Thursday, December 25, 2008

A Quiet Christmas

Merry Christmas!



Our little Christmas tree.



Our Christmas picture.

E3 came to visit us for a little bit Sunday morning before heading up to Verndale. We let them open up their presents.



Ella opening her present!



Ella's new duffle coat that I think is spectacular!







E3 family portrait.



Snow outside of the window.



Snow again.

Over the weekend last weekend we made korv for our Christmas Eve meal with Katy's family. We mashed potatoes, onions, pork and beef into the intestine casing.



Sunday afternoon making the korv.



Grinding away.



Katy had to get in the mix.



Picture time.



Kinda gross. Stuffing the korv.



The final product.

Christmas Eve we went to Bob and Deb's with Katy's parents and grandparents and Josh and Laura. We ate korv and meatballs, potatoes, croissants, peas, corn, lingonberry washed down with Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. Dessert consisted of a layer of chocolate and coffee ice cream with oreo cookies crumbled in the mix and on top. It was delicious.



Bob and Deb's tree.



:)



Katy, me and Bella

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Stuff

My one finger is still struggling. My middle finger on my left hand is still going back and forth. Now my right thumb is splitting. I woke up with the gloves off this morning, and several other mornings. Odd.

We got a Christmas tree! Here it is.






Sorry-too lazy to fix it.

The Vikings decided to start Tavaris Jackson this Sunday. Well, duh! Gus is still hurt. What I don't understand is why you have to pull a QB at one point in the season and just can't re-start him? Like just because Nick Blackburn has two bad starts in a row don't you still throw him out there after that? When is it going to get fixed if you don't play him? I know the football season is 10x shorter than baseball but come on-how do you call him your starter and then pull him after two games and then be unable to put him back in. Silly.

We had ants and still do. I spent some time using the hand vacuum to send them on their way.

We also have a wonderfully clogged drain but don't worry-they're not going to fix it because it's from body oils or our hair. Apparently Katy and I are both oily and hairy.

My eyes are busted too. This is a serious note. As is everything in this post. It looks like my right eye underneath is swollen, dry, pealing and if I moisturize it it stings. Also, when waking up it seems as if the sleep is stuck on my eyeball and is always goupy. Do I have allergies or what? Am I going to look old and tired for the rest of my life?

It's going to snow some more tonight and I can't wait! :) I like watching the snow fall. Though if I had a climate choice of where to live it might not be around here. I mean, the cities are great but the weather isn't special.

"What's for dinner?" Katy asks.

Welp, talk to you later! Time to make dinner!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Winter Fingers

Winter is a typically cold and dry season. This year is no exception with a few inches of snow on the ground already and a high of 13 some odd degrees today.

This has an impact on the human body-kind of like an everyday fight between the cold and your water-laden body drying you out, sucking all of the moisture out of anywhere it can.

I have some proof of that happening.



That is a crack in my thumb.



That is a crack in my pointer finger.



That is a crack on my middle finger.



That is a crack on my same middle finger.

I also have some proof of an idea from Katy. Though I'd like to call it me fighting back the cold. Check it out.








Yep, that's right. Sleep with these silly looking moisture locking gloves on.

Results so far?

Positive. I'm winning. :)

(Though, no telling how long I'll have to wear them this winter.)

(Hhmm, another point. I have ugly fingers.)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Goings On...

Well, we've been battling a snow shower or two here and there the last week but no accumulation so far. Tonight has been the coldest it's been in a long time-putting on as many layers as I can find acceptable since I'm always cold.

Also, we have been battling ants. Yes, ants. Are you crazy! One thing after another in this joint. First, our shower clogs after a week of showering which we've had maintenance come and "fix" three times in three months. This latest time Katy happened to be home to which led to a conversation about the garbage disposal. The garbage disposal you say? Yeah, same thing I said. Apparently, it is so weak and ineffective that the food we had been "disposing of" wasn't really going anywhere. So-in essence that was clogging our drain. Sick and wrong. How that makes any sense is beyond me. I hereby declare that people should install garbage disposals that work longer than 5 years! Or at least kindly replace them. Or at least inform their residents that they will not work or might not work.

So, we have about 4 locations of ants pouring-maybe marching-in this joint. It was previously nasty. They've slowed down lately but we're not sure if they've been frozen out because of the cold weather or because the ant traps we put down ran out of their poisonous food. Ants are nasty when they come in packs of billions!

We'll have to update you on when that mess gets fixed.

What else is going on?

Katy's back to work this week-Tuesday through Friday! Hopefully more after that.

I get to work 3:30 am until 2pm on the day after Thanksgiving! What a blast! Are you kidding me? That is why I will keep looking for something that suits me better. I might be good working with people, merchandising, directing, and all that but at times-lots of the time-retail is a very unforgiving and inconsiderate profession because someone thought it'd be a great idea not to make money before Thanksgiving.

