Great Expectations

 No, this has nothing to do with Charles Dickens

    But it could have been the title of this weekend.

    I have a list:   put cds away, advertise cabinet, move out porch furniture, organize bathroom closet...to name a few tasks.

    Great Expectations!

    Except nothing got done.  

    The rain put the kibosch  (or is it kabosch?) on the porch furniture, lack of a plan affected the cds, and I took a nap, which knocked out the organizing.  I just did not advertise the cabinet.

    When we bought our new entertainment center, we had to figure out what to do with the old one.

    It is beautiful,  an armoir made in Amish country by Amish.  It looks brand new.  But it does not hold a big tv, and most of the people today want a big tv.  It would be ideal in a den or guest room, but it is not ideal in our bedroom.

    Unfortunately the new cabinet does not have the same storage capacity as the old. So I have lots of cds that won't fit.  I have culled them, but that is no help.  There are still a lot.

    Sometimes I wonder why I have a particular cd.  I know the Cowboys at the Smokehouse Cafe was from a trip out west and beer was involved.  When I volunteered at WNIJ they always had a box of free cds for volunteeers to take, so I have several blues and classical cds that I don't think I have ever listened to.

    I habe about 15 "relaxation" music cds I used to play in school.  But it has been 14 years and I have not listened to those since then.

    The bathroom closet?  A royal mess.  I just stick stuff on the shelves, willy nilly, and now it is obvious something has to be done.  I bet I have 10 insect repellants and sun screen lotions......none of which are probably still usable.  

    I thought a rainy day would spur me to action, but all it did was make me sleepy.

    So I put some Steve Goodman on my cd player and took a nap.

    I do have Great Expectations for tomorrow, however.

Peace and Love

egads

 The last few days have been busy

    I seem to do a lot of little errands.

    Today I went to DeKalb to pick up a shower chair for Jackie.

    When I went to order it online, they said 2 days.  Knowing we had a doctor appointment last Wednesday, I waited until Monday to order it.  Wednesday would be 2 days.  It would be easy to pick up the chair after the doctor.

    But this time it took 3 days, which meant it would not be in until Thursday.  I had plans Thursday, and Friday, so I went today.

    I also dropped off a campaign sign, checked out our  booth at Pickin' Station, (we had a good month!)  and went to the butcher for some meat.  It was just a lot of driving around.

    The butcher usually has  cooked bar b que ribs but they sold out by the time I got there.  By then, I was determined to have ribs for supper, so in Sycamore I stopped at Portillo's.  I did not realize it was a 20 minute wait for ribs.  Oh well.  They were good.

    On the way to Creston and the butcher, there was a big pick up truck that was riding up on people's tails.  He changed lanes a couple of times and was really exceeding the 45 mph speed limit.  When I got to my destination, the same truck (I memorized the first 3 numbers of the plate) was parked in front of the butcher and was still running.

    I went in and saw the only person that could have been the driver.  I decided to reserve my comments on his driving skills based on his youth, muscular body, overall  appearance, and scowly face.  But I silently made fun of him.

    I think I grow a little more intolerant of people every day.  

Peace and Love

just walkin'

I took Dog Beth on a walk today 

    This was our second experience on a leash.  I don't know how often she had gone on walks as a puppy mill dog, but I am guessing it was not a common experience.

    Our first walk ended 3 houses away.

    Today we made it to the end of the block, which is about 1/2 mile, give or take a couple hundred feet.  

    I have never seen a dog pee as much as she did!

    Normally she seems to go every 5 or 6 hours.  But today she squatted 5 times and then I think she just ran out.

    I spent a lot of time untangling myself from the leash.  

    We met two neighbor dogs, who came charging out of the house when someone opened the door.  Now, Corki would have barked and growled but Beth just sniffed and was sniffed by Willow and Buster.  Their owners were right behind the dogs, getting them back home and apologizing, but it was all pretty ok.

    Three houses down from home, she slowed considerably.  My guess is she is not used to walking long distances.  But she will work up to the distance by the end of the summer.

    I did see something that has me concerned though.

    We had a hail storm a couple of weeks ago.  Pea sized hail.  We may have had 2 or 3 instances when it hailed.

    Nine houses in our subdivision have signs from a roofing company in their yards!  These are not old houses either, although most of them are older than ours.  Now I wonder if our roof was damaged. 

    The skeptic I am says not to ask a roofing company if we need a new roof....but I do wonder.

    One more thing for me to worry about at night.

Peace and Love

come on!

Today was a bit frustrating 

    I made a run to Rockford and had 5 stops to make.

    Jackie ordered some clothes from Macy's, but they did not fit.  So I had to return them.

    We always think it is easier to take them back to the store rather than ship them, but that is not always  true.

    They no longer put an order slip in your order.  So, when you take the items back to the store you have to have the order number or the credit card on which you charged the items.

    I had neither.

    I called Jackie, but she can't get up and get anything.  So she texted Julia, who was on a work call.

    So I waited.

    As I waited, I thought I could access the original order on my phone by connecting to the e mail account.

    Not so fast.  What I thought was the password was not.  So I asked for a reset, but I could not figure out the reset procedure.   I kept getting the same message and a new code to enter.  

    Meanwhile, Julia gets Jackie's credit card and reads the number to me.  In my haste, I write a 7 that looks like a 5.  So when the really nice lady enters the number, nothing shows because I can't read  my own writing.

    So Julia searches for the order number, which is on the e-mail.  However, I delete orders once they are received so she had to look in the trash.

    She  finally found it, and once the clerk entered the numbers, which I had written clearly, all was well.

    But it took at least 20 minutes.

    My next stop was buying bird seed, then I went to get my oil changed.  The dealership operates on a Fast Express basis, which means you can't schecule an oil change.  You can only schedule major repair work.

