SUNDAY FUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022

 SUNDAY FUNDAY - February 13, 2022

Happiness is a quality of the soul...

not a function of one's material circumstances.

Aristotle

WARM-UP

Well, the temperature is warming up. Last week’s ice storm did close things down for a few days - but it was better than last year’s winter storm.

MEMORIES:

I’ve been going through some memories.

My first ‘real' job outside the house was as a paperboy. (I guess I had mowed some lawns for neighbors for pay but those weren’t quite “real” jobs.)

I delivered the Cedar Rapids Gazette as an evening newspaper (In the days of (a) newspapers, and (b) evening newspapers). I suppose I was about 12 or 13 when I started. The papers got dropped on my front lawn about 4:30 in the afternoon - generally in a bailed wire package. I clipped (or untwisted) the wires, put the newspapers in my official Cedar Rapids Gazette bag, and went out to distribute the papers.

Our house and the immediate neighborhood were not part of my route, so I had to walk about 3 blocks to start the delivery. I suppose it was probably about 4 miles in total to walk (today I brag about walking four miles, then, it was just part of the regular routine). The area was still on the edge of town, so some properties were like hobby farms with chicken coops and big gardens. Some were new developments in housing. Rain, snow, sunshine - every day I delivered the papers. And, in those days, every house got a newspaper.

First up through the Meadowdale neighborhood, down E Avenue on one side and back on the other, to 19th street - but only to the north up a steep dead-end hill, back to E avenue, and then to 21st street Then home!!

Maybe the toughest part was collecting money. Every Friday night I went out to collect money. It was 45 cents a week to get the paper and I got to keep 10 cents from each payment of 45 cents. Some pay for a month at a time. I didn’t take credit cards (I’m not sure they existed then). I can’t remember checks, but I imagine I got a few checks. I was good at multiples of 45 (90, 135, 180, 225, 270). There were a few houses that were a problem some for a young entrepreneur - “Could you come back later”. Or the customers weren’t home. That meant extra trips.

One house always had a strange smell to me - I’m thinking it might have been cooked cabbage - or smelly fish dinner. Another house reminded me of the Munsters or Addams family - and they in particular never seemed to scrape together the right change. (I felt sorry for them - they seemed like they couldn’t afford the paper).

Then a new development opened across F avenue and I was the first paperboy in the new Fair Oaks development - and that was lucrative - lots of new houses close together. If the creek between E and F avenue was low, I could cross the creek to deliver to Fair Oaks after delivering in Meadowdale (instead of going around to 19th street) But, alas as that development grew, the Gazette found a new paperboy and I was back to the 19th street hill with about 10 houses all spread apart. (I thought they could give that street to the new kid and I’d keep the one with more customers!!!)

I was even “Carrier of the Week” once. I got my picture in the paper and a little article. I remember saying I wanted to be a math teacher when I grew up. That was the first time I really had articulated my goal.

When I got to high school (10th grade), I gave up the paper route. But, the seeds had been sown. The money from that route paid for my first year of college, and with my summer jobs and later (junior and senior years of college) as a dorm resident assistant, I graduated without any college debt.

And, I learned to be out and about in my neighborhood. One of my customers made me their “lawn kid” and I got to mow their lawn (and they were generous). I shoveled snow for a couple of the others on the route.

It kept me from playing football or other sports after school. So, I missed out on some things.

How about you? What was your first job that made money outside the house?

*****

WINTER:

We are about halfway through the December 20th to March 20th period (or more than halfway through the December 1st to March 1st Winter period)

The next Full Moon is Wednesday, February 16, and is called “The Snow Moon”

*****

MUSIC

Concert by the Central Texas Symphony - March 3rd at Cedar Park High School; Saturday, March 4th at Klett Auditorium at Georgetown High School.

The theme is “At the Movies” - with music from Star Wars, James Bond, Harry Potter, Schindler's List, and more - FREE - 7:30 start - about an hour long!!! We’d love to see you there - your toes will be tapping and you’ll be humming along [not too loud] to the James Bond and Star Wars themes!!

PUZZLER:

Legal Drug is a pharmacy in Potosi, Wisconsin. They just got a shipment of ten vials of Amtripsetavisaphenonomistic. As they were putting them on the shelf, Phil Med, the pharmacist, got a call from the distributor. One of the jars has all the pills that weigh 11 grams instead of the standard 10 grams. The other nine jars all have varying amounts of pills that weigh exactly 10 grams. (While the United States standard is 10 grams per pill, the Quebec standard is 11 grams per pill and must be sent back immediately).

They have a scale that is accurate to 1/1000th of a gram. How can you with JUST ONE WEIGHING figure out which jar has the heavy pills?

(Answer at the bottom). Hint number each of the vials 1 through 10!!!

NATIONAL DAYS

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY - February 12, 2022 - National Today

What would Abe Lincoln do today to heal our divisions and hatred?

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY - February 13, 2022 - National Today

Okay - Cincinnati against Los Angeles Rams - do you have a favorite? (Karen’s prediction, Cincinnati 24; Los Angeles 21)

VALENTINE'S DAY - February 14, 2022 - National Today

A day to spread LOVE!!! I hope you tell all your significant friends that you love them today. (Okay, also enjoy some chocolate!!!) And, ALL my friends - I LOVE YOU!!!

NATIONAL WISCONSIN DAY - February 15, 2022 - National Today

For those who have never been to Wisconsin - time to celebrate that you have never been to Wisconsin!!! Get yourself a cheesehead and drink a Wisconsin beer!!!

INNOVATION DAY - February 16, 2022 - National Today

Hmmm - how about automatic scoring for Granny Basketball Games, or an artificial intelligence interface to tell me what to bid for in bridge?

*****

WRAP-UP

What a great week ahead - Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday - bridge, granny basketball scrimmage.

Get out and about and enjoy the warmer weather!!!

LOVE WINS!!

Karen

Puzzler answer:

Take one pill from jar 1, one pill from jar 2, all the way through jar 10, and put them on the scale. The expected weight should be 550 grams. If the weight (for example) was 557 grams, then jar #7 is the one that weighs too much!!!