Written by Joel Klaassen Wednesday, 26 March 2008 09:18

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away—but if you’re sick and need a doctor it’s not a good idea. I’ve eaten a lot of apples lately but to no avail. I still end up at the clinic for myriad reasons. At least they are nice to me there—nicer than I deserve.

Last week I went in for one problem and ended up having two. They told me I had, or would be getting, the flu, and explained what might be happening soon. Everything came true, so I didn’t get much done from Tuesday to Thursday. Makes the week go by way too fast.

The Free Press has a team entered in the Walk Across Kansas, which isn’t really walking across Kansas but an attempt to have the team collectively walk 423 miles by May 3.

It’s only the second week...

Read more: Apple a day isn’t always a sure cure

Written by Joel Klaassen Wednesday, 19 March 2008 05:27

Cubs-P2146172.jpg I’ve lived in Hillsboro for two-thirds of my life, and I still must not know my directions.

Mot Ttelp pulled me aside and said he had also played in the old Tabor College barn, but corrected me on where I located it in last week’s column. It was actually south across the old highway, and not west of the college.

Ever since we moved here from Minnesota in 1955 I have been a quarter turn off on my directions. Up there, east is north, so I must have lapsed into the northern direction scheme.

In the old days some of us guys used to spell our names backward, too.

Friday night Amy called to say their power was out and that the Atlanta tornado had missed them. They were all sitting in Louie’s bed, where he had mounted their grill...

Read more: Directions still off by a quarter

Written by Joel Klaassen Wednesday, 12 March 2008 09:01

I’ve been shaving for more than 40 years now and I’ve never shaved in the shower until last week.

The cord was barely long enough.

Actually I don’t use an electric razor. I just made that up, and here’s where that came from.

Don and I sometimes ask each other if we know of anything new that the other should know about. So I asked Don if he ever shaved in the shower. He said no because he has an electric shaver.

My wife is smart in a lot of ways, and I can thank her once more for coming up with the idea of inexpensive shelving for our new office in the apartment.

All it cost was a gallon of vinegar. How’s that, you say?

We used the wooden shelving from her store that has been in the basement of her building...

Read more: Shaving in the shower has pros, cons

Written by Joel Klaassen Wednesday, 05 March 2008 14:18

This is about sounds that go beep in the night. Once in a while my cell phone makes beeps during the night, like a low battery warning or that I have a voice message. I would really like to turn it off, but my world requires that I be available for problems that crop up day or night. 

Early Sunday we had a different beep in the night. It wouldn’t quitso I got up to investigate. After stumbling around for a while Ilearned it was our oven telling us it was malfunctioning. Error code F7.

Ireset the clear/off button and went back to bed. A few minutes later itstarted all over again, wanting us to know that it still needed help.

A quick trip down to the breaker box silenced it for good but that also means the oven doesn’t...

Read more: Beep in the night code for help