C.J.: Can you imagine UnitedHealth Group veep David Wichmann ever having moi over to his ginormous Edina mansion?

Can you imagine UnitedHealth Group veep David Wichmann ever having moi over to his ginormous Edina mansion?

Only somebody who just fell off a turnip truck would have believed UnitedHealth Group PR guy Don Nathan was sincere when he conveyed this from Wichmann: "He's in the midst of preparing for our all-day investor conference tomorrow. But he did say he would welcome [the] chance, he would think about, depending on where things are, about actually having you out to the house."

That was Nathan's response when asked when was I going to get Wichmann on the phone for an interview ... which never materialized. After calling UnitedHealth's main phone line and punching in the first four letters of Wichmann's name three times before the automated voice told me my search was invalid and said "Good-bye," I went to the Wichmanns' Antrim Road address. There I asked his wife, Anne Wichmann, about the matter of them not wanting their nice house to have a 70th Street address, since that's the street that runs in front.

When told that I'd have much rather reached her husband for a comment at UnitedHealth's offices instead of turning up on her doorstep, Wichmann cautioned strongly against that. "I wouldn't call him," she said. "He works. He's busy he doesn't have time to talk to you. Wouldn't you rather someone spend their time working? He doesn't have time to talk to people. ..."

Perhaps the e-mails and phone calls generated by the column will help Nathan and the Wichmanns understand the curiosity of others.

Keep on writing "Hey good column on Edina/Antrim Rd. You gave us the facts in the public domain plus several unwritten stories within it all. It's writers like you [who] keep me a subscriber. Thanks," MRL.

Only $1.5 million? "This is Andrea. Now you should go look at that house -- $1.5 million, I'd buy the house tomorrow. I live near there. I would like to know who they know at City Hall. I think that should be written in your little article. My gosh, $1.5 million would pay for maybe one part of their kitchen... Maybe part of the roof. ... I would guess they built it for $10 million and it should be valued at $6 million. "

Like my editors, I tripped over the $1.5 million valuation. No Edina city official has called to say that I got that information wrong, so we may assume it's correct. There's a reason they say you can make numbers do anything you like.

'Good work' "I LOVED your article on our friends the Wichmanns. I think this was right on on so many things about the arrogance of extreme wealth, the state of an executive in the health care industry and I LOVED [the caller who talked about] people having trouble getting health care. I loved the contrast with [Famous Dave aka] Dave Anderson and his home which he also had part of the salvageable materials donated to Habitat for Humanity. Keep up the good work," said a male caller.

Unfair health costs? "I have friends who work at UnitedHealth and some people have to work two jobs in order to afford health care. ... Everybody keeps talking about was a great company it is, when they don't provide decent health care for their employees there's something wrong," said the caller.

Dear Sir:

My gut response is that you can't possibly know what you are talking about here.

Wonder if Nathan noticed that neither in my e-mail or phone call, did I include a smarty alecky quip such as: So when am I hanging at the Wichmanns?

A matter of manse "Hello, this is Nan. You referred to the Wichmanns' house as being a corner manse. A manse has nothing to do with a mansion, it's the residence of a Presbyterian minister. So the Wichmanns do not live in a manse."

Dear Nan

You got me!

I went to our big dictionary and it says "1. the house and land occupied by a minister or parson. 2. the dwelling of a landholder; mansion."

At any rate a former lifestyle editor here used "manse" and "mansion" interchangeably once while giving me a tip. That's when I started the practice. I make no claims to perfection.

Moving on... Are you jealous of those who live in great big houses? Don't be.

I once overheard my mother explaining her lack of envy over a gigantic house, a tenth the size of the Wichmanns', going up in our neighborhood.

"They can't do any more in that house than I can do in mine," I remember hearing Mother aver. "There are only a few things you can do in any house. You can eat there, sleep there, defecate there..." Then Mother spoke in more hushed tones, saying something I could not hear. Whatever she said caused the neighbor to whom she was speaking to convulse in laughter.

I assume what I couldn't hear was related to the activity that has caused former Holy Angels prep star and current Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald Jr.'s paternity pickle. Jr. has been sued by Angela Nazario, a former Raiders cheerleader, who is naming Jr. the father of the baby due Jan. 8. (Don't you wonder why more sports stars don't get into these situations with women who work as engineers, scientists and astronauts? I just have such a hard time taking seriously women who think it's cute to be a cheerleader beyond college days.) At any rate, Jr. said he'll meet his responsibilities if the DNA test show he's the daddy.

Dear Jeremy:

Technically you're correct. However, since you probably never had a conversation with her, while I had many, I would have a greater understanding of her mindset than you.

And since Carol was a disease intervention specialist for the Minnesota Department of Health and an activist for HIV/AIDS organizations, I am almost certain that Jr. was advised on the subject of condom usage.

Jr.: Get married "This is the number 1 problem in society today. Unwed mothers raising illegitimate children with a father unwilling to do the right thing, get married, and settle down as a full-time responsible father and husband. The LAST thing this country needs is another one-parent household with the father continuing on his merry way," wrote Curtis H.

Dear Curtis:

The Fitzgerald paternity items also brought out the racists on 332.TIPS but they're not getting any play here.