Daily Dose of BS April 16 shades of gray

I spent some time with my Mom last weekend, I now realize what my kids say when they say you just don’t get it. I think the older that people get the less likely that they are going to change. In my Moms case it is black and white, same with my Dad and just about every other older generation that I get the pleasure of talking with. I am in my mid-forties and I don’t think that I am too stuck into only black and white for answers, but I think I see a blue and a grey and a few shades of more. I could be wrong though because I am in that circle. My kids and I am guessing your kids as well and that most other younger people are seeing way more possibilities than us in the older generation. What color do you see?

Daily Dose of BS April 14 snow

I really enjoy the first snowfall of the season; everything looks clean and sparkly as you get ready for the cool then cold weather as winter sets in, people re-learning how to drive in the snowy slick covered roads. Ahh winter. But wait it is the middle of April and there is snow on the ground, what the hell. Not a fan of snow this time of year, I am ready to turn off my heat and sleep with the windows open, not bundled up with blankets. The bright note is that with this never ending winter we do know how to drive in this crap.

Daily Dose of BS April 11 getting old

I hate to admit it, I am tired. I have been an early morning person for the past 22 years and for some reason as I am getting older 4am is starting to drag on me. I try to keep regular hours and keep my schedule most of the days. I remember when I was in my 30’s I could stay up late a few nights a week and not feel it the next day but as I am getting older those late night hours get seen less and less. I recall being in my 20’s and able to pull an all nighter and not be affected, now if I stay up past 10:30 on a school night I feel it, and if I push later than that, I am definitely feeling it the next day. I feel a nap coming on later.

Daily Dose of BS April 10 shootings and stabbings

Are we safe anywhere? Movie theaters, malls, schools and military posts? Shootings and stabbings, and why? Because someone was picked on or feel like they have no where to turn? There have been people getting picked on for as long as there has been people. What is the cause? What can be done to stop it? Is an insane plea fair? I look at these situations and get mad, why does this type of nonsensical violence have to happen all around us? Is there a place to turn?

Daily Dose of BS April 8 needles and pins

When I was a kid and on the way to the hardware store with my dad on a Saturday morning he would always play rock and roll. I think that is why I love rock to this day, a pleasant memory from when I was a kid hanging with my dad. I always remember the song Bad Bad LeRoy Brown, cause he was the baddest man in the whole damn town, the song told a story. He was badder than a junk yard dog, he was one bad dude. Another song that pops into my head is the one from the Searchers “Needles and Pins”, these days you don’t need to do much searching for either of those just look in the alleys in certain neighborhoods in La Crosse and you will find them. My kids were playing out at the basketball hoop and guess what they found. Yep a needle, be safe and talk to your kids about not touching the hypodermic needles or in fact any sharp thing they find in the alleys or streets.

Daily Dose of BS April 7 buy used

When I was first starting out in life I lucked out at an auction and picked up lots of my tools there. The reason I lucked out is that it was raining and it was an outdoor auction. Over the years I have misplaced and replaced many of them but at the time they were good enough for what I needed them for. I also like to hit up rummage sales, and look on eBay. The reason I bring this up is that when it comes to buying some things it is ok to purchase used. The list I found had cars, kid clothes, books, movies and tools on it. Guess what. I have bought all 5 of these things used over my life, and will continue to do so. I guess I am a recycler, or at least a repurposer or re-user.

Daily Dose of BS April 4 people

We all have someone that we look up to either professionally or just look up to because who they are. It is funny as we became adults and our perceptions of people changed. I still look up to many of the people who have shaped my mind and my career but it is different when you get within the inner circle of a certain group you realize that people are people regardless of who they are or what they do. I have a pretty wide group of friend from civil servants, to teachers, to police and fire fighters, to business professionals and friends in the medical field, and you know what with each and every group there is the same thoughts about society, the same worries about life and the same family issues. I guess this goes to show us that as we grow in our professions that we can choose to grow apart from our friends or we can choose to grow together. I choose choice two.

