day 45

Sometimes it's all a blur

     It was a pretty nice day today here in northern Illinois.  Windy, brisk, but about 4 it got warmer and not so windy.  Corki and I took a walk.  The other day she sort of pooped out on the way home, but today she was strong all the way.
     I had some time to sort through some boxes in the crapment, I mean basement.
     I found a couple of boxes of pictures.  I don't know who they belong to, just that they are pictures.
     Next week Jackie and I will start with one box and go thru them.  I imagine most will be tossed.
     Kodak and Eastman really scammed us!  Take pictures!  Follow your life!    How many of us really sit down and look at the pictures we have taken?  I have over 8,000 pictures on my computer and hardly ever look at them.
     I have made books of some of my trips.... I look at them maybe once a year.  Still, I would not give them up because there will come a time when I will need those pictures to remember who I was.
     Anyway, I digress.
     Things started to go haywire at about 7:30.
     Friend John called and we had a nice conversation.  I was helping Jackie back to her chair at the time, and that went well.  She had asked for some of her Ollie's custard, and I spooned it into a bowl.   Of course, Corki had to go out, so I sat on the porch and chatted with my friend.
     At 8 I was going to watch a performance on the computer...and things went haywire.  My cell phone rang.  I did not get to it because it was on the far side of the house recharging.
     At some point I looked around and saw this round pile of disgusting, stinky dog vomit in the doorway.  I ran to get paper towels and rug cleaner when I heard the urp urp urp sound I have come to dread.  I could not find paper towels in the first two spots, so I made it back just in time to see a second pile of brown, disgusting, highly smelly stuff.  I quickly put a towel on that and she threw up again!  This time I got a towel under her and caught it.
     At that point Jackie reminded me I had not brought her the custard, which by now resembled a butter pecan slurpee since it had been out 40 minutes.
     The carpet now has two stains and once Covid is done I'll have to call SIL John to help me move out furniture so it can be cleaned.
     Friday night I was taking my night meds and noticed I had two pills that were the same.  I fill my pills on Thursday night, so I took out one of the duplicate pills for Saturday thru Wednesday.
     Tonight, it being Thursday, I filled my pills again, paying close attention so I did not put in two of the same.  That's when I discovered I had two pills that looked alike but were not the same.  One was slightly oval shaped, the other more rectangular.  And the pills I thought were extra I slipped into one container, not realized they were two different pills and not extra at all.
     I had to empty all my night doses, check the little white pills to be sure I had one A 9 and one AA69 instead of two of the same, and check the container to be sure they aere all the same. 
     I have two calls to make tomorrow.....one to the person who needed to speak to me but got trumped by dog puke and a med mix up.
     I need a vacation.  I also need to get some masks.
    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Stay home.
Peace and Love

All of these tubs have photos and pictures of some kind.....can you believe it?

day 44

Sometimes I think all is lost

     Especially today.  I went to WM to pick up a prescription and I sent my credit card in through the pneumatic tube.  (I love that word pneumatic.  Silent p, new spelled incorrectly....great word).  When the prescription came out, I took the tube into the car, opened it up and took out the script.  But I did not find my card.
     I buzzed the pharmacy and the man who sent the prescription said he put it in the container.
      Now, I know all the people there and I do not doubt his word.  But I did not have a card.
     He checked the containers, but it was not in any of them.
     I pulled around the corner and checked in my car....nothing.
     So I went into the store to double check.
     I forgot there is a limit on customers.  I also forgot what it was like to stand out in the rain waiting to enter.
      Luckily it was only a few minutes and I was not too wet.
     But....no card in the pharmacy.
     My credit card literally disappeared.
     I have a Capital One card and I never leave home without it.  (channeling Karl Malden...remember him?)
     They texted me and asked if the card was used for a purchase.  I replied yes.       Then they sent me another text saying good to know, and I typed no.  So they put the card on the inactive list.
     I got home and called and they are sending me a new card, should arrive in about 2 or 3 days.
     But it is a mystery.  The pharmacy guy said he remembers putting it in the container and even offered to let me watch the security video of him doing so.
I trust him, completely.
     Now I'm wondering if the card fell out onto my lap, and when I got out of the car to look under the seat, it may have fallen into the parking lot.
     Or it could be under the seat, between the seat, in the cushion....even though I looked in all those places.
     The other possibility is it got raptured...........but I doubt that.
     Anyway, new card on the way.  I really love Capital One for their security and service.
     Stay home, stay healthy, stay safe.
Peace and Love

day 43

I am beginning to notice a pattern

     Have seldom left the property.  Have seldom driven.  Have not seen, in person, any friends, just one.
     I am cranky and  my pants keep falling down.
     I have at least 10 things to get done and I can't get them done because I am not motivated.
     I have gone through 3 bottles of wine.  My recycling buckets are full.
     I am constantly hungry and bored and I eat when I am both.
     Yet nothing tastes like I want it to taste.  I want it to have some spice, unlike our lives now.
     I have watched more videos on Facebook than I ever imagined I would watch.
I am not liking this and every day I feel like I am losing my sanity.
     Today I had a great conversation with Corki, who told me it was ok to poop in the yard.  I should carry bigger bags.  Our neighbors might be a little angry with me.  Corki thought it was funny.
     Four nights ago I walked out of the den and into the living room.  There was a huge spider on the wall.....the size of a basketball!  I went to get a flyswatter but when I got back, he had gone behind the picture above the couch.  I moved the picture and he came scurrying out faster than any spider I have ever seen.  I swatted at him, but I think I only got two of his 149 legs.  It went behind the couch.  I resorted to chemical warfare and sprayed insecticide under and behind the couch.
     It is either dead or greatly pissed.
     When I sit on the couch I am very jumpy.  If my hair moves I jump up and yell obscenities while doing a pseudo Irish jig.
     I know it's waiting.....just waiting....and waiting.
     Until it appears, I will stay on my toes.
     Stay healthy....stay safe...stay home...stay off my couch.
Peace and Love

