Golf Brewers - Sophie for $1.2 million

So for my 8th year (20 years total?)  I participated in the And Winn Memorial He Ain't Dead Yet Golf Outing where we play 18 holes of golf and then go to the Brewer game in the afternoon.

It's a LONG day but worth it.  And as normal I was golfing well until the last 5 holes where I seem to just get tired or lose focus and I think I had a 103 or something.  SAD.

We get done with golf and all change into dry clothes. A number of years ago after golfing at Western Lakes in 95 degrees we have learned a few things.

One one thing is, JUST IN CASE - bring a change of underwear as that year Balderdash did not and IN MILLER PARK - he went commando

Notice the BLACK car.  Think what 4 sets of wet sweaty clothing does in a black, closed car for 4 hours at 120 degrees.

I believe Andy sold the car 3 months later.

But the big story this time was on the way home.

Last year we were all tired and I suggested some ABBA on the radio AS A JOKE to wake us up.  Somehow all of a sudden we are listening to ABBAs greatest hits for the next 45 minutes.

So this year we stop at a bar in Delafield on the lake for a final beer . . . like we need ONE MORE. We are watching the line of storms coming near us on radar and decide it's time to go.

We leave the parking lot and it's BLACK.  I'm looking at the best radar (RadarScope) and see 1/2 inch hail warnings.  Andy turns around to hide under some trees AND as a bonus has turned on ABBA again and "Mama Mia" is playing.

The wind is kicking up to what I'm assuming is 40mph and tree limbs are falling all around us so we decide to get out of that area before a tree falls on us.  The wind is howling, branches and twigs are hitting the car which is rocking back and forth from wind and "Mama Mia" is playing loudly in the radio.

Balderdash is next to me and comments loudly " THIS IS SO SURREAL"   We should have been live Facebook Streaming.  A lost chance.

SO - now tonight I'm going back to Miller Park for game two with different people.  Concerned with thunderstorms and tailgating as a "cold" front will go through about game time.

this "cold" front is more of an air mass front with no real "cold" attached.  Just different hot air.  What it will do is NOT bring thunderstorms over the weekend - HOWEVER all next week is a threat of thunderstorms every day.  Very unstable hot air all week. Sunday and Monday will be the warmest with heat indices near 95. Cooling off after Monday to normal summer heat.

GREAT for sweet corn!

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Canada is not selling as much cannabis as they originally thought. Not because people don't want it.  It's a logistical issue with not enough locations to sell it.

It's like if Wisconsin all of a sudden made beer legal but there were only 10 liqueur stores in the State.  I think Ontario only has 5 stores at the moment.

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Final June stats are in and my SOM team is tied with the best record at 50-31   

 Yelich continues to struggle hitting .290 and 11 home runs but the team leads in almost all offensive categories and is just about middle of the road pitching even though in 40 of the 81 games I have help the opponents at 2 runs or less AND have 11 shutouts and a team 3.34 ERA.

Seems to be a very pitching dominate year. 

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Man with this rain it's hard to believe it will get to 86 today . . and MUGGY I have to think LOL

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ART - is it really an investment?  Only of you talk to people that sell art.  2.3 million pieces of art were tracked and of those 2.3 million only 32,000 were sole more then once wit h69,000 repeat sales.  Pretty poor numbers of an investment.

a painting drop 8.7% a year after sold and after all the additional overcharges you need a work of art to increase in value 80% to break even.

Sophie - $1.2 Million   anyone anyone?

  Have a great day!

Door County and Portello's

If humans evolved from monkeys . . . . why are there still monkeys.

+++++

Took a trip to Door County last week and while everyone down here was cool and wet it was sunny and very warm up there. 

Lake Michigan and Green Bay are both at record levels.  Cana Island is actually an island again.  When my parents took us there in the late 60s it was an island and then for 3 or 4 decades you could walk to it and I got many images of the lighthouse.  BUT - once again . . it's an island.

While up there we checked out the Anderson Dock which has a fair amount of tagging on it.

It's now an art gallery in Ephriam (which is now NOT a dry town). 

