seriously

 I read an article today that puzzled me

    The Tribune had a story on on line dating scams.  It focused on women who have met men on line and fallen in love with them.

    All goes well until the guy gets stuck with a bill he can't pay, a project he can't finish, a deal he can't close.....because his money is somehow tied up for a brief period.  He needs a loan and since they are in love......you know the rest.

    One lady lost most of her IRA and because she made withdrawals, it affected her Social Security.  Another woman lost over $1 million in a scam, sending money to her love so he can finish a project in China.

    These were not old women, they were in their late 50s and 60s.  Some were recently widowed, some divorced, all vulnerable and easily manipulated.

    I am puzzled by people sending money to total strangers. 

    Anyone can be anything on a dating website or on line in general.  I have seen a lot of comments unning along the lines of, "you seem like a nice lady.  I would like to get to know you better" on posts female friends have made on Facebook.  I even got one from a woman!  

    Don't answer them, don't respond, don't take their friend requests.

    Be safe and act smart.

    End of lesson.

    Today was a not do day.  I had a headache so I did not do errands in town, clean the bathrooms, take stuff down to the basement,  practice my script,or hike into the woods to find a branch for our egg tree.

    Thankfully, Julia got Jackie lunch and put supper on the table.  

    My head is not as bad as it was at noon, but it is far from normal. A lot of people seem to be having headaches.  Either it's the weather or the Havanna syndrome. 

    My bet is on the weather.

Peace and Love.  Prayers for Ukraine 

cry baby

 I am an emotional person

    I cry easily.  I am not ashamed to admit it.

    Cried whenever Julia left for Switzerland.  Cried whenever we dropped Emily off at school.  Cried at her wedding.  Cried when Julia came home.

    And I cried today because I feared I lost my pup.

    Corki had come upstairs from being with Julia in the basement.  She went to Jackie, who had Corki's morning allergy pill, and Corki began jumping up and down.

    She slipped and hit the ground.  Hard.

    She tried to get up and did the splits hitting the ground again.  Then she was motionless.

    I picked her up to take her to the carpet area and she lost control of her bowels.  She was limp and dead weight in my arms.

    Once on the carpet, she just lay there, panting heavily and not moving.  We called the vet and made an appointment to bring her in after describing her symptoms.

    I thought she had a stroke.  Julia thought Corki broke a leg, hip or even her back.

    Meanwhile, the tears were streaming down my face.  I know!  I am still teary eyed thinking about it.

    Corki lay on the rug and I got  next to her and just kept petting her.  Jackie could not do anything because she just can't get down.  After about 10 minutes Corki lifted her head, but did not try to get up.

    After about 20 minutes, she tried to get up and she did without help from anyone.

    She appeared to be normal.  I took her to the vet and he did an exam, didn't find any broken bones or any evidence of a stroke, although she does have pain in her back.  He said when you touch her in a certain area, she winces, which indicates pain.

    They did an "older dog blood test" just to be sure something was not going on interally.  I also got two perscriptions, 1 for back pain and one for the cough she still occasionally has.

    He did caution me about letting her jump up and down because the back is tender.  Try telling that to Corki.

    I stopped at Starbucks and got a coffee and a Puppachino after the vet visit.  We both enjoyed our treats.

    I made sure to lift her into and out of the car,which is a lot easier to do than getting Jackie in and out of the car.

    It's been nearly 9 hours and she seems to be doing fine.

    I am too.

Peace and Love and Prayers for Ukraine

Enjoying her post vet treat!!

odds and ends....but very odds

 This was a pretty normal day in my life

I know!!!  Normal is not funny!

Most of this will be photos because pictures are worth 1,000 words.

Sometimes I get bored playing single suit, so I try to make a challenge.

I had a hard time driving home  the other day because I could not see!  Even sunglasses did not help.  And I was stopped for a light.

Made it to Skare Park just in time to miss the whole sun

Corki before her spa appointment

Corki after her spa appointment.

How this ended up in my yard, I have no idea.

I know Corki had nothing to do with the death.

    I saw this white thing out in the grass this morning, but did not pay any attention to it.  When Corki got back from her grooming session, she went into the back yard and was nosing around my gardens and she found something to chew on.

    Julia called me and I went out and found the duck.  I believe it was past Corki's fence, but parts of it were by the gardens.

    What was also strange is there was a hole in  the garden, with feathers in the hole.

    I don't think the duck was digging a hole for a nest, but I guess anything is possible.  I don't think a coyote would kill it and try to bury it, but again, anything is possible.

    It's a good sized bird.  Another mystery!

    And no, we did not have duck a l'orange for dinner.

    When Julia and I went to pick up Corki, a UP train had the crossing blocked.  It was a long train.  We went to the next crossing to the west, and it was blocked.  We almost ended up in Ashton.

    Coming back the train was still there, but we could go east to pick up a road with an overpass.  Too bad there is no road to the east north of the tracks.  Make sense?

    

    Met a friend at the dog groomer's.  She boarded two pups while she was away for a few days. Had a short but nice chat.

 

    I am wondering if the wind will bring my wayward Christmas tree back.....stranger things have happened.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

not again

I am not going to mention my sleep issue tonight 

    When they were passing out brains, I thought they said trains and I asked for a one track one.  My lack of sleep is boring to talk about and boring to read about.

    We dropped off all our tax stuff today.  Now our return is being prepared and I don't think it will be good news.

    On the other hand, we were in Rockford and I drove around a Starbucks!  I don't know if I have ever done that in my life!  But it was 4 p.m. and I just can't handle it that late in the day.

    Corki goes to the groomer tomorrow.  I will try to take a before and after picture, but sometimes I forget stuff.

    She has two skin tags on her right hind leg and has been chewing  them.  I am on constant watch to make sure she doesn't chew them off and bleed.  In addition to Neosporin, I have been putting Vicks Vapo Rub around the area because that seems to work best in keeping her mouth off her leg.  

    The downside is she has a heavily matted area.  I washed it and brushed it out today, but the groomer will have to finish the clean up tomorrow.  The upside is I am not congested.

