Exit 99

 We had our pre show meeting tonight

    There were 2 Beths, 2 Terrys and 1 Carrie.  Jackie did not count, because she was upstairs and we were downstairs.

    And 1 of the Beths did not count because she is a dog.

    We have a show coming up May 17 at the Lincoln Performing Arts Center.  Or Lincoln Center for the Arts. I can't remember the name.  Or maybe Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

    Anyway, it is the old Lincoln School on South Main Street here in Rochelle.

    Carrie and Beth brought some old clippings they had and it seems we did our first performance in 2003!

    We don't seem to find evidence we did any show last year, and we think the last show was in 20023, which would have made us 20 years as a group.

    We do improv comedy.  It is not scripted.  We go on audience suggestions.  

    To be truthful, I love performing with these folks.  I love being around them and laughing.  I love seeing people in the audience laugh.  I also with we did more shows.  Doing this keeps my mind active, and at my age that is important.

    Most of I love the challenge.

    Consider this a commercial.  Tickets are $20 per person, and that will give you an inexpensive  vacation from the woes of the world.

    Laughter is the best medicine, and Exit 99 is your local doctor!!

    See you May 17.  

    We now return to regular programming.

Peace and Love

Oh me.....

 I found something interesting today

    I have a calendar to record meetings, events, etc.  I can't use the phone calendar because it just confuses the hell out of me.  I enter the wrong times, on the wrong days, and my patience wears thin.

    So I have a calendar book.

    I record blood pressure readings, weight weekly, meetings, events, and miles I ride my bike.

    Looking through it tonight I discovered I rode my bike..... hold on.....2.6 miles last year!  That is once around the subdivision.

    In 2023 I only had 86 miles.  In 2022 it was 200 something.  

    2.6.

    Granted, las summer was hot. 

    But more to the cause was my hearing loss.  I was constantly dizzy and was really afraid to get on my bike for fear I would fall.

    This year the dizziness is gone so I have no excuse.

    I have a friend , who along with her sister. took. their dad on a bike ride for his 70th birthday.  They covered about 500 miles in something like 14 days.    They camped, used motels, and rode a loop that started near Chicago and circled northern Illinois. 

    Even in my best years I would not have been able to do that.  When I went to Holland with Bob and Diane we rode about 25-30 miles a day for 5 days and I was pretty wiped at the end. 

    But 2.6?

    I am even embarrassed to admit I have a bike! 

    It is hanging in the garage and one day soon I may just take it down and see if I can top last year's total.

    That should not be too hard.

Peace and Love

ahhhh

I had a great night's sleep 

    I know!  It is not often I say that!

    I had trouble falling asleep, but once I did, I slept.

    The cuckoo woke me at 9 a.m.

    Well, so did Jackie and the dog.  Beth was hungry and had to go out, so the first few minutes of the day were frantic.

    And if a night's sleep wasn't enough, I took a 1 hour nap!  I missed the first 4 innings of the Cubs game, but I don't think that mattered very much since it was 6-0 when I started watching.  And no, the Cubs did not have 6.

    Friends came over and we played euchre tonight, the first time in months we have done that.

    Between laughing and trying to figure out what was trump, we  had a fun time.

    I did do 2 loads of laundry, but other than that, it was a pretty quiet day.

    Beth and I played downstairs for a bit.  Just a few minutes ago the was on Julia's bed and it seemed she was crying.  But on the whole, little Beth ie adjusting:  to the new morning routine...or lack of it; and Julia being gone.

    I have a NOAA weather radio.  The other day it kept repeating the time.  Today it kept repeating the severe weather outlook.  Never did get a weather report for the next few days.  Frustrating.  Wonder if that is how all government services will be going forward.

    Hoping for sweet dreams for everyone.

Peace and Love

top tens

 Sometimes I make lists

    Not of things to do.  Lord knows I have enough of those lists floating around.

    But lists of other things.  Like favorite Beatles songs.  Places to visit.  Movies to watch.  

    Recently I have been fixating on 10 people I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with and just chat.  (Red wine would be a bonus!)

    The list changes, depending on what I. remember from previous lists.  I do it all mentally.  It may or may not help me fall asleep.  I think it stimulates my mind too much sometimes, but then brings lots of happiness other times.

    So.....I am going to share my list.

    These are not in any particular order.

    Paul McCartney.  I would love for him to chat with me about the early days, what it was like playing in the Cavern in Liverpool when he was a lad.

    Ringo Starr.  I would love to ask him the same questions.  And how he learned to become such a fantastic drummer.

    Pat Hughes.  The voice of the Chicago Cubs.  He just seems like a nice down to earth guy with lots of funny baseball stories.  But I would be interested in how he got started in the business.

    Michelle Obama.  She just seems like a nice lady.  I would be happy hearing her tell about her life and what hopes she has for her daughters.

    Tom Hanks  I don't know if there is a nicer star, at least he appears to be.  I think it would be fun just to have a conversation about life.

    Steve Martin.  I would like to talk to a wild and crazy guy about being wild  and crazy.

    Donna Leon.  She wrote a series (27?) books about a fictional detective in Venice, Italy.  She paints such a beautiful picture of life in Venice.  I can see how it has changed since I first started reading her about 15 years ago.  What gives her the ideas?  What is the future of Guido and his family?

    AOC.  She would be a fascinating coffee clutch person.  Full of ideas, energy, drive and fight.  What makes her tick?  How did Alexandra Ocasio Curtez get involved in politics in the first place?

    PCA.  Pete Crow-Armstrong is the young centerfielder for the Chicago Cubs.  What  scares him the most about being labeled a phenom?

    Ted Danson.  He seems to be showing up everywhere on TV lately.  Commercials, series....what has his journey been like since his Sam Malone days?

