February 6, 2025: Cuteness Overload Alert!!! Miss TulipMae loves her new pink sheet and she likes the color on her. She's had a bit of a cough the last week or so, but so have I and so has Tim, so we're figuring it's just allergies or winter crud. She's such a little dollhouse, and such a sweetheart!
Enjoying gatorade for breakfast, and we'll see how the cuisine continues today. I need to be a bit careful, since the summer shorts I put on today (high of 81!!!!) are just a little bit tight-ski in the ol' waistband. :( Oh well, maybe some time on the old blue bike this weekend might help. Bruce fixed my tire, so I should be ready to go!
Still need to do the final vacuum on the 3 rugs I've cleaned and get them back in the house and check out some padding that's the right fit. I've got 2 more rugs to do, but at least we're moving them about inside the house. I think the hallway rug is ending up in our bedroom for a change, and the bedroom rug is ending up in the entry hall. Love these rugs from Brandie's mom, and we think of both of them frequently.
I really like the way the goofy, 1970's straw Stetson I got (can't even remember where!) worked with the Vietnam-era photo for our last book club. I don't know when else I'll wear it, but trendiness isn't my forte. I'm the guy who wears cufflinks everywhere, a pocket watch, shirt collar corner chromes, bolo ties and an early 70's hat. Just about the only retro fashion trend I need to work on is getting back into some dishpan belt buckles. (I always loved those) Also, the only thing I've never done, and probably won't for comfort purposes is the toe caps on pointy boots. I think it's a little over the top for a gringo.... :)
Still trying to figure out where to put all these folded clothes in the bedroom. I'm kind of doing a winter vs. summer division, but don't know where any of that is going to end up! Thank God Clemente built my Ken's Mojo Dojo closet off the main bathroom so that at least I have a spot to hang dress shirts, shorts, slacks and shirts! I don't need any more clothes....that's for sure!
Nibbles on the Z3 continue, and had an offer just $500 short of the asking price. I know I could settle for that, but figure I'll drop to that price when the interest stops. $3500 is pretty reasonable for a car that runs in this day and age, I think!
I'm loving the new press secretary @ the White House! Woohoooo! She's tough, direct, capable and succinct. Hard to imagine she's only 27 years old! Wow!
Still need to figure out what to make for dessert on Sunday. I'm leaning in a key lime pie direction, but have not discussed it with Mrs. Boss. We shall see.
Ok, headed over to the chapel blog for a bit of an entry. Blessings to all my little potato heads out there! OH my gerd. As I was typing 'potato heads', Ben Shapiro actually said the same words during his podcast!!!!!!! Potato power transcends all explanation, and is rather spiritual in nature! :) Have a great one! Later!
February 5, 2025: Sometimes you get photos of folks 'fresh off the boat', but in this case, it's folks who are heading to the boat. This is another shot of our wonderful Waffle House breakfast (waffle and hashbrowns, please) on the way to the port in Galveston. As I've said, we're already looking forward to our next cruise! Fun times.
Had my coffee this morning in the chair at the hair dresser to the stars, Miss Jenn! She took a whole bunch off the sides to give me a whitewall look, since with all the warm weather and top down activities, my hair has had kind of a Doc Brown look from "Back to the Future". Nothing is worse than having the "Mr. Greenjeans" look where your hair is tufting out from under your hat. Yuck. Anyway, she fixed it all up just right. She does want me to start the sideburns again, so I'm going to work on that! Always a lot of fun to visit Jenn and the team @ the salon.
Beautiful weather out there with the top down today. 74 degrees currently, which is just fine. It looked a bit showerish earlier this morning, so we went out and put the top up on the BMW and Mustang. Have had a bunch of hits on the Mustang, and I'm within $500 of my asking price and we're 5 days in, so we might just get it. Otherwise, we'll see what happens. If someone comes to see it, I need to get it on the charger quickly. Having a used car that starts during the test drive is always a plus! :)
Not much else has gotten done so far today, but we've got a fun activity planned for this afternoon that involves convertible activity and generosity. Cewl!
The new sheets that Elena and Denise put on our bed are mighty nice. I guess I didn't realize we bought pink colored sheets, and it looks kind of like Doris Day's princess telephone in here! I am not afraid of pink, since it was always Ma's favorite color, so I think we're rocking it as a team.
Plenty of chores remain! I need to get my act together. A few things were crossed off the list, but need to do more! :)
Thanks to all of you who are tuning into the blog! We're back to our record number for 2025. Not the most exciting blog in the world, but I still have fun typing it! Later, my crispy hashbrowns!
February 4, 2025: Oh Happy Day! Ciaran became new in Christ during her official baptism on Sunday! It was a great group of folks, all being together. Thankfully, the weather was outstanding for the ceremony, since it would have been a bit chilly out there, otherwise! Ciaran said the water wasn't exactly warm as it was! We got to have a nice lunch at Mi Pueblo afterward, and enjoyed each other's company. Congratulations, Ciaran, and this photo is really excellent! I saw the lens on the photographer's camera, and I can see why she uses it!
Made Mrs. Boss some luncheon popcorn, and it sounds like I may do a take on a very simple french onion soup this afternoon. We've got sourdough bread, so we'll crisp some of that up for the win!
I'm actually wearing shorts today for the first time in 2025. We're supposed to get to 79 degrees today, and I'm planning to get the oil changed in the Mustang, so it's a top down kinda day, for sure!
Got my area rugs scrubbed down yesterday afternoon, but still have 2 to go. It takes a while for them to dry, so this weather is perfect. You can really tell they were surface scrubbed, as they look fresher and cleaner. I need to vacuum them when they're dry, and we'll get them back in the house. We might be buying a few custom-size pads to put under them, since I really like that cushiony feel, but we'll see how crazy the prices are. The last time I looked the freakin' things were nutsy expensive. It's a foam PAD, people, not an Aubusson carpet! Yikes!
The coat of wax I put on the hood of the Mustang really made a difference in covering up surface swirl scratches. I'm going to do the whole car, little by little as it gets washed each time. We were talking yesterday about how much we really like that car. Snappy, rich looking, and fun!
Not finding a zenni frame I'm liking in the cheapo price range, but will look again. I don't really need another pair, and my new prescription is hardly different, so I may just wait until I lose a pair.
Well, I had an entire additional group of ramblings on the page and when I went to publish, the site dumped me. This happens every once in a while so I just have to deal with it. Have a great day, and enjoy a potato or two! Later!
February 3, 2025: Here's a trio of happy cruisers! This was taken during our first hour aboard ship, and the fun continued every day! Such a treat, and we're really excited about our next one. We're already at 7 of us cruising together for the next junket, and this one will be 14 days! Woohoo! Thanks to brotherman for being so generous with his perks that keep the trip so affordable with special features as well.
No breakfast yet, as usual, but enjoying a 'blue' gatorade. I don't know what flavor it is, but it's blue flavor! :) I like the 'frost' flavor more, and got some of that, too. I'm liking the gatorade more than usual these days. It just seems very satisfying.
Beautimous day out there right now! Supposed to be in the 80's all week until next Sunday. Ronny sent out a FB post that called this period of our weather 'false spring', and I think that's pretty accurate! It's really lovely, however!
Need to do a little banking today, and will hopefully get some reading done. Looks like it might be a good day for hot tub reading time!
Still having printer issues, but Mrs. Boss has the solution figured out, we think. Thank God she has the patience and knowledge to get these tech issues sorted out...I'm the worst at it!
Need to order a new comforter for the bed. The old one has been around for many years, and needed to be patched yet again, and pretty much is done for. I'll head on out to eBay today to see what I can come up with. I tried to order a special protein drink that Mrs. Boss likes from the store in a bulk order yesterday, but the stuff is MORE expensive online than @ Brookshire Brothers! Yikes!
Loving the tariff implementation. It may make prices a bit higher on some things, but will also help the country get to the point where we're making things here again. There are never any perfect solutions, but I kind of like this direction. Sadly, there are so many media outlets that spin everything against the president, and allowed the last one to crash and burn without a peep. Oh well, we expected that!
Great bible study last night, and we're skipping next week since our leader is out of pocket. It works out great, however, since we can have supper with April that night without having to search for a day on the calendar!
Anxious to look at the markets, since it's been a hot minute. I've got one stock that might be edging closer to an adequate return, but we'll see.
Ok, nothing else to report and I'm going to head over to the chapel blog for a little photo and text update there. Have a great week, my little ruffled chips! Later!
February 2, 2025: Why is it that the stuff I like is crazy expensive? This was the charger under my plate for the last cruise. I've seen the pattern before, and thought it'd be cool to have a set for the main house for dinner events. $350 each? Really? What? Well, clearly, THAT'S not happening. Kind of reminds me of the car that was next to me while I was filling up the Fleetwood the other day. Sharp, understated, clearly a rolls. I went out on line and found out that this model is $560,000-$700,000. It wasn't THAT nice. Yikes!
Nothing on the brunch trolley this morning, but we're doing a baptism today, so we'll figure that out afterward. We ate left over pizza from friday night last evening, so I'm pretty good at this point.
Supposed to be 81 degrees today! It's a Ken's Mojo Dojo Mustang kind of day! Put that top down!
Chores are still staring me in the face, but I ain't scared. All in good time. Warming up the bathroom for this day's showering activity, and it's getting nice in there.
Picked out some pretty wild combos for clothing this morning, so the look will be interesting at church. I realized today, that only genuine extroverts can really be 'out there' with the threads. Mrs. Boss, however, is an exception. She's extrovert by marriage.
So looking forward to bible study today. Should be fun and a good visit with the Good Book. Bryan does such a great job of leading the group that it's easy to look forward to it!
Still need to finish the book, but still have plenty of time. My Hot Honey from Savannah Bee Company arrived yesterday, so I'm all set for what to bring to the book club meeting!
Ok, I need to start gearing up for the day, so I'm bailing. Stay cool, my crispy fries, and have a wonderful Sunday!
February 1, 2025: Happy February! It's the beginning of a whole new format! Woohoo!
The photo above is from the "you never know what God has planned for you" department. We had made the decision to check out the new pizza place in Holland, and invited Bryan and Stacy to join us, as well as Will and Lisa. Well, we were running early, and the Rugh's were waiting on grandbaby pickup, so we went to Lisa and Will's before the restaurant. While we were on the front porch, there was a really nasty grinding/scraping sound. We looked up and saw the Tahoe and trailer in the photo. Major blow out. We headed over and met Lisa from Pflugerville who was headed to Oklahoma with everything she owned. She didn't have a spare. Between Will, Lisa, Bryan, Dan Snyder and everyone, we got Lisa back on the road. This reroute of everyone's evening involved hosting Lisa at the pizza place, and Will and Lisa being tremendously kind and allowing Lisa to stay over until the tires could be replaced. She needed a whole set, so Will, Lisa, Denise and I bought her a new set to get her back on the road. It's always so wonderful to have such a great opportunity to do something wonderful for someone who was truly in need. We hang with the right people! :) God bless you, Lisa!
Mrs. Boss is out doing her long walkabout right now, so there's been no movement towards brunch selections. I've still got leftovers from the other night that need to be nibbled on. I'm pretty thirsty today, so I guess I need to rehydrate! I think there's a bit of gatorade in the fridge, and I like that stuff!
It's supposed to be 75 and sunny today, so it doesn't get much better than that! We got all the photos taken of the BMW yesterday, and I need to build the sale listing on Marketplace. Hopefully, we'll find just the right buyer in a relatively short time. Now that the Mustang is registered, it's the next step in automotive evolution around here.
Lots of little chores to be done today, we'll see how much gets accomplished. I put one of the little blooming plants from the big bathroom into the Moulin Rouge bathroom, and that was a small yet neat accomplishment. It looks good in there! I killed the last plant that I had in the shower, so we'll see how this one does.
We've got to do our Max Lucado bible study chapter before tomorrow, but we've got plenty of time on that. We also got a bunch of sourdough from the bakery lady in Jarrell yesterday afternoon. Finding the lady's house was wild, and without GPS I don't know if we would have found it! :)
Ok, that being said, I'm about done with the blog for today. Have a wonderful, warm Saturday, and smile in the sun! Talk to you soon, my crispy tots! Blessings on ya!
January 31, 2025: The last day of January and a new beginning! Here's a photo from last night's trivia contest at 1859. We used to be 4th place, then we moved into 3rd place and last night topped out at #2! We're getting there. What a thrill to have even more brides and grooms and family in the mix. Vanessa and Chad were there and joined us! Lots of fun, and the old man with the trophy actually helped out a few times with questions that were geared for his age group! lol. Thanks for the fun, kiddos!
Special supper tonight, and we're looking forward to it. The game plan is to wait until about 3p to wash the BMW to get the sales photos done. Hopefully, that'll work out. Mrs. Boss said that it's supposed to be like 39 degrees tonight, so that's bizarre, as well.
Nothing on the brunch menu yet today, but will nibble lightly, so that I'm ready for supper. Appetite is still not as large as it once was, but that's probably not a bad thing, since it keeps me from getting to 300 lbs! :)
Pretty day outside so far. Love the sunshine, since we were without it for quite a while in the past week or so.
Need to get a few chores done today, so we'll see how productive I'll get. Little by little by little!
It was fun wearing my 'pub hat' to the trivia night at 1859. I almost went without one or chose another, but realized that it would suit my Irish heritage having it on for a genuine pub visit.
Viewership on the ol' blog is down about 40%. As long as at least one person checks in each day, I'll keep rolling along!
No reading getting done on the book club book, but I've still got time and it's pretty short. I really like it, but just haven't shut podcasts off long enough to read!
We need to order some zinnia seeds for planting very soon. I keep thinking about doing it at the wrong time, since Mrs. Boss has to be part of the selection process and I think of it while she's working. We'll get it done.
Needing to shop for the decor item for the stump pedestal by the gate. We'll put our heads together on that as well.
Well, there's really nothing else to report. Lots of prayers to all of you for a great Friday and a wonderful weekend! Stay cool, my little potato salads!
January 30, 2025: The air crash in DC is really disturbing, and a reminder of how every minute of our lives is in His hands. The older I've gotten, the less I enjoy flying and have only done it once in the last 6 years! I used to do it a great deal for work, and never had any serious incidents, so I'd like to keep it that way. I'm sure things were over pretty quickly for these passengers, but it's still an unimaginable situation. Blessings to the families and the souls on board. Our prayers will make such a difference. Also, our first responders and divers are in a very difficult place as well. Prayers all around.
The photo for today is Mrs. Boss doing a bit of line dancing during a large group event on the ship. Tim and I just kind of stood there watching, but she was having fun! :)
Currently, porky choppys are sizzling on the stove and some veggies are steam boiling. Mrs. Boss has rehearsal tonight after a rehearsal at home, so we're fitting supper into an earlier timeslot on the network. Yeah. I can blog while I eat!
Beautiful weather outside. 65 degrees and sunny. I'd love to be in the hot tub this afternoon, but more importantly, I need to see if I can get the Eldorado going so that I can take it to the shop. I've also got to get the BMW washed now that it's nice, so the recreational activities will have to be put on hold. Sadness! Loving the weather, however.
So much firewood! The boys did a great job yesterday, and the splitter was worth the money, for sure! Nice and toasty if needed!
Tomorrow is supposed to be 70 degrees and nice, and that's great, since that'll take care of the responsibilities on the second blue convertible! :) I love this weather, for sure.
Viewership of the blog is way down, so I guess I'm not as exciting lately, but it is January, so that's kind of expected....
I have trouble listening to RFK's voice for extended periods, and also have trouble listening to Ben Shapiro's voice for a long time.... Needless to say, one of them doing sound bites of the other in the podcast today just about pushed me over the edge.
No further on the book club book, but not for lack of interest, just haven't gotten there. Working on setting up a crypto.com account as soon as I get my act together. Also need to order new glasses with the new eye prescription. It's amazing how stuff is stacking up, but, we'll deal. I'm not feeling 100% energy today, and noticed my foot joints on the left were a little sore today, so I'm moving a little slower than usual. Getting older is such a party! :)
Bert did such a kick ass job with the .45. Tim and I were looking at it yesterday, and it's not only really smoothed out, it's immaculate. He's just really good with guns!
Pork chop tastes a bit dull, I think. I should have spiced it up a bit. I bought a chicken at L&R this morning, too, so we may be crock potting a chicky this weekend.
I actually DID get the Mustang title changed over today, finally, so that's in the win column. I did have to spend an extra $25 in fine because I didn't transfer the title within 30 days. They really get you coming and going all the time. Taxes are really oppressive. I was told what our tax bill was for this year for the ranch and it blew my mind. Make. it. stop.
Ok, nothing else to report, so I'm going to finish this up, do the chapel blog and then head out to get gas to put in the tank of the Eldorado.
Blessings to one and all for a tremendous day and evening. Hope y'all are feeling great. Later, my whipped taters!
January 29, 2025: Here's a shot off the Zen/Lt. Dan terrace on the ship as we leave Curacao. Pretty shot, and it has kind of an Asian feel to it for me, since the frosted glass between the terraces kind of have a rice paper feel. Cool. Excited that the next cruise already has a terrace reserved for our stateroom!
Had a lovely breakfast this morning at McCain's with Bert and Lisa after Mass. They wanted to attend, and it was nice, although Fr. is out of the country, and I wanted them to meet him. Deacon Buddy did a great job, though. Hopefully, they'll be willing to do it again after Fr. gets back home. After breakfast I was able to walk across the street and make my 11a appointment at VIEW for my annual eye exam. Thankfully, all looks good, and my left eye is the only one that changed, and it was very small. Enjoyed meeting the new doc who is sharing the office. The racket is active, however, since I'm supposed to just have a $10 copay for my exam, and my bill ended up being $74. One of the scans they are required to do isn't fully covered by our insurance, and to get the last piece of data you need to get online frames, they charge you $25. So, a $10 exam is now $74. You wonder why people are broke? Yikes!
58 degrees out there. Not chilly feeling but it's been misting/light raining all day. Unfortunately, this is the day that Tim and Clemente are splitting firewood with the rental splitter from Home Depot, but at least they're not getting soaked. They've made incredible progress, and will literally have split everything that was needed not only at the new downed site but the existing big pieces, too! Outstanding work, guys!
Well, we've received the notification of workforce reduction/restructuring from Denise's work, and there's nothing really that's going to change immediately. She does have the opportunity to retire in September, but she doesn't really feel she's ready for that. We'll see what the future brings, and what her options are if she sticks around. There are always contractual options, possible other assignments, or part-time work for a private concern... Who knows! He'll provide, and I just want to be sure she's doing what she wants to! :)
Still plenty to be done at the house that hasn't seen a lick of work! :) The great news is that tomorrow, I'm FINALLY getting the Mustang registered at the DMV! Woohooo! Also, Clemente, Tim and I got the BMW jump started and it's up at the house and ready for washup for the photo op for sale. Also, I've got to still get the Eldorado to Chris', but todays soupy weather isn't an option when you can't put the top up!
I got my .45 LC back from Bert this morning after breakfast, and he's got it all up and running nicely. He wouldn't even take any money for it! I would have just charged it to Bruce's account anyway... hehehe.
Really enjoying the book club book this month. I had the realization last night that folks who listen to the books on audio have a truly different perspective. I came to a passage that really made me stop and think and connect to a thought in a passage. I was able to think about it, re-read it, and digest it the second time. If I were listening to audio, I know that I wouldn't go back, but just keep listening to the drive by text. Interesting thoughts...
We get to have a special supper tonight, and another one on friday night! Woohooo!
Ordered more Hot Honey from Savannah Bee Company. I mentioned that Sheri had given us a small jar for Christmas, and we love it on EVERYTHING! Peanut butter crackers, rice stir-fry, hot chocolate.... Ordered a 24 oz. jar, and looking forward to having it even more.
Also, stole a page from Tucker Carlson's playbook and got a sample of Dr. Bronner's Castille liquid soap. Really liked the soap and the fragrance. I went ahead and got a larger bottle of the Hemp-Peppermint liquid soap to have on hand. Nice stuff.
The new White House Press Secretary is absolutely crazy excellent. Honesty, smoothness, credibility and results! Noice!
Ok, well I need to attempt to be productive. Have a wonderful day, and I'm excited about the supper tonight, since it is a meal staring..........drum roll..............POTATOES! Woohooo! Anyway, my little yams, stay cool, and talk with you soon.....
January 28, 2025: As I have mentioned on a previous post, cruising during Christmas was neat. It makes it so that you are in a tropical climate, and there's no commercialism about the holiday. There were a few days before the holiday that it felt like 'it wasn't really Christmas'. That changed while this photograph was being taken. It was about 4p Ship Time on Christmas Eve, and this massive crowd assembled in the Atrium for Christmas raffle prizes, carol singing, and amazingly an 11-story snowfall! Everyone suddenly had their "Christmas switch" flipped to the 'on' position and it stayed that way until bedtime on Christmas Day. Very cool, and very well done.
Enjoying some oatmeal this morning with raisins and fresh blueberries. It's still kind of gloomy out there today and only supposed to get to 56 degrees as a high. It's 53 now, so a pretty dull weather day. No biggie. It'll be 104 degrees and sunny again before we know it! :)
Mrs. Boss cleaned out a bunch of seasonal transition clothing, and it's great, since I got to put on a pair of sweats and a shirt that I probably haven't had on in over a year! I still need to find a place to store all this stuff, but will figure it out.
Almost started the book last night, but got distracted by other things. At least the book looks short and easy!
Looking forward to Valentine's Day. Nice and laid back plans!
It was great getting to visit with Tim yesterday afternoon after he finished woodcutting for the day. We've got a valve stem that needs to be replaced on the flatbed tire situation, he's still able to use it.
Mrs. Boss had to go to Temple this morning to get fingerprinted for her security clearance. I guess it's good so that they're sure she is who she says she is! :) I couldn't even log into my Wells Fargo rewards program today, since I got into one of those loop conundrum deals on their reset password page. Will try later.
Well, a pretty dull taco tuesday here. Actually, tacos sound pretty good. I like eating them, but don't really enjoy making them, so we'll see what happens. We went to a Taco Bell a couple of times last year, and the first visit was great and I was reminded that I like their food, and then the other two visits were 'meh'. It's not exactly gourmand, for sure...
Stay warm wherever you are, and enjoy your day. God is with you, and watching over you, so give him a shout! Stay cool my curley fries!
January 27, 2025: Well, you know you're on the right cruise ship when the hallways of the boat are completely literary-themed. I couldn't help but take this shot of Agatha Christie's key dude as we passed by, since I had the distinct honor of playing his character in last fall's Salado Public Library fundraiser at the chapel. This ship goes in for refurbishment in Europe in July, so it'll be interesting to see if these elements are maintained in the new design or if everything will be completely updated.
Not quite time to eat yet, but we've got a few new groceries to tide us over. Last night, I had the second evening where I couldn't get to sleep! Strange. Anyway, last night, I made a very strong cup of hot chocolate (yeah, I know it has caffeine) and added a good quantity of 'hot honey' that Sheri bought us for Christmas. It's a regular honey that also has scotch bonnet and habanero pepper in the mix. It was spicy, but really delicious. Kind of like the chili peppers in the hot chocolate in "Chocolat". Yum. I really can't figure out the sleeping issue. I took my regular Benadryl sleeping tablet both nights. Mrs. Boss said she thought I was snoring before she fell asleep, but if I was, I woke up shortly after that and that's when the sleeplessness came in. Oh well. These are the times where it's nice that I don't usually have a necessity for an early call time. I am headed to Mass on Wednesday morning, however, so that'll get me up a lot earlier.
Mighty chilly out there, and not supposed to be our warmest day! Currently, it's 42 degrees and only going to 55. I'm going to wait until about 3p or 4p to go to the library to get this month's book club book. It's not getting great reviews so far from the group, but maybe we'll like it!
Elena is here this morning, making things sparkle as usual. We're so very thankful for her efforts in keeping the place clean, and it always smells so wonderfully nice when she's done. God bless her!
We've broke another record number of blog readers for the year! Thanks to everyone tuning in! I love doing the blog, and know that some days are more interesting than others. This all started with the 2020 mess, but I've really enjoyed continuing it.
The huge pile of clean clothes didn't get touched yesterday, so hopefully, we can scratch the surface on that today. The biggest issue is finding a place to store all the stuff in the small, enchanted cottage, but we figure it out somehow.
I was amazed at how vivid my dreams were this morning, once I got to sleep. I know that in one of them, I was working as a detective, but I can't remember the other two major themes. Thankfully, I rarely have bad dreams, so it's not an unpleasant experience.
Still need to get the booking sheet done that's next to the keyboard! It's amazing that one person could do so little in 24 hours, right? :)
Bert has apparently figured out why the .45 LC hasn't been firing. He said that the firing pin seems to be fine, but that there's actually a safety on the gun that I didn't know about. He also said that the safety seems to be 'stuck' so that it can't be released. I know he'll figure it out, since he's very patient and wise in the gun world!
Listening to Glenn Beck this morning from a few days ago. Sometimes, it's just amazing to think about how fast society moves these days, in about 39,000,000 directions! Thankful for God's presence in our lives.
Well, not much happening yet, but the week is just rolling out. Looking forward to doing the chapel blog, since Chloe Storm Photos sent us the full portfolio of pictures from the styled photo shoot. It's fun rolling the pictures out there little by little. Kind of like I do here with the snaps on my phone.
Blessings to one and all. Stay warm, my twice-baked taters, and smile at every chance you get. Bye!
January 26, 2025: Before I talk about the photo above, I need to issue a rare correction to information that I provided on an earlier blog post. The new Chocolat plate for Fat Tuesday is from Mary W. Frank, NOT found in Canton! Mrs. Boss reminded me of that this morning. Sorry Mare, we love it!
Photo above is the back wall of one of the elevators on the ship. Every elevator had a different vintage ginger print that covered the entire wall. The gameplan was to take a pic of each one to show Sarah, but due to the reflection of the lexan covering them, my bright teal shirt was in almost all of them. This one doesn't seem to have it, so wanted to share. Tim and I were talking yesterday about how the decor on this particular ship is pretty dark. I liked most of it, but there are some pretty 'dated' looks in some light fixtures, etc. He confirmed that the ship is going to Europe this summer and being refurbed, so they may lighten it up a bit. We shall see....
Thrilled that we're up to a record number of folks checking into the blog on a daily basis! I so feel appreciative and blessed that y'all are interested in reading my daily journey! Thanks.
No brunch for me so far, but today is bible study, so I know I won't go to bed hungry. Love the cool food that comes into the gathering!
Still chilly outside, and I'm thinking more rain? It's 47, but it feels pretty coolish. I need to check out the forecast, since I'm hearing maybe more snow next week? The forecast looks pretty good, and I'm not seeing any snow predictions. Allegedly, the Texas/New Mexico state line is predicted to get 29.5 inches of snow next week? Wha? We'll see what turns up in the ever changing weather.
Did the moustache glue trick today. Since I've got this new great way to fiddle with the ends, naturally, it seems like it's taking forever to grow longer! I think it actually does grow faster in the summer, if I remember correctly, so we'll see. I'm anxious to get it long enough to try the pencil and glue trick that my barber told me about so that I can wear it curly pretty much all the time....or at least for special occasions.
Still looks like it won't be until Wednesday, at the earliest, to bring the BMW up to the house for a wash and photo shoot for the sell listing. At least it's supposed to not rain all day and be 65 degrees. It'll be interesting to see when I can get the Eldorado to Chris', but all in good time.
Puttering about today at best. Glad we finished our bible study lesson in our workbook, and it was great. Love doing that together, since it's a great way to share our feelings about our relationship with God and to have quality time together. Be sure to marry your best friend, btw. :)
I've got to remember to take my .45 down to the chapel today. Bert will get it up and running correctly, I have no doubt. We also need to find a frame for a project that Lisa is going to work on, AND need to schedule a fun craft session with 'shadow painting' from a post on FB. Fun times!
So my kind, zen nature genuinely came back to bite me this morning. Or in my case, sting me. About 3-4 days ago there was a red wasp (in the winter?) trying to get out the bathroom window during my shower. It was WAY too cold to open the window to let him out that day, so I just hoped he wouldn't bag me while I was scrubbing up. Well, yesterday, he was almost still between the antique stained glass and the window lever, and I figured he wasn't going to last long....hardly moving. I thought once the cold window/air in the bathroom set in, he'd be toast and I'd dispose of him properly. This morning, I wasn't even thinking about him, and didn't see him. About 3/4 of the way through my shower, I very quickly found him, since I stepped on him and he stung me. Dang it! My foot is a bit swollen, but the pain isn't too bad. I put biofreeze on it right away (I don't know if it's for that or not) but certainly will survive. Lesson learned? Bag that little stinging SOB when you see him. Don't wait.
