blocked

I can't think of anything to say

So, tell me the neatest place you have ever visited.
And I mean neatest as in "Wow!  This is amazing."  Not clean, but ... neat!

That's it.

saved by the bell

I have always been curious about our dog

   We adopted Corki through a group out of Fulton, Il.  I don't remember the name and am too lazy to look it up.
   Anyway, they told us Corki was about 5 when we got her, or 4 and a half. But there was not much other information except shot records from a clinic in Selma, Alabama.
   September marks 2 years Corki has been with us.  She is potty trained, knows how to tell us she needs to go out, doesn't bark a lot inside the house, and is a great dog.  OK, she is not very good with other dogs, but she got along fine with Todd's dogs after a couple of walks.
   I was always curious about her background.
   Was she kidnapped and brought north so someone (us) would pay an adoption fee to the kidnappers?
   Were her owners elderly and forced into a nursing home?
   Was she a run away?
   Did her owners die?
   Did they just get tired of her and let her loose?
   You get the drift.  If only she could talk.
   A couple of days ago I finally decided to do some digging.  I e-mailed the clinic in Selma that tended to her for the adoption agency.
   They said Corki was rescued from a "total kill shelter" in Selma, brought to them, treated and turned over to another rescue group.
   It just blows my mind that this sweet little girl could have ended up dead, for no reason other than no one wanted her.
   Well, Jackie and I wanted her.
   And as much tail wagging as Corki does, I think she is glad we got her.
   Moral of the story:  Adopt when possible.
   A final word from Corki:  Woof, woof, grrroof, snort.
   I wish dogs could talk.

Yeah, that was me

Sometimes I do brilliantly stupid things

   We have a lilac tree at the top of our driveway.  It was planted 3 years ago, so it is not a new tree.
   It produces a wonderful scent during lilac time and is a nice visual.
   There are flowers around it, and this area seems to get a lot of thistle.  So I go out and dig out the weeds on a regular basis.
   Before the dizzy incident, I had gone out and noticed the tree was still staked.   Steel pipes driven into the ground, wires around hose to hold it up.  And it worked, because the tree was straight.
   Three years is a long time to stake a tree.  So I cut the wiring to the stakes.
   I did not think too much about it until about a week later when I noticed the tree was on a 45 degree angle.
   I could not reattach the wires, because I cut them.
   I should have gone to the store, buy wire, and then attempt to straighten the tree.   But instead, I tried using the old wire, piecing it together.
   That did not go very well, as time will tell.
   So I stopped.  That was Tuesday.  Wednesday I went to the ball game.  Thursday I cleaned house. Friday I got dizzy.
    I went out and saw the tree on a 45 degree angle again.
   So I attempted to re-straighten the tree.  I don't know how it looks now, because it is dark and windy.  But I think this will be an ongoing process.
   How hard is it to stake a tree?
   Harder than I thought.  I should have remembered what my pops used to say:  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I'm getting old

I just realized the many indicators that I am  old

     I enjoy watching fireflies more than fireworks.
     I don't like watching baseball when the Cubs are losing.
     I am wearing a sweatshirt in June.
     I have many friends in their 70s.
     I still like getting mail in the mailbox out front, not so much on the computer.
     I think people drive too fast.
     Sgt. Peppers is 50 years old.
     I forget to look at text messages.  A lot.
     I think of Friends as still on tv when in fact it went off the air 13 years ago.
     Abe Vigoda finally died and I still think Fish is a funny character.
     I want to travel by train to far away places.
     I complain about my health more than ever.
     Sometimes I can't control my farts.  Sometimes I can but choose not to.
     I never pass up a mens' room.  Never.
     I don't remember when US troops were not engaged in combat somewhere.
     I am intolerant of stupid people.
     I favor the death penalty for littering, among other crimes.
     I don't like new music and prefer listening to oldies or the Beatles.
     I remember .45 records and the little disks you had to insert to play them on a record player.
     I still love Annette on the Mickey Mouse Club.
     I remember going to Cubs games when they would not open the upper deck because the crowds were so small.
     I also remember "moving sidewalks" that carried people up and down from those upper decks.
     I remember Riverview Park and never going on the parachute drop or The Bobs.
     I remember when I used to remember where I parked my car and why I came into a room.   Those days are gone.
     Sigh...........time does pass quickly, doesn't it?

