Yawn......

 What a way to end July

    I zoomed church, read the Tribune, had cookies for lunch and took a 2 hour nap.  

    I did do three constructive things:  Dishes, one load of laundry and I read my script.

    I have a lot of things I should do, but I took the day off.  Just lazing around.

    What a way to end a month.

    Now, the final week of rehearsals loom....always late nights.

    The first weekend of the play is fast approaching, get your tickets today for the best seats!

    Hot weather is on its way back, with a high near 100 midweek....and no rain in sight.  

    Stay safe, stay cool, buy tickets!

Peace and Love

not me

Big news:  I was not the lotto winner 

    When I heard the winning ticket was sold in Illinois,  my heart did a little bit of a flutter.  I know not many people bought tickets, right?

    Then I heard the winning ticket was sold in a suburb.....and I have not been there recently.  Oh well.

    I was listening to Wait Wait this morning and  they were talking about a giant Chinese rocket  recently launched.  When it re-enters, there is a 1 in 10,000 chance a person could be hit.  That is still 300 times less than winning the lottery.  Yikes.  Keep your eyes on the skies!

    I try to conserve fuel.  I hate using gas to mow the yard.  I wish I had more natural flower space and less grass, but I don't.  So I mow.

    I got one swing to the back to day and ran out of gas.

    I should have gotten gas this morning when I went to the store, but noooooo.  I had to wait until I needed to make and extra trip.  I learned my lesson, again.

    That added another half hour to my mowing time.  And I had to mow some areas twice because the grass was really long around the veggie gardens because I do water those.  

    I an mever happy with the way the yard looks after I mow.  I don't know why, but it just does not look good to me.  This summer is terrible because of the lack of rain and the heat; the yard is taking a beating.

    It just seemed to take forever tonight.  

    We look to be in the 90s again toward the middle of next week, something I am not looking forward to.  I figured mow today and keep refreshed for the last week of rehearsals before the show.

    Get your tickets now for the best seating!

Peace and Love

E gads

 What a whirlwind of a day

    Our internet has been weird.  Right in the middle of something, it dies.  About 4 or 5 minutes later, it comes back.  Today we lost phones and internet off and on for about an hour. Really frustrating.

    But I did get a refund from Ticketmaster for the Buffett tickets. I am happy for that.

    Jackie finally cancelled our Sirius because we get a free trial with the new car.  It was hard to do when the phones and internet kept going off and on.

    Serviceman came to check out the drier.  Sometimes it runs for 10 minutes then shuts off.  We restart it and it does the same thing.  The third time is the charm because it then finishes the cycle.  The only problem he found was a massive build up of lint and he suggested I clean the vent yearly.  That's not going to happen.

    Went to DeKalb to buy whiskey at Whiskey Acres.  They have a special blend that came out today and I was buying one for Emily, who was buying it for Joanna.  I was told to get their early as it may sell out.  I got there at 2:45, the sale started at 3, and I was 41st in line.  There was a limit of one bottle per person and there were about 70 bottles available.  So, I was able to get one.

    But, a guy was selling barbecue out in front and I waited in line so long I got hungry and bought 2 sliders, one brisket and one chicken, plus some Elota and mac and cheese.  It was all very good.  Elota is a spanish style corn.  So I did learn something today.

    A stop at a grocery store and then I picked up a pizza and brought it home.  That's when the fun started.

    Emily was busy, so Julia was letting out the dogs.  I got a call to come over, and found bloody footprints around the house.  As I understand it, two of the dogs were outside running and they ran into each other, causing a bit of a tiff.  One of the dogs came out of it with a bloody foot.

    While we were taking care of that, Amelia started walking in circles.  Emily was called and we found out Amelia has vertigo!  So, Julia carried her in and put her in a bed in Emily's bedroom, and put the dog with the bloody foot in there too.

    After we  got that straightened out, we went home and Julia, Jackie, Sheri and I enjoyed some pizza, wine, and great conversation.

    All in all, it was a pretty nice day.

Peace and Love

 The line ahead of me, wating for whiskey

Success!!

    Ok, my phone died .  I could not figure out why.  When I downloaded pictures tonight, I had 648 that looked exactly like this.  Go figure.

    

    

    

aargh!

Sometimes I get so frustrated I could scream 

    The Jimmy Buffett concert was postponed because of anticipated storms.  Not all the people in our group can go.  So, I am going to get a refund for my tickets.  

    Should be simple, right?

    I have spent hours in internet Hell.  I finally got an e mail that said all my tickets were not transferred back to my account (they were) and to continue the chat with an online agent, click here.  That took me to a help page, not an on line chat.  

    I was told go to "my orders" and look for info there.  I don't have a "my orders" folder; I have a my tickets folder, which lists, surprise, my 4 tickets and nothing else!

    This is not what I call quality customer service.

    And....Jackie ordered towels.

    What living Hell of a childhood did the creator of those little plastic hooks have?  It must have been terrible to create such a hellish item.   You know those little plastic string like things that look like a capital I an d are used to put tags on clothes, right?  If you can cut off one end, you can't find the other end. THEY SOULD BE OUTLAWED.

    After 2 towels, I gave up.  Jackie ordered them, Jackie can figure it out.   

