Pleep Renames Groundhog Day As Monkeybutt Day

After spending all day yesterday watching the blizzard hit KC and Chicago, Pleep decided he was better equipped than a groundhog in Pennslyvannia to determine how much longer winter would last. He got up early this morning declaring, "It's Monkeybutt Day!  If I see my butt shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter!"   Heading out to the balcony where temperatures were in the mid 60's but it was cloudy, Pleep said he was not seeing his shadow and therefore it would be an early spring.

Pleep's friends on the ground in Kansas City and Chicago sent in pictures and advice.  Galen, our neighbor in KC, reported shoveling as much as a foot of snow and spotted the deer in our backyard where the snow was up to the deer's belly.  Coco, his Yorkie watchdog, spent the day stalking several deer from inside the house.  Chicago was hit very hard and George & Alice were lucky to make it out before the airports all closed.  Terry sent a picture from his house with advice that they stay where they were for now.   There does not appear to be as much snow as the 1967 storm where we were all out of school for several days.  Right now, we are all hoping Pleep is right and it will indeed be an early spring.

For those interested:  The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, the Feast of Jesus' presentation at the temple, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.  Delete pointed out monkeys are not hibernating animals and thus, Cubby Bear should have been the one outside making the prediction. 

Pleep Anxiously Awaits George & Alice's Arrival In Daytona Beach

Pleep is very happy to be safely back in Florida as he watches the blizzard hitting the entire middle section of the country.  With KC hitting sub-zero temps and expecting as much as 2 feet of snow the sun, the warm temps at Daytona are especially attractive.  

What Pleep is most excited about is the arrival of super Packer fan, George tonight.  Pleep has George's lucky hat from the last Super Bowl win by the Packers and is planning on making George wear it all the way until the end of the game.

George went to the recent Bears defeat at Soldiers' Field with Terry and Moon.  He was in full Packer attire from head to toe and all layers.  Terry and Moon on the other hand were a little less obvious in their outer garments.   George commented, "This is nothing compared to my trip to the Ice Bowl in Green Bay.  My beer isn't even freezing."  Of course it could be that having tickets on the club level where they could hang inside at half time was a help.

At this point, we are all tracking the storm and the Delta flights to watch George & Alice's progress.  They have already been rerouted from Chicago to Detroit then into Atlanta and finally Daytona.  It will be time to start an emergency travel novena very soon.

GO PACKERS!! Beat Steelers!

Go Pack! Beat Da Bears! Snow Shoveling S###s!

Pleep was not pleased to see the blizzard hit yesterday.  It started around 1:00 pm and snowed steadily until about 1 or 2 am.  During the first round of shoveling at 6:00 pm, Ed & Peggy dealt with about 2-3" inches.  Plus, to reciprocate our very kind neighbor Galen, who always gets stuck doing our driveway and lawn while we are in FL, we dug him out too.  How nice to wake up this morning to another 5-6".   With temps hovering around 10 degrees (that -12 for the Celsius crowd), needless to say, there were many comments about Florida, sand, and having our heads examined.  

The snow drifts in and around the neighborhood are pretty high now.  With more snow expected this weekend and early next week, we are not sure where to put it all.   The City Of Olathe has not yet made it out to plow and when that happens we are certain to have even more stacked up around the front of the house.  Pleep was wishing his buddy from Guernsey, Dan Carvill, could have been around to help shovel and then build snow forts.

All this crazy winter weather is really making us gear up for the big game - Green Bay Packers versus their nemesis, da Chicago Bears.  In anticipation of the big game, Pleep wanted to refresh everyone's memory and practice the Green Bay fight song:

Hail, hail the gang's all here to yell for you,
And keep you going in your winning ways,
Hail, hail the gang's all here to tell you too,
That win or lose, we'll always sing your praises Packers;
Go, you Packers, go and get 'em,
Go, you fighting fools upset 'em,
Smash their line with all your might,
A touchdown, Packers, Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight!
On, you Green and Gold, to glory,
Win this game the same old story,
Fight, you Packers,
Fight, and bring the bacon home to Old Green Bay.
- - - by Eric Karll, 1931

Delta Strands Us Again; Pleep Stuck At The Beach

Starting on Sunday night, we started seeing information about the approaching storm due to hit Kansas, Tennessee, Atlanta, the Carolinas, etc.  Based on our experience with Delta canceling everything at Christmas, we expected the worst and were rewarded.  First, before the first flake hit, was the announcement that everything was canceled on Monday.  It all went downhill from there.  After giving up trying to rebook on line, via Iphone and IPad apps all through Delta's crack (read that cracked) system, we gave up and headed over to Daytona Beach International Airport.  The good news for us was Delta actually had someone at the desk and there was no one in line.  The local Delta agent was extremely helpful (a pleasant surprise) and eventually managed a re-booking for Wednesday by taking us out of Orlando through Memphis and back to KC.  

Pleep stayed at the condo and monitored the KC weather - subzero temps, wind and snow.  From Pleep's perspective, hanging out for a bit longer on the beach seems like a very good idea.  It allowed us to take an additional trip one of our favorite locals, The Festhaus, surfer bar where last night we ran into a couple from Heidelberg, Germany.  They were in because of the large array of German beers on tap.  It made for a very interesting clientele last night for the Auburn Oregon game.

