trick or treat

We had trick or treaters this year! 

    Usually we have 4 or 5 kids at the most.  But this year we had well over 20.

    One of the people down the street asked who would have lights on for her kids and a lot of people in the neighborhood said they would.  And they did.  I am not sure if the kids were all neighborhood folks, but I did recognize some of them.

    And I checked to be sure my zipper was up.

    I even bought several bags of candy and gave out 3 pieces.  I still have a bit left, which may not be good for me or Jackie.

    Emily and John came over today and moved all the furniture back into the right places.  

    I am working on getting rid of stuff.  For example, we get monthly summaries of oaur medications and health care visits.  I usually punch holes in them and put them in binders.

    After talking to several people, I now realize that is kind of a waste.  So I now put them in the shred pile after I get them and review them.

    Same with financial statements.  We get balance sheets monthly and I always check them, punch holes, file them.  I don't know why.  Now I just save the quarterly statements.

    I eliminated four notebooks from my shelf by doing that.

    When we had the blue room and the yellow room repainted, I took down all the pictures.  Now I am debating on what I am going to put back on the walls.  Then I have to decide what to do with the items I did not hang. 

    I tell you, life is full of decisions.

    I also found three different containers of pens and pencils.  Most of the pens are Bic type and I honestly don't know if they work.  Most of the pencils are lead, or graphite, and I don't ever use them.  

    I'll see if there are teachers who would be able to put them to use.

    I am not really decluttering.  I am just rearranging it.

Peace and Love

something odd

 Something strange happened tonight

    I did not see the Northern Lights.

    Now that is not strange in itself, but what was strange was the sky was clear, stars were out, I found a dark area and I remembered.

    Usually when there is a sky event it is cloudy, or rainy, or overcast, or I forget.  But tonight I drove out into the country to a high spot and looked north.  Lots of stars.  A dark night.  But no Northern Lights.

    Guess you had to be farther north.  Who knows, maybe later the lights will be out, but I doubt it.

    I did take a two hour nap today.  I may have had a reaction to my booster shot.  My muscles ached, I was tired, headachy and it hurt to walk or move.  I went to the outdoor market and walked around, but the more I walked the more achy I became.

    So, a nap took up my afternoon.  I feel better, and don't hurt as much but hopefully tomorrow will even be better

    I am still laughing over friend Bethy's flight to a Nascar race.  If you know her, make it a point to ask how the trip went.  It will be well worth your time.

    I also put out our pumpkin lanterns and lit the candles in them, but they are hardly noticable from the road.  Oh well.

    Another day older and deeper in debt.

Peace and Love

$%$#@!#$@!!!

 That's Pogo speak for swear words

    I am so pissed and irritated at myself, and it is only my fault.

    I had an eye doctor appointment in Sycamore today.  2:10.  I knew my eyes would be dilated, but it was an overcast day and dilated eyes should not have been an issue.

    I told Jackie I had to leave at about 1:10 because it was a 30 minute drive and I had to stop at one store before the appointment.

    I got Jackie settled.  I told her again, I am leaving at 1:10.  She would be alone for about 2 hours because we thought that would be ok.

    I had everything out I needed:  keys, phone, referral, medication list, sunglasses.

    As I picked it all up I made sure she was set for the next two hours.

    And to be sure, I checked the calendar.

    Yes, my appointment was 2:10.  Oct. 22.  Today is Oct. 29.

    I called.  Yes, my appointment was last Friday.  

    I have it on the calendar at 2:10 Oct. 22.

    How could I screw up like that?

    Jackie said it was strange they did not send me a reminder last week.

     I agreed.  Then I went back to my e-mail and discoverecd that not only had they sent a reminder, I preregistered for the appointment on Oct. 20!

    How in the hell that happens to me so many times is beyond me.  Written on the claendar, with an e mail reminder, and preregistration completed and I still screwed it up.

    On the bright side, Beth and Sheri came over tonight for pizza and great conversation.  It is always fun to be around them and chat, drink, and laugh like in normal times.

