March 10, 2011 at 3:15 p.m.
Along The Ad Routes
By Mike Reilly-mreilly@thedodgevillechronicle.com
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I received a phone voice message from Ruth Divine, who resides in Arizona and received the Dodgeville Chronicle faithfully. She told me she was really happy to get the Chronicle on March 2nd - it was the February 3rd issue. I don't think she was being sarcastic because her voice didn't sound that way and she went on to say that it wasn't unusual for the paper to take from six weeks to two months to arrive at her place. Now, I know the papers leave the Chronicle office on Wednesday of each week and are on their way from the Dodgeville post office to Madison that evening. From there, I wish I could say what happens, but it's completely out of our hands and that of the the Dodgeville post office. She did make the comment about believing that "Pony Express" was back in operation!
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The very next day I got another call from somebody in Florida who had just gotten their February 3 issue. they were leaving to come back home the end of March, so figured if we'd start sending their paper back to their home address now they'd get all the Chronicles we'd sent at this point at their Florida address and the rest would be waiting for them when they arrived back home and none would have to be forwarded. It's really too bad that newspaper delivery gets that type of treatment that it takes so long to get to its destination.
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Boy, I'm starting to realize the dangerousness of semi trailers and the four lane highway between Dodgeville and Madison. I was coming back from the state team wrestling tournament Saturday - going 65-70 MPH and a semi that was heading east made a turn to the left crossing both lanes of traffic in my direction. I had to really slow down (almost slamming on my brakes) to avoid running into the trailer. There was a car in the lane to my left going my way that had to slow down, but didn't have to almost stop. There were two accidents recently involving semis and the fog. If that happened to me when the sky was clear, I can't imagine what would've happened if it had been foggy!
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Speaking of driving - brother Patrick and I were going to Darlington the other night heading to the Mineral Point-Darlington boys basketball game. At one point I spotted 3-4 deer that had just gotten across the highway in front of us. Then, further along the highway there was another deer that had just gotten across the road before we arrived at that spot. I don't really remember seeing deer at this time of the year near the highways. Usually, with me, I have my near misses (and sometimes hits) in the fall!
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I have been gorging on sweets lately as Lent began Wednesday. That means my annual giving up of desserts, sweets and soda. It probably doesn't sound like much of a sacrifice to many, but candy and ice cream are my most favorite snacks in between meals and sometimes are all I have to eat in the evenings!
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Good luck to the Barneveld boys basketball team Thursday night against Catholic Central at Clinton. If they win they would play for the right to go to state in Division 5 on Saturday (1:30 p.m.) at Watertown against the Randolph and Sheboygan Area Lutheran winner. Randolph beat Barneveld last year to make it to state, so I'm sure the Golden Eagles would like to have a rematch!
