to test, or not to test

 I don't think I have Covid

    I do believe it is a cold.  I cough, and I am tired.  Two days ago I felt great and did a small thing outside, and yesterday I was not feeling well, again.

    Today I felt good, went shopping, and tonight I am very tired.

    So, I took a Covid test.

    I have a tendency to not read things correctly, so I got Jackie to read the directions while I did the test.

    This can be a challenge.  When making a recipe, she will do that and at some point toward the end will start reading from the beginning, causing me to note we have already done that part.  After several instances, we finally get to the last step or two.

    So it was with some trepidation I handed her the directions.  I did give her the English version.

    She read them slowly and carefully, and I repeated what she said while doing it.  Lay the card flat.  Handle by the edges.  Drop 6 drops into top circle. Fold over test and seal.  Don't touch the wrong end of the swab.  Do each nostril 15 seconds, swirling continuously.  Place the swab in the holder so the tip reaches the top circle.  Let sit 15 minutes.

    It all went well......I only had one line, which means no Covid.  

    Now I can relax.

    We also had blood tests today.  The person who drew my blood at the local hospital was gently and reassuring.  It was a good draw.

    In the past I have gotten dizzy and even fainted, although I have gotten better with age.

    The car seat is working out nicely.  My back does not hurt after taking Jackie some place, and that is good. And I have not dropped her, which is an even bigger plus.

    I did feel a little sad today.  One friend returned from Italy, another returned from Vermont, and I went shopping.  

    I wonder which of us had more fun?

Peace and Love

dream homes

 I admit, I was impressed

    One of the Chicago TV stations had a story of a penthouse for sale on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

    It has 8,000 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 6 full bathrooms, and a to die for outdoor green space of 5,000 square feet.

    It had been listed for sale at $17 million but was reduced to $12 million.

    I looked at pictures and could see myself sitting out on the lawn, 24 stories above street level,  watching the lake and the city from up high.  I could almost taste the hot chocolate on a late winter night as a fire burned in one of the several fireplaces.  Maybe I would have a fire outside, in a firepit, as I watched the lake ice over.

    Or in the summere watching the fireworks at Navy Pier, a few close friends over to use the 6 bathrooms or to join me on the green space playing croquet.  

    Now, all I need is for 12 friends to join me in my venture.  If 12 of you each pitch in a million, we could buy this and use it for a vacation home.  Of course, my investment is in time and effort, not actual money.  Plus someone would have to clean the bathrooms, so that would also be part of my contribution.

    I don't think I am a Communist, but when I see people with mult-million dollar homes, and yachts worth more than the value of some countries, I think we are a little messed up.  There has to be a better way than having a few amass so much while so many struggle to get through life.

    My brother and sister in law in Florida came through Ian ok.  They lost power unmtil today, and as of this afternoon did not have water, but relatively slight damage in their area near Fort Myers.  I don't know if my brother heard anything about his place, but I will call tomorrow for an update.

    And Florida friend Elle, I hear you are safe.  How is your house?  Can you get to it?

    After listening to Bob and Anita talk about the storm, I realized I would go crazy if I was in their situation.  I panic at tornado watches and severe thunder storms.  But hours with pounding rain, hellacious wind and no electricity would put me over the edge.

I'll never leave Illinois.

Peace and Love

slowly, very slowly

I actually got a project done today 

    I finished my downspout extensions project.

    Feeling much better, I opted to work in the sun for a while. 

    Here was my plan:  I had four downspouts that needed new extensions.  One was simply put a gutter piece on but the others were more complicated.  I wanted them so they could be flipped  up when I was mowing.  I figure I spend about 10 minutes every time I mow taking downspouts off and putting them on again.

    I decided to hinge three of them.  That involved cutting away part of the top of he extension, screwing it to the elbow, and screwing it back onto the downspout.

    I am proud to say after 23 hours of effort, I have finished.  Figuring it saves me 10 minutes a mowing, and I mow 20 times a year, I will save 200 minutes a year.  So in 7 years, I should be ahead of the time saving game!

    What a waste.

    I also took out some yard things that I don't need anymore.  I took pictues of a fertilizer spreader, lawn roller, and my core aerator.  I figure to post the pictures on Facebook and sell them.

    But the aerator had a flat tire that would not air up.  Plus it looks a little rusty.  And it has been repaired.

    So....I made a sign that said "Free" and rolled it to the end of the driveway.  It was gone in 15 minutes!

    And you know, I don't feel bad about it.  I feel good!  I got rid of something that I no longer needed.....and that is damn rare for me.

    Maybe it is because I felt good today, or maybe I am just figuring out it is time to seriously get rid of unwanted items, but I am glad I did it.

    In any case, it is a big step for me.

    Now, maybe I will throw away that nut I bought.

    Bob and Anita are without power, last we heard.  Hunkered down in their house near Fort Myers and playing cards by flashlight.  Keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers as this storm makes its way across Florida.

Peace and Love

eh????

 Sometimes aging is just the pits

    Actual conversation tonight:

    Mwa mwa ma waa ah

    I can't hear you dear.  I am busy with the dishes.

I finish what I am doing, go out and say, what was it you wanted?

    She said, Huh?

    You said something to me and I don't know what you said.

    I don't remember.

    Really!  

    That is what aging does to you!  I can't hear and she can't remember.  I did not have my hearing aids in because I didn't feel like it.  I don't know why she can't remember though.  It must not have been important.

