hats, cans and hoses

We had a challenging day 

    Jackie mentioned that Beth did not smell very good.

    I sniffed, and agreed.

    So we gave her a bath....rather a shower.

    It's not easy!  She doesn't trust us in the bathroom.  She does not like the water.  She constantly tries to escape.

    But she got washed.

    Beth has a flea and tick collar, so I held on to that to keep her in the shower.  I am glad we have a long shower hose, that helps.

    After the shower we have to dry her.  She does not like the hair dryer.  At the groomers she has a tendency to take a dump when the dryer goes on, but she does not here.

    I am having a glass of rosé.  It comes from a can!  Julia left 2 cans of it and I am having one.  You notice I did not use the word enjoy.  It's not terrible.

    We have watched the Cubs a lot.  We always used to see a man in a pink hat sitting right behind hone plate.  I know he is getting up there in age and this year we have only seen him once. 

    Strangely, we worry and wonder about him.

    I understand he has had some health problems, and maybe that is keeping him away from the game.  I wish him well and will continue to look for the pink hat guy.

    I started out watering my. trees at 6 p.m. tonight.  I moved the hose to another tree at 7 and should have moved it to the third new tree at 8.  I could not see to do that.

    I have5 more trees to water, so I have to start earlier or work with a flashlight.

    I do have one that works now.  I put in new batteries so there is one light on which I can depend.

    I am up to over 30 miles on my bike this summer.  That is sad.  But it is twice what I had last year!

    Small steps.

Peace and Love

normalcy?

 Today was a pretty normal Monday

    No visitors.  No dinners out.  No leftovers.

    Damn, I miss the good old days.

    I had to cook tonight!

    It was hard after slicing half my finger off while cutting bread.  OK, maybe I exaggerated a little, but damn, that hurt!  Julia gave me a sharp breadknife for Christmas and I used it on some sourdough bread and ended up cutting my finger.

    The tip was hanging half off, but I put a bandage on it and its is fine.  Hurts when I type, especially trgbv letters.

    OK, the tip was not hanging half off.

    But I do have a badge on my finger!

    Then I burned my fingers touching a hot pan....it was like I had never been in a kitchen before.

    All I did was grill burgers.  But they tasted great.

    I finally finished my Key West travel book. Almost had to call friend Linda to get directions. but today it all made sense.  Yesterday its didn't.

    Someday, when I am older and really bored, I can look back at all my pictures and see that I had a wonderful life!  I have been to places I never thought I would go, and done things I never thought I would do. 

    And I still have sone time left.

    But that time seems to get shorter every time I cook!!!!

Peace and Love

roll the credits

 I really don't like when things end

    I would get sad at the end of the school year.  Granted, that didn't last long, but I would get sad.

    I got sad every time Emily or Julia left for school.

    I got sad every time I left Switzerland.

    I got sad every time Julia went back to Switzerland.

    I am sad that the Cubs regular season is over, but happy they will play at least 2 more games...if not more

    I was sad today when Mike, Matt and Nam left.

    But I was so glad they came to visit Julia, because that meant they would visit Jackie and me too.  Which they did.

    I think they all had a good time.  And like all travelers, I think they were glad to be going home.

    Something else made me happy and shocked at the same time.  The Cubs, Sox and Bears all won!!!  That is pretty amazing!

    Warm weather the rest of the week....no rain in the forecast.  Should be good for home baseball at Wrigley Field.  Go Cubs Go!!

    And as a bonus, they play some day games!!!!  It can't get much better than playoff baseball at Wrigley Field.

    Peace and Love

Booo!!!!

The addition at Tilton really changes the look of the building!

Farewell,  my friends!

Ah, homecoming

 It's Homecoming for some area schools

    Rochelle and DeKalb both had their HOCO weekends, and I am sure other schools did too.

    I have a vague memory of going to one homecoming while in high school.  To be honest, it is very vague.  It might have been at the Edgewater Beach hotel, or it might not have been.  Since I didn't have a car, I had to go with other people.  But seriously, the was over 60 years ago!

    I do remember asking a girl to Homecoming when I was a freshman at Lake View High School.

    I don't think I knew what it was all about.

    I remember that event clearly.

    My parents had sent me to Biasetti's on Ashland and Irving to pick up a pizza for supper.

    I was walking back on Irving and at Greenview I saw Mary Jane A.......something.  I thought she was kind of cute plus she often talked to me.  

    We stopped on the corner to chat.  I decided to ask her to Homecoming, but I was pretty nervous.

    I put the pizza box under my arm, putting it in a vertical position rather than horizontal.

    I remember her saying something about not holding a pizza that way.  

    But I was nervous and blurted, "I always carry it like this.  My parents ton't mind."

    Well, little Mary Jane said she was not allowed to date yet.  I don't know if that was a face saving reason for not going out with someone who carries a pizza vertically and has acne to boot or the truth.

    I got home, my dad opened the pizza, which was all squished on the side of the box.

    "What the hell did you do? he asked.

    We ate it.  But it was a challenge.  And I am not sure if he ever asked me to get the pizza again.

    I rode my bike around the block tonight and noticed a couple of houses were teepeed.  I have no idea why or the reason behind it.  (Not sure if this is a local thing.  Rolls of toilet paper are draped through trees and bushes in front of the house. It's fine until it rains.)

    But with the cost of toilet paper, I am surprised.

    I imagine the bathrooms at McDonald's and the high school had a run (no pun intended) on the stuff.

    Later I may just go out and collect some from the trees.  As long as it is dry it's ok to use, right?

    By the way, Rochelle won but DeKalb lost their Homecoming games.

    I hope everyone has a fun and safe time at the dances tonight.

    Someday they will look back and hopefully remember the night.

