I recently met a retired science teacher from Cudahy and Caledonia. He used to set a few desks on fire the first couple days of school in order to get the attention of his MPS students.
Mostly now he’s into moths and butterflies. He raises them, if that’s how one says it. He’s got butterflies from Kenya, China and another country that starts with a C or K (Canada? Kenosha?). And, although he’s been to the Mexican wintering ground a couple times, he raises nothing as mundane as Monarchs either.
It’s hard not to talk about climate change and pesticides when you’re dealing in butterflies. He seemed to be a well rounded fellow.
He was on his way in to see the cardiologist that afternoon. He’d had a big cardio blow out two months ago and was recuperating nicely. Healthcare was on our agenda also. It’s a nice ride to Caledonia. We spent a few minutes and let the conversation flow on its own.
Last Friday I met my first bank president - and told him so. It’s fun to make people feel special. In his little neck of the woods the economy has been turning around - slowly - the last six months. Always glad to hear it from a guy in the saddle rather than a talking head.
He’d just taken on a local manufacturer that had gotten a contract to sell locally-made stuff to China. There’s probably a whole story in there somewhere.
We also talked about the trouble that we, the people, are having this political season when politicians toss out phrases like ‘small business’ without first defining the measurement. He thought that the way government defines small business is anything less that 500 employees or 250 million dollars in sales. With that definition he said that his particular small and local bank could not really handle a small business that big.
Yesterday, another first, a customer (let’s call her Mary - for reasons of national security) had just come from the ICU where her best friend’s mother, Joan, lay sedated on a ventilator. Mary grew up in the neighborhood with her friend and the mother. Old Joan is almost a second mom to Mary.
Mary was dressed in green fatigues and we were headed for the east side of the airport - the 128th Refueling Wing. She said I should just drop her at the gate. She’d walk in. She was carrying a heavy bag. I told her the story of having been saluted through that particular gate already and knew the drill.
“Well, alright then, you can drive me to my building.”
Besides being a mom Mary is a pilot. She’s been flying refueling tankers for the last twelve years. Why did we have to wait until the end of the ride to find that out?
And, I got saluted a second time. Yes, I know the young guard post guy was looking at her, Ma’am, but I leaned in and grinned. (Not really).
Also, yesterday I had a chance to talk shop with a couple professional drivers. One is a 36 year veteran taxicab driver. I don’t think I want his job. The other is a 4 year part time suburban pizza driver. Also, a little too crazy. Too much randomness in both of those gigs. I have hostages in my shuttle. They have to be nice. We have their car.
I have felt very lucky this last week. I got to watch the fall leaves fall from that great front window in my little bus.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Three more firsts
I recently met a former Milwaukee County Executive, a funeral director and a young woman from Sofia, Bulgaria.
See if you can match the following factoids to the folks listed above.
A recipe for chilled yogurt soup - given in her native language.
The Plaza Hotel has a lovely little cafe.
The human body burns for 3 hours at 1600 degrees. The bones still need grinding after that.
The bones do not go into the soup and they are not served at the cafe.
I do wish I had more time to process the notes. I meet so many lovely people.
See if you can match the following factoids to the folks listed above.
A recipe for chilled yogurt soup - given in her native language.
The Plaza Hotel has a lovely little cafe.
The human body burns for 3 hours at 1600 degrees. The bones still need grinding after that.
The bones do not go into the soup and they are not served at the cafe.
I do wish I had more time to process the notes. I meet so many lovely people.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Rolfing Aikido Poet
According to her Linkedin profile she’s in radiology at a local hospital. She has a wide interest and knowledge in complementary healing modalities; especially Rolfing. She’s a long time student of aikido and is a budding poet.
Funny what you can talk about while driving to the lakefront. Usually just enough to wish the trip were longer.
I was surprised that her car was ready before my shift was over. She was on the pick-up board for later.
JP, however, was not surprised. She brought one of her own poems to read to me.
Another first.
Funny what you can talk about while driving to the lakefront. Usually just enough to wish the trip were longer.
I was surprised that her car was ready before my shift was over. She was on the pick-up board for later.
JP, however, was not surprised. She brought one of her own poems to read to me.
Another first.
