Covid day 4 + 1

 It had to happen

    Jackie tested positive for Covid today.  I am not surprised, considering all the times I have been physically close to her.  Even wearing a mask there is not enough space to stay safe.

    I have regained my sense of smell.  I lost it, it came back,  then it went again and today it is with me.  I could tell last night that it was back when I put Vicks on and could smell it  strongly.

    It's my taste that is off.  I have a terrible taste in my mouth.  Not even chocolate seems to make it go away.  I taste "metally" every time I eat something.  Or drink something. The taste is very, I guess, crappy.

    Jackie is just tired.  She has a cough, but no muscle pain or sore throat or anything.  But she is just tired. So am I.

    I am tired of not getting things done around the house.  I move from one set to another and it wears me out.

     I had forgotten tonight is New Year's. Eve!  

    Usually we get together with friends and play games, eat, and laugh, but this year Jackie an I will spend time watching TV and going to bed fairly early.

    I started this blog as a New Year's resolution.

    I have difficulty finishing things.  I start, then stop.  

    My resolution was to write something everyday, mostly about my life.

    This is actually my 3,595th post!  Seriously, I never thought I would still be doing this!

    And the entries  have had 299,190 views.  Imagine that.  

    Just want to thank all of you who have read about me, commented, laughed, groaned , or just shook your head in amazement.

    You have inspired me.  

    I hope you all have a blessed 2024.......and that the world becomes a lot more peaceful than it is now.

Happy New Year!!!

Peace and Love

Covid Day 3

 Sometimes my life feels like the movie Ground Hog Day

    Get up, get Jackie into and out of the shower and dressed for the day, eat breakfast, read the Tribune, take a nap....... I don't know how much more of this I can take!

    I did go to Starbucks and got a medicine ball tea.  I went through drive thru with limited human contact.  I also went to Walmart and picked up a nonCovid prescription, but again, I went through drive thru and had no human contact except thru the tv and speaker.

    Thru.  I guess I should use through, shouldn't I?    

    Julia took care of supper and most of the dishes.  

    Jackie and I feel fine, just like we have colds and are tired.  Jackie tested negative for Covid and we will test again tomorrow.  I stay away from her as much as possible, but as her caretaker that is very difficult.

    Julia stays in the lower level as much as possible.  When she was taking care of dinner and dishes I stayed in another room.  I also try to wear a mask when she is around.  

    Speaking of being in a rut, the oldies radio station that we listen to in the house still has the same playlist as they did before Thanksgiving!

    That's when I noticed the 10 o clock hour starts with Werewolves of London and features Elton John, Meatloaf, the Allen Brothers and somebody else before they do a trivia quiz.  Today, they gave the answer first and played the question last!

    That was different.  After the quiz there is a Buffett song, Simon and Garfunkel and others before the hour ends with the Carpenters.

    I imagine it is hard to run a radio station in a small market.  So maybe they have a set playlist on Saturday mornings for expense reasons.  Someday I may listen a little longer to see if they repeat that list every Saturday.

       The frost this morning was beautiful.  I expect we will see some snow tomorrow, but it won't be much.

    Now I'm giving wether reports!!!!

Peace and Love

Covid Day 2

 Well, this is no fun

    I am isolating, which is hard to do in a house with 3 people!

    Julia keeps her distance because she flies out next week with Emily for some Disney fun in Florida.  So she keeps away from me.  Luckily, she works in the basement and sleeps on the opposite side of the house.

    I try to make sure I am not in the kitchen when she is.  I also wear and mask and wash hands frequently.

    Jackie is another story.  She tested negative again today, while I tested positive again. 

    We both share a cough and are both tired.

    Aside from that, it seems like a bad cold.

    Well, I do have another issue or 2. My hamstrings!  They do mini cramping all day and when I walk, they feel like they are going to knot up big time, but have not done so yet.  I have been drinking Gatorade and water, but even sitting in a chair they throb.  

    I spend my day in the den, either sleeping or playing solitaire.  It is a boring life.  When I sit down to read, I tend to doze off, which is not bad.

    My favorite part of the day is shower time.

    I put a face cloth over my face and let the hot water run on it, then breathe in the moisture.  I keep the shower hot as I can stand and when I get out I feel great.  

    I have had trouble signing into my Disney + account.  Every time, I get the message about a wrong password.

    I check my  list and it clearly states family.....  That has been that way for 3 days.

    Last night Julia was helping and she said check the password again.  I did, and noticed my handwriting has gone downhill because it  was Emily.....  That's because Emily told me a bout the offer.

    But what makes it worse is about 3 months ago I changed it to something totally different,

    Once I used the correct password it was easy-peasy.

    I told Jackie we should start trying to watch a movie around 6 so we have time to figure out how to load it.

    And in the news:  Chicago police recovered a stolen Slim Jim vehicle.  The car, with unique designs and interior features, like a Slim Jim dispenser in the glove box. was stolen in California.  They found it on a trailer at a motel in Hillside.

    What makes it a little scary, is the article said some vehicles with Sirius radios have tracking feature as part of the radio.

    That means if I can't be tracked by my credit cards, I pass, cell phone, or security cameras, my love for Beatles music may give me away.

    Here's to good health.

Peace and Love

double snap

 It had to happen, didn't it?

    After successfully avoiding Covid for what seems half a life time, I failed.

    I have had a cold for a couple of days.  Started Christmas Eve., with a cough and sniffles.  Then morphed into a sore throat with a cough and sneezing.

    I took some over the counter meds and that seemed to lessen the symptoms.  I also liberally applied Vicks Vaporub to my chest.  At night I would pull my t shirt up over my nose that the vapors would clear up mu sinuses for a few minutes.

    I always have trouble sleeping, and this did not make it any easier.

    I went to the store yesterday, wearing a mask so as not to spread my cold, and bought some more Vaporub.

    When I went to bed last night I opened it and noticed that had altered the formula so it did not smell.  I thought that was strange.  

