Gets me wishing I could be out on the lake listening to wake boats pounding out profane rap at ear shattering dbs and jetskis buzzing around the boat like insects!

As I read these posts/discussions on Rodgers, I’m reminded of when Favre came here. At that time, there was all the speculation, rumors and unsubstantiated chatter. A guy who worked at the same company as I did was married to a gal who worked for the attorneys that worked out his deal. According to him, the whole deal was signed, sealed and delivered like a week before the final announcement. Not sure how true that is but it wouldn’t surprise me.

How many of you remember Schaak Electronics? We all went there to get the best in car stereo components! They had the display of all the in dash/under dash stuff. The cheaper stuff was Craig or Jensen and then the high end stuff nobody had heard of like Blaupunkt, Kenwwood and Alpine. I can still hear the ad on the TV/radio… “S-C-H-A-A-K…SCHAAK”! Those were stressful times…spend my hard earned dollars on car stereo stuff, new wheels, engine parts or a pair of CCM Tacks!

I’ve flown the flag for years and I’m very “by the book” when it comes to the rules. I also get email alerts every time there is a directive to lower the flag. I will admit, the past year or two, I’ve been surprised how many more of these alerts I’m getting. It does seem to me that they are increasing and it’s rare I go 2 weeks without a new one. It also seems that most of these are not “national” but state of Minnesota related directives. One thing I’ll point out is these directives are mandatory to state/govt properties etc. These are “suggestions” for all to follow but not a requirement for private citizens. Many businesses follow these directives but many also do not. On occasion lately, I’ve declined to follow some of them as I’ve felt they are a bit unnecessary. Just my opinion.

You really are a special son and I envy the relationship you had with your dad. My dad is still around at 95 but there is not anywhere near the relationship you were fortunate to have. Your situation though unfortunate and difficult at the end illustrates how a father and son should be and feel about each other. Well done and my condolences.

Ha…just some humorous reading for you following this thread. My wife and I went to San Jose over 20 years ago. We had been to Mexico a few times, were always very careful on eating/drinking bottled water etc. Anyway, we spent a week Saturday-Saturday and the last morning before the bus came to take us to the airport for the flight home, we went into Cabo for breakfast…(this is where the great vacation took a bad turn). We were walking down the main drag and here was a jolly guy out cooking scrambled eggs on the sidewalk outside his restaurant. I still remember him greeting us and saying “I’m Tio and this is my place”. If I saw Tio today, 20 some years later I’d probably be in jail for a long time! We sat down and I asked for a coffee and when she brought it, the cup had lipstick on the rim…like CSI fingerprint caliber detailed “lipstick print”! That was clue #1 to get the hell outta there but noooo…I give them the benefit of the doubt. She brings me cup #2 and it tasted like they’d just gone out back on one of the fishing boats and filled the pot from the bilge. We ate a passable breakfast and went on with our plans to leave. The SUV to take us to the airport was due at 1PM and about noon the the feeling of intestinal dread started to sink in. I was light headed and very tired…all I could think was please dont let me explode on the plane. We got back to our home and luckily I had not had an incident on the plane. We had to go to my parents house for a family function that evening and I was not well so I went and laid down in a spare bedroom. My wife woke me up, took me home and it went WAY south after that. A few days into the following week, I was told to bring a fecal matter sample in to be tested…there was no “matter”…just um…liquid ya know?? I ended up losing 2 weeks of work and 18 lbs from that trip! They never did come up with a definitive cause…just the dreaded Mexico curse. We’ve never been back. I know…I know…I’m just sharing my pain and hoping if the OP runs into Tio…he punches him for me!

Seems like all the “mass transit” plans are flawed. I’m not an expert but I do know downtown has has far less employees commuting now since covid/work from home changed the employment scope. Then, look at the debacle the Southwest Rail project is! I am in the Eden Prairie/Hopkins area frequently and it’s just sitting…far over budget and embroiled in lawsuits. It’s maddening and completely irresponsible. I went with a few friends to a Twins game year before last and we met at a brewpub in South Mpls. Took the LR to Target Field on a weekday. It was far from crowded and at one stop, a few guys outside were fighting…one reached in his hoodie pocket acting like he was going to pull out a gun and the other two ran. On the way back after the game, a really pleasant middle aged AA woman got on somewhere downtown. You could see she was going home after work. A buddy who is a former cop started talking to her asking questions on how her experience was riding the light rail. She said it works well for her but nobody rides it anymore since downtown is basically a ghost town. The guy smoking crack in the seats behind us was an eye opener too. I personally don’t think I’d ride it again and certainly not at night. The “do gooders” may well do us all in…

ThunderLund78 wrote:

Congrats to Canada, I think they played the better game last night. I was careful not to thump my chest too much after the last game – it’s REALLY tough to beat that talent twice-in-a-row. But the same could be said for team USA, too. Glad it was a tight game and went to OT. That’s the way it should be.

