Day 1

 Today was our first full day in Switzerland

    It was kind of a do it your way day,

    Dan and I went to a fort.  Linda went to Chillion.  Dan and Linda went to the Chaplin Museum.  Cathy and Sherie wandered around the lakefront.

    We all went to Charley's at about 5:30 for some wine.  It used to be Charley's, but new owners changed the name but the old timers call it Charley's still.  Like Sears Tower and Comisky Park.

    Anyway, we had a fun couple of hours there before we left Julia with friends and went to eat.

    I swear, food is a driving force on this trip!  We have had Indian, Thai, Italian and 2 British Pub experiences and it has all be pretty darn good.

       Dan and I toured a fort.

    The Swiss prior to WW II built a series of forts inside the mountains in case some  crazy dictator tried to invade the country.  Eventually , following the Cold War, the forts became decommissioned.  A local person bought this fort and turned it into a museum.

    `There are some great videos  shown inside,

    For instance, in the operating room a video is playing  on the back wall.  The doctor is calling for instruments and his orderly keeps handing them to him.  Back and forth they go until at some point you realize he is doing the surgery with a Swiss Army knife!  At the end they celebrate by using the opener on the knife to have som e refreshments.

    I guess you had to see it.

    Oh well.

    Some pictures.

Peace and Love

videos acted out life in the fort

In o ne of the fort's tunnels

View from my hotel window

Is that rain??

Enjoying some wine

Looks like rain!!

Dryness under the eaves

Yo de ley di hoo

 We all made it to Switzerland safely

    No one got lost. No one lost a passport or a boarding pass.  No luggage was lost.

    It was a pretty uneventful day.

    We went to dinner at a Thai restaurant in Vevey.   That was suggested because it is down the street from a laundromat.

    Take a guess how much it cost to do a load of laundry.

    I''ll give you time to contemplate that.

    What was neat was to see how Julia and her friends behaved.......it was like she had never left!  They were all so glad to see here and told her she was missed.  I know she feels the same way about them.

    Julia was the social organizer.  Ski trips, meals out, fondue sessions, parties......Julia was the main person to arrange these.

    Wrapping up the day.  We took a private car to Manchester, boarded a plane to Geneva, picked up a rental car and loaded Matt's car and made our way to Vevey.

    Originally we were supposed to stay one more night in Liverpool,  but we changed plans.  Unfortunately the hotel we have for the next several nights did not have 4 rooms for tonight, so we are kind of split up.  Dan, Linda and I are in a hotel by the train station while Julia, Sherie and Cathy are up the mountain in a different hotel.

    But it is all good,.

    Now, I need to catch up on some reading.

    And the cost to do laundry?

    About 17 francs a load....nearly $20!!!!

    Holy cow......that's a couple of Starbucks!

    And at 10 p.m. we found out  the laundromat closes at 10 p.m., so we were in a rush to fold clothes in the dark because we could not see how to turn on the lights.  The sign on the door says the door closes automatically at 10, but that is hard to do with someone holding it open.

    Now it is thundering......supposed to rain all day tomorrow.  We'll bow that turns out!

Peace and Lo ve

Birth

 Today we went to the birthplace

    Where it all began.  Well, almost where it all began .

    The Casbah Club was first, but the the Beatles were not popular then.

    But then the started played at Cavern Club following their German experiences in Hamburg.

    I hope I am getting this straight.....I am a little tired again tonight,.

    Anyway, they started playing at the Cavern Club and eventually performed almost 300  times there.  That is when Beatle Mania hit.

    So, the Cavern Club ism considered by many to be the birthplace of the Beatles.

    I have read about the Cavern Club and the electric atmosphere playing in a small room on a small stage created.  So it was on my list of  Beatles places to visit.

    Today.  We. Went.

    OMG, it was freaking awesome!

    The original Cavern Club was torn down in the 70s.  My understanidng is that by that time, Beatles fans were swarming Matthew Street looking for the club.  So, it was re built,.

    I went down about 40 steps to the club, and a solo performer was playing on stage.  Dan and Linda eventually made it down and it was good they didn't come right away because there were no seats.

    I did grab a stool for Dan, and eventually a lovely young couple gathered their things to go and we swooped in on their table.

    My gosh, it was fun!

   The place was loud, busy, and just had. great vibe.

    A couple of times I went out and danced with total strangers!  When Sherie and Kathy came, we all went out to dance.  Then I danced some more.  And more.  And more.

    I was a dancing fool.

    We never had so much fun.

    There may even be a Tic Toc or You Tube video of me and my new partner.....a lot of cameras were going,

    Anyway we also took  the ferry cross the Mersey, had lunch at a neat pub, toured the Beatles museum and a lot of other stuff.

    It was a great last day in Jolly Old England!

Peace an d Love

Yes, even Queen played here!

    

Dan and me I in front of some guys

I must have waited 10 minutes!

Beatlemania

 We took a couple of Beatles tours today

    We started with a Magical Mystery Tour sponsored by the Cavern Club.  That was the place where the Beatles performed the most and honed their skills.

