Practically Speaking

Seems kids and pets always get sick in the evening, on the weekend, or worse yet, on a holiday. We've been blessed never to have needed the emergency room for our son, but our little pooch, Zipper, is another story.

A few summers ago, Zipper and I were out working in the yard. He was having a blast exploring the woods while I pulled weeds. But when he emerged from the brush, I noticed something was very wrong. Zippers' eyes were rimmed in red and swollen; his lips looked puffy too.

As I examined him more closely, I saw he had many red welts on his head. Oh, my goodness, wasp or bee stings?

Wouldn't you know, it was on a holiday. Now what?

We called our vet in Glendale. Their phone message directed us to the Animal Emergency Center. I called them and let them know we were coming in.

What a blessing! They are open 24 hours a day, every day--even holidays. They were easy to get to and quickly attended to our pet.

Poor Zip must have encountered a wasp nest or minor bees in our woods? He had around 20 stings. If I had not seen him in time, he might have met his Maker!

After a few hours at the emergency center, we were able to take our dog home. We were very grateful to have found a place to take him in his hour of need.

Just in case you may have a pet emergency...

The Animal Emergency Center is at 2100 W. Silver Spring Dr., Glendale, WI  53209, 414-540-6710

I took I-94 to I-43 north to Silver Spring west exit, then west on Silver Spring to 21st street. The emergency center is on the north side of the street.

Hope you never need them!

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How about that turn around? I noticed on Community Watch the Town of Brookfield approved Aldi's! Unanimously!

The Town Board listened to both the public and Aldi's officials and gave the project a chance. (The lawsuit filed on June 4th by Timothy Timmerman, director of operations for mall owner Janacek Investments, probably got the board's attention too!)

Evidentially, the actual store design and landscaping plans were improved. After all, we wouldn't want the Aldi's decor to degrade the image of the George Webb or Chuckee Cheese, would we?

JSOnline shed more light on last evening's board meeting:  

"Town Administrator Rick Czopp recommended that the board approve the plan of operations for the store, saying that the store had responded to the rejection by making changes to its plan.

It seemed the original denial was based more on the clientèle and product than on the landscaping and design. Possibly the design elements were not mentioned in the articles? Other Aldi's stores range from functional to trendy. The Aldi's in the Menomonee Falls area, for example, is attractive. It's a stucco version of the Michael's in Fountain Square.

 "Timmerman [shopping center's rep.] has also proposed two revised signs for the property, which are lower than the current tall pylon signs.

Lower signs are the latest trend, but I think they are dangerous. Because motorists cannot easily see them from the road, I think they are distracting--the lower signs are often blocked by parked cars or traffic. Hopefully this sign is not as low as the Pedros sign for example.

 "Supervisor Robert Flessas said he had received a number of comments from residents favoring the project.

The public outcry in favor of Aldi's surprised me. Both the comments on my blog and the Brookfieldnow comment page were overwhelmingly positive. Even Laurel Walker supported Aldi's in her columns!

The most ironic statement from the Town Board came from Supervisor John Schatzman, concerning product quality,

 “I think you’re definitely speaking the truth about the quality. I purchase probably a third of my groceries at Aldi’s.”

Surprisingly, Aldi's seems to be a good employer.  Aldi's vice president Chris Hewitt said they offer "full-time benefits to any employees working more than 20 hours a week." I don't know what Aldi's percentage of full time workers is, but one employee at the Greenfield/HWY 100 store told me that Aldi's was a good place to work. In general, Aldi's employees seem to be hard working, pleasant, and motivated--usually a sign of a good employer.

All is well that ends well. Aldi's is coming to Town. The new Aldi's might be open by the end of 2008, giving the Town and west* side City of Brookfield residents another grocery store choice.

Related posts: Just what can you find at Aldis'? Low prices for one!,  Shopping Aldi's 101: BYO B, Q, & C, In praise of Aldi's and Trader Joe's: Wish we had both!

From Laurel Walker, Should Aldi acquaintance be for naught?, Aldi debate should center on reason

*East side Brookfield residents will soon have a convenient alternative too. I heard they are planning a store in the former Jewel Foods next to Target at 124th and Capitol by November 2008.

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1.24 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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When I think of oil spills, my mind goes immediately to the Exxon Valdez. Remember that one? In my mind's eye I can still see volunteers trying to wash off animals and rocks with toothbrushes and Dawn detergent. 

1989 Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef off of Alaska, it was a case of drunk driving!

Valdez, Alaska: Today, years after the Oil Spill cleanup, efforts on some heavily oiled beaches have been reinstated, and with the help of Mother Nature, the Sound will recover more each year. Prince William Sound today flourishes with marine life, waterfowl, bottom fish, and salmon runs. Visit Valdez and see gorgeous Prince William Sound for yourself!

Before the Valdez, there was the 1978 Tanker Amoco Cadiz that tanker split in two off coast of France.

These images stick with us and make people wary of increasing offshore drilling.

But if we continue the moratorium on offshore drilling, will we be immune to oil spill disasters?

