"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

[DocJekl]

I'm having a real hard time. At first it was just getting thru the gut punch of the news, planning and scrambling to trip back home, dealing with funeral and getting back home. But now, back at work and back home I think it's starting to really sink in....

I hate that to me, it was so sudden
So unexpected

In hindsight, I know he was struggling for a long time. More than I realized. So it wasn't really a surprise..

I hate that my stepmother was telling my wife how bad things were and she was trying to tell me .. gently
But what they were saying didn't line up with what he was saying to me or letting me know.

I hate the realization that ...there is no more Sunday calls, no more teasing about his jets being terrible
No more ..any of it

That, I suppose is true for everyone, that their father has always been a larger than life figure. We all know and we all say stuff like...we won't be here forever
But we kinda expect him to be

And I hate that it's sinking in that ...he's gone
I didn't even get to say goodbye
Not really

I know it's hard, and I lost my father 15 years ago - he lived across the country, and we had not seen each other for a while too, just the phone calls. It does hurt less with more time, but when it happens it feels like the whole world drops out from under you. What's important is that you loved each other, and to have faith that he is in a better place and not suffering now.

 

[Wharn]

So sorry for your loss. Hang in there.

 

[Jakeywax31]

Again sorry for your loss. Just keep talking and we will listen.

 

[Rookie82]

In those lonely times, surround yourself with love from others. Loneliness can be very hard on your mind. Make sure to keep close contact with your family and friends who will give you the shoulder to cry on that you may need right now.

 

[jackknife]

I'm having a real hard time. At first it was just getting thru the gut punch of the news, planning and scrambling to trip back home, dealing with funeral and getting back home. But now, back at work and back home I think it's starting to really sink in....

I hate that to me, it was so sudden
So unexpected

In hindsight, I know he was struggling for a long time. More than I realized. So it wasn't really a surprise..

I hate that my stepmother was telling my wife how bad things were and she was trying to tell me .. gently
But what they were saying didn't line up with what he was saying to me or letting me know.

I hate the realization that ...there is no more Sunday calls, no more teasing about his jets being terrible
No more ..any of it

That, I suppose is true for everyone, that their father has always been a larger than life figure. We all know and we all say stuff like...we won't be here forever
But we kinda expect him to be

And I hate that it's sinking in that ...he's gone
I didn't even get to say goodbye
Not really

It's a long process to absorb and deal with and accept. But it does happen. It may be a slow process, but by degrees it does get better. go ahead and think of the good times you had, and count yourself lucky that you had time with him at all. He could have been a bad father, absent most of the time, but it sounds like he wasn't. So go ahead and relive moments in your head. Carry something of his daily. When my dad passed, I was carrying his old peanut around in my pocket and I'd slide a hand in and worry stone it while thinking of some bit of wisdom he gave me. His old Cross pen was clipped in my shirt pocket and Used it at work daily. Sometimes when faced with a problem, I'd do the 'what would dad do'. Sometimes like a series of flashbacks, I could see him solving some little problem of life.

So much of what we are, and who we are, is from our fathers. We have to go ahead and carry them along in our hearts and minds. He's always gonna be there, and as long as you keep him in mind, he's not really gone. Only a thought away.

 

[sf fanatic]

Why I hate bureaucrats.

Rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina often caused residents to be
challenged to prove home titles back hundreds of years. That is because
of community history stretching back over two centuries during which
houses were passed along through generations of family, sometimes making it quite difficult to establish a paper trail of ownership.

---

A New Orleans lawyer sought a FHA rebuilding loan for a client. He was told the loan would be granted upon submission of satisfactory proof of ownership of the parcel of property as it was being offered as collateral. It took the lawyer 3 months, but he was able to prove title to the property dating back to 1803. After sending the information to the FHA, he received the following reply.

(Actual reply from FHA)
"Upon review of your letter adjoining your client's loan application, we note that the request is supported by an Abstract of Title. While we compliment the able manner in which you have prepared and presented the application, we must point out that you have only cleared title to the proposed collateral property back to 1803. Before final approval can be accorded, it will be necessary to clear the title back to its origin."

And here is the great letter the lawyer responded with:

(Actual response from lawyer ):
"Your letter regarding title in Case No.189156 has been received. I note that you wish to have proof of title extended further than the 206 years already covered in the present application.

