C'mon TD

 Sometimes I am very, very stupid

    Feel free to dispute that.

    But what I did today was beyond stupidity.

    I was taking Beth to the groomers.  We had a 3 p.m. appointment.

    I go Flagg Road to Brooklyn Road, Brooklyn Road to Reynolds Road. East on Reynolds Road to Mulligans Grove.

    But there was a train stopped over the crossing on Brooklyn Road.  A very long train.

    Last time that happened I ended up going to Ashton to get across.

    But I know there is an overpass on Thorp Road.  At least I think it is Thorp Road.

    So I headed that direction  found the overpass and after going over the tracks, I looked to my right and saw the train there.  I figured it was also blocking that crossing

    I Googled the groomers.  I called.  I  explained that I would be late.

    The dash screen showed the groomers straight ahead.  So I continued straight ahead.

    The paved road became a gravel road, which turned into a one lane road, which crossed a paved road.

    That is where I became stupid.

    I know the only paved road I cross is Reynolds Road.

    But the map showed the groomers straight ahead.

    I continued down the cowpath.Vultures began circling the van.  Something was wrong.

    I never asked directions!  The map was  just a general area map.

    I turned around, went back 2.5 miles and turned east on Reynolds Road.

    We got there abut 10 minutes late. 

    When I picked Beth up, I took a road that was alongside the railroad tracks.  What I found is the road curved, and the train I thought was blocking the road after coming over the overpass  wasn't, because the road curved.   If I had gone that way I would not have been driving down 1 lane gravel roads in the middle of cornfields.

    My plan was to pick up Beth, make supper, then go into the garage. cut up cardboard, and plant what is left of the plants I bought 2 weeks ago.

    I could not find my box cutter.  10 minutes of frustration looking for it.

    I decided to focus on the positive things I did today.  I planted 4 pots, hooked up my front porch hose, washed and dried the sheets, made supper and am about to wash the dishes.

    Tomorrow I am going to buy a new box cutter, put it on a string and hang it where I can find it.

    As soon as I do that, the old one will surface.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

What??????

We went from a clean kitchen to a mess 

    The original plan was to go to Julia's for tacos.

    Our niece Laurie is coming to meet niece Cindy and they are taking a plane to Spain to do The Walk.

    Ok, I can't remember it.  El Camino Real?  El Camino was a Chevy product at one time, and it may, or may not, be the name of the walk to a famous shrine along the Atlantic Ocean.  It is a popular walk for religious and sightseeing purposes.

    Anyway, she was driving from around Columbus Ohio and Julia was going to make tacos for us all.

    But her ETA was after 7 and Jackie and I don't like eating that late.

    So I made dinner and we ate at 7:30.  I know.

    I was going to grill outside, but the wind was pretty strong and I did not know if I could keep the grill going, so I used our air fryer. 

    Steak turned out pretty good.  

    But now I have a pan for the fries, a pot for the veggie, and the air fryer to clean and I have about as much ambition as a toad flattened on the highway of life.

    Today I picked up doggie do and watered the plants I have not yet potted.

    Sadly, I watched the Cubs for a while.  

    Hopefully tomorrow I will actually do something besides complain.

    Mainly I need to get the pots planted with the plants I bought 2 weeks ago,  

    Just can't seem to get going on it all this year.

    Is that a sign?

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

what a week

This week ran the full gamut

    Celebrating my birthday, a friend's retirement party, and a funeral service gave the week a happy/sad feel.  

    My friend Beth is retiring and there was a party for her and another  middle school teacher.  It was a nice chance to see former co-workers and old friends.

    Another retiree from another year told me a funny story.

    The teacher was retiring at the end of the year, which was a week away.   Kids were tuning out.  Not much effort was being shown.

    The teacher blurted, "You don't seem to give a shit about any of this."

    As soon as the class was dismissed, they went to the principal and told that person what they had done,  in case parents called and complained.

    The principal said, "I've got that covered.  I will just tell them that I am handling it and that you won't be teaching in the district next year."

    Problem solved.

    Sadly, the funeral service was for a former student.  He always had a great attitude and a good heart. I don't think I ever saw him angry or not smiling.

    About 18 moths ago he was diagnosed with cancer.  

    Yet through all the treatments and hospitalizations, his parents and family said he still smiled  He thanked the medical staff who treated him.  He never said, "Why me?"

    He saw joy everywhere.

    I wish I was more like him.

    And the world too.

Peace and Love

    Especially Love

 

Oh my

 Sometimes I wonder about people

    I know prom is a big time for a high schooler.

    Asking someone out. Getting asked out.  Renting a tux.  Buying flowers.  Getting a dress.

    Getting a dress.

    I read a story today about a dressmaker in the south suburbs of Chicago who took orders for custom prom dresses.

    And she didn't deliver.  Several orders were not ready in time for prom despite the orders being placed months ago.    

    One mother said the dressmaker told her the $2,500 dress would be ready for prom.  It wasn't.

    I'm thinking....$2,500 for a dress?  For a high school dance?  Ye gads!

    The woman had no choice but to get another dress that only cost $2,200.  For a dress!!

    The mom spent $4,700 for her daughter to go to prom!

    Another story dealt with a park district supervisor who chartered a helicopter to land for prom pictures!  A freaking helicopter!!

    Might not have been a good idea.  The supervisor was cited by local law enforcement for the landing.  And the helicopter pilot was charged with disorderly conduct.  Seems there were baseball games going near the area where the chopper landed.

    On the plus side, it only cost $800 for the helicopter rental.

    I know sometimes it is hard to say no when you are a parent.  But there are times when you have to say no!  Especially when it comes to expensive dresses.

    Then again, maybe it wasn't the prom goers choice  in the first place.  

    I went to prom. 

    Yes, I had a date.  Yes, it was formal.

    Yes, I had a t terrible time.

    But that is another story.

    Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

gimme, gimme

We have been flooded with donation requests 

    Almost daily, we get a request for funds in the mail.

    Today we got a pen from Doctors' Without Borders.

    It's not just a pen.  There is a flashlight on one end.  Pull the lid off and there is a pen.  Pull the other end off and there is a screwdriver.  Pull the screwdriver out a nd there is a Phillips screwdriver.

    It's really a net little tool,

    It makes me wonder how much money they spend on fundraising.  

    We do support a variety of charities.  I assume one of the ones we support has sold our name to a mailing list.

    In the past week we have gotten them from heart people, cancer people, zoo groups, homeless shelter groups, nature groups.......and those are the ones I remember!

    We have our favorite charities and we give to them.

    But dang, this is a nice pen/flashlight/screwdriver thing.

    Speaking of money.

    I had a museum board meeting tonight.

    Jackie has not been feeling well for a couple of days and has not eaten much.  She texted me and asked me to bring her a hamburger for supper.

    I went to Culver's to get a burger and fries.  I also thought I would get a chocolate malt for me.

    Got out of the car and was walking toward the door and discovered I did not have my wallet.

    I tried ordering on line and paying with a credit card, but I could not remember the third set of numbers.

    So we had grilled cheese instead. 

    I would have rather had the malt.

    I might have to start hiding money in the car for times like that.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

oh no

 This was a nightmare of a day

    Last night Jackie kept saying she did not feel well.  

    She went to bed about 10:30.  At about 6:30 she woke me up to go to the bathroom.

    When she was done, she wanted to go back to bed.

    I called our morning helper and told her not to come.

    We went back to bed about 7:15. Beth was even sleeping between us.

    I got up and went to make my morning tea while she slept.

    It was 12:30!

    I sat down to drink my tea and thought, maybe I should check on her.  I did.  I could see she was breathing, so I went back to my tea.

    The phone rang, which woke her up at about 12:45.

    By the time we were both showered and ready for the day, it was about 2.

    I was still tired!

    I managed to get 4 loads of laundry done.  I hate doing that many loads, but I sort of lost track of things....like clean socks and underwear for me and clean dish towels.  

    What a day.

    I am worried  I won't be able to sleep tonight.  Afterall, I slept over 12 hours last night.  

    She is feeling better tonight.  Not great, but better.  Hopefully tomorrow she will be back to normal.

    I, on the other hand, will never be normal.

    Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Wordle woes

 I enjoy playing the word game Wordle

    But  sometimes I get confounded, again, by the English language.

    Take a word like brown.  Ends with o.w.n.  That spells own.  As in, I own it.

    But brown does not have own in it!  It has a different sound.

    Blown.  Flown. Grown. Brown?  Clown??

    Same pattern, different sounds.

    Do I have a wound on my arm, or a wound?    Are you a present or are you just present?  And did you present your present?

    Confusing.

    No wonder people have trouble learning the language.

    I have noted this before.  In Dickens' Christmas Carole he writes he dont' and she don't.  When did that become improper grammar and we were taught to say he doesn't/she doesn't?  Who decided that?

    I doesn't know.

    I guess it isn't r really a problem with Wordle.  Although sometimes I get really stumped and have to think!  I am not good at thinking!  It makes my head hurt!

    A final thought/question for the night.  In our kitchen we have several canned lights.  We have been in the house almost 14 years.

    One of the lights burned out.

    I don't think the lights in the cans are LED, but I am not sure.

    What I do know is when I work up the gumption to replace the bulb, the new bulb will be a different color than the rest.

    That will drive me crazy.

    I don't want to replace all of them, because only 1 doesn't work.  Yeet I don't like having 1 dead bulb in the ceiling. 

    I will spend days agonizing over this.

    But I won't replace the burned out bulb until I need to.

    Maybe never?

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

on to 78

How old are we really? 

    Birthdays mark the end of a year. 

    When you turn 1, you are finishing your first year of life.

    I turned 78, so I just finished my 78th year of life.  So, am I really 79?                   

    Honestly, sometimes I feel like it.  Other times I feel like I am in my 60s.  And sometimes I feel like a teenager again, especially when listening to the oldies or Beatles channels on Sirius.

    When I am mowing, I have ear protectors with a built in radio and Bluetooth.  I listen to Buffet and The Beatles when I mow, and I sing along sometimes.

    Neighbor Jackie said she often hears me singing when I mow!  My gosh, now I am a bit embarrassed!  I did not realize I was singing louder than the mower!

    I just hope I wasn't singing to Buffet's Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw.  

    I invited some people over for pizza tonight.  We had a great time visiting and chatting and eating.

    I am just really thankful for all the people in my life.  I can't begin to explain to all of you, those here and those not here, how you impacted my life.

    As the Golden Girls said, Thank you for being a friend.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Happy Mothers' Day

A late wish for a Happy Mothers' Day 

    You don't have to be a mother to be appreciated this day, but they get all the attention.

    I had big plans for the day.  

    I was going to toss some dirt and do a couple of other little tasks.

    I went to the store, came home  and sat down to watch the Cubs for an inning.  The was the third, I think.  I woke up in the seventh!

    I just can't seem to get enough sleep lately.

    No dirt got tossed.

    But I did notice a guy down the street has a yard tractor with a bucket.  I will wander down sometime this week and see if I can hire him to toss the dirt  for me.  With the bucket, it should not take very long.

    I got my battery powered cultivator and now I wonder if that was the right choice.  I will have to climb into the bins to use it, and I don't know if that is a good idea for me or the bins. I should have thought this through.  A battery powered hand cultivator would be a better choice, just not sure 

    At the rate I am going, it won't matter.

    It's supposed to be cold again tonight, not quite freezing but cool.  

    As you fill up at the gas pump this week, realize Shell Oil reported profits of 7.8 BILLION for the first quarter. BP only earned 3.2 BILLION.  Sometimes capitalism sucks.

    I think we should have a pool going in Rochelle to see what station hits $5 for regular first.  My bet is on the BP station on 251 and Carrie.

    Time will tell.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

buns, baby, buns

 I went looking for some good buns today

    I couldn't  find any.

    I am looking for a bun that holds a bratwurst.  

    Most of the buns are too big, or too small, or too soft and crumbly.

    I have limited places to look locally, and it is not worth driving all over creation looking.  I should have looked in Rockford when I was. there.  But I didn't.

    I think Woodman's is my favorite grocery store.  Not sold on their produce, but the selection is amazing!

    They must have 20 brands of potato chips.  I bought some Mrs. Fisher's and Mr, Mike's. I stacked them in the pantry, hoping they mate and produce little chips.

    If you walk down the cereal aisle you will see hundreds of different choices.

    But I forgot to look for buns.

    Jackie got me up a little before 7 this morning.   She was tired, and said she wanted to go bak to bed for a while.

    We went back to bed and woke up at 10:15!!!!

    Holy smokes!  We must have been tired.

    I was going to go out and throw dirt into my bin, but the wind was too strong.  I figured anything I got into the air would just come back onto me.  Maybe tomorrow.

    Or maybe not.  

    But I have to get the bins  up and filled so I can plant stuff before it gets too late.

    I'm at the point where I regret the whole project.

    But the Rubicon has been crossed.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace 

what the hell

 I'm kind of grouchy tonight

    Just a lot of little things that grate on me.

