Goodspeed Musicals THE MOST HAPPY FELLA

Goodspeed Musicals THE MOST HAPPY FELLA

That was hard work . . .

Driving through Virginia

Finally got around to cleaning out the raspberries Even with my glasses and gloves on they managed to  grab me a few times. But it all looks pretty good in the yard. If the berries don't produce well next year I may just cut them down completely and see what survives. The new canes were so long and scraggly this year that I cut off more than the 1/3 I usually cut back. We didn't get good berries in the Spring or Fall. Didn't even have enough to make one small jar of jelly! We ate the good ones right off of the bushes! Had a pleasant visit yesterday evening with a friend from Sprague and she brought her Shih tzu, Tucker. Tucker is 10 years old and a rescued dog. He needed a new home because his elderly owners moved to Florida and they couldn't take their dogs with them. He's pretty fat but a wonderful pet! Almost makes me want to get a puppy for ourselves. But Puppies and Dante's Pop is still giving me negatives and he may be right. I just think that even if we do travel a couple of times a year maybe our Kiddo would be able to take care of the dog for us, if his parents would let him. Oh well, still thinking on it.

Broke down and spent beaucoup bucks for another humidifier. I have had an Oskar in the living room for two years now when the heat is on in this old house. It is great. In the bedroom I've been using an old humidifier that we had when the kids were little! It leaves a gray dust all over the place but especially on the TV screen! I hate it; so I finally decided to get another Oskar. The filters came in today. Hoping the humidifier itself will be in tomorrow. Grampa doesn't seem to have a problem with the dry air but it bothers my eyes a great deal. Can't wait to get it running.

Will have left over pizza and whoopie pies for supper tonight! Sounds good to me.

Quote:  My memory is the thing I forget with.    ____A child's definition

Out of shape . . .

The Cub Cadet has returned to Connecticut. It likes it here.

Can't believe that I can get out of shape so fast. We were only gone about two weeks and my exercise program really felt like a hard work out today. I think she missed me and made up for it by pushing me! We've already averted one catastrophe today. The Bunn finally quit and was making yucky coffee, probably because we don't run vinegar through it before we leave on trips, just empty it out and unplug it. But we've had it for years so no complaints. They want about $120 for a new one but we lucked out. We found a floor model at Lowe's for $72. It didn't have a manual or box and was super dusty. They took another 10% off because I complained a bit! Yay! I got the manual on line and Puppies and Dante's Pop has it all set up and ready to make coffee. Life is pretty darned good.
He's also mowing the lawn with oldest Kiddo's Cub Cadet which returned with us from Louisiana. He was driving it like a bat out of hell. I'm sure he's pleased with this newest acquisition.

It was so good to have our youngest Kiddo here. I did miss my sax concerts. So last night and also this morning I had the best concerts yet. He played his first real song. What a lot of fun. Hot Cross Buns never sounded so grand. He practiced his new notes then played it with really good counting and sound. Then he played without the music. Then he said, "Watch this. I'm going to close my eyes." and played it a again. He cracks me up. Besides him we had to keep Keeboo, his virtual pet Furby. Other than a horrible sounding voice it's pretty neat. I like to pull its tail and put it to sleep. Not sure if he'll come on too many more visits!

Picked up a Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken package by McCormick while in the South. It smells good cooking in the old crock pot; we'll see how good it is at supper. I'm not in the mood to shop so we'll be eating whatever we still have in the house. Think I may just pull out the bread maker. That should really make the house inviting with all sorts of rich aromas, heat and goodness.

Quote:  The only way for a rich man to be healthy is by exercise and abstinence, to live as if he were poor.    ___Sir W. Temple

Learning . . .

Playing cards for a couple of days now and starting to get the hang of it. Hand and Foot is, at least to me, an odd game and somewhat difficult to get used to but with all the patience these Southerners can muster they are hanging in there with me. Today I played the best hands yet but still couldn't eek out a win. I may have to do some really exceptional celebrating if I ever manage to win one of these days. Daughter-in-law is ahead of me 5-1 in Cribbage too. It's a good thing I come down so I can practice being humble!

The men are off for the second day to the Flying Contest in Baton Rouge. After the card game I am in charge of a stew for seven for supper. The meat is cooking now so I'll have to be up and at it soon.  Had breakfast at Waffle House before going to LeBlanc's to pick up the fixings for supper. Beautiful people, beautiful day, beautiful weather.

Grey skies to start the day . .

It is amazing to watch the cook at the Waffle House doing his job. He is so adept at what he's doing: cracking two eggs in one hand, separating the yolks, flipping the omelets with the other oiling the grill for the potatoes, pulling the bacon out and putting it on the grill et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I had cheesy eggs, crisp bacon, buttered raisin toast with a side of grits which I gave to Puppies and Dante's Pop as I don't like grits. The only drawback with Waffle House is the servers do not walk around and keep your coffee cup filled. I think that it's a corporate decision for the sake of being safe from spills. They work in really tight quarters so if you need a refill the waitstaff take your cup to the pot! I don't think anyone in Louisiana drinks decaf! So I go along with getting high first thing in the morning on two big mugs of regular. A hyper start to the day.

Had a pleasant visit with one of my seventeen Deojay cousins yesterday in Hammond Louisiana. She has lived in the South since 1994. I brought her some rhubarb tubers to plant at her farm in Picayune, Mississippi. She seems to have a green thumb and also runs a horse rescue operation. Quite an interesting woman. Our oldest will be returning from Germany this evening so we'll be able to visit with him for a while before we head back North next Tuesday. Have had a wonderful time holding six month old babies while on this stay. Such a perfect age for gibber jabbering and laughing at people as you drop the toys proffered. Also very nice to be able to calm a little one and let them fall asleep in your arms.