    So I asked the guy at he service counter how long a wait.  He said 90 minutes until I was on the  road again.  He said if I came back at 2:15 the backlog they had from the morning would be eased and I would not have to wait as long.

    But since my last stop was the grocery store, where I would buy frozen items and dairy products, I said I would wait.

    Lo and behold, 45 minutes later I was on the road!  It was a pleasant surprise.

    But the grocery store just tires me out.  I love going there because there is a choice.  Instead of 2 types of olive oil, there are 20.  So it is better going there as long as it is not the only reason for you trip.

    I was a little hungry, which may explain some of the items in the cart that were NOT on the list.  

    Thankfully Julia made supper.  I even had some time to go out and do a little weeding.  Every time I bent over, a certain dog came up and licked my face.  I did not get a lot done.

    At least the day was beautiful.  Hopefully this was the start of warmer weather.

Peace and Love

yummmm

 Food always gets me in trouble

    It makes me fat.  I spill  it on my clothing.  I eat too much of it.  I eat the wrong foods.

    And I eat at the wrong time.

    Today there was a grants reception for the Rochelle Area Community Foundation.  I am on the board.  I don't know how, but I am.

    Anyway, about 2 months ago I went to a check presentation where an organization gave money to the foundation.  I was in the picture.  When the picture was published in the paper, I was embarassed.  My belly looked humungous.

    Granted, I was about 205 at the time.  Yes, that is overweight.  Either that or I am 6 inches shorther than I should be.

    So, the picture inspired me.  Cut down on pop, french fries, candy, cookies, potato chips.  Exercise.

    So I did.

    At the doctor's appointment last week I was 193.7.  

    This week I have taken a beating.  Fries two nights, walked only once, pop a couple of times.

    But this afternoon was the worst!

    Our new interim police chief was there.  I was chatting with him and noticed the table next to us had a bowl of candy. 

    I saw Dots, which I loved as a kid.

    So I picked up a box and popped three in my mouth.

    I then realized why I loved them as a child and not as an adult.  They stick to your teeth.  It makes it difficult to talk because your teeth are stuck together.  And I had 3 of the suckers in my mouth.

    I mumbled an apology and went off to find a corner where I might not be noticed sticking fingers into my mouth to pry the Dots off my teeth.

    There were also some delicous looking cookies.  I took one, took a bite, chewed, swallowed, took another bite, chewed, swallowed and put the rest of the cookie in my mouth.

    That was when Dave, the fire chief, said, "Hi Terry.  How's it going?"

    He expected an answer and all I could do was hold up a finger and continue chewing, for what seemed like an hour.

    After finally swallowing, we had a nice but brief conversation.

    Julia asked if I could stop in town for supper.

    I said yes, then looked at my texts and saw one that said, "I am leaving now..."

    I asked her where she was going.  But she wasn't going anywhere. I had texted her when I left the house and was reading my text.

    I don't always do well with technology.

    So.  Today I did not walk.  I had french fries and pop.  I ate candy and cookies.  I feel like a beached whale.

    I need to put today behind me and start over again tomorrow.

    But no more Dots!

Peace and Love

Huh

 I am reading an interesting book

    It's by a man namedNeil steinberg, who is a writer for the Chicago Sun Times.

    He wrote Every Goddamn Day.  Now, I may have mentioned this a month or two ago, so I will be brief.

    He combed through articles, books, etc. and selected a news item for each day of the year to write about.

    For example.  On Feb. 29, 1960 the first Playboy Club was opened by Hugh Hefner.  He got the idea from another club, but decided his would be upscale, not the dingy, dirty, promiscuous joint across town.  Hef said people would need a key to get into the club, and sold 30,000 keys at $25 each.  I think it was neat he opened on a Leap Year Day.

    On March 4, 1837, an act to incorporate the city of Chicago was signed.  Among the provisions, gambling, brothels, billiards, and bowling were not allowed.  Nor was the rolling of hoops, playing with a ball, or flying a kite where people were present.  

    But the one that got me the most happened on March 10, 1894.  A west side resident owned a house on the north side.  He went to check on it and it was gone.  Only the foundation remained.

    Police were called and eventually tracked the house to a location 14 blocks away.

    It seems a guy stole the house!  Then he moved it and sold it to an unsuspecting couple.

    Police were able to track him down by asking people, "Did you see a house go by here?"  And they did.

    Since this book is individual dates, I don't worry about putting it down for a week or two and losing track of what is happening.  Unfortunately, I do fall behind in reading.  I am only in mid March.

    Reading it  was a niceway to spend an hour on a cold, damp day today.

    I just hope tomorrow is warmer.

Peace and Love

mow, mow, mow your lawn

 I am not  proud of what I did

    I may curse and complain, but I really do want our yard to look nice.

    That's why I threw grass seed and fertilizer on the front.  And hand pulled garlic mustard weeds last week.  I actually edged along the sidewalk and driveway last year.

    I don't know what happened today.

    I started mowing the front yard.  I was careful to avoid the blue Invisible Fence flags.  I was careful to go slowly to avoid missing parts.

    I was cold.

    When I got to the side of the house, I was a little less careful.  Yes, I hit a flag.  Or two.  Possibly 3.  Bits of blue plastic litter the yard.

    But the back yard.  Whoa!  The back yard.

    I went as fast as I could.  Sometimes I hit a low spot and almost flew off the mower.

    Corners were ragged.  I was cold.

    Blue  flags in the back?  Kept a couple of feet away from them.  Except for the ones I mowed down like sitting ducks in a shooting gallery.

    Beth had a ball in the back yard.  I stayed away from that, too cold to even get off the mower to move it.

    Plus I  mowed short and the grass was long, so there was bunching.  

    I was cold.

    The drain pipes I altered last year so they could be lifted stayed in place and I just mowed around them.  