Let me ask Dad this question. Teach me some things about business.

Why in a tough economy when retailers are very very quiet during the week to stores open earlier and stay open later with less staff on. Why not cut actual store operations hours and have a slightly smaller staff on? Last year-we had a one day Senior Day sale pretty much each Wednesday where we were open 8am to 9pm. Why then-in a tougher economy-do we now do a Tuesday and Wednesday Senior Day sale? Full staff in both mornings-totaling about 4 hours for those two days that is wasted payroll. We are not busy whatsoever until 10 or 11 am anyway. Two days in a row of 8am to 9pm of no merchandise flying out the door. But seemingly the CEO's, VP's and others say-I know a great way to make more money! Let's be open longer hours! Let's make our employees work 10 hours the day after Thanksgiving! Let's be open at 6am or earlier from November 15th through the last week in December! That's bound to bring people in because people are just salivating at the thought of shopping at 4,5,6 am! Aren't they?!!

Not that I can tell.

I guess we (well few people) are productive with finding yellow dot clearance, markdowns, re-merchandising, cleaning up after the inconsiderate sloppy shopper, filling in old and new product. But still-does that make financial cents? Haha-sense. I don't know, that's why I'm asking the question.

I talked to an assistant manager at the Puma store in Albertville. He said they were opening at 10pm on Thanksgiving, closing for 30 minutes at midnight!, and opening up again for a full day-until 9-10pm close that day! Insane! Honestly, CEO's-what is the point of that? I hope no one comes to prove sometimes your antics are insanely stupid and you can't always make money and be right. I want retail to do okay this Christmas (but it won't) only because people in the retail world are less stressed when they're doing better; but at the same time I hope it bombs so bad that the morons who think they have great ideas realize that sometimes they are not and retail employees are still people after all.

Anyway, he was going to have to work 15 hours that day. It's so pointless to open at 10pm on Thanksgiving. He said they had to close at midnight to get sales numbers to Puma Corp I guess. Then why open for 2 hours? That's why I hope no one shops at that time! Doesn't make sense to open for two hours, have to close and disrupt the "conviencnce" of your shopppers to reopen once your system restarts.

Katy and I went to the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, Friday morning for the $5 showing. It was an entertaining movie but it is still a Bond movie with some unrealistic lengthy scenes in it. (see-boat chase, car chase-too much crashing and not enough damage) But in the end it is still a very entertaining series and a money maker so why dull it up with reality? Right?

Someday I'm going to post a video on youtube to show you our apartment and the things Katy has decorated us with. I think our place has very nice things going on in here!

I'm still looking for a job. Know of anything for me?

I want to do something in professional track and field. Is it PR, marketing with it promoting the sport? Is it running a meet? Is it admin of the sport? Is it being an agent? Is it being an athletic director or a sports information director? Is it a freelance media guy-taping and interviewing and writing? Hhmm, that would be fantastic! I don't know.

All for now. Over and out.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

News Beliefs

Oh yeah, I have more news thoughts. Is the NBC Today Show, in the morning, a TV news program or a new age television talk show? Watch it sometimes and you'll find that it sometimes feels like a celebrity-laden talk show.

Katy and I are lucky enough to afford cable right now and each morning I flip on ESPN SportsCenter and the "news." Usually it's the Today Show where if you hit the "info" button on your remote you automatically find which celebrity is on the show. It never fails! Try it! Just turn it to the Today Show some morning and hit the "guide" or the "info" button on your remote and see what comes up when you do. You might find out that some celebrity is on the show rather than actual news!

This is sometimes how I feel about today's news.

Today's News

I know I don't normally post crap but this is actually a spoof but pretty funny and poignant about the crap that is on today's news.

Adrian Peterson is a Monster and other Packers vs. Vikings Thoughts

Wow, if the Vikings didn't have Adrian Peterson on their team today they would be reeling from another painful loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.

As I recall he ran the ball 30 times for 192 yards. Monstrous! He is a dazzling running back to watch-he's one of those playground kids who can impose his will on anyone! He's faster than linemen and linebackers and stronger than just about all defensive backs-if his speed also doesn't out run them.

He's got a great amount of field vision, speed, cutback ability, determination and fun in his step. I would want very few players on my team before him.

Anyway, the Vikes got two safeties and one of them should not have counted. Rodgers took the snap, dropped back and had the ball slapped from his hand. As it rolled into the end zone he picked it up while rushing his actions and threw it in the vague vicinity of his tight end, Tory Humphrey. The Packers were flagged for a safety and I was not sure why completely. That was a horrible call. He was in no one's grasp, wasn't in the tackle box, threw it outside the hash mark to a Packer reciever but it was deemed and "illegal forward pass." No where in my logical mind was that illegal anything. Was it awakard, unnatural and done in haste but the ball did go forward towards-though about 15 yards short-to a Humphrey. So, how now was that an illegal forward pass? He wasn't lateraling it, it wasn't an extremely unique play but the Vikes still got two points out of the deal. If that was Brett Favre would that have been called an illegal forward pass? Is it illegal to throw underhand on a more "normal" play? No and no.

