Betwixt a rock and a hard place... do I? or do I not??

Coffee at McDonalds then back home. I cleaned the big mirror and dusted the furniture and cleaned the ‘Jug’. I need to dust the TV and shelves and the stuff on the Kitchen window ledge then I will be done. Today is starting out to be a beautiful day, the temperature is mild and should stay in the low 70’s if the forecast is anywhere close. In Oregon that, of course, is a gamble. Melissa will be coming by after church, to get the funds I promised her. I’ve toyed with the thought of telling her that I can no longer support her financially, but the Father in me argues against that. I know it would push her to finally stand on her own two feet, but her mom will always be there to bail her out so what is the point. I was quite unaware that Achmed new how to use a cell phone, dummy me, all terrorists know how to use cell phones. But, the kicker was when I looked at mine and found a message from one of the 1-900 lines saying that my ‘account’ had been elevated to ‘Star Member Status’... I can only guess what that might mean. I know it wasn’t Omar... I have a flip phone and he can’t figure out how to open it... What I don’t know is how Achmed got hold of my phone... I think maybe I will get a ‘Nanny Cam’ and set up in the Camel stable. Isn’t it nice that they made Alaska a State??? rethinking that one aren’t we???

Leann, did you have a particular timeframe that you were thinking of regarding the garage saleing??

A no working "Labor Day"...

Coffee at McDonalds then Del and I stopped at AppleTrees for breakfast which I bought. He has some bruising from a fall he took a little over a week ago and I insisted that he go to Urgent care and have it looked at. We stopped in at the Elks Saturday market which was almost empty... Labor Day weekend probably prempted most sellers. The weather is cooler but the skies are clear and blue... the projected hi is about 74˚. There will be an abundance of garage sales to wander thru this weekend so I shouldn’t be too bored. I have a load of laundry going now and then might tackle my bathroom. Need to wash the shower curtain and bleach the stall. Omar used my bathroom one time and let me emphasize the ONE. I never realized that one body could harbor so much dirt. I am beginning to wonder about his physical composition...

The "Last great Weekend of Summer"

Coffee at McDonalds then off to deliver meals, on the way I stopped and got $100 for the weekend. I had 14 clients today and that should be my normal for awhile. On my route, I stopped at Jack Wellers as he had some wood carvings out in front of his shop for sale... upon talking to him I found out that they were from the PI where Jack goes each year on a church outreach program.

I also turned in my mileage for the deliveries. I bought two wooden bowls that were ordained with cane whip in a really nice weave. They are about 14“ and stand about 5” tall and made with Philippine mahogany wood. They were sold for $15 each which I thought was a steal. The weather looks good so far, but the prediction for the weekend isn’t all that great. I stopped in at Roths on way home and got some plumbs and some peach halves for my cottage cheese. Don’t know what the rest of the afternoon will bring, but I am thinking about bicycling around to the various garage sales. Omar won’d acknowledge Achmed... must be a family rift.

Beautiful blue sky... Thursday is starting out nice...

Slept in a little this morning then Coffee at McDonalds. While having coffee, I saw the maintenance guy blow out the compressor area of the refrigeration unit that holds the salads and milk on the front counter... this is the second time I’ve seen him do this and I mentioned to the manageers that it is unsanitary and unsafe to do in an area where food is prepared. The management of McDonald's has done nothing to stop this practice. I called the Linn Country health dept in Albany and am awaiting a return call now. Ralphy is headed up to Roy, Or to see his grand daughters before they start back to school. I hope his daughter is receptive. They have a love/hate relationship. Nice day out today, rain is predicted for later on today or this evening. It appears that Clynton has moved out of the house temporarily at least. I hope that I am wrong, but how does one know?? There was a black rose on the front step this morning with a little bitty card with the words "Praise Allah" and signed 'Achmed'. This seems to have ominous written all over it. Somehow Omar is involved or will be shortly... I need to see about a security system. UPDATE ON MCDONALDS: The Health inspector went there and told them that the way they were cleaning was not acceptable and that they needed to either move the unit out of the store to blow it out or use a damp cloth to clean it out... I was pleased.

UPDATE ON NICK:

Nick is doing OK, living with his mother right at the moment and this afternoon was headed back to his apt. to see what might be salvageable.

