Saturday

I took pictures of the hummer through the sliding door, and I wish I could have gotten closer.  If I just sit in a chair on the porch and wait they may get used to me and ignore my presence.  (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

Everyone enjoyed the pizza, beer, and karaoke.

The last two photos shows the DJ who loves to sing a song to Arianna whenever we are there for the karaoke.  She is super shy, but her Daddy will protect her from all danger!

This is one of the most fun family places I've ever been.  Nothing fancy, but lots of families and kids everywhere you look. 

I really enjoyed the beer, as I knew I would, but I paid the price all night long.  I think I was up making a bathroom trip every hour on the hour.  I don't know that the drink is worth it, although it sure tasted good.  I'll be tee-totaling it for a while now.    

They're back!

I set out a new hummingbird feeder a week ago and was wondering if the birds would ever come back.  Two days ago a big one appeared and stayed for long enough that I could get a good look at him.  I was thrilled and to celebrate I fixed myself a big bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce!  By now there is another smaller bird, plus the "big boy", and I'm hoping more of them get the word.  I just love seeing them and would like to get a picture although I've never been successful in photographing them since I've lived here, probably because I'm too old and decrepit and slow.

It was starting to rain when I went to the farmers market this morning, so I got what I wanted pretty quickly and left.  By the time I got home the rain was much heavier.

Tonight is a Straw Hat Pizza & beer night!  Jeannie and Joe and their families and I will enjoy the evening.  I'm really looking forward to the beer.

Everything okay

Whatever the reason for the tornado warnings, nothing materialized and the rain stopped.  Jeannie stopped by after work and we ended up going to the gym.  I feel better today but have come to the conclusion that I am more stressed about the upcoming surgery than I had realized.  I can't do much about that, but it happens just when I was beginning to feel better than I had in years.  

It isn't easy coming up with something to write about every day, so I might skip a day or two now and then during the next few weeks.  I'm ok and will still check in if I have something to say.  
 

Welcome rain

Although I feel differently when it rains I know we need it desperately so I'm glad it's been raining off and on.  Right now an ominous dark cloud is hovering overhead but I can see the clearing further to the west.  

I just haven't been energetic at all today - didn't get dressed and went back to bed after lunch.  I will be so glad to get this surgery over with although I wonder about the recovery period.

In deciding that I couldn't travel anywhere this year I completely forgot that I have to go to South Dakota to renew my drivers license before November.  I think I can get it renewed up to 180 days prior so I won't have to deal with SD in November.  I don't know whether to fly or to drive, and if I drive then which office would be the best to get the license.  I'd like to go to one of the smaller towns such as Mobridge rather than someplace like Rapid City, but if I fly then it will be into Sioux Falls.  

This is a note to "Sunny Smiles" who left a comment on yesterday's post.  Sunny, you mentioned you have a blog of your own, and I'd like to read it if you would pass along the website.  Thanks.

I'm hoping to have a better day tomorrow.

Oh crap!  About 5 minutes after I published this post we've been issued a tornado warning.

The sun was shining this morning so I did a load of wash.  By the time I was across the street hanging it on the line, the overcast skies looked pretty dismal.  I hung it all up anyway and the sun has been out again for most of the morning.  Just another hour or so will do it.

I just took a batch of blueberry muffins out of the oven.  The cookbook said each muffin was 195 calories, but then I noticed that the recipe was for 12 muffins.  I used a large muffin tin which yields 6 large muffins, and the calorie count would be double!  I don't worry about it now, but realize the day will come when I'll have to get back to a a few less calories a day.  I don't think it will be difficult to do that and I'll feel a lot better when I eat a little less.

The next 2 days are predicted to be rainy and I won't complain, but the the warm sunny days in the 70's have been so wonderful.

My surgery is scheduled for 2 wks from today, and it can't get here soon enough.  I'm starting to notice a few little pains here and there that are probably related to the hernia, although it's possible that my imagination is working overtime.

The mudslide in Washington is turning out to be horrific - there are now 176 persons unaccounted for.  Between the mudslide and the still unsolved airplane disappearance the news is pretty grim. 

