I finally decided to do a project today
Vacuum the cold air returns has been on my list for a couple of weeks.
Today I decided to clean them. And change the batteries in the smoke detectors.
So, I cleaned them. At 10 p.m.
It didn't take long, but it was 10 p.m.
And I tried to change the batteries, but I was afraid of forcing the old ones out.
So I You Tubed it. And I watched a guy show me how to hook up a hard wire detector, how not to load a 6 ton rock in a pick up, a man cutting down a tree in front of his house, and finally, a short video on changing the battery.
Turns out, you do have to force it a little.
I don't think now is a good time to do that. Tomorrow will be much better.
Maybe I'll get an earlier start....like 9:30 p.m.
And big news....I threw out a shirt!!
Seriously.....I never throw out clothes, but this one needed to go. Showed signs of wear, was a little too tight across my belly, and it looked old. So, out it went
Progress, my friends, comes in little steps.
Now, I am going to make little steps toward bed. Hopefully I get there before midnight.
Peace out. Don't forget to vote.
Monday, October 15, 2018
Sunday, October 14, 2018
miss me??
I took last night off because.....
Guy Camping Weekend!!
Ok, I just gave it that name.
Usually the guys I grew up with, John and Dave, go camping in the fall. We went this weekend. Well, Dave and I went. Three others who were going had changes in plans.
They missed a fun time.
Personal note? (Not for the squeamish.) I have a two person tent I usually share with John. I tend to stay up late and when I go into the tent, I unzip the fly, then zip the fly, then zip my sleeping sack inside my sleeping bag, then zip my sleeping bag and usually at this point I am laughing hysterically because I am about as quiet as an elephant dancing on a drum.
Last night I had the tent all to myself.....and John should be glad.
We ate lunch at the Rafters, one of my favorite places. I had the brisket topped with onion rings and American cheese. And I had a very good beer from the Lena Brewing Company.
For supper I had a spicy Italian sausage topped with just a dash of giardiniera . And some Doritos. And a couple of mint Oreos. And then a burger. And more Doritos. And more Oreos. And a glass of, shall we say, beverage? Or two??
I went into the tent, zipped all the zippers, repositioned my sleeping pad and tried to get settled.
It was cold. At some point, I suffered from a bout of ......... flatulence. I flatulated and because it was cold, I snuggled down into my sleeping bag only to be driven out by the foulest, strongest, nastiest cloud of toxic fumes that ever came from a person's body. It happened again. The tent reeked. I moved my head to the tent door and opened the fly a little to let in air.
It did not help.
45 minutes.
John can count his blessings.
There are a lot of pictures......maybe too many.
Oh well.
Guy Camping Weekend!!
Ok, I just gave it that name.
Usually the guys I grew up with, John and Dave, go camping in the fall. We went this weekend. Well, Dave and I went. Three others who were going had changes in plans.
They missed a fun time.
Personal note? (Not for the squeamish.) I have a two person tent I usually share with John. I tend to stay up late and when I go into the tent, I unzip the fly, then zip the fly, then zip my sleeping sack inside my sleeping bag, then zip my sleeping bag and usually at this point I am laughing hysterically because I am about as quiet as an elephant dancing on a drum.
Last night I had the tent all to myself.....and John should be glad.
We ate lunch at the Rafters, one of my favorite places. I had the brisket topped with onion rings and American cheese. And I had a very good beer from the Lena Brewing Company.
For supper I had a spicy Italian sausage topped with just a dash of giardiniera . And some Doritos. And a couple of mint Oreos. And then a burger. And more Doritos. And more Oreos. And a glass of, shall we say, beverage? Or two??
I went into the tent, zipped all the zippers, repositioned my sleeping pad and tried to get settled.
It was cold. At some point, I suffered from a bout of ......... flatulence. I flatulated and because it was cold, I snuggled down into my sleeping bag only to be driven out by the foulest, strongest, nastiest cloud of toxic fumes that ever came from a person's body. It happened again. The tent reeked. I moved my head to the tent door and opened the fly a little to let in air.
It did not help.
45 minutes.
John can count his blessings.
There are a lot of pictures......maybe too many.
Oh well.
 |
The tree was huge!!!! |
 |
| Bridge out...proceed with caution |
 |
| Fun guy at the camp! Get it? |
 |
| Best part of camping
And folks, this is Apple River Canyon State Park....a true treasure!
|
Friday, October 12, 2018
an olio
Just some strange thoughts and incidents today
Who would think two weeks before Halloween pumpkins would be in short supply? Especially the smaller, less expensive ones.