    Actually, the original Cavern Club was torn down as part of an urban renewal project in the 70s or 80s.  But so many fans were coming to Liverpool to look for it, the club was rebuilt in a new location just feet away from the old.

    Many of the bricks salvaged from the old building were used in construction of parts of the new club, especially the arches.

    Later in the day we took a  National Trust tour of the actual homes of John and Paul.    We were able to walk in the houses, look at period furniture that they used,  and get a sense of their lives.

    They were teenagers when they met.  After getting together, they invited 14 year old George to join them, meeting at John's house to practice.

    John was living with an aunt at the time because his mother died and his dad left.  The aunt would tell him something to the effect of."Messing with the guitar may be fun, but you'll never earn any money from it."

    History would prove e her wrong.  In fact, he had a plaque made with that saying and she proudly displayed it in her new house the rest of her life.,

     We  were on the tours because we all love the Beatles.  It was a fun time,

    Tonight we went down to Matthew Street,, where the Cavern Club is located.  It is alive with music at night.  We did not go into the Cavern Club tonight, but will tomorrow..

    I still have not bought a cord to link the camera to the computer.....so it is hard for me to post pictures.  But I do have a few for tonight.

Peace and Love

John's House

George's House

Paul's House

Dang tired

 Today was a busy day

When planning the trip there were certain things some people wanted to do.

    For instance, I wanted to see the Tower of London, the Tower. Bridge, Big Ben , Globe Theater, take a Thames River. raise, watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and either tour St. Paul's or Westminster.

    Well, some it happened.

    I saw Big Ben, watched the changing of the guard, and took a river cruise.....today.  I had seen the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels and the Tower Bridge earlier

    There were no tickets left for Westminster and no, we did not order in advance, because we could not decide.

    The Thames River cruise was ok, but let's just say the Thames is not quite as attractive as the Chicago River.

    And Kensington Palace?  Julia said there was a display of fashions through the years.  We all assumed it meant clothing worn by the Royals at some point.

    But we were wrong.  

    These were current fashions worn by celebrities to recent galas.  The pieces were set in  various rooms, but there really was not mention of the rooms in relation to the Royals.  

    The changing of the guard was interesting.  I could not see much because there were at least 64 million people there. But I heard a lot of yelling, saw horses, and heard some nice music from the bands.

    I wish I could download pictures so you could see the crowd.  You'll just have to take my word for it.

    We took a train to Liverpool and that is when the fun started.

    When we got off the train, the 6 of us with 45 bags of luggage, Julia plugged in the location of the hotel into her phone and we started off on a 10 minute walk. following Google Maps directions.

    90 minutes later we had gone in almost a full circle and were near the hotel.

    I went ahead to locate it.  I found it, went inside to ask if I could leave what I was carrying while I went back to get the others and help them.

    She asked for the name on the reservation and I told her Dickow.

    Nope.  No reservation under that name. 

    Then the clerk mentioned there was another hotel of that chain in the opposite direction.

    For some reason I started laughing like a lunatic.  Sherie came looking for me because I was gone for so long and I told her and she said I had to stop laughing.....but I couldn't

    I got back to the group and told them it was the wrong hotel.  No-one was happy.

    Julia pulled out the reservation and showed it to me.  I told her there were no rooms reserved ed for Dickow.

    She said no, they were reserved under Graber and Klindera.  

    So we tromped back to hotel and yes, we had rooms.

    It took us about 90 minutes to walk from the train station to the hotel.  I am not saying I was nervous, but I will say Liverpool is a tough looking town with tough looking people hanging about.

    We finally get settled in our rooms.

    We could not figure out why it had taken so long for such a short walk

    While drinking some really low grade wine, Julia yelled out, "Shit"

    When she entered directions for the hotel, she entered the driving directions, not the walking directions.  There are a lot of one way streets in Liverpool.

    We ended up doing a circle, each of us c carrying 68 pieces of luggage.   I t think the train station was behind the building next to us....about a 10 minute walk.

    Now, we are tired.  I am going to bed.

Peace and Love

PS......Julia changed her phone so we get walking directions for tomorrow's  Beatles fun day.

Sleety time

I am pretty tired tonight

    I visited the Tower Bridge today,  This is a pretty famous bridge and a landmark in London.

    I have a zillion pictures of the. bridge, but can't show you any because I took them on my big camera and don't have a cord to connect  to my PC.  Yes, that was  poor planning on my part.  I do believe the cord is on my desk at home, which does me no good.

    The good news is I did not lose anything today.  I still have my passport, charge cards, room key and Oyster card,

    The strange news is I still have most of the 100 pounds I took out when we arrived.  

    Why?  Almost every store is cashless!

    Buy a water at a kiosk?  Cashless.  Dinner?  Cashless.  Taxi?  Well they take money over a cc.  Starbucks also takes money, but most places are cashless.

    While I gave bought a lot, I have not spent much cash.