    TC and I did a radio interview this morning for the upcoming Tuna Does Vegas show.  We were supposed to be there at 7:15.  In the morning.  AM.  I made it on time.   I need to be reminded to write down information, like the VCCT web address.  I think I gave it out wrong twice.  Maybe 3 times.  

    And tonight, while rehearsals went well, I got lost a couple of times.  My mind just froze, and went in the wrong direction.  I know by opening  night I will be totally in sync with the script.  Totally.

    Speaking of the show, have you ordered your tickets yet?  It will be a funny show....anytime you have 2 guys in dresses playing women , it creates humor.  I think.

    Since I was up at 6:30, I am getting a bit tired.  So.......

Peace and Love

it's here

I drove our new vehicle home today 

    It would have been nice to have brought the remote opener from the old car, but I did not.  Until I figure out how to program the opener, I have to get out of the van, go into the garage, open the door, get in the van and pull in. When I go to Rockford next, I will pick up the remote.

    It does fit in the garage....but I won't be walking in front of or behind it when it is in the  garage!

    I back in, because then the passenger door is at the end of the ramp and it is easier for me to get Jackie up the ramp.  But I will need to practice to back this into the right spot.

    It has a touch screen for almost everything except seat position.  And if you hit a button on the screen, it will automatically go to the spot you left the seat after exiting the vehicle.

    Mike the salesman went over everything with me.  I drove four blocks and forgot 90 percent of what he said.  I should have recorded it.

    But it has the new car smell and the new car look.  Plus, I can put the wheelchair in the car and still seat several people.  That was impossible with the BMW.

    If I remember, I will post some pictures tomorrow....until then, just picture a small hearse.

    Sometimes people name  vehicles.  It's an old joke, but I am using it. We are naming this one Go.

    Peace and Love

Swell times

 We had Swissies at the house today

    My nephew Mike,  his wife Megan and sone Ben and Michael wer here for lunch. 

    They live in Switzerland, near Zurich.  Megan went there about 11 years ago for her job.  Like Julia, it was supposed to be for 3 years........ but they are all still there.

    I grilled brats and burgers, we had corn and some salads and cookies for dessert.

    It was a short, but great visit.  My brother Carl and his wife Ruth came down and we all just sat around and talked.

    Rehearsal was a bit interesting tonight.  We worked with costumes, which always throughs me a little.  Tonight was no exception. I go from Arles to Didi to Petey to Helen, Vera and a couple more Arles changes in the first act.  I can't believe how tired I was when I got home, and how hard it is to get off the artificial high and to to bed.

    I got 27 texts during rehearsal.  Seems someone found a cute little dog to adopt and we have started the process.  That is all I know.

    Also learned that Klondike was discontinuing its Choco Taco frozen treat afte 40 years!  That wa a big surprise, because I don't ever remember seeing it in freezer sections.  I better snap some up now before it is too late just to have the experience of having one.

Peace and Love

Almost there

 Several things in my life are almost there

    The play is coming along.  I think I know all  my lines, it is just saying them that is the problem  But rehearsals have been going well.

    Speaking of which, we start with costumes this week.  We both have several changes and in the past when we exit to change, we stop, raise our hands above our head, and the changers do the rest.  Sometimes we just need to change tops, but sometimes we need to change bottoms, shoes, wigs, hats.....it can be a hectic time.

    We are also working iun light and sound cues, which again, makes it a whole lot harder to remember what to say when you are turning of a radio or turing it on.  

    We are close on that part of the show too.

    Another almost there is this blog.

As of tonight, there are 248,200 or so views.   Pretty close to one quarter of a million!  I am impressed that people have read it for so long and so often.  Thank you.

    One thing I am not close on ...... picking the winning numbers in the lottery.  I have spent the 700 million already, so my numbers better not fail me this week or a guy named Guido will be coming for one of my thumbs.

    Peace and Love

Yikes

 I had a nice sleep last night

    Usually I have a hard time sleeping.  Despite the weather radio going off 3 times, and me getting up to check what the forecast was, I slept great!

    Maybe too great.  When the cuckoo hit 10, I was shocked.  I did not think it was that late, but it was.

    Which put me behind to start the day.

    But, I did get the yard mowed and trimmed.  When Julia's friends Nam and Matt were here, he mowed July 3.  I have not mowed since.

    The grass has not grown much, except where I water my veggies.  The grass around that area is pretty thick.

    I have a love/hate relationship with grass.  I think it is wasteful to spend so much on gas and time to maintain a yard.  I would rather see wildflowers in more of the yard, and less grass.  But given our love affair with turf, that won't happen.

    On the other hand, I think houses with neat yards look nice.  

    I also pulled down pea vines today.  They are starting to brown up, so I took them down.  I will rake up the ground and put some green beans in their place.  When the Italian beans get done, I will plant more peas there and hope they make it before the frost.

    Caught a few minutes of  the  Cubs.  I have my W flag out because they won again!  And they beat a good team!

    Growing up just blocks from Wrigley, I became a Cub fan early.

    But one of my favorite players when I was a kid was Minnie Minoso.  I loved reading about him and watching him play ball.

