Tuesday And We Are Sitting Low

Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 by Paul

Fact: Although it may sound counterintuitive, your small intestine is actually the largest (internal) organ in your body.

There appears to be a post-surgery complication; nothing serious but discomforting by any stretch of the imagination.  So we stayed inside and watched TC.  Finally, Mary made a call and described the problem, and a CT Scan was ordered.  As per usual, everything got complicated, so the CT is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 PM.

We are going to the Mission Inn on the 27th!; thank you Robin!

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Posted on Monday, October 24, 2022 by Paul

Fact: Vegetables have excellent medicinal properties.  Because they are so widespread and come in many different varieties, they can cure us of many Illnesses and remedies.  Our ancestors saw those benefits and included vegetables and their ingredients in medicine from the earliest days of modern human civilization.

Today was not a great day in terms of my recovery.  Something was happening around the incision, so we called the doctor, who ordered a CT scan of that area.

We binge-watched Gilmore Girls for hours so that I could sit still.  After four hours, both of us had to move.  We decided to go to the Farmy Supply of Orage just afternoon and pick up some additional veggies for the garden.

We go there so often we had to turn down a job; the celery was unacceptable.

They were established 74 years ago!

Did You Know?  Initially established in 1948, Orange County Farm Supply was purchased by John Roy in 1962.  Since that time, it has continuously been owned and operated by the Roy family.  When the Farm Supply began, it indeed was a farm supply, selling agricultural products such as fertilizers and chemicals, farm equipment, and seed and fencing to all the local farmers.

Through the years, we have transitioned to what the local economy was interested in.  Even though farmers are still shopping with us, our customers are mainly homeowners and garden enthusiasts.

Returning home with a full trunk of veggies, we started turning the soil and adding perlite into the ground to separate the soil from itself.  The next task is to add redworms into the soil; Amazon, here I come.  And voila, 400 redworms will be delivered on the 28th, and I will put those babies right into the ground.

We used hand shovels to turn the soil since it was so soft.  Note to self: Remember the gloves.

The perlite is worked into the ground.

We put the new fancy whirrlygig’s in the garden to keep the pests away; so far, so good!  They look amazing when the wind is blowing.

Mary, go me this time; I am wearing my tunny support which does help!

I was not 100% today, so I took it easy!

We are in “finger $3” or the third row from the east wall.  This garden is a pretty good size, but we are being VERY careful not to plant things too close together.

Doing it right is essential.

Row #3 is in, so it is time to water, which we must do by hand until

The veggies are planted, and we have peas to go.

We finished up around four and decided to take it easy.  I took a shower, and Mary fined a lite dinner; we continued to watch the Gilmore Girls.  We are in the last season, so that we will be done soon.

We talked to Robin, and the adventure to the Mission Inn is set for the 27th!  Another great tradition.

Mission Inn 2021; mid-COVID, but we went anyway!

We can hardly wait as we drive to the Duda’s and see their decorations.

We are going to the Mission Inn on the 27th!; thank you, Robin!

By the end of the day, I was not up to par and crashed early.

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We Planted Some Winter Veggies

Posted on Sunday, October 23, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  The first vegetable garden allotments recorded in history were set up in the 1790s as a response to food shortages and poor harvests.

It was a fantastic day for gardening.  We jumped up, sat in the hot tub, and attacked the garden.  We have soil, so I added some amendments, acidic for the berries and standard for the veggies.

We enjoy gardening!

After working for three hours, it was time to sit and have a beer!  Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

I am taking a break!

Mary used the watering wand to control the amount of water we wanted.  Today, we tried to water the base of the plants to ensure the roots were in contact with the new soil.

Mary was watering the crops!

We also added perlite to the soil.  In horticulture, perlite can be used as a soil amendment or as a medium for hydroponics or starting cuttings.  When used as an amendment, it has high permeability and low water retention and helps prevent soil compaction.

Three berries are in the ground.

The perlite will keep the soil from compacting and assist with water movement.

Mary planted strawberries, red cabbage, garlic, and other wintertime veggies.

It begins!

