Norway vs Nebraska + KUDO"s to President & Parade

fitbit Friday:  Special New Year's Day Edition

fitbit Update

On SUN 12/27 [when I first started writing this blog] @ approximately 8:30a (CST) I took Sammy for a walk. The air temperature was 6F. The wind chill was -10F. We easily, easily I tell you, would have won a LECKBAND Temp Challenge, hands down [but I digress]. According to my fitbit, Sammy & I walked 1,999 steps, 0.94 miles, burned 827 calories, & spent 18 active minutes walking. And I treated myself to a slice of Butterbraid bread w/caramel glaze, even though earlier that morning I had also treated myself to a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles, probably my all-time favorite cold cereal--not that it's anybody else's business except my own. But once again, I digress.
      FRI 1/1/16 new flash:  After easily exceeding 10,000 steps each of the past few days, my fitbit taunted me with the news at bedtime last night that I had recorded a mere 8,241 steps on the last day of 2015. 

• One reason I've exceeded 10,000 steps each of the past few days is because Lois took Brianna to Sioux Falls for a few days, leaving me responsible for Sammy's daily walks. That would be three walks per day.
• Who decided that my daily goal was 10,000 steps? I don't remember making that my daily goal. Apparently the diabolically, fascist fitbit organization made this decision for me.
• I still am having trouble wrapping my caffeine-deprived mind [It's 8:55a on New Year's Day, & I am only on my 3rd cup.] on the competitive angle of this contraption. However, I am still happy to report that my competitive juices start flowing at the idea of the . . . 

Leckband Temp Challenge

At 7:25a (CST) on 1/1/16, based on the NOAA web site, all temps in F, results follow:

#1 {TIE} Eagan, MN, 15/wc 4; Ventura, IA, 17/2

#3 Beatrice, NE, 18/10

#4 Norfolk, NE, 21/9

#5, Garrison, IA, 22/13

#6 BALMIEST LECKBAND'S:  Lincoln, NE 20/no wc

NOTES:  When I checked the forecast before going to bed last night, a #1 rating for Norfolk looked very promising, so I was somewhat chagrined to find us finishing in the lower half of today's rankings. Overall, the competition was very close, & my crack team of temp consultants had to fall back on the very complicated application of the Leckband Temp Differential to determine the final standings. Congratulations, Craig & Sarah!

There is No Place Like . . . 

Norway?

From Omaha World Herald (12/25/15):  "The Norwegian plan to give Finland a mountain. If you judge countries purely by their mountainous terrain, Finland is a bit of a loser. Halti, Finland's tallest, is around . . . 4,340', making it a '1,000er' as it is over 1,000 meters above sea level. That may sound impressive, but bear in mind that the tallest peak in the U.S. is a 6,000er & Mt. Everest is a 8,000er.
      "To add insult to injury, the mountain's summit is actually in Norway, standing just over 40M above the tallest peak in Finland. And worse still, Halti is pretty much irrelevant in Norway--it doesn't even scratch the top 200 highest peaks.
      "Now an online campaign is calling upon the Norwegian government to give Finland a new peak. Dubbing their project 'Halti as an anniversary gift,' the organizers say Norway should give Finland the peak of the mountain to celebrate the 100-yr anniversary of Finland's declaration of independence from the Russian Republic in 1917." [For sure my cousin Carmen has Norwegian ancestry; I'm pretty sure my daughter-in-law Laura does, too. Here's another reason to be proud.]

Nebraska! 

From Norfolk Daily News (12/26/15):  "Firefighters rescue calf . . . The Ainsworth Fire Department got a rather unusual call recently . . . the Brown County's Sheriff Dept. received a call that a calf had wandered on a pond, broken through the ice & was unable to get out. Firefighters responded to the pond, which is located 4 miles east & 1 mile south of Ainsworth & found that a 400+ lb. calf was in the middle of it, treading water . . . After the calf was roped . . . 4 firefighters pulled the . . . calf back to the shore." [Not only are our fire fighters fearless *, OUR calves can out-swim YOUR calves!]
* Try saying "fire fighters fearless" fast 5x in a row."

Also from OWH (12/26):  "Omaha is moving on up as a 'foodie city.' Omaha rates as the nation's No. 2 'foodie city' of 2015, up from No. 9 last year in the rankings by Livability.com." [KUDOs not only to Nebraska in general but to Omaha specifically, yet still not quite as impressive as Norfolk, NE, rated as Madison County's #1 'foodie city' of 2015 for, like, the gazillionth year in a row.]

Criminal Minds

Also from NDN (12/24):  "A fowl situation. Police said an Oregon man angry w/his tax situation left a flock of 7 chickens inside the state revenue office. Police in Eugene said they responded to a report WED of chickens left in the lobby of the Oregon Dept. of Revenue . . . Officers gave 66-yr-old Louis Adler of Creswell a trespass notice requiring him to stay away from the office or risk a citation. [Despite reading the article several times, not clear as to whether chickens were a form of protest or legitimate non-cash method of paying tax taxes.]

Food for Thought

Also from OWH (12/24):  "McDonalds' puts mac & cheese to the test. McD's is trying out a staple of American childhoods:  macaroni & cheese. The burger chain began testing mac & cheese @ 18 locations in northeast Ohio late last week . . . The 4-oz portion is available a la carte for $1.75 or as the entree of a Happy Meal. McDonald's often tests products in select markets & sometimes the successes . . . are rolled out nationally . . . it's too early to say whether mac & cheese could be coming to other markets." [KUDOs to McD's, whose reputation continues to grow in my estimation, after first deciding to serve breakfast items all day! *
* For the record, I'll go w/2 sausage burritos w/mild picante' sauce over mac & cheese.

Political Tuesday:  Special FRI Edition

Also from NDN (12/2):  "State attempts to lure more dairies & milk processors. With its abundant water, feed & land, Nebraska is an ideal place to locate a dairy. And, with droughts & regulations forcing scores of dairies to move from California--until recently, the nation's top milk producer--it's a prime time to put out the welcome mat . . . " [Dept. of Imaginary Conversations:  POTUS: If the State of Nebraska thinks they are going to get a permit to build a pipeline to send milk to California, they underestimate my political acumen & savvy." ADVISOR: I don't think you can ship milk by pipeline, Mr. President. POTUS:  Did I mention my acumen & savvy?]

Also from OWH (12/26):  "In Christmas visit, Obama thanks military for service. President Barack Obama said 'we never take for granted' what U.S. service members do to help keep the American people safe & free. During his annual Christmas Day visit to service members stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay [HI], Obama said 'it's tough' being deployed overseas & that although his administration has brought home thousands of troops, many are still serving in dangerous places." [According to my "inside sources, these comments were heavily redacted. Here's a more accurate text:  "It's tough being deployed overseas while I'm on vacation in Hawaii, thanks to millions of dollars of taxpayers' dollars that could have been spent on a better Christmas dinner for you & that although [my] administration has brought home thousands of troops, many are still serving in dangerous places through no fault of my own. Blame it on our previous president's policies. And don't blame it on Islamic zealots either. There's no such thing."]

Whimsical WED:  Special Friday Edition

Also from OWH (12/3):  "Chafed by inadequate underwear, man finds comfort in his own pair. A local lawyer is ditching legal briefs to make some briefs of his own. Michael Stagemen, a 31-yr-old defense attorney, is designing his own brand of men's underpants. The main selling point:  A pouch that keeps the man-parts separate from the legs.
      "'It's incredibly liberating,' Stageman said. 'It feels amazing, like the first time I jumped on a trampoline or ate pizza. It's just awesome.'"

• I'd like to make two points here. First, Omaha World Herald, TMI!
• Second, Michael, settle down. It's still just underwear!]

Also from OWH "Go Magazine" (12/17):  "6 Last-Minute Resolutions." *
NOTE:  Rather than bore you w/unnecessary, obvious details, I'm sharing my own, personalized comments. You are welcome.

1. "Read more books. [I am currently reading "Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power," by the notoriously liberal editor of the notoriously left-wing periodical Newsweek, Jon Meacham *. Also on my bookshelf, waiting to be read {not necessarily in this order}:  "Gettysburg: The Last Invasion," by Allen Guelzo; "Lonesome Dove," by Larry McMurtry; "Sacred Rhythms," by Ruth Haley Barton {loaned to me by my son Nathan}; & "Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, ** by Jeffrey Schwartz, M.D.
2. "Exercise. [I started getting way more active when Lois surprised me with a dog last summer. Although it's more of a challenge in arctic weather, I try to walk him 3x per day. I'm not trying to sound self-righteous. ***]
3. "Quit smoking. [Never smoked. Never even took one puff of a cigarette. I'm really not trying to sound self-righteous! ****]
4. "Reconnect with an old friend. [Does Facebook count?]
5. "Eat more fruits & vegetables. [I resolve to eat more vegetables in the form of my favorite vegetable--onion rings; specifically, the best fast-food onion rings on the market, which would be those available @ Runza. Don't think onions are nutritious? Follow the link. Don't think onion rings are nutritious. Too bad, so sad. It's still my blog.]
6. "Get more sleep." [Does church count?]

* This may surprise those of you who know my political leanings, but I have contended for some time that the average conservative is more broadly well-read than the average liberal.

** Like incessant blogging?!

*** Yeah, I really am.

**** Yeah, I really, really am.

From "Parade Magazine" * (12/27):  "New York's Times Square & its midnight ball drop may get all the glory, but there are other ways to count down to the New Year across the U.S.

• "Pelican Drop. A 14'-tall-pelican dives amid a display of fireworks & confetti in downtown Pensacola, FL. [Hey, Jerry & Anita. This must be within easy driving distance of Ft. Walton Beach!]
• "MoonPie Drop. In Mobile, AL, a 600-lb electric MoonPie drops at the stroke of midnight." [Not just ANY MoonPie . . . an ELECTRIC MoonPie!]

* Yes, I know I have issues w/Parade Magazine, but every now & then I glean something from its pages that I just don't seem to notice anywhere else from among my myriad glut of conventional news sources.