    I am glad he finally made it to the Hall of Fame.  It is an honor long overdue.  It's too bad heis not alive to enjoy the moment.

Peace and Love

no go

 I got home very early tonight

    The Jimmy Buffett concert at Alpine Valley was rescheduled due to potentially severe weather.

    I just checked the wether, and there is a thunderstorm active in East Troy right now....which would have been about an hour into the show.

    But it was not a wasted day.

    We rented a pontoon boat, cruised Lake Geneva, had a cookout and got to chat and relax for a while.

    Actually, we cruised Lake Geneva two ways....finding a parking spot was hell.  But the boat ride was a lot of fun and relaxing.

    We had just basically set up chairs, tables, the grill, the tent canopy and were having a nice time.

    Jackie had called earlier and said the venue had called our house and said to keep track on social media because the weather was not looking good.

    Just as we were finishing burgers,  guy came along and gave us the news....show rescheduled Aug. 20.  Security came along and encouraged us to leave, so we packed up eveything and left.

    There were 13 of us.....and we were having a good time.  I got to meet new people, and yes, I did call one person by the wrong name....I do apologize.  And got to visit with people I have not seen since ..... well, a long time ago.

    Of course, the walk around was the high point, but it seemed a lot tamer this year than what I remember past walk arounds to be.  No boob measuring device,  no ice sculptures with anatomically correct male parts,  which distributed something alcoholic. In other words, it was pretty tame.  Lots of guys in coconut bras, girls in skimpy outfits, old folks in tie dyes, pirate flags, and delcious food.  The group ahead of us even brought a blender and was making margaritas!

    It was  fun.

Peace and Love

Food at a nearby tent

Big Hat Guy in Green Bay made this

She was passing out Jello shots

Changes

 We made a big lifestyle change today

    We bought a Pacifica van.  We traded in the BMW.

    Short story long, we had a van years ago.  Jackie could not get in the van.  We bought the BMW.  Jackie got worse and can't get in the car without me lifting her up and setting her on the seat.

    Several times we have not made it.  Julia, Judy, Emily, Joanna, Kevin, and total strangers have had to help me get her off the ground and into the seat.

    So, what is different?

    I ordered a seat that pivots and lowers.  Jackie just has to use the remote control to get the seat into and out of the car.  I won't have to lift her as much, but more importantly, she won't be at a high risk of falling onto the pavement.

    The BMW can not accomodate the seat....evidently the door openings are not wide enough.  Some car models have not yet been approved for the seat, and some approved models are not recommended by the installer.

    I am really nervous about the whole thing.  I have checked with 4 sources and all say the 2022 Pacifica is adaptable.  I just hope it all goes well.

    We get the car next week, and the seat should be in within the week, so then we will schedule installation.

    Like I said, that's a big change for us.  I drove a mini-van for years and was very happy to move out of one.  

    But you do what you have to do to make like better.

    And don't look for a blog Saturday!

    Jimmy Buffett is at Apine Valley and I may not get home until late.  I know, I can hear the exclamations of disappointment already.

    Of course, Jackie said there is a good chance of thunderstorms tomorrow night, so maybe I will spend the show in a car.

Peace and Love

Ruts

 Sometimes I am in a rut

    It seems all I write about involves difficulty getting to sleep, my highly disorganized state, the weather, my garden, my messy garage.....golly!  I am in a rut.

    Tonight...no mention about sleep issues...... although I did fall asleep early last  night and only took a half hour nap today.

    No mention of my garden....althought I did pick some peas and beans and now have to freeze them, even though there are not a lot of them.  

    No mentiuon of my messy garage....although the possibility exists I may have to move the crap from the third space to the first space, which will be a chore because or all the stuff in the third space.  Why move it?  We may be getting a new car, but nothing for sure, positively certain, at this point.

    And certainly no mention of my highly disorganized self.....although I have been trying to get better organized.  Julia ordered a set of glass storage containers.  I had ordered one last month, and on Prime Day there was a sale on them that was too good to pass up.  The glass containers go into the dishwasher.  The plastic ones I have been using get hand washed.  Now I run the dishwasher more frequently but I spend less time doing dishes.  Finding a space for all of the new stuff was a challenge, because you know I won't get rid of the old stuff, even though I won't be using it much.

    And the weather is certainly not a topic tonight.....although I am just glad to not be in Europe.  Record high temperatures, wildfires in several countries, drought in many areas.  Most people over there do not have air conditioning.  So when it is 95, they have to deal with it.  While it is hot here, we do have AC, which is why I have not been out of the house lately.  The lack of rain is a concern of course.....our yard has not been mowed since Matt did it July 1.

    So there...an entire blog not mentioning weather, gardening, sleep, organization or my messy garage.  I can do it!

Peace and Love

Sure

 I often wonder about scammers

    Are they just bad people, or are they desperate?

    That does not excuse their lives.  But it takes two to scam.

    Lots of times I see posts on peoples' pages that run along the line of:  You sound like a nice person.  Would you like to be a friend so we can get better acquainted?

    It makes me wonder if the person does become friends, and if so, how does that turn out?

    Every once in a while in the news you read about a person who lost thousands of dollars to a "friend" who had a legal problem, business expense, medical bill and some older woman or man is gullible enough to send money, sometimes tons of money.