    Why do people take babies to baseball games?  Every game at Wrigley it seems they show parents with a baby.  Not a small child, a baby.  At one game they showed a mother in the bleachers holding her baby.  In the full sun.

    Why?  The kid isn't going to remember.  The noise might hurt their ears.  Some drunk might spill beer on them and turn them into a beer guzzling kindergartner.

    I pulled onto Flagg Road today  going into town.  I was doing close to 55.  A white car zoomed past me like I was standing still.

    He got behind 2 cars doing the speed limit.  I was right behind him. Why was he going so fast to start with?

    People who do California rolls at stop signs.  Just stop.

    The person in the orange car that burns rubber on Skare Road at 10:30  at night while I am out with the dog.

    Parents who refuse to accept that their precious child did something wrong.  Even when the kid is now an adult, they will provide alibis and excuses instead of accepting the fact their kid is wrong.

    Customer service reps with strong accents.  When I went to cancel something with X finity,  they transferred me to retention expert, who spoke perfect English with no accent.

    Telemarketers.

    Politicians who are afraid to stand up for the 98 percent who are not billionaires or in the Epstein Files.

    Drivers who don't stop for people in crossings.

    And those are the ones I can think of after having a margarita.

     Excuse the spelling and punctuation mistakes.  I am really tired.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

run, run, run

 I did a lot of running today

    Not the kind that is actual exercise.  I could do that once upon a time, but that time has long passed.

    On the rare occasions I don run, I have a lopsided gait  and flailing arms, like goose trying to take off.

    I have plastic arch support inserts for my shoes.  They are wide, which means shoes have to be wide. I have trouble finding shoes I like to wear  everyday.

    I went to a shoe store in Rockford today.  They specialize in creating inserts for people with arch issues.  I had a nice conversation with one of the employees and they explained the options.  I can buy the inserts and shoes, or the inserts, or just shoes.  

    The inserts are around $500 for a pair, plus buying a cover, plus buying something else.  But they have a special of 3 sets of inserts, 3 pairs of shoes, and covers for only l$1,499.

    Being the fashion king I am, I opted for 2 of the special offers.

    Just kidding.

    I think my inserts are fine.  Old, but fine.  I just have to look for shoes.

    I stopped at X finity  to drop off my touch pad and the remote.  The lady said my account was cancelled and gave me a receipt.

    Then I stopped at Home Depot. Our health insurance plan offers a yearly in home health assessment.  They take blood pressures, get my weight, go over my medications, and give me a short cognitive test.

    By the way, the last time I did the cognitive t test I was told that I had done better than anyone else who had taken the test.  My scores were the highest ever recorded.  The nurse was totally sruprised and impressed.

    Anyway, there is a checklist the insurance people send.  Get a screening, check it off.  Get a  flu shot, check it off.  Have the home assessment, check it off.

    If you check all the boxes, you get a choice of gift cards.

    I opted for Home Depot cards.  So today, I stopped at the Home Depot and got a battery powered garden cultivator priced at $119. I had $220 in gift cards because I saved them!

    Score!!!!

    Also stopped at Dan and Linda's and had a nice visit.  I tried entering their street address for driving directions, but the directions always took me to Morton Grove.  Turns out, I had the address wrong !  I was driving down their street looking at the numbers and they didn't make sense.  Then I saw Linda out in front.  I reversed the last 2 digits.  

    I also stopped at a grocery store in Rockford for a couple of things we can't get locally.

    And I started the day at the museum with third graders.  We talked (I talked) about what life was like before we had all the modern conveniences. 

    I had forgotten how energetic that age group can be.  But for the most part, they were good kids.

    One of the activities involves living a pail of rocks.  They lift it manually, then use a rope attached to a pulley to see how much easier work can be done with the right tools.

    I told them to let the bucket down slowly.

    One little one asked what would happen if it dropped.

    I told them that did happen once.  The bucket went through the table, down through the floor and kept going until it came out the other side of the world!  And then I had to go get it.

    I asked them if they believed me. I think. a couple did.

    I told them when anyone, especially an adult, tells you something that you find hard to believe, well, just don't believe that person.

    I did tell them dropping the bucket only makes a loud noise.

    They all believed that.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

dang, it's cold

 I almost froze again while mowing

    I dressed better for the weather:  heavy shirt, with a windbreaker over that and a sweatshirt over that.

    I was fine going into the sun, but it was cold mowing away from the sun.  And the wind!!  Oh my gosh!

    I managed to mow our yard and the lot in just under 2 hours.  I did not mow any of the trees down, at least I don't think I did.  I need to put stakes by them to make them stand out.  Some of the grass was taller than the trees!

    Unfortunately it was too cold for me to trim.

    We are having the house washed tomorrow.

    I know!  That sounds silly! But we have some green areas and they don't look good.  Plus, the siding has collected some dirt over the years.

    We had it done a few years ago and were happy with the results.  Next will be the windows.  Doesn't make sense to do those first.  And yes, someone comes and does them too.  It takes me a couple of weeks while Matt and his crew polish them off in half a day.

    Friend Sheri cane over today and helped me adjust the garden bin.  It was bowed out a little because one of the center supports was loose and I could not get it back together by myself.  Hopefully it holds up.

    I always have buyer's remorse. I always think I bought the wrong product, no matter what ti is.  I have the same problem at dinner.

    When we go out I order Item A.  Someone else orders Item B.  The dishes come to the table and I immediately wish I had ordered B!  

    It's not that I can't make a decision, it's that I can't make a decision I like!

    One decision I always can make is if I am offered more cake.  

    And I never regret that!

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

    

schedules

 I am on week 2 of my scheduled life

    I have earmarked times to do certain things.  

    For example: OnMonday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons I walk the dog, then walk myself.

    On Tuesday and Thursday I write.

    Monday is also a day to mow.

    This is how it went today:

    11 a.m. almost finished with the Trib, decided to take a short nap.

    Woke up at 12:45.  So much for schedules!

    I went  to work on the planters but ran into a problem I can't fix myself.  Sufiice it to say, my planters are not constructed as well as some of the more expensive ones.  Hopefully the fix is in for tomorrow.

    So how many times have I walked the dog?  0.  Spent time writing? 0.

    Oh well.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

    I also made Friday my Rockford day, forgetting Jackie has a hair appointment.  So I switched it to Thursday, only to remember I have a museum gig at 12:45.

    After cancelling Thursday's plans, I decided to go ahead anyway, so I rescheduled with people.

    I just have to be home by 5:30 because I have a museum meeting at 6.