Mary went to the stove and began her magic while I went to the bread machine and did a loaf of Stilton Cheese Bread.  We put together a Meals On Wheels kit and headed to Jan’s.  We brought everything for dinner and joined her for an evening of fun.  All in all, it was a good day!

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Things Got A Little Dirty Around Here!

Posted on Saturday, October 22, 2022 by Paul

Fact:   It takes up to 500 years to produce one inch of topsoil. 2. 10% of the world’s carbon dioxide is stored in soil. 3. Soil is technically the bottom of the food chain, while also being the foundation of earth. 4. There are more microorganisms in one handful of soil than there are people on this planet.

Carlos, our landscaper, and his crew showed up at 8:00 AM this morning and began work.  They had five wheelbarrows going for six hours moving 25 yards of dirt from the driveway to the garden.   Roughly, a yard of dirt weighs in at 2,000 pounds so we moved 50,000 pounds from the front to the back!

I used to own a wheelbarrow full of four-leaf clovers.  But then I realized I really shouldn’t push my luck.

The parade of wheelbarrows begins!

As soon as the bed was ready, I staged the blackberries. Blackberries are an edible fruit of the Rosaceae family, which are commonly consumed raw, or in desserts, jellies, jams, pies, crumbles, and can even be made into wine. Blackberries, like most berries, are extremely high in antioxidants, fiber, and a variety of other health promoting nutrients.

Tomorrow they will be planted; in March we will have berries!

The dirt was perfect; 50% topsoil and 50% mulch!

We filled four beds.

Carlos made sure the soil went to the top of the beds and he had to manually move some of the soil after it was watered.

I used to be able to do that!

The crew worked for almost seven hours transporting the 50,000 pounds of dirt to the garden.  We have to do another 30,000 pounds later on in the week.

The crew was great!

They cleaned up afterwords and the driveway looked better than before the load arrived.

Twenty-five yards of soil got moved!

This evening was “Pierogi Night” as the Duda’s came over and we went to a Polish Deli and got our supplies.   There is a Polka Deli on Tustin about two miles from our place; we went shopping.

They have a wide selection of Polish foods imported directly from the homeland!

Bob won this magnificent bottle of wine doing “pineapple bowling” at the Elks lodge!  It took us a while to get it opened as we did not have a LARGE wine opener.

Mary found a decanter and it worked well.

Did You Know? The purpose of decanting is to give the wine a chance to breathe. Oxygen is introduced to it either by transferring the wine into the decanter or glass and left on the counter for a few hours. Slowly pouring the wine into a decanter lets it absorb oxygen, opening up the aromas and flavors.

 

Chef Bob starts off the evening with a 3-liter bottle of wine.

Bob never spilled a drop.  MAry works in the background keeping the sauce stirred.

He did not miss a drop!

We talked about our costumes and everyone said I needed a Trident.  So, I went to Amazon, and voila, my trident.  I ordered it and it will come tomorrow.  I love Amazon!  The word “trident” comes from the French word trident, which in turn comes from the Latin word tridens or tridentis: tri “three” and dentes “teeth”.

My costume is now complete

Dinner is served and it was OUTSTANDING.  The four of us laughed and giggled for two hours and then we watched Corpse Bride because that is what Nick and his lady are going to be for Halloween.

Perogie’s are coming.

We had five flavors of Pierogi this evening including sauerkraut, potatoes and cheese, and spinach!  They were all fantastic.

Delicious!

They were so good we all went to a second helping.

With genuine Polish sauce!

Bob retrieves everyone selection; how he did it, no one knows!

The chef was busy.

We are going back to the Polka Deli and get some more of that sauce; it was amazing.

Love that sauce.

We walked about the garden a lot and this is what it will be like in nine months!

Coming to our home soon!

Robin and Bob departed around 9:30 PM and we watched TV for a little longer before crashing.

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Friday We Were On The Go!

Posted on Friday, October 21, 2022 by Paul

Here are a few fun facts about dirt: 1 Tablespoon of soil has more organisms in it than there are people on earth . 15 Tons of dry soil per acre that pass through one earthworm each year.  1,400,000 Earthworms can be found in an acre of cropland.

We worked in the garden (the small one) today and planted a batch of herbs and greens.  Now Mary can walk outside the kitchen and get fresh herbs all year around.