    Or a long distance romance where one person needs several thousand dollars to visit the other.  The gullible one sends the money and often it isn't enough, so more has to be sent and then the scammer disappears.

    I just know I have to be careful, and I tell Jackie that all the time.  Don't fall for some stranger's friend request and never give out bank account information or send money to a stranger.

    Of course, we all know that, right?

Peace and Love

hear those bells

 This is not a typical entry for me

    Usually I am light hearted, with some funny anecdote to share or some fantasies in my mind.

    But today I am just concerned.

    It was over 100 in London.  Glaciers are melting all over the world.  The sea ice is disappearing.  Polar bears are endangered.  Sea levels are rising.  Drought and extreme storms seem to be increasing around the world.

    The bells are going off....alarm bells, warning bells, all sorts of bells.

    But the governments of this world don't seem to be doing as much as possible to lessen the din of those bells.

    It is scarey.  

    What kind of world are we leaving for our future generations?

    If you live in an area that has drought, chances are at some point you will move to an area where there is more likely to be water.  What affect will that have on immigration?  Will countries with water resources  be willing to take in those people, or will those people have to fight to gain access to water?

    I am not a scientist.  I don't know the answers.

    But there are peoplewho do and they better start being listened to, today, this minute.

    To me, this is a world problem that needs to be solved today.  

    The bells have been ringing for years.  But with the fires in our western states, and in the Alaskan tundra, and France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and droughts throughout the world, now the bells are screaming:   Help!!  Act Now!!

    That's my 2 cents.

Peace and Love

mail call

 I was once a mailman

    True!  Summer of 1969 I worked for the United States Postal Service as a career substitute clerk carrier.

    I worked out of Ravenswood Post Office on the northwest side of Chicago.  My friends John and Kathy live on a street  on which I once delivered mail.  I liked the neighborhood then, and I like it now.  Quiet, with beautiful homes.

    Anyway......

    As a substitute I did not have a regular assignment.  If a carrier was out, I would do their route.  Or drive a truck.  Or sort.  I did everything except work the front desk.

    Back in those days, carriers had cubby holes for each address.  They would also stick notes on the spots if there were concerns....mean customer, bad dog, broken mailbox...any thing a substitute should know about.

    I was working a route, pushing my cart merrily along, and I come to a house.  There is a chain link fence around the yard and the mailbox is on the porch.  Porch door is open, so is the house door.

    I had second thoughts, but there was no note.

    I open the fence gate, go up the steps and am at the mailbox on the porch, pulling the letters from the stack in my left hand and sticking them in the mailbox with my right.

    That's when I hear the pitter patter of little feet.  

    I look down and there is a German Shepherd staring at me.  He is not happy.

    I slowly back away and he leaps!

    I take my left hand and stuff the mail into his mouth, backing up to the porch door and using my right hand while I am shoving mail with my left, I get the door closed and the dog isolated on the porch.  With a lot of mail.

    We did not have cell phones.  There was a high school on the end of the block, and I went there and used their phone.

    I called my supervisor and explained what happened.  He said that dog had been a problem before and the case should have been tagged. but it wasn't.

    I told him a whole bunch of mail was on the porch and no way was I going back for it.  But I did go back  to the house,

    Some kid came up to me and asked if I was the mailman.  I told him yes and he gave me a bunch of soggy, chewed envelopes he had gathered from his front porch.  He told me he was sorry he left the door open and that the dog jumped.

    I told him to tell his parents they would be getting a notice that mail would no longer be delivered to their house because of the dog.

    I wish cell phones were around, and Ring doorbells.  I would have liked to see me holding off this slobbering dog while frantically trying to find the door.  I am sure I yelled something besides "sit".

    And I wonder what the people thought when their bills and letters were wet with teeth marks.

    And that's the way it was.

Peace and Love

no nap day

I did not take a nap today 

    Instead, we spent a great day visiting with friends John and Kathy from the city.  And they brought cookies from a German bakery near their house!  Yummy!!

    I have known John since around 5th grade, maybe even before.  It's always great to be with them.

    We used to go into the city to visit them, but with Jackie's situation it becomes very hard to do that.  Stairs, lack of handicapped facilities in restaurants, and just plain difficulty in moving around are problems.

    So they came to us.

    I grilled, but my skills are not as good as Matt the Swiss griller.  The meat did turn out well....some pieces were red, as requested; some pieces were pink; and some were brown.

    Julia and Emily came and everyone pitched in to make it a great day.

    I actually felt pretty good today.  I think I was having a vertigo issue...dizzy, headache, light sensitivity.... or maybe a migraine.  But right now the pain is almost gone.

    I did have trouble sleeping last night and tried a little medicated gummy.  It did not help.  Nor did the second one.  I think it was about 2 or 3 when I finally fell asleep.

    Maybe it is the 2 hour naps I take that affect my sleep.  Or worrying about life.  Or thinking too much.   Maybe the bed.  Who knows?

    I wish I could figure it out though.

    At least the Cubs pulled out a win!  The streak is broken.  I had to blow the dust and spiders off my flag when I put it outside.

