Psycho Birds cause Vertigo

I am being driven crazy by a robin family

     Oh sure, laugh.
     For the past several years a robin has built nests on our porch.  I always go out and knock them down.
     Here is this year's nest.

     Always in the same spot.
     I go out and knock it down.
     They build it again.
     I thought Corki might be able to scare them away, because she has a tendency to run after birds and bark.
     But not robins.
     So I knocked the nest off today onto the pile that has accumulated on the porch.

     That is a lot of straw and mud and work.
     Now I like robins, except when they dive bomb you when you come out the front door, and drop white dots on the furniture.
     Porches are for rockers, not robins.
     I stuck two white flags left over from the invisible fence project into the gap between the house and the post.  Hopefully the fluttering flags frightened (notice the clever use of alliteration) the birds away....but we'll see.
    Wasps in the back, robins in the front, here I am, stuck in the middle again.
     I also want to share two pictures.
     Jonquils, or daffodils, were my mom's favorite flower.  Every time I see one, I think of her.
     Funny I haven't planted any at this house.

oh my! pass that pie!!!

I'm going the wrong way

     Ok, with about six weeks to go to the wedding, let's see how far I am on my plan to get to 190 pounds.
     Started at 196 on March 1.
     Walk the dog 1.5 miles at least three times a week.
     Ate handfuls of potato chips.
      Polished off some Swiss chocolates.
     Ate a salad.
     Dined at an all you can eat restaurant in Cuba.
     Ate at another all you can eat restaurant in Cuba.
     Ate at.....let's say several all you can eat places in Cuba.
     Been to Ollie's a couple of times.  Ok, three times.  All right....four times.
     Had soup, cheese and crackers for lunch for two weeks.
     Had a banana.
     Rizzo's for breakfast.  (If you don't know what they are, you are not a Cub fan.)
    Rode my bike.  Once.  Six miles.  Hey, it's rainy and cold!
     Went up and down the stairs once.
     So....doing a little math here.  Add this, subtract that, and get on the scale......

206 pounds!!!

     Holy crap.
     I can do this.........no more late night snacks.  Walking more.  Biking when the weather hits a nice temperature and the rain stays mainly on the plain in Spain.
     Good grief.

much mulch

I am getting serious about yard work

     I wanted to get serious this week, but it has not been weather in which I like to work outside.
     Cold.  Rainy.  Misty.  Thunder.  Lightning.  You know, typical Illinois in April.
     So today I ordered mulch.  I need to mulch around my plants.  And trees.
     And I need to plant some plants.  Maybe next week I will be able to do that.
     I also have a tree that needs to be removed.  One of my sugar maples sadly is not coming back from the mold it developed last year.
     Now I am in a quandary.  I want to replace the tree.  But the plant clinic people told me once a tree gets this wilt, it will die.  My other sugar maple also had it, but I cut off the dead branches and it seems fine.
     So, If I put a tree in where the sick, now nearly dead, tree is, I have to move it at least 5 feet from the drip line to prevent the new tree from getting the wilt......that is, if it is a sugar maple.  But if my other tree gets sick and I have to replace it, it may be too crowded.  If I don't replace it, I am off balance.
     It's a tree lovers dilemma, I tell you!
     My first job is to get the tree removed.  Then I guess I will wait a couple of months before replanting.
     I never had a tree die before.  It's sad.
     As you may remember, I name my trees.  That's all well and good when they are doing well and growing straight and tall, but now?  I can say Name of Tree died, because it sounds like one of my family members died and that isn't good.
     Here's to good weather, good plants, good trees  and a good night's sleep.

it's a riot

I/m tired of Illinois

     Seriously tired.
     Monday it was 83...today it was 50.
     I've gone from winter pajamas to summer pajamas back to winter ones.  Yes, I do have PJs for the seasons.
     I've worn three different coats this week and am running out of hooks.
     The roads are a mess...potholes and cracks everywhere.
     And the budget?  So out of whack it can never be made right.  We either have to cut spending or      raise taxes or a little of both.  But these yahoos in Springpatch can't seem to figure that out.
The third most powerful man and Illinois most famous representative and wrestling coach turned out to be a serial sex abuser of young boys.  That is holding up party values!
     Our state lawmakers have figured out a way to make sure none of the issues people like me want will get on the ballot.  Term limits?  Nah.  Redistricting?  Forget about it.  Graduated income tax?  Not in our lifetimes.
     Our property taxes are among the highest, on average, in the country.
     The state is losing population, which means sales tax revenue, and the mopes in charge don't make any attempt to change.
    Pardon me for being cynical.
     But I am tired.  I think I need to move.  Maybe North Carolina.  Or Vermont.  Or Maine.
     Someplace with mild summers and better government.
     Where spring begins at Easter and summer ends on Labor Day.
     Where it only rains in the morning between 2 and 3.
     Camelot.  That is where I need to go.
     Anybody know how to get there?