    Jackie and I also got our booster shots today.  The nice pharmacist was extra careful with her old man and I truly appreciate it.

    In the past week I have had a flu shot, two blood tests, and the booster.  I feel like a pin cushion.

Peace and Love

terrific Thursdays

 Good things seem to happen to me on Thursdays

    I went to Switzerland on a Thursday, came home on a Thursday, and today friends brought lunch and we had a great visit.

    Kathy and John came out from the big city and brought hot dogs, brats and salads for lunch.

    We had a wonderful time visiting and talking and the hours flew past.  I had not seen them in person since my surgery, just about 1 year ago.  And actually, it was only John that I saw then.

    So today was great.  Years ago we would venture into the city a couple of times a year, but the wheelchair is a deterrent to going many places.  We have also met at restaurants pre Covid, but we all know what Covid has wrought.

    I also checked my stats for this blog today.  As I sat to write this, if 49 people read this posting, I will go over 225,000!  That astounds me.

    At the same time, I am reading a book written by a woman who started writing books when her blog hit 1 million followers.  I have a way to go.

    Last night I did not sleep well, hopefully tonight will bring some needed zzzzzs.  And more followers.

Peace and Love

no zzzz for me

The old can't sleep ghost is haunting me 

    Three of the last four nights I have been awake until way past 2  The fourth night I took a pill to relax me and it sure did.

    But I hate to do that every night.

    Today I had a blood test in Sycamore.  Usually I would hit the Starbucks and head home, but today I skipped the coffee.  Maybe my afternoon teas and coffees are the reason I can't sleep, but I wonder.

    I seem to sleep better with the window open.  But Jackie doesn't like the air because it causes her allergies to flare up.

    I also like to sleep in my chair, but that sometimes causes my back to ache.

    I hate to make the bed in the spare bedroom and sleep in theere, because it is just more laundry I eventually have to do.

    When visiting Julia, I don't seen to remember having a problem.  I would open the window, climb into bed, and sleep.  Or maybe I did and I don't remember.

    It's almost 11 and I am tired.  

    So....here I go.  Off to bed, or the chair,  and hopefully sleep.

Peace and Love

hedge apples and other pictures

 Sharing some pictures today

    Jackie had two doctor appointments in the suburbs today, and that took up all the afternoon.

    She met with her MS neurolgist for a 9 month check up, and with the Botox Queen for some injections.

    Both doctors are really nice.  They sit and talk, answer questions, explain treatments, and listen to us.  Plus, we talk about travel, Tesla cars, and life in general.

    Jackie gets Botox injections to decrease the spasticity in her legs.  This is the second set of injections.  The first set was a base level, the second set is a little stronger.  Normally we go back in 6 weeks for an assessment, but we are going to do that by phone if needed.

    This is not a cure.  It is not a miracle drug.  It is one tool to help her have some "normality" in her legs.  But it will not mean she can walk, hopefully it will allow her to stand for longer than 5 seconds.

    I had wanted to go to Panera's for lunch, but due to staffing issues the restuarant was only open to 2 and we were not done until a little after 3.

    So we went to Portillo's.  We met sister Judy there and had a picnic in the car because Jackie did not feel srtrong enough to get out of the car.  I think I am going to buy stock in the chain because the restaurants are always busy.  Of course, I also hit the local  Starbucks.

    Enough of that.

    I had gone hunting for hedge apples a week ago but only found a few.  Emily found a ton today.....I guess the wind knocked htem out of the trees.

    Hedge apples are also called osage oranges.  The trees are hardy, and before barbed wire were often planted for fencing to keep cows in, or out, of fields.  But there are less and less of them around, I think because of the messy fruits.  I once read the apples keep spiders out of the house or garage, but I have not found that true.  I think deer may eat them, but I am not sure what else does.

    I used to take them to school and tell kids they were monkey brains.  No one ever believed me.

Peace and Love

Where's Casper the friendly ghost pumpkin?

I bought this one because it reminded me of my teen years

Everybody see the rapper?

