Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Day 3: A BEAUTIFUL 4th and a GREAT Relay!!
Breakfast was about the same.....crowded and as it was yesterday, necessary to request that more items be replaced that had already been eaten!! Oh well........when there are as many people as there are staying here for the week, there are bound to be some shortages!
We were at the stadium by 9:30 this morning.........Justin's 4x100 relay team ran this morning and they came in second to ALL of the other relay teams that ran!! A GREAT run......so, we will see how things go with the placements for the Finals.
This afternoon his third event was the long jump.....and he scratched each of the three attempts, however.......this does not eliminate him. Soooo, again....we'll see how things go for Thursday.
Brilla Pasta Co. sponsored a lasagna dinner for EVERYONE tonight outside the coliseum......probably 20,000 people ate.....and they got through the many serving lines much quicker than I would have ever thought. Then the Ames Municipal Band performed for an hour, followed by an Army Jazz Band. Then the fireworks display began around 9:45pm.....and lasted for about a half hour. This was just ....ok.......nothing spectacular......the same fireworks that are seen each year with nothing new to "ohhhhh and ahhhhh" about.
I did spend an hour or more this afternoon at Border's Bookstore.....about a block from our hotel. Always love to just browse through their store, as well as Barnes & Noble. Also.....heehee....it gave me an opportunity to get a good cappuccino!!!!!
I am amazed at the huge numbers of people who are here to watch the events. Yesterday I watched some of the gymnastics....and today I got a chance to watch a few of the swimmers practicing for their events. Watching these special athletes going around the track in wheel chairs.....and some of them using walkers and staying in their assigned lanes.....well, it is just incredible the efforts they put forth to compete!!!!!!! And, it doesn't matter who is running or walking, EVERYONE in the stands applauds for each athlete as they come past the stands on their way to the finish line. The concentration that these competitors give to their events, the excitement that they exhibit as they finish.....not matter where they place in the event, and their look of joy as they do finish.....well, this is an event that everyone should see and I promise that it will change the way you think about all of these VERY special people, no matter what the ages!!!!!!!!!!! I get choked up just writing this..........
Tomorrow the last two begin.....the days the finals are held in the track and field events. The Bowling events are finished with the medals already being presented......as well as several other events. I look forward to the finals, not matter who wins........it will be GREAT!!!!
And, just as this special week is sooooo very special.......for me,
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also. I know of several thousand people who are having a very, very special week that is GREAT for them and their families!!!!!!!!!
We were at the stadium by 9:30 this morning.........Justin's 4x100 relay team ran this morning and they came in second to ALL of the other relay teams that ran!! A GREAT run......so, we will see how things go with the placements for the Finals.
This afternoon his third event was the long jump.....and he scratched each of the three attempts, however.......this does not eliminate him. Soooo, again....we'll see how things go for Thursday.
Brilla Pasta Co. sponsored a lasagna dinner for EVERYONE tonight outside the coliseum......probably 20,000 people ate.....and they got through the many serving lines much quicker than I would have ever thought. Then the Ames Municipal Band performed for an hour, followed by an Army Jazz Band. Then the fireworks display began around 9:45pm.....and lasted for about a half hour. This was just ....ok.......nothing spectacular......the same fireworks that are seen each year with nothing new to "ohhhhh and ahhhhh" about.
I did spend an hour or more this afternoon at Border's Bookstore.....about a block from our hotel. Always love to just browse through their store, as well as Barnes & Noble. Also.....heehee....it gave me an opportunity to get a good cappuccino!!!!!
I am amazed at the huge numbers of people who are here to watch the events. Yesterday I watched some of the gymnastics....and today I got a chance to watch a few of the swimmers practicing for their events. Watching these special athletes going around the track in wheel chairs.....and some of them using walkers and staying in their assigned lanes.....well, it is just incredible the efforts they put forth to compete!!!!!!! And, it doesn't matter who is running or walking, EVERYONE in the stands applauds for each athlete as they come past the stands on their way to the finish line. The concentration that these competitors give to their events, the excitement that they exhibit as they finish.....not matter where they place in the event, and their look of joy as they do finish.....well, this is an event that everyone should see and I promise that it will change the way you think about all of these VERY special people, no matter what the ages!!!!!!!!!!! I get choked up just writing this..........
Tomorrow the last two begin.....the days the finals are held in the track and field events. The Bowling events are finished with the medals already being presented......as well as several other events. I look forward to the finals, not matter who wins........it will be GREAT!!!!
And, just as this special week is sooooo very special.......for me,
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also. I know of several thousand people who are having a very, very special week that is GREAT for them and their families!!!!!!!!!
Monday, July 03, 2006
DAY 2: And Justin is 2nd in his heat!!!
After a LATE night......we were up at 7:30am and managed to get ready for breakfast here in the hotel in less than an hour. Breakfast....???? Well, it left a bit to be desired. There was only one person working at the desk AND putting the food out for the continental breakfast in the breakfast area......NOT enough hotel help!!!!!!! There were tons and tons of people attempting to eat.....the hotel here and ALL hotels in Ames and the surrounding 50 miles were completely filled with the Special Olympics fans.......so, it was a bit troubling to us when we tried to eat. Oh well........not a problem of any consequence!!
We were the Track and Field Olympic site by 10AM.....and there were lots and lots of people there. An hour later when Justin ran his 400M race......well, it was terrifically exciting and he was pumped for the race. He finished 2nd in his heat......and as of now, we still have not learned who has made the final race "for the Gold". Things are a bit slow as far as the communications are here at these Special Olympics.........one of the problems that are bound to occur with something as large as this....and for the FIRST time ever!!!
We watched a few more events.....and then we moved to the Gymnastics in one of the gyms....and enjoyed seeing the thrill that the competitors felt when they did the BEST that they could do!!! Again........some real tear jerkers!
Back to the hotel we came..........and relaxed and enjoyed the facilities: pool, putting greens, exerecise facilities, etc., etc. The 1st Lady's sister and husband were guests at a reception for parents that was held in a University gardens area.....and were fortunate to get to meet and talk with Eunice Kennedy Shriver!!!! They were excited when they returned here to the hotel.....and had a couple of pictures made with her.
We, on the other hand, ate at in the adjoining Chicago Pizza House......connected to the hotel. There were 8 of us with Justin's brother and sister and their families......and it was really great food....and 110 choices for different beers to accompany the meal.
And now.......the evening is young however, we have to be at the Track by 8:30AM in the morning, so it will be an early "lights out" evening. The pictures from this morning are posted below......enjoy even tho you can't quite feel the excitement of the moment!!!!!
And.....as you can probably believe....
Life is GREAT.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
We were the Track and Field Olympic site by 10AM.....and there were lots and lots of people there. An hour later when Justin ran his 400M race......well, it was terrifically exciting and he was pumped for the race. He finished 2nd in his heat......and as of now, we still have not learned who has made the final race "for the Gold". Things are a bit slow as far as the communications are here at these Special Olympics.........one of the problems that are bound to occur with something as large as this....and for the FIRST time ever!!!
We watched a few more events.....and then we moved to the Gymnastics in one of the gyms....and enjoyed seeing the thrill that the competitors felt when they did the BEST that they could do!!! Again........some real tear jerkers!
Back to the hotel we came..........and relaxed and enjoyed the facilities: pool, putting greens, exerecise facilities, etc., etc. The 1st Lady's sister and husband were guests at a reception for parents that was held in a University gardens area.....and were fortunate to get to meet and talk with Eunice Kennedy Shriver!!!! They were excited when they returned here to the hotel.....and had a couple of pictures made with her.
We, on the other hand, ate at in the adjoining Chicago Pizza House......connected to the hotel. There were 8 of us with Justin's brother and sister and their families......and it was really great food....and 110 choices for different beers to accompany the meal.
And now.......the evening is young however, we have to be at the Track by 8:30AM in the morning, so it will be an early "lights out" evening. The pictures from this morning are posted below......enjoy even tho you can't quite feel the excitement of the moment!!!!!
