Vote Early Free Parking Possibility

Friday morning we headed downtown Milwaukee to the Frank P. Zeidler building to vote early. It must be the only building within miles that has cement lions from Thailand on the stairway.

We parked around the corner and got out to feed quarters to one of the new parking meters.

Drat. There's was a previous quarter jammed in the slot. What to do? We could chance it for 20 minutes. How long will the line be?

We turned around - we just turned around - and a gold city panel truck was just pulling up. I went immediately to talk to the city worker about what to do and oddly enough she was coming to see us. Well, she was coming to fix the meter we were hoping to use.

Ask and ye shall receive. It's amazing when it is so immediate.

I joked about there being a Canadian slug in there and that's exactly what she fished out. A dime or whatever they call them.

Once she cleared the jam she had to test it. She used some of them fine American quarters that had come from the pot and we gots free parking.

I gave her two Thank You and Keep Up the GoodWork cards. She was quite happy about that. She'll give one to Ralph, a 20 year veteran of the department, who is retiring later today.

What a beautiful morning to Vote Early.

Fried Baby Squirrel

The power company will charge you if you've caused a power outage. I imagine they will bill your estate even if you managed - accidentally - to electrocute yourself.

At 3 p.m. last Friday we decided to do some outdoor work. I decided to take down a tree or two. I had not really factored the power lines even though it is obvious that the lines are involved.

At 4 p.m. I called the power company. I'd already done a little cutting anyway.

At 4:45 p.m., on a Friday, through traffic construction, Lenny, the electrical arborist, arrived on the scene.

At 4:50 he informed me of the information above.

At 5 p.m. he'd positioned his bucket truck and started topping trees.
(Fortunately there was an empty parking lot across the fence and under the lines.)

At 5:47 p.m. he found the fried baby squirrel.

At 5:48 p.m. he did not say "I told you so."

It can be a pleasure to watch one man with the proper tools and a couple decades of experience. This was one of those times. He topped those trees like a cake decorator working in butter cream.

At 6:30 p.m. it was getting dark and he was packing up his truck.

What a show. Front row seats. Back stage pass. Free of charge.

All we have to do is clean up the lawn.

If you need help like this it's best to call before you start cutting.

Ask for Lenny.

New Office

Take a gander at my new office.
Lower left - my first assignment - fueling up.
Lower right - the view out my office window.

Yep, I got a gig driving courtesy shuttle for a car dealer.

There's another driver and we split the time. Three days on, 2 off - then 2 on, 3 off, 7a to 5p with a 2 hour lunch. Something like that. Twenty hours a week.

Three days on already, wonderful people and all over town.
Rush hour and construction - not something I am used to, but
what's a mother to do?

Anyway, it leaves plenty of time to get with others as necessary.
Yep, I am still brokering print, doing copy editing, proofing, etc.

And, I am making a plan to rekindle the GoodWorkCards.com thing.

I am looking for introductions to superintendents, principals, teachers,
PTA members and anyone else that sees a benefit to passing along praise.

Who needs a pat on the back? You, too?