day 42

I had no desire to do anything today

     I should have cleaned our bedroom and bathroom....but I just was unmotivated all day.
     I did finish the puzzle.....no missing pieces!
     Now I am  taking a a puzzle break.  I have some other projects to work on over the next couple of weeks.  Photos and slides, mainly.
     Just a statistical update.
     So far, my blog has 180,000 page views over the last six years.  I am thankful for everyone who reads this drivel and who laughs, or cries, at my efforts to keep a New Year's Resolution.
     Over the past week there have been views from Switzerland, Russia, Turkministan, Sri Lanka, Portugal and Argentina.  I do believe, outside  of Switzerland,  that people have just mistyped something, which brings them to my page.
     Except for the Russians....they are looking for dirt they can use in November.
Vladi, if you are reading this, I think you are not a bad guy after all....just the media doesn't like you.
     Short and sweet.....stay healthy, stay safe, stay home.
Peace and Love

day 41

Another day in Paradise Found

     I may be on a lucky streak.
     I found the missing puzzle piece Friday and today I found the missing bike lifts.
     John asked me last summer if I knew were the spare lift was.  I bought them in the old house, which means it was at least 10 years ago.  I have not seen them since we moved.
     These are really great German manufactured bike hangers.  You attach them to the ceiling and use ropes and pulleys to hang your bike out of the way.  They are easy to use and install and work well.
     The problem is/was.... I could not find the second one I had.  I know I bought two, and one is in use. 
     Years ago, as a freshman at NIU, I had a class called something like "Speech for business majors."  It was a class on public speaking taught by a woman named Rosemarie Ostberg.
     She was pretty blunt in class and demanding, yet she was also a great teacher.  I gained the confidence to speak in front of people from her.
     Later, after Jackie and I married, we started attending church in DeKalb and Dr. Ostberg was a member there.  We became friends and were often in a fellowship group with her.  She was the person who got me interested in theater.  After Easter, our church put on a week or two of celebrations.  She cast me in a little play called, "What aAe We Going to do With All These Stinking Fish."
She worked with me on dialogue, walking, stage presence.....and I think the production went off pretty well.  I may even have a copy of the script somewhere....heavens knows I never toss anything away.
     This isa digression.
     One of her topics was "frozen evaluations."  Sometimes our memory pictures things as we think they were, but in reality were not.  We freeze on that and refuse to think things may be different.
     The bike hoists I bought were in a white box. 
     I looked all over for that white box last year and again this year.  Went through boxes, sometimes twice.  Found lots of stuff I forgot we had, but no white box packed away.
     Today I went into the garage to once again go through the four boxes of crap when I looked up on the plastic storage shelves and glimpsed a box with German words on it.
     I pulled it down and there was the bike hoist.  In a brown box, not white.    Furthermore, there were two boxes....so maybe there are two hoists.
     The weirdest thing is I looked at the shipping labels to see if I could find a date.  What I found was the German made hoists were sent to a supplier in the Chicago suburbs and the supplier sent them to me.
     Name of the supplier? 
     Wal Mart. 
     Go figure, huh.
     Stay healthy, stay safe, stay home.

Peace and Love

     PS......I sometimes write to Rosemarie, who is in her 90s and living in California.  I'm putting it on my list for this week.  It has been a while.

day 40

This was quite the day

     I got a happy 40th day greeting from NY Kathryn and 40 is the correct day, for us at least.
     And I got to spend some time with some of my favorite people at a Jimmy Buffet party.  We did it on messenger and it was fun to laugh for a while.... you are crazy people!  And funny!  And I am glad to know you all.
     Jackie didn't fall, I got the sky done on my puzzle, and I even went through some boxes in the basement.
     We moved into this house almost 8 years ago.  There are boxes that we have never opened.
     I found:  78 records, mostly German; a scrapbook with 1930's era postcards; about 12 boxes of photos that belong to Emily, Julia, my mother, Jackie's aunt and uncle, and me; two boxes of Golden Books; a box with two potato chip tins and a bunch of dog toys; (note:  we did not have a dog at our old house) a dessert set that was maybe my mother's; a box of 33 and 1/3 albums; but not what I was looking for.
     I have a bike hanger that attaches to the ceiling.  I have one in my garage and I had a second one at one time.  We had it at the old house, in a box, and I am sure we moved it, but I can't find it.
     One more place to look because maybe I am working with a frozen evaluation of the device.....it may not be in the original box afterall.
     When I stop looking for it, I will find it.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Stay home.
Peace and Love
 

Yesterday I posted two pictures and asked what the difference was between them......and yes, I found the missing puzzle piece!  I have a plant in the basement that I don't water.  It lost a lot of leaves.  Yesterday after I was done working on the puzzle, I decided to finally pick up the dead leaves.  As I was on my hands and knees, I noticed the puzzle piece leaning up against the wall amongst the dead leaves!  It's bottom was facing out, so it blended in with the trim.  It felt good to slip it in place.

Any idea how to cook rabbit?

Julia drew this of me when she was in fourth grade......how can I toss this??

day 39

I don't notice things very well

     Maybe someone has shaved off a beard, or grown a beard, or gotten a new hair cut..... I don't seem to notice.  (I would notice the beard on a woman, however.)

     Details are not my strong suit.

     But at least one of you notices!  Colorado Kathy pointed out that I actually had 2 day 14s......so yesterday when I said day 37 or whatever, it was actually day 38, so today is 39.  I think.

     Hopefully I have fixed that faux pas.  Or, I could have made it worse.

     All I know is I got out today and it felt good.  Two days in a row I ran errands and I have not gotten sick, yet.

     I wore a mask and was very surprised when I went into a food place to pick up supper and none of the employees were wearing masks.  None of the customers were either.  That does bother me a bit.

     I keep thinking:  How safe is my food?

     When I got home I was careful to roll the food onto a plate, toss out the containers and sanitize my hands and the counter.  Is it enough?  Time will tell.

     Also got another free coffee.....there is a really nice person in town buying coffee and it is truly appreciated.

     Now for you to test your observation skills.

     What is the difference between these two pictures?

     Notice anything?

     If not, you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the answer.  It's a stunner.

     BTW... no falls today.  It was no falls Friday.  

     Stay healthy.  Stay home.  Stay safe.

