Happy Holidays!
It is that time of year and I am once again compelled to ask –"where the heck did this year go?" Well, I’ll attempt to reconstruct the highlights of the year for you all – and I’ll keep it brief so that Willie’s got plenty of room for his annual thoughts.
We took our first cruise this year – and really enjoyed it! I wanted Willie to see my "roots" so we sailed to Alaska in August. We were just in time to see the salmon spawning which was an amazing sight to see; and we also managed to find the hospital (now shuttered and abandoned) in Ketchikan where I was born. It was a trip down memory lane for me, and a great chance for Willie to see our 49th State.
What was really amazing is that we managed to fit thisin around Willie’s racing schedule. Yep, he’s still racing with the locally renowned He Man Racing team. They all had a stellar year with several top five finishes and even a first place in their last race of the year at Virginia International Raceway! Much excitement and lots of chest—puffing on the part of the He Men. They’ve done well enough this season to start looking for some sponsors now, which will, hopefully, help to fund next season.
As for me, my consulting business continues to build and grow. And, because one business wasn’t enough to challenge me, I became a minority partner in one of my client’s companies. We produce beautiful framed poetry art, and sell it both online and through retail gift shops under the name Hearts & Hands Forever. I am also serving on several boards, including for the county Chamber of Commerce. Okay, so now I know why I’m so busy!
In my spare time, I’m learning how to make wine! Yep, Bifulco Estates at your service. I am currently buying grape juice from various sources and doing the fermenting and bottling here, but am about to branch out a bit further. A neighbor and good friend is interested in growing wine grapes on some of his organic farmland, and has graciously agreed to let me get involved. So, next year I hope to get my hands dirty!
Our families continue to be in good health. My mom had another cancer scare this year with an aggressive skin cancer, but she was able to have Mohs surgery and is now considered cured. As she says – dodged another bullet!
We haven’t added any more animals this year – figuring that 3 are really enough! Rocket, our not-so-little male cat continues to rule the household. It’s pretty funny to see our 65-pound collie literally running away from our 12-pound cat. Our poor elder cat, Cleo, just tries to stay out of everyone’s way!
We hosted the usual large gathering of family for Thanksgiving – lots of food, laughs and memories. We were joined by the newest member of the family, Jack, who married our niece Rebecca this past year.
Well, guess I’ll turn it over to Willie now…
A few words from Willie…
Please send sunglasses to Santa!
Many guys approach Christmas similarly – we wait, and wait, and then wait some more. And then on December 24th, we spring into action like Rudolf shot from a cannon.
Well, this year was completely different for me. Contrary to popular belief about individuals who are part of "Team Y Chromosome," I’ve long before this letter planned for Santa’s arrival. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll be out there with my fellow brethren shopping for my bride, searching for that perfect remaining post-Christmas morsel with as much vigor as if I had planned the purchase 18 months beforehand. But this year my thoughts focused more on Santa’s arrival, if for no other reason, then by mere happenstance.
Now I’ll admit that my approach was somewhat unconventional, and this is more about making lemonade out of lemons, but I’m pretty happy with the results. You see, it tends to get dark at night in our neighborhood, and we have terrible soil. Not sure why this is important?
Well, starting back in early 2005, the neighborhood men are forced from hibernation and kicked out from the warmth of their cocoon-like nests by their respective spouses – it seems marriage vows are stressed to their limits during the dark days of winter. You know that "...until death do us part…" verse? Well you may have noticed that as men we haven’t really evolved all that much (heck we’ve only started walking upright for a relatively short period of time), but we do know what fear smells like, and it usually emanates from us. So, to avoid "death" we "part" and transition from the nest and move outdoors to seek out new frontiers. And as luck would have it, we’re not the hunters we used to be, and our thoughts generally seem to focus on two things…our next meal being the other one. So new adventures really must be found within the confines of our own property.
Unfortunately though (this would be the "lemon" part), when neighborhood men were tending to the removal of broken tree branches, tearing down dear netting, laying down grass fertilizer, applying soil enrichment lime and grub killer, I decided, not unlike Punxsutawney Phil, to remain indoors until later in the season. After all I had plenty of time to whip the yard into the envisioned scenic wonderland…and I didn’t want to show my cards to the neighborhood too soon anyway. Well, as March turned into April, and then May, my procrastinating ways turned into action and ultimately results. You see, unbeknownst to many, I periodically receive emails from Scott’s with instructions on what I have to buy to keep my grass looking its best. Well, since I missed the pre-Spring de-grubbing fertilizing frenzy, I decided that a double dose of whatever Scott’s recommended would put me back on track. In fact, I purchased so much fertilizer, the U.S. Department of Justice’s ATF Agency required a background check before they would release the explosives, I mean fertilizer.
Just as planned, the double dose worked wonders! The lawn looked great, and although we couldn’t drink the well water for most of the summer and there’s some unsubstantiated rumors that there’s an ozone hole that hovers above Tallyho Lane, we were the envy of the neighborhood – at least in my mind we were.
Well, you know the saying, "what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger." Yeah, that’s a problem. It seems that the infamous Japanese Beetles larvae (a.k.a. grubs) love the fertilizer. I think it’s the equivalent of a Beetle B-12 shot because by June, we had experienced an infestation that would have made locust turn tail and head for sea. Picture a carpet of cranky starving flying Beetles with the sole purpose of eating everything green. At one point, I swear I saw the White Birch try to de-root itself and attempt to join the locusts.
Knowing we couldn’t allow the devastation to continue, a trip to the local nursery produced yet another series of fertilized-based Japanese Beetle deterrents that when mixed together produced a fairly significant glow to the yard. Now I don’t know what type of light a nuclear power plant mishap would create, but I’m pretty sure we’ve either got the makings of a nuclear disaster or the beginnings of the largest geographic pyrotechnic display in history.
Soon after the beetle lifecycle concluded, I ventured outside to review the resulting damage, two thoughts came to mind…it’s kind of strange to see tumbleweeds in NJ and where did all that dirt come from? Well, it appears that grubs, while making their way up to the surface to become beetles spend a considerable amount of time eating grass roots. Basically, the green fertilized-induced grass has no roots to sustain life. So, what’s a person to do? You’ve got it… having renewed my explosives license to purchase what seemed like 3 cubic yards of fertilizer we went back to the nursery to buy more grass seed, and Scott’s’ special super-duper Starter fertilizer.
Ahhh, we nailed it! We triangulated the weather reports from 3 separate news agencies and planned to lay down the seed/fertilizer mix at precisely the best time to allow for nature to gently water the seed over the coming weeks. Yeah, that didn’t work out so well. You see we experienced torrential rainfall for about a week, which quickly pooled the season’s worth of fertilizer and seed into a 3-inch layer of goop.
Here’s the lemonade part! Through the mixture of bad planning, heavy and frequent dosagesof fertilizer, beetle infestation, and bad luck, we believe we’ve created the equivalent of Alaska’s Aurora Borealis right here in Northern NJ.
So Santa, please stop by and no need to spend anytime on Mapquest, we have a great reindeer landing strip so just follow the light and don’t forget your sunglasses.
Debbi and I are simply glowing about this Christmas and hope you and your families have a safe and happy holiday.
We took our first cruise this year – and really enjoyed it! I wanted Willie to see my "roots" so we sailed to Alaska in August. We were just in time to see the salmon spawning which was an amazing sight to see; and we also managed to find the hospital (now shuttered and abandoned) in Ketchikan where I was born. It was a trip down memory lane for me, and a great chance for Willie to see our 49th State.
What was really amazing is that we managed to fit thisin around Willie’s racing schedule. Yep, he’s still racing with the locally renowned He Man Racing team. They all had a stellar year with several top five finishes and even a first place in their last race of the year at Virginia International Raceway! Much excitement and lots of chest—puffing on the part of the He Men. They’ve done well enough this season to start looking for some sponsors now, which will, hopefully, help to fund next season.
As for me, my consulting business continues to build and grow. And, because one business wasn’t enough to challenge me, I became a minority partner in one of my client’s companies. We produce beautiful framed poetry art, and sell it both online and through retail gift shops under the name Hearts & Hands Forever. I am also serving on several boards, including for the county Chamber of Commerce. Okay, so now I know why I’m so busy!
In my spare time, I’m learning how to make wine! Yep, Bifulco Estates at your service. I am currently buying grape juice from various sources and doing the fermenting and bottling here, but am about to branch out a bit further. A neighbor and good friend is interested in growing wine grapes on some of his organic farmland, and has graciously agreed to let me get involved. So, next year I hope to get my hands dirty!
Our families continue to be in good health. My mom had another cancer scare this year with an aggressive skin cancer, but she was able to have Mohs surgery and is now considered cured. As she says – dodged another bullet!
We haven’t added any more animals this year – figuring that 3 are really enough! Rocket, our not-so-little male cat continues to rule the household. It’s pretty funny to see our 65-pound collie literally running away from our 12-pound cat. Our poor elder cat, Cleo, just tries to stay out of everyone’s way!
We hosted the usual large gathering of family for Thanksgiving – lots of food, laughs and memories. We were joined by the newest member of the family, Jack, who married our niece Rebecca this past year.
Well, guess I’ll turn it over to Willie now…
A few words from Willie…
Please send sunglasses to Santa!
Many guys approach Christmas similarly – we wait, and wait, and then wait some more. And then on December 24th, we spring into action like Rudolf shot from a cannon.
Well, this year was completely different for me. Contrary to popular belief about individuals who are part of "Team Y Chromosome," I’ve long before this letter planned for Santa’s arrival. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll be out there with my fellow brethren shopping for my bride, searching for that perfect remaining post-Christmas morsel with as much vigor as if I had planned the purchase 18 months beforehand. But this year my thoughts focused more on Santa’s arrival, if for no other reason, then by mere happenstance.
Now I’ll admit that my approach was somewhat unconventional, and this is more about making lemonade out of lemons, but I’m pretty happy with the results. You see, it tends to get dark at night in our neighborhood, and we have terrible soil. Not sure why this is important?
Well, starting back in early 2005, the neighborhood men are forced from hibernation and kicked out from the warmth of their cocoon-like nests by their respective spouses – it seems marriage vows are stressed to their limits during the dark days of winter. You know that "...until death do us part…" verse? Well you may have noticed that as men we haven’t really evolved all that much (heck we’ve only started walking upright for a relatively short period of time), but we do know what fear smells like, and it usually emanates from us. So, to avoid "death" we "part" and transition from the nest and move outdoors to seek out new frontiers. And as luck would have it, we’re not the hunters we used to be, and our thoughts generally seem to focus on two things…our next meal being the other one. So new adventures really must be found within the confines of our own property.
Unfortunately though (this would be the "lemon" part), when neighborhood men were tending to the removal of broken tree branches, tearing down dear netting, laying down grass fertilizer, applying soil enrichment lime and grub killer, I decided, not unlike Punxsutawney Phil, to remain indoors until later in the season. After all I had plenty of time to whip the yard into the envisioned scenic wonderland…and I didn’t want to show my cards to the neighborhood too soon anyway. Well, as March turned into April, and then May, my procrastinating ways turned into action and ultimately results. You see, unbeknownst to many, I periodically receive emails from Scott’s with instructions on what I have to buy to keep my grass looking its best. Well, since I missed the pre-Spring de-grubbing fertilizing frenzy, I decided that a double dose of whatever Scott’s recommended would put me back on track. In fact, I purchased so much fertilizer, the U.S. Department of Justice’s ATF Agency required a background check before they would release the explosives, I mean fertilizer.
Just as planned, the double dose worked wonders! The lawn looked great, and although we couldn’t drink the well water for most of the summer and there’s some unsubstantiated rumors that there’s an ozone hole that hovers above Tallyho Lane, we were the envy of the neighborhood – at least in my mind we were.
Well, you know the saying, "what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger." Yeah, that’s a problem. It seems that the infamous Japanese Beetles larvae (a.k.a. grubs) love the fertilizer. I think it’s the equivalent of a Beetle B-12 shot because by June, we had experienced an infestation that would have made locust turn tail and head for sea. Picture a carpet of cranky starving flying Beetles with the sole purpose of eating everything green. At one point, I swear I saw the White Birch try to de-root itself and attempt to join the locusts.
Knowing we couldn’t allow the devastation to continue, a trip to the local nursery produced yet another series of fertilized-based Japanese Beetle deterrents that when mixed together produced a fairly significant glow to the yard. Now I don’t know what type of light a nuclear power plant mishap would create, but I’m pretty sure we’ve either got the makings of a nuclear disaster or the beginnings of the largest geographic pyrotechnic display in history.
Soon after the beetle lifecycle concluded, I ventured outside to review the resulting damage, two thoughts came to mind…it’s kind of strange to see tumbleweeds in NJ and where did all that dirt come from? Well, it appears that grubs, while making their way up to the surface to become beetles spend a considerable amount of time eating grass roots. Basically, the green fertilized-induced grass has no roots to sustain life. So, what’s a person to do? You’ve got it… having renewed my explosives license to purchase what seemed like 3 cubic yards of fertilizer we went back to the nursery to buy more grass seed, and Scott’s’ special super-duper Starter fertilizer.
Ahhh, we nailed it! We triangulated the weather reports from 3 separate news agencies and planned to lay down the seed/fertilizer mix at precisely the best time to allow for nature to gently water the seed over the coming weeks. Yeah, that didn’t work out so well. You see we experienced torrential rainfall for about a week, which quickly pooled the season’s worth of fertilizer and seed into a 3-inch layer of goop.
Here’s the lemonade part! Through the mixture of bad planning, heavy and frequent dosagesof fertilizer, beetle infestation, and bad luck, we believe we’ve created the equivalent of Alaska’s Aurora Borealis right here in Northern NJ.
So Santa, please stop by and no need to spend anytime on Mapquest, we have a great reindeer landing strip so just follow the light and don’t forget your sunglasses.
Debbi and I are simply glowing about this Christmas and hope you and your families have a safe and happy holiday.
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