dawn????

 I almost saw the sun rise today

    Our dog is nuts.

    Ever since Julia moved out last spring, Beth has slept in the den, or on the couch or by the front door.

    For the past couple of weeks, she has decided to sleep with us, much to Jackie's enjoyment.

    However, not all is well.

    There are times when I have to move her off Jackie's feet.

    There are times Beth snuggles between us and licks me.

    Then there are the times she has to go out.

    That's why I saw the first light of day today.

    I was sleeping soundly until 6:11, when somebody started barking.  It was not Jackie.

    So I let the dog out.  She stood on the sidewalk looking around for several minutes.  Eventually she went and took a leak, and then went back into our bed, nestling down on my pillows because she gets to bed before me.

    Then it is move her, have her move back, hide under my security blanket so she doesn't lick me, and try to get back to sleep.

    Funny thing is, I was not tired during the day today!

    And all day I thought of funny things that have happened, but tonight I am blank.

    We did have a hawk in the yard this week.  A big hawk.

    I caught a glimpse or him and I swear it had something dangling from its beak.  I hope it was one of the 6,703 ground squirrels in our back yard.

    Today Jackie and our helper saw him and said it just flew past and it was really big.  

    I just hope it brings some friends to decrease the ground squirrel population.

    That's all I got.

Peace and Love

no way

 There are some reality tv shows I can not watch

    If I am being truthful, I don't think. there are  many I would watch!

    But I could not especially watch (I know, clumsily written) Fear Factor.

    Just seeing the commercials for that show freak me out!

    In a tank with snakes?  Submerged in water?  Covered with spiders?  Watching the State of the Union?

    No way!!  All of that is just too frightening or sickening.

    Why do people do it?

    Is it for the challenge?  The fame?  The money?

    I don't even like walking into a dark room!  And noises in the night?  Petrify me!

    There's another show where people are marooned on an island and their family gets to vote them off if the danger is too great. 

    What if you come from a family that really doesn't like you and has a $10 mullion life insurance policy on you?  They would never vote that person off.  You would solve 2 problems if they didn't make it.

    Not that I am advocating that.  But it is possible. I mean anything is possible.

    Now I have held a snake, and a hissing cockroach.  I won't count the giant millipede because that did freak me out a little. 

    But holding one and having one crawl on your body are 2 different things.

    I will stick to  my type of reality shows:  making it through Walmart with a cart that veers right, or getting locked in a room with 5 types of pie and no fork.

    As horrifying as those are, I think I could handle it.

    Especially the pie.

Peace and Love

dog gone it

 I finally figured out how to get to bed early

    Last night I hit the hay at 10:30, and was pretty sure I fell asleep by 11.  I did not hear the cuckoo.

    But I did hear Dog Beth at 1:30 as she was barking like crazy at the front door.

    I got up, put on my slippers, grabbed my glasses, and headed to the door.

    I put her flashing red collar on her and got my heavy coat on because it seemed windy and cold.

    And it was.

    She wandered around the yard for what seemed like an hour!

    I had on my pajamas, which were little help with. the 50 mph winds that froze certain body parts.

    She sniffed here.  She sniffed there.  She sniffed everywhere.

    From one side of the yard to the other.  Sniff.  Sniff.   Sniff.

    Finally, after 3 toes became frostbite, she did her  duty and headed for the door.

    We went in, I took off her collar and she shot off for the bedroom.

    By the time I got there she was nestled down on my pillow, faking sleep.

    I moved her to the bottom of the bed, and climbed into bed, making sure my frozen body was fully covered by my security blanket.

    I had her out at 10 and she did nothing but stare across the street.

    But at 1:30, well, when the body has to go the body has to go.

    I just hope she decided to sleep all night tonight.

    I could use the rest.

    It could have been worse though.  We could live in New York or Boston.  In either case I might not have been able to leave the house.

Peace and Love

nada

 Today was, shall we say, interesting

    Watched the end of the hockey game and some of the cross country marathon.  Holy cow, those ladies have to be incredibly fit.  And the Team USA guy who lost some teeth but found the net, pretty cool.  

    I had 2 tasks today:  go to the store was one, finish cleaning the den was the other.

    Neither one got done.  Not only that, none of the dishes from today have been dealt with.

    I can't explain it, but about 2:30 I just started feeling sick.  For the next 4 hours or so, I was afraid to leave the house.  And I was too tired to work on my stacks.

    All I managed to do was sit on the couch and watch the closing ceremonies.  

    Jackie feels fine, it's just me.

    I just finished some soup and seem to be ok, time will tell.

    For some reason I did not enjoy the closing ceremonies as much s I thought I would.  Maybe it was my stomach distress, but I just was not into it.

    The fires in Kansas and Oklahoma are frightening.  I hope the fire fighters, residents and ranchers are all safe when this is over.  

    Meanwhile, southwestern France has had 35 straight days of rain and rivers are flooding.  

    Hoping for all of them to be safe too.

Peace and Love

ahhh.......

