New (old) Photos & Getting Ready to Move

Just uploaded new photos on our Flickr gallery - from September. One from an Ohio State football game Melissa and I went to (vs. Northwestern). All of these can be seen here.


The second set of photos concerns shirts I am throwing away. I hate having too much stuff when moving and I am already getting excited throwing stuff away. It came to my attention I have had many of these shirts since high school/early college. For instance, this Hofbrauhaus 1997 shirt I got in Munich when I was a junior in high school, complete with pit stains. I loved these shirts and gave them good use - but it's time for them to go and for me to move on.

I decided that if I haven't worn any of them for at least four years there gone - this eliminated all but the Ehlers for Congress shirt, which still lives.

Presenting Smidty

Ever search your name in Google and see what comes up? Smidt is not a prominent last name, it really is "Smith" but in a uncommon low-German dialect. So I have always been interested in what prominent websites bear my last name.

For instance, I've always wanted to Phil Smidt's in Hammond, Indiana - which was a popular seafood joint near Chicago. I was in Hammond two years ago, forgot about it, and I am now kicking myself because it closed recently. Likewise, for a long time I've noticed "Smidt Wohncenter" (or living center) in Leverkusen (near Koln). It's a standard housewares type of store.

But when visiting their site recently I was introduced to Smidty - the store's new mascot. This mascot caught the attention of Melissa and me since people often call me Smidty. Smidty has much fun to offer. First, there's the video of Smidty welcoming all the denizens of Leverkusen. And probably most fun of all, Smidty also has a great online game of memory to play. See if you can crack the top ten.

Why Smidty has some sort of pink blob of a head is beyond us. But since some others by the name of Smidt might be reading this I thought I would show them there is a mascot for our kind. A mascot we can be proud of.

Pizza Cones

Once again, another area in which America is losing its competitive edge. Apparently, Pizza Cones are big in Europe. And they come in a variety of flavors.


I always felt that by living in America I was on the cusp of fast food developments - although I grant McDonalds delivery in China is something I wanted here. But now it seems we're trailing the Europeans too. Is nothing sacred?