sunday in pictures and aunt margarette

Regis and I roasted and froze more than 300 Hungarian hot wax, cayenne, and jalapeno peppers this morning. We have learned to love hot peppers and eat them in almost everything, even our omelets. We got them from Adam and Lupita at Living Land Farm. Here they are in their raw state:

And here they are after being roasted in the oven. We froze them in small vacuum sealed bags so we should have a good supply for the long winter.

They're so colorful and so rich in flavor. Aren't they beautiful?

Regis got a new camera a week or so ago. He sold his old camera on eBay (with a great made-up story) and had some cash from a few projects so it didn't really cost him much. It's an upgrade from the other camera so we're having fun with it. He loves to take pictures and I love to dress up in costumes. We're a great pair.

So, here's what we did yesterday. I tried on all configurations of my costumes and Regis took pictures of me. As I looked them over later it occurred to me that it might be considered weird by some people after all to dress up and spend the day having your picture taken. I know many people who dodge the camera. More thoughts on that later. Here are the pictures.

My Halloween tights.

Parts of my witch costume. Love the purple glitter broom. Oh, and the red wig. I always wanted to be a redhead and this works out better than the hair dye I tried in my youth.

More of the witch costume. I am not completely brainless during this session...I was party planning and have two great ideas for fall and winter parties. I should do this for a living.

Cool shoes with my Halloween tights. I think Regis bought both of these for me.

I'm looking pensive in my devil horns and neon orange tights.

Gus participated in some of the photos. Here he is looking pensively out the window.

Beautiful dog.

This is my leopard director's chair that I inherited from Rachel when she left the district. It's a hoot of a chair but you have to know how to sit in it. It's not a chair for amateurs.

Another goofy hat thing and I guess I haven't even mentioned the wig. This is my Marilyn Monroe wig. It's a tiny bit more expensive and whole more comfortable than a Halloween wig.

Love these tights.

These tights have little flying witches on them.

Black and white Harlequin tights. I'm not sure there are enough days in October for me to wear all my tights.

This morning, as I was roasting peppers and musing about my picture taking propensities, it occurred to me that this might be a genetic thing. I dragged out a couple of old photo albums I inherited from my Grandma Elsie. Here is a small sample:

This is my Grandma Elsie, my dad's mother. Notice in these pictures of her, she strikes the same pose. I'm assuming it's the same picket fence, too. You wouldn't go out looking for a picket fence to be photographed in front of, now would you?

Grandma Else

Grandma Elsie

Grandma Elsie. I never knew my grandma to wear pants until maybe the early 80s. She also would not take a nap during the day if it meant lying down. She would sleep sitting up on a kitchen chair but would not lie on the couch or God forbid, a bed.

Now, this is my Aunt Margarette. I spelled her name Margaret at first, then saw on the back of some of the photos that she had signed it Margarette. She was my dad's father's sister, if I remember right. Do not use this information for any genealogical research as it is only accurate as far as my memory goes which is not far.

Margarette likes to dress up and have her picture taken. Some of these are from the 1930s when I imagine film and film developing were not cheap.

When I was growing up, we got holiday cards from Margaret. I remember we kind of snickered at her posing and fancy ways. Hmmm.

Margarette lived somewhere in St. Paul when I was working in White Bear Lake. I spoke to her on the phone only one time and never met her.

This is a great pose and not the only photo I have of Margarette perched on the fender of a car.

Margarette looking pensive.

Wish I knew where this was taken.

They hauled the piano bench to the yard for a photo session. Good idea.

I have on a pair of shoes similar to this in the photo with the witch tights.

Maybe I could get my picture taken on the counter at River Rock.

Margarette might have been a character, I'm thinking.

She looks a little innocent here. Maybe it was in her younger days.

Love the signature.

Funny that I don't have any pictures of her with another hair do. I suppose the albums I have only span a certain number of years.

