what a fun night

 I had a great time at the Exit 99 show tonight

    A big thank you to Carrie, Beth, and Terry for putting up with me.

    Sometimes I need to listen to the inner voice that asks:  Is that really funny?

    When I answer no, then I should not try the joke.  Too often I just blurt it out and people  really don't know how to react.

    TC keeps telling me if I have to explain a joke, it isn't funny.

    We performed for about 2 hours and there were a lot of people there.  I am so glad for the support.

    I love my Exit 99 buddies!  I hope we do another show soon.

    I may have some pictures to post tomorrow.... kind of tired now.

    It was a stormy night.  Several times during the show phones started making noise because of the weather.

    The village of Lena was hit by a twister, reports say extensive damage to homes and businesses.  I hope there are no injuries.

    Julia left our house to go home and power lines were down at 64 and Chana Road.  She saiid there were a couple of semi trucks stuck on the road because there was no place to turn around.

    I hope the rest of the night is quiet, but there is still thunder rumbling.

    Hope the storms are gone.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

lost and found

 Everything has its place

    I admit, I don't always know where that place is.

    Sunday it was my van key.

    I looked everywhere for it.

    I went in the closet  to put dirty clothes in the hamper and saw my work in the yard pants.  I picked them up and checked the pockets....bingo!  My van key.

    On Sunday I went out to mow for the first time.  The mower needed gas.  I picked up the 2 gas cans and they were empty.  I went in the house and got my wallet and the van key.  Then I remembered I don't use the red nozzle  gas can, but a yellow nozzle.  I found that and it had gas.

    No need to go to town.  So I filled the mower and started mowing.

    Usually I don't carry a van key when I mow, because I know there is a possibility I will drop it in the grass at some point.  For some reason,  when I put my wallet in the house I left the key in my pocket.

      Jackie was balancing the checkbook while I mowed.  She had paper spread over the dining room table.

    On Monday I stacked all the checkbook stuff in a pile.  We put the Easter stuff away, and I switched the runner on the dining room table.

    Tuesday she goes back to balancing the checkbook and the check register is gone.  Not only that, the license plate sticker renewal form is also missing.

    I went through the stack of papers, she went through the sack of papers.  We checked every place we thought I might have put it.

    I went through our box of  Easter stuff and.....no register or form.

    I recycle.  In the garage I have a barrel for paper and one for all the other stuff.  I know I don't  have to do. that, but it seems to work out for me.

    Anyway, I went through the paper barrel piece by piece.  No luck.

    I went through our shred box.   No luck.

    All Tuesday I was looking for the form and register.

    Wednesday I briefly looked in all the usual spots.  Nothing.

    Wednesday night as I was going to bed, I thought "Check the table runner."

    Took it out of the drawer, shook i,t  and out it all fell.

    I don't understand how I did that.  It was like a magic act.....now you see it, now you don't

    Tonight I am not missing anything....except sleep.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

wild times

This has been a wild day 

    Severe thunderstorm warnings, watches, flood watches, tornado warnings and watches.....my weather radio is getting another workout!

    It seems we are in a pattern of strong storms

    Last night about 10 we had pea sized hail.  But folks around us had quarter sized hail.  (Ok, tell me:  Is it pea size or pea sized?)

    I have to ask a meteorologist why there are so many severe thunderstorms in the Lena, Winslow, Stockton, Freeport area.  It seems every time the toner sounds, it involves those areas. Tonight a tornado warning went up for Ogle County, but it was for a small area of north central part of the county, north of where Julia is.

    Julia was over and started to leave about 4 when Emily called and said there was a tornado warning for the Oregon area. Seems a severe thunderstorm was located between Oregon and Chana, which means Julia would have had to drive through it to get home.

    So we stood out in the driveway and watched the clouds.

    I think that is how you tell a true Midwesterner.  During a tornado warning we go out to look.  Probably not the wisest thing to do.

    And again, nights like this (Severe thunderstorm warning until sometime after 10) I kind of wish I had sprung for the $10,000 steel tornado shelter that can be erected in the garage.  But I didn't.  And won't.  I will just take our chances that storms will pass us.

    Jackie had an MS doc appointment in Rolling Meadows today.

    Usually we would contact sister Judy and meet for lunch, but I did not want to get stuck in traffic after a 2 p.m. appointment and lunch somewhere.

