Rain...Rain....Go Away Already

I'm getting as annoyed as any farmer who is trying to get wheat out. I want the rain to just stop. It all started with us wondering if we would get the wheat into the ground, now we just want it out of the ground, especially when it looks like this:


On the other hand, I love a good thunderstorm (I just want them to wait until we've got the crop out). So that got me to thinking about my lists again, and got me wondering what the top 3 photographs are that I've got in my collection of pictures. My photo library has over 1350 photos in it, and a few of them are good shots. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the lightning. A power that humans which they could duplicate, or just harness, and we'd never have to worry about power again. We got a pretty good show the other evening, but I'm going back to last year for a few photos, and one more recent.

This photo was taken July 12, 2004 on a storm that rolled through out at the farm.

This photo was from the same storm looking the other direction toward our radio antenna.

I don't know how many photos I took of this night, but this one was one taken at around midnight, even though you cannot tell.

This is not my original photo, but was taken by Alan, and is one of my favorites.

NOTE: This blogger was not in any grave danger while taking these pictures. This blogger is also not encouraging rain, and is always supportive of farmers and the work they do.

The Little League Championships

If you still have time, first pitch tonight is at 6:15 on 1340am KIJV or Dakota Sports Online Page by using the Listen Live link for KIJV. So, this is always a fun point in the year with the little kids, and doing your best to brag each of them up in the booth. My old team is playing, Montgomery Agency, so that will be fun to go back and reminisce. We weren't a championship caliber team when I played, but I was a pretty good Little Leaguer in my day. I'm on tonight, and possibly again tomorrow night with the Minor League Championships. This is kind of the "Season Kickoff" event for me. It might even give me a chance to test out my new code that I've been developing for the past several days and see how it goes. I'm a nerd, I already know. We get to August and the seasons are just constant, or so it seems. So, we wind down summer, and get ready for the "Fall Sports Season" Starting tonight with the Huron Little League Championships on 1340 KIJV, we'll see you on the field!

The Biker, the Truck Driver, the Nerd

I've been deemed a nerd by a certain co-worker because of my recent recreation of some of the station websites. I'm not gonna mention his name, but it does rhyme with Natt Votson. I've made it easier to upload files and get them to people who want them, such as recipes from the Cooking with Jan Page, or maybe some past basketball games from our Game Archive Page. I still listen to some of them again occasionally, and now will start to just to get back into the mood for sports season, which is now 1 month and 4 days away. And, I recently redeveloped the Eseza International's Page. I took over this page after a notice was sent to a friend that this site, which was still registered to her, had copyright violations. So I took over and got it up and running again. Anyhow, I have been excessively excited about getting these pages to work because of the complexity of the code. It looks very simple on the site, but the code and work that I put into it to make it look like that is just unreal. Anyhow, I've been deemed the nerd at work, and probably rightfully so.

Then, there is the truck driver. First time I've done that in a while, but it's harvest time and I help out when possible, especially on the weekends. So, I got into the "new" truck which isn't new, but it's new to us. It's got more power then is necessary, even for pulling the semi and pup at 110,000 pounds. It's still got so much power, you are careful when pulling those trailers around. Kinda like playing with the little toys with the farm set in the basement, it's kinda like having that kind of power. Also, had some shock of the evening. I filled up a semi as we began wheat harvest, and, although, the price of diesel has been dropping like a rock, now down to just $4.56, it was still unreal. I got about 155 gallons in a truck, for a mere $711 dollars. Just another day at work I guess.... And something isn't wrong with the prices of fuel? I'd beg to differ.

And the biker is me all weekend. I'm down to it being my sole mode of transportation other than my feet. I was kind enough to loan out my jetski and blazer for the weekend, so I'm hoping there is no rain, otherwise I'll be stuck somewhere, or staying in the house this weekend.

Sports things that are starting to get old...

Well, all of the sudden, I'm just getting into generating some lists. Here are some sports stories that are getting old.

4. Brett Favre - I would like to get the TV turned on and not see this guy in the news some way. I don't really care if he is coming back, just come find me when football season starts and I might show a hint of interest in what's going on with him.

