We had 11 trick or treaters tonight!
Last year we had......2. The year before that.....0. And before that.....0. Our last year at Skare Court....2.
So it was nice to see little kids, and a couple of bigger ones, at the door.
Of course, I didn't schmooze with them. Just gave them candy and let them go. Usually I ask where they live, what their costume is, I offer them a trick of some type.....so I guess I was pretty boring.
So that was how my rainy day turned out. Watched a movie, gave out candy, watched tv.
Now I am waiting for the clock to mysteriously turn back an hour.
Deja vu, all over again.
I always get messed up at this time of the year. I don't sleep well to start with, and changing the hours really throws off my body rhythms. I can't do things outside as late, and I don't get up early enough to take advantage of the morning light.
So I run short on sleep the first couple of days.
I am sure I am not alone.
Enjoy your extra hour tonight.....time is a gift not given often.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
what the hell???
My camping trip is off
I am a little disappointed.
Heck, I am a lot disappointed.
But life goes on.
Speaking of life goes on, (I thought it was a good segue) I got my latest AARP magazine this week.
SKIP READING THIS PART IF YOU ARE EASILY EMBARRASSED OR UNDER THE AGE OF 21!! SERIOUSLY!!
In the section Top 50 Ways to Stay Healthy, they had tip 45: Stamp out erection issues.
Ihis is what they say you should do to see if you impotence is psychological or physical.
Wrap a length of postage stamps around the base of your penis. (Seriously....AARP said this!!) Secure the ends together and go to sleep. (I assume having someone lick the corners is out,) Repeat for three consecutive nights. If the stamps are torn along a perforation the next morning, you're still having good nocturnal erections, which means any get it up difficulties...are probably due to emotional stress.
OK, YOU CAN GO BACK TO READING
Does these people realize the cost of stamps? How about you can tell when you can't lay flat on your stomach, or your partner complains about your runny nose in the middle of her back?
What happens if you forget and dress quickly for work but when you get there you have to use the bathroom and a bunch of stamps are surrounding your ding dong like a wreath?
Holy crap, that would be a weird way to tell.
On a non related topic, I saw a video on Facebook featuring a truck driver warning motorists not to pull in front of a truck because it takes a long distance for a truck to stop. They guy made a good point.
I was thinking of that when a semi rode about 2 feet off my bumper on the way home from the zoo today. Two lanes were open on the left, but he stayed right behind me. I was already doing 6 miles per hour over the speed limit, but that didn't seem to be fast enough.
I did move over to the left so he could pass me, but I kept thinking that if trucks take so much longer to stop, then maybe truckers should see that video and not drive so close to little cars like me.
That's my mini rant of the day.
I sure hope it pours and puts me in a better mood.
I am a little disappointed.
Heck, I am a lot disappointed.
But life goes on.
Speaking of life goes on, (I thought it was a good segue) I got my latest AARP magazine this week.
SKIP READING THIS PART IF YOU ARE EASILY EMBARRASSED OR UNDER THE AGE OF 21!! SERIOUSLY!!
In the section Top 50 Ways to Stay Healthy, they had tip 45: Stamp out erection issues.
Ihis is what they say you should do to see if you impotence is psychological or physical.
Wrap a length of postage stamps around the base of your penis. (Seriously....AARP said this!!) Secure the ends together and go to sleep. (I assume having someone lick the corners is out,) Repeat for three consecutive nights. If the stamps are torn along a perforation the next morning, you're still having good nocturnal erections, which means any get it up difficulties...are probably due to emotional stress.
OK, YOU CAN GO BACK TO READING
Does these people realize the cost of stamps? How about you can tell when you can't lay flat on your stomach, or your partner complains about your runny nose in the middle of her back?
What happens if you forget and dress quickly for work but when you get there you have to use the bathroom and a bunch of stamps are surrounding your ding dong like a wreath?
Holy crap, that would be a weird way to tell.
On a non related topic, I saw a video on Facebook featuring a truck driver warning motorists not to pull in front of a truck because it takes a long distance for a truck to stop. They guy made a good point.
I was thinking of that when a semi rode about 2 feet off my bumper on the way home from the zoo today. Two lanes were open on the left, but he stayed right behind me. I was already doing 6 miles per hour over the speed limit, but that didn't seem to be fast enough.
I did move over to the left so he could pass me, but I kept thinking that if trucks take so much longer to stop, then maybe truckers should see that video and not drive so close to little cars like me.
That's my mini rant of the day.
I sure hope it pours and puts me in a better mood.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
hi ho, hi ho, a camping we will go
This weekend is the annual guys camping trip
And it does not look good.
The forecast is calling for rain....a lot of it.
Now, that doesn't automatically stop us. One year we drove out to the Mississippi Palisades in Savannah in a blinding downpour. The forecast said rain in the morning, but clearing in the afternoon.
We got to the park about 2 and sat in our cars for a couple of hours watching the rain continue to fall. We then wisely called it a day.
We've camped when it snowed during the night and the ground had a dusting on it in the morning. We've camped in cold weather, mild weather and warm weather....but usually cold.
We generally meet up at the Rafters on Ill. 20 just near Lena. We have lunch, a couple of beers, (one of the few times I drink beer!) then head to the park and find a spot. Usually there are not a lot of campers....because it is cold.
We put up a couple of tents, arrange the wood for a fire, go for a hike, then start a fire and cook supper before sitting around the fire warming ourselves, telling jokes, and smoking cheap cigars.
I set my shoes on fire once. I've nearly suffered frostbite a couple of times.
I don't sleep well on the rough ground, hate using the pit toilets, miss a morning shower, and generally have a great time.
There were some warning signs this year.
I could not find my tent. Or my sleeping pad. Roger can't make it.
Usually the tent is a little dewy when I get home, so I hang it out in the basement to dry. Then I roll it up and stick it back in its sack.
Today I went to look for my tent. Not in the basement. Looked in the garage. Not in the garage. Looked in the basement again. Looked in the garage again. Asked on Facebook if anyone borrowed my tent and pad. Since they were both missing, I knew I could not have lost both.
Looked in the basement for the third time.
I always put the tent in the same spot. It was not there. On the top shelf on the adjoining shelving unit was a plastic tub marked pictures.
Pictures? Huh.
I pulled it down and voila, there was my pad and my tent, crammed into the tub.
Now everything is out and ready to go. Paper plates, double stuffed Oreos, small coffee pot to heat water, hot chocolate mix, small grill, sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad, long underwear.
But that forecast me be the trump card.
If nothing else, I will turn on the fireplace at home and just pretend I am outdoors.....but it won't be as much fun.
And it does not look good.
The forecast is calling for rain....a lot of it.
Now, that doesn't automatically stop us. One year we drove out to the Mississippi Palisades in Savannah in a blinding downpour. The forecast said rain in the morning, but clearing in the afternoon.
We got to the park about 2 and sat in our cars for a couple of hours watching the rain continue to fall. We then wisely called it a day.
We've camped when it snowed during the night and the ground had a dusting on it in the morning. We've camped in cold weather, mild weather and warm weather....but usually cold.
We generally meet up at the Rafters on Ill. 20 just near Lena. We have lunch, a couple of beers, (one of the few times I drink beer!) then head to the park and find a spot. Usually there are not a lot of campers....because it is cold.
We put up a couple of tents, arrange the wood for a fire, go for a hike, then start a fire and cook supper before sitting around the fire warming ourselves, telling jokes, and smoking cheap cigars.
I set my shoes on fire once. I've nearly suffered frostbite a couple of times.
I don't sleep well on the rough ground, hate using the pit toilets, miss a morning shower, and generally have a great time.
There were some warning signs this year.
I could not find my tent. Or my sleeping pad. Roger can't make it.
Usually the tent is a little dewy when I get home, so I hang it out in the basement to dry. Then I roll it up and stick it back in its sack.
Today I went to look for my tent. Not in the basement. Looked in the garage. Not in the garage. Looked in the basement again. Looked in the garage again. Asked on Facebook if anyone borrowed my tent and pad. Since they were both missing, I knew I could not have lost both.
Looked in the basement for the third time.
I always put the tent in the same spot. It was not there. On the top shelf on the adjoining shelving unit was a plastic tub marked pictures.
Pictures? Huh.
I pulled it down and voila, there was my pad and my tent, crammed into the tub.
Now everything is out and ready to go. Paper plates, double stuffed Oreos, small coffee pot to heat water, hot chocolate mix, small grill, sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad, long underwear.
But that forecast me be the trump card.
If nothing else, I will turn on the fireplace at home and just pretend I am outdoors.....but it won't be as much fun.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
going, going, gone!
I used to love to cross country ski
Jackie and I would go out into the park and make a loop, falling down, laughing and working up a sweat.
I don't think I have been out on skis for at least 10 years. My boots developed holes, and I never replaced them.
But that has not prevented me from moving three sets of cross country skis from Mill Pond, to Skare Court, to Emily's basement, and finally to my garage.
Funny...the skis survived the tornado. Of all the stuff she had in her house, my three sets of unused skis made it out intact.
So they have been sitting in my garage since April.
I know I will never use them....god knows Jackie will never use them. Not unless we can put runners on her walker.
So last week I called the Lutheran Outdoors Ministries Center in Oregon. They do a variety of programs for school kids throughout the school year. I asked if they would be interested in three pairs of skis, no boots, no guarantee their condition.
They said yes.
So I took the skis over there today.
Now, I thought I talked to a guy named Chris. But there is no Chris there. A man named Russ talked to an Andrew who had some skis he was willing to donate.
Folks, I am not the only one with a problem remembering names.
Now all is good. A few more items have gone out of my possession.
I let them go, despite the memories of skiing with Ann, Steve, Jane, Jackie and whomever owned the third set of skis.
Hear that? I let them go.
It's a start.
Jackie and I would go out into the park and make a loop, falling down, laughing and working up a sweat.
I don't think I have been out on skis for at least 10 years. My boots developed holes, and I never replaced them.
But that has not prevented me from moving three sets of cross country skis from Mill Pond, to Skare Court, to Emily's basement, and finally to my garage.
Funny...the skis survived the tornado. Of all the stuff she had in her house, my three sets of unused skis made it out intact.
So they have been sitting in my garage since April.
I know I will never use them....god knows Jackie will never use them. Not unless we can put runners on her walker.
So last week I called the Lutheran Outdoors Ministries Center in Oregon. They do a variety of programs for school kids throughout the school year. I asked if they would be interested in three pairs of skis, no boots, no guarantee their condition.
They said yes.
So I took the skis over there today.
Now, I thought I talked to a guy named Chris. But there is no Chris there. A man named Russ talked to an Andrew who had some skis he was willing to donate.
Folks, I am not the only one with a problem remembering names.
Now all is good. A few more items have gone out of my possession.
I let them go, despite the memories of skiing with Ann, Steve, Jane, Jackie and whomever owned the third set of skis.
Hear that? I let them go.
It's a start.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
count me in on these
I admit, I really don't understand either
I was reading an article about things foreigners don't understand about Americans. I assume they meant us in the US. Residents of Mexico and Canada are also Americans, as are those from Brazil, Peru, and all those other countries in North and South America.
Anyway, the article talked about things that are strange to an outsider.
It mentioned tipping, huge portions of food at dinner, wearing our flag as clothing, and two things that really hit me close to the pocketbook.
Toilets and taxes.
As an older guy with a weak bladder, I tend to use public toilets in Europe a lot. Especially after sitting on a plane for 7 hours, a few minutes in the can ifs often necessary.
In Europe, most of the bathrooms in public places like airports and train stations have doors that go all the way to the ground and sides that you can't slid a foot under. The toilet is like a little room, all to yourself.