Mary works the garden.

We were awaiting the arrival of the dirt and right on time, at 3:00 PM sharp, we heard the horn.  We scampered around and spread out tarps on the driveway.  Four trips from Blue Ribbon Supply, just around the corner from ut, filled the driveway!

Honk Honk! The dirt has arrived.

Mary’s car stayed inside while the other two cars took their positions in front of the house!

Twenty yards!

Mary brought the delivery man some fresh muffins, her speciality!

No cars get out of this driveway!

We continued working in the house while watching Gilmore Girls.

We continue binge-watching Gilmore Girls.

Being gluttons for punishment, we went to the Elks to listen and dance to Five Star Band,  It was a super evening.

 

 

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Thursday Was Busy All Day

Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  Your skeleton is made of over 200 bones.  Inside your body are 206 bones, and each bone plays a significant role in making your body’s mechanics function properly.  If a bone is broken, all the bones around it can’t perform their duty correctly.

The Elks was decorated for Halloween, and they did well.  We were afraid to get too near the “guys.”  The spider looked especially hungry.

The lobby of the Elks!

We had an active table this morning, which is always fun.  Bob C. brought a lady friend who may have been a little worried at first, but with the help of Bob and myself, she was ready to leave!

Just Us

George turned 90 today!  Yep, he passed his IQ test with flying colors!  We are so proud of him that we even gave him a fork with which to eat his cake.

Happy Birthday, George.

Great fun with George.  We discovered the secret to his longevity; he eats Beverly’s cake on the way home every week!

OK, Windy, let’s see what you can do.

Returning home, Mary headed for the kitchen and whipped up an elegant dinner.

Mary fixes dinner.

At the end of the evening, we tried on our Halloween costumes!  Do you know which one is which?  I told Mary we ought to trade!

Our costumes are ready!

We crashed as tomorrow is a busy day!

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Slow Day, For Us!

Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 by Paul

Fact:

 

Hello Aces!

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Nada; Today We Relaxed!

Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  When a group of 100 people were polled regarding their relaxation habits, 40% reported that they never purposefully set aside time for relaxation.

My incision was giving me discomfort, so we decided today would be a “slug day.”  We did not even leave the house.

Mary baked bread, and I worked at my desk updating twenty years of Christmas web pages.

We did get a nice present from Colleen:

We promptly put it up to scare the neighbors.

We binge-watched the girls all day long and finally hit the sack at about 9:30 PM; we were pretty rested,

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Happy Birthday Charlotte!

Posted on Monday, October 17, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  When Shirley Temple turned eight, she received 135,000 gifts.

Today we took it easy as we are going to a birthday dinner in Seal Beach at 5:30 PM.  We did a load of errands, including picking up dry cleaning, stopping at CVS, going to TJ’s and Ralph’s market, and the UPS Store.  The list diminished quickly.

A favorite place to stop!

While texting today, a friend gave me some additional secret codes:

BFF: Best Friend Fainted
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered by Medicare
FWB: Friend with Beta-blockers
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!

We headed west at 4:00 PM and got to Patty’s Place at 5:00 PM, where we jumped into our table and had a glass of vino before Charlotte arrived.  Mary passed out some cricket lolly pops; they were a great hit!

We looked up the translation into Danish of “Good Evening” and provided the info to the waitstaff at Patty’s; they did pretty well.

It is a great translator.

We had a delightful dinner and did severe damage to the wine supply.  It was fun all evening.

Dinner time at Patty’s

We headed home around 8:30 PM and promptly went to the Swim Spa.  Doing nothing all day makes us tired.

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We Were Lounge Lizards Today!

Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2022 by Paul

Fact: When we touch something the signal travels to the brain at 124 mph.

Based upon last night, I decided today would be really take it easy day. Around mid morning we did some errands including CVS, Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s market, and a pass by the dirt store.

Well at Ralph’s Murry picked up some sushi for Jan and we already had a case of wine delivered to her house so we stopped there on the way home.

I pulled up a bunch of old pictures from previous Halloween parties and we discussed the people and had a big laugh.

When this person sit down next to me I did not recognize who it was! Duh, it was my daughter Robin.

