busy day

 This was one heck of a day

    We had a helper in the morning, and our cleaning person from 11-2.

    At 2 I went to the chiropractor, got a coffee at Cypress House, and was drenched by the rain.

    I got home about 2:55 and told Jackie I was going to enjoy my coffee but she reminded me I had a blood draw at 3:40 in DeKalb and a vet appointment with Beth at 4.  I honestly thought I had an hour!  I need to learn how to tell time.

    Got to the blood draw about 10 minutes late, the vet appointment 5 minutes late and headed to a grocery store in DeKalb.

    Beth is in great shape.  She is 25 pounds, which is 1 pound more than last year.  I wish I could say that about myself.

    I did have to apologize to the vet tech.      

    They wanted a poop sample from Beth.  I took her out for a walk between rains and she dropped a load.  A normal person would put some of it in a sealable snack bag.  But I only had the snack bag, so I put the whole mess into the bag and sealed it.

    I tell you, that dog has the stinkiest shit I have ever smelled.  I even put that bag into another bag, but the smell in the car was overpowering.

    I told the tech she might need gloves and a mask.  I don't think she believed me.

    At the store I bought some meat on sale, along with some cola and headed home.

    We had rain most of the day and the sky was still a little dark.

    I stopped to take a picture of clouds and then headed home again.

    At about 5:45 my phone rings and Jan from the museum said, "You are coming to the Chamber dinner, aren't you?"

    Well hell.  I forgot.  Dinner was to be served at 6:15, so I went into the house, asked Jack if she remembered I was going to the Chamber dinner, and started to get her supper, and Beth's supper.

    Left the house at about 6:10 for the 15 minute drive.  Not too bad, I would only be a few minutes late for dinner.  But Jan was saving me a place.

    I was on the south side of Rochelle when my radio made the strangest noise.    Then my phone rang.  And thecdty's  tornado sirens went off.

    I pulled into a gas station and Jackie said we were under a tornado warning.    I turned around, called the wrong Jan, and headed home.

    By. the time I got home the storm had passed.....thankfully without any problems.  We did get some rain, pea sized hail, and some strong winds, but nothing destructive.

    By now it was 6:40.  I t thought of heading back to the dinner, but the sky just did not look right.  So I stayed home.

    I am even wearing pants!  Not jeans!!  Real "hey I'm an adult" clothing.

    It's almost 9 and the majority of the storms have passed.  

    Lots of rain.  My porch is full of worms.  The retention pond behind our house has water in it and I think there is more rain coming.

    But we are all ok, and that is the important thing.

Peace and Love

    Especially peace

ouch...my turn

 I hit a deer today

    I went to Julia's and decided to drive back roads back home.

    One of the roads was gravel.  I had never been on it, but I knew where it connected to another road that was paved that  I could take.

    I was going about 40 mph when a huge buck walked right in front of the car!

    I hit the brakes, but the van started to skid on the gravel. 

    The deer tried to run, but I hit him in the back end.

    He was a beautiful animal, with a rack that must have been 6 feet across!  Heaven knows how many deer seasons it had survived, only to have me hit it.

    After I hit him, he did a 180 flip and landed face first on my van's windshield.  His antlers  pierced the windshield and cut my forehead!

    There I was, sitting in the middle of nowhere with a 12 point buck's head staring at me through a broken windshield.

    I felt something dripping, and realized I was bleeding and I passed out!  My face was buried in the airbag for I don't know how long.  

    Whether it was the salt in the blood or the deer's compassion, it started licking my face!  That brought me around.

    I stumbled out of the van only to. realize my coat was covered in glass, so I took that off.  But the blood was still dripping down and I looked in the driver's side mirror to see how bad the cut was.

    And I fainted for the second time.

    This time when I woke up, I saw the buck had somehow freed himself from my van, but he was woozily stumbling down the road with large chunks of windshield dangling from his antlers, sparkling  in the sun like earrings.!

    I took my shirt off and wrapped it around my head to stop the bleeding.  Yes, I was cold because it was ony42 degrees and I was shirtless!

    I saw a farm house up ahead and staggered up to it.  I pounded on the door and a naked woman opened the door and screamed, falling backward in a faint.  I stepped over her and looked in the hallway mirror.  Noticing the blood-soaked shirt, I also passed out.

    I awoke when the cold water hit my face.  The woman shrieked at me.  "Who the Hell are you?  What are you doing here?"

    I explained I wasn't going to hurt her, that I had hit a deer and needed medical help.

    "So yo took off your clothes and came here?  Are you insane?"

    I assured her I was woozy, dizzy but not crazy.

    We heard a pick up coming up the lane.  She recognized the sound and looked at me in horror.

    "That's my husband!  He's insanely suspicious of me and goes into a jealous  rage whenever I even talk to another man.  You have to get out the back door and get to the tree line and walk back to your car."

    I told her that was impossible.  Once I got to my van I could not go anywhere.

    "I'll call the sheriff anonymously.  You got to go!  Now!" she yelled, as we heard the truck stop and the engine go off.

    I raced clumsily out the back door and hotfooted it to the tree line.  I then inched my way back to where I thought the road was, constantly checking to see if anyone was following me.

    I made it back to the van and sure enough, a sheriff's deputy arrived just as I was emerging from the woods.

    He had a first aid kit and cleaned the wound, told me it was superficial, and called for a tow truck.  He also let me call a friend for a ride home.

    When I got home I had a stiff drink.  I figured I deserved it. 

    I was just glad this day was over.                                                                               

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

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