my bags aren't packed

I'm not ready to go....standing here, outside my door 

    Sorry Cass, John, Michelle and.....?  The Mamas and the Papas.  Loved that gorup and their sound.  Can't remember ... were there two Johns?  

    But....hey!  I am leaving on a jet plane tomorrow and no, I am not packed.

    I have almost all of my chores done....two loads of laundry to do tomorrow and a few odds and ends to pick up.

    I also need to pack, which is always a treat.  I will run around the house looking for things I need but can't find, only  to discover I either don't need them or have them already.  That is me.

    I will be testy, grouchy, tired, nervous, anxious, and frustrated.

    I experienced a lot of that today. 

    I tried to check in on line, but for some reason when I hit the check in button I get a message that the page can't be found.  Huh.

    I can't fill out my entry form because I don't know my seat assignment.  My ticket doesn't show it, my confirmation doesn't show it.  Maybe I ride on the wing.  Who knows?

    I tried calling, but after 30 minutes on hold I hung up.  The music was driving me crazier. 

    It is strange that the highly efficient Swiss would have 2 ssituations like that.

    Oh well.

    I may not post for a couple of days.....or even weeks if I can't find the right computer cords.  

    I think everything should be standard.  Phone cords, computers, lap tops, readers, speakers, cameras.  I feel everythiing has a different cord and it's hard for old guys like me to keep track.

    So don't laugh at the blue tape on the cords that tell me what it is for.  It's for my benefit, not yours.

    See?  Getting grumpy already.

Peace and Love

odds and ends

 This was just a frustrating day

    But...it is almost over, so time to look forward to tomorrow.

    Frist, some odds and ends.

    Got a Covid test today.  I did not know that I needed a doctor's order.  The nice person at the center was checking her list and said I was not on it.  She told me what I could do, so I followed her advice.  Luckily, I was able to get the order and the test within 90 minutes or so.

    I learned how to access MyChart on my phone, found out from a nice rep what my user name was, changed my password and got into my account.  I thought I would be notified through that that I had a pending test, but after 90 minutes I heard nothing.  So I drove back to the center, same person was there, she checked and I was on the list.  Test done. 

    Called the bank to up my daily spending limit on the AT, card.

    Put some of the closet shelves back into the rooms, thought about moving stuff but decided to have some wine instead.

    Took Corki for  walk.

    Talked to friend Dan who called me to wish me a good trip.  He is having knee surgery tomorrow and I should have been calling him.  I just have too much on my mind these days.  Take care, my friend!  Heal quickly.

    Sent Julia my new letter from the hospital attesting to the fact I had the vax.  Hope that finally clears up  matters.

    I still have an online form to fill out prior to departing.  And I have to check in.  And pack.  And organize stuff for Jackie.

    My stomach is churning and I have itchy spots all over my body.  Hives?  Bugs?  Who knows.

    I just hope I am ready to leave.

Peace and Love

ahhhh.....that felt good

 We got pedicures today

    My feet always feel so good afterwards.  Today I turned on the massage option in the chair and was treated to a soothing up and down back massage.

    I should have saved that feeling of happiness and euphoria.

    I attempted to book a Covid test at Walgreen's in DeKalb.  The one in Rochelle does not offer the test I think I want.  Notice how uncertain I am?  Two people,  Julia and my niece in Switzerland, said I don't need a test.  But they also say requirements change daily and having a test will be added insurance.

    So....I can't call because they don't book on the phone.  I filled out ALL the information requested on line, but it would not let me complete my registration.

    Three times.

    I thought maybe it was an insurance issue.  So I called insurance.  I spoke to a nice person, who sent me to another person, who sent me to another person, who sent me to ...... at tha point I hung up.  I was on the phone 20 minutes and gave my 12 digit ID number 3 times. 

    Emily suggested a place in DeKalb that does walk ups, so I am going there tomorrow.

    To be honest, the press one, press two process irritates the snot out of me!

      I also have a problem with my vax card.  Swiss authorities have problems because there is no agency listed on the card.  So today I contacted Rochelle Community Hospital and they gave me a letter verifying I received the shots.

    I tell ya....jumping through the hoops is really frustrating.

     I finished mowing, which was relaxing following the effort.

    I think I need another session in the massage chair.

Peace and Love 

I had a visitor on my butterfly bushes today!!

well, shoot!

Today was almost a darn good day 

    I slept well last night.

    Talked to Julia about the trip.

    Avoided watching football and baseball teams.

    Finished painting the porch railings.

    That, my friends, is a biggie!  It took me over 5 hours, but I finished them in one day!

    During the last set it was getting dark, so I have to double check my work to make sure I did not skip any sections.  I really tried my best not to, but one never knows.

    Now I have to look for a needle in a haystack.

    I was walking from the computer and the right lens of my glasses fell out.  I seem to have lost a screw.  (Yes, it is true...I have  a screw loose!)

    I have a couple of eyeglass repair kits, but with my sore fingers and difficulty seeing, I am not sure I can get it done.  And I am not sure when our eye doctor is open because she has cut down hours significantly during he past year.

