dang it

 Tomorrow is Sept. 1

    What happened to summer?  It has flown past quickly.  Now I find some of the things on my to do list don't matter....such as getting the fountain on the porch working.  Procrastination does have its benefits.

    So does paying attention.

    We were in DeKalb yesterday for a morning doctor visit for Jackie.  Julia asked if we could stop at the bagel shop and get her a couple of bagels.

    She texted me her order.  But I left my phone at home.

    So she texted the order to Jackie's phone.

     Now, I am not familiar with her phone.  I was paying close attention to the phone when I went in the back door of the bagel shop.

    What I was not paying close attention to was the small step, clearly marked in black and yellow warning tape.

    I stepped normally  and smashed my right leg on the floor.  I did not fall, but today my knee is a little sore and my back and hip seem to be barking at me.  I noticed the knee when I rode my bike tonight.  

    And I complain about people watching their phones when walking.  Shame on me.

    Yesterday I dropped Jackie's morning pill container and pills spilled out all over the bedroom floor.  I recovered 7 of the 8.  Knowing Beth will eat anything on the floor, except medication for her, I looked.  Julia came and helped me look.  We moved the bed, dresser, high boy, side table.  I used a Swifter to dust every inch, then I vacuumed it.  No pill.

    We both assumened it went down the floor vent.

    A while later I set the pills on the table to be sure she knew which one was missing and there were 8 pills.  Huh.  At least the bedroom floors are dusted.

    Digression.  On this date in 1920, John  Lloyd Wright got a patent on Lincoln Logs.  He went to Japan  with his father  to investigate a hotel his father designed, built with interlocking beams to prevent falling in earthquakes.  His father, Frank Lloyd Wright, took John to look at the damage caused by an earthquake and the Wright designed Imperial Hotel was still standing.  Young John came home and invented Lincoln Logs based on dad's inteerlocking beam design.

    That was from Neil Steinberg's book, Every Goddamn Day.

    And with that, good night.

Peace and Love

 

double damn

 Well, Stanley, you've done it again

    I do a weekly weigh in every Wednesday.

    Last week I finally got down to 189.   That is from the 206 I was in January.

    I was proud of that.  I felt happy with myself.

    Then today happened.

    I tipped the scale at 194.

    In hindsight, I have been eating almost everything in sight. Plus I have not been riding my bike or walking.  Those two combinations are not good for me.

    The weight gain did not seem to slow me down today.  I ate way more than I should have and now I am angry at myself.  When I get angry at myself.........you guessed it, I eat.  It is a viscous circle.

    Right now I am starving.  

    Damn.

    Caught squirrel number 6 today.  Made another run to the park to set it free, but this one did not run off like the others.  It kind of hung around me.  I almost deceded to bring it back to its home, but it did run off.  About 10 feet.  Then it looked around like it was lost.

    My golf cart was delivered today.  I also have a sheet of instructions on how to care for it, and verbal instructions for winter storage and summer maintenance.  That will help a lot.

    They also learned the batteries in my cart were put in in 2014....so I had 9 years out of them.  That isn't bad.

    I know it will be too late to do this, but the moon was fantastic when I looked about 40 minutes ago.  It was huge.  And bright.  I could even see the Indian mooncraft!  Grab a peek if you can.

    An exciting Cubs win!  We Meatloafed Milwaukee!!

Peace and Love

not again

 I am not prepared for hot temperatures

    My ability to accept them ran out last week, when I nearly melted going out to get the mail.

    Now we are getting it again this weekend.  I am not looking forward to it.

    At least we don't live where there are hurricanes.  Batten down the hatches, Florida and East Coast.  

    Caught a ground squirrel today.  I believe it is 5, maybe 6.  I checked he traps at 11 and at 11:30 I had one.

    I took him out to the park and let him go.  I hope it reunites will all the other ones I have let go out there and they can re-establish their colony.

    I felt a little funky today, so I did not get much done.  I managed to pick up some of the crap in the garage, but not enough to make a difference.  Maybe tomorrow.  Or maybe not.

    We have been watching the Bob Newhart show at night.  These were filmed in the 1970s and it is funny how life used to be.

    The other night Bob and Jerry, the dentist, drove to Peoria so they could watch the Bears/Green Bay game because the game was blacked out in Chicago.

    I remember those days.  If the game was not sold out by Thursday or Friday, then it was blacked out.  If the game was sold out, then it was broadcast.  I remember that, but Jackie doesn't.  It seems Rockford was a popular destination also.

    I don't think people came to Rochelle, because it was dry on Sunday, if I remember correctly.

    I just can't imagine that being done today.  

Peace and Love

War....again

 I am after the ground squirrels...again

    I have trapped and released 5, and thought I pretty much got them.

    Julia said the other morning she saw 3 in the yard by the feeder and a couple more out in the back of the yard.

    So after mowing tonight, I set 3 traps.

    It's not that I hate hte little critters, in fact I think they are very cute.

    But they leave holes in my yard.  Lots of holes.  Plenty of holes.  More holes every day.

    When I can find them, I will get some pine cones and shove them into the holes, but I don't know if that will get rid of the ones I have.  Time will tell.

    Before I mowed today (chore 2 on my list of 4) I met Dolly and John for coffee in DeKalb.  I had three other stops to make, so it worked out well.  We spent over an hour just talking and laughing.  It was an enjoyable time.  Plus, they bought the coffee!

    I made  a point of writing all my stops down, plus what I needed to get at each stop.

    Doing that only helps if you bring the paper along, which I did not.

    But I did get everything on my list!  I guess the mind is not as gone as I imagine it is at times.

    I do have a question, especially for any guy who read this.

    Do you have hair on your knee caps?  My left leg has very little, but my right knee has a short stubble that is really irritating when I touch it.  During the summer, when I drive, I seem to touch it a lot and it is bothering me.

    So I guess I will have to shave my knee.

    Never thought I would say that in my lifetime.

    Sometimes I am too laid back.

    Today I went into a grocery store for 3 items.  I saw a display for Pepsi 24 packs for $10.99.  Since this store offers a senior discount on Monday, I decided to buy a 24 pack of Pepsi.