    No wonder my stomach aches.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

aaaah!!!!!

 One more thing

    I contacted Comcast because I was still being charged for home security even though I cancelled it.

    The rep told me the account is not cancelled until I return the touch screen.

    Today I took the pad off the wall and stopped at the Comcast store in DeKalb.  Again.

    I walked in holding the pad and said I was told to return the touch pad before my account could be cancelled.

    The guy looked at me and said, "That's true.  But that's not your touch pad.  That's the remote."

    To which I uttered a loud "SHIT"  followed by an, "I knew that!"  And I did!  Brain freeze.

    As I drove home I began to wonder.......where did I put the touch screen?

    I thought maybe I had taken it in on a previous visit, which would cause a ton of trouble.  But luckily I found it in the 3rd place I looked:   my electronics recycling box.

    So I am adding the Comcast store in Rockford to my Rockford Friday list.

    I got home, changed into work clothes, and went out to shovel dirt.

    I was out there about 15 minutes when it started to thunder.

    I had some bags of mushroom compost to take out of the car, so I did that as the rain sporadically fell.

    Then I took some potting soil, mixed in some grass seed, and went to spread it on bare spots in the front lawn.

    The rain came down...rather it came sideways!  When it hit me it felt like it must be hail, but it was the "hard rain that's gonna fall"rain that Bob Dylan sang about.

    Jackie texted Julia and Emily and said, "I don't know what the hell he is doing out there."

    I was drenched.  Soaked through.

    The rain lasted maybe 5 minutes.  

    I decided it was not worth changing and going out again.

    There is always tomorrow.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

yikes

 I was a little busy today

    I sat down for supper at 8:30.

    Granted, I showered before eating because I felt dirty.

    I finally got the 10 saplings planted.  These little trees will someday be might oaks.  Well, except for the ones that are not oaks.  But right now. they are so small I am afraid I will now them down.

    Tomorrow I will try to put stakes near them to warn me.

    Again, it was a great idea.  But now I have to trim around them and make sure they get water.  

    And digging 10  holes is not an easy task any longer.  In my youth I could do that in a couple of hours.  Today it took me 4 hours.  And I am sore.

    I also took my windmill out of the garage and put it in my wildflower area.  I anchored it down so the wind won't topple it.  At least I hope the wind won't topple it.

    Julia and Emily stopped over and helped me move the grill onto the patio an and put my bison out by the wildflowers.  Then we carried out a second planter.  I plan to start filling that tomorrow morning, but I won't work on it for long.

    I am not exactly a go getter in the morning.

    I like to have a cup of tea, some fruit, and read t he Tribune.  

    Today I learned about a competition I would be great at!

    South Korea holds a nap competition.  Contestants take naps.  I assume whomever naps the longest and soundest wins.  Can you just close your eyes and pretend?  I wonder.

    The competition is help to promote the importance of sleep.

    Naps are darn important too.

    Just wake me when it's Monday.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Miracles

Sometimes miracles do happen 

    I called X Finity again today.  Got a different lady. 

    I told her our landline was working, but it was not our number.  We can call out, but not in.

    I also told her I have been dealing with this for over a month and was getting pretty frustrated.   I did not yell, or belittle people, just stated the truth.

    She told me that they sometimes assign a temporary number when they are converting a mobile to a land line.  I told her the land line worked for 3 days, then didn't work.

    She promised service would be restored by 9 a.m tomorrow, May 4.

    I told her tomorrow is May 3, but I will be happy if it is restored May 4.

    Then I realized that she is probably in a country where it was already May 3.

    We went to a retirement party.  

    Either when we came home or before we left, the phone rang!!!  Nobody was there, but it rang.  So I called home on my mobile.....home phone rang.  Jackie called.....home phone rang.  I used the home phone to call Jackie....call went through.

    A miracle!!

    The retirement party was for our friend Renee, who just ended a long and successful career at NIU.

    I actually talked to people!  Most of them I knew, but I even talked to a couple of people I did not know, which is a pretty big step for me.

    When I got home my plan was to do a little stuff outside, but my nephew and niece were e on their way to Rockford from points east and they stopped off for supper.

    It was great to see them.  Their mother, my sister in law, is moving from an assisted living apartment to a room in a memory care unit.

    There was a lot of dark humor, but underneath it all is a lot of worry and sadness.

    Julia and Emily came over for supper too, and we all had a great time visiting, telling stories, and laughing.

    The outside chores?  Never got done.

    But there is tomorrow.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

Beth brought this in from the back yard.  A rib??

The wooden beds are going......eventually

When your friends realize you need special care and parking.  The really strong young guys who got Jackie in the house were a big help!

OMG

Well,  that was short lived

    Our land line was working fine last Sunday.

    Jackie could call me on it.  I could call on it.  We could use it.

    Last night we could not use it.

    So I called my XFinity friend and explained what happened.  She transferred me to Russell in their tech department, because she could not see any problem with the line.

    I talked to Russell for over an hour.  He eventually said he was passing the issue of our land line up the ladder to a higher tech person.

    He said the process should take about an hour, and then my land line would be restored.

    After an hour, I called our home line.  I got a message that our message box was full.

    OK, so I called Jackie's mobile and asked her to call me on the house phone.

    She did, and the call went through.

    But then I looked at the screen that gives the number of the caller, it was not our number!

    I called that number, the one that came up on the phone, and was given a message that that number was no longer in service and I should call the company's main number.

    What the hell??

    When we call from our home phone number, it shows as a different. number!

    I was just too tired and frustrated to call again.

    We started work on the new raised gardens.  Julia, Emily, Sheri and I moved one garden bed to another.  It was not fun.

    We had pizza and wine to mark the finish of one bed being filled.   3 more to go,

    Beth came in from the back yard today with a bone in her mouth.  Don't know where it came from.  Looks like part of a rib.  She was very proud of her find.  She was not happy I took it from her.

    I scoured the back yard but did not find any other bones.  

    Weird.

    But that seems to be going around lately.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

phase 1

Phase 1 of my Top Secret Project is done 

    Friend Sheri came over today and we put together the final 3 planters.

    Phase 2 starts tomorrow.

    We are going to take one of the planters, put it in position, and see how hard it is to fill it from another planter.

    Anyone with an hour or 2 and an extra shovel is welcome to stop over  after 4:30 and toss some dirt.

    Of course, that all depends on the weather.

    The pit of my brain is telling me, "This is nuts.    You are almost 78.  You should not be expanding your work, you should be contracting it.  What were you thinking?"

    What I am thinking is these are going to be the most expensive tomatoes and carrots ever grown in this universe.

