leaving on a jet plane

My bags are packed, I 'm ready to go

     Appropriate song for tonight. We leave tomorrow for two weeks with Julia!  I am excited, nervous, tired, and anxious.
     Today we were pretty busy.
     Four loads of laundry, picked and froze two kinds of beans, finished moving the mulch from the driveway, went to church, did my column for next week's paper, and packed.
     Well, almost everything is packed.
     What are we taking?
     The usual.  Like this

     Ok this is practical, in theory.  Jackie found these suction cup safety bars on line.  She ordered them July 3 and we got them Friday.
     But we tried them with mixed results.  They work great on the counter top, but not on the wall or the back splash.  The directions say use on ceramic tiles 4 inches square or larger.  Not sure if they will work at Julia's.  Time will tell.
      We also have a walker, grabber, canned soup, and assorted other items not generally found in Switzerland.
     The good news is...we are under weight.  The bags, not us.  Personally.  although I have lost 8 pounds this summer.  I do not know how, but the scale said 196 yesterday and I started May at 204.  I eat like a horse. 
     My first thought was the scale is broken.  But I am not going to double check.  I'll take it.
 Peace and Love and who knows when I'll write again.

sorting it all out

I have too much crap

Cables that don't fit devices  Devices without cables.  Just too much stuff.
Working around and through it all just takes too much time and too much effort.  Sometimes I wish I could back up a truck and dump it all and start over.
It's frustrating.  Like watching the Cubs bullpen frustrating.
I make notes and can't find the paper.  I can't do it on the phone because it just isn't something I am good at.
I put things in places that I can't remember. 
I save stuff I will never use, and buy more that I don't use.
I eat too much and the wrong stuff.
Sorry.  I just needed to whine.
Peace and love

happy day

We had our first sweet corn today!

     Bi-color, from Rainwaters and it was very good.  I had two ears, Jackie had one.  I think I could have had more.
     We gave some to our new neighbors, who came over to introduce them selves.  I had stopped last week and visited with the mom in the family.  Tonight they came over with their two little girls and met Jackie and Corki.  They are really nice people.  I shared my dozen of corn with them because how much can the two of us eat in two days?
     After my shift at the zoo, I wandered over to the Lego display that is currently up.  It was pretty cool. 
     Here's the evidence.

40,000 bricks...206 hours to make

136,568  bricks.  I counted them all.

The elephant weighs 2,607 pounds and is composed of 271,739 bricks!!

Peace and Love

good things

Today was a pretty good day

     I was able to give Jackie her ring back.  It had disappeared when I cleaned off the dresser.
     We have been putting out items to take on vacation, and the ring was on top of the box.  I moved the box.  The ring disappeared Tuesday.
     We looked every where.
     After a fun evening with SK, in which we consumed pizza and wine, I donned some plastic gloves and sifted through two bags of garbage and two cans of recyclables. I looked in chairs, under the bed again, and in all the places we had already looked two or three times.
     I decided to look in that box of vacation things one more time.  I picked up a slipper sock and squeezed it, then a second and bingo!  The ring was down in the toe.
     But something else made this a good day.
     Our recycling gets picked up in the afternoon.  I usually take it out about 9 or 9:30 but for some reason I took it out last night.
     They came before 8.
     My recycling is gone.  If I had waited, I would have had a huge pile of cardboard in the garage.  I sure don't need any more crap in there.
     I still have not done my table.  I don't see it getting sanded and oiled before we leave for Switzerland.
     But who knows, stranger things have happened.
Peace and Love

where's Gollum

We seem to have lost a wedding ring

     It was on the dresser.  I cleaned off the dresser.  Ring disappeared.
     I have looked under the dresser, bed, in drawers, in boxes, in containers....no where.
     I even went through two bags of garbage and the recycling, but no ring has surfaced.
     The lady who cleans went through the vac bags....no ring.
     I know it will turn up, but when and where is the issue.  It's gotta be here.
     I am frustrated 
Peace and Love

