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Catch up with good times past, here, with previous bradbrunner.com content.  I'll prune the head page periodically, and put what used to be there, here.  Therefore you won't lose any of your favorite witty dialogue or catchy photographs.

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Hell's Bells!

Fish house season is in full swing and we had a first!  Tom Commers was the first teenager to ever visit my mine and bring his axe.  The photo above is the younger Commers (Tom Burket supplying expert coaching) as he works on the furious fretwork of Hell's Bells. 

This week found Chris (not pictured) and two Tom's warm and inside for slow fishing and good eating.  Young Tom was learning the classic rock and while we fished Tom strummed out the notes along with the song on the stereo.  He initiated discussion regarding whether Zeppelin or Nirvana had the better guitar solo in their versions of "Heartbreaker".   Surprisingly, Nirvana had the most support.

We dined on Cajun venison sausage with pasta, covered in puttanesca sauce (with anchovies) and freshly grated parmesan.  Then breakfast with two types of bacon, real oatmeal, and coffee or tea.

The temperature dropped to -18.6 F on Friday night and -16.5 F on Saturday night, but it was rarely under 70 F inside.  So, we stayed inside talking and fishing.  A few fish were caught but, sadly, none went under the knife.  No matter, we still had fun.

Tom Burket brought some molasses to sweeten the oatmeal and this provided us a scientific opportunity.  I have always been curious about how slow molasses in January really is.  We put the bottle of Brer Rabbit Molasses outside for 90 minutes in -15 F.  Below in his ugly hat and hippie shirt you can see Mr. Burket running the test.

The answer?  Molasses is quicker than you might think in January.

I packed up the house for a move next week and I believe we're heading out to the gravel.  There are still two weekends in February that are unclaimed so check the fish house page and make your reservation with me.

Open for Business

The fish house is open for business in 2008 and the first weekend is complete.  Above you'll see Dooger, Jeff, Will, and Henry Benjamin during a breakfast feast of pancakes, hash browns, ham, and eggs.  Although only 1 fish was caught, it was a lot of fun.  This fish house, like life itself, is more about the people you spend time than the specific activity you're doing.

There are just 3 remaining weekends that haven't been claimed, so if you want one contact me and reserve it.  Mom and the dog are going to get one, so really there are just two slots.  Check the fish house page for current reservations.

Whup, bup, bup, yeah!

For Christmas this year my youngest brother gave me the game Rock Band for my Xbox.  Having played my way through Guitar Hero II and Guitar Hero III I was well set to rock.  And rock, I did, all through medium level and through most of hard.  But darn it all, I am just plain stuck on Flirtin' With Disaster.  The best I've done is 73% and then they boo me off the stage.  Have a look at this, it's fricking impossible:

 

Watch it through the solo.  That's where it kicks my butt.

 

Tips for Your Trip to København

(For Fredrik)

1.  Always bring your hat.  Even if you are told otherwise when you leave Malmö.

2.  Remember to keep 10 Kr. in your pocket.  This way you won't have to use your credit card to buy one more beer (that you certainly do not need) so that you can get your jacket back from the coat check at The Dubliner.

3. When Patrik's girlfriend and sister (who looks like Rachel Ray )shows up, keep an eye on Ola.  The sister and Ola make a good couple and even if you don't understand their Swedish you can get a pretty good idea what is going to happen.  They may suddenly disappear.

4.  Do not start chatting with the woman who says she can tell your fortune.  She is full of shit and only wants a free cider and to tell you how she hates Indiana.

5.  The bouncer is an ass who won't listen to reason.  You will have to pay 10 Kr. to check your coat only if you want to go back into the pub one more time (for 3 minutes) to try to find your missing mates.

6.  Do not take directions from the woman at coat check, the drunks puking in the street, or the punks fighting over their girls.  Find the helpful man on his bicycle at 5 AM as he will give good directions to the train station --even if it is closed at that hour.  He will be very surprised to see an American in a hat at that that early in the morning.

7.  Screw the antenna on your cheap mobile phone all the way down.  That way you can call or SMS your friends when you are lost at 5:15 AM.

8.  Don't bother trying to get a room at the Radisson SAS at 5:30 AM as there are no rooms available.  The concierge will tell you that no other hotels have rooms either, and that he doesn't know of any warm air vents you can sleep on.

9.   You really can get on a train when the station is closed.  You have to walk around the station and find your way down to the track.  Don't be fooled by the people waiting for the doors to open.  Just go around.

10.  Wear your best sad-eye look and play up your predicament when the train officers notice your ticket is for yesterday and you have no Danish cash.  You will know you are successful when they confer in Danish then say "It's okay, Copenhagen is a very big city and anyone could lose their mates and get lost in the middle of Saturday night".

11.  Keep your head and plod along.  A warm bed waits for you at the top floor of  Fredrik and Ann's flat on Admiralsgaten in Malmö and you can find it, no matter how many wrong turns you make.  You can even get there before the sun rises!   Your good friends are there--keep going!

12.  Don't wake Vidar up when you get home.  You want him to be a happy kid like this:

 

End of the Season

The bow hunting season has come to a close for your webmaster in a cold and fairly fruitless way.  I hunted the Madsen's property in Rochester this past weekend and the temperature didn't get above 10 degrees F.  This required me to wear 2 pairs of long underwear, 3 pairs of pants, and 5 jackets.  That's me above with hot pads in my boots and mittens waiting for the deer that didn't come.  But...

What happened defines my season very well.  I sat quietly all Saturday afternoon knowing where the deer would come from.  They cross the road, go around the quarry, and then come up the hill right under where I sit in the picture.  10 minutes after legal sunset I am excitedly waiting when I hear a car coming.  "Thump" rattles through the woods and the car stops.  I hear angry voices get out, putter around, and then drive away.  Yes folks, the deer did cross the road where I expected it but it didn't get across safely.  It was whacked by a car instead of my arrow.

Even still I learned a lot this year and had many adventures.  I am hooked on bow hunting and will spend even more time on stand next year.

Also, be sure to get your fish house reservations in soon.  2 of the ten weekends are already claimed and if you want a specific time you should soon reserve it:

 

City Hunting

This past weekend I tested my mettle in a city bow hunt for Ramsey County.  This required me to sit in windy trees at temperatures below 10 degrees F.  I didn't see many deer and the highlight for Friday and Saturday was my thermos of hot chocolate.  I would wait until I was so cold that I couldn't take it any more, and then pour a cup.  I would raucously sing this song (in my head) as I devoured the satisfying sweet drink:

 

On Sunday I sat in my ground blind in a very good spot.  I was absolutely convinced that a deer would walk by and I would arrow it.  I watched the sun rise, sat all morning, and my anticipation grew as the afternoon passed.  Suddenly I heard a sound in the distance:

"Tink!  tink-tink-tink-tink!  Tinker Tinker Tinker!"

This repeated for some 15 minutes and the noise came closer.  Suddenly, out of the snow came a teenaged boy and a white dog that was the size of a loaf of bread.  Ten yards in front of my well camouflaged blind they stopped and the boy kneeled down.

"Oh Tinkerbell, you're the best dog.  The cutest dog.  I love you, you're such a good dog"

They played around in the snow for 10 minutes, then ran about in the snow in a chase--right in the area where I expected the deer to come from.

I considered sending an arrow over the bow in a warning shot like the Navy is famous for.  But in city hunts we need to avoid conflict with the neighbors and I just waited for him to leave.  I almost said, in a booming voice from the hidden brush "Would you take Tinkerbell and get the hell out of here!", but I chose not to embarrass or scare him.

No deer came out, obviously.  And Tinkerbell didn't have enough meat on him to harvest so I went home empty.

Brrrrrr....

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm procrastinating this morning before another cold day of bow hunting.  Above you can see me yesterday morning in my frosty position 20 feet up a tree.  It's currently about -6 C outside and I need some encouragement to get me out of the warm house and into the frosty wind.

Better you than me, I assume a lot of you are thinking.  But once I run out of excuses I'm off to Willow Lake with my  bow and broad head tipped arrows.  Back in September when I was boiling hot and dehydrated myself in the ground blind I dreamed of weather like this.  I suspect while I sit up there today I'll be dreaming of sitting in the ground blind with the bugs and the heat.

2 Does!

Firearms deer season ended last Sunday and I came out with two does.  One for me, and one for Brennen and Tracy.  Apologies for the gory picture but this was the least gory one that I took.   Suffice it to say that both does were quickly dispatched, and that the tastiness of each will be enjoyed throughout the coming year.

I'm still bow hunting and have 3 great weekends ahead in fantastic spots.  Twice I'm hunting in the Twin Cities, and I'm taking a road trip to Rochester to help some relatives with "problem deer".

In between all this exciting hunting I'm going to work.  I've been trying hard to change the culture of the company and am yet undaunted.  But it is a very difficult rock to move and only with time and patience will it budge.  Suffice it to say that I'm cheerfully doing some of the most boring work that they can throw at me.  One of the tricks to a happy life is to find humor and wonder in things that are absolutely, mind-numbingly dull.  Between 8 and 4:30 on weekdays I'm doing that in spades.

I Rock!

I've been deer hunting every weekend, spent a week hunting in North Dakota, but the photo above shows the real reason why I haven't posted lately.

Get yourself one of these: and join me in an online contest. 

Next up is this:

 

 

Bad Hunting Weather

I was back at it again this weekend with great hopes of arrowing my first deer.  Friday afternoon I raced up I35 and made it to my hunting grounds with about 2 hours of daylight to spare.  I changed into my scent-free clothing on the side of a pasture and had a herd of yearling cows walk up to me with some interest.  Although I was assured by the farmer that they were hungry and wanted grain, it was a bit unnerving to be naked and under the eyes of several dozen big-eyed cows.

Alas, no deer were sighted or skewered.  I set up by a small pond in an area where I knew deer had been crossing.  Were I hunting wood ducks I would have been successful.  But I wasn't.  No deer crossed.

Saturday, I headed back out and put in 11 hours.  It was extremely windy and I know that deer don't move in weather like that.  But I stuck it out and saw nothing but crows.  Were I a lesser man I would have been extremely frustrated.  But hunting is about patience, and this gave me a great opportunity to practice being patient.  If any of you want any tips in patience, let me know.  I'll get back to you after a while.

On Sunday there was no reason to go out.  I woke up to strong winds and rain--conditions where deer also do not move.  So instead of exposing myself to the curious eyes of  wet cows, I stayed in and watched #4 get his 421st.  Now I can't honestly say I "watched" it.  I more accurately can say I stared at and tried to decipher grainy shadows.  Since the audio didn't come in, I listened to the game (details 2 seconds earlier than the video) on the Packer Radio Network.  Here is a prime example of how FOX comes in on the deer camp TV:

He's running from right to left, with his right hand in the air.  You can kind of see the 4.

It was a worrying game like Packer-Vikings games always are.  I always dislike watching them as I really hate the Vikings and, of course, am a Packer fan.  Too many times I have watched the hated Vikings seize Metrodome victory, and it almost happened again today.

But it didn't.

 

I have two more weekends where I'll be bow hunting my primary area, and I still hope to provide you with evidence of my success.  I'll keep trying.

 

Learning to Bow Hunt

All summer I have been practicing with my bow in preparation for deer hunting.  I read 5 books, shot 4 days a week, and felt prepared to take up this new pursuit.  I missed opening weekend due to work travel, but was out in the dark this past Saturday morning ready to arrow a deer.