    But when it is done, all I will have to do is go out every other day and spend countless hours weeding.  

    But it is too late now.  I have crossed the Rubicon.

    We have a cleaning lady every other week.  We pay her.  She did not come today because she was sick, so I started cleaning the house.  I asked Jackie if I get the money for cleaning.

    Long and short answer: NO!

    Oh well.  

    One of the gas stations in town is at  $4.49..........holy crappers, Batman!  

    I have a feeling that is going to be considered cheap by next fall.

    Hope I am wrong.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

dominoes

 Sometimes one thing leads to another

    Back in the day, that was a belief held by  the political leadership.  The belief was. that if a country fell to communism, the countries next to it would also fall.  Like dominoes.

    Ain't necessarily so.

    I have an unopened set of dominoes.  I bought it because it has been years since I played, and I. thought Jackie and I could play sometime.  But I never opened them.

    I never found my thrill on Blueberry Hill, but Fats did.  He was a successful Domino.

    I have always marveled at people who set up elaborate domino configurations, either made of dominoes, cereal boxes, bricks, whatever.  Then they hit one and the rest go racing around the design, falling perfectly from one to another.

    I finished mowing the yard today and boy, was I cold!

    Temperature was in the lower 50s, and in the fall that would have been pleasant.  But today it was cold and raw.  I may have windburn on my face.

    I thought the yard needed sweeping because there is a lot of cut grass.  I got out the catcher, then the dominoes started falling.

    To reach the actual sweeper that tows behind the mower,  I had to move the car.  Then I had to move the pieces to my Secret Project.  Then I had to move a sample of my secret project.

    I realized that before doing anything, which explains why the dead grass is still on the lawn.  Plus, I was cold and did not feel like riding the mower around any more than I already did.

    It also partially explains why I have not used my battery powered mower to mow between the existing planters, because that was behind the pull behind sweeper.

    Thus the first domino did not fall.

    Everything is still in its place.  I am still chilly, a full 5 hours after getting off the mower.

    I just put my morning load of laundry into the washer, which means at 9:30 it should be ready to go into the dryer.

    That means I will not be folding towels tonight, instead I will wait until tomorrow night to fold them, which means I will delay doing something tomorrow night involving laundry.

    Why?  Because that is the way I roll.

    And that's how the dominoes fall.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

busy, busy, busy

We had quite the day today 

    A crew from the landscaping company was here about 8.  

    The took apart the stones on the deck.

    When I signed the contract, one of the requirements was that there be no dog doo in the work zone.  I discovered why today.

    The guys took the pavers out and laid them in the grass in the same pattern that they took them out.  When it came time to relay the pavers, the operation was simple because they just put them back where they originally were.

    The soil was compacted, and gravel and sand were spread and leveled.  Then the pavers were put back, the joints filled with sand, and the job was done.

    They were finished by 3!  The foreman called me to tell me they were done, but we were coming back from Jackie's doctor appointment in Sycamore.  He told me to stay off the deck for at least 1 day, preferably 2, to give the joint compound time to set.

    Later the office manager called to make sure I was satisfied with the job and that the work area was ship shape.

    With Jackie's appointment, we combined 4 other errands to make the trip worthwhile.

    We had Julia pick up Beth because I was not sure how she would react in the house by herself with the guys working on the patio.  So I went to pick up  Beth and grab some cardboard for the new planters.

    When I got home I decided to mow.  Mistake.

    It was cold.  I did not finish.

    The grass is long.  I should have run the lawn sweeper to pick up the cut grass. But I didn't.

    I have not trimmed anywhere yet and it shows.

    After an hour of mowing I quit, made supper, and had a hot tea.  

    I am just now warming up....it's been almost 2 hours.

    If it doesn't rain tomorrow I will finish and sweep the yard, but the forecast is calling for showers.

    We'll see.

    And yes, I am tired.

    Hopefully we can get to bed earlier than last night and watch/listen to the Cubs in bed.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

awww. stop!

Jackie gets 2 "scam" alls a day on her mobile 

    Same number.  She does not know the number so she does not pick up.  The caller does not leave a message.

    Twice a day.

    I am not sure how to block the number.  I mean, I know how to do it, but I am not sure that I know.  I don't want to screw up her phone.  When one of the girls comes over we will have them do it.

    I thought I should answer it and start saying how glad I was to get your call and then talk non stop until they hung up.  I think I could do that.  But why risk saying something that could be used against me in a court of law.

    Our forecast for today was rain in the morning, followed by storms and possibly severe storms in the afternoon.

    The guys redoing our patio called about 8 and said based on the forecast, they would not be coming today but will come tomorrow instead.

    I said I understand totally.  

    We had thunder, lightning and rain about 11 but nothing this afternoon.  In fact, the sun was out for a while.

    Isn't that how it always works?

    If they had come, it would have poured.  

    Mother Nature is a fickle creature.

    I often ask our home pod for the forecast.  If the pod says rain, I always ask what time will rain.  The pod answers "there is no rain today."  Every time.

    If that is a sample of AI, we are in big trouble.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

behind door number 3

Our land line is back in service 

    No longer will people get a message that the Verizon customer has been disconnected.

    I got a call from a Comcast person this morning.  The call went to voicemail because I did not know the number and my phone screens calls.  I know, it is a pain.

    Anyway she told me her name was Sol (pronounced Soul) and she was calling to try to resolve my land line cancellation/reactivation issue.

    In sum:  I went to the store in DeKalb and dropped my home land line for a mobile line.  Julia and Emily and Jackie said no, so I returned the phone.

    I was told it took 4 days for the mobile line to be activated and they could not do anything until the line was activated.  So I went back later, returned the cell phone, and was told it takes about 4 days for the land line to be activated.

    That was about a month ago.

    I called twice, and was told the land line had not yet gone through the portal.  11 days ago they told me 48 hours and it would work.  It didn't

    The lady today took a lot of time working on this.

    What it came down to, in terms I can understand, the land line office handles land lines, the mobile office handles mobiles.

    There is a door between the offices.  

    My initial activity saw the land line info go through the door to the mobile people.  The transfer back from the mobile to the land line seemed to hit a closed door that was locked on one side.

    Sol today was able to unlock the door and allow the info to move back to the land line office.  She even called me on the land line and I could answer!

    I then asked her if I was going to be charged for the month I could not use the phone.  She said that was a billing issue.

    Just hope that door opens.

    We had a  big dog on our porch today!

    It was being walked and broke the leash an d took off.

    The dog was in our back yard and finally came to the people calling it.  