medical update

I did go to a doctor today

     He is pretty sure it is a migraine/vertigo situation.
     But....because of my age.....my blood pressure.....and a couple of other dizzy spells, I have some tests to do.
     Eliminating all other causes is the official explanation.
     I told Jackie that by the time we ate supper tonight, I felt pretty darn good and if I felt that way at the beginning of the day, I would not have called.
     So I am fine....don't worry, be happy.
     I do appreciate all the concern.  Most of you know that when I have a pimple it is actually a tumor growing at unprecedented speeds.  And that mosquito bite is actually the start of a flesh eating disease episode.
     Yes, my mind does blow things out of all logical proportion.
     Still, it's nice to know people care.
     Now, following a nail biter in Washington in which the good guys came out on top, I am headed to slumber land.

this sucks

Feeling better, but not quite right

     I have gone from outright room spinning and massive headache to room tilting and minor headache.  I hope that is a good sign.
     It's funny how things go downhill so fast.  Our floors are a mess, covered in doggy hair because it has been 3 days since I dusted them.
     The dishes are done.  Laundry is done.
     I have not ridden my bike in almost a week.  I did not get to the nursery to buy plants for the final project of the summer.  Did not get to my Buffet party and sing along to some of my favorite songs.
     Ran out of chocolate anything, and peanut butter.  How do we run out of peanut butter?
     And I have never slept so much in my life.  Plus I was semi awake during a terrible Cub game today.  Life can be a bitch.
     I just hope tomorrow is a "normal" day.  I plan to call my primary care doctor, get an appointment, and get a better handle on what is going on inside my noggin.
     It's not even 8 p.m. and I am heading off to bed.  Seriously, I am beat.
      But if you happen to be out and about, I am dieing for a chocolate sundae......
   

broke the string

I did not do a blog last night

And I almost did not do one tonight.
Let's just say vertigo and migraines do not mix.  According to the doc at urgent care, I seem to have both.
The vertigo has improved....the room stopped spinning about 2 p.m. today.  But the migraine persists, just not as severe.
I went to bed at 11 Thursday night and got up at 7:30 Friday for a couple of hours.  I could barely read the paper on line, my head hurt, the room was spinning, and I felt nauseous.  So I went back to bed and slept until almost 4.  Emily came after work and took me to urgent care.
Last night I slept from 9 pm to about 11 this morning.
My BP is fine, it's just the head hurts.
Planning on going back to bed now and sleep.....maybe that will help.
That's it.

odds and ends

Want to look at my life?

     Noticed all the fireflies tonight....there were so many, it was amazing.  I loved watching them out on the lawns and fields.
     Oh well.....  Just a few pictures of stuff over the last few days.....

I seem to be fascinated by the sun on the rails.  So I stopped on the tracks to take this picture.  I drove toward Fowler Road and the gates were down, and I saw a very slow moving train.  So I turned around and went back down Center Road.  The gates were not down, but the ones on Flagg Road were....which confused me.  Honestly, not sure if the gates ever came down!

We lived on the third floor left, with the rounded windows behind the tree.  Our bedroom was the window below the half moon shape.  My two brothers and me shared a bedroom.  My mom and dad had a Murphy bed in the living room.  So at Christmas, they slept next to the tree!!

My grandfather built a rock garden here.  At one point there was a little stream and water fall with a fish pond at the bottom. The rock garden is gone, but I am glad to see there is still a garden.  I loved that rock garden.

After the apartment, my parents bought the house in the center I was about sixth grade and they paid $17,000, if I remember correctly.  When my mom sold it, she got $57,000 in the early 80s.  A couple of years ago it was on the market for $800,000.  All three houses were built in the 1890s.  The one on the left is a flip of the two others.

Look mom, one hand!

Two stinking hits!!!  The plaza seems a fan favorite after the game.

Clark is block off except for buses.  The hotel is where the McDonalds used to be.

