Old Year? Or New Year Old?

Happy Saturday. Especially when most of this week already feels like it’s been one long, extended, Saturday. Wait a minute, I’m retired and unless I jump on a project, every day feels just like this one.

Today we’ll be touching 60-degrees and with the whole gang coming over to celebrate our belated family Christmas, that warm snap is totally appreciated. Now for some coffee, I just heard Mr. Coffee’s finishing up with its raspy bubbling.

Egg Nog Jog – Yup, last weekend’s Mount Adams annual 5K Egg Nog Jog has become a tradition with me. It’s only several hundred participants – and yes, they do have a costume judging as part of it. With the hills enroute my tracking applications told me that we climbed the equivalent of 14 flights of stairs.

So here is how I ended up. Out of 110 walkers I placed number 53. The chip calculated that I placed number 19 in my gender category. There were two of us over age 80 and I placed 1st in that category with a pace of 16:46. Ok, have I bored everyone enough? I’ll shut up now – but first, let me explain that the ‘real-feel’ temperature when I left home was 18 degrees.

Weather – OK, so I mentioned a chilly temperature that greeted me last weekend. This led me to pay attention to the latest news, “New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) ratified climate alarmist legislation last Thursday that will have the state confiscate billions of dollars from American oil, gas, and coal companies as reparations for bad weather ($75B)”.

And so it goes, the money grab that is. It’s amazing, climate change has been a reality since time immemorial. As a Mr. Laakonen wrote recently; “does the sun control the climate or is it cows this week?”

Also, this past week I came across this from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado Boulder. The picture diagram shows that the Antarctic Sea ice extent is 17% higher today than it was in 1979. So where is the lie, is it the ice or the constant blathering from self-serving ‘climate’ scientists?

Chaos & Mayhem – has purposely been left off the radar. There is always so much here that a weekly update tends to lose its punch. However, let’s finish up the year with a couple of this week’s events. As Marcia always says, “why watch television when I can sit here and be entertained.”

The picture with the cruisers I have no knowledge of other than a youngish lady was given a pair of sparkly bracelets and escorted into the back seat of one of the cruisers. The dump-truck, registered to the City’s Water Works, sat for a while with flashing lights on. Eventually a tow-truck as large as you’ll ever see arrived and picked up the front of the Water Truck as if it were a Little Tikes Cozy Truck.

Eagerly awaiting the arrival – Not of Santa or even St. Nicolas, but of the kids and grandkids. Marcia is busily arranging for the onslaught. I made my staple; Hummus.

Marcia has already done her grocery shopping on line. And what through the front door did my little eyes spy but the delivery guy. Now we’re all set for kids arrival.

Then, this year I went all out. In Michigan, sister-in-law Dia baked her specialty, “Kruitkoek” (Dutch Spice Bread). I was transported back to my childhood and for the rest of the weekend was seen hovering by the kitchen island where her Kruitkoek happened to be. I made an earnest plea for her recipe. So, guess what the rest of the family will be offered this afternoon? Yup, made sure all the required ingredients were assembled, all mixed in correct order and quantity, and two loaves were baked. Feast your eyes on the result!

Also to be introduced is a new ‘table-game’ for so inclined (which usually is everyone except “Oma don’t play games” Marcia). Of course there is a list of older staples such as Scattergories. But this one could be a winner, Wheels vs Doors.

Life is AMAZING!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and the best for 2025 – health, happiness, peace, and love to all.

Robert Burns, Scottish Poet (1759 – 1796) and regarded as the national poet of Scotland. Wrote Auld Lang Syne (“old long since”) i.e., times gone by, in 1788. The singing of old long since at Hogmanay (Scottish; New Year’s Eve Day) is an old Scottish and now world tradition.

In original Scottish: “For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne. And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp! And surely I’ll be mine! And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne. Chorus. We twa hae run about the braes, And pou’d the gowans fine; But we’ve wander’d ………….”

