yikes!!

My feet itch

     I was sitting at the computer and suddenly my feet began to burn and itch.  I took off my socks and slippers and scratched my feet.  It did not help.  They are still hot and still itchy.
     My body does things like that.
     I will sneeze 15 times and then stop.
     Or get itchy feet.
     Or a cramping in my hand with my fingers locked into a position where I have to literally pull them apart.  That hasn't happened for a while.  I started to rub the muscle on the top of my hand and that seemed to help.
     Now my hot, itchy feet include a spot on the big toe where it feels like tape is stuck to it....but there is no tape.
     My body is just weird!
     Even when I was a kid, it did strange things.
     I have a belly that won't go away and a lump in my stomach that can only be surgically repaired.  I once asked about having that done to approve my appearance, but the doctor said it was pretty painful and not real important at a certain point in life.  He also said my appearance would not be greatly improved.
     Throw in the ringing in the ears and the constant floaters in the eyes, and I am a real mess.
     At least I still have my hair.  Most of it, anyway.
     I got it cut today.  I figured Loomis deserved wild, crazy hair, and I did my best to give it to him.  But now he is history, so my golden locks were shorn today.
     Maybe that's why I am so weak and listless.
     Was Delilah the barber??  I wonder.

wow.......this is confusing

I can't seem to figure this out

     This being adding ads to the blog to "monetize the  effort."
     I have read the material a couple of times, and to be honest, it confuses me!  Maybe tomorrow I will figure it out....but I am not too sure about that.
     I seem to be a little unfocused lately.
     For instance, put the gas grill away last night but did not turn it off.  So this morning, the garage was full of smoke and the smell of burning meat.  There was no meat on the grill, but there was some crud on the grill that burned off overnight.
     The cars have that nice newly grilled smell.
     I am just lucky I did not burn the house down.  That is a nightmare....I don't know if I could get Jackie out fast enough!
     Tonight I used the grill to actually cook.  I was pleasantly surprised there was gas left.
     I had to use the grill because the oven does not seem to work properly.
    We ran the self cleaning feature last week for the first time.  The oven is now beautiful.  But the fan doesn't run inside and it makes a loud rumbling noise, so no oven until a repair is made.
     So I cooked some meat outside.  Then I put the seasonings away.  Jackie started laughing and made that little come here motion.  I went over and she pointed to the cereal shelf, and there were the seasonings.  Wrong place, wrong cabinet.
     I did not do any of my tasks today.  In fact, I fell asleep about 11 and slept until a little past noon.
     That's my story.  It's not a pretty one, but I am sticking to it.

cast your fate to the wind

I am making no plans

     From now on, fate will carry me.  I will go where the wind carries me, from one corner of the earth to the other.
     No more will I be tethered to this life of time needs, meetings, appearances, must dos....I will allow the winds to carry me aloft and gently deposit me where and when they decide.
     Who am I kidding?
     I have lots of things scheduled this week, and this year.  I really wish I could just take off for a month....travelling, visiting, sitting on a beach, going up a river.
     I was born to be a traveler.
     Or something else.
     One of the password security questions I had to answer tonight was dream job.  I entered travel writer and it was rejected!  I don't even know what my dream job is!!
     And when it asked my favorite elementary school teacher I entered Mr. Torres,  then Torres, then Mr. Torrez. then Torrez then torres, then torrez, then I was locked out because I had too many attempts.
     But Mr. Torres was my favorite elementary teacher.
     He was smart, funny, young, and different.  He was the first man teacher, and the first Hispanic teacher I encountered.
     I said to him one day, "Mr. Torres, it's funny that it was raining on one side of the street and not the other."
     He gave me an answer I keep to this day.  "Well, rain has to start and stop somewhere, doesn't it?"
     As a young kid, I had never thought about it.
     You see, the winds guided me on this blog, taking me where they wanted to go....I had no control.
     I was flying free.

