Lunch Room

I love to whine about overweight people as they create extra work for me as a surgeon. And risk....and worry. This is the staff lunchroom at one of my hospitals......

........this is another view. There is something unusual for a lunchroon in the back, near the Pepsi machine..........

.....WHAT THE HELL?

By Uncle Hans

Three Already!!

My Grandson, Randy J is 3 today….Happy Birthday, Randy J

Hypermiling

A few years ago, I heard about a technique for extending the fuel economy of your car called "hypermiling" I googled it. It involves cleaning out all uneeded heavy objects from your car (like the trunk). Less hard braking and hard accelerating, inflating your tires to 45 lbs.

 An interesting point made by the website: The car manufacturers recommend about 35 lbs, but the tire manufacturers recommend (in very fine unreadible letters on the sidewall) 45 lbs. The tire guys know the tire will last longer with 45, but the car guys know the car will have a softer ride at 35. Softer rides sell more cars. But 45 will add at least 10% to your mileage figure............

.....these tires have 80,000 miles on them. They will probably make 90,000 and the interesting thing is that your fuel economy goes up, the balder they get. The tire guys don't advertise the unreadible number too much, they want to sell more tires to you and to the car guys..........

....another trick is the K&N air filter, which breathes easier and boosts economy by .5 mpg...........

....have you ever wondered why all the old people in America drive Buick Centurys? This 3100 cc engine is some sort of magic and they all quietly seem to know that. Millions of greyhairs can't be wrong! Without modification, they will consistently get 30+mpg, which is a lot for a midsize car built like a tank........

....this hypermile car got 519.4 miles on this tank. As hard to believe as it is to read!......

....that calculates to...........

I drive 35,000 miles a year for my business. That saves a lot of money and reduces my disgraceful "carbon footprint" making me feel a little better, but not much.

By Uncle Hans

Summer Mouse Wars

By Susie-Q

The summer mouse wars continue, and it’s fairly easy to detect them.  They come out at night while the Happy Campers are at work slapp’in jacks.  I pounce on them and give a wicked reception, and they retreat and leave the way they came in.

The Happy Campers have been very appreciative and reward me almost daily with treats.

However one of the little squeekers slipped by the other day, and I heard Mary scream those horrible words, “MOUSE !!!” 

“Aw Shit !!!” Why does she grab the camera and take pictures when a snake appears in the camper, but goes ballistic over a little mouse?  I know the drill, and immediately took off for the closet.  Rex knows the drill,and got out the mouse traps.

After the Happy Campers went to work, and the little mouse made his night raid, I lost my temper with the little S.O.B. and mortally wounded it.  It crawled back into the safety of the kitchen drawer and bled to death.  Not a pretty sight, and I felt sorry for Rex while he did the clean up and had to wash all the dishes in that drawer.

Wonder if I’ll get my treats today?

The snake in the camper episode was really exciting.  I had it cornered behind Steve’s chair and even though Rex calls me a “scaredy cat” I was holding my ground.

The Grandson’s visit was just as Rex predicted. I Do Hate Kids.  I spent the entire 24 hours in the bedroom closet.

The extreme lower desert heat is killing me.  I’ve been shedding a lot of hair.  I hop up on Mary’s lap daily and she helps me with my preening, by combing me.  I’m not “off feed”, but I get pretty lethargic and lay around suffering when the A/C isn’t set low enough.  I really miss it when the door is closed, and I can’t sit in front of the screen door and watch the outside.

Another 3 or 4 weeks and the worst of the heat should be over, I can’t wait !!!

That’s all I have to report from the base of Waterfall Mountain, somewhere near Oatman, AZ.  Enjoy what’s left of the summer of ‘10.

Susie-Q

Oberlanoer Swisslace Cheese

Well, we were shopping ad Dave's Economart in Spooner and ran into something new. This product makes some big claims so we decided to try it........

.....with this on the label, how could we not?!...........

.....it looks good in the deli case, and the price is OK............

 
.....So, what the heck, cut us up half a pound.............

............it's not advertised as "Baby Swiss" but it sure looks like Baby...........

.....the first bite tells the whole story. Looks and feels like plastic and tastes about the same....................

..........the OD would just laugh and throw the rest away. The Bern Bear would disavow any connection with this product.

Just thought you all should know.................

By Uncle Hans

THE HAPPY HIKER

CAN YOU SPOT THE HAPPY HIKER?


NEED SOME HELP?

Summer Daze In Spooner

Summer has settled in here on Cable Lake. This is a recent sunset...........

.....with the summer comes the first corn on the cob. It's "Peaches and Cream" all right, but probably from southern Illinois or Indiana, and not too tasty. The best is the local stuff but that takes about another 3 weeks.........

........We'll have to console ourselves with some tasty barbequed chicken, basted in Famous Dave's "Rich and Sassy" mixed with a little Famous Dave's "Devil's Spit".......

......Mary will recognize her ham-wrapped asparagas, which has become a regular favorite at this house.........

.....this was a recent sunset from another lake (Ham). Nice, but not a Cable Lake sunset.............

By Uncle Hans

Greta

Who is this horse? She likes carrots, if that is a hint..........

..........when Hannah was 11, she got a horse to show. Together they won a whole bedroom full of ribbons and trophys. Then she went to college and was shocked to find the dorm had rules about horses. Her horse was sold to a nice local lady.........

.............last week she got a call from the lady. "You want your horse back?" Yup. After more than ten years,






                           GRETA IS BACK

Greta, in the background, is aging, has been "neglected" in that she has not had much human contact. She is shy but warming up. She has a bad foot from an old injury, but will still take a rider, after Hannah works with her for a while.