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

During the holiday period it’s an annual tradition to be barraged with sporting events. No small part of the game offerings is the role of the cheerleader. This weeks Bonus Points will be offered if you can name the four (4) Presidents who were Cheerleaders in their earlier life:

1) “William Howard Taft”
2) “Ronald Wilson Reagan”
3) “Thomas Woodrow Wilson”
4) “George W. Bush”
5) “Franklin D. Roosevelt”
6) “Theodore Roosevelt”
7) “Dwight D. Eisenhower”

A Short Jog and Goodbye Big-Boy

Happy Saturday. In Latin this day is: ‘Bruma’ which is derived from brevima, brevissima (“shortest”) or better yet: it’s the winter solstice as being the shortest day of the year (started at 4:21 AM Eastern time this morning).

However, relating to that period of the year use the word; ‘brumous’ which in the 1850s referred to days made up as being foggy, grey, rainy, cloudy, or murky: i.e. Wintry. And that’s exactly what our week back home in the ‘Nati has been like, brumous. And this definitely calls for a hot mug of coffee.

The Ramblings – will be short since as soon as these are done, I’ll be off to participate in the “Mt. Adams Egg Nog Jog”. This Mount Adams jog is great. A late year, event with a route around and about one of the city’s prettiest hillsides with its live theater, Conservatory, art museum, parks, and Ohio River views.

Last Weekend – was perfect. Perfect except for our GPS generated route which we used to avoid “lake-effect” snows. I never knew that one half of the nation’s traffic lights were situated in the little towns we blew through on the trip.

It was both fun and relaxing to have a few days in Michigan. Great seeing Marcia’s sibs. And a huge thanks to both Dia and Paul for putting up with us.

Also, after a year of refusing to walk with one, Paul handed Marcia a beautiful cane which she’s been using ever since. When she first walked into the room, we were all startled. Marcia was standing ramrod straight. She actually looked ‘statuesque’.

As a bonus, my love for Dutch dishes were catered to the extreme – Ouwe Amsterdamer Kaas, Gehachtballen. Dia, ever the kitchen fiend, baked “kruitkoek (the Dutch version of English Christmas fruitcake – but tastier); and I was given the recipe. This week I busily assembled all the fixings, guess what I’ll be up to later this weekend. Thanks guys!

About five miles before reaching home I managed to capture one of those meaningless highlights that nevertheless, people find quite meaningful – the F150 crossed the 94,000.00-mile mark.

Mentioning Food – I ran across this little video preparing a deviously more involved simple item – the Pancake. Like preparing food? You’ll appreciate this fun video – Pancakes prepared by 12 different chefs:

The Death of Big-Boy – My earliest memories of Cincinnati include Frisch’s Big-Boy restaurants – about 80 of them in the region. Basically, these were a ‘burger joint’ that thought themselves a family restaurant complete with some talked about deserts (especially Pumpkin and Strawberry Pie).

I first met one of my really good friends, Walton Lee, at Frisch’s. In nearby Mariemont was Frisch’s Mainliner drive-through – during the 1960s and ‘70s this place was the teenager’s ‘meat market’ and as such the place where brother George met Sandy. My uncle Harry would celebrate springtime at Frisch’s with fresh Strawberry Pie – exclaiming “extra whipped cream please.” Everyone has a Frisch’s Big Boy story.

But over time things do change. A handful of years ago Frisch’s was sold to a financial holding company. The money ‘squeeze’ had begun. This past month, in small groupings, clusters of Big-Boys closed. This past week it was the commissary which shut its doors. Laid off (days before Christmas) was the man who had prepared their amazing deserts for 40-years without a day off. And yes, around and about, one does hear people talk wistfully about “Big-Boy.

Now some fresh coffee for Marcia when she gets up, and some protein (couple of eggs) for me before heading out. With a ‘feel-like’ temperature of 18F (-7.8C), hardly any wind, and dry, conditions couldn’t be better.

Life is AMAZING!

And a very MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Alexander Graham Bell — the inventor of the telephone — who received a patent for the device on March 7, 1876 suggested that we answer his invention by saying —? One of these is correct.

1) “yes?”
2) “ahoy”
3) “hello”
4) “hi”
5) “greetings”
6) “you alright/good”

“No-one is above the law” (and other meaningless prattle)

After hearing the above harped about for the past four years: no further explanation is necessary.

Now on to better stuff. Happy Saturday morning. Got your coffee made?

You probably missed the fact that in the middle of this week (December 5th) Sinterklaas was busily spreading cheer, and gifts, to the kids in The Netherlands.