In Fish Creek (actually Gilbralter is the REAL name) behind Pelletiers (fish boil place) are some of the original buildings and one of them had this beautiful flowers.  But what got me was the actual wood on the building and the contrast. 

So that was the first part of last week. 

Once we got home we had Balderdash birthday extravaganza.

Every year Balderdash and all his buddies play 36 holes of golf.  This year they played 18 at The Oaks and then 18 at The Oaks North (Kestrel Ridge) and then the plan was to stop at our house for some food and beer. 

All went well and I got a bunch of food from Portella's in Madison and figured out why there Italian sandwiches were so "good".  not GREAT but satisfying.

They figured out how to combine 4 ingredients that are all rather common into one sandwich that is really good. 

1. the beef - not that wonderful tasting by itself but it's sliced just above falling apart. 

2. the gravy - more like an au jus actually.  They have instructions on exactly how to combine the two.  The gravy has all the flavor.  Unlike Fast Lanes where they give you a 1/4 cup of au jus.

3. the buns.  PERFECT for this style of sandwich. Firm on the outside and a little spongy inside.  This sandwich is made for being wet and sloppy.

4. peppers.  The peppers give you that bit of flavor that is not just meat and gravy.  I've tried it both ways.  without peppers - it's boring.

So that is my critique on Portellos.

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Why is there a "d" in fridge but no "d" in refrigerator.

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While in Door County I spotted a wild Yellow Swallow tail.  Handheld 105 1:2.8 Macro lens

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This week Thursday we have The Andy Winn Memorial He's Not Dead Yet Tournament where we tee off in Milwaukee BEFORE 7:00  and then catch the  afternoon Brewer game and Friday we're going BACK to Milwaukee with Elweed to see the Crew again. 

Should be in first place by then.

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OH - and a shout out to Columbus Chamber of Commerce.  I normally am anti Chamber as they donate to the Republican Party but they are out there FINALLY promoting Columbus and actually pulling their weight. 

The only think holding back Cbus now is the school system. 

have a Laurel and Hardy week. 

Not dead yet.

Just a place holder so people don't think I dropped off the end of the earth. 

We were in Door County for a bunch of days and now I'm just freaking busy with morning dentist appointments and yada yada. 

Back to normal next week.  In the meantime this is a shot of DJ on the Anderson peer in Ephraim 

and before we left I was looking at the temperatures of other personal weather stations and noticed that I thought  think someones house was on fire,

 
And of course

But they are no longer the real problem.  The Wag the Dog War with Iran is coming. Sadly I tend to believe Iran government over the American Government.  and I actually hate saying that. 

After driving a few hundred miles home and then another 40 to pick up Gus and then another 20 to get to golf JUST IN TIME.  We were delayed for about an hour.  

I went to the driving range and was CRUSHING the ball I was so juiced up. NO REALLY - I was pumped from driving. Then I went to the putting green and was CRUSHING the putts . . . .10 feet past the hole.  

And then word came - "we're about an hour behind". stand down.  sigh.   this was like calling a guy in from the bullpen with bases loaded and then saying.  "Just stand there for an hour and THEN pitch". 

Until later 

JUST Coffee

Everybody is talking about Yelich, as they should. It's not often you follow an MVP year with a BETTER year. I mean geez - he is on pace to hit 59 home runs.  BUT WAIT! Moustakas is on pace to hit 50 home runs.  BUT WAIT!  Grendal is having a career year with a .937 OPS.  In fact not counting the first 4 games of the year Grendal has not gone 2 games in a row without getting on base.

Then there is Arcia who is having a career year at the plate which for one of the better fielding short stops that will take away 50 bases a year compared to an average SS,  is fantastic.

SO - without Cain, Aguilar and Shaw who are reverting back to the every other year norm the Brewers offense is REALLY good.

I still do not see the Cubs lasting the entire marathon. They are VERY thin in pitching and have yet another stupid long term expensive contract for their new closer.  Kimbrel is worth maybe 1 win over a year and maybe that is worth $10 million but that won't put them over the top as they are basically a .500 team in my view.   I fear St. Louis more and they are 4 games back. 

