Max....waiting to get dressed for Halloween....

TIME TO KNOCK ON DOORS FOR SOME TREATS!!!!!!

Max is THE CHAMPION!!!! (without his robe/hood)

HALLOWEEN.....2009: Very little internet service at the stick/brick!!!

I haven't gone this long without writing in a LONG time. Excuse??? Well, beginning Wednesday evening, the modem began to go off....and on....and off....and on. This erratic service continued until yesterday morning.....when it went completely off/down!!!!

Wednesday evening I called for assistance with AT&T.....hmmmm. Being walked through certain steps to solve the problem did nothing to help it!!! Soooo, on Thursday morning I called AT&T again....and finally, after going through all of the hoops that I was presented with.....I reached a REAL human being.....AHHHH, success!!!!(?) I was asked which I would prefer....someone to come to the house that afternoon.....or on Friday??? Well......what the hell did they think.....THAT AFTERNOON, of course!!! Soooo, by that time it was after 1pm....and the individual said she had checked and I COULD get a service tech guy at the house before 4pm.

Soooo, anxiously awaiting my re-connection to the world....I waited ......and, I waited.....and, I waited....until 5pm....and then I began the long process of reaching a REAL human being on the AT&T internet service line. Of course.....that FIRST real human being does not exist any more......she just disappeared into the void of cyberspace, never to be talked with again!!! And, so I began the entire process of explaining my problem(s)...now I had TWO...as no one showed up. Well.....this second REAL human being told me my appt. was scheduled for Friday!!!!! Sooooo, I promptly and loudly came unglued at all of my seams.........!!!!!!

Asking for #2's Supervisor, I then went through a series of REAL human beings trying to resolve the issue. I explained the entire and evolving problem to each one....and was passed on to the next level. All to no avail!!!!! No one could come that evening.....and I told them that I would be gone on Friday.......so, damn it to hell......I now have to wait until Monday morning for the stick/brick connection to the world of friends, family, and news!!!

And...you ask....: how are you posting on here??? Well, we are now at Dr. Jeni's home and I am using her wifi within this very large home.....and it works perfectly!!!! We arrived here late last night.......picking up our oldest granddaughter, Rachel, and bringing her with us to........enjoy all of the grandchildren having fun on Halloween!!!!!!

Yesterday......we went to Cape to see Becky/Rachel...and then on to visit with Mike. We returned to Cape, picked up Rachel, and then drove for 2.5 hours to Dr. Jeni's home.....and so, here we are!!!

The past days here in Misery have brought forth some of the most rain that we have seen in several years!!!! MONSOON in MISERY is what I have called it........and yesterday morning for the third straight day of rains.....we didn't think we could get down off of our hill....the park system below us was completely flooded by the stream that runs through it....but, there was one street that still was not flooded.....so....here we are, in the western suburbs of STL.

And........hard to believe, but the SUN IS SHINING!!!!! WOW......my aging/evolving eyes can barely stand to look out of ALL of the huge windows of Dr. Jeni's house.....it is so bright. BUT, will I really complain????? HELL NO!!!!!

And so,......there will be some pics later tonight of all of the scary creatures that will emerge from this home about dusk........and, as always......

LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

Some of the members of the Reunion Planning Committee at our meeting at Lake of the Ozarks

Reunion Planning Chairman: Mr/Mrs. Byron Pittman of Eldon

Former students from Eldon: Mike Williams, Deanna Rogers Powell, Donna Upton

Mike and Cheryl Herndon from Linn, MO

Kevin Robertson on Skype on the computer(from Washington state)

Wed, Oct 28, 2009: Dismal, gloomy, very cloudy.....

Hmmmm........I am not quite sure how I did sooooooo many years of getting my....at that time.....almost sagging hulk of bed at 5am, or earlier every day of the week.....for years and years during my teaching career. WOW......I really must have been younger.....eh???

This morning, the alarm went off at 5am.....and I hurridly dashed through my morning rituals.....dressed, poured a cup of Fr. Roast to take with me, and then poured the rest into my very trusty Stanley green thermos bottle......one that I have had for years and years and years(and it looks that way, too!) I left here a bit before six to keep my appt in Charleston, which ended up taking all morning....and then I returned through Cape, got some diesel fuel for the truck, and returned back to the stick and brick by 1:30pm.

Oh......I am sooooo excited about this: I filled up the truck before I went to the Lake of the Ozarks..180 miles one-way, drove around there a bit, returned to F'town to the stick/brick, drove down 98 miles to Charleston, returned 60 miles to Jackson and got some fuel as it was sitting on a quarter of a tank, so saith the gauge.......and put into the tank only 28.8 gallons of fuel!!!! And...after figuring out the mileage......I got 20.9 miles to the gallon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT is the best mileage I have ever got on this truck!!!!! I could driven on home without filling up.....WOW....WOW....WOW!!!!!

This afternoon.......I was tired, but continued my task of reaching out to the former students on Facebook......and requesting everyone to help locate and notify other band/choir members. It is a never-ending task, but this week I have located over 30 more former students out across the USA...and I have contacted all of them!

The sun did shine for a brief time late, late this afternoon, however......the National Weather Bureau has issued a Flood Warning for our county for the next two days!!!! 2-4 more inches of rain is predicted to fall upon us.....thank goodness we live up on a hill!!!!