Already back to old habits . . .

We were up early this morning and off to the Waffle House for breakfast. It was so cold there we needed shirts and even then we could feel the freezing cold. The lady manager we've known since they opened in 2007 (?) laughed when she saw us and they turned down the air a bit! It really was ice cold!

We arrived around 1:45pm yesterday. The puppies were happy to see us and all the humans too! Last night Grampa spoke with our oldest who is in Germany and he's having a good stay. Our 1500 mile drive was quite uneventful. Only got really stuck once outside of Knoxville for about 45 minutes.  A and M's youngest is here with his wife and baby. They are well and, fingers crossed, looks like he may have a job. He is off to get a physical, a job requirement. That would be so good for them especially as his military pay will run out in November. The baby is six months old and loves to smile, chatter and wiggle! He'll be coming with us to lunch today. We're also meeting a friend who will have her six month old grand daughter. All sorts of neat baby time. Grampa is already out with his friend Gil! I was afraid we'd never even make it to southern family's home because we saw Gil out mowing his lawn as we were arriving yesterday and of course we had to stop! But Puppies and Dante's Pop saw the look on my face and after setting up today's date we finally reached our true destination! Tomorrow M and I will be off to the Hammond Square Mall to see my Picayune, Mississippi cousine! I hope the rhubarb plant I'm bringing her will survive the mild winters and grow well for her next year.   As I write this entry I can't help smiling at the photos on the dining room walls. The grand kids are beautiful and certainly well loved and photographed.

It is raining. . .

Almost threw it out but decided to repot the cyclamen. 

I'm surprised at how hard it is raining this Sunday morning. We are hoping to go to Thompson for the Yankee Flyers Float Fly later today. I hope it works out. Spent a good day yesterday with Kiddo. He and Grampa got up way before getting up time and took off without me for breakfast at McD's. He was so funny as he explained to me how they weren't going to tell me how they sneaked out as I slept! Struck me as funny and made me happy to see these guys trying to get away with something! Like grandfather like grandson! I ended up with a fantastic B and C sax concert after Grampa left for Wrentham and his flying buddies. The Kiddo was having a good time, especially after he had practiced his two notes and then really enjoyed playing as many other notes as he could muster. I am amazed at how heavy the sax is. I ordered another neck strap for him with a pad but particularly a good slide lock. The strap provided for him does not have a locking mechanism and it unhooks easily which can be dangerously expensive if he loses his grip or doesn't  realize the instrument is not connected to the strap. Of course he also needed a new book, Egyptology! He and middle child are working on his Ninja Mercat puppet due Friday. Seems to be finding 4th Grade somewhat challenging but I think he's just having trouble settling in to do the hard work that is now expected of him. I'm sure he will meet the expectations once he accepts the fact that he can't be lazy and must actually do some work!

Spent part of yesterday afternoon at the Youth Football Complex in Central Village watching our great nephew rush the ball through the middle of the line! His Dad seems to be a really terrific coach and his Pépère isn't too shabby either! I really enjoyed watching these young kids play even though I do not like tackle football for kids under 22 years of age! One of my prejudices. Flag football at all levels suits me just fine! I remember playing as a kid and because I was the smallest one I was given the ball and protected by the big guys like Charlie L. Man, I used to run like hell! At least that's how I like to remember it. I'm sure the big guys were just indulgent. Nostalgia is not necessarily truthful! Another plus at the game was visiting with Moosup niece and her lovely daughter P plus, added bonus, could hang out with sister and sister-in-law. And . . . the Packers won 14-13. Amen.

Slacker that I am I forgot to make my bed and do my stretches this morning! Time to get to work.

Quote:  Genius is nothing but continued attention.   ___Helvetius

Must look into this carefully . . .

I hope this is legible. I found some information.  I hope this is the link https://www.healthcompanion.com/HealthCompanion/registration/RoamingPortal.action?providerInterfaceCode=130 Then go to About Us.

When my brain is functioning at a somewhat higher level I must look into Health Companion. I underwent a normal procedure today at an outpatient type clinic and the anesthesiologist put a paper in my bag so that I could peruse it when I returned home. She did explain that she had no choice but to fill out the required forms and the paper would let me access my medical record at a secure on line site of what the doctors did today. She said it was now mandated that the doctors enter my records at this secure site and they would be audited to ensure that they did so! I was perplexed and shocked because no one asked me if I wanted to do this. (Perhaps somewhere in all of the signatures I wrote over the last two weeks I was asked to agree to this new repository of my medical records but I don't recall that being the case.) She said most of the doctors do not like having to enter the patients' records on this site and most patients are not happy to learn about the site either. As she left me she said something like, "Welcome to Obamacare." I couldn't help myself and asked her to excuse my language as I said, "Holy shit!" And she acknowledged with a, "Just so." I'm feeling put out about this because if I understand correctly it is a federal mandate and it seems as if no one was asked if they would like to take part but are forced to comply, doctors and patients! So, as my brain returns from the fog I shall look into the matter. I will include a copy of the form she gave me but shall redact the last four digits of my Medical Record Number. Shitski, I say, shitski. Hey, you know what's funny? The iPad knows how to spell shitski correctly! Yikes. Great tech world out there!

Quote:  Ages of ignorance and simplicity are thought to be ages of purity.  but the direct contrary is the case.  Rude periods have that grossness of manners which is as unfriendly to virtue as luxury itself.  Men are less ashamed as they are less polished.   ___Warton