sit, uboo, sit

I had a scary biking experience today

     I ride on familiar routes.
     I had never seen the dogs before.  4 what looked like Doberman pinschers, standing under a shade tree, watching me as I approached.
     My sunglasses were a little blurry, but the outline of the dogs was clear.  It was amazing how they stood, silently, as I approached.
     I waited for them to charge.....but as I neared them, and took off my sunglasses, I noticed they were lawn statues of deer!
     Really!!  It freaked the heck out of me.
     I had never seen dogs at this particular house, but sometimes I don't always pay attention.  I had never seen the deer ornaments before.
     I am the product of a vivid imagination.
     I see things that are not there, and hear things that are not real.  My mind is a jumble of thoughts all involving mayhem, murder, conspiracy, destruction, chaos and a Trump presidency.
     I am always convinced the train, or elevator, or sidewalk, or bridge is going to collapse with me on it.  I live in a state of constant fear for things irrational to most people.
     I have been this way my entire life.
     My eyesight isn't as sharp as it once was, so normal objects appear threatening at times.
     I am a walking advertisement for stricter control of firearms......I would have blasted those lawn statues today if I was armed.
     After the ride, it was a pretty good day.
     We had company and lasagna.  It's always a good Monday when you have lasagna.
     And wine.
     I think I am getting narcoleptic....or just tired.  So I better get to bed before the meteorite hits.

chick, chick, chicken

We had a new chicken experience today

    We drove down to White Fence Farm in Romeoville.
    John, Kathy, John, Emily, Camryn, Jackie and I hit the road for a meal at this Illinois landmark.
Seriously.  The Farm has been around for almost 100 years, with its current owners dating from the early 1950s.
    The place must seat 1,000 people.  There are different dining rooms and the building also seems to double as a museum with all sorts of stuff inside.
    Of course, the main menu is chicken.  All the adults ordered the chicken, which is served family style with sides like mac and cheese, fries, or potatoes and gravy.  They also serve relish dishes.  I had the beets, which were chewy; the coleslaw, which was tangy; and the kidney beans in a creamy coating; which were delicious.  But the best was the little fritters they provided.
    And yes, Linda.  The place is owned by the family of Cong. Denny, former speaker of the house.  We did not see him there.
    Good time eating and visiting and shopping.  Shopping, you might ask?
    Yes.  We went to a store called The Dump which was north of the place about a 15 minute drive.
    Besides the cars in front of us almost getting creamed by someone running a red light, it was a pretty uneventful day.
    Jackie picked out two rugs.  I paid.
    We got in the car and I realized something.
    This was the shopping center I stopped in last spring when I got lost going to The Container Store in Oakbrook!  A place I had never been too, and didn't know where it was, and there I was again!
Freaky!!
    The advantage was I knew how to get back on 88.
    After all, I'd been down that road before!

    Maybe some pictures.

Even the rug had a chicken theme

 Would not be a tourist spot without a tourist thingy!

Not that is a chicken!

another formality to follow

I don't like to text

    First off, my fingers are too big for the keys.  Yes, I can turn my phone sideways, but I still have a problem hitting the right keys.  I have a problem on a full size computer too, so that is no surprise.
     Also, texting is too immediate.   People feel like they have to answer a text right away.
     I tend to let it mellow and breath, like a good wine.  Then when I am free, I will read the text and answer, if necessary.
     Point:  If you want an immediate answer, texting me may not be the best option.
     Almost last of all, you can't really get a person's emotions by reading a  text.  Maybe the ! at the end of a sentence is anger.  Or wonderment.  Or awe.  A text doesn't always convey the emotion.
     Finally:    Sometimes you don't know who it came from.  Like the text I sent to a guy on Friday, explaining I was sorry I missed his call, was on my way to a Cub game and would call him Saturday.       He replied:  Great.  Who is this?
     I forgot he did not know my cell phone number, only my home number.
     However, I also have a cell phone problem.  I pocket dialed the house twice today.  I also did not answer 5 calls, including one made by mistake when the person was clearing old phone calls.  I don't know how I missed the calls; my phone was on and I had it with me, strangely enough.
     I guess I am like that guy who saw the first sheet of paper and said he preferred writing on stone.  Change comes hard to us Luddites.  (Google it if you must).
     Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my rooster.
     After all, I have to get up early tomorrow.
 

the end is near

I saw my final Cub game of the year.  Maybe.