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Some Golfers Step Up On Major Sundays. And Then There’s Dustin Johnson.

Only one other golfer is as bad as Dustin Johnson in a major in the final round, and it's Tiger Woods.   Not saying they play poorly but compared to other golfers who step up their game in a Major Tiger and Dustin have the biggest let down in the 4th round of Majors.

For instance - Johnson will golf 1.7 better then the group in the 4th round of a non-major.  But only 1.07 in the 4th round of a Major.

Brooks Koepka on the other hand is 1.25 strokes better in the 4th round in non-majors but 2.33 better in a Major.

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OH - as I was watching the Brewers late last night I was playing a league game in SOM against a HORRIBLE team and for the first time in my life I had a pitcher not only throw a no-hitter . . . . but a perfect game.     

Zack Godley who is having a great a year as much as Yelich is having a "poor" year for me. I guess it all evens out somewhere.

In the 6th inning I knew there were no hits but . . walks??  I did not remember any . . but . . do I LOOK?  Do I change things up?  Will this screw up the random number generator which I swear is broken for Yelich?

I did.  NO WALKS  OMG   I'm winning 8-0 so normally I sit Trout and a few other good fielders as they do not have enough At Bats to play every game in a year. . . .but now??   The last 4 outs of the game went to 3 of my 4 Gold Glove winners. 

I had a silent scream of joy at 11:17 last night.

 
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Things are moving along with the CWCC - tee-shirts are about to be ordered

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OK - hold on to your seats and think about this one.

You go to breakfast and order a couple eggs right? Easy side up? scrambled?

WHAT IF - you order two eggs . . . one scrambled and one over medium . . . . have you EVER done that? Order two different eggs?  and if not . .why not?

Have you ever even thought of doing that?  Now that you have thought of it, would this be a good thing?   Would this be like a ham sandwich with pork on top?  Does anybody WANT two different eggs?   

food for thought.

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Guatemala is one of the regions biggest countries with migrants looking for work and it's all about coffee.  The typical small coffee grower gets 89 cents per pound of coffee, down from $2.20 in 2015.  It costs about $1.93 per pound to produce coffee.  Thus, many coffee growers are going belly up and looking for work.

Guatemalan immigrants are the #1 group being stopped at our borders.

I buy JUST Coffee for several reason. One cool thing is you can trace the beans you are drinking to the exact farmer where the beans were purchased AND see the exact price JUST coffee paid for their beans.  I'm drinking BIKE FUEL which they paid $2.43 per pound and they paid a total of about $101,000 to this farmer who I see was in Guatemala.

Every package has a code you can type in to see the contracts.

JUST coffee was a bunch of hippies that were on vacation in Mexico and came across some coffee farmers. They made friends with some hippie farmer and after a few bowls of cannabis they learned the coffee industry was robbing them.

They came back to Madison with a roaster hobby and after visit the farmers market became “reluctant entrepreneurs” and now have 30 people in their company and buy coffee all over the world and life sustainable prices for the farmers.

a 12oz bag of beans is about $10 but that price helps sustain small farmers.

People say they would pay more for a McCheese burger if they paid  a living wage of say $15.  Well, here ya go. same thing.

Heck - you can even see which ship the coffee was transported on, the TIGER 82JS with 275 bags.

I LOVE these guys!

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Strike Eight

YIKES only in Columbus. You won't believe what  happened when I pulled into BP to get some gas and lump charcoal.

 As I was walking into the station I noticed a police officer parked on the side of the building.   He was watching this woman who was smoking a cigarette while pumping her gas. Of course I saw her and thought what a dumb ass.  Anyway I go inside and as the cashier gives me my change, I hear somebody screaming. I look out the window and see the woman's arm is on fire. She was swinging her arm and running around like a crazy woman.  I run outside and the officer has the lady on the ground already.  He was putting the fire out with coffee or something.

Then he proceeded to handcuff her and put her in the back of his car. I thought to myself, "What kind of an idiot smokes while pumping gas?!?!  What did she think was going to happen?  And being the curious person I am, I asked the officer what he was charging her with?

