Words should be used to reinforce the love that exists between two people, not to test the patience of that love. How hard can it be to tell the person you love, “I love you”? What should be the easiest, most natural thing to do, is often the hardest, unless you are wise enough to realize that simply having someone who loves you is a greater treasure than all the gold in the world.

10) Year-round tan

9) You can ride your Harley in December

Never have to say “them ones”

7) Snow shovel? We don’t need no stinkin’ snow shovel

6) Free pest control, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood alligator

5) You can ride your Harley in January

4) Year-round boating

3) Never have to drill holes in the water to fish  

2) Cockroach rides! …. Giddyup…

1) Longer beer season

I’m convinced that they either don’t know or don’t care about the damage their wake is causing, or that it makes launching and retrieving boats that are slipped at the docks, near the no-wake buoys, quite a challenge. It’s a well established principle that boaters are legally liable and financially responsible for the damage caused by the wake their boat created.

And, if that’s not reason enough to pay heed to the buoys, think of the safety of the children on the tubes, or skis. They sometimes fall off, and if you’re ripping through the water, in a hurry to get to where-ever, an innocent child may end up paying the full cost of your recklessness. Accidents do happen, but they can also be prevented.

Boating is a lot of fun and can be a wonderful experience; it’s a shame not everyone practices the same level of courtesy toward others.            

Moving to Wisconsin had never entered my mind, nor did it make my list of the top 100 places to visit. But, my desire to be re-hired by Centurytel was stronger than my fear of frostbite and succumbing to the urge to wear cheese on my head, so off I went, up north.   

Surviving Wisconsin – it’s not as easy as it sounds, but can be done.

First, one must develop a tolerance for things cheesy; things freezy; and beer. All three are in abundant supply up here.

Second, if you’re from the south, get ready to be listened to when speaking; it’s not that what you’re saying holds any particular interest for them, you just talk funny. Not to worry, we get to laugh when they say, with a straight face, things like, “…these ones…” and “…them ones…” 

“These ones”, that’s funnier than “grits”. 

Speaking of food, I have to mention this – if you come up here expecting to have sweet tea available with your meal at your favorite restaurant, you may as well turn that U-Haul around right now. The only two places where I found sweet tea are Famous Dave’s and my kitchen. If it’s any consolation, this is the hardest thing to get used to, besides the weather, of course.  

My first Wisconsin winter was spent, huddled in a small apartment, heat turned up, reading books about warm places and still feeling like a character in a Jack London novel. It not only gets cold in Wisconsin, it stays cold.

Being a life-long Packer fan proved to be beneficial though; I learned that by wearing my Packer jacket, my core body temperature remained above 90 degrees and I was accepted as a native, if I kept my mouth shut. I tried to learn the language but could never say, “them ones”, without giggling.

Wisconsin would be great if it were not so far from the south. But, I have to admit that the folks in Wisconsin have been extremely friendly and neighborly, and I’m going to miss every one of them ones.