NO. The Valdez and Cadiz spills were not the result of offshore drilling rigs gone bad, they were the result of oil tanker accidents.

Whether we drill here on land or offshore, we are still importing oil from across the oceans. We are still vulnerable to oil tanker crashes and accidents.

Last month President Bush urged our Congress to Lift the Offshore Drilling Ban. (My emphasis throughout page) The President,

admitted his proposals "will take years to have their full impact" but he said that rather than it being an excuse for delay, "it's a reason to move swiftly" and called on Congress to change the lift the moratorium by the July 4 recess.

...

The offshore drilling moratoria have been in effect since 1981 in more than 80 percent of the country's Outer Continental Shelf. It was instituted to protect tourism and lessen the chance of oil spills reaching popular beaches.

The good news after hurricanes Katrina and Rita was at least there were no major oil spills due to off shore drilling.

Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal recently stated in a Fox News piece on offshore drilling that, “You know, that’s one of the great unwritten success stories, after Katrina and Rita, these awful storms, no major spills.” 

According to a Heritage Foundation piece, June 30, 2008, More Lies From the Center for American Progress, The Center for American Progress tried to paint a picture that it was the offshore drilling that caused oil spills. The CAP linked to a Minerals Management Service study that reported, "113 oil platforms were 'totally destroyed' --a total of 124 offshore spills."

That sounds bad, but read more from the MMS: 

Offshore environmental impacts as a result of hurricane events in the [Gulf of Mexico Regional Office] have typically been minor due to the downhole safety valves at wells and operating practices conducted by the oil and gas industry with respect to platforms and pipelines in advance of approaching hurricanes… While cleanup was required, the volume of oil spilled and impacts to shore from offshore infrastructure were categorized as minor.

The Heritage Foundation article then states, "CAP then goes on to blatantly conflate onshore and offshore oils spills. They (CAP) write:

In fact, oil seeped onshore into southeast Louisiana, which saw 44 onshore and offshore oil spills. The EPA called the spills “worse than the worst-case scenario.” Even oil industry representatives admitted: “nature can always topple you.”

If you click the first link, southeast Louisiana, it takes you to a MSNBC article, 44 oils spills found in southeast Louisiana.  In that article you find:

The Coast Guard estimates more than 7 million gallons of oil were spilled from industrial plants, storage depots and other facilities around southeast Louisiana.

And from the last link, nature can always topple you, the Houston Chronicle article states: 

“Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters unleashed 1 million gallons of oil from one of the massive storage tanks at Murphy Oil’s nearby refinery.”

The Heritage Foundation concluded, "These are all onshore oil industry activities. To cite them as evidence of the danger of offshore oil drilling is blatantly dishonest. The Center for American Progress owes Gov. Jindal an apology."

One thing I found in the Houston Chronicle that people rarely verbalize: oil companies don't want spills either! 

"We don't like to spill oil. Oil that spills is of no value," said Larry Wall, a spokesman for the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association.

Oils spills = $ loss to the oil companies!  It is in their best interest to prevent storm damage and oil spills too.

Continuing to restrict US oil companies from drilling offshore cannot guarantee we have no more oil spills on our shores. We already have our own oil companies drilling offshore, Mexican companies drilling close by, oil tankers approaching our coastlines to deposit their oil, and our own land based refinery and industry storage tanks. Any one of these entities could cause an oil spill disaster...given the right circumstances. Maintaining the drilling moratorium removes just one piece from that list of possible offenders. It alone will not prevent future oil spills.

Remember the Exxon Valdez? 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1.24 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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What cookout or casual gathering would be complete without baked beans? Homemade ones are not difficult to make and taste ever so much better than canned. Like most things you make yourself, they are less expensive than canned or deli varieties. I make them a day ahead, starting them in the evening and cooking all night.

This recipe was adapted from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which called for parboiling and baking, but I make them in a Crockpot.  (1977 was the year of the Crockpot--we received 3 of them as wedding presents!  I still have the same Crockpot and husband, for that matter.)

You will need a large Crockpot.

Ingredients: 

2 pounds of assorted dry beans, rinsed. I like a combination of navy pea beans, baby Lima beans, and large Lima beans. 

About 2 quarts of water

2 t. salt

1 C. molasses   I like to use about 3/4 C regular molasses and 1/4 black strap molasses (much darker and stronger)

1 - 2 t. dry mustard

2 T brown or white sugar

Ketchup - big blurp. Honest, that is what I wrote on the recipe card. I think about 1/2 C would do 

Barbecue sauce - little blurp. I would call that 1/4 C

2 T cider vinegar

1 small onion chopped

1/2 pound of bacon or ham. Nueske's bacon would be my favorite, but it is pricey. Any will do. You can add raw bacon, but then you cannot taste the mixture until they are done. If you fry the bacon first, you can either add the bacon drippings too or substitute 1/4 C olive oil. You can also omit the bacon/ham altogether if you want vegetarian beans. Then just add 1/4 C olive oil and a few drops of liquid smoke or veggie bacon bits instead.