He looked me dead in the face, and said,
"WAVING A FIREARM!!!!"

bada boom

ok ok - that never happened!

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So I complained the other day about a restaurant that changed their Italian beef sandwich.  Mostly it was a bun problem.  I contacted them and told them my feelings and the response was "yes, we had to change the buns because the old ones were discontinued".

I then said something on the order of "so you went the cheapest worst possible bun you could find?"  Or something slightly more politically correct.

Well, the owner seemed to agree so they are looking for better buns.

For a while in my life I was a professional cook (not chef).  My mom was not a great cook and I was a picky eater so I learned to cook the things I liked and then my first wife was a good cook and I learned how to cook from her.

ANYWAY - don't people understand that the bun is part of the meal?  It's not just a place holder until you get to the meat part.  The Caribou Tavern, one of what I believe the best bar burgers in Madison had their buns discontinued and went with a different bun that totally killed their great burger.

I, of course, "complained and explained".  A month later they found similar buns and the place is good to go now.   I did this at Kestrel Ridge -  typical frozen patty with a hideous HUGE bun.  I complained and explained.  Have not been back.    People are food blind.

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WELL - my experiment with Multifocus contacts was so close to happening.  But no.  My left, dominate eye failed me.  Only 33% of Americans have a left dominate eye and less have a left dominate eye AND are right handed.  Most right handed MLB players are left/right like I am.  I should have chosen to be a Major League Baseball player.  BUT NOOOO, I went the IT route.  I'm so stupid. 

Anyway,  my right eye was perfect but after 3 different tweaks they could not hone in the left eye.

I had a choice.   85% vision for distance and 100% close,  90 distance and 90% close (my numbers when explaining) or 95% distance and 80% close.

OR - what I decided on was 100% distance and 0% close.  The price for the multifocus was . . . a LOT.  I mean . . A LOT.    Let's just say if I purchased a whole year I would get $200 off and insurance would take another $300+ off and they were STILL too expensive for not being 100%.

I put my old lenses on last night to see the difference and  OH, so so nice to be totally clear.

Did you know they have transition contacts? Would that be weird? They turn dark in UV.

**************

And then this happened

I think he was just enjoying the scenery. 

 

This actually happens more often then you think at Kestrel Ridge.  Maybe once a week and pretty much in from of everybody who owns a home on the 16th tee.

I suggested well places shrubs.  There is no way to get an outhouse to that other side and it would be ugly.  There is one 300 yards ahead but that seems to be 300 yards too far.  It's REALLY a very easy solution.  Plant 2 or 3 cotoneaster shrub's or maybe something pretty and us guys who just can not hold it for 300 yards can go behind the shrubs.   

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I've been sad that the new porch/deck does not have an easy hummingbird feeder place.  But while Elwood and I was sitting outside last Saturday we had a couple hummingbirds ate from our budding wine and roses weigela.

Ours do not look like this YET as they are less then one year old.  The tricky part is the flowers only come on OLD bark so you can't cut them back AND get flowers.   I'm happy!

 
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Saw a news bit about farmers and tariffs,  While they are waiting for government handouts (called socialism) they agree tariffs are REALLY hurting.  But they also still believe Trump is a brilliant businessman ( who has gone bankrupt 4 times and lost $1 BILLION in a 10 years span) and believe him when he says in one and a half years they will be rolling in cash.

hmmmmmm one and a half years.  Isn't that when the election is?