3. Danica Patrick - Even though this last time she appeared to be correct in her approach and her statements, I'm tired of her constantly going after other drivers for their minor errors. I know, running these cars at high speeds can be dangerous also, but as soon as she wins 5 races in a row and makes 0 mistakes and takes 0 drivers out, I'll have to go back on the statement that she should just drive, and quit calling out other drivers.

2. Government Investigations(even though we haven't had one in a while) - Seriously, we don't need them to be looking into sports, period. The government can hardly run themselves, as least not well. They have the lowest approval rating EVER. I'm not sure what they should do, maybe just go home and wait for the upcoming election before they do more damage.

1. Becky Hammon being dubbed "Unpatriotic" - I first heard of this one in the June 5th post of Living on Liquid. I generally don't follow professional basketball much at all, and the women's game I check Candice Parker every once in a while, just to see what she did. I'm also aware of Becky Hammon, a South Dakota girl who played at RC Central High School. They have a jersey of her's there in the school outside the gym along with Adam Vinatieri's and others. So, she is getting called out by the older folks in women's basketball because she decided, that since she was LEFT OFF the list of 23 girls that would be invited to camp for the Olympic team, she was going to play for Russia, where she has a multi-million dollar contract to play for several seasons there when she isn't playing in the WNBA. She is a citizen there also, and will play for them, drawing huge criticism from people, since after she decided to go play over there, she received an invite to try out for the US team in their expanded 31 girl tryout. I'm here to tell everyone that says she is "Unpatriotic" to just shut the trap. If she wasn't good enough to be on the list of 23 the first time, don't complain, you screwed it up to start with. Secretly, I hope she does extremely well with her team in the Olympics. She's been dubbed a mercenary, so I say, "Go for Gold SD's Mercenary!" I'll just be unpatriotic right along with her.

Another Helpful List

I had another post up, and then took it down and decided to continue my lists instead. Today, I was not wanting to come. My mother, who is convinced that I will die soon because I own a motorcycle, took out a life insurance policy on me. I think it was $2 million in payout, or something like that, but anyhow, to get this, I had to be given nearly a physical, and they had to take blood for tests. Well, I HATE needles, so I didn't want this to happen at all. Well, the rep came and did everything needed, and I was a perfect picture of health. I had lost 20 pounds in the past 2 months and am the lightest I've been in 4 years, and my blood pressure was 110/66. I came out smelling like roses, with no tears from the drawing blood, and I didn't even pass out. Here are the weight loss myths and other questions and comments that I've taken by the horns in my weight loss recently.

1. I cannot eat fast food at all. WRONG. I eat it at least a couple times a week.
2. I cannot have any more salt or soda. WRONG. But, you should try hard for some alternatives.
3. I have to dedicate so much time to exercise, and I don't have time. WRONG. I play softball 2 nights a week, and that's it. Some simple walking would do the trick.
4. I don't want to give up the greasy foods like French Fries. Me either. So I still eat them, only I try to avoid them several times a week, just occasionally.
5. I don't want to eat healthy foods. Well, then you've got a problem, you won't be able to lose much weight.
6. Tyler, would you please be my personal trainer? Yes, but only if the price is right and you'll have to note that I have limited availability.

The Worthless Things that Irritate Me

Last time's list of motorcycle advice was well received, so tonight we go with the Top 6 of Worthless things that I've dealt with here in the past few years.

6.The Guy that bought my Powerbook: This guy tried to take the Powerbook, complain about a defect that I'd never heard of experienced myself being a problem, then let the issue go for a few weeks, take it too a repair shop, and try to send me the bill for $159. I don't think so. I then received a message that I was going to be part of a greivence filed against me for this money. I asked for documented proof, and never got it. It took me only one email to put this issue to rest for good.

5. Internet Explorer: Every time I try to use this browser, at some point, it WILL crash, usually at the point when I've got the most things working, they all crash and I lose all the info I've been working on. I'm not even sure why I've not learned the lesson of just NEVER using this.

4. Hotmail: So, all of the sudden, again, Microsoft is playing with this that doesn't need to be played with. They've "updated" the system to make it newer and better, if you use Internet Explorer. Well, for my thoughts on that, see #4. They don't do anything to help those of us that don't use that browser. And, now when I check the email, I can't REPLY, FORWARD, OR DO MUCH OF ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THESE "UPDATES". Microsoft dropped the ball again, big surprise.

