Favorite Lyric Day

I declare today as "National Favorite Lyrics Day." As such, I am posting the lyrics to a few of my favs.

Turn Me On

Like a flower waiting to bloom

Like a lightbulb in a dark room

I'm just sitting here waiting for you

To come home and turn me on

Like the desert waiting for the rain

Like a school kid waiting for the spring

I'm just sitting here waiting for you

To come on home and turn me on

My poor heart, it's been so dark

since you been gone

After all, you're the one who turns me off

You're the only one who can turn me back on

My hi-fi's waiting for a new tune

The glass is waiting for some fresh ice cubes

I'm just sitting here waiting for you

To come on home and turn me on

Turn me on

-----------

One Flight Down

One flight down

There's a song on low

And you mind just picked up on the sound

Now you know you're wrong

Because it drifts like smoke

And it's been there playing all along

Now you know

Now you know.

The reeds and brass have been weaving

Leading into a single note

In this place

Where your arms unfold

Here at last you see your ancient face

Now you know

Now you know

The cadence rolls in broken

Plays it over and then goes

One flight down

There's a song on low

And it's been there playing all along

Now you know

Now you know

------

The Long Day Is Over

Feeling tired

By the fire

The long day is over

The wind is gone

Asleep at dawn

The embers burn on

With no reprise

The sun will rise

The long day is over

Peace and Hope!

JE

Another List

1. What curse word do you use the most?Shit! Self explanatory.
2. Do you own an iPod?No, but I have a MP3 player, red, with great tunes on it.
3. Who on your MySpace “Top 8” do you talk to the most?I don't MySpace
4. What time is your alarm clock set for?6:30 am for one more week!
5. What color is your room? White, ugly and I am changing it to gold with a red ceiling this summer.
6. Flip flops or sneakers?Love me some sandals, but "heart" my ol' sneaks.
7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?Take it.
8. What was the last movie you watched?Juno.
9. Do any of your friends have children? Most do. And even grandchildren.
10. Has anyone ever called you lazy?Probably, but they better not.
11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?Yes, 2 tylenol pm's most nights.
12. What CD is currently in your CD player?"Tapestry" by Carole King.
13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?I'm not a milk fan at all but if forced I drink chocolate
14. Has anyone told you a secret this week? Yes, but it wouldn't be a secret if I told.
15. Have you ever given someone a hickey?YES, a long,long time ago.
16. Who was the last person to call you?Lil Bro.
17. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?Oh,I hope so. While they are talking about me, they are leaving someone else alone.
18. Did you watch cartoons as a child?Yes, my brother and I walked a mile to the nearest neighbor who had T.V.
19. How many siblings do you have?1 bro (and a sister in law)
20. Are you shy around the opposite sex?Actually.... yes. Believe it or not, unitl we get acquainted, then of course they aren't strangers.
21. What movie do you know every line to?Dances With Wolves, except the Lakota.
22. Do you own any band t-shirts?NO
23. What is your favorite salad dressing?Bleu Cheese
24. Do you read for fun?Oh hella YES!
25. Do you cry a lot?Too much!
26. Who was the last person to text message you? I don't text.
27. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?I have a borrowed desktop "piece of SHIT" which I plan on replacing SOON!
28. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoo?Sometimes I think I would like a tat, but am I too old?
29. What is the weather like?Right now, 80 and sunny, expecting rain tonite.
30. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? NO
31. Is sex before marriage wrong?Is this a trick question? I now say "maybe not."
32. When was the last time you slept on the floor?The other night I stretched out in front of my space heater to watch TV and fell asleep. It was 40 degrees outside. Woke up hardly able to move.
33. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?I can get by with 4 or 5, but I really need 7 or 8 hours... otherwise I am crabby and say "shit" a lot more.
34. Are you in love or lust?Again, is this a trick question? Neither, dammit!
35. Are your days full and fast-paced?Full , and fast-paced enough for a guy of 63.
36. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?YEP
37. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?Just turned 63 last week.
38. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?Yes, and people think I am way over the top when I blog or email.
39. Have you ever been to Six Flags?Drove past it a couple of time. Does that count?
40. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?These days, in my dotage...both
41. Do you like cottage cheese?YUK!
42. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?Usually on my side.
43. Have you ever bid for something on eBay?no
44. Do you enjoy giving hugs?yes
45. What song did you last sing out loud?"I'll Be Seeing You."
46. What is your favorite TV show?Numb3rs
47. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with?John F. Kennedy
48. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach?Coming home from Texas on Amtrak.
49. What one thing do you wish you had?Money
50. Favorite lyrics?"Turn Me On" by Norah Jones. (Well, you asked!)

Things I Have Learned Recently

Through trial and error I learned some very helpful and interesting things lately.

• No matter how it is cooked, a TV dinner still tastes like wallpaper paste.
• Any kind of cheap wine goes with said TV dinner. Doesn't make it taste better, but less painful going down.
• I am no longer a good date for a 44 year old. Enough said!
• I still hate doing laundry.
• My favorite wine goes well with Fig Newtons.
• Vanilla Bean ice cream is the best.
• I really like Asian Cusine.
• One never has enough money. This month it's trying to decide whether to buy food or gas.
• 11 hours of work in one day is too much for someone my age.
• Walmart Super Stores are a thing to be avoided. I see too many things I want.
• Grocery shopping when I am hungry is a no-no.
• I really am enjoying working in my yard.
• I am really tired of rain.
• One can never have enough clean underwear.
• I need to watch closer how much toilet paper I have in stock.
• Sheets stay cleaner if I shower at night.
• Chocolate is still one of the five basic food groups.
• There is a big difference in being alone and being lonely.

That's about it. I will probably learn more as I wonder farther into this strange world.

Peace!

JE

What Was I Thinking???

I probably should not share this, but what was I thinking? Last night about 8 I decided to build a fire in my new outdoor fireplace. I built a nice little fire, grabbed a lawn chair and sat. I decided to smoke a cigar. Not something I do very often, but once in a while one is satisfying. I went into the house to get said cigar and decided to have a beer. Should have stopped there. But, being the not-so-wise semi adult that I am, I had another and then another . What started out as a peaceful evening of firewatching, turned into a total sloshing on "firewater." I started the evening with several beers in the fridge, now I only have one.
Today I paid the price. Cotton mouth, feeling like I could puke, headache, and all the rest of the stuff that goes along with a hangover. Boy was that a stupid move. (I contemplated staying home, but went to school as a punishment for my stupidity.)
I do remember yelling at the neighbor's dogs to "shut the f--k up at the top of my lungs. Didn't help. They just kept yapping. Maybe it was my mindless singing that was upsetting them.
Oh well, I learned a valuable lesson. I cannot handle much beer any more. I looked this evening and cannot find all the empty bottles. Not sure where I tossed them. I think I'm too old for this shit.

Lest you were wondering

I think I announced earlier that son Lil Bro and his lovely wife Sistah are expecting a baby, thus going to make me a grandfather again. (My only other grandchild is Kiddo, Prof's son who is now 15.) This is very exciting news, especially since according to the latest ultrasound photos, I am going to have a granddaughter! The kids informed me that her name is Kinsey Faye, and we are referring to her as Kinsey already. Up until now we have called her "Bump" or "Little Bit."
Now that everything seems more real, I am ready to get the cradle that Lil Bro had as a child down from the garage attic, dust it off, and get it into the living room. I told the kids that if they want to go out in the evening, I am the man who can babysit, and will make that my first priority.
A new life coming into this world. How wonderful! My only regret is that Tilly didn't live long enough to see this little one. But I know she is watching out for Sistah and the baby from somewhere out there. I have to believe that this is God's way of telling us all that things will be okay for us all in the future. After the year we have had, we can look forward to this exciting time, and know that God is good, all the time!

Ridin' the Rails

I have just returned from a trip to Texas on Amtrak. Though it was a very long journey, let me say, that if you have the chance to ride the rails, and are not in a hurry, do it. At least once!