Peace and Love

no nap!!!!

I have gone all week without a nap 

    When the morning help arrives, I was using that time to take a nap on the porch. 

     But when I do that, it makes for a very short afternoon.

    They leave at 11, waking me up as they go.

    After I shower, eat, read the paper, it's usually after 1 and halt the afternoon is gone.

    So this week, I mowed the yard one day, spread dirt one day and rode my bike 2 days.  I made much more productive use of my time.

    And I don't miss the naps!

    Now I have to try to get to bed earlier.  That a lot harder than it seems for me.

    Shorter sleep hours may be affecting my cognitive abilities.

    Twice today I put pants on, only to stick both legs in opening.

    I thought things were a little tight!

    Amazingly, I have not killed off any of my porch plants yet.  Usually by mid September I have lost interest in then, but. this year I have kept up watering  them.  I know the first frost is not too far off, and I have a rather ambitious plan for when that happens.

    I made a mistake this year.  Instead of buying potting soil, I bought a bag of top soil. That was not a good choice. 

    The dirt seems to harden and form a crust, which can't be good for the plants.

    So I plan on emptying all my pots, washing them, and storing them in places I can find them in the spring.

    I will take the dirt and continue to fill dips and holes in the field to make it smoother to mow.

    I started a photo book for my Key West pictures.  But I am having a hard time figuring out the Shutterfly format.  I can get the book, but I can't seem to place the pictures in the right spot.  I know it has to be easy, but I can't figure it out.

    I'm giving it one more try tomorrow.

    To be honest, I am not that patient to start with, so this has been hell for me.

Peace and Love

love it, or list it

 There is one house in Rochelle I love

    I think I fell in love with it the first time I saw it.

    Now it is up for sale and I can't do anything about it.

    Sure, it does not meet everyone's tastes.  For example, it is on Seventh Street, a very busy road.  And it is 2 stories with a washer and dryer in the basement.  

    When we first came to Rochelle I saw this house right away.  I called it he Best House, because a family named Best lived there.  It was directly south of the high school, which was a draw back,  but the high school was demolished and now the house is next to a Starbucks and close to The Rec.

    The house is listed at $349.900, and that is down from the original listing.  I think it needs some updating, including figuring out how to get the washer and dryer upstairs.

    The family room is awesome!  Wood burning fireplace, French doors that lead  to a screened in porch,  beams running the width of the room.... I think it is stunning.

    When you enter there is a winding staircase to the second floor. The doorways are arched, which gives it a lot of character.

    But the land!  It sits across a full city block, from Seventh Street to Eighth Street!  Lots of trees too.

    There are 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a 4 car garage.  It's all brick and just looks awesome.

    If I had a family and was 30 years younger, I would be jumping at it.

    But I am not.  So I won't.

    Isn't it strange how one house can affect me that much?    We have lived in 4 houses.  My favorite was the Skare Court house, but our current house is great too.  We also have lived temporarily in 2 apartments and 2 condos, but those were temporary when we were pre or between houses.

    Of course my main choice of residence would be a castle, but I am not rich enough for that.

    If you are interested, check it out on Zillow.  And if you buy it, invite me over for a wine in front of the blazing fireplace on a wintry day, or for a mojito on the porch in midsummer.

    You will be glad you did.

Peace and Love

Stuffed

 We went out for dinner tonight

    The Swiss folks wanted to try prime rib, so Julia made reservations at Sorento's in Sycamore.  Since it was Camryn's birthday, she also joined us.

    The prime rib was huge and delicious.  I think everyone was impressed.

    Jackie, Emily, and Camryn opted for pasta dishes,  and those were huge.

    This was the last time we will be together other than a quick goodbye on their way to the airport Sunday.

    I really will miss them.  

    Julia was in Switzerland for over 20 years and made some fantastic friends. who have become our friends as well.

    Hearing in a crowd is difficult for me.  One thing I did hear at dinner was how impressed Mike was with the United States.  The space, variety of land forms, the food, the people..... all registered as  favorable from him.

    It was a good reminder to me about the great country we do have.  Yes, we have problems.  But the freedoms we enjoy, the land we can enjoy, the people themselves, are sometimes blotted out by the noisy hatred from a few people.

    Anyway, I am grateful for Mike. Matt. and Nom.  They are good friends for Julia, great people for Jackie and me to know, and we will be sad when they leave.

    I think Julia gave them a good introduction toe the Midwest.  This weekend they are heading to Cranfest.  That should be an interesting experience for them.

    I wonder what they will think of us after that.

    If you don't know, Google Cranfest in Warrens WI.

    And it is funny.....when I type Cranfest spell check has turned it into Crankiest twice.

    Damn that AI

Peace and Love

oh my gosh

 It just keeps happening

    That does not look like. the correct spelling.  Oh well.

    Hapen.  Happen.   My spelling ability seems to be growing weaker, like kryptonite effecting Superman.  Not that I am Superman, far from it.

    Had some errands to run.  Go to the bank.  Go to the store. 

    As I was leaving the house, Julia texted and asked I could let out the dogs.  Julia, Emily, Matt, Nom and Mike were at a corn maze in Wisconsin and weren't sure when they would get back.

    I said no problem.  I will let the dogs out on my way into town I confidently texted back.

    Did all my errands.  Everything is fine.  Sat on the porch with a cup of peppermint tea and a book and waited for the gang to get to our house.

    Matt was grilling for us tonight.  We had some steak, Iowa chops, scalloped potatoes, corn on the cob, and tomato-mozzarella salad.

    At some point, someone said, "Thanks for letting out the dogs."

    I said, "What?  I didn't let out the dogs."

    Jackie said as I walked out the door to go to town I said I was going to let out the dogs.

