I saw my cardiologist today
My cardiologist....like I own him. I am one of just a few hundred he sees during a regular year.
But he is the guy who stented me back in 06.
I was sitting in my classroom during reading. A little red head named Carly raised her hand....and I could not get up. The pain in my chest was terrific.
Now, realizing all the symptoms of a heart attack....elephant sitting on my chest, pale, rapid pulse, pain shooting down my arm....I did what every person would do in that situation. I got up and walked down to where Jackie was and said, "Take me to the hospital now. I am having a heart attack."
A couple of people suggested we call an ambulance, but I would have none of that. I told Jack to meet me at the car.
I went out the gym door at Tilton. I went to the car. I waited. I waited. I waited.
So I went back into the building looking for her and hoping I would not drop dead face down in the mac and cheese lunches.
Meanwhile, Jackie goes out the west door looking for me.
I can't find her so I go out the gym door. She can't find me so she comes in the west door.
We finally meet up and she drives me, still breathing, to the hospital.
I walked in the emergency room doors and said, "Hello. I think I am having a heart attack."
I was.
I was sent up to St. Anthony in an ambulance. I asked the EMT driving if we could swing through McDonald's for a quarter pounder and fries, because I was hungry. No dice.
After getting settled in in my nice room in St. Anthony, I waited. And waited. Jackie and Emily came. Carl came. People called. The only person who didn't come was a doctor.
You all know my fear of hospitals, needles, operations, doctors, blood.
When the doctor did show up, he explained I needed an angiogram to find any blockages. I had two choices: the next day at 2 p.m. or now, since there was an opening. I opted for now.
During one of these, you are not asleep but in a very pleasant la la land. I could talk, but not feel.
At one point a voice came out of the darkness and said we need a 23 stent. I asked if that was centimeters. A voice came back, "If it was, it would be coming out your nose."
I asked if I would be able to play the piano after this. The voice responded, "No, because you couldn't play it before."
I had a 99 per cent blockage in the Left Descending Aorta. He said it is nicknamed "The Widowmaker."
There was the little incident of me almost bleeding out when the plug in my leg blew, but that was quickly handled and I barely remember it.
I like the doctor. He is down to earth.
He told me today I had to lose weight. He said I needed to just get on my bike and ride. Every day. He said I needed to stop making excuses.
He also said I needed to control my triglycerides. And I will, as soon as I figure out what the hell they are.
It's not easy breaking habits that are not good for you and creating new habits that are good for you. No one lives forever. We all die.
But I don't think I am ready yet. So, I am going to Google triglycerides. At least it is a start.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
life is a whirlwind
I have had a busy couple of days
I went to my first Ice Hogs game tonight. It was a playoff clincher; 3-2 in OT.
I had gone to a Blackhawks game earlier in life.
Much earlier. Glenn Hall was the goalie. Hall was goalie in the early 60s. (We had black and white TV. I was the remote.)
I remember going to a game at the Chicago Stadium. We had standing room only tickets. My brother Dennis took me so I am surprised the outing did not include underage drinking. The hockey crowd was mostly male and they all seemed to wear fedoras and smoke cigars. I remember the arena being clouded in a sea of smoke.
I actually was thinking of Hall today. A friend is starting a new job and admitted to being nervous. She is competent, organized, and will do well. But she said she was nervous. I told her nervous is good, and mentioned Glenn Hall said he threw up before every game due to nerves.
However, I advised her not to throw up her first day on the new job.
To be honest, I am not a big fan of hockey. I don't like the fighting. Little kids watch that and get it in their heads that the only way to solve a problem is to fight. The world does too much fighting now. I think when a fight is about to break out, the players should exchange flowers instead. Or something besides punches. Maybe insults. Or stares. Or haikus.
But fighting seems to ebb during playoff games. So I do watch the Hawks, sometimes. I want them to win, but I am not a rabid fan.
The Ice Hogs game was pretty good. Food was expensive, as it always is in a sports venue. But the parking was cheap and the entertainment good.
The place was not packed, despite this being a playoff clinching victory. They go on to the next round in their quest for the Calder Cup. That must be the Stanley Cup's little brother. Or cousin.
I do have trouble following the puck sometimes....it is a fast game.
But I have trouble following the stone in curling.
Anyway, for a first time....it was pretty cool.
This has been a busy week, with three volunteer gigs, a committee meeting, delivery of my new patio furniure, a heart doc's visit tomorrow and the zoo Friday.
It's lucky I don't have a job, because I am really too busy to work.
I went to my first Ice Hogs game tonight. It was a playoff clincher; 3-2 in OT.
I had gone to a Blackhawks game earlier in life.
Much earlier. Glenn Hall was the goalie. Hall was goalie in the early 60s. (We had black and white TV. I was the remote.)
I remember going to a game at the Chicago Stadium. We had standing room only tickets. My brother Dennis took me so I am surprised the outing did not include underage drinking. The hockey crowd was mostly male and they all seemed to wear fedoras and smoke cigars. I remember the arena being clouded in a sea of smoke.
I actually was thinking of Hall today. A friend is starting a new job and admitted to being nervous. She is competent, organized, and will do well. But she said she was nervous. I told her nervous is good, and mentioned Glenn Hall said he threw up before every game due to nerves.
However, I advised her not to throw up her first day on the new job.
To be honest, I am not a big fan of hockey. I don't like the fighting. Little kids watch that and get it in their heads that the only way to solve a problem is to fight. The world does too much fighting now. I think when a fight is about to break out, the players should exchange flowers instead. Or something besides punches. Maybe insults. Or stares. Or haikus.
But fighting seems to ebb during playoff games. So I do watch the Hawks, sometimes. I want them to win, but I am not a rabid fan.
The Ice Hogs game was pretty good. Food was expensive, as it always is in a sports venue. But the parking was cheap and the entertainment good.
The place was not packed, despite this being a playoff clinching victory. They go on to the next round in their quest for the Calder Cup. That must be the Stanley Cup's little brother. Or cousin.
I do have trouble following the puck sometimes....it is a fast game.
But I have trouble following the stone in curling.
Anyway, for a first time....it was pretty cool.
This has been a busy week, with three volunteer gigs, a committee meeting, delivery of my new patio furniure, a heart doc's visit tomorrow and the zoo Friday.
It's lucky I don't have a job, because I am really too busy to work.
Monday, April 27, 2015
I am going to feel powerless
We will lose power tomorrow
No, not a storm or disaster. The county is widening Flagg Road where it intersects with Center Road because of all the trucks that have trouble turning. The utility poles are being moved, so we lose power.
Living in the country, that's a big deal.
We can't flush. Our wells run on electricity. No power, no flush.
I usually put a couple of gallons away.....just in case. Our toilets use 1.5 gallons, so we have two flushes with three gallons.
As Uncle Jim used to say, "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush 'er down."
Losing power is also a drag for several reasons.
We have to reset the microwave, oven and alarm clock.
I have to reset the timers for the water softener and on demand water heater. (It generally shuts off at 11 p.m. and restarts at 6. Getting hot water in between those times is a lengthy process.)
I think the TV resets itself, since it is hooked into Comcast.
I will be in DeKalb during the outage, but Jackie will be home.
I feel sorry for her...no TV, no lights, no flush.....could be a long morning.
It also means no garage door openers. Sometimes that is hard to remember.
During the tornado, I had to put a step ladder under the garage door because it would not stay up. I did not want to have to keep pulling it up and down...that can be tiring. That was fine until I needed the ladder.
It all makes me think of the pioneers who did not have power to start with. Bed must have been whenever it got dark, waking must have been when it got light. Whittling must have been a popular recreational activity.
Hopefully it does only last the four hours they say.
No, not a storm or disaster. The county is widening Flagg Road where it intersects with Center Road because of all the trucks that have trouble turning. The utility poles are being moved, so we lose power.
Living in the country, that's a big deal.
We can't flush. Our wells run on electricity. No power, no flush.
I usually put a couple of gallons away.....just in case. Our toilets use 1.5 gallons, so we have two flushes with three gallons.
As Uncle Jim used to say, "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush 'er down."
Losing power is also a drag for several reasons.
We have to reset the microwave, oven and alarm clock.
I have to reset the timers for the water softener and on demand water heater. (It generally shuts off at 11 p.m. and restarts at 6. Getting hot water in between those times is a lengthy process.)
I think the TV resets itself, since it is hooked into Comcast.
I will be in DeKalb during the outage, but Jackie will be home.
I feel sorry for her...no TV, no lights, no flush.....could be a long morning.
It also means no garage door openers. Sometimes that is hard to remember.
During the tornado, I had to put a step ladder under the garage door because it would not stay up. I did not want to have to keep pulling it up and down...that can be tiring. That was fine until I needed the ladder.
It all makes me think of the pioneers who did not have power to start with. Bed must have been whenever it got dark, waking must have been when it got light. Whittling must have been a popular recreational activity.
Hopefully it does only last the four hours they say.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
where does the time go?
I went to the zoo volunteer dinner tonight
My friend and co volunteer Donna was honored for 40 years of service.
Imagine that! 40 years!!
In order for me to be a 40 year award winner, I will have to be......100 years old. I don't think that will be possible.
Of course, there were three women who were honored for service who were all in their 90s. One woman could not make it to the dinner..... she had two other events to go to. She was 92.
I always enjoy the dinner, although to be honest I don't do a lot of talking. This year was a little different. Donna got to invite friends to sit at her table, and Jacki and I, along with five other play zoo people got to sit with her.
There were 2 people honored for 40 years, 1 for 35 and 9 for 30 years of service.
To me that is amazing, to volunteer your time for such a long period.
So hats off to the zoo volunteers. And hats off to everyone who volunteers their time for a cause or charity.
And if you don't volunteer, do it now. Don't wait until you are 60 and realize how much you have missed out on.
With that, good night and peace.
My friend and co volunteer Donna was honored for 40 years of service.
Imagine that! 40 years!!
In order for me to be a 40 year award winner, I will have to be......100 years old. I don't think that will be possible.
Of course, there were three women who were honored for service who were all in their 90s. One woman could not make it to the dinner..... she had two other events to go to. She was 92.
I always enjoy the dinner, although to be honest I don't do a lot of talking. This year was a little different. Donna got to invite friends to sit at her table, and Jacki and I, along with five other play zoo people got to sit with her.
There were 2 people honored for 40 years, 1 for 35 and 9 for 30 years of service.
To me that is amazing, to volunteer your time for such a long period.
So hats off to the zoo volunteers. And hats off to everyone who volunteers their time for a cause or charity.
And if you don't volunteer, do it now. Don't wait until you are 60 and realize how much you have missed out on.
With that, good night and peace.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
dancing the night away....
I actually went to prom
That's kind of important to know. First off, I was socially backward. I did not have a girl friend. In fact, girls petrified me as dating material but not as friends. Go figure.
However, I did have a major case of acne.
There was a girl I really liked. I did not ask her.
There was another girl I was friends with. I did not ask her.
There was another senior who I knew wanted to go to prom but did not have a date. I asked her.
I did not have a driver's license. So, I looked for a double date....which became a triple date...which became a quadruple date.
We rented a station wagon...a big old boat type vehicle that got 9 miles to the gallon but seated eight.
When we pulled up to the dance and got out, it looked like a clown car unloading.
Diane was about the same height I was. But in high heals and a bee hive hairdo, she was at least a foot taller than me.
I found out Diane did not like to dance. Or talk. Or be silly. She did like having her picture taken and I think I still have the photos of the happy couple.
At our high school it was almost tradition to go to prom, then go on a picnic the next day.
We talked about it. We talked about it. We planned it. We talked about it.
