And one last story
Someone remembered my story from yesterday's wine tasting.
Years ago, I had a coat that looked like one Bob Dylan wears on one of his album covers. It was brown on the outside, and had a fluffy white lining. It was not a shearling jacket, the lining was cotton or nylon or something.
I wore it because I loved Bob Dylan and thought someday I could be like him, singing amazing songs that people had trouble understanding.
I think Emily was a toddler.
We went downtown at Christmas to look at the store windows. Afterwards, we went to the Thompson Center because there was an Illinois shop there that sold items made in Illinois.
I opened the door and let Jackie and the kids in first, and I followed a few steps behind.
I hadn't taken five steps when a woman stopped me and said, "Oh, you are here for the dinner, It's this way."
I said, "What dinner?"
She looked at me and said, "Why, for the city's homeless and less fortunate at the holidays."
Evidently my way cool coat made me look like a homeless guy.
Jackie looked at me and said, "That's it...you are getting a new coat today."
I did. Eventually I got a shearling coat, which I still wear today, but only on the coldest days.
I never did stick to my guitar lessons. Never did become a folk singer.
But I did do one blog a day for 2014.
For me, that was a major accomplishment.
So thank you for reading this, and for commenting, correcting, laughing and whatever else you do.
I want to continue.....just not sure how frequently at this point.
I wish you all a happy new year. I hope 2015 is a healthy, happy year and a prosperous year.
You all make me feel like George Bailey when Clarence gives him is book and inscribes, "No man is a failure who has friends."
Peace to all of you.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Whoops, there it is......
I have a sort term memory problem, evidently
I had a really great time with Linda and Dan and NY City friend Julie today.
We shared a glass or two of wine, agreed that a certain political party was full of yahoos, talked about the Cubs, Bears, life in New York City and a whole host of other things.
During the conversation, I told a story. It was short, funny, totally true and Linda said, "That would be a good one for your blog," or something to that effect.
Totally true.
So driving from Creston to Rochelle, I thought about how to word it, present it, how much to exaggerate, and when I sat down after my games of solitaire, had no idea what the really Great Idea from 4 p.m. was.
Racked my brain, but it was blank.
I did set up my new telescope tonight. Went over the parts list and everything listed was there.
Put it together, which consisted of mounting the scope onto the tripod, then tried to look through it.
Nothing.
John, Emily and Julia came in and we went over it.
"Did you find all the parts?" said John.
Yes, this is all of them.
"Aren't there more parts?" asked Emily.
No, I went through the list.
"Are you sure you have all the pieces?" came Julia's question.
Quite certain.
We tried looking at the moon, the bathrooms at the park, the attractive young blond across Flagg Road.....nothing.
I gave up. A little while later I tried again. I could see the moon, but it would not come in focus.
Came back in the house and noticed some cardboard taped to the end of the box. I assumed it was there to prevent the scope from sliding.
Inside were the viewing lenses. And the sighting scope. And a couple of other necessary parts.
By then I had hauled it in from the unfinished patio to the basement. Tomorrow I will try it in the daytime, using the spotting scope and the viewing lenses.
That's when I sat down to do my blog......and, you know the rest of that story.
I had a really great time with Linda and Dan and NY City friend Julie today.
We shared a glass or two of wine, agreed that a certain political party was full of yahoos, talked about the Cubs, Bears, life in New York City and a whole host of other things.
During the conversation, I told a story. It was short, funny, totally true and Linda said, "That would be a good one for your blog," or something to that effect.
Totally true.
So driving from Creston to Rochelle, I thought about how to word it, present it, how much to exaggerate, and when I sat down after my games of solitaire, had no idea what the really Great Idea from 4 p.m. was.
Racked my brain, but it was blank.
I did set up my new telescope tonight. Went over the parts list and everything listed was there.
Put it together, which consisted of mounting the scope onto the tripod, then tried to look through it.
Nothing.
John, Emily and Julia came in and we went over it.
"Did you find all the parts?" said John.
Yes, this is all of them.
"Aren't there more parts?" asked Emily.
No, I went through the list.
"Are you sure you have all the pieces?" came Julia's question.
Quite certain.
We tried looking at the moon, the bathrooms at the park, the attractive young blond across Flagg Road.....nothing.
I gave up. A little while later I tried again. I could see the moon, but it would not come in focus.
Came back in the house and noticed some cardboard taped to the end of the box. I assumed it was there to prevent the scope from sliding.
Inside were the viewing lenses. And the sighting scope. And a couple of other necessary parts.
By then I had hauled it in from the unfinished patio to the basement. Tomorrow I will try it in the daytime, using the spotting scope and the viewing lenses.
That's when I sat down to do my blog......and, you know the rest of that story.
Monday, December 29, 2014
Monday, Monday....so good to me.
I will be sad to see 2014 end
Of course, I am never happy when a year flips. Too many things left undone, half finished, semi planned.
I did clean off my desk top today. It looks pretty clean, right now. I don't know what to do with the four piles on the floor.
I need help! What do I save, and what do I toss?
For example, I have on my closet bookshelf these binders: Terry IRA, Jackie IRA, Julia IRA, Jackie and Terry IRA, Terry drugs, Terry Medicare, Jackie Medicare, Terry medical, insurance, Terry LPL, Jackie LPL...and those are only the ones I remember! Thank heavens I didn't throw out any binders from all those workshops I went to as a teacher!
I get monthly statements from my insurance about the drugs I am taking and a running cost. Do I really need to keep each one of those? How long do I keep them?
I get statements from our IRA accounts. Some are every month, some are quarterly. How long do I need to keep those?
Every time I get ready to toss something, I have a trace of fear that spreads across my head: Don't throw those away! You may need them someday!!
That's why we still have the "do not remove tags" on our sofa and chairs. We made need them some day!
And I have at least five notebooks for Rotary...each of them with a few poorly scrawled notes for a newsletter I stopped doing three weeks ago! And no, I was not supposed to stop!!
That's only my closet. Jackie has a place for monthly credit card receipts.....and we have a ton of credit cards. Add in the gas bill, utility bill, phone bill, car payments....yikes! That is a lot of paper to save.
Don't suggest doing it all electronically...because we will print off a copy just to have it. It's not saving me any money!
For people like me, paper is a nightmare....like the first half of the Packer Bear game when the Packers had a narrow 42-0 lead.
Someday, I'll figure out a way to deal with it.
Just not this year.
Of course, I am never happy when a year flips. Too many things left undone, half finished, semi planned.
I did clean off my desk top today. It looks pretty clean, right now. I don't know what to do with the four piles on the floor.
I need help! What do I save, and what do I toss?
For example, I have on my closet bookshelf these binders: Terry IRA, Jackie IRA, Julia IRA, Jackie and Terry IRA, Terry drugs, Terry Medicare, Jackie Medicare, Terry medical, insurance, Terry LPL, Jackie LPL...and those are only the ones I remember! Thank heavens I didn't throw out any binders from all those workshops I went to as a teacher!
I get monthly statements from my insurance about the drugs I am taking and a running cost. Do I really need to keep each one of those? How long do I keep them?
I get statements from our IRA accounts. Some are every month, some are quarterly. How long do I need to keep those?
Every time I get ready to toss something, I have a trace of fear that spreads across my head: Don't throw those away! You may need them someday!!
That's why we still have the "do not remove tags" on our sofa and chairs. We made need them some day!
And I have at least five notebooks for Rotary...each of them with a few poorly scrawled notes for a newsletter I stopped doing three weeks ago! And no, I was not supposed to stop!!
That's only my closet. Jackie has a place for monthly credit card receipts.....and we have a ton of credit cards. Add in the gas bill, utility bill, phone bill, car payments....yikes! That is a lot of paper to save.
Don't suggest doing it all electronically...because we will print off a copy just to have it. It's not saving me any money!
For people like me, paper is a nightmare....like the first half of the Packer Bear game when the Packers had a narrow 42-0 lead.
Someday, I'll figure out a way to deal with it.
Just not this year.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Who let the dogs out????
Jackie is getting a dog this year
It was a Christmas present. For many years she said no. Then earlier this year, she said she would like a furry companion.
But we can't get one yet. We need the patio finished and an invisible fence installed. That way, she can let the little guy out the patio door and he/she can go down the steps and do her business.
It may be handy in that she can slip the collar on my neck and keep track of me during the day. I wont be able to wander off when I should be mowing the yard.
We will be getting a smaller dog, but not a Chihuahua or some other itty bitty that could be carried off easily by a hawk.
It has been years since we had a dog. We get our dog fix from Emily, who has enough for everyone.
This dog will be a rescue animal. Hopefully, that will make training it a little easier.
We can add dog treats to our list of must buy items when we go to the store. And dog food.
Hopefully Julia will be ok with it when she comes home next year, she does have allergies to cats and long haired dogs. Normally she is fine at Emily's because the dogs are all short hairs. But we shall see.
So to recap, a trained dog that doesn't have long hair, doesn't shed, won't bite and is comfortable with older people.
Should be a snap to find!
It was a Christmas present. For many years she said no. Then earlier this year, she said she would like a furry companion.
But we can't get one yet. We need the patio finished and an invisible fence installed. That way, she can let the little guy out the patio door and he/she can go down the steps and do her business.
It may be handy in that she can slip the collar on my neck and keep track of me during the day. I wont be able to wander off when I should be mowing the yard.
We will be getting a smaller dog, but not a Chihuahua or some other itty bitty that could be carried off easily by a hawk.
It has been years since we had a dog. We get our dog fix from Emily, who has enough for everyone.
This dog will be a rescue animal. Hopefully, that will make training it a little easier.
We can add dog treats to our list of must buy items when we go to the store. And dog food.
Hopefully Julia will be ok with it when she comes home next year, she does have allergies to cats and long haired dogs. Normally she is fine at Emily's because the dogs are all short hairs. But we shall see.
So to recap, a trained dog that doesn't have long hair, doesn't shed, won't bite and is comfortable with older people.
Should be a snap to find!
Saturday, December 27, 2014
500 miles, 500 miles....lord I can't go back home this way
I have a new goal for a new year
Last year my goal was to have a blog entry every single day. And I went above that, seeing as July has 33 entries. Still not sure how that happened.
I wrote when I was sad, sick, stumped, in Switzerland, under the influence of a glass or two of red and in trouble for not putting the toilet seat down. (Not true. I always put the seat down. I have been well trained. Sometimes I exaggerate.)
I have almost reached my goal.
So now I have a new goal. I am going to walk and ride 500 miles in 2015. Not together, but separately. I will walk 500 miles. I will ride 500 miles.
I decided this amazing undertaking while munching on a handful of nuts, after eating French silk pie and fudge, after eating pizza, after having a turkey leg and chips for lunch......and noticing my pants don't button.
And I don't mean my regular pants. Jackie got me a pair with an expandable waist....and the button does not quite reach the hole. Even expanded.
(Beth, insert comments here!)
(And yes, Renee, every year since you have known me I have said the same thing. But this year will be different. Read on.)
I have almost accomplished a difficult task for a person who does not complete tasks.
I feel the world is my oyster! I can undertake any challenge! I can overcome!
How will I do it?
I have an idea.
I plan to go to a fitness center and use the treadmills. If I go three times a week and walk 3 miles each time, that is 9 miles a week, or about 450 miles. Plus, I walk around the block in the summer.
I have a stationary bike in the basement. I can ride, watch TV, and record my mileage. Usually I ride about 6 miles each time downstairs, so if I do that twice a week, I have 12 miles, which is over 600 miles.
I have reached my goal.
Now, I know that the whole thing is overwhelming, so I plan to break it down into weekly segments. I will keep track weekly, and not do a running total until the midway point and the end. That way, if I fall behind (when, rather) I won't feel a complete failure, just a failure for that week.
I will also keep track of my weight. On New Year's Day I will weigh myself and the challenge will begin.
Until then, Jackie baked a lot of cookies, and there is a lot of candy, and the egg nog is calling.
Last year my goal was to have a blog entry every single day. And I went above that, seeing as July has 33 entries. Still not sure how that happened.
I wrote when I was sad, sick, stumped, in Switzerland, under the influence of a glass or two of red and in trouble for not putting the toilet seat down. (Not true. I always put the seat down. I have been well trained. Sometimes I exaggerate.)
I have almost reached my goal.
So now I have a new goal. I am going to walk and ride 500 miles in 2015. Not together, but separately. I will walk 500 miles. I will ride 500 miles.
I decided this amazing undertaking while munching on a handful of nuts, after eating French silk pie and fudge, after eating pizza, after having a turkey leg and chips for lunch......and noticing my pants don't button.
And I don't mean my regular pants. Jackie got me a pair with an expandable waist....and the button does not quite reach the hole. Even expanded.
(Beth, insert comments here!)
(And yes, Renee, every year since you have known me I have said the same thing. But this year will be different. Read on.)
I have almost accomplished a difficult task for a person who does not complete tasks.
I feel the world is my oyster! I can undertake any challenge! I can overcome!
How will I do it?
I have an idea.
I plan to go to a fitness center and use the treadmills. If I go three times a week and walk 3 miles each time, that is 9 miles a week, or about 450 miles. Plus, I walk around the block in the summer.
I have a stationary bike in the basement. I can ride, watch TV, and record my mileage. Usually I ride about 6 miles each time downstairs, so if I do that twice a week, I have 12 miles, which is over 600 miles.
I have reached my goal.
Now, I know that the whole thing is overwhelming, so I plan to break it down into weekly segments. I will keep track weekly, and not do a running total until the midway point and the end. That way, if I fall behind (when, rather) I won't feel a complete failure, just a failure for that week.
I will also keep track of my weight. On New Year's Day I will weigh myself and the challenge will begin.
Until then, Jackie baked a lot of cookies, and there is a lot of candy, and the egg nog is calling.
Friday, December 26, 2014
yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
I had a great Christmas
John asked Emily to marry him, and gave her a ring. We are very happy for both of them. No date has been set, but rumor is the wedding has to involve Elvis and Las Vegas. Kids.
Jackie has wanted a puppy, so we are giving her a puppy. Or dog. But she has to wait for the patio to be finished so she can let the little guy out the back door and into the yard. Oh yes, we will put in an invisible fence for part of the yard so he can't wander. Or wonder what is on the other side of the road. Or she, and I am referring to the dog, not the wife.
I got a telescope. Now I can watch the people in the park to see if they are really using the bathrooms when they park there! Just kidding. I have always wanted to look at the stars and planets and the moon. I remember Mr. Z inviting Tilton fifth graders out to Skare Park so his advanced science kids could use telescopes to show them stars and explain constellations. It was an amazing experience. Emily said I will probably even be able to see the space station as it passes. Or the new blond neighbor that lives about a mile away.......just kidding!!
My Swiss pseudo grand family sent me a picture in a hand decorated frame. Lilly, Penny Jane, Craig and Yvonne really surprised me on that one!
I found out I really know people's tastes. I got Emily, John and Julia books at Barnes and Noble....and they already had the books! I was so confident, I did not ask for gift receipts....but luckily I kept the receipt.
I keep everything. I have three bags of wrapping paper in the garage with the gnawing question: Can it be recycled?
Guess I will call the county Monday. The FAQ section on their website says yes.....but I want to be sure.
I have another decision to make. In one week, my blog is unofficially done. By the time it is Jan. 1, I will have passed the 16,000 pages viewed mark, more than I ever expected.
So....do I continue? Daily? Do I try to sell advertising space, or will that tick people off? Should I try to get the blog published as a book? (To be honest, it will be difficult to do that. I would probably have to self publish it and then promote it. I contacted a publisher and her words were: Is the blog necessary? If it is, someone will be interested in publishing, I just have to find that person. If it's not, you'd be better off self publishing. She also gave me a name of a company that does that.
Tough decisions for a new year.
But one decision will be easy.....I have to lose weight!!
John asked Emily to marry him, and gave her a ring. We are very happy for both of them. No date has been set, but rumor is the wedding has to involve Elvis and Las Vegas. Kids.
Jackie has wanted a puppy, so we are giving her a puppy. Or dog. But she has to wait for the patio to be finished so she can let the little guy out the back door and into the yard. Oh yes, we will put in an invisible fence for part of the yard so he can't wander. Or wonder what is on the other side of the road. Or she, and I am referring to the dog, not the wife.
I got a telescope. Now I can watch the people in the park to see if they are really using the bathrooms when they park there! Just kidding. I have always wanted to look at the stars and planets and the moon. I remember Mr. Z inviting Tilton fifth graders out to Skare Park so his advanced science kids could use telescopes to show them stars and explain constellations. It was an amazing experience. Emily said I will probably even be able to see the space station as it passes. Or the new blond neighbor that lives about a mile away.......just kidding!!
My Swiss pseudo grand family sent me a picture in a hand decorated frame. Lilly, Penny Jane, Craig and Yvonne really surprised me on that one!
I found out I really know people's tastes. I got Emily, John and Julia books at Barnes and Noble....and they already had the books! I was so confident, I did not ask for gift receipts....but luckily I kept the receipt.
I keep everything. I have three bags of wrapping paper in the garage with the gnawing question: Can it be recycled?
Guess I will call the county Monday. The FAQ section on their website says yes.....but I want to be sure.
I have another decision to make. In one week, my blog is unofficially done. By the time it is Jan. 1, I will have passed the 16,000 pages viewed mark, more than I ever expected.
So....do I continue? Daily? Do I try to sell advertising space, or will that tick people off? Should I try to get the blog published as a book? (To be honest, it will be difficult to do that. I would probably have to self publish it and then promote it. I contacted a publisher and her words were: Is the blog necessary? If it is, someone will be interested in publishing, I just have to find that person. If it's not, you'd be better off self publishing. She also gave me a name of a company that does that.
Tough decisions for a new year.
But one decision will be easy.....I have to lose weight!!
Thursday, December 25, 2014
I heard the news today, oh boy!!
Emily and John are engaged!
That is the big news from our house this Christmas!
John asked me last week if it was alright to ask Emily. I said, of course.
While she was in the bathroom, he evidently put notes around the dogs' necks. One dog had Will, the other had You.....I think you know the message. Pearl had Marry, but she stood backward. Bennett had the ring, but he decided to take a lie down.
But she got the message. And said yes.
They are planning a Las Vegas wedding sometime in the future.
So, that is how our day started.
I received some really neat gifts....but the biggest was having my girls home.
Hope your day was great as well.
That is the big news from our house this Christmas!
John asked me last week if it was alright to ask Emily. I said, of course.
While she was in the bathroom, he evidently put notes around the dogs' necks. One dog had Will, the other had You.....I think you know the message. Pearl had Marry, but she stood backward. Bennett had the ring, but he decided to take a lie down.
But she got the message. And said yes.
They are planning a Las Vegas wedding sometime in the future.
So, that is how our day started.
I received some really neat gifts....but the biggest was having my girls home.
Hope your day was great as well.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
sounds of silence
I am at a loss for words
I really don't have a topic for tonight.
Christmas has a mixed effect on me. (Or is it affect? No, it is effect.)
I get excited by the holidays, the meaning of the season, the friends, the decorations, the love.
On the other hand, I do get terribly depressed. I think of all the people who are gone: aunts, uncles, my brother, my in-laws, my parents, my cousins. And I miss them.
I can't imagine how some people cope during the holidays. Songs, food, presents, stories....all bring back memories of Those Who Have Gone Before Us. And I admit, some Christmas carols fill my eyes as well as my ears.
I look at my life and I realize how unbelievably blessed I am. A house, steady income via pensions, children who are home for the holidays and who are doing well in their own lives. Friends who put up with me, encourage me, support me. Family members who are still alive, but for some reason we don't visit and laugh together as we used to. A wife who puts up with my mood swings and other abnormal behaviors.
All that makes me happy.
Then I hear about a family of four moving into the homeless shelter this week, and it makes me wish the world into a better place, where all people have what I have, and all children have a home and three meals a day.
And I get blue again, because my world has so much, and theirs so little.
I really don't have a topic tonight. But I'd like to thank you for listening to a maudlin old guy. I do appreciate it.
I really don't have a topic for tonight.
Christmas has a mixed effect on me. (Or is it affect? No, it is effect.)
I get excited by the holidays, the meaning of the season, the friends, the decorations, the love.
On the other hand, I do get terribly depressed. I think of all the people who are gone: aunts, uncles, my brother, my in-laws, my parents, my cousins. And I miss them.
I can't imagine how some people cope during the holidays. Songs, food, presents, stories....all bring back memories of Those Who Have Gone Before Us. And I admit, some Christmas carols fill my eyes as well as my ears.
I look at my life and I realize how unbelievably blessed I am. A house, steady income via pensions, children who are home for the holidays and who are doing well in their own lives. Friends who put up with me, encourage me, support me. Family members who are still alive, but for some reason we don't visit and laugh together as we used to. A wife who puts up with my mood swings and other abnormal behaviors.
All that makes me happy.
Then I hear about a family of four moving into the homeless shelter this week, and it makes me wish the world into a better place, where all people have what I have, and all children have a home and three meals a day.
And I get blue again, because my world has so much, and theirs so little.
I really don't have a topic tonight. But I'd like to thank you for listening to a maudlin old guy. I do appreciate it.
Monday, December 22, 2014
I'm dreaming of a White Christmas
I love watching Christmas movies
Today we watched White Christmas. I love the movie, but some things don't make sense to me. I know, "suspend your grip on reality," but little things bother me. Fir instance, (yes, that was intentional) when the general gets up at the end to go outside, his housekeeper clearly pushes his grand daughter down and shakes her head no. Yet when he opens the doors, they are both standing behind him! I don't know why that it bothers me, but it does.
Jackie hates the number Choreography, with Danny Kaye singing to a very modern jazzy piece. It doesn't seem to fit. I tend to agree.
And I wonder, Betty goes from the engagement announcement one night to starring in a show in New York the next night! That was quick!!
I know, it's a movie.
But I don't pick apart It's a Wonderful Life, except for when the brother is going to the dance and walks out with pies on his head.....that is a little far fetched. And I am Uncle Billy, minus the strings.
Miracle on 34th Street? Possibly the best lead in to Christmas movie. Love the parade scene in the beginning.
I still have Elf, The Santa Claus and Christmas Vacation on the list of movies....but time is running out!
And where can I find a Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge? I think that was a great performance. I also liked the George C. Scott version. But please, don't show me the Muppets or Disney versions and don't even mention Scrooged.
But tell me, what are you watching this Christmas?
Maybe I'll add a few movies to my watch list!
Today we watched White Christmas. I love the movie, but some things don't make sense to me. I know, "suspend your grip on reality," but little things bother me. Fir instance, (yes, that was intentional) when the general gets up at the end to go outside, his housekeeper clearly pushes his grand daughter down and shakes her head no. Yet when he opens the doors, they are both standing behind him! I don't know why that it bothers me, but it does.
Jackie hates the number Choreography, with Danny Kaye singing to a very modern jazzy piece. It doesn't seem to fit. I tend to agree.
And I wonder, Betty goes from the engagement announcement one night to starring in a show in New York the next night! That was quick!!
I know, it's a movie.
But I don't pick apart It's a Wonderful Life, except for when the brother is going to the dance and walks out with pies on his head.....that is a little far fetched. And I am Uncle Billy, minus the strings.
Miracle on 34th Street? Possibly the best lead in to Christmas movie. Love the parade scene in the beginning.
I still have Elf, The Santa Claus and Christmas Vacation on the list of movies....but time is running out!
And where can I find a Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge? I think that was a great performance. I also liked the George C. Scott version. But please, don't show me the Muppets or Disney versions and don't even mention Scrooged.
But tell me, what are you watching this Christmas?
Maybe I'll add a few movies to my watch list!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
I listen, I just don't understand
I always get a little leery about presents.
First off, I try to buy the right one.
When I was about 12, I wandered down to a Wieboldt's department store in Chicago and bought my mother a hair dryer. It was a hand held unit, but you could also put it on a wooden stand.
Since my mother didn't have a hair dryer, I knew she would love it.
I remember her face Christmas morning, the surprise of finding a hair dryer from her son. She had very thin hair. I remember her using it, but I don't think she used it regularly. I think she avoided hair dryers for a reason.
My dad was easy to buy for. He smoked Marlboro's, drank Budweiser and ate walnuts. I could not buy beer, but I could be cigarettes and walnuts. So for several years in a row I gave him a carton of cigarettes and a pound of walnuts.
He was happy, I was happy. Or so I thought.
After he died, (pick a disease: bad heart; emphysema; stomach cancer..any one of them would win) Jackie and I helped my mother clean out the house. Imagine my surprise when I opened a storage cabinet on the back porch and 50 pounds of walnuts tumbled out!
Back in the broke years, Jackie had seen an ad for some Christmas plates. For our anniversary, I went up to Rockford and saw what I thought were the plates. I bought a set; they were something like $70 or so....a lot of money for us, but a lot less than what she had seen the set advertised for. The clerk asked me if I wanted a second set. I told her we would never have that many people over at one time.
I got home and could not contain my excitement. I gave them to her, right in the bag.
She looked at them and asked me what I was thinking.
I had bought a single place serving of Spode. To get our set of eight, I would have to fork out another $490!
That's when I found out there is a difference between a setting for four and a four piece setting.
I returned the dishes and got a refund.
Hopefully, this year I will make better choices.
Just in case, I will save the receipts.
I always get a little leery about presents.
First off, I try to buy the right one.
When I was about 12, I wandered down to a Wieboldt's department store in Chicago and bought my mother a hair dryer. It was a hand held unit, but you could also put it on a wooden stand.
Since my mother didn't have a hair dryer, I knew she would love it.
I remember her face Christmas morning, the surprise of finding a hair dryer from her son. She had very thin hair. I remember her using it, but I don't think she used it regularly. I think she avoided hair dryers for a reason.
My dad was easy to buy for. He smoked Marlboro's, drank Budweiser and ate walnuts. I could not buy beer, but I could be cigarettes and walnuts. So for several years in a row I gave him a carton of cigarettes and a pound of walnuts.
He was happy, I was happy. Or so I thought.
After he died, (pick a disease: bad heart; emphysema; stomach cancer..any one of them would win) Jackie and I helped my mother clean out the house. Imagine my surprise when I opened a storage cabinet on the back porch and 50 pounds of walnuts tumbled out!
Back in the broke years, Jackie had seen an ad for some Christmas plates. For our anniversary, I went up to Rockford and saw what I thought were the plates. I bought a set; they were something like $70 or so....a lot of money for us, but a lot less than what she had seen the set advertised for. The clerk asked me if I wanted a second set. I told her we would never have that many people over at one time.
I got home and could not contain my excitement. I gave them to her, right in the bag.
She looked at them and asked me what I was thinking.
I had bought a single place serving of Spode. To get our set of eight, I would have to fork out another $490!
That's when I found out there is a difference between a setting for four and a four piece setting.
I returned the dishes and got a refund.
Hopefully, this year I will make better choices.