    I remembered none of that.  I even answered the text that I would!

    How can I do things liker that???   OMG, I am still upset by it.

    And I am upset by a certain Chicago team that had a 5 run lead but lost 9-7.  That is five loses in a row.  It's like they don't have any sense of urgency to win.  And since San Diego is playing the Brewers, I find myself rooting for the Brewers!!  Please don't hold that against me.

    The supper was great, the company amazing,  the laughs abundant......all in all it was a pretty darn good day.

    In fact, this has been a pretty good week.  Hope it continues.

    But with some Cubs wins.

Peace and Love

Yikes!!!

 Best  laid plans often go astray

    We were supposed to go to lunch today, but never made it .

    Sometimes MS just tells a body, "No....you can't go anywhere today." 

    It spoke to Jackie, so we skipped the barbecue lunch.

    That means we missed visiting with Dan and Linda, who were joining Julia, Matt, Nom and Mike for lunch    

    They were going to a little spot on US 20 in the Belvedere area. I don't know why, but I think at one point in time the restaurant was actually a strip joint.  Or maybe not.

    Jackie and I need to get up to Rockford to visit them one day.  

    So instead of eating barbecue, I mowed the lawn.  And staked a tree.  And tidied up recycles.  And washed a  load of sheets.  And made the bed. And rode my bike. And played solitaire on the computer.

    Too many ands, right?

    I did not take a nap, which I sorely needed.  

    I managed one trip around the block, a little over 2 miles, but could not ride any farther.  I was just exhausted.  I rode after I mowed, so my back was a bit sore also.  I know, quit making excuses and exercise!

     I only mowed my yard, because Matt said he would like to do some mowing, so I left the field in case he really wants to mow.

    Tomorrow I hope to start moving the dirt I collected when my new trees were installed.  I have low patches in the field, and hopefully I can level them out to make mowing a little smoother.

    If you have an extra shovel, feel free to stop over.

Peace  and Love

no ouch!

 I visited the best pharmacist in the world today

    Emily gave me Covid and flu shots and I did not feel more than a mosquito bite!

    Jackie also got her shots.  But Jackie and I are very different!

    I get queasy watching commercials where people get shots!  I get real nervous when I know I am going to be. vaccinated and seem to talk a lot.

    Emily kept me distracted and occupied while she did her work.  I took off my glasses and tried my head away from the needle, which helped a lot.

    I don't have any major side effects.  There seems to be an extra thumb on each hand and I am sure the horn on my forehead will go away soon.  Otherwise I feel great.

 Yesterday was a pretty busy day for all of us.  Even Beth was tired!  She slept all night in her bed, where she went after falling asleep on the floor in front of the bathroom door.

    I did not take a nap, but I sure wanted to.

    Instead I watched the Cubs lose, again.  Then we went for our shots and some grocery items and I got home to watch the Bears win!  Either they have turned a corner or Dallas is terrible.  Time will tell.

    Nice rain today.....had almost .5 inches in my rain gauge.  Good for the trees and maybe good for the grass.  It's been so dry I have not mowed in over a week!

    That's all I have.

    Hope your Sunday was great!

Peace and Love

My job was to watch from a safe distance while Matt grilled

Mike was a capable assistant

good times

 Today was a great day

    Jackies sister Judy, brother Bob and his wife Anita came out for a visit.  Bob and Anita live in Florida, and  come up north usually once a year to visit family and friends.

    They  came to our house, tor a couple of hours, hen we all headed off to Julia's for a barbecue.

    Ny niece's daughter Charlott,e and her fiancee Lewis had spent the night here.  

    Julia had planned a "surprise" day for her friends from Switzerland, Mike, Matt and Nom.  They invited Charlotte and Lewis to go with and also Camryn.

    Julia and Emily took them to Nachusa Grasslands for Autumn on the Prairie.  They got there about 10 a.m.  They took a tour into the bison range, getting an up close and personal look at the huge, beautiful animals.

    Eventually we all ended up at Julia's.  Sheri joined the group , binging some delicious cookies to go with the delicious cookies and cheesecake Emily brought.

    All in all, it was a fun time.  Got to visit with  people we just don't see too often.

    Even Little Beth got to make some new friends, as she went with us.  She loved the attention she got by going from one person to another for pets.

    It seemed strange sitting on Julia's porch.  It reminded me of times in Corseaux.  The only things missing were the Alps and Lake Geneva.

    And Matt actually brought e those!

    The only downers were the Cubs lost again and the day ended.

Peace and Love

Well, I'l be!

 I learn something new every day

      I really  need to pay attention.

    I often get people con fused.  Bill becomes Bob.  Jim becomes John.  I have had this problem for years.

    But today was embarrassing!

    I was in a shop, wearing one of my favorite Googy shirts, and the young lady said, "Nice shirt!"

    I told her thank you and Goofy was my life's inspiration. 

    She looked  at me, looked at the shirt, and said.

    "You know that 's Pluto." she said.

    WHAAAT???????

    My favorite Goofy shirt is Pluto?

    My whole life's story is based on falsehoods.

Pluto????!!!

    Julia has guests from Switzerland.  Mike, Matt, and Nam are here for a visit.  It was great to see them today.  We went to Headon's for meat for Matt to grill tomorrow.  Julia will have them, Emily,  us, Bob and Anita, Judy and who knows who else for a barbecue.  (We are not being barbecued....just to be clear.)

    Matt is  the grill master.  He does a great job on the grill.  Once, when we were visiting Julia in Corseaux, I was manning the grill as Matt nervously watched. As the flames leapt up he gently suggested I go rest and he would  finish the grilling.

    He did.  It was great.

   I have a tendency to blacken the meat, but I am getting better.