At the end of prom, I really did not want to go on the picnic. To be honest, Diane was a drag.
So when we showed up at her house at 7 a.m. , or it could have been 6, I don't remember the exact details, to get an early start on our picnic, she was not awake. I had to yell her name, toss stones at her window....everything except ring her door bell...to get her to get up.
She was surprised to see the 7 of us on her lawn.
Now that I think about it, it was probably a sign. We went to a lake in Wisconsin, about two hours north of Chicago. Might have been Powers Lake....maybe not.
Being idiots, I think it took us longer to get there.
Diane was not real talkative. The guy driving was kind of a jerk. I was in the back end of the station wagon and getting bored.
The driver, let's call him Bob, smoked. Camels. Constantly.
At one point, as we rolled into Wisconsin, he said in a manly way, "Anybody want a cigarette?"
I said, "Yeah, I'll take one."
Everyone looked at me.
Bob said, "I didn't know you smoked," and he said it with a smirk.
The Camel was passed to the back and I took it.
"I don't," I said. "Real men chew them."
And I took a big bite of the cigarette.
After I got back in the car that Bob had stopped so I could finish retching outside the vehicle, John commented that he had never seen that color green on a human before.
Diane, not being impressed, decided I was such an idiot she need not talk to me the rest of the day.
We got to the lake and everyone decided to take a nap. Everyone except John and me. We ended up walking around the lake and when we got back quite a while later, no one noticed we were gone.
In addition to not talking to me, she also decided that she would be better served sleeping, sulking, and asking when we were leaving.
Between the flowers, pictures, dinner dance package, share of the car rental and gas, money for picnic,.... it was probably the worst $60 I had ever spent.
I still may have the pictures. I bought them for her, but because of the swell time we had, I never gave them to her.
I just hope this year's prom goers have a much better time....or at least a date that will dance, talk, and laugh with them.
That's kind of important to know. First off, I was socially backward. I did not have a girl friend. In fact, girls petrified me as dating material but not as friends. Go figure.
However, I did have a major case of acne.
There was a girl I really liked. I did not ask her.
There was another girl I was friends with. I did not ask her.
There was another senior who I knew wanted to go to prom but did not have a date. I asked her.
I did not have a driver's license. So, I looked for a double date....which became a triple date...which became a quadruple date.
We rented a station wagon...a big old boat type vehicle that got 9 miles to the gallon but seated eight.
When we pulled up to the dance and got out, it looked like a clown car unloading.
Diane was about the same height I was. But in high heals and a bee hive hairdo, she was at least a foot taller than me.
I found out Diane did not like to dance. Or talk. Or be silly. She did like having her picture taken and I think I still have the photos of the happy couple.
At our high school it was almost tradition to go to prom, then go on a picnic the next day.
We talked about it. We talked about it. We planned it. We talked about it.
At the end of prom, I really did not want to go on the picnic. To be honest, Diane was a drag.
So when we showed up at her house at 7 a.m. , or it could have been 6, I don't remember the exact details, to get an early start on our picnic, she was not awake. I had to yell her name, toss stones at her window....everything except ring her door bell...to get her to get up.
She was surprised to see the 7 of us on her lawn.
Now that I think about it, it was probably a sign. We went to a lake in Wisconsin, about two hours north of Chicago. Might have been Powers Lake....maybe not.
Being idiots, I think it took us longer to get there.
Diane was not real talkative. The guy driving was kind of a jerk. I was in the back end of the station wagon and getting bored.
The driver, let's call him Bob, smoked. Camels. Constantly.
At one point, as we rolled into Wisconsin, he said in a manly way, "Anybody want a cigarette?"
I said, "Yeah, I'll take one."
Everyone looked at me.
Bob said, "I didn't know you smoked," and he said it with a smirk.
The Camel was passed to the back and I took it.
"I don't," I said. "Real men chew them."
And I took a big bite of the cigarette.
After I got back in the car that Bob had stopped so I could finish retching outside the vehicle, John commented that he had never seen that color green on a human before.
Diane, not being impressed, decided I was such an idiot she need not talk to me the rest of the day.
We got to the lake and everyone decided to take a nap. Everyone except John and me. We ended up walking around the lake and when we got back quite a while later, no one noticed we were gone.
In addition to not talking to me, she also decided that she would be better served sleeping, sulking, and asking when we were leaving.
Between the flowers, pictures, dinner dance package, share of the car rental and gas, money for picnic,.... it was probably the worst $60 I had ever spent.
I still may have the pictures. I bought them for her, but because of the swell time we had, I never gave them to her.
I just hope this year's prom goers have a much better time....or at least a date that will dance, talk, and laugh with them.
Friday, April 24, 2015
woof, woof, bow wow, woof.....
I forgot what it's like to have a dog
Actually 3 dogs. Emily, John and the pack are camping with us for a while.
The dogs are really good. But there are three of them.
I discovered I can only walk two at a time. So I have Jackie hold Pearl, the smallest dog, on a leash while I walk the two Great Danes.
I hope Bennett does not read this.....and don't tell him. He likes privacy when he poops! He won't go while on a leash. He has to be away from people before he does his duty. Luckily, he is so scared he does not wander far from Cooper. After he is finished, he jumps up and down and races back to Cooper and whomever is holding that leash.
Cooper is not shy at all. He is also the biggest pest in the group.
Yesterday Jackie found him asleep with Jackie's stuffed dog in his mouth! He managed to snag it off a shelf and chew on it for awhile, then he fell asleep, with an arm curled over the stuffed animal. If it wasn't so cute, he'd be in trouble.
We won't talk about food on the counter. I had a little blueberry pie on the stove. Left the kitchen for a few minutes and when I got back, only the aluminum pan was left. Hopefully the plastic wrap will pass in the morning.
Pearl is a stander. She will just stand an look around and it takes a mountain to move her. That is fine when it is nice, but tonight when it was raining it wasn't much of a blast. She stands in doorways, in hallways, in front of the food bowl when you are trying to fill it...... completely oblivious to what is going on.
I wonder what is going through their little brains. After all, they survived an EF 4 tornado, so the next storm should be interesting for their reaction.
It has been a while since we had a dog in the house.
Truthfully, we are thinking of getting on, a small one that Jackie can handle. But time will tell if that works out.
In the meantime, we are getting our practice times three.
And we are grateful they are all with us.
Actually 3 dogs. Emily, John and the pack are camping with us for a while.
The dogs are really good. But there are three of them.
I discovered I can only walk two at a time. So I have Jackie hold Pearl, the smallest dog, on a leash while I walk the two Great Danes.
I hope Bennett does not read this.....and don't tell him. He likes privacy when he poops! He won't go while on a leash. He has to be away from people before he does his duty. Luckily, he is so scared he does not wander far from Cooper. After he is finished, he jumps up and down and races back to Cooper and whomever is holding that leash.
Cooper is not shy at all. He is also the biggest pest in the group.
Yesterday Jackie found him asleep with Jackie's stuffed dog in his mouth! He managed to snag it off a shelf and chew on it for awhile, then he fell asleep, with an arm curled over the stuffed animal. If it wasn't so cute, he'd be in trouble.
We won't talk about food on the counter. I had a little blueberry pie on the stove. Left the kitchen for a few minutes and when I got back, only the aluminum pan was left. Hopefully the plastic wrap will pass in the morning.
Pearl is a stander. She will just stand an look around and it takes a mountain to move her. That is fine when it is nice, but tonight when it was raining it wasn't much of a blast. She stands in doorways, in hallways, in front of the food bowl when you are trying to fill it...... completely oblivious to what is going on.
I wonder what is going through their little brains. After all, they survived an EF 4 tornado, so the next storm should be interesting for their reaction.
It has been a while since we had a dog in the house.
Truthfully, we are thinking of getting on, a small one that Jackie can handle. But time will tell if that works out.
In the meantime, we are getting our practice times three.
And we are grateful they are all with us.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
I spy....again
I don't see as well as I used to
Small print is a problem. Print in a dark area is a problem. Either my arms are too short, or the print is too small.
So now I keep a magnifying glass handy. The way things go, I probably should have a couple near by.
For instance, Jackie lost the back of an earring today. I found it right away. Actually, she found it and pointed at it, but I picked it up.
I have a Cutco knife that is broken. I want to send it back, but he number on it is virtually invisible to the magnifying glass less eye, so I had to use the glass to get the right number. Who breaks a knife anyway? It is an expensive knife, and guaranteed for life. So if I send it in, they will replace it.
How does that relate to my eyesight?
Follow along, Sherlock, and you'll see.
I got the information on line. The mechanical pencil I was using ran out of lead. I opened the container of leads and dropped the lid. I could not find it. Tonight, when I slipped out of the chair, I found it.
How did I slip out of the chair?
I dropped a raisin and was looking for it. I did not see it, so I scooched forward in the chair and slid onto the floor. But I found the raisin and the top to the lead. A profitable experience.
If my eyesight was perfect, I would have seen the raisin and not slipped out of the chair. I would have found the lid and not had to use Scotch Tape to seal the container.
Another perk of aging.....sore body, failing eyesight, lousy hearing and a memory that is like a sieve.
And speaking of memory, I forgot where I put my magnifying glass.
Small print is a problem. Print in a dark area is a problem. Either my arms are too short, or the print is too small.
So now I keep a magnifying glass handy. The way things go, I probably should have a couple near by.
For instance, Jackie lost the back of an earring today. I found it right away. Actually, she found it and pointed at it, but I picked it up.
I have a Cutco knife that is broken. I want to send it back, but he number on it is virtually invisible to the magnifying glass less eye, so I had to use the glass to get the right number. Who breaks a knife anyway? It is an expensive knife, and guaranteed for life. So if I send it in, they will replace it.
How does that relate to my eyesight?
Follow along, Sherlock, and you'll see.
I got the information on line. The mechanical pencil I was using ran out of lead. I opened the container of leads and dropped the lid. I could not find it. Tonight, when I slipped out of the chair, I found it.
How did I slip out of the chair?
I dropped a raisin and was looking for it. I did not see it, so I scooched forward in the chair and slid onto the floor. But I found the raisin and the top to the lead. A profitable experience.
If my eyesight was perfect, I would have seen the raisin and not slipped out of the chair. I would have found the lid and not had to use Scotch Tape to seal the container.
Another perk of aging.....sore body, failing eyesight, lousy hearing and a memory that is like a sieve.
And speaking of memory, I forgot where I put my magnifying glass.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
I really had that, I swear!
I have thought about a list of possessions
Emily is going through the process of listing everything she lost in the recent tornado.
I think everyone should do the same, and store the data somewhere safe, like maybe a bank safety deposit box locked in a vault encased in a minimum of four feet of concrete. Or maybe in your freezer.
I would list my valuables first.
Wine. I have several bottles of wine from Switzerland and from Italy that are quite good. I don't remember the price, but I should list them. There is a chance (a very good chance) I will drink them before any disaster hits the house, but hey! I'll be prepared.
Hardware. I have at least 10 pounds of assorted nails, screws, bolts and washers. Granted, they are all different sizes, shapes, uses....but they are my possessions. They must be valuable because I have had them for years! Do I inventory them one at a time?
Tea. I have 17 boxes of tea in my pantry. I like tea. Most boxes have only 1 or 2 bags, but they are important to my life! My evening cup is usually a decaf, but I do have some kick butt Earl Gray that is wonderful for an afternoon pick me up!
Pens. I have a collection of pens from various agencies. If you have a business in northern Illinois, chances are I have a pen of yours. Speaking of pens, I have a Pilot Dr. Grip gel writer pen that is out of ink. I used that pen when I taught school and it just ran out two weeks ago. I stopped teaching in 2008......and am looking for refills for the pen. I also have three mechanical pencils I use for my Sunday Trib crosswords.....and I have plenty of refills for them. Those are also from my teaching days. Yes, I have a problem parting with stuff...which makes it valuable, I think. Or maybe I am just cheap.
Wires. I have a box of wires and cables in my closet. I have no idea what they are for. I assume some day I will need one, so I can't get rid of them. Of course, I have not used one from the box since we moved in two years ago, but I know they are important. Maybe I will find the cord for my camera that allows me to directly download pictures instead of using a card reader, which doesn't work anymore. So I load pictures on my one computer, put them on a memory stick, then move them to my main computer, where I never look at them again.
At this point in the process, I would lose interest and move on to another job.
So I guess I will ask Jackie to take charge of listing the valuables.
I think her list will be way different than mine.
Emily is going through the process of listing everything she lost in the recent tornado.
I think everyone should do the same, and store the data somewhere safe, like maybe a bank safety deposit box locked in a vault encased in a minimum of four feet of concrete. Or maybe in your freezer.
I would list my valuables first.
Wine. I have several bottles of wine from Switzerland and from Italy that are quite good. I don't remember the price, but I should list them. There is a chance (a very good chance) I will drink them before any disaster hits the house, but hey! I'll be prepared.
Hardware. I have at least 10 pounds of assorted nails, screws, bolts and washers. Granted, they are all different sizes, shapes, uses....but they are my possessions. They must be valuable because I have had them for years! Do I inventory them one at a time?
Tea. I have 17 boxes of tea in my pantry. I like tea. Most boxes have only 1 or 2 bags, but they are important to my life! My evening cup is usually a decaf, but I do have some kick butt Earl Gray that is wonderful for an afternoon pick me up!
Pens. I have a collection of pens from various agencies. If you have a business in northern Illinois, chances are I have a pen of yours. Speaking of pens, I have a Pilot Dr. Grip gel writer pen that is out of ink. I used that pen when I taught school and it just ran out two weeks ago. I stopped teaching in 2008......and am looking for refills for the pen. I also have three mechanical pencils I use for my Sunday Trib crosswords.....and I have plenty of refills for them. Those are also from my teaching days. Yes, I have a problem parting with stuff...which makes it valuable, I think. Or maybe I am just cheap.
Wires. I have a box of wires and cables in my closet. I have no idea what they are for. I assume some day I will need one, so I can't get rid of them. Of course, I have not used one from the box since we moved in two years ago, but I know they are important. Maybe I will find the cord for my camera that allows me to directly download pictures instead of using a card reader, which doesn't work anymore. So I load pictures on my one computer, put them on a memory stick, then move them to my main computer, where I never look at them again.
At this point in the process, I would lose interest and move on to another job.
So I guess I will ask Jackie to take charge of listing the valuables.
I think her list will be way different than mine.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
I'm seeing spots
What am I doing to my shirts?
I have a bunch of shirts I really like to wear.
They are long sleeved, warm, and very stylish. (Realize, I have worn the same pants for 8 years and they are still stylish. At least in my mind.)
I have spots on the shirts.
Huge spots.
Giant spots,
Enormous spots.
I swear, they go into the laundry without spots and come out with spots! I have tried washing them in cold water, by themselves, inside out, and I still have spots.
Some of them are a real mess. OK, those are the ones I MAY have dripped some food on, or spilled some tea on, but I did pre-treat them with Oxyclean. The commercials are wrong....not every spot comes out!
It doesn't matter who made them or where they were made. China, Viet Nam, Suriname, Sri Lanka, the old guy at the corner with the funny looking wart on his nose....they all come out spotted.
It's a lucky thing we are in the warmer spring weather. Otherwise I'd still be wearing them because they are nice and warm. Spots and all.
Like I did today.
Funny how I don't notice the spots when I leave the house....it wasn't until I was in the public eye that they became visible.
Maybe they are magical spots? They only come out when they can embarrass me.
Like the acne on my face in high school. It started when I was 13 and ended when I was 46. And no, sex does not make it go away.
But that's a different story.
Good night.
I have a bunch of shirts I really like to wear.
They are long sleeved, warm, and very stylish. (Realize, I have worn the same pants for 8 years and they are still stylish. At least in my mind.)
I have spots on the shirts.
Huge spots.
Giant spots,
Enormous spots.
I swear, they go into the laundry without spots and come out with spots! I have tried washing them in cold water, by themselves, inside out, and I still have spots.
Some of them are a real mess. OK, those are the ones I MAY have dripped some food on, or spilled some tea on, but I did pre-treat them with Oxyclean. The commercials are wrong....not every spot comes out!
It doesn't matter who made them or where they were made. China, Viet Nam, Suriname, Sri Lanka, the old guy at the corner with the funny looking wart on his nose....they all come out spotted.
It's a lucky thing we are in the warmer spring weather. Otherwise I'd still be wearing them because they are nice and warm. Spots and all.
Like I did today.
Funny how I don't notice the spots when I leave the house....it wasn't until I was in the public eye that they became visible.
Maybe they are magical spots? They only come out when they can embarrass me.
Like the acne on my face in high school. It started when I was 13 and ended when I was 46. And no, sex does not make it go away.
But that's a different story.
Good night.
Monday, April 20, 2015
just being safe, that's all
I lock doors at night
I never used to. But a few years ago there was a serial killer roaming the area and his victims were within a certain distance of railroad tracks. In fact, they called him the Railway Killer and he was responsible for at least 15 deaths all across the country, including one in downstate Illinois.
That was in 1999. I have locked the doors ever since.
At our hold house, I buried a key so when I got locked out I could dig it up and let myself in. Of course, I did that after I was locked out and sat on the breezeway for four hours while Jackie was out. And when I locked myself out again, I dug up half the yard looking for that key and never found it.
This house has a deadbolt and a key lock. (I know there is a technical term for it...but it's the lock on the doorknob.) I lock them both.
I am a little obsessive/compulsive.
I take my pills, check the door, open the door, check the garage is closed, close the door and re-lock it. Then I go to bed. (One time I did not follow this routine, the garage door was left open all night in -20 degree weather. I think that's what killed the power washer.)
John and Emily are not used to my weird way of doing things.
Luckily John carries a phone with him at all times, because when he locked himself out Sunday morning he was able to text Emily to let him in.
"Who locks both locks?" they asked.
Hey, I am a vulnerable senior citizen with a tendency to freak out over police shows that lead to nightmares and daymares of people breaking in and stealing from us and beating us senseless with a box of spaghetti.
People like the Railroad Killer.
I hid a spare key in the garage, not realizing if I can't get in the garage it does no good.
I also didn't realize the key was cut wrong and for some reason won't open the deadbolt. Don't ask how I found that out!
After telling John and Emily that I always lock both locks and you have to be sure to twist the button on the entry door, I failed at my own advice.
Luckily Jackie was up. I knocked a few times and she answered the door and let me in; seems I could not find the spare key, again.
Maybe a keyless entry system is the way to go.
But then I have to remember a combination, and that is a whole different problem.
I never used to. But a few years ago there was a serial killer roaming the area and his victims were within a certain distance of railroad tracks. In fact, they called him the Railway Killer and he was responsible for at least 15 deaths all across the country, including one in downstate Illinois.
That was in 1999. I have locked the doors ever since.
At our hold house, I buried a key so when I got locked out I could dig it up and let myself in. Of course, I did that after I was locked out and sat on the breezeway for four hours while Jackie was out. And when I locked myself out again, I dug up half the yard looking for that key and never found it.
This house has a deadbolt and a key lock. (I know there is a technical term for it...but it's the lock on the doorknob.) I lock them both.
I am a little obsessive/compulsive.
I take my pills, check the door, open the door, check the garage is closed, close the door and re-lock it. Then I go to bed. (One time I did not follow this routine, the garage door was left open all night in -20 degree weather. I think that's what killed the power washer.)
John and Emily are not used to my weird way of doing things.
Luckily John carries a phone with him at all times, because when he locked himself out Sunday morning he was able to text Emily to let him in.
"Who locks both locks?" they asked.
Hey, I am a vulnerable senior citizen with a tendency to freak out over police shows that lead to nightmares and daymares of people breaking in and stealing from us and beating us senseless with a box of spaghetti.
People like the Railroad Killer.
I hid a spare key in the garage, not realizing if I can't get in the garage it does no good.
I also didn't realize the key was cut wrong and for some reason won't open the deadbolt. Don't ask how I found that out!
After telling John and Emily that I always lock both locks and you have to be sure to twist the button on the entry door, I failed at my own advice.
Luckily Jackie was up. I knocked a few times and she answered the door and let me in; seems I could not find the spare key, again.
Maybe a keyless entry system is the way to go.
But then I have to remember a combination, and that is a whole different problem.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
don't we have one of those?
I hoard the wrong stuff
A couple in England bought a Beanie Baby at a garage sale. Experts say the doll is worth over $50,000 in American money.
Why?
It's a limited first edition Princess Diana purple bear. Not a lot were made, so they have become very valuable.
So why do other people have all the luck?
I save stuff...lots of stuff.
But none of it is worth $50,000. Or maybe even $50. But I still save it.
I have a stack of comic books....not in good shape. I bet I don't have a single winner in the pile. They are probably all Archie and Jughead editions anyway. (To be truthful, as a young boy I had a crush on Veronica...good looking and rich! My kind of girl, in my 13 year old mind. Come to think of it, Betty was pretty sharp too!)
I have some sliver dollars in the safe deposit box. I always thought I would collect big on those, but so far, I have not. It is kind of funny when the bank person takes the box out and it falls to the floor because there are 50 silver dollars in it. I have taken to warning them the box is heavy.
I also have an 1893 half dollar from the World's Colombian Expedition. It's work $5.
I just don't save the right stuff.
So now my goal is to get a booth at Kane County for the weekend flea market. A couple of people have mentioned they are also interested in selling stuff.
Therein lies the dilemma. Part with my sled? Sell my steroptoscope?
Emily just went through a decluttering process.....ok, maybe having your home obliterated by a tornado and your whole life turned upside down and your possessions destroyed and scattered by a 200 mph wind is not an actual decluttering process.
But it was a reminder that some stuff Jackie and I do have is way more valuable than a $50,000 Beanie Baby.
That's a reminder we won't forget.
A couple in England bought a Beanie Baby at a garage sale. Experts say the doll is worth over $50,000 in American money.
Why?
It's a limited first edition Princess Diana purple bear. Not a lot were made, so they have become very valuable.
So why do other people have all the luck?
I save stuff...lots of stuff.
But none of it is worth $50,000. Or maybe even $50. But I still save it.
I have a stack of comic books....not in good shape. I bet I don't have a single winner in the pile. They are probably all Archie and Jughead editions anyway. (To be truthful, as a young boy I had a crush on Veronica...good looking and rich! My kind of girl, in my 13 year old mind. Come to think of it, Betty was pretty sharp too!)
I have some sliver dollars in the safe deposit box. I always thought I would collect big on those, but so far, I have not. It is kind of funny when the bank person takes the box out and it falls to the floor because there are 50 silver dollars in it. I have taken to warning them the box is heavy.
I also have an 1893 half dollar from the World's Colombian Expedition. It's work $5.
I just don't save the right stuff.
So now my goal is to get a booth at Kane County for the weekend flea market. A couple of people have mentioned they are also interested in selling stuff.
Therein lies the dilemma. Part with my sled? Sell my steroptoscope?
Emily just went through a decluttering process.....ok, maybe having your home obliterated by a tornado and your whole life turned upside down and your possessions destroyed and scattered by a 200 mph wind is not an actual decluttering process.