So, that's it. This is the German-Irish side of my family gene pool and I am quite sure there is a similar cast of characters on the Norwegian side. I'll do a little research and report back. Just wanted you to know that none of this is my fault...the costumes, the photo sessions, the love of cool shoes. It's my gene pool...that's my story.

saturday in october

I have been outside a lot already today. Gus and I got up at 6:00 and he likes to go out right away. It was such a beautiful morning with an almost full moon, lots of stars, and brisk fall air that I didn't mind standing around for a while with my coffee. Since then, he has been out to play, to zoom around the yard, and to chase sticks. Some dog.

I have a sketchy plan for today. I made an eggbake and we ate some of it. That's it. That is the extent of my plan.

Actually, I think I will ride my bike to the bank or see if Regis and Gus want to walk to the bank with me.

It's a good day for not doing much. Every day doesn't have to be full of stuff to do. Relax and enjoy the day.

gourds for change

I have no idea what this means. It's the title from a post I started a few weeks ago but never went beyond the title. So, happy Friday...gourds for change.

Today has been a week of ...not sure how to say it. Just when you think things are bleak and people are butt heads, you are renewed and the world is redeemed. That sounds a lot more serious than the whole thing was but it was a good feeling anyway. A series of small things can beat you up just as fast as a big thing.

Gus is restless this morning. He likes it when Regis and I are both up and he's nervous if one person is still in bed. He keeps running into the bedroom and leaping on the bed. He lies flat and looks at me without moving, as if I would miss his huge dog self on the bed. Then I see his tail wag a little. Regis says I can leave him there but if I do, he just follows me out, then goes back in two minutes later.

I finally bring him out and close the door. Now he's pacing and whining.

We have no plans for the weekend except to finish up the home improvement projects we started in September. I have some painting to do with an old-base paint which I loathe. I have curtains yet to wash and re-hang. Ugh. This gets old fast, this redecorating.

 I'm working out with Rachel again this morning to make up for the day we missed last week when she had bronchitis. I have a busy Friday at work and then we're going to meet some friends for a drink and a bite to eat. Sounds like a nice way to end the week.

later today

I lied about the sandwiches...MOST are on homemade bread, not all. Ah, yes.

I had to come home and have a glass of wine to unwind. I have a staff meeting at 7:15 (almost my bedtime) so that's the limit. A glass of wine to unwind.

I heard sirens all day today and what the hell is up with that? Are we on a path to the ER or something?

It was a beautiful bike riding day and I think I saw the Blues Brothers driving down 3rd Street. That always makes for an interesting ride.

Gus has been playing like crazy since I got home. He launches himself from the back porch and lands on the love seat beside me. I swear. He's a damn hoot. We took him into the back yard where Regis throws a toy for him, He can catch it in mid-air with a half somersault. Some dog.

Good meeting at work tonight but I'm tired and ready for bed. See you tomorrow.

morning

There was a full moon last night but I didn't see it. By morning, it was gone.

We had a tiny bit of rain yesterday, just enough to wet the grass and consequently, Gus's feet. We wipe his paws off but he still manages to bring in a load of leaves stuck all over in his fur (hair?) and dirt all over his paws. He's also learned to jump on the bed in a single leap. He doesn't sleep up there if we're both in bed because there isn't enough room but he does like to jump up to check it out. It's one big step for him which gives you an idea how big he is and he's only half grown. I think we're raising a bear.

River Rock reached a huge milestone yesterday. They are now serving all of their sandwiches on homemade bread which is major league in the restaurant business. They developed the recipes and a schedule so this is not just a "now and then" thing...or when they get around to it. It's a commitment and they are amazing.

I ordered flowers for Annie to celebrate. Mary Smith from Mary's Flowers said she would deliver them with style and she never disappoints. She came in and performed "We're Going to Breadland" to the tune of the Paul Simon song Graceland. It was a damn hoot.

I was surprised to hear how many people (young, old, and in-between) did not know much about Bob Dylan. But then, I don't know much about the bands in the 80s so what the hell. Bob Dylan seems like more of a cultural icon. Heck, he almost won a Nobel Prize.

