From a former life ...

Since I have been blogging, my email can pile up for a couple of days if I am not careful to check it. I don't know if doing this satisfies some need to *exhibit* (As Mr. Bennet says in Pride and Prejudice) or if it takes up part of the mental allotment of time for keeping in touch.

There was one email that caught my attention right away. It was from FIU. It informed me that my doctor's office had called and left a message that an appointment date had been changed due the absence of the gentleman I had an appointment to see.

Wha'? I retired from FIU six years ago. And the message had been left there on the voice mail of someone I have never met. Wasn't it nice that I was tracked down? The place where I used to live my weekday life is pretty efficient. But, they were dubbed by me, back then, as the dream team.

I guess they still are ...

And Memorial Monday ...

Memorial Day still feels a little dislocated to be falling on the last Monday of May. It used to always fall on a Sunday. You may have seen on the news how members of the armed services place flags on the graves at Arlington.

Each flagstaff was pushed into the ground at exactly the length of the honoring serviceman's foot measured from the headstone of the fallen soldier. I had not noticed that detail before. Doing so ensured that all of the flags placed by any one person were always in a straight line down the row.

After placing each flag, the serviceman stepped back and gravely saluted the fallen comrade. It was a moving ceremony, precisely and quietly carried out. Each gravesite received that solemn tribute.

It made me proud to think that those honored dead with no living contemporaries should also be so remembered.

Heart Sunday

Memorial Sunday

Willie grew while I was away.
Several shoe sizes, shirt sizes,
Heart sizes.

When I realized who this
Stalwart individual was,
Who shook my hand and asked,
How are you?

Willie, I cried as he turned away.
He came, hugged my rueful heart,
And smiled.


Pastor Darlington? No, Mister,
Teacher, Engineer, Father,
Held the place this Sunday
Of the man, with a new tooth,

And re-growing hair, with short term
Memory returning slowly.
Recovering from an aneurism,
As he said, one tooth at a time.

Fondly watched and monitored
From the pews.

Mad dogs and Englishmen ...

I had to make a run to the post office and, on the way home, the car got sprinkled with a light rain. Not enough to rinse it off but just enough to turn the ash that had drifted down into a muddy smear.

When I got home (after crawling my way through the two-lane traffic on SW 107 Avenue while it is being repaved) I parked near a crunchy patch of grass. Those are easy to find, currently. I turned the hose onto the ashy car and rinsed. A lot. Then out of pity, I sprayed the little Hydrangea and J's infant sized Crape Myrtle. In the process, I acquired all the Vitamin D that is needed for a week's health.

I would not have done it at 1:30 p.m. if I had read the digital thermometer first. It was 99.5° in the shade. The car was not in the shade.

It would have been better to wait until next winter, actually ...

Early what?

The house is quiet with only the soft rain falling this morning. It kindly waited until the newspapers were brought in and started immediately after. There was little thunder with it and that was soft and rolling in the distance. Lets hope the 'Glades got more vigorously falling water and ours was the edge of the storm.

This quiet time seems necessary. I have discovered that I am an earlier bird than I thought. Not too early though. And not if there are errands in view. Then, perversely, I want to sleep 'til noon.

Only the rush of air from the AC keeps me company.

Sshhh ...

Two for one ...

I experienced an act of nature while feeding Zeta's and M's cats. It vaguely involved a double murder, of sorts. There is a big picture window in the kitchen at their house. I was sitting at the table in front of it and looking out while drinking from the travel mug of Starbucks I had brought along.

A movement caught my attention. When I determined it was not a floater in my eye, I focused on a housefly which had come inside with me. it was bumping the window glass in an effort to go back outside. I sat watching and thinking how they are always on the wrong side of the window: either always wanting out or always wanting in. This one had definitely decided out was better.

From the top of the window another character entered. It was one of those little jumping spiders we have down here. Not deadly, but definitely something you do not want landing on your arm while you are drinking hot coffee. It slowly descended the window glass, moving toward the angry fly. It did not come down a web but walked toward its intended prey in short bursts of steps, pausing between. It was more than an inch away when it let go of the glass and fell on the fly. The buzzing continued for a bit and then the fly was still.

I watched for a bit longer and then came to the realization that this was not my house, not my fly, and definitely not my spider. Doubling up a paper towel, I interfered with nature.

A double murder, the spider's and then mine ...

Free water needed ...

Yesterday, I actually heard the weather man say that today's weather would be: roast, burn, and sizzle. He thought he was being, ah, amusing.

The Herald promises that we will experience smoke and heat, today. Even our car is participating in the promise. There was ash all over it from the 'Glades fires, this morning, when we got back into it while on a brief outing.

Do you think being smoked and heated will extend our shelf life? Think beef jerky or pemmican.

Enough, already. We need some of that free water. No, not tears. Rain, rain, I tell you ...

Addendum: Ask and it shall be added unto you.

We had a minimal shower early this afternoon. Then about two hours later, a goodly rain. It is still dripping from the trees, well bushes, and the back patio still shows sprinkles jumping into little puddles. Hallelujah.

Take that, weatherpeople!

Insomnia? Try cheesecake ...

It feels as if we had a hypnotist in the house. Getting sleeepy, eyelids are heeaavvy. Right. I can muster up that feeling, all by myself, thanks. No hypnotist needed.

I do have to say a heartfelt thank you to Zeta and M for the gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. I feel so wealthy when I walk into that place bearing pre-loaded plastic. I wish I had remembered to send a piece of the Cheesecake Factory, Six Carb Cheesecake home with Zeta. Dang. Now I feel badly that she only had one tiny piece when the whole cake came into the house with her. And M, who had to work, has not had any of it.

Forgetful and selfish, just selfish, is all I can say. Also, more for me ...

And the month is?

The only reason I know today is not Saturday is because our local branch of the library is closed on Fridays. I did it again: lost my way amidst all the weekdays we have to negotiate. You would think there were thousands, or at least hundreds, of them. Yesterday was the 15th, I know for sure, so today must be ...

There are compensations for making one's way through the week by counting down the work days toward a weekend. I used to never mistake a Friday for a Saturday. Now? I couldn't care less.

Unless the library is closed ...

Calling, calling ...