Just in case, I will save the receipts.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
I'm dreaming, of a white christmas
I really would like some snow
Not a lot, just enough to put a blanket of white on the ground so we can see Santa's tracks outside.
Last year at this time, we had plenty of snow. I got so excited, I got my snowshoes fixed so I could go out in the park and tromp around.
I even thought about getting my cross country skis ready to use ....if I can find them. I think they are in a corner in Emily's basement. But I don't have any shoes for them, so that won't help.
It's one of hundreds of items I no longer use, but can't part with. A desk, old kitchen nook table, bottles.....you name it, I may have it in the basement.
I'm not a hoarder, just a sentimentalist.
By the way, zjrtr] ejsy js[[rmd ejrm upi hry upit gomhrtd pm yjr etpmh lrud/
That is here is what happens when you get your fingers on the wrong keys. I am typing in the dark and have erased more lines than I have typed.
Put on a light, you say?
Anyone can do that. The challenge is typing in the dark.
Julia has friends visiting this weekend. He is from Ireland, she is from New Zealand, their son was born in Switzerland and their daughter in the US.
Julia hasn't seen them in a couple of years, so it has been a nice visit for them.
I have forgotten how much energy these youngins have!
I'm going to bed and rest up for tomorrow.
Nightie night!
Not a lot, just enough to put a blanket of white on the ground so we can see Santa's tracks outside.
Last year at this time, we had plenty of snow. I got so excited, I got my snowshoes fixed so I could go out in the park and tromp around.
I even thought about getting my cross country skis ready to use ....if I can find them. I think they are in a corner in Emily's basement. But I don't have any shoes for them, so that won't help.
It's one of hundreds of items I no longer use, but can't part with. A desk, old kitchen nook table, bottles.....you name it, I may have it in the basement.
I'm not a hoarder, just a sentimentalist.
By the way, zjrtr] ejsy js[[rmd ejrm upi hry upit gomhrtd pm yjr etpmh lrud/
That is here is what happens when you get your fingers on the wrong keys. I am typing in the dark and have erased more lines than I have typed.
Put on a light, you say?
Anyone can do that. The challenge is typing in the dark.
Julia has friends visiting this weekend. He is from Ireland, she is from New Zealand, their son was born in Switzerland and their daughter in the US.
Julia hasn't seen them in a couple of years, so it has been a nice visit for them.
I have forgotten how much energy these youngins have!
I'm going to bed and rest up for tomorrow.
Nightie night!
Friday, December 19, 2014
They paved Paradise, and put in a parking lot
I laugh at people who lose their cars
And I don't mean repossessed. That is not funny. (Well, it could be if you really don't like your neighbor because he always parks in your space.)
I mean when people park their cars and can't remember where they parked.
When you go to O'Hara Airport, you park in levels that are themed. Go Cubs Go might be one level, Bear Down Chicago Bears another (although there is talk of moving them to the basement) as well as tunes for the Hawks and Sox. By remembering the song, you remember the level. Easy Squeasy!
One time we ran into a friend of ours, Chris, who had lost her car in the Sullivan's parking lot. She just could not find it. Walked up and down a couple of aisles until she remembered she was driving her husband's car, not hers.
And one time we went to Philadelphia and parked in a city garage. When we went back later, we could not find the car. Someone was convinced our Ford station wagon had been stolen. I kept saying, "We came in the other side," but to no avail. Someone was convinced the bad people of the city of Brotherly Love took our car.
When we found it on the other side of the garage, someone did become calm again. Although I did get a little upset two days later when I discovered we no longer had a front license plate....but that's another story. I think the Illinois plate was so beautiful, a collector had to have it.
You see those people, wandering up one lane and down another. Admit it, you laugh. I laugh. We all laugh.
But it wasn't so funny today.
I parked at Oakbrook on the way back from the zoo. Parked right by Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn. As a matter of fact, I cut through those stores to get to the Apple store.
When I came back, I could not find the car. Up one lane, down another. Up one lane, down another. I hit the panic button. Nothing. Met another couple (much younger, so it happens at every age) who laughed when I said I could not find my car. They kept laughing until they discovered they were in the wrong place.
Now there are three of us wandering around.
It was like Moses leading the Christians out of Christmas land.
No exaggeration, I looked for 15 minutes.
At some point, an ugly little thought creeps into your head that perhaps someone did steal your car.
And I don't mean repossessed. That is not funny. (Well, it could be if you really don't like your neighbor because he always parks in your space.)
I mean when people park their cars and can't remember where they parked.
When you go to O'Hara Airport, you park in levels that are themed. Go Cubs Go might be one level, Bear Down Chicago Bears another (although there is talk of moving them to the basement) as well as tunes for the Hawks and Sox. By remembering the song, you remember the level. Easy Squeasy!
One time we ran into a friend of ours, Chris, who had lost her car in the Sullivan's parking lot. She just could not find it. Walked up and down a couple of aisles until she remembered she was driving her husband's car, not hers.
And one time we went to Philadelphia and parked in a city garage. When we went back later, we could not find the car. Someone was convinced our Ford station wagon had been stolen. I kept saying, "We came in the other side," but to no avail. Someone was convinced the bad people of the city of Brotherly Love took our car.
When we found it on the other side of the garage, someone did become calm again. Although I did get a little upset two days later when I discovered we no longer had a front license plate....but that's another story. I think the Illinois plate was so beautiful, a collector had to have it.
You see those people, wandering up one lane and down another. Admit it, you laugh. I laugh. We all laugh.
But it wasn't so funny today.
I parked at Oakbrook on the way back from the zoo. Parked right by Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn. As a matter of fact, I cut through those stores to get to the Apple store.
When I came back, I could not find the car. Up one lane, down another. Up one lane, down another. I hit the panic button. Nothing. Met another couple (much younger, so it happens at every age) who laughed when I said I could not find my car. They kept laughing until they discovered they were in the wrong place.
Now there are three of us wandering around.
It was like Moses leading the Christians out of Christmas land.
No exaggeration, I looked for 15 minutes.
At some point, an ugly little thought creeps into your head that perhaps someone did steal your car.
I finally found it, three rows over from where I thought it was.
All is well that ends well, but I will be paying more attention to lane numbers when I park again.
After all, I can only be a laughing stock so many times before it gets boring.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
On the first day of Christmas....
I am a terrible Christmas shopper
I always wait until the last minute, and then what I want doesn't come in the correct color, size or whatever.
Why do I wait? Because I am a procrastinator. I can't buy presents in October, or November because I am not in the Christmas spirit.
Sometimes I just wander a store, looking, looking, looking.....then leave empty handed.
That's why people in my family get, let's say unusual, presents. Or presents they had no idea they wanted, until they got them.
Like the dusting socks. They were seen on TV, and at a local store. You wear them as slippers and slide your feet along the floor, dusting as you walk. They were very dangerous. The commercials on TV did not show people falling to the ground as they dusted.
I thought my daughters would like Poi Dog Pondering. So one year they each got a Poi Dog CD. I enjoy listening to the music, which got left at our house and not accidentally.
And I bet I am the only one in the history of gift giving to give a giant rutabaga.....ok, it wasn't for Christmas, but for a birthday celebration when I was in high school. To say the girl was surprised is a major understatement.
Every year I say I am going to do better. I pay attention. I make mental notes. I forget the mental notes and look feverishly for a gift that does not exist.
Usually, I get lucky and find something that the person likes. (Person mainly being wife and kids at this point in life. And she buys for the kids.)
I do find practical gifts. I have given my daughters tools, fire extinguishers, and other items that are needed around the house. Jackie has gotten jewelry and clothing that she liked.
But right now I need inspiration.
And time.
I always wait until the last minute, and then what I want doesn't come in the correct color, size or whatever.
Why do I wait? Because I am a procrastinator. I can't buy presents in October, or November because I am not in the Christmas spirit.
Sometimes I just wander a store, looking, looking, looking.....then leave empty handed.
That's why people in my family get, let's say unusual, presents. Or presents they had no idea they wanted, until they got them.
Like the dusting socks. They were seen on TV, and at a local store. You wear them as slippers and slide your feet along the floor, dusting as you walk. They were very dangerous. The commercials on TV did not show people falling to the ground as they dusted.
I thought my daughters would like Poi Dog Pondering. So one year they each got a Poi Dog CD. I enjoy listening to the music, which got left at our house and not accidentally.
And I bet I am the only one in the history of gift giving to give a giant rutabaga.....ok, it wasn't for Christmas, but for a birthday celebration when I was in high school. To say the girl was surprised is a major understatement.
Every year I say I am going to do better. I pay attention. I make mental notes. I forget the mental notes and look feverishly for a gift that does not exist.
Usually, I get lucky and find something that the person likes. (Person mainly being wife and kids at this point in life. And she buys for the kids.)
I do find practical gifts. I have given my daughters tools, fire extinguishers, and other items that are needed around the house. Jackie has gotten jewelry and clothing that she liked.
But right now I need inspiration.
And time.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tomorrow, tomorrow, there's always tomorrow
I tend to procrastinate
I finally finished the dreaded Christmas letter. I started Dec. 9.
Now, it wasn't all my fault.
I did not have paper to print it. I went to three local places, but no one in town had Christmassy paper. So I went to DeKalb to a big boxy type store and bought it.
I do a funny letter on one side and a real letter on the other. People can read either side, or neither side. Their choice.
So I printed one side, proof read it, then printed the other side, proofread it.
I proceeded to print 10 copies, with the back upside down from the front. But I did not notice that. So I printed another 10 copies. Now I have 20 copies with the back upside down from the front.
Certain people in the household said, what's the big deal? People can rotate the paper. Certain other people said no, it had to be done right.
So I printed 20 copies correctly. Actually, 18 because there were two paper jams.
I signed them, folded them, and we began stuffing them into envelopes.
I ran an additional 20 letters off, checking to be sure they were the right way. Well, 19, because I put the paper in wrong and both sides printed on one side. Me bad.
Sign, fold, stuff. We need seven more.
I walk into my highly messy den (which incidentally was going to be cleaned today....but due to extenuating circumstances was not) and picked up the upside down letters and thought, why not? She won't know.
Funny thing, NONE of the letters were printed upside down. Which means the upside down ones were signed, folded and stuffed.
All the letters got pulled to be sure they were right side up. In addition, I had to sign, fold, stuff more letters.
And I am still seven short.
Don't tell, but I am using the upside down letters.
I have to....I am out of paper!
I finally finished the dreaded Christmas letter. I started Dec. 9.
Now, it wasn't all my fault.
I did not have paper to print it. I went to three local places, but no one in town had Christmassy paper. So I went to DeKalb to a big boxy type store and bought it.
I do a funny letter on one side and a real letter on the other. People can read either side, or neither side. Their choice.
So I printed one side, proof read it, then printed the other side, proofread it.
I proceeded to print 10 copies, with the back upside down from the front. But I did not notice that. So I printed another 10 copies. Now I have 20 copies with the back upside down from the front.
Certain people in the household said, what's the big deal? People can rotate the paper. Certain other people said no, it had to be done right.
So I printed 20 copies correctly. Actually, 18 because there were two paper jams.
I signed them, folded them, and we began stuffing them into envelopes.
I ran an additional 20 letters off, checking to be sure they were the right way. Well, 19, because I put the paper in wrong and both sides printed on one side. Me bad.
Sign, fold, stuff. We need seven more.
I walk into my highly messy den (which incidentally was going to be cleaned today....but due to extenuating circumstances was not) and picked up the upside down letters and thought, why not? She won't know.
Funny thing, NONE of the letters were printed upside down. Which means the upside down ones were signed, folded and stuffed.
All the letters got pulled to be sure they were right side up. In addition, I had to sign, fold, stuff more letters.
And I am still seven short.
Don't tell, but I am using the upside down letters.
I have to....I am out of paper!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Say the word, and you'll be free....
I think I am socially maladjusted
I can't talk to people.
I mean, people I don't know really well.
I went to the BZ holiday party tonight and I had a nice time. I went and said hello to all the people I knew at the party. There were about 17.
Most of the conversations went like this:
Hello Tanya.
Hello Terry.
Total silence, looking around, then drifting apart.
I can't engage in small talk with people. It is really hard for me. I always say something so weird that I think I scare them away.
Once I get comfortable with a person, I am fine.
But put me in a room with 80 people, and I seem to be the proverbial wall flower. I sit off to the side and watch.
Jackie went with, and it is even harder for her.
"I don't know anyone here," she said. "Go talk to your friends. I am fine."
So I saw a girl named Molly who had a cool NIU sweater on....I said, '"Molly, that is a great sweater." She said, "Thank you." Look around, find food, drift apart with mouth full.
And why is it when I can't think of anything to say, I grin like an idiot and stuff a cookie in my mouth? I bet I gained 5 pounds tonight!
Is it my style, or do people find it hard to talk to me?
It's the same way at weddings, funerals, birthday parties.....I get stuck after saying a word or two as an opener. I just can't seem to engage. If there happens to be three people, the other two have a great guns conversation while I stand there, looking for food.
I have to practice and figure this out.....there is a picnic in the summer and I am hoping to go.
And don't get me wrong, I did visit with a couple of people....but I spent a lot of time talking with my wife. And that is fine, but I can do that at home.
So feel free to invite me to your next party so I can practice. Just be sure to have plenty of cookies, just in case.
I can't talk to people.
I mean, people I don't know really well.
I went to the BZ holiday party tonight and I had a nice time. I went and said hello to all the people I knew at the party. There were about 17.
Most of the conversations went like this:
Hello Tanya.
Hello Terry.
Total silence, looking around, then drifting apart.
I can't engage in small talk with people. It is really hard for me. I always say something so weird that I think I scare them away.
Once I get comfortable with a person, I am fine.
But put me in a room with 80 people, and I seem to be the proverbial wall flower. I sit off to the side and watch.
Jackie went with, and it is even harder for her.
"I don't know anyone here," she said. "Go talk to your friends. I am fine."
So I saw a girl named Molly who had a cool NIU sweater on....I said, '"Molly, that is a great sweater." She said, "Thank you." Look around, find food, drift apart with mouth full.
And why is it when I can't think of anything to say, I grin like an idiot and stuff a cookie in my mouth? I bet I gained 5 pounds tonight!
Is it my style, or do people find it hard to talk to me?
It's the same way at weddings, funerals, birthday parties.....I get stuck after saying a word or two as an opener. I just can't seem to engage. If there happens to be three people, the other two have a great guns conversation while I stand there, looking for food.
I have to practice and figure this out.....there is a picnic in the summer and I am hoping to go.
And don't get me wrong, I did visit with a couple of people....but I spent a lot of time talking with my wife. And that is fine, but I can do that at home.
So feel free to invite me to your next party so I can practice. Just be sure to have plenty of cookies, just in case.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Crazy.........
Why do I keep doing this?
I used to love watching the Bears. Now, it's torture! I can bearly stand it anymore!
Yet, there I sit, watching another futile effort by a bunch of overpaid and under performing people.
Well, it's time I declare my independence!
When in the course of human events, it becomes unbearable to watch your favorite team, every fan deserves the right to do something else.
Therefore, when the Bears get down by three scores, I will do something else!
So I decided to print my Christmas letters. OK, I know it's getting late. And yes, some of them are upside down. But hey, I had three glasses of wine and a lousy game! Suck it up! Flip the page around!
Not only that, but I have decided I have had enough of a messy desk. Starting tomorrow, I will clean this puppy off so that it looks presentable. And in the process, if I happen to find a certain person's Christmas list, then that is icing on the cookie!
Other things I think I will declare independence from....and I have quite a few.
Salad! No more shall I eat those healthy, wholesome greens. From now on it's egg nog, sugar cookies, greasy fries and greasier burgers and brats.
Playing endless hours of spider solitaire. From now on, I will limit myself to 20 minutes a day. Take that, you evil spiders of procrastination!
Saving stuff! I will get rid of things I no longer need. Like the console humidifier sitting in the garage......seriously, it's in good condition. I will sell it for $30 or best offer. Call me.
Texting! I can't hit those little keys with my big stubby fingers to start with. And I usually leave my phone in the car. Or by the bed. Or on vibrate. It may be days before I read a text someone has sent me. If it's an emergency, you could do better sending smoke signals.
Staying up late. I have been going to bed just about the time BBC comes on WNIJ. I need my beauty rest. Half the time I am up at 4 a.m. anyway, so I need to get to bed earlier.
There. I feel better. Liberated. Or slightly buzzed, not sure.
But it's 10:30 and I feel a need for solitaire, so I have to go.
I used to love watching the Bears. Now, it's torture! I can bearly stand it anymore!
Yet, there I sit, watching another futile effort by a bunch of overpaid and under performing people.
Well, it's time I declare my independence!
When in the course of human events, it becomes unbearable to watch your favorite team, every fan deserves the right to do something else.
Therefore, when the Bears get down by three scores, I will do something else!
So I decided to print my Christmas letters. OK, I know it's getting late. And yes, some of them are upside down. But hey, I had three glasses of wine and a lousy game! Suck it up! Flip the page around!
Not only that, but I have decided I have had enough of a messy desk. Starting tomorrow, I will clean this puppy off so that it looks presentable. And in the process, if I happen to find a certain person's Christmas list, then that is icing on the cookie!
Other things I think I will declare independence from....and I have quite a few.
Salad! No more shall I eat those healthy, wholesome greens. From now on it's egg nog, sugar cookies, greasy fries and greasier burgers and brats.
Playing endless hours of spider solitaire. From now on, I will limit myself to 20 minutes a day. Take that, you evil spiders of procrastination!
Saving stuff! I will get rid of things I no longer need. Like the console humidifier sitting in the garage......seriously, it's in good condition. I will sell it for $30 or best offer. Call me.
Texting! I can't hit those little keys with my big stubby fingers to start with. And I usually leave my phone in the car. Or by the bed. Or on vibrate. It may be days before I read a text someone has sent me. If it's an emergency, you could do better sending smoke signals.
Staying up late. I have been going to bed just about the time BBC comes on WNIJ. I need my beauty rest. Half the time I am up at 4 a.m. anyway, so I need to get to bed earlier.
There. I feel better. Liberated. Or slightly buzzed, not sure.
But it's 10:30 and I feel a need for solitaire, so I have to go.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Ohhh, Ohh Oh...don't worry, be happy
All my children are safe and sound in Rochelle
I am happy. Jackie is happy. We are happy. Julia is home. She is safe. Emily is home. Emily is safe. Dogs protect her. We protect Julia. John is home. He is safe. Everyone is home. Everyone is safe. All is well. Christmas is coming. Time to sleep.
Good night all.
I am happy. Jackie is happy. We are happy. Julia is home. She is safe. Emily is home. Emily is safe. Dogs protect her. We protect Julia. John is home. He is safe. Everyone is home. Everyone is safe. All is well. Christmas is coming. Time to sleep.
Good night all.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Listen, do you want to know a secret
I sometimes just don't get it
I admit, there are things i just don't get!
The little girl who loved the guinea pig I had out today. She might have been 3. Mom said, "Do you want to take that guinea pig home tonight?" The little girl lit up like a Christmas tree with the happiest grin I have seen. "Well, the man says you can't." Mom added, and the little girl looked at me with a sad face. Mom did this four times....each time telling the little girl I wouldn't let her take the guinea pig home.
Medicare sent me an explanation of benefits. They have denied four claims, each for "changing and maintaining body position functional limitation, current status, at therapy episode outset and at reporting." The facility charge was: Hold on to your hats!!!! 1 cent. 1 cent per occurrence. I wonder if the hospital will send me a bill for 4 cents???
I got behind a man in a fairly new car on the way to DeKalb today. Yes, it was foggy. Yes, you do need to be cautious. But driving 35 with 9 cars behind you is not being cautious. If foggy weather scares you, STAY the Hell home!
Oops. Sorry. Start of a rant, but I will not succumb to that internal pressure tonight.
I stopped at a McDonald's for a light supper on the way home. Ordered a small Sprite. Now, I think they just spray soda into a cup with ice that costs maybe 15 cents....maybe. A small pop cost me $1.40!! For a small pop!! I would have splurged and had an eggnog shake or found a pop machine if I had read the menu.
Why don't people put on their headlights when driving in fog? If people can't see you coming, they pull in front of you, like the guy did to the lightless pick up truck today. I think a lot of cars have an automatic setting, so the lights come on when it gets dark enough. People have had to stop thinking about it when they drive, so they forget that on days like today, it isn't dark enough to trigger headlights but it a safety thing to have them on.
Why do people propose projects that can cause irreversible harm to the environment and then say "This will create jobs!" in order to sell the project. Lots of things can create jobs: rebuilding our current roads and bridges, revitalizing national and state parks, cleaning up litter. But oil companies can't make money off of those types of job creating projects.
And yes, I did have a zoo day on our anniversary. I asked, she said yes, because she did not want to go out to dinner until Julia was home, which will be tomorrow. Emily, John and Camryn took her out to dinner for our anniversary. They had a nice time. Serves me right.
And thanks, everyone, for your anniversary blessings. We are truly humbled by all the people who care for us.
I admit, there are things i just don't get!
The little girl who loved the guinea pig I had out today. She might have been 3. Mom said, "Do you want to take that guinea pig home tonight?" The little girl lit up like a Christmas tree with the happiest grin I have seen. "Well, the man says you can't." Mom added, and the little girl looked at me with a sad face. Mom did this four times....each time telling the little girl I wouldn't let her take the guinea pig home.
Medicare sent me an explanation of benefits. They have denied four claims, each for "changing and maintaining body position functional limitation, current status, at therapy episode outset and at reporting." The facility charge was: Hold on to your hats!!!! 1 cent. 1 cent per occurrence. I wonder if the hospital will send me a bill for 4 cents???
I got behind a man in a fairly new car on the way to DeKalb today. Yes, it was foggy. Yes, you do need to be cautious. But driving 35 with 9 cars behind you is not being cautious. If foggy weather scares you, STAY the Hell home!
Oops. Sorry. Start of a rant, but I will not succumb to that internal pressure tonight.
I stopped at a McDonald's for a light supper on the way home. Ordered a small Sprite. Now, I think they just spray soda into a cup with ice that costs maybe 15 cents....maybe. A small pop cost me $1.40!! For a small pop!! I would have splurged and had an eggnog shake or found a pop machine if I had read the menu.
Why don't people put on their headlights when driving in fog? If people can't see you coming, they pull in front of you, like the guy did to the lightless pick up truck today. I think a lot of cars have an automatic setting, so the lights come on when it gets dark enough. People have had to stop thinking about it when they drive, so they forget that on days like today, it isn't dark enough to trigger headlights but it a safety thing to have them on.
Why do people propose projects that can cause irreversible harm to the environment and then say "This will create jobs!" in order to sell the project. Lots of things can create jobs: rebuilding our current roads and bridges, revitalizing national and state parks, cleaning up litter. But oil companies can't make money off of those types of job creating projects.
And yes, I did have a zoo day on our anniversary. I asked, she said yes, because she did not want to go out to dinner until Julia was home, which will be tomorrow. Emily, John and Camryn took her out to dinner for our anniversary. They had a nice time. Serves me right.
And thanks, everyone, for your anniversary blessings. We are truly humbled by all the people who care for us.
Friday, December 12, 2014
I'm getting married in the morning; ding, dong the bells are gonna chime
Tomorrow is our anniversary, and here's the true story
'Twas the night before marriage, and all through the house......
Not really.
It was an apartment. Above what is now B & W Appliance in Rochelle.
We had gone through the rehearsal, talked about the ceremony, and all we had to do was get a good night's sleep.
The rest is John's fault.
John and I stayed in the apartment the night before the wedding. At some point, I picked up my car keys, all the money I could find, and headed for the door.
The conversation went something like this:
"Where are you going?"
Uh....milk. I'm going for milk.
"You are going for milk?"
Yeah, and bread too. Going for milk and bread.
"Where are you going for milk and bread?"
Uh....just across the street. That little mini mart is open.
"Why are you taking your car keys?"
Uh...it's cold?
"Sit down. You are not going anywhere. You are getting married tomorrow. And just in case, give me those keys."
So, I sat, stayed, and the next day dressed in a rented tux and met my bride at St. Paul Episcopal Church in DeKalb. She had a beautiful wedding dress designed by J C Penney, a well know clotheir in the states. We kept that dress for about 35 years.....but we don't know why.
I think it was a cold day. (I always said, it would be a cold day when I got married.)
I was 16, she was 20.
You are right, that is a lie.
There was a white runner they unraveled before people walked down the aisle. It rolled, and rolled, and rolled..... I swear, it could have reached Normal Road if they hadn't stopped.
And the music! It went on for at least an hour after she made it down the aisle. Never ending? You can say that again.
Fr. Briant performed the ceremony. He was a wonderful man; intelligent, thoughtful. But he married us anyway.
The reception was in the church basement. Now Episcopalians call the basement the Undercroft, which I think always shows up on spell check as a mistake and is changed to anti aircraft.
Any way, I don't remember what we ate. I thought it was egg salad sandwiches, but Jackie says I am nuts about that. Who would serve egg salad at a wedding?
It was a low key affair, for a lot of reasons. We paid for it ourselves, we were students, we were young and stupid.
Anyway, she has put up with me for all these years. I know it has not been easy, I am a pain in the ass and a bit of a jerk.
There were times both of us could have walked away without looking back.
She has supported me in my job changes, my performing addiction, my sloppiness, my really sudden mood swings. I like to think I have supported her, and lifted her up too, but it has not been anywhere near as much as she has done for me. (If I count lifted up from the floor, I am way ahead on that!)
45 years is a long time.....and I don't think we'll make another 45. But I do want to say I still love her, and truly can't imagine life without her.
Now, about that present.......
'Twas the night before marriage, and all through the house......
Not really.
It was an apartment. Above what is now B & W Appliance in Rochelle.
We had gone through the rehearsal, talked about the ceremony, and all we had to do was get a good night's sleep.
The rest is John's fault.
John and I stayed in the apartment the night before the wedding. At some point, I picked up my car keys, all the money I could find, and headed for the door.
The conversation went something like this:
"Where are you going?"
Uh....milk. I'm going for milk.
"You are going for milk?"
Yeah, and bread too. Going for milk and bread.
"Where are you going for milk and bread?"
Uh....just across the street. That little mini mart is open.
"Why are you taking your car keys?"
Uh...it's cold?
"Sit down. You are not going anywhere. You are getting married tomorrow. And just in case, give me those keys."
So, I sat, stayed, and the next day dressed in a rented tux and met my bride at St. Paul Episcopal Church in DeKalb. She had a beautiful wedding dress designed by J C Penney, a well know clotheir in the states. We kept that dress for about 35 years.....but we don't know why.
I think it was a cold day. (I always said, it would be a cold day when I got married.)
I was 16, she was 20.
You are right, that is a lie.
There was a white runner they unraveled before people walked down the aisle. It rolled, and rolled, and rolled..... I swear, it could have reached Normal Road if they hadn't stopped.