Peace and Love

day what? 37?

Life sure does have its ups and downs

     I found some of the missing puzzle pieces, but not the two I have hunted for for the past four days.  Very confusing.
     Went to the butcher for some meat.  Yes, I wore a mask.  Two customers in the store did not have them on, and I wondered why.  Maybe they just did not like to be told they had to wear one, or they don't think this is much more than the flu.  I did not want to ask.
     Had another morning visit from John.  For some reason, Jackie's left leg has buckled two days in a row as she is getting in the shower.  I have a leg brace I will be putting on her when she gets out of bed plus I will use the transport chair to get her into the shower and onto her bench.  I am just glad John is around and that wifey doesn't break anything.
     MS sometimes can kick you in the ass.
     I spent 30 minutes cleaning in the basement.
     Folks, I have to tell you.  I did not clean.  I found memories and I just can't part with them. 
     At heart, I am a sentimentalist.
     I also watched a bit of a Second City show with a friend!  Ok, we tuned into the live broadcast on YouTube at 8 p.m. from the safety of our own homes.   That is also the time friend Luke does Theater in My Pajamas.  Tough choice.  I ended up starting Second City,  going to Luke's, then back to Second City when Luke's play was over.  All that moving is tiring!
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Stay home.
Peace and Love

Tomorrow the left side will be finished!

Spring beauties

Wonder who this belongs to?

Ah.....should have guessed!

String art done by Emily in junior high.  Yes, I still have it, obviously!

day 36

One tenth of a year........

     That's how long I have been confined.  We have been confined.  This better be worth it.
     How the world is changing!  We had a doctor's check up today, done over the phone.  In hindsight it seemed rather pointless, no labs to discuss, no medication changes, no major issues.
     I was mucking around in the basement today and found a box of our old silverware.  Well, it's not actually silver.  Flatware, I guess.  Then I found another box.  And a third.  I think we have service for 60. 
     Jackie agreed with me that it all goes to the resale shop once the stay at home order is lifted.
     We have a service for 12....and I don't expect us to have more than 12 over for a meal anytime soon. 
     Today was the first day of my 30 minute pledge.  For 30 minutes I will go through stuff in the basement and try to sort, separate, sell, or donate.  It's not easy for someone like me to get rid of stuff.
     John came for a quick visit this morning.  Had to.  Jackie decided to sit down in the shower.  She did not exactly fall, just more or less sank to the ground. 
     It is the first time since November we have needed help .... so I take that as a good sign.
      I now have two spaces that I can not find pieces for in my puzzle.  It is frustrating, to say the least.
     There was a meteor shower last night, but I did not see any.  I went out at 11, it was cloudy.  1:30 and it was partly cloudy.  3 and it was cloudy.  Who says I don't sleep well?
     At 11 the coyotes were just howling like crazy just south of my house.  It was eerie and a little scary.  Yet I was fascinated by the sound.  I also heard them north of my house......I don't know if it was the same bunch or a different group.       They were not as loud, so I am guessing they were farther away.
     When I went out at 1:30 it was evident there was a skunk in the area....what a stink!
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Stay home.
Peace and Love

Two spots, same shape, but nothing that shape fits either one!  How can that be????  Grr....... maybe tomorrow.

day 35

I am tired of this weather

     I admit I am kind of a weather wimp.  I am fine when it is in the teens, but lousy when it is in the 40s and 50s. 
     I was going to go out and trim today, but I stepped outside and froze my nose half way off.  Yes, it was in the 40s, but it was too cold for me to work outside.
     I had to run to our doctor's office and forgot a mask....so the staff there gave me one.  I can't believe I forgot the mask.  I put them in my one car, then took the other.  Now I have masks in both cars.
     I am getting anxious about getting back to "normal."  I want to see stores reopened, and people back at work.
     But I also realize this is serious shit going on around us.  I saw a Tweet the other day from a normal person and she said on April 19 there were 15 pages of obits in the Boston Globe.  15 pages. 
     So although I want to get back to normal, I don't want my friends, family, neighbors, or me to become infected.
     Yes, I realize the numbers are pretty insignificant in a country of 350 million. 
     But I have read what this disease does to people.  Not just old people, like me, but young people, kids.  I have a friend in the city whose husband was not feeling well at the start of the stay at home orders.  He eventually was tested for Covid-19 and was positive.  By then he had infected his wife and son.  She said it was the worst three weeks of her life.  The pain, the coughing, and just being tired.  Even now, after recovering for three weeks, she still does not have the energy she used to have.
     So.....normal can wait. 
     I'll stay isolated.  And hopefully safe. 
     I do worry about my daughters and my friends who work on the front lines. (Yes, Curt, that is you.)  Stay safe.  Stay healthy.
     And the rest of you....same message:
     Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home.
Peace and Love

See the missing piece in the lower left?  I have tried every piece  that shape and none fit.  None.  I don't get it!

day 34

Ever notice how 1 song can trigger a memory?

     I have been listening to the 50s channel on Sirius lately.  I like the raw sound of early rock and roll, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Freddie Cannon, Chuck Berry....it was loud and pounding.
     But then something like Dean Martin comes on with "That's Amore."  You know:   when the moon hits your eye like a big a pizza pie, that's amore. 
     I always think of Uncle Ernie.
     Ernie was my dad's brother.  He was a fun loving, carefree guy.  At least that is my memory.  His wife was Nora, and she was from Ireland and spoke with a thick Irish accent.
    They lived on the "west end" of Chicago, and he owned a couple of apartment buildings.  I don't remember his job, but he might have been a custodian/handyman for some apartments.
     What I do remember is their basement.  The house was an old brick house with a huge porch and a side yard. 
     But it was the basement that always appealed to me.
     Uncle Ernie had a Wurlitzer jute box AND a nickle slot machine! 
     The Wurlitzer was filled with 45s, but the one that I always remember playing when I went there was Dean Martin's "That's Amore."  There were also about 20 versions of "Oh Danny Boy, " but I always went for "That's Amore."  "And When the Saints Go Marching In" was my second favorite.
     Whenever I knew we were going to west end for a visit, I would gather up all the nickels I could for the slot.  I'd put a nickle in, pull that silver handle with the black ball on the end and listen as the figures popped into place.  If I remember , there were only three columns and the big winner was cherry, cherry, cherry.
     But I neve hit the big winner, and in fact, probably never hit a winner in all the times I played.
     My dad's side of the family would be there...Ernie, Nora, Diane, Noreen, and Edmund, the youngest child and one with special needs.  They vowed never to institutionalize him and they never did.  Eddie was probably 48 or so when Nora died, and  Ernie weas already gone, so there was no one to care for Eddie,  At that point he was sent to a home. 
     Aunt Betty, Aunt Gert and Uncle Frank and Grandma...but the only ones with kids were my dad and Ernie. 
     With Nora and Ernie gone, I lost track of Diane and Noreen,  Of course, they were older and hung around with my older brothers, who kept in touch with them until the girls passed, at ages too young.
     Funny how one song can bring me back to when I was nine on the west end.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Stay home.
Peace and Love