Wait - Trumps economics are working so GREAT right?  lets see   he promised to bring down the trade deficit - yet right now we are all an all time high. At no time in history has America purchased so much overseas and overseas has purchased so little   STRIKE ONE

He promised his supporters he would "COMPLETELY eliminate Federal Debt".  yet we are an an ALL TIME HIGH in federal Debt. STRIKE TWO

He promised to boost wages and PROMISED the American family would get a $4000 pay raise per household.   Yet adjusted for inflation wages are flat while corporate profits are an an ALL TIME HIGH - with zero trickle down at all.  STRIKE THREE

Corporations would invest these profits from tax cuts and "said" trickle down would happen.  But Corporations spent these profits buying back shares of companies that helped the rich get richer. STRIKE FOUR

Remember the tax cut for the middle class?  Americas will pay MUCH more in taxes by 2027 when all the "freebies" run their course.  STRIKE FIVE

Bring back jobs to America?  The opposite is actually happening.  The trade wars are forcing companies . . like Harley Davidson and Caterpillar to move more operations overseas. STRIKE SIX

OH YEA - Drain the Swamp. How many crooks has he hired and fired in his administration?  and all of these lobbyists that everyone hates? They are now in charge of the things they were AGAINST?
STRIKE SEVEN

And on that subject, there are 17 agencies that have no one permanent running them. Just crooks off the street in temporary positions.     STRIKE EIGHT

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 Sickening!

mmmmm slime mold

WELL - I suppose I should write SOMETHING just so I remember how to spell.   I've had nothing to complain  talk about so I've been quiet.

Saturday I walked out to the yard and saw what looked like dog barf.

But looking closer it was more of some alien organism.

This is called slime mold. Nothing exciting and pretty harmless actually.  In fact it eats pathogens so it's actually a good thing.  It dried up and I moved it to under the porch.  Just a weird nature thing it seems.

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In golf league this year I have now had a 44,46,52 and 45.   My best start yet. When wil lteh golf gods smite me.

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OH the good news is I replaced my anemometer on the roof and my wind speed is now accurate.  I noticed in January that it seemed always slow but I ain't getting on the roof in January.

As of last Friday I have wind speed at KWICOLM2 

On Wednesday's we go to the fantastic Columbus Farmers Market and we always take Gus.  We're thinking we might have to take an ink pad as people are always asking for his autograph!  LOL  My dog has a bigger following then I do. And is a better speller.  He knows  B A L L  now  DAMN IT!

The guy is a jokester for sure.

We go out and I will throw the ball and he runs to get it.  He knows all sorts of commands and the other day I threw the ball and he runs, gets it and stops.  Sits down and looks at me.  I yell COME, and he jumps up and runs the opposite direction for 10 feet stops, turns around, drops the ball and with a big shit eating grin (a meaningful saying in dog speak)  looks at me.

I raise both hands and yell WHAT ARE YOU DOING!

He picks up the ball and runs full speed at me.  Stops on a dime, drops the ball and I swear he is laughing.

It was 2 years ago last Friday that he picked us as his forever family.

Check out this puppy - don't cha just want to eat him ...  IT'S A CAKE

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I have not taken any photos of the new banners downtown but it's on the todo list, they look good!!

Mullins had some FANTASTIC fries that we might never see again.  Kelly used actual potatoes and double fried them in a labor intensive process that might kill profits.

I still think they need 1/4 pound burgers.

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so so many questions. 

 
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Yelich on my SOM team has 8 home runs   sigh!  Not as GREAT as I was hoping.  It's a good thing REAL Yelich is doing much much better along with Moose and what did I tell you about Grendal.  Having a career year at the moment.

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I see Trump is boasting about how he forced Mexico to deal with immigrants with his tariffs. He fails to mention that Mexico agreed to do this a few months ago.

One thing his incompetence is doing is that no one actually listens to him anymore - even the government does not.  The Navy ignored him on the McCain thing and now U.S. embassy's  are ignoring him and flying Pride flags against his instructions to NOT fly the flags.

Every poll has him losing ground.  In the battleground states EVERY one of the 19 democrats would beat him.  There is no anti Hillary vote this time.

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Mays job numbers came out last week.  You might have missed the reports as the WH did not want to report them as they were disappointing. 25% less then expected.  So the ACTUAL numbers

2.1% are unemployed and actually looking for a job
50.2%  Employed Full time
10.5% employed part time
2.1% unemployed, want a job, not actually looking
35% unemployed and do not want a job

BASICALLY America is at Full Employment which is not actually a good thing.  There are more jobs available then there are workers.  What America needs are more workers who want to work the lower paying jobs . . . hmmmmmm where can we find some of those people willing to do labor for cheap AND being literally more responsible and law abiding then most Americans.

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NFL - Of course New England is the #1 pick to win the super bowl.  I think that is just hard coded in now in online books.  +500

Philadelphia is JUST ahead of the Packers  as the 5th and 6th in the National Conference behind Saints, Rams,  B B Browns, Bears.    OOPS - sorry - not Browns, wrong conference.

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Weather - Great today, breezy, better tomorrow, Wednesday SUCKITY SUCK SUCK.  rain all day, high of 62, recovering Thursday, 70 Friday Thunderstorms Saturday high of 72

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STILL a little issue with my right dominate eye with my new lenses - so so close.

Have a day

ACUVUE Multi focal lenses Day 2

I wore my new lenses for about 4 hours on day one and yesterday day two about 10 hours.  About 4 hours into day 2 all of a sudden my brain catches on and my distance vision seems to have gotten better.

Everything I have read says there is a 90% success rate and your brain needs to figure things out.  Well - it did . . almost.

I'm typing this WITHOUT reading glasses and I can see perfect but distance was just a little off.

Upon experimenting I found that my left eye seemed to be fine but my dominate eye, my left eye (wondering about what is your dominate? What eye do you look into a camera with) seemed blurry in the max distance mode. 

I called the Doc this morning and said I think my right eye needs one half of a tweak and my left eye needs one whole tweak.  So he decided to lower the bifocal part a tweak and I got new left eye contacts . .WOW - this is so amazing.

Funny thing was I was at the optometrist and was reading the fine print on the lens case and went to take off my readers . . . OOPS . . no readers . . we all laughed.  All is great now.  These are amazing.

I'll never have to have reading glasses again and since these are daily wears I'll never need to have solution.  Or lens cases.

Game Changer.   OH - went to the range before the tweak and no issues hitting the ball. I WAS losing the ball about 180 yards out but that should be fixed now.

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There is no free lunch #1.  Get rid of plastic bags and you create MUCH MORE green house gases as cutting down a billion more trees uses a lot of gas and making all the machines to cut down masses of more trees also create more green house gases.

There is no free lunch #2.  Wolves.  America was lousy with wolves. Wolves were a pain in the ass and farmers hated them. So America set about killing all the wolves.  What happened?  Coyotes saw the vacuum and decided this was their day and now Coyotes are a huge problem and they are much MUCH harder to get rid of and almost impossible to control. 

The current estimate is 500,000 coyotes were killed last year. You need to kill 10 times more to make any dent.  and if you do?  What takes over then!

Heck - just a few weeks ago we had 2 coyotes walking up the 16th fairway one morning. We hear them every few weeks at night.   OH - Gus will jump up and bark at a Robin tweeting but a family of coyotes in the backyard howling at night?  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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Illinois became the 11th State to legalize recreational cannabis as of January 1 2020.  Residence can carry 30 grams and out of state citizens can carry 15 grams.  Convicted "criminals" that were caught with less then 30 grams have their records cleared.   

Meanwhile in Fort Atkinson the police Department sent letters to all businesses telling them to STOP selling CBD oil immediately or suffer the consequences.

Illinois is expecting to bring in $500 million per year in sales.

How did they do this?  By educating the public with REAL data and not the fake news our GOP puts out about cannabis.   

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) say that America Doctors know basically nothing about cannabis because the Fed will not allow them to research it.  Something that has been used to heal so many illnesses for 1000s of years until the late 1930s and now it's a big unknown?

You would THINK that if it has been used for 1000s of years there would be something too it . .right?

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last night there was zero wind and my wind gauge was right on!!  I have a new one coming so KWICOLUM2  should be fully operational soon.

No rain until early Monday morning and temps will be in the upper 70s until Monday. Next week low 70s and upper 60s.

Have a great rest of the week.

ACUVUE Multifocal contacts - literally a game changer.

OMG - WHO KNEW.

So I go to the Optometrist, a new guy as my old guy retired to golf and leisure.  We do all the tests and I opt for the laser scan for $30 as opposed to the drops where I literally pass out from . . something.  It seems the one panic button my physical body has are those blasted drops.