I still have lots of clothes to sort, so maybe some of that will happen. Let us pray. Still need to get the booking sheet done that's sitting next to the keyboard, but at least Mrs. Boss deposited the deposit check for the wedding.
Tim did a tremendous job of wood cutting and stacking yesterday, and we're really thankful. He thinks Roger may have a splitter, so we're rolling right along on getting that tree down and our woodpile up! I haven't been helping at all, but he's not that surprised. lol.
Susan finished this month's book, so we'll be able to get it from the library tomorrow. Doesn't sound like the group is really that excited about it, but you never know. That's what makes the Motley Book Club fun, and differing opinions are part of the spice!
Excited about our Valentine's Day with The Cashions. Good times.
Well, I guess I'm out of anything to yap about, but I yapped for quite a while. Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday, and please join us for bible study if you're interested.... Stay fresh my frozen tots! Later!
January 25, 2025: Mrs. Boss remains active all during the cruise! Here she is in the Atrium Bar, doing a dance routine class with an interesting instructor. She had fun and walked every day. I started out well, but then I meh-d out after day 1 on the boat! Yikes!
Nothing for brunch yet today, but we had amazing steaks last night with baby bella mushrooms. Tremendous. Steaks were delicious and done to perfection and the bellas were more seared than sauted, which was pretty cool. It's so funny how we both enjoy a French-style buttered skillet steak prep over grilling or broiling. It just is so quick and easy, and you're done in 10-12 minutes, usually. No burnt outside, just warm and juicy inside. Go cows!
Still a bit chilly out there, but I think it's supposed to get warmer at the beginning of the week? Today is now predicted at a 62 degree high but it may be shower-y this afternoon. Current temp at our studio is 48 degrees.... The gameplan was to bring up the BMW from the big barn and wash it so that we can take a bunch of pictures to do the Marketplace listing. We shall see, since Mrs. Boss said it was sprinkling outside at the end of her walk just now.
Tim is working diligently to bring down the big, old, dead tree at the driveway. We sure are appreciative of his work. I'll need to head to the chapel soon to turn on the heat for our potential bride visit. The firewood he produces, by the way, is wonderful for the fireplace. We'll have to rent a good log splitter, so if anyone has one that wants to make a few bucks, let us know. I bought an electric one 2 years ago and it was mostly a waste of time, since it won't work at all now. If nobody reaches out, we'll just rent one in Belton and go from there. It'll be nice replentishing the firewood pile....
A couple of cool project ideas rolled past the FB page this week. Also, we have the theme set in stone for Easter. Pretty cool, and the ideas are already flowing! It'll be fun to see how many we have for Easter Sunday, but we're already looking forward to it. Lamb cake plan this year is more of a 'date nut' variety with just powered sugar 'wool' and eyes, nose, and mouth decorated. My frosting skills usually take the flex out of the Easter presentation, since apparently, I'm just disabled in that arena. Part of it is that I don't have all the cool Wilton frosting tools, but I also don't WANT any of that, since it sounds like a pain in the ass to clean and another expense. Powered sugar on a fruit/nut cake works for me!
Well, I guess there's nothing else for me to report. Sweater around the shoulders until it gets a bit warmer, and it's time to slip out of the dog slippers Ronny and Ann gave me years ago, and put on at least some other type of real-live, grown man footware. Damn. Anyway, have a wonderful day and a super rest of the weekend. If you're up for bible study at 5p tomorrow evening, we'd love it! Just let us know so we set the right number of seats. I think I mentioned that we're being served an experimental chicken recipe, so I'm in! Blessings to you, my potato frittatas!
January 24, 2025: Everyone on a cruise is different. Some folks like to be busy all the time, some read a lot and some just float about seeing what's up. One of my favorite parts of a cruise is not the shore excursions and island stops (although we always get off where we've never been before, and only blew off Jamaica this time), but I love the large, open expanse of the water. The Caribbean Sea is truly beautiful. My favorite times aboard ship are 'at sea days', which remind me of our tremendous crossing from Southampton, England to NYC back in the day. You are reminded that despite being a tiny speck floating in 19,000 ft. of seawater, on a large beer can, with your closest land being a communist country 175 miles away..... God truly loves us. Every speck!
We're fixin' to head to town in just a bit to exchange the Eldorado for the Fleetwood. Keeping up with the repairs is important, otherwise, things get out of hand pretty quick. Chris' team takes such good care of us. The Eldo's top won't go up, which I've been expecting for about 2 years! The hood release latch takes King Kong (or in this case, Clemente) to get it open, and she's really become hard to start. The last few starts have involved spray starter, which is hard on the engine, so I'm glad we'll be getting all tuned up. The electronic ignition helps, but overall, for a massive, 1971 luxury convertible with the largest production engine ever put in a car in the history of the world, she hasn't been a money pit in the years we've owned her. So many bridal memories, and so appreciative for GW and Brooke's amazing work on the fender I squashed the day of Emma Grace's wedding. ("I squashed it to bits. It was just ghastly!" - Gloria Upson, "Auntie Mame", 1958.
Tim is headed out to take on the big, dead tree near the front gate, which will be a joy and a wonder. He takes better care of this place than I do, and I'm thankful he'll be here, since Debra is planning to return the table and chairs we used for book club now that her Suburban is finished. I think a $5,000 transmission repair is horrific, but Bruce told me that he feels like that was a pretty good price. One of the reasons our next luxury car will probably be a Lexus, thankyouverymuch. That, and the fact that I can't find a 2019 Continental Black Label to drive to see if it's really any different than the regular Conti.
No major plans except for 52 car pickup this afternoon, so I'm cool with that. Stomach drama for me the last few days, but I'm hearing there are lots of folks who are really suffering with the flu.
Have the Eldo on the battery charger, and hoping we can get her rolling one last time before her tuneup. She's not a fan of any weather below 80 degrees, and it's a balmy 61 out there now. Let us pray.
We're seriously going to need some groceries in this house. We should have worked a stop in @ L&R today, but probably won't have time with a hair appointment for Mrs. Boss looming on the horizon. Bout done with the pasta.
PTL the new internet 'satellite' dish is working great and the new router rocks. I'm not seeing much of a difference, but the commercial files Mrs. Boss messes with apparently work much more quickly. Winner winner poulet dinner!
Love my new hot pad for the bed. Warms the old bones nicely. I just realized I've left it on since this morning, so that's not cool, but the 2 hour timer feature is not long enough so I disable it.
Wow.... Temp on my pc says 55. It's gonna be a trick to get the Eldo started and ride with the top down, but we'll figure it out! :/
Ok, so now a word from one of our sponsors, Biofreeze. The first time I tried this stuff, I had jacked up my ankle or something and Brandie said that Mike swears by it and the Marines use it. Wanting to be Semper Fi kinda cool, I immediately got some. Meh. I didn't think it did much. This LAST injury, however, involving the geriatric falling against the cooler was MUCH better from the Biofreeze. Don't know why, but I've decided to stick with the stuff it really works! Boy, howdy, it's not cheap tho!
It's so weird waiting for Susan to finish the book club book at the library. At least if it doesn't get done in time, I still have a mulligan to use. I could go buy a copy, but I just complained about the price of Biofreeze, so do you really see that happening?
Things are rocking at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and it's a party I don't mind payin' for. You go, DJT. Not a mis-step yet in my book.
Ok, I need to skeedaddle, since it's time to continue the Saga of Cadillac vs. the Cold. Blessings to one and all, and stay happy, mah mashed taters!
January 23, 2025: Here's a great shot of some revelers on NYE! So pretty and how did we get this incredible camera angle. We all know it wasn't me! Great to celebrate with friends and family!
Another great day, and although my back remains sore (I think it gives a better weather forecast than the main stream media!)
We finished the last 3 episodes of "Monsieur Spade" on Netflix last night and really enjoyed it. It's probably not for everone, but the combo of UK, detective work, and cool cars work for me. Tremendous acting, although the plot did get a bit confusing from time to time. No matter, sets were amazing and cinematography was top notch. Well done.
Nothing for brunch yet this morning, and Mrs. Boss and I are getting kind of tired of pasta. We don't eat much of it, but it's about all we had on hand during the cold weather, and neither of us really wanted to go to the store. Eventually, that's got to happen, but in the meantime, we're working through the leftovers!
44 degrees today with a high predicted of 55. That's more like it! Tonight is supposed to be our last night of freeze at 26 degrees, and we're glad for that. We've been staying toast warm the Moore Air way, but ironically haven't made one fire during this cold snap? Bizarre. That's usually our 'go to' when it goes below 50! Oh well. More firewood for later. I don't think the fireplaces create all that much heat in this house, but it helps in the bedroom when the rock face gets warm. It's always a good place to stand on chilly days (I can remember my mom doing that a lot!) and the aesthetic of a crackling fire can't be beat. We'll see how the next cold snap goes, since I'm sure we're not out of the winter woods yet! Beats Pensacola, however @ 10" !!! I cannot imagine how chaotic that must be. I saw pictures of Seaside where we stay and where my favorite bookshop is and the whole thing looked like a winter wonderland.
Well, the King of Cruises has struck again! We're on the books for a 12 day cruise for 2026, and already looking forward to it. We had such a good time and easy setup with brotherman on the last one, that we thought we'd give it a go again! Love that whole Galveston departure thing, too!
Maybe get dressed today, maybe not? Loving the fluffy bathrobe look and it's so nice since Mrs. Boss washed it. I've got the heater on in the Moulin Rouge room, so I guess I'll go for it after the blog entry.
We played Sorry AND cards last night and finished the Netflix series. Who says we weren't productive, right? I think it's funny how the cold weather slows both of our paces just a bit and it doesn't take much to slow me to a stop, so very little gets done! :) Mrs. Boss is working in the parlor all day, but I putter, computer, order, etc. as needed. 5 star employee.
Dogin's are doing well. All tucked in behind Mrs. Boss on their perch for the workday. Nobody really wants to do their business outside, but after a while the temps start to be more predicable and the accidents are fewer. To call them 'accidents' with these juvenile delinquents is rather a misnomer. There's nothing 'accidental' about it. "Sorry, Officer, I didn't know it was loaded". Barf.
Still looking for someone who can take on a small replacement on/off switch on Grandma T's crystal floor lamp. The original switch got wet under a roof leak last year, and is rusted just enough to not turn anymore. Anyone at all? I guess it could be bypassed with a different switch. Someone out there has to have this talent? Thanks in advance.
I should read or be otherwise productive while Mrs. Boss goes to rehearsal tonight. We shall see. A group of us talked about going to trivia night at 1859 earlier, but nothing has really gelled there, and we did just go last week. We'll see what happens.
Ok , with all that said........... Pray for our Nation and our outstanding El Presidente, enjoy every blessed minute of your life to the best of your natural ability, and stay in the oven and keep yourselves warm, my little shoestring fries!
January 22, 2025: There's a lot of love, support and growth showing in this photo. Every moment of our involvement with these ladies hasn't been perfect. Tougher times, easier times.....challenges we've not even resolved yet. The important thing is that we feel completely supported by these two and they have stepped up to the plate so beautifully on 1000 different occasions. God bless them - all 3.
Nothing for brunch today, but enjoying just being alive for another opportunity. Listening to my podcasts and THINKing about taking a shower. Such major things on my calendar!
Still cold outside....it's supposed to be 43 now, but it was cold this morning. The freezathon is about to come to an end pretty soon, so we'll put the top down on the Mustang and smile.
Tidied up just a bit today, but the best part is that Mrs. Boss washed my fuzzy bathrobe yesterday and I'm fresh and clean! During this weather, we spend about 95% of our time in our bathrobes. John came yesterday to pick up donated clothes from Debra and I think he was surprised to find us in bathrobes @ 5pm. Get over it. lol!
Need to get my act together and get taxes started. I have to download TurboTax, and just need to pull the trigger. Paperwork is together, but the chapel spreadsheet needs ours of work.... All will be well.
Wow. The country is changing already. Nicely done, DJT. Smooooooth.
Slowly getting the wedding homecoming photos out on the chapel blog. Lots to work on there, as well.
I need to get a new holster for Chris Carpenter's .45 derringer. I'd like to wear it more, but the current holster is confusing and seems dangerous. Saw just the right one on Greg Dunaway, so hope I can get something similar.
We need to order zinnia seeds pretty soon off of eBay, so that spring can be pretty when it comes! No theme for Easter so far, but we're definitely going with the peeps twinkie car as a decor element. Loved it on facebook!
So far, we haven't had the need to start and set up the generator yet. That's a good thing. I hope that when we eventually need it, it'll run! It's only 1500 watts, but that's enough to power whatever we need in an emergency. We haven't even had the fireplaces going during this cold snap, which is weird. They had 125 degrees coming out of all the registers when Moore Air was here, so that's why things seem so toasty. I know Mrs. Boss will end up with a large bill for keeping us comfortable at the main house, but at least the chapel bill shouldn't be too bad?
Ok, well, nothing else to report. Hope everyone is keeping their sweet potatoe fries under a dishtowel. It's cold outside! Blessings to one and all of my wonderful tater tots out there!
January 21, 2025: A guy's photo from New Year's Eve. Any questions about how proud I am of the Consigliere? He's the man I trust with everything and anything. There are a lot of trustworthy men in this photo, but Greg is the one that I turn to for help with a phone app or a jumbo CD. His upbringing, class and intelligence are phenomenal. I'm so thankful that my coaching along the way has actually helped (or so he says!). We love him long time. Now, if he'd just wear a .38 snub 24/7, I'd feel better. More coaching needed, I guess! :)
Mrs. Boss just told me that it's still 31 degrees. We know we've lost the outdoor shower to frozen pipes, but we're also fine with that since we can shut off the shed and we'll ask Clemente to cap it off. Now that we have the Moulin Rouge beautiful NYAC shower, we really don't need the outside shower. Slow changes, good logic. It's how we attempt to roll.
Eating last night's popcorn today! I love popcorn. Stale, fresh, whatever. We watched a Wallace and Grommit release (I think it was "Murder so foul"?). As usual, the UK BBC studio release didn't dissapoint. The hours it must take for claymation to make that happen are crazy. I'm thinking it's all CGI/AI at this point, but there's still no skimp on detail.
Done with the cold already. The remote start feature of the Mustang is certainly a great thing already. We start it, unlock it, and let it warm up for 5 min before we head out. GLOBAL WARMING. As Greta would say, "How dare you?". I'm good with it. Really a nice feature and the heated seats are good on the old body as well.
Otherwise, I'm sad to report that we lost one of the small space heaters that I loved. If this is the case, I guess I shouldn't have bought 2 more! We're going to use one of them in the RV in the next few weeks to see if we freeze to death, but the RV is like a beer cooler on wheels, so the warmth should be ok. We've cancelled another RV weekend so that we can join The Rabbi and his wife @ their ranch in Utopia! We're honored and thrilled to be invited. It's a great place to relax, unwind and shoot pistols!
We are both so very thankful for the security provided for yesterday's inauguration. Everything went flawlessly (except for Carrie's audio feed, but she overcame with class) and we're fired up. Melania's late 1960's smoky, Sophia Loren look is amazing, and Mrs. Vance is a star who will rise. As I've said before, we're in very good hands, and things they are a changing, already.
So excited to be out of the W.H.O. They betrayed our trust during the 'covid' gig, and won't be able to do it again. Viva Trump - El Presidente!!!!!!!!!
Nothing on the calendar for this week, but we've already got another bride and groom visit planned for Saturday. Super fun! We're probably going to book another one before then, so we're rolling along into 2025 quite nicely!
Still working on the "Drover and the Zebras" or something like that in my book pile. Cool story with a retired Chicago PD detective, and the locations are VERY, very close to where I grew up. When Southport Avenue gets used in a book, you know that you are in a good place!
I don't think there's anything else to report, and I need to get another excellent photo from Wedding Homecoming on the chapel blog. Be cool, my potato soupers, and stay warm in your own broth. God bless us, every one.
January 20, 2025: We have experienced today, a great revival in the finest Country God has ever made. Praise Him for leadership, and pray for safety, wellness, security, and humility. Last night's bible study was another tremendous effort led by our own, personal Rabbi. He did a great job.
Still mildly emotional after today's political change of power. Love what it means for America. It's so cool that class is in charge again. Melania....re-enventing the Sophia Loren 1968 look. She slays the room. HOT-ski! Our President is one blessed dude!
Had some left over pizza from wedding homecoming, and listening to the Bee Gee's greatest hits. Did realize I needed them, but I did. If you haven't listened to Kirk Franklin's "God's Property" album from the 90's it's worth a shout. I live by it! Many thanks to Assistant Chief Jason R. Smith for making that happen in our lives!
Rocking a yukata (surprise....we're back it in the White House....it's like a spa day! ) and kicking back. Freakin' cold outside and the outside shower is frozen, sadly. Jeff Kelly will get wealthy over that! At least we were able to run the washing machine.
Staying warm as can be. Need to start a fire, but need a nap more........ Still pumped over El Presidente 47. It's hard to bring that party down. Both of us in our bathrobes watching the inauguration and using the last bottle of Mumm Cuvee in the house. The sweet taste of freedom.
Well, I guess I'll close it out at this point. Not lots to report. Um, just the rebirth of the finest Country God has ever made! Rock on, my 'Muerica taters!!!!!!!!!
January 18, 2025: A great shot from NYE! Jolene is the queen of selfies, and always makes them look good. The shot is a bit fuzzy here, but loving the way Mrs. Boss' gloves and my jacket match! It's always fun having Bryan and Trisha here, and he's an especially important part of my world.
McDonaldJT's fries for lunch after getting another tremendous straight razor shave from Melinda @ The Edge Barber. It's a bit of a drive, but brotherman drove 40 minutes to a steakhouse last night, so I guess South Temple isn't too bad for a good shave. At least I'll look good at Wedding Homecoming tonight.
Dressing in a bit of flannel today, since it's now only 50 degrees and apparently going into the 20's tonight! Yikes! About 5-6 days of below freezing at night, and thankfully, it looks like daytime highs will be above freezing. Yucky. Also, I'm hearing rumors of snow at some point over this cold spell, so we'll see if that actually happens. The last time they told us that might happen, we got nothing, so maybe we're due.
Everything is set up for tonight's event. I just need to shower and dress, and haven't picked out what I'm going to wear yet, but am pretty close. I see the dress Mrs. Boss is wearing, so I know I'm at least in the ballpark of looking appropriate. Looking forward to the food, fun and music of another Wedding Homecoming!
The new router and satellite dish are rocking our world. I'm not seeing a difference in speeds, but I don't do all that much in the technical arena on the PC. Mrs. Boss says that file download times will be much quicker. I'm in. She knows what she's talking about. Our technical representative, Jessie, was tremendously helpful and an all around good guy here yesterday!
Haven't decided on what hat to wear tonight. Something between an Open Road, Homburg, or felt Stetson. We'll see how it shakes out.
Loving my new heading pad on the bed. You know you've reached a certain age where it's just night in cooler weather just to have something warm underneath you to sleep. Kind of like a heated mattress pad! I realized while I was being 'steamed' during my shave today, that I've been rather spoiled this week. Hot tub sessions, sauna appointments, body massage, body scrub and shave. I love my life.
Mrs. Boss must be at the store, since I see her 'walking gun' on the kitchen counter. That little .22 magnum is perfect for her walks all around the area, and I feel better with her having it on her.
Going to have to wait on this month's book club book, but Susan says it's a short read, so we should be all set. If I don't get it done in time, it's ok, since I haven't had a "Mulligan" in a long time at book club!
Even though I didn't get up early, I feel like I might need a nap at some time before my 4:30 shower! We shall see how necessary this is.....
Well, no other news to report. Found out that I bought the wrong 'hair glue' for my moustache today, but it's an easy fix, and apparently the product I bought may work just fine in the meantime. So many responsibilities.
Speaking of responsibilities, I guess taking pictures of the BMW Z3 for the Marketplace listing will take at least another week. As soon as it warms up, we'll need to get those pictures taken and get it out there on the market! Loved taking the Mustang to the barber, gas station and carwash today. It also needs a good hand-wax, and when the weather gets better, we'll make that happen as well.
Ok, stay warm, start a fire, and make some chili. All will be well. Until next time, my medium-sized french fries......
January 17, 2025: Well, you know you had a good cruise when you can't remember where you are in a photo! I know it's not Aruba or Grand Cayman, but it's either Bonaire or Curacao. I'm thinking Bonaire, since I know this is where John Joseph likes to scuba dive. This beach club was fun and we got to swim a bit. What an excellent trip and we're actually ready for another cruise! This was all Bruce's doing, so we're glad he turned us back on to cruising for the first time in 5 years! Who knows..........Florida might get replaced with a cruise this year?!!? Could happen....
Made some ground beef for lunch while the internet dude (Jessie) was on the roof putting up a new satellite dish and installing the new router that Mrs. Boss set up. I think we're getting some steak for supper, so that'll be fun. Our show today is sponsored by Beef. It's what's for every meal! :)
A bit chilly out there, but 59. That's going to look like Bonaire by tomorrow night. We're in for 5 days of really cold weather, so the cool remote start feature on the Mustang will be used, and we love the heated steering wheel and seats! No photos of the BMW yet for marketplace but we have to find the time and get good weather! You can feel the cold weather coming. We couldn't get the top up on the Eldorado after the photo shoot, but when it warms up, we'll send it off to Chris'. Get that sorted out and find out when it's starting so hard. All will be revealed.
Not much else happening at la casa. Getting a new satellite dish and putting the Eldorado away were pretty big.
Clemente put a new coat of polyurethane on the antique cabinet above the range, and it looks great! Nice and fresh, and he took off all the grease with TSP and fixed the evaporative dryness. Outstanding.
Book for the next book club meeting is ready for pickup, I'm thinking. Mrs. Boss is first in line with checkout so I guess she'll be notified and I'm write behind her. Looks like a less powerful and controversial book than this month, but we're good from the discussion and everyone survived.
Ordered yet another supplement from eBay today. Apparently it's the element in lobster's bodies that literally would allow them to live forever. The research I read is pretty positive! What the hell. I like lobster! :)
Pretty excited about the inauguration in just a few days. Praying that everything goes well. It'll be so nice having some honest grown-ups in key government positions.
Won a $20 gift certificate for our participation in the 1859 trivia contest last night. We were 3rd place, but we're getting better! :) Fun, spontaneous evening.
Ok, I guess I need to get busy with the chapel blog, look at some shoes online, etc. Busy day! lol. Blessings to one and all, and keep warm in the coming days, my little frozen tater tots!
January 14, 2025: I didn't embed a photo in the blog post today, since I added the cool shot of Mrs. Boss, Jolene, DJT and I @ Canton. It was so neat that this vendor had a yuge cutout stand-up of the President, and encouraged folks to take a photo with him. I think the picture turned out very well. The vendor was pretty wise, as well, since all those folks stopping for photos probably increased sales. I love the smell of Capitalism in the morning! :)
No food so far this morning, and a little bit of a sour tummy. Guess the midnight snack of buttered toast wasn't such a great idea. I'm sure I'll be noshing in no time, however. Mrs. Boss brought home a Quarter Pounder w/Cheese after rehearsal for my supper last night, so I ate pretty late, but it tasted good.
Chilly outside. It's 41 degrees, but at least feels like it's 41 degrees. Yesterday was so odd, since it felt like it was way colder than it was. We think it's because of the humidity and or the recent rains that add to the dampness.
Waiting on Lash to arrive from Moore Air. We're getting our overdue annual systems check, but I'm also talking with him about adding a heat strip to the cottage furnace. Jamie felt like that was the most efficient way to add to the heat temp in the house. It's supposed to possibly go down to 16 next week, so it will be nice to be toasty warm.
I'm listening to my daily podcasts today on the new miniature speaker Sheri got me for Christmas. It sounds really good and is so small it takes up practically no space on the table! Very cool.
Dressing warm today, and not planning to do a lot of travelling. I need to go to the post office at some point, but we'll see how that goes.
Lots of items that need to get done on my list in my calendar, but nothing earth shattering. I've been meaning to top off the oil in the Fleetwood since before the cruise, and it's still not done! LOL. Guess when it's time to take it somewhere, I'll get it done? :)
Two of the girls are currently visible sleeping on the bed next to my desk as I type. I've got the little space heater running at my feet for a cozy feel, and I think some of that warmth is wafting up to them and they're loving it.
Looking forward to book club tomorrow night. South China Sea - Vietnam theme to match the book. Mrs. Boss and I are going to do some military camo arrangement, and I'm planning to wear my 1970 Colt 1911, and my AR-15 on a strap on my back. It's definitely Vietnam era, so that works.
I'm absolutely amazed at the ineptness of government officials in California regarding the fires. It's amazing to watch the super huge aircraft scoop up the water off the coast to put on the fire. Very engineeringly cewl!
Well, Lash is here from Moore Air, so I'm going to close out this post. Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying life! Take it easy my potatoe pancakes! :)
January 13, 2025: Possibly one of my worst looks of my life, but this photo is way more important for other reasons. Jackie sent this last night, and I openly wept. I realized (even though I'm the largest crybaby of all time) that I never fully grieved my eldest sister leaving us. Ronny and Ann Gray had to witness some of my meltdown, as Mrs. Boss reminded me, but the week of the funeral, we headed to O'Hare, and I was focused on getting my youngest, beloved sister, Elaine, to and from the funeral and airport. This photo last night surprised and rattled me. It was such a reminder of what a genuine family leader my beloved Dolores was to all of us. Complete class, loving, made you feel important. She had a lot of Ma in her (both of them had a storm-temptuous Irish temper), but she taught me so much. We run an incredible wedding chapel so very smoothly and a lot of our hospitality efforts are a reflection of everything she taught me. Again, classy, real and loving. Who could ask for more. I remember when Martha Stewart was new on the scene, and Dody had her stay at her Architectural Digest custom home, and she basically said...."What a bit**". It was funny. No matter how much money flowed through the house, she was class, discipline and elegance .... always. We weathered lots of struggles in our time together but DID it together. I'm so proud of who she is and the family I come from. I'm starting to tear up again, and just wanted to share the beautiful woman I was proud to call my sister.
On a happier note, I'm enjoying some crackers while waiting for an insurance brokerage call. Mrs. Boss buys these great gluten-free crackers that taste incredible. Yum-ola!
Chilly outside, but not bitter. I did see on the accuweather that it may go down to 17 degrees next week. Yikes, stripes. When it goes below 20 degrees, things get a little dicey in God's country. We'll be ok, but it's nasty!
Elena was here this morning and worked her fabuloso magic. There's nothing like walking into the kitchen from the porch and smelling her immaculate work and looking at surfaces that just gleam. We're so thankful for her investment in making our world a cleaner, brighter place.
The efforts the federal government are making to help California is great, but their lack of response in dealing with North Carolina makes it very hard to watch.
Got up at 8a this morning, which is completely too early, so there's certainly a napperschtein in my afternoon future. I've been warm today, however, because April knitted me a special scarf that I'm wearing now. We even have a knitting tutorial scheduled before book club on Wednesday, so maybe I can make it work? Susan just looked at her like, "sweetie, don't waste your time on this retard, he can't even crochet", but the brave girl is willing to try! Excited that we're doing a South China Seas theme for the book club event. I've got to get just the right tablecloth together, but it'll happen!
Ok, I guess I'm done rambling now. Nothing else of merit to report. Stay warm, and wrap yourselves in foil, my little baked taters! Blessings!
January 10, 2025: Well, it's not the warmest weather we've ever had, but danged if this isn't the prettiest radar shot I've ever seen in our area! I've never seen anything like it, and it's kind of like modern, floral art abstract. Pretty danged cool! North Texas got snow with up to about 8 inches max in the Denison area, but it was less than 2" in Dallas. Absolutely nothing here, but since it wasn't below freezing last night, we weren't really at risk for much in the way of accumulation. All in all a cozy, snow-free evening with the fireplace rolling along. Still cool out there, but the high today is supposed to be 43 degrees. Tomorrow, we're supposed to be @ 57, even though it freezes again tonight. I'm sure that 'Ol Man Winter isn't done with us yet, however, since our really fun times usually come in the second half of January and February. We got off too easy in November and December, and I think that's gonna be the deal! Climate Change!!! aaaah! Run for the.......um.....Mars?