Peace and Love

not this one

We met a dog today 

    Liam is a sweet little boy dog....but he is not for us.  

    He is adorable.  Foster parent says he has a great personality and loves people...but we did not warm up to him.

    I think you have to fall in love with a dog to want it for your own.  The minute we met Corki, we were in love.  That didn't happen today.

    But if you are looking for a dog, he would be great.  Just no for us.

    Spent part of the day watching the set get built for the play.  I am a holder....I hold things while other people nail  them or screw them together.  I am also a fetcher....I go and help move stuff, light stuff, so it can be used.

    The crew had most of the work done by the time I got there, and by the time I left, they were finishing up one area and holding/fetching skills were no longer needed.  Oh, I also observe.  I sit and watch the workers.

    The downer of the day is  the headache I seem to have.  My head is pounding, then it is fine, then it is pounding.  I have taken a nap and some drugs, but so far no relief.

    It may be the weather.....or stress....or lack of sleep.  Hopefully it goes away soon.

Peace and Love

Ripped it

 I had a hard time sleeping the past two nights

    I got up early today, and by early I mean 8 a.m.  We were expecting a visitor in the morning, so I thought I should be dressed, and have Jackie dressed.

    Problem is, the visitor didn't come.

    The person bringing the dog called and said they did not have power at their house, it was pouring buckets, and she wanted to reschedule.  So we did.

    That means I was up at 8.  I was also up at 2 a.m., but that was because I could not sleep.  At 3 I was out covering the grill and watching the moon. I always expect to see animals in the moonlight, but I never do.

    Jackie and I ate breakfast and I went out to the front porch to take a short nap.  That was around 10:15 or so.

    I took my favorite wrap, and after the mailman stopped I put on a sweatshirt. and settled back down into my porch recliner.  I sat out there because the sound of the rain and the fresh air were soothing to me.

    At some point I remember getting wet.  I remember the rain hitting my head, so I put up my hood on the sweatshirt.

    I woke up a little after 1.  My wrap was damp, my sweatshirt was damp, Jackie was still sitting in her wheelchair, and I was refreshed.

    But, now it is 9 and I can barely keep my eyes open!  

    Maybe tomorrow the dog will come for a visit.  We left that open.

    I told Jackie that maybe the weather was a sign....but she does not believe in those things.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

a visitor

 Tomorrow we will be having a visitor

    Liam is coming to meet us.

    Liam is shy, but likes people.  He is about 20 pounds, and is not a puppy.  Evidently the past year has been a bit of a challenge, leaving one home and staying at a couple of fosters.

    To be honest, I have mixed emotions.

    I would love another dog, but I can't have another Corki.  And yes, I still cry over her.  I think I always will.  It doesn't happen as often, but it still happens.  Like now.

    Anyway, Liam is coming to visit.  We need to see if he likes us, and if we like him.  I have a feeling it will be apparant pretty quickly.

    We do have questions.  He is used to a fenced in yard, will he adapt to the invisible fence?  He does not like being crated, but can we trust him alone or at night for the first few weeks?

    Will he be good for Jackie?  Is he house trained?

    It is just a visit.  That is what we thought with Corki too, and she stayed for over 6 years.  I loved every minute of her stay.

    So.....tomorrow begins a new journey, maybe.

    Stay tuned.

Peace and Love

it's a girl

We had our baby on this date 

    Little Emily came into the world July 13, sharing the same birthdate as Jackie's dad.

    She was born at Rockford Memorial Hospital.  The nurses asked if I was going in for the birth and I quickly said, "No....I am going for coffee."

    I did not want to be the one passing out and hitting the floor, which is very likely to have happened.  

    Emily is a name that was not in either of our families.  We may have been influenced by the Bob Newhart show, but I am not really sure about that.  Jean is her middle name, and it was the name of my favorite aunt growing up, an aunt who let religious beliefs prevent her from being treated for cancer at an early stage, instead of when it was too late.

    The four of us had a quiet supper....brats on the grill, some salads, and sone cheesecake for dessert.

    I think it is the first ime in over 20 years Julia has been home to celebrate with her sister.

    Funny how life goes...one day yoy are bringing then home from the hospital, and the next day they adults, on their own, doing well.  

    I am just so thankful for both girls, and proud of them too.

Peace and Love

Good grief

 I consider myself fairly normal

    Some of you may disagree, but really, I am not that crazy.

    Compared to this:   A 53 year old Colorado man is on his hands and knees, pushing a peanut up Pikes Peak.

    Yes, that is correct.  12.6  miles of pushing a peanut.  Uphill.  The peanut is in the shell.  Uphill.

    What is weird is he is not the first person to do it!

    The first person did it in 1929.  It took 11days.

    In 1963 another man pushed a peanut up in 8 days.  He covered the 12.6  mile trek with a wooden spoon attached to his nose!

    The last person did it in 1976.

    The current peanut pusher hopes to be done by July 17.

    By September he will be able to stand upright again.

    Of course, they were all men.  Which may mean something.

    (I can see his gravestone:  In 2022 he pushed a peanut up Pike's Peak using his nose.  Contrast that to Jefferson or Lincon!)