I better get moving here this morning. Just one more thing. I love looking through my downloads file because all the pictures and crap I have posted on Facebook and my blog over the years are archived there. Like this:

I don't remember anymore why I used this picture but it must have had significance at the time. Or maybe not.

bob dylan day

Riding my bike to work with a pocket watch and a parrot. I'm illustrating the line "he hears the ticking of the clock and walks along with a parrot that talks" from Simple Twist of Fate. Bob Dylan Day at River Rock Coffee.

writer's notebook

These are my new Halloween aprons, made by my friend, Katy, in Georgia. I can't wait for them to arrive.

I realized a few weeks ago while talking to a friend about writing, that I use my blog like Jill and I used to use a writer's notebook when we were teachers. It's like an artist's sketchbook or what I heard someone call a morning journal. Here's a website that I would love if I were still a teacher. It's called Writing Fix.

Teaching writing was one of the things I loved most about teaching and it's one of the things I miss. It makes me a little sad that it's not taught much anymore, or at least not well. Too many people are afraid of writing and have a deadly fear of the red pen. My dad once wrote stories from his life, then gave it to an English teacher to edit. She marked it up with a red pen and he was so discouraged he threw it in the trash. What a pity.

I think if you like stories and writing, your head is always doing it. Tamika said she thinks in recipes...always inventing and reworking recipes. I think in stories. Some days I have to email myself lines or words so I don't forget to tell a story. You'd think this blog would be richer than it is for all of that, eh?

I got up early today to exercise. The rest of my life has been a disruptive influence in my exercise routine and I just realized that I signed up for the Mankato Marathon 10K (6 miles) on the 22nd and the Fun Run on the 29th. I better start training! Some of the Pulse women have run marathons almost every weekend and then they rode in the Bike Ramble yesterday...45 miles. I am a lazy athlete.

Regis went to the store to buy groceries before his medical appointment. Gus is so attached to him that he suffers terrible separation anxiety when he leaves. He runs into the bedroom and vaults up onto the bed to see out the window. Now, he's pacing around the house and whining. Good grief.

We sat on the patio yesterday but were disturbed by the tiny biting insects that Regis believes are biting midges. They were at the wedding on Saturday and were awful to contend with. They're smaller than gnats, bite harder, but don't leave a mark. We finally went back inside but we went out to grill a few hours later, they had disappeared. Who knows.

It's a dog revolution in our neighborhood today.

We made a giant chicken on the grill last night. We get chickens from our meat man and they are almost the size of small turkey. Regis cuts them up and we grill them with Old Bay Seasoning. Delicious. I've never been a big chicken on the grill fan because it gets so dry but not this way. We also cooked a batch of hot peppers with Prairie Pried sausage and mozzarella. Good eating night.

It's Bob Dylan Day at River Rock so I have to get my costume ready. Better pop down to see it.

minneopa in the fall

The couple for whom Regis performed the wedding yesterday chose Minneopa State Park as the site for their wedding. This was a bit of a risky proposition in the fall, but they got lucky and yesterday was an amazingly gorgeous day. The park was full of folks with their little kids and their dogs and picnic baskets.

I took some pictures with my phone and tried to upload (download?) them to Facebook from the park with no success. Today, I am trying to email them to myself from my phone to my laptop but that isn't working either. I hate technology sometimes.

 Regis did a wonderful job of performing the wedding. It was a lovely ceremony and I cried a few tears even though I don't know these people very well. The tiny gnats or whatever they are were vicious, though, and it was almost comical the way the entire audience was swatting and scratching.

The reception was at a local hotel and the meal was catered by that place which I won't name because this experience might have been an anomaly and perhaps their food is usually good. The meal we had last night was hands down the worst food we have eaten in a long time. Really bad ass turkey and ham, a vegetable combo that was cooked to mush, and bad bread. Ugh.

Gus has been playing so hard this morning that while he was digging a tennis fall out from under a chair, he fell asleep on his back with his head under the chair. He's some dog.

Well, I have a few things to do today but I am trying to limit them. I have two hostas to plant and this keeps appearing on the list so I better get it done. We're going out and about in a while to buy charcoal, pumpkins, and a few things for dinner. Gus loves to ride in the car. If we tell him we're going for a ride, we just open the door and he walks right to the car.

Make it a good day.

preparation for fall and halloween has begun

Regis just gets out of the way when I get in the Halloween preparation mode. I drag out all the costume paraphernalia, the tubs of decorations and tableware, and I go like a mad woman. Even the dog was nervous.

I just carried the last empty tub to the basement and the costumes are laid out on the bed. I'll have Regis take some pictures of the decor as soon as he's done making me eggs and bacon.

I live like a queen and I know it.

We're going to a wedding this afternoon and then a reception. Gus will be cared for by the boys. He is not a fan of being crated although he does become resigned to it when he sees it's inevitable.

Regis is so anxious for his new camera to arrive that when he left the house to go to the bank, I asked if he was really going out to track the UPS guy.



You can see I'm working on some costume concepts that are not fully developed. Yes, in the pirate wench photo, that is a black wig, a pirate hat, and a parrot on my shoulder. The cutlass is not real. And no eye rolling, please. Every day's a ride.

Well, off with the wigs and on to the wedding preparations.

where's your social filter, you old bat?

I'm home from work early today because I worked 12 hours yesterday. My goal was to write a nice long blog post this afternoon and I even emailed myself a few lines I wrote in my head as I got ready to go to work this morning.

I rode my bike to work about 7:15 this morning and it was so beautiful it almost brought tears to my eyes. There was a gentle breeze blowing dry leaves across the street, the sunrise was pink and red, and the air was almost balmy. Who could live anywhere else in October?

Last night was an annual event in St. Peter. I won't name it because I don't want anybody putting it in google and reading any disparaging remarks I wrote about it. It was way more civilized and way more fun than I anticipated. The only moment of unpleasantness was when an older woman told me that her hair used to be like mine. I said, "What? White?" No. So I said, "What? Spiky?" No, she says, "Thin." WTF. Where is your social filter, you old bat? She suggested I try biotin and I suggested she try keeping her pie hole shut.

When did it become ok for people to just comment on whatever happens to flit into their tiny minds? Spoken (written) by a person with almost 1500 blog posts. And where is my social filter, you might ask.

If you have been paying attention to the Nobel Prize news, you will know that Bob Dylan was edged out of a prize for literature by some Swede poet. Bummer, I say. I know a guy in Sweden and he says Dylan was robbed. He had never heard of the poet dude and neither have I. Who awards these prizes anyway? Oh, the Swedes. Ahhhh, I get it.

On Monday, we are celebrating Bob Dylan Almost a Nobel Prize in Literature Winner Day at River Rock. We're going to dress as a line from one of his lyrics. He has released about 450 songs so the options are unlimited and it should be fun. I figure the line can't be so obvious that everyone gets it right away or so obscure that they don't even get it once you tell them. I have a couple of ideas but I'm not going to tip my hand.

Two pieces of sad news this week in the dead department, Steve Jobs and Eleanor Mondale. I didn't follow Jobs much but I recognize genius. I have a picture of Jim Henson on my office wall. Ironically, it is an Apple ad. I just thought of that. Eleanor Monday Eleanor Monday? What the hell. Eleanor Mondale!) was so full of life. I loved reading about her adventures and I love this picture of her giving her dad, Walter, a piggyback ride.

A friend of mine wrote on Facebook that her husband was recently interviewed for the weekly newsletter where he works. He was asked how long he had been there, and he replied since 1969. The reporter gasped and said his mother wasn't even born then. Well, there's a kick in the shorts for you. Probably not what this kid's journalism professor meant by dispassionate professionalism.

I was at work this afternoon and an old high school classmate of mine walked in. I hadn't seen him for years. He came up to the counter and asked if we had any free stuff. In the moment it took me to recognize him, I registered his question in the context of Girls Night Out where hundreds of women are looking for free stuff, and dropped my jaw. Then I knew his voice and laughed out loud.

We have been interviewing at River Rock which is a bit of a mind suck. There are some high energy folks in the world and I love it but being around them can be exhausting for an old person like me with thinning hair.