    At one point it came towards me and I reached out to pet it and the lady said not to, because the dog has been biting lately.  She showed my the bite marks on her hand.

    So I put my hands behind my bak and let the dog smell me.

    I believe it was a Rottweiler.  I am not sure, but I was going to be safe.

    They got the dog into a car and took it back home, wherever that was.

    Possible severe weather tomorrow.....time to hunker down.  Our weather radio will be busy!

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

scene one

We went to a play this afternoon

    Our friend Sam was in the Matilda cast in a children's theater production.

    The show was good.  I did have a hard time hearing the young performers.  I tried turning up my hearing aids but all that did was make the air circulation system sound like a freight train coming straight at me.

    Actually, I love plays that are all kids.  You can see exuberance, excitement, fright, uncertainty... and that's just the cast's family members in the audience!

    Seriously, it takes a lot of huztzpa to go on stage at any age.  Youngsters who do it are building self confidence,  pride, and are developing a skill that will benefit them in life.  Standing in front of strangers and performing is a skill.  In this age of screens, being able to do this in front of real people is a plus.

    Jackie just turned off the Cubs.  Last I heard it was 13-4, which means their 10 game winning streak is over. Tomorrow they can start a new one.

    I showed Jackie my Top Secret project today.  I had to.  It is sitting in the middle of one side of the garage.  I have to take the car 1/3 of the way out to get Jackie in the front seat.

    I ordered 4 metal 4 x 8 raised garden containers.  

    Friend Sheri and I assembled the first one Thursday, and it took a while.  But now that one is done, I can put the lessons learned toward making the others a little quicker.

    The problem is storing them until it is time to load them with dirt. 

    I am afraid to leave them in the yard empty because with the storms we have had recently they could become airborne and take out a couple of houses.  

    I had hoped to stack. them one across another, but I don't think that is going to work either.  Maybe I will have to put one out, move dirt into it, then move another.

    What started out to be a great idea has morphed into a "What the hell was I thinking" project.

    Heck, I am almost 78.  I should have no business doing something that should last a long time.  Yes I love the food we get, but gardens are a lot of work and attention.  

    Maybe I bit off more carrot than I can chew this time.

    I guess we'll see.

Peace and Love

        

        Especially Peace

Oh yeah??

 Who needs life in the big city

    Life in Rochelle can be pretty darn exciting.

    Like when the chase is on for a horse running down Flagg Road.  

    Seems the misplaced mare got loose from the Ag Day activities at the high school.  Seeing an opportunity to run free, it took off, leading  police and citizens on a merry chase through field and forest.  Well, no forest actually. Evidently. the horse was corralled for its owners and taken back to the corral safely.

    Then there was  a high speed car chase on Il. 38.  The car left the road and rolled, tossing at least 2 people from the vehicle.  I don't know their condition but I hope they are ok.  Il 38 and Center Road were closed for a while because of the accident this afternoon.

    As for me, I had 3 things to do today but only did 1 of them.  I did do the hardest one....cleaning our bathroom.  But I never got to filling the bird feeders or fixing my W flag.

    On the plus side, I do feel better.  I am tired, but I did not take a nap today.

    Tonight will be a challenge.  

    Cubs play on the West Coast and I will leave the tv on in the bedroom, but set the timer for 120 minutes.

    When I was a kid living on Belle Plaine in Chicago, I had a white Philco radio in my bedroom.  When the Cubs were out west I would turn it on and listen to the broadcast.  At some point I would fall asleep and somebody would turn off the radio.

    I think it was the Golden Voice of Jack Quinlan doing the games, but I could be wrong.  

    That was a while ago.  I just always associate Jack Quinlan with Cubs games out west.

    I just hope they can go 4-2 on this road trip.

    That's all I know.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

yikes

 Every journey begins with a step

    Or a mis-step in my case.

    I am putting a thing together in the garage.  (Top Secret!!!!)

    Friend Sheri came over to help, and Julia and Emily would have come too but I just did not feel good.  We finished up about 2:30 and I was just wiped.  Tired.  Head felt stuffed.  So I called it quits and. told the girls not to come.

    The directions were not exactly clear.  We ended up having to take part of it apart and starting that part over.  Too many parts in one sentence. 

    But Sheri reasoned it out.  At that point I was just trying to stay upright.

    Two nights ago I made tapioca pudding for the first time.

    I used the Minute Tapioca mix and almost followed the directions.

    The directions say to stir continuously until the pudding boils while stirring.  I stopped stirring, , saw it was boiling, and poured it into a bowl.

    After it cooled it was really runny, and the bottom was really thick.  I guess stirring until it boils is kind of important.  I will do better next time.

    It still tastes like tapioca, just really thin and lumpy.

    Even though it is April, I put the AC on last night.  It was 77 in the house and just uncomfortable.  Unfortunately I set the AC wrong.  I put it at 68 and it got really chilly in the house.

    I turned it off tonight.

    A benefit of not feeling well was washing the Cubs win number 9 in a row and a second series sweep!!

    Hopefully this cold is winding down.....it has been a week,.  Someone suggested I go to Convenient Care, but I don't think they can do anything except tell me to drink liquids and rest.

    I am doing that already.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

sex me, baby

I have no idea why this is happening

    Our Yahoo e-mail address is what  we use when ordering on line.  That way our other account does not get filled with all types of spam.

    But lately,  Yahoo is getting weird.

    For instance, Lolita sent me a message saying that I look familiar.  I did not read the rest.  Now, I have read the book Lolita and seen the movie, so I kind of have an idea where that is going.

    Katex wants  to send me a hand massage.  At first I thought it said message, but no.  And no, I did not open that either.

    I got an invitation to join Sex Tinder.

    Leanne 26 would like a date with me.  I can understand.  I would like a date with me!  I would take myself to a movie and then out to dinner.  Maybe I would even stop for ice cream.

    I got 5 messages about photos of super hot babes.  5.  And no, I did not check out the super hot babes.

    I got invites to join dating services for men over 40. over 60. and over 70!  I don't know why they skipped the 50s group.

    And of course a nice grandma messaged me that she had $5,000,000 she needed to sed to the United States..... now that was tempting.

    But no, did not open that one either.

    Imagine  100 years from now and researchers are checking e mails from now, trying to get a handle on our society in 2026.

    They are going to think we are a bunch of sexual deviants.  And people who had a lot of money to send to random strangers

    But those are mainly people in Washington and in the Epstein files, which still have not been released.

    I have a feeling that nice grandma sending me $ 5 million will happen before the files are completely. released.

    By the way, felt better today.  Mowed the yard and field.  Still am. tired, but life marches on.