3. Cellular One: When I was in college, they were my cell phone company. Since Minneapolis was out of their coverage area, I had to get the national plan with a whopping 450 minutes, and that was all I could use. So I kept track of the minutes, and when the end of the month came, and I still had 100 minutes left, I'd call home, and talk for an hour and a half. I got the bill for this, $109. Wow. I called customer support stating that I'd been charged twice for the minutes. They put them on the end of the last month's bill, then on the new bill also because, as I was told by their "great" customer service that because I was roaming, the minutes take a few more days to clear. Never mind they were charging me for these minutes twice, they didn't see a problem with that. Well, after 45 minutes of arguing with the manager of this customer service area, she said would take off the minutes this time, but that because I was roaming, I would get charged next time. Well, I had to do this 3 months in a row, even though beyond a shadow of a doubt I was right based on my contract, and they were wrong, I finally saw the light, and dropped them like a bad habit.

2. Chase Credit Cards: This company took my Twins Visa Card that I enjoyed getting rewards back in the form of Twins Tickets or Merchendise, and cancelled it. Not just the card, but they erased all the rewards points I'd saved up, and the certificates I have, are no longer valid. Needless to say, they have NONE of my accounts any longer.

1. Qwest: This company is the King of All That is Worthless. My grandparents recently moved to town. I was told I should help them get the phone set up and the internet ready to roll, and they'd be signed up with Qwest. I cried. Then I heard this amazing story about the set up process. My mom called in and scheduled an installation. Well, they said they could install the phone and internet on Wednesday between 8am and 5pm. Wow. Could you be a little more vague. (Note a slight bit of sarcasm here.) So if it were me, I'd have to take a day off work to wait for this person to come and install my stuff? Right. So, then my mom asks me to go and pickup a cable modem for the internet. So I did, but found they were more expensive than just having Qwest bring one of their own. So, mom called back to get them to bring a modem along. Nope, can't do it. Apparently, Qwest cannot issue two service requests for the same address in the same day, and just picking up a cable modem and bringing it to the install is just too complicated for them to handle. So, I asked mom about price and when I heard the price, I cried again. It was ridiculously high. So I called, and got a price quote of $18.75 for the phone line, which they had to have for 352 prefix. I'm not gonna get into that. So I then called Midcontinent for the internet, and got that signed up with ease. What a comfort that was. Overall, the savings from the package that Qwest was going to give us a "deal" on was around $30. So, we called back to tell them to alternate the work order for the phone and the internet, to just leave off the internet. NOPE, CAN'T DO IT. That would have to be a new work request issued, and you can't do that for the same address on the same day. Then can't even cancel that one, and put a new one back in it's place, it would have to be done on a different day. As soon as I figure out how to get that phone number moved, no more Qwest, because they are the Most WORTHLESS COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY EVER, AT LEAST FOR NOW.

Tips for Future Bikers....

I've found this newfound hobby, and am loving it. If your considering moving into motorcycles, here are a few tips I'd like to offer you.

1. When considering a bike, be sure to get one with enough storage for all the things you will need to take with you. Or, just find a friend that has saddlebags with their bike, and use their storage when traveling.
2. When planning your route you will travel, be sure to plan stops at the appropriate meal times in larger cities with better selection. This way, you can "rest" properly to keep yourself alert.
3. Plan your time properly. Spending an extra 10 minutes enjoying your good meal can pay off in the long run, especially if it gives the sun more time to set when traveling west.
4. Always wear your helmet. It is far less painful when you hit large bugs if they burst on your helmet, not your forehead.
5. Get a good seat with your bike. It will far reduce the amount of time you'll spend waddling around because you're saddle sore.
6. When traveling in a group, if you see a rider in front of you spit something out of their mouth, and you feel moisture quite soon later, consider moving to the front of the pack for a while.
7. Check the forecast for the day ahead of time. It will help you know what to pack in your friends saddlebags. It can also save you from painful frostbite when the sun goes down later in the day.
8. Even though at times it feels like snow, it probably won't. Besides, even if it does, then you really look silly for not checking the forecast ahead of time.
9. Travel during daylight hours. The mosquito conventions are generally held around sundown. Unless you want to eat West Nile Virus, then make plans to travel at dusk.
10. Always remember: The different between heat stroke and frostbite on a motorcycle is 2 miles.