And generally, they are very clean. Part of the reason is the clean ones often have an attendant and a small fee, maybe 50 cents or so. It's worth it.
I cringe when I use a public bathroom in the states. They never seem clean and there is no privacy, if you know what I mean.
Now you all know I am cheap. But I don't mind paying half a buck to use a toilet that is clean, smells nice, and looks nice. It would be worth the price not to hear the occupant in the next stall. Or smell him.
Some places have public toilets on the street. You plop in your money and the door opens. When you hit the button to exit, the interior is hosed down, disinfected, dried and ready for the next person. Very convenient.
Of course you also run into the type of toilet we hit in Switzerland on a bus trip. Jackie had to go really bad, but when she got into the bathroom, there were no seats....just some footpads where you should stand when you squat.
Needless to say, she figured out a way to hold it.
The other point was involving sales taxes. I hate the way they are figured. In most of Europe, you buy a product marked 1.75 and you pay 1.75. Dinners are 14.95 and you pay 14.95. Taxes are already figured in the price.
I think Ollie's does that in Sycamore. Seems like I remember paying the list price for a custard cone this summer. That makes sense.
How many times have you gotten behind someone in a food line and the price is more than they have out, because of the taxes they did not figure. Now they have to dig in their pockets or worse, decide on leaving one item behind, because they didn't know the tax.
Buying a washing machine? Just put the price including tax in the advertising. That way people can figure out where to buy a product. They don't have to wonder if they will pay an extra 7, 8, 9 or 10 percent, depending on the sales tax.
We do things here in "Merica certain ways because we have always done them that way.
Maybe its time to think more like a European.
After all, that is the nationality we all are in the bathroom, isn't it?
"Hey, you're a peein!"
I was reading an article about things foreigners don't understand about Americans. I assume they meant us in the US. Residents of Mexico and Canada are also Americans, as are those from Brazil, Peru, and all those other countries in North and South America.
Anyway, the article talked about things that are strange to an outsider.
It mentioned tipping, huge portions of food at dinner, wearing our flag as clothing, and two things that really hit me close to the pocketbook.
Toilets and taxes.
As an older guy with a weak bladder, I tend to use public toilets in Europe a lot. Especially after sitting on a plane for 7 hours, a few minutes in the can ifs often necessary.
In Europe, most of the bathrooms in public places like airports and train stations have doors that go all the way to the ground and sides that you can't slid a foot under. The toilet is like a little room, all to yourself.
And generally, they are very clean. Part of the reason is the clean ones often have an attendant and a small fee, maybe 50 cents or so. It's worth it.
I cringe when I use a public bathroom in the states. They never seem clean and there is no privacy, if you know what I mean.
Now you all know I am cheap. But I don't mind paying half a buck to use a toilet that is clean, smells nice, and looks nice. It would be worth the price not to hear the occupant in the next stall. Or smell him.
Some places have public toilets on the street. You plop in your money and the door opens. When you hit the button to exit, the interior is hosed down, disinfected, dried and ready for the next person. Very convenient.
Of course you also run into the type of toilet we hit in Switzerland on a bus trip. Jackie had to go really bad, but when she got into the bathroom, there were no seats....just some footpads where you should stand when you squat.
Needless to say, she figured out a way to hold it.
The other point was involving sales taxes. I hate the way they are figured. In most of Europe, you buy a product marked 1.75 and you pay 1.75. Dinners are 14.95 and you pay 14.95. Taxes are already figured in the price.
I think Ollie's does that in Sycamore. Seems like I remember paying the list price for a custard cone this summer. That makes sense.
How many times have you gotten behind someone in a food line and the price is more than they have out, because of the taxes they did not figure. Now they have to dig in their pockets or worse, decide on leaving one item behind, because they didn't know the tax.
Buying a washing machine? Just put the price including tax in the advertising. That way people can figure out where to buy a product. They don't have to wonder if they will pay an extra 7, 8, 9 or 10 percent, depending on the sales tax.
We do things here in "Merica certain ways because we have always done them that way.
Maybe its time to think more like a European.
After all, that is the nationality we all are in the bathroom, isn't it?
"Hey, you're a peein!"
Monday, October 26, 2015
deja vu all over again
This is the year of the moves
Today I helped Emily and John move for the third time this year. It's getting easier with every move.
The first move was hard. We were picking up pieces of our lives and having friends and family sort and clean the mess in our garage. The second move was to the dreaded rental house, the one with three bedrooms and one bathroom. It served its purpose though.
Today's move was fairly easy. Not a lot of possessions, or things like clothes. Neighbors came with two strong young men to carry the mattresses, bed frames and tv. But most of the stuff was easily handled by one or two people.
They are now in their new old house. It was funny watching the dogs explore. You could tell Cooper remembered the house, and he ran like a crazy dog when he hit the yard. All the dogs ran, even Bennett, who generally just walks around.
There is still work to be done, but it eventually will be finished.
This is the second daughter I helped move this year. Julia's move was more work because she has a 15 year accumulation of furniture, clothes and stuff. But watching the mountains and lake made it a worthwhile experience.
I doubt I will help either one move again. After all, if either girl lives in the same place for 10 years, that means I will be 78 when they move again....way to old to pack or unpack.
Hell, I'll probably be moving then. I think a nice two bedroom in San Gabriel would be a good choice.
Too bad those don't have basements for all my stuff. So, I better start now at getting rid of all my valuables.
Anybody want to buy a fish decoy?
Today I helped Emily and John move for the third time this year. It's getting easier with every move.
The first move was hard. We were picking up pieces of our lives and having friends and family sort and clean the mess in our garage. The second move was to the dreaded rental house, the one with three bedrooms and one bathroom. It served its purpose though.
Today's move was fairly easy. Not a lot of possessions, or things like clothes. Neighbors came with two strong young men to carry the mattresses, bed frames and tv. But most of the stuff was easily handled by one or two people.
They are now in their new old house. It was funny watching the dogs explore. You could tell Cooper remembered the house, and he ran like a crazy dog when he hit the yard. All the dogs ran, even Bennett, who generally just walks around.
There is still work to be done, but it eventually will be finished.
This is the second daughter I helped move this year. Julia's move was more work because she has a 15 year accumulation of furniture, clothes and stuff. But watching the mountains and lake made it a worthwhile experience.
I doubt I will help either one move again. After all, if either girl lives in the same place for 10 years, that means I will be 78 when they move again....way to old to pack or unpack.
Hell, I'll probably be moving then. I think a nice two bedroom in San Gabriel would be a good choice.
Too bad those don't have basements for all my stuff. So, I better start now at getting rid of all my valuables.
Anybody want to buy a fish decoy?
Sunday, October 25, 2015
another dimension
I felt a little lost today
No Cubs. No Bears. No Bulls. Not that interested in hockey.
Heck, the Packers were not even on today!
Kind of a boring day, sports wise.
I did get to talk to Julia....seems like a long time since we Skyped.
I sealed the tiles in Emily's shower. That took me about two hours and my left knee.
Somebody mentioned we should clean house today...been a couple of weeks since we did that.
I do the floors every day, because of the dog hair. Or almost every day. But I don't dust, and it is beginning to show.
Here's my question: How often do people clean house?
I normally clean bathrooms every Thursday then do a quick clean with some wipes on Monday. But we don't dust every week. Apparently, we don't dust every other week either.
I have not written a date in the dust, but maybe I should.
I seem to spend a lot of time cleaning.
Most of that time is picking up papers and crap I have left laying around, but that is a different story.
So off to bed so I can get an early start on cleaning.
Tomorrow is a big day for Emily and John. They are moving back home! Moving time is 7 p.m......anyone with a pick up and strong back would be most welcome.
No Cubs. No Bears. No Bulls. Not that interested in hockey.
Heck, the Packers were not even on today!
Kind of a boring day, sports wise.
I did get to talk to Julia....seems like a long time since we Skyped.
I sealed the tiles in Emily's shower. That took me about two hours and my left knee.
Somebody mentioned we should clean house today...been a couple of weeks since we did that.
I do the floors every day, because of the dog hair. Or almost every day. But I don't dust, and it is beginning to show.
Here's my question: How often do people clean house?
I normally clean bathrooms every Thursday then do a quick clean with some wipes on Monday. But we don't dust every week. Apparently, we don't dust every other week either.
I have not written a date in the dust, but maybe I should.
I seem to spend a lot of time cleaning.
Most of that time is picking up papers and crap I have left laying around, but that is a different story.
So off to bed so I can get an early start on cleaning.
Tomorrow is a big day for Emily and John. They are moving back home! Moving time is 7 p.m......anyone with a pick up and strong back would be most welcome.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
dag nab it
My mind is a terrible thing to waste
I did my program at the museum dinner tonight, and it seemed to go over well.
I put some time into developing the program. I had audience involvement, a non funny joke or two, accurate historical references and a pleasing personality.
What I didn't have was my main prop.
I have had it for a month. All I needed to do was take it out of the box and bring it with me. I even looked in the box this morning to be sure all was well.
As we were leaving the VFW hall, I realized I had forgotten my show stopper. Didn't bring it with. Didn't take it out of the box.
I can't believe it.
I even researched on line before I bought it, making sure it was the right size and shape and color and damn, I can't believe I forgot it.
That is how I roll.
Jackie sent me to the library Friday to pick up some papers. I thought I would weed the Rotary garden while I was there.
By the time I got to the library, it was raining. So I sat in the car for a few minutes, wondering why I was so confused, and went home.
No papers.
When she asked where the papers were, I said I forgot them and would get them Saturday.
So Saturday I went into town, hit three stores, and did not stop at the library.
Am I losing my mind? Am I getting early onset?
Seriously, it can be a little scary.
I know notes help, but cripes! I don't want my life to be lived on 4 x 4 post its and little pieces of scrap paper I refused to throw out at some point.
Maybe I just need some sleep.
If I remember, I'll let the dog out and hit the hay.....or maybe I'll end up out in the yard, staring at the moon and wondering what the hell I am doing out there!
I did my program at the museum dinner tonight, and it seemed to go over well.
I put some time into developing the program. I had audience involvement, a non funny joke or two, accurate historical references and a pleasing personality.
What I didn't have was my main prop.
I have had it for a month. All I needed to do was take it out of the box and bring it with me. I even looked in the box this morning to be sure all was well.
As we were leaving the VFW hall, I realized I had forgotten my show stopper. Didn't bring it with. Didn't take it out of the box.
I can't believe it.
I even researched on line before I bought it, making sure it was the right size and shape and color and damn, I can't believe I forgot it.
That is how I roll.
Jackie sent me to the library Friday to pick up some papers. I thought I would weed the Rotary garden while I was there.
By the time I got to the library, it was raining. So I sat in the car for a few minutes, wondering why I was so confused, and went home.
No papers.
When she asked where the papers were, I said I forgot them and would get them Saturday.
So Saturday I went into town, hit three stores, and did not stop at the library.
Am I losing my mind? Am I getting early onset?
Seriously, it can be a little scary.
I know notes help, but cripes! I don't want my life to be lived on 4 x 4 post its and little pieces of scrap paper I refused to throw out at some point.
Maybe I just need some sleep.
If I remember, I'll let the dog out and hit the hay.....or maybe I'll end up out in the yard, staring at the moon and wondering what the hell I am doing out there!
Friday, October 23, 2015
it's nothing, really
I sometimes don't know what to say
We went to visit Escanaba tonight, and a friend was in the audience.
He asked me what I was doing. I said, nothing.
Nothing. I actually told him I wasn't doing anything.
Why I said that, I have no clue.
