I sorta stole this from Mellodee over at "Mellodee's Musings". I guess she ganked it from "Sunday Stealing." But it was fun!

1. You have 10 dollars and need to buy snacks at a gas station. What do you get? Either a “Chunky Original” or York Peppermint Patty for sweet, and kettle corn for the sweet/salty taste.

2. If you were reincarnated as a sea creature, what would you want to be? A dolphin; they are so smart!

3. Who’s your favorite redhead? Julia Roberts

4. What do you order when you’re at IHOP? Veggie omelet with egg beaters, dry toast and coffee. I am not an IHOP fan at all.

5. Last book you read? "Chasing Darkness" by Danielle Girard.

6. Describe your mood. Nervous and grumpy, but why?

7. Describe the last time you were injured. I fell off the last step getting off a Greyhound bus. The driver neglected to pull out the “courtesy step” and that last step was a big one. I scraped my left arm, leg and knee, jammed my shoulder and the top three ribs on the left side of my chest were shoved slightly over top of my sternum. I was pissed at the driver, who didn’t even have the courtesy to come over and see if I was okay. If I had known how injured I really was, I would have made sure Greyhound pay for the Dr. bills, most certainly. Of course, those injuries don’t appear for sometimes years. That was 5 years ago, and I am still having problems.

8. Of all your friends, who would you want to be stuck in a well with? Stuck in a well??? If I had to be stuck with anyone in a well, it would be my friend Alan. He is the most ingenious guy I know and could get us out. He’s MacGyver II!

9. Rock concert or symphony? How about a blended concert of both?

10. What is the wallpaper of your cell phone? I don’t have wallpaper. Just white background.

11. Favorite soda? Coke (Caffeine free, diet of course)

12. What type of shirt are you wearing? A blue tee with the logo of our church on it. We sold them as a fund raiser several years ago. I still have this one. Bleach spots and all!

13. If you could only use one form of transportation? Local free transit (for those of us over 60) and for travel, Amtrak (but allow plenty of time...they are NEVER on schedule!)

14. Most recent movie you have watched in theater? “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

15. Name an actor/actress/singer you have had the hots for. Ahhh! I hate being predictable, but I would give closet space in my room to Meg Ryan any time.

16. What’s your favorite kind of cake? Texas Chocolate Sheet cake.

17. What did you have for lunch yesterday? Meat Loaf with corn and apples at Cracker Barrel.

18. Look to your left, what do you see? Filing cabinet topped with my printer, a trash bin with the shredder on top and a register for the furnace/AC.

19. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? I usually do.

20. Favorite toy as a child? Brown Bear

21. Do you buy your own groceries? Usually, except when I know that Prof has to go, then I foist my list and my debit card on her. I dislike grocery shopping immensely, and it’s sort of like having a root canal, only worse. At least one is numb for a root canal.

22. Do you think people talk about you behind your back? I'm pretty sure some do!

23. When was the last time you had gummy worms? Years, and I wasn’t impressed. Now, gummy bears, yes. But I like the cinnamon flavored ones the best.

24. What’s your favorite fruit? Black grapes or raspberries.

25. Do you have a picture of yourself doing a cartwheel? Are you kidding?? Did they even make cameras back when I turned my last cartwheel?

Rain, finally!