    I have to call the vet to see what our next step is.  She still does the "sounds like she is choking" cough, but not as often.  I just don't know if it is gone enough for her to have the tags and little growths taken off. 

    Jackie is another year older today, but nothing has changed. Including meals; we had leftovers tonight.

    And why is it the greenish bananas I bought Saturday are starting to brown up?  Seems like they should stay yellow longer than they have.  No matter where I buy them, they don't seem to have staying power.

    Such is life, eh?

 Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

sigh....again

 Last night was terrible

    I did not read my Kindle in the dark.  I got to bed by 11:30.  I had my sleep mask on. I took a Benedryl.

    At 2 I wondered what the hell was wrong with me.

    I eventually fell asleep.  When the alarm went off at 8:30, I just let it go.  At 9 the station went over to live broadcast a church service and I was too tired to get up and turn it off.  At some point after 10, Jackie told me she had to get up.  Otherwise, I would still be in bed.

    We were up, dressed and ready to go by.....noon.

    Aside from that, it was a great day!

    Jackie talked to her sister and brothers, a delightful little girl came over with her guitar and sang Happy Birthday to Jackie in English and in Spanish....very impressive!

    We had a couple of friends over and I grilled hamburgers and brats and we all had a great time sitting and talking.

    The down point came when St. Peter's lost in the NCAA tourney, but it was a good run for them.

    Julia and Emily were a big help getting supper on the table and Julia made some really great tasting baked potatoes.  I hope we have them again.  The potatoes.    The girls too.

    I am hoping for warmer weather because I am getting stir crazy.  It was just too dang chilly today.  When I tried to start the grill, the wind was too strong and it kept going out.  I rolled it into the garage and cooked with half the grill inside.  It worked much better, but now the garage smells like burgers.

   Now it's time to try bed again.  Hopefully tonight will mean sleep.

Peace and Love.  Prayers for Ukraine.

I made money today

Ok, it was $6....but I made money today 

    My friend Dianne is selling Golden K raffle tickets for $20.  At least, if I remember it is Golden K.  I could go look, but that involves getting up and walking to the kitchen and I just don't want to.

    Anyway, the entry comes with a 5 or 6 coupons.  One of the coupons is for 10 percent off at a local butcher shop.  

    I shop  there anyway, so I figured to use the coupon wisely.

    I stopped at Cypress House for Hicks BBQ sandwhiches, which we had for supper, but for an unknown reason,  I did not get a coffee.  I still don't know why.

    Anyway, drove to the butcher shop and discovered I left the coupon at home.  Luckily, Emily and Julia were off to someplace and they brought the coupon to me.

    I know!  LOOOOng story.

    So how did I make $6?

    I bought about $260 worth of meat and used the coupon....got $26 off the bill.  The ticket cost $20, and I saved $26....hence, $6.  Woo Hoo!

    And my freezer is once again full of meat that should last us a couple of months, at least.  Last time I filled up was December....and we have used almost all of that.

    Plus I have a chance to win some cash when they draw.  That would be the icing on the cake.

    Hope your day was a good one too.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

gout?

I have a history of gout 

    This is an arthritic condition that is worsened by rich foods.  It causes painful joints, usually in the big toe.

    Last night as I was getting ready for bed. I had a terrible pain in my toe and I thought, "Great....a gout attack."

    As I got ready for bed I took off my sock and guess what? 

    Not gout!  I banged my toe helping Jackie off the toilet and my one toe is black.  It's the middle toe, and it hurts.

    But at least it is not gout!

    This was quite the day.  I watched it snow, then the sun came out, then it snowed hard, and the sun came out, then it snowed pellets, and the sun came out.

    Good grief.  

    We are supposed to get some snow tonight, mayby half an inch, which is still too much for this time of year.  At least tonight the sun won't come out.

    I actually watched a basketball game.  This was the third March Madness game I have watched and we were rooting for St. Peter's.  Go Peacocks!!  They eked out a win over Purdue and advance to the Sweet 16. 

    I love the emotions at the end of the game.  Players crying from joy, and crying from heartbreak.  Players of all colors and sizes embracing each other, either to congratulate or console.  

    If I was a competitive athlete, I would rather lose a game by a blowout instead of one or two points.  I would somehow blame myself for a missed shot, unnecessary foul, a turnover, or a failure on defense. But in a blowout, everyone is to blame.

    What I have to remember about March Madness is these are kids.  One of the players in a key situation hit a freethrow.  He's a freshman, playing in front of, what, 15,000 fans in a win or go home game.  The pressure on  these kids has to be intense.

    I am making some changes in my bedtime routine tonight.  No caffeine this afternoon, no reading in bed, getting in bed early, and thinking relaxing thoughts.

    I have not been  sleeping well.  I wake up tired, cranky, irritable, and listless.  That tiredness affects me the entire day.  Hopefully tonight will be different.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

mysteries

 Life is full of mysteries

Why does my dog follow me all around the house?

Why do dirty dishes show up as soon as I am done doing dishes or starting the dishwasher?

Why am I so cheap?

Why didn't I buy Apple stock when it was $9 a share?  If I had invested $900 back then, I would be worth a lot of money.  

What kind of idiot talks about children's books during a Senate hearing on a Supreme Court nominee?

If I lose 10 pounds, does someone else gain it?

How can mimes breath in the boxes  in which they are trapped?

Whe does my dog go out everytime I sit down to eat a hot meal?

Why do I always treat eating food as an adventure?  Is it out dated?  spoiled?  Will the mold on the cheese hurt me?  I'll  just try it and see.

Why do I have so much trouble sleeping?

Why do food places continue to put plastic ware in my takeouts even though I ask them not to?

Why is Wednesday splled the way it is?

Why do I have this intense desire to live on an island with no electricity?

Why do the replacement cones for my hearing aids come in packs of 8, but the filters that go with the comes coime in packs of 10?

Why do I have 5 filters left if I replace 2 at a time?

Why do I suddenly have visual auras, like right before a migraine?

Life is full of mysteries.