And.....as you can probably believe....
Life is GREAT.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
1st US National Special Olympics!!!!!!!!!!
We arrived in Ames, Iowa, at about 2:30pm this afternoon....and in ten minutes the 1st Lady's sister and husband arrived from Kansas and we checked into the GrandStay Residential Suites Hotel for the week. We are only about a half miles from the Iowa State Univ campus.....which makes it really nice for getting to and from the scheduled events.
Well........we went to the Hilton coliseum at 6:30pm, after receiving our entrance credentials earlier this afternoon which included tickets for tonight's Opening Ceremonies and the Closing Ceremonies on Friday night. The crowds were already packing the entrances as we arrived at the doors to the Coliseum and it took us about 15 minutes to get in and find our seats. Thankfully, we had reserved seats!!! I understand it seats about 45, 000.....and most seats were full this eveing.
The athletes arrived and entered by states, with all 50 states represented.......and there are about 7000 special athletes participating.....WOW!!!!!! It took about an hour to get all of them into the coliseum......and what a tear jerker it was!!! This was something I never expected.....and actually, didn't know what to expect! But......wouldn't have missed this for anything!!
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was there.....and wonderfully received as she was the individual who organized and started the Special Olympics back in the 60's. WOW....does she ever look like the Kennedy family. The Gov. of Iowa, and many Senators and Congressmen were there. The program consisted of some great music.....and a suprise: Hootie and the Blowfish were there and performed several numbers.
It is impossible to verbally tell about the evening! And....I can hardly wait until the Games begin tomorrow.......it will be something to observe as all of these Special Athletes compete in all kinds of Olympic games: swimming, all kinds of individual and team sports, gymnastics......golf, you name it and they the sport(s) will be on the schedule!!!
Again......if you ever have the opportunity to attend, don't miss it!!!! AND.....this is the very FIRST U.S. National Special Olympics!!!!! It is quite an experience to be here at the First one ever held!!!
Sooooo, from Ames, Iowa.........
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Well........we went to the Hilton coliseum at 6:30pm, after receiving our entrance credentials earlier this afternoon which included tickets for tonight's Opening Ceremonies and the Closing Ceremonies on Friday night. The crowds were already packing the entrances as we arrived at the doors to the Coliseum and it took us about 15 minutes to get in and find our seats. Thankfully, we had reserved seats!!! I understand it seats about 45, 000.....and most seats were full this eveing.
The athletes arrived and entered by states, with all 50 states represented.......and there are about 7000 special athletes participating.....WOW!!!!!! It took about an hour to get all of them into the coliseum......and what a tear jerker it was!!! This was something I never expected.....and actually, didn't know what to expect! But......wouldn't have missed this for anything!!
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was there.....and wonderfully received as she was the individual who organized and started the Special Olympics back in the 60's. WOW....does she ever look like the Kennedy family. The Gov. of Iowa, and many Senators and Congressmen were there. The program consisted of some great music.....and a suprise: Hootie and the Blowfish were there and performed several numbers.
It is impossible to verbally tell about the evening! And....I can hardly wait until the Games begin tomorrow.......it will be something to observe as all of these Special Athletes compete in all kinds of Olympic games: swimming, all kinds of individual and team sports, gymnastics......golf, you name it and they the sport(s) will be on the schedule!!!
Again......if you ever have the opportunity to attend, don't miss it!!!! AND.....this is the very FIRST U.S. National Special Olympics!!!!! It is quite an experience to be here at the First one ever held!!!
Sooooo, from Ames, Iowa.........
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
CRASH goes my lappie!!!
OMG……..it CRASHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or, at least it no longer works……….my own computer.....my trusty little lappie that goes everywhere with me, I’m talking about. The one I am writing with belongs to the 1st Lady……and thank God, we bought her a pc last fall or I/we would be S.O.L. I woke up early on Thursday, the day we planned to leave for the Lake of the Ozarks to visit my mother…..turned on my lappie….and after I poured some Fr. Roast coffee I sat down to check my email……and seeing the screen, I became rather ill. NOTHING would work and even after trying the Safe Mode in various configurations……NOTHING would work.
Sooo, after the 1st Lady was vertical about a half hour later, I told her that I was going out to the school to see if the computer guru who handles all of the school’s tech problems could give me some assistance. Well, after sitting there with him for two hours, the pc seemed to be working……I had a good opening screen, I could open my IMPORTANT document file and the documents within that file. I thanked him profusely and returned home to load the truck for the 12 day trip.
We left about 3 hours later than planned but arrived in Eldon during the early afternoon. Shortly thereafter, my sister and her man arrived and then another car pulled up and it was my niece and her son. Soooo, before long we were unloading the a/c that I had brought to my mother’s…..hers was dying of long age……and it didn’t take long to remove the sick a/c and install the newer one. And……it worked perfectly.
We ordered several pizzas and enjoyed the pizza and bread sticks. My sister left before long…..and I decided to write my blog report, knowing that it would be after 9pm before I could get online through my cell phone. BUT…………………. When I turned on my pc…..it was once again unable to open any program!!!!!! Upset I was…..to say the very least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo, we spent the remaining part of the evening watching the tellie……my mother having gone to bed fairly early as she normally does. At 93, she sleeps quite often during the day……and turns in for the night at an early hour.
FRIDAY……
We were up not too early and I went to the city center to purchase some pastries at a new bakery shop on the main street. Well…..much to my surprise, the owner happens to be one of my high school classmates…….and the father of two of my former students that I had in band when I was teaching in Eldon during the 80’s. It WAS great to talk for just a few minutes with him and to discuss the possible reunion of 45 years that our class might have this year.
Then…..after breakfast, we loaded the truck and headed north to Monroe City….where the 1st Lady’s mother lives. However, as we drove through Jefferson City, I decided to make a quick stop to visit an aunt of mine who lives there. She was married to my father’s brother……and at age 81 she still appears to be in her 50’s!!!!!! I hadn’t seen her for a couple of years and it was great to touch base with her and to spend an hour hearing about her two daughters and their families…..my cousins. She is a REAL “go getter”…….and I certainly do hope that I am as fit and jolly when I reach her age as she is now!!!!
We then drove on up to Monroe City…..and I immediately called the computer guru back in F’town…..and spent many, many minutes during the course of several phone calls to him as he walked me through various steps to try to get inside the brain of my lappie. All I want to do is to retrieve the Documents File…..and then I will put the Recovery Disk in and wipe out everything and give my little lappie a rebirth of all of her programs. BUT…..after working all afternoon, nothing happened!!!!!! Soooo, I am still without my lappie and all of files and documents. ………WOE IS ME!!!!!!!!!
My afternoon was rather depressing and so I probably gained 3 pounds during the evening……eating my way through my loneliness as my thoughts turned to all of my friends out there in Cyberspace that I am now totally isolated from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, in this small community there is no free Wifi floating around, the Librarian thinks that I am terrorist because I would like to use one of their computers without being a member of their community, and my mother-in-law has not a clue what the internet really is and does for humanity in the year 2006.
Soooo, I may sneak away this afternoon (Saturday) and attempt to get on the free Wifi at the Quality Inn in Hannibal to get this post out to the world……AND to check my email. I am certain that with all of the spam crap, my account is about to explode!!! At this stage in my Life now that I am totally addicted to the internet and everyone in Cyberspace, I have horrendous withdrawal problems when I find myself isolated from the world like I find myself now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF I am unable to get to Hannibal, I will have to wait until I reach the hotel in Ames, Iowa, tomorrow afternoon to post this from the 1st Lady’s lappie. I continue to spend way toooooooo much time worrying about own little lappie……..I do sooooo miss her!!!!!! She has been sooooo damn good to me over the past 13 months……oh yeah!!!! Did I tell you that her warranty ran out LAST MONTH?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn’t that always the way these things occur?????? It is my own damn fault for not extending the warranty when I was offered a chance to do so last month. Oh well…..such is Life.