Upper left corner almost done!

day 34

People be getting crazy out there

     I was confused when I saw pictures of people carrying assault type looking weapons at a protest about closings due to Covid. 
     Then I got to thinking of other things that might be weird, if you actually saw them.
     Potus reading a book.
     People wearing bra parts as face masks.
     Dogs with diapers.
     Airlines flying a route with only one passenger on board.
     An explanation of what whitelisting means when it pops up on a site with an   article I would like to read.
     T rex dinosaurs touching their faces during a pandemic.
     Driverless cars in a traffic circle.
     Square doughnuts.
     Something made in the USA.  Anything, actually.
     A ghost wearing a bedsheet with holes cut out for eyes.
     Seeing eye cats.
     Porcupines as comfort animals.
     A three dollar bill. 
     Triangular pizzas.
     Me smiling.
     Drive through funeral homes.
     An explanation why cough is spelled without an F.  Same with elephant.  And telephone....you get the drift.  Kawf.  Lefant.  Tellafone.
     Recording radio programs you want to hear.
     Blind people doing a Zoom meeting with deaf people.
     Rich Nigerian cousins in my family. .long lost and now princes.
     I think I am done for tonight.
     Stay healthy.  Stay home.  Stay safe.
Peace and Love

day 33

I finally got a chore done!

     Actually, 3 jobs done! 
      I planted peas.  I have two four foot rows, with two rows for each row.  Make sense?  Directions say to plant two rows, six inches apart.  Other rows can be planted 24 inches apart.  Four rows.  I can almost taste the peas already!
     Last year we planted peas, two kinds of beans, carrots, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries.  The tomatoes did not do well,  the green peppers were not so great and there were not a lot of cucumbers.  Strawberries?  If they don't come back, I will plant more carrots.
     Last week recycling guys did not pick up my box of cardboard because, well, it was in a box.  Today I cut the boxes up and put them all in a recycle bin.
     I also took all the recycles I save for the zoo and put them in the recycling bin.   I think, at this point, I will not be going back right away.  I want to see what the virus is doing before I put myself in a situation where people are right next to me.  Call me crazy, but mentally I would be a mess. 
     I took a puzzle break today......long overdue.
    Watched the special and was entertained. I think my favorite number was the last one....but I also liked Lady Gaga and Sir Elton and the Stones.   And Paul.     Guess I pretty much liked all of it.
     Stay safe.  Stay sheltered.  Stay healthy.
Peace and Love

day 32

Didos and aniles flummoxed me today

     I do crossword puzzles, usually in the morning when I eat breakfast.
     But two words really made me doubt my accuracy.  Dido was going across and anile was going down in a different part of the puzzle.
     I had never heard of either word, and figured I goofed somewhere.  So I checked the answers.....they were correct.
     A dido is a mischievous prank or trick.  I thought maybe someone said to a wordsmith one day to get the L out of it, and it-changed the meaning of the word completely.
    I don't live with an anile, which is a senile or doddering old woman.  Somedays it feels like that, but I don't. 
     I typed dido on the computer and discovered that there is a female singer/songwriter in England named dido and she is pretty prolific with her music.
   As a digression, there is also a famous female singer from Denmark  named Tina Dickow.......and my father's family was from Germany.  I always wondered if we were related, because Germany and Denmark are next  to each other. 
     If we were, maybe I would play a dido on her and dress up as an anile.
     I gotta get out of the house.
     Oh wait!! I did!!.  Went to Cypress House for a coffee and was told there was no charge because an anonymoust person paid for everyone's coffee today!  I thought that was pretty cool.  No dido from that person!
     You are welcome for being enlightened.
     Stay home.  Stay distanced.  Stay healthy.
Peace and Love

Nature's dido

My mother loved these

A little progress....but I can't fill in the bottom!

day 31

Feeling a little burned out today

     I didn't get much sleep again.  Fell asleep early, but was up at 4 and could not get back to sleep until about 8....but I got up at nine.
      Decided not to take out the porch furniture, since we may get a significant snow tonight and tomorrow.  And I did not plant peas for the same reason.
     Usually when I work on the puzzle I put Queen and The Beatles in the CD player, but today I did not even turn it on.   I just ended a sentence with a preposition and I don't care.
     I am listening to a slow "Echoes" tonight, and I love the ambient sounds.  But in a few minjutes, that ends and BBC news comes on.  Again!!
     I did spend two and a half hours on the phone/computer with representatives trying to find out when my ticket money gets refunded.  When you go through a ticket broker it is a little more complicated than dealing directly with the airlines.  Maybe I'll know more next week.
     Stay safe.  Stay home.  Stay healthy.
Peace and Love

     When one part of the puzzle gets me, I move to another section.  Slow progress today.....maybe it was the lack of music.

day 30

And now, for something different

     I have been involved with VCCT for over 35 years, if my math is correct.  First show was 1982 or so...maybe 83.
     One of my favorites was Harvey.  You have seen the movie, I am sure, with Jimmie Stewart as Elwood P. Dodd, who has an invisible rabbit as a friend.  I was cast as Elwood P. Dodd.
     It was a great show...met the other Terry and his wife and we have been friends ever since.
     Elwood has a speech where he is asked to explain Harvey......and it was one of my favorite parts of the play.
     So, here it is.