I overheard a one sided phone conversation recently, still sticks in my mind. "I was thinking of either the Marriott or the Hilton.............Dude, I won't stay at a Motel 6. I am not my father."
I was at a bookstore in Rockford today and had an on line coupon. I asked the nice lady behind the counter if the coupon was valid. She looked at it and said, "Yes, but it is an on line coupon." I said thanks, found a book, went to pay and gave her the coupon. "This is an on line coupon," she said. I told her yes, I downloaded it this morning. "No, you can only use it on line." A light finally went off in my head.
I have an addiction to Donna Leon. Her 27th Guido Brunetti book came out this year and I am now reading it. Last year I read the first 26. In order.
When I was at the bookstore, I had some time to kill so I got a coffee. The lady ahead of me, Marsha, got a tea. I waited around and they called my order.
Then they asked, "Where is the lady with the tea?" Vanished, gone. They kept calling, "Marsha? Marsha?" Nothing. She came back about 10 minutes later and said she got a phone call, became distracted, and forgot. I am not so bad after all.
Took the BMW in for some minor service work. Later in the day I saw a woman who looked at me, and then the car, and said, "When did you get a BMW?" I get embarrassed when people comment, for some reason. I know I shouldn't be.
I went into the mall at Cherry Valley this morning and immediately did a lap on the upper level. I felt compelled, since there were about 5,671 other seniors walking hell bent for leather. They sucked me into their vortex. I strolled. They passed me with looks of derision.
I stuck a $20 bill in my front pocket to pay for supper last night. When I got there, my pocket was empty. I had stopped to buy cucumbers and mushrooms, so it must have fallen out. Those were expensive vegetables and fungi. Should of used my wallet.
Lesson learned.
Until I do it again.
And until I do this again, peace and love.
Remember: You can fail, or you can succeed. There is no such thing as try.
I think I am going to try to go to sleep. See the irony?
Who would think two weeks before Halloween pumpkins would be in short supply? Especially the smaller, less expensive ones.
I overheard a one sided phone conversation recently, still sticks in my mind. "I was thinking of either the Marriott or the Hilton.............Dude, I won't stay at a Motel 6. I am not my father."
I was at a bookstore in Rockford today and had an on line coupon. I asked the nice lady behind the counter if the coupon was valid. She looked at it and said, "Yes, but it is an on line coupon." I said thanks, found a book, went to pay and gave her the coupon. "This is an on line coupon," she said. I told her yes, I downloaded it this morning. "No, you can only use it on line." A light finally went off in my head.
I have an addiction to Donna Leon. Her 27th Guido Brunetti book came out this year and I am now reading it. Last year I read the first 26. In order.
When I was at the bookstore, I had some time to kill so I got a coffee. The lady ahead of me, Marsha, got a tea. I waited around and they called my order.
Then they asked, "Where is the lady with the tea?" Vanished, gone. They kept calling, "Marsha? Marsha?" Nothing. She came back about 10 minutes later and said she got a phone call, became distracted, and forgot. I am not so bad after all.
Took the BMW in for some minor service work. Later in the day I saw a woman who looked at me, and then the car, and said, "When did you get a BMW?" I get embarrassed when people comment, for some reason. I know I shouldn't be.
I went into the mall at Cherry Valley this morning and immediately did a lap on the upper level. I felt compelled, since there were about 5,671 other seniors walking hell bent for leather. They sucked me into their vortex. I strolled. They passed me with looks of derision.
I stuck a $20 bill in my front pocket to pay for supper last night. When I got there, my pocket was empty. I had stopped to buy cucumbers and mushrooms, so it must have fallen out. Those were expensive vegetables and fungi. Should of used my wallet.
Lesson learned.
Until I do it again.
And until I do this again, peace and love.
Remember: You can fail, or you can succeed. There is no such thing as try.
I think I am going to try to go to sleep. See the irony?
Thursday, October 11, 2018
ole blue eyes
Sometimes I miss Sinatra
He seemed like an arrogant kind of guy, maybe a little too tight with the mobsters, but some of his music I love.
When I was in high school and the summer of my first year of college, I would work late in a grocery store. Then at night, after the deli was closed or the shelves were stocked, I would go home, have a cup of tea and listen to WGN radio.