    Day 2 since detailing and the car is still clean.

    I took everything out, as I said last night, and put stuff back in today.

    Friend Darcy said don't put it all back.

    And I didn't.  

    I did not put the 200 Cvid masks back, a bottle of water that has been in the car for months, (Not to drink...but to rinse hands or whatever.) a hammer, a knob from a walker, and some other junk that I put in piles in the garage.

    Hopefully I can keep putting reusable bags away and not just throw them into the car.  Maybe I should set a time each week to vacuum and put bags away.

    Or maybe I could just stick a sharp stick in my eye, because the odds of me doing either are pretty dang small.

    One of our niece's daughters and her fiancee are spending the night with us....so Beth has had a busy day getting pets!

    Here's hoping for a sunny tomorrow.

Peace and Love

    

PS....I see it now.  Pluto.  Damn.

odds and ends

 Sometimes I am in another world

    Either I am oblivious to what is happening, I am too busy to notice details, or I'm just not paying attention.

    Two nighst ago I took Beth out at about 11:30.  We have a flashing collar for her so I can keep track of her in the darkness.

    But it does need to be recharged from time to time.  And this was the time.

    So we went out with the flasher.

    I lost sight of her when she was at the corner of the porch.  I called, she did not come.  I called again, she did not come.  (Yes, this is reflective of the lack of training we have done.  The "come" command is at best a suggestion to the dog.

      Anyway, I lost sight of her.  I cold not hear her.  So I turned on the flashlight option of my I phone and walked slowly toward the corner.

    (Let it be known I have 5 flashlights, non of which work.  The only one that works is one sent to me by Doctors Without Borders.  But it is a small pen light.)

    Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw her shadow squatting down in the grass to my left.

    Knowing where she was, I turned around and promptly stumbled over one of the rocks around our little ornamental tree.  I hit the ground, hard.

    I had 3 thoughts:  Did I break anything?  Can I get up?  Did I land in anything objectionable?

    The answers were:  no, yes, no.

    I also imagined me laying in the grass for the rest of the night or until the coyotes ravaged my body like a dead deer in the ditch.

    Oblivious.

    Driving into town I was a bit perturbed by the guy in the white truck tailgating me.  He finally passed and I said to myself, geez...kind of fast for a 55 mph zone.  Then I looked at my speedometer and saw I was doing a hair or 2 under 45.  

    I had the car detailed today.  I took everything out of the car.  Jackie had a library board meeting tonight.  I get her from her chair to her seat, to her chair, to the seat in the car and we got to the meeting with 5 minutes to spare.

    Opened the back end to take out the wheel chair and ...... no wheel chair.  I did not put it back into the car.

    So I took her back home, into her transport chair, into her sitting. chair. A lot of work for nothing.

    I also put the wheelchair back into the van.

    The weird thing is I picked up one of the legs and put it on the golf cart while I was getting some grocery sacks.  That should have been a clue, but like I said:.

    Oblivious.

Peace and Love

tree day

 Our new trees came today

    They showed up about 10:30 and were done in less than an hour.

    The trees look good.

    Tomorrow I will go and let the hose slow drip onto the bases.

    I also had the guys put the dirt from the holes in my yard cart.  I have some low spots in the field that rock my teeth when I mow, and hopefully I can fill those in  so my mowing ride is not as bad as it currently is.

    I took some water and a bucket of ice out to the crew.  I thought it was warm.  They seemed to appreciate it.

    I also bought a new desk chair.

    Local furniture store had a couple, I bought the one I liked best.

    I brought it in the house and Jackie looked at it and said, "Why is it crooked?"

    Sure enough....the back pad is not on straight.  I will go back tomorrow or Friday and see what can be done about that.

    But it is a nice chair.  Doesn't sink.

    And big news.....I took the old chair out to the road in case someone wants it!  I also put 2 rakes and a spade out there, hoping someone a use them.

    Getting rid of things is hard for me.  So that is a big step.

    Aside from that, the news of the day depresses me more and more.  It's like the world has gone crazy.

Petace and Love

confused

 This was a weird kind of day

    My stupid desk chair started it.

    After sitting real low, I went downstairs to take Julia's chair.  She has a new one at her new house and left her pink one behind.

    Pink.  Lavender. Whatever.

    It is not a heavy chair.

    Last night at 10:30 I decided to bring it up.

    I sometimes do not make the best choices.  At one point I pictured myself falling backward, chair on top of me, and crashing into a wall or cement floor.  

    I teetered, I swayed, I survived.

    I thought of stopping, but it is hard to stop in the middle of a staircase with a chair  wrapped around your middle.

    My trees are coming tomorrow!  I am super excited.

    Julia also has some trees, but she never got a call and so she did not put her markers out.  She doesn't think JULIE came to mark her lot, because the flags were not out.

    I was a little surprised when a guy rang our doorbell.  I opened it and it was a JULIE worker.  He said they had an emergency marking for my house, but he marked it a few days ago.

    I said I didn't call it in, but my daughter in Oregon does not think her spots were marked and she called.

    Evidently having 2 Dickows was too much for either the nursery or JULIE.

    Hopefully it is all straightened out in the morning.

    Back to my chair.

    I figured out how to raise it.  But when I sit in it, it slowly sinks.  I won't order one on line because you have to "feel" chair to know if you like it.

    That won't be until sometime next week because we have a pretty busy week ahead.

    But that's a story for another day.

Peace and Love

Eh???? What????

 I went to talk hearing aids today

    The good doctor recommended I just carry one of those ear horns, the ones that look like a ram's horn.

    "Hold it up to your bad ear and have people talk right into it."

    There were a variety of colors to choose from, so I picked the brown and orange striped one.

