Wowser!!!!

I had quite the day today

     In a good way.
     It didn't start off exactly great.  I told Linda and Dan I would meet them at Petro for a trip to Starved Rock.  Confirmed with Dan last night that we were meeting at Petro.
     So I was perplexed when I could not find them as I drove slowly through the Walmat parking lot........  I don't know how far I went until I realized Walmart is not Petro.
     But all is well that ends well.
     We did the fall trolley tour at Starved Rock.  It included a leisure trolley ride through the park and Utica, a hike to Ottawa Canyon, a visit to the dam museum, and lunch in the lodge.
     It was a spectacular day.  Not a lot of color in the leaves, but the canyon was beautiful.
     I live about 1 hour from the park and can not believe that I don't visit there more often.  I would love to go back and hike to some of the other canyons and have lunch in the lodge.
    By the way, the lodge is amazing.  Built in 1933 as a CCC project under FDR, it is massive beam after massive beam with massive hand built furniture abounding.
     The hike to the park was cool, except for when the lady fell down the hill and rolled into a semi dry creek.  I did not laugh then, but did later.  It was something I would do.  She was not hurt....just damp and leafy.
     It was such a nice day I decided to mow when I got home
    After mowing I decided to get a bike ride in....made 8 miles.
     After riding I decided to take Corki for a short walk.
     After all that, I decided I am tired.
     But what a night.  Looks like a full moon, there is a hint of the odor of burning leaves in the air, and the night is crisply cool.  A great night to camp out.
Anyway, here are some of the highlights.

From the dam museum

Diver Dan from WGN....anyone remember him?

Do you see a boot? The toe is in the center left, and the mossy green is the boot going up....rocks running horizontally make the sole.....

Council overhang

No, it's not upside down....it's a reflection in a pool

Council overhang

Cottonwood

Looking out of the overhang

Furniture in the lodge is huge!

Starved Rock lodge

Joliett......the fur trader

stranger danger

We all need to be aware of strangers

     We drill that into our kids.  And we should.
     But I wonder if sometimes that is why little kids are a little hesitant to approach me when I am at my volunteer gig.
     Or maybe I am just funny looking.
     I do need to teach Corki about stranger danger.
     Today we went for a walk.  On the way home a van stopped and the passenger's sliding door opened.  There were some little neighborhood kids in the car and they wanted to see Corki.
     Corki obliged by jumping in the van!  She did not hesitate...that door opened and she was in!
     The kids loved it, of course.  I am sure mom won't mind cleaning up the two pounds of dog hair left behind.
     So I will add that to our lesson set.
     We have been working on paw for about 4 months.  We go through the same process each night. 
     "Sit Corki."
     She sits.
     "Paw, Corki."
     She looks at us like we are aliens.
     Gently taking her paw, we hold it up and say, "Paw.  Good Girl.  Paw."  And then we give her a treat.
    We repeat the process 4 more times with the same result.
     Four months.  I think she has moved a paw twice on her own.  And it moved slightly....probably a muscle spasm.
     I know she is an old dog, but so am I and I learned new tricks. 
     She is good at "Sit."  Moderately terrible at "Stay."  Fairly good at "Corki, Come."
     Now we have to work on, "Don't jump in a stranger's car."
     Meanwhile I am trying to figure this out:  If we have a smart TV, can we stream stuff off the Internet without using Airplay or Apple TV?  If so, how?
     That may be a new trick I need to learn.
     Over and out........time to put this old dog to bed.

old friends, old friends

I spent a little time with an old friend today

     We've never actually met.  I would be willing, but it would be a one sided effort.  Guido Brunetti is a fictional detective in Venice.  Donna Leon writes novels with him as the main character.
     She is an American, but lives in Venice.  Or a least used to.
     I have mentioned her, and him, in previous posts.
     Two years ago?  I decided to read all of her Guido Brunetti books....in order.  I have read them all out of sequence, but thought in order might be good.  And it was.  I got to see how characters were introduced, how they changed, how the commissario's family grew. 
     This year she came out with the 27th book in the series.  It seems like a long time since I had the joy of reading about Venice, and this book is not disappointing me.
     I went to see a former student who runs a barbecue truck.  Rochelle had a food truck day from 11-3.  I went at 1 and Jeremy was already sold out!  Next time.  There was a strange confluence of circumstances that resulted in his being short on brisket......I may be going to Jan's house tomorrow for lunch.  She does not know that.  Jim, if you are reading this, tell her to lock up the brisket.
     We had a pizza delivery from Kevin, whose darling daughter has a birthday soon.  They had a kids' party and had some left overs, so Jackie and I got pizza and cupcakes.  What a deal!
     I topped off the day by going to a Halloween party.  Truth be told, we don't get out much anymore.  And Jackie did not go tonight because we are never sure about bathrooms, steps, the whole shebang.  But I went and had a nice time seeing some folks I hadn't seen for a while.  And visiting with one of my girl besties......
     Funny, at the end of the day you realize how many people come into your life, if only on paper.  You miss the paper ones, and the real ones, because time goes past so quickly and you didn't get the bike ride in, or the museum visit, or the architectural boat tour and you say next summer.  Next year.  I can only hope.
     Happy dreams to all.
     Don't forget to visit friends, even the ones on paper.