Happy Birthday....

...to the motorcycle. It's now been a month, and I'm a happy camper for the entire thing, with a few upgrades and modifications. I've put around 1250 miles on in one month, around 850 of them have been what I call "necessary miles." Those being ones that I'd have put on with my Blazer if I would not have owned the motorcycle. So far, she has consistently been between 42-46 miles to gallon, which makes a guy smile. Plus, only putting in $12 when she's empty is quite nice also. So, who knows where the open road will lead next for this Wild Hog, but time will tell.

The Power of Peanut Butter

I don't know about you, but I do like peanut butter. Sandwiches, on things, on toast, in malts, pretty much anywhere I do like it. I was doing some research a few weeks ago on how to remove some wax from Molly's plastic side fins that keep her from rolling over in the water. I had gotten some wax on her fins when I was getting ready for the season with the pre-season wax, so I was looking for tips to taking this wax off. I read that you can just take a simple rubber eraser and erase the marks. That sounded interesting until I read the next guys' solution. Peanut butter. My first thought was "no way possible." But, my skepticism gave way to curiosity, and since I didn't have a rubber eraser and had some time to do some cleaning on her this afternoon, I tried it. And wouldn't you know, it took the wax right off the plastic. So that begs the question, "Exactly what was the person who discovered this doing to figure it out, and why peanut butter?" I have no answers, but it was impressive how it took it right off. That also made me think of a different question. Exactly what is in peanut butter that makes it a wax remover? Make you wanna think twice about that sandwich for tomorrow?

All-American Weekend

Motorcycles. Camping. Fireworks. 4th of July Celebration. Cooking beef on an open fire. All we were missing is apple pie and baseball (even thought we did check in on how the Twins were doing over the weekend). It doesn't get much better than that for the weekend. We had a great time out in Pierre for the 4th of July, and got to do some fishing and watersports too. The whole thing started with what turned into quite an enduring ride out to the campgrounds on Thursday evening, but Lunchbox and I made it with no problem. Just outside of Pierre, I turned over 1000 miles in the saddle. Quite a milestone for only having had the bike just over 3 weeks (more on that coming in a future post). However, for Lunchbox, that is about where the fun ended. He ended up in the emergency room on Saturday afternoon, and I ended up not feeling the greatest for some of the weekend because of allergies. I think there is something that I must have a reaction to in most lake water, but I vow not to let that get me down! We had an all around great time, eating well, and that ever important activity of shopping. While the lake was at the peak time, we would just stay where it was cool, either in the camper or the mall, just to wait till the people left and we could have at the lake. It's just safer that way, since there are apparently quite a few people in that area who either don't know the laws of boating, or don't care to follow them. Anyhow, we also got to see some quite impressive fireworks over the time span.


We were all amazed at the large number of "amateur shows" that looked quite impressive. We were talking some serious money spent by individuals over there. If you need a good fireworks display all around, go to the hills overlooking Ft. Pierre and enjoy the show on the 4th July.

To wrap up the weekend, I got a new riding buddy, Speedy, to head back home and wrap up the weekend. Speedy was out for a Sunday drive and found himself in Pierre all of sudden, so we met up and headed for home. It's pretty much like a Sunday afternoon drive, except we go almost the speed limit and we don't drive Buicks, we ride bikes. Now, back to another week before the next adventure begins, and who know where the open road will lead next....

Another Rare Softball Feat

Tonight, our Mens' league softball team accomplished an interesting stat. We played in 3 consecutive league games (over two weeks) in which we scored 9 runs in one inning of each of the 3 games. The final game of our double header tonight didn't quite make it, as we only scored 6 in one inning in that game. That brings the grand total for runs scored in softball games I've played in in the past 3 days to 75 runs in 19 innings of softball. That's a pretty good run of innings. I would keep the count going tomorrow, but I'm going to be taking the day off from the diamond and get an early start on the weekend.

This weekend, back to the water and camper as we head to Pierre for the 4th of July. Going to be running the bike out there too, so it will be a true adventure with my riding buddy Lunchbox out on the open road.