shop small

 Sometimes I feel blessed living here

    I grew up in Chicago.  

    My formative years were spent in the city.  I loved going to Lincoln Park Zoo, and the then Chicago Historical Society.  Old Town in the 60s was a magnet.

    All night diners? Check.

    Tamale stands on the corner?  Check.  Was it little Johnny's tamales down by the ballpark?  Pr was he the one on Western and Irving?

    Movie theaters, grocery stores, transportation...it was all there.

    Rochelle was a 5 year stop.  Get our degrees, work a little, move on to bigger and better things.

    We've now been here over 50 years.  Who would have thought it?

    There are advantages living here that I did not always consider.

    For example.

    Today I went into Cypress House for a coffee.  For the second time in 2 weeks, my coffee was paid for by someone else.  That was a nice surprise.  Thanks Ann and Kimberley for your thoughtfulness.   I truly appreciate it.  Amy made it, Emily rang it up, and Krista took a picture of me sipping my peppermint mocha next to a fire pit in front of the store.  It was a relaxing experience.  

    Stopped at the museum and visited for a few minutes with Bobbie, Sally, Steve, Jan and Mary.  Enjoyed a delicious sugar cookie.

    Stopped at Midwestern Clothing to say hello.  Of course, I confused Hailey with Kelsey and completely botched Ashlynn.  In fact, I may have just done it again.  But I was right on Kelly, Carla, Connie and momma Margaret.

    Tonight we ordered dinner out from Acres Bistro. Got a hug from Autumn, a menu from Teresa, and great grilled cheese sandwiches to go.  I got the menu because despite them showing me how to find it on Facebook, I could not because I don't know my password for FB on the phone.  Go figure.

    Yes, it was small business Saturday.  But I offend stop at all these places to begin with because I like the people.

    The people I met today were parents of students, former students, former co-workers, business owners,  and most important....friends.

    I just don't know if that would be possible for me to do in a big city.  

    I guess we will stay a bit longer.

Peace and Love

not yet!

I think it is too cold outside!!! 

    As I write this it is 18 degrees outside.  18!!!!  

    Holy crap, that is cold.

    I went out to get the mail earlier and almost froze on the way to the mailbox.  The 60 mph winds did not help matters either.

    I actually heard a weather person predict that we will have either above average snowfall, or below average snowfall with a good chance we will have an average snowfall year.

    I could have predicted that!  Of course, Mr Oblivious sometimes misses when people are kidding, and they might have very well be kidding.  I don't know.

    I don't know a lot of things, but that does not mean I won't answer a question that someone asks.

    I was in Sycamore once and someone asked me where a certain store was.  I had no idea.  Instead of saying that, and mentioning I was not from the Sycamore area, I told them it was just around the corner from Farm and Fleet.

    Later I found the store was out near Peace Road and 23....miles from where I sent them.

    I do try hard not to do that anymore.  Or any less.  But I find I have a habit of answering questions no matter if I know or not.

    I managed to clean, cut, process and bag the carrots today.  Jackie offered to help, but I figured by the time I got her from the chair to the table I could be half done and my back would not hurt as much.  I am not sure, but I think 2 rows of carrots disappeared.  I could not find them and I know I planted carrots in 2 different areas.

    I am also close to finishing the garland hanging process.

    Folks, I have 6 strands of garland and it has t taken me 3 days!

    Part of it is motivation.  Part of it is time.  Part of it is it is damn cold outside.

    But I will finish tomorrow, or maybe even tonight.  Who knows.

    Hope you had a happy post Thanksgiving Day and a super Black Friday.  

Peace and Love

gobble, gobble, burp

 We had a very nice Thanksgiving

    I hope yours went well too.

    It was a small gathering.  The 4 of us plus Jackie's sister Judy and our friend Amy.  Her son did join us for a while, and Sheri stopped in for some dessert.

    The garland is still not up.  I am waiting for it to be real cold before I go out and finish it all.  It's no fun hanging garland when you can feel your fingers and toes.

    Judy, Julia and I went to visit Julia's house.  It's coming along nicely.  

    We got back just in time to watch the last half minute of the Bears.......OMG, what a terrible waste of time the last play used.  Once again, a chance at a win was snatched away from this team.  It's a shame.

    Had a nice phone call rom Joe and Marilyn in MO, did a video chat with Bob and Anita in FL, and talked with John in Chicago.  

    Like I said, it was a nice day with happy memories made and some sad ones recalled.  

    And that's the way it is.

Peace and Love

flamed out

 I had a rather Otis day today

    Not the cookie guy.  Wait, that was Amos.

    Never mind.

    The elevator guy.  You see his name on almost every elevator in the universe.

    Anyway, we had our home care worker in today.

    I showed her what was done, where stuff was, and what to be aware of.  She seemed very quiet but able.  I hope she is our regular person, but I am not sure.

    Went to the dentist for the fourth time this month.  He filed my chipped tooth down and said I needed an appointment next week to do a filling.  Great.

    I have to learn not to bite the hangnails that trouble me.  

    I was hungry....did not have breakfast.   And I was making a quick run to Rockford to return some sheets we had shipped to the house.  Shipped the sheets.  Say that seven times quickly.

    I stopped at the Golden Arches.  Now, I have only been there once in the past year except to buy French fries,  I ordered a quarter pounder with cheese combo.  I got a burger, fries and a huge Coke.  

    I decided to eat in the car for some reason.  As I was sitting there I noticed an "upcharge" for the Coke.  It was only 20 cents, but I wondered why the upcharge on a meal deal.  I was not willing to go back into the place and ask.