The other person at the dance came in and sit down at our table and I had no idea who it was. I had to ask and it turns out it was Irene. She looked very spooky.

Wonderful Costume!

The entire rest of the afternoon and evening was dedicated to watching the Gilmore girls and we are currently at season five; only 100 more to go.  By the end of the evening, I was feeling a little better but we turned off the TV and the lights at 10:30 PM.

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Dancing Again!

Posted on Saturday, October 15, 2022 by Paul

Fact: Herbs are distinguished from vegetables in that, like spices, they are used in small amounts and provide flavor rather than substance to food.  Basil, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and dill are all herbs.  The word “herb” comes from the Latin word herba, meaning grass, green stalks, or blades.

Upon going to the kitchen, I found that Scout, the wonder dog, was waiting at the door to be let out and do his business.  He is a good doggy, and who can say no to such a smiling face?

“Daddy!  Let me out!”

While shopping for Halloween items, I found these little buggers.  The humble House Cricket Acheta domestica is easy to raise and turns out to be entirely edible.  These Cricket Lollipops are made with sugar-free Maltitol and are available in four refined flavors.  Domestica is easy to grow and turns out to be completely edible.  These Cricket Lollipops are made with sugar-free Maltitol and are available in four delicate flavors.

Available on Amazon!

What do you call an insect on the moon?  A lunar tick.   Mary and I handed out these suckers to her “special friends.  We got quite a reaction from everybody..”

Who could resist?

We work from about 10 in the morning until three in the afternoon in our garden.  We found a new place outside the kitchen door where we could have herbs and spices.  We got the ground ready, including putting in vermiculite so that we can do some planting this week.

The ground is perfect for herbs and spices.

The lettuce is doing quite well.

We already have several lettuce plants, and we’ll fill the rest with herbs from the local herb store.

We always get her permission first!

We asked the Witcher was OK for us to go dancing tonight, and she said indeed.  It is an Italian night at the Elks Lodge in Santa Ana, and Ronnie, the DJ, will be providing the music.

I wasn’t 100% tonight, so I had my glass of wine for each Italian food and danced a couple of times.  We stayed around because Bob and Donna were there, along with several other good friends.  We headed for home around 9:30, at which time I proceeded to crash.

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Friday And We Are Going Motown!

Posted on Friday, October 14, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  While there may be some heat transfer, frying an egg requires temperatures of at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit.  While some areas have soared into the triple digits at times, that extreme temperature—thankfully—hasn’t been recorded on Earth.

I had a conversation with a friend at the end of the conversation; this cartoon seemed very appropriate.

So very true!

We were up bright and early this morning and decided we might go out and sit by the fire.  Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day.

Scout was making sure we did not use his bed!

What is the fireplace and enjoyed about 15 minutes of quiet and our coffee before mother nature decided to sprinkle us with fresh water.  We went back under the patio cover and finished our coffee before starting the day.

It rained all morning.

Rain doesn’t fall. Raindrops.

We took a stroll through the new garden to ensure that the water was properly flowing into the drains, and we had success; there wasn’t a wet spot of any significance in the garden.

Ready for dirt!

We covered up the chairs and turned off the fire, but it was nice while it lasted.

The 36″ stainless fire ring puts out a lot of heat!

We signed up for an Elks Lodge event entitled visit to Motown.  It featured a nine-piece band, and I figured it would be loud in music I would not enjoy.  I was wrong, the music was terrific, and I even got up and danced.  The girls had a great time doing their line-dancing thing.

Quite a trio!

Yes, they are using agent 99’s trick shoes to communicate with each other.  I would suggest, don’t ask, don’t tell.

Great fun!

The dance floor was busy all night long, with scads of people going on and off the floor.  Mary and I got out there a dozen times and shook my booty even though I didn’t know what booty was.  It was a real pain in the butt.

The music was lively!

What do you call Al Gore dancing?  Algorythym.

We stayed until almost 10 o’clock because we were having so much fun.  We headed home and decided we needed to sit in the hot tub after all that exercise.  It was a good day.

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Ah Thursday; Girls Night Out!

