Happy Easter

I know, it is almost over as I write this 

    I had a nice day today.

    We had a great dinner, nice weather, a Cubs win and good friends to share the day with.

    Emily made sweet potato pie, Julia provided some scalloped potatoes, Jen sent a huge bowl of fresh fruit, Sandy provided bacon wrapped sausages and Jackie directed me in the prep of some other dishes.

    All in all, it was a good time.

    And it may be time to buy a new printer.

    Julia hooked it up via cord so it does not print wireless.  Today it dod not print again, even with the cord.

    No rhyme or reason to its printing and not printing.  It printed yesterday just fine, but today.....no go.

    I guess that is life.

    Hope you all had a happy Easter and got a chance to enjoy family and friends.

    Blessings to you all.

Peace and Love

huh, I say, huh

This was a weird day in a couple of ways 

    I went to the library to return my DVD.  I parked in the parking area just east of the library, along the alley, across from the police department garage.

    There have been issues at times when police vehicles park in the library spaces.  That issue has for the most part been resolved and the police have been very good about not parking where library patrons can park.

    But today I noticed a state police squad taking up 3 spaces at the end of the parking lane.  I thought that was a bit out of ordinary, but I figured there were only 2 cars and there were still a couple of open spaces.

    I got out of my car and started in to the library.  I heard some yelling, but did not pay attention to what was being said.

    2 minutes later when I came out, there was a fire department vehicle there.  Then a Rochelle squad rolled up.  Then another.  And another.  And a siren was wailing in the distance, which turned out to be an ambulance.

    Meanwhile, everyone is looking in the back seat of the state police vehicle.  They would reach in, then pull back.

    I had not choice but to watch because I was blocked in behind squad cars.

    Another library patron came out with her daughter and we chatted a bit.  One of the squads moved, and I told her she could probably back out, turn into the funeral home parking lot, and get out that way.

    She said she wouldn't want to get a ticket and I told her I thought they were to busy to notice.

    So, she was able to leave and about a minute later I was able to leave, also going thru the funeral home parking lot.

    My curious mind wanted to ask what was going on.  But I realized it was none of my business and that I was not a member of the press anymore.

    I picked up a coffee at Cypress House and went home to remake the cookies that had been burned.

    Now, over the course of the past week I have been asked multiple times if we had flour.  Every time I have looked in the pantry, seen the Gold Medal bag, and replied no.

    Today I got the flour out and it was bread making flour!  It's not good for cookies!!

    So I got back in the car, drove to town, got flour, and headed back home.

    When I opened the bag, I saw a warning. that said we were not to eat uncooked flour because it could make us sick.  I had never seen that on a bag of flour.  Julia said there was probably a Tic Tok challenge where people eat flour and got sick.  I don't doubt it because there are idiots everywhere.

    We made the cookies, started the deviled eggs, made the pistachio salad and now I can look forward to folding sheets and towels because I forgot they were done.

    It's now almost 9:30, the Cubs have lost and luckily I did not watch the game.  I have some dishes to do, and I am tired.

    Plus I have one more load of laundry.

    My work never seems to be done.

Happy Easter!!

Peace and Love

Welllllll

 I watched an old movie today

    The Girl Can't Help It  was released in the late 50's.

    The Beatles book I am reading mentioned that some of "the lads" saw the movie in Liverpool and were blown away by the music.  The video features Little Richard, Fats Domino and other groups from that era.

    They were discovering rock and roll.  In the movie, and in the lads' lives.

    This movie seemed to be a big influence  on them, so I tracked down a copy and spent the afternoon watching it.  And burning cookies.

    Jayne Mansfield and Tom Ewell starred in the movie.  I had forgotten how beautiful Jayne was.  It was kind of funny, but it was neat seeing all the groups that played at some point in the movie.

    Jackie and I made Italian cookies for Easter, but due to a small misunderstanding, they stayed in the oven too long and burned.

    We will make another batch tomorrow.

    The recipe calls for the zest of one lemon.  I have lemon peel in a jar, which is zest, right?  But how much zest is in a peel?  A tablespoon?  Half a cup?  It's a puzzle to me.

    Speaking of puzzles, Julia got a postcard from a friend today.  They had visited Kenya and I told Julia they sent a postcard.

    Julia was surprised because they were in Kenya last October and hadn't mentioned going back again.

    But when I read the postcard, the last lines were "Have to back t o work tomorrow....boo.  Speaking of boo, Happy Halloween"

    (Don't criticize me for reading someone else's  postcard!  Postcards are fair game in the nosey person book.)

    I guess sending a card to Florida with our postal system and expecting it to get there in 4 or 5 days is pretty damn good considering this card took 5 months.

    Jackie and I went to Good Friday services in DeKalb and stopped at Popeyes for a shrimp dinner for her and a fish sandwich for me.  They were darn tasty!

    And that's it for me....can hear thunder, I think.

Peace and Love

Play Ball!!!

 Baseball has finally started

    I know.  Some of you are rolling their eyes.

    But we enjoy watching the Cubs.  Not the Cards.  Not the Sox, red or white, but the Cubs.

     I hope they win another World Series in my lifetime.  The Cubs and Sox combined have won 2 World Series in the last 114 years.  That is not good.

    Anyway, the pieces are all in place.  And not that I agree with all of the pieces.

    For example, I liked David Ross. He was replaced  by Craig Counsell as manager.  And I liked Peter Crow Armstrong, who is back in the minors because the Cubs were able to resign Cody Bellinger. 

    Aside from that, it's the pace of the game I enjoy.. Yes, they have a pitch clock but it is still a leisurely played game.  The pace is not frantic, like basketball; or stop and go, like football.  It is just a nice, steady pace.

    I don't find it boring, but a lot of people do.  

    Now I have to go get my Cubs flag out for when they win in Texas tonight.

    Kind of a quiet day around here.  The sun was shining, the wind was a little calmer, but the weather was still a little chilly.  I am sure it will eventually warm up to where I don't have to wear a coat.

    I met a former student at the store today.

    He said, "Hello, Mr. Dickow."

    I asked him what his name was.

    He told me and as he said it I could see his 11 year old face.

    I mentioned he was a little chunky when he was in fifth grade.  He countered with telling me he lost about 100 pounds during high school, mainly bike riding and exercising.  

    I told him that was great, and maybe I should try that instead of feeding my face with stuff.

    That would be a goal to shoot for.

Peace and Love

whirling

Today just seem like a gigantic whirl 

    Jackie had a doctor appointment in Sycamore.

    We stopped at a pharmacy to pick up some supplies, but no one was at the counter.  A lady sitting in a chair went "psssst" and I turned toward her.

    "They are in the back. It will be a few minutes."

    I said thank you, and had a. strange vague feeling of familiarity.

    Minutes later it all came together when I recognized her partner and realized the person who went "psst" is someone I have known since my newspaper days!  I just did not recognize them because of their hair color or the fact they were not in a place I would expect to see them.

    Anyway.  Went to the doctor, stopped at a grocery store, visited Portillo's to pick up Jackie's free piece of chocolate cake for her birthday, stopped at 2 libraries and finally made it home.

    Julia, Emily and t long time friends Mary Kay and Steve came over for a birthday dinner and some bundt cake desserts.

    Around 7 Kevin, Jen and Sam came over so Sam could sing happy birthday to Jackie, playing her guitar and doing the song in English and then Spanish.

    For a day that didn't have anything big planned, it was a pretty busy time.  I didn't even get in a nap!

    I just have one load of laundry to put in tonight and my day will be complete.

    Hopefully sleep will come easy tonight.

    And tomorrow I will give you answers about books written or not.

Peace and Love

windy, windy, windy

 I just want to emphasize it is windy out there

    And cold.

    And damp.

    And muddy.

    And wormy.

    Today was recycling day.  I did not take out my containers because I knew they would be all over the neighborhood and I did not want to be that person.

    When I went out to get my trash can, which was halfway in the road, causing drivers to have to do  slalom like maneuvers to get past, I noticed the recycling truck coming down Skare Road.

    So I quickly grabbed the wagon with my 2 recycling bins.

    Yes, 2 bins.  One for paper, one for plastic, glass and cans.  I know I don't have to separate them, but it gives me more capacity if I do.

    Did I mention it was windy?

    I was rolling down the driveway when the can with plastic and glass fell off the cart and spilled all over the driveway.

    And with the wind, all over the road.

    And all over the neighbor's yard across the street.

    I started to pick up when the wind attacked the second can.  I saw papers rising out of the can like haunted spirits on Christmas Eve.

    I grabbed the papers and shoved them into the can as the garbage truck approached.

    Plastic was flying.  Glass was broken.  I was frazzled.

    It was windy.

    Good neighbor Trent was in front and started helping me pick up the debris in his yard and on the street and in my driveway and still blowing everywhere.

    The guy driving the truck helped pick up.

    I had a handful and turned to go to the bin when my foot caught on something and I went face down in the mud.  And worms.  And wet.

    I can hear the young guys thinking, "Shit!  Old man down!  Old man down!"  

    I was ok, even though the driver called me sir, and finished picking up.

    I even got up by myself.

    After seeping up the broken glass, thanking Trent for his help, and putting all the now empty containers away, I went in the house.

    Jackie looked at my wet pants and asked if I fell. 

    I did not hit my head, but I have had a headache all day.  And a backache, which may be related to the fall or just because I do a lot of lifting.

    Last night when I was taking out the lidded garbage Volkswagen, I noticed hundreds of worms in the driveway and on the porch.

    I tried to not roll over them, but in the dark that was impossible.

    Now I wonder what is the typical worm population of a front yard?

    Sounds like a Google rabbit hole to fall into.

Peace and Love

wanna be

I wanna be an author

    I have some great ideas for books.  In fact, my ideas are the greatest that have ever been ideas in the entire universe!

    For example:

    Printers....Who Needs Them?   This epic volume will tell the interested reader the fascinating history of printers.  From The ancient Egyptians to the modern day computer printer, printers have been a heavily relied on source.  The book details how in the olden days a printer not functioning correctly  was often fed to Nile crocodiles while in modern times printers that don't work are often sworn at and thrown through a still closed window.

    The Fickle Side of Mother Nature.  Explore the side of Mother Nature we don't usually see.  Examine how weather can go from really cold to really mild in one day, with rain or snow or sleet going along with the weather.  See the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny.  Explore the world of mostly sunny and mostly cloudy.  

    Laws.  Who Needs Them?  This work would explore the dozens of laws we have on the books that we don't need.  For example:  Headlights should be on when wipers are working.  Who needs that?  Sure, it may improve visibility to other motorists so they can see you as they attempt to pass on a badly crumbling state road.  But hey!  Turn signals required?  What a bunch of baloney!  We don't need turn signals.  We can just assume the person stopping in front of you has a reason.  Maybe they dropped their cell phone, or hamburger, or just got tired of going forward.  It's a useless law.  Same with speed limits, stop signs and mandatory auto insurance laws.  What good do they serve?  This book will explore all aspects of the issue.

    Wonderful World of Autocorrect.  Learn how autocorrect maid it easier for people to right books without having too worry about spelling mistakes.  The book will cover thy history of autocorrect and it's future.

    World.  I am currently doing research on 5 letter words.  I plan to publish this work in 2028 and list every 5 letter word in the English language alphabetically.

    Dreamland. I have kept a journal of dreams.  When it is published, you can actually see the warped inners of my mind.  You will be astounded at the weirdness of my nights.

    Travels with Terry.   Certainly not to be confused with Travels with Charley, Travels with Terry will put the spotlight on how not to visit foreign places .  From advice on how to be pick pocketed to running afoul of proper bicycle behavior, this book will surely make you laugh.  And wonder about me.

    First Love    Everybody remember their first love.  Join me on this lovely romp in romance as I experience love and heartbreak at the same time. 

    Accidental Serial Killer    What happens to a mild mannered school teacher when he accidentally kills someone?  The bodies pile up in this semi funny mystery.  

    OK.....all seriousness aside.....do any of these sound like something I would write?  I am curious about what you think.

Peace and Love

trial time

 I am trying something new at bedtime tonight

    I have a little sound machine next to the bed. I hope that can drown out the ringing in my ears that may be affecting my sleep.

    I have it set for wind.  Which is good, I think, considering how windy it is.

    Hopefully the machine will provide a smoothing, relaxing sound that won't disturb Jackie.

    I thought of some of the other options, like rain forest, stream, waterfall, ocean waves.....but I realized that I would be up 10 times a night going to the bathroom with those sounds.

    I think there are some other sounds that would be good.

    Like city sounds.  Fire trucks, ambulances, speeding cars, shots fired, people screaming and the Lithuanian clog dancing team practice in the apartment above.

    Or Cubs Radio announcer Pat Hughes on a loop going, "It's a ground ball to Bryant, he comes up with it and tosses to Rizzo......Cubs Win the World Series!"  I would like to hear a similar call in the future.  This year?  Anything is possible.

    Train whistles.  Never mind, all I have to do is open the windows for those.

    Cats meowing would be another great sound to fall asleep to....or maybe cats purring would be better.

    Lectures on art.  Hell, any lecture on anything.  Or maybe that was just me who often fell asleep during those sessions in high school.  And college.  And building meetings.  And institutes.

    The sound of a shovel scraping snow off a sidewalk, alternating with the noise of a cracking fire.  

    The bustling noises of a busy restaurant, complete with someone dropping a load of dishes and a customer ranting about his order being wrong.

    The old reel to reel lawnmowers that you had to push.  Through in some scent that resembles freshly cut grass and it would be guaranteed to put you to sleep.

    I am not positive the sound machine will replace the CD I play.  The CD is relaxing, but it does not drown out the ringing.  I swear, I hear crickets every day of the year.  And high pitched buzzes.  And voices telling me what numbers to play in the upcoming lottery and not to sell my children to white slavers.

    But in the words of the famous Augustus Simplex, "Deal with it."

    So I will.

Peace and Love

Drat

 I caught a ground squirrel today

    Then I uncaught him.  Or her.  Methinks it is a her because it looks as though she might be "with family,"  if you know what I mean.

    Incidentally, I no longer say "Congratulations" to women I see who appear to be expecting.  I did that once and the person looked at me and said, "Thanks.  I am not pregnant.  I just have not lost the weight from my current baby."

    Oops.

    I must not have set the trap correctly, because it was sprung but empty.  

    Thinking ground squirrels are not the brightest creatures in the world, I reset it in the exact same spot.   Now who is looking like a burned out lightbulb, eh?

    Damn things.  Lightbulbs.

    I just bought a $14 3 way LED bulb for the den.  It is supposed to last 198 years or something like that. At age 75, 5 years would be a great guarantee.

    This is  the third 3 way I have put into this lamp.  (And no, I have never been involved in a 3 way although I have stopped at 4 way stops. )  They seem to burn out within months.  This one better last.

    Speaking of better, let's focus on butter.

    I bought some Egos.  And yes, I do call them Legos because I am old and get confused easily.

    I have some maple syrup from Wisconsin and I love it on pancakes and Eggos.

    I ate brunch and headed to the kitchen to put my plate in the dishwasher and hit the end of my wallet, which was on the counter.

    It immediately flipped onto the plate and landed in the syrup I did not lick off the plate.  

    That was the latest drop in long line of drops today.

    In fact, I felt like a Bears receiver at some point I had dropped so many things.  

    Mugs, pencils, papers, almost everything except my weight.

    Ended the day on a good note.  Renee and Wendy came over and we sat around eating pizza, (thank you R and W!) laughing, telling about adventures to come and all sorts of fun things.

    It was a great evening.

Peace and Love

Travel time?

 I received a National Geographic travel catalog in the mail

    As  kid, and as an adult, I loved National Geographic.

    Yes, the bare chested native people always interested the 14 year old me, but the amazing photographs and articles amazed the adult me too.  Well, the bare chested native people  did too.

    But, and there's the big butt, I could not keep up with reading them.  I would read one article, and the next magazine would come.  That kept up until I had a year's supply of NG and  besides looking for bare chested natives, the magazines were hardly  opened.

    So I dropped my subscription.  I do regret it, but I also had trouble reading it because the print size was getting smaller.

    But this week I got the Expeditions travel guide.

    And now I have the travel itch.

    I would like to take the Italian Lake District Swiss trains tour, which is only $9,695.  Per person.  

    Yes, that is steep, but so are the mountains in Switzerland.

    Jackie and I actually did part of. this trip one time, but at a lot less expense.  The scenery was beautiful.

    There is a safari in Tanzania for $10.495 and one in Kenya for $10,695.  Of course, I would have to have airfare too......but it would be worth it to see elephants in their natural habitat.

    Antartica and Patagonia can been had for a mere $22,711.  Quite a bargain for the 18 day voyage, most of which will feature endless views of water and ice. But a trip to Antartica alone is $18,000, and I think you get to beat a baby harp seal to death on one of the stops.  Just kidding.

    For an extra $10,000 you can visit the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.  Yes, $28,020 gets you a ticket to the islands Britain and Argentina fought over and to South Georgia, which his where the Atlanta Braves and Falcons play.  I think.

    If that area of the world is of interest, you can cruise the wild coasts of Argentina, South Georgia and the Falklands for only $44,298.  I don't think there are any real cities, so when you stop the visit will be short.  And cold.  

    But my favorite trip, one Jackie said she would let me take, is seeing the wildlife of the world by private jet.  India, Madagascar, the Maldives, South Africa.....I can see it all for a mere $119,995!

    One thing I notice is. the trips are all expensive, but most of them don't cost an even number!   For example, the wildlife of the world trip is $119,995.  If you can afford that, does the 95 make it any more attractive to you? 

    Me:  Can I take a trip that costs $119,995?

    Her:  Oh sure.  At least it is not $120,000.  That would be too much money.

    Me.  Lucky for me.

    Just round it off.  

    Speaking of rounding it off......enough of this crappy weather.  Four years ago my FB memory included a video of it snowing, much like it did today.  Of course, another memory was about masking to avoid the Covid virus.  Remember when we were told it was nothing more than a flu?

    But I digress.

    Right now I have to go pack.  I think I am off to Malta tomorrow.  Or maybe Genoa.  Exotic travel awaits.

    Ciao.

Peace and Love

EEEWWWW 2

 I survived the dentist

    I had chipped a tooth and the other day he smoothed it, But he said I needed a filling to replace the one I chipped.

    So today I had the filling done.

    I did not flinch.  It did not hurt.  I was fine.

    BUT, and there is always a big butt, I goofed

    Today was a BOGO  Thursday at Starbucks.  I went to order a lavender chai tea along with a vanilla latte.  I wanted mediums, because of the caffeine levels.

    But they did not have the lavender, so I ordered 2 half caff vanilla lattes.

    I should have ordered 2 small ones, but I did not.

     Now I am wondering if I will sleep at all tonight, and if those huge bugs currently crawling across the ceiling are real.

    Jackie lost a pearl earring the other day.

    I looked everywhere for it but did not find it.

    When the cleaning person came today, I told her about it.

    Well, she found the earring and the back!!

    The back was on the shower floor and the pearl part was in the shower drain, hung up on a lip.

    I took the drain cover off and pulled the earring out of the yuck.  We had given Beth a bath a couple of weeks ago, and the drain was full of black hair.  It was another  eeewwwww moment.

    But the earring and back are found and waiting to be sterilized before she put s them back into her ear.

    Finally, before Jackie's board meeting, I went to the open house at the Lincoln Performing Arts Center home of VCCT.

    The guys have done a great job on creating a theater out of old classroom and gym space.

    Of course I have regrets.  I am not as active in the groups as I used to be and I miss hanging out with the people and planning theater events.

    Second of course;  I had a name issue.  

    One person who was there, let's call him Sam, said,"Hi, Terry". I immediately said hello back, then. asked what his name was.

    He said Sam. Now the thing is every time I see him I ask what his name is!  Every time!!! No matter where I see him, I ask him his name.  And every time it is Sam.

    I gotta figure that out sometime.

    Now, I have to go do about 106 projects before the caffeine wears off.

    Luckily, there are no bugs on the ceiling, but I seem to be typing extra fast tonight.

Peace and Love

 

EEEEWWWWWW!!

 I had a hearing aid check up today

    As part of the check up, I had my ears cleaned.

    Now, I am a fairly clean person.  I take showers regularly and wash my hands frequently.

    As I sat in the chair talking to Kyle, he was probing my ear with a strange looking tool.

    He said my ears were pretty clean and he showed me this huge glob of goo that he pulled out of my left ear!   Eeewee, it was gross!

    Then he said my ears were pretty clean, compared to other people.

    OMG, I wonder what he pulls out of their ears!

    My right ear was not as bad,, but he still got a wad of whatever out with his little. tool.

    He said that people with hearing aids should get their ears cleaned regularly because the devices can cause a buildup of wax.

    Well, I have had mine for 6 years and this was the first cleaning, so I don't feel so bad.

    My next stop was the doc.  She checked my hearing aids, we talked about some minor issues, and then she asked if I had any updates on my phone, which could explain why  my hearing aids cut out once in a while when I am listening to music.

    She offered to check for updates.  Had one.  

    She offered to perform the update, which should only take a few minutes.

    I don't know how long we spent talking, but it was more than a few minutes.

    Finally I told her I could finish this at home so she could get to her other patients instead of watching my phone.

    Instead, she called one of the technicians to finish the update, which was great because she did it all in about 40 seconds while it would have taken me an hour.  

    I clean Beth's ears twice a month.  I pour a solution into each ear, then gently rub the base of the ear and then use a paper towel to wipe it out.

    I envisioned that being done to my ears, then a mini vac to suck out the gunk. I was happy to be wrong.

    Of course, I stopped at Ollie's for a. red velvet cone....which was very tasty, indeed!

    Tomorrow it is back to the dentist and the chiropractor.  

    If it wasn't for doctors, I would not have any social life.

Peace and Love

faux votes

I don't always understand the news

    For example:  Today there was a primary election in Illinois.  So the Rockford station we were watching used the bottom part of the screen to show results.

    At 8 p.m.  they were showing results like:  Lee County  trump 0 %; Haley, 0%; Christie 0%; DeSantis o%....and Biden had 0f%.

    If you don't have results, why show the graphics?  They did the same for 3 other counties, listing all the races and everybody had 0%.

    Pretty stupid, if you ask me,

    Got up early to make a 10:15 dental appointment.  He smoothed down my chipped tooth so it no longer irritates my tongue but he said I need a little more work, so I go back Thursday for a filling.  I am already sweating.

    Jackie and I went to Rockford for some errands today.  I stopped at a plant place where I buy bird seed and told them I wanted to use my 2 gift cards to cover a couple of purchases.  

    Funny....I don't have 2 gift cards.  

    The deal is when you buy $300 worth of bird seed, you get a $25 card.  I thought I had earned 2, so I was surprised when she said I didn't have any.

    The nice lady went into the back and came back with my used gift card, signed by me, and showed it to me.

    I don't remember using it.  How is that possible?

    And I have not yet earned the second card.... but I am close.

    I am going to use pictures to finish my thoughts.

Peace and Love

Sometimes Julia works with the door closed and Beth just waits

trees are blooming

Jackie's magnolia is blooming too....but for how long?

The winds have been strong.

We put up the egg tree today

this and that

I just have odds and ends today 

    I chipped a tooth on something.  Now I have a dental appointment tomorrow to at least have it smoothed down so it doesn't irritate my tongue more than it has.

    I finished Miss Buncle Married, a novel written in the early 1930s and dealing with the people in a small village in England.  I first read Miss Buncle's Book and was so intrigued by the characters and descriptions that I opted to read the second book.  Now I have found a third on Hoopla and will start that tonight.  Maybe.

    I took Beth to the groomers for a wash and trim today.  They said she had lots of tangles.  Lots.  I have tried brushing her, so has Julia, but we don't seem to be able to keep ahead of the snarls.  Maybe with a fresh start we can.

    Sometimes the autocorrect makes my correct spelling incorrect.  like Miss Buncle.  It changes it to bungle and I have to go back and change it again.

        I walked at the REC today and ended up talking to 4 people I have not seen for a while.  Might have talked longer than I walked.

    Julia made supper tonight.  I call them Philly cheese steaks, but that is me.  Thinly sliced roast beef on a bun, topped with mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce then baked open faded  in the oven.  It was darn good!

    I read 2 different ways.  

    I have an e-reader, which is what I use for Hoopla.  

    I also real book read in my chair in the den.  

    The real book I am  reading is Tune In. the first volume in a 4 volume series on the Beatles.  I just got up to the part where John meets Paul.

    The amount of research that has gone into this book is amazing.  I am intimidated by the 800 plus pages, but reading about the early lives of the 4 in Liverpool is pretty darn interesting.  

    And I am bothered by my nose hairs and ear hairs growing so fast, while the hair on my head seems to be disappearing slowly.   Thank heavens for electric trimmers.

Peace and Love

    

    

ho hum

 Life can get pretty boring around here

    Get up, make the bed, shower, eat brunch, take a nap, read........pretty hum drum stuff.

    But sometimes there is excitement right out the back door.

    For instance:  A couple of weeks ago I was in the back and I heard a thump.  I turned around just in time to see a white car hit a tree about 20 feet off the road in the park.  I also heard a man yelling a bunch of words I won't repeat, but let me say he was upset.

    Funny thing was, there was a county sheriff's car at the corner when the car drove into the park.

    I kind of think, and I have no way of knowing, that a young person was getting a driving lesson and got rattled as they turned onto Skare Road and saw the sheriff.

    No one was hurt, and they drove the car over the grass to the parking lot. 

    Then the other day I noticed a school bus parked in the lot right off Skare Road.  I did not pay much attention to it, figured maybe a class was on an outing.

    But Julia pointed out there was a person running around the bus, but the bus door was closed.

    I got out my binoculars and sure enough, a young boy was running around the bus and it did not seem like the driver was letting him on.

    A sheriff's car arrived, then another, and they talked to the bus driver, then to the boy, then to the bus driver, then to the boy and eventually another adult showed up and and the bus and squads left, the boy remaining with the adult.

    I saw in the Rochelle paper that a 13 year old had been charged with battery in an incident and I am guessing the youth hit the bus driver or someone else on the bus.  

    Mind you, I am only guessing about some of the information.  Pure conjecture.

    But sometimes you have to fill in BCD when you see A and E.

    And I have no idea what that means.

Peace and Love

well.....I never

 I am a guy stuck in the past, musically

    And culturally too.  I don/t know much about current movies, stars, or trends.  For me, my cultural life stopped developing in the 1960s.

    I mean, I love the Beatles.  And the Stones.  and 50s-60s music.  Not crazy about disco, or country and western, unless it's Waylon and Willie.  And I love Jimmy, (RIP) but he is in a class all by himself.

    So I was basically clueless about Taylor Swift. 

    She started showing up at KC football games, and I was puzzled about the draw.

    My friend Sheri went to a Swift concert this summer with her daughter and seemed to love it.

    Well, I said to Julia we should invite Sheri over for pizza and watch  The ErasTour on the Disney channel.

    So we did.

    I now know who Taylor Swift is....and I am impressed.

    She does a 3 + hour show and does not have an intermission.  She does costume changes on the fly and has great dancers, singers, and band members backing her.

    Now I am not going to run out and buy some music by her, but I do have a new respect for her.  

    Honestly, I figured while the girls were watching I would go  and read someplace.  But I was fascinated by the show and the showmanship.

    The Eras Tour video streaming on Disney and Hulu was shot at Sofi Stadium.  Some 420,000 attended the 6 shows she did there.

    That to me is amazing.  

    Speaking of amazing........(neat segue, eh?)

    I read an article where NY state officials confiscated a 750 pound alligator a man was keeping in a pool inside his house.

    He has had the alligator for 34 years.  He has an in-house pool that he configured to look like a pond. The gator is blind and does not move very well. The man had a license to keep the animal, but the state changed the rules and he was not grandfathered in the new regulation, or something like that.

    What was amazing is he allowed neighborhood kids to swim in the pool with the alligator!!

    I don't care how friendly the gator is, I would not share a swimming pool with it.  He may be blind, but I don't want to chance his sense or smell confusing me for a side of beef.  Besides, I am not a fan of gator poop.

    And that's my beef for today.

Peace and Love

what was that?

 Dreamland it is not

    I went to bed a little late last night.  I had a slight problem getting to sleep.  I had coffee during the day, a little cola at night, and a lot of water.

    Sleep came eventually.

    But then I began to dream.

    I hatet to do this, because my dreams sometimes are very intense.  But I am going to tell as much as I can.

    First, I don't know if I was in the dream or someone else.  I am going to assume it was me, but only 1 person called me by name.  I never saw myself in the dream.

    Second, there was a girl in the dream (it's always about a girl) but she did not have a name.  In fact, none of the people in the dream had names except one person near the end.

    Ok..dream explanation as best I can recall.

    I was dead.  I was in heaven, I think.  It was a beautiful place.  My family was there, except my mother looked like Edward G. Robinson  with a bad wig.  Go figure.

    I was in love with a little blond girl.  Maybe I should say short, as little has kind of a creepy connotation.  She looked like Kristen Chenowith, (I know that is not spelled correctly) but with a short hair cut.

    For some reason, we had the chance to return to life.  There was a huge celebration for us going back, but her family was faking it and my mother did not say a word.

    I woke up with tears in my eyes and a coffee bladder.

    When I went back to bed, the dream continued!  

    I was sent to a classroom where there were 20 or so people sitting at computers.  It was a classroom for news writing and everyone was working on the same story:  A plane landing in LA hit a Toyota van that was near the runway, killing 6 people in the van.

    Each reporter student had an instructor standing over them.  I did not.  Neither did the love of my post life.

    We were waiting for a portal to life to open.  But when it opened, we were back with family and friends at the party.

    The portal opened.  I was to go first, with a huge cart of my personal belongings, and the LOMPL (love of my post life). would follow in 15 minutes.  That way all the spirits would not be reappearing in the same place at the same time.

    As I went through the tunnel of the portal, my cart kept getting smaller until my possessions were in a back pack and I was standing on a busy street corner.

    I waited for the 15 minutes.  She did not appear.  I waited a long time, but she never came.  So I got on a bus.

    Meanwhile, back at the celebration, she tried to leave but the gate to the portal was coming down.  She got partially under it and was trapped.  Because she could not go forward, or back, she was transformed into an owl.

    Bathroom break number 2.

    I went back to bed.  I was now in a type of prison.  The prison was high on a cliff, and there were no barriers  so e could walk out almost to the cliff edge and stare at the water churning below.

    An old, old, old woman stood on her part of the cliff and called me by name.  I called her by name, which was Irene.  This was the only time in the dream I heard names.

    As I was in prison, comfort animals were brought in.  Dogs, cats...and an owl.  The owl immediately came to me.  It mentally communicated to me and I cried tears of joy and sorrow.

    When I got up for break 3, I had tears running down thy face.

    Going back to bed, I told the person in charge that the owl was the LOMPL and explained how she became an owl.

    He left and returned with a type of gas mask, and had us put it on.  Even Irene had to put one on.

    Things get a little confusing at this point. (Really?  TD, you lost me at the first bathroom break.)

    Some sort of fog, or gas, overcame us and when it passed, the LOMPL and I were in a sun filled meadow, holding each other tighly.

    And I woke up, crying AGAIN!

    I know dreams are influenced by real life.  Yes, I had started watching The Good Place on Netflix.  Yes I thad. talked to a friend whose mother was 107 years old.  True.  107!  I can't imagine that.  But she is.

    And I am sort of stuck on a van crash in Wisconsin last week that killed 9 people.

    But I don't think I have ever had a dream that caused me to cry more than once, or that took place over several bathroom breaks.

    Perhaps spicy food was not a good option.

    The whole dream seems to not have an ending.  Perhaps we were like Adam and Eve in the garden, or the Engalls family on the prairie.  

    I think that is the reason my sleep is so disturbed at night.  My dreams tend to be colorful and bizarre, and my sleep patters reflect that.   Along with the coffee.

Peace and Love

Otis weather

I am a little tired of this 

    70 one day, 50 the next and 40 by the time I grill supper.

    I wore a heavier coat at 5:30 than I did at 12;30 because I was freezing out in the garage.

    Yes, in the garage.

    I put the grill in the garage during the winter so I can grill is semi comfort.  I do have the garage door open, I am not totally stupid.

    But I was cold today, and the pork chops might have been cold when I took them off the grill.

    I was a little embarrassed today.  Again.

    Jackie was getting her hair done, so I have about an hour to do something.  I almost always go over to Acres Bistro and have a coffee and some cookies. 

    Well, they had cookies today, but hey also had a brownie in a Mason jar type goodie with whipped cream, raspberry filling, brownie and something else. It was super delish!

    I misread the bill.  I gave the waitress a $10, expecting $2.5o or so in change.  But the bill was not $7.50. but $9:50.  Now, I had a $20 bill, but did not want to break it for some unknown reason.  Which meant I did not have much to leave for a tip.

    And the lady was super nice to me.  She kept my coffee cup filled, talked to me for a couple of minutes, and made sure I was a happy camper.

    So on my way out I told her I shorted her on a tip, but would make up for it next time.  She laughed and said not to worry.

    But I do!  I don't want to be a cheap skate.

    I just hope she is working next time I go in.

    Also learned I will be gaining more weight starting in April.

    A new ice cream parlor is opening right across from the museum on 8th street.  They will have malts, shakes, sundaes and ice cream.  It will be a great addition to the downtown, but will probably shorten my life span by 7 years.

    All things in moderation, I know.  But ice cream?  

    When I order at Country School and have to wait, I always get a cone of moose tracks.  I can usually finish half of it before the order comes.  Again, I have no self control.

    As a matter of fact, cone or cup is the easiest decision I ever have to make in life.  Always, cone.

Peace and Love

fridge fair

 Talk about unusual meals

    We seem to have acquired some leftovers over the past 3 days.

    So tonight it was time to finish them.

    That made for some interesting meals.  

    I had some potato soup, half a ham and cheese sandwich, some cole slaw and a chicken finger.  Now, looking at the line up I can sense some questions about the gastronomical choices, and truthfully, I am having one of those myself right now.

    Julia had chicken and something.

    Jackie had a ham and Swiss on marble rye, with some cole slaw, chips and broccoli salad.

    At least the fridge looks a little better.

    Back when I was in college and living off campus, I would buy a pound of ground beef and a couple of boxes of Rice a Roni.  I would grill t the meat and mix the R and R and put it all together.  It was not unusual for me to have that 2 or 3 times a day until it was gone.

    I actually grew to like it.  But one. time after we had been married I made it and it just did not seem that good.  Maybe I should try it again.

    When I was a teenager, I did not always display good, ethical behavior when it came to food.

    I once worked in a food store deli.  One of my jobs was to close at night, making sure the chicken rotisserie was clean and ready to go the next day.

    That usually took me 15-20 minutes.

    At some point I discovered that if I put the last chicken (singular) on 40 minutes before then, I would have a left over chicken at closing time.

    Since we could not carry them over, I would price them to sell......usually 50 cents, and sometimes 25 cents.  

    And I would buy it.  I loved the chicken.  Still do.

    I realized later in life that I was wrong.  But I t think the statute of limitations has expired on my petty embezzlement career.

    I have my own roaster now, so I can make a chicken. whenever I want.  

    I just never seem to buy the bird.

Peace and Love

not again

 The mystery returns

    After 2 weeks of printing whatever I want, I can't print again.  I keep getting the message" printer not found".  Well, it hasn't moved since I printed last Friday!  Not found my foot.

    I don't get it.

    My next complaint.

    Dog Beth.

    Yes, I have been complaining about her a lot.

    Last night I took her out at about 9 and she stayed out for 15 minutes, spending 14 of those minutes staring at a bush.  She is convinced there is a rabbit or ground squirrel in the bush, or under the bush, or somewhere.  But we never see one.

    I brought her in and right before bed, about 11, I took her out again.  She sniffed around but did not go to the bathroom.  I did put her on a long leash, because sometimes she sits at the far end of the bushes and I won't walk in the grass at night.  Need I explain why?

    She came in and went to bed.  I went to bed.  

    I had a hard time getting to sleep. Maybe it was the 2 p.m. coffee, the 1 p.m. nap, the change in. time, or my perpetual worrying, but I could not sleep.

    About 1:30 Beth left her crate and went to the front door.  That is what she does when she wants to go out.

    I was not playing this game again.

    I  checked on her, then went back to bed.  I figured if she had to go, she would bark.

    At 4 a.m. she was still at the front door.  I know, because I got up to check. I did not want her in a spot where Julia could trip over her.

   Her tail started wagging and she stretched, which she always does before going out.  So I took her out.

    The little snot went to the end of the sidewalk, looked around, came back in and went right to her crate!

    I am convinced the whole operation was to tell me she was in charge! She won.  This time.

    Tonight I think I will latch her crate.  That way I will get a better sleep.

    I do think she is a smart dog and is starting to realize she can wrap me around her little paw.  

    Yes, she is training me.  Should be the other way around.

Peace and Love

dates

 My life is getting filled with dates

    No, not the  boy-girl dates.

    And not the dates you get off a tree and eat.

    But dates.

    Every 2 weeks clean the dog's ears, so I shoot for the 1st and 15th of the month.

    Every 11th of a month give the dog a heart worm med.

    Last day of the month give the dog a flea/tick preventative.

    First of the month clean my hearing aids by changing the ear wax filters.

    First of the month, clean the washer filter and drain the water.

    First Tuesday of the month, and the second Wednesday, second Thursday, and third Thursday....meetings.

    Then there are the dates when recycling comes, like tomorrow.  I still have a ton of boxes to get ready for the pickup.  By getting ready, I mean cutting down and packing them into something.  I write those dates  on the calendar so I don't forget.

    I tell you, not a day goes by that I don't seem to have something to do!  

    Sure, m lost of the stuff doesn't take very long, except the meetings.  Yet it seems like I am always in the middle of doing one thing or another.

    And some of the stuff is stuff I want to do.  In fact, I enjoy my involvement with community foundation and the museum.

    But I don't enjoy cleaning Beth's ears.  Last time I did it up on the couch and now she won't come on the couch when I am sitting there!  Next time I will clean them while she is on the floor.  

    And I do have time for coffee, naps, reading, doing this blog, working on my books, reading the Trib, checking Facebook and playing solitaire on line.

    I also realize I can't keep doing all the things I do.  

    But until that day comes, I will keep complaining and moaning about doing them.

    I gotta go.....cardboard is calling.

Peace and Love

snooooore

 I don't like the time change

    My body goes to bed about 11:30, which is now 12:30, which means I can't get to sleep.

    My body gets up at 9, which is now 10, which means I need a nap that I did not get today.

    My body also likes the extra hour of sun at the end of the day.  And when we change, it also likes the light time in the morning when kids are on their way to school.

    Maybe we should take that hour and split it in half and never change again!  How confusing could that be?

    Jackie and I went to church today but not for a regular worship service.  One of our church members died and today was the memorial service.

    We sat and visited with a lot of people who have not seen for a while.  It seems we make it to church Christmas Eve and maybe Easter.  We have supply priests and instead of doing 2 services on a Sunday, we only do one at 9:30.

    For most people that is not an issue, but for us it is. It takes a while to get Jackie up and ready for the day.  We figure if we want to make a 9:30 service, we'd have to get up at 6:30.  If you know us, you know that will never happen.

    We had our friend Sam coming over tonight to show me her critique sheets from her first ever speech meet.  That brought back memories.

    I enjoyed doing speech with the kids.  I always told them they were doing something most parents would bet afraid to do....getting up in front of strangers and performing.  

    Sam did verse and duet acting and she went through her. verse and duet parts for all of us.  I think she did pretty darn good.

    I realized how out of practice I was when I made notes on her performances and could not figure out what I wrote or why I wrote it.  

    My friend Human Beth and I had talked at one point in our lives of taking a summer and writing scripts for novice speech kids.  We would do about 15 of them, and put them in a book form, getting rich off the profits.  Well, we never did it.  Someday.

    And here's another small world item.  A sister of a former Rochelle friend died.  She has a daughter living in Lititz PA.  What makes it a small world is our nephew and his family also live in Lititz   If you have never heard of the town, you now have.  Twice.

    I have also been accused of intentionally mispronouncing the name of the town.

    By the way, it is about the same size as Rochelle.  

    By the way,  #2 , I am relaxing with a short stubby glass of red.....so please excuse any incomplete thoughts.

Peace and Love 

    

oh oh

 I am turning into one of "them"

    You know the type.

    Driving 30 in a 60 zone.

    Looking for change at the check out counter.

    Writing a check at the check out counter, after standing in line for 3 minutes with your checkbook put away only to finally dig it out and start writing while the line grows behind you, and people start growling and throwing candy bars at the back of your head.

    Wandering around a parking lot looking for your car.  In the rain.  A heavy rain.  With a strong wind blowing in your face and you only in a thin sweatshirt because you did not believe it when  the forecast said rain at 4 p.m. and you went out at 3:59.

    Complaining about changing the clocks at 2 a.m. twice a year.

    You know, one of :then."

     I had 2 errands to run in DeKalb yesterday.  I needed  a new toilet seat and could not buy it locally.  I checked.

    Jackie wanted me to see if  a store had a flower patterned rugs to replace the one in our bathroom.  Incidentally, throw rugs are the largest cause of falls in homes for elderly people.  Keep that in mind.

    Since Julia was gone, I went to Portillo's for supper.

    Jackie gets a Chicago style hot dog 99 % of the time.  I, on the other hand, get bored with food.

    I decided to get a fish sandwich.  I like fish sandwiches.  I don't have to eat them, but I like them. 

     (When Jackie and I were dating there was a Burger King special on fish sandwiches during lent.  For 59 cents I could get a sandwich.  Throw in a pop and fries an I could eat for under $2. Since I lived off campus, that was great and I ate a fish sandwich at least 4 times a week.  All during  Lent.)

    Last year  Portillo's  had a really great walleye sandwich.  But I did not see any fish sandwich on the menu board.

    I was the only person in line.  I asked the sweet young thing (SWT)  what kind of fish they had and she said she did not know..  A co worker said it was a deep fried cod.  I asked the SWT  if she had tried it and did she like it?.  She said she did not eat fish, but it looked good. 

    I hemmed and hawed and finally said I would like the fish.  Then I stared at the board and thought about a dessert, or shake, or side, but finally said that was all.

    When I turned around there were at least 6 people behind me!

    I KNOW what they were thinking.

    Just order!  Stop asking questions!  Order the damn fish and move on.!

    So I did.

    And when I got my order, I actually checked to be sure it was all there before I left the store.  I have learned that lesson.

    I think it is Progressive Insurance commercials that show a guy teaching people how not to be like their parents.  It may be too late for me.....I should have had that lesson before complaining that the shopping cart did not roll straight.

Peace and Love

dog nab it

Dog Beth is training me 

    When Beth  sits by the door, I let her out.  When she scratches the door, I let her in.  Sometimes the door is not shut all the way and she pushes on it, opening it, and coming in on her own.  (And I also applies to Julia.)

    We have not taught her how to close the door, however.  This does present a problem when Julia and I have gone off to different parts of the house and the door is wide open with cold air coming inside.

    I do have an issue with night time outings.

    We put a  red flashing collar on her so we can see her in the darkness.  I put a coat on and go out with her because coyotes are in the area.

    Beth will stand and stare at a bush for minutes, while I often stand there shivering because the coat is too light or the wind too strong or the hat not on my head keeping my entire body warmer.

    After she does this for a while, I guide her into the house, where she proceeds to sit at the front door waiting for me to take her out.  Again.  

    I have been waiting for a while  now to  go out  again..

    Last night she went out, stared at the bush, I got her in and we all went to bed.

    Beth goes into a kennel, but I don't close the door.  We trust her, but I am afraid that if she doesn't have the crate she will be somewhere where I will step on her or fall over her.

    At 4 a.m. Jackie woke me up and said Beth was out.  Jackie can hear Beth's nails clicking across the floor.  But with my hearing loss, I don't hear. that.

    I got up and sure enough, she was sitting by the front door.

    I tried to herd her back to bed.  I stepped in front of her and prevented her from going to the door.  She moved right, I moved left.  She moved left, I moved right.  

    We danced like this for a couple of minutes and finally I gave in, put her flashing red collar on, got on a coat, opened the door and out she went.

    Instead of staring at the bush, she went into the yard and eliminated waste, in gentler terms.  Twice.  

    Then she came back to the door, I took off her collar, and she went straight back to bed.

    That was the second time I got up during the night.

    I was up about 2 when a very powerful flower scent woke me up.  I thought maybe Julia had a candle lit, but no.  Nothing smelled downstairs or in any other part of the house except around my bed.

    And it was a great smell.

    I was a little tired today, so I took an hour nap.,  I could have slept longer but I had some things to do.

    Sometimes my life is just weird.

Peace and Love

state of the union

 I listened to the state of the union address tonight

    No, this is not a political rant.  Almost all of you know how I feel and who I support, so there is no need to further explain that part of my life.

    It just strikes me as strange that a man in my age group is running for president.  Actually, 2 of them.  

    Now I have nothing against old people,  because I am an old person.  And so  are several of you.

    I am just confused about how I got old.

    Just yesterday my kids were going off to college.  I was able to ride my bike more than 3 miles before tiring.

    Staying up late did not involve bathroom runs or worrying about the little pain in my chest/let/head/arm.

    I was able to read books with normal sized print. 

    I remembered to use turn signals and that a speed limit of 55 meant I should be going 62.

    I never used to complain about the grocery cart not going in a straight line.  

    There was a time in my life when I could use the phone without having to find it.  It was always on the wall, not still in the car or buried in my coat pocket on mute.

    I used to have a hop and skip in my step, now it's a slow shuffle with loose fitting slippers that could cause me to fall and break a hip at any moment, which is another reason I worry at night.

    I once actually was able to read the Tribune without logging in.  But then, I also used the paper to wrap presents, train the dog, line the bird cage and even for toilet paper when times were rough.  Well, actually never toilet paper, but my mother always lined the bird cage with the Tribune.

    Somebody told me the other day that the 70s were now the new 60s.  That is bullshit.  70 is 70.  Sure,  my mind might be fairly sharp but physically I am not in the shape  I was when I was 60.  Not that I was in great shape then, but I could go up the stairs without breathing hard or having my legs and hips hurt.

    I am old enough to remember when the president, no matter who he was, was granted respect during the state of the union. 

    Honestly, I am not comfortable having someone older than me be president.  I know I forget things.   I don't understand stuff as well as I used to.  Technology puzzles me sometimes.  And I am younger than the 2 older guys running.

    I sometimes wish there was a way to reverse aging, but I know that would be catastrophic for the world and the environment.

    But I also know I hate getting old although it does  beat the alternative.

Peace and Love

Hello, Ciao, Bon Jour

 Just some weird things to share tonight

    During the life of this blog, which now seems endless, there have been over 300,000 page views.

    I know, that is over 65 years, but still, 300,000 is a lot.  I don't have that many pennies in my pocket,  teeth in thy mouth, or calories consumed in a day.  Well, I am not sure about the calories lately.

    The most common browser used is Chrome.  According to the stats page, the most common device is an I phone.  I would not have guessed that.

    I am always amazed by where people are from who click on the page.

    Of course, the most page views come from the gold Old US, long may it be free and independent.  What surprised me is the second most views are from people in France.  I would have thought Switzerland, because I know more people there and Julia lived there for 20 years, but the Swiss are third.

    And Vlady must like what I don't write about him because Russia comes up with the fourth most, Portugal is fifth, and Germany sixth.

    That is over the life of the blog.

    I don't know anyone in Portugal but strangely there is a young girl, maybe 11 or 12 years old, named Julia Dickow who lives in Portugal and has a Facebook page!  I once thought of contacting her, but then realized how darn creepy that would be.

    And Germany kind of makes sense because there are Dickows in Germany.

    I would guess people sometimes just Google search the Dickow name and stumble upon my blog.

    Other countries with views are the Netherlands, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden, Czechia,  Ireland, Brazil, Ukraine, Bulgaria, the UK, South Korea, and Canada. Then there are others with too small an audience to individually list in the stats section.

    I am an author with an international audience.  

    I sometimes wish people in other parts of the world would leave a message, or a thumbs up, and tell me their location.  I always loved those "Flat Alberts" or whatever they were that teachers sent out.  My blog could be a "Flat Albert" of sorts.

    If I could communicate with those people I would say two words:  Peace.  Love.

    The world needs more of it.  Especially now.

Peace and Love

musings

 I have been thinking a lot about stuff

    Like the expression what goes up must come down.  Well, Newton might have turned that into a law of physics, or a cookie, or an apple pie.  But it does not apply to my weight.  It is going up.  Again.  I have lost control of my appetite.  Again.

    Paper cuts.  They may not be deep, but hey hurt like hell!  You never imagine that innocent sheaf of paper can hold a razor sharp edge just waiting to inflict great bodily pain on a finger.

    Dreams.  I had the nicest dream last night, but I could not remember one bit of it after I woke up.  All I know is it made my sleep happy.