    I just hope people don't mistake me for a mountain goat instead of an old goat.  

    Actually, I opted for some hearing aids the good doctor has never used because they are so new.  So in effect, I am her guinea pig.  We will both be learning the technology together.

    And I have 30 days token them  to use it or try another option.

    Since I was in DeKalb, I thought I would buy a new desk chair.

    Mine seems to have broken.  When I sit in it, my chin barely reaches above the desk.  I feel like I am 6.  I tried raising it, but it does not want to go up at all.

    I drove over to Office Max, only to find out it is no longer anger there.  (Jackie said it has not been there for years....where have I been?)

    In fact, there are no office supply stores in DeKalb or Sycamore.  An area with a population of 40,000 with another 15,000 at the university and no office supply store.  

    Huh,

    I also stopped at HyVee because Monday's  are senior days and you get 10 percent off your bill.  Or 5 percent, I forget which.

    My final stop was Portillo's.  

    Today their special offer was half off cheeseburgers.  

    I went to place my order, and that's where the problem started.

    At some point I accidentally called friend John.   After I quickly hung up he called back to check I was all right, and I could not figure out the app on my phone....I just kept punching buttons.  So I do what I do, I just gave the young man at the counter my   phone and he punched in the information.  I started out as the only person in line, but now there were 3 people behind me and I could read their minds.

    Placed the order, thanked the young guy, and wondered if I was ever going to figure out the world of apps and cell phones.

    By the way, I got a double cheeseburger, which is $10,59.  But because it was cheeseburger day, mine was half  off!  

    I expected 2 small patties, but the patties were huge!  I only ate half for supper.

    The crowning point was on the way home I can not say, "Siri, call home," because that feature seems to not work in the car anymore.  Something I did at Portillo's, no doubt.

    This has happened before and it was super easy to reconnect.  

    I just don't remember how to do it.

    I need to adopt a young person to help with technology.

Peace and Love

awww, damn

Dogs are a source of great happiness, and sadness

    Emily's dog, Liam, passed away today.

    He was an Irish Wolfhound.

    He was huge and one of the friendliest dogs you could imagine.  His size was intimidating, but his nudging for pets was so darn sweet.

    Liam was a victim of divorce, if I remember correctly. 

    The couple had him for 8 years, but divorced and neither could find a home for him.  He went to Emily's as a foster..... and never left.

    That was 2 years ago, but it seems like a much longer time.

    Liam was approaching 10, which is old for a dog of his size.  I t think when she got him she knew he would not be in her life for a long time.

    But it is still hard when the time comes to let go.

    That's all I got.

Peace and Love

ding, dong

 Our doorbells are finally working

    We got them for Christmas so Jackie could "answer" the door when I am not home.

    A son of a friend came over today and spent a couple of hours working through the directions and getting them up and going.   A big shout out to Caleb for  all the work he put into it.

    Now I have to figure out how to connect Jackie's phone to the system.  (Hell, Julia or Emily have to figure out how to connect the phone.  Might as well be honest.)

    There was a Hispanic festival in downtown Rochelle this evening.

    Jackie and I were both in the mood for some Mexican food, so after I went to the store I stopped at the festival.

    That might have been a mistake.

    I don't hear well.  My hearing aids amplify sound, they don't filter out the unwanted noise.

    So when I tried to order while people were talking and a Mexican folk dance group was performing to music, the pretty young thing taking my order had to ask me several times what I wanted because I could not hear her.

    During a break in the music, I placed my order.

    But the music started up again, a woman turned to me and asked me a question and I said, "Sure."

    She might have said, "There are several flies in our beef, do you still want it?

    Or, "Sorry, w only have shredded horse left."

    Or, "You look like a nice guy, but are you a freakin idiot?"

    I said sure, not knowing what I was agreeing to.

    The food was good. That's all that matters, right?

    Neighborhood kids enjoyed a hayride this evening.  A tractor pulled a rack filled with hay bales and little kids around the neighborhood. They looked like they were all having a good time.  I should have gotten on!

    That's all for my mundane life.

    Hope you have a safe weekend.

Peace and Love

hot, hot, and hot

 Our forecast for the next week is calling for heat

    I don't like that!

    Give me a day with the temps in the mid 70s and low humidity and I will be as happy as a monarch on milkweed.

    When. I was younger, the heat didn't bother me at all.  We would play baseball and it would be 124 outside and we would not even sweat.  We'd play all day, in the heat, and never complain.

    And we did not have the luxury of air conditioning.  I would have to get some ice cubes and stick them down my shirt for any cooling benefit.

    Now I can't even walk out to the mailbox without griping.

    Warm streaks are not uncommon  in the fall. But this summer seemed to be hot enough that we don't need more hot days.

    I don't think this is an Indian Summer.  Those usually happen in October or November and if I remember correctly from my  youth, usually after a freeze or frost.  So this hot spell coming up is not a real Indian Summer.  I don't think.

    Made a quick trip to Julia's house to take a dead ground squirrel out of one of her window wells. Yes, he was dead, not napping.

    She said  it  ran under the cover as she was walking around the house yesterday.  Today it was dead.  I just wonder if it was one of the ones we fished out of the well last week.

    In Casablanca Rick says a line that goes something like:  "Yesterday they were just 2 German couriers. Today they are the honored dead."

    Today the ground squirrel is among the honored dead who have sacrificed their lives in window wells.

    And life goes on.

Peace and Love

    

Mr. Clean?

 I had to catch up the past 2 days

    Usually, not always, I do a  pretty good job at keeping up with laundry.

    Towels on Wednesday and Saturday, sheets on Monday, the rest as needed.

    Well, I was surprised to see I had 3 loads to do in 1day!