I was not at all mentally prepared for hunting in the heat.  The view above is from my ground blind, where I sat for 12 hours in 80 degree heat.  I didn't bring nearly enough water and I was dehydrated with a massive headache by the time I was done.  I wore scent reduction carbon clothes that apparently don't breathe, and sat in a tent with little air circulation.  Ugh!

I saw 9 turkeys, millions of crows, and 1 skunk.  For those who think deer are defenseless and hunting isn't fair, all I can say is my day was more representative of real hunting:  hour after hour of seeing nothing.

I'll be back at it next weekend, and every weekend until the season closes.  I am optimistic and hope to provide you with photos of deer I shoot.  But for now, I'll just sweat and watch the crows.

Best Mileage Run Ev-ah!

Relegated to weekend-only mileage runs I spent half of Saturday and most of Sunday on my most aggressive one.  For a very low fare I flew MSP-DTW-DUS-DTW-MSP leaving at 5 PM on Saturday afternoon and originally scheduled to return at 8 on Sunday the next day.

I arrived at the airport early in order to spend some time talking with Melinda June in the Concourse C World Club  prior to her trip back to the UK.   I got a upgrade to the front on the first leg and went to the gate seen above in DTW.  Due to the knowledgeable chatter on FlyerTalk I knew that a coach seat on the 757-200 is not the best in the fleet. I steeled myself to endure 8 hours of pain over, and 9 back.

The gate agent was making announcements in German and my ears picked up when I heard "something in German Herr Brunner something more in German".  I walked up to the podium and handed a lady my boarding pass and asked if they had called me.  After a short delay, I was handed a new boarding pass, a smile, and told "Thank you for being such a good customer of our airline".  She had a Frau Blücher accent, but those were sweet words on her lips.

Holy Farking Crap!  My new boarding pass said seat 4A.  The most rare of things had happened--I was given a World Business Class upgrade!  So I parked my butt in a huge comfortable seat, dined on Beef tenderloin with apple bacon crust, and slept like a baby in its horizontal recline until the announcement for landing was made.  And my fare was only $5,600 less than the guy I sat next to.

The turn in DUS was quite easy and I had no trouble with customs.  I stepped out of the airport for about 10 seconds to alleviate any controversy that I had actually been to Germany on this trip.  This photo is part of my proof:

I re-cleared customs, bought some chocolates, and got back on the plane.  This time in coach, but well rested.  I then flew 9 hours back and ran out the battery of my video iPod watching Mad Men..

Back in DTW, I spent some time at the WorldClub watching football.  I had one of those proud to be American moments when I watched men and women, of all ages and races, watching the NFL with excitement on their faces.  It put a smile on my face and I left the club with Detroit leading Oakland 17-0. 

Off to the gate, then, with a stop for a banana-nut ice cream cone at a nearby shop.  With cone in hand,  I heard the gate agent request volunteers to take a later flight due to the flight being oversold.  I jumped up and said "I'll take it", and was then handed a $300 voucher for a future flight.  When I went back to the WorldClub I found Oakland in the lead and a mileage run that had suddenly become significantly cheaper.

I was home by 11:30, and many thanks to my mom who gave me a ride home.  I fell asleep instantly, and made it to work just a little later than usual.  With bonuses and promotions I earned over 28,000 miles for a price equal to approximately two fills of my truck with gas.

It really was the best mileage run possible!

 

Last Day of the Fair

My mom and I spent the last day of the fair today and had a fine time.  We ended it in the heat, by dining on what is seen above: a meatball sundae.  While you Swedes may find this horrific (certainly as it is sans lingonberries) it is a tasty treat.

Normally this time of year I'm gearing up to head to Canada for a month of fantastic duck and goose hunting.  This year I am unable to do so, as I have to go to work every day like the rest of you.  So today's show that we saw was the closest thing I'm going to get to "the true north strong and free."  Here is a bad quality video I shot on my phone of a very cool horse event:

 

I'll definitely miss all the fine times I've had with all of you up there, and you will be in my heart each crisp morning that I rise and go to work.  On the plus side, there are likely to be many more ducks and geese making it safely to the USA this year.  Go get 'em you Canuks.  Shoot straight and have a great time!

State Fair '07

I missed the first day of the fair this year, for the first time in a very long time.  Work became somewhat nasty last week, as I fought against some bad management and had to settle for a tiny gain and some unnecessary disappointment.  But oh well, it's fair week!

My first day of the fair was a Saturday morning, which really isn't the best time to go.  It is too crowded too soon, but it is still the one of the best things that Minnesota has to offer.

I had the traditional breakfast at the Swedish egg coffee place, bought my deer license at the DNR booth, and spent a lot of time at the duck pond reflecting on life.  I watched this redhead drake for a while and was quite amused.  He kicked a wood duck off the feed pile and had it for his own:

For several years I've been advocating a stroller tax at the fair.  I find them a threat to toes and general travel and think that parents who bring them should have to pay.  They clog traffic, are often used for kids who could damn well walk, and are just an bother to everyone. I think $5 for a single, and $10 for a double-wide would be just about right.  Here is exhibit A in what the problem is:

I hope to make a few more visits before it is all over.  Hopefully at a time when the stroller-jockeys stay in the suburbs!

 

Good Work Week

My past week in Corporate America was a very good one.  As a low level employee I was able to have a one on one meeting with the Chief Executive of a large, successful company.  I prepared well for this meeting and presented him with observations and proposals for fixing what is an embarrassingly dysfunctional culture.  I walked out of his office with him, and left feeling extremely empowered and supported.  He was 100% behind me, and that is unbelievably motivating.

I am passionate about these sorts of things.  Life is short, and I feel I have an obligation to make any company I work for the best it can possibly be for the business and the people.  I learned a lot at entrepreneurial PUR and, with that on top of my leadership experience at Widjiwagan, I feel I have a lot of good to bring.

I am afraid that what I am going to try and do will be fought at every juncture, and that there are ugly politics and big battles ahead.  But with my support from the top, and the confidence I have in how things can be done correctly, I'm going to carry the flag and move ahead.

Potter and Pop

Nothing particularly newsworthy has transpired of late, and tonight finds your webmaster taking a break from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on p554.  So far so good.  It is an interesting enough read, although perhaps not as exciting as the news reports have indicated.  I did fall asleep this afternoon whilst reading and woke up with the book rudely fallen to the floor.  But even still, the lads and lady have just escaped on a dragon and the showdown with Voldemort comes soon.  I still think that Snape is a good guy, but J.K. hasn't left any clues just yet as to this being the case.

Melinda June gave me a great musical tip while skyping a week ago or so.  Stephen Merchant, whole you'll remember as "Oggy" from the British version of The Office, has a neat show on BBC Radio 6 that you may wish to give a listen.  Just click on his name and if you're interweb savvy enough you can listen to his shows.  They're brilliant and play some neat music you might never have heard of.

Next week is my big meeting where I will attempt to do great things.  Wish me well.

 

The Emperor's New Clothes

I do not wish to harp about work over and over again, but since that is what takes up most of my time these days it's my best expert subject.  Furthermore I find the cultural issues I've discovered extremely fascinating so I'll share them with you.

During this past week there were no formal experiments.  I decided that I should space them out for the greatest effect and, since I hadn’t thought of a new one, none were conducted.  As it turns out, I didn't need to think of one.

I had participated the previous week in a secret focus group about culture and leadership, so I let the new week play out and see what I could learn.  This coincided with the quarterly report of vast prosperity and the promise of my first view of leadership at a “town hall”.

This meeting was today, and was not all that much different than others I had experienced, at other companies, in the past.  I was struck by the fact that we heard only from the CEO and the CFO, while I expected to hear from the captains of the other functional groups.   But so be it.

During the presentation our CEO showed two documents to the crowd and asked if everyone was familiar with them.  I was not, and being one wave in a sea of nodding heads, decided not to be the single person who would take his offer.  I figured the documents were likely something in the HR packet I received and didn’t read, or something my boss had given me and I should have been familiar with.  Although the Chief Executive Officer asked twice, everyone in the large room indicated they were familiar with them.

Fair enough, but at the end of that meeting I observed many people asking each other “what were those documents?”  Allegedly, in the room at the other end of the building where ~100 people watched it on video, many people there were looking at each other and wondering what the documents were.  If this is not a real-life example of the Emperor’s New Clothes parable, I don’t know what is.

Even more interestingly, I asked a supervisor shortly afterwards what the documents were.  I was told that I probably saw them on the intranet and observed a colleague being snapped at for admitting uncertainty about what they were. Still not sure, I took the initiative to ask someone I knew in a different department about them and was given a copy of both documents.   I read them, and shared them with my colleagues.  A bit later I was told that when the supervisor noticed them on my desk, copies of the documents were delivered to other people in the area who had never seen them.

The documents were glossy brochures explaining management expectations.  I do not know who was supposed to get them, but either the instructions to deliver weren't clear when they were first promulgated or the managers didn't provide them to everyone.  The fact that the CEO asked the entire company if they were familiar with them indicates to me that it was his expectation that everyone receive them.

This speaks to basic communication, something that is critical for teamwork and a function of good leadership.  Basic openness and honesty come naturally in well-functioning enterprises.  If the company I work for truly wants to grow, be creative, and win they are going to need to create a culture where there is honest top-down and bottom-up communication.  I'm going to try to move us in that direction from my current role, but as I challenge the dominant culture I am well aware that I do so at my peril.

A Puzzle

Today at the new job I conducted an experiment.  I laid out the pieces of a 100-piece children's puzzle on the aisle-side counter of an unused cubicle near my work area.  It is in an area of semi-frequent travel and I wanted to see how people would react to it. I did this in the early morning before many in the company had arrived at work.

I surmised that one of two things might happen.  The most likely option was that many people would walk past it and a few would be tempted to put a piece or two together.  Once a significant number of pieces were assembled I assumed that someone would just then, unable to stand it, put them all together.  Alternately, I thought that someone might grumpily see it, judge it to be unprofessional, and sweep it into the trash.  Since I only spent $2.99 at Target for a kid's puzzle of a kitty and a rabbit I was psychologically prepared for either of the two.

The picture you see is that very set-up at approximately 8:30 AM.  As you may note, there are several pieces already assembled and it seems quite clear that my first theory was well in play.  Around 9:30 I stood up and looked down the long row of cubes to where the puzzle was.  There I viewed the lady who delivers the mail stopped, looking down, and assembling pieces.  It was a delightful moment that made me smile from ear to ear.

Around 11:15 or so I walked past on my way to the loo and discovered that the counter was bare.  My heart dropped with disappointment and I checked the garbage, the recycling bin, and all the drawers, finding nothing.  I looked in the garbage at the nearby cubes and found them empty.  Finally, after going through the filing cabinets I found what I was looking for.  Someone had taken all the pieces, certainly clumsily over several trips, and thrown them out of sight in one of the wall-mounted credenzas.

So neither of my preconceived theories happened--or perhaps both half-did?  The curious nature of my co-workers started out impressively, but then the corporate kill-joy response apparently was too strong for someone and he or she squashed the fun.  But why did the fun-killer put the pieces in the credenza and not just throw them out?

Perhaps some day I will find out who did it and why.  Until then 100 pieces of bunny and kitten remain in the credenza and will be, in two ways, still very much a puzzle.

 

Awake, Arise!

Almost everyone at my new job eats their lunch at their desk.

Walking about our building during the noon hour you do not have to take many steps before you find someone in their cubicle eating lunch.  It does not seem to matter which department or pay grade they come from.  Sadly, this seems to be a part of the company culture.