Regis just went off to do a wedding rehearsal for some folks he is performing a wedding for tomorrow. Ugh. I don't want to go stand around a park in this wind for anybody. I'm going to close the doors and windows and pretend I don't know about the red flag fire alert.

There's a doings at some Legion Club later and I don't really want to partake of that either. Regis might be overcome by the social spirit after the wedding rehearsal and will call and cajole me into going. Legion Clubs generally have really bad wine. I was told at one once that they had some red wine in a bag but it was out of the box and they didn't know what kind it was. Oh, boy.

We're celebrating a series of dress-up days at River Rock prior to Halloween. Witch Day, Pirate Day, Crazy Hat Day...can't remember them all. We may celebrate Day of the Dead, too. Can you believe I get paid for doing this?

every day's a ride

I have a friend, Bill, who rides a motorcycle. He's sort of an unlikely motorcycle dude in my view but that's only because he's sort of a hyper-religious elementary school teacher. Nice guy, though, and very funny.

He has a big tattoo of himself riding a bike on his upper arm. He says every day's a ride...a good ride or a bad ride. I say that's true whether you ride a motorcycle or not. Every day's a ride.

I've been riding my bike to work and loving it. The mornings are a little chilly but the afternoons are glorious. Yesterday I rode the sidewalks down Minnesota Avenue, fearful of all the extra traffic in town. Nice to ride through the leaf piles as the sun came up in the east. (I know it always does but I didn't want to end a sentence with a preposition.)

Another funny friend of mine told me Tuesday that she forgot to take her birth control pill, forgot to put her contacts in, and forgot to take her cell phone. Also realized later she didn't have her cash card so she couldn't put gas in her car. I think a clever person could figure out a joke in all that forgetting. She is younger than me, too, so it's a comfort I'm not the only person whose marbles don't get in the right slots some days.

I'm up early, dressed in my work-out clothes but I can't seem to find the gumption to leave the house. Gus is napping on the couch beside me. He has learned to ring the bell to go outside to pee and poop but he's also learned to ring the bell when he just wants to prance around the yard and gather sticks to chew. At first we didn't want to not respond to the bell ringing for what we assumed were superfluous reasons but now that we know him better, we say, nah...not doing that again.

Gus went to dog school yesterday and did not have to stay after for extra tutoring. Regis is doing a wonderful job training him. He is easily distracted and therefore less inclined to perform when people are around which makes me feel like a big fat liar. Sure, this dog is well-trained.

Regis brought Gus down to see me the other day and we sat at a table outside. Two women kept wanting to give him pieces of their chicken sandwiches and demonstrate what they know about dog training. It was loud and windy and way over-stimulating. I was about ready to bark and jump on someone.

Off to the Pulse. I'm going to make today a good ride.

don't be seduced by the front row

I went to the Pulse this morning to exercise. My friend, Kris, was on an elliptical and even though I hate that device of torture, I did it for 15 minutes just so I could visit with her. When she left for work, I moved over to a treadmill in the first row. Usually I avoid the front row because that's where the dreaded televisions are but there was nobody there today...they were all in class.

What I had forgotten was that when class ends, they pour out, occupy the front row and watch amazing breaking headlines like this: We Are the Champions by Queen is the catchiest song ever!

I had to leave. Lesson learned. Don't be seduced by the front row.

Then I opened up an article about seed archaeology to read and saw this in the sideline:

MOST READ

• Jennifer Aniston causes stir with see through shirt
• Gene Simmons marries longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed
• 'Grease' actor Jeff Conaway died of major infections
• Tara Hitchcock leaving Channel 3, explains decision
• Top 10 football bars in metro Phoenix
• Kendra Wilkinson has sex on a jet ski in Cabo
• Ex: Goldie Hawn had affairs, 'begged' for an open marriage
• Hulk Hogan says he's squandered millions, is retiring
• Jessica Alba has become "more considerate" with age
• Sarah Michelle Gellar has body dysmorphic disorder

Good grief.

Regis says I only want to know the news about fluffy cat rescues and that is pretty much the size of it. I don't care if people want a diet of Fox news or CNN...I just don't want them to have it in my presence. That shit will rot your mind.

