I never knew that

I learned an expensive lesson 

    I am not mechanically minded  All I know about a lot of stuff is you turn a switch and it starts.

    If it doesn't, call someone.

    So....that being said....my golf cart runs out of power after about 150 feet.  It says it is fully charged, but it dies.

    I called a couple of places for service.  A neighbor recommended a guy in Mendota, but when I called him he said he doesn't come this far.  He said try a couple of other places.  

    Then 3 days later he called and asked if I had found anyone.  I told him no and he said he would  pick up my cart.

    He came this week.  Nice guy.  The cart had enough power to get out of the garage and onto his trailer.

    Here is the conversation, sort of.

    "Sure sounds like the batteries.  How long have you had it?"

    I told him just about 7 years and it was used.

    "Well, that's about as long as they last.  How was the water when you checked it?"

    Water?  What water?

    "The water in the batteries.  You have to keep the batteries full or they won't hold a charge and eventually die."

    Uh....I have never checked the water in the batteries.

    As he is looking at the batteries, he pulls up this hose and says, "All you had to do was hook up  the pump to this and give it a couple of squeezes.  That will fill the batteries."

    Pump?  What pump?

    "That should have all been in the owner's manual."

    Uh....owner's manual?  What owner's manual?

    "They didn't give you a pump or an owner's manual?  What did they give you?

    A receipt saying I paid for the cart.

    He shook his head.  "They're out of business now.  You can see why."

    He looked at the first  battery.  Surprise?  Dry.  Second battery?   Second surprise, it was dry too.  He didn't bother with the other 4.

    He said he would fill them with distilled water, put a charge on it and see if it holds.  If not, I will need new batteries.   Six of them.  And not cheap.

    My cart and Emily's cart used to be stored duiring winter at the store we bought them and they would do that regular spring get ready to run maintenance.  But when their storage fees went from something like $75 to $195, we decided to store them ourselves.

    I don't know if John checks the batteries, but I will ask him.

    I know from now on I will check them every month and keep them full.  Emily's as well. 

    All I need is a pump.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

feeling guilty

 Our play opened tonight and I feel guilty

    The group iperforming Our Town, a classic by Thornton Wilder.

    It has a huge cast, about 20 people, including me.

    But I am the odd one in the group.

    My character goes on at about the 17 minute mark of the first act.....and does not return in the play after that appearace.  So, I go home.

    There is a reason....the show runs almost 3 hours.  I am not comfortable leaving Jackie alone that long.  Yes, Julia is here to do anything Jackie needs, but sometimes the tasks that need to be done are above Julia's pay scale.

    For instance, getting supper, pills, drinks, etc are fine.  Getting mom ready for bed is 

    When I was asked to be in the show, I said I could not give 3 hours every night when I am really a caretaker.  So, the director and I made an agreement that I could leave when my part is done.

    But I feel guilty leaving!  

    Plus, my character reads from notes....so I didn't even have to memorize my lines!

    More guilt!!

    I do plan to stay for the whole show one time.  I am not sure if Jackie will go see it because it is hard for her to sit in her wheelchair for that long.  But, we shall see.

    There are people in the cast who are the opposite me....they don't come on until the third act.  But they don't have the option of coming late unless there is a work conflict.  So they sit and wait for two hours before going on stage.  More guilt!!!

    Luckily it is a guilt I can live with, unlike telling a lie, stealing a car, or eating the last cookie in the box.

    And tonight, opening night, my character got a laugh as soon as he walked on stage and I still don't know what I did that was funny.  Maybe it's just how I look.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

    

    

    

moments

 I had a couple of rough moments today

    Went to DeKalb  today for a blood test prior to my urologiest's appointment next week.

    Whenever I go to DeKalb, I stop and get a Starbucks.  Today was no different.

    However, what was different was my reaction.

    The last time I was at this store, Corki was with me.  She got here puppychino and I got my latte.  We went to the parking lot and she consumed her treat while I sipped mine.

    I was in the store, waiting, and that memory flooded over me.  My eyes welled up, I got my coffee, and I sat in the car in the parking lot crying my eyes out.  I still have the video of her licking the treat, and I sat and watched that several times through my tears.

    It was 3 weeks ago that we lost her. We miss her every day.

    I let the dogs out at Emily's after that.

    Moment number two.

    She and John are taking Cooper in tomorrow morning.  I sat with Cooper for several minutes, petting him, feeding him too many treats, and telling him to say hello to Corki when he sees her.  

    Cooper is a great dog.  Emily has had him since he was a pup, but life is getting too tough for him. It's his time.

    So I had a double dose.  I grieved for him, and wished Jackie and I had the chance to say goodbye to Corki  We left her on  a table.  I was going back for her in 2 hours.  She was not supposed to die.  She was not supposed to die without us being there.  

    I still cry for her.

    Which brings me to moment number 3.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

el Cheapo

 I don't know if I am frugal or cheap

    I hate wasting money.  Light on but nobody in the room?  Turn it off.  Water running but you are not using it?  Turn it off.  Waiting in your car for someone in the store?  Turn it 0ff.

    Yet other types of spending don't bother me and I don't hesitate to do it.

    We have a person who cleans every other week.  I am more than willing to pay for that service.

    I have a lawn service that fertilizes the yard.  When it was up to me, I would buy a bag or two in the spring and still have it in the fall.

    Coffee that costs more than $1?  Good to go with that.

    I read an article about a young woman who saved $1 million by the time she was 30.

    No expensive coffees, no membership in stores or gyms, no credit cards that carry an annual fee....all sound ideas, just not all of them suit me.

    But one of her ways to save I have adopted, much to Jackie's chagirn.

    This new millionaire would cut open the toothpaste when she could not squeeze any more out.  She did the same with gels, creams, anything in a tube.  There is always some left.

