oh geez

The great garage clean up has begun

     Someone suggested I clean the garage before the Big Event.  She said it would be nice to actually walk through our garage to the house.
     So it begins.
     I won't throw Julia's stuff out.  She has Nestle memorabilia, pictures, some Disney cells and a variety of Mickey related items.
      I did put all her kitchen kitsch in a box for next fall.
     I threw out some things......dog coats of Emily's that were full of debris........ and created an electronics pile of other items, like Christmas lights, cords, wires, etc.
      I have a problem parting with things.
     I can't just throw it out, because that goes against my belief that everything needs to be reused, or recycled.
     The problem is, getting all the electronic stuff to a recycling center that takes electronic stuff.
     But I am working on it.
     The neighborhood is having a garage sale this weekend.  If I can get the garage cleaned out, I might take part.  That's kind of iffy.......
     But I do have a huge pile of garage sale stuff......
     Why am I ending sentences like this.......?
     In a perfect world, the planets would line up and I would get the electronics to a center, have a garage sale, sweep the garage and live a long and useless life.
     Every journey begins with the first step. and tonight I took one small step in getting the garage back to normal.
     A very small step.
     Peace dudes......
     And don't forget to donate to Bike MS!!  You can go to the Jackies Jokers team page and donate to either Rev. Stacy or me......we would appreciate it!

snore.....

I slept in today

     I did not mean to.  I was going to get up and mow early.
     Instead, at 9 a.m. I rolled over and looked at my watch....and was shocked!
     I have not slept that late for a long time.  And it wasn't because I was up late either.
     I eventually got everything mowed, but I still have a couple of little jobs to do that I did not fit in today.
     I did go down to Roberts' Armory.  If you have never been there, it is a pretty neat place.
     It is a WW II museum, and has tanks, half tracks, a landing craft..... all mixed in with posters, pictures and a whole lot of other neat stuff.
     The museum is the result of 25 years of collecting memorabilia related to WW II.
     They open the museum a couple of times a year...... next time will be Veterans" Day.
     Here's a sample of some of the items.

this tank is operational

this also runs

staff car....I believe for the air corps

Inside of the landing craft

who is this guy?

I think I have become a grump

     Some idiot is setting off fire crackers and bottle rockets.  They are not even very good at it.
     Things like that drive me nutsy in my doddering old age.
     I hate the people who drive their ATVs down the street and through the fields.  I often find myself hoping they will get a flat tire or break a leg.  Really!  Same goes for idiots on their mini dirt bikes who race across land that is not theirs.
     And the loud motorcycles.... for gosh sake, get your mufflers fixed!
     I won't even start on the bommbidy boom from teenagers in cars trying to blow out their ear drums at an early age.
     I am getting tired of a society where everyone thinks it's ok to be loud and obnoxious.  Ok, maybe not everyone, but a large portion of people.
     It's days like this I wish I could buy and island in the middle of an ocean and only invite my close personal friends and relatives to live there with me.
     But they better be quiet and follow the rules.
     Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it.  Words to live by.

What happened?

Today was a pretty normal day

     I did not lose anything.  I remembered how to drive the car.  Worked on my tour project.  Volunteered at the museum for 5 hours.  Went out to eat.
     All pretty uneventful activities.
     That does not bode well for tomorrow.
     But...I did have a massive leg cramp.  My hammy knotted up and it was a good ten minutes before I stretched it out, under the advice of MK,
     It's bad when you get a cramp and you can't stand up.  And it just would not go away.  Hurt like heck.
     Anyway, it's ok now....and I hope it doesn't re cramp once I hit the bed.
     Which will be soon.
     Good night, sleep tight and pleasant dreams.

uh oh

I had some mental lapses today

     I am blaming this on the weather, not the aging process.
     When I got to the zoo today, I couldn't decide whether to take my sunglasses or my umbrella.  It looked like rain, but it looked like it might get sunny.
     After a few minutes of debate, I decided to take both.
     Then I got out of the car with neither.  Go figure.
     When I left the zoo, I had a  real scare.
     I got in my car, put the key in the ignition, opened the windows to get some cook air into my hot car and put the car in drive.
     Nothing.
     I put it back in park and put it in drive again.
    Nothing.
     So I tried reverse.
     The car would not move.
     It was at this point that I realized I never actually started the car, I just put the key in the ignition and turned it enough to roll down the windows.
     Once I got rolling, the day was fine.
     I even managed to pick up some frozen pizzas from Chicago's best pizza chain.  As I was leaving he store on Randall Road, I decided to go to a beverage shop, where I ended up buying 5 bottles of wine.
     Jackie does not know that part yet, but she will when she reads this.
     C'mon hon!  I deserve a break after all the work I have done this week!!
     I also found that bottles of Brunello wine are about $70 each... minimum.  Maybe it's time to go back to Tuscany and replenish my supply.........the five bottles I brought back are gone.
     But four of them were very, very good....and nowhere near the $70 price.