Peace and Love and Pray for Ukraine

tuna...more than a fish

 We had our first "Tuna LasVegas" official meeting

A bit of background.  "Tuna LasVegas"if the fourth in a series of comedies about life in Tuna, Texas.  Others are:  "Greater Tuna", "Tuna Fourth of July", and "A Tuna Christmas."

Our theater group has done the first 3.  My friend Terry C and I have been the two characters in the shows.

    Each of us play 8-10 different people, from showgirls to Elvis, in this show.  Some theater groups cast the show with with more than two people, but I think that takes a lot of the humor out of it.

    We had our first official meeting, meaning director Renee, and the Two Terrys.  We have all been together on these productions and it felt good to be back with them, and Arlis, Bertha, Vera, Inita and Helen......the list goes on.

    I have great memories of previous shows.  I came out dressed as a woman and heard my brother take a deep breath because I looked so much like our mother.

    I had a line I said correctly all through rehearsal and opening night came and I could not remember the line.  TC said my eyes would roll up in my head, my face turned a strange shape, and words would come out that were sort of close to the line.

    The show requires fast costume changes, so we each have 2 dressers.  During one rehearsal a dresser grabbed me and held on, and I said, "Sally, that is NOT a handle."  We still laugh about it.

    Once I left 11 pages early.  TC sat on the stage wondering where the hell I was going, adlibbing as best he could.  I did my next character, returned as the first character, and we picked up the dialogue and no one noticed, not even Renee.  She did think  the show was a little different that night but could not put a finger on it.

    Although this show isn't until August, I am working on my lines with Jackie.  Everyone knows my mind is like a sponge, with information constantly dripping out once it is squeezed in.

    This is a challenge....no doubt about it.  Yes, I doubt myself, but I also have a deep down belief I will have the show set in my mind when it opens.   Or the week after that.  Maybe two.  For sure three.

    Plan now to attend....it will be funny.

Peace and Love and Prayers for Ukraine

not California dreaming

 I have not talked about dreams for a while

    But last night, or this morning, I had a vivid dream.

    I will peface this by saying I just finished watching a British based show, and I am reading a WW II fictional story involving spies in Paris.  I do believe both influenced my dream.

    How else can I explain Princess Diana?

    Yes, dead almost 30 years, she was in my dream.

    We were in a castle, with a moat of shallow, cold water.  There was a ceremony naming Lords and Ladies.  Diana was standing at the top of some stairs, between 2 columns, someone would announce the next person and Diana would dub thee something.  Sometimes the person announcing would yell, "In German!" and Lady D would do the dubbing in German.

    One of the persons was a young girl...when I had the dream her name was unforgettable, but now it is.  Could have been Lay, Leah, Layla, or Jaz.  That part is all unclear.  I will just call her Jaz.  She had long blond hair and a red mole on the right side of her nose.  Heer gown was flowing, and sheer, but you could not see through it.

    After everyone was dubbed, they all went into the moat and Lady D did a splashing of water on them, like it was holy water.  Jaz was the only person to lay down comletely in the water, her gown floating in the murky water.

    And boy that water was cold!  Even though I was not in the water, I could feel the ice running through my veins.

    After the immeersion and dubbing, we all went into the great hall of the castle.  But the great hall was the gym at Tilton School, where I taught for 28 years.  It was all there...the kitchen, the stage, stairs up to the next level.  

    I noticed there were not enough chairs, so a friend (who looked a lot like Phinneas Fogg from Around the Wrold) went up to the kindergarten room to get more chairs.  The only chairs were small, wooden ones for kids.  

    As we were looking for the chairs, we started singing a bawdy song that had words that rhymed with willow.  "Oh ny lovely Willow, come put your head upon my pillow" but we got stuck on the words.

    Lady Di came into the room, except now she had jet black hair, and sang and danced with us but at that point Jackie, in real life, woke me up.

    To be blunt, it was a beautiful dream!  But I was the only person I knew in the dream, which seems strange.

    It also seems strange that the girl Jaz was only 19 and had written two powerful books that changed our lives, according to Lady Diane.  I can remember that, but not her name.

    So.....I can guess where the English influence came from, and even the German part, but why Lady Diana?  What was the inspiration for Jaz?  

    How long do dreams last?  Was this several hours or several minutes?  In my dream, time went slowly.  

    Mostly, why does this one continue to haunt me?

    Any insights you have would be appreciated.  

    Have good dreams.....

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

Oklahoma day

 Oh, what a beautiful morning.....

    I think "Oklahoma" was the first musical I ever saw.  My mom took me to see it at the Music Box in Chicago.

    It was the film version, but I loved it.

    I think of it every time there is a beautiful morning, like today.  

    Funny how weather can trigger memories, isn't it?

    What did I do this fine, beautiful day?  Went to the dentist.  Jackie and I both had appointments for regular checkups.

    Neither one of us has any problems, but in the past year I have broken a tooth or two, which is a concern.

    I read a story about a dentist in Wisconsin who has been charged with fraud and various other offenses.

    It seems a patient would come to him and he would fiddle around in their mouth and intentionally break off part of a tooth.  Then he would tell the patient they needed a crown.

    He did over 700 crowns in a 4 year period, billing insurance millions for the work.

    He was convicted of fraud charges and will be sentenced sometime this summer.  He was living a lavish lifestyle, with a couple of houses across the country.

    700 crowns in 4 years.  Almost 20 crowns a month, assuming he took some vacation time.  Holy Moly!

    I think his fraud was discovered when he sold his practice and the new owners became suspicious of all the crowns the guy did.

    That's how my mind works sometimes....started with Oklahoma, ended with a fraudulent dentist.

    I have a project to do tomorrow.....I hope it goes better than the 15 minute job I had today.  It only took me 45 minutes.  I forgot how to use the stud finder, then I lost a part, then I found the part, then I hung the hangar, then I tried to tighten the screws holding it to the wall but gave up because I can't reach the one screw.  Sigh....it's tough being me, sometimes!

    Have happy dreams....and happy thoughts.

Peace and Love.  Prayers for Ukraine

and in the end

Sometimes dogs get Karma

    Yesterday  Corki stole the meat off of Jackie's sandwich.