    With my luck, I would hit mile marker 10 and sneeze, then watch the peanut roll all the way down the road.  Or a squirrel (do they have those on the Peak?) would steal it and I would be unable to finish my quest.

    I have never been to Pike's Peak.  I think it would be neat to go up it, but not pushing a peanut, especially with a wooden spoon attached to my nose.

    Actually, I don't think there is anything I would do with a wooden spoon attached to my nose, but then, never say never.

    Now excuse me, I have to go find a peanut.  You never know when I may need to know how to push one with my nose.

 Peace and Love

    

pay attention!

 That is what I should have done

    Gardening is not a set it and forget it process.

    I went out to weed my veggies today for the first time in 2 weeks and was greatly surprised.

    Deer seem to have eaten the tops of my bean plants.  

    My tomatoes look like crapola in a can.

    Green peppers are not exactly blazing away.

    Cucumbers have runners everywhere with lots of flowers.

    Peas are starting to brown up...... but there are not many peas on the vines.

    I know peas like cool weather.  This spring was terrible for planting.  It was cold, wet, cold, wet and I did not get them in until mid-May, which is much later than normal.  Then it got hot.  Peas don't like heat.  It shows.

    I have some deer repellant in the garage.  It does no good there, does it Nadine?  I have to spray the plants to repel the deer.  I hope it is not too late.  The beans have flowers, but not many leaves.

    It is the tomatoes that really get me.  

    When I plant them, I trim up  the lower branches.  Then I regularly check to be sure lower branches are not sprouting and laying on the ground.  This year I did not do that and my plants are like bushes.  I had 5 or 6 tomatoes on the ground, rotten, on the two plants.  So I trimmed them.  Now they look terrible.  Maybe I should look for two new ones and replant, but isn't it too late?

    I hate to complain, but I am, I just don't seem to have the energy or desire to maintain the garden like I did last year.  Maybe it's the heat, or my age, or my mental state....but I don't like going out there.

    It used to be relaxing and rewarding.  This year it is hot and a chore.

    I just hope it is all like a gall stone.  As the doc said, this too shall pass.

Peace and Love

old friends

 We sawpeople we have not seen for a while

    We went to an anniversary open house at the Taft Campus in Oregon.  Linda and Terry celebrated their 50th anniversary, and several former teachers were there.

    I say former, because we are not old.  Old is .... well, you have aches and pains, trouble walking, health issues are your main topic of conversation, sometimes you forget what you were  talking about.  Hey, wait a minute!

    Looking around, I noticed many of us are in our 70s.  At one time that was ancient, but now, it is not so old.  90 is the new old.

    I took many classes at Taft years ago.  I have a master's in outdoor education from there, but that program is no longer offered.  At one time it was a world leading center for outdoor ed.

    I took classes there in the 80s.  Among topics we talked about back then were the ever increasing challenges of finding oil, a warming planet, (global warming I  believe was the phrase) the greenhouse effect, solar energy, and in general, how to create a better world for our children and grandchildren.

    Remember...this  was back in the 80s.  What is happening now in our climate is not something that popped up over night.  It has been studied for years. 

I think more people should have taken those classes.

Lorado Taft was a famous sculptor about 100 years ago.  His Native American overlooking the Rock River is now called Blackhawk and is a tourist attraction.

    I had never heard of Taft until the outdoor ed classes, but I had been exposed to his work at an early age.

    There is a bronze sculpture in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago which always scared the bejeebes our of me.  Taft did it.

    We lived near Graceland and I have grandparents, aunts and uncles buried there, so my parents went there often.  As a matter of fact, we sometimes took a lunch and picniked on a little island near Aunt Jean.  When I suggested once to Jackie that we go on a picnic at the cemetery she looked at me like I was whacko.

    So, I visited the Seven Muses at Taft.  The campus is generally closed to the public, so I don't often get a chance to visit another of Taft's work.  I did today, after the party.

    Tonight Kevin, Jen and Sam came over with dessert and we had a nice evening chatting about life in all aspects.  And the desserts were delicious.

Peace and Love

The Seven Muses......

Uprooted tree at Taft

View from the dining room.......in the "old days" the sumac and scrub trees would have been gone.

lazy days

 Today was just a laid back day

    I dusted furniture, vacuumed floors, did a couple of loads of laundry, worked on my script, then took a nap.

    Matt came back today.  His flight back to Switzerland was cancelled due to a strike, so he was stuck in Chicago overnight.  He came out here and is spending the night with us, which is great!  We went to Flight Deck for supper and watched the skydivers land.  It was a beautiful night.

    The one down side was the Cubs losing.  They had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the ninth but gave up a run, then lost it in the 10th.

    They were playing the Dodgers in LA, which made it a late night.  Truthfully, Jackie fell asleep thinking they won and I may have slept through a couple of innings before the ending.

    I need to do some deadheading outside, but I keep putting it off.  Maybe tomorrow.

    Or not.

Peace and Love

    

write me in

 I am officially announcing my candidacy

    I am not sure what I am running for, but I know some of you will be crazy enough to vote for me.

    I have a platform that is dedicated to basic sense.

    Here are the top 10 items in my candidacy

10        Eliminate the penny.  They cost a lot to make and nobody wants to deal with them.  Try paying for an item in pennies and see what response you get.