    The eyedeal situation, (get it?  I used Eye instad of i.  Pretty darn clever for an old man, eh?) would be for me to find the little screw and have Jackie put it in for me.  But, I am not optimistic.

    Luckily I don't need the glasses to sleep.

    And honestly, I am pretty tired because I think I worked hard today.

    So, with that....to bed, to sleep, perchance to dream.

Peace and Love

good times

 Today was a pretty darn good day

    Granted, it was a pretty busy day, but it was a good one.

    Jackie and I went to Rockford to watch an Ultmate Frisbie tournament match.  Our niece's daughter was playing, and it was a good time for the Dickow family to gather.

    My brother Carl, sister in law Ruth, sister in law Joan, niece Cindy, her spouse Frank, and their kids Charlotte and Samantha and family dog Scout got together at the Sportscore.  Charlotte was playing for her team from  the U of I.  There were  a lot of teams!

    Charlotte's group was playing in its third match of the day and was 3-0 afterward.  We could only stay for one match, because sitting in a wheel chair is not comfortable after more than an hour or so.

    It was great to visit with all of them.  We all live within 2 hours of each other, but just don't get together as much as we should.  Days like this are especially great.

    When I got home I mowed most of the yard, but did not finish.  I have a little left to do tomorrow before I start painting the porch railings.

    We had Sheri and Beth over for dinner and cake because it is Sheri's birthday.  We had a great time and it was so nice to actually visit with people and just talk, like in normal times.

    Lots of laughs, some wine, great memories........all in all it was a great day for the old folks.

    You notice, I used great a lot in this!  That's because it was a pretty darn good day.

    Hope you have a great day in your future.

Peace and Love

TGIF

 This was actually a pretty good day

    The shoe is down in the two bedrooms, so all I need to do is get furniture moved back.  I don't have a problem except with the computer desk.  Son in law John has to do that because of all the hook ups and electronic do dads that have to be connected.

    Jackie and I went to DeKalb to get paint and meds for Corki.  And because she never gets to go anywhere, we took Corki.

    The primer I put on is a bit lighter than the trim.  I took a piece of trim with so Al the paint guru could match it.

    I told him the primer was not the right color and he looked at me and said, "Of course not.  It's a primer.  The only reason we tinted it close was because white is hard to cover."

    He mixed the top coat and it is the same color as the trim, so now all I have to do is paint.

    I thought I could get in some painting when I got home, but it started to rain.  Go figure, we have not had rain in ages but when I want to paint, it rains.  Luckily Sunday and Monday are supposed to be great days for painting.

    Hopefully it will not take me as long as the priming.  He also mentioned if I wait too long, I may need to reprime.  That is my incentive to get it done over the weekend/start.

    We went to Portillo's for lunch.  I swear, when they have an IPO I will buy stock.  They are always busy.

    Of course, Corki enjoyed a bit of hamburger.  (Yes, Emily, we gave her people food.)

    Then I stopped at Starbucks and Coiki got a Puppichino, or whatever it is called, and I got an iced latte.

    The only downer to the day was the Cubs.  I love the Cubs, but this is like watching the Titanic go down.  I keep hoping for a better end, but it doesn't happen.

    All in all, it was awindy but good day.  It is still raining, not heavy, but light and steady.  Too late for the lawns and gardens, but hopefully helpful to the trees before they shut down.

    Corkie has had so much human food, she is like a human now!

Peace and Love

bugged

 I am really bugged today

    Not irritated.  Bugged.

    As in those six legged creatures with 3 body parts that frequently have wings.  At least, I think 3 body parts.

    Look at this beauty.

    This is a spotted lanternfly.  It is very pretty.

    But it can destroy oak trees and other native trees in our forests and parks.  If you see one, kill it on sight and report it to a conservation agency in your area.

    This joins a long list of bugs that concern me.  Killer hornets.  Picnic bugs.  Asian beetles.  

    I can just imagine the other creatures that will appear.

Some of the ones I fear most:

    Wine drinking wasps.  I won't be able to sit outside and watch the sun set behind the trees because these 7 inch long wasps with straw like noses and needle sharp stingers will find my wine and take over.

    Shit eating flies.  Enough said.

    Cow flies.  Similar to horse flies, but cow flies are filled with flammable flatulance and can cause burns when swatted.

    Chocolate coated ants.  I won't know whether to step on them or scoop them up and eat them.  (I did eat chocolate covered ants.  Tasted like a Crunch bar.)

    Portland Cement roaches.  These creatures feed on concrete.  No building will be safe! The roaches consume an amazing amount of concrete and when they excrete it, it comes out in  a stream, which they use to spell out obscene messages.

    Invisible ash borers.  These will invade baseball bats.  It will cause the batter to constantly miss when swinging the bats.  Chicago Cubs players will be found to be using the bats in the 2022 season.

   That's what has been bugging me.

Peace and Love

oops

Wasted away again in Terryville 

    I honestly don't know what happened to the day.  It is almost over and I have not done anything!

    Sure, I went to the store.  Twice. 

    I went to return a deoderant I bought for her, but it was the wrong kind.  I was supposed to pick up some sublingual B-12, so I took the empty bottle along to be sure I got the right stuff.

