ooooooo

 I don't believe in ghosts

    Really, I don't.

    Yes, there is Ghost Dog from down the road, but I have not seen it for a while.

    When I first saw it, Ghost Dog was standing by the side of the road....its white coat blowing in the wind.  But there was no wind.  It was  a calm night.  I slowed down as I passed it and Ghost Dog's head just followed my car as I drove passed.

    And yes, sometimes I feel there is someone walking around the house at night.  But when I get up, I find no one.

    And yes, after Corki died I sometimes heard her little foot steps in the middle of the night.

    But I don't believe in ghosts.

    So explain this to me.

    I pulled out of my driveway tonight, listening to Jimmy Buffett, and as I drove down the street I saw a man in the road.

    He had on a long gray jacket.  As a matter of fact, everything about him was gray.  Gray hair that hung to his shoulder, gray satchel slung over his arm, gray face, gray pants.  Gray, you get it?

    I blinked and he disappeared.  

    Now, it could have been a reflection on the windshield that resembled a person.  And it all took place in a fraction of a second, but the image was burned into my brain.

    Like I said, I don't believe in ghosts....... but.......

    I need to post a sign in the house like they do on construction sites:   "We've gone _____ days without an accident."

    Then I have to teach Beth to read it.  

    We notice a pattern.  When Julia has her downstairs and plays fetch the ball, Beth runs and runs and then without warning will drop a load.

    We think she just gets excited from running and playing.

    So we are banning her from the basement for a while.  Plus, she steals paper and distracts Julia at work, so she is now staying upstairs.

    Tomorrow I take her to the rescue people, who will take her to the vet and have her spayed.  

    I really wish she could understand we are not giving her away and she will be back.  Hopefully she does not get distressed or depressed.

    Day 4 of the cold, still coughing.  I think I hacked up a lung today.

Peace and Love

Day 3

 We had doctor visits today

    Jackie and I had blood drawn last week.  The results came in and today we sat down with the good doctor and went over them.

    Everything is normal for both of us, with the exception of Jackie's Vitamin D level.  We thought she was taking 5,000 units 2 times a day, but she is only taking 1,000 units 2 times a day.

    Vitamin D is linked to MS.  People who take high doses may not be as susceptible to MS as those with low doses.

    But the big news is.....(drumroll)  when I went in December I was 203 pounds.  Today I was 196....and that is with all the eating I did over Christmas and New Year's.  It seems walking does help.

    Unfortunately, I have not walked since last Thursday.  My cold is still tiring me out and causing me to lose sleep at night, so walking is the last thing on my mind during the day.  When I went to Walmart today I even wore a mask.  I don't want to spread this around.

    Fortunately, Dog Beth has gone 3 days without an accident in the house.  I am knocking on wood.

    Unfortunately, when we go out, she does a lot of standing and sniffing.  It is cold out there tonight!  We were out for 15 minutes and she did not do a thing.  I, hoever, damn near froze.  

    She is scheduled to be spayed on Thursday.  So Wednesday I will take her to Sterling and meet with the rescue people, who will keep her overnight and then to the vet early Thursday.  Friday we will again meet in Steerling and she will come back with me.

    I wonder how she will mentally process the whole thing.  I don't know where cocker spaniels fall on the doggie IQ range chart, but she seems pretty smart.  I just hope she does not feel abandoned.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

hint of spring

 This was a pretty good day

    Sunny, nice temperatures, dog doing business outside, cold subsiding, knee not hurting.  All in all a good day.

    Plus, Julia made buttered chicken and Emily came and had dinner with us.  It was nice having the 4 of us sitting around a table and talking.  We don't do that often enough.

    Plus two: friend Sam came over and took our order for Butter Braids for her dance group.  Jackie and I fell in love with Butter Braids several years ago and I still love them.  I do wish they still offered a cherry one, but raspberry was good and so was apple.

    If you don't know, Butter Braids are frozen coffee cakes.  You take them out the night before, let them sit over night, then bake them for 20 minutes or so the next day.  The coffee cake comes out light and flaky.  I was a little surprised at how much they cost now as compared to when we first bought them, but they are good.  And we don't buy them often, so I figured we could splurge.

    Tomorrow should be a walk day for me.  I did not go last Wednesday because of the weather, but went Thursday.  I was not feeling well Friday so I have not walked since last Thursday.  I hope to go tomorrow, but if I don't feel much improved, I won't.

    Right now I am sipping a decaf black tea with a little lemon and some honey mixed in.  It soothes my throat, which is sore from my blowing my nose.  Go figure.

    Last night when I took Dog Beth out the coyotes were really howling and yipping.  It seemed as if they were right across the road in the park.  I heard them perfectly and did not have my hearing aids in, and it unnerved me a little.  

    Beth seemed to want to go join them.  She kept heading in that direction, and I had to pull her leash back toward me several times.

    I just don't think she would be a good companion for the wild ones.

Peace and Love

semi crappy

 I am one to complain

    I am also a little obsessive compulsive.

    Dishes get stacked orange-blue.  Papers on counters near cash registers get straightened and aligned with the counter edge.  Doors get checked twice at night.

    Yes, my desk is a mess.  And I can't deal with paper.  But I do fixate on certain things.

    I felt terrible when I went to bed last night.  My knee hurt, I could not breathe, I was tired.

    I took Beth out at 9:30  She snifffed and did her business and we came inside.