Coffee was/is excellent this morning, and Mrs. Boss has already headed out to Big Lots closing sale, and Best Buy. Our internet carrier is upgrading things and we get a new dish. We also have to get a new, upgraded router as well. We'll see how it goes, but hopefully, we'll have a 'smooth transition of power' (a.k.a. January 20th!) This internet service has been absolutely incredible, so I hope it continues to happen that way!
Still dressing warmly, and don't have a great deal on the calendar today. 57 will feel a lot better than 43, so just about anything we have can wait, I guess!
Need to tidy up, and get a few more things done indoors. First, should probably take a shower, since I've got the Moulin Rouge bathroom nice and toasty with the mini-heater in there. Love that bathroom, and am going to try out a couple of different shower heads (was spoiled on the trip) but I think 95% of the thing is water pressure, and I don't want to go back to amping that up. It doesn't seem to make all that difference. It's all good. Just thankful to have hot water and heat! Woohoo!
Prayers continue for folks in LA. Hearing a lot of anger towards leftist government officials, but leave it to Babs to be the #1 shouter of 'climate change'. Get real, shut up and sing. Oh wait, you can't even sing anymore. Virtually everything still being 0% contained sounds scary. I do have to laugh at how much of the fire is right up against the shore. All that water, and everything burns anyway? Do they not use that ocean for this? Just like Maui. It makes no sense to me, but you have to be organized, practiced, and ready for a real emergency with genuine leadership. Whoops.
No further on the book club book. Hope I can get it done in time, but no matter. I'd want to finish it anyway. A bit depressing, but real life.
Ok, well, nothing else to report. Have a great day and weekend, and enjoy not having 13" of snow on the ground! :) Later, my twice-baked taters!
January 9, 2025: What kind of vacation trip doesn't include a stop at Waffle House? This was on the day of our ship's departure. We absolutely love Waffle House, while a lot of folks don't get it. Everytime we travel south of our house, we go for it on vacation trips. Our most frequented location is Biloxi, MS, but we'll go for it anywhere we can. I think this one is in League City, but the waffle and hash browns were their usual 5-star level best! Thank you, Waffle House! You are a Southern Tradition!
No waffles for us yet today, but since Mrs. Boss is off of work, we get to spend the day together! Woohoo! Listening to Glenn Beck right now post shower and catching up on the blog. Last evening's tea got rewarmed and tastes pretty darn good.
Still a bit chilly here today, but this was supposed to be kind of a mini-freezemaggedon day in the original forecast for this week, but actually, it didn't go below freezing last night and it's supposed to be 46 degrees here today. We're hearing that DFW might get all the rain we're supposed to get in the form of snow, which would have kind of been fun. Oh well, we never turn down rain, and have absolutely nowhere we have to be today, so we're rocking the bedroom fireplace, podcasts, and books! Noice!
I'm still only on page 58 of the book club book, so hopefully, I can get it done in time... We shall see!
I still need to transfer the title on the Mustang, and just haven't set up the appointment for it. I need a massage, body scrub and facial, soon, and need to work on some banking. At least I won't be bored! :)
Huge pot of soup still on the range from yesterday. It was pretty good last night, but it's going to last a while. We're always the world's worst with this. I like it the first day, and then I'm kinda like 'meh'. Thank God Mrs. Boss is a soup lover, and likes the one I made. I know we can freeze it, but that just doesn't sound like a logistic/procedural fit for our residence and lifestyle. Just being honest!
Ok, I have absolutely nothing else to share. Prayers for all the folks suffering from the fires in LA. As usual, it's already starting to work out to be a definite problem from a political and preparedness angle. Sad. Maui 2. Go red, people....
Ok, that's really it from this end. Later my frozen hashbrowns!
January 8, 2025: I haven't even started getting the date right on my posts! I realized at least yesterday's said '2024'! Need to roll the old brain odometer over! Speaking of odometers, the '51 Chevrolet is ready at Chris', and I'm just waiting for it to be a bit warmer before we pick it up. EmmyLou does have heat, but the blower motor only goes to speed #2, and if it's genuinely cold out, it's not quite the way to go.... The photo above is Mrs. Boss enjoying her cruise on the Serenity Deck on the ship. We certainly did have a great time, and I love the vistas of all that water!
No brunch yet, but am enjoying some coffee and podcast while I play on the computer. Last night's steak was pretty darned excellent, and we were both good eaters and didn't finish our pieces completely. THAT's because we then fed ourselves the last 2 pieces of Mrs. Boss' birthday cake! :)
Still chilly out there. Currently 37 degrees and it was 33 when I got up. The high is supposed to be 46 today, and we're still getting conflicting forecasts regarding what will happen from this evening until tomorrow evening. Should be interesting! It's funny, because the messy weather kind of ends abruptly in the models on Friday night and Saturday is actually supposed to be 57 and sunny! Whoohooo!
Keeping the bedroom fireplace rolling slowly. I don't know how much heat it actually puts out, but the aesthetic is there, and it's always fun to have a fire, since some years we don't get to have them at all! :)
Some laundry MIGHT get sorted today, and I'm sure there'll be plenty of puttering and napping in the meantime. I really should head to the Village for a few grocery items and run to the bank to make a deposit. We'll see how motivated I get, or if Mrs. Boss puts it on my 'to do' list. I still also need to either get online or order a new calendar. I'm starting to think online ordering is the way to go. I'm just kind of picky about how I like them to lay out, but figure I can do that pretty soon...
I don't know if anyone else is feeling it, but the whole world of AI is scary for me. Not the great part of the techno-advancement.... it's on the back end, where we puny humans cannot turn it off and it wipes us out. The biggest fear is the massively accelerated pace of these systems learning on their own. Wow.... We shall see.
Prayers for the folks in California with the fires. Already hearing that the usual (we're against firebrakes!) is part of the cause of flames jumping from one neighborhood/area to another. We have the solutions for damage reduction, but if the green folks don't let us cut firebrakes, e.v.e.r.y.thing in the path of a wildfire is subject to destruction. Common sense?
I'm also loving the way companies/CEO's are repositioning themselves just before inauguration. The Zuck's sudden dropping of 'fact checkers' is funny. So many media outlets have abused their positions that I think interesting things will happen....
I need to get serious about the book club book! It's pretty long and I'm still at about page 35! Yikes.... maybe some reading today, too!
More phone photos to come, and thank you for tuning in to the blog! Have a blessed day, stay warm and do something wonderful for someone today! Later, my baked taters!
January 7, 2025: Another GREAT moment aboard the Carnival Miracle on our 4,600 mile adventure trip ! Such fun, and travelling with Brotherman was a joy. Christmas aboard ship was different than other experiences, but I wouldn't NOT do it again! The tropical weather, beaches and gorgeous weather certainly didn't add up to Christmas at all, and we completely missed the commercialization of Christmas in the run-up. It was like a light switch was flipped at about 4p on Christmas Eve when we walked into the Atrium and a thousand passengers were dressed in Christmas attire and fake snow was falling from 11 stories high! Super cool. Christmas day was wonderful with a professional shave and facial. We had dinner as a team for Christmas Day, and truly enjoyed each other's company. Thank you, God, for such a wonderful experience. Oh, and thanks to Brotherman for providing a $13,200 cruise for $1104!!! He's the best! Nothing like getting something @ 92% off RETAIL! Woohoooo!
Mrs. Boss is getting her pedicure, stopping at WallyWorld and grabbing a steak for supper @ L&R in Belton. I've actually finally seen a forecast for tomorrow, and it looks like 1" of snow. They're having trouble coming up with accurate predictions, since the systems are really weird, but fireplace, candles, generator should all work out, we hope, and we also hope they're not needed at all.
Just put another log on the bedroom fireplace. It really is chilly out there.
So excited about Trudeau resigning as PM for Canada. I think their country will move ahead quickly once he's gone. The problem is that who knows when that'll happen. They're system is very different from ours.... We'll see what happens. Tariff fairness and strong leadership are needed all over our globe!
Looking forward to our steak tonight. Guess we'll give eating in front of the fire a shot. There are cool things about this time of year, but I'm a warm weather person! :)
Sweatpants and sweatshirt today. I do like the winter coats, furs, hats and gloves. Kind of fun to wear multiple layers, since 3/4 of our year is short sleeve and flip flops!
Loving life in the cozy enchanted cottage...esp with the fireplace glowing. I hope everyone is content and warm as they read this! Mrs. Boss said that the front hose bib did actually freeze up for a bit but she said it took only 2 minutes to get it going again. It's always guesswork in determining how fast the water flow should go.... As long as it's not in the 'teens, we don't really worry about the chapel or indoor plumbing @ the cottage. No water, no power at the same time are NOT a good option! :)
For some reason, guess I slept wrong, my left neck area is sore today. I feel like some of that is allergy related, but am not sure. Getting older is crazy, but I love it when He gives me one more day!
Starting to carry my .45 LC derringer more. It's just so damned cool looking. Only 2 shots isn't much, so I'd have to make them count, but hopefully I'd do that even with 13 in a semi-auto mag! I just realized how much more comfortable I am talking guns, personal defense, personal firearms training now that we have a conservative coming to the White House. I think it was our only hope for the freedoms we enjoy.
It's still amazing to me that Tim and Tammy were on our same cruise at Christmas. Also amazing to me, is that they're already on another one. I couldn't cruise as much as they do, or even Bruce's schedule, but it's nice to have options!
At this point....Elon Musk we love you. It's so funny how he's changed sides and knows he's with the right people now! Love his bravery in business.
My stuffed mushrooms for birthday/Christmas tea yesterday turned out pretty good, but then I realized that I had absolutely nothing to do with them, since Mrs. Boss made them while I was retrieving her barbie birthday pink sandals! Fun times.
I've got more pictures on my phone, so will try to post on the blog each day. Thanks to all of you who follow the blog and keep up with our wonderful life! God bless you my fingerling taters! Later!
January 5, 2024: WOW! It's been a hot minute since the 'ol Cap has posted, and I appreciate y'all checking in. I saw several readers checking the site that were waiting for new content. And where do we start the new year? Kitchen curtains? What? Yep, there's so much to tell you about the last 30 days, but we always start with the most recent photos first, and work our way back.
About 8 years ago, maybe less, I bought relatively expensive reproduction 1940's-1950's kitchen towels with the intent of making them into kitchen curtain valances for the main house kitchen. Well, that project came together quite quickly with our friends from 'stitchwitchery' and they've been up ever since. A subsequent trip to Canton netted us some cool little cup/planter/thingies that we could hook on the rod for flowers, misc. whatever. Well, just before this last Canton adventure, we both said, y'know, we really need to find something for these. Well, Mrs. Boss sprang into action at a Canton indoor booth that we've purchased from before. She bought 3 of their Christmas blooms on sale (the colors are just right) and now we have actual items in the actual cups! Woohooo! Check it out the next time to come to the main house kitchen for a cup of tea!
Our largest culinary project so far today is the creation of Mrs. Boss' birthday cake, which is her family favorite, Kentucky Cream Cake. I did everything up to the folding of the eggwhites part, since I'm just not good at that, and they're cooling on the range. I believe very soon, we'll be frosting and getting ready for this beauty to debut at Bible study this afternoon. I think, actually, I'll go and start the frosting now, so that she'll be mildly impressed with my skill set when she gets home from the store..... 2025 is going to be more short/frequent/pointless blog posts, so stay tuned for that media format change! Later, my miniature taters!
December 13, 2024: Holy Barbara Billingsley, Batman! This looks like a staged beginning of the raspberry cake that I made for book club! It was about 4:50 a.m., and Mrs. Boss wasn't up yet. I was trying to be quiet, so I assembled some of the ingredients so they'd be ready for execution of said cake construction. I had another piece of the cake today, and it truly didn't turn out badly, I have to say. I learned my lesson about vegetable spray and THEN baker's joy, since I had issues in that arena. Fortunately, the error was cosmetically corrected to the best of my ability. This was the second fully-scratch thing I've made in the last couple of months that ended up pretty good. I think it's because I get to use my expensive, overpowered mixer, but it's been fun, regardless! :)
Nibbling on a small bowl of leftovers while we wait for Bruce to arrive. We have no idea what/if supper is going to happen, but I got pretty damned peckish, since I didn't really have any lunch. The drivethrough line at McDonaldJT's was WAY too long to snag some lunch, so obviously there were no other options. lol.
Super decent weather out there. Still currently 60 degrees and misty/rainy, but it beats 34 degrees any day of the week!
Not much else going on outside of tidying prepping around the house. Doing some wardrobe planning for the holiday season with a couple of dress-up events on the schedule. Should be fun! My Christmas smoking jacket will get plenty of miles on it again this year, and I'm so glad Marcy gave me TWO of them! Yay!
Miss LeeAnn gave me an outstanding vitamin facial this afternoon, and it really made a difference! Jordan at the front desk said that it looked even better than usual, and the minute I got home, Mrs. Boss said the same thing! Cewl! Love laying there and having her work the ol' mug, except for the 'pulling of the blackheads', which is exactly as gross and painful as it sounds. Ouch and yuck. I guess it's worth it, though. I think the Retin-A and the expensive facial scrub is paying off? We shall see.
All dogs have been bathed, but Ena seems to have enjoyed it the most and is working the zoomies just a bit! They were kinda stinky, and it didn't seem like a good holiday motif for them!
Trying to work on a bank.to.bank transfer for some money on a regular basis, and it seems WAY more complicated than I thought. I think I've got a solution, but it's going to be yet more work. I've let the Consigliare know we need an easier route, and hopefully, he can make that happen. Let us pray!
New Mustang is still fun! Lovin' on it, and so is Mrs. Boss. Kinda felt guilty about spending the money, but it was time. We'll see how it works out selling the BMW. We've come up with a price of $3,600, but are willing to take $3k for friends and family. It's a great putter.around.town car with a couple of small issues, but as my friend Melissa said today....it beats a golf cart, especially at that price! lol! We'll see what happens. I'd rather sell it to someone we know than fool with strangers, but we'll see what God has planned for us.
I think the Glock .40 will be the official carry gun for tomorrow. Some people pick out only shirts and pants, but I make sure the weapon coordinates as well. lol....
Looking forward to working on 2 books in the next couple of weeks! Reading is fun in the winter!
Ok, I guess there's really not anything else to say today on the blog. It may be a bit before I can get back to it, due to scheduled activities, but as soon as I can, I'll go for it! Blessings to one and all for a great ramp-up to Christmas and let's keep our sweet potatoes sugary, gooey and schweeet! Yum!
December 12, 2024: Well, the book club white chocolate raspberry cake gets a 7.5. Great cake. Good taste. The drizzle causes it to range into the diabetic coma zone, however. The total error in 'un panning' was creatively covered with fresh raspberries and the pattern ended up being kind of wreathy meets abstract. There's still 1/2 a cake left in the fridge, and I'm hoping that Bruce, Jolene and the girls can do their magic and make it disappear. The only other retained item from last night's book club in the fridge is an excellent pair of tamales from Rosa's that Beth and Steve brought last night. Looking forward to that! Love my Kitchen Aid pro series mixer, however. So freakin' easy to use and I love the beater with the rubber edge. Will never go back!
We just got back from a lunch break by going to the library and getting this month's book for January book club. "The Women" is a story about Vietnam nurses that has been very well received, and Debra re-nominated it and the group went there! Wooohoo! We also stopped at my local McDonaldJT's and got a pair of spicy chicken sammiches for lunch. Mrs. Boss loved hers, and she warned me that it would be spicy. I felt daring, and thought ....how bad could a McDJT sammich be in the heat department. It could be HOTTTTT. I was amazed at how spicy it was, and I'll be avoiding that particular menu item in the future! :)
A bit chilly out there, but warm enough to show Mrs. Boss how to put the top down on the Stang so that she could do it herself. I've kind of figured out that 61 degrees is actually warm enough to have the top down if it's sunny, but not at night or during a cloudy day. We kept the windows up and all the heating elements on, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Thank you, Mr. Ford!
Small things need to happen today. Cars need to be put away, tidying after book club, adding oil (finally!) to the Fleetwood! Anxious to wash the BMW and put it on Marketplace. Still don't know about price, but we'll see where we end up based on a final paper/pencil average analysis. My favorite method for such things. We still need to drive a Lincoln Continental Black Label for sound level evaluation, but after buying a car on Monday, we thought we'd hold off on actually car shopping for the rest of the week. :)
Tonight's low is supposed to only be 51, so we're holding off on a fire for today. No complaints, but the fire is fun, too. There's something so Colorado to have a fire in the fireplace and a top down on the car on the same day. Well, Colorado without the blue state problems. :)
Ok, this is weird. I ordered 2 identical heaters from two different places, since they allegedly only had one in stock in each location. We received a package that had the right heater in it, but it also seemed to contain a pair of size 10 Christmas slippers! I have no idea to easily tell which vendor this particular heater came from, so I have no idea who to contact. Looks like someone may get a pair of size 10 ladies Christmas slippers. If this is your size, let me know, and it sounds like Santa can hook you up! They're too big for Mrs. Boss, and will probably be too small for me!
Ok, I guess there's nothing else going on to report. Thanks to all my loyal readers, and I'm totally impressed to have so many followers these days. It's amazing how many more folks read my posts when I actually put something out there! :) Blessings to one and all as we move towards the Christmas holiday, and hope all is going beautifully for you! Oh, if you could drop a prayer in the collection plate for our bride, Emma. Her baby is due pretty soon and we're a bit breach and are hoping for a flipover. Our prayers are for a nice, easy birth for our little peach and her peachflower. Later, my new po-taters!
December 11, 2024.... This could be Bruce's birthday, but I'm not sure....we'll see. Above, we have the sign of the times. Not going to officially put it on Marketplace for a couple of weeks to give friends first dibs, but it's time for little Hydrangea to roll along to the next owner. She's a bit quirky, but wonderfully dependable, funner than funski, and gets 35 miles to the gallon. In the low $,$$$'s that's hard to come by with any kind of style and class! The Atlanta blue/saddle combo has always been my favorite, so I'll rather hate to see her go. Life must go on, however!
Nothing to eat yet this morning. I was trying not to run the toaster oven (loud DING at the end of the cycle!) while Mrs. Boss sleeps in a bit due to seasonal allergies. I brought her a pill in bed and I'm sure that after an hour, she'll be great. I've been up since about 4:15 a.m. (for some crazy reason) and was raring to go when I hit the floor. I took my special Dr. Matt sleeping pill last night, so it's not like I didn't get any sleep! I think having the fireplace going in the bedroom just gives my brain a nice, deep, bear.in.the.woods kinda sleep.
Too much coffee already this morning. I made a pot for Mrs. Boss and I, and I've already had 2 mugs. I think the filler coffee she bought from "Wide Awake" to go in the cannister with Dan Bongino's Blackout Coffee might be pretty jitter-producing due to content. We'll see. I'll probably will try to lay back down after she's up and about so that I'm fresh for the whole day. We'll see. I've got an appointment with Jenn this morning to make myself presentable and need to get mail, pick up a package, go to the bank, etc. Looking forward to driving the Mustang this morning! It'll be more fun when the weather's nice, but it's kind of a novel concept at this point. I've got one spot on the hood I need to ask GW about and need to get some silicone spray for the back convertible top/window seam, but otherwise, we're ready for action.
The temp says 35 right now, and I guess that's true. At least there's no wind. Thankful that it didn't freeze for sure. It's supposed to be about 45 degrees at gametime when I head to the Village for my beauty upgrade... :)
We'll see what gets done here today, but we already know that a CAKE will be created in the bunk (My Big Fat Greek Wedding reference) pan, and should be decent for book club. White chocolate raspberry? We shall see. I'm hoping it's not too schweeet for my taste, but I bet it'll be edible no matter what. I bought some huge blackberries to decorate it with just in case it needs a little panache.
All 3 charges are tucked in the bed this morning near the fireplace. They're not large, but they're not dumb, either. I believe that ShelbyMae left us a special package that I stepped in on the bathroom floor first thing this morning. Such darlings. The minute the temp gets cool, nobody wants to do business outside, and it's a struggle! :)
Finished the Junior League book I was reading from Book Ends, and I'm passing it on to Mrs. Boss. I think she'll enjoy it. Then, it'll either end up going to a bookish friend or ended up in the 'baby library' closest to Fossum's house for an open lend. We really like that idea, and it's a great way to offload books we've read. I do need to put a few more on my 'floating bookshelves' in the parlor, but we'll see which ones look best. "Books are so decorative, don'tcha think?" - Little Glory, 'Auntie Mame', by Coral Browne. That line makes me laugh every time. It'll be interesting to see what book I read next, but it may be the drover and the zebras book I got from bookends last time...
Ok, even though I'm buzzed on java, I'm going to make an attempt to catch a few winks before the alarm goes off for my trip to the Village. Have a wonderful day, don't be afraid of the dark chocolate, and count your blessings. Later, my leftover mashed taters!
c December 10, 2024: It's pretty unusual for me to have tomato soup for lunch, but something about it appealed to me. Maybe since it's a bit cooler than it's been (making a fire later this afternoon) and the can expires at the end of 2024. It was the perfect time. Not the most delicious of luncheons, but certainly relatively nutritious. Rocking right along with it.
Have some warmish clothing on for the 57 degrees this day, and only have 3 spots to errand this afternoon. Pick up the BMW, get some silicone spray for the windows on the Mustang (per the youtube video) and finishing up at BB69 for the cake ingredients for book club.
Was so glad to hear that Daniel Penny was found not-guilty in the trial in New York. If we don't allow people to help others or protect themselves, we will lose the standard of living we enjoy right now. To make it into a race issue is wrong. Cause and effect! Get real, y'all.
A bit of puttering today and working on my funky throat. Neck is kinda snappish and the throat is a bit funky. This started the day before Thanksgiving when I bent my neck weirdly for 1/2 of the trip back from the coast, so I guess I'll just medicate. When it gets to be 2025, if it's still bothering me, I need to get brave and let Matthew know.
Got to drive the new Mustang last night in the dark. Cool yet meh. It's not a Cadillac or Lincoln, but it's a good, reliable and solid vehicle. The most important part is the top that goes down! Today, we pick up the BMW and will begin working on getting it out on Marketplace and seeing how the price/interest goes. I'm sure we'll reach a price point where she goes....
Looking forward to finishing the Book Ends book this evening. We got to play cards for the first time in a while last night, and Mrs. Boss won again!
Working with Greg and Horizon Bank to get a transfer done to repay myself for buying the Mustang. Smart Greg said that borrowing from ourselves is the best gig. It's also coming from my newly increased Social Security check, which I enjoy getting every month! Woohoo!
Ok, well, nothing else to report. Hoping the neck deal gets better! Some of it might be spending so much time on the computer since Thanksgiving week. We shall see, and prayers continue. Blessings shout out there to all my little cups of potato soup who read this blog on a regular basis! Layter!
December 9, 2024: These two are getting mighty cute in this picture, and the reason I noticed them is that they were so close together. THEN I noticed that ShelbyMae was actually shaking (since it's 71 degrees in the house...lol). I turned the heat up to 72 while she watched, and then I wrapped her in one of the old quilts on the bed. She's a bit spoiled, since it was 81 degrees today (I think we set a record!) and I didn't start a fire in the bedroom due to the fact that it was only going down to like 49 tonight. She's not happy, and I know it'll end up on her comment card. You can't make EVERY customer happy, however... :) It's a snappy and relatively safe car. It was time for the BMW to go, and she'll be put up for sale in the next couple of weeks (after her $800 clutch repair today!). The Mustang will be much more reliable for Mrs. Boss to take to rehearsals and while we don't really need the car (clearly!) it's kind of nice having a daily driver that's a new drop top! The amazing thing that happened is that after I picked up the car, I headed directly home. Decided to stop at McDonaldJT's in Jarrell (yikes...McDJT's again!) and the 16 yoa drive up window dude said, "wow, sir, I really like your car! It's cool". Well, there you go. I'm cool now. Ok, well the car is, but a pedicure and haircut later in the week with a Friday facial won't hurt any of that other stuff, either, the next time it's warm enough for the platinum, thin hair to blow in the wind with the top down! :)
Now I'm busy reading the owner's manual. Oh for chocolate's sake, it's so techno-loaded! It's going to take me a month to read up on all the cool stuff. I hit a paddle on the steering wheel this afternoon, and it down shifted so suddenly, I threw gravel! I'm not even sure I know what I did! Figured out the remote start feature, which is kinda cool, but am looking forward to learning more about the cool stuff. Got the Bluetooth set up for audio, figured out the cruise control, and know where the gas goes. That's all I need initially, but it's fun learning about it!
One of my tasks needs to be refilling the wood stack rounder on the front porch. We were going to buy a little wood hauling trolley to get wood to the fireplace, but Mrs. Boss vetoed that in favor of a used IKEA bag (that's my frugal little cookie cutter!) and that's working well. I've figured that I should NOT load more than 7 logs at a time in it, since it looks really cool and efficient, but I have to just about drag 8 logs due to weight! :) Hopefully, we won't need more firewood this year, but also know we have a ma$$ive dead live oak that needs to come down near the barn, and that'll provide quite a bit of wood for the future.
Already 3/4 through the first book I've started from the Book Ends sale @ the library. Really good and light read. It's fun having these books to read at our leisure....
Ok, gotta run.... Have a great evening/morning/noon.... Blessings to my sweet potatoes reading this right now!
I'm hoping Mrs. Boss is going to text me back so that I can get an entree from wherever she's having supper in Georgetown! I haven't heard back, but know that I probably will, even if it's too late for a legit entree. Sounds like a Quarter Pounder w/cheese kinda night again, which won't break my heart at all. Having a McDonald'sJT in town hasn't been a horrible thing, but I'm sure my cholesterol has jumped ever so slightly.
The day was perfect in the weather department AND the automotive department! We got our Mustang convertible today, and I've been considering one for the last 10-15 years and think we've found a winner. It was great picking it up and having the top down in December (wouldn't have been able to do it tomorrow!)
December 8, 2024: A little Thanksgiving Day flashback! Such a fun day with singing, dancing, eating and fun! We're so blessed to have people to join us for the holiday!
Today's feast hasn't happened yet. Mrs. Boss made herself some leftover rice and veg from last night but even though it was excellent for supper, I wasn't in the rice/veg mode. We shall see what happens. I'm sure a sudden craving will happen and I'll go for it!
Chilly outside, but definitely seems warmer than yesterday. That makes total sense, since we're supposed to tie a record for warmth tomorrow, with a high temperature of 80 degrees! Woohooo! The special surprise that's happening tomorrow is just right for a 80 degree day.....
We'll see how much gets done today. Mrs. Boss got the fire started again, and that's cool. I'm working on keeping it going, and probably need to get into the shower at some point :). Nothing major on the agenda, but that doesn't mean things couldn't change. I've got several bills to pay, so that'll keep me busy, and I need to go through the books we got at Book Ends yesterday to see what I need to start first. Small things will get sorted today, but so far, nothing earth shattering on the horizon.
I need to get the cuphooks out of the Fleetwood that we got at Ace yesterday. I'm going to hang dad's old coal scuttle that we use for the fireplace on the mantle for the winter. I think it'll not only look kinda vintage and cool, it'll keep it from falling over at 5:50 a.m. when I'm messing with the fireplace and waking up the Boss on the weekends! :)
BMW convertible (a.k.a. Hydrangea) is for sale. Inquire within. Chris let me know we need a $800 clutch job, but that's not why she's for sale. It's time. Great little car, and we're going with $3k firm for the price. It seems a little pricey to me, but according to online sources, it's right where it should be. I also have to remember that there's NOTHING out there for $3,000 anymore! lol!
Got some more bungees for the tarp on the boat. We definitely need to upgrade the cover for next year, since this tarp is crap.
Ok, like 0.0 more stuff to report. Blessings to one and all, and I'm thinking potatoes are in my future. Surprise! Anyway....... have a great Sunday or whenever you're reading this, fingerlings. Later!
December 7, 2024: Well, these are the socks that came up on rotation this morning, and it makes total sense, yet takes on a wonderful, richer meaning these days. Now, it's more like a 'pack up your shit and let's GO, Brandon'! Uhauls, boxes and address change requests all mean that the WH is getting an upgrade. Cannot wait, and it's going to be great for the American people. As Mrs. Boss and I said yesterday, just like with Ronaldus Magnus, not every single decision is perfection from any president. There may be some work-from-home changes and his position on abortion is not quite where I'd like it, but as adults we have to make choices. Lots of good is the best you're ever gonna get.....NOT exactly what you want every single time.