9            Include tax on all prices.  If the can of beans is 49   cents ( I can't find the little cents sign....is that obsolete now?) that would include the tax.   That way people can figure out if they have enough money to pay for groceries a little more easily.

8            Require all fitted sheet makers to put labels on the long sides.  Enough of this guessing which side is longer or shorter.

7            Since we are eliminating pennies, don't price items with a 9 in the cents column.  Round everything up or down.

6            Require all credit and debit card readers to work the same way.  Every time I go into a store I have to be retrained on how to use the damn machine.

5            Noiseless Sundays.  This is a Swiss thing.  No mowing, leaf blowing, hammering, outdoor radio playing......make the day a quiet day for reflection and thought and naps.

4             Make Leap Year Day an election day.  That's when we vote for president...once every 4 years.  It would be a national holiday.  Hell, it should be a national holiday anyway since it happens once in 4 years.  In our lifetime, we could hopefully see 20-25 leap year days.  I think that is special enough to have the day off.

3            Ignore Ground Hog Day and the Farmer's Almanac.  Just because.

2            Require everyone upon reaching the age of 18 to travel to another country or two  and spend a month there.

1            My ideas are no worse than any of these other Bozos running for office.

    Feel free to write me in for President, senate, congress, state office......whatever.

Peace and Love       

le Tour

 I always watched the Tour de France

    I think the riders are the most athletic and well conditioned people in the world.  Riding hundreds of miles in a short period of time, I like watching it for more than just the racing.

    By the way, this year they cover 2,068 miles in 23 days with 2 rest days. Yikes!!

    Yes, I followed when Lance Armstrong rode....and Greg LeMonde and others, but to me the greatest thing about the race is the scenery.

    As they go across the country side, or through small towns, it is amazing to see the centuries old houses and buildings.  Castles, forts, quaint villages,  churches, mountain tops...all are visible while watching the race.

    It always makes me want to go back to France.

    The Tour does not stay in France.  It ventures out of the country a few days each race.

    A few years ago Julia and some friends went to  Martigny, Switzerland, to watch the Tour.  In 20 years she lived there,  that was the closest.

    But this year.....timing is every thing.  The tour will be going through Vevey, Montreux and Chardonne....passing in front of the apartment building in which Julia used to live.  How exciting that would be to be living  there as the Tour passed!

    So, we will watch on TV Saturday and Sunday to see if we spot places we recognize.  I am sure Julia will, but I bet I see a few spots to.  Even if it is not on the Tour route, I am sure Freddy Mercury, Charlie Chaplin, La Marché, and the Fork will make appearances.

    I have not watched in a few years.  The pandemic, rampant cheating, and lack of a racer to follow put me off a bit.

    But this year I will tune in more, just to see the 200 riders snake their way through a small town, passed a castle, or go up a mountain.

    Such fun!

Peace and Love

Skare Park today.....mommy and two youngins!  None of them seem afraid of me.

Ouch

I went out to water plants and got bit 

    I did not feel anything at the time.  But the  next morning, I woke up and there was a nodule on my arm and it itched.

    It still itches.

    Plus, it is hard.

    And I did not feel a thing.

    Tonight when I went out to water plants I found 3 toads.......all hanging around the back door.  I figure we have lights on all night there and it must be a good spot to catch bugs. I wish one had caught the sucker that bit me.

    A most amazing thing did not happen to me today.  I was in DeKalb with my hearing aids and I did NOT stop at a Starbucks.  I don't know when I have ever done that.  It just seems I am coffeed out for a few days.

    We did get rain last night.  Not a lot. I did not check my rain guage until tonight, and there was only .2 when I did check.  It did not seem to rain heavily or for long.  Maybe tomorrow.

    That's about it....but I can't believe how tired I am lately.  Maybe it is the heat, but this old man is feeling tired and slow.

Peace and Love

weather...or not

 We have been in a strange weather pattern

    Yesterday the forecast called for 100 % chance of rain...we got none. 

    Sitting on the porch last night, we watched the lightning flash like a neon sign in the north, which received a lot of rain.

    But us?  Not so much.

    Last year the same thing happened....our area did not get rain while people all around us did.  Very strange.  According to the state, we are in a slight drought situation.

    Maybe tonight will be different.  There is lightning to the north, west and east....which means we are in the middle of a storm... but it is not raining.  And that is too bad, because my grass , trees and flowers need a good dose.

    Our guests Nam and Matt left today.  They are Julia's friends from Switzerland and we were happy to host them for the week.  We all enjoyed their company and hope they come back soon.  It was a fun week with them.

    The only downer of the day was I think I broke a hearing aid.  I went to change the cone and filter and the filter broke off inside the device.  As soon as I can I will take it over to the audiologist and see about repairs.

    And hot?  Holy cow, it was a brutal day.  I took a nap at 1 and slept through Emily coming into the house and talking to Jackie.  I must have been tired.

    Now, going to bed I will be hoping for rain.

Peace and Love

Fourth day

 I had another laid back day

    We had friends over for a barbecue, and spent three  hours laughing and talking.  That always feels good.