Mainly for the Cubs. But there was also a night personality, and I probably will spell his name incorrectly, Franklyn McCormack. He might have even been on WMAQ, but I think it was GN.
Anyway, he came on about midnight and would play the coolest music and read poetry, short stories, all in a wonderful deep, soothing voice.
That's how I first heard about Kahil Gibran.... and I still have the echoes "how do I love thee, let me count the ways......."
And Sinatra.
Usually the slower stuff.....nothing was loud or fast on this show.
I remember sitting at the table, listening to the crunches from the closet, drinking hot t ea, having a muffin with butter and grape jelly and listening to "It's quarter to three, ain't nobody here except you and me......" "so make it one for my baby, and one more for the road."...... and I was hooked on Sinatra.
I had a teacher for English my senior year. She always wore American flags on her lapels. She was about 160. I had an assignment to write a short paper about someone I idolized and I picked Sinatra.
I remember Mrs. B standing in front of the room and telling me and the rest of the class what a godless, classless, mobster, communistic, smug, cheating, poor excuse for an American Sinatra was.....and I think that sealed my idolization factor.
I still love the words.
And now the days grow short, I'm in the autumn of the year. And I think of my life as vintage wine from a fine old keg. And it poured sweet and clear. From the brim to the dreg. It was a very good year.
Appropriate words for the time of year, and my time in life.
The frost is on the pumpkin tonight. Autumn has finally arrived.
How do I love thee....let me count the ways.
He seemed like an arrogant kind of guy, maybe a little too tight with the mobsters, but some of his music I love.
When I was in high school and the summer of my first year of college, I would work late in a grocery store. Then at night, after the deli was closed or the shelves were stocked, I would go home, have a cup of tea and listen to WGN radio.
Mainly for the Cubs. But there was also a night personality, and I probably will spell his name incorrectly, Franklyn McCormack. He might have even been on WMAQ, but I think it was GN.
Anyway, he came on about midnight and would play the coolest music and read poetry, short stories, all in a wonderful deep, soothing voice.
That's how I first heard about Kahil Gibran.... and I still have the echoes "how do I love thee, let me count the ways......."
And Sinatra.
Usually the slower stuff.....nothing was loud or fast on this show.
I remember sitting at the table, listening to the crunches from the closet, drinking hot t ea, having a muffin with butter and grape jelly and listening to "It's quarter to three, ain't nobody here except you and me......" "so make it one for my baby, and one more for the road."...... and I was hooked on Sinatra.
I had a teacher for English my senior year. She always wore American flags on her lapels. She was about 160. I had an assignment to write a short paper about someone I idolized and I picked Sinatra.
I remember Mrs. B standing in front of the room and telling me and the rest of the class what a godless, classless, mobster, communistic, smug, cheating, poor excuse for an American Sinatra was.....and I think that sealed my idolization factor.
I still love the words.
And now the days grow short, I'm in the autumn of the year. And I think of my life as vintage wine from a fine old keg. And it poured sweet and clear. From the brim to the dreg. It was a very good year.
Appropriate words for the time of year, and my time in life.
The frost is on the pumpkin tonight. Autumn has finally arrived.
How do I love thee....let me count the ways.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
A rude awakening
I keep saying how I don't mind winter
I may have changed my mind.
I filled up a car tonight and the wind was howling out of who knows what direction; rain, in the form of mist, was hitting my face; and it took forever to pump the gas.
It was somewhere during that I decided I would not be leaving the house in January and February, and some days in December except when I go to pick up Julia at the airport.
I can order food on line. I can order supplies on Amazon Prime. I can hire a neighborhood kid to bring in the mail. I can download books, or just have Barnes & Noble ship them to my house.
I won't have to shovel the drive because I won't be going anywhere.
I have Netflix and 1,348 cable channels, of which I only watch 7, and I have every Harry Potter movie and book ever produced, along with all the Indiana Jones films.
I realized, I don't have to leave the house!
Church services? Turn on the radio.
Social interaction with other people? I'll Skype with them, and Facebook with them. It will be just like seeing them in person.
We could be snowbirds that don't leave, the neighborhood hermits, the odd couple at the end of the block.
But most importantly, I will stay warm.
I think it's a good plan.
I honestly don't see any draw backs.
With that pleasant thought, I am going to hunker down under the covers for the night.
