poppies

I wanted to post some pictures of my poppies blooming. I don't take very good pictures so I asked my weary husband to do it and of course, he jumped up and grabbed the camera. Most good photos you see here are his work...or if they're mine, they're an accident. I think these are gorgeous. He gives credit to the evening sun but I think it's a good eye, too. The first one reminds me of an Andy Warhol painting that I saw at the MC last week. I got this plant from my Auntie Vi so it's always been a favorite. Poppies are so fragile, too, like tissue paper...a hard wind or driving rain and they disintegrate.

We had a nice time at Bob and Emily's house at a Father's Day cook-out. It was warm and breezy and the bugs weren't too bothersome. Ella and I played ball. She ran over and rang the wind chime every time I kicked it. Then she would kick it and say, "Go get it, Nana!" By the time we left, she had watermelon and ketchup and Oreo's pretty much everywhere. She wanted to "hug my shoulders" and how can you say no to that. It just makes your heart hurt.

I've been fascinated with the coverage of Tim Russert's death this weekend. I wasn't a regular viewer of Meet The Press but I liked his book Big Russ and Me. The stories about him are very poignant and uplifting. This morning's episode is very much worth watching. It's almost like a president died. It seems like everyone knew him and loved him. It seems like he made people want to be better because he had such a big heart.

All weekend when we sat in the porch we heard this weird sound, like a bear rummaging in a garbage can next door. Since we live in town, that didn't seem likely but every time I stood up, the sound would stop. I finally solved the mystery...kids on the corner with a skate board ramp. Ah, a skate board ramp. Better than a bear.

Tomorrow morning, I do my final presentation of my portfolio. So, say a prayer or lift a glass or do whatever is your act of blessing. I'm going to need it. The next voice you hear....

Happy Father's Day!

Regis and his boys














Tiffany with Grandma and Grandpa














Me with my Dad























Peter with his Dad












Ella with her Popop on her birthday




















Regis and his Dad

end-o-week

It's a good thing I have stopped watching the news. The amount I get by reading is almost enough to put a guy over the edge some days. I was reading about the floods today and caught a site that had pictures of the tornado in Parkersburg. Great story about a dog named Chance who was reunited with his owner after nine days. They found him sitting behind the wheel of a Pontiac Bonneville in the line of wrecked cars. He was very happy to see them. Then the news of the death of Tim Russert and the clip of Tom Brokaw announcing it.

On my way home from work today I was moved to do some yard chores. By the time I got here, thankfully, the mood had passed. Peter put the furniture back after the carpet cleaning so you can walk through the house now instead of leaping things in a series of single bounds. Is that a ragged segue?

We stopped at MGM this afternoon and noticed that the price of craft beers has gone way up, thanks in part to the price of hops which has quadrupled in price in the last year. Barley's gone up, too. Harp is almost ten bucks a six pack. Good thing we like Schell's.

We haven't done our weekly shopping for a while so tonight Regis perused the HyVee ad while I made the menu and the list. We're trying to eat healthier so we have more chicken than pork and beef.

I better post this before I forget what I'm doing. On to the weekend...

assman

We went to the MC in Rochester today so Regis could have a "procedure" as they delicately call it. I sat in the waiting room and listened to CNN for more hours than I care to count. Man, everything is outrageous to those folks on CNN. I suppose if you have to provide news for 24 hours, eventually you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel and act excited about it.

One of their journalists (is that what they're called?) continued all afternoon to say that they had "pitchers" of the devastation in Iowa. That may be a colloquialism but it sounds pretty rube-ish on CNN.

I finally went in the hall and sat there because it was quieter and the people coming off the elevator were entertaining.

I was amazed at how fluent in English the people are who don't speak it as a first language. If I had to go to a foreign country to see a doctor, I'd be drawing pictures to communicate.

Everything went fine for Regis and they used less of the drugs so he was coherent when he came out instead of zombie-like. I gave him a ride to the parking ramp in a wheelchair but after he got his land legs he was fine, awake all the way home, and hungry. Always a good sign.

There is water standing everywhere near Rochester. It looks like rice paddies instead of corn fields. I talked to a farmer in the E room who told me all about how crops survive in wet years or dry years depending on the land's elevation. He was a character.

All in all, not a bad day considering. The MC is really a beautiful place and so accommodating to visitors. I recommend again, Helen Clapesattle's book The Doctors Mayo.

floods

I talked to my old friend, Jane, just a few minutes ago. She lives near Cedar Rapids, Iowa where they're experiencing horrible flooding. She was evacuated from work today, the schools are full of flood refugees, and all the bridges going into downtown Cedar Rapids are closed. They're also having historic flooding in Des Moines and other towns along the Cedar River. Her voice brought back memories of the tornado and one of my most vivid images...the sight of people sleeping on cots at the Armory. So much bad weather this spring.

There is a report on one of the state newspaper's websites of cows flying through the air on 94 by Fergus Falls. That seems a little preposterous but it happened in Twister so how do I know. It could happen. All I do know is that on Sunday, I drove on that road. Uh oh. I think those Dakotans make their vodka out of potatoes and maybe that's the explanation.

Regis and I rarely undertake home improvement projects. They just don't interest us much which is probably why the neighbor (not the neighbor with the red trailer) wants to paint our garage. Today we ordered a new kitchen light fixture. Since we moved in here, we've had the two round fluorescent bulbs that have probably been there since the 50s when the house was built. I wouldn't have had any great desire to change that except they burned out and we can get a 15 dollar energy star rebate from smmpa on a new one. I did a google search and I can't believe there aren't pictures of those fixtures on the web. Those are antiques!

Regis tried driving 65 mph all the way home on Sunday and saved 15% on our gas mileage. I know we sound cheap but that's not it. It just seems to make sense to conserve resources when we can. I talked to Arvin, our trusty mechanic, today and he said 55 is about the optimum speed. He's noticed lots more people driving slower on 169 between St. Peter and Mankato since the price of gas went up. thanks to Jimmy Carter for that.

I read this headline in the paper today:

40 rude traveling salespeople evicted from Moorhead motel

but I read it as:

40 nude traveling salespeople evicted from Moorhead motel

That's enough for today. Tomorrow we motor to Rochester so I'll be OOT for a while.

a happening in the neighborhood

In an attempt to document significant happenings in the neighborhood, Regis has photographed, through the picture window, the maiden voyage of my neighbor's lunch wagon going off to serve homemade fare to the masses.

