Minnesota State Fair - de gustibus non disputandum

There is no argument about tastes when it comes to the Minnesota State Fair -- you will find just about every expression of tastes known in every corner of the world.

Jan and I attended the Minnesota State Fair on September 4 and 5, 2009 and decided to try some favorite Fair foods and some new ones. Pictured above you will find us munching on deep fried pickle slices, one of the new tastes. We also enjoyed battered cheese curds (both white and yellow Cheddar), hot dogs on a stick (Pronto Pups with flour batter, beef and wild rice corn dogs with corn flour batter), gelato, apples and honey taffy. The foregoing are on-the-go foods; in addition we enjoyed hamburgers and chicken wraps with fries and chips at dinner with my sister, Barbara and her husband, Jim, and on Saturday, bratwurst and kraut.

We passed over a whole lexicon of other available tastes, from hot dish on a stick to deep-fried candy bars, from elk burgers to spaghetti to meat balls on a stick, from Spam curds to deep-fried banana splits. There is no way to sample all of these delights in just two days.

Beyond the fun we had with the culinary excursions, we visited almost every corner of the fairgrounds under beautiful blue skies with moderate temperatures. The highlight of Friday evening was the grandstand show featuring the taping of this week's edition of "The Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor and ensemble. The show was great (including an audience sing-along during intermission) and ended with always-appreciated fireworks display.

On Sunday, September 6 we will begin the trek back to New Jersey, celebrating Labor Day on the road. And who knows what new tastes await on the journey back?

Vacation 2009 - Part II

After two uneventful travel days from New Jersey to Minnesota, we headed north to our place on Hammal Lake in Aitkin County. With us were my brother, Leonard, and his wife, Jolene, and my daughter, Alissa, and her husband, Allen Streitz. (Pictured above on my brother's pontoon boat is Leonard, Jan, and Allen in the back seat) We spent 2 1/2 days fishing, feasting and just relaxing.

Fishing from a pontoon boat is luxurious. It is stable, so one can stand, walk around, or sit without any threat of it tipping. One can bring extra gear, tackle and clothing without feeling crowded. The general modus operendi was to troll -- moving slowly by motor around the lake with fishing lines attached to lures and trailing behind. As a fish takes the lure, one reels it in, shows it off, removes it from the lure and returns it to the lake. This "catch and release" method maximizes the fun and minimizes the work.

Jan and I had great success. We caught and released at least 30 fish each during the 2 1/2 day period. Most were pickerel, but I caught one bass and Jan caught one perch. My biggest thrill was hooking a small pickerel and discovering, as I reeled it in, that a much larger pickerel had grabbed it. Just as I was to lift both into the boat, the smaller one shed the hook and dropped back into the lake, still firmly in the jaws of the larger one.

That part of the vacation is complete. Tomorrow -- the Minnesota State Fair!

End of a great vacation

The past two days have been spent in Yellowstone National Park. It is even more beautiful than I remember. We managed to pack the two days with a whirlwind of sights, sounds and, yes, smells.

Wednesday was largely devoted to the geysers and other volcanic-action sites -- Old Faithful, of course, but also hot springs, bubbling mud pots and vents emitting the rotten-egg smell that is a hallmark of the park. We stayed at the Canyon Lodge and joined an evening presentation in the outdoor amphitheater by a National Park ranger.

Thursday was devoted to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the amazing waterfalls, the northern Tower Fall and several trails up and down the falls areas, giving us better views of the falls action. The evening was spent on a three-hour Yellowstone bus tour watching and finding some of the wildlife that inhabit the park.

Friday is home travel. (This is the first time I am able to add to the blog. I did have Internet connection in the park using my Verizon MiFi. The speed was slow, so I devoted the time to business matters.)

After some time to organize the photos, I'll publish a link to a gallery of the trip. Stay tuned!

Some things never change

In a way, the vacation Jan and I are taking is a drive back in time. My family made several trips West, both through the Black Hills of South Dakota and to Yellowstone Park.

One of the enduring icons of South Dakota is Wall Drug, an ever-growing complex just off the highway, which has been there forever. Here are two pictures, almost 60 years apart. Wall Drug and its buffalo remain the same. In the black and white photo is my Dad holding my sister Barbara, my brother Leonard and me.

Tomorrow, Yellowstone Park!

A Wedding Meditation

Becca and Jake, it is a wonderful and special privilege to share your wedding day with you. I believe that I can speak for all of us to say that we are so glad that you found each other and are sealing that relationship today in this ceremony where we are all witnesses.