Winter Hardy Hibiscus
On my way into my McDonald’s there was a landscaping gal pulling up dead plants from the bed.
“Hey, Weed Lady,” I hollered. “You must know the name of those big flowering plants there.”
“They’re called Winter Hardy Hibiscus. You should see the ones on the north side of the parking lot at the Ryan Road store. Beautiful.” she said.
Since she had gloves on I showed her a thank you card and laid it on her basket near her phone.
“Keep up the good work, Weed Lady.” I said.
“You don’t know what that means. Thank you. My mom’s in the hospital. Her aorta’s leaking into her lungs. We don’t know what we’re going to do and it has been a very stressful couple of weeks.”
Many of us simply need someone to see us. Just for a moment.
“Hey, Weed Lady,” I hollered. “You must know the name of those big flowering plants there.”
“They’re called Winter Hardy Hibiscus. You should see the ones on the north side of the parking lot at the Ryan Road store. Beautiful.” she said.
Since she had gloves on I showed her a thank you card and laid it on her basket near her phone.
“Keep up the good work, Weed Lady.” I said.
“You don’t know what that means. Thank you. My mom’s in the hospital. Her aorta’s leaking into her lungs. We don’t know what we’re going to do and it has been a very stressful couple of weeks.”
Many of us simply need someone to see us. Just for a moment.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
City Folk Retire
An 18 year veteran of MPS Language Arts and Math decides to cash into the Keweenaw Peninsula. Not hunters, fishers or even particularly outdoorsy types, he and his wife headed north. He had not even owned a snow blower before this. And about 30 miles out of Houghton at that. In the weeds.
If you can find a hundred acre lake there they might have a view on it.
He'd like to add some solar to the mix but cannot figure out how to keep the snow off the panels. Thank goodness for satellite internet. At least he can google up the Homesteader magazine online.
I sure would like to talk to that fella a little more. He was down looking after their West Allis house and getting some auto service done. Good luck I said.
If you can find a hundred acre lake there they might have a view on it.
He'd like to add some solar to the mix but cannot figure out how to keep the snow off the panels. Thank goodness for satellite internet. At least he can google up the Homesteader magazine online.
I sure would like to talk to that fella a little more. He was down looking after their West Allis house and getting some auto service done. Good luck I said.
Five Homemade Cookies
Shakira first told me, after spying the GPS map on the dash of the shuttle, that her brother had been her GPS before he moved to Houston. He'd been a cabbie in Milwaukee for over six years. He had told her stories of many of the interesting people he met in the cab. And I told her I understood.
Their father lived in New Orleans and, after Hurricane Katrina they were not able to locate him for almost 7 months. The son went down and found that he'd been relocated to Houston. They both stayed on. She doesn’t have a GPS anymore.
She said her oldest boy is going to MATC and decided to live at home because he can save on rent, get his laundry done and get good food. He told her that. What a good mom.
So, we talked about food. I asked if she made shakshuka and did she put eggs in hers? She does. I said the first time I had it was at the Shahrazad Restaurant on Oakland and Locust and they do not. I'd also gotten the secret to the deal; Arabian Seven Spice. Amazing.
I told her that I had just been to Holy Land Grocery and picked some up from for in the bulk bin. Seven spice reminds me of Thanksgiving spices.
She also told me that she had baked some traditional date-filled cookies for the festival day Eid ul-Fitr after the month-long fast of Ramadan. She called them Ma'amoul. Did I have a minute to wait when I dropped her at home? Yes.
She ran inside and brought me five homemade cookies from her own kitchen. Amazing.
Their father lived in New Orleans and, after Hurricane Katrina they were not able to locate him for almost 7 months. The son went down and found that he'd been relocated to Houston. They both stayed on. She doesn’t have a GPS anymore.
She said her oldest boy is going to MATC and decided to live at home because he can save on rent, get his laundry done and get good food. He told her that. What a good mom.
So, we talked about food. I asked if she made shakshuka and did she put eggs in hers? She does. I said the first time I had it was at the Shahrazad Restaurant on Oakland and Locust and they do not. I'd also gotten the secret to the deal; Arabian Seven Spice. Amazing.
I told her that I had just been to Holy Land Grocery and picked some up from for in the bulk bin. Seven spice reminds me of Thanksgiving spices.