    Especially since we have not seen Bart and Laurie for a while.  Probably over a year, despite several promises of "let's get together."

    Brats and burgers were on the menu and once again, Matt manned the barbie and did a wonderful job.  We also had corn, three types of salad, cookies and cherry bars.  And yes, some rosé was consumed.  It was good.

    I did work on lines for a bit and it is obvious it was not enough.  I am getting there, but too slowly.

    Matt and Nam leave tomorrow.  It was great having them here and I hope they come back again.  I know Julia enjoyed talking to Swiss friends face to face and I know they enjoyed their time here.

    Nature is putting on quite an electircal display  in the sky north of us.  My weather radio has sounded several alerts in the past hour, all for areas north of us.  But I am sure our time will come.  Heavy storms are predicted for the post midnight hours.

    I just hope they are not dangerous.

    Have a happy rest of the Fourth.

Peace and Love

Sunday is funday

 Not a lot of action today

    Julia, Matt and Nam went to the outlet mall near Aurora, I let out the dogs at Emily's, and I worked on my script.

    The best part of the day was supper.

    Matt likes to grill.  We went to Headon's the other day and I bought some Iowa chops.  These are about an inch or more thick!  I love them, and cooked properly they are delicious.

    Matt was the grillmaster and marinated them, put a rub on a couple, and grilled them to perfection.

    We added salads to that and had a great meal with Emily, Jackie, Julia, Nam,  Matt, and me.

    I even made a few mojitos, so please excuse any misspellings.

    While we were sitting on the patio in back, a deer wandered through the yard, completely oblivious to us.  

    Fireworks going off again....I hate to be a gripe, but I really don't like them.

Happy Third of July!!

Peace and Love

And pictures.

    This young one was bedded down in the field next door and then took a walk through our yard.

aliens?

There was weirdness in the air tonight

    First off, somebody in our area put on a fireworks show at about 10:30.  There were loud, and I mean LOUD, explosions.  It went on for almost 30 minutes.

    What kind of person does that to their neighbors?  Geesh.

    Someone else was setting off what we think were Chinese lanterns.  These are the paper bag type things you put a candle or flame in and they rise up into the sky, eventually setting the lantern part on fire.

    Not sure that is a good idea in an area in the middle of a minor drought, but it was kind of neat to watch.  And it did not make noise.  

    But the weirdest.....aliens!

    We (Nam and Julia and I) were sitting on the porch and I saw a white light in the sky to the north west.  It moved.  South.  Then North.  Then up.  Then down.

    We discussed it being a helicopter, or a drone, or a spaceship.  I am going with the spaceship.

    It moved back and forth and up and down in the sky....going north to south to north.  Eventually it headed south and we lost sight of it.  It moved quickly.  It hovered.

    If it was a drone, why would it be flying at night?  This was around 10.  What would it see?  Maybe it had infrared cameras, but it went south and did not come back.  Now maybe it started in the south and came north, but what is the range on a drone?  

    It was not an insect because the light was constant most of the time.  A couple of times it went out but came back on quickly.

    We tried getting a video, but could not capture it.  Maybe it had some kind of coating that prevented cameras from capturing its image, huh?

    Other weirdness.....Jackie missed the front seat again.  Matt and I got her up an in the car to go see the fireworks.

    At the end of the fireworks we had to detour because there was an accident at 20th St. and Flagg Road.  Not being able to exit the Lincoln School parking lot from 20th St. , we had to go out through the high school exit.  I then opted to go the long way home, because I was not sure what the traffic situation was on Flagg Road.

    And completing the weirness of the day, the Cubs beat the Red Sox!  (Sorry, Trisha) One of the best teams in baseball, beaten by one of the worst.   Maybe there is hope...the kids are starting to get hungry.

    I would say, "Happy Fourth of July."

    But it is only July 2.

Peace and Love

excuse me

 Today is Bobby Bonilla Day

    He is a former Major League baseball player who had a huge contract with the New York Mets.  In order to sign other players, the team renegotiated his contract, deferring his payments,  giving them more money to pay players.

    So, on July 1 of every year, Bobby Bonilla gets a tad over $1 million from the Mets.  This continues to 2035, when he will be 72.    He last played in 2001!  He also gets another $500,000 until 2029 as part of a payout from another team.

    Not bad for not working.

    Speaking of not working, our cleaning person left us.  Ginger did a great job and we will miss her.  We found a replacement, but she won't start until the end of July.  And, I have to keep my pants on when she is in the house.

    Ginger usually took about 3 hours to clean.  She did not do Julia's room, the den or the kitchen, exxept she did the floor in the kitchen.

    I figured out why it takes me so much longer than her.

    First off, I am freaking old and move slower.

    I also get easily distracted.

    But, when I clean I also do laundry, make lunches, fold clothes, answer the telephone,....all things a cleaning person doesn't have to do.  

    If I didn't have to do that, maybe I could clean the house in 3 hours.

    As it was, after I worked as long as I could, I still had the bathrooms and our bedroom to do.  And I  was tired.  

    Relaxing with some pizza, rosé, and friend Sheri made the evening a little better than the day.

    Tomorrow I need to work on lines and clean bathrooms.  And a bedroom.  It will be a long day.

Peace and Love