    About 9:30 last night she went out, as usual.

    At 10 she went out again and squatted her way across the front yard.  I guess the meat did not agree with her.

    I would say lesson learned, but given the opportunity she will steal the meat again.  I know that.

    I did feel sorry for her....she would take a squat,  move three steps, take another.  It was sad to see.  She was fine after that, but I guess she did not have much left inside.

    I wanted to watch the "Arond the World in 80 Days" series on PBS, so we recorded all the episodes.

    I have one episode to go, and I just love the show.  The characters are all so different from one another, the acting seems excellent, and the plot line is exciting.  Every episode ends with a cliff hanger.

    Of course, there are gaps.  In one episode they are rescued from an island, and in the next they are bouncing across the plains in a stage.  No explanation of how they got from ship to stagecoach, or how they got money, or anything.  Yet, I can overlook that because I like the show and am willing to suspend my critical thinking for an hour of entertainment.

    Now I have to read the book and see how close they stuck.  In an interview they said they modernized the show to include themes such as racial equality, justice, women's rights, and it shows strongly at times.

    If you are looking for a good series, I think 8 episodes, check it out.  I believe it is on demand entertainment.

    That is all I have to say about that.

 Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

WTH....again!

 This was a forgettable day

    One thing I would like to forget is the information Kathy sent me, and Renee mentioned, that Giant Flying Spiders get as big as a human's hand!  Oh my!  And Doug said they can soar on the wind for up to 10 miles!!  I am glad I live in Illinois, where the worst things are corrupt politicians and idiot drivers.

    I had a great night's sleep until 4 a.m. when Jackie started talking to me.  I was sound asleep, and she woke me up!  In the morning, I asked her why she woke me and she said I was standing next to her talking and she was answering me.  I told her I was asleep and in bed and we both think the other person is wrong.

    But I was really tired.  I think the cold, wet weather put me in a funk.  I sat down to read in my chair and 2 hours later I woke up.

    It was almost supper time, and that is a pain lately. 

    Normally we eat out Friday and Saturday night.  But no one was really in the mood for anything today.  Jackie did say she wanted a sandwhich from the elephant killer store, AKA Jimmy John's, but they are closed on weekends.

    I had to pick up some meds at the pharmacy, and just out of curiosity I drove by the store and they were open.  This was the second weekend they have been open since the height of the Covid crisis.

    I got a 6 inch sandwhich, thinking I would split it with Jackie.

    Got home, surprised her with the sandwhich, cut it, put it on a plate with some chips, set it in front of her as she read the paper, went to get her a drink and she started screaming, "No....No....No."

    Turns out Corki is a little faster than Jackie.  That damn dog got all the meat and left the lettuce, tomato and bun on her plate.  Corki had just finished dinner!  She ate all the food in her bowl, but evidently the smell of lunch meat was too great to pass up.

    I gave Jackie my half with the instructions  to guard it at all times!  I had left over pizza.

     Julia has been out of the country for a long time and missed the pizza from the Hut, if you know what I mean.  Well, turns out the me memory wasn't the same as the taste, so  there is left over pizza.

    I really need warmer weather.  I think I will get out more and be a little more active.  Since Jan. 1 I have put on 8 pounds.  It shows.  It feels like it.  I don't like the way my belly looks.  

    All the cookies, candy and pizza are taking a toll.

    In a way, I am just like Corki!   Never enough to eat, even when I am full.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

Oh no!

 Just when I thought it was safe to sleep

    One bad thing about globalization is exotic animals and plants that invade our lands.

    The Illinois River has Asian carp that literally fly through the air, sometimes smacking boaters in the face.

    Zebra mussels have devastated the perch population in most of the Great Lakes.

    Those damn picnic bugs came from someplace to intentionally land on our food and in our drinks during the summer and fall.

    And Asian beetles, lady bug look alikes, well....they stink and they bite.

    I can handle most of those, as well as the starlings, Burmese pythons in Florida and other critters we have dealt with.

    But this is unnerving.

    The Joro Giant Flying Spider is thought to be in the southeastern United States.

    Three words in that freak me out:  giant, flying, and spider.

    I don't know how giant they are, but they have to be pretty big to be given the name Giant.  It's not like the little guy everyone called Tiny, or the really heavy kid people called Slim.  Those were nicknames given in jest.

    Giant is not.

    And flying?  It's bad enough that some of the bigger spiders move faster than my reactions.  But how far do these fly?  How long can they fly?  Do they have good eyesight to know where they are landing?

    Spiders.  Normally these don't bother me.  Normally.  When I visited Julia one time she said she had some spiders in her cave and would I kill them.  She said they were big.

    I took a can of bug spray, went down into her cave, turned on the light and saw two or three of the suckers.

    So I sprayed.  And sprayed.  And sprayed.

    One of them actually took out a bar of spider soap and started bathing! 

    They mounted a counter attack.  One came charging at me and I stomped on it.   After I got back up on my feet, it just stood there grinning.

    Two others were running across the heating pipe toward my head.

    At that point I made a strategic retreat.

    I told her I took care of them.

    When  her friends came to move her stuff to the new house, it was apparent I had not, in fact, "taken care of them."

    One of her friends did a version of the Irish Jig and two others let out a chorus of words that sounded like. "My god...they are duckin huge!"  Several times.

    Unlike me, they eventually did take care of them.

    So no....I am not looking forward to running into Joro Giant Flying Spiders.  Scientists say they probably won't be in northern Illinois because the climate is not right for them.  Probably.  

    I am saying, don't bet against them.

    And don't forget to check under your bed tonight.

Peade, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

enough!

 I sometimes overdo things

    I am expanding my native garden plot again this year.  

    This is an area in the back of the yard un which I have planted native plants.  It is about 6 ft by 20 ft. and this year I am doubling the size.  The next 6 x 20 foot area will be separated by about 4 ft. from the first area.  That gives me a mowing space between the two plots.  

    It also provides a walking path.

    And it makes it easier to reach into each plot from the sides.  That way if I see a weed, I can pull it more easily.