ride this way, pardner

I need a 10 gallon hat

     My head feels big after tonight's show!  We had 90 plus to see our next to last performance of Wrong Window!
     And yes, the ! is part of the title, regardless of what newspaper stories you may have read that did not include the ! because the guy doing the stories somehow missed it.
     So why does my head feel big?
     Because so many people said they loved the show:  the cast, the timing, the humor.  It makes me feel darn good that our humble efforts have brought laughter to so many people.  And when they say, "Nice job, Loomis" it makes me smile even though Loomis isn't my real name.
     People like me do theater to gain approval.  That has to be it.  Why else would normal people put in 6 weeks of rehearsal for 5 shows?  As a cast, we have given up family time, dinner time, relaxation time and who knows what else to do this show.  That goes for  any show.
     The commitment is huge.
     And then, bingo, 4 shows and almost 300 audience members later, you approach the final curtain (well, this show doesn't use the curtain...it's a metaphor) realizing that your "family" is together for one last time.
     TC and I were talking with someone about that tonight.  After a show, people go through a sort of depression.  We have become a little family, and even though it is transitory, we have bonded.  We will miss that bonding when the show ends.  Happens every time.
     And tomorrow, I will probably not do a blog because the cast party is going to be at our house and sometimes that goes a little late.  Plus,  alcohol is usually involved, so a blog might not be a good idea.
     Thanks to those of you who came, thanks for spreading the word, thanks for your kind words.
     If you have not yet made it, you have one more night!
     You will laugh.  I promise.

what the hell......

I may have made a big mistake today

     I let the dogs out at about 8.  I let the dogs in about 8:15.  I went home.  I know I gave everybody treats.
     When I went back to Emily's at about 1, I opened the dog room and there were only three dogs!  Two of the greyhounds were missing!!
     I looked outside and there they were, on the porch.
     Now I know I am getting a little memory impaired at this point in life.  But how could I miss two dogs?
     So I have a theory.
     I let all the dogs in, but did not close the door all the way.  It was pretty windy today.  My guess is the door blew open, two dogs went out, and the door blew shut.
     Luckily it was in the 40s an the sun was out.  When I let them in, they went in the house and drank, then went out again!
     They came back in, but this time I checked the door and did a head count.
     I like that idea better than my being unable to keep track of the dogs, and my mind!
     I am headed back now....fortified by wine.....and fully expect to find all the dogs in the sun room.
     Last night there was a strong skunk scent in the front of Em's house.  I am just glad the little bugger didn't get in the house and spray the dogs.....that would have created a massive problem!

oops.....

I think I have the dropsy's

     My fingers must be filled with oil or something.
     Yesterday I dropped a mug while emptying the dishwasher.  (Yes, I empty the dishwasher.  And I do dishes.  I am a gem of a husband.)
     Luckily, it was a mug we have several of, so it will not be greatly missed.  (It wasn't my lucky mug, or my feeling blue mug, or my earl gray mug.....just a common mug.)
     Tonight Jackie made me corn for supper.  When I went to drain the water out, I dropped the pan and half the corn went into on the floor, or in the sinks.
     Then I went to get a glass for wine and I dropped it, right next to my sandwich.
     Therein layed the dilemma.  Did the glass shatter enough to get into my food?
     So I got new bread, and washed off the pork chop.  I carefully examined the remaining corn and did not see any slivers or splinters or shards of glass....so I went ahead and ate it.
     I just hope I don't perform a self colonoscopy in the morning.
     And at rehearsal tonight, I even dropped two lines!!
     It's strange.  Usually I have better  dexterity.  I just hope it doesn't continue much longer.
     After all, someone has to dust all the nutcrackers, smokers and Santa figurines....cause those shelves are getting quite dirty!
     I'm putting that on my to do list.
    You know how many things I have on my to do list?  Unplugging Mr. McGuffin's toilet is number 3......just sayin.

well, I have done it

I signed up for advertising on this blog

     I have been meaning to do it....but I am afraid some people might be offended.  So, I apologize.  If ads suddenly appear in the blog, and it really bothers you to the point you stop reading, let me know and I will change my errant ways.
     This blog has taken a life of its own.
     It started as a one year exercise in self control and perseverance.
     After one year, I still can't pass up chocolate, cookies, or anything sweet or french fries....so much for self control.
     However, I have managed to do one full year of daily blogging.  At the end of the year, I thought I would stop....but I think I am addicted.  I have only missed two days this year, both times because I was tired an out of ideas.
     I still have not finished a book, but I am doing two columns a month for the Rochelle paper, plus publicity stories for VCCT and our current play....so sometimes I feel written out.
     I do wonder why I spend so much of my time complaining about wasting time, and not enough time changing my ways.  l'm still fat.  I am still sorting pictures from my school years.  I am still trying to learn French.
     So bear with me.  Or is it bare with me?  Sometimes I get confused.
     And if you have suggestions or stories to share, please don't hesitate to comment.
     I also notice I have 231 friends on Facebook, and about 100 friend requests which I have not acted on for some reason.  231 friends.  I think that's pretty cool!

holy crap, Batman!

