I am going to sock it to you this morning.
When I had my first job out of college and was wearing a suit and tie every day, I used to worry about my socks matching my suit or shoes. Today, in sock attire, that doesn’t seem to matter. The goofier the sock pattern is, the better.
My junior high wrestling coach, Fritz Nielsen, once proudly showed me how his socks were the same color, explaining how he gets dressed in the dark and always hoped for the best.
I once bought some expensive socks that had a lifetime guarantee. If they ever had a hole, the buyer was simply to send both socks in with the receipt for a new pair. The company was banking on its buyers not keeping a receipt or having both socks. I knew this, but I was convinced I would one day take them up on the guarantee. I lost the receipt. And I lost one sock.
Most young boys and girls in the 1970s wore the same style of socks. They were white, pulled up to the knees and had a few blue or red stripes around the top. They were cool, except when the elastic wore out. Nobody wanted to be seen in saggy socks.
My sister had a pair of those knee-high, rainbow-colored socks with toes in them. They had a Partridge family kind of coolness to them.
The length of the sock seemed to shorten through the years, eventually going no further than the ankle. And the color choice changed, too, going from all white to all black. And then back to white.
A decade or so ago, I caught my teenage daughter stealing my black dress socks and wearing them. This, apparently, was cool. My dad used to wear his black dress socks with shorts and sandals. That wasn’t cool.
Admittedly, I am not much into sock fashion now. Like many things today, I am more concerned with comfort than style. In fact, I purchase most of my socks from hardware or farm stores, and they make my feet feel wonderful. Except when they don’t. As comedian and actor Zach Galifianakis said, “You know you're getting fat when your socks don't fit.”
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's previous columns here. |
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Breezy but warmer today. A big warm up is ahead Saturday into Monday. Rain chances late Monday into Tuesday.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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| From the April issue of CITYVIEW | | | CIVIC SKINNY
Des Moines workers balance work and life. Hogs top domesticated animal list in Iowa. Water quality in Iowa lakes is a concern.
By CITYVIEW staff
CoworkingCafe.com. With the 32-hour work week proposed recently by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and mentioned under hushed tones by office workers who are slacking off at water coolers, work/life balance is on the minds of many workers.
The study analyzed a range of metrics, split into four different categories — mental health, affordability, remote work and commute time. Mental health accounts for 40%, affordability 30%, remote work 20% and commute time 10%. With 100 large U.S. cities involved, the Midwest dominated the top 10, taking seven of the spots. Des Moines snuck its way into the top 10, taking 10th, five spots below where it placed in last year’s study. | | | READ MORE |
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Tune in to the UNDER THE UMBRELLA weekly podcast!
Cyote and Tammy discuss the upcoming Cicada-geddon, Lolo Jones returning to the Drake Relays, Sleepy Hollow reopening for the season, and their favorite concerts of all time... and more! LISTEN NOW! |
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| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | The results have been tallied and published in the February issue of CITYVIEW and online!
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| Featured home for sale | | |
$629,000 5003 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312
Looking like a home straight out of the cinema, complete with a wraparound porch. Nestled in the trees and sitting on over half an acre of landscaped lawn in the popular North of Grand neighborhood. All the updates have been done to make this a modern home with classic charm. The main floor features a large living area, an eat-in kitchen with a fireplace and a formal dining room. Hardwood and tiled floors.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
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| Featured commercial real estate transaction | | | 974 73RD ST., UNIT 35, WINDSOR HEIGHTS
SALE DATE: 2024-01-16
SALE PRICE: $230,000
SELLER: SAYEED PROPERTIES LLC
BUYER: HARMONY SALON LLC
ACRES: 0.215
SQUARE FEET: 2,500 |
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| From the April issue of Indianola Living magazine | | | The gift of a future
Residents share their stories of organ transplants.
By Jackie Wilson
When Tully Jackson of West Des Moines woke up one morning feeling bloated with abdominal pain, she went to the hospital. Tests revealed her liver was in bad shape.
The doctor told her that her failing liver was due to her years of drinking alcohol.
“The doctor said, ‘If you don’t change your lifestyle, you’ll die,’ ” she recalls.
Tully felt she had been a “normal drinker” since high school, with few consequences to her drinking. However, as the years passed, her drinking progressed, and, during the pandemic, it worsened.
Her liver could no longer process fluids, and doctors couldn’t save it. Her doctor referred her to the University of Iowa transplant team to determine if she was a candidate for a liver transplant. She was put on the transplant national registry in November 2022. | | | READ MORE |
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Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Cheese Shop (843 42nd St., Des Moines) is hosting a face off between wine savants Marcus Walsh and Nick Klaus on Monday. Cheeses will be paired with two wines a piece. Customers vote whose pairing they preferred. $70 per person, includes six cheeses and six wine pairings. 6 p.m. for reception, 6:30 p.m. for contest. Reservations: 515-528-8181.
Smithsonian’s April issue recalls the history of American lemonade stands. The first report of them appeared in the fall of 1839 when a pop-up lemonade stand graced the street in front of Apollo Bar in New York City. (Legendary Apollo Theater and its three bars didn't open there till 1913.) A nickle glass was one third the price of one inside the tavern. Smithsonian traces roots of lemonade stands back to tenth century Cairo when citron was used because lemons were not yet known to Egypt.
Big deals. Lemon juice perfects chicken in multiple local culinary applications. It's a key ingredient in Baratta's (2320 South Union, Des Moines) famous Amagio; in Tumea & Son's (1501 S.E .First St., Des Moines) double breasted lemon chicken; in Opa!'s chicken piccata; and Fawn's (1107 E. University Ave., Des Moines) Chinese lemon chicken... Whatcha Smokin? (503 Iowa Ave., Luther) serves Iowa Twinkies on Sundays, till they are sold out — bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers are stuffed with pulled pork, corn and cheese... Florida sweet corn is on sale at three ears for a dollar through Tuesday at Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines).
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
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| Community guides | | | THE URBANDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
POWERING THE WINDSOR HEIGHTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CENTRAL IOWA’S BUSINESS CHAMBER
• Chamber information
• Marketing your business with AI
• Annual awards
• Building a strong IT foundation
• WINDSOR HEIGHTS RESIDENT GUIDE
• Chamber events
• Chamber membership directory | | | READ NOW |
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FROM KCCI: Iowa teen, born without limbs, receives a custom truck
DECORAH, Iowa — A northeast Iowa teenager has a new ride, equipped with extraordinary tech, to help improve his accessibility. Anders Lovstuen was born without arms and legs. He can control the vehicle through a touch screen using his nose....READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: Blue Zoo under construction in Jordan Creek, speaks on lack of AZA accreditation
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s described as more than an aquarium and more than a zoo, Blue Zoo is a national chain of interactive aquariums, and it’s latest location is opening up in Jordan Creek Town Center.... READ MORE FROM WHO-TV
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Iowa Senate approves bill to arm school staff, give qualified immunity
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Senate passed a bill Wednesday that has seen heavy debate all session, as it would allow school staff to be armed on school grounds. House File 2586 would also give qualified immunity to any employee or district that chooses to allow staff members to be armed, meaning that employees could not be held accountable in any situation where "reasonable force" was used.....READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
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ESPN: Bryson DeChambeau leads Scottie Scheffler by 1 at Masters... READ MORE
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Sidney Crosby Cracks Top 10 on NHL's All-Time Scoring List With 1,000th Assist... READ MORE
YAHOO! SPORTS: Chiefs WR Rashee Rice reportedly turns himself into police 9 days after multi-vehicle crash in Dallas .. .. READ MORE |
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1861: Civil War begins as Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter ... READ MORE
1961: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space ... READ MORE
1864: Hundreds of Union soldiers killed in Fort Pillow Massacre: During the American Civil War, Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate raiders attack the isolated Union garrison at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, overlooking the Mississippi River. The fort, an important part of the Confederate river defense system, was captured by federal forces in 1862. Of the 500-strong Union garrison defending the fort, more than half the soldiers were African Americans.. ... READ MORE
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The price of regular unleaded gasoline rose 6 cents, averaging $3.33 across Iowa according to AAA. Prices are up 2 cents from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday was $3.62, up 7 cents from last week’s price.
Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 2 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.79. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.90 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 27 cents lower than the national average of $4.06.
Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16. The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.40 for U87-E10, $2.73 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.73 for ULSD#2, $3.00 for ULSD#1, and $2.00 per gallon for E-70 prices.
Natural gas prices rose 4 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently prices at $1.88/MMbtu.
Continuing throughout the summer months, we will only report retail heating oil and propane prices in Iowa once a month.
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| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy birthday today to Nick Noah and Ben Merrill and tomorrow to Cindy Krage!
These celebrities were born on this date: Alicia Coppola, Art Alexakis, Brendon Urie, David Letterman, Jennifer Morrison, Katelyn Ohashi, Ed O'Neill, Claire Danes, Shannen Doherty, Jessie James Decker, Carlos Sainz Sr.
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
If horses replaced cars, what would happen to gas stations? THEY BECOME GRASS STATIONS (or Grain Stations, Hay Stations, Water Holes, Pony Express Stations) or something similar)! - Lori Bluml, Gail Tomlinson, Judy Anderson, Rex Post, Carolyn Rogers.
Today's riddle
Which kind of cookie is the richest?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or Johnston Living magazine, contact:
Andrea Hodapp
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 322
Mobile: 515-883-0523
andrea@iowalivingmagazines.com
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