Jim's Retiring

My big brother Jim is retiring today. He spent the last 25 years of his career at the MSP Airport, keeping the big trucks and machines running. During bad weather, like the snow storm we just had that dumped 8 inches of snow on the airport, Jim would get called in to live there for the duration of the weather event. This is how he finished his career there. Somehow that seems fitting. Congratulations on your retirement Jim.

Living with a Bear

It wasn't easy living with a bear. The bear didn't talk. It brought things home and stuck them in the way. It would eat certain carefully stocked items until they were completely gone. Sometimes it would take the freshest things first, and leave the older things to get even older. On other days, the bear would bring home huge quantities of fresh food and expired cans of food. It would stash them here and there in the way and then leave them and never use them or look at them again until they started rotting and he had to throw them out. The bear lived like it was by itself. It was constantly moving his things around so that he couldn't find them anymore. He would try to talk to the bear, but often it wouldn't even look at him. He got pretty angry with the bear at times. Like if he just bought eggs and they were very expensive and the bear ate them all up in one sitting, and never replaced them. The bear made messes, and he was always cleaning them up. But even though he got angry with the bear, sometimes at night he noticed the bear was crying. That's when he felt bad for the bear. Then, he would reach over and put an arm on the bear and tell it that things were okay, and problems always seem worse at night. Because even though it's hard to live with a bear, it's even harder to be angry with a sad bear.

Politics in a Duck Shell

The Duck Senate began a lengthy, partisan argument about whether to fly south or remain in the north for the winter. It lasted four days and included three filibusters that quacked on all night. This photo shows them just hours before they stuck to the ice in a blizzard and froze to death.

1st Flower of the Season

Thanksgiving II, The Sequel

Thanksgiving 2022

As we celebrate Thanksgiving 2022, there are things to be thankful for and things to remember. My family will be getting together in larger numbers than we have for two years. My wife’s family is missing grandpa (dad) and grandma (mom), and has chosen to wait for Christmas to get together.

Not that it is over yet, but we’ve been through a pandemic. Life has changed since 2019. Some family and friends have passed. Those of us who are left may feel older. There were so many struggles—and some of them continue. We all seem to know someone who left us during the pandemic. Some of us lost our jobs, me included.

But there were some positives. We’re more conscious of masking and staying home if sick. Some of us have new jobs, me included. And now, we ease back into the holidays, still wary of COVID-19, influenza and RSV.

Amidst the daily news of shootings, high prices, wars, partisan politics, shortages and those who keep instigating racial discord, we continue on. We celebrate an American tradition that is over 400 years old. As hard as life can be, there are always things to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving.
-KJC

Vegetable Pasta Party Salad

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of our resident turkeys. The flock likes our neighborhood. Happy Thanksgiving!

Winter Broccoli

I decided to finally pick that broccoli out in the garden.

The Creek

"Legend of the Golden Chicken Nugget" By Kevin J. Curtis

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legend-of-the-golden-chicken-nugget-kevin-curtis/1142676134

When the Vikings are 8-1

Ground Beef, Asparagus and Everything

The 8 Seas

wat What if everyone was wrong all these years, and there are really 8 seas? What if the 8th one was there but they couldn't sea it?

MN Vikings 7-1

Bowling Champion

My son won his division in a bowling tournament today that combined 7 community education programs!

When Fascism Arrived

     Fascism arrived in town draped in the nation’s flag and holding a Bible. He smiled at the people and talked about how tough things were becoming. He said he wanted to help. The smile quickly turned to a frown. He pointed accusingly at the immigrants and tapped the suspicions of the population.
     “Those people come here from their shit-hole countries and try to take what is ours!” he said.
   Some of the town’s people looked approvingly at Fascism. Afterall, he was carrying a Bible! And he was wearing a flag! He also was disapproving of those odd people who came here to take their jobs.
     “They want your jobs,” Fascism went on, “and they bring diseases.”
     Fascism began to notice a few people who eyed him suspiciously. They were the ones he would attack next. They were the people who believed in fairness and equality. Some of them were educated.
     Fascism shook his head and said, “You should get some better politicians to clean this place up!” Then he went on to say that it probably wouldn’t matter much—because the elections were rigged anyway. He eyed the crowd and told them that they should arm themselves and takeover the government. It would be the only way to ‘win!’
     Deep down in Fascism’s selfish and putrid heart, he knew that an armed revolt by brainwashed followers was the only way he could win. He wanted to toss the Bible and flag away because they were encumbering him. But he knew better. These ideas would work on the masses. He knew it was much easier for many people to be told what to believe than to think of it for themselves.
     If he kept repeating the lies over and over for long enough... If he put the mistruths into writing… If he could get some time in the media to spread the partial-truths... Then, he could control them. Then he could have the power he craved.

Election 2022

While I’m not at all in agreement with how the Democrats have fueled a race war and advocated for “dumbing down” society to accommodate those unwilling to try hard—as well as supporting groups that use “white bashing” as a supposed form of diversity, I cannot under any circumstances, accept the militant, fantasy-driven Fascism that the Republican party now represents. Because we have only two viable parties in the USA, I have to choose from the lesser of two evils. We have all been witness to how an authoritarian regime can destroy a country; as we watch Russia spiral in for a crash landing. The similarities to other fascist regimes as well as leaders who have no ability to tell or comprehend the truth, have placed democracy in a perilous position. Vote carefully, as this election is likely about something much bigger than your personal preferences. Our entire way of governing and choosing leaders is at stake. The violence against our country, our elected officials, their families, and our personal safety and freedom is not a joke. We are either in this together, or we will fall from within. There will be no one to save us from ourselves

Elon Killed Twitter