what a day

 This was a very strange day

    First off, I went car shopping.  Sort of.

    Julia and Emily went with because I do strange things sometimes.

    Today, for example, I found out my Paramount Plus subscription was automatically  renewed for $139 for the year.  Well, I am a Walmart whatever member and I get Paramount Plus for free.

    So I talked to a nice young man who cancelled my subscription.  He then offered it to me for $59 a year and pointed out the major differences. 

    I opted for the free offer.

    I attempted to call back after thinking about it and get the $59 offer.  But I got a different rep and she said there was no cheaper rate available, just the $139.    Here's the rub:  I only watch Twilight Zone on Paramount Plus!!!!!  I was thinking Peacock.

    So, we hit a car dealership in Rockford and I explained my situation.  I said I wanted a car that had the capability to have an after market swing out seat installed.  The salesman had no idea if the car we looked at could do what we wanted.

    Julia, or Emily, saw an article that said the car did.  But the seat manufacturer does not list the car as compatible.  I can't buy a car unless the seat can be adapted.

    I did ask the guy if we bought the car and the seat doesn't fit, could we return it for a refund?

    Car sales don't work that way.  He may still be laughing

    Afterward, Julia wanted to go to Costco.

    I have not been in a Costco for years.

    I encountered a very nice lady from Australia who was sampling the Nespresso macing.  I had an espresso, and she added some caramel machaitta flavoring and it was out of the world!

    I was tempted to buy the machine.  But in all honesty, I would never use it.  I prefer going out for coffee and talking to people.

    I think I only missed 2 food sampling stations in the store!  Coffee, wafer cookies,  sliced steak, lunchmeat, brownie bits, (which were amazing) a chicken filled won ton like item and more........and then I topped it all off with a $1.50 hot dog and drink!

    I am not sure how the espresso and the Coke will help me sleep.  2 Cokes, actually.  Emily had a drink from somewhere and it was not what she ordered, so I finished that.

    And I spent more than Julia.  My impulses were out of control!

    After I got home and rested, I went into town for gas to finish mowing.  Unfortunately, I got back at 7 and it didn't make sense to go out for 20 minutes.

    So I shucked corn.

    Tomorrow I will blanche it and take it off the cob and freeze it for winter use.

    Just like peoneers in the olden days.  Except, they did not have freezers.  Or sweet corn.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

When Emily was flying home, she saw Wrigley!

A sign?

My hot dog......10 p.m. and I am still burping!!

damn it

 Sometimes my mind is in n neutral

    I had to go to DeKalb to puck up some meds for Beth.  We had enough until Monday, but with the holiday I did not want to run out.

    Stopped at the grocery store.  Bought a few things, loaded them in the back seat, got in the van and started to drive.

    I didn't go too far before I realized I never closed the sliding door.

    I needed gas for the mower and I was not comfortable carrying smelly gas cans to DeKalb.  With the windows up and the AC on, I thought the fumes would not be good for me.

    So I planned to make a second trip after I got home:  Drop off groceries, pick up the gas cans, finish my errands.

    I planned to go for dinner at about 5:30, so I was going to hold off mowing until 4:30 or so.  Julia was here and asked the basic question:  So, you are going to mow for 45 minutes, go into town, get gas and supper, then eat and go out to mow again? 

    That did seem a little odd, so I opted to put off mowing until after dinner.

     I went to town to get gas, stop at Wallyworld for a prescription and pick up dinner.

    I was near the gas station when I realized I did not bring gas cans.

    I got supper, which included a carry out strawberry margarita.  Julia ate with us, I watched the Cubs, then went out to mow.

    It gets dark pretty early.  I will be interested to see what I actually did mow considering it was so dark.

    Jackie asked me for something and I told her I would get it after the Cubs batted.

    An hour later she mentioned I was getting her something an hour ago and never actually got it  So I fetched that for her.

    But I did watch the Cubs a little.  Had a nice margarita and a burrito. and got some of the lawn mostly mowed.

    Yes, I could have gone out earlier but it was so darn hot!  I passed a bank In DeKalb and the temp was 95 while the temperature reading in the van was 92.  In any case, it was too warm for me to mow.