    I decided to use my at home Covid tests to be sure I have nothing more than a cold.

    I have 6 tests.....all 6 expired in May!  What the hell!!  I did not know they had expiration dates.  Emily said not to trust them as the results may be inaccurate.

    Talked to my brother and sister in law in Florida.  They are in the Fort Myers area and are hunkered down.  Tonight they have a tornado warning.  The spent the last couple of days storing anything loose, putting up hurricane shutters, stocking up on water and making sure the generator worked.  

    They have  a house, so it should withstand Ian.  My brother Carl has a mobile home down there and he is hoping it is still there in a few days.  Luckily he and his wife are still in Rockford.

    My cold is better.  I am still tired.  Still have a cough, but not like Monday.  I am sipping on a hot toddy and suddenly feel very warm!  I make it with water, a healthy dose of whiskey, and honey.  It soothes my throat and makes me tired.

    Hopefully this all make sense because it makes me a little goofy too.

    And Julia asked me this morning "At what point do you turn on the heat?  It is 64 downstairs."

    I told her we usually don't turn it on until October....but I did because I don't want to see her freezing while she works.

Peace and Love 

I say Eh, again

 Wow, I think I have become a dwarf

    Not Sneezy or Doc, but Dopey and Whiney.  I am not sure Whiney is on of Snow White's pals, but I am that today.  And Dopey.  Always.

    I have a cold.  The only thing worse than a man having a cold is the end of the world.

    I spent the day in my recliner, sleeping or reading.  Normally that is ok for a 74 year old retiree, but I have things to do and places to go.

    I have been sleeping well.  But, and there is always a big butt, I have slept the first couple of hours in the den with the window's open.  I may have gotten a chill from that practice.

    No fever, slight cough, headachy, tired and sore.  Like I said, Whiney.

My taste buds are fully functioning, as is my nose.  

    We are keeping an eye on huricane Ian because Jackie's brother and sister-in-law are in the Fort Myers area.  We talked to them today and they were taking in anything that could blow and putting up the hurricane shutters.  I asked about fleeing, but he said the roads were pretty packed and there may be nowhere to go.

    So..Anita and Bob, Elle, Jack, and any one else who may read this, be safe.  Keep calm.  Keep us posted.  My brother Carl ususally goes down in late October or early November and hopefully he has a place to go to.

    If my spelling is a little weird, I am having a rather strong hot toddy.......just hope I stay awake until bedtime.

Peace and Love

Eh...

 That describes today

    Went to a fund raiser, called a woman by her sister's name, went shopping for a nut, watched the Bears eke out a victory.

    The fundraiser was a huge event.  Lots of people,with music, raffles, food.... all for a local girl who has spinal bifida and wanted to raise money to help find a cure, or preventative, for this crippling disease.  Since it was also her birthday, it was a kind of fund raising birthday party.  It was a nice event.

    Saw lots of people I have not seen in a while, which is always good.  

    My big buy of the day was a nut.

    While Emily was gone this weekend, I thought it would be nice for dad to replace the broken wheel on her hose cart with the new wheel she ordered.  Except, the bad wheel was off and I could not find the nut.

    So I took the remaining nut on the left side and went to buy a nut yesterday.  But the one I bought yesterday was too small.  It was 3/8.  Emily mentioned it may have been a metric measurement, since it was improted.  So today I went and bought a 12 mm bolt, which is about 1/2 inch.  

    I got back to her house and.....Voila!!  She found the missing bolt and put the wheel on herself.

    If anyone needs a 12 mm bolt that costs 79 cents, let me know and I will give it to you.

    Also looked at the haul Julia bought a the Warren's Cranfest event.  Lots of neat yard type ornaments.  They did see a  metal bison, but the $1,100 price tag seemed a bit much for something to stick out in t he yard. They had a fun time.

 The six jobs I had to do this weekend did not get done.  I need to scale back on my expectations.  So the six jobs will get done this week.  And probably several more will be added.

    I am incredibly tired for not doing anything.  I don't have a fever, but feel warm.  About 4 times an hour I cough.  It's almost like I a getting a cold.

    Might be hot toddy time.

Peace and Love

WTH

 Today just flew past

    I was up fairly early.  Well, 9 a.m. anyway.  I went to let out the dogs at Emily's at 10:30, went back at 2:30 and again at 5:30.

    I did not need to go at 5:30 since she got home while I was there.

    I also went to the market at Cypress House.  

    We have been out of the highly addictive white chocolate pretzels for a couple of weeks, and they just got a shipment yesterday.

    Owner Krista saw me and told me there were in, so I got 3 bags.  

    I don't know why I love these so much.  I can't eat just one, or two.  Jackie likes them also, but she only eats two at a time.

    I also took more items to the Pickin Station.  I can't seem to find what I want to take there, however.  I need to do a thorough search of boxes in the basement this week.

    Jackie asked me to make cookies, and I did that.  She read the directions and checked to be sure they looked ok.  They taste fine.

    I also did 3 loads of laundry.  

    So I was surprised when I looked a the clock and saw it was almost 8.  It seems like the day just flew by, which I think happens when you get busy.

    I already have several small chores on my to do list for tomorrow, but the Bears are on and I may watch a little of that.

    At least I slept will last night.  I never heard the cuckoo at midnight, and did not get up from my den chair until 1:30, but I went right back to sleep in bed after that.  I hope I have the same luck tonight.