getting er done

My list of things to do is shrinking

     A big thank you to John for coming over and helping me do two projects tonight.  I made a thing for Jackie....can't explain, and I forgot to take a picture.  Maybe this weekend.
     We have a septic system.  That means there is a clean out tube somewhere between the tank and the house.
     Normally the landscaper cuts the tube down.
     For the past three years we have had a three foot white pipe sticking out of the yard.
     Every time I see the guy who installed the septic system he says, "You know, you can cut that pipe down and put the cap back on it."
     I had to mow around it, trim around it, walk around it...... but no more!  John brought his battery powered saws everything tool and we cut the sucker off.  Twice.  Now the lid rests about grass level.     Low enough to mow over, high enough to be found.
     I still have some planting to do.... and buying of plants to do.....and  I need to finish spreading the mulch, but my project list is diminishing.
     Funny, it took a wedding for me to get going!
     There is a drawback...my right arm is killing me.  I had to clean the bathrooms left handed today.     Hopefully going easy on it for a few days will let the pain go away.
     And now good night, sleep tight....don't let the bedbugs bite.

it's not me

No, I am not taking over the Hub Theater project

     Just want to quell any rumors I may have started about taking over the theater.
     No, I have not asked Warren Buffet to be my partner and provide the money for the project.
     Yes, I have dreamed of owning a theater ever since watching a British comedy, which may have been The Great Bijou, when I was about 12.  It was a funny movie, but I can't remember why.  I don't even positively remember the title.  I do remember the building shaking like a leaf whenever a train went past.  I once did a search on the title and nothing came up.  Maybe I imagined it.
     Yes, I would like to see the theater renovated and reopened.
     No, I would not stage burlesque shows.....but I would not rule vaudeville out.
     Hope that clarifies the situation.
     And I ran a check spelling thing on this.  Project comes up as misspelled.  Options include Opec, EC and a bunch of other letters.
     Methinks spell check is goofy.

lost and still unfound ....part 2

I think I repeat myself


     But I don't remember if I do, or not,.
     Yesterday I told about losing things.....but that was not the worst memory/cognitive dysfunction I had Monday.
     Monday is mowing day.
     I got out the mower, went around side of the front yard, all the way down the east side of the house to the back, came back north, started back south.
     Now, I have been mowing for at least 10 minutes.  I look over at the grass and it really looks long.
I figured I must have changed the level of the blades.  So I check and the blades are at the right level.
     I just didn't engage them.
     I was basically riding around the yard on the mower.
     And since it was getting warm, I reprogrammed our thermostat.
     I put on the air and set the nighttime temperature to 68.
    We were cold.
     I said I would change it in the morning.
     I just got yelled at because it is 11 p.m. and she is freezing.
     Funny, 68 in the winter is nice and comfortable, but 68 in the summer is too cold.
     As soon as I finish this, I will reset the thermostat.
     Hopefully I will remember.

the lost and unfound

I think I am going crazy

     We got a letter from NIU.  We make a monthly donation to WNIJ and to the school of education.  We have been doing this for years.
     We got a letter in the mail asking if we wanted to continue the donation.  The form was confusing, so I called. I left a message and a few hours later, a lady called back.
     By then the letter had disappeared.  I have looked everywhere.  Can't find it.
     And I don't remember the exact wording.....
     The lady was confused also.  I called about something I didn't have to ask her to explain it. Is this what getting old involves??  Holy crap.
     I went to grab a mug to carry water in while mowing.
     About two months ago, I found a Thermos mug, but could not find the lid.  Today I found the lid, but can not find the mug.
     Given my hesitancy to ever throw anything out, I can't for the life of me figure where I put the mug.
     Damn.  I have to stop writing now.  Seems I forgot to attach my head and now I've lost that!

the weekend is over???