Still a head above everyone else....Love Mr. Cub!

oops, my mistake

I completely misunderstood the Go Naked concept today

     I apologize to any neighbors I may have offended.
     I did have clothes on when I went to the Cub game.
    Took John along, so there were two Johns.  No name confusion there.
    Caught the 9:25 out of Elburn.  No problem.
    Left West Chicago and sputtered to a stop.  Problem.
    Taking the 9:25 puts me into Chicago at 11 or so.  Then a 10 minute walk to the Red Line and a 20 minute ride to Addison, at the park by noon.
     Plenty of time to get the 25 percent discount on food and any give away, like the miniature Rizzo platinum glove.
     Plenty of time.
     Unless you sit outside West Chicago for 30 minutes or so.
     Time becomes and issue.
     We arrived 30 minutes late and went for the Red Line.  We passed a Brown Line station, Linda and Dan, you know the one, opting for the faster, more direct Red Line.
     Now the Red Line trains run every 3-6 minutes.
     Plenty of time.
     Unless you wait 10 minutes....or 12 minutes for a train, and when it arrives it is so packed no one can get on.....and there were a lot of people waiting to get on!
     The next train was 12 minutes behind....but there were more people now than before, so we opted to transfer to the Brown Line, which was just a short walk away.
     It is now about 12:10, plenty of time to take the slower Brown Line to Belmont, then get off and walk four blocks to the park.
     Plenty of time.
     Unless the bridge over the Chicago River is stuck up and the Brown Line is now just making a circle in the Loop with a suggestion that riders exit at the next stop and take a Red Line north.
     But wait!!  There's hope!!
     Another announcement comes that a shuttle bus will take us over the river to a Brown Line stop where we will be whisked away.
    It' now 12:30.  Not enough time to get the food discount, but possibly still time to get a Rizzo miniature platinum glove.
     Or not, because the Brown Line is slower.  When it gets to Belmont there is a nearly empty Red Line train, so we hope off one and onto another.
     Plenty of time.
     And we did make it in time to watch first pitch on a screen.  No platinum gloves, no food discount.
     When I did go to get a sausage and fries, they were out of sausages and I had to wait, again!
     Then the Cubs lost.
     No waving the W.  No singing Go Cubs Go.  Dead guy doing the stretch.
     But, a day at the park is priceless.....I love going.
     We did catch a Brown Line back downtown in plenty of time to catch the express from Chicago toward Elburn....so a small victory.
     At least I was still dressed.  Count that as a blessing.

yessir

Not much to report today

     Darn near killed a lady.
     I had to get in a cabinet.  There is a screen hiding the cabinet from the public.  A ladder was leaning on the cabinet.
     I moved the ladder, got the stuff, and knowing I would have to put stuff away, I did not move the ladder back, just leaned it against another cabinet.
     This was an extension ladder, maybe 16 foot, or two 8 foot sections.  Or smaller.
     I closed the screen.
     Five minutes later I had to get an extension cord.
     As I was going toward the cabinet, a lady was heading to a closet on the opposite side of the hallway.
     We chatted, I moved the screen and it caught on the leg of the ladder, causing the ladder to tilt backward and come crashing to the ground with a thud, scaring the crap out of the girl and me.
     It missed her by inches.
     I felt awful and thankful.
     And I put the ladder in a better position.
    Funny, life can change so quickly.  What you think is something easy and care free can end up just the opposite.
     What to do?
     Look both ways before crossing and take your vitamin D.

around the world

I am giving you some boring statistics

     Almost 82,000 visits to my blog.  I am amazed, and I think I have said that before.
     During the past week there were some interesting locations.
     People read my blog from:  United States, France, Poland, Germany, Chechia, Portugal, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland and Macedonia.
     I had to check, because I did not realize Czechoslovakia changed its name to Chechia.  Probably had something to do with spelling.  I have been to Prague, by the way.
     I would love to travel to many of these countries.
     My friends Dan and Linda are currently in Ireland.  Despite numerous trips to Europe, I have never been to Ireland or England.  Maybe they are why so many page views were from Ireland last week.
     I would like to go to Portugal.  Call me crazy, but that was the stepping off point for many explorers who came to the New World. I would love to stand and look over the ocean and see what they saw.
     I would love to go back to Germany to see Berlin and other sights I have missed.  And Poland is on my list because my dad was born there.
     My dad had several siblings:  Ernie, Fritz, Betty, Gert.  They, and my  grandparents, all have German as a nationality on their citizenship papers.  But my father has Poland on his papers.  It seems where my dad was born was taken over by Poland by the time they immigrated to the states.  So, he is the only one in his family that is Polish.  Go figure.
     Macedonia just sounds like a neat place, as does Montenegro.  I would like to go there because Nero Wolfe was born there.  If you don't know who Nero Wolfe is, ask Jackie.
     Maybe some of the people who have read this will end up inviting me to stay at their home when I do travel.
     With my luck, they would all be serial killers who prey on tourists.
     It's not a safe world.
    Life here is not quite so safe either.  I read 1,900 kids were killed by guns in the US last year.
     That shows how powerful lobbyists can be.  Back in the 80s a little boy was killed when a lawn jart accidentally hit him in the head.  It did not take long to ban lawn jarts.  Why?  Lawn jarts did not have a lobby.  And Congressmen are too afraid to do what needs to be done.
     Oops...getting political.  Sorry.
     Good night.