Peace and Love

brrr.....

Fall arrived today 

    Yesterday was the Equinox signaling the official start of fall. It sure felt like it today!

    I went out to mow and had to put on an extra shirt.  When I finished I had some hot chocolate.

    Sherri is dogsitting so we invited her over for burgers tonight.  Yes, it is Friday.  Yes, we have pizza almost every Friday.

    But Julia is gone.  Julia does not like hamburgers.  So we had burgers today.

    But damn, I was out of cheese to put on top!  Every time I hear "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" I want a cheeseburger.  I heard it twice today!  But I did not have any cheese.  So it was just the burger with lettuce, tomato and fries.

    I also opened a bottle of red.  I had planned to have a rosé, but it was just to darn chili.

    I stopped by the Pickin' Station where Linda and I have a booth.  We set out stuff last Friday and as of today we had sold 7 items!  They told me to bring in more items and fill the shelves.  So tomorrow I will do that.

    The goal is not to make money, but to start getting rid of items that no longer fit in our lives.  But it is really hard for me to part with things.  Everything seems to have a memory.

    Peace and Love    

done!!

 This turned out to be a done day

    Timing is everything in life, right?  

    Got home from DeKalb yesterday and there was a voice message on our home phone telling me my tire was fixed.  Should have given them my cell number.  So, I went back over today and picked it up.

    They said they found a sharp piece of gravel on the inside of the tire, which caused the three flats.  Plus, they found other debris on the rim.  So now I am good to ride.

    While there I stopped at Gordon's Ace Hardware, which is right by the bike shop.

    I was looking for some gutter spikes and our local Ace was out.

    What a great store!  Wooden floors that creak when you walk on them, bins full of nails and screws, lots of merchandise to buy.  And they had gutter spikes!

    Why do I need gutter spikes?  Good question.  My new compost bin doesn't have any anchors.  You just set it on the ground and put in yard waste.

    But the winds are so strong this year, I knew that would not work.

    I thought I could use gutter spikes to anchor it in place.  I drilled two holes on each side, except the front, and drove the 8 inch spikes into the ground.  I pushed on it and it stays in place.

    I had taken all the compost in my broken bin and loaded it into my yard cart.  Then I gathered up the wasted cucumbers and put it all into the new bin.  Tomorrow I need to throw some water in it to get the process moving.

    Next spring I will be able to pull out the compost and put it back into the garden.

    What I thought would take a couple of hours only took about half an hour.  So I spent some time in the native garden, pulling clover and unwanted grasses.

All in all it was a pretty productive day.

Peace and Love

Yikes!

Double Yikes!

Still a little color showing in my natives

questions

 I have several questions

    Was the person that passed me in a double yellow lined part of Flagg Road in a hurry or just stupid?  I was doing a little above the speed limit, and they came up on me like a bat out of hell.  Then they passed.  It was weird.

    I see a commercial on tv at night with a woman touting a fashion business.  She walks by putting one foot in front of the other.  Not next to each other, but directly in front.

    I tried that and almost fell and broke something valuable. Is that a normal way to walk?  She also leans against a wall, something I am sure we all do during our day.

    Why when we are in a hurry do we hit every red light?  On our way to the doctor's today we hit 5 red lights in Rochelle.  (yes, we do have that many in town)  The only two that were green were near the high school.  We did make it on time.  I am surprised there wasn't a train too.

    Why am I so tired right up until the moment I get in bed?  Then I am wide awake. Happened again last night, still awake at 2.  But at 10 I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.  

    Why does Ollie's custard taste better than Culver's custard?  Ollie's just has a nicer texture and taste.  We had some today with Barb and Rick and enjoyed a nice visit under the trees.  By the way, Ollie's is for sale...would be a great opportunity for somone willing to work hard for 6 or 7 months a year.

    Will the Bears win more than 5 games this year?  I was optimistic after the first game, but the Packers brought me back to reality.  I guess that is not a why question.

    Why don't I see things?  I was at the store looking for pizza sauce.  Could not find it. Walked down two aisles.  Finally a clerk asked me what I was looking for and she took me to it.  It was right where I had looked.  In plain view.  There must be a scientific thing going on where items are not there when you look but are teleported when you walk away.

    Such is my life.

Peace and Love

    

oh boy

Sometimes I just mess up, despite my intentions 

    If you ever arrange a date or meeting with me, triple check.

     Jackie has a doctor's appointment in Sycamore, Wednesday.

    I messaaged DeKalb friends Barb and Rick last night.  I told them yes, this was last minute but do you want to meet at Ollie's around 2?

    This morning Barb messaged me and said yes, and she hoped it would not be too hot for Jackie.

    I thought to myself the temp is supposed to be really nice Wednesday.   But my original message never said a day, and I realized at 1 that they were planning on meeting us at 2  today! 

    It never occured to me to specify a day.  

    Now, this is about the third time I have arranged to meet them on the wrong day. 

    This is pretty common for me, as well as frustrating.  I often double  book meetings, outings, get togethers....it's like a disease.

    Anyway, I called and it is all straightened out and we will meet tomorrow, Wednesday, for custard.

    I ran into friend Bart at a store today and showed him our new van.

    It was when I opened the sliding doors that I realize it looks like a garbage dump!  Paper and bags all over the place.  It is a mess.  I need to do a quick pick up tomorrow before we go.