I watched a tv show today that shocked me

     Actually, I watched two hours of it.....I could not turn away.
     Greed.  Deceit.  Self promotion.  Ego battles.  Huge sums of money.  Suspense.  Whining, combative couples.
     The show?
     Million Dollar Listing New York.
     The three Realtors were amazing to watch.  They have nerves of steel and a certain confidence that allows them to buy and sell property in the city that never sleeps.
     They were showing $3 and $4 million apartments! These were nice, but holy cow, such a price!
One couple could not agree on anything....he liked dark, she liked light.  It was pretty funny in that every apartment they looked at was wrong for one of them.  He finally showed them a $3 million plus apartment they initially hated, but eventually bought when shown the possibilities.
     And several of the buyers were French, buying it sight unseen through American agents!  How do you spend $2 million on an apartment based on the word of your broker?  Takes faith.
     It was interesting in that I could never do that.  The tension, the stress.. The balls to negotiate million dollar contracts that could walk at any minute.
     Anyway, it was pretty neat to watch.
     And of course, I had to picture us living in one of those and it was not hard to imagine.  I just can't imagine the jobs people have to have to support a lifestyle like that.
     Which reminds me of another show.... " Different World."

to catch a thief....

We was robbed!

     Sometime between Saturday morning  and tonight, I discovered we have been robbed!
     The box of Tagalongs I bought from the Girl Scouts at the bank have all but disappeared!  There are only two cookies left, and Jackie has not had any!
     I also notice the black jelly beans we bought are missing.
     Jackie does not eat those either.
     On the other hand, I think I may have found out why my tongue is perpetually black and my stomach exponentially larger than the average person.
     But honestly, to eat all of the Tagalongs in two days?  Those delightful peanut butter flavored crisp cookies covered in chocolate gone so soon??  That is a total lack of self control.
     Maybe I was just snacking a little more than usual due to the stress of being in a live theater production, where anything can go wrong...such as a missed line or a dropped cue.  Not that that has happened, but it may account for my eating habits.
     Speaking of habits.
     I carry my script with me at all times during the show.  It is tattered, torn and falling apart.  I put it on a table near my entrances and I constantly refer to it.  It's a security blanket.
     Before every show I go next door to the gas station and get a vanilla cappuccino out of the instant coffee machine.
     I don't eat supper before a show, but I snack on Will's M & Ms that are back stage...four at a time.
     Some people may think that is superstitious, neurotic, obsessive, or just plain weird.  It may be, but it works for me.
     Hey!  I just heard a noise!  Sounds like a box of thin mints opened somewhere.....

applause, applause

We had our first show tonight

     It was a fun time!
     Thanks everyone who came and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
     The audience was small in numbers, but loud in spirit.
     Only four more shows!  If you need a laugh, come see this one.
     Wrong Window"  March 21  at 8 p.m., March 22 at 2 p.m., March 27 (Jackie's birthday and Jeff's too!)  at 8  p.m. and March 28 at 8 p.m.
     Be there, or be square.

curses, foiled again

I get so confused

     I have updates to install on my computer.  But I have to enter my password for the app store.  What the hell is that?
     I have one for WIFI, one for Apple, one for I tunes and my apple ID.
     Too darn late to figure it out....guess the updates will wait a day.
     And by the way, sometimes when I type, I can't read the screen clearly. i, l, t all look alike.  So some words may be rlghi, or rlghi, or righi.  You'lll have to read my mlnd.
    Peach and love.
    Good night.

and the curtain rises.....

