Well , it's been visiting weekend here at Fox Haven , and quite pleasant at that . Got to see all 5 kids and 4 grandkids , and end with snow on the roses . Saturday a yearling whitetail came up from the ravine to have a look around , until the traffic on State St. frightened it back into the woods . I hope to see the fox again soon . Very tired tonight , and a close friend lost a family member today , so the feels are interfering in my thought processes . Good night and may God richly bless you all .

I loves me some coconut creme pie .

<h3>Ingredients</h3>
one 9 inch baked pie shell<br />
3 cups milk, divided<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
6  Tablespoons cornstarch<br />
1  cup sweetened flaked coconut<br />
3  Tablespoons butter<br />
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
additional coconut - for garnish<br />
<br />
Meringue<br />
<br />
3 large egg whites<br />
1 Tablespoon cornstarch<br />
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter<br />
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar<h3>Directions</h3>
<p>Preheat oven to 350F.
</p><p>In a large saucepan combine 2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
</p><p>Meanwhile combine remaining 1 cup of milk and cornstarch in a bowl.
</p><p>Mix together well and then add to hot milk mixture.
</p><p>Cook stirring occasionally until mixture thickens. Add coconut, butter and vanilla Cook and still until mixture thickens again.
</p><p>Pour into baked pie shell and top with meringue.
</p><p>To prepare the meringue in a large bowl, beat egg whites, cornstarch and cram of tarter at high speed with an electric mixer. Mix until soft peaks form.
</p><p>Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon meringue onto pie, swirling to make soft peaks. Brown meringue in oven. Watch carefully.
</p><p>Bake until meringue is light brown around the edges and the coconut is toasted and light brown in color.</p>
<p>Original <a href="http://grandmotherskitchen.org/recipes/old-fashioned-coconut-cream-pie-recipe.html">Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie Recipe Recipe</a> found at Grandmothers Kitchen <a href="http://grandmotherskitchen.org">Recipes</a>.</p>

Sorry about the markup , not sure why it was left in . God bless you all .

   Another day of Satan's head games through physical actions . Everything I have handled today I have fumbled one way or another . I replaced a window in the basement , a job I used to do in an hour or less . This one took me parts of three days , thanks to my clumsiness and memory problems . The finished product was worth the effort , so my next project is to replace the back door with a solid wood six-panel , and build a new screen door . These are the kind of custom jobs I love doing , when I'm not pressed for time .
   Now we come to the spiritual lessons of today , and my witness of God's blessings . When I have problems with my coordination , things just won't conform to my will , or I become frustrated with my aging earthly vessel , I call on Jesus . I command Satan to "get thee behind me" in Jesus name , and things usually get better . If they don't , Jesus calms my mind and soothes my anxiety . Sometimes this doesn't help in public situations , even though I take several medications to help control my mood . In those cases , where other people trigger me , I try to escape the situation before issues compound themselves . All the while invoking Christ's help . It saddens me that I have reached this point in my emotional journey , where I am usually quite pleasant , but go off like a grenade with small , non-specific triggers in crowds and claustrophobic spaces . Balancing this mental issue is my firm faith in a loving God , and His earthly manifestation Jesus Christ . I am richly blessed , with amazing children and grandchildren , a home to shelter us , food to sustain us , friends who stand by us , and an abundance of love . My wish is that all mankind could be as blessed , and as appreciative as we are . The more I trust God to guide my path , the more He enlightens me about His plans , and His proofs .
   This short missive has felt quite good , and I will try to appear more often . Good night and God bless .

   Hello , all , and a blessed day wished for everyone . Good night , God loves you , be glad .

    Yes , I am alive , well , and nearly sane some days . Even when I don't post here , for whatever reason , you are in my thoughts , the collective you , my readers . I can say this because what I wish for you I wish for all mankind , faith , hope , peace , love , and fellowship . These are God's richest gifts to us , if we only will accept them . Until next post , take care of yourselves and each other and God's blessings .

   Hello again , readers . Sorry for my extended absence , it's been a full agenda for the past couple weeks . I don't see that changing anytime soon , as my dance card has appointments every week for the next two months . It's not always easy being crazy, fat , sickly , lazy , toothless , and broke . Add in my wife's appointments and it doesn't leave a lot of time on the schedule . Every time one of us sees a Dr , it involves a half , or more likely a full day due to travel time and necessary breaks . So , I will be back here intermittently , as time and energy allow . For now , be kind and empathetic and prayerful , and may God bless you all .

     So , now things in Ferguson have calmed down a bit , except for the blame-laying from all sides . I find it a little bit amusing , in a sick sort of way , that the proper distance for shooting an attacking knife-wielder is 21 feet . This is sensible , the Mythbusters showed that from less than 20 feet , an attacker can be on you before you can draw and fire . 21 is a number commonly used in police training manuals and other sources . This begs the question , do you double that if you don't have backup ? No one has published the incident scene measurements , if any were even taken , but the stills and video I have seen appear to show 50 feet or more between Michael Brown's body and the SUV Officer Wilson was driving . If measurements were taken , will they be released if they contradict Ofcr. Wilson's account of the shooting ? As you and I weren't there during this encounter , we have to take into consideration all the hard facts we can learn , all the eye witness stories , and crime scene images . I think in the end , it will be hard to separate the fly shit from the pepper , in a manner of speaking . I do know that all the fictitious stories of the officer's injuries and other various lies will always fool the ignorant , but folks who can think should know better . All the support for the officer , because of the "broken face" falsehoods , is only going to make it harder to reach an informed , objective decision on the subject . This is a case where everyone directly involved made bad decisions , then compounded them . Let's just pray for EVERYONE affected by this ongoing conflict , and hope our Just and Loving God chooses to lay bare all the truth .
   As for myself and my house , besides serving the Lord , we have been very busy this week , with no end in sight . I have , in the past week alone , driven to Carbondale 3 times , Marion once , and Lebanon , IL once all for medical reasons . In the coming month , I have at least 1 Dr.'s appt. every week , not counting what my wife has for her COPD and gastro problems . Now I come to the part of the post where I say , good night , and may God bless you richly .

   Due to other obligations , breaking news , and minor chest pan , my post tonight will consist of wishing you good day and God bless . By the bye , this bit is my 300th post on this blog .

   Well , my friends , it's another day our gracious Lord has bestowed on us . The sun is shining , it's hot , and most of the U.S. is peaceful and generally quiet . Not so in Ferguson , Mo. , even though it might appear to be . There , the thugs and the angry young men of color are planning tonight's confrontations , and a new player is taking the field . The Missouri National Guard has been called in to try to control the tense situation there . What does this mean for the citizens of Ferguson ? Basically , it means the rioters are winning , and most others are inconvenienced , at the very least . And when I say rioters , I mean the masked bandits , the outside agitators , and the few locals with no ambitions and no regard for the property and lives of their neighbors . St. Louis , and it's large metropolitan area , has a long , long history of racial segregation . In 1990 , Ferguson was two thirds white , and one third black . By 2010 , those numbers had flipped as blacks moved in and whites moved out , to two thirds black and one third white . Despite this , today Ferguson's Mayor is a young , white Republican , 5 of 6 Councilpersons are white , and 50 of the police force of 53 are white . The reasons for this are a bit difficult to understand , but have a LOT to do with off-year elections and voter turnout . I have been studying the racial and political trends and stats for a few days now , and I don't have any real answers yet for a solution to this rip in the fabric of St. Louis and suburbs . Anyway , I have a very busy few days ahead dealing with health issues , massive fatigue has set in tonight , and I'm tired of staring at my PC screen . So for the present , I wish you all a good night , good health , and God's blessings . I will return to this as time permits , and thank you all for your interest in my ramblings .

   So , I've enjoyed being lazy with regard to this blog , but this morning , yes , 6 AM on a Saturday , unable to sleep , I've decided to share some of my thoughts . As I'm sure you all know , Ferguson , MO , has been a war zone for a week now .
 After a 2 hour delay caused by lack of electricity , I have gotten Things powered back up and ready to run , if I can still find the ambition to write . And now , at 11 PM , after more delays and disturbances , I'm saving this to try again tomorrow . God bless .
   And , suddenly  , it is nearly 8 PM on Sunday , and I am tired as always , but it's been a pretty smooth day overall . Now , back to our main topic , the protests and rioting in Ferguson , Missouri . You and I don't , and may never , know what transpired between Officer Wilson and Mike Brown , except that Brown was shot to death by Wilson . More than that , it is not our job to judge either of them , God will take care of that . What I really want to talk about here is the aftermath of that tragic encounter . If this young man was your child , your kin , or your friend , your anger and grief are understandable . Sometimes folks act "inappropriately" when they are overcome by emotion . Except for public comments and peaceful protest , Mike Brown's family did not lash out in anger at the community , or engage in criminal behavior , to the best of my knowledge . Certain other elements in the city , however , did . They looted and set fires , threw firebombs and other objects at police , brandished and fired guns , and generally acted as fools . Here's my main point , and the ones that really matter . If you desire something so ferociously that you must steal it , and do , you are a thief , not a hero or role model . If you set property afire , for whatever reason , like destruction of evidence , you are an arsonist . If you try to intimidate others to express your point of view , you are a bully and a thug . If you are ok with this misbehavior ( doesn't that sound fairly harmless , "misbehavior" ? ) , you are no better than those actually performing the acts . There is no "gray area" in rioting and looting , this is the United States of America , and 99.99% of us are better than that . You don't get "caught up" in this type of civil disobedience and "carried away" with criminal behavior . You make a conscious decision to participate , or you walk away . I do understand some of the psychology of mob mentality , and I believe if you are at all intelligent and mature , you do not lose the capacity for free will , or choice of action . To become part of a mob , defeats the purpose of your protest , especially in the eyes of the public at large . As most people realize , you are responsible for your own actions , be they good or bad .
   And then we have the opposition to those rioters and protesters , law enforcement . When your lack of competent training allows you to ignore the first sparks of disorder , then swoop in like an impotent army , you need to re-think the purpose of your profession . When you bring military equipment to bear on mostly unarmed innocent citizens , blast away with tear gas , rubber and wooden projectiles shot from firearms , and sonic disruption devices , you are the same type of arrogant thug as those you seek to subdue . When you position yourself atop an armored personnel carrier with a military-spec rifle , aimed at the crowd , fully exposed because you feel invincible , you are just another power-mad asshole . One or two half-decent snipers could easily take out dozens of police before the officers retreat to their armored vehicles . Just pray your nutless supervisor doesn't lock you out . And MRAPs , what is the point of that ? Bragging rights ? How many IEDs and anti-personnel devices do you encounter in St. Louis ? So , when will this nonsense come to a conclusion ? Tune in tomorrow for more on this and a few other subjects . In the meantime , treat each other well , pray for peace for all , and may God's blessings be abundant according to your needs .