    Which pretty much summarizes my garage, basement, bathroom closet, den, and the general state of my mind.  Lots of clutter, baggage, and stuff that needs to be sorted and dealt with.

    I went to buy new socks but got frustrated.  I was looking for socks like I have, but I got confused. Am I wearing quarter socks or ankle socks?  What is the difference?  Why can't they just make long socks and short socks?

    Then I thought, I only wear them with shorts, and since it is getting cooler, why bother?  I will look next spring.

    But we all know next summer will come and I will still be whining about socks.

    Unlike the seasons, some things never change.

Peace and Love    

holy cow

 I watched parts of the Queen's funeral today

    I was amazed at the pagentry, the traditions, the formality of the event.  Watching the streets lined with tens of thousands of people, some still weeping, but almost everyone taking a picture as the coffin passed...was inspiring.

    I know not everyone in England favors a monarchy, but those people respectfully kept their distance today.  No protests, signs, yelling politicians inciting people....it was a wonderful display of respect for the Queen and country.

    I realized this will probably be the only spectacle on this level I will see.  Many people lining the streets probably fit that same description.  

    I can't imagine anything on this scale being done in the US, or anywhere else.

    Long live the King!

    I had a tasting party today.  Gave Jackie sour cottage cheese for lunch.  I smelled it first, and it seemed off.  She took a small bit on a spoon and almost gagged.  

    We had a tub of salsa in the fridge.  I had some with chips for lunch, and it was a little tangy.  I asked Julia when she bought it and she said when Nam and Matt were here.....which was in early July.

    I did not think salsa went bad, but I guess it does.  That also went into the garbage along with the cottage cheese.

    Today was mowing day.  Of the six houses in our little section, 4 of us mowed today and 1 yesterday.  Julia thinks we should all mow on the same day so the rest of the week is quiet.

    That's not a bad idea.

    Mixed a mojito and sat on the back patio.  It seemed to be getting very cool out there.  I think tomorrow will be our last hot day for a while, then the temps dive.

    I had no comments on the lousy Bears last night,  mainly because we lost power at about 10:30 and it was off for 2 hours.  I was "sleeping" on the porch, watching the lightning, when lights went back on in the house.  

    It is pretty dark out her when the lights go out.  Kind of nice.

Peace and Love

    

    

checkin the list

 I worked on my to do list today

    Dig carrots.  Done.

    Well, sort of.  I dug up two for supper.  They look pretty good, last year's crop was dismal.

    Replace compost bin.  Not done.  I thought of it, but it was hot. And we did not get up until late because I had a terrible night.  I hurt all over:  my leg, my back, my neck.  No matter how I tried to lay in bed, I was uncomfortable.  The chair did not prove to be an answer.

    Replace window sensor.  I replaced it.  Sort of.  I moved it from one table to another.

    Water the porch plants.  Did that!!  I think this is the longest I have kept the hanging baskets alive, but they are starting to brown up.  But the mums look good, so do the impatients and the two salvia I have left.

    At 3:30 I said I would make supper at 5, so I went to take a short nap.  I woke up at around 5, so supper was delayed.

    I grilled some steaks and reheated my salmon on the grill.  The steaks were ok, but the salmon was a little dry....I think I reheated it too long.

    I had to eat it outside because someone can't stand the fish smell.  I had a nice dinner with some white wine out on the patio.  I even had company with all the damn little picnic bugs that surrounded me.  I had to fish 4 out of my wine, so every time I took a sip I inspected the glass.

    But tomorrow is another day.  I plan to mow, again.  When it gets a little cooler I will dig carrots and redo the compost bin....but I don't intend to do that when it is in the mid 80s.  

    Besides, that is good napping weather.

Peace and Love

nada

 Not much to talk about today

    Just a lazy day.  I just don't have energy enough to tackle all my tasks.

    I know I waste a lot of time on the computer.  I read the Tribune.  I check Facebook.  I do Wordle.  I play Spider Solitaire.

    Before I know it, the day is almost over.

    Throw in time to eat and do minor tasks, and it is already dark.

    I did watch an inning or two of the Cubs, but that was about it.  I also grilled some salmon for supper tomorrow and one day next week.  I did that today because when it rains tomorrow, I won't have the chance to cook it since I can't cook it indoors.

    Maybe tomorrow will be a go get em day.....but I am not counting on it.

Peace and Love

dream on....again!

 I need to stop dreaming

    But first, the news.

    Linda and I set up our booth at Pickin' Station today.  I think it looks pretty darn good!  Lots of neat stuff.

    If you see something you just gotta have, better get down there quick!  These will be gone soon.  We hope.

    Had a great time tonight with Renee and Wendy.  They brought pizza and fun company and we had a wonderful time talking about all sorts of things....especially queens, kings and the English.  We had a great night.

    

    Dreams.  Funny things, eh?  Two nights ago I dreamt of a futuristic village.  Last night was even more outragous. 

    

    I won't go into details, but imagine donnie trump in a bathrobe, one that is open far more than you would like, facing Hillary in our front yard.  Suddenly, the wind picks up and .....ta da!  

    I took a photograph and his agents wanted my camera.  So they broke into my house in the middle of the night to steal it.

    In reality, I was up at 2:30, wandering the house, checking windows and doors!  Seriously!!  It spooked me....in more ways than one.

    Maybe it's the food I eat, or my over active imagination, or something else.  But the dreams lately have been doozies!