help, please

I called a customer service support line last night

     My PC has been acting funny.  Before actually taking it in, I decided to give the live chat help a try.
     It was about 11 and alcohol was not involved.
     So, I get connected to a gent named Rob, using our desk top computer.
     He asks me to describe the problem, which I do.
     He asks me to turn off the computer and turn it back on again.
     I do.
     The screen pops up that asks my ID.
     Now, Emily and John will know what kind of problem a question like that causes me.  I find my list and type it in.....but no, not it.  I try again, with a capital.  Nope.  I try again with a capital at the front and a capital at the back.  Nope.  I try again with a capital at the back only.  Nope.  I try a totally different password for a totally different computer.  Yup.  Go figure.  And these are written down!  I can't figure it out when they are in writing in front of me!!
     That has taken me about 15 minutes.  Seriously.
     He asks me a series of questions, which I dutifully answer.
     I open Safari and the computer starts acting funny...screen goes crazy.
     I follow the directions to turn off the computer and open it in safe mode.  And by the way, it does take longer, much longer, for a  computer to open in safe mode.
     I do that.  Everything looks ok.  Then Bingo, screen goes crazy.
     I restarted three times in safe mode, then once in recovery mode, and nothing changed.
      Meanwhile, I download a malware program on my desktop computer and move it to a thumb drive.  (I make it sound simple....but it took me a long time to do this.)
     The thinking was Safari may have contained a virus.
     Popped in the thumb drive and restarted in safe mode.  That's when we find out you can't download a program if your computer is in safe mode...so I turn it off and restart it again.
It is now about 12:15  I mention I am tired, and if this process takes long, I might be better to quit for the night.
     I am assured it is only a few minutes.
    At 12:30 I manage to finally get the malware onto the computer.....and I do not have any malware on my little pc.  But, then I lost all control of mouse movement and the screen was an artwork in progress.  Someone taking LSD and watching it would blow their mind.
     At about 12:40 we decided I needed to make an appointment at the store.  And we did.
     At about 12:50....or somewhere in that time zone.....I signed off.
     Ever been so tired you can't sleep?  When you hit the sheets and suddenly they hit back?  When every noise is a masked murderer, wild animal, fanged monster or Trump supporter?
     So I sat up in my chair and read until about 2.......only to awake somewhere around 6.
     So here I am....tired, happy for a Cubs win, freezing and not at all expecting I will go to sleep.
     I think I'll just finish that book tonight....only 110 pages to go.

damn

I forgot  I had calls to make today

     I had four or five people I wanted to call.....and remembered about 9 p.m.
     I should have put it on a note and hung it on the door.
     I did a lot today and it all just escaped me.
     Not to mention I have a computer that has gone bonkers.
     My little PC just goes crazy..... can't use the touch pad, pages jump without any obvious reason, won't turn off, kind of a wacky version of me.
     So I am taking it to the Apple people on Friday.
     I know what will happen.  I will get an estimate of $500 to fix a six year old computer.  And we will face the choice of repair or buying a new one.
     Then our I Mac will go out and we will regret buying the PC that we did, because now it is the only computer we will be using and we should have gone bigger.
     How long should a computer last anyway?  Is it like a car, where you drive it until you pay it off or it falls apart, whichever comes first?
     In any case, it is not going to be pretty.
     And my war on wasps?
     No go.....the wind was too strong.  I was afraid I would get more spray than the nest outside the door.
     But I will try tonight.
    Call it Wasp War II
     I just hope no one gets stung....meaning me.

don't tell my wife about this

I have a new life plan, thanks to the Tribune

     Today's real estate section had an article on what $3 million will buy for housing in the Chicago area.
     Yes, I know.  $3 million is a lot.  But I can do huge stuff with a lot less.
     One of the houses, in River Forest, had an outdoor railroad.
     Not a garden rail road, but a kiddy land type set up, complete with a crossing gate for the driveway.
     That would be freakin' awesome!
    The house was on .83 acres of land.....we have an acre.  More space!  Plus the lot next door is still for sale.
     So wouldn't it be great to buy an old kiddy land train set up?
     Seriously!  I would have it run through my yard, into the now owned by me lot next door, through the prairie and into the forest, across the bridge and back to the station at the end of my patio.
     I know....i would have to plant the forest.  And the prairie.  And lay the track.  And buy train. And build the bridge over the newly created river.
     But hey, I am not getting any younger!
     I'd do wine trains, with a table and wine set up out by the prairie.  We'd ride out there, eat cheese, sip wine, watch the sun set over the prairie.
     I'd have cookouts in the forest part.  Of course, I would be careful not to burn the trees down when I fired up the camp fire to cook.
     My train would have a refrigerated caboose to hold cheese, meat, wine, and soft drinks.
     It will be awesome.
     And I know how to pay for it.
     The property taxes on the house were $49,000 or so a year.  So, if I don't have that house, I am saving $49,000, which should pay for the lot, train and forest!
     Right?
     If only it were that simple.
     I do know something that is simple.  Go to the Bike MS website, search for the Jackies Jokers team and make a pledge to me.  Any amount will do.
     I think now I will go outside and declare war on two wasp nests.
     Let's call it a sneak attack.  Hopefully they won't know what hit them.

earlier than later

I planted peas today!