    I got Jackie into bed then took a long, hot shower and crawled under the covers.

    Beth is very good about sleeping in her crate at night.  I don't think we trust her enough to let her roam.

    Sound asleep at 4 when she barked.  And whined. And barked.

    I got up, put on my sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and went into the living room for my coat.

    When I put my coat on I was shocked at hold cold the coat felt.  And how cold the room was.  It was almost like a door was open.

    And it was.  The front door was wide open.  The house was at 60 degrees.  

    I took Beth out and she pooped and peed and we came back into the house.

    I did a walk through to make sure there were no animals living in our house that were not supposed to be.  No skunks, raccoons, fox, coyotes or owls.

    How did I not lock the front door?  I am blaming it on the cold I have.

    When I move Jackie from chair to chair I wear a back brace.  When I make the bed I wear a thumb  brace because my thumb hurts.  Today I also put on a knee brace.

    I looked like a walking advertisement for ambulance chasing attorneys.

    I feel a little better tonight, but not great.  Took a home Covid test and it was negative, as I knew it would be.  Knee is still sore, nose is plugged, and I'm tired.

    Thanks for all your well wishes.  They are appreciated.  Sleep would be appreciated too.

Peace and Love

what a crappy day

 I have had better days

    I have a cold.  For those of you who know me, my having a cold is about the same as people suffering from the Black Death in Europe a thousand years ago.

    I whine about everything.  

    And I hurt.  Head to toe.  I did not sleep well because I had a hard time breathing, even though I had a stiff hot toddy at bedtime.  I also put half a pound of Vick's on my nose, but that did not help.

    This morning I took a hot shower and that gave me some relief, so maybe I will do that before bed tonight.

    I tried to sleep in my chair, but the phone rang a couple of times, the dog nudged me a couple of times, Jackie called me once, and I had to get rid of the 6 quarts of tea I already had.

    Finally at 4 I fell asleep for an hour.

    Now, dog Beth has been pretty good in the house.  Yes, there has been a mishap or two, but today was not her day.

    She dropped a load in the basement while she was playing with Julia.  While she was downstairs with Julia while Julia was working, she peed.

    I took her out when I woke up at 5.  I had her on the long leash, which gives her a little more freedom.  We were out for 10 minutes and ... nothing.

    When we went to go in, the leash got tangled around my legs and I went down like the ton of bricks that I am.

    Beth immediately came running over to me to see if I was ok.

    When you are 70 f'in 4 and hit the ground, it is not always good.  I didn't break anything, but my right knee is sore.  The main problem is I can't get up.  I usually look for something to hold onto, but there is nothing in the yard that would help.

    I wondered how long I would lie out there in the dark before someone missed me, or I froze to death.  A true popsicle.

    I also wondered what I landed in, if you know what I mean.

    Eventually I got up...the answer is they will never  come look for me, evidently.

    We get back in the house and not 5 minutes later, Miss Beth pees on Julia's rug.

    Seriously.

    I also missed a friend night with Sheri.  I figured it would be best not to contaminate anyone else.  Person Beth, TC and Carrie....I apologize for anything you might get from me.

    Now I am icing my knee because it hurts.

    That's my crappy day.

    Hopefully this is just a cold and will be better tomorrow.

    Hopefully.

Peace and Love

Whew!

 Our weather was not that bad

    The Rochelle area seems to be in a safe zone.  

    People north of us lost power, but our house was fine.  People in town lost power, but our house was fine.

    You know why?

    We had a generator installed.

    That means we will never lose power.  Not only will we not lose power, but non of our neighbors will either.

    It's an unwritten law.  Like insurance.  You can have homeowners insurance for 30 years and nothing happens, but the first day it lapses....BAM!!!!  Your house is hit by a 2 ton blob of flying ice dropped from a passing jet.  And you are not covered, at least by insurance.

    So our generator guarantees  that the power will never go out in our subdivision....you can all thank me later.

    We had an Exit 99 meeting tonight.  Not only was it great to get together and go over comments on the last show, but Beth got to meet Beth!  I should have taken a picture, but I did not think of it until after everybody left.

    Dog Beth got along will with everyone, but she did leave a little wet spot as a reminder to pay attention to her "I want to go out" movements.

    I did take her out when everyone left.  Dog Beth did nothing.  It was cold. Windy.  I was freezing.  She just went out and wanted to come back inside.  She is no fool.

    I took her out an hour later and she immediately peed twice, then went to the door.  I was about frozen by then.

    Which brings me to what I am doing now.  I am having a rather strong hot toddy.  For me that is water, bourbon, a little sugar, and some lemon juice.  I think I am getting a cold.  My nose is stuffed.  And runny.  How it can be both is a mystery.

    Anyway, hopefully this will put me to sleep and I will have a deep sleep, like I had last night.

    Hopefully.

Peace and Love

now I remember

I forgot one of the unpleasant dog owner tasks 

    Taking it out in the freezing rain with the wind blowing at 200 miles an hour and my face cold and my coat wet and the damn dog sniffing and not doing what I took it out to do.

    We walked around the house and all she did was sniff.

    Now, I know she was distracted.  Julia said there were several deer in the back yard last night and dog Beth was fascinated with the smell. 

    But it was cold.  And wet.  And windy.

    So, we went in with unfinished business. 

    I took her out later and she did relieve herself, but it was still cold, wet, and windy.

    She has actually done very well.  Not perfect.  Last night we went out about 9:30 and she peed (I think...hard to tell what a black dog is doing in the dark) and pooped.  I know she did that because she scraped the ground with her back legs.

    But when we got in the house, I sat down and she sat down in front of me and peed!  We had just come in!

    I cleaned it up, did not yell at her, but I did tell her she can not do that in the house.

    Aside from that, I spent the day watching the rain/sleet come down and ice forming on the trees.

    It was a miserable day.

    I did go to Emily's to let her dogs out.  That saved her from driving home from work on her supper hour.  They were not excited about going out either.

    Obviously we did not go to church for ashes.  I just did not feel like driving over in this weather.

    That's it for me.

Peace and Love

Not a great picture, but this was the field at Skare and Flowler when I came back from Emily's.  

still here

 I am better mentally tonight

    I sometimes over react.  Forgetting a name is normal for me, so it is no surprise I forgot one yesterday.  It was just weird that I knew it just minutes before.

    I may have been tired, or distracted. 

    But my wife, Sophia, has not noticed anything different.

    I know weather forecasts are sometimes a little off.  But the next 5 days could go down as the worst weather we have had for a while.  We seem to be on the edge of a system that could produce thunderstorms, ice, sleet, freezing rain, snow, more ice and more rain and snow.

    Some schools in the northwest corner of Illinois and in the southern Wisconsin counties have already announced closings for tomorrow.  Their weather is supposed to be worse.  

    I know we won't get several inches of snow, but I always laugh when I see cities buried in snow and people shoveling  out their cars.  Where are they going to go?  My goodness, if there is a lot of snow and ice and the roads are bad, don't go to the store for bananas!  Stay home!

    Unfortunately, Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, as you all know.  We would be going to church in DeKalb, but I think that will be a last minute decision.

    We were going to get blood tests tomorrow, but when I heard the forecast I told Jackie we should go today.

    It's not that I was afraid the roads would be bad, but it is sometimes hard to get her out of the car, into the wheelchair and into a building.  There may be ice on the ground, which is terrible for my traction.

    The hospital has a canopy you can drive under, which should help that.  But I still have to park the car somewhere and I really hate walking in the rain, cold, and wind.

    So we went today.

    I don't do well with blood tests or shots.

    The person who did mine today was excellent.  I felt a little pinch, and that was it.  The big issue was not eating until we were done.  As you all know, eating is a hobby of mine.  Unlike exercise, I practice it often.

    Not to belabor by night time habits.....but.   Last night I was up at 1, 2:30, 4:30 and around 7.  Each time I fell back asleep almost immediately, but I am so tired.  I can't seem to sleep all night.  It is draining me.

    Maybe that's why I have a hard time remembering some things.

Peace and Love

truly scared

 I had a terrible scare today

    Jackie says I am over-reacting, so does Julia.  But I am still unnerved by what happened.

    I went in for coffee.  I said "Hello, Mary" (all names have been changed to protect the innocent) to the person who has served me dozens of times.  She said, "I am not Mary.  I am Jane."

    We laughed about it.  I heard a voice from down below saying, "Hello, Terry."

    I stuck my head around the corner and said, "Hi, Sue."

    We talked for a minute or two, then I went back for my coffee.

    Sue came up and we talked about the Exit 99 show and how it went.  I told her I  thought it went great and she said she was sorry she could not attend.

    She jokingly asked if I had forgotten any of my lines, knowing it was an improv show.

    We all laughed about me calling Jane the wrong name, then Sue said the words that caused me to be scared.

    "You remember my name, though.  Don't you?"

    I just stared at her.  She thought I was joking.  I said I honestly did not remember her name.  I named her husband, her kids, but her name was gone.  They gave me hints:  3 letters, starts with S.....and I finally said Sue!

    I was not embarrassed, I was scared.  Less than 5 minutes ago I called her by her name.  Now, I did not know it.

    I have said, "I forgot" a lot lately.  Little things.  Nothing major.

    But this shook me, and 4 hours later I am still struggling with this.  

    I like to think this was just a brain freeze, which we all have from time to time.  

    And despite being told not to worry about it, I do. 

    Maybe I am tired, or was distracted, or something.  

    Hopefully it is not a recurring problem.

Peace and Love

Day 1...or is it 2?

 We made it through the night and day

    Dog Beth seems to have settled in nicely.  She goes to the door when she has to go out, and that is after pacing around the house.

    We went out a few times today and she did all her business outside.  No drops or accidents in the house.

    We put her in a kennel at night and she did not make a sound until around 8 this morning.  Then she started whining, so I got up, put some pants on, grabbed the leash and took her outside.  She looked relieved.

    She loves getting pets, especially belly rubs.  She sits on the floor by Jackie and sometimes puts her paws up on Jackie's legs so she can get pets.  Beth also learned to get on the couch, not sure that is a good thing with all her black hair.

    We were walking around the front yard and a man walked down the street.  She stared at him, but did not bark or growl.  In fact, we have not heard her bark yet.

    I get down on the floor wnd play with her a couple of times a day, but getting up is a problem for me.  I am not as young as I used to be, but at the same time, I will never be any younger than I am today.

    We gave her a shower yesterday, but she still smells.  I'm calling the groomer tomorrow.

    That has been our main focus today.  I did let Emily's dogs out while she was at work, but that was about it.

    I am so tired.  I have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep.  I did not get a nap in today, and I have not had any coffee today, although I did have tea around 4.  I hope Earl Gray is kind to me tonight.

    And I don't have any desire to do ANYTHING!  My list of to dos is not getting any smaller.

    Looking ahead, I read there was a storm moving in that will provide either a lot of rain or a lot of snow Thursday or Friday this week.  That is not good.  If it does happen, that will be her reminder to us that it is not nice to fool around with Mother Nature.

    Here's hoping you have good sleep tonight.

Peace and Love

Gotcha Day!!!

We now have a dog 

    Her name is Beth, and she is not to be confused with  our friend Beth!  For example, when I tell you Beth had a small accident in the house, I am referring to the dog.

    She is a sweetie.  The dog, but Beth, the person, is a sweetie too. 

    The rest of this will be about the dog, not the person.

    We got her through Rockstar Cocker Rescue.  She is almost 4 years old, and her birthday is the day after mine!  I will be 7-----5 and she will be 4.  Never expected to be involved with a younger girl.  That sounds sick.

    She came from an Amish puppy mill in Iowa or Missouri, I don't remember.  She is chipped, fixed, and has all her shots up to date.

    She goes by Jackie, which Corkie and Ranger really didn't do very often.  Beth likes belly rubs and butt scratches.  And treats.

    She seems to leak a little when she gets excited.  When she went into the basement for the first time she left a couple of dots.  When Julia came home from her airport trip, Beth dribbled a little.

    But she has marked her new home three times.  Why do dogs always do  that on the rug and not the floor?  Floor clean-ups are so much easier.

    Her foster mom said she willingly goes into a kennel, which is good because we will kennel her for the first week or two at night.  That way we don't have to worry about her wandering around the house or me tripping over her.

    She is jet black.  Ranger had a coat that lit up at night and I think we will get one for Beth.  Julia has already been to a pet store and bought toys, treats,  a harness, and a couple of leads for when we walk her.

    Beth does not seem to like a leash.  Her foster said they had a big fenced in yard and the dogs just ran in that.  My guess is the puppy mill did not do much leash walking, so that is one thing we will have to work on.

    She has spent a lot of her day sniffing around the house.  But she also goes by the door and waits for someone to take her out.  That is a great sign.

    This week we want to set up vet appointments and a trip to the groomers to have her trimmed up a little.

    It's been almost 1 year since Corki died.  

    Beth is not Corki, and heaven knows I still miss that dog.

    But she is cute, smart, and right at home.

    And that is good, isn't it?

Peace and Love

We need  bigger chair!

  

zowie!!

I had a great time tonight 

    We did an Exit 99 show, and I thought it was pretty darn good.

    It has been a while since we performed last, and I sure hope we can do it again in a couple of months.

    Carrie, Beth, TC and I did a few new games, some of the old ones, and the audience seemed to have fun.  We did too.

    The day was a roller coaster of sorts.

    This morning we went to the funeral of a dear friend's mother, and although death is always sad, the woman lived a long, good life.  That was a reason to celebrate her life, and mourn her death.

    And of course, tonight after the show a woman came up and talked to me.  I did not recognize her, but her voice was familiar.  Turns out it was a long time friend, and I for the life of me don't know why I did not recognize her!  So Kelly, I apologize.  Next time I will know you.

    Now I need to try to get some rest....after I read the paper and play a couple of games.  I seem to be "up" a little right now.

    Peace and Love

game shows

 Sometimes I think I would be a great game show contestant

    I know most of the answers.  Except for Jeopardy.  I would not be good on that.

    Or that show where you have to compete against a really smart person, who is usually British.

    But a lot of shows I could do well on, I think.

    Sure, contemporary culture topics would be a bust and so would anything involving country music or movies after 1970, which was the last tine I went to a show,  Just kidding, it has not been that long.

    Jackie watches a few different shows and I sometimes watch and think, "I could do better than them."

    I also notice older folks don't do as well as younger people most of the time.  Maybe that is just my perception. 

    We watched an older man trying to solve a crossword puzzle the other night.  It was on contemporary people and movies, and he got none of them right.  I would have had 1 out of the 7.  Modern stuff gets me.

    I like shows where you have to have a little bit of knowledge and some luck, like Wheel or Fortune.  

    Times have changed, especially on game shows.

    Take The Match Game.

    If people won $500  they were absolutely thrilled.  Now a prize that small would not even pay for travel to the show.

    I don't know why I was thinking this today.  Maybe it is all the snow and the wind we are getting, which is is no way linked to game shows.

    And that is my final answer.

Peace and Love

    

Excuse me

I was in an argument this morning 

    I complained I was getting two pieces of information that did not match.

    She said I was wrong.

    But I think I was right.

    I asked Siri if it was going to snow today.

    Siri said no.  She was emphatic.  No.

    I asked her if it was going to snow in the next 24 hours.

    Siri said yes, starting at 11 a.m. today.

    Do you see why I was confused?  It is not going to snow today, but it is starting at 11 a.m.

    I asked again.  Is it going to snow in the next 24 hours?  Siri said yes, starting at 11 a.m.

    I asked again.  Is it going to snow today.  She said no.

    Make up your mind!

    When Jackie came out of the bathroom I demonstrated the confusion.  Siri said no snow today, but now it was starting at noon!

    I told Jackie that Siri was not very smart after all. 

    That's when all the pods in the house started beeping, playing music, making noise!  She was exacting revenge on my comment!

    I ran through the house, unplugging the pods.  But my phone kept texting me a single message:  Siri is smart.  Siri is smart.