Directions: 

Soak the beans about 8 hours (overnight works well), drain, then put all ingredients in Crockpot, stir, and cook about 8 hours on high.

I often don't soak at all and just start them on high the night before, cook all night, and turn to med. or low in the morning. Cook time about 15 - 20 hours. You might have to add some water if they get too dry.

If they are done early, just let them cool and refrigerate, then reheat later to serve.

Sorry, I cannot tell you exactly how long they cook. Cooking time depends on the moisture content of the beans I think.

It has been my experience that if I need them earlier in the day, they won't get done, and if I need them later, they cook quickly! That is why if I need to bring them somewhere, I would make ahead of time and then just heat the day of the occasion.

Often I will make a whole crock full just for the 3 of us and freeze remaining beans in pint freezer jars for future use. If freezing, don't let beans get too done. They will reheat better if a little firmer in texture.

Don't be a slave to the recipe. It is not an exact science. Like them sweeter? Add more sugar. Like them more tangy? Add more barbecue sauce, mustard or vinegar. One reader says she uses 2 T molasses, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/4 C cider vinegar, and adds 4 cloves.
 

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Good German potato salad is a difficult thing to find. To my husband, there really is no other kind of potato salad, except German. The deli varieties and even restaurant offerings are always a disappointment, but my Auntie Lu's German potato salad, ah, now you are talking delicious!

Auntie Lu has been the potato salad guru in my family for years, but a recipe was illusive. She just made it without a written recipe. Her daughters-in-law, wanting to duplicate her delicacy, finally watched her make it. They measured each ingredient as she put it in, observed the order and timing of preparation, and wrote it down. Thanks to their efforts, even I can make it now. So can you!

The first step is to make the sauce. You can also use this sauce as hot bacon dressing on a spinach salad. (When I heat the dressing for a salad [for 4], I use about 1/3 C sauce and just add maybe 1 T cider vinegar, sugar, and olive oil to thin it a little. Then I pour the warm dressing over spinach, bacon pieces, walnuts, and sliced hard boiled eggs.) 

My recipe makes 5# of potato salad. 

Sauce:

1 pound bacon - Slowly fry in a large, heavy pan until very crisp -  Remove the bacon and set aside, but KEEP GREASE

1 large chopped onion -  Put chopped onion into the bacon grease and slowly fry until translucent

1/2 C + 2 T white flour - Stir this into the bacon and onion mixture. Slowly heat and stir until thick and bubbly (like a Roux)

1 1/2 C water - Add this into the fry pan goo. Mix thoroughly. It will get very white and opaque, and you will think you ruined it. You did not.

1 C WHITE vinegar - Add this right after the water. Stir until incorporated. (You must use white vinegar. For years I used cider vinegar and could not figure out why my potato salad did not taste quite up to par. In a conversation with Auntie Lu, as to why my salad never quite measured up, she said, Do you use white vinegar? That was it!)

2 C white sugar - Add this into the mix. You will notice the goo changes from opaque to translucent :)

1 T + 1 t. salt - Stir this in too

Now you have the basic sauce made. It can be kept in a glass jar/s for a long time in the refrigerator. I often make a batch of sauce and then use it for the next month or so for smaller meal sized batches of potato salad or making spinach salads.

Finishing the salad

Boil 5 pounds of red potatoes. I wash them and cut them in half or quarters if they are not small (they cook quicker.) Russet potatoes will work in a pinch, but do not have that characteristic waxy, firm texture.

Cook potatoes until a fork can be inserted in the potato, so they are cooked but still firm. (You might want to try one for proper consistency: too crunchy isn't good either.)

Drain off the hot water, pour in cold, and let potatoes soak a bit. As soon as you can touch them, start rubbing the peelings off. They should come off rather easily. You can leave the skins on for a more peasant type salad, but then scrub them more thoroughly before cooking. Cut out any imperfections and eyes.

Slice the cooked potatoes into 1/4 inch or so slices and put in a large pot with the sauce. (You can wash out your potato cooking pot and return them to it, or if you are doing the sauce and salad on the same day, place the sliced potatoes into the fry pan with the sauce.)

Crumble or chop the crispy bacon and add to the mix. 

Gently heat sauce, potatoes, and bacon together, mixing carefully. The sauce will soak into the potatoes at this point. If it gets too thick, you can add a little water to thin.

Add 1/2 C chopped fresh parsley. (You can use dried in a pinch, but fresh is better.)

You are finished! 

Potato salad may be served cold, room temp. or warmed.

To serve, garnish with hard cooked egg slices and more bacon crumbles and chopped parsley if desired. 

Of course, no recipe is written in stone. If you like yours a little less sweet or more salty, etc. just adjust accordingly.

Enjoy! 

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Since many of you might be needing an easy salad recipe for your July 4th festivities, I thought I better honor my promise from the Aldi's comments to share my 3 Bean Salad recipe. (I will try to post my German Potato Salad and Baked Beans recipes too before the 4th.)