another father's day

I had a really nice day today

     I enjoyed the nice mild temperatures, went to church, mowed the yard, talked to Julia and had supper with Emily and John.
     The kids always think of neat gifts....a charging station for out cell phones, a book on Swiss myths and a tree.... all pretty cool.We had a bottle of wine....actually, John and I had a bottle of wine... to go with dinner:  monster burgers on the grill.
     All in all it was a pretty nice day.
     My dad died in 1978,  He was 77 years old.  I was 30 when he died, and truthfully I did not know him very well.  I wish I could talk to him now and find out about his early life, his parents, relatives left behind in Germany, things that I am curious about  but was not then.
     I always thought him to be a grumpy kind of guy, but he would have been 60 when I was entering those teen years, so maybe that grumpiness was just something parents did when their kids grew up and started listening to crazy music and questioning parents' beliefs.
     I am glad I am still around to enjoy my children....and I am doubly glad my children are around to enjoy (?) me.
    My Father's Day was pretty good....hope all of you can say the same.

addictions

I have to kick an addiction

     I did once, for about five months.  Then I thought I could handle just one taste.
     That became two, then three.
     Now I can barely escape this demon.
     Spider Solitaire.  Two suits.
     I find myself with a minute to kill and I sit down to play.   20 minutes later I am still there, still losing, still hopeful.
     It happens in the morning, at lunch, usually right before I do my blog.
     But not tonight.
     I have sworn off Spider Solitaire.
     I quit in January and made it till the start of May.  But I honestly thought I was mentally strong enough to control it.  Turns out I am not.
     I bet I spend well over an hour a day playing it.
     But now I will not play at all.
     It will take willpower, something I don't have a lot of.
     But I think I can kick the habit.
     Wish me luck.

surprise!!

I saw something weird on the tollway today

     I was approaching the toll plaza near DeKalb, in the right lane.  A semi was in front of me.
     Knowing the solid white line means do not pass, I waited until we cleared the plaza and then pulled out to pass.
     I noticed lots of dead tire pieces on the road and swerved to avoid one.
     But then I saw .........   seriously, building suspense.
     A suitcase and a backpack!
     Sitting right on the line dividing the left lane from the right.
     Semi moved to the right, I moved to the left, and the bag and suitcase were left undamaged by us.
     How do you lose luggage and not know it?
     I mean, it was as if someone stood them up on purpose.
     I thought of stopping, but when you are doing 70 with traffic next to you and behind you, it makes it tough to pull over.
     I don't think I was as surprised as the people who lost it will be when they check into a hotel tonight and find their underwear gone.
     And if they realized they lost it, they would have to get off in DeKalb, drive back to Rochelle, get off there, and then go back toward the toll plaza.  That is, if they realized they lost it there.
     Hopefully some kind person picked it up and there was an id tag on it.
     I would have returned it, unless the bags were packed with money.  Oh heck, I would have returned it then too. Just the kind of guy I am.
     It's almost 10:30 and the weather alert is blaring....going to be a long night.

shut up already

I have to learn to keep my big mouth closed

     That was reinforced to me when I was riding my bike.  Sometimes I sing or talk and as I had my mouth open, something big flew in.  I spit it out right away, so I never saw what it was....only that it seemed to be as big as a golf ball and hairy.
     I am lucky it wasn't a bee or something with a stinger.
     I wonder if there was a screen that I could wear over my mouth and nose when I ride.  Seems totally impractical, but for some people it would be a nice way to keep bugs out of the mouth.
     Not that a little extra, free protein isn't merited from time to time.
     When I was in fourth or fifth grade, Mrs. Byrd was my teacher.  She was about 110, which means she was probably 4o.  During spring vacation she went to Arizona and brought back fried grasshoppers and cactus candy for the class to try.
     I ate part of a grasshopper, and it was not too bad.
     My sister in law gave me some chocolate once and it tasted like a Nestle Crunch bar.  I was fine until she told me it was actually chocolate covered ants.   But honestly, again, it wasn't too bad.
     I have read several times that certain bugs are abundant and rich in protein, like grasshoppers and cockroaches.  They could be a food source, especially in times of want.
    But until then I will pass on the peanut butter and grasshopper sandwich.
    And I'll ride with my mouth shut.

what a dream I had....