Will this artifact fit in a plastic sleeve?

thinking

I've been sitting here thinking about how knowing you have an audience changes the way you write. I put a counter on my blog (way down at the bottom) about the 1st of May and since then, I've had about 1800 readers. Of course, some of them were me. Smile. But I didn't drive it up that far, believe me. I just make lots of editorial changes after the fact. Back when this was just a personal rant, I didn't think about it much. It was just a place to write. Now that people mention once in a while that they read this or that, or I start telling a story and someone will say, "I read that on your blog," it's a little weird. It's like the internal censor. The monkey mind. The little guy that sits on your shoulder: Don't write about this. Don't say this about that. I've always been, let's say circumspect, but this feels different.

I heard someone on the radio the other day talking about how people in the midst of life troubles, air their dirty laundry in their blogs. God forbid. Some things you just don't talk about in public. But how do you talk about anything important in your life without being too personal?

I see that the two women who claim to have had intimate relations with a former president, are making their tawdry tales available on the internet for a buck 99 a pop. I would think the price would tell you something about the quality. Hell, you can't buy a comic book for that price. That is just too tacky. Of course, they claim they want to get the truth out there. Uh huh. I bet.

flogging my brain cells

This is a picture of me on Monday. At 8 a.m., I'll do the presentation for my portfolio. Someone has written competencies that are pretty broad and things I'm sure I can do, but I can't for the life of me, think of "artifacts" to demonstrate it. I feel like I get dumber as this goes on and I'm sure that on Monday it will be like a parakeet trying to get a license to be a director of special education. Tweet tweet. I worked on my portfolio for hours this afternoon and finally, that was it. My brain cells were flogged.

Regis is having a procedure done at the MC on Thursday so he's on a clear liquid diet all week. As if that's not restrictive enough, he can't even eat red or purple clear liquid. No red Jello, no orange Popsicles, no grape Kool-Aid. I think by the end of the day on Thursday, he ought to be ready to send all the green Jello and beef broth on the planet into space. We're going to leave early to make a stop at Cabela's on 35 to pick up a couple of weird folding chairs. After a week of this kind of eating, it would take something more than a lawn chair to get me to stop anywhere.

We had a dry day today which means the lawn mower armies are out. We're going to compensate for that with warnings of torrential rain in the next two days with warnings of flash flooding. Oh great. So we not only have current long-grass mowing but we have preventative mowing. My little battery-powered lawn mower purrs like a kitten. A couple kids walked by the other day and gave it the funniest look. I guess they couldn't figure out why it wasn't belching black smoke.

I was driving to work today on Minnesota Avenue, taking my time and trying to remember to call in the gas prices. More on that below. At the police station corner, a red car came onto the highway with a police car close behind. The red car passed the cars by going into the north bound lane, followed soon by another police car. Lights and sirens. They disappeared down 169. I've seen COPS and I'm sure this was going to be a full felony stop.

Regis checks gas prices daily and enters them into a database on minnesotagasprices.com. They give points for logging in and reporting and so far, he has 502,000 points and is in 51st place. It's like a community...people leave messages, report life events of members, and compete for points. Everybody needs a hobby and when gas costs $4.00 a gallon, this is an interesting one.

We're watching National Treasure (the second one). I gave it 3 stars about half an hour ago and it just keeps going and going. I might lower it to 2 stars if it doesn't get over soon. Endless action, or all hat and no head as they say in Texas.

mowing grass

My exercising friend was out of town yesterday so I decided to thwart the riding lawnmower neighbor and mow with my own little mower. It didn't really need cutting in most places so it was hard to tell where I had been, so I kind of went in gentle circles. Except for the places where I vacuumed. I realize this is not the acceptable gas-cutting form. The new grass in the back yard is coming up nicely. It's more like woods back there than lawn, though, so it's hard to keep grass growing in the shade.

I'm going to have to get back to this later. I have too many things in my head to write.

yikes

I looked out the bedroom window to the south this afternoon. Since my neighbor has been cutting a wide swath through our front yard with his wide-deck rider, we don't even look over there. I haven't had much time to worry about weeding and the mosquitoes are a deterrent to going anywhere outside so all in all there has been some yard neglect. Today I get a look and the grass is about knee-high and has gone to seed. Lovely. Thanks to all the rain and the little bit of sun we've had for this nice crop of sheep-worthy grass. Apartment living is looking better all the time.

I have one week to finish my last and final portfolio for my last and final license. I've been taking classes at MSU for 38 years and frankly, I'm about done in with that BS. I'm ready to abandon that perch and let the horse out of the barn. The true fact is that I've spent a lot of money on education that hasn't really gotten me too far. I've grieved in different ways over the last three years about my inability to get a different job and I'm ready to let that balloon go, too. Harrumph and all of that. I think I'll celebrate on the 16th...finished my new license before I retired.

I'm reading a book by Katherine McMahon that's kind of a 16th century bodice ripper: The Alchemist's Daughter. A great dark and gothic sort of background and the bodice ripping is entertaining, but I wouldn't recommend it too highly. The main character is a bit of a dolt. I've been hard to please lately so I'd appreciate recommendations.

Off to bed.

weekend with the family

After all the anxiety about the long trip, all the failed travel plans, and all the angst, Regis and I made it to Otter Tail Lake about 6 on Friday and we had a good time. Here's a list of the attendees and their place of origin:
Mom- Canby
Bruce (brother) and Jody- Fargo
Cybil (daughter of Bruce) and Shawn- Ohio
two daughters of Shawn and Cybil- Ohio
Evynn and Darby (daughters of Cybil and Shawn)- Ohio
Pat (brother) and Helen- Luverne
Amanda (daughter of Pat)- St. Paul
Teresa and Regis
David (brother) and Joan- St. Paul
Tiernen (son of David)- St. Paul
Jeremy (son of David)- Fargo
Deb (cousin) and Larry- Arizona
Steve (brother)and Michelle- Fargo
Nicole (daughter of Steve) and Jason- Moorhead
Caleb, Duncan, Ian, Ezra, and Chloe (Steve's)- Fargo
That's a total of 28. Pretty good turn-out and the resort, Barky's, was lovely. We managed a few hours in the sun, a potluck, a few fishing outings, a pontoon ride, a trip to the candy store in Battle Lake, and a ride around the lake. We had breakfast at Betty's Pantry (potato pancakes and wild rice omelets) this morning and we all headed our separate ways. A good time was had by all.

I thought I had learned my lesson when it comes to sunburn. Yesterday morning was cool, breezy, and only partly cloudy. I should not have been in the sun that long because today I have a rousing sunburn on the top of my head, my face, and my chest. I feel like I burned my eyeballs. Ouch.

We left home in such a hurry on Friday that we made several mistakes in packing. Regis only brought the pants he was wearing, I didn't have sunglasses or sunscreen (who knew you'd need THAT stuff?), and we forgot the camera. So, no pictures. Mom will send some later, maybe, and I'll post those.

