Labor Day Parade minus OS he is working that day

[Omaha Steve]

For 9 of the the previous 13 years I had to work Labor Day. I was a park caretaker and required to work, it was in our local's contract. So I have really enjoyed the last few years when I got to march with my local. The person in charge of doing a lot of the grunt work decided not to do it this year. So my local isn't in the parade. I could have volunteered to help with Septemberfest a salute to labor (Omaha), but it just isn't the same.

Marta and I spent today together with our second (of 3) grandchild. We did lunch. Went to the store for my mom and us. Got Marta's car oil changed. Etc.

Tomorrow I drive down to Lincoln for the NU start of it's last year in the BIG 12 athletic conference. The BIG 10 awaits.

Sunday a leisurely trip downtown to see the second largest labor scuulpture in the US again. Our son Steve, daughter in law Lilly, and oldest grandchild Bobbi will stop by for dinner. Mexican with margaritas on the deck.

It was my choice, I decided to work. So Monday I will work on the day most will have a holiday without thinking about how we got the day. The massacres, shootouts, strikes, lockouts, scabs crossing the line, and more. To people like me, this day is like no other. Please spend a few moments and thank those long gone, for what we have left of the mostly long forgotten sacrifices.



"Labor" sculpture, Omaha, Ne

a three-story bronze sculpture on the Omaha waterfront, it's the second-largest labor monument in the U.S. Two-hundred-fifty tons of cement and 39,000 pounds of steel were used in its construction.

these guys are buff; look at the sculpted sinews and bulging veins

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100902/ENTERTAINMENT06/709029943
A parade, a midway, a rib-eye steak cookoff — you can catch all that and more at Septemberfest this weekend.


The Septemberfest parade winds through downtown starting at 10 a.m. Monday, stepping off from 16th and Cass Streets, south on 16th to Capitol, east on Capitol to 10th and north on 10th to Mike Fahey Street. Watch for six giant helium balloons.

Throughout the weekend, you can head to Parking Lot D of the Qwest Center Omaha to check out the rides on the midway.

Get there Saturday for a whiff of the rib-eye cookoff. Judging begins at noon, with the winners announced at 4 p.m. First place earns a $1,000 prize.

And of course there'll be lots of other favorite festival foods, such as kettle corn, corn dogs, nachos and more.

Check out the Septemberfest site, www.septemberfestomaha.com, for a full list of events, including a schedule of each day's live music shows.

Admission is $5, and free to children under 5. Festival hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday; and noon to midnight Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

[RandomThoughts]

1. Also close to one of the first clocks made.

A water clock was made by making a consistent flow to allow for timing. To do that the vessel the water comes from has to have same pressure, so was constantly overfilled, and its pressure on clocking stream was consistent.

Really interesting device, and way to find a way to make a clock.

That statue is close to the design of a water clock.