I could have mentioned my blog that I write each night, or the column I do for the newspaper twice a month, or the weekly volunteer stints in kindergarten and the Hub project, the weekly Rotary meetings, the every other Friday trips to the zoo, presenting a short program for the DAR, presenting a longer program for the Flagg Township Historical Society first ever dinner tomorrow night, cleaning house, mowing the lawn, washing the windows and getting my intestines scanned by an instrument that was shoved up my butt. And that was all this week and last.
But I don't want to sound like I am complaining or bragging.
With the exception of cleaning bathrooms and mowing the yard, all those are things I want to do. Well, not the colonoscopy either.
Good grief, I am not getting rich writing a column for the newspaper, that is for sure!
So why don't I tell people what I do?
Instead I say, nothing. I am doing nothing.
I am busier now than I ever was when working. But it's a different kind of busy.
Plus, it takes longer to do things.
My legs are killing me tonight from washing windows. My arms are sore from picking up my wife. (Don't ask. Let's just say that wasn't thunder I heard.)
And yet I find time to play solitaire, read the Tribune on line, and check Facebook.
Then there are the hours I spend screaming to myself because of the anger I have bottled up inside me, anger that prevents me from doing even more fun things in life.
I almost forgot all the time I spend looking for things, like the program I wrote for the dinner Saturday night.....I know it is here somewhere, I just have to find it.
And now that I am really bothered by that, I think I will tear the house apart looking for it because I just don't have time to do it all over again.
Maybe next time someone asks me what I am doing, I won't say nothing.
But I probably won't tell the whole truth either.
We went to visit Escanaba tonight, and a friend was in the audience.
He asked me what I was doing. I said, nothing.
Nothing. I actually told him I wasn't doing anything.
Why I said that, I have no clue.
I could have mentioned my blog that I write each night, or the column I do for the newspaper twice a month, or the weekly volunteer stints in kindergarten and the Hub project, the weekly Rotary meetings, the every other Friday trips to the zoo, presenting a short program for the DAR, presenting a longer program for the Flagg Township Historical Society first ever dinner tomorrow night, cleaning house, mowing the lawn, washing the windows and getting my intestines scanned by an instrument that was shoved up my butt. And that was all this week and last.
But I don't want to sound like I am complaining or bragging.
With the exception of cleaning bathrooms and mowing the yard, all those are things I want to do. Well, not the colonoscopy either.
Good grief, I am not getting rich writing a column for the newspaper, that is for sure!
So why don't I tell people what I do?
Instead I say, nothing. I am doing nothing.
I am busier now than I ever was when working. But it's a different kind of busy.
Plus, it takes longer to do things.
My legs are killing me tonight from washing windows. My arms are sore from picking up my wife. (Don't ask. Let's just say that wasn't thunder I heard.)
And yet I find time to play solitaire, read the Tribune on line, and check Facebook.
Then there are the hours I spend screaming to myself because of the anger I have bottled up inside me, anger that prevents me from doing even more fun things in life.
I almost forgot all the time I spend looking for things, like the program I wrote for the dinner Saturday night.....I know it is here somewhere, I just have to find it.
And now that I am really bothered by that, I think I will tear the house apart looking for it because I just don't have time to do it all over again.
Maybe next time someone asks me what I am doing, I won't say nothing.
But I probably won't tell the whole truth either.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
improper grammar
I need to watch my grammar
Yesterday I used Jackie and I incorrectly. Should have said gave the Cubs gave pleasure to Jackie and me. Oops.
Grammar is a word that messes me up. I did a paper my freshman year at Northern and I used grammer instead of grammar. I still remember the instructor writing in red ink that I wasn't writing about a relative. And he circled every grammer, and there were a lot.
At least I was consistent.
Those were the days when we had typewriters with correcto tape. This was white tape that you could put in the typewriter and over stroke the key on the correcto tape, which would white out the space on your paper. Then you could type the correct word.
It didn't help if you left out a word or two, however. Then you had to retype the whole paper.
It never failed with me that I would retype a line and it would kick down another line. I ended up doing a lot of papers twice or three times because of that.
I took typing in high school. I figured it was a way to meet girls (I didn't) and a skill I would use in journalism (it was). I flunked the class. I had to type 45 words per minute with five or less mistakes, or something like that. The best I could do was 42 words a minute with six mistakes. She apologized to me for failing me, but I told her I understood. The important thing was I learned how to type.
I passed a test this morning.
My colonoscopy was good, so I don't have to have another one for 10 years. My guess is by then they will have figured out a better way to do this.
I was laying on the gurney and two people were discussing the instrument. One person called it the big end....I yelled out that they better use the smaller end on me and be sure it was well lubricated.
They thought I was kidding.
When I worked at the newspaper I had stomach issues and had what I think was a colonoscopy, so that was maybe 40 years ago.
Back then they just mounted a 16 mm camera on the end of a garden hose. I won't tell you what happened next.
Funny thing. Last night I had a dream I was being wheeled into the room and I had to pee. So they told me to go to Lincoln School next to the hospital. There I found a huge shoe, with the men's room on the top. Strange dream.
Today they asked me if I had to use the bathroom and I said no, so they wheeled me back to the procedure room. As soon as I got in there, I had to pee. So the nurse wheeled me back to where we started.
Everyone was wondering why we were back. The nurse said we did a practice lap first.
Just like being in a play, right before I go on, I gotta go!
Yesterday I used Jackie and I incorrectly. Should have said gave the Cubs gave pleasure to Jackie and me. Oops.
Grammar is a word that messes me up. I did a paper my freshman year at Northern and I used grammer instead of grammar. I still remember the instructor writing in red ink that I wasn't writing about a relative. And he circled every grammer, and there were a lot.
At least I was consistent.
Those were the days when we had typewriters with correcto tape. This was white tape that you could put in the typewriter and over stroke the key on the correcto tape, which would white out the space on your paper. Then you could type the correct word.
It didn't help if you left out a word or two, however. Then you had to retype the whole paper.
It never failed with me that I would retype a line and it would kick down another line. I ended up doing a lot of papers twice or three times because of that.
I took typing in high school. I figured it was a way to meet girls (I didn't) and a skill I would use in journalism (it was). I flunked the class. I had to type 45 words per minute with five or less mistakes, or something like that. The best I could do was 42 words a minute with six mistakes. She apologized to me for failing me, but I told her I understood. The important thing was I learned how to type.
I passed a test this morning.
My colonoscopy was good, so I don't have to have another one for 10 years. My guess is by then they will have figured out a better way to do this.
I was laying on the gurney and two people were discussing the instrument. One person called it the big end....I yelled out that they better use the smaller end on me and be sure it was well lubricated.
They thought I was kidding.
When I worked at the newspaper I had stomach issues and had what I think was a colonoscopy, so that was maybe 40 years ago.
Back then they just mounted a 16 mm camera on the end of a garden hose. I won't tell you what happened next.
Funny thing. Last night I had a dream I was being wheeled into the room and I had to pee. So they told me to go to Lincoln School next to the hospital. There I found a huge shoe, with the men's room on the top. Strange dream.
Today they asked me if I had to use the bathroom and I said no, so they wheeled me back to the procedure room. As soon as I got in there, I had to pee. So the nurse wheeled me back to where we started.
Everyone was wondering why we were back. The nurse said we did a practice lap first.
Just like being in a play, right before I go on, I gotta go!
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
that was some season
I am still a proud Cub fan
Maybe a little dehydrated, but still proud of the team.
They gave Jackie and I so much pleasure this year. Watching them grow, celebrate, have fun, hit.... it was a special season.
Yes, losing is bitter. I hate ending the season on a loss. But as a Cub, it is better to lose in the playoffs than be below 500 and just playing out the season.
I ended up going to 8 games this year.....I believe I was 3-5, but I could be wrong. I do know, despite the record and the finish, it was great sitting at the park, eating Italian sausages or Cuban sandwiches from the Decade Diner.
Spending time with good friends, both at the park and at home, made for a lot of memories this season.
It's really hard to believe that last January I was at the Cubs Convention. It seems like is was just last week.
In that time I've seen my daughter's house get leveled by a tornado and a dog joining our little family.
Strange things happen in life.
In three months, there will be another Cubs Convention. And the season will begin again, and I'll be filled with hope and optimism.
Until then, bye Cubbies! Enjoy your well earned rest but be ready to come back and win it all, because I am waiting for next year!
Maybe a little dehydrated, but still proud of the team.
They gave Jackie and I so much pleasure this year. Watching them grow, celebrate, have fun, hit.... it was a special season.
Yes, losing is bitter. I hate ending the season on a loss. But as a Cub, it is better to lose in the playoffs than be below 500 and just playing out the season.
I ended up going to 8 games this year.....I believe I was 3-5, but I could be wrong. I do know, despite the record and the finish, it was great sitting at the park, eating Italian sausages or Cuban sandwiches from the Decade Diner.
Spending time with good friends, both at the park and at home, made for a lot of memories this season.
It's really hard to believe that last January I was at the Cubs Convention. It seems like is was just last week.
In that time I've seen my daughter's house get leveled by a tornado and a dog joining our little family.
Strange things happen in life.
In three months, there will be another Cubs Convention. And the season will begin again, and I'll be filled with hope and optimism.
Until then, bye Cubbies! Enjoy your well earned rest but be ready to come back and win it all, because I am waiting for next year!
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
not to be
My bubble just burst, my dream ended
Yes, I am talking Cubs, again.
I honestly believed they would take three straight in Chicago. The bats would come alive, the pitching would be excellent, the fans into the game.......
It was not meant to be.
Now, I am not giving up. After all, the Mets won 3 straight against the Cubs so anything is possible.
But I have tempered my dreams a little.
I want to see the Cubs who beat the Cardinals show up for the next four games. Those guys were great, these guys not so great.
It could be the Mets pitching. It could be the weather. It could be the goat.
Whatever, these guys just didn't have the winning feeling in this series. Maybe they took the Mets too lightly.
Then I have to remember last spring I thought they would make the wild card game. Winning that and beating the Cards were more than I had hoped.
But when you see that golden ring hanging from the carousal's post, you always think you can grab it and be the winner.
Often, that ring is just out of reach.
I don't want the season to end........ spring is too far away at this point.
So, one more time: Let's Go!!
Yes, I am talking Cubs, again.
I honestly believed they would take three straight in Chicago. The bats would come alive, the pitching would be excellent, the fans into the game.......
It was not meant to be.
Now, I am not giving up. After all, the Mets won 3 straight against the Cubs so anything is possible.
But I have tempered my dreams a little.
I want to see the Cubs who beat the Cardinals show up for the next four games. Those guys were great, these guys not so great.
It could be the Mets pitching. It could be the weather. It could be the goat.
Whatever, these guys just didn't have the winning feeling in this series. Maybe they took the Mets too lightly.
Then I have to remember last spring I thought they would make the wild card game. Winning that and beating the Cards were more than I had hoped.
But when you see that golden ring hanging from the carousal's post, you always think you can grab it and be the winner.
Often, that ring is just out of reach.
I don't want the season to end........ spring is too far away at this point.
So, one more time: Let's Go!!
Monday, October 19, 2015
how can you look it up if you can't spell it
I gave out dictionaries today
Each year the Rotary Club passes out dictionaries to third graders.
I was fortunate to deliver dictionaries to Eswood and Kings. They don't have large classes, which I think can be a very beneficial to youngsters. the extra attention can help them grow and can offer some quality teacher/student time.
On the other hand, it can limit what you do in the classroom. If you have a couple of kids out sick, you end up repeating a lot of what you already taught.
I love the atmosphere of the schools too. I notice that same child centered atmosphere at Tilton and Lincoln too.....lots of kids art and work hanging in hallways and classrooms. You can tell its a place for kids and about kids. I know May and Central are that way too, but I have not been in those schools for a couple of years. Time flies.