I departed from a small station in northern Indiana, and railed into Union Station in Chicago. I didn't know anything about train travel. (The last time I rode on the train was a long time ago. I was maybe 10.) I stepped off the train in Chicago and immediately had to walk what seemed miles to the terminal for Amtrak. I did not have a bag on wheels, so I toted this heavy duffle over one shoulder while carrying a cooler and a carry-on bag in my hands.(the first purchase I made in Texas was a new piece of luggage with wheels!)
One nice thing about traveling by train, and being over 62, I got to board first. I found a good aisle seat, stashed my bags and got comfy and also acquainted with the people around me. Riding the rails was fun. The crew on the way to Texas was a good crew, very congenial, and fun to be around. The guy running the bar in the lounge car was a riot. I met several friendly people, and yes, I actually talked, and in some cases, even struck up conversations around me. It is easy to get a conversation started when you are traveling, because you have that in common with the people around you. Prof and Lil Bro both told me to not be shy and at least talk to people.

We were very late getting into Dallas, my destination, but we found out a few things about Amtrak that none of us knew. Amtrak leases the railroad space from Union Pacific Railroads. Part of the leasing agreement is that Amtrak has to give right-of-way to all freight trains. This means that we had to pull 0ver on sidings and let freight trains pass, or if there was double tracks, we slowed way down because of the closeness of the railcars and the sway of them. We could actually bump, but we were the ones always slowing or stopping. Which made us late. Then only 12 miles out of Dallas, we sat for almost 2 hours because Union Pacific was doing track work. But, all in all the trip down there was fun. I had motion sickness the second day out, so I didn't eat, which probably made it worse rather than better. I got some drammine for the trip home, and that stuff really works.
The trip home was even longer. I was disappointed in the train I was on. It wasn't very clean and the crew was fussier. Our car attendant, Morgana, was a real witch. She acted like she didn't like her job, didn't want to be there, and that everything she did for us was a real effort. She was not helpful at all, and when someone complained that it was too cold in the car, she did something to the heaters, and it got up over 90 in there. Finally after complaining to her about it without results, one of the passengers went to the conductor, complained about Morgana and her attitude and the heat, and he made it right.
We were over 6 hours late getting into Chicago on the return trip, making scads of people miss their connections. Amtrak offered to put us up in motels, pay us cash for meals and cab fares and get us going the next day. I just wanted to go home. Fortunately, there is a train that leaves Chicago at 10 PM nightly heading for NYC, and it stops at my station where Lil Bro was to pick me up. The nice lady at the Amtrak info center got me on it. Yeah rah! You go girl!
Not being a seasoned traveler like so many, I was nervous. I have not traveled anywhere for a long time, so I was lost when it came to finding out what I needed to know. The nicest thing was that the young man in the seat next to mine sensed how nervous I was, so when we got into the station, he took it upon himself to make sure I found someone to help me, then helped me find my gate and even found my train and departure time. Then he shook my hand, wished me well and disappeared to go his own way. I didn't even get his name, but I will never forget him. A young person helping an older, confused, tired adult. Living proof that there really are angels walking among us.
I arrived at my little Indiana station at the same time Lil Bro did. Perfect timing. I had a good time while I was gone, fodder for another blog, but was glad to get home. My shower and bed felt really good!

Another Movie

Tonight I watched "American Gangster" starring my very favorite Densel Washington, and Russell Crowe. It was okay. It was nice to see Crowe play a nice guy for a change. I hated his guts in "3:10 to Yuma." I don't like seeing Washington playing a thug. It's just out of character for him. The role of his mom was played by veteran actress Ruby Dee. What a gal. Still has that spark. This movie is worth watching, but allow lots of time. I didn't look at the jacket info to see how long it was, but it seemed VERY long. Might be good entertainment for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
JE

You Must See It!!!!

I just finished watching "August Rush!" It has to be the very best movie I have seen in a very long time. I usually don't review or even past judgement on a movie, but this one is "the best." Watch it!
JE

Recording, and recording, and recording.....