Jeannie has arranged a visit to Straw Hat Pizza this Saturday evening.  I will enjoy the meal and of course, the draft beer.  I am in the mood for a couple of mugs of beer - on St. Pat's day I only drank two bottles of non-alcoholic beer.  On the one hand I think about having a beer quite often, and on the other I simply don't want it. 

I just ate one of the blueberry muffins and it was the best I've ever made.  I'll be snacking on another one or two of them today, and probably have the remainder tomorrow.  

I have the TV on and they keep running a commercial that says "If you are current on your mortgage payment, you deserve thanks."  I have never heard of anything so stupid in my life - anyone who is current on their mortgage is only doing what is right.  I'm not saying that a whole lot of people who are behind on their payments don't have a good reason, but "thanks" for paying on time?  Ridiculous!  I guess I should quit on that note - quit watching TV and quit blogging for today!

 

Arithmetic

At 5 yrs of age I entered 1st grade in Sep. 1946.  All through grade school I was very good in arithmetic, and still usually do the math in my head, and then check my figures on paper if it's important to me.  The only time I use a calculator is to figure the fuel cost of a trip - miles / estimated mileage x estimated cost of fuel per gallon. 

But I really wish I had paid more attention in high school math classes - algebra and geometry.  I barely passed these classes, which probably has more to do with my state of mind and the anguish of being in high school, than with my innate intelligence.  I hated high school!  The same with science - as freshmen we had to take physical science which turned out to be biology, taught by the most boring and uninspiring teacher in the school.

When I worked for the COE as a management analyst, my job involved correlation and regression analysis, so I took an Army course plus a college class in algebra, and I loved it.  Was pretty good at it too.

Where am I going with this?  I have been glued to the TV as many people no doubt are, watching the unfolding of the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight. I just wish I could wrap my head around the math regarding air speeds and locations arrived at by radar pings and Inmarstat, etc.  Why was I so sure in high school that I would never ever need to use algebra or geometry in real life?

Speaking of the Malaysian airliner fate, it looks like technology has trumped over decency and good taste.  The families were notified BY TEXT MESSAGE??? of the fate of their loved ones.

I bought myself a gallon of vanilla ice cream this morning plus some chocolate syrup, but forgot the whipped cream.  It will be tasty anyway.

Yesterday was "walk 3 miles day", and tonight is "work out at the gym evening".  I probably can't make anything worse, but I'll try to avoid anything too strenuous.

I should go out and check the weed situation, but it hurts to lean over and pull them.   

Do-nothing Saturday

I'm going to laze around today, although I did go to the farmers market about an hour ago.  

It occurred to me while driving to the market, that I have vision problems, can't hear some sounds as well as I used to, am trying to gain weight and get healthy, and now am facing another surgery.  I should be feeling like crap because everything is against me.  For some reason I don't think I've ever been happier!  Of course I hope I will have a quick and easy recovery, but I can deal with whatever happens.  This is so unlike the old me who needed to be in complete control of my life.  Kinda scary, if you ask me.

I am very pleased with my dentist and the work he is doing and is planning.  Yes, it is much more expensive than if I used a dentist in Los Algodones, which is about 650 miles from where I live.  I sure don't feel like driving that far, finding a dentist and a place to stay while undergoing treatment, especially at a time when the heat is going to be a factor in the southwest.  It's one thing if you are a snowbird living in an RV and in the vicinity to begin with, but I think it would be more than I could deal with just to make the trip right now.  And as I've mentioned, I have an incredibly wonderful dentist about 2 miles away.

Another thing I would like to say is that I love my current header picture, and it makes me feel good every time I see it.  That was such a magical moment for me, seeing all those
 bison so close up.  When I finally get to a place when I can take another scenic picture, I will do it.  I'm not sure why, maybe it's the Mac I use, but I have such a problem sizing the header picture and am not motivated to change it as often as some do.

I admit to watching a lot more TV since the Malaysian plane disappeared.  I have the TV on now and just saw a commercial featuring the Aflac duck!  It isn't as clever as the old commercials, but I'm glad to see the duck again anyway.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.