    But the Coke was huge!

    And I don't think anyone noticed the drippings down t he front of my coat.  Maybe I need to wash that.

    I returned the sheets, bought new ones which we probably won't like, got some birdseed, stopped at Woodman's and then Starbucks for a coffee for the road.

    But I forgot to tell them half caf.

    Which explains what at 8:15 I was out trying to hang garland on the porch railing after doing dishes, taking out recycling, taking out garbage, unloading the dishwasher and doing a load of towels.

    I felt unstoppable!

    And then the up ended and the down started.

    My body hurts, and I am physically tired.  But I know my mind is racing....I feel like I am typing 100 WPM and talking faster.  My mind is at warp speed.  

    I don't think going to bed will be a pleasant experience!

    It's only a little after 9, so maybe I will try hanging garland.

    Or reading.

    Or building aa spaceship.

    The possibilities are endless.

    One thing I do want to do is wish all of you a loving and peaceful Thanksgiving.  

    I will be giving thanks for my family and my friends.  Friends, you have no idea how important you are in my life.  Bless you.

Peace and Love

Sweet

 You know I have a sweet tooth

    Actually, I have a whole mouthful of sweet teeth! 

    I am even counting the one I seemed to have chipped today.  Let's see, broken tooth one week, filling falling out another week, now a chipped tooth.  Damn.

    Anyway, I am going to enlighten you tonight.

 

Mallomars!!!!  Back in the stores again. At least some stores.

    Background.  Mallomars were introduced by Nabisco in 1913.  They feature a graham racker base, fluffy marshmallow filling and are covered in chocolate.....dark chocolate.

    Since they were produced in the olden days when refrigeration was not around, Mallomars are traditionally made from September to March.  A couple of articles said while we have advanced with cooling technology, making them available only an art of the year increases their appeal.

    About 70 % of the cookies are sold in the metropolitan New York area.   They started being produced in New Jersey but are now made in Canada.  They are not sold in Canada however, which I think is strange.  I wonder what tariffs will do to the price of the goodies next year.

    There are other cookies like them, Whippets for one, but Mallomars are the first and the best.

    Now, pardon me while I go enjoy a Mallomar.

Peace and Love

a clip joint

We got our toenails done today 

    I can see you making. that "ick" face.  Toenails are a disgusting topic and trimming them is even more disgusting.

    Why is that?  What is it about toenails that make me go eeewwwwww?

    Anyway, we went to the salon for the trim.

    Jackie did not get a pedicure, just a trim.  She was able to stay in her wheelchair while they used the lopers to trim her toes.

    However, I had the full pedicure.  I sat in the massage chair, had my feet pampered, and felt like royalty when I was done.

    Unfortunately, that pretty well shot my day.  I did not get the rest of the lights up, the garland hung, or the carrots dug.  Tomorrow may be a nice day too, so I hope to be a little more productive.

    Yesterday I mentioned going to the Morton Arboretum and seeing the lights.  Well. today my thighs reminded me that I need to walk more.  I guess I am out of walking shape because I really felt it today.

    Jackie has a bill to pay.  I went on the website to pay it and the directions say "Enter the claim number."

    I assumed that meant the account, so I typed t hat in.  Nope.  Maybe the coding for the doctor visit?  Nope.

    Nowhere on the bill is there a claim number.  After looking for 20 minutes and getting frustrated I sent them a check.

    Every other medical group we use has a patient portal.  So does this one.  Every other medical group allows you to pay the bill through the patient portal.  On this one you can only see the statement!  There is no pay bill option.  To p[ay the bill you have to go to another site and enter the nonexistent claim number.

    Maybe it's me, but it is a screwy system.

    I just hope the mail gets there.

Peace and Love

bad plan, bad

 At tunes any plans and ideas fizzle

    Like today.

    I bought tickets for the lights at Morton Arboretum.

    The path is about 1 mile and is paved.  I figured I could push Jackie in her wheelchair  that far, stopping when I needed a break.

    Well......it never happened.

    Jackie had an MS day.  She did not feel right, and did not want to go.

    Julia and Emily did not, or could not, go.

    So I asked Sheri to go, and she did.

    The lights were pretty darn cool!

    Yes the path was paved and there is a slight incline, like friend Renee advised.  And it was crowded.

    It became apparent half way through that there was no way I could have pushed Jackie the entire way.      Yes, I could have stopped to rest but it still would have taken a looooong time to make it around the path.

    Also, my balance isn't quite good and I may have bumped into a few people.  If I didn't hit them I staggered in front of them.

    When we got into the display I realized my cell phone was still in the van.

    I asked a volunteer how I could exit and return.  She took me back to the entrance, and they said to go to the security guards at the exit and explain the situation.

    She took me over to. the 2 gents manning the exit and explained I needed to go back for my phone in case of an emergency.

    The guys said go ahead, we'll let you in when you get back.

    I said to them, "Just remember:  I am the guy with the pretty face."

    I got the car, went back and yes, they remembered me.  We talked for a minute or two, we laughed, and  I was on my way.  

    You can spend unlimited time in the display, and we were there a little over 90 minutes.  

    The lights were pretty cool.

    It was a great night weather wise too.

    But I learned at 70 blank blank 6 I can't do the strenuous stuff I could do when I was 66.  Which means if I go next year, it will either be with Jackie on a motorized scooter or with friends.

    Tomorrow I will work on creating my own light display.

    Peace and Love

Roasting marshmallows

sno time

I pulled up our water hats, gloves, and scarves today 

    Jackie and I are going to Morton Arboretum tomorrow for the lights display.

    I booked tickets early because I figured it will be warmer in November than in December.  I know...duh.

    We will need gloves and hats for the outing.

    I just hope I won't have problems pushing her in the wheelchair.  I think the path is about 1 mile long, and there are places to stop along he way so I am confident I won't have a problem. Slow and steady, slow and steady.

    Friend Renee told me last year that I should be ok except for one area where there was a little rise.  At least, that is what is sticking in my brain.  

    As long as we are properly dressed, we should both be fine.

    I went to Wallyworld for some Thanksgiving stuff and was amazed at the amount of pies and cookies on display.  It seemed like there were thousands of pumpkin pies.  I am probably way off on my estimate, but there were a lot.

    My pumpkin pies never last more than a few days before little green spots appear.  It is still 4 days to Thanksgiving and I hope their pies keep.  I also wonder what they do with the ones they don't sell.  I'd hate to see a dumpster full of pies on Thanksgiving!

    Not only was yesterday Julia's birthday, but it was the anniversary of one of the darkest days in our country's history.

    I had gone home for lunch from Lake View High School.  I lived half a block away.  Usually I listen to the radio and ate, but that day I did not turn on the radio.

    When I walked into school someone told me Kennedy had been shot.  I told him that was not something to joke about.   He said he wasn't, but I did not believe him.

    After that encounter, my mind is a blur.  I r remember going int a classroom and the teacher telling us Kennedy was dead.  I think we were dismissed and went home.  

    I think we would have been a better country had he not been killed.  He was young, vibrant, had a vision and would have been a good leader.  I know, he had some shortcomings.  He evidently was quite the womanizer.

    Things like that were pretty hushed up in those days.  Now it seems a badge of honor and gets you a cabinet position.

    Sorry. 

Peace and Love

not again!!

I think we are hopeless 

    Moving stuff around today, I took a tray full of Christmas mugs and carried it into the kitchen from the dining room.

    I got sidetracked.  A little while later I went to put them away and I could not find them!

    Yes, the tray was there.  It was empty.  So was the shelf.  And the cupboard.  And the counter.

    I could not believe I had lost 9 or 10 mugs!  I looked and looked but could not find them.

    I abandoned the search, figuring hey would show up in some weird spot.

    I unpacked a laundry basket full of plates and .... cups were at the bottom.

    I NEVER PUT THEM ON THE TRAY!!!

    How in the hell I thought I did baffles me.

    A few minutes later Jackie said to me, "When is my infusion appointment?"

    I said, "1 today."

    It was already 2:15....we missed it by an hour.

    Understand, we received daily reminders.  We wrote it on the calendar.  We talked about it every day this week.

    And we forgot it.

    She called the local hospital and they laughed and said come in.

    So we went and she had her infusion  to strengthen her bones.

    I was going to DeKalb to pick up supper.  Yes, I drove there for supper.  Why?

    Because Yen Chin is a great Chinese restaurant and Julia wanted that for her birthday supper.

    I figured to stop and Target and ask about the gift cards I did not get the other day.

    After talking to a clerk and then a manager, it was decided the only way I could get the cards was to return the items I bought and purchase them again.  

    So I guess I am out the gift cards because I don't want to go home, reload the car. drove back, return the items, buy the items, load the car, drive home, and unload the car.

    I guess it's a lesson learned for me to be sure how to use a discount program.

    Dinner was great, we had some champagne to celebrate, and now I am tired and ready to go to bed. 

    But I know I won't.  I just hope I don't mess around too long.

Peace and Love

tic tok

We got a microwave today

    I have been agonizing over this since our old one stopped working correctly on Monday.

    When I looked on line, I found an article in a food magazine that rated 26 microwaves.  I wanted one of the top 3.  Problem was, I could not find it in a store.

    If I had just ordered it Monday, we would have had it Tuesday.  Problem solved.  But I didn't.

    Julia ordered it for me yesterday and it came today.

    Amazon Prime is a miracle worker.

    We had 2 events tonight.  

    Our church in DeKalb had a social night and opted to meet in Rochelle at Acres Bistro.  Jackie and I sort of joined them.  Jackie also had a library board meeting at 7, so we met the group at 6, ordered dinner, I took Jackie to the meeting and went back to Acres just as they put my food down in front of me.

    Great timing.

    It was nice to see church people in person again.  We have not had many opportunities to do that.  We are looking for a new priest and in the meantime there is only a 9:30 service offered and we just can't make that.  Hell, even 10:30 is pushing it.

    Our house is in sixes and sevens right now.  All the nutcrackers, smokers and Santas came out.  They are on my list of things to put away tomorrow.

    When I got home, Julia had already put them away!  That was fantastic!!

    The Cleveland-Pittsburgh game was on TV.  Normally the game would not interest me but they were playing in a heavy, wet snow.  It was fun to watch, but I bet miserable to play or watch in person.

    And on. this date in 1970, Jackie, John, me and a friend were playing cards at my parents' house on Belle Plaine in Chicago.

    Jackie was expecting, and overdue.  None of us were smart enough to realize her back aches were the onset of labor.  But when her water broke, we knew it was time to go.

    I sent John out to get my car, which was parked half way down the block on the next street over.

    He went charging over, then came charging back because the car would not start.

    I forgot to tell him there was a secret kill switch under the dash. So I ran, got the car, we all drove to the hospital and then gave John the key so he could drive my friend Janet home.

    Roughly about 15 hours later, we became parents.

    And tonight that baby put away our Santas and nutcrackers.

