GaryOsberg.com

 Good morning from Collegeville,

 

Five beautiful days in a row.  I can’t remember a nicer week of weather in central Minnesota.  What a stroke of luck if someone planned a vacation this week.  My nephew Grayson started kindergarten this week and Barby’s grandson Luke will start kindergarten next week.  What a big day for their parents.  I am sure that many tears flow at times like this.  The DNR is forecasting the best fall colors in ten years, so plan accordingly.

 

I met Joe on campus yesterday.  Joe owns Granite Pest Control Service.  We first met in 1980 when we both rented office space from Jim Younger, the Allstate Insurance man on 31st Avenue in St. Cloud.  I was in the energy management business and that effort cost me my first fortune.  Joe had selected a more stable industry and now he is poised to turn the business over to his son.  He is listed in my cell phone as “Bee Guy”.  I use my cell phone as a mini-yellow pages with some numbers listed not by personal names but rather by “Service provided”.  That way, it is a lot easier to find someone who has a proven track record for providing a special service that is not required that often.  Hence, listings such as “TV Guy”,  “Tree Guy” and others.

 

A big share of business for Joe is Bed Bugs.  He recommends leaving your suitcase in the garage and never bringing any of the suitcase contents into your house.  Instead, use plastic bags and zip lock bags for items and then take everything to the Laundromat and wash in hot water.  His parting words were, “You may choose to ignore my advice, but then you may have to call me and it will be expensive.” 

 

The show this week is a “back-to-school” bumper crop compilation featuring bits and pieces from the Universities of Michigan, South Dakota, Minnesota and Purdue.  Special guests include Jerry Douglas, The Purdue Glee Club, Becky Schlegel and Robert Sonkowsky – Latin professor from the U of M, reciting a bit of Horace.  In addition, Bella Hristova plays Kreisler.  Enjoy the show.

 

On Sunday, 9/11/11, the MPR news network will have special programming all day and their will not be any underwriting sponsor messages. 

 

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”  Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1945)