We have been in a drought here in Indiana all summer. Finally it has begun to rain. Not a lot, but some. Last night I was awakened by thunder an lightening. So I got up and went out to my screened veranda and sat and watched it storm. When I thought it was over, I went back to bed. While I was asleep early this morning, we had a terrific storm. High winds, and lots of rain. Lots of lightening and thunder. There was quite extensive damage around town, and in the county. Trees down, roof damage, and a pole barn north of town now has the roof laying off to one side of the building itself. I was lucky to just have a few small limbs down and leaf debris. Some of my neighbors weren't so lucky. We were, however, without electricity for most of the day. With an electric home, we couldn't cook, wash clothes, dishes, or our bodies (unless we wanted a cold shower,) and with the dark clouds, the house was pretty dark most of the morning. I had the coal oil lamps going and Prof said it was reminiscent of "Little House on the Prairie." I didn't mind at all. I was just reminded of my childhood in the country where we lost power all seasons of the year. Especially in the winter when ice storms came and took down lines, and the power company didn't get there for several days, not hours like now. It was just a fact of life for us. We built fires in the fireplaces and kept them going, and burned coal oil lamps (the same ones I had going today) and made do. We melted ice and snow over the fire for water to wash up with and we ate what ever we could cook over the fire, too. I don't think I'm any the worse for wear because of those times. Although, it does make me appreciate all the conveniences that I am blessed to have now. That was a different and more gentle time.
Anyhow, I digress, it did rain .9" today, and added to what little we have gotten the last few days, things are beginning to green up some. I noticed that the shaded areas of my yard will need the help of my mower come Thursday or Friday. And of course, the weeds are leaping out of the ground. LOL!

Peace,
JE

Gramps again!

News Flash! I found out recently that I am going to be Gramps again early on in '13. My son and his wife are going to bless me with another "baby grand" bringing the "grand" total to 4. We are excited. Prof is excited to be becoming "Auntie Mags" for the third time. Now it's gonna be all about quilt making. (She still has to finish R J's, and he's over 2 years old now.)
The parents claim that they have all the "stuff " for either a boy or a girl, and so they don't want to know the sex this time. All Lil Bro wants to know is that there is only ONE heartbeat. With twins on both sides of the family, and in his generation, he is nervous. I say "bring them on" but of course I am only the spoiler in this whole picture.
Whether a girl or boy, the child will be welcome and loved deeply and completely. There could not be any better or more deserving parents!

Peace,
JE

Back On the Left!

When Prof moved home from Montana, she came with her Malibu full, plus a U-Haul trailer full. It was winter, slick and icy, and we had to empty the U-haul to get it to the local agency while still under her time limit. So, we unloaded her "stuff" into my garage, on the left side. Since my late wife's car was no longer there, there was plenty of room. In the spring, we also moved two flat bed trailers full, plus my car full and Curley's Suburban full (twice) of Prof's stuff that she had in storage in the City. Rental on her storage unit had doubled in the three years she was gone, so it seemed foolish to keep paying when I still had almost half of a garage with space. After all, the U-Haul load was not all that big. So, for over two years now, I have been able to get my car in the garage on the right side, but not much else.
Today, after coming home from church, Prof and I donned our ugliest and oldest work clothes and went to work in the garage. We had picked up plastic storage bins at Dollar General on the way home, so out we went. We shuffled, condensed, shifted, tossed, and restacked. I managed to move some of my multitude of Christmas decorations, condensed some, shifted some, and even tossed a few old wreaths and strings of unworkable lights. I rehung some stuff, and was able to clear some much needed shelf space for Prof's boxes. After 5 hours and 30 minutes, much sweating, and lots of pulling, tugging and lifting, Prof can now get her car in the garage and so can I. Back on the left side where I used to always park. We took time to sweep it out and even dust off some grunge. It looks so nice and clean. I found some stuff I forgot about, and tossed some that I knew was there but up to now didn't want to deal with. If it wasn't so hot out, I would take a lawn chair out there and just sit and admire our handiwork.
So now I am back to parking on the left side again. It's like old home week in the ol garage!!
My shiny red one on the left. Prof's "Blue Goose" (which pulled the U-Haul from Montana in December, through miles and miles and miles of snow and ice. She never got to drive the speed limit until she was 30 miles from home) in my nice, clean garage.


Peace, (but I am pooped)
JE

Show Biz Update!