    I was cold.

    Making a long story short, the grass looks less than good in the back, and pretty good in the front.  

    I won't wait as long to mow next time, so it should not clump.

    But hey, it has been cold and cloudy and wet and I did not think the grass would grow that fast and it did so maybe I should have cut it a little longer but I didn't want to change heights of the mower half way through the cutting and I was too cold to care.

    Part way  through the mow, when my hands turned blue, my nose white and I lost feeling in my toes, I thought how nice it would be to live in a townhouse or condo where someone else takes care of the yard.

    Then instead of mowing, I could have been sipping hot cocoa while watching someone mow.

    Meanwhile, 3 hours later and I am still chilly.

    Damn weather.

    I saw lots of pictures of Northern Lights on Facebook today.  People in Mendota, Princeton, Elgin, McHenry.......people all over saw them.

    But when I went out, I did not.  I saw clouds.  

    Now I wonder if I was the only one in northern Illinois who did not see this amazing spectacle.

    There is a chance they will be visible tonight also, but there is also a chance of rain.  Which means clouds.  

    I will be out of luck, again.

    I just hope it warms up so I can do a better job mowing.

Peace and Love

Questions

I sometimes have questions 

    I guess I could Google them, but then I would know answers.  Sometimes it is more fun to just wonder.

    Like, how long do eggs keep?  If it says best used by a ceretain date on the carton, how long after that can you use them?  And how can you  tell if you shouldn't use them?

    Should I fill my bird feeders in the summer?  I usually fill the finch feeder, but not the others.   I have a safflower seed feeder, a sunflower feeder, and a regular bird feeder.  Should I be filling those?

    Why is my one garage door wonkers?  It closes about 2 inches,  then flies back up.  I may have to hit the close button 3 or  4 times before it actually closes.  I have checked the "eyes" and there are no obstructions, so why?

    What do I do with rhubarb?

    How have I known someone for half my life and not known they have a nut allergy?

    Why does a smoke detector battery die at 4 a.m.?  And why don't I have replacements?

    If Adam and Eve had 3 sons, where did the rest of us come from?

    Why do so many people get crazy about how other people live their lives?

    In general, how valid are expiration dates on food?

    I just wonder about things like that.

    Today we went to see "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" by VCCT.  It was a good show, a cute show, and lots of new talent performing.  If you have not seen it, you only have next Friday and Saturday to catch the action!

    My friend TC did this show 300 or 400 years ago in the old high school little theater.  I missed it then because I believe I was in Alaska, so I was glad to see him as Charlie.

    I can understand why Charlie had a complex.  He always seemed to be picked on and belittled by the other kids.  Maybe that's why he is so loved...we have all been in his shoes at some time.

    I wonder what size he wore?

Peace and Love

    

    

    

yawn

 I am exhausted from doing nothing

    Seriously, I did not do one thing today.

    I intended to mow, but it was too damn cold.  I should have cleaned out our bathroom closet, but I was too lazy.

    All that doing nothing has worn me out.

    Weather wise, today was a terrible day.  We had rain, snow, sun, clouds, wind, more snow, more sun.  There seemed to be a pattern:  snow, sun, cluody, snow, sun, cloudy.  The only constant was the cold.   And thankfully the snow did not accumulate.

    The Cubs didn't doo well today either.  

    Tomorrow is another day.  Hopefully a better day.

    Until then, we can all keep complaining about the weather.

Peace and Love

murder?

 I think my dog is trying to kill me

    This morning we were playing outside and I went to grab the ball.  She made a sudden move and I fell, almost landing on her.

    I missed her, but not the sidewalk.

    My knee, elbow and shoulder now hurt.

    Making it worse, I was getting off a mower and banged the same knee on the mower.  Double pain.

    I may be almost seventy-freakin-five, but I still have a lot of life.  I have a good sense of balance.  I am agile.  I don't fall.  

    At least I didn't use to fall.

    We have had Beth a little over 8 weeks.  I have fallen 3 times in those 8 weeks!

    Once I got tangled in her lead at night and hit the ground.  The second time I was coming in the back door and she scooted around me, I lost my balance, and fell into the house.  I still have black and blue marks from that.

    And today.....flat onto the sidewalk, left side taking the full hit. 

    I won't mention the times I have almost fallen because she has been behind me or next to me and I didn't see her.

    I think she is trying to off me!

    Sure, she may look like the cutest little dog ever except for Corki, but she has the mind of a madman.  Or mad dog.  Whatever.

    All the while she looks so innocent, with those big eyes on that small face.

    So, I am going to open a bottle of red, have some pizza, visit with Emily's dog sitter, and try to assuage the pain.

    I just hope I can lift the glass with my left arm cause my right one will have a slice of pie in it.

    Go Cubs Go!!!   

Peace and Love

    

Oh, hail again!

We have had hail two days in a row 

    Today it came in two bunches.  The first one was not a lot of hail, and it was all pea sized.  About 15 minutes later another batch came.  There was more this time but it was still small.

    I know some areas around us had golf ball sized hail, which isn't good.

    Julia said a neighbor was out walking their dog and stopped to talk.  They said last week's storm had hail that damaged their house!  They live less than a quarter mile from us and had hail damage while we had none.  Funny thing, the weather.

    We had another first time/weird experience today.

    Jackie had an appointment to meet our new primary care physician.  Our current doc is leaving, so we have a new person.  (And initial impressions are very good!)

    As we were getting ready to leave her phone went off and a lot of things started beeping.

    She looked at us and said we can't go, the hospital is on lock down!

    Apparently there was a stabbing in Rochelle and the victim was brought to the hospital.  Policy is in instances of violent crimes, the hospital is locked down to prevent any further incidents.