    I wasn't paying attention until I noticed my underwear supply was running low.

    And Jackie was getting short on jeans.

    So I  did a load of jeans and discovered something about myself.

    Personal grooming isn't high on my list, evidently.

    Jackie wears jeans for 1 or 2 days. In my load of jeans she had 8 pairs.  I had 2.  

    I must not be putting on clean jeans often enough!  Sigh.

    I cleaned our bathroom today.  We do have a cleaning lady every other week, so I clean it on the week she is not here.

    I picked up my cleaning bucket and there was liquid on the bottom.  I picked up my spray bottle of cleaner and it was leaking profusely from 2 spots on the bottom.

    How does that happen?  It had not been touched in 2 weeks!  How can it leak?

    Because I never throw stuff out, I did have an empty spray bottle of the same cleaner into which  I transferred  the leaker.

    We have a Nest thermostat.  When it got cold, Jackie told me to set it on the heat/cool option, so when it hits a certain temperature the AC or heat will come on.

    I have had trouble sleeping the last three nights. Last night I put the AC back on, the house got cool, and I slept like a baby.  I think it was just too warm in the bedroom.

    Since Jackie has allergies we can't open the windows at night.  I could sleep in our spare bedroom, and open the windows, but there is no guarantee I would hear her if she called in the middle of the night.  The AC helps.

    I think it would have gone on today anyway, and for sure this weekend.  Are we really going to hit 90 on Sunday?  Yikes.

    There.  More information about me you will never have to wonder about again.

Peace and Love

Beatles said it

 I should have known better....

    Emily gave me this super huge mug for Christmas.

    I have had tea in it almost every morning since then.  It is heavy, holds the heat, and is big.  I love this mug.

    Alas, all is not well that ends well.

    For the first time, today, I skipped my morn ing nap and took my tea on the porch, and nestled in my red chair.

    My tea was on the ground next to me, but Beth wa approaching it with that look in her eyes.

    So I picked up the mug, took a couple of sips and placed it on the railing.

    Yes, it did.

    And yes, it did.   It's a fine crack but it goes through the mug.  I cursed myself for being so careless.  I could have taken a plastic, insulated mug, but noooooooo.  I had to take my favorite.

    Damn.

    It was busy around here today.

    Guy came to look at the floor and the scratches.  He outlined some remedies, none that he recommended, so the scratches remain.

    Another guy came and checked the furnace for the winter.  

    And we had morning help.

    Beth was in heaven with all the people.

    I think she thinks they all came to visit her.   And maybe they did.

    Tomorrow should be a little quieter....may even get a nap in.

    But I won't have tea on the porch.

Peace and Love

dag nab it

 I have a mystery on my hands, again

    My carrots have disappeared!

    I have 3 or 4 left.  The rest look like they have been pulled out of the ground.

    I had 2 rows last week.....in fact, I think I checked Sunday and there were carrots.  I should have dug them then.

    I'll pull the rest tomorrow.  I like carrots.  We usually put up several one gallon bags of carrots for the winter.  Now I 'll have to buy carrots and I don't like that because they don't taste as good as the fresh ones.

    Sigh

    I have a trail cam, but it does not pick up the garden.  And it does not show any deer going thru the yard, so I am confused.

    Deer?  Rabbits?  Ground squirrels?  Squirrels?  Beth?

    Tis a mystery to me.

    The past 2 days have been productive for me.  Today I watered porch plants, vacuumed the car, rode my bike, cooked upper, did dishes, placed flags for the trees, got recycling out in time, read for a while, went to the store.......like I said, pretty productive for me.

    I tried adjusting Jackie's wheel chair so both brakes work, but I can't seem to do that.  The handle on one side is either bent or put on backwards, but I can't figure out how to get it off.

    We have a wheelchair in the van at all times.  That way I don't have to keep lugging one in and out, plus I don't have to worry about the wheels being dirty and tracking it into the house.

    I also  tried to replace the base on a lawn sprinkler.  I can get one nut off, but the other does not want to turn.  I keep thinking I am going the wrong way, but lefty loosey and righty tight  just confuse me.    And my hands are not strong enough, which makes the chore even harder.

    But the weather has been beautiful.  There is a bit of fall in the air.  Rochelle has dipped into the 30s several nights this week.

    In keeping with that, Walmart has Christmas candy on one of the end aisles.  

    It's only 4 months away, so start saving for my presents now.

Peace and Love

  

negative nellie

 I have a really bad taste in my mouth

    No, it was not anything I ate, more what I saw.

    The Bears did not win.  The Cubs did not win.  The Sox did not play.

    I really thought the Bears would win.  Really.  Especially after the first drive, when they scored a touchdown.

    It was all downhill after that.

    Same old Bears.

    I know, it was only the first game.  They played a tough team.  Ya da ya da ya da.

    Minnesota started a rookie QB and I think he outperformed our QB.

    And the Cubs?  Pffft.  Flat as a tire on an abandoned car.  I think the Sox have a better record over the last 2 weeks than the Cubs do.

    In other words.......

    I managed a bike ride today.  I have a real physical problem.  My right hand has some nerve damage, and after a few minutes it goes dead.  I have to shake it awake.  That makes riding a bike a bit of a challenge.

    Next time I go to the doc I will ask for some options....but I think I did that once before and opted to stay with the tingling.

    And for those of you reading closely, it was a BLOCK party I went to.  Damn eyes missed that one.

    I have been working on my desk top, trying to get it organized and cleaned.  It seems I have several cables and cords I have no idea where they go, or what they do.  One end is plugged into the computer or an auxiliary port, but nothing is on the other end.  Huh.

    My trees are coming next week.  I have to go out and plant flags so JULIE can check for utilities.  I know there are none, but gotta follow the steps.  I am excited about this.  