The lesson that you chose to have Sarah read [Ecclesiastes 4:9-12] says a lot about how you value each other. “Two are better than one… one will lift up the other.” The writer of Ecclesiastes was something of a pessimist – he is most remembered for writing that all is vanity and chasing the wind – there is nothing new under the sun.” Yet even he was able to see the value of a mutual relationship such as you have – that indeed, two are better than one.

My wish for you today is that you will always value that mutual relationship. The wedding ceremony that we are using has something of an odd construct: I didn’t ask “Do you take this man… do you take this woman…” Instead, I asked “Will you take this man to be your husband… will you take this woman to be your wife”. “Do” can imply a sort of passive, go-with-the-flow attitude; “will” implies a determination from within to value each other in your mutual relationship. That’s the attitude which will go a long way for making a strong marriage.

Becca, in your blog “Longhorn Lucy”, you wrote: “I am excited that I found a great man to marry, and I'm excited to see all of our hard work and planning all put together.” Jake, I would bet that you have a similar feeling about Becca. May it always be so, that your mutual hard work, that your mutual lifting each other up, that your mutual caring for each other, will always prove that “two are better than one.”

Fort Snelling: A 19th Century Frontier Outpost

We spent Friday doing some sight-seeing. Our first stop was the Fort Snelling State Park, which includes the historic fort which stood on the bluff overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The lower-level park has some beautiful walking and biking trails and a modern interpretive center/gift shop/comfort station. From there we hiked up the steep trail to the fort.

Built around 1820 the fort served as peace-keeper, commerce center and Indian affairs monitor. The restored area is well preserved and, when open, features an enthusiastic corps of docents in historical dress, many of whom address visitors in the vernacular of the period. We saw soldiers, officers, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, cooks and one schoolmarm who gave us to know why the fort was important for the settlement of the Northwest Territory. The picture shows Jan atop the round tower overlooking the parade grounds and post buildings.

Later we shifted to the 21st century for lunch at Johnny Rocket's counter at the Mall of America. We even helped the economy a bit in several of the mall stores before heading back to the hotel for a swim. The trip to Red Wing for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner completed a great day.

"Church Basement Ladies 2"

The vacation is in G-force mode. We made the trip from Newark to Minneapolis with minutes to spare as we changed planes in Chicago. The car was ready for us at the Hertz Gold Card desk after only a few minutes delay. Our room was ready at the Hampton Inn in Egan, the Internet connection was working, and we unpacked quickly so we could get on with the rest of the day.

After dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant, we picked up my daughter in Apple Valley and headed for the Plymouth Theatre for the performance of "Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping". This is little theater at its best Minnesota brand of humor -- a series of vignettes in the life of the faithful kitchen crew of a little Minnesota Lutheran church, somewhere near Lake Wobegon for sure. The more you know about Minnesota, the more delicious are the jokes.

Today includes the wedding rehearsal for tomorrow's big day. More to come...

On the road again

Tomorrow morning we launch for our next little vacation which will take us first to St. Paul, MN where I will preside at the wedding of my niece, Rebecca, as she becomes Mrs. Jake Good. This will be the second niece's wedding in as many years, an honor I did not anticipate, but one I thoroughly enjoy.

After the wedding on Saturday, July 11, the following day will be spent catching up with family news -- from my sister, the mother of the bride, my brother, second sister and many of their families' members who will be attending. On Monday, we head for South Dakota and Mount Rushmore, on Tuesday we drive on to Cody, WY, and Wednesday we reach Yellowstone Park. On Friday we fly back to New Jersey.

On this trip I am taking not only the laptop but also my Verizon "MiFi" which is supposed to connect me to the Verizon 3G network wherever such is available. All readers will be the first to know if this works as promised.

More to come...

Cataract Surgery - Day 2

Early the day after the surgery I had an appointment with the ophthamologist/surgeon.

Her assistant led me to an examining room and removed the eye patch and bandage. Now was the moment of "the reveal".

I remember blinking a couple of times and realizing that I could really see! Not only could I see, but I could see well!

The assistant gave me the standard eye-chart exam. She didn't tell me what exactly were the results, reminding me that it took several weeks for things to settle, but seemed pleased. Then she asked me to look at her white jacket, first with the left eye covered, then the right eye covered. This was a revelation: the repaired eye was seeing a white that was brilliant, the right eye, still to be fixed, was seeing something slightly off-white and more subdued. It was amazing to think of what I had been missing!

After a thorough overview of the after-care schedule, including three kinds of eye drops administered at varying times during the course of the day, the ophthamologist entered.