    Doctor told us we could not go anywhere.  Another person said we could go watch tv in the waiting area, since that was secure.  

    We got to the waiting area and the people there said we could not wait there, we had to stay back behind the lockable door.  Then another person said we could wait since the elevator was locked and the stairway was locked.

    Still another person came along and said if we wanted to leave, they would unlock the elevator and we could go.

    So we did.

    I am not saying the taff was a little confused, but they were.

    We wanted to leave because we were under a severe thunderstorm warning and I wanted to let Emily's dogs out before it rained and the dog sitter (SK) had a bunch of dogs who had to go but won't because it is raining.

    I got the dogs out, it started raining, drove home, got in the house and it started hailing.

    The severe weather went around us, the thunderstorm warning and  tornado watch expired, and the temperature is now down to 49 with some gusty wind.

    In spite of all that stuff, it was a pretty good day!

Peace and Love

oh, hail

 We had an interesting weather day

    It was supposed to be warm, but I never felt that warmth.  It was breezy, and that made it feel cool. 

    Right now it is 54 outside, but it is windy and dampish.  We should be getting some thunderstorms sometime tonight or early tomorrow.  Plus, it is supposed to rain most of the day tomorrow.

    That should help all the grass seed I put in, but the seed also needs sun and warmth.

    I went to walk at The Rec today.  I was starting lap 7 of my 9 lap spin when Jackie texted me that there was a severe thunderstorm warning.

    I finished and went to the car.  She texted me that it was hailing at our house.  

    So I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes.  When the pea sized hail started coming down I drove under the overhang in front of The Rec.  It's a covered area where people can be dropped off if it is raining and it makes a great spot to sit out a hail event.

There were some young kids who had just left the center.  They were absolutely enthralled by the hail.  A supervisor came out and told them to move under the overhang so they don't get pelted by the hail.

    But they didn't!  They kept running out into it, yelling and laughing.  When the hail stopped and it started raining heavily, one young boy took off his shirt and was running around like crazy in the rain, laughing, while all his friends laughed with him.

    I did too.  Sitting in my car and watching them, I thought how great it was to be young and pretty carefree.  For the most part.

    I think they are aware of school shootings, a degrading climate and the potential for a nuclear war,  but watching them made me think they did not have a care in the world.

    And I found myself longing to be 12 or 13 again and running shirtless through the rain while my friends laughed.

    I'd do it now, but running and my exposed body do not make a pleasing visual.   No one would laugh.

Peace and Love

busy, busy, busy

 Today was a little chaotic at times

    A 3 man crew showed up at 8:30 to replace the gas fireplace chimney.  I guess it is not really a chimney, but the liner that carries the exhaust out of the house.  Whatever.

    I knew they were coming.  So I got up at 7:30 to be showered and dressed when they arrived.

    Jackie doesn't get up so early.  That's fine, I can always close the bedroom door.

    So.....Jackie is in the shower, men are in Julia's room working, and Julia gets a text that Emily has a dog loose and can we come over and help find her.

    I get Jackie out of the shower, leave her in her chair in the bathroom with a towel, close the bathroom door,  and go with Julia to Emily's to look for the dog.

    Emily had been hunting for her for 10 minutes or so, but could not find the dog.  Another dog had wandered into the yard next door, but Emily got him back quickly.

    As soon as we got there she found Ciri.....in the back yard!  The dog never left.  She is so small, she must have been behind the bushes when Em looked.

    So we got back in the car and I got Jackie in a spot where she could dry her hair and all the other stuff.

    The guys saw a couple of problems in the fireplace.  The chimney tube was developing rust at the base and one of the supports that held it in place was too tight and causing a crimp in the piping.

    Long story short....somebody screwed up when it was installed and I had to have it fixed.

    Hopefully it is fixed.  Now that it is warmer, we won't really know.

    Also met our new doctor today.  Our current doctor is leaving, so we have a new doctor,

    I met her and she seems nice and competent, the competent part being more important than nice.

    Friends we have not seen very much in the past couple of years brought supper, and we had a nice time chatting and eating.

    Now a Cubs win  will top off a pretty darn good day.

Peace and Love

a day late

 I sometimes procrastinate

    We will be in Zurich in July and I found 2 hotels I thought would be ideal for us.

        But....they are both fully booked!

    So, working on the third choice.  Which Julia just booked.  So Dan and Linda have a room, and so do I.  But I plan on staying with my nephew and his family the first night.  

    I am excited yet worried about the trip.  We have an agency that will be providing day help for Jackie, but I still worry.  What if they don't show?  What if she has a problem they can't solve?  

    Yes, Emily will be around, but she works and has dogs to take care of so we can't count on her for a lot of help.

    The agency rep said they had several caretakers in the area and if one calls off, another would be available.  I am a little more comfortable with that, but I still worry.

    But I need to get away.  Mentally and physically, I need a vacation!

    The weather does not help.  Boy, was it crappy today!  Cold, wet, windy.....not exactly a day to  do anything outside.  At least my chairs and table are ready to go outside.

    My daffodils seem to have paid the price on last night's snow.  The ones on the slope are still blooming, but the ones in front had dropped their flowers.

    Oh well, such is life in Illinois.

Peace and Love

you are kidding me

Sometimes I just get confused about life 

    I read an article (on line, of course) about a female climber in Spain who spent 500 days in a cave.

    By herself.  Alone.  On purpose. With limited communication with monitors who were keeping track of her.

    She would get resupplied regularly, but was never in  verbal contact with people.  They would drop off her supplies at a designated point in the cave and she would get them.

    Every 5 days she would leave a container of poop to be taken away.  I would not kid about this.  She waited 5 days!

    She read, weaved, and did all sorts of other things to entertain herself. 

    I'm thinking....why?  I would go nuts after a day, or at the most 2 days, especially if I had to use a bucket for my number 2s.  