Hard to tell, but these are geese flying into the sunset

Holy hedge apples, Batman!  Thanks, Emily for the haul.  I use them for decorations in the fall.

huh??

I had a strange conversation today 

    I was walking Corki.  A neighbor yelled out, "I like your moms!"  I stopped and stared.  How does he know my mom?  She's been dead for 20 years.  And do I have 2 because he said moms.

    I did not say anything.  I just stared at him.

    Then he yelled, "Your mums.  I like your mums."

    Well, that made sense!  I had just potted the mums we bought the other day. 

    Yes, I should have had my hearing aids in, but when I work outside I often don't wear them for fear of losing them.

    It was a relief that he liked the mums.

    I potted 2 large and 2 small ones, plus did a little weeding in the front garden.  I only have a little weeding left to do, and truthfully, I am not in any hurry to get it done.

    Somehow I lost my 5 gallon composting bucket yesterday.  I did not realize it until last night.  This is the bucket I keep in the garage.  Once my kitchen bucket fills, I dump it into the 5 gallon bucket.  Once that is full, I carry it out to the composting bin.

    I went out today, wondering how far it had blown in the winds.  Instead, it was next to my compost bin with about 2 inches of water in it.  Thank heavens it was not lost.

    I tried making rostï tonight.  That is a Swiss dish that has hash browns, bacon, ham, cheese and onions mixed together.  Like an omelette without the egg.  Julia made it when I was there and it was delicious.

    I made it and it was.....eh.  Ok. Not bad.  Not great.  Not the same as in Switzerland.  Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the ingredients, or the lack of wine, but it just did not taste as good as over there.

    I brought some Skittles back for son in law John.  But, I have bad news.  One of the bags fell into the sink tonight.  The bags are not waterproof.  So, one bag of Skittles is a soggy mess.  There is one bag left, as of now.

    I have noticed that I drop a lot of things lately.  I broke 2 garden ornaments while cleaning them at  Julia's, I dropped and broke a salad bowl at home, and I seem to drop a lot of things without breaking them.  It concerns me.

    But hell, I am 7f3 years old....so I guess it is ok to drop stuff once in a while.  As long as it isn't a baby or a puppy I guess I am ok.

Peace and Love

rainy days and naked bus drivers

 I always think of Jack Douglass on rainy days

    In fairness, I might have spelled his last name wrong.  

    He was a comedy writer, working for Steve Allen, Jack Parr, Johnny Carson and others.  He was also a writer.

    When I was about 12 or 13 I read a couple of his books.  I think I saw him on the Carson show when he was a guest, but I am not sure.  Otherwise, I don't know how I would have known about him.

    Never Trust a Naked Bus Driver   and My Brother was an Only Child  were the two books of his I read.

    So why do I think of him on rainy days?

    He told a story about a boy growing up in the mountains of Appalachia.  I know I won't do it justice, but you will get the gist.

    The boy was terrified of thunder.  His mother said to him, "You inow, thunder is really just Rip Van Winkle abowlin in the hills."

    Whenever it stormed, she would tell him ol Rip was just bowlin in the hills.  This went on for years and helped the boy overcome his fears.

    One day his mother sent him down to the local store to get some supplies.

    When he was in the store, a storm blew in and the thunder was loud.

    "You know what that is young feller?" asked the old man running the store.

    "Yes, sir," the boy proudly ansered.  "That there is a Rip Van Winkle a bowlin in the hills."

    The old man looked at him and said, "No you damn fool.  That's thunder."

    No matter how many times I read those books, I always laughed.  Unfortunately, I have not read them for many years.

    I suppose Douglass and his wife Reiko are both dead by now.  And why I remember her name is beyond me.

    I do think he was an infuence on my life, as so many comics were in my younger years.

    And to this day, I never trust a naked bus driver.

Peace and Love

sorry, officer

 Nothing ever goes  as planned

    Today, for example.  Get in the yard early, mow, finish weeding, clean the bird feeders......  the plan fell apart early.

    We didn't get up until almost 10.  Then Emily suggested we get our flu shots, and after we got done with our morning activities, it was about 11:30.