   Well , here I am , after a dizzying week of minor and major events . Don't take that to mean I'll be here every day , but I will check in from time to time . My wife had 4 Dr. appointments this week , and we went to Carbondale on an empty day to catch a sale . The younger son called from the bar about 10:30 PM Friday , to contact our friend , whose father had fallen and hit his head , and was unconscious for 10 or 15 minutes . He rode with him in the ambulance while I picked up the friend and drove her to the local ER . The personnel there packaged him up and sent him by helicopter to St. Louis . His daughter and I went to our respective homes and dressed for travel . We got to the hospital at 4:00 AM , and he was in surgery  , but was out and in ICU by maybe 5 . We , my wife and me , stayed with her until her sister and other family arrived . Today he is doing remarkably well , they have the ventilator and the shunt out , and should have him in a regular room soon . We got home just before 1 PM Saturday , and the daughter is on her way home , with her daughter as I write this at 8 PM Sunday . Here , I would like to thank our loving God , for having someone there to make sure he got help , the ambulance crew who got him safely to Chester Memorial hospital , the Professionals at the ER there who got him ready to travel , the Pilot and flight Medics who got him to Barnes Jewish hospital , the Surgeons , Doctors , Nurses and People who operated right away , and Family Members who came to be with him on very short notice , and God again for bringing him through this terrifying experience alive and lucid , and all those Folks who prayed for his recovery . Man , that was a whopper of a sentence , wasn't it ? We will continue to pray for his quick and complete recovery , as well as peaceful minds for him and his family .
   Now , having witnessed to you a first-person story of God's Grace and Mercy , I am logging out for today , to catch up chores and get some rest . Be good to one another and may God richly bless you all .

   I know it's been over a week , but despite the rumors , I am neither deceased or incarcerated . Things have been very busy , and money extremely scarce . For now , carry on , I shall return , and may God bless you all .

   I'm sorry I didn't appear yesterday , but personal obligations have been using extra time . I will try to be here at least every few days , and when I have something to say . Good night and God bless you all .

   Well , folks , it's been a long day . I got to sleep about 2 this morning , got up at 4:30 to get the older boy up , then back up at 8 to wait for the cable guy . The upstairs non-DVR box had lost it's mind and wouldn't respond to a reset . The appointment was for between 8 and noon , he called at 11:30 to say he'd be a little late . In the waiting I did dishes and laundry , and more organizing in my office . When the older son came in , showered and had supper , I drove him the 40 miles home . The younger one got in about 11 PM from New Ulm , Minnesota , where they worked this week . I reheated his supper , and am now trying to finish my day . It wasn't too bad , but I am tired as always , and hope to rest soon . Now is when I bid you good day , and wish you God's blessings .

   Hello , ladies and gentlemen , and welcome to the show . I have been pondering the clash between belligerent right-wingnuts and some Central American women and children refugees . When did the American "conservative" citizen become a screeching , hate filled maniac ? what makes it OK to shout and curse at busloads of innocents ? You'll notice I said refugees , not "illegal immigrants" . Way back in the very early 1980s I worked at a machine tool dealer in Houston , Tx. as a mechanic and electrician . Harris County was booming , with massive construction projects , and more jobs than workers . My boss , an old money Harris County Harris , born and raised just outside the city , spoke both English and Spanish fluently , and always hired "illegals" to do scut work around the shop , and his and his parents' homes . Our "cleaners" insisted on the rear rail doors being open at least 2 feet , for easy escape from "Immigra" . When anyone in business attire came into the shop area , they were gone like a shot , but always returned to work the next day . These 2 blonde , blue eyed young men were from Guatemala , and spoke no English . They talked a little about turmoil and lawlessness in their home country , and the month-long trip to get to the U.S. . Beatings , torture and killings were perpetrated by the government , the military , rebels and drug cartels alike . Depending on your wealth , or your kin , or your real or rumored activities and speech , could make you a victim at any moment . Our painter , Rudy , aka Rodolpho Diaz  , as his falsified papers identified him , was from San Salvador , El Salvador .He spoke some English and was always learning more , we taught each other as we could . He told me many times of the violence , poverty , and political unrest in his homeland . His real name was Arneval Donaldo Donar , But his documents , very expensive even then , showed him to be Sen'or Diaz , so we called him Rudy . Even the boss , his friend and benefactor , didn't know his real name . So , what am I leading up to with this little tale of 3 young Latino men , and the premise that a long arduous journey , fraught with danger ,was a fair trade for breaking the law to escape a primitive 3rd world country ? The stories behind those women and children , and so many others traveling here illegally , are probably quite similar to those I heard first-hand in Texas . How small must your tightly sealed mind be to attack mothers and their children , and children all alone , for fleeing a place where their lives are worth less than a cup of coffee ? Would Jesus Christ approve of hating "the other" so fiercely that He would drive them away , curse and spit on them ? I know He would not , and these self-described "patriots" know it too . They take God's Holy Word and twist and mangle it to suit their own agenda , they understand exactly what they do and how wrong they are , but satan's advocates stir and incite them , and they follow willingly .
   My Bible still says " Love one another as I have loved you " , so these folks are not only wrong in their actions , but wrong in their hearts . My " go-to " lesson of the Golden Rule applies in this case , as it does in nearly all . That is my studied opinion on this subject , and I pray those folks ( protesters ) see how wrong they are , repent and get right with God . As for you , my invisible friends , good night , and God bless .

   OK , all , I have caught up some paperwork , and now am not nearly as anxious as I was . I have a couple calls to wait on this week , then I should be in good shape , mentally . Anyway , it's midnite , I'm exhausted , and about ready for bed . Good night , peace , God bless you all .

   I said I'd be back , and here I am . I hope you're not expecting a long discourse on any subject , as I'm quite busy with paperwork , and on deadline . So , I haven't run away just yet , good night and God bless .

   Just a short check-in to boast that our 14 year old granddaughter borrowed a book , to read for pleasure . I can't begin to tell you how proud I am . Good night , God bless .

   Sorry , my friends , but I have some things to attend to IRL , so I'm not promising to return until Monday , July 7 , when I will resume daily postings , even if it is just bullshit and excuses . So , until then , take good care of yourselves and others , and may God's blessings be enough for you all . Good night .

   I have been having hardware problems , it's 11 PM , good night , God bless .

   Scrambled eggs with ham , onion , tomato , and smoked pepper jack cheese . I had been craving eggs for days . Supper , cube steaks w/mushroom gravy , mashed potatoes , creamed corn , deviled EGGS . A lazy day , all I did was wash my breakfast dishes , check the mail , shower , and eat . I then fell asleep in my recliner after Antiques Roadshow , woke up and had apple crisp and ice cream . Now I'm just trying to fill space here , talking about my diet . My hips and knees are both bothering me today , despite my permitted dose of naproxen .
   My radio scanner has been going non-stop this evening , domestic disturbances and auto crashes , the new moon is just as crazy as the full . Anyway , I am giving up early , therefore , good night and may God richly bless you all .

   Well , Wednesday evening when he got back to the bunkhouse from work , our youngest broke into a sweat and nearly passed out . The hospital in Geneseo kept him in emergency for over 3 hours , nothing to drink , no iv hydration . He finally signed himself out (they didn't have an open bed anyway) , his kidney enzymes were not right , and he was dehydrated . He borrowed a co-workers car and drove 5 hours home , showered , and went to our local er . They kept him overnight , pumped 5 liters of iv fluids into him , and stopped one of his BP meds because it exacerbates overheating and dehydration . This whole time his pressure was very low , until this morning . So , he is home , under orders to take it easy , and sees the Dr. in his office Monday .
  Myself , we had Oscar Meyer jalapeno hot dogs for supper with chili and cheese , quite good and the dogs were on sale for 99 cents , regular 3 bucks . Good eats , good price . So good that over the course of the evening I had 5 . Earlier , I mowed the back lawn , at least a large portion of it , and did some weeding . I've done 2 loads of laundry , and cleaned up the kitchen after supper . All in all it's been a pretty good day , and even if it weren't , it's a day in the world , a gift from God . Thank him always , for we don't know His plans . Now , take care of one another , praise God , and may He bless you well . Good night , all .

   Nothing today , family illness , good night , God bless .

   A hot day , but much less humid than the past few days . Today is my wife's birthday , I couldn't afford a gift , so I polished her throne . I also brought down laundry , started picking up the living room , and mowed the front lawn and my "milkshake yard" across the street so she can get a complimentary cold treat or two . Then I cleaned the webs off our surveillance cameras , I don't know why spiders are so attracted to infrared light . So , even though it's still reasonably early , I'm not sticking around for more . Good night , all , and God bless .

