I was out working in the yard a couple of weekends ago. After mowing, trimming and edging, picking up fallen branches and putting them in the fire pit, I decided to wash and seal the deck behind the house. Since it was hot, I had started my day of outdoor work at 9 a.m. I wasn't really paying much attention to the time when my neighbor hollered over and asked if I was about done for the day because he was getting tired watching me work. It was closing in at about 4 p.m. by that time. When the deck was finished a few minutes later, my neighbor, Jim, said he really only yelled over at me because he had something he wanted to share with me.
Having only lived in this house for a year, I'd have to say that Jim may be the friendliest neighbor I've ever had. He regularly mows all the way over to my driveway and from time to time will edge my driveway and sidewalks. In return, I've shoveled the snow off the sidewalk all the way to his driveway.
Anyway, Jim really enjoys kicking back with an adult alcoholic beverage and shooting the breeze. That Saturday, Jim said, "I've found my summer beer" and handed me a bottle. Having never seen the beer and being really hot, I took a quick look at the label and unscrewed the cap. Maybe it was the fact that the beer was incredibly cold or that I was really hot but I'd have to say that this may have been the best tasting "summer beer" I've ever had.
Now let me stop and say that I'm definitely no beer connoisseur as I'd bet I only drink about one beer a month so I should not be considered an expert by any stretch of the imagination.
Oh......the beer...........it's Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. The bottle says "Weiss beer with lemonade". It definitely has a lemonade flavor to it.
I found it at Marsh so you can probably find it in about any local grocery store. Give it a try on a hot summer day after working out in the yard. It won't disappoint you.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Summer Camp
My wife and I dropped off our 12-year old daughter, Libby, at summer camp this past Sunday. She's going to Flat Rock YMCA camp between Shelbyville and Greensburg, Indiana. For those interested, information can be found at http://www.flatrockymca.org/. My two older boys both went to the same camp for two years each and loved it. My youngest son, Brad, wanted to go back again this year but just couldn't fit it in his schedule.
Libby didn't really want to go to camp but Karen and I figured that a week at summer camp is good for any 12-year old girl and maybe even better for the parents of a 12-year old girl. She didn't fight us too much but was a little nervous since she was not going with a friend so she'd be there all by her lonesome. Since Brad was not doing anything that afternoon anyway, he decided to go along to drop her off. Karen and I "coached" him about how he had to talk up the camp on the ride down there. Thankfully, he followed the script and by the time we got there, Libby was feeling pretty comfortable about being there for the week.
Because there's no electronic communication available to the campers, Libby and I sat down before she left and tried to come up with a way that we'd know she was okay. From experience with the boys, I knew that on the second day, the camp took pictures of each of the cabin occupants for that week and posted them on their website. Libby and I decided that if she was having fun, she'd give us the "peace" sign in the picture.
My wife and I waited nervously for the picture to be posted. For some reason, it was much harder for us to leave her at camp by herself than it had been with the boys. I think it was because she wasn't really sure she was going to have a good time.
Finally, I saw that the pictures had been posted. Here it is: http://www.flatrockymca.org/blogimages/bigWyandot2.jpg
Look for the hidden peace sign!
Peace out.
Libby didn't really want to go to camp but Karen and I figured that a week at summer camp is good for any 12-year old girl and maybe even better for the parents of a 12-year old girl. She didn't fight us too much but was a little nervous since she was not going with a friend so she'd be there all by her lonesome. Since Brad was not doing anything that afternoon anyway, he decided to go along to drop her off. Karen and I "coached" him about how he had to talk up the camp on the ride down there. Thankfully, he followed the script and by the time we got there, Libby was feeling pretty comfortable about being there for the week.
Because there's no electronic communication available to the campers, Libby and I sat down before she left and tried to come up with a way that we'd know she was okay. From experience with the boys, I knew that on the second day, the camp took pictures of each of the cabin occupants for that week and posted them on their website. Libby and I decided that if she was having fun, she'd give us the "peace" sign in the picture.
My wife and I waited nervously for the picture to be posted. For some reason, it was much harder for us to leave her at camp by herself than it had been with the boys. I think it was because she wasn't really sure she was going to have a good time.
Finally, I saw that the pictures had been posted. Here it is: http://www.flatrockymca.org/blogimages/bigWyandot2.jpg
Look for the hidden peace sign!
Peace out.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Financial sense (or is it cents?)
As most of you have figured out by now, I'm what you probably call "old fashioned." Other words to describe me would probably be frugal or thrifty.
Sometimes I listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio. For those of you unfamiliar with Dave, he gives financial advice to people who need some major help. I think part of the reason I listen to it is to make myself feel better about my own personal financial situation.
A typical caller would be something like this: "Hi Dave. I've got a situation I'd like to have some advice on. I've currently got an older car that is worth about $3,000. I owe about $10,000 on it. I drive a lot and need a reliable car so I'm looking at a $50,000 BMW. I don't think I can qualify for a loan for the car because I've got about $25,000 that I owe on four different credit cards and haven't made a payment on them in several months because I only bring home about $1,000 per month. I've been at my job for 30 years and have built up my 401(k) to almost $70,000. I was thinking about cashing in most of my 401(k), paying off my old car and paying cash for the BMW. With what's left over, I can start to pay down the credit cards. What do you think, Dave?"
Dave, to his credit, normally very calmly explains the stupidity of the plan.
I guess I don't get what some people are thinking regarding their finances. When I was growing up, I was taught that if you didn't have the money to buy something, you didn't buy it. It's really not a very hard concept. Why is this so difficult for so many people?
Sometimes I listen to Dave Ramsey on the radio. For those of you unfamiliar with Dave, he gives financial advice to people who need some major help. I think part of the reason I listen to it is to make myself feel better about my own personal financial situation.
A typical caller would be something like this: "Hi Dave. I've got a situation I'd like to have some advice on. I've currently got an older car that is worth about $3,000. I owe about $10,000 on it. I drive a lot and need a reliable car so I'm looking at a $50,000 BMW. I don't think I can qualify for a loan for the car because I've got about $25,000 that I owe on four different credit cards and haven't made a payment on them in several months because I only bring home about $1,000 per month. I've been at my job for 30 years and have built up my 401(k) to almost $70,000. I was thinking about cashing in most of my 401(k), paying off my old car and paying cash for the BMW. With what's left over, I can start to pay down the credit cards. What do you think, Dave?"
Dave, to his credit, normally very calmly explains the stupidity of the plan.
I guess I don't get what some people are thinking regarding their finances. When I was growing up, I was taught that if you didn't have the money to buy something, you didn't buy it. It's really not a very hard concept. Why is this so difficult for so many people?
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