    We go through a lot of skin lotion.  When I squeezed the last of it out of the tube today, I cut it open and lo and behold....there is still a couple of days left in the tube.  I just have to scoop it out with my finger.

    Needless to say, not everyone in the house thinks my madness will substantially increase our income level.....but I will have the satisfaction of knowing I got my money's worth.

    Just wait until Jackie thinks she is out of toothpaste.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

delay pays

 I have not planted anything, yet

    I think that might have been my wisest move of the gardening season!

    We have another frost warning for tonight, second one this week.  I wonder how all those plants out in front of the stores are going to fare.  I bet we are all pretty careful about what we buy.

    Normally I would have prepared the garden for planting, maybe even planted some peas.  I did that last year on Good Friday and as soon as they came up, it frosted.  I planted again, and they did not come up at all.  I planted peas 3 times, and did not get many to  intentionally freeze.

    This year, I am waiting.  I know, peas like it cold.... but I don't think they like frost.

    Maybe May 5 I will plant....I think that is the late frost date for us.

    Emily will be taking Cooper in Friday.  I believe John is going with her.  My heart breaks for her because Cooper was her dog.  She got him as a puppy.  

    And....I hit my wife last night!

    I think 3 times!

    When I did it,I was actually punching a man in a grey uniform who was making fun of my dead horse.  He kept saying mean things, so I punched him.

    That's when Jackie woke me uip and said, "Stop hitting me!"

    I have NEVER had a dream that vivid!  Now I wonder what the hell I ate or drank to cause it.  I sure won't do that again.

    And so you know, I did not hurt her.  No bruises, nothing damaged.  I still can't believe it happened.

    Maybe tonight I'll dream sweet dreams.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

heart aches

 I am for my daughter tonight

    Emily has a tough decision.  Cooper, her Great Dane,  is not doing so well.  He has issues getting up and walking and controlling his movements, internal and external.

    She has had him since he was a pup.  He made it through the tornado and has been a constant companion for her since she got him as a puppy.

    But age may have caught up to him.

    I know she doesn't want him to suffer.  And I know she does not want to lose him.

    She has a tough decision to make.

    Our hearts go out to her.

    As a parent, you want to take away the hurts and dangers for your children.  

     But we can't.  All we can do is offer help and support.

    We know she will make the right decision for her and for Cooper.

    He is such a gentle giant.....you could not ask for a better dog.  Well, except for Corki.....she was the best dog ever in the entire universe.  I still miss her and I know Emily will miss Cooper.

    Hug your pets.   And your children.

Peace and Love.   Pray for Ukraine.

animal kingdoms

 Animals are on my mind a lot lately

    The ground saquirrel in my garage was as surprised to see me as I was it this morning.

    I opened the back door, stepped out, and it jumped up in the air.  So did I!  It ran down the ramp and hid someplace.  I got out one of my traps and put a little peanut butter in it to lure it in.

    These are live traps.  The door springs shut and the critter is in the trap.  I can then take him/her farther out in the country and release it.

    I also have a mouse trap that you bait and set out.  The mouse wanders in and can't get out.  I had a mouse in the grill one summer and used that to catch and release it.

    I opened that today and discovered I had captured another mouse, at some point.  Not much left, just some fur and bones.  Yuck.

    I looked out my window and saw two crows pecking away at the rabbit's nest.  I don't know why, but that bothered me.  Crows have to eat too.  But I took some branches and placed them over the nest to give it some protection.  We'll see it it works.

    Last night, eating dinner and playing cards, we discoverd ants.  Lots of ants.  I sprayed around the door inside and outside, but there were still some ants there this morning.  

    When I was in grade school I wrote a paper about my favorite aunt, Betty.  Problem is, I misspelled aunt every time I used her name.  She was Anut Betty.  My teacher wrote on the paper: "Is she really a nut?"   Oops.

    Lastly, while mowing I found an interesting object in the grass.  I don't know how it got in my yard, my guess is a coyote or fox carried it in.

    Also, my spring flowers have bloomed!   Finally!

    Hope this week is a good one for you.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

Looks like a backbone, or hip.  Any ideas?

Magnolia tree is blossoming

These were my mom's favorite flowers....and they are mine too.  I included my finger just to see if anyone would notice.

Otis?

 This was a day of ups and downs

    I'll start with the downs.

    I have too much crap in my garage.  Boxes.  Tools.  More boxes.  Cardboard.  A ground squirrel.

    Ground squirrel?  In the garage?

    The little sucker keeps running toward the back, where I have a bunch of more crap stacked.  

    Another downer.

    I have huge brown spots in my yard where the grass has died.  These are not areas where Corkie would do her business, but in areas where she did not go, Yard looks terrible.

    I took  my golf cart out today.  I thought the batteries were bad, but it ran fine.  Until it didn't.  In the back of the yard.  Dead as a doornail.  (Charles Dickens might ask why a doornail?  I agree.)

    And because I don't take care of stuff, a huge bag of lawn waste was on the back of the cart and it blew off in the strong wind and tumbled across the yard, dumping most of the bag.

    After I picked up most of that, I went to get my garden tractor and a tow rope.  I hooked the dead cart to the mower and took off.

    But the cart weighs a lot.  The mower did a leap in the air, like a horse.  I was afraid it was going to flip over on me.  But luckily, it did not.

    I dragged the golf cart almost to the house and it just stopped.  The mower would  not go any further.

    I got on the golf cart and it was able to move enough to get back in the garage.

    Which further depressed me because of all the crap, the ground squirrel, the dead golf cart, no Corki, and my general ability to organize and stay focused.

    The ups?

    Got the yard mowed for the first time, had MK and S over for cards and we ordered out and Julia, Jackie, and I all had a great time talking and visiting.

    Cards went well......I like euchre (eucher?) and despite my terrible tactics, I was only set once.