And the music! It went on for at least an hour after she made it down the aisle. Never ending? You can say that again.
Fr. Briant performed the ceremony. He was a wonderful man; intelligent, thoughtful. But he married us anyway.
The reception was in the church basement. Now Episcopalians call the basement the Undercroft, which I think always shows up on spell check as a mistake and is changed to anti aircraft.
Any way, I don't remember what we ate. I thought it was egg salad sandwiches, but Jackie says I am nuts about that. Who would serve egg salad at a wedding?
It was a low key affair, for a lot of reasons. We paid for it ourselves, we were students, we were young and stupid.
Anyway, she has put up with me for all these years. I know it has not been easy, I am a pain in the ass and a bit of a jerk.
There were times both of us could have walked away without looking back.
She has supported me in my job changes, my performing addiction, my sloppiness, my really sudden mood swings. I like to think I have supported her, and lifted her up too, but it has not been anywhere near as much as she has done for me. (If I count lifted up from the floor, I am way ahead on that!)
45 years is a long time.....and I don't think we'll make another 45. But I do want to say I still love her, and truly can't imagine life without her.
Now, about that present.......
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Brown paper packages wrapped up with string
I was a shopper on the CAN shopping trip tonight
Each year youngsters from families that are not doing so well economically are taken Christmas shopping by the CAN (Community Action Network). I don't know how long they have been doing this, but I have gone the last four or five years.
Parents fill out a form for their wish list. Usually the typical items are there: Gloves, hats, mittens, underwear, shirts. The sizes are given also.
That's where it gets confusing for an old bird like me.
I picked up a pair of jeans for a boy and it was labeled "relaxed fit slim." OK, if you are wearing relaxed fit, you are not looking for slims! I can testify to that!! I have more relaxed fit pants than Eddie Bauer. And not a slim in the closet!
Waist sizes come in all sorts of numbers up to a point. I used to buy 35 in waist pants. Yes, they were hard to find and yes, Beth, they were a little snug. So I went to 36, relaxed fit. I swear, if I don't wear a belt, they fall down around my knees!
I tried 38 waist, but they were too darn big. 36 is too small. Relaxed is too relaxed. I am in the waist size nether land.
Back to my point. There were 80 youngsters signed up for the 5 p.m. trip and another 80 signed up for the 6 p.m. trip.
Jackie and I too too adorable little girls at 5....and the mom is lucky we brought both back! The 5 year old was such a cutie...we thought of keeping her.
That's when I found out that kids shoe sizes come in two ways...young kids and older kids. Why not just make sizes for kids!
Little girls go for Frozen stuff, boys go for camo.
When we got back, they were short of shoppers (go ahead, say it ten times really fast) so we took two boys.
They call the youngsters up to table where they get introduced to their personal shopper.
These two little boys are there and Michelle says, "This is you shopper, Mr. Dickow."
The mother turned and stared at me. Her face was in a state of surprise. "Mr. Dickow? You were my teacher!"
I asked her name and I did remember her, vividly. She was in my fourth grade class, maybe my first or second year teaching. She was absolutely shocked. Her boys kept asking how many times she went to the principal's office, and if she got in trouble.
I said she was a good kid, but she did talk a lot.
She also went with to Walmart on the shopping trip. We had a fun time, and I admit I broke the shopping budget when we were done with clothes. I took them to the toy aisle, and sent Mom off to talk to Jackie.
If my numbers are correct, there were 160 kids there. Each child had a gift card with $80 on it. That amounts to.....$12,800.
Events like this make my heart grow two sizes, at least.
Thanks, Rochelle, for caring about our kids.
Each year youngsters from families that are not doing so well economically are taken Christmas shopping by the CAN (Community Action Network). I don't know how long they have been doing this, but I have gone the last four or five years.
Parents fill out a form for their wish list. Usually the typical items are there: Gloves, hats, mittens, underwear, shirts. The sizes are given also.
That's where it gets confusing for an old bird like me.
I picked up a pair of jeans for a boy and it was labeled "relaxed fit slim." OK, if you are wearing relaxed fit, you are not looking for slims! I can testify to that!! I have more relaxed fit pants than Eddie Bauer. And not a slim in the closet!
Waist sizes come in all sorts of numbers up to a point. I used to buy 35 in waist pants. Yes, they were hard to find and yes, Beth, they were a little snug. So I went to 36, relaxed fit. I swear, if I don't wear a belt, they fall down around my knees!
I tried 38 waist, but they were too darn big. 36 is too small. Relaxed is too relaxed. I am in the waist size nether land.
Back to my point. There were 80 youngsters signed up for the 5 p.m. trip and another 80 signed up for the 6 p.m. trip.
Jackie and I too too adorable little girls at 5....and the mom is lucky we brought both back! The 5 year old was such a cutie...we thought of keeping her.
That's when I found out that kids shoe sizes come in two ways...young kids and older kids. Why not just make sizes for kids!
Little girls go for Frozen stuff, boys go for camo.
When we got back, they were short of shoppers (go ahead, say it ten times really fast) so we took two boys.
They call the youngsters up to table where they get introduced to their personal shopper.
These two little boys are there and Michelle says, "This is you shopper, Mr. Dickow."
The mother turned and stared at me. Her face was in a state of surprise. "Mr. Dickow? You were my teacher!"
I asked her name and I did remember her, vividly. She was in my fourth grade class, maybe my first or second year teaching. She was absolutely shocked. Her boys kept asking how many times she went to the principal's office, and if she got in trouble.
I said she was a good kid, but she did talk a lot.
She also went with to Walmart on the shopping trip. We had a fun time, and I admit I broke the shopping budget when we were done with clothes. I took them to the toy aisle, and sent Mom off to talk to Jackie.
If my numbers are correct, there were 160 kids there. Each child had a gift card with $80 on it. That amounts to.....$12,800.
Events like this make my heart grow two sizes, at least.
Thanks, Rochelle, for caring about our kids.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
The name game.....
Sometimes little things drive me crazy
A few nights ago we watched the Rudolph special. Jackie and I don't remember it, which is strange. I would have been 15 when it aired the first time, and maybe it wasn't cool to be watching a cartoon about Christmas.
But I don't remember watching it with our girls either, which is strange.
At the end, Santa hitches up Rudolph to guide his sleigh and they take off. But there are only 6 reindeer plus Rudolph.
So who is missing, I wondered. But the problem was, I could only name 7. The name of the last reindeer eluded me and frustrated me. So I Googled it. Now I know all eight.
I can remember the four Beatles, but only six of the seven dwarfs. I keep forgetting Dopey.
When I think of tv shows, like Cheers, I can remember all the major characters. Same with Frazier, and the Bob Newhart Show.
But I can't remember the name of the person I met yesterday.
Weird, huh?
The ceiling is finished. Dan came over today and we placed the last six panels. It looks pretty darn good!
I did not do much, John and Dan handled 99 percent of the nailing and drilling.
I am eternally grateful for their help.
I have a return vent to paint and install, which I should be able to do Friday. Then it will be time to trim it out to give it a polished, finished look. But that will have to wait until my arm is ready to do work again.
I even got the tree trimmed downstairs and the room fairly cleaned......have to finish that tomorrow.
That's it!
A few nights ago we watched the Rudolph special. Jackie and I don't remember it, which is strange. I would have been 15 when it aired the first time, and maybe it wasn't cool to be watching a cartoon about Christmas.
But I don't remember watching it with our girls either, which is strange.
At the end, Santa hitches up Rudolph to guide his sleigh and they take off. But there are only 6 reindeer plus Rudolph.
So who is missing, I wondered. But the problem was, I could only name 7. The name of the last reindeer eluded me and frustrated me. So I Googled it. Now I know all eight.
I can remember the four Beatles, but only six of the seven dwarfs. I keep forgetting Dopey.
When I think of tv shows, like Cheers, I can remember all the major characters. Same with Frazier, and the Bob Newhart Show.
But I can't remember the name of the person I met yesterday.
Weird, huh?
The ceiling is finished. Dan came over today and we placed the last six panels. It looks pretty darn good!
I did not do much, John and Dan handled 99 percent of the nailing and drilling.
I am eternally grateful for their help.
I have a return vent to paint and install, which I should be able to do Friday. Then it will be time to trim it out to give it a polished, finished look. But that will have to wait until my arm is ready to do work again.
I even got the tree trimmed downstairs and the room fairly cleaned......have to finish that tomorrow.
That's it!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat
I am not quite ready for Christmas
I have only watched one movie, and that was Miracle on 34th Street. I watched that over Thanksgiving. I am not counting Tammy as a holiday movie. Jackie wanted to see that this summer but we never made it to the theater. In all honestly, I didn't think it was that funny.
The outside decorations are up. The lights are not timed properly, but they eventually go on and off. It would be nice if they were in the same time zone. One item does not go on at all. It worked in the basement!
The downstairs tree has not been trimmed yet. It is up, and the freshly molded plastic branches have tenderly and lovingly been fluffed to perfection. I had to buy more lights, then never got back to finishing it.
But the big job is my annual Christmas letter.
For those of you unfortunate enough to get one, I do a false letter, then on the back, I do a real letter. I have been doing this for years.
The first one I sent out started nicely, but went on this crazy, bizarre, downward spiral that was so ludicrous, it turned out actually funny.
A guy I went to college with called me about it. He said he opened the card, saw the letter, put the letter aside, and ignored it. His teenage daughter found it, picked it up and started reading it. She burst out laughing and when David asked what was going on, she managed to stammer, "Read the letter!" He did, then he called, all the way from Delaware.
I wish I had kept a copy of that letter. And of all the other ones.
I think I wrote some pretty funny stuff.
But this year? Nada. Zilch. Can't get my mind wrapped around funny. And the pressure is on. Cards have to go out in the next week. Julia gets home Sunday and the downstairs tree needs to be trimmed. The house cleaned. The lights adjusted. Mickey set up.
At some point I have to go shopping.
And Saturday, celebrate our anniversary by...... going to the zoo. Someone said they didn't want to go out to dinner until Julia was home, so I asked if she minded that I volunteered at the zoo Saturday. She said no, I said yes.
As heard on Chicago Cubs radio: Yes, dear. You're right. I'm sorry.
Or something like that.
I have only watched one movie, and that was Miracle on 34th Street. I watched that over Thanksgiving. I am not counting Tammy as a holiday movie. Jackie wanted to see that this summer but we never made it to the theater. In all honestly, I didn't think it was that funny.
The outside decorations are up. The lights are not timed properly, but they eventually go on and off. It would be nice if they were in the same time zone. One item does not go on at all. It worked in the basement!
The downstairs tree has not been trimmed yet. It is up, and the freshly molded plastic branches have tenderly and lovingly been fluffed to perfection. I had to buy more lights, then never got back to finishing it.
But the big job is my annual Christmas letter.
For those of you unfortunate enough to get one, I do a false letter, then on the back, I do a real letter. I have been doing this for years.
The first one I sent out started nicely, but went on this crazy, bizarre, downward spiral that was so ludicrous, it turned out actually funny.
A guy I went to college with called me about it. He said he opened the card, saw the letter, put the letter aside, and ignored it. His teenage daughter found it, picked it up and started reading it. She burst out laughing and when David asked what was going on, she managed to stammer, "Read the letter!" He did, then he called, all the way from Delaware.
I wish I had kept a copy of that letter. And of all the other ones.
I think I wrote some pretty funny stuff.
But this year? Nada. Zilch. Can't get my mind wrapped around funny. And the pressure is on. Cards have to go out in the next week. Julia gets home Sunday and the downstairs tree needs to be trimmed. The house cleaned. The lights adjusted. Mickey set up.
At some point I have to go shopping.
And Saturday, celebrate our anniversary by...... going to the zoo. Someone said they didn't want to go out to dinner until Julia was home, so I asked if she minded that I volunteered at the zoo Saturday. She said no, I said yes.
As heard on Chicago Cubs radio: Yes, dear. You're right. I'm sorry.
Or something like that.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Kodachrome....they gave us those nice bright colors
I may be an idiot
Technology baffles me. I have a hybrid car with buttons that do things that I have no idea about. I have a digital camera that has 40,000 scenes settings. I am sure my computer is capable of more than spider solitaire, Facebook, my blog, and Snopes.
No matter how many times I try, I can't watch a movie upstairs without Jackie turning on the DVD player.
But sometimes a technology comes along that is slick, idiot proof, an perfect.
This is a short blog, because I want you to see some of the wonderful pictures I took at the Madrigal dinner last Saturday.
I won't blush at your compliments.
Technology baffles me. I have a hybrid car with buttons that do things that I have no idea about. I have a digital camera that has 40,000 scenes settings. I am sure my computer is capable of more than spider solitaire, Facebook, my blog, and Snopes.
No matter how many times I try, I can't watch a movie upstairs without Jackie turning on the DVD player.
But sometimes a technology comes along that is slick, idiot proof, an perfect.
This is a short blog, because I want you to see some of the wonderful pictures I took at the Madrigal dinner last Saturday.
I won't blush at your compliments.
 |
| Ross's daughter did a great job as friar |
 |
| the jokers had great outfits |
 |
| That might be my thumb |
 |
| My date for the night |
 |
| She had a great sweater
Like I said, I may be an idiot.
|
Sunday, December 7, 2014
A foggy day, in London town
I seemed to work in a fog today
Every time I go to the zoo, I park in the same row...row 1. Nearest the outside fence. Always.
So explain why I was wandering aimlessly down the third row looking for my car?
And why did one of the keepers have my keys? Could it be because I left them in a lock on one of the cages?