    I know, it seems crazy to plant them on an empty lot...but like I said before, they are an investment that will turn out treemendous in the long run.

    It's been a day.

Peace and Love

blocked

 I stepped out of my comfort zone a little today

    There was a block party on our street.

    Jackie did not feel like going, so I went by myself, always a danger.

    I did something I find very hard to do:  I talked to strangers!

    Our street has had a lot of change in the past year.  Several new families moved in, and I don't really know many people beyond the houses around us.

    But I did go and introduce myself to people from four different houses.  Folks, that is big.

    Usually when I am in a situation where I don't know a lot of people I stand off in a corner and just watch.  Today I mingled.

    I survived.  

    Which is more than the Minnesota Vikings will do tomorrow night when they face the Bears.  I predict Chicago wins 75 to -4.  That's right!  -4!!!  Complete and utter domination.

    I only watched 1 inning of Cubs baseball today.  Correction;  1/2 inning.  I watched the top of the ninth when Washington, with the third worst record in baseball, scored 5 times to win. 

    I just don't get this team.  

    Topic change:  The flies have been awful!  My fly strips have been up for a few days in the garage and they have lots of flies stuck to them.  I have been swatting them in the house.

    When I was younger, I could easily get the fly on the counter or on the window.  Now I find myself missing.  Once, twice.  Several times.

    It reminds me of a scene from the original Magnificent Seven where Robert Vaughn's character is sitting at a table and there are  or 7 flies.  He shoots his hand out and the men watching him say he is very good....he caught 4 of. them.

    Vaughn gives this chagrined smile and said, 'There was a time I would get all of them." or something like that.

    I guess everyone's reflexes start t slow down at some point.

    Either that or the flies are getting faster.

Peace and Love

Am I sexist?

 I have noticed a lot of women are running for office

    Their ads pop up on Facebook. for the Senate, as Representatives , for governors all over the country,.

    And I think it is awesome!

    Is that sexist?

    For years when we look at higher political offices we see mainly white guys.  And in Congress we see a lot of old white guys.

     It's time for a change.  Our Congress needs to get younger and diversified because the United States is a country made up of many peoples from many lands.  All of them have added rich traditions to our way of life.

    My favorite ads so far have been from South Carolina, where a pediatrician is running for Lyndsey Graham's senate seat.  I hope she wins.

    I have also  seen many ads for younger men running for office.  Again, it is a welcome change.

    But there are people who will only consider a candidate from the party their parents voted for.  

    And there are people who will not vote for a woman.

    And there are people who will not vote for a person who does not have blond hair and light skin.

    Hopefully someday they will change their minds about candidates.

    Jackie and I made cookies and 3 bean salad for tomorrow's block party.  I forgot to RSVP, so I hope they have a couple extra burgers.

    Are you a Frasier tv show fan?  The original show, not the later show.

    I swear, I saw an episode where Frasier and Niles were in the coffee shop discussing their father and what to do with him when a young woman comes over and asks if she can borrow the sugar.  She has a British accent, in my memory, and as she bends over, Niles inhales deeply.  I think that was Daphnie.

    But,  and here's the big butt, we watched episode one, season one, and it did not happen there.  Daphnie was hired in that episode, so the incident had to come before then.  I can't find a reference to a pilot.

    Now I am wondering:  was it my dream?  was it in a flashback episode?  should I watch the last episode of season 1 which features Niles and Frasier taking in the coffee shop about the past year?

    Sadly, that is my life now days.

    I need sine stimulation.

Peace and Love

AARRAGH!!!!!!!

 My day was very peaceful until it wasn't

    Jackie had her hair done, soI went to Acres Bistro for some coffee and cookies.

    That was fine.

    I stopped at the museum and visited for a while

    That was fine.

    Watched a minute or two of the Cubs game.

    That was fine.

    Sat on the porch with Beth at my side, reading.  Not sleeping.  The sleeping part was this morning.

    That was fine.

    Let out Emily's dogs.

    That was fine.

    We had a bird in the garage.  Don't know how it got in.  Opened all the doors and 45 minutes later, it was still in the garage.  Bird Brain is an actual diagnosis.  It kept flying into the window, into the ceiling , and sitting on the garage door track.  It shit on our van.

    Not so fine.

    Eventually the bird flew the coop.

    That was fine.

    Went to try out Paramount +.

    That was not fine.

    I could not log in.  Whenever I tried on the bedroom tv I got an error message.  Whenever I tried on the family room tv I ended up being taken to the pick your plan page.

    The AI chatbot was no help.  It directed me to a person.  There was a 1 minute wait, from 7:54 to 8:06.  Long minute in AI land.

    Man helped me for 45 minutes and then I said I quit.  I had enough.  I still can't log in.  It may be my fault, it may ge a glitch, but  we can't watch anything on Paramount +.

    I quit the chat.  Turned off the tv and said a few choice words.

    That was fine.

    Now  my BP has returned to normal.

    And that is fine.

    Good night.

    That is fine too.

Peace and Love

odds and ends

 My mind is full of weird thoughts tonight

    Not weird in a perverted sort of way, just weird.

    Browsing Facebook today, I saw a promo for a castle in Savanna IL!

    It is open for tours and looks pretty interesting.  I have been in Savanna and had never heard of a castle, just a biker bar.  Once there was an antique store connected to the tv show of guys traveling around and buying antiques for their Iowa shop.  Can't remember the title.  Or the Iowa town.  Maybe LeClair?  By the way, that is the boyhood home of Buffalo Bill.  Or not?  Maybe Wyatt Earp.  