My objection isn't based on the simple microbiological unhealthiness of it.  Nor the suspicion that people who do this are trying to showcase their extreme busyness for purposes of job enhancement or protection.  Clearly some truly are busy, and some days eating through lunch can be justified.  But certainly not every day.

I am troubled by the clear affront to corporate community it represents.

I believe a community of friendship and trust is one of the most important factors that make a company successful.  I base this on my experience in a successful entrepreneurial venture where the "lunch crowd" was an important daily event.  Nearly every day people from the CEO to the line-worker would meet in our dirty, and completely unappealing lunchroom to eat and follow two rules:

1.  There is always room at the table.

2. Do not talk about work.

Throughout all the silly lunchtime arguments, the Isaac Asimov Super Quiz with shifting rules, and the general idle chatter, a level of trust between associates was built.  This translated into good inter-departmental working relationships and friendship, and was something that paid off when the company went through trouble or something important needed urgent doing.  When the going got tough we friends and co-workers pulled together and worked hard because we generally liked each other and didn't want to let each other down.  The community lunch was a clear pre-cursor to this.

At my new job there are two absolutely beautiful lunch rooms. Each are stocked with an array of nice tables, comfortable chairs, and both sport a lovely view of a nature preserve.  During the noon hour these spaces are nearly empty, and workers walk right past the lonely furniture as they visit microwave ovens to cook their food they eat at their desks.  It's quite surprising, and in my mind a rather sad tragedy.

Instead of casting aspersions at these folks for their disappointing choices (as I don't fully understand the culture of fear they have worked under in the past) I am simply going to not do as they do.  When I bring in lunch or food of any kind, I am marching down to that lunch room and I'm going to eat it there.  I'm going to let people know I'm going there and I'm going to invite them along.

I would be interested to find out if readers at other companies have experienced something similar.  Perhaps this is the norm and I just got lucky and spent most of my career to date at a company that, at least, had this part of it working right.  But even if this is the case it is still no excuse.  It is clear to me that the company I work for would be a better one if people got off their butts and went down to the lunch room.  I'm not sure what it is going to take to change the culture in that way, but I am going to try.

 

WorkPerks

Having now completed two weeks back in the real world I thought I would share with you some of the unique perks that my new place of employment offers.  No longer in the position to fly Tues-Wed for WorldPerks Miles and status, I will instead take advantage of those perks I now have access to.

My office is on a campus that is part of a private 290 acre nature preserve with a lake right in the middle of it (shown above as a high-flying bird might see it).  The work is done in the buildings in the upper left.  Subtract the small housing development in the top center and the parking lot in the upper right, as well as the building and parking lot in the bottom left, and all the rest of the land between the highways is the preserve.  While the area is fenced and not open to the public it is open for use by eager employees such as myself.  Personally, I can't imagine a better work perk, at any company, anywhere.

This lake, as you can see, is surrounded by forests, wetlands, and fields and is circled by a walking path with a floating boardwalk on the south end.  While the job I turned down in the Buckeye State did have nearby water and a pretty campus it certainly did not have a lake like this managed for muskies, bass, and bluegills out the back door.  Nor did it have free use of canoes or a rowboat for employees who want to fish.  Or gazebos, or wood-chipped trails with bridges over wet areas.

Lest you think the lake and its angling is the peak of the perks, read on.  I learned on my very first day that employees who have a hunting license and complete a Minnesota archery training course may hunt deer by archery on the property.  With Minnesota's All-Season License that means I can hunt during the week after work, and up in Pine County on the weekends.  Yes folks, the never-ending hunting season may be slowed but it has definitely not stopped.

Today I took advantage of the free canoe use and headed out on the lake for some bluegill fishing. The lake was winter-killed a few years ago (aerator broke) and for this season bass and muskies are closed to allow re-stocked fish to grow.  So I decided to beat up on old Bluegillis horribilis on a sunny, Saturday morning.  I found them spawning, and in big groups right next to the floating bog/cattail shore.  If you could sneak up on them quietly and slowly you could cast into them and catch one after the other.  The majority of the fish were about 6 inches in length and seemed healthy and not stunted.  In a few years there will likely be a bumper crop.  For your enjoyment, here is a representative specimen:

Found Myself in a Strange Town

Although I've only been there for one week now, and "...haven't bought an A to Zed guidebook...", I thought my loyal readers would want a report.

The obvious disclaimer must be that it is yet too early.  Former associates of mine may remember my report from the POW trip to CVG and how glowing it was.  Not to say that I am prone only to the positive, but just that first impressions should be viewed as those of the mildly ignorant.

My appraisal is positive.  The people I have met, interacted with, and will work with all seem very nice, intelligent, and pleasant.  I have now met with most of my department members and all the technology-based managers and through this learned a lot about the internal philosophy.  Although I should have clearly seen this coming, I do find that I will definitely need to Spartan up my philosophy about risk and realize that I am not in the position any longer to take the business risks I once was given the opportunity to take.  My job is to protect the company and, unlike the entrepreneurial environment I was weaned in, there appears to be only bad and not much good in thinking up clever risks.

Enough of the serious work part.  As anyone with a pence and a half of sense knows that human interaction is the bark in the dog of life.  And when new to a job there are many ways you can approach this.  Although I considered the "hide in the weeds/cards to the chest/shut up and pay attention" approach all of you know that is not me.  So you will be happy to hear that I was unable to last much more than 20 minutes before my nature outed and my co-workers were given the data to judge me for the good or the bad.

My opinion on this is thus.  In life, I give everyone I meet and interact with the benefit of the doubt and expect that everyone else does likewise (they don't).  In Corporate America it is always safe to be quiet, serious, productive, and spew buzz words like prunes through a goose until you see how people are likely to make judgment.  But IMHO, that is about as boring as boring could be.  So I'm simply going to be who I am and let it fall out where it does.  That's what I would expect of the FNG and will behave as if everyone else thinks as I do.

For the first time in several years the PUR/Recovery Engineering, Inc.contact list has been updated.  This was triggered by running into Chris Speak on the MSP-SFO route.  I was sitting in row 10 (exit row) when he boarded and we were able to chat a bit.  He gave me his card when the gate agent came onboard to upgrade me to the front, and now we've renewed contact.  He sent me some addresses to update, and I searched my in box and finally updated all the requests I've had for changes.  Should you be part of the old team, and notice that either your address is incorrect or know of another "associate" who should be added, please contact me and I'll do it.

One note about Chris Speak.  He is moving back to Minnesota and was headed out west to bring his family home.  It's a near-truism that everyone who moves away from Minnesota always comes back.  Woody is the only exception to this rule, sadly.

The mileage run was a success in all but the last SFO-MSP route.  The gate agent said that 80% of the flight were elite members and so there was no shot at an upgrade.  I sat next to a large fellow who proceeded to make and eat a Caesars Salad which I found awfully disgusting.  But I made it back and proceeded to go right to sleep again.  Too much flying for me, unfortunately, as I caught a cold shortly after and have felt under the weather most of the week.

It's a good thing that I got sick this week, not next, as the one ahead promises to be extremely exciting.  My sabbatical is over and I begin my new job in earnest on Monday.  It promises to be just as wonderful as the old one, and perhaps even more so.  I really cannot wait for it to start, which those of you trudging away in Corporate America might find hard to believe.  But it's true, I can't.  I'm ready to be back to work and be part of a team achieving something. 

Sadly, you lazy readers didn't provide me much in the way of the requested fashion advice.  The always reliable Melinda June reviewed the annual report of my employer and offered the following suggestion:  "Looks like you can do your shopping online at Lands' End or Eddie Bauer."  She did also note that I "...shouldn't buy too many pleated trousers and polo/golf shirts no matter what anyone tells you."  So I've followed her advice and hope to look sharp.  Well, about as sharp as I could reasonably look in something other than camo.  Sharp enough to impress the "Chicks from the Sticks" I'm not sure, but I'll give it a shot.

 

Last Mileage Run

Tomorrow morning I do my "whiz quiz" for my new job and thereafter proceed upon what may well be my last mileage run of 2007.  Upon my return I will have flown over 50,000 flight miles (51,706 actual) on SkyTeam partners and thus re-qualified for Gold Elite through the end of February 2009.  I am very excited about my new job which I will begin on May 7th, but before that I will take these flights.

When I return it is time to shop for my new wardrobe.  I am not entirely certain what level of dress the new company will expect of me and this is the source of some concern.  As clothing is shocking in how eye-popping expensive it can sometimes be I am inclined to take a Brennen-like approach to my purchases.  Well, perhaps not quite that bad.  But still in my life I haven't thought twice about dropping a couple hundred bills for some sweet looking mallard decoys or a fiver for a Shad Rap while I can't see why a shirt should cost more than $20 (and its not even in Advantage Wetlands or waterproof!).  I'm thinking that I won't be outfitted by Fleet Farm this time, and could use any fashion tips some of you may have.  I'm specifically looking to fashionable Ann Arbor or Cincinnati for this request, so if any of you in those fine cities have any tips please do send them my way?

Sturgeon Fishing

This Wednesday I put on my other suit and went to a second interview at a very promising and exciting company.  More on that in a future update, but for now I'm going to tell you what has happened since.  When I returned from the interview, and was undressing, I received a call from my friend Curt who invited me up to Rainy River to fish walleye and sturgeon.  Why not?  And on Thursday off I went.

For those of you foreign to Minnesota, foreign to fishing, or just plain foreign the Rainy River flows between Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods.  For its 85 miles it forms the international border between the US and Canada, the river flowing between the banks of Minnesota and Ontario.  The lakes on both ends are frozen in and at this time of year the fish move up the river to feed and spawn.

We fished Friday through Monday afternoon.  You could legally fish for walleyes through Saturday night (when the season there ends) and thereafter fish for sturgeon (release only).  Compliant with all Federal, State, and Provincial regulation, we made this our game plan and went out with jigs, bait, and the intent to hook.

The weather was cold and windy with brief and memorable periods of warm sunshine.  We caught 50 or so walleyes on Friday, fewer on Saturday, and then started to "chase the sturge" on Sunday.  Although I have paddled canoes over many sturgeon waters in my time I have never gone after them.  And surprisingly it is remarkably easy to do so.   Put a bottom rig (2 oz sinker, 1/0 circle hook, bead, swivel, gob of crawlers) in a deeper hole with a soft bottom and await the tap-tap in your line.  When he is there, reel the line in slowly and the hook sets itself.

I caught 6 of them in the two days of fishing and countless other bottom feeding sucker fish.  Two of the sturgeon were quite large and it was rather the battle to bring them to the side of the boat.  We were using 50# test Power Pro and stiff fishing rods.  Still, for the first 15 minutes or so of the fight the fish was definitely in control.

Photos for your enjoyment:  (As per usual click the thumbnail to see the photo and the commentary)

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The fight is on!

This was the typical pose with a sturgeon at the end of the line. They come up pretty soon after you hook them, but once they see you they go down fast and pull, pull, pull!

 

The UK is A-OK

What would a trip over the Atlantic be without a visit to a Kebab Shoppe?  Pictured above is a delightful British one, where I purchased a Dönner Kebab from a pleasant gentleman.  British kebab is somewhat similar to a Swedish variety, although inferior IMHO. Remove the pomme frite, add a base of flat bread, some cabbage, and then you have a limey kebab.  Should you like to make a British kebab yourself, view the following

 

I spent a week over there, Tuesday to Tuesday, and had several exciting adventures.  On the first day I took a train to London and visited The British Museum.  I went in expecting a history of the British empire and was very surprised to find that there was little about Britain there.  I henceforth will refer to it as "The Diversity Museum".  Next time I go I'm going to plan ahead and find a museum about England.  I've heard they have quite a history.

On the week-end Mindy and I drove to Wales and rented a cottage from The National Trust.  Mindy had misled me into believing that the only source of heat was the fire.  So upon our late arrival I took to starting a fire with wet wood and coal.  All my years in the bush came in handy, as I was able to do it.  But let me tell you, wet wood and coal makes a stinky smelly mess.  The truth of the matter was that the fire wasn't needed, aside for "ambience".  Nonetheless it was fun to get it roaring.

I am slightly ashamed to admit that my favorite parts of the trip were the many visits to pubs.  There is just something about beer in Europe that is so much better than beer in America.  Our brewers, and those who decide what beer products we are offered, really got it wrong.  Should you be UK bound, try Tetley's.  Lovely.  Very tasty.

Mindy was excellent company and wonderful host.  Aside from doing all the driving (wrong side of the road + wheel and pedal on the wrong side + stops at pubs = bad idea to drive) we visited a kaput Cheese Centre, St. David's Cathedral, a beach, some neat cliffs, and Burger King.  We drove past Cardiff without noticing as we were arguing about politics.  But I guess I can see it again in Torchwood Season 2.

I didn't take many pictures, sadly, but here are a few for you.  I apologize for forgetting to photograph the beautiful scenery of Wales--hills, grass, sheep, cliffs, ocean.

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The living room at our cottage and the fireplace for "ambiance"

Now back in the States spring approaches and I will continue the job hunt.  There will be a few more "trips to no place" (My mother's description) in airplanes for miles, but nothing exciting.  Cheers!

 

London Calling

If you're not a bright-eyed and busy-tailed reader of this site you will no doubt be reading this as I fly MSP-DTW-LGW (2C, 29A)on my way to Robert Blake's "Green and pleasant land".  If you're not a steady reader, perhaps you'll find me already there or home again.

It's just a short trip, where I'll be gratefully experiencing the hospitality of Melinda June and accompanying her on a weekend journey to Wales.  We plan to spend it in Pembrokeshire and, although I have a list of things to do, what we will do has yet to be determined.

I've loaded up the iPod, washed my clothes, and installed new odor-eaters in my shoes.  I'm leaving without a job in hand, and should you be an interested employer doing due diligence on me be assured my answering machine has my European mobile number.  I would be quite pleased to receive your call!

I'll be back next week with photos, stories, and gifts for some of you!

Canoe Repaired!

I picked up my 10 year old Bell Wildfire today and it looks as good as it did when I first bought it.  When we last left this fine craft, it was unusable after being broken in completing the Quetico Canoe Quest.  Now with all new wood, it is ready for another 10 years of happy paddling.

The job search still goes on.  I will say in all honesty that being unemployed and looking for work is much less pleasant than being unemployed and not looking for work.  I guess that's no big surprise.

A few mileage runs to SFO and a trip to Wales in March.  So something for the readers to look forward to is ahead.  And should I find a job, that too.

Still Free!

In case you were wondering I've now lost the aforementioned chip and chair, and the exciting job search continues!  In this case I heard:

"We hired someone internally we already had experience with--who had already worked on some of our projects."

Which is remarkably different than the recent:

"At this time, we have decided to pursue a couple of internal candidates."

Or the even more nuanced response regarding a 3rd opportunity:

"...we are looking internally first.  I'm not sure that we will even look at the outside, but we may."

If I do ever get a real job again where I hire people I think I'll try not to hire any internal candidates  Heck, they already have jobs.  The hell with 'em!

Ultimately, though fear not.  I'm still quite optimistic and positive about the whole thing.  Whoever does ultimately hire me is going to get a sweet deal.  It's just a matter of time and since life is so short, why worry?

Also of note, I installed a little feature at the bottom of the page that shows where on the globe visitors to this site are from.  It's only been running one day, but it does show that someone from Cincinnati took a look.  Out with you Proctoid!  Reveal yourself!

{Note:  As of this morning (2/22) I can see that London, Malmö, New Jersey, and The Pas, Manitoba have all checked in.  This is a great century, eh?}

As Free as a Bird Now

For your humble webmaster, the season is tripartite:  ice fishing, mileage running, and job hunting.  This week, after finishing off a weekend of the first, I did the third of three of the second, and had my most intense experience so far of the third.  In fact, (2) and (3) came together in a rather intense three-day period which really tested my grace under pressure.  Consider the following:

The above picture shows my route which started at 9 PM on Monday night.  In mileage running lingo this would be MSP-SFO-MSP-CLT-DTW-SFO-MSP.  The 9218 mile route began with a night flight from MSP to San Francisco, back on the redeye early Tuesday morning, on to Charlotte, NC, up north to snowy Detroit, then back to San Francisco around midnight Tuesday.  At 2:30 AM Minnesota time on Wednesday I took the last flight back to MSP, arriving at 6 AM.  This, then, gave me 6 blissful hours to prepare for a 4 1/2 hour interview which started at noon on Wednesday.  I took a 2 hour nap, picked up my suit at the dry cleaners, washed the truck, got a hair/beard trim, drank about 3 gallons of coffee, dressed, and headed out to interview on the campus of a company with a 3 in it.  I then had 4 separate interviews (each with different probing, challenging questions*) with about 1 hour per interviewer.

All told, I think it went well and I didn't come off as too big an idiot.  But who knows.  It's always a tough deal when you go up against internal candidates (3 in this case) and with my lack of sleep against me it would be somewhat of a miracle if I was hired for this particular job.  But I'd be good at it, would love it, and as of this moment (3:33 PM on Wednesday 2/15) I still have a chip and a chair.

As far as mileage running goes, I know you're all wondering "why?".  In short the reasons are (1)  It's fun, (2) To get elite upgrades to 1st class on future flights + other program benefits.   My other two routes, in the two weeks previously, can he seen here: 1, 2.  And here, for your enjoyment, is a video a fellow mileage runner made after doing a run which was only 3936 miles fewer than what I flew.  Sally.

 

*And yes, for those in the know, I did tell the "flavor of the spec" story.

Lunkers Aplenty!

Fish house season is in full swing and if you haven't scheduled a weekend, you are missing out.  The above photo shows Tracy Szela with the 24 inch walleye she caught.  Yes indeed, girls can fish!  Tracy showed a real eye for it, picking up on the subtle details of the craft unlike my ham-handed brother Brennen.

The weekend previous, Tom Burket and Andy Mersiowsky came up and we eeked out a few perch.  Prior to that Dr. Aaron Rutzik and Jon Commers came up with home delicious home brew and much fun was had. We were in shallow those times, but now the house is way out on the gravel in big fish country!  Along with Tracy's fish in the photo, walleyes of 17, 23, 24, 26, and 28.5 inches were pulled onto the carpet of the fish house.  In addition, filleted 12 big perch on Sunday afternoon and 16 on Monday morning.  The fish are definitely biting.

Reservations are filling up.  Check the fish house page for availability and make your reservation before it is too late!

Jeff, Hank, and W. Benjamin are the guests this weekend and we are going to whoop it up like never before.

Last Kebab of 2006

Since my last post I've been to Sweden and back, celebrated Christmas, and re-learned how to bake bread.  I have also been aggressively searching for a job but with the corporate slowdown around the holidays I'm not waiting anxiously by the phone for a call back.  Should any of you work for a Twin Cities company with openings in regulatory compliance, please let me know about it.  Champ doesn't really need the money he would get for a referral bonus, but maybe you do?

Seen above is Fredrik, sometime early in the morning, eating the most fantastic of Swedish holiday treats: a Kebab.  This was after a fine evening in Copenhagen eating Smørrebrød, drinking öl and akvavit, and generally having a fine holiday time with Fredrik and his mates.  The strangest part of the evening for me was hanging out in a swank Malmö apartment watching an Ozzie Osbourne video that the Swedish lads were really getting into.  Ozzie's not my cup of tea, but when in Rome...

FYI, should you travel MSP-AMS-CPH on NWA/KLM or the return don't check your luggage!  Three out of 4 times this year they have lost mine on that run, and this time I didn't get it back until the night before I left.

Christmas was fantastic as ever, celebrated with Brennen home for the first time in what seems decades.  I got some car washes, a book,  a solar charger for my iPod/mobile phones, a rechargeable spotlight, a sweet green fleece, my old matchbook collection, and a tool for breaking a car window when you fall through the ice!

Finally, I have started baking bread again.  This is something I did a lot of in the early 90's.  I had this great recipe from the Middleton family in Duluth, and since I found it I decided to make it again.  Should you wish to do so, here is the recipe:

Duluth Middleton Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour, 0.5 cups bread flour, 2 tsp salt, 2.25 tsp yeast, 12 tbsp milk powder, 3 cups lukewarm water.  Sponge overnight or at least >2 hours, knead to proper consistency with bread flour,  1st dough rise: 1.5 hours, 2nd dough rise: 1 hour in pan.  375-400 for 1 hour.  It's real bread, far superior to that you buy in a store.

 

Burn, Baby, Burn!

On Thursday I'm flying once again to Sweden for an end of year mileage run.  I'll just be there for the weekend, but am seriously considering heading up to Gävle with my bic lighter and taking part in a 40 year tradition.  What tradition, you ask?  If you have the time and bandwidth, watch this video CLICK HERE and you'll learn all about it.  If you have less time, read the Wiki reference.  Even less time?  Then just watch this odd Swedish hip hop video which should get you excited about a bock burning.

 

When you have done all this, gentle reader, then you are ready to check the goat daily for a burning.  But this year things have changed, and per this article:

"...officials think they have finally outsmarted the resourceful vandals by dousing the battered ram with flame-resistant chemicals normally used on airplanes.

"It is impossible to burn it to the ground this year, although you might be able to singe its paws," said Anna Ostman, a spokeswoman for the committee in charge of building the goat. "After 40 years, we think we finally found the solution."

The company providing the fireproof treatment is so sure of its resilience that its spokesman Freddy Klassmo told newspaper Aftonbladet that "not even napalm can set fire to the goat now."

Them are fighting words.  I probably won't make it to Gävle, but I'll be cheering for a burning.

See the 2006 goat live via Webcam CLICK HERE.

 

I'm Famous!

Check out this article in The Atikokan Progress!  It would appear that I was indeed the first person to finish the Quetico Canoe Quest and the winner of a fabulous prize sometime in 2009.  I was never entirely sure if I really was the first person, but a Google search for the Quetico Canoe Quest put this link at the top. 

I'm sure that since most of my loyal readers subscribe to the Atikokan Progress you saw this article when it was originally published.  But I just found out tonight, and I couldn't be happier.

New on the Menu

I spent more hours than I care to admit this weekend making goose burger.  I used Mike Prokopchuk of Winnipeg, Manitoba's recipe and a cheap hand grinder.  The end result was 26 pounds of goose burger.  So this winter at the fish house, I have a new item on the menu for you: Goose Burger.

I see why people buy those expensive motorized grinders and widgets for meat processing.  It's a fairly gross and unpleasant process, especially the mixing of meats and spices.  But I did it in a careful, sanitary way and hopefully you folks will enjoy it.

"Bambi. Quick! The thicket!"

Brennen and his little friend.

I'm back from deer season and am happy to report all was successful.  I "harvested" one 8 pt. buck and two does, both shot mid-week.  I shot the first doe near sunset when she walked straight under my tree stand in a grove of trees.  Two days later I went out to the swamp around 11:30 AM, and at 12:15 noticed antlers in a thicket about 50 yards in front of me.  When they disappeared (he bedded down) I watched with the binoculars until I noticed a doe.  She got up and moved about 5 feet, and bedded down again.  The buck (shown above), trailing, stood up and I immediately shot him. The doe jumped from the thicket and I shot her too.

So the freezers are full this year once again.  Brennen took the second doe, and I kept the buck and first doe.  I actually had to buy a second freezer to handle all the meat so come to the fish house this year ready to eat!  I processed most of the meat into hot dogs, Cajun sausages, burger, and steaks.  I've learned over the years that these are the most popular and tasty items for my guests and myself.

John Bradford visited deer camp again this year, now with his own 30-06.  He was unsuccessful once again, his time cut short by a sinus infection.  Better luck for little Johnny next time.  Some photos:

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The buck and the doe I shot at noon. Their amorous adventure was short lived.

 

I've been gone.

Yes, dear readers, I've been gone for months.  Killing ducks.  Killing geese.  Not working.  Having fun in Canada and North Dakota.  And I'm back for just a speck of time, just enough to say hello and wish you well.  Tomorrow I'll be gone for 16 days with the goal of killing 5 deer before me.

I've had the best hunting ever this fall for waterfowl.  God bless Warren Hicks, his wife Wanda, and kids Michael and Myles.  They gave me in housing, food, and friendship more than I could ever deserve.  I don't know how I can explain it all to you.  I suppose it is impossible.  But here are some videos that give you an idea.

This is the very best waterfowl hunting that one could ever experience.  It really couldn't every be any better than this:

 

 

 

 

Get this Album

 

 

Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet Under The Covers, Volume 1.  It's fantastic and I can't stop listening to it.

Go IDF!

 

State Fair!

Our State Fair is a great State Fair,
Don't miss it, don't even be late.
It's dollars to doughnuts that our State Fair,
Is the best State Fair in our state!

As is our tradition, this morning I visited the Minnesota State Fair with friends.  This year Dooger, Bradford, Britt Bromley, and I entered the fairgrounds at promptly 6:00 AM for the official start of the first day.  T.C. was supposed to come, but called at 5:55 AM with a questionable claim of having "too much to do".  I think that's code for "I woke up too late".

Pictured is Dooger with an alleged "Morning Frank" from Chicago Dogs.  It was described in an official State Fair document as "...a jumbo smoked breakfast sausage served on a toasted poppy seed bun, smothered in fresh scrambled eggs and topped with shaved cheddar cheese!".  This item was to be available at Chicago Dogs in "The Garden".

As you can see from the picture, there has been no smothering in scrambled eggs (fresh or otherwise) or topping with slivers of shaved cheddar cheese.  Plus, it is on a stick and there is no toasted poppy seed bun.  Dooger described it as a Pronto Pup over a breakfast sausage.  Pronto Pups, of course, are hot dogs on a stick coated with pancake batter where Corn Dogs use a cornmeal batter.

I believe this requires further research.  If anyone goes to the fair today please check at Chicago Dogs and ask them about the "Morning Frank".  Perhaps Dooger got something else, as it is possible that the young lady who took the order wasn't fully familiar with the menu yet.  It is day 1, after all.

Now, for your viewing enjoyment try out these two slideshow videos.  The first is historical, the second is from 2005.  And in case any of you are viewing from Ohio, this is one of the 9,000,003 reasons I didn't move there.

 

 

Quest Completed!

I returned this afternoon, after a tow from Saganaga Lake, a drive down the Gunflint, and a further drive to Duluth and Saint Paul, after finishing the Quetico Canoe Quest.  I now have all 6 entry point crests and will be registered in a draw to win a Souris River Canoe in November of 2009.  I may have been the first to finish, but I am not yet 100% sure.  I'm awaiting confirmation from Atikokan, and if I did do it I may have won a neat-o prize.

I had to return from this trip a bit early as I had two "challenges".  First of all, I caught a nice dose of poison ivy (which I must have sat in) and had a rather itchy back and rear.  Fortunately it was bearable, especially at night after a shot of Finlandia Vodka and an Ambien.  Secondly, my well-used solo canoe suffered a break at a structural point in the left gunnel key for allowing the yoke to be used and for sitting on.  I was able to kludge a temporary fix with a clamp and some duct tape, but it just barely got me out.  With every creak on the portages I was afraid my little canoe would come crashing down on my head.

The photo was taken at Cache Bay, and yes, I am itchy there.

It was an old school "Bad Ass Old Widji" trip where I moved a long way each day: Eastern Saganagons to That Man, to Bailey Bay, to Louisa, to McEwen, to the Falls Chain, and back to Cache Bay on Saganaga.  I fished less and just gave it all each day, covering quite a few miles.  I did 12 portages one day, in fact, and it was very satisfying.

The only negative of the whole trip (other than the poison ivy) is the stupid song I had stuck in my head.  I was going to listen to Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" as I drove up Highway 61 but for some reason I put the iPod on Ween and shuffled it.  Bad idea!  As you might get this horrible song stuck in your head:

 

at least it wasn't this:

 

Canoeing the summer away

I'm back for a few days between trips and here's a rapid update.  I just drove up to Ontario and did three separate 2 day Quetico trips.  I'm taking part in the Quetico Canoe Quest, a contest where you need to enter the Quetico from all 6 entry points.  At each, you purchase a crest and register it.  The first one to finish wins a paddle, and when it ends in 2009 all finishers are put into a draw to win a Souris River Canoe.  I have a darn good shot at coming in first, and I'll complete the quest in early August when I'll do a short trip into Cache Bay on Saganagons Lake.  If you are interesting in coming along let me know.  My permit is for August 3rd from Seagull Outfitters on the Gunflint Trail.  You'll need one of these:  CANPASS

But first I'm going to Sweden for Ann and Fredrik's wedding.  I fly out next week, thankfully escaping the hellish heat that is currently frying up the Twin cities.  I'll be back towards the end of the month, so don't expect any updates until then.

A few photos from my recent trip:

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A typical campsite

Here is my usual solo setup. Tent, tarp, and french press for good coffee. This was on Pickerel Lake in the NE Quetico

 

Quetico Trip #3

 

Since the last update I've been once again on trail, this time with my brother Brennen.  We decided to drive up to Atikokan, Ontario and do a 7 night trip in the northern part of the Quetico Provincial Park.  The trip was an unqualified success and it allowed us to visit some new lakes that we had never been to before.

I did two new things this trip, which folks who have paddled with me will find surprising.  Other than a couple of times while fishing, I paddled bow the whole trip.  I usually hate to paddle bow and will use any excuse to get the stern position.  But I was feeling frisky, and decided to give the bow a try.  Secondly, I didn't read the map.  Usually, I am constantly looking at the map and loathe to give it up.  But I resisted my urge and let Brennen read it the whole time.

We did not fish as much as I did last time, so there were not 116 walleyes caught.  But when we fished, we did catch them and were able to dine on a limit of walleyes two of the nights.  The weather was generally warm and pleasant, but we did have a day of thunderstorms, and a day of strong winds.  The bugs were really only an issue on portages, at night, or on small icky streams.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy.  This time I had a person to photograph, so enjoy the images of my brother in all his glory.  Click on the little pictures to see them bigger underneath.

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Brennen rescues the pie pan!

A big wind storm came up while the reflector oven and pie pan were soaking in the lake. The wave action washed it off shore and Brennen boldly went in to rescue them. Here he is after saving the pie pan. Both pieces were recovered

It was a great trip and I think we're both glad we did it.  I recommend that all of you take some time out of your schedules to do a short trip in the wilderness. 

116

I returned yesterday from my annual solo trip to Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park.  It was my goal on this trip, as discussed with Brennen, that I should try to catch 1000 walleyes over my 12 day voyage.  I was not man enough to capture that high of a number, but I do feel satisfied that I crossed the century mark.  The photo above was taken at Russell Lake's Chatterton Falls and was one of many I caught that day.  It wasn't #116 and I didn't eat it as it was too big.  I only eat the little ones (12-16").

It was an interesting trip and not as boring as the one I did last year.  For starters, the weather was just perfect and I only had a headwind for one hour.  Although there were a few storms, they came at nice times like at night when I was asleep and when the camp was fully shut down.  I was struck by how few people there were in the park: it is a perfect time to go.  The temperatures are generally pleasant, the fishing is fantastic, and although there are bugs they are only an issue on portages and at night.  The water was actually warm enough for swimming!

The route, for those in the know, was up Alice Lake, into Kawnipi, over the poets chain to Russell, and then back down the Kashipiwi chain of lakes.  Throughout the trip I had this song stuck in my head (click to listen!  Do it, it's catchy!), and all things considered it wasn't a bad one.  I did a lot of counting:  number of strokes to paddle from A to B, number of deadfalls on each portage, and number of steps across portages.  These are the things ones mind does when alone in the wilderness for an extended period of time.

As Rick's mom from Michigan's UP seemed interested last time, here are the books that I read on the trip: 1, 2, 3, 4.  I really liked 1-3 but found #4 very tiresome with constant and needless poetic metaphoric references.  Just tell the damn story!  These books I started but found so God-awful that I put them back in the pack:  1, 2.  Not bad, considering that I bought all of these for $7 total at a sale in the Library at the Saint Paul JCC where I work out.  I read fewer books this year as I fished more.  All in all, it was a happy trade off.

New on the menu this year was delicious powdered eggs (make a paste with a whisk and then add more so you don't get clumps) with Hormel pre-cooked bacon (refrigeration not required), as well as my Great-Grandmother's recipe for Socker kake.  It's a delicious Swedish sponge cake (translation: sugar cake) that gets a sticky-crunchy-sweet top when fully baked.  I had to make it three times, as I screwed up the first two by spilling half the batter while trying to turn the pan in the reflector oven.

On a solo trip it I find it hard to take pictures.  I generally like people in my pictures and there wasn't anyone there but me.  But here are a few to excite you, so that perhaps you will think about taking a wilderness canoe trip of your own.  I would prefer to go with another person or, even better, a group, but at this point in life it is hard to find people who don't have family responsibilities that keep them at home.

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Wood!

I needed lots of good wood for cake making and walleye frying so here is how I got it. I didn't like the junk wood around the campsite, so I would paddle to an area with dead cedars and saw off the good pieces. I actually paddled the canoe back to camp loaded like this.

It was a good and happy trip.  I started a new tradition in stopping at unused campsites and looking for loot left behind.  I found a hat, two pairs of pants, a spoon, some rope, a carabineer, a stringer, and a receipt from some guy who spent $46 at Piragis in early June.  Brennen and I may go back in a week or so, so maybe we can find some even better loot.  I'm hoping for a fishing pole, a raincoat, or just a snazzy new lure or two.

So there's an update for you!  I woke up yesterday on a small island on Basswood Lake's North Bay, after a night of a full moon over a calm-as-glass large body of water.  I spent a few hours in the afternoon waiting for a towboat from LaTourell's and fed a red squirrel 17 peanut M&M's.  I'm not sure if that was so good for him, but since the little bastard broke into my bag when I was away I figured I'd teach him a lesson.

 

Man Chain Trout

About a week ago, Doug Kleemeier and I went on our annual spring trout hunt on the Man Chain of Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park.  The weather this year was quite frigid, and rather moist.  Our tow in greeted us with sleet and wind.  The first night it was below freezing and both of us were in the tent with every piece of clothing we brought on.  But it eventually warmed up a bit, and rained less so the weather wasn't so much of a factor after all.

