2016
Driving Ms Daisy
02/09/16 09:30
Try as I might I cannot get Nancy to agree to go to dinner with her sister and her mother by herself (without me.) I’m just not interested in going. Not sure there is any other way to put it. This is your mother we’re talking about for christ sakes. These are her personal, private, and family issues which I’m certain she wants to discuss at length with you and your sister. I want no part of that discussion and, furthermore, I want your mom to feel free to have a frank discussion with her daughters if that is what she wants to do. There is nothing whatsoever that she has to say that involves me one way or another and if there were I would have to respectfully decline or otherwise deny requests made and ask that she make other arrangements that do not include me. But this aversion to going it alone is a little weird if not concerning. It’s nothing new and it is something that has always struck me as a little odd but you kind of go along for the ride as husbands do and suck it up if necessary. Well, we’re getting down to it now with her mom getting on in years so it makes sense that she would spend more time with her and do that alone if necessary. Not so much and not so fast is what I’m hearing from my better half. So, for the time being, I’ll join the fray and do my best to play the disinterested party. That would not be Nancy’s preference but it’s my way of meeting her half way. I would still prefer not to be there.
And I am not going to be one of those frumpy mother fuckers who drives his wife around and waits on a nearby bench while she shops or dallies endlessly. If she asks me one more time about driving she and her sister and or mother to Reds Shoe barn I think I’m going to lose my mind. How many ways can a guy say “no?” What do I look like? A taxi driver? Switching gears here for a minute, I think I’m starting to make some serious headway when and where it comes to getting in shape this summer. I’m riding up a storm on my bike, getting to the gym to do weights and the treadmill at least every other day, and I think it’s starting to pay dividends. I would say that I feel better but you might ask this question: better than what? Better than before? Who remembers what I felt like before? The challenge now, as we go into Fall, will be to stay on top of the regimen and I think having one toe in the gym all the time will make that transition that much easier. The third leg of that three legged stool is diet and I’m as divested in a bad diet as a man can be under the circumstances. My diet is practically free of sugar, devoid of grains the likes of which you might find in a generic loaf of bread, but not entirely free of processed foods which is a small but necessary accommodation. In other words, I’ve not gone full paleo. Stranger things have happened so it’s important to keep an open mind.
I’m so exited to hear that they opened a Marriot Courtyard in Lake George, NY. I like that chain and I don’t think we’ve ever been entirely satisfied with places that we’ve stayed over the years when visiting family and friends in the area so it’s good to know we have yet another arrow in our quiver should we wish to use it. Besides, they serve Starbucks coffee so what’s not to like. I brought my Volvo in to the local automotive shop this morning because my dashboard lights have been acting erratically for a while now and more recently I’ve been having periodic acceleration issues. I can live with the lights but the acceleration issue is a problem so I thought I might drop in and have my car guy take a look under the hood as it were. I had a James Taylor cd in the drive and it was playing the 12th song on the “October Road” album which just happens to be a christmas song. I usually skip over the stupid thing when it comes on but didn’t have the chance now that the mechanic was sitting in the drivers seat checking the codes with his gauge. I’m thinking to myself nothing spells nutty like a guy playing christmas music in September and I found myself wishing that I had turned off the player before pulling into the shop. He looks up at me over his glasses and says in a rather flat but curious tone, “not many people I know listen to christmas music this time of year.” Busted!
And I am not going to be one of those frumpy mother fuckers who drives his wife around and waits on a nearby bench while she shops or dallies endlessly. If she asks me one more time about driving she and her sister and or mother to Reds Shoe barn I think I’m going to lose my mind. How many ways can a guy say “no?” What do I look like? A taxi driver? Switching gears here for a minute, I think I’m starting to make some serious headway when and where it comes to getting in shape this summer. I’m riding up a storm on my bike, getting to the gym to do weights and the treadmill at least every other day, and I think it’s starting to pay dividends. I would say that I feel better but you might ask this question: better than what? Better than before? Who remembers what I felt like before? The challenge now, as we go into Fall, will be to stay on top of the regimen and I think having one toe in the gym all the time will make that transition that much easier. The third leg of that three legged stool is diet and I’m as divested in a bad diet as a man can be under the circumstances. My diet is practically free of sugar, devoid of grains the likes of which you might find in a generic loaf of bread, but not entirely free of processed foods which is a small but necessary accommodation. In other words, I’ve not gone full paleo. Stranger things have happened so it’s important to keep an open mind.
I’m so exited to hear that they opened a Marriot Courtyard in Lake George, NY. I like that chain and I don’t think we’ve ever been entirely satisfied with places that we’ve stayed over the years when visiting family and friends in the area so it’s good to know we have yet another arrow in our quiver should we wish to use it. Besides, they serve Starbucks coffee so what’s not to like. I brought my Volvo in to the local automotive shop this morning because my dashboard lights have been acting erratically for a while now and more recently I’ve been having periodic acceleration issues. I can live with the lights but the acceleration issue is a problem so I thought I might drop in and have my car guy take a look under the hood as it were. I had a James Taylor cd in the drive and it was playing the 12th song on the “October Road” album which just happens to be a christmas song. I usually skip over the stupid thing when it comes on but didn’t have the chance now that the mechanic was sitting in the drivers seat checking the codes with his gauge. I’m thinking to myself nothing spells nutty like a guy playing christmas music in September and I found myself wishing that I had turned off the player before pulling into the shop. He looks up at me over his glasses and says in a rather flat but curious tone, “not many people I know listen to christmas music this time of year.” Busted!
Cuck a Doodle Do
26/08/16 07:37
It’s very exciting hearing what I’m hearing about democrats, lifelong and other, who are planning to vote for Donald Trump (Republican) this Fall. It’s heartening to know that there are good and decent americans who care enough about their political party and their country to stand up and vote their conscience when faced with the prospects of seeing a grifter and unindicted criminal the likes of Hillary Clinton represent our great country as President of the United States. Granted, there are any number of disenchanted republicans who have vowed as well to never vote for Donald Trump as he simply doesn’t hold what they consider to be the appropriate conservative values as defined by the far right wing of the republican party. The latter group for the most part has not said that they plan to vote for Clinton but will be voting for congressional and senatorial candidates if for no other reason than to ensure that their representatives up and down the ticket get into office. Donald Trump is making a concerted effort to reach out to black and latino constituencies with the message that continuing to vote for democrats will do nothing to overcome the decades of poverty, crime, and increase in illegal immigration which their party has seen under democratic leadership. “What the hell do you have to lose?”, he asks aloud with outstretched arms from the podium before a cast of adoring fans who have come to hear him speak. There were another 30,000 fans watching a simulcast of the event on the web. Never mind that the crowds are predominately white.
Fact of the matter is that when all is said and done he is likely to get a larger proportion of black and hispanic votes than any prior republican who has ever run for the presidency of the United States. This has the democrats in panic mode since without these constituencies going out to vote in large numbers come November their nominee will be toast. One only has to tune in to the major cable networks like MSNBC, FOX, and CNN to see just how frantic the Clinton pantywaists are about these latest developments in the Trump campaign. They long for the days of Mitt Romney who they excoriated mercilessly when he ran as the republican candidate in 2012 against Obama. Not only will their base not show up but those who do show up are likely to be less than enthusiastic given that her nomination was a sham perpetrated from day one by the leaders in her party. If you have any doubts about that just ask Bernie “Feel the bern” Sanders.
Thankfully, with the able assistance of WikiLeaks and a handful of hackers both national and international we discovered that the very heart and soul of the democratic party as seen from the hacked e-mails and phone recordings was not what it seemed and it was and is very dark indeed. Those exposed were not exposed in time to help Bernie Sanders but the revelations have left a greasy film on the already sleazy veneer of what’s left of the democratic party now headed up by Hillary Clinton. Simply put, their chickens have come home to roost in the infamous words of Reverend Wright. “Cuck”-a-doodle-do. Any Cuck will do.
Aside from the health benefits that one derives from exercises like bike riding, I find that taking a bike ride is a good way to gauge my energy levels in a way that is absent or missing from most other physical activities. Without constant feedback on such things it is easy to get lulled into thinking that I am getting as much exercise as I need or that my energy levels are sustainable and appropriate to most tasks in and around the house. Other influences including weather, diet, and opportunity play into the overall picture but unless you get to the point where you need to tap those reserves of additional energy you just don’t know where you stand. Case in point is today’s planned ride. It is a cool late August day here on the seacoast and there is no reason why I shouldn’t expect to get in an extended ride one way or another. Extended meaning that I’ll add extra miles by going down Hampton way or well past the horse farm on Atlantic ave before turning up towards Hampton rather than sticking with the standard ride. I can tell immediately when I get on my bike just how well I’m feeling and know with some degree of certainty that I will be doing the extended ride or not. I simply don’t know that as I sit here putting these words down on paper. Do I feel up to a having a good ride? Yes. Is there any reason that I would not have such a ride? No. Will I know until I get out there? No.
I am also very interested in knowing more about the types of food required in order to maintain reasonable energy levels. Too much of this or too much of that is a good place to start that thought process. Everything in moderation. That includes the nastiest of foods like hot dogs which probably won’t kill you in the long run and taste pretty good if you slap a little relish and mustard on the darn things. I haven’t decided which I like better: grilled or boiled. I think chicken is a sure bet for good protein so ought to keep some of that on hand. Trader Joe’s has grilled chicken strips available which comes in handy for a quick snack. That reminds me. I have a couple of avocados in the fridge that are getting softer by the day so I may have some of that for lunch. Do I make a guacamole? Eat it plain with a little lime and a dash of pepper? I like to have it with black beans and salsa sometimes so before this day gets too long in the tooth I’m going to stick a can of beans in the fridge in anticipation of making that oh-so-simple dish.
Jesus. Those blueberries I bought yesterday are a little tart. Ya think? Plump? Yes. Juicy? Yes. Tart? You bet your ass. I’m thinking about returning them. WTF. Can’t wait try the Tanzanian coffee I bought from Trader Joes the other day. I love the crazy way they describe coffee these days. “Highlighting the earthy and fruity tones for which this region’s coffees are renowned.” It better have a kick. No, it better have a jolt that leaves my eyelids unable to wink for as long as that cup of coffee stays hot. I guess it depends on how quickly I drink it. Did I tell you that I tried Dunkin Donut’s Cold Brew? Not bad. Don’t usually have DD coffee but I do like cold brew so gave it a whirl. Good stuff.
Fact of the matter is that when all is said and done he is likely to get a larger proportion of black and hispanic votes than any prior republican who has ever run for the presidency of the United States. This has the democrats in panic mode since without these constituencies going out to vote in large numbers come November their nominee will be toast. One only has to tune in to the major cable networks like MSNBC, FOX, and CNN to see just how frantic the Clinton pantywaists are about these latest developments in the Trump campaign. They long for the days of Mitt Romney who they excoriated mercilessly when he ran as the republican candidate in 2012 against Obama. Not only will their base not show up but those who do show up are likely to be less than enthusiastic given that her nomination was a sham perpetrated from day one by the leaders in her party. If you have any doubts about that just ask Bernie “Feel the bern” Sanders.
Thankfully, with the able assistance of WikiLeaks and a handful of hackers both national and international we discovered that the very heart and soul of the democratic party as seen from the hacked e-mails and phone recordings was not what it seemed and it was and is very dark indeed. Those exposed were not exposed in time to help Bernie Sanders but the revelations have left a greasy film on the already sleazy veneer of what’s left of the democratic party now headed up by Hillary Clinton. Simply put, their chickens have come home to roost in the infamous words of Reverend Wright. “Cuck”-a-doodle-do. Any Cuck will do.
Aside from the health benefits that one derives from exercises like bike riding, I find that taking a bike ride is a good way to gauge my energy levels in a way that is absent or missing from most other physical activities. Without constant feedback on such things it is easy to get lulled into thinking that I am getting as much exercise as I need or that my energy levels are sustainable and appropriate to most tasks in and around the house. Other influences including weather, diet, and opportunity play into the overall picture but unless you get to the point where you need to tap those reserves of additional energy you just don’t know where you stand. Case in point is today’s planned ride. It is a cool late August day here on the seacoast and there is no reason why I shouldn’t expect to get in an extended ride one way or another. Extended meaning that I’ll add extra miles by going down Hampton way or well past the horse farm on Atlantic ave before turning up towards Hampton rather than sticking with the standard ride. I can tell immediately when I get on my bike just how well I’m feeling and know with some degree of certainty that I will be doing the extended ride or not. I simply don’t know that as I sit here putting these words down on paper. Do I feel up to a having a good ride? Yes. Is there any reason that I would not have such a ride? No. Will I know until I get out there? No.
I am also very interested in knowing more about the types of food required in order to maintain reasonable energy levels. Too much of this or too much of that is a good place to start that thought process. Everything in moderation. That includes the nastiest of foods like hot dogs which probably won’t kill you in the long run and taste pretty good if you slap a little relish and mustard on the darn things. I haven’t decided which I like better: grilled or boiled. I think chicken is a sure bet for good protein so ought to keep some of that on hand. Trader Joe’s has grilled chicken strips available which comes in handy for a quick snack. That reminds me. I have a couple of avocados in the fridge that are getting softer by the day so I may have some of that for lunch. Do I make a guacamole? Eat it plain with a little lime and a dash of pepper? I like to have it with black beans and salsa sometimes so before this day gets too long in the tooth I’m going to stick a can of beans in the fridge in anticipation of making that oh-so-simple dish.
Jesus. Those blueberries I bought yesterday are a little tart. Ya think? Plump? Yes. Juicy? Yes. Tart? You bet your ass. I’m thinking about returning them. WTF. Can’t wait try the Tanzanian coffee I bought from Trader Joes the other day. I love the crazy way they describe coffee these days. “Highlighting the earthy and fruity tones for which this region’s coffees are renowned.” It better have a kick. No, it better have a jolt that leaves my eyelids unable to wink for as long as that cup of coffee stays hot. I guess it depends on how quickly I drink it. Did I tell you that I tried Dunkin Donut’s Cold Brew? Not bad. Don’t usually have DD coffee but I do like cold brew so gave it a whirl. Good stuff.
Driverless Cars and Rotten Tomatoes
22/08/16 06:50
I’ve been meaning to download the Uber app and get it on my phone in the event I have an emergency on the road. In this post-telephone booth age we live in where you couldn’t find a telephone booth if your life depended on it I’m willing to go with the flow and buy into the best alternatives available. Uber, of course, is the latest version of the checker taxi cabs but without the checkers and with drivers that you might otherwise mistake for one of your neighbors or simply the man or woman living down the street who has fallen on hard times and is looking to pick up a few extra dollars by moonlighting as a cab driver. I was telling Nancy the other day that we ought to take a dry run. Download the app, contact a driver, and have them take us some place. Anyplace.