    We got here Friday and as of Sunday night we have:

        Toured Kensington Palace

        Watched a baseball game

        Taken the Tea Bus around London

        Toured the Tower of London

       Visited Prince Albert's amazing statue

        Lost and recovered my passport

        Walked 189,756 steps

        Cramped multiple times

        Climbed to the top of Tower Bridge

        Had fun times visiting with Julia's friends

        Had a great time visiting with my nephew and his family

    Not bad for two days

Peace and Love

And pictures from my phone.....which does have a cord, thanks to Julia

Kensington Palace had an exhibition  on clothing.  

  These were examples of hoop skirts in the early days.  By the way, it was hot.  The guide taking tickets suggested we buy water from the cafe and take it with us.  I went to buy water only to be told they had none.  They went through 40 cases if water today due to the heat!

Yes, that is me on the walkway at the top of Tower Bridge.  about 250 steps up......watching the traffic below

And for some reason, I can't seem to load any  more pictures.  Maybe I am too tired to figure it out tonight

Karna karma karma chameleon

 I am a firm believer in karma

    Waiting for boarding our flight in Chicago, I found a phone and returned it to a flight attendant.

    While looking for something I may have dropped in the London Underground, I found a wallet and turned it in to the security people at the tube station.

    Today at the Tower of London I helped a little boy struggling to pull a baby stroller up some stairs.

    Karma.  It came in handy.

    I lost my passport.

    Wasn't in the taxi that picked us up from the airport.  

    Wasn't in the bus that took us on an afternoon tea around London.

    Not in my pants.  Not in my bag.  Not in my room.

    I checked where I had been.  Not at Starbucks, not turned  into the Tower of London folks, not at the underground station where I bought a train pass.  While looking for the passport, I found the wallet.

    Not found on the train we took to Victoria Station.

    I was mad at myself.  And depressed.  How do I replace a lost passport?

    Several calls were attempted to government offices, but the best we could do was to schedule an appointment with embassy staff inn Scotland for July 6.

    I was not eating.  I was not sleeping well.  I was worried.

    I was no fun to be around.

    We went to the Cubs game.  13 of us.  Its was a 6 p.m. start and by that time I had eaten a croissant and had a coffee.  I bought some chicken fingers at the game....but wasn't really hungry.

    About the second inning Julia got up and left.  I figured she was going to the bathroom.  Then she came back and got her wallet.  I figured she was buying something.

    When she returned she said something and......GAVE ME MY PASSPORT!

    What the hell??????

    So.....a nice person named Nick found it under a bench by Tower of London.  I remember sitting there and taking some pictures. My passport was in my front pocket....with my phone, which I used for the pictures.

    They found it the morning and picked it up to prevent someone from misusing it.

    Through my blog and Facebook, they were able to contact Jackie. 

    Now, I have had a couple , maybe more than a couple, of margaritas before writing this.  So this may not be accurate.

    Jackie got the message about the lost passport and contacted Julia, giving her the number of the person who called.

    During the second inning of the game, Julia called them.  When they answered, the person apologized for the noise because he said they were at a stadium and it was loud.

    Julia asked them if they were at the ball game.

    They said yes.  Julia said she was at the ball game!

    They had the passport with them, agreed to meet Julia in the concourse and returned the passport.  Julia bought them a couple of beers in appreciation.

        Julia came back to her seat, said something, and handed me my passport!

        I was shocked!  I almost cried tears of happiness.

        I stood up in the stands, turn ed around and screamed "They found my passport!  Now I can go home!"

    The people around me may have thought me nuts, but they applauded.

    Suddenly, my appetite came back.  My headache disappeared.  My shoulders became much more relaxed. And I wanted a beer.

    I waiting an inning or two, still stunned, and went off to get a burger and a beer.

    When I went to the beer stand to order, I could not find my debit card.

    Shit.  

    I tried to find lost and found, but couldn't.  Ironic, eh?

    So I sat down outside the stadium and emptied everything out of my wallet and passport case.  Still no debit card.  I stuck my fingers deep into a pocket and voila! There it was!!!  I didn't lose it after all.

    When I got back to my seat I had 12 baby sitters.  Every few minutes someone would ask if I still had my debit card and may passport.

    At the end of the game Megan, Mike and Ben and Michael joined us and they too kept track of my stuff.

    We had a group of 17 when we were done with the game.  We came back to the hotel and had some drinks, which is why some of this might not make sense.  Plus it seems to bed 2 a.m. here, which kind of surprises me.

        Anyhow....Karma rules!  I did nice things and nice things happened to me.

        Passport back.

        Cubs win.

        Spending time with great people.

        A truly happy day,

Peace and Love

Made it

 We are in London!

    This will be brief because I am a little tired.

    I was up at 7;30  a.m. Thursday and it is now around 3:30 p.m. Friday in good Old Rochelle, and I did not sleep much on the plane, if at all.

Brief highlights.

    Thursday: Found a cell phone under a chair at O'Hare and it turned out to be one of the attendant's.  She was very thankful.