    I always get thirsty at night.  Tonight I mixed a drink and it was not bad.  I took some cherry juice and some Perrier and mixed it together to get a sparkling cherry drink.  Next time I will put in a little more cherry juice though.

    Last night Sheri came over for supper and we had a great time visiting with her.

    The Cubs won big, the weather was great, food and friendship wonderful........so lots of good things.

    I think I will put out my rain guage for tomorrow......could be a wet one.

    Which means I will have to mow again.  Maybe I should invest in some goats.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

beaurocrapy

 I understand the need for rules and regs

    But they can be so frustrating!

    A former coworker's husband died.  I sent a sympathy cared from Jackie and me.  The card came back as undeliverable.

    The person was no longer in their house, but in a nursing home.

    So I went to the nursing home to drop off the card.

    I asked the person at the desk if Jane Doe was a resident, and the girl said she could not say.

    I could fill out a form, and once approved, be given the information.

    So I asked if I left the card at the desk, would Jane Doe get it?  Again, I was told she could not say.

    So I said, "I will just leave it here.  If she is a resident, please see that she gets it.  If she is not a resident, then toss it."

    What else could I do?

    In hindsight, I should have said, "I  know Jane Doe is a resident here, please see that she gets this card."   But I didn't.

     Julia got a notice from her bank in Switerland, where she still has a little money in an account.

    She can't close the account because she doesn't have the right forms.  But they didn't send the forms, even though the letter said they were enclosed.  And she can't access the money because she is not a resident of Switzerland.

    I am sure there are reasons, but it is just irritating.

    By the way, I have had a little wine tonight with my pizza, so maybe my spelling is not so good, yes?

    Have a great weekend.....now that the rains have gone (?) maybe we will have one nice day.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

dwat it

 I have a rabbit in the yard

    It's a big sucker!  Not only is it large, it has dug a hole in the middle of my grass by the garden.  A big hole.  I assume it will be nesting soon.

    Corki would have never allowed that.  She would have sniffed the sucker out and barked at it.

    This afternoon the rabbit was sitting on my front porch.  It eventually moved to the back yard where it was active.  Between 4 and 7:30, it had dug a huge hole in the yard.  

    Dwat that silly wabbit!

    Maybe I should bring one of Emily's dogs over to put the fear of Dog in it and hopefully scare it away.

    In all the years we lived here, last year was the first time I saw a rabbit.  I wonder if it is the same one.....it had babies last year but I don't think any of them survived.  I don't think Corki got them, but some animal did.

    With hawks, coyotes and owls hanging around, I think nature will take its course.

    Before this house was finished, we lived in a townhome in town. 

    One day I was looking out the kitchen window and saw several crows on the ground, poking at the earth.  I did not realize what they were doing until one of them came up with a little bunny.  

    I called Jackie and she came and watched as a second crow pulled out a baby bunny and flew off with it.

    That's when Jackie made me chase the crows away and cover up the hole with grass.

    I did, but I don't know if the rabbits survived or not.

    I don't want to kill them, but I don't want them eating my plants either.

    Such is life.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

April showers

 Like many of you, I am done with April

    Too cold, too wet.  This week is a fine example of the weirdness of April.  It's 40 something today and will be near 80 Saturday.

    It is no fun.

    Most of you see this blog through Facebook.  And like most of you, memories pop up on your FB page.

    Some of my memories this week were of past VCCT shows, Exit 99 shows, and the weather.  Some memories focused on snow this week, others rain, a few even  nice days.  A lot over the years have been about the Cubs, not always good.

    But I am shocked by the number of times I have said I had a sleepless night!  Going back to 10 years ago, I had trouble sleeping.  Up at 3, not asleep by 2, tired in the morning.....my goodness, this is not anything new for me!

    Last night I was up and down until about 2:30.  I took a melatonin, and a Benedryl, but could not sleep.  Somewhere around 3 Jackie talked to me and within minutes I was asleep.

    No, my wife did not bore me to sleep....I think the Benedryl just took a while to kick in.

    We were baby sitting a dog last night and I thought my nighttime ramblings through the house would bother her, but she did not stir.  I wish I could sleep that soundly.

    Whether it is tension, worry, anxiety, caffeine, the mattress, the pillow......whatever, this is not a new condition for me.  Once I get to sleep I am usually ok, it is just getting there that is a problem.

    It does get a tad irritating to lay in bed and not fall asleep, tossing and  turning, fidgeting, thinking.......just a tad irritating.

    I wish I had an off switch for my brain.  Maybe meditation would help.  Maybe I need to start chanting before I hit the pillow.

    Whatever.....at least my problems will eventually become memories.

    May all your memories be happy ones.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

Finally

I actually worked in the yard today 

    It was sunny and mid 40s, but it was breezy.

    I worked along the patio wall, which put me in a sheltered spot.  It felt good to get some weeding done, but the soil was pretty cold.

    My hands hurt a little too, combination arthritis and cold, I assume.

    This area has lots of day lillies, and I hate to say it, but day lillies just coming up look a lot like crabgrass.  I may have pulled a couple of lillies in my zeal.

    It was strange not having Corki out there with me.  She loved to get under the lilac bush and sleep in the cool shade there.  That did hit me when I was weeding around the lilac.

    I have several more areas to weed, but most don't have a lot of debris.  Then it is mulching time.  My problem is, by the time I finish weeding and getting mulch, I usually have to start weeding again.

    I joined an on line community that features pictures from Switzerland.  Lately there have been several shots of fields dotted with beautiful yellow flowers.  Thousands of the little blossoms. 

    They are dandelions!  Thousands of them, spreading across the green fields.

    In the states, we kill them off as soon as they crop up.  

    At this time of year they serve as a nectar source for bees and other insects.  And they are kind of pretty.