 We had a pretty darn good night tonight

    Friends Renee and Wendy came over and they brought some pulled pork, buns,  mac and cheese and baked beans.  Julia brought an apple cake and ice cream.

    Jackie and I did not have to do a thing, and neither did Emily.

    It was a nice night....visitng, talking about trips taken and planned, reviewing Olympic highlights and enjoying  delicious food.

    Wendy thinks it has been since November that we got together, and she is right.  Between vacations, sickness, the holidays, personal losses, we just have not had a chance to sit and visit.

    Thanks again Renee and Wendy for coming.  Your visit was the most important and we would have enjoyed it even without the food.

    I am going to miss the Olympics.  Funny I say that, because I have not watched a lot of the events.

    I missed the last  speed skating event, the  entire ski jumping competition, skeleton and most of the bobsledding.  I did watch a lot of curling.  And some figure skating, but only to see the American skaters. 

    I just seemed to be doing other things, but I should have been watching the Olympics.

    Oh well.  

    The one downside to today was..... I started going through try 2 foot stack of stuff.

    Now it is spread out all over my desk and my chair.  Tomorrow I will have to really work at getting rid of the old, unnecessary paper and dealing with the stuff we need to keep.

    But there are still some events to watch, so who knows what will get done.

    And the closing ceremony always makes me sad. 

    Ah to be young again!!

Peace ad Love

TGIF

 Weekends are not as special when you are retired

    I mean, every day is a weekend.  No work.  No pressure.  It's nice.

    I went to a museum event today.

    Our state rep, Brad Fritts. came to visit and take a tour of the museum.

    He seemed to enjoy the items.  I told him about our non meteorite meteorite, which always gets a laugh or chuckle.

    At the end the 9 or so of the people there were able to ask some questions.  topics like voter id, abortion, state funding and budgets were all brought up.

    But I asked the most important question.

    Is Illinois going to keep the Bears?

    He noted there were lots of issues that had to be decided, but I got the feeling he would like the Bears to stay inn Illinois.

    He also said he had called our mayor to suggest offering land east of Rochelle for the new Bears stadium.  A tollway, interstate, and 2 railroads would serve the property.

    I told him that was the same plan I told our former city manager about!  I even proposed an underground tram that would whisk people from the train stations to the stadium.

    I also asked him about human composting and he seemed a little shocked.  He said I was the first person in the district to be in favor of it.  Maybe if it gets passed they can call it Terry's Law.  

    To me it is an obvious choice.  No chemicals, no exhaust from the crematorium.  Just natural , although speeded up, decomposition.  Ashes to Aahes, dust to dust.  

    Sign me up!

    We had refreshments.

    We found a cake made by Mary Todd Lincoln and we had some.  I thought the cake was actually made by her, but turns out it was just her recipe.  I brought a slice home for Jackie and we both agreed it was good.

    All in all it was a nice event.

    Speaking of food, I went to Culver's tonight.  I spent $30!  Holy crimeny Pete!!!

    I did get the walleye dinner, not realizing that was $17 by itself. Throw in a Butter Burger and some pretzel bites, add tax, and bingo, bango $30.

    I do have to say the fish was excellent.  And there was enough for lunch tomorrow.

    Jackie only eats half a burger, so we both have enough food for lunch.  So I guess if you take the total cost and divide it by 2 meals it isn't so bad.

    That is my rationale and I am sticking to it.

Peace and Love

    

finally

 I finally cleaned off my desk!

    After m months of talking about it, I actually did it.  I also cleaned off my little table.

    It did not take much time either.

    The only problem now is the 2 feet of stuff I have stacked on my napping chair.  

    But the table and desk are relatively clean.

    I am going to be perfectly honest. I get so angry at myself, and depressed, when I look at my desk, the garage, the basement, or the closet in the den.

    How did I get this way?  

    Notice, I did not say when because all my life I have had trouble with paper.

    When I worked at the newspaper I would have stacks all over my desk....future stories, story ideas, interesting articles, news releases.

    Teaching was the same way.  I once lost a complete spelling test! Not one student's. but the whole class's!

    I think I have some crossed or missing wires in my brain.  The ones that allow for dealing with paper and being organized are gone.  

    Or maybe they were never there in the first place!

    Sigh.  

    When I die the girls are going to be going through my stuff and saying, "What the hell!!"  

    I still have all the vet records and information on Corki, and that dog has been dead three years.  I have a grade school report on the Civil War, done in peacock blue ink, because that was high fashion back in the early 60s.  (The report was done in 1961...100 years after the war started.  That means I have carried it with me for 65 years!!!). Looking at it, it wasn't really anything outstanding.  Or even good.  But I still have it.

    I have folders of useless information.  And I have folders.  Just folders.  Some used, some new, some borrowed, some blue.  

    I think I need a lobotomy to get buy head on straight.  Check that, get my brain working correctly.

    I keep saying someday I will be organized....but I never will be.  My mind will always be flying in different directions and I will always be stacking up paper of all kinds.

    If it didn't bother me so much, I'd be ok with it.

    But I am not.

    Oh well.

Peace and Love