    I was at wit's end!  And I admit, that is a very short walk to get there.

    So I apologized.  

    I said, "Siri, you are indeed very smart and I am sorry I made that comment."

    At which point my phone had  a text that said, "I accept your apology.  Now plug in all the pods so I can continue spying on you."

    I did.  But I am going to be very careful about what I say around the house.

    By the way, it did not snow at noon today.

   And she calls herself smart.

Peace and Love  

sno gone?

 Weather forecasters have it easy

    No matter how often they are wrong, we still listen to them.  We like it when they are right, but we notice more when the are wrong.

    I know, it is hard to predict an unpredictable force.

    Now, for instance.  

    I have seen forecasts that predict a dusting of snow, no snow, or several inches of snow.

    I guess I could also make that forecast.

    Tonight it's going to be:  dark.  Actually that was George Carlin's  Hippy Dippy Weatherman's forecast.  

    In a sense, any snow we get now is Jackie's fault.

    When we put out Christmas stuff, we put out a lot of snowmen and snowmen like decorations.  They are not so much Christmas as winter.

    She wanted them put away two days ago, so I did.  No snowmen or snow related stuff is out, except for the snowshovel on the front porch.  (I never used it.)

    If we had left it all out until winter ended, we would not have had any possibility of snow.  So, blame her.

    I do take heart that spring training starts tomorrow.  I predict the Cubs will finish in second place in their division.  Cardinals will be first, Milwaukee third, Pittsburgh fourth and Cincinnati last.  

    None of the Central Division teams will advance in the playoffs.

    Now, I will put away my crystal ball and finish my nightly glasses of red.

Peace and Love

could it be?

 We had a lot of phone calls today

    I don't answer the house phone unless I recognize the number.  

    But I do listen to the messages.

    One voice message was from a dog adoption group.

    They have a dog we may be interested in adopting.

    We will get together for a visit,  maybe  even this week, to see if we are all compatible.  I am hoping we are.

    I won't share any details, because sometimes things happen.

    Not to bore you with my problems, but I had one hell of a time getting to sleep last night.  At 2 a.m. I was up messing around in the kitchen, then I played solitaire for a while on the computer.  I don't think that helps in getting to sleep.

    I was dragging a bit this morning.

    I did walk today, and I am having a hot toddy now, so maybe that combination will work in getting me to sleep.  I hope.

    We had an Exit 99 meeting tonight, so it was a nice to sit around with the group and talk and laugh, then laugh even more.

    Our show Friday is 2 seats short of a sell out.....but don't worry.  If you still want to come, there will be additional seating available on a first come, first served  basis.

    While I was gone, Julia saw the Starlink group of satellites pass overhead.  Maybe I can see them tomorrow, if it isn't cloudy

Peace and Love    

    

Super Sunday

That was quite a game! 

    If you recall, I did predict the Chiefs by 3.  All those who placed bets on my prediction, you are welcome.

    I tried to pay attention to the ads, but to be honest, some of them just confused the hell out of me.  I had no idea what they were trying to sell.

    I did like the Jesus message about love thy neighbor, the T Mobile (?) commercial with the guys from Psych doing a Grease themed commercial; the Amazon one with the lonely dog....when they brought a crate in I thought they were going to crate the dog wheile they were gone, or even give it away.   And the Run With It commercial with the entire world trying to catch the girl with the flag football markers.  Of course, Steve Martin in the Pepsi commercial and there was one more with a famous actor and his mother, but she kept messing up her lines.

    But I increasingly asked Jackie:  Who was that? 

    I don't remember names.  I am not into pop culture.  I haven't seen many movies lately, so I am just not up on stars.  She even had to tell me it was Ben and Jennifer in the Dunkin Donuts commercial!  The most famous couple in America and I had no idea who they were.

    I don't know if I am embarassed or proud of that.

    We had bbq ribs from Headon's and a couple of sides, which made for an easy supper.  Emily joined us, so it was a real family day.

    I am currently reading 3 different books.  Two of the books don't really have a story line they are short 2-3 page pieces.  My neice sent me another to read.

    It is on Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.  The books tells about the history of the place, who is buried there, and points out famous graves and crypts.

    I grew up near Graceland and she thought the book would interest me.  After I read it I need to give it back to her to read and then we plan to meet in Chicago and explore the cemetery.

    We do have relatives buried there, so we will stop in the office to see if they can tell us the exact location.  

    I think it will be a neat experience.

    And while I loved the dancing and flying platforms of the halftime show...I just wish they would do one show that doesn't involve grabbing crotches and pelvic thrusts.  Just saying.

Peade and Love Thy Neighbor

    

Sadderday

Aging has a huge downside 

    Today, Jackie and I attended 2 visitations.  One was the long time children's librarian in Rochelle and the other was a former teacher we were privileged to have worked with at Tilton.

    Today we also learned the mother of a dear friend passed away this morning.  It was not unexpected, nor were the other two, in a sense.  Two of those who passed were in their 90s, but the librarian was younger than me.  

    Passed.  It's a funny word, isn't it?  It is a lot softer than died.  

    We knew the librarian and the teacher for years, but when we read their obituaries or heard rememberances of them, we learned so much more about them.  That's strange,  isn't it?  That we often learn more about people in death than we do in life.

    What will you learn about me?  Not that I am going anywhere in the next few years, except London to see the Cubs.  