    When I get to the checkout, I mention to the young man running the register that it's senior day and I am a senior.  He says of course, and rings up all my items except the Pepsi rings up at $11.59.

    I say to him, The Pepsi is only $10.99.  There is a big display by the door with a sign that says "Hot Buy."

    He calls a manager over and I say the same thing and the manager tells the checker, "Give it to him for $10.99."

    I wanted to say, "Wait a minute.  You are not "giving" it to me for $10.99.  You are selling it to me for the price you have posted on your display."

    But I bit my tongue and said thank you, even though I should not have said thank you because that was the price they had.

    Adding on to my anger, when I got home I looked at my receipt and....... no senior discount.

    So my shopping expierience slightly dampened my enthusiasm for the day.

    And they I listed to the Cubs when mowing.......

Peace and Love

eh?.....huh

 I took a day of rest today

    I read the Trib on line, took a nap, listened/watched the Cubs, rode my bike, let out Emily's dogs,  and cleaned out the car.

    I had 4 things on my to do list this weekend, and I have done 1 of them....cleaning out the car.

    It took me a while to figure out how to put the back seat floormats back in the right spot.  We can only use one, on the driver's side, because the mobility seat prohibits one in the back seat on the passenger's side.

    But I had both mats out and could not figure which was which.  But eventually it all went back in the right spot.

    Now all I have to do is clean up the area where the mower and golf cart are parked and mow.  And trim.  

    I had a nice ride around the block.  I made 3 circuits.  I did feel guilty because I saw 4 different people out walking their dogs.  I have not walked with Beth in a couple of weeks.  I should be doing that on a regular basis, both for my health and hers.

    It was such a nice night to ride or walk.  The sky is clear, the moon approaching full, and the temperatures very nice.

    But I always have a complaint.  We need rain.  There is none in the forecast through Friday.  I'll have to water plants tomorrow too.

    My work is never done.  But at least I can still do it, it just takes longer.

Peace and Love

arf ... arf....arf??

 Letting out Emily's dogs can be an experience

    Weekends on which she works, I sometimes let them out.  Today was one of those days.

    She texted me to say one of the dogs, Maravalla?, gets put in  the bedroom because she has been getting stuck between  things lately.  And I will just call her M because it's a lot to type.

    Now, M is not a very healthy dog.  She gets a special diet beccause she does not eat.  She is unsteady on her feet and she does not like strangers.  Or most people.  She is very timid and shy.

    Sheri happened to be over weeding.  Which was a lucky thing.

    I got all the dogs out, but could not get the gate to the bedroom open.

    I asked Sheri and she got it open.  Old men are not good at figuring out child gates.

    I could not find M.  I looked everywhere.  I went outside and asked Sheri if M was out here.  I thought maybe she didn't stay in the bedroom when Emily left this morning.

    Sheri came in, we looked through the house, could not find the dog.  Then she looked under the bed and there was M.......evidently stuck.

    I called Emily and she said to drag her out by her legs.....but the dog could not fit beneath the bed  railings.  I had no idea how she got under the bed in the first place.

    So I pulled while Sheri picked up the corner of he 600 pound bed and lifted it high enough to get M out.  I dragged her, M bit my arm twice but she is so weak it did not even leave a dent.

    As we were doing this, Liam, the 800 pound Irish wolfhound, led the others in for a sneak raid on M's food dish.  We pushed and pulled the dogs out and when we got them all out, M stood in the middle of the bedroom and  took a huge pee.

    Sheri went back to weeding, I cleaned up  the pee and the dog yard, got all of them back in except M......who I thought got her head caught in the fence but did not, she was just looking.  

    I picked up the dog who does not like to be handled or be touched by strangers and carried her back into the bedroom and closed the gate.

    My plan was to go home and mow.

    But people were coming to pick up our old entertainment center.  This is about 1,500 pounds and the plan they had to move it did not seem as easy as putting it in the back end of our van.

    So we did.  

    Then I drove the 2,250 pound entertainment center to its new home, where it was unloaded by 7 professional wrestlers, all named Igor, who carried it into its new resting spot.

    The bad news is I did not get the mowing done.  

    The good news is the car is cleaned out.

    The better good news is the Cubs won.

    The best good news is we had dinner with Sheri, Renee, and Wendy and had plenty of laughs and a little wine.

    All in all, it was a pretty damn good day!

Peace and Love

outside

 I finally went outside for more than 1 minute tonight

    I think it is still pretty warm.  And humid.

    I started cleaning up the cucumber patch.  I have about 12 baseball sized yellow cucumbers that are totally inedible.  I don't know why that happens.  I do check.  One day they are little and the next day gigantic.  Next year.

    What's that they say?  Keep doing the same thing and getting the same negative results is the definition of insanity.  Well, I am insane.

    Here's proof.

Took a food order for takeout.  Julia wrote it down and I ordered.  It is clearly written on paper:  onion rings.  Jackie wanted onion rings.

    I ordered on line, picked it up, brought it home and Jackie asked where her onion rings were.  

    I didn't order them.  It was right there, on paper, in front of me.

    Geez.

    The golf cart was picked up today. 

    The owner's wife came with.  She is the one who yelled at me the other day about not checking the water level in the batteries.  I think she came because she wanted to see  what kind of idiot they were dealing with.

    We had to push the cart down the driveway and onto the trailer.  As we were pushing it up the trailer, my shoe came off.

    I have shoes a only wear outside.  I also have shoes I only wear inside.  I don't like wearing my outside shoes inside, but sometimes I do.

    Anyway, I usually just slip my feet into the shoes, choosing not to untie the laces and then tie them again.

    So my shoe came off and I said Jackie is always yelling at me to put my shoes on right instead of just stepping into them.

    The lady sooks at me and says, "You know, they make shoes without backs."

    For some reason, that cracked me up.

    Speaking of crocs and shoes, we had a doctor appointment in the burbs Tuesday.  The nurse, or assistant, was wearing crocs.  But they had little "things" in them:  doughut, flower, minion, that type of stuff.

    Jackie noticed it and said it was cute.

    Turne out hese little things have a name, which I don't remember.  But the girl buys them to decorate her crocs.

    What an idea!  That's why some people are rich and I am not.  Looking at the holes in crocs and thinking, "I'm going to make a little plastic/rubber gizmo you can plug into the holes and change whenever"  was genius.

    I am ending now.  The mojito I mixed was a bit stronger than I usually make and I think it is affecting my ability to think clearly.

Peace and Love

yowser

 It was hot  today

How hot was it?

    The neighbor made hot tea in his swimming pool.

    My deck umbrella tried to come in the house.

    The ground squirrels stayed underground.

    A chicken crossing the road fried an egg.  And it hadn't even been laid!

    Visitors from Phoenix were complaining.

    My thermometer busted.

    I stopped at a stop sign and my car tires became stuck to the melting roadway.

    I saw a politician sweat.

    I heard Rudy G say it  wasn't 100, but 72 and that the weathermen conspired to make it seem hot.  Then he reported to jail.

    I know they are not funny.  But my get up and gone has got up and went.

    Relief in sight.

    At least the Cubs won, but they did not look real good.  They just seemed flat.

    Like  me tonight.

Peace and Love and coolness tomorrow

beat

Today I just feel beaten 

    I am sure the heat has a lot  to do with it.  But so does my approach to life.

    I tend to put off doing stuff.  And I take shortcuts.  Put those together, and you have a recipe for disaster.

    I found out today the marks on the side of the van I caused trying to pull into the garage can not be buffed out.  Yikes.

    Add that to the cost of batteries for the golf cart, and I have become a financial liability.

    Add  my complete insensitivity when I say things, and I am in kind of a funk

    At least the Cubs won.

    And someone tell me:  I have been retired for 14 years.  Why do I still have dreams about teaching?  You would think after 14 years away from a classroom I would have put most of that, if not all of it, out of my mind.

    But noooooo.  I still have dreams about teaching.  Weird dreams, not necessarily nice ones. I sort of wish the would disappear.

    Truthfully, there are days I wish I could disappear.  And I guess someday I will, but it will be a long time from now.

Peace and Love

heat

It will be hotter than Hell tomorrow 

    I'm talking Hell, Michigan, where the high temp is predicted at 88.  If our temps are as hot as  they predict it will be hotter than Hell here.

    And yes, I used the sane comparison in the winter when we were colder than Hell.

    Town names can be strange, like Intercourse Penn, or Bird in Hand. 

    We live on Shagbark Lane, and there is only 1 shagbark tree in the neighborhood.  That's in our back yard because I felt someone should have one.  FYI, it is a shagbark hickory.  We live in Hickory Ridge.  

    It should be a law to name subdivisions for things that are there.  We lived o Mill Pond, and there was no mill or pond.  It should have been called Bean Plot or Cow Pasture, although I don't know if cows were ever there.

    Our current subdivision, the aforementioned Hickory Ridge, does have beautiful oak and hickories on the northern side of the subdivision.  But the rest of the land was beans and corn.

    When the land first went up for sale, which had to be 30 years ago,  I wanted to buy it, build a house at the end of a small lane, and enjoy looking at all  those trees.  But there was no way we could afford that.  Now I own a small piece of the place.

    We had doctors' appointments in the suburbs today.  People sure do drive fast!  We watched one guy zip from lane to lane to get ahead of the pack, and we were all doing 75!  Crazy.

    When we got home, I noticed the grill was uncovered and moved away from the wall.  I asked Julia if she grilled something for lunch, and she said no.

    Strange.....it did not seem that windy.  

    Maybe we have a ghost that likes grilled burgers.

    It's frustrating how much trouble the Cubs have with teams that have worse records than they do.  Going into the ninth tonight they are down 8-6 to the Tigers.  Hitters are not hitting and pitchers are not pitching well.  It's a mini June swoon in August.  

    Still 40 games left....plenty of time to reach the playoffs.

    And I don't think Hell will be frozen over.

Peace and Love

drat

It's proven:  I am an idiot 

    I filled my batteries in the golf cart.  I put the charger on and let it run overnight.

    No go.

    So I called the cart repair guy who took care of me last year.

    I got yelled at by his wife.

    I explained that last year he came because my cart stopped running, filled the batteries because they were empty, charged it and brought it back.  It stopped running again.

    She asked me when I last checked the batteries.

    I told her I put in 7 gallons of water over the past three days.

    "You mean you ran the cart and never checked the batteries?  Didn't he  tell you to check he batteries?"  Yes, he did.  "And you didn't check them?  You have to check the batteries every month if not twice a month.  You can't let them run dry.  You have to check the batteries!"

    I told her the batteries were at least 9 years old.  That didn't help.

    "Even more reason to check the batteries.  You need to check those batteries to keep them in good shape."

    Well, I didn't.  She also mentioned I should not leave the charger on all the time. I never knew that.

    I bought the cart new and there were no directions about maintenance.  And yes, I should have done some reading about that.  And yes, I should have checked the batteries.  And yes, I am an idiot for not doing any of that.

    So. long story short:  He will eventually come and pick up the golf cart.  She did mention I could have caused problems with the electronic system by letting the batteries go to pot. 

    And I will have to buy 6 new batteries.  I won't tell you the price, but it's about an economy flight to Paris.  And back.

    I have Hoopla on my reader.  I checked out a book but can't open it.  I enter the password and it comes up incorrect. I can't change the password because I have to enter my existing password to make a change.  And I can't find a forgot password option anyplace.  

    Damn, life can be complicated.

    On the plus side, we gave Beth a bath, Julia made a tasty dinner, and the Cubs won.

    Be careful out there these next few days.  Know your limits and stay safe and cool.

Peace and Love

    

ah........

 I actually slept well last night!

    First time in a couple of weeks that I did not toss and turn.

    I went outside at 10:30 last night with a glass of wine and looked at the stars.  It just relaxed me so much, sitting in the dark and hearing the night noises.  I will do the same tonight.

    I may have it bottom on the battery issue. I just finished gallon 7, and it was hard to pump.  So, I plugged the golf cart into the charger and will check it again tomorrow.  I will also call the cart guy and see about replacing the batteries.  If I don't have to I won't, but I don't understand how it went through all that water in 1 year when I never checked it for 6.

    I had a strange experience, even for me.

    I went to watch the Heritage Festival Parade for a few minutes.  I went to see the museum entry an told them if anyone could not finish the route I would jump in.

    As I approaced the corner of Tenth Avenue an Main Street I noticed a woman standing next to a tree.

    She had the same color shorts, the same color and pattern t shirt and the same floppy hat I had!  I said  to her, "We could be twins!"  

    She didn't answer, but I could read her mind and she said "the heat must have gotten to this old man, he's bonkers.  Twins??"

    It did not seem to  be as hot as was predicted today, but I was not outside for very long.  I imagine the people walking 2 miles in the parade may disagree about the heat.

    Friends Dan and Linda came over today and brought peaches.  I believe she said Missouri peaches, which are as good as Illinois peaches.  We traded peaches for tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers.

    And the Cubs won.

    Good day all around.

Peace and Love

people......

 People are bugging me today

    Like the person shooting off fireworks as I write this.  Really???  9:30 and you are shooting off firecrackers.  

    Or the clown who had the bass going in full blast in their car.  Our windows literally shook!  I thought the world was exploding, but it was some person driving up and down the road with the bass blasting.  Then they parked in the park and sat with it blaring there for far too long.

    Whoever it was will be deaf by the time they are 30.

    And the people with 4 wheelers and ATVs.  Those bug me a lot too.  If you are a parent, get our kid a bicycle and have them ride around the neighborhood on that instead of a gas guzzling, fume spewing, noise making buggy.

    I don't mind golf carts.  Generally they go slower, are quieter, and don't bug me when they drive down the road. 

    Speaking of golf carts, I can see water in the batteries!  I have pushed down 6 gallons and I think 2 more will do it.  I counted 86 steps from the front of the house to the back...so I want that sucker working sooner or later.

     Funny thing.  Or two.  I always go to the Heritage Festival car show.  But today, I did not.  I can't explain it, just had no desire to go.  I also usually go to Amboy to buy raffle tickets, but I did not this year.  

    (Here he goes again.  Feel free to skip this paragraph.)  Sleep was rough last night.  I went to bed before 11, counted the cuckoo at 12, 12:30 and 1.....but not again until 3.  I fell asleep reading on the porch  this afternoon.  I did not have any caffeine this afternoon and I plan on reading after I am done with this.  Maybe that will get my mind relaxed.

    I also got a bike ride in today.  A little over 5 miles because I started late.

    Bike ride, cleaned the bathroom, emptied the compost buckets, did 2 loads of laundry, filled the bird feeders, watered the plants.......almost everything on my list for the day.  Amazing.  And I am not tired.

    Stay cool my friends.

Peace and Love

drat

I wish I had Meatloafed the day 

    That's going back a few years when Joe Madden was manager of the Cubs.  He said he was happy they "Meatloafed" the series with somebody.

    The reporter was confused, and asked what that meant.

    Madden said "Meatloaf.  Two out of three ain't bad."

    I guess you have to be a Meatloaf fan to figure get it.  I want you, I need you but there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you.  Now don't be sad, cause two out of three ain't bad.

    My 3 things for today:  Mow, clean the bathroom, ride my bike.

    Well, I mowed.

    Jackie had a hair appointment and we didn't get home until about 3, so I watched the last 2 innings of the Cubs.....another disappointment.  Why can't they beat the bottom tier teams?   Grr.

    I mowed and got done about 6.

    I put the mower away and went to get the mail and discovered  I forgot to mow half the front yard!  How is that even possible?

    So I got the mower back out and finished.

    By then it was supper time, so I went to get more distilled water and pick up food.

    Distilled water.

    Batteries take distilled water.

    I need to put water in the batteries of my golf cart.  You have heard that before.

    I have an automatic filler.  I put a siphon in the jug of water, attach it to a hose, and pump.

    Neighbor Jim said to keep pumping until I can't sqeeze the bulb anymore.

    After the first 3 gallons, I asked him to come check what I was doing.  He pulled a battery cover off and could not see any water.

        So, I went and bought 2 more gallons.

    I just finished pumping in gallon 6.  The water is not leaking out, so it must be going into the batteries.  I guess I just had no idea how much water a battery holds.

    I know I need to replace the batteries.  But until I do, I would like to use the cart.

    So tomorrow, more water, more pumping, and crossed fingers.

    I also have to clean the bathroom.  And ride my bike.  And run 2 errands.  And do 2 loads of laundry.  

    I hope I get it all done.  Or at least 2 o the first 3.

Peace and Love

Rip VanWinkle

I have had a hard time falling asleep 

    I hit the sheets and just lie there, my mind racing.

    Sometimes I wonder if I am awake or dreaming I am awake, I just am not sure.

    I was tossing until about 1:30 when I washed my feet because they were itchy.  Then I took a Benadryl.  I sort of remember being up about 3:30 because my throat was dry

    But at 6:30, with the hail hitting the house, rain pounding down, wind howling.....I stayed asleep.

    Hail freaks me out, because often it preceeds a tornado.  And it was windy, according to Julia, but I have no idea.

    I slept.  So did Jackie.  It was 10:15 before I got up!  Half the day was already gone!!

    WTH?????

    And it takes about 2 hours for Jackie to get ready for breakfast.  In this case, lunch.

    I was still tired.  

    I don't know if I should take a sedative or just let this run its course.  I have been doing that for a week and so far, it hasn't run anywhere.

    I did catch another ground squirrel.  I think  that was 4.  I need to keep better track.

    So, here I go.  Gonna try another night of sleep.  Or not sleep.  Only time wil ltell.

Peace and Love

running, running

 Today seemed to be errand day

    I was gone for almost 3 hours!  Bank, store, pay bills, buy corn, buy brats for Brat Day!

    I think it is funny that Brat Day is also the first day of school.  I would be one of those teachers who says, well, the little brats are back.  I think it is also funny that brat can bee spelled won way butt pronounced too weighs.  Of course bow, wound, wind and coutless others fall into that category.

    The best part of the day was watching the bottom of the ninth in the Cubs-Sox game.

    Christopher Morel, who swings hard at pitches and misses a lot, connected on a pitch that landed in the right field bleachers, giving the Cubs a 4-3 win.   It was an exciting moment.

    I sort of wish I had heard Pat Hughes make the call.  Maybe I can find it on line somewhere.

    And I think I am going through menopause.  I woke up this morning soaked..... and no, I did not have an accident.  This was the second or third time I have been sweating so badly in the night.  I only sleep under a sheet or thin blanket, and I am not hot.  Just strange.

    Caught anlther ground squirel, squirrell, ....... suddenly I can't spell squirrel.  Must be the wine.

    That's my life in a nutshell.

Peace and Love

still dry

I am terrible at follow ups 

    Texts, e-mails, conversations, what ever the mode of communication, I just don't follow up.

    Sometimes it is costly.

    I have had the golf cart for 7 years.  Last year was the first time I ever put water in the batteries!  I did not know I had to!

    I kept it up last summer, but this summer....follow up was missing.  

    So when the golf cart started slowing down, I checked.  Not enough water in the batteries.

    I added water, but nothing seemed to click.

    I asked neighbor Jim to look and he popped off a battery cover and did not see water.  He said get more and pump it in.

    So I will.

    The whole situation could have been avoided if I regularly checked the water.  But I don't.  Someday I will learn, but obviously not today.

    I had an eye doctor appointment in Sycamore.  I get a retina check every six months or so because I have a small issue with my eyes.  For the exam the eyes get dilated, and they are still not normal so I have not done much since I got home.

    I did make BLTs for Jackie and me.  I used tomatoes out of our garden and the food was pretty good.

    But everything is bright and blurry.  By morning I should be normal.  Vison wise, anyway.

Peace and Love

odds and ends, again

 Jackie and I had a nice visit with friends today

    We once went together to church, but Covid hit and, well, stuff happens.

    We had a great time visiting, chatting, catching up.  He has lost a lot of weight and looks really good!  Exeercise and control of his diet are keys.

    The have a split family.  Dad and oldest son are Cardinal fans, Mom is a White Sox fan, only daughter is a Cubs fan, and youngest son seems to like even another team, but I can't remember exactly.

    We only met with dad and daughter because I brought her a program from the London game and a rally towel to wave around when the Cubs are losing.

    As you know, the Perseid meteor showers happened over the weekend.  I don't know about you, but I saw 1.  Yup.  1.

    I have been entranced by them ever since we went to Vermont in the mid 1980s.  We camped (yes, we camped!  In tents!) in a campground in the White Mountains.  That night around the campfire, I saw dozens of shooting stars.  It was incredible.

    Of course, Jackie and the kids had gone to bed and I was sitting with a complete stranger from Boston who was also camping and his wife and kids also went to bed.  He did not want to build a fire just for him, so he came over to mine.

    Ever since then, when August comes along I look forward to the Perseids and every year, without fail, I don't see them.

    Clouds, rain, forgetfullness, all play a part in my missing them

    But this year was different. 

    I sat outside from about 10 to 10:45 and saw 1.

    I was up at 3:30 and remembered peak viewing time was from 3- sunrise.  So I grabbed a blanket, and sat in a chair outside for a long time.  Did not see a one.  Zip,  Zero. Nada.

    Either there were clouds, too much light from cities, or I was looking in the wrong spot.  But I saw  nothing.

    Finally....TC had a Buffett party.  I am the oldest one there, at least 20 years older than anyone else.

    I mentioned Jackie liked watching Bob Newhart for 30 minutes when she goes to bed.

    One of the youngin's had never heard of Bob Newhart!  TC asked if they watched Big Bang.  When they said yes, TC said Bob Newhart was Professor Proton.  They were familiar with him.

    When I got home I checked the original Bob Newhart series, when he was the psychologist in Chicago.  The episode we were watching was filmed in 1972,  50 years ago, for those of you math challenged.

    And TC and I almost at the same time said the Newhart series, whereBob owned an inn in Vermont, had the best ending ever in TV history.

    Unfortunately, we watched the series on Prime and it showed every episode except the last one.  That was a disappointment.

Peace and Love

War!!!

 I have declared war on the ground squirrels

    I have holes all over the yard.  There are even holes toward the front of the house.

    It's my fault.  I feed the birds, and the ground squirrels feed on whatever they drop.

    Some people call them chipmunks, but they are ground squirrels.  Sometimes they are also called squinny.  Don't know why.  I believe they are the 13 lines variety, very common in Illinois.

    Maybe the new state flag should include ground squirrels.

    The holes lead to burrows that can stretch up to 20 feet long and have multiple entries, according to Wikipedia. I have at least 20 holes in the yard!  

    So today I put out traps.

    Don't fret.  These are humane traps.  I trap them live, then take them out into the country, away from homes, and dump them.

    I put traps out this morning and already caught 1.  This one was in a burrow up by the house.

    Hawks, owls, cats, fox and other animals can eat them.  They just haven't.  Last year we had a crane hanging around the house.  I Googled cranes and found out they will eat them too!

    The traps are new in the yard so Beth stares at them and barks.  And barks.  And barks.  Hopefully she gets used to them soon.

    I also have to check the traps regularly.  I would hate to have one in a trap and not have food or water for a few days....kind of defeats the purpose of trapping them live.  Unfortunately, I have done that.

    I guess after a while I will take some dirt and try to fill the holes....but that may be a waste of time and effort if they holes still have inhabitants.

    Time will tell.

    I also fixed our grill today.  I put a new regulator on and it works fine.

    Now, if I could only figure out the golf cart.

Peace and Love

wow

 Talk about a fun filled day

    That was my Saturday.

    OK, I did 2 loads of laundry this morning and just put another load in tonight, and granted, those are not fun  things to do, that was the only downer to the day.

    VCCT presented a show written by a former high school student. It was a fantasy/fairy tale/Ren Faire type show with a performing cast of 6.  One member was sick, so  there was some juggling of people to complete the cast.  It was a fun show and I hope the group does more of these in the future. 

     I also hope they stay invoved with theater, but I am guessing that doesn't happen.  Lots of local grads move on to the big city.  It's like a moth being drawn to the light.   But local theater has a lot to offer.

    While I was at the play, friends came over to visit Jackie.  They brought their 2 adorable grandchildren.  I got home in time to visit with them.  One of them showed me the entire contents of their little book bag.  I could understand most of what was said, but I do have trouble understanding little ones.

    For the past several years a  group of us have gone to see Jimmy Buffett in concert.  But, no Jimmy this year.

    So TC hosted a Buffett party. 

    There were cheeseburgers, swimming, and a really nice time visiting with the group.  I really enjoyed it, even though there was no Jimmy, just his music.

    I left before the bonfire...but that would have been a plus to the evening.

    So, a play, party, visit, a Cubs win and it all adds up to a great day.

    Now, about those meteors.......

Peace and Love

seriously

 Today was a strange day

    Jackie had a medical appointment in Rockford at 11:45.  Nothing serious, just an annual thing and she is fine.

    We left the house at 10:45, planning to go Skare Road to 64, 64 to 251 and then 251 north to Rockford.

    But there was a very serious accident at 64 and 251.  It may have even been a fatal accident.  The roads were closed.  

    We sat in traffic for about 5 minutes, then I turned around to take a back road.  

    While there are 3 backroads south from 64, there is only 1 north and that is about 2 miles west.

    So we went that way and although it was longer, we made the appointment on time.

    On the way home we passed by human Beth's house and saw her outside, so we stopped and visited for at least 40 minutes.  

    That was close to 3 hours after the accident, and one damaged car was still on the accident scene as well and several state and county squads.

    Evidently, the car was hit on the driver's side by a semi hauling grain.  It did not look good when we saw the car.

    We had a nice visit with Beth.....we sat in the car while Beth had to stand in the sun.  

    Jackie and I are blessed with some damn good friends.  I sometimes lose sight of that when I am in a grumpy/down  mood, but a lot of people have been with us for a long time. They are now almost like family. Except we don't have to buy them Christmas presents.

    I should have taken a bike ride tonight because the weather was beautiful.  But I got lazy and watched the Cubs win instead.

    And dog Beth raced round the yard with another green ball tonight.  I just hope she leaves some tomatoes for us.

Peace and Love

dang it

 I just don't get these new fangled things

    I bought a cord to recharge phones and I pads.  That was about 2 months ago. Plugged things in today and they won't recharge.

    Surely the cords have to last longer than 2 months!  (And I did not mean to call you Shirley.)

    So I plugged them into the frayed one on the computer and they won't charge on that one either.  I imagine since the corde is frayed, it won't work.  But the other cord is not frayed.  What gives?

    I guess I need to buy at least 3 cords, I think they are called lightning cords, but I will have to ask my computer experts.  With my nind, I will go into a store and ask for lightning rods and people will think I am nuts.

    I made a mojito tonight and it was much better than the one  I made the other night.  I used a mix that was not flat.  But I also cut back on the rum because I finished a bottle and did not want to open another one.

    I love a good mojito.  Hopefully tomorrow  night I will mix a perfect one. sit on the deck, and contemplate life.

    For all you sky watchers out there, the Perseid meteor showers are coming up this weekend.

    So for me, it means three days of clouds and rain because that seems to happen whenever there is a neat sky event.

    I don't have a good view of the northern sky, so I plan to drive down to the end of the block and park where there are  a couple of undeveloped lots.  I just hope someone doesn't call the police on me as a suspicous person.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

    

smaller is better

 Well, at least smaller can be just as good

    We have a food processor.  Big thing.  Weighs several hundred pounds, it seems.

    It has a base, blade, container, lid.  The regular food processor type stuff.

    It is kept in our pantry.  Now, our pantry is a gigantic collection of food items, including snacks, pop, and plenty of dog stuff.

    Jackiewanted me to grate some zuchinni friend Curt brought.  So I lugged out he processor, set it on the counter and discovered I could not find the blade.  It is a really sharp blade and I always put it in the container so nobody cuts themselves.

    Not there.  Looked all over, not to befound.

    Julia bought a little Ninja slicer so I used that.  Slickest little thing!  Beat the food processor by a mile!

    I'll have to buy one after she leaves, or at least buy her a new one and keep hers.

    Julia was on the back patio with Beth and noticed Beth running around with a green ball in ther mouth.

    We don't have green balls.

    But what we have are tomatoes that are not ripe.  Evidently Beth thinks that balls grow on trees.

    She just goes into the tomatoes and helps herself.

    What a crazy dog.

     I managed 7.6 miles on my bike tonight.  I just need to ride a little more every  time.  And my butt stil hurts.  I know, TMI.

Peace and Love

it's not just me

 I am not the only one who makes silly mistakes

    I admit, I make my share.  OK, more than my share.

    Today I was coming out of a store and a man held the door for me.  I said thank you.

    He said, "No problem, Terry."

    I turned to him and asked him how I knew him.

    He said I looked familiar, but he didn't think he knew me.

    I said, "But you called me Terry.  That's my name."

    He said, "I said I like your t shirt."

    Now, I had my hearing aids in.  So I have no idea how I messed that up.

    We have a septic system at our house.

    For you city dwellers, it means instead of a sewer system, our waste goes into a huge tank.  Stuff breaks down and the liquid gravity flows out into a septic field in the back yard.  Then the liquid material leaches  down through the soil.

    Every few years the tank has to be pumped.  We received a letter from the septic company that we should pump our tank.

    So I called the number on the letter.  It had a 568 xxxx number, and Rochelle numbers are usually 562 or 561.  But I called the number they gave.  Jackie and I  were both confused by the 568, but it was on the company's letterhead.

    I got a recording that said to leave a message.

    So I gave my name, address, telephone number and said I would like to set up a time to get my septic tank pumped.

    Usually they respond in a short time.  But as of this morning, I had no response. 

    Jackie asked if I called the right number, I showed it to her.  568 xxxx.  Right number.

    I read the rest of the letter, which I had skimmed when we got it.  At the bottom it said if we had questions to call 562 xxxx

    So I called 562 xxxx and talked to a real human to schedule a pumping.  I mentioned to her that their letterhead had 568 xxxx and she said several letters went out that way and she had no idea where the 8 came from.

    I then told her I left a message to have my tank pumped and we both laughed, thinking some poor person is getting calls about septic tanks.

    I just hope they don't call me at 2 a.m.

Peace and Love

oh my

 What is wrong with me?

    Don't everyone answer at once.   But I do have a mental problem.

    When graduation time came, I bought graduation cards for various people.

    I sort of read the cards before I bought them.  But not carefully, because one of them was a bat mitzvah card.  So I crossed out bat mitzvah and wrote in graduation and gave it to one of my relatives.

    I did not hear if they thought it was funny or not.

    I went to the store last Friday for a wedding card and 2 sympathy cards.

    I am funny with sympathy cards.  I hate the ones that rhyme. I avoid them like a relative seeking money. I look for cards that convey a sentiment.  A message.  Some solace in a time of distress.

    I also won't buy cards not made in the USA.  

    So sometimes my choices are limited.

    But, I got 2 sympathy cards and 1 wedding card, all with appropriate messages and made in the USA.

    Saturday morning I give the wdding card to Jackie, she signs our names, addresses the envelope and seals it.  We put it in the card box at the reception.

    Today I go to mail the two sympathy cards and ..... I only have 1 plus a wedding card.

    Yes, we gave the bride and groom a lovely sympathy card.

    Jackie blames me, because I gave her the card.  I blame her because she signed it and should have read it.

    I just hope the bride and groom have a good sense of humor.  I know we laughed for 10 minutes when I realized what we did.

    The lesson for me is to check all cards  before mailing, read all cards before buying them, and stop being such a schmuck.

    I could blame it on my lack of sleep.  I have not been sleeping well, and today was a horrible example.  I did not do a thing.  I am so tired, so, so tired.  I go to bed but can't go to sleep.

    This has been going on for 4 or 5 nights, and it is getting to me.  Hopefully the sleep fairy will visit me tonight.

Peace and Love

ouch

 My butt hurts

    Not to be gross, but it is sore.

    I have been riding my bike more often and while my legs are fine, my buns are not.  Even padded shorts are not helping.  

    It takes a while to build up the buns, evidently.  I have not done a lot of riding, so they are still too soft for the saddle.

    I rode 7 miles today.  That is my longest ride so far this year.

    But here's the rub.  I just ride around my subdivision.

    That means circling 3 times,  which I need to do to hit 7 miles, I pass some houses 6 times.  The chocolate lab down the street gets to run and bark at me 6 times, but it does not leave the yard because they have an underground fence system.  Thank heavens.

    That means passing the same threesome out for a walk several times  I always say hello the first time, hi again the second time, then nod each time after that.  Depending on where they are, and where I am, I could pass them twice in just a few minutes.

    It is  not an exciting ride.

    No bridges or rivers to cross, or anything really interesting.  I just look at the houses.  

    Sometimes I can smell food that people are grilling outside.  I can hear the sound of laughter from back yards where children live.  

    Tonight the wind was brisk out of the northeast, but at 2 spots in the subdivision there was no wind at all.  I guess the combination of trees and houses worked together to block the breeze..

    I stay close to home in case Jackie needs me.  Yes, Julia is there, but sometimes Jackie needs to get out of her chair and Julia can't help her with that. 

    But at least I am finally out riding.  I have not done much, coming up with dozens of excuses, but now I am making an effort to exercise more.

    I guess I have to take the pain and just deal with it until mhy cheeks get used to the ride.

    By the way, I made a big mistake last week.  I said my Joe Pye Weed was taller than me.  My sister in law pointed out that that was not Joe Pye.

    Once upon a time I knew my plants.  But like names and dates, they seem to be disappearing from the rolodex that is my mind.

Peace and Love

    

bells and laughs

 Jackie and I  went to a wedding  today

    A friend of ours tied the knot, and invited us.  It was a nice event.

    They married in a small rural church.  The church had several really neat stained glass windows, amazing windows.  It was very cool.

    They had a moving chair for the stairs.  I could not get Jackie on the chair, so a couple of people helped.

    When we reached the upper level where the church was, a very nice woman pinned a boutineer on me and a corsage on Jackie.

    We went in and sat in the back, because the wheelchair was out of the way there.  But the church is small, so we could see perfectly.

    I went over to visit some friends, and they complimented my flower.  I said I thought all the people were getting flowers, but no one else had them.

    That should have been a clue.

    Afterwards, we were sitting at the reception and the lady that pinned the flowers on us came over and leaned in to me.

    "When you came in, I was watching for the father and mother of the bride.  I was told they drove a black van and she would need to use the moveable chair to come up.  I saw you get out of your van, saw her use the chair and figured you were the mother and father of the bride."

    That's why we got the flowers!

    I told her she should have just come and gotten them when the parents did arrive, but for some reason she did not.

    I should have asked her why we were getting flowers, and she should have asked if we were the parents....but neither of us did.

    We all laughed about it.

    After the cremony there were several folks taking the moveable chair down, so we were the last.  I'll be damned if I could get her into the chair.  The groom had to come up and pick up Jackie and get her into the chair.  

    Getting her out of the chair is easy, but people were waiting for the bride and groom so they could take pictures and he was helping us.

    All went well.

    And it is a family tradition for hte bride and groom to take a ride around the small town after the ceremony.

    So the bride and groom hopped on a motorcycle and took a short ride.  I was told it usually is in a car, so this was a family first.

    Capping off the day, the Cubs won!!

    All in all, a good day.

Peace and Love

this and that

Just a lot of odd things on my mind tonight 

    I bought lottery tickets for the $1 billion game tonight.  No, I don't expect to win.  But I will regret not buying them.  I can't imagine winning a billion bucks.

    On the way out of the gas station, some stranger on a motorcycle yelled to me, "Hey, why don't you give me your winning ticket. "

    I told him no, I was keeping it for myself.

    "I'll give you $10 bucks for it," he said.

    I told him I would sell it to him for  $10 tomorrow.

    We both laughed.

    Curt is my friend.  In the past, I have sometimes called him Todd.  I don't know why.  He has always been Curt.  But my mind sometimes does not work correctly.

    I wanted to text him about zuchinni.  He usually has a lot.

    I was in the car, and used the voice recognition.  He was not in my address book.

    That was strange, because I have texted and called him before. 

    I tried again, same message.