My days are like a blur lately

    I didn't even get to talk to Julia because I got back home too late.
     Church ran long, after the service we planted the garden.
     I bought two more plum pudding coral bells.  I can not say, or spell, the scientific name.  It sounds like mariachis but without the m.  Anyway, two of the ones I bought last year evidently are not plum puddings.  They stand out like sore thumbs and my recently active OCD causes me to sweat and twitch every time I walk past them.
    (I have a shower routine.  After I wash, I go back and wash my face and arm pits.  This morning I didn't do that......and it really bothered me.  So I took out the soap again and did it, making me feel fine.  And refreshed.  Plus, I smell nice.)
     I stopped at a big box store to buy two green pepper plants and a single tomato plant.  The line was huge at the checkout!  I imagine people are feeling safe to plant, now that it is 80 outside. But they didn't have any bell peppers, so I went to Big R in town and got some.
     Of course, they are still in my car.  It was hot!
     How hot was it??
    Well, Corki didn't want to walk the whole route.  We went down to the stop sign by Flagg Road, but when we got back to our house, she just went up the driveway.
     It was too hot to plant the garden.  It was too hot to ride my bike.  So I read the paper.
     I did get in a bike ride at 7 p.m.......it was beautiful.
     I even got dessert, as there were a lot of bugs out and I may have swallowed a couple.
     There was an old man who swallowed a spider......he swallowed the spider to catch the fly, but I don't know why, he swallowed the fly......... ever hear that song?
     Anyway, going to go out an see if I can see Mars.  And Saturn.
     But not Uranus.

hooked on 50s

I recently subscribed to satellite radio

     I got an offer in the mail for $20 for 4 months....so I subscribed.
     We have Sirius in the van, and I had it free for a year when I bought my Honda, but I didn't want to pay the high price they charge so I dropped it.
     Now, I love it, again.
     I am hooked on the 50s channel though.  Whenever a Buddy Holly, or Jerry Lee Lewis or Chuck Berry comes on, I crank the volume up.  Maybe that explains my hearing loss!
     I also like the 60s station, and Underground Garage, and Margaritaville, but right now I am time warping to the 50s.
     And it is funny how some songs bring back instant memories.  My Uncle Ernie had an old Wurlitzer in the basement of his house on the west side in Chicago.  There was a collection of 45s that we could play when we went to visit.   A song came on the radio and my mind was filled with an image of Uncle Ernie's basement.  He and his wife were good laughers.
     He also had a slot machine in the basement.  It took nickels and I think I may have paid for a trip or two of his to Ireland.  I was not lucky, but I was persistent.
     This was a time period when Little Richard was causing white middle age parents to have strokes because their teen age kids liked his music.  He was not white, which caused some concern in middle America.  So did Fats Domino.
     It's also funny to hear Perry Como try to sing rock.  Or Dean Martin.  Yet they were there, along with a whole bunch of Bobby guys.
     Johnny Cash was there, so was Frankie Avalon and teen heart throb Ricky Nelson, whose father really did know best.  Didn't he?  Ozzie and Harriet.  Great people.
     But a couple of songs I have not heard were comedy songs.  One involved a space alien (I had to qualify this with the use of the word space so you didn't think I was talking Mexicans, Muslims, Russians, or anyone else from earth) invasion of Earth.  It was done as a news cast, and they used cuts from different songs.  Maybe that is where I got my weird sense of humor.
     Anyway, it's a good thing, memories.   And so is Sirius XM.
   

yummmmm

I went to Ikea today

     Remember my picture of the closet racks that were salvaged from Emily and John's tornado debris?
     Well, instead of using them as a giant tie rack, garden support, comb for a giant, hamster exercise thing or whatever else was suggested, I simply returned them to the store.
     No, I didn't get any money..... no receipt, plus the boxes looked like hell.  I just took them in said, I'd like to return these and left them.
     But I can't leave Ikea without looking around, so I checked out the outdoor planters, saw a display of Swedish meatballs, bought those and some lingenberries and  some cinnamon rolls.
     I think I may be the only person who goes there and only buys food.
     Actually, I did buy two seat cushions for Emily's porch furniture.....that she may not get  back.
     When I was checking out, the man in the lane next to me started screaming at the woman running the cash register.
     He was yelling, "I'm not going to pay a dollar for that.  I want my dollar back."
     She told him he had to go to customer service, and he yelled even louder.
     His last yell was. "You tell your manager I am never, ever coming in this store again!"
     It seems he was charged $1 for a shopping bag.  He didn't want to buy the bag, which I think his wife used to put in their stuff.  She, incidentally, just walked slowly away as he was screaming.
     He then took another bag, and left, but he threw that bag on the counter of the next check out lane.
     The young girl ringing me up was a little speechless.  As she ran my items through the scanner I said, "Please make sure there are no dollar charges on my bill."  She laughed.
     But I asked her why my bill was so high, and she showed me all my purchases.  Seems I forgot about the meatballs.  I told her the smell of the cinnamon rolls was ruining my focus.
     At least the racks are gone and will be used, somewhere.
     Ikea is surprising easy to get to from the zoo.......so I didn't go out of my way,  much.