Posted on Thursday, October 13, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  In 1519, the Spanish found out that emperor Moctezuma enjoyed drinking a beverage prepared with chocolate and sweetened with honey. It later found worldwide acceptance known as “milkshakes.”

We departed the house in Precious this morning so she could get out and run a little bit.  We stopped at CVS and the dry cleaners before getting to the Elks.  The regulars were there and we shot arrows back and forth several times.

We stopped at Jan’s to say hello and drop off some goodies and then headed home.  We contacted my doctor and we got the green light to use the Swim Spa.  We stayed in a good hour and then rest of the night was the sweet sound of z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z’s

Indeed!

 

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Out It Comes; No More Pull-Toy

Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  An indwelling urinary catheter is one that is left in the bladder. You may use an indwelling catheter for a short time or a long time.  An indwelling catheter collects urine by attaching to a drainage bag. The bag has a valve that can be opened to allow urine to flow out. Some of these bags can be secured to your leg. This allows you to wear the bag under your clothes.  An indwelling catheter has a small balloon inflated on the end of it. This prevents the catheter from sliding out of your body. When the catheter needs to be removed, the balloon is deflated.

We were in the Silver Fox at 8:15 AM and on our way to Long Beach to have the catheter removed.  The nurse did the procedure, and it was a piece of cake.  To ensure all systems were running, she put in 200 ml of saline solution in the bladder and said, “Pee.”  It took me 1.4 microseconds to return her 200 ml of saline, plus I donated another 40 ml of Class “A” urine.

Mary was a little shocked!

We had time until our 11:30 AM appointment with Robin, so we tally-hoed over to “The Club”.  On the way, I called Charlotte, and she brought her childhood girlfriend, who is over from Denmark, to visit her; the four of us had a good time.

at 11:30 AM, we headed for Seal Beach to meet up with Robin at the Yucatan Grille.

Biden would never find his way out!

I’ve been going to the Yucatan Grill for over 30 years and the food is always great!

Just us!

I woofed it down and even added a little more habanero sauce on top of that.  Tomorrow it ill hurt I am sure!

Shrimp Diablo!

Robin departed for work and we headed home going by Jan’s for a quick visit.

We got into our jammies and watched some TV before crashing.  It has been a good day!

Ready to hit the sack!

 

 

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What Come Out Goes Back In!

Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 by Paul

Fact: Dates on food packages are intended to ensure quality — not safety. They aren’t required by law. (Some exceptions exist, such as infant formula.) So what do they mean? Sell by. This date tells the grocer how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date is passed. Best if used by (or before).

Some of our food was so old the “sell by date” was in Roman Numerals!

Best If Used By/Before: This is a quality assurance date and serves as a “suggestion” for when the taste and quality of food are at their peak. It is not a purchase or safety date.

Use By: This is the suggested date by when you should eat the food. But just because it’s a day or two past the use-by date doesn’t mean that consuming it will make you sick, although you should evaluate the quality of the food yourself after this time. It is not a safety date, except when used on infant formula.

Sell By: This is not a safety date, but rather a date for retailers that helps them determine how long an item should remain on the shelf. According to the IFT, “one-third of a food’s shelf-life remains after the sell-by date for the consumer to use at home.”

With Colleen gone, we needed a latte from Dunkin’, and we decided to send Scout.  The phrase “café latte” literally means “coffee milk.”  He forgot the flavor we asked for and came home with something a little strange.

Note to self: Do NOT send Scout to the store!

We worked all day putting the shelves/cupboards back together.  Mary finally asked me to stop helping so she could think about where everything should go.  Otherwise, I would be standing by ary with an arm full of stuff making her go too fast.  I went into “Honey Do” mode; when she says something, I do it.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow; the catheter bites the dust.  Dr. Ryan called from Detroit and said we could remove it tonight; Mary has the experience and knows how.  We decided to wait because we had to see the local urologist anyway to make follow-up appointments.

After he hung up, MAry was trying to remember how it was done!  We are going to the urologist for sure.

Oh, dear me! What is going to happen??

By 3:00 PM, we were getting close with a lot of “stuff” going to the garage! We found four cheese graters, three juicers, and a myriad of things we did not know where they came from!  A museum will be happy someday!

