day....... oh be quiet.....450

I sometimes read Jackie's mind 

    I have a habit of becoming focused on little things in tv commercials.

    I know commercials are not movies, but they should be entertaining and informative.

    That's why I get bothered by some of them.

    There is one airing now where a family goes into the woods.  They lock their car and walk off.  But this model has sensors that detect inside movement when a car is locked.  As they walk away, the sensors go off and they return to see a raccoon or something in their car, eating snacks.

    Obviously this family is from the city because who else would park their car under trees in a forest and leave the sun roof open?  If not city people, they are idiots.

    Then there is the commercial where the girls are driving along and taking a selfie. Their ccar swerves into the next lane......luckily they have an anti swerve program and the car self corrects, avoiding disaster.

    What they should have shown are the mangled ruins of a car that does not have this feature and tell people who are too stupid to know that you should not be taking selfies and texting while driving.

    Any commercial with an emu in it causes me to retch.

    And the one without the emu with the guy selling wet teddy bears instead of hotdogs is geared to people with a limited exposure to the outside world.

    That's when I can read her mind.

    I worked out in the sun yesterday and put a spray sun block on my face.  It was left over from last year.  Does sun block go bad?  I put it on and my face began to burn like crazy.  Now it is all red and sore, like a sunburn.  And no, I did not immediately wash it off.  Talk about stupid people!

    It did not burn on my arms or hands, but my face is a little more sensitive.

    I guess I will have to break down and buy new stuff and toss the old......which is really hard for me to do.

    I hope you had a safe and healthy Memorial Day.

    Don't look now, but here comes June!

Peace and Love

day.......randomness.......449

 I planted some prairie plugs in my native garden today

    That is why Ineeded the bulb planter.

    Last year I had a little over 100 plants, this year I have less, although I honestly do not know how many I have.  

    Last year I had a diagram of where everything was going.  It took us (Sheri, Camryn and me) almost three hours to plant, mainly because it was hard to find the right plant to match the scheme.

    This year I said hell, it's all random in nature!  So I just dug holes and planted.  No scheme, no plan.  I did put two or three of the same together, to  bunch them, and I did put the taller ones in the back.

    Part of the problem I have is a big rock.  Or rather I don't have.  I am supposed to get a big rock for the garden plus some mulch.  I thought it would be here two weeks ago, but his latest estimate is later this week.  Once the big rock is dropped it can't be moved and any plants in it's way will be smooshed.  So I can't finish the planting until later.

    That's my day.

    I am adding some pictures of what the yard looks like....or parts of the yard anyway.

spiderwort is in bloom

See the smoke on the prairie smoke?

old nad new

Stay safe.  Stay healthy.   Have a happy Memorial Day.

Peace and Love

day......eh......448

 Today was just another day

    I gave my table legs two coats of teak oil, now I just have to attach them and move the table and chairs to the patio.

    I also started sanding down the vertical herb garden we have, it was looking pretty tacky so I am trying to neaten that up a little.

    I did lose my car keys.  I know I put the Honda keys on the counter.  When I went to get them, they were gone.

    I used the key finder on my phone.  I thought I may have left them in the garage, because sometimes I remember things that did not happen.  Out in the garage the finder said there was a strong presence........   I didn't know if I was at a seance or looking for my key!.

    The app said to walk around, so I did.  It kept saying stronger, stronger.  Remember when we used to say, "You;re getting warmer," or "You're getting cooler" when people were looking for things?  Same concept.

    I went back in the house and could hear the keys beeping.

    I followed the beep, but could not find them!  It was weird!  Almost like the keys were invisible.

    Eventually I did track the sound to the face masks hanging up on the cabinet door knob.  The keys had become entabled in a face mask and were hanging on the door.  That's what I get for hanging up the face masks.

    I watched the Cubs until about the sixth inning.  I woke up in the bottom of the seventh.  Short naps are good naps.

    Emily brought us supper and so goes another exciting day.  Wonder what tomoorow will bring.

    Stay safe.  Stay happy.

Peace and Love

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