    I wonder if at some point in her life she will ask herself, "Geez....I could have done that if I hadn't spent 500 days in a cave."

    What she was looking forward to most was a hot shower.  

    After 500 days, everyone near her probably felt the same.

    Then there were the thieves in Philadelphia who stole newly minted dimes from a parked truck.

    Dimes.  Somewhere between $100.000 and $200,000 worth of dimes.  The coins had just come from the mint and were headed in a semi to Florida.  The driver of the semi parked overnight to sleep.  When he went back to the truck, he saw the trailer doors were open and dimes were scattered everywhere.

    I had to Google this part.

    It seems $200 in dimes is around 10 pounds.  So, 2,000 in dimes should be 100 pounds.  And 200,000 in dimes should be what.....10,000 pounds?

    You have pulled off a successful robbery and now have a couple of tons of dimes.  

    What do you do with them?

    Buy a car with dimes?  Take them to a bank, which will be on the lookout for huge amounts of freshly minted dimes, and cash them in?

    Maybe the tooth  fairy did it.  A cheap tooth fairy at that.

    Reading about those folks was a lot better than reading about shootings and ex-presidents.

    But I am still scratching my head.

    And thinking yesterday it was 82 when I mowed, right now it is 36 and we should be getting snow.

    Like I said, you're kidding me!

Peace and Love

Fun times

Today was another pretty good day 

    I mowed!  

    The hardest part about mowing is getting the right channel on my headphones.  I like one station, but can never remember the number.  So I have to slowly go through channels until I get to the one I like.

    Avoiding the blue flags outlining the underground fence is also a challenge.  I did pull out every other flag today, which is about time.  Dog Beth needs to know her limits without the flags.

    And yes, I did mow 2 of them down.  I also did walk around the yard picking up blue plastic because the flags have come apart in the winds.  I also looked for garlic mustard plants and dug up several of t hem.

    I popped into Pickin Station and noticed I sold some things this month!  I might even make money this time!

    Friends came over tonight and we played Eucher/Euchre for a couple of hours.  We play at a slow pace because we are too busy talking about family, dogs, sports and a host of other topics.

    My team won twice.  We were undefeated.  Last time we lost all the games we played.

    Now the lightning is brightening up the night sky and thunder is in the distance.  I guess that portends rain.  Hopefully, it will be a gentle rain.

    We hit 80 degrees today and tomorrow night there is a chance of snow.  I hope to go out tomorrow, in the rain, and throw out more grass seed.  It has to grow sometime.

Peace and Love

1 and done?

My new routine lasted one night 

    Extenuating circumstances.  I went to the high school play and it did not get over until a little after 9:30.

    It was Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers."  Now, I am not a big Neil Simon fan, but the kids did a great job on this show.  Funny, and poignant, a good production.

    The theater group also runs a raffle.....$5 for an arm's length of tickets or $1 each.  I always get an armlength and never win.

    But tonight?  I won!  My share of the pot was $42, so I told them to just give me $10 and put the rest toward theater stuff.  So, I actually saw the show for free.  Plus I got a great chocolate chip cookie!  Almost as good as Emily's.

    For some reason I am having trouble typing tonight.  Actually, it has been all day.  My fingers are hitting the wrong keys a lot.

    Jackie and I had Acres burgers tonight.  They make a darn good hamburger.  Except, I had a melt, and that was even better than a burger.  Except for the onions.  Not crazy about the onions.  I used except too much in that paragraph.

    Last night I got to bed by 10:30.  I was asleep shortly after and did not wake up until about 2 for the bathroom and at 7:30 when dog Beth jumped up on the bed.

    I like the idea of getting to bed earlier because I get up earlier.  By noon today I already had one item crossed off my to do list.  Plus I got in my walk and made a trip to Creston in the afternoon.  We also got all the Easter decorations packed up and moved to the basement.

    I have  a feeling I will be up early tomorrow because Julia is in Chicago tonight so someone will have to let out Beth earlier than 10:30.  I just hope the neighbors don't judge me by my pajamas.

Go see the show!

Peace and Love

changes ahead

 I have decicded to change my night time routine

    Usually I take the dog out when Jackie is in the bathroom.  I am going to start taking her out when Jackie is watching the 9 o'clock news instead.  This allows me to be ready for bed at 10:30 instead of 11:30.

    I am going to quit the computer at 9, so my blog will be done earlier.  

    Of course, I have tried this before and it hasn't worked.  Something always disrupts me.

    But not tonight!

    I teak oiled my outdoor furniture to make sure it is protected from the elements.  I will put a second coat on tomorrow, and maybe a third on after that.  I love the look of the wood, and hope the oil can preserve it.

    I do have some black spots on the table.  I should sand the table, use a bleach and water solution on the black spots, then sand the table again.  But I really don't feel like going through all that now.  Maybe in the fall when  I put it away I will, but not this week.

    I am kind of anal about the table....I love the wood look, but not the black spots.

    The former director of our little museum was back for a visit.  I walked into tonight's board  meeting and did not even pay attention to her until she said hello.  It was nice to see her again and do some quick catch up talk.

    Next Tuesday is fireplace repair day.  We'll see how this all works out.  Julia will have a hole in her bedroom wall for a day, maybe 2.  I just hope it is not for longer than that.

    Then I will have to get the drywall fixed and paint the wall.  That may take a while.

    And  that's the way it is.

Peace and Love

dang it

 I just can't handle growing grass

    I am jinxed.

    I fertilized, then reseeded the front yard.  

    Knowing seed needs water  to sprout, I have watered a lot.

    But nothing looks like it is growing.

    I know it has not been long, but shouldn't something look positive?

    This is my typical experience.  I put in grass seed and it does not grow.  No matter where I put it, it does not grow.