     I don't know if I have ever planted anything this early.  But these are early sugar snap peas....ready in 70 days, which should be about the time we are in Vegas.
     Planning was never my strength.
     I felt like farmer Bob out there today.  Big hat, suspenders, a ton of garden tools on the wheelbarrow.
     I noticed my 12 foot long raised bed is bowing in the middle.  I think I will have to take it apart in the fall and add some support to the center.  Or, make it into two six foot beds.
     I hope it doesn't collapse.
     That would be my luck.  Put in a garden and have it fall down.
     I have enough sugar snap peas left to plant a second crop in mid August.  That should be ready by the time October comes to an end.
     I think I will like the garden this year.  Tomatoes, carrots, beans......basic stuff.
     I even have the herb garden set up and ready to move outside.  I am a little afraid of a frost, but I think tomorrow it will go onto the patio.
     With all this delicious, nutritious, organic food, I should be able to put a little health into my diet.
     Now if I could figure out a way to grow potato chips.......

here's the latest poop

I think I need professional help

     No, not for me, but for our dog!
     And yes, I know some of you think I should get professional help...but that is another issue.
     Corki has some problems.
     Yesterday, when I was gone, she did not eat.  She did not eat her delicious breakfast bowl of dry cereal and green beans.  She did not eat her Greenie at lunch.  She did go out, but spent most of the day sleeping.
     Until I came home.  Within five minutes, she was eating.
     I can't be in a room more than two minutes before she shows up and lays down near me.
     The only thing that gets her up is the sound of the treat jar being opened by Jackie.
     But today, well, today was another story.
     I don't like to talk a lot about dog poop, but she has a problem.
     She went out this morning and did her usual number in the back yard.  All day she went out and had full use of the yard.
     I took her on our walk at 5.  She pooped in the grass near Skare Road.  I was prepared.  I pulled out my plastic bag and picked it all up.
     She walk five feet and pooped again.
     Once again I pulled out a plastic bag and picked it up.
     Then when we got to the circle on the east end of the block (which makes for a 1.6 mile walk, give or take a tenth) she dropped another load!  I used my final bag to pick that up and carry it all the way home.
     What the hell!
     It's like she saves it up for our walk!
     She had gone out 10 minutes before we started our walk and did nothing....then three dumps.
     I guess our yard isn't good enough for her.
     Now I'm wondering if she is holding it on purpose, waiting for our long walk to release her waste.
     And if she is, why?
     So, I need a dog psychologist.  One who can speak her language and find out just what the heck is going on in that little head of hers.
     And if they have a few minutes, maybe they could chat with me.  They would not need dogspeak for that!

gas made the van go

I took a trip into Chicago today

     I wanted to see the Van Gogh exhibit at the Art Institute, and since it ends on a couple of weeks, I didn't want to miss my chance.
     It was well worth it.
     In 2011 my friend Dan and I spent time in Arles, where Van Gogh's Yellow House was located.  It was here he painted  not only the bedroom picture, but hundreds more.  We were able to stand in spots where he may have stood to paint the pictures.  It was a pretty neat town and a great experience.
    So, the bedroom in the yellow house exhibit went of my must see list.
     Making the day better, because I am a volunteer at an area institution, there is a reciprocity agreement where volunteers get in free.  So all I had to pay for was the Van Gogh exhibit.
     Making the day even better, I had a late lunch at Toni's, a little French bistro type restaurant.  I love that place and the food just popped today.
     All in all it was a very good day.

This line stretched around the corner and down the street.  Why?  Jimmy John's was giving away sandwiches!

Peeping Vincent

Not Van Gogh, but one of my favoriets

bike racks that look like old bikes.

