Tonight

This is what will greet visitors.

I'm kinda hoping they knock off early because tomorrow's the monthly breakfast at the Frontier Senior Center.

Eventually...

He relaxed a little more

click to enlarge

So much for National Cat Day.

The most important member of the household

TheSo today has been one thing after another.

The day started with vision screening of 216 kindergarten and second grade students with the Lions at Meadow Lane School.

I'd love to say it went without a hitch.

Instead I'll refrain from making an issue of  the few challenges we faced.

We were under a kind of a deadline because the Lions Club was invited to participate in the "ribbon cutting" and unveiling of the "drug drop" box we'd helped to purchase and locate at the police station.

We just barely finished by 11am, the time we'd been informed the ceremony was.

Arriving at the police station we found the  ceremony had been rescheduled for 10:30am and everyone had left.

Still yet, I had some banking to be done for the Lions and did it before continuing on to the Frontier Senior Center to catch up wth the weekly bookkeeping.

Only three bills needed to be paid and the deposit wasn't much, either.

I was done relatively fast.

So it was back to the bank and then home.

When I came through the door I observed Sebastian curled up on a patio chair, avoiding the wind.

I opened the door to allow him inside and finished putting my stuff away.

When I came back out he was waiting patiently beside my recliner, all but telling me to sit down so he could jump on my lap.

So, if you find any errors it's his fault because the post is being written on the smartphone.

Before I forget

There is nothing to report.
That's good.
I suppose mentioning I had a flu shot is news.
Otherwise I am a healthy adult.

I mentioned something about the protocol for the prostate exam as related to me by a former shipmate:

"The old-style protocol for a prostate exam was Dr has one hand on the shoulder and the other hand  doing the exam..... So there was really nothing to worry about until you felt BOTH hands on your shoulders !!!"

The Dr. ordered a scan which, with any luck, will not have to be repeated for another 15 years.
I don't have to have it until December so he can see the results when I go back for my pneumonia booster in January.

Oh. . .   and yay!
We finally have some more rain   . . .about a tenth of an inch.

This morning

I have an early showing at the clinic for may annual physical.
The testing was done last Friday.
I came across the following on f/b yesterday.

A former shipmate reminded me of the protocol for said exam.
It did not set my mind at ease.

Seems like yesterday

. . .I could stay up all night



"When I was a boy, I had a dream finding out what life could really mean"

another untitled post

Late again

It's not like I wasn't up and about.
It's more like there are more important things than the blog.

Things I'd never learn if I didn't look on f/b [yeah. . .   I post, too. But that's another category].

Other stuff:

couldn't resist

And for everyone else. . .

Early start

So there I was* sleeping soundly, because the cat had been relegated to the garage when I went to bed and he couldn't wake me at 4am, looking to be fed.
When my phone announced there was a text message.
The former PHG** using her favorite form of communication.
She forgets about that three hour time difference [ya see where I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt?].

Why, you ask, was she texting me?
To goad me with images of the Michigan countryside.

That's why.

Well I got even...

Somehow it isn't the same.

I was out early because I went to the clinic to have blood drawn for my annual next Tuesday.
It took a lot longer than necessary because someone hadn't passed the information along to the check-in desk or made out the paperwork ordering the lab work.

So I had to wait even longer for my first cup of coffee.

Besides that, the cat's pissed at me.

Here are some photos to make up for the lame Sunrise above.

 The Sunsets are almost as pretty in the pics as they are live.

c'est la vie

*SJC 
**fPHG?

It's started

Okay. . .   I understand why stores find it necessary to put the out holiday merchandise, even as early as September.
It isn't going to do them any good to stockpile the stuff for which they've already paid.
Besides, where else are they going to put it.
Besides, they do have to sell it   . . .and sooner is better.

I don't have to like it.
But, what I really don't like is that the advertising for the stuff has already started.
I've heard ads for week-long Black Friday sales.
Good grief!!!
What fool thinks he has to promote that a full month ahead of time?
My thought on the subject is: if it needs promoting it isn't worth much.
Besides, it's all about stuff.
Mostly, it is stuff we don't need.

Right now I am thinking GOML.

Actually we still have Halloween and Veterans Day to get past.

not a happy camper

Abandoned* by the Muse

Worse. . .   I can't even post in a timely manner.



Don't care about being a winner
Or being smooth with women
Or going out on Fridays
Being the life of parties
No, no more, no

my filter's broken, 

but it still won't let 

me use those words

 from the wayback

*go here to determine what it means

Huh?

I'm theirs.

"Everybody wanna know"

Why I Sing the Blues

good question

What Sundays are about

...and some good sounds

Art

Really?

Yeah. . .
It's called reminder.
It was accidental   . . .or, maybe, coincidental.

prolly deserves an explanation

Note: I stole the following from HERE.

SOCCER PARENTING

Last night I spoke to a large gathering of South Florida youth-soccer coaches. I presented the following Q&A on how to be a soccer parent. I wish I could say I was exaggerating.

Q&A FOR SOCCER PARENTS

By Dave Barry

Q. What is the object of the game of soccer?
A. The object of the game of soccer is for your child to score goals, so that he or she will receive a full athletic scholarship to a Divison 1-A college.

Q. What is the role of the other children on my child’s team?
A. Their role is to pass the ball to your child.

Q. What position should my child play?
A. Your child should play forward.

Q. What should I do if the coach wants my child to be a defender?
A. Be reasonable. Ask the coach, calmly and politely, why he wants your child to play defense. Listen to his explanation, and consider it carefully. Then, file a lawsuit.

Q. How many minutes should my child play?
A. Your child should play however many minutes are in the game.

Q. When is it acceptable for the coach to substitute another player for my child?
A. When your child is not at the game.

Q. What is my job, as a parent, during a soccer game?
A. Your job is to yell instructions to your child and the other children on your child’s team.

Q. Should I make an effort to educate myself about the rules and tactics of soccer before I start yelling instructions?
A. There is no need for that. As a parent, you have a natural intuitive understanding of the game, which you should share with the entire world by constant yelling.

Q. Can you give me some examples of the kinds of instructions I should yell?
A. You should yell helpful tactical information, such as:

• GET THE BALL!
• KICK THE BALL!
• I SAID GET THE BALL DAMMIT!
• SCORE A GOAL!

Q. Shouldn’t the coach be the one who gives instructions to the players?
A. No, the coach is standing too far away to know what is going on.

Q. Should I also yell at the referee?
A. Absolutely. The referee is always grateful for the shouted opinions of parents on the sidelines. If the referee makes a call that you disagree with – defined as “a call against your child’s team” -- be sure to let him know, and he will be happy to change it. He will also appreciate it if you remind him, from time to time, that he is an idiot.

Q. What does it mean when my child has the ball taken away by another child?
A. It means your child has been fouled. You should let the referee know this immediately.

Q. What should I do if my child falls down?
A. Inform the referee that he needs to issue a red card to whatever player was nearest to your child when your child fell down.

Q. What should I do if my child knocks an opposing player down from behind so hard that the opponent is bleeding and screaming in pain, possibly with a bone sticking out of his leg?
A. You should yell: “THAT WAS ALL BALL, REF!!”

Q. What should I yell if the other team scores a goal?
A. You should yell: “THAT WAS OFFSIDE REF!!”

Q. What does “offside” actually mean?
A. Nobody knows.

Q. If my child somehow fails to get a full scholarship to a Division 1-A college, what is the most likely explanation?
A. The most likely explanation is that your child is not getting adequate coaching. But it’s also possible that -- to be brutally honest -- you were not yelling loud enough.

Q. I have followed all of your instructions, and for some reason my child is saying that he might want not to keep playing soccer. Also the coach has announced that he will not be with the team next year. Also I have noticed that the other parents have started sitting far away from me on the sidelines.

A. Just ignore them. Some parents can be real jerks.


Yeah. . .   saw it yesterday and decided to save myself the trouble of coming up with anything original for today.
Besides, it's good information for parents of weekend soccer players. 

tryin' to help

TBT*

*means I got nothin'

well, there's this song

Something I have to remember

on a daily basis

Change is good II

(a continuation from here or maybe here)

The issue with change for me has much to do with the adjustments over the past three years.
I've been the one with the broad shoulders.
The one to do the comforting.
The strong one.
This last year it has helped to keep my mind off the loss of my best friend ever.

PHG was a sort of replacement.
What I mean is we got along as well as best friends do, except we couldn't really share like best friends do  . . .for any number of reasons.

Yet, whatever I missed a year ago has come back and nailed me hard.
The void I felt then is nothing compared with now.
I've had this feeling before.
Years ago when I separated from my first wife and, subsequently, everything that went with that marriage (home, children, pets . . .not necessarily in that order), I felt like I'd been gutted.
There was a complete demoralization.
I bounced off walls.
I lost everything.

Only I didn't.

There's a saying I hear   . . .probably not often enough.
"This, too, shall pass."

I'm gonna be okay.

someday

Quote of the day week moment

If fun is good, truth is still better, and love best of all.

William Makepeace Thackeray

and you can have all of them at once

Another blogger

There's a blogger down south.
He lives on the fringes of what everyone else calls Northern California. . .   meaning he's north of L.A. County,
He's Navy (retired white hat), which makes him okay in my book.
His blog title, Old Retired Petty Officer,  even refers to that.
What sets him a bit higher in estimation is he likes trains. . .  maybe even more than the planes on which he works and has made a career of maintaining.
There are regular instances of Train Pr0n posted at his place.

The post linked above caused me to look for something suitable.
I think I have  . . .not only suitable, but relatively local (60 miles)

approval pending

I've had the pleasure of hiking the trails in this area of the Sacramento River Canyon.

Change is good

Really!
It must be because it happens whether we want it or not.
What's hard is our perception of what it means for us.
I have to remind myself to get over it because all I can control is my attitude.
I heard a term this morning that kinda, sorta explains what we have to do.
It's called Radical Acceptance.
So I looked a little further.