    Makes me think we are making a mistake trying to get rid of them, wasting time and money on the battle, and putting chemicals into our soil that can't be good for us.

    But if I let them go, I am sure I will be the scourge (is this the right word?) of the neighborhood for others who don't like the flowers.

    Dandelions need an organization like the NRA to make them socially acceptable.

    Until then, I guess I will keep fighting them.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

grrr.....

I am  miffed about light bulbs and other stuff 

    We have 3 way lamps in our house.  Being of a green mind, I replaced the regular 3 way bulbs with LED 3 way bulbs.

    Long story short:  They suck.  All of the bulbs in all 3 lamps don't do the 3-way thing.....I only get the middle light.  When I first put them in, they all had 3 light levels... but that didn't last long.

    I have LED bulbs over my sink area.  One of them burned out recently.  Well, it didn't actually burn out, but it did become like a neon sign,  flashing on and off.

    This sits right above our hot pot, so I wonder if the steam from that affected the light.

    I keep reading where LEDs last 10 years and save lots of money.  But I have gone through 3 3-way bulbs and a regular one in the past year.  

    That's why.....grr.....

    Another grrr was the one inch or so of snow we woke up to this morning.  Of course it was gone by 11, but still.  C'mon Mother Nature!  Enough of this stuff!

    A final grr.......gas prices went up like 30 cents over the weekend.  I think it was because the companies know people would be travelling on Easter and would need gas.  Curse them and their profits.

    I know my complaints are minor compared to what is happening in the rest of the world.  But I don't have enough grrs in my body to cover all of that.

    Stay safe, my friends.

Peace and Love   Pray for Ukraine

Ahhhh.......

This was a pretty good day 

    Jackie and I actually made it to church!  That is a rarity in our world.  It takes so long to get ready, we seldom make it.

    Today, church was an hour earlier than normal, but we made it on time!  Truly amazing.  

    Lovely service, great music, and wonderful seeing people again.  We miss the group at St. Paul's.

    Dinner was just the four of us and Jackie's sister Judy.  We had some bundt cupcakes for her birthday, watched the Cubs win, talked with her brother and in general had a very relaxed day.  I even chatted with my brother while driving to church.  It seems whenever he calls, I am in the car going somewhere.  And our neice even called to see how the old folks were doing.

    The forecast is calling for some snow tonight, so I probably won't do any garden work tomorrow.  But the rest of the week is supposed  to be warm, so hopefully I can get going out there.

    Hope you had a great day too.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

Happy Easter

 I hope you all have a Happy Easter

    Hopefully we get to church tomorrow, but mornings are not good for us!  Especially when the Cubs are on the night before.

    I had a pretty busy day.

    I spent a few hours down at the theater, painting stuff.  The plus is I did not spill the paint or tip over the bucket.  I did not step in it and walk around either.  I painted.  

    I stopped at Cypress House and got the drink Friend Jen mentioned.  It was a frappe with banana and chocolate made with cold brew.  It was very yummy and I will have it again.

    But here is the big news:

    I found my run away Christmas tree!!

    My neighbor said it was in the back of her yard, so today I wandered over and found it under the huge pine trees at the back of their yard.

    When the winds die down, I will drag it out to the back and burn it, along with some other yard debris.  I just have to make sure it does not run away again!

    I can't wait until spring finally arrives.  Hopefully next week I can start cleaning up my flower beds  I have a list for prairie plants to order for my new native garden, but I still have to go through the list and pick out the plants.

    Last year I planted peas on Good Friday.  They grew, then froze, and I had to replant.  This year I am waiting a week....or two.  I am hoping my veggies do better this year.

    

    Have a safe Easter....don't eat any plastic eggs!

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

olio

 Just a collection of thoughts tonight

    Our neighbor's dog, Sadie, crossed the rainbow bridge today.  She was a sweet girl and Corki loved to watch her play in the front yard.  And of course, bark at her.

    Eric would toss a tennis ball and Sadie would run after it.  Corki would run too, as far as she could.  When  I would toss a tennis ball to Corki she would look at me with disbelief.  "What?  Expect me to put that in my mouth?"  

    It's sad to see a pet go, especially one who has been a part of the family. Our hearts go out to them.

    Our friends Jen, Kevin and Sam brought this over yesterday. Always in my heart.  

    I put away some of her stuff today and mostly did so dry eyed.  But I sat in my recliner for a while and the tears just came.  Corki would always lay next to me, sometimes even on the recliner by my feet.  She was always near me, by me, supporting me.  I was not with her when she needed me most.   I don't know if I will ever get over that or forgive myself.

    Jackie and I spent 10 minutes waiting in a drive thru line in DeKalb to order some  popcorn shrimp after church tonight.  When I went to order, the young lady told me they were sold out.  Damn.  We ended up stopping at Dog Hub and had 2 great popcorn shrimp dinners.  I am glad the first place was out.

    Maybe next week I can work in my gardens.....should be warmer. 

    I stopped feeding birds this week.  I don't want them to congregate in the yard just in case they have avian flu.  Several agencies have reported bird die offs due to the flu and thousands of farm raised chickens and turkeys have been put down to stop the spread.  I don't know if my stopping the feeding will make a difference, but I feel better doing it.

    Neighbor reported a dead Christmas tree in their back yard.....gonna check it out tomorrow.  Could be mine!

    Be safe out there.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

Home again

 We brought Corki home today

    She was cremated and the remains (cremains?) came back this week.  It seems strange that a week has passed already, but it has.

    Jackie went with me.  It seemed fitting that we should both bring Corki home, because she was our dog.  And yes, one of us was in tears.......and I am sure you know who that was.

    Friends Jen, Kevin and Sam stopped by tonight with a little gift.  I can't describe it, but tomorrow I will get a picture of it and show you.  It is very nice and we will always treasure it.