Of course. I had a little guinea pig named Kit Kat out. The conversation went something like this.
Little kid: "What's the guinea pig's name?"
Seriously disturbed old guy: "Tic Tac."
Female volunteer. "You mean Kit Kat."
SDOG: "Oh yes, I do mean Tic Tac.
Little kid: "Kit Kat? Or Tic Tac?"
Female volunteer. "Kit Kat."
SDOG: "Aw, gimme a break!"
So I alternated between calling her Tic Tac and Kit Kat, with the majority of references being to Kit Kat. Then I took out Skittles, and proceeded to call her Kit Kat.
I don't think the animals know their names. Evidently I don't either.
And I may have driven all the way to Oakbrook without wearing my seat belt. Either that or I took it off and don't remember doing so.
Days like this always make me wonder what else I missed. Maybe some day I will know what I didn't know I didn't know.
Or something like that.
Every time I go to the zoo, I park in the same row...row 1. Nearest the outside fence. Always.
So explain why I was wandering aimlessly down the third row looking for my car?
And why did one of the keepers have my keys? Could it be because I left them in a lock on one of the cages?
Of course. I had a little guinea pig named Kit Kat out. The conversation went something like this.
Little kid: "What's the guinea pig's name?"
Seriously disturbed old guy: "Tic Tac."
Female volunteer. "You mean Kit Kat."
SDOG: "Oh yes, I do mean Tic Tac.
Little kid: "Kit Kat? Or Tic Tac?"
Female volunteer. "Kit Kat."
SDOG: "Aw, gimme a break!"
So I alternated between calling her Tic Tac and Kit Kat, with the majority of references being to Kit Kat. Then I took out Skittles, and proceeded to call her Kit Kat.
I don't think the animals know their names. Evidently I don't either.
And I may have driven all the way to Oakbrook without wearing my seat belt. Either that or I took it off and don't remember doing so.
Days like this always make me wonder what else I missed. Maybe some day I will know what I didn't know I didn't know.
Or something like that.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Oh Tannebaum, Oh Tannenbaum....
I hope my memories don't get lost
You all know what I mean. Those memories of long ago days. I hope to always keep them.
Every Christmas my dad would go to the corner tree lot in search of the perfect tree.
It had to be straight, full, and cheap.
We lived in two places when I was growing up. The first was a third floor apartment. It was one apartment at one time, but my grandfather divided it into two. We lived in the front half, a one bedroom unit with a living room, dining room and kitchen. The three boys slept in the bedroom. My folks had a Murphy bed in what looked like a closet in the front room. Every night they would open the glass doors, pull down the bed, and go to sleep. In the morning they would lift the bed back up.
I don't remember if they made the bed or not. I wouldn't make it, but I bet my mom did.
At Christmas the tree would stand in the circular "corner" of the room.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never get the right tree.
They were always balsams.....and to this day, I love balsam Christmas trees. Jackie does not, so we get Scotch pines.
Anyway, Dad would get the tree and bring it home. He would put it up and we would decorate it, throwing tinsel on it like arsonists throw gasoline on a burning garage.
At some point, the tree would fall.
Maybe in the middle of the night, hitting the bed.
Maybe in the morning when someone got to close.
Maybe after we put that last batch on tinsel on and it proved too heavy on one side.
I remember him putting hooks in the walls in the cove and wiring the tree up. I don't think he took the hooks out. After a few years they became permanent.
When we moved to a house, we had a huge living room. The tree would again stand in the curved nook and again, no matter how hard he tried, the tree would always fall.
I remember him going to the same tree lot year after year. It was run by Bob, or Bill, or Joe, and we would carefully check each tree before deciding on the one perfect one that would never stand up on its own.
He would swear, and curse, light up a Marlboro, grab a beer and put the tree up again. And again.
I don't think Jackie and I have had a problem with trees falling....except for one year.
When we got married, we had squat. I actually took cardboard boxes and put wood grained Contact paper on them to create two end tables for used lamps.
We bought a small tree and put it on the table/box. Jackie bought some wooden paint your own ornaments and that is what used to decorate the tree. We still have the ornaments. I took a picture of our new baby under that tree, I remember seeing the picture. But that seems to have disappeared in the last couple of moves.
But the memories? I am still holding onto them.
You all know what I mean. Those memories of long ago days. I hope to always keep them.
Every Christmas my dad would go to the corner tree lot in search of the perfect tree.
It had to be straight, full, and cheap.
We lived in two places when I was growing up. The first was a third floor apartment. It was one apartment at one time, but my grandfather divided it into two. We lived in the front half, a one bedroom unit with a living room, dining room and kitchen. The three boys slept in the bedroom. My folks had a Murphy bed in what looked like a closet in the front room. Every night they would open the glass doors, pull down the bed, and go to sleep. In the morning they would lift the bed back up.
I don't remember if they made the bed or not. I wouldn't make it, but I bet my mom did.
At Christmas the tree would stand in the circular "corner" of the room.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never get the right tree.
They were always balsams.....and to this day, I love balsam Christmas trees. Jackie does not, so we get Scotch pines.
Anyway, Dad would get the tree and bring it home. He would put it up and we would decorate it, throwing tinsel on it like arsonists throw gasoline on a burning garage.
At some point, the tree would fall.
Maybe in the middle of the night, hitting the bed.
Maybe in the morning when someone got to close.
Maybe after we put that last batch on tinsel on and it proved too heavy on one side.
I remember him putting hooks in the walls in the cove and wiring the tree up. I don't think he took the hooks out. After a few years they became permanent.
When we moved to a house, we had a huge living room. The tree would again stand in the curved nook and again, no matter how hard he tried, the tree would always fall.
I remember him going to the same tree lot year after year. It was run by Bob, or Bill, or Joe, and we would carefully check each tree before deciding on the one perfect one that would never stand up on its own.
He would swear, and curse, light up a Marlboro, grab a beer and put the tree up again. And again.
I don't think Jackie and I have had a problem with trees falling....except for one year.
When we got married, we had squat. I actually took cardboard boxes and put wood grained Contact paper on them to create two end tables for used lamps.
We bought a small tree and put it on the table/box. Jackie bought some wooden paint your own ornaments and that is what used to decorate the tree. We still have the ornaments. I took a picture of our new baby under that tree, I remember seeing the picture. But that seems to have disappeared in the last couple of moves.
But the memories? I am still holding onto them.
Friday, December 5, 2014
500 miles, 500 miles, lord I'm 500 miles away from home
Today, for some reason, drivers made me nuts
Spent a lot of time in the car today. Now, I'm not saying I am the worlds greatest driver (however, I claim title to World's Greatest Dad, World's Greatest Teacher, World's Greatest Husband, because I have shirts or mugs that say that, and they wouldn't lie. Well, actually, the husband one is bogus.)
and I know I have done some dumb things, but folks, come on!
When it is foggy, put on your lights. Other motorists want to see you. If your car has a setting that says automatic for lights, they may not be going on in the fog.
When it is raining, put on your lifts. It is the law. Plus, other drivers can see you.
A center turn lane is for turning left. That's why all those arrows are there.
Drive, damn it! I am not a speed demon. I do the limit, and I do over the limit at times. Please don't do 35 on Flagg Road! Because of your slow speed, and my inability to pass due to east bound traffic, a school bus pulled out in front of you. When the school bus reaches the railroad tracks, they stop. They stop for a long time. Then they hit the second track. They stop for a long time again. My 2:15 coffee was beginning to exert a pressure that made me uncomfortable and you are lucky I did not get out and pee on your car!
Read the highway signs. If the huge sign says "Right Lane Ends," there is a good chance, a very good chance, that your lane ends. When a nice courteous driver approaches from the rear of your car and sees you are going to have to move over and slows down so you can, have the brains to move over and not begin to stop. And please, don't drive on the shoulder next to me while you decide what you need to do..it makes me nervous!
If you change lanes more than three times in 10 seconds and you are not exiting, you may be an idiot.
Stop signs mean stop. Don't just slow down and try to follow the car ahead of you through the intersection.
If I am in the far right lane, and there are three lanes to the left of me, please do not feel obligated to ride my tail. I encourage you to use one of the three empty lanes and go around me, like a sane person would do.
If you have cruise control, set it. That is a lot easier than passing me, pulling in front of me, slowing down, and having me pass you, only to repeat this dance three more times between IL 47 and the DeKalb oasis. I do have to admit, when you went from 70 to 55, it did cause a hearty chuckle from me as I passed you, again.
And we all know that the on ramps for tollways and expressways are for accelerating, right? You should not be going 40 when you enter traffic and everyone else is going a higher speed. Use the ramp to build speed so you can merge effortlessly into the stream of traffic, not bring it to a grinding halt.
Like I said, I know I am not perfect. I forget to signal at times. I do forget once in a while to put my lights on when it's raining. And one time I did take a shortcut, which involved driving down a sidewalk for 25 feet or so, but in my defense, the street had never been a cul de sac before and I had gone that route several times. I just thought it was a big speed bump.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Spent a lot of time in the car today. Now, I'm not saying I am the worlds greatest driver (however, I claim title to World's Greatest Dad, World's Greatest Teacher, World's Greatest Husband, because I have shirts or mugs that say that, and they wouldn't lie. Well, actually, the husband one is bogus.)
and I know I have done some dumb things, but folks, come on!
When it is foggy, put on your lights. Other motorists want to see you. If your car has a setting that says automatic for lights, they may not be going on in the fog.
When it is raining, put on your lifts. It is the law. Plus, other drivers can see you.
A center turn lane is for turning left. That's why all those arrows are there.
Drive, damn it! I am not a speed demon. I do the limit, and I do over the limit at times. Please don't do 35 on Flagg Road! Because of your slow speed, and my inability to pass due to east bound traffic, a school bus pulled out in front of you. When the school bus reaches the railroad tracks, they stop. They stop for a long time. Then they hit the second track. They stop for a long time again. My 2:15 coffee was beginning to exert a pressure that made me uncomfortable and you are lucky I did not get out and pee on your car!
Read the highway signs. If the huge sign says "Right Lane Ends," there is a good chance, a very good chance, that your lane ends. When a nice courteous driver approaches from the rear of your car and sees you are going to have to move over and slows down so you can, have the brains to move over and not begin to stop. And please, don't drive on the shoulder next to me while you decide what you need to do..it makes me nervous!
If you change lanes more than three times in 10 seconds and you are not exiting, you may be an idiot.
Stop signs mean stop. Don't just slow down and try to follow the car ahead of you through the intersection.
If I am in the far right lane, and there are three lanes to the left of me, please do not feel obligated to ride my tail. I encourage you to use one of the three empty lanes and go around me, like a sane person would do.
If you have cruise control, set it. That is a lot easier than passing me, pulling in front of me, slowing down, and having me pass you, only to repeat this dance three more times between IL 47 and the DeKalb oasis. I do have to admit, when you went from 70 to 55, it did cause a hearty chuckle from me as I passed you, again.
And we all know that the on ramps for tollways and expressways are for accelerating, right? You should not be going 40 when you enter traffic and everyone else is going a higher speed. Use the ramp to build speed so you can merge effortlessly into the stream of traffic, not bring it to a grinding halt.
Like I said, I know I am not perfect. I forget to signal at times. I do forget once in a while to put my lights on when it's raining. And one time I did take a shortcut, which involved driving down a sidewalk for 25 feet or so, but in my defense, the street had never been a cul de sac before and I had gone that route several times. I just thought it was a big speed bump.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
when you're alone and life is making you lonely,
I love going downtown
There is something about downtown Chicago that is hard to describe.
Could it be the constant screaming of sirens?
Or the seemingly rambling, nonsensical shouts of the possibly crazed guy predicting the end of the world unless we repent and stop drinking diet cola.
Or Chewbaca in front of Field's, shilling for the Salvation Army. (It will always be Field's.) When he did his yowl, I though someone unleashed the lions from the Art Institute.
I made the trek back in time today. Visited the big tree at Field's. Looked at the windows. Went to the Christmas market at Daley Plaza, had a schnitzel sandwich and a cup of hot mulled wine.
And try saying schnitzel sandwich and not break into a laugh.
I did get really cold. It was not the sunny, warm 40s I expected. So I stopped at a Starbucks for a warm beverage. At the busier Starbucks, they ask your name and write it on the cup. The pretty young thing asked me for my name, I hemmed and hawed, and said "Ted."
She looked at me and repeated, "Ted? Well, today you are Teddy. In keeping with the season, you are Teddy Bear."
I was waiting in line and the other pretty young thing started saying, 'Ted? Ted? Do you want whip cream on top? Ted?"
I forgot who I was!
Then she said, "Teddy Bear, do you want some whip cream?" I told her yes, because I realized I was Teddy Bear.
Back in Rochelle, we saw Dan and Linda at Culver's and I forgot to tell him this little story. Bear with me.
When Dan and I were in France, our train was delayed because la femme morte in the car ahead of us. When I got up and got out of the car to look, I saw la femme's feet sticking out of the car door, and I realized what had happened.
The French are real reluctant to let a train move with a fresh body on board, so we sat, waited, and missed our connection.
Today, the train stopped in Glen Ellyn and did not move. It sat. And sat. And sat.
Soon, a police car appeared. And a second. And a third. Then an ambulance.
Luckily, the gent was awake and talking when they took him off the train, and the delay was only 20 minutes and I did not miss a connection.
It was a good day for him, and for me.
But enough words. Pictures.
There is something about downtown Chicago that is hard to describe.
Could it be the constant screaming of sirens?
