Weird Day

Sometimes I wonder if a three-day weekend is really a good thing. Today was crazy at work. Lots to do and it was also the last day of the month.

It didn't help that one of my computer monitors was flickering. (I have two monitors.) After checking connections and restarting my computer a couple times, I got it to stop flickering. But I was nearly insane by then.

Did I spell weird correctly? It's one of those words I never get straight. But I digress....

Ooh, Lew made nachos! Yum! Gotta go!

If It Ain't Broke....

Lew and I have been thinking about different ways to rearrange our living room.

Today we moved things around a bit; we tried two different configurations.

After looking at each other and trying to sense how the other person felt about the changes, Lew and I were still somewhat noncommittal.  (The one thing that Lew was sure about was the location of his recliner: It is to remain in the same spot.)

I sat for a bit and realized, "Gee, I really liked the way it was before we started."

We did keep a few minor changes, but the big pieces are essentially back to where they were.

But at least we now know things are okay as they are, and we can begin to think about other things.

Lew's Logbook: I Almost Didn't Go

Nephew Josh’s baseball team had a game today at 11:00.

I was thinking that I would stay home and do some chores while Tracy went to the game with her parents. It wasn’t the last game of the season and their team is in the playoffs, so I knew I would be going to more games.

Tracy encouraged me to go by saying that the chores will still be there but the game will not. She was right and I went.

Yes, there are more games BUT it was the last regular season game that Josh was going to pitch (which I didn’t know) AND he pitched a complete game shutout. Scarborough won 1-0.

Thank you, Tracy.

(You're welcome, Lew! And I hope all our readers enjoyed your post as much as I did.  ~  Tracy)

This is the Chore that Never Ends....

.... Yes, it goes on and on and on and on and on....

What chore, you ask?

BRUSHING JERRY!

If there ever was a cat that shed more, I would like to have a "brush-off" between Jerry and said cat.

I just brushed Jerry and I'm surprised he has any hair left at all. I only stopped brushing because he'd had enough.

Lew even uses the vacuum cleaner on Jerry sometimes. Jerry doesn't seem to mind it.

We love our kitties!  Meow!

Irony

As far as the four seasons go, Spring is my favorite. I like it the best because it means my least favorite season has ended.

But there is one thing Winter has over Spring, and that's the clothing. Most of my winter clothes don't need any ironing. Most of my spring clothes are wrinkled, and therefore still unworn.

Is some bulk ironing in my future? Say it isn't so!

Dad 307: Picked Up the Pickup Truck

(There are several traffic lights on my drive to and from work. I hit ZERO red lights on my way home tonight! But this has nothing to do with anything my father wrote today.... Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Foggy and cloudy along the coast. Sunny and warm inland. Spring is here. Daughter Deb was the first customer of Fred's Fridge.

 

Josh's baseball team is now 10-3. Spouse and I have seen the last two home games. They have three games left and we hope to see the last two this weekend.

 

Lew took me to pick up my truck after I had it rustproofed (Ziebart). A lot of sandblasting took place and I was shown pictures of the bodyless truck. Impressive! Now my engine light is on. Just one more thing to deal with.

 

Haircut day tomorrow and will get an appointment for Spouse. Then another for Spouse in July prior to trip to wedding.

 

Spouse is doing a lot more on her own. She seems to be getting stronger. Please pray for her as we work to prepare for the wedding trip in August.

 

I failed to mention last week that Caribou, Maine received seven inches of snow. All gone now. I'm out of here also....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Another Series Farewell

This seems to be the year of "The Series Finale"... Downton Abbey... American Idol... Castle....

And now, just this past Sunday, Mr. Selfridge. I just watched the final episode on my DVR. I will miss this series. It was really well done and I enjoyed it. I liked that it was based on a true story.

I'm not looking to find new TV shows to replace those that have ended. There are already plenty of things to watch on Netflix and Amazon Video.... And I mean plenty!

Dumbest Post Ever?

Long day.

Had a hard time coming up with something to write about.

Became mesmerized by the blinking cursor on my computer screen.

Hmmm.... How often does it blink?

I guesstimated once every second.

Opened the clock app on my iPhone and used the stopwatch.

First trial:  10 blinks, 10.45 seconds.

Second trial:   10 blinks, 9.5 seconds.

Allowing for the speed (?) of my finger on the stopwatch, my two trials were close enough to satisfy my curiosity.

I'm going with one blink per second.

Good night!

Lew's Logbook: Swiss Army Knife

(Lew told me this was his best post so far. I agree! Enjoy!  ~  Tracy)

I carry a little Swiss army knife with me most of the time. It has come in handy on countless occasions.

When my nephews were young they were fascinated with the little knife. They would want me to take it out and show them all the little features. They would watch with great interest as I showed them the knife, the file, the scissors, the toothpick and the tweezers.

This morning we went to visit our grandsons. After the initial greetings, Adam came over to me and tried to whisper something in my ear. I couldn’t understand what he was saying so his mom jumped in and tried to interpret. She couldn’t quite get it either but thought she heard the word “scissors”. Aha! I took out my little Swiss army knife and lifted Adam into my lap and went through all the features for him. He paid strict attention and when I was done he went to play with his brother.

As I said, the little knife has come in handy many times. But the best reason to carry one is that a little boy might want to sit in your lap and have you tell him all about it.

My Fabulous Front Lawn Idea

About a month ago, Lew wrote a post about his crushed rock project next to the ramp in the front of our house. (Need a refresher? Click HERE to see his post.)

What you can't see in the picture Lew shared: the rest of the front lawn. It's sort of dug up from being plowed over the winter. The way it looks doesn't bother me at all, but Lew is looking into how to restore the lawn to its former glory.

My idea is to have a bocce ball pit. It would cut down on the grass needed and would be a fun way to meet all the people who walk by our house in the summer. I have even purchased a nice, inexpensive bocce ball set from my favorite online retailer.

When I told Lew this idea he started looking at bocce ball pits online. He showed me a couple and said they were too expensive. And they were, of course. But they were also the designer, high class bocce ball pits. I am thinking we just measure out the correct distances, drive a few stakes into the ground, and call it good....

But, then again, I am also the one who doesn't care what our front lawn looks like.

Cat Competition

Our cat Marilyn is competing with another member of the household — me!

She is sweet and loving most of the time, but when I pick her up to go say "nite-nite" to my parents she starts to bite and scratch me.

When I put her next to Mom, she purrs and gets all cuddly with Mom.

When I put her next to Dad, she purrs and plays with him without putting out her claws.

When I take her back, she claws me. She bites me.

I'm wondering if she is trying to become the alpha female. Or perhaps she's just mad about the "nite-nite" time ending; she sure does love my parents.

But, no worries. I'm still the boss... in my own mind at least.

Meow!

Dad 306: At the Old Ball Game

(Root, root, root for the Red Storm.... Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Enjoying a beautiful spring day in the Northeast. It looks like a pretty good weather week coming up. We'll take it; thanks. Fred's Fridge is open!

 

Lew took me to see Josh's baseball team play South Portland on Saturday. Josh pitched, but the bats were not active and they lost. Record: 7-2.

 

Monday we (Spouse and I) went to see the baseball team play Cheverus. Josh got hit by a pitch in the first inning and scored. He let off the third inning with a triple, then scored the second run as the team scored five. Record: 8-2. Already one more win than last year.

 

Decided to keep my truck so I took it to Ziebart for rustproofing. Call today told me I would not get my truck back until next week. Took a lot longer to remove rusted bolts. I want a good job so time is no concern of mine.

 

As noted above, Spouse attended Josh's game Monday. We sat in the car up in the parking lot and watched the game. It was cold outside and very windy. Hope to see another game next Tuesday. Keep the prayers coming. Thanks!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Finally Settled In....?

I have already mentioned some of the following, but it does seem more overwhelming when considered all at once.

Yesterday I wrote about how it "Mondayed" at work. It was actually the fourth Monday in a row that excessively Mondayed!