    To sleep, perchance to dream.......I would rather just have peaceful sleep.

Peace and Love

dream on

 OK folks, time ror a little analysis

    My dream.  Last night.

    I left my house in Chicago to take a pictue to a store for repair.  As I pulled away from the curb, Jackie came up to the car and gave me the picture.

    There was a fire just to the right, so traffic was a mess.

    I finally got to the store.

    The store was in a building that was 10 stories high and a city block long.  I don't know how wide it was.  

    A small train looped the building from bottom to top.  People rode the train to the top floor, where there were houses and apartments and a rooftop garden. 

    I could not find the store on the directory, so I had to go down a flight.  Someone was with me....a guy with black, curly hair who might have been my son.  I called for him but he got lost in the crowd.

    The train that looped the outside stopped at the fifth and 10th floors.  If you wanted to go down, you took an elevator or the stairs.  But the elevators only went down.  Yes.... I do see the problem with that.

    Each floor had a mix of stores...a bakery, grocer, cafe, some restuarants, and housing.  It was a huge area.

    I got to the next floor....and woke up.  I don't know if the picture got repaired.

    There were several of these high rises, with a core containing a school, hospital, and some businesses.

    It got me wondering.

    Is this the future?  Will humans be housed in facilities like this, where cars are not required?  Possibly the building's wastewater could be treated and recycled as drinking water, which is disgusting, I know.  But with water shortages all over the world, that could be a solution.

    (I used to tell my fifth graders that the water they drank today was the same water dinosaurs peed in millions of years ago.)

    What gets me is 12 hours later, I am still thinking about it....wondering who the boy was, how many people lived in a building, where did they work.

    But hey, it was a dream, and sometimes those don't have answers.

    Speaking of answers, took my bike tire to a different repair shop today.  They told me the tube had to have a "Schaffer valve", or something along that line.  That was because of the size of the opening in the rim for the valve.

    Problem is, they don't have any and don't know when they will get them because they are on backorder.

    So I left my tire with them.  The lady asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that and I told her might as well, I can't ride it when it is flat.  And when they finally come it, my tire might be first in line.

    Suffice it to say, I may not get much riding in this fall, or this year.  Which is sad, because I enjoy riding.

    Oh well....

Peace and Love

Eh......

 Today was a pretty eh day

    Did laundry, mowed the yard, went to a meeting and now I am dealing with a major headache.

    Popped some Tylenol, hope it brings  relief.

    I still have to bring up my stuff for the booth we are stocking on Friday.  I have everything in one spot, just need to bring it up, dust it off, and price it.

    Pricing is an issue.

    For example, I have a butter crock.  I Googled it and found ones just like it for $40-50.   But I can't get that price in Rochelle, and I guess there is no guarantee those people are getting that price either.

    So, what price do I set?  Am I trying to make money, or get rid of things  we no longer want or need in our lives?  Or both?

    Should I be upset if I get $10 for something I see for sale at 4 times that amount?

    Decisions, decisions.

    I guess time will tell.

Peace and Love

WTH!!

 Sometimes I just get so damn frustrated

    I went for a short bike ride this afternoon.  Figured after working in the veggie garden, doing a load of laundry, and not taking a nap; I needed a little down time.

    I loop my subdivision.  It is 2.2 miles.  I intended to ride 2 laps today, but I barely made one and a quarter.  Why?  A damn flat front tire.

    That is the third one in a couple of weeks.

    I have a doctor appointment in DeKalb Thursday and will take it to the DeKalb bike place.  There has to be something with the rim that is popping the tire.

    So my ride turned into a short one with a little walk.  I could have called Julia to come and get me, but that defeats the concept of exercising.

    At this rate, I will not even have 20 miles by Oct. 1.  That is sad.

    I did use my  phone to take a few pictures of real and not real flowers.

Peace and Love

    

This was last Friday......I am sure they have made progress since.l

Red Milkweed Beetles.......

not again, again

I always told my students to read the directions 

    Read all of them.  Make sure you know each step you are going to do.

    I should follow that advice.

    My compost bin came apart.  I can't put it back together.  I ordered a new bin.

    I put the new bin together today.

    I looked at the directions, which were pictures with the words "push down" the only real directions.  No problem, I have put IKEA furniture together, how hard can it be?

    I snapped in the first two of 8 snaps and noticed the top did not line up with the side.  That's when I noticed the words on the side of the bin.  I had the side upside down.  

    No problem, just unsnap it.

    45 minutes later, four screwdrivers, countless repititions of my line in the next play, lots of tugging, and I finally got the first of  two unsnapped.  I took another 10 minutes and got the second one unsnapped, because now I knew how to do it.

    After that, it took 5 minutes to assemble the bin.

    I just did not notice the wording on the side.....black lettering on a black bin.  Yes, I should have been more observant, but a little heads up would have been nice.

    I had a great night's sleep, and my feet did not itch last night.  Not very often I saw those things.

    I have a list of items to take to the antique booth, tomorrow I will start tagging and pricing them.  

    I would have done that today, but between assembling the bin and freezing peppers, I have run out of the will to do anything except shiver because I am so damn cold.

    In case you are keeping score, I had 3 inches in the rain gauge yesterday and another inch in it at noon today.  That's a lot of rain.

    Too bad some didn't come sooner.

Peace and Love

grr!

 What is up with bananas?

    Jackie usually has a banana at lunch.  Julia eats them.  I sometimes have one at breakfast.