    Maybe it's lack of moisture or maybe it's sucky grass seed.  But this is the fourth brand I have tried.

    Hopefully the rains this weekend will really soak the yard and the little seeds will sprout forth.  If not, the yard will still look terrible.

    Jackie heard them say on a home improvement show that you should not water at night because it encourages mold growth.  The first thing I thought of is, does Mother Nature know that?  Because it rains a lot at night.

    Experts, smexperts.  What do they know?

    I am the last one in this part of the block to mow.  Everyone has done it at least once, except for me.  Maybe tomorrow.

    I can use the blue flags for Beth's Invisible Fence training as a kind of slalom course, weaving in and out at a high rate of speed.  

    Actually, we should start pulling some of the blue flags out so she is more aware of how far she can travel before getting a jolt.  I will take out some tomorrow, making it a little easier to mow.

    With the price of gas at almost $4 a gallon, I guarantee I will not mow unless absolutely necessary.

     Like  now.

Peace and Love

well, well, well

 I am not a good baseball follower

    I like the Cubs.  No doubt about that.

    But sometimes it can be hard being a Cub fan.

    For example:  The Cubs got clobbered in the second inning.  It was 7-0.

    I said to Jackie, "This is  not a team that is going to come back from 7 runs down.  They don't have the power to do that."

    We thought of switching, but I had something to do so the game stayed on.  Soon it was 7-3 and the kid they called up from Iowa was at bat.  Bases loaded, BAM!  Grand slam.  Cubs ahead 8-7.

    It's in the seventh and I think it is now 14-8. but I could be wrong.

    I was part of the problem.

    I did not take the W flag away  after last night's win.  It was still out.  That is the reason Seattle had 7 runs.   When did I take it down?  When the Cubs came up in the third.

    Coincidence?  Hmmmm.

    Power washed the patio, front porch, and outside chiars.

    Got pizza for supper and knocked it off the front seat, which mean it looked a little funky.  Pizza on Tuesday?  We are rebels!

    Took Beth for a walk.  We were gone about 15 minutes and made it two houses down.  By then she had sniffed every blade of grass and peed twice.  She decided we had gone far enough and turned around for home.

    But for ther first walk, she did very well.

    That's it!

Peace and Love

dragging

 I was really dragging today

    My Monday to do list is now a Tuesday to do list.  I just seemed to run out of time to get it done.

    Granted, I read the Trib in the morning, check  Facebook, do Wordle, and look at e-mail....and those are time eaters!  Throw in a game of spider solitaire and my morning has now morphed into an afternoon.

    I did get in a walk today.  I had planned to go about 12:30 but made it out of the house about 3:15.   I don't know what happened.

    I don't like to water grass.  In fact, I almost never water grass.

    But I have watered my front yard 3 days in a row.

    I had a guy aerate it, then I fertilized it, and threw in seed.  I know seed needs water and warmth to sprout, so I decided to water.  Otherwise what I did would be a waste.

    So I water.  And water.  And water.  

    I just hope the seed sprouts.  I have so many blank spots in my yard, it looks terrible.

    I also hope it rains sooner than later, but nothing seems to be predicted until the weekend.  When it does, I will probably throw even more seed on the bare spots.  

    I have been eating way too much the last three days. Yes, the lemon cake from Portillo's is good, but not when you eat a lot of it.

    I had been doing pretty good until this weekend.  I need to get back on track.  Maybe I'll even get a bike ride in if the wind dies down a little.

    That's my life.

Peace and Love

Happy Easter

 I hope you all had a great day today

    Jackie and I went to church today, the first time in about a year, not counting the Good Friday service.

    It was great to see the "old" faces and meet a couple of new ones.  Hopefully we can make it more often in the future, but mornings are so hard for Jackie.

    We planned a quiet dinner, just Julia, Emily, Jackie and me.  I was taking Jackie to the bathroom when the phone rang.  I picked it up when I saw the caller ID was my niece, but when I said hello, nothing happened.

    Then Beth started barking like crazy!  Julia came up and found our niece standing at the front door!  Cindy was coming back from visiting their daughters at the U of I  and took a detour to visit us.

    It was a nice time.  She planned to stay for a few minutes, but dinner was about done so she joined us for dinner.

    The only problem might have been I overcooked the ham.  I thought it was a tad on the dry side. 

    The highlight was lemon cake from Portillo's!  I love their chocolate cake, but he lemon cake is out of this world.

    I hope you had a great day, whether you celebrate Easter or not.

    Funny thing.  At church I told one person "Happy Christmas."  I don't know where that came from.  Then as we were leaving I looked at a friend and said "Happy birthday."  I don't know where that came from either.

    But I had lemon cake, so I am not going to worry about it.

Peace and Love

snore

 Knock on wood, I had a good night's sleep

    Two nights in a  row.  Of course, I had terribly strange dreams, including one of me getting pissed at my friends  and getting off the El at Albany.  I don't think there is an Albany stop, but I got off there.

    Another thing....sometimes I get bothered by things I  can't remember and I can't fall asleep.   Last night I spent probably 20 minutes trying to remember a house on the corner of Belle Plaine and Greenview!  Why that came into my mind, I don't know..

    It was on the northwest corner and I have a mental picture of a reddish stone house, a massive house, with a big porch.  There was a garage along Belle Plaine near the alley.  But sometimes that image morphs into a gray stone house.  Why  that bubbled up last night confounds me.

    Had another busy day.  Checked out the Pickin Station booth....not much action there.  

    Bought some starter fertilzer for the lawn.  Fertilized my front yard, then put grass seed on trhe bare spots and spent the next 4 hours watering. 

    I have a rain train......it's a neat little gizmo.  It looks like a tractor with 2 arms coming off of it.  You hook it on the end of a hose and face it toward the faucet side of the hose.   Turn on the water and the force of the water coming through the sprinklers propels it forward, following the hose track.

    It's a neat thing.  When it works.

    For some reason the one I have managed  to leak, not move and spray me from top to bottom when I tried to adjust it. 

    I ended up putting out a tripod type sprinkler and moving it every 40 minutes.  The fertilizer and the grass seed need water to work, and since I put it on when there was no rain in the forecast, I have to sprinkle.

    We had a London trip planning session tonight.  So Linda, Dan, Sherie, Julia and I talked about the trip, possibilities, potential problems, and changes in our schedules.  

    Of course a planning session has to involve wine and food, so Julia prepared a Swiss fondue for us.  Jackie and Emily also came but I think they were bored with all the London talk.

    Linda made brownies and brought some frozen custard to top them with.

    All in all, it was a busy but really fun day.

    Now we just have to get up early enough to make church tomorrow.

    Happy Easter!

Peace and Love

time flies

 Jackie and I went to a Good Friday service 

    A lot of people came up ans said hello, because they have not seen us in about 1 year.

    The last time Jackie and I attended church in person was last Easter.  It was nice to be back in church with all the great people there.

    It takes us a long time to get ready in the morning, and most mornings Jackie does not feel  up to a lot of activity.  That's the MS for you....never consistent, always surprising.

    Anyway,  today was a good day.

    We have lived in this house for 11 years.  We had Corki for about 7 of those years, and I had a huge aerator I was a fraid to use because I did not want to cut the invisible fence.  I got rid of it last year because it was just taking up space in the gareage.

    Well, a guy was out aerating a neighbor's yard and I asked him if he could do our front yard.  I told he we had the Invisible Fence, but currently it was marked with blue flags  so dog Beth could be trained to stay in the yard.  Keep away from the blue flags and all is well.

    Go figure, eh?  Now that the underground wiring is marked, I can aerate...but I don't have the aerator.

    So tomorrow I am going to fertilize and throw some seed in the front yard.

    I am borrowing a fertilizer spreader from friend Todd.  I had one but had not used it in probably 6 years and it was taking up space, so I gave it away.  To Todd.  

    Life goes in circles sometimes.

    This is also a sad day for all of us. One year ago my favorite 4 legged girl passed over the rainbow bridge.  

    I am truly thankful for the time I had with her.  And I miss her.  I told Beth today that Corki was more than a dog, she was my confidant, my comforter, my friend.  Beth has some big paws to fill.

Peace and Love

Forever in my heart

$$$$$$$$$

 I guess I should not be surprised by anything

    But I did get a surprise today while reading an article.

    How many billionaires do you think live in Illinois?

    I am not talking millionaires, although I'd like you to guess that too.

    Billionaires.   $1,000,000,000 or more.

    Just to giet an idea, I Googled about spending.  If you had $1 billion and you spent $1,000 an hour, it would take you 114 years to spend it all.  About.

    Now I realize people don't have that much money in cash or a savings account.  It's in bonds, real estate, stock and other holdings.  They would have to liquidate everything to have that much cash.

    Anyway.....Illinois has 24 billionaires!  24!  14 of those are classified as "ultra rich" by Forbes Magazine.  And we have 24 because the richest of the Illinois rich recently moved to Florida where the political climate seems more fitting for them.  Otherwise we would have 25.

    And millionaires?

    Illinois has a bit over 346,000 households with a value over $ 1 million.  That includes realestate, taxes, etc.  Heck, lots of houses in Chicago sell for well over that, but it is still a surprise to me.

    I am not on either list.

    They don't have a list of people with over $5 in their pocket.  I would make that list, if I remember my wallet.

    Anyway......lots of rich people in our state.  

    If I had won that lottery, I could be on the list too!

Peace and Love

funny thing

 Sometimes I just get confused

    We have had some bad weather.  Last night the forecast I heard called for showers and storms in the morning, around 4 a.m.

    Nothing severe was predicted.

    Sure enough, sometime around 4 the weather alert goes off. Severe thunderstorm watch.  About 20 minutes later, it goes off again.  Severe thunderstorm warning  I listened and it didn't seem to affect us.  Back to bed.

    Around 6  Julia comes in the room and says, "The weather alarm is going off."

    I said not to worry, just a thunderstorm.  I went back to bed.

    Later that day I look at my phone and there is a message that says our area is under a tornado warning.  Take cover.

    I had no idea.

    Julia said we had another tornado warning a little while after that.  Again, I turned off the alert without listening to it and had no idea.

    She said she told me and I seemed awfully unconcerned considering my behavior the other day when we had a tornado warning. 

    But I knew about that one.  And was awake

    Took Beth to get a trim today.  I have a hard time getting good pictures of her, but I tried.  She got a trim typical for an English cocker spaniel, which generally has less hair than an American cocker spaniel.  Who knew?

    After I got home from walking, the chiropractor, and getting Beth, I went to the store.  Thank heavens Emily was at work because I forgot my wallet.  I borrowed money from her for my grocercies.

    The tables have turned, eh?  It used to be the kids asking for money to go shopping.  Now it's me.

Peace and Love

A wild and wooly creature

Not a great picture....I'll try again tomorrow.  But we can see her eyes now!

not so bad

 I was prepared for really bad weather today

    The weather radio must have gone off 7 times.  One of the alerts was a severe thunderstorm warnng with ping pong ball sized hail and 70 mph winds.  Rochelle was in its path.

     But not much happened, except a lot of rain.  Sure, we had some pea sized hail, but it did not last long.  In fact, it wasn't even with that wave of storms.

    Aurora had golf ball sized hail! I saw pictures of cars in the Quad Cities area that had holes in their windows from the hail.

    Stange weather for April 4.

    This is kind of a sad remembrance week for us.