100% agree. Amazingly “even” play IMO. Frankly, Canada’s missed goal that hit the pipe in the 3rd probably would’ve sealed it in regulation but whoever knows?

Agree…will be interesting to see how the crowd (assumably more US spectators??) will act during the anthems.

Agree with what others have said. I’ve used them a few times and they’re going strong with zero issues. The only thing I’d add is follow the directions and don’t skimp (ie: cut your pipe square etc). Worked in commercial construction trades all my life and most failures of these types of things were usually shortcuts on the proper use/installation. I grew up in the “copper is king” era and learned that sometimes there is a better mousetrap.

Just went to a 3.5 Ecoboost and I’m doing 5K max. In my Ram 5.7s I was going up to 8K but a lot of talk about twin turbos and high OCIs being the main reason for issues, I’m sticking to the 5K.

Pretty much agree with most of what I’ve read so far. I “joined” FB about 1-1/2 years ago simply to utilize Marketplace. I have zero interest in anything else. I sold a truck in September and listed it on Marketplace, CL and Cars.com. I also tried Carvana. I started out too high (on advice of others) and got a lot of lowball BS right off the bat. I gradually lowered the price over about a month and still got a lot of “how cheap will you sell for cash today?” kind of crap. You do learn to just ignore a lot of it. I finally sold it, less than I’d thought but it went ok. I never got one inquiry from CL or Cars.com. I know Carvana offered like $3K less than I finally sold it for.

Extreme south Carver County and we have what would be described as a “very…very light dusting”. Was hoping for a little snow but…

FWIW…I took my wifes BMW (2010 with 210K) to “The Alignment Guy” in Hopkins after the stealership was doing a recall and recommended an alignment. Of course they charge an arm and a leg so I shopped around. This guy was highly recommended so I gave him a try. I have not been too impressed with “tire” retailers doing alignments in the past but that’s my opinion. He’s a different cat to be sure but I think he knows his stuff. He has a less than impressive shop but I wasn’t looking for a best friend…just an alignment. He has a little dog I sat and petted the whole time and I was able to watch the whole process. He was questioning why I needed an alignment as it was very good to begin with. In the end, I won’t even tell you what he charged me…I still feel guilty as he spent a good hour on it but he wouldn’t take any more for it. I’d use him again but here’s the fineprint: He doesn’t have a phone number, you just contact him on his website and he will return the email with available times. He likes to talk music…alot while he works which is fine. Don’t expect coffee and pastries in a nice waiting room! Like i said, I had a good experience and I do think he does good work.

My situation won’t help but I offer it as incentive to explore your options if you’re unfulfilled or unhappy. I started trade school in a “skilled” trade, worked hard and took it seriously from the start. Joined the union and ended up running large crews on large commercial projects. Loved it until retiring in 2021. What I remember was around 35, listening to co workers complaining about their choice and how much they regretted it. I remember thinking, another 20-30 years of feeling that way…that’s gonna suck for a long time. I’ve got a 43 year old stepson now who is an engineer who has been with the same company he’s been bitching about for 15-20 years. He’s finally getting his resume out there. Life’s too short. I feel so blessed I was happy in my choice. Good luck to you…a first step can be hard but also be a lifesaver.

Another example of varying opinion… I had I think 3 Rams with the knob/dial shifter and didn’t really care for it but it wasn’t a huge issue for me. I just got my new F-150 Lariat this last summer with the center console shifter. I love it…I like driving with my hand resting on it for some reason. My buddy who drives a Ram got into it for the first time and his butt barely hit the seat, he grabbed the console shifter and said “I don’t like this at all”. To each his own…some prefer blondes, some brunettes I guess.

Stay…but allow me to comment (even though I’m a rare participant in IDO). I prefer to watch the drama from the sidelines mostly because I have far more questions than experience. Rather than throw yourself on the chopping block Dutch, can IDO members instead nominate a member for expulsion? Of course I cannot think of anyone on here at the moment who acts childish, is offensive to most and basically tries to pick fights like a 2nd grade bully. If there were a member that fit that criteria, it’s too bad they couldn’t be put up to a vote for extermination…