We will accept kudos for showing such restraint, yesterday. We drove right past a Starbucks and did not stop, even though we have a card for free coffee on Wednesdays. Starbucks is also where no sugar added banana nut cake resides. Sometimes, when they are not out of it.

The card came attached to an advertisement in the Herald. We still have two more Wednesdays in this month to wield it. Free coffee is a mighty lure. Banana. Nut. Sugar free. That's not a lure, that's a siren call.

Perhaps, perhaps we should not accept kudos too soon ...

Round and round ...

I can't believe that getting up at 6 a.m. is as stressful as it seems to be now. I used to do that while working at FIU. I used to work until 7:30 or 8 p.m. and think nothing of it.

Now, an early excursion with J, a short trip to the library/grocery store, and cooking/reheating a little bit of dinner did me in. One would think I was getting older.

I need to go round off my day by riding the stationary bike for a while. I have several DVDs of The Dog Whisperer that the library will eventually want returned. They are my current diversion while going nowhere, moderately fast. Previously while riding pedaling, I listened to the Accidental Tourist on CD. I had seen the movie after reading the book, liked them both, and wanted to hear someone else read it to me. Make sense?

Probably not. See you down the road ...

Such a baby ...

When I sat in a crowded waiting room recently, the surrounding ambiance was punctuated by coughs and sneezes. When called in for a brief eye test, I mentioned ambiance to the tech and wished her, "Good luck with that."

You might know. Mothers' Day. Painful throat. Malaise. Cream of Wheat for dinner. Peroxide rinses. Bed looks really good. Think I'll stay there.

So I mostly did.

Still in bathrobe on Monday. It is such a comfort ...

The gift ...

The little Hydrangea above is trying to bloom for Mothers' Day. It was a lovely gift, from Zeta and M, some time ago and it is trying to keep on giving. It went from one floret being open to four with a fifth in process. It may not complete its cycle by Sunday, but I do appreciate the effort it is making.

Happy Mothers' Day!

Stock anyone?

Our 12 quart stainless stock pot started to leak at the rivets. It had come from Ebay and lasted long after any warranty had expired. It was time to replace it.

Well, the stock pot I evaluated at first was the All Clad 12 quart. But I had to face facts. I was looking for a large, stainless steel, heavy bottomed pot to make stock in, not an instant family heirloom. Calphalon seemed a good second choice and I would not have to take out a loan on our marmalade and white cat to get one.

Bed Bath and Beyond had sent a 20% coupon to us. Even better. The salesperson at the store did not have the 12 quart size in stock. He offered to order it, use the coupon, waive shipping and send it to my house. Suuuurrrrre, I said. Order away.

It came a few days ago. I haven't used it yet. Today may be the day ...

Trial and ...

J's mother is here, visiting from Orange Park. She is a wonderfully modern person of 85 years experience. Today, we will go to lunch with her. She loves fish, so I think we will introduce her to the Rockfish Grill.

After having had a non digital SLR camera for some years, it is a come-down to have a moderately adjustable digital. It has an auto focus which allows some tweaking from the user, but the flash has a pitiable usable distance. So I turned the flash off, finally. I am discovering the light levels that the camera needs indoors, by trial and error.

Mostly error ...

Status que you oh ...

Just returned from seeing the eye specialist. The right eye is so dry, (a good thing, think interior instead of exterior) that no treatment was necessary. In three weeks, the left one will be checked again. Three weeks because the Good Dr. is going away for two weeks in June and wants to see me sooner rather than later. I am viewing a blurry world but that will go away as the paralyzed iris recovers from being sooo relaxed. So am I. I think I'm having a nap attack.

Zeta and M, I came down your street on the way home. Status quo. No visible wildlife or at least none visible to me. I could see that your PT is parked where it should be. So is A's white car. I didn't do a mail stop. ST will be there later. I hope Zorro makes an appearance. Will ST let you know?

The pictures on your blog are great. I can't wait to see more. It tickled my funny bone that M's telephone was right at hand, jus' in case. Now that's a great communicator.

Making friends ...

The Iguana on the power line looking down at the cat who was looking up and wishing he would come down and play.

Answers ...

I should have waited until Zeta and M get back before doing this question and answer session. I didn't though and will just have to add hers if she posts questions.

Coffee Bean said...

1. How long have you been reading Pioneer Woman's blog?

I found Pioneer Woman when she won the bloggie award for best writing. I had to go and see who beat dooce in that area. I agree with the choice and think she will win again next year. After I found her site, I went back to her first entry and read forward to the present. Some of the questions folks ask her let me know that they haven’t read her earlier posts. She seems to have the patience of Job.

2. What is your favorite dessert?

A friend of my mother’s used to serve us a seven layer chocolate cake that was like taking a bath in chocolate and rubbing it in your hair. It came from Tyler’s restaurant, which is not in business any more. Also, Sonny Richard’s fudge. Same effect.

3. Do you prefer cats or dogs?

There is no short answer to this question. We’ve had 2 collies (not at the same time), 2 german shepherds (a mother and son), an inherited italian greyhound mix, and a chow since we’ve been married. Plus 2 Siamese cats, a Burmese cat, rescued cats, cats that just moved in and our current little tyrant. We’ve also had tropical fish, turtles, a newt that escaped, plus a parrot and an iguana as extended family that lived down the street. If it’s living and breathing, we like it. I even brought home some ring-neck snake babies (from the university where I worked) for a terrarium, but we released them. They ate live insects.

Susan said...

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?

I spent some wonderful times up in a Chinese Cherry tree reading and eating cherries. If I didn’t move around too much, the Mockingbirds and Blue Jays would join me. I read every book in the "Wizard of Oz" series up in that tree.

Later, fishing in the Keys and staying at the Coral Castle which is what we called the Goetz house.

2. Name 3 TV shows you cannot go without watching.

Bones
Martha (Stewart, sorry, but it’s true)
Masterpiece which used to be Masterpiece Theatre, on PBS.
If Midsomer Murders is ever aired again in the U.S., then drop Martha and add that one, if I am limited to three.

3. If you could vacation to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

01 Doc and I still haven’t visited Cross Creek. We need to do that as an homage to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.

ol Doc said...