    To have an extra caution, Jackie wrote down exactly what she wanted.

    I was also supposed to drop off a couple of tomatoes at a friend's.

    Yes, I forgot the tomatoes.  But I got the B-12.  

    I brought it home and gave it to her and she looked at it and said, "This is the wrong dose.  I said 1,000, this is 3,000.  I even wrote 1,000 down on your note."

    But, I said I brought the empty bottle and got exactly the same vitamin.

    "Yes," she said.  "And you bough the wrong stuff last time, which is why I had 3,000."

    Point taken.  So I took something back for the second time today.  But I did remember the tomatoes on the second trip, so all is well that ended well.

    However, the curtains did not get hung, the cardboard cut up, the switch plates put back on the wall......jobs that take maybe 10 minutes each to do.  I just don't do it, then I rue the fact I didn't get anything done.

    I have a list of things to do before I go and everytime I look at it, I add something.  Yet, I don't do anything on the list.

    Go figure.

    There is always tomorrow.  The sun will come up.  I bet my bottom dollar.

    I just hope I get something done when the sun shines again.

Peace and Love

winner winner, chicken dinner

I am going to win a lottery this week 

    Both games are over $400 million and I will win one of them.  I hope.

    It's time for me to dream what I would do with that much money.  Lord knows, I don't need a lot of it.  I would like to buy an island and move my family and close friends there to establish our own paradise.  

    A big island.   Like, Oahu.

    I like to dream big.  

    I would also fund some agencies, organizations, and invest in a neighborhood or two.  

    And in people.  I would like to invest in people to create a better future.

    I always like to fantasize about being filthy rich.  I know, it's only money and that is not what makes people happy.  But I often see rich people smiling and people living in tents under a bridge with frowns, so I am guessing that some money is a key to happiness.

    But I can't win if I don't buy a ticket or two.....so I guess I better get my ESP working to predict the winning numbers.

    And in the event I don't win, I hope someone who reads this trivual dribble about my boring life does.

Peace and Love

Updates

 Some things in my life are finished

    Beans, for example.  I picked the last of the beans today and I am not sure they are good or not.  We had some for supper, but they were a little tough.  Maybe I did not cook them long enough, but they were chewy.  Question now is do we go ahead and feeeze them for winter eating?

    Cucumbers are done.  The vines have started shriviling up, so I picked the final cucumbers today and hope to make refrigerator pickles later this week.

    Porch railings are primed.  Now all I have to do is paint them, and hopefully I can get that done this Friday and Saturday.

    My hearing aids are back, with new rechargable batteries.  The office called today and I had the option of syncing them to the app myself of having them do it.  I opted for them, so I had to be there at 1:30.

    That put me off my schedule of getting to the painting by 1.  I finally started at 3:30 and finished about 5:30.  I am getting faster, or I didn't paint a section.  I hope it is the first.

    I cooked burgers on the grill, sipping on a mojito while the patties cooked.  It was a nice way to end the day.

    So....lots of endings.  

    And tomorrow, new beginnings, I am sure.

    Until then, live safely and happily.

Peace and Love

hot hot hot

I spent a couple hours in the heat today 

    I painted two sections of porch railing.  It took me about 2 and a half hours.  It was hot, even in the shade with a breeze.

    I have three more sections to go and then I will be done.  Done, at least, for a couple of days.  Next I have to put the final coat on, which should take the same amount of time.

    I don't like painting.  Yet, I find it somewhat calming.  My attention wanders quite a bit, but I at least keep painting in the  same section of railing and not jumping to another section.

    I cooked salmon for supper.  I bought two kinds, farm raised and wild caught, to see if there is a difference.  Call me crazy, but it seems the wild caught is a little more moist than the farm raised.  The wild caught also seemed to have a bit more flavor.  But, I could be wrong.

    I sat outside and ate the fish and salad and had a couple of glasses of rosé to cap off the evening, which was much cooler at 7.

    Hopfeully tomorrow I can finish priming.  I should be able to start  before 3, which is when I started yesterday and today.  

    Truthfully, I was a bit bummed by the news that Gabby's body had probably been found.  I was hoping for a different outcome.  

Peace and Love

best plans......

 I do actually plan

    When I wake up, I have an idea of what I am going to do, and when.  Yes, sometimes it involves napping, or having coffee, or reading.  But it is part of the plan.

    Today, for instance.

    Get up, shower, do 2 loads of laundry, have breakfast, go to the store, come home, have lunch and by 1 p.m. start putting primer on the porch railings.

    Paint for 4 hours then get cleaned up and have dinner with John, Emily and Camryn for Camryn's birthday.

    It was a plan.  A good one too.

    It all went well until the going to the store part.  I didn't get to go until.....1 or so.  Got home about 2, made lunch, finally went out at 3 to paint.

    But it took me 30 minutes to open paint, get ready, so it was 3:30 before I actually dipped ny brush in the paint.  (You know, say that a certain way and it almost sounds dirty.  Almost.  Or, maybe it is just me.)

    It takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to paint one section.  So, instead of getting 4 sections done today, I got 2.  I have 5 sections to go.  I have a feeling I will not be done this weekend, which puts my plan of having the railings done by Wednesday off a bit.

    As long as I get it done before I leave I will be happy.

    My second project is on hold. 

    I went to get the materials, but they were sold out.  So I can't do anything right now.

    I am not telling what the project is, only that I wanted it done before I left.

    I had a plan.  Really.

    Sometimes what we plan just does not work out.  For example, by now I was supposed to be a Supreme Court justice, having been appointed after serving 2 terms as president after a long career as a tv talk show host, and rooting for the Cubs as they made it 6 World Series titles in a row.

    Oh well.

Peace and Love

about time

Turns out, I am one popular guy 

    Several firms have job offers for me.  Most positions are right here in Rochelle, including the Amazon one that will pay something like $25 an hour.

    It seems I have missed two interview appointments with them though, so I am not sure they will still be interested.

    I have been getting at least 5 e mails a day offering me a job or announcing I have an interview.  Sometimes I really want to go on the interview just to get their response.

    And I have a new Facebook friend request.

    Inez sent me a friend request.  

    She is a very, and I mean very, pretty lady!

    She specializes in arranging meetings with prostitutes in my area.  Jackie said I can't be friends with her, but I don't know why.

    Speaking of kinky, saw a great show last night with Emily and John.

    I was not sure I was going to like it once it started, but when Lola entered with her Angels, the show just took off.

The Angels were all beautiful.......it was not hard to forget they were all drag performers.  

    I sometimes focus on the background people.  One of the girls in the ensemble impressed me with her energy and spirit, she just seemed to glow.  But, because she was an ensemble member, I don't know her name because I can't recognize people. 

    In the lobby after the show, I was waiting for one of the main actors to finish with a photo  so I could tell him what a great job he did.  I waited, and waited, until Emily came up to me and said, "You know, that is not Lola......Lola is over there."

    If she had not said something I sure would have embarassed myself.  Again.

    One of the Angels in the cast had a rip in their fishnet stockings.  I noticed it when they came out the first time with black hair, then again with red hair, and then with blond......I was just surprised no one else noticed and nade a change.

    There was one scene in a bar and while two main characters were interacting in the center, I was watching the people at the bar and at the tables.  They looked like they were engaged in some good conversation....which created a great feel to the scene.

    The costuming was amazing.....but they are a professional theater, so that should be a given.

    I liked the show.  

Peace and Love

This was a stilletto crowd

How would I look in boots?

green monsters

 I know I will be having nightmares tonight

First off, yes this is an early entry!  It is not your imagination.

Emily, John and I are goingto see "Kinky Boots" in Aurora tonight, and I have a feeling I will be tired when I get home.

And I do apologize for yesterday's ramblings......sometimes I get off on a wrong ramp.

Why will I have nightmares tonight?

No, not because of the show.....Kinky is upbeat and humerous.

But because of tomatoes.

But tomatoes are green, or red, you say.  They are not monsters, you say.  They are not the Green Wall in Fenway Park, you say.

Yes to everything you say.

But look at this:

This is the green monster I will dream about.

Tomato worms.

Bug, ugly, hungry, worms who will strip my tomato plants of leaves and even eat the tomatoes.  But hey don't eat the whole fruit, (not wanting to start an argument over vegetable/fruit today, so relax) just enough to make it inedible.

I read somewhere, or maybe imagined it, that the spike on the end of these critters can inflice a painful sting.  So I am extra careful in how I remove them.

Look at the leaves!  Stripped!!  The worms blend in so well with the plant that I actually have to hunt for them.

I pulled off 7 today...but I know there are more out there.

What do I do with them?

They can't swim, and their gripping legs don't allow them to get out a plastic bucket.  After they die, I will dump the pail in the garden, maybe this will be a warning to other tomato hornworms that Dickow doesn't tolerate their nonsense.

I know it seems cruel, but I just can't squish them on the sidewalk because that is too messy.  

Tonight I hope I dream of shoes, not worms.  And I hope I don't wake up screaming that they are coming after me!!

Peace and Love

fed up

 I am fed up with rules

    I am an angry American.

    Every time I turn around I run into a rule The Man has made that hinders my ability to be happy.

    I have to wear shirts and shoes into many stores,  Plus, I have to wear pants in public.  I want to be a naturalist, but The Man doesn't like the beauty of the human body.

    Stop signs.  Speed limits.  All set by The Man to hinder my individuality.

    I want to be like the freedom lover I almost ran into on IL 38 last week.  Yes, there was a double line indicating a no passing zone, but he was exercising his right as an American to ignore that line and come racing over the hill at some arbitrary speed, in my lane, just so he could pass some cars who were exerecising their right to drive safely and sanely.

    I saluted him for his freedom fighting efforts.

    And in a time of labor shortages, why can't businesses hire 8 and 9 year olds to do some of the jobs adults won't do?  Why?  Because The Man says little kids should be in school, not out earning a living and making their place in the world while exercising their freedom to earn money to help out their family.

    Every week I read about people being arrested for driving without a license.  How silly is that?  It's just another excuse for The Man to wring more money from us working stiffs.  All you should need to drive is a car, preferably one with brakes.  But if you want to drive without brakes you should be able to do that too.