    So tell me, why do bananas start going brown and mushy after 3-4 days?  No matter where I buy them, they get spotty and then just turn to squish.  We freeze them to make banana bread, but right now I have enough bananas frozen to make about 347 loaves.

    I don't refrigerate them, but I wonder if the stores do.  Seems to me they are a fruit you should not refrigerate.

    Raspberries are another issue.  I bought some on Tuesday and on Thursday they were moldy.  Not all of them, but enough to get me frustrated.

    And it does not seem to matter where I buy produce.  Those two items just go south so fast.

    Blueberries and apples?  Last forever.

    I picked a cantalope from my cucumber patch and it is not very sweet.  Is that because it wasn't ripe yet or because it was a volunteer from the compost bin?  

    Oh well.

    In 2001 on this date I was at school when Michele Gates, our kindergarten teacher, saw me and said a plane had hit a building in New York.

    I pulled the hall tv over and plugged it in and saw the tower burning.  I went back into the classroom, checked on the kids working, went back to the tv and saw the second plane had hit.

    I told my fifth graders something terrible had happened in New York and they should talk to their parents about the news when they got home.  I don't think I told them about the Pentagon or Pennslyvania, but I don't remember.

    I do remember kids being scared when they were in school.  I remember the emptiness of the sky.  We had a field trip to Brookfield Zoo the next week and one parent was concerned, but I told her the zoo was far from downtown Chicago, the military was patrolling the air space, and we would be safe.  The girl did go, and for one day it seemed a sense of normalcy had returned to our world.

    The sadness of the day, the last messages to family members and loved ones, the faces of fear as New Yorkers fled the collapse......things that I hope noone ever has to experience again.

    Well, that was a bit of a downer, wasn't it.

    I am fascinated with car radiator caps, maybe hood ornaments, I don't know.   So, some leftovers from yesterday.  Daughter Emily might especially like one of these.

Peace and Love

Funday

 Today was a pretty neat day

    I am involved wit the Rochelle Area Community Foundation and today we had our first Planes. Trains, and Automobiles fund raising event.

    The event was at the Rochelle airport and featured some vintage cars, planes and some train artifacts.

    The car show included a collection that had some really hot cars.  So, I am just going to post pictures and you can admire my sensational camera work.

Peace and Love

I loved the wooden spokes.

Can you spell money and speed?

Notice....one wiper blade!

This is a recreated Jenny.......famous from the upside down stamp  that is worth millions.....the stamp,  not thye plane. 

Halle

 Sometimes an instructor stays with you for life

    Halle Hamilton was that type of guy.  He was never Dr. Hamilton, he was always Halle.

    He was the photo instructor at Northern when I was a student majoring in journalism.  By the way, I could write, type. and spell much better 55  years ago.

    We would develop film and print pictures in the lab.  He always was telling us, "only make one change."  Instead of changing paper, f stops, and exposure time all at once he urged us to only make one change.  That way you know what caused the problem you were trying to solve.

    We had an assingnment to do a photo essay.  I did mine on Lincon Park Zoo.  I was living at home, and loved going to the zoo.  Something is always happening at the zoo.  (Thank you, Simon and Garfunkle).  So I took my Yashica D and wandered the zoo and surrounding grounds.  

    One picture I took was going to be the centerpiece of my display.  It was a man sleeping on a bench, a newspaper covering him.

    I thought it was a great shot.

    So here I am, working away in the photo lab  at NIU and I just can't get the print right.  No matter what I do, there is a huge smudge in the middle.  I try washing the negative, dodging the area where the smudge was, different paper.   Nothing worked.  

    Finally, in desperation, I took a print into his office.  He was sitting at his desk, smoking a pipe, and looked at my picture.

    I told him all I had done and nothing seemed to get the smudge out.

    He looked at it for a minute, then grinned.  "Was it a foggy day?" he asked.

    I told him yes, it was.

    "That's a building.  Hidden in the fog.   It's not a smudge."

    After that, I was always the guy with the rose colored glasses.  

    He was approachable, patient, and remembered my name even years after I was in his class.

    So....after several nights on non-itchy feet (oh no, not THIS again!) I was about out of my mind last night and took an allergy pill, anti itching pill, applied anti itching cream, washed my feet......and in the end, the itching stopped.

    And I remembered Halle's advice:  only make one change at a time.  I made 4.  Now if my feet itch, I won't know what I need to do to stop the itching.

   Sometimes the lessons you learn are recalled too late.

    Peace and Love

winner, winner

I did something right today 

    Not that I don't do things right ever day, but this was more right than usual.

    I went to a fund raiser which featured a silent auction.  I perused the offerings, and put in a bid on one basket

    I don't think people were aware of the contents.  I believe the cost of the basket's contents totalled over $100.  I paid $50.  Actually I bid $45, but I felt a little guilty!

    Score one for me!

    I had 7 stops to make in town after my chiropractor appointment today.  I wrote them down on a sheet of paper, numbered them in order of stops because I was getting gas for the mower and wanted that to be the last stop.

    I figured Walgreen's would be stop 6 b ecause I had 2 items to return.

    Stop  5 was Cypress House, because it is on the way.

    I was at Cypress House when I realized I did not bring the things to return nor did I  bring gas cans for the mower.

    EVEN WITH A LIST!

    I could not believe it.  Then on the way home I realized I still had not taken the mums out of the back end of the van.  They have been there since Tuesday.  I took them out and watered them, hopefully I did not kill them already.