    The local Starbucks opened today.  I drove by a little after the official opening and was amazed by the number of cars in the drive-thru.  I drove by again on my way home from a meeting at 7:30 p.m. and there were still cars in the drive-thru!  Hopefully they were not the same ones.

    After a vet visit, I would take Corki thru and get her a puppachino.  I thought of doing that today but Jackie said I could not.  But she was with us.  

    I got up at 7 this morning to take out the recycling.  I was afraid to take it out last night because I was not sure how windy it was going to be.  Turned out today was a bit of a windy one, wasn't it?  At least my downspouts did not go to far.

    Now I am relaxing with a hot toddy.......and honestly, I might be getting too relaxed.  I still have to take out the garbage, and I have a lot tonight.

 Peace and Love and prayers for Ukraine

blocked

 I honestly don't know what to write about

    We are still crying over Corki.  I was doing dishes and the tears just came.  Jackie was taking her evening meds and the tears came.  

    Corki was always underfoot when I did dishes.  She got an evening treat when Jackie got her pills.  We miss her.

    Her memories are everywhere.

    I finished "Around the World in 80 Days" by Jules Verne  What impressed me was the amount of research that went into the book.

    He wrote it in 1872.  He included names of rivers, towns, lakes, mountains......I can't imagine gathering that information from books.  When travelling across the US, he gives a brief history of the railroads, describes the bison herds that roamed the plains, elevations of towns and other places.  He was able to describe lands he had never been to, getting infiormatioin from books and from lectures, I assume.

    I always associated the book with hot air balloons....but he never travels in those in the book.  Funny, eh?

    I also thought the book was boring at the beginning....but as his adventrue continued, Fogg and the story grew more interesting.

    Now I think I will read "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."

    I don't remember reading those as a kid either, except in the Classics Illustrated comic version.  

    Never to late to read good stories, eh?

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

Oh, yeah?

It's hard to argue with a machine

    We have Siri pods in three rooms.  We use them to communicate, get the weather, play music......I am sure there are other uses we have not tapped into yet due to our limited technical skills.

    Today I listened to the weather forecast on the radio and the guy said  there would be rain tonight.

    Later I asked Siri when it was going to rain, and she said it wasn't.

    Fair enough....forecasts sometimes differ.  I get that.

    At 6:30 I asked Siri if it was going to rain, again, and she said no rain in the forecast.  Bare in mind, (bear in mind?  No, that's an animal.)  (Bare does not look correct.)  (I am going with it anyway.) it was very cloudy and dark.  The sky looked like it was going to rain.

    And it started to rain.

    So I asked again, Siri, is it going to rain?

    She said no.

    I said, Siri, it is raining outside right  now.

    She said, and this is a quote:  "No, it is not raining."

    I wanted to tell her it was, but figured it would end up in a back and forth of yes, no, yes, no.

    In a way it reminded me of people still saying you know who won the election.  Facts are there.  Proof is there....windows were wet

    True, it did not rain for long and her system might not be designed to pick up on lite rains, (or is is light reins?)   (Notice resin and reins have the same letters?)  Maybe we were just having a heavy mist.

    I any case,  I still think I was right.  

    I also asked her how to spell vacuum and she told me Uiyou.  And maybe that is how she spells it.  But I know that is not correct.  Trouble is, mine doesn't look correct either.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine

life going on

 I made a shopping trip today

    I am in the upcoming VCCT show "Our Town."

    I had no intention of being in the show, did not audition, did not voice interest in the show, but because they were running out of options, I agreed to a small part.

    I am in the first act, about 3 minutes on stage, minimum number of lines.  Once I am done, I am free to go.

    All well and good.

    But....and there is always a but..... I  couldn't find an outfit.

    I am a university professor.  I thought a double breasted three piece suit would work nicely in the part.  I don't have one.

    I did have one that I bought at Goodwill for a show several years ago.  It fit great!  But.....and there is always a but..... I left it in the venue following the final performance and it was never seen again.

    So I went clothes shopping.

    I saw a lot of coats,  but no 3 piece suits.

    I was trying on a suit coat and discovered the buttons were about 6 inches away from the button holes due to my belly.  As I was tugging on them, a lady went passed me and started to laugh.

    "I think you need a bigger size," she giggled.  

    I told her I thought I needed four bigger sizes.

    I tried another coat and it too was too small.  But I put my arms in it and discovered I could not get them out!  I was dancing around the aisle trying to pull one arm out, but could not because it was too tight for my other arm to reach it.  I eventually slithered out.

    I did find a coat.....and wore it tonight.  I was told it was good to go.

    Now I have to alter my vest because I seem to have gained a little around the middle during the past few years.

    The downside of the day was when I came home, four little feet didn't come running to the door to greet me.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

day 3

Today was much better 

    I only cried three times.  I still see Corki in  the yard and in the house.  I can still feel her presence.

    Emily came over tonight for dinner.  Julia made Ikea Swedish meatballs with gravy and lingenberry sauce.  I made air fried parmesan potatoes and it was a good meal.  I did forget a vegetable, but no one seemed to mind.

    During the talk going round the room, I said I would not mind getting another dog.

    It would not look like Corki, act like Corki, or be called Corki.  It would be an older dog, but new to us.  Jackie agrees.  Julia has to approve because there is a chance the dog would outlive us.  A slim chance, but we need to plan for all events.

    We won't start looking until summer.  I need time to heal, Jackie needs time to heal, Julia needs time to heal.  Time heals all wounds, right?

    I know in the end someone will grieve, either me, Jackie, the family, or the dog.  

    I also told everyone that when I die I will be cremated.  I want some of Corki's ashes mixed in with mine.  I left her once, I don't want to leave her again.

    To be honest, sometimes I think I am nuts.  You may too.  It seems unnatural to feel such profound grief over a dog!  But for nearly 7 years she was my pal, my confidant, my companion on neighborhood walks, my fellow Starbucks fan.  I miss her deeply.  