    It's a nice appointment.  She has been going to him almost since being diagnosed with MS.  All he actually does is talk and answer questions, because at Jackie's age there is not really a lot to be done for MS.  But just talking to him is comforting.

    He had a student with him, and he told her that he has seen several MS patients from Rochelle.  I can think of 9 who currently have MS.  No known cure, no known cause, all ideas are being explored.

    Hopefully someday they can find a cure, or. cause.  It won't benefit Jackie, but if people can be spared the heart ache this causes, all the money put toward research will be worth it.

    I hate driving on the expressways in the suburbs.  I was doing 70 in a 60 mph zone and people were passing me like I was standing still!

    If the state wants to solve some budget issues, put up speed cameras on the interstates and tollways.    I bet they could pay a lot of bills just on the traffic in the Naperville area.

    Now, all I have to do is fold laundry and watch the weather.  Sleep will be difficult tonight.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

timed out

Nothing lasts forever

    I have found that out the past 2 days.

    I finally got my shelf up.  But it was a challenge.

    Here's how it should go:  Find the studs, screw in a bracket, level the next bracket, install second bracket, cut 4 ft. of shelving, notch shelving for electric  cords, mount shelving.

    Easy peasy.

    Here is how it went.

    Find stud, start to put screw in wall.  Battery dies.  Second battery will not charge.  30 minutes later, battery is ready.  Jackie can't find check register to balance checking account.  It was on the dining room table with other banking papers but someone stacked everything and now the register is missing.

    40 minutes later, I return to the shelf project. 

    Put the first bracket up, find stud for second bracket, make sure brackets are level, install second bracket.

    The license plate renewal form is also missing.  Back into the house to look for that.  After going through all the piles, I return to shelf project.

    I put the shelving board on the golf cart, measure 4 ft, draw a straight line, start to cut board with my electric powered circular saw.

    Saw runs for 5 seconds and stops.  I press the trigger and button again.  Saw runs for 5 seconds and stops.

    I have now cut about 2 inches into the 12 in board.

    Start the saw again.  This time it runs for about 10 seconds before dying. I check the power cord.  I check the connection.

    I turn the saw on again and it doesn't run at all.

    I say a few choice words and try again, this time it runs for several seconds.

    It took me 10 minutes to cut through the board.  But I did it.

    Then I attempted to put V notches in the back to slide the cords down to the outlet.  Saw does not cooperate.

    Finally I finish!  I  put the shelf in place and put the battery chargers on the shelf.

    I discover I can not see the lights that indicate the batteries are charged because the shelf is too high.

    Took down the brackets.  Remounting them was a lot faster the second time.  And the battery chargers are now on a level where I can see them, so I am counting the project a success, despite the numerous extra holes in the wall.

    I have had the circular saw for decades, so it is no surprise it is near death.  And the drill?  DeWalt no longer stocks the batteries I need.  I think I was still teaching when I bought it.  There are batteries available on the secondary market, but I don't think it's worth buying some.  I will just use the one battery I have for the extremely few times I need a drill.

    Do I just toss the saw?  

    When I finished picking up doggie doo and filling the bird feeders, I was really sweaty!

    But we still have not found the register or the license plate renewal form.

    Guess I will keep looking, but damn, this is getting old!

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

double damn

 I am having a frustrated pity party tonight

    I have a couple of minor, very minor, physical issues that are just frustrating the hell out of me.

    This morning I went to raise the in-window blinds on my den window and the string broke, so the blinds don't work.  The house is almost 14 years old and I don't know if Pella still makes the blinds.  I asked my friend Carrie about it but have not heard back yet.

    I had 2 small jobs to do today.  Actually, they were Friday's chores that I never got to.

    Hang a shelf in the garage for my rechargeable batteries and chargers.  Clean out the trash bin in the kitchen.

    I brought my drill up, but forgot the bits.  I brought up the wrong length screw and the shelf  bracket did not hold.  I dropped a bit and could not find it.  My stud finder went dead and I had to get a battery.  My 10 minute project was now bordering 45 minutes and  I just gave up.

    I drove past the post office and did not stop to get a box to ship my knives in for sharpening.  The knives have been sitting on the nook table since Thursday, when I decided to send them away but the 5 boxes I tried were too big or too small.

    But the one big thing that has gotten me  down is my van key.

    I can't find it.

    I have looked in the car twice, but I am terrible at that.  Something could be right in front of me and I won't see it.

    I have looked in coats, sweatshirts, under tables........

    I look around and see all the crap I have not dealt with.  Dirty kitchen towels on the counter.  Papers on the counter.  Papers on the table.  Grocery bags on the chair instead of back in the car.  (I even checked the bags for the key.)

    It is so damn frustrating to be me!  Sometimes I can't stand myself for being the way I am.

    I tried to find some solace in a cold root beer, but that hasn't helped.

    We are now down to 1 van key.  If I can't find mine, I guess I will have to order a new one, which will be at least $100.  As soon as I get a replacement, the missing key will magically appear.

    Where have I looked?

    Jackie's purse, the hook where it hangs, the floor under the hook, in the car, (twice) on the lawn mower, on the golf cart, under those 2, under the dresser, in the washer, in the dryer, 4 pairs of pants, 6 sweatshirts, 3 jackets, the desk in the den, the dining room table, behind the bench in the laundry room, (maybe I will pull that all the way out to be sure.  I can dust the floor too.) in the bathroom, pantry.

    No place.

    And I don't know when I used it last.  When we went Saturday, Jackie had her key in her purse so we could start the car.  But I thought I had my key.  

    Freaking impossible.

    And confessing all this does NOT make me feel any better.

    Maybe tomorrow things will seem brighter.

    Oh.  The Cubs were losing 11-2 when we quit watching.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

stand off

We had a stand off at the house today 

    I let Beth out in the back yard before noticing the 2 Canada geese.

    They were out by my natural garden, but advancing slowly toward the bird feeders.

    Meanwhile, Beth stood vigilant.

    She did not bark  She did not growl.  She stared them down.

    And the geese stared back.

    Neither side moved. 

    This went on for a few minutes until I called Beth in, and the geese wandered off, obviously terrified of our ferocious pup!

    I mowed today.  I really don't get my front yard.  There are huge bare spaces, and not just where Beth goes, but even out of her area.

    I think I will get a soil sample.  Then in the fall have the front aerated and heavily reseeded.

    I am not a big fan of lawns, but we have one and I would like it to be nice.

    I also broke one of my pledges today.

    Last year I pledged never to mow on a Sunday.

    When Julia was in Switzerland, she learned about quiet days.  On Sundays you can't mow, blow, use power tools outside, wash your car, (people play music when they wash their car. I guess) or do anything that makes a lot of noise.

    The result:  You can sit outside and hear the birds.  Outside tine is actually relaxing!

    So last year I pledged not to mow on Sundays.  But the forecast this week is for rain almost every day and my grass was long.  So, I broke my pledge.  

    We had a "what's for supper" moment today.

    Jackie was a little out of sorts, and all the things I suggested were met with a "Meh."

    We decided on grilled cheese with bacon.

    I thawed the bacon, got out the skillet, opened the bread and went, "ewwww" .....  the bread was green.  

    So I improvised.  We had them in soft taco shells.

    It wasn't bad.

    But tomorrow I have to go to the store to buy bread and some other stuff.  Hopefully the bread will not turn green before we use it all.

    Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

oops and thanks

 I am thankful for friends today

    We were going to a celebration of life for a friend's father today.

    All was going well, until it wasn't.

    I transfer Jackie several times a day.  Bed to chair, chair to toilet, chair to shower, chair to chair, chair to car.......at least a dozen times a day.

    Normally it is not an issue.

    Today was not normal.

    Going from the potty to the wheelchair, I hit the edge of the seat on the wheelchair.  She slid off.

    Jackie did not hit the ground hard, but she hit the ground.

    I called Julia and Emily, but they were on their way to the same event and were in Sycamore.

    I could not call Kevin, because it was his father in law's celebration of life.

    I called Curt, who was working.  He offered to bring a couple of guys out in the ambulance but Jackie said no. By the way, that is a service the department does.  We have had them out before.

    Went to call Todd down the road, but discovered I did not have his number for some reason.  (If you are reading this, please PM me your number.)

    I called Sheri, and she was just taking a dish out of the oven and said she would come ASAP.

    I also called Kimberly, because it really takes 3 to get her up ion the bathroom.

    When we all gathered, it took about 2 minutes to get her up and into the chair.  (We put her feet on the bottom of the wall.  2 people lift and the third shoves the chair into position.  Easy Peasy!!

    Curt checked back with me to be sure we got her up.  I should have told him as soon as we did it so he did not have to wonder if I was calling back.

    Sometimes it does take a village.

    I am just grateful we have people in our village willing and able to help.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace