Today would have been Nana's birthday. It has been a special day my whole life. While Nana has been gone from us for a long time; today is still a special birthday.
Today is Shelley's 21st birthday. It's a big deal.
Shelley doesn't drink, so it's not a big deal for that. But it's still a big deal.
At 21, Shelley is growing up. She's one of the grownups to the little kids. She's an adult.
Truth is, though; she's just a babe.
Context is important. Matthew says Shelley's a babe, too, but he uses the term quite differently than I do. When I say she's a babe it's just that.
Shelley - for all of her grownup-ness - is just a babe. We're going to celebrate her special day when she is with us in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we celebrate this day from a distance. Happy to celebrate her birthday - even though she's still just a babe.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
They say they need my help...
I recognize the tremendous economic impact a successful professional sports team can have on a community. The economic benefit extends far beyond the team's ownership group to include the venue's employees, local restaurants and bars, parking garages and mass transit entities. While my rant focuses on Milwaukee's current arena battle; no city with a major or minor league sports franchise is exempt from the problem.
The Milwaukee media has been bombarding us for years about the need to replace the "aging" BMO Harris Bradley Center; a multi-sport venue in downtown Milwaukee. The facility is over 25 years old and is - or so we've been told - so antiquated and deficient that it's a hindrance, rather than a benefit, to the community. They have threatened that the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks will leave Milwaukee if we don't come up with a new arena.
Lest I get too far off course, I do want to point out that these are the same Milwaukee Bucks that finished last in the NBA with a whopping 15-67 record. The same Milwaukee Bucks who, despite what the "announced attendance" figures would lead one to believe, haven't drawn decent crowds for years. Yes, the same Milwaukee Bucks that just sold last week for a little over half a billion dollars.
Yes, you saw that right - the worst team in the league sold for HALF A BILLION DOLLARS!!! That's $500,000,000-plus!!! (Kind of makes you wonder what a "real" team would be worth, doesn't it?)
No sooner had the sale been announced than the media started anew on their propaganda blitz that we (the taxpayers) simply MUST get behind the effort to build a new arena or risk losing this "valuable community asset" to some other city.
Really? (Now I freely admit that I despise basketball. I really don't care if Milwaukee has a basketball team or not. However, I am consistent in that my opposition to my tax money being used to make team owners even richer is not limited to those sports I despise.)
The voters in southeast Wisconsin bought into all of the fear mongering years ago when the five county region enacted a sales tax to pay for a new stadium for the Milwaukee Brewers. This "temporary" sales tax to build a new stadium started in 1996. Current projections have it ending as late as 2020. Unfortunately, the tax revenues also go toward some improvements, etc. which, in essence, means that it could go on forever. The crowd behind building a new arena for the Bucks tout the continuation of the tax as one means to pay for that, too.
Anyone who can pay half a billion dollars for a sports franchise can build their own arena as far as I'm concerned.
"But they'll leave Milwaukee," the Chicken Littles cry out.
I say, "Then let 'em go!"
"But the city needs a great venue for sports and concerts," they say.
"Then let the people who own and promote those events pay for the venue," is my reply.
"But the private sector needs a vibrant sports scene and downtown in order to thrive," they blather on.
Well, if a new arena is that important to the private sector, then let the private sector pony up the money. They will see a huge return on their investment if the venue is even half as successful as they claim it will be.
We need to be on our guard, though. Some cities have used what I believe to be deceptive tactics to build new sports arenas "without tax money."
Reallly?
Look at San Antonio, they say.
San Antonio redirected parking revenues to pay for a new arena. They made the claim that the parking revenues from people going to the games paid for the new arena and it was not put onto the citizens as a whole.
Wrong!!!
I suppose you can pull the wool over people's eyes with a story like that if they're bad at math or don't understand how government works.
The citizens still have to pick up the costs of those services the parking revenues used to pay for. So, while the local politicians can claim that they didn't make the public pay for the new stadium - that's exactly what they did; they just disguised it in such a way that many of their (dare I say, less informed) constituents - who may have vehemently opposed public money for a new sports venue - are paying the tab without even realizing it.
Unfortunately, this cycle will not stop as long as the politicians keep preying upon the public's unfounded fears. The public - whether in southeast Wisconsin now or any of the dozens of other regions faced with the same issues - must stand up once and for all and declare that we will no longer be held hostage by ridiculously wealthy sports franchises, no matter how important they may be to the community.
I can hardly afford to attend more than one or two baseball games per year. Why should I be forced to pay for a stadium to showcase men making more in one year than I will make in my lifetime just for playing a game; or to stroke the egos of the men and women who pay hundreds of millions of dollars to join the elite club of major sports team owners?
Quite simply - I shouldn't be forced to pay for it.
Let them pay for it themselves.
I'll get off of my soapbox now...
The Milwaukee media has been bombarding us for years about the need to replace the "aging" BMO Harris Bradley Center; a multi-sport venue in downtown Milwaukee. The facility is over 25 years old and is - or so we've been told - so antiquated and deficient that it's a hindrance, rather than a benefit, to the community. They have threatened that the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks will leave Milwaukee if we don't come up with a new arena.
Lest I get too far off course, I do want to point out that these are the same Milwaukee Bucks that finished last in the NBA with a whopping 15-67 record. The same Milwaukee Bucks who, despite what the "announced attendance" figures would lead one to believe, haven't drawn decent crowds for years. Yes, the same Milwaukee Bucks that just sold last week for a little over half a billion dollars.
Yes, you saw that right - the worst team in the league sold for HALF A BILLION DOLLARS!!! That's $500,000,000-plus!!! (Kind of makes you wonder what a "real" team would be worth, doesn't it?)
No sooner had the sale been announced than the media started anew on their propaganda blitz that we (the taxpayers) simply MUST get behind the effort to build a new arena or risk losing this "valuable community asset" to some other city.
Really? (Now I freely admit that I despise basketball. I really don't care if Milwaukee has a basketball team or not. However, I am consistent in that my opposition to my tax money being used to make team owners even richer is not limited to those sports I despise.)
The voters in southeast Wisconsin bought into all of the fear mongering years ago when the five county region enacted a sales tax to pay for a new stadium for the Milwaukee Brewers. This "temporary" sales tax to build a new stadium started in 1996. Current projections have it ending as late as 2020. Unfortunately, the tax revenues also go toward some improvements, etc. which, in essence, means that it could go on forever. The crowd behind building a new arena for the Bucks tout the continuation of the tax as one means to pay for that, too.
Anyone who can pay half a billion dollars for a sports franchise can build their own arena as far as I'm concerned.
"But they'll leave Milwaukee," the Chicken Littles cry out.
I say, "Then let 'em go!"
"But the city needs a great venue for sports and concerts," they say.
"Then let the people who own and promote those events pay for the venue," is my reply.
"But the private sector needs a vibrant sports scene and downtown in order to thrive," they blather on.
Well, if a new arena is that important to the private sector, then let the private sector pony up the money. They will see a huge return on their investment if the venue is even half as successful as they claim it will be.
We need to be on our guard, though. Some cities have used what I believe to be deceptive tactics to build new sports arenas "without tax money."
Reallly?
Look at San Antonio, they say.
San Antonio redirected parking revenues to pay for a new arena. They made the claim that the parking revenues from people going to the games paid for the new arena and it was not put onto the citizens as a whole.
Wrong!!!
I suppose you can pull the wool over people's eyes with a story like that if they're bad at math or don't understand how government works.
The citizens still have to pick up the costs of those services the parking revenues used to pay for. So, while the local politicians can claim that they didn't make the public pay for the new stadium - that's exactly what they did; they just disguised it in such a way that many of their (dare I say, less informed) constituents - who may have vehemently opposed public money for a new sports venue - are paying the tab without even realizing it.
Unfortunately, this cycle will not stop as long as the politicians keep preying upon the public's unfounded fears. The public - whether in southeast Wisconsin now or any of the dozens of other regions faced with the same issues - must stand up once and for all and declare that we will no longer be held hostage by ridiculously wealthy sports franchises, no matter how important they may be to the community.
I can hardly afford to attend more than one or two baseball games per year. Why should I be forced to pay for a stadium to showcase men making more in one year than I will make in my lifetime just for playing a game; or to stroke the egos of the men and women who pay hundreds of millions of dollars to join the elite club of major sports team owners?
Quite simply - I shouldn't be forced to pay for it.
Let them pay for it themselves.
I'll get off of my soapbox now...
Friday, April 18, 2014
14,545
Fourteen thousand five hundred and forty-five.
Depending on what you're talking about, that could sound like a very big number or a very small number.
That number of dollars would have bought you quite the sweet car not all that long ago. It would have bought you a pretty nice home not too much longer before that. It would barely buy you a nice used car today.
A number's significance, or insignificance, is largely based on its context.
Fourteen thousand five hundred and forty-five is one of those numbers.
Dad was born on August 26, 1934.
He died on June 22, 1974.
He died on the 14,545th day of his life.
That makes today a rather significant day; for today marks the 14,545th day since Dad died.
He has been gone for as long as he lived.
There comes a certain hollow feeling with knowing the significance of that number. It is even more poignant when I reflect on the fact that this day falls on Good Friday.
Fourteen thousand five hundred and forty-five days have done nothing to soften how much I miss him.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
All Grown Up
Joseph has been living at home since he graduated from college. We all thought that it would be a good idea for him to build up some financial stability before taking on the responsibility and expense of having his own place. The arrangement worked great for the first two years since he worked full time at a bank about ten to fifteen minutes from home and only part time at the church an hour from home.
That all changed when he went full time at the church on January 1 of this year. So, for the last three and one half months, Joseph has driven about an hour each way every day while looking for an affordable housing option closer to the church.
That time appears to be upon us.
I took Tuesday afternoon off work to meet Joseph at an apartment he was looking at. The apartment is only about fifteen minutes from his church. It's even on the same road so even Joseph can't get lost going back and forth to work!
He filled out an application and should hear whether he got the apartment within the next couple of days. If all goes well, we will load Joseph's belongings into my truck on the first weekend of May to move him into his own place.
His first, own place.
While we have enjoyed having Joseph living with us; it is time. He's ready to be in his own place. He needs to be closer to his job and ministry.
We are very excited for him.
He's all grown up.
That all changed when he went full time at the church on January 1 of this year. So, for the last three and one half months, Joseph has driven about an hour each way every day while looking for an affordable housing option closer to the church.
That time appears to be upon us.
I took Tuesday afternoon off work to meet Joseph at an apartment he was looking at. The apartment is only about fifteen minutes from his church. It's even on the same road so even Joseph can't get lost going back and forth to work!
He filled out an application and should hear whether he got the apartment within the next couple of days. If all goes well, we will load Joseph's belongings into my truck on the first weekend of May to move him into his own place.
His first, own place.
While we have enjoyed having Joseph living with us; it is time. He's ready to be in his own place. He needs to be closer to his job and ministry.
We are very excited for him.
He's all grown up.
Monday, April 14, 2014
What A Difference Two Weeks Makes...
Two weeks isn't a lot of time, but it's amazing how much can change in such a short time.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Blues were in the driver's seat. They were atop the league standings and well on their way to clinching, at a minimum, the top spot in the Western Conference if not the President's Trophy.
What a difference two weeks can make.
Instead of being atop the league, or even the conference, the Blues ended the season tied for the fourth most points in the league. A long fall in such a short time.
We can try to blame injuries - for we certainly have suffered more than our fair share in the last couple of weeks. We can try to blame goaltending - because it certainly has not been what we were expecting when we traded for Ryan Miller. We can try to blame coaching - because the staff couldn't seem to get the mix and match line combinations motivated to perform. We can try to blame management - because we didn't have the organizational depth to deal with the sudden rash of injuries (what club would?).
The reality is, though, no one really cares who or what you try to blame. The only thing that matters is that we faltered when we should have charged.
A run deep into the playoffs will cause everyone to forget the last two weeks. A quick exit will have everyone pointing fingers for the next five months.
The beauty of the NHL playoffs is that everything is new. This could still be our year.
We have our work cut out for us, though.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Blues were in the driver's seat. They were atop the league standings and well on their way to clinching, at a minimum, the top spot in the Western Conference if not the President's Trophy.
What a difference two weeks can make.
Instead of being atop the league, or even the conference, the Blues ended the season tied for the fourth most points in the league. A long fall in such a short time.
We can try to blame injuries - for we certainly have suffered more than our fair share in the last couple of weeks. We can try to blame goaltending - because it certainly has not been what we were expecting when we traded for Ryan Miller. We can try to blame coaching - because the staff couldn't seem to get the mix and match line combinations motivated to perform. We can try to blame management - because we didn't have the organizational depth to deal with the sudden rash of injuries (what club would?).
The reality is, though, no one really cares who or what you try to blame. The only thing that matters is that we faltered when we should have charged.
A run deep into the playoffs will cause everyone to forget the last two weeks. A quick exit will have everyone pointing fingers for the next five months.
The beauty of the NHL playoffs is that everything is new. This could still be our year.
We have our work cut out for us, though.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Lola's 1011011th Birthday
Today is a big day in the our home - for today we celebrate Lola's 1011011th birthday.
That's 91 in binary, but 1011011 looks a whole lot cooler! Besides, telling people she's 5B (91 in Hex) or 91 doesn't sound nearly as old as 1011011.
However you look at it, though, 91 is very old.
Lola still gets along remarkably well for someone that age, but she definitely shows the signs of living that many years. The few friends she has are younger than her; her original circle of friends largely having already died. There is much that Lola can't do any more; even though she thinks she is doing just fine. That work falls on Diane.
Lola passes her time reading, playing solitaire, napping and watching television. We bought her a headphone amplifier and headphones for Christmas a few years ago. She had to have her television on so loud for her to hear it that we could clearly hear it through the firewall between her living room and the main house (the wall that used to be between the garage and house before we remodeled), across the house and down a floor. The headphones allow her to turn it up as loud as she wants without disturbing the neighbors. Okay, maybe the disturbing the neighbors part is a slight exaggeration, but it certainly allows her to hear her television without disturbing us!