I had  the weirdest dream last night

     Weird, not because it was so vivid but because I don't remember it.  Yet it woke me up.
     It was around 2:30.  I know, because as I walked through the house I looked at the clocks on the tv and oven.
     I have a vague vision of a girl with long dark hair.  I think she was stealing from me, but I don't know.  She was sitting on a crate, like a shipping crate.
     It wasn't a frightening dream.
     So, what woke me up?
     The girl was smoking a cigarette.  And I smelled cigarette smoke.
     You know the smell:  it drifts into your car when you are near a smoker, or inside a building when someone is smoking nearby.
     When I woke up, I still smelled cigarette smoke.
     That's why I walked through the house.  None of the security lights were on, so that means no one walked close enough to the house to trigger them.
     Corki never barked.   Hell, she didn't even wake up when I walked through the house.
     No one appeared to be outside anyplace.
     And yes, all our doors and windows were closed.
     I think I was visited by a cigarette smoking ghost.
     What do you think?  Ghosts?  Or a vivid imagination?
     Maybe all that dust on the floor is not really dust, but ash from a ghostly cigarette.
     Damn, now I know I won't sleep well tonight!!

verrrry interesting

I went to the Chana Sale Barn today

     The place used to sell livestock.... cows, sheep, pigs.  When we first came to the area, I did a story about the place.  That was 40 years ago or so.  But no more livestock.
     I was there a few years ago, again, doing a story.
     We have gone on New Year's Day for an antique sale, Emily bought a couple of things there that have now disappeared.
     Today was hot.  There did not seem to be as much out as I remembered.
     There were at least 5 separate auctions going.  The eggs and livestock, and the fruits and veggies and maybe three other auctioneers selling the racks.
     People scout the goods, then decide where to go to bid.  It's kind of neat to watch.
     Some of the racks looked like stuff people stockpiled in their garage while planning to have a garage sale but never having the sale and deciding to get rid of it in one fell swoop.  Lesson heard.
     Two friends bought some eggs.....75 cents a dozen for brown eggs.  That seemed like a good buy.  At least I think Bob and D paid that.....the heat started to mess with my listening skills.
     As an added bonus, they gave me a letter their son wrote to me in 1984, but it never got delivered.  Reading it was pretty cool.  I will put that in my pile of pleasant memories.
     What did I see?
      Take a look.

Hedda was this gobbler's name

Selling eggs

Someone had a thing for owls

This candle holder intrigued me...but not enough to wait around

Something for everyone

Eek!!

I wonder who the family is and what their history would tell us

Here's an oldie

Very cool chairs

Need a basket?

the farmer in the dell, the farmer....

I worked in my gardens today

     Weeded all the plants, dead headed the zing roses, pulled leaves off the coral bells.
     It was hot.
     I don't understand plants.
     I have 3 caramel coral bells, all in the same area.  They get the same amount of moisture.  They get the same amount of sun.  They all get treated equally.
     One of them is doing great, one looks like it is almost dead and one is small, but ok.
     Why??  Why don't they all grow the same?
     And why does one area of my garden get thistle like crazy?  Dozens of them.  I dig them out, they come back.
     Where did my New England asters go?  I seem to be missing one. Or two.  Maybe three...I can't tell.
     I picked strawberries today.  Got 10 of the little buggers.  10.  I don't know if the birds are getting them or if they are just not producing.
     I planted cucumbers two weeks ago.  5 seeds to a hill.  Three hills.  I saw two plants.  2.  So I replanted them.
     One row of peas is almost empty.  I replanted them.
     And I got confused on where I put beans.  I have Italian beans and bush beans, but I don't remember which is which.  Both plantings had huge holes.  So I planted beans, but I may have put the Italians with the bush or vice versa.  Time will tell.
    It was hot.  And sunny, which made it hotter.
    I was hot.  I actually started hallucinating about flying saucers, aliens and Angelina Jolie riding a tandem bicycle with me while juggling apple pies instead of steering.
     Hopefully I will get a lot of produce to eat and preserve.  Last year we froze lots of beans and carrots, but we used them all by winter's end.
    And maybe an apple pie too.
    Jackie was out and saw this and said, "When did we get that? It's neat!"
    So, thank you Nadine!!