But it was a reminder that some stuff Jackie and I do have is way more valuable than a $50,000 Beanie Baby.
That's a reminder we won't forget.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
salvage...day one
I got kind of dirty today
Not that kind of dirty, all you perverted people who know me so very well.
Dirty as in going through stuff in your garage dirty.
First off, there is insulation and broken glass in almost every tub of stuff Emily had in the basement. Even tubs with lids on tight had insulation in them. Freakin' amazing.
I decided to salvage the gorilla rack shelving units that used to be in her basement. I will say they go together easier than they go apart!. Steve M. helped me. I think I drove him crazy. Every time I hammered on the shelf, I was hitting the wrong way. He must have told me 10 times that I was pounding wrongly.
But apart they did come. These racks are super strong and expensive. She had two in her basement and they run probably $150 each. We were able to salvage one of them. The other was too badly bent.
Back at home the crew was going through boxes and tubs like crazy people. They may have tired of hearing me say, "That's mine....I want it." Or, "That's Julia's. Maybe save it."
We found lots of Nestle antique type stuff that we figured Julia would want one day. We also found some pots and pans, and coincidentally I know a couple of people who can use them.
Emily and John will be renting a house in town. It is a ranch with a four foot high chain link fence. It will allow the dogs to go out without a leash, (something I am never allowed to do) but they will have to be watched closely (like me).
We now have several garage piles: things to sell at a garage sale; things to sell from an antique booth at a flea market; things to put in the basement; things that we don't have a clue about.
We found a golf club. No one golfs. We think it belongs to next door Adam. We have to ask him about the scenic pictures of a sea shore...nobody seemed to recognize them.
So far we know the mower is totalled, the tread mill is a goner, the elliptical may be a loss, and the push mower, string trimmer, and snow blower may be in some field somewhere.
Which makes me wonder: Where does all the stuff go? Emily had a huge white fence, don't you think it would be seen somewhere?
Or is it all just pulverized by the swirling winds?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Not that kind of dirty, all you perverted people who know me so very well.
Dirty as in going through stuff in your garage dirty.
First off, there is insulation and broken glass in almost every tub of stuff Emily had in the basement. Even tubs with lids on tight had insulation in them. Freakin' amazing.
I decided to salvage the gorilla rack shelving units that used to be in her basement. I will say they go together easier than they go apart!. Steve M. helped me. I think I drove him crazy. Every time I hammered on the shelf, I was hitting the wrong way. He must have told me 10 times that I was pounding wrongly.
But apart they did come. These racks are super strong and expensive. She had two in her basement and they run probably $150 each. We were able to salvage one of them. The other was too badly bent.
Back at home the crew was going through boxes and tubs like crazy people. They may have tired of hearing me say, "That's mine....I want it." Or, "That's Julia's. Maybe save it."
We found lots of Nestle antique type stuff that we figured Julia would want one day. We also found some pots and pans, and coincidentally I know a couple of people who can use them.
Emily and John will be renting a house in town. It is a ranch with a four foot high chain link fence. It will allow the dogs to go out without a leash, (something I am never allowed to do) but they will have to be watched closely (like me).
We now have several garage piles: things to sell at a garage sale; things to sell from an antique booth at a flea market; things to put in the basement; things that we don't have a clue about.
We found a golf club. No one golfs. We think it belongs to next door Adam. We have to ask him about the scenic pictures of a sea shore...nobody seemed to recognize them.
So far we know the mower is totalled, the tread mill is a goner, the elliptical may be a loss, and the push mower, string trimmer, and snow blower may be in some field somewhere.
Which makes me wonder: Where does all the stuff go? Emily had a huge white fence, don't you think it would be seen somewhere?
Or is it all just pulverized by the swirling winds?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Friday, April 17, 2015
that was ..... weird
This was a weird kind of day
I was at the zoo today, and it felt weird to be away from home. It also felt good to be in a normal routine.
But things didn't go exactly according to plan.
When I got home, I took the dogs out and brought two of them in, keeping Pearl out for a while.
When I brought her in, Jackie was standing guard over some chocolate she dropped.
I bent over to pick up a square piece, a square piece and a round piece.
"What kind of chocolate is this," I asked, holding the round ball in my hand.
"That's not chocolate!" she said, stating the obvious.
I have washed my hands 63 times since then and even used a fork to eat supper.
I think little Pearl must drop chunks....cause I found another little golf ball size morsel later.
Now understand, I eat anything I find on the floor. With me, it's more a three day rule than 5 seconds.
Thank the food gods I did not pop that ball into my mouth.
Since Emily lost most of her reusable bags, I thought I would be a nice dad and buy some so we don't end up with 1,000 plastic bags.
(By the way, since the price of oil has dropped, plastic bags are no longer considered part of the profitable recycle stream. Most of them are buried in landfills because it is cheaper to make them new. A few, depending on the grade, are recycled, but many are not. Reusable bags are a good option.)
I have some Reisenthen mini maxi shopping bags. I bought them several years ago. They were about $6 a bag. Mine are red and come in a handy little carrying sack. They hold 26 pounds and are great!
So I looked for some on line tonight.
I found them on Amazon. $52 a bag. I about dropped my teeth!
Seems they are retro and popular. Plus they are no longer imported to the states.
I did find out that they are sold at the Manor in Vevey, where Julia lives. I have asked her to pick up a few if the price is right!
And that gives me one more reason to board an airplane, sit strapped in for 8 hours, eating food that tastes less than delicious and thank my lucky stars I can.
I was at the zoo today, and it felt weird to be away from home. It also felt good to be in a normal routine.
But things didn't go exactly according to plan.
When I got home, I took the dogs out and brought two of them in, keeping Pearl out for a while.
When I brought her in, Jackie was standing guard over some chocolate she dropped.
I bent over to pick up a square piece, a square piece and a round piece.
"What kind of chocolate is this," I asked, holding the round ball in my hand.
"That's not chocolate!" she said, stating the obvious.
I have washed my hands 63 times since then and even used a fork to eat supper.
I think little Pearl must drop chunks....cause I found another little golf ball size morsel later.
Now understand, I eat anything I find on the floor. With me, it's more a three day rule than 5 seconds.
Thank the food gods I did not pop that ball into my mouth.
Since Emily lost most of her reusable bags, I thought I would be a nice dad and buy some so we don't end up with 1,000 plastic bags.
(By the way, since the price of oil has dropped, plastic bags are no longer considered part of the profitable recycle stream. Most of them are buried in landfills because it is cheaper to make them new. A few, depending on the grade, are recycled, but many are not. Reusable bags are a good option.)
I have some Reisenthen mini maxi shopping bags. I bought them several years ago. They were about $6 a bag. Mine are red and come in a handy little carrying sack. They hold 26 pounds and are great!
So I looked for some on line tonight.
I found them on Amazon. $52 a bag. I about dropped my teeth!
Seems they are retro and popular. Plus they are no longer imported to the states.
I did find out that they are sold at the Manor in Vevey, where Julia lives. I have asked her to pick up a few if the price is right!
And that gives me one more reason to board an airplane, sit strapped in for 8 hours, eating food that tastes less than delicious and thank my lucky stars I can.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
hmmm....could it be me
I think I noticed a shortcoming
You can stop pretending shock. You all know I have several shortcomings.
I am a blubberer. That's right. I am a guy who is not afraid to shed tears. This last week I have shed a lot of tears, sometimes for no reason at all, sometimes for thankfulness, sometimes in gratitude for the people who have showered my daughter and her fiancee with love. Sometimes out of loss.
I read "Where the Red Fern Grows" once to my fifth graders. I cried and never read it again. Same with "Walk Two Moons." Both are great kids books, but I just can't read them to a class.
When Julia left the first time, I blubbered for a week or two. Now I am down to a blubbering mess until I hit the Starbucks on the 294 oasis from the airport.
When Emily went to Drake, I cried. When Julia went to Blackburn, I cried. (True Story: Jackie said I needed to just say goodbye and walk away. That was fine advice, until she put Emily in a bear hug and I had to pry her away from her baby and guide her because she was crying so hard she could not see. At least I wait until we are driving down the highway to not be able to see. That doesn't sound safe, does it?)
Sometimes a sad movie brings a tear to my eye. So does filing a tax return.
Or getting a shot.
Sometimes I blubber and get hungry. That explains why I have packed it on the last few days. I think the scale said, "OOOmph" when I got on this morning, and it is not a talking scale.
I guess having pie for breakfast will do that.
I have to pull my big boy panties up and stop the crying and the eating and the endless staring into space.
We survived. All of us. We are surrounded by people who care about us. All of us. We are rebuilding. All of us.
Life is good.
Damn, where's the tissue when I need it. Who hid the cookies??
You can stop pretending shock. You all know I have several shortcomings.
I am a blubberer. That's right. I am a guy who is not afraid to shed tears. This last week I have shed a lot of tears, sometimes for no reason at all, sometimes for thankfulness, sometimes in gratitude for the people who have showered my daughter and her fiancee with love. Sometimes out of loss.
I read "Where the Red Fern Grows" once to my fifth graders. I cried and never read it again. Same with "Walk Two Moons." Both are great kids books, but I just can't read them to a class.
When Julia left the first time, I blubbered for a week or two. Now I am down to a blubbering mess until I hit the Starbucks on the 294 oasis from the airport.
When Emily went to Drake, I cried. When Julia went to Blackburn, I cried. (True Story: Jackie said I needed to just say goodbye and walk away. That was fine advice, until she put Emily in a bear hug and I had to pry her away from her baby and guide her because she was crying so hard she could not see. At least I wait until we are driving down the highway to not be able to see. That doesn't sound safe, does it?)
Sometimes a sad movie brings a tear to my eye. So does filing a tax return.
Or getting a shot.
Sometimes I blubber and get hungry. That explains why I have packed it on the last few days. I think the scale said, "OOOmph" when I got on this morning, and it is not a talking scale.
I guess having pie for breakfast will do that.
I have to pull my big boy panties up and stop the crying and the eating and the endless staring into space.
We survived. All of us. We are surrounded by people who care about us. All of us. We are rebuilding. All of us.
Life is good.
Damn, where's the tissue when I need it. Who hid the cookies??
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
I have no control
I no longer have control of my life
Seriously! Everywhere I go, every move I take....(wait a second, I feel a song comin' on!) it ends up at the tornado.
I don't want to beat a dead horse. But the storm rules all my conversations. I see people in the store and they tell me how lucky we were that it was only a house. I agree.
Wild thing, that storm. The storm brought total strangers to our community and those people helped us. Not because they had to, or were paid to, but because they wanted to.
It makes my heart sing. So many volunteers that had to turn people away. So many donations they had to say stop.
It made everything so, well, groovy. Wild thing.
Now I can't get that song out of my head...don't know whether to blame The Troggs or Sam Kineson.
And yet it just doesn't seem real.
I wanted to ask Emily today if she had any more problems with her garage door not closing. A couple of weeks ago it seemed to not close, and I thought some debris was lodged in front of one of the sensors. I cleaned it out.
Her new shower was half done. I wanted to see what it looked like.
When I drove over to her lot today, I expected to see all the houses of the people in the neighborhood, Adam's, Brian's, Jodi's.....but they were gone. Still.
Emily and John lived in a house that had two bedrooms, a craft room, living room, sun room, dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms and a laundry room. There was a lot of stuff in the house.
We found a coffee table and a dining room chair. That's it.
A lot of stuff fell into the basement and we are slowly going through that. There will be a push this weekend to sort: then save, toss or whatever all the items that were found. Some are Julia's. Some are mine. Some are Emily's. Some may be Adam's.
I'd like to say the tears have stopped. But they haven't, hers or mine.
