I’ve gone subterranean.

The thermometer has barely registered above zero all week, and I’ve decided the basement is the safest, and warmest, place to be.

The move was made all the more crucial by an aging furnace that struggles to keep up with a normal Iowa winter. There didn’t seem to be a need to tax it further. I’m hoping it will be appreciative of the reduced workload from the lower thermostat setting and keep doing its best for another year or so.

I am lucky I have a finished basement where I can retreat. It’s a typical basement, with furnishings no longer upstairs-worthy and decorated with mementos that don’t seem to fit anywhere else in the house. Continue reading →

Well, it’s 2015.

Seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the Millennium and trying to figure out how to pronounce the “00” years. Now it’s half-way-plus to the ‘20s.

From annual Christmas letters to TV news shows, we’ve reviewed and analyzed the past year from nearly every perspective imaginable. The McLaughlin Group opened its 2014 recap with circus music. That made its own statement.

So, now we look ahead – eyes bright with hope, yet slightly squinted with skepticism. Continue reading →

It seems to be the thing for bloggers to document every detail of their day. Most of my days aren’t that interesting. Still, if people want to read exactly how a blogger chops every ingredient of their toddler’s lunch, maybe my readers will care about my holiday preparations. So, here you are – in the spirit of the season – 36 Hours of Christmas.

Wednesday, December 24 —

7:00 AM – Damn alarm. Hit snooze. Hit snooze. Hit snooze.

8:10 AM – Up. Coffee. Check messages. Breathe deep. Thank God for quiet.

8:30 AM – Fold clothes in dryer. Unload dishwasher. Make bed.

9:00 AM – Rearrange refrigerator to make room for influx of holiday food – to no avail.

9:15 AM – Compose breakfast casserole in crockpot. New recipe. Let us pray. Try to find room for it in fridge. Continue reading →

I conduct a lot of interviews – some in person, some via phone. Every one touches me in its own way. Maybe it’s a quick chat about the weather, or a short joke. Maybe it’s a tale of the land in which they live, insight into life in another part of the country.

There are noted personalities that leave their mark. Simon Estes was a joy who will be long remembered. I flat out fell in love with Merle Eberly of the Clarinda A’s. And I still chuckle at the noted beef expert who was downright giddy when he answered the phone because he had just pumped his grandchildren full of ice cream and handed them back to their parents.

There have been artists and musicians. I still have Ozzie Smith on speed dial. Continue reading →

You know you’re at a cattleman’s convention when a quiet cowboy with a gentle grin greets you Monday morning with a full hats-off tip while offering a sincere “Good morning, Ma’am.” How can that not get your week off to a good start?

I spent the first part of this week at the Iowa Cattlemen’s convention in Des Moines.

The program was chock-full of informative information sessions. The hallways were chock-full of fertile contacts – an important part of my business.

The food was good. The cocktails, plentiful.

I saw many old friends and made a few new ones. And in a scenario that may be peculiar to my business, Continue reading →