It’s a fanciful idea and one that might well provide us with the appropriate insights so we can do this in a pinch without the additional anxiety that goes along with doing something radically new. Just don’t need that extra layer of nonsense if and when the time comes where we have to do it. And now Uber comes out and says that they will be utilizing driverless vehicles in the future. That technology is not in widespread use but it has to be bad news for drivers who have come to see Uber as a last resort when it comes to making ends meet. I’ll not be getting in any driverless cars anytime soon so no worries there. My suggestion would be to prop up a mannequin or robot behind the wheel for a time until people are more accepting of the technology. The look and feel of the future is going to be different. Get used to it.
If it’s August then it’s time for World Series Little League. It is one of Nancy’s all time favorite shows to watch on television. We don’t subscribe to ESPN so will have to catch the show on the major networks (ABC) over the weekend. The regionals are a wrap and New England is represented by Rhode Island this year at the World Series of Little League baseball in Williamsport, PA.. It doesn’t look good for them, quite frankly, and they will likely be eliminated today (they won!) in a second round elimination game. Aside from the home town favorites, which might be a bit of a stretch but is still near and dear to Nancy’s heart given that she spent her formative years growing up but a stone’s throw away from Rhode Island in Southern Massachusetts, there are plenty of other interesting rivalries to follow.
I’m not entirely sure what Nancy sees in all of this but I go along because that is what dutiful husbands do. I recently suggested that we take a trip to Pennsylvania sometime to see this live and that seemed to catch her attention. As for the subscription to ESPN, we looked into it a little bit but couldn’t justify upgrading anything since we just don’t watch enough television of any kind that would warrant spending the extra money. Maybe it all just reminds Nancy of Evan’s time playing little league and that’s fine. I’m infinitely less nostalgic about such things but indulge her at every turn if that is what pleases her. And it does so I do.
I am trying very hard not to get caught up in all the machinations around Nancy’s mom’s move to Exeter. It’s none of my business and I want no part of it. Don’t ask for my advice and don’t look to me for assistance. If asked, my eyes will gloss over with disinterest until you go away. She has three capable, strong, and resourceful children to assist her so she is in good hands. For those things that her children cannot manage, other options are likely available. If obstacles arise, they need to overcome them. They will find a way. This may seem selfish on my part but I think keeping a safe distance from all of it will in the end prove to be the right decision. It may not endear me to those closest to the matter but that is something I can and will live with.
As for things in the house that I may or may not want should they be offered I would simply say again that I want nothing to do with anything in the move or the house and that includes removing things from the house for my own personal edification. I offer no judgments one way or the other on choices made by others in this regard so they can do as they wish or as it pleases them. Her mom’s move is a good one and the time is right for such a move. Maintaining your independence as you get older is important and this is a necessary step toward that end for Mrs G. She is in the midst of a maelstrom when and where it comes to making decisions around this move but she is an organized and willful person so has the requisite skills and mindset to deal with everything. Short of ending up with a parking spot that is a rather long walk from her unit, I expect she will land on both feet once settled.
There are times when being the kid with deep pockets in the candy store of his choice isn’t all it is cracked up to be. That is especially true when that very same kid, knowing full well that he can afford any candy that strikes his fancy, decides to walk out of the store without so much as a single piece of penny candy in his pocket. Nothing. Not an Atomic Fireball; not a Mary Jane; not a root beer barrel; and not even a Tootsie Roll. It has less to do with self discipline and infinitely more to do with the cumulative disinterest that comes from seeing and sensing a constant barrage of subliminal and less-than-subliminal marketing techniques employed by the vendors of these products. They have one purpose in mind and one purpose only; to separate you from your money. Perhaps secondarily, to buy their products rather than the products from their competitors.
This is true whether it be vendors plying their wares at the local farmers market on Saturday morning here in Portsmouth, NH, or the larger and more commercial and practiced purveyors of sporting goods such as Kittery Trading Post in southern Maine which we visited last evening on a wild Saturday night out on the town (don’t laugh.) Maybe the only logical rationale is that if you can’t have everything then you shouldn’t buy anything. That’s a perfectly Amish viewpoint. No? A discriminating shopper might well scoff at my more than self serving assessment but I’m sticking with it. Then again, if the price is right all bets are off. I’ll have 5 fireballs and a Mary Jane to go.
I overheard one vendor at the Farmer’s Market yesterday telling his neighbor that he liked the design of his shelving construction in the small space afforded him at the Marketplace. He marveled aloud at the thought process which produced a layout of his goods that was conducive to facilitating the flow of traffic at his cart thereby increasing the likelihood of selling his products. There was no mention of the products themselves perhaps out of professional courtesy. I found little of interest at the marketplace but was otherwise captivated by the colors, fragrances, and bounty of the produce on display. We are at a tipping point from a seasonality standpoint and the amount of produce still available just minutes away from closing time told me and others all we needed to know about just how successful the growing season has been here in Southern New Hampshire despite the lack of rain this season.
It seemed particularly wasteful to me that they had so much produce still on hand at closing time. I suppose if they lowered their prices at closing time to get rid of it then folks wouldn’t shop until the very last minute and that might prove to be counterproductive. Still, these are perishable goods we’re talking about. Tomatoes, and to a lesser extent corn, were stacked everywhere; on carts; in buckets; in wagons; and on display vertically and horizontally as far as the eye could see. Maybe they end up as feed for the hogs back on the farm or fodder for the local food pantries if they go unsold. We made no purchases and thus made no contributions to the local economy but otherwise enjoyed our time at the Marketplace on a late August morning where skies were overcast, the air cool, and local commerce alive and well despite the obvious oversupply of certain fruits and vegetables.
It’s a fanciful idea and one that might well provide us with the appropriate insights so we can do this in a pinch without the additional anxiety that goes along with doing something radically new. Just don’t need that extra layer of nonsense if and when the time comes where we have to do it. And now Uber comes out and says that they will be utilizing driverless vehicles in the future. That technology is not in widespread use but it has to be bad news for drivers who have come to see Uber as a last resort when it comes to making ends meet. I’ll not be getting in any driverless cars anytime soon so no worries there. My suggestion would be to prop up a mannequin or robot behind the wheel for a time until people are more accepting of the technology. The look and feel of the future is going to be different. Get used to it.
If it’s August then it’s time for World Series Little League. It is one of Nancy’s all time favorite shows to watch on television. We don’t subscribe to ESPN so will have to catch the show on the major networks (ABC) over the weekend. The regionals are a wrap and New England is represented by Rhode Island this year at the World Series of Little League baseball in Williamsport, PA.. It doesn’t look good for them, quite frankly, and they will likely be eliminated today (they won!) in a second round elimination game. Aside from the home town favorites, which might be a bit of a stretch but is still near and dear to Nancy’s heart given that she spent her formative years growing up but a stone’s throw away from Rhode Island in Southern Massachusetts, there are plenty of other interesting rivalries to follow.
I’m not entirely sure what Nancy sees in all of this but I go along because that is what dutiful husbands do. I recently suggested that we take a trip to Pennsylvania sometime to see this live and that seemed to catch her attention. As for the subscription to ESPN, we looked into it a little bit but couldn’t justify upgrading anything since we just don’t watch enough television of any kind that would warrant spending the extra money. Maybe it all just reminds Nancy of Evan’s time playing little league and that’s fine. I’m infinitely less nostalgic about such things but indulge her at every turn if that is what pleases her. And it does so I do.
I am trying very hard not to get caught up in all the machinations around Nancy’s mom’s move to Exeter. It’s none of my business and I want no part of it. Don’t ask for my advice and don’t look to me for assistance. If asked, my eyes will gloss over with disinterest until you go away. She has three capable, strong, and resourceful children to assist her so she is in good hands. For those things that her children cannot manage, other options are likely available. If obstacles arise, they need to overcome them. They will find a way. This may seem selfish on my part but I think keeping a safe distance from all of it will in the end prove to be the right decision. It may not endear me to those closest to the matter but that is something I can and will live with.
As for things in the house that I may or may not want should they be offered I would simply say again that I want nothing to do with anything in the move or the house and that includes removing things from the house for my own personal edification. I offer no judgments one way or the other on choices made by others in this regard so they can do as they wish or as it pleases them. Her mom’s move is a good one and the time is right for such a move. Maintaining your independence as you get older is important and this is a necessary step toward that end for Mrs G. She is in the midst of a maelstrom when and where it comes to making decisions around this move but she is an organized and willful person so has the requisite skills and mindset to deal with everything. Short of ending up with a parking spot that is a rather long walk from her unit, I expect she will land on both feet once settled.
There are times when being the kid with deep pockets in the candy store of his choice isn’t all it is cracked up to be. That is especially true when that very same kid, knowing full well that he can afford any candy that strikes his fancy, decides to walk out of the store without so much as a single piece of penny candy in his pocket. Nothing. Not an Atomic Fireball; not a Mary Jane; not a root beer barrel; and not even a Tootsie Roll. It has less to do with self discipline and infinitely more to do with the cumulative disinterest that comes from seeing and sensing a constant barrage of subliminal and less-than-subliminal marketing techniques employed by the vendors of these products. They have one purpose in mind and one purpose only; to separate you from your money. Perhaps secondarily, to buy their products rather than the products from their competitors.
This is true whether it be vendors plying their wares at the local farmers market on Saturday morning here in Portsmouth, NH, or the larger and more commercial and practiced purveyors of sporting goods such as Kittery Trading Post in southern Maine which we visited last evening on a wild Saturday night out on the town (don’t laugh.) Maybe the only logical rationale is that if you can’t have everything then you shouldn’t buy anything. That’s a perfectly Amish viewpoint. No? A discriminating shopper might well scoff at my more than self serving assessment but I’m sticking with it. Then again, if the price is right all bets are off. I’ll have 5 fireballs and a Mary Jane to go.
I overheard one vendor at the Farmer’s Market yesterday telling his neighbor that he liked the design of his shelving construction in the small space afforded him at the Marketplace. He marveled aloud at the thought process which produced a layout of his goods that was conducive to facilitating the flow of traffic at his cart thereby increasing the likelihood of selling his products. There was no mention of the products themselves perhaps out of professional courtesy. I found little of interest at the marketplace but was otherwise captivated by the colors, fragrances, and bounty of the produce on display. We are at a tipping point from a seasonality standpoint and the amount of produce still available just minutes away from closing time told me and others all we needed to know about just how successful the growing season has been here in Southern New Hampshire despite the lack of rain this season.
It seemed particularly wasteful to me that they had so much produce still on hand at closing time. I suppose if they lowered their prices at closing time to get rid of it then folks wouldn’t shop until the very last minute and that might prove to be counterproductive. Still, these are perishable goods we’re talking about. Tomatoes, and to a lesser extent corn, were stacked everywhere; on carts; in buckets; in wagons; and on display vertically and horizontally as far as the eye could see. Maybe they end up as feed for the hogs back on the farm or fodder for the local food pantries if they go unsold. We made no purchases and thus made no contributions to the local economy but otherwise enjoyed our time at the Marketplace on a late August morning where skies were overcast, the air cool, and local commerce alive and well despite the obvious oversupply of certain fruits and vegetables.
The Birds and the Bees
16/08/16 07:59
Nancy asked me if I wanted her to order me a “Trump for President” tee shirt. I had to think about that one for a minute. What if I were to wear it and some leftie decided that they didn’t like it. Worse yet, they might take it upon themselves to see to it that the messenger (that would be me) get a proper beating or tongue lashing on behalf of their candidate, the ever offensive and always corrupt Hillary Clinton. To not say or do anything would be less than true to their cause. They are, after all, anarchists at heart and faithful followers of Saul Alinsky so no action is considered too radical when it comes to protecting the status quo. The status quo, in case you’re curious, as represented by the two term administration of one Barrack Hussein Obama. While many Trump supporters are closeted in their passion for their candidate to avoid any and all such conflicts, taking a stand is on occasion the right thing to do. I told her to go ahead and order the damn thing. I may not wear it when we’re traveling through Vermont on our way to Lake George, although riling those pinko draft dodgers would give me pleasure beyond description, I think it is my patriotic duty to fly the colors of the opposition just to let the world know that the opposition, patriotic and passionate in their support for their candidate, is alive in well in our nation. They may not like it but we will not be silenced. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Oh, and if they have any magnetized bumper stickers, get me one of there too. The last one I had was not magnetized and it made a holy mess when I tried to take it off the car. Let’s be more careful this time.
I told Nancy that she and I would have to have a “come to Jesus” discussion about biking if she were to stop working and be home full time. While we bike together on those days she has off, I do my own thing on the days she goes to work. That typically means riding longer and perhaps harder and were she to be riding with me she would soon fall behind and likely remain out of sight for the duration of the ride. I’m always mindful when I am riding with her to never let her fall too far behind and I am forever the doting, watchful, and protective husband so I am in a word, distracted. Distracted doesn’t do the trick for me when it comes to chasing the elusive endorphins that I so desperately seek. When your body is saying one thing and your mind is telling you another, it’s best to let the chemicals do their thing and if it’s an extended ride you are looking for that is more than likely going to occur if the endorphins are allowed to kick in. I haven’t quite figured out how to conjure up those mythical molecules but I do know that riding longer and harder tends to produce them when doing the opposite does not. It’s that second wind, that burst of mental and physical energy that any athlete with his or her salt, will tell you makes the difference between having a superb ride and having an otherwise decent ride or just having a ride for rides sake if that makes any sense. Nancy is better than most when it comes to giving her man his personal space so this was an easy conversation to have. Then again, such conversations in the abstract are always easy to have. I guess we’ll have to see.
I have to laugh. We were having dinner with a person who shall go unnamed and she was expressing her outrage at the fact that her bank took a whole SEVEN MINUTES to answer her telephone call the other day. It was a classic John Kerry-esque “do you know who I am” moment.” All I could think of was that she and her bank had two very different ideas about valuations and what it takes to be considered a valued customer in the eyes of this financial institution. I’m not saying that I agree with either of the two parties involved. Were I to have my druthers, I would ask that the bank respond the same way regardless of the amount of money the person held in their account. And to suggest that the bank makes a value judgment with each incoming call based on the size of the customers holdings is pure folly. Those truly deserving of that kind of attention (billionaires?) are probably not calling the main line hoping that Sally Joe is on her toes that day and dicing through incoming calls like a hot knife through butter. They have their financial advisers calling for them and I’m also guessing that they are not calling into the main switchboard. Our perturbed dining partner readily admitted that she hasn’t always been this way but didn’t go out of her way to explain why this was now and all of a sudden an issue of seemingly epic proportions. She did say that she gave them a piece of her mind so they may or may not take that to heart. You know what they say about the greasy wheel. Experiencing consternation at any age can be bad for your health so I trust this issue will wane and wither in short order and everyone can get down to the business at hand whatever that may be. “I’ll have the fried haddock tenders”, she proclaimed. “Would you like coleslaw or fries with that?”, the waitress asked.
I’d had enough and I finally took matters into my own hands. We have a hummingbird feeder outside our bedroom window where we can keep an eye on the comings and goings of the local hummingbird populations. Truth be told I think we have the same little fellas coming and going year in and year out. They migrate incredible distances twice a year so the least we can do is to see to it that they have a ready supply of food here at our home where they spend their summer months. I’ve had a good mind to photograph them or at a minimum to single out their telltale markings that identify them as unique and individual. In other words, I believe them to be the same birds that come and go each year but have yet to prove that fact. One thing I noticed this year is that the local bee population has taken a liking to the sugary syrup that oozes from the openings on the feeder and that is in direct conflict with the interests of the hummingbirds. So much so that the hummingbirds approach the feeder very reluctantly when the bees are feeding and the bees seem to be chasing off the birds when they do approach either out of competition for the food or simply because they are an irritable lot as bees can certainly be. We are much too much enamored of our hummingbird friends to see them battling for the sweet nectar we’ve prepared for them to allow this to happen. Bees be gone!
Since swatting them with a newspaper would likely knock the feeder off its perch I’ve decided to use a rather novel if not particularly humane approach to getting rid of them. Yes, we’ll call it the “Hoover” approach. I simply vacuum them off the feeder. It is easier said than done and sneaking up on them takes a certain amount of cunning but I think I have it down. When they realize that they are in the eye of a storm and facing a fate perhaps worth than death itself they cling to the feeder with all the might they can muster but the swirling and persistent suction of the machine shows them not an ounce of mercy and then they are gone. Gone into the machine as it were and never to come out (I make sure of this by sticking a sock in the end of the hose.) This is science at its best. Bees are infinitely more expendable than hummingbirds in my humble opinion. That said, I go out of my way to leave bee hives alone regardless of where they appear in and around our yard so as not to interfere with Mother Natures’ more emblematic and noble creatures as they too serve a function in the world we so fondly refer to as our own. I suspect the bees will be around long after the human race has been extinguished although the way we’re going I wouldn’t be surprised to see that our nefarious ways have gone so far as to endanger even those infinitesimally small and large creatures on terra firma including our friends, the bees. For now, that seems to be doing the trick and the hummingbirds are coming and going from the feeder in the natural order of things. As god intended you might say.
I told Nancy that she and I would have to have a “come to Jesus” discussion about biking if she were to stop working and be home full time. While we bike together on those days she has off, I do my own thing on the days she goes to work. That typically means riding longer and perhaps harder and were she to be riding with me she would soon fall behind and likely remain out of sight for the duration of the ride. I’m always mindful when I am riding with her to never let her fall too far behind and I am forever the doting, watchful, and protective husband so I am in a word, distracted. Distracted doesn’t do the trick for me when it comes to chasing the elusive endorphins that I so desperately seek. When your body is saying one thing and your mind is telling you another, it’s best to let the chemicals do their thing and if it’s an extended ride you are looking for that is more than likely going to occur if the endorphins are allowed to kick in. I haven’t quite figured out how to conjure up those mythical molecules but I do know that riding longer and harder tends to produce them when doing the opposite does not. It’s that second wind, that burst of mental and physical energy that any athlete with his or her salt, will tell you makes the difference between having a superb ride and having an otherwise decent ride or just having a ride for rides sake if that makes any sense. Nancy is better than most when it comes to giving her man his personal space so this was an easy conversation to have. Then again, such conversations in the abstract are always easy to have. I guess we’ll have to see.
I have to laugh. We were having dinner with a person who shall go unnamed and she was expressing her outrage at the fact that her bank took a whole SEVEN MINUTES to answer her telephone call the other day. It was a classic John Kerry-esque “do you know who I am” moment.” All I could think of was that she and her bank had two very different ideas about valuations and what it takes to be considered a valued customer in the eyes of this financial institution. I’m not saying that I agree with either of the two parties involved. Were I to have my druthers, I would ask that the bank respond the same way regardless of the amount of money the person held in their account. And to suggest that the bank makes a value judgment with each incoming call based on the size of the customers holdings is pure folly. Those truly deserving of that kind of attention (billionaires?) are probably not calling the main line hoping that Sally Joe is on her toes that day and dicing through incoming calls like a hot knife through butter. They have their financial advisers calling for them and I’m also guessing that they are not calling into the main switchboard. Our perturbed dining partner readily admitted that she hasn’t always been this way but didn’t go out of her way to explain why this was now and all of a sudden an issue of seemingly epic proportions. She did say that she gave them a piece of her mind so they may or may not take that to heart. You know what they say about the greasy wheel. Experiencing consternation at any age can be bad for your health so I trust this issue will wane and wither in short order and everyone can get down to the business at hand whatever that may be. “I’ll have the fried haddock tenders”, she proclaimed. “Would you like coleslaw or fries with that?”, the waitress asked.
I’d had enough and I finally took matters into my own hands. We have a hummingbird feeder outside our bedroom window where we can keep an eye on the comings and goings of the local hummingbird populations. Truth be told I think we have the same little fellas coming and going year in and year out. They migrate incredible distances twice a year so the least we can do is to see to it that they have a ready supply of food here at our home where they spend their summer months. I’ve had a good mind to photograph them or at a minimum to single out their telltale markings that identify them as unique and individual. In other words, I believe them to be the same birds that come and go each year but have yet to prove that fact. One thing I noticed this year is that the local bee population has taken a liking to the sugary syrup that oozes from the openings on the feeder and that is in direct conflict with the interests of the hummingbirds. So much so that the hummingbirds approach the feeder very reluctantly when the bees are feeding and the bees seem to be chasing off the birds when they do approach either out of competition for the food or simply because they are an irritable lot as bees can certainly be. We are much too much enamored of our hummingbird friends to see them battling for the sweet nectar we’ve prepared for them to allow this to happen. Bees be gone!
Since swatting them with a newspaper would likely knock the feeder off its perch I’ve decided to use a rather novel if not particularly humane approach to getting rid of them. Yes, we’ll call it the “Hoover” approach. I simply vacuum them off the feeder. It is easier said than done and sneaking up on them takes a certain amount of cunning but I think I have it down. When they realize that they are in the eye of a storm and facing a fate perhaps worth than death itself they cling to the feeder with all the might they can muster but the swirling and persistent suction of the machine shows them not an ounce of mercy and then they are gone. Gone into the machine as it were and never to come out (I make sure of this by sticking a sock in the end of the hose.) This is science at its best. Bees are infinitely more expendable than hummingbirds in my humble opinion. That said, I go out of my way to leave bee hives alone regardless of where they appear in and around our yard so as not to interfere with Mother Natures’ more emblematic and noble creatures as they too serve a function in the world we so fondly refer to as our own. I suspect the bees will be around long after the human race has been extinguished although the way we’re going I wouldn’t be surprised to see that our nefarious ways have gone so far as to endanger even those infinitesimally small and large creatures on terra firma including our friends, the bees. For now, that seems to be doing the trick and the hummingbirds are coming and going from the feeder in the natural order of things. As god intended you might say.
Make America Great Again
13/08/16 07:32
Yes, I think a new strategy in my journal keeping is needed. I’m thinking a paragraph a day is just what the doctor ordered. Get it down on paper and don’t worry about the filters so much. Don’t worry about the voices in your head directing you one way or another. Just let it go. Let’s give her a try then. Today is primary day for the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in the first district in Wisconsin. He’s been lukewarm on Trump since day one since Trump’s views are antithetical to his own on issues like trade, immigration, etc. This is a guy, and a somewhat doltish fellow if one cares to take a closer look, who perhaps embodies the midwestern stereotypes when it comes to intelligence, looks, and values. Like many of his brethren in the cauldron of vipers within the Washington establishment he has never had real job in the private sector and has no real appreciation for what the average american goes through each and every day when faced with the prospects of having to put bread on their family’s table. This is precisely the type of establishmentarian that the Trump revolution and the American people are trying to dispense with given their collective inability to get the jobs done for the people who send them to Washington. That would be us. That would be me. That would be you. Let’s hope and pray the people going to vote today in that district do the right thing and elect his opponent, Paul Nehlen. Let’s get er done.
The world is on fire and all I can think about is blueberries. That might be a slight exaggeration but there is a kernel of truth to it so it stays. I don’t remember ever being this fond of blueberries but that may not be altogether true given that the season is so short and the memory from season to season tends to fade and fade quickly once a season is past its peak. Maybe I’m just overcompensating for the sugar that I have been trying to stay away from and with some success I might add. Balancing all of these things while seeking that ephemeral state of optimal health has been a challenge but taking sugar out of the equation was and is proving to have been a good place to start. And so I supplement my now suppressed sugar addiction with fruits of all persuasions including blueberries, strawberries, and even the acrid sweetness of red grapefruit from time to time. Grapes deserve their place in the lineup as do red cherries but never bananas not even in a pinch. Nor will I have dates or their close cousin, raisins, since they both now taste too sweet on my dulled palate but I don’t miss them. Truth be told, I had a small slice of a zucchini bread last evening that I baked in the last week and since I know all too well the amount of sugar that I used to make the bread I took less infinitely less enjoyment in eating the bread than I might otherwise have had I used perhaps a little less sugar than the recipe called for. So, blueberries on my cereal, blueberries by the handful, blueberries and yogurt, and other variations I’ve not yet dreamed up are there for my enjoyment. When the world gives you lemons you get off your high horse and make the best of it. I’ll keep an eye on the number and size of the servings so as not to sabotage my well laid plans but for now its working. Get your lemonade here!
Not sure how it turned out that I’m more involved than ever in Nancy’s morning routine. I know I’ll look back on this time and get a good chuckle at some point but now as I sit here thinking about it I’m slightly annoyed that it has gotten completely out of hand. It began with me simply making sure that she had hot water for her tea in the minutes leading up to her departure those mornings she drives into Boston to work. It’s a pretty good hike into Boston so not a big deal. Happy to do it. Happy to make her life easier if that is what it means. And then she needed to have her grapefruit cut up and put into a container and stored in the fridge so it was sufficiently chilled and ready to be eaten in the car on the way into work. Not problem. Happy to do it. Her breakfast routine also includes shredded wheat in a cup of milk and seasonal fruit all of which she consumes on the way into work. The next thing I know I’m cutting up the fruit while she showers. It is one less thing for her to concern herself with. Not a problem. Happy to do it. The strawberries need to be washed, the stems removed, and sliced into bite sized chunks. The blueberries need to be washed, patted down with a paper towel, and stored along with her grapefruit in the fridge. Oh, and if there are any rotten or misshaped pieces of fruit they of course need to be culled and removed before storing the fruit. Not a problem. Happy to do it. At the same time I’m checking the oil in her car to make sure she has enough and I’m approving her wardrobe with a glance and a nod and sometimes i don’t even glance but just nod anyway. Her morning routine has become an extension of my morning routine or so it seems. The one time of day I’m looking to carve out my own private affairs which include none of the above mentioned chores I find myself being her private valet and maybe that is the way it is supposed to work. I just wish someone had warned me that this was my destiny. For now, not a problem. Happy to do it. I just need to work on doing less of it if that’s possible. And staying in bed is not an option. Even at the early hour of 5am. There. I said it.
It’s hard to know from day to day what is really happening in the 2016 presidential race. The left wing media is spewing all kinds of nonsense from false stories about Trump to ridiculous polls that favor their globalist candidate, Hillary Clinton. I’ve taken to Twitter to see what I can glean but even there I’m listening to like minded individuals so the stories may well one skewed to favor my candidate, Donald J. Trump. What is true is that Clinton is scandal ridden and even today as I’m reading the Daily Caller online there is a story about investigations around the Clinton Foundation. This is in the wake of several stories in the last few days about e-mails that revealed a pay-for-play arrangement while she was Secretary of State. Donations to the Clinton Foundation were rewarded with favors from the State Department.
People have gone to jail for a lot less than what many allege in the case of Clinton and to think she is the nominee of a major political party for the highest office in our land seems on the face of it just preposterous. But there is no shame in dealing with grifters if you are a democrat. This is how they roll. When they fail to indict they give legitimacy to the crimes committed and it further lowers the bar that we have set for our government, our national standards, and the ethics by which we value ourselves in the eyes of the world. To think that anyone could actually cast a vote for this woman knowing what they know about her seems ludicrous. It is the power of the presidency that ultimately matters so that is what they seek and they seem willing to overlook everything and anything to get the prize. Trump may not have all the answers but he is a viable alternative if you can get past the constant stream of mistruths you hear in the media. God help us all if Hillary Clinton becomes president.
It feels funny to be looking forward to vacation even though every day of my life these days is a day on vacation. Maybe it’s just the change of scenery that I’m looking forward to. Or, new faces, new conversations, old friends, really old places to revisit, and being with one of my earliest true loves can never be a bad thing. It’a a place and not a person. That is all I can tell you. The shangri-la of destinations. Where nothing ever bad happens and where nothing bad can happen. A place where I want to be alone and away from everyone and anyone who would trample on my tranquility. That does not include my darling Nancy just so you know. Or, Evan for that matter should he show up. Without a doubt, Nancy will make every effort to see to it that he joins us if he can. And that will be fine. My guess is that he would much prefer to sit at home and far away from the maddening crowds wherever and whenever they might appear. You just never know with Evan.
I suppose we’ll do what we always do in this special place of ours, and it may be just as magical to Nancy after all the years we’ve been going there, so the usual lists we have on hand to make sure we bring everything will be checked, double checked, and maybe even triple checked before we depart. The only plan I have is to see to it that I have a little lunch with the sisters, to make sure that we hit the usual spots like Long Island and Bolton Landing, and maybe we’ll even get in a visit to the cemetery while there. It’s good to say hello to the dead relatives too. I’m not a cemetery hound like some others I know but if we’re in the area I can be persuaded to stop by. Yes, I don’t look in the rear view mirror very often. Never have. That probably sounds funny coming from someone who is constantly looking in the rear view mirror when chronicling a life of tedium and transition but there you have it. Oh, and I plan to get in a few good days of fishing. Not because I want to but because that is what I do when I’m in my special place. My “happy” place as it were.
Yes, I think this paragraph-a-day is going to work out just fine.
The world is on fire and all I can think about is blueberries. That might be a slight exaggeration but there is a kernel of truth to it so it stays. I don’t remember ever being this fond of blueberries but that may not be altogether true given that the season is so short and the memory from season to season tends to fade and fade quickly once a season is past its peak. Maybe I’m just overcompensating for the sugar that I have been trying to stay away from and with some success I might add. Balancing all of these things while seeking that ephemeral state of optimal health has been a challenge but taking sugar out of the equation was and is proving to have been a good place to start. And so I supplement my now suppressed sugar addiction with fruits of all persuasions including blueberries, strawberries, and even the acrid sweetness of red grapefruit from time to time. Grapes deserve their place in the lineup as do red cherries but never bananas not even in a pinch. Nor will I have dates or their close cousin, raisins, since they both now taste too sweet on my dulled palate but I don’t miss them. Truth be told, I had a small slice of a zucchini bread last evening that I baked in the last week and since I know all too well the amount of sugar that I used to make the bread I took less infinitely less enjoyment in eating the bread than I might otherwise have had I used perhaps a little less sugar than the recipe called for. So, blueberries on my cereal, blueberries by the handful, blueberries and yogurt, and other variations I’ve not yet dreamed up are there for my enjoyment. When the world gives you lemons you get off your high horse and make the best of it. I’ll keep an eye on the number and size of the servings so as not to sabotage my well laid plans but for now its working. Get your lemonade here!
