Bad Apples - By Dan Dauw

When I Wasn’t Old

I had asthma growing up so when I was young my parents bought me an International Harvester (IH) window air air-conditioner. Way back when International Harvester made not just ag equipment, but refrigerators, window air-conditioners and other non-ag items. They even made IH vehicles called a “Scout.” They were right-or-left hand drive vehicles.
In the ‘60s I drove a right hand drive Scout for the USPS. Before that we use to drive 3-wheel Cushman vehicles. The early ones had canvas enclosures and the later ones were made of fiberglass. I liked the later ones to deliver mail in, but their heaters were junk in the winter. They were not good if you got hit by a car. One Moline carrier got hit by a car and fortunately, he survived with only a few pieces of fiberglass impeded in his body.
We had one top heavy postal vehicle that had the dumbest location for the accelerator pedal. It was mounted flat on the floor and to go forward you moved the accelerator with the “side” of your foot. It was really a pain especially in the winter with snow and ice. The heaters in those vehicles were poor, too! Fortunately, the postal service soon got rid of the stupid things.
Today it seems like there are other types of postal vehicles besides the older LLVs (Long Life Vehicle). I delivered mail during a lot of Christmases. Back then the letter size (Christmas cards) was high volume, but today I think the parcel business has helped to pick up some of the slack of letter mail. I noticed recently on the news that the USPS is still very much in the red. They have been in financial trouble for a long time.

Da Bears

Can they be any worse? Yes! They are really in a tail spin that’s for sure. The interim head coach, Brown, looked to me like a deer in the headlights. I can’t blame QB Williams too much. With a few exceptions, his supporting cast are fair, at best. There are just too many bad apples on that team. We’ll still watch ‘em and the fans will continue to pack them in at Soldier Field.

Geneseo Ikes Christmas Party

This nice event was held at the Ikes Lodge last Saturday. A big “Thank you” goes to Brian Herron, Larry Wieneke, Terry Travis and Vic Bianchetta for putting up all the decorations, cooking, etc. If I left out anyone, I am sorry.
There were 17 attendees and the Christmas dinner was excellent! Afterwards there was a trivia game and bingo. It was also nice that everyone donated can goods and non- perishable items for the Geneseo food pantry. We were sorry that more members and guests were not able to attend the festivities. It was a very nice evening.

Geneseo “Christmas Walk”

If you’re reading this on or before next Saturday, the 14th, make sure you visit downtown Geneseo to see all the beauty Christmas time has to offer. The parade is a big attraction, too. It starts around 5 p.m.
Warm your hands at our Civil War campfire just north of the museum. In fact, that is also a neat place to visit and warm yourself.
There are lots of things to see and enjoy so hopefully you can go to the Geneseo “Christmas Walk.”

Hanna Township Ends Recyclable

This is kind of a bummer. I saw a sign by the recyclable dipsy-dumpster off Wolf Road that they will no longer take recyclables starting December 30, 2024. It isn’t profitable to continue that service. Sad, but understandable.

Joke

Todd Sieben, Geneseo, cut his hand so he went to a medical facility. The doctor said to Todd, “Try this new bandage. You can swim, water-ski, snorkel, or scuba dive with the bandage on. Todd said to the doctor, “That’s great! I couldn’t do any of those things before I hurt myself!”

Illinois Gun Legislation

A big “Thank You” goes to Illinois State Representative, Tony McCombie, for her support of the 2nd Amendment. She is very good on keeping we citizens informed on all types of legislation, good or bad. Wish she would run for the Illinois governorship.

Food Humor

  1. What kind of nuts always seem to have a cold? Ans: Cashews.

  2. Why did the banana go to the doctor? Ans: Because it wasn’t peeling well.

  3. What did the hungry computer eat? Ans: Chips.

  4. What is a pretzel’s favorite dance? Ans: The Twist.

  5. Why shouldn’t you tell a secret on a farm? Ans: Because potatoes have eyes & corn has ears.

Quote of the Week

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.”

  • Jacques Benigne Bossuet