   I actually went outdoors a couple times today , didn't do anything though . I got to visit some with our youngest and middle daughters and youngest and middle grandsons . Tomorrow I hope to try to complete some yard work . As for this blog , I'm just not feeling it today . I don't mean to keep slacking but some days the energy required to drag myself from bed is all I can manage . So treat each other like you'd like to be treated , praise and thank God , and may He bless you richly . Good day .

   Getting a pretty good rain , and watching the water flow down the opposite side of the street from the storm drains . It hits a small defect in the pavement and sprays up in a thick arc as it erodes the inside of said defect , making a brand-new pothole . The state and city had the street closed for 3 weeks , supposedly installing a french drain . They re-opened the street after covering the gravel leach bed with blacktop . I don't care how much perforated pipe and gravel you use , when you seal the surface , it's not a drain anymore , just a buried pipe . I really expected a bar grate custom-fitted to the trench . I'm not a licensed engineer , but I know stupid when I see it . Another rain or two like today's inch and a quarter in twenty minutes and the road below will be undercut and destroyed .
   Our oldest daughter and her 2 girls came by so I could fax some paperwork for her , and the girls spent most of the visit picking blackberries outside our back door . These volunteer canes have been producing steadily , and the kids like them . For dinner I had lentil soup with spicy chorizo , and grilled ham and 2 cheese sandwiches on thin sliced Italian bread . Very good food , and filling .
   Now , my friends , after a long but drama-free day , I'm packing it in for tonight . Good night , God bless .

TYWKIWDBI ("Tai-Wiki-Widbee"): Judith beheading Holofernes

TYWKIWDBI ("Tai-Wiki-Widbee"): Judith beheading Holofernes: The account of the beheading of Holofernes by Judith is given in the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, and is the subject of more than 114...


   Shared from an eclectic blog by minnesotastan , which I have followed for several years now , he always has interesting content .

   Not too bad again , my wife made cheeseburgers indoors since the weather was changeable . Still very good , I love burgers . I slept quite late today , still tired and feeling stretched thin . 4 hours or so later , just getting back because of memory issues and fatigue . I think I'll keep it open a while longer , perhaps I can imagine something to say . Gave that a short trial , still a vacuum of creativity . Another small foray into other parts of the interwebs , and no luck again . So once again I claim inability to produce , and blame it on my physical limitations and mental cyclones . Good night , take care of one another , and may God greatly bless you all .

   Another hot , humid day , I haven't been outdoors except to fetch the mail this morning . Not feeling too bad , we had Domino's delivery for dinner , delaying homemade burgers till tomorrow . I think I'll do stuffed , I've been considering trying pepperoni pizza burgers . This time I will probably just do some kind of pepper cheese . So , work or not , did chores , I'm tired , and I'm signing myself out . Good night and God bless .

   I'm here , it's mid-afternoon , good day so far . I just tried to refresh my FB newsfeed , and it didn't load , so I'm stepping out of the web for a bit to do a little maintenance ,but I will be back in a while . 3:44 PM . Ok , I'm back , 7:30 PM . Not all of that time was spent working on my machine , and I didn't find any specific problem , so maybe the server had a little brain fart . Anyway , now we're back online . And now after a power drop-out , it's 10:15 , and I'm growing weary of the interruptions and re-boots , even though this last was easy , since Chrome restored my tabs and pages . Supper from the deli , short visits , no drama . God bless you all and good day .

     Again a decent day , just no energy . I'm a bit earlier than usual , but not sure if that will help me produce . My guess would be not , as right now it's 9:30 PM , 3 hours after that first 2 sentences , and I still don't have any material for my public clown show . Out there in the real world , there are a LOT of right wing political flim-flam folks , spewing lies and idiocy . I have always considered myself a conservative Democrat , pretty much a centrist in days gone by . Now , the tea party has shifted the whole of the spectrum so far to the right as to be off the scale in that direction . This means my own political leanings have stayed nearly the same , so as the scale twists to the right , my own spot on said scale veers further toward the left . Because of this shift in beliefs in both parties , I have decided to give myself the title of Common Sense Progressive . Wow , that escalated quickly , from nothing to say to redesigning my my political profile in minutes flat . When you enter politics , most times you have some higher goal in mind than acquiring  wealth and power . Along the way , you learn what greedy bastards some people can be , and become . At some point in time , when you compromise your ideals to further your personal agenda , corruption is just a short trip down a slippery slope . The higher the position , the bigger the opportunities for unethical behavior . In actual practice , there are still a majority of people who are honest , upright , and moral . However , the bad apples can indeed taint the whole barrel , if the good ones don't stand up for themselves . I sort of know whereof  I speak , as I have been a small town official , both elected and appointed . I spent 6 years off and on as a Village Trustee , a non-partisan position , and several as assistant Chief on the fire department . One year another trustee , not up for election that year , went door to door telling sure voters stories about me cut from whole cloth , because I wouldn't allow him to bully me . Some folks are just petty , I guess , and don't like to have their power limited . And when you decide to lie to enhance your own position , you lose any chance of maintaining the moral high ground . This is one of those "triggers" that set me off , the bald-faced lies . Especially when they are used to take away from those who have little to start with .
   So now , I don't aspire to any office that requires political skills , even though I have some . I have to get and keep my own life in order , and have no desire to order others . Now that I've vented a little , and produced a little , I will wish you good night , and God bless .

   Another day , another step in the self-improvement quest . I spent about an hour with a mental health professional , a psychiatrist . We are increasing my Zoloft to the maximum recommended dosage , and scheduled follow-up visits a few weeks down the road . Between now and then , I will see if any improvement occurs in my mood and temperament , so we can determine the next step in my treatment . I can communicate with this woman , she doesn't talk down to me , and I anticipate successful treatment with her in charge . I gave her the url for this blog , maybe she'll visit one day .
   Our friends outside town , real self-sufficient country folk , smoke meat a couple times a month , an all day process . Today they sent me some ribs and sliced brisket , so tasty and juicy no sauce needed to be used . In return I printed them an iron-on transfer of a picture of their pet goat . And no I don't care for goat meat , not even smoked , but I don't think I need to worry in this instance . I did have a Filipino friend whose go-to bbq meat was goat . Way too greasy for me to enjoy , but this was how he displayed his hospitality .
   You should know by now that my lesson for you all today is Love Thy Neighbor . This is basically the largest part of the Golden Rule , treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated . I can't stress to you enough how important this is to the moral and spiritual well-being of yourself as well as those you come into contact with . And in the chaotic and hateful real world we so often find ourselves in , a friendly smile and a kind word can lift the recipient's spirits , and your own , too . So now I leave you with my daily wish for you all to be happy , healthy , and blessed by a loving God .

     Another hot humid day , bearable for me but hard on some others . We went to town to get the wife's driver's license renewed , went to Aldi , and had lunch at SouthSide Ribs . Sweet potato fries with praline dipping sauce , one of my all-time favorites , no one else does it better . Our middle daughter came by with our oldest grandson , the 6ft. 250lb. weightlifter/football player , who is a 17 year old senior in high school . For supper tonight I had a Campbell's soup-to-go pouch , which is very easy to prepare , just tear the corner of the bag , it stands on it's own in the microwave , 90 seconds ready to eat . Tonight I had Thai style creamy chicken and rice , which looks like vomit , but tastes delicious . Slightly spicy but really good . Now I'm going to make my exit , so good night , and God bless .

   Well , I may not be all here , but here I am . Pretty warm today , think I might have to start the A/C season soon . We just hate the extra expense . So now , several hours later , I prepped the unit to run , changed the filter and started it up . The humidity is the biggest reason to run it , as that causes more discomfort and breathing difficulties than dry heat . At least it makes it more bearable to be indoors .
   Well , got the younger boy off to work at 2 this morning , expect him gone about a week , it will be quiet here but I'll have to mow my own grass . Anyway , I am in better spirits though still tired , and I have an appointment this week to go over my medicine regimen with my psych meds P.A. .Then we will decide if therapy is warranted . So , for now , good night , God bless , and be kind to one another .

So , having been in a mood lately , having a lack of creativity , and generally feeling tired , I am going to take a short break from this pursuit . I plan to be back with you Monday , June 16th , and to have something to say . Until then , take care and God bless .

   Not too bad today , but can barely stay awake . Got to sleep about 4 , got up before 10 , but that in itself doesn't really make much difference . I wake up still tired no matter how long or short my sleep . As you can guess by now , this is where I excuse myself from working , and try to get some rest . Good night all , and God bless .

   Another cool , cloudy , rainy day . Quite comfortable to me , and to most I'm sure . It's Tuesday , and at 1 AM I am just getting back here . Good night all , and God bless .

      A nice day in the 'hood today , overcast but temps around 70 , quite pleasant . Our youngest just came in for the week , from northern Ill. , and is home until next Mon. . I'm not ill , but I am thoroughly exhausted for no good reason , so it's another non-productive night . Good day , God bless .

   I'm starting this earlier , let's see how this shakes out . 3:30 PM .. Now I've had dinner , our friend in the country sent fried fish and corn fritters in , so I had that . Took my evening-meal dependent prostate pill , watched the local weather , now 6:40 PM . And now , after sorting my medications , splitting tablets , and taking out the trash , it's suddenly 9:30 . As I am very tired , and quite lazy , I will wish you all good night , and God bless .

   Went to Dowell this PM for my parent's 60th wedding anniversary . Medicated before hand , got to visit some , no problems . Our youngest daughter and her son went with us , and on the way home we stopped for a late lunch in Ava . Just as we finished our meal , we heard sirens out front of the cafe . We were just in time for the Ava homecoming parade , so our grandson got to collect lots of free candy , we saw some dear friends , and had a pleasant stop in the town where I spent my teens , and part of my early 20s .
   So now , hours later , good night , God bless .

   God bless all .

   Today has been fairly pleasant , cloudy and cooler . I have been checking my daily news sources , doing small chores , and playing FarmVille . I have been trying extra hard to avoid inputs that trigger my instability . I sent a secure message to my behavioral medicine specialist , and a nurse from that department called today to confirm receipt of my message . They will contact me later for an appointment with my medication PA , to discuss possible chemical remedies to my issues . Then we decide if I need to be reevaluated and see a Mental Health specialist . I suspect my problems may stem from the head injury I suffered in 1997 . At least I have professionals to help me along the way . On a more positive note , she called before 9 so I had to get up to answer the phone , and stayed up , after being up till 2:30 AM last night , so maybe I can hit the rack early tonight . Good night and may God bless .

   I hate to disappoint you all , but I am not blogging tonight , just too tired . God bless you all and good night .

   Another day has passed , not too bad for me , apparently not too good for others . Your denial of God doesn't hurt me , but you . I'm disappointed , as I truly thought you were better than that . I also realize that as I grow closer to God , Lucifer steps up his assault , with new tools as I grow stronger , at the expense of those who let him in . So many of my friends have come to my spiritual rescue lately that I can't possibly thank them enough . No matter how hard he tries , Satan's lures cannot begin to match the generosity of our loving God's rewards . As long as we believe , good will always triumph over evil , even though it may be in His time rather than ours . Anyway , I am emotionally drained tonight , so this is all the content you get . Good day , and God bless .

   On the downhill side of pharmaceutical anger control , and as much as I enjoy writing , even when it's silly fluff , tonight I am just not in the right frame of mind . So no drivel today , check back tomorrow .
   Good night and may God bless you all . And try to keep the river below the gunwales .

   Here we are once more , on the same page , as it were . That sentence has been waiting alone a couple of hours for a companion , and here one is . I am going to the kitchen to do some food prep , so for now they are a menage' a trois  . Now , a short tangential excursion in reference to yesterday's post . Nobody likes shit sausage , but there are a lot of folks selling it . And sadly enough , people are buying it , too . Mine is freely given , usually ticks people off , and embarrasses me . Anyway , I didn't take a crazy pill today , so now I am slowly withdrawing from 2 day's worth . The best thing for me would be sleep , but the younger boy leaves at 3 , so it's really too late to start to bed now , but I am not in much of the mood to write , either , having shared a bunch of semi lucid thoughts on FB today . Any how , I've communicated with many folks today , most lifelong friends , and found much love and support . Thanks to all of them , they know who they are , and to all of you , my audience , good night and God bless .

   Back , confused and cheerless , weathered and worn but here none the less . A different day , another sedative , apologies to some , the rubbish bin for others . My current and future pursuit is to continue the mixing and blending of words . I strive to be a constructor of sentences , paragraphs and pages . I write like a blind fool speaks , or an English bard in a bawdy house . I am greatly enamored of seeing words , MY words , fleeing my head in favor of the virtual paper at which I often sling them . Hello ! hello ? is anyone listening ? Is this frequency active ? Yes , I may appear quite mad , but I am mostly playing a part in the theater of my psyche , or a mindless scribe with a huge vocabulary and masterful command of the English language . Actually , I'm like one of those old fashioned hand crank stuffers , where you pour words into the top , and out of the spout comes literary sausage . By changing the tip , you can change the color and contrast of the meaty emergence , and even the texture and taste . If you choose , you can go from Lord of an English manor , to a French dandy in a limousine , to a slave enduring the whip , to my usual , which is arrogant uneducated asshole . The largest problems occur when doing an emergency die change , and the supply of raw material gets intermixed or contaminated , causing grief for longer than just a short purge of mixed sub-product before righting itself . So if I seem at times to be angry , confused or bewildered , it's probably because someone shit in the hopper , and we have to roll out the bleach wagon and scrub down the blades .
   Now , because I've quite enjoyed this aspect of the cleanup process , I'll move on to the next step in the sanitation , which involves imparting to you a spiritual lesson on our place in God' universe . We are all just travelers through this world we inhabit , and our stay is a miniscule period of time in God's grand scheme . We all , or at least most , have a soul . It is our very own , and belongs to no one else . Our savior tells us that at the end of our visit to this earth , God will examine our stay here , and determine the richness of our reward , or the severity of our penance . Some Eastern religions believe our souls are reincarnated and live forever in some form or another . Some believe by killing yourself in order to kill your enemy , you are rewarded in death with 72 virgins . What , exactly , the point of THAT is I have no idea .  If Heaven is a physical place , rather than a gathering of souls , what use to be presented with 72 sexually inexperienced virgins ? Is this because some cultures still treat women as chattel , so you are rewarded with hymens to destroy ? Children to hurt ? Getting back to the premise that we are only here for a blink of God's eye , what can we , as His creations , do to improve this place we are all destined to visit ? I can only assume that this place is just a stopover on a a much longer and more mysterious journey . When we leave this place , do make a clean getaway ? Are we held here , after our bodies have gone , to observe , or serve , or suffer ? I have no idea of the answers to these questions , and we cannot know the mind of God . I do know that , even a plaque , or a tomb , or a mighty stone of granite , will all eventually turn to dust . I know that God is all around and inside us , and He is eternal . We are not shown the next stage of our travels , and even the most intelligent and strongest of us cannot cheat the stationmaster . So if our stay here is momentary , and all we know shall crumble away , what can we do to make our stay here worthwhile ? Firstly , and most importantly , believe in a kind and loving God , praise His name , and witness His Glory to the world . Secondly, and no less important , is to treat others , all others , as your brothers and sisters , all children of one God , living in God's own creation . I'm not sure where the Golden Rule was first conceived , but this should be the one that guides you as you trudge your path . Treat others as you would have them treat you . Simple , elegant , and undeniable . When you think no law applies , no rule makes sense , this one leaves no confusion about what you should do . All of God's commandments are rooted in this one regulatory guideline , and the world is a wonderful place when even some of us obey . So while we are on this quest , if following this simple rule makes one other persons life better , it was a noble exercise , and most likely improved your life too . If we could , by our witness , convince just half the people we encounter to do the same , in a fair amount of time , the world could be better than it's ever been .
   At this point in the day , I'm wrung out and ready to retire . So I wish you all a pleasant Sunday , be kind to all you meet , and God bless .

   Hello , folks , how are you all today ? I'm not too bad , other than the usual complaints . I am , however , in an argumentative mood , thanks to some jerk who didn't like my comment on his astroturf posting on Facebook . Not only were the sentiments expressed lies and misleading , it was previously posted by a "progressive" radio network . So this arrogant , right wing coward , thinks I should show him more "respect" , and not call him an idiot . Needless to say , my response was even less "respectful" , and contained more name calling . Don't call me out because I don't believe your lies , because my reaction is likely to be something you don't want to hear . When you bully or "order" me , I know you're a coward , and I don't become frightened , or flee , I become angry and will defend myself and others to the utmost of my ability . Usually this is only words , but if you insist , I still have those specialized , if seldom used , physical defensive skills , and though I hate to , I can still use them . And that's enough uncivilized ranting for now .
   That having been said , I have been textually arguing with family over a post from this morning on Facebook . I have tried to back away , but if you keep poking the bull with a stick , you're eventually going to get the horn . I have un-friended 2 relatives already , if I could figure out how to get this event page off my timeline , I would .
   So now it's later , I had to take a chill pill , and I have a difficult time navigating my keyboard . So , sorry , another distraction , an hour spent on the porch , visiting with a mildly intoxicated friend . Anyway , good night and God bless .

     So , I'm back , not feeling too bad , not getting much done , either . It's not been too bad a day , we have our oldest granddaughter until her mother gets back from the city . The younger girl had some type of awards thing for D.A.R.E. at Busch stadium , but the elder had dance team practice , so she is with us for the evening .
   Just made myself a sub with bologna , ham , 2 cheeses , on a deli style roll . Quite good , it's been a long time since I had one , and I didn't have to go to the gas station to get it . The girl has gone home , we love having her but sometimes she talks a lot , but it didn't really bother me much tonight .
   Our youngest just came in from Sheboygan , he left his local job to work for his old foreman at a different track service company , so he is traveling again . Speaking of traveling , I am about to journey off to dreamland , so as usual , good night and God bless .

   Kind of a dreary rainy day , it's rained at least 3 times . High in the 80s , lows in the 60s , I leave the windows closed during the day and at night turn on the attic fan , and open enough windows to cool down the whole house . This saves on the Ameren bill , but in a few weeks we'll have to use the A/C . Today I only went out to get the mail , and took some leftovers next door for a disabled friend , as the end of the month is always tough for those on fixed incomes . If you know someone who is living on Social Security , disability , or SSI , check on them towards the last week or so of the month . Take or give them a meal or three , some special snacks or desserts , maybe cash if you are able and it wouldn't embarrass them . Most will be thrilled if they are approached in a gracious way . And remember , sharing or lending a hand is not charity , but manna for your own soul .
   I'm really trying to get to bed early , if I can sleep . Yesterday my knees ached so badly I didn't get to sleep until about 6 AM . I got up before noon , and am hoping I am tired enough to drift off after my prayers . I am going to share this post to Facebook , in hopes of increasing my readership . So now it's time to tell you all good night , and God bless .

Not gonna be here long , but I try to touch this base every day when I can . Nice out tonight , cool and damp , but comfortable . After the second period of rain , my gauge showed half an inch , almost all of which fell in the second instance , in less than 30 minutes . The problem with that is the joint pain from the barometric pressure changes . Yesterday the younger son had lunch at Asian Garden with his friend , and brought home 3 foam boxes of leftovers . I had this for both my dinners this evening , and all was surprisingly good except the fried rice , which was quite bland . So , after those few words , I bid you all good day , and God bless .