    Of course, it is hard to see the weeds.  I can spot clover pretty easily, but the crabgrass is a different story.

    Anyway, after I plant the plugs, I water the entire plot then put down cardboard around each of the plants.  This holds the moisture in and holds down the weeds.  Then I put mulch over the top of the cardboard.

    Hopefully I will have some extra hands on deck when I do this because it is more fun with other people.

    Anyway, I have been saving boxes to cut up into smaller sections.  Today I decided I had enough.  I have a huge stack of cut cardboard, and a huge pile of boxes yet to be cut and I think I have enough cut.

    Even if I don't, I am done.  It hurts my hands and my knees to do the cutting and I am constantly dealing with dull blades.

    I have arranged for the area to be rototilled, I bought some paint to outline the area, I have an idea for a focal point.....now all I have to do is order 120 plants, make 120 holes, and plant then mulch.

    So....if you don't have plans some nice day in May, consider coming over and wondering what in the hell is wrong with Terry for wanting to do this.

    You could also  help while you are here.

    Until then, get those bulb planters sharpened!

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

strange noises

 I heard a strange noise in m car yesterday

    I vacuumed the interior, dusted it, cleaned it up,  took out the wheelchair, and tried to get rid of all the crap that accumulates.

    When I drove the car to town yesterday, there was a noise I don't think I had heard before.  At first I thought it was a drum in the music that was playing, but the beats did not match so I put on NPR.  The thumping continued.

    I stopped, checked to make sure nothing was hanging off the car.  I moved all the stuff around and made sure nothing was rolling and bouncing.

    Still, the beat went on.

    Today I drove to DeKalb for a doctor appointment and the thump was driving me crazy.  It seemed to be coming from the door on the rear driver side.  When I stopped, I checked the door and all seemed well.

    When I got in the car again, the noise resumed.  It sounded like the lock was opening and shutting.  Constantly.  I was very confused.

    I stopped at a store, parked, and went in for a few items.  When I cam out I noticed the front passenger door was not closed all the way.  I shut it and...... voila!  No more noise!

    Technology astounds me.  

    I had my hearing aids and my hearing checked today.   I explained that it was still really hard to hear in a crowd.  Guess what?  There is a new program that turns down background noise more than what mine does.  The good doc loaded that and said I should notice a difference.  Now I have to find a crowd.

    The bad part of the day was morning.  The alarm went off at 8, I shut off the alarm and lay down for a few minutes.  The cuckoo hit 10, waking me up. 

    Jackie and I must have been tired.

    Tomorrow I will not turn off the alarm....getting up at 10 does not make for a day of accomplishments!

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

first impressions

 I am not good in social settings

    That became apparent today when I went to a function involving local business owners and leaders.

    I met two young men and asked them what they did and where they worked.  They told me and I have no idea what any of it was,  It involved computers, interfacing, networking, digital mucky much and a bunch of other words.  They could have been speaking French.

    I told them that anything involving computers totally baffled me.  One of the guys took out a cell phone and said the computing power in the cellphone was more than what the first moon landing had.  I believe him.

    Then I said as a 70 year old, the whole computer world is amazing.  They looked at me and said, "You aren't 70."  I said I was, and added that what my generation has experienced in the past 50 years is truly amazing.

    Then I wandered over to get some cheese and sausage because we seemed to be at the end of things to talk about.

    I don't mix well with strangers.  I never know what to say.  I try to ask about their family, work, etc., but then it starts to feel like I am giving them the thrid degree.  (by the way, the thrid degree is right after the secant degree and before the forth).

    I did mingle as much as possible, basically listening to other people talk.  I think I might have been a good spy with that skill.  People don't seem to notice me listening to their conversations.

    That can lead to problems.

    One time Beth, Ross and I had a dinner theater group we were convinced would be successful.  We call it BRAT....Beth, Ross and Terry.

    Ross and I were having coffee in Cypress House, when they used to have an upstairs level that was more like a living room.

    We were just talking about an upcoming show and who we were going to murder, and how, and when.

    There was another customer in the store and she overheard us and went down to the person behind the counter and said, "I think those men are planning on killing someone."

    Luckily, that person knew us and knew we were planning a murder mystery dinner.  Otherwise, I wonder if police would have been called?

    So, there is some danger in listening without knowing what the people are talking about.  But it also makes for some good imaginings.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

3.14

 I hope everyone had a great Pi Day

    I baked an apple pie in celebration of the day.  Actually, we made three pies last fall and froze them.  So all I really did was take one out of the freezer and bake it.

    It was a little runny.  There was juice in t he bottom, which makes the crust a little soggy.  But it was still very good.

    Also in celebration of Pi Day I picked up dog droppings.  I know, you really did not need o know that.

    Corki and I also took a walk down to the end of the block and back, which is about a mile.  It's a good thing because today was a walk day for me.  I have been trying to go Monday, Wednesday and Friday to The Rec to walk a mile.  I usually make it two of the three days.  I hate to drive in just for that, so a walk outside was perfect.

    And the weather was great!  

    I also spent about 15 minutes picking up little black strips of cloth that were in the ditch in front.  It was almost like shredded weed barrier, which is like shredded wheat only without the fiber.

    It is all up and down the street, both sides of the road.

    Neighbor down the street was out and I mentioned the strips and he thought it was something put on the cracks in the road but it was scraped off by the plows.  It seems everyone has it to some extent.

    He may be right, he may be crazy.   But his explanation was better than mine.

    I thought an airship piloted by aliens was hit by a meteor and shattered, sending four ETs plummeting to Earth where they found my dead Christmas tree and converted it into fuel for  a space ship.

    Or not.

    I think I am tired.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

Folgers?

I don't know how to make coffee 

    Let me rephrase that.  I don't know how to make good coffee.

    I know how the coffee pot works.  I honestly think we got it as a wedding present, but Jackie said that is impossible.

    I make coffee about 5 times a year.  It's never good.

    I use 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee for each cup.  Sometimes it comes out strong enough that it will curl your toes.  Today it came out so weak I thought I was drinking colored water.

