Totally 80s

I bet it's been 23 years since I've spazzed out on the buttons during "Track and Field."

The streak ended today.

A friend (yes, from the 80s) let me in on a Web site that has "every" video game. Everyvideogame.com. Sure, you have to sign up (it's free) but it's a blast (if you can figure out the controls). It's a total rewind to the early Nintendo and arcades of the late 1980s.

"Track and Field" was a pre-movie event for us at the theater house growing up. We developed cheat codes, too, just like every other pimply faced teenager playing the game. Combs straight from the back pocket weaved between your fingers made for a supersonic button battle. The more elaborate created button tappers with popsicle sticks and rubber bands. World records would fall and theater legends were made.

The best thing about this site is scrolling through the list of games forgotten. "Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf" (Who exactly was he fighting? Jack Nicklaus?) "Bo Jackson Baseball" (Below, pictured, I give up a base hit ... Surprising they didn't team it with Bo Jackson Football.) "John Elway Quarterback" (I couldn't get past the select team menu.)

And what about RC Pro-Am? Wow.

And there's "Kiss Goes Golfing with Ace Frehley"

One game, just due to the popularity of the name after it was developed is "Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball." This is not to be confused with Dustin Diamond's All-Star Softball.

Posted by: Beers on 5/15/2008 at 9:31 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Clean-up week

He circled the pile.

Then, without me looking either knowingly or unknowingly, it was gone.

The faucet had been removed.

I set our old sink out for clean-up week and within an hour, everything BUT the bathroom sink was taken. A mess was left to clean-up.

The first guy who stopped by my pile of outings looked through some old windows, failing to leave a neat pile I had originally created. In fact, a frame or two was left in my driveway, ready to be smashed by any car to enter.

The other guy simply wanted the heavy metal.

I'm not sure what a broken down faucet will do for him. I certainly wouldn't use it. I'm sure it's for scrap metal and maybe he can get a buck or two. But I was left with this to pick out of my yard.

C'mon.

Posted by: Beers on 5/08/2008 at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Typing

Totally addicting.

Posted by: Beers on 4/30/2008 at 11:55 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

UGH!

Welcome back!

After clearing the sidewalk, here's the unofficial report from south Moorhead.

Posted by: Beers on 4/26/2008 at 9:38 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Weather or not, again

Wow. Snow in the forecast for today. How wonderful. I mentioned to co-workers on Thursday that I'm going to stop griping about the weather until May because April can bring all varieties of weather activity. I even recall it snowing at the end of May many years ago in Duluth as our golf team awoke to a white drizzle before a golf tournament.

Still, what perhaps bothers me the most is the lack of nice days so far this spring. I can recall maybe three or four days where it was generally warm - enough for shorts at least - and little wind.

But its been cold, no matter how you look at it. And cold for a long time, for that matter.

Yes, it's Fargo. Yes, we might see 104 on July 28th. Yes, the sun will shine. (Yes, those reading in Corpus Christi, we do see 100+ degree temperatures on occasion.)

But when there's no flooding, no mosquitoes and no Canadian counterattacks (see Friday's Forum), don't we deserve 75 and sun?

Posted by: Beers on 4/25/2008 at 12:15 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Getting ready to garden

I plan to post quite frequently on our garden this year.

Last summer I built a compost bin for about $20 and I should have some compost developed by the time we plant in a month or so.

We've added grass clippings, egg shells, coffee grounds, leaves and other organic matter. Last fall it was filled to the top and now it appears as though the bottom is condensed enough to provide good compost.

I'm going to turn it, perhaps today or tomorrow once we get a soaking hot sun and some warmer temperatures. I did add the feature of a hinged front, so I should be able to just open it up and shovel it around a bit. I'm expecting a bit of a mess, but a few rake jobs should help clean it up.

My neighbor has a compost pile near his garden. I put mine behind my utility shed or else it'll sort of stick out like a sore thumb anywhere else. He told me his benefit is the compost nurishes the ground nearby and plants near the compost turned out better than ever.

Maybe my shed will grow.

Posted by: Beers on 4/14/2008 at 9:20 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Spare (change) me

I had planned to blog about this .99 thing. I hate things being 99 cents. Like $2.99, $9.99 or even special introductory offers of $19.99.

I was at a yogurt joint whose name resembles YMCA and everything on the menu ended in .99. Sundae $1.99. Specialty item $3.99, etc. Seriously, who are you kidding? If I drove to your store, got out of my car, lugged in my 2-year-old and waited in line, another penny wouldn't deter me. Seriously.

Yes, I know why businesses do it. $1.99 looks cheaper than $2. But seriously, when the local hardware store has dollar days and the circular has prices like 2 for $1, $4, $10, my eyes are GLUED!

And with the tax, it makes no bit of difference. You never just get a penny back.

People continually complain about small change. Just round up your prices or square it off with whatever the tax is. Tax of 7 cents. Charge $1.93.

So please, cool it.

(I guess I did blog about .99)

Posted by: Beers on 3/28/2008 at 1:34 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

50 for 15

MAJOR DISCLAIMER: My vehicle has a about a 15-gallon tank running on the cheapest gas available. And I totally feel for you if you've been driving a semi, motor home, SUV or anything else larger than a Volkswagon Rabbit.

I had a feeling bad news was in store tonight as I pulled up to a pump at M&H in Moorhead on fumes. I had to look at what the poor guy before me had to shell out for gas on the screen. It was something like 9 gallons for $30. Ouch.

Well, I crossed the line, too.

I went over $50 filling up my car's tank for the first time I can remember. The last time I spent that kind of money at a gas station was with a tank of gas, some donuts, some Slim Jims and a couple bottles of Coke. And some gum. And those energy pills at the register. And that "I (heart) Minnesota" t-shirt.

If the predictions are correct, I'll be paying more than $60 a tank this summer.

I created a spreadsheet of various gas prices up to $4 here.

What this all means is a weekender to the Twin Cities would put $128 down the tank.

Wasn't it just a little more than a decade ago gas was 99 cents?

Posted by: Beers on 3/22/2008 at 12:45 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink