Adventure Awaits!
Local Plumber unclogs toilet; the culprit smiles at him
Have you ever had to call the plumber to unclog your toilet? I asked Tom Brooks of Baraboo Plumbing for the craziest thing he’d ever found blocking one. He described going to an elderly man’s house and working on his severely clogged toilet. Unable to find the cause, Tom had to remove the it and lay it on its side. That’s when he found the culprit smiling at him. Tom Brooks, who has been a plumber for 24 years and owned his business for 11, has removed cell phones, toothbrushes, watches, and various children’s toys such as foam alphabet letters,…
Advice From a 100-year-old Card Shark
Do you ever think about how people will remember you? What your friends and family will say about you after you’re gone? If you live to be 100, what are the adjectives an interviewer might use to describe you? In Millie Becker Duffek’s case, card-shark was not the first adjective that came to my mind when I greeted the soft-spoken centenarian who has been a member of Bethany Lutheran Church in the Dells for over 50 years. Nor was it foremost in my mind when she talked about the importance of honesty. “Always tell the truth,”…
Lessons Learned From the River
“What are the chances we’ll get dumped?” I asked Bob, the owner of Sylvania Outfitters in Watersmeet, Michigan. “Let’s just say you shouldn’t worry about fixing your hair tomorrow,” he replied. The following day my husband, brother, and sister-in-law joined me for a three-hour kayak trip down the middle branch of The Ontonagon River. The scenic river winds through undeveloped forested land in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a four-hour drive from Wisconsin Dells. I had come prepared with a hat, dry bag, and cookies, but I hadn’t been prepared for the lessons I was about to learn. Eli,…