    Jackie said to me, "Try Curr."

    Sure enough.  In addition to Todd he is Curr.  I did edit the entry in my address book when I got home.

    U.K. Mike in Corseaux....I made a proper mojito tonight.  Well, almost proper.  I have had the soda for a while and it was flat.

    We ordered mojitos in London and they were the worst alcoholic drink I have ever had.  

    Even though I had flat soda, I enjoyed  my mojiteo while sitting on the patio and hearing all the night sounds....crickets chirping, locusts singing, all sorts of bugs making noises.

    I eventually realized I was not wearing my hearing aids and it was the tinnitus that was giving me sounds.

    I rode around the block 3 times tonight.  That was 6.24 miles.  I need to keep that up.

    One year ago I was 204 pounds.  When summer started, I was down to 192 because I was walking regularly at the REC.  I even got down to 190 before going to Europe, but I am now at 192 again.  Hopefully, salads and bike riding will help me reach my goal of 185 by Aug. 1.  Uh, make that Sept. 1.  Or maybe Oct. 1.  But November for sure.

    By the way, my mojito was very strong and acceptable.

Peace and Love

    Curt (Aka Currr, Aka Todd) broung me some zochinni.

    He named this one the sleeping swan.

I am conducting an experiment.  I read where wrapping the stem of a banana in plastic wrap will keep it fresher longer.  So, I wrapped one in plastic wrap and put it on a plate with one not wrapped.  We'll see if it makes a difference.

eh gads

I am so confused lately 

    I mentioned yesterday I was exposed to someone who had Covid.  I was not.  I saw the people the day before they were exposed, so unless Covid is a time traveler, I am safe.

    I just wish I had thought that through before I swabbed my nose, which sent me into a sneezing fit for at least 10 minutes.

    Honestly, I am a knee jerk reactor. (And yes, I am aware people have also described me that way but left out knee and reactor.)

    By that I nean I don't always think about what I am about to do.

    Like when I called the plumber at 9:30 the other night because I was trying to delete his voicemail.

    Or today, when I ran into someone at the store and we talked.  She knew a lot about me, but I could not place her.  After I walked away, I said, "Dammit!  I am tired of being embarassed about asking people things."

    Granted, I should have said that to myself, but I did notice people tended to walk away from whereever I was standing after that.

    When I saw her again, (which is one of my favorite Mamas and Papas hits) I said, I am sorry, you look so familiar but I can't place you.

    She laughed and said that was alright, gave me her name, and I was able to ask about her husband, children and grandchildren.  The next time I see her I will remember to say hello Sandra.  Or Susan.  Or Janet.  Damn.

    My gas grill is not working right.  The burners light, then go out.  The last time that happened I needed a new regulator.

    So I went on the Weber site, clicked on customer service, and filled out the form.  I know Ace has replacement regulators, but this grill is 11 years old and I want to be sure I get a proper replacement.

    Anyway, I filled out the form and hit submit.

    Nothing happened.

    I hit submit again.

    Still nothing.

    I think it was on the fifth attempt that I noticed a little box in the upper right hand corner of the page that said, "form successfully submitted."

    In my case, it is 5 forms successfully submitted.

    In my humble opinion, the damn box should have been much bigger and somewhere besides the upper corner of the page.

    My eye is still red from rubbing it, my stomach is better, but I seem to have some hives on my legs and arm.  I think I ate something I should not eat, but the only thing I can safely eliminate is emu and alligator.

    Anyway, the Cubs have been entertaining.  Hope that continues tonight.

Peace and Love

fingers crossed

 Health issues on my mind today

    I have a tendency to rub my eyes. 

    Last night Julia looked at me and said, "What did you do to your eye?"

    It's as red as an apple.  And not the Granny Smith apples, either.

    This is not the first time I have done this.  I can't seem to remember not to rub my eyes hard. When  I do,  I get a bloodshot eye because I break some blood vessels.  

    I had some food I have never had before.  Julia bought some empanadas (?) Sunday.  Jackie and I had them and Spanish style rice last night, and I went to bed with a slightly upset stomach.

    Now, it could have been the food, or the wine, or the countless other objects I put in my mouth at night, but I had a queasy feeling.

    My right leg hurts.  I know it is from lifting too much, but that can't be helped.  I put ice and later heat on it, and that helps.

    But the big worry I had was when I heard a friend has Covid.  I saw that person recently, so this morning I took a home Covid test.  It came back negative.  I will take it again tomorrow to be sure.

    I hope they make a quick recovery.

    Jackie and I had pedicures today.  Had an interesting conversation about names.  Like, how does Robert become Bob?  John become Jack? Margaret, Mary?  Or any of the other names that derive from the given name.  I told her I did not know.

    The person was not a native English speaker but learned English in school.  When she came to this country she had to learn our English!  I believe she also speaks French and Chinese......but I am nto positive about the French. Or the Chinese.

    And Jackie checked her voice nessages to her brother.....we certainly don't want a repeat of last night, although we did laugh a lot.

Peace and Love

OMG

 My chest hurts from laughing

    So pardon any mistakes there may be in this.  And pardon any language you may find offensive.

    Jackie's brother Bob and his wife Anita  live in Florida.

    During Cub games, Bob and Jackie text/talk back and forth using messenger.  Jackie lately has been using the voice option instead of typing.

    So the Cubs are up 10-3, Bob is going to bed and Jackie says to him:  Tell Anita Hi.  Talk to you tomorrow night.

    About 5 minutes later Julia comes out of her bedroom and says, "What the hell did you say to Uncle Bob?"

    Jackie asked why.

    Julia said, "He sent your message to me.  Read it.  Out loud."

    Jackie is reading it and all of a sudden she starts laughing.  So I take her I-Pad and read her message.

    "Tell Anita Hi.  Fuck you tomorrow night."

    The three of us were in hysterics.  I could hardly breathe I was laughing so hard.  

    I know Jackie did not say that because I heard her.  But the AI did not hear her right.

    And everytime she said that's not what she said, we all laughed harder.

    Yes, you are right.  It does not take a lot to amuse us.

    And I have a feeling we'll be laughing about this for a long time.

    So much for AI, huh?

Peace and Love