I am so thankful for their safety, and our safety, and your safety. I am so thankful for the army of volunteers that have helped clean up the properties around Rochelle. I am so thankful for the first responders who were checking for trapped people within minutes. I am so thankful for the people who have stopped us and said "we're sorry." because it shows how much they care about my family.
Emily and John met with a claims adjuster today, along with a builder. They are meeting with an architect tomorrow and if all goes well, within the next few weeks a new home will be started.
It won't erase the memories of last Thursday. Nothing will.
In time, maybe the blows will be lessened, or softened by time.
A year? Two? Who knows.
I just hope we never experience anything like that again in our community.
Seriously! Everywhere I go, every move I take....(wait a second, I feel a song comin' on!) it ends up at the tornado.
I don't want to beat a dead horse. But the storm rules all my conversations. I see people in the store and they tell me how lucky we were that it was only a house. I agree.
Wild thing, that storm. The storm brought total strangers to our community and those people helped us. Not because they had to, or were paid to, but because they wanted to.
It makes my heart sing. So many volunteers that had to turn people away. So many donations they had to say stop.
It made everything so, well, groovy. Wild thing.
Now I can't get that song out of my head...don't know whether to blame The Troggs or Sam Kineson.
And yet it just doesn't seem real.
I wanted to ask Emily today if she had any more problems with her garage door not closing. A couple of weeks ago it seemed to not close, and I thought some debris was lodged in front of one of the sensors. I cleaned it out.
Her new shower was half done. I wanted to see what it looked like.
When I drove over to her lot today, I expected to see all the houses of the people in the neighborhood, Adam's, Brian's, Jodi's.....but they were gone. Still.
Emily and John lived in a house that had two bedrooms, a craft room, living room, sun room, dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms and a laundry room. There was a lot of stuff in the house.
We found a coffee table and a dining room chair. That's it.
A lot of stuff fell into the basement and we are slowly going through that. There will be a push this weekend to sort: then save, toss or whatever all the items that were found. Some are Julia's. Some are mine. Some are Emily's. Some may be Adam's.
I'd like to say the tears have stopped. But they haven't, hers or mine.
I am so thankful for their safety, and our safety, and your safety. I am so thankful for the army of volunteers that have helped clean up the properties around Rochelle. I am so thankful for the first responders who were checking for trapped people within minutes. I am so thankful for the people who have stopped us and said "we're sorry." because it shows how much they care about my family.
Emily and John met with a claims adjuster today, along with a builder. They are meeting with an architect tomorrow and if all goes well, within the next few weeks a new home will be started.
It won't erase the memories of last Thursday. Nothing will.
In time, maybe the blows will be lessened, or softened by time.
A year? Two? Who knows.
I just hope we never experience anything like that again in our community.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
a brief moment on top
The Cubs were in first place!
Granted, it is early in the season. But for one night, they were actually in first place.
Now that may not be amazing to Cardinals fans, who are used to being in first place, but for a Cub fan, it's a treat!
The Trib this morning said it was the first time since the 2009 season the Cubs have been two games over 500. That is 5 years of frustration! Bad hitting, terrible pitching, lousy fielding... wasn't it Leo the Lip who said, "Any team can have a bad century."
The wait is over. This is the season. The time is now.
No more wait 'till next year........this is the year.
Oh sure, they dropped one tonight and are now out of first place.
But it was nice....I wore a Cubs shirt today and announced several times these are the First Place Chicago Cubs.
At least I got to say that this decade. And I know I will be saying it in August...and September...and hopefully, October.
And people say I am a pessimist!
Granted, it is early in the season. But for one night, they were actually in first place.
Now that may not be amazing to Cardinals fans, who are used to being in first place, but for a Cub fan, it's a treat!
The Trib this morning said it was the first time since the 2009 season the Cubs have been two games over 500. That is 5 years of frustration! Bad hitting, terrible pitching, lousy fielding... wasn't it Leo the Lip who said, "Any team can have a bad century."
The wait is over. This is the season. The time is now.
No more wait 'till next year........this is the year.
Oh sure, they dropped one tonight and are now out of first place.
But it was nice....I wore a Cubs shirt today and announced several times these are the First Place Chicago Cubs.
At least I got to say that this decade. And I know I will be saying it in August...and September...and hopefully, October.
And people say I am a pessimist!
Monday, April 13, 2015
now it's time to say goodnight.....
Tonight I am tired
I imagine some of the stress has worn off. I know there is a lot of work to be done in the community still. There is a lot of sorting for Emily and John to do also. I will help them as much as I can, but I do tend to over save.
The generosity of the people keeps pouring in. Prairieview waived the boarding fees for the three dogs and some other vet bills. Tails picked up the cremation costs for the two dogs. And some of the vet clinic's staff even came to help triage clothes and most importantly, brought some kick butt cupcakes.
And our friends......bringing food, helping tote filthy boxes, sorting clothes, offering food, spending hours doing laundry, helping me do laundry,(I think a couple of people were worried about my plan to do all the laundry at one time at a laundromat. OK, so I forgot drier sheets. And I did not realize how long it took to fold clothes ... I think I could have been there all night!).
If I had to make a list of all the people that helped us, I would fail to name everyone. It has been such an incredible journey.
Yet sometimes I feel a little guilty.
Are others getting the help they need? Do they have the support network we have? And why am I blessed with such great people in my life? Why does Emily have such super friends?
I shared a video on Facebook of the tornado.
Friends, it was one big, ugly storm.
But what people are doing for us, and for others in the community and in Fairdale is truly the silver lining in the cloud.
I think tonight I will sleep pretty soundly. My baby is safe, her beau is safe, the dogs are home, my wife is still walking, my Swiss daughter is safely back from a trip that scared the heck out of me and the Cubs won.
It's a perfect storm for sleep ..... excuse the pun.
I imagine some of the stress has worn off. I know there is a lot of work to be done in the community still. There is a lot of sorting for Emily and John to do also. I will help them as much as I can, but I do tend to over save.
The generosity of the people keeps pouring in. Prairieview waived the boarding fees for the three dogs and some other vet bills. Tails picked up the cremation costs for the two dogs. And some of the vet clinic's staff even came to help triage clothes and most importantly, brought some kick butt cupcakes.
And our friends......bringing food, helping tote filthy boxes, sorting clothes, offering food, spending hours doing laundry, helping me do laundry,(I think a couple of people were worried about my plan to do all the laundry at one time at a laundromat. OK, so I forgot drier sheets. And I did not realize how long it took to fold clothes ... I think I could have been there all night!).
If I had to make a list of all the people that helped us, I would fail to name everyone. It has been such an incredible journey.
Yet sometimes I feel a little guilty.
Are others getting the help they need? Do they have the support network we have? And why am I blessed with such great people in my life? Why does Emily have such super friends?
I shared a video on Facebook of the tornado.
Friends, it was one big, ugly storm.
But what people are doing for us, and for others in the community and in Fairdale is truly the silver lining in the cloud.
I think tonight I will sleep pretty soundly. My baby is safe, her beau is safe, the dogs are home, my wife is still walking, my Swiss daughter is safely back from a trip that scared the heck out of me and the Cubs won.
It's a perfect storm for sleep ..... excuse the pun.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish
I feel it's my duty to explain The Fish
Emily had fish when she lived at home. She loves pets.
When we moved into our Skare Court house in about 1992, she had some rather large tinfoil barbs.
They were in a tank in the family room. We were in bed one night when I heard this slapping sound. It went on for several minutes, so I went downstairs to investigate.
I found one of the tinfoil barbs on the floor, flapping like crazy. I scooped it up and plopped it back in the tank, where it proceeded to swim sideways for the rest of its life.
At some point....I don't remember when.....one of the two barbs died. It must have been 8 inches long.
Flushing it was not an option.
And because it was a pet, throwing it in the garbage was not an option.
It was winter, so I put the fish in a bag and froze it.
The plan was to put it in the ground under a bush that Emily was planting, the fish serving as nourishment for the plant, with the plant in turn serving as a memorial to the fish.
At some point, Exit 99 people were over at my house and we were telling about goofy things we save or something, and I mentioned the fish I had in the freezer.
Everyone laughed and said I was crazy. So I showed it to them.
Now, some people get disgusted by stiff, frozen fish. But Mrs. Paul loves them, and I saw no harm because we were going to bury it.
When the second fish died, it was also winter. So I put it in a bag and put it in the freezer.
After all, Emily was planning on moving to Rochelle and building a house, so there would be lots of bushes to plant.
In the mean time, word of the fish seemed to spread and whenever people talked about saving things, Dickow's fish came up.
Now I had two of them.
But Emily was moving to Rochelle and building a house, so there would be lots of bushes to plant.
(repeated to emphasize.)
Emily has been in the house a few years, maybe 8 or 9. She has planted a lot of bushes.
When we moved from Skare Court, we put the fish in her freezer because we were going to plant trees and bushes at the new house.
I was a little astounded when I picked through the debris at Emily's house and found so little.
Then Em mentioned: The Fish were still in the freezer.
And by golly, they were!
These old boys have survived three moves, over a decade of frozen life, and a tornado.
The Fish had provided lots of laughs (at my expense) and created some great memories and stories for friends.
They were great pets.....as long as the power wasn't off and your freezer wasn't
laying on its side in the yard next to your house after being ripped from its home in the basement.
Emily will rebuild. And next fall, she may even plant new bushes.
Alas, the fish will not be there.
They are now returned to Mother Earth and hopefully will provide nourishment for our tomatoes and green peppers this year. A proper burial, complete with music, was held. (Ok, I whistled a little of Edmund Fitzgerald....only fishing related song I know and it's not about fishing.)
Now, about the shavings collection........
Emily had fish when she lived at home. She loves pets.
When we moved into our Skare Court house in about 1992, she had some rather large tinfoil barbs.
They were in a tank in the family room. We were in bed one night when I heard this slapping sound. It went on for several minutes, so I went downstairs to investigate.
I found one of the tinfoil barbs on the floor, flapping like crazy. I scooped it up and plopped it back in the tank, where it proceeded to swim sideways for the rest of its life.
At some point....I don't remember when.....one of the two barbs died. It must have been 8 inches long.
Flushing it was not an option.
And because it was a pet, throwing it in the garbage was not an option.
It was winter, so I put the fish in a bag and froze it.
The plan was to put it in the ground under a bush that Emily was planting, the fish serving as nourishment for the plant, with the plant in turn serving as a memorial to the fish.
At some point, Exit 99 people were over at my house and we were telling about goofy things we save or something, and I mentioned the fish I had in the freezer.
Everyone laughed and said I was crazy. So I showed it to them.
Now, some people get disgusted by stiff, frozen fish. But Mrs. Paul loves them, and I saw no harm because we were going to bury it.
When the second fish died, it was also winter. So I put it in a bag and put it in the freezer.
After all, Emily was planning on moving to Rochelle and building a house, so there would be lots of bushes to plant.
In the mean time, word of the fish seemed to spread and whenever people talked about saving things, Dickow's fish came up.
Now I had two of them.
But Emily was moving to Rochelle and building a house, so there would be lots of bushes to plant.
(repeated to emphasize.)
Emily has been in the house a few years, maybe 8 or 9. She has planted a lot of bushes.
When we moved from Skare Court, we put the fish in her freezer because we were going to plant trees and bushes at the new house.
I was a little astounded when I picked through the debris at Emily's house and found so little.
Then Em mentioned: The Fish were still in the freezer.
And by golly, they were!
These old boys have survived three moves, over a decade of frozen life, and a tornado.
The Fish had provided lots of laughs (at my expense) and created some great memories and stories for friends.
They were great pets.....as long as the power wasn't off and your freezer wasn't
laying on its side in the yard next to your house after being ripped from its home in the basement.