     Love to beat the Cardinals.  Love it when Castro has a great day.  Love sitting in the stands and watching the people.
     It's hard to believe that the season has almost ended.  I was lucky to see 7 Cubs games this year, but the 2-5 record does not tell the story.
     Early in the season this team looked terrible.  Now they look like winners.
     I am glad I was able to see them in person.....and I hope I can still get a game or two in!
     Maybe the key is Mr. C in Rockford.......
Go Cubs Go!!

rain, rain, go away

I have a Cub game tomorrow

     When I tell someone that, they say:  "It's going to rain."
     Baloney!  It will be a beautiful day at the park.  Cubs will win tomorrow, if the starter can make it through the first inning without a home run.
     After all, Mr. Cub made his debut on this date 60 years ago.  They have to win for him.
     Called my brother today.
     When his wife answered, I said gruffly, "Hey, what do you want?"
     "What do you mean what do I want?" she answered.
     "Well, you called me."
     "I didn't call you," she said.
     "Well, your husband did.  Let me talk to him."
     "Ummmm, I don't have a husband."
     "Isn't this Ruth?" I asked.
     "No, it is not." She confirmed my dreaded thought.
      So I apologized, looked up the number, and redialed.  This time I got him.
     Which shows that in addition to not visually  recognizing people, I have sunk to not even recognizing their voices!
     I know numbers for some people.  I know the park district, John, my brother, Bart and Laurie, Steve and Jane, Tilton School, my barber, the hospital.....I have them ingrained in my head and never look them up.
      I admit, I have left some weird messages with strangers, but they have never called me back to complain.
     Well, actually some guy in Baton Rouge, LA, called me once and said I left a message for a bed and breakfast in Iowa on his phone in Louisiana.  I must have mis-dialed the area code on that one.  It was nice to talk to a Cajun, however.
     We get several calls a year for an RV storage place that has almost the same number as mine.  I will direct them to the correct number, but if they leave a message, I will return the call or just call the RV place and relay the message.
     Now for the delicate news.
     I have a doctor's appointment next week to discuss a procedure I will have to have done this fall.  It involves a garden hose and 16  mm. camera rammed  into an opening not designed for insertions, but evacuations.
     I am not looking forward to this.
     And that is all I will say about that!

what a powerful day

I have a new power washer

     I bought it at a big box store at a great price....$99.
     It was kind of an impulse buy....I saw it on sale for $40 off, so I bought it.
     I went to register the product today...on line... and here it said model number, a drop down menu appeared.  I looked, but could not find my model number...which is 150 blah blah blah.  I found a 130 blah blah blah so I registered as that and called customer service.
     It was the longest intro.  They gave directions in English, French and Spanish!  French!!  I guess the company does a lot of business in Canada, and Mexico, and parts in between.
     Anyway, the nice lady I talked to said that was ok, as long as the serial number was correct...which it was.
     Why am I using so many....?
     I have read the directions twice.  I have run across the phrase:  "Do not store power washer in freezing temperatures as the unit will freeze and not work."
     Deja vu, all over again.
     My last power washer sat in the garage all winter, despite the warnings about leaving it in a garage that was unheated. I have learned my lesson!
     As soon as it gets cool, I am putting that puppy in the basement.
     As I was power washing my lawn mower and some patio furniture, the thought hit me.
     Why the hell do I need a power washer?
     I am afraid to use it on the cars and I can't use it on the siding.
     I can, however, wash my patio in the spring and clean my mower every time I use it.
     So I guess I am a happy person, somewhat.
    And I admit, a Cub win and a couple of glasses of Swiss red have put me in a mellower state of mind.
     So tomorrow I will look for things to power wash.
     World, beware.

the fun is gone

I am beginning to hate the Internet

     Ok, maybe not all of it.
     But there is a growing area I am really getting tired of.  (Or...an area of content of which I am getting tired....for all you never use a preposition at the end of a sentence people.  By the way, preposition is spelling almost like proposition.)
     You've seen those "15 great Restaurant Signs" or "10 Do it Yourself Projects Gone Bad" posts.    They show 10  or 15 pictures of usually funny things.
     Lately I have noticed it just isn't enough to post the picture....someone has to state the obvious or put a joke on it to make it funnier when all it really does is make me feel stupid because somebody has to explain what is happening to me since I am so dumb.
      Example.  Picture of a guy on a ladder on a chair hanging a picture.  Caption:  "This man using a chair to make his ladder longer is looking for a fall."
     I know that.  I was laughing at the idiot until another idiot had to caption the picture.
     Brainjet is the worst.  I won't even look at their posts anymore.  They usually take two or three screens to explain or show why the picture is funny while adding their own comments to make it even funnier.
     Just show the damn picture.
     We don't have to know what the people at Walmart were thinking when they dressed like that....we already know.   And to be honest, I don't care what they were thinking.   Just show the picture.  No comments. No added insight.  Just the picture.
     On another note, the wasps are gone thanks to the X man.  You know who he is.
     He came and sprayed the nest on the eaves under the east side of the house then pointed out an even bigger nest on the back side that was very active.   When the spray hit that nest, dozens of yellow jackets came out.
     He said the spray has a residue that kills for a long time...so any wasp not in the nest will come back and get it on their feet and be a goner.
     I understand insects have a place in our world, although I haven't found a good reason for wasps.
     Altogether he sprayed 7 nests......most of which I never noticed.
     Now I'll probably have dreams of giant wasps invading my house seeking revenge.