    Tomorrow I start another project........right now it is Top Secret!!!

Peace and Love

        

        Especially Peace

day 5

I wish this cold would go away

    I feel ok until about 3, and then I just get so tired.  And today I had a headache to go  with the tired feeling.

    I did spend about an hour on the phone with X Finity.  We still don't have our home phone back.  If you call that number the message says this Verizon customer has a discontinued phone number.

    Nobody at X Finity seems to be able to explain that message.

    This is what I learned today from Ella, my customer service person:

    Yes, my mobile pone was returned and the service discontinued,

    Yes, my land line was restored.

    Yes, I should be able to use the land line.

    No, I can't use the land line because the cell phone was never taken out of the portal.  If the cell phone is not taken out of the portal, the land line can not be entered into the portal and restored.

    I have no idea what a portal is.  I mean, this isn't Harry Potter or Star Wars.  (To be honest, I have no idea if either of them involve portals.  Maybe Dr. Who?)

    Ella assured me the phone service entry into the portal is being expedited and we should have phone service within 24-48 hours.

    I am not holding my breath.

    Julia came over and tied to hook up my DVR downstairs.  The remote does not work.  I put new batteries in it, but it does not work.  I will try to put new batteries in again tomorrow.

    Julia pointed out most movies can be streamed.  I agree, but I do have discs that are not streamed, like the Dyin for a Drink play we did a couple of years ago.  I would like to watch that.

    If new batteries don't work, I guess I will be buying a DVD player.

    If I felt better today I was going to mow.  But I did not feel like mowing.

    Lucky thing because Emily can't get her mower started.  She replaced the battery but that did not seem to help.  So she came over and got my mower and drove it to her house and then mowed.

    Hopefully she can get a quick fix on hers.

    Maybe tomorrow I will feel better and mow my yard.

    And then again, maybe not.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

almost

 Today was a day of almost

    It's about 8:30 and I almost have the bed made.

    I almost have the knives wrapped up to mail.

    I almost am ready to start emptying the dishwasher and loading it again.

    I am almost ready for bed.

    I am the reason women have babies and not men.

    I constantly complain about a cold.  Imagine if it was something big, like have a 9 pound human coming out of my body!

    Anyway, took a 90 minute nap this morning and felt pretty good.  I went to the store and when I got home I was just tired.  And may nose is plugged.  And my throat is scratch.  And I am whining.  

    We got mail today. 

    Amongst the bills and ads was an envelope addressed  to Terry and Jackie Dickow.  Mailed from Minmesota.  It was empty.  There is not return on it, so we suspect it was an ad of some kind.

    If you know anyone in Minnesota sending  us a card, please let them know we did not get it.

    Gotta do dishes.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

progress pilgrim

 Today I felt a lot better

    Not great.  But better.  

    Folded Saturday's laundry.  Washed one load.  Let out Emily's dogs.  Made supper.

    And the dishes are done.  That is a big deal. 

    I still don't have a lot of energy.  Not that I have a lot of energy normally, but my supply is really low today.

    My nose is stuffy and my throat is scratchy.  I am about to make a hot tea.  I would make a hot toddy, but I am out of whiskey.

    Open house in the subdivision today.  House for sale has a $700,000 asking price.  Yikes!!

    Great to see the Cubs win a close one.  I was glad to see PCA on second to start the tenth.  I figured any kind of hit to the outfield would score him.  Turns out a wild pitch followed by a fly ball  would do the trick too.

    Friend Donna reported snow flakes at their place today.  

    I had the front and back doors open for about 5 minutes to clear the smoke out of the house.  I cooked pork chops.  I just never get tired of chuckling  at the "Fire!  Fire!  Get out now!" message that comes from our talking smoke detector.

    At least we know they work.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

    

please, don't judge

 The last 2 days have been.......interesting

    And please, don't judge me.

    All during our Exit 99 show last night I kept drinking a hot liquid.  A blend of 2 kinds of tea, and some honey, mixed in my Yeti mug about 6 p.m..

    I felt a cold coming on.  During the night it felt more and more like a cold.  About 7:45, almost 2 hours after I made my concoction, I took my first gulp.

    Damn!  It was hot!!  I ended up spitting it back onto the lid of the cup, and the stage floor.  I used my toe to move it back and forth on the stage.  I know!!  Boy, that Yeti keeps things hot!!

    When I got home, I was too tired to take care of the dishes.

    I woke up today, (Saturday) and was miserable.  Plugged nose, stuffy head, cough, itchy scratchy throat and really, really tired.

     Most times in a marriage, when one person gets sick, the other person picks up the slack.

    But when you are the caregiver, there is no one to pick up the slack.

    So....Friday's lunch dishes are on the counter.  Friday's supper dishes are on the counter.  Ditto for Saturday's breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes.  

    Put them in the dishwasher, you say?

    It's full.  I have not emptied it after it ran Thursday.

    And 2 loads of laundry?  Washed, not yet folded.

    Hopefully tomorrow I will feel more alive.  I did sleep through much of the Cubs game today but I am really tired tonight.

    At least the rain has stopped.  

    Stay healthy, my friends.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

Julia brought a Trump pen holder for our unseen items portion of the show.  Unfortunately, the pen stuck in the president's butt left us all speechless.

TC had some wierd stuff from the toolbox

Julia got these in Canada.  They are actually crackers with chocolate flavored  filling.  Not very good, but I am eating them!

Our redbud is blooming

One last hanger on on Jackie's magnolia tree

Now, that's a worm!  I put it back in my garden because the front porch was no place for it.

what a fun night

 I had a great time at the Exit 99 show tonight

    A big thank you to Carrie, Beth, and Terry for putting up with me.

    Sometimes I need to listen to the inner voice that asks:  Is that really funny?

    When I answer no, then I should not try the joke.  Too often I just blurt it out and people  really don't know how to react.

    TC keeps telling me if I have to explain a joke, it isn't funny.

    We performed for about 2 hours and there were a lot of people there.  I am so glad for the support.

    I love my Exit 99 buddies!  I hope we do another show soon.

    I may have some pictures to post tomorrow.... kind of tired now.

    It was a stormy night.  Several times during the show phones started making noise because of the weather.

    The village of Lena was hit by a twister, reports say extensive damage to homes and businesses.  I hope there are no injuries.

    Julia left our house to go home and power lines were down at 64 and Chana Road.  She saiid there were a couple of semi trucks stuck on the road because there was no place to turn around.

    I hope the rest of the night is quiet, but there is still thunder rumbling.