Once I start to lose focus my brain just spins and I THINK my blood sugar drops . . . but I'm getting off subject. 

And there is a secret reason I expose my inner demons . . if I'm in a crowd and just pass out SOMEBODY might say " HEY, I READ HIS BLOG , get him some 7-up."    BAM!

So here is the inside of my eye.  HIPPA will not appreciate this I'm sure LOL  Actually my right eye 3 years apart.  Left image is my current right eye and the right image is legacy right eye 3 years ago.  More hair this year it seems.

Actually (off topic again) those dots bottom right are floaters.  Only my right eye.

ANYWAY - I needed contacts and the new Doc suggested, because if my AGE, everybody gets Presbyopia* (farsightedness caused by loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye, occurring typically in middle and old age.) at some point.

so if you have contacts you also need reading glasses for close up things

WELL - there is a thing called multifocal lenses that I have a trial set and WOW.  I see GREAT close up AND at the moment "pretty good" far.   Not bi-focals but seamless contacts. Light is refracted in different ways so each lens can have multiple prescription.   

And it seems to work.  I need to go back in a week so they can tweak it, ask me if and where I need better focus.  Everything I read says it takes, give or take,  3 days for you brain to figure it out.  Reviews  are good and some Facebook friends say LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

Heck I'm saving $60 a year on cheap reading glasses.  I sort of wish I was wearing them in now, with my glasses I have to look up a little.  With those earlier today it was just perfect.

And that is my story.  Next time you have an eye appointment ask about multifocal lenses.

The odd thing is this is the third exam in a row where my eyes actually got better.  Zero issues with glaucoma which is not a surprise . . .for many reasons. 

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Seems cell phones have had a positive impact with homicides between 1990 and 2000 when cell phones became a "thing" according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.   Teh research showed about a 25% drop in drug related homicides.

Turf-base drug gangs did not have to meet face to face and could use cell photos for drug related business.  In a related story SADLY the gene pool was not being purged of these druggers.

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Speaking of drugs - two studies by JAMA  states that 93% of the VERY expensive cancer drugs that were fast tracked to the market only 19% showed any real improvement in a person health.

Americans are paying billions in drugs that do not really do anything.

  ********************

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) said that her personal struggles with alcohol factored into her decision to veto a bill to expand the state's limited CBD medical cannabis program.

WHAT?  something that is proven to lower alcohol abuse in many many studies and she takes the opposite non-scientific view?  How do these idiots get elected. 

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I started to read a book called "Across america and Back: retracing My Great-Grandparents Remarkable Journey".     It's about a woman on a bike that found her great grandparents journal of a train trip across America in 1871.

They arrived in Chicago 8 days after the Chicago fire.  They hotel is burned down.  What got me was  some of the story's by reporters during the fire.   One little girl was running with her hair on fire and people trying to put her out were throwing anything liquid on her.  Water was not available so they were using . . . whisky which flared up. 

another person had her cloak on fire and was kneeling with a cross and then she was run over by a runaway truck.   Just horrific stuff and I'm glad there were only a couple paragraphs.

ODDLY all that wood that was on fire in Chicago was wood that was chopped down from the Peshtigo Forest, which was also on fire in the Great Peshtigo fire at that very same time. 

The lumberman that owned most of Peshtigo Forest was also the main builder of many of the buildings in Chicago. 

Using the common thread of the train journey this woman is weaving the two stories together.  Her bike ride across America and their journey across America.  The Trans-Continental Railroad was just completed 2 years earlier and instead of a 2 month journey it's only a few weeks.

Nuff for today

GREAT WEATHER COMING - great weekend - Sunday might be wet but warm.  Next week is also looking GREAT!   

Cycling around Columbus.

Interesting times we live in where "Stop shooting our children" is seen as a "liberal talking point"

 by the pro-life crowd.  

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I feel somewhat sorry at times for The Oaks North (also called Kestrel Ridge Golf Course).  FINALLY the weather turned nice and we had a pretty good Memorial day weekend weather -wise - yet - because of flooding they were closed until last Thursday and still have fairways that are unmowed.