Daily Dose of BS April 3 kiwanis radio day

One of the things my folks taught my brothers and I was to give back either monetarily or with time. I chose to work in radio so I have more time than money. There are many great organizations out there that are in need of your time. Find one and help when you can. Today is Kiwanis radio day so as you pop around to the different radio stations in the La Crosse Market you will hear lots of different voices. And later this month we will be celebrating volunteers from all over the area with the 20th Annual Coulee Region Volunteer Coordinators Recognition Breakfast. My suggestion to you is be active within our community and lets work to make this an even better place to live.

Daily Dose of BS April 2

I am disappointed and proud at the same time. I waited until 5:30 yesterday to vote to see how the turnout was, and wow was it sad. We have the responsibility as Americans to vote and not too many people took that responsibility to heart yesterday, at 5:40 I was voter number 61 in ward 18. Number 61 what a sad state of affairs. People complain that our country is going to hell, but what are we doing to stop that? We have elections in the spring and in the fall, don’t like the way that things are going vote. I also mentioned that I was proud as well, my son registered and voted for the first time yesterday. I am proud that he didn’t take his civic duty for granted. For those complainers you have the next opportunity to exercise your duty as an American in November.

Daily Dose of BS April 1 fools day

Excuse me but you’ve dropped your pocket. Today tricksters will be out in full force. I have never been a person to do an elaborate April Fool’s joke, I have done the typical goofy ones like telling a fib then saying April Fool’s Day or the hey you dropped your pocket one but never any over the top got ya one. I think that having a day that we celebrate silly is good, it helps your kids to understand that life doesn’t always need to be serious, it also teaches planning and execution. To have a super April Fool’s Day prank really work you need to have a plan and find a way to execute. Funny about this day the trust factor isn’t really there is it? I had Terrie B pop into the studio and asked me to “go check” on the Classic Rock station, I have been here for a few years now and no one has ever asked me to “check” that studio, I apprehensively did, half expecting something to jump out at me. It didn’t- happy don’t trust your co-workers and family day.

Daily Dose of BS March 31 parking

We did it. The Schmidt family made it through without a fine in the lets raise money for the city with an alternative side parking season. The fines aren’t enough to kill ya but at 10 bucks each and double then double again over time your parking only in front of your house for the season is enough to make a dent in your life’s savings. A couple years ago the La Crosse Police Department alternate side parking enforcement wrote out 17,660 tickets and took in $92,164 in fines. That is a lot of $10 tickets, also makes me think where did the 4$ come from. I wonder what the total brought in this year will be? So does it make you happy you can now park on either side of the street at least until November 1st.

Daily Dose of BS March 28 emerald ash borer

I grew up in the Twin Cities and remember when Dutch Elm hit that area and the landscapes of the older neighborhoods changed. May 22, 2011 the landscape of the South Side of La Crosse changed when the tornado ripped through the area. Now in 2014 we are seeing the landscape of most of La Crosse County changing again because of the cutting down of the Ash tree. I was thinking that my drives through the city looked different and I wrote it off to the snow then the melting of snow then it was reviled what I have been missing once the snow melted a bit more and exposed the stumps of the hundreds of Ash trees that have been cut down in hopes of eradicating the Emerald Ash Borer. It saddens me to see all these trees gone, our lovely canopy of leaves will for a long time be missing from the city streets.

Daily Dose of BS March 26 deadlines

March 31 is this coming Monday; this coming Monday is the next deadline for the Affordable Care Act. Guess what another deadline extension has been given, aren’t we just enabling people to keep pushing past these deadlines? I don’t get it. If your divers license is due on your birthday, you make damn sure you make it to the d-o-t in order to obtain your drivers license. We all know that April 15th is tax day, if you are late in getting your taxes in you know you are going to be fined. Same as other dates that we know come and go, for example if you have an anniversary and you miss it or a birthday or any other day that you know you have to do something and you don’t get it done there are consequences, why then do they and by they I mean the Government keep pushing the date for Affordable Care?

Daily Dose of BS March 25 toilet paper

I know I have talked about this in the past but it is important. We all use it some more than others but we average 46 squares of the stuff everyday. I am talking about toilet paper, I am guessing that we will never get everyone on the same page on which way it goes on the roll, if you are asking me it goes over not behind but that is another story, I want to talk today about the best of the best. When it comes to being a frugal person I do not think that skimping on your derrière paper is the place to do it. In fact I am a big fan of the ultra-strong Charmin, and really why wouldn’t you be? It is soft and strong. What I don’t get is these weird package sizes the packages say 12=24 or 12=36, unless this some new math that I really don’t get 12=12 right? Quit trying to fool us, tell us how my sheets are on the roll and enough with the funny math.