    Hope the storms are gone.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

lost and found

 Everything has its place

    I admit, I don't always know where that place is.

    Sunday it was my van key.

    I looked everywhere for it.

    I went in the closet  to put dirty clothes in the hamper and saw my work in the yard pants.  I picked them up and checked the pockets....bingo!  My van key.

    On Sunday I went out to mow for the first time.  The mower needed gas.  I picked up the 2 gas cans and they were empty.  I went in the house and got my wallet and the van key.  Then I remembered I don't use the red nozzle  gas can, but a yellow nozzle.  I found that and it had gas.

    No need to go to town.  So I filled the mower and started mowing.

    Usually I don't carry a van key when I mow, because I know there is a possibility I will drop it in the grass at some point.  For some reason,  when I put my wallet in the house I left the key in my pocket.

      Jackie was balancing the checkbook while I mowed.  She had paper spread over the dining room table.

    On Monday I stacked all the checkbook stuff in a pile.  We put the Easter stuff away, and I switched the runner on the dining room table.

    Tuesday she goes back to balancing the checkbook and the check register is gone.  Not only that, the license plate sticker renewal form is also missing.

    I went through the stack of papers, she went through the sack of papers.  We checked every place we thought I might have put it.

    I went through our box of  Easter stuff and.....no register or form.

    I recycle.  In the garage I have a barrel for paper and one for all the other stuff.  I know I don't  have to do. that, but it seems to work out for me.

    Anyway, I went through the paper barrel piece by piece.  No luck.

    I went through our shred box.   No luck.

    All Tuesday I was looking for the form and register.

    Wednesday I briefly looked in all the usual spots.  Nothing.

    Wednesday night as I was going to bed, I thought "Check the table runner."

    Took it out of the drawer, shook i,t  and out it all fell.

    I don't understand how I did that.  It was like a magic act.....now you see it, now you don't

    Tonight I am not missing anything....except sleep.

Peace and Love

        Especially Peace

wild times

This has been a wild day 

    Severe thunderstorm warnings, watches, flood watches, tornado warnings and watches.....my weather radio is getting another workout!

    It seems we are in a pattern of strong storms

    Last night about 10 we had pea sized hail.  But folks around us had quarter sized hail.  (Ok, tell me:  Is it pea size or pea sized?)

    I have to ask a meteorologist why there are so many severe thunderstorms in the Lena, Winslow, Stockton, Freeport area.  It seems every time the toner sounds, it involves those areas. Tonight a tornado warning went up for Ogle County, but it was for a small area of north central part of the county, north of where Julia is.

    Julia was over and started to leave about 4 when Emily called and said there was a tornado warning for the Oregon area. Seems a severe thunderstorm was located between Oregon and Chana, which means Julia would have had to drive through it to get home.

    So we stood out in the driveway and watched the clouds.

    I think that is how you tell a true Midwesterner.  During a tornado warning we go out to look.  Probably not the wisest thing to do.

    And again, nights like this (Severe thunderstorm warning until sometime after 10) I kind of wish I had sprung for the $10,000 steel tornado shelter that can be erected in the garage.  But I didn't.  And won't.  I will just take our chances that storms will pass us.

    Jackie had an MS doc appointment in Rolling Meadows today.

    Usually we would contact sister Judy and meet for lunch, but I did not want to get stuck in traffic after a 2 p.m. appointment and lunch somewhere.

    It's a nice appointment.  She has been going to him almost since being diagnosed with MS.  All he actually does is talk and answer questions, because at Jackie's age there is not really a lot to be done for MS.  But just talking to him is comforting.

    He had a student with him, and he told her that he has seen several MS patients from Rochelle.  I can think of 9 who currently have MS.  No known cure, no known cause, all ideas are being explored.

    Hopefully someday they can find a cure, or. cause.  It won't benefit Jackie, but if people can be spared the heart ache this causes, all the money put toward research will be worth it.

    I hate driving on the expressways in the suburbs.  I was doing 70 in a 60 mph zone and people were passing me like I was standing still!

    If the state wants to solve some budget issues, put up speed cameras on the interstates and tollways.    I bet they could pay a lot of bills just on the traffic in the Naperville area.

    Now, all I have to do is fold laundry and watch the weather.  Sleep will be difficult tonight.

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace

timed out

Nothing lasts forever

    I have found that out the past 2 days.

    I finally got my shelf up.  But it was a challenge.

    Here's how it should go:  Find the studs, screw in a bracket, level the next bracket, install second bracket, cut 4 ft. of shelving, notch shelving for electric  cords, mount shelving.

    Easy peasy.

    Here is how it went.

    Find stud, start to put screw in wall.  Battery dies.  Second battery will not charge.  30 minutes later, battery is ready.  Jackie can't find check register to balance checking account.  It was on the dining room table with other banking papers but someone stacked everything and now the register is missing.

    40 minutes later, I return to the shelf project. 

    Put the first bracket up, find stud for second bracket, make sure brackets are level, install second bracket.

    The license plate renewal form is also missing.  Back into the house to look for that.  After going through all the piles, I return to shelf project.

    I put the shelving board on the golf cart, measure 4 ft, draw a straight line, start to cut board with my electric powered circular saw.

    Saw runs for 5 seconds and stops.  I press the trigger and button again.  Saw runs for 5 seconds and stops.

    I have now cut about 2 inches into the 12 in board.

    Start the saw again.  This time it runs for about 10 seconds before dying. I check the power cord.  I check the connection.

    I turn the saw on again and it doesn't run at all.

    I say a few choice words and try again, this time it runs for several seconds.

    It took me 10 minutes to cut through the board.  But I did it.

    Then I attempted to put V notches in the back to slide the cords down to the outlet.  Saw does not cooperate.

    Finally I finish!  I  put the shelf in place and put the battery chargers on the shelf.

    I discover I can not see the lights that indicate the batteries are charged because the shelf is too high.

    Took down the brackets.  Remounting them was a lot faster the second time.  And the battery chargers are now on a level where I can see them, so I am counting the project a success, despite the numerous extra holes in the wall.

    I have had the circular saw for decades, so it is no surprise it is near death.  And the drill?  DeWalt no longer stocks the batteries I need.  I think I was still teaching when I bought it.  There are batteries available on the secondary market, but I don't think it's worth buying some.  I will just use the one battery I have for the extremely few times I need a drill.

    Do I just toss the saw?  

    When I finished picking up doggie doo and filling the bird feeders, I was really sweaty!

    But we still have not found the register or the license plate renewal form.

    Guess I will keep looking, but damn, this is getting old!

Peace and Love

    Especially Peace