I am in Hannibal.....5:30pm on Saturday....sitting in 100 degree weather in the truck in the parking lot of the Quality Inn Suites......piggybacking onto their free Wifi!!!
And, even with all of these problems that my lappie is giving me right now……
Life is Great…….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Sooo, after the 1st Lady was vertical about a half hour later, I told her that I was going out to the school to see if the computer guru who handles all of the school’s tech problems could give me some assistance. Well, after sitting there with him for two hours, the pc seemed to be working……I had a good opening screen, I could open my IMPORTANT document file and the documents within that file. I thanked him profusely and returned home to load the truck for the 12 day trip.
We left about 3 hours later than planned but arrived in Eldon during the early afternoon. Shortly thereafter, my sister and her man arrived and then another car pulled up and it was my niece and her son. Soooo, before long we were unloading the a/c that I had brought to my mother’s…..hers was dying of long age……and it didn’t take long to remove the sick a/c and install the newer one. And……it worked perfectly.
We ordered several pizzas and enjoyed the pizza and bread sticks. My sister left before long…..and I decided to write my blog report, knowing that it would be after 9pm before I could get online through my cell phone. BUT…………………. When I turned on my pc…..it was once again unable to open any program!!!!!! Upset I was…..to say the very least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo, we spent the remaining part of the evening watching the tellie……my mother having gone to bed fairly early as she normally does. At 93, she sleeps quite often during the day……and turns in for the night at an early hour.
FRIDAY……
We were up not too early and I went to the city center to purchase some pastries at a new bakery shop on the main street. Well…..much to my surprise, the owner happens to be one of my high school classmates…….and the father of two of my former students that I had in band when I was teaching in Eldon during the 80’s. It WAS great to talk for just a few minutes with him and to discuss the possible reunion of 45 years that our class might have this year.
Then…..after breakfast, we loaded the truck and headed north to Monroe City….where the 1st Lady’s mother lives. However, as we drove through Jefferson City, I decided to make a quick stop to visit an aunt of mine who lives there. She was married to my father’s brother……and at age 81 she still appears to be in her 50’s!!!!!! I hadn’t seen her for a couple of years and it was great to touch base with her and to spend an hour hearing about her two daughters and their families…..my cousins. She is a REAL “go getter”…….and I certainly do hope that I am as fit and jolly when I reach her age as she is now!!!!
We then drove on up to Monroe City…..and I immediately called the computer guru back in F’town…..and spent many, many minutes during the course of several phone calls to him as he walked me through various steps to try to get inside the brain of my lappie. All I want to do is to retrieve the Documents File…..and then I will put the Recovery Disk in and wipe out everything and give my little lappie a rebirth of all of her programs. BUT…..after working all afternoon, nothing happened!!!!!! Soooo, I am still without my lappie and all of files and documents. ………WOE IS ME!!!!!!!!!
My afternoon was rather depressing and so I probably gained 3 pounds during the evening……eating my way through my loneliness as my thoughts turned to all of my friends out there in Cyberspace that I am now totally isolated from!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course, in this small community there is no free Wifi floating around, the Librarian thinks that I am terrorist because I would like to use one of their computers without being a member of their community, and my mother-in-law has not a clue what the internet really is and does for humanity in the year 2006.
Soooo, I may sneak away this afternoon (Saturday) and attempt to get on the free Wifi at the Quality Inn in Hannibal to get this post out to the world……AND to check my email. I am certain that with all of the spam crap, my account is about to explode!!! At this stage in my Life now that I am totally addicted to the internet and everyone in Cyberspace, I have horrendous withdrawal problems when I find myself isolated from the world like I find myself now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF I am unable to get to Hannibal, I will have to wait until I reach the hotel in Ames, Iowa, tomorrow afternoon to post this from the 1st Lady’s lappie. I continue to spend way toooooooo much time worrying about own little lappie……..I do sooooo miss her!!!!!! She has been sooooo damn good to me over the past 13 months……oh yeah!!!! Did I tell you that her warranty ran out LAST MONTH?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn’t that always the way these things occur?????? It is my own damn fault for not extending the warranty when I was offered a chance to do so last month. Oh well…..such is Life.
I am in Hannibal.....5:30pm on Saturday....sitting in 100 degree weather in the truck in the parking lot of the Quality Inn Suites......piggybacking onto their free Wifi!!!
And, even with all of these problems that my lappie is giving me right now……
Life is Great…….and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Time to get to picking.....
After a great relaxing morning on the patio with a couple of strong cups of French Roast coffee, the 1st Lady suggested that we go pick Blueberries this morning. There is a Blueberry "farm" north of here about 11 miles........so, we jumped into the car and headed up to the valley where this farm is located. When we pulled in, it was apparent that this is one of the loveliest valleys in SE Missouri......the sky was a clear blue, the hills around the valley were dark green, and from where we parked we could see the bushes were loaded with plump, juicy Blueberries. The farm has about 8 acres of Blueberry bushes and farther back they have about 3 acres of native Blackberry bushes.....which are not quite ripe as yet.
Soooo, picking up a bag lined bucket for each of us, off we went into the bushes.......and WOW!!!!! They were really laden with berries........and they are laid out soooo well that there is plenty of room to walk, and pick, between the rows of bushes. The owner said she had 120 bushes in each row.......and I believe that!! We picked for about 45 minute to an hour before our buckets were full..........along with eating quite a few of these delicious berries as we picked them.
Returning to the building where we had to "weigh in" the berries, when we combined them, we had over 15 pounds of these plump berries!!!! The cost: $1.79 per pound.....which is QUITE a BARGAIN when you compare this to the prices in the supermarkets. Soooo, we hurried back to the stick and brick and the 1st Lady began to prepare them for the freezer. We both love Blueberries and eat them each morning in our cereals.......but we usually have to settle for the ones in the supermarkets.....and they are just not the same!!! Soooooooo......we now have lots of bags of berries in the freezer and ready for consumption whenever we want some!!
I spent the afternoon preparing for the trip to Iowa.....giving a piano lesson....and then hurrying off to the monthly Board of Education meeting. Tonight....well, it was a long one.....and it lasted for over 4 hours!!!!!!! Lots of bids to open and make decisions as to which different companies we would contract for their services and goods for the upcoming school year.
Returned home awhile ago....and packed up my necessary clothes for the trip to the National Special Olympics at Iowa State University next week. Also.....packed lots of sunscreen for stadium seating!!!!!! We also hope to go over to the Amana Colonies in Amana, Iowa.....where the Amish have many places to visit and view......and EAT. We were there years and years ago, so I am rather interested in revisiting this area and refresh my aging memory.
Soooo, tomorrow it will be set the security alarms in and around the house.....and then heading over to the Lake of the Ozarks to visit my mother for the day and night. But......as usual........it has been a good day......and....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Soooo, picking up a bag lined bucket for each of us, off we went into the bushes.......and WOW!!!!! They were really laden with berries........and they are laid out soooo well that there is plenty of room to walk, and pick, between the rows of bushes. The owner said she had 120 bushes in each row.......and I believe that!! We picked for about 45 minute to an hour before our buckets were full..........along with eating quite a few of these delicious berries as we picked them.
Returning to the building where we had to "weigh in" the berries, when we combined them, we had over 15 pounds of these plump berries!!!! The cost: $1.79 per pound.....which is QUITE a BARGAIN when you compare this to the prices in the supermarkets. Soooo, we hurried back to the stick and brick and the 1st Lady began to prepare them for the freezer. We both love Blueberries and eat them each morning in our cereals.......but we usually have to settle for the ones in the supermarkets.....and they are just not the same!!! Soooooooo......we now have lots of bags of berries in the freezer and ready for consumption whenever we want some!!
I spent the afternoon preparing for the trip to Iowa.....giving a piano lesson....and then hurrying off to the monthly Board of Education meeting. Tonight....well, it was a long one.....and it lasted for over 4 hours!!!!!!! Lots of bids to open and make decisions as to which different companies we would contract for their services and goods for the upcoming school year.