no emperor, thankfully

I bought "an outfit" for the wedding

     First off, I am a guy and guys don't by outfits.  We buy clothes.
     Some of them are even not made out of denim and may go all the way to our ankles.
     Clothing for the wedding has been a topic of much discussion.
     I was originally going to wear a tuxedo t shirt and shorts, and while Emily and John were ok with that, someone else wasn't.
     So I shopped.
     And bought "an outfit."
     Now to me, outfit is the guys who run the illegal drugs and prostitution rings.  And they talk funny.
     Or it could be a polite way of saying I am too fat, as in, hey, my pants outfit me now....I better lose weight.
     I bought pants and a shirt.  No, it is not a bowling shirt, but you could go bowling with it on.  It's a nice dark blue shirt.  and it goes well with the natural linen type pants I  bought.
     I had thought about  wearing my favorite blue shirt, but we have discussed this several times also.  I don't think it should be ironed, she does not think it should be wrinkled.
     But summer is coming and we have to make a decision on that so I can be properly dressed for the reception.
     I think I read somewhere pants were optional.
     I'll probably get some flack on that.

that was good!!

I met a celebrity today

    If you are a Cubs fan, and you have to watch the Rockford channels, you have probably seen the ads for Mr. C's Restaurant.
     You know, the place just down the street from Farm and Fleet.
     The place where the owner sells a hamburger as big as his head.
     Well, Jackie, Dan, Linda and I went there to eat today.  While Johnny was not  there, one of the people telephoned  him and he came over just to see us!  Well, and to pay the guy who repaired his garage door.
     In his ad he says he has the best chicken in Rockford.  He could be right, it is very, very good.  And the price is reasonable.....$5.99 for a two piece dinner that includes a pound (yes, a pound) of mashed potatoes and gravy, garlic toast,  and slaw.
      Why did we go there?
     Because he is an enthusiastic Cubs fan.
     In his commercials he spends most of the time chanting "Go Cubs. Go"  and "This is the year."
     He is quite the animated guy on tv.  He seems the same in person.
     He showed us his newest commercial, which will air during a Gidget weekend on Antenna TV, Channel 358 on your Comcast cable line up.
     Would I go back?
     In a heartbeat.
     It wasn't just the food, but I liked the feel of the place.
     It was not modern, but it was clean.  The wait staff was by every couple of minutes, refilling coffee or soft drink orders.  Jackie ordered a sweet tea, but it was too sweet, so she ordered a regular iced tea.  I drank the sweet tea....and the waitress didn't charge us for the extra drink!
     The clientele was a snapshot of America.  Old folks, a motorcycle guy and his girl, some youngish men in ties, single people by themselves, couples.  Every race was represented, and everyone was treated like an old friend.
     It was a nice lunch:  Visiting with Dan and Linda, eating good chicken, and knowing this IS the year!

Mr.  C  and me

ewwwwww!!

I wasn't very nice to Corki

     We were out in the back yard and I saw her chewing something.  So I went over and took a bone out of her mouth.
     That was suspicious because I had a bit of steak for lunch.  I threw the bone in the trash.
     So, either Corki took it out of the trash and carried it outside, or I missed the bag.
     Or so I thought.
     I told Jackie that Corki had the bone, showed it to her, and tossed it out.
     I went back outside, and there is old Corki, chewing away.
     I went over and took another piece of bone out of her mouth.  I tossed that away.
     When I got back, holy crap, she was chewing on another piece of bone!
     I pried it out of her mouth and it was a section of vertebrae!!  About two inches long and somewhere between a quarter and half inch in diameter.  Where she found that, and what it was from, baffled me.
     So I tossed that out, came back and guess what?
     She has another chunk of bone in her mouth!  This was a smallish, round bone and she had it way back in her mouth.  I tried to get it out, but she would not give it up.  I didn't want to push it for fear it would go down her throat.
     So there we are, sitting on the ground, me holding her mouth open waiting for her to drop the bone, she waiting for me to take my fingers out of her mouth.
     I won.
     I have no idea where the bones came from.  I have no idea what kind of animal it was.
     I kept an eye on her, but she did not seem to find any other bones.  I also searched the grass where she was sitting, but couldn't find a thing.
     We have let her out back every morning, and I don't know if she had found bones before.  It never seemed like she was chewing anything....so I am confused.
     Animal skeletons don't just drop out of the sky, do they?
     I  think it's a mystery I will never solve.