She also told me that she had baked some traditional date-filled cookies for the festival day Eid ul-Fitr after the month-long fast of Ramadan. She called them Ma'amoul. Did I have a minute to wait when I dropped her at home? Yes.
She ran inside and brought me five homemade cookies from her own kitchen. Amazing.
 |
| Yes. There are only 4.33 cookies showing. I couldn't wait. |
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Big Bubble Day
It was a big day in the shuttle bubble yesterday. That’s the first time I called it a bubble. There’s something to that. It’s a different zone.
I met a Puerto Rican preacher, a Chinese cook, my second retired zookeeper, a young-ish self-employed computer jockey, a retired railroad worker, and my first chiropractor.
The preacher and I talked about El Dios, fluctuating congregations and his good-old-days as a cabbie in San Juan. Man, that was when a hundred dollars was worth something.
The Chinese cook - John - told me how to make very tender chicken breasts just like they always are when you get Chinese take out. He’s been here 20 years and has not been practicing his English. So, good luck with the chicken, David. I’ll see if I understood him and pass along the technique.
The computer jockey had a dozen boxes in his car before he had to get towed in. He should have rented a car. Probably a delay that ripples down to his next pay check. I took him home and we unloaded in front of his garage. I hope the rain let up before his cardboard got all wet.
The zookeeper talked about feeding steak to Sampson. That was before we knew what gorillas preferred to eat. Can we remember a time that far back? And, according to him, Sampson died of a heart attack. So, eat less steak. Eat more vegetables.
The retired rail worker took a look at the actuarial tables and decided he didn’t want to work and then die. So, he retired. We talked a lot about food quality and organics. Quite the Christian, too. Lots of volunteer work in his days now.
The chiropractor? My very first chiropractor in the shuttle. A story unto itself. He’s my age. His name is David, too.
And, he’s about 25% along the way to recovery after having been stung by a jellyfish off the coast of Georgia last May. It is the middle of August at this writing. He’s got a long way to go.
As you might imagine, we talked about the two types of chiropractors - straight and mixed -, bodily systems, good food and general well-being.
He said things we don’t want to hear. For instance, most of the damage we do to ourselves (think 80%) is caused by what we put into our bodies.
Here is the summing up for the day. Pray to God you eat less steak, more veggies, and retire as early as possible. And don’t leave your cardboard in the rain.
I met a Puerto Rican preacher, a Chinese cook, my second retired zookeeper, a young-ish self-employed computer jockey, a retired railroad worker, and my first chiropractor.
The preacher and I talked about El Dios, fluctuating congregations and his good-old-days as a cabbie in San Juan. Man, that was when a hundred dollars was worth something.
The Chinese cook - John - told me how to make very tender chicken breasts just like they always are when you get Chinese take out. He’s been here 20 years and has not been practicing his English. So, good luck with the chicken, David. I’ll see if I understood him and pass along the technique.
The computer jockey had a dozen boxes in his car before he had to get towed in. He should have rented a car. Probably a delay that ripples down to his next pay check. I took him home and we unloaded in front of his garage. I hope the rain let up before his cardboard got all wet.
The zookeeper talked about feeding steak to Sampson. That was before we knew what gorillas preferred to eat. Can we remember a time that far back? And, according to him, Sampson died of a heart attack. So, eat less steak. Eat more vegetables.
The retired rail worker took a look at the actuarial tables and decided he didn’t want to work and then die. So, he retired. We talked a lot about food quality and organics. Quite the Christian, too. Lots of volunteer work in his days now.
The chiropractor? My very first chiropractor in the shuttle. A story unto itself. He’s my age. His name is David, too.
And, he’s about 25% along the way to recovery after having been stung by a jellyfish off the coast of Georgia last May. It is the middle of August at this writing. He’s got a long way to go.
As you might imagine, we talked about the two types of chiropractors - straight and mixed -, bodily systems, good food and general well-being.
He said things we don’t want to hear. For instance, most of the damage we do to ourselves (think 80%) is caused by what we put into our bodies.
Here is the summing up for the day. Pray to God you eat less steak, more veggies, and retire as early as possible. And don’t leave your cardboard in the rain.
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