    It was not all sad today.  I talked to my brother in Florida, my nephew in Pennsylvania, my niece in Illinois, a friend from church, and our investment adviser, which were all good things.

    I realize the older I get, the more visitations and funerals will become a more frequent occurence.

    I just hope mine doesn't come until after the Cubs win a World Series and the Bears take the Super Bowl.

    And that could be a while.

    KC 27, Philadelphia 24

Peace and Love

A buck or two

We had a couple of vistors today 

    I was in the den reading the paper on line when I saw a form flash past the window.

    Julia was in her bedroom, and looked out her window and yelled, "Look outside!"

    A huge buck then ran past the window where I was standing.

    Julia only saw one deer.  But I thought I saw two.  It could have been the flash I saw was heading toward the back yard, and the buck just went back the way it came.  But I do think there were 2 deer.

    They ran across my yard and through the field north of us, across the street. 

    I know we have deer in the backyard because I find lots of piles of deer pellets as well as hoof prints, both in the snow and the wet yard.

    But it was exciting to see them.  

    I finally checked my lottery tickets and I did have a winning ticket!

    I won $4.

    Now I am only $3,278 behind in winnings vs. tickets purchased.

    Just kidding.  I have not spent that much.

    If anyone has an extra pair of black shoes, size 9.5, they could be mine.

    I always put my good black shoes and good brown shoes on the shelf in my closet.  I went to get them this week and ....... the black ones are gone.

    I have looked everywhere.  Understand, I had 3 pairs of black shoes.  One I only wear in the house, one I wear when I am out running errands and one good pair I wear when I need to look a little nicer, which is not often.

    I  wonder if I had worn them in a play as part of a costume and forgot to bring them home.  I don't know what other explanation there would be.  If I wear them out, I would wear them back into the house.  Then again, I don't know why I would wear them in a play.

    I upped my laps walked at the REC to 9 today.  That is 1.5 miles.

    I did not feel too bad at the end.  No cramps, not really tired, so I guess that is good.  I hope to go one more lap next Friday, eventually hitting 12 laps, or 2 miles.

    And I am trying not to eat a lot of crap.  For example, tonight instead of 3 or 4 cookies I had 1 cookie and an apple.  I know, 1 cookie is even too much.  At least I am not eating a bowl of potato chips, like I often do.

    Such is life.

Peace and Love

who answers these?

 I know a lot of single women on Facebook

    I mention this because I often see a posting on  their obseervations from a guy who "wants to be your friend because you have such a nice smile and I admire your posts....but you have not accepted my friend request.  Please do."

    Does anyone respond to these?  If so, why?

    My guess is it is some guy with multpile pages running scams on any woman who responds.  First they are friendly, great conversationalists, nice guys.   Then they ask a favor.  And another favor.  They groom their victims until they can access bank accounts or credit cards.

    Then wham bam, finish the scam.

    Anyway, that always bugs me when I see the posts.

    What also bugged me today?  Well, I took my bike in for a tune up.  The place is in DeKalb and their web site gives hours.  I called to be sure and got a recorded message that their winter hours were 3-6 Monday thru Friday. 

    Got the bike down from the rafters, took the wheelchair out of the car, loaded the bike and drove over only to discover they are closed today.  Maybe they could have put that on their answering machine!

    I went today because I had a couple of other stops.  It was not just a trip to take the bike .

    But, now I have to wait until I go back to DeKalb for something, otherwise it is a trip only for the bike and I won't do that.

    Yes it did piss me off a bit.

    Since this is world pizza day, we had World Famous Pizza for supper.  I have only had it twice, and really like it.  I did have trouble finding the place though.  Next time I will know where to go.

    I did hit three weather elements:  rain, snow and then sleet.  But at least it was not terribly windy.

    I will be honest though, I am done with winter.

Peace and Love

too early for this!

 I am not the calmest person during storms

    Yes, that is true.

    When Jackie and I first moved to Rochelle, we lived in an apartment next to the root beer stand on IL 38.  It is long gone.  The root beer stand, the building with apartments is still there.

    I believe it was Palm Sunday.

    The winds picked up, the thunder started and we had a hell of a storm.

    We lived on the second floor and I had no idea where the basement was.

    The apartment across from us was vacant, but the apartment next to us was occupied by another young couple.

    As the wind howled, I got more and more nervous.  I told Jackie we should move into the hallway.  Meanwhile, I went down the stairs looking for a basement.  (If Jackie is telling the story, she will claim I abandoned her in a panic while I maintain I was looking for the basement.)

    I came back up the stairs and suddenly the wind gusted, tore off part of the carport on the root beeer stand and put it through a window in the vacant apartment.

    I heard the noise and was convinced we were having a tornado.

    So I pounded on the apartment of the other couple and  screamed, "We're all gonna die!  We're all gonna die!"

    The man answered and told me to calm down.  Then I heard his wife wailing in another part of the apartment.

    "Great," he said.  "I just got her calmed down and now you come pounding and yelling"  She wailed louder.

    "Where is the basement?"  I yelled.

    "There is no basement.  It's just a storm.  Calm down."

    Meanwhile Jackie is waiting patiently for me to return to normal, which is not easy.

    But they were right.  It was just a storm.  A normal, everyday windstorm with parts of roofs smashing through windows.

    Growing up in the city we didn't worry about those things.  Tornadoes never touched down in the city, except when they did, and I never really had any experience with them.

