day.....zzzzzz.....447

 Rain, rain, go away

    I turned the heat back on today.  It was in the low 60s in the house when we got up, just too cool for me.

    The wind has been terrible all day.  Rain, wind, so no bike riding.

    Instead, I spent the afternoon at the museum in town.  We are a little short staffed today, so I sat at a desk just to be the second person in the building.

    Years ago we had an elderly gent who volunteered every Saturday.  He would sit at "his" desk, read the paper, have a coffee and fall asleep.  Sometimes I would go in the museum and walk right past him witout waking him up.

    Well, I was almost that guy today!

    I was doing some stuff on the computer.  The director was working in her office.  My eyes got heavier and heavier.  It was so quiet, the rain was pelting on the windows. and I almost nodded off.

    But not quite.

    I did get a beverage at my favorite local coffee spot.  I go in about once a week and know all the females who work there.  But one young thing, who is the sweetest person, flummoxes me.  I always, repeat, always, call her Tabitha! That would be ok if it was her name, but it isn't!.  She always says "Hello, Terry" when I walk in, but I have a mental block about her real name. 

    Just before i go in I tell my self, "Her name is Betty (not her real name.  Why not confuse myself more, eh?)  Her name is Betty.  Her name is Betty."  I open the door, see her and say, "Hello, Tabitha."  Then she says, "I'm Betty."

    It just like the emovie Groundhog Day, just not as funny anymore.

    I guess the next step is writing it on my hand.

    Final  outdoor furnture note:  I have decided to do the table legs after all.  Tomorrow will be a good day to do that.  In the garage.  Warmly dressed.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  Find something that makes you laugh.

Peace and Love

title.....sweeeeet.......446

 A pretty crappy day, weather wise

    Could not ride, but I could shop!

    I ended up buying a tripod sprinkler for the garden.  Seems strange saying that on a day when it is raining, but eventually that will stop.

    Yesterday I was wearing shorts, today I have on a sweatshirt and long pants.  I did see some guys my age wearing sandles, t shirts and shorts and I wondered what was wrong with their body matabolism.

    I also stopped and bought a couple of cupcakes for Jackie and me.  After supper, I asked if I should make a dessert and then I went into the kitchen, banged around some pots, ran the mixer, and put the cupcake on a plate, apologizing for not having enought time to do a better one.

    I thought it was funny.  But it was really chocolate grenache.

    Our den  is an absolute disaster zone.  It looks like one of those houses where they find people who have been dead for several months.  Well, not that bad.  I am cleaning it out so we can have the floors done.

    I found a couple of things I thought were interesting and honestly, don't know what to do with them except toss them.

    If you are of a certain age, you will remember these.  We still have a picnic basket we "bought" with these when  we were first married.  I confess, a friend named David used to work at a gas station and gave us ample stamps whenever we gassed up when he was working. 

    This guy, Steam Train, was once elected King of the Hobos.  If I remember, the election was contested because too many people who were not hobos may have voted in the election, but nobody could find any proof.  His supporters stormed some box cars, trashed them, and said they were just tourists.  I find that a dubious claim.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.  Stay warm and dry.

Peace and Love

day.....late again......445

 I seem to be reverting to my old ways

    I like to do this earlier in the evening, but I have been falling behind.

    With doctor visits, lawn mowing, planting, weeding, and the outdoor furniture, I am falling behind in some things I normally do.

    Fer instance:  Al ost 11 and I am starting this.  Have not read the Tribune yet. 5 messages I need to send to people, hve not yet played solitaire.  

    On the other hand,  my newspaper column  is mostly done and pictures are ready to be mailed, I did get a 7 mile bike ride in today, and the dishes are done and the recycling is out.

    I found the bicyle flashing red light I have been looking for for a week.   Turns out, it was right where I put it, I just did not see it when I looked there.  On the desk.  In front of me. One week looking for it and looking at it.  Damn.

    I just hope the weather is not as bad as they predict.  I would like to ride the  next couple of days.....frees my mind and allows me to get some exercise.

    Speaking of which, took Corki for a walk today and noticed she goes a little slower than she used to.  Also has a bit of a limp.  We walked a while, she stopped, looked at me and turned around to go home.  I guess she is getting old, just like me.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe. 

Peace and Love

day....oh, my.....444

 We had a fun filled day today

    Jackie had a doctor's appointment in the suburbs, so we met up with sister Judy for a late lunch/early supper at one of our favorite fast food places.

    All was going well....... until we left.

    I have been having trouble getting Jackie back into the car for the past few weeks.

    Today was a disaster

    She missed the seat and was sitting on the floor of the car.  I tried to pick her legs up and push her, which only accomplished her being thrown back and hitting her head on the center console.

    We tried again, getting all the way up and attempting to sit, only to land on the floor again.

    This time I went around to the driver's side and got in.  I was going to pull her while Judy pushed.  As we were doing this I look down and see glops of mustard on her white shirt, and I begin to laugh uncontrollably, which ended up in everyone else laughing and Jackie on the floor of the car again.

    Judy suggested moving the seat up to give her a better target.  We stood her up, mvoed the seat  and on attempt 756  got her into the front seat.  I had thought about asking the young men walking through the parking lot for help, but we managed.