    That's my story and I am sticking to it.

    By the way, Beth is acting perfectly normal.   More than I can say for me.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace 

late night

 Late night tv knows how to target audiences

    We watch Antenna TV at night.  Jackie likes to hear the shows when she drifts off to sleep.

    But the commercials?  

    Pain relievers you rub on your legs to help you walk.  Orthopedic shoes.  Life alert buttons. 

    If it is a product that appeals to Boomers, it is advertised!

    But the one that gets me is for ..... wait for it....  a Viagra like product.

    No, I am not interested in it.  But some people are.

    In the commercial some guy said he was looking for some way to spice up his marriage.

    But Viagra was $40 a pill, according to the man.

    $40?  Holy cripe!  

    But this guy found a plan where you could get a generic equivalent for only $8 a pill.  

    Yes, you need a prescription, but they have a doctor on staff and all you have to do is call and answer a few questions.  (By the way, the last 4 numbers for the phone are 6969.)

    He then says his wife now walks around the house with a smile on her face.

    Hell, I bet if he did the dishes, laundry and cleaned house once in a while she would really be smiling!

    One of the fun things I do is try to figure out who the guests are on Carson's show.  People don't look the same today as they did 40 years ago.  I honestly thought Marc Harmon was Tom Cruise. 

    There are so many comedians I never heard of that appear.  But George Carlin, Bill Mahr, and Roseanne Barr were all on at some point. 

    I realize most of the people have now died.  

    Sometimes it is hard for me to grasp the passage of time.  The Beatles were in their heyday 60 years ago.  The Summer of Love, Woodstock, man first walking on the moon.......in my head they were just yesterday.

    But late night TV, and Sirius Radio bring them all to life today.

    Beth's blood work came back pretty normal.  Our next step is an ultrasound, which will be done next week.

    We are to just keep on doing what we are doing until a reason for her low albumen and cholesterol counts is discovered.

    I may need a part time job.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Ding, Dang it

 No word, no patience, no rain, no cool

    I did not hear from the vet today. the message they sent said  test results were not back yet.

    But I asked about Beth eating a bird carcass and having bugs in her food and they did not feel that would be an issue.

    I somehow turned off the     "leave a message" option on the land line.  Figured that out t today.  No wonder for the past few months we have not had any callers leaving messages!

    Amboy must not have called to tell me I won the big 50/50 drawing.  If they did, there was no ability to  leave a message.

    Jackie had a doctor appointment in Sycamore today.  Boy, was it hot!  I told her if I dropped her during the transfer she would probably fry on the blacktop.  Luckily, I once again made good on moving from the car to the chair, back to the car, back to the chair, back to the car, back to the chair and into the house.  

    About a month ago I contacted Comcast about our bill.  We worked it out, lowering it some 50 a month.

    Got the bill today and it was up 50 from last month.

    Tomorrow I hope to talk to a human.  Not "chat," but talk.  

    Time will tell.  I don not handle dealing with them very well.

    We had some packages of Rosti in the pantry.  I made it tonight along with peas and carrots, and bratwurst.  All the food was done almost at the same time.  I thought it was pretty good.  Rosti is a Swiss hash brown dish.

    At least it was different.  I need to find simple meals that taste good.

    And that I can cook.

    The frustrating thing is I had some special brats in 3 separate freezer bags.  I can't find any of them!  How can I lose brats?  I have looked in my freezer upstairs and the freezer downstairs and did not see them.  I don't smell them either, which means I did not put them on a shelf somewhere.  

    Oh well.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

no scam

 I got a strange e-mail today

    Basically, it said I was eligible for a refund from State Farm Insurance as part of a $5 billion settlement.

    It looked very official.  All I had to do was enter the claim number and provide information to direct deposit the funds.

    The e-mail was not sent from State Farm, but from a different e-mail address.

    I am no fool.  I deleted the e-mail and then e-mailed my State Farm agent about the scam.

    About 15 minutes later she called and said, "Yup...it is real."