Returned home awhile ago....and packed up my necessary clothes for the trip to the National Special Olympics at Iowa State University next week. Also.....packed lots of sunscreen for stadium seating!!!!!! We also hope to go over to the Amana Colonies in Amana, Iowa.....where the Amish have many places to visit and view......and EAT. We were there years and years ago, so I am rather interested in revisiting this area and refresh my aging memory.
Soooo, tomorrow it will be set the security alarms in and around the house.....and then heading over to the Lake of the Ozarks to visit my mother for the day and night. But......as usual........it has been a good day......and....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
A Multi-tasking Day...
The alarm went off at 6:30 this morning......UGH!!!! But, I had two piano students this morning at 8:30-9:30, so I had to get the Fr. Roast coffee going and enjoy a bit of quiet on the patio. And, it WAS quiet this morning........great time to think out the plans for the remainder of the day.
After the two lessons......and they are ALWAYS prepared well......I headed to Supermart to pick up some more sanding paper for my electric sander. Did some asking and purchased a different kind which was supposed to last up to 3 times longer and get the job done quicker. Sooooo.....back home I went to try this out.
This morning....well, I did a really good job of putting plastic on the floors, around the large open doorways, and preparing the room to accept the mess and dust that would soon follow. Then.....I changed into my working attire and climbed the ladder and away I went with the sander.........lots of noise and lots of fine gritty dust flying everywhere. Yep.....the different sanding paper was MUCH better!!!!!
By early afternoon I had the one wall completely finished!!!! HOORAY!!! So,.....it was time for a bit of rest. With a bottle of cold water, the 1st Lady and I decided it was time to make a decision on the bedroom furniture we had seen yesterday in STL......and as the 18% off sale ended this evening.....it WAS time to decide. After some discussion concerning the rather high cost, even with the large discount sale, we decided to call and make the purchase!!! HOORAY......another remodeling item completed, even though it will take 6-8 weeks before it arrives.........so what else is new?? It is a nice set, contemporary but with some classic overtones to a couple of the pieces. We are getting the Java stain on the wood......a very, very dark rich brown......which is the quite style in furniture at this point in time, and it does enhance and compliment the dark brown vanity we had custom made for our new bathroom. The down side???? The cost!!!!!! Even with the sale, this HAS to last us for the rest of our lives.......hahahhaa!!!! That might not be tooooooo long.....(advancing age, you know).
Then it was time to get the lawn mowed. And, a bit over two hours later, the task was completed. Did I mention what a beautiful day this was????? Well, it WAS.....no humidity and temps in the 70's........just GREAT!!! So....the lawn job was enjoyable....and GREAT exercise!!!
Then with the 1st Lady going to Farmington to meet her lady friends for dinner.....a monthly ritual......I had enlisted assistance to move a large window a/c, that we were no longer using, and put it into the back of my truck. We are going over to the Lake of the Ozarks on Thursday to visit for a day and evening with my 93 year old mother. Her window a/c is dying a very natural death.....OLD AGE ....the a/c I'm talking about!!!! So.......she needs one....I have one.....and this works out perfectly. My three friends arrived right on time....and in less than 5 minutes, the a/c was successfully put into my truck bed. Then it was a quick tour through the finished portion of our remodeled house........and a quick meeting with the young man who built our vanity and is now going to construct for us a vanity mirror and cabinet for the new bathroom.
When that meeting was finished.....it was time for a quick bite to eat.....nothing special...just a small sandwich. And.....guess what.....it was time to sit back and enjoy the evening. Spent some time on the patio watching my tomatoes grow.....and then inside and a bit of tellie.
Sooooo, it was a day of doing many things........and all of these helped me to realize that.....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
After the two lessons......and they are ALWAYS prepared well......I headed to Supermart to pick up some more sanding paper for my electric sander. Did some asking and purchased a different kind which was supposed to last up to 3 times longer and get the job done quicker. Sooooo.....back home I went to try this out.
This morning....well, I did a really good job of putting plastic on the floors, around the large open doorways, and preparing the room to accept the mess and dust that would soon follow. Then.....I changed into my working attire and climbed the ladder and away I went with the sander.........lots of noise and lots of fine gritty dust flying everywhere. Yep.....the different sanding paper was MUCH better!!!!!
By early afternoon I had the one wall completely finished!!!! HOORAY!!! So,.....it was time for a bit of rest. With a bottle of cold water, the 1st Lady and I decided it was time to make a decision on the bedroom furniture we had seen yesterday in STL......and as the 18% off sale ended this evening.....it WAS time to decide. After some discussion concerning the rather high cost, even with the large discount sale, we decided to call and make the purchase!!! HOORAY......another remodeling item completed, even though it will take 6-8 weeks before it arrives.........so what else is new?? It is a nice set, contemporary but with some classic overtones to a couple of the pieces. We are getting the Java stain on the wood......a very, very dark rich brown......which is the quite style in furniture at this point in time, and it does enhance and compliment the dark brown vanity we had custom made for our new bathroom. The down side???? The cost!!!!!! Even with the sale, this HAS to last us for the rest of our lives.......hahahhaa!!!! That might not be tooooooo long.....(advancing age, you know).
Then it was time to get the lawn mowed. And, a bit over two hours later, the task was completed. Did I mention what a beautiful day this was????? Well, it WAS.....no humidity and temps in the 70's........just GREAT!!! So....the lawn job was enjoyable....and GREAT exercise!!!
Then with the 1st Lady going to Farmington to meet her lady friends for dinner.....a monthly ritual......I had enlisted assistance to move a large window a/c, that we were no longer using, and put it into the back of my truck. We are going over to the Lake of the Ozarks on Thursday to visit for a day and evening with my 93 year old mother. Her window a/c is dying a very natural death.....OLD AGE ....the a/c I'm talking about!!!! So.......she needs one....I have one.....and this works out perfectly. My three friends arrived right on time....and in less than 5 minutes, the a/c was successfully put into my truck bed. Then it was a quick tour through the finished portion of our remodeled house........and a quick meeting with the young man who built our vanity and is now going to construct for us a vanity mirror and cabinet for the new bathroom.
When that meeting was finished.....it was time for a quick bite to eat.....nothing special...just a small sandwich. And.....guess what.....it was time to sit back and enjoy the evening. Spent some time on the patio watching my tomatoes grow.....and then inside and a bit of tellie.
Sooooo, it was a day of doing many things........and all of these helped me to realize that.....
Life is Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Monday, June 26, 2006
Very difficult to please......(me!)
Yep.......after a wonderful morning on the patio....with Fr. Roast coffee steaming in the cup, I made a call to one more kitchen cabinet design center in STL.....and soon we were on the road up there for an early afternoon design meeting. Well.....the meeting lasted over two hours as we once again had this individual design the cabinets.....and it became a different configuration. The design center had some cabinets that we both liked.....and this young man drew up a plan that we both liked....with a couple of reservations.
Soooo, now the waiting game begins to see what his bid will be. Sure it will be higher than our budget will allow, however, I will not get pessimistic toooo soon. Sure is interesting how different cabinet designers can arrive at different plans using the same damn measurements!!!!
Then we did some other shopping: looking for new window treatments for the entertainment/family room, lighting for the kitchen, and more looking and pricing for our new bedroom furniture. Never....NEVER enough time to do it right......as we are always watching the clock to see how much more time we have before the stores close down.
We dined at The Olive Garden and had a great meal!!!!! I had the Asiago Cheese stuffed Tortillono with shrimp in a garlic-tomato cream sauce.......oh YEAH......it was great!!!! The 1st Lady had Pasta con Broccoli in a garlic cream sauce.....and it was soooo light and tasty!!! The salad was good and crisp, but their bread sticks.....hmmmm, they do leave something to be desired for me. I am just not that crazy about them at this establishment.........they always tend to be on the dry side. I requested butter and that helped somewhat......but still just a bit drab on the flavor side. The coffee???? Well, it is dark, but leaves a real hangover taste for the finish.....and not a particularly pleasant taste at that. Some improvement is needed in their coffee offering.