For what is likely our last day on the beach (until the return on 25 Jan), Pleep's plan is to head to the Deck Down Under.  He thinks Ed needs to enjoy the day and prepare for the shoveling task awaiting him at home tomorrow night.  With over 6" of snow, winds and the sub-zero temps, the driveway will likely be more than knee deep with drifts. The decision to return does make one question one's sanity. 

Pleep & Stan Work Hard To Repair Defective Stanley Furniture

Pleep was very unhappy about the defective dresser we received from Stanley Furniture.  There were many manufacturing defects and quality issues: drawer with staples sticking out, one drawer that would not open/close at all, improperly cured drawers that were sticking terribly, etc.  The Stanley Furniture people were no help in resolving the issues so Pleep decided to bring in his own expert, Stanley Ritter, master woodworker.  Pleep commented, "We couldn't wait for George to show up and help because he can only supervise.  Plus, there would have been a lot more trips to the hardware store."

The first thing Stanley did was head to the hardware store with one of the small drawers.  There he spent a lot of time looking at his options.  He finally settled on sanding blocks and sanding paper as being the best option.  This option requires a lot more time and patience but, according to Stanley, "It gives me the most control and insures I end up with a level result."  He also had to choose stain and buy beeswax. 

Heading back to the condo, Stanley spent the next several days working on the dresser.  He pounded the staples in and restained the grooves they had made in the wood.  After lots of sanding, he was able to taper the edge on the one drawer so that it would actually close.  This was followed by two coats of stain.  Finally, he applied beeswax to all the runners, edges etc. This helps the drawers operate smoothly and prevents the absorption of moisture.  Now, thanks to his efforts, all our future guests will have a very nice, functional dresser in the guest bedroom.  Pleep has resolved to "NEVER, NEVER buy any furniture from Stanley again!"

Pleep's Favorite Hardware Store Adventure

When Pleep heard Stan and Ed discussing the need to head to the local hardware store, he really perked up.  Pleep's favorite hardware store adventure stories all involve HOC, George, ax handles and pubs.  Growing up the Heidkamp children spent many vacations at the O'Connor log cabin in Abrams, Wisconsin.  Being a very old log cabin, there was always something in need of repair.  Plus the fireplace and wood burning stove required lots of firewood to keep things warm inside.  There were several axes used to chop kindling and split logs.  HOC was less than skilled at this chore which meant it was common to end up with a broken ax handle.  

The best place to get a new ax handle was the hardware store in Oconto Falls.  There was also a nice IGA grocery store there where provisions could be obtained.  The sequence of events would typically run along these lines: After breaking the ax handle, HOC would come into the cabin looking for George.  He always timed his entry while GOC was in the outhouse.  "George, we have to head to town for an ax handle.  Want to join me and can I have the keys?"  Having experienced HOC's driving skills, George would naturally volunteer to be the driver.  Coming out of the outhouse, GOC would see the car start to leave and holler, "Hughie you better be right back. Plus, bring back some eggs."

The trip into town didn't take that long.  First, into the hardware store where the array of ax handles was impressive.  The experts there would select the best one and offer to put it on for HOC.  HOC always thought that was a grand idea; "George, let's head next store to the pub while we wait for them to fix the ax."  Being an agreeable guy, George thought it was a good way to spend the time.  

After several hours, they would find their way back to the hardware store to reclaim the ax.  By that time, HOC was not very steady on his feet but he always remembered to also stop by the IGA to pick up the eggs.  Heading home, HOC would discuss how to explain the lengthy trip to GOC.  "George, I think we better stop at a few more towns to make certain we have the story straight."  

Finally arriving back at the cabin with the newly repaired ax and several dozen broken eggs, HOC would enter the cabin singing, "Please release me, let me go...." He felt this was a sure way to get back in GOC's good graces.  George thought the best course of action was to head to couch and hang out with the troops.

As we got older, we were allowed to join HOC & George on the trips to the hardware store.  On one of these adventures, Terry and HOC stopped at a local establishment on the way back where there was a new litter of golden labs.  HOC thought it would be a good idea for Terry to acquire one.  Terry agreed and ended up taking Domer back home as a present for Sue.

Pleep On Whale Watch

Each winter, female right whales migrate to the region from Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy to give birth, often accompanied by young whales. Their path takes them right down the coast past Daytona Beach, known as the Right Whale Maternity ward. Earlier this week, one whale strayed briefly into the Ponce Inlet before correcting course and heading back out to sea.  Area whale watchers also took to their boats to help one two year old whale who had become tangled in fishing rope.  They were successful in removing some ropes and cutting others.

Pleep has signed up to be a volunteer whale spotter.  He figured all his experience spotting the dolphins in the inter-coastal off The Deck Down Under would give him a leg up on other volunteers.  He has appointed Cubby and Delete to help, explaining, "Why should I have to hold up the binoculars all day when I can make use of Delete's antlers?"  The whale hotline is in full operation awaiting calls about whale sightings or whales in need of help. Right whales are an endangered species with only 300-400 whales remaining.  In the whale workshops, the Marineland biologist explained that information is relayed to ships in the area as part of an effort to minimize collisions between the ships and the whales.