We  did a dress rehearsal tonight

     Ok, I skipped a couple of lines.  And I forgot my prop.  And I jumped another actor's lines.  And I may have gone on stage in a little state of distraction.
    It's funny how one small mistake rolls downhill and becomes a giant snowman at the bottom!  I jump a line, forget a prop, and suddenly I am lost!
     But it happens to everyone....so I don't feel so bad.
     I told myself at one point, look forward, not behind.
     That's the beauty of live theater.  It never goes the same way twice.
     One night the audience will laugh at a joke, another night they will be absolutely silent.  One night a prop is there, the next night it is missing. You never know.
     If you are in the audience, you better pay attention, because there is no replay button on a live performance.
     I am tired.  I think the adrenaline causes a sudden drop in energy.  All the energy that gets used on stage must come from a resource deep inside the human body.
In any case, if you are not doing anything over the next two weekends. check out Wrong Window!   And yes, the exclamation point is part of the title, which I did not realize until this week.  I have looked at the script several times, never noticing the ! in the title.
     Speaking of the script, my script is a security blanket.  I carry it with me all during the show, except when I am onstage.  It is torn, folded, bent, mutilated, pages are falling out, a cover is missing..... in other words, it has been used.
      Come see the show.  You will laugh.

a waist is a terrible thing to mind

My jeans don't fit right

I need to wear suspenders to hold them up...a belt just doesn't do it.
I wear Eddie Bauer jeans, because for years they fit me well.  Yes, I buy the relaxed fit, with a little more room in the thighs and butt.  They also ride a little differently.
I needed a new pair once, so i stopped at the Eddie Bauer store in Oakbrook.  They don't carry the relaxed jeans.
So the PYT (Pretty Young Thing) that waited on my suggested I try a pair of regular fit.
I did, and she complimented my on how well they fit.  So a bought two pairs.
I always wash clothes first before wearing them....gets rid of the spider and roach eggs that cling to the fabric as it is shipped from an Asian port.
And I always wash them in cold water to preserve the color and the fit.
These came out of the dryer and I tried to put them on.
I could barely button them!  When I finally got them on, I could hardly walk, they were pretty tight in the thighs.
So I went back to the relaxed fit....but alas, they don't seem to fit me correctly anymore.
It isn't weight loss, that is for sure.  And my stomach is not going smaller.  But the pants are too loose around my belly.
Maybe I'll try Lee or Wrangler, or even Carhart.  There has to be a fit that fits.
And hopefully, a pretty young thing won't be there to help me!.

act one, scene two, take 509

Being in a play is tiring

     I was in plays when I worked, at it was rough.  Being in school all day, then going to rehearsal for four hours.  Getting the sets built.  It is a real drain on a person.
     Kind of like that machine in Princess Bride that sucks the life out of Wesley until the was mostly dead.
     Our show opens in four nights.  It will be funny, it will be well executed.
     The first night will have an audience that is small.  They will laugh, and tell their friends, and then the audiences will come.
     Maybe.
     It's so hard to tell about Rochelle people some times.
     I hear complaints of there being nothing to do in town, yet VCCT is putting on a play that many people will see and enjoy, but we won't have full houses.  RTHS just did two concerts of great music, but the crowds were thin.  The RTHS play in early April will also draw thin houses.  It just happens.
     I  actually have a friend who said they had never gone to a VCCT show because it was "community theater."
     And he's right.  It is community theater.  It is your friends, your neighbors, putting seven weeks of hard work in to hone a production into a good show, if not an awesome show.  For their community.
      If you have never seen one of our shows, at least give us a chance.
      Maybe you will leave the theater thinking you wasted $12 and two hours.  That could happen.
      But more than likely you will walk out saying, "Wow!  That's community theater??  I should have been going to shows for the past 25 years!"
     Hope to see you at the show:   Wrong Window!  March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28.  Paddock Hall in Hickory Grove.  March 22 is a matinee, all other shows start at 8 p.m.  Advance seating, the best seating, can be ordered on line at vcctrochelle.org.
     Now, I'm going to bed.

where do old National Geographics go?