I adapted this recipe from the Victory Garden cookbook years ago. You can make it with just 3 different kinds of beans or add however many you wish. Martha Stewart once had a 10 bean salad, so let your imagination run wild!

The recipe:

1 1/2 C green beans (1 drained can or use fresh or frozen but lightly steam first. I use Aldi's or Roundy's brand--they are fine)

1 1/2 C yellow wax beans (same as above)

! 1/2 C dark red kidney beans (one can, drained, or cook your own)

1 C slivered green, red, orange, and/or yellow peppers 

3/4 C thinly sliced red onion (optional)

1 clove garlic peeled and split in 2. (Allow to marinate in dressing but remove prior to serving)

2/3 C wine vinegar

1/3 C sugar (I like brown)

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C veg. oil (I omitted this)

1/2 t. Worcester sauce 

1 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. celery seed (I added this)

 
Mix the dressing in a large salad bowl and then add the beans. Chill. Pretty simple!

 
Now for the variations :)

I have added frozen baby peas (just pour them in right from the bag), garbanzo beans (I cook my own, or canned is fine), whole green beans (Aldi's cute little whole frozen type), C&W frozen yellow and green Italian green beans, black beans (if using canned, wash well), light and dark kidney beans, frozen Lima beans (lightly steamed), 1 cup sliced quartered cucumbers, 1/2 C. celery slices....did I miss anything?

Use whatever beans and peas your family likes. If you are adding a lot of extra beans, make extra dressing. For a large gathering, I would double the dressing and non-bean ingredients and then add up to 5 C extra beans.

Beans are very nutritious and contain soluble fiber. If you add any grain (bread, corn on the cob, rice, etc.) you get a complete protein.

Bean salad is great because you can make it in advance and don't have to worry about it spoiling at the picnic.

Enjoy! 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here passed the 1 million mark. It is at 1.2 million now. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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For those of you who were wondering about Shan Lu's Music From the Heart Concert benefit for Chinese quake victims held at City Hall Plaza on May 21, they raised a total of $1,550! Shan wrote:

The concert went very well, we raised $1442.00 on May 31. We had 23 programs in all, 21 people (one adult and 20 kids) performed, 15 out of the 20 kids were from Swanson Elementary School. Over a hundred people came and participated the event. We had a reception for the kids and our silent auction and raffle also went well. With the few checks we received after the concert and the total amount came to $1550.00.

Shan Lu sent me a pdf of the Milwaukee Chinese Times newspaper. It was intriguing. Most of it is in Chinese, but there on the front page it states, Brookfield, and then features photos from the concert. Email me if you would like to see it. 

Now Shan is working on another concert. This one:

A "Benefit Concert for China After-quake Rebuild and US Midwest Flood Victims" organized by [the] Milwaukee Chinese Community Center which will be held on this Saturday, June 28 at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center (7:00 - 9:00 PM). I am part of the preparation team and the other three members of my family will be performing at Benefit Concert." (Admission: $10)

I don't have any more specifics on it than that. I thought it was interesting that it was for both the Chinese rebuild project and US Midwest Flood Victims though.

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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1. Last night, Michelle Malkin and Melanie Morgan teamed up to raise money for The Largest Care Package Shipment EVER from MOVEAMERICAFORWARD.ORG  They hosted a Jerry Lewis style live broadcast to raise money for sending gift boxes to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I had this post all written yesterday morning and hit "save" but the screen went blank! Argh. I lost the post and the internet and the phone. (We were getting a Cable TV packaged installed on a super deal--less than what we are paying now for phone and internet.) At 11pm internet was restored (thanks to offspring) and I caught the last minute of the fund raiser. They raised $1,055, 719!!!

But all is not lost. Morgan announced that you have until July 2nd to donate to the cause, so you can still participate. Their ultimate goal looks to be $1,250,000.

The gift boxes start at $15.99 each and include some 2oz. packets of specially labeled Jelly Belly jelly beans. They dubbed them "Candy Diplomacy:"

Move America Forward is providing to our troops in care packages (per their request) for them to hand out to the children of Iraq and Afghanistan - as a means of diplomacy to strengthen bonds between the people of these war-torn nations and the United States.

The packages have the following message printed on them in both English and Arabic:

A gift from the American people in
hope that your country will one day
enjoy the freedom and opportunities
that we have in the United States.

 

2. Since "Man does not live by bread alone," Matthew 4:4, you can even send a New Testament with the Psalms and Proverbs kit to a soldier. I received this request from Campus Crusade for Christ*: 

Requests for Bibles for our troops continue to pour in...

With the help of people like you, more than 1.8 million [Bible kits]...have been distributed since September 2001. However, there remains much more to be done as requests for Bibles continue to pour in from soldiers, chaplains, military family members, and others. 

Each Bible kit contains the N.T. Bible + Psalms and Proverbs, a daily devotional, and booklet explaining the gospel. Cost: $3.25 each. Don't let the donate page throw you off. Just check the Other category and put in the amount you wish (example $10 would buy 3 kits.) 