deja vu....all over again

Things just never really change

    When I started this blog in 2014, I didn't expect to still be doing it over two years later.
     Yet, here I am.
     In January of 2014, I wrote that I had hit 200.  As in weight.  A couple of weeks ago I wrote I hit 206.
     Things don't change.
     I've written about this being the Cubs' year three times.
     But this is the Cubs' year.  I am sure of it.
     I think if you read this regularly you know more about me than I do.
    So here is something you don't know.
     Read carefully.....or listen carefully if someone is reading this to you.
     Sometimes I think that we have been instantly created and all our memories have been programmed into our brains by a superior life form.  We did not exist yesterday, but the memory of yesterday was programmed into our brains.  So today really doesn't matter, because tomorrow today will not have existed.
     Of course I also think this is the Cubs' year, the Blackhawks will rally, the Bears will become Monsters of the Midway once again, the White Sox will lose to the Cubs in a 7 game World Series and the Republican party will find sanity at some point.
     Now, it could be the pinot noir talking, but I think aliens from distant planets live amongst us.  How else can you explain some of the clothes people wear to the store?  I've seen old men in too tight sweat pants and all sorts of people in too loose pajamas.  I even saw a guy wearing poopy pants the other day!
     (Ok, poopy pants are pants that have an extra, extra long inseam that comes almost to the person's knees.  The kind of pants you can, well, store items that maybe should be deposited in white porcelain fixtures, if you get my drift.)
     And another topic I am repeating, seriously.
     In June I will be riding in the MS Tour de Farms in DeKalb.  This is a fund raising event, the only one I am doing this year.
     Please consider supporting my team, Jackies Jokers.  Note, there is no ' in Jackies.  It is not a statement, rather an error of omission when I entered the team name.  Oops.
     If you can, support my ride to help in the battle against MS.
     You can go to Bike MS Tour de Farms and click on the donate button. Search teams for Jackies Jokers and make a donation to me, Rev. Stacy, or the team.  It only takes a few minutes.
     And if you are interested in riding 15, 35 or 50 miles or more, sign up for the team and join us in June.
     Jackie and I will be thankful for your support.

   

I see...or maybe not

My vision isn't as sharp as it used to be

    I just had my eyes examined, and my prescription hasn't changed, but the condition of my eyes has.     I don't know if that makes sense.
   So Jackie hands me an invitation to Emily's wedding.  I look at it and say, "That's nice.  But why is there a question mark after congratulations?"
    Jackie takes the paper and looks at it and starts laughing.
     The question mark was after Can we get a witness?
     Congratulations appeared nowhere on the page!
     And during Hub today, I was working with some fifth graders on fractions and the sample problem made no sense to me.  It was a division problem involving fractions and my answer and the given answer were nowhere close.
     Upon further review, it was an addition problem!  No wonder it didn't make sense!
     Truthfully, that is why I don't always recognize people at a distance.  At least that is my excuse.
     So let's see.....failing vision, can't hear worn crap, achy in my joints, forgetful..... ah, the blessings of aging.
     At least I can get a senior discount for coffee at McD's and a senior Metra ticket.  And I smell good.
     My message to you:  If you are under 60, enjoy life and your senses now because some day they may fade.
     I an hust glab it doesnn't afffet my typing!

huh.....

I forgot to post last night

     No excuse!  I just forgot!
     If I had posted, I would have mentioned how I am resealing my wife's vertical herb garden.  It is cedar, and should be periodically resealed.  So I sanded it, and opened my $14 pint of polyurethane and got to work.
     It was not a full can.
     It became a lot less full when I knocked it over.
     I used the paint brush to soak up the stuff on the tarp and put it back into the container.
     Used my gas grill out on the patio.  Put two burgers on, lit the grill and settled back with a glass of pinot noir.
     15 minutes later I realized the gas was turned off and the burgers were not cooking.  Oops.
     Spent today doing yard work.  We had an invisible fence installed last year.  I like to aerate the yard in the spring and fall, and wondered how to do that with the fence.
     The nice man who installed it said the best way is to get yellow tent stakes and pound them into the ground along the pathway, one on each side of the underground line.  Then when I want to aerate, I get a string, attach it to the pegs, and use a spray paint to mark the route, thereby avoiding aerating up the $1300 fence.
      I just want to explain why I appear to be pounding on the ground with a slightly bent hammer.  I may have overdone it though.  I think I have about 14 packages of tent stakes, six to a pack, in the ground and I am a couple short.  Go figure.
     But I am not short of propane tanks for my grill.  Most people have one, some people have a spare.  I have 4.  Yes, four tanks.  3 of them are currently filled.
     If anyone needs an empty  one.........give me a call.

ohhhhh noooooo!

My day did not start out well

     I actually slept very well.... a hot toddy and some cough syrup seemed to lull me into a semi conscious state.
     You may remember I have a daughter getting married.  I at one point I said I wanted to lose a little weight for her wedding.  I was about 196-198 when I said that.
     I got on the scale this morning and..... drum roll please.........wait for it........
     206.5
     What the hell!!
     I have ballooned!!  Yes, all the little pieces of candy and the cookies do add up, but I have tried to cut down.
     And I admit the last two weeks I have been a little inactive.....have not walked Corki as much as I should.
     206.5.
     I am embarrassed.
     I got dressed and went to have breakfast.   Took down a bowl, got a banana and slicked it up in the bottom of the bowl, poured some Rizzos, (they are a delightfully sweet honey nut roasted grain product very much like a Cheerio), went to get the milk and started to pour it in.....
     The dog food bowl!
     My cereal bowl was sitting on the counter, empty.  Corki's bowl was loaded with banana and Rizzos.
     I showed Jackie what I had done.
     "Isn't Corki's bowl clean?  Didn't you wash it?"  she asked.
     I don't care if it was disinfected by the CDC, I was not about to eat food out of a dog bowl.  I know where their mouths have been and it isn't going to be associated with my breakfast.
      So I dumped it and started over, using my cereal bowl, which was still on the counter, empty.
     The rest of the day was much better.  Got to spend time with my niece and her family up at Byron, where one of her twins was playing on a soccer team in a tournament.
     We watched a couple of games, visited, went out to lunch, and had a pleasant day in the beautiful northern Illinois weather.
     Even thought it started off on the wrong foot, today ended pretty well.
     With that, I am off to bed.

is it spring?