I was shocked that the dictionaries did not list Pluto as one of the planets. Damn those astrophysicists! Pluto will always be a planet in my heart and mind.
I'm to old to learn new stuff.
Which brings me to my recent dilemma.
I have an update on my PC. In order to install it, I have to enter my password. I did. It isn't.
So now I have to retrieve my password by entering my Apple ID. I did, it isn't. I just get a little frazzled.
I am having trouble with pictures everywhere. On my PC, I can't get to recent pictures unless I scroll through the older ones. I got the computer in 2011 and there are a lot of pictures to scroll through. There has to be an easier way, but I can't seem to find it.
John came over and played with my computer. He can't see why I can't download pictures like I have been doing. He suggested a new hub. The same message keeps popping up. I fear it is a problem with the computer hardware. Paying a couple of hundred dollars to fix a 6 year old computer may not be worth it.
And so it goes.
If you read this blog regularly, you will see some familiar themes: I can't handle technology. I can't remember a password, even after I write them down.
There has to be a better way.
Each year the Rotary Club passes out dictionaries to third graders.
I was fortunate to deliver dictionaries to Eswood and Kings. They don't have large classes, which I think can be a very beneficial to youngsters. the extra attention can help them grow and can offer some quality teacher/student time.
On the other hand, it can limit what you do in the classroom. If you have a couple of kids out sick, you end up repeating a lot of what you already taught.
I love the atmosphere of the schools too. I notice that same child centered atmosphere at Tilton and Lincoln too.....lots of kids art and work hanging in hallways and classrooms. You can tell its a place for kids and about kids. I know May and Central are that way too, but I have not been in those schools for a couple of years. Time flies.
I was shocked that the dictionaries did not list Pluto as one of the planets. Damn those astrophysicists! Pluto will always be a planet in my heart and mind.
I'm to old to learn new stuff.
Which brings me to my recent dilemma.
I have an update on my PC. In order to install it, I have to enter my password. I did. It isn't.
So now I have to retrieve my password by entering my Apple ID. I did, it isn't. I just get a little frazzled.
I am having trouble with pictures everywhere. On my PC, I can't get to recent pictures unless I scroll through the older ones. I got the computer in 2011 and there are a lot of pictures to scroll through. There has to be an easier way, but I can't seem to find it.
John came over and played with my computer. He can't see why I can't download pictures like I have been doing. He suggested a new hub. The same message keeps popping up. I fear it is a problem with the computer hardware. Paying a couple of hundred dollars to fix a 6 year old computer may not be worth it.
And so it goes.
If you read this blog regularly, you will see some familiar themes: I can't handle technology. I can't remember a password, even after I write them down.
There has to be a better way.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
nyet!
This seems to be a weird week
The Cubs dropped two to the Mets because they suddenly stopped hitting. Good pitching does that. I am hoping for a better week when the New Yorkers come to town.
I really don't like the Mets. Or the Yankees. And I mean I really don't like them. If all their arms fell off tonight, I would not be sad.
The Bears lost another one they should have won. I am sure it was Cutler's fault some way. The race to the number one pick continues.
Corki is real hesitant to go outside. I think the invisible fence has her spooked a little. Hopefully that will change.
But the big thing that makes me wonder......this blog had 63 hits from Russia during the past week. 63.
I like to think it's Vladdy getting a pulse on the average US citizen, but I would be surprised if he actually picked me.
Maybe a Russian red (that's a pun...red...communist?) my mind about seeing Bridge of Spies. Or at least planning to see the movie. I never actually go, I just plan to go. I planned to see several movies over the last three months and have managed to not see any of them!
I have saved a fortune in popcorn money.
Problem is, I have spent a fortune on coffee this week......I do need to cut that extravagance from my life.
Life is funny that way. Win some, lose some.
I hope I start winning soon.
The Cubs dropped two to the Mets because they suddenly stopped hitting. Good pitching does that. I am hoping for a better week when the New Yorkers come to town.
I really don't like the Mets. Or the Yankees. And I mean I really don't like them. If all their arms fell off tonight, I would not be sad.
The Bears lost another one they should have won. I am sure it was Cutler's fault some way. The race to the number one pick continues.
Corki is real hesitant to go outside. I think the invisible fence has her spooked a little. Hopefully that will change.
But the big thing that makes me wonder......this blog had 63 hits from Russia during the past week. 63.
I like to think it's Vladdy getting a pulse on the average US citizen, but I would be surprised if he actually picked me.
Maybe a Russian red (that's a pun...red...communist?) my mind about seeing Bridge of Spies. Or at least planning to see the movie. I never actually go, I just plan to go. I planned to see several movies over the last three months and have managed to not see any of them!
I have saved a fortune in popcorn money.
Problem is, I have spent a fortune on coffee this week......I do need to cut that extravagance from my life.
Life is funny that way. Win some, lose some.
I hope I start winning soon.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
snore.......
I fell asleep during the Cub Game
I must be tired. It was the bottom of the eight and the Cubs had changed pitchers.....next thing I saw was LaStella grounding out to end the game.
I didn't think I was tired.
We had our first training session on the invisible fence. I wore the collar to see how bad the shock was, and it surprised me. It was a little tingle. But lil Corki doesn't think so! Tonight she didn't want to go out....I think she is afraid she'll get shocked.
The man said to let her wander and not to pull her back or warn her. Part of the learning curve.
She is taking revenge on us by farting.
Tomorrow I will work on the back yard, and the front yard again.
She likes to go for a walk, and to do that I will have to carry her over the invisible fence, even if she does not have the collar on her. But she can walk back in. Has to do with teaching her that reentering the yard will not result in a little tingle.
Got to thinking shock collars would be good for people too. Instead of restraining orders, shock collars could be worn with a significant voltage to make sure people keep away from where they are not supposed to be.
School kids could also have them to be sure they stay on school grounds.
Maybe I was tired from restoring the 12 hour clock to the clock radio. Thursday night I somehow put the clock in a 24 hour mode. At 15:30, I went on line to figure out how the heck I did that in the first place.
Moral of the story: Never set an alarm clock in the dark.
That's the shocking truth and I'm going to bed.
I must be tired. It was the bottom of the eight and the Cubs had changed pitchers.....next thing I saw was LaStella grounding out to end the game.
I didn't think I was tired.
We had our first training session on the invisible fence. I wore the collar to see how bad the shock was, and it surprised me. It was a little tingle. But lil Corki doesn't think so! Tonight she didn't want to go out....I think she is afraid she'll get shocked.
The man said to let her wander and not to pull her back or warn her. Part of the learning curve.
She is taking revenge on us by farting.
Tomorrow I will work on the back yard, and the front yard again.
She likes to go for a walk, and to do that I will have to carry her over the invisible fence, even if she does not have the collar on her. But she can walk back in. Has to do with teaching her that reentering the yard will not result in a little tingle.
Got to thinking shock collars would be good for people too. Instead of restraining orders, shock collars could be worn with a significant voltage to make sure people keep away from where they are not supposed to be.
School kids could also have them to be sure they stay on school grounds.
Maybe I was tired from restoring the 12 hour clock to the clock radio. Thursday night I somehow put the clock in a 24 hour mode. At 15:30, I went on line to figure out how the heck I did that in the first place.
Moral of the story: Never set an alarm clock in the dark.
That's the shocking truth and I'm going to bed.
Friday, October 16, 2015
lessons from the grill
I think I am a gas grill expert
Think is the operative word here.
I have four (4) grills. One gas, two charcoal and one I am not sure what it is.
I mostly use the gas grill, for convenience sake. It is so much easier to turn a button and get a flame than it is to start charcoal, wait 15 minutes, and then burn the meat.
I prefer to burn it immediately, without wait.
No, that is not true. I usually only half cook chicken and pork. I burn the steaks and burgers.
My dad always liked a good hockey puck on a bun and I think it runs in the family.
And then I stopped in a Whole Foods store on my way home from the zoo. A guy was out in front with a gas grill and they were sampling New York strip steaks! And it was a pretty generous sample.
The steak was done to a state of perfection. It was reddish on the inside and dark brown on the outside.
The guy said he got the grill up to 500 degrees, threw the steaks on, flipped them after a couple of minutes, then turned it down to 300. They were very good.
I only had one sample, but I could have gone for two or three when he was distracted.
I decided to put my knowledge to use on hamburgers. Cook them high, turn it down, let them cook on a lower temp.
I went out to start the grill and ..... no gas.
Got the spare tank...... no gas.
Picked up the third tank, a survivor from Emily's house, and .... surprise....no gas.
Three empty tanks.
I was confused until I noticed I had left a burner on the last time I cooked. I have three cooking flames, each controlled by a knob. I usually only use the first two, but for some reason the third one was open. And since I never shut the gas off at the tank, I nonburned a tank of propane.
Well, there is always the charcoal grill and ..... no charcoal.
So we had pasta.
I did get the tank filled the next day and grilled hamburgers.
Put the grill on high, put on two burgers, let them sear, flipped them over to the indirect heat area, turned down the grill and let the gas do it's magic.
After about 10 minutes I put them on lightly toasted buns and brought them in the house.
Jackie's must have been good because she did not complain.
Mine was rare. A little too rare, but I ate it anyway because I was hungry.
Ever since then I have felt udderly listless, and I have begun eating grass and mooing. ( Mooing, Doug, not mooning.)
I have been angry, but I don't know why.
So now I am thinking, maybe I got the mad cow parasite from my pretty raw burger.
I hope it's temporary, because I have a date with a New York stripper that should be pretty revealing about my cooking.
Think is the operative word here.
I have four (4) grills. One gas, two charcoal and one I am not sure what it is.
I mostly use the gas grill, for convenience sake. It is so much easier to turn a button and get a flame than it is to start charcoal, wait 15 minutes, and then burn the meat.
I prefer to burn it immediately, without wait.
No, that is not true. I usually only half cook chicken and pork. I burn the steaks and burgers.
My dad always liked a good hockey puck on a bun and I think it runs in the family.
And then I stopped in a Whole Foods store on my way home from the zoo. A guy was out in front with a gas grill and they were sampling New York strip steaks! And it was a pretty generous sample.
The steak was done to a state of perfection. It was reddish on the inside and dark brown on the outside.
The guy said he got the grill up to 500 degrees, threw the steaks on, flipped them after a couple of minutes, then turned it down to 300. They were very good.
I only had one sample, but I could have gone for two or three when he was distracted.
I decided to put my knowledge to use on hamburgers. Cook them high, turn it down, let them cook on a lower temp.
I went out to start the grill and ..... no gas.
Got the spare tank...... no gas.
Picked up the third tank, a survivor from Emily's house, and .... surprise....no gas.
Three empty tanks.
I was confused until I noticed I had left a burner on the last time I cooked. I have three cooking flames, each controlled by a knob. I usually only use the first two, but for some reason the third one was open. And since I never shut the gas off at the tank, I nonburned a tank of propane.
Well, there is always the charcoal grill and ..... no charcoal.
So we had pasta.
I did get the tank filled the next day and grilled hamburgers.
Put the grill on high, put on two burgers, let them sear, flipped them over to the indirect heat area, turned down the grill and let the gas do it's magic.
After about 10 minutes I put them on lightly toasted buns and brought them in the house.
Jackie's must have been good because she did not complain.
Mine was rare. A little too rare, but I ate it anyway because I was hungry.
Ever since then I have felt udderly listless, and I have begun eating grass and mooing. ( Mooing, Doug, not mooning.)
I have been angry, but I don't know why.
So now I am thinking, maybe I got the mad cow parasite from my pretty raw burger.
I hope it's temporary, because I have a date with a New York stripper that should be pretty revealing about my cooking.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
beep beep, honk, honk
At least it wasn't a deer
I took a bike ride in town, using the bike path.