    Best part of the day was no falls.

     I was saddened to hear of the Queen's death.  She is the only queen I have known England to have, and I am sure many of you are in the same boat.  She always seemed like such a gentle, kind soul.  I loved the picture of the double rainbow over  Buckingham Palace.   It was a fitting symbol.

    Peace and Love

    

Who do you call?

 We had an interesting morning

    To begin with, I was tired.  I have not been sleeping well. 

    Usually I can sleep in my recliner, but the last two nights did not go well.  I open the windows, turn on the fan, and lay there.  Eventually I get up and go to bed.  Last night I went to the recliner at 10:45, read for 20 minutes, then turned out the light.  No sleep.  And all I seemed to do in bed was toss and turn.

    So, I was tired.

    Jackie's routine is she gets in her transport chair and I push her into the shower.  Then she stands up, usually with my help, and I pull t he shower bench under her and she sits.

    We did that this morning with no problem.

    At the end, we reverse it.  I help her get up,  move the shower seat, pull in the transport chair and down she goes.

    Except this morning.  She could not stand, the transport chair got tied up in the shower seat, and she sat on the very edge of the transport chair.  For about 3 seconds.  Then she was on the floor in the shower.

    I got Julia and we tried to lift her but realized the two of us could not lift her and move the chair.

    Luckily Emily worked late today and she was able to come over.  Emily and I lifted her by the shoulders and Julia slid the chair under her and all was fine.

    She was not hurt.  No bruises, cuts, or anything.

    If Emily had not been home, poor Kevin would have gotten a call.  Or Curt.  Next  it would have been Todd.  After that, it would have been the fire department.  I hope it never comes to that!

    After lunch I was so tired, I decided to take a nap on the porch chair.  It was beautiful weather, my little fountain was on, I had some ginger ale to sip.......and I could not sleep.  Not  a wink.  

    I did not have caffeine yesterday afternoon or this afternoon.  I am hoping that will make a difference, but so far it seems I sleep better with an afternoon coffee.

    I do have3 of 4 of the downspouts on, but I seem to be only able to do 1 a day bcause my hands hurt so much.   Plus, I seem to be lousy at doing this.   I spent almost an hour on  the one today because I could not get it to pivot.  

    And I have one extra gutter elbow.  That is just weird.

Peace and Love

well... a deep subject

 Being observant is everything 

    Which is a problem for me.  I don't always notice things.  I don't read the italics life throws in my direction.

    We put a special seat in the car for Jackie.  There is a rebate to help with the cost of the seat.

    The dealer filled out the rebate for me.  All I had to do was pick it up, make sure it was complete, and mail it in.

    But, and there is always a big butt, I read it when I got home from Rockford.

    One of the things I had to have was the installer has to sign the rebate to certify it was installed.  The installer was about 3 blocks away from the dealer.

    So today I had to drive up to Rockford and get the form signed.

    To me it was a mistake that cost me a couple of gallons in gas, and at  today's pirce, it was a costly mistake.

    So I combined my trip with a quick visit to see my brother and sister in law, who just happened to have baked some rhubarb scones.  Good timing on my part.  I also got some mums and thistle seed and a piece for my gutter project.

    Add in a meeting this morning and I really did not have a lot of free time today.  So, nothing accomplished around the house.

    But tomorrow.....gutters and new compost bin will be tackled.  The big problem will be moving stuff from the current bin to the new bin.  I don't really want to do that.  If you are not busy, bring a shovel and come join the fun!

    And those damned picnic beetles are out in force.  You can hit them with something, but swatting doesn't kill them.  They have to be squished.  And they get into anything that is edible.

    At times like this, I really miss by screened in breezeway.

    But, life goes on.

Peace and Love

dag nab it

 Progress can be damn slow

    I managed to get one gutter extension complete.  I would have had the second, but my thumbs were so sore, I could not screw the two parts together.  I used to think Arthur Itis was a friend of my dad's, but I guess it is a friend of mine too.

    And Friend Steve came buy today and I now have a front bike wheel that turns.  He confirmed that I was doing the right adjustment, so we completed the task and all I have to do now is ride.

    I would go now, but I opened a bottle of red and have had a couple of glasses and it may not be a good idea. Plus, it is getting dark.  I had forgotten how quickly the days shorten in the fall.

    Julia made rosti tonight.  It is a Swiss dish, like hashbrowns but with ham and bacon and cheese.  I ate on the patio and closed my eyes, getting a vision of the view from Julia's house as I chewed.  But when I opened my eyes, no Lake Geneva or Alps in sight.

    It just feels weird to say September.  Summer sped past.  I think the older you get, the faster time goes.  

    And this is Labor Day.  I think it is strange that the Cubs were off today.  Seems this would be a day to play somewhere.  I am just glad that Albert guy is retiring after this year....he kills the Cubs!

    Finally, talked to my nephew in Switzerland today.  All is well there, warm, but not terrible.  They have not had a drought issue but parts of Italy, France, Spain and  Portugal have.  The climate is changing.  I just hope we can hang on.

Time for a refill.....

Peace and Love

 These guys love this native plant!

I am lousy about cucumbers.....I just don't know how to grow them.

It's big, but useless.  (That's what she said.)

dang it

 The best laid plans..

    I tried to get something done today.  I really did.