ELWOOD - Uh huh - Well, I wrestled with
reality for thirty-five years, doctor, and
I'm happy to state I finally won out over
it.


       Oh, Harvey and I sit in the bars
and - have a drink or two - play the juke
box. And soon the faces of a-all the other
people - they turn toward mine - and they
smile. And they're saying, 'We don't know
your name, mister, but you're a very nice
fellow.' Harvey and I  warm ourselves in all these
golden moments. Uh - we've entered as
strangers -- soon we have friends . And
they come over and they - they sit with
us, and they drink with us, and they talk
to us. And they tell about the big terrible
things they've done --- and the big wonderful things
they'll do.
Their hopes and their regrets,
their loves and their hates. All very
large, because nobody ever brings anything
small into a bar. And then - I introduce
them to Harvey. And he's bigger and
grander than anything they offer me. And -
and when they leave, they leave impressed.
The same people seldom come back, but -
that's - that's envy, my dear. There's a
little bit of envy in the best of us.
That's too bad. Isn't it?

     Just a thought for the night.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.
Peace and Love.

And thank heavens I don't have any huge invisible rabbit watching over my shoulder!

Working on the road today.... can't seem to find the bike rider's head though.

day 29

Almost hit my limit today

     I had a schedule:  clean our bedroom and bathroom by noon; attend meeting from noon to 1; lunch until 1:30; plant peas in the garden, bring out front porch chairs; 2:30 make a cup of coffee, work on my puzzle and ride the inside bike until 4:30 or so.  Then make dinneer and clean up.
     I forgot about the call we scheduled at 1:30 to talk about our life insurance;  that went until 2.  Then I figured I better call about the doctor bill I keep getting that insurance says I should not pay.  That took an hour.  While cleaning the bedroom the vac fell apart and I discovered the roller was filled with dog hair.     Who knew?
     So I didn't finish the bedroom until 3:30.
     In other words, my whole schedule fell apart the minute I got out of bed!
     Holy heck!  And in answer to your thoughts, I had a terrible night sleeping.    Yes, I got to bed by 10:45 but I heard the cuckoo at midnight and again at 12:30 or 1, I am not sure which beause I did fall asleep.
     I did not kick the dog off the bed, so that was a plus.
     We have someone come every other week to clean.  During this time, we have not felt comfortable with anyone coming in the house, and the cleaner has not felt comfortable going into the homes of her older clients.
     So I clean.  I have my own style and way.  Instead of cleaning the whole house, I do some on Monday, some on Tuesday some on Wednesday and I'm done.  But by then, the Monday and Tuesday parts are ready to be tidied and sometimes I skip a day, which puts me a day off.  Like today, I did Monday's cleaning.
     The main downside is the entire house is never clean at one time.  I didn't realize until today how much that bothers me.
     I'm just not sure it bothers me enough to change my schedules.
     But what drove me almost off the deep end.......at 7 I looked and my hearing aids were not in the charger.  The charger was on, but no hearing aids.  Not by the computer, not in my sweatshirt pocket, not on the counter, nowhere.  On a hunch, I checked the garbage and voila!  They were caught up in a paper towel.  That was truly a scary experience.
     By the way, Facebook reminded me that one year ago today we had about 6 inches of snow.  Gotta love spring.
     Stay safe.  Stay in place.

Peace and Love

Slow progress is still progress.

day 28

I feel like one of those monkeys

     You know the ones...hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.....well, except for the evil part.
     It's the see no part that fits. 
     I spent a long time looking for one stinking puzzle piece on Saturday.  I could not find it.  I looked closely at every piece,
     Today I went downstairs to work on the puzzle and there it was.  Right in front of me!  I know I picked it up a dozen times Saturday, but it never fit.  Today it fit.
     Go figure.
     At that point I should have been the speak no evil monkey, but I may have said a few choice words.
     Thanks for all your good thoughts for Corki.  She had a rough night.  In addition to the 578 times she barfed, she was sleeping on the bed with us and got up about 1:30.  When she got up, I moved my legs and knocked her off the bed.
     And no, it was not revenge for the 554 bumps on my head.  Inadvertent. 
     I did go bike riding in the basement today....4 miles.  First time I have ridden in over a month.
     And I sent Emily and John a text message with our grocery list.  At least I thought I sent it to John.......but he never got it.  Someone else did, but I don't recognize the number. 
     Seniors and technology...always good for a laugh.
     We did use technology to talk to our nephew and his wife in Switzerland.    They too are in quarantine and working at home.  They do go out and take walks.  I am just thinking a walk in the mountains might be a little neater than a stroll down Shagbark Lane.
     I did get to bed by 10:15 last night and am on track for a 10 p.m. bed time tonight. 
     Small steps.
     Stay healthy.  Stay home.
Peace and Love

Progress is in spurts...today was good!

day 27

I gotta stop late nights!

     When I went to bed about 1 last night, or this morning, I woke Jackie.
     That was the third straight night I toddled off to bed after midnight.......and I can't do that anymore!
     I made a vow:  Starting tonight, in bed by 10, lights out by 10:30.
     So I started  working toward that goal at 7.
     Finished the dishes.
     Put a load of laundry in the washer.
     Turned down the bed.
     Heard Corki doing that gagging sound that usually indicates something ugly is about to happen.
     Of course, she crawled under the table to urp up supper.   I grabbed paper towels and the trash and crawled under the table to clean it up.
     She moved, and threw up again.  I banged my head on the table trying to get to her to put paper towels in front of her.
     She moved a few inches and I started to clean up the second spot when she urpped again!  And once again I banged my head on the table.
     What the hell is it with dogs that they can't puke on the hardwood or on the paper towel their loving master is putting in front of her.
     The magic number was 7.  Seven times she barfed.  I hit my head four times because I am a slow learner.
     Otherwise, this was a pretty nice day.  We talked to Julia in Switzerland, Bob and Anita in Florida, my brother Carl in Florida, Judy in Rolling Meadows, texted with Joe in Hanover Park and talked to Sheri right her in good ole Rochelle.  Our final call was to Emily to ask her advice on the puking dog.
     While we didn't have ham for dinner, I had some Iowa cut chops from Headon's.  I cooked them in my cast iron skillet and I thought they turned out great!
     Hope your day was a happy one.
     Stay safe.  Keep your distance.  Keep Healthy.
Peace and Love