    Thanks to everyone who has sent their thoughts and sympathies.  It is a comfort.

Peace and Love   Prayers for Ukraine

day 2

 Day 2 without Corki was a little easier

    I was sort of ok until I went out to do a yard clean up.  Corki loved carrots.  Jackie would share her lunch carrots with her.

    So Corki's poop  usually had orange flecks.  I guess that was all I needed.  The "final" yard pickup took a little longer than normal.

    I washed all her beds.  I found a little patch of hair and saved it.  I know that sounds crazy, and I will someday toss it.  But for now it comforts me.

    Friends came over and visited and we talked about what happened.  It felt good to talk about it and not cry.

    We all appreciate the comments people have made on Facebook and in messages.

    Please understand I can't yet respond.  We don't have enough tissue in the house for me to do that.  Eventually I wll respond to your comments.  It may be a few days.  Or weeks.  

    I am an emotional guy.  I still tear up over the tornado that changed all our lives 7 years ago.

    Maybe you can tell me, how long does it take a broken heart to heal?  When does the pain, and guilt, go away?

    A friend wanted me to ask.

Peace and Love.  Prayers for Ukraine.

96 tears

 This has been one of the hardest days of our lives

    I don' think I have cried this much since my brother Dennis died, Emily went away to school, and Julia went to Switzerland.  Not at the same time, though.

    When the girls left, I would wander the house and go into their rooms, cry a little bit, then wander the house.  I spent most of the day doing that today, wandering.

    I just cried when Dennis died.  He was only 52, and I still miss him.

    The advantage to my tears with Julia and Emily is I always knew we would see them again.

    But my tears, our tears, for Corki are tears of knowing we won't have the pleasure of seeing that beautiful girl again.

    We got Corki in August, 2015.  She was rescued from a kill shelter in Selma, Alabama.  We adopted her through a small dog rescue group.  She is listed as 5 years old on the papers, which means she is about 12.

    They brought Corki for a visit.....and she never left.

    The lady who came along said Corki had a preference for men, and boy did she!  She followed me everywhere, much to Jackie's chagrin.  When I sat at the computer, she lay next to me.  When I ate breakfast, she was there beside me.  When I went to the bathroom, she would lay on her bed out side the door and wait for me.

    I told Jackie one reason  for all that attention is I can get down on the floor and pet her, but Jackie can't. 

    When Corki first came we had a crate for her.  She would go into the crate at night and during the day when we were not home.  After about 2 weeks of this, one night she stopped, looked at me and I could read her mind:  "Don't you trust me yet?"  The crate was gone the next day.

    She had a couple of accidents in the house.  Same day, a day we went out and I did not let her out before we left.  It was my fault.

    We never hit her, and very seldom yelled at her....except when she was in my garden eating strawberries or under my feet when I was cooking.  I would look at her and say "go away" in a stern voice and she would walk out, look over her shoulder and her eyes would be so sad.  Every go away ended with a long petting spell.

    One Christmas the girls got her a snowman outfit and she hated it!  Same with the bow ties for her ears.  She had no need of decoration.

    Twice she robbed our plates.  One time I had a couple of pieces of salami on my plate and left it on the table for a second.  John and Jackie started laughing and saying, "Corki!  Corki!"  I came out to see her mouth with salami hanging out both sides!  It was so funny, you could not get mad.

    Jackie did not keep an eye on a sandwich a couple of weeks ago and Corki snatched the meat out of that faster than Jackie could react.

    She was not perfect.  Many a female guests had their legs humped, and I think Carrie, or maybe  Beth,  even got an arm hump!  I always thought it weird for a girl dog to do that.

    Corki was not brave. 

    One night, during a thunderstorm, she hopped up in bed and snuggled between Jackie and me.

    At night when she went out, she always checked to make sure someone was with her.

    And while she barked a lot at other dogs, if we were walking past a house with a huge dog out, her pace would quicken and her mouth stayed closed.

    On our walks, she would  constantly look back to make sure someone was there.

    Recently she lost most of her hearing, but if you talked loud enough, she would hear you.  

    She especially enjoyed barking at the dogs across the street....even when they were not out. 

    Corki went in for a routine surgery Thursday, April 7.  The vet's office called and said everything went well.....2 tumors removed, teeth cleaned, skin tags zapped off.  She came through the surgery fine.

    Jackie had a doctor appointment in DeKalb at 3:30, and we were scheduled to pick up Corki at 4:30.  While in the waiting room, the clinic called and the doctor said Corki had taken a turn for the worse within the last hour,

    After leaving the doctor's office, Jackie and I stopped at the animal clinic.  Corki was getting x rays to see why her breathing was so labored.  They brought here out and put her on the table and we got to visit with her for 15 minutes or so.

    Corki had gone outside to the bathroom, and come back in.  She was fine.  But in the crate later she was down on her side, taking short breaths.  Her lungs were filling up with fluid.  They were giving her oxygen and pumped in some lasix to help with the fluid retention.

    The staff told us to come back at 6:30 and pick her up.  If she was not better, then we were to take her to an animal hospital as the clinic does not have overnight staff.

    Emily, Julia and I started back to the clinic at about 5:30 but half way  there the doc called and said Corki had just passed.  Corki's condition just continued to deteriorate.

    When we got there, she was on a padded table, head on a pillow, eyes open but lifeless....covered in a pretty blanket.  She almost looked alive.  I almost felt we could take her home and she would wake up and all would be fine.

    I did not call Jackie.  I lold the girls not to call her.  We would tell her in person.

    I am glad Jackie and I topped when we did.  I am not sure she would have known we were there later.  But I promised Corki I would never leave her, and I can't help but think I broke that promise.  She died among strangers and I should have been there, we should have been there.

