odds and ends

 Just some random observations tonight

    We met with our tax guy today. 

    His daughter graduates in May and she plans on going to the University of Tennessee.  During room mate match up, she connected with another freshman from St. Charles.  Small world part:  They have a mutual friend in Pecatonica!

    Then Our Guy said sometimes life was like living in a small town, like he did growing up in Genoa.  I immediately asked if he knew our friend Jen and he said yes!  Not only does he know her and her family, he coached her brother in baseball!

    And yet, the world keeps spinning.

    Watching the game the last two nights, I sort of wish the world could be more like the fans during the seventh inning stretch. There was a line of people, 3 different races, arms around each other's shoulders and just singing away. That is the way we should all be.

    Back on the baseball kick, I think Washington had a pitcher named Cavallier. He had a great mustache, neatly curled off to the sides.

    I taught school and the general rule was a C followed by an A made the C hard, like a K.  But his name started with an S sound.    And I think it was an SI sound, like civil.

    Doing Wordle the other day, the word ended in amp.  I thought cramp, but no.  Stamp? No.  I was thinking of words that rhymed with those 2 but could not.  I kept looking at the letters and realized it was swamp.

    They all end the same, but are not pronounced the same.

    English rules don't always apply.

    I listened to the forecast last night.  Rain today.  Rain tomorrow.  Rain Friday.

    I bought some grass seed to throw in the bare spots, hoping the rain and warm weather will get it sprouting.

    New forecast.  Rain tomorrow night.  And it is chilly tonight....I can see the players breath!

    Cold night at the park.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

How dat?

 I get terribly confused about finances

    For instance.  Our Comcast bill is a lot every month.  The price  included a land line, security system, high speed internet, cable, and Marquee sports.

    I went in last Friday and changed our plan.  I ended up keeping the land line with a cell phone for $10 a month.

    Julia and Emily said no.

    Their reasoning is sound.  If we have a cell phone. there is a strong possibility that when Jackie wants to get ahold of me I will not know where I left it.  And sometimes I can't find my cellphone because I put it on mute and can't hear it ringing when I look for it.

    Another reason was the phone was a Samsung.  I have enough trouble using my phone, let alone learning a new system.

    So I went back to the X Finity store in DeKalb today.  I should say we went because Julia went with.

    Can't return the cell phone until Friday.  Once I do, they will reactivate the land line.

    So, how much money am I saving? Zilch.  Our plan was a package no longer offered.  Now they do everything separate.  

    In fact, I may have to pay more!!!

    I am a poor negotiator.

    Watching the Cubs game, they identified the guy in the left field bleachers who is at every game, pounds on the scoreboard and sees to be on every broad cast.;

    He is Bleacher Jeff.  

    Wrigley has a history of characters .  Probably the most famous was Ronnie Woo Woo.  But here are other regulars who we have seen in the past:   Pink Hat Guy, who used to sit behind home plate but I understand his age and health don't allow him to get to many games.  During the stretch years ago they always showed an old lady in a Cubs shirt singing.  I do believe I was told she was a real pain in the butt.

    I am sure there are many more.

    Honestly, I miss going to games.  I miss the people, the smells, the green of the grass, and yes, the food.

    Watching on tv is ok, but it doesn't replace a day at the yard.

    Ahh........

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Garfield?

 Today was lasagna day

    It's the kind of day I like.  Somebody else does the cooking and I do the eating.

    Friends we have not seen in a while were here and so was Camryn.  Just a nice cheesy day!

    I was not watching but Julia had the Duke-U Conn game on.  

    At one point I looked and Duke was creaming U Conn.

     I was sitting there, not paying any attention to the game when a "Wow!!!! Unbelievable" went up.

    So I watched the replay of the U Conn player hitting a 3 with less then half a second on the clock.  Watching the replay was amazing, the crowd reaction, the players' reaction and the disbelief of the Duke team.

    I have never played a team sport.  (Except in grade school.  I played on a church softball team.  I was actually named to the all star team as a second baseman.  Seems all the other second basemen were on vacation....I was the only one left.  But I was an all star!)  But I would rather be on a team that lost by 20 points than one that loses by 1 point.

    Every player on the Duke team is probably saying, "If only I had......"  In a 20 point loss, there is no one defining moment where a single play meant the game.

    But 1 point?  A missed lay up, lost ball missed free throws, failure to defend.....every mistake will play over and over.

    Come to think of it, I was on an intramural team one semester in college.  The guys in the house got together and we played to have fun.

    We even had our own announcer, as 1 guy in the house did not want to play, so he did play by play on the sideline.

    I only remember one game.  

    We played against an NBA team.  They were taller, faster, better than us.  At the half it was something like 50-2.  We ended up scoring in double digits because I think they just lost interest at one point.  Once you hit a100, you kind of get bored.

    I did not score, but I did ask the guy I was guarding to stop scoring so much.  He just laughed.

    At least I know we didn't lose because of 1 mistake.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

this and that

I sometimes a. fast ate with things

    The Trib had a story about a school system today.

    Alpha schools  are located in several cities, including one that recently opened in Chicago.

    What makes the school different is:  AI does all the instruction.  There are no teachers, only "guides."  Students learn on their own pace with an individualized, personalized lesson plan.  On parent in the story said her daughter grew 2 grade levels in the Alpha school after struggling in a public school.

    The school day  seems to involve 2 hours of AI instruction, then hands on projects.