Not sure how it turned out that I’m more involved than ever in Nancy’s morning routine. I know I’ll look back on this time and get a good chuckle at some point but now as I sit here thinking about it I’m slightly annoyed that it has gotten completely out of hand. It began with me simply making sure that she had hot water for her tea in the minutes leading up to her departure those mornings she drives into Boston to work. It’s a pretty good hike into Boston so not a big deal. Happy to do it. Happy to make her life easier if that is what it means. And then she needed to have her grapefruit cut up and put into a container and stored in the fridge so it was sufficiently chilled and ready to be eaten in the car on the way into work. Not problem. Happy to do it. Her breakfast routine also includes shredded wheat in a cup of milk and seasonal fruit all of which she consumes on the way into work. The next thing I know I’m cutting up the fruit while she showers. It is one less thing for her to concern herself with. Not a problem. Happy to do it. The strawberries need to be washed, the stems removed, and sliced into bite sized chunks. The blueberries need to be washed, patted down with a paper towel, and stored along with her grapefruit in the fridge. Oh, and if there are any rotten or misshaped pieces of fruit they of course need to be culled and removed before storing the fruit. Not a problem. Happy to do it. At the same time I’m checking the oil in her car to make sure she has enough and I’m approving her wardrobe with a glance and a nod and sometimes i don’t even glance but just nod anyway. Her morning routine has become an extension of my morning routine or so it seems. The one time of day I’m looking to carve out my own private affairs which include none of the above mentioned chores I find myself being her private valet and maybe that is the way it is supposed to work. I just wish someone had warned me that this was my destiny. For now, not a problem. Happy to do it. I just need to work on doing less of it if that’s possible. And staying in bed is not an option. Even at the early hour of 5am. There. I said it.
It’s hard to know from day to day what is really happening in the 2016 presidential race. The left wing media is spewing all kinds of nonsense from false stories about Trump to ridiculous polls that favor their globalist candidate, Hillary Clinton. I’ve taken to Twitter to see what I can glean but even there I’m listening to like minded individuals so the stories may well one skewed to favor my candidate, Donald J. Trump. What is true is that Clinton is scandal ridden and even today as I’m reading the Daily Caller online there is a story about investigations around the Clinton Foundation. This is in the wake of several stories in the last few days about e-mails that revealed a pay-for-play arrangement while she was Secretary of State. Donations to the Clinton Foundation were rewarded with favors from the State Department.
People have gone to jail for a lot less than what many allege in the case of Clinton and to think she is the nominee of a major political party for the highest office in our land seems on the face of it just preposterous. But there is no shame in dealing with grifters if you are a democrat. This is how they roll. When they fail to indict they give legitimacy to the crimes committed and it further lowers the bar that we have set for our government, our national standards, and the ethics by which we value ourselves in the eyes of the world. To think that anyone could actually cast a vote for this woman knowing what they know about her seems ludicrous. It is the power of the presidency that ultimately matters so that is what they seek and they seem willing to overlook everything and anything to get the prize. Trump may not have all the answers but he is a viable alternative if you can get past the constant stream of mistruths you hear in the media. God help us all if Hillary Clinton becomes president.
It feels funny to be looking forward to vacation even though every day of my life these days is a day on vacation. Maybe it’s just the change of scenery that I’m looking forward to. Or, new faces, new conversations, old friends, really old places to revisit, and being with one of my earliest true loves can never be a bad thing. It’a a place and not a person. That is all I can tell you. The shangri-la of destinations. Where nothing ever bad happens and where nothing bad can happen. A place where I want to be alone and away from everyone and anyone who would trample on my tranquility. That does not include my darling Nancy just so you know. Or, Evan for that matter should he show up. Without a doubt, Nancy will make every effort to see to it that he joins us if he can. And that will be fine. My guess is that he would much prefer to sit at home and far away from the maddening crowds wherever and whenever they might appear. You just never know with Evan.
I suppose we’ll do what we always do in this special place of ours, and it may be just as magical to Nancy after all the years we’ve been going there, so the usual lists we have on hand to make sure we bring everything will be checked, double checked, and maybe even triple checked before we depart. The only plan I have is to see to it that I have a little lunch with the sisters, to make sure that we hit the usual spots like Long Island and Bolton Landing, and maybe we’ll even get in a visit to the cemetery while there. It’s good to say hello to the dead relatives too. I’m not a cemetery hound like some others I know but if we’re in the area I can be persuaded to stop by. Yes, I don’t look in the rear view mirror very often. Never have. That probably sounds funny coming from someone who is constantly looking in the rear view mirror when chronicling a life of tedium and transition but there you have it. Oh, and I plan to get in a few good days of fishing. Not because I want to but because that is what I do when I’m in my special place. My “happy” place as it were.
Yes, I think this paragraph-a-day is going to work out just fine.
Dog Days of Summer
07/08/16 07:18
Back in the saddle here at home after a nice trip to Bristol. We did not overstay our welcome and that is always a good thing. It is now early August and the days seem shorter and they surely are judging by the number of hours of daylight we get each day. The mornings and evenings are already cooling down and there is the slightest hint of Fall in the air. A gently rain falls outside and the alert on my iPhone tells me that there is an 82% chance of rain in the next 15 minutes. I was hoping that the rain might hold off so I could get an early morning bike ride in before the roadways become jammed with locals and tourists alike making for a more difficult ride. It goes without saying that since I fell off my bike on Memorial Day weekend along Ocean Boulevard that I have been infinitely more leery of obstacles that I once paid scant attention to. I wouldn’t say that I embraced my fleeting mortality in any real sense of the word when I took the fall but having fallen it isn’t something you would care to repeat anytime soon. The next time could be curtains. You just never know. The rain is picking up in intensity now and I need to start thinking about which windows are open in the house that need to be closed and which ones can be left open. It all depends on which way the wind is blowing (and if it’s blowing) if that makes sense. The rain also comes in a timely manner since we’ve had a bit of a drought hereabouts and I heard on the radio yesterday that pumpkin crops in certain counties were being decimated due to the lack of rain. For all those people who need the rain for their wells, gardens, and whatever, I hope this helps. I’m thankful that this is one less day this week that I will need to get out and water the garden. It’s the little things in life. Right?
Our garden has been fairly productive this year. We seem to have a plentiful supply now of zucchini’s and cucumbers and we’ll soon have a pretty good crop of tomatoes on hand. I have a good mind to make a couple of loaves of zucchini bread to use up some of the zucchini. I can hardly spell the word zucchini so I hope I have better luck making the bread. Do I have to peel the darn things before I shred the zucchini? And, had I known how large the zucchini plants would become I might not have planted them. They are HUGE and the leaves cast shadows in my garden where I otherwise need sunlight to grow strawberries and cucumbers. They need their own beds is what they need so I’ll not make that mistake again. As for the berries, I’m not sure if I’m ever going to have any since I never seem to see anything turning red out there. I can’t be sure if the critters are getting to them before they turn red or if they are simply not maturing as they should. The pole beans look good and I’m not sure there is anything you can do to stop those puppies from fulfilling their destinies on the vine. The only reason I didn’t pick any yesterday when I was out there was that there weren’t enough to do anything with so I’ll plan to give them a little more time. We’re not huge bean lovers but they are nice for a change and we do enjoy them on occasion. I think Nancy is entirely satisfied with her morning glory’s this year but what else is new. They either fail to mature as they should or don’t blossom in a meaningful way. Like children, she loves them either way but would prefer them to reach their full potential with her ever vigilant guidance and watchful eye.
Life was just not cooperating yesterday. I was thinking we would have dinner in Exeter with Nancy’s mom and it would be a wrap for the week. I might have been a little hungrier and a little more in need of a cup of coffee than I figured. The two deficiencies pushed me into the depths of despair such that I was unable to cope and when I failed to find solutions to either of those problems having once arrived in Exeter I was looking for sharp objects with which to slit my wrists. The coffee shop did not have just the right size cup and the cup they did have failed to do the trick for me. The restaurant passed muster but I was not otherwise interested in the salad that I ordered and ultimately left most of it untouched while Nancy poured over her salad and Mrs G her pizza. I almost wanted to order something that I wouldn’t like just to tempt fate and keep that search for sharp objects alive in my foggy and demented mind. I must have appeared sullen to my dining partners but they were otherwise caught up in discussion plans around Mrs’s G’s upcoming move to Exeter so seemed not to notice. It was just as well. I turned my attention to nothing in particular and away from those joining me at the table. On another day and in another lifetime perhaps I might have regaled my dining partners with humor, love, and stories designed to entertain and capture the imagination. It didn’t help that the air conditioning wasn’t up to snuff in the restaurant. As always, I’m hoping that this passes with time. One can only hope.
Our garden has been fairly productive this year. We seem to have a plentiful supply now of zucchini’s and cucumbers and we’ll soon have a pretty good crop of tomatoes on hand. I have a good mind to make a couple of loaves of zucchini bread to use up some of the zucchini. I can hardly spell the word zucchini so I hope I have better luck making the bread. Do I have to peel the darn things before I shred the zucchini? And, had I known how large the zucchini plants would become I might not have planted them. They are HUGE and the leaves cast shadows in my garden where I otherwise need sunlight to grow strawberries and cucumbers. They need their own beds is what they need so I’ll not make that mistake again. As for the berries, I’m not sure if I’m ever going to have any since I never seem to see anything turning red out there. I can’t be sure if the critters are getting to them before they turn red or if they are simply not maturing as they should. The pole beans look good and I’m not sure there is anything you can do to stop those puppies from fulfilling their destinies on the vine. The only reason I didn’t pick any yesterday when I was out there was that there weren’t enough to do anything with so I’ll plan to give them a little more time. We’re not huge bean lovers but they are nice for a change and we do enjoy them on occasion. I think Nancy is entirely satisfied with her morning glory’s this year but what else is new. They either fail to mature as they should or don’t blossom in a meaningful way. Like children, she loves them either way but would prefer them to reach their full potential with her ever vigilant guidance and watchful eye.
Life was just not cooperating yesterday. I was thinking we would have dinner in Exeter with Nancy’s mom and it would be a wrap for the week. I might have been a little hungrier and a little more in need of a cup of coffee than I figured. The two deficiencies pushed me into the depths of despair such that I was unable to cope and when I failed to find solutions to either of those problems having once arrived in Exeter I was looking for sharp objects with which to slit my wrists. The coffee shop did not have just the right size cup and the cup they did have failed to do the trick for me. The restaurant passed muster but I was not otherwise interested in the salad that I ordered and ultimately left most of it untouched while Nancy poured over her salad and Mrs G her pizza. I almost wanted to order something that I wouldn’t like just to tempt fate and keep that search for sharp objects alive in my foggy and demented mind. I must have appeared sullen to my dining partners but they were otherwise caught up in discussion plans around Mrs’s G’s upcoming move to Exeter so seemed not to notice. It was just as well. I turned my attention to nothing in particular and away from those joining me at the table. On another day and in another lifetime perhaps I might have regaled my dining partners with humor, love, and stories designed to entertain and capture the imagination. It didn’t help that the air conditioning wasn’t up to snuff in the restaurant. As always, I’m hoping that this passes with time. One can only hope.
Bristol By The Bay
06/08/16 07:04
Buenos Dias from Bristol, RI. It's a pristine Wednesday here in Bristol by the bay and the morning air is cool and refreshing. The streets are coming alive slowly and as I sit here in the local bagel shop the various odors and aromas from freshly baked bagels fill the air making me want one or more before I leave. Listening to people place their orders I'm amused by the humor coming out of the mouths of people who are just barely awake but seemingly coherent enough to place their orders. One fella wanted a couple of dozen bagels but needed to make sure that the order contained the cranberry walnut bagel that he was charged with collecting once at the store. Another couple are speaking with a thick middle eastern accent and not being a world traveler I'm left to wonder if they have bagels in the Middle East and, if so, is this simply an extension of an otherwise early morning ritual or something more novel and unique to being in a western culture. There are long moments where I hear nothing but the humming of refrigeration units and soft music that fills the morning air like nectar. A family unit now occupies the three chairs in front of me but outside the shop and facing a slow parade of cars and passing pedestrians on their way to God only knows where. I don't wish I had a bagel and I have no intention of ordering one either for myself or for Nancy who is probably still in bed back at the hotel. She was awake and watching "I love Lucy" when I left but I wouldn't be surprised to see her appear here at the shop given that she is not one to lay around for long when an otherwise busy day awaits.
We have been traveling far and wide this year looking for bike paths to ride on and we've been lucky in that the paths we've found have been exceptional. Not sure about the path here in Bristol. It is long enough but it may be too congested and I guess we'll find out before the day is out since we expect to ride early. We walked down to the path last night and noticed that it had a line going down the middle of the path where bikes were relegated to one side while the other was designated for walkers, etc. It is possible that once we're away from the local areas on the path we may see the density decline and that would be fine with me. It is 15 miles or so in one direction and towards the end it cross crosses city streets and it may otherwise be too jerky to enjoy so we may want to cut the ride short just to bypass that section. That would make for a 30 mile ride which is a bit more extended that Nancy is accustomed to and pushing the limits to what I might find enjoyable. The key is probably getting out early to avoid the crowds and the heat of the day. Yes, the heat of the day can take all the fun out of a ride if it turns relentless and intemperate.
Nancy seems to enjoy being here if I may say so. It may have more to do with her being away from home and all the responsibilities that await her there or it may have to do with her being in her backyard of her youth. Not that she has been here before because she has not but she is a stone's throw away from where she spent her formative years in southern Massachusetts and that has to count for something. I'm inclined to defer to her decision making on everything from restaurant choices to stores she wants to visit although I may well elect to wait outside or not otherwise join her in going to certain stores. This is her vacation and I'm just along for the ride but making my own way when and where I can. Being here in this shop doing what I like to do when I like to do it is my own personal exercise of personal freedom so I'm satisfied as satisfied can be that carving out my own time is just as important as giving Nancy her own time so that is what we'll do.
Bristol seems nice enough. It is on the ocean so what can go wrong? It reminds me a lot of Portsmouth, NH, I suppose in that there are wonderful shops and restaurants, places to visit on foot and by car if necessary, and views that can take your breath away of the oceans majesty and the various industries that you might otherwise expect to find along the coast replete with fishing vessels, sailboats, and a local population of stewards that live and work by and on the sea. The juxtaposition of the crusty seaman and their sturdy but surly fishing vessels and the various and sundry shops that are otherwise dainty and festive is an interesting one. Both attract the tourists but for different reasons and both tolerate the seasonal swarms of passerby's with a parched indifference. The ocean views here in Bristol and by far more exceptional and expansive than those found in Portsmouth NH and there are trappings of wealth evident in the homes along the bay and on the back streets here in Bristol that are otherwise muted or nonexistent in Portsmouth.