Back to work tomorrow. Ugh.

whoops, not yet

I thought I would be on the way to Ottertail Lake by noon. See the green arrow on the map to the left. Cousin Deb called this morning and said their flight was delayed until this afternoon, apparently a result of last night's bad weather. So....the don't leave AZ until almost noon meaning I can't meet up with them until 4:30. The alternatives are that I go to Canby and ride with mom. Whoops, she's leaving at noon. Regis, my kind and caring husband, has already packed and is ready to head out as soon as he punches out today. He doesn't want me getting in the car and traveling all that way alone because he knows I'm half loony during car travel. Besides it's windy beyond description today and that agitates me. And have I mentioned that I can't seem to get my estrogen filled? I've been to the pharmacy four times and have called the clinic three times. I don't think they realize with what they are dealing, attempting not to end a sentence with a preposition. Regis says the big cost to me will be a bag of jelly beans and a stop at Culver's. I have a feeling there may be some beer involved at some point, too.

whew

Made it through the night with no disastrous weather. We got some wind about midnight but that's it. My last waking thought was to wonder aloud if we would hear the weather radio. We have two in close proximity to the bedroom so Regis assured me we would.

I'll be out of blog touch for a few days while I travel to Ottertail Lake. Maybe I'll be able to post a few pictures and stories on Monday.

weather update: PDS

PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) Tornado Watch posted for southwestern MN until 1 am Friday....does not include the metro area. Isolated storms near Worthington, Windom and Pipestone may produce violent, long-lasting tornadoes.

Here's some terrifying stuff on the Weather Channel. It's on the right side of the page, called Raw Video: Tornado Rips Apart House.

june 5 the garden

The fat frog and my new rhubarb leaf birdbath.













The rooster guards the walk.













I love the color of the cheddar pinks!











Look at these poppies waiting to burst into bloom.









We're in a tornado watch tonight and the forecasters are bleating ominous reports everywhere you look. Natural disaster predicted. High risk for plains states. Regis wants me to watch a security video film from a bank in Iowa where they had an F5 tornado. Yeah, I want to see that. Check out the blog of Paul Douglas is you want your pants scared off your ass.

Rain in Biblical proportions

Oh lovely...I stopped downtown to get a sweatshirt for my trip and the sky started to look like it was going to thunder down on us. We get nervous in St. Peter when the skies get dark. One lady was hanging out the back door of a shop with a weather radio in her hand. Here's what the NWS has in mind for us today, Miles: A raincoat, an umbrella, but better yet, stay indoors.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
AND MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN FROM 400 PM THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH 600 AM FRIDAY MORNING...

A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL LIFT NORTHEAST OUT OF THE
CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.
THIS SYSTEM COMBINED WITH A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL JET WILL PRODUCE
A LARGE SWATH OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST. THESE
STORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE REPEATED BOUTS OF HEAVY RAINS WITH
RAINFALL RATES EXCEEDING OVER AN INCH PER HOUR.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHANHASSEN MINNESOTA HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 400 PM THIS
AFTERNOON UNTIL 600 AM FRIDAY MORNING. THE WATCH WAS MAINLY WEST
OF A LINE FROM LADYSMITH...EAU CLAIRE TO AUSTIN. SOME MAJOR CITIES
INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE ALEXANDRIA...SAINT CLOUD...WILLMAR...
MANKATO...REDWOOD FALLS...FARIBAULT...MINNEAPOLIS...SAINT
PAUL...NEW RICHMOND AND RICE LAKE.

June 4: Dad's birthday

Yesterday, June 4th, was my Dad's birthday. I meant to post this picture last night but I was on the porch and my pictures were in here. He's been gone a couple years now but I can still hear his laugh and see his face. He would have loved this weekend at the lake.

On another note, we have turbulent weather ahead. Here's the forecast from PD at the Trib:

Storms bubbling up across Iowa may spread into the metro area and much of southern MN by Thursday AM, making for a slow and soggy AM rush hour.

Moderate risk of severe storms, hail, violent straight-line winds and isolated tornadoes on Thursday over central and southern Minnesota...I do expect 1-3 tornado touch-downs Thursday statewide.

When do we catch a break? More storms Friday, another round late Saturday...Sunday should be drier and sunnier.

My neighbor with the riding lawnmower was on my front lawn, right outside my bedroom window, mowing our grass last night at 9:30. With a halogen headlight on his mower. I am going to put a stop to this crazy business. Who needs that coming by the bedroom window when you're trying to sleep?

Off to the races.

goat names

I was the namer of another goat. I seem to have a knack for it and this time, suggested the name Moonshine Yarrow for a goat who needed a Y name. Yarrow is a plant that can become a troublesome weed in the garden. Probably the same with goats.

This is probably one of the most stressful weeks of the school year. We do curriculum writing and people are frazzled and it's enough to give you the screaming fantods. I can't believe it's only Wednesday.

I don't know why the weather men do this, but they have published, in the newspaper to be read tonight, a warning about tornadic activity tomorrow in our area. I believe that could dissipate in the next 12 hours so there isn't a reason to alarm people tonight. Really. Do I need to spend today worrying about that? I have enough weather issues. Miles: Stay home, keep the weather alert radio on, and keep your weather eye peeled, buddy.

Betty and I did our twenty minutes of exercise today. We tried to think of active hobbies we could pursue but we couldn't think of a one besides lawn golf and croquet. Regis wrote up a little weight lifting regime for us to do. He actually asked if we wanted something that required reclining on the floor. I gave him a sideways glare and said no, as I wanted to retain some hope of being vertical at the end.

travel anxiety

I'm going away for the weekend. I know some people would be excited and see it as a way to relax, but not me. I have a bad case of the flaming fantods. I can hardly finish making plans, I'm obsessed with all the things that could go wrong here and there, I can't even think about packing, and I'm a wreck. I suppose you could view this as a problem I should think about resolving but I don't see it that way. I'm not at all distressed by people who like to go away and I think they ought to just do it to their heart's content.

I noticed on my way out of the driveway that we have a burgeoning rabbit population in my garden. I used to cuss the neighborhood cats but now I see they served a purpose when they laid waste to the bunny nests. That's a gruesome thought, eh? Once in a while, a mentally challenged rabbit would make a nest in our backyard which is the size of a large postage stamp. What, she couldn't smell the dog? The nest always came to an abrupt and bad end. The rabbits were sniffing around my lilies today so I'll have to get out the putrid egg spray again to dissuade them.

Regis stumbled onto a website today which I won't print here because I don't want to disparage anyone's religious beliefs. But this site claims that it will send out an email to those you left behind six days after you are wafted up into the great beyond. I say this with all due incredulity. This is not an individual wafting but a group waft, if you get my drift. One would assume that the person sending out this mass email was not worthy of the waft himself, if this is truly the case. Of course, if a person had the time and the inclination, it would probably be very frightening to see just what kind of nonsense is out there as fact.

I'm going to go about my trip planning and hope for the best. Here's a Billy Collins poem for the road:

The Willies

"Public restrooms give me the willies"
—ad for a disinfectant

There is no known cure for them,
unlike the heeby-jeebies
or the shakes

which Russian vodka and a hot bath
will smooth out.

The drifties can be licked,
though the vapors often spell trouble.

The whips-and-jangles
go away in time. So do the fantods.
And good company will put the blues
to flight

and do much to relieve the flips,
the quivers and the screamies.

But the willies are another matter.

Anything can give them to you:
electric chairs, raw meat, manta rays,
public restrooms, a footprint,
and every case of the willies
is a bad one.

Some say flow with them, ride them out,
but this is useless advice
once you are in their grip.

There is no way to get on top
of the willies. Valium
is ineffective. Hospitals
are not the answer.

Keeping still
and emitting thin, evenly spaced
waves of irony
may help

but don't expect miracles:
the willies are the willies.
-Billy Collins

observations on being busy

I've always been a great sitter and a champion napper. It's probably had some ill-effects for me health-wise, but for the most part it's been a lifestyle I have enjoyed. Not to say that once in a while I don't appreciate going to bed weary and muscle-sore, but most of the time, I enjoy not doing that.

I've embarked on a eating healthier and exercising regime. I call it a regime because I view it sort of like one of those evil dictator regimes. This is not something I enjoy, believe me, and don't try to tell me I will. Betty (another great sitter) and I have decided to exercise for 20 minutes three times a week. I know, I know, it isn't exactly something that would be endorsed by Jack Lalane, but it works for us. We've also decided on weekends when we get together for our grilling escapades, we will play either croquet or goofy golf (left) rather than reclining in a lawn chair in the shade. Well, at our age, did you think it would be handball?

The eating healthier part of it is only in the form of saying no to the really gross things I would usually eat without thinking, like fruit slices (not real fruit...the gummy things that come in garish colors), cookies out of the freezer, and french fries from fast food places. Give me some time.

I realized on my way home that I have little dirty spots in my car from the guts of mosquitoes that have been unlucky enough to follow me into the Beetle. A clean car is also not one of my important life values. I have a neighbor who has a feather duster in his garage and dusts off his car when he drives it in there. I will go through the car wash when the salt starts to get on my clothes in the spring, but mostly I spend little time thinking about car cleaning, inside or out.

Isn't it funny what people spend their time on? I'm not saying my things are the right things because I'm sure the anal retentives of the world think they're right, too. LOL Some people would rather die than have the dust under their beds that I pulled out from under mine yesterday but I don't care. Neither of us have dust allergies and some peopel in the world live in houses with dirt floors.

I learned this week that some people can text message through their pants pockets and the record number of text messages in a month is 15,000. I'm going to do the math now, with a calculator, and the result is 500 a day. I guess if I can write this kind of drivel on a blog, I shouldn't think disparaging thoughts about people who write 4COL and AWLTP all day. Check out this world's largest list of chat acronyms and text message shorthand. Who thinks of this stuff? It's like a new language!

That's enough of all the news that's fit to print today.

sunday

We had a great, productive Sunday that ended with a nice sit around the grill while Regis cooked a corned beef and some sweet potatoes.

We got up early to go buy groceries. We hardly ever go to Mankato anymore so there are a few errands to do when do finally go. I needed a pillow at Target and we wanted to buy a few more grill accessories at Home Depot. The one thing I didn't get that I should have was a grill pan for vegetables. We wanted to cook onions on the grill but discovered they are prone to drop through the grate.

I was tired by the time I took a shower (mosquito spray is necessary now) and got into my clean bed. I had borrowed some books from Betty: she took me into her library and handed me things and gave me a little review as we went. I took home six books. Last night as I looked them over, trying to decide which one would be first, I realized I had to books that were exactly the same. She apparently bought two identical books, then gave them both to me, and neither of of us noticed. I wonder if she read it twice. The ironic thing is the title is: Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman.

Off to work. More later.

El Kabong!

Mosquitoes are out in full force here! It could be like the year you had to spray yourself to take the trash container to the curb safely. The gnats are also something to contend with. I had a knob on the back of my head from a gnat bite like I'd gotten the El Kabong from Quick Draw McGraw. Little bastards.

We've had thunderstorms popping up all afternoon and evening. There were tornado warnings for some counties but I don't think they amounted to any sightings. Keep your weather radio on tonight, Miles.

It was nice to meet Miles today. He's just as blue-eyed and happy as he looks in his pictures.

weekend

I love Friday nights because the whole weekend stretches out in front...and last night, the whole summer stretched out in front of me because yesterday was the last day of the regular school year. Today they both start ticking away. Another weekend phenomenon: I don't know why it seems on a school day I could sleep until 9 but on Saturday, I wake up at 5:30.

Today I'm going to Jill's to meet Miles, my weather report buddy. Miles lives a ways from St. Peter so he always wants to know what he should wear when he comes to visit. Unfortunately, I've had to advise the Patagonia quite late in the season this year. Also weights in the pockets a few times as it's been so windy.

We watched the movie Dan in Real Life last night. What a waste of plastic and human energy. That was the sappiest, stupidest movie ever made next to Joe Versus the Volcano. One of the reviewers said, "I had a friend named Dan once. He stole my wife, killed my dog, and burned down my house. I still liked him better than Dan in Real Life." That about sums it up. We could hardly make it to the end. We knew how it was going to end anyway and we just didn't care. There's a family talent show scene where you will want to take a long break in the kitchen if you decide to watch this bomber anyway. (Oh, one more thing: I am SO glad I didn't pick this movie out!)

On to the weekend. I have my cleaning chores to do, some more spice tins to assemble and display, and some plants to put in the ground. I think we're going to T&B's for a little grilling tonight. I bought two vegetable grilling cookbooks the other day so maybe I'll find a tempting artichoke recipe. Ha!

the tides of life

When the tides of life turn against you
And the current upsets your boat,
Don't waste those tears on what might have been,
Just lay on your back and float.

-- Ed Norton

dude, aka Duwayne

Regis met a guy on the phone yesterday whose name is Dude. Well, really his name is Du-Wayne. Or at least, that's the way he said it.

It was a beautiful afternoon. Regis wanted a light dinner but I wanted to cook wieners on the grill and I won. The elder son stopped by and had dinner with us...I loaded up the tray with condiments and a bag of chips and we ate wieners off the grill right in the front yard. How gauche.

This is Ella with her umbrella chair that Tiffany gave her last year for Christmas. She spends a lot of time dismantling the umbrella part which I guess if you're a little kid is half the fun.

It was dang cold on Memorial Day, even with a camp fire but the mosquitoes weren't out yet. Today they are out in full force and big as hell. You have to hug the grill and stay in the sun to discourage them. Gads, they are nasty critters. I can hardly get Regis outside when the temp is below 80..and there is no chance when you throw in biting insects.

Speaking of critters, I think I discovered the answer to the mystery of the giant bird poop in the front yard. My neighbor hypothesized that it was duck poop but I said what are the chances of three ducks walking down my walk on the same day and pooping in such close proximity... as it was unlikely the poop would land in such good shape if they let it go from the sky. If you're interested, you can check here, or put grackle poop into google and see what you discover. The link is very funny...the guy has a great sense of humor about bird poop. Hey, it's a big world and you ought to learn about it.

Here's another story that captivated me. I read an essay about a guy named Phillippe Petit and got interested. He's a highwire artist and once walked a wire between the Twin Towers. Get it? Walked on a tightrope wire between the Twin Towers. Carrying a pole to help him balance. So high that if you fell you would be a little bitty grease spot on the asphalt down below. I get dizzy standing on a chair so I really can't imagine this at all. Not for a second. This would be like climbing Mt. Everest, not even in the realm of possibility for me. My friends know I am not the adventurous type. I have to buy a map and pack a bag to go to Minneapolis.

I'm sort of disgruntled with the book I'm reading which I'm not going to disparage here as it might be me. I just can't keep all the characters straight (a character will be called by two names in the same paragraph...huh?) and the story is not linear which doesn't appeal to me. I miss the Mayo brothers and their interesting lives.

So, there you go: Duwayne, grackle poop, highwire walkers, and books. It's a full life here in this small town.

Memorial Day

These are pictures from our traditional trip to Green Lawn Cemetery, the first one established in St. Peter when Minnesota was still a territory.












It's a beautiful place, full of old oak trees, columbine, wild strawberries, and dappled sunshine. Unfortunately, today it was also full of gnats. You had to wave your hand in front of your face to keep from swallowing them.










This is the headstone of the Pettijohn family. There are three small children buried here and a young man of 19. In these days, people hoped their children made it through infancy, they didn't expect it. I can't imagine living through the deaths of all those babies. We wondered if the young man died in the Civil War. There are many veterans buried here, some from the Indian Wars in New Ulm and from the Civil War. Someone takes good care of the graves and they all had stars and little flags today.








I was admiring these beautiful columbine flowers and turned a little to the west to see...













this tiny fawn napping in the grass. Regis isn't as close as it appears. He made sure to stay a safe distance and had the camera on zoom. He isn't very old as you can see...he barely came above the grass.












I thought he was soundly sleeping, in fact, we wondered at first if he was alive. In the picture, if you look closely, you can see that his eye is open. His mama was probably in the brush waiting for us to leave.

Better on the funk-o-meter

The dark cloud has lifted. It helps that the wind has stopped for now. We didn't get any of the violent weather but the tornado in Hugo and the one in NE Iowa were terrifying. Peter made it home safely from the concert he went to and we're spending a quiet Memorial Day by visiting the pioneer cemetery this morning.

There were baby birds everywhere yesterday. The robin in Tom's next was liberated sometime while we were there taking care of Gonzo and managed to make it out of the yard before he became pug lunch. On the way over there, we saw a grackle mama feeding her fledgling baby right in the road. What was she thinking? I know every baby bird ever hatched can't live into adulthood or we'd be over-run with birds, but nature is so cruel. It's a good thing I don't have to witness it everyday.

I have some planting to do this morning and that should be pleasant since the temperature has cooled down. I'll get my garden hopper out and take a cup of coffee and watch the birds while I dig. Regis is going to dig a new (small!) bed over by the fence which is the only sunny spot we have left. I bought quite a few profusion zinnias. They're one of my favorite annuals. The grow into a nice little mound and they bloom constantly with none of that boring dead-heading. I like low-maintenance plants.




We also bought quite a few basil plants. We like to use basil in lots of things and we like to make basil gimlets and it takes a lot of basil to make a few drinks. I'll post the recipe later in the summer. Basil is such a gorgeous plant, too...bright shiny green and needs little care. I bought some other herbs, too, but I don't cook with them as much as just walk by and pick one to smell.





I can't remember if I mentioned this here but I ordered two books on grilling vegetables. We like to cook vegetables on the grill but I read an article the other day that said how you do it really matters...you might end up with blackened and dried out stuff. Yup, that's what happens. We've tried sweet potato, peppers, asparagus, green beans, onions, cabbage, and baby reds. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good. Maybe the cookbook will help.





On to the holiday. Travel safely if you're on the road and watch the sky!

the blues in the dumps

I woke up with a serious case of the blues today. I was weeping into the dishwater after breakfast and I don't have an explanation, at least not a good one. I could say it's hormones, the weather (which is turbulent), or some other reason but I don't think it's any of those. I think it's a force from outer space. It's weird when that happens.

There are storms moving into southern and central Minnesota. That always makes me nervous and I have to be gone for a couple hours this afternoon which makes it worse. I feel a little calmer in my own house. But I don't think it's that making me feel like this.

Then of course, add the guilt for not really having a good reason to feel like this, other people have terrible things to deal with and I'm just in a mood, and you get a great goulash of nasty mood.

I have nerve-wracking things coming up: a 250 mile trip, a portfolio presentation, things like that. But I don't think it's that either. Those kind of things make me lie awake at night and get stiff muscles in my neck but they don't make me cry in the tub. This is more than ennui, believe me.

I need a dark room in the basement with a hot tub, a bottle of wine, lots of candles, and some sad country music...maybe Dwight Yoakum. Something I can sing to. It's that kind of funk I'm in.

windy

It's been a full day. We went to the grocery store for a deal on pop this morning, then to Fred's to buy the same plants I buy every year: basil, parsley. profusion zinnias, marigolds, and some other herbs that I buy based on smell. I had a haircut this afternoon while Regis went to Walgreen's and bought me some lotion. We went to Prairie Pride and picked up the pork for Joanne's party then drove to LeSueur to drop it off.

We wandered on to Lexington to a favorite resort that we try to get to once a year. I asked if they had any unusual beers since Regis was drinking from a glass that advertised a Czech beer. The hickey-studded waitress said they had Leinekins Creamy Dark or Bud Lime. Yes, well, I guess. Bud Lime might be real beer but coming after Leinekins, I wasn't so sure. I thought being so close to Montgomery they might have something more interesting but it was not to be.

This resort does their own fresh mushrooms, onion rings, and green beans in their own very light and crisp batter. I don't know any other restaurant that does that. Most sell those frozen things that are something to eat when you're hungry but are not really food. The taste of the mushrooms is amazing after eating those rubber things they sell most places.

For the first day of a long weekend it was very nice but action packed. We stopped to see Peter at his dog-sitting job then came home to watch Starman. I would like to plant my flowers and herbs tomorrow but the weather sounds questionable. Bring your umbrella, Miles!

Saturday

I went out to the garden to find two baby grackles sitting on the edge of my fairy pond. The babies are kind of cute; too bad they grow into those grotesque looking adults. Also saw that the peonies were blooming. It's a beautiful flower, sort of a tighter smaller version of the regular size peonies.

What a perfect day. I slept until 7 o'clock and can sit around in my robe until noon. The only thing I have to do this morning is to make sense of my paperwork. I loathe that job but I've been putting if off long enough. Gas is 3.85 a gallon here now so it's a good thing Regis isn't commuting too far. You have to sell a lot of beds to pay for gas at that price.

Here's some information on the old cemetery we like to visit on Memorial Day:

GREENLAWN CEMETERY  EST 1856

Plaque:
OLD TRAVERSE CEMETERY

March, 1856 - Traverse des Sioux and St. Peter organized a cemetery
Assoc. purchasing 10 acres.  Early Missionaries, pioneers, and Civil
War Veterans are buried here.

Rev. T. C. Williamson, first Missionary in this area and Rev. Stephen
Riggs translated the Bible, hymnals, and text books to the Sioux
language.  Rev. Williamson after the Sioux uprising walked to Mankato
every week to preach to the Indians in prison.  Many later became
missionaries to their own people.

It's a beautiful cemetery and an very interesting place. It's kept up pretty well
considering the age of it. I'll post some pictures on Monday.

seriously, dude

Amanda used that as a subject line on her post today and it does such a nice job of expressing my attitude lately that I stole it from her. Is that plagiarism? I think we steal things all the time from what we read and we aren’t always aware that words or phrases have crept into our language, although I was aware in this case and blithely swiped it anyway.

Yesterday I wrote about the word ennui. I know that words get into my vocabulary in steps…it’s not like one day I hear a new word and yippee I’m able to say it and use it in a sentence where it makes sense. I’ve read ennui many times, thought it a few times, and finally it fit in something I wanted to say.

Looks like a good weekend coming up. Regis and I have some relaxing time planned for this evening, I get a haircut tomorrow, I’m helping Joanne with a graduation party on Sunday, and Monday we are invited to a picnic at Bob’s house. I’d like to plant some flowers sometime and clean out the back porch. I know that has been on the agenda for weeks but agendas don’t always get done according to plan. Hey, it’s just a guide not a commitment.

I finished the Mayo Brothers book and started a book by Louise Erdrich, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. It’s very good, so far. This spring I reread almost all of her books so I feel like I have lived with those characters. I didn’t read them in order, though, which isn’t really important except that characters who were dead are suddenly back to life.

I have two blossoms on my fern leaf peony this year. Mom gave me that plant ten years ago and I’ve moved it three times, trying to find a place where it could be happy enough to blossom. I might finally have it. It’s about 18 inches tall this year which is the tallest it has ever been before, too.

I bought some rabbit repellent because the rabbits ate my lilies off at the ground every year. I didn’t realize what it was and had my nose right in there so I could see what I was doing. Oh my, the smell nearly knocks you off your feet. The label says it is “putrescent egg solids” which can only mean rotten eggs. You don’t want to get that stuff on you, believe me. It is a putrid smell. A rabbit would have to be very hard up to eat something that smelled like that.

We got a new fax machine at school the other day. It faxes, scans, prints, and emails. You can email a fax to someone. How in the heck does that work? Larry just laughs when I express surprise and wonder how it works. I know it goes through the phone lines and I think it’s a digital signal but I’m not sure what that means, really.

Earlier in the week, I am embarrassed to admit, I was ordering chicken wings for Joanne’s party. That’s not the embarrassing part. I told John I needed wings for 100 people. He said he’d recommend 300 wings and he would give me the special price of 35 cents a piece. This is the embarrassing part: I said will that be about 900 dollars then? He said no, it would be about 90 dollars. I wish the math part of my brain worked a little better than it apparently does. After I thought about it for a minute, of course, 900 dollars would not make sense, but my initial reaction is that since numbers are random, then 900 makes as much sense as 90. This is why I am not a financial advisor.

Hump day

Regis just left to buy refried beans. He has a taste for refried beans and had to have them tonight. Pica? On his way out the door he asked if we had a garlic roaster. This does not sound healthy for the environment. Somebody call the EPA and ask about superfund money.

I went to my last MSU class tonight. I'm sure 38 years is not a record but it's pretty darn good. I was not enthusiastic about this one but the 300 dollars I spent on it will make me feel better about the 1000 dollars I wasted on the last one. Armstrong Hall is just as boring and difficult to find your way around in as it was in 1970. And whoever did the signage is hitting the crack pipe. I should have taken a picture. I just did a google search thinking someone else over the years must have been amused by that but I guess not. The day I go back to do my portfolio presentation, I will take a picture and you will be amazed.

I tried to overcome my ennui today and organized all the random papers in my office so I could make sense of a "to do" list. Don't feel bad if you don't know that word. I've never used it in a sentence before and had to look it up to make sure of what it meant: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction. You can find the pronunciation here. What the hell. A day when you can use ennui in a sentence is not entirely wasted.

Baby robin

Regis, Peter, and I were sitting in the yard last night watching the grill cook our burgers when a baby robin hopped through, very oblivious to us. He had real feathers but still some baby fluff and he looked very vulnerable. We didn't see a mama (who has been guzzling grape jelly) taking care of him as he went through the garden and into the neighbor's yard. It's 41 degrees this morning so I'm worried about him. He didn't look big enough to make it on his own.

Regis and I tried to watch the movie Hot Fuzz last night. Peter said it was hilarious but I warned him that we might not find it so funny and sure enough, we're waiting and waiting for the parts that are funny. I chuckled a time or two but there were no guffaws and when Peter left for Mankato, we closed 'er down and watched an episode of Seinfeld.

I don't have much imagination this morning, don't have much inspiration or gumption. Don't have much interest or concern or drive. What I have a lot of is apathy, disgruntlement (is that a word?), lethargy, and cynicism. That's not a healthy combination! Ok, maybe after a shower and some coffee we'll start the day with a new attitude. Then again...

Wild horses

These are the wild horses that dragged my ass to work this morning. We had such a nice weekend that it was very hard to go sit at a desk and push papers. I really need a big cardboard box to pile all that crap in so I can store it somewhere until my gumption comes back.

It looked like rain this morning so I tossed a couple bags of grass seed around the yard and we decided, after work, to go out for a cheeseburger rather than cook on the grill in the rain. While we were sitting at Patrick's, the sun came out and it's a gorgeous evening.

Geezer Row at Patrick's was well-populated today. The (geezer) men were all lined up watching the weather on the Mexican television channel. They aren't watching the weather, believe me. If there were hot chicks reading recipes, they'd all be interested in cooking.

I can't recommend enough, the book about the Mayo brothers that I'm reading. It's entertaining and fascinating. I'm almost done, which will make me sad, but I have a Louise Erdrich book, The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse: A Novel, waiting. I got in the mail today, the only journal I subscribe to: Creative Nonfiction. This edition is called The Anatomy of Baseball which doesn't interest me too much but we'll see.

Yesterday I noticed the robins were constantly at the tray feeder and the grape jelly feeder. I wonder if this is typical for them and they're just worn out from feeding those babies. Tom said one of the babies from his nest was dead this morning and laying at the bottom of the tree. Maybe it didn't get enough to eat. It's a good thing we can't interfere with nature more than we do. We'd all be out in the woods sheltering baby turkeys from the rain and feeding the wild birds in their nests.

I hate going to bed when it's light out. I wonder how people stay up until dark in these lengthening days before the equinox. I can usually make it until 8, then make the excuse to go to bed and read. We bought solar lights for the garden Saturday and I realize now it's a waste of money because we'll never see them lit.

Spring!

Remember the bird bath I bought at the Rock Bend Folk Festival last year? Here it is in the garden. On the right is a little fairy hovering over the water. She's hard to see.











This is the gazing globe I got for Christmas. It's so pretty I hated to take it outside. It's right by the oriole feeder so maybe it will attract some birds.












The apple tree is just beautiful. In yesterday's wind, it lost some petals but it's still gorgeous and still full of birds waiting for the feeders.












Red tulip.













Creeping phlox.










Minnesota redbud tree. It blooms before the leaves come out. For a small tree, the leaves are huge and shade a large part of my garden, so the sun-loving plants are gone and have been replaced by hosta and astilbe.

A day off!

And that's a big joke. I just go from a paying job to a non-paying job on weekends. We had a very nice time at the Hynes house last night, though. We sat on the patio for hours and talked and watched a pair of robins feed their constantly hungry babies.

Peter is on his way home today. He's spend a couple months in the basement suite and then will move on to his own apartment, we hope. I put all my winter clothes away and dusted in there so it isn't quite so dreadful looking. There's something about winter clothes in May. You'd like to put them all in a bag for the thrift store because you can't imagine wanting to wear them again, ever.

We're having a burger and hot dog patio party at the Hynes house again today. I sliced tomatoes and onions real thin, chopped an avocado, made some cucumbers in vinegar, and bought Hebrew National hot dogs. We saw them on the food channel and thought we'd give them a try. They're kosher and they answer to a higher authority. It says so in their ads.

Tiffany and Eric are coming home for the party today. We're also celebrating their engagement. They don't plan a wedding for a year so there's time to go nuts, but Tiffany wants a low-key wedding, maybe at the library. I love that idea. When she called to tell me they were getting married, I cried...of course.

Well, on to the weekend. The lazy part of the weekend.

First grill-out of the season

Some people are of hardier stock than us but we grilled out for the first time tonight. It was about 70 degrees when I got home so I sent Regis to the store for potatoes and cabbage. I had a few carrots, an onion, and a bag of chicken wings. My favorite was the carrots. They cooked in a foil pouch for a while then Regis dumped them into the wok with the potatoes so they got nice and dark.

We had a glass of wine, watched the birds, criticized our compulsive yard freak neighbors, and had a wonderful time. The apple tree is in bloom and the feeders are full of birds. The little yellow finches are in line but we haven't seen an oriole yet even though the grape jelly is waiting. A weird bird feeder phenomenon: In the winter, birds will not eat the hulled sunflower seeds out of the big feeder. Do I throw them out now? They get wet when it rains but it was a cold winter and they couldn't be bad, could they? This has happened the last few years so if anyone has an answer, I'd appreciate it.

Speaking of yard, we have some grass on the edge by the shrubs that's about 8 inches tall. I want it all to be like that: It's going to seed, it waves in the wind, and it's a beautiful shade of green. Who started this well-manicured lawn concept anyway?

I met my friend Jill for lunch today and brought her retirement bell, her cards, a little present, and my speech. We both cried, such saps. It's such a gift to have good friends like Jill.

I'm still reading the book about the Mayo brothers. It's getting to be like the book Oranges (one of the best books ever) that I read a couple years ago. So much of it is so fascinating that if I can get someone who is a tiny bit interested, I'll tell them all about it. Regis says he'll read it but I bet he won't. It's a commitment, this book. Ms. Clapesattle tells a lot of anecdotes but I've gotten interested in the lives of the Mayo brothers so it doesn't seem like non-fiction anymore. Next time we go to the Mayo Clinic I'm going to carry it around under my arm with the cover out. I'd like to know if there are practices started by the Mayo brothers that they still ascribe to today, like always discussing their cases. More people should read this book.

I need a haircut. I usually like how Patrick cuts my hair but it just won't get up and dance this time. It lays there like well-behaved hair. Tame hair is just not my style.

Dog medical report

It was Jane's birthday yesterday. Here we are in the front seat of her red Mustang. Regis is packed in the back seat. We drove up and down the country roads visiting the places we used to go. Happy birthday, Jane!

Kramer went in for his grooming and well pet visit yesterday. They asked if I wanted the senior blood panel to check his liver function. I said no, he feels fine. When I picked him up they recommended he have his teeth cleaned and that he see an ophthalmalogist for his cataracts. I declined that, too. Regis said they're probably down at the court house getting an order for protection and placing him in foster care. We obviously can't be trusted.

I went to the teacher's retirement party after school yesterday. I remember sitting there as a young teacher thinking those retiring people looked so old. They don't look so old anymore. I spoke for my friend, Jill, who retired from the district but not from teaching. I cried, of course, and wondered aloud who let me volunteer to do this. Most of the women got weepy and even a few men. It's a poignant passage.