National Geographic is my favorite magazine

     When I was young, I used to just look for the naked native pictures.  But I have matured since then.  Not much, but a little, anyway.
     Also when I was young, I would look at the articles and pictures and imagine myself going there.
     Some places we have gone to, but many we have not.
     Each issue brings a new pleasure and new information.  Actual critters that are zombies.  The tragedy on Mt. Everest.  The fear shown on the faces of  refugees from war torn Syria.  Or the Ukraine.  The argument against science.  Always something to make me think, or  a picture to amaze me.  Sometimes there are even answers to questions I didn't know I had until I read the magazine.
     Even little George Bailey in Bedford Falls was an avid reader of the magazine.  He was even invited to join the new society!
     There is a price to pay.  Besides the desire to go to places described or photographed in the magazine, there is the problem of what to do with them when I am done.
     I hate to throw them out, but I can't keep them.  (Yes, read that again....I can't keep them!  I said it!)
      I used to have a friend at the zoo who took old ones and read them....but she has moved on up the organizational ranks and I never see her anymore.
     I guess I will take them to the zoo....if nothing else, we can cut the pictures of animals out and use them in craft projects.
     But I will call dibs on the naked natives.  After all, one has to keep a youthful frame of mind.

Is there a July 4 in Europe?

Sometimes it takes a while

   Is there a Fourth of July  in Europe?  Yes, but it is just an ordinary day to them.  Likewise, Canada has Thanksgiving at a different time than we do.  Some holidays are universal in nature...Christmas, New Year's, my birthday.
     Others are not.  Swiss people don't celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day.  Julia said Halloween is becoming a little more popular, but Thanksgiving....forget it.
     So what about a day like today?  You know, pi day?
     Do they celebrate it, honor it, mark it overseas?
     No.  Because it isn't there.
     Europeans  put the date first, then the month.  So today is 14/3/15.  Their pi day must be hard to celebrate with a 14 first.....Maybe Jan. 4 of 30.....wait, that's not right.....  How about Jan. 3 , 415?  That worked out to 3/1/415.....boy, that was a long time ago!
     It's been a long day..I am kind of tired.  We built Little Free Libraries for Rotary, painted sets for VCCT, and hit a wall at about 7:15 when my body said, "Go home."
     Now it is saying ,"Go to bed."
     So I will.

why not just eliminate g?

I think the letter g has disappeared

     I mean, where is it in high?  Or sign?  Or cough?
     Not only that, but what happened to ing endings?  now its breakin' news; talkin" to the Iranians.
     Our president does it.  Our governor does it.
     Everybody seems to be droppin the g on ing endins!!
     I know, it gives that "folksy" sound we all adore.  Sounds like you are one of the common people, one of the pack.
     Well, Excuuuuse me!  I am not one of the common people!  I am educated, well read and semi literate!
     Sure, I grew up thinkin all dogs were Spot, all girls were Janes, and all boys were Dicks, but I did learn to read.
     (In retrospect, that doesn't sound riht!)
     But somewhere along the line, we stopped caring that we sound literate.  And intellijent. (I know,    I am using a j instead of a g to prove my point.)
     I just wanted to put my two cents into the discussion.
     After all, it's startin to be a presidential season, and several folk will be runnin for the top office, hopin to win our confidence and our vote.
     By golly and by cracker, if they have to sound a little dumb doin it, then blame us for not demandin better.

life stinks, sometimes

No, I am not having a bad day

     But I smelled a skunk on the way home.  To me, that is always a sign of spring....skunks coming out and roaming the countryside, often getting flattened by cars while exacting their revenge in a stream of mayhem.
     Oh yes, I used to think they were cute little devils.  Pepe Le Pew was a darling toon character.
But in real life, they are pretty smelly.
     I read somewhere that you can smell one a mile away!  That's almost as bad as a politician!  But at least a skunk won't grab your wallet and claim it as their own.
(If I was a congressman, like the guy from Peoria, I would do the same thing he has done:  private jets, exotic trips, redecorated office, hiking in South America, conferences in Paris..... a dream life, and he isn't paying for any of it!  Taxpayers and contributors foot his bill.  We should all be congressmen for a day!)
     But I digress.
     It seems Emily hit a skunk once in her car.  Now that is a smell that lingers for a while.
They smell like burnt rubber.  I almost want to vomit when I am close to the stench, but the farther away I get, it doesn't bother me so much.
     In fact, I kind of like it.
     When I was a pea picker for Del Monte, (don't laugh...piked peas for three summers) we would pile in the van at 6 a.m. and head out to the fields.  We were passing by a pig farm and the smell brought tears to every one's eyes.
     "Know what that smell is?" yelled the driver.
     "We all answered, "Pig manure."
     "No," he chuckled, "that's the smell of money."
     Alas, what may be true for pigs doesn't ring up the same odor for skunks.

turnabout is fair play

I bragged about our weather today

     My brother and his wife are spending the winter down in Florida.  He has called me on a pretty regular basis to tell me the temperature and weather conditions.  by regular, when it hits single digits or after a snow I know the phone will ring.
     Today I called him and bragged about our soon to be 50 degree weather and clear skies.....ok, I did lie a little.
     But it felt better outside today....and will feel much better once the sun appears and the snow disappears.
     Already thinking of what to plant.