So there you have it. Nancy and I rode our bikes 31 miles yesterday here in Bristol. If you've never had a 31 mile bike ride the you should know that it was a real challenge to complete the ride especially so as the end of the trail came within focus. Not sure how long it took but it was a normal ride in terms of intensity and effort so seeing much of that intensity wane toward the end was not all that surprising. What was surprising was the complete destruction and depletion of energy stores that I had at the start of the ride. Not sure how you prepare for that. Maybe I should have had more of a breakfast. It seems I spent the rest of the day looking for ways to get energy back into each and every cell of my being. I wanted nothing more than to feel normal again. I tried resting and that helped. I ordered a Reuben sandwich at the Bumble Bee Cafe around mid noon and washed it down with an iced coffee looking for even more relief. I looked forward to an ice cream later in the day since there was no doubt in my mind that there were sweet cells in my body that got tapped as well on this extraordinary jaunt of ours and those cells too were not to be ignored. So I did all that and had a nice seafood stew muddled in a coconut milk mixture for dinner overlooking the bay and that too went down easy and perhaps even a little easier and a little faster than it might other have gone down. I would hasten to remind you that these are things that I would ordinarily avoid. The fatty, sugar saturated, but delicious and rejuvenating calories that while spectacular are those I would prefer to avoid.
There will be no bike ride today. Perhaps later when we are back in NH but not this morning and not now as I sit here in this oh-so-nice cafe with all the hustle and bustle of a bagel joint that is just getting up and running for the day. The sleepy eyed patrons seem to be regulars based on the tone and inflection of their interactions with the woman behind the counter. It is idle but affectionate banter meant to demonstrate familiarity and friendship but not enough to take the worked off her game and away from the activities that at the end of the day fill the cash register and allow the shop to continue on its journey filling the stomachs, desires, and peculiarities of its patrons.
We've confined our activities to those we could reach within walking distance of the hotel and that has worked out well. It has provided us with a somewhat myopic view of this wonderful area, our bike ride aside, but it seems that everything we need and even desire is within walking distance so that was fine. I feel like we are back on an even keel today after a very strenuous and tasking day yesterday. That is a preliminary view of course and the day is young but we are hopeful and the day is long so things can certainly change. We decided against eating at one restaurant last evening because the air conditioning was not working and we were otherwise surprised that there were as many people seated in the restaurant as were there under the conditions. It wasn't sweltering but there was a density of air about the place that hung heavy and was not otherwise inviting. We might have even opted to sit in the sun on the terrace and might have had we not had the kind of day we had yesterday. The sun was not relentless on our ride thanks to the several stretches of shade we encountered but the constant stops and somewhat rutty condition of the trail made for a less than stellar ride.
Don't even ask how it is that Nancy forget her sneakers on this epic journey of ours here in Bristol RI. I even asked her at one point before we left if she needed her sneakers and she said emphatically that she did not. What in god's name was she thinking? She also paid scant attention to making sure that we had enough cash on hand to pay for the incidental things we might come across in our journey so as we sit here on our last day we face the prospects of paying the maid by adding the tip to our credit card instead of leaving cash on the table which is what most people do under the circumstances. I was a little surprised as well that she failed to remember that we had watched a movie that we had indeed see and not all that long ago.
In our hunkered down state yesterday we decided that watching a movie in our hotel room was just what the doctor ordered so we watched "The Man From Uncle." I was half paying attention but I realized in short order that we had watched this particular movie before and I said as much to Nancy as she lay next to me. She looked at me with vacant eyes and disputed that which I thought to be obvious but I was too tired to be insistent so just gave her an incredulous look and soon thereafter fell asleep. She admitted somewhat sheepishly a little later on that she did remember seeing it although that was not obvious at the outset of the movie. "Perhaps we had missed the beginning of the movie when we say it", she proclaimed quizzically. I thought that unlikely. Neither of us could remember when and where we had seen the movie although we reached consensus on the fact that it was more than likely we had seen it within the last year and half or so.
In a telephone conversation yesterday with both her mom and our son she cleared away a few things that had been on her mind. Her mom received yet another sign from the baby Jesus that it was indeed time to go to River Woods. The fire alarm in her house went off and she couldn't get it to stop so she phoned the local fire department and they came and attended to the matter. The explanation given was that the alarm was located near a ceiling fan and particles from the fan likely blew into the alarm setting off. Nonetheless, it was a sign that she had asked for and so now it was clear. She was moving ahead with plans to sell her home and relocate to Exeter, NH, where she planned to spend her remaining time on terra firma. She is a young and vibrant 86 years of age so there is nothing terminal about the decision but it is a decision that was a long time coming and now seems to be a good a time as any so there you have it. She mentioned to Nancy that she had gotten a 2 month pass for Debbie so she could arrange to take things to the local landfill. I think Nancy took exception to her remark in that it was a no-confidence vote in Nancy's ability to assist with those matters involving the moving of items to the local landfill. The subtleties of familial interrelationships are nothing to scoff at and all should be take seriously when brought into the light of day. I assured her that her mother meant no offense and she should take none from the comment since none was intended. You can dismiss those matters until the cows come home but still you know as I do that vestiges of such conversations remain behind for years in the memory of both children and adults alike. Such is life.
The discussion with Evan was less subtle and infinitely more abbreviated. It had more to do with what he was eating, what he had for plans for school in the Fall, and what his more immediate plans were for the next 24 hours. I'm not sure he needed to hear from us but he wanted to make sure that we called the following day well in advance of arriving home so he could have the proper notice of our arrival in the event he needed to plan for such things. Quite possibly he would ask that we stop somewhere to get his something to eat and that is something we were prepared to do.
We have been traveling far and wide this year looking for bike paths to ride on and we've been lucky in that the paths we've found have been exceptional. Not sure about the path here in Bristol. It is long enough but it may be too congested and I guess we'll find out before the day is out since we expect to ride early. We walked down to the path last night and noticed that it had a line going down the middle of the path where bikes were relegated to one side while the other was designated for walkers, etc. It is possible that once we're away from the local areas on the path we may see the density decline and that would be fine with me. It is 15 miles or so in one direction and towards the end it cross crosses city streets and it may otherwise be too jerky to enjoy so we may want to cut the ride short just to bypass that section. That would make for a 30 mile ride which is a bit more extended that Nancy is accustomed to and pushing the limits to what I might find enjoyable. The key is probably getting out early to avoid the crowds and the heat of the day. Yes, the heat of the day can take all the fun out of a ride if it turns relentless and intemperate.
Nancy seems to enjoy being here if I may say so. It may have more to do with her being away from home and all the responsibilities that await her there or it may have to do with her being in her backyard of her youth. Not that she has been here before because she has not but she is a stone's throw away from where she spent her formative years in southern Massachusetts and that has to count for something. I'm inclined to defer to her decision making on everything from restaurant choices to stores she wants to visit although I may well elect to wait outside or not otherwise join her in going to certain stores. This is her vacation and I'm just along for the ride but making my own way when and where I can. Being here in this shop doing what I like to do when I like to do it is my own personal exercise of personal freedom so I'm satisfied as satisfied can be that carving out my own time is just as important as giving Nancy her own time so that is what we'll do.
Bristol seems nice enough. It is on the ocean so what can go wrong? It reminds me a lot of Portsmouth, NH, I suppose in that there are wonderful shops and restaurants, places to visit on foot and by car if necessary, and views that can take your breath away of the oceans majesty and the various industries that you might otherwise expect to find along the coast replete with fishing vessels, sailboats, and a local population of stewards that live and work by and on the sea. The juxtaposition of the crusty seaman and their sturdy but surly fishing vessels and the various and sundry shops that are otherwise dainty and festive is an interesting one. Both attract the tourists but for different reasons and both tolerate the seasonal swarms of passerby's with a parched indifference. The ocean views here in Bristol and by far more exceptional and expansive than those found in Portsmouth NH and there are trappings of wealth evident in the homes along the bay and on the back streets here in Bristol that are otherwise muted or nonexistent in Portsmouth.
So there you have it. Nancy and I rode our bikes 31 miles yesterday here in Bristol. If you've never had a 31 mile bike ride the you should know that it was a real challenge to complete the ride especially so as the end of the trail came within focus. Not sure how long it took but it was a normal ride in terms of intensity and effort so seeing much of that intensity wane toward the end was not all that surprising. What was surprising was the complete destruction and depletion of energy stores that I had at the start of the ride. Not sure how you prepare for that. Maybe I should have had more of a breakfast. It seems I spent the rest of the day looking for ways to get energy back into each and every cell of my being. I wanted nothing more than to feel normal again. I tried resting and that helped. I ordered a Reuben sandwich at the Bumble Bee Cafe around mid noon and washed it down with an iced coffee looking for even more relief. I looked forward to an ice cream later in the day since there was no doubt in my mind that there were sweet cells in my body that got tapped as well on this extraordinary jaunt of ours and those cells too were not to be ignored. So I did all that and had a nice seafood stew muddled in a coconut milk mixture for dinner overlooking the bay and that too went down easy and perhaps even a little easier and a little faster than it might other have gone down. I would hasten to remind you that these are things that I would ordinarily avoid. The fatty, sugar saturated, but delicious and rejuvenating calories that while spectacular are those I would prefer to avoid.
There will be no bike ride today. Perhaps later when we are back in NH but not this morning and not now as I sit here in this oh-so-nice cafe with all the hustle and bustle of a bagel joint that is just getting up and running for the day. The sleepy eyed patrons seem to be regulars based on the tone and inflection of their interactions with the woman behind the counter. It is idle but affectionate banter meant to demonstrate familiarity and friendship but not enough to take the worked off her game and away from the activities that at the end of the day fill the cash register and allow the shop to continue on its journey filling the stomachs, desires, and peculiarities of its patrons.
We've confined our activities to those we could reach within walking distance of the hotel and that has worked out well. It has provided us with a somewhat myopic view of this wonderful area, our bike ride aside, but it seems that everything we need and even desire is within walking distance so that was fine. I feel like we are back on an even keel today after a very strenuous and tasking day yesterday. That is a preliminary view of course and the day is young but we are hopeful and the day is long so things can certainly change. We decided against eating at one restaurant last evening because the air conditioning was not working and we were otherwise surprised that there were as many people seated in the restaurant as were there under the conditions. It wasn't sweltering but there was a density of air about the place that hung heavy and was not otherwise inviting. We might have even opted to sit in the sun on the terrace and might have had we not had the kind of day we had yesterday. The sun was not relentless on our ride thanks to the several stretches of shade we encountered but the constant stops and somewhat rutty condition of the trail made for a less than stellar ride.
Don't even ask how it is that Nancy forget her sneakers on this epic journey of ours here in Bristol RI. I even asked her at one point before we left if she needed her sneakers and she said emphatically that she did not. What in god's name was she thinking? She also paid scant attention to making sure that we had enough cash on hand to pay for the incidental things we might come across in our journey so as we sit here on our last day we face the prospects of paying the maid by adding the tip to our credit card instead of leaving cash on the table which is what most people do under the circumstances. I was a little surprised as well that she failed to remember that we had watched a movie that we had indeed see and not all that long ago.
In our hunkered down state yesterday we decided that watching a movie in our hotel room was just what the doctor ordered so we watched "The Man From Uncle." I was half paying attention but I realized in short order that we had watched this particular movie before and I said as much to Nancy as she lay next to me. She looked at me with vacant eyes and disputed that which I thought to be obvious but I was too tired to be insistent so just gave her an incredulous look and soon thereafter fell asleep. She admitted somewhat sheepishly a little later on that she did remember seeing it although that was not obvious at the outset of the movie. "Perhaps we had missed the beginning of the movie when we say it", she proclaimed quizzically. I thought that unlikely. Neither of us could remember when and where we had seen the movie although we reached consensus on the fact that it was more than likely we had seen it within the last year and half or so.
In a telephone conversation yesterday with both her mom and our son she cleared away a few things that had been on her mind. Her mom received yet another sign from the baby Jesus that it was indeed time to go to River Woods. The fire alarm in her house went off and she couldn't get it to stop so she phoned the local fire department and they came and attended to the matter. The explanation given was that the alarm was located near a ceiling fan and particles from the fan likely blew into the alarm setting off. Nonetheless, it was a sign that she had asked for and so now it was clear. She was moving ahead with plans to sell her home and relocate to Exeter, NH, where she planned to spend her remaining time on terra firma. She is a young and vibrant 86 years of age so there is nothing terminal about the decision but it is a decision that was a long time coming and now seems to be a good a time as any so there you have it. She mentioned to Nancy that she had gotten a 2 month pass for Debbie so she could arrange to take things to the local landfill. I think Nancy took exception to her remark in that it was a no-confidence vote in Nancy's ability to assist with those matters involving the moving of items to the local landfill. The subtleties of familial interrelationships are nothing to scoff at and all should be take seriously when brought into the light of day. I assured her that her mother meant no offense and she should take none from the comment since none was intended. You can dismiss those matters until the cows come home but still you know as I do that vestiges of such conversations remain behind for years in the memory of both children and adults alike. Such is life.
The discussion with Evan was less subtle and infinitely more abbreviated. It had more to do with what he was eating, what he had for plans for school in the Fall, and what his more immediate plans were for the next 24 hours. I'm not sure he needed to hear from us but he wanted to make sure that we called the following day well in advance of arriving home so he could have the proper notice of our arrival in the event he needed to plan for such things. Quite possibly he would ask that we stop somewhere to get his something to eat and that is something we were prepared to do.
After The Fall
02/06/16 15:45
Damn! It's been 4 days now since my tumble on Ocean Boulevard and things are just now starting to get back to normal. The front tire on my bicycle caught the lip of the pavement just right and down I went. It felt a little like getting body slammed on the pavement and needless to say I went down hard (mostly on my shoulder.) Nancy was riding being me but just far enough away so that she didn't actually see me fall. By the time she reached me there were other cars that had pulled over on an otherwise busy Memorial Day afternoon and people were coming out of their cars in an abundance of concern. No one likes to be the center of attention in a situation like that and I was no different. All I wanted to do was to stand on my own, assess my injuries, and go somewhere private to lick my wounds.