    I went to bed, pulled my shirt up, and thought.......one of the Covid symptoms is loss of smell.  

    So I got out of bed, went to the bathroom and took a few things off the shelf.  No smell to the soap.  No smell to the rubbing alcohol.

    Coincidence?

    I went to the kitchen and opened the paprika and took a whiff.....nothing.

    This morning I took a Covid test and it came back positive.

    I have notified everyone I have come in contact   with since Christmas.  No one seems to be showing any signs of sickness.  I did my best to avoid physical contact or close proximity to people, but I know that was not always happening.

    I just hope no one else gets it.

    So far it has not been terrible.  I am tired, listless, my muscles are sore.  It is 3:15 and I just made the bed.  I have not showered yet, which is next on my list of tasks.

    I just hope Jackie does not catch it.  She tested negative this morning and will test again tomorrow, but I am always in close contact with her.  I am wearing a mask in the house.

    We had friends coming over today but cancelled.  We cancelled the cleaning lady.  We cancelled the friends from New York.  Yes, I am now a member of the cancel culture.

    I have contacted my doctor.  I have slept, rested, and smelled nothing.

    Luckily, I could still taste the cinnamon rolls left over from Christmas.  But after I eat anything, I have a metallic after taste.  Wonder if wine would take care of that?

    I just hope mum symptoms don't worsen.  I also hope I don't spread this to Julia and Jackie, especially since Julia has travel plans in about 10 days, or to anyone else I have been near.

    Hell of a way to end the year.

Peace and Love

menu dèjá vu

 Me thinks it's time to move on

    I have reheated Christmas dinner three days now, and I am tired of it.

    Sure there is beef and ham left, as well as potatoes of several varieties and other odds and ends.

    But......and there is a big butt in this and it is mine........I can't eat it anymore.

    The meat is going in the freezer and the other stuff will be eaten or tossed tomorrow.  If we hold it longer than tomorrow, it may be tossed in another way.

    I went to Walmart today and wore a mask.  I have a cold and I don't want to spread it.  Longtime friend Chris actually recognized me, which amazes me because I can't recognize people without masks!  

    What else is new.....let's see.

    I wonder when the last December was when we did not have a measurable amount of snow.  I think Jackie said Tom Skilling mentioned 2002, but that may be my faulty hearing or lack of remembering details.

    My grill is still out on the deck.  I do need to get it in soon.  I like it in the garage because then I can go out and grill during the winter, if winter ever comes.

    My sleep patterns are awful.  Last night I went to bed at 11, heard the cuckoo at 12, was up at 1:30 and agin at 2, then again at 4, after. which I slept soundly until the alarm went off at 8:30.  

Why do I get up?

    Well, I have had a lot of tea with honey.  And honey is not a code name for my wife but for the delicious nectar produced by bees.  

    And my feet are itching.  Again.  They are fine when I go to bed, but about an hour later they start to itch.  So I put lotion on them.  

    Then I have to pee again.

    Why my body does not allow me to do all these things at once I do not know.

    I realize I may be sleeping in between.  Or napping.   Maybe my nights are really a series of 1-2 hour naps.  

    Whatever, it is frustrating.

    I go to bed tired.  I just can't always fall asleep.  And when I finally do fall asleep, my body tells me to get up for something.

    I always hope the next night will be different.  But it never is.

    Maybe tonight.

    And Camryn and a friend stopped by for a visit tonight.  We had a great chat but I eventually told them they had to go.  For us old folks it was getting late and the colds are taking a atoll on us. We are all really tired.

Peace and Love

Oh really!

 Today is a good day to reevaluate Christmas

    And by that, I mean examining the financial benefits of gift giving.

    Remember the Beanie Babies craze?  We gave those little things to everyone; birthdays, Christmas, whenever the spirits moved us.

    Well, check the ones you have.  

    I read an article that said the Princess Diana Beanie Baby could sell for $22,000!  Of course, it has to be a special baby...one manufactured early and with a different filling than the later ones.

    I don't remember Lefty, the Donkey Beanie Baby but it is selling for an estimated.....hold onto your beanies, baby.....$500,000.  Oh my gosh.

    We had a whole collection of Disney video cassettes.  I believe Julia took them with her to Switzerland and when VCRs became a thing of the past, they were tossed.  Or maybe  we tossed them back in the states.  It doesn't matter who tossed them, I guess.

    But the Beauty and the Beast one is selling for $14,000 and the Fox and the Hound for $1,500.

    I love the Beatles.  I had lots of Beatles on vinyl until I did not have a record player.  So I sold a bunch of them for $60, including St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.   A copy of that album recently sold for $200,000!  But I am not upset, because that one had autographs from all 4 of the boys while mine had none.

    Jackie and I had Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are for both kids.  We loved reading that book to them.   A first edition of that could bring you $20,000.  Even if we had a first edition, I bet there would be too many bent pages, slobber marks, and other imperfections that would lower its value.

    That old Apple 1 computer system you may have had sitting in your basement for 1000 years could bring you $200,000....which is not a bad return.

    The article listed dozens of other items that were now valuable. Items we all probably had in our hands and one time and tossed.

    I might haver been a millionaire several times over if I had saved those comic books and not used baseball cards in my spokes to create noise.

    That's life. 

    Meanwhile, I am going to check out Emily's Beanie Baby collection.  We still have most of it in the basement, but like my lottery tickets, I am sure we don't have any winners.

    Peace and Love

It's done

 Well, that Christmas went well

    It also went pretty fast.

    Seems like just yesterday we were putting up decorations, waiting for the cold, wintry days and nights.

    No such weather this year.

    Only 7 times in the last 100 years have we had a + 50 degree day on Christmas.  At least, that is what I think tom Skilling on Channel 9 said.

    We had a nice day.  We spoke with our nephew and his family in Switzerland, Jackie's brother and sister in law in Florida, and Joan daughter and family in Jamaica.  

    Family and friends, that is what the holiday is all about.

    I hope your day was a memorable one.

    I am pretty tired.....and battling a cold.  So, that is all for tonight.

Peace and Love

Merry Christmas

I hope you all have a happy holiday 

    Despite my best intentions, I just finished wrapping presents.  Procrastination does not pay.

    I have a cold.  I am tired.

    We went to church tonight for a beautiful service.  Wonderful music, awesome liturgy, and a chance to say hello to folks we have not seen in person in a while.  It felt great.

    Every year since I don't remember when , I have watched It's aWonderful Life on Christmas Eve.  I also finish  reading Christmas Carol right about now.  But I have not watched the movie or read the book this year.

    Things change.  

    But what never changes is the meaning of the season.

Peace and Love 

Home again

 I made it shopping today

    By  jove. I say, it was pretty foggy out there.  I saw two mishaps where the bonnets of  the carriages were smushed.  When I got to the mall, I made a quick trip to the loo, l then joined the queue for the lift.

    Oops...the fog put me in a British frame of mind.

    Actually, when we were in England this year I don't remember any fog.  But it was crazy out there today.

    How crazy was it?

    There were people who were not senior citizens walking around the mall!

    There was a  1 gift request express lane at Santa's workshop.

    I almost missed the turn on the way home because I could not see the road.

    The grocery store did not have long lines at the staffed checkouts, but the self checks did!

    Schnucks in Rockford ran out of egg nog.

    Woodman's did not have chives, which pointed me to Schnucks.  Luckily I bought egg not at Woodman's.  And Schnucks had chives.

    I said Joyous Noel to a girl I thought spoke French.  Either she doesn't or I don't.  Ok, I don't.

    A lady grabbed my arm and said she loved my Goofy hat.  

    4 people said they loved my Goofy had and 2 said they loved my Beatles t-shirt.  But only the one grabbed me.  Was that harassment?

    I saw a two car crash at Perryville and State and another 2 or 3 car crash on State near Target.  That is 3 crashes in 3 days......an omen?

    Tomorrow is wrapping day for me.  I only have 4,185 gifts to wrap.  I bought 26 rolls of tape because I plan to use post it notes for wrapping paper and I will have to tape part of them down.

    Hopefully tomorrow night, after church, I can sit and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and have a sip of eggnog.   After I wrap presents.  And bake shortbread.  And vacuum.  And watch the Bears.  And do some laundry. And......on and on and on.

    Peace and Love

into the breach

 I am going on a dangerous mission tomorrow

    I have a grocery list with last minute items to procure.  I have 3 stops in Rockford, and I hope the crowds are not crazy.

    And I  mean crazy, like yelling and screaming at each other.  Or cutting into lines.  Or buying the last item that I really, really, wanted to buy.

    It will be a challenge.

    I read a story the other day about a guy who runs a web site that has an anti-Biden slant.  He is not on the Trump campaign staff, but he might as well be.

    In the article he was quoted as saying, "It doesn't have to be true....it just has to go viral."

    Honestly, that scares t he shit out of me!

    I think that is why so many seniors fall for on line scams.  They see it on t he internet and assume it is valid.  But no one polices the web.  No organization monitors the content for truth or falsehoods.  It is a media source run amok with unproven statements.

    I promise you I will never tell a lie in this blog.  I have over 16 million followers, and they all say this is the best blog they have ever seen.

    Ok, you caught me.

    Tell me:  What is the obsession with celebrities.?  

    I really don't care who Taylor Swift is dating, what outfit a Kardashian wore to the store, or why super model Tyra Banks is dating a older blogger from Rochelle.

    I think it is a shame that photographers follow these people everywhere, hoping to get pictures of them doing something stupid, or their children, or their house, or family, or them hugging a slightly portly 75 year old married man in Rochelle.

    I had the weirdest dream last night.  it was vivid, and lifelike.  (Hell, where is the segue?)

    When I woke I looked at Jackie and told her we were adopting a 10 year old from France, or possibly Havana, because she was an orphan and had grown attached to me.

    I don't remember her name, which is no surprise because I can't remember real people's names, but she had short black hair and huge dark eyes.

    Sometimes I wonder if I lived a different life in years past and my dreams are reflecting that.  Other times I think it is the writer in me trying to break out with a story.  Or it may have been supper.

    Either way, if you see me with a 10 year old who can't speak English, wake me up.

Peace and Love

Et tu?

 I am not the only person doing silly things

    I admit, lighting an incense cone at 11:16 at night was not a good idea after all.

    Jackie woke up and asked if something was burning.  I told her the incense was.

    Then Julia woke up and asked the same question.  She said it smelled like cigarette smoke and she thought someone was smoking in the house.

    Note to self.....no incense after 8 p.m.

    I was at the post office and the woman in front of me was mailing a certified letter.  The clerk punched in the address and said, "Something isn not right with the address.  Is this the right zip code?"

    The woman opened her phone and looked at the listing and said, "That's their phone number."

    I went to Starbucks because Thursdays are half price days in the afternoon.  I ordered a peppermint mocha for me and a small hot chocolate for Jackie, who was freezing in the car.

    They placed the order on the counter and said, "Peppermint mocha for Terry," and this lady went to grab it.

    I told her I thought that was mine.  And it was.  Her name sounded a lot like mine.  We laughed about it.

    Then the hot chocolate came and they said. "Order for Terry" and she grabbed that one!

    We got it sorted out.  She knew me, said I may have had her kids in school, but the name was not familiar.

    Emily took me to the Coronado  in Rockford for a Cirque Christmas show.  It was a bit different from what I expected.  But to be honest, I wasn't sure what I expected in the first place.

    The contortionist made me squirm.  She bent her body into unbelievable positions.  My muscles hurt just watching her.  My favorite act was the man who said nothing.  He gave people in the audience bells and when he pointed at them, they were supposed to ring them.  It was a funny bit and reminded me a lot of MoonIe, who is coming to Rochelle in February.  I plan to go.

    Leaving the theater someone kept pushing me in the back.  I ignored them.  It was a big audience and we were pretty tight leaving.

    When I got into the lobby I turned around and saw Dede and Don from Creston.  He said he kept poking me in the back hoping I would turn around.  It wasn't a rude person after all!

    And I saw Sally and Steve, who were right next to me and I basically missed them. Emily saw them and said they were here and I answered ok.  I guess I did not understand her.

    That's about it.

Peace and Love

yikes

 Sometimes my delays are good

    We had toe appointments today in Sycamore.

    My goal was to leave the house at 12 noon.  But we didn't.  I had to put on my shoes, turn the car around, brush my teeth....so it was a few minutes after 12.

    I go 38 to Malta Road, then Malta Road north to IL 54, and 64 across to Sycamore.  I avoid a lot of traffic that way.

    As we were driving east on 64, we were slowed by a car on the side of the road.  Then we saw a car sitting in the middle of our lane, front end crushed.  Another car was is front of it about 25 feet with its back end crushed.

    No police were on. the scene.  I went around the car in the road, thinking they broke down but then I saw the front end.

    Two other cars had stopped to help, so I didn't.  I think I should have, but I honestly don't know what I would do besides faint if there is blood.

    All the people in the cars looked to be out and walking.  One man was sitting in his car, but he seemed to be on the phone.

    3 DeKalb sheriff's cars eventually passed us, followed by a Sycamore ambulance.

    That could have been us.  Whatever the cause, I could have been either driver, just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Maybe the first car was turning and the second driver was distracted.  Or maybe the first car came to a sudden stop and the second car rammed him.  Hard to tell.

    Jackie gets a little nervous when I drive because I don't always pay attention to the road.  This was a good reminder to focus on driving.

    By the way, my toes feel great!

Peace and Love

aaaagggh!!!!!!

 I hate electronics

    I am so frustrated right now.

    We tried to watch a movie.  I plugged the DVD in the player and we hit the source button.  But the screen said no disc.  I did it again.  No disc.

    We have a Disney channel membership.  I tried that.  I have no idea if I have Disney or Disney+.  It is bundled with Hulu, and I honestly don't remember the monthly charge we have been paying.

    In any case,. we could not access the movie on Disney+.  My password was invalid.  So we went back to using the blu ray player but again, the message was no disc.

    So, after 20 minutes, neither one of us were in the mood for a movie but we both would like to take technology and toss it.

    I get so  tired of asking Julia how to do things.  I am sure she gets tired of explaining the same stuff over and over and over.

    How many times do I need to be shown how to use the blu ray player?  Apparently more than 4 times, because that is what we are up to now.  And what happens when she is not living with us anymore?  I dread the thought.

    I don't think I am a dumb person.  But I sure feel that way when I deal with any technology.  And it is so darn frustrating.  

    I cleaned my kitchen cabinets today.  Jackie said they were dirty and I did not disagree.  So I spent some time waxing and polishing them.   Hopefully when the sun shines on them they will look fine.

    I also spent about 20 minutes outside in the freezing cold picking up dog doo and filling the bird feeders.  And no, I did not put the dog doo in the bird feeders.

    Long ago, when we had our first dog, one of our girls was out in the back yard snow.  I looked at her just in time to tell her that was NOT a Tootsie Roll!  It was a close call.

    In my Facebook memories, 1year ago  today I noted we were looking at the possibility of a snowstorm dumping 12-18 inches on us!  And 11 years ago, my memory was for 8 inches of snow.  I don't even think snow is in the forecast for us until next year.

    Finally,  I think the people at Headon's are going to start blocking my calls.

    Why?

    I ordered a roast.

    Jackie said it was too big so I called and changed the order to a smaller one.  Which was good, because I forgot what kind of roast I ordered.

    The smaller one is too small, so I called again to change it to a bigger roast but not as big as I first ordered.

    Could not remember what day I ordered it for, so called again to check on the date.

    Plus I stopped in to confirm the first change in size order.

    I am not calling again.  It is what it is.

Peace and Love

We watched the North Central game the other night.....what a heartbreaking loss.  But we were excited to see our friend James making an impact.

Finally got my train ornament tree up.  Jackie helped me get them all out of the boxes and hung.  I can't find the angel.

done?

 I think my last decoration is done

    I am never sure, but I think Christmas is all up at our house.  Just in time too, with one week to go.

    For some reason the Christmas spirit seems to be escaping me this year.  I don't have the excitement I usually have.  I suspect that excitement level has dropped a little each year since my childhood, but this year just seems extreme.

    It's a combination of things.  Certainly the loss of my brother Carl and my friend Frank have dampened my spirits.  It's hard to imagine a future without seeing or talking to them, even if it is only a couple of times a year.  Those were times I valued.

    You never know when that last time happens, do you?  Wether it be a phone call or a short visit, you don't end it thinking you'll never see or talk to the person again.

    The world events are not helping.  The killing continues in too many parts of the world, with too many innocents taken.  It's hard to accept peace on Earth when people are shooting and bombing each other.

    While I am safe and warm in lay house, with expectations of presents and a feast on Christmas, thousands of homeless folks and migrants face bitter nights living in tents and hoping food kitchens will be serving a hot meal.  We are not welcoming them with open arms.  And don't expect a political solution, because neither side wants to solve the problem so they can use it agains the other side.  Not to mention the working poor who are struggling to buy food and pay rent, let alone buy presents.

    No snow.  I like snow at Christmas.  Not having any makes it seem like just another week in mid November.  Snow, please.  I am not crazy about the cold, but I like the snow.

    In the bleak mid winter.....I guess that is where I am now.  

    Believe me, I know I can't solve any of these problems.  No one can.

    I just hope more people try to solve them.  I guess that is my Christmas wish this year.

    Sorry to be a Donny Downer tonight.......

Peace and Love

yummers

 Today was quite the day!