    One time I made some and it actually disssolved the spoon and made a hole in the bottom of the cup!

    And yes, I do use cream and sugar, or at least milk and sugar.   But today nothing would have helped.  I know when I go to bed I will feel the caffeine, but I sure did not taste coffee.

    I don't want a pot that uses those little cups....seems a waste to me.  And I may not use exactly fresh coffee.  My BZ friend Linda gave me some coffee 2 years ago.  One pound of beans.  I just finished it.  Now I am using coffee I had before that.

    I keep it in the freezer and take out the beans when I need them, which is about 5 times a year.

    It could be the beans have gone stale, or the pot doesn't get as hot as it used to, or I use the wrong amount of coffee, or I have gotten used to coffee from coffee bars.  In either case, I have to make some adjustments.

    While I was looking for a tool in our kitchen junk drawer, I was reminded of the need to clean out the drawer.

    I found a coupon for Tide detergent.....$1 off.  It expired in 2014.  Seriously, how long do I go before I clean out the drawer?

    Hell, the coupon could be older than the coffee.  Or not.

    While coupons go bad, coffee doesn't.  

    Does it?

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

spooky

Something spooky happened at my house 

    Actually, a couple of things happened.

    First off, Julia said she was sound asleep at about 3 one morning when she heard talking.  Somebody was mumbling and walking around the house.

    Spooky no more, I told her that was me trying to remember my lines for Tuna in July.  Yes, I have some of it memorized and am giving myself plenty of time to get it all in my pea sized brain.

    But the weird thing.   Very weird.  I was helping Jackie get dressed and she said something like, "I am so stupid." And we laughed about it.

    But our Siri pod said, "Not everyone can know everything."  

    It picked up on our conversation and joined it!  Holy crap!!

    That is the second time this has happened and now I worry that my conversations are being monitored and recorded by some unknown government agency.  

    Like I said, spooky.

    We had a pretty quiet day today.   Damn cold outside, right now it is 19.  But it is supposed to be 50 tomorrow, so maybe I can cut up some cardboard in the garage in preparation for my native garden expansion.

    Friend Sheri came over tonight and we all enjoyed a glass of wine (except Jackie),  great conversation and some laughs.  It is always nice to have friends visit. And of course, drinking wine is good too.

    Which may explain some of my syntax and spelling tonight.

    I hope I remember to set my clocks ahead.  You know, the safest hour to drive starts at 2 a.m. tonight because hardly any accidents take place between 2 and 3 a.m.

    I just hope I can sleep. 

    Peace, Love, and Prayers for Ukraine

    

WTH

 Memory is a fascinating thing

    I can remember songs and the groups that sang them way back in the 60s, but I don't remember where I put my wallet or keys.

    Today I got coffee at Cypress House and I did not know the person who waited on me.  I asked her name.  She said Emily.   Now, you would  think I would remember someone who has the same name as my daughter, right?  

    But as we were engaging in small talk, I asked if this was  the first time I asked her name and she laughed and said no.

    Go figure.

    But I know Tommy Roe sang "Sweet Little Sheila," (you'll know her when you see her; blue eyes and a pony tail.  Cheeks are rosy she looks a little nosy, man I wish  that girl was mine.)  Sing along.....

    I can remember my credit card number, but not my log in for Facebook.  I have changed the password so many times I need a computer to keep track of the computer.

    I sometimes wonder if I should ask Emily (my daughter, the pharmacist) if those memory enhancers advertised on TV really work.  Amy Farah Fowler advertises one, and while she played a neuroscientist on tv in real life Mayim Balik is one.  And I know I spelled her name incorrectly.  She advertises one of the products and she wouldn't lie, would she?

    So, if hear me  softly singing "Under the Boardwalk" (The Drifters) while looking for my car in a parking lot, blame my memory for my aimless wandering.

    Or thank  my memory and sing along.  But I like the version that says making love, not the G rated falling in love one.

    Now, I have to go and find my glasses.  I put them somewhere. Under the boardwalk, people walking above, under the boardwalk, we'll be making love........

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

what a waste

You can never get time back, can you

  This may look a little different tonight.

Our internet is currently out, so I am using a word processing program.  I will then copy and paste this once the internet is back up.

So you may be reading this on Thursday, or Friday……who knows when Xfinity will get it working.

Thank you all for your wishes and prayers yesterday.  This is a difficult time for Emily and John and for us too.  

I did nothing stupidly today.

Seriously,  had 3 tasks to do and instead of doing them, I played on the computer.  Now it is after 9 and I still have 3 tasks to do,  which will most likely be put off until tomorrow.

Except my pills.  I have to fill my weekly medication container.  That usually  takes about 3 hours as I put the 8739 pills into the proper slots.  Well, AM or PM anyway.

I just got distracted by my tower, which ha a lot of flashing lights.  That can’t be good.  Telephone is out too, but most people have cell phones anyway.

I wonder if a car hit a pole…the roads were kind of slippery when I came home from a meeting at about 8.  

Anyway…..guess I’ll find something else to do.

Seems like the system is working again…..praise somebody.

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

favors, please

First off, I am really uncomfortable about this 

But I can not ignore the issue.

Emily and John both posted on Facebook tonight that they are separating.  They both asked for support as they go their different ways.

Jackie and I are devastated because our daughter is hurting and we care a great deal about John.

As a parent, it breaks my heart to see her heart break.  But they are doing what they feel is best for them at this time.

Please keep both of them in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

Peace and Love and Prayers for Ukraine

blah

I am not 100 percent feeling well 

    Jackie asked me what I ate today, and after I finished telling her she said, "My God, how can you eat so much?!"

    Truth is, I shouldn't.  I had soup for lunch, along with some string cheese, then chips, cookies, couple of pieces of chocolate, an instant coffee, couple of cookies, handful of peanuts, another handful of peanuts......and then it was time for supper.  I made a salad and had a homemade frozen turkey pot pie.

    Then my stomach got a little woozy.

    I don't think it would take much to deduce why.

    On a further note, the local theater group is doing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" next fall.

    I remember reading that way back when, so I thought I would reread it.