Oh the changes we have seen

I remember my first computer

     Actually, it was not mine.  It was a school district Apple 2E.  Huge monitor, printer that took perforated paper in long rolls, a machine that could read disks that you had to insert.  They were not connected to other machines.
     The first summer the district had computers Jackie and I took a class at the ROE in Grand Detour where we learned how to use a computer to send letters to other people....it all seemed so confusing.
     Now look at us.
     E mail, YouTube, Facebook....all the electronic ways to communicate and get information.
     Plus watching TV shows or movies on a computer you hold in one hand!
     All in all, it is pretty amazing.
     I find myself reading news that does not interest me, playing games that are time robbing, and watching people do stupid things, like riding skateboards into railings or going to Walmart in their underwear.  I should be watching TED talks.
     I wonder how kids of today picture the world will be when they are older.
     I honestly believed we would have flying cars, like in the Jetsons.  Robots would do our housework, and we would all live in huge cities under a dome with moving sidewalks and individual pod transportation systems.
     Of course, I was 25 when I believed all that, but hey....strange things happen in life.

It's not the snoring....

I may have to sleep in a separate bedroom tonight

    I ate too much chili at our church's chili cook off today.
    I may be a new energy source, but I don't think I am renewable.
    I don't want to get too personal, or provide too much information, but lighting a match around my ass may not be a good idea for the next few days.
    I believe there were 8 different chili selections, including three white chilies, a couple of vegetarian, an ox tail chili, and a couple of beef chili dishes.
    I tried all of them and voted with my taste buds.
My white chicken chili looked more like a soup than a chili.  It was a bit watery.  And I forgot the cheese topping.  My chili was next to the winning entry, a vegetarian chili with an Indian spice that had quite a kick.
     Next to does not translate into votes.
     I didn't get any votes!  Zero!! Zilch!! Nada!!
     Even my own!  I voted for a competitor because it looked, and tasted, a bit better than mine.  Jackie opted for one of the beef concoctions.
     I brought home a huge crock pot of chili and Jackie does not like it, because it has chicken.
     So I figured, I'll have chili for supper.  It was much better tonight....it wasn't as watery, because when I nuked it, some of the water must have evaporated.  Ok, I might have done it too long because some of the chicken exploded too.  I had to clean the microwave.
     And probably have chili for lunch tomorrow.
     And supper Tuesday.
     And lunch Wednesday.
     Now I am heading for the Tums.........
     Wonder if I can freeze it for use later.  You know, after the windows can be opened, if you get my drift.
     But it was a fun day....in fact, you might even call it a gas!

cleanliness is next to.......

Our kitchen nook table is clean

     It has been clean for four days.  Jackie and I, but mainly Jackie, made a point to pick up all the papers and put them someplace else.
     Dishes get cleared.  Cups get cleared.  Books get put away.  My stack of unfinished crossword puzzles gets moved off the table
     (OK, I am nuts.  I have at least 7 issues of the Sunday Tribune crossword puzzle section on a clip board.  I plan to go back and correct the unfinished puzzles. It is a matter of curiosity....which we all know killed a cat.  But I find myself wondering about words and phrases I am not familiar with.  Today, for instance, I discovered a resident of Riga could be called a Lett.  I googled that.  Someday that may come in useful, and it is the kind of information I tend to oddly remember.)
     I can't deal with paperwork.  When I worked at the newspaper, I always had a stack of news releases to "go through" and "localize."  About every six months I would toss the mess.  At school, I always had two or three piles of papers.....paper to grade, reports to read, articles to read, ideas for the classroom.  I always took care of the grading part....and usually in June tossed all the others, included the occasional report I was supposed to fill out.
     So for me, keeping the table clean is a huge achievement.
     OK, most of the stuff did end up on the computer desk or the ledge above the sink...but that is our next target.
     I have a stack of magazines to read, a stack of magazines I have read but want to cut out pictures from, a stack of catalogs, my crosswords, and paper.....just odd notes, letters, ads.
     Someday I will be clutter free.
     I probably won't be breathing, but I will be clutter free.

I think I am feeling a little chili

I am making chili tomorrow

     Our church in DeKalb has a chili cook off in the mid Lenten season.  After sitting out of the cooking for years, I decided this year to make some chili.
     It used to be called the men's chili cook off.  But several hundred years ago, the men stopped producing plus it put it in a pretty sexist light.  The idea was, the men were treating their wives to a day of chili and excess burping.  You are welcome.
     So for the last week I have had my mind set on a Wild Buffalo Bill Chili.  It would be a little spicy, but not too hot.  And the secret ingredient....buffalo!
     Being an idiot, I gave no thought of how to procure ground buffalo meat, but I remember Woodman's in Rockford sells it.  So I assumed the Woodman's on Orchard Road would sell it also.         On my way home from the zoo, I made a detour at Orchard Road.
     And sure enough, there is a little freezer with buffalo meat.  Steaks, pre-formed burgers, roasts, ground buffalo.
     That's when the trouble began.
     Years ago friend Bethy and husband sold buffalo.  It was good.  I bought some steaks, some ground beef, and liked it.  At Wrigley they have a buffalo burger in one of the grills.  Good meat.    Tasty meat.
     Expensive meat.
     Quiz time:  How much does a pound of ground buffalo cost?
$5.99
$9.99
$11.99
$12.99
     My character in the upcoming play is a handyman who is a little unbalanced. When he answers some questions, he buzzes in, like a game show.
Humor me.
     buzzzzz
     $11.99 a pound.
     I about dropped a buffalo steak right there in the store.
     I figured I needed 2 pounds, so I opted for white chicken chili instead.
     It will be good, just not unique.
     And Julie, if you are reading this, be prepared to be dethroned.  I am bringing my highly disorgaznized A game this year.  Just need to find those chili peppers.
     Bon appetite!

8 is enough

No, I am not talking about tv shows

     In a feeble attempt to organize myself, I have taken to using notebooks.
     A notebook for Rotary.  One for health issues.  Another for a church committee.
     You get the picture.
     Problem is, when I need the notebook, I can't find it.  So I grab another notebook and use that.
     I have notebooks up the Wazoo, which is not a river in Florida.
     So today I made a decision.  From now on, I will use one notebook for everything.  Rotary?  Church?  Museum? Zoo?  All the notes and scribbles will go in one notebook.
     Books to read?  Movies to watch?  Things to do?
     All in one notebook.
     We used to have a notebook for Exit 99 that Carrie referred to as "The Bible."  Whenever we talked about a game, or a game idea, or a show, she would whip out the bible and look it up.
      I can't call mine the same,  because I have to be original.
      So it will be TNCATIHTIE...or Cat for short.
     That way all my information will be in one place.  Sure, I may have to flip pages from time to time. to find the information.  And if I use up the notebook for one topic, I'll have all the information for the other themes. .... still in the notebook.  So I'll now have two notebooks again.
     Now that I think more about it, it doesn't seen practical.
     Guess I will just have to find all the notebooks and make sure I use the correct on.
     Fat chance.

read?? what's that??

I just realized I have stopped reading

     In the past six months, I think I have read one book.  One.  And that took me forever.
     I have a list of books to read, and I am sure I will start.  Soon.
     I have watched 61 episodes of Poirot on Masterpiece Theater.  Some of these episodes were 1 hour, but about 25 were 90 minutes.  That takes up a little time.  Throw in Downton Abbe, some early Parks and Recreation, a couple of Sherlock Holmes and you can see what happened to reading.
     Emily reminded me of that just a little while ago.  rotary Club sponsors a reading challenge with middle school students and high school students.  Last year we also recorded our pages read.  I am embarrassed by my giving up the printed form.
     I guess it's time to start reading real books.
     Yes, I have a list...but sometimes my list is a little weird.  And some titles may be just words I wrote down on a piece of paper that are totally unrelated to book titles....i do that.
     Anyway, think I'll head to the library tomorrow and get a book.  Or maybe two.
     Any suggestions?

making a list, checking it twice

I just did a to do list

     It took me a while.  I just sat and thought of things I have to do....hence, a to do list.
    Some of the things I can do on my own, some will require specialists... like to install a light fixture or fix an outlet.  I don't play with electricity.
     Most of the items are easy, they just take time.
     I have long range and short range items, inside and outside items, upstairs and downstairs items.  I bet there are 40 things to do on my list.
     I wrote it all down in a spiral notebook.  I thought about it and thought about it.  I am pretty sure I have every job I need to do on the list.
     When Jackie reads this, she will undoubtedly say, "Where is this list?"
and I can honestly tell her:  Right here, no I did not lose it.
     And next week I will start that list.  Yes, I will.
     Unless I lose the notebook by then....which is always a possibility.
     I realize how much time I waste and I need to prioritize my time.  If I cut back on computer time, maybe I can do the boxes in the basement.  That kind of thing.
     And maybe, just maybe, I'll get some of the piddly little things done that I should have finished years ago.
     Or not.

Are you a Friends fan?

I like watching "Friends" reruns

     Sometimes I think Joey is a little too stupid, but he also does some funny things.
      Like when he auditions for a role that is in French, and he tries to learn French
      Everything comes out "bluh bluh blah."  That is exactly how my French sounds.
      And the episode where he is working on a war film with a veteran actor, and the veteran tells him he needs to talk so he is literally spraying the veteran.
     Well, tonight I became Joey.
     I don't know why, I don't think it has happened before.
     But when we hit a crucial part in the play, I was drooling like a dog gnawing on a bone.
     I kept wiping my mouth with my sleeve, but each time I spoke, everybody else took a step back!
     They were a good 10 feet from me by the end of my spiel.
     I can't remember ever spraying when I spoke.
     I do remember a high school teacher who sprayed.  He was my algebra instructor and I sat in the front row.  Luckily, I also worked at a grocery store stocking shelves and some mornings I would barely be awake and Mr. Hoff's spray would bring me too.  (Side note:  I believe his name was Jack.  Seriously.  A.J. Hoff.)
     So now I have to figure out how to perform with a dry mouth, which I don't want because then I can't talk.
     Until then, if you come to the play, (Wrong Window, March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28) I suggest you wear rain gear.

ahhhh.... a delicious dinner

Emily and John came for dinner tonight

     I have had an ongoing debate with spouse about the IKEA frozen meatballs I bought at Christmas.
     Christmas 2013.  They have been frozen and the package is stamped, "For best results, use by November 2014."
    There are a lot of meatballs in a bag.  So I suggested we invite Emily and John for dinner, with the understanding if the meat balls don't taste right, we'll order pizza.
     Jackie also volunteered to make 37 calorie brownies from a recipe she found on line.
     Dinner was great!  The meatballs were wonderful, the lingenberries were tasty, the special sauce just right,  a freshly baked loaf of bread and some broccoli rounded out the meal.  A nice, full bodied red was presented and consumed.
     All in all it was a good meal.
     I got the 37 calorie brownies and brought them out.
     This was an innovative recipe:  Splenda instead of sugar, rolled oats, apple sauce along with cocoa and an egg produced a yummy looking platter of brownies.
     I took one, John took one, Jackie took one.
     John took a bike, I took a bite, Jackie took a bite.
     We sat chewing and Emily rejoined us and took her brownie.
     She took a bite....and promptly spit it out,
    "My god, what is this?"  she managed to croak out at Jackie.
     Wife was very calmly chewing her little bit of brownie.  "I don't think they are bad," she said, her taste buds obviously on some sort of acid high.
      Up until his point, John and I were being polite.  We were also washing the brownies down with the red, which slightly improved the taste.
     Then Jackie took a larger bite.
     "Holy cow, these are terrible!" she said, her taste buds now reawakened.
     And friends, they were.
     How bad were they?
     Even I, the king of trash eaters, could not bear to eat more than one.  I was the only one of the four to actually finish an entire brownie.
     The rest went into the trash.
     Lesson for the day:  37 calorie brownies are not worth the effort.
     But IKEA meatballs are.