    We watched the heart breaking, frustrating, angering, totally unbelievable loss in the Bears-Browns game.

    I can't believe Mooney did not hold on to the ball at the end.  It was almost a spectacular finish.

    The game actually was the secondary action in the house.

    Camryn and Sam came over to decorate sugar cookies.  Julia mixed the frosting and the two girls did the bulk of the decorating, although we adults also decorated one or two.

    Following the cookie decorating, we made about a million pot stickers!  Julia blended the meats, tKevin, Jen, Sam, Camryn and I helped fold them.  To be truthful, I only did a few because mine were so bad!

    Meanwhile, Julia whipped up some stir fry noodles and chicken and some stir fry noodles and beef. 

    When all was done, I did the clean up, which was not too bad considering all that was done.

    Yes, we used child labor!

    But we sent Sam and Camryn home with some neat cookies and yummy pot stickers.

    Julia gave me another lesson in loading cds onto th computer.  This time I did not take notes but watched her, then did it myself.  I think I have it down now.

    We'll see tomorrow. 

Peace a d Love

The adults supervised cookie decorating in their own way

A ChrEaster cookie....Christmas tree with an Easter egg

Chicago Bears mitten...orange and blue

Camryn had some great creations!

Jackie did not make pot stickers.......

Taking a well deserved rest

dreary days

 Today was a real bummer

    Julia left about 9.  I herd the cuckoo nine times, but stayed in bed for a minute or two.  

    Beth joined us, nestling between our legs.

    The next cuckoo I heard was 11!  Holy cripe!

    Anyway, I was not dressed and ready to take on Saturday until a little after 1.  That made for a very short day.

    Luckily, I did not have a lot to do.  Filled the bird feeders and played with the dog and that was about it.

    I was going to put some CDs on my computer.  Julia has shown me how to do that twice, and Emily once.  At all  times I have made notes.

    But my notes make no sense, so I never got that done.

    Julia is going to walk me through the process again tomorrow.  And yes, I did Google how to do it, but it just does not make sense to me.

    Meanwhile, the outside is gray and coolish.  Not cold enough for snow or ice, but cool.  I did not see the sun all day.

    I would not call it a totally wasted day.  Did a couple of very small jobs, but nothing significant, just things crossed off my list.  And Jackie's list.

    Hopefully I get up early tomorrow.  Or at least earlier.

Peace and Love

what a buy

Sometimes people make their own luck

    A woman out east bought a weird looking vase at a thrift shop for around $4.  She liked the way it looked and had never seen anything like it.  So she researched it.

    Turns out, the vase was a rare example of some Italian art form.  It sold at auction for a little over $100,000.

    Every so often you read stories of people who buy a picture at a yard sale and discover it is a work by a well known painter and is very valuable.

    I am just the opposite.  I buy things for $15 that are worth $1.

    An example.  I bought stock in a company on the second day of its initial offering.  Within a month it had lost half its value.  

    Granted, I don't have a lot of shares, but the stock was supposed to go up! 

    I take after my father.  Sometime in the 1950s he wanted to buy American Motors Corporation stock.  He saved up some money, went to the broker and  placed his order.  Due to a mix up, he ended up with General Motors stock.  He went back to the broker, said that was not right, and traded the GM stock for the AMC stock.  Within a year AMC went belly up and GM bloomed.  If pops had held on to his mistake, I might be a multi millionaire now.

    Or not.

    I always think I am going to find a valuable  painting at a garage sale.  But that will never happen because I stopped going to garage sales.  Besides, I would not recognize a valuable painting if it hit me in the face.

    But I can always dream.

Peace and Love

Awwwww snap

 Everything is running smoothly then.....oh snap!

    My printer ran out of ink.

    After printing multiple pages of my Christmas letter incorrectly, I was short about 6.  But I ran out of ink.  If I had done it all correctly, I would have been fine.  I would have still been out of ink, but I would have been ok.

    I went on line to a big box store to order for in store pick up tomorrow.  Julia and  Emily will be in Rockford at some point, so they will stop and pick it up.

    It's not cheap, either.

    I went to order it and my order went to an home delivery.  I wanted in store, so I canceled and started over.  Again, it went to home delivery.

    On the third try, I finally figured out how to order for in store pick up.  Problem is, I ordered for the Batavia store.

    Changed stores and it went back to in home delivery.

    Finally, after 40 minutes, got it ordered for in store pick up tomorrow.  I think.

    I have a problem with details.  I know, those of you who know me will think that is an understatement.

    I mobile ordered a Starbucks in DeKalb and when I got to the Annie Glidden/38 store, they told me they did not have an order but I did have an order order at Sycamore Road.  They made the offer to cancel that order and fill my order where I was at, but I said "Noooooooooo!  I made the mistake and hate to see the coffee tossed."

    So I drove 15 minutes over to the Sycamore site, then drove back home.  I probably wasted more gas than I did coffee.

    I have also ordered but forgot to hit place order, so I had  to ask where the order was.  Well, it was still on my phone.

    Speaking of gas, wow!  Are the prices down!

    Remember when they were high and people were going around putting stickers on the pumps that said, "Thanks, Joe."  Maybe the same people should be doing that again.

    I know....that is kind of a snarky comment, but I am feeling zippy tonight.

Peace and Love

tis the season

 We went to a Christmas party tonight

    I can't remember the last time we went to a holiday party.  I think it was before Covid.  The party gave me a chance to wear my nutcracker sweatshirt.  Jackie and I had a nice time, although I did my usual thing and did not mingle even though I knew everyone.  I had a hard time hearing.  The hearing aids pick up all the sound, so even. though I can hear the person across from me better, I also hear the background chatter better too.  I think that makes me withdraw a little.

    Oh...the sweatshirt!

    I don't get a chance to wear this very often....and there is a story behind it.

    I love nutcrackers.  I have maybe 40 of them, but to be honest, I have never counted them!  Several of them were made in West Germany, and are stamped that way on the bottom.

    I also have some nutcracker ornaments, you might see a couple of them on the tree.

    But the sweatshirt.......

    When I was teaching, Carol Gingerich was an aide in my room.  One year she gave me this as a present.

Now I don't know if the figures are embodied or stitched or sewn, because I don't know the difference.

    I have been retired for 15 years.  I know she gifted this to me years before I retired.  So its age is unknown to me.

    But every time I put it on I think of Carol and her generosity.

    I have not seen her for a while and am not even sure if they still live in town.  Funny how retirement takes you out of social loops.

    On the topic of Christmas, I opened my front door to this today.

    A couple of more boxes and poor Beth would have been stuck inside!

    In one of the boxes is a treasure......frozen pizza from Pequod in Chicago.  I can't wait to pop it in the oven.

    I lost a get well card I was going to mail.  I looked around the house and found several piles of papers and mail that have accumulated.  I am drowning in paper!  Someone throw me a life jacket, please!!

    But I could not find the card.  Then I remembered I put it in the mailbox already.

    At least I did not totally lose the card....just put it where I didn't remember.

    Frequent complaint these days.

Peace and Love

damn it, again

 Went to the store for 2 things

    Bought a whole bunch of stuff.  Jackie looks at me and says, "Where's the ...........?"

    Damn it!  I had 2 things to get and forgot one of them.  But I bought a lot of other stuff.  It's my fault.  I should have written it down or put it on my phone.  Oh well, back tomorrow.

    On this date in 1969 we had an apartment on IL 38 in Rochelle, right across from a convenience store.  At 9:30, I picked up my keys and wallet an d headed for the door.

    "Where are you going?"  John asked.

    "Uh....we need milk. And bread."  

    "The store is across the street.  You don't need car keys.  Sit down!" 

    I obeyed John's command.

    It might have been pre wedding jitters, or even outright fear on my part.  The next day Jackie and I were to be married in St,. Pau's Church in DeKalb.

    Obviously I did stick around.  If John had not been there, I don't think I would have run like hell.  But who knows?

    We were young and dumb.  But we stuck it out, and we're still here.  Growing older by the day.

    Our friend Chuck took wedding pictures and we had a small reception in the church undercroft following the service.  (We Episcopalians don't have basements....undercrofts are what we call them.  I remember a priest telling me every time he typed that, auto correct changed it to anti-aircraft.)

    In today's news:   I was driving home and Julia texted me.  We have the voice text option, so when I played the text is said to bring home some q tips.

    I knew that was wrong because we had talked about those little mandarin oranges....Cuties.

    So I voice texted her back:  I am on my way home.  I have Cuties..

    Julia's message read:  I am on the way home.  I have cooties.

    Somehow I don't think AI will take over the world.

    Parents, if you want your kids to be rich, have them play ball.  $700 million for 10 years.  I don't know whether to be astounded or disgusted.

Peace and Love

Dang it

I always have trouble printing my Christmas letter

    Writing it takes forever.  I try to be informative and funny.  Well, funny in my estimation.  Some people read it and think, "What the hell is wrong with Terry?"   To be honest, I have no idea.

    Like this blog.  Up until 2 nights ago, when I hit return it double spaced between paragraphs.  I liked that.  Now it does not do that and I have no idea why.

    But I digress

    I print the Christmas letter on two sides.  I can never get it right.  If I print one side correctly, the other side is upside down.  No matter how many notes I make to myself, they don't work.

    Tonight, for example, I printed it exactly the way I wanted.  So I went ahead and printed 10 more and they were all upside down!  How the hell that happened I don't know. I was so confident I had it right, I did not check.  Me bad.

    My next challenge is printing address labels.  I can never do that, even with the notes I made from last year.

    We had a nice visit from our neighbors tonight.  John Jackie, Julia and I enjoyed a nice glass of red while wife Jackie enjoyed her water.   A good time was had by all.

    Wife Jackie and I made 2 batches of cookies and I went to Emily's to help her out a little.  She should not be lifting and tonight is garbage out night. With 12 dogs, there are a lot of bags.

    The downside to the day was I had a bit of a meltdown.  Stuff kept falling off a shelf in the closet and I got way bent out of shape and helped more  stuff come down.  Julia cleaned up my mess while I was at Emily's.  Sometimes life is just too much for me.

Peace and Love

Code Red

I had a rather to supper today 

    I made a small roast.  The directions said cook until internal temp is 150 degrees, then let it stand and set.  The meat should be pink and tender,.

Well, somehow I misread the thermometer and the meat got to 165.  It was not pink when we cut it, but it was juicy.

    I also mashed some potatoes.  Skin on.  The were not bad, but were a problem.

    As I took the foil off the roast, I accidentally put the foil next to the pot of boiling potatoes.

    I did not know aluminum foil burned.  Trust me, it does.

    I got it into the sink and put water on it.  No damage, except to the foil, but it did smell.

    My next challenge was to take some old brat buns we had in the freezer and make garlic toast.  I buttered the buns, put garlic and parmesan cheese on the, set them in the oven under the broiler and set the timer for 2 minutes.

    About a minute later Julia walks into the kitchen and calmly says, "Something's on fire in the oven."

    I blew these out and put them outside because they were really smoking!

    I did try again, but only for 1 minute.  They still burned, but there were no flames.  Maybe I should have lowered the rack

    We froze some ears of corn.  I nuked two of them and they were really mushy.  Maybe I nuked them too long, or maybe whole ears of corn don't freeze well.

    There you have it.  Overdone roast, toasted bread, mushy corn and mashed potatoes.  A feast fit for a king, if King was a dog.

    No one complained.  So I guess it was ok.

    Then we made two batches of cookie dough.

    2 weeks ago Jackie asked me if we needed flour.  I checked and we had a full bag on the shelf. After I emptied th flour container tonight, I grabbed the bag off the shelf.  It was bread flour.  So at 9 I made a Walmart run for four.  I could have asked Emily, but we are trying to not bother her.  Me going over at 9 with 11 barking dogs would have been a bother.