    Our library has a program called Hoopla which has thousands of titles available for e-books.

    I did a search, found the book, downloaded it.....and discovered I had downloaded the chapter summary of the book.  Since I read in bed, I did not want to search and do the download again, so I waited until the next day.

    Found the title, made sure it was not the chapter summary, and downloaded it.

    That night in bed, I found I had dowloaded a discussion guide to the book.  Not what I wanted.

    The next day I again did a search, saw the title, made sure it was not a summary or discussion guide, and downloaded it.  

    That night I went to bed and started reading.

    Like I said, it has been a few hundred years since I read it, but by page four I was really confused.  So I went to the title page and guess what?

    I downloaded "One Flew Over the Crow's Nest" by Ken  Casey.

    Three times I downloaded the wrong book.

    I also discovered they don't have a regular copy of the book in e-book format.  Nor could I find any of the other 5 titles I want to read.

    I am too cheap to get   them on Amazon, but I may have to if I want to read the ones I can't find.

    Anyway.....I did download a story based on true facts about a dressmaker in Paris during WW II.  That type of fiction always interests me.

    I just hope I downloaded the right one this time.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine

one of those days

 Sometimes I just have a weird day

    Not terrible, not bad, not good.....just weird.

    I started out just to run three errands, walk at The Rec, and come home.  Should be 90 minutes at the most.

    Well, I spent 30 minutes at my first stop because the owner was there and we just talked and talked and talked.

    I never made the second stop, because I did not bring the paper I was supposed to drop off.

    In the meantime, Jackie called and I made a quick trip home.  I went back into town and stopped at Walmart to buy three things, only 2 of which were in stock.  No surprise.

    I ran my debit card through and it said card declined.  I ran it again and again it said card declined.  As I was puzzling over the sitsyeeation, the register started humming and printed out my receipt.  Yes, I was confused.

    I went to the bank to deposit a check and tried to endose the check with the stylus you use on those electronic pads.  It would not write.  I said it was out of ink.  That's when I discovered I had the stylus, which is not a pen.

    Went to the rec center.  My membership card would not read.  I kept waving it under the machine and nothing happened.  The young person working behind the counter said, "Hold it up to the screen."  Which I did and the card did get read.

    Funny thing:  I have been there several times and always held it up to the screen, but today I didn't.

    Like I said, weird.

    I stopped at Cypress House for a coffee.  I won a $50 gift card in a drawing there last week, so I picked out a little bouquet for Jackie, got a coffee, and a sunflower for Ukraine.

    When I left the store, I said to the youngin working there, "Thanks for the boubla... boubla........ boobala."  She just stared at me, probably thought I was having a stroke or something.  So I just left.

    My tree is still officially missing.  The 3 inches of snow we got is almost gone.  I forgot to fill my bird feeders and I have about 1,965 boxes to cut apart in the garage.

    Hopefully tomorrow is another day.........

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

time, and trees, fly

Lots of unrelated things happened today 

    We had storms and strong winds last night.  No damage to our house, but neighboring communities had some outbuildings damaged.

    I do an annual (well, semi....or maybe just in my mind annual) burning of the Christmas tree in March or April.

    I gather up all the cut branches from the tree, which I used to cover plants,  drag it all  into an area where fire doesn't matter, and light the pile.

    Until the burning, I put the tree in the yard.  Yes, sometimes I have to go find it because the wind might blow it.  It was in the field next to us once, and in the yard two houses down once.  So I wedged it between the utility box and cable box at the back of the yard.

    Like I said, it was windy.  

    My tree is gone.

    I have looked in yards, along fence lines, in the ditches, in the park.....I can't find it anywhere.   We have a neighborhood Facebook page and I posted it there, but no one has found my tree!

    I do feel bad about that for 2 reasons:  1, I don't want to be a littering bad neighbor; 2, I like fire.

    I got out my golf cart to search around, but once I got to the corner the cart told me it did not want to go any farther.  I turned around and 15 minutes later made it the 300 feet to my house.  

    Now I have to find someone who tests and replaces batteries in golf carts.

    We got a notice from Comcast that they made a mistake in our DVR programming and as of April 26 we can only have 20 hours saved.  We currently have about 200.

    Most of them are programs I wanted to watch.

    So today I sat down and watched "8 Days a Week," the Ron Howard film WTTW showed as a fund raiser in 2018!  

    It was pretty good and well worth the wait.   I also watched a "Hidden Chicago" program recorded in 2020.  

    Hopefully I can watch all the other "must see" shows I recorded.

    I used my air fryer to make garlic buttered steak bites, and they were pretty darned good!  Served them with sweet corn and beans, and Jackie and I were full.  Julia also enjoyed them, but without the vegetables.

    Now, all I need is a good night's sleep and the world will look a better place.  

    Maybe.

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine

a day late

 I should have made the phone call Thursday

    Corki has some surgery scheduled for Monday.  Doctor said it was pretty routine, removal of two growths and lasering off some skin tags.

    She will be intubated for this.

    Well, Corki has been doing this kind of gagging cough, like when a dog is on a leash and you pull the leash too tight.

    So Friday I called the vet and explained what was going on.  No, she was not coughing up anything; no there was no flem; no this is not something that just started but it has gotten worse over the last two weeks.

    Following a couple of conversations, the feeling was to not do the procedure.  If she is coughing, intubating her might be a very bad thing.

    So they perscribed two medicenes.

    If I had called Thursday, the meds could have been picked up by Julia while she was in DeKalb Friday.  But since I called Friday, I had to pick them up today.

    Normally that is no big thing, but with gas at $4 a gallon, I am trying to make as few unnessary trips as possible.

    Long story short..... no surgery Monday, give the meds and call when they are done to update the docs  and reschedule the procedure.

    I did save some money though.  I stopped at a box store and bought toilet paper that was $5 cheaper than the same brand, same size as at our box store.  That paid for my coffee.....almost.

Peace, Love, and Pray for Ukraine

WTH???