Peace and Love

damn technology

I had another tech issue today

    I signed up for the Target circle program.  Signed up on line at home.

    Stopped at Target today for 1 thing.  1.  Let me stress that:  1.

    But I saw the 1 thing offered a $5 gift card if you bought 3.  So I bought 3.

    Tide was the same deal.  Buy 3, get a $10 gift card.

    Tissue?  $10 card when you buy 3.

    Paper towels?  $10 gift card when you buy 3.

    My cart was loaded.  I went to the check out. 

    My understanding was all I had to do was enter my mobile number. 

    Then it asked for the password I used.  I had no idea but took a guess.  Nope.  The message was I did not have an account.

    The person running the register was super nice about all of it.  They tried to log into my account, tried setting up a new account, but we could not do it.  They spent at least 5 minutes, which did not make the people behind me very happy.

    Finally I said just to ring it up and I will start again at home.  They told me if I set the account up today, bring in the receipt and the gift card offers will be honored.

    I hope he is right.  That was $35 in gift cards I left on the table!!

    I expressed my frustration to Julia.  She looked in our password book and found my password, which was not close to what I thought it was.

    But I do have an account.  

    It's almost as if I were a caveman and someone. brought me a wheel and I could not figure out how to use it!

    I stopped at Cypress House yesterday and when I went to pay for my coffee, I was told it was already paid for by someone who saw the play and enjoyed the  performance.  They liked Earl!!

    I feel like a hamster on a wheel.  I run and run and run and don't get anywhere.  Carrots are still in the ground, hoses are still outside, my desk is a mess, outdoor Christmas lights not tested, little things are not getting done, papers are piling up....and I just keep running on the wheel.  

    I just want to get off for a while!!

Peace and Love

what to do

I just can't make decisions 

    Keep that piece of paper or throw it out?

    Read the magazine or toss it?

    Go left, or right?

    Buying a microwave is pure hell.

    I think I know what we should get.  But I am afraid to go ahead and buy it.  What if it isn't the right one?

    For example, the one we had was 2 cubic feet.  The one I am looking at is 1.2.  That seems big enough for what we do...heating up leftovers, thawing frozen items, making pop corn.  The 2 cubic foot one says you can cook a turkey in it, but we would never do that!  Why spend the extra money on something we would not use?

    On the other hand, what if the 1.2 isn't big enough for some of our leftovers.  Or for heating gravy.

    The smaller one seems large enough to handle our dinner plates, but I think I will measure the plates just to be sure.

    Decisions....decisions.

    Julia pointed out a problem with supper now.

    We can't microwave anything, so thawing meat could be an issue.

I  bought enough meat for 3 meals, figuring we would have some leftovers and a new microwave by the end of the week.

    I hope.

    I made a Walmart trip with my list in hand.

    I am not saying my handwriting is getting bad, but I could not read one of the things I went to buy.

    Emily was working, I showed her and she had no clue.  She showed the other pharmacist and 2 techs and none of them knew what I wrote.

    It looked like cavfalop, or can of pop, or some other nonsense word.

    I was almost done shopping and stopped to buy some broccoli and looked at the cantaloup when it hit me!

    On my way to the car I hit the button, opened the side door, unlocked the car, got in and hit the start button and the car would not start because the key fob was not detected.

    I spent the next few minutes retracing my steps to see where I dropped the key.  I emptied the bag of groceries, thinking maybe it was buried .

    No luck.

    I was on the verge of calling Julia and asking her to bring the spare key when I thought to look under the car.

    There it was...about 2 feet in under the car.

    I must have dropped it putting the groceries in the back seat.

    Someday I will learn to put things away in their proper place.

    Just not today.

Peace and Love

fire and ice

I would like a normal day 

    It has been a while since I seem to have had one.

    I did get to visit with Dan and Linda at their new place in Rockford.  Boy, it sure is a nice home in a beautiful community.

    It would be great for Jackie and me except we would be too far away from the girls.  I know, Julia lived in Switzerland for 20 years so far away is relative.

    But we were a little more mobile and self sufficient then.  Not so much now.

    I was in Rockford because our van had a recall.  They had to reprogram the rear camera.  Since it was expected to be 90 minutes, Dan and Linda came and picked me up and took me back to their place.

    We spent the next couple of hours catching up on our lives.  They took a Rte. 66 trip with 2 friends and it sounded like a great experience.

    I noticed the wiper blades on our car were not cleaning the windows real well.  So I asked  the dealership to replace them. 

    Could I have done it?  Anything's possible.   Their cost was a couple of pennies short of $100.  The service guy did warn me that they were expensive.  He was right.

    Just as I was leaving the house for the car appointment, Julia heated up her lunch in the microwave.

    The time passed, the buzzer dinged, but the microwave kept going.  Hitting the stop button did nothing.  It did shut off when the door was opened.  We unplugged it and moved it to the garage.

    I stopped at Best Buy to get one someone found on line.  They did not have one in stock.  They had a similar one being sold as an open box.  What that means is someone bought it and returned it.  So, no go at Best Buy.

    I went to Lowe's and saw a unit I thought would be good.  When I finally tracked down a worker, he scanned the bar code and surprise!  The only unit they had was the floor model.  So I went to my second option.  He scanned the bar code and surprise again!  They only had the display model.

    The 2 stops took about 40 minutes.

    I texted Julia and Jackie and said it was now almost 5, I was running into Woodman's for a couple of items, and do what you want for supper.

    The answer was:  Pizza.  Pick up at 6:30 on my way home.

    I had frozen items in the car, so I drove with windows down and the AC on so they would not thaw.

    My problem was once I got the pizza, I had to get the car warm because we could not use the microwave and I was hungry.

    The hot/cold trip really summed up my day.

    And tomorrow.....the dentist.

Peace and Love

olio time

 I have some random comments and thoughts

    Saturday was a day. that was overbooked by me.

    I had to figure how to get to a play in Rockford, get back home, let Emily's dogs out, get Jackie supper, do my regular Saturday chores and be rested and ready for my play that night.

    I did not sleep well Friday night worrying about it all.

    So Saturday I pulled the plug on the Rockford play, much to my disappointment.  

    I did all the chores I need to get done and even had a nice 90 minute nap.

    Got lots of neat swag at the cast party last night.  Gonna miss seeing that bunch three days a week.

     Bears lost, but at least hey were respectable.

    Have you ever heard a chain saw working on a tree about 1/2 mile away?  That high pitched drone?  Well, it is constant in my right ear.  I can't hear well, but the chain saw noise is about to drive me crazy.  Or crazier.

    This week I have to pull my carrots.  No, there is no double entendre on this, I just have not yet harvested my carrot crop.

    I accidentally bought seeded grapes. I don't enjoy them as much as seedless grapes.  Then I wonder how do seedless grapes. reproduce?

    Went and looked at Julia's house today.  They have started drywalling.  The place is starting to take shape.  She expects to be finished in late January or February.  Great time to move.

    Just wondering why I have an I Pass transponder on my desk.

    I am lucky to have so many friends out here who look out for me, care for us, and always go the extra mile.  I often wonder why I deserve those people.  I am very thankful for them.

Peace and Love

that's a wrap

 I am done with playing a drunk

    Earl was my character in this show.  He has n ow been retired.

    We did this show 19 years ago, and I was Earl then.   Some of the cast has changed, but 3 of us originals remained in the show.

    I don't think I will be around if they do it again in 19 years!

    We did go out with a bang.  

    Last night we had about 80 in the audience and tonight we had a sell out, which is somewhere close to 100.   I do not know the exact numbers.

    This show was a write your own by Beth and Jeanie.  They revised it a bit for this year.  One of the benefits of the show is we don't have to pay a royalty, so ticket revenue all goes to the theater group.

    A heartfelt thank you. to all who attended.

    I am going to the cast party in a little while.  I had to go home to get Jackie to bed, then I am going back to eat pizza and laugh at the stories that are told.

    There should be plenty.

    Prediction:  Packers 756, Bears 14.

Peace and Love

4 down

No, this isn't about football 

    We had our fourth show tonight and it was a great crowd!

    People really got into the flow of the play and it was fun!

    Of course, alcohol was involved..... but the play takes place in a bar for heaven's sake.

    Tomorrow could be a bit of a squeeze for me.

    Julia and Emily are going into Chicago to see a play.  

    Jackie and I are going to Rockford to see a play.

    The girls are seeing a Harry Potter show that runs 3.5 hours!  We are seeing a show that runs 2.5 hours.

    So.....I am supposed to be at the theater by 5:30 for makeup and mic check.  

    At some point I have to let out the dogs, get Jackie home and out of he car, change into my costume, get her supper and settled for the night until the girls get home.

    Camryn volunteered to help.  She could get supper for Jackie, freeing up time for me to prep.

    The cast party is tomorrow night, so I will leave the theater, go home, get Jackie to bed, go back to the theater and party like there is no more shows.

    And no, while my character "drinks" a lot on stage, I will be sticking to root beer only.  No caffeine, no alcohol, no worries.

    It would be nice to sleep in on Sunday, but that won't happen either.  Maybe I can nap during the Bears-Packers game.

Peace and Love

damn!

 I had a couple of close calls today

    We have lived here for over 50 years.  I know most of the streets by heart, having driven them so many times.

    I recognize houses and where they are located. 

    Jackie and I were driving back from the hairdressers.  We had gone to the south side to see the new apartment buildings being built for low to moderate income families.

    I was merrily driving west when I passed the old House of Photography building.  It was then I realized I had blown a stop sign. Did not even slow down.

    Not only that, it was one of the busier streets that I few across.

    Luckily, there was not a car in sight!  If a car had been coming, we would have been t-boned.

    When we came out of the hair dressers, I got Jackie in the car and loaded the wheelchair in the back end of the van.

    As I picked it up, my foot tripped on something and me and the wheelchair just sort of flopped into the van.

    My elbows and knees hurt, so does my back.  I landed on top of the chair and was lucky not to hit my head or face on the frame.

    I had a chiropractor appointment at 2.  I remembered that at 3.  I stopped in, and he said my back was a little out of alignment.  I told him about the tumble with the wheelchair.

    We had our last rehearsal tonight and it went well.  Yes, we did get a little carried away and went off script.  A lot.  But I think that just means we are all comfortable with our roles and characters.

    Two more nights.....but it is a busy weekend ahead!

Peace and Love

tv time

 I seem to be watching more tv lately

    That's because baseball is done.  I watched the  Cubs and most of the World Series.  

    I love  Abbot Elementary  and tonight I just watched the pilot of High Potential, and liked the show.  Hopefully I will remember to watch it.

    We have been watching Chicago Stories on WTTW.  They covered the Leopold-Loeb crime of the century in one of the episodes.  They 2 were college students, both extremely smart, and in 1924 they decided to commit the perfect murder.  They kidnapped 14 year old Bobby Franks,  who was a distant cousin to Loeb, and killed him.

    Fortunately they were discovered and the crime solved.  Loeb died in prison, but Leopold was paroled in the early 1960s and lived  out his life in Puerto Rico .  I don't believe he should have been paroled, but nobody asked me.

     I had tickets to the NIU game tonight in DeKalb.

    Asked friend Steve to go with, but on Monday I listened to the forecast and called him and cancelled.  I am glad I did.  It is 46 and pouring.  To be honest, he had heard the forecast and was ready to call me and. tell me he wasn't going.

    I pulled a Terry today.

    Went into Starbucks to place an order and get my free holiday cup.

    When I asked, the server was a bit confused by my free cup request.  Another worker explained that the holiday cup offer was tomorrow.

    Honestly. I get so many e-mails and the ones I read don't always stick in my mind.  And I am notorious for only reading the first part of an e-mail, the part I can see, which causes problems.

    I had a meeting tonight (which I was willing to skip for the football game) and during the conversation the director told me she had e-mailed me the information I had requested.  I got home and sure enough, there it was.

    But it wasn't at the top of the chain, so I did not read to the bottom.

    Honestly, sometimes I am so tired of being me.

 Peace and Love

    

    

oops

 Let's just say today was an oops day

    I took a nap about 12:30.  Jackie woke me up at 1 and asked if I was ready.

    Ready for what?  The dentist appointment we had at 1:30 that I completely forgot about.

    Of course we did get caught by a train.  And we were about 3 minutes late, which is better than usual for me.

    By the time I get my hearing aids in, brush my teeth, put on my shoes and get Jackie into the car, at least 15 minutes passes.  Sometimes more.

    Two weeks ago I went to the dentist because I had a broken tooth.  Today was our regular check up.  I mentioned I had a rough spot on a front tooth.  The reason it is rough is because the  filling fell out.  I go back next week.

    Is there a way to repair a concrete statue?  Pat Pence gave me a little angel a long time ago.  I think I drove over it this summer.  It has lost a head.  Well, not lost but the head is no longer attached to the body.  I guess it is going to be a heavy toss into the trash one of these days.

    Bears fired their offensive coordinator today.  I guess 27 quarters without a TD was a negative.

    The biggest oops of the day goes to Mattel.

    They have a new line of Wicked dolls coming out, in conjunction with the movie.

    There is a website for youngsters to connect with their favorite. character, but the web address goes to a porn site.  Boy, that will open up some eyes, eh?  Lots of dads will want to check that out!

    I think they are recalling dolls and correcting the web address.

    Once when I was teaching, the principal came to me and said I had better pay closer attention to what kids were doing on computers in my class.

    During an inside recess a couple of boys wanted to find information about the White House.  But when they typed in social studies White House it went to a porn site!  They panicked, and went to another computer and did it again!

    Lunch ladies supervising the indoor recess looked at the screen and ordered everyone away and then turned it off.

    And as hard as I. tried, I could not duplicate their mistake!

Peace and Love

The headless angel

Julia bought this for Beth.  Beth is not happy about it.

do I?

I am near the end of Bond 

    Of his novels, Man With aa Golden Gun is the last written by Ian Fleming.

    I just checked that out on my Hoopla account.

    I think there is a collection of short stories, maybe 2 collections, but the Golden Gun seems to be the last novel written by Fleming.  Yes, others have written James Bond books, copying Fleming's characters and story lines.

    So far my favorite is You Only Die Once.  There is something poetic and fair  in the ending, then it gets spoiled.  I won't tell you any thing else in case you decide to read them.  Or it.

    I tortured myself today.

    I mowed my yard.  Damn, it was cold out there!

    I did not quite finish, but I will try to do that tomorrow.  I skipped the parts that Beth frequents.  I will do a clean up before I mow tomorrow.

    Speaking of Beth, we have developed a night time routine.

    She goes out, then goes to Julia's room and hops on the bed.  

    About 10:30 I let her out again.  After she smells around for 10 minutes, we come back in the house and I sit on the couch with her.  Then I rub her belly for 15 or 20 minutes while I read.  It is relaxing to both of us.

    I go to bed and she goes back in Julia's room.

    I think she will have quite a shock when Julia isn't there.  She better enjoy the next few months.

Peace and Love

3 down

 We had our third , and biggest, show today

    I think the final count was 78 people, which for a Sunday matinee is pretty darn good.  We had mid 40s on Saturday and mid 30s on Friday, if I remember correctly.

    The audience was responsive in a quiet way, but they played along quite nicely with us.

    2 more shows next Friday and Saturday, then my character Earl goes into hibernation.

    One huge advantage to doing a show today was not being able to watch the Bears play.  Good grief, they are terrible.

    It usually takes them a full season to turn a great quarterback into a head case, but this team seems to have done it in only 9 games.

    I still have faith.  In fact, I am willing to bet the Bears beat the Packers next weekend.  I'll take the Bears and 60 points against the Packers.  Any takers?  Hmm.... I wonder if 60 is enough.  Maybe 70.

    I read an article on Asian beetles today and it clarified my thinking.  I thought they were introduced here to battle aphids on soybeans, but I was wrong.  They were introduced in 1916 to eat aphids on pecans.

    Since then they have multiplied and spread.

    They start seeking warm places to overwinter after the first cold snap.  The little suckers will find their way into houses and buildings through the smallest crack.  Julia had several in her house, which  makes sense because she did not have doors at the time. Now she does.

    The best way to get rid of them is to vacuum them up and then get rid of the bag.  Don't let it sit in the house because they will crawl out.

    They look like ladybugs, but they are certainly no ladies.  They bite and stink when you kill them.  I speak from experience.

    Another example of solving one problem while creating another.  Take note.

Peace and Love

2 down

We did our second show tonight 

    I thought it went pretty darn well.

    One thing I notice is how nice everyone is to me.

    Seriously, this cast and crew go out of their way to make sure I am ready to go.  I really appreciate all they do for me, from pushing Jackie's wheelchair to carrying my coffee and helping with make up.   It does mean a lot.

    That's about it.

    My energy level is low right now but for some reason I am not tired.  I am afraid I will just lay in bed and go over the play, election, weather, sports and who knows what else in my mind.

    Not to get too political, but ever since Tuesday I have had trouble sleeping.  I keep thinking something is off in our country and it bothers me.

    Enough said.

Peace and Love

1 down

 We had our opening night tonight

    Of course, I was fantastic!  The best I have ever been!  Nobody has been as good as me!!!

    Sorry......I don't know where. that came from.

    We had a good crowd, a little quiet at the start, but they opened up.

    On the whole, I thought the show went well.  People laughed, played along, and seemed to enjoy it.

    Digression.

    Whenever people leave our house at night, I tell them to watch for deer.

    I need to follow my own advice.

    One leaped out in front of me on Kyte Road tonight.  It scared the crap out of me.  Figuratively speaking.  I only missed it by a little but it was still surprising how fast that all happened.  

    Luckily nothing happened except a deep breath by both of us creatures.

    Doing a show gets me tired. I just ate supper, because I can't eat before a show.  And it's getting late but I just put my clothes in the washer.  I meant to do that today, but for some reason didn't.  I am out of socks.

    Gonna be a while before I hit the hay.

Peace and Love

quitting time?

 I often wonder when it is time to quit

    And I think that goes with how much is enough.

    Take Kyle Hendricks, for example.

    He was the last Cub still on the team from the World Series winning season of 2016.

    He recently signed a one year contract with the LA Angels for somewhere over $2.5 million.

    I loved watching him pitch.  He did not have a 100 mph fastball, but he usually did a great job throwing that slow fast ball and curves,  

    The last 2 years have not been good for him and the Cubs did not pick up his option, making him a free agent.

    The Angels are not a very good team.  

    Which makes me wonder:  When should an athlete quit their sport?

    And yes, 2.5 mill is a lot of money, but I think he made 14 mill with the Cubs the last 2 years.  He does not need the money.  At least I would not think so.

    It must be a love of the game that keeps him going.  But I just can't imagine signing with a terrible team, unless there were no other offers.  Hell, the White Sox should have signed him!  At least he would not have to find new housing!

    I guess if someone offered me money to do something I loved, I would take it too.  

    We had our last rehearsal for the play tonight.  

    This is the point where it gets really boring.  We have been doing this for 6 weeks, 3 nights a week, and we are just ready to go before an audience.  

    And yes, I know my lines.  And no, I don't always say them correctly.  And yes, I do some funny things.    And no, it is not always on purpose.

    We did make-up last night.  When I came home I washed my face with soap and then with Noxema.  My face was on fire!  I think this happened last time I wore make-up in a show.  Either it's the product or the Noxema, so tomorrow I will try just soap.

    About that quitting..... I am 76 and still doing plays.  Why?  Because I love performing. 

    Like Kyle, I can't seem to stop.  Unlike Kyle, I am not getting 2.5 mill to keep going.

Peace and Love

Bessie bingo?

I am partially over the shock of Nov. 5 

    But not the disappointment. 

    I just don't know if she lost because she was Black, Indian, Black-Indian, female or a Democrat.  

    But I find it strange that 2 women have run for the presidency and both times have come up short.  Strange, indeed. 

    Is it just the US?  Other countries have had female leaders and have done well.  

    Anyway, moving on.

    I know there will be a lot of executive orders issued the first week or so of the next presidency.

    Here is a chance for you to predict what will be done first.

    Pardon t he "hostages" that attempted to overthrow the government and hang the VP and injuring several police officers in the process?

    Issue a blanket pardon for himself?

    Abandon Ukraine?

    Issue a national ban on abortion?

    Gut the EPA?

    Drop NATO?

    Arrest everyone who spoke out against him?

    There are so many choices...... what do you think?

    And tomorrow I will avoid any more complaining, moaning, whining, about this election.  It is done.  Over.

    What we have to do now is protect ourselves and our friends.  I fear hate has been legitimized.

Peace and Love

pins and needles

Like many of you, I am on pins and needles 

    I have had trouble sleeping the past 2 nights, and I think tonight will be worse.

    Often times when there is a presidential election I have the feeling that if my candidate lost, it would not be so bad.  Usually the opposition has some downsides, but nothing that can't be worked around.

    Not so this time.

    I dread a Republican presidency.

    We had a lot of rain. today, which means tomorrow I can try to put my tree fertilizing stakes in the ground.  The weather is a little cooler, so maybe I will pick up the rest of the yard decorations too.

    The wind was pretty strong today.  I did not put recycles out.  Instead, I waited until I saw the truck then dragged out my 2 buckets.  I timed it just right.  The guy had just emptied the first one when I got there with the second one.

    Of course, all the cardboard is still in the garage, but at least the plastic and most of the paper is gone.

    I did get up early to get the garbage can so it did not blow, but Julia had already brought it in.  Otherwise I might have had to chase it down the street.

    That's about it for me tonight.......hoping for good news in the morning.

Peace and Love

suspended

 I have hit a tipping point in life

    And I am not sure I like it.

    I have been wearing size 38 pants for a few years.  But since last year I have lost about 10 pounds.

    Now that doesn't sound like a lot, but it's enough to cause me a pants problem.