    I think you could say this was not one of my finest hours in the kitchen.

    At least I did not burn the house down.

Peace and Love

RIP

Today was my brother's memorial service

    Understand when I say this..  I am not overwhelmed with grief.

    He passed away Oct. 17 and the service was held today.  I have had 7 weeks to mourn him.   So today was not an especially sad day.

    In fact, it was a somewhat joyous day.

    I learned a lot about my brother.  His involvement in Second First Church in Rockford, especially his positive impact on guests who were visiting the church for the first tine.  He would often sit by a visitor, or an elderly person who was alone, so that person did not have to be alone during church.

    As an accountant, he solved a huge budget issue in the church.  He served on committees, was chief usher and a moderator, which is like the president of the church board.

    Several parishioners had positive stories to tell me about him.

    That was a side I never saw, or knew about.

    People he worked with told me about his positive presence in the office, his jokes, his dry wit.

    I gave a little testimony about him, and mentioned he loved to call Jackie and me  in the winter to tell me it was 85 in Florida and --6 in Rochelle.  Afterwards several people came and said they also got the calls, and he loved to rub in the warm temperatures while we were freezing up here.

    What also made it joyful was family time.

    Cousin Bob from Syracuse NY was here, and so was his son Jim from Philadelphia.   Daughter Laurie, husband Ron, and adult children Lexi and Austin came from Ohio.  Number 1 son Jason, his wife Pam, and their son Steven came from Pennsylvania while their daughter Kate flew in from Colorado.  Niece Cindy,  her husband Frankie, and daughter Samantha came from Spring Grove while their other daughter Charlotte drove up from Champaign, where she is finishing her semester.  Sister in law Joan came from Wisconsin and of course the Rochelle Dickows were there.

    It was the first time many of us had seen each other since 2016.

    We told stories, visited, laughed, ate, laughed some more and remembered my brother.

    I think he would have enjoyed the day.  

    Granted, it would have even been better if he were with us, but in a sense he was.  His spirit was with us in the memories, the stories, the laughs, and the love that filled his house.

    Peace and Love

Otis time

 Going through a series of highs and lows

    A visit from my cousin Bob and second cousin Jim was a highlight.  The lowlight is they are here for my brother's memorial service tomorrow.

    Visitation is from 12 to 1, with the service at 1.  I am not looking forward to it, because it makes his death to real for me.  To final.

    But we had a great time talking and revisiting the past.  Bob and Sally grew up a little over 3 blocks away from us in Chicago.  Bob and Carl were close in age and hung out a lot together.  Denny often was with them.  Sally and I hung out together, even though she was a couple of years older than me.

    True:  They had a dog and sometimes we would eat the Milk Bone dog treats!  I liked them, and my hair was always so shiny.

    Also true:  I would bring soldiers over to her house and Sally would play with my soldiers while I played with her dolls. 

    But I digress.

    It has been 7 years since I saw Bob and maybe 15 since I have seen Jim.  Too many years.  Too many.

    Another highlight of the day was going to the Christmas market in Aurora.

    I went last year and thought it needed more food booths.  This year they had a lot of food booths but didn't seem to have as many "goods" for sale. 

    Jackie had a pretzel and hot chocolate for lunch, I had a schnitzel and some mulled wine.  

    I have lots of mugs from the market in downtown Chicago, but I don't think I will get one this year.  Not sure if I can go.  The mugs in Aurora were specific to Aurora, so my collection of Chicago mugs will not have one from 2023.

    Oh well, there are worse things.

    And tomorrow marks one of those worse things.

Peace and Love

Johanna was there with Oberon and the dog drew lots of attention

    Oberon remembered Jackie and went right up to her and nuzzled her ear.  He's a big dog.

running on

 I took Julia on a shopping trip tonight

    Each year the Community Action Network (CAN) sponsors a shopping trip for less fortunate families.

    Jackie and I often go, but Julia was interested and Jackie wasn't feeling up to it, so it was just the 2 of us.

    The way it works is volunteers sign in at the church , wait for a family, take a bus to Walmart, shop from a list provided by parents, pay with a credit card supplied by CAN, and return to the church.  At the church there is a long section of coats, gloves and hats that families can take.  There is also a spaghetti supper, Santa, and my favorite, cookies.

    Julia and I were assigned a family of 5.  That sounds like a lot, but 3 of the youngsters were too young to go shopping, so we had their items on a list along with items for the two boys who went.

    Let me call them Boy 1 and Boy 2.

    Boy 1 was the older brother.  He was fairly well behaved.  Boy 2 might have been the wild child.

    As soon as we went in the store, he took off like a bullet.

    Up one aisle, down another.  We kept calling "Boy 2.  By 2.  come back and stay with us."  That seemed like pouring gas on the fire.

    At first I would go after him.  He would get to the end of an aisle and I would be at the other end of the aisle and then FLASH! Gone.

    At one point he was off and running for 10 minutes.  We kept hearing him, but not seeing or catching him.

    When he finally would come back, for a rest I presume, he would put things in the cart.  He needed underwear, so he put in socks.  He needed shirts, so he put in a sweatshirt.  The sweatshirt was not too bad so we left that in the cart.

    He came racing around a corner with a red pair of women's underwear in his hands, I grabbed it an put them back.

    When we finally got to to his  underwear, he picked out the wrong size and put it in the cart.  I fished it out and he put another pack of the wrong size in the cart.  I fished it out and he was gone.    

    Then his brother started chasing him...up one aisle, down another.  At one point Boy 2 came back to what he thought was our car and started pushing it, only to have a lady say, "Where are you going with m cart?"

    And zoom, he was off again.

    Our shopping time was 5:30....we started out about 5:45 and were still in the store at 7!