3. Want to do something but don't have the extra cash? Send an email or letter! 

During the Vietnam War, my high school girlfriends and I each had soldier pen pals. We sent letters (no email back then), exchanged photos, and also mailed them home baked cookies etc. It was a very worthwhile experience.

There are many organizations that help civilians support our troops. I Googled "send email to troops" and found these opportunities to send emails, and cards, and more. (Check them out before sending money)

Email Our Troops! Armed Forces News Service 

Any Soldier Started by a soldier to help other soldiers who did not receive any mail 

Soldiers' Angels  A site with lots of opportunities to help.

America Supports You, Our Military Men & Women, an official US Department of Defense website

There is a link page to different things you can do to help, from writing letters to donating frequent flyer miles.

You can send a message. Your message will be sent, some are posted:

God Bless you and keep you safe for you are doing a great job. I pray for your safety every night and hope you come home soon. Beth Kitchens-Harmon, Macon, Ga.

Lastly, pray for our troops. This is something everyone can do if they are a person of faith, even children. I have 5 soldiers and their families I pray for every day.

So whether you can send a donation for a gift box, a Bible kit, or write a letter or email, or pray, it all helps our troops. And that is something we all can agree on, right? 

*My husband's cousin is in missions with Campus Crusade 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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The Supreme Court ended their term on a high note today. They just ruled, 5-4, that individuals have the right to bear arms. The D.C. gun ban has been struck down. (Ginsberg, Breyer, Stevens, Souter dissenting)

The 32 year D.C. gun ban was ruled as being incompatible with the 2nd amendment. It in essence leaves all gun rights intact. (H/T Jay Weber announcement)

I am greatly relieved. Although I don't think everyone needs to own a gun, I certainly believe the 2nd amendment intended that people have the right to own guns. Back then, every household probably had a gun if they could afford one. A gun was necessary for protection and hunting. To interpret the 2nd amendment as being only for the militia was ludicrous.

Think elections don't matter? Consider if there was just one more liberal justice, our 2nd amendment rights would have just been taken away.

Current posts: Court: A constitutional right to a gun

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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Gravel piles, backhoes, trucks, sewer suckers,  barricades, sewer pipes and huge concrete junction pipes again are familiar sights for those living on Robinwood Street. Seems like the city just did sewer work over there.

Actually, it has been 7 years since the last sewer project. But what is going on now?

I asked Tom Grisa, the Director of Public Works. He said it is a sanitary sewer project.

While it may seem that the project started because of the June 7th rains, it has been in the works for over a year. From Tom Grisa:

"The City replaced a portion of the sanitary sewer on Robinwood from S[outh]. 123rd St. to Parkmoor in accordance with the engineering report and storm water and flood task force recommendations for this area.  This work was done in 2001.  Since then we have had several sewer backups on Robinwood west of Parkmoor, so we decided to replace the sewer from Parkmoor to Harvey with the expectation that this should help the situation.  

"This has been in the works for a little over a year.  We proposed the improvement in last year's budget and Capital plan, designed it over the winter, got approval from regulatory agencies this spring and bid the work out and awarded it in late May.

"This improvement will help reduce the frequency and severity of basement backups..."

Many residents living on the side streets near Robinwood experienced basement flooding and sewer backups again. Grisa explained:

 "...this rain resulted in many homes with flooded basements from their sump pumps not keeping up for a variety of reasons (pump failed, pump burned out because they pumped against a lot of pressure from a full storm sewer or ditch, pump couldn't keep up, power outage, window wells leaked, walls leaked, floors leaked through cracks, downspouts were not extended or knocked off, etc.)  When that happens all that water goes down the floor drain into our sewer which is then overloaded and backs up into other people's houses."

Since I've lived in Brookfield, we have had two 100 year rains and now a Millennium rain or flood, depending on your circumstance. When we moved here in 1986, we had no idea that we chose a home on very high ground, just a few houses east of the subcontinental divide on Sunnyslope. Once those 100 year rains came, we realized how blessed we were. The residents near Robinwood Street, less than 1 mile east of us however, are not that fortunate. The land is low over there.

According to residents who predate Brookfield becoming a city, much of Robinwood Street was a wetland, complete with ducks. (The old-timers also say that the Pick 'n Save on Greenfield in West Allis was a marsh when they moved in.)

Kinsey Park pond used to have a dam near Elm Grove Road. If full enough, the pond water would spill over the dam and run down the open storm sewer. As a kid, my cousins, sister and I explored that storm sewer all the way down Robinwood--a very stupid thing to do. Hey, we were kids, we did not know that if it would have rained, we would have been killed. (My parents and aunt and uncle sure did not know what we were up to.)

The City of Brookfield took out the dam--I'm trying to remember--in the 1990s? They installed an overflow stand pipe type drain with a baffle inside and a grate on the top. The baffle acts like an internal dam. Children can no longer access the storm sewers like we so foolishly did. 