Honestly, who is better looking?

Goat tacos at Wrigley from Girl and the Goat.  Small, but tasty

when I woke up this morning

Today was day 2 of the MS Tour de Farms

     My friend Carrie rode 35 miles yesterday while John and I did 15....and that was hard.
     So when Carrie said, "What time tomorrow are you riding?" I told her I wasn't.
     But she did, and rode another 35 mile loop.
     I got to thinking about it, and when I hopped out of bed, decided I was going to ride.  Just not in DeKalb.
     So I did a little ride in the neighborhood, finishing with a 10 mile loop.  I did not feel too bad.  I figured I was still doing a bike ride, it was Tour de Farms Sunday, I still had my registration number on.... so I could have just been considered a rider a little off track.
     Honestly, the 10 miles was hard, especially the last mile.  When I rode 15 on Saturday we took a little break, drinking water, having a healthy snack, resting.  I did not do that and I think that is why I have such a hard time passing the 10 mile mark.
     Maybe I need to bring a little snack with so I can take a 15 minute break every 7 miles or so.
     Supper was late and lunch was skipped, so I thought I would make sweet potatoes to go with my salmon and Jackie's hamburger.  I went to the store and saw a huge bin of sweet potatoes marked 79 cents.  I could have bought one large one, but I opted for two small ones.
     I figured the price of 79 cents was per pound, so I was a little surprised when they rang up 79 cents each!  I could have save 79 cents by buying one big one instead of two smalls.
     Lesson learned.
     Hopefully I can work in the gardens tomorrow...gotta pull weeds and do a little planting.  But I hate working in the heat and heaven knows I can't get up and going before 10.
     It's gonna be hot tomorrow!!  Maybe the Cubs will be even hotter in New York!

busy, busy day

I rode and comedied today

     I don't think that is a word.  Let me splain, Lucy.
     The MS Tour de Farms was today,  John and I rode 15 miles, Carrie went 35.
The wind was so strong, there were points when I tho9ught I was moving backward.
     Granted it was only hard on the western and southern part of the ride....which was about half the ride.
     John and I took frequent rest stops to water up and recoup some strength.  Carrie, who is 70 years younger than us, said even she had trouble with the riding into the wind part.  (Ok, I exaggerate.  She is only 60 years younger.)
     One of the volunteers said there were 1,100 riders today.  That's a lot of bikes.
     The wind was even blowing some of the shade tents over.
     And when I sat down to lunch, my gloves, sunglasses, water bottle and plate all blew off the table!  Luckily I had finished eating.
     Then this afternoon/evening Exit 99 performed, for the first time in a couple of years.
     We did a two hour show in Ashton.
     By the end, I was tired and covered in sardines and whipping cream.....my shirt smelled, I smelled, we all smelled.
     It was the most fun I have had in a long time.
    The question is:  Do I ride again tomorrow and really push myself?  Or do I rest on my laurels with today's effort.
    Time will tell.

not much to say

I think I am all talked out

    Had my second history walk tonight, 15 people came and learned about local history and taught me a few things along the way.
     Pleasant night.
     Then we went to dinner with Renee and Wendy.  It was nice visiting with them again...don't do it as much as we should.
     Got to go to bed for the bike ride tomorrow.
     It's not to late to support my ride!  Go to the MS Tour de Farms site and look me up on Jackies Jokers.
     Just hope it doesn't rain.

the streak is over

I went to a losing Cub effort tonight

     Last year we were 6-0 and won the first game this season that we attended, putting us on a 7 game winning streak.
     But.....Colorado was too strong and the Cubs too weak.
    A couple of odd things happened.  There was a young couple sitting in the row ahead of us when four guys came and sat next to them.
     They were the biggest people I have ever seen.  All four of them.  The girl in front of us was pinned between her 98 pound boyfriend and a guy who must have gone 300 easily.
    She could not move.  She sat like that for an inning and then moved over to the other side of her date, where there was an empty seat
    I was surprised she made it an inning.
    I stopped at the oasis on 294 on my way home because I was dragging.  I went to the arches and before I could order, I stepped on a phone.  I picked it up and showed it to the girls behind the counter.
    There had been a man and a woman before me, the only two people I saw.  So I started after them.
    I had to walk pretty fast to catch them.  I kept saying, "Hey blond lady..": but she didn't stop.  I caught up to them in the parking lot and asked if they had dropped a phone, but they had not.
    So I started back in and this little lady with a frantic look on her face saw me and said "Did you find a phone?"
    Not only was it her phone, but she had credit cards in it.  The people at the arches place told her I had picked it up and was headed in the other direction.
    I explained that I thought the people ahead of me had dropped it but they did not, so I was on my way back to the arches place.
   She thanked me profusely as she checked her credit cards.
    I, too, would have checked  my cards.
    Now, I am going to sleep, if all the caffeine I have had will let me.