Raining pretty good out there this afternoon. Mrs. Boss and I are supposed to hit the BB69 and Book Ends when she gets back from the library open house/planning event. I'm thinking black, sleek, filthy 1973 Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance for the Village run. She needs to be warmed up with a bit of a run, and since it's raining, she has an excuse not to look 'polished'! It is truly amazing, however, when she is polished up, since she still looks great. Paintwork is needed at GW's shop, however, and we'll probably do that little by little in the coming year. Trunk lid is showing that some rust is happening and there's a bad spot on the driver's rear quarter panel. There's probably 1000 other places, since she used to live in Indiana, but she was a good value and looks nice. We'll deal. Thank goodness she is black, since it's an easier match (I assume) for GW's team?
Served Mrs. Boss breakfast in bed this morning with my sourdough french toast. It wasn't my best batch, since I didn't blend the eggs and milk as well as I usually do, but the boss thought they were great, and I sure enjoyed mine, overall. It's nice when the weather turns, since it makes more sense for us to have a fun breakfast together for some reason. I'll probably need to start the fireplace again when the shopping portion of today's program is finished. Tonight's supper sounds like a kind of veggie stir fry, from the indications I'm getting from management.
Put an A&M sweatshirt on over a wool blend sweatershirt a bit ago. It's so funny that 45 degrees seems so cool after a hot summer and the rain even seems to make it more chilean out there. Thank goodness for the heat produced by the beautiful, American 472.0 cubic inches of Cadillac GM power under the hood going to and from stores! :)
Gathered a bit of kindling yesterday before the rain, although I think we're getting a few firestarters at Ace today. I just ordered some really kind of cool looking starters online yesterday that are supposed to burn 20 minutes and we're 50 cents each. We shall see how it goes. Ordered quite a few items off of eBay yesterday. I feel so much better about helping out individual sellers on eBay than Amazon (we never use it!) since I've heard how abusive and expensive the Amazon people can be with sellers.
Wondering what hat I'll wear to town. I've been loving the rotation of the Irish flat caps that I've been wearing over the last few weeks. There are not many weeks of the year where these caps work, so it's great to have 3 to rotate. One of them is kind of a straw-colored linen, so it's more of a spring/fall, but the other two are great. The vintage fedoras are fine for this weather, too. Love the random selection of clothing items, and it's fun mixing and matching the stuff I've been blessed to collect.
The other part of this time of the year that seems just right is the smelly candles portion of the program. I forget how nice they smell, and the flame looks nice. Maybe I'll find a couple downtown today.
Super excited about the new heating pad I ordered for the bed (how old am I, exactly?!?!!?) since it's supposed to be fuzzy and well-recommended. It's nice to have a new one with a thermostat that works well. Our cheap, old one, has a thermostat that's kind of failed. It goes from feeling pretty good under your legs/bum while you're reading in bed to "Mah biscuits are burnin" (Toy Story reference) and I have to turn it off.
Ok, clearly when I talk about heating pads, the discussion material wicker basket is on empty! Hoping everyone has an excellent day and rest of the weekend. We look forward to having "HunterRugh" here tomorrow and hope he bags himself a deer. Be careful and warm, my beloved tater pancakes!
December 6, 2024: Decisions, decisions. Do I start a fire today or not? I haven't even asked Mrs. Boss, so we'll see what she thinks. I'm kind of leaning towards it, but we'll see. At least my potatoe instincts are in tact. Just put 4 scoops of mashed in some hot oil in the frypan and am low browning for the next few minutes. Should yield some nice results with the seasonings I've used. How can you go wrong with potatoes.
The weather, needless to say, is a bit coolish. Thankfully, last night, the parade announcing went well. Perfect parade weather, and I survived a bit of hand cramping and chills about 2 hours before gametime! Went with a warmer sweatshirt under my classic outfit, and stayed in some sweatpants that didn't look too bad with the jacket. After the parade, we were able to eat at Ron's Pizza Place with Otto and Sarah and had an excellent sausage and mushroom creation. It was just right.
So glad we got the RV and boat sorted out yesterday, although I'm still not seeing a freeze in the extended forecast for December! Unheard of! This could mean that January and February may be "Freezemageddon 2 - This time it's popsicle", but we'll just have to see. We'll survive, either way, with the Good Lord's blessings. I wouldn't mind having LP/natural gas as a backup, but need to remember that if power is lost, we've got 2 full tanks of LP on the front of the RV that we can use for heat to survive! Life is an adventure, but it's way more fun when your feet are warm!
BTW..........the potatoe creation is excellent. Why am I not surprised. I am finding that oil works so much better when doing potatoes in a fried motif. I started my cooking with just butter, but the burn point for it, is too low. I went with more of a "Mrs. Joy" butter and oil combo for flavor and higher cooking temps, and it works ok. It's amazing that in the last couple of weeks that the taters are doing so much better in just oil. Just sharing my culinary results with y'all!
It was so fun wearing my bowler last night, rather than my Homburg. The Homburg is usually my favorite, and the pricetag was about 8 times the bowler, but the Boss was right last night when she selected the bowler. I think it's more costume-y and more of a holiday look. I guess that's what makes it work. (brb.....headed to fried potato ball #2)
Well, not really much else is going on to report. I've been listening to Jordan B. Peterson's podcasts this morning, and find that I really like it. It's not quite as politics-in-your-face as some of the others, and I like his style and voice. I've been amazed that I've been enjoying the Ben Shapiro show for the last couple of days as well, since frequently, his voice and speed of speaking just seems very 'meh' for a podcast. I liked the content, and didn't mind the voice and speed. Amazing! Mrs. Boss has a 4p rehearsal and then is headed into the Village to do a bit of Christmas immersion retail therapy with our friend. Sounds like a good time to lay on the bed and read. Zzzzzz.
Hope everyone has a delightful day and a beautiful weekend. Tasks, naps and foods just all seem to be even better during this wonderful time of the year! Stay warm and smiling, my little scoops of fried taters! :)
December 5, 2024: As you can tell from this photo, ping pong at the coast got a little wild! Bounce happens, people. We had a great time playing and it was a fun diversion almost every day. We had some genuine champions among us, and also some really fun and crazy saves by those of us who were not the best at it! Makes you want to do ping pong more often. It's been a hot minute since I've picked up a paddle, so while stinking at it, I really enjoyed it! Wonderful trip with great memories and a great group!
A little bit of hot tea this afternoon with Mrs. Boss and Clemente for our afternoon tea break. Clemente and I got the boat ready for winter, and I was able to finally get the RV ready for our first freeze. We still don't know when our first freeze may happen, but Clemente and I both are quite amazed that it's December 5, and it hasn't happened yet. Our average first freeze of the year here is November 15. It's all good in the neighborhood, however, since things like the Christmas parade aren't in freezing temps, and book club won't be in a deep freeze.... Things could always be worse, for sure! LOL!
A bit of flannel and sweatpants today worked out well. I didn't even have to wear a jacket, since by the time Clemente and I got to the boat cleaning, treating and covering, it wasn't chilly. The WIND however struck up the band just as we were putting the new tarp on the boat. We're going to have to look into another custom canvas cover specifically designed for the boat. So much easier and tighter in fit. Kind of wish we would have had a genuine, real live garage to put it in, since the seats have gotten a bit dirty and shopworn, but still look good. I'll have to look at another refurbishing treatment product this spring.
Otherwise, a few small things got done by yours truly today, and I'm ok with that. You can feel the fall in the air and it feels kind of great! When it gets really cold, however, it's definitely time for a fire in the fireplace and bundling up!
Otherwise, not much else is new and exciting. We're looking forward to the holidays and already have events scheduled through March, so we won't be bored, for sure! A bit of a sore throat today, but it's very slight and manageable. I think that's also part of this time of the year, unfortunately!
Blessings to one and all for a tremendous end to the week, and I'm hoping to get back out and do more on the blog in the coming week. We'll see what happens! Later, late-season taters! :)
November 18, 2024: This picture is a regular sight on our way to the condo in Florida each August. I'm thinking it's the one in Lake Charles, LA, but am not completely sure. I'm thinking Mr. Sinatra has one more Florida trip in him before he's sold. We're still at about 8500 miles before trade in time, and at the rate we burn up the roads, that will take a while... esp if the Mustang convertible comes along.
No brunch so far today, but I gorged on sea salt tortilla chips and salsa that the Rugh's brought to bible study. We play cards, but I was ready for bed before we got done with our game. That means that we'll continue the game of Phase 10 when it's time to play again. With Bruce coming down tomorrow, it means that quite a bit of Phase 10 will probably happen over the next week or so!
I put on a silk short sleeved shirt and shorts this morning, and it's a bit chilly outside for such attire. Don't have much planned for outdoor activities, and I kind of feel bad for blue bike. For the first time ever, my bike was out in the rain over the last 12 hours.... Was keeping it on the carrier on the back of the truck to change out the tire and tube when it arrives in the mail, but it's not ruined. I had just WD40'd the chain, etc. on it, and I can do it again, so I'm sure it'll be fine. It's a Murray bike from Walmart, so I don't think a bit of rain is going to mess it up!
Looking forward to morning Mass 2 days this week, and having lunch in Georgetown with Greg on Thursday. Should be fun, and Bruce gets to be part of the action.
Otherwise, need to tidy up the kitchen, get the staff paid from Saturday and work on the deposit refund for the last wedding. I've got a couple of things on a shopping list, but haven't been motivated to head to town yet. I should at least wipe down the Fleetwood which was out in the rain, clean, so that it's not all water spotted for the next run.
No progress on the Mustang. I'm waiting for the seller to let me know when I can come get it and have Chris and GW take a look at it. He sent me some pictures of a minor dent and a few scratches, but I'd kind of expect that from a car that's 5 years old. We'll see if the deal moves forward. He's still asking $21,700 for the car, and KBB says that it's only worth $18,000, so we'll see if we can come to terms if we get that far down the line. I keep checking for other listings on Marketplace for the right year, color and mileage, so we'll see what happens.
Wow, lots of clothes to pick up and hang up from the Georgian settee in the bedroom. I need to get busy at some point.
I still don't have a phone, but the sim card might arrive today, so that'd be good. Mrs. Boss said that it shouldn't take long to get me up and running after I get the card. It's kind of weird not having a phone, but I can listen to Spotify for The Holy Rosary and talk radio on her phone, so I'm good.
Well, I guess I don't have anything else to report. Hope everyone is having a great day and a wonderful start to their week. I'll tune in for a broadcast as soon as I can. Blessings to my small, fingerling taters out there! Later, y'all!
November 13, 2024: Changed out the header photo to one from a few years ago that I liked. Don't know when it was taken or where we were, but it's pretty good.
Found another mustang convertible this morning, but the owner isn't willing to let me take it to Chris and GW for inspection (from Waco!) so it's off the table. The dude with the grey one in Austin has reduced the price and I've asked to see if he's willing to let me take it to have it inspected by my two guys, but not expecting willingness there. I guess it kind of makes sense, but guess it's also just not been the right car yet. I guess when it's a Temple/Waco/Salado possible car, I can get it to Belton for the inspection. It's the only way I feel good about it, since I don't know what to look for and would feel more comfortable. We'll see what happens, and we're not in a hurry, so I guess it'll be a go when it's a go!
Enjoyed McDonaldJT's breakfast sammich this morning. Got one for Mrs. Boss and Clemente so that we could always enjoy the "Lovin' it" experience. They were great. I have to get the bacon one for Mrs. Boss in the future, since she prefers that one. I didn't realize that it was the Canadian bacon sammich that she prefers. We'll make that change in the future! :)
Noice weather outside for sure. Clemente went to town to get a new brush to put another coat of aluminum coating on the house roof and the RV roof sealer. That's keep him busy pretty much of the day. Just remembered that the big ladder is at Greg's for Christmas light installation, so he may have to run over there to snag the right ladder.
We'll see what else is happening as to 'to-do's around the house today. We're going to work on linens for the chapel this afternoon so that we're ready for the weekend. Might even get some stencil work done, but that hasn't happened lately, so maybe not! I got to the post office this morning and made it to the bank with my SSA check! Woohoo!
Got to dress nicely for Mass this morning and get to do it again tomorrow. It's fun having April join me, too! I'm on fasting for my labs tomorrow (and then will get my Hydro IV) so no food after 9p. That wouldn't be hard for most folks, but I'm frequently a 'racoon eater' who eats trash after the dinner hour when it's dark.
Mrs. Boss is going to work on my new phone to get it up and running and activated this evening. She's got way more technical knowledge and patience than I do for this kind of thing!
Well, it's relaxation time, so I guess I'll get to it. Blessings to all my twice baked taters out there! Keep it real....
November 12, 2024: I'm not sure that this photo has ever been posted on the blog, but regardless, it's a good one. Looks like a total boat-day party pac going on right here live on the water! Still hoping for another boat day before she gets put up for the winter, but Mrs. Boss is kind of giving me the 'cold water' look...I think the dock is up and running so she wouldn't have to get wet, so we'll keep working her until first frost. lol. She just loves it warm, that's the deal.
Doing my morning blog while I listen to the Sorrowful Mysteries Rosary on Spotify. I love having the rosaries on Spotify so that I can keep up each day. April and I are going to Mass tomorrow and Thursday, so I'm off the hook on those days. We don't get breakfast either day this week. She's got granddaughter duty tomorrow and I've got my fasting labs and hydro IV on Thursday. As I told her on text this morning, we'll just eat twice as much next week!
Looking forward to supper with Hettie and Chad tonight. Always a fun visit and unusual foodstuffs! I still need to finish Chad's second volume from his India trips...at least I've started it.
Waiting on Mrs. Boss to come home from her pedicure for brunch eats. Will it be pancakes, eggs, french toast, or some other amazing item...we shall see. I'd be ok with a quarter pounder with cheese, but that's my new jam since McDonaldJT's opened in town.
Nice weather outside. The computer says 70 degrees, but it feels a bit more mild than that. No complaints... I've got the tarp coming for the boat with the bungees. I need to get some 'pink stuff' for the winterizing of the RV, but figure I'll just rush about like everyone else when freezing temperatures approach... Never one to be prepared! Maybe I'll think to get some before the threat of frozen stuff. We'll see.
Who knows what will happen today. So far, no mustang convertible found. My new phone has finally been sent. Feeling kind of guilty about having spent this much $$$ on the phone, now that the old one is working so much better. Mrs. Boss says that I shouldn't feel guilty, since my old phone has such a small memory and is 6 years old. Oh well, it's here now, so we'll rock on, I guess......
Had to put my hat on this morning........the hair is out of control, since I took a bath last night and it's rocking a version of Cruella d'Ville meets Ursula .... Kind of a Disney Villian look going on......
Glad to be done with the "Forth of July Creek" book. It was depressing and pointless. Hopefully, my next Bookends book will be better. It was actually worse than the monthly book for Motley Book Club, which I thought was pretty lame...
Nothing else really going on or to report. A rather dull day so far, but thankful to have it, regardless! Have a wonderful mid-week, and keep your taters dry! Later, my spudskis!
November 11, 2024: Ciaran looks so young here, and that makes sense, since this picture is probably about 3 years old. This cove was dried up not too long ago, and will be again. Thought it was a good photo, and I'm assuming Jolene took it. Missing the boat time, but we enjoy it when we can.
Might be driving a LS 500 this afternoon, but we'll see if it works out. Not to buy, but at least Mrs. Boss will have driven it, and compared it to the Navigator for comfort and ride. They're two completely different vehicles, but we've got to narrow it down to our singular choice so that when we're ready, we can find the right car and just buy it on the spot. We shall see. No mustangs to be found so far, either.... It shall happen. I think!
Just finished french toast with the remainder of the crustless white bread. It's been a fun use of leftovers from the tea, and we both love the french toast! We love our pancakes, too, but are pretty much just lovers of breakfast foods! :)
Nice weather outside. 77 degrees and sunny. I'd be headed to the lake with the boat, but we're also waiting on the FedEx driver to deliver my new phone after attempt #6. Apparently, he/she refuses to call the number on the gate so that I can come down and sign for the package, so hopefully today - by leaving the gate open - they'll come all the way up to the house to get a signature. The whole thing is so silly. Clueless in many ways.........
Not much has gotten done today without a bit of work done at the chapel in prep for this weekend's wedding.... We'll find things to do, and I feel a napperschtein coming on.... (nap).
Super enjoying the "Nobody Wants This" nextflix series, and we have 2 more to watch in season #1 tonight. Thankfully, it's been renewed for season #2, so that'll be fun. We find more good stuff than bad on Netflix, so we're blessed in that way.........
I think the Trump White House is going to have some absolutely amazing folks on/in the cabinet. Brilliance at a large level.
Needing to do some more stencil work on the back porch table, but we'll see if that actually gets completed today. Love watching it evolve, just haven't bothered to continue yet. Irish Paradox. :)
Need to put a new AA battery into my old school alarm clock from the bathroom vanity. The battery was running low and I didn't know it. I woke up the morning before last and it said it was 12:50. I freaked. It was 8:23, and I KNEW I hadn't overslept that badly! :)
Ok, when I'm talking about replacing clock batteries, I'm obviously out of things to talk about. I've been listening to Tucker Carlson's interview with Vivek. I like them both, so it's a great show.
Hope all my potato peeps are doing well. Don't forget, without spuds, there'd never have been a Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. (There's a toy that I need!). Later, my taters.....
November 10, 2024: Is this photo not amazing?!?!? This is our very own Stillhouse Hollow Lake from a while back, and I'm thinking Jolene took this picture. It's so calm and smooth and ethereal.... Truly cool. There's an outside chance that we may head to the lake this afternoon for a final run for 2024, but we'll see what Mrs. Boss thinks about the temperatures....
I think I'm getting YET ANOTHER quarter pounder with cheese for lunch. I've gone pretty mental since McDJT's opened in town, and at least I've left fries off the menu for today. lol. I'm sure it'll calm down (maybe) in the near future, but I can see why people do it. It's so freaking quick and easy.
Bible Study is cancelled for today, since Stacy's mom is getting surgery and they need to be there for that. Bryan is headed out here now, however, to fill the deer feeders. We will hopefully be able to finish up The Chosen workbook next weekend. All will be well, and prayers are with Stacy's mom...
Didn't get up in time for services at St. Joseph's this morning. Got up at 5:20 a.m. and felt like I needed to lay back down, and then was up too late to get ready for the 10a service. No matter. I got to listen to the Spotify version of the Holy Rosary and was planning to be at Bible Study tonight. Well, at least we're swinging 50% on that!
Listening to Brian Kilmeade this morning, since I'm pretty much out of other podcasts. We've been listening all weekend, and I wait until Mrs. Boss is here to play Bongino, since that's her favorite. I think we have at least a partial episode unheard from last week from his show.
Drinking some of the tea that Stacy brought back from The Drake in Chicago. This is the 3rd pot of the stuff I've made and we both think it tastes pretty good. Kind of fruity and earthy at the same time.... Nice.
Enjoyed at Netflix vehicle last night, and I can't remember the title at the moment. There were elements that we didn't care for, but overall, the performances were good.
I guess there's nothing else to report. Enjoying my quarter pounder with cheese, so I guess I'll close. Have a great day, enjoy yourself and your loved ones, and say howdy to someone new that you don't know! It's the only way to fly. Later, my golden fried taters!
November 9, 2024: This is an oldie, but definitely a goodie. I love this picture, and don't really know when it was taken or where. It's clearly several years ago, and quite possibly on a trip with Bruce and Pam, but I'm not sure. Maybe a racetrack weekend? Maybe St. Louis? Not really sure, but love it.
Had a bit of jam on white toast this morning after getting my bicycle on the back of the truck. Aired up the tires, polished the frame, wet-treated the tires, oiled the chain...we're ready to go. This is our first day of taking the bike to a nice, flat area and riding without the nastiness of hills! Planning to park @ STS and roll through the 2 streets next to it and the top of Baines. Then plan to cruise "The Sanctuary" and then hopefully the parking lot @ Bloomer and STS. We'll see how long the 'loop' is, but the game plan is to ride for an hour. Hopefully, it won't be too repetitive. If this concept is a sell, then we'll do it in other locations to keep it fresh. Kinda cool, and at least the tires will turn! :)
Sweat pants and sweatshirt this morning. Probably will be sorry about the black sweatshirt by the end of the bike ride, but at least I don't get chilled! :)
Don't know what tasks are on the docket for today, but we'll see. Hoping to get to go out on the boat this weekend at some point if it looks sunny and warm enough for a quick lake trip. Found out this morning how fragile the air hose was on my discount air compressor has become when the existing hose split and started leaking all over. Already ordered a new one, so hopefully, the old one will work out as far as removal...since the fitting seems pretty danged rusted. We shall see, but we'll think positively. I think eventually, I'd like a larger volume compressor, and figured I'd already have one, but this one is still chugging along, so I'll stick with it as long as it sticks with me! It's a race to the finish line at this point!
No cars being found! No Mustang convertibles, no Lexus LS 500's, no Black Label Continental, no release of the '64 Oldsmobile .... Just isn't time for discovery right now, but that's ok. Somehow, the six cars we have currently are enough to get to the groceria! :)
Tulip is laying on the bed staring at me.......she's like, "cowboyman, are you blogggging again?" I think secretly, she'd like to have her own blog, but doesn't know where to begin.
Ordered The Comfort Book, but may have mentioned that yesterday. Can't wait to mark a copy up with notes, and give the other away. Nice text.
I slept good last night, but woke up to a RATTLE SNAKE dream, which I never enjoy. Nobody got bit again, and the method of demise was smashing the head on the edge of the swimming pool, but it was still disturbing as I attempted to settle back in under the covers. Am actually putting snakeshot shells in the .38 snub in the kitchen to carry today....just in case! (just changed out the ammo!....we're ready!)
Otherwise, we're rolling along just fine. Apparently, I'm getting a large McDonaldJT's fry for lunch. We were 10 minutes too late for breakfast, so am working through my need for spuds in a special way.
Still on cloud nine over the election and the positive results to come. Praise God! Winning is everything when you're saving the finest country in the world....
Anyway.... have a tremendous day. Eat your daily potato requirement, be nice to others, and pray for someone in need. Make it happen, y'all! Later, fried taters!
November 8, 2024: Well, this photo has historical significance for primarily one thing...it was the first week of falltrip that involved Phase 10. For some amazing reason, I just couldn't grasp the concept of the game (I still find it difficult in larger numbers!) and ended up with over 1,000 points!!!! This is NOT the object of the game, since it's actually the player with the LEAST number of points who wins. Thankfully, we've played it a lot since this photo a couple of years ago, and now I understand the rules and actually win from time to time. A happy memory of a great trip, even though it rained EVERY DAY and was unseasonably (?) cold during the stay. It's just fun being together and eating, sipping and playing cards and board games. Fun times!
Hoping that I have a quarter pounder with cheese and a large fry en route from the Village, but it's not a sure thing. Mrs. Boss is finishing her cocktail activity and shopping in town and then hopefully getting my burger and fries on her way home. That's IF the place (McDonaldJT's) isn't too backed up and she can obtain aforementioned retail food products in a decent amount of time. We shall see......
Dressed just right for the weather today. Kind of a late season warm day with a lot of moisture in the air as if there were storms coming. I don't think we're out of the woods yet, but the rain has been minimal. We shall see x 2.
Didn't do much of anything today but write a few thank you notes and ordered the new boat tarp and bungees and a couple of copies of Matt Haig's Comfort Book for a file copy and a gift. Loved it as a reference tool.... Even already quoted a page on FB, so I'm evolved in that arena.
Loving the state of the Union right now with DJT @ the queue for principal leader. Should be amazing, and I'm also amazed at how small and quiet the pain, suffering, protesting, etc. there seems to be out there....I expected more of it, and they're acting almost the same way that we do when we lose. Amazing. Maybe we're growing up as a society? nah.
Started a Bookends Book this evening in the hot tub. Kind of one of those sad, poor.people.social.work.trauma kind of book, so I'm not really getting into it. That's the part of the badge-wearing job I don't miss is all that part of the business. Depressing, sad and dead-endish. Tough to deal with....fer sure.
Maybe we'll get to play cards, or Sorry or watch some TV tonight. The other night, we got to watch "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and thought it was pretty ok. Clearly, it was for kids, and pretty pedestrian, but still a smile watch.
The house felt 'close' enough after the spa this afternoon from the unstable air outside that I had to turn on the fan in the parlor and bring the A/C down one degree. Weird weather, and hopefully, it won't get genuinely unstable.
Just got a text that Mrs. Boss is headed to McDJTDonald's for my sammich. Hopefully, the line isn't too long.............
Ok, I guess I don't have any more news to report. No new Mustang leads so far. I've followed up on 3 that would have worked ok, but for one reason or another, they're not working out. We'll see what the plan is. We've decided on "Magnetic Metallic" (gray) so that limits our choices. It'll all work out the way it's supposed to.........
Blessings to all my twice baked taters out there, and be sure to treat each other nicely! Have a great weekend, y'all!
November 7, 2024: Ok, well, this has got to be a Thanksgiving Day photo, based on the decor, clothing and attendees. It also has to be several years ago, since it's been quite a while since Lauren has been here (I'm thinking) and it very well may be the first Thanksgiving with Otto and Sarah together (without the benefit of marriage, quite yet! :). As to what year, I'm kind of clueless, but no matter, since I like the shot and I remember it being taken...two things that are always great when you reach a certain age.
Enjoying my patented "Builder's Tea" here in just about 2 minutes of steeping. My throat has been irritated for the last 2-3 weeks, and I think it's a combo of fall allergies and way too much Blackout coffee from Senior Bongino. I really love the flavor of it, but the acid tears me up and as a GERD/reflux kind of guy, it's probably not my best bet. Builder's tea probably isn't much better, but it's Irish, highly caffinated, and seems just right for consumption before morning Mass at church on a Thursday. If April doesn't want/have time for breakfast this morning together, I remembered that I now have a magical MagaDonald's franchise here in town, so I'm all set. Might even surprise Mrs. Boss in the process. Who knows! That's still 3 hours away, so a lot can happen in that time period! :)
There's something about the Irish Breakfast going into the mug with the milk and genuine sugar cubes that feels like it's time to go to camera #1 on "Good Morning, Glasgow" in studio at the top of the hour. It's probably just me....
Assuming it's chilean outside this morning, but no matter, one of the best parts of weekday Mass is getting dressed nicely, which usually includes enough dress clothes to fend off the chill. I'm so glad April's got me back in the swing of this daily Mass gig, again. I like listening to the Rosary each morning on Spotify, but being there live with the tabernacle just can't be beat for the start of a great day. AND, we have plenty to be thankful for with the election, so a bit of sacrifice in the a of m to make an appearance is the least we can do!
Don't know how much will get done here today. Haven't looked at the calendar, but I know there are at least 3 items on it. Probably not major stuff, and don't seem time sensitive, but at least it's a type of marching order, right? Just about to finish this month's book club book, and delve into my next Haig book. We shall see. The further along I've gotten in the BCB, the generally less I've liked it, so we'll see how it wraps up. hmmmm.
Shopping for my Mustang convertible. The right car is in the driveway of a dude in Austin who was rather a smart ass online yesterday, but there are always other horses in the sea (Mustang - horses - see what I did there?) so we'll keep shopping. Between that and the Lexus and the Navigator and the Black Label Continental, it feels like we're being real spendthrifts these days. I guess it's just time for some change, non? ...As Dionne Warwick could have sung...., "That's what cash is forrrrrrrr". Thank you, Dionne.
Well, it may be time to catch a few winks after picking out a bit of church-going attire for this morning. Hope your day is magical, hope all your taters turn out perfectly, and please say a prayer of thanksgiving for leadership for the country. It was/is sorely needed. Blessings on ya, fingerlings! Latah.....
November 6, 2024: Sometimes when we're at the Texas coast, rather than the redneck riviera, it can be less than temperate. This was one of those trips. I'm thinking that this was the year before last, and our walk to the beach @ South Padre was anything but sunny. I remember this picture setting to be cold, wet, damp and rainy. Yuckly. The entire trip was like that until we got up the morning we were coming home to sunshine! No matter, since it's the trip that we learned how to play Phase 10, so it's all good. Cannot wait for our next Texas Coastal adventure the next time!