    We've cried a lot today.....when she wasn't there for breakfast and morning bathroom routine, when Jackie had no Corki to share her lunch with, when we read comment from folks on Facebook, when we don't hear the patter of her feet.

    One of Emily'sfriend posted this:  Don't forget:  Somewhere between hello and goodbye there is love, so much love.

    How true.  We all loved her so much, we all miss her so much.  And we know she loved us.

Peace and Love .  Pray for Ukraine

Look at that tongue!

June, 2016

Can you tell she hated this?

She helped me in the garden

We don't know if she ever saw snow before coming to  us

A puppachino treat

This past Christmas

She loved her puppachinos from Starbucks!

Corki

 We are hearbroken tonight

Corki passed away at about 6 p.m. .

We are devastated.

Peace and Love

ahhh....shoot

 I had a hard time with dinner tonight

    We had butterfly porkchops last night.  I cooked them on the grill and they were yummy, but huge.

    I made three chops, but each of us only ate half.

    So I said we can have them again Thursday night.

    Well....that did not work because one of the chops became lunch.

    We have frozen lasagna Julia made, but nobody was in the mood for lasagna.  Imagine that!

    I suggested we make some of the Ikea meatballs with lingenberry sauce and potatoes. which sounded great.

    But on the way home from Jackie's hair appointment, I was supposed to stop for milk and did not.

    The gravy  needs milk.  Meatballs were out.

    Pasta and sauce was briefly considered and eliminated.

    We eventually decided on one ham sandwich and two pork chop sandwiches with mac and cheese.

    Boiled the macaroni and realized.....I don't have milk.

    So we ended up with sandwiches, macaroni, Italian beans, and some 3 bean salad.

    It was not what I expected for supper, but it was not bad.

    I take Corki in for surgery tomorrow morning and I already have a note to stop for milk on the way home.

    Corki is having 3 skin tags removed, her teeth cleaned, and two growths on her mammary glands, which could be cysts or tumors, removed.  The vet will send them to be checked to be sure they are benign.  

    She has to be there by 7:45, so I have to get up EARLY!

    This morning the alarm went off at 8:10 and I got up and shut it off, thinking I would get another 10 minutes sleep.  Jackie woke me at 10.  

    I can't sleep that late.  By the time we were up and dressed, it was time to go the hairdresser's.  We have to get up earlier, especially when there are gardens to weed and grass to mow.

    But damn, it felt good.

    It is very windy today.....I don't like that.  And I am taking bets that there will NOT be a game at Wrigley tomorrow.

Peace and Love.  Prayers for Ukraine

Losses and tosses

 I hate it when it is past time

    That probably doesn't make sense.

    I have fond memories, and I hate it when those memories become, well, memories.

    When I was a kid my mom would go to a bakery in Chicago called Dinkel's.  Bread, rolls, all sorts of delicious treats.

    After I left the city, I would sometimes take Jackie down to Dinkel's for bread, or donuts, or some sort of pastry when we went to visit the folks or friends.

    They had been in business since 1921, run by the same family.  Delicious treats.  My mouth is watering now when I think of the place.

    Time passes and today the owner announced he is closing at the end of April.  Forever.

    I can't blame him, he is 79.  Running a bakery is not easy.  When friend Dan and I were in France we met a guy who ran a bakery.  Up at 3, work till noon, sleep, go back to work.  Not an easy life, not for everyone.

    Even Rochelle had a great bakery when we first came to town...Dusenberry's.  We got here toward the end and the selection was not what it once was, but fresh bread and rolls?  Nothing beats that.

    I love being in France because of the bakeries.  They are everywhere!  And all the windows are filled with yummy goodies in addition to baguettes and croissants. 

   It's hard to find a bakery any more in most towns in the states, let alone one with a huge selection.

    So, Dinkel's is a loss.

    Now for the toss.

    On March 26 I bought a bunch of meat.  What we did not eat that day, or the next, I froze.

    Or so I thought. 

    Julia found some brats and a pound of ground beef hidden in the back of a drawer in the fridge.  It has now been there for, 10 days.  I checked with friend Kathy, who agreed with Julia and Jackie that I should toss it.  Friend John agreed.  That made it 4-1, so I am going with the majority.

    Meanwhile, I went to make some pudding and the milk smelled off.  I tasted it, and it wasn't bad, but it didn't taste right.  So I tossed that.

    Which makes me wonder.  The milk was good to April 7.  Using that as a date, if I made pudding using the milk, would that mean the pudding would be good to April 7?  

    I know it is a moot point, because I tossed the milk.  But now I wonder.

    And I bet at this point you are wondering why you read  this far!

    Again, Losses and Tosses.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine. 

Spring??

 I know Spring is coming soon

    I got my mower back today.  That's a sign.

    Tue Cubs open at home Thursday, that's another sign.  Of course there is a possibility of rain or snow, but that would not be the first time.

    When we used to get ticket packs, 2 of the games always seemed to be in April.  And cold.  Sitting in the stands on a 40 degree day with the wind blowing off the lake is not a fun experience.

    And I remember one year when I was a kid the game was cancelled because of snow.

    With my mower coming back, it required a little work on my part.  I had to move three chairs out to the porch and stack about 20 boxes on the other side of the garage.  The boxes are empty, but someone said they may be interested in taking them to mail stuff for their at home business.  Time will tell.

    Weird thing of the day......I was out moving chairs and noticed a car off the road at the park.  I didn't think anything of it, but after about 15 minutes I called the sheriff's office.

    They came and investigated and called me a little while ago asking if I saw anyone leaving the vehicle, and if it was a man or woman.  I said I did not, which is the truth.  The gentleman explained they were trying to find out which owner was driving the car.

    My guess.....somebody either came around the corner too fast and fishtailed off the road or somebody had too many afternoon cocktails.  

