Back to walking

This morning I took my first walk in months. I hurt my foot when I was in Washington, D.C. this past summer, and I quit walking after that. I have gained some pounds because of the inactivity, and I need to get them off. I plan to walk a half hour in the morning, and a half hour in the evening. This morning I donned my Rockport walking shoes and got out of the house right at dawn. (After about 8 AM, you can't exercise outside, it is just too hot!) If I can keep it up for about two weeks, then I will start going back to the gym. Those lazy boys don't want to go with me to the gym, so I will go by myself. I hate exercise, I have to force myself to do this!

Ransome says, "where ya going mom in the ugly shoes?"

Back to school

This is the first day back to school for the boys. All last week they had band camp. I am the unofficial photographer for the band. I take lots of snapshots during their activities, then post the photos on a website for all of them to access with a pass word. At the end of the week the band director asked me to take a shot of the whole band in their uniforms, so it could be published in the school brochure. "OK, on the count of three, I am taking the picture, so smile - one, two, three!" "STOP!, STOP!, STOP!", the band director says. We have to do it over, someone in the band decided to raise "a finger" and the band director caught it. "Thanks, Preston, for messing up the picture, now we have to take it over", the director says! (Oh God, you mean it was MY SON that "shot the bird?") I am mortified! After the photo shoot, I couldn't get to tuba boy fast enough. I took him aside and reemed him up one side and down the other. How dare he be so disrespectful? I told him if he EVER did anything like that again, that he would be quitting the band. This is a boy that I have never had any trouble with, I was so embarrassed! He apologised and told me later that it was just a prank and that he was just being a wise guy and didn't mean anything by it. Looking back on it now, it was kinda funny, but I don't think I will tell him that! Look at the tubas, they think it is SO funny, they can hardly keep from laughing out loud.

YOU-YOU two

Abandoned in Pasadena There is no short answer to Sandy’s “you-you”. She is without question one the bravest women that I know. She loves her husband so much, it shows throughout her blog. Sandy is another blogger who has incorporated many family members into her blogging habit. Instead of giving up when she felt like she couldn’t ride motorcycles anymore, she had training wheels put on! Those of you who have ever ridden a motorcycle know that this is no small feat. She had to learn a whole new way to ride. A lot of this had to do with the fact that she wanted to enjoy riding with her beloved Jimmy. Sandy is a great storyteller and I enjoy her stories of her cats and her mascot, Cucco. Cucco is Sandy’s not so imaginary purple haired bird.

Jellyhead is the blog that everyone should read. I have often stated that the Aussies are SO much smarter than the rest of the world, and Jelly’s blog proves it. After all, they are so far ahead, that it is already tomorrow there now. So they have already lived through the day that we are in now. (?) No, I don’t understand how this works, but I am sure that the Aussies do! Jelly’s blog is a delight as she tells the inside story of being a doctor. She tells us how she feels about everything, and that is the best part. I love to hear about Jelly’s travels and family adventures. Jelly tells us about her Mum and the influence her Mum has had on her life. I just love Jelly. Someday I will meet her in person and ask her the secret of being a day ahead, and if she endorses Aussie hair products and the Outback Steak house!

Doubleknot is a blogger that lives in Florida, not far from me. I think that it is strange that I came across her blog while surfing other blogs from all around the world! Doubleknot’s sister, Puffstitch, even lives in my small town. Isn’t it a small world when we blog? Doubleknot tells us about the everyday courage and her roommate, Steve, as they face retirement and doctor’s appointments. She also posts interesting photos of their children, grandchildren, and her garden and plants. Doubleknot and I have emailed each other from time to time, and she is a really nice lady.

Colors of the Garden is the blogchild of Kerri, an Aussie who has transplanted to upstate New York. Kerri has a sweetness about her that permeates throughout her blog. You can tell that she cares about the rest of us, and she has made many blog friends. She is either a wonderful gardener, or she has one! She shares information on gardening and her breathtaking photos of the land and gardens around her farm. Kerri may not know it, but her photographs are of publishing quality. I enjoy her blog.

First installment of YOU-YOU's

(I have to do the "you-you's" in several separate posts because they are so long) -check back tomorrow for more you-you's

I have been blogging about a year now. These are some of the blogs that I read all the time. The following is the impression that I get from you, as you are represented on your blog. Please don’t take offense at anything in this narrative that is not completely correct. This is just a “you-you”, as observed by me, for your entertainment only.