I feel like Rip Van Winkle

     I went to bed and it was winter, I woke up and it was summer.
     Almost.
     Actually, I slept most of the day.  Like th Cubs' bats, I took the day off.  I slept in my chair, I slept on the couch, I took short naps at least four times.
     I know it was warm, because I did go out tonight.
     And I know it will be warm tomorrow.
     My cough is still there, but not as bad....but I am tired.
     So off to bed I go, dreaming sweet dreams of summer days, bike rides, a growing garden..........

my desk is clean

I finally cleaned off the computer desk

     I had to.  There was a paper jam in the printer and I could not work on it with all the stuff on the desk.
     So I stacked it on the floor.
     In two piles and a heap.
     Someday, I will go thru it.  But not tonight.
     I had to unplug the printer.  The cord fell behind the desk.  I had to move the desk,  It was too heavy.  I finally found the end, tied a string around it, and pulled it back up to the top.
     Everything works.
     Except me.  I am tired.  I am irritable.  I am coughing.
     Time to get some sleep.

off to a good start

I saw the Cubs win Wednesday night

     Big first inning carried them over the Reds.
     But the big story was the ball park.
     There has been a lot of renovation/restoration work going on since the end of the year.  Wrought iron fencing and gates are in place, the concourse looks cleaner, the ramps seem to be larger.  And the team is better.
     All that being said, it was damn cold!
     I had to leave after the top of the eighth so I could catch the 10:40 back to Elburn.  I gave myself 50 minutes to make it from the park to the train station.
      I missed the red line train by a minute.  So I waited for the next one, due in 4 minutes.  And I waited.  And I waited.  Finally they put "delayed" up on the board.  And they made an announcement.  There was an emergency medical situation at a previous stop, so the train was waiting for help to arrive.
     I decided to hoof it to the Belmont station and catch a brown line L to downtown.  Went up the stairs at Belmont, train pulled in, I got on and it was 10:15.
     I got off at 10:30 and fast walked to the train station....a 10-15 minute walk.
     I raced up the escalator and reached the platform of the 10:40 just as the conductor was closing doors.
    They kindly waited 30 seconds for me and three other people scampering for the train.  If I had missed it, I would have sat in the station for an hour......meaning I'd get home at 2 instead of 1.
     So that's the dilemma.  Take the train and get home late, or drive and still get home late and be tired.
     I have to make a decision by the next game.
     Anyway, here's my look at the park.

Always room for an ad or two

My favorite player.....and the fancy new fencing tops off the brand spanking new ticket windows.  It all looks nice.

It did not take long to get through the mandatory metal detectors.  Cameras, phones and keys have to be out of your pockets

I believe they had pull down gates the last decade or two

Looking over the soon to be plaza and the new office building

Underneath this is the new clubhouse....notice the McDonald's is gone as is the Cubs shop

Waiting for the game to start

Dust storm?  No, just the infield

Can't beat it! Even the Cub is retro!

I pity the life of a 1 percenter

I could survive on less

     I was reading the morning Trib and there was a story about the divorce between the man who started a chain of cancer clinics and his wife.
     She is considerably younger than he is, and they have been married for a while.  She cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason.
     She is asking for a living allowance as part of the settlement.
     She wants $150,000.  A month.
     Holy crap!  I could live a much different life on $157,000 s month.   Going out on a limb here, but I bet most of you could too!.
     I can't imagine getting almost three times my annual teaching salary every month just to maintain my lifestyle!
     I guarantee, my lifestyle would change.  Significantly.  No more scrubbing toilets for me!  And no more economy class plane tickets either!
     But it must be difficult with all those servants, furs, diamonds, luxury cars and pool boys. .. they all need to be paid for.
     I think that's what the problem is in our country.  Here is a woman who just wants to get by on a measly $150,000 a month , and there are families getting by on $20,000 a year.
     If I remember, the judge even felt hat was extravagant and ordered the payment to be $47,000 a month.
     That is still over half a million a year.
     Something is out of whack.
     Think I will go to bed and sleep on that.    Or not sleep on it, as the case may be.