Or the seemingly rambling, nonsensical shouts of the possibly crazed guy predicting the end of the world unless we repent and stop drinking diet cola.
Or Chewbaca in front of Field's, shilling for the Salvation Army. (It will always be Field's.) When he did his yowl, I though someone unleashed the lions from the Art Institute.
I made the trek back in time today. Visited the big tree at Field's. Looked at the windows. Went to the Christmas market at Daley Plaza, had a schnitzel sandwich and a cup of hot mulled wine.
And try saying schnitzel sandwich and not break into a laugh.
I did get really cold. It was not the sunny, warm 40s I expected. So I stopped at a Starbucks for a warm beverage. At the busier Starbucks, they ask your name and write it on the cup. The pretty young thing asked me for my name, I hemmed and hawed, and said "Ted."
She looked at me and repeated, "Ted? Well, today you are Teddy. In keeping with the season, you are Teddy Bear."
I was waiting in line and the other pretty young thing started saying, 'Ted? Ted? Do you want whip cream on top? Ted?"
I forgot who I was!
Then she said, "Teddy Bear, do you want some whip cream?" I told her yes, because I realized I was Teddy Bear.
Back in Rochelle, we saw Dan and Linda at Culver's and I forgot to tell him this little story. Bear with me.
When Dan and I were in France, our train was delayed because la femme morte in the car ahead of us. When I got up and got out of the car to look, I saw la femme's feet sticking out of the car door, and I realized what had happened.
The French are real reluctant to let a train move with a fresh body on board, so we sat, waited, and missed our connection.
Today, the train stopped in Glen Ellyn and did not move. It sat. And sat. And sat.
Soon, a police car appeared. And a second. And a third. Then an ambulance.
Luckily, the gent was awake and talking when they took him off the train, and the delay was only 20 minutes and I did not miss a connection.
It was a good day for him, and for me.
But enough words. Pictures.
 |
| It's Field's, damn it! |
 |
| I love the windows |
 |
| Looking down to the first floor at Field's |
 |
| Walnut Room tree |
 |
| Daley Plaza tree |
 |
| Spiced wine is warm and hearty. I can't smile doing a selfie! |
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning.....
I suck at DIY stuff
I am not complaining, actually it's sort of bragging.
I can't drive screws straight. I can't hammer nails straight. I can't cut boards straight.
It is the one thing in my life that is consistent.....my inability to do stuff.
John and Dan worked on my ceiling project today. They would have gotten a lot more done if I had some idea of what I was doing.
I had planned to center the panels in the ceiling, then just cut off the end using my new tin snips and my cut proof gloves. (Taking a blood thinner, the last thing I want to do is cut myself. I usually bleed for about 5 days with a paper cut, anything more serious and I could bleed out.)
Dan's idea was much better, and results in no trimming of the panels.
Which means it was good I did not put up firring strips. They would have been in the wrong location for how the ceiling is getting done.
Making a long story short, we did not finish today. The project resumes Monday afternoon.
It actually should go a little quicker, now that we know what we are doing. Scratch that...now that I know what they are doing.
In the meantime, I am going to practice hammering and using a power screw driver. I may get the hang of those things yet.
And somewhere I have a box with stuff in it....plumb line, jig saw, and who knows what else.
I have drawers full of odd nails, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, thing a ma bobs........I wonder if those can be recycled with the metals? If not, I am tossing them.
Going to be doing a lot of that this next year!
Jackie and I have a goal of going through one box a week. So in about 3 years we will go through all the boxes in the basement. I will find my tools, she will find her dish cloths.
And the Cubs will win the World Series.
I am not complaining, actually it's sort of bragging.
I can't drive screws straight. I can't hammer nails straight. I can't cut boards straight.
It is the one thing in my life that is consistent.....my inability to do stuff.
John and Dan worked on my ceiling project today. They would have gotten a lot more done if I had some idea of what I was doing.
I had planned to center the panels in the ceiling, then just cut off the end using my new tin snips and my cut proof gloves. (Taking a blood thinner, the last thing I want to do is cut myself. I usually bleed for about 5 days with a paper cut, anything more serious and I could bleed out.)
Dan's idea was much better, and results in no trimming of the panels.
Which means it was good I did not put up firring strips. They would have been in the wrong location for how the ceiling is getting done.
Making a long story short, we did not finish today. The project resumes Monday afternoon.
It actually should go a little quicker, now that we know what we are doing. Scratch that...now that I know what they are doing.
In the meantime, I am going to practice hammering and using a power screw driver. I may get the hang of those things yet.
And somewhere I have a box with stuff in it....plumb line, jig saw, and who knows what else.
I have drawers full of odd nails, nuts, bolts, screws, washers, thing a ma bobs........I wonder if those can be recycled with the metals? If not, I am tossing them.
Going to be doing a lot of that this next year!
Jackie and I have a goal of going through one box a week. So in about 3 years we will go through all the boxes in the basement. I will find my tools, she will find her dish cloths.
And the Cubs will win the World Series.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
I get by with a little help from my friends
No man is a failure if he has friends
Thank you Clarence Goodbody. He's the angel who is trying to get his wings in the classic "It's a Wonderful Life."
John and Dan are coming over tomorrow to attack my unfinished ceiling. The firring strips are here, the tin tile is here ... but I can't seem to physically do the task.
Mentally, either, it appears.
My plan was to put insulation between the joists to cut down on noise. So I bought a roll of R 13 about two months ago. Last week I figured one roll was not enough, so I bought a roll of R 30 for some reason.
R 30 is about a foot thick! No way can it go between the joists, which are 2 x 4s. I tried splitting it in half, but that didn't work. Like putting a ball of cotton in two piles....easy in concept, difficult in practice.
So I opened the R-13 bag to finish the job. One bag contains 32 feet of insulation. The area I am insulating is 6 feet by 30 feet....or about three bags more than I have.
Common sense and basic math should have been employed here, but it wasn't.
Especially the common sense.
I also bought some Styrofoam insulation to slip in above the joists. I planned to buy 6 panels, but instead opted for three....which was what I really needed. Jackie helped me shove the suckers in place.
I think I am up to about $9,730 for insulation at this point. That's just a rough estimate.
I just hope all goes well tomorrow. I have bought drill bits, screws, wood.....everything should be here and ready to go.
Of course, the more sane people ask me questions like: Are you going to put up some trim? What are you going to do with the front side? Have you thought about the cold air return? The answer to all these questions is: No! I am flying by the seat of my pants here!
Well, tomorrow is the test.
I'll keep you posted.
Thank you Clarence Goodbody. He's the angel who is trying to get his wings in the classic "It's a Wonderful Life."
John and Dan are coming over tomorrow to attack my unfinished ceiling. The firring strips are here, the tin tile is here ... but I can't seem to physically do the task.
Mentally, either, it appears.
My plan was to put insulation between the joists to cut down on noise. So I bought a roll of R 13 about two months ago. Last week I figured one roll was not enough, so I bought a roll of R 30 for some reason.
R 30 is about a foot thick! No way can it go between the joists, which are 2 x 4s. I tried splitting it in half, but that didn't work. Like putting a ball of cotton in two piles....easy in concept, difficult in practice.
So I opened the R-13 bag to finish the job. One bag contains 32 feet of insulation. The area I am insulating is 6 feet by 30 feet....or about three bags more than I have.
Common sense and basic math should have been employed here, but it wasn't.
Especially the common sense.
I also bought some Styrofoam insulation to slip in above the joists. I planned to buy 6 panels, but instead opted for three....which was what I really needed. Jackie helped me shove the suckers in place.
I think I am up to about $9,730 for insulation at this point. That's just a rough estimate.
I just hope all goes well tomorrow. I have bought drill bits, screws, wood.....everything should be here and ready to go.
Of course, the more sane people ask me questions like: Are you going to put up some trim? What are you going to do with the front side? Have you thought about the cold air return? The answer to all these questions is: No! I am flying by the seat of my pants here!
Well, tomorrow is the test.
I'll keep you posted.
Monday, December 1, 2014
so tired, tired of waiting
I hate being on hold on the telephone
I called the Sleep Number bed people today. We bought a Sleep Number a few years ago, and a big hump has developed in the middle. After a 10 minute wait, the young person with a strange accent, could have been Boston or New York or New Delhi, had me pull the bed apart and check the foam divider between the sides. It was up. He said, push it down. I did, and the bed looks fine.
But Jackie doesn't like it. I sleep ok, until the prostate screams, "Wake up and hit the head."
As long as I am on the topic of phones, (I wasn't, but it is a great segue, don't you think?) I have a Coventry health care plan.
The have a wellness check that is free. (Yes, I know, nothing is free. We are paying for it through our premiums.) A CN will come to the house, assess my state of health, and make some suggestions.
Someone called to ask if I am ready to schedule an appointment. I say yes. They ask me for date of birth, address, city, zip code. I give them all that, then they go to the schedule and find an appointment time.
No person was in the area that week.
They called again. Same routine. Same response, no person was in the area.
The last time they called,v which was the fifth time, I said, "I bet you are calling for a wellness check. Before we both waste a lot of time, do you have a person in the area?"
The answer was no.
My suggestion would be to call me first to schedule a time, then work around that. But they will eventually figure that out.
This is how I roll. I am putting away glasses tonight. Jackie gives me four. I say, just give me one at a time so I don't drop any and break them. She gives me one glass, which I immediately use to knock over a glass, sending it to the floor where it shattered into a billion pieces. Figuratively speaking. I would have been better off with four.
My van is a mess. Carried a Scotch pine tree and three 4 x 8 sheets of Styrofoam, and it needs to be cleaned. Not going to happen this week.
Wow...cleared a lot out of my mind tonight!
Now I'll go to my Sleep Number bed and dial up a #64 dream. That's one where the Bears, Cubs, Sox, Hawks and Bulls all win championships.
Some day, that dream will come true!
I called the Sleep Number bed people today. We bought a Sleep Number a few years ago, and a big hump has developed in the middle. After a 10 minute wait, the young person with a strange accent, could have been Boston or New York or New Delhi, had me pull the bed apart and check the foam divider between the sides. It was up. He said, push it down. I did, and the bed looks fine.
But Jackie doesn't like it. I sleep ok, until the prostate screams, "Wake up and hit the head."
As long as I am on the topic of phones, (I wasn't, but it is a great segue, don't you think?) I have a Coventry health care plan.
The have a wellness check that is free. (Yes, I know, nothing is free. We are paying for it through our premiums.) A CN will come to the house, assess my state of health, and make some suggestions.
Someone called to ask if I am ready to schedule an appointment. I say yes. They ask me for date of birth, address, city, zip code. I give them all that, then they go to the schedule and find an appointment time.
No person was in the area that week.
They called again. Same routine. Same response, no person was in the area.
The last time they called,v which was the fifth time, I said, "I bet you are calling for a wellness check. Before we both waste a lot of time, do you have a person in the area?"
The answer was no.
My suggestion would be to call me first to schedule a time, then work around that. But they will eventually figure that out.
This is how I roll. I am putting away glasses tonight. Jackie gives me four. I say, just give me one at a time so I don't drop any and break them. She gives me one glass, which I immediately use to knock over a glass, sending it to the floor where it shattered into a billion pieces. Figuratively speaking. I would have been better off with four.
My van is a mess. Carried a Scotch pine tree and three 4 x 8 sheets of Styrofoam, and it needs to be cleaned. Not going to happen this week.
Wow...cleared a lot out of my mind tonight!
Now I'll go to my Sleep Number bed and dial up a #64 dream. That's one where the Bears, Cubs, Sox, Hawks and Bulls all win championships.
Some day, that dream will come true!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
dark as a dungeon, damp as the dew....
I wonder what other people think
Specifically I wonder about workers in China, or Thailand, or other places that produce the copious amounts of goods we consume.
I got to thinking of that this weekend as I was putting up our Christmas trees. We have several ornaments from Switzerland, Germany, France, Haiti and assorted European nations.
But what do the people in China think? After all, they are not exactly a nation that has religious beliefs that include Christmas.
Here they are, making pennies a day, (disclaimer: I have no idea how much they make, but I am thinking it is not much) turning out plastic and ceramic Santas. Do they wonder what the figure represents? Maybe they think that's how men in the USA dress for the holidays?
What about the doggie hats, sweaters, coats and boots? Some poor guy, one of the billions in the mass production industries, is making this doggie hat thinking, "Huh...maybe my kid could wear that. I just don't know that the words say."
Or some 10 year old kid hand painting a doll, (disclaimer: I do not know for a fact that some countries employ youngsters to mass produce stuff, but I am making a blanket stereotypically statement about every third world and developing nation) their eyes getting blurry from working 14 hour days and eating gruel....wait a minute, that's a Dickens' novel. Sorry. A young person painting a doll and wondering about life in our country. There could be workers painting and assembling toys for kids their own age!
Do they ever wonder about what our lives are like?
We buy Christmas lights for a couple of bucks a package. Imagine the wages those people have to be paid to assemble and package those lights if we are only paying a couple of bucks? They must be working for free! Do they think, "Hmm, those Americans must have small houses to have such tiny lights." And do they intentionally put one loose wire in every fourth set to purposely drive us crazy trying to get the lights to work? Do they think we are being extravagant and wasteful for buying the lights and putting them on a dead tree we keep in the house?
Thinking is too much work for me.
I am tired.
Why?
My dirt pile got moved today! It no longer occupies part of the driveway. It is now in the planter I built.
A big thanks to Noah for his hard work, and to Debbie and Steve for sharing him with me today.
My arm is a little stiff, but it does not throb.
Nothing, on me throbs anymore, thank you aging process.