Emily will rebuild. And next fall, she may even plant new bushes.
Alas, the fish will not be there.
They are now returned to Mother Earth and hopefully will provide nourishment for our tomatoes and green peppers this year. A proper burial, complete with music, was held. (Ok, I whistled a little of Edmund Fitzgerald....only fishing related song I know and it's not about fishing.)
Now, about the shavings collection........
 |
| Fish Number two was in the bag, but not in a baggy! |
Saturday, April 11, 2015
A funny thing happened on my way to Kansas
I know it's not funny, but....
What the people in my neighborhood went through was a nightmare. Lost homes and pets. Lives turned upside down. Yet, there was some funny stuff going on too.
Like Emily's interview with the Chicago tv station. (2, I believe) The reporter asked all kinds of questions, they talked for 10 minutes at least. Emily teared up when talking about the two dogs she lost. She teared up at the outpouring of support from the community.
Here she was. No home, no clothes. Nothing.
Then John found the dryer, filled with clean clothes. But he couldn't get it open.
John grabs a shovel and bangs on the door, sharing it and getting Emily's clothes.
Which happen to be underwear.
So what do they show? John banging on the dryer and Emily saying, "Oh great, underwear."
It was funny.
Somebody drove a golf cart over Emily's lawn and yelled, :"Hope I don't ruin the grass."
Jodi down the street wants to flood her basement for a pool.
Two years ago I bought patio furniture. For two years it sat in my garage. When the patio got done last Thursday, I waited two days and put the furniture out Sunday. I moved my super neat Weber gas grill out to the patio, with the help of Emily and John.
Friend Mary Kay comes over, Jackie says, "Look at the patio. It's beautiful."
Mary Kay looks at it and asks, "When are you putting your furniture out?"
I drove around the neighborhood looking for four chairs and a table. Nothing.
Then I noticed the brown wood in the yard. And across the street. And on the street.
It's like a jigsaw puzzle that won't be put together.
It cost me almost $100 a day to use it as patio furniture. I sat on it once.
My grill is damaged....but I don't know how badly it is and what I need to do to get it working.
And there's my $3.50 nine pane window I bought at an Amish hardware store 5 years ago. I plan to use it for pictures....putting 8 x 10s in each pane.
Unfortunately, it was in Emily's basement.
Fortunately, it survived.
Unfortunately, it got put in the trash heap.
Fortunately, I found it.
In fact, most of the stuff we salvaged from Emily's basement was Julia's, or mine.
Now it's all in my garage, waiting to be sorted.
And I know where most of it is headed.....my basement!
What the people in my neighborhood went through was a nightmare. Lost homes and pets. Lives turned upside down. Yet, there was some funny stuff going on too.
Like Emily's interview with the Chicago tv station. (2, I believe) The reporter asked all kinds of questions, they talked for 10 minutes at least. Emily teared up when talking about the two dogs she lost. She teared up at the outpouring of support from the community.
Here she was. No home, no clothes. Nothing.
Then John found the dryer, filled with clean clothes. But he couldn't get it open.
John grabs a shovel and bangs on the door, sharing it and getting Emily's clothes.
Which happen to be underwear.
So what do they show? John banging on the dryer and Emily saying, "Oh great, underwear."
It was funny.
Somebody drove a golf cart over Emily's lawn and yelled, :"Hope I don't ruin the grass."
Jodi down the street wants to flood her basement for a pool.
Two years ago I bought patio furniture. For two years it sat in my garage. When the patio got done last Thursday, I waited two days and put the furniture out Sunday. I moved my super neat Weber gas grill out to the patio, with the help of Emily and John.
Friend Mary Kay comes over, Jackie says, "Look at the patio. It's beautiful."
Mary Kay looks at it and asks, "When are you putting your furniture out?"
I drove around the neighborhood looking for four chairs and a table. Nothing.
Then I noticed the brown wood in the yard. And across the street. And on the street.
It's like a jigsaw puzzle that won't be put together.
It cost me almost $100 a day to use it as patio furniture. I sat on it once.
My grill is damaged....but I don't know how badly it is and what I need to do to get it working.
And there's my $3.50 nine pane window I bought at an Amish hardware store 5 years ago. I plan to use it for pictures....putting 8 x 10s in each pane.
Unfortunately, it was in Emily's basement.
Fortunately, it survived.
Unfortunately, it got put in the trash heap.
Fortunately, I found it.
In fact, most of the stuff we salvaged from Emily's basement was Julia's, or mine.
Now it's all in my garage, waiting to be sorted.
And I know where most of it is headed.....my basement!
Friday, April 10, 2015
more than an answer was blowin in the wind!
I don't know how to describe the last 24 hours
Storms had been predicted throughout the day. I cooked burgers out on my grill on my new patio. The temperature was warm and muggy.
At 6:20 or so, Big Bang Theory was interrupted by a weather alert about storms north and west of us. No worry. I had a meeting to go to at 7, so I decided to wait a little before I left.
Some time later...not sure how much....another report about a "hook" in a storm near Ashton, just about 10 miles west of us. Could be a tornado. Moving Northeast at 45 miles an hour.
Then I went on the porch because it was hailing.
Knowing Emily was at work, I called John to warn him about the hail. A tornado warning for Rochelle was issued, and I took the warning seriously and got Jackie to the basement.
The power went off as soon as we got down there. I went to get a flashlight and when I came back I looked out my basement window.
There was huge, grayish white cloud nearly at the ground, pulling in other clouds above it. Trees started to move upward.
I went to the closet to be sure Jackie was in there, and I think I joined her for a minute. Then it was over.
I went upstairs, opened the door and saw the storm and I knew Emily's house was in its path. I called John. He said he saw the storm too.
Then I yelled to Jackie that I was going to check on the dogs.
The quickest way to Emily's was blocked by downed trees and power lines. I saw houses of friends in shambles. I made u turn and drove as fast as I could to Emily's.
I could not believe what I saw....or didn't see.
Emily's house gone. Not damaged. Gone. No porch. No fence. no walls. No floor. Just John standing in an empty garage with a look of shock.
I asked about the 5 dogs, had he seen them. No.
We peered into the debris filled basement and he saw Pearl. Then Cooper.
Someone had to tell Emily.
So John went to Walmart an I went home to get a ladder to get into the basement.
I had never heard Jackie moan like she did when I told her. I showed her a picture. She moaned and cried even louder.
I got her up from the basement. Mary Kay and Steve called and they were on their way, mainly to stay with Jackie in the dark house.
I borrowed a leash from the lady across the street, and her son Ben offered to come with to help get the dogs.
By the time we got back, people were asking how they could help. Strangers. I don't know where they came from. Three of them went into the basement and somehow managed to lift a 125 pound Great Dane up the ladder. Pearl, a greyhound, was a little lighter load.
Meanwhile, Emily had found Banksy, alive but breathing very slowly and not moving. She also found Finny, who was buried beneath part of a wall. Bennett, the big boy, was nowhere to be seen, although his twisted cage was in the middle of the yard.
Wendy rode with me to the 24 hour pet clinic in Aurora, while Emily and John took Banksy to her vet, where he put Banksy to sleep.
Eventually, Emily, Bart, Steve and a whole bunch of other people were looking for Bennett. Sometime after 11, Emily was in the horse pasture behind her lot when Kevin yelled, "Emily, he's in your car."
Bennett had wandered around until he got back to Emily's car, where some gas company guys had more or less corralled him. Kevin cautioned them to move slowly, and he opened the gate and he hopped in.
Long story even longer....Bennett, Cooper and Pearl and fine. Emily and John are fine. Jackie and I are fine.
But I know, looking at her house, if I had gotten to the dogs before the storm, or if John had gotten home before the storm, or it was on a day off for Emily, we would not have survived.
Every time I see a video of that storm, I cry. I cry for people I love who I could have lost, but for a quirk of fate or a job schedule.
And I admit, I have said a lot of prayers the past few hours....for my family, for the dogs, for the 7 other families on her street who lost their homes, for the people in Fairfield.
And I have given numerous prayers of thanks for those who helped in so many ways. Bringing water, offering coffee, bringing in heavy equipment to pull out dangerous beams, bracing basement walls, offering their homes, their hugs, their time, and their love.
I have often seen towns hit by tornadoes on the news. But I have never been able to "get it" when it comes to the destruction. Seeing it on tv is one thing, but seeing it in person is mind numbing.
Life will get back to normal. It may take a while, but it will get back to normal.
After all, I am just getting too old for this!
Storms had been predicted throughout the day. I cooked burgers out on my grill on my new patio. The temperature was warm and muggy.
At 6:20 or so, Big Bang Theory was interrupted by a weather alert about storms north and west of us. No worry. I had a meeting to go to at 7, so I decided to wait a little before I left.
Some time later...not sure how much....another report about a "hook" in a storm near Ashton, just about 10 miles west of us. Could be a tornado. Moving Northeast at 45 miles an hour.
Then I went on the porch because it was hailing.
Knowing Emily was at work, I called John to warn him about the hail. A tornado warning for Rochelle was issued, and I took the warning seriously and got Jackie to the basement.
The power went off as soon as we got down there. I went to get a flashlight and when I came back I looked out my basement window.
There was huge, grayish white cloud nearly at the ground, pulling in other clouds above it. Trees started to move upward.
I went to the closet to be sure Jackie was in there, and I think I joined her for a minute. Then it was over.
I went upstairs, opened the door and saw the storm and I knew Emily's house was in its path. I called John. He said he saw the storm too.
Then I yelled to Jackie that I was going to check on the dogs.
The quickest way to Emily's was blocked by downed trees and power lines. I saw houses of friends in shambles. I made u turn and drove as fast as I could to Emily's.
I could not believe what I saw....or didn't see.
Emily's house gone. Not damaged. Gone. No porch. No fence. no walls. No floor. Just John standing in an empty garage with a look of shock.
I asked about the 5 dogs, had he seen them. No.
We peered into the debris filled basement and he saw Pearl. Then Cooper.
Someone had to tell Emily.
So John went to Walmart an I went home to get a ladder to get into the basement.
I had never heard Jackie moan like she did when I told her. I showed her a picture. She moaned and cried even louder.
I got her up from the basement. Mary Kay and Steve called and they were on their way, mainly to stay with Jackie in the dark house.
I borrowed a leash from the lady across the street, and her son Ben offered to come with to help get the dogs.
By the time we got back, people were asking how they could help. Strangers. I don't know where they came from. Three of them went into the basement and somehow managed to lift a 125 pound Great Dane up the ladder. Pearl, a greyhound, was a little lighter load.
Meanwhile, Emily had found Banksy, alive but breathing very slowly and not moving. She also found Finny, who was buried beneath part of a wall. Bennett, the big boy, was nowhere to be seen, although his twisted cage was in the middle of the yard.
Wendy rode with me to the 24 hour pet clinic in Aurora, while Emily and John took Banksy to her vet, where he put Banksy to sleep.
Eventually, Emily, Bart, Steve and a whole bunch of other people were looking for Bennett. Sometime after 11, Emily was in the horse pasture behind her lot when Kevin yelled, "Emily, he's in your car."
Bennett had wandered around until he got back to Emily's car, where some gas company guys had more or less corralled him. Kevin cautioned them to move slowly, and he opened the gate and he hopped in.
Long story even longer....Bennett, Cooper and Pearl and fine. Emily and John are fine. Jackie and I are fine.
But I know, looking at her house, if I had gotten to the dogs before the storm, or if John had gotten home before the storm, or it was on a day off for Emily, we would not have survived.
Every time I see a video of that storm, I cry. I cry for people I love who I could have lost, but for a quirk of fate or a job schedule.