a bright idea

I have an ongoing experiment in my garage

     And it is nearing an end.
     I have eight lights on my garage ceiling.  All controlled by one switch.  Turn the switch on, lights go on.  Flick it off, lights go off.
     In an attempt to find answers to one of life's mysteries, I have opted not to replace the burned out bulbs.
     We have been in the house 3 years, and almost 5 months.  bulbs have started to burn out.
     Now I am down to two........
     I always wonder why some bulbs burn out before others.  Are they first in line to get power, or last?  Were they colder/hotter than the other bulbs?  Were they unloved as filaments?
     My wondering mind seeks answers.
     I have many questions like that.
     Why, when I am in a hurry, do I get caught by a train and every single red light from here to DeKalb?  When I am not in a hurry, no train and all lights are green.
     Why does my lawnmower run out of gas at the back of the yard and never near the front.  Of course, a corollary question might be why don't I check the tank before mowing.
    Why did the Levi's I tried on not fit, but he Wrangler's had plenty of room even though they were the same size and the Levi's were the relaxed fit and Wrangler's were regular?
     Why is our tv recording every Chicago Cub game..... even though no recording has been set.  Is it Harry trying to communicate with us?  Is Mr. Cub hanging around my den because of the mini shrine to him?
     Why does Corki pee in the same general area every time?  The grass is dead!  Move on!
    Why do all the good shows come back on Netflix when my subscription expires?
     Why do some of the doors in my house swing open while others swing closed?
     Why did I end some of my sentences with periods when they should have clearly been ended with a question mark?
     I wish I knew.
     And I resent the implication that I am using an experiment as an excuse for just not changing the bulbs.  It may be true, but I do  resent it.

can't wait......

I am looking forward to spring

     It's time to get my hands dirty by grubbing in the soil.  I have three raised beds at home and plan to plant tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, beans, Italian beans, sugar snap peas and carrots.  I also have one bed for strawberries...... call me optimistic!
     I started a garden two years ago after working in the church garden in DeKalb.  I was inspired.
     We met after church today and planned the crops for that garden, and I am ready to get into the garden grove.  We will be meeting every Tuesday at 6:30 to weed and are always looking for help.
     Speaking of food, I found a new cereal today.  Had to go to Jewel in DeKalb, because that is a Chicago area store.
     Can't wait to start feeling my Os......

   
     My lips are already smacking!!  Yum....RizzOs in the morning!!
     Go Cubs Go!!

buurp!!!

I over ate, again

     Tonight there was a one year celebration in Cherry Hills subdivision.  That's where Emily and John live.  That subdivision had at least 9 homes destroyed and several more damaged, some beyond repair.
     So tonight they had a neighborhood party, inviting parents and grandparents, to celebrate the rebirth of the subdivision after last year's tornado.
     We had roasted pig sandwiches, and at least 25 side dishes and another 25 desserts.
     It was super supper time for me!
     There was a video by a former student named Mike, conversation with lots of the parents and people who lived there, tours of the homes, and did I mention desserts?  Like the eclair cake?  Or the $100 cake?
     But the best part of the event?
     Looking around and seeing all the people who were there.  Yes, some couldn't make it tonight.  But I think 90 percent of the families were there.
     Alive.  Rebuilding.  Laughing.  Talking. Alive.
     And many of them brought desserts.....cookies, cupcakes, more cookies, oreo fluff.......... I do have to mention the desserts.
     It was a good night.   And a great feeling.
     Hopefully, none of us will have to experience that again.
     But I am always open to a party with good desserts.

what the hay

I am confused

     This is April 9, right?
     So why did we have snow/sleet,rain/sunshine/clouds/cold/ wind today?
     Isn't it time for Mother Nature to man up (yes, a PC incorrect reference) and actually give us some spring?
     I have spent the lat three days freezing.  I am constantly cold.  I sleep with an extra blanket on the bed.  I dress in sweatshirts.  I can't mow, or work in the garden.
     I know it is only April 9, but winter has dragged on two long, too hard, too not summer.
     Bring on the warm!
     I can't even imagine the folks at the White Sox home opener today...it had to be cold at the Cell cause it was cold here.
     And old friend, thanks for visiting tonight.  We love seeing you.  Let's not be strangers.
     Go Cubs Go!!

huh....

I forgot my blog last night

     I think this is the first time I have forgotten to write in over 2 years.
     803 posts....and last night was  the first time I have forgotten.
     Yes, there were days I did not feel like writing, so my messages were short.
     But forgot?
     Hope that is not a sign.