Last night's pre and post election discussion had nothing to do with the electoral college, voting, candidates or trends. It was all about my Mustang convertible. We have decided as a team to go for it, and now I'm shopping in earnest. The BMW has been great, but the A/C doesn't work anymore, it takes 2 of us to get it started with the battery/starter/engine issues, Mrs. Boss can't really take it anywhere on her own due to the b/s/e issues.... I guess it's time, even though I'm the tightwad, I'm kind of excited. I found just the right one for sale in Austin, but after confirming the color of the car he had for sale, he was kind of a smart ass, and I decided that I'll just spend my $$$$$ with someone else. The right one will turn up, and Mrs. Boss (me too) is pretty set on the "metallic" gray color, so we'll see how long it takes to find one. I definitely want Chris & Company and GW to take a look at whatever we're considering from a mechanical and bodywork perspective, but figure it'll be under the tree by Christmas? Maybe? We'll see.
Thank you Lord Jesus for the election results last night. I think we were like a lot of folks who didn't want to hope out loud, or get our expectations too high, etc., but the result was exactly what we've been praying for. Jesus still loves us, and loves this country, and I think there are major changes and improvements on the very near horizon. If nothing else, we get to look at Melania as our first lady for the next 4 years, rather than the current cowgirl. (with the emphasis on the cow). :)
Not feeling 110% today, and not really sure what it is. I didn't take my nightly Dr. Matt sleepy pill, so maybe it's allergies. I need to ask him about the long term effects of the big dose of benadryl I'm taking in this scrip every night, since Dr. Rugh (a.k.a. Rabbi Rugh from that other show) said that there are studies linking long term benadryl use to dementia. That's ALL we need around here! Yikes. I'll be checking in with Dr. Mattowski next week during my labs and my last IV hydro with Ginger in town (sniff, sniff). I think I'm going to celebrate the electoral win with a Meyer Lemon IV Hydro if he says it's ok. He's not the boss of me. Well, ok, he kind of is, but .... Well. ok. :/
Chillier here today for my run to the post office in the Fleetwood. Speaking of which, that Fleetwood looks like more dirt than jet black, and I'm amazed how lazy I am these days in taking vintage cars to town looking filthy. There was a time I wouldn't do that.... Oh well, I didn't really think about it in advance, so there you go. Sweatpants and polo shirt and a jaunty Tim Walz jazz hands sweater tied around my neck with a fedora on my head. I'm always such a scene wherever I go. I love this Ibiza book so much from Matt Haig, that I check out "The Comfort Book" to fill my reading time when I finish the book club book. I decided that the plot in the Motley book is easy enough to remember and jog my memory for when the meeting comes around, so I'm going to go ahead and finish it, and start the comfort book. I can skim the chapter titles in the Motley book for a refresher the day of the meeting, methinks.
Had a tremendous Election Night '24 party @ The Hagaman's with great food, company and a large screen that showed every drop of tequila Dan Bongino was sipping on during the show. It was nice to leave their house and know that things looked really great for DJT even at 10:30p. It was even nicer to get up to go to the bathroom at 3:20 a.m. and read that it was all over. Yee. Haaa. Yeehaw!
Nothing else has gotten done around here today from my perspective. I did read the book for an hour in the spa, and did pop the breaker (again) in the new bathroom with the old wall sconces. Something's crossed weird there, and I need to have Clemente or/and Jamie/Brian take a look at it to see what the scoop is. I'm just going to use the bathroom chandelier in the meantime, since even though it's on the same switch, it doesn't seem to be pulling the amps or causing the drama. The wiring in those two fixtures from Canton is old, so that may be the deal. I used to research and do detective work on problems like this myself, but have gotten powerfully IrishLazy in my old age. Better for the pros to take a look. :)
April contacted me about going to Mass in the morning, and I think it's a capital idea. I haven't been going since August, so it's a great opportunity to make it happen again. Hoping she has time for breakfast out, but if she doesn't, Mass will be just wonnerful. Maybe we'll even go on Friday? Who knows! I love listening to the Holy Rosary EVERY morning on Spotify, and it's really helped to start my day in an excellent fashion. Every bit of spirituality helps in today's world, fer shizzle!
It was nice wearing my Texas flag shirt, blue jeans, boots and my black Stetson last night for election '24. During the summer, I schlep around in shorts and camp shirts, so it's nice to put long pants on over the age-spotted appendages down below and actually look like a grown man for a change, rather than a Travis County resident. :)
Mrs. Boss just announced via telecommunication device (my new one is in the mail!) that she's headed up from the chapel from rehearsal with Bev, so I'll close. Blessings to one and all, thanks for taking the time to vote, and Praise God for the results! Later, my patriotic taters! As we say to KJP in just a few short weeks in our Powers Boothe Tombstone delivery voice.... Well... Byeh....
November 5, 2024: I think this photo may have been posted on the blog before, but I bears repeating if it did! This is Stillhouse Hollow Lake @ the campsite. I'm guessing last fall, but it's pretty cool. We haven't been there in a while, but at least we've got two reservations coming up @ the park, so that's a good thing. It was closed for most of the summer, since we had flooding earlier in this year that destroyed the electrical service to all the campsites. Looking forward to the next trip WITH our new electric trailer tongue jack!!! Doesn't take much to make us happy! :)
It's election day, and I hope that all is well in our land. We're feeling pretty good about the result today, and know that Jesus is Lord, no matter what happens at the polls today. RCP betting numbers look pretty good, and I think it'll be fun to do some research on betting online, since it's kind of a cool concept! :) .........well, I just looked at 3 sites online, and it's not what I thought... Guess I'll be staying away from that and will just lose money in the casino on the Caribbean in a few short months.......
Enjoying sourdough toast AGAIN, and this is after having French toast with Mrs. Boss for breakfast. I definitely need to get to riding my bicycle again so that the carbs don't overtake me. lol.
I'm really starting to wonder if there'll be any sizeable civil discourse as a result of the election. I think folks are more than done with disruptive behaviours. I guess we'll see.
Enjoying the book club book, however, the middle of this thing has gotten really weird. April is almost done and said to be patient, which I already am, since I have to finish it. This dude can really write a book. I probably need to go out to half price books and see what else I can buy with his name on it, or maybe check the SPL biblionix.... I actually just reserved the comfort book by Matt Haig @ the library. See how much this blog motivates me to get things done!??!?! I actually do them while I'm typing about my day to you!
No old convertibles, Lincolns, or Lexus to look at locally, so we'll just let the clock continue to run out on the Town Car. We've got time, so hopefully, something will come up for a test drive. I know we'll have to go to Dallas, San Antonio or Houston to find the right car, but wanted Mrs. Boss to drive them all to see which she prefers.
Mrs. Boss is excited to have Kay's mink coat from Bonnie that she got Sunday. Kay and Hank were special to us. It's so neat that all of Kay's clothes fit Denise so well, and the mink stroller looks great on her. We know Kay wore it for years with pride (Broadway Baptist star!) and it's an honor for Denise to continue the tradition. Hoping that we won't have any cold weather to use the coat this year, but that's pretty danged doubtful! :)
I got 2 or 3 compliments on the tie that I wore to the tea on Sunday, and I think it's so funny, since it was one of 3 that were in a $4 bundle that I bought from a California charity sale on eBay! I bought it, since I needed a khaki and navy blue tie selection, and it's pretty 80's looking to me, but how neat that it was noticed and commented on by several. Pretty cool. I've paid crazy prices for one or two ties in my life (hard to believe....$85!) but learned many, many years ago to buy them at consignment shops, garage sales, and flea markets. Just as cool (sometimes cooler) and usually about $1-$5! Fun times and big savings.....
I think I'm taking the BMW to the spa and the bank today, since it's Hydrangea's turn to be on the road. She may get replaced by a Mustang convertible, but not this week, so she's safe. lol.
Election night party! Shoulder holsters required in case the count goes badly! :) Hope everyone has positive vibes about today, and if you didn't go vote, you're a dolt. It's the most important thing an American can do! If you haven't gone GO DO IT NOW, for God's sake! Puhleese!
Later, my patriotic taters, and hope to see you on the flip flop with great results from our electoral college! Well...bye. (Tombstone...Curly Bill)
October 4, 2024: I'm always amazed at selfies that work out. Usually, we're looking at the wrong thing (I kind of am here!) and I just don't know how Jolene takes such good ones. When Mrs. Boss and I do it, you end up seeing everything BUT what we meant to show. Oh well, guess it's a boomer thing..........
Having a quick pair of toast slices, and then helping Mrs. Boss with teatime cleanup at the chapel. I'll come back and post more later if I get a chance.
Worked with Patriot Mobile this morning to switch over our phone service, and I'm kind of excited about my new phone. I've never had an $800 cell phone before, but it's apparently the "Flagship" of the Samsung line (S24 Ultra...whatever the hell that is) so it's got lots more room on it for pictures. Should be fun. Hopefully, I won't dunk it in the toilet anytime soon!
I cannot get over what a sourdough bread kick I'm on. It all started with the boutique loaves from the farmer's market at Barrow, and is now a full-blown addiction. I was even reading a book about it! There's a recipe in the book, but it sounds like WAY too much work. I'm hoping that Mrs. Boss can get the name of the sourdough people from KD from the market so that we can order more.
Looking forward to a relaxing evening with a meal featuring MMM meats in Bell County. Call Matthew with all your meat needs! They're walkin' in the morning and in the freezer by the afternoon! :)
Ok, toast is finished. Gots to go. Will write more when I can. Peace outtttt!
I'm back! We did an hour at the chapel and got lots more done. We're already gearing up for our next wedding, so that's fun. We've got to hide the pumpkins for decor for turkey day, since I doubt our wedding couple wants them lying around for their celebration!
Matthew May's boeuf is in the pan and looks mighty tasty. Looking forward to getting burgerfied.
Got a little further in the book club book, but again, trying not to read too far ahead. I left it down at the chapel, so I'll probably not be reading any of it tonight. So far it's ok, but not quite as good as it was from the start for me.... We shall see.
How strange to see the new McDonald's closed for 2 days for maintenance. Maybe they opened too quickly? It's odd for the entire restaurant to be completely closed for two days, but I guess that's what's needed to get everything right. I know that stuff was taking forever to come out, even when they weren't busy, so maybe there are all kinds of equipment issues (made in Chyna...as DJT pronounces it!)
Looking forward prayerfully towards tomorrow night's election results. I was favorably relieved to hear that there are between 5000 and 7000 ballot spotters/observers and attorneys throughout the country, so maybe we can keep all that 2020 cheating to a minimum.
I think it's time for new black dress shoes. I wear boots most of the time, but some of my pants need shoes instead and the old pair I have looks pretty worn out. Greg was wearing snappy ones to the tea on Sunday, so I've got the manufacturer from him for a decent brand. Sounds like a trip to the eBay store! :)
Somebody has a nice, 1968 Lincoln Continental for sale in Thorndale. It's pretty snappy, and has had a lot of work. I'm having to rein myself in, however, as the drop tops make me so much happier in the long run. The 60's models of 4-door convertibles are absolutely amazing, however the relay system for the top to go up and down with is a freakin' electrical/hydraulic nightmare. Best to leave that one alone!
Well, burgers are about done, and so am I . Nothing else to report, actually. Have a great day/evening, and enjoy the time change (yuck). Blessings to my little tater tots out there.... Later!
November 3, 2024: It feels like we haven't had the RV out on the road in forever, which is just about right, since we had to replace the electric tongue jack. We're on the schedule for 2 RV weekends in the next 90 days, but they're a ways off, and during the time that it'll be mighty cold. I think we've cancelled a few of those in the past on particularly sleety weekends, so we'll see what happens.
Enjoying my coffee while I catch up on the blog this morning. The time change has taken effect, which isn't a big deal right now, but come 5pm, it'll be bizarre, for sure. The older I get, the more that I never fully adjust to the time change and am amazed at how dark it gets so quickly for quite a while! :)
Picked out my pants, shirt and vest for today's official, annual tea, and just need to select the right tie. Mrs. Boss may end up picking it out for me, so we'll see what happens. The weather is supposed to be temperate today with the chance of rain, and when I got up initially, I heard rain on the roof, so maybe there's more in store. We certainly could use it, tea or not!
Got notified that the FotSPL has cancelled their spring author feature at the chapel. I think the event has run it's course here, and I'm thankful that we've had the chance to host it. This makes way for other charities to raise money at the chapel in the deductible 'circle of life' donation game!
Not much on tap today besides the tea and then bible study @ 5p. Again, not ready to face 5p darkness, but the bible study group always brings things into a good light! Looking forward to the episode of The Chosen that we've arrived at today...
Not sure that we've steamed the aprons for the service team today, so that'll be something on the to-do list. The tea is always fun for me, since I never really know who's coming. Not my event, but I work it! :)
Really enjoying the book club book, and trying not to read ahead too far. 17 days before book club, and I don't want to peak too soon!
We've had a chance to listen to a lot of great podcasts this weekend, and play cards as well. Watched an animated feature last night that was ok. Nothing tremendous, but kind of cute. I know we'll be knockered this evening after the tea and bible study, but it'll be a happy tired!
Getting excited about the election on Tuesday, and the election party... Should be fun, and we're hoping for some kind of results before we head to bed. The whole process seems to take so long anymore, that it can be a while before we find out who's won. We're praying for a good result and an even better tomorrow as a bonus!
Fired up about the trip to the coast. Should be fun, and thrilled that there are quite a few moving parts to this adventure. Hopefully, the weather will be lovely. No matter....sometimes the change of scenery is all that's needed for a fun time!
Every time I see the video of Elon's space ship docking after being in space, I'm amazed. It's truly an incredible accomplishment and he's a brilliant guy. I'm so glad he's on our team! The things he's made happen are just mind-boggling, and that whole 'reusable' space ship thing is just beyond my comprehension. Good on ya, Elon!
Massage week with Laura @ the spa is coming up! Cannot wait! Bruce called last night, and we've got discounted spa services to look forward to on the cruise. That'll be great, too!
I've got weather intel on my screen bottom that says temperatures are going to drop tomorrow. I guess it's supposed to be cooler, but when I check the numbers, it doesn't seem all that different. We're about due for wintery weather, since we usually have a cold snap in November, but I haven't heard of anything so far. I think I still need to get some 'pink stuff' for the RV pipes before our first freeze!
Kind of excited about thanksgiving, since Bruce says there's some neat way to do sweet potatoes that involves butter frying, and I know I'm in! Love the holiday for the inclusion and fun!
Ok, well, apparently it's 5:09 a.m. (formerly known as 6:09 a.m.) so I guess I'll have another cup of coffee and see what else I can get into! Blessings to one and all, and don't forget.... You do YOU, Boo. We get to choose our activities and share our gifts with just the right people. Be the best share-er you can be! Blessings, my pre-holiday mashed taters!
November 1, 2024: Can you tell where I am in clearing the photos from my phone? Here's the Christmas at the Cashion's annual photo shoot. We had another great visit last Christmas, and are already looking forward to our next one. Hard to imagine that it's just next month! At least last year wasn't as bad in temperature as the year before. I thought I had frozen the pipes in the RV the year before, since I realized during dinner at Cindy and Richard's that I forgot to open the low water point faucet! Thankfully, there was no damage! I'll remember again this year....since I did last year, too! I think I may need more pink stuff for the drains, however. It'll all happen in time for our first freeze.
Enjoyed some fresh sourdough toast this morning with Mrs. Boss while we unpacked the new rollaway bed mattress. Even though it wasn't cheap, it's pretty nice and should be pretty comfortable. I'm going to try it out tonight, hopefully. At least we'll have it in the event of a freezemageddon, or extra over night guest....
Nice weather outside today and it's supposed to rain a bit and rain a bit tomorrow. Hopefully, the wedding can still be out doors. We shall see. Wearing shorts and a camp shirt today, so enjoying it while we're able.
Going to be making some egg casserole from an online recipe for Mrs. Boss' tea here in a few minutes. At least I am getting started with the cooking tasks.
Listening to the Pat Gray program, and enjoying it. We wait until we're both together to listen to Bongino, since that's Mrs. Boss' Secret Service/NYPD boy friend! :)
I've started the book club book and already love it big time. I'm trying not to get too far ahead so that I remember the plot for discussion @ the next meeting! I read more than I intended last night, since sleep didn't come easily. It's like slumber roulette around here. I seem to sleep well throughout the night or hardly at all. I'm up to a full-pill level of Dr. Matt's magical sleepy pills, and at least they're not giving me a morning benadryl hangover!
Well, Mrs. Boss is waiting for me to start the egg casseroles. Later, my tater-gaters!
October 31, 2024: No, we're not decked out for a Halloween Ball, but I think this is rather a photo from last year's NYE party. I'm not 100% sure, but it was either last year or the year before. My phone is doing such a random thing with the photos on it....some will woosh right over into my email inbox so that I can put them out here, and some won't forward at all. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Well, I like this photo of the two of us and she's wearing the pearl, gold and onyx necklace I had made for her in the early years of our marriage, and the chandelier - which is the centerpoint of our enchanted cottage! - is prominently featured. Those in the know are aware that this very fixture from before the turn of the last century was hanging in the apartment on Ashland Avenue in Chicago for many, many years at Grandma T's place. It's an honor to have it, and it doesn't get cleaned as much as she used to do, but I manage to get it done - all 8900 crystals (at least it seems that way) once a year between Christmas and the NYE party. All is right with the world when that beauty is illuminated!
Sipping the last cup of reheated coffee from this morning's breakfast. I went back to bed after getting up way too early and had a fun dream about RV camping with the Cashions. I showered at the appropriate time, did the rosary, and then headed into town for my manicure. Jenn said that it looked like I had dragon talons for nails, so I guess it was time. She even cleaned up my haircut and edged the hedgerow on my face. I had taken the '73 Black Fleetwood to town for a run, and didn't even realize it was Halloween, so the vehicle was just perfect for the day. I went to the new McDonald's to get a replacement order on the food we ordered last night and never got due to the place being overrun on their first day. They happily provided the meal, but I told Mrs. Boss that the McChicken was rather meh and I didn't care for it. She said we like the chicken sandwich from Burger King better. How does she remember all this stuff? Smart girl!
The Eldorado was due for a run, but they'd been threatening rain. We tried to drive it with the top up last night, but the passenger side claw that holds the top to the edge of the windshield keeps popping off. I need to ask Chris to look at that when the '51 is done at the shop. It'd be nice to drive it when the top's up, even though it doesn't have A/C so that it gets some use during the non-topless months.
Keeping an eye on the weather, since I still haven't winterized the RV or put the boat motor in the 'freeze' mode position. No risk of that so far, but it's allegedly going down into the mid-30's next week for 2 nights, so we'll keep accuweather on speed dial for now. Today was shirt and shorts day, and until I got out of the pool after my 1 hour reading soak, I didn't realize I had paint spatters on the short from a long while ago. Oh well. The most eccentric of us pay cash, anyway! :)
Speaking of cash.....we had a nice little discussion about a Mustang convertible for me last night. As usual, Mrs. Boss thinks I should go for it, but I'm the tightwad. The A/C, battery situation and temperature regulation of the BMW is suspect to be the demise of Hydrangea, but since we don't need her for a daily driver (truck + Town Car) I'm content to put up with her quirks. If we get a Navigator to replace the TC and the truck, I'll definitely get a new 'Stangvertible' as my daily driver, but if we end up with the Lexus or the Continental, we won't need a daily driver additon for me. We'll see what happens. Another 8700 miles and a decision will be made. In the meantime, I can't find a Black Label Continental or an LS 500 nearby enough for Mrs. Boss to drive, but we have time.
Otherwise, got very little else accomplished today. Not a problem! We won't have any trick or treaters out tonight as usual (way too far back and creepified) and Mrs. Boss has rehearsal tonight, so I'll lay low. Wonder what mischief I can get into?
Still haven't gone to get a new phone yet. I keep hoping the Patriot Mobile people will get back to me, but that hasn't happened yet. I just need to stop into the Temple AT&T store the next time I'm near there and get another one. Spending money and making a trip to Temple are never on the top of my 'to do' list! :)
Got wind of BCO coming down early next month to attend book club with us at the Bean's. I'm thrilled that he's coming, and plan to start the book as soon as I'm done with the 1892 detective novel I'm enjoying currently.
Odds on the election on RCP betting pages are looking good with DJT running at about 63% for the popular favorite at last glance. I'm great with him winning and the freaks in the blue cities burning their houses down. My concern is that if it goes the other way, some rural plowshare types could get pretty agitated themselves, and I rather cast my lot among them.... Prayers work.
I need to do more baking/cooking for Mrs. Boss' tea, but I think she'll put me to work on that tomorrow.... I did pretty well by making 100 scones yesterday, and really liked making them from scratch this year for some of the offerings. I hope to do that again!
Well, nothing else to ramble on about, so I guess I'll go see what new task I'll stumble into. Still need to do more sencil work on the old table, so maybe that'll happen? Doubtful, but one can hope. Here's to hoping that all my little spuddies out there are doing well. Blessings to one and all!
October 30, 2024: Why does it always look like ShelbyMae has just finished a CBD chew toy? lol. This picture is from Easter a few years ago, when she was queen of the day. It was an under.the.sea "Shellebration"! She was a shoe-in for queen that year. This is part of her mermaid costume, and she was not excited about being so prominently featured in photographs. Oh well, she survived it, and is just lazing around the parlor this morning listening to talk radio on podcasts.
Nothing for breakfast so far this morning, but have the taste for greasy potato chips? Bizarre. I am excited to hear that our Village McDonald's has opened, so I'll probably get fries at lunch time after Dr. Matt's. Sadly, more elastic will be needed with some stretch fabrics as a result of Micky Dee's coming to town. It's worth it. Never liked Sonic's food, so this is just the evil influence our Village needs! :)
Warm outside, and Clemente is already on his second set of tasks for the day. We're supposed to cool off next week, and maybe still get rain this week, so all is good.
Maybe I'll get some more stencilling done on the outdoor table today? Who knows. I know that I need to do some baking for Mrs. Boss to prepare for her annual tea on Sunday. Looking forward to helping!!
Ok, the alarm just went off for me to head to the shower and start listening to my daily rosary online. Headed to Dr. Matt's for my IV hydro this morning, and then DRIVE THRU! Wooohoo!
Love, peace and fun is my hope for all of you. Later, my french-fried taters!
October 29, 2024: Another fun photo from a few Easters back. This was our old screen display with Easter memories and trinkets attached. I wanted to post a different picture to clear off my phone, but for some unknown reason, the particular photo I want to send to my email won't work. I've tried it about 12 times. Bizarre. Thought this would be a fun memory to share.
Lots done today. Took Sam and Jess' marriage license to Shelly's office and we got to visit for a bit. Got the 'vitamin' facial at Village Spa this morning....nice! LeeAnn strikes again with making me look my best. Took Miss Emmy Lou to Chris' to get the headlight switch replaced, add a horn button, get the squak out of the door hinges and get the vacuum hoses on the old windshield wiper mechanism replaced. He says that Stacey will be starting it tomorrow! Got the mail, and even met the Beans and the Rughs for supper in Belton. Whew. It was a whirlwind, and there's several things on the calendar for tomorrow, too. Not complaining, since I love to have tasks come off the list!
Mi Pueblo was good tonight, but I brought most of my meal home with me. Sometimes the appetite just isn't what it used to be, and then other times I pig out. You just never know.
I think Mrs. Boss has me starting on baked goods for her tea tomorrow, and I offered to make some scones from scratch in my Kitchen Aid Pro 600, so hopefully, they'll turn out great. We shall see.
Still great weather outside, but we've got those chances of rain for the next few days. Even though Clemente will be here tomorrow, we're hoping we get some of the wet stuff, since we're long overdue. Took Mr. Sinatra through Todays Car Wash in Belton this afternoon, and he's dust covered again from coming up the driveway.
Got the team paid for Saturday's wedding and sent Jess and Sam their deposit. I'm on top of things. Need to do an official 'book print' for the vows on Saturday, but that won't take long.
Haven't gotten any further on the stencil project on the back porch table since the beginning of the week, but will work on that. I'll get my hydro IV therapy tomorrow, which usually gears me up for productivity after the magnesium levels smooth out. The day after that is manicure day, so I'm pretty pimped out this week and lookin' fine. lol.
The election is looking better and better and we continue to pray. Due to a scheduling confusion this morning, I spent 1.0 hour in the 115-118 degree sauna at the spa this morning and actually sweated a bit during prayer time and meditation. I hope God sees us clear of the bad candidate choices next week! Prayer works, people!
Lynda Bean has given me a couple of new insurance brokers to talk to before chapel insurance renewal, and I think it's important to shop around. Everyone is saying how much their insurance is going up, and I dread getting our next quote for the chapel and the farm and ranch policies!
The Sherlocky Holmesish book I'm reading from Book Ends continues to entertain. I guess next week I'll start our next book club book so that it's fresh in my mind for discussion @ The Bean's in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to a little spa time on thursday, so hopefully that'll work out with the rain chances.
Jolene took some tremendous photos from this weekend's wedding activity, so it's going to be fun posting them on the chapel website this week and next. It's always fun to have new pictures to share.
Melanie came and did a video of the two of us talking about the chapel for the tourism board today, and it'll be fun seeing that project in final form as well. We're always amazed at how the current video really sells folks on what we do here for our brides and grooms!
Getting pumped about our trip to the coast. Should be fun and a great get away. Going with a great group, too, so that makes all the difference!
I'm so thrilled that Christina and I are pen palling together again, and it gives me a chance to write some letters. It's really a lost art in the era of technology, and there's something cool about getting a real, live letter in the mail!
We're looking forward to election returns socialization the night of the big voting day. Let us pray x 2!
Well, nothing else to report. It's 11:36 pm as of this writing and I couldn't fall asleep, so I thought I might as well blog. Hope everyone is doing well and blessed beyond their wildest dreams! Later, my taters!
October 28, 2024: This photo is a flashback from a couple of Easters back, and I'm not sure it ever got posted! Laura brought Mac to Easter, and we caught this great shot. That year's theme was 'under the sea', and Cindy Cashion worked her design magic to weave and underwater world of delight into the Holiday. It was great, and wonderful to have these two here. Our little girl is now married and moved away, but she's always close to our hearts!
Another great day in CaliberOakLand! Started out kind of yucky, since I had to go see Rich for a tooth pain issue in the back of my mouth. He checked out the xrays, and did some pressure testing and probing. I was still stoned from his excellent pain meds and the magical 'prep drug' he prescribes for me before visits. His professional opinion is a probable set of tooth cracks, and to just wait it out for a week to see how it does. As usual, he's right so far, since I'm off the scrip drugs and not having measurable pain. I'm avoiding things like popcorn, etc., so far, but there's not the pain level there was last week. If it's not real good by Monday, we'll schedule a root canal for that tooth. Hopefully we can avoid that! :)
Enjoying a really classy cuppa sleepytime vanilla tea in an expensive bernaudaud limoge cup and saucer. Cream tea at night always tastes better in French porcelain. It's about the only modern china service we have besides our wedding pattern, but Mrs. Boss liked it at Neiman's @ Northpark and we started collecting it. It's still crazy pricey, but when I looked on eBay this evening, it wasn't as bad as it used to be. It's the shipping charges that are crazy, since it all has to be insured to to value. Not needing any, and we've only got about 400 cups and saucers to our name, so I don't think we're in need. :)
Felt a little off after supper, but the tea is doing nicely. As the English say, very little can't be set right and sorted out with a cup of tea. True story!
Still having great weather, but apparently, we may get some rain in the last half of the week! Let us pray. We need it so badly, and Saturday's wedding is so small in numbers that we could be indoors quite easily. We need rain so badly. Since it was supposed to be dry in the morning, I washed the Eldorado this evening when Mrs. Boss went to rehearsal so that I could take her to my facial tomorrow at the spa. We'll probably be putting the tops up on the convertibles in the carport tomorrow, so we'll enjoy it while we can. I think it's supposed to continue to be warm, which I'm ok with. I think Rabbi Bryan would prefer it get cooler for deer hunting, but I'm not complaining!
Not much else has gotten done today. Paid staff, worked on some odds and ends, and before we knew it, the day was done. Having the pain meds AND the pre-appointment downer scrip pretty much put me in sleep mode, and I was down for almost 2 hours in the late morning. Yikes! Had some wild-ass dreams that were really colorful and pleasant last night. The pain meds seemed to cause that, but I'm loving Dr. Matt's night-time non narcotic sleeping aid that he prescribed as well. It just seems like the 'morning hangover' from the pills has stopped happening, and it's pretty much failsafe in putting me into slumber gear. (P, R, N, D, L, S) "S" is for slumber on the transmission selector, by the way........