Motherkitty was one of the first blogs that I read when I started blogging. I quickly discovered that MK is related to several other bloggers on her list, and it is a good way for her family to keep in touch. (I wish my family was this computer literate.) Recently, MK went though a serious surgery, and I could tell by the tone of her blog that she was in a lot of pain, and not really in a good mood. It seemed that she was taking a lot longer to go through this than she had expected. Lately MK seems to be feeling better, I can tell by her recent posts. Her quick wit and funny stories have returned after a much missed absence.

Texas to Tennessee is one of those people who have done what some of us only dream of doing. She moved, several hundred miles away from her home, with very few possessions. She took her best dog friend, Mocha, with her. She just picked up and moved out of her comfort zone and away from all of her friends. The move seems to have been an effort to discover herself, and try to be all that she can be. T2T seemed apprehensive at first, but now she has settled in to her new home and is finding a place to reflect on life, write about it, take photographs, exercise, and help others at her retreat. She is now on staff at the retreat. (See, she went from visiting to running the place!) Once, several months ago, I almost visited T2T. I had a friend flying to Nashville on business and I was invited along. I even plotted out the route on mapquest from Nashville to Penuel Ridge. It turned out that I didn’t travel to Nashville, but someday I probably will.

Matthew’s Blog is a blog about a very sick baby, as documented by his father in photographs. The blog is to keep the family informed on Matthews’s progress, but also a journal of his life. Matthew has a serious heart condition, that just ten years ago would have been fatal. With the miracle of modern micro-surgery, and talented physicians, Matthew will now survive to be a healthy boy. It has been touch and go through a lot of his procedures. It is great to see how Matthew’s parents rally around him, even when they are so weary. They never lose their hope and strong faith, even though I know that they are constantly on “the edge of their seats” with worry. Whenever I am feeling low, I check Matthew’s Blog. It gives me hope, and a lot to be thankful for.

Chocolatebox Diary is also one of the first blogs I discovered. Hiromi is a woman in Japan who is eagerly leaning English. She has three beautiful daughters. All of them are busy and involved in school and sports. Hiromi’s blog shows us the wonderful meals that she cooks for her family and all of the activities that she attends with her daughters. She has taken a job recently, and does not have much time to blog. Sometimes she is so involved with her family, that she doesn’t take time for herself. This makes her sad. I remind her to smile. She is as interested in my culture as I am in hers. We have become good friends. We e-mail each other and someday we will meet in person.

Elephant's Memory - Touching story

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen,thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later he was walking through a zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him. Probably wasn't the same elephant.

. . .and my point is YOU-YOU

One of my favorite jobs when I was a law enforcement officer was that of "hostage negotiator". I would be called upon when someone was barricaded (alone or with a hostage) to negotiate the release. I think I was first picked for this job because I have a soothing voice. It quickly became a passion and I learned everything I could about it. I got a big rush when the world came to a standstill and waited while the hostage taker and I talked on the phone. I got an even bigger high when, through the power of persuasion, I talked the suspect into giving up and coming out. After a long seige that turned out well, it was when I was finally alone in my car on the ride home when I yelled "YES!" "I DID IT!" that was the most satisfing moment. My point in telling you this is to let you know that it was very important to me, in order to save a life, to get to know the suspect as soon as possible. I enjoy doing that. I have now known some of you for about a year. I don't know your names, but I know you. Stay tuned, I am working on a post about some of you. I call it my YOU-YOU. I think you will find it interesting.

Fool me twice, shame on me!

A Texan could think of this .... from Bandera County, where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this true story. Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Bandera, Texas. After Last Call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity and trying his keys on five different vehicles the man managed to find his car which he fell into. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off (it was a fine, dry summer night), flicked the blinkers on, then off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patron vehicles left. At last, the parking lot empty, he pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive slowly down the road. The police officer, having patiently waited all this time, now started up the patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and approached the car carrying a breathalyzer test kit. To his amazement the breathalyzer indicated no evidence of the man having consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken." "I doubt it", said the truly proud Texan, "Tonight I'm the designated decoy."

For all you cat lovers!

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met him at the pearly gates and said, "You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking. The cat thought for a minute and then said, "All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on." God said, "Say no more." Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow. A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the pearly gates with the same offer that He made to the cat. The mice said, "Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again." God answered, "It is done." All the mice had beautiful little roller skates. About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found him sound asleep on his fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, "Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?" The cat replied, "Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!"

Product endorsement

I hate mint! For years I had to brush my teeth with the "refreshing taste of mint". This would be OK if I liked mint, but I can't stand it - YUK!
Finally Crest came out with a product for us non mint lovers. Whitening Expressions tooth paste comes in Lemon Ice and Vanilla Mint. The lemon kind tastes just like those lemon lolipops, and the vanilla just has a slight (tolerable) hint of mint. I also like natural citrus Listerine, tastes kind of orange instead of that nasty regular mouthwash. Just thought I would pass this along to any of you fellow mint haters!

What next?

Sometimes this baby boomer can't sleep. I don't want to turn on the television, for fear it will keep me awake longer. I have noticed that I have a kind of "ipod" in my brain. I can recall tunes and play them for my amusment. Last night I was listening to some Copland from my brain, and I started thinking about how far technology has come in my lifetime. In the early 80's, when I was first a detective, we had to share a pager. The detective on call would keep the pager for that week. It was the size of a cigarette pack (one more thing to carry) and it would beep, signaling you to call the dispatcher. Of course you would have to find a pay phone - there were no cell phones back then. Before I retired, all the detectives had their own cell phones, and even the kind with that annoying two-way walkie-talkie. We got GPS's to follow the bad guys, and sometimes even to follow our own officers. We had body bugs and pin-hole cameras for undercover operations. We got in car cameras to record every traffic stop. Now there is a computer in every police car. This makes me wonder what will be invented in the next twenty years. I can only imagine that it will be something "in body", like my brain ipod. Maybe a forehead camera for police officers?

Trouble in paradise

On Thursday last my teenage son emerged from his room and announced that something was wrong with his laptop. My first thought was, "Who are you?", because I haven't seen him in the daytime for so long! He couldn't get his machine to connect to the internet. I know very little about computers, and we discussed what he should do to try to fix it. He told me that he had downloaded a trial game, and that when he deleted it the trouble started. He suggested doing a "system recovery". I told him to try that, and if it didn't work we would need to get professional help. He returned a few minutes later, frustrated that the fix didn't work, that now it would not even load his profile. I told him that if he "got up during the daylight hours" the next day, that we would take it to the Geek Squad to be fixed. The Geek Squad is at the Best Buy store and I have had good luck with them before. We had to drive 25 miles to the closest store. There was a bad rain storm on the way down there, and the traffic slowed to a dangerous 40 mph. I took the time to lecture my son about the perils of driving in such conditions. (I love it when he is a captive audience.) We finally got there and walked up to the counter where I told Preston to explain to the man what had happened to the computer. As he explained the man turned on the machine. It worked perfectly. ? As I told you, I am computer stupid, but I do know a few little things. I turned to my son and said, "You did re-start it after you did the system recovery, didn't you?" AH-NO, HE DIDN'T!!! Embarased, we slinked out of the Geek Squad area. At least they didn't charge us for being computer idiots! I was relieved that it only cost me the gas to drive there!

AH! Summertime!

I don't have a clue why - but the teenage boys in this house want to stay up all night and sleep all day! They like to play video games, and communicate with their friends on "My Space". I have tried to reason with them. Why don't they just go to bed at midnight or so, then get up early and play their games? Nope - for some reason they want to stay up until 0430 or 0530, then go to bed and sleep until the afternoon. I don't get it, when they stay up all night, they have to be quiet, to not wake up the moms. Last night I admonished them about the laughing and the noise. They are both good boys, and I have nothing to complain about. I try not to nag the hell out of them, but at the same time, I feel like it is my job to keep them on the straight and narrow path. I try to remember that next year they will be working in the summer, and that they should enjoy their childhood as long as possible. Maybe I am too easy on them, but I know that they will only be young for a short time. I also have allowed my son to grow his hair long for the first time this year. He is sixteen, and I am trying to let him make his own decisions about these things. Soon he will be getting his driver's license, another scary event! This mom thing is a lot more worrisome than I originally thought it would be!

Dispatcher laughs

Subject: Dial 911

BELIEVE it or not, These are REAL 911 Calls!

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller: I heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the brown house on the corner.
Dispatcher: Do you have an address?
Caller: No, I have on a blouse and slacks, why?

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller: Someone broke into my house and took a bite out of my ham and cheese sandwich.
Dispatcher: Excuse me?
Caller: I made a ham and cheese sandwich and left it on the kitchen table and when I came back from the bathroom, someone had taken a bite out of it.
Dispatcher: Was anything else taken?
Caller: No, but this has happened to me before and I'm sick and tired of it!

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is the nature of your emergency?
Caller: I'm trying to reach nine eleven but my phone doesn't have an eleven on it.
Dispatcher: This is nine eleven.
Caller: I thought you just said it was nine-one-one
Dispatcher: Yes, ma'am nine-one-one and nine-eleven are the same thing.
Caller: Honey, I may be old, but I'm not stupid.

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What's the nature of your emergency?
Caller: My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart.
Dispatcher: Is this her first child?
Caller: No, you idiot! This is her husband!

And the winner is..........