I started reading a good book last night, The Power of One. So far, it's compelling. I got a little tired of the other books of which I read about five in a row. I laughed out loud at the first one, chuckled at the next two, and cracked a smile at the last one. Time to move on to something else.

Elliot came yesterday for the afternoon. We stopped at McDonald's which I also hate but I won't go on another rant now or my friends and family will think I am a curmudgeon. He seemed to like the ketchup best of all. It probably has as much or more nutritional value than the chicken nuggets so I didn't discourage him from sucking it off the french fries.

Ah, well. It's Monday and off to work I go.

every day's a ride and saturday in pictures

I tried to caramelize a fennel bulb. It did not work or at least was not what I would call edible in the end.

This is a big pan of onions, red peppers, and jalapenos and it was delicious.

Two big steaks ready to go on the grill. I like a New York strip and Regis likes a cowboy steak. 

This weird little ice cream truck comes down the street once in a while. I didn't grow up with this phenomenon so it doesn't have much meaning for me but Regis gets a wave of nostalgia coupled with an awareness that the little truck is kind of creepy. The song is like something from an episode of Twilight Zone and the occupant fits that theme...wife beater t-shirt and about ten teeth. I bought ice cream bars for Tiffany and Elliot who are coming to dinner tonight.

We never enjoyed chicken very much because we bought it at the store and probably over-cooked and under-seasoned it. Now we buy our chickens from a farm and we use Old Bay Seasoning. Those things are delicious. Any chicken would be proud to lay on the grill under these circumstances.

Gus enjoys being on the patio with us. He finds any kind of stick or piece of wood he can scrounge up and he chews it up which seems to provide fiber for his little digestive system, we can tell.

Fred is still in the garden but will be retiring to the garage for the winter soon. He's done a good job this summer keeping vermin and bad guys out of the cone flowers and hosta.

One of my favorite coleus.

This is a begonia, usually a too-fussy plant for my taste as I forget to water plants and neglect them in other ways, too. I was so attracted to this one when I saw it that I had to have it. It's done beautifully in our garden, in spite of the neglect, and is one of our favorites.

The mum continues to flourish.

Regis gives me a quizzical look.

Regis at the grill station. Not too many days left of charcoal cooking. It gets too cold to keep the charcoal fired up. Last year we grilled one day in November and huddled over the fire to keep warm.

Me looking a little scruffy after a hard day's work. Our house in put back together and the garden waste is at the curb and the cardboard is recycled. Oh, happy day.

mid saturday

Curtains in the living room have been ironed and are back on the windows.

Shelves are full of CDs, cookbooks, books, movies, and trinkets.

Pictures are hung on the walls.

Porch is mostly emptied of boxes except for three that are full of stuff that may go to the basement or may go to the thrift store.

Glassware is back in the hutch.

All of the cardboard has gone to the recycler.

The brush and garden waste is piled on the curb for the city to pick up on Monday.

Everything on my list for today is done.

We had take-out burgers and wings from Patrick's for lunch. Steaks on the grill for dinner tonight.

Wonder if I have the gumption to get out the Halloween decorations.

early saturday

The shelves were all assembled by the time I got home. Thanks to the two Regis men in my life. They look very nice. The men and the shelves.

Joanne stopped for a glass of wine. Fun to visit with her at the table, share some wine and cheese, laugh a little. Good start to the weekend.

I'm not going anywhere today. I am putting away my stuff and re-claiming my house. Curtains will be hung. Books will be re-shelved. Glassware will go back into the cabinet.  Pictures will be back on the walls. Cardboard will go away.

While this is going on inside, the garden needs to be watered. I have two hostas that need to be planted before it gets too late. Halloween stuff needs to come out of the basement. Fall is a busy time.

friday does me a big favor and swings around at last

It's been a busy week of long days. I'm glad for the weekend.

I did not ride my bike to work yesterday. In fact, when I went out at 11 to walk to the bank, I changed my mind. Most unpleasant weather with high winds and flying garbage. I know flying garbage is not technically part of weather, maybe more climate, but it added to the suck of the weather day.