1. The older you get, the more things change. What one change is the best? Which is the least liked?

It’s good that as I get older, the more farsighted I've become. I’ve now aged into nearly 20/20 distance vision and can still read 8 point type (6 point if it is dark print and I squint) without glasses.

The bad part is that I have to have regular injections into the eyes to keep that vision. If not for the advances made through research, I would probably be unable to see to drive, by now. My retina specialist tells me tales of how it used to be. He is so happy to have the tools to make a difference.

2. If you could do it all over again, would you reconsider and actually allow me to take down that old chandelier in the house we grew up in, assuming we wouldn't have been stopped on the way out that bathroom window? :)

Instead of meeting the young lad (across the rock wall) with innocent faces and telling the tale that we used to live there, we would have been purveyers of you know what. Remember, at the Christopher Place, when I told you we should leave? Who did we see driving by? What kind of vehicle was he driving? Uh-huh. Rest my case.

3. What 3 modern conveniences could you do without and still be content.

I could do without: gramophones, teletypes, and velcro. I know that only velcro really answers the true spirit your question. Okay, in modern terms: make it plastic mollies, wallboard, and velcro.

I would really like a flat HDTV, thank you very much ... wall mounted for choice. But, not with plastic mollies or velcro, on wallboard.

Ask me, just ask ...

Coffee Bean gave me this idea.


It is interesting when bloggers answer questions, candidly, that readers decide to throw at them. If you post your questions in the comments, along with your blog address if you have one, I promise to answer them in the blogpost tomorrow a few days.

Anyone can play. You don't need a blog address to ask and I will learn things about you from your questions.

This feels like a real conversation, doesn't it?

Ya gotta eat ...

Zeta and M told us about a good deal through a local radio station's web site. It is an offer of gift certificates for local establishments available at half the face value, if bought through the station's site. We bought one for a local restaurant, forgot about it, and it has almost expired.

Yesterday, we went to lunch, en masse, to redeem our certificate. The establishment wasn't open. Zeta and M recommended the nearby Rockfish Grill as an alternative. The food at the Rockfish was delicious. Really good. It is now another little jewel that that we will keep in mind. We told Zeta and M that if we are thinking of trying someplace new, we will ask them first. They are becoming our restaurant gurus.

Still, the certificate will expire tomorrow. I called Joffrey's this morning. They apologized for not being able to open on time yesterday. The waitress had an emergency. It's a cozy li'l place, can you tell? Not large, but friendly and the food ... the coffee ... mmmwah.

We will be forced to go to Joffrey's this afternoon. So sad, for us, heh.

From our experience with a previous certificate, we know that any funds remaining from the first visit are returned to the user via a gift card, right there on the spot.

What drama ...

Family picture ...

When Town and Country mall closed for retooling and our nearest Sears died with it, price cuts grew like beanstalks. In the nearly empty Sears, I made friends with a Tilia Foodsaver vacuum sealer and it followed me home.

I have become an unpaid advocate for the thing. Just mention it and I will tell you much more than you want to know about it. Zeta and M have one, too. When various family members came to visit earlier this year, they saw what it could do and they bought one when they got home.

I got an email from that family recently which detailed how much money they are saving. It is gratifying to see their enthusiasm.

I mentioned, to them, something about the steamer inserts that I use to hold the sealed bags off the bottom of pots of water when reheating or thawing/warming. They wanted to know what kind. Below is what I sent them.

Aren't they pretty?

Up for adoption ...

Our Adopt-A-Tree program is scheduled to begin soon. The trees offered in May will be Vera Wood, Pigeon Plum, Longan and Tamarind.

The one tree I am interested in replacing with a like species is the Mango we lost. Mangos are scheduled to be offered on Sunday, June 8th from 9 a.m. to noon, in the Northwest area. Don't these people go to church? Guess not.

The next time they are offering Mango trees for adoption is on Saturday, August 16th, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Fair grounds. They will be offering Dahoon Holly, White Geiger, Jackfruit, and ♪♪ ta-daa ♪♪ Mango.

August. Whooo hoo, that will probably be a Sahara type day, don't you think? Only not so dry. Poor little hothouse grown Mango sprout will probably sunburn in August.

Here's a counterintuitive question: do they make sunblock for trees?

The wrong line ...

In the line at the grocery store: the woman ahead of me had two boys with her. The larger boy, about 4 years old, was in the child seat and the smaller who looked to be a year or so younger was sitting in basket where groceries usually go. She had just a few items on the lowest shelf of the basket, below the little guys.

Something upset the older boy while she was unloading her items to the moving belt on the counter. He started yelling at her, at the world. Trying to use the safety belt to hold him in place just made him more agitated. Still yelling, he began to throw his upper body from side to side and back and forth. He balled up his fists and hit her. Grabbing his hands, she soothed him by telling him to be calm, be calm; that he was going to hurt himself; that she was holding his hands to keep him from hurting himself; to keep him from hurting "Mommie."

With one of her hands holding his at the handle of the basket, she bent down to get the last item from the lower shelf. While she stooped, he bent over and clamped down on her hand with his teeth. I heard her gasp and she let him go to clutch at her own hand. He went immediately still, staring at her.

She never raised her voice. She held him against her and whispered to him. Then she turned and finished paying for her purchases. Her face was blotchy with emotion and so was his.

I felt like mine should be, too. The cashier and the older man who was bagging for her both looked stunned.

I am still not sure if I witnessed a tantrum or a set of symptoms. And I still feel as if I should have done something. I just don't know what ...

Reality of a sort ...

J and I have been watching Survivor and Big Brother9. Do we need to get a life? When these series are ended, we will miss our weekly fix. After the previous Olympics (summer and winter both) that we watched were completed, we remember having the same wish that there were more to watch.

We are, however, really looking forward to 08/08/08 and the Olympics’ opening. Polities aside, the athletes themselves are admirable characters for the most part. Unless it is discovered after the fact that they took ... never mind.

We will just have to put up with the pangs of withdrawal after the closing ceremonies. Of course, there is always the one last season of The Amazing Race: supposedly this year ...

A shot in the ...

Today is the last time, for a while, that I can wash my hair without wearing swim goggles to keep the water out one of my eyes. Two dry weeks, they have to spend - with another probable two weeks in favor of the remaining peeper.