    Turns out the company works through a third party to handle the refunds. 

    By not providing my bank info, I will be sent a check.  That is what the e-mail said.

    I have become scam scared!

    Better safe than sorry.

    We have not had an update on Beth.  I thought we would hear something today, but maybe the test results were not back yet.

    She is acting very normal......but she still has not had a BM that was solid. And she still strains.

    She was in the front yard squatting and straining when a squirrel raced around the corner.

    The squirrel saw Beth and froze, sitting on its hind legs with its front paws out like a boxer.  Both just stared at each other.  

    They were like that for a few seconds.  Then the squirrel scampered up our maple tree and Beth did not even give chase.  That is not normal.

    But aside from that, she seems fine.

    We are hoping for positive news tomorrow.

    Watching the flooding in Nepal is mesmerizing and horrifying.  I can't imagine what those people went thru.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

to mow, or not to mow

 I had a tough decision today

    Go sit on the mower for 2 hours in 90 temperatures that felt like a closed bathroom after a 20 minute hot shower,  or not.

    Granted, I never take 20 minute hot showers.  Maybe 10 at the max, unless my body is sore.  But never 20.

    And I did take 10 minutes to finish the small area I did not mow on Friday.

    The grass looked long.  I had time after PT.  The sky was cloudy.

    But I just did not have the desire to sit out there in the heat and humidity just to make my yard look nicer.

    So I will wait for the temps to come down Saturday or so and then mow.  I probably will have to run the sweeper after I mow,  but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

    Beth had. 9:30 blood draw this morning.  Yes, I got there on time.  Our morning help took care of Jackie while I was gone.

    Beth has gone several days without a solid BM. But this morning, in front of the vet clinic, she dropped a load.  Luckily I had a plastic bag and a spoon, so I scooped some up and carried it in.  Then I washed my hands several times.

    I figure every bit of information can help figure out what Beth's problem is.  

    Now it is a waiting game.

    Emily's flight back from Wyoming was delayed about 2 hours due to storms in Chicago.  Jackie looked at the weather map and did not see any storms.  I am just thankful the carrier is being cautious.

    Meanwhile, the Cubs begin a crucial series with the Brewers.  4 games.  I am hoping the Cubs can win 3.

    They are a very confusing and frustrating team.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Ear worm, again

 I don''t understand why this happens

    When I was a kid, a guy named Alan Sherman did a song about Camp Granada.

    Like Hi Lili, Hi Lili Hi Lo Hi Lo, I have not heard the song in years!  So why did I wake up having," Hello Mudda.  Hello Fadda, here I am at Camp Granada." running through my brain?

    And the chorus...."Take me home, oh Mudda Fadda, take me home, I hate Granada. Don't leave me out in the forest where I might get eaten by a bear"  

    If I remember, Leonard Skinner got ptomaine poisoning after dinner.  And a boy named Spivey was covered in poison ivy.

    Somebody was lost and there was now a searching party.

    Anyway, I guess I will Google it to see if what I remember is what it was.  Sometimes the memory is a little weak.

    But why did this song pop into my brain?  I have not heard it in years

    Am I regressing toward childhood?

    Are diapers in my future?

    Good grief.

    I went to a bench dedication at the museum today.  Jackie looked at the radar and it said rain at 1.  The dedication started at 1 and she reasoned it would not be good to be in the rain in a wheelchair so she stayed home.  It rained about 1:15.

    The bench was dedicated to Steve Strang, who was Santa for a long time.  He also decorated hay bales and helped with a lot of things around the museum.

    The bench was made from recycled bottle caps.  A local service club...I think Golden K?  Or is it Lions? .... (DJ will tell in the comments) collects the caps, sorts them, cleans them, and sends them to Indiana where the caps are melted  to make benches, picnic tables, planters and other items.  

    I think it is a really good program.  I did not bring my bag of caps today, but I will drop them off sometime.

    I also blanched 10 ears of sweetcorn, stripped the corn from the cob, and froze it. 

    But the best part of the day was sipping a coffee from Cypress House while reading on our porch.  And napping.  I need to do that more often.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace