Two Last Days

Tomorrow is the last day of the calendar year 2019, but yesterday was the last day of the fiscal year at work.

Needless to say, I was busy at the office today. (Question: How come we always go ahead and say whatever we claim is "needless to say"?)

The rest of the week will be busy, but it will be broken up by the holiday on Wednesday. The name of the game at work is "focus" (and "keep going").

Speaking of games, the Patriots stunk it up yesterday. I don't think they will go far in the playoffs. But we've had a good run here in New England, that's for sure!

Lew chauffeured me to work today. (SNOW!) He may even chauffeur me tomorrow.

We are planning on going to Ellen and Paul's house for a New Year's Eve bash tomorrow night. By "bash" I mean a get-together which will probably end before 9:00PM. Gone are the days when we feel like staying up until midnight, ha ha!

I'm not sure if I will post tomorrow, so this may be the last entry for 2019. Wow! Thank you for reading Mainely Tracy!

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve!

Bowl Games

It is bowl time for college football. There are so many bowl games, I joked with Lew about how we should sponsor one.  Last night we were coming up with possible names:

The Cereal Bowl
The Fruit Bowl
The Soup Bowl
The Fish Bowl
The Salad Bowl
The Manute "Bol"
The Mixing Bowl
The Ice Cream Bowl
The Dust Bowl

And my personal favorite...
The Toilet Bowl

Date Afternoon

I used a vacation day today, so Lew and I had a "date afternoon" and went to a movie. We saw Knives Out. It was a good whodunit — my favorite kind of movie. There was nothing fancy in the way of special effects, and there were no superheroes. It was just an interesting, well-told story. Lew and I both enjoyed it.

It's back to work for me tomorrow. And then it's the weekend! I could get used to a schedule like this.... 😄

Dad 495: A Merry Christmas

(A different Christmas from last year for Dad.... Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A beautiful Christmas day was enjoyed by all. Weather was a little cool, but the story of the birth of Christ warms us all.

 

Spouse and I went to Glen and Deb's for dinner and an exchange of Christmas gifts. The food was great and so was the company. Lew and Tracy were at the gathering, and it was a treat to have Josh and Zack home from school. In fact, Josh and Zack hoisted Spouse up and down the stairs in her wheelchair (just like Thanksgiving). Spouse loves her ride from her grandsons. Believe me!

 

Spouse and I returned home around 2:30 PM while Lew and Tracy stayed at Glen & Deb's to play a game. Lew had to make a quick trip home around cat feeding time. He usually leaves food for me to feed them, but today he thought he would be home in time for the feeding.

 

Everyone is home now and we are thankful for another wonderful Christmas day. Better than last year when I was in the hospital with sepsis. Much better!

 

To all out there, I hope you all had a wonderful, merry Christmas. Remember the reason for the season!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Christmas Eve

Lew and I just returned home from our church's Christmas Eve service. It ended with the singing of Silent Night by candlelight. (We held real candles, not the battery-operated ones.) Our pastor delivered a great message of the Gospel and why the birth of Jesus matters.... It really is Good News!

Lew and I will spend tomorrow morning with Matt, Emily, Eli, Adam, Wayne, and hopefully Sarah, Rylie, and new baby Ryker. We will then come home for a few minutes to get ready for our afternoon outing, which will be at Debbie & Glen's house. My parents will be heading down there, too. (It's a long trip... about a 30-second drive!) Josh and Zack are both home from college, so it will be fun to hang out with them for a bit.

Although it will be a busy Christmas day, we are blessed to be spending it with family..

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Marilyn's Saturday Chores

Wrapping Christmas presents.

Doing the laundry.

Lew's Logbook: Christmas Wrapping

(Lew worked hard today and he even wrote this blog post. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)


There is a gift that I have not thought about until today. It is the gift of wrapping.

Each year we have a day when I sit at the table in the back room and Tracy brings me gift after gift and I wrap them. This is not a willy-nilly process. I take time to pick out the right wrapping paper and the right ribbon (I insist on putting ribbons on Christmas presents) for the person who will be receiving the gift. I care about what the finished product looks like so I probably take too much time.

Tracy told me I wrapped 20 presents today. It took me several hours and a whole role of tape.

Of course each person that receives one of my carefully wrapped gifts will just rip off the paper and not even think about the time and care that went into the wrapping. But I will know.

Merry Christmas!

Party Time!

I met my friend Carmen for dinner last night. We talked for only three hours (!) so I didn't take the time to write a blog post when I got home. If I had written, then I would have wished a very special birthday to my great-nephew Bode! My niece Kelsey (Bode's mom) says he is now "TWO-dles!" 🕯🕯

My company Christmas party was this afternoon at a wonderful facility where we could bowl, play bocce ball, play cornhole, and eat lots of yummy food. Lew and I bowled six strings! (It took us a couple hours.) We opted to bowl ten-pin ("big ball"), but candlepin was an option as well. Here are the results of three of our strings:

2nd string. Lew broke 100 and even got a strike in final frame.
This was my worst game.

4th string. My best game. I got a strike in the 5th frame!

Final (6th) string. Lew rolled back-to-back strikes in the 10th frame!

In case you are wondering, Lew beat me in the other three strings and also in two games of cornhole!

(P.S. Every "-" represents a gutter ball! 🤣🎳🤣)

Dad 494: A Trip to Sanford

(Dad writes today. Brief? Hmmmm.... ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! The snow has stopped and the driveway is melting. Supposed to be cold now for a while. December is flying by.

 

My writing today will be brief.

 

Things are moving along on the homefront. Everything seems fairly normal.

 

I had Lew drive me to Sanford on Monday so I could go to the visiting hours for Rod Shain, a long-time friend. I was his assistant coach when we went to the state basketball championship in 1967. (Lost by two points.) Rod also was an original member of the Revelaires Quartet. He was a tenor but had too much going on to remain singing with us.

 

While in Sanford, we picked up some sandwiches to bring home and eat for two days. The best "super beef" sandwiches in the world. Also saw our old friend Foto, the sandwich guy. Lew and I had a good trip, resulting in good food!

 

Well, have a Merry Christmas and I'll catch you next week.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

 

My Annual Nap

I have written about "my annual nap" before. This is the few minutes I relax while waiting for my doctor to enter the exam room for my yearly checkup.

"Annual" is how the doctor's office refers to my appointment — as in, "You are here for your 'annual' today." So I could be saying, "my ANNUAL nap."

But I am also saying this is a regular nap I get every year.... "my annual NAP."

Pretty clever phrase, if you ask me. (You probably are not asking.)

Anyway, my annual nap was today. I am happy it is over.

(P.S. It snowed this afternoon, so I was very thankful for my vehicle's remote starter!)

Tradition

Is something a tradition even if you don't manage to do it every year? I think so!

Last night our friends Bill and Stacey arrived at our house around 5:15pm.  The four of us (Bill, Stacey, Lew, and I) then drove to The Blast From the Past Too diner for a lovely evening meal.

After dinner, we came back to our house and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I was already laughing when the opening credits started playing!

This get-together is something we have done with Bill and Stacey more years than not. So we are calling it a tradition. It is one we hope to continue for many years to come.

Play Ball!*

(* Movie reference...!)

Full Moon

On my drive home from work tonight, I noticed it was a full moon. It was beautiful!

At one point during my drive, I could see it quite well if I looked in my driver's side mirror. Fortunately I remembered that I was also operating a motor vehicle. But I did glance in the mirror as many times as I could.

After typing the above, I googled "full moon" and read that this full moon is the last of the decade. Now, one could argue that the year 2020 is the last year of the decade, but we'll let it go.

I also read that the December full moon is called a "cold moon".... I wonder why! Ha ha!

🌕🌝

Dad 493: The Return of Spouse

(I am very thankful for the dictating app on my iPad! Enjoy Dad's extra-long post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! After two days of rain and temperatures reaching 50°, we started today in the 20s and with clouds. The sun did show up this afternoon, and the inch or so of snow we received last night still shows on the grass. Rain again predicted for next Monday. Better than snow – I think so!

 

Spouse is now home and we have been busy. Brought her home Thursday and took her for a haircut on Friday. Also met an in-home nurse, Charlie, on Friday.

 

Saturday and Sunday passed uneventfully as we watched a lot of football (college and pro).

 

Monday I had a general cleanup of my feet with my podiatrist. Everything went well and will go back in a few weeks while band-aiding a little toe as a precaution. All is good! Also met Spouse's occupational therapist on Monday. Her name is Beth and she will be back again on Monday.

 

Tuesday we both had a doctor's appointment with our primary care physician. It was a good session for us both. Then we met Spouse's physical therapist (Laurie) who gave Spouse a good workout. It tired her out. Good!

 

Today we got a phone call. I didn't answer it because I did not know who she was. It was a nurse, Jean, who wanted to make an appointment. I returned her call. Jean showed up and a good visit was had. Jean is replacing Charlie as Spouse's nurse after a patient exchange. All is well.

 

Also canceled an appointment made by the rehab center. Did so after talking to our PCP.

 

Just got back from the store with a few things. Brings us up-to-date.

 

Next in-home visit will be on Friday (the 13th) with Spouse's physical therapist. And then the weekend. Another week of visits will follow.

 

Sorry that Tracy has about twice as much to type today. I'll try not to do this again, Tracy. Please forgive the length of this.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Our Return to Society

After not going out all weekend, Lew and I both ventured forth today.

Lew was finally feeling well enough to go to the grocery store. He also did some other errands around the house.

I went to work. I'm still tired, but I'm feeling much better.

So another Monday is now in the books! I'm glad it was a relatively healthy one.

Recuperating

Mom's return home has been good so far. It is nice to have her back. Dad took her to her haircut yesterday, and that went well.

As for Lew and me, we are both keeping a low profile this weekend. Lew is starting to feel a little better (he thinks), and I believe I am successfully fighting off whatever is going around. We are both pretty pooped, though. Just call us "Lethargic Lew" and "Tired Tracy." That about sums it up!

She's Home!

Mom is home from her vertigo rehab. Dad picked her up this morning.

Jerry and Marilyn have both been over to visit her.

Lew and I are both under the weather (Lew much more so than I). Therefore, we are staying clear.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for Mom's recuperation.

Here's to getting back to normal! 🎈🎉🐈💗

Dad 492: Ready for the Return of Spouse

(It's a winter wonderland! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Yesterday we weathered the first snowstorm of the year. Our plow guy came early and returned later to clean up the day's snowfall. I wonder how many more plow days we will have. Hopefully not double digits. We'll see! (Snowfall around 10 to 12 inches.)

 

Tomorrow is a day we have been waiting for. Spouse will return home after being hospitalized and in rehab for 54 days. I'm sure the kitties will be happy – as well as all the other household members. It has been a while. Her dizziness seems to be gone. We now must get back to our usual routine. We will keep you posted! Easy does it!

 

Spouse will get a haircut the day after returning home, two weeks after her original appointment. It will be good for her to have her hair cut. I think I'll stop here for this week.

 

One more thought: Doctor appointment on Tuesday!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

More Snow

What can I say? The big news of the day was the snowstorm. Lew drove me to work and picked me up at the end of the day.

One good thing is that we indeed do have a plow guy. He showed up this morning and came this evening, too.

Things should be back to "normal" tomorrow, so I will drive myself to work.

Then on Thursday, we will be even more "normal" because Mom is supposed to come home that day!

Snow

Started snowing late yesterday. Not too much accumulation today.

But now we're supposed to get a few inches by tomorrow morning.  (UGH!)

Lew drove me to work today, and he will do so again tomorrow.  I am so spoiled. 😊

Lew's Logbook: Christmas Lights

(After a Thanksgiving holiday bloggy-break, "Mainely Tracy" returns today with a post by Lew. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

The last few years have been “will I, or will I not” put up the outside Christmas lights. So far it has been “I will.”

This year I did come close to just putting candles in the windows, but somehow I became inspired to get it done.

Years ago I did the white icicle thing because it was trendy to do white lights. But then I remembered that it was all about colored lights when I was a kid, so I decided to get back to my roots and the heck with trendy.

Some of you may have seen my “Lew Griswold” picture on Facebook. If you haven’t, see below.

Six hundred glorious colored lights.  😊

Dad 491: Thanksgiving Stuff(ing)

(I got to leave work at 3:00 this afternoon because of the holiday, woohoo! Dad writes today. Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Today is cloudy but not too cold. The past two days have almost been spring-like. Storms are messing up the western states and it looks like tomorrow will not be great along the Northeast. We'll see!

 

Spouse is still in rehab, but we will be taking her to Glen & Deb's for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Then she will return to rehab and come home on Thursday, December 5. That is our plan. She is getting her strength back and her dizziness is gone (or it seems that it is gone). So that is good news. Almost eight weeks away from home.

 

Hope the balloons travel in the parade tomorrow! Seems like it is questionable. Stop the winds!

 

A sixty-car accident in the state of Washington was just reported on TV. Storms are taking over!

 

Enough for now. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

No Longer Just a Remote Possibility

I recently wrote about a remote possibility, and today it became a reality! My vehicle now has a remote starter.

I haven't tried it yet, but I read about how to use it. (That's just like trying it, right?)

I will test it out when I get ready to leave work tomorrow.

I feel so grown up!

Birthday Cake

My baby sister Debbie's birthday is today! She is "something-something" years old.

I didn't see her today, but I did see her yesterday when she came up to the house. She brought Bundt cake from her workplace with her. (They make delicious Bundt cake. That's all they make, so I guess it's good that the cake is delicious.)

I don't know if the cake was intended to be her birthday cake. Zack was with her, so it may have been a celebratory cake for his birthday (which was on the 16th).

While I ate my piece of Bundt cake yesterday, I was inwardly celebrating both birthdays. I may have (ahem) had a second piece, just to make sure I was giving both birthdays their due respect.

Happy Birthday, Debbie! Did you have cake today? 😋

Feeling Blue About the Black Bears

Yes, I'm a little sad. The U.Maine football team lost its final regular season game today. They were playing away at UNH, their biggest rival.

Zack told us that U.Maine, after today's loss, will not be selected for the playoffs. (The selection show is tomorrow at 12:30.) The silver lining in not being in the playoffs: the players can go home for Thanksgiving!

The Fine Print

"When using this product, avoid contact with eyes...."
Thus reads a warning on my shampoo bottle.

It's not that this morning was the first time I ever got shampoo in my eye, but it was definitely the most painful. BY FAR, the most painful. (Left eye only.)

Lew helped me try to flush it out. I think we did a good job. But 12 hours later, my eye is still irritated a bit. Hopefully a good night's rest will help in the recovery.

Take heed of warning labels. Take heed....

😧😬

Dad 490: A Morning Meeting

(It rained a bit today, too. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another lousy, cloudy day with temperatures in the 30s. North of here the temps have been freezing the past few days and there have been several accidents on icy roads. Ready for Spring! Oh, YES!

 

Spouse had a meeting at the rehab center today to determine how we can work to get her home. The meeting went well and we seem to be on the way to success. When does she get home? Hopefully soon. We'll see. Keep your thoughts and prayers coming.

 

After morning meeting I went to the dentist for one filling. Done in about 20 minutes with no pain. Will go back next Monday for two more small repairs. I'll let you know if I have pain. Stay tuned!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

My Mom Update

Stopped to see Mom on my way home from work tonight. She was watching "Family Feud" and I watched with her for a bit.

The therapists have been jotting down what they are working on with Mom, so I read it over. Mom was especially proud of her 40-foot walk today! If I understand correctly, Dad participated in this walk by following along with the wheelchair, just in case.

I rescheduled Mom's haircut from this coming Friday to two weeks from Friday. With the progress she is making, I believe she will be home in plenty of time to keep her hair appointment. 

Please keep praying for her continued recovery. Thanks!

Not a "She" Shed....

Endings

The construction of our shed ended today. It looks great! Will post a photo at some point.

Josh's college football career ended today. His team, the Maine Maritime Mariners, did not have a great year as far as the win column is concerned, but we cheered them on until the end. It was fun to watch Josh play in the games.... #55 in the black cleats!

The ending of today's U.Maine Black Bears football game was exciting. They were behind to Rhode Island pretty much the whole game, but they pulled out a victory by scoring the winning touchdown with only 34 seconds left! Final score was 34-30. The final regular season game is next Saturday at UNH. Let's go, Black Bears! And "Happy Birthday" to Zack, my favorite Black Bear!

Visited Mom this morning (washed her hair with No Rinse Shampoo), did laundry this afternoon (while watching the nephews' football games), and just watched the CMA Awards program with Lew (we DVR'd it when it was on this past Wednesday).

And now this day has come to an end.

Good night!

A Remote Possibility

When I called Lew after I left work tonight – and note that I was calling hands-free using my vehicle's Bluetooth capabilities – I said something to him that I never thought I would say:

 

"I think I would like to get a remote starter for my car."

 

I had never seen the need for one before. At my old job I wouldn't have been able to start my car while still inside the building, so why bother? But at my current job, well... that's a different story. Being able to start my car from the warmth of my workplace would be lovely. Oh, how nice it would be to get in an already-toasty car this time of year.

 

Lew is very much in favor of the remote starter. He is already devising a plan to get it done!

Dad 489: Fun Times at the Dentist

(Dad wrote today's post on this cold November afternoon. Brrrrrr! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful day but was it ever cold. Temperature in the 20s. The sun doesn't warm us up this time of year. We hope for an early spring, and winter isn't even here yet.

 

Spouse is still in rehab for her vertigo. She is now starting to do physical activity. Don't know when she will be home. We'll keep you posted.

 

I just got back from a teeth cleaning. Will go next week for a chipped tooth. Then will have a couple cavities taken care of after the first of 2020. More to come.

 

Must go up and visit Spouse now. Stay tuned next week for more information.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Rehab Fashion

My mother's regular daily attire is a tee-shirt and scrubs (the trousers).

 

She has a plethora of colors in scrubs, and on Saturday she and I ordered three more pairs. She selected some beautiful colors: turquoise, grape, and hunter green. They arrived yesterday, I laundered them, and Dad brought them up to her today.

 

Tomorrow she plans to wear the turquoise scrubs with her Piglet tee-shirt.

 

My mom's got style!

Boss's Orders

My supervisor knew that I had been fighting a headache today. I told him I would probably be leaving early.

Around 2:00, an e-mail from him popped up in my inbox. He was encouraging me to go home and "start fresh" tomorrow. (My first thought was, "Do I really look that bad?" Ha ha!)

I got to a good stopping point and left a little after 3:00.

I did accomplish a lot today, though... the knowledge of which will help me recover from my headache.

😨😊

To Infinity and Beyond

Lew and I stopped to see Mom at the rehab facility this morning. I brought what I call "astronaut shampoo" and washed Mom's hair. She said it felt good. (The "astronaut shampoo" is No Rinse Shampoo, used by NASA.)

Dad, Lew, and I watched some college football this afternoon via streaming. Josh's team (Maine Maritime Mariners) had a tough day, but Zack's team (U. Maine Black Bears) had a good win.

Lew made a nice dinner of beans, hot dogs, and brown bread for our household. It was a meal that was yummy for the tummy.

A few loads of laundry rounded out my Saturday. Exciting!

😊

My Weather Report

It's getting cold outside.

 

STINKY!

Dad 488: Snow, Spouse, and Shed

(Snow soon? Say it isn't so! Enjoy Dad's post. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Temperatures in the 50s today. Quite sunny. Tomorrow we'll see a little showery weather. However, after the rain slows down we are expecting snow. Along the coast only less than an inch. Further inland one to three inches. A couple pockets in the mountains will get three to six inches. This tells us winter is not far behind! STINKY!! (That's Tracy's adverb... or maybe it's adjective.)

 

Spouse seems to be gaining each day. Today she said she is ready to come home. She needs a little more work before making the jump. The sooner the better for all of us.

 

The shed piece of our shed-for-trailer-swap is up. Only must put shingles on the roof and get the siding on. And also needs the barn doors. Quite a nice looking building. We are ready to fill it up and get Lew's truck in the garage. We are progressing well.

 

More next week, sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

"They Want It More"

Last night while Lew was watching Monday Night Football he yelled out to me, "Guess what they just said?"

Apparently the Giants were doing so well, one of the announcers said, "They want it more."

Lew and I get a kick out of that statement. Perhaps it is true for a specific game every now and then, but we don't think it's great sports analysis.

Even if the Giants did "want it more," it didn't make much of a difference. They lost the game!

Progress

The new shed is going up! The platform was done on Saturday (it looked like a dance floor), and the frame was pretty much completed today. It's taller than I thought it was going to be.

Mom has been sitting up on the side of her bed all on her own. She told me tonight that she wants to start walking with her hemi-walker, although she does want two of the rehab center staff with her when she does it. I'm glad she wants to start working on getting stronger so she can come home.

I am still working on eating all of the Halloween candy. We got zero trick-or-treaters (which is what we usually get), but we still had candy available just in case. I hate to see it go to waste, so I guess it will go to my waist!

A Good Football Day

No losses today for my nephews' football teams!

Josh's team, the Maine Maritime Mariners, had a bye week. 😉

Zack's team, the University of Maine Black Bears, won 47-31. (It was a fun game to watch.)

Let's go, Mariners!  Let's go, Black Bears!

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

Mom's B

Boo! :)

👻

Happy Halloween! No costume for me this year, but I did eat lots of candy these past few days. Really healthy eating, ha ha!

Lew and I managed to stay awake until the end of the baseball game last night. Congratulations to the Washington Nationals on winning the World Series!

I've stopped to visit Mom for a few minutes every night on my way home from work. Today she told me she had to look at a big bee on the wall for a long time. I thought she meant bee, like an insect. But she meant the letter "B" which was on a piece of paper taped to her wall. (I guess it was supposed to help with her dizziness.) She was still waiting on her dinner when I left tonight. She said they were going to "make her" sit in a chair to eat. (She's been eating while sitting in her bed.) I think it's good she'll sit in a chair. That's progress.

Trick or Treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat!  😋

Dad 487: Trailer, Spouse, and a Message for Winter

(Hope I can stay awake until the end of the Nationals/Astros game tonight! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Not a bad day. No rain and temperature in the 60s. The days have been rather warm up until now. Hope it continues. We'll take it.

 

Lew moved the trailer to the grass today, freeing up the area where our new shed will be. The necessary materials will be brought on Friday and the shed will be constructed starting Monday. Be happy when it's done.

 

Spouse is still in rehab up the road from home. I'm writing this prior to visiting her this afternoon. Earlier in the day she seemed to be a little less dizzy with vertigo. Still not ready to come home and get back to our routine. Be glad when she can come home. Keep your thoughts and prayers coming. We'll keep you posted.

 

Our across-the-street restaurant has closed for the season. Had our last meal from there Sunday. Ready for Spring when all the food places open up again. Please go quickly, Winter. Please.

 

Game 7 tonight!!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Reality Window (It's Better Than T.V.)

What Lew did today: Watched our new neighbor excavate and double the size of the driveway.

 

Kind of reminds me of the movie "Rear Window," with Lew as Jimmy Stewart. Fortunately Lew's observations didn't cause him to believe something more sinister was going on!

 

I wonder what Lew can watch out the window the rest of the week.... Ahhhh, the life of a retiree!

Rainy Day Sunday

Today's weather: Rain. All day.

Today's main eats: Dad, Lew, and I had our last meal from Ken's Place for this season. They'll be closed until April. (Dad and Lew both had hamburger plates. I had the grilled chicken salad.)

Mom update: Lew and I stopped to see her after church. She mentioned she's looking forward to getting up and moving her legs around, which is a good sign that she's starting to feel a little better. (That's my interpretation anyway.)

Weekend chores: I usually try to do my chores on Saturday, but yesterday we were busy with Eli's party, etc. So this afternoon I did laundry and got caught up on this past week's mail.

Speaking of Eli, his birthday was TODAY. Happy Birthday, Eli! I can't believe you are eight years old!

Something else that's hard to believe: It was 15 years ago today when the Red Sox won the World Series with a sweep of the Cardinals! How sweet it was. 😊

A Hopping Busy Bustling Day

Done today:

Breakfast out with our breakfast buddies.
Attend Eli's flag football game.
Home to watch some of Josh's football game via streaming. (Lost.)
Go to Eli's birthday party at Happy Wheels. (No, I did NOT roller skate!)
Shop at Sam's Club.
Get gas for my vehicle.
Shop at Walgreen's.
Visit Mom.
Home for dinner.
Watch the U.Maine football game on DVR. (Won.)
Finish packing our Operation Christmas Child boxes.
Write this blog post.

Still to do:

Collapse into bed!

Finally Friday

This has been a long week in many ways.

Sunday (two days from now) is our fiscal month end at work. Plus we had a preliminary routine audit this week. It went well.

The World Series started on Tuesday. I've tried to watch as much as I can, but the games go much too late for me to make it to the end. Maybe I will tonight. (But probably not.)

Most important of all has been Mom's hospitalization and her subsequent move to the rehab facility. I stopped in again tonight on my way home from work. Dad and Lew were there, too. Dad had also been in during the afternoon, during which the doctor came and worked quite a bit with Mom. I guess he asked her a lot of questions. Dad and Mom were both pleased with the doctor's visit. Sounds like some progress is being made.

Lots on our plate for tomorrow. Thanks for checking in!

Mom's Move

Mom was moved to the rehab facility down the road from us late this morning. I hadn't been able to visit her since Sunday, but now I can stop in to see her on my way home from work.

I visited with her about 40 minutes tonight. She ate her dinner while I was there. (Pot roast, green beans, potato, and jello.) She didn't clean her plate, but she had a few bites of everything. Her favorite part of the meal was the pot roast, least favorite was the potato!

She is still experiencing some dizziness, so please pray that will ease up. Hopefully the therapy she gets will be beneficial right from the start. The OT/PT staff will work hard to get her back home soon. I told Mom she will have to work hard, too.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Dad 486: Spousal Update

(Dad writes today and shares the next steps for Mom. Good news, in my opinion! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another wet and dreary morning. However, the afternoon turned to bright sun and fairly warm. Temperatures actually have been very nice up until now. I hope I can say this next month. Time will tell.

 

Visited Spouse today at Maine Medical Center. Found out that she probably is about to go to rehab tomorrow. They have a room on hold on the same road we live on. She has been there before and we are happy that this rehab facility is close to home. After thinking about it, we decided that rehab is necessary. She certainly couldn't come home while remaining in such dizzying conditions. Hopefully this will clear up rapidly. We'll see and do what is necessary to get her back home. Keep up your prayers for her.

 

Tracy will try, I'm sure, to keep you abreast of our progress with Spouse's rehab through this blog. Please stay tuned.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Medical Terms

I learned a couple new medical terms from Mom's nurse on Sunday:

Orthostatic Vitals. This is when vital signs are taken while the patient is supine then when they are standing. I think in Mom's case they also did it while she was sitting. So, in order: supine, sitting, standing. (Vocabulary word: "Supine" is lying on your back with face upward!) Mom's blood pressure dropped significantly when standing.

Nystagmus. This is the term for when eyes are quickly shifting back and forth. Mom had this on Saturday night and Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon it had let up a bit, but I guess the medical staff could still see signs of it. (I didn't notice it while visiting.)

Today's update: Dad went in again to see Mom this afternoon. Things were about the same as yesterday, although today they actually talked more! (Maybe there was some napping, too.) A hospital volunteer visited with them for quite a while, which was an enjoyable time for them.

Please keep praying! Thanks. 😌💗

Another Hospital Stay

Mom has been a patient at Maine Medical Center since Saturday. She experienced severe dizziness (which made her nauseated), so we thought it best to defer to the medical professionals.

After running the usual tests and other evaluations, my understanding is the probable cause is fluid in her inner ear.

She is doing much better but not quite ready to come home yet. Dad went in to see her this afternoon, and I guess they both napped. (That is quite the visit, ha ha!)

As always, prayers are requested. Thanks!

An Incorrect Theory

I played a game on my cell phone while watching the third game of the ALCS earlier this week. I wanted the Astros to beat the Yankees, and they did! It must have been because I was diligent in playing my game. I am not superstitious, but I am willing to do my part.

Last night was the fourth game. I couldn't stay up until the end of it, and I was concerned about letting the Astros down. But they still won.

That brings us to today... a Friday. I stayed up until the bitter end of the game, faithfully playing my game while rooting for the Astros to pull it out. It wasn't meant to be, though. They lost, 4-1. I guess I really have nothing to do with whether they win or not.

The Astros remain ahead in the best-of-seven series, 3-2. They are heading back to Houston, which will hopefully work in their favor. (Best wishes, Astros!) Perhaps I will still play my game while watching, just in case....

A Correct Forecast

My drive to work yesterday was lovely. It was a beautiful day and the foliage was at its peak. At one point I noticed something moving on the side of the road, so I slowed down. It was a deer! I came to a complete stop as it crossed the road. I waited for a moment, and I'm glad I did because another deer followed! I proceeded slowly and saw there was a third deer, but this one decided not to cross.

 

Today's drive was a little different. After a night of rain and very strong winds, the roads were messy with leaves, limbs, and debris. The trees looked sad. I had to backtrack at one point because the road was closed.

 

As predicted, the storm also caused a lot of power outages. Ours went out at 4:00 this morning and finally was restored at 5:00 this afternoon. There are still a number of outages, so we are fortunate. My workplace did not lose power at all, so it was business as usual today.

 

And now it's time to sleep... after watching a little more baseball....

Dad 485: An Errand With Lew

(Rats! I missed out on the adventure with Lew and Dad today – ha ha! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Enjoying another nice day. We've had a string of beautiful early fall days. However, tomorrow is supposed to be stormy early in the morning. Heavy rains and winds up to 60 mph. Forecasters are ready for power failures. We'll see.

 

Lew and I finally made our dump run today. Got rid of a television that weighed several hundred pounds. Also trashed an old key machine and a metal holder for hundreds of keys. Machine and key holder was in my father's store 60+ years ago. I kept it and used it to cut keys up until a few years ago. By the way, the television was heavy and cumbersome, but not several hundred pounds.

 

Now we wait for a builder in our extended family to build us a shed (10' x 16'). When this is done our trailer will become the builder's. The sooner the better.

 

Things continue moving on about the same here. Lew has found a snowplower now that our snowplow is gone. Thank goodness! I'm done.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

It's Fall, Y'all

I take back roads to work, and it really is a lovely drive this time of year. The leaves have turned into their beautiful fall colors, and the trees are still pretty full.

But tomorrow may be my last day to enjoy the foliage because Thursday is supposed to be yucky. Wind and rain are expected. The leaves are going to droop and drop....

"Fall" really is a good name for the season!

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

Neither Have I

Lew and I have been watching the baseball playoffs.

 

The commentators have a habit of talking about how a certain batter hardly ever strikes out... and then that batter strikes out. Or it could be a discussion about how a fielder doesn't make errors... and, oops, he muffs an easy play.

 

The commentators don't always jinx the players, though. I especially enjoyed the comment about a pitcher who had never given up a walk-off home run (or something like that). I looked over at Lew and said, "Neither have I!"

 

For the record, I also have never struck out nor committed an error in a Major League Baseball game.

 

Play ball!

The Final Fry

We are in the midst of Columbus Day weekend, which means we start to roll up the sidewalks around here. Many of the seasonal business will close after tomorrow.

In light of this, Lew and I took a slight detour after church today.... They were yummy!

Saturday = College Football

Both nephews had football games today.

Neither played (Josh recovering from knee injury, Zack redshirting this year), but we still watched. We still cheered.

Alas, we were 0 for 2.

But come next week, we will watch and cheer again.

Let's go, Mariners! Let's go, Black Bears!

The Red Door

During the summer, the porch-side entrance of our house has only one door. This screen/storm door is what Marilyn escapes through if we hold it open for too long. At non-escape times, she sits looking out of it and dreams of going outdoors.

When the weather gets colder, an additional door is added. We call it "The Red Door" because it is red and it is a door. It is made of wood. Although it does have a window, the window is too high for Marilyn to look out of.

The Red Door is now back in service as of today. I don't have a picture of it to add to this post, so I encourage you to use your imagination!
😉😏

"Two" Many Options

I ate dinner out tonight with my friend Carmen. We had a lovely time of great food and great conversation.

 

By the time I got home, two sporting events were on TV:

1. The deciding game of the Astros/Rays division series, and
   
2. The Patriots/Giants game.
   

Both of these games are of interest to me. Which to watch? WHICH TO WATCH???

 

Fortunately, I am married to a master of the remote control. Back and forth, back and forth we go! (But I do need to get to sleep soon so I can get to work tomorrow!)

Dad 484: A Decoration Achievement

(Voice translator typed "Total pit!" instead of "Toodle Pip!" Ha ha! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another day which does resemble fall. It seems to be here. Summer is gone. Boo-hoo!

Kind of a lazy week. Not unusual for me. Lazy all the time. However, Spouse has a busy next two days. Must have shower and goes for a haircut on Friday. Will get it done. Bet on it!

It seems that Lew has a deal with an extended family member to put up a shed for storage. Hopefully will be done in the next few weeks. Our yard will seem empty, but with a new storage space and all vehicles in the garage. Nothing left outside. Even found a plow guy. Lew has been busy.

Got a couple of pumpkin holders that light up for the coming Halloween season. Nice to get goodies in the mail every now and then.

Tune in next week.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

iConfused

So, my iPhone updated overnight to the latest software version.

Usually when my phone updates, I don't really notice too much of a difference... but not this time. Oh, boy.

I'm relatively savvy when it comes to figuring stuff out, but I've had to work a little more today as I navigate the changes.

Just when I'm finally used to my phone again, there will probably be another update!

It's the Little Things

A couple weeks ago I lost a sock in the laundry. I made a half-hearted effort to find it at the time, but it did not turn up during my quick peek through all of the clothes I had already folded.

 

When I got to work this morning and started to put on a sweatshirt, guess what fell out and landed on the floor?

 

" I found my SOCK!"

 

Some co-workers were nearby and they probably thought I was a little too excited about such a thing. But I don't care....

 

I found my sock and I want the whole world to know!

Valuable Chore

I just heard Lew say, "All of my chores are done." He proceeded to list them, but he did omit mentioning the Valuable Chore (VC) he completed....

Tonight I brushed Jerry — something I should do every day, but I don't. After I'm done brushing him, Jerry inevitably has some loose hair stuck to him. Tonight was no different. That's when Lew stepped in and did the VC: Vacuum Cat!

😺🐈😸

Lew's Logbook: Eli Loses a Tooth

(Lew writes today! ~ Tracy)

I went to Eli’s flag football game today. It is semi-organized chaos but very fun to watch.

I set up my chair and settled in for the excitement.  It was hard to see because the sun was in my face, but suddenly Eli jumped in my lap and greeted me with a “Hi Grampa."  

The next thing he said was “Hey Grampa, look at this."  Below is what I saw. (I got him to pose for me later.)  

A moment to warm “the cockles of my heart."  💗💗

A Late Night

Tonight I went to a women's event at an area church. The event was from 7-10 PM. It was very nice and I'm glad I went.

But now I'm glad to be home because it is way past my bedtime!

💤😴💤

No Cavities, No Flu

This morning I used some personal time at work so I could go to the dentist. No cavities, although I do need to do a better job brushing the back of my teeth in three of the four quadrants. (The only one I have been doing okay with is the top left, which makes sense because I am right-handed.) The hygienist told me she has to get after many, many patients for this same problem. She also said that relative to others, I don't do so bad! But still, I need to do better because I want to make my hygienist proud... as well as have healthy teeth.

Then I went to the post office to purchase some stamps, after which I stopped at Walgreens for my annual flu shot. The best thing about the flu shot was the red band-aid with the Walgreens "W" on it. Even though nobody could see it on my arm, I knew it was there. (I have no picture to share with you because I've already removed it and thrown it out.) But there is something that could replace the band-aid as the best thing:  not getting the flu!

Here's to good health!
☺

Dad 483: Cakes, Boats, and Trucks

(We've had to turn the heat up, boo hoo. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Two lousy, cloudy, wet days in a row. Supposed to be a nice weekend coming. Fall temperatures are in the air. Don't mind Fall. Do not like snow season! Maybe a light snow year. We can hope.

 

Debbie dropped by today. Working Monday through Friday this week at her new job selling Bundt cakes. Seems to like her new job. The cakes are very yummy!

 

Debbie also said they have a new boat. A 34-foot ship for the ocean. My way of describing it is a "sea motorhome." Glen's motorcycle will be gone, but they will spend time on the sea. Better them than me!

 

Lew has found out more about his new truck this week. While reading about it, he found out it has a remote starter. He also found a trunk in the back. Very large! One thing I like about his truck is the back opens like a regular pickup and also swings open. Clever!

 

Stopping for today!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Happy October!

With the start of this new month comes something fun: October baseball!

 

The Red Sox are not in the playoffs this year, so watching won't be as stressful. (Although we will root against the Yankees.)

 

Play ball!

30 for 30

With this post I have met my goal of posting to the blog every day this September! I did have some help from my father on Wednesdays. Lew contributed as well. A big "thank you" to both of them.

 

I haven't set a "post every day" goal for October. But I plan to be consistent because I don't want to disappoint my readers... especially you, Kim!

 

Lew and I had an obligation tonight and we just got home. It's past my bedtime, so I'll sign off now. Thank you for reading Mainely Tracy!

An Afternoon of Football

After not paying too much regular attention to the NFL for a couple years, I have started to watch again.

 

I still root for the Patriots, of course. Their game against the Bills today was really ugly, but they still managed to win.

 

I don't know why I got nervous watching the game, because I know it's just that: a game. But based on my nervous reaction, I told Lew that not watching may be preferable after all!

 

Go Pats!

A Day of Football

Debbie had to work today, so Lew accompanied Glen to Josh's football game at Maine Maritime Academy. They had a good time although the outcome of the game was not what we wanted. (The score was not close, and I'll leave it at that.) There was a highlight: Josh and his buddy were on the cover of today's game program!

Dad, Mom, and I watched Josh's game via streaming. Debbie joined us for the second half, and she brought a surprise visitor: Zack! Because Zack is a redshirt, he doesn't travel to away games. So he decided to come home for the weekend.

Debbie and Zack then stayed to watch the University of Maine game with us. It was fun to watch the game with Zack and get his perspective. But, alas, it was another loss for the Black Bears today.

So, score-wise, it was a sad football day.... But Josh was on the cover and Zack was here!

Quite the Character

There is an option to insert special characters in blog posts. The characters can be symbols, emojis, punctuation, numbers, other scripts, etc. (I often use an emoji.)

The blogging site has a pop-up description for each character.

Some examples:

😉  Winking Face

🎃  Jack-O-Lantern

🎩  Top Hat

💗  Growing Heart

😠  Angry Face

🎵  Musical Note

📞  Telephone Receiver

👸  Princess

👀  Eyes

🚩  Triangular Flag On Post

😷  Face With Medical Mask

😸  Grinning Cat Face With Smiling Eyes

💤  Sleeping


I really like the last one. It's quite the character! Good night!

💤💤💤💤💤

A Done Deal

All of the talk about what to do with vehicles is over! This 2017 Honda Ridgeline now sits in our driveway:

Now on to the next task of hiring someone to plow for us this winter!

Dad 482: PickUP and DOWNsize

(The shining sun has already set as I type this. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Kind of a sunless, cloudy, dull day today. Temps in the 60s. Supposed to get some rain late tomorrow.

 

We have a few things going on this week at the old homestead. Lew cleaned out all the junk from his truck today and I did the same to mine yesterday. Tomorrow we will take them to Glen's auto store and try to make a deal for a Honda pickup. We are trying to downsize a bit. Let's hope it works out for us. Stay tuned and we'll keep you informed.

 

I just looked outside and the sun is shining.

 

Spouse had her teeth cleaned yesterday and has no cavities. Won't be as lucky when I go.

 

Debbie stopped by today in her new uniform for work at her new job. They open officially next week. Their product is Bundt cakes. She says they are delicious! More to come to you in the future.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

My Superpower

(Disclaimer: This post is just for fun and not meant to be a deep philosophical statement on anything!)

I have decided on the superpower I would want, if superpowers do indeed exist.

We have all seen a movie or a TV show where time stops for a character, let's call her Tracy. All of the other characters are frozen in time while Tracy still is conscious, able to reason, remain energetic, and not age. In other words, time is standing still.

That's my superpower.... Make time stand still. Just think of all of the books I could finally read!

Happy Fall to Y'All

The HR manager and I sometimes walk together during our lunch break at work. When I met her outside today, she said, "Can you believe it's September 23rd?"

No, I could not.

It was so hot outside that we were able to walk without wearing our windbreakers. As we finished our walking route, I commented that this is the warmest it's been for our walk in many days. She agreed.

I know it's the first day of Fall, but Summer sure had something to say about it!

Updated Credit Cards

One of my credit cards is due to expire in another month, so I wasn't surprised when I received the new card in the mail this past week.

Once upon a time I had to call to activate the new card, but now I can do it right online. That is a nice convenience.

Once upon a time the only other thing I had to do was cut up the old card and put the new one in my wallet. Now I also have to go to 17 additional websites to update my card information for things that are on auto-payments!

Having things on auto-pay is a nice convenience, but updating the payment information is not much fun. Each site is different in how this is handled, so it's an adventure to figure them all out. Fortunately I will not have to update them again for another five years!

Today's Observations

Flag football is more fun to watch than tee-ball. There is more action and it is faster moving.

 

Our cat Marilyn is an escape artist. She dashed outside again today, right under our noses. She was safely recovered by Lew.

 

Although Josh's football team lost again today, they did score a few touchdowns. We will continue rooting for them in the weeks ahead. Go Mariners!

 

Zack's team did win today. We are enjoying Black Bears football. So far we have figured out how to watch every game from the comfort of my parents' living room. (The "figuring out" part has been an adventure. Three different providers so far over the first four games.)

 

When buying reserved seats online for the movie theater, it can be confusing which row is the front of the theater and which row is the back. Fortunately you can exchange the front-row seats you inadvertently bought as long as there are other seats still available.

 

Warm chocolate chip cookies are yummy!

To Do Tomorrow

I have a lot planned for my Saturday!

 

Lew and I will start the day by meeting Dick and Carole for breakfast.

 

From there we will go to Eli's flag football game.

 

Then we'll go home and watch my nephews' football games. Both games are at noon, but fortunately Dad has the dual-TV setup!

 

I'll also be doing some laundry while the games are on.

 

I am then going to a late-afternoon showing of the Downton Abbey movie with my fellow Batgirls.

 

The evening isn't planned. But I will probably finish up some laundry, watch a little TV, and do some reading.

 

I guess I should probably get some sleep in anticipation of my busy day! Good night!

Reading List Update

It has been a few months since I posted an update on how many books/stories are on my reading list.