    There is a limited audience.  Tuition is $55,000 per year.  Yup, $55,000.

    Another parent said this is the way to learn because we are moving into an AI world and now his child will be prepared.

    Oh, there are scholarships available.

    Stiff winds today ruined my plans to do a little burning.  

    Ran into several friends in Oregon today.  The No Kings protest drew a crowd and I think I will let the signs tell the rest.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Partial success

I now have a lower cable bill

    It only took about 90 minutes, but I was able to chop $60 off the bill, and now I wonder if I should have done more.

    At one point the guy asked for my id.  I gave him my driver's license and asked, "Do you need my birth certificate?"  He chuckled and said no.  He confessed to being a fellow Democrat and I urged him to vote in November.

    Oh well.

    We can still watch the Cubs, which is important.

    Not meaning to be catty, but there were 2 customers ahead of me at the  Xfinity place.  

    The person ahead of me was about my age, balding, with a beard.......and a long tail. I was tempted to ask "What the hell?" but decided it was best not to.  People should just be able to do their own thing, right?

    But a tail?

    While in DeKalb I bought more towels and stopped at Portillo's to pick up supper.

    Sometimes I think it is me, other times I know it isn't. First off, I did not know you could buy bread at Portillo's  I was told to buy a loaf of bread.

    I got to the counter (No, I will not use the kiosks to place my order, thank you.  Do you know how germy those things are?  People using the bathroom and not washing hands then ordering on the kiosk, or people who just have filthy hands in the first place.  Nope, not me.)

    Anyway, I had a request to buy a loaf of bread.  So I said to the lady, "I did not know you sold loaves of bread.  What kind is it?"  She explained that had 2 different types of bread, and described Bread 1 and then Bead 2.  

    Not knowing which, and based on her description, I said Bread 2.

    "We don't sell that." was her reply. "We only use that in the store."  What the hell??

    So I bought Bread 1.

    Julia and Emily came over for Jackie's  birthday, bringing presents and a darn great cake from Jewel. (Or The Jewels if you are from Chicago.)  

    The cake was delicious but we have a lot left.  A lot.  

    Tomorrow I hope to burn the field around 4 or so.  Cake will be served afterward to all fire stewards who attend.  Just sayin.

    The Cubs did not lose today.  It was sunny.  I had cake.  Jackie had a birthday.   Talked to Bob and Anita in Florida, and John in Chicago. All I all it was a pretty great day.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

sharks!!!

Sometimes I take on the mindset of a shark 

    I am referring to how they are voracious eaters!

    I am in binge mode right now.

    I made grilled cheese sandwiches of supper and that has left me hungry.  I feel like I need to eat something, anything, sweet, salty, sour, soft, hard, cold, hot.......anything.

    I am trying to control myself.  My friend TC has motivated me to lose a couple of pounds.  I know I can't do that and stuff my face with potato chips and cookies!  Can I?

    But it is so hard to have a lifetime of eating too much of the wrong stuff to suddenly try to eat better.  But I am trying.

    Weird weather today.  Lots of wind, a little rain, temps up, temps down.

    You know how I am in unsettled weather.  I am as jumpy as a frog on a hot lily pad.

    Changing the subject now.

    Somebody posted on Facebook that they had seen a mountain lion in DeKalb, near Annie Glidden  Road and the Tollway.

    A few years ago a mountain lion was hit and killed by a car on the tollway east of DeKalb.

    Between mountain lions and coyotes, I am now a little more nervous about taking Beth out at night.

    If this whole thing seems disjointed, I am writing on time outs during the Illini game.  

    That idea got waylaid, so I watched the game.

    At least 1 team from Illinois won today!!

    Go Illini!!

    And that's all I know.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

dag nab it

 I goofed today

    The van was dirty.  I decided to go to the car wash for a quicky. (I am still talking about a car wash.)

    I had just dropped Beth off for a wash and trim, so I had plenty of time. 

    But I did not have any tokens for the car wash, so I decided to use the spray wand do it yourself section.

    I could get quarters and pay $4 for 4 minutes,  or use a  credit card.

    I am fascinated by the tap and pay feature credit cards offer.

    So when I read  "tap here to pay "I thought that was great.

    Tapped.  Sprayed the car.  Kept spraying the car.  Went to rinse.  Kept rinsing the car.

    No bell telling me I only had a minute left.

    Sprayed the car some more.

     I got tired and hung up the hose.  Hit the stop button on the timer.  I did that because I finally read the sign telling about credit card use. Then I used my phone to read the QR code telling me how much I spent.

    $14.  $14!!!!!  In the self wash!!!  The automatic is only $10 and it does a better job! 

    Jimmy Cricket.

    I bought tokens for the future.

    We have a white board on which  I write appointments.  We keep it in the kitchen.

    I wrote: 7 p.m. Good Friday service.

    Jackie has told me at least 3 times that this Friday is not Good Friday.

    3 times.

    Good grief.

    Took Beth  for a grooming.  Our girl gets a little stressed.  When I picked her up I asked how she did.  Andee looked at me and said, "I don't think she will need to poop for a while."

    The Rochelle paper has a crossword in the Wednesday paper.  The one last week gave me fits and I hoped for redemption with today's puzzle.

    Same one as last week. Go figure.  I mean, how does that happen!

    Opening day tomorrow IF Mother Nature agrees.

    Go Cubs!!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace