Welcome to another Friday mailbag, where I share comments, questions and ideas that were sent recently by several of you.
“Shane, your column in the Monday Jan. 17, 2022, Daily Umbrella and Jim's conversion van remembrance in The Daily Umbrella on Jan. 21, 2022, forced me to remember my own conversion van. In the very early 1980s, I acquired a 1968 Dodge van. Much like Jim, I built a full-size bed with cabinets beneath accessible from inside and outside. They held can goods, pots and pans, and a Coleman stove, among other essentials. The Banana Van, as I had come to call it, also sported the ever-present red canoe on top. What could I do but dig up an old photo? Thanks for the memories.” - Brent
I love it! Many of the readers of The Daily Umbrella will, too. Thanks for sending this in, Brent.
“So your hamster got away (Iowa Living magazines, page 3) and met an awful end. So sad. I had a 2' x 4' wooden framed enclosure separated into 4 cages for my hamsters. The top was ¼” plywood with 2 hasps to keep the lid closed. One of the male hamsters found that if he pushed on the unhinged corner of the lid that he could escape. He decided that the coal bin was a good place to hide. We set out a one gallon glass jug with a goodly amount of corn inside it, knowing that he would not resist going in and pouching up on the corn. Once he had done that, he was too greedy to dump the corn from his pouches and escape. We found him in the jug the next morning, broke the jug and put him back in his cage. From then on, both free corners of the cage had a brick on them.” - John
Those hamsters can be escape artists. You should have thrown it in the river. (Once again, I am just kidding.) Thanks for sharing your story, John.
“Hi, Shane. I enjoy reading your articles! I never attempt DIY plumbing and only try small electrical jobs. That said, I thought I would point out that a few weeks you discussed how you loved the tradition of hand-washing dishes. Lol! - Matt
OK, maybe I don’t like hand-washing dishes all that much. Busted.
“Hello, Shane. I read the DM Register's self-report that the newspaper will no longer be a daily. It seems that any Saturday happenings are not worthy of actual printing & delivery. There was no mention of a price break for print subscribers. Just that the on-line version will be available. As it already was. We are sadly witnessing the demise of an institution. Yet readers are hungry for news, especially on the local level.” - John
You said it all. Thanks, John.
And thanks to all of you for taking the time to send me a note or two. More to come next week.
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 305 |