Trouble is, when we have a severe rain like the June 7th storm, fallen trees from Kinsey woods wash down the creek and plug the drain. Photo is from June 8th. The backhoe was removing some of the debris.

I spoke with a motorist who saw the pond the evening of June 7th. They said the pond had overflowed its banks and the southbound lane of Elm Grove Road was flooded. A workman was trying to remove debris from the grate that night, so the pond could properly drain. (If you look closely, the drain is on the far left of the photo.)

Back in the 1940s and 1950s, most of this area was farmland, and Cardinal Crest subdivision along Robinwood wasn't developed yet. When we had heavy rains, it really did not matter. But now the southeast corner of Brookfield is nearly totally developed. When it rains; it matters!

Engineering continues to make improvements. Judging by the amount of soggy items out on the driveways waiting to be picked up, even though this last rain was heavier than our previous 2 deluges, it seemed fewer homes were affected. I sincerely hope this project improves the situation for these Robinwood area residents.  

Have anything to add to my history of the area? I love to hear from long time residents.

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

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I started boycotting Heinz ketchup* during the Kerry campaign. I never went back. I did not want to support a company that was tied to an agenda contrary to my beliefs if I could help it. But now THIS!

Are you ready for TV commercials that push homosexual families as being normal? Heinz is currently running this ad in England.  Watch the ad.  I know there are homosexual families out there, but please don't try to push that this is normal.

I cannot in good conscience support such a company. I vote with my pocketbook. No more Heinz anything--ever. 

I am also sending an email to Heinz. You can do this easily through the American Family Association ActionAlert.  If you would like to call Heinz, you can call their corporate headquarters by calling 412-456-5700 or their toll free number, 800-255-5750. 

The Heinz Corporation was started by Henry John Heinz, a Christian, in 1869. The Heinz name stood for wholesomeness. "Heinz broke with most of the food industry in his ardent support of the Pure Food and Drug Act, and his company was one of the first to open its doors for "public tours", to reassure customers that his products were produced under sanitary conditions."  What a sad turn of events this ad campaign is--the Heinz name now standing for homosexuals. 

*As mentioned in Just What Can You Find At Aldi's?, Kyder Ketchup has been our Heinz substitute since 2004. 

Photo is from Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan 

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We knew something was up late this afternoon. The news helicopters were hovering to the east of us for about a half an hour it seemed.

I was doing yard work and had the radio on, but there was no mention of any bad accident on I-94 (just a block north). What could it be?

Maybe its a cave in over on Robinwood where they are doing a sewer project? We sure hoped that was not the case.

Ah, I will look on Brookfieldnow!

Sure enough, the Community Watch informed me there was a gas leak over near the sewer project on Robinwood.

My photo is of Webster and Robinwood, the street just east of Harvey and Robinwood Street where the 4 inch gas line was cut accidentally. 

The helicopters are now quiet. I just checked with someone I know who lives over there. They are back, safe and sound, thank God. This could have been very bad.

My friend said the firemen went door to door and made the residents evacuate. They then had to walk 2 blocks to the south or north of Robinwood, depending on which side of the street they lived on. The gas has been shut off to all the homes. Later, WE energies will go around to turn on and relight pilot lights.

News crews from channel 10 and 12 were interviewing residents. Film at 10PM? 

It's been a rough few weeks for this neighborhood. First the flooding and now this. Let's hope things settle down soon.

More on the sewer project tomorrow. 

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ANSWER: ONE, IF IT IS A BARKER OR MENACE.

(Sorry about yesterday's mispost. Don't know how that happened--I wasn't home at the time it was posted!) 

It is easy to see why Brookfield's JR Pups 'N Stuff would be In the doghouse with the neighbors. I would not want a neighbor with 6 to 17 dogs either--especially on such a small lot. The article also stated:

Neighbors, however, said they were tired of Rhoten’s dogs’ barking, defecating and leaving her half-acre yard despite an electric fence. Brookfield does not allow physical fences, except where residences abut commercial areas.

Neighbors also said Rhoten’s yard in the 4600 block of N. 135th St. has been cluttered with kennels, trailers and a large white tent. About 40 neighbors signed a petition against the rescue business.

Is this problem simply too many dogs? Granted, the high volume of canines does not help the situation, but from the above description of the yard being strewn with kennels, trailers, and big tent, and the dogs escaping and defecating in the neighborhood, it sounds like the problem went beyond just the number of dogs.

There are a lot of dog owners who are not model neighbors. Some let their dogs bark incessantly. Some do not pick up after their dogs when on walks. Some let their dogs run out of their yards. In these cases, even one dog is one dog too many!

When I walk our pooch* pictured here, I frequently encounter 2 of these one is one too many canines. Often I think, I'm glad I don't live next to that! 

One should have been named Diablo. He barks and snarls with fur raised on his back everytime anyone passes by. Heaven help us if his invisible fence battery never dies.

The other dog on our walking route has no invisible fence. His owner thinks he has trained it to stay in the yard, but it comes charging out at us, snarling, with fur again raised on his back (a sign of aggression.)