    I put the wheel back on my bike.  Now the brakes are in a permanently lock position and no matter how much I adjust them, they don't unlock off the wheel.  Hopefully someone who knows how to adjust brakes will wander into my world and show me what I am doing wrong.

    I also tackled the downspout extension project.

    Someone seems to have ridden over the ends of a couple of my downspouts while mowing the lawn.  Not going to point any fingers here, just suffice it to say the downspout ends are flattened.

    Here's my plan:  Cut new extensions.  Where the extension connects to the downspout, cut a U shap in the top of the extension.  Then drill holes in the extension and downspout.  Run a wire through the holes.  Now the downspout will lift up.  Put small pieces of Velcro where the end of the extension meets the downspout.  Flip up the downspout, the Velcro keeps it connected to the downspout. When done mowing take them down.

    I have 3 downspouts to do.  Allowing 60 minutes per downspout, I should finish in 3 hours.

    I spent the first 40 minutes looking for my tin snips.  The last time I used them was when John and Dan helped put up the tin ceiling in the basement.  But the snips were not in any of my tool boxes.  I did find them on a table in the garage.  I have no idea why or how they were there.

    Then I had to find the hacksaw.  That was easier....it was where I thought I put it.

    I carefully measured the first extension, cut it, grabbed an elbow to attach it to the downspout and discovered the downspout is mounted sideways, which means the elbow doesn't fit.

    Moved on to the next downspout.  Made sure the elbow fits, and cut a U in the end that attaches to the downspout.  It does not swivel.  I guess my U is not deep enough, so I will try again tomorrow.

    By now I have put in a little over 2 hours in and I have nothing except don't works to show for it.

    In celebration of Labor Day tomorrow, I will get one of the damn extensions done.  That should only take me 3 hours.

    Have a safe Labor Day.  Drive safely!  Watch for deer!

Peace and Love

    

    

oh hum

 This was a pretty unspectacular day

    Mowed, again.  Seems to grow quickly with all the rain.

    Did laundry.  Let out the dogs.  

    I just don't seem to get motivated to do the little things.  I have said, "I'll do it tomorrow" so many times I have lost count.  Yet, tomorrow comes and it still isn't done.

    I always say tomorrow will be different, but it never is.  

    Tomorrow I plan to put my still inflated tire on the bike, put my new downspout extensions on, and take down the table in the den.  By  the way, it is a good hospital type table  that the girls bought Jackie.  Unfortunately, it does not work  with the chair Jackie uses. 

    And maybe I will take pictures of things in my garage I want to sell.  But, that was a spring project and I never did it.

    Those bug bites from the other night still bother me.  Now they are like nodules in two places....kind of hard and itchy.  I'll probably get some exotic disease from them.

    At least that would be something different.

Peace and Love

 

new ventures

 I am taking a giant leap

    Well, maybe not giant.  But huge.  Well, ok, maybe not huge, but big.

    Friend Linda and I rented space at Pickin' Station, a local antique mall.  We are booth 23 and starting later this month we will be selling antique and vintage items.

    I hope we are able to sell some of the collectables we have amassed over the years.  If nothing else, we will have  tried and had some fun in the process.

    Speaking of fun, today was a pretty fun day.  

    Friend Curt came over with some produce and a large print edition of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" which he happened to have.  We had a couple of brews, unusual for me, and just visited.

    Friend Sheri was over and did some weeding for us, and she joined the group.  So Jackie, Julia, Sheri, Curt and I had a great  time just talking about all kinds of stuff.  It was a good time.

    I switched over to rosé,  which seemed like a good idea at the time.  Now I am not so sure.

    But I think the alcohol will make me sleep, offsetting the coffee from Cypress House I had.  Or the two elements will keep me awake again.  Last night I was up until 2 or 3, humming Jimmy Buffett tunes and playing Spider Solitare.

    I don't know why sleep eludes me so often.

Peace and Love

Maybe this will be a Thanksgiving guest.

Our booth, but not our stuff.  

that bites

 I spent a little time in my native garden tonight

    There was some clover and other invasives I tried to dig out.  I am going to need a shovel for one though, could not dig it out.

    My brother called while I was out there and I talked to him while sitting on my golf cart.  After about 10 minutes, I started getting bit.  I assume it was mosquitoes.

    I have bites on both legs, my arm, my neck and on my ankles.  They are starting to itch.

    It happened so suddenly, which I thought was weird.  I had to hang up and go in the house, it was so bad.

    When I go back to finish tomorrow, I will be sure to have  on repellant!

    What else came on fast was darkness.  I was so used to being out late I had forgotten how early it gets dark.  

    Julia picked up Portillo's for supper Tuesday night.  She got each of us a piece of cake.  I finally decided to eat mine tonight.

    Came in from the bugs, got the cake, poured a glass of milk and sat to relax.  The milk was off.  It did not taste right.  The expiration date is Sept. 3, but I think it is bad.

    Which kind of irks me because Walmart often does not have the milk I prefer.  I was in Sycamore to get my bike tire fixed today and stopped at a grocery store over there, but did not buy milk because we had a quart.  Now we don't have any but I will not drive to DeKalb just to buy milk.

    My bike has a new front tire inner tube.  There was a big hole in the one they put in Friday.  He didn't charge me for the new tube.  I watched him put the tube in and the tire on and saw how easy it was for him.  I know it would take me at least an hour and several fits before I could do that.

    I just hope it is not flat tomorrow.

    Peace and Love