    All laws restrict our freedoms.  Sure, they also protect the freedoms of 300 million other people, but hey, I am only concerned with my freedoms.

    I think I need another mojito with dark rum.  Then maybe I'll go for a drive through some yards because, well, just because.

Peace and Love

on the road again

 We ttok a drive into the burbs today

    I was not nervous....despite the 8,799 expressway shootings in the Chicago area.  And that was this week!

    Our trip was to Rolling Meadows and a visit with the Botox Queen.

    She is actually a neurologist who specializes in botox injections in MS patients.   The botox reduces the spasticity of limbs.  Jackie had her first shot 6 weeks ago and this was a check in to see what results have been noticed.  Based on this visit, the next shots, in 6 weeks, will be stronger.  Hopefully the shots will give Jackie some flexibility in her legs and allow her to stand.  Hopefully.

    After lunch with sister Judy, a visit to a Starbucks, and a drive through Elburn Station, we got home without any major problems.  

    If you have never heard of Elburn Station, let me explain.  When I go to the ball game, or into the city, I park at Elburn and catch the train.  When Dan and I first started going to the games on a regular basis, there was nothing but corn in the fields south of the station.

    Now there are homes.  Lots of homes.  Pricey homes.  Homes with virtually no yards and homes with adequate yards.  The prices start in the mid $300,000 range.  There are probably 20 homes under construction and a couple of hundred occupied.  It was like somebody planted home seeds and they sprouted.

    We could probably fit 5 houses on our lot.  

    I do have one sad event.

    I have made my last mojito with white rum.   Emily and John bought the Pillar rum for me when they went to Key West last year.  (Pillar was the name of Hemingway's boat.)  I have a bottle of Pillar dark, and I imagine it tastes pretty much the same, just has a different appearance in a glass.

    In case you think I drink to much, that is one bottle in about 16 months.  So don't worry about me overindulging.

    Stay safe.  

Peace and Love

Bottoms UP

Nightly visitor

double damn

 The day was going right on schedule

    Following a night that sleep was elusive, to say the least, I took an hour nap on the porch at noon.  That really helped.

    After lunch I went out to sand the railings on the porch.  Al, the paint guy, told me to power wash, then sand, prime, then paint.  The sanding is to rough up the surface so the primer adheres better.

    I figured 90 minutes should be plenty of time, so I started at about 3.  By 5 I was half done, but done for the day.  I will need to finish Wednesday.

    Since I was covered in dust, I showered.  I was covered in dust because the dust catcher on my palm sander broke several years ago.  When I sand, I try to sand with the dust catching end away from me, but that was not possible today.  I also put on a mask.  Next time I will look for my goggles.  Can't be too careful.

    I made a passable supper, with every thing being done at the same time.  

    Then it all fell apart.

    I needed to do a load of delicates after the dishes.  

    I always buy multiple standard household items.  We have lots of toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, cleanser, window cleaner, and all that other stuff.  I always have an extra one or two so when I run out, I can grab its replacement.

    I went to do the dishes and ..... no dish washing liquid. 

    Normally I would just leave it until morning, but we are leaving early for a doctor appointment in the city.

    So I set off for Walmart.  I figured I should fill the car tonight, saving us a few minutes tomorrow.

    I am driving down the road and the dashboard has lights all over the place!  Turns out my tire pressure is low and I should not drive more than 60 mph.  

    So I went to Casey's for air.  Why?  They don't charge for air.  Everyone else does.  I hate to spend a couple of dollars when it is free.  But I don't get gas at Casey's.  Go figure.

    My 30 minute errand turned into a little over an hour excursion.  When I got home after 8 I STILL had dishes to do and a load of delicates to wash and dry.

    But all is well now.  I bought 2 dish washing liquids, got air in the tires, gas in the car, dishes done, laundry in the washer.......and I am tired.  Hopefully sleep will overtake me tonight.

Peace and Love

  

Hey, Siri......

 Sometimes I have conversations with Siri

    I'll ask it the temperature, feels like temperature, chances of rain and I get pretty straight answers.

    But sometimes I ask her things like, what is the meaning of life?  Or, where are my pants?  Am I the smartest person in the world? Can you call me handsome man?

    Sometimes it tells me that it does not have that information or understand the question.  Sometimes it tells me it is unable to answer that question.  Once in a while it will refer me to a website.

    Last week it tried to send a list something to my phone, but my phone was not turned on.

    If I ask why questions, it frequently says it is unable to answer that.

    I don't do it a lot, mainly when I am folding clothes and bored.  

    Now i wonder if other people ask Siri or Alexa strange questions.  So this is my challenge:  Ask your device a weird question and share your answers in the comment section.

    Hopefully we will ge some  answers that make us giggle.

Peace and Love

deja vu

I think I did this once before 

    I bought an anchor for a dog chain, the kind that screws into the ground with a loop to attach a leash.

    It is for anchoring my windmill so it doesn't blow down in a wind.  Ironic, yes?

    I  bought my first stake a few weeks ago.    But now I can't find the screw in stake.  It is over 1 foot long, so it can't be easily lost.

    I lost it.