Radical Acceptance
Sometimes problems can't be solved.
                            Posted Jul 08, 2012

gonna have to work on that

Normal Friday

© Dolores Ochoa/AP

Because it's what I do, I called today's post the same thing I have called numerous other Friday posts.
It is at least partly right.

PHG is officially relocated.
Her plane landed in Grand Rapids, MI sometime really, really early this morning.
(or, if you want to quibble, late last night ...it all depends upon where you are sitting)

I came home, after lollygagging around the Sacramento area   . . .and stopping at the Costco in Woodland, to find Sebastian pacing in the driveway.
The look he gave me was that of a parent concerned about a wayward child.
Serves him right.
There have been those occasions when the role has been reversed.

I may have more to tell about her move, but this is all you get for now.

This is about right

If you don't believe me ask the Sarge.

Sixth one seems to only apply to the sprinklers.

So. . .

I posted the other day that PHG was splitting the scene to get on with her life.
That's the life she put on hold to help take care of her mom, the lovely GS.
Then she took another year to gather her wits and discover she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself when given support.

Yeah. . .  that post [where I may not have said all of those things even though I was thinking them].
The post where I mentioned my state of mind.
Where I came to the full realization I will be alone   . . .except for a cat who, most of the time, keeps his own company.

There's a song by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
The only thing about the song that fits is the title, Alone Again, Naturally.
The music is kinda upbeat, but the lyrics are morose at best.
Look them up.
I'll wait.

Anyway  . . .it's just a bit scary.
I have been alone before.
It's been scary before.
It's all about dealing with what's unknown.
The scary part is not having someone who has your back.
I'm only guessing, but I bet it's just as scary for PHG.

BTW - She's still PHG.
That's because even though she no longer will be here, she'll be permant house guesting somewhere else.

Monday update

Sometimes it's in the parking lot before I even get inside.

Remember that eclipse the other day

This isn't it.

Anyone who knows anything about Morro Bay, California knows they photographer was facing the wrong way.

maybe wrong isn't the right word

Saturday recreation

David Feherty Quotes:

"It would be easier to pick a broken nose, than a winner in that group."

"Fortunately, Rory is 22 years old so his right wrist should be the strongest muscle in his body."

"That ball is so far left, Lassie couldn't find it if it was wrapped in bacon."

" I am sorry Nick Faldo couldn't be here this week. He is attending the birth of his next wife."

Jim Furyk's swing "looks like an octopus falling out of a tree."

Describing VJ Singh's prodigious practice regime - "VJ hits more balls than Elton John's chin." (Thought I was going to hurt myself laughing at this one.)

"That's a great shot with that swing."

"It's OK - the bunker stopped it."

At Augusta 2011 - "It's just a glorious day. The only way to ruin a day like this would be to play golf on it."

"That was a great shot - if they'd have put the pin there today."

"Watching Phil Mickelson play golf is like watching a drunk chasing a balloon near the edge of a cliff."

"That green appears smaller than a Pygmie's nipple".

David Feherty is a former professional golfer on the European Tour and PGA Tour. Since retiring, he has worked as a television personality,; from 1997 through 2015, Feherty served as an on-course reporter for the PGA Tour on CBS W
He finds very unique, colourful and uninhibited ways of explaining or describing whatever is on his mind ... (probably always on time delay these days).

too busy to think today

Alrightythen

Yesterday's rainfall was just a bit of a disappointment.
0.02 in. isn't gonna cut it.
The coolness that came with it is appreciated, though.
The cat came in and stayed for awhile.
His usual habit is to come in to eat and then go out until the next meal.

I've been in a funk for awhile.
You know, out of sorts.
It has nothing to do with the lost luggage.
But it does have a lot to do with loss.

I went back on the blog to see when I first posted about PHG.
I was sure it was in 2012 because that's when she moved here.
I couldn't find any where I announced she had moved in with us.
I hesitate to say she moved back home because when she first moved away GS and I were living elsewhere in separate residences.

I will only go as far to say PHG moved here to get on with her life after a rocky period.
It is her story to tell, not mine.
Hindsight tells me it was something else that sent her here.
Three months after she moved in GS was diagnosed with the aortic aneurysm.
Most of you know that wasn't the only health issue, but the aneurysm had to be surgically repaired before any further testing could be done.

PHG put everything on complete hold after the surgery, quitting here job, and between her and me we became care givers.
When the diagnosis of cancer came care giving became her way of life.
I've become accustomed to having her here all of the time.
It's been a godsend up to now.
Next Thursday she's leaving.
She finally has an opportunity to move on with here life.
I am happy she was here to share it with GS and I.
Even happier she was here after GS died.
It's gonna be mighty lonesome.  
Michigan is a long way off.

I wish her all the best.
She's in love.
I am happy for her.

a period of adjustment will follow

I wonder. . .

. . .if  Buck woulda posted this and told us it was from the usual source?

sure miss his take on things