   Pretty good day , didn't do anything but don't feel too bad , just tired after my exertions yesterday . My  wife says the tire change made a big difference so it was worth it . We eat a lot of slow-cooker meals , mostly our own recipes , because they are economical time savers . Today we tried a Campbells slow cooker sauce , just to check them out . Pork roast and a bag of liquid stuff poured over it , applewood-something-something bbq . This stuff was practically tasteless , way too much liquid , a pork butt in a community hot tub . We have much better luck with a dry rub and a little white wine , serving it dry with sauce on the side . We use a rub made by mixing 2 different Dollar Tree bbq seasonings in equal parts , and whatever white wine is cheapest at WalMart or Target . 8 hours in the crock pot , as good as the sauce you use , but also excellent unsauced .
   Anyway , tomorrow is another 4 AM alarm , I still have a few chores to finish , and I'm tired . So , good night , treat others as you would like to be treated , and God bless .

   Changing front tires on my wife's car , another story of an answered prayer . I put my knee appliances on this morning , had to come in to take them off . They provide support but are very uncomfortable .
   About the answered prayers , this is just recent , yesterday , and obvious . Our car has needed front tires for a while , and over the past couple weeks have been showing cracks and belt wires . She had prayed about it and yesterday on one of the Facebook buy and sell sites she found 4 matched Michelin tires , in the exact size , excellent shape , $25 each . They even delivered them next door , at no extra charge . We only need 2 right now , but it will be nice to have backups . This is the sort of serendipitous answer to a prayer that we often write off to luck or skill , or just ignore , that our God delivers every minute , of every day . I have been seeing this more and more around here , and we are truly thankful that He sees our needs and provides for them .
   So I changed 2 tires , both pretty easy considering I do them the old fashioned , poor man's way , 2 pry bars and a large hammer . I do have a bead breaker I built about 10 years ago , the rest is just muscle and leverage . Our youngest son helped with the second one , I was still sweaty and worn out when we finished . Came inside , cooled off , and had a bowl of rainbow sherbet , which is a delicious cool-down in itself .
   This past Monday morning after the state crew closed our side street , I found our trash tote hadn't been emptied . There was a time , even in the past few weeks , when they picked up about 4:30 AM , which would have beaten the road crew by at least a couple hours . Since the state guys haven't been back since Tuesday , and won't be until this Tuesday at the earliest . This leads me to believe my garbage won't be removed this week , either . Oh well , we'll just have to work around it .
   I know this little bit of lucidity doesn't make up for all the times I produce no content for you , but I hope it helps . So once again , I leave you with hope for a good night and God's bountiful blessings .
 

Not too bad a day , still not recovered from yesterday's pill . We had leftovers for dinner , and stuffed scallops for a late snack . Now I take my nighttime meds and prep for bed . Good night and God bless .

   Not having a good day , had to take a pill due to anxiety issues . Now I am somewhere in the ozone , and I wish you all good night , good luck , and God bless .

   This is the deal of the day . No sermons or lessons , no whining , no project definitions . Just a wish for you all to be happy , healthy , and to treat each other well . Congratulations to all this week's graduates , good night , God bless .

   So tonight I don't feel too bad , a little chest pain that I think is from over-eating but the doctors prescribe nitroglycerin for . Either way , the pills help some but give me a headache . Didn't do much again , went to the garage to loan a neighbor some tools , and get hot dogs from the freezer for supper . I did do my usual daily chores in the house , and wondered why IDOT didn't appear today to work on the road .
   You know I try to teach rather than preach , but this lesson may cross that line a little . I read today that Republicans don't want to fully fund the summer lunch program . They believe funding should only be available in rural areas , if at all . To reduce this to it's basest level , rural , mostly white , poor children would be fed , improving their lives by improving their diets . In urban , ethnically diverse populations , the children would receive no nutritional help from the federal government . There can be no doubt that this is intended to delegitimize the needs of children of color , in essence condemning them to go hungry , even die , in the interest of maintaining white racist ideology . I think I have mentioned in the past that humans are all one species , biologically , and race is merely a matter of appearance . It is also a mathematical certainty that , if the human race survives long enough , all the races will be blended into one common race . What will "conservatives" present as "the other" when that point is reached ? What will fear and cowardice demonize in others when everyone is brown ? Will prejudices be about lifestyles , intelligence , tastes in food or music ? What truly moronic reason will some folks come up with for hating others ? Will so-called Christians learn the difference between right and wrong , not from the Bible but from a moral standpoint , and that the love Jesus teaches is the proper attitude to begin all things with ? In the words of a gospel song , "You don't love God if you don't love your neighbor" , we all need to give serious consideration to how we look at our fellow humans . People , especially those entrusted with power over others , need to look at things from a truly Christian point of view , not what some bigoted blowhard tells them they should see .
   I hope this rant stirs some of you to actions and changes in your way of looking at others , and to think before you act or speak . I also hope this helps those of you who are like-minded to myself to understand the motivations and methods of those who choose hate over love . Now , somewhat earlier than normal , I will wish you all good night and God bless .

   It's Tuesday again already , but I am done with most everything else already at 10:30 PM . I didn't do anything outdoors , but we did attend our youngest grandson's pre-kindergarten graduation program . He was easily the best performer of his class in the little numbers they did . I recorded this on my old digital/dvd camcorder , it came out pretty good , but it took a while to convert to a format that Facebook supports . Actually , I'm waiting 20 minutes now while Facebook slowly uploads a 12 minute video clip . OK , 40 minutes and we're two thirds done . I did all right with the small crowd , only one minor disturbance of my mental state by someone's rudeness .
   The state poured concrete out front today , but left a strip on the outside edge filled with gravel . I don't yet understand their objective here , and they haven't started on the real defect nearby , yet . No telling with our state agencies . Tomorrow will be the 3rd day of having to go "around the block" to drive away from my house . Well it took roughly an hour to upload the video , so I clicked "post" and now it's "processing" . So after a decent , enjoyable day , I must tell you all good night and God bless .

   Not too bad today , a little cool this morning . At 8 AM IDOT was out front , cutting out the apron to our side street . Don't know their plans but they left the open hole not long after lunch . 40 feet further east is a real pothole , maybe they'll cut that out tomorrow . This morning was a typical state project , 2 dump trucks , backhoe , and 4 or 5 guys standing around going " Yup , that's a hole " while 1 or 2 actually did some work . I didn't do much today , folded laundry , worked on my herbicide sprayer , sprayed dandelions and broad leaf weeds in the yard , and took a few photos . My next step is to treat the lawn for grubs , in hopes of discouraging the moles and voles that tear up the sod every fall . I still need to build a planter for some herbs , and maybe strawberries . Then maybe I can do my big "art" project , and use some of my mental breezes to create something less mundane than I usually make .
   My new down-the-hill neighbor came to the door earlier asking if I had a flashlight , as there was a snake outside their door . He even said "python" , so I grabbed a light and went back with him . The snake had gone to hide under the porch , but once she had the torch his wife went after it and chased it out . A black snake about 2 or 3 feet long , no big deal where I come from . We always just let them go if we ran across them , they eat mice and other vermin and aren't very aggressive unless provoked . They are a young couple with a child , so they were a little freaked at first . Don't worry , it will all be good .
   So again we come to the tail end of today's entry , where I tell you all good night , be kind , pay it forward , and God bless .

      Another pretty good day , all the way around . I completed another phase of the lawn work , and the boys barbequed pork steaks and country ribs , and we had scalloped potatoes , baked beans , potato salad and slaw , and perfect weather for it . It's not 11 yet and I have all my chores current , going to rest soon . Good night , be good to others , God bless .

   Can you tell I'm out of breath by my typing ? Doing the "deep" mowing that none of the others will do , so the string trimmer doesn't work too hard . Our son is bbqing tomorrow so I'm wanting to at least get caught up . Now , done for today at 7 PM , got the mowing part done , tomorrow I will finish trim , treat for grubs , and use the dandelion spray . I have some hedge stumps I need to ax down below mower level , and re-treat trash tree stumps below the garage . I have another outdoor project to start also while the weather is nice , not too hot and not raining . My wife is fixing breakfast in the morning , and our son's friend is coming by on her work break , so I must arise at a decent hour . Good night to you all , and may God bless .

   I've given it some thought , and you're not getting much content tonight . I had a pretty decent day , mowed some , met our youngest in Ava when he got off work . He treated us to dinner at our favorite cafe' which was nice . I took the 30 min. after pill with me so I didn't forget it in the interim . So tonight I hope to be an early bedtime , no 4:15 wake up , so good night and God bless .

   Pretty nice this morning , sunny but cool . 4 hours sleep or so , the cable installer showed up about 9 , easy swap on the boxes . My wife made us breakfast of sausage patties , eggs , and toast , and we ate at the dining table , just like real folks . After watching the news and weather , reprogramming the recording list , and catching up on my web stuff , I decided to lie down for a bit . While I slept , maybe 2 and 1/2 hours , it rained and hailed . When I got back up , the sun was out again , but the sky was darkening to the southwest . It rained some , not heavy or too wind blown , and 30 minutes later has mostly moved on . Not too worked up today , even with others bringing the usual drama . When I rose from my nap , I had a message from a favorite niece asking for the url for this blog . So , hello and welcome to my personal whining page , where I sometimes slough off without presenting any actual writing . And at other times ramble on about whatever is stimulating my thinking at the time . Regardless , I try to check in here at least daily , whether I produce anything , or not . This is not intended to be anything other than a bad example of writing , composition , and the English language . As far as content , we know I'm not quite right at times , but I try to share some of the "atmosphere" of the "mental whirlwind" , in hopes it might help others understand their own struggles . A lot of the mundane , everyday action I describe is for the enlightenment of my descendants and anyone who cares to explore it . As always , you can communicate with me through the comments area of this blog . I make an effort not to identify family or friends by name , in order to shield their privacy . If you're considering a blog of your own , my ads made 29 cents in March , and 1 cent in April . Of course , I haven't really tried to market this or raise the number of pageviews , which in theory would increase the revenue from the ads .
   Back at the word spewing after a couple hours break to service the few farms on FarmVille I haven't idled in an effort to devote more time to other pursuits . Anyway , on the subject of revenue , that was never really a consideration in the starting of this journal . If I manage to grow a readership that contributes to my ministry , great , and I will be a good steward of those finances . As I said , though , if it never does better than now , that will be ok also . My wife worries herself sick over finances and the possibility of losing our home . I have become more at peace over time , as God has promised that if we believe and trust in Him , He will get us to where He wants us to be . This post has run longer than originally intended , but as I've said in previous posts the writing is therapeutic and has a calming effect as long as I don't rant . On another occasion we will delve further into the necessity of trusting the Lord , and knowing that with your faith you can move mountains . So for now , I'll wish you good evening and may you allow God to bless your lives .