    My friend Lisa was back in the store with her second shopper.....she was shopping when we got there and had lapped us, as they say in the racing business.

    I caught up to them in the toy aisle and said we had to find Julia, at which point they both began yelling, "Julia!  Julia!   Julia!"  And yes, she heard them.  The whole store heard them

    When we were checking out Boy 2 spotted a gum ball machine.  Julia was  afraid he was going to knock it over, but he didn't. 

    He came over to Julia and asked her for a quarter.  She said she didn't have any.  He asked me for a quarter.  I said I didn't have any.  He  asked the checkout lady for a quarter. She said she didn't have any.  Then the young man checking out on the next lane said, "I have a quarter."

    Julia and I both turned to him and said, "NO YOU DON'T."

    He had a slightly frightened look on his face as he slipped it back into his pocket.

    "Someday you'll have kids and then you'll understand," I said.

    When we got back to their church, the boys appeared to magically sprout halos as they quietly sat down for a spaghetti dinner.

    I did tell the lady assigning kids to shoppers that it was a lot of fun and I apologize for running her off the road the next time I see  her.

    And yes, we did spend over our limit.  When that happens, I pull out the charge card and make up at the difference

    That does not bother me because my family has lived a blessed life.  

    And. I can put up with a couple of high strung kids if it means bringing a little happiness into their lives.  And Julia agrees.

Peace and Love

action!

 We went to a play tonight

    Our friend Sam was in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at Stagecoach Players in DeKalb.

    So we all went...Jackie, Julia, Emily, me..... and Camryn and Johanna were also there for the show.

    I used to love reading that to my class right before Christmas.  I tried Christmas Carol once, but the language was too difficult for them to grasp.

    The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has humor and it explains the true meaning of Christmas.  I wonder if teachers still read aloud to students and if they ever read this book.

    We really enjoyed tonight's show.  

    I always enjoy watching young people act.  Getting an early exposure to the theater is a great thing.

    I directed Sideways Stories from Wayside School years ago and was so impressed by how well the kids did in memorizing lines, saying lines, and developing characters.  I actually had a double cast for that show, with the adults being the same for all shows.  But I had a cast 1 and cast 2 for the different weekends.  It got more kids involved plus it drew more parents.

    Funny thing about Jackie's chair.

    Derek came out today, I told him what was wrong, he picked up the remote.....and the chair worked.  It went up, down, up, down.....no problem.

    He said it may be a loose connection, so he reconnected the remote to the cord.  It al worked fine all day..up, down, up, down.

    Tonight as we were getting ready to go, the chair would not raise!  I checked the connections and they seemed tight, so I called the store again and told them.

    Tonight when we got home from the play, the chair worked!  Nobody touched it for 2 hours, and it worked.

    Go figure.

    We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Peace and Love

how much?

 Sometimes rumors are hard to believe

    Sometimes those rumors come true.

    Take the baseball player Shohei Ohtani.

    He is a hot demand player in this off season.  He can pitch well and hit well. H did have arm surgery, so he may not be able pitch in 2024, but he will be able to hit.

    The rumor is he is seeking a 10 year $500 million contract. 

    That is $50 million a year.

    If the average teacher makes $50,000 a year, that means in 20 years of teaching that person will make $1 million.  Every year he will make the lifetime earnings of 50 teachers.

    Now, I know I am being simplistic.  Some teachers will make more than that, some less.  But still.....

    What about the fans?  Someone has to pay that salary.

    Let's say a team draws 3 million fans a year. Will they have to pay an extra $20 a ticket to make up for the $50 million.?  Will teams expect more for tv coverage?  Does that mean cable companies would charge more to watch his team on tv?

    Yes, I know team revenue will skyrocket because of advertising, jerseys, hot dog and beer sales  But still.....

    What about society in general?  We have a homeless problem. in every major city, and even in the smaller ones.    $50 million could build 500 $100,000 houses.   I know a house at that price would not be a permanent home.   But still......

    I realize he has a talent, maybe even a special once in a lifetime talent that we may never see in a player again.

    But $500 million?

    Good grief.  If you have young kids, tell them to take up baseball.

Peace and Love

Plans shamans

 Today was an "unusual" day

    I did get multiple items checked off my list, but I do have a BIG problem.

    Jackie's recliner is reclined.  Like the old lady years ago, it's fallen and it can't get up.

    We tried a new controller, but it does not raise.  I wish it was like Lazarus. (That will be the only Biblical reference in my entire history of writing this blog.)

    The problem becomes is it  fixable?  If not, how much will a new chair cost?  What do I do with Jackie in the mean time?

    Tonight she is sitting in a wing chair but she is not comfortable.  Nor is she comfortable in her wheelchair.  And she can't lie in bed all day.  I could, but she can't.

    Like I said, tis a problem

    I got Emily's dog yard picked up and her garbage and recycling out for tomorrow.

    I put up most of the garland and Julia put up the newly purchased red bows.

    I have to do dishes then cut up the mountain of cardboard in my garage for the recycling guys.

    The. township was out spraying the roads today.  They put a beet juice mixture on it to make it easier to plow or to prevent ice build up.  I am not sure which.

    I wonder if that is a sign of weather later tonight?

    Finally, stopped at a Starbucks in Rockford today.  Placed my order, sat to wait.  The girl called out "Erry, so I got up and picked up a cup that wasn't mine.  It said Jerry.  I put it down while Jerry came over to claim sit.

    A few minutes later she called out "Erry" again and once again I got up to claim it, only to have Jerry beat me to it. "That's mine too," he said.

    So I sat again.  The barista said she was working on mine and finally said Terry....and added "the third time is the charm."

    Meanwhile, a woman passed in front of me and said hello.  She looked familiar.  

    After she heard my name she said, "Terry, I thought that twas you.!"  It was Erica, who is part of the Hicks' barbecue business.  We had a nice couple of minutes of catching up.

    I still have the problem of seeing people out of context and not knowing them.

    Always have, always will.

Peace and Love