Today, my mixed quartet had their first ever recording sesson. We have been asked to perform for a very large group of professional educations from all around Area 52. We have to submit a demo recording to the committee who plan this event, so today was our first attempt at making a CD.
Now, our quartet has been together for seven year. We have performed all over the northern part of our state, and are pretty well known. But, we have never recorded.
So, we gathered, and each had our own mike, like ususal. Only this time we weren't singing to an audience. The first time through, I was so loud, I drowned out the rest of the group. My mike was too hot, I held it too close to my mouth, the sound man was puzzled with the play back, so we attempted it again. This time through, the bass was too loud, and so was the alto. So, we decided to switch to different miking system. So, Wednesday night at 9:00, we are having another go at it. This was not a professional studio, but we did have professional equipment and a semi pro running it for us. We were recording in our church's multipurpose activity center. It is new, has wonder acoustics, and a great sound system. It was an interesting experience. I have a new respect for singers who spend hours recording, and now know why sometimes it takes months to get a record(CD) out of the production room.
Fortunately, our bass knows two people on the committee for this group, so I guess we're in, even if our recording isn't too wonderful. I think they just want proof that we're not some "fly-by-night group.
Between now and Wednesday, I have to learn the words and music to four songs. Guess I'd better get busy.
JE

This and That

• For those of you who live in warmer climates....goodie for you. It's still colder than blue blazes here in Area 52.
• My diet was going great, but my scales seem to be stuck on 212 for some reason.
• I have my tickets purchased to head for Texas to visit my bro over spring break. I am going by Amtrak this time...not Grayhound. I think I would stay home if that was the only choice I had.
• I still don't have all my Christmas decorations put away. They are gathered by the back door, but the weather hasn't been good enough for me to want to spend the time trapsing back and forth to the garage to put them away.
• We only have about 12 weeks of school left.
• One of my former students, a guy who finally quit school at 16, ended up in reform school for a while, stopped by and shoveled me out the other day.
• My new grandbaby inutero is progressing nicely and is beginning to round out his mommie's tummy.
• My son finally gave up his second job. He has complained about it for years. I'm proud of him.
• Prof and Kiddo seem to be surviving out there in the middleofnowheremontana. Glad it's them and not me in those "way negative" wind chills.
• It's been 5 months and counting since losing Tilly, and I am still surviving. Damn I miss her!

Peace and love...

JE

Winter Blues or Blahs

God, it's cold. It has snowed off and on all the live long day. A while ago I looked out across the parking lot and it was snowing to beat the band. Now, the evening sun is out, and the snowfall looks all shades of blue. And everything looks so clean and pristine. But, it's still cold. I used to love winter, but I have come to loathe it now. I can't seem to get warm and stay warm. The only time I am truly warm is under my electric blanket turned up on 4 or 5. I get home from work, fix myself some supper and I just don't want to get back out and do anything else.
I am so looking forward to spring. I have a kazillion things I want to do outside. I am going to tear out some bushes, cut down two trees and strip the lattice off my porch. I want new flowers, and am going to move some of my perinnials into different locations. I plan all of this, but probably won't do it all. I do this every year when I get blue and the winter doldrums set in.
My students are tired of winter. They're tired of being cooped up inside and want for warmer weather, too. I think all of our minds are effected by the weather. The people I teach with are tired of the snow, slush, and cold, too.
As the days lengthen, I am encouraged that winter can't last much longer, and that spring has to be just around the corner. I am ready. I even heard the song of a cardinal the other day. I couldn't spot him, but I could hear him. I am hopeful. 2008 has to be a good year.
Peace...
JE

Lists! Lists! Lists! Will they ever stop?

Here's another list. They are fun and make it easier to get to know fellow bloggers. Some of this stuff you probably already know, but you might learn one new thing about me. Here goes!

Favorite Disney Movie:the original “Parent Trap” or “Swiss Family Robinson.

”Favorite smoothie flavor:I only make my own: Mango juice, frozen mixed fruit, Exotic Fruit sangria.

Favorite work of art:Diego Valezquez’s style is fantastic. Remmington’s western paintings are wonderful. I visited an art museum in Ft. Worth that had many of his original works. They are a sight to behold.

Dream Vacation:I would like to be able to spend as much time as I wanted in Key West walking on the warm sand and watching the sunsets. Also, I want to see the upper Rockie Mts. Sometime. Maybe possible this summer. Key West is only a dream!

Favorite historical character:Robin Hood…He was my kind of guy. Robbing from the rich was wrong, but because he helped out the poor, I can forgive him for that. He got the good looking woman in the end, too.

Favorite food:Steak, sweet potatoes, Peg’s “belly stickers.”

Favorite pie:Wick's Sugar Cream Pie, or dutch apple

Favorite flower:Just plain old lilacs

Left or right?write righty, do everything else lefty.

Bottom or top?If this means sex, I’ll take either, depends on the mood. I LOVE both, if memory serves me correctly.

Biggest frustrations:Lack of money when things are tight and not being able to help my kids out when they need it the most.

Any happy moment(s):Not lately, but I did chuckle watching “Will and Grace” the other night. I love a good joke, and hearing my kids at school actually learning something is sheer joy. Oh, and you should see my daughter-in-law since she found out she is expecting. Radiant!

Do you take vitamins?Yes, when I remember to do so.

Most frustrating technical equipment:The damn remote that goes with my new vcr/dvd player. I have better luck just doing it by hand. I sometimes trip the breaker when I use my electric skillet and the microwave at the same time. Of course, there’s always this damn computer which is a POS.

Where do you put spare change?I have an antique “Whitman’s Sampler” tin that is way old, and I don’t know where it came from, about half full of pennies. The rest is spent right out of my pocket.

Favorite song right now:I still love “Just to feel your love” by Garth Brooks from the “Hope Floats” soundtrack. And probably my all time fav is “Someone to Watch Over Me.” Especially the version from “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

Last stupid thing you did:Well, I went out for dinner with three good looking, much younger, women, two of them single, let them talk me into too much to drink, and probably said stuff that made me look like an old man trying to be young. What the “F__K” was I thinking!


Who/ What is on your wall calendar?In the laundry room I have a scenic calander from my friend Lynn’s insurance office. At school I have whatever calander Pepsi Cola gave each room.


What are you doing this weekend?Today we have no school, due to “midwinter break” so I am having lunch with my friend Cheryl. Tonight I am going out to dinner with my friends Lynn and Karen. Tomorrow I plan a trip to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Starbuck’s and a stop at either Steve and Barrys, or Old Navy (whoever has the best sales.) Sunday, I will go to church, and the rest of the day I had better do the household crap that accumulates while I am out having fun. No school on Monday either, so I forsee sleeping in and doing whatever comes along.


Most unusual gift?A hand carved diamond willow walking stick in the carving style of the Absarokee tribe. I love it and use it often during this crappy weather we have been having. This was a Christmas gift from Prof who wanted me to have something typical of Montana. Little did she know how much I would use it.


Alcoholic beverage:Like Prof, the best one is a free one, but I especially like Sam Adams Dark Lager, Coors Silver Bullet, Cutty Sark on the rocks with a lemon twist, and a good margarita on the rocks, with salted rim.


Favorite blog to read:Of course, my fav is Babble from Babbler, that goes without saying, but I like many. I miss Redneck Nerdboy and his humor. All in favor of him starting to write again, raise their hands!


Favorite article of clothing:Oh wow! Do I even have a favorite. Well, yeah, and I guess it’s a long sleeved navy blue tee shirt from WalMart. It has been worn and washed so many times that the neck band is frayed and it isn’t navy anymore but sort of a mottled blueish yuck color…but it goes good on a day off teamed with my favorite old faded baggy jeans from Dollar General. Yes, I do have nicer jeans, these are just my favorites. Isn’t that what the header said “favorite”.


Song you're listening to right now:No music on, no noise on, just the clatter of my PC keyboard and the sound of heat rushing through the furnace ducts. Maybe the fridge is running, too.