Dispatcher: 9-1-1
Caller: Yeah, I'm having trouble breathing. I'm all out of breath. Darn....I think I'm going to pass out.
Dispatcher: Sir, where are you calling from?
Caller: I'm at a pay phone. North and Foster.
Dispatcher: Sir, an ambulance is on the way. Are you an asthmatic?
Caller: No
Dispatcher: What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?
Caller: Running from the Police.

Hirshhorn Museum

While in Washington, I wanted to check out the Hirshhorn Museum specifically to see "Big Man" by Australian artist Ron Mueck. Much to my disappointment, "Big Man" was on tour, and won't be back until the fall. I still loved the museum of modern art and sculpture. My son doesn't "get" modern art and told me so at every turn. I told him that I don't get it either, but I just like it! Maybe as he gets older, he will develop an appreciation for art.

Home again!

I had a wonderful time on vacation, visiting my family in Virginia. We stayed with my brother in his "starter castle" (5 bedrooms & 4 bathrooms) plenty of room for visitors.



Preston & I went to Washington, D.C. and saw the play "Spamalot" at the National Theatre. We spent some time walking around Washington, there is so much to see.










I saw a cool butterfly flutterby (I don't know one kind of butterfly from another) but nobody told me how difficult they are to photograph! I took about 15 shots, before I finally got a usable one! (hooray for digital!)









The train was fun again this year, we had our own sleeping comparment, nice, private and WAY better than driving for 16 hours!

HELLO BLOG PALS!

I miss all of you and tonight I took a while and read all your blogs. I didn't have time to comment, but as usual I am happy to read about everyone's life adventures. The train trip to Washington, D.C. was nice, very relaxing to just look out the window. I am in Virginia Beach now, staying with my brother and sister-in-law, two of the nicest people on the planet! I go over to my mother's house in Norfolk (about 20 minutes away) everyday. Today we were starting a project to organize and catalog her various photographs. Next week Preston & I will be traveling to Washington, D.C. and staying a few nights to see the sights up there. We have tickets at the National Theatre to see "Spamalot", so that should be great fun. On June 15th, we will be headed home on the auto-train. Until then, keep smiling, stay happy - I miss you my blog pals!

New door

Outside still has to be painted.

Check out my new front door. Two guys came, sawed a BIG hole in the existing door and put in this beautiful leaded glass panel. It took about an hour. It really throws a lot of light into the dark foyer. I like it. Installed by: Devin O'Connell Decorative Door Glass.

Packing up

tWhen I go on a trip, I take everything. I am going on the train on Wednesday and I will be gone two weeks. I will have to take clothes for myself and my son. I also have to take my camera, laptop computer, some movies on DVD, music CD's, some tools (in case my mother needs anything fixed while I am at her house). A book to read, rechargeable flashlight, knife, gun, sunglasses, cap, jacket (?), raincoat, umbrella, - you see? The list is just endless. When I go on a trip in my travel trailer, I have most of the stuff I need already packed in there. When I was in law enforcement, I was a hostage negotiator. I had to always be ready to go at a moments notice to a situation that could potentially last DAYS! I always had a ready-bag in my police car, just in case. Maybe that is when I got in this taking-everything-with-me mode. It's a sickness! I am retired but I cannot break this silly habit! I hope the train doesn't have a weight limit on how much you can pack in your car!

Uh Oh!

I may have entered the "Motherkitty" zone of bad luck! The spa just stopped working - no lights, no heater, no blowers. Nothing is wrong with the breaker, the whole thing is just dead! Time to call the hot tub tech., how much will that cost? Now if bad things come in threes, the air conditioner started making some loud noise, and the toilet started leaking! We fixed the toilet (it only took five hours and the use of a hacksaw & dremel tool to get off some rusted tank bolts!) I will have to call the air conditioner service man. We can't go without air conditioning in Florida. It seems that we have completely skipped spring and we are already in the middle of summer, with temperature topping 90 degrees already! All this to do and I am leaving on the train on Wednesday!

Camping at O'Leno

A couple of years ago we were camping at O'Leno State Park in Florida. It rained and rained, the whole time we were there. Across from our site was a class A motorhome. I didn't see anyone around it the whole weekend, no one coming or going. Late Saturday afternoon we heard a loud crack, and then a crash that shook the ground. The ground had gotten so saturated with all the rain, that a tree fell and crashed into the motorhome. We investigated, we still did not know if anyone was inside. It turned out the the owners had parked it and taken their tow car to the area football game.

They would have surely been killed if they had been inside. The park was full of trees, and we were a little frightened but we stayed until Sunday morning. It continued to rain, but no other trees fell.