Jackie's magnolia has some blossoms!

day26

The Easter bunny came to our house today

     She brought lots of sweet goodies, puzzles, flowers, and a short visit.
     OK....honesty time here.....Emily knocked on the back door, put down the stuff and was halfway out the garage door by the time I opened the door.
     How am I dealing with this time?  I started crying.  Like a baby.  Again.
     Can't explain it.  Just happens.
   I spent some time on my puzzle, and I puzzled until my puzzler was sore.  Sorry, Grinch, you said it first.
     It never ceases to amaze me t hat I need a piece to fit in a section that is all orange....and there are no orange pieces left.  Damn frustrating.
     A got a bee up my butt and decided to recondition my cast iron frying pan.  It had some rust.  I washed it in warm, soapy water, sanded out the rust, coated it with vegetable oil and baked it in the oven at 375 for an hour.
     The house smells like crap!  It's been 3 hours and it still smells!  I even had a door open for a few minutes, but bugs came in!  Now I just have a window open in the den.  It feels good, smells better, and makes me long for a summer night when I can sit on the porch and read.  Hopefully.
     Anyway, tomorrow night I think I'll go  out and howl at 8 p.m.  Just warning those who live near me.
     Peace and Love

The street is a challenge for me........

day 25

What the hell is happening to me?

     I ate breakfast at 11:30.  I showered at 1.  It's midnight, and I have not done the dishes.  Furthermore, I don't plan on doing them tonight.
     It's like I have lost control of time.
     I do spend too much time on Facebook, so I have to figure how to cut out some of that.  And I read the Tribune every day, maybe I don't need to be so compulsive about the news.  Depressing, anyway.
     I don't go to bed very early, and I sleep late.  Last night a new reason to wake up at 3:30....the water softener was making a gurgling noise during its recharge.  In almost 8 years, I have never heard that noise!  It really concerned me.  Has it always done that and I have been asleep?  Ot is something wrong that I should have looked at?  Is my glass half full, or half empty?
     Speaking of glasses, no wine during puzzle time today!  Coffee instead. It seemed to go better, but it is still slow.  The gray brick roadway seems to be a bit of a challenge.
     I did wear a mask when I went to pick up dinner  tonight....I was the only person I saw wearing a mask.  Thought that was strange.
     Last thoughts of a cloudy night:  Usually I love taking a deep breath of night air.  Tonight is smelled like somebody was burning garbage.  It was putrid.  And it sounded like someone on Flagg Road was having a party!  Tremendously loud music at 10 p.m......very strange and maybe not very safe.
     Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Stay home.
Peace and Love

It's a start....and the right size

Day 24

I don't work well with myself

     My gawd I complain a lot about me!
     I work too slow, or go too fast.  I talk to much.  I listen to the wrong music, or no music.
     If I was my boss, I would fire me.
     I started my new puzzle today.  It was not a good start.
     There is a picture of the puzzle on the front of the box, then one on each of the sides.
     But they don't match!  The ones on the sides have different elements, or are missing elements, from the one on the cover.
     Now, one would think it would be logical to say go with the box cover.
     But no.... someone has to moan about it for 20 minutes.  Get over it.
     Anyway, this is not an easy puzzle for me.
     Ok, I forgot to check measurements.  This puzzle is a tad smaller than the others I have done, which explains why I spent 20 minutes trying to find pieces for the sides that  I don't need because the puzzle is 2 inches smaller.  Ok, I figured that out.
     But it is giving me fits.
     Since it is a puzzle of Paris, I figured a glass of red might put me in the Paris frame of mind but it only seemed to muddle my perceptions.  And don't judge....it was 5 o clock somewhere!
     Thanks to Emily for the grocery drop off....and thanks to Wendy for the muffins.  You are a Very Good Neighbor!  And a Very Good Daughter! 
     Stay safe!  Stay Home!!
Peace and Love

Wednesday's sky was pretty ominous but proved harmless

The lines will be straighter without wine tomorrow.

day 23

I'm feeling a little melancholy, baby

     For  those of you who have been following me for a while, you will know that tomorrow is the anniversary of one of the worst .... and best... days of our lives.
     In the early evening hours on April 9, 2015, an EF 4 tornado destroyed the homes of my daughter and several neighbors.
     It was a huge tornado.
     Amazingly, no one in the subdivision was seriously injured, although two people did lose their lives in a small town several miles to the northeast; Fairdale. 
     There was literally nothing left of her house.  When I got to her house, John was  standing in the driveway and he looked stunned.  He was just staring at what used to be a house.  A home. 
     In addition to losing all their stuff, they lost two dogs.  They thought they lost a cat, but weeks later that critter resurfaced, much to everyone's surprise.
     So why was it a good day?
     No one got hurt.  Primary reason.  Main reason,  Most important reason.  My daughter, John, everyone was alive.
     And the army of people who came to help .... it really does still bring tears to my eyes.  The friends who helped clean up, sort, stay with Jackie, drive with me to a vet at almost midnight, who dropped off food and vitally needed money for the two of them to buy clothes and dog food..... you will never know how much your are still appreciated by me.
     Ironic timing.  Tonight was the final night of Modern Family, the long running very funny sitcom.  For the past 11 years Jackie and I have watched, and laughed, at this group of people.  And tonight, we said goodbye.
     Yes, they are a tv family.
     But 5 years ago we were reminded of how important family is, whether they are related to you or not. 
     And during this tying time, we are again reminded of how important family and friends are.  So take care of yours.  Stay home.  Stay distanced.  Stay healthy.  Stay connected.
     If we can rebuild after a storm, we can rebuild after this.
Peace and Love