   No , I'm not any more sane or stable than yesterday , just have a little stronger will . It has been a gray , dreary , chilly day here , and I am dressed to match in grey sweat clothes . We went to Sparta earlier for our friends and the only thing I changed was to add a grey hat . It has rained off and on all day , I emptied 2 and a half inches from my rain gauge when we got home around 5:30 . 48 degrees at that time , I turned the furnace back on as it was a little brisk in here this morning . We have the cable guy coming sometime in the AM to change out our dvr receiver , it's a few years old and it's been rebooting a lot and otherwise acting up for several weeks . I'll have to arrange access for him so there's no sleeping in . And now , good night and God bless you all .

    When the brain tornado is spinning , the output mechanism becomes frightened and confused , and produces little or nothing . Good evening , God bless .

   Another unusual and uncomfortable day . I got to sleep around 10 this morning , and woke up around 1 to a gastric emergency . Hot and cold flashes , abdominal cramps , diarrhea and gas , maybe I'm having my monthlies , at least I'm not bleeding anywhere . So you folks know the drill by now , I whine and complain a bit , then abscond through the cellar door . Good night and God bless you all .

Here we go again , another day when the forecast screwed me , fearing rain I didn't mow . Maybe tomorrow  I will get something done . Sunday evenings are partially used in weekly chores , Monday AM is trash pickup ,and my meds get prepped for the coming week . We bag up rubbish from all our indoor cans , put it in the city-supplied 90 gallon tote , and take it to the curb . I refill my pill organizers in preparation for starting the workweek , separating into dosage units for the proper ingestion schedule . In the morning I take 4 units , and possibly an anti-inflammatory . In the evening before bed I take 3 units , and another NSAID if I need it . I also have a capsule I'm to take 30 minutes after my evening meal . To arrive at proper dosage sizes , I have to split 14 tablets each week to wind up with 28 actual dosage units . All of the tablets I must divide are ovoid or capsule shaped , rather than round , so the operation is slightly tedious and time consuming . So I don't really have anything more to convey except be kind to others , seek Christ's guidance in your life , and trust that he has a plan for you . Good night , and God bless .

   Just another so-so day , don't feel awful , just punk . Got a few chores done , cleaned the oscillating stand fan for the boys to use in the living room , made potato pancakes to go with leftover shredded pork on toasted rolls , very tasty . The downside is being wiped out for a while after each task , and somewhat out of breath . The upside is I feel much more useful when I can contribute to the operation of the household .
   Had some mental thunder a little while ago , gonna quit while I'm still ahead . Good night , and God bless .

   Hot today , storms this afternoon , pleasant this evening . I'm still not quite physically well , but some better than yesterday . Yesterday was queasy , vertiginous , hot and cold flashes . Today a little less of those , but all still present . At the present time I have on my wireless headphones , '70s rock forcing the words out through my fingers . Yes , as far as fingers go , I can touch type rather slowly , or as I usually do , 2 fingers of whichever hand is convenient , at at least double the speed . I am thinking I might have an inner ear condition , but I don't know if that accounts for the lack of coordination and fine motor skills I've experienced over the last few days . Our friend thinks it might be allergies , but sometimes it takes a few weeks to get in to see the doctor , so we'll see if it lingers before calling . The Lord has taken good , good care of me all my life , saved me from death or dismemberment many times . If I listen with my soul He advises me on every occasion , or trusts me to remember His lessons , and have favorable outcomes . If He advises me to take measures , that is what I shall do . I have been thinking while writing this that God does not always provide us with what we desire , but rather what we need , and in His own time . The song that just came up on Pandora is You can't always get what you want , by the Rolling Stones . A pleasant and timely coincidence at the very least .
   So now I've dropped the volume some , and switched to John Prine radio , because I am trying to wind down , since I keep having to go back and correct mistakes that I don't usually make . A Billy Joe Shaver song , Live Forever , came on Pandora , and I wanted to share it so I went to YouTube , and found a video version that I shared on Facebook , and am sharing here as well , if all goes as planned . So , good night , and may God bless you richly .

Billy Joe Shaver - Live Forever

Today the problem is physical , sick all day , no good reason . Good evening , God bless you all .

  Once more , I'm not quite right , good night , God bless .

Back again for a bit . Haven't been able to stay awake at times during the day , wide awake at night no matter what I try . When I get up for the alarm , sometimes only having slept an hour or less , I usually stay awake until I'm sure the boys are up , and seldom have problems going back to sleep . When I want to get up for the day , I sometimes go back to a sound sleep before I can roll completely over . Then I awake again a couple hours later , wondering what happened . So today I slept til 11 again , need to find a good excuse to rise earlier . The hours between 9 PM and 2 AM just fly by . Anyway , trying etb/etr again , good night , God bless .

   Not gonna whine , not gonna blog either . Good day , God bless .

   A beautiful day , a little warmer than I've been used to , but clear and pleasant . Got a few minor things done , my wife divided some potted plants , and bbq'd chicken , burgers and 'dogs . Note the apostrophe , not actual animals . Our neighbor , who is trying to adjust to having one less extremity , sent over a plate of fried wild mushrooms , and we sent back a plate of meat . All in all , a pretty good meal for a very good day . Since the younger son is on days this month , and starts work at 6 , I had to set my alarm a little earlier , but meal times won't be so varied in the evening . This week I'm going to try to remember to build a planter , so I can start some herbs . I've written myself a note , it may or may not remind me at a convenient point . So , good night , and may God richly bless you .

   OK , a little confused , a lot tired . Slept the afternoon away , unintentionally . I had planned to move cars around and do some yard work , I guess it will still be there tomorrow . Did get vehicles moved to a new parking order . Had minor contact with someone who sets me off , no specific reason but my anger dial swings to 11 on a scale of 10 when I see him . Oh , well , I'm calmer now , cleaning out my closet , literally , not as a music reference . Done  with the closet , suddenly bedtime , good night , God bless .

   It's Friday afternoon , and I'm a lot better , but still a little woozy from the anti-psychotic pill . I've been cleaning , about to shower & dress for dinner with friends this evening . I'll be signing off but saving this to be added to tonight .
   Back again from Ava , where we had supper at Brunzee's cafe , still my favorite little place to have a good meal and a pleasant experience . Instead of my usual double cheeseburger and fried mushrooms , I had a catfish dinner with baked potato and salad , and my wife had a steak the same way . Our fiends had a steak and vegetables , and she had a half-pound bacon cheeseburger . Everything was excellent as always , good service , friendly family atmosphere , reasonable prices . Our checks were just over $30 per couple , not bad for dinner out on a Friday evening . The owner/culinary master was working cashier and I had to tell her how much we always enjoy dining there . I wish we had something like that closer to home .
   So , besides being in a better emotional state and a nice social outing , I am exhausted and must wish you good day , and God bless .

Got some business taken care of last night , bad day today because of other people , took a hydroxizine , slept some . Had delivery pizza for supper , calling it a day . Good night , God bless .

   Sorry my friends , I am taking time off to attend to some personal business . Back in a day or few , God bless you all .

   Another Tuesday , have most of my work done by 6 PM . Then , suddenly , without warning , it's 10 PM . I still need to shower and get ready for bed . Today I trimmed my beard down to a fu manchu and a soul patch . While I was doing it I played dress-up and took pictures . From range ruffian to hipster asshole in a few easy stages . Now freshly showered , and most everything but this computer is in bedtime mode , and I hope to be done here soon . For supper my wife made goulash , the first time in literally years . We had salad , ciabatta garlic cheese bread , and I fried the morels from yesterday . Quite the excellent evening meal , even the boys enjoyed it . Their disparate schedules mean having the supper meal at two different times , only difficult if we have something that needs to be served freshly cooked . Like mushrooms . Still worth the trouble , anyway . Dark clouds and lowering skies today , only a little rain though . And now I'll be leaving you , so be good to yourself and others , good night and God bless .

    So today is passing me by , faster and faster . By midnight time is zipping by at a ridiculous pace , shredding plans for resting . Slept later than intended again , but this seems to make no difference in what time I get to sleep . Days when the alarm goes off at 4:30 AM , and I get back up around 7 , I still have problems falling asleep before 2 or 3 AM . I didn't do much , fixed supper for the boys , the elder got rained out so he was back here by 8:30 . Hamburger Helper and butter beans , on a dreary afternoon . I emptied another 1&1/2" of rain from the gauge today , we probably still aren't up to average for the year . My knees are pretty good today , don't know what has made the difference , there seems to be no correlation between weather and/or medication , and pain .
   A friend gave us a half gallon pail of morel mushrooms , tomorrow I will prep and fry them for me and the boys . My wife doesn't eat them , so the mess will be enough for we 3 . And between now and bed I will keep an eye out for our local vulpine visitor , mr. fox . I didn't put out any garbage for him today , he will have to get by on rabbit , squirrel , and groundhog , of which there also are plenty . But I digress , what I meant to say is good night , and God bless .