She reviewed the assistant's notes, pronounced that I was "doing well", and proceeded to test the eye for pressure. Finding the pressure too high, she adjusted it with what appeared to be a tiny syringe. After going over once more the after-care regimen, she placed on my face a large pair of sunglasses with side panels for protection against debris when outside, and sent me home.

Walking out the door, seeing colors I hadn't seen before, even while wearing the sunglasses, was just plain thrilling. Thanks be to God!

Cataract Surgery - June 9

The day finally arrived for the surgery.

At 7:00 a.m. we arrived at the Somerset Eye Intitute. After the usual exchange of insurance cards and Patients' Rights Notices and a short wait, I was invited to follow the nurse to get a surgical gown, bonnet and booties. Then came the indentification bracelet, a red dot over the eye to treated and name tag. After being thus decked out, I followed the nurse into the pre-op room to be seated in a huge lounge chair with feet elevated.

The next step was blood-pressure cuff, electrodes for EKG and pulse measurement device. Then came the first round of many eye drops to begin dilating the pupil. Finally the anesthesiologist with several shots do relax me and numb the eyeball. When all was ready, I was escorted into the operating room.

Seated in a large chair, I was tilted to a reclining position and a mask was placed over the left eye, obscuring the right eye's vision also. From there I could only hear the approach of the surgeon, the short directives given to the attending staff, and feel the distant sensation of something being done to the eye. The procedure took only about 20 minutes. The surgeon announced that she was done, the eye was covered with a bandage and protective shield, and I was escorted back to the pre-op room. The gown, hat, booties and shunt were removed and shortly I was walking back to the waiting room ready to go home and rest.

In all, the "adventure" was very well managed by a competent staff and skilled surgeon. When the second eye is treated at the end of July, I will have far less apprehension. Thanks be to God!

Preparing for Cataract Surgery

I've known this was coming for quite a while.

I first noticed it, while sitting in the sanctuary of Christ Church listening to the Gospel being read on a Sunday morning. The nave spotlights had developed halos. Later, after retirement, when driving in the evening, the oncoming car headlights developed halos and even auras.

Finally, my Wayne, NJ, ophthamologist confirmed that I had developed a dense cataract in my left eye and that the right eye was not far behind. She recommended that I find a local ophthamologist to take over my care and especially the after-care.

I'm now committed to having the cataract in the left eye removed and a lens implanted on June 9th. The steps leading up to this have been interesting.

Today, for instance, I had my eyeballs measured to determine what correction the implant would provide. The procedure was done using sonar -- a small cylinder was placed on the eyeball, filled with an aqueous solution which conducted the sonar impulses to determine the size. After getting that reading and measuring the astigmatism in each eye, the physician has determined what corrective strength to use.

This test was followed by one to determine the topography of the cornea. The resultant "map" will also help determine how much astigmatism can be eliminated.

This preparation has helped reduce the apprehension level a good bit. Some remains, of course, with which I have to deal. My eyesight is important, even precious. I am putting my faith and trust in the hands of a capable surgeon and praying for success for both of us.

More to come, later....

MiFi

I'm sitting atop a hill overlooking High Bridge with no wireless network in sight, but I'm able to post this message using Verizon's MiFi. Both the computer and the wireless card (which creates a mobile hot-spot) are battery-powered. This is an amazing way to "cut the cord"!

Archbishop Tutu at University of North Carolina

On Sunday, May 10, 2009 Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the speaker at the Commencement exercises at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I captured the first few minutes of his speech with the Sony Webbie HD.

Thank goodness for OnStar

Today we are in Washington, DC for Jan's god-son, Fletcher Fernau's Honors Convocation, part of his graduation weekend at American University. In the photo is Jan and the Fernaus -- Mark, Gwen, Fletcher and Melissa. After the ceremony in which he received the medal he wears in the photo, we had a great dinner at an Italian restaurant.

On the way back from the restaurant, our way down Wisconsin Avenue was blocked by emergency equipment. We had to turn around and figure out how to get below the area to come back up to the hotel. It's dark. Washington is not laid out in neat rectangles and the whole area is a maze. After several attempts, we finally called on OnStar. And in ten minutes, we were safely back, guided turn by turn by voice command. It's a life-saver!

Finally, the Sun!

It's been a cool, wet Spring with almost daily showers. Finally the sun has made an appearance, just in time to let me get a picture of the beautiful dogwood before its blooms disappear. Enjoy!

On the road again

Within the next two days a mountain of details will have to be flattened so that we can leave for Washington, DC to atend Jan's godson's honors ceremonies at American University. Then we travel on to Chapel Hill, NC for her niece's MBA graduation there. Time to get moving...