day 22

I mowed my lawn today

     It's not as easy as it sounds.
     Because Jackie needs help during the day, I mow for 30 minutes then check for messages on my phone.  On the hour I go in the house and see if she is ok.
     Today went well on that front.
     My back yard is like a roller coaster.  I have dips and drops big enough to churn my stomach when I mow. 
     And there are the obstacles. 
     My mower fits exactly between my raised gardens.  Or it did until the shield strap broke and I didn't have anything to hold the shield up, so I backed into the space and mowed while holding the shield up with my right hand.
     The shield is useless  because I have a mulching mower and there is no side discharge.  But the shield has to be there to meet safety standards.  I just need to figure out how to take it off myself.
     I ran over a sign.  I could not figure out where all the paper was coming from, and then I noticed the lawn care sign I had on the mower was gone.  Shredded.
And then there is the dog doo.  I pick up before I mow, but there are always a couple hiding in the grass.
     I also started cutting up boxes.
     I am crazy.  I have wanted to plant a natural garden in the back for years.  I thought I could save boxes, cut them up, and put them around the plants as a weed barrier.  Then I would mulch over the top to hold it all in place.
     So I have been saving boxes since Christmas.  I have a lot of cardboard.
     My plan was to sucker people into helping by having a plant the garden day with doughnuts and pizza and liquid refreshments.....but Covid might have a say in those plans.
     I got half the boxes cut up.  I have a lot of boxes.
     Hopefully I can finish tomorrow.
     It's a good activity to do by myself, in keeping with the times.
     Stay healthy.  Stay safe.
Peace and Love

day 21

Is it over yet?  I can't watch

     Is this really day 21 for me to be "confined?"  I have been pretty good about not going places.  But how long can that last?
     We finally put out our meager Easter decorations Sunday.  I  think we lost track of time.  When Easter comes, we will pack them up....so it will only be out a week or so.
     Luckily there are not a lot of decorations.
     We do have a 5 foot tall wooden rabbit.  The first night it was up, I had had some wine.  When I got up for my 2 a.m. prostate exercise, I walked into the living room and the thing scared the bee jee bees out of me!  I thought it was Harvey, that invisible rabbit friend of Elwood P. Dowd.  Only this time it was visible.
     So now I put the alarm on at night.  Hopefully that will help me sleep.
     I also have not had wine in over a week, which will allow me to think more clearly at 2 a.m.
     Technology is amazing.  In the past four days I have talked with my Swiss daughter face to face on Skype.  I have seen my little block playing buddy and heard her sing a Frozen song on Messenger.   We have talked to Jackie's brother and his wife  in Florida on Facetime.  I took part in two Zoom  meetings, seeing actual faces of people who were talking.  And I have not left the house to do any of that.
     Hell, a few months ago I didn't know how to use most of that stuff, so it has been a learning experience.
     I guess old dogs can learn new tricks. 
     Stay safe.  Stay home.  Stay connected.
Peace and Love

day 20

I violated stay at home directives today

     I went to a Apple Rive Canyon State Park, Dewey Lake in Michigan, and Corseaux, Switzerland.
     And I did it in less than two hours.
     How?  A magic fire.

     This was one of my goals for the next couple of weeks...burn off the pile.
     I discovered there were 3 Christmas trees there, not two.  It was long over due for burning.
     So, why is it magic?
     I lay down in the grass and closed my eyes.
     A neighbor was mowing, and the purr of the mower took me back to Dewey Lake.   I spent many summer days laying on the porch, reading comic books, and listening to the boats  purr across the lake.  These were my aunt's and uncle's cottages, and they were  heaven.
     Sometimes I would hear the Jennings/O'Reilly kids down by the lake and I would rush out to swim with Deannie and Beth and their six sisters.  We'd play in the sand and laugh.  Done with swimming, we'd end up playing a never ending game of Monopoly.....nobody ever went broke or got rich.  We just played.
     My brothers would sometimes be there, or cousins, or other relatives.  For a 12 year old kid it was heaven.
     We stopped going there when I was maybe 16.  I was working, my mother was working, my brothers were either at school or in the service and we didn't have the time to go anymore.
     I still miss it.
     The fire crackled and popped and with my eyes closed I could picture the campground at Apple River, with John and Dave and me sitting around the fire.  Sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes just sitting quietly.  Three old guys who have been friends for most of their lives. 
     I treasure those times.
     A breeze picked up and suddenly I was napping on Julia's glider on her balcony in Switzerland.  I was chilly, but it didn't matter.  I could see Lake Geneva and the boats sailing effortlessly across the waters.   I could see the snow capped Alps on the other side, and I was cold yet warm at the same time.
     I must have been there an hour.  During that time I forgot about Covid-19.   I had no responsibilities.
     It was magic.
     I hope you all can find a magic fire in these challenging times.
     Sadly, mine is  now gone.
     Be safe, stay healthy.
Peace and Love

day 19

I felt a little off today

     Not off, as in sick.  But off, as in not with it.
     I saw several neighbors out working in their yards...picking up sticks, dethatching their lawn, just puttering in the sun.
     I saw people walking, riding bikes down our street, roller blading, walking their dogs.
     I sat in the house.
     I did ventrue out on the deck for a few minutes, but it was still a little chilly for me.  I can't work outside when I am cold.  I can't ride my bike when it is cold.
      I am a wimp.
     Tomorrow I plan to plant peas in the garden and burn off my burn pile.     Hopefully I will have the time to do that.
     I still have to finalize plans for my nature garden in the back of the yard.  I have been planning this for months and if I don't get it in this year, it won't go in at all.
      I have waited too long as it is.
     I also took out the garbage.  I know, no big deal, right?  But our trash is picked up on Friday...which means I filled a bag in one day!
      That's what happens when you order out two nights in a row! Lots of containers.
     I am careful.  I wipe the bags off, then take the food out, being careful not to touch it with my bare hands.  I roll it onto a plate then toss out the bag and all the wrappings.  Then I wipe down the counters where all the stuff sat.  I also use a sanitizing wipe to clean my credit card.  I also got gas for the mower.  Put on a disposable glove and tossed it when done, then sanitized my hands.
     It might be overkill, but I am taking no chances.
     For the next several weeks I have a few projects:
     Put together my Switzerland book from last summer
     Put together my new puzzle
     Plant part of the garden
     Burn the pile
     Go through the 8,673 pictures I have on the computer and eliminate most of them
     Go through slides in the box in the basement
     Cut out magzine pictures for the zoo
     Learn how to flamenco dance
     Develop a super power
     Clean the den