Returned home about 10pm.......and lots to get accomplished tomorrow. Only two days until we leave here to head to the National Special Olympics at Iowa State University in Ames. Looking forward to that trip......and sure it will be one of those special moments each time Justin participates in an event.
No matter what occurs.......
Life IS Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Soooo, now the waiting game begins to see what his bid will be. Sure it will be higher than our budget will allow, however, I will not get pessimistic toooo soon. Sure is interesting how different cabinet designers can arrive at different plans using the same damn measurements!!!!
Then we did some other shopping: looking for new window treatments for the entertainment/family room, lighting for the kitchen, and more looking and pricing for our new bedroom furniture. Never....NEVER enough time to do it right......as we are always watching the clock to see how much more time we have before the stores close down.
We dined at The Olive Garden and had a great meal!!!!! I had the Asiago Cheese stuffed Tortillono with shrimp in a garlic-tomato cream sauce.......oh YEAH......it was great!!!! The 1st Lady had Pasta con Broccoli in a garlic cream sauce.....and it was soooo light and tasty!!! The salad was good and crisp, but their bread sticks.....hmmmm, they do leave something to be desired for me. I am just not that crazy about them at this establishment.........they always tend to be on the dry side. I requested butter and that helped somewhat......but still just a bit drab on the flavor side. The coffee???? Well, it is dark, but leaves a real hangover taste for the finish.....and not a particularly pleasant taste at that. Some improvement is needed in their coffee offering.
Returned home about 10pm.......and lots to get accomplished tomorrow. Only two days until we leave here to head to the National Special Olympics at Iowa State University in Ames. Looking forward to that trip......and sure it will be one of those special moments each time Justin participates in an event.
No matter what occurs.......
Life IS Great.....and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Sunday in the sand......
After coffee on the patio admiring the different kinds of flowers that all seem to be blooming right now, and the "higher than my waist" tomato plants that I have in pots on my patio with almost 100 blooms.......it was time to get to work.....UGH!!!
And the title above is correct. Yep........with bundles of sandpaper that fits my little electric sander, I was soon on my knees and sanding one of the two walls in the living room that has the "textured" paint (sand was added and now hangs in globs on my walls)!!!! DAMN.....but it is difficult to remove.....it seems like I remain in one square foot of wall almost forEVER before it reaches the stage of just a bit of roughage on the wall. It may take the entire week just to get this textured paint off of the two walls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, of course, tonight my shoulders and arms and my back are cursing me loudly for mistreating them sooooooooo harshly today.
After many hours of light green paint and sand flying everywhere, the living room and adjoining hallway was covered in this light green dust.....UGH!!!! The cleanup took almost 30 minutes and now tomorrow I have to have a go at it again...... The BIG wall has not even been touched, so...........physical exhaustion sets in just thinking about all of this work left to do.
By late afternoon, I was getting the charcoal lit and going.......tonight it was a simple little meal: beer soaked brats from the grill, a delicious spinach salad, cooked carrots....and peas, and a bottle or two of beer. Ummmmm......love brats!!!!!
Soooo, the evening has disappeared quickly and those over-used muscles in my over-used body (YOU decide how it has been over-used!!) are still cursing me. Soooo, a cup of hot tea, a small chocolate brownie, and a good book will end the day for me. And...even with the shouting muscles.....
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
And the title above is correct. Yep........with bundles of sandpaper that fits my little electric sander, I was soon on my knees and sanding one of the two walls in the living room that has the "textured" paint (sand was added and now hangs in globs on my walls)!!!! DAMN.....but it is difficult to remove.....it seems like I remain in one square foot of wall almost forEVER before it reaches the stage of just a bit of roughage on the wall. It may take the entire week just to get this textured paint off of the two walls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, of course, tonight my shoulders and arms and my back are cursing me loudly for mistreating them sooooooooo harshly today.
After many hours of light green paint and sand flying everywhere, the living room and adjoining hallway was covered in this light green dust.....UGH!!!! The cleanup took almost 30 minutes and now tomorrow I have to have a go at it again...... The BIG wall has not even been touched, so...........physical exhaustion sets in just thinking about all of this work left to do.
By late afternoon, I was getting the charcoal lit and going.......tonight it was a simple little meal: beer soaked brats from the grill, a delicious spinach salad, cooked carrots....and peas, and a bottle or two of beer. Ummmmm......love brats!!!!!
Soooo, the evening has disappeared quickly and those over-used muscles in my over-used body (YOU decide how it has been over-used!!) are still cursing me. Soooo, a cup of hot tea, a small chocolate brownie, and a good book will end the day for me. And...even with the shouting muscles.....
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
A two day jaunt and a night of "partying".....
Yesterday, Friday......I had three students for private music instruction.....their first time with me in over a month. WOW......the amount of practice that has occurred since last month is truly astounding!!! I was sooo proud of them.....and it started my day off in a very postive way.
Around noon, I packed a bag and headed up to the Collinsville/Glen Carbon area of Illinois.....just east of STL. Arrived mid-afternoon and visited for awhile with the July 15th "bride-to-be" at the couple's new home.......a really nice little beginner home for the beginning of their Life together which officially begins on July 15th!! Are they ready???? YEP......after much discussion I believe they have it all under control.......UNTIL the final days when there is ALWAYS something that occurs that seems to put a kink in everyone's wedding plans, no mater how well laid out the plans are!
THEN.....the "Bachelor Party" which had begun at 11 yesterday morning with a round of golf.....well, it began in earnest at the home of one of the groomsmen. A cooling off period was held in their fabulous pool setting in the wonderfully landscaped back yard of their home. A few drinks assisted everyone in cooling down and getting relaxed for the evening-to-come.
From there, we were off to the Collinsville Holiday Inn and another round (or two or three) of drinks in the Lounge of Porter's Steakhouse there in the INN. By the way.....if you are EVER in the Collinsville, IL area.......make a point of dining at this steakhouse!!!!! IT IS A WONDERFUL DINING EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!! (Be sure to realize that this high quality comes with a high price tag). We had a Porter's sandwich there in the Lounge prior to setting out for the Fairmount Park.........one of the local horse racing facilities in the area.
Arriving there it was up to the Party Floor where a live band was performing, a food buffet was there to enjoy, and the drinks flow like a Missouri rainstorm......one of those gully-washers. Having never been to the track in ......well, I'd rather not say how long it has been.....I enjoyed immensely the atmosphere, the races, and the partying that goes with this particular scene. The "party gang of ours" then took the party to the "next level" by going upstairs to the lounge where the "big heavy betters" spend their time during the races. It is a great bar with all of the amenties.....and thanks to the manager of the Fairmount Park racetrack, we all enjoyed more drinks "on the house".
Later, we went back to the "party level" and remained there washing our cares away until the bar closed down. AH.....where to go next???? Well, to one of the local watering holes in the area where we remained making CERTAIN that the groom to be was well watered down before we decided to get him home for what remained of the night.......it was about 3AM when we got this poor drunk young man back to his home!! A planned trip to one of the local "clubs"....i.e. The Hustler Club.....was to have been the highlight of the late night party, but those of us with a bit of a mind left decided we needed to call it a night as the groom was reaching his limit.....quickly!! It was a GREAT evening/night......and one I will remember, EVEN IF the groom doesn't remember it.....hahahaha!!!!!
And....it WAS a short night!!! By the time I decided to let my aging body recline in a horizontal position, it wasn't long after that before I realized the sun was lighting up the sky of Illinois. As I had many "to do's" to complete in STL, I made my "adieu to the groom" as he attempted to raise his head off the pillow to bid me farewell......a difficult task for him to accomplish this morning.
I headed for the local "Waffle House".....a chain that we oftentimes frequent as we do like their waffles!!!! HOWEVER, do not, under any circumstance, eat at the one in Collinsville!!!! It was terrible, the service was horrible(my coffee cup was NEVER refilled), and the food was either burnt or undercooked........and the restroom was FILTHY!!!!! DAMN!!!! What a hell of way to begin a hung-over day!!!!