    Th US military blew up a boat with narco terrorists.  Now that we have abandoned the principals of law and order in that people are charged, tried, sentenced, what comes next?  We already see the people being rounded up without warrants or cause, who is next on the list?  What if they were just fishermen?

    If my Comcast e mail disappears tomorrow it is because I have ignored numerous warnings to update my account with personal information.  

    The Bears game Monday night is the most important one on the schedule, in my humble completely incompetent football mind.  Division rival, first showing of the new offense under a new head coach with a new  offensive line.  I see it as a make or break game.

    Yes, I wore a sweatshirt mowing today.

    Yes, I have to get rid of the shirt I wore because it no longer covers my belly.;..hence the sweatshirt.

    Yes, I have eaten a lot of cookies in the past 2 weeks.

    No, I will not complain about the cool temperatures.

    No, I have not yet cleaned my desk.

    Yes, I have piled more on it.

    I signed up for Paramount + because it was $60 for the year, ad free.  Now if only I could remember the password I used to create the. account.  And that was less than 45 minutes ago.

    Yes, I should have written it down.  But I did not.

    Still have not figured out how to fill my peppermill.  If I could find the directions, maybe I would be a able to figure it out.

    Can't help wondering if a house burns down or up.

    My grill is working fine.  Replacing the spark igniter was the solution to my problem.  That and a full gas tank.

    Discovered if I am going to nap or read on the porch, I need my hearings aids in.  Otherwise I can't hear my phone when Jackie calls.  With my hearing aids, the call goes right to the device stuck in my ear.  Lesson learned.

    Leap and a net shall appear.

Peace and Love

dang it

 I need a kick in the butt

        I did nothing today except hang fly strips in the garage.

        That's it.

        I thought I would mow, but it rained. 

        I took a nap on the porch with Beth at my side.  It was not comfortable, but I still slept.

        I also read for a while.

        I could have worked on cleaning up my desk, which has been a mess for the past 48 months.

        But I didn't.

        I could have taken some time to clean up the back seat of the van.  

        But I didn't.

        I could have worked on my great American novel.

        But I didn't.

        I could have organized my pictures from Key West, London, Liverpool and Switzerland.

        But I didn't.

        No motivation today.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.

        Hopefully tomorrow I can get back in the groove of doing something.

        At this point anything would be progress.

    Peace and Love

brain fart

I messed up on the Cubs game tonight 

    They were leading 4-3 going into the top of the ninth.

    I said to Jackie, "I'm going to do the dishes."

    She thought that was strange that I would not watch the top half of the inning with the Cubs having a 1 run lead.

    I planned to watch the bottom of the ninth.  Why?  I thought they were tied, even though I knew they were ahead.

    I did go back and watched the last out.

    Some days I just get confused.

    I got a bike ride in today.  It was only 4 miles, but that is about all I seem able to ride these days.  I am not in the biking condition I was in 3 years ago, although I have ridden more this year than last.   That is not a boast, it is an expression of frustration.

    No one in Rochelle won the billion dollar lottery, so I guess that includes me.  With the odds 1 in 122 million, it would have been rare.  Nice, but extremely unlikely.

    Saw another commercial that bothers me. 

    It's for an insurance company.  A young man is going into his dorm carrying a plant.

    Seriously, how many guys going to college are bringing a plant?

    Is that sexist?  I don't know.

    That about sums up my mind tonight....don't know, and confused.  Sounds like a comedy routine in the making.

Peace and Love

Labor Day

 This was a darn interesting day

    I made the choice to have  our helper here today.  She said she did not have anything planned and would be glad to come.  So I asked her to come.

    Once Jackie is out of the shower and ready to do her hair, I migrate to a comfy spot for a nap.  I always need a nap in the morning.  I can't explain it, I just wake up tired.

    I have a red porch recliner and I settled into it and little Beth jumped up and snuggled next to me.

    That was probably around 9 or so.

    We both slept very soundly.

    How do I know?

    UPS left a package on the porch.  I did not hear them.  Beth did not hear them, otherwise she would have barked.

    I had a plan for the day.  Go to Julia's and hep her put the covers on her window wells, put some light bulbs in her garage door openers, buy corn, plant my 3 mms on the side of the house, ride my bike, and finally, buy a winning lottery ticket.

    I got to Julias and we got the bulbs in her openers, but I think we are missing something.  When I walk out an open garage door, I break the light bean and the light goes on.  Hers doesn't. I plan to look for my owners manual tomorrow to see if there is a setting that needs to be changed.

    We went to put the window well covers on and discovered 2 ground squirrels in one of the wells.  

    That began a 30 minute attempt at getting them out and freed.

    At one point one of the little devils ran up my arm!  I did not want it in the house, so I flipped it off.

    Eventually we captured them in a plastic tub, hauled them out to he yard, and freed them.

    I went to plant the mums and hit an ants' nest. By the way, ants do bite if they are made at you!

    It was almost like they launched a counter attack!

    They were on my arms, on my pants leg, on my tools so when I picked up the spade I also got a bunch of ants.

    Luckily I did not have ants in my pants.

    I bought the winning  Powerball ticket.  So did 3 other people before me.  I could be a billionaire this time tomorrow.

    Or I could be bitten by a radioactive spider and have super powers.  I think the chances are about even between the 2.

    But a fella can dream.

Peace and Love

If you buy $20 in museum raffle tickets, you get a year membership, 24 chances to win a 50/50 prize and as an added bonus, I will.treat you to a drink at Cypress House.  Call me for tickets!

There is one of the varmints.....they would not take the board up.

This plant is beautiful.  It is a chenille plant, but I have a problem.  Directions for care say it is a tropical plant and has to be kept moist and in air temperatures of 80 degrees.  That will not be possible in the winter.  Any suggestions?