It was 58 items on March 14.
It was down to 51 on May 4.
On June 4, it was 48.
The list is now at 40!

I'm always adding to the list, so I know it will never get down to zero. But it's good to finally read some things that have been on the list for a long time.

Read a book!

Dad 481: Annual Flu Shot Time

(I accomplished a lot at work today.... Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another beautiful day. Temps did make the 60s. Wish every day in the year was like this one. Would be cool on the beach though!

Accomplished a few things today. Not too busy though! I got my flu shot this morning and arranged for Spouse to get hers this afternoon. We accomplished that. Flu shots done for another year. Thank goodness.

I cannot think of any other accomplishment today. Lew, I think, put his tires back on his dolly. We had attempted to put new tubes in them. After a while he decided to take them to a local place that services small engines. It was a wise decision as we hit a wall in our attempt. (Same people that put a tube in our rear flat tire on our riding mower.)

Must mow the lawn in the next few days. Hopefully only one more mowing after a frost.

Enough for now.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Leading Off, the Left Fielder, Number 5....

Less than a week ago I wrote about how I haven't been paying too much attention to the Red Sox lately.

That changed tonight.

Well, maybe just for tonight and the next game or two.

And it's not because they are making a big run for the playoffs. (Nope, that is not going to happen.)

The San Francisco Giants are in town to play the Sox, and the Giants have a player by the name of Mike Yastrzemski.

Yes, Carl's grandson is playing in Fenway Park tonight!

Lew and I watched part of the pre-game show and the start of the game. Mike Yastrzemski was the leadoff hitter. He is also playing left field, just like his granddad did.

He struck out his first at-bat. He drew a walk (and eventually scored) with his second at-bat. While I was writing this post, Lew interrupted me so I could watch his third at-bat. He hit a home run to center field!

A player named Yastrzemski hitting a home run in Fenway Park again after all these years.... How great is that!

😊⚾

I Hurt My Shoulder

My left shoulder was fine when I got up this morning. I was almost completely ready for work when I suffered my injury.

Lew drove me to work, but my shoulder was doing much better by the time he picked me up. Some ibuprofen and regular movement during the day did wonders.

And how did I hurt my shoulder? Putting on deodorant!

😳

The Drip

The theme of my weekend can be summarized by a line from the song "Adelaide's Lament" (from the musical "Guys and Dolls"):

The drip, the drip, the post-nasal drip....

I've been drinking lots of water, which helps a bit. (The downside of this solution is the number of times I get up during the night, if you know what I mean.)

In other news, it was a rough weekend football-wise for our nephews. Both of their teams lost, but we still enjoyed watching the games via streaming. Best wishes for next week, boys!

Lew's Logbook: Breakfast, Making Do

(Lew writes today. He takes such good care of me! ~ Tracy)

Saturday morning usually consists of breakfast out with our friends. Today, we also had our grandson’s flag football game to attend after breakfast.

Text No. 1 from our breakfast friends yesterday informs us that they have a meeting and will not be able to do breakfast.

Text No. 2 later in the day from my son informs us that the flag football game is not going to happen.

So I get up this morning and ask Tracy if she would like to have breakfast. She says, “Of course I want breakfast." I say that I’m talking about a full-blown breakfast, not just a bowl of cereal and a banana. She said OK.

I couldn’t do anything about the flag football game but I did what I could about breakfast. Tracy said it was yummy.

A Long Day

I left for work this morning around 7:45am.

I left work shortly after 4:30pm and went straight to the Maine Mall.
Lew left home about the same time and drove to the Mall, too.
We met up at the Super Shoe store, where I bought some sneakers that I plan to leave at work.

Then we met some friends for dinner at 6:30.
We got home a little after 8:30pm.

That's the longest day out I've had in a while!

I've done a few errands since I've been home, but now it's time to go to sleep.

Yes, I am tired!

Good night! Zzzzzzzzzz......

The Red Who?

I must admit I have not paid too much attention to the Red Sox this season. I have watched parts of many games, but very few in their entirety.

 

They got off to a bad start, sputtered a little bit, but then pretty much fizzled out.

 

Although they might not be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, I am calling it. Stick a fork in 'em. They're done.

 

Some may say I am a "fair weather" fan. I prefer to think of it as sparing myself from great pain and much stress.

 

Go, Red Sox! You'll get 'em next year!

Dad 480: To Sell or Not to Sell

(I am not ready to think about winter yet. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! We are in the middle of, perhaps, our last summer day of the year. Temperature is about 85°. We will take it.

 

We have had no cat get out in the last week. Marilyn still goes in the exit area and looks out the window. No escapes have been made. Thank goodness!

 

Think I am going to sell our plow truck. Then will have to get a plower to take a couple swipes in our driveway. Only thinking about it. Not sure yet! Will make up our mind within the week!

 

Lew has started preparing for winter. A couple of air conditioners have been removed. Two more to go. Much left to do over the next months.

 

Time to get our flu shots. Will do in the next week. Make sure you get yours!

 

No more rambling on today. Tune in next week.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

"Here's a Story...."

One of the biggest television events ever began last night. Thanks to the miracle of the DVR, Lew and I watched the first episode when I got home from work today.

I can only be talking about "A Very Brady Renovation" on HGTV!

"The Brady Bunch" was one of my favorite shows growing up, so I am excited about this HGTV series. (I think there are three or four episodes left.)

Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy — well, the actors that play them — are all grown up now, of course. (They are all older than I am!) It was fun to see them on TV again after all these years.

My DVR is set for next Monday night's show!

RAFA!!!!!

Last night I wrote that I would not be watching the end of the tennis match because I needed to get to sleep. But as I was getting ready for bed, Lew yelled upstairs, "You may want to turn the tennis on!"

Rafael Nadal was up two breaks in the fifth set and was serving for the U.S. Open championship. Lew and I had been rooting for him all day, so Lew figured I should watch him win since I was still up. It would only be a few minutes, right?

Rafa did not hold serve.

He then lost the next game, but was still ahead 5-4. If he could hold serve the next game, then he would win.

He held serve! Hooray! Yes, it was more than a few minutes, but I'm glad I saw him win.

Congratulations, Rafa!
(I'm sure he will see this, ha ha!)

The Lost Weekend

I had a bit of a relapse regarding my cold, so this was another weekend of doing pretty much nothing. I had a few accomplishments, though: did laundry, finished reading a book, watched sports, ate a lot ("feed a cold"). So I guess the weekend wasn't completely lost.

I was really sad after watching Josh's football game yesterday. Maine Maritime lost a heartbreaker. Debbie and Glen told me today that although the loss "stung," the team is over it and ready to move on to the next game.

Of note: It was wonderful to be able to stream Josh's game. Dad, Mom, Lew, and I all watched it together on my folks' TV... connected the iPad to it, and voila! We also streamed the U.Maine game last night. Black Bears lost, too. Oh, well.

We've been keeping up with the U.S. Open tennis tournament, which is in its final set as I type this. I had hoped to watch until the end, but I have to get to sleep early!

Here's to good health for the week ahead....

Ahchoo!

🤧

Lew's Logbook: Jerry Waits for Dinner

(Lew writes today! Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

Tracy works so I am in charge of kitty care.

Sometime after 4:00 pm every day our “big boy” Jerry feels it is his duty to let me know that it is time to feed him and Marilyn (although I believe it is him that he is primarily concerned with).