While the sun was out I had a former student whom I have not seen in years and years, but whose parents live down the street one block from us,.....she dropped by the stick/brick and we chatted without a period for almost an hour!!!! It was great to see her.....and since she had heart surgery just a few short weeks ago, she is looking great after going through that ordeal. And...to think...she is only 36 years old!!!! WHEW! But....she said she would be ready to play her flute next summer in the reunion band concert!!!

The 1st Lady is due to return tomorrow.......sometime during the day. Sure she will be happy when she has to drive 225 miles through the predicted rains!!!!!

And soooo, after spending some time this evening chatting online with ANOTHER former student from back in the early '80's........I will close this little post. I apologize for not writing more thoughts of mine other than a daily report of our family's affairs.......no ideas of mine, no statements of philosophy of mine, etc., etc.......just a little ramblin of my day. Hang on....I will get back to some better writing when things slow down a bit for me........did I say "when"????????

And, as always......

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!

Tuesday, Oct 27, 2009: RAIN, RAIN, RAIN, RAIN...etc, etc.

Yep.....two more days of rain!!!!! Yesterday it never stopped at the Lake of the Ozarks....and I didn't run out of until I got to Potosi. UGH!!!!

I had a great visit with my sister......haven't spent that much time with her in a couple of years. She seems to be doing much better with her health issues....and the recovery period continues as she makes daily progress....HURRAY!!!! After leaving her home yesterday morning, I grabbed some pastries and dark coffee at Panera Bread......read a bit of news online with their free Wifi there....and then headed to the outlet mall. And......RAIN!!!!!

Soooo, I drove from section to section, but didn't spend too much time there. Bought one item....a new belt....and then headed to Eldon. I was looking for some artificial flowers with autumn colors for the cemetery.....but, there weren't any to be had in Eldon. Sooooo, I just turned around and headed back to F'town, arriving here around 6pm.

Quickly, I cleaned up a bit....and joine the Michael Goldsmith family at the High School Choir Concert. Each fall they have their concert in St. Michael's Catholic Church.....and it is such a lovely setting for a concert. Great acoustics....and an incredibly beautiful setting behind the choirs. It was a very good concert.....and really enjoyed hearing them once again. Congrats, Lisa Lewis, Choir Director!!

Today.....CRAP!!! More rain....and so, I did some paperwork things here that I had been putting off, making some phone calls to Wyoming about a few things that I had paid for before we left....checked on the tax statement for here in Madison County that I didn't understand, and just other little things that had been laying around waiting for me to do.

Then this afternoon......I just hung out in front of the plasma tv.....catching up on some of the shows I missed last week, which we had recorded. Great day to do that.....eh???

This evening.......watching some more tv. Think the rains have stopped for at least a day.....ugh.

Tomorrow I have to run down to Cape and to Charleston for a meeting. Have to be there by 8:15AM......another UGH!!!! Hopefully, the rains will have stopped for the day!! It is a very busy week.....and then......next week on Wed, we fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!!!! YEAH!!!!

And soooo, even with the rains.......

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

Sunday, Oct 25, 2009: RAIN...RAIN...and more RAIN!!!

WOW....a bright sunshiny morning quickly disappeared the farther west/northwest that I drove today.....and now.....TONS of rain.....UGH

I was up early.....and soon, after the morning rituals, I was talking with Mac/Gail as they got their motorhome ready to head southwest to Arizona this morning. I threw some items into a bag for my overnight....and about 9:40, drove out of the driveway. Waiting for Mac/Gail to back the motorhome out of the drive, and then she took their car and we all drove out to Walmart for gas....and for them to hook up their car to the motorhome to tow it to AZ.

I had said my "byes"........but, repeated them again to them...and then I left for the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri/Misery. A 200 mile jaunt, I had not gone many miles until the rains began to spatter upon the truck.....and for the rest of the trip, it rained......ugh, again!!!

I met with the planning committee for the former students reunion which will be held next summer. We met for almost two hours at a local eatery.....and did get quite a bit accomplished in the way of plans for the event.

Then I went with the chairman, Byron Pittman and his wife, to the Inn at the Grand Glaize to discuss with their Sales Rep. the possibility of holding the reunion there....except the concert. The prices quoted by her were compatible with our desires of trying to keep the costs to a minimal since there will be many families there. We felt good about using this hotel......but, after thinking again this evening, I have some concerns about seating everyone for the Saturday evening dinner activities.....hmmmmm..........

Now sitting at Panera Bread and they are preparing to close for the night so I will bring this little ramblin' post to a close myself. Overnighting with my sister and her husband south of here, I plan to return to the stick/brick sometime tomorrow.........need to do a bit of shopping at the outlet mall before leaving, though.

And so.....even with this horrendous chilly rain here in central Misery......

LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!

The Gateway Arch on a gorgeous day in St. Louis!!!!

Cllimbing into the little capsule for the ride to the top of the Arch

Looking eastward across the Muddy Mississippi River

The Old Courthouse....whe the Dred Scott case was tried before the Civil War began

The new Cardinal stadium

We are at the top.....great shadow!!!

From the window at the top.....the tiny specks of people below with the shadow of the Arch in view

Waiting on our "capsule" for the trip back to the ground