blah blah blah

I became the boring old guy today

     I was asked to talk to fifth graders about the Civil War.  With the end of the school year coming fast, I was asked to do something out of the book so kids would be interested.
     I failed.
     I could have talked about boredom in camp and how men handled it.
     I could have talked about camp life.
     I could have talked about the Freeport soldier who said war was 90 per cent boredom and 10 percent shear terror.
     But I just droned on and on about Gettysburg.
     I gave them information, but they didn't get a sense of the magnitude of the battle, the cost in lives the Civil War exacted.
     If I had it to do over again, I would definitely do it differently.
     Boy, if I had a dime for every time I have said that, I'd be a multi millionaire.

Did you know

I was a museum sitter today

     I volunteered to be at the Flagg Township Museum from 11-4 today.  Staff and other volunteers had other projects, so I offered to be the resident host.
     A gent who used to live in Rochelle was there at 11.  Actually, he was supposed to meet another volunteer to exchange some information, so he really wasn't there to see the museum.
     This man grew up in Rochelle and had a lot of interesting stories.
     One was about a well known resident who was a peeping tom.  This was back in the 1950s.  When a woman called police to report him, the officer came to the house, inspected the crime scene, then pulled down her window shade.
     "Now he won't be peeping any more." he told her as he left.
     Anyway, a young man from DeKalb wandered in and spent about 40 minutes talking and looking around.  He was impressed by the Partin Palmer car and the collection of wood planes in the basement.
     He admitted to being something of a museum nut, and has visited many of the smaller museums in the area.
     The five hours actually went fairly fast.
     I am sitting again on May 28....so feel free to stop in and tour your local museum and meet a very friendly (and lonely) museum volunteer.  It's only $3 for adults........mention you know me, and you can get in two adults for only $6.

Opposites attract

I am 2-0 at Cubs games this year

     That is the total opposite of last year.  And I like it!
     Saw a great game today....pitching, hitting, friendship and the whole Wrigley experience.
     Last year the first 3 or 4 games we went to were losses.....that's not going to happen this year!
     And now some pictures.

Ok, you are right...this is not from the game.  This is in the post office at Southport and Irving.  It is a WPA mural and I remember going into the post office as a kid and being fascinated by it.  Here I am, 60 years later, still fascinated.

The other half

No better view in the world...well, maybe Switzerland.  Or France.  Or Dewey Lake.

This guy has the best view in the house....but work can get in the way!

Watching Gould singing the seventh.....

Bundled up

Hey, that's me

chasing a ghost

I don't think I ever knew my dad

     I may have mentioned this before.  He was older when he married my mother, and 48 when I was born.  We never talked and as a kid, I was never interested in his life story.
     For some reason, now I am.
     I know he came from Europe when he was a baby, coming in through Boston, not Ellis Island.
     I know he served in the Army during WW I, being in boot camp when the war ended.
     In the mid 1920s he went west, and I think he drove with a group of people.  But I am not sure.
     I like to think my kids know me, the things I have done in life and the places I have gone.
     But when I was young, that didn't interest me.  I didn't care about his life as a teen or young man.
     Now, I wish I had the chance to ask.
     I did ask y mom, but she didn't know much about his life before they met.
     Anyway, I am not the type to go on ancestry . com to find out, because I procrastinate too much.  I would sign up for a membership, then three months later realize I hadn't done anything with it except pay the fee.
       Oh well, I guess what I don't know won't hurt me.
       But as a friend said tonight, "You may have a whole different family."
       I may....just hope they are rich and generous.

dog days

We have had our dog 8 months now

     She almost has us trained.
     When she jumps up and down, we feed her.  Or we let her out.
     We have created a spot on the couch so she can watch tv with us.
     She has run of the house, except for the bedroom.  Well, someone does get a little weak when    Corki appears under the weather, sad, depressed, lonely, or abandoned.  So we leave the bedroom door open so Corki can sleep on the comfy bed.
     We succumb to her mourning routine of jumping up on the bed, getting belly rubs and head scratches.
     In the afternoon she just stares at me until I get her leash for our walk.  If we don't walk, she actually pouts and sometimes ignores me.
     She actually made us take her for a ride one day.  Then she sits on Jackie's lap.
     Yes, I did take her for a ride with me one day.  MK said I reminded her of all the other old men driving around in cars with a dog on their lap.
     She goes outside and barks until I go out to quiet her down, then she rolls over so I give her a belly rub, which is what she wanted in the first place.
      I'm glad we got the little girl.  She makes us happy.

startling news

I may be a millionaire!


     I may have to go to court to prove it.
     My mom always said I was the kid of Prince.  So the recently passed rock and roller must have been my father.
     Since he died without a will, I should get a share of his estate.
     Or maybe I was a prince of a kid.....I don't remember now.
     But I do remember it was a nice birthday.  Got to talk to Julia, Emily and John came over for dinner, we had wine, steaks, creme brulee, freshly baked cookies courtesy my thoughtful neighbor  and a little more wine.
     I won't even think about the Cubs....that would be a downer.
     So now to sleep, perchance to dream......

the number is.....

I am not really sure how old I am

     Yes, I know it is my birthday tomorrow....but we celebrate birthdays weirdly.
     A child's first birthday comes at the end of their first year of life.  Now, I would think your first birthday is the day you were born, and all others are anniversaries of that birth.
     But we don't say happy anniversary, we say happy birthday.  Well, the French say bon anniversarie, or something like that....which may signify the fact that we are celebrating the anniversary, not the birth.
     So....I will be 68, but starting my 69th year of life.
     I'm not sure how I will be celebrating it yet......this cold/bronchitis/whatever just keeps hanging on and I don't always feel up to going out.
     Anyway, I go to bed tonight a young man, and awake tomorrow an old geezer.
     Or so I think.  I have actually been an old geezer since 1970.

not my best day

Today was a downer

     I was packing up the supplies for mini courses when I could not find the mini pry bars that I bought last year.
     These are very helpful in prying apart the birdhouses when kids put the roof on backwards.  I bought two last year.....but I could not find them today.
     I looked in the garage.  Realizing it is a huge mess did not improve my mental state.  I took out all the crap from my science cabinet and could not find the pry bars.  So I went downstairs and looked there....nothing.
     The good news is I found a chuck key for my drill.  I had no idea where that was until I found it today.  I also bought the chuck key last year because.....well, you know.  I found a second chuck key I bought two years ago because ...... add your own refrain.
     I know I need to put stuff away.  Actually, the chuck keys were away...I just did not see them.
     I also found the aluminum drip trays for the gas grill.  I bought those last year, but did not put them away.  Instead, I decided to put them in a green bag and put the bag in the bottom of a storage container.  Go figure.
      I bought some downspout decorations two years ago and have not put them on the downspouts.  Hell, I can't even find the downspouts because I took them off and substituted black plastic tubing.
     I bought Jackie a birthday present last year that is still not put together.  It's a project.  But I don't seem to ever get to it.
     Let's just say I was a bit frustrated.  Again.
     I just don't get my mind.
     My life is filled with unfinished projects.  A book, the basement, postcards, pictures, photo books of previous vacations...the list goes on and on.
    Like I said, I just don't understand how my brain works....or why it doesn't work better.

sad

Sometimes I just miss my mom

     She died in 2001, but sometimes it feels like last week.
     Just missing her today and thinking of all the times I wasn't there to take her out for dinner or bring her flowers.
     I do know we visited her a lot over the years, but it doesn't seem that way today.
     She could not keep a checkbook.  Every few months she would ask one of us to balance her checkbook.
     When she wrote checks, she rounded them off.  A $24.99 check would be listed as $20, and a $36 check would be listed as $40.  She would balance based on the estimates....and then snare one of the kids or grand kids to sit down and do an actual balance.
     We found it was just easier to close the account and move to a new bank.  I think we did that four or five times.
     Funny thing was, her rounded off balance was always pretty darn close to the actual balance.
     She took a lot of pictures....sometimes of groups of people from the nose down.  It wasn't intentional, she just wasn't good with an Instamatic.
     She saved every picture.  After she died, we were looking through the pictures and we found one of a man standing in front of her house in Leisure Village.
     On the back she had written, "Who the hell is this?"
     She always made me smile.
     And I miss that.  And her.
     To all the moms out there, bless you.

ironic, isn't it

I am building birdhouses this week

     Years ago we started doing mini courses a Tilton.  Fourth, fifth and sixth graders were given a list of classes they could take, with the hopes that the break would revitalize the learning curves.
     Things change, and now only fourth and fifth do it and it is later in the year, after testing.
     I have done birdhouses for the past 20 years or so.
     I have a house I use for a pattern.  Tomorrow I will use my power miter saw to cut the wood and put it in stacks, marking each stack so the kids don't get them confused.
     Monday the kids will sand and pre drill nail holes.  Tuesday they will sand and pre drill nail holes.       It takes a long time for kids to do the drilling.
     Wednesday and Thursday we will paint and build.
     Friday we will put the bottoms on, add the perch and hooks and send them home.
     This year I have 6 drill bits.....seems youngin's like to bend the drill when they are drilling, which breaks the bits.  I better pack a vice grips to pull out the broken bits.
     It really is a lot of fun.  Kids can do calligraphy, photography, sports, cooking..... a whole bunch of fun projects....and 8 of them chose bird houses.
     But I find it a little ironic that I, the guy who can't figure out how to nail two boards together, does a project involving a power saw,  drill, nails, hammer......and not lose any finger or eyes.
     I guess there really are miracles in our world!

slap me, please

I think I am living in a dream

     I have been a Cub fan for as long as I can remember.  I am having a hard time believing this team.
     They hit in clutch situations.
     They pitch.
     They catch.
     They run.
     They win.
     They laugh.
     They have fun.
     Please, pinch me, slap me, wake me up now.....because I am tired of the heart ache that June frequently brings to the Cubs.
     I do believe this is the year......but I said that last year.  And maybe the year before then.  And a couple of times in the early part of the 2000s.  And in the 90s.  And 80s.  And in '69, when I really thought this was the year.
     Leicester won in English soccer.  They have competed for 132 years and this month won their first ever league championship.
     If they can do it, the Cubs can do it.
     As Mr. C says, "Go Cubs.  Go.  Go Cubs. Go Cubs. Go."

it was a good day

I had a really good day today

     Brother in law Bob and his wife Anita are in from California and they came out to visit.
     We haven't seen them in a while, so it was good to actually talk to them in person.
     They also brought Jackie's sister Judy, and when we got ahold of Julia on Skype, it became a great day.
     Emily and John came over and some burgers were sacrificed on the grill..... the Cubs beat the Nationals....the sun was shining.....all in all it was a very good day.
     Even had some wine, and now I find myself feeling very tired.
     So, that's it!

outta my zone

I talk a walk outside my comfort zone today

     I go to church in DeKalb.  Four or five years ago, we started an outreach program that had us giving candy and water to students passing by the church the week before spring finals.
     The candy has a little Bible verse on it, and the water has a Prayers 2 Pass label and a Bible verse.
     Now folks, I am not outwardly religious.  I am not comfortable telling people about my religion, or my beliefs, or my convictions for minor moral offenses.
     I believe, I pray, but I don't go around telling people.  It's just me.
     So Prayers 2 Pass is a step out of my comfort zone because as strangers approach, we greet them, offer them candy and water, tell them about our prayer "wall" and the secret prayer box and then wish them good luck with finals.
     I don't do this by myself, there was a group of us in front of Grace Place at Lucinda and Normal just across from the student center at NIU.
     For the first hour of the 10-1 time period we had a table at the church, but the traffic pattern was pretty light, so we moved.
     And yes, I always make the joke about I can't do this by myself because an old guy offering young girls candy could be taken the wrong way.
     I enjoy the day while at the same time fearing it.
     Sometimes I probably come across as goofy, as when a young man said he wanted prayers for his mental health.  As he was leaving I said, "You have to remember Annie.....The sun will come up tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a brighter day."   He looked at me like I was a goofy old man.
     A business major hurrying to class asked for prayers because his laptop was stolen.  I can't imagine a semester's worth of notes, papers, assignments all gone.
    A very nicely dressed student told us she was a design and fashion major, which would explain why she looked so nice.
     And the number of young people on their phones as they walked, talking, playing games, messaging, ignoring us, was pretty significant.  And I understand that, kids don't want a speech on church and religion when they are walking to class.  And we don't do that, we just offer water, candy, and an opportunity for a prayer if they want one.
     As I drove home, all those faces passed before me.
     They may be seniors, or juniors, or grad students, but they are all young, and may be afraid, unsure of themselves and the future, worried about grades, graduation, jobs, or the health of a family member.
     They may be hungry.  Grace Place has a food pantry for students, and it has about 70 clients each time it opens.  We don't think about hungry students at a university.  It just doesn't click with me, but they are there.
     And the whole experience makes me wish I could do more to ease the mental burdens of these kids, the kids that someday will be running our country.
     We need to take better care of them now, when they need it.

cheap?? not me!

I don't think I am too cheap

    Sure, I don't spend over $20 on a bottle of wine....well, actually I have, but that is another story.
     I buy name brands.  Yes, I look for bargains, but who doesn't?
     And I enjoy the senior discount.
    But I don't think I am cheap.
    Let's say I am economical.
     I don't like buying things I don't need.  I don't like tossing things that still work.
     Which explains why I am still wearing a shirt that I had six years ago.  And it is one of my favorite shirts.
     Facebook posted a memory photo from when Emily and I went to see Craig Ferguson at the Chicago Theater.  We went out to eat at the Elephant and something, a British themed restaurant downtown.
     Elephant and the Tower?  Does that sound right?  Doesn't matter.
     I went out to work on the gigantic mulch pile today.  I swear, there is more there today then there was yesterday!  It's growing, like a giant blob.  I can't spread it fast enough.
     Anyway, I put on a work shirt.
     Well, here it is.

     Yes, there is a giant paint splat on it because it is now a yard/work shirt.  But other than the splat, it looks pretty darn good.  (And Beth, it  fits!!)

      I bought this shirt at a Native American cultural center in Haines, Alaska.  I wanted to buy a totem pole, but they were pretty expensive.  So I bought the shirt, thinking I would wear it to school during our lessons on Native Americans of the Northwest and Alaska.  Great example of carvings on a totem pole.

     Jackie and I went to Alaska in............. 1994.

     Go ahead, do the math.

     22 years ago.

     My shirt is 22 years old.

     I challenge anyone to show me a picture of themselves wearing an older piece of clothing that is not a wedding dress. Wearing it....not saving it.

     Cheap......Ha!  You don't know cheap!

4 is bigger than 3

I worked my butt off today

     I mowed.  I weeded.  I moved mulch.  I swept part of the garage.  I walked the dog.  I moved mulch.
     I may have goofed.
     I ordered mulch last week and it was delivered today.
     I was going to order 3 cubic yards, but I was worried that might not be enough.
     So I upped the order to 4.
     Boy, was I wrong!
     3 would have been plenty.  I have mulched the front of the house and barely dented the pile.
     And I only have three other areas to mulch, the front was the biggest part.
     Don't know what I was thinking.
    I  have never mulched here, so I was not sure how much to get.  If I get too little, I have to get more and that involves paying a delivery charge.....so I opted for an  extra yard.   That is three feet, by three feet, by three feet....one cubic yard.
     Hopefully I can get it all done in the next couple of days.....
     After work, I took a shower with a young lady!
    But the little bitch wasn't thrilled.
    Jackie said Corki smelled, so we gave her a shower.  She does not like getting wet.
    But she smells nice now.
    Just hope it lasts for a while.
   My muscles ache, my back hurts, so I need to head to bed.  Gotta get up early and work before Rotary.

something tells me it's all happenin' at the zoo......

I went to a zoo dinner today

     This is an annual event and honors all the volunteers.  Last year, Emily and John were invited and met the CEO of the zoo and sat at the honored table.  The people knew about the tornado, and following the dinner a collection was taken up for Emily and John.
     Total strangers gave them money or gift cards to help rebuild their lives.  It was amazing.
     Today they honored volunteers for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service.  l can't imagine doing anything for 45 years.
     Each volunteer that had a chance to speak said the same thing.  Volunteering at the zoo makes them happy.
     That's why I do it.
     This dinner is difficult for me.  You may find this hard to believe, but in a new group of people I am kind of quiet.  It took me about half an hour to talk to the people at our table.
     Anyway, a fun time was had by all.

     We did get a chance to meet some zoo ambassadors up close and personal.

A wallaby was there

Jackie and a llama

     When I was little, I used to visit my Aunt Bea's house, just a few blocks from the zoo.  I have fond memories of going there on summer days and riding the train around the park, feeding the animals (yes, years ago you could feed the animals!  Turns out not to be good for the animals!!), and wanting to see more and stay longer.

     One of the vivid memories I have are of the signs.

     The zoo has preserved some of them, and looking at them brings back so many memories of my childhood and those long gone aunts, uncles and cousins.

     The signs were created in the 1930s as part of Roosevelt's WPA in combating the Depression.     Some of the signs have been saved and are on display.  Signs are about 3-4  feet high and the colors are very vivid. Signs were designed, then hand carved, painted, coated with a preservative and placed around the zoo.
     I don't know if any of you older folks remember these....... I still think they are pretty darn cool!