Tim Walz can't load a shotgun. Not surprised. Why do they try to be people they're not. It makes it so much more noticeable that they're not normal! Oh, and go vote now. Don't wait until election day. Cyber attack is a legitimate threat and who knows what other tricks are up certain Hermes sleeves....
Reading a kind of Sherlock Holmesy book from Book Ends at the public library. Pretty good so far. I love book ends. They do the sell each year where you can fill up an entire book bag with treasures for only $5. Cannot beat it, and if it's one we're not keeping, they end up in the little neighborhood glass front libraries around town.
Otherwise, getting excited about our Port A trip, although the fees they tacked onto our rental were pretty steep. Not much to be done about that, however, and it was still relatively affordable for 4 days of group fun! Hope the weather is lovely. It's usually blustery and punishing while we are at the coast in the fall with cool winds and rain, but no matter. We have "Sorry" and Phase 10 to keep us going!
Still working on my phone issues. Mrs. Boss is attempting to load my contact information to the cloud so that I can get a new phone at the AT&T store. I thought I was going to be able to go with Patriot Mobile, but my email requesting special help with conversion and purchase has gone unanswered, so I guess we'll stick with AT&T.
Ok, well, the French teacup is empty and there's still more Sleepytime in the pot! Gots to go. Hope everyone is having a great week, and don't forget to join us for bible study each Sunday @ 5p. Great group, and wonderful prayer list that truly has made a difference for so many!
Blessings on you, my par-boiled taters! Love fesssstttttt.
October 24, 2024: Sometimes, you just need a nap! Miss Tulip knows her napping skills are far superior than most, so she proudly shows off what a camo dog blanket and a pillow can do. Well done, my dear! Sometimes, when the heat is really on, Miss Tulipski and I both nap together to give each other encouragement to finish the day! :)
This morning turned into dental trauma. As I was heading to bed last night, the bottom right molar area really started hurting (this began about 4 days ago) and I realized it was time to go visit Dr. Rich Fossum, DDS in his office asap. Took some old meds from the cabinet, and just not eating anything that involves chewing. Lots of dental work is needed, but we'll deal with the immediate issue first. Yeouch.
Coffee is still going down nicely, however, so that's a good thing. Getting ready in about 15 minutes to head to Chris' with the Lincoln for the oil change and window switch. Hopefully, Rich will call in some serious pain meds and I can pick them up at CVS on my way back. Otherwise, it's working on the upcoming wedding, which is coming along very nicely.
Assuming the weather is supposed to be nice today. I haven't taken a look, but as mentioned yesterday, we're hoping for a few boating hours this weekend to wrap up the season. The rental house is booked for our annual coastal pilgrimage, and we're pretty excited to have 7 of us travelling to the shore for the fun. The house we've found looks pretty cool, and we're looking forward to a great time.
I still need to stencil the old dining table on the back porch for placement on the front porch. Haven't gotten anywhere with that. Not that I haven't thought about it, just haven't started. Once I do, it'll all work out great.
Mrs. Boss and I took the '73 Fleetwood to town last night to get ice cream as a treat after our card game. Thank God I bought the stuff, since it might be the only thing I can eat until Rich fixes the mouth! Chewing is out of the question at this point. You know you're in pain when the thought of being in his chair is less of a drama than continuing with the ouch.
Finishing up on a book from Book Ends before I start the Haig book for book club. We've got plenty of time, and I'm not really good with flip flopping between books at the same time. This story is simple and fun in the current book and involves SOURDOUGH bread, which is my fall theme, apparently!
Amber just called from Rich's office and I get to go in for exam on Monday. I'm sure he'll fix things right up. She's going to ask him for a scrip for pain in the meantime, so it's drugs and bluebell ice cream for me this weekend. Woohooo!
Ok, well, it's shower time so that I can head to Chris'. loving the spotify Holy Rosary start to my day, and it's Luminous Mysteries this morning! Blessings to one and all, and don't forget to floss, my little instant taters! Bye!
October 23, 2024: Love the photo above. Isn't it great when Cap spews his 'wisdom' to all who are trapped on main deck? lol. It's about time that I did a blog entry, since it's been about 6 days. Hope everyone is well and good. We're still hoping to get another boating day in before the weather becomes too cool. Maybe Sunday? Doubtful, but it could happen!
Headed to Tim Flanigan's this morning for coffee and then a bunch of errands. Phone store (brokey), groceria, CVS, etc. Lot's of items on the list, but I've got the whole day to do it. Mrs. Boss and I will continue setting up for Jessie and Samantha's big day this weekend when she gets off of work. It's coming right along, and we're trying a new technique for outdoor setup that makes total sense. We'll see how it goes!
Weather is still beautiful, and I saw on the flash crawl at the bottom of the page that tomorrow is supposed to be a record breaking high temperature. Too bad Mrs. Boss has rehearsal, otherwise we might be able to get on the lake with the boat. No matter.... The Lincoln goes in for an oil change in the morning, and Stacey is going to fix the window switch that was replaced once, but didn't work right from day 1. CenTex stands behind their work, so no matter. After the Lincoln attention, we'll be sending Miss EmmyLou to see him for a horn, headlight switch and some work on the vacuum wipers... They always take such good care of everything!
Currently enjoying a bit of BlueBell and chocolate sauce! One of my favorite things in the world.
We were going to take the BMW to the store for ice cream tonight, but it was just a bit chillish. Certainly not cold, but also, since it's dark, the warmth of the day has passed. Pretty soon we'll do the dreaded time change and all will be sadness. Yuck.
Didn't get a hell of a lot done today. Figured out AT&T couldn't help me so I contacted Patriot Mobile for my new phone, got my scrip @ CVS, did the car wash gig and ran to the grocery store (2 trips in one day. It happens)...
Our book club book came today, but it's WAY smaller and shorter than last month's, so we'll have plenty of time to get it done. The last book we read by this author was tremendous, so I'm expecting the same thing again...
Mrs. Boss and I have figured out a time-window to take the boat out at least one last time before the weather turns cooler. Hopefully, it'll work out, and we think we'll have about a 4 hour window. Let us pray!
I'm getting used to taking the prescription sleepy stuff that Matthew has prescribed. He told me it's pretty much just a megadose of benadryl, and at first, it left me grogster and fogish in the morning. As I've gotten used to it, the effect isn't there, but the sleep is TREMENDOUS. Deep and undisturbed. Greater level of dream activity, too. As a matter of fact, before I woke up this morning, Gerald McRaney and I were working on a television show together. It doesn't get much better than that!
Talked to the internet sales manager at Covert Cadillac today and he's going to look for a LS 500 for us in the coming weeks.... We'll see. We're not quite ready yet, but have to get Mrs. Boss behind the wheel of the possibilities so that when it's go-time, I can just do the best deal on the car she likes the most.
I've got some discomfort starting in the bottom right molar that just started this week, so that's going to eventually mean a trip to Rich's office. Not fun. AND, then we'll probably start the whole 'reconstruction referal to specialist' gig for the left uppers. Rotting away is SUCH an inconvenience! :/
Ok, well, I guess that's enough tripe for one day. Hope everyone is doing great and loving life. Blessings to one and all. Be nice, pray often and don't forget to smile....no matter how achy your molar is! :) Later, my cottage taters!
October 17, 2024: Well, it's been a while since I did a blog entry, so it's about time. Here are the three of us during Bruce's visit for book club, and we had fun being a construction worker, gypsy and villain. Lots of folks dressed up for the event, and it was fun to see all the costumes!
Enjoyed eggs and Wisconsin cheese with sourdough toast this morning! Unfortunately, Bruce is feeling a little bit under the weather from allergies and maybe a bit of a bug. Mary is headed down tomorrow, so we'll have some fun with that.
Unfortunately, the new RV trailer jack still isn't working, even with Clemente getting a new battery this morning. Unfortunately, we may have to take the whole thing off and send it back! Yikes. Hopefully not, and at least we can manually raise and lower the tongue in the meantime. Thought it was going to be sooooo easy!
Summer is officially over weather-wise today, but apparently, we're getting 90 degrees at some point in the next few days. It's that time of the year. Heat in the morning, and a/c in the afternoon.
Clemente is now working on replacing some rotted wood on the back of the house and potting shed. It's such a blessing to have him here.
Well, I guess the reason I haven't done a blog post is that I don't really have much to report. Hopefully, I'll have more to report next time!
So, until our next report. Later, mah taters! :)
October 4, 2024: Happy October continuance, and definitely happy policeman day. Get it? 10-4-24? 10-4? Riiiiiiite? This is also the birthday of my former police chief, and that's just the right birthday to have if you're a cop! The photo above is Mrs. Boss going bronze on the beach in August. I'm already set to go back! Love that spot!
Popcorn for lunch? Why not? Mrs. Boss got me some on the way back from a routine vet visit @ Salado Vet Clinic. Now we need more wine. We've got a wonderful bride and groom coming to review their plan for their upcoming wedding @ 1:30p. Looking forward to it!
Nice outside, and hopefully won't be quite as humid as yesterday. We still need to mess with the battery for the RV to see what the deal is there. Let us pray that it's just a dead battery and we can be up and running for our next, scheduled RV outing.
The back porch table is ready for me to stencil, and Clemente did a tremendous job of putting down a coat of oil based backdrop for the custom work. We connected Clemente with the right foot insoles for his heel pain, and we got his truck tags renewed online. Productive yet frustrating day yesterday. Jesus never said it would be antique roses and martinis every day! :)
Looking forward to a special supper tonight. Should be really fun!
Almost done with the George and Lizzie book from SPL Book Ends. Really liking it. Didn't get much read in the last couple of days, but it's been busy.
Well, I guess there's really nothing else to report. Getting ready for the big BBQ event on Sunday, and advance sale tickets are still available. Let us know if you still want to come! We'd love to have you. AND there will be tater salad for all my blogfan's potato cravings! Blessings to one and all!
October 3, 2024: Even though this wreath went up for Easter, it deserves a photo post. Right now, the wreath is more of an oval horse collar, and has more flowers on it. Mrs. Boss is contemplating her next move.....fall or Christmas? We'll stay tuned to see what happens.
Actually got a nice bit of sourdough-themed lunch. Looking forward to enhancing that in Harker Heights when I head to Barnes and Noble in a few minutes.
My heart is broken for the folks in NC. So much suffering, and while we can help people in Ukraine, we don't seem to be able to help our own citizens appropriately. Well, the government never does anything efficiently, so I'm not surprised, but the suffering is so wrong. We need to determine the direction of this country or we won't have one anymore. It's as simple as that.
An old can of beans in a pan on the stove with a full pack of ballpark franks! I'll have supper tonight, no matter what the longshoremen do. $69 per hour to unload a ship with 20% increases every year for 5 years. Nope. We're about to have an economic collapse for about 39 reasons, and I'm thinking $128,000 is ok for a fork lift operator at this point. Do your homework, people.
Warm today, but I was blessed to be indoors for part of it. Everything has gone wrong. The new $550 Honda lawn mower I've dreamt of my whole life is running badly, and Home Depot doesn't want it back, and the Honda people say they don't cover 'fuel issues', which the young lady admitted to me, is 99% of repairs. We're just left out to dry. The country is falling apart and nobody cares. Don't buy a Honda car if this is how they deal with a lawn mower. Sad world.
Clemente is still running strong, and we picked out the pads for his boots to make his walking/working easier. I also was able to renew his tags on his truck, so that's a victory for today.
The government is so broken. The media is so broken. I think we're looking at dark times. I keep smiling and thanking Jesus, but it's amazing how quickly things are falling apart. I love the way that families are gathering together to survive this. Nice stuff. Family Compound = togetherness!
Clemente put a coat of oil-based white paint on the old dining room table that was Greg and Griselda's as a loan. Now, I think I'm going to stencil on the 'white' part. Interestingly enough, the table really needed 2 coats, since it's kind of a whitewashed effect, but I think it'll be the perfect base for stenciling! :)
I can't help but think that social resistance/unrest is coming. Clean it. Oil It. Load it. That's my advice. Don't want to sound alarmist, but fails don't happen large, they just happen in a domino effect.
Wish I could be more positive on today's post, but I'm not the kind of guy who pretends everything is ok when it's not....long term. Pay attention, vote early, and pray. This Republic is under attack from within.
Sorry to be a sour, hot, German potatoe salad today. (one of the worst way to treat a spud, btw.) I'm just done with sending $$$,$$$,$$$,$$$ to Ukraine while our citizens in NC/TN are hurting. Again, please pay attention and vote. Time for franks unt beans. This doesn't involve any potato products, but you know all you spuds are in my heart. Let us pray. Blessings to one and all!
October 2, 2024: Well, I think I posted a photo of the new Barrow mural last week, but WE weren't in it! KD made sure that it happened, and I really like this photo. The colors and artistry of this new mural are absolutely perfect for the location and so ding danged cheerful! Lovin' it!
Nothing on the luncheon menu so far, and just got back from my hydro appointment @ Dr. Matt's. He says I'm looking good, and I've scheduled my labs for November 14. This means I have to be a good boy from October 1 and then! Totally do-able, and I never want to disappoint him by not following m.o.s.t. of his recommendations. Ginger is leaving for PA in November but thankfully will be available by phone and is going to work remote. A lifesaver.
Well, I hit 'publish' on another 3 pages of blog entry and the system lost it. Pisses me off. It's happened before. Hopefully, the next blog post will be longer.
Blessings to one and all, and eat your spuds, taters!
October 1, 2024: Woohooo! Hello, October. Hard to believe, but it means that the temperatures will still be nice, but not blazing. Hope everyone is ready for a wonderful and exciting fall. We certainly are! The photo for today is at our favorite beach with my favorite beachgirl! She's even wearing her Israeli sandals! (no Hamas footware allowed in our wardrobe)
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September 30, 2024: A selfie that isn't LAME! Probably one of the best we've taken in a very long time. We just have never mastered the concept, but every once in a while, we end up a good one. This is our favorite beach in the world. Thankfully, Helene left this spot alone on her recent crash and burn tour, so we're thankful for that! We're deciding between here and returning to Hawaii for next summer, so we'll see what happens in the world between now and then!
No brunch yet, but we've got left over alfredo that Terri provided for bible study. We sent Elena home with the huge volume of soup that Terri brought, but hung on to the alfredo as a consolation. Yum-0-la! April's lemon dump cake with the home made ice cream was outstanding, too. Rabbi Rugh did a tremendous job of leading, and it was another great evening of fellowship with great friends.
Warm outside, But I'm thinking it's going to get warmer. 1:08 p.m. and it's 89 degrees, so we'll probably end up with a mid/high of 90's. We'll take it. Anything is better than 11 degrees or 107 degrees! We get both of those, and they're not as wonderful.
Getting a few things done, and still working on the book. Looking forward to having Tommie come out within the hour to drop off some decor. It'll be fun visiting with our magazine layout groom!
Working on the fundraiser for Sunday. Black Widow BBQ, cornhole, raffle, and rescue pup kissing booth! Does it get any better than that? Tickets are still available!
Ok, I'm going to head to the chapel to meet up with Tommie. Blessings to all my little taters out there, and hope you are doing great!!!!!!! Lay-terrrr....
September 27, 2024: This has to be the weirdest photo ever taken of Ena Bobina! It's like she's doing her 'apollo rocket' imitation, but from this angle at least she's pretty aerodynamic! :) Terri took this picture while the girls were on vacation at her house. It was so crazy, I had to post it! She's a doll, and still wearing the bandana that Aunt Terri put on her neck. I think she loves it!
Getting closer to a bit of bread and cheese this morning. Love the miniature sourdough loaves that Mrs. Boss is getting at the Barrow market when she can get it and it's available. I'm headed to the store later today to get at least popcorn and fruit. Odd combo, but beef is thawing on the drainboard so, it'll all work out.
Looking forward to seeing Miss Leeann to powerwash my face! I'm doing the Village Spa package deal, and will be scheduling the massage portion of the show.... Yeah!
Won't be long before the shorts will be put away for the season. It was pretty much 70 degrees this morning, and I ordered a pair of really nice cotton britches for the fall. I got the white ones for the White Night book club party, and really like them, so I went for another pair. I swear that they went from $9 to $22 from the same store in 2 years, but I may be wrong. I guess that'd be about right. The economy is jacked and about to get weirder in my humble opinion.
Tidied up pretty well yesterday and got lots of reading done. I'm half way through the book, and loving it. I'm hoping that Mrs. Boss and I are going to get to use the spa today. We shall see. We're working on a 'branchscape' kind of deal in our 3 new planters, and that'll be one of our goals this weekend.
Looking forward to the "Mimi @ 80" celebration this weekend, too! Woohooo! Go Ann!
Ordered some probiotics this morning, since I don't eat the yogurt every day like I should. It's supposed to be good for digestive help and mood elevation. I'm in!!!!
Not many other items to report. Hope everyone is doing really well today! Stay out of trouble, do something nice for someone, and it's ok to stay away from folks that are unhealthy. God loves you and will work it all out. Blessings to all my sweet taters! Later!
September 26, 2024: The supplement above came in the mail from Mare. She said it's worked well for her and makes her joints move a bit smoother (at least I think that's what she wrote!). Anyway, I've been taking it every day since then, and I realized the other day........I really am less creaky and stiff in sitting and moving about. If you've got normal 60+ creaking, I'd give it a try. I truly think it might be working. The way I figured it was working was that I kind of just added it into my morning supplement gauntlet. When I showed it to someone the other day, it suddenly dawned on me that I'm getting in and out of the BMW easier, and walking with a better smoothness! Might be all in my head, but I'm thinking it's working. I've also gone on Prevagen at the suggestion of my cousin, Fran. I'm not really sensing a difference there, but lots of folks say that it helps focus your thinking and functionality. What the hell! Isn't it fun when old folks start their blogs with supplement talk? Sheesh! I do like sharing little tips here and there, though.
ZERO brunch for me this morning. Completely out of control nocturnal racoon eating last night. We went to Bills and I had the small ribeye steak, which was amazing. Came home and noshed on everything that didn't move during the final episodes of the series we were watching on Netflix. I think after the ice cream, it must have been the banana that put me over the edge. Thought I was going to explode! Better now, but not quite ready for the tuna salad that Mrs. Boss is enjoying at lunch. It'll be a little bit before I can face the plate at this point! :) Bruce was telling me that his appetite isn't what it was due to his meds, and I'm really pecking and nibbling a lot. Not yesterday, though! :)
Just checked the Hurricane Helene projections and they really haven't changed since yesterday. Thankfully, it doesn't look like a hard hit to Seagrove Beach, but sadly, none of the spaghetti models show any rain from outer bands here. We can hope! Thankfully, accuweather shows a 60% chance for precip for October 5. That would be wonderful. It's dry out there, y'all! It was actually coolish last night when we got home from Wildfire. I'm still rockin' the shorts, but fall weather is coming, I guess. As long as some rain comes with it, I'm in!
Need to tidy things up and do a couple of chores today. We've got a cool, creative idea for our new planters by the spa, so we'll see how it goes. Mrs. Boss isn't completely sold on the look, but I'm thinking we can make it work. It may take some tweaking, but the idea is pretty low maintenance and $0. We shall see.
So looking forward to my facial/massage package tomorrow. Leeann is such a sweetheart, and this totally makes sense, since there's a discount involved. Love it!
Need to read more of the excellent book club book! Current status is 26.6% complete, so we're moving ahead!
Ok, nothing else to report. Hope everyone is having a tremendous day, you're having God's blessings shower down on you, and you're open to new and exciting possibilities! Peace out, my instant mashed taters!
September 25, 2024: My day started with my first text being from KD Hill. She and Graydon commissioned a beautiful mural at the brewery. Most folks who are in the know are aware that I've been long suffering with the title 'Evil' Catfish, and this character has been identified with me more than a few times. My basic platform on this subject is this.... Why is the catfish evil, if he was merely demanding performance to the terms of a verbal contract between willing parties in which the subject of the contract was not illegal activity? All he was requiring was delivery of service based on the terms of the aforementioned verbal contract with clear offer and acceptance. He's been misjudged, maligned and vilified. The beer with his picture on it is good, however. Congrats, KD and Graydon, on a beautiful addition to their business and our magical Village!!
Nothing on the menu so far, since I 'racoon buffet' nibbled during the evening hours last night. It's so funny. Mrs. Boss eats at normal, functional times during the day, and I'm like a nocturnal grub worm who only seems to get hungry during card games and Netflix. Go figure!
I think NOW the heat lamp is officially over. Others got a bit of rain last night, and we got nada. According to the weather folks, even though our temps are in the low 90's for the next 2 weeks at most, we have ZERO precipitation in the forecast. That could always change, and while we don't want anyone to suffer damage from Helene (she's currently aimed at the living room of our condo) we always love the outer bands of rain at this time of the year. That, apparently, isn't going to happen based on any of the spaghetti models I've checked. This can change by the minute, but we're always ready for rain!
Excited about making an Ikea run soon. I think we're primarily looking at fake and real plants for exterior and interior decor, you just never know what you're going to stumble on that you don't really need. :) Hopefully, dinner out afterward and a photo with the new mural at Barrow. Don't know when we're going, but it'll be fun!
Bruce and I have our costumes all worked out for Welge's book club evening. We've got some details to work out, but have figured most of it out. Should be fun..... I don't normally like Halloween dress-up, but with him here and a book club meeting to go to, it just seems to make sense! Loving the book large time. Another beautiful read from the Quinn woman. The girl knows her way around a story!
Plenty of things on my checklist that I haven't gotten done, but I'm not sweating it. Thankfully, one of the items was scheduling my facial to fix my face, and Leeann is making that happen tomorrow. I've been doing the Retin-A and the Neostrata pretty regularly, and I think the summer, Florida and natural aging have made my skin just a bit fragile. I must have scratched my forehead in the night this weekend and put a small divot in the skin that's healing. Then, while we were watching Netflix the other night, I was messing with the crapey, dry skin on my nose and managed to bleed from that. Leeann.....helllllp! :)
Ok. I've probably got to get busy, since this is my second blog post of the day. I finally updated the chapel website blog today! Anyway........... keep on rollin', smile and pray. All will be well, and God loves you! Peace out, tater tots!
September 24, 2024: I think I may have already posted this photo a couple of years ago, but it came up on my phone, and I wanted to be sure. Ronny and Ann have been our Floridian Compadres for many years when we can all make it work out. As a matter of fact, Ann has a pretty big birthday coming up VERY soon, and we're so looking forward to celebrating with her! We're thankful that these two are in our lives.
Nothing for me on the brunch menu so far today, but I'm sure I'll be grazing before very long in the kitchen area. We'll see what turns up.
Jody is coming to the house in a little bit to pick up some decor for grandchild birthday activities. I was thankful that Mrs. Boss came in and told me she would be here, since I was sitting at the computer with just a shirt on..... Could have been a bit embarrassing since I went from the bathroom after my shower to check on something on the computer and apparently hadn't finished dressing! Life in the country, people!
We'll see what God has planned for us today. Not much on the schedule, and nothing really to take care of currently. It's funny, though, since we'll look up at it'll be 5p before we know it! I could certainly do a little tidying up (my own messes) so maybe that'll happen, too!
Enjoying the Pat Gray podcast this morning. There have been some great episodes of many podcasters we follow lately. Election intensifying.
I also need to do some more reading in this month's book club book. Absolutely excellent so far, and we loved the last book we read from her, too. I think I'm at about page 71, so I'm only 11% done. A bit of work is needed in this arena, and I'm looking forward to it. We got to spend an hour in the spa yesterday reading, but I had the temp up too high and it was hot! We've brought it down 4 degrees, so today's session should be just right.
Well, I guess there's not much else to report. The world is on fire, and I think will only get worse over the next 4-5 months. Fasten your seatbelts and pray for our Nation! Gotta run my taters! Blessings.
Not September 23, 2024: This is an Easter Sunday shot from a few years back. So many happy Easter memories on the porch @ the Petzolt House! PTL!
A gracious good day! Rocking the laziness vibe this morning. I stayed at the chapel last night, since the a/c was on, and Mrs. Boss and the charges stayed at the house. Elena made everything brite and clean this morning at the house, so I came up afterward to stay out of her way! When I came up to the house, however, the Lord had blessed us with a very light sprinkly rain and the BMW was wet. I think it rained a bit more, and the combination of this, good cloud cover, and a current temp of 81 degrees @ 12:18 p.m. all add up to a great day!
Bible study was excellent last night. Tremendous Welge lamb entree and everything else was great too. It's such a special group of people. Nothing stirring in the kitchen for me this morning, but Mrs. Boss is going the tuna salad route. Kind of in the mood for a cheese omelet in a little bit. We'll see what happens.
Not much else happening around here. Denise said that Micki's Lincoln Continental is very nice, and maybe it's because it's a "Black Label" edition, and possibly very much worth the extra $$,$$$ since she said it was very quiet. The standard Continental I drove was not cool from a road noise perspective, so maybe this will be better. I'll start cruising the net to see if I can find one to test drive.
Ok, that's about it from here. Truly nothing else to report. Hope everyone has a great day and treats others with kindness! Later, my scalloped taters!
September 20, 2024: Happy Friday to one and all. It's a happy one for us, since Mrs. Boss is off of work and we're together. She's already walked like 11 or 12 miles this morning, so she's back and freshening up for the day. We've got bible study stuff to do, a booking sheet, and some facebook promotional stuff, so there are definitely things on the list. I need to check in with her to see what she'd like for a brunch activity. The photo above is some of the small produce produced in the garden this year. We've got tons of seeds from Jolene for next year, so with an order from our heirloom zinnia folks, we'll be all set. Found out this week that our NP @ the practice - Jenn - is also a zinnia grower! She knew the name of some of the heirlooms I brought in for the office, and that was pretty cool!
Since we're not going anywhere today, I've got the cool new shirt Mrs. Boss got me @ Ross and wearing the white cotton pants that were $9 from eBay. I know it's after labor day, but fashion rules do not apply on the 45 acres, for the most part. :)
New RV trailer tongue jack is here, and we're hoping Clemente is going to be able to stop out and get it on the rig before too long. I'm kid of thankful.... for about $175, we're replacing it ourselves, rather than spending probably $450 to $600 @ the dealer. They're getting $165 an hour at the RV places for repairs, so we're getting WAY more handy around here! :)
Tulip is laying on the bed watching me type and is kind of like...."cowboyman, could you take a quick break and make me a sammich?" What a character!
Not really a lot to report.... Still praying for the election and economy. Loved it last night when she told the oprah that if someone broke into her house, she would shoot them. Interesting.
Have an excellent day. Be sure to get your recommended dietary requirement of potatoes, and smile at every chance. Oh, I made a really think potato soup and Mrs. Boss loved it. Really glad to make the spuds sing! Blessings on ya!
September 19, 2024: This little freak show LOVES her some Aunt Terri time when we travel. While we were at the condo in Florida, Terri took this picture of our little sunbather enjoying her day in Tejas! She looks a bit defiant here, or maybe Terri has given her a cocktail? She's certainly a character.......24/7. The sight is going, the hearing is going but that doesn't mean we can't bark at every damned thing that moves. We love our ShelbyMae!
Heyhowdy and how are ya? Outstanding day so far here on the 45 acres, and we even had a visit from Susan! Last night's book club was very interesting, and Bryan and Stacy provided a great opportunity for all of us gather. Unfortunately, after telling Susan she could put her handbag in the 'purse pile', she forgot about it. Fortunately, we were able to bring it home via our convoluted transportation plan to Salado and we appreciate Lisa and Bert getting me back home. Fortunately, the new book is at the library and Denise has already reserved it. Outstanding. The neat thing about the Biblionix program that SPL uses is that she's already reserved it and I'm right behind her. This means we get enough time before the next meeting to get it done. I'm thinking Bruce Carl will be at the next meeting, so that makes it extra fun!
No brunchy lunchy quite yet, but it was nice to visit with Susan. We're all getting so excited about the October 13th fundraiser for the FOTSPL. Gonna be a good time!
Hotter than blazes out there again today, but Mrs. Boss is sticking with her 5-day forecast for lower temps by next week. Let us pray! :) Thankfully, Clemente didn't have to be in the total heat yesterday while he put up the invisible book shelves indoors and started rebuilding an antique chair on the front porch. His work on the landscaping at the chapel and entry and house was amazing. It was lookin' pretty ratty!