 I write notes to myself

Like these:

56 in  the house

check insurance 240-20 reaching out

Nov 12 22 /185

Last Jay Leno

    The problem is, I have no idea what any of these mean.  

    I must have wanted to remember something important, or else I would not have written it down, right?

    But does 56 in the house refer to a temperature, a theater audience, or some random fact I needed to remember at the  time.

    I have nothing written on the calender would help for Nov. 12 22 and I have not seen 185 in several years

    I need to start using complete thoughts when I make notes.  Then maybe I won't be as confused.

    Anyway, Jacke and I went to see the VCCT show "A is for Alice."  It was really good and if you live in Rochelle and have not seen it, you have one more chance Saturday night.

    We made it an event by having Sheri and Beth over for pizza and pre show refreshments and then met up again at the theater.

    It was a fun  time...great conversation, great music, great friends.  I almost felt "normal."  If that is possible.

    Have a great weekend.

Peace, Love, and Prayers for Ukraine

thundering herd

I am not exactly light on my feet 

    Last night, Julia was downstairs watching TV and I was upstairs with Jackie.

    You have to understand how the house works.

    I clean up after supper, which was carry out, then  I usually go to the computer.

    Once I am at the computer I play some solitaire, check the news, look at Facebook, do my blog, and take care of Jackie when she calls.

    Some nights it goes well.

    Last night was not one of those nights.

    I sat at the computer and Corki needed to go out.  

    Sat back down at the computer and Jackie needed to use the facilities.

    Sat back down at the computer and it was time for Corki's night treat.  She barks starting at 7:15 and we give in about 7:30.  We were late.  She barked.  We gave her a treat.  No, we did not know Julia had already done that.

    Back at the computer, I forgot to bring Jackie her meds.  Corki has to go out after her treat.  I went to get tea.  Forgot a couple of cookies to go with my tea.  Got something for Jackie.  I was up and down 100 times.

    Julia came up and said "What the hell!   Was there a herd of elephants up here?"

    Evidently I did not do a good job at sound proofing the basement and Julia can notice when I walk around, when Jackie drops stuff, and when Corki wanders the house looking for food...which is almost constantly for all three.

    Now, to be fair, I have put on a pound or two since Christmas.  Hell, I won't lie.  8 pounds.  I blame it on my complete lack of self control.

    Example:  I went to the market at Cypress House Saturday and there were two of the cutest little girls selling Girl Scout cookies.  Despite the fact I  had already ordered several boxes, I ended up buying a box of S'Mores.

    By Tuesday the box was empty.  I ate every single one!  In 4 days!  I offered them to Jackie and Julia, but they did not say yes.

    I have to say they were absolutely amazing cookies and I am glad I did not buy two boxes.

    This morning I put on my new jeans and they were tight.  Very tight.  I guess the washer must have shrunk them.

Tonight I got Jackie's meds, Corki's treat, and a glass of wine all in one trip.  No elephants stampeding tonight.

    And I did not have any cookies.    I just wonder how long I can keep that up.

Peace, Love and Prayers for Ukraine.

busy, busy, busy

 Thie was a pretty busy day for us

    Jackie had an eye doctor appointment in Rockford.  She had some scar tissue following her cataract surgery and had the second procedure to remove the tissue.

    She didn't even have to get out of the wheelchair.  The doc used a laser and ..... zap!  scaring gone.  Then she had to wear those really dark plastic sunglasses until her pupil returns to normal size. 

    She had one eye done two weeks ago, so we should be finished.  Unless she has a third eye we don't know about.

    We actually went to church tonight in DeKalb!  We find it hard to get up and out of the house in the morning, so we have been Zooming at church.  It was great to actually see the people tonight.  We all wore masks and maintained a safe distance.

    In the Episcopal Church, Ash Wednesday is a fast day, which generally means no meat.  We planned to stop at a Popeye's in DeKalb for some popcorn shrimp, only to discover they don't have any.

    So we went to Culvers for buffalo shrimp.  Not popcorn, but pretty darn good.

    The term buffalo shrimp just seems odd.  But it tasted fine.

    In other news:  Birds hate me.

    Seriously, they do.

    Everyday I watch my bird feeder and see sparrows, finches, and juncos.  The other day Julia looks out and there is a cardinal sitting on our patio railing.  Last year our care provider and Jackie were sitting at the table and a huge hawk perched on the railing and walked up and down.  I think the same hawk sits on our roof...a couple of neighbors have told me they have seen it.

    But me?  No cardinal.  No hawk.  I am starting to think it's personal.

Peace and Love and Prayers for Ukraine

ahhhhh....relief

 I got a pedicure today

    Actually WE got pedicures today.   Jackie and I thought it was time to get the old toes trimmed.

    The first time I took her for a pedicure, I turned down the chance to have my feet done.  I think I said no the second time too.  Eventually I gave in because it is hard to see and reach my toes and manipulate the industrial strength hedge trimmers I need.

    It is so nice.

    Sitting back in a chair, my feet in warm bubbling water, a young woman trimming my toe nails and massaging my legs.  Gentle music playing, subdued lighting.....I  could fall asleep.

    The hard part is getting Jackie up the step so she can get out of the wheel chair and into the salon chair.  Usually there is a young man there to help, but today it was just this old man and two young girls. 

    It took two tries, but she got up there and into the seat.  Getting down is a lot easier.

    When I went to put her shoes on Jackie was surprised how easily they went onto her feet.  I told her that's because her feet were now 3 inches shorter, and the two girls laughed.

    We both feel refreshed.

    On another note, I think I mentioned the man who had an unused Chicago Bulls ticket for the night Micheal Jordan made his professional debut.  He was hoping to get $250,000 for the ticket at a sports auction.

    But he didn't get anywhere close to that.  Instead, he got $468,000!  Almost one half million for an unused ticket!!

    My cousin was happy she got $800 for an unused Beatles ticket.  

    I bet a lot of people who save stuff are looking through their closets for tickets or stubs from important dates.

    I think all the stuff I have collectively isn't worth $800....but maybe there is a gem or two in my mess.  I just have to find it.

    Happy hunting!

Love, Peace and prayers for Ukraine