I ran around Mankato like a crazy person at the end of the day. I got home about 7. Ugh.

I'm going to my last performance class this morning. It's been hard but I have enjoyed it. Who knew I could put my hands and feet on slidey discs and pull myself across the floor.

A few weeks ago when we were on the slippery slope of home improvement, we bought six of these to replace the really cheap and ugly ones we'd had for years.

They are very nice and very well-made but they have to be assembled. Help. I want this done. I don't want boxes stacked all over my living room. What were we thinking?

I have a bit of a crank going this morning. I'm not viewing the world with my usual sunny disposition. I'll do what I can to correct.

grilling for friends

We had Sam and Jessica over for dinner last night. We met Sam when he worked at Cedar's Grille in town. They are very nice young folks and we had a good time. Phone photo and not the best quality.

Here's a funny thing. After we went to Lake Cochrane this summer, we mentioned it to Sam and it turns out his grandpa has a cabin there, they often go to the State Line Bar for beer and pizza, and he has relatives in Ghent, right down the road from Canby. His family name is Maerten.

Regis made the most delicious ribs with is own barbecue sauce. We've gotten fussy about our ribs and can rarely find any out and about that are as good as we make at home. I contributed to the meal by making stuffed poblano peppers, a salad, and by bringing home bread and cookies from the coffee shop.

We ordered some shelving from Ikea that will be delivered by some kind of truck today. The shipping was sort of costly but we figured it was better than driving to the cities to pick it up.

The information from Ikea said they would call to schedule delivery. What happened is that I got a call from a robot yesterday telling me that it would be here between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. and that we should be here to accept delivery. Really? A 13 hour window? Regis said it's like going back to 1964.

I'm moving slowly this morning. Regis is asking if I'll be riding my bike to work today since there will be 45 mph wind gusts. I think I will. Not like I'll blow away.

I ordered some rugs online, too. I'm not especially happy with them but they'll do for now. Gus has taken a shine to the round one for some odd reason. It's a nice background for his color...maybe he senses that.

This weekend: Planning to finish my painting and curtain hanging and shelf assembly. Have two hostas yet to plant. No more plans than that as I hate to fill up a weekend before it even starts.

Thinking of Annie as she has surgery today in Rochester. Jill and Larry are there with her so we're thinking of them, too. Waiting is hard. Poems and songs for you, Annie.

this day whizzed by holy cow

I went to exercise from 5:30-7:00.

I got home and had a cup of coffee with Regis. I decided to make use of my neighbor's dumpster and recycler since they are in Ireland and asked us to move them to the curb...both only half full.

I went down to Peter's old room, loaded up a half a dumpster full of crap to throw away...old skateboarding helmets, old shoes, stereo speakers, and junk.

I loaded up two bags of clothes that can go on Thursday when the little white truck comes down the street. Observation: Peter must have changed his "look" after he left our basement. The clothes that were left looked a lot like skateboarder, small town low-hanging pants kind of stuff. Regis and I took out a couple of those soft, waffle-weave long sleeved shirts. The rest is gone.

I loaded up the dumpster with Peter's paper from his graphics production program at SCC...which generated a ton of paper.

It's a good thing I had a place to go or I could have kept going...ruthlessly.

This was a half day of work before I even went to work.

I had to come home at 2 o'clock and take a nap.

We had left-overs for dinner (The flank steak...we get about 8 meals out of one piece of meat.) Now, we're having a cup of coffee and a glass of wine before Regis goes to teach his last class.

I have an Action for Healthy Kids Team meeting tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock. Something I need to let go....tired of it. Then I'll go exercise and head to work.

We invited some young friends for dinner tomorrow night. I started to get nervous because there is so much to do around here yet, but they won't care. We're making ribs and a big salad.

Gus went to dog school today. He had to stay after school to be tutored. He and the dingo are the EBD dogs in the class. Regis said when they see each other they make giant arcs at the ends of their leashes like big kites. Oh, boy. Parent teacher conferences will be fun. I think I'll send the dad.


Oh, well. That's enough for today. I have three pieces of woodwork to paint barn red with an oil-based paint. I hate that shit.