He seems in good spirits and looks at this as a chance for a fresh start and I commended him on that outlook.  He will survive.

Sadly, he was using a company car when this all happened and it got ruined but his boss totally understood so his job is intact and that is great.

Wonderful Wednesday..

Coffee at McDonalds then home. It is overcast this morning and the prediction seems to be that it will remain somewhat cloudy today with milder temperatures. I don’t have much at all planned for today. I may pressure wash the front and the yard side of the garage if I get ambitious. To Leann and Cathy, you are both doing good on your online blogs. It’s nice to read each day and an easy way to share your day. You’ve all probably heard of "Achmed the Dead Terrorist"??? Well, This morning, I found a letter addressed to Omar and would you believe it was from Achmed??? evidently the DNA string in Omar’s lineage links these two... Scary thought eh??? me thinks so too. I'm thinking about making some peanut butter cookies this week, maybe tomorrow. I have some salty mixed nuts that I think I will run thru the food processor and add to the recipe... should be good. I will let you know how they taste unless Omar gets to them first... N•E•W•S•F•L•A•S•H-----N•E•W•S•F•L•A•S•H-----N•E•W•S•F•L•A•S•H-----

I just got an email from my son Sean that his brother, Nicholas (see the pictures in the sidebar) was flooded out of his apartment last night in Charlottes's "Worst flood in history"  literally thousands of people were put out of their homes and lost most or all of their possessions... 

He is OK, but the only thing he managed to save was his dog Chloe. His mother lives in Charlotte so he will have a temporary place to stay but can you imagine such a thing?????

Blue skies and a happy friend and a good dog...

Coffee at McDonalds then off to get Ralphy for the day. Took some pictures of a plant in the yard that was given to me by a friend. I repotted it yesterday and it should flourish now. Not much planned for today what with the dog being here and all. We will laze around as I did the mowing of the yard yesterday. This is just the start of the day and will post to the blog just to get it started... Ralph, my buddy, drove his new Buick to coffee today and said yesterday he took it to Corvallis and showed it off to his friends over there... he seems happy and for that I am glad. Being able to help somebody makes me feel good about myself. Omar asked me if I could help him... of course I had to tell him that he is beyond the kind of help that human intervention could provide.. he is sulking now as he can’t figure out what other help there might be... Perhaps someday the Enlightenment will come to him.

I decided to pressure wash the side of the garage and part of the side of the house that my bedroom is on.  It looks better, but the siding no longer shines like it probably did when it was new... I cannot afford to re-side it now so clean will have to suffice.

Discovered a hot spot on ralphy's flank... I shaved it and put on some anti-itch creme so hopefully that will heal up soon.  I wonder how bag balm would work on that??? whaddya think Cathy, you've used bag balm haven't ya??

Old Ralphy won the Lotto... sorta

Up early this morning. It is now 6am. It rained last night and half the mountain is hidden by clouds/fog this morning. I didn't sleep well last night, seemed to be warmer than usual and I kicked off the blanket during the night. A lot of tossing and turning. This afternoon, I will take a nap. Pretty soon, I will go to Coffee at McDonalds and from there to deliver the meals. Cathy's blog is coming along nicely, it is constantly amazing what people find they can do if they put their mind to it.. Just got a call from Sam and he has a $500 dollar Buick that may just fit the bill for Ralphy. I will pick him up and take him down there in a few minutes. Got to Sams and the lady had just left so we went out to Santiam Villiage, space 31 and looked at the car... nice buick all the bells and whistles and runs great... Good deal for Ralph.

I wanted to get him in a car before the rainy season set in and the temperatures turned cold.  This will really be a nice car for him, and it's a 4 door also.  It also has good rubber on it and the interior is nice as well.  Hell if he hadn't bought it, I would have.

Kudos to you God for all you provide...

Coffee at McDonalds then back home. Cleaned the kitchen and put the chocolate chip cookies in a bag to freeze and now the oatmeal ones are in one container. Leann, the questionnaire that you answered... were all your answers totally truthful?? I find it difficult to do those types of things as they often don’t allow for extenuating information that would explain your answers. Other than that, I thought it to be a good and informative piece of information. I think that today I will fire up the pressure washer and clean the backside of the house. Vinyl siding tends to harbor growing things on it such as algae and of course drive by shootings by the marlins and sparrows... Perhaps white siding would lessen their effect. I was going to have Omar clean the siding, but after he took the first piece off, I decided perhaps that wasn’t a great idea... Cathy, how’ve you been?? I know I haven’t been online lately, been busy with friends and yard and such but I haven’t forgotten ya by any means. I decided it was time to dig out the pressure washer. I filled er up with gas and it took about 4 pulls to get it running. I then pressure washed the back side of the house and the picnic table and the lounge chairs... I noticed a bolt had come loose on the wheel so found the nut and washer then wheeled it around to the garage and tightened all of them... they were all loose... The back of the house looks good so now need to do the ends. That’s for another day though.

Saturday was insidious to the end.

Coffee at McDonalds then to AppleTrees with Del for breakfast, I had a half order of biscuits and gravy and it was really small... Del bought breakfast. From there, I went down to the Saturday market and as I was leaving, I stopped at a lady’s table and noticed two matching picture frames made of wood and decided to purchase them. She had $4 each on them but offered them both to me for $5. I went to LinnCo and got some cash then went back and bought them. Came home and Old Englished them and they look great. I put Sean and Nick’s pictures in them. Next, went over to Clyntons and have been helping him put a clutch pak in a chevy 4wd pu. The original complaint was that the clutch was noisy. After putting in the new clutch pack including the throw-out bearing, the noise persisted... I had mentioned to Clynton that I thought it might well be the input shaft bearing... Now we know. Went to Roths and bought a salad for dinner and a couple of diet pepsi’s. Watching some TV now, I’ve not been on the computer today but might get on tonight for a bit.. I am pretty tired after only getting 4 hours sleep.

Fog... can you believe it... FOG !!!

Coffee at McDonalds then back home to take meds then off to deliver meals. Had 13 clients again today and they were all available.

News from the front ***** I will be delivering meals on Tuesdays in addition to Monday and Fridays.  I like having 3 days of volunteer deliveries... I actually wanted Wednesday but this will work good too. Stopped in at LinnCo and deposited some money in the money market account. Just finished re-arranging my inside pantry to accommodate my appliances. The veggies and soups and such are in the garage pantry now. Upon reflecting on yesterday, I must admit that the afternoon was very pleasant with a nice warm atmosphere. Leann seemed quite comfortable and we managed to exchange a lot of information about each other.

The mixer exceeded my expectations and Leann said that is the easiest she's ever made cookies.  Oh, and the cookies were Sooooooooo good too.  She took some with her for (now get this...) the grand kids...  I believe that we will likely see each other in the future. What that might entail will be discovered as time progresses. Omar wanted to help me arrange the pantry, problem being that he is short and couldn’t reach the shelves so I thought well, why don’t I just load him up and he can transport things to the garage pantry... 

It’s amazing how little weight they can bear up under... took a bit, but after finally digging him out from under can upon can of staple goods, he really didn’t look too bruised... suffice it to say that he retracted his offer to help. 

He is off someplace sulking and licking his wounds I suppose.

Looks to be a beautiful day and I am contemplating a trip to Albany...

Happiness upon you all.

Kookin Kookies and enjoying friendship...

Coffee at McDonalds. Raining pretty good so I took Ralphy home. Orville is looking for a hubcap for a 94 Toyota T-100 regular 2wd pu. He says he will pay up to $25 for it... Leann will be here this afternoon so I must dust. Sean sent me an email confirming receipt of the will/poa document... he is on the way to Bristol for the race. Lucky dog. Cleaned up the kitchen and opened the drapes to lighten up the house. I am downloading another application from the iTunes store...it is called Koi Pond and is quite nice and only .99 cents. Leann is going to stop at a store on the way over and get supplies... She needn’t do that but who am I to argue?? Well razor blades do work well to eliminate grunge on the edge of counter tops... that stuff that remains when you’ve had a spill and cleaned it up but a little ran over the side... FreBreeze makes everything smell better.

Mailman just stopped and came to the door and _{Lo and behold} what did he bring me... Pictures.... I tell ya I got Pictures of the Grand kids....  I am gonna put that boy back in the will.

Cathy... did you hear me girl !!! I got me some pictures...  Life is GREAT !! Any suggestions out there for cartoon content??? I'm open to suggestions but make no promises...

"Wet and Wild" sounds like a beach party but is just another Oregon day...

Tis raining or more truthfully, pouring down at the moment.  As seems to be the norm, the weather bureau had it a day earlier in the forecast and a day late in the occurrence of the actual event.  The lawns will appreciate it though.

Today I've given Omar the day off as I want to get some quality cleaning done, the sand permeates everything it seems so I must vacuum and dust and clean and otherwise hone my waning domestic abilities.

The wine cellar is damp and dark and at the moment a swimming pool for unopened bottles and other items of litter.  It all is good though... would be better if I could remember which area the drain is located... Omar cannot swim, but he doesn't float well either.  Some genetic disorder I believe.

I managed to locate a roll of elderly duct tape and managed to tape some of the smaller holes in the tent thus preserving some of the dry areas that are left.

A good day to not be outside all in all.  Hope you all are having a good day... warmer weather is once again on the way.

Tomorrow a lovely guest arrives to test my culinary skills... I hope, that she brings some with her as I've yet to get mine in order...  It will be a sweet time though as we shall attempt to make cookies and see how my new mixer works.  It does run and it does fluff air but will it produce usable batter??? Stay tuned for the exciting climax to this weeks events.

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What a Tuesday... why I hate shopping...

Coffee at McDonalds this morning then Del and I left, I filled the Toyota with gas and met Del here at the house. Off to Salem. On the way, we took the Kaiser exit and went to EZ Orchard, and I bought some plums and measuring spoons. From there we went to the strip mall at Woodburn. I found the deal of a lifetime at “Le Gourmet chef” on the Cuisinart mixer, they had it on clearance for $229.95 plus I got an additional 20% off with a coupon so ended up with a $685.00 mixer for $199. Best deal I’ve made in a long time. From there we headed South and stopped at the Lancaster mall where I looked in vain for a good crossover GPS unit... I will have to get on online I believe. We also stopped at Linens & things and they had nothing I really wanted but I did buy a silicone basting brush. We tried the Sport Authority, Radio Shack, Best buy... nobody had any that I liked. I decided as we were both starving by that time to by Del and I lunch at Arby’s. they had the 5 items for $5.95 deal going so we ate well or at least a lot. Back in Albany, we stopped at Costco thinking that they might have some stuff that I’ve been searching for but no luck... on the way back to the pickup it started to rain. Made it back home and Del split for home and I unloaded my purchases. I then decided to hit up Bi-Mart and see what they might have. I bought a 3pack of meal saver containers and a micro zester. Back home now and thinking about making some peanut butter cookies tomorrow... yummmmmmmmmy.

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A 'jacket' could you believe that??

I was surprised, if not somewhat amazed at the difference in the weather this morning.  Tempted I was... to don a jacket that is.  But I didn't and wore the usual t-shirt.  

Coffee was pretty good but my buddy Ralph totally pissed in my cheerios this morning (by being the obnoxious old man that he is) and I just up and left early... I can put up with him most of the time, but even that has it's limits.  Me thinks that a little distance for awhile will do well to heal the rift.

Got another client to deliver meals to... she is a frail old gal and lives out across the hiway from Cascade auto wreckers... had to wait a bit for her to get to the door and after seeing her I could understand why.  Damn, getting old ain't always fun.

Del and I will go to Woodburn tomorrow and I want to look into getting a Cuisinart stand mixer... They have a store at Lancaster mall.  They are rated better than the KitchenAid ones, cost less and are almost twice as powerful... plus they have some other features I like.

Leann, are you sleeping any better these days??? does the cooler weather seem to help you??? I hope so.

Cathy, I've missed you on MSN where have you been hiding??

Omar says if you can't "dance the lap" then you ain't nuthin but Camel skat... (nasty bugger isn't he...) I made him clean the dungeon this morning and he won't talk to me now.  Blessing come from the oddest places.

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A "cooler tomorrow" has arrived today.

The weather has once again turned on it's tail and upset the plans of many.  Much cooler today with the possibility of some dampness.  It will be welcome here as the dust is thick and the odor of dry camel hair is almost overpowering.

No particular plans for today, I will watch the 'Michigan' race and hopefully Jr. will have a great run and win it.  

Doing some laundry today, I usually do it once a week and the only consists of a couple loads.  Yesterday I washed the harley so there are a few extra towels in the mix today.

I've decided to head to Woodburn to the little strip mall of outlet stores on Tuesday, I will take my buddy Del with me.  I especially want to look at the Kitchenaid outlet store as I am in the market for a countertop stand type mixer.

I also have looked at the Viking and Cuisenart models and they look pretty darn good for the price and their warranty beats Kitchenaid plus their motor is larger wattage which equates to more power and it is a tilt back rather than the Kitchenaid raise and lower the bowl type.  Anybody have any thoughts about these three models???

Well, Cathy, hope your day shopping with Christy went well, I suppose the grandkids made out like bandits...

Leann, tonight is your last night to work isn't it??? then some time off for you and well deserved too.  Have a great day.

Omar has been humming some tune that I can't identify.  When I asked him about it he just gets this silly grin on his face... wonder if it had to do with the trip???

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Saturday 'Blackberry festival' Really???

Well, hmmmm.  I got up to the so-called 'Blackberry festival' around 10:30 or so, first thing out of the box a biker dude (whom I do not know) invited me to park my scooter in the shade... next off, he gives me $5 bucks and tells me that the festival is buying lunch for all the ''Road Maggots", (of which I have no affiliation).  After walking around and being inundated with christian music (which I happen to enjoy if I am at a Christian music event).

There were many arts and crafts types there and it seemed pretty well organized with the distinction being that the bikers all stayed outside of the festival confines as they seemed to have a propensity for alcohol and that, my friends, was not allowed on the grounds.

I felt a little uneasy, parking my scooter in amongst the 'Road Maggots' so I decided to feign a phone call and politely excused myself and got the scooter started and left.  I won't bother going again if they have it next year but I did need to at least see what it offered.

Got home and then decided to wash the harley as it had quite an accumulation of both road dust and bugs on it... now it sits in the garage next to the camel stalls and glistens... I like that word.  Reminds me of the Craigslist women ads that call themselves 'shiny'.   Always wondered what a shiny woman looks like.

Anyway, she's gonna be a scorcher today so take care and of course, stay cool. 

Ciào !!

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Fearful Friday... at least temperature wise.

Today is not exciting... not at all.  Coffee this morning then delivered meals to my clients, 12 today.  The ladies at 'StillWater' are still my favorites.  Many knew my parents and my mother's relatives.

Funny how things seem to change when you least expect it... my life continues to chase it's own tail.  It is enjoyable and confusing at the same time.  Each day tends to present it's own unique challenge... nothing bad, just different.

Ralphy is doing well, all systems appear normal and that, says Mr. Spock, is a good thing so may the "Force" be with you.

Tomorrow I shall spend some time at the 'Blackberry festival in Sodaville'.  Never been before so it will be a new experience to me.

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It's gonna be **** HOT *** today

I just finished mowing the front yard as it is the only one that I've bothered to keep watered... it's already 88˚ and climbing.  I had Ralphy outside this morning, but have brought him in as it will just be too hot for him this afternoon.

Omar is out in the back shoveling up the camel droppings and is wearing some kind of toga type thing... I don't see how they can stand the heat.

Cathy wrote me and said that she's been pretty busy and hitting the hay earlier than usual and that's why I've not heard from her... says everything is fine so that's good.

Leann is in a state of transition I think.  Poor girl is searching for gold in a lead melting cauldron.  By the way Leann, nice START on the new blog site... hang in there, it will come along nicely once you get adjusted a little bit.

By the way, how did brother like his gift??

I will have Ralphy until Saturday morning as the next two days are just too hot to be in a home without any AC.  For those who don't have it, I offer my sympathy.

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New restaurant, same old crap...

After coffee this morning, Ralph decided he wanted to go with me to a little hole in the wall restaurant called "Kountry Cafe" on the corner of Milton and Hwy 20...  used to be 'Ritchie's'.  It was OK, at least from the standpoint that Ralph picked up the tab...  It's not on my 'gotta go back soon list'.

Del just stopped by and I kinda had to give him the 'bums rush' as I've an appointment to meet up with my daughter this morning.

I am meeting with Melissa for a drink at McDonalds in about 10 minutes.

Melissa and I stayed at McDonalds while she ate the breakfast that her loving father bought for her... I asked her if she had put the spare key back under her car and she said that she'd not had time to buy a key box so I took her down to Ray's lock and bought one for her.  She just needs to put the key in it now.  She promised to call me when the deed is done.

Oh ya, as an afternote about breakfast... it didn't stick around very long... seems the way of things when I eat breakfast at sleazy holes.  I know better too.

Omar is on the way back, I suggested that he scavenge the ditches for deposit worthy discards to get his bus fare back... he said that he wore out two pairs of sandals before acquiring enough bottles and cans to make it back here... He will think twice before leaving next time I betcha.

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One down and using the other...

Well, yesterday proved to be interesting... a lady, who responded to the ad I placed in the for sale section of CL called and wanted to see the computer that I had listed.  She, Rita, and her daughter rode over to the house on bicycles and I invited them in and then showed them the computer.  Rita was quite taken by it and it's 'Applesque' ease of use and elegance.  

Having been a PC (as in Microsoft based PC) user, she hadn't realized how simple and easy it is to do so many things on the iMac.

Long story _short, she fell in love, went home to gather money and family and vehicle and returned at 8pm to purchase her electronic lover.  I left some software on the computer that I had obtained from the web and other personal stuff went by the wayside.

She's emailed me a couple of times with comments of adorement and a few questions... I told her as she left my Tent that I didn't want to be her constant link of information and told her that there is ample information on the capabilities and tip and tricks for the iMac and any other computer for that matter.

As with our young, she also needs to be weaned from my personal knowledge base.  She knows it works so unless there is a failure, I don't expect to be at her beck and call... as with all used things what you see, is what you get and she got a phenomenal deal on my iMac.

Leann, kudos on the new sight... it all takes time and imagination... I know you don't have to much of the first, but the latter should be in abundance.

BTW, if you want, you can link to •Twisted Limb•, it's your choice...

Oh ya, Omar sent me a quick note asking for bus fare to get back... Hmmmm perhaps I should withhold it??

Cathy, thanks.

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Monday, the beginning of the end...

Coffee this morning, then off to deliver the meals for the less fortunate than I. After I finished, I decided to stop at the Vet's office and check on the cost of final arrangements for Ralphy when the time comes. I found that cremation itself is about $60 bucks and if we have him put down also, the charges go to about $170 and it is a private affair. Ashes could be picked up at the Vet's office. I called Julie and posed the question of burying the ashes on the same plot as we bought for Cheylenne when she died and Julie said that would be a great idea. I will check with the cemetery owner sometime this week. Julie did say that Ralphy is doing great today so hopefully the events I just alluded to will be quite sometime in the future. But at least we are on the same page and that in itself provides solace. I splurged today and bought a food saver at Bi-Mart as they had one of the very best models on sale for $30 dollars off. Seeing as how I don't or at least haven't learned how to can things, I figured this is a good way to put up some food and produce and eliminate spoilage. Now, if I could get a bag big enough for Omar... Oh well, nice thought.

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There's "Ralph" and then there's 'Ralphy'

Ralphy is my Golden Retriever (notice how much greyer he's gotten), Ralph however, is my friend, aptly depicted on the front of an old steam locomotive... He is, much like the old steam engine, on a one way track thru life with few deviations... he is a bullheaded old guy and as stubborn as a Missouri mule.  That said, he is also my friend. 

 

In the course of living life, we meet many people, if we are very fortunate, we call a few of them "friend".  It is a term that I do not freely give out so to be called 'friend' by me is indeed a distinction shared by few.

Ralph's honesty, when he's not stretching the truth to it's limits is genuine.  He, like so many others, fill the holes in his life with embellishments to make it all seem more than it really is.  I cannot fault them for that.  I've done it myself from time to time.

I posted the picture basically because I think it truly depicts his personality and the caption captures his attitude.  When you are past 70, you've earned the right to have a little (attitude that is).

Beautiful day today, Ralphy and I walked for about a half hour and he was ready to relax and nap after that.

Leann, I've checked your blog since Friday and it seems readily apparent that the 4 hours sleep stretches are taking their toll on you.  Don't worry too much about the blog, it'll get there in time and maybe someday I can or somebody can help you get the kind you want...

For those of you I sent pictures, I hope you enjoyed viewing them as much as I enjoyed looking at them in real time... twas a most beautiful afternoon.

May our God bless each of you and may he bring to your mind the peace and love that is truly yours to enjoy.

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A "Damp" but welcome change...

First off I gotta tell Leann that I know how hard it can be at times to update the old 'blog'.  The "think tank" runs dry at times.  But take solace in knowing that it isn't always required to entertain, oft as not it is to relieve the pressure on the cooker we call a mind.  This could aptly be called the "Steam vent".  (Thought that up all by myself... yea!!!).

Rain, I've missed you and so has my yard... nice to settle the dust and cool the air.  The tent has stayed warmer than I like it but out of deference to Ralphy, I didn't set the AC to the usual snow cone setting I prefer at night.

I am happy to say that Ralphy, although showing many signs of his age and displaying on his body numerous growths (I assume some type of benign tumors) that not so long ago didn't exist, seems in good spirits and appetite.  This morning when I returned from coffee, he was bouncing around like a puppy.  Now he is sleeping.

I have foregone cleaning too much while he is here, but Monday will be a day of catchup for the dusting and vacuum chores.

Omar is on vacation this week, I am not sure where he went, but in his absence, I shall do some deep cleaning and re-arranging of things... he hates that. (gotta toss that goats milk too, I don't know why he keeps it so long).

Enjoy the day my friends, you too Cathy.

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Weird change in weather

I woke early this morning after thrashing my way thru a strange dream that I now cannot remember.  That happens from time to time and I often wonder if it is diet related or a rehashing of past events.

Ralphy did great yesterday, great appetite and wonderful spirits.  You almost can forget that he is not nearly as healthy as he appears.  I guess that is the way of life though, few things being as they appear.

I lost a client and gained a client on the Meals route, but it cost me 2 miles in distance so the route will be a little quicker... at least for awhile.

Leann, Good job on updating the blog... I know how you feel sometimes, you rack your brain thinking of what to write and even then wonder why you did it.  What is an "MVA"??  Life will even out when you get the hours straightened out... far as the exercise goes, keep your eyes on your goal and you should do fine.

Cathy, nice chatting with you last night on MSN.  I will get you up to speed on the 'Northern' way of spelling somehow.  The 'Fried Green maters' made my mouth water.  Omar doesn't like maters... damn fool.

Cooler weather here today, it actually had a bite in the air this morning but that won't last long for sure.

Keep havin fun.

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The "Hound" is visiting...

Well, I picked up Ralphy, my dog, this morning for a 4 day visit.  He looks good and was happy to see me.  Julie has provided medication and food for his visit and I will spoil him as much as possible too.

He seems in good spirits and his body functions seem normal at this time.  He doesn't seem in any discomfort at all and rolled around in the grass, stretching and arching his back so my thought is that at this moment, he is feeling pretty good.

Overcast day, much cooler and not a bad day at all.  I don't believe it will rain, but then it is still Oregon so who knows.

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A "treat" for my friend Ralph...

Today I took Ralph, my friend, not my dog to a car dealer as he needs to replace his old beater Toyota.  After taking him there, I treated him to breakfast at AppleTrees restraurant.  He is a funny old guy who spins yarns to fill the holes in his life.  I look at my friends and realize how fortunate I truly am.  I thank you, God, for all I have.

Leann, standing outside tends to isolate you from the wonders of life that you could otherwise become immersed in.  Though I realize that many times, situations you could become involved with might not be so rewarding, there are opportunities that should be investigated.

The financial advantage was a little too much to give up wasn't it !! plus you have made connections on night shift that you likely would lose by going to days.

Perhaps your cat should talk to Omar, seems they have some things in common, such as the blank stare, the isolation issue, though Omar has a hard time getting in the cupboard... Once he got in there and was stuck for 3 days... when he finally got out I thought he was a hunchback.  Crazy Arab.

Anyway, today appears to be a considerable amount cooler but then the afternoon heat hasn't made it's appearance yet.

Cathy, another day... your progress is amazing.

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Gonna stay Kool today...

I got the day off to a late start this morning but once I got going it seemed to smooth out pretty well.  

Old habits being hard to break, I did the usual coffee klatch thing at McDonalds.  After leaving there I stopped at Roths and got some plumbs, a cantaloupe half, some milk and a container of cottage cheese.

After walking about 4.5 miles yesterday during the hottest part of the day, I decided to forego a walk today unless it is later on in the evening as I really don't care for the heat.

Leann... whazzup with the blog lately??  I go there for my spiritual fix each day and I see the same message for the past 4 days??? You OK??

Cathy, nice chatting with you last night on MSN.  Today will be a great day for you, I know it will.

Well, I shall peruse the rest of the web and see if anything at all piques my interest... normally it does NOT.

After awhile friends.

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I know how "Hot" hot is...

Today, after doing my Meals thing, I came home and Del stopped by for a visit a little after 1.  About 2:15 I decided to go for a walk as I needed the exercise and I had a package to re-mail to my sister (I put the wrong street name on it the first time).  About 3/4 of the way to the post office, I realized that it really was hot out and I was sweatin like a pig.  

It took awhile but the walk was good and once I got back home I jumped in the shower and got clean and cooled off.  Tomorrow is supposed to be about 94˚ and that's warmer by far that I want to be out in.  I may forego the walk tomorrow at least during the day.

Nothing exciting here in the tent, Omar is quite... as a matter of fact, I haven't seen much of him today at all. (Thank you Lord).

My buddy Ralph (not the dog) is on a quest to get a newer car, something a little more reliable and his little Toyota has essentially died so the necessity is there to replace it.  He's had to do some walking lately and that doesn't suit him too well.. (he's over 70 now, and heavy).

Anyway, that's how the cookie crumbled today... hope your day was good.

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The morning after the night before...

Ah yes... the wine, the remainder of which kept me company for as long as my eyes continued to function, was quite good.  I was glad however to see the bottom of the bottle.  Amazing how a little vino can round off the edges.

I had a good time and met some nice people.  I was a little surprised at where they live as I've walked by their house many times when getting my constitutional in... (rarely these days for some reason).

Thanks again, Leann for the invite.

This morning proved to be somewhat of a challenge, after rising from the drunken stupor of last night, I found Omar sitting in the corner of the tent and he was intently studying a little frayed book.  I stumbled over to him and held out my hand so that he could hand it to me to look at.  He looked up with a blank and somewhat unfocused stare then handed me the book.  Ended up being a very tattered copy of the Koran.  Now I've never read the Koran and don't have any pressing urgent desire to but it seemed to be something important to him.

I handed it back to him and he nodded his thanks.  It made me think that perhaps there is more to this little Arab guy than I thought... I will have to investigate this a little further.

But for now, all is well and the day promises to be warm and lovely.

Cathy, nothing from you at all today... are you mad?? if so why?? and if not then whatcha up to?? whooops, here you are on MSN now... howdy.

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Anybody understand this stuff???

Omar left me this note: 

هذا هو الجمال الزباله لالطيور وحصلت على بعض الاخبار دينيس لهذا الرجل... وانا ذاهب الى الجهاد حتى صح له لعلاج لي مثل بوم. عمر ينظف الخيمه ، ويغذي الجمال لا يمكن أن يساعد نفسه في لحظات من الرخاوه الامعاء. واسمحوا لي ان مجرد الحصول على وظيفة فى ماكدونالدز وترك هذا المكان النتن.. سيد سعيد لا يفهم اللغة العربية على الرغم من.

I am somewhat clueless as to what he actually said, he has quit taking the English class I signed him up for and muttered something about "Damn Yankees" so he still jibbers about and I continue to have no clue... Hope he isn't planning something evil... but just as a precaution, I took away his fingernail clippers.

No big deal though, I know where he sleeps... Dinner date today with a friend and her brother.  I am glad she called it will be nice to visit with her and enjoy a dinner together with her family.  It is something that friends should do more often...  I gotta call her now as I promised and see where we meet up... later friends... (Down Omar, down you fool.)..

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Sorry, no news today...

Kindness is expressed in many ways and the two who post comments on this blog have touched my heart with theirs.

May God bless you both.

More tomorrow (I hope).

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