Waco and have not found much that really keeps us interested. Perhaps tomorrow I might go see the Texas Ranger's Museum but that's not a promise. I think about suppertime we will head out and see if this stupid little map of Waco can help me find the nearest thing they have to a mall. You never know, might find some good eats nearby.

Enough for now. See you on the flip side.

MUD