    I carrried the replacement into the house and put it on the kitchen counter.  When I went out to anchor it, I grabbed it and did not put it down.  I did not lose it, and hopefully the windmill will still be standing after the next strong wind.

    Tonight friend SK came over with pizza and we had a great evening talking about stuff, eating, drinking wine and laughing.  It was a fun, and much needed, night.

    That's a downer about MS.  Jackie's inability to walk impacts our ability to go out to eat.  We have to wonder if the place we are going to has a bathroom big enough for a wheelchair.  If we are going to someone's house, we have to be concerned about the number of steps.  

    MS complicates life in so many ways.

    That's why nights like this are so important and special in our lives.

    Maybe it is the company, but the pizza and wine were great!

Peace and Love

highs and lots of lows

Sometimes life is so sosooooo soooooooooo frustrating 

    Today was one of those days.

    I planned to power wash the porch railings.  They are peeling in spots, so my directions were power wash, sand, prime, paint.

    I could not get the power washer to start.  It was getting power, but no water.  I realzed, after several minutes, that although the water at the house hydrant was on, I have a little valve at the end of the hose and I forgot to turn that to on.

    Once I did that, I was off and running.

    I started at about 11:30.  I figured an hour or so.  At 1:30 I stopped to make Jackie lunch and decided I would eat too.  At 3:30 I was done, mentally, physically and with the porch railing.  My back was killing me.

    I went to make some coffee and happily found a box of instant coffee from Switzerland that I really enjoy.  I thought I was out of that, so I was happily surprised.

    I took out my favorite cup for Swiss instant coffee and put it on the counter and then........

....the next thing I heard was a crash.  I debated gluing the hundreds of pieces together, but realized I did not have enough glue.

    After I picked up my power washing supplies, I went to anchor my windmill so it stops blowing over in strong winds.

    I bought the anchor two weeks ago.  It is the kind of think you screw into the ground to hook a dog chain to.   Son in law John suggested that, and it was a great idea.

    I had put the anchor on the golf cart in the garage.  Or was it the mower.  Or the yard cart.  On the table?  In the cabinet?  In the storage drawers?  Did it fall behind something?

    I spent about 30 minutes looking and getting completely frustrated at my continued inability to function on a high level.  To be honest, I was pretty depressed at another malfunction in my organizational ability.

    For supper I decided to have a mojito.  Being extra careful with my mojito glass, I put in the mint, but forgot to massage it; added ice, natural sugar, got out the lime juice and shook it up; got distracted; picked up the lime juice and shook it again, spraying lime juice all over the counter and  the floor because the lid was not on the bottle.  I added the lime juice, then realized I had already added it once.

    Then I put in the rum.  Got distracted.  Stirred the mix and sipped, but did not detect any rum because I put in half the suggested amount.  Plus there was a lot ot lime.  So I added the rest of the rum, and a tad more, and ate supper.

    It's a beautiful night out there.  Supper and the mojito hit the spot.

    Tomorrow I will buy another dog leash thingy and I will save the receipt because I know the other will show up.

    Just think.

    20 years ago tonight we went to bed an innocent nation, at relative peace with the rest of the world.  Within 24 hours our lives and nation would be changed forever.

    Never forget.

Peace and Love

Done is done

 I booked my tickets for Switzerland today

    I was really conflicted.  I could have booked nonrefundable seats and saved a bunch of money.  Or refundable seats and played it safe.

    So I went with the refundable seats.  Who knows what can happen in the next two weeks over there.  Covid restrictions could be placed on travelers, or I could be sick, or any number of things.  

    Most airlines offer free rebooking if you cancel.  But if Julia is here, then there is no reason for me to go there....unless she goes on vacation and I tag along.  But that probably will not happen.

    The frustrating aspect was picking the flight.  Calling customer service is great if you don't want information from a human.  

    It used to be you could call and use your miles to upgrade.  I was told today you upgrade after you book, and IF there are upgrades available, and IF you bought a ticket that was able to be upgraded, and IF you had enough miles, then you could upgrade.  But the guy could not tell me anything ahead of time.

    I tried the usual suspects for comparing rates, but eventually went with Luhthansa.  It is a Swiss Air flight, but the Swiss Air fticket is not refundable and Lufthansa's is..... which makes no sense to me.

    So..passport?  Check.  Vax cards?  Check.  Care for Jackie?  Check.  Tickets?  Check.  TSA check?  Check.

    All I have to do is finish my list and pack.

    Both could take a while.

Peace and Love

no!!!! not again!!!!!

 I see the forecast is for the 90s this weekend

    Not the 1990s, or the 1890s.....just the 90s.

    I am so tired of the heat  And the lack of rain.  I don't know wether to wear shorts, water the garden, put on a sweatshirt, or stay in bed.

    Come to think of it, the 1890s might be pretty neat.

    One of my favorite movies is Meet Me in St. Louis, set in 1904.  I love the houses, the horses, the way they lived in the movie.  Of course, I realize those were upper crust people and the majority of folks did not live like that.  And it is a movie.