I suppose she does okay for someone turning 1011011. As for me, I hope I never reach 1011011 unless I'd still be able to hunt and fish and putter around the house and go shooting and... Not that I actually expect to live to 1011011. Brader men simply haven't had that kind of longevity.
The women in Lola's line do, though. Lola's mom lived to be 96; although much of her last decade was spent in declining physical and mental health to the point where she didn't recognize anyone for the last few years of her life.
For now, Lola is still going pretty strong for someone her age. She has battled through various hospitalizations over the last few years. Several times, Diane has steeled herself for the inevitable news that Lola had come up against something she couldn't beat this time; yet each time she has somehow beat the odds and survived whatever infection, surgery or illness had struck her.
We recognize that the day will come when she just doesn't wake up one morning, or she runs headlong into some health issue that she can't beat. Until then, we just deal with each day, and the challenges it brings.
Tonight, though, we plan on gathering together to celebrate Lola's 1011011th birthday.
That's 91 in binary, but 1011011 looks a whole lot cooler! Besides, telling people she's 5B (91 in Hex) or 91 doesn't sound nearly as old as 1011011.
However you look at it, though, 91 is very old.
Lola still gets along remarkably well for someone that age, but she definitely shows the signs of living that many years. The few friends she has are younger than her; her original circle of friends largely having already died. There is much that Lola can't do any more; even though she thinks she is doing just fine. That work falls on Diane.
Lola passes her time reading, playing solitaire, napping and watching television. We bought her a headphone amplifier and headphones for Christmas a few years ago. She had to have her television on so loud for her to hear it that we could clearly hear it through the firewall between her living room and the main house (the wall that used to be between the garage and house before we remodeled), across the house and down a floor. The headphones allow her to turn it up as loud as she wants without disturbing the neighbors. Okay, maybe the disturbing the neighbors part is a slight exaggeration, but it certainly allows her to hear her television without disturbing us!
I suppose she does okay for someone turning 1011011. As for me, I hope I never reach 1011011 unless I'd still be able to hunt and fish and putter around the house and go shooting and... Not that I actually expect to live to 1011011. Brader men simply haven't had that kind of longevity.
The women in Lola's line do, though. Lola's mom lived to be 96; although much of her last decade was spent in declining physical and mental health to the point where she didn't recognize anyone for the last few years of her life.
For now, Lola is still going pretty strong for someone her age. She has battled through various hospitalizations over the last few years. Several times, Diane has steeled herself for the inevitable news that Lola had come up against something she couldn't beat this time; yet each time she has somehow beat the odds and survived whatever infection, surgery or illness had struck her.
We recognize that the day will come when she just doesn't wake up one morning, or she runs headlong into some health issue that she can't beat. Until then, we just deal with each day, and the challenges it brings.
Tonight, though, we plan on gathering together to celebrate Lola's 1011011th birthday.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Don't Want To Go There
I don't know what the fascination is with "Throwback Thursdays." My Facebook feed is bombarded every Thursday with pictures from years, sometimes decades, ago; all tagged with some form of #TBT. (I don't get into hashtags, either, but that's a different topic entirely.)
I can't believe the pictures that some people post.
I mean, really???
I have looked at pictures from when I was a kid. Most of them are goofy. There is nothing about the pictures that make me want to dwell on them other than the personal memories that a few of them may evoke. Notice that I said personal memories. I don't deceive myself into thinking that anyone else would enjoy them as much as I do.
There is certainly nothing about the pictures that make me want to show them to the world. People see them, notice what a cute kid I was and immediately begin to question what happened in the intervening years to turn me into what I look like now.
I take enough flak from my friends without giving them additional ammunition!
I was there when the picture was taken. I really don't want to go back there again. I'll be content to occasionally look at a photo from the past and reflect on it without giving my friends even more reason to give me flak.
I can't believe the pictures that some people post.
I mean, really???
I have looked at pictures from when I was a kid. Most of them are goofy. There is nothing about the pictures that make me want to dwell on them other than the personal memories that a few of them may evoke. Notice that I said personal memories. I don't deceive myself into thinking that anyone else would enjoy them as much as I do.
There is certainly nothing about the pictures that make me want to show them to the world. People see them, notice what a cute kid I was and immediately begin to question what happened in the intervening years to turn me into what I look like now.
I take enough flak from my friends without giving them additional ammunition!
I was there when the picture was taken. I really don't want to go back there again. I'll be content to occasionally look at a photo from the past and reflect on it without giving my friends even more reason to give me flak.
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