A beautiful fall day....a little windy, but nice temps.
The corn fields along the path have been harvested. As I was riding I noticed the squirrels had discovered the loose corn in the field and were constantly scurrying across the path from their homes in the trees along the river.
I notice when I drive, squirrels often pick my car as the vehicle to end their life. They always seem to dart into the street and freeze.
They are probably saying, "Oh shit" in squirrel talk, but they seem incapable of movement. And people drive over them.
I was thinking all this as I pedaled along when out of the field darted a squirrel.
Oh, he was a big fella all right. He took about three steps onto the bike path and then froze.
As I tried to avoid him, he suddenly jumped forward and hit my wheel.
The sucker flipped up into the air, landed on my knee and bounced downward. I swear I felt my tire roll over him.
I was a little upset. That tree rat could have bitten me! Or caused me to wreck my bike, thereby creating a second shoulder issue.
I continued riding. But I wondered about the little furry fella's fate.
So on the way back, I paid close attention to squirrels.
I did have some fears. What if they mustered forces and ganged up on me. seeing as I just killed their friend? I pictured rounding a corner and seeing 50 little squirrels, all on their hind legs, chattering away in squirrel talk :"Take him down, boys."
Then I thought of Christmas Vacation and wondered if the squirrel was still on my, perhaps clinging to my sweatshirt or perched atop the helmet, little whiskers blowing in the breeze.
I slowed down when I came to the area of the accident. I was afraid I would find d a crippled or dead squirrel on the path, grieving fellow squirrels surrounding their king's body.
But nothing.
No gang of squirrels. No body. Just one little guy with a funny run and a bent tale, who kept one eye on the bike as it passed him by.
And tonight I read my friend Jill down in Texas also hit a squirrel while out riding!!
Friends, this is the start of the Apocalypse. Grab your food and head for the safety of a shelter.
The squirrels are coming.
I took a bike ride in town, using the bike path.
A beautiful fall day....a little windy, but nice temps.
The corn fields along the path have been harvested. As I was riding I noticed the squirrels had discovered the loose corn in the field and were constantly scurrying across the path from their homes in the trees along the river.
I notice when I drive, squirrels often pick my car as the vehicle to end their life. They always seem to dart into the street and freeze.
They are probably saying, "Oh shit" in squirrel talk, but they seem incapable of movement. And people drive over them.
I was thinking all this as I pedaled along when out of the field darted a squirrel.
Oh, he was a big fella all right. He took about three steps onto the bike path and then froze.
As I tried to avoid him, he suddenly jumped forward and hit my wheel.
The sucker flipped up into the air, landed on my knee and bounced downward. I swear I felt my tire roll over him.
I was a little upset. That tree rat could have bitten me! Or caused me to wreck my bike, thereby creating a second shoulder issue.
I continued riding. But I wondered about the little furry fella's fate.
So on the way back, I paid close attention to squirrels.
I did have some fears. What if they mustered forces and ganged up on me. seeing as I just killed their friend? I pictured rounding a corner and seeing 50 little squirrels, all on their hind legs, chattering away in squirrel talk :"Take him down, boys."
Then I thought of Christmas Vacation and wondered if the squirrel was still on my, perhaps clinging to my sweatshirt or perched atop the helmet, little whiskers blowing in the breeze.
I slowed down when I came to the area of the accident. I was afraid I would find d a crippled or dead squirrel on the path, grieving fellow squirrels surrounding their king's body.
But nothing.
No gang of squirrels. No body. Just one little guy with a funny run and a bent tale, who kept one eye on the bike as it passed him by.
And tonight I read my friend Jill down in Texas also hit a squirrel while out riding!!
Friends, this is the start of the Apocalypse. Grab your food and head for the safety of a shelter.
The squirrels are coming.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Houston, we have a problem
We took the free shuttle bus the Cubs ran Tuesday night
The parking lot is up on Irving by the river, not too far from John's house.
Going there sparked a lot of memories. We played ball in the parks, just across the river and we played ball at the Boys and Girls Club grounds. But the strongest memory is that of carnivals. The club, or maybe a church, held an annual carnival there and it was always a fun time.
I actually met a couple of girls there over the high school years. Ah, memories.
Back to the shuttles. They used yellow school buses. When we rolled Jackie up in her walker, they got a special bus with a lift and put her on board that way.
We knew the Cubs were going to clinch that night. The Cubs people knew that also. So they had special rules for the buses. We would be dropped off at Wrigley, on Addison. But the buses would pick up on Irving....about a half mile away.
However, the lift equipped bus would be on Addison one hour after the game to pick up people in wheelchairs.
The game ended at 8. The streets were closed by 7. We hung out in the park for half and hour then went to the bus pick up zone.
Did I mention the streets were closed? Blocked off? Filled with people?
Well, they were and there was no bus in sight.
We decided to wait a while. We were told that "maybe" in 30 to 45 minutes the streets would be reopened, depending on what the crowd of revelers was doing.
Waiting for a bus was an option. Taking the Red Line to Belmont, changing for a Brown Line and going to John's house was another option.
Calling Kathy was not an option....the streets were closed, traffic was a mess.
Walking to Irving was an option.
After about half an hour, I truthfully got bored. Jackie was a bit bothered by all going on around her.
So we opted to go to Irving.
(Actually, she wanted no part of an L ride. Don't see why, would have been fun.)
Now a half mile walk by itself is no problem.
But pushing/pulling my wife in her rolling chair could be an issue.
We were actually fine until we hit Seminary, a little street right next to the fire station on Waveland. Chicago does not maintain streets well.
With one or us guiding and one of us pushing, we rolled down Seminary. I would like to say it was a smooth ride, but it was not. The good thing was we did not knock the rollinator over or drop the cargo.
It was supposed to be cool at the park, so I had on a long sleeve shirt, then a jacket, then a sweatshirt, then my Cub shirt. By the time we got to Irving, I was soaking wet from sweat.
Other people were going in the same direction and a couple of groups asked if we wanted them to push while we took a break.
But John and I persevered.
We got to the bus after about 15 minutes....which I thought was pretty good time.
All in all, it was a good experience.
Now...about those National League Championship tickets......
The parking lot is up on Irving by the river, not too far from John's house.
Going there sparked a lot of memories. We played ball in the parks, just across the river and we played ball at the Boys and Girls Club grounds. But the strongest memory is that of carnivals. The club, or maybe a church, held an annual carnival there and it was always a fun time.
I actually met a couple of girls there over the high school years. Ah, memories.
Back to the shuttles. They used yellow school buses. When we rolled Jackie up in her walker, they got a special bus with a lift and put her on board that way.
We knew the Cubs were going to clinch that night. The Cubs people knew that also. So they had special rules for the buses. We would be dropped off at Wrigley, on Addison. But the buses would pick up on Irving....about a half mile away.
However, the lift equipped bus would be on Addison one hour after the game to pick up people in wheelchairs.
The game ended at 8. The streets were closed by 7. We hung out in the park for half and hour then went to the bus pick up zone.
Did I mention the streets were closed? Blocked off? Filled with people?
Well, they were and there was no bus in sight.
We decided to wait a while. We were told that "maybe" in 30 to 45 minutes the streets would be reopened, depending on what the crowd of revelers was doing.
Waiting for a bus was an option. Taking the Red Line to Belmont, changing for a Brown Line and going to John's house was another option.
Calling Kathy was not an option....the streets were closed, traffic was a mess.
Walking to Irving was an option.
After about half an hour, I truthfully got bored. Jackie was a bit bothered by all going on around her.
So we opted to go to Irving.
(Actually, she wanted no part of an L ride. Don't see why, would have been fun.)
Now a half mile walk by itself is no problem.
But pushing/pulling my wife in her rolling chair could be an issue.
We were actually fine until we hit Seminary, a little street right next to the fire station on Waveland. Chicago does not maintain streets well.
With one or us guiding and one of us pushing, we rolled down Seminary. I would like to say it was a smooth ride, but it was not. The good thing was we did not knock the rollinator over or drop the cargo.
It was supposed to be cool at the park, so I had on a long sleeve shirt, then a jacket, then a sweatshirt, then my Cub shirt. By the time we got to Irving, I was soaking wet from sweat.
Other people were going in the same direction and a couple of groups asked if we wanted them to push while we took a break.
But John and I persevered.
We got to the bus after about 15 minutes....which I thought was pretty good time.
All in all, it was a good experience.
Now...about those National League Championship tickets......
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
8 more wins!!!
I am really starting to feel it
A shot at watching a pennant winner on the North Side. I was 9 or 10 when I went to my first Cub game. Aunt Betty took me. My dad was never big baseball fan.
I would listen to the Cubs on the West Coast trips, my radio on low in my bed. If I was lucky, I could watch a game on TV. I learned the Hamm's beer song before my ABCs.
I suffered in 69, and again when Leon Durham muffed a sure out in San Diego, and again when the Cubs and Mark Prior came apart at the seams after a foul ball wasn't caught and a shortstop booted a ball. Saw the Cubs play the Dodgers in the playoffs in 08 and watched a the Cubbies make 5 errors in one inning. Every infielder booted a ball.
In all those years, I never felt, "This is it." I do this year.
These guys don't give up. They battle, they make mistakes and come right back and overcome them.
And the kids have come to play.
So, I am psyched.
Maybe it's all those ghosts of the past looking over them, especially Ernie and Ron. All those fans, like my mom and cousin and Jackie's mom and dad who went their whole lives not seeing a World Series win.
It's our time. Now.
Jackie, Dan, John and I were at the game tonight and the place was rocking! Sure, it got quiet after the Cards went ahead early. But everyone knew that a 2-0 lead wasn't going to hold up.
But enough....you all know that already.
Here are some pictures, just because.
A shot at watching a pennant winner on the North Side. I was 9 or 10 when I went to my first Cub game. Aunt Betty took me. My dad was never big baseball fan.
I would listen to the Cubs on the West Coast trips, my radio on low in my bed. If I was lucky, I could watch a game on TV. I learned the Hamm's beer song before my ABCs.
I suffered in 69, and again when Leon Durham muffed a sure out in San Diego, and again when the Cubs and Mark Prior came apart at the seams after a foul ball wasn't caught and a shortstop booted a ball. Saw the Cubs play the Dodgers in the playoffs in 08 and watched a the Cubbies make 5 errors in one inning. Every infielder booted a ball.
In all those years, I never felt, "This is it." I do this year.
These guys don't give up. They battle, they make mistakes and come right back and overcome them.
And the kids have come to play.
So, I am psyched.
Maybe it's all those ghosts of the past looking over them, especially Ernie and Ron. All those fans, like my mom and cousin and Jackie's mom and dad who went their whole lives not seeing a World Series win.
It's our time. Now.
Jackie, Dan, John and I were at the game tonight and the place was rocking! Sure, it got quiet after the Cards went ahead early. But everyone knew that a 2-0 lead wasn't going to hold up.
But enough....you all know that already.
Here are some pictures, just because.
Beautiful day for a game
He should be here
Everybody got a W towel
My cousin Sally got me this shirt last year. She died last September, but her spirit was with me today.
Chicago police were ready for the crowds!
Monday, October 12, 2015
anticipation is making me wait
We're going to see the Cubs clinch tomorrow
My plan is working out exactly the way I want it to.
A split in St. Louis, win two at home ,advance to the league championship.
Yes, the Cardinals are in the way, but I sure feel good about the Cubs winning tomorrow.
I even have a plan.
We're going to park in the remote lot and take the shuttle.
Why, you ask?
Because the streets will be so crowded after the game it will be impossible to move my car from a parking area. I figure the buses will have a better chance of getting through the crowds.