crazy, dude

Food has been on my mind a lot

   I tend to graze.  That is how I maintain this amazing body.
   However, I am getting a little more aware of the potential dangers of my over eating.
   Had a visit with my cardiologist this week.  This is a little one time a year session just to chat.  I met him in 2006 when he put a stent in my left descending artery.  Now I just go once a year for him to look at me and tell me what every doctor tells me:  Lose weight.  Exercise.  Don't bike alone.
   The don't bike alone sounds funny, but he is serious.  He said that when one rider is on the road that rider is more likely to be hit by a car than if there are two or more riders.
   But someone who has had a heart attack probably would be well advised to find riding partners anyway, just in case, if you know what I mean.
   I digress.
   Carbs are a problem for me.  I love pasta.  I love bread.  I love pizza.
   He gave me the name of a restaurant in Rockford that makes special pizzas.   He recommended the cauliflower crust pizza.  They take cauliflower and pound it into a pulp, put seasonings in it and use it for a pizza crust.
   He noticed my wince.
   He also suggested that when I do eat pasta, I carry a little foldable half cup measuring device.  Eat that much pasta and put the rest in a take home container.    At least I think it was half cup, but that seems pretty small.
   Then he gave me the name of another restaurant that serves french cut beans instead of pasta.  They pour the sauce over the beans and season with cheese and he said it tastes just like spaghetti.
   And today, when serving lunch in the park, a lady told me her family never eats mashed potatoes anymore.  She takes cauliflower and blends it until it resembles mashed potatoes.  Add butter and pepper and she said it was hard to tell the difference.
    What I am hoping for is a pill, one that lets me eat what I want and never gain weight.
     Now I am going to bed, dreaming of how I am going to spend my Powerball winnings.........

what's new??

The old ballpark has disappeared

     That's kind of how I felt at the game last night.
     A new entrance on the west side made getting out a snap.  The Cubs office building has stores and restaurants and the humongous video board for people to watch while sitting in the plaza.
     And the plaza?  Filled with kids playing and people enjoying the outdoors.
     Across the street is the new hotel, finally showing form.  On Addison, across from the park, is another project, not Cub family related, that will add more housing and parking.
     Wrigley will look like it is boxed in.
     Inside the park looks a little strange with the bullpens gone.  Looked like new brick along the field.
     It's a long way from August 1988 when lights went on.
     It's a great place to watch a game.  And a great time to be a Cub fan.
     Here are some random pictures....including the give away from last night.

The hotel across Clark

South section of plaza

North park of plaza and Cubs offices.  Stairway is part of the new western entrance.

Hard to tell there were bullpens out there!

This was the give away...but wait!

It lights up!!!  This is supposed to be the left field video board.  Jackie won't let me put it on the mantle to proudly display.  Go figure.

a good first

Went to my first Cub of the year tonight

     I drove in, parking at my friend John's house.  We then drove down to the old neighborhood, parked, and walked to Wrigley.
     That brought back lots of good memories:  softball in alley, nights in The Shed, hanging around with a bunch of guys that were pretty much good people.
     Anyway, the wind was blowing out of the north east at a pretty good clip and I figured no body was going to homer into that wind.
     Kris Bryant did in the first.  I said that was unusual.  Albert Almora Jr. nailed on in the fourth.  So much for my predicting skills.
     Last year we went to six games and the Cubs won all 6.  This year we have 8, and I am looking for good things.
     But now I am tired.  Thank goodness the game was less than 2 and a half hours...I got home at a pretty decent time!
     Go Cubs!!

