Wow, what a football stadium our Golden Gophers have. I went to the opener with the idea to keep an open mind, just letting the experience play out for whatever it was worth. It was grand. Except, (you knew there had to be an “except”) when Goldie Gopher fired up the T-shirt shooter. What a disappointment. Even if the T-shirts were a heavy cotton/polyester blend. When Goldie squeezed off a round it barely made it up 10 rows. Look, if you are going to shoot a T-shirt.  SHOOT A T-SHIRT.  For us folks sitting up where the air is thin, we need some power. I was sitting up so high, when the F-16’s flew by, the pilot opened his canopy and gave me a high five on his way by.  I was thinking along the lines of The Air Powered Pumpkin Chunkers.  Perfect, only in a hand held model for ease of use of course. I want that thing to kick like a mule and bark like a dog.  Hit me now! When Goldie shoulders that T-shirt torpedo tube, I want the lower levels to tremble in fear, unless of course they are wearing flak jackets.  The cheerleaders could all have air tanks mounted on their uniforms. Other than that, it was an excellent experience.

We have a new record. Never in my life has there been a summer where we have attended so many graduation parties.  Having attended such a large number, I feel I am now a bit of an expert on attending graduation parties. So I am here to offer useful advice. If you should be attending more than one a day, especially if they are back to back, don’t eat too much at the first. I made this terrible mistake, and upon arrival at the 2nd open house, was traumatized by the fact that pasta was on the menu. The only problem was, I had hit the buffet table pretty hard at the first event. So much so, all I could do at the second was slam down ice cold keg root beer (4 glasses), Tragic.  If you are giving a gift of money to the graduate, and have many open house to attend, be sure you have an excellent credit rating. You will need it to obtain a home equity loan to cover all the checks you will be writing. And finally, if you are ride sharing to these special events, be sure you are the one to drive. I can honestly say we had a great time at every open house, but when it’s time to leave, it’s time to leave. It would be a tragedy to be stuck outside when its 103 degree heat index and your sister in law is talking to great Aunt Claudia about Uncle Cletus’s third grand nephew, and you don’t have control of the vehicle that got you there. I have found that a simple dangle of the car keys in their sight line is all that is needed. With that, congratulations graduates, one and all.  I’m still bummed out about missing that pasta though. You will dig this graduates!

Check out this article! This is just the kind of thing I always wanted to invent, buy my knowledge of rocket power is somewhat limited. I’d ride it though. When we were kids riding our mini bikes with 6hp Tecumseh’s (at least mine was a 6 horse) this is what we were dreaming about. Ride on Rocket Man, Ride on.

GM is in bankruptcy. It is now Government Motors.  If you read enough, some analysts believe this will enable the company to grow and come out of bankruptcy stronger. I sure hope so, being that I am a walking billboard for GM products. We presently have 5 in the driveway.  We have always said that we drive our cars till the wheels fall off, and that’s the problem. I guess a good problem to have. These vehicles last a long time. We have a 96 and a 97 that the kids are driving, then an 03 and a couple 04’s. Obviously, I think they make a great product, that’s why we keep buying them. I just hope the new GM makes them like the old GM. If so, I’ll probably buy another one in 8 or 9 years, that is if mine every wear out.

This does not a good trend make. Well, maybe it’s not a trend, but now my suspicions have been raised. Reading stories like this really frost my cookies. If a simple fish dinner is now a scam at numerous locations, what’s next? Business owners may wonder why consumers get a little curious about what really goes on behind the counter. Its stories like these that make us wonder if there is really beef in our hamburger. That is one of the many reasons I like Spam. I know its pork shoulder and ham slammed in a can, and it’s made right here.  

It was nice to see all of you last week at The GFO. We were camped out in downtown White Bear Lake, across the sidewalk from The Washington Square Bar and Grill. We used their electricity. A very kind and generous group of people. I would highly recommend stopping in. I did talk to a few people who were actually going to hit White Bear for the opener. Hit, may be the proper term. The lake is so low, the big rock piles are sticking out of the water now. I’ve written about the lake level in earlier posts. The best line has to go to the guys at Nelson Marine. My brother and I were at their shop a couple weeks before the opener. When I asked them if they would be taking part in the fun, they said they wanted to troll the lake towing a huge sign “Nelson Marine, quality prop and skeg repair” Nice touch. I hope your fishing opener was better than our old buddy Bill Dance’s.

I’ve been so busy making birthday cake for our birthday bash at The X with Elton and Billy. Stop by The River Center on 5-5 and have a bite.

Finally, this is what Minnesotan’s need for all season travel. From the video, it sounds like the thing will make you go deaf. Small price to pay for the “go anywhere guy” I wonder if it comes in screaming banana yellow with a black racing strip. Thanks again to Dr. Dave for the contribution

We, as a nation, will be fine. We will overcome the economic slowdown. We may have a few bumps in the road, but we will make it. How do I know this? Because some guy built a 36 foot scale replica Saturn 5 rocket, launched it in a field, watched it soar into the air and then watched it float back to earth. It is this abundance of effort and imagination that will help us overcome any obstacle. It’s not just a rocket. It’s a reassuring symbol of the creativity and hard work American’s do every day. Thanks to my friend Steve for sending me this, and making it a better day.

Some things a brother just has to share. We talk about this site on air a bit. This Is Why You’re Fat. From the Mega Burger to The McSurf n’ Turf, there are some gastrointestinal delights here. I have a new favorite. The Bacon Cinnamon Roll. Yeahhh Babay! Breakfast is on ME!