Daily Dose of BS March 24 first job

We have all had that first job, some stick with it some do not, but we have all either mowed a lawn, shoveled a walk, walked a dog, or babysat. I was thinking about this over the weekend, as my daughter branched out from the neighborhood with her babysitting business. Just watching her head out to work with her confidence and hoping that lessons learned from earlier gigs filled her learning bank. With babysitting and every other first job you learn valuable lessons in life, like to hope that things will all go right but to be ready for anything. Also no one really cares that you are having a bad day, you are there to do a job and to do it well, so always work your hardest. Do the job to the best of your ability and to not complain, also have a smile on your face. One of the best lessons I learned when I was a kid is to put away a little for a rainy day.

Daily Dose of BS March 21 bad fork

97% of the time I get it. 97% of the time, this percentage is great if getting it meant getting what someone says. But in my particular situation I am talking about getting the messed up fork, it doesn’t matter who I go to lunch or dinner with, 97% of the time I get the fork, the one that should have been tossed or sent to the silversmith to reform into a fork. It has gotten to be such a thing that my friends are always quick to point it out and ready to laugh at my expense. The number drops to about 17% when we are talking about spoons unless I visit my mom’s house, then the number goes up, for some reason when I visit I get the spoon that was dropped into the garbage disposal and isn’t quite rounded. I am not sure if I ever shared this milk fact with you but when I was a kid and lived at home every single day something would get dropped into my milk-every single day. But that is another story.

Daily Dose of BS March 19 pee in pool

Just saw the stat. Quit peeing in the pool. They say that one in 5 have done it and it is making us sick. Think about it one in 5 or 20% of Americans are peeing where they swim, or where they sit if in a hot tub. I think this is gross, besides being disgusting now they say this is what is making us sick. I got a way for this to stop from happening – stop peeing in the pool.

Daily Dose of BS March 18 driving

I took my son driving yesterday.  First time I have had the chance, not only was he scared, but I was as well.  He did fine, it is funny when his brother started driving a few years ago, I recall being more scared, but I am guessing that it will be easier when my other kids start driving in the future, it is funny how with something’s they get easier when you do them often, and other things go in fazes and still others never get easier.  I talk for a living, yet I still get frightened every time and I mean every single time I talk in front of a group, not that I do a bad job, but I am aware of everything when I am up doing my thing.  I don’t know if I will ever like talking in a group, but I am getting better at being a teaching passenger in the car.

Daily Dose of BS March 17 st patricks day

They say that 11 percent of all Americans claim some Irish ancestry, which is about seven times the size of Ireland. Surveys also say that about 50% of Americans will wear green today. I was thinking about St Patrick’s Day and the parallels with the state of Wisconsin, the two things that most people associate with Saint Patty’s Day is Beer and Whiskey drinking which we in Wisconsin do at just about more of a rate than any other state. And wearing of the Green, show me a true Wisconsinite that doesn’t have a Green Bay Packer shirt or hat, also if you think of it on St Patrick’s Day there is green beer sold, and regular beer is gold you put the two next to each other and what do you have? That is correct Packer colors, while we may not all be Irish or have Irish ancestry, today as a Wisconsinite we are all Irish. So top of the morning to ya.

Daily Dose of BS March 14 phones

My kids say I am addicted to my phone.  I admit I am in the constant quest for more information but addicted?  I don’t think so I can put it away, for a few hours at a time.  I am sure that it is out more than I think it is.  It is funny there are about 5 aps I use all the time including google to check things, my texting to of course text, my facebook ap, the calculator, the gps, music while at the gym,  and oh yea the phone.  Funny how this small computer that most of us carry around is also a phone, I think we often forget that this is the function of why we have it but use it for so many more things.  I forgot to plug mine in last night before bed waking up to a dead phone.  I don’t like it I started feeling panicky but soon got to work and got it plugged in.