Wow! Life will be a lit easier now!

We found several “science projects”; some as old as fifteen years!  They got donated to the trash can some of which exploded upon impact!

At around 4:30 PM, Scout started yapping loudly, not like him.   I went outside and was blinded by a flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder; we have a thunderstorm!   I checked my iPhone for lightning; it was coming our way!

“Scout, go get the kite!!!”

We got 1/2″ of rain in 15 minutes! As my dad would say, “It is raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock!” I love those Arkansas sayings!

It cleared up in half an hour, and we went back to watching the Gilmore Girls and finishing up the pantry redesign.

We walked the backyard to make sure the new garden was draining well; it was!

We called Jan to make sure all was well at her house; she made it through the downpour with ease and only called the handsome sheriff’s office five times, looking to be rescued by that handsome officer Jones!

We crashed at 9:00 PM.  It is a big day tomorrow.

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Improvements Keep Coming!

Posted on Monday, October 10, 2022 by Paul

Fact: Many believe Australian Shepherds originated in Australia because of the name, which is not the case.  These beautiful and brilliant dogs are not registered as native Australian breeds.  The breed originated in Spain, and when a group of Basques immigrated to Australia in the 1800s, they brought their herding dogs with them.  Those dogs were known as little blue dogs with bobtails.  These herding dogs were the foundation for creating the Australian Shepherd breed we know today.

But it was only when, much later, they were brought to California that they received the denomination of Australian Shepherd.  Interestingly, the American ranchers successfully bred the Australian Shepherds for herding purposes.

Courtesy of my fantastic son-in-law, Bub Duda!

We were ready bright and early because our drawer people were coming between 8-9 AM.   At 8:02 AM, the door rang, and we were in business.

Colleen removed everything and put it on the formal dining room table, and all we had to do was go through it and put it back.

What do you say to the soup that asks if you can take it out of the pantry?  Sure, Can

The tab;e and the chairs were loaded with goodies!\I asked Mary

I asked Mary why it took all afternoon to eat all the herbs in the pantry.  Because it’s a thyme-consuming activity.

The pantry was bare!  But not for long!

The poor dining room table.

Eric went to work, and we had rollouts everywhere within two hours!

The shelves went in without a single issue with the buzz of electric screwdrivers and an occasional hammer.

11:00 AM, and we are done; now it is time to reload with all the goodies we need to cook.

Ready to be loaded up!

We had big pots and glass tops under the stove, but there was a lot of waste space.

The rollout is on its way!

It was mid-morning, and Mary made muffins for everyone.

Chef Mary made muffins for everyone!

Tom, our handyman, came over and did several chores.  He sealed the attic from the heater closet, moved our paper goods from the garage to the upstairs closet, and got our drains for the garden.

All we need is a sleeve to go over the drain pipes!

Mary made a fantastic pumpkin pasta, and then we went to Jan’s for our meals-on-wheels delivery.  We had a glass of wine and updated Jan on all the medical conditions.

Amazing friends!

We returned home at 8:00 PM and continued to watch Gilmore Girls.

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Sad Day; Colleen Leaves For Home

Posted on Sunday, October 9, 2022 by Paul

Fact: If your home has brass doorknobs, it’s staying cleaner on its own than homes with wood or glass ones. Brass doorknobs will typically disinfect themselves in about eight hours. “This is because the metal ions in brass and copper are actually toxic to mold, viruses, and other living things.

We were up at 5:30 AM getting ready for the drive to John Wayne Airport, a drive we did NOT want to take.  Colleen flies home today, so we are sure the family is anxious to see her.

Scout did NOT want her to go

Bye, Scout, see you soon!

Remember,  when a dog runs at you, whistle for him.

The four of us had a lot of time together.

We have had a ball these past two-plus weeks!

Even at sad times, Colleen always brings a smile to our hearts.  She, Robin, and Mary helped me through Sue’s Scattering of the Ashes in Newport and the follow-on Celebration of Life.  It was easy when you are surrounded by love.

Always there and cring about others!

After we dropped her off, we headed home and worked in the office until late in the day!  I am concentrating on recovery!

Colleen would have enjoyed it!