But that's another story.
Specifically I wonder about workers in China, or Thailand, or other places that produce the copious amounts of goods we consume.
I got to thinking of that this weekend as I was putting up our Christmas trees. We have several ornaments from Switzerland, Germany, France, Haiti and assorted European nations.
But what do the people in China think? After all, they are not exactly a nation that has religious beliefs that include Christmas.
Here they are, making pennies a day, (disclaimer: I have no idea how much they make, but I am thinking it is not much) turning out plastic and ceramic Santas. Do they wonder what the figure represents? Maybe they think that's how men in the USA dress for the holidays?
What about the doggie hats, sweaters, coats and boots? Some poor guy, one of the billions in the mass production industries, is making this doggie hat thinking, "Huh...maybe my kid could wear that. I just don't know that the words say."
Or some 10 year old kid hand painting a doll, (disclaimer: I do not know for a fact that some countries employ youngsters to mass produce stuff, but I am making a blanket stereotypically statement about every third world and developing nation) their eyes getting blurry from working 14 hour days and eating gruel....wait a minute, that's a Dickens' novel. Sorry. A young person painting a doll and wondering about life in our country. There could be workers painting and assembling toys for kids their own age!
Do they ever wonder about what our lives are like?
We buy Christmas lights for a couple of bucks a package. Imagine the wages those people have to be paid to assemble and package those lights if we are only paying a couple of bucks? They must be working for free! Do they think, "Hmm, those Americans must have small houses to have such tiny lights." And do they intentionally put one loose wire in every fourth set to purposely drive us crazy trying to get the lights to work? Do they think we are being extravagant and wasteful for buying the lights and putting them on a dead tree we keep in the house?
Thinking is too much work for me.
I am tired.
Why?
My dirt pile got moved today! It no longer occupies part of the driveway. It is now in the planter I built.
A big thanks to Noah for his hard work, and to Debbie and Steve for sharing him with me today.
My arm is a little stiff, but it does not throb.
Nothing, on me throbs anymore, thank you aging process.
But that's another story.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree.....
I love putting up a live tree
The thrill of the tree hunt, the effort of cutting it down, the correct positioning of the tree and the lights.... I just love it. Usually.
I admit, this year was a little different. My right arm is a little sore. I know I should just shut up, but I can't use it for a lot of things....especially cutting down a tree. (I discovered that when I actually cut down a small dead tree and spent the next two days in hell pain wise.)
Another change is the size of the group outing. It used to be four or more, then it became three, then two, for the past several years it was three, but today it was just two...John and me. Emily has a cold, and Jackie can't walk in a tree field, so I was grateful John came.
We went to the Prairie Preservation Society of Ogle County cut your own lot on Daysville Road. One of the people working in the field was a former professor of mine while in the Outdoor Education program at Taft. A theater friend and mother of three former students was cashier. I realized how much I had in common with these people: political views, environmental views, the whole concept of a liberal in a conservative county, and asked myself why I haven't been involved in the PPSOC for the past thirty years or so. Now I have a membership form and will be getting re-involved with them.
But I digress.
We found a very nice tree, John cut it down, loaded it in the car and we brought the baby home.
Yes, dear, we did see the bare spot, but we figured we would put that toward the back, by the window.
No, dear, I did not realize how big the bare spot was. Yes, dear, it is huge.
No, dear, I did not see the other bare spot.
No, dear, I don't want an artificial tree.
Anyway, it's up. Lit. Decorated. It looks a little strange. If you sit on one side, you won't see any ornaments or lights because there are no branches.
And I did have an accident. No, not the pee on the floor kind. I dropped a special ornament. It shattered. It was a present last year and it had never actually hung on the tree. Hand painted ceramic from Italy. I must not have got it on the branch firmly enough, because it fell to the floor and just shattered.
That's the bummer part of the day.
Here are a few pictures.
The thrill of the tree hunt, the effort of cutting it down, the correct positioning of the tree and the lights.... I just love it. Usually.
I admit, this year was a little different. My right arm is a little sore. I know I should just shut up, but I can't use it for a lot of things....especially cutting down a tree. (I discovered that when I actually cut down a small dead tree and spent the next two days in hell pain wise.)
Another change is the size of the group outing. It used to be four or more, then it became three, then two, for the past several years it was three, but today it was just two...John and me. Emily has a cold, and Jackie can't walk in a tree field, so I was grateful John came.
We went to the Prairie Preservation Society of Ogle County cut your own lot on Daysville Road. One of the people working in the field was a former professor of mine while in the Outdoor Education program at Taft. A theater friend and mother of three former students was cashier. I realized how much I had in common with these people: political views, environmental views, the whole concept of a liberal in a conservative county, and asked myself why I haven't been involved in the PPSOC for the past thirty years or so. Now I have a membership form and will be getting re-involved with them.
But I digress.
We found a very nice tree, John cut it down, loaded it in the car and we brought the baby home.
Yes, dear, we did see the bare spot, but we figured we would put that toward the back, by the window.
No, dear, I did not realize how big the bare spot was. Yes, dear, it is huge.
No, dear, I did not see the other bare spot.
No, dear, I don't want an artificial tree.
Anyway, it's up. Lit. Decorated. It looks a little strange. If you sit on one side, you won't see any ornaments or lights because there are no branches.
And I did have an accident. No, not the pee on the floor kind. I dropped a special ornament. It shattered. It was a present last year and it had never actually hung on the tree. Hand painted ceramic from Italy. I must not have got it on the branch firmly enough, because it fell to the floor and just shattered.
That's the bummer part of the day.
Here are a few pictures.
 |
| Looks darn good, doesn't it! |
 |
| Ok, there is a bare spot or two |
 |
| I know it's blurry, but I like it. |
 |
| The sky was on fire tonight. |
 |
| Almost done... |
Friday, November 28, 2014
on the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
Christmas erupted in my house today
I lugged up several boxes of decorations. The timers on the porch lights are adjusted, set, reset and still going on and off at strange times.
Jackie has gone through several tubs and weeded out some of our no longer wanted decorations. I squirrel them away for the garage sale I am having next year, the one I have been having every year in my mind, just not in the garage.
When I was a little kid, my parents had a small cedar log cabin that burned Maine pine incense. I remember Mom making the annual trip to the Woolworth's downtown on State Street to buy the cones the little incense holder in the cabin held. You put the cone in the holder, light it, put it in the cabin and put the roof on. Sometimes you have to light it twice.
I would stare at it, the smoke gently floating up through the chimney. I pictured it as a real cabin in the north woods during a winter storm, with me safe and warm inside by the fire.
I'm on my third cabin as an adult. The kids got me one years ago. It was fine until I accidentally stepped on it. It was like the Jolly Green Giant (everybody: Ho! Ho! Ho!) running amok through Tiny Town. I tried gluing it, but that did not hold. Wood glue does not always work on log cabins.
As I prepped the cabin this year, I opened an end table drawer to pull out a box of cones. There are about 70 cones in the box. I looked again, pulled out another box. Then another. Then another.
It appears, I have a life time supply of cones....7 boxes plus a small bag.
I lugged up several boxes of decorations. The timers on the porch lights are adjusted, set, reset and still going on and off at strange times.
Jackie has gone through several tubs and weeded out some of our no longer wanted decorations. I squirrel them away for the garage sale I am having next year, the one I have been having every year in my mind, just not in the garage.
When I was a little kid, my parents had a small cedar log cabin that burned Maine pine incense. I remember Mom making the annual trip to the Woolworth's downtown on State Street to buy the cones the little incense holder in the cabin held. You put the cone in the holder, light it, put it in the cabin and put the roof on. Sometimes you have to light it twice.
I would stare at it, the smoke gently floating up through the chimney. I pictured it as a real cabin in the north woods during a winter storm, with me safe and warm inside by the fire.
I'm on my third cabin as an adult. The kids got me one years ago. It was fine until I accidentally stepped on it. It was like the Jolly Green Giant (everybody: Ho! Ho! Ho!) running amok through Tiny Town. I tried gluing it, but that did not hold. Wood glue does not always work on log cabins.
As I prepped the cabin this year, I opened an end table drawer to pull out a box of cones. There are about 70 cones in the box. I looked again, pulled out another box. Then another. Then another.
It appears, I have a life time supply of cones....7 boxes plus a small bag.
That wasn't all! Jackie has some smokers. These are German wooden figures that hold an incense cone. You pull the top off, light the cone, put the top back on and the figure smokes. Of course, they are not the same size as the cabin!
Every year at the German market in Chicago I buy a pack or two to be sure we have enough. I think we have 15 packs!! (I plan on going to the market Dec. 4. That's a Thursday. Anyone? Just call.)
Holy crow, I must be trying to corner the market on all these stinkers.
And to top it off, I think Julia is allergic and we can't burn them when she is home, or she sniffles, snorts, drips, coughs and has very teary eyes. Or it's Emily, and she flees as soon as the smoker gets fired up. Or it's me. I seem to not be able to see through the haze.
So I am going through the cones now. I have burned three of them today. Each time I light one, I put the roof on the house and stand back, close my eyes, and I can almost feel my mother's hand as she leads me into the Woolworth's downtown.
Sometimes it just feels good to go back in time.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
dum do do dum, can't touch this
I think I might explode
No, not from anger. Not from gas. Not from anything but too much food!
Turkey, ham, sweet potato pie, dressing, pecan chocolate chip bourbon pie, appetizers, desserts....... holy cow, I think I popped a button!
Every year I swear I am going to cut back, then the gravy boat appears and I'm eating like it's the last day on Earth.
When Jackie and I were newly weds, my brother invited us up to Rockford for a dinner. Might have been Thanksgiving, maybe not. Anyway, I ate and ate and ate.....Carl commented I was eating a lot. I said, "I am eating for three." He looked and me and said, "Is Jackie pregnant?" And I said, "No, three as in three days. We're broke."
We have bought a roaster to cook the turkey, which frees up oven space.
But it is strange. We cooked the bird at 325 and after two and a half hours, the bird looked obscene!
Seriously!
It's back legs had spread wide open, and I was waiting for her to say, "Come on big boy, get my stuffing." (I actually mean the bird's stuffing...it was spilling out because the legs were spread so wide. If you thought something else, shame on you! It's a turkey!!)
And the body seemed to shrink. I swear, it was half the size from when it went in the roaster.
This happened last year too. I don't know if it is roasting too high and too fast, or whether we have incredible shrinking bird syndrome working in the house.
The turkey was tasty, not dry, so I am not sure what is up. Next year I think we will oven roast it the day before and just warm it up.
My niece Cindy had an interesting Thanksgiving theme this year. She had invited a bunch of people and they were to bring something they had never made or had before. Cindy was making a casserole with apples, yams, and I think pears. I hope she sends a report on how it tasted.
In the spirit of accuracy, I have a couple of corrections. When I wrote about Julia's birth, we had a 65 Chevy, not a 61. John remembered that. He remembers lots of details about past events. I can't even remember this morning. Jackie noted that the infamous pumpkin pie without sugar was served at my parents' house at a Christmas dinner.
I do have a Thanksgiving tradition. After everyone is gone, the house picked up, and Jackie asleep; in the quiet of the midnight hour, I munch on a turkey drumstick.
I imagine that is not a good idea, but I'm doing it anyway.
I just hope I don't break any windows when the last buttons pop.
Hope your Thanksgiving was happy and your Friday not black, but a rainbow of color.
No, not from anger. Not from gas. Not from anything but too much food!
Turkey, ham, sweet potato pie, dressing, pecan chocolate chip bourbon pie, appetizers, desserts....... holy cow, I think I popped a button!
Every year I swear I am going to cut back, then the gravy boat appears and I'm eating like it's the last day on Earth.
When Jackie and I were newly weds, my brother invited us up to Rockford for a dinner. Might have been Thanksgiving, maybe not. Anyway, I ate and ate and ate.....Carl commented I was eating a lot. I said, "I am eating for three." He looked and me and said, "Is Jackie pregnant?" And I said, "No, three as in three days. We're broke."
We have bought a roaster to cook the turkey, which frees up oven space.
But it is strange. We cooked the bird at 325 and after two and a half hours, the bird looked obscene!
Seriously!
It's back legs had spread wide open, and I was waiting for her to say, "Come on big boy, get my stuffing." (I actually mean the bird's stuffing...it was spilling out because the legs were spread so wide. If you thought something else, shame on you! It's a turkey!!)
And the body seemed to shrink. I swear, it was half the size from when it went in the roaster.
This happened last year too. I don't know if it is roasting too high and too fast, or whether we have incredible shrinking bird syndrome working in the house.
The turkey was tasty, not dry, so I am not sure what is up. Next year I think we will oven roast it the day before and just warm it up.
My niece Cindy had an interesting Thanksgiving theme this year. She had invited a bunch of people and they were to bring something they had never made or had before. Cindy was making a casserole with apples, yams, and I think pears. I hope she sends a report on how it tasted.
In the spirit of accuracy, I have a couple of corrections. When I wrote about Julia's birth, we had a 65 Chevy, not a 61. John remembered that. He remembers lots of details about past events. I can't even remember this morning. Jackie noted that the infamous pumpkin pie without sugar was served at my parents' house at a Christmas dinner.
I do have a Thanksgiving tradition. After everyone is gone, the house picked up, and Jackie asleep; in the quiet of the midnight hour, I munch on a turkey drumstick.
I imagine that is not a good idea, but I'm doing it anyway.
I just hope I don't break any windows when the last buttons pop.
Hope your Thanksgiving was happy and your Friday not black, but a rainbow of color.
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