Wednesday,  August 22, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 039 • 5 of 28 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 4)

of Groton; Doris (Carlmon) Briggs of Arizona; Diane Hickenbotham of Aberdeen and Sharon (Mike) Dell of Rapid City.
• Preceding him in death was his father, Richard, his step-father, Lester Sippel and three sisters, Irene Fliehs, Betty Ann Fliehs and Arvilla Goss.
• Honorary Casketbearers are all of his extended family and his friends who shared his love of the outdoors and participated in those activities with him.
• Casketbearers will be Bill Schuelke, Bob Wegner, Craig Weber, Austin Schuelke, Butch Farmen, Jake McKiver, Doug Sippel and Jim Jones.

Boomer Babble - Thoughts at Large
Long Hot Summer
By John Chicoine

• I think we can all agree, it's been a hot summer.  It was so hot this summer, even the grasshoppers couldn't spit.  Being so hot got me thinking about one of the greatest wonders of the world.  A true miracle, better than Einstein's Theory of Relativity.  I'm talking about air conditioning my friends.  Yes, a miracle. 
• I may not remember much about my childhood years but the one thing I do remember is my first encounter with air conditioning.  My parents brought me over to Uncle Emil's and Aunt Evonne's because they had this new-fangled thing called an air conditioner.  It must have been hot that day.  I remember walking into their living room and I thought I had entered heaven.  I'm pretty sure I could see my breath, it was that cold.  But it was amazing.  Something that felt that good, coming out of a box the size of a Volkswagen Beetle sticking in the window.  Never mind it roared like a jet engine, it spew wonderfully cold air.
• People would not have to sleep on the hardwood or cement floors.  No more sweltering in the front porch.  No more sleeping in front of the fan, blowing 100 degree air around.
• Yes, after the invention of the air conditioner, we became a nation of weenies.  We had to have a television set.  I remember my first encounter with that.  Sitting in front of it, watching the snow on the screen, like watching a blizzard.  I remember watching the Cisco Kid and Poncho.  They would always throw out a bag of Cheetos to a kid out there In TV land.  I was always waiting to catch the bag.  I love Cheetos.  I obviously had problems as a child.
• Of course, technology today has its own miracles.  I still can't figure out how I can get pictures of grandkids sent through the air to my cell phone.  I mean, that's pretty good, but it's no air conditioner.           
• Boomer Babble - "Thoughts at Large" are written by the Boomer Babble Guys, Charles Doug and John with occasional help from friends.  The Boomer Babble radio show is broadcast on WNAX 570 Sunday evenings at 5:00.  Visit us at BoomerBabble.com.

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