My theory on housework is if the item doesn’t multiply, smell, catch on fire or block the refrigerator door, let it be; no one cares, why should you?

Keeping the office clean is like being caught in a revolving door.

We binge-watched “The Gilmore  Girls” as Mary is now addicted to the series.  I remember bits and pieces of it as I watched it by myself late into the night when I was alone.  We are in season two, and there are a total of nine seasons with 153 total episodes.  We have a long ways to go.

I told Mary, “I love you like a fat kid loves cake !”

I put together a webpage in the gardening area of our site about the progress of the garden.  It is interesting1

We crashed at 10:00 PM since we have to be up at 8:00 AM when the cabinet installer is coming to visit and make our lives easier!

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More Recovery Underway

Posted on Saturday, October 8, 2022 by Paul

Fact: The most curtain calls ever for a ballet was 89 after Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fanteyn performed their 1964 Swan Lake in Vienna.

Colleen hit the road early today as she is making the rounds of the games with Charle, Alex, and Lily.  Mary and I took a long tour of the garden, deciding what to do first when I get back on my feet.

It was a slow day, and I needed that to continue recovery.  We did some additional decorating, and then we ordered food via the phone.

Actually, Mary made dinner!

Colleen returned home at 5:30 PM and we sat and talked for a while.  We were tired so we hit the sack at 7:30 PM.  It was a long day!

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We Is Home!!!

Posted on Friday, October 7, 2022 by Paul

Fact: While you may hear people bemoaning the nighttime cacophony in their old home, those creaks aren’t all that likely to be related to the age of the house.  The sounds are more likely to result from temperature and humidity changes inside your home, explains Alex Berezowski, owner and general manager of The Foundation Experts.  “Wood is porous and can expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity.  During the wintertime, wood flooring tends to contract, and in the summer, it often expands,” says Berezowski, who notes that if your home’s relative humidity isn’t between 35 and 55 percent, you’re more likely to hear creaks.

We had quite a night last night; sleeping with a catheter is not something I want to do every day!  I did get seven hours straight and then woke up to a slightly wet spot; good thing we had mattress protectors on!   I cleaned up and headed to the kitchen for my morning coffee.

Scout took me outside to see Carlos (our landscaper) and Gary (our mason) and see the progress.  It looks amazing.  We have a garden, all we need is dirt!

Gary is installing the draining system, and Carlos is moving plants from the patio to the rear of the property.

Most of the day, I moved SLOWLY around the house.   Then my pride and joys showed up!  Joe and Colleen got the first part of the whole house fan started, but we called for reinforcements; Zachary joined the fray.

Joe and Zachary worked amazingly together as a team; the two had the fan up and running in minutes!

Colleen assisted her brother!

Joe made the incision in the side of the wall to the left of the stairs, and the rest was easy!

Perfect fit!

Sometimes in the annals of history, extraordinary photos are taken, and the following is one of those; it is titled “Joe’s Reads The Instructions!”

Zachary got the outside job!

“Joe! I am holding it but it weighs 500 pounds!”

If you listen carefully, you can hear him talking to himself…. listen… “No way, can’t e done, oh, I get it.”

Scout helped by blocking the door so that when the fan comes on, little children would not be lifted from the sidewalk and rushed into the house.

Scout offered to block the air from coming in the door when the fan was on; he was so considerate!

Just an hour later, I heard a rush of air, and my shirt slipped off my magnificently proportioned body; the whole house fan was on.

Seven thousand cubic feet per minute; the entire house air is replaced every four minutes!

The boys were in the attic, and there was a snowstorm of recently blown-in insulation, and the attic’s entrance slammed shut!

The air movement was terrific; I opened the window in the master bedroom, and as I walked through the door, I was hit in the butt by the door!

Wow, this will be great at the end of the day!  As soon as the outside temperature drops a few degrees below the inside, we push the button and instantly get a change of air!!

Colleen, Robin, and Mary went to a craft fair in Garden Grove.  Mary did NOT want to go, but I insisted, she had been taking care of me for the past week, and it was time for her to go out with the girls.

Oh dear, lock the garage!!

They returned with bags of goodies, and we sat with Joe and talked for 45 minutes before Jor had to depart!