What fun for Hannah, who has worked so hard to make a place for her and her horse, Paul, in the deep woods of northern Wisconsin. Now she has her old Greta back, too.

Renee kissing Paul

It works out well because Paul is lonely at Hannah's house and needs a companion.

 

By Uncle Hans

PUZZEL

YOU KNOW WE ARE BOTH ADDICTED TO THE INTERNET.  MARY HAS REPORTED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE HOURS I WASTE SURFING THE INTERNET. SO AGAIN THIS SUMMER IT’S BEEN CULTURE SHOCK TO NOT BE CONNECTED.

WE USE LIVE WRITER TO WORK ON THE BLOG AND I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT THE NEW BLOGS YOU READ TODAY MAYBE A STORY THAT HAPPEN A WEEK OR TWO EARLIER, BUT WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF WE WERE IN VEGAS YESTERDAY OR LAST WEEK.

WE ‘D LIKE TO THANK UNCLE HANS FOR HIS BLOGS FROM SPOONER.  I KNOW THERE ARE A BUNCH UNCLE HANS FANS THAT CHECK-IN OFTEN.

THOSE OF YOU THAT JUST DON’T CARE TO READ ABOUT MICE, CATS, BEARS, OR RATTLESNAKES …….

SORRY !!!

SO WHAT DO A COUPLE OF “MOUSE POTATOES” DO WITH ALL THAT EXTRA TIME NOT SURFING THE INTERNET?

OLD FASHION JIGSAW PUZZELS.

 

I GOT TO ADMIT THAT 90% OF THE PUZZEL IS COMPLETED BY THE FAR MORE PATIENT MARY, BUT I DO TRY AND FIND A PIECE OCCATIONALLY.

 

LET’S SEE WHAT SHOULD I BLOG ABOUT NEXT?  SNAKES OR MICE?  KEEP CHECKING, WE HAVEN’T BEEN ATTACKED LATELY BY EITHER.

 

AT LEAST I HAVEN’T SPENT A LOT OF TIME COMPLANING ABOUT THE HOT WEATHER.  EITHER IT’S BEEN COOLER THIS SUMMER OR WE HAVE GOTTEN USED TO THE LOWER DESERT EXTREME SUMMER HEAT.

BTW, WHEN YOU PUT TOGETHER THOSE BIG PUZZELS, WHY DO YOU LEAVE THE BLUE SKY TILL LAST?

  

“SUNNY & 108”

Forty Three Years!!

Today my son-in-law is 43 years old!!

Happy Birthday, Randy!!

THE GRANDSONS

LOOK AT WHO WE FOUND IN OATMAN, AZ ON MONDAY.

 

 

THEY ARE ON ONE HELL OF A ROAD TRIP STARTING OUT AT THEIR NEW HOME IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO TO OATMAN TO VISIT GRAMPS, ON TO LAS VEGAS TO VISIT WITH UNCLE PAUL WHERE THEY ARE MEETING GRAMMY FOR A ROAD TRIP BACK TO WAUKON, IOWA TAKING BAILEY, THE DOG.  THE RETURN TRIP INCLUDES COLORADO SPRINGS AND THEN RETURNING TO ALBUQUERQUE.  I GUESS THE RECHSTEINER TRAVEL BLOOD FLOWS TRUE IN MY DAUGHTER.

THE COWBOYS IN OATMAN WERE STILL RESTING FROM THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY, BUT THE BURROS WERE IN TOWN.

 

 

THE BOYS ARE THE FIRST COMPANY WE’VE HAD AT SUMMER CAMP IN TWO YEARS, AND KEPT THE PLACE HOPPING DURING THEIR SHORT VISIT.  DIRECT TV WITH THE CARTOON NETWORK, THE Wii GAMES THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM, HIKING THE DESERT, AND THE ALWAYS POPULAR FLUSH THE CAMPER TOILET WITH THE FOOT PEDDLE.

EDDIE FOUND A WAY TO STAY COOL….

 

 

AND WE EACH MADE OUR OWN PIZZA FOR SUPPER……

 

NICE TO SEE AIM STANDING IN FRONT OF OUR WATERFALL MOUNTAIN.

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR ROADTRIP GUYS, AND THANKS FOR THE VISIT !!!

 

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL HAS SEVERAL HOUSE SHOWS AT THE BIG CASINOS ON THE STRIP IN VEGAS. IN ALL THESE YEARS WE’VE NEVER SEEN ONE BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN’T FIT INTO THE BUDGET.

THIS SUMMER THEY ARE HAVING AN INTERNET SALE ON TICKETS FOR FOUR OF THEIR SHOWS.  WE SCORED TWO TICKETS FOR $125 FOR ZUMANITY AT NEW YORK NEW YORK.

THE SHOW IS EROTIC, FUNNY, AND WATCHING THE ACROBATS MAKES YOU THINK OF OLYMPIC ATHLETES.

A LOT OF THE VEGAS SHOWS HAVE RIGID RULES ON PHOTOGRAPHY, AND PICTURES ARE AGAINST THE RULES SO I LEFT MY CAMERA IN THE ROOM.  THEY HAD SOME STUNNING MODELS POSING FOR PHOTOS ON THE WAY INTO THE SHOW, AND I WAS KICKING MYSELF, AND YOU’RE MISSING SOME SEXY CHICKS.

WE DID GET A CHANCE TO HAVE A QUICK BEER WITH PAULIE AND HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO A VISIT FROM HIS SISTER AND MOM.

WE ALSO BROKE WITH TRADITION AND STAYED OUT ON THE STRIP INSTEAD OF DOWNTOWN, NOT A MISTAKE WE WILL BE REPEATING ANYTIME SOON.