lost and found

I am such a ditz

    I borrowed a little camera from Emily.  This was about four years ago.   Anyway, I used it last year in Cuba and maybe a time or two since then.
    Since I am going to the game tomorrow, thought I would take it with.
    Looked on the shelf with camera stuff.  Not there.  I did find two broke cameras, which I should get rid of.  Electronics recycling?  Take it to a camera store?  Oh, well.
    Looked in the bag with camera stuff.  Bag empty.  Huh.
    Looked on the shelf above, below and through the stuff on the shelf.  That includes the Chicago Cubs bobble heads, baseball cards, magazines, and other neat shtuff.  Not there.
    So I message Emily and John , asking if I returned it to them.
    John said it was on the desk because I downloaded pictures.
    I said to Jackie, it is not on the desk.  I know.  I would have seen it.  I have not used it in  months.
    Looked back on the shelf, in the bags, on the floor.
    Then I looked on the desk.
    Bingo.  In plain sight.  Next to the phone.
    That was 40 minutes of my life I will never get back.
    By the way, any idea where the cord to charge it is????

step by step

I actually shed some stuff this week

   None of it was weight, but hey..... life isn't perfect.
   When I mowed Friday, something did not seem right.  I kept looking and wondering what was different.
   As I was rumbling over the back yard I noticed:  The 200 feet of black plastic tubing is gone!!
   A neighbor asked me a while ago if I was going to use it and I told him to help himself to it.  But that was about a month ago and I figured he changed his mind.
   For three years I have been mowing, getting off the mower, moving over the tubing, then mowing where it had been.
   I feel relieved.
   I also had 4 LP gas tanks for my grill.  Two were mine and two were Emily and John's.  But they bought a new grill because their old one did not survive the humongous tornado, although the tank did.  Their new grill is hooked directly to a gas line, so they gave me the extra tank.
   4 tanks take up a lot of space.
   I asked at a local hardware store and the owner said the LP company will take the tanks, recondition them, and sell them to new customers.  So I took two tanks up there and left them.
   I agonized over that because I thought there must be a way for me to get some moolah out of it.  But they can't be recycled, because there is a fear remaining gases could explode.
   In the end, I figured I was not going to get rich on two tanks, so it was better to just get rid of them.
   If you are keeping track at home:  Old wine glasses, gone.  LP tanks, gone.  Black tubing, gone.  Two bags of clothes, gone.
   I do have a pretty good tent for sale.  Sleeps four adults comfortably.  And there is that treadmill for free, if my buddy CJ doesn't want it.
   Small steps, I know.  But they are steps.

peace and quiet?

It's a noisy world

     When we looked at the lot that our current house is sitting upon, it seemed pretty quiet.
     Not quite half a mile from our old house, along the same north south road, it is definitely in the country.
     Then we built.
     I don't know what happened.
     Flagg Road is like an expressway!  Lots of cars, trucks, farm vehicles, motorcycles and who knows what else.  I think part of the problem is the tollway fare increase and construction.  If you are going from Dixon to DeKalb, it is cheaper to drive the back roads.  And Flagg Road only has 3 stop signs from Dixon to Rochelle.  My belief is that more people are avoiding the toll way and using Flagg Road.
     But Skare Road also has a lot of traffic.  Maybe it's from my subdivision and the one across the road, but it seems to be constant.
     Tonight I sat on the patio with a glass of red.  (Laurie, I did not break this glass!)
     And for 30 seconds....no traffic.  Nothing.  No hums, buzzes, roars or rumbles.      Just quiet.
     It was great.
     I could hear people down the street talking and laughing.  The kids across the road were out playing and making noise.  It was amazing.
    30 seconds.
    About 10 minutes later, it happened again.
    Just 30 seconds of quiet.  I really enjoyed that.  And the wine.
    But not the bugs.  Guess I better buy lots of repellent for this summer!

uh oh.....

I normally don't get political in this blog

     I like to keep it light, whimsical, non threatening.
     But the actions taken by this president are troubling.
     He has rolled back environmental protections, social safety nets, welcomed people who physically threatened a sitting US president and now is alienating the rest of the world.
     Yes, we need to provide jobs for our residents.  But all the jobs won't help if climate change puts the world in chaos.  Leaving the Paris accord and thumbing his nose at the rest of the world by saying jobs and people here come first, is troubling.
     Climate is not just a US issue.  It is a world issue.  It will take cooperation between nations to curb the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.
     Our nation should be a leader in this cause.  We have the brightest minds, the best educational systems, the most innovative people in the world living here and our president is saying we don't want that innovation, we want to burn coal and oil and clog the atmosphere with gases that will forever change the climate of the world.
     The well being of American citizens.....and screw the rest of the world.
     That is sad.  Sad.   Sad.
     And wrong.
     History will not be kind to this president.