     Time will tell which ones get done, and which ones are skipped.
     Be safe my friends.  Stay at home.  Stay healthy.
Peace and Love

day 18

Another day....another, what?  I'm confused

     I still have a lot to learn about Jackie's car.
     It will always be Jackie's car, because she wanted it.  I drive it.
     Yesterday I discovered that Corki is not light enough to not trigger the seat belt warning beep.
    In answer to a trivia question...42.  That's the number of times the car chimes if the front seat passenger isn't belted up.  Oh!  Did I mention that it does that about every 15 minutes the car is running?
     I had the radio blasting and could still hear it.  After a while you start counting, wondering just how many beeps will sound.  I counted 42, which I thought was a very random number.  Why not 40?  Or 50? 
     There I was, cruising down the highway, radio on high, roof open and the wind roaring through and I could still heard that damn beep beep beep....I will not do 42, just to spare you.
     Julia told me today I should have connected the belt before putting Corki in the car.  I wish I had known that.
     Supported a local restaurant with a pizza pick up tonight.  I sometimes forget Vince's, which  does have really good pizza.  We now get mediums, because that lasts us at least 2 meals and a lunch.  Larges last forever.
     Took the old girl for a short walk today.  Corki.  Not Jackie.  I did that two days ago (again,  Corki, just to clarify)  and picked up litter along the way.   I carried a garbage bag with me and almost filled it with paper, plastic bottles and other crap. Couple of beer cans, McDonald's cup and a Portillos's cup.
    What the hell!  Portillos is in DeKalb and Rockford.  Some idiot bought at least a drink there and drove with it for at least 20 miles before figuring it was cluttering up the car and tossed it out the window.
     Or it blew out of the back of a pick up truck.  Or it dropped from an airplane flying overhead.
     I don't understand why people think littering is acceptable. 
     I have to go to bed early tonight....will need all day to make a mask I can wear out in public.  Folding cloth is not one of my skills.
      Stay healthy.  Stay home.

Pete and Love

day 17

I couldn't take it anymore

     I went to Starbucks.  Today.  I drove 20 miles for a white chocolate raspberry mocha.  It felt good.  And it tasted good.
     I would buy that at Cypress House, but can't.
     So Corki and I made the drive.
     We went through drive up and when they took my card, Steven looked at Corki and said, "Aw what a cute dog."  Then he called the other workers over and Miss Corki took in a few minutes of adulation.
     He also gave me a small cup with some whipped cream, which Corki enjoyed immensely.
     Emily dropped off groceries that she and John have bought for us.  I am still not allowed to go into stores.  And I did check, she said Starbucks was ok.  I in turn dropped some stuff off at Linda and Dan's since it was on the way.
     By the way, I used a sanitizing wipe on my card after it was given back to me.  Then I wiped the sides, top and bottom of the cup.  Then I sanitized my hands and that was all before the first sip.
     When I got home, I settled in and got a text from Emily telling me to look by the back door.  I did, and this is what I found.

A new puzzle!

     Those of you who know me realize I have a love for France, especially Paris.  When I work on this puzzle, I will try to have a glass of wine, or a coffee and croissant, close at hand.

     Just noticed I don't have my glasses on....wonder where the hell I left them this time.

     Stay home.  Stay safe.  Stay healthy

Peace and Love

day 16

it's not funny, or is it?

     Going stir crazy.
     I gave some thought to tv shows.  Not a lot of thought.  Just some.
I watch a lot of tv.  I like Modern Family, Bob Hearts Abishola, Mom, Schitt'$ Creek to name a few.
     I had to stop listening to crime shows because I was convinced we were going to be robbed every night.  I even put in an alarm system.  If only it worked for viruses.
    I came up with some pitches for shows.  If you know a Hollywood producer, feel free to contact them with any or all of my ideas.
     Balcony of Love.........Lisa lives on the third floor of Brookstone Manor while Bill lives on the fifth floor.  The have seen each other in the elevator, but have never really talked.  When a disaster hits and they are confined to their houses, they take to singing on the balcony every night at 8.  After 4 months, they fall in love.  No longer having to stay at home, they end up at Bill's apartment where to Lisa's horror, he has 15 live cats plus 23 stuffed felines  scattered throughout his home.  Each cat is named Harvey.  Lisa is so taken aback and broken hearted she moves out of the city and becomes a nun.
     Mission Improbable......A spy thriller!    Charmin is a spy, a very good spy.  She works for the Deep State Department using her disguise as a reporter.  Charmin's task, should she accept it, is to find out who is hoarding toilet paper, a valuable commodity in 2025.  Charmin is pursued by an enemy agent, Mr. Whipple, who is obsessed with squeezing the life out of Charmin.
     Whose Lie is it Anyway?  This weekly game show fatures politicians from all levels of government who must answer difficult questions with a lie.  However, one contestant, George Potus, must always tell the truth!  The panel of dimly witted people must find the truth teller in this weekly show.
     Dog Eats Dogs......Follow the adventures of Mitch the Mutt as his owners train him to be a champion hot dog eater.  Watch Mitch grow from a puppy to a full lap dog, all the while learning how to eat hot dogs competitively.  The neutering episode is especially fascinating.
     None Sense......Lisa has moved on from Bill in this spinoff.  She is in her first year at the nunnery when she meets an unconventional priest.  During an especially poignant scene in this rom-com, Father Frank turns to Sister Lisa and says quietly, "Nun, you have a habit I'd like to get into."  Finding true love, they run from the nunnery and join a circus, where he discovers a talent for clowning and she learns she is multi jointed and is billed as the "The Amazing Jelly Lady."  They live happily ever after and have 12 children..

     So, that is my list of ideas for tv shows.
     Like I said, feel free to pass them on.
Peace and Love and stay safe and healthy