Mary tells a joke to the girls, “An Amish man and his son are at a mall.  They’re taken aback as they look around.  The son points to an elevator and asks his father, “What is that?” The man says, “I don’t know, son, but let’s watch.” An old, fat woman gets on, and the metal doors slide shut.  A few moments later, the doors slide open, and a gorgeous young blonde gets off.  The man turns to his son and says, “Go get your mother.”

We almost had a skull, but Colleen saved us!

Do you know what’s great about being a skull?  You don’t need no body!

Mary fixed some homemade chili, and Robin, Mary, and I devoured it.  Colleen was being careful of her tummy since she had to ride the airplane Sunday.

I kept looking at Mary and thought to myself, “My dream woman has a special combination of inner and outer beauty and is, most importantly, too naive to know she’s way out of my league.”

Mary put me to bed as I am still connected to “Baggie”, my little friend.  He is such a collector!

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We Are Coming Home

Posted on Thursday, October 6, 2022 by Paul

Fact:  Prostate tissue typically releases small amounts of PSA into your blood.  When the prostate grows, PSA levels increase, and when the entire prostate is removed, PSA levels fall close to zero.  Most procedures to treat an enlarged prostate remove only part of the prostate, which partially decreases PSA levels.

We arrived at the airport at 4:00 AM, and the Alamo folks drove us to AA so we would not have to move our baggage and take a shuttle; very thoughtful!

We departed for Chicago on time and will be in SoCal in 3.5 hours!!  The rise was 45 minutes long in a puddle jumper, but it was a nice Canadair (Bombardier) CRJ900 regional jet, and the airline staff was extremely friendly.

It was a very smooth 45 minute ride1

We dashed from Terminal G to Terminal H with assistance from the wheelchair operator.  We made it with two minutes to spare before boarding started.  I gave him a BIG tip, and he was so excited he danced out of the airplane to the boarding desk; everyone wondered what had happened!

The next airplane was a full-sized Boeing 737, which was nearly new.  We took off on schedule and were at 37,000 feet in minutes.  We were in first class, so we had an excellent meal.  Enchiladas at 37,000 feet, what a way to travel!

This is how I roll!

A friend has bought an old aircraft, taken the wings off, and turned it into a restaurant. I don’t think it will take off.

We were a few minutes late getting in as another airplane requested priority clearance, so we went around once.  We are anxious to get home and see everyone, especially Colleen, Robin, and Joe.

Colleen was johnny on the spot and pulled up right in front t of the terminal.

It must be time to go to bed!

We went to the Elks for a Girls’ Night Out at the Elks.  We did not stay very long as we were both exhausted!  We had not slept for 36 hours.  When we got home, Mary crashed, and I puttered around for a while as I could not find a position for the catheter equipment to operate correctly, and I did NOT want to wake up Mary.  I did get to sit in several chairs which I haven’t set on in months1

The new garden looks terrific, and we will be planting things in a month!  My wife asked me if I thought we needed new garden furniture. I’m sitting on the fence.

Our new sign looked great! By November we ought have some winter plantings started.

It matches the sign on the front door!

I learned from my last garden an outdoor sink to wash the crops will come in very handy!

Mary got an outdoor sink.

Our berries will go in this bed since it gets afternoon sun and has no direct connection to the rest of the yard.  By next summer, we will have boysenberries, blackberries, raspberries, and other great berries growing crazy.

November is an excellent month for planting garlic, beans, peas, cabbage, broccoli, kale, parsnips, chard, radishes, lettuces, carrots, turnips, spinach, collards, and beets,

Cut those greens, add dirt, and we are ready to go!

We visited upstairs, where Colleen had decorated the holiday tree. She did an amazing job.  I member her first date. Watching your daughter being collected by her date feels like handing over a million-dollar Stradivarius to a gorilla.

Our daughters are miracles that never cease to be miraculous… full of beauty, and forever beautiful… loving and caring, and truly amazing.

I was sitting upstairs enjoying the tree.

Tomorrow it gets more orange and purple decorations.

The spooky tree is decorated.

We crashed early; Colleen went to visit her mother in La Mirada, and that went well; we were happy for the good visit.

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