Regis stopped last evening to tell us about his haircut. He's looking for ways to limit trips to Mankato so he found a barber in St. Peter to cut his hair for 14 dollars rather than going to the fancy places in Mankato for 35. He loved the old school barber shop below street level and said Nate is a true character. (Charlie, did this guy buy the shop after Glen retired?) The little quip on Nate's card says: Get slicked up.

We had one whole day without rain yesterday. Today doesn't look so good. I don't mind the rainy days because the sunny days have been killer for allergies. I just checked the allergy index on Accuweather and right next to that little monitor is something called a frizz index. What the hell. Is that hair frizz? Does it mean humidity? Then I demand an index for people with fine hair...a limp index.

Smelly house

I made lo mein and marinated tofu last night for dinner. This is one of my husband's favorite meals but one I can easily never eat again. It leaves the house with an intense smell that doesn't go away for days. A nasty reminder.

We watched part of the first season of Feasting on Asphalt last night. I thought it was the River Run from New Orleans to Lake Itasca but it was the east to west trip. Still very entertaining. The weirdest food was something they ate in Indiana (I think)...brain sandwiches. A deep fried slab of pork brain. I don't think I'd be willing to give that a try, thank you very much. I did learn to eat nuts in Iowa and I don't mean the legume variety. They made little baskets of deep-fried animal testicles and served them as an appetizer. Hey, they taste like turkey!

Our poor grungy looking dog goes in for a haircut and a bath today. It's more like a shave, nothing very fancy but they trim his nails and clean him up so he smells good. That means by this afternoon, he'll be looking in the yard for something in which to roll. He likes going to the vet but he can't be around other dogs. They put a note on his chart: Kramer does not play well with other dogs. He also can't see anymore so he bumps into things. He doesn't leave the house on his own so I guess he's safe.

We have the district retirement tea this afternoon. It always makes me sad, so many good people that I won't see around school anymore. Last year I added it up and it was over 200 years of experience. I offered to say a few words about my friend Jill, who is retiring from the district but continuing in her other job. I'll try to get through that without weeping. People who aren't weepers don't understand. It isn't always sadness that makes me weep but this big ball of emotion that needs a way out. I know it makes people uncomfortable but it can't be helped.

It's a busy Wednesday. I'll be glad when it's over.

Felonious assault

I have been looking over Regis' new benefit information. Among the many things that amuse me are these:

The felonious assault benefit. It a felonious assault results in a guy's death or dimemberment, there is an additional benefit if the assault is not committed by his spouse, a member of his household, or a fellow employee. I suppose those are statistically the most likely to commit a felonious assault upon a guy.

The coma benefit. If a guy is in a coma within 30 days of an incident and in said coma for at least 3o additional days, there is an additional benefit.

The repatriation benefit. If a guy dies outside his home state or country, this benefit pays to get your remains home.

So, you can imagine that I wonder if you are the victim of a felonious assault perpetrated by a stranger outside of Minnesota and are in a coma for 45 days then die, does it pay triple? I suppose some would think this is morbid wondering. I think it's just finding humor in insurance language.

I'd say the allergy meter is way up today. I'm having a most unpleasant attack (not the felonious type) of sneezing and coughing. Most unpleasant.

I read something today like this: I thought I was getting more patient as I got older but it turns out I just don't give a shit. I thought that was hilarious.

Regis is over there writing on his blog. I think it's something political because he looks agitated. I try to ignore that stuff because it's like horse racing. The minute you start to care, your horse falls down. Or baseball. The minute you start to care about the World Series, there's a line drive to left field and a triple play. And I have no idea what that means.

Well, off to bed.

Happy Mother's Day to My Mom!

Here's my mom, Shirley, on her 76th birthday. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I survived house cleaning

I got up before 7 and commenced house cleaning.

The word commenced makes me think of the time I was going to put a rock garden in the back yard and I succumbed to the ads to Call Gopher One Before You Dig! How did I know they were going to conduct the Spanish Inquisition about my plans? The woman I spoke with wanted to know if I planned to use dynamite and where the nearest intersection was that would be accessible to an ambulance. What the hell, lady, I said. I'm making a rock garden. There is no dynamite involved. Then she wanted to know when I planned to commence digging. That is the exact word she used...and she said if I didn't plan to commence digging within 48 hours I would have to call back and give them the information again...about the dynamite and the ambulance accessibility. I started to laugh and said maybe they should screen calls so people like me wouldn't have to answer such ridiculous questions. I'm not making this up.

So, the house cleaning was fine. I don't see dirt so well so it happens often that I look back later and see things I missed. The same happens with paint so don't ever ask me to help you paint. I ran the Spot Bot a few rounds on the carpet. That's pretty disgusting. Anybody who is considering a dog ought to come over and take a look at the dirty water that comes out of that thing before making a final decision. Laurel, are you listening?

Other than the house cleaning it was a nice day. Tiffany came down to work this evening so we went out for lunch and spent some time visiting this afternoon. Ella came over to play for a while and now Regis and I are contemplating our evening plans. We had to make a list and vote on what we wanted to do. I think it's a symptom of my seasonal allergies that I'm indecisive. The winner was to watch the movie Arthur and order a pizza. Bet that makes you wonder what the other choices were.

While we were eating breakfast this morning, Regis got another call from the liquor store in Mankato. This was another manager who wanted to apologize for not having the wine we wanted. Really, this was a twelve dollar bottle of wine and only two dollars off. We aren't talking Dom Perignon. This was not a heinous crime against humanity and it was not worthy of five phone calls, one on a weekend. We got a new ad today and I said we should go over there, find something else that isn't available and send them an email. It takes a twisted mind to think of something like that.

We had a rose-breasted grosbeak and a male cardinal in the bird feeder at the same time this afternoon. Also a few grackles and a sparrow, but I guess they have to eat, too. The yellow finches are lined up in the trees waiting to eat at their feeder. Maggy is back from Dubai next door and will be our alarm clock for the next few weeks until she adjusts. Maggy's the dog not the human. And that's all the wildlife news from our house.

This is a picture of the fishing opener on Upper Red Lake. It's snowing. I remember hearing a story about a guy fishing in a snowmobile suit and he was struck by lightning and it melted the zipper shut. Now, that is a sign. How can this be fun?














This is the weather map for Minnesota. The blue areas are snow. One would hope that it melts before it enters the air we breathe but the picture above says not necessarily so. That northern blue area is right about where Upper Red Lake is. People who live in temperate climates do not want to come here. It's cold. It snows in May. The mosquitoes will be the size of Apache helicopters. Miles, I hope you still fit into that Patagonia snow suit, pal.