Whaa whaa whaa

I have to get a blood test tomorrow

     For 99 percent of the population, that is no big deal.
     But for the 1 percent like me, it is.  (Huh.  I am in the wrong 1 per cent.  I would rather be in the have so much money don't know what to buy next 1 per cent.  But I digress.)
     I don't like needles.
     I don't like shots.
     I don't like blood draws.
     Never have.  Never will.
     When I was in high school, or maybe my freshman year at college, I had a wisdom tooth that needed to come out.  My family dentist said I needed to go to an oral surgeon.
     So I went to this man, who was on the sixth or seventh floor of a building down by Lawrence and Broadway in Chicago.  The El tracks were right outside the office, but several stories down.
     I thought they were just going to look at the tooth and schedule an appointment.
     But the nurse gave me a shot.  When I saw the needle, I got woozy.  After the shot, I swear the El tracks came right up to my nose, spun around 10 times, then went back down and repeated their crazy dance.
     And I almost fell out of the chair.
     I had to lay down.
     In a little while, they put me back in the chair and he eventually pulled the tooth.  He then packed my mouth with gauze and sent me home.
     It was about 95 degrees.  And since I came from a car less family, I was used to walking so I didn't bring any money for bus fare.  I walked about a mile and a half home, in the heat, mouth packed with gauze that by the time I got home was all bloody.
    And all the way home I was thinking, what kind of doctor pulls a tooth on a 17 year old kid who doesn't have any money,  or a parent with him, or even asks how I'm getting home?  Come to think of it, I don't know if he even got paid for pulling it.  Oh well.
     But, again I digress.
     When Jackie and I went for a blood test to get married, I nearly fainted.
     When I looked at Emily's finger with the pin in it, I nearly fainted.
     When I got my first blood test to check my liver because I take a cholesterol medication, I nearly fainted.  The second time, I had to lay down, because....well, you finish the sentence.
     Now I take off my glasses, look the other way, sometimes I hum a Beatles tune, and I talk constantly.
     I ask if the needle is new.  If the person is experienced.  If there is any risk of a natural disaster during the time my blood is actually being taken.
     The nurses laugh, because they think I am joking.
     But I am not.....I don't like needles.
     Emily gives me flu shots and I am fine, as long as I don't look at her, the needle, the arm, the medicine packet.  And I close my eyes and hum.  I am better, but not great.
     I envy people, like Jackie, who sit down and get poked and are fine.
     I don't think I will ever reach that level.

time saved = time lost

I seem to have found a few hours

    One positive side effect of my trip to Cuba is not playing spider solitaire.  I seem to have found about 2 hours a day extra to read and do other things.
    But, with the Cubs on, I find I have lost those two hours!
    Dilemma:  I love the Cubs.  I love to read.  I can't read when the Cubs are on because I listen to the game.  I either have to give up reading or give up the Cubs.
    I  could explain my need to wtach.  Like the Cubs have not won in my life time;  I've seen lots of terrible baseball, so it's nice to see some good ball; finding the games is a challenge since they seem to be on three different channels; (and in keeping with the Rockford TV stations' Code of Incompetence not all of them are carried in HD.  It's obvious, because they all look short and squat.)  I just like baseball., it's been very, very good to me.
    So.....watch or not.....hard to choose.
    But right now the Angels are coming up in the second inning and I am missing the action.
    I guess my mind is made up tonight.
    Go Cubs Go!!
   

Play ball!!

I am thinking about being 10 again

     No, I have not invented a time machine.
     But when I was about 10, my parents bought a house and I had my own room.  One of my prized possessions was a white Philco radio that sat on a fold our desk.  The desk was very neat and I am sorry my mom got rid of it when she sold the house...but that is a different story.
     A white radio on the black desk.  The radio had a hump in the middle, and a golden dial with an arrow that showed what channel you were listening to.
     And I only had three channels that I listened to....WLS, sometimes WCFL, and WGN.
     Dick Biondi, Riley's Raiders, top 40 surveys and Chicago Cubs baseball.
     I was thinking of that today.  The Cubs are opening against the Angels out in California, first pitch at 9 p.m. our time.
     When I was a kid, I would hate those west coast trips because I was usually in bed well before the third inning.  But I would have that radio on, listening to the Cubs battle the Dodgers and Giants.
     I remember the voices of  Lloyd Petit, Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau, Jack Quinlan .... the golden voice of Jack Quinlan.
     And I remember the Cubs not being very successful, despite the heroics of Ernie Banks.
     I won't be listening to the game on the radio tonight....hopefully I will find the channel for TV.
     I know I won't make it to the end of the game.
     But at some point, when I close my eyes, I'll hear that white Philco radio again.
     Go Cubs Go...this is the year!!

not again

I am tired of hearing some things over and over

     Call me irritable, but some things just are getting my craw lately.
     Among them the following:

Let's make America great again.

Wait until next year.

Derek Rose missed tonight's game because of an injury.

It's 29 degrees currently in DeKalb.

I'm moving to (fill in the blank) if (fill in the blank) wins in November.

Will it bite?

Why can't you put your stuff away?

What are your dirty socks doing on the counter?

The Bears are looking for an impact  player on defense when they pick in the first round.

Omaha!  Omaha!!

No, our chip card reader does not work yet.

Please stop eating the grapes before you buy them.

I won't vote for any of those people!

Mike Madigan.

     There.  That;s it.
     How about you??

were have all the people gone....

I have a final thought...again

    Someone asked me why my pictures from Cuba  don't have a lot of people in them.
     Interesting, I thought.
     One of the things that struck me about Cuba was the number of people.  There were dozens at every bus stop in town, sometimes it seemed like a hundred people were waiting for a city bus.  Side streets were crowded with families.
      But I don't have pictures of any of that.
     I often saw people lined up for the bus when I was on our bus....and pictures through a tinted window at 30 mph don't come out very well.
     I walked the Malecon, the long sea wall walk that separates Havana from the Atlantic, and hardly saw anyone during the day.  But at night, the sea wall and walk were crowded with people and families.  Our guide called it the world's largest sofa.
     When I looked at my pictures, I have some crowded street scenes, but they are in touristy areas... so the people may be Brits, or Canadian, or Russians, or Americans.......probably not Cubans.
     I don't know if that is a government accomplishment, or  if those areas where tourists go are more expensive and out of reach of most Cubans.  Or maybe both.
     But the streets were crowded.... people do live there.... I just didn't capture them in pictures.
     So.......here are a few scenes that feature crowds, but they are not really indicative of the numbers of people we saw on corners in areas out of the tourist area.

taken through bus window....looking down a side street off a main road

passageway off a boulevard

tourist zone

just a house .....

In the tourist zone

Malecon hardly had people during the day... at night it was a gathering place.  Note the four lanes of traffic.  In Havana, cars have the right of way.  To get to this spot I crossed 8 lanes of traffic.  There are no crosswalks and few traffic signals.  Cars and trucks will not slow down for pedestrians, but they do honk!  The capitol building is in the center of the picture

reflections

I think it's a wrap

    Well, there you have it.  My Cuba trip, as best I can recall.
     I think Dan had a great time, I know I did.

A boy and his tobacco drying

     My memories of the night at the mural project, the visit to Hemingway's villa, the paladar lunches in the country, daquries in Hemingway's haunt and mojitoes in general will stay with me for a long time.
     For those who missed it.... a mojito is a drink.  Take some mint leaves, crush them in a glass.  Add some natural sugar, then pour in two ounces of rum and add some soda.  Garnish with a lime and presto, instant refreshment on a hot day.

Hollowing out a palm tree to make a seat

     In one of my early posts I mentioned the difference between CUCs and Cuban pesos.  Pesos are basically what the Cuban people use

on an everyday basis.  A CUC is a convertible peso, which is what tourists use.  So products can have different prices.  In one shop, a pint of rum was 4.5 CUCs  or 134 pesos.  By the way, 134 pesos is a huge sum for a Cuban person.
     So many things I didn't mention..... the US embassy, school kids, crossing streets, ...I could spend days  writing about it.  And maybe I will.  Who knows?
     I would go back again....and hopefully, I will get that chance.  But I am not holding my breath.
     So, in parting, some pictures of general interest.
    Thanks for reading this....I do appreciate all your comments and likes and just the fact that you bothered to read it at all.

A man and his oxen....obviously

Dashboards have changed in 60 years......where's the wheel cover??

Most cars have been made into converts.... but some original sedans still exist

Hemingway did not shoot this in Cuba

Fidel's field of flags

This is the US embassy, behind the field of flags.  At one time there was an electronic scrolling message across the upper part of the embassy.  It gave messages that the Cuban government did not like, so they erected maybe 100 flag poles in the plaza across the street.  Then they hung huge black flags, which effectively blocked out the message on the embassy.  The US discontinued the messages and the flags came down, all except one.

Across from the community center created by the crazy mural people

It's made with car parts..

Part of the mural project

The street was lined with sculptures and  murals... all done by artists of all ages at the community center.

We are all in this together

Hopefully I can remember this....Elena was a woman in the neighborhood of the community center.  She was elderly, but every night she would walk to a bench at the end of the street and sit.  Every night.  She would sit for hours.  She did this for years.  One day she was asked, why?  She replied, she was waiting for her love to come back.  So the mural people created this bench in her memory.

The mural project people impressed me!  This statue is of an older gent in the neighborhood who loved to dance.... and still does.  When they were casting it, an elderly woman approached him and said to make it life like, it needed good teeth...so the woman went home and found her mother's teeth, which she had saved for years, and those teeth were put into the statue.  Real teeth....never seen that before  in a statue.

Cathedral in Cathedral square

window in the cathedral

I don't think it was very seaworthy

School kids in Cuba wear uniforms.  These are elementary kids, because they have red and white.  Middle school is gold and white and high school is blue and white.  Kindergartners wear the sdame uniforms, but they do not have a scarf....that comes with first grade

This garden was in the yard of a gallery opposite the cathedral.  The wall was done in tiles...I counted 26 rows up, and 40 across.  The garden was a quiet spot in the middle of a city of 2 million people

part of the garden wall

I

OK, I used to know why people rub his beard.....I think it was for good luck, or that you would return one day, or that it was fun to do.  You could also pull the finger....but I don't think this bronze statue would have farted.  I have no idea what it is pointing to.

little girl was in a wedding at the fort where I took the car pictures

owner of the tobacco farm where I bought rough cigars

building in back is the barn where tobacco is hung to dry

In the lobby of the OnCuba magazine....this is a cut paper work, about 6 feet hight and four feet wide....should have had a person in for perspective

They are a fun people!