Keeping up with the Detroit Kardash...Family

Detroit's first family, the family that put the 'Rrrr' in Detroit, is out there again this week as my bro-in-law made an appearance on Antique Roadshow last Monday (taped this summer at Meadowbrook). His appearance is right around the 11:30 mark of the attached video.

A potter himself, Ro knew of the individual who made the piece, supposedly a big name in the craft. An antique shop visit brought about the piece and he paid $40 for it. While I think he likes the piece more than the investment (whole lot of pots in their home), the guy on the show threw out an $3,000-$4,000 appraisal on it. I personally don't know how the guy on the show can throw numbers out like he does but it only takes one buyer I guess.     

Great job Ro.

Trail Head

https://www.pbs.org/video/rochester-hour-3-ynckoj/

 

Blood Riding the Blizzard

A shout out today to my millennial nephew Jackson in that he took high mileage for the "Bike the Blizzard" charity ride this weekend in the 'D'. With the 4-8 inches we got Friday through Saturday, it literally was a blizzard ride as I struggled just to reach the corner store  on the bike Saturday morning. Proceeds go to a local bike shop who helps underprivileged kids get the thrill we all take for granted making those two wheels of rubber go wherever we want. 

I always rag on the millennials with the "everybody gets a ribbon" moniker (although my idiot generation is the one passing said ribbons out) but Jackson earned his trophy (and a new bicycle!) putting 77 miles on the clicker in some horrible conditions. 

Great job blood.

Trail Head

Catching up to Technology

I have wrote about it on here before but I am about a decade behind in the updates to electronic gadgets; and I really don't care. My phone makes calls. That is about all I need. Like the caveman, I adapt.

Case in point when cars started adding jacks so music players could be played in the vehicle. For those of us with vehicles lacking said jack back in the day (queue the 'way back machine'), there was the next best alternative; the iTrip! If you think kids today are distracted texting their friends or checking their social media sites, that was nothing compared to getting the iTrip to synch with your radio. A simple process to make it work. You plug the gadget into the back of your music player, find a radio station that has no reception (seem to recall the recommended radio station to be 87.9) and your music player could play through your radio. Trouble is the transmitter would hit and miss in certain areas so there you were plugging and unplugging the device into your music player trying to get it to reconnect while adjusting the tuner on the device as it would reset each time it went off and back on. Serious distractions just so you can get your favorite playlist on; but we did it. 

iTrip - 'the' driving distraction

With the invention of the music player came the initial sound dock systems. A large speaker with a plug for your music player. A great sound and mine still works great. Trouble is new music players don't have the big plugs and my initial music player is on it's last breath. Undeterred, the super internet shopping store delivered the below bluetooth adapter for my sound dock last week that works with my new player so I'm almost caught up to maybe year 2010's technology. I'm in no rush. 

Trail Head  

  

Fishing Show - fish, boats and many non-fish, non-boat things

The fishing show is in town this weekend. My last entry on the topic was in 2010 so a re-visit today to it.  Nine years, things surely have changed with the show one would think. A little more spread out this year, but pretty much the same as 2010 with a few "did not see that being at a fishing show" visuals thrown in for good measure. 

Leading off, we have the staple of every fishing show, the trout pond where thousands of kids over the next three days will work on their ability to 'snag' fish as errant hooks are the only thing bringing those poor fish in. 

A section as usual is assigned to the fishing charter companies getting their summer business lined up. Below we have one such individual who friends and I used awhile back for some muskie fishing on Lake St. Clair. The guy gets a lot a press for being a great muskie captain but he pretty much had the stance you see below when we fished with him. Dragged more weeds than one boat should.

While I didn't get any ShamWow chamois sightings (the all in one cloth!!!), I did get to witness the continued drugging of America with the 'Free Pain Relief Sample' booth and right down the aisle being the last glue I'll ever need (which also can be used for free pain relief). 

The pain relief booth should be near a new staple to the fishing show this year; the rock climbing wall. If you've ever seen the physique of the average fisherman, rock climbing (let alone ANY physical activity) is not on their radar. EMS better be near this weekend.

Another new staple to the show this year and I had to do a double take walking by it but below we have the fragrance area. Nothing like smelling good after ripping some lips on the lake. The lady at the booth said this is their dead time of the year and wanted to give the market a try.

Lastly, below are the booths that year in and year out are there to help you with clean gutters, miscellaneous spices, beef jerky and man cave signs. 

My only purchases for the night were a donation to the MSU fishing club and some lures. The people watching, as is always the case at these, was priceless.

Fish on.

Trail Head 

 

Dethroned

While I still remain and will always be known as the WORLD MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPION of 2017 who took down his fellow mountain biking nephew almost twice his age for highest mileage totals on the year, said nephew Jackson would not be denied this year as he more or less had me in July and doubled my output on the year. Well done 20-something.

Trail Head

Santa Delivers

You ask (and are a good person) and Santa delivers. I asked for a day on the trails to myself and pictured is my ride at the Island Lake Recreation Area trailhead a little after eight this morning. Thank you Santa and happy holidays to all!

Trail Head

Spam Exam - opt out blues

This Internet and electronic e-mail thing is great and everything but since the advent of it, we had to take along the ugly stepchild; spam e-mail. My one e-mail address seems to be a spider web in a spider village of many in collecting junk from anyone and everyone. Attempts to opt out of each are a journey to nowhere as half the time the opt out e-mail comes back un-deliverable. I am not even a political person but somehow got linked to a mass of tea party e-mails recently that got coded as non-spam and you couldn't move them to the junk folder. One site had two opt out links and I chose the wrong one of course. Thankfully my virus protector caught it and gave me the "danger, Will Robinson!" alert.      

Below we have Mrs Giamma advising that I just might be a millionaire and Wilhelm (sounds like a good dog name) advising about some information regarding Eric. Sorry Wilhelm, I'm probably not going to see it.

Not to be outdone, we have the e-mail everyone is looking to get, Publishers Clearing...something advising, no, congratulating me that my e-mail was drawn for winning....a possible virus!!! They are so good with the word placement on these. You bet uneducated Jim Bob is going to open that and click every link possible to uncover the millions! 

And below my winning e-mail, Adrian is apparently trying to reach me. Yo Adrian, I don't know anyone by that name so sorry. 

To A A G, I have no mortgage needs right now (thankfully). 

To the post office, I have no interest in any partnership, especially with someone named Mr. George Williams Mudonille. That is one pompous name.

And spam e-mail wouldn't be complete without a chance at a Ukrainian mail order bride...

To AKDKTK KAKuKtKh (lacking some vowels there AKDKTK), I have nothing of worth in my house so no free quotes needed. 

To US Debt Settle, I thankfully have no debt to settle.

To LCiCpCoCsCuCctio, if I could arrange to have some weight put back ON me as opposed to sucking it out this winter, that would be ideal.

The whole browsing in 'incognito/inprivate' mode is a sham as well. Case in point with the below batch of Keto diet spam e-mails I received shortly after doing some searching on the subject (searched, no e-mail entered on my end). 

As with the crap mail (actual mail) of shopping flyers that has existed longer than my half century  of existence with no escape besides getting a post office box, I am guessing we are stuck with the electronic version as well.

Spam, spam, spam....

Trail Head