Friday a mower got stuck in the mud in ground off our back yard and now there is a huge ugly 6 inch deep mud trench and they needed another tractor to pull it out.

HOWEVER - we should be getting a stretch of somewhat dry air for the next few weeks, maybe a passing thunderstorm but nothing flooding and a sweet warming trend is developing.

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I've had my bike out this last week.  First I did what I call the Goat Ride.  About 11 miles with 260 feet elevation climb total.  Wonderful ride past a cool goat farm and relatively flat with 22 feet per mile in uphills.

Yesterday I went 18.1 miles to Astigo Park which was a little taxing for me with a stiff headwind from Astigo to where I turned SW.  I'm going to take my wind gauge on trips just to see the wind speed.  It was probably only 10-14mph but when you are going 14mph into a 14mph wind that is 28mph total . . .right?  - add the rolling hills and it was a lung buster at times.  I would say that was a moderately hard ride. But every hard ride makes the next one easier.   

Astigo had 503 feet in elevation gained.

sadly I accidentally switched off Strava for 3 miles 

 I stopped at Mullins and then realized I had no money  sigh! I did have water so no worries.

after a brief rest I had the Sunday social meeting of the Columbus Cycling Club and we decided we needed to be in the Independence Parade in Columbus.

Columbus Cycling Club meets Sundays at Cercis Brewing about 2:00.  We have had a few rides during the week and are still in the forming stage trying to figure out how to promote  . . us. 

A few of the members did the Trek 100 and avoided heavy rain for the most part.

Rumor has it Bike Wisconsin has contacted people that know about Columbus and they are asking about being an over nighter for SAGBRAW next year - increasing our population by 20% for one night.  I might have to think about doing that ride again.   HOW OLD AM I?   I hope Council ill agree to this. Seems like a no brainer - they used high schools with showers and camping.

I'm slowly ramping up the miles.  I remember a day when a 50 mile ride was a short day.  Get'r done before lunch.

I took this near Astigo and many of the club members said  "where is that?".  I think most in the club are short time residents.  Which shows you how Columbus is changing.

Friday DJ and I drove to Horicon for the last day you can drive or bike the Auto tour as they are closing it all summer to widen the lane.

All of these maps are on a phone app Strava - you can follow friends and see what they are riding and get ideas for rides.

This was 9.8 mikes with 136 feet in hills.  Pretty flat for the most part.   trails are nice but crushed gravel gets to you after a while and when you get back on pavement . OH - it's so nice and smooth

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OK OK - a woman I will call . . .Stacy stopped by on the way to Illinois and DJ said - we need donuts.  Never one to argue that point I raced down to Greenbush Bakery and picked up a few.

mmmmmmmmmm  doughnuts

What's up with Wisconsin - one of the few states NOT to have Chicken Pox yet AND check out this map of all the tornado warnings.  Wisconsin has not gotten ONE tornado yet this year while everybody else is getting waxed !

And then there is the Pittsburgh Pirates. I took this when watching the first game of the series.  Not much of a crowd!

Milwaukee is 8th in MLB in attendance and 6th in away attendance.  People come out to see the Brewers now.

The Miami Marlins are averaging 9,478 per home game.

Brewers - Jimmy Nelson makes his first Start Wednesday for the Crew.  He'll be on a short leash.

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JOHN WICK - OMG - it is as everybody told me.  I watched the first movie and after 10 minutes I realized I needed to sit down and watch it.  Curiously entertaining.  Body count = 77.  There are web sites that list body counts for each place including what guns were used and accuracy of shots. 

It's crazy.  Not super gory at all. more like The Longest Day or Patton shooting but so many bad guys get it in the end.  The choreography of the mayhem is outstanding.

and yes - there is a puppy death but it's not really shown. And DO NOT KILL John Wicks puppy.   I loved the movie.  Who KNEW - I blew it off as just another action revenge movie but I was mistaken. 

https://youtu.be/RllJtOw0USI