It has been a blessing though. So far, my central vision remains usable because of the treatments. I hope these continue to work until I curl up my toes.

There is a very dark joke that one of the benefits of memory impairment is that you meet new people every day. In my case, it would mean that I could read the same mystery over and over and still be amazed at the surprise ending. :)

As long as I can still see to read, I am so thankful.

Dot dot dot

I am much too fond of ellipses. Can you tell?

Others may be addicted to multiple exclamation points or quotation marks like double fingers flickering for emphasis. I like the trailing of an ellipsis ... it seems to demand further inference. If the reader will participate, I don’t have to complete the thought to its possibly absurd conclusion.

When I found a blog template of dots, an “aha” moment occurred. (Ignore those "quotation marks")

I was charmed!!! (Ignore those exclamation points!!!)

Home, it was deja vu.

What a relief that I didn’t feel compelled to say: “deja vu, all over again.” Now that would be sooo lame!!!

Just so you know ...

WSJ needs a stork ...

We subscribe to two newspapers, one is the local Herald and the other is the Wall Street Journal. When they both get delivered, the folded, bagged papers are usually somewhere near the mailbox, by the sidewalk. Herald delivery has been as regular as clockwork. WSJ broke their clock, regularly.

I began to telephone the WSJ's 800-number each time we missed our copy. The subscription personnel and I developed a troubled relationship. They were sorry for the inconvenience. They offered to deliver the paper right up onto the front porch. Several times, they offered. We accepted the offer each time they made it and then pointed out that the delivery label has "del to porch" printed right on it.

Last Friday, I called to terminate the subscription. The young woman with whom I spoke said that the delivery service had been replaced by a new one and the WSJ should appear every day but Sunday. I agreed to try once more.

The next morning, when I looked outside, there it was: one newspaper was on the front porch, all by itself.

It was the Herald ...

In the wild ...

As children, we used to go fishing with our parents, into the Everglades, along Biscayne Bay, or down in the Keys. This was before air conditioning in private homes became common. We three kids were accustomed to riding in the back seat with the windows open as far as they would go. The semi-tropical airs could give you a facial windburn if you were not careful. The front seats had a triangular vent window which, when opened, somewhat protected the faces of luckier riders.

We were coming back from one of our secret fishing spots on the edge of the 'Glades, via a dirt road which ran through dry brushy growth. Using a dirt road mandated a slow pace to keep the dust down. Mom was driving when she called to us to quick, look out the back window. She had noticed something in the rear view mirror.

When we did, we saw that a Florida Panther was following our car. It was about 20 yards back down the road, ambling along with a deliberate, loose jointed gait. its head and spine were held relaxed on the same level, as it came. The shoulder blades were working up and down as it lifted and placed its front paws. It was perfectly at ease, ignoring our car and, after we had watched for a short while, it turned to its left and disappeared completely into the brush. It was thin, but healthy looking, as I remember, and it ignored us so absolutely that we had no fear of it.

We would not have gotten out the car, though ...

Foraging for ...

I was beginning to think I knew the pangs of a deprived crack addict. Last evening, when Big Ed called home to say that Publix-on-Bird did not have any sugar-free white cupcakes and did we want chocolate, I said no. J said yes for himself, and so I went without.

I watched them eat their daggone chocolate cupcakes. Big Ed did offer me a piece of sugar-free candy out of pity. But I bided my time. Okay, I ate the candy but I still bided.

Today, on the way home from church, I stopped at the big Publix across from the university. I garnered four boxes of s/f white cupcakes. Now, I shared one box, but the other three are mine, all mine!

If I were a dog, I would bury them ...

Ai sai, auld fellew ...

We like quite a bit of BBC America programming. Periodically PBS runs a series of Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle, which makes us happy. But, for us, the quintessential modern Brit mystery appeared on the Biography Channel: Midsomer Murders.

Chief Inspector Barnaby, Detective Sergeant Troy, and company pursued criminals regularly in Midsomer. We took it for granted, settled in, and suspended disbelief until Barnaby left, only to return the following week. Then (how dare they) the programming changed. We have been without a Midsomer fix for months, it seems.

Until in moderate desperation, I requested that the library purchase a Midsomer DVD, available from Acorn Media. I asked for just one DVD. The library purchased four. Three have arrived today. The campers don't care if they have seen them or not.

They're happy ...

Busted ...

We had not bought any Sensables. I knew Big Ed, who was not home, had some in the refrigerator in his room. I told J that I would borrow one and replace it when we made a run to resupply.

In Big Ed's room, I rummaged through the boxes in his fridge. Nothing appeared appetizing, so I closed the door and turned to see the cat, sitting in the exact middle of the room, staring at me. Her gaze was intense with amazement. I explained that it was not theft but would have been a loan. She just kept giving me "the look."

Talk about being busted ...

Winter, elsewhere ...

These pictures are of R and A while they were on vacation. They illustrate what winter


can be like elsewhere. They also demonstrate that a vacation to winter can be a fun experience, judging from their expressions ... especially the snowmobile driver.

Lake Tahoe is in the background and I believe the one of A by herself is at Virginia City. Don't you wish you could have stowed away in their luggage? What a great experience to tuck away in their own, personal Random Access Memories.

Say what?

There is something about going to the grocery store and forgetting to buy bananas. Taking a list does not help if you don't put everything on it.

But, does forget really mean not remember? Or can it mean that someone, naming no names, did not ask about bananas until the shopper returned home? There is a little discrepancy in that logic, because the shopper wanted bananas, too.

I guess forget means what it means, and we both did ...

Extras ...

If our weather were like this year 'round, there would be a gate at the border and we'd have to pay to get in. What a beautiful, weatherly day. The semi-tropical plants may not be happy with its low humidity, but as a semi-adaptable human, it hit my comfort zone, exactly.

Today, being the tax deadline, McDonalds offered comfort food at comfortable pricing. Quarter Pounder or Big Mac were buy one, get one for a penny. I'll have two of the extra ones, please, for two cents. Yeah, right.

I apologize, this may be more than you need to know ...

How badly do we want a digital, battery operated emergency television? Look: Here

Additionally, in his column at sunherald.com, David Morris writes: "... While RadioShack currently has a 7-inch Accurian handheld portable battery-operated digital set for around $200, there's a good chance as we approach "D-Day 2009" other manufacturers will enter the arena, offering more choices and lower prices ..."