Well, it's over, or a "wrap" as we show biz moguls say! LOL! I played to an audience of about 50 or so, mostly elderly ladies, but some men in the crowd, too. It was fun. The talking went okay, and even if I do say so myself, the music went great. My accompanist, who is also my vocal coach, said she heard some very nice sounds coming from me today. I got lots of applause after each number, and lots of smiles while I sang.
Most everyone came up to Susan and I afterwards and told us how much they enjoyed the music. It was fun, and now I know the nerves were normal, but certainly unnecessary.
No one filmed it so it won't show up on Youtube, and I think that is wise. I saw a lot moist eyes when we all joined in the singing of "God Bless America," at the end.
It was well worth the effort and hours of practicing. And, we got asked to do it again sometime.
Now, I need a nap! Show biz is hard work! Can I add extra calories to my count for the effort?

Peace,
JE

There's No Biz Like Show Biz

Today is my solo concert! I have practiced and practiced. I have committed great quantities of words and music to my feeble memory. I am ready. Then why am I so scared? I was restless all night, stayed up until midnight and then was up at 5:00 AM fretting about everything from forgetting the words, to forgetting to zip my fly!
I know part of the problem is that I will be expected to talk, too. You know, introduce songs, talk a little to the audience. I hate that part. I get all tongue-tied, and sometimes ramble. I wrote out a mini script, only to have my printer go down last night. I saved it on a "zip stick" so hopefully I can find someone who can print it out for me. I think I could sing in front of an audience at Carnegie Hall, but if I had to talk, I would be a basket case.
The program is only 25 minutes long, and I will have my good friend Susan accompanying me on the piano, and she can play anything and fake the rest! My terrific buddy Curley will be standing in the back cheering me on with her usual smile and enthusiasm. (She'd better be cause she is the one who talked me into doing this...she works there!)
So I say to myself, "Break a leg!" Which maybe if I did and had to go to the emergency room, I could just skip the whole thing! LOL! (Not serious here folks!)

Peace, (with or without the talking)
JE

Dieting Sucks!...But it works.

Five weeks ago, I decided to go on a diet. I had been eating too much. Period. And I had been eating wrong. Too much starch, sweets and not enough veggies and fruit. My darling daughter has been on a diet for some time now with great success, so I thought maybe I could try the same one. She fixed me up with her diet coach and introduced me to the "shake diet." It's a patented diet product, so I won't mention the name here, but the diet plan is very simple; two shakes a day at about 180 calories each, then using the rest of my daily allotted calories on a meal and maybe a snack or two. I started out at 1200 calories, but felt like I was not getting enough to keep my energy level up. So, I went up to 1350, which felt better, but the weight wasn't coming off. Now I am at 1150 calories and doing well. The shake mix is full of nutrients and it just took my body a while to adjust to the regimen. I feel better than I have for a long time, more energy, sleeping better, not longer, and generally feel in good health and am losing at a rate of about 2 pounds a week. I stepped on the scales yesterday morning and saw a number that I hadn't seen in years!! Go me!
Most of all, I am eating better. I am counting the calories, sure, but I am eating more veggies and fruit, less meat, (getting tired of chicken) and watching how my food is prepared. Yes, I have strayed a few times. Just the other day, I sprung for a dish of chocolate mint chip ice cream. Yes, I blew my calorie intake that day, but I climbed back on the wagon the next day, forgave myself and moved on. I refuse to beat myself up if I falter.
I write down every bite I ingest, and that makes me more aware of what I am eating. I keep healthy snacks, some of which are really bland, but some are really tasty. Did you know that Quaker Oat Co. makes a delicious line of rice cakes that only have about 45 calories each? Also, some of the "cookie" people are now making mini cookies and packing them in 100 calorie packs. It takes longer to grocery shop because I am becoming a label reader, but it's going to pay off in the end.
By the way, I still hate broccoli! It's a weed for crap sake! There is no amount of prepping that can disguise the taste and feel of that awful veggie. But asparagus...now there's a great veggie! And I am developing a taste for salmon and talapia, both brushed lightly with EVOO and sprinkled with lemon pepper and baked. Yummy! Talk about eating better! Wow!

Peace(ful) and thinning,
JE

Rejuvination Update!

I'm sore! My back hurts and so do my poor arthritic hands. Why do I always attack a project like I'm killing snakes? I think slow and steady will be "it" from now on. I will call it my "work in progress" and Prof and Kiddo will work around that, I know. I just have the habit or whatever to always hurry and get a project done. Not this time. It requires a lot of "arms over the head" work on the ceiling, so small doses of that might be better. We'll see!

Peace (and soreness),
JE

Time for a change.

Many years ago, my wife decided we needed to decorate one of our bathrooms in lighthouses, and anything nautical. I painted the walls off white, and she put up a border with lighthouses. She added some other nautical stuff,etc. Fifteen years (at least) later I decided to begin changing things in there. I began today.
Due to a leaky roof (now repaired and leak free) there was some water damage to the ceiling. I will have to tear off the loose plaster and re plaster after smoothing out the cracks. The door never ever closed properly since we moved here, but I didn't know exactly what to do about it. Today, I fixed it by simply cutting off about one eighth inch from the top where the frame had settled and now it closes without a problem. I tore down the border and took off some of the scaly paint from some corners and ceiling.
Since Prof is gone for a week to a professional development seminar, I think this will be a good time to work in there. It gets hot in there because there is no window in that room. This is the bathroom that she and my grandson Kiddo use all the time, so off and on he and I will be sharing the shower in my bathroom. I warned him not to count on being able to use his bath for a few days off and on. I don't particularly want him shaving in my sink, but I can save that area of his bathroom for last. Actually that area isn't too bad.
I am choosing the color scheme and theme for there. It is going to be bright since lack of window can make it appear dreary real quickly. It also needs more storage, so I am on the lookout for shelving and drawers to fill an empty space. I know I won't have it all done by Friday when Prof returns, but I hope to have enough done that she can begin to see a difference! Maybe having a door that closes all the way will be enough!

Peace,
JE

Visitors...no, Family!

If it's been a while since I posted, it's because my brother and sister-in-law have been visiting for the past week. They arrived last Sunday and left this morning. We had a whirlwind week. This was the good kind of visit. No funerals, no weddings. Just a visit. Well, I must tell you all that my brother's son is the proud father of a new son, so they also visited Milwaukee, WI to see their new grandson before coming here.
On Monday, we hung around the house for the day, then joined some "forever" friends in a nearby town for dinner and visiting. Applebees were very accommodating for us and gave us a large corner booth in the back of the place. It was a good thing, too, because we stayed 3 hours.
On Tuesday, we did some more hanging out at the house, then visited our parent's graves and went on out to dinner, then on to visit some cousins on the family farm. It was fun and nice to touch base with relatives we don't see too often.
On Wednesday, we made arrangements to meet some more cousins who live in southern IN, so we picked a place midway to meet. We met at one of our state's casinos and racetracks. We got there early enough to get a good table in the food court on the mezzanine above the racetrack. We gabbed, ate, gabbed and ate some more. Then at 5:00 PM, the trotter races began and we all learned how to read a racing form and place bets. I lost $2.00 on my horse, so I quit betting. Bro won $5.20 on a $2.00 bet, and our cousins won about the same amount. It was a super fun-filled day, even though it was too dry in IN for fireworks. We still celebrated just by having a great day.
Thursday, Bro and Sis went visiting to her hometown and met with some old school chums for lunch, and stopped to visit Sis's brother while in the area. That evening we met my son, daughter-in-law, the Divine Miss K and RJ for dinner at a local pizza palace. More fun!
Friday, Sis went to visit a long-time girlfriend, while Bro and I did laundry and hung out. We met she and one of Bro's school chums at a cafe for dinner and visiting.
Saturday, Sis went shopping and visiting, while Bro and I just hung out together and did the scratch, belch and all that. Then last night Sis and I prepared baked salmon, baked squash and asparagus in olive oil and sea salt. What a feast!
Too soon, today came and my family bid me adieu for a while. They had a 1000 miles to go and being gone almost three weeks, they were anxious to get going, yet hated to leave. It was a bittersweet few minutes, but as they pulled away, I was already thinking thoughts of either airways or Amtrak for later in the year.
It was a joyous and fun week. I am tired!

Peace,
JE