We went to get our flu shots.  I hate shots.  But Emily is very good at treating me like the baby I am.

    Then we met Renee in the store and talked to her for a while.

    Then we me Jennie and talked to her for a while.

    And we me Kimberly and talked to her for a while.

    We got in the car and Jackie mentioned I had not gone to get mums.  So I said, let's go to Hidden Timbers and get mums.  But first, we had to drop off the milk and frozen peas and carrots.  Since we were home, we might as well pick up Corki for a ride.

    Got the mums, got home, it was almost 2:30 and we hadn't had breakfast yet, so we had a quick lunch.

    At about 3 I was starting to change into my work in the yard pants when the doorbell rang.

    I went to the door and the cutest little girl was there selling Fannie Mae candy for a school fund raiser.  Well, I could not resist.  So I told her to wait at the door while I got a check.

    I go to get a check and I noticed my belt is undone.....because I was getting ready to change.

    And my zipper was wide open.  Wide.  Open.

    Luckily my pants were buttoned

    All I could imagine is this little girl telling her mother, "The nice man bought candy and exposed himself."

    Police would be called.  My reputation would be ruined.  I would face jail time.  An irate father, or mother, would beat the snot out of me.

    I zipped up, fastened my belt, and returned to the little girl with a check.  In hindsight, I should have bought several boxes.

    I mowed, weeded until 6:30 and counted my blessings that she did not notice my unkempt state of dress.  Corki may have actually saved me because the little girl was busy petting Corki and not looking at me.  I hope.

    Tomorrow I will finish weeding.

    Then, based on the weather forecast, I will begin building an ark.  

Peace and Love

ooh.....ahhh....ouch

That is the answer to what does Terry say while weeding 

    I said a few other words too.....but nothing I would like to repeat about weeds.

    I don't remember the last time my gardens were weeded.  I remember it was hot.  And I had help. 

    I figured I better get them in somewhat better shape before winter, because that will make clean up next spring so much easier.

    I discovered those blue nitrile medical gloves are great for my hands when weeding.  I don't know why, but my fingers don't seem to hurt as much. I wear garden gloves over the blue ones, and I suspect the warmth helps with the arthritis in my fingers.

    In any case, they feel better than working without the blue gloves.

    What doesn't feel good are my knees.  And my hips.

    I can weed for about 15 minutes, then I have to stand and stretch.  About every hour I take a 30 minute break, which means I really don't work for long periods of time.

    But my body is so cramped up, even after short periods of time.

    Plus, I can't keep my focus.  I weed, look around, pet the dog. pick up poop, walk around the yard and then go back to weeding.  It's just sooooo boring.

    I am about one third finished, and hope to get a lot done tomorrow before the heavy rains move in.  I also have to mow......it's a little long.

    Tonight Jackie and  went to see the theater group's production of "Frankenstein."  I thought it was really well done.  It was baed more on the novel, not the movies.  And no one burst into "Putting on the Ritz."

    All in all, it was a pretty darn good day.

    Hope yours was too.

Peace and Love

Keystone Kops

 My life sometimes takes a strange twist

    Today was Pie Day.  Not Pi, that is March 14, but pie as in apple.

    We made three apple pies today and froze them.  All we have to do is pull one out, put it in the oven, and  bake the sucker.

    I peeled and cored the apples, which is not a big deal because we have a peeler.  All I have to do is stick the apple on the skewer and turn the handle.

    Jackie cut the apples up and told me how to mix the stuff that goes into the pie.  We used premade crusts from the little doughboy.

    The clean up is the hassle.  I had dishes up the wazoo plus I had to wash the floor because it was splattered with crap.  And Jackie had to change clothes because when I attempted to squirt out lemon juice, a stream got her in the chest and lap.

    Something tops that chaos!

    She had a library board meeting tonight, so I drove her to the library then waited for her meeting to be done.

    I went to put her in the car and that's when the fun began.

    I lifted her out of the wheelchair, but we had a little trouble getting into the car.

