Weinzierl

Jewelers

Victoria’s Corner Bar.  Nightly Specials and Menus.  952-443-9944

Specialized assisted living for those

with memory challenges. 

Victoria.  952-908-2215

8 First Street in Waconia.  952-442-2885

942-443-2078

Funeral Home & Cremation Services

952-474-9595

Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic.

Occupational Therapy.  Speech Therapy.

952-443-9888

Huber

City of Lakes & Parks  952-443-2363

“Trees Are Our Roots”

8099 Bavaria Rd * Victoria * 952-443-2990

Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box:

Headlines

and bylines

Front Page

Feature Story

From the

Editor

Addie’s

Drawing

Letters

to the Editor

Victoria

Moments

Hook

Line & Sinker

Calendar

of Events

Click here to

Advertise

Email

the Gazette

Return to

Home Page

Order

paper Gazette

Notes and

Quotes

The Scoop

at City Hall

         The New Year began with a Deep Freeze in which kids around the Midwest were called to stay home from school because Government (capitalized, like God) decided three to four days in advance of Monday, January 6th, to cancel school for that  day. 

         It had not been predicted to be a snow day or a blizzardy storm day.  It was predicted to be a cold day, a very very cold day.  When January 6th did arrive, the sky was clear and the roads were clear, and it  was indeed very very cold.

         Back in the day, mine as well as my children's, school was only called off when the buses wouldn't start or couldn't make it through a storm because of heavy wind and snow and visibility was zero.  On January 6th, 2014, as I said, the roads were clear.  The same scenario occurred a week later.

         Yes, it's dangerous to be outdoors for any length of time in subzero temperatures, and some kids have to walk to school or get dropped off at bus stops when there's no bus in sight -- neither of which makes sense nor should happen when the weather is deadly.

         School was also cancelled for the same reason in North Dakota where two of my grandchildren attend Tioga Elementary.  What did Addie and Gunnar do at home?  They bundled up in extra layers of clothes and went outside to play Survivor.  And that's the amazing truth. 

***

         Did you hear about the guy who escaped from prison in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, January 5th, but it was so cold outside he turned himself back in?  He walked into a warm motel and asked the clerk to call the police so he could escape the cold.  And that's the amazing truth.

***

         January 2014 also gained notoriety because we learned that Target shoppers were compromised by a security breach that included the stealing of personal information as well as debit and credit information.  Somebody hacked into the system and stole our names, our addresses, our house numbers, our social security numbers, our email addresses, our pin numbers, our shopping habits, and all kinds of other information that goes with having a charge card.

         Shortly after the Target breach, we were notified that we'd be receiving new Visa cards on January 26th.  We use Visa at Target.  Then we were obligated to contact those places for which we have automatic payment each month from our Visa card; otherwise they wouldn't get paid, of course, and we'd be in trouble.

         Since much of the world shops at Target, and much of the world uses plastic, you most likely know exactly what I'm talking about.  And that's the amazing truth.

***

         My computer crashed in January.  Total wipeout.  Total blackout.  Total breakdown.  Poof!  It was still under warranty, which saved me dollars but not time and definitely not grief.

         It took over a week to get my computer back, and then my IT man (Allan) had to reinstall all my programs and move all my data that had been backed up, of course.  In the moving of data, some things were changed or disconnected.  "Unlinked" is the word.

         I was fortunate to have had that fifth week in January between publications and also fortunate that we were home to work through the issue together.  Just prior to the crash, we had seriously talked about flying the coop to an island in the Caribbean. 

         In any case, without backups I would have had to start a new life.  And that's the amazing truth.

***

         Did someone say that funerals happen in three's?  We attended three funerals in January, in less than a week.  Mae Schmid's funeral was on the 9th at the St. Victoria Catholic Church.  Karol Plocher's funeral was on the 13th at the Lake Auburn Moravian Church in Victoria.  Bob Ice's funeral was on the 15th at the funeral home in Long Lake.

         Mae Schmid was a smart lady, a classy lady, a good lady.  I used to play bridge with Mae.  I did a story on her and Nushie in 1992 when they lived on Lake Auburn, and Mae accompanied me when I did a story in 2000 on her mother Ida Plocher.

         Karol Plocher was a kind and good-hearted friend who used to live next door to us here at Schutz Lake.  We traveled and played together and worked on various projects together for 25 years.  Her kids Shelly and Julie were like big sisters to my kids.  Time marches on and waits for no one.  I'm shocked that Karol has died.

         Bob Ice was a nice man, a funny man, a memorable man, who put a smile on my face whenever I saw him.   Bob worked at the Wayzata Muni for most of the years that Allan was Wayzata City Manager.

         Funerals happen in three's.  And that's the amazing truth.

Text Box:

From the Editor

Dedicated to the sunshine of truth,

the moonshine of meeting deadlines,

and the starshine of Victoria.

The Victoria GAZETTE

February 2014