Not that the Packers deserved to win the game but I'm just saying-that call did not make any sense. It was not an illegal forward pass-and it was hardly intentional grounding. He made a lame attempt at a forward pass, underhanded, in order to avoid the next Viking from landing on him-then costing him two points.

Then the Packers have no team discipline! If I have to see another yellow flag I am going to flip out and email Mike McCarthy himself! Shoot yourself in the foot much guys?

Umm, I had more but I'm not completely coherent with what I want to do next.

It must be too cold right now.

Oh, did you see Charles Gordon's ankle break? That was sick!

Here's the link on youtube. Charles Gordon breaks ankle.

DO NOT WATCH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE HIS ANKLE HANGING OFF HIS LEG!
(Mom, Em, Meg...any other girl :)

Friday, November 7, 2008

Snow is the breaking news now!

It's 8:42 am November 7th, 2008.

It's snowing. It has been for the last couple of hours.

Some say it'll actually accumulate a little bit today-an inch or two.

Woa.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Global Warming

It's November 5th, 2008 in St. Paul, MN.

8:21 am--58 degrees.

with a high of 69!

Are you crazy?

Wait...wait...wait!

Friday the high is 41 degrees, Saturday is 37 degrees with a chance of snow, Sunday is too with a low of 29 and Monday is a high of 41 and low of 30.

Oh great, where is my pea coat!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Rambling Ruminations

Today...11.4.08...

Why did you vote for who you voted for? Really! Email me at joel.dischinger@gmail.com and let me know. Can I get any participation here? I want to listen.

Why you ask do I inquire now? Because I didn't need my mind changed. Thanks for thinking I should have asked sooner so you could try and change my mind though!

I was chatting with an elderly woman doing some Christmas shopping this morning because later this week is supposed to get colder and might snow just a bit. I asked her if she voted and she said she already had. I said, "good for you, how long did it take?" She said she was in and out in just a short time. I asked who she voted for in a tactful way and she sure let me know. "Obama!" I then inquired, "I'm just wondering, what's the primary reason why?" She said-paraphrasing-that it was because of the war and that thousands of people had died because G.W. Bush led us to war for no reason. Carol returned with the shopping cart my guest needed and she was on her way. It was a fun little interaction with her though.

Yes, we went to war. The stench of complaint wasn't so bad just after it started. Honest question now. Did Bush solely make the decision to go? Honestly, I don't know but I don't think so-meaning he had to have some support from both sides. Right?

Now that we're there, have been there and probably should still be there can we leave at the drop of a dime? Are you kidding me? No. Discipline, finishing something you start pops into my head and fighting for our own freedom and not getting blasted out of our biggest and most world known city.

Should we eventually leave? Yeah! Should there be a timetable set on leaving? Yeah! But should we leave in the next year? The next three years? I think however long it takes to make Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan fully operational on their own, whether that takes one or three or five. Do you not agree? Leave now and you leave a country floundering. I say finish the job and get your people home! Does that make me Dem or Rep? I don't care-I think someone in this world has to step up and be completely and unashamedly bi-partisan or even tri-partisan to do what is right. I haven't heard the specs of Obama's or McCain's plans for the war(s) but that's my own inherent dislike of any political process because most of it is seething liars.

Back to the leaving part. On my plan to leave. 3 more years. Plan hard, train hard, act intelligently and give them control. Gradually leave over one year. Get out, give it to them to control. After you're table passes or fails you either declare victory or you give up-let it go.

It's like picking your battles with your teenager. Do you lecture him/her everyday on marijuana, crack, girls/boys, sex, drinking, soft drugs, hard drugs? No, you pick your battles. Didn't you do that Mom and Dad? You win on having your child not do drugs and having sex but you let his/her anger slide or you don't completely go ballistic on them when they tried some cigs. That's my piece on that. Make a plan, get gone. Sometimes you'll have to stick hard to staying and sometimes you've made an improvement and hope they can maintain and move forward rather than bomb the snot out of the sand.

Is it fair that we leave a job unfinished there? Would we want to leave something unfinished here? Do we want to only do 350 million of the 700 million bailout? I think many people would call that moronic. Then...why not finish the job elsewhere?!

Seriously, I've had enough war but it is something that must be finished before coming home. If we leave early does the world think America surrendered? Answer that. I don't know, just throwing it out there.