I was unaware that any educated person in this country, particularly those working with real property, would not know that Louisiana was purchased by the United States from France in 1803, the year of origin of title identified in our application. For the edification of uninformed FHA bureaucrats, the title to the land prior to U.S. ownership was obtained from France, which had acquired it by Right of Conquest from Spain.

The land came into the possession of Spain by Right of Discovery made in the year 1492 by a sea captain named Christopher Columbus, who had been granted the privilege of seeking a new route to India by the Spanish monarch, Queen Isabella.

The good Queen Isabella, being a pious woman and almost as careful about titles as the FHA, took the precaution of securing the blessing of the Pope before she sold her jewels to finance Columbus's expedition.

Now the Pope, as I'm sure you may know, is the emissary of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God, it is commonly accepted, created this world.



Therefore, I believe it is safe to presume that God also made that part of the world called Louisiana. God, therefore, would be the owner of origin and His origins date back to before the beginning of time, the world as we know it, and the FHA.

I hope you find God's original claim to besatisfactory. Now, may we have our damn reconstruction loan?"

The loan was immediately approved. Not only is this one of the best e-mails, it is a great history lesson.

 

[5K Qs]

Why I hate bureaucrats.

That's a fun story!
Like many of the good stories, however, it may not be completely true. Apparently, it's been kicking around in one form or another since the 1930s; in 2008, the lawyer was said to have been Barak Obama.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/land-grab-2/
(Or, maybe Snopes are dopes! )

- GT

 

[meako]

Dont worry..even if he did plagiarise anothers work he got paid....but you gotta love bureaucrats...none of them seem know what their actual job is....and 4 different people will give you 4 different answers...In this country presently Im hearing that obscene amounts of Bushfire Recovery Grant money has gone astray.Too many people still residing in emergency accomodation 2 years on....not what you know but who you know and how to write convincing grant applications.

 

[knarfeng]

From New Orleans, to Down Under. "Bureaucracy" is universally a term for "SNAFU".

"SNAFU" is extremely apt, being that it's actually an acronym instead of a word. I've had to teach most of the younger engineers, and a fair number of the older ones, the military derivation of the word. Situation Normal: All F'ed Up. In polite company F = "Fouled". On the shop floor another word is more commonly used.

Carry on.

 

[Rsmith_77]

As a vet...I always preferred BOHICA
Which IS related

 

[btb01]

Today we went down to watch the Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby. This was our second time going (I posted about it here last year, as well.) The race starts in downtown Excelsior, MN before heading out onto the lake, where the teams do two laps of a 20 mile trail, then finish back in Excelsior. The 40 mile race is relatively short for a dog sled race.

The route this year was identical to last year’s, except they ran it in the opposite direction.

The weather today wasn't as cold as last year (the temperature was 9° when we got there this morning, but there was minimal wind, and it warmed up to 20° by noon). This meant the girls had a more enjoyable time and were able to watch several of the teams start.

While you do see some interesting winter fashion here in Minnesota, it’s not often you spot two grown men wearing fur coats. (No offense to any grown men here who wear a fur coat, it’s just not a look I’d go for myself.)

We walked down towards the lake and watched some more of the teams. There was a large field of 35 teams this year (last year there were 22).

The team seen here, led by Dave Hochman from Manitoba wearing bib number 26, ended up winning the race with a time of 2h 39m 5s and an average speed of 14.3 mph. He was also the winner of last year’s race.

Here’s one of the teams heading out onto the ice.

After all 35 teams had started the race (they take off in approximately 2 minute intervals), we headed back to the truck. Scout had just about had her fill of excitement for the morning.

After dropping my wife and Scout back at the house, Eleanor and I headed out to find a spot to watch some of the race out on the lake. This proved a little tricky due to the reversed direction of this year’s race. The spot I had watched from last year was now near the beginning of the 20 mile loop, rather than the end, and by the time we headed that way, some of the early teams had already passed that point for the second and final time. Thankfully we found another spot.

We saw the winning team again.

And Eleanor got comfortable while watching the teams go by.

Last year I went back to downtown Excelsior and watched some of the teams finish, but by the time we were done out on the lake, Eleanor had also hit her limit, so we called it a day.