dollar dreaming

I may have won the lottery

     Ok, so they have not actually drawn the numbers yet, but I may have won!  I could win, because I bought a ticket.  They only people who have no chance of winning are the ones who did not buy a ticket. 
     Yes, I know I am more likely to be hit by lightning than win the lottery, but oh my gosh!  It is almost $1 billion!!!
     That's' almost enough to qualify me for governor of Illinois!!
     Not that I would win, but I could if I entered the race.  Anyone who enters the race could win....just like the lottery.
     There are lots of things that could happen to me.
     I could be cast in a movie after being discovered doing a local theater production.
     I could stop a bank robbery, providing I am at a bank during the time it is being robbed and the robbers are not armed and are only about 4 years old, maybe 5, and have a fear of taller people.
     I could go to Africa on a photo safari and take a picture that motivates the entire world to give up buying ivory, poaching animals, and killing the beautiful creatures for fun.  I could.  But I probably won't.
     Other coulds in my life:
     I could clean my desk, again.
     I could go through the last two boxes in the garage that need a going through.
     I could wax the kitchen cabinets.  I probably will do that soon because they are a little spotty.
     I could ride my bike for the first time in two weeks......and I probably should.  I came so close to my goal but I don't know if I have enough  rideable days (for me, anyway) to reach the goal.
     Lots of coulds in life.  We all have them.  Some are logical, some completely illogical.  Much like me some of the time.
     Now it's time to read, listen to the blues, mellow out for bed, and dream about being almost a billionaire.
      Truth be told, I am almost a billionaire.  I am just short $999,999,100........and that's an amazing number to write.
     Good night.......sleep tight.....don't let the gremlins  bite....everything will be all right.

new! new! new!

I seem to have some new stuff

      You know about the hearing aids.  I think.
      I have had them for just over a week and it has been an adjustment.
     Today I had a really hard time getting them in place, for some reason.  I got frustrated and angry.
     Angry that I needed them.  Frustrated that I could not get them in.  Angry that I am getting old.
     Eventually I got them in and went on my merry way.
     I had my first mentoring session with a young boy.  It seemed to go well.  We had lunch together.  I ate the hot lunch, which was some type of meat, but he said he didn't eat meat and ate the corn and fruit roll up.  I gave him my fruit roll up and told him to save it for a snack.
     I wandered over to Sycamore and stopped at the place where I got my hearing aids.  The doctor was running around frantically because she was between patients and had one in the waiting room.  But she took the time to look in my ear and tell me I had the right one in at an angle.  She then had me practice putting them in. 
     I went on my merry way, again.
     Stopped at a card store to buy some cards. 
     My hearing aids are Bluetooth capable, so they are hooked to my phone.  When my phone rings, I hear it through the hearing aids.
     Standing in the middle of this store, an Amber Alert went out.  That alert consists of a series of high pitched noises designed to get your attention.
I heard the dam alert and did not know what was going on!  The blaring was loud, and I saw a woman looking at her phone and said, "Do you hear a noise?"  She said that it was just an Amber Alert.
     If I was epileptic that would have driven me to a seizure.  As it was I was almost crazy.  But, after I bought my stuff I went on my merry way.
     Picked up my Goofy sweatshirt.  I thought it needed a new zipper, turns out it only needed the slider.  Now it's fixed and it was only $5.  And I was on my merry way.
     Emily got me a new phone, so that is another new thing. 
     I took some pictures and I am impressed by the capability of the phone.
     I also went to a benefit auction while Jackie was at her library board meeting.       Works by a local photographer were auctioned off to benefit the Rochelle Community Foundation.  I saw a print I liked ...... then another.  Unfortunately, they started auctioning the ones on the other side of the room.
     Now I figured I could go maybe $275 for the print, either one.  The bidding for the first quickly passed that mark and the bidding for the second started above that mark.
     No picture, but I did get a great cookie from Sunshine Bakery!!
     Now....off to bed.
     I will leave you with some pictures from my new phone.

2 down!

I finished a honey do today!

     All the smoke detector batteries have been changed.  I may work slow, but eventually I get things done.
     This was not the best day of the week...or month.  Thanks again, Kevin!
     We went to a meeting at church tonight and opted to eat at a sub sandwich place in DeKalb.
     We walked in at 6 p.m. and were greeted with the words, "We're out of bread.  It will be half an hour for more bread."
     And I'm thinking:  How does a sandwich shop run out of bread during the evening rush?  Not a good business practice.
    We were not the only people who walked away empty handed.  Ok, it was one other lady.....but still.
     But life is full of little troubles.....I am glad today had little ones and not big ones.
     And yes, it is only 10 p.m. and I am thinking bed.
     Peace out.  Believe in science.

can't do it

I just can't go to bed early!

     Here it is, after 11 and I am still up and wide awake.  Was it the three cups of coffee I had today?  Anxiety?  Tension?
     I have not even tried going to bed, but I will in a few minutes.  I am kind of chilly now and the bed will be nice and warm.
     Well, I hit the one week mark of a major lifestyle change.
     No, not diet or exercise.  No, not in avoiding procrastination.  No, not in being better organized.
     I have hearing aids. 
     I now am old.
     These are behind the ear plug into the ear ones and are almost invisible, except for the wires that go into my ear.
     Yes, I can hear better at times.  I am still getting adjusted and honestly don't know if they are in correctly most of the time.
     I don't like sticking things in my body, be it needles, hands, contacts, or hearing aids.
     Some sounds are better, some are not.  All sound a little flat, like a bad recording.
     The audiologist said if it was any comfort, the average age of people getting hearing aids for the first time is dropping about 4 months a year and people in their 40s and 50s were often coming in for testing.
     Wait until the crop of teenagers who blast their car stereos hit 30 and are partially deaf. 
     Want to make money?  Come up with designer hearing aids.  Make them hip, cool, cheap, and the youngins will flock to them.
     But that does not help me.  Aids just reinforce the feeling that I am getting old.  And no amount of biking, diet, exercise, or good living will change that.
     Now, I am dragging this ancient, prehistoric, not quite tired body to bed.
     Sweet dreams....or good morning, whatever applies to you.