    We thanked Judy, parted ways, and I went to the Starbucks down the road.  Getting my kick for the day, we headed back to the tollway only to see the southbound lanes at a virtual standstill.

    So I said, let's go back roads.

    When we were first married, we always took back roads from DeKalb to Rolling Meadows.  But that was then, and now it's not the same.  

    Landmarks are gone, replaced by condos and office buildings.  One time we were driving home.... the kids were really young.  We always turned next to a drive-in theater and I always slowed to see what was on the screen that night. "Lust in the Dust" was playing and a woman was kneeling on the ground and a bunch of cowboys were showing her their, let's say six guns, and Julia pipes up, "What are they doing?"   We told her to close her eyes and not look.  From then on, I always slowed down pasing the drive-in while telling the kids not to look.

      It seemed forever before we worked our way down to 88, the tollway that would carry us swiftly home.

    Somewhere around Orchard Road I got a leg cramp.

    I pulled over right after that exit and got out of the car to stretch oyt the leg.  Cars and trucks were whizzing past at 900 miles an hour!  I kept a close watch on the road because I was afraid someone would be in the off ramp and keep going on the shoulder, ramming us into the next county.

    After my leg cramp eased, ( And yes, I wondered what people thought upon seeing the old man rubbing his groin area and goosestepping along the shoulder.) I got back in the car and waited for a break.  Then I hit the gas and got that German car up to 70 almost immediately.  My Honda would have taken a week.

    It took us less than 90 minutes to get to the doctors, and about 140 to get home. I would have been better off on the tollway because traffic would have eventually moved.

    It rained most of the way home, not a heavy rain, just a very light sprinkle.  So I got home, settled Jackie in front of the Cub game, and mowed.  I almost finished....but the sprinkles started here and I got cold, so I quite with a very small patch not done.

    So...that's how my day went.

    All in all, it was not bad.

    Stay healthy.  Stay safe.

Peace and Love

day...........443

This has been a strange week 

    And it is only Monday!

    I sat down and made another two lists of things I need to do.  I know, this is a broken record!  I keep complaining about how much I have to do but I spend an abnormal amount of time playing solitaire, checking Facebook, reading the Trib, and napping.

    Today was a little different.  I did not nap, have not been on Facebook yet, have not read the Trib and have not played solitaire.

    And I barely acomplished anything.

    Go figure.

    Tomorrow Jackie has a doctor appointment in the suburbs, so that means I won't get  much done then either.  

    Meanwhile, I keep adding to my lists.  And even though I mowed Friday, the grass is really long again.  So I will try to mow when we get home tomorrow.

    Life is a circle.  Until it isn't.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.

Peace and Love

day.....sniff, sniff.....442

 I opened windows in the kitchen  nook today

    Why?

    The lilac bush outside our window is absolutely amazing in the fragrance it is emitting.  I should go out and do some cuttings and bring that smell inside.

    We are in the air conditioning mode  now.  It is warm and humid.  I would open windows, but Jackie's allergies would make life unbearable for me.

    Wrapping up a late  night blog:

    Put a third coat of oil on my table.  It will go out to the patio this week.  Figured as long as I was doing the table again I might as well give the chairs a third coat.

    Watched the Cubs win a thriller in St. Louis, a 2-1 ten inning game with Javy Baez being the differince maker.

    Went to a visitation, a much to often occuring event in our later years.

    And I took a 2 hour nap!

    Still waiting for rain....hopefully tonight or tomorrow.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy.

Peace and Love

day....owww......441

 Farmer Terry has the crops in for the growing season

    Well, hopefully.  The peas look terrible.  Today I planted bush beans, Italian beans, 2 tomato plants, 2 pepper plants, carrots and 1 hill of cucumbers.  I plan on planting a second hill of cucumbers in a couple of weeks, hopefully they won't all ripen at the same time.

    I also took compost out of my compost bin....a lot of compost.  I shovel it into a screen and then sift out the debris.  

    Needless to say, my back is a bit tender right now.  I took two ibuprofins, but that does not seem to help.

    I also moved the front porch furnture out to the porch.

    But the most time was spent on looking for my bulb planters.  I didn't find them, but ran across a hedge trimmer I have been missing for years and finally replaced, some window washing solvent, a fish trap, a very stylish one eyed copper frog, one very dead, very hard, very dried up toad.  But no bulb planters.

    I have finished my chairs and table but the table does not look right.  John and Emily were over tonight and I asked their opinion, which confirmed mine that it needs another coat of oil.  So tha is tomorrow's project.  I better check the legs to be sure they look good.

    As easy as that sounds, I had to go buy oil and another brush.

     I have a lot of planting to do, but I can't until my rock and mulch are delivered.  I thought it would all be here by now, but I guess I reckoned incorrectly.

      Emily and John brought a couple of dogs to visit.  Corki spent the entire time barking.  She also spent a lot of time sizing up Cooper.....at one point Corki's eyes started at floor level and slowly went up until I thought she would fall over.  Quite a contrast between a Great Dane and Corki.

    Stay safe.  Stay healthy

Peace and Love