    Friday:  Landed safely.  Took a loooong taxi ride from the airport to the hotel.  Visited the Thames waterfront near Tower of London.

            Took tea on the afternoon tea bus, which drove around London for about 2 hours.

            Went out for Indian food.

            Found a wallet in the underground station and turned it into attendants.

            Took a lot of pictures but can't seem to download them tonight.  Either I am too tired or I brought the wrong cord.

            Hell of a first day.

Peace and Love

My bags aren't packed

 But I'm ready to go

    We leave tomorrow about 2, so I have a little time in the morning.  Very little.  I have gathered things together, but I want to double check tomorrow, when I have a little more time.

    I finished the last of the yard chores, and I feel pretty good about that.

    I just hope my timers work when they are supposed to.  I have adjusted them several times, but they just seem to be a bit off every time.  Maybe it will rain and it will not be an issue.

    I have decided to take my Kindle.  I downloaded 3 books from Hoopla, hoping 1 of them will interest me.  Honestly, I don't see myself reading a lot on this trip.  There is a lot we are going to do and limited time.

    I made a "quick" trip into town for some last minute items for home.  I swear, we had a ton of kitchen garbage bags last week but now we have about 4.  So I bought more bags and other things I don't want Jackie to run out of.  Perishible items can be handled by Emily, but I think we have all the household type stuff she will need.

     I say "quick" because I ran into 2 long time friends.  One is a former student and every time I see her I can't remember her name!  She  tells me and BAM! I knew that.  Every time I see her I also tell her next time I will remember her name.

    The other person is a long time friend and we spent 10 minutes or so catching up.

    So I was running late and decided to   gasp......go to Starbucks instead of Cypress Hosue.  I had to go to Walgreen's so I ordered ahead.

    But karma struck.  When I got home I dropped the coffee in the garage.  I had only taken 2 sips.

    I don't know when I will write again.  I know, don't weep!  You will miss me!

    Peace and Love 

  

Odds and ends

 That is what I have to do...odds and ends

    I have not mowed for at least 2 weeks.  That is not a problem because with the lack of rain, the grass has not grown very much.

    At the same time, it has grown in spots and I need to level it off before I leave.

    I have to make a trip to the Pickin Station, Walmart, the bank and Cypress House for a coffee tomorrow.

    Then I start packing.

    That is when the fun starts. 

    Are 5 shirts too few?  Are 10 too many?  How many socks do I need?  Can't I just wash them out in the sink?  Are 28 pairs of underwear too many for a 14 day trip?  Am I sure I don't want to pack my Kindle so I have something to read?

    The sad thing is, I will still not have decided many of these pertinent questions until Thursday morning.  Then I will end up throwing a whole bunch of stuff into my suitcase and hoping I have enough clothes.  And the  right clothes.

    Our new dishwasher was delivered and installed today.  We ordered it thru Kine's in Sterling.  The price was pretty close to the big box store, plus they had someone from their business install the new and haul away the old.

    As a bonus, on his way out to the truck for a part he noticed our front door knob was loose, so he tightened it!

    When we go to replace the washer and dryer next year, that will be the first place we look.

    So in review, this month:  basement waste pump went out, toilet ran, dishwasher broke, kitchen sink faucet became hard to turn.....it's been an expensive month!

    And I haven't left yet!

    We had a planning session tonight.  I think we have everything in line for our trip, but stuff always happens.  I am just thankful I can go. Jackie is a saint for letting me escape.

    Now I have to go to bed and worry.  I mean, sleep.

Peace and Love

Buyer beware

 Shopping can be frustrating

    Example.  Jackie bought some pants on line from a well known retailer.  Ok, it was Macy's.

    The pants do not fit.

    I thought it would be easier to take them back to Rockford because I had another stop to make up there.

    Today I went and the Macy's lady told me I could not return them to the store because they were on some special sale.

    I no longer have the packaging, so Jackie has to call customer service to ask what to do.

    Meanwhile, I noticed underwear was 50 per cent off.  So I  bought 2 packs of 5.  I really wanted more, but those were the only 2 left in my size.

    The packs cost $22.  That was half off the $44 price.

    Now, I have not purhased underwear in a while and truthfully don't remember prices.  But the half off is good, right?

    When I went to Walmart later in the day I decided to buy an additional pack.  So I bought a pack of 6, same style, same maker, but only $21.  

    I am guessing Macy's was overpriced.  I assume they are the same quality, but maybe not.

    I should have looked at Target or Kohl's for underwear, but I was not at one of those stores and 50% off seemed like a good deal.

    Then I got a text telling me I could save 50% on my Comcast bill.  All I had to do was call the number before 9 p.m. Pacific Time.

    I got on the phone and contacted Comcast.  The nice rep I talked to said the phone number in the text was not a Comcast number and they don't have any 50% off offers.  But they did have a special promo for $35 off a month, which I took.

    As the old saying goes, "Buyer Beware."

    A final note, I 39 southbound is under construction south of Il 64.  It is one lane. The back up was extremely long when I was northbound, so I took 251 home to avoid the mess. 

    I may not have been a buyer, but I was aware.

Peace and Love 

Oh happy day

 This was a pretty good day

    Funny thing.  I slept until 10!!!  Then I  took a nap at about 3, after the Cubs lost.

    Now I am wide awake.

    Yesterday Emily picked up a cherry coffee cake from River Walk Bakery in McHenry.  I used to stop there when my mother was alive, but it has been a while.  The coffee cake was just as good as I remember.......lots of cherry filling, lots of topping, and delicious.

    That was lunch.  By the time I got Jackie up and ready for the day, it was almost noon.

    This afternoon Julia and Emily gave me my father's day gifts...pictured below.  That was really neat.  I also got a new t-shirt to wear in London.

    We had brats for supper to top off a really nice day.  Of course, any day my girls are here for supper is great!

    Hope your day was  wonderful  also.

Peace and Love

One of my presents....great for the garden

They know I like Dickens.....note the date.  It is older than me!!

so long

 We just watched the last episode of Ted Lasso

    There is no word on a fourth season, so it may truly have been the last episode.

    We were late in joining the Ted Lasso world.

    We watched one episode, the first one, in season one and then just sort of stopped watching.   When season 2 started, we went back and watched season 1,  then moved on to season 2.  Then came season 3.

    I won't give away any of the ending because there may be people who have just started watching.

    Suffice it to say, it was great.  

    I honestly loved the series and the characters.  I feel like I know them, which to me makes for a great TV series.  It is on Apple TV, so if you see an offer for a free month of Apple TV, take it and watch the series.  I think you'll like it.

    I understand Richmond, a part of London, has become a Ted Lasso tourist spot.  You can walk down the lane where he lived, stand in front of the pub they frequented, (although the inside shots were done in a studio), and of course, buy souveniers.

    However, I don't think it is on our agenda for London. 

     We leave Thursday.

    I am nervous.

    Yes, I have started putting things aside for final packing. I have thought about clothes, spending way too much time on socks.  I do need to buy underwear.  It has nothing to do with the trip, but I need new underwear.

    But aside from the packing it is how Jackie will fare, the flight, Covid, how the plants will survive if the drought continues, how the in home care will be.....all sorts of things that keep me up at night.

    I am sure all will be fine.  But I still get nervous.  And worry.

    My friend TC will say  that is not unusual, I worry about everything.  He's right.

    I should follow the song, "Don't worry, be happy."

    Easier said than done.

Peace and Love

it's time

 I have heard things happen in  in threes

    I am beginning to believe that.

    Recently we have had a basement pump go bad, a dishwasher break, a sink repair, a dog hospitalization and a toilet repair.

    I know, that's 5.  So....what will 6 be to make it a second set of 3?

    The master bath toilet began running last night...and running. ... and running.

    And I don' mean put on your gym shoes and run running.  

    I lifted the lid and saw the little gizmo the is normally attached got the bigger thing a ma jig was broken off.  The toilet would be fine when I put the broken off piece back in place.  But that is not an ideal solution when one is about to flee the country.  I mean, leave on vacation.

    So, for the 4th time in a month a plumber came.

    It took about 3 minutes to make the repair.  He pulled out a cylinder put a new cylinder in, attached a new gizmo and I works fine.

    I think I can do that on my own next time.  And there will be a next time.

    Everything in the house is about the same age, except for the televisions.  Plumbing, electrical, appliances....all are at the point where they could go at any time.

    Already our dryer sensor is kaput.  Our dishwasher is being replaced next week.  The washer and fridge can't be far behind right?

Sigh......

    I had 2errands to run today.  But I was tired.  I told Jackie I would go after I took a 30 minute nap in my chair.

    When I sat down it was 3-2 Cubs, when I woke up it was 10-2.  I guess I was tired.  I only completed one errand.

    Now I hope I can sleep.

Peace and Love

whew!!!

 Yesterday went south fairly fast

    Jackie tsakes a medicine for her MS at about 3 in the afternoon

    Well, yesterday she could not find it.  She thought she had taken it, but she might have dropped it on the floor.

    I got down to look and found 2 partially consumed pills.

    I contacted Emily, and she said she did not  think it would be an issue.

    Beth was fine went I went to my 5:30 meeting, but at 6 Julia called and said Beth was yelping and trying to bite her butt.  I went home immediately.

    Beth would be fine for 10 or 15 minutes, then begin to whirl around, whining and bitting at her butt.

    Emily came over to check Beth's anal glands, but did not find anything abnormal, while admitting she had no idea about anal glands on a cocker.  After another whirling session, we decided to take Beth to the vet.

    We have two choices for emergency vets....Rockford or Aurora.  I picked Aurora.

    My car was very low on gas.  I asked Julia if I could take hers,  that way I would not waste a lot of time getting gas.  Julia's was low on gas.

    So I took Emily's.

    We put Beth's kennel in the car, put her in the kennel and I left.

    When I got to the clinic, they told me there would be about as 2 hour wait.  So we sat down to wait, and within 40 minutes a tech came and did an intake on Beth.  I explained what happened as best I could.

    Before they could treat her, they needed to know about the drug.  So I called the ASPCA poison control line and gave them the information and got a case number.

    In retrospect, I should have done that hours earlier.

    At about 11 the vet came and talked to me.  He said some of the problems with the drug are it  causes erratic heartbeats and affects the gag reflex.  He said the best option would be to keep Beth overnight, monitor her vitals, and make sure she was not throwing up.  If her gag reflex was affected, she could choke on her own vomit.

    They brought her in for me to say goodnight, and I left there about 11:30.

    Julia was up first today and called, but they had to call back.  When they did, I talked to another vet and they said Beth did fine all night, her vitals were steady and she was ready to go.

    Jackie went with me to get her.  When they brought Beth out, she did not notice me.  But when she did, she came over and made a happy pee all over the floor!  It must have been 10 gallons!  She was really happy!!

    We stopped at a McDonald's to get her  a plain hamburger, which she really enjoyed.

    She has been fine all day and can't get enough pets from us.

    We are happy she is home.  She is happy she is home.

    Jackie felt terrible about what happened, but it wasn't her fault.  However we are going to change how she handles the afternoon MS drug.

    I can't say enough about the folks at Aurora.  They were up front about what could happen and what they would do.  They were very helpful in explaining it all to me.

    So there.  

    All is well that ends well.

Peace and Love

    

uh......

This will  be brief tonight 

    It's a little aftert 1 a.m. and I just got home.

    Dog Beth found something on the floor that wasn't good for her, so I made a trip to the 24 hour emergency vet clinic in Aurora.

    She seems fine, but they wanted to hold her overnight to monitor her blood pressure and heart rate.

    That's it for now.

Peace and Love

busy, busy, busy

A lot got done today

    Garden around house weeded, windows and screens washed inside and out, curtains washed and rehung, hoses finally sorted and put away, Beth's nails trimmed...no wonder I am tired!

    Granted, SK did the weeding and Matt the window guy washed the windows.  Emily did do Beth's nails,   but I hung the curtains.  And I finally got the hoses all sorted out.

    Of course I put the den curtains in Julia's room and hung the curtains in our bedroom upside down, and I lost one of the end caps for the curtains in Julia's room but in spite of all of that, it is done!

    I have looked all over for the end cap but can't find it.  I know it is here somewhere, but the question is where.

    I also took a load of clothes and shoes to a resale shop, only to learn donations are taken Wednesday through Friday.  I guess I go back tomorrow.  I don't think the end cap was in that bag, but I better look.

    But seriously, today was not a good day. 

    A man from our church died yesterday.  He was a good guy, helpful, intelligent, funny, thoughtful.  He was always willing to help someone out.  The news shocked me, because he was younger than me and hiked and walked a lot.  I did not imagine him in bad health.

    Life is short.  Too short to hold on to grudges, too short to hate, too short to not stop and smell the roses.  Too short to not buy that ticket.  Too short to not have coffee with that friend.

    It 's just too short.

Peace and Love

Grrrrr.......

 Sometimes it is the little things that frustrate me

    Sometimes?  Hell, all the time.

    For instance.  When you buy some clothes and there are tnose little plastic thingies that they put tags on.  One end has the tag and the other end, the T shaped end, is cleverly hidden in a seam or two, making it all but impossible to get it out.  So you end up wearing the item of clothing, all the time feeling an uncontrollable scratching that no matter how hard you look you can't find the source of.

    Or food containers with the plastic lining across the top.  Yes, there is a pull tab function but it always seems to come off.  That's why I use a knife to open them, cursing all the time.

    Cotton jammed into the neck of medicene bottles.  I can never get it out without finding a tweezers or paperclip that can be bent like a fishhook.

    Yogurt cups.  Whenever I open a Yoplait yogurt it splashes onto my shirt. Every time.

    Hoses.  No matter how many washers I try, they still drip.

    Voice recognition.  When we try to watch Newhart on Prime TV, we always end up with New Heart on Apple Music.  When I spell N E W H A R T it often comes out N B A H E A T.  Sometimes N  E W T H E A R T    and sometimes some word I can't even pronounce.  For on demand streaming, it is a long process for something that should be simple.

    And don't get me started on auto correct when sending text messages.

    I was so frustrated by life in general, I could not even sleep during my nap time and wasted     ANOTHER  day.

    I need to get my butt in gear.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow. It's only a day a way.

Peace and Love

Ho hum

This was a wasted day 

    Cold, wet, dreary.  I could not even take my usual nap on the porch....it was too cold, even with a blanket, a sweatshirt and a hot cup of tea!

    So I moved inside and fell asleep watching the Cub game.  I did not miss much, except the Giants scoring a bunch of runs.

    I did go up to a plant place, but my order was not there.  That was sort of good, otherwise I would have tried to plant stuff today and it was miserable.

    Meanwhile, dog Beth tried to unplant some of my zing roses.  I stopped her and cleaned off her feet.  But I must not have done a very good job because there are dog prints around the house.

    Quandary:  Leave then for the cleaning lady on Thursday, living with the prints.  Or, clean it up tomorrow.  

    That's my life.

Peace and Love

help??

Ok, I am confused about dishes 

    Until yesterday, I just stuck them in the dishwasher and only dealt with items that don't do well in the washer.

    But now, I have dishes.

    So....do I do them after every meal,  twice a day, or when we run out of clean dishes?

    Should I let dog Beth lick them as a way to pre clean?

    What is the history of rinsing dishes?  Seems when I watch old movies or shows set in the early part of the 1900s people wash them and just dry them.  Is rinsing necessary?

    What is the ecological consequence of using paper plates?  Yes, we are using paper, but we are not using water.  

    Why are some people so reluctant to eat with their fingers?  Yes, it gets tricky with peas and carrots, but it can be done.  I do have to remember to let the food cool though, it makes it hard to type if I don't.

    Nothing fell apart today.  I think that is a positive sign.  

    I noticed my beans were not all coming up, so I replanted in spots that were blank.  Hopefully they will be ready to pick after I get home and not before.

    Julia helped me drive  a board into the ground.  She held the 2 x 6 while I pounded with a sledge hammer.  

    I discovered a couple of things.  I can't hammer with a sledge hammer.  I am too weak.

    Also, the ground is like rock.  I should have soaked the area.  I gave up after 8,437 bangs with the hammer.  I am hoping we get some rain, enough to soften the ground so I can drive that sucker in farther.

    I notched the end in a V shape thinking that would  make it go in easier, but so far that is not the case.

    I have a confession.  I don't like to do stuff between the hours of 2 and 4.  I like to sit and read, or nap, and have a coffee or tea.  I love sitting on the porch in my recliner.

    That is the main reason I haven't gotten all my chores done.  I suppose I should regret it, but I don't.

    There is always tomorrow.

Peace and Love

    

what the......

 This was one of those days

    It started with a pimal scream of a four letter word.

    Why?

    Yes, that is the control panel for the dishwasher.

    It is not supposed to come off the machine.

    So, I went into the mud room and screamed.

    I called an appliance repair company that we have used.  I set up an appointment for next week for them to come and do something.

    After I did that, I started thinking.  And I think Jackie and I came up with the same thought at about the same time.

    Why put $200-$300 into repairing an 11 year old dishwasher?  Their life expectancy, according to various web sites, is 10 years for most machines.

     I Googled best dishwashers and 2 different rating services from "independent" groups recommended The Bosch 300 series, a Maytag, and one other that I can't remember.

    I found prices for the Bosch and talked to a nice lady at an appliance shop in Sterling who took my order for a new dishwasher.

    But for the next 2 weeks we will be washing dishes by hand.

    I went to the museum's Cut the Square event and when I got home, Julia had washed all the dirty dishes.  That was a life saver.

    I ordered take out from a local Italian place while at the museum.  

    When I went in to pick it up, Pete, the owner, was a bit frazzled.  The credit card reader was not functioning and there were a few of us paying with a cc.  After some sweat, a couple of crosses, the reader popped back to life.

    Julia got a pizza, I got chicken parmesan, Jackie got mostacholli.  I piled the order into the back seat and took off.  

    When I stopped at the stop sign I heard a thump.  Yes, the food had fallen off the seat, except for the pizza.  So I pulled over onto a side seat, opened the side door, and repositioned everything.

    I got back in the car, made a nifty 3 point turn and started home.

    Two blocks later I am at a light and look out my side    mirror and see the door is wide open!

    I pulled over and checked to make sure the food was not splattered all over the road, and it wasn't.  But I don't know what, if anything, blew or fell out of the car.

    Happily, supper was good.  I finished a couple of chores.  I have not screamed since this morning.

    I just hope the neighbors did not hear.

    Now I am  thinking of that pile of paper plates we have......

Peace and Love

I wonder

 Mainly about what to write about tonight

    Nothing exciting, odd, funny, strange or even remotely interesting happened today.

    I did laundry, ran some errands, went to a museum meeting and read on the front porch for a while.

    I did not take a nap, even though I was tired.

    The day just sort of oozed away, and I don't know where it went.

    When I sat down to read I did hear water running. Turns out I left the hose on last night and it has been watering dirt for about 20 hours.  I hate that I did that and wasted all that water.

    So....that's it.

    Nothing else to say.

Peace and Love

pins and needles

 I had a blood test today

    I don't like blood tests.  I don't like needles.  I don't like seeing blood. 

    Earlier in life they would have to lay me down to take blood becauseI fainted a couple of times.

    I have gotten better, but I always tell the vampire that I don't like needles, blood, being here, and I am a big baby.

    That said, the blood draw went well. 

    The person distracted me with small talk and it worked.  

    I was offended when they said, "This will be just a little prick."  I did not know if they were talking about me, the poke, or a personal appendage.

    Turns out it was the poke, which was painless.

    Jackie had a doctor appointment in DeKalb, so we killed 2 birds with one stone.

    I had contacted friend Barb about meeting at Ollie's to have some dessert and catch up, but Jackie's appointment was at 11:30 and Ollie's does not open until 1.  So we had to pass on that.  We did meet a couple of times last year and it was great just visiting.

    I did a short bike ride today.  I just rode around the subdivision twice, which is about 4 miles, depending on if I go on Skare Road or not.  I did not because it was dusk and I did nto want to get hammered by a motorist who was speeding, texting, drinking, or just plain inattentive.

    I realized how much I missed doing longer rides.  But the problem is, if Jackie needs me I have to be available.  Julia can't do the lifting, and Emily works.

    If I rode the bike path in town,  I would need to find someone to come in for a couple of hours but for riding any of the long trials, I would have to find care for 6-8 hours.  That becomes expensive.

    I am just lucky I  was able  to do those longer rides years ago. They were always tiring but fun.

    Oh well.....life goes on.

Peace and Love 

Ahhh.......

 Jackie and I got pedicures today

    I love how my  feet and legs feel afterward.

    I love when they massage my legs, telling me to relax.  And today, I did.

    This was actually a pretty busy day, again.

    I  was up at 5 to take out my carpet.  The G-men won't take it if it is wet, and my fear was  if I put it out last night it would rain.  So, to be sure I did not miss them, I was up at 5.  

    I did go back to bed and Beth let me sleep until 8, which is unusual because she always gets up when Julia gets her before 7.  

    Instead of taking a shower when I normally do, I ate breakfast and got Jackie ready.  Then I went into the garage and swept one third of it.  I did a good job, too. It looks a lot better.

    Next I dug some plants up in the garden.  I don't think they are natives, so I dug up one.  It has a very shallow root system, which isn't common with natives.  Natives generally have a deeper root system to withstand the variant weather conditions.

     I dug up a couple, cleaned out my garage compost bucket, watered some plants, crushed aluminum cans, and then took a shower.

    After I fixed Jackie's lunch, I told her I was going to take a nap at 2.  Our nail appointment was 4:45. so I had plenty of time for a nap.

    Funny thing was, I had to cover with a blanket!  It was drizzling and the wind was strong and I got chilled.

    So I was in my porch recliner, covered from head to toe with a blanket, and slept for almost an hour.

    It felt good.

    And we got to our nail appointment at 4:46, one minute late but close enough.

    Sadly, our last task of the day was visitation for a former neighbor who went to school with Julia.  He was a nice guy.

    And Julia made it home from Omaha almost the same time we got home.  Beth was glad to see her.

    That's my story.

Peace and Love

I am wicked

 I just can't get that rest I want

    Julia is gone for a few days.  She had to go in to work.  In Omaha.

    Julia lets Beth out of her kennel at around 6:30.  Jackie and I sleep until 8:30 or later.

    Well, at 6:30 this morning a certain dog was barking!  I took her out, then went back to bed. She climbed in with us.  But at 8 Jackie had to get up.  I was tired.

    We went through the morning and Jackie and I sat on the porch for a while just after noon.  I fell asleep for about 15 minutes.

    I figured that was good, but not enough.

    So while Jackie was eating lunch and watching her soap, I went back on the porch.

    After about 10 minutes, I heard a clunk and opened my eyes and there was a stranger standing on the porch!  He had a blue shirt on, and at first I thought it was a mail man.

    But he wasn't. 

    He was going door to door for a pest control business.

    I told him I was not interested but he kept asking questions.  How long have you had your current pest control?  Would you like a price quote? Can we do an estimate?  I kept saying I was not interested.

    Finally he asked, "What can you tell me about your neighbors?"

    I said, "I won't give out any information about people in this neighborhood." 

    He asked about names and I said.  "Nope.  Nothing.  And I think we are done talking."

    The neat thing was he rode a battery operated device.  It had one wheel, with footpads on both sides.  Like a Segway, but I don't remember a handle.  He left and whipped over to the next house.

   Sat down.  10 minutes later, Ken the mailman came and we talked.

    Then Beth wanted out.

    Then Beth wanted in.

    So I gave up.

    I did manage to weed the veggie garden today.  I should have done more.

    The excitement of the day happened when I was sipping a glass of red on the patio after supper. 

    An ATV was going down Skare Road.  It was not going fast, the driver was not doing anything stupid, but all of a sudden it flipped!

    I yelled at them, asking if everybody was ok.  They said yes.

    But I still got in my car and went to check.

    One boy was holding his shoulder.  He thought it was dislocated.  They had called one of the dads and were just waiting for him.  

    I don't like ATVs.  Too many people get hurt on them.

    Like I said, these kids were just going along....I don't think they even knew what happened.

    Anyway, that's all.

Peace and Love