As I lifted my head off the pavement, and thank the baby jesus that I was wearing my helmet, I sat hunched looking left and right looking for things I had yet to feel. Things that were broken, things that were torn, things that were bleeding, and things that I just couldn't sense one way or another. I also knew that it was important to get up off the ground and stand on my feet if no other reason that to assure myself that my injuries were not serious and while the fall was a shock it was not a showstopper in any sense of the word. Your mind goes to interesting places when these kinds of things happen and my head was no different. I was just trying to stay in the game. Nancy rode home to get the car while I waited and we went to the Urgent Care center in Portsmouth for a quick review. Turns out I ended up with hairline cracks on two ribs and a couple of messy abrasions but that was it. That was enough. Enough to make it damn difficult to even get myself out of bed or have any semblance of comfort in the coming days. Five days later, mind you, I was back on my bike but with admittedly less confidence and the usual bluster necessary for safely navigating the roadways hereabouts. It's the cyclists who fail to throw caution to the wind that get themselves in trouble. I need to get over that.
I don't know why Nancy continues to insist on sharing her dreams with me. Not that I'm not interested in humoring her by listening to what she has to say. All too often there is simply no basis in reality for what she has to say and, generally speaking, I refuse to play along. It's a sing song version of "this is what's going through my head" and more often than not it is a Fellini-like recitation and far too much for me to follow much less digest and untangle. But that has never stopped her so I'm along for the ride for better or worse. Maybe that is what husbands do. Some better than others I suspect. Thankfully, it isn't every day because nobody remembers all of their dreams and truth be told the stories are not so long and involved that I have to set aside time to pay attention to what she has to tell me. Maybe I'm just jealous because I remember none of my dreams so I'll have to consider that the next time she wises to regale me with her stories of flight and fancy. And no, I can't for a moment help you interpret that puppy, I admonish her. It's above my pay grade and we'll leave it at that. I'm sorry. You were saying?
As I lifted my head off the pavement, and thank the baby jesus that I was wearing my helmet, I sat hunched looking left and right looking for things I had yet to feel. Things that were broken, things that were torn, things that were bleeding, and things that I just couldn't sense one way or another. I also knew that it was important to get up off the ground and stand on my feet if no other reason that to assure myself that my injuries were not serious and while the fall was a shock it was not a showstopper in any sense of the word. Your mind goes to interesting places when these kinds of things happen and my head was no different. I was just trying to stay in the game. Nancy rode home to get the car while I waited and we went to the Urgent Care center in Portsmouth for a quick review. Turns out I ended up with hairline cracks on two ribs and a couple of messy abrasions but that was it. That was enough. Enough to make it damn difficult to even get myself out of bed or have any semblance of comfort in the coming days. Five days later, mind you, I was back on my bike but with admittedly less confidence and the usual bluster necessary for safely navigating the roadways hereabouts. It's the cyclists who fail to throw caution to the wind that get themselves in trouble. I need to get over that.
I don't know why Nancy continues to insist on sharing her dreams with me. Not that I'm not interested in humoring her by listening to what she has to say. All too often there is simply no basis in reality for what she has to say and, generally speaking, I refuse to play along. It's a sing song version of "this is what's going through my head" and more often than not it is a Fellini-like recitation and far too much for me to follow much less digest and untangle. But that has never stopped her so I'm along for the ride for better or worse. Maybe that is what husbands do. Some better than others I suspect. Thankfully, it isn't every day because nobody remembers all of their dreams and truth be told the stories are not so long and involved that I have to set aside time to pay attention to what she has to tell me. Maybe I'm just jealous because I remember none of my dreams so I'll have to consider that the next time she wises to regale me with her stories of flight and fancy. And no, I can't for a moment help you interpret that puppy, I admonish her. It's above my pay grade and we'll leave it at that. I'm sorry. You were saying?
Dashed Dreams
28/05/16 06:37
Not sure I have my knickers in a sufficient bunch this morning to get the party started in this here journal so we'll see how this goes. Sometimes you just have to put your nose to the grindstone and get er done. Speaking of getting her done, we have a few plants that we purchased recently that need to be planted this weekend. I also need to buy a few more tomato plants. I think we'll not try to have a fence around the garden like in years past and hope that works out. The critters, numerous and unidentified as they are, may or may not come around depending on what kind of plants I put in the ground. Not sure I've figured out which are which. For example, my tomato plants have never been an attraction one way or another except for those insects that prefer to munch on the leaves but leave the fruit unmolested and that's just fine. The only other thing that I'm doing this year that differs from years past is that I grabbed a few shovelfuls of compost from the local landfill to add to the existing soil which looks, quite frankly, a bit depleted and perhaps light enough in color to suggest that it may no longer be as rich in nutrients as it once was. I'm also planting strawberries this year and haven't ever grown fruit so wouldn't that be nice if it worked out. We are definitely strawberry lovers so it would be good to grow our own instead of buying them all the time. And yes, I bought some netting to put over the strawberry plants so birds don't partake of our harvest leaving us in the lurch.
I'm not sure I understand the hullaballoo about banning Muslims. Trump mentioned somewhere along the campaign trail that he would place a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S. until they figured out how to properly vet them. We can't have terrorists coming into our country masquerading as forlorn Syrians just looking for a safe haven. Have you seen the pictures in other countries where because of the politically correct nature of their political leaders their streets are being overrun, their woman and children raped and beaten, and their infrastructures over burdened in trying to accommodate displaced muslim populations from the Middle East? I agree wholeheartedly with the Trumpster and if I'm not mistaken I think we like minded folk are in the majority on this issue. I would tell globalists like Paul Ryan that this is who we are. We are nationalists who want to protect the very fibre of our country from infiltrating masses who don't respect our culture and our people and have little or no interest in assimilating. Trump often says, without borders we have no country. He's promised to build a wall on our southern border to keep out the Mexicans and South Americans and others who would take advantage of it's porous nature to gain entrance to our great country. Whether it be a wall or a more robust vetting process we must be vigilant in protecting our sovereignty lest we become another GB, Germany, or worse.
Maybe the open house at Hannaford's will be the opportunity that Evan has been looking for since wrapping up his last semester. Not that he has been looking particularly hard I would hasten to add. It's hard to know what motivates this boy other than his gaming activities. So the subject of his getting a job comes up from time to time but it is often a one sided conversation. Maybe it warrants a grunt or some other unintelligible utterance from him and then again that all depends on his state of mind at the time. I just think, or I should say, we just think, that his getting out of the house would be good for him and good for us. God only knows that he doesn't get out near enough and were it not for school I think he might prefer to be either in his room or sitting at the computer around the clock. I just don't know what's going through his head half the time. Aren't kids his age supposed to have a social life? I've heard the statistics about millennials living at home but this is ridiculous. He contributes zero to the household and I think he is incapable of participating or assisting as needed. I'd hate to think that we might need to rely on him one way or another in the future or even in the near term. Don't get me wrong. We're still looking at the bright side or the silver lining as it were so remain optimistic and hopeful. Isn't that what parents are supposed to do? I would be satisfied to see him get some form of exercise but that too seems more and more unlikely with the passing of time. Laziness begets laziness. Isn't that what they say? God help us. God help him.
I'm not sure I understand the hullaballoo about banning Muslims. Trump mentioned somewhere along the campaign trail that he would place a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S. until they figured out how to properly vet them. We can't have terrorists coming into our country masquerading as forlorn Syrians just looking for a safe haven. Have you seen the pictures in other countries where because of the politically correct nature of their political leaders their streets are being overrun, their woman and children raped and beaten, and their infrastructures over burdened in trying to accommodate displaced muslim populations from the Middle East? I agree wholeheartedly with the Trumpster and if I'm not mistaken I think we like minded folk are in the majority on this issue. I would tell globalists like Paul Ryan that this is who we are. We are nationalists who want to protect the very fibre of our country from infiltrating masses who don't respect our culture and our people and have little or no interest in assimilating. Trump often says, without borders we have no country. He's promised to build a wall on our southern border to keep out the Mexicans and South Americans and others who would take advantage of it's porous nature to gain entrance to our great country. Whether it be a wall or a more robust vetting process we must be vigilant in protecting our sovereignty lest we become another GB, Germany, or worse.
Maybe the open house at Hannaford's will be the opportunity that Evan has been looking for since wrapping up his last semester. Not that he has been looking particularly hard I would hasten to add. It's hard to know what motivates this boy other than his gaming activities. So the subject of his getting a job comes up from time to time but it is often a one sided conversation. Maybe it warrants a grunt or some other unintelligible utterance from him and then again that all depends on his state of mind at the time. I just think, or I should say, we just think, that his getting out of the house would be good for him and good for us. God only knows that he doesn't get out near enough and were it not for school I think he might prefer to be either in his room or sitting at the computer around the clock. I just don't know what's going through his head half the time. Aren't kids his age supposed to have a social life? I've heard the statistics about millennials living at home but this is ridiculous. He contributes zero to the household and I think he is incapable of participating or assisting as needed. I'd hate to think that we might need to rely on him one way or another in the future or even in the near term. Don't get me wrong. We're still looking at the bright side or the silver lining as it were so remain optimistic and hopeful. Isn't that what parents are supposed to do? I would be satisfied to see him get some form of exercise but that too seems more and more unlikely with the passing of time. Laziness begets laziness. Isn't that what they say? God help us. God help him.
Closet Dems
22/05/16 06:09
It occurred to me this morning that I don't have a clue as to how or whether or not my brothers and sisters vote. For all I know, they may have no interest in politics and may even not vote at all. I suppose it's possible not to have an interest in politics and still vote but that would not typically describe your normal primary voter. It may well describe a general election voter and even then it may be less an ideological vote than someone voting their pocketbook. When the primary for NY rolled around this year with Donald J. Trump at the top of the ticket I decided that I would broach the subject of voting with a sister and brother and was pleasantly surprised to hear that not only were they planning to vote but they were quite excited with the prospects of a Trump win. Not sure if all the excitement was due to the candidate in the race, hatred for his or her opposition, or a combination of both. I know that at least in one case it was a desire to see Mr. Trump win. Not sure where the others come down on the matter of voting but good to know some are plugged in when and where they should be. Trump won NY in a landslide so their participation was not needed but nonetheless it was a good subject to discuss when and where the opportunity arose. Good to know as well that the brothers and sisters have their civic responsibilities squared away and queued up for the upcoming election in November. Every vote counts!
I can''t seem to get enough of articles and things like that speak to the Clinton's and how corrupt and greedy they are. Can you be corrupt and not greedy? Not sure. One online headline catching my attention this morning is, "It's the Bataan Death March." It's an article by Maureen Dowd describing the current Hillary Clinton campaign for the presidency. I'm sitting here salivating just waiting to read it. Just wanting to hear how desperate and down both the candidate and the campaign are as they face increasingly long odds of winning not only the primary but the general election against Trump. The bitch lost eight years ago to a black community organizer from the east side of Chicago and Barack Hussein Obama went on to win both his first and second terms in the White House. I don't think the Clintons quite ever got over that. The Clinton's are of the comeback variety and this has propelled them to other positions of power in the past after being soundly beaten and set back back on their collective heels. How someone so widely despised and hated ever got this close to the White House I'm not sure but there is a natural firewall this time around. He goes by the name of TRUMP. One quite vitriolic but apt expression of Hillary Clinton and what I hope will come to pass was perfectly encapsulated in the statement I read somewhere recently which stated, "Trump will beat her like a rented mule." One can only hope.
What about King Barry's latest edict: Obama administration’s directive on bathroom access for transgender students? Is he out of his fucking mind? Who the bejesus does he think he is? One can't help but wonder if there isn't a more devious motivation behind this bit of stupidity. One that tears down the established norms of our culture and puts the health safety and welfare of the few ahead of the many at the expense of the many. It is part and parcel of the transformation of America that this tyrant promised when elected in 2008. One national chain store, Target, has adopted and embraced this policy and you can go into whichever rest room suits you and the gender with which you identify. They forget that no self respecting adult or parent would allow their child or themselves to share a bathroom with someone of the opposite sex regardless of which identity they choose to assume. It gets better. The customers are voting with their feet and have chosen to boycott the chain to express their disbelief and opposition to this piece of perversion. The company stock has fallen precipitously and in my humble opinion that is a good thing. I'm not a Target shopper but have elected to keep my distance and to simultaneously express my personal opposition to this monstrous policy. This is social engineering at it's worst and one of many such transgressions forced on the American people under the Obama administration. We can't get rid of this asshole fast enough. In fact, I think the Oklahoman legislature is voting as we speak on the articles of impeachment which they hope to bring against this renegade imposter residing in the White House. Good riddens is what I say.
I can''t seem to get enough of articles and things like that speak to the Clinton's and how corrupt and greedy they are. Can you be corrupt and not greedy? Not sure. One online headline catching my attention this morning is, "It's the Bataan Death March." It's an article by Maureen Dowd describing the current Hillary Clinton campaign for the presidency. I'm sitting here salivating just waiting to read it. Just wanting to hear how desperate and down both the candidate and the campaign are as they face increasingly long odds of winning not only the primary but the general election against Trump. The bitch lost eight years ago to a black community organizer from the east side of Chicago and Barack Hussein Obama went on to win both his first and second terms in the White House. I don't think the Clintons quite ever got over that. The Clinton's are of the comeback variety and this has propelled them to other positions of power in the past after being soundly beaten and set back back on their collective heels. How someone so widely despised and hated ever got this close to the White House I'm not sure but there is a natural firewall this time around. He goes by the name of TRUMP. One quite vitriolic but apt expression of Hillary Clinton and what I hope will come to pass was perfectly encapsulated in the statement I read somewhere recently which stated, "Trump will beat her like a rented mule." One can only hope.
What about King Barry's latest edict: Obama administration’s directive on bathroom access for transgender students? Is he out of his fucking mind? Who the bejesus does he think he is? One can't help but wonder if there isn't a more devious motivation behind this bit of stupidity. One that tears down the established norms of our culture and puts the health safety and welfare of the few ahead of the many at the expense of the many. It is part and parcel of the transformation of America that this tyrant promised when elected in 2008. One national chain store, Target, has adopted and embraced this policy and you can go into whichever rest room suits you and the gender with which you identify. They forget that no self respecting adult or parent would allow their child or themselves to share a bathroom with someone of the opposite sex regardless of which identity they choose to assume. It gets better. The customers are voting with their feet and have chosen to boycott the chain to express their disbelief and opposition to this piece of perversion. The company stock has fallen precipitously and in my humble opinion that is a good thing. I'm not a Target shopper but have elected to keep my distance and to simultaneously express my personal opposition to this monstrous policy. This is social engineering at it's worst and one of many such transgressions forced on the American people under the Obama administration. We can't get rid of this asshole fast enough. In fact, I think the Oklahoman legislature is voting as we speak on the articles of impeachment which they hope to bring against this renegade imposter residing in the White House. Good riddens is what I say.