The fishing was quite a bit different than previous years as the warm spring had pushed the trout deeper.  It was a challenge finding them, and we had to fish them deep.  One day flutter spoons behind a 1 ounce bead chain sinker worked, then the next it didn't.  Crankbaits didn't work, and the Mepps #2 at the surface was a bad presentation this year.  We did catch a limit one day on a very deep drop-off at the campsite, where you had to drop the jig down 100 feet and slowly move it up.

Dooger, as always, was excellent company.  His dog Pokie came along and it was great to have her.  There weren't any good photos on the camera of her, but I would have definitely posted one I had one.

Next week I go back to the Quetico, solo this time, to hunt for the elusive walleye.  That's pickerel for all you folks in Canada, and gös for you Swedes.

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Doog mastered this tough-fighting smallmouth bass and ate it

 

 

I've been too lazy of late to update y'all on my trip to Europe.  So I thought I'd post a few pictures to give you proof that I was indeed there, and did have a good time.

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Here I am cooking a delicious lunch with Jens.

 

It's April 1 today, marking two full years since the big company from a state south and east of here shut down the core group in Minneapolis.  Since that time not a single newly conceived product that wasn't initially designed by our old group has been launched under our old brand. 

Back in the ugly old building, with all our flaws, we could be reliably counted upon to follow the retail "rhythm of news" and produce something new for the consumer once or twice per year.  We didn't make as much money or have the resources they have, but we did produce results.  We weren't perfect, and I recognize that clearly in myself, but we did R&D new products.

I can only wonder what the retailers are now thinking.  Though they may be impressed with the firepower and flash of the new guys, are they satisfied?

I hold no grudge, and I wish the replacement players well.  But I am somewhat disappointed that the brand that we created and spent so many years on has apparently spun in circles for two full years and produced nothing.

COMING SOON:  Sweden, Denmark, England, and Scotland!  Stay tuned. 

 

Bye Bye!

The flygplanet leaves this afternoon and your webmaster will be unable to do updates for three weeks.  So here's wishing you all the best of luck.  If you wish to contact me you can use my email (if you know it) or call my US cell phone.  The US phone has a message that will give you the international mobile number I can be reached at.  Yes, T.C., it is a long-distance call.  And if you call, call early in the morning Minnesota time (That means you, Bradford).  Best of luck to all of you, and be sure to check back in April for a big update.

 

Kebab here I come!

I was overjoyed this afternoon to hear that the ALPA and Northwest Airlines came to a tentative labor agreement, thus freeing your webmaster to fly across the ocean next week.  I'll be headed to London-Gatwick, and then connecting in the afternoon on Sterling.dk to Copenhagen, Denmark.  From there I'll take the train to Malmö, Sweden, and be in the land of kebab!

What is new, I wonder, in the culinary world of Swedish kebabs?  Have they come out with breakfast kebab - frukostkebab - or perhaps a lingon-flavoured and sugar-frosted desert kebab - lingonmördegkebab?  What have the kebab wizards of Sverige created in the many months since I have last visited?  I can hardly control myself with anticipation.

I am going to have yet another fantastic adventure, including travels in Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, and perhaps other nearby islands.  I look forward to visiting and having a lot of fun with Fredrik, Ann, Jens, Peter, Magnus, Emma, and Mindy and am already grateful for the electronic hospitality they have shown me.

My only concern is that I hope there are not snakes on my plane.  Yes, it's for real.  There's even a song.  And a blog.  What could be cooler than a movie about snakes on a plane?

 

Shame on the American Media

Cartoon Jihad continues seemingly unabated.  For those who haven't seen the cartoons, a group which includes most in the West as well as most of the protesters, you need to do yourself a favor and view them here.  You certainly haven't seen them in the Star Tribune or the Pioneer Press and shame on them.  The point should not be to offend Muslims, but to let people know the story about what really happened..  The violent temper tantrums the Muslim world is having was orchestrated by radical Danish Imams and middle eastern governments who stood to benefit by creating anti-Western sentiment.

It is a low point in the history of the United States of America in that we didn't publish this story and these cartoons on the front page of every newspaper.

These cartoons sum it up best:

Computer rebuilt, again

I needed to rebuild my computer this week and I attribute it to me trying to be too smart for my own good.  Some might find this impossible to believe, but nonetheless I find it a fair explanation.  I deleted a file that I thought was a Trojan, but instead was a key part of the operating system.  This not only crashed my system, but rendered my RAID 1 recovery process incapable of recovery.  The net effect was that of a complete hard drive crash--something I am quite familiar with.

So once again I have lost all of your email addresses.  So that I can keep in touch with you I would like to ask you to send me a message so that I can get it.  Please send it to the address below. I have not hyperlinked it so that the spammers can't harvest it.  Thanks!

 

Get a Sense of Humor, Mohammed!

It's in the Koran!

The actual Cartoons  

There is no excuse whatsoever for Islamic mobs burning the Danish and Norwegian embassies.  Yes, the cartoons are offensive to Muslims.  But so fricking what?  Denmark is not an Islamic state and its free newspapers can publish what they want.  The fault here lies squarely upon the intolerant Muslims and their leaders who allowed themselves to riot and destroy.

The photo above in no way justifies either of these:

Shame on you Islam.  Control yourself, and grow the hell up.

Scandinavia Trip!

I have completed a complete update of the trip to Finland-Sweden-Norway and you can see lots of photos and read all about it.  The start page to see a map of the overall route can be found here: Scandinavia 2005.  To view the trip in order start with that page and click on Finland.  Should you wish to visit just specific countries choose from Finland, Sweden, and Norway.  Also, be sure to check out the "special feature" kebab page which can be linked to via the Sweden page.

Please note that the Sweden and Norway page are content rich and will take a while to load if you are on a dial-up connection.  If you download at 56 kbps you can expect to load the Sweden page in 3:30.  Norway should take you 4:10 at that same speed.  If you do have a slow connection, give it a try anywhere as it will be worth your while.  I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

Successful

perch jerking!

This past weekend in the fish house was an exceptional one, made all the more so by two brand new fish house guests.  The 5th Commers to visit my house (Jon) and Aaron Rutzick came up as new visitors and took to it naturally.  John Bradford, a frequent guest, brought his calm and relaxed dog Mags.  I was able to take their money in poker as well as enjoy several delicious adult beverages.  Kudos also to the fellows for grilling steaks and sausages to perfection, as well as serving delicious pancakes Sunday  morning.  Below is a slideshow showing some of their antics.

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Aaron Rutzick intesely fishes for the wily perch

Aaron exhibited a strong fishing instinct and exceptional grace with the jigging rod.

Of particular interest to me was the fact that Jon Commers sported a Condi Rice '08 bumper sticker on his sensible automobile.  He may have changed his political stripes?  Could it be?  Upon my return home today I received this message from him:

"John, Brad, Aaron, Mags:

It's not just rumor - we are drafting Condi Rice for President in 2008! The Lord has told me unambiguously that I will be managing her campaign in Minnesota, by putting His holy bumper sticker on my car on Sunday morning. That's right - Sunday morning. John, did you see a blinding light as you were driving off the lake?

It's not every day I get plucked from the flock for such work. But Condi's story, her transfiguration from a pretty face into the much-feared "Madame Hawk," is the stuff political legends are made of.

I suggest you call me as soon as you are able, to get channeled into this campaign at your earliest opportunity. Many, including you-know-who, will be watching to see if you support the Trinity's candidate or the heathens. Don't f*** it up for the rest of us.

Your servant,  Jon"

God Bless

C16H18N3O5SNa

Apologies once again to frequent readers, but I have been severely under the weather.  About midway through December I came down with a nasty cold.  It gave me a short reprieve during Christmas, but a bit after New Years it came back and did so with a vengeance.  I had constant flows of alternating green, clear, and fluorescent yellow snot; headaches, coughs, sore-throat, fever, chills, and just a general sour demeanor.  I did not feel particularly festive.  But finally I dragged myself to the doctor and obtained a diagnosis of sinusitis and the blessed sacrament of the Amoxicillin*  I am not 100% of the way there yet, but I feel like I am rejoining the land of the living and the world has never been more beautiful.

*Shown above and currently in my bloodstream killing "a wide range of gram-positive and a limited range of gram-negative bacteria".

So let's get caught up, shall we?  I've had Christmas, New years Eve, the ex-PUR group to the fish house, and the Commers-Burket team there as well.  What better way to do that than by pictures, eh?

First of all, for follow-up from a previous post, here is the Christmas tree that my mother and I harvested.  It is decorated in all its Jultide glory.  Be sure to note the Julbock as well as the Swedish flag pennants.

And for you fish house lovers, here (below) is a slide show of some of the fish house adventures had to date. 

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Champ overjoyed by catching Pete the Perch

Champ may or may not have caught this fish. He is not beyond sneaking a photo of himself with someone else's fish.

Assuming that I can go forth the rest of the winter without a relapse, then you can expect some better fish house coverage.  Because I didn't feel well I wasn't much of a host, nor was I very enthusiastic about much.  I guess I should have gone to the doctor earlier.

 

God Jul!

God Jul to all readers, international and domestic!  The Brunner family, sans Brennen in Antarctica, celebrated a true Swedish Julafton tonight complete with Julskinka, Julkorv, Julöl, and Glögg.  The photo above shows Brooks hoisting a half-filled carafe of delicious Julöl and the photo below shows yours truly finishing up the bread crumb/mustard topping to the Julskinka (Christmas ham).  Shoba, Brooks' girlfriend, is behind cooking some sort of vegan delight. 

I highly recommend Julöl, and here is how to make it.  Mix a bottle of strong, dark beer (I used German), a bottle of porter (I used Summit), and a half-bottle of semi-sweet lemonade.  Add to that 100 ml of your best sherry and you have Julöl.  Mmmmmmmmm.

Here is wishing you all a safe and happy Jul.

For those of you looking for fishing updates I apologize as I have none to give.  I've spent the entire week being sick and not fishing.  Believe it or not, I have actually filled up an entire kitchen sized garbage bag with used Kleenex tissue.  And yes, I did use actual Kleenex brand as I continue live my life without purchasing any P&G brands like, Puffs, for example.

We hear good news from up at the lake and once Christmas comes and goes I should be full into fishing.  There is still some room for visitors so please take the time to make a reservation.  Have a Merry Christmas, all, and check back soon for exciting updates.

Carmen and the dog choose this Christmas Tree!

On Sunday this week I drove my mom and her dog up north to pick up my last processed deer.  I had it done at the butcher shop that Steve Hennessey's relatives own, Adolph's, just outside of Duluth, Minnesota.  We decided to combine the trip with a search for the finest live Christmas tree that we could cut down ourselves.  We found it at Chub Lake Tree Farm just south of Carlton, Minnesota.  The photo above shows the Balsam Fir my mom and her dog chose and the photo below shows me all aglow with my tree killing rush.

 

I cut it down with my nifty folding saw.

I think those of you who know me know where I stand on the whole Christmas tree issue.  It's a Christmas tree and you should call it that.   You don't get a "holiday card" on Valentines Day, nor do you trim and decorate a "holiday tree" for Christmas.  Call it what it is and keep your P.C. babble within the confines of your government or diversity-worshiping corporate jobs. 