Normally I would stay and party with them, but Jackie has a tough time with the walker in crowds, so I am being very conservative tomorrow. Next series I will not be as conservative!
The game capped a frustrating day.
I am washing windows....still.
We have windows that tilt in, so you can wash the exterior from inside.....but I can't get the damn things to tilt!
My friend Carrie showed me, but I can't do it. Maybe the old guy is too weak, or maybe I am squeezing the wrong parts, but I can't get them to tilt.
So I used a ladder and washed them on the outside.
Of course, I had to take the screens down. Let me tell you, when the wind is blowing at 90 miles an hour screens become sails.
But it's the going up and down the ladder that kills my legs. I feel like I have walked 10 miles.
I go up and down a lot, because usually I get up there and realize I forgot something. Or I dropped the rag. Or I needed a dry cloth. I may go up and down 15 times in washing one window.
I was also afraid I would fall and break a leg. Then I would miss the game tomorrow, and I would really be pissed.
I still have 6 windows to go. Hopefully Wednesday and Thursday I will be able to get them done. Then I can work on washing and waxing the family vehicles.
My work is never done.
But tonight, I am.
And anticipation just does not look spelled correctly. But it does no show up in yellow as wrong, so I am going with it!!
My plan is working out exactly the way I want it to.
A split in St. Louis, win two at home ,advance to the league championship.
Yes, the Cardinals are in the way, but I sure feel good about the Cubs winning tomorrow.
I even have a plan.
We're going to park in the remote lot and take the shuttle.
Why, you ask?
Because the streets will be so crowded after the game it will be impossible to move my car from a parking area. I figure the buses will have a better chance of getting through the crowds.
Normally I would stay and party with them, but Jackie has a tough time with the walker in crowds, so I am being very conservative tomorrow. Next series I will not be as conservative!
The game capped a frustrating day.
I am washing windows....still.
We have windows that tilt in, so you can wash the exterior from inside.....but I can't get the damn things to tilt!
My friend Carrie showed me, but I can't do it. Maybe the old guy is too weak, or maybe I am squeezing the wrong parts, but I can't get them to tilt.
So I used a ladder and washed them on the outside.
Of course, I had to take the screens down. Let me tell you, when the wind is blowing at 90 miles an hour screens become sails.
But it's the going up and down the ladder that kills my legs. I feel like I have walked 10 miles.
I go up and down a lot, because usually I get up there and realize I forgot something. Or I dropped the rag. Or I needed a dry cloth. I may go up and down 15 times in washing one window.
I was also afraid I would fall and break a leg. Then I would miss the game tomorrow, and I would really be pissed.
I still have 6 windows to go. Hopefully Wednesday and Thursday I will be able to get them done. Then I can work on washing and waxing the family vehicles.
My work is never done.
But tonight, I am.
And anticipation just does not look spelled correctly. But it does no show up in yellow as wrong, so I am going with it!!
Sunday, October 11, 2015
that was special
I did my program today
It was a presentation on Rochelle history for the DAR on their 125th anniversary celebration.
They had me in the program as a skit. Well, it takes two to skit.
I was one.
Instead of using the microphone, I opted to yell. While this gave me freedom of movement, it scared the hell out of some little kids.
I put a lot of hours into prep for this. Yes, Sheri, unlike my lesson plans for the last three years of teaching, I did write things down before hand.
I put my spiel on big index cards, punched a hole in the upper left corner, and put a ring through them so I would not lose my place. Some of the cards had questions which the audience could answer.
Here's a gem: Rumor has it, a group of citizens were meeting in a drug store and one of them spotted a bottle of Rochelle Salts on the shelf. It was suggested Rochelle would be a good name. In those days, what were salts?
A. Seasoning for buffalo meat
B A cathartic
C a crime you can be charged with for thinking about hitting someone. Assault is threatening a person, so sault should be just thinking about it.....get it?
I don't think they did.
TC and Beth, it was not funny, you are right.
And the answer is B in case you are wondering.
How about this: from 1835-1845, these outlaws kept the pioneers in a state of great fear and dread. Who were they?
A. Cosa Nostra
B. Prairie Bandits
C. Comcast
That did get some laughs.
Anyway, they said short. I asked them when I got there and someone said , "About 10-12 minutes."
I had 33 cards.
So, in addition to yelling, and making jokes that made no sense, I talked extremely fast. So fast, I actually finished in about an hour. At least that is what it seemed.
People were nice about it. Afterward one lady asked me if I spoke in classrooms about history.
When I said I could, she asked if I would go to DeKalb.
Since I know nothing about DeKalb history, I said, "Of course. I can come Tuesday."
Just joking. I told her no, I would not do a program on DeKalb history.
And a couple of former students were in the audience and actually talked to me. One young man visited with me afterwards.
I swear, if his mother had not told me who he was, I would have never known him.
I always like to run into former students and hear their success stories. It just makes me feel good, although fifth grade is a far way from real life.
Anyway, now to start working on my Oct. 24 presentation.......
It was a presentation on Rochelle history for the DAR on their 125th anniversary celebration.
They had me in the program as a skit. Well, it takes two to skit.
I was one.
Instead of using the microphone, I opted to yell. While this gave me freedom of movement, it scared the hell out of some little kids.
I put a lot of hours into prep for this. Yes, Sheri, unlike my lesson plans for the last three years of teaching, I did write things down before hand.
I put my spiel on big index cards, punched a hole in the upper left corner, and put a ring through them so I would not lose my place. Some of the cards had questions which the audience could answer.
Here's a gem: Rumor has it, a group of citizens were meeting in a drug store and one of them spotted a bottle of Rochelle Salts on the shelf. It was suggested Rochelle would be a good name. In those days, what were salts?
A. Seasoning for buffalo meat
B A cathartic
C a crime you can be charged with for thinking about hitting someone. Assault is threatening a person, so sault should be just thinking about it.....get it?
I don't think they did.
TC and Beth, it was not funny, you are right.
And the answer is B in case you are wondering.
How about this: from 1835-1845, these outlaws kept the pioneers in a state of great fear and dread. Who were they?
A. Cosa Nostra
B. Prairie Bandits
C. Comcast
That did get some laughs.
Anyway, they said short. I asked them when I got there and someone said , "About 10-12 minutes."
I had 33 cards.
So, in addition to yelling, and making jokes that made no sense, I talked extremely fast. So fast, I actually finished in about an hour. At least that is what it seemed.
People were nice about it. Afterward one lady asked me if I spoke in classrooms about history.
When I said I could, she asked if I would go to DeKalb.
Since I know nothing about DeKalb history, I said, "Of course. I can come Tuesday."
Just joking. I told her no, I would not do a program on DeKalb history.
And a couple of former students were in the audience and actually talked to me. One young man visited with me afterwards.
I swear, if his mother had not told me who he was, I would have never known him.
I always like to run into former students and hear their success stories. It just makes me feel good, although fifth grade is a far way from real life.
Anyway, now to start working on my Oct. 24 presentation.......
Friday, October 9, 2015
half and half
I had a pleasant surprise today
Friends of ours, who we don't see to often, invited us over for pizza, wine and a Cub game tonight.
Aside from the 4-0 loss, it was a great evening.
We talked, and laughed, and groaned, and hoped. and of course, ate.
We've known Jim and Karen for ages, way back in our teaching days. We run into each other, and always say let's get together, and tonight we did.
Once upon a time, many years ago, I was taking an outdoor ed class at NIU/Lorado Taft. The class was cooking in the outdoors, and taught a variety of ways to prepare meals without the traditional pots and pans or stove.
One dish was a Dutch oven stew, with home made biscuits.
We lived on Mill Pond then.....so this has been at least 25 years ago.
I built a fire pit in the back yard, got it hot, put the ingredients in the Dutch oven and then buried the pot. Then a bunch of us guys got together and drank beer and wine and probably told dirty jokes. The ladies were at a shower of some kind, could have been bridal or even a baby shower...I don't remember.
At some point we ate. And drank more wine.
We had gotten down to the rhubarb wine from the Amana colonies and were feeling pretty good. Jim and I solved the then Cuban question by nuking them. And we nuked almost every country we could think of as we consumed the wine and smoked cigars.
I thought the stew was very good.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, out of the 7 or 8 guys there, I was the only one who did not have the shits the following day.
Maybe it was the stew, maybe it was the wine, maybe it was because my intestines can digest anything without an issue....but people got sick, which I did not know because I felt fine.
I never cooked in a Dutch oven buried in the ground again. It was a once in a lifetime experiment that did not go over well with my guests.
But I wonder about a Dutch oven.....saw a recipe for stew cooked in a conventional oven using a Dutch oven and thought this might be a chance for redemption. Or not.
Friends of ours, who we don't see to often, invited us over for pizza, wine and a Cub game tonight.
Aside from the 4-0 loss, it was a great evening.
We talked, and laughed, and groaned, and hoped. and of course, ate.
We've known Jim and Karen for ages, way back in our teaching days. We run into each other, and always say let's get together, and tonight we did.
Once upon a time, many years ago, I was taking an outdoor ed class at NIU/Lorado Taft. The class was cooking in the outdoors, and taught a variety of ways to prepare meals without the traditional pots and pans or stove.
One dish was a Dutch oven stew, with home made biscuits.
We lived on Mill Pond then.....so this has been at least 25 years ago.
I built a fire pit in the back yard, got it hot, put the ingredients in the Dutch oven and then buried the pot. Then a bunch of us guys got together and drank beer and wine and probably told dirty jokes. The ladies were at a shower of some kind, could have been bridal or even a baby shower...I don't remember.
At some point we ate. And drank more wine.
We had gotten down to the rhubarb wine from the Amana colonies and were feeling pretty good. Jim and I solved the then Cuban question by nuking them. And we nuked almost every country we could think of as we consumed the wine and smoked cigars.
I thought the stew was very good.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, out of the 7 or 8 guys there, I was the only one who did not have the shits the following day.
Maybe it was the stew, maybe it was the wine, maybe it was because my intestines can digest anything without an issue....but people got sick, which I did not know because I felt fine.
I never cooked in a Dutch oven buried in the ground again. It was a once in a lifetime experiment that did not go over well with my guests.
But I wonder about a Dutch oven.....saw a recipe for stew cooked in a conventional oven using a Dutch oven and thought this might be a chance for redemption. Or not.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
update on the dog front
We have had our dog for two weeks
It seems like forever.
That is not a bad thing. It just seems so natural having her around, like she has been here for much longer than two weeks.
So far, no accidents in the house.
Jackie lets her up on the couch when she is sitting there so she can pet the dog. I think that is important, otherwise little Corki will think Jackie doesn't like her.
Jackie can feed her and can take her out the front door. Fridays are a test, because I am gone all day and Jackie is the responsible adult in the house.
the leg humping seems to have slowed. It has not stopped. The underground fence guy was here Wednesday and twice she tried to make love to his leg. It seems to be the new people in the house that get some leg loving.
Corki likes just being outside. We will go out and she stands there, just feeling the wind in her hair.
I shiver.
She spends the night in her crate. I haven't been locking the door, and even have left it open a couple of times. She generally stays in the crate. I want her to feel comfortable in it, because when we are gone for a while she will be in there.
I forgot to buy a pooper scooper. I need one before I mow. For a little dog, she drops a load!
We had her checked out by Emily's vet and they ran a heart worm test. It came back negative, so she does not have heart worms. That is a relief.
A couple of problems have surfaced.
She likes our bed. I have chased her off a couple of times. Not a big issue, but we don't want it to be a habit.
Issue two. A couple of times when I have gone, she finds my clothes on the floor and just lays there until I get back.
In a sense that is natural. I play on the floor with her, and I walk her, so we spend quality time together. If Jackie got on the floor, she'd stay there until I got home. So we do allow her on the couch. She can sit next to Jackie and get her tummy scratched. She loves that.