Then it was a quick 15 minute run to the western side of the Mississippi River and out to the shopping areas of the city. Never accomplished much.....but did do some looking and made plans to return. The 1st Lady called several times during the morning to check on my progress and then we met at 2:30pm in Bonne Terre for a visit with Michael.
Sooo, now that I am at home in the stick and brick.......my eyes are hanging down to my jawline.....my body is yelling at me to lay down and let it rest.....and I still have some things to do!!! Oh well.....there is always tomorrow. And as always..........and even after a raucous night of partying (like a much younger man that I'm NOT).....
Life IS GREAT!!!! And....I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Around noon, I packed a bag and headed up to the Collinsville/Glen Carbon area of Illinois.....just east of STL. Arrived mid-afternoon and visited for awhile with the July 15th "bride-to-be" at the couple's new home.......a really nice little beginner home for the beginning of their Life together which officially begins on July 15th!! Are they ready???? YEP......after much discussion I believe they have it all under control.......UNTIL the final days when there is ALWAYS something that occurs that seems to put a kink in everyone's wedding plans, no mater how well laid out the plans are!
THEN.....the "Bachelor Party" which had begun at 11 yesterday morning with a round of golf.....well, it began in earnest at the home of one of the groomsmen. A cooling off period was held in their fabulous pool setting in the wonderfully landscaped back yard of their home. A few drinks assisted everyone in cooling down and getting relaxed for the evening-to-come.
From there, we were off to the Collinsville Holiday Inn and another round (or two or three) of drinks in the Lounge of Porter's Steakhouse there in the INN. By the way.....if you are EVER in the Collinsville, IL area.......make a point of dining at this steakhouse!!!!! IT IS A WONDERFUL DINING EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!! (Be sure to realize that this high quality comes with a high price tag). We had a Porter's sandwich there in the Lounge prior to setting out for the Fairmount Park.........one of the local horse racing facilities in the area.
Arriving there it was up to the Party Floor where a live band was performing, a food buffet was there to enjoy, and the drinks flow like a Missouri rainstorm......one of those gully-washers. Having never been to the track in ......well, I'd rather not say how long it has been.....I enjoyed immensely the atmosphere, the races, and the partying that goes with this particular scene. The "party gang of ours" then took the party to the "next level" by going upstairs to the lounge where the "big heavy betters" spend their time during the races. It is a great bar with all of the amenties.....and thanks to the manager of the Fairmount Park racetrack, we all enjoyed more drinks "on the house".
Later, we went back to the "party level" and remained there washing our cares away until the bar closed down. AH.....where to go next???? Well, to one of the local watering holes in the area where we remained making CERTAIN that the groom to be was well watered down before we decided to get him home for what remained of the night.......it was about 3AM when we got this poor drunk young man back to his home!! A planned trip to one of the local "clubs"....i.e. The Hustler Club.....was to have been the highlight of the late night party, but those of us with a bit of a mind left decided we needed to call it a night as the groom was reaching his limit.....quickly!! It was a GREAT evening/night......and one I will remember, EVEN IF the groom doesn't remember it.....hahahaha!!!!!
And....it WAS a short night!!! By the time I decided to let my aging body recline in a horizontal position, it wasn't long after that before I realized the sun was lighting up the sky of Illinois. As I had many "to do's" to complete in STL, I made my "adieu to the groom" as he attempted to raise his head off the pillow to bid me farewell......a difficult task for him to accomplish this morning.
I headed for the local "Waffle House".....a chain that we oftentimes frequent as we do like their waffles!!!! HOWEVER, do not, under any circumstance, eat at the one in Collinsville!!!! It was terrible, the service was horrible(my coffee cup was NEVER refilled), and the food was either burnt or undercooked........and the restroom was FILTHY!!!!! DAMN!!!! What a hell of way to begin a hung-over day!!!!
Then it was a quick 15 minute run to the western side of the Mississippi River and out to the shopping areas of the city. Never accomplished much.....but did do some looking and made plans to return. The 1st Lady called several times during the morning to check on my progress and then we met at 2:30pm in Bonne Terre for a visit with Michael.
Sooo, now that I am at home in the stick and brick.......my eyes are hanging down to my jawline.....my body is yelling at me to lay down and let it rest.....and I still have some things to do!!! Oh well.....there is always tomorrow. And as always..........and even after a raucous night of partying (like a much younger man that I'm NOT).....
Life IS GREAT!!!! And....I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Ahhhh.....the storms left us with cooler temps!!!!
Yesterday and today......well, they have been Missouri Misery!! But, this evening strong storms rolled throught this area and along with high winds and rain, cooler temps blew into F'town and ohhhhh, but does it feel sooooo much better!!! The weekend forecast is for GREAT weather.....but, we shall see. I have to be shown......being from Missouri.
Yesterday we were in STL........and have ALMOST made a decision on our new kitchen cabinets. Think we have the style selected, however, there is a bit of heated discussion as to the type of wood and stain on that wood. Compromise???? Well, it is difficult to do as we are both very headstrong and hard-headed.........perhaps a bit of time???? We'll see.....
Spent the evening in "discussion" and we keep looking at the sample door front with the color of stain that the 1st Lady would like to have..........
Today, I thought I would be headed back to STL for an appointment, however, the appt. was canceled and I didn't go up there. Sooo, we fell back onto Plan B......working on the living room walls. We have two new walls from the remodeling project that are drywalled, but the other walls are textured with the sand in the paint and we HATE that look. Soooo, I took an electric sander and began sanding one of the walls...... WELL......I worked for almost two hours on a little area about 8x3 feet......and it is still terribly rough!!!!
I am open to anyone who has taken off this textured sand/paint of their walls......I need your suggestions. Checked online, but most helpful hints simply say that you must just replace the entire drywalled area with that god-awful paint on it. THAT is not an option.....we are way over budget already, sooooooo........HELP!!!!
The 1st Lady and I took turns on this small section of the wall.......and both of us became so damn frustrated that we just vaccumed the dust off the walls and floor and put the sander away!!! Perhaps we will get some inspiration somehow.....................??
With the storm rolling through, we just decided to have a large salad for the evening meal......with my dark red medicine to assist in washing the salad down. Turned out to be a GREAT salad......and that's what I like about salads......they are never the same way twice. Especially when the dressing is "home made" as it almost always is in TheHowserHouse!
Tomorrow......yep, it is back to the city and then across the Mighty Mississippi to go over to the eastern STL suburbs. The time has arrived for the "Bachelor Party" of the former student of mine who is now the Asst. H.S. Band Director at Edwardsville, IL. And.....since this sagging hulk of a retired band director is going to be his Best Man in the wedding in three weeks, I need to party hardy tomorrow evening, along with the groom and other friends and relatives. Should be enjoyable!!!!!
I plan to overnight with him at his and Laura's new home. I have my canceled appointment rescheduled for Saturday afternoon, so will return to the city for the afternoon appt. and then perhaps a bit of furniture shopping????!!!!!
You know......I DETEST summer tv programs....IF that is what you call THEM!!!!! They all seem to be a waste of time.....nothing of any redeemable value that I can find. So, I find myself with the plasma turned on to HGTV. And guess what........THAT is NOT a good idea, because I then get these ideas that I can't afford and I want to hire a landscaper, designer, and all of these other "pros" to take care of the things I would like cahnged.
But......even though I can't have all of these things that HGTV tempts me with........
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Yesterday we were in STL........and have ALMOST made a decision on our new kitchen cabinets. Think we have the style selected, however, there is a bit of heated discussion as to the type of wood and stain on that wood. Compromise???? Well, it is difficult to do as we are both very headstrong and hard-headed.........perhaps a bit of time???? We'll see.....
Spent the evening in "discussion" and we keep looking at the sample door front with the color of stain that the 1st Lady would like to have..........
