Hang in There, Readers

Hi All!

Going through a bit of a rough patch, mentally and physically. I'll be fine, just damned tired of being damned tired and really down in the dumps, despite very few reasons for being so.

I hope I can start writing again with renewed creativity because whether I have alot of hits or not, it's good therapy.

Thanks for your patience!

Bustin' Me Buttons

Hi All!

What a joy to outgrow my shirt with pride instead of 10 new pounds!

My oldest, Alex -- the one who just turned 18 Tuesday and is a senior at Cretin HS -- received a simple card from my alma mater, the College (ahem, University) of Saint Thomas, congratulating him on being accepted to its Class of 2010!

Who says an average white boy can't get into college anymore?

How did the admissions committee know what a great kid Alex is intangibly -- deep down? His ACT score is middle of pack, he is athletic but has not played on any Cretin teams and has not been involved in any other extra curriculars. His GPA is close to 4.0, but due to grade inflation, that isn't so rare anymore. He is a white, middle class male.

Perhaps the fact that he doesn't have a criminal record (yet ;-) was a deciding factor. Just kidding, mom.

I have tried to raise my brood with as much intellectual and moral teaching as I could get them to listen to, but I have always kept my expectations reasonable.

Alex keeps breaking through the ceilings of my best hopes for him.

Now I guess I will start to fret about Drew (15) and Catie (13). I'm afraid their older bro has raised the bar yet again!

Thank you for allowing me my gushing for now. Reality of how to finance this new endeavor will hit home soon enough. I trust that things will work out, as they nearly always seem to do when you least expect them to.

Cheers!

Sore Loser

Hi All!

In the wake of the royal butt kicking of the two gadfly candidates in Falcon Heights, the last place finisher has this to say on his website :

"Negative campaigning, dirty tricks and violation of election laws helped get the job done. They like to have everyone fooled into believing they promote a "warm, fuzzy feeling" when in reality they are only "neighborly" to the ones who are part of their little clique. Just what is going on in city hall that's so important, so secretive that they have to defend the place like the Alamo?

Probably nothing, except for the plain fact that they don't want anyone in their playground who isn't one of "them".

I have to admit that the childish antics of these characters and flagrant name-calling (which I have never resorted to) have given me great entertainment over the past couple months. — Bryan Olson

THE RESULTS

Kuettel	879
The Write-In candidate	797
Lageson	385
Olson	187

---

BTW, the "Write-in candidate" is Pam Harris, who ran a remarkable campaign, given the odds of write-ins in general.

I would love to hear some specifics about the "dirty tricks", "childish antics" and "flagrant name-calling" to which Olson refers.

Ah well, it's over for a couple of years. Time to move on.

OK, I'll admit it was all a plot by City Hall, who sent out storm troopers to march 1400 (around 40%) of the registered voters to the polls at gunpoint with instructions on whom to vote for.

The 187 brave souls who dared vote for Bryan Olson will likely disappear under mysterious circumstances before the next election. Those who bravely supported Tom Lageson might get off with re-education camp.

Cheers!

Write-In Rocks

Hi All!

Allow me a brief gloat.

A couple of knuckleheads got together and tried to tag-team their way on to the Falcon Heights Council.

Incumbent Laura K got nearly 900 votes, Pam Harris got about 800 and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb got the crumbs.

It will be interesting to learn how write-in Pam Harris' decisive election goes down in history.

True democracy, and an election with very strange political bedfellows. But more analysis later. For now we celebrate!

Big Day for Kuettels

Hi All!

A table is reserved at Jimmy's for a celebration of my first-born's 18th birthday and my wife's third re-election to the Falcon Heights City Council.

I can't begin to describe the feelings I have on this great day, in contrast of much what has transpired over the past 13 months.

My family and I are truly blessed and although I have always appreciated that, the experiences I've had and the people I've met in and out of various institutions and programs can only reinforce that feeling and compel me to keep it together.

Cheers!

Photo Funnies

Don't you DARE touch my walking boobie toy!

How to Make $30/hr Eating Good Food

Hi All!

I was as giddy as a school girl (I know this, because Catie said she wanted to skip school to join me) to have been invited to Davannis to sample some proposed menu items.

Free food and drink with a $30 gift certificate and $30 cash at the end. Is this a great country or what?

Of course, it helps to be indolent and collecting disability, but my disability does not too much interfere with eating...well, it does, actually, but I get away with cheating alot.

When "Pontillo's" arrived at Grand and Cleveland during my College of St Thomas days, several of my friends worked there. Here we are, 30-years later and two of my friends are big shots in what has become the succesful Davanni's chain.

The new secret menu items were a mixed bag. They are opening a coffee shop to be called, I think, "Coffee Bene" next to the original Pontillos and the sandwiches will be great. The pasta items for Davanni's were good, but nothing you can't get anywhere else. I think they should stick with the pizza and hoagies. I don't even much like their lasagna.

So, to wrap up the report, the 7 samples were a heckova nice brunch and I promised Catie to take her there tonight for a turkey hoagie with extra meat and cheese.

Cheers!