  It's Sunday , I just finished a wonderful home made breakfast , and sent our son on his way to today's Cardinals game . He is treating a female friend who has never bee to the ballpark , hope they don't get rained out . I know it's really early , for me anyway , but I'm just not feeling it . Good day , God bless .

   I'm back momentarily , at almost 9 PM , to relay another wild animal sighting in my back yard . My wife called my attention to the surveillance monitor , to see the fox . Not sure of species as the infrared video is grayscale . Over the past couple months , I have been sometimes putting table scraps out for the feral cats that frequent the 'hood . Last week we saw a raccoon in the back foundation beds , and in the past we've seen deer and coyote . So the actual genuine wildlife are benefiting too , and I hope left over fast food doesn't cause them any illness . 'Cause most of it gives me the squirts . Anyway , I found the sighting of mr. fox was interesting , I hope you do too . So , good day once again , and God bless .

   Happy Birthday to Me ! Today is my 59th birthday , and it's my 225th post on this blog . It's after 3 now but I've been up since 7:30 . I did the pre-flight on my wife's car so she and our friend could go to the Cardinals' game . I have the game on in 2 places so I can try to spot them above the outfield , only 12 rows up . They are good seats if you hope to catch a home run ball . Of course , that may be the only reason the camera is directed there from less than a hundred yard perspective . Our younger son bought these tickets then learned he has to work tonight . He bought tickets for tomorrow , and gave today's to us . I didn't feel I could endure 3 or 4 hours of being mostly on my feet , or tolerate being in a crowd of 40 thousand , no matter how well I'm medicated . Our friend is a long time loyal fan , so my wife invited her to share the exposition today , as she hadn't been to a game , at least in this park . Today was Yadier Molina alternate jersey day , the first 25,000 fans over 18 got a jersey , which made today's tickets 3 times the price of tomorrow's , but we hope it makes a memorable day for our friend . Any way , our son gifted them , and their use was a necessity , thank you son , it is a wonderful gift . In the bottom of the seventh inning it is 4 to 1 in favor of the Pitodor Pirates . Tonight is also our oldest granddaughter's first prom , as you can guess she is thoroughly excited and her mother is a nervous wreck . And by the time Nana rides the Redbird Express back to the car , and they stop to eat , it will be after 9 before they get home . And at 10 after 6 , our beloved Cardinals suffer a 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh PieRats . I'd bet the girls were headed to the bus well before that . Too bad they didn't get to see their team win .
   I've been debating sharing today's post to my Facebook timeline , and including acknowledgment of all those who sent me birthday wishes . I don't think I will , I think I will just write a short status instead . So far I've had over 40 birthday messages , all from people I appreciate hearing from . I've tried to respond to each personally , as in an acknowledgement specifically to each person . So , now , at 7 PM , I am calling this post complete , and relaxing 'til my wife gets home . Good evening , and God bless you all , and thank you for taking the time to read .

    Nice day , a little cool this morning , about 75 this afternoon . I didn't do much at all , and nothing outdoors . Knees more painful today than the last week or two . Don't know if yesterday's 1&1/2+ inches of rain. has anything to do with it , but crops and gardens needed it . I'm not spending any time on a lesson today , except for thinking over one on temperance . You'll certainly be the first to know . For now , good day and God bless .

   Way behind again , but there's nothing new about that . No progress today , took older son home , folded laundry , that's about it . Right now I'm sitting here , listening to the thunder and the rain against the window . My knees are in misery thanks to the cool and damp . The naproxen doesn't help much , but I take it because the pain isn't enough to justify an opiate pain med , and my other meds preclude most analgesics . I really dread next week when the night-time temps will be in the low 40s . Yes , that's correct , no apostrophe , the number is plural , not possessive . No early alarm for tomorrow , maybe I can sleep through the pre-dawn hours . Anyway , good night , God bless , do good things .

   Had a pretty good day again , got stuff done , enjoyed the mild weather . The older boy got done early today , and volunteered to mow . I moved the lawn furniture and replaced it as he worked so it didn't take long to finish . I had sprayed weeds the other day , and didn't think they were dying quickly enough , so today I mixed up brush killer and sprayed woody invasives  and re-sprayed some of the weeds . This evening I mixed some rose food and fertilized my perennial ornamentals . I treated myself tonight to a Pepsi , I usually drink coffee or unsweetened iced tea . I'm not diabetic , or even pre- , I just don't usually enjoy that sticky feeling , and sugar is not what I want when I am thirsty . Tomorrow before it rains I think I will hang my other hummingbird feeder . For the other birds , I have a large tin of stale popcorn from Christmas that I scatter a bit from most dry days .
   Our younger son has tickets for the Cardinals game Saturday , which is my 59th birthday . He also has tickets for Sunday , so he offered us Saturday's , even though they are much more expensive . I decided to stay home , the crowds and the walking would be too much I fear . So , my wife is taking our friend , who is a long time fan but has never seen a game " live and in person " . At age 35 she is past due , and I'm sure she will be thrilled at the experience . Now , my dear readers , I leave you with wishes for a good night , and God's blessings .

   I am here and mostly fair to middlin' , got my welding done so I can mow tomorrow . I have so many projects planned , and so little energy to do them . I'm still trying to get my wake/sleep cycle normalized , the 4:30 alarm doesn't make it easy . One son is on day shift , the other on 12 hour nights . For my birthday this weekend I might just sleep the day away . Haven't done that in a long time .
   I wore my knee braces for a few hours today , they help with walking , uncomfortable for sitting very long . I haven't tried kneeling yet , which is usually extremely painful . I think I will use them tomorrow for my yard work and see if they help . They chafe a little , and leave cool cyborg-like patterns in my flesh when I take them off . Still taking the naproxen on occasion , but it doesn't really help much . I don't know yet what the next phase of treatment will be .
   Good night , friends and neighbors , and may God bless you all .

   I am a little agitated and confused , so tonight is a break . Good day , God bless .

   Another blessed beautiful day here on America's middle coast . I didn't get the grass mowed or the mower welded , but I managed a few little things over the course of the day . My wife made the ham from an " eyeball " recipe we've perfected over the past 30 years . Cloves , mustard , pineapple juice and brown sugar are the main components , and it is both sweet and savory . Our 3 youngest were here for dinner , youngest daughter's husband , youngest grandson , older son's SO Nurse Ratched , and a couple of younger son's transient friends . I did get my welding machine out where it can be used , and popped out a few dandelions from the back yard . It's supposed to rain tomorrow , if it does I won't feel so guilty about doing inside projects . I have some roof coating I need to dig out from the closet under the stairs , hoping to refinish my garage roof soon . I also need to clean the condensate drain on my HVAC unit while it is idle between seasons . Maybe it won't rain enough to prevent outdoor activities .
   On this Resurrection Sunday , or Easter as it is commonly called , I have no special lesson or message for the day . Every day we live , we should try to live as Christians , and demonstrate to the world how Jesus teaches us to live . Let's be thankful , and praise him , on every day and not just the holidays . Good evening and God bless .

   OK , spring is finally here , for the most part . It has been another nice day , even though I didn't get much done . I folded laundry , fixed younger son's supper , made a hanger for one of the hummingbird feeders , then filled and hung it . I looked over some other projects I have planned , and started clearing a path to my welder . Mayhaps tomorrow , in between bastings of the ham , I can get my mower repaired . Tonight we are continuing a tradition of watching The Ten Commandments , with Charleton Heston . Tomorrow we will feast on our specially prepared ham with sweet gravy , baked beans , mashed potatoes , green bean casserole and deviled eggs . We've always had ham for Christmas and Easter , and I always say it's to piss off the Jews and Muslims . Actually , I think this may have been the motivation eons ago , to set the Christian celebration apart from those others . Regardless , pork is good in most of its guises , but I do find head cheese absolutely disgusting . The same for snoots and feet , even though I know lots of folks who enjoy all three . Our youngest 2 children will be here , son-in-law , and youngest grandson . My scheduled help didn't show up yesterday or today , so I guess I'll be mowing tomorrow . So , anyway , for now , be kind and compassionate , praise His holy Name , be thankful , and may God bless you and guide your hearts . Good night .

   Yes , I am up and well today , fairly stable of mood , rose at a decent hour . Went to dinner with older son and Nurse Ratched , seafood night but I had a double burger and fried mushrooms , I'd been craving for a week or two . They treated , which is always nice , and we bumped into an old friend . Judging by the way my sandwich was dressed , we should invest in tomato futures . One lonely thin slice on a half pound or more beef . It was still an excellent meal , and we look forward to eating there again in the future . Well , I have at least 2 days before the 4:30 alarms begin again , so I'm seizing the opportunity to try to catch up on my rest . Therefore , I wish you all good day , and God bless .

   Not as busy a day as the first half of the week , slept till nearly noon without meaning to . Didn't get much done , laundry and supper . Hoping to get to bed soon , maybe get back to a more realistic sleep/wake cycle . Good night , be good to one another , may God please bless your lives .

   Once more I slip out the door . Actually did some work today , so you all get the short end . Good night and God bless .

   Here we are again , mostly done early with Tuesday-specific tasks , but still working on other things . Right now , because microsoft discontinued support for the XP operating system , I'm trying to upgrade my other networked machine to Vista  . I can re-install all my software , after I get a driver to connect my ethernet card to this OS . Somewhat frustrated , not in the mood to write , tired and cold . Good night , God bless .

   Long-ish  day , my turn at the physical rehab center .I was measured and fitted with braces for both knees by a pleasant young therapist . I wore them home and learned they are less than comfortable for driving , and the lower attachments chafe a little walking around . The pressure , more than a wrap bandage but tolerable , helped some with the aching . I have some equestrian wrap bandages , self adhesive , in neon colors . Maybe if I need to run a few furlongs , I should just package my knees up like gifts , and not install the hinges . The girl said I probably have some arthritis , now I'll have to see about visiting another specialist . On our way back , we had a late lunch at Golden Corral , where being a veteran knocked 10% off the total bill . We visited Rural King to pick up pork gravy mix and some spices , and check out the clearance items . My wife grabbed the last 3 wooden hockey games for 70% off , for the 3 youngest grandsons . A quick trip south to see Nurse Ratched's twin brother , who flew in last week for their brother's wedding , from his duty station in Hawaii . The scrawny boy has grown into a fine , strapping young soldier , and has a lovely 3 year old daughter . Then another stop , at my sister's on the farm , to drop off a couple photo slide show discs of pictures I salvaged from her 13 year old computer . Yes , she has much newer machines that she uses now . I got to see her younger daughter and her 2 kids , so the return trip was spent in pleasant visiting . Now , it's 1 AM , and I have to make sure older son is up at 4:30 for work . Good night , one and all , and may God bless .

   Took kind of a layabout day today , pajamas and coffee . Listening to the Amusing Race , which my wife is watching . Something about a loser coming on his leg . Mostly the same as all the other so-called reality shows . I have a full day planned tomorrow , I'm tired , and sore , so Good night and God bless .

  Trying to get my day moving , just getting started and now have an ocular migraine , which is not a headache unless you try to work while you have it . It is a disruption of vision , usually controlled by closing and resting the eyes . OK , tried that about 10 minutes , now the pattern is in a different area of my vision . This phenomena presents as roughly circular bright "lights" or "spots" , like seeing stars in precisely arranged , technicolor , spinning patterns similar to a kaleidoscope , but not quite as symmetrical in shape . They are triggered , most often , by a sudden bright flash or glare of light . Sometimes , as when this episode started , they are in the center of my vision . Others , like after closing and resting , like now , they are larger but centerless . In the center , they essentially block my functional vision , making it difficult or impossible to perform tasks that require any precision , like reading or driving . When it's just a narrow ring around the perimeter , it's not as bad but can still impair function .
   Well , my eyesight normalized enough to allow me to climb onto the garage roof and make repairs , and organize a few tools . Now I am sweaty and out of breath , but hopefully the patch will last a while . I still need to get the welder out and mow the back grass , but right now I must rest a while . Now it's 4:30 PM , and I'm logging out to go eat . I will be back later to continue today's post .
   And now , it's 8:30 but we've been home a couple hours . We went to our favorite Chinese buffet , [ China Buffet ] , and I had 4 plates for my first meal of the day . I've had a craving for this since our trip to Hokkaido , and it was worth the bloat , and the wait . Back at home I did some more arranging in the garage and eyeballed some other projects , big and small . Now , lacking only a small amount of catching up , I will do just that , after I wish you all a good night and God's blessing .

   Another good day , a little cooler but still sunny and nice . I moved enough things around in the garage to get my mowers out , and made a temporary repair to the handle of the old one . I fixed supper for our younger son and me , and made sure he was up for work . Then I put fresh gas in the mower and mowed our front lawn , which had been looking somewhat ragged . Tomorrow I'll move a few more things to uncover my welder to repair it properly . Then I hope to get the roof fixed before it rains Sunday . As you can probably guess by now , this is where I whine about exhaustion from a little physical labor , and slip out the door . Or port , as it were . Good night , folks , and God bless .

   Hello and good afternoon ! That exclamation means I am in somewhat a good mood , thanks to some of you . Last month there were enough clicks on my advertisers to earn 29 cents . I am not being sarcastic , this is a real and definite indicator of progress , and I am quite pleased .
  I logged out for a couple hours to take older son home . I had heated up leftovers for supper , and I was the only one who ate , so I took the rest to our friends on our way to get gasoline for the trip . The wind was horrible on the southbound leg , not so bad on the return , at dusk . The boy filled my gas tank on the van , first time it's been filled in months . The gauge doesn't work , so $15 here and $20 there makes it hard to compute the distance to empty . It took 11 gallons , $37 , so I still had nearly a half tank . This afternoon I washed , dried and folded 2 loads of laundry , one of work clothes for the boys and one of ours . Together with heating supper and whatever other little chores I did , I feel I accomplished something . Even though I didn't do anything outdoors on this beautiful day . Tomorrow I'm going to try to repair the broken handle on my older mower , my grass needs mown soon , and everyone who might use them prefers old red to our much newer rear bagger . My good string trimmer is a Stihl FS85 , low hours , used every year , bought new Christmas 1999 . I have a couple others , different bands , that are much newer and more lightly used , but need repaired . Maybe this summer I'll fix them up for gifts or sale .
   Well , it's not terribly late for a change , and I still have a few other things to catch up with , so good night , and God bless .

     Not too bad a day today , warm out , not too windy . I am ready for it to stay warm , maybe my knees won't ache as bad . I picked up our friends and their laundry this evening , and we enjoyed a pleasant visit while their clothes washed . We had tacos , etc. for supper , but I was hungry later so around 9 I heated up a half-dozen stuffed scallops , no one else wanted any so I ate 4 myself . Now I'm hoping they don't disrupt my digestive tract . So , it's now nearly midnight , the alarm still goes off at 4:30 for 1 more day , I'm tired , good night and God bless .

   It's nearly 1 AM and I'm just now starting here . Tuesdays are always long and busy but I'm usually done long before now . Last night I got about an hour and a half of rest , then took a 4 hour nap through lunchtime . My knees are still bothering me , with or without the naproxen , so I only occasionally take one before bed . They certainly don't help with that sharp pain when climbing stairs . I hope my appointment next week refers me to a specialist , rather than just doing PT . I don't want new knees , I'd just like these to hurt some less . I don't want to have to move upstairs just yet , and I can't afford an elevator . So , now , after 2 AM , I'm going to close in my usual style , good night and God bless .

I'm sorry , I'm a bit dazed and confused , so no content today . God bless you all .

  I haven't decided why my pageviews graph looks like a mountain range . It doesn't seem to follow the amount of my output in any meaningful way . I did pretty well most of the day , my youngest son barbecued pork , brats and potatoes , all very good . I did some yard work , and finished an indoor project that improves my living area in the basement . Everything was going quite good , 2 satisfying meals , I made us omelets for brunch this morning . Then about 10 PM I sat in my recliner to fill my pill organizer for the week . I take my baby aspirin , heart medicine , and antidepressant when I first get up , before my coffee . I take my Flomax sometime in the evening after supper , and around 9 PM I take another heart pill , blood pressure pill , and atorvastatin for cholesterol . Because of the way the VA distributes medications , I have to split 3 of these tablets in half , so that's 14 ovoid shaped tablets a week I have to divide . I managed to drop and lose 1 whole pill and half a Lipitor , which is fairly large . When I'm tired , especially , I become rather clumsy at times , which is very frustrating as when I was not too much younger , I was reasonably graceful and physically skilled . I know part of this is due to aging and part is the medicine I take , but that doesn't make it any less disturbing to me . So , now that I have gotten myself under control , completed my game playing for the day , and shut off most of the things that need powered down at bedtime , I am going to surf just a short while , run my daily maintenance , have a snack and get some rest . The youngest starts graveyard shift tomorrow , I thought I might be able to sleep some more , but tomorrow the older son catches his ride ( with his brother-in-law , the oldest daughter's husband ) at 5 , so at least one more day of a 4:30 alarm . Regardless , good night and God bless .

   Hey , it's 3:30 on Saturday afternoon , and I'm here to whine about my day so far . And now it's after 9 PM and I'm just trying to get started telling you about it . Illinois Healthcare , the state insurance exchange , has been calling , telling us if we don't choose a provider , they'll choose for us . The letters we got last week and the week before say May 13 is the deadline . We've already been through this , and will get the provider numbers next week when we both have appointments , mail in the forms , and still have WEEKS before they are due . This stirs up my mental state , because there is no way to talk to a human , unless it's after you give these corrupt SOBs your social and date of birth . As that's not happening here , there's no way to " contact us " . Except to email the webmaster and bitch about the telephone harassment , which I did . So now I'm no doubt in another career bureaucrat's database as a squeaky wheel , or an enema (enemy) of the state . As I've mentioned before , I'm a liberal Democrat , but Illinois state government is a cesspool of unqualified patronage appointments and arrogant , demented assholes . So , being initially "stirred up " by the telephone call for the second day in a row , a Saturday no less , the combination of family obligations and a neighbor asking to borrow a tool to complete a project beneficial to us both , the whirlwind outside my mind rubbed against the one inside , and I try to avoid taking the ballistic antihistamine unless it's getting really bad . Wow , is that a preposterous run-on sentence or what ? Anyhow , I spent a few minutes visiting with younger son and his friend , then put things away when the neighbor finished . By that time I had installed an herbal decompression mechanism on the internal whirlwind , and was able to normalize and recover , and send that bitchy email .
   So now I've caught up with some of my newspaper reading , had deli fried chicken and bacon jalepeno potato skins and mac and cheese for supper . Gonna go up soon and find more to eat , which will actually only be my second meal today , and I need to maintain my rotundity . Yes , spell check says that is a word , and it's correctly spelled . It means roundness , basically , and is sarcasm , as I weigh 100 pounds more than I did in high school , and could stand to lose about 70 of those . Anyway , take a breath , count to 10 then count your blessings , put on an honest smile , and follow that good old Golden Rule . God bless you all , and good night .

    sorry once more , but I was here . good night God bless .