Inklings

Blog

  • If only it were that easy…

    I have to agree with my wife, I too, wish our kids had a floating stats meter above their heads to give us immediate feedback as to when they’re feeling tired, sick, angry, happy, scared or hungry. It seems the older they are the better they think they are at convincing you what they’re feeling – even if their body language suggests otherwise. Just think of all the arguments that could be avoided with such a meter. Our oldest is going to a birthday party/sleepover today and I’m quite sure at some point tomorrow his meter will be completely empty. I know when we suggest he take a nap we will inevitably get “I’M NOT TIRED!” To which we could confidently, yet calmly reply with “but your meter says you are.” End of discussion.

  • Energy Efficient Escalator

    My soon-to-be seven-year old son, Chase, has always been fascinated with the escalators at the downtown Wells Fargo Bank Building (what kid isn’t?). But he’s concerned about the fact that they are always running – “wasting power”, as he puts it – even when people aren’t using them. His invention: a motion-activated escalator that would power up or down when someone walks by the sensors at either end. There would obviously be a point in the day when it would run continuously, but think of the “down-times” when no one is using it. I thought it was a pretty clever idea. I’m no mechanical engineer, but I’m guessing there would likely be some logistic wrinkles to iron out. I figure if they can do it with lights, it wouldn’t be so far off for escalators. Now if we could just get our budding young conservative to take shorter showers.

  • Survivor

    I think it’s safe to say that winter is upon us. This year was really extraordinary with regard to weather and it was really nice to have the time to prepare for the snow this year. Most of the time, winter comes like an unexpected guest and a lot of the fall work is buried until spring. Even if it had come in October, we North Dakotans would still endure it (though there were certainly a lot threatening to move last winter). Let’s face it, for living in this part of the country we’re all pretty resilient and that makes us who we are… crazy.

  • Progress?

    I’m amazed at my kids’ generation and their fascination with cell phone technology. My oldest was begging for one as a fourth grader. What in the world would a fourth grader need a cell phone for?! Granted, there seems to be a fair number of “cell phone” kids (formerly known as “latch key” kids) out there that do, at the insistence of their parents, have a cell phone so that they can keep tabs on them during those idle hours between school and the 5 PM end to the workday but I say you’re getting the bad with the good. The investment for a device that will keep you connected with little Johnny or Jenny has been elevated by these children as a status accessory coveted by all their peers and will most likely not be limited in use by them to just two hours a day. It seems that many young cell users could get by without ever having to make or take a phone call on their little hand-held social taskmasters. Let’s face it, to them making a call using a cell phone is so 20th Century now. The mantra that this generation speaks is, “if you want to communicate with someone, don’t dial digits – text!”

  • Preparation

    Well, it’s December and it still doesn’t quite feel like the season yet (that could change today). My Midwestern upbringing has always assimilated snow with Christmas. I do remember a few “brown Christmases” but traditionally we’ve been pushing snow as early as Halloween. Admittedly the weather this year has been unusual all around and I’m grateful for the extended fall we’ve had. I’m certainly not wishing for the record snowfalls we had last year but I am dreaming of a white Christmas. The lights are strung, the tree is up, the halls are decked… and the shovels are ready!

  • SKOL Vikings!

    My oldest son, Mason, is a devout Bears fan (I think he still is) so Sunday afternoon’s Vikings – Bears game was a must watch. “Just-like-a-car-wreck” must watch. After several fits of anger followed by tears, we had to remove him from the game all together. We all knew the Bears were going to eat it, except Mason. I certainly don’t worship football, but I do claim to be a Packer Backer. One thing I will freely admit, is that Favre, even wearing the Purple and Gold, is still fun to watch. For 16 seasons he pulled a lot of the same stunts for the Pack and now he’s doing it for <ughh> their chief rival. Minnesota sure looks tough this year and the kid in me (the one that used to like the Vikes growing up) wants to see them make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

  • All I want for Christmas…

    My youngest son, Chase, just recently lost his other front tooth, making the total number of gaps in his mouth now three. It’s really interesting how his young mind works. After losing his first tooth, he placed it beneath his pillow, as advised, and the next morning woke up to a nice crisp one dollar bill, courtesy of the tooth fairy (who, by the way, my son believes is a man). When he lost his second tooth my wife asked him to repeat the process so the tooth fairy could again make his transaction. Chase simply replied, “I don’t want to sell this one yet.” So, for now he’s holding onto two shares. Apparently he feels his teeth are worth more and is waiting for the market to improve.

  • Our plates runneth over

    I like turkey as much as the next guy, but have to admit that our bird was a little large this year. The fridge (and freezer) is full of it. Beyond the main event, it’s been turkey for every meal and we’re still dealing with an impressive surplus. I fear what creative form it will take next. Turkey protein shake, anyone?

  • Time for a New Tradition

    Well, today’s the big day. Will this year’s receipt totals prove that our economy is finally on the mend? Personally, I don’t partake in the consumerist hysteria surrounding Black Friday. Yes, I realize there are great deals out there. Yes, I know that shopping is synonomous with the holiday season. No, I’m not against capitalism. I just don’t get supercharged about rising hours before the sun to feed the gluttonous idea of a materialistic Christmas. It seems that every year, the lists are longer, the budgets more bloated and still nobody’s any happier than they were the year before. In the process people simply end up over-extending themselves financially (isn’t that what kicked off our recession troubles to begin with?). Knowing full well that we don’t really need anything (or have the space to put any of it) we’ve decided to spend half of what we did on Christmas last year and give the other half to a local charity. I don’t know that it will be a huge hit with our kids, but I think there’s a valuable lesson to be learned. Besides, I kind of thought Uncle Sam needed to lose a few pounds anyway, so I’m really not seeing the need for a big piece of cake.

  • Happy Thanksgiving

    I couldn’t think of a more fitting image for today’s Inkling than the oft reproduced photograph-turned-oil painting Grace by Rhoda Nyberg. One of my childhood friends had this very painting hanging in his dining room. Every time I went to his house I saw it and never gave it much thought. There are so many things that I have in my life that I’m thankful for, but many days, like that painting, I don’t really think much about it. Thanksgiving Day, to me, is a reminder to be appreciative of just how fortunate and blessed I am. So, before enjoying that bountiful Thanksgiving feast with family today, I plan to take a moment to thank God for the abundance of blessings in my life.