I need to get a booking sheet and a bride response done today! I've also got to figure out how the greased down hair and middle part are going to work for my H. Poirot performance in the upcoming performance. MAN, I've got a busy life. lol.
Just listened to some Kamala clips. What the hell. Honestly.
As Angie Barber would say, I don't really have a 'crap ton' of news to report. Working on some facial/massage action @ the Village Spa....we'll se how that works out. Blessings to one and all. Eat all yer taters and thank God for your blessings. It's just that easy. OH, and as Lisa and I found out, a good taco every once in a while from Taco Bell is vital for happiness. :) Later!
September 18, 2024: Well, I've finally had the chance to get the official Birthday Party Selfie for this year on the blog! Sheri brought her signature cherry pie as a gift and provided me all kinds of other great things. It's so great that we celebrate each other's birthdays together each year. It's always tough for Mrs. Boss, since she doesn't get this treatment.... We're either on a cruise, in Florida, in Aruba, etc. etc. etc. We take the traditions when we can. SINCE this photograph was taken, the lady on the left has become a Grandmama for the very first time! Woooohooo! So excited for Michael and Monica and we know that $XXX,XXX will be spent on baby items in the next year or so! lol!
Hotter than blazes out there today. We were thinking about riding in the convertible tonight, since Miss Hydrangea the BMW is next up in the showroom rotation, but we've decided that the two of us would probably have more fun with refrigerated air in a hardtop. One does what one can.....
Clemente is here today making things better as always. The entry, yard, spa courtyard and everything look great. This is the time of the year that just a 1/2 inch of rain (which we received Sunday night, thankfully!) produces what is locally known as 'turkeyfoot', which is a relatively native grass to our area. Left alone in a pasture, it actually looks pretty cool.....kind of like fake wheat. In a landscaping environment, however, it looks crazy unsightly, and yours truly has been known to take a pair of sharp scissors to the stuff in the yard before a special event. (Clemente would prefer that I don't touch our weed eater, and we're both in perfect agreement on that, since it's the only yard maintenance tool I've actually thrown across the yard in my lifetime.....dates and location will not be disclosed....they make me crazy!)
In the meantime, Clemente is putting up shelves like the type I saw at Susan Starnes' house for books. They're an invisible "floating" shelf, and when it works out well, it just leaves 5-7 books just floating in mid air on the wall. Super cool look, and it's kind of a cross between Hogwarts and Agatha Christie, so we love them. Thanks for the great idea Susan!
I need to schedule the time before book club tonight to shave. Doing the Poirot role for the FOTSPL fundraiser involves drastically different facial hair than I have now. I've taken all the cowboy drop off the stache, and tried to get it to head horizontally across my face. In the meantime, the very, very thin sideburns are gone and there's a 'soul patch' 1930's goatee being trained in the area below my bottom lip. This is all VERY different from how I normall shave, so between not trying to screw this up, using oil instead of cream to try to see exactly what I'm doing, slicing my face and waxing the stach tip, I can see why more men don't wear this style! I've seen some mighty cool curled catfish tips (not evil, just misunderstood!) but WOW, that takes some serious commitment on a man's part. Lots of wax, lots of effort and discipline. Needless to say, THIS old Irishman won't be doing that kind of work after October 13th! :)
All the shelves are now up on the walls in the parlor and they look amazing. We thank God for Clemente every day, and are so appreciative of his efforts. Can you just imagine how El Rancho Deluxe would look if the aforementioned Irishman suspect was responsible for everything. .......not so much.
Hey, ok, maybe I'm lazy, but at least I'm getting the car washed today! Ok, well, actually Today's Carwash in Belton is doing it, but it's not like I didn't drive there... :)
Loved visiting with Quiana and Dr. Matt and Jenn and Ginger today at the practice. Things are rolling there. We're going to need some help when Gin-Gin goes to Pennsylvania, so anyone reading this who knows a nurse, NP, or similar professional who could be interested in being a part of the coolest medical practice in the world with the (hate to admit it, but I have to) coolest doc in 'da hood, please let me know. We'll take some part time help, full time help, and it's a great place to be.
I love having the photo that my cousin Cheryl provided to me of My Grand dad, Uncle Gus, Aunt Flora & Great Grandma Stern. Clearly, this photo had to be taken in 1964 or earlier, and I think it may have been taken at one of the excellent German restaurants in Chicago that our family loved. It's right here, just above eye level at the Venetian desk in our room. Love the inspiration and role modeling that these people continue to provide in my heart. Family truly is everything.
Ok, enough of the rambling for today. Hope all of my frozen hash browns are doin' a'right out there.....and are continuing to pray for everybody. Could you please especially pray for our country. We're about to drive on a very narrow road that's 14,000 feet in elevation without a guardrail after a happy hour. It all works out eventually, but getting there is the key! :) Blessings!
September 17, 2024: Many of you know, I'm a lover of theme photos. Mrs. Boss and I had a fun "taking the Fleetwood to Queens" exchange the other day, since I asked her to take it to her rehearsal with Bev. I'm always so proud when she embraces my favorite cars, and she is so very careful. I asked for the hat and gloves for the shot, since that had a kind of "returning to Manhattan and giving the keys to our doorman" kind of quality about it. We suffer from nothing around here in the imagination department! :)
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September 4, 2024: This pie can only mean one thing. It's my birthday week! SWJ makes this special cherry pie only one time a year for me, and it's as I march toward geriatric land! We can't appreciate it enough! She also bought me cool gifts on their Icelandic vacation this summer, so we had a wonderful pre-birthday luncheon! Many thanks, my dear.....
Nothing on the menu today so far, but I might end up with a cool burger tonight! Headed to Dr. Matt's for hydro today, and it's made me feel better, as it always does! Mrs. Boss is going to the restaurant Greg and I tried on the square in Gtown and they're looking forward to it. Maybe a patty melt to go in her purse at the end. Let. us. pray. :)
Warm with a beautiful warm outside (wow, I sound like Kamala!) and it's just the right temp. 77 degrees, cloudy and I may actually walk to the gate today to just celebrate being ambulatory! Rock on, Cowboy Man!
Clemente is headed this way in the morning, and we've got Mass together for my birthday. Plenty of stuff to do, so never an issue.
Sadly, I'm getting reports of the shooting in Georgia. Why aren't we safer? Not enough teachers with guns in school! :)
Looking forward to my napperschtein this afternoon! Elon Musk is in my prayers as well, since he's being targeted for every breath he takes these days. This world is falling apart. #1 reason for anti-depressants. I may need some!
Just noticed that my pillow case on my 'mypillow' is completely off, so that may be my issue with the sleeping portion of our program. Let us pray that the nap is going to rescue me today...... :)
Haven't read anymore of the book, but hope to this evening? Let us pray!
Ok, I'm out! Later my soft-boiled taters! Praise God!
September 3, 2024: BTW.......those people who have to have every bullet go through the 'x ring' are morons. There. I said it. I remember (no names mentioned here) but someone that I went through police academy with who shot a perfect score every damned time we were at the police range. Pretty smug s.o.b. Yeah, all that was very interesting the first (and only!) time we worked together on a barricaded suspect with a gun. We took opposite doors to the residence, and I've never seen anyone so shaky with a 9mm in my life. I guess when it's real bullets and REAL suspects, it changes the game, right? Lesson learned. Anyway, speaking of lessons, this target is actually Sarah's from this weekend. There are a 100 things I'm proud of on this whole piece of paper, but considering that this is completely point shooting, with a gun she's basically never fired, and that the 'badguy's' personal vital organs are pretty much still laying in the pasture after this excellent shooting just about says it all. It's not about shooting a perfect target. It's about stopping the threat, knowing your weapon and not being afraid to use it to protect yourself and your loved ones in a millisecond's notice. My little cookie cutter gets a gold star larger than this target (which was smaller than the size of a piece of printer paper, I might add!) for the day. Nuff said. I wouldn't fuss with this potato-eating redhead. Just sayin'..........
Hope your day is off to a tremendous start. Mine is doing about 100 times better due to Dr. Liu. Way too much fun in the sun for me this weekend, and I woke to the geriatric body feeling like shit. A rather touch.'n.go trip to Austin later, and I'm good as new (or whatever I have that passes for almost new these days). A good night's sleep will make all the difference. Thanks, Dr. Liu and thank you, Jesus, for making me feel much, much better!
Not too much to eat today, but I've been on the acupuncture/acupressure table most of the day. We're looking forward to some kind of semblance of supper after we get to visit with the wonderful Mrs. Pehl (that should be the name of a movie!) and before Mrs. Boss goes off to determine how the new library is going to be built in our fair village. Hopefully, time for cards and television after that.
We watched the newest season's first two installments of "Call the Midwife" last night, and after something like freakin' 13 seasons, this thing is as fresh, heart-warming, and smile inducing as ever. If you've never done any serious time with the Midwives of Poplar on Netflix, we cannot recommend it enough!
Rained just a bit AGAIN today. With summers like we have, any day that holds a modicum of atmospheric moisture is a great day. Loved turning the wipers on between Walburg and our Village! Nice and 84-ish out there with clouds right now. Have I mentioned "Praise Him!??!"
Otherwise, home life continues to be as charming and elegant as a cottage can be with 3 delighful-ish charmers on 4 legs and the best wife anyone has ever had. The charges are merely delightful-ish, since last night we had a bit of a seasonally adjusted 'accident' in the large bath that Cowboy Man stepped, in, but he was amazingly charming about the mis-hap as well. Did I mention that the cottage is charmed? :)
Loved a morning interview with Tucker Carlson, even though I was feeling particularly poorly. Lovin' on my podcasts.
Hard to believe that fall is just around the corner, but that means frock coats, Homburg hats and felt Stetsons. Always ready for a bit of that. I realize that 35 minutes of winter follows that, but then we'll be back in the zinnia planting saddles again!
Poor Elena is on the chapel prayer list! We'll miss seeing her for 2 weeks. Gris said that she has a ruptured bicep (I didn't know that was a thing!) and needs to recover. We're sending her prayers any anything else they tell us is needed! Please pray for our wonderful Elena when y'all can....
Still need to do more on the book club book, but loving it. Have so many more to start! Did I mention that fall is coming, however!?!
No new convertibles in the driveway, and my birthday is only 2 days away. Should I be concerned? lol.
Ok, well, I'm about to get notified that it's time to go to the chapel to provide seeds to Mrs. Pehl. Later, my french-fried taters! Pray often!
August 31, 2024: Well, the theme of Mrs. Boss in her tropicality continues. We really enjoyed crabisland, and figure it'll be a good place to bring others, but the fun and party collection of it was pretty neat. Water was really warm, too. bathwater! We walked to the dark 'bay edges' on our footpath around the watery island and only got to visit with one jellyfish. LATER, they were everywhere and the guide we were with said the spot they came through mostly was where we had been! At least we got to see the demonstration of folks picking them up like tacos and throwing them away. I'm ok being in a gunfight if necessary, but you won't find me brave enough to pick up a jelly and taco-bout it. Seriously. Swim away.........swimm awayyyy. "I touched the butt". (boat....Nemo reference....hope you understood that!)
Beth is down at the chapel doing Mrs. Boss' massage and it'll be only mere seconds before I head down for my turn. My phone is acting funky this morning for the second time in a couple of weeks. Like receiving text messages with the audio 'ding' and they're not registering. Let us pray. I actually did miss some relatively important texts with clients the last time, so hopefully this isn't going to be a problem. Hopefully, Mrs. Boss can text me when it's my turn, since the thing is wonky.
No breakfast planned for today, but the creamy eggs 'n cheese I made yesterday from Bailey's farm fresh eggs were divination itself. We're looking forward to seeing SWJ for lunch.........she always makes a big deal of my birthday (PTL) and brings me stuff to eat and the like. We share birthday celebrations back when it's her turn, and thankfully, we both have holiday birthdays so that we can remember! Mrs. Boss is going to set the table while I get my massage. Life is good here at Super 8.
Temp is apparently 78 degrees @ 0944 hours, so I'm not complaining. Yesterday, we took the Eldorado into town to get groceries, the MoTOE movie for me to study for my upcoming performance, and even stopped at Barrow for a couple, which we haven't done since February. Met some lovely people, but the afternoon was warmer than expected. I had jumped from the pool directly into my Japanese yukata and headed to town that way, with Mrs. Boss not minding. Matthew May talked with me at Barrow and said that, "I really didn't have anything on under that thing, did I?" and to that I had to reply a happy Cadillac 'yes'! I love living near the Village that allows me to be just a bit wild unt crazy, non?
I'm thinking again about the text messages. I think I got them later in the day the last time. I sure hope I do today. Technology is wonderful until it isn't. What will we all do with an EMP? Lot's more fireside chats until we run out of antibiotics! :)
Outside of luncheon, not a lot on the schedule today, I don't think.....although I haven't really looked at it. Not sure if we're having bible study tomorrow or not, since our beloved Rabbi is killing wild things and some folks have already said they're tied up. We shall see. All is well in His kingdom, so we'll see what He's got up his tunic sleeve!
With that, I'll sign off. Still working with a certain suspect on a certain convertible, so can't talk about that at present. We will advise and present a statement when news warrants in this case. Have a blessed holiday weekend.... Lucky you if you're on the manifest for "Labor Day Boat Trip '24", not everyone can say that, and please eat a potato over the holiday. It will ground you. :) Later, die Kartoffeln, which is apparently appropriate in German, but seems rather aggressive here! Look it up, people! Bye!
August 30, 2024: Ok, well this one must be titled coffee and fabulousness! Cannot get my computer to crop photos like I used to be able to, it's just stopped happening. I had another photo of our boat trip to Crabisland, but couldn't make it crop my large belly feature out of the photo, so skipped it. Computers amaze me!
No breakfast so far, but am also waiting on Bailey to come and deliver my eggs! $4 per dozen and she's willing to bring them to the gate. Such a deal! They're always so much better than store bought, and after cooking with Lisa and Bert for book club and having to dump an entire batch of out-dated eggs that looked iffy (expiration May 5) (Mare would be proud!) I think we need to have more eggs per week. I'm reading more and more about beef and eggs being super good for us. Will work on that.
Holy macaroni, apparently it's 78 degrees outside @ 10 a.m.! Welcome to another climate, and enjoy your stay. I'm in shorts today, and hopefully, will be wearing long pants before long. I know the entire Village will appreciate that! :)
Lots of tasks to do, and we'll see how many get done. We were talking this morning about hopefully crawling into the spa this afternoon. Loving the book club book. We watched the first half of the animated movie "Migration" last night, and found it funny. We love animation and kid's stuff. What does that tell you about us? We watched something that I think was titled "Wicked Little Letters" with Claire Foy from the UK. Her acting was excellent - we loved her as QEII in The Crown - but the whole concept of the movie and dialogue left something to be desired. Migration is much lighter and more fun! Just the way we like life!
Lisenting to Matt Walsh. I just love his style. Dry, intelligent and funny.
Ok, I guess I have nothing else to report this morning? Nothing major on the horizon for today, unless The Lord has other plans. Hope everyone is doing great, and thanks for reading the blog. My numbers keep going up every day! Have a great one! Blessings to you mah spuds!
August 29, 2024: Here's a picture of skinny Mrs. Boss in my natural habitat. I can't get enough of the redneck riviera, and would spend more time there if we could. I could go just about any time, but without this little cookie cutter, it wouldn't be any fun at all!
Beautiful weather outside. The Lord has shut off the heat lamp for this year, and we're enjoying great temps on a sunny day. Even some rain forecast for the next few days. We don't know how to act. I'll have pretty flowers, hopefully, for my hydro visit to Dr. Matt's this week. Ginger puts them on display and they look great in the farmhouse chic decor! Super colorful.
Nothing to eat so far today, but I think between me watching the consumption and Dr. Liu's needling me to get my belly smaller, we're making some progress. I truly felt like hammered shit yesterday when I arrived @ Dr. Liu's, but his magic worked yet again, and I feel 1000% better. He's doing something with my back that's really helping all the way around. Praise God for his help. He's very curious about the chapel and what we do here. Great guy, and between his chinese and my english, we get by!
Bryan just stopped by to put a battery in the deer feeder, but it was a fail. He's going to Ace to see if he can get another one, otherwise he has to order a part. We're praying for his safety and enjoyment on his Colorado trip that's coming up. He's a great guy and we love him tremendously. Guess we will fake bible study without him!??
Just turned on Dan Bongino. Excellent podcasts every day!
Wow......so very little to report. Bryan and I were in agreement that now that Joe Biden is off the national stage (who's the president, then?) we can wear our Ray-Ban sunglasses and buy '63 Corvettes again. lol.
Guess I should attempt to be productive in some way? At least get in the hot tub and read the book club book. BTW......it's starting out to be tremendous! It sounded great during the nomination process, and hasn't let us down.
Ok, well, Bryan's second battery worked great, so that's a good thing. Look out, deer! He's a great shot. They don't stand a chance.
I'm logging off the blog, but my prayers go out to you all and hope your dreams are coming true! Later, my scalloped taters!
August 28, 2024: Love this photo of our new spot, Crab Island! Thanks to the Bean's for making this discovery for us...it'll definitely be part of our tradition with others @ the beach! I know it's called Crab Island, but I like to jam it together in kind of a foreign accent and say "Crabisland" when I say it. Kind of like the entree named "Crab Louis", which is a great king crab dish on a bed of greens. I've always called it 'Crablewie' as in some kind of explosion. It was a great memory from the 1974 trip to Alaska and consumed on the inland passage.
Staying low today. Didn't got to Mass....total Irish laziness. 0.0 guilts over that for some reason. I'm one of those weird Catholics that doesn't do a lot of guilt. I guess it's because Jesus loves me, this I know. Also, Dr. Cashion's new catch phrase "Jesus, I trust in you" is so very portable and useable anywhere, that Mass seems a little less necessary. Hopefully, I'll find the cubic inches of horsepower to head that way tomorrow. Let us pray.
Speaking of horsepower..... We are officially (after yesterday's motor vehicle meeting) @ the Navigator vs. the Lexus point. Everything else is pretty much off the table. It's going to come down to practicality. We're both loving the thought of going down to 5 vehicles, since the Nav can replace Mr. Sinatra AND the Tundra truck. The ride to florida is the only part that I'm kind of wondering about, but there literally is NOTHING as pudding in a cloud as the Town Car, so compromise must be necessary. Why not go with something that's totally luxo-box on a safe truck frame that rides pretty damned well (I think there's a setting in the control system to make it even squishier) and can pull the RV and the boat.... Leaning that way, kind of oddly, and the interior of this rig yesterday was something out of a limousine! Black leather, polished woods, televisions everywhere. Wow. I could move in. The only issue is 17 mpg (oh well) and Mrs. Boss' parking comfort. We think she'll be fine after she drives it, since it's really not that much different in overall size than the Tundra. Should be interesting to see what happens. Oh my grits, I just compared the Nav to the Tundra Crew Max we have now, and it's actually shorter and the same width. We'll have to see what happens. Ride quality is key, and the Nav may crumble in the next set of tests as compared to the LS. Love a bit of driveway competition!
Nothing for eats so far today, and trying to keep it low. Dr. Liu did some needles to bring my belly down, and I think it's helped. Not ever going to be thin, but trying to look a bit less large? lol. We've got sausages, cabbage and carrot to eat, so we need to get on that tonight.
Finished EVERY SINGLE Monk episode last night and truly loved the show. If you haven't watched it, it's a great show like a comfort food. We'll probably delve into the new episodes of "Emily in Paris" tonight, but there's lots of Netflix we haven't seen in the last 6 weeks while we "Monked-out" on all the episodes.
Weather outside is markedly less blast furnace-y. You can feel that the heat of summer is officially over. We didn't really get anymore rain last night, but the clouds have that fall feel right now, and Mrs. Boss says that we could have rain on and off for the next few days. 100 degree heat lamp is over. Praise Him!
Have a bride and groom coming today for continuing care, and need to get their booking sheet and another one done. So much Irish laziness some days! All will be well.
Wow. There is seriously nothing else to report. I need to put a post out on the chapel website to let people know we're still alive! I forgot to give Dr. Liu a chapel business card yesterday, and he's very curious about what we do.
Don't forget. Worrying is a waste of time. Trust in Him, pray for others and ask Him for blessings. Your life will increase immediately! Peace out, be a hash brown and slide, y'all! :) Later, my taters......
August 27, 2024: Howdy and howareya? Another day in God's paradise called Texas, and we've even had rain, it's not beastly hot, and there's more rain coming. Praise Him!
Have had a whirlwind day.....where did it go? Got up this morning, showered during the great rains on the tin roof and headed to Austin. Car fire on IH35 that slowed everything down to a crawl... No largie, talked to Dr. Liu and he said get there whenever and be safe and relaxed. Love this guy.......he gets it. He tried to explain my positive energy in acupuncture today, and we made it through our Cinenglish together. He's a great guy, and he's already helped my friend, Debra, too! Wish he were closer, but it gets me into the big city where I can test drive cars.......
Speaking of test drives.......... a very nice young man, Shane, hooked me up with a sexy, black Lincoln Navigator today, and the experience was far nicer than my Continental disappointment. A solid, cushioned-truck ride, but the appointments were amazing. Like a limousine inside. Depending on how things go, I think our competition is down to the LS 500 and the Navigator at this point. Mrs. Boss will have to drive both, but we will save $$,$$$ if we go with the Nav, since we can eliminate one full vehicle from the fleet. We're frugal that way. :)
No appetite today, and didn't really have one yesterday. Used to worry about stuff like that, but on most days I eat like a horse, so it's probably my body saying....enough! The shorts were a tight fit during the pre-departure preparations this morning, so it's not like I'm starving. Love the new shirt Mrs. Boss bought me, but didn't realize it didn't have a front pocket and I need to tell her about that for future purchases. She's pretty kind to me.
Nothing else shaking. Bossyboss has headed to the salon for a bit of pedicure, and I'm on my own until suppertime. I'll be advised on when to start the sausages with the cabbage and carrot mixture. Sounds good.
I was thinking this afternoon on the way home from AUS that the vehicle situation will be one of these Divine inspiration and timing things. Just as Mr. Sinatra hits 150,000, the exactly correct vehicle with a smooth ride and lovely appointments will arrive on the scene. Maybe it'll be a perfectly restored 1969 Cadillac d'Ville? Doubt it, but you never know when someone you know is about to sell a luxury marque and is a regular reader of the Cap's blog. BTW, thanks for the large increase in numbers. I love having y'all follow my trite activities. Makes us feel connected! Thanks.
Pups are all lounging full speed on the bed at present. It's 4:09 p.m., which is prime puppy naptime. Looks pretty good to me...........we shall see.
If you can't sleep at night, be sure to try Texas Cedarwood oil. It's amazing. Rub it into your wrists, webbing of your fingers or feet and I love it surrounding my nose, air intake equipment. I'm gone in about 3.5 minutes. Can't recommend it enough. AND, if you're local and fight the dreaded cedar fever, it's amazing how constant exposure to the oil reduces most folk's suffering in the season.
Ok, well, I guess I really don't have anything else to report. Have a wonderful day/evening/whatever, and thank God at every turn for what you have. Time well spent. Blessings to one and all!
September 25, 2024: Well, it was about time we showed Mrs. Boss enjoying the sunshine that changes her race! She's really like a mid-60's Barbie that changes color at the closeness of a 90 watt bulb. It's bizarre! She loves the beach like I do, and we're thankful for that. Also, the girl is way more willing to go out in the brine than she used to be, and is always up for the 'outer sand bar' experience. Best travelling partner, anywhere. 1807 miles of laughter and fun!
Otto and Sarah are headed this way for our annual "Seven Year Itch" screening. So looking forward to it. Champagne is chilled and chips are on the way. Genuine participatory screening for sure!
Nothing to eat so far today, but I snacked last night quite heavily. It involved ice cream. Mr. Monk does that to you, people!
Dressing cool. Keepin' it real. Going to be indoors for most of the day, but it's still going to be 97. Screening for the film and then a meeting on Pearl's Place fundraiser on October 6 and then bible study. No pressure. I think we need to take the BMW out for a run today, as well.
Nothing otherwise. Listening to Tucker Carlson, hanging up clothes that should have been already hung up, but at least got a shower in! It's all good in the neigh-bor-hood!
Later, mah delightful gaters. Please pray for others, be thankful for the life you have and consider a rescue dog! Bye!
August 23, 2024: A little 'behind the scenes' shot of the actual shoal chair used in the filming of "Florida '24". This is the first year in about a dozen of them where we could do this on the sandbar. The very first year we were down there on this exact beach with Ronny & Ann at Beachside, we had chairs just like this, and RPG and Mrs. Boss sat in them for hours in 4" of water that was rolling onto the very shallow sandbar just off the shore. After that, the conditions have NEVER been exactly like that until this trip. We didn't waste it. We only had one chair, and Mrs. Boss wanted to sit in the water (I don't like the sand in mah pants, thankyouverymuch) and I took the chair. It was a wonderful sunny, soaky, pretty time at our favorite beach. Thank you, God x a bazillion! My new phrase I've stolen from Dr. Cashion's podcasts (available everywhere podcasts are available) is "Jesus, I trust in You". It's a quickie and an effective way to holler to the big guy for whatever reason!
Spent most of the day on the boat, so supper is going to be an interesting blend of whatever we have. We did stop at the groceria, since we needed fruit, and the bananas were going south. We're doing a banana/pineapple/natural vanilla bean experience later on, perhaps during our episodes of Monk. JUST HEARD thunder, so we're keeping our prayer beads handy! Just went back out there to cover up the battery in the battery box so that when we get 23" of rain (lol) it won't mess up the setup!
Rockin' my darker yukata tonight. It's kind of a post-lake yukata evening.
Otherwise, not much happening at the house. I'm hoping to have enough zinnias for another batch to go to Dr. Matt's for my next hydro, and a bit of rain this evening would make a major difference. We're just about at the end of the season where it's a challenge to have anything out here that doesn't look crispy and deep fried in the landscaping department. Clemente fixed the railing on the front porch yesterday (it came off on Easter Sunday....take THAT JD Vance! We'll show YOU some Hillbilly behaviours, sir!)
I have 2 hats and foam inserts out on the table as a reminder to tighten up the sizing on the new 'Florida '24' straw fedora, and the chocolate-edged summer straw Resistol for church. They're both wallowed just enough that I just about lost the latter to the wind walking into Mass the other day, and I was afraid that my fedora from the trip was going overboard today in the wind. Where my official boat hat has gone off to is truly a mystery, but it's possible it's buried under clothing that needs to be hung up on the settee in the bedroom. (don't judge).
Ok, well, it's a boat day, I'm tuckered and need to relax. This will be the end of this transmission from this location for today. Blessings to one and all for a tremendous weekend. We're looking for an exciting day of fun tomorrow that might involve floating again, and a great Sunday screening of our annual classic "Seven Year Itch" with Sarah & Otto. It involves audience participation in what's happening on the screen, so that's always fun! We've even got a charity event meeting on Sunday, along with a screening of the next episode in "The Chosen" for bible study. We're certainly not asleep at the switch around here! (Just saw that it's gone from 101 to 95 degrees in the last 20 minutes, so that's neat!). Later, my baking taters! Stay cool!
August 22, 2024: Well, I didn't put my photo here, since I liked the shot Mrs. Boss took SO much, I put it in the header. It's at the very top of the page, and it's me in a Tommy Bahama shoal chair on my favorite beach in the world. Greg agreed with me that it's a pretty damned good shot and captures my feelings, love and the beauty of this spot. We're already planning "Seagrove '25", and it looks like the group might grow. If you're interested in the caravan of love and sand (hey, that rhymes!) let us know and we'll make sure we extract money for you for the deposit on the house we'll rent! lol! The more the merrier. It sounds like we're up to at least 6 of us, so it'll be hard to tell if we end up in our own house with a pool or a large condo, but that's the adventure of life that God provides! Beach on, peeps!
Hotter than a traffic stop with a kevlar vest out there today! Yikes. Clemente is staying in the shade as much as he can, but it's been tough. He's amazingly productive no matter what, so that helps a lot!