    There are others who would be fascinating to spend a few minutes with, or even longer.  And in truth tomorrow my list may be totally different.  For example, Mae Jamison might beg a better coffee partner than PCA.  

    And if you made a list, I bet it would be far different from mine.  

    I know, whimsey.  

    But maybe one of the 10  will read this and call me to set up a coffee clutch gab fest.

    'That would be something, wouldn't it?

    Sweet dreams.

Peace and Love

strange things

 Sometimes I am puzzled

    I burned off my native plant plot today.  I found a hard lemonade can in the garden.

    How did it get there?  Did it blow from somebody's yard?  How did it make it to the middle of my wild flower patch?

    And then I went into the garage and there is a white bottle that once held wine.  Where did that come from?  It is flat on one side and I admit I have never seen one quite like that.  I am adding it to my collection of wine bottles a friend asked me to save.

    I think I have about 13 empty bottles.  No judgements, please.

    And that insurance commercial where the people say they have an aunt problem?

    Well, I had ants visiting today.  Thousands of them.  In the driveway. Like I heard someone sing, Let It Be, and I did.

    I watch my neighbors mow.  They go in nice straight lines...back and forth.  Lawns look nice.

    However, I can't.  I make 3 or 4 passes on a vertical basis and get bored, so I start mowing in horizontal strips.  Then I get board and go back to  vertical.

    I scalped the area where I put native flower seeds, but it has grown so fast I can't tell where I I put seed and where I didn't!  I can find. the path I want, but no evidence of growth other than grass and dandelions.

    By the way, I look at a lot of pictures of Switzerland.  I am always impressed by the golden fields every spring.  They are dandelions.  They look beautiful.  Why don't we like them?

    I was in the garage putting stuff in the car when I got jolted by 2 people in the driveway!  Renee and Wendy stopped by for a quick visit.  Renee had a knee replaced about 10 days ago and is up and slowly about and wanted to get out of the house, so they went out to lunch and came by us.  It was great to see them.

    While the bed might not have been made, there were no dishes on the counter or stacked in the sink.  For once. 

    I swear, I have never mowed so much in April!  I mowed just a couple of days ago and it is long enough to mow again.  Must be all the rain we have had recently.  I think we are getting more tomorrow.

    Maybe I can row in a straight line next time....or try circles.  Those are always fun.

Peace and Love

Magnolia trees bloom beautifully, just not for very long

I put grass on  part of the native garden...a mistake I will not make again.  Grass does not burn nicely!

Match box is for some perspective.....I did not use matches on the ants!!!

tired, again

 This was a pretty long day

    Up early, and Jackie had a small problem that led to a drive to Sycamore and a visit with medical people who promptly fixed it.

    That took most of the morning.

    I straightened up the garage, cut up cardboard, put tools away and that took most of the early afternoon.  I still had not taken a shower, but I did a load of towels, if that counts for anything.

    Julia came over at 4:30 and at 5:15 I took her to O'Hare,  She is going to visit friends, starting with a few days in Italy then over to Switzerland.  It should be a great visit.

    Meanwhile Emily is on her way to a Greyhounds in Gettysburg event.  She is taking her foster dog, who will be picked up by someone there and moved to a new owner, or foster home, I am not sure which.

    Friend Sheri is dog sitting for Emily  and for an hour tonight was Jackie sitting while I drove to the airport.

    I am dog tired.  I used to think I would drive Route 66, but hell, driving into O'Hare and back has drained me, I can't imagine taking a long road trip.

    I did get to listen to the Cubs on the ride home.....PCA is going to be a fixture at Wrigley for a long time, at least I hope.  The Mets will regret trading him.

    So, I am tired, but also wired.  Sleep may be hard tonight, again.

    Maybe tomorrow I can nap.

Peace and Love

ch....ch...ch...changes

 I made a lot of changes today

    Clothing changes. 

    I started out in sweat pants because I thought the recycling guy came since my 2 cans were on their sides.  Turns out, it was just windy.

    After I picked all that mess up and then showered I put on my normal crappy looking jeans and geared up for another exciting day.

    I decided to keep my jeans fairly clean, so I switched to outside pants when I went to mow.  

    I was doing pretty good, but a flash of light drew my attention at around 6:50.  Then I saw the streaks going across the sky to the west, and decided the grass can grow but I will not be a target for lightening.

    I pulled the mower and car into the garage, changed out of my yard pants into my still crappy but relatively clean jeans, took off my yard sweatshirt,  and the rain stopped.

    For some reason, I was chilly.  After supper I was still chilly..  I put on a sweatshirt, but that did not help.

    I figured a cup of hot chocolate would help expel the demon cold.

    One of the girls bought us some hot chocolate bombs.  You put the round ball into hot milk and it dissolves, releasing the hot chocolate mix and a whole lot of sugar.

    I heated the milk, put the ball (actually a star this. tine) and some of the mini marshmallows that came with it, into the milk and watched it all dissolve.

    My first sip, one of the marshmallows stuck to my upper lip.  I pulled it off, but my hand and lips were now pretty sticky.

    I took another sip and again, one stuck to my lips.  I also dribbled a little down the sweatshirt.

    I took another sup and I must have had 5 or 6 of the marshmallows stuck to my lip!

    I went to say, "Damn" but forgot I had hot chocolate in my mouth.  It spewed out on my sweatshirt, and the desk and my hands.  Everything was sticky.

    I managed to finish the mix without further messes.  I changed into my third sweatshirt of the day, which went along with my third pants choice .

    I attribute all my problems on. the lack of a nap.

    Making it worse, the Cubs bullpen could not hold a lead again.  Defense did not help either.

    Maybe they can come back....again.

Peace and Love