Back in the Saddle
18/05/16 07:05
Geez, Louise. A little fast forwarding for your viewing pleasure. Donald Trump is now the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party since the departure of his last two republican party rivals, Cruz and Kasich. Both dropped out after Trump won a resounding victory in the state of Indiana. He beat Cruz by a good 16 points. Indiana was a state where Cruz held a comfortable lead just thirty days leading up to the day of the primary. Landslide wins in the Northeast by Trump in the weeks leading up to the Indiana primary gave the good folks in Indiana sufficient pause and perhaps more than enough to want get behind an apparent winner instead of propping up and fueling the #NeverTrump crowd. Maybe there is something to be said for what refer to as winners momentum. Ten contests still remain in the primary season and while Trump has the luxury of putting together his team and formulating a strategy for beating Hillary Clinton in November, she is still fending off the socialist Bernie Sanders who refuses to leave the race despite very long odds of acquiring the required number of delegates by the time the primary season comes to an end on June 7th. Needless to say the democratic party is up in arms that their planned coronation for Clinton cannot proceed as planned as long as she is fending off Bernie "feel the Bern" Sanders. It goes without saying that she needs his followers which are substantial in number and, more importantly, a demographic that is significant in numbers and not interested in Clinton's message or history in the least.
I don't know why I'm dragging my feet on the garden. I suppose that by the time Memorial Day rolls around I'll feel the normal obligation to stick a few tomato plants in the ground and maybe a couple of other things like cucumbers and the like. I'm keeping an eye out for weeds and other things that might take root while I otherwise ignore that space in our yard and stand ready to uproot them should they appear. I even bought some black matting to lay over the soil as a preventative measure but have yet to get around to doing that. All in good time I suppose. With nobody chasing me I can do as I like. Ignore it, embrace it, or sit on the fence. Pick your poison, dude. Without a doubt I will, come September, wish I had planted tomatoes if I don't do it in the coming weeks. It's certainly not as though I don't have the wherewithal or time to get the job done. Having said that, it is safe to say that I am not nor will I ever be a slave to our yard. I do the absolute minimum which is not much more than keeping it trimmed so as not to draw unneeded attention from neighbors. I think I've always known that about myself but working a normal 9 to 5 masks a lot of things. Now that I don't work a 9 to 5 the mask is off and quite frankly it's too late to change the trajectory of my horticultural ambitions even if I wanted to at this late date. What's done is done.
I'm slightly annoyed with the goings on with the bluebird house that I put up in our back yard 2-3 years ago. We've had bluebirds express interest in nesting there in years past but nothing close to what we're seeing this year. It's encouraging. At least it was until some other unknown species, maybe a sparrow, seems to have ousted the bluebirds that were wanting to taking up residence there and who now sits in the entrance to the birdhouse looking out as though it is his home and exclusively so. I guess he or she who rules the roost gets to keep the roost. Makes sense to me but I didn't buy the darn birdhouse to provide a sanctuary for the common sparrow. That was not my intent. And now I'd like to know how to go about keeping the birds that I don't like out of the house so that birds I do like can occupy it. That may be above my pay grade although I've been know to research and solve stranger problems. Maybe I will just clean out the bird house and the little critters can start all over again. Odds are that persistence will pay off and we'll have a brood of bluebirds taking advantage of the house and raising their young there as mother nature would have it.
While I'm at it I might want to solve the problem of whatever it is that keeps emptying out our hummingbird feeders overnight. As a practical matter, whatever it is seems to come along in the overnight hours and tips the feeder just enough to allow the nectar to empty leaving the feeder completely empty of its contents by the following morning. I suppose I could position it such that it is no longer accessible but then again I'd have to know what I was dealing with first and I clearly do not. Is it the deer that reside in the woods surrounding our house or perhaps the red squirrels who are just conniving enough to get the job done but elusive enough so as not to be seen. I'll have to wait for Nancy to concoct another batch of hummingbird food before getting back to work on that irksome problem so there may be time for some additional research.
Check that. I'm taking over that responsibility. It might never get done if I leave it to Nancy. She has enough on her mind these days. And what the bejesus is pulling down the bird feeder in our front yard? The is the second time in as many weeks that I'm waking up after a good nights sleep only to find the feeder lying on the ground. Seems some animal had just enough cunning to pull it down even though it was tethered pretty darn good and even rolled it around a bit but was not able to gain access to the store of nuts inside the clear plastic cylinder. I'm suspecting that it may be a bear but there are no bear hereabouts so I just don't know. A bear might well destroy the feeder as I sit here thinking about it and the feeder isn't any worse for wear so just needs to be rehung so I'll have to give this one a little more thought. If it's just a matter of rehanging it then maybe my knickers are not in the bunch that I thought they were so I can rehang it and move on. Just saying.
I don't know why I'm dragging my feet on the garden. I suppose that by the time Memorial Day rolls around I'll feel the normal obligation to stick a few tomato plants in the ground and maybe a couple of other things like cucumbers and the like. I'm keeping an eye out for weeds and other things that might take root while I otherwise ignore that space in our yard and stand ready to uproot them should they appear. I even bought some black matting to lay over the soil as a preventative measure but have yet to get around to doing that. All in good time I suppose. With nobody chasing me I can do as I like. Ignore it, embrace it, or sit on the fence. Pick your poison, dude. Without a doubt I will, come September, wish I had planted tomatoes if I don't do it in the coming weeks. It's certainly not as though I don't have the wherewithal or time to get the job done. Having said that, it is safe to say that I am not nor will I ever be a slave to our yard. I do the absolute minimum which is not much more than keeping it trimmed so as not to draw unneeded attention from neighbors. I think I've always known that about myself but working a normal 9 to 5 masks a lot of things. Now that I don't work a 9 to 5 the mask is off and quite frankly it's too late to change the trajectory of my horticultural ambitions even if I wanted to at this late date. What's done is done.
I'm slightly annoyed with the goings on with the bluebird house that I put up in our back yard 2-3 years ago. We've had bluebirds express interest in nesting there in years past but nothing close to what we're seeing this year. It's encouraging. At least it was until some other unknown species, maybe a sparrow, seems to have ousted the bluebirds that were wanting to taking up residence there and who now sits in the entrance to the birdhouse looking out as though it is his home and exclusively so. I guess he or she who rules the roost gets to keep the roost. Makes sense to me but I didn't buy the darn birdhouse to provide a sanctuary for the common sparrow. That was not my intent. And now I'd like to know how to go about keeping the birds that I don't like out of the house so that birds I do like can occupy it. That may be above my pay grade although I've been know to research and solve stranger problems. Maybe I will just clean out the bird house and the little critters can start all over again. Odds are that persistence will pay off and we'll have a brood of bluebirds taking advantage of the house and raising their young there as mother nature would have it.
While I'm at it I might want to solve the problem of whatever it is that keeps emptying out our hummingbird feeders overnight. As a practical matter, whatever it is seems to come along in the overnight hours and tips the feeder just enough to allow the nectar to empty leaving the feeder completely empty of its contents by the following morning. I suppose I could position it such that it is no longer accessible but then again I'd have to know what I was dealing with first and I clearly do not. Is it the deer that reside in the woods surrounding our house or perhaps the red squirrels who are just conniving enough to get the job done but elusive enough so as not to be seen. I'll have to wait for Nancy to concoct another batch of hummingbird food before getting back to work on that irksome problem so there may be time for some additional research.
Check that. I'm taking over that responsibility. It might never get done if I leave it to Nancy. She has enough on her mind these days. And what the bejesus is pulling down the bird feeder in our front yard? The is the second time in as many weeks that I'm waking up after a good nights sleep only to find the feeder lying on the ground. Seems some animal had just enough cunning to pull it down even though it was tethered pretty darn good and even rolled it around a bit but was not able to gain access to the store of nuts inside the clear plastic cylinder. I'm suspecting that it may be a bear but there are no bear hereabouts so I just don't know. A bear might well destroy the feeder as I sit here thinking about it and the feeder isn't any worse for wear so just needs to be rehung so I'll have to give this one a little more thought. If it's just a matter of rehanging it then maybe my knickers are not in the bunch that I thought they were so I can rehang it and move on. Just saying.
Whine and Roses
13/02/16 07:31
Not sure what to make of this Trump phenomena. The Donald (Trump) is packing stadiums up and down the east coast of the United States with thousands of passionate and faithful followers wanting to show their support. Not unlike the crowds, I might add, that follow Bernie Sanders on the other side of the political aisle. The television networks have chosen to stop showing the size of his audiences out of respect and admiration for their so-called establishment candidate in the race, Hillary Clinton. The very same Hillary Clinton I would remind you who is under investigation by no fewer than 4 federal agencies including the FBI for a variety of alleged criminal activities related to her tenure as head of the State Department and her role in the Clinton Foundation. Bernie would do well to cite these ongoing investigations but to date he has not. But the Trumpster marches on racking up big numbers in the polls against his rivals Cruz, Rubio, Bush, and Kasich. He is winning in the polls by a 2-1 margin in most of the early states yet to have their primaries and caucuses. His meteoric numbers have been attributed to name recognition and anti-establishment appeal but there seems to be more there than meets the eye. The more the voices of the establishment try to marginalize him in an effort to eliminate him from the race the stronger he becomes. He funds his own campaign, takes no money from any super PACS, and will be beholding to no one if and when he wins. Did I mention that he is a plain speaking man. He has an undeniable an unbelievable ability to connect with the common man and his mantra to "make America great again" is resonating with the American public. This is a currency that will carry him far in a day and age where we as a country have lost our way in the eyes of American public and the larger global community as a whole. He also promises to be less profane on the stump. We'll see how long that lasts.
Brrrr! We've been hearing reports in the news in the last few days about an arctic cold front moving through our neck of the woods with promises of life threatening sub zero temperatures. We usually turn off the heat during the overnight hours but we left it on last night not wanting to take any chances of having our pipes freeze as temperatures plunged throughout the night. I was up a little after 4 this morning wanting to get an early start on the news day especially after the raucous republican debate last night in South Carolina. We've had a relatively snowless and mild winter thus far into 2016 so I was reminded when looking at the outdoor thermometer in our kitchen where the temperature read minus 11 degrees that Mother Nature has a few surprises yet up her sleeve for those of us thinking we were going to escape unscathed. I was feeling exposed and not unscathed at these temperatures so I set about starting a nice wood stove not because the house wasn't warm from having the furnace run overnight but to provide one more source of heat in a house probably in need of it. The heat from the wood stove is quite different from the forced hot air and infinitely more delicious so I feel good about having a large supply of seasoned wood that promises to get us through the winter months without concerns about running short. At these temperatures we may not venture far from home today and certainly bike rides and walks along the beach are out of the question. It might just be a good day to dust off a good crockpot recipe and hunker down at home with a good book. If I venture out at all it will be to refill the bird feeders or to go to the store for ingredients needed. You have two get out of the house at least once a day . Right?
What is up with the Ev man? He's feeling the pressure of taking on perhaps too many courses and there is virtually nothing we can say or do that seems to make him feel better. He's often hard to read so we try to stay away and keep him at arms length. I even accuse Nancy of being tone deaf sometimes when he is short with her for reasons very obvious to Evan and I but to Nancy not so much. With any luck he will sort it out himself and having survived an apocalyptic mood swing will be back in the saddle to take on another day. We brought him home a large serving of chili from Tuttles in Dover while passing through that section of town today after visiting South Berwick. He was hungry so seemed to enjoy it but also seemed more than a bit preoccupied with his studies so was short to the point of being intolerant and moody. You do the best you can and that is it. He promptly disappeared into his room after eating and we've neither seen or heard from him since. When you have a lot of jello moving on the plate you just have to stop moving the plate so much and the jello will settle down of its now accord. Just to be clear, Evan is the jello and the plate is his world. Now that we have that all sorted out I want to add that we picked up a nice frozen pork pie for Mrs G when shopping around at Tuttles and dropped it off on our way home. She was delighted to have the pie as she had not yet had her main meal for the day and she remarked that she would have gone out for a bit were it not for the frigid temperatures. She's been driving a rental while her car is in the shop and didn't want to get stuck anywhere while out and about in town. If we had been smart about it we would have picked up a few nice chocolate truffles for her while shopping at Tuttles seeing as this is Valentines day. Doh!!
Brrrr! We've been hearing reports in the news in the last few days about an arctic cold front moving through our neck of the woods with promises of life threatening sub zero temperatures. We usually turn off the heat during the overnight hours but we left it on last night not wanting to take any chances of having our pipes freeze as temperatures plunged throughout the night. I was up a little after 4 this morning wanting to get an early start on the news day especially after the raucous republican debate last night in South Carolina. We've had a relatively snowless and mild winter thus far into 2016 so I was reminded when looking at the outdoor thermometer in our kitchen where the temperature read minus 11 degrees that Mother Nature has a few surprises yet up her sleeve for those of us thinking we were going to escape unscathed. I was feeling exposed and not unscathed at these temperatures so I set about starting a nice wood stove not because the house wasn't warm from having the furnace run overnight but to provide one more source of heat in a house probably in need of it. The heat from the wood stove is quite different from the forced hot air and infinitely more delicious so I feel good about having a large supply of seasoned wood that promises to get us through the winter months without concerns about running short. At these temperatures we may not venture far from home today and certainly bike rides and walks along the beach are out of the question. It might just be a good day to dust off a good crockpot recipe and hunker down at home with a good book. If I venture out at all it will be to refill the bird feeders or to go to the store for ingredients needed. You have two get out of the house at least once a day . Right?
What is up with the Ev man? He's feeling the pressure of taking on perhaps too many courses and there is virtually nothing we can say or do that seems to make him feel better. He's often hard to read so we try to stay away and keep him at arms length. I even accuse Nancy of being tone deaf sometimes when he is short with her for reasons very obvious to Evan and I but to Nancy not so much. With any luck he will sort it out himself and having survived an apocalyptic mood swing will be back in the saddle to take on another day. We brought him home a large serving of chili from Tuttles in Dover while passing through that section of town today after visiting South Berwick. He was hungry so seemed to enjoy it but also seemed more than a bit preoccupied with his studies so was short to the point of being intolerant and moody. You do the best you can and that is it. He promptly disappeared into his room after eating and we've neither seen or heard from him since. When you have a lot of jello moving on the plate you just have to stop moving the plate so much and the jello will settle down of its now accord. Just to be clear, Evan is the jello and the plate is his world. Now that we have that all sorted out I want to add that we picked up a nice frozen pork pie for Mrs G when shopping around at Tuttles and dropped it off on our way home. She was delighted to have the pie as she had not yet had her main meal for the day and she remarked that she would have gone out for a bit were it not for the frigid temperatures. She's been driving a rental while her car is in the shop and didn't want to get stuck anywhere while out and about in town. If we had been smart about it we would have picked up a few nice chocolate truffles for her while shopping at Tuttles seeing as this is Valentines day. Doh!!