And I admit, I have said a lot of prayers the past few hours....for my family, for the dogs, for the 7 other families on her street who lost their homes, for the people in Fairfield.
And I have given numerous prayers of thanks for those who helped in so many ways. Bringing water, offering coffee, bringing in heavy equipment to pull out dangerous beams, bracing basement walls, offering their homes, their hugs, their time, and their love.
I have often seen towns hit by tornadoes on the news. But I have never been able to "get it" when it comes to the destruction. Seeing it on tv is one thing, but seeing it in person is mind numbing.
Life will get back to normal. It may take a while, but it will get back to normal.
After all, I am just getting too old for this!
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
what the heck happened
I was looking for a coaster by the computer today
The kind you put your hot tea on so it does not leave marks on the furniture. We have a hand woven one in the den, which is great because I always have a cup of tea there at night, and frequently a cup of coffee there in the after noon.
So I looked for it.
The next thing I knew, this:
It started simply enough. All I had to do was go through a pile of papers and find the damn coaster!
But noooooooo. That wasn't good enough, was it?
I looked through every drawer, every folder, every notebook and never found the coaster.
Oh yes, I had a lot of recycled paper. (By the way, recycling day is tomorrow. What are the odds that my tub of paper will stay upright in the cyclonic winds forecast for tomorrow? Last time this happened I ran all over the neighborhood picking up paper.)
And I had a lot of paper to shred. There was a lot of stuff to throw out too.
I started at 9:30. By 1 I was pretty tired and it was time to let the dogs out anyway, so I took a two hour break and ran some errands.
I came home and went back to work, this time enlisting Jackie on the project. We have bills of sale from our house on Southview, which was 1981. We have a bill of sale from our house on Mill Pond , which we sold in 1982. And a bill of sale for our Skare Court house, which sold in 2012.
I insisted we save those. But we tossed out lots of other unnecessary paper.
I found some great recipes we had stuffed in a drawer, along with 5 Metra schedules for the Elburn to Chicago run, some pictures and a whole stack of notebooks, mostly with one or two pages written in them.
That's what happens to people like me. We can't focus on a task. We lose interest, get bored, or just plain get distracted.
In the end, two tasks were accomplished.
First, I found the coaster. It was in the garbage can, at the bottom, for some strange reason.
Second, I cleaned up the desk. Mostly.
Yes, I still have a small stack. But it is small. And tomorrow, I will work on that.
Unless something distracts me. Like a storm.
The kind you put your hot tea on so it does not leave marks on the furniture. We have a hand woven one in the den, which is great because I always have a cup of tea there at night, and frequently a cup of coffee there in the after noon.
So I looked for it.
The next thing I knew, this:
It started simply enough. All I had to do was go through a pile of papers and find the damn coaster!
But noooooooo. That wasn't good enough, was it?
I looked through every drawer, every folder, every notebook and never found the coaster.
Oh yes, I had a lot of recycled paper. (By the way, recycling day is tomorrow. What are the odds that my tub of paper will stay upright in the cyclonic winds forecast for tomorrow? Last time this happened I ran all over the neighborhood picking up paper.)
And I had a lot of paper to shred. There was a lot of stuff to throw out too.
I started at 9:30. By 1 I was pretty tired and it was time to let the dogs out anyway, so I took a two hour break and ran some errands.
I came home and went back to work, this time enlisting Jackie on the project. We have bills of sale from our house on Southview, which was 1981. We have a bill of sale from our house on Mill Pond , which we sold in 1982. And a bill of sale for our Skare Court house, which sold in 2012.
I insisted we save those. But we tossed out lots of other unnecessary paper.
I found some great recipes we had stuffed in a drawer, along with 5 Metra schedules for the Elburn to Chicago run, some pictures and a whole stack of notebooks, mostly with one or two pages written in them.
That's what happens to people like me. We can't focus on a task. We lose interest, get bored, or just plain get distracted.
In the end, two tasks were accomplished.
First, I found the coaster. It was in the garbage can, at the bottom, for some strange reason.
Second, I cleaned up the desk. Mostly.
Yes, I still have a small stack. But it is small. And tomorrow, I will work on that.
Unless something distracts me. Like a storm.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
thunder, lightning, and rain
I don't like storms
I live in perpetual fear of tornadoes.
I run screaming when a storm hits.
I go into the basement and "work."
I pace the floor if it is night time.
I also put on the weather channel on tv if it is night time so I can be aware of the storms. I am a nervous Ned.
We were visiting Emily in Des Moines when she was still in school. Jackie, Julia, Emily and I. All four of us.
We had spent a hot, muggy day in the zoo and went out to dinner.
When we left, the sky looked terrible. We turned on the local radio and sure enough, tornado warning! The sirens around us started screaming, the lights went out, the wind picked up.....I headed for the first building I saw. It was a rescue mission, and the fam would not go in.
So I drove. And I mean drove. No traffic lights, no street lights, nothing was working. Lightning flashing...the radio blaring reports of touch downs north and south of where we were....I just kept driving, like a panicked mad man until I saw a Hy-Vee. We parked and ran inside.
Emily and Julia were ok until they went into the bathroom and a woman was on her knees holding on to her child and praying in a loud, weeping voice, "God spare us from our impending doom."
The girls came out of the washroom in a near panic mode.
That's when the staff of the store ushered us all into a giant cooler in the back. We were there for maybe half an hour, until the storms passed.
There were tree limbs everywhere. Des Moines was a mess, but we were safe.
The next day, we went home and could not use a bathroom the whole way because all the power was knocked out and trees were down in rest areas all along 80. The sky was a funny color.
Making matters worse, there were storms behind us! They chased us all the way back to Rochelle.
When we got out of the car, I went into the basement.
I don't like storms. When they hit, look for me in the basement. Holding a radio and flashlight.
I live in perpetual fear of tornadoes.
I run screaming when a storm hits.
I go into the basement and "work."
I pace the floor if it is night time.
I also put on the weather channel on tv if it is night time so I can be aware of the storms. I am a nervous Ned.
We were visiting Emily in Des Moines when she was still in school. Jackie, Julia, Emily and I. All four of us.
We had spent a hot, muggy day in the zoo and went out to dinner.
When we left, the sky looked terrible. We turned on the local radio and sure enough, tornado warning! The sirens around us started screaming, the lights went out, the wind picked up.....I headed for the first building I saw. It was a rescue mission, and the fam would not go in.
So I drove. And I mean drove. No traffic lights, no street lights, nothing was working. Lightning flashing...the radio blaring reports of touch downs north and south of where we were....I just kept driving, like a panicked mad man until I saw a Hy-Vee. We parked and ran inside.
Emily and Julia were ok until they went into the bathroom and a woman was on her knees holding on to her child and praying in a loud, weeping voice, "God spare us from our impending doom."
The girls came out of the washroom in a near panic mode.
That's when the staff of the store ushered us all into a giant cooler in the back. We were there for maybe half an hour, until the storms passed.
There were tree limbs everywhere. Des Moines was a mess, but we were safe.
The next day, we went home and could not use a bathroom the whole way because all the power was knocked out and trees were down in rest areas all along 80. The sky was a funny color.
Making matters worse, there were storms behind us! They chased us all the way back to Rochelle.
When we got out of the car, I went into the basement.
I don't like storms. When they hit, look for me in the basement. Holding a radio and flashlight.
Monday, April 6, 2015
keep, keep, keep, toss.....
Jackie and I went through three boxes today!
After two, or even three years, of things boxed up, we have started going through boxes.
The age old question...toss, or keep?
She has no problem tossing stuff. I, on the other hand.
Look at this fine array:
See what I mean? It's a neat bottle. And it was 25 proof!!
And she suggested I get rid of the ukulele.....the nerve!
We did agree on a bunch of stuff we no longer want or need. I am putting it in boxes for a gigantic last time I will ever do this garage sale. Hopefully in July.
But this was a start today.
Lots of the boxes have antiquey type things. (I know that's not a word and spell check will really freak on it.) Ceramic bowls, postcards, children's Golden Books, 78 rpm records.....things I know won't sell at a garage sale. That will be my next challenge. Maybe if Linda is reading this she will realize the two of us can cobble enough stuff for a booth at Kane County one weekend. And if anyone else is interested, let me know.
Three boxes down.
I counted 32 left.
It's gonna be a long spring.
After two, or even three years, of things boxed up, we have started going through boxes.
The age old question...toss, or keep?
She has no problem tossing stuff. I, on the other hand.
Look at this fine array:
In case you are curious, let me run you through my dilemma. On the left is my second baseman's mitt. It is a Wilson Nellie Fox model and I bought it when I was in eighth grade. Sure, it is a little stiff, but some oil will loosen that up. And I may play again. Someday.
There are two bottles of moon rocks. Yes, moon rocks. There were some twin boys in my class in grade school and they gave them to me. The Lee brothers. John or Frank will remember them, I think their parents ran a restaurant on Ashland. They gave me these rocks and said they were moon rocks. I have saved them ever since seventh or eighth grade. I never thought about how two elementary school kids got ahold of moon rocks. And I am gullible. But what if they really are?
Log Cabin syrup bottles....need I say more. There are two of them, both from the bicentennial year, which makes them older than most people I know.
How about those liquor bottles. I just think they are neat.
See what I mean? It's a neat bottle. And it was 25 proof!!
And she suggested I get rid of the ukulele.....the nerve!
We did agree on a bunch of stuff we no longer want or need. I am putting it in boxes for a gigantic last time I will ever do this garage sale. Hopefully in July.
But this was a start today.
Lots of the boxes have antiquey type things. (I know that's not a word and spell check will really freak on it.) Ceramic bowls, postcards, children's Golden Books, 78 rpm records.....things I know won't sell at a garage sale. That will be my next challenge. Maybe if Linda is reading this she will realize the two of us can cobble enough stuff for a booth at Kane County one weekend. And if anyone else is interested, let me know.
Three boxes down.
I counted 32 left.
It's gonna be a long spring.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
be positve, be positive, be positive
My wife says I am a pessimist
But she is wrong.
There are many things I am positive about, but things happen.
I am positive I will win the lottery. Ok, the odds are like 6 billion to one, but somebody eventually wins, so why not me? I am optimistic about my chances!
The Cubs are the team in 015. I am positive they will make the playoffs. I am an optimist. Then I watch them play and reality sets in a little bit. But I am positive they will win 90 games this year. Sure, they may only win 80, but I know they can do better. I am thinking positive.
I know I can take my tool apart. Sure, it may have a sealed motor, but there has to be a way to get it open. I am positive there is. I know the company said take it to an authorized dealer, but I know that the repair will cost more than the unit! I am positive I can fix it. Oh sure, I have broken more things in life than I have fixed, but I am positive on this one.
By the way......when a pressure washer comes with directions that are in really large print, like this:
But she is wrong.
There are many things I am positive about, but things happen.
I am positive I will win the lottery. Ok, the odds are like 6 billion to one, but somebody eventually wins, so why not me? I am optimistic about my chances!
The Cubs are the team in 015. I am positive they will make the playoffs. I am an optimist. Then I watch them play and reality sets in a little bit. But I am positive they will win 90 games this year. Sure, they may only win 80, but I know they can do better. I am thinking positive.
I know I can take my tool apart. Sure, it may have a sealed motor, but there has to be a way to get it open. I am positive there is. I know the company said take it to an authorized dealer, but I know that the repair will cost more than the unit! I am positive I can fix it. Oh sure, I have broken more things in life than I have fixed, but I am positive on this one.
By the way......when a pressure washer comes with directions that are in really large print, like this:
Don't leave your pressure washer in an unheated garage over the winter.
