34 thoughts on “June 29, 2013: There’s a Pillar There, Milkman”

    2. After it happened and my customer stared back in horror at the blood streaming down my face, I deadpanned "You know, I should probably call for backup." He had no idea what to say.

  2. part of the charm of living in a small town is going to 'the bar', which is the local Legion Post, and having to use the ATM to get cash because all they accept is cash or check.
    I cant remember the last time I took my checkbook out of the house.

        1. My wife has no qualms about me going into her purse, but my mother conditioned me so well that I still feel like I'm doing something wrong every time she asks me to.

          1. my wife sends me to find things in her purse occasionally. It always gives me the willies. I need a pith helmet, whip and pistol before diving in.

    2. I lived a block away from a bowling alley and bar in Lakeville that refused to get with the times. I mentioned once while bowling there that my friends and I alone could keep the place busy if they took cards.

      1. businesses that operate on thin margins* really are on the horns of a dilemma with credit cards. I once had a conversation with the owner of a small lunch place near campus in Champaign. She told me that she could not afford to take credit cards. That's just reality for some small businesses in very competitive markets.

        *don't know whether bowling alleys qualify. But the industry certainly seems to have been on hard times of late.

        1. That was the argument they presented me with as well, but they always had a decent number of people there. I would have liked to see just how thin those margins were, just to see if I agreed with the assessment that they couldn't afford it, because the bartender admitted to me that I was far from the only person who said "I'd be a regular here if you took cards."

          1. bowling alleys require a lot of square footage and some expensive equipment, so if the lanes are not all in use a LOT, one would think that the business would be under some financial stress. The bar and arcade areas provide other ways to generate extra revenue, but bars are a lot more efficient at being bars, and arcades more efficient at being arcades. League bowlers generally have their own shoes and balls, so the business doesn't get rental fees off of that part of the business and has to compensate with league fees. And I'd bet that liquor and beer sales are not all that great on league nights.

            1. It was easily the smallest alley I've ever been to (I believe there were six lanes, and the entire place was no bigger than some convenience stores I've been in). And, to be fair, while I saw people drinking there on a regular basis, there was rarely any bowling going on when I was there.

              They also didn't have electronic scoring machines, and the pool table was ripped to hell. I have to wonder when they'd last put money into any aspect of the place.

              Now I'd like to know if it's still there.

  3. How unfortunate that for the TdF's 100th anniversary opening ride, they get a truck stuck underneath the finishing line tower.

    The riders are told that they will have to finish at the 3KM point, then they finally get the truck unstuck (they must have sent in the Corsican version of Jack Bauer with his messenger bag), and the riders are then told to go back to the original finish line.

    There is a hugeantic wipeout several minutes before the finish, and the top three sprinters (Cavendish, Sagan, Greipel), aren't in the finish due to wipeout/mechanicals. Race officials decide to give everyone the same time due to the wipeout.

  5. Finally, Olney expands upon yesterday's notes on Twins closer Glen Perkins. He reports that teams that have inquired have been told that the club's premier reliever is not presently available. With Perkins signed to what Olney describes as an "incredible team-friendly contract," it will be interesting to see whether Minnesota is interested in trying to entice a contender to send a significant prospect haul to supplement its promising minor league system.

  6. Don't look now, but the Pirates have MLB's best record. They are playing four games above their pythag, so we'll see if they can keep that up.

    2. I hope they finally finish above .500. I feel no enmity towards them, and I feel bad they've been bad for so long. The new GM seems to be turning the team around, and I hope they can pull it off after doing so well for a large portion of last season.

      1. I watched Ballplayer: Pelotero yesterday. I now despise the Pirates for what they did to Sano. What a bunch of [bertin'] [berts].

  8. So it turns out that a friend of mine here in NOLA went to high school with Scotty Baker. I apologized for Dick N Bert.

    2. Whenever you're with that friend, does [s]he frequently look over his[her] shoulder for someone to relieve you from the conversation?

    1. Heh- Buck and McCarver are trying to make me feel sorry for the Yankees...the toughest stretch in their recent history.

    1. Good thing he doesn't play center field, or I would be afraid the Twins would go after him. Of course, they have played Wilkin Ramirez an Chris Parmelee in center this year.

  11. Sitting on the deck drinking Grain Belt and birdwatching.

    One particular wren keeps flying and choosing a route that has him flying underneath my car. For a lot of vehicles, that would simply be unwieldly, but I drive a Saturn. There's maybe six inches between the floor and the ground. It's sort of entrancing how he keeps doing it, it's amazing to me (a non-flyer) how he keeps doing it like it's not any problem.

    Then again, wrens are pretty tiny.

    1. 2 big highlights today for me birdwatching: purple martins and yellow-headed blackbirds.

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