oops

I have to apologize to a neighbor

     I  was backing out of my driveway and did not pay attention.  The almost hit me, but luckily stopped.  I pulled in and waved, but I think their wave might have involved only one finger.
     Driving was an issue today, for some reason.
     I take Seventh Street to Rotary but the state is paving the road, reducing it to one lane.  They have flaggers at both ends and at cross streets, but I was coming out of a parking lot.  I thought the road was clear, the southbound traffic was stopped, so I went out.
     I did not see the big construction truck coming.  I had to turn into an empty lot, drive across the lot, and exit on the other side.  Off roading in my Honda.
     I had to get to the other side because there is a Casey's gas station there.
     For those of you who do not know, Casey's does not charge for air.  I had a low tire.    I am too cheap to buy air, so I go to Casey's.
    Tires aired up, all works well.
    My worst experience was catching a ground squirrel.  I took him far out in the country and opened the trap.  He did not want to leave.  I opened both ends, gave it a little shake, and he went out into the grass.
    Then he turned and looked me directly in the eye.  He had a sad face.  He was thinking, "Geez....you are taking me far away from my home and family.  I don't even have a hole to crawl into.  What happens to me now?"
    I left him there.
    That makes 4 I have caught this year. 
    And I have plenty more.
Love and Peace

normal???

I had a fairly normal day

     Seriously, first one in a long time.  Airport trips, concerts, ball games, doctor appointments, pedicures, shopping trips......this was my first day at home in a week.
     Of course, I did hardly anything.  I did not get to work until 3, and took a couple of breaks before supper.  I am still pretty tired.
     Just a few unconnected photos that are in my mind today.
     First is a crowd shot of the Buffett show.  There were a lot of people there.  And a lot of beach balls.

This was the chaos at O'Hare on Sunday.  There were a lot of people at the international terminal.

Julia, I am ready for the fete!  Emily was kind enough to bring me this to wear while visiting you!

Peace and Love and sweet dreams.

tired

This weekend caught up with me

Friday at a Cubs game, Saturday boating and a Buffett concert, today a drive to the airport to pick up the kids......and I am a bit tired.
More than a bit.  Way tired.
Sleep well, my friends.  I think I will.
Peace, Love and zzzzzzzzzz

better late

I got home a little late this morning

     Jimmy Buffett will do that to ya if you are not careful.
     Had a great day sailing, laughing and listening to one of the worlds largest sing along concerts. 
     The show started late,  I read a review in the Milwaukee Sentinel that said Jimmy waited to give his fans time to get in and seated.  The afternoon storm delayed entry to the parking area for many of the 27,000 people estimated to be there.
     Not everything went well.....weather was not especially kind and getting out of the parking lot took forever..... but it was a great day.
     Words...words...words....

sailing on Lake Delaven

Does it look like rain?

How about we hold down the canopy because it was really windy

after the rain....all is well

What kind of a game attracts a large male audience?

One  that features the possibility of boob exposure

did she?   I won't say.... but thanks, stranger, for the thrill

they brought in a pallet of sand

this was cool.  Or cold, either one

More sand, another tiki bar

New take on ring toss

I like the look...I think

The crowd was huge..and loved to sing 

Hot times in the big city

The Cubs game was a bit warm today

     OK, it was damn hot.  Sweat running down your back hot.  Not enough water in your bottle hot.  Don't sit near me hot.
     But it was a good game.
     A Cubs' win is always a good game.  We are 5-1 so far this year. 
     This is the first game I did not have a sweatshirt or coat.   Freeze of sweat, story of Wrigley.
     It was 92 at game time.  I don't know how umpires survive, being out there the entire time.  I would melt.
     So....enough words.  Pictures are worth 1,000 words.

Lightly battered  chicken tenders with honey butter....delicious and a big serving.

The Elephant Gate

  

View through the Elephant Gate

     This is now inside the park.  It used to be on Sheffield Avenue and you could actually stop and watch a game for free.  When the park was remodeled, they left the gate but now it is inside the stadium.  

Infield had just been dragged when this Padre doubled, leaving his mark in the smooth dirt.

All empties..... this is one location.  At least they are recycling the cans.

     I am also posting a separate video.

Peace and Love and ice, please