Today, I thought I would be headed back to STL for an appointment, however, the appt. was canceled and I didn't go up there. Sooo, we fell back onto Plan B......working on the living room walls. We have two new walls from the remodeling project that are drywalled, but the other walls are textured with the sand in the paint and we HATE that look. Soooo, I took an electric sander and began sanding one of the walls...... WELL......I worked for almost two hours on a little area about 8x3 feet......and it is still terribly rough!!!!
I am open to anyone who has taken off this textured sand/paint of their walls......I need your suggestions. Checked online, but most helpful hints simply say that you must just replace the entire drywalled area with that god-awful paint on it. THAT is not an option.....we are way over budget already, sooooooo........HELP!!!!
The 1st Lady and I took turns on this small section of the wall.......and both of us became so damn frustrated that we just vaccumed the dust off the walls and floor and put the sander away!!! Perhaps we will get some inspiration somehow.....................??
With the storm rolling through, we just decided to have a large salad for the evening meal......with my dark red medicine to assist in washing the salad down. Turned out to be a GREAT salad......and that's what I like about salads......they are never the same way twice. Especially when the dressing is "home made" as it almost always is in TheHowserHouse!
Tomorrow......yep, it is back to the city and then across the Mighty Mississippi to go over to the eastern STL suburbs. The time has arrived for the "Bachelor Party" of the former student of mine who is now the Asst. H.S. Band Director at Edwardsville, IL. And.....since this sagging hulk of a retired band director is going to be his Best Man in the wedding in three weeks, I need to party hardy tomorrow evening, along with the groom and other friends and relatives. Should be enjoyable!!!!!
I plan to overnight with him at his and Laura's new home. I have my canceled appointment rescheduled for Saturday afternoon, so will return to the city for the afternoon appt. and then perhaps a bit of furniture shopping????!!!!!
You know......I DETEST summer tv programs....IF that is what you call THEM!!!!! They all seem to be a waste of time.....nothing of any redeemable value that I can find. So, I find myself with the plasma turned on to HGTV. And guess what........THAT is NOT a good idea, because I then get these ideas that I can't afford and I want to hire a landscaper, designer, and all of these other "pros" to take care of the things I would like cahnged.
But......even though I can't have all of these things that HGTV tempts me with........
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Misery in Missouri has returned.....
Heat....heat...heat...humidity and more humidity and even MORE humidityy......and all of these two things make Missouri very miserable for June!!!! Today the temp registered at 96 and only God knows what the humidity was here. From the time I stepped out onto the patio for my morning coffee, I could tell it was not going to be pleasant today. And....it wasn't!!!
I made a couple of trips to the Supermart of Wally World here in F'town today. One trip is never enough, is it??? So the 1st Lady sent back this afternoon with another short list of items. Oh well......I always get to see friends and former students while there.....and it becomes a way of socializing here in "small town America".
A dumb mistake by a checkout girl last Friday evening at the local Country Mart grocery store caused some real panic for the 1st Lady today as she checked online with our checking account balances. I had run to the grocery store......the ONLY one in town which allows them to set prices higher than they should be. I bought $9.71 worth of milk, etc., etc. and at the checkout counter I handed my credit card to the clerk.....they don't trust us to swipe it ourselves!!....and then she went beserk as she let a few words fly and grabbed the power cord to the credit card machine and pulled it out of the receptacle. Seems she had entered $979.71 when she ran the card......"Don't worry", she said. "I unplugged it before it went through."
Well, you know what happened, don't you??? Yep......we had a charge for $979.71 on our bank statement for charging at the Country Mart!!!!!! The real charge of $9.71 also showed up......BUT.....the girl did not try to make a change for the LARGE mistake.
Sooooo, I rushed down there to talk to the manager. I took a copy of my bank statement.....and luckily, I had KEPT the receipt for the smaller, correct purchase. I explained all of this to the manager, or whomever this young man was........and he said he would credit our account. He then began to blame the girl and said that she had probably taken all of that money......and that she had most likely made the mistake purposely!! Well.....that is HIS problem....not mine. Soooo, now I have another receipt for the credit to my account to hold onto until it goes through my account in STL.
Spent most of that afternoon inside.....I do NOT do well in this stifling heat/humidity....and I didn't want to find myself laying on the moist grass under the blazing sun of summer. Sooo, I watched a bit of the tellie.......dozed for about 10 minutes and felt great!!!
I fixed dinner this evening.......a good old meal that we used to have when our kids were younger. Cubed steaks....which I pounded to make them a bit more tender.......and these were smothered in mushrooms as they gently fried in olive oil. Some beans seasoned with bacon drippings, some brussel sprouts in butter, and I made some gravy from the pan drippings......and all accompanied by a glass of dark red medicine!!! It was damn good......even though it was not very healthy eating!!!
Then.....about 7pm, I headed outside in the 89 degree temps and began mowing the lawn......sweating away pounds of me all over the cut grass!!! I got about 3/4 of the lawn cut before my body gave out and I put the mower away for the evening. WHAT a slimy sagging hulk I was as I quietly slipped into the shower and stood there recovering in the cold water!!! FELT SOOO GOOD!!!
And so.....another boring day in my Life.....and all for you to read about!! HAHAHA!!!! Sorry.....I can't blame you for not getting this far in the post..........this day was boring for me.....so it MUST be boring for all of you!!!! But......
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!
I made a couple of trips to the Supermart of Wally World here in F'town today. One trip is never enough, is it??? So the 1st Lady sent back this afternoon with another short list of items. Oh well......I always get to see friends and former students while there.....and it becomes a way of socializing here in "small town America".
A dumb mistake by a checkout girl last Friday evening at the local Country Mart grocery store caused some real panic for the 1st Lady today as she checked online with our checking account balances. I had run to the grocery store......the ONLY one in town which allows them to set prices higher than they should be. I bought $9.71 worth of milk, etc., etc. and at the checkout counter I handed my credit card to the clerk.....they don't trust us to swipe it ourselves!!....and then she went beserk as she let a few words fly and grabbed the power cord to the credit card machine and pulled it out of the receptacle. Seems she had entered $979.71 when she ran the card......"Don't worry", she said. "I unplugged it before it went through."
Well, you know what happened, don't you??? Yep......we had a charge for $979.71 on our bank statement for charging at the Country Mart!!!!!! The real charge of $9.71 also showed up......BUT.....the girl did not try to make a change for the LARGE mistake.
Sooooo, I rushed down there to talk to the manager. I took a copy of my bank statement.....and luckily, I had KEPT the receipt for the smaller, correct purchase. I explained all of this to the manager, or whomever this young man was........and he said he would credit our account. He then began to blame the girl and said that she had probably taken all of that money......and that she had most likely made the mistake purposely!! Well.....that is HIS problem....not mine. Soooo, now I have another receipt for the credit to my account to hold onto until it goes through my account in STL.
Spent most of that afternoon inside.....I do NOT do well in this stifling heat/humidity....and I didn't want to find myself laying on the moist grass under the blazing sun of summer. Sooo, I watched a bit of the tellie.......dozed for about 10 minutes and felt great!!!
I fixed dinner this evening.......a good old meal that we used to have when our kids were younger. Cubed steaks....which I pounded to make them a bit more tender.......and these were smothered in mushrooms as they gently fried in olive oil. Some beans seasoned with bacon drippings, some brussel sprouts in butter, and I made some gravy from the pan drippings......and all accompanied by a glass of dark red medicine!!! It was damn good......even though it was not very healthy eating!!!
Then.....about 7pm, I headed outside in the 89 degree temps and began mowing the lawn......sweating away pounds of me all over the cut grass!!! I got about 3/4 of the lawn cut before my body gave out and I put the mower away for the evening. WHAT a slimy sagging hulk I was as I quietly slipped into the shower and stood there recovering in the cold water!!! FELT SOOO GOOD!!!
And so.....another boring day in my Life.....and all for you to read about!! HAHAHA!!!! Sorry.....I can't blame you for not getting this far in the post..........this day was boring for me.....so it MUST be boring for all of you!!!! But......