We have 2008 to use our emergency battery operated TV. Let us hope we don't need it and that the new digital batt/opp TVs will become as inexpensive as calculators.

The future is evidently this one from Sony. In covering the "International Consumer Electronics Show," CNN wrote:

...The ultimate in thinness is achievable with a completely different screen technology: organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs. Sony Corp. announced it will soon start selling the first OLED screen in the U.S. It's just 3 millimeters, or one-eighth of an inch thick ...

They're organic. Will we have to feed them ... can you possibly drop by while we're away to feed the cat and change the sandbox under the TV? Of course it is more than a couple of thousand $$$, right now, for an 11 inch screen. It is also completely viewable from a side angle.

I want one, oh, about 52 inches, to hang on the wall where J's present monster takes up the corner of the living room. I hope I live long enough to see them like solar calculators, portable and accessible to everyone.

I think I'll go read something as an antidote to all this tech/talk ...

The gettery list ...

Things I keep forgetting to buy: vacuum bags (running low, too), Method hand soap (I remembered but the new pump is broken and I have to exchange it), spaghetti squash, ballpoint pens, a hand mirror, light bulbs for Big Ed's fan and for the recessed lights, ant killer (no, not aunt killer), underwear (never mind whose), a utility shed, and a leaf blower.

Pretty diverse forgettery, isn't it? The unhappy truth is that after making this list, it will feel like I have accomplished something.

Oddly comfortable ...

A while ago, J's mother gave Mew a kitty condo with three interior levels and a padded penthouse roof which she found comfy and elevated. She loves to be brushed and combed atop that penthouse roof as part of her morning routine. She only explored the lower levels once or twice and decided that they were not as good as the penthouse. Her brush and comb are stored in the top cavity. The second level houses all of our remotes for various electronic equipment. Mew is okay with this. I have her permission.

The Humane Society mailed a freebie little fluffy blanket as part of a request for donations. I folded it into fourths and dropped it at the foot of her tower. Immediately, she stepped on it and decided it was the best thing since green olives.

She naps only here, for the present. I hope when the novelty wears off she will resume tower living. Two people have suggested putting the blanket on top of the condo. But, if she starts to fall off and grabs the blanket, she and the blanket both will hit the floor. Awkwardly.

She did that once with a pillow and it was not a pretty sight ...

If wishes were horses ...

Yes, of course. There is a bug which affects our digital television changeover in 2009. There would have to be one, wouldn't there? I was feeling rather complacent about ignoring the changeover to a digital-only platform. As digital cable customers, we don't have any analog sets running and so the changeover shouldn't affect us.

But no. We actually do have an analog set that has a built in antenna. It is D-cell battery powered and we use it during power failures after hurricanes. It's a cheap little black and white gem that sits in its box from one summer to the next unless it is needed.

I did some googling to see if there is a solution to our problem and did not discover one. "Get a radio" seems to be a common answer to getting storm information. Duuh, we have several battery powered radios. Watching a radio is cold comfort.

I want to watch the weather person endure it with us when the storm gets nasty. I want to see the maps so I can tell if our neighborhood will be on the strong or weak side of the storm. I want to see where the eyewall will strike.

I want my Mommie ...

Hark ...

This morning, I heard a sweet, faint sound coming from some distance away. It was the gentle sound of a jackhammer. This is not the common name for a migratory bird, nor is it in the woodpecker family.

The jackhammer is single footed and double eared. It sinks its foot into our consciousness and our concrete curbing. The by product of this activity is not a new nest in the neighborhood, but a new pest.

The dreaded roadwork. Soon, it will be targeting a corner near us ...

If only ...

I'm never satisfied with the weather unless it is in my exact comfort zone: cool; sunshiny (or light overcast); dry, but not too dry; if I have to be out in it. Soft rain with light winds if I can stay inside and read.

Being such a p'ticular creature, It's a good thing I'm not in charge of the weather. We would never get a soaking toad-strangler if I were choosing. The roads would always be dry if I had to drive somewhere. It would stop raining instantly if I had to load the car with groceries or bring them in the house.

Maybe I just need a forcefield bubble around my immediate area ...

Visitor ...

We had a visitor tapping at the door. He was not properly introduced and therefore we did not let him in to play with Mew. She was horribly disappointed at the obstinacy of our refusal.

The parents of the visitor were agitated and screaming until we took our potential playmate away and closed the curtain. Subsequently, he must have moved to the side of the yard as the parents moved over there and were flying in and out of the hibiscus bushes.

We wish the little guy better luck with his next playmate ...

I know, I know ...

I have to admit it. I didn't give them enough time. Although the weather people predicted afternoon T-showers, tonight was when they came. After dark. Almost after some peoples' curfews.

Around 9:45, well after dark, I am sure the fronds were wet. They could not drip, however, because the wind was blowing the rain sideways. Rain blew on, over, and then away from the palm fronds. It may have carried into the next county before hitting the ground. We did get some from the previous county. It blew hard enough for me to decide to put new batteries into a dead flashlight.

That alone kept the power from going out ...

I'll know it when I see it ...

There were promises. The weather prophets said we would have rain, today. Actually yesterday there was the possibility of a likelihood, perhaps, but we should definitely get some free water today. They said. Assertively.

There has been brilliant light from the heavens, all day. It is now about four in the afternoon. Time for me to go and put the stockpot on the boil for turkey and yellow rice with green beans and onions. I was hoping for coolth. The only sort we seem destined to get is the artificial kind and thank heaven for that.

Tomorrow? I don't even want to know what the water prophets have to say about it. I am no longer their follower.

When the palm fronds start to drip, I will suspect rain ...

Jimmy

These pictures were sent to me, today, by J's brother (above) and his wife, who is pictured here, as well. The young man in the pictures is their son, Jimmy, who died in a tragic traffic accident in February of this year. He was 36 years old.

I asked permission to share these pictures. It was granted freely.

We went to Jimmy's funeral service. Everyone spoke of his ready smile, which is pictured here. I am grateful to his parents for allowing me to post these remembrances of a sweet young man who was taken from us so abruptly.

I firmly know (not just believe, but know) that we will see one another again. Jimmy was a Christian who accepted Jesus into his heart as a teen.

May God Bless his family and comfort us all.

Ready or not ...

While taking this picture, no living creatures were harmed, but a straw from a broom was killed, absolutely.

Portable cave: free @ Publix.

Rescued cat: Vet fees and occasional boarding: costly.

Feeling safe from broom straws, lizards, spiders, and mice: priceless!

Hiding in plain sight ...

Everything but the kitchen sink? Something in the kitchen sink? An April Fool prank? Try door number two. Look inside by the corner.

This morning as I turned on the water in that same kitchen sink, a rapid motion caught my attention. Now, I admit my attention had not been out of bed long and was not fully awake. But still, the only thing that should have been moving in the sink was swirling water.

Focus. Nothing there. Must have been a floater in the eye. Then there was movement again and a tiny lizard revealed itself. Its colored camouflage was as close as it could get to stainless steel. I swear, if it had not foolishly moved, I would have just washed it's tail and left.

It is now outside, having been gently caught and released in the grass. It had a double escape in that Mew didn't know it was there. The mighty hunter has depleted the house supply of lizards.

This little one did not get the word ...

Good stuff ...

We had just returned from spending a young fortune at BJ's and I didn't even get everything on the list. J was scanning the receipt and commenting about various things we had bought when he came upon the price of my industrial size moisturizer.

He blurted out, "For heaven's sake, don't lose that Olay."

I promise ...

Oh, the humanity ...

I had an appointment to get my hair cut yesterday. When I arrived and saw Maribel, she didn't look well. She had a migraine, she told me. Refusing to even sit in her chair, at first, I told her there was no way she could do anyone's hair. She had to put her sunglasses back on, which she had removed to talk to me. Exposure to light was so painful, it made her eyes water. She asked me to sit, anyway, and left to talk to the management.

When she came back, she told me she would visit her acupuncturist and that a treatment always worked. Would I come back tomorrow at three p.m.? She had already booked me so I said sure, and boogied.

I had forgotten that today is Saturday. I try to avoid going anywhere that could be crowded on a Saturday. Well, except for the library, maybe. That quiet oasis where I usually get my hair cut had morphed into an antbed of people. Maribel did look like a brand new person, though, which made me believe her acupuncturist is also a miracle worker.

I bought Whoppers on the way home. Life is whopping ...

Listening carefully ...

After the temperature outside had dropped abruptly a couple of days ago, I started outside with Big Ed. We both made quick u-turns to get more layers of clothing. J started laughing and asked if it was getting a little chilly outside. Or a little nippy outside? Combining both, he asked if it was getting a little chippy outside. Oh, yes it was.

Then there is rhite wice, which someone tall vehemently denied having said, later that day.

Do you have to laugh at 'em or is it must je ...

A Thank You to keep ...

This is the front of an acknowledgment that arrived in the mail this week. it is the prettiest and most intricate one we may have ever received. The surface of the cardstock is textured slightly and has a luxurious feel to the touch. (The textured surface also made it tricky to copy.)

The photo was taken on Miami Beach where both the wedding and reception were held. Note the Palms in the background. Where but in the semi-tropics could this be a winter wedding? The weather cooperated as if it had been ordered especially.

On the very back of the folded card is "Our New Address" which is a convenience for all who receive this impressive memento/thank you.

Isn't she lovely? Isn't the groom handsome?

And aren't we proud grandparents?

Use it or lose it ...

When Mew wants something specific from us, she sits at our feet and gives us "The Look." It is an intent look and it is obvious that if she could talk to her stupid peeps, she would. Sometimes, her whole body will rock forward and she will utter a sound that is not anything like a meow. More like an: mmpph?

This morning, I got up (reeaaally) early, did the crossword, finished the few pages I had left of a book, and got sleepy again. I crept back into bed and drifted off. When I woke again, J told me that the cat had sat by his feet and given him The Look. He told her, "I don't know what you want, little kitty."

She was waiting to be invited into his lap, evidently, because she jumped up and settled down. She stayed for a long time. He had forgotten to pat his knee and say, "Come on up."

She had to re-train him. She now knows that if you don't exercise their trained skills for a while, the peeps can lose them.

The fact that it was 51° when I got up this morning, and that laps are warm, had nothing to do with it.

It must have been love ...

Poinciana NOT in bloom ...

Last June, I took this picture of the Poinciana tree in bloom. The dreadul shot below is how it looks now: skeletal, ugly seed pods shedding all over.

Pitiful, just pitiful ...

Excellent news ...

Some excellent news arrived via email. o1 doc received the Employee of the Year award at the agency where she works. She was surprised during the awards banquet where she received public recognition for her being "the glue that holds the Department together." Was that not a clever way to say that she is indispensable? We are so proud of her.

She is modest and self-effacing. Among other things, the Department publicly recognized that she gets through a monster-amount of paperwork, can find the unfindable when necessary and yet, in her interaction with the public, she "takes the time to listen and then acts in a proactive manner." (The 'monster' and 'unfindable' are my paraphrases of much more elevated and revealing language.)

I wish we had been there to see her being honored.

A gift that keeps on giving ...

This is a new addition to our property. It sits on the boundary between ours and a neighbor's place. We were given this munificent gift yesterday. When I left for my afternoon appointment, it was lying face down on the edge of the road and the legend on the front was not visible. Today, it is a glorious vision of technology and forebodes the following changes. Repaving the nearest main avenue. Dust. Constricted traffic lanes. Happy little blinking arrows moving four lanes of traffic into two. Having to leave much earlier to get any where on time. Dust.

Little gifts are always appreciated. The front of the sign?


Aren't we lucky? I guess ...

Right in the eye ...

Tomorrow afternoon, I go to see the person who takes care of my ah-bawls. Our plane from Atlanta landed on the previously scheduled, appointed date. It takes about a month to get in, usually. A rescheduled appointment, is evidently easier to come by. It is possible that the office may call me on my way in and tell me they have had an emergency or that the doc is ill. I have had both things occur, in the past.

Big Ed took a medium length bike ride today, his first since he got sick. He is resting up from it, now. He and Zeta have an appointment tomorrow a.m. to cycle around Tropical. Park, not school.

Decompression time ...

Neat weeds ...

Big Ed must be feeling better. Mowing has been accomplished. An even level of grasstops and weedtops has been achieved. Edged also by J, neatness reigns until growth begins again. Something like the way of housework, no?

Thank you ...

Shamrock substitute ...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This is as close as we can come to a shamrock in our immediate area. It is green, at least for now, and also low enough to pick. Of course the 'nuts are supposed to fall when ready to eat, it's always somethin' ...

Sites, hmmm?

Zeta reminded us about woot.com in a post, today. I haven't visited the site for ages. You would think that someone who is a regular visitor to overstock.com would remember woot. EBay, too, come to think of it. I used to go to EBay on a regular basis, but somehow it lost my interest.

I have a new site that I learned about while looking up the results of the Bloggie awards. The site that won for best writing is Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
You might want to check it out. I found it fascinating. She also has a blog about cooking, runs contests to caption photos, and is a great photographer who likes to share tips.

I haven't put a link in the sidebar, yet, but I will.

Freezer absolution ...

Not being sure what woke me at 5 this morning, I assumed it was guilt. I had been meaning to use the two thin chuck roasts (bone in) that I knew were in the freezer. I had not packaged them with the vacuum sealer because I meant to cook them right away. Good intentions. Roads paved with them. Associated guilt.

I used slow cooker magic: fingerling carrots, tiny potatoes, fresh onions, onion powder, Bayou seasoning, one hour on high then 6 and a half hours on low, with no additional liquid. The veggies cooked in the essence that escaped from the beef.

Believe me, the guilt is gone ...

Curiosity cut off ...

The coconuts are getting larger on the tree in our side yard. I wonder if the green ones taste any more coconut-y than the dark ones do. It doesn't sound logical to speculate whether a coconut tastes like itself. But, an unripe mango is not tasty in a good way. An unripe persimmon doesn't bear thinking about.

If I had a machete. No, let me rephrase that: if I thought I would not hit my thumb using a machete on the end of a green coconut, I might try to see.

Guess I'll just wait for ripeness to occur and wield the screwdriver with hammer to open 'em ...

Settle down with a good ...

The diet soda worked well to keep sleep at bay, last night. I drove over and picked Big Ed up at 2 a.m. I did not even begin to get sleepy until 4 a.m. I have currently discovered, in a belated fashion, Steven Saylor who writes about ancient Rome. Currently, my having just begun "Arms of Nemesis" meant that there was something interesting to continue while the house was quiet and the caffeine abated slowly.

Earlier, Big Ed had called Mew from the other end of the house and she went flying to join him. All is forgiven for his having left her in the peeps' care. He had picked her up and touched noses when he first came in. She eventually melted like warm caramel.

The peeps are relegated to brushing and feeding duties with occasional play times as a treat, if we're good.

The magic sandbox is still in effect, too ...

Home, sweet ...

Big Ed is due back late tonight. I have to pick him up at a friend's house when they call. I am stayin' awake, stayin' awake! Drinking diet coke w/caffeine to do that. Should do the job, I'm thinking.

Mew will be so relieved. She has actually seemed depressed. We will see if she greets him or goes into a snit about being abandoned with just the peeps for company. When he began to pack, she suspected something was afoot.

Her (human operated) magic sandbox still works ... something like a magic hamper for human clothes.

Celebrity what?

I have been watching the Donald, the man with the world's worst hairstyle. Watching Celebrity Apprentice weekly. Why?

I'm hooked, I admit, but I really wanted to see Omarosa fired. That happened with the current episode. It was such a one sided contest that she was actually pitiable.

She was still an unsympathetic character though ...

Mew, the watchcat ...

This is an older picture of the watchcat. She is a little (okay, a lot) heavier now but just as alert to miscreants. Especially those who might creep into Big Ed's room while he is away. We have permission to raid his sodas. His sugar free Tastykake Sensables are another matter, entirely.

Mew knows this ...

It was calling ... calling ...

The Easter candy is on the shelves. I did succumb to a Russell Stover strawberry cream egg. Small. Really small. Really, really. That's what they get for sending me to the pharmacy and my having to walk to the back of the place. Of course, it wasn't absolutely necessary for me to use the candy aisle to get there.

I think we'll have shrimp tonight as an antidote to the sugar ... should work.

Eureka ...

Costco is too far away, in miles per gallon terms, and Sam's Club is even farther away. The more conveniently located BJ's Wholesale Club is where we go to big box shop and that's also where Big Ed and I found a replacement clock for J's bedside table. Among other bells and whistles, it has a battery back-up (duh). It also has a smaller footprint than the one we returned to Best Buy.

I guess we will discover if the new clock can withstand power surges. J and I really liked the clock he used to have. It was a gift from Zeta and M. However, when lightning struck in our neighborhood, the clock succumbed to the surge. Unfortunately, it was not plugged into a power strip.

This one will be ...

Time and tide ...

For his birthday, J received, among other things, an alarm-clock/cd-player/radio, by Sony. The readout was an adjustable soft green. The clock and dual alarms were intuitive to set. The cd player sounded pretty well. It was a replacement for one that was zapped by a power surge. it's always somethin.'

However, it lacked a battery backup which I had not realized when selecting it. After resetting it four times in less than a month, I returned it, today. We will seek further for a better bedside device.

Or maybe, I'll just put mine on his bedside table ... with the ocean-sounds cd ready to play. 'Course, the readout on mine is so dim, you can't read it in the dark. It's always somethin ...'

Friday Feast, on Saturday ...

Friday FEAST!

Appetizer
Who was the last person you hugged?

Our cat, who considers herself a superior sort of fur person. She puts up with the hugging, but sheds all over us in retaliation.

Soup
Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

Make an appointment with Maribel at Peter of London. Thanks for the tip, Zeta.

Salad
What does the color yellow make you think of?

We used to raise several varieties of roses. The "Peace" hybrid teas were gorgeous, huge, yellow flowers that perfumed the room they were placed in when we cut them. Sadly, there is a concrete pad for a garden shed where they used to grow.

Main Course
If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?

I would probably starve. I do have tons of digital shots of our cat ...

Dessert
What was the longest book you ever read?