    But it was a simpler time....riding with the ice man, Halloween bonfires, street cars, horse and buggies.  Yes, there were drawbacks, such as no air conditioning or refrigeration to speak of.   And no anti vaxers because vacines did not exist, which made things like small pox, measles and polio a major problem.

    But movie life is always so much better than real life.

    Anyway.....I was outside cooking burgers tonight and had to put on a sweatshirt!  I got a little chilly but it felt great.  

    On a side note, I already told Jackie I was going away next August for 3 nights.  I want to go up toward Lake Superior, get a cabin on the lake, and watch for meteors.  Who says I don't plan ahead.

    I got new paint today and painter friend Wendy is finishing the blue bedroom as we speak.  Or as I write.

    The nice people looked up my paint and yes, I did have Little Boy Blue, Marilyn's Little Blue Dress but the color we eventually painted the room was....light blue.

    Go figure.

Peace and Love

huh???

I sometimes don't know what I don't know I know 

    Painter friend Wendy came over tonight to paint the blue bedroom.

    When we moved into the house, all the rooms were painted.  But we did not like the blue room, it was too bright.

    So we got a toned down pale blue.  And we like the color.

    But after 8 years, there are some marks.  Figuring  an empty room is a good time to paint, I went to the paint store.

    I had some paint named Marilyn's Little Dress in the basement.  It is a light blue.  So I got a gallon to paint the bedroom.  I was confident because we only have one blue room in the house.

    Wendy put some on the wall and said, "Uh, Terry, you might want to look at this."

    It's the wrong color.  Way too light. I opened the old can of paint, which I still have, and it too is too light.   How can that be?

    I am going to take the new paint back to see if it can be altered to be a light blue.  But the puzzle was whey did I have Marilyn's Little Dress?  

    Then it hit me.  The basement.  My room downstairs is a combo dark gray and ..... Marilyn's Little Dress.  Mystery solved.

    But I was so sure I knew the color.

    I did pick  beans today and Jackie and I cut some up, getting a gallon sized bag.  Considering I did not think we would get any green beans, a gallon is good.

    And the storm that went through here this after noon brought lightning, thunder and a little rain.  Not enough.

    My other goof was not checking my care taker schedule.  She came, but I had forgotten and had a list of stuff I had to do around the house.  

    Even having information written down does not always help me.

    Such is life.

Peace and Love

Our floors

3.28

 It has been over 2 months since I rode my bike

    I have a lot of excuses. 

        It was hot.

        It was humid.

        It was hot and humid.

        My calf and back hurt.

        I did not have time.

        I did not have the desire to.

    Some of those are valid excuses, but some are just laziness.

    I used to ride on Thursdays and Fridays when we had someone come in for Jackie.  But she stopped coming at the end of June.  I went riding that day and it was a mistake because it was hot and humid and I almost didn't get back home.  Since then I have not ridden at all.

    Until today. 

    It felt good, even such a short distance.  I ride around my neighborhood because then I am no farther than 6 minutes from the house.  If Jackie needs me, she can call and I will be there quickly.

    What did I do on Labor Day?

    We sliced Italian beans.  Then they got blanched, cooled,  and frozen.

    I watched my neighbor Eric knock down a yellow jacket nest on the side of my house.  He was brave enough to get up an a ladder and do that.  I was nervous the entire time.  

    If I had attempted that, I would have either fallen off the ladder, been stung, or both.  Probably both.

    A big thank you to Eric for taking care of that.

    Short bike ride.

    Read a book.

    Watched part of the Cubs seventh win in a row!!  7!!!

    Did dishes.  Twice.

    Took care of Jackie.

    Got surprised at how short the days were getting.

    Hope you day was a great one.

Peace and Love

Help!!

 I get so confused this time of year

    Labor Day is considered the traditional end of summer.

    Sept. 1 is consideered by meterologists as the end of summer.

    Sept. 22 is the solstice, which marks the end of summer.

    See my confusion?  

    If someone asks me how my summer went, do I tell them A:  is is not over yet.B: It was pretty good until I found out summer may or may not have ended yet.

    Maybe I will just change the subject.

    Beans.  My beans are coming in.  I picked my Italian beans.....but now I wonder if they should be renamed to avoid offeding Italians.  They are not green beans, but maybe we could cal lthem nose beans.  On second thought, I picked my nose beans doesn't sound right.

    My green beans are actually producing beans.  I will pick some tomorrow.  Hopefully I can get enough to make it worth freezing them.

     What I can't understand is how tired I am lately.  I did two little jobs around the house and was just beat.  I got enough sleep.  Just am tired.

    Right now I am yawning like crazy and I need chocolate.  I don't have any.  Double damn.

    At least my headache is gone.  I have had that for a couple of days.  

    It just seems every day brings a new malady.

    Guess that's life.

Peace and Love

blue is blue, right?

 Sometimes I am slow at deciding stuff

    From time to time I am reminded of that.

    Recently I met someone that I had met before.  I guess I remet them.  Years ago I directed Sideways Stories from Wayside School.  It was 2010 or 11.  I tried to call everyone, and told one of the adults they would know by a certain date.  That date came and passed.  

    I did call 2 weeks after, which the person said was like "ripping a bandage off a still healing wound."