Got to have lunch with Greg at a new spot in swingin' G-Town today. It was very cool. Gold's Cafe (I think that's the name). The menu is classic yet interesting, and the decor is decidedly genuine 1950's mellow. No fake 50's stuff here, but genuine, cool materials with a super color pallet and brushed aluminum light fixtures. Old-school lunch counter, that it would be fun to sit at one day soon. It was packed, so it's a smash success already, I guess. Too funny, when I went to pick up Greg @ the bank, Bill Cox was there, and he asked me if we were going to Wildfire for lunch. We do that 99% of the time, but weren't today, but he told me the new cafe sounded pretty good. We support Bill's place every chance we can get, so it's all good.
After lunch, I headed to Subaru of Georgetown for an underwhelming test drive of the Lincoln Continental. Sales associate I had an appointment with wasn't coming in today, afterall. Took the car for a spin, and even though I loved the design more than the Lexus LS 500 (more old school chrom-y for that price point) the road noise was substantially louder. It rode great, and had it been 50% quieter, it would probably be my choice at this point, but too loud-ski! Next up: Lincoln Navigator. We will see how it goes. I'm tentatively looking at one after my appointment with Dr. Liu on Tuesday, so we shall see. I've been told that I might be pleasantly surprised. I need to be at that price tag. Are you picking up on the skinflint, cheapo, tightwad vibe I'm laying down here? Just checking. After that, hopefully, we'll have a choice (so far the Lexus by default, I guess) and I'll look at the online lists for squishy-est ride and will lock in our choice. This way, when Mr. Sinatra gets to his closing number, we'll be ready with the next act to be wheeled on the stage.
Oh, and surprise coolness alert. Currently working on a covert ops vehicle investigation that could end up quite excellently. Don't forget, it's always important to have the best Consigliare in your stable at all times. Those of you who are regular readers know who that is! :)
BTW, patty melt at Gold's was kick ass. Brought the second half home to Mrs. Boss and she said it was so delicious. We'll definitely go back and sit at the lunch counter! They also served the melt with those little, thin french fries. Freakin' awsome...and for those who are allowed to enjoy it, they even serve al-co-hol.... :)
Freakin' surface of the sun temps are supposed to be better next week. Randi sent a message this morning and the boat is tuned up and will hit the waves this weekend. We're going to pick it up tomorrow and see what happens from there.
Otherwise, not much happening. Ordered vitamins, looked at cars and kept up with FB today. Not much else is of interest with the heat! :(
Hope everyone is staying cool-ish. Hang loose, grab a pool noodle and get in the water under the deck between the pontoons (free boat charters are available for locals this weekend!). It's life-changing when its XXX outside! Gots to go, peace love and ketchup on some of your fries, taters, bye!
August 20, 2024: Had a great canal-side seat at Captain Anderson's for our traditional, annual meal. It was fun celebrating Ronny and Ann's anniversary there this year, but it would have been WAY better had they been with us for the fun. Congrats to our two West Texas lovebirds on another year together!
annnnnnnnd... Howdy all y'all! Up at at 'em mighty early this morning....like 0400 hours early! Body was ready to get up and we'll see how long I last before I have to head to the shower, Austin, Dr. Liu's, 99 Ranch Market, and the Lexus dealer. Whew. And Today has less on it than tomorrow's calendar markings!
Enjoying some left over coffee this morning. Took some pain meds for my hip area, and hoping that Dr. Liu can work some "Ancient Chinese Secret, huh?" (60's TV reference there for you young whipper snappers) medicine on me with the needles today. Love the part where I get to wander about in 99 Ranch Market afterward, and Lisa and Bert are going to join me the next time after my Liu experience so that we can see all the Asian foodstuffs together and have lunch!
After that, it's step #1 in actually driving a Lexus LS 500. Covert Cadillac has a pre-owned in inventory (allegedly) and Lexus of Austin has 3 new 2024's on their lot. Anxious to drive one, since we're about 11,000 miles away from saying goodbye to Mr. Sinatra. Getting a buyer for him won't be an issue (we've already got folks interested!) and it'll be fun having a new car. Research on ride and reliability are in progress. S Class Mercedes is out due to reliability. Going to drive the Navigator, as a chance to combine 2 vehicles into one, but already know it won't have my Florida ride that I enjoy. Apparently the Audi A7 is an option (I know nothing about them) and we're also considering the Continental... Getting the make and model picked out so that when it's time to pull the trigger on this deal we're not scrambling to make it happen. Since our most likely pick is the LS 500, and we might have to go to freakin' Houston to find one we want, the sooner we know what's next, the better. Actually put the monthly social security check in the bank yesterday and have enough for a Mustang converible for myself as well, but the tightwad living inside me will not consider it while the Z3 sits cutely and efficiently in the carport. Too hot to drive anything today without a/c, so Mr. Sinatra is making the Austin run!
Had some hand.me.down shirts finally disintegrate during the Florida trip (thanks for the donations, however, Dr. S. Casey and Ronny P Gray!) and looked on eBay for something to replace them. Nothing jumped out at either of us, so Mrs. Boss is going to stop @ Ross and Marshall's to see what she can stumble on during her next trip to Temple for rehearsal. I've also got a new Paul Fredrick catalogue to look at that's sale merch, so we'll see. Mrs. Boss' New Year's Eve gown arrived from J. Peterman yesterday and is a winner! She looks great it in, as she does in everything. She's already picked out her NYE jewelry for the dress so is basically 1 up-do with the hair away from the party! Planning is everything!
We're hoping BCO can stay for NYE this year, and all we have to do is put a shotgun in his back to get him a black suit and we'll accessorize it when we get home.
Last night's planning meeting for the FOSPL event in October a the chapel was a great use of time. Yours truly is going to play a part in the upcoming production, so I need to start getting ready for that!
Going to dress cool for my trip to Austin today. I usually go directly from Mass, but today's appointment is on a non-Mass day, so I'm doing the casual route. Good thing, since it's supposed to be something like 158 degrees outside today. lol. Amazingly, Mrs. Boss, Otto and Sarah have kept everything growing while we were in Florida, and we're so ready for Clemente to trim this place up from bizarro undergrowth/weeds in the very near future!
Ordered the replacement library book yesterday for the one I washed in the hot tub! All worked out fine, and the RV has been picked up from hail damage repair as well. This means EVERYthing damaged by the hailstorm in April is fixed, and we pray THAT doesn't happen again, evah! We're looking forward to book club, since Bert and Lisa and I are going to make the potato balls together tomorrow and Bert and I will be enjoying a cigar in the shade at some point. I love it when the book club meeting has an Irish potato theme! We'll see what book we pick next, but I'm enjoying the last few pages of the Rom Commers this week, and loved it very much. The author has many other titles, so I'm in and need to check it out on the SPL Biblionix page.
Loving Richard and Trey Cashion on their podcast. If you're interested, let me know, since it's very spiritually encouraging! It's cool to listen to a podcast of someone you know!
It was our once.a.week treat to go to bed last night with it nicely made from Elena's visit! She gets this cottage so clean that yesterday when I brought the RV back from Heights, I could smell the clean from the driveway 1/2 to the door with it closed. She's amazing and we're thankful!
I mentioned the coffee, but we hope to try the new stuff tomorrow. I ordered Blackout Coffee from the Dan Bongino show, and can't wait to taste it. Did a $100 order to get free shipping (I'm one of THOSE people!) so we won't need coffee for quite some time!
It's the little things, really. Mrs. Boss and I bought cool school composition books for 50 cents each at Walmart in Florida, and splurged on a $3.88 box of multi-colored rubber bands, since we're always looking for one. The colors are so perky and fun and we've already used a couple on our phase 10 cards! Speaking of Phase 10, I need to order another set of those. We play so often that they get dog-eared, worn and cracked from use!
Ok, that's about all the news that's fit to print. I'm having trouble posting to FB and I don't think it's my fault (except for my political views!) so hopefully, dear reader, you'll check back here without a prompt from time to time, since the reminder post doesn't always 'take'. Later, my mashed taters! Blessings!
August 19, 2024: We're back! Another great trip to the Emerald Coast for the two of us AND Mr. Sinatra. We're figuring he's got one more Seagrove trip in him before he gets replaced, so it's all good. This photo isn't my best, but neither is the subject. Tracy - our excellent server who has helped us before - provided us 2 new plastic glasses that were just like these that we used to enjoy our virgin mocktails with before supper. The mocktails were actually very good, but the glass is rather sad and soviet-looking. We'll probably use them a time or two in the spa, but otherwise, the cocktails with real jet fuel in them get served in better glasses!
I am growing rapidly less interested in facebook. I restarted my X account today and will work on getting this website notice out when it gets updated. FB just isn't letting me put pictures and posts out as easily as I used to, and I figure there may be a reason for that? Anyway, knowing how the platform and programming are being manipulated makes it less exciting as a product for sure. We'll see how it goes.
Enjoying my very early morning constitutional beverage. A bit of tea with some additives should make for a nice jump start for the day. I woke up at 03:00 dark-thirty for some odd reason, but figured I'd jump out here to check things out. Mrs. Boss will be up soon and I'll probably go back to bed with our next stop being Elena's arrival @ 8a. A bit of a shower, and then the plan is to head off to Lone Star RV to pick up the rig. Have another 'in town' visit planned today, so we'll see how that goes as well.
Enjoyed talk radio and audiobooks on the way to/from Florida. Got re-connected with Dr. Richard Cashion's podcast "The Joy of Medicine" and was reminded of what a great job he and Trey do on this cast. Give it a shout when you have time. The topic and the content don't match just right, which makes the whole thing far more interesting. We're thankful for podcasts, and they've really brought a lot of entertainment to us!
Ate very badly @ the coast, so we need to get serious about salads, diakon and barley! I've got an appointment with Dr. Liu tomorrow (didn't realize it was coming up so quickly) and that also means a fun trip to 99 Ranch Market to visit the Asian foods and treats within. It's a great adventure and I appreciate Hettie and Chad for turning me on to Dr. Liu!
Wednesday looks like a jam-packed schedule day, so that'll be fun. I've also got to get a booking sheet out the door for a wedding that we booked (PTL) the day before we left for Florida. All will come together in His time.
Speaking of Him... I loved Richard's podcast endorsement of the quick prayer phrase, "Jesus, I trust in you". I think it's another fast grab'ngo prayer that you can offer up as the situation in your life unfolds minute by minute! Fun stuff.
Going to have to buy a couple of new summer shirts, as I had one comepletely rot off of me during the trip and another fixing to go. Not sure if I'm going Ralph Lauren or Tommy Bahama on this one, but will see what tremendous bargains I can come up with from my friends at eBay.
Just heard Mrs. Boss' alarm, so guess I'll close and head back to bed. She'll be amazed to see me up! Later, my gaters, and don't forget that the coolest book club in greater north America is meeting this week if you're interested. We can dial you in on where to be and when so that you can have your mind expanded by this great group of folks!
August 7, 2024: Well, I messed up the posting of this photo and put it in the wrong spot that disrupted the segway on the previous post. It's clearly not important enough for me to try to fix the problem. Figure it out, people... The photo above is my official 'boating' hat. There have been very few times I've taken the helm of the craft without this chapeau on my head. Otto and Sarah bought me this, and it's perfect for my world afloat. Just before we leave for the lake, I have to put on my aqua shoes and my official Barrow Captain's hat! Love me some tradition!
Trying to enjoy some delicious brown sugar oatmeal with cooked blueberries, but the freaking product is so damned hot, I'm burning my mouth. I will win this one, however.
Speaking of delicious, Elise's dinner visit last night changed my life. She introduced me to a delicacy from the world 'down under'. Australian Tim Tams! Incredible and amazing. Apparently, these lovelies are for sale at some WalMarts. I can also order them online.... since they're primarily marketed in 40 countries, with the weakest distro link in the States. Go figure! Anyway, these confections have officially changed Easter Sunday (our second largest chocolate consumption day of the year @ the ranch) forever. My new goal is to work on having Tim Tams for Easter each and every year. I love having a goal! :)
Oatmeal is at the right temp. Knew you'd be pleased. :)
Dressing cool again today. Supposed to be over 100 with temps tomorrow hitting 106. Wow. These are great times to have a boat to hide under while you're in the lake!
Need to organize today, so we'll see how we do. I'm also thinking a nap could be in order. I made it to Mass this morning and then took Mr. Sinatra to Chris' to have the power window switch fixed. As usual, Stacy fixed it in 0.0 seconds flat, and at a good price. We're so blessed to have that team behind our 6-vehicle rolling stock!
I feel a bit of yukata coming on with these temperatures. Swimming and striving to stay cool!
Loving the Molly Murphy detective series. Probably a chick series, but so far it's a good reflection of the early 1900s. Planning on getting some reading done in the next few days, but you just never know.
Listening to Matt Walsh. He's my fave pod cast host.
The markets seem to have rebounded from the initial shock of having Kamalala as a candidate. I think the markets are pretty heavily manipulated to not reflect the current sentiment of the investor.in.general. That's just my opinion.
Nap is starting to seem more likely now that the oatmeal is settling in. lol. Who knows what I'll eat next!
Oh, boaters and others with internal combustion engines (virtually all of us!) .... My trusted mechanic @ Randi's has actually told me NOT to use Seafoam in the tank. He says a lot of older guys use it (not sure how I feel about that particular part of our conversation) but he feels very strongly that Stabil 360 is WAY better for motors in boats, mowers, etc. I'm going out on eBay and get some sent to the carport. Love it when an expert makes our life better. We are so blessed with so many wise wrench-throwers that keep the hubcaps turning.
I did put a notice out on the 1963-1964 Cadillac fan page on FB. Have had a few interactions, but hoping that a local-ish owner of a drop top of these two years is ready for sale and not teal/federal blue, which seems to be the only color car we can find! :) Thankfully, the Lexus is not going to be white or silver, and it doesn't come in teal.
Really enjoyed watching "Australia" with a genuine, bonified Australian last night. Elise brought the shepard's pie, tim tams and we had a salad. She even understands the "NEAL" drinking game that accompanies the film. Fun evening!
Ok, a genuinely ramblish post. Sorry about that. Blessings to one and all! Eat good beef, thank God for potatoes and walk with a smile. Life is good. Blessings, and later-mashed taters!
August 5, 2024: I'm not sure if this boating day was last year or this year, but I definitely noticed that I'm not wearing my official "Captain's" hat that Otto and Sarah gave me from Barrow. Anyway, it was clearly another great day on the water, and we've got another one coming up very soon! After that, the party barge is going into Randi's to be tweaked and adjusted. Should run even better....
Elena is on her way to the house for cleaning. Everything will be sparkly shiny in no time at all!
YIKES, the markets are supposed to be adjusted pretty large today. The Japanese markets were down as much as 7% and our futures markets didn't look good. We'll see what happens. I had no idea that the Dow dropped over 600 on Friday! All will be well, and adjustments are ok. Collapses are not...always in the back of our heads!
No breakfast yet, but a nice cold beverage AND a cup of cafe at the workstation this morning. I like to live in America - Rita Moreno, West Side Story....
Dressing cool again today. Haven't checked the weather, but figure it's the surface of the sun again today. Yikes, yesterday afternoon was significant in the heat zone! It was nice by cigar time after bible study for the mini-men's group, but will probably be hot-ski again today! Maybe I can get in the hot tub later. The book club book is finished. Meh ending from my perspective, but I'm getting started on a mystery book set in 1905 that came from the Book Ends sale. Looks already like it's going to be ok.
Hopefully, the election run up continues to look good. I think as they report on Kamala's track record, it'll be better and better.
Wearing the Brooks shoes each day is helping the back tremendously. Just can't wear the croc flippy flops all the time anymore. Not enough to support. Gallstones are growling this morning and did last night. We'll continue to pray for relief. It was great yesterday but kinda crappy last night. Looking forward to my next session with Dr. Liu since he knows what he's doing with the needles. Also love my new ritual trip to 99 Ranch Market after my acupuncture appointment. Freakin' awesome Asian supermarket for sure.
Power window switch getting repaired this week on the Lincoln. It was kind of going out, but now is pretty much kaput-ski. Wasn't really going to mess with it, but it's kind of a pain in the ass @ the drivethru. Still on the sniffy hunt for another convertible, but decided again this weekend that it needs to be air conditioned. We weren't going to require that, but after this weekend when Mrs. Boss had the Lincoln, the truck was attached to the boat.....the only a/c car I had was the Fleetwood. It did very well in 100 degree temps. The BMW had a/c, but had a leak that Chris couldn't find. Sounds like it's not worth messing with at this point. Most of the time, the droptops are wind.in.your.hair kinda rigs, but the a/c requirement was serious this weekend! Melty.
Still off dairy. Don't know if it's helping, but it's worth a try... Took some meds before bedtime, and had a creative old west dream sequence involving very detailed, aggressive rattlesnakes and very large blackberries. Fread-a-delic, man! :)
Ok, well, nothing new otherwise to report. Hope everyone is having a zippitydoodah kinda day. Stay cool, think positive, and make your direction HIS direction. Everything else will work out.
August 3, 2024: I've changed one of the header photos to reflect the BEAUTIFUL zinnias @ Mrs. Boss' workstation in the parlor. She really knows how to get the maximum blooms out of these babies.... way better than me! We've already picked out our colors for next year, but are holding off on our order from Wildseed Farms, since $45 in seeds was going to have a $10 shipping charge. We've got plenty of time, and eBay is a better value with free shipping, so we'll go to that again. We did that last year and it worked out great. There is a set of fire-engine red dinner plate zinnias in this year's crop that I just can't believe. They're absolutely MASSIVE and beautiful. We love our zinnias...
Just finished off two Van's gluten-free frozen waffles and an english muffin. Mrs. Boss is in San Antonio for the National Flue Conference so I'm "Home Alone III" with the girls. We're more than half way through the watering of the gardens, and haven't quite made it to the spa or Belton for drugs from Dr. Matt, but we haven't been slacking since we got up. Can't discuss how late we got up this morning XX:XX, since it'll be a disparagement against all Irishmen everywhere. :)
I'm dressed cool, since it's supposed to be 101 today. Amazingly, while I'm watering sections and hooking up automatic waterers, it doesn't feel that bad. A bit of a cloud cover has helped, but it looks like it may be gone. We sure had a great day on the lake yesterday, and are looking forward to another scheduled float in the next couple of days. Let us know if you'd like to join us. April came out with us yesterday, and then she made shrimp scampi and we enjoyed that during a game of Phase 10 where Mrs. Boss won again! All was fun in the sun, however.
Nothing on the agenda for household improvement at this point, but will work towards that spa experience. I'm headed down to the chapel to get a light bulb for a lamp in the bedroom, and there was another thing I should have written down, and didn't. Hopefully, I'll think of it, but it's probably not important.
Boat ran a little less than optimum yesterday. I'm thinking sparky plug or fuel filter. Tried to see if Will was available to help me this weekend, but I think he's gone. With the right SPW (spark plug wrench) I think I can replace those and the fuel filter shouldn't be that big of a deal. Worst case scenario, we'll do our next boating trip and then see how backed-up Randi is @ Bingham Marine to see if they can take a quick tune up look at it. Always a balance between capability and laziness around here. Fun to see what wins! :)
Now that I attempted to drive a Lexus LS500 at the dealer, they're (as expected) driving me mad with phone calls and texts. "We found another one that's everything you wanted" - except that it's white, and that (+ silver) are the only two colors Mrs. Boss DOESN'T want, and I told him this. No largie, since we're still 13,500 miles to go before the Lincoln gets sold, so we've got plenty of time. Do want to drive one (any color, thank you) to see if they'll be an acceptable replacement for the squish of Mr. Sinatra.
Just moved the automatic waterers. Thank God for those that help us attempt to make things live during XXX temp days! Yikes!
Lots of clothes to be hung up and the kitchen looks like an F5 came through last night. Will work on that
improvement soon....
Thinking about a two car garage to add to the outbuilding collection. Need a clean, dry spot for my new floor jack! :) We've got the poured foundation from the old pump house that could be used as just a shed, so that'll work, too. We shall see! If Tim is available, we may start talking with him about such a deal.
Still working on the book club book and liking it. I've decided to use a 3x5 notecard to jot down key thoughts about plot/motivations/etc as I go along. That way I can finish it when I want and still sound somewhat lucid when I lead the discussion @ the meeting. It's looking more like I can be at the next meeting....yeah.
Looking forward to bible study tomorrow night! Good crowd coming, as well!
Ok, off to finish some of the exciting things on my to-do list... Blessings to one and all for a great weekend. Eat something yummy, say a prayer, and hug someone! Later, sweet-pa-taters!
August 1, 2024: Only 24 days until a major milestone! Woohooo! --- I had to laugh today when I saw this window vinyl @ the Discount Tire location in Georgetown. I even sent it to my bible study Rabbi. Wouldn't mind one of these, myself. Cute.
Wasted a trip to Hewett Volkswagen in Round Rock/Georgetown. Saw that they had a Lexus LS 500 that I was thinking of driving to see if I liked it. I verified yesterday that the vehicle was available, and when I arrived today, it had been sold. I think it had been sold a long time ago, based on how long it'd been a listing...kind of irritating, but no biggie. Probably won't buy one from a dealer, anyway, but thought it was a good chance to drive one to see if we want to go in that direction. Would get the S-class Fritz, but know that the reliability isn't as good and the repair costs are terrifying! Still have 6 cars in the stable, so it's not like we're running out of them. We got to take the Fleetwood to the library meeting last night, and it was fun. The 1973 air conditioning is excellent, as well. It reminds me that if I have to pay XX,XXX for a classic convertible in the future, I want to be sure that the a/c is functional and has been fully refurbished.
April joined me for Mass this morning and then we went to McCain's for breakfast. I specifically ordered the egg sammich without cheese, but got it anyway. McDonald's is going to be a welcome change, too. Two fried eggs, two slices of Mrs. Baird's bread, an American cheese slice in a sammich with coffee was $16. Nah. It's crazy out there. I think the sausage-egg-cheese McMuffin is a better value! Not as much ambiance, but way better price! :)
Warm out there, and it looks like we're looking at XXX degree temps for at least 14 days. Slow start to the summer, but it's heeeeerrrreeee. No largie. Thank you, Jesus and Mr. Carrier for a/c! :) (Another vote for a classic convertible WITH a/c )
Not much going on here @ the casa otherwise. Mrs. Boss has headed out for a beauty treatment, and is getting me dairy free ice cream on the way home, so life is good. I'm getting a head's up text from her when she's en route, so we'll have a bit of leftovers with some jumbo shrimp in it for modification. Hoping for Phase 10 and Mr. Monk tonight! :)
Listening to Bongino. I realize that whatever president we get won't be the end of the country, unless there's no foreign policy savvy (one candidate is better than another here) that causes the expressway and drivers to turn to green glass. That's our biggest downside. Lord, please watch over us. The Secret Service/FBI investigation from this is something out of a cheap kung fu movie. Sad.
I should have stopped at the ATT store when I had the chance earlier today to see if they can sell me more memory for my phone. When I researched it on the net, it's not clear if they can, and they'd probably just want to sell me a new phone, but it's worth a try. Too bad the Belton ATT store is so crappy....maybe I'll still give them a try one of these days.
Dinner with Angie and James is cancelled, but boating is on! We'll reschedule with A&J and are also looking forward to the lake. Supposed to be beastly hot @ launch time, so that'll be nice....
I grabbed a Lemon Brisk iced tea @ Wally World today and had forgotten how much I loved it. I'm sure it's filled with bad stuff, liquid plastic, and poisons, but DAMN, it tastes good. I still think vodka is probably healthier, but Dr. Matt disagrees. lol. Bottle gone. Back to the toxic MIO drink! :)
Mass was great today, although it was really Eucharist Service, since Fr. is still allergy-impaired. Deacon Buddy did a great job with the gig, and we're appreciative of him.
Looking into hotel rooms for our first night on the road to Florida. Probably Beau Rivage, and Bruce says that after we get the players club card, the next stay will probably be discounted or free. Cewl. I'll check with Mrs. Boss to see if she wants me to book, but I have a feeling she will. It's nice to know you have a plan on where to stay after a long day on the interstates!
More pages finished on the book. Still liking it. Just one click less than I did, but still a good book so far. I'm @ about 50/50 on getting to go to the next meeting, so we'll see what happens.
We're talking about a new garage. May need to talk with Tim about it one day soon.
Ok, absolutely 0.00 other things to talk about. Hope everyone is doing well, and praying for each other. I went over the prayer list in my head to the best of my ability on my knees @ Mass this morning. Gots to go, gator-taters! Blessings for a great one!
July 30, 2024: I love a photo that speaks to you for some weird reason. This was on the front porch this Easter or last, and certainly Cindy made the arrangement. Something about this picture is serenity, grace and comfort for me. I deleted so many pictures on my phone, but couldn't dump this one. I guess it was meant to be shared, and hope it speaks to you with a message...
Up before 5 a.m. this morning in one of those weird sleep cycle daystarts. Felt rested, wanted to talk with you, was actually hungry.... Not my usual 5 a.m. routine!
I feel like we've gone Palm Springs. Mrs. Boss is pretty much on gluten-free stuff, and I'm avoiding dairy @ Dr. Liu's suggestion. We're buying weirdo things at the grocery store, but both keeping an eye on the intake. If we start wearing any hand-macrame items, we'll let you know. We're not QUITE that freaky deeky yet! I bought the Van's gluten free wafflass (that's waffles for most of you, since I have a special name for them...) in the 'ancient grains' flavor at the BB69. Had one the other day and nyet. It was a gluten-free hockey puck with too much fako seasoning and a meh experience all around. Figured I'd try the blueberry gluten free during my domestic shopping trip yesterday. Had one just now and it was ok. At least it's edible, unlike ancient grains. Live and learn, I say! Bought a crap-ton (Angie's phrase!) of Blackout coffee with the Dan Bongino discount code, and will enjoy it when it arrives, I'm sure. I'm back to drinking coffee again (seriously, Cap? oat milk?!?!?!) and adding something other than genuine moo-juice is WAY more happy than I thought it would be. I think my digestive tract is more happy with two weeks of basically no dairy, too. We'll see. I may have lost 3.4 ounces on the scale as well. Kind of too afraid to go look! :)
Today's only adventure on the planner is my visit to Dr. Matt's to check out my swollen ankles. Thankfully, it comes and goes, (more goes than comes, actually) and yesterday it wasn't a swell fest at all. Just wait. 15 minutes before my appointment, they'll swell up all of a sudden and make it look like I'm a kidney/cardiac case! I really think most of it was wearing the croc flip flops ALL the time. Even though I don't have an arch, I think that lack of structure in the shoe department is causing drama in ankle land. We'll see. Dr. Matt will probably see the watermelon swelling that'll ironically happen today and refer me to 3 docs. I had salt with my barley last night, so the mid-day appointment should be just right to go in there looking like a circus act. "The Incredible Swollen Ankle"... It's really not been that bad, but just hate it when Matthew is always right. :)
Need to tidy the kitchen. Maybe some of that will happen. Have about 39 things on the to-do list, and they don't seem to be coming off the list very quickly. I'm hoping to order zinnia seeds for next year, and ALSO need to pick zinnias for Dr. Matt's office and Mrs. Boss' work area this morning. See? I'm busy. :)
Liking the start of this month's book club book. If I can work out making the meeting I will, but will know more as it gets closer. Have been reading some pretty cool books lately, and the Book Ends library sale was a bonanza of bargains!
It was fun wearing my pale grey frock coat to the wedding here last weekend, and the tie/vest combo were kind of daring and never.before.seen.on.stage. The whole thing came together nicely, and I'm thankful to God I have such nice clothes in so many varieties for church, events, weddings, etc. PTL!
Yapping on chat with a guy who has a '69 Sedan deVille in Belton. I've seen the car before, and even asked about it, but prices are so high, and the convertible life is preferred. Never hurts to kick some tires, however!
Fixin' to get back to slumberland here in a minute. Post waffle napperschtein, perhaps? At least it'll keep my little traitorous ankles elevated. heheh. The hot tub helps, too, and Mrs. Boss and I really enjoyed our soaky reading session yesterday. We hope to replicate it again today!
Blessings to one and all. Thanks for tuning in, and please have an excellent day! Later, mashed-taters!
July 29, 2024: The recipe above was a product of our book club book by Amor Towles, "Table for Two". One of the characters in one of the stories described the BEST roasted chicken of all time, and I copied it down. We've made it twice, and it's awesome. Crispy skin, moist meat and a nice Sunday dinner feel. We're about due for one, and will buy our chicky @ L and R in Belton. It's even great for making chicken salad with the leftovers!
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