Extra! Extra! Read All About It. There's a Sale at Herberger's

Years ago, we were amused when friend Jerry, who was near retirement, commented on how his days always started. He said, "My alarm goes off, I wake up, sit on the edge of the bed and say, 'I think I'll call in sick'. "

We are retired now and don't have to fantasize about bogus sick calls. We do have a recurring mantra though. Whomever gets to the newspaper first will often announce, "There's a sale at Herbergers". Unlike decades ago when sales were rare and happened at the end of the season to clear merchandise, many retailers have weekly sales.

I drove by Herberger's yesterday, a Tuesday, and noted how few cars were in their parking lot. Everyone knows the sales run mid-week through the weekend. Everyone knows you need the Wednesday circular with the coupons to get the discounts. Everyone shops Wednesday through Sunday.

A good friend of mine dresses fashionably and is a bargain hunter. Her face lights up when she tells me about the great discounts she gets with her coupons and special sales for store charge card customers. Recently she went to the store and found a sweater she loved. There was no price tag on the garment so she asked a clerk on the floor what the price was. "$29" was the answer. Wow. She had a 30% good customer discount in her possession. When she checked out the saleslady said it was $39. Inquiring about the descripiciency, she was told it was $29 yesterday. Today it was $39. Less 30% that would make it $28. It was Wednesday and there was a sale at Herbergers. You can always count on a good deal.

Almost Like Camelot Except For the Bears

Lyrics of songs from the 60's musical "Camelot" came to mind this morning. In the mythical Camelot it only rained at night. Fine with me.
Twins fans were delighted predicted showers held off yesterday afternoon while the Twins beat the Red Sox in the season opener in the new Target Field Stadium. The rain started during the night. I awoke to a thunder clap. This morning it is still raining. I hope the old adage, "rain before seven; shine by eleven" holds true.
Our dry lawn and gardens look grateful.
Our neighbor has her pool covered with a pretty good puddle on top. It is enough water for a pair of Mallard ducks to swim. Last spring I blogged about being surprised when a pair of ducks flew at head level through our yard to swoop into her pool. She said this pair regularly stop in her yard for a few days each spring on their migratory route. The ducks have returned.
Minnesota is full of wild life. The ducks I can handle. I would prefer the bears stay a little further north. Officials have been following a bear and her cubs that are living in a culvert by Guardian Angels Church in nearby Oakdale. Yesterday they saw the bear had taken one cub but left one behind. They expect she will return. In the meantime neighbors in the nearby residences are watchful. My son works an easy bears stroll from the culvert. Keep your head up, Andy.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1509609.shtml?cat=1

Taxing Moments

We were a little slower this year getting our documents together for our income tax preparer. We also didn't call for an appointment right away. On March 23rd we finally met". She (the accountant) usually gets back to us in a few days, we go back and sign and she e-files. That didn't happen. I thought it was slower because her work load is greater the closer to the April 15th deadline. Yesterday I thought we better make a follow-up call. Last night I had an aha moment. Our phone has not been working. We didn't give her a cell #. The phone Co. had to dig a big trench in our yard and replace the main cable. Her initial efforts to reach us were probably unsuccessful.
This morning we finished the process. Since we are getting a modest return, Uncle Sam was probably glad to have the $$$ in their treasury a bit longer. With all the current federal holdings of banks, insurance companies, auto manufacturers, and a lot of belly-up-real estate, they probably needed the float. There may have even been a Wall Street executive who needed a little help. Maybe we should adjust our withholding. I am not in the mood to pay for any of those things.

Near Claim to Fame or is it Flame?

Remember the "Six Degrees of Separation" game? It follows who knows who until someone is associated with Kevin Bacon. That never worked for me. No one I know seems to know Kevin Bacon.
Yesterday there was on obituary for Ed "Coots" Matthews, formerly of "Boots 'n Coots" fame. He was one of several associates of Red Adair, a Texan famous for putting out oil well fires.
These guys were wild and daring men who used explosives to extinguish infernos. Remember the oil fires set in Iraq during the war? I can't imagine anyone brave enough to get near something like that. The feds called in Red Adair and Boots "n Coots. They put 'er out and saved the oil plus stopped a sooty polluting raging fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_&_Coots

What has this to do with me? My husband worked with these guys when he filmed them using 3M firefighting products years ago. He was impressed. Apparently "Coots" was a wild and crazy guy. I am basically a coward and would never run toward a fire. Glad someone does. Hats off to Mr. Ed "Coots" Matthews. Hope your final resting place has no fires.

Nursing Day

After a career of about forty years as a nurse, I gave a heads up when I saw a sign about National Nurses Week coming up on May 6 - 12. The observation ends on Florence Nightengale's birthday.
For years nurses were women. Centuries ago nurses were less respected and more likely to be the bar maids or women of a lesser reputation in the community. Things changed with Florence Nightengale. Nursing was elevated to a respectable career.
Over the years nurses, who were mainly young women, enjoyed the status of angels of mercy. They still enjoy the respect of the community but the ranks now include many men.
My ears perked up yesterday when I heard a news story about a local "nursing day" at a local chain restaurant. Come again? Isn't Nurses Week in May? Well, this is a different observance. A young mother was asked to leave a restaurant for nursing her babe in public and has countered by organizing a nurse-in. Bring your babies and boobs and assert your rights. The report didn't say if men were allowed at the restaurant.

The Twilight Zone

If you are in my age group, that title provokes images of Rod Serling and the old Sci-Fi TV series. I think there was a movie in more recent times with the same title and some younger pepople are familiar with the title too. If you are the age of my older granddaughter (thirteen), "Twilight" movies have a different appeal. Vampires are romantic heroes. These dark books & movies have a cult following. When I was her age I read "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre" which have a similar gothic romance appeal.

Although my age and religion make blood-seeking men unattractive, I ventured into that world yesterday. I gave blood. The Red Cross Bloodmobile was at our church and I volunteered to help with scheduling appointments and registering donors. After years of thinking I couldn't donate due to a possible Hepatitis A infection as a six-year old, I found out I could donate. I feel a debt to the Red Cross and donors because when our daughter had a life-threatening delivery of the twins she needed transfusions. This is payback.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

What is more American than outdoor baseball in the spring? The Minnesota Twins played baseball indoors for the last 26 years at the Humphreydome. True baseball lovers missed sitting in the sunshine when they heard the crack of the bat. We tore down a good baseball stadium in the 80's so we could have a combo football/baseball indoor venue. It wasn't the same experience.
After years of finagling and a pretty good contribution from owner Carl Pohlad, a beautiful new downtown open stadium is opening this spring. We have had an early spring. While much of the south and east suffered through snow, wind and rain, we had the first March without any snow in 130 years. It is dry. It hasn't even rained. Yesterday hit 80 degrees and we have windows open all night.(You see this coming don't you.) Today is the first exhibition game at the Target Field stadium. It will rain. It will remind people there were some advantages to indoor baseball.