    My 38s are too large.  And 36s are too small.  They don't make a 37.

    For a long time I have been struggling to keep my pants up.  I tighten the belt and that works f r a few hours, the n the pants start to slide down.

    Sometimes if my hands are full they even drop to the floor!  That isn't a problem in t he house, but when carrying out a tub of recyclables at night it is.  Sorry neighbors....hope you were not looking out the window.

    Yesterday I started wearing suspenders.  I went the whole day without my pants dropping down or feeling like they were dropping down.

    I felt liberated and yet am conflicted.

    My belly looks large with suspenders.  Truthfully, even without suspenders it is large.  I feel like a different person, like one of those old guys with big bellies I used to laugh at when I was younger. 

    Time flies.  Next I have to buy white gym shoes.

    Speaking of old guys, I read a really sad story the other day.

    Seems this 79 year old lost his wife and was befriended on line by a female professional wrestler.  They really bonded.  She sent him some small gifts.  Then she asked for money to help pay a hospital bill.

    The man's son lives out of state and was concerned.  When he came to visit his father and ask about the relationship, the son discovered his father had $128,000 left in what was once a $900,000 retirement account.

    He tried to convince his father he was being scammed, but the old guy refused to believe it .  When the son suggested putting the remaining funds in a trust account with monthly payments to his father, the dad threw a fit.

    Now they are estranged.  Dad won't talk to the son.

    Every day people who we think of as smart, aware, alert, and capable fall for scams like this.  Billions of dollars a year is lost that way.

    It's a sad story.  

    But at the same time, we all have to be a little smarter and safer.

    That's why I never accept friend requests on FB unless I can verify the person is real and I do have a connection with them.

Peace and Love 

snoooooooze

 What a dismal day

    It finally rained.  I was glad to see that.

    But I was not happy to see the Bears game.

    What a disaster!

    The only saving grace was the Kudelkas came over and so did Camryn.  Sam's birthday was a little while ago and we had a small gift for there and today seemed to be a good time for a visit.

    We had lots of snack food and birthday cupcakes.

    We watched the game and I sort of lost interest.  They were steamrolled by the Cardinals.

    Adjusting to the time change is always hard for me.

    I went to bed at 10, which was 11, and did not fall asleep right away.  Now I am dragging and I dread going to bed.  I had a tea, an instant coffee, and a pop during the day and I know that is too much caffeine for this old man.

    It was a good day.  For me, not the Bears.

    I don't think the packers fared much better either.

    "There is no joy in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out."

Peace and Love

will it?

We are supposed to get rain tonight 

    I won't be surprised if we don't.

    Two days ago the NOAA weather forecast said 100 per cent chance.  This morning it was an 80 per cent chance.  We shall see.

    It is suppose to rain starting after midnight and continuing off and on thru early Tuesday.  But again, we shall see.

    I bought some fertilizer spikes to put around the trees.  I tried pounding one in the other day, but the ground is so hard the spike refused to be pounded in!  I am hoping for a good soak so I can get the trees fed before winter.  The directions say use in early spring or late fall.....and it is getting late.

    It's a little past 8 as I am doing this little homily.  Julia just came in the house and got me because 3 deer were bedded down in our back yard.  She caught them in her headlights. 

    This morning there were some in the backyard when she let Beth out.

    That's why when people leave our house I always tell them, "Watch out for deer,"  I do mean it.

    Despite my mess up yesterday, the day ended great.

    Emily picked up the order I forgot and friend Sheri came over and told us about her recent trip.  Of course, wine was involved, and food. 

    All in all it was a fun night.

Peace and Love

I somehow have accumulated dozens of plant containers.  That confuses me, because I don't think I have that many plants around the house!!  I am dropping them off at the high school next week for students to reuse.  

OMG.....WTH?

 I had one job to do....one

    Jackie placed an order for soaps from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  They would ship the soaps for $20 or we could pick them up at the DeKalb store with no shipping charge.

    I said pick 'em up.  We go to DeKalb a lot and I was sure I would be over there pretty soon.

    The order came in Friday.  I said I would go this morning, pick up the order, stop at Hy Vee and bring it home.

    Sounds simple, right?  One job to do.  One.

    Went to Hy Vee.  Thought about lemon cookies, but they didn't have any.  I was in line and remembered the bakery on Pleasant Street near the airport often had lemon cakes.

    Stopped at the bakery, got a small lemon cake, stopped for a coffee, drove home, carried the groceries into the house, got my coffee, went back in  and Julia said,  "Where's Mom's order?"

    Crap!!!!

    I went to DeKalb for one stinking thing and I did not stop for the order!!

    Criminey Pete!!!  Where is my mind?

    I mean, it's not like forgetting to pick up something I dropped....I drove 25 miles for one specific purpose and I blew it!

    Should have picked up the order first.

    Driving over was interesting.  I go up Hueber Parkway, which intersects with Twombly Road.  Twombly has a stop sign, Hueber does not.

    Most of the corn has been harvested.  Yes, that is important to the story.

    I was driving about 55-60 mph approaching Twombly when I noticed a blue card heading east at a high rate of speed.  I said to myself, "Huh."  And slowed down.

    The blue car shot through the intersection, blowing the stop sign and not even slowing down.  If I had not slowed down I could have been t-boned.  If the corn had not been harvested I would have never seen the car.

    Life is funny in the turns it takes, eh?

    And Emily just happened to be passing through DeKalb.  She picked up the order for me.

    All is well that ends well.

    But I still don't see how I screwed up.  One job. 

    One.

Peace and Love