    Meanwhile, the wheelchair started rolling.  And rolling.  And rolling.

    It rolled across the alley.

    It rolled through the funeral home parking lot.

    It rolled across Sixth Street.

    It rolled into a curb, where it finally stopped.

    I was powerless because I was still wrestling Jackie into the car.

    Finally I got her in and went to get the wheelchair.

    Sarah from the library was drivng  and she stopped and asked, "What the heck is going on?  I pulled out of the parking lot and saw the wheelchair rolling across the street."

    We laughed and I got the chair.  But when I went to put it in the back end of the car, I noticed one of the leg rests was missing!

    So I went back through the parking lot, across the street and found the leg rest in the grass on the other side of the street.

    I am just lucky no one hit it as it made its journey.  And Rochelle must be on a slant, because that damn thing was really moving!

    But all is well that ends well.

    With that thought, good night.

Peace and Love

shut the damn thing off

I had a rather loud cooking experience tonight

    A simple meal.  Spaghetti, sauce, meat balls, garlic bread, salad.

    The salad went well, the spaghetti went well, the meat balls and sauce blended nicely.

    Now, a note to my real Italian friends.  I used frozen Italian style meatballs.  And Ragu original spaghetti sauce.  I do not have the ability to make my own sauce, so I rely on store bought items.

    But it is the damn garlic bread that always gets me.

    I had a 6 inch section of bread.  I cut it in half, lengthwise, buttered it, put some onion and garlic salt on it and stuck it under the broiler.

    After 2 minutes I checked and it did not look brown, so I gave it another minute.

    In the meantime, I set the timer on the microwave for the sauce and the timer on the oven for the spaghetti.  Everything was going well until......

    I opened the oven door to take out the garlic bread.  Not only was it black, but flames were actually burning on the end of one piece.  Smoke was filling the room.

    That's when the timer on the microwave went off  and the timer on the oven.  Then the smoke alarms started beeping.

    I went to open the back door and put some fans on, which delayed me turning off the timers.  It was damn loud.

    After scraping the remains into the sink, I found an other six inch section and followed the same procedure.....right down to setting one freaking end of the bread on fire!

    I need to lower the top oven rack so it is not so close to the broiler.  I also need to watch it more closely.

    This  second attempt I scraped down so it was not terrible.  I gave Jackie the better piece, not that there was much improvement over my piece.

    One regret was I did not have some red to go with it.  I was afraid once I opened the bottle, I would just find a straw and a soft chair.

Peace and Love

 

what hath I wrought?

I made have made a giant mistake tonight 

    A friend in Switzerland, Cristina, recommended a mint tea.  It's Morrocan mint and it is very nice.

    I am just finishing a cup at about 9 p.m.

    Trouble is, I noticed after drinking that the box says it is "refreshing" and "stimulating."

    Nowhere does it say no caffeine. 

    It is an herbal tea, but I don't think that automatically makes it decaf.

    I have trouble sleeping to start with.  This will not help.

    Especially since I stopped at Starbucks in Rockford for a iced vanilla latte after visiting my brother and sister in law today.  We had a nice chat about family, Switzerland, Florida and our health, which when you hit 60 plus is the dominant topic of any gathering.  And I swore I would never be that way....yet, here I am.

    We had left-overs tonight.  I made some broasted potatoes to go with rump roast and corn.  When the smoke alarms went off, I knew the potatoes were done.  Those damn alarms ran for 5 minutes before the smoke finally cleared.

    I gave Jackie the not as badly burnt ones.

    Then we Facetimed with Bob and Anita in Forida.  It's always great talking to them, except after the Packers beat the Bears.  And yes, health issues did pop up.

    And Anita, my head is still itching.  

    Hopefully, I can get some sleep.

Peace and Love

choo choo

 I have always been fascinated by trains

    Big trains.  Little trains.  Medium sized trains,.

    I have parts of a Lionel set from when I was a child.  I need a locomotive and a tender, but when I went to buy one, it was expensive.  I don't know what I would do with it, honestly.