Since the problem with the dog rescue household in question has been solved with a court order, do we really need to make another law for everyone?

There may be times the average household would have more dogs than the 2-3 limit that is so common in other communities. A family member once bred their boxer and had 4 puppies. It was a very positive experience for the family. (All the puppies were sold.) 

Sometimes a household must keep a dog or dogs for a short time for someone else who is in the process of moving or building a home. Often if you are looking for someone to temporarily keep your pet, you ask someone who already has a dog. 

Maybe one solution would be to require Dog Rescue households to apply for a special permit or license? They could be required to abide by more stringent rules, with number of dogs proportioned to size of yard? Rescue organizations do perform a valuable service, I would hate to stop them all. (We once adopted a dog from one rescue house in Aurora, Illinois. That home seemed to have its act together.)

The Aldermen will have to sort all this out with the wisdom of Solomon. They know how many resident complaint calls they get about multiple dog menaces. But often the problem isn't simply the number of dogs, it is the owners!

What do you think?

If you are trying to train your dog to behave better, you might wish to watch The Dog Whisperer. It is a show on cable and available through the Waukesha Library system on DVD. Cesar Millan, the Whisperer, really knows his dogs and gently illustrates the problem is not the dog!

*I am not really a dog person, although I love our little 13 pounder!

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Elmbrook may tap reserves for projects tonight after the Annual Meeting at 7pm*, at Brookfield El. What are the projects? The HVAC replacement, including air conditioning, at Pilgrim Park Middle School and some SmartBoards for some elementary schools. (*Actually, the budget hearing is at 7pm, the Annual Meeting is at 8pm.)

In an era of rising energy prices, I just cannot justify the cost to convert to and operate air conditioning our schools. I know the majority of Elmbrook voters disagreed with me on that since they just approved the $62+ million dollar referendum for the high schools--a significant portion going toward the air conditioning conversion and air conditioning gym areas. It still seems like a waste of tax dollars to me.

The commercials run by WE energies stating that Wisconsin pays 7% less than the national average for electric costs don't make me feel better about these HVAC decisions. My dad had a colorful saying about being better than the average, he would say, "He's/it's a little better than the average, but the average ain't so good!" Telling me I pay 7% less does little to ease the pain that occurs every time I look at my utility bill. Despite our efforts to cut back, the price keeps going up.

I think we all know that bigger utility bills are the shape of things to come. So why switch to a system that commits us to those higher bills now? It is hardly like money is growing on trees.

We have been told by the district that Elmbrook faces a $1 - 1.5 million dollar shortfall each year because of declining enrollments. Plus, there is that unfunded retirement liability lurking in the near future.

The district may try to sell the idea of air conditioning costs as being affordable. I seem to remember that they said the utility costs per square foot for Brookfield El. and Dixon actually went down compared to the old school buildings. Of course that was the per square foot cost.

Considering that the old schools probably still had the very inefficient florescent lighting and ballasts that use about a third more* electricity than the newer models, and the Univent valves all probably leaked (heating), it makes perfect sense that the per square foot cost went down in the new building. As it stands now, we are not saving the money from the increased efficiency in those schools but spending the savings on air conditioning.

The cost estimate to do install the air conditioning at Pilgrim is $1 million dollars. This is on top of the $3 mil. for boiler upgrades/replacements. One thing I learned from speaking with an expert in the HVAC field is that even if they can use the same pipes for the cold water as they do for the hot water heat, those pipes still need to be insulated. That means that each wall and ceiling the pipes run through need to be opened to install the insulation. Without insulation, the pipes sweat and drip into the walls and ceilings causing mold and damage. 

If it were my home, I would put the money into windows that opened from the top and bottom. That way, hot air off the ceiling vents out, and cooler outside air comes in from the bottom. I would install ceiling fans in most rooms and exhaust fans in the rooms that over heat.

For the few days that we have hot weather while school is still in session, I think proper ventilation would suffice. But then, those improvements would be because I was spending MY money, not someone else's (taxpayers).

We will see what this board does with this air conditioning question. Some on the board members are fiscally more responsible. Why, I heard Glen Allgaier ask at the budget intro meeting if we were going to use any of the 4K budget windfall to help offset some of our coming debt. (Good idea.) I think the answer was, No.

*Sorry, I cannot find my notes, but I think 1/3 is pretty close to correct. If I find my notes, I will post a correction.  

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George Carlin died Sunday of heart failure. After my initial, Oh (sad surprise), I immediately thought about his infamous Summerfest 1972 performance of the 7 words you cannot say on television. That routine resulted in his arrest for disturbing the peace. I was at that performance with my girlfriends. We were all a little stunned because those words were not part of radio, TV or most movies of the time.

That comedy piece eventually led to a Supreme Court decision "giving the FCC broad leeway to determine what constituted indecency on the airwaves." 

I believe George paved the way for those wishing to push the bad language envelope. Within the last several months some of his 7 words even hit network TV.