I started with Dodge/Ram 1500s in 1996 and that’s all I drove until July of 2024. I think I had 6 of them with no real issues. I think an alternator pooped out on one during warranty, I remember a PS hose went on another (easy fix) and my last one, a 2017 Limited developed air suspension woes around 140K. That was a nightmare but I really don’t hold it against Ram…it was great till it wasn’t. Long story but I swapped it out for conventional suspension and it was going strong when I got rid of it early September. Great trucks, plenty of power (for 1/2 tons) fantastic ride etc. Why not a new 2025 Ram? I just wasn’t sold on the new Hurricane engine which was the only option. I hope it proves itself but I just didn’t feel “it” when I drove one. I know it’s been in the Jeep lineup a while now but I don’t consider that a great comparison. I have nothing but good to say about my years with Ram and maybe I’ll be back next time. Hopefully I have good luck with my new choice, an F-150 Lariat, 3.5 EcoBoost. My last Ford F-150 was a 1990…now that was NOT a good truck in many ways! I think in the end it’s all a crapshoot on vehicles.

BigWerm wrote:

I don’t recall a playoffs with more games being decided by turnovers, sure that is common in any game, but there were so many this postseason that were 2+ TO Margin it has to be close to a record.

Eagles-Chiefs the game no one, but the NFL, wanted. I’m not a Chiefs hater, so I’m hopping on their wagon for some history in a 3-peat. And Mahomes running down Brady for GOAT status, at his current rate he should have that done by age 35!!! Pretty incredible and we are lucky to witness these guys back to back.

Agreed…I hate the stupidity of the Kelsey/Swift crap but I’ll root for them over Philly any day. My biggest issue with Philly isn’t the team, it’s the fans. Of course it’s always the bad apples that spoil it for everyone but it sure seems like there’s a lot of A-holes in that fan base.

Of course cancelling school for safety reasons is one thing and I get it to a point. On the other hand, my grandkids aren’t going to walk 17 miles uphill to the arena for the impromptu practice that got scheduled cuz school is out. Mom’s going to deliver them to the door in the minivan she warmed up 20 minutes before leaving…then on the way home probably hit the drivethru at Starbucks for an $8 hot chocolate! It’s a different world since I was in grade school in the 60s!

jimmysiewert wrote:

I really, REALLY struggle when we cancel school all day – but we still have all practices and sporting event games/matches on this afternoon & tonight. Priorities??

Yup…daughters district cancelled (Minnetonka) and this morning, grandkids hockey practice was already scheduled for early afternoon today! Unbelievable…

KP wrote:

I’ll be in Vegas tomorrow for Shot Show. It will be in the 50’s while im there but ill be inside most of the time anyways.

Ha! That reminds me…one of the last times we flew anywhere we were in Vegas in March. Got to the airport to fly home and a major issue with the plane grounded us. I remember they finally sent another plane from MSP…we were stuck at that airport for 8 hrs! To add insult to injury…once we got back to MSP, we took a shuttle to my truck at one of the off site parking lots. It had snowed about 15″ and it was extremely cold. That was definitely an influence on my attitude!

Just chiming in…no ill intent here but am I the only 65 year old guy who doesn’t care to travel…like at all? Everyone I know, family, friends all travel…some like big time travel a couple huge trips each year. My wife and I? Happy as can be here at home. We have the money if we wanted to (maybe that’s partly why we have money!) just no need or desire. Of course it is easier to stay around here as the kids/grandkids are all in the cities as well. If the kids were elsewhere, I guess it’d be a different story. My folks wintered down if Florida every year since the early 80s…we never once went to stay with them…not once. Anyway, I agree with Sharon, about zero degrees it all seems the same to me.

NAY…nuff said…

Told my wife about this thread and she pointed out just this morning on Good Morning America, a story: “gas prices continue to drop”. I didn’t even stop to listen…the media is insufferable

Just measured 5″ in the driveway 10 minutes ago. I’m just north of Belle Plaine in extreme south Carver County

I agree with the Grouse…consider need vs want. I live rural but keep a good 2-3 full cords split and stacked. I’m about due to rent a splitter to process another cord or so in the next week or two. We burn but only a few days/week and we do not heat by wood, just like a fire every few days. I’m a lover of machinery and tools but a splitter just doesn’t make sense for me. I can rent a top notch unit for under $100 and split at least a years worth of wood in a few hours. If you need one or it makes sense, by all means but machinery sitting outside that isn’t used very often is silly to me. Just my 2 cents.

After many attempts with Access trail seal kits and X-tangs seal, I am of the opinion nothing really works all that well. I just got a new F-150 with the pro access tailgate and it’s really bad! I love the tailgate but the dust it allows in is the worst I’ve ever experienced.

Best part of the day was Cousins performance…

FYI…found out the House of Gloor at Neisens in Savage is no longer there. Last I checked they plan to find another location. Too bad cuz I really liked their stuff.