    I always thought when I retired I would build a layout in the basement with mountans, rivers, little villages.... but it turns out I am not that kind of person.

    I love riding the train into Chicago, even though it takes too long.  I loved riding the TGV from Paris to Geneva, sailing through the country side at 120 mph.  Someday I hope to ride the train to the West Coast.

    But my biggest fantasy .....  the one I need millions to fulfill....involves trains once found at kiddlylands and amusement parks across the land.

    I want a kiddyland size train.  Seriously.  I want to have a train I can sit on and drive, wearing my engineer's hat and my grey and white striped bib overalls.  I want to be able to blow the whistle and say, "All Aboard!"  drawing out the board part so it sounds like "boooooaaaaarrrrrrrrrd."

    I want 50 acres of land, with trees and a creek, so I can run  tracks through my wilderness.

    That dream was revived today with a story in the Tribune.

    The train that ran at a kiddyland in Chicago is for sale.  This was around Harlem and Irving and was open until 1964, so I suppose my folks took me there once or twice when I was a kid.

    According to the article, the train was found in a man's collection up in Michigan.  He evidently had severeal trains and his wife told him it was time to downsize his collection.

    So he sold it.  A museum bought it with the idea of restoring it and running it, but Covid derailed those plans.  (Clever pun, eh?)

    Now it is available for about $30,000, which includes 2 one ton engines, passenger cars and an obvservation car.

    The track will cost me an additional $10,000 for  3,160 feet, not exactly enough to get around my 50 acre plot.

    The bad news is there is more restoration work to be done, about $10,000 worth.

    Then there is the cost of buying more track and installing it,   building bridges, adding a tunnel.....and buying the land and you can see why I would need a million or more.

    True,  money can not buy happiness, but it could buy a cool toy to tour my 50 acres.

    Whoooooo!     Whooooo!

    Chug a chug a chug a chuga

Peace and Love

almost normal, almost

I am still not totally back to normal 

    Whatever normal is, that is.  

    I am still tired.  I slept 11 hours last night, down from the 12  the night before.

    And I did a couple of small tasks today.  I moved a bookcase from the dining room to the den and I also moved my recliner back to the den.  

    Jackie then suggested we go through some of the tubs that were in the closet.  We went through three of them, and I threw out a few odds and ends.  But I don't know if I should throw out the broken camera or recycle it.  And the hundreds of cords and plugs confuse me.  

    I think I need help, especially with the electronic stuff.

    We get monthly statements detailing prescription costs, medical costs, IRA status, and other papers I have no idea what to do with.  I put them into notebooks.

    But.....why?  All I really have to do is look at the statements, see if they make sense, then get rid of them!   I have 9 notebooks full of statements!  

    So, when I can get to the tub I will be dumping all but end of year reports.  No more saving monthly drug info from insurance.  I just don't think I need to.

    But.....if anyone has a differing opinion, please let me know.

    I think it's my bedtime.

Peace and Love

random thoughts

 I have several random, unrelated thoughts about Switzerland

    I had no idea the power of QR codes.  Now I do.  I have two!  One got me on the airplane to Switzerland, the other got me a seat in a restaurant.

    When we entered a restaurant, I had to show my code and a photo ID.  Then we were allowed to be seated.  No code?  No dine in, although you can sit outside to eat.  I even had to show my code at Starbucks in Vevey.

    Everybdy wears a mask on the bus, tram, train, plane and in stores.  No complaints, no arguments.  They just do.

    Julia pays 1.91  franc a liter for gas.  There are 4.4 liters to a gallon.  So, she is paying 8.40 franc a gallon.  That works out to a little over $9 a gallon.

    Graffiti seems to be everywhere in the cities.

    Julia has to buy garbage bags from the government.  These are "official" bags and the trucks will not pick up garbage unless it is in the official bag.  If someone does dump trash in an unofficial bag, authories may go thru the bag in an effort to find out who dumped it and levy a fine.

    Why?  They want people to recycle.  If you recycle, you have less garbage, and use less bags. 

    Switzerland residents seem very happy and content.