Life is Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!
Monday, June 19, 2006
A WORK day at our stick and brick!!
French Roast on the patio this morning accompanied some of the fabulous Sunday morning coffee cake which for some strange reason was NOT consumed yesterday. Well.....it exists no more!
After making several phone calls, I realized that I was setting up my schedule for this week.......and did I really want to do that???? HELL NO!!!! THAT is why I retired......to not have a schedule that would/did run my Life for 30 years. Soooo, what do I do???? I thought about it for awhile.......and then placed the final call to complete (I hope) my weeks appointments and meetings.
Another cup of coffee, a work planning discussion with the 1st Lady.....and then I changed into my work clothes and drug out the power washer.....and after messing with all of the cords and connections, I had it running. And then.......the rest of the day was spent in removing the dirt, dead bugs, and mold on the siding on the top half and the brick facade on the bottom half. WOW......that brick was DIRTY!!!!!
It was only recently that we had ALL the shrubs/bushes on two sides of our house pulled out with chain and truck......and all of the dirt and mold inbedded in the textured bricks HAD to be cleaned up!!! Sooooo, it took the rest of the day for only the north side of the house and part of the east side......the LONG side of our ranch style stick and brick. Guess what is on top for the rest of the week.......when not keeping my appointments?????? Yep......WORK!!!
The 1st Lady spent most of the day priming the walls in the living room so that we can paint them.....perhaps this week. We have a small container of sample paint that we had formulated for us at Sherwin-Williams based on a computer print-out from a picture we liked........and now we are not quite certain that this color is the exact one we want. We are trying to get a warm, flat Terra Cotta/burnt orange shade of paint.......but it is not as easy to find as you might think. Too many are toooo bright, too wild......and then others are toooooo dark with tones of brown that account for the darker orange color. Sooooo, with 2 ft. square patches of paint on our walls......we are studying them in the various lights of the day/evening with our new huge window that was installed while we were in Florida.
Soooo,....we are both tired....and I am sore from just standing in one place working that power washer on the small areas to remove all of that grime!!! I grilled some burgers, the 1st Lady made a wonderful spinach salad, I grilled some corn-on-the cob, and we had a couple of beers as we enjoyed a good meal.....and as our bodies screamed loudly at us for mistreating them sooooooo badly today!!
My Dr. finally called this afternoon.....and the colonoscopy from last week came out ok. However, the problem which sent me to the Dr. before I left for Florida is still bothering me about once a week.......and so, the Dr. is going to set up an appointment with a Urologist in Festus.....south of STL. Soooo, may not get away by the end of July to make that trout fishing trip out west. Will just have to see when the Dr.'s appointment ( ANOTHER appt.) is scheduled.
But.....not matter how tired I am tonight....or how full my schedule is....or that I have more testing to do on my sagging body......
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!
After making several phone calls, I realized that I was setting up my schedule for this week.......and did I really want to do that???? HELL NO!!!! THAT is why I retired......to not have a schedule that would/did run my Life for 30 years. Soooo, what do I do???? I thought about it for awhile.......and then placed the final call to complete (I hope) my weeks appointments and meetings.
Another cup of coffee, a work planning discussion with the 1st Lady.....and then I changed into my work clothes and drug out the power washer.....and after messing with all of the cords and connections, I had it running. And then.......the rest of the day was spent in removing the dirt, dead bugs, and mold on the siding on the top half and the brick facade on the bottom half. WOW......that brick was DIRTY!!!!!
It was only recently that we had ALL the shrubs/bushes on two sides of our house pulled out with chain and truck......and all of the dirt and mold inbedded in the textured bricks HAD to be cleaned up!!! Sooooo, it took the rest of the day for only the north side of the house and part of the east side......the LONG side of our ranch style stick and brick. Guess what is on top for the rest of the week.......when not keeping my appointments?????? Yep......WORK!!!
The 1st Lady spent most of the day priming the walls in the living room so that we can paint them.....perhaps this week. We have a small container of sample paint that we had formulated for us at Sherwin-Williams based on a computer print-out from a picture we liked........and now we are not quite certain that this color is the exact one we want. We are trying to get a warm, flat Terra Cotta/burnt orange shade of paint.......but it is not as easy to find as you might think. Too many are toooo bright, too wild......and then others are toooooo dark with tones of brown that account for the darker orange color. Sooooo, with 2 ft. square patches of paint on our walls......we are studying them in the various lights of the day/evening with our new huge window that was installed while we were in Florida.
Soooo,....we are both tired....and I am sore from just standing in one place working that power washer on the small areas to remove all of that grime!!! I grilled some burgers, the 1st Lady made a wonderful spinach salad, I grilled some corn-on-the cob, and we had a couple of beers as we enjoyed a good meal.....and as our bodies screamed loudly at us for mistreating them sooooooo badly today!!
My Dr. finally called this afternoon.....and the colonoscopy from last week came out ok. However, the problem which sent me to the Dr. before I left for Florida is still bothering me about once a week.......and so, the Dr. is going to set up an appointment with a Urologist in Festus.....south of STL. Soooo, may not get away by the end of July to make that trout fishing trip out west. Will just have to see when the Dr.'s appointment ( ANOTHER appt.) is scheduled.
But.....not matter how tired I am tonight....or how full my schedule is....or that I have more testing to do on my sagging body......
Life IS Great......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Father's Day
After a very busy and late night of "baby sitting", the 1st Lady and I got up and kept the two little ones "busy" while Dr. Jeni and Darrel "recovered" this morning from last night's reception dinner/dance!! As always, the girls were really good, quiet, and kept out of the bedroom where "Mommy and Daddy" were sleeping.
Breakfast was not until mid-morning when the 1st Lady's infamous coffee cake was ready to be served, along with Fr. Roast coffee and hot tea. And......the coffee cake was excellent, as usual!!
The rest of the morning disappeared as the Moser family attempted to gather up their things, toys, etc., etc so they could get on the road to head home. I had brought all of their beach equipment, bike, scooter, baby bed, toys, etc., etc. back from Florida in the truck and now it was time for them to get all of this stuff into the SUV and take it back with them. WHAT A TASK!!!!
But, before long they had it loaded and were on the road for home.
The 1st Lady and I picked up the house, I vaccumed, and then did some Sunday reading on the internet. We decided to go see a movie......and it turned out to be a really very good one to see: "The Lake House" with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. GO SEE IT!!! Well worth the few dollars for a thought provoking film......
On the way back from Arnold where we saw the film, we made a stop at a very good WalMart Supermart and picked up a few items we needed that are not available in our smaller Supermart here in F'Town.
Me??? A good day......and hoping the test results that I SHOULD get tomorrow will be good, also. Who knows..................??
And so, at the end of a busy weekend......at TheHowserHouse......
Life is Great.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
Breakfast was not until mid-morning when the 1st Lady's infamous coffee cake was ready to be served, along with Fr. Roast coffee and hot tea. And......the coffee cake was excellent, as usual!!
The rest of the morning disappeared as the Moser family attempted to gather up their things, toys, etc., etc so they could get on the road to head home. I had brought all of their beach equipment, bike, scooter, baby bed, toys, etc., etc. back from Florida in the truck and now it was time for them to get all of this stuff into the SUV and take it back with them. WHAT A TASK!!!!
But, before long they had it loaded and were on the road for home.
The 1st Lady and I picked up the house, I vaccumed, and then did some Sunday reading on the internet. We decided to go see a movie......and it turned out to be a really very good one to see: "The Lake House" with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. GO SEE IT!!! Well worth the few dollars for a thought provoking film......
On the way back from Arnold where we saw the film, we made a stop at a very good WalMart Supermart and picked up a few items we needed that are not available in our smaller Supermart here in F'Town.
Me??? A good day......and hoping the test results that I SHOULD get tomorrow will be good, also. Who knows..................??
And so, at the end of a busy weekend......at TheHowserHouse......
Life is Great.......and I hope it is for all of you, also!!!
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