Stay warm. Sleep well. Dream of peace.
And realize it is still well above freezing.
I may have changed my mind.
I filled up a car tonight and the wind was howling out of who knows what direction; rain, in the form of mist, was hitting my face; and it took forever to pump the gas.
It was somewhere during that I decided I would not be leaving the house in January and February, and some days in December except when I go to pick up Julia at the airport.
I can order food on line. I can order supplies on Amazon Prime. I can hire a neighborhood kid to bring in the mail. I can download books, or just have Barnes & Noble ship them to my house.
I won't have to shovel the drive because I won't be going anywhere.
I have Netflix and 1,348 cable channels, of which I only watch 7, and I have every Harry Potter movie and book ever produced, along with all the Indiana Jones films.
I realized, I don't have to leave the house!
Church services? Turn on the radio.
Social interaction with other people? I'll Skype with them, and Facebook with them. It will be just like seeing them in person.
We could be snowbirds that don't leave, the neighborhood hermits, the odd couple at the end of the block.
But most importantly, I will stay warm.
I think it's a good plan.
I honestly don't see any draw backs.
With that pleasant thought, I am going to hunker down under the covers for the night.
Stay warm. Sleep well. Dream of peace.
And realize it is still well above freezing.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
a new toy in the garage
I bought a new lawnmower
It's big. It's fast. It really cuts.
It cost more than my first car. Actually, more than my first two cars put together!
Why did I buy?
Every time I cut my lawn after the Fourth of July it looked lousy. And I was cutting a lot. With all the rain, the heat, the fertilizer, the grass was growing too fast.
I usually cut at 3.5 inches, but that was too long, so I moved to 4, then 4.5.....and it still looked bad.
So I decided it was the mower. I looked at one, test drove Emily's, and ordered it.
Meanwhile, the dealer took my mower as a trade. But when the new mower was slow to come, they sharpened the blades, replaced a bearing, and brought it back for me to use until the new mower arrived.
It worked perfectly! Cut great, no matter the height. It was the dull blades that were causing the problem.
Monday night I got my new mower and today I mowed. It is faster, cuts better, cuts wider and is really comfy to ride.
Dummy me, I started out and made two turns around the yard and thought this thing didn't cut very well at all. Then I realized I never engaged the blades. Once I did, the cut was fast and clean.
Halfway through the back yard it started raining.....so I never finished. Tomorrow I will have to get back in the saddle again.
Go figure.
Happy dreams, pardner!
It's big. It's fast. It really cuts.
It cost more than my first car. Actually, more than my first two cars put together!
Why did I buy?
Every time I cut my lawn after the Fourth of July it looked lousy. And I was cutting a lot. With all the rain, the heat, the fertilizer, the grass was growing too fast.
I usually cut at 3.5 inches, but that was too long, so I moved to 4, then 4.5.....and it still looked bad.
So I decided it was the mower. I looked at one, test drove Emily's, and ordered it.
Meanwhile, the dealer took my mower as a trade. But when the new mower was slow to come, they sharpened the blades, replaced a bearing, and brought it back for me to use until the new mower arrived.
It worked perfectly! Cut great, no matter the height. It was the dull blades that were causing the problem.
Monday night I got my new mower and today I mowed. It is faster, cuts better, cuts wider and is really comfy to ride.
Dummy me, I started out and made two turns around the yard and thought this thing didn't cut very well at all. Then I realized I never engaged the blades. Once I did, the cut was fast and clean.
Halfway through the back yard it started raining.....so I never finished. Tomorrow I will have to get back in the saddle again.
Go figure.
Happy dreams, pardner!
Monday, October 8, 2018
what the hell
I think I went dark last night
Sorry.
I met some new people last week.
They have some strange quirks.
Well, let me show you my new friends.
Sorry.
I met some new people last week.
They have some strange quirks.
Well, let me show you my new friends.
There are a bunch of skeletons in downtown LaGrange. People are invited to take a selfie with one and post it on the community Facebook page. I did not do that!
I just thought it was a neat idea.
Checked out some of the hay bales in Rochelle....those are really cool this year!
I went for my first bike ride in two weeks today....a little windy. But the worst part was the little black "no see ums" that bit the hell out of me. And I had to ride with my mouth closed cause it was really buggy.
Two more pictures to end the night.
And this is why I love my hybrid.
Good night, don't let the no see ums bite...
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