    The Swiss monetary system has too many coins.

    Switzerland has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.  Lots of beauty in a space one fourth the size of Illinois.

    Too many people ride electric scooters.

    Speed cameras are everywhere.  

    When you move from one area to another, you have to get a letter saying you have paid all your bills and fees  at the previous address.

    Renters have to hire professional cleaners to clean the apartment when they move.

    When you register with the government, you declare your religion.  The goverment then gives a portion of your tax money to the religion you designated.  People still give money to the church, but hey don't have to because their tax money is already supporting the church.  You can  also declare no religion, but no one seemed to be able to tell me if that meant you paid less taxes.

  I will miss going there.  It has been our vacation spot for almost 20 years.  

Peace and Love

yawn

 I think I have jet lag

    Or maybe I had a stroke.  I am not sure.

    I have forgotten words today, and made other mistakes.  For example, we had pizza tonight.  I got a plate out for Jackie, picked up her tray, and started to put the pizza directly on the tray, not on her plate!

    I had a load of laundry to do that I just remembered.

    I unpacked suitcases, but I have stuff scattered all over the house.  I hope to put it all away ..... hope.  Not today.

    Anyway, I slept about 12 hours last night....but did not take a nap today.  

    So I plan to get to bed early again tonight and hope I have a great sleep.

Peace and Love

home again, home again, jiggity jig

 Well, this was a pretty good two weeks

    Flight home was great.  Business class has its perks!

    I brought 3 suitcases.  One purple, one black, and one grey.  When I went to pick up luggage, the black and purple one came quickly, but not he grey.  I waited for the rest of the luggage to hit the conveyor.  They I waited.  And waited.  

    Eventually there were only two suitcases still going round, neither one was mine!

    I looked across the conveyor and saw a grey suitcase, sitting all by itself,  not even close to the conveyor.  I went over, and sure enough, it was the missing one.

    How it got there, I do not know.

    But if someone picked it up by accident, why then didn't they put it back on the belt?

    Oh well.

    Here's my mental state.  I woke up at what would be 10:30 p.m. last night (5:30 a.m. Swiss time) and am pretty tired.  I am ready for bed.  Now to get Jackie to go to bed a little earlier tonight so I can catch up.

Peace and Love

Not again, dad

 This has been a busy day

    After using the word last for the 649th time, I figured it was time to put it away for a while.

    Last Starbucks. Last sandwich.  Last look at the lake.  Last look at Freddie.  Who knows if this was the last?  But if it was, it was a good last day.

    There is a shortage of chocolate at the Nestle store.  At least there is now.  Let's just say someone is going to be mad as hell at me when I get home.  

    But I saved a lot of money today!  Using discounts, an employee's ID, (with her permission) and getting sale prices, I ended up with several candy bars.  Can't have enough chocolate!

    I also got a Covid test, required to fly and to reenter the US.

    The pharmacist did the test.  We made an appointment last week, he looked at the requirements then, we double checked them today, and he did a nasal swab.

    He asked me where I was from.  I told him 150 kilometers from Chicago.  That may be right, or it may be wrong.  He said he had been to Chicago and asked me if I ever heard of Cuver, Indiana.  I said no, then thought about it for a second.  I asked him if there was a military school there.  He said yes, and that his parents had sent him there for 2 summers when he was younger.  It taught him discipline.  Plus, it was a lot of fun.

    As he was prepping for the swab, he asked me, "Have you ever had a Covid test?"

    I said yes, this will be my third.

    "Good," he said.  "This is my first."

    There was a moment of silence, then he said, "I am joking."

    I told him good, because I was ready to get up and go and come back later after he had some practice.

    My test was negative, by the way.

    Julia had planned to take me to a fort while I was here.  The Swiss put forts inside mountains to guard the roads and passes.  Some of the forts have been abandoned, some have been sold. This fort. in the mountain across from Chateau Chillon, was purchased and made into a museum.

    We were going to go Monday, but it is closed Monday and Tuesday.  So we went today.

    It was closed today.