    Kind of a quiet day.....I almost wanted to add "in Lake Woebegone."  Remember that show?  I still miss it.  Where the women are strong and the children all above average.

Peace and Love.  Prayers for Ukraine

Mr. Postman

 I sort of fixed my mailbox today

    I admit, it is a temporary solution.

    We need a new mailbox.  It's just a matter of finding one she likes and getting it installed.  

    The metal mailbox sits on a board that is fastened to a brace on an inground post.  The board rotted.  I found another board, cut it, and put it in place.

    I also found a pile of slightly soggy mail that must have fallen out of the box and into the grass as I carried it in.  I hope nothing important blew away, and if it did maybe it found my Christmas tree.

    The first board was cedar and lasted almost 10 years.  This board is pine and will not last that long.

    One thing that surprised me was....I don't have a lot of junk wood in the garage! I have maybe three short boards, fas less than I normally have.

    I did find a couple of things to throw out, another surprise!  I never throw out anything!

    Thanks to friend Nadine I have a new garbage can.  The city passed out cans, and residents can not use their own cans.  Nadine passed hers on to me.

     Now, how do I toss out a garbage can?

    My first thought is to put a big sign on it that says, "Take all of me, big boy.." but does that mean the can too?

    Or a sign that says, "Please toss this worthless garbage can with the missing side, two holes in the bottom, no handle and a huge crack in the other side".....but I don't have enough paper for that.

    I will try a sign that simply says,  "Please toss trash can in the trash."

    Hopefully that will do it.

    At least I have all week to ponder the correct wording.

    As long as it goes I will be happy.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

well......ok

 Do weird things happen in threes?

    I brought the mailbox in today.  That's right.  Mailbox.  The whole thing.

    The base connecting it to the pole rotted, so when I went to get the mail the whole damn  thing came off.  Now I have to find a piece of wood and attempt to repair it.

    That was the latest weird, or odd, thing.

    This was rib weekend for Hick's Barbecue.  We decided to order two slabs for supper tonight.  So, I ordered 2 slabs.  Julia said to me yesterday, "I ordered two slabs of ribs."  Either I did not tell her or she misunderstood.  So we had 4 slabs of ribs for dinner.

    Actually, we had one slab.  I am guessing leftovers Monday and Wednesday. I won't mind because they were very good.

    I am reading a book called "Paris Dressmaker" and I am very frustrated.

    First off, it's long.

    Second, I have a little trouble following the story line.  Each chapter has two parts, set 5 or so years apart in Paris during WW II.  The story follows two women and their  roles in the Resistance while holding normal jobs.  Sometimes I get confused as to when the story is taking place, either 1939 or 1944,  

    But what really bothers me is keeping my place.  This is an e-book through Hoopla, a lending service provided by our library.

    Every time I hit the end of a chapter and "turn the page" to the next chapter, it goes back to chapter 1.  Every time.  

    There are 29 chapters.

    I read mostly at night.  So I finish a chapter, it goes back to chapter 1, and I try to go to sleep.  But the next night, I don't remember what chapter I read!

    For example:  I thought I read 23, so I started 24.  But I already read that, so I went to 25.  When I finished 25, all I had in my head was 23, so I had to go to 24 then 25.  Confused?  Imagine how I feel with my terrible memory!  Then I wonder if I missed a chapter, so I check other numbers.  Maybe I only read 22 and needed to start 23.

    I do this every time I finish a chapter.  I bet I have spent more time finding my place than reading.  And no, I can't seem to bookmark my spot.

    I am almost done. 

    Spoiler alert:  Nazis lost.

    At least it stopped snowing.  Seems it snowed for two days, but there is no accumulation.  Just plain weird.

Peace and Love.  Pray for Ukraine.

Oh dear

I had a very interesting morning 

    

    Julia took our car to Rockford for some work.  We felt her being gone a long time was better for Jackie.  Car had to have a computer update, which took about 5 hours.  Yikes.

    I had just finished tralking with my brother Carl on the phone, Julia was getting ready to leave, I got Jackie situated and I went out to get the garbage can before it blew away, possibly mating with my Christmas tree.

    It snowed all day yesterday.  Well, flurried most of the day.  There was no snow on the ground.  But there was a little snow and ice in front of our garage doors.

    Julia had just turned onto Skare Road when I hit the patch in front of our garage door.

    Next thing I know, I was airborn. 

    Not just a few feet...at least 25 feet in the air!  I looked down at the house!!  A hawk named Harrelson  saw me and said, "Don't worry, it's not the fall, it's the sudden stop."

    Harrelson was right.

    I hit the concrete on my left side.  My shoulder, arm, hip.  I may have hit my head.

    I looked up and saw Julia merrily rolling down the road, oblivious to what had befallen her beloved father.

    I lay still for abut 10 hours, then  said, "Surely, I must have broken something."

    Suddenly an angel appeared!  She had a beautiful set of wings, a tremendous body, and the face of Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life."

    "Nothing's broken.  Get up you wuss," it said, in a voice that sounded distinctly New Yorkish.

    "Who are you?" I asked.

    "I'm Shirley....an angel you idiot.  You called me."

    "No," I explained, "I said surely."

    "Well, damn.  I was just passing by and heard my name.  Never mind," and it vanished in a blaze of light.

    I picked myself up, found the ice melter and spread some on the spots in front of the garage.  The horses were already out of the barn, but I felt I need to do something.

    My shoulder is sore, but I can move it.  My neck is a little sore and my headache is back with a vengance.

    Now  this had to happen April 1.  All winter I have walked on snow and  ice and not once have I lost my balance.  Today....down like a Republican criticizing Trump.

    I just wonder how sore I will be tomorrow.

    If you happen to run into an angel named Shirley, tell her I said hello.

Peace, Love and Pray for Ukraine