The Bible, or maybe War and Peace which was assigned to a high school class. But the books in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon come close.

Now, it’s your turn for the feast. If you participate, post a link in the comments.

This was "lifted" from A California Girl in Kansas

Look out ...

Mew would love to be in this position ... except she couldn't be quiet. She chatters when she sees birds.

Fire 'er up ...

The semi-tropics have moved into my refrigerator and are slowly migrating toward the freezer. I may actually have to wear shoes inside the house. This is a big decision which may be mandated by my not wanting to sneezensniff.

Perhaps cooking something for breakfast which requires preheating the oven is an idea worth considering. Biscuits? The recipe is easy enough. It begins: remove cover and strike the tube against the edge of the counter ...

Roll out the ...

This afternoon, we had an experience that ran counter to our usual one when electric power is lost. We are on a small power grid that is bounded by water on two sides and the end of the grids next to ours, on the third and fourth sides. Because there are about 20 households on our grid, we are among the last in our area to receive attention when our area blacks out.

During infrastructure damage following hurricanes, we can wait for up to two weeks to have power restored. We have experienced this more than once.

However today when a great deal of our state suffered a power outage, we had ours restored in about half an hour. Now we are listening to media coverage of stories such as people in traffic taking two hours to drive14 miles.

This is certainly a reversal of fortune. Or perhaps it was just not our turn to be in the barrel ...

Where's my toy?

We were ten minutes late taking off from Atlanta, today. The crew had to ask cleaners to come and deodorize part of the plane's interior. Not near us, praise be. Seating was three and three across but the flight was not full. J took the aisle seat, I sat window and we lifted the seat-arms between us. We had coffee and biscotti (only two tiny ones apiece) on the center tray table. At least we were seated together.

The plane we took on the way up to Atlanta had a little interactive touchscreen set into the back of each seat. One could watch cable television, listen to music, or follow the progress of the flight on a map which showed the prospective route, airspeed, groundspeed, outside temperature, time remaining to reach the destination, actual time of day at destination, headwind, tailwind, and more. After I found the screen that showed a little icon of a plane moving along the route, I listened to JS Bach on the headset and watched the route countdown to landing. I was really disappointed not to have the new toys on the flight back.

I really have to get out more ...

Update from Atlanta

We flew to Atlanta and drove to Douglasville. The flight up was supposed to leave at seven a.m. Just before take-off, we were told via the PA system that the inspectors had spotted a hydraulic leak and a mechanic would evaluate and repair if possible. Delta, the captain told us, did not have mechanics but contracted out to American Air Lines for their mechanical help.

We waited an hour an a half for the mechanic to arrive and another hour-plus to fix it. We got here okay so I guess they did. As we deplaned, I said to the crew that the Captain had treated the hydraulics very gently with the soft landing. They really thought that was funny.

Us, not so much, considering the long wait. Thank the Lord we flew the early morning flight. We will come home on Monday, on an early afternoon flight.
I will let you know how that goes ...

Any good books, lately ...

I used to check amazon.com, MDPLS bestseller lists, and the nytimes.com "books "section for new books which could be then placed on reserve at the MDPLS web site.

The library web site has been upgraded and I was exploring when I came across an automated system which will email you new book lists for any category you choose. 'Scuse me? I don't have to do the searching? Info is served up on an email platter?

What an idea. New to me, but it probably has been available since the MDPLS went on line. I had not realized the opportunities my mouse glided past.

Periodically, I visit the web sites of favorite authors to see what's new and that's productive sometimes. Also, I maintain a booklist in WordPerfect of what I have read, want to read, and have on reserve.

It is like finding treasure, or free designer shoes ...

An offer you can't refuse?

We got a call last week asking us to come to our doctors' office this afternoon. They are brothers who are in practice together, each with his own specialty. It adds a whole new dimension to the term family practice.

Every month, they ask their patients who are over "a certain age" to come in during their birthday month for lunch and cake. We have never been asked before and it is nice of them.

But, what if you've stopped counting birthdays?

New Daily Checkup ...

You may already know about "I can has cheezburger." It is net-famous but I just found it about a week or so ago. It is now added to the daily checkups and I think I have looked at most of the archives.

I can has laf ut loud. I can has cuteness. I can share wid U.

U can tell me what U think ...

Outa the blue ...

I wonder if anyone has ever had a water bed that froze during a power outage in a blizzard, up no'th. The only real blizzard I ever experienced came in a Dairy Queen cup. Heh.

Icecapades was enough: ice storm, yes, slid off the icy road at a turnpike exit, yes, had coffee dregs freeze and bounce, yes. Blizzard, no.

I have no wish to experience one, either ...

How do you do it?

I am rather ashamed to admit that at my age, I (finally) figured out an easier way to make the bed in the morning. I used to strip off the top covers so I could smooth out the sheets. And sometimes, I admit, I just pulled things back into place. I am not sure exactly how it occurred to me except I was thinking of how beds are sometimes made in hospitals while still occupied by patients. You know: one side and then the other. Flip that around, I thought. Mmm-hm.

Now I begin at the bottom of the bed by folding (tossing really) the comforter and spread toward the top end. Retuck the bottom and top sheets and arrange them nicely as far up as the tossed spread/comforter. Next I pull down and arrange the spread over the neat bottom of the bed and finally arrange the bottom of the comforter over the spread.

At this step, the bottom is neatly finished and the top needs attention. I reverse the process, folding down the comforter and spread, arranging the top ends of sheets and pillows, then pulling up the spread and comforter (tucking and straightening). Add any shams or pillows and voilà.

It takes me half the time it used to take to make the bed in the morning. What's that saying about old dogs and new tricks?

Birthday food ...

Although today is J's birthday, we didn't do a whole lot to celebrate. Big Ed took a trip to slipnfall city so he and I spent most of the afternoon having him evaluated and x-rayed. No broken wrist, which we had feared, but he has to ice it and wear a wrist compression device. Plus take Advil.

Tomorrow we will celebrate with Zeta and M at Joffrey's Coffee and Restaurant. Once we are back home, No Sugar Added chocolate cake is da bomb when the appropriate ice cream is used with it. Plus we have some NSA apple pie to warm up.

Ah so ... birthday goood for all of us.