    Why?  Because the owners don't agree with the government's requirement that people be vaccinated and wear masks indoors.  So they closed. As one of the attendants was explaining that to Julia, Julia said it was one of the dumbest decisions she has heard of.  The young man agreed, wondering how he was going to keep working with the fort closed.

    They did have some guests today because those guests made reservations and the reservations had to be honored.

    Lunch by the lake (it was cold and windy). coffee at Starbucks, (it was cold and windy) packing, and dinner at Laura's rounded out the day.  

    Laura is a saint in that she lets Julia borrow her car to get the Old mMan to the airport.  The 3 suitcases I  am bringing home will not fit in the Porsche.  In fact, the Old Man barely fits.

    Now it is to bed and a sleepless night as I stress about the flight home.  At least it will be a short night, because I have to be up EARLY tomorrow.

Peace and Love 

Grape harvest is underway

These are grapes at my favorite vintner

Normally the patio is not this crowded.  There is a pipe on the top, a flexible tube.  Grapes are loaded into bin and then pumped to this extractor

We had some fresh grape juice!  It was out of this world!!

The tube making its way from street level to the terrace

One of the best views

Another best view from the terrace

Grapes being off loaded

I don't think I could do that job

They are starting to build the Montreux Christmas market

This is a wooden sculpture in a tree

Everyone loves Freddie

There was only one canon at the closed fort

Fort looked like it was in a mountain....cause it was.

the end is near

 This is a time I always get a little ....weird

    I hate leaving Julia, but at the same time, she will be home in 2 months.  So, while I am sad to leave her, I know it is only for a couple of months.

    It's not so much getting on the airplane, I have some little white pills that help me cope with the flight.

    It's more about not knowing if I am ever coming this way again.

    Sure, people have invited me back to stay at their places, but who knows what life will be like in a year?  Will they still be here?  Will I be able to go?

    I will miss the people I have triended over here.  And I will miss the mountains and the lake.  It is a great view to walk up to every morning.

    So.....pardon my ramblings.

We cleaned out a couple of cupboards today, I finished up cleaning the yard items, we went to the decheterie, bought some wine, and Kevn and Cristina came over, bearing gifts.

    Now I have to go start packing.....never an easy task for me because I tend to be highly disorganized.

    I will pack tonight, repack tomorrow night, and still be packing on my way to the airport Thursday.

Peace and Love

And pictures

Starlings in flight

Watched these land at Interlaken

This is where they launch....way up high

Lake Gruyere........where the cheese comes from. I think they take lake water and dry it, forming the cheese.  But I could be wrong.

These are the cows that give the best milk

This is the slickest way to cut paper!  We should have this in the US

Handsome Swiss tourist

Lakes at Interlaken

Parting gifts from Kevin and Cristina

Just a couple of Swiss folk

Gettysburg II

 Sometimes I obsess on things

    Dishes have to go into the dishwasher a certain way.  Socks have to be folded.  Clothes get hung on hangers based on color of shirt and the hanger.,....as much as possible.

    One year we went to Gettysburg and I took a pictures of every stinking cannon in the park.  At least it seemed that way.

    Well, today was like that.

    We went to Lauterbrunnan and saw 2 waterfalls...one inside, one outside.  Trummelbach was the inside one.  

    There were three of us....Raheme, (and I know that is not spelled correctly), Julia and me.

    The weather was beautiful.  Cool, but sunny.  The ride was smooth, the scenery awesome, the Indian lunch (buttered chicken) very tasty, but we are both pretty tired.  And I am sure Raheme is tired because she did all the driving.....it was great.

    So obsession.....2 waterfalls.  110 pictures.

    Actually, the inside the Tummelbach had 10 separate falls, so I guess the odds just shrunk.

Peace and Love

Outside the falls

Walk or ride...we rode up, walked down

Notice the walkway upper right

Even after  the elevator there were lots of stairs.  Lots

Avalanche fences on the mountain

The falls in Lauterbrunnan....one of the most photographed spots in Swizterland

The elevator path

Buttered chicken with rice