Monday #1. My officemate and I had just swapped workstations the Friday before and our office was painted over the weekend. I got to work early Monday morning to finish up a big project and only after it was done did I take the time to get things settled in my work area.

Monday #2. A weeklong audit at the office began. Other than an interview that lasted about half an hour, my involvement was mostly clerical in nature. I printed off requested documents and did other tasks when asked.

Monday #3. My officemate and I returned to a newly-carpeted office. I had to get settled in my work area yet again. (This was the day when I sat under my desk and wanted to stay there.)

Monday #4. Several of us were scheduled to get new computers and I got mine yesterday. The guy setting them up was going to do mine toward the beginning of the day. All of the computers are the same, but mine was the only one that gave him problems with the network sign in. And once he got it working, the computer decided to do about 80 updates. Fortunately, my old computer was still hooked up so I could actually get some work done while I waited for the new one. The new one was finally in service by the end of the day, but I still had to get things the way I wanted them — a "settling in" of sorts.

I think I am finally established in my new workspace.
I think my work projects are back to "normal" now that the audit is over.
I think I am looking forward to a long weekend... but first I will have to Monday one more time!

Mondaying

A week ago today a co-worker said, "This Monday has Mondayed more than any other Monday."

So now we have started using "Monday" as a verb.

I like it. It does get the point across.

And today?

It really Mondayed!

Crazy....

Lew's Logbook: Adjusting

(It's Saturday and it's Lew's turn to share on "Mainely Tracy."  Enjoy.  ~  Tracy)

More retirement notes:

I was talking to someone today that has been retired for many years. They asked me how I was adjusting.

I thought for a moment and then made the observation that, although it was a beautiful weather day, I only had one little project to do today.

As a working guy, a day off like today would have been a window of opportunity to get some outdoor work done and thus consumed most of the day. But now, not. I have every day off.

Instead, it was my priority to go see my nephew play baseball. Went to the game and never thought once about anything that needed to be done.

So to answer their question, I am adjusting quite well. Thanks for asking.

Motion Sickness

Last night I mentioned I am prone to motion sickness.

I have never been able to read in the car. My mother can read an entire book while riding in a car on a long trip; I have to twiddle my thumbs.

I rode on a Ferris wheel only once. It was when I was a teenager. I think the ride attendant was flirting with me because he wouldn't let me off. I high-tailed it to the nearest restroom and threw up after I finally convinced him I was feeling sick. (I think my mother and Aunt Debbie let him know about it, too!)

Years ago, when I was visiting Suzy and Barry, I went with them to an amusement park. It was an overnight trip with a bunch of high school kids from their church. I didn't ride anything that made me feel sick, but I did go into one of those movies where you're driving the race car and stuff like that. It made me queasy....  So queasy that Suzy had to stop the car on our way to the motel so I could throw up on the side of the road. (Barry was driving a van of kids behind us, and he claimed they didn't notice.) The girls all wanted to stay in the same motel room, so Suzy and I got a double room all to ourselves that night. That was very fortunate.

When Lew and I went to see the third Bourne movie in the theater, I ended up "watching" the last half hour of the movie with my eyes shut. The motion was so choppy and I just couldn't handle it. Tossed my cookies when we got home.

I could tell you more stories, but I believe the above collection gives a good glimpse of the truth of the matter.

Tia's Boys

Lew and I are on our way home from a banquet, so tonight's post won't have a lot of words. (I get motion sickness quite easily.)

Enjoy these photos that Lew took of Eli and Adam yesterday. I received them via text message while at work.  Love!

Dad 305: Who Let the Josh Out?!

(This post's title should make sense to anyone who has seen a Sea Dogs game, especially the beginning when the Dogs take the field.... And hopefully that's enough of a clue for the rest of you! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Yes, I do believe Spring is here. A second beautiful day in a row. Tomorrow is scheduled to be even better. We'll take it.

 

Well, I mowed the lawn today. My first time since 2014. I admit I did the riding mowing after Lew did the manual trimming. It looks fairly good on the