Anyway, it was a successful trip and I brought back two huge boxes of venison.  My freezer has about 1/2" of clearance left in it and I have a lot of delicious venison eating to do this year.   Look forward to venison brats, hot dogs, jalapeno/cheddar brats, Cajun sausage links, and spicy sticks at the fish house this year.  There are still some spots left for weekends this year, so let me know and I'll confirm your reservation.

 

Reservations Coming In

Don't hesitate and miss out

Just another note to potential fish house visitors.  I now have a number of reservations for the upcoming season.  There is a very good chance that the fish house will be out at the end of next week and if you want to come up, you should make a reservation with me.  Don't miss out on the fun.  Check the fish house page to see what weekends are already booked.

I have lost most of your email addresses when my hard drive crashed so I won't be able to contact you.  You need to contact me.  Write me or call me, but don't wait too long!

Word to the Wise

With the sudden onset of winter, interest in the fish house is picking up.  I visited the 13th annual Saint Paul Ice fishing show today and made it out for less than $20--an auger tune up kit and a new propane hose for the grill.  In general it was a lot of the same crap that they've had every year.  Of particular annoyance was the occurrence of ICE TEAM branding everywhere.  That's a team I don't want to be on.

I've already cemented one reservation and have another one that is tentative.  If you know when you want to bring your kid or kids up let me know ASAP and I'll lock it in on the fish house page.  The season will start in a couple weeks and will go until midnight on Sunday, February 26th.  Also, note to Rick Riedel--with my latest hard drive crash I lost the details of when in December you think you might come.  I don't remember if it was before or after Christmas--let me know please.

Back in Business

As some of you may know I had some serious problems with my old Dell Dimension 8250 during the past year.  I believe I set some sort of record by having 7 hard drive crashes in 11 months.  These were hardware based and involved either the processor or the board so I threw in the towel completely on it and bought a new one.  The new machine is a Dell XPS 500 which operates a RAID 1 system--a second hard drive that backs up completely the first one.  So if I see a hard drive crash again, instead of having to reinstall the whole OS and start fresh I can simply replace the bad drive, copy the backup onto it, and proceed normally.

This is good news for my readers as I will be able to update more frequently now.  Each time the hard drive crashed I lost the site and had to go through the difficult process of downloading it from the web.  It takes about 10 hours to do that.

One thing I would like each of you to do is to send me a e-mail.  I have lost all of your valuable addresses and feel sad that we are no longer electronically connected.  Write please, if you would.

 

NoDak and Bambi

Apologies to my frequent readers for the sparse content of late.  I have been out in the field having hunting adventures and have not had any real internet access since mid-October.  So to catch all of you up, I have two installments covering my trip to North Dakota and the Minnesota deer season.

North Dakota

Once again the crew headed out to the Helm trailer in Harvey, North Dakota for some duck and goose hunting.  This year Doug Kleemeier joined Jeff "Oly" Olson, Scott Robbie, John Bradford, and I.  Here are a few shots to give you a flavor of the experience.  As always, just click on the thumbnail to see the larger photo and some witty commentary.

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A successful hunt!

John, Scott, Oly, and Blue pose at the back of big red with a bunch of dead birds. We hunted the edge of a stubble field and a pea field this morning and shot mallards, pintails, and a blue goose. It was a great foggy morning and the birds came in nice and low. Oly was the top gun this day.

 

Minnesota Firearms Deer Season

After a few days off from killing ducks and geese I packed and prepared for the 2005 Firearms Deer Season.  I headed up to my cabin in Pine County to hunt the wily whitetail with the Danelski clan.  I hunted every day for the first 10 days and it was very slow the first week.  I sat in the tree all day (1 hour before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) for three of those days and saw no deer on any of those days.  I had decided that I would only shoot does, or bucks with 8 points or more.  The doe to buck ratio is out of balance in our area and there are too many does.

I did have a coyote try to sneak up on my decoy one day, and another morning I saw two wolves hunting some sort of varmint rodents in the bush.  Other than that I listened to a daily chorus of crows, ravens, blue jays, white-throated sparrows, and the much-hated red squirrels.  I did have a grey squirrel climb up a tree next to me out of curiosity and at one point was only about 2 feet from my face.  Deer hunting is often more about being still in nature, and not seeing deer.  But with patience, you eventually see them.

Here are some photos of the season.  I didn't take many as I didn't bring my camera with me usually.

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Dead Doe

Here is the largest doe (125# field dressed) I shot which I had great difficulty hanging by myself. I was a bloody mess when I was done. Next year I'm going to invest in the mechanical advantage of a pully.

Deer camp was once again very successful and I ended up tagging 4 deer, all does.  I processed the first three and gave the 4th to Todd and Emily Danelski.  I do have one more tag, but as I don't know anyone who wants a deer I decided to stop hunting and come home.  All of the deer I cleaned I field-dressed with a very fine knife that Kjell Andersson gave me in Sweden.  It worked very well and was the best hunting knife I've ever used.  I hope to use it for many more deer as the years go by.  Here is a photo of it:

Fish house visitors take note!  This winter I will have a variety of venison sausage to feed you when you come up.  Along with the ever-popular bratwursts and hot dogs that I've served past years, this year I will have Cajun sausage as well as Jalapeno-Cheddar sausages.  And because Champ asked for them, I also got a bunch of spicy deer sticks.

There will be good eating in the fish house this year.  Make your reservations early, as winter will soon be here.

Canada!

 

Your webmaster has returned from his finest Canadian hunt ever.  On 6 September I crossed the Manitoba-North Dakota border and headed up to my favorite hunting destination: The Pas, Manitoba, Canada.  It's a long drive and you see a lot of bush, eh, but it is well worth it.  I returned home in early October, just in time for my birthday.

Before I get too effusive about the blood sport encountered I must make a very public thank-you to my friend Warren Hicks and his wonderful family.  I cannot say enough about the generosity and friendliness that Warren, Wanda, Michael, and Miles gave me on this recent trip.  For half the trip I stayed in a motel, but the for final half (and best half) I stayed at the Hicks residence and got to know this great family.  I thank them very, very much.

What follows below are two small slideshows that should give you a taste of what everything looked liked.  As pictures tell the story better than words, I'll stop typing and let you have a look.  Just click on the small thumbnail photographs and the big photo will open up underneath, along with some explanatory text.

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A Gaggle of Geese

Look closely this photo and you will see thousands of geese: snows, blues, canadas, along with a few swans. They are both in the air and on the ground--there are more on the ground than the air. They are feeding in a combined (as in harvested via a combine) wheat field in the Carrot River Valley southwest of The Pas.

For the non-hunters I'll give some hunting explanation.  There are two basic ways we hunted ducks and geese, over the water and over the fields.  Hunting over the water is the standard way where you put floating decoys in the water, hide in the bush, and then try to attract flying birds by calling at them.  To hunt the field you set up decoys on combined wheat or barley stubble and then lay on the ground in between those decoys.  The birds who come to that field to eat will hopefully not see you until it is too late for them.

We had several excellent water and field hunts where we saw hundreds if not thousands of birds.  The area had torrential rainfall in early September and this made things difficult.  Our best hunt was the day we dragged our decoys back a mile in a field and laid in about 6 inches of cold water.  The main trick to waterfowl hunting is to go where the birds want to be.  That was where they wanted to be.

Two things that I did that weren't standard hunts were The Pas Ducks Unlimited banquet and the Stonewall 12/20 Goose Shoot.  The banquet was a great success, chaired and organized by our own Wanda Hicks, and we had another very good time.  I ended up the driver on the way home that night and had to make several unscheduled stops for one of my passengers.  Suffice it to say that they serve real (strong) beer at these Canadian events (not the 3.2% swill we get in the states) and one of the passengers was truly over-served.

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Stonewall 12/20 goose shoot just north of Winnipeg.  We drove down on a Friday evening (and it's a long, long drive) to compete.  This event raises money for the curling club and works as follows.  Each team of 4 shooters is given 20 shells (5 per hunter) and assigned two observers and a field.  In the morning you go out to the field you have been given and set up your own decoys.  You then hunt until 12:00 Noon.  In order to qualify for a prize your team needs to shoot a minimum of 12 geese.  The top 3 total weights of geese wins fantastic prizes.  We were not fortunate enough to shoot our 12 geese, but we did shoot 9 and I did go 5 for 5.  I had a great time and we had a very fun team.  This event attracts famous waterfowlers like Buck Gardner and Bud Grant.  Bud wasn't there this year and I think I heard something about him having to go to a boat party on Minnetonka.

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Look close, can you see me?

Here I am hunting in my Aquapod all grassed out. This is actually on a road that is flooded that Warren and I were able to paddle to. The mallards were eating gravel here after they feasted in a nearby barley field Several of them did not return to the aforementioned barley field for another meal

Next for the "hunting season that never ends"?  North Dakota.  Stay tuned.

And Mike and Myles, if you're reading this click the following picture

 

 

This or That

Frequent readers, here's the deal.  My computer crashed for the millionth time and it always takes a long time to get everything back up and running.  In particular, I have to download the site off the server which for some reason takes about 10 hours.  But I'm back and running, though won't be able to update much as I'm heading to Canada to hunt ducks.  Even so, here are a few tidbits.

As per the kebab question we did go back, but they were out of kebab again.  I've come to believe that it may be a fictional kebab, or kabab.

The State Fair was another successful one.  As is our tradition, we snuck in the ingredients to make bloody mary's the first morning.  I went the first 7 or 8 days in a row, then got busy preparing for my trip to The Pas.

As for The Pas, I am leaving tomorrow.  So there will be a long period of time where we will have to communicate by e-mail rather than view the site for updates.  Once that hunt concludes, then I will be around briefly then I will head to NoDak for more bird harvest.  I was drawn for a Tundra Swan permit this year so if I am successful you can anticipate some exciting photos.

As there won't be an update for a while, why not review the Scandinavia portion.  Lots of good photos there and interesting content.  If you need a more frequent update, then please write.

 

 

Minnesota Kebab!
Could it be true?

Holy Crap!  I just couldn't believe it this morning when I rode past this storefront on the way back from the Saint Paul Farmers Market.  Every Saturday I ride my bike down there at 5:45 AM to catch the freshest produce the moment it opens.  For some reason I decided to ride past the Xcel Energy Center and down West 7th today and there before my eyes I saw a word I have never seen outside of Scandinavia.  Kebab in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA!

It is located Here and you can read a review Here

After Doug and Melissa's baby shower and lifting with Brennen at the Jewish Community Center I decided to come back and take a closer look.  On the menu I saw the following:

So in I went, with $5 in hand and ready to buy my first American Kebab.  But once at the counter I quickly discovered that Kebab had been scratched off the menu.  The clerk told me that they would have it next week and that I should stop back.  By God I certainly will!

Saint Paul, Minnesota is more and more like Sweden every day.  We have an Ikea to our west, and a Kebab shop in our downtown.  Next thing you know we'll have a Pressbyrån, a Preem, and a Systembolaget!

I will visit Babani's Express next week and try the Kebab.  I promise a full report, including a comparison verses Kebab products I had in Malmö, Östersund, and Växjö.   Careful readers will, of course, note that the sign reads "Kabab" rather than "Kebab".  But at this point, without further data, I am going to assume that they are the same thing.

 

Pickerel or Walleye?

Your webmaster received a veiled complaint today from one of this site's loyal northern Manitoba readers.   Apparently, in Thompson they do not fish for anything called a "walleye".  And, per the complaint, "there is no Walleye Street in Thompson."  So, to satisfy all international fisherman readers here is a little key:

Walleye (USA) = Pickerel (Canada) = Gös (Sverige)

and they look like this:

{Note to any readers from Ohio or Illinois: Manitoba is a Province (like a state) in Canada}.