It generally means to put your pressure washer in the basement for the winter. I used it, then stuck it in the garage, even though the directions said in several places not to store it in the garage in winter. I am positive I did not empty the washer and the interior tank cracked. I am positive I can fix it. I am positive I am an idiot for not following their directions.
But I digress.
I am also positive the 201 reading on the scale this morning was a mistake. Just two weeks ago I was at 196. I am positive all the food at the cast party had no affect on my weight. And Will or Jeannette, if you are reading this, that cake was absolutely delicious. But six pieces was too many.
And Doug, the triple chocolate bundt cake was super yummy! Thank you for leaving it for Jackie's birthday. Did I mention Emily and John went to the Greenfire Grill in Rockford the other night and brought a French Silk pie for me? I am positive it is delicious. We all had some yesterday, I had some more today. And some more today. And I am positive none of that is affecting my weight.
I am also positive I will start exercising. And Renee, I am positive I have said that before.
See? All positives!!
And I am positive all the people who like this blog will share it with all their friends.
Now I have to go to bed. I am positively beat after watching the Cubs get shut out, and the pie has made my fingers sticky.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
oh deer....
Odds and ends in life bother me
I do a column for the Rochelle News Leader. Runs the second and fourth Sunday of the month. Finished it, sent it, looked for it. in tonight's paper... not there. Why? Because this is the first Sunday of the month.
At least I wasn't late.
That all ties in to my inability to keep dates and numbers straight. Yes, I should have written it down in a calendar instead of on a piece of paper that may or may not have held a food item, but I grab what ever is close.
Had a wild bunch in the yard tonight. We counted 9 deer when we came home from church.
I think that word shows why English is difficult. One goose, two geese. One moose, two moose.
One fish, 10 fish. Foot/feet; tooth/ teeth......you get it. There doesn't seem to be a logical way to make plurals. One deer, 10 deer, oh deer.
Tried sweeping the winter debris out of the garage today, but got so cold had to go inside and lay in front of the fireplace. Or lie? No, I told the truth. I was cold. No lie.
I have not seen many people complaining about Rochelle's gas prices, which are lower than towns around us. Did one gas station really make that big a difference?
Going to an Easter brunch tomorrow at a restaurant. Good for a couple of reasons. We won't have to cook, for one.
That would be a problem. We have lived in the house a little over two years and finally, last week, we ran the self cleaning feature on the oven.
Afterwards it made a terrible noise. burned out a fan. Bill to fix: somewhere about $230. Sean the repair guy said this happens a lot to people who don't use the self cleaning feature. He suggested we use it every three months whether we need to or not.
That means someone better make some pies to get the over dirty so we don't waste the self cleaning feature.
His message: Use it or lose it. Or in our case, repair it.
Happy Easter....hope you find all those eggs you hid.
I do a column for the Rochelle News Leader. Runs the second and fourth Sunday of the month. Finished it, sent it, looked for it. in tonight's paper... not there. Why? Because this is the first Sunday of the month.
At least I wasn't late.
That all ties in to my inability to keep dates and numbers straight. Yes, I should have written it down in a calendar instead of on a piece of paper that may or may not have held a food item, but I grab what ever is close.
Had a wild bunch in the yard tonight. We counted 9 deer when we came home from church.
I think that word shows why English is difficult. One goose, two geese. One moose, two moose.
One fish, 10 fish. Foot/feet; tooth/ teeth......you get it. There doesn't seem to be a logical way to make plurals. One deer, 10 deer, oh deer.
Tried sweeping the winter debris out of the garage today, but got so cold had to go inside and lay in front of the fireplace. Or lie? No, I told the truth. I was cold. No lie.
I have not seen many people complaining about Rochelle's gas prices, which are lower than towns around us. Did one gas station really make that big a difference?
Going to an Easter brunch tomorrow at a restaurant. Good for a couple of reasons. We won't have to cook, for one.
That would be a problem. We have lived in the house a little over two years and finally, last week, we ran the self cleaning feature on the oven.
Afterwards it made a terrible noise. burned out a fan. Bill to fix: somewhere about $230. Sean the repair guy said this happens a lot to people who don't use the self cleaning feature. He suggested we use it every three months whether we need to or not.
That means someone better make some pies to get the over dirty so we don't waste the self cleaning feature.
His message: Use it or lose it. Or in our case, repair it.
Happy Easter....hope you find all those eggs you hid.
Friday, April 3, 2015
ARRgh!!!!
Pardon my rant
I am heading north on Caron Road near Walmart when some guy rolls through the stop sign from Wallyworld and pulls in front of me. He then proceeds to drive 30 mph until he hits the stop sign at Caron and Flagg. Now, this is an L intersection. He rolled through the Walmart sign, but he comes to a complete, full stop and looks in all directions before pulling out and doing 35!!
At Flagg Road and Center Road I was going straight on Flagg and assumed the lady opposite me was too! Never assume!! Fool that I was, the turn signal on her beater car must not have worked because she pulled out and turned left in front of me!!
And when merging on an expressway, do not stop in traffic to let a car merge....move over into the empty lane! Holy criminy Pete I thought I'd need new underwear on that one!
There was a driver near the zoo who either was stupid or lost....it was hard to tell. He moved to the left lane, then the right, then the left, then made a really neat right, left, right in quick succession.....
And it's not only here. A woman in Nevada is upset because she got a ticket for distracted driving because she was putting on her makeup while motoring down the road.
What is wrong with people???!
Tailgating, lane weaving, texting, on the phone, not paying attention....holy cow Batman, you are driving a 2,000 vehicle. Pay attention!!
I used to not worry about saluting a fellow driver who had done something particularly stupid, but with so many people packing heat, I don't even think about it anymore! And I am not the only one, no one has flipped me off either because I think they think I look like the kind of nut who would open fire over a minor insult.
Even reading it again, it doesn't make sense.
Great. Now I'm tired. And riled up, so I won't get to sleep.
But I will have sweet dreams about cutting into a French Silk Pie Emily and John brought me tonight. If they come over about 1 p.m., I'll share with them.
I am heading north on Caron Road near Walmart when some guy rolls through the stop sign from Wallyworld and pulls in front of me. He then proceeds to drive 30 mph until he hits the stop sign at Caron and Flagg. Now, this is an L intersection. He rolled through the Walmart sign, but he comes to a complete, full stop and looks in all directions before pulling out and doing 35!!
At Flagg Road and Center Road I was going straight on Flagg and assumed the lady opposite me was too! Never assume!! Fool that I was, the turn signal on her beater car must not have worked because she pulled out and turned left in front of me!!
And when merging on an expressway, do not stop in traffic to let a car merge....move over into the empty lane! Holy criminy Pete I thought I'd need new underwear on that one!
There was a driver near the zoo who either was stupid or lost....it was hard to tell. He moved to the left lane, then the right, then the left, then made a really neat right, left, right in quick succession.....
And it's not only here. A woman in Nevada is upset because she got a ticket for distracted driving because she was putting on her makeup while motoring down the road.
What is wrong with people???!
Tailgating, lane weaving, texting, on the phone, not paying attention....holy cow Batman, you are driving a 2,000 vehicle. Pay attention!!
I used to not worry about saluting a fellow driver who had done something particularly stupid, but with so many people packing heat, I don't even think about it anymore! And I am not the only one, no one has flipped me off either because I think they think I look like the kind of nut who would open fire over a minor insult.
Even reading it again, it doesn't make sense.
Great. Now I'm tired. And riled up, so I won't get to sleep.
But I will have sweet dreams about cutting into a French Silk Pie Emily and John brought me tonight. If they come over about 1 p.m., I'll share with them.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
here it is...finally
Houston, we have a patio!
The crew finished today.....three days after they started.
There are two steps out of the hosue, and three steps down into the yard. I do have a handrail for the steps by the house, but need to get one for the steps down into the yard so Jackie has something to hold onto.
Starting Saturday, I will move my never used patio furnture out there along with my grill and Jackie's herb garden. Once the weather warms up we will move some houseplants out there also.
I plan to stand on the curved end, cutlass in hand, pretending to be a pirate.
Or maybe I'll be a chubby Leonard DiCaprio in a Titanic scene.
In any case, wine will be involved.
I also plan to sit out and enjoy some wine while, watching the sun go down and the grass grow.
Anyone who is anyonce can join me.
As you can see from the next photo, I have become a member of royalty.
Sometimes when I stay at Emily's, a get a little bored.
Thanks, Camryn, for the use of your tiara.
The crew finished today.....three days after they started.
There are two steps out of the hosue, and three steps down into the yard. I do have a handrail for the steps by the house, but need to get one for the steps down into the yard so Jackie has something to hold onto.
Starting Saturday, I will move my never used patio furnture out there along with my grill and Jackie's herb garden. Once the weather warms up we will move some houseplants out there also.
I plan to stand on the curved end, cutlass in hand, pretending to be a pirate.
Or maybe I'll be a chubby Leonard DiCaprio in a Titanic scene.
In any case, wine will be involved.
I also plan to sit out and enjoy some wine while, watching the sun go down and the grass grow.
Anyone who is anyonce can join me.
As you can see from the next photo, I have become a member of royalty.
Sometimes when I stay at Emily's, a get a little bored.
Thanks, Camryn, for the use of your tiara.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
i phone, you phone, we all phone
I am learning to use my I Phone
Emily has taught me some tricks. I now have contacts in my favorite file. Before, I had it blank.
She thought I was a little crazy.
For example, I have our home listed as ahome. Why? Because numbers are usually listed alphabetically, and I didn't want to scroll all the way down to home every time I wanted to call there.
That also explains, aemily, ajackie, and aaemilyhome.
To me it all made sense.
I only have about 6 contacts in my phone. Jackie downloaded the contacts from our home computer....all 327 of them. She has contacts for VCCT, villas in Tuscany, apartments in Paris, people I never heard of......
Eventually we will have to clear some of them out....if we can figure out how to delete.
Lesson 1: Always scroll to the bottom of the screen.
OK, time for some serious stuff.
I have committed to two MS fund raising events. The first is coming up in May. It is a walk in Rockford, 3 miles, and I am doing it with Team Fenwick, Miles for Smiles. A few friends are joining me...I think.
Anyway, here is a link you can copy and paste and it should take you to my donor page. Should.
Remember, I am an idiot when it comes to computers.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/ILDWalkEvents?px=5618455&pg=personal&fr_id=25343
And I should have some exciting news to share about home improvements.....maybe Friday, or Saturday. Time will tell.
Peace and love!
Emily has taught me some tricks. I now have contacts in my favorite file. Before, I had it blank.
She thought I was a little crazy.
For example, I have our home listed as ahome. Why? Because numbers are usually listed alphabetically, and I didn't want to scroll all the way down to home every time I wanted to call there.
That also explains, aemily, ajackie, and aaemilyhome.
To me it all made sense.
I only have about 6 contacts in my phone. Jackie downloaded the contacts from our home computer....all 327 of them. She has contacts for VCCT, villas in Tuscany, apartments in Paris, people I never heard of......
Eventually we will have to clear some of them out....if we can figure out how to delete.
Lesson 1: Always scroll to the bottom of the screen.
OK, time for some serious stuff.
I have committed to two MS fund raising events. The first is coming up in May. It is a walk in Rockford, 3 miles, and I am doing it with Team Fenwick, Miles for Smiles. A few friends are joining me...I think.
Anyway, here is a link you can copy and paste and it should take you to my donor page. Should.
Remember, I am an idiot when it comes to computers.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/ILDWalkEvents?px=5618455&pg=personal&fr_id=25343
And I should have some exciting news to share about home improvements.....maybe Friday, or Saturday. Time will tell.
Peace and love!
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