    Prescriptions.   I always check when I go to Walmart.  And whenever I get in the car and get almost home I always get a text that we have some ready.  Why don't I get those texts when I am at the store?

    When I say I can't find something, why does someone always ask where I put the item?.  If I knew where I put it  I wouldn't be looking.  Strangely, I do the same thing even though it makes no sense.

    How do I always end up with an odd number of socks when I do laundry?

    And yes, I remember my childhood phone number but not passwords on my computer.  The mind is a fickle   feature of humans.

    How did I miss commenting on  the only day of the year that gives a command?  

    When I see a penny on the ground, I pick it up.  If I saved all the pennies I have picked up in my life I would probably have $1.49.  Somedays it is the only exercise I get.

    My dog won't come near me tonight.  Even with a treat, she is avoiding me.  Do I smell?

   I guess I should check the gas gauge when I am near a gas station and not when I get home and find I am almost on empty.

    Bread doesn't mold until I want to use it.

    I have noticed lately that Lena, Stockton, Mt Carroll and that general area get a lot of severe weather, much more than us.  Why is that?

    Why don't I read directions correctly?  Or at all?

    I have put off a plan to end my procrastination.

    Why do people read this?

    I thank you for reading  it and torturing your selves.  I do appreciate it.

Peace and Love

Hy-Vee

I remember the first time I went into a Hy-Vee store

    Hy-Vee is an Iowa based food store chain.  They do have a store in Sycamore now, but mainly they are in Iowa.

    Nice store, but lately I notice they have a lot more house labels and not as many name brands to choose from.

    But I digress.

    I thought of that tonight when the sky turned black and the weather alarm toned...again. And again. 

    But, I still digress.

    Emily was attending Drake in DesMoines.  Jackie, Julia  and I had gone out to visit her.  

    It was hot.  I remember that.  We had gone out to dinner or shopping when all hell started to break loose.

    Thunder, lightning, traffic lights out and the radio was blaring " TORNADO WARNING.  SEEK SHELTER NOW"

    The wind was picking up and we were in a car.  I had no idea where to go.  We pulled into a parking lot of a building that was some kind of shelter, but no one seemed to be there.  On the next corner there was a Hy-Vee.

    I parked, and we ran into the store.  The girls went to use a bathroom but came out because a lady was on her knees loudly praying to God to spare us all from doom, death, and destruction.  

     Inside the store they were making everyone go to the back and into their giant cooler, which served as a storm shelter.

    I don't know how long we stayed in there.  It could have been 5 minutes or 50 minutes.

    After a while we left and took Emily back to her apartment.  It was not night, but it was very dark.

    We were shaken, but safe.  Traffic was a bit weird as there were no working stop and go lights.

    When we drove home the later, we could not stop at any of the rest areas because there were downed trees and no power.  The storms seemed to follow 80 across Iowa.

    We had a radio on and the DesMoines station was announcing potential tornadoes behind us, and the uprooted trees we saw told us there were tornadoes ahead of us.

    I don't like storms.  Typical thunderstorms are ok, but the potential for tornado storms always send me into panic mode.

    These days the storms seem stronger.  When Emily lost her house several years ago, it was  destroyed by an EF 4 tornado, one of the  strongest storms. 

    That's why when that alert sounds, I get a little ... make that a lot.... nervous.  

    Mother Nature can be a fickle being sometimes.

Peace and Love

Before the storm

Blue sky!!

    

    

memories and maybes

 I love looking at my memories on Facebook

    In 2 of the memories for this date, snow was on the way!  One forecast was 6-9 inches.  I don't remember how much we got .

    Another memory was about the ice storm we had and weather school was open or not.  (Notice the clever way I used weather instead of wether.......pretty punny, eh?). School was on, just starting later.

    Another memory for this date was a severe storm system approaching, with Jackie and me practicing hiding during a tornado.

    Some memories are just plain bittersweet.  I did a post in 2013 and my cousin Sally from Alaska commented on it.  Sally and husband Warren. visited us in 2014, shortly after she was diagnosed with brain cancer.  She was here in May, and we had snow the week before they got here.  She died in September.  A lifelong Cubs fan, she never got the chance to watch a World Series win.  I still miss her.

    Wow....that got serious fast, didn't it?

    You may remember me complaining that my printer could not connect to the computer.  Julia tried connecting.  Emily tried connecting. Nothing.

    Julia ordered a cord to connect printer to computer.  Should solve the problem.

    Cord comes.  Julia goes to hook it up.  Before she does she hits print, and the printer works.  Wireless.  Works fine.

    Go figure.

    We had a surprise today.  My niece stopped on her way back from Peoria.  Her daughter (my grand niece?  second  cousin?  I don't know!) is working there and we are about half way from there to her home up by McHenry.

    It was a nice visit.  I cooked brats on the grill, did not burn them, and we got all caught up on her family.

    We also facer timed Jackie's brother and sister in law in Florida, Bob and Anita, and had a nice video visit with them.

    I even got a dog walk in with Beth! Beautiful weather, except for the gale force winds.

    I am going to check the forecast for this week to see if it calls for snow, ice, tornadoes, torrential rains or locust invasions.

Peace and Love

busy beavers

 We have had a busy 3 days

    Play Thursday night for me, friends over last night, and today a matinee performance with our little friend Sam.

    She was in Beauty and the Beast in Rockford.  I have never seen the Disney movie and really had no concept of the show except the beauty falls in love with the beast.

    I know!!  75 and never have seen a production, movie, cartoon, or storybook of Beauty and the Beast!  My parents and the American education system failed me!!!  I oughta sue.

    Anyway, I told Jackie we were going to Rock Valley College to see the play.  She double checked the time and discovered it was at Rockford University.  I would have gone to the wrong place and we probably ly would have missed the show!

    We parked in a faculty lot, and I put the wheelchair  out for Jackie to move to......but I forgot to set the brake and the chair took off, downhill, into a bush.  It did not go far, but the bush prevented it from going down a hill.

    We sat in the top row, because the theater is sloped and the only handicap seats are at the back and bottom.  

    I could pick out Sam until I could not pick out Sam.  I had planned to bring my field glasses, but I forgot them.  They would have helped a lot.

    And there were 170 kids in the show.  I can't imagine directing something that big.  The theater was full, must have been 500 or more people.  They did a show last night, 2 today, one tomorrow and then shows next weekend with different people in supporting roles.

    Here's a digression.

    I was talking to a friend, we'll call him. Ted.  He is not from the United States but from an African nation.

    We got on the subject of names and he said, "Do you know why they call me Ted?"  I guessed a family name but I was wrong.  

    "All the boys born on Saturday in my country are named Ted.  Girls born on a Saturday are named Sally."

    So in a classroom there could be 6 or 7 Teds and a number of Sallys.  

    I asked how they call on one specific Ted.  He said A Ted born in May would be called Ted May, in July Ted July.  Same with the girls.  Two Ted Mays would have a third descriptor added.  Reminded me of George Foreman and his sons, all called George.

    I admit, that system would make it easier for me, because I would only have to remember 7 boy's names and 7 girl's names.

    But I did not ask if the same names were used year after year or if they had new names for a new year.

    Next time I see them I will try to remember to ask.

    I just thought that was interesting.

Peace and Love