November 29, 2012 at 10:40 a.m.
Along The Ad Routes
By Mike Reilly-mreilly@thedodgevillechronicle.com
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I had the chance to have two Thanksgiving meals - one on Thnksgiving day, the other on Saturday. Pat and I and some of the family went to Ludden Lake on Thanksgiving and, of course, overindulged! Then, on Saturday, niece Kelly, husband Brett, kids Quentin, Jade and Taylor had the entire (Pat) Reilly clan to their place in Waunakee for more celebraing, And I though I overindulged on Thanksgiving!
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The winter sports season is almost in full swing. Boys and girls basketball games have been payed and wrestling matches start this week. Tha just leaves gymnastics to begin - in about naother week.
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This Saturday marks Christmas open house weekend in Dodgeville. Besides the Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus that kicks off the day at the Plymouth Congregational Chuch from 8-11 a.m. there are sales going on at the stores all day long. There will also be some treats at various businesses that will tide you over until lunch or dinner time. From 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., Santas Secret Shop is open at Hill's Pub, just north of Dodgeville (formerly Thym's). Kids can shop downstairs while the "old foggies" can shop upstairs where there will be various vendors and a Dodgeville United Methodist Church bake sale going on. That evening, at 6:00, the annual MIRACLE ON IOWA STREET lighted Christmas Parade takes place right through the downtown. That's when Santa Comes to Town! After the parade subsides, everyone can go to the Methodist Church to warm up, have some coffee, punch and cookies and meet Santa.
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Usually I take PHOTOS WITH SANTA at the Dodgeville Center the Sunday following the open house, but this year I'm taking them Sunday, December 9 and 16. Everything is so early this year and there's the Breakfast With Santa & Mrs. Claus on the 1st that a lot of people take photos of their kids at! They're only a buck and the proceeds go to the food pantry or humane society.
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Be sure to check out the Christmas Gift & Events Guide that's inside this paper for a lot of other happenings in the area, plus some pretty darn good bargains and Christmas shopping ideas that can be found in advertisements in the guide!
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I was walking down the main street in Dodgeville the other day and crossed at the Xpressions' corner heading to Kwik Trip. There was a string of cars approaching from the north and none coming form the south. I did my usual "walk right out into the crosswalk" routine and the lead car (of about six) had already stopped for me about 25 feet before the crosswalk. I heard a voice come from about the fourth vehicle that said, "See, people do stop for you"!
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How come when we have a change in the weather it has to drop 40 degrees at a time? What happened to the gradual five degrees (or so) so temperature change? It sure was a shock to the system on Friday compared to Thanksgiving day - 62 degrees dropping to 22 degrees! Maybe we'll get a 40 degree rise in temperature one of these days soon!