That's all the news there is.
It seems like forever.
That is not a bad thing. It just seems so natural having her around, like she has been here for much longer than two weeks.
So far, no accidents in the house.
Jackie lets her up on the couch when she is sitting there so she can pet the dog. I think that is important, otherwise little Corki will think Jackie doesn't like her.
Jackie can feed her and can take her out the front door. Fridays are a test, because I am gone all day and Jackie is the responsible adult in the house.
the leg humping seems to have slowed. It has not stopped. The underground fence guy was here Wednesday and twice she tried to make love to his leg. It seems to be the new people in the house that get some leg loving.
Corki likes just being outside. We will go out and she stands there, just feeling the wind in her hair.
I shiver.
She spends the night in her crate. I haven't been locking the door, and even have left it open a couple of times. She generally stays in the crate. I want her to feel comfortable in it, because when we are gone for a while she will be in there.
I forgot to buy a pooper scooper. I need one before I mow. For a little dog, she drops a load!
We had her checked out by Emily's vet and they ran a heart worm test. It came back negative, so she does not have heart worms. That is a relief.
A couple of problems have surfaced.
She likes our bed. I have chased her off a couple of times. Not a big issue, but we don't want it to be a habit.
Issue two. A couple of times when I have gone, she finds my clothes on the floor and just lays there until I get back.
In a sense that is natural. I play on the floor with her, and I walk her, so we spend quality time together. If Jackie got on the floor, she'd stay there until I got home. So we do allow her on the couch. She can sit next to Jackie and get her tummy scratched. She loves that.
That's all the news there is.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
it's only one game
I am not too excited about tonight's Cubs win
I know it was a one and done, and beating Pittsburgh was great.
But it was only one game. Don't celebrate too much, because the dreaded Cards are on tap Friday and Saturday.
My prediction: Cubs win Friday, lose Saturday, win Monday and Tuesday to advance to the championship.
I said during spring training that this was a wild card year. I did expect them to make the wild card game, but I really didn't have giant hopes beyond that.
Now I do.
Since July these guys have been playing great baseball. Every game is a potential win, even games in which they are trailing late.
Maybe it's a Back to the Future thing. Maybe the curse was actually that movie being made and the Cubs being unable to win until October of this year!
All I know is this has been a fun season....and I don't want it to end.
Let's Go!!
I know it was a one and done, and beating Pittsburgh was great.
But it was only one game. Don't celebrate too much, because the dreaded Cards are on tap Friday and Saturday.
My prediction: Cubs win Friday, lose Saturday, win Monday and Tuesday to advance to the championship.
I said during spring training that this was a wild card year. I did expect them to make the wild card game, but I really didn't have giant hopes beyond that.
Now I do.
Since July these guys have been playing great baseball. Every game is a potential win, even games in which they are trailing late.
Maybe it's a Back to the Future thing. Maybe the curse was actually that movie being made and the Cubs being unable to win until October of this year!
All I know is this has been a fun season....and I don't want it to end.
Let's Go!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
people are strange, when you're a lone
It's a weird world
Emily fixed my e-mail. Evidently there are three places to enter a password. I changed my password in two of the three places. Emily discovered my error and fixed it. Several people have now gotten e-mails I wanted to send two days ago. Sorry.
My night time tea tastes funny. I have on a flavored lip gloss because my lips are dry. I guess the gloss has a strange effect on the taste of the tea. It is not a good effect, but not bad enough to wipe off the lip gloss.
Our AC went on today. I was sitting in the bedroom and it was getting cold. So I opened the bathroom window and the condensor was running. We have a Nest thermostat. I thought I set the cooling temp to 76 because if we turn off the AC we have to put on the heat in order to keep the fan running. We like the fan running. Circulates the air. Cuts the noise of the dog snoring. Guess I was wrong.
I rode my bike for the first time in a week and realized how little time is left for outdoor activities. I still have to wash windows and wash and wax both cars. You would think I could get that done easily. But I won't be able to do it the following week because I will be prepping for my big C.......and I think outdoor activities will be curtailed.
Work on my Oct. 4 presentation is progressing. TC, "the phrase if you have to explain it, it isn't funny" will probably come up once or twice. My fear is: What if nobody laughs?
Why does my nose hair grow so fast? Emily, you laughed when you gave me the trimmer, but I use it quite often....more than I like, actually.
So, a pilot died in the cockpit in the middle of a flight. That has always been one of my fears. Thank heaven for copilots.
I finally finished filing paper. Until tomorrow, when more comes in the mail.
A committee I am on accommodated my schedule by changing a meeting date to tomorrow night. Yes, I forgot the play off game. I feel I have to attend because they scheduled it around me. I think I can attend via Skype....but I am not sure. Maybe there will be a rain delay in Pittsburgh. Or a last minute cancellation. I just don't get dates.
There was a free coin appraisal last week at First National Bank. Had a little card with the date. I have 50 silver dollars in the safety deposit box and thought it would be good to get a value on them.
I still have the card with the date. Maybe next time.
I know the flooding in South Carolina is terrible, but check out Cannes in France. Torrential rains flooded parking garages, trapping and killing several unsuspecting motorists. At least 19 died in the rain of a century.
Rain of the century. That's what they said in the South.
Maybe scientists should start thinking about what's causing these strange wether patterns. Oh, wait....
Suddenly I feel like it is 110 in here. I am actually sweating.
Weird.
Emily fixed my e-mail. Evidently there are three places to enter a password. I changed my password in two of the three places. Emily discovered my error and fixed it. Several people have now gotten e-mails I wanted to send two days ago. Sorry.
My night time tea tastes funny. I have on a flavored lip gloss because my lips are dry. I guess the gloss has a strange effect on the taste of the tea. It is not a good effect, but not bad enough to wipe off the lip gloss.
Our AC went on today. I was sitting in the bedroom and it was getting cold. So I opened the bathroom window and the condensor was running. We have a Nest thermostat. I thought I set the cooling temp to 76 because if we turn off the AC we have to put on the heat in order to keep the fan running. We like the fan running. Circulates the air. Cuts the noise of the dog snoring. Guess I was wrong.
I rode my bike for the first time in a week and realized how little time is left for outdoor activities. I still have to wash windows and wash and wax both cars. You would think I could get that done easily. But I won't be able to do it the following week because I will be prepping for my big C.......and I think outdoor activities will be curtailed.
Work on my Oct. 4 presentation is progressing. TC, "the phrase if you have to explain it, it isn't funny" will probably come up once or twice. My fear is: What if nobody laughs?
Why does my nose hair grow so fast? Emily, you laughed when you gave me the trimmer, but I use it quite often....more than I like, actually.
So, a pilot died in the cockpit in the middle of a flight. That has always been one of my fears. Thank heaven for copilots.
I finally finished filing paper. Until tomorrow, when more comes in the mail.
A committee I am on accommodated my schedule by changing a meeting date to tomorrow night. Yes, I forgot the play off game. I feel I have to attend because they scheduled it around me. I think I can attend via Skype....but I am not sure. Maybe there will be a rain delay in Pittsburgh. Or a last minute cancellation. I just don't get dates.
There was a free coin appraisal last week at First National Bank. Had a little card with the date. I have 50 silver dollars in the safety deposit box and thought it would be good to get a value on them.
I still have the card with the date. Maybe next time.
I know the flooding in South Carolina is terrible, but check out Cannes in France. Torrential rains flooded parking garages, trapping and killing several unsuspecting motorists. At least 19 died in the rain of a century.
Rain of the century. That's what they said in the South.
Maybe scientists should start thinking about what's causing these strange wether patterns. Oh, wait....
Suddenly I feel like it is 110 in here. I am actually sweating.
Weird.
Monday, October 5, 2015
buried alive.....
I am on day two of cleaning the den
To be honest, I don't put a lot of time into it at one sitting. Too near the computer, for one reason.
And I can't. I get too frustrated.
I don't know what to save and what to toss.
For example, I get Medicare statements about my health, insurance statements about outstanding claims as well as a monthly breakdown of drugs I use, three financial statements and Jackie also gets insurance, medicare, financials......I swear, the pile was about 8 inches high of paper.
I don't know how long I have to keep it.
Add in information on trees and wilt, the dog, the car, and half a dozen other pieces of paper that have accumulated and I am suddenly in a sea of papers with no shore in sight!
I started notebooks a few years ago. I have something like 11 notebooks, each with one inch or more of statements and papers.
I would assume I should keep the medical stuff for at least the current year, then ditch it all. But ... what if there is a question and they send me a letter that states :"Referring to our communication of March 15, 2014, we find you in default of 8 bazillion dollars."
I would want that letter from March 15, 2014!
I also have a stack of magazines, mostly read, that I want to cut pictures of animals out of for the zoo. And a pile for a history walk I was going to develop for 2013. And a pile of receipts for the outside table and chairs I was so dissatisfied with but not enough to actually write a letter about.
I am organizationally challenged.
I had hoped this week I would get windows washed. Ain't gonna happen. And next week should have been the cars. But I have baseball tickets for the Cubs - Cardinals game and I don't want to miss being there when the Cubs win and move on to the league championship series. Since it's a night game, that shoots two days because I will be tired. And the fence people. And the dog groomers. And the colonoscopy......holy crap (no pun intended) I don't have time for all this paper stuff.
Since I am so bummed, I think I will just go to bed.
I am not tired, but staying up is useless. I haven't ridden for three days and my knee is sore enough that I can't walk far either.
And worst of all, I don't have any wine open!
Maybe a magic wind will come and blow all this stuff away......at least, in my dreams.
To be honest, I don't put a lot of time into it at one sitting. Too near the computer, for one reason.
And I can't. I get too frustrated.
I don't know what to save and what to toss.
For example, I get Medicare statements about my health, insurance statements about outstanding claims as well as a monthly breakdown of drugs I use, three financial statements and Jackie also gets insurance, medicare, financials......I swear, the pile was about 8 inches high of paper.
I don't know how long I have to keep it.
Add in information on trees and wilt, the dog, the car, and half a dozen other pieces of paper that have accumulated and I am suddenly in a sea of papers with no shore in sight!
I started notebooks a few years ago. I have something like 11 notebooks, each with one inch or more of statements and papers.
I would assume I should keep the medical stuff for at least the current year, then ditch it all. But ... what if there is a question and they send me a letter that states :"Referring to our communication of March 15, 2014, we find you in default of 8 bazillion dollars."
I would want that letter from March 15, 2014!
I also have a stack of magazines, mostly read, that I want to cut pictures of animals out of for the zoo. And a pile for a history walk I was going to develop for 2013. And a pile of receipts for the outside table and chairs I was so dissatisfied with but not enough to actually write a letter about.
I am organizationally challenged.
I had hoped this week I would get windows washed. Ain't gonna happen. And next week should have been the cars. But I have baseball tickets for the Cubs - Cardinals game and I don't want to miss being there when the Cubs win and move on to the league championship series. Since it's a night game, that shoots two days because I will be tired. And the fence people. And the dog groomers. And the colonoscopy......holy crap (no pun intended) I don't have time for all this paper stuff.
Since I am so bummed, I think I will just go to bed.
I am not tired, but staying up is useless. I haven't ridden for three days and my knee is sore enough that I can't walk far either.
And worst of all, I don't have any wine open!
Maybe a magic wind will come and blow all this stuff away......at least, in my dreams.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
stop the spinning, please!!
Some people should not have computers
Let me rephrase that. Electronic devices. Of any kind. Period.
It all started last night.
I had a notice that my pc had an upgrade. Click here. That was simple.
Enter your apple ID. Not so simple. You would think I would remember that. Or write it down. And maybe I did remember it and write it down, but I could not find it.