    During this week back in 2015 Emily lost her house in a tornado.  Luckily no one was injured, but she did lose 2 dogs that day.

    Last year on April 7 Corki died following surgery.  I think of her every day, and even shed a tear once in a while remembering her. Like now.  Dog Beth is different, and I do adore her.  But she isn't Corki.

    I had to re-pair my hearing aids today.  I could not follow the directions, so I called customer service and they walked me through it.  Took less that 5 minutes.  Now both are working again.

    I bought some greeting cards today.  Talk about sticker shock!  Hallmark cards are $5 and $6!  Holy cow.  I noticed the less expensive ones were printed in the USA while the more expensive ones were from China and Vietnam.  For some reason, that made no sense to me.

    Yesterday when I drove past the gas stations, most were $3.55 or so for regular.  Today....$3.79!  Except the Mobil station, which is usally higher than anyone else, had regular at $3.59.

    With the Arabs cutting back, and the Russians at war, I bet gas will hit $4 by summer

    You read it here first, kids!

    Stay safe, keep aware of changing weather conditions, sleep well.

Peace and Love

huh??

 I have a bum hearing aid

    I discovered that when I went to walk today.  I could only get music in one ear...sort of like my teen age years when I listened to mono records.

    At some point I have directions on how to reset the hearing aids.  But, and here's the big butt, I can't find the sheet.  It is not in my file folder marked hearing aids.  So, go figure.  If I go to the webiste, the directions are probably there.  I hope.

    I got most of my walk in today.  I had to run home to help Jackie, but I got in 8 of my 9 laps, just short of 1.5 miles.  I have been stuck on 1.5 for a month.  Can't seem to get any farther.  My goal for April was 2 miles three times a week.  Not quite there yet.

    Here's how my day went.

    Gave a friend a ride home from the hospital.  Jackie and I went to the dentist.  Took Jackie home.  Let Emily's dogs out.  Went to walk. Went home to help Jackie.  Went to Walmart.  Let the dogs out again. Went home.

    Julia took care of supper, thank heavens.  I just did nto have the energy.

    I did manage to watch the Cubs lose and am watching the NCAA final too.  I don't watch college basketball a lot, but the tournament this year has been really exciting to watch.  U Conn is an amazing team, but San Diego State gave them a battle.

    I am also keeping an eye and ear on the weather.... could be dicey around here tomorrow.

    Brother in law Bob sent a picture of a large alligator crossing the road right by his mailbox in Florida.  Hmmm....tornado or alligator.  Tough choice.  I'll take my chances with the weather.

Peace and Love

am I crazy?

 Sometimes I have some weird ideas

    I get freaked out by tornado warnings.  And severe thunderstorm warnings.  And high wind warnings.

    Those are some of the things I get freaked out about.  Others include giant trapdoor spiders in Australia, bears, alligators and crocodiles, wasps, overweight men with orange faces and balding heads, and Samurai swords.

    I don't know if Samurai is spelled correctly, and I don't really care.

    Back to tornado warnings.

    Most of you know Emily lost her house in an April tornado about 8 years ago.  It was an experience I will surely never forget and it created a great deal of empathy in me for people who are tornado victims.

    It also created fear.  Let me revise that, it created much more fear than I had.  I always figured nothing like that will affect us.  Of course, every time I buy a lottery ticket I am convinced I am going to win.

    But it did happen,  Luckily no one died although she did lose 2 dogs and all her stuff.

    The other night when the tornado warning was sounded, I wheeled Jackie into the little bathroom.  No way could I get her down the stairs, and no way would I be able to get her up after the all clear was given.

    So the little bathroom is the only option.

    Or is it?

    I could install a chair system to the basement, but if the house is damaged I still won't be able to get her upstairs.  So, that's a no.

    An online searched gave me several companies that make an in home tornado shelter!

    Made of "impenetrable" steel, the shelters can hold anywhere from 3 to 6 people, depending on the size you buy.

    The unit is bolted to the garage floor.  One manufacturer said the uhit was strong enoung to resist a car landing on top of it.  Comforting, yet disturbing at the same time.

    Part of me wants to order one tonight.  The other part of me says it is an expense that will never be used, sort of like the generator we installed.

    So I am conflicted.  

    So far this year, CNN reports a 150 percent increase in tornadoes and the season did not start until April 1.  Storms are getting more frequent, and stronger.

    So......what to do?

    Only time will tell.  Until then, I'll just get a little nutty when it storms.

Peace and Love

    

all quiet

Today was a pretty quiet day 

    After last night, that was a welcome respite.

    It was cold....I know the temperatures were in the 40s, but the wind blew and that made it cold.

    I did take a trip down to Memorial Park.

    The southside of Rochelle was hit by some pretty strong winds.  Several large oaks were downed at the golf course and in Memorial Park.  Power lines were also downed.

    What made me sad was to see the giant cedar tree on the ground in the park,.

    I think, but I don't know why I think this, this tree was planted in about 1922 as a memorial tree to the soldiers of W W I.  I think, and I admit my memory can be a bit hazy, there was a plaque that said something to effect of this tree planted in the memory of those who served in the war.

    It did not say WW I, it just said war.  It might have even said the Great War, which was what it was called before the war to end all wars was eclipsed by another war to end all wars.

    Sometime in the past few years the area was rennovated and a new plaque was installed, but it does not have the same wording as the old one.  That bothers me a bit, but I can't tell you why.

    In any case, the tree is down.

    If any of you have stories  or information about the tree, please let me know.  I would like to find out more about it.

    Last night when I went to bed I said to Jackie, the only problem with today was I was so busy I didn't walk.

    She looked at me like I was nuts. 

    Yes, I walked.  And got a hair cut.

    Amazing what a tornado warning will do to one's mental recall.

Peace and Love