Then I asked another woman how the weather was and if she had voted or not. She had as well. I chatted with her a bit longer about who knows what, that's not what I remember. Before she went I said have a great day and enjoy the weather! She replied as I remember something to the effect of "oh I will. Did you vote? (No, not yet, I've been here all day.) Oh, you better vote for the right one!"

Are you kidding me? What bull-garbage. Saying it very slyly and looking over her shoulder. Well you fine middle aged woman, who is the right candidate? Why don't you claim who you're voting for? That's all I ask. I don't care who you vote for just don't be ashamed. Claim it. Don't yell "vote Obama" or "vote McCain" in a dark room. Please, know who you're voting for and claim it! Claim it!

So that woman annoyed me. Who is the right candidate? At least claim it you wuss. It's like she was trying to influence me without claiming who she was voting for.

Maybe that's some good advice for myself. Could I have done some more research on who I voted for? Sure, but when you're bombarded by bull-garbage ads and news stories that only slander the other candidate, never give point counter point explaining something, they only go after their own skewed/slanted/skilted ad that only benefits themselves.

Will a candidate ever win who says I was wrong here but this is why I'm right on this issue versus this candidate? Will any election ever be fair? Why are attack ads "declared" "helpful" or deemed that they work?

I'm going to make up a PR Company and make up a massive hugely popular study that says that attack ads don't work and maybe we can get into some real progress with advancing America. Something where a pregnant child or race stays way way way way way clear or the sight lines. There is no line of respectability in politics which is why I referred to them as seething liars or something like that.

Anyway, I was googling for somemore insight last night and found Vote Help which helped me decide.

In any case I hope it either goes very very well or horribly wrong so that whoever it is is proven wrong and that life goes on no matter what happens or who takes over. Reminder, 4 years it'll be a new Pres anyhow. I can't see the winner getting two terms. That'll be cool to see the next one. (Am I already looking forward to the next one? Maybe. Maybe I can vote for Tim Pawlenty write in someone else)

Also, one more point. Who's to say something different or just as challenging wouldn't have happened in 2004? What if it was John Kerry who couldn't decide correctly on a 50-50 shot on going to war? What if he didn't and your mom got bombed on US soil? What would have happened then? How would that impact now? Let's just say it's not easy, never will be easy to be the President of the United States of America. Cut him some slack, support what he's doing because with the pace of today's society he will be gone in the blink of an eye. Also, the Pres is not the only one making decisions and though he gets all the blame he should not take all the blame. It's spread to congressmen and senators from all 50 states.

I voted McCain and Palin. I'm claiming it, though I was never trying to sway your vote.

Duh, it's already over.

Nor did it make any diff in this liberal state of MN. Why the hellllllll is MN blue? Crazyness! as my brother in law would say. I can't claim to know why people here are so Dem. They're so nice and that niceness seemingly conveys itself into a more moral, conservative track. Guess not.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

San Francisco

Words to come...



Arrival in Oakland, CA visiting Bop and Nana's old joint with a great view of the land.




Hitting the store for some wine.



Rick Lindholm and James Magnuson



The wedding site.



Miss Katy.



Hors d'oeurves on the patio.











Jennifer and Thomas



Joel, Katy, Jennifer, Thomas, Laura, Josh-before heading out.



SF Streets



I liked this one but I can't remember what it was called.



Liked this one too.



Yep, this one too.



This is a painting. Are you kidding? It was spectacular.



On our way out from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art-all thanks to a fine fellow who didn't say a word to us, motioned for the camera, snapped the shot and we said thanks!




SF Apple store on/near Market Street. It had a glass staircase. I have an IPhone. I now like Apple alot.



View from the hotel at night. We stayed at the Westin St. Francis just next to Union Square all thanks to Grant and Chris Gillespie! :) Thank you!



View from the hotel in the morning.



And again...there's NikeTown. Thought it wasn't that great! Men's stuff was pretty average and it was two floors of women's stuff. Ripoff!



Coit Tower-made to look like a fire hose nozzle. See it? A woman who gave the money and commissioned "beautifying of the city" just liked firemen I guess. It gave a good view of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street. (The really curvy street.)



We walked this hill. My calf hurt the next two days.



There's Alcatraz.



There's the Golden Gate Bridge.



Better shot of the bridge.







Someone who owns this sailboat has way way way too much money. Look at all that GPS, the sails that are released with the flip of a switch and the hugeness! And how spic and span it was.



Katy with her friends at Pier 39.



Ghiradelli Square was pretty nice but also very non-descript. Nothing amazingly exciting but neat to see where it started.



Palace of Fine Arts--zillowed a bunch of houses nearby and nothing was under 2 million. Many for 3.5-5.5 million.



We took a bus to the Palace of Fine Arts and then walked to this point to see the bridge. There she was.



Alcatraz again.



That's about it! A very fun trip overall but didn't get to see enough! Can I go back? :)