Eventually, through a random using of every password I have ever used, I got in.
24 hours later, it is still downloading. Is that a problem?
It finally finished and asked what my I Cloud password was.
Now that I have written down. Someplace.
Passwords. I can't remember people's names, how the hell am I going to remember a password?
And yes, I write them down, but if I happen to change it for some unknown reason, I may forget to write the new one down, thinking I would always remember the password. Well, I don't!
My comcast e mail does not work There is a password there. But when I enter what I think is the password, it doesn't say it's wrong. Or right. Or anything.
And if you misspell a password, you have to misspell it every time you use it. Some of that problem was erased at the type password again box, but if I spelled it wrong there, and spell it correctly when using it....it will not work! I have to tell all of my former students: Spelling Counts!! All those times I said spell it like it sounds! That's why Kim got donut wrong, although, to be honest, that is do nut ... do as in dew. Doenut would be correct for the long o sound, except in Go the long o sound is made by the o, but it's not in do.........maybe the wine is confusing my thought process.
Anyway, I had a glass or two of wine from my favorite cave in Switzerland. (Explanation: wine cellars in the French part are called caves. I was not spelunking.)
Earlier I had read a report about high arsenic levels in certain USA produced red wines. I suggested to wifey that I needed some more reds, and the obvious place to go would be to Switzerland where I could pick up six or 8 bottles.
She told me know. Or no. Won of them. Or one of them.
Whatever.
Don't forget to listen to three minute fictions on WNIJ, 89.5 between 6:45 and 8:45 starting tomorrow. They will be announcing the fifth place winner of the contest on Monday.
That's it.
Let me rephrase that. Electronic devices. Of any kind. Period.
It all started last night.
I had a notice that my pc had an upgrade. Click here. That was simple.
Enter your apple ID. Not so simple. You would think I would remember that. Or write it down. And maybe I did remember it and write it down, but I could not find it.
Eventually, through a random using of every password I have ever used, I got in.
24 hours later, it is still downloading. Is that a problem?
It finally finished and asked what my I Cloud password was.
Now that I have written down. Someplace.
Passwords. I can't remember people's names, how the hell am I going to remember a password?
And yes, I write them down, but if I happen to change it for some unknown reason, I may forget to write the new one down, thinking I would always remember the password. Well, I don't!
My comcast e mail does not work There is a password there. But when I enter what I think is the password, it doesn't say it's wrong. Or right. Or anything.
And if you misspell a password, you have to misspell it every time you use it. Some of that problem was erased at the type password again box, but if I spelled it wrong there, and spell it correctly when using it....it will not work! I have to tell all of my former students: Spelling Counts!! All those times I said spell it like it sounds! That's why Kim got donut wrong, although, to be honest, that is do nut ... do as in dew. Doenut would be correct for the long o sound, except in Go the long o sound is made by the o, but it's not in do.........maybe the wine is confusing my thought process.
Anyway, I had a glass or two of wine from my favorite cave in Switzerland. (Explanation: wine cellars in the French part are called caves. I was not spelunking.)
Earlier I had read a report about high arsenic levels in certain USA produced red wines. I suggested to wifey that I needed some more reds, and the obvious place to go would be to Switzerland where I could pick up six or 8 bottles.
She told me know. Or no. Won of them. Or one of them.
Whatever.
Don't forget to listen to three minute fictions on WNIJ, 89.5 between 6:45 and 8:45 starting tomorrow. They will be announcing the fifth place winner of the contest on Monday.
That's it.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
just shut my mouth, please
I say yes too many times
Tomorrow is desk day.
I am going to clean the desk and dust the den.
Then I am going to work on next week’s assignment.
Sometimes I say things I should not say, like “yes.”
I was asked to be a speaker at the upcoming DAR program next Sunday. I was asked to do a talk on the history of Rochelle. The first three choices were not available, so someone asked me.
I said yes, thinking how hard can it be to put together a program about the history of Rochelle?
I planned to talk about the explorers, early settlers, organization of the city, famous people past and present..... I had the backbone of a short, yet informative, history of Rochelle.
I got an advance copy of the program and it says that I will be presenting a humorous skit on Rochelle’s history. Skit implies more than one person and maybe a script.
I have none of that.
Once I get the desk cleaned off, and my mind uncluttered, I will work on the skit. But how do I do a one person skit? And how do I make history funny? How long should it be?
My first thought is a kind of trivia challenge....asking one or two people the same question and having them write the answers down. Of course, the questions will not be normal, neither will the answers.
They will be historically based and true.
And on Oct. 24 I have to present a 20 or 25 minute program at the historical society dinner....again, a humorous look at Rochelle. How much can I duplicate what works from one week to another?
This is hard for me.
Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome.
And I am putting no in my vocabulary.
Friday, October 2, 2015
oops...another bad choice
I had a long trip home from the zoo today
It didn't start out that way. I actually was on the road by 2:45, having stopped to see the new baby gorilla and to get a coffee.
I reached Woodman's in Aurora, and it went downhill fast.
First, I went back in the store because I thought I lost all my extra bags. I couldn't find them anywhere. These are my mesh bags and little red bags that I use for groceries.
Looked in the car, then decided maybe the coffee needed to be recycled, so I went back in the store again.
And a brilliant idea hit me.
Jackie and I had used the last of our Malnati's frozen pizza stash, and I knew the store was a short drive down Randall Road, and I could take Keslinger Road back home, just like I do when I drive to the Metra station in Aurora.
I forgot how Randall Road is. Crowded. Busy. Stopped. Going slow.
Twenty five minutes later I was finally at Malnati's to pick up a couple of cheese pies (Jackie's favorite) a couple of sausage and some supremes, which are terribly tasty.
No supremes. Plenty of spinach, but no supremes. They stopped making them a few months ago.
What kind of world is this when spinach pizzas are in demand and supremes are not?
Then I had to get back on Randall Road to head over to Keslinger. It's a short distance, but a long drive.
I told Jackie I would be home by 5....rolled in about 6.
I think she could follow the pings of my travel as I used my debit card and she always gets notified.
But all is well that ends well. My bags were in a bag with groceries, we have a two month supply of pizza, the Cubs won, and I think the caffeine is finally wearing off.
At least I hope so, because I'm heading for bed and I hate just lying there.
It didn't start out that way. I actually was on the road by 2:45, having stopped to see the new baby gorilla and to get a coffee.
I reached Woodman's in Aurora, and it went downhill fast.
First, I went back in the store because I thought I lost all my extra bags. I couldn't find them anywhere. These are my mesh bags and little red bags that I use for groceries.
Looked in the car, then decided maybe the coffee needed to be recycled, so I went back in the store again.
And a brilliant idea hit me.
Jackie and I had used the last of our Malnati's frozen pizza stash, and I knew the store was a short drive down Randall Road, and I could take Keslinger Road back home, just like I do when I drive to the Metra station in Aurora.
I forgot how Randall Road is. Crowded. Busy. Stopped. Going slow.
Twenty five minutes later I was finally at Malnati's to pick up a couple of cheese pies (Jackie's favorite) a couple of sausage and some supremes, which are terribly tasty.
No supremes. Plenty of spinach, but no supremes. They stopped making them a few months ago.
What kind of world is this when spinach pizzas are in demand and supremes are not?
Then I had to get back on Randall Road to head over to Keslinger. It's a short distance, but a long drive.
I told Jackie I would be home by 5....rolled in about 6.
I think she could follow the pings of my travel as I used my debit card and she always gets notified.
But all is well that ends well. My bags were in a bag with groceries, we have a two month supply of pizza, the Cubs won, and I think the caffeine is finally wearing off.
At least I hope so, because I'm heading for bed and I hate just lying there.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
just another tired person
I wish we had a better world
Another school shooting to ponder. New nightmares for parents who thought their children were safe in a college setting.
I can here the rhetoric now. Guns don't kill people. If they would only enforce the laws we have. If everyone had a gun this wouldn't happen.
Critics of gun laws point to Chicago and say they had a tough gun law and it didn't stop the shootings.
That's because people don't always obey the law.
Gun laws are not consistent from state to state. The Chicago Tribune had a series on guns where they documented Chicago residents going to gun shows in Indiana and loading up a duffel bag of weapons. Those weapons then come back into the city with tough gun laws and get sold, to people who don't obey the law.
And all we can do as a society is throw our hands up in the air and say, "What else can we do?"
The second amendment states that in order to maintain a well regulated militia, the rights of the citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
We seem to lose focus on the first part of the amendment, the reason for the amendment: to maintain a well regulated militia. Not to shoot down innocent people in classrooms or street corners. I'm not smart enough to know the answer.
But I think it starts with a consistent set of laws. All guns must be purchased from a licensed dealer. All sales must be registered. Buyers have a limit on the number of guns they can buy in a 12 month period. Seven day waiting periods on all purchases. All buyers must possess a valid firearm owners card.
And yes, the laws need to be changed to put harsher penalties for crimes committed with a gun. Add 20 years to a sentence for using a weapon. Don't allow plea bargains, parole or probation for firearm offenses.
We also need to look at the mental health of people. Someone who goes into a room to kill innocent people is not sane. We need to identify those people and treat them before they harm innocent people.
I read that this guy had a social media account where he announced he was going to do some shooting....and his "friends" encouraged him, even egged him on. I think every one of those people should have to dig the graves and confront the parents of today's victims.
And we need to look at ourselves. We seem to cultivate the notion of violence. It's in video games, in the movies, in ultimate fighting bouts, and even in hockey games, where fans stand on their feet and cheer when people begin to beat each other.
Violence begets violence. You see it enough and you begin to accept it as a way of life, as the answer to your problems, as a way to get noticed.
Something has to change.
Another school shooting to ponder. New nightmares for parents who thought their children were safe in a college setting.
I can here the rhetoric now. Guns don't kill people. If they would only enforce the laws we have. If everyone had a gun this wouldn't happen.
Critics of gun laws point to Chicago and say they had a tough gun law and it didn't stop the shootings.
That's because people don't always obey the law.
Gun laws are not consistent from state to state. The Chicago Tribune had a series on guns where they documented Chicago residents going to gun shows in Indiana and loading up a duffel bag of weapons. Those weapons then come back into the city with tough gun laws and get sold, to people who don't obey the law.
And all we can do as a society is throw our hands up in the air and say, "What else can we do?"
The second amendment states that in order to maintain a well regulated militia, the rights of the citizens to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
We seem to lose focus on the first part of the amendment, the reason for the amendment: to maintain a well regulated militia. Not to shoot down innocent people in classrooms or street corners. I'm not smart enough to know the answer.
But I think it starts with a consistent set of laws. All guns must be purchased from a licensed dealer. All sales must be registered. Buyers have a limit on the number of guns they can buy in a 12 month period. Seven day waiting periods on all purchases. All buyers must possess a valid firearm owners card.
And yes, the laws need to be changed to put harsher penalties for crimes committed with a gun. Add 20 years to a sentence for using a weapon. Don't allow plea bargains, parole or probation for firearm offenses.
We also need to look at the mental health of people. Someone who goes into a room to kill innocent people is not sane. We need to identify those people and treat them before they harm innocent people.
I read that this guy had a social media account where he announced he was going to do some shooting....and his "friends" encouraged him, even egged him on. I think every one of those people should have to dig the graves and confront the parents of today's victims.
And we need to look at ourselves. We seem to cultivate the notion of violence. It's in video games, in the movies, in ultimate fighting bouts, and even in hockey games, where fans stand on their feet and cheer when people begin to beat each other.
Violence begets violence. You see it enough and you begin to accept it as a way of life, as the answer to your problems, as a way to get noticed.
Something has to change.
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