 

[Jack Black]

Today we went down to watch the Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby. This was our second time going (I posted about it here last year, as well.) The race starts in downtown Excelsior, MN before heading out onto the lake, where the teams do two laps of a 20 mile trail, then finish back in Excelsior. The 40 mile race is relatively short for a dog sled race.

The route this year was identical to last year’s, except they ran it in the opposite direction.

The weather today wasn't as cold as last year (the temperature was 9° when we got there this morning, but there was minimal wind, and it warmed up to 20° by noon). This meant the girls had a more enjoyable time and were able to watch several of the teams start.

While you do see some interesting winter fashion here in Minnesota, it’s not often you spot two grown men wearing fur coats. (No offense to any grown men here who wear a fur coat, it’s just not a look I’d go for myself.)

We walked down towards the lake and watched some more of the teams. There was a large field of 35 teams this year (last year there were 22).

The team seen here, led by Dave Hochman from Manitoba wearing bib number 26, ended up winning the race with a time of 2h 39m 5s and an average speed of 14.3 mph. He was also the winner of last year’s race.

Here’s one of the teams heading out onto the ice.

After all 35 teams had started the race (they take off in approximately 2 minute intervals), we headed back to the truck. Scout had just about had her fill of excitement for the morning.

After dropping my wife and Scout back at the house, Eleanor and I headed out to find a spot to watch some of the race out on the lake. This proved a little tricky due to the reversed direction of this year’s race. The spot I had watched from last year was now near the beginning of the 20 mile loop, rather than the end, and by the time we headed that way, some of the early teams had already passed that point for the second and final time. Thankfully we found another spot.

We saw the winning team again.

And Eleanor got comfortable while watching the teams go by.

Last year I went back to downtown Excelsior and watched some of the teams finish, but by the time we were done out on the lake, Eleanor had also hit her limit, so we called it a day.

Fantastic pics and report Barrett, what a great day!

 

[meako]

Wow Barrett...what an event...but wait...that lead hound in thev3rd pic....is that Dire Wolf?

 

[redsparrow]

Barrett, good post! Thanks for braving the cold and the crowds to share that interesting report with us.
Great family outing, I'll be looking forward to next year race.

 

[Jack Black]

I wonder what's happening with the Car On The Ice this year?!

 

[5K Qs]

Today we went down to watch the Lake Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby. This was our second time going (I posted about it here last year, as well.) The race starts in downtown Excelsior, MN before heading out onto the lake, where the teams do two laps of a 20 mile trail, then finish back in Excelsior. The 40 mile race is relatively short for a dog sled race.

The route this year was identical to last year’s, except they ran it in the opposite direction.

...

...

Barrett, I enjoyed your second annual report on the Klondike Dog Derby at least as much as I enjoyed your post last year!
The near lead dog in the photo above has scary eyes!

Strange coincidence: Just after reading your post and studying your map, I went back to reading a novel I started yesterday (John Sandford's Righteous Prey) and came across this sentence to open Chapter Four: The Minnesota murder had taken place on the frozen banks of Lake Minnetonka, in the tiny town of Woodland, covered by police from the neighboring tiny town of Deephaven.
Obviously, the lake and Deephaven are prominent on your map, and I think I can make out Woodland northeast of Deephaven along the road that passes between Wayzata and Grays Bays. Be careful out there!!

- GT

 

[Henry Beige]

Excelsior was part of the regular stomping grounds of my youth, first for Excelsior Amusement Perk, the paradigm against which I judged all subsequent amusement parks, the for Big Reggie’s Danceland, a big old firetrap of a dance hall just across the street from the amusement park. In addition to local bands like Gregory Dee and the Avantis, and the Stompin’ Underbeats, Reggie’s also featured Bill Halley and the Comets and an early, unsuccessful appearance by the Rolling Stones in 1964. The one band we always itched to see was Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, but somehow their legendary show never made it up here out of Iowa.

My stepdaughter was a musher. Her bio father usually squired her to her events, so I only saw her race a couple of time, in venues over on the St. Paul side of town.

 

[TheFactor]

Oops my apologies wrong post and thread

 

[screened porch]

Burt Bacharach dead at 94!
Heck of a run.

 

[Peregrin]

Burt Bacharach dead at 94!
Heck of a run.

I just read that. Tough being married to Angie Dickinson at one time.