But since I brought up The Netherlands I want you to open up the attached YouTube. You absolutely will find it astoundingly informative and mind-blowing. You’ll want to pour an extra coffee and put up your feet, then sit back. Wow!

Were you aware that The Netherlands added enough land to create a brand-new Province – Flevoland? To gain Flevoland’s land, the only ‘war’ they fought was not with soldiers: their ‘troops’ were engineers. Then, have you heard of a Dutch company with the name of ASML? The base model of the machine they make is priced at $100million – and they have a years-long backlog! That Holland is the largest agricultural product producer in Europe. In part done with an area the size of Manhattan under cover and totally technology driven, growing fruits and vegetables far beyond what can be done with earth grown crops.

Is all of that enough of a teaser? Ok, here you go:

The Who – Mid week, 45 years ago, tragedy struck the ‘Nati. At the time it was a common practice to offer “General Admission” tickets – ‘first in’ standing room up front. The Who were going to be playing, and a large crowd had gathered outside Riverfront Coliseum. A final bit of a sound check made people think that the concert had started. The crowd surged! People got crushed! Eleven died!

The event caused a worldwide change in people management at these large events, i.e. no more “General Admission” tickets.

A boondoggle – It seems that our dear leader, Joe Biden, is apparently contemplating extending ‘prospective’ pardons. Folk such as Fauci, first brother James “Jim” Biden, Liz Chaney, Mayorkas, Representatives Schiff and Pelosi could be on such a ‘pardon’ list. This requires to be all hastily planned stuff; implemented prior to Trump getting inaugurated.

As has become the norm with this administration there is a bit of an issue. Although the pardon could be legal, in years past the Supreme Court ruled that the individual to be pardoned must admit to their wrongdoing and apologize for their action. Whoops. Spot the ‘monkey-wrench’ here?

Old Testament brought today – Last Monday I had the privilege of spending an evening with Dr. Jordan Peterson. It was a full house, and his insights were what the Brits would label as, “spot on.”

No cameras or audio possible, so instead, I believe this short piece of Dr. Peterson at Queen’s University will make my point:

Quote: “Of course I’m old, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t think young” ~ unknown with initials dp

Flying with Rattan – OK, this is a bit of a deep dive (and I hadn’t planned to post this on Pearl Harbor Day,  the day of the Japanese attack). Shortly after the end of WWII, and shortly after normalcy had set in, a (then) sleek, metal airplane flew into our town – it was a 3 engine Ford Tri-Motor or “Tin Goose”. It was a big deal since the world’s very first engine powered flight occurred just a mere 47-years earlier.

For a fee we could take a short ride above and around our city. My mother was a ‘no-go,’ so little me joined my dad, and we climbed aboard. I have two distinct memories: entering through a small door near the rear of the plane, and then climbing uphill to our seats. Second, the seats were cool looking rattan, something I’d never seen.

Over the years I have mentioned to family and friends these strange seats. They must have made a ‘yuuge’ impression since other than a lot of noise I have virtually no memory of the flight itself.

This week I ran across a photo of the interior exactly as I remember. Point of interest; let me know if you can spot a seatbelt anywhere.

Landing – Just a quick point of interest, SpaceX’s Falcon-9 reaches a flight rate 30 times higher than the Shuttle did, at 1/100th of the cost! Finally, here is the promise of; “in the future we’ll have quick and reuseable space launches”

This coming week Marcia and I will traipse north to Michigan. We’re really excited and looking forward to spending a little time with her sibs. This past week’s weather gave some concern (possible traveling issues), but now it looks perfect. OK, as you can see, Marcia is busily practicing her greeting since it’s been a while.

Hence: Next Saturday there will NOT be the regular Ramblings

Life is AMAZING!

Slán agus beannacht (Irish for: Goodbye and blessings to you all)

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Here are some antiquated “wintertide” terms from the 16th and 17th centuries that have fallen out of use. Which words are from these times?

1) “algid” – feeling cold
2) “crapulence” – overindulgence at feasts
3) “Ninguid” – area of much snow
4) “apricity” – feeling of sun on face in winter
5) “doniferous” – a time of gift bearing
6) “brumal” – meaning of or belonging in winter