    The topic came up when they mentioned to my son in law that they still remember the incident and that they did not like the director.

    Imagine their surpirse when they found out I was the director!  We laughed about it now, but it drove home the fact I don't make decisions quickly.

    Three weeks ago, when all the furniture was out of the two extra bedrooms, we had the yellow  bedroom painted.  Yesterday I realized how terrible the walls were in the blue bedroom, so we called our friend and she will be out to paint that room too.  If I had decided when she was here the first time, both rooms would be already done.  But I did not make the decision.

    I went to get the paint today.  

    When I was a kid you had dark blue, blue, and pale blue.  

    Oh ,no, no, no!

    We originally had the room painted Little Boy Blue.  But is was too blue.  So we countered with Marilyn Monroe's Dress blue.

    Or as I call it, pale blue.

    All this means is the two bedrooms will have new floors and new paint jobs.  I will also work extra hard in keeping the den clean and organized.  We'll she how that plays out!

    Have a great Labor Day weekend.

Peace and Love

Reflections

I am amazed at the changes in life 

    This week on Facebook, memories have popped up that I really miss.  The events, not the memories....I still have those.

    Jimmy Buffet concerts, for one.  One memory had the group on a boat on Lake Geneva.  At the time I thought that was a horrible idea, but once we got on the water I loved it!  We did it again the following year.  But seeing the "old gang", or actually young gang, of Chris, Carrie, TC, Stacey, Curt, Erin, Steve, and other people who have taken me to see Jimmy brought back great memories.

    Bristol Ren Faire, for a second.  I love going there.  Emily introduced me to it several years ago.  Emily and John have taken me several times and I enjoyed each faire more than the previous.  Friends owned a shop at the faire, I think they still do but I am not sure.   Plus, I have met a couple of the performers outside the faire, at a show, and at Emily and John's when they had MooNie do a fund raiser for VCCT.

    It would be nice to return to those days.

    I noticed many changes when I went into the city yesterday.

    Here are some of them.

Usually the platform area is packed with people!

    The main lobby area at Ogilvie.....the place on the left used to be a Garret's Popcorn shop....now it's another victim of Covid

    A man had this garment bag slung over his shoulder.  I asked him if I could take the picture but he did not seem real friendly.  He also yelled at his wife.

    Anyway, memories.

    Eight years ago I had a Facebook entry where I noted I started mowing at 9:30, ran out of gas at 10:30, went to town for ga, got distracted and at 2:30 realized the mower was still sitting gasless in the yard.  But the interesting part of the post was I stopped at Cypress House for coffee after "picking up some pigs."  I have no idea what the hell that means.

    If anyone knows, please tell me.  I seem to have missed that memory.

Peace and Love

going gogh

I went to see the VanGogh exhibit today 

    It was pretty darn cool.

    Dan and Linda and I made the trip into Chicago.  That is always an experience.

    I have a Ventra pass and wanted to check how much money was left for public transportation.  I went to the web site, entered my pass number.....invalid.

    So I went to sign in.  Password invalid.

    So I called.

    About 17 minutes later I talked to a nice lady who told me the number was on the back of the card, not the front, and I had $11.75 cents on the card.

    We Ubered (Is that a word?) wirh a nice gent named Paul, who was from Haiti but has been in the US for 10 years.  He does not many family members left in Haiti, they have all moved here.

    Anyway....the exhibit.

    I love Van Gogh during his later years, especially when he was in Arles. When Dan and I went to France in 2012 we walked the Van Gogh path in Arles.  (Google Van Gogh path and see if you fnd a Chicago Tribune article written by yours truly.)

    That made it especially neat to see scenes I was at.

    Enough words. 

    Picture time.

Even the floor was covered

    I have had pastis at the yellow cafe twice......Cafe at Night I believe is the painting's title

    Me!

    Images were constantly changing....

    The life story ended with a series of works at St Remy, an asylum where he eventually killed himself or was murdered.

    This image faded as each candle went out....with the exception of one, which burned faintly when the walls went black.  

    I thought it was well worth the trip.

Peace and Love

Well....look at me

 I actually used digital coupons today

    For a techno idiot, that is a pretty big step.  I downloaded them, went into the store, and used them when I checked out.

    I even redeemed some savings I had built up.

    But technology still baffles me.  I don't understand so much of it.

    Like, how do wireless printers work?  I have a wireless printer and it is in another room but prints off what I want.  

    Hand held calculators.  They are so small, but so fast. How?

    And cell phones.  They can calculate, measure, send messages, take pictures, play games, give directions.......and you can use them to call people!  How in the hell does someone figure out how to engineer all that stuff?

    I know, I don't have to understand it, just learn how to use it.  

    And to be honest, it is not just electronics.  I saw a huge wheeled machine on a semi truck trailer.   There were gears and treads and bolts and springs and all bunches of stuff.  Who and how did they figure out what needed to be done to make that machine, which does something important.  I guess.

    The world is filled with amazing items that humans have invented.  I don't know how they did it, or what inspired them to create.  

    I am just thankful they had the imagination and the skills to make our lives easier.

    Happy September....almost feels fall like out there tonight.

Peace and Love