Interesting thing that happened to you today:Not a damn thing. Only been up an hour or so. Oh I did take a shower and put on clean clothes.


Speeding ticket?Never…knock on wood.

Guilty pleasure:Chocolate. I should cut back on the intake…going to be very hard, but did you know chocolate has masses of caffeine? I did, but I didn’t care.


What's one thing you wish you could do (talent/ hobby) that you can't?Play a sport. I have always been so very non-jock. I always envied my brother the classic “could play every sport, and did” athlete. I can play pool fairly well, or used to be able to.


Last movie watched in a theater:Charlie Wilson's War or National Treasure 2... Prof and I saw these at Christmas but I cannot remember the order we watched...

Last email received:From my cousin Rita who works for the FBI.

Last kiss:It involved 5 Hershey thingys given to me by my boss, Bev, at transit.


Who did you see in concert last:Way,way back, Tilly and I went to see the “Oakridge Boys.”

Favorite Color:RED

Cell phone:Yes- a trackphone, which reminds me, I am about out of minutes. Gotta stop at Walgreen’s and buy a 60 minute card.

Coffee:HELL YES! I have switched to DeCaf after the first cup of regular, but I still love the taste. I am searching for the perfect DeCaf beans to use in my grinder. This doesn’t mean that I am going to order DeCaf when I go to Starbucks. None of that “sissy” shit there. I want the real thing.

Just a Quick Ramdon Thought!

Ya know, you know you are getting up there when your "favorites" list contains the web sites to both local funeral homes. And you check them regularly. OMG! I've got to get out more!
Peace...
JE

And are you all as tired of Hilary and Obama as I am? Good grief, Charlie Brown. Enough is enough!

Very Sir Lord James the Assiduous of Tempting St Mary

Yep! This is my Royal title, according to the whomever! Right now, I don't think even St. Mary would be very tempted, however, she did marry a much older gent if memory serves me correctly. So maybe there is still hope for me.
Peace.....
JE

Weather, whether we like it or not!

After a few days respite from the deep freeze, with temps in the 40's, it's getting cold again. When I left my second job at 6 pm tonight, it was 42 degrees. And it was sprinkling kind of a half-assed rain. I went immediately to my church for a meeting. At 7:30, it was 36F and raining, thunder, lightening and the whole bit. Now, at 10:22 pm it is 20 degrees and snowing it's ass off out there. I can feel the house cooling down. The wind speed is about 50 mph and the temp is expected to drop even more until a +9F is reached by morning.
Professor called and was lamenting that it is VERY cold in Montana with temps not even reaching 0F today. How do those people stand -43F or lower? I cannot imagine it. I hate it when it's this cold. I cannot even think about living like that. Yet they do it everyday and don't think a thing about it. Tomorrow morning, we will probably have at least a 2 hour delay at school. Montanians don't ever miss school because of the cold. They did send the bus riding kids home early today because the diesel fuel on the busses gels when it gets that cold.
On the other hand, I talked to my brother in TX last night. Their weather is like my spring. In the 50's and 60's. My sister in law and her cousin went skiing in Colorado. I asked my brother why he didn't go along. His answer: "It's too effing cold." I invited him here to Area 52...same response.
You know, the older I get and the closer to retirement age I get, the better living in Fort Worth, TX sounds. I loved that town. I could live there in a heartbeat.
What was the point of this blog? Just a point made about weather, whether we like it or not, it's a way of life no matter where we live.
Peace...
JE

Another Confound List!

Say The First Thing(s) That Comes To Mind When You Hear:

..snow?:shovel

..rain?:leaks in the roof

.tornado?:wind

..summer love?:Jennifer ONeill

..Jon?:Elton

..Mike?:erphone

..Shea?:butter

..banana?:splits

..dizzy?:circles

..Laura?:Ingalls Wilder

..Juan?:Valdez

...car?:I wanna new one

..white?:Christmas

..peppermint?:Starbucks White Peppermint Mocha

..New Found Glory?:Retirement???

..placebo?:Coors Light longneck and dark chocolate

..orange juice?:heartburn

..candid camera?:my daughter-in-law and her new camera

..sister?:don’t have one, but a fine sister-in-law comes to mind

..brother?:great guy

..hate?:I'm having to deal with this right now!

..school?:job

..President?:Can we ever find a worthy candidate?

..football?:Colts and Packers forever!

..rap?:worst music (noise) ever

..pop?:corn

..rock?: and roll forever

..punk?:a few of my students

..sex?:whatiszat?

..death?: rather not even think about it right now!

..baby?: I'm gonna be a grandpa again

..duuude?:an expression I even use once in a while

..the end?:of what?

Household Chores

Since living alone, I have discovered that there are a few household chores that I HATE. They are as follows:

• Folding laundry. What a waste of time. I don't mind hanging the stuff that needs to be hung on hangers, but I hate folding towels and underclothes. Why not leave them in the baskets and just use out of there. What a novel idea. From now on, no folded skivvies for me.
• Buying groceries. I hate this job. I don't know one brand from another, so I buy what ever is on sale. I hate putting them away when I get them home. But I like to cook and eat, so I guess buying the raw materials is necessary.
• Emptying the dishwasher. This rates right up there with root canals. Again, what a waste. Why put the dishes back in the cupboard when I am just going to remove them and use them again. So, I usually use out of it, and stack the dirty dishes until I get a sink full, then I empty what is left in the dishwasher, and fill it. Works for me.

Today I actually got out the iron and ironing board and pressed 3 shirts. I also got out the sewing machine and am going to attempt to shorten a pair of pants. Don't know how that will go, but surely, with the instruction book in hand and a good pair of scissors, it hadn't ought to be too difficult.

I am learning. It is possible to teach an "old dog new tricks."

JE

Reading

With all the flap by fellow bloggers about what they are reading, I decided to share what I am reading. I am not going to start a literary blog, but I will just tell ya all what I have just read and what I thought about it.



Since January 1, I have read two novels.

#1. Patriot Acts by Greg Rucka. This is a "series" noel about Atticus Kodiak. Atticus is usually a robust, active jock-type character who is a bodyguard. In this novel, I detected a lot of whining and sniveling by Atticus. Now, this is just my opinion, but I have read better Rucka novels. Once in a while, an author writes because he needs cash. I wonder if this was the case. The storyline was boring, and slow moving. I read it, but I didn't especially like it. But, I am a Rucka fan, so I persisted.



#2. Shoot Him If He Runs by Stuart Woods. This was an excellent read. Again, it was a "series" novel. Stone Barrington, one of my favorite characters, was sent to a remote island, run by a Prime Minister, who was more like a dictator, to find a murderer. It was loaded with action, political overtones, and excitment. The political overtones, turned into the main action, going all the way to the White House. It ended well. I look forward to another visit with Stone in the near future.



JE

NFL

I am not particularly a fan of the NFL, but today with our COLTS playing the CHARGERS, I am watching. I have only one thing to say:

Go COLTS!

Peace...
JE

In My Room

The words to this old Beach Boys song keep coming back to me, echoing how I feel at this very moment.

There's a world
where I can go and
tell my secrets to
In my room, in my room

In this world
I lock out all my
worries and my fears
In my room, in my room

Do my dreaming
and my scheming
Lie awake and pray
Do my crying
and my sighing
Laugh at yesterday

Now its dark
and I'm alone
But I won't be afraid
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room
In my room, in my room.

Why is it that, even though I now have the entire house to myself, I am the most comfortable in "my room." It's small, very nondescript, has only two windows, neither of which have any kind of a view, has rather ugly carpet on the floor, and needs paint on the walls. Still, when I am in there, I feel like I can hide away from all the ugliness in my life. I can bury myself in sorrow, and no one can hear me, I can immerse myself in a good book, stretched out on my bed, or I can sleep. I do a lot of sleeping! Probably too much. But when the world seems to be closing in on me, and becomes more than I think I can handle, I want to be in my room. There, I am away from the things that frighten me the most. There I feel safe.
Peace...
JE