Vote Early, Vote Often
01/02/16 05:27
Does it surprise anyone that a bunch of corn farmers in podunk Iowa can't get it right when it comes to counting ballots in the nations first presidential caucus? Add to that the likes of the Hillary Clinton and her sordid band of surrogates and the likelihood of their stealthily stealing an election and you have a recipe for disaster. Losing to the communist, Bernie Sanders, in Iowa would have had serious consequences in terms of Clinton's poll numbers, her electability, and the chances for the liberal progressives to keep the White House in 2016 so the fix was in. Why is it that wherever Clinton goes she leaves behind a trail of deceit, chicanery, and a general stench of impropriety that would land any normal politician in jail were the facts to be laid bare. Did I mention that Clinton won Iowa by a handful of votes? There is an FBI inquiry in progress that has 100 or more of their finest looking into Clinton's e-mail server, influence peddling during her tenure as the head of the State Department, and mishandling of classified communications so we can only hope that indictments will follow. You would think the democratic party would have more sense than to elevate someone of Clinton's questionable stature to the highest office of the land. It should also tell you something about their commitment to the constitution and the legacy of our forefathers. Don't kid yourself. It's all about power. Clinton will stop at nothing to attain that power. She has to be stopped.
We're finally getting some snow here in Southern New Hampshire. The ground was snowless until yesterday. I could walk around the yard like it was the middle of summer and I was fine with that. Maybe we got 6-8 inches? It was a heavy wet snow so there was a threat of losing power and I think it was the first time since we've been living here that I shook the tree branches to ensure that the power lines to the house wouldn't snap under the weight of the snow. Everything is frosted and laden with snow as I look out my window this morning. I will have to finish the job I started yesterday after having a little breakfast. The roof will need to be cleared with the rake; the wood pile will need to be squared away; I will be sure to clear a path around the house for easy access since learning our lesson last year when we had too much snow making it difficult to get to certain places; and the temperature outside which is hovering around 23 degrees looks like it is going to cooperate in the near term. The colder it is the longer the snow will stay in a state that makes it easy to move around. Warmer temperatures will make it more difficult to move so time is on my side for now. Maybe the good news is that there is only 5-6 more weeks of winter and this is our first storm. The first of few I hope. I will have to put my biking ambitions on hold until further notice.
I've been doing well keeping up with my gym routine. I basically do the same types of things with every outing and leave the gym feeling better than I did when I first arrived. That's the goal anyway. And tomorrow we go to the polls here in New Hampshire to cast our ballots in the nations first primary. I'm still torn between Cruz the constitutionalist and Trump the businessman. I think I like the idea of a non-politician in the office and why is it that the political class feels that it is theirs for the taking every four years. Since when has a politican run anything successfully? That may explain why Trump is leading in every national poll and has been for the last six months. We'll pick up Nancy's mom and head on over sometime in the early afternoon. Mrs G has decided that the parking situation is far too chaotic in the parking lot at the local elementary school on voting day and she is better off not having to navigate it if she has a choice in the matter. Of course, if she were planning to vote for Hillary she would be on her own and I would consider my decision not to drive her to the polls as doing my civic duty in spades. And were I registered as an independent I might well give some thought to pulling the lever for Bernie Sanders just to deprive Clinton of one more vote. Not sure that it's necessary given that she is expected to lose tomorrow by 15-20 points. Oh, and it is a good thing that one of the requirements of voting here in the granite state is that you show an ID at the polls. I think I've talked myself into voting for Trump. He's truly anti-establishment and that sits well with me in this the year of the monkey on the Chinese calendar.
I can't get it out of my head so might as well get it down on paper. Maybe it's the time of day that I go to the gym or maybe it's the price of admission charged by this particular gym where you can get an annual membership for $100 a year. There are days when it looks more like an infirmary or a rehab joint than a gym. The clientele appears to be mostly over 60 and I have to say that it occasionally irks me when they camp out on the equipment making it difficult for others, including me, to go through our paces on the machines we use on a regular basis. On the other hand, I applaud those same folks for getting out and doing something physical when the natural inclination may be to take it easy and just sit around the house. Is it small of me to think it odd that there are some folks who come into the gym that spend more time looking at themselves in the mirror admiring this or that about their appearance than actually working out? And if I'm honest about it, some look a little unbalanced. I have no particular bias against people with mental health issues but it just seems to me that there are a disproportionate number of them at the gym day in and day out. Oh well. I've not noticed any steroid junkies in my travels but I have been going to the gym often enough now to know the regulars and the regulars are there for one reason and one reason only; to get their routines done for the day. I'm solidly in this camp. Wish me luck.
We're finally getting some snow here in Southern New Hampshire. The ground was snowless until yesterday. I could walk around the yard like it was the middle of summer and I was fine with that. Maybe we got 6-8 inches? It was a heavy wet snow so there was a threat of losing power and I think it was the first time since we've been living here that I shook the tree branches to ensure that the power lines to the house wouldn't snap under the weight of the snow. Everything is frosted and laden with snow as I look out my window this morning. I will have to finish the job I started yesterday after having a little breakfast. The roof will need to be cleared with the rake; the wood pile will need to be squared away; I will be sure to clear a path around the house for easy access since learning our lesson last year when we had too much snow making it difficult to get to certain places; and the temperature outside which is hovering around 23 degrees looks like it is going to cooperate in the near term. The colder it is the longer the snow will stay in a state that makes it easy to move around. Warmer temperatures will make it more difficult to move so time is on my side for now. Maybe the good news is that there is only 5-6 more weeks of winter and this is our first storm. The first of few I hope. I will have to put my biking ambitions on hold until further notice.
I've been doing well keeping up with my gym routine. I basically do the same types of things with every outing and leave the gym feeling better than I did when I first arrived. That's the goal anyway. And tomorrow we go to the polls here in New Hampshire to cast our ballots in the nations first primary. I'm still torn between Cruz the constitutionalist and Trump the businessman. I think I like the idea of a non-politician in the office and why is it that the political class feels that it is theirs for the taking every four years. Since when has a politican run anything successfully? That may explain why Trump is leading in every national poll and has been for the last six months. We'll pick up Nancy's mom and head on over sometime in the early afternoon. Mrs G has decided that the parking situation is far too chaotic in the parking lot at the local elementary school on voting day and she is better off not having to navigate it if she has a choice in the matter. Of course, if she were planning to vote for Hillary she would be on her own and I would consider my decision not to drive her to the polls as doing my civic duty in spades. And were I registered as an independent I might well give some thought to pulling the lever for Bernie Sanders just to deprive Clinton of one more vote. Not sure that it's necessary given that she is expected to lose tomorrow by 15-20 points. Oh, and it is a good thing that one of the requirements of voting here in the granite state is that you show an ID at the polls. I think I've talked myself into voting for Trump. He's truly anti-establishment and that sits well with me in this the year of the monkey on the Chinese calendar.
I can't get it out of my head so might as well get it down on paper. Maybe it's the time of day that I go to the gym or maybe it's the price of admission charged by this particular gym where you can get an annual membership for $100 a year. There are days when it looks more like an infirmary or a rehab joint than a gym. The clientele appears to be mostly over 60 and I have to say that it occasionally irks me when they camp out on the equipment making it difficult for others, including me, to go through our paces on the machines we use on a regular basis. On the other hand, I applaud those same folks for getting out and doing something physical when the natural inclination may be to take it easy and just sit around the house. Is it small of me to think it odd that there are some folks who come into the gym that spend more time looking at themselves in the mirror admiring this or that about their appearance than actually working out? And if I'm honest about it, some look a little unbalanced. I have no particular bias against people with mental health issues but it just seems to me that there are a disproportionate number of them at the gym day in and day out. Oh well. I've not noticed any steroid junkies in my travels but I have been going to the gym often enough now to know the regulars and the regulars are there for one reason and one reason only; to get their routines done for the day. I'm solidly in this camp. Wish me luck.
Modest Beginnings
28/01/16 07:53
I keep telling myself that this year is not going to be one of those years where I start writing in this here journal three to fours months into the year. I don't think 2016 being a new year has anything to do with my not getting back into the groove but it may just be a convenient excuse to not buckle down and get back to business. What business that is precisely I can't say. I do it because it makes me feel good. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that I can't find anywhere else. It is entirely home grown although external influences are baked into the cake since without them it would be nothing more than ravings of a loon. So I write because I can and I'm happy to be back in the saddle even though it's only been three weeks since my last entries. I think I felt good about keeping up with the journal in 2015 and sometimes it is how much I write and not what I write that gives me that sense of satisfaction but there were successes on both fronts so that's good. I don't know from year to year what that is going to look like but any year where I didn't let a week or two pass by before writing is a good year. So there you have it.
You would think that having more time to sit down and write would produce more writing but that doesn't seem to be the case. When I was working day in and day out I looked forward to sitting down to write at specific times on weekends and never wrote during the week. It was my private time. It was always early morning before anyone was up and my thoughts were typically fueled by caffeine, the weeks events, and solace of the early morning where distractions were few and far between. Now, the weekends and the weekdays all blur together and there is confusion about what constitutes a good opportunity to write so I'm left to grapple with this new set of rules in my own way. Not writing does not seem to be an option so I am going to have to figure it out. I worry too about sounding too repetitive when it comes to those things that I follow closely year in and year out, with politics being a good example, so I would simply say while there are always new things to talk about I am more interested in finding different ways to express the same old things so that is my challenge. A new twist, a new turn, a bold face when a bold face is needed, and throwing down the gauntlet when and where I think that makes sense is where I'm heading with all of this. Need to start somewhere. Right?
Nancy has been blessed with a largely snowless winter thus far this year and that bodes well for her when it comes to driving into work on the two days she goes into Boston each week. To say that it gives her consternation is an understatement and we're typically up at 5 in the morning getting the latest and greatest before she gets out on the road. There is no question that if there is even the remotest chance that the driving conditions are treacherous in the least I will be urging her to stay home. At a minimum, I ask that she stays home until it is light out since driving in the dark on roads not yet plowed or salted is never a good recipe for success. She has the luxury of not going into work when conditions are bad and getting worse not because her services are not important but because she gives them no choice. We are more conservative than ever in making those assessments and much of that has to do with setting expectations more than anything else. Fact of the matter is that if she is willing to take her life in her hands on the worst of days by making the trip then she can never adequately make the case for not going in otherwise. All she has to tell them is that she doesn't feel comfortable making the ride in and that is that. It's worked so far but then again the winter has not been bad so she has not had to dip into the pool of goodwill too often. That can still change but we're ready for them.
I have to say that the allure of the brick and mortar experience is losing it's luster for me. I'm not sure where I turned the corner but I'm becoming a fan of having things delivered to our house rather than going out to buy them. It's a matter of convenience for the most part but when you get on a first name basis with the UPS delivery man you know you're hooked. It's no wonder online shopping has exploded the way it has. Why bother going to the store to buy a toaster when you can order it online and have it delivered directly to your house. You can do your research online and while that option also exists in-store with your cell phone or iPad it just isn't the same.
Maybe I haven't perfected the in-store experience as yet since I know they have apps that allow you to simply scan the product you're interested in and it will give you any number of options. Still, not having to go out for it works even better. I'm shocked at the number of times I see the delivery truck going to my neighbors house. I'm thinking to myself, what the dickens is she having delivered so often? She may be running an online business for all I know. As long as I don't see men coming and going at all hours of the day and night I won't bother calling Homeland Security. Maybe there are things people buy that they feel are difficult or embarrassing to purchase in person so having them delivered is just what the doctor ordered. I saw an elderly woman buying Depens diapers for adults while in Walmart yesterday and she did not look happy. Her generation is painfully clueless when it comes to navigating the perilous waters of self checkouts and online shopping so she is left to her own devices when making such purchases. I tried to appear self absorbed as I stood directly behind her in line so as not to add to her discomfort but she was steely in her composure so as not to invite further inquiry by those who might wish to engage her one way or another. My heart still goes out to her even now the day after and I don't know her from the man in the moon. We should all be so empathetic. The world would be a better place.
You would think that having more time to sit down and write would produce more writing but that doesn't seem to be the case. When I was working day in and day out I looked forward to sitting down to write at specific times on weekends and never wrote during the week. It was my private time. It was always early morning before anyone was up and my thoughts were typically fueled by caffeine, the weeks events, and solace of the early morning where distractions were few and far between. Now, the weekends and the weekdays all blur together and there is confusion about what constitutes a good opportunity to write so I'm left to grapple with this new set of rules in my own way. Not writing does not seem to be an option so I am going to have to figure it out. I worry too about sounding too repetitive when it comes to those things that I follow closely year in and year out, with politics being a good example, so I would simply say while there are always new things to talk about I am more interested in finding different ways to express the same old things so that is my challenge. A new twist, a new turn, a bold face when a bold face is needed, and throwing down the gauntlet when and where I think that makes sense is where I'm heading with all of this. Need to start somewhere. Right?
Nancy has been blessed with a largely snowless winter thus far this year and that bodes well for her when it comes to driving into work on the two days she goes into Boston each week. To say that it gives her consternation is an understatement and we're typically up at 5 in the morning getting the latest and greatest before she gets out on the road. There is no question that if there is even the remotest chance that the driving conditions are treacherous in the least I will be urging her to stay home. At a minimum, I ask that she stays home until it is light out since driving in the dark on roads not yet plowed or salted is never a good recipe for success. She has the luxury of not going into work when conditions are bad and getting worse not because her services are not important but because she gives them no choice. We are more conservative than ever in making those assessments and much of that has to do with setting expectations more than anything else. Fact of the matter is that if she is willing to take her life in her hands on the worst of days by making the trip then she can never adequately make the case for not going in otherwise. All she has to tell them is that she doesn't feel comfortable making the ride in and that is that. It's worked so far but then again the winter has not been bad so she has not had to dip into the pool of goodwill too often. That can still change but we're ready for them.
I have to say that the allure of the brick and mortar experience is losing it's luster for me. I'm not sure where I turned the corner but I'm becoming a fan of having things delivered to our house rather than going out to buy them. It's a matter of convenience for the most part but when you get on a first name basis with the UPS delivery man you know you're hooked. It's no wonder online shopping has exploded the way it has. Why bother going to the store to buy a toaster when you can order it online and have it delivered directly to your house. You can do your research online and while that option also exists in-store with your cell phone or iPad it just isn't the same.
Maybe I haven't perfected the in-store experience as yet since I know they have apps that allow you to simply scan the product you're interested in and it will give you any number of options. Still, not having to go out for it works even better. I'm shocked at the number of times I see the delivery truck going to my neighbors house. I'm thinking to myself, what the dickens is she having delivered so often? She may be running an online business for all I know. As long as I don't see men coming and going at all hours of the day and night I won't bother calling Homeland Security. Maybe there are things people buy that they feel are difficult or embarrassing to purchase in person so having them delivered is just what the doctor ordered. I saw an elderly woman buying Depens diapers for adults while in Walmart yesterday and she did not look happy. Her generation is painfully clueless when it comes to navigating the perilous waters of self checkouts and online shopping so she is left to her own devices when making such purchases. I tried to appear self absorbed as I stood directly behind her in line so as not to add to her discomfort but she was steely in her composure so as not to invite further inquiry by those who might wish to engage her one way or another. My heart still goes out to her even now the day after and I don't know her from the man in the moon. We should all be so empathetic. The world would be a better place.