In January, ABC allowed a word that is restricted to 1 or 2 uses in PG-13 movies in an interview with Diane Keaton. Diane Sawyer quipped in reply: "My mother is going to work on your personality with soap in your mouth."  The A.F.A., American Family Association, urged its members to lodge a complaint with the FCC.

In a March NASCAR race broadcast on network TV, one word, I would classify as just being crude, was used by a driver to describe his car. The word was not bleeped out.  The AFA again urged members to complain to the FCC.

Some of the more tame words have worked their way into radio and TV and are now commonplace; a change I don't think is for the better. 

The sad thing is, George Carlin was very clever. Some of his comedy was just making observations of everyday life and because of the way he said it, it was very funny. Didn't he do, Why is there no blue food? (They call it blueberry but it is purple.) He did not need to resort to raunchy to get a laugh, yet he is remembered for his 7 filthy words.

After the radio news blurb announcing Carlin's passing, Jay Weber talked a bit about Carlin on his radio show. One thing he mentioned  was that Carlin was an atheist. Where is he now?, Weber asked. That is a sobering question. A caller phoned in with this observation: George Carlin is now a convert. Only problem is, he can't do anything about it. 

For people of faith who believe the Bible, we shudder to picture George in front of the Almighty. The Bible teaches, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." He can't joke his way out of this one. I hope he reconsidered his atheism before he died.

When prominent people die, it makes us pause and reflect on their lives. It should also make us stop and think about our own souls. We have lots of distractions in life, but no question in life is more important than, Where is he now?

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Meet our kitchen dynamic duo: Silvia, on the left, and Rocky, on the right. They both make our day begin! (They were named by their manufacturer, Rancilio, not us. We do refer to them by name though.)

I have introduced them to many of my coffee drinking friends, and my duo have always left a very good impression.

We purchased Silvia, the espresso maker, from Wholelattelove 6 years ago to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary*.

It sells now for $595.00. That seems steep for a frugal gal like me, but when you consider the small Krups or Braun type machines are around $100 and they don't last or make a great cup, this price is not so bad. Plus, remember what my mother taught me: skimp on what doesn't matter so you can splurge on the important.

Same with the grinder. Rocky has replaceable burrs. We have had Rocky for 4 or 5 years (another anniversary gift to ourselves.) So far--so good. Again, the Braun grinder we got from Linen's and Things for around $80, did not hold up. Rocky sells now for $320. Since you can replace the grinding burrs, it potentially can be kept going for years.

Both are considered professional quality. I have found that when you use something a lot, it is best to buy very good quality tools. They perform better and produce a superior product.

Good coffee is a ritual in our household. We don't go out for coffee**, lattes, or espresso. Instead, we use really good coffee beans--Alterra--and make our own espresso at home. 

People think nothing of going out for a $3 specialty coffee every day for both a husband and wife, which adds up to $2,190 / year for one cup a day each. Even factoring in the grinder and espresso maker (total price divided by 6 yrs) along with the coffee (65# a year), doing it ourselves costs us $706 a year for many cups a day each!  We "save" $1,484 a year. Our home brew is still cheaper than just going out for one regular cup of coffee each at a Caribou or Starbuck's saving $681 a year.

The Rancilio company was very good about getting me a replacement gasket for Silvia. (That was the diagnosis from my trip to Alterra last year.) Rancilio ended up sending me a gasket for free. I call that good service!

Wholelattelove is a great place to look for coffee related items. They have lots of customer reviews to read, which can be helpful. (Mine are in there somewhere.) 

If you love good coffee--espresso in particular--consider doing it yourself. 

I am not affiliated with Rancilio or Alterra in any way. 

*We had originally purchased a Capresso fully automatic espresso maker to celebrate our 25th anniversary. It was fascinating and fun to use, but it produced a very inferior cup of espresso: not nearly hot enough, not strong enough, not enough crema. In addition, the water and bean chamber were very small as was the dump container. It was automatic, but it seemed it always wanted something.  That got returned and we did more research. Our son, the master of online product research, found the Rancilio company. It seemed to be just what we were looking for--a home version of a professional machine.

I will caution you though, you MUST use either RO or distilled water. Using Brookfield's hard water will ruin any espresso maker. Even the professional demineralizer coffee maker treatments can't eliminate the build up.

**I do go out for coffee with a friend from time to time, but this is purely for social reasons.

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Someone I know in banking sent me this warning about email appearing to be from Classmates.com*. "If you have received an e-mail appearing to be from Classmates.com - do not open it."

It seems some nasty person has been sending out email that looks like it is from Classmates.com. The fraudulent emails hit in boxes yesterday. The subject line might say, "You Have 1 New Message - Classmates".

The bank recommended that you don't even open the suspect email. Delete it. IF you opened it, don't click on any links.

We have a saying in our household, "People, don't you just love them?" It certainly applies here. 

*These bad emails are not from the real Classmates.com. Like the pfishing email you occasionally get seemingly from your bank or ebay, these are not from the real deal. 

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