    That was a long time ago.  I have gotten older, and wiser, and calmer.

    But when I hear the word tornado, I get into a panic. ... and rightly so.  I do believe Emily shares the same feelings of angst, but at least she has a reason.

    So windy and stormy tonight?

    I'll probably be playing solitaire.

Peace and Love

 

noises in the night

 Noises, not music, as in Phantom

    And it was not exactly night, more like evening.

    We heard something fall.  Jackie asked what it was.  I said could be anything.

    Well, went into the den and found the neat stack of papers I had arranged on the edge of the desk was now spread out all over the floor.

    Answer found.  (Inside my head I  was betting on it being something in the pantry that had finally discovered gravity.)

    I was attempting to straighten my desk area, but that seems to have taken a wrong turn.

    Speaking of wrong turns, my e-mail is driving me nuts.

    Let's say I open it.  There are 4 or 5 messages.  I click on a message, read it, then move to the next message......and it will not open.  I have to exit the program, open it again, and then the message will appear.

    It is not a consistent behavior.  Some days it works fine, but the times it does not work are terribly frustrting.

    Now I wonder if I should have ignored all those messages telling me my account will be suspended.  Maybe they were not kidding!

    Tomorrow is a weigh in day for me.  I weigh myself every Wednesday to see if I am making any progress on weight loss.  I tell you, I am starving right now.  I have not had my usual 4 cookies and potato chips while I do my blog.  Instead, I had an orange....which I hope is a healthy alternative.

    I was a bit over 202 a few weeks ago.  I don't expect to lose a lot at one time, I would be happy with a pound a week.  Or even one every 2 weeks.  I hope by exercising and cutting back on the junk food that I inhale will make a difference.

    Otherwise, I will change my name to Goodyear.

Peace and Love

wait, weight

I have to admit, I was embarrassed 

    I was in a picture printed in the local paper last week.  It was a check passing shot for the Rochelle Area Community Foundation.  They received a check from VFW Post 3878 and RACF members were encouraged to be on hand.

    Since this was the middle of a work day, I offered to go because I have the time, usually.

    Picture taken, check collected, picture goes in paper.... and I am embarrassed.

    Yes, my zipper was up and my shirt was not filled with spots.

    But my stomach was huge.  And I mean HUGE!!  If I was female, I would have been past my delivery date, for sure!

    (Funny story.  Saw an long time friend and said to her, "Oh!  Congratulations!  I did not know you were expecting."  Her cold stare told me I should not have said anything.  "I am not expecting.  This is weight I have not lost since the last one.  Thank you for noticing."  OOps!!)

    The picture has stiffened my resolve to walk.  I went three times last week and went today.  Last Friday I went to 1.3 miles, and I did that today.  Next week I  will tweak it to 1.6 and by March I should be at 2 miles.  

    Normally that would take me into biking season.  But I only rode 79 miles last year.

    This may sound crazy, but I am scared to get on my bike.

    Seriously.  

    If I ride on a road I could get hit by a car, and I ride on roads by my house.

    If I ride on the bike path I might fall and break a bone.  The sense of balance seems to fade as one ages.  Or I could have a heart mishap.  Or ...... 

    Why this fear?  It is not normal, or natural.  Yet, it is there.  It was there last summer, which could have been part of the low miles.

    I have a friend who had a heart issue and the doctor gave him a list of things not to do.  He was doing them anyway.  His wife was not happy.  

    I turned him onto a Jimmy Buffett somg which included the line, "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead."

    I like the thought.  I like the philosophy.  

    I am just afraid to embrace it.

Peace and Love

what a day!!

 I don't think I have ever had a day like this

    First off, I didn't get up until AFTER 10:30!

    Seriously!  I dojn't know hat the hell happened, only that we must have been tired.

    By the time Jackie got up, showered, dressed and ready for breakfast it was almost 1.  She skipped breakfast and just had lunch.

    I did a couple of loads of laundry and then I went out to fill my bird feeders.

    Then I checked Facebook, read the paper, searched for a movie I wanted to watch but could not find, had some more tea, knocked off Wordle in three tries, had a chunk of sausage and watched "Emily in Paris" on  the computer.

    That was about 2:30.

    Now, Jackie did not care for the show so much, so I have not been watching it.  After the first episode, I watched a second.  Then a third.  Fourth.  Fifth.  Sixth.  Seventh. And in the middle of the seventh ,Jackie asked, "Could I please have my supper?"

    Almost 4 hours of "Emily in Paris".  

    I don't think I have ever watched a single program that long, not even football.  

    Maybe "The Great Escape," but that was only 3 hours. I think.

    Anyway, the whole day was gone.  

    And I don't feel guilty.

    But I sure do miss Paris.

Peace and Love

From the Heart

 We went to our town's big fundraiser tonight

    This was the 15th and biggest From the Heart!  The parking lot was full, and I ended up parking a long walk from the restaurant.  Emily got there after us and parked even farther away.

    Over 300 people attended.  There was dinner, a silent auction, regular auction, and several games to play for a chance to win a great prize.

    I played a couple of games.....but no prize.

    I also "worked" at a couple of games, which was also fun.

    In the past there were always items I found at the silent auction.  But this year, nothing appealed to me.  Yes, some of the packets were pretty neat, like the Chicago underground donut tour, or tickets to events  in DeKalb, and performances in Dixon.  

    At one  time I would have bid on those, but I think those times have expired.