Many of you may be asking who the fine Canadian fellow with the fetching glasses and hockey helmet is asking the headline question?  Why it's Bubbles, from my current favorite Canadian TV show Trailer Park Boys.  Many of you would enjoy it immensely, and many of you would outright hate it.  You can catch it on BBC America or on DVD.  Be sure to visit this site and watch at least the first clip.  It will give you a taste for the show, as well as some priceless Bubbles commentary.

Quetico

I spent the past two weeks on a solo trip in Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park.  I went up Agnes and Kawnipi, over to Russell, and then down the Kashipiwi Chain.  My main goal was fishing walleyes, which I did successfully and caught several hundred.  I read 8 books (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), got over my cold, and arrived home safely.  There's not much more a fellow can wish for than that.  Here are a few photo's from the trip.

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This trip was the third solo trip I have done in the springtime Quetico.  Although I did enjoy it, I did become a bit bored with the whole solo thing.  It isn't so much a challenge anymore (although I did triple portage every portage (5 trips) and did do the Yum Yum portage) and it is always more fun with other people to talk to.  So if any of you would like to go on a Quetico trip just let me know.  I have nearly all the gear needed, and you only need your clothes, sleeping bag, paddle, fishing gear, and a CANPASS.  I'd even go again this summer, if someone is interested.

 

 

Scandinavia Trip Update

UPDATE 4/15/05:  I'm 90% done with Sweden and done with Finland and Norway.  There is a lot of content on those pages as I've included a lot of interesting photos.  I apologize to those of you on dial-up connections, as you may need to wait 4 to 5 minutes for the page to load.  It's worth it, I think you'll find, so go right ahead.

UPDATE 4/14/05:  I am mostly done with Norway and Finland.  Have a look and let me know it sizes correctly in your browser.  I'm still working on Sweden and expect to be done in a day or so.

UPDATE 4/13/05:  I'm just beginning to work up the Scandinavia/Finland trip report and you can find a draft by clicking HERE. If you need to kill some time at work, or are otherwise bored, have a look and give me some feedback.  I'm most interested to see if the pages load too slow or if the photos don't fit your browsers.  I should be done in a few days.

Home!

The Brunner brothers have returned safely and successfully from Scandinavia.  Stay tuned for a large update detailing the many adventures we had in Finland, Sweden, and Norway.  But I'm still on Europe time and don't feel nearly alert enough to be clever or creative, so you'll just have to wait.  So for your next frukost why not enjoy honni-korn smacks and Super BrØd, then check back in a few days.

Don't Expect an Update

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...and by the time you likely read this I will have flown away to the land of ice and snow, with the midnight sun where the hot springs glow.  So although you have come to expect rather frequent updates of late, I will not be able to provide one for some time. I will have plenty of updates upon my return, and will be in email contact throughout so feel free to write.

Also, if you would like any presents from Scandinavia please let me know.  Champ is requesting a very particular brand of salty Swedish licorice which I will provide.  If you desire anything else (that you can't get at Ikea) just let me know.

For now, just watch this old internet classic and think of me.  Best wishes to all of you, and have a wonderful April.

 

Brennen update

A number of you have written me recently inquiring as to Brennen's status.  He is currently traveling through China, on his way to Uzbekistan, and ultimately on his way to meet me in Sweden.  I clipped a few pieces of text from his latest email that was written from "an incredibly slow connection in Litang, Sichuan".  Some of you may enjoy this as it has Brennen written all over it:

"Landing in Xiangcheng, grotty doesn't begin to describe it.  We were visited by a tout right off the bus, from a Tibetan style place about 100m from the bus station.  I slept on a bed in an ornate room, one that had a bedcover with Bambi and Thumper.  Since this place is not a western destination, I had to dare once again the world of street eats.  I followed the basic rule: walk around and find the busiest spot.  Often then you just go in the back and point, but I asked the chef what he recommended (with help of a phrasebook), we agreed on a price, and I ended up with the worst dinner I've yet to enjoy: strips of fat posing as bacon, and spicy grass over rice.

Today's bus ride was a bit more harrowing.  We made it out of town and rose on a pass above 5000m.  It was snowing somewhat hard, and they don't send the plows through this part of the world.  It was then I realized I was in a Buddhist part of the world, as most of the bus started softly chanting, apparently for protection.  The Italian in the back had out his picture of the Virgin Mary.  I was sitting across the aisle from a five year old boy, who began playing with the Fastex buckle on my pack.  To further entertain him, I pulled out a piece of rope and tried to teach him a few knots, a reasonable thing to know in this part of the world.  He just kept trying to tie me up, so I responded with my prusik handcuffs, which kept him busy for a good half an hour before I untied him.  The rest of the bus found this highly amusing."

Svenska Rocknroll

With just under 2 weeks before my Scandinavian invasion your webmaster has been studying up on what the kids think is cool in Sverige.  Thanks to the booking chick at the KB in Malmö who's been my e-mail pen pal, and my buddy Magnus Thomasson I have picked the following three as my favorites:

 

Kent reminds me of late 80's, early 90's, "modern rock" but doesn't sound old or stale.  Mando Diao is a good pop/rock band that Woody would definitely like, and Millencolin has the skatepunk groove going.  How could you go wrong with an album cover like that?  Guns and a stoic Nordic rocker with a moose rack!  That album comes out soon, and I'm buying the t-shirt if I can find it.  Click the images to go to the websites.

Be sure to watch some of the videos on the Millencolin site (media, then videos on the top bar).  I like "Move your Car " the best (hot Swedish chicks on skis, snowboards, punk rock) and would hotlink you to it if the website would let me.

Swedish rock has come a long way since Abba.  With my iPod on and a bottle of Aquavit I'll be rocking my way on the train as I trip the night fantastic.

The Fellas

Yet another monthly meeting of the "Men's Night" crew has come and gone, and I thought I would show y'all a few pictures of these robust red-blooded Americans.  We meet once a month at a Saint Paul bar or restaurant, and share new stories and old friendships and this one was no different.  Although, we did go to kind of a trendy bar which seemed just a little too girly to yours truly.  But no matter.

Woody was the guest of honor, in town briefly from his exile in New Jersey.  Since he is the artistic internet-savvy type he suggested that I put a collage of photos in that my readers can click on to see large photos.  Here's to ya, W.

If any male members of the Widji Diaspora would like to attend, please contact Dooger to be put on the mailing list.

Request for email

I had yet another hard drive crash on Friday and had to undergo a day-long marathon of computer repair.  I'm back up and running, but I have lost all of your email addresses.  Please send me an email so I can re-populate my address book:

Send Brad an email

I've switched to Mozilla Thunderbird for my email client, and I'm using Firefox exclusively for my internet software.  Although I have no hard proof, I blame Microsoft for all of these problems.  The more I can wean myself from their monopoly, the better.

 

Old Time Hockey

The best sporting event of the year is this week.  For the uninitiated, or out-of-state types, the event I speak of is the Minnesota State Boys Hockey Tournament.  Although I have watched the broadcasts with Lou and Wally for many years, I had not been to the tournament since my alma mater (The Henry Sibley "Warriors") went to the tournament and lost in 1983.

This afternoon I had the honor of accompanying Dooger to the Class AA game featuring the Morehead "Spuds" against the Rochester Century "Panthers".  Morehead won 3-0 by scoring a goal every period.  This is the second moral victory of the day, with Duluth East "Greyhounds" beating The White Bear Lake "Bears" in the noon game.  I always cheer for the northern or outstate teams and in this case both won.  Now one might argue that Rochester is outstate and rural enough to qualify.  But from what I could see, they were just a bunch of rich doctor's kids.  And yes, I know that Duluth East is the rich part of town but I just can't cheer for White Bear with all their cute boutique stores and the like.

For anyone who is thinking of going, here is some useful information we learned today.  In general, it appears that all the tickets are sold out in advanced.  They are sold in two game sets, meaning you buy a ticket for the noon and afternoon game, or for the 7 and 9 PM game.  When the first game of each two game set is completed, a number of the fans head home (ostensibly family, friends, or classmates of the losers).  The arena then estimates the number of available seats, and sells "standing room only" tickets at the ticket counter.

Addendum to post below:  If you are a fan of the Chef, as I am, then you must immediately go to this website and watch the videos.  Bork!  Bork!  Bork!

Det var skit att int dynga räckte över hela tegen!

Click Here for Audio

As indicated in my previous post, I will be spending some time in Scandinavia this spring.  I gave some thought to learning the language but it seems like a rather daunting task.  I would have to learn Finish, then Swedish, then Norwegian, and perhaps even some Danish.  Mein Gott!

Looking through the internet for translations, I came across a couple of sites that offer some very funny Swedish idioms.  These, I thought, would be much more fun to learn than "Where is your bathroom", or "please, no more fish paste".  For example, the title of this posting translates to "Shit, not enough dung to use for the whole field", which apparently is a phrase used when farting.  Now this is the kind of language a fellow likes to learn!

Here are a few more I liked:

Tut,tut,sa båten när bryggan gick! meaning "Hoot hoot said the boat when the bridge went out!"

Va, har hästen födelsedag i dag?, meaning "Is it really the birthday of the horse today?"

Sällan hoppar korna baklänges upp i äppelträden och pallar päron!, means "Seldom are the cows jumping backwards up the apple trees to catch pears".

Learning a little Swedish would make my Mom happy.  Lord knows, she uses it in every email she sends me and rarely, if ever, do I know what it means.  Now, if she used phrases like these perhaps I would make a little more effort to look it up!

Swedish idioms can be found here and here.

 

Skynda långsamt

As many of my loyal readers may know already, I have decided to postpone the search for employment and fritter away a bit more of the freshness of my professional value.  I'm quite certain that, on my death bed, I won't cry out in shame "I wish I had worked more when I was young!"  So in the spirit of living life when there is life to live, I have decided to spend a month in Europe--and, in particular, Scandinavia.

This trip will cover Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.  In its second half I will be traveling with the famous Patagonia model Brennen Brunner, so we are certain to attract many fair-haired and lithe Scandinavian beauties who will feed us lingonberries.  I'm not sure if the Swedish Bikini Team practices in April, but we'll be sure to keep both eyes open for them.  We will take pictures for Tom Burket, as I know he will like that.

In support of this effort I have purchased a backpack and, in my usual OCD way, I have taken to studying all of the minutia of what I might experience.  For just one example of this, I spent some time today researching in what club in Malmö, Sweden all the cool bands play.  It's apparently the Kulturbolaget or "KB", but Magnus or Emma if you are reading along please feel free to correct me as I've been known to be wrong about what is cool at rare times in the past.

Correction:  Magnus Thomasson contacted me over the night to inform me that the coolest club to go to is Debaser.  I'm sure he's right, because Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are playing there on March 11th.  A big hat tip to Woody, for turning me on to this band.

Anyway, if this trip is going to be cliché in any way I thought that I should consider sewing a flag on my backpack.  There is, of course, the Barenaked Ladies song about it.  And all the talk surrounding Gulf War II about how American liberals, afraid to identify themselves as Yanks in Europe, cowardly sewed Canadian flags on their packs.

Here are a few choices, and I would appreciate any commentary or advice in this matter.  Please let me know which one you like and, of course, if you have any better to suggest please take a moment to do so.

 

 

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