The picture below is the regular dinner-time view to the left of my recliner as he (not so) patiently waits for me to spring into action. You can almost read his mind, “OK Daddy, it’s time for you to get off your butt and feed us."

His stomach keeps better time than my watch.

They Care! :)

An interesting piece of mail arrived at home for me today. This plastic bag...

... and its contents.

Fortunately this check wasn't a time-sensitive payment. I will write a new check, address a new envelope, and put new postage on it.... Hey, wait a minute! I'm out 55 cents! (LOL!)

🖃 📫

An Alphabet "Soup-er" Idea

My father was on the phone with Kim last night. He put her on the speaker when I went over with Marilyn to say "nite-nite." Dad, Kim, and I had a brief chat about this blog! Kim checks it every day, so I guess I really do need to make a better effort to write more often. See, Kim, you are inspiring me!

It is difficult to come up with topics every day, though. Very difficult. So tonight I will list an idea for every letter of the alphabet. I will even try to come up with things I don't usually write about. (For example, I will not write "Cats" or "Chocolate" under C!) Then if I get stumped for topics in the days ahead, I will look back to this list and write about the next thing.

It sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Maybe I will even DO IT!

Alphabet
Bread
Cords
Dragon
Elastic
Flag
Garage
Helicopter
Industry
Joke
Kilometer
Limousine
Memory
No
Omit
Parade
Quietness
Royalty
Sunglasses
Tortoise
Umbrella
Voting
Wiggle
Xerox
Young
Zoom

Dad 479: A Cat Tale

(How did Marilyn end up on the table? We still haven't figured that out! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Kind of a cloudy day today with a few sprinkles. The sun just broke through, but fall is in the air. Hope the storm stays off the coast as it comes up the eastern part of the states.

 

Josh is now living in a house with two friends for his senior year at Maine Maritime. Zack is a redshirt for his freshman year at the University of Maine. So both grandsons are playing on their football squad. Good luck to both!

 

The following is something we will smile about as the years go by....

 

A couple days ago while sitting on the couch with Spouse, she said, "Is that Marilyn outside?" Marilyn is one of Tracy's and Lew's indoor cats.

 

I looked and didn't see a cat. Spouse told me to look in the other direction. Then I saw a cat on the table outside on the deck. I said, "That is Marilyn."

 

I went to Lew and said, "Marilyn is outside."

 

Lew jumped out of his recliner and was out on the deck within seconds. Marilyn jumped off the table and ran to Lew for him to pick her up. She really looked a little frightened as she sat on the table, so I thought this would cure her of wanting to go out. But she still goes to the outside door and stares.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Today is Tuesday

It is nice to have a Monday holiday, but it sure can mess up the workweek. I had a once-a-month project to work on today, but I also need to be ready for a weekly task I do every Friday. The preparation for that can take all week... or not... I'm hoping it's a "not" this week, as it is already Wednesday tomorrow. Yikes!

In reality, everything will be just fine for Friday. I just needed to pretend it might not be, because I didn't have anything else to blog about today....

The truth is out!

😏

My "No Labor" Day

I did pretty much nothing today. And I did it pretty well.

I could barely talk when I woke up because of my cold. Lew made me pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes for breakfast... a great way to start the day.

The remainder of the day I spent drinking hot tea, eating hot salsa, and resting. (I did manage to fit in a couple doses of DayQuil, too.)

This afternoon Lew and I watched the movie, "Christopher Robin." We both enjoyed it. Lew was even sniffling a little at the end.... I'm not sure if was from the dregs of his cold or if he was overcome with emotion. Anyway, it was a very sweet movie, and it made me feel quite satisfied about doing nothing today. If you haven't seen the movie yet, we recommend you watch it. It is available on Netflix.

"Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something." ~ Winnie the Pooh (in "Christopher Robin")

September Start

Lew wasn't feeling well for most of last week... bad cold... and guess who is feeling yucky now? I am thankful it is a holiday weekend so I can get one more day of rest tomorrow. I wasn't planning on doing much this weekend anyway. We've been watching some U.S. Open tennis, and I've done a little reading. Quiet stuff.

Thinking of and praying for those who have been, are being, and will be affected by Hurricane Dorian. I know the weather can't be predicted with 100% accuracy, so I am impressed by those who track and monitor these storms so closely. Advance warning is crucial. Yes, it is better to be safe than sorry.

I will end on a more upbeat topic.... Chocolate. I love chocolate! I have been buying the Atkins version of peanut butter cups. I think the idea is to limit how many you eat. I ate far too many today, all in the spirit of "Feed a cold." You gotta do what you gotta do!

August Wrap

The last day of August already! Although it's not officially the end of summer, I have always considered 8/31 to be so. Schools are back in session, "fall" football has started, etc.

I have been very poor at blogging this year. 2019 started with Dad (a.k.a. Derf) just home from the hospital, with Lew and I assisting with the medicine pump during January. Then I left my job in February, spent March looking for a new one, and started my current job in April. Then summer happened... and now here we are.

I hope to do better at blogging for the rest of the year. I thank my readers that have persevered through this drought. Fortunately my father was consistent with his posts, so that kept the blog from being a total bust!

Four things to wrap up August:

1) My sister Kim's birthday was this past Thursday (the 29th). I won't say how old she is, but the digits are the same. (If you must know, then think about how many fingers are on one hand... and yes, include the thumb!) Happy Birthday, Kim!

2) Last night was the first U.Maine football game of the season. Zack is a redshirt this year, but he does jersey up and stand on the sidelines. The game was streamed online via FloSports, so we subscribed to the service. (Several of the games will be available to watch this way.) U.Maine won 42-14, and we saw Zack several times on the screen. Mom, Dad, Lew, and I enjoyed watching. Go, Black Bears!

3) Last weekend Lew and I went for a walk with Ellen and Paul and their dog, Lucy. Because of Lucy, we met some people on our walk that we otherwise would have just exchanged nods with. Dogs want to meet each other, so their "people" end up meeting each other, too. It's good to meet neighbors, and we probably should make more of an effort to do so... a good lesson learned from a sweet pup. Thank you, Lucy!

4) When we had the entire family over for a cookout a few weeks ago (click HERE to see what night I mean), Lew introduced some water balloons as the evening progressed. I believe the intent was for the adults to throw the balloons at the children, but it ended up with adults throwing entire buckets of water at other adults. The highlight was when Zachariah was coming after Debbie. Kim and I saw what was about to happen and made a mad dash to run inside the house. Debbie was right behind us. Kim flung the door open, I followed her in, and then I felt water on my right leg. Let's just say Debbie got far wetter than I did. Much, much wetter. But Kim and I eventually got what was coming to us: Lew and I went to an outdoor wedding that same weekend, and it rained hard right during the ceremony (and only then); the next Friday, Lew and Kim went to get ice cream for us at Bayley's and got caught in an unexpected downpour. Did you notice who was with both Kim and I? Lew, who started everything with the water balloons. Poetic justice, Lew, poetic justice!

P.S. Regarding #4. I later asked Emily if she witnessed Kim, Debbie, and I trying to make it into the house. She said, "Yes." I then asked her if it looked as hysterical as it felt. "Yes, ha ha!"

P.S. Regarding #3. Lucy!