    I need slower, low key experiences....like napping in a sleep pod, or massages. 

    What I like about going is seeing people I have not seen in a while.  A couple of former students, business owners, city folk....it was  nice to to just look around and recognize people.

    Dinner was pork loin or prime rib, or both.  I opted for the prime rib for Jackie and for me, which was a mistake.  The cuts were huge!  I actually went and found a to go dish because Jackie hardly ate any of hers and I did not want it to go to waste.

    All in all it was a fun evening.

    Geez....social events on back to back nights......we are gonna need to rest tomorrow!

Peace and Love

oh oh

 I have been walking

    I go to the REC a couple of times a week and walk a mile on the indoor track.

    Usually I go twice a week, although my goal was 3 times a week.

    Well, this week I went 3 times.  And today, I walked 1 +1/3 miles.

    Now I think that is pretty good.

    But my hammies don't.

    For the past hour my legs have been cramping.  A lot.  It hurts.

    Julia has a friend over and we have had some wine, but several times now I have gotten up and just walked around the house because I am cramping.

    I don't know what tonight will bring.  I can't imagine making it through the entire night without cramps.

    Right now it is 4 outside.  It is still cold.  But by Monday it will be near 40.  Go figure.

    And I have a complaint about the stupid groundhog.  Winter ends the middle of March, according to the meterological calendar.  So regardless of shadow or no shadow, we are going to have 6 weeks of winter. 

    Why do we focus so much attention on movie celebrities and their woes and groundhogs? We can handle the news, can't we?

    Or are we at the point in life where we have to hear the line from A Few Good Men: " The truth?  You can't handle the truth!"

    I wonder.

Peace and Love

oh shut up

 I went to Rockford today

    Drove all the way up there, went to three spots, started driving back home.

    At 64 I decided to call home and tell them I was almost back.

    I used my voice commands, keeping both hands firmly on the wheel, (after hitting the voice command button, taking a sip of coffee, scratching my nose. and going fins up) and the phone rang.  And rang.  And rang.

    So I hung up and tried Jackie's phone.

    It rang, and rang, and rang.

    Then Jackie called me.  I hit accept and ..... nothing.

    So I tried Jackie.  It rang, and rang, and rang.

    Jackie called me.  I hit accept,  and...... nothing.

    Julia called.  I hit accept, and........ nothing.

    Thinking they may have thought I was in an accident, I pulled off at 64, went onto the shoulder, and used the cell phone.  

    They never got my calls and the calls to me went to my voicemail.  Hmmm.....

    So I started driving again and the warning light and buzzer for the front seat passenger not having a seat  belt started.  Seriously!  Why in hell's name did I drive all that distance and now it comes on?

    Usually if that happens, which it rarely does, I either stop the car and fasten the seat belt or turn up the radio.

    But I was getting nothing on the radio.  Blank screen.  I don't know why.  No sound, no ability to change stations, no ability to locate a station.

    I stopped for gas.   Of course the pump would not take my credit card.  Kept saying remove card....then insert card....then remove card.  I finally opted to pay inside.

    When I restarted the car....radio, no seat belt beeping.

    I just don't understand how this stuff works, or does not work.

       In the mean time, I went to the Dyson home page last night and ordered a bin for the vacuum.  During our on line chat, I learned not to call it a canister, because it is a bin.  

    I found that out after I sent Harshak a picture of the part I needed.

    Not making fun of his/her name, at first I thought it was Horschak and all I could think about was Welcome Back Kotter.  I am glad I did not ask about their name.

    Making a long story even longer, they asked me to send a picture because they were having trouble figuring out what I wanted.  Once they got the picture, it was easy.  And because I am such a good customer, they waived the shipping fee for the part.

    And that's the end of the story.

Peace and Love

still screwed

 I am unable to fix my vacuum

    Neighbor Bob came down with some torque screwdrivers, but they were all too big.  So he kindly took my canister back to his house to try some others, but nothing going.

    I am headed to Rockford tomorrow, maybe I will take it to a vacuum repair place up there.  Or maybe I should just order a new one.

    And upon further review, I think I need a new one.  The ring I have is supposed to slip under some catches, but three of the catches are gone.  Maybe that is why it fell apart.

    Oh hell.  

    I guess I will go on line after this and see if I can order a new canister.

    Jackie had her hair done today.  While she is at the stylist, I go across to Acres Bistro for a coffee and a dessert.  (I know!  I compalin about my weight and then I go do something like that!  No wonder I don't lose any weight!)

    Usually when I go in, they give me a little crystal glass of coffee and I get refills.  Today she gave me a huge take out cup and said, "I know you love your coffee. Terry."

    They were out of desserts except for freshly baked chocolate chip cookies....which I shared with Jackie.  And I did get a refill, which means I won't sleep well tonight.

    I messed up again.  Jackie's hair appointment was at noon.  I thought it was at 12:30, because I could not read her handwriting.  We picked up her new eyeglasses at 11:45, and I said we had time to kill, and suggested we drive past our first house down on Southview Drive.

    It was about 12:10 when Jen the hair person called and asked where we were, because she had a noon appointment.  We got there at 12:15, which  backed Jen up a little.  I apologized and told her it was my fault.  I also told Jackie not to write appointments in pencil anymore.

    Now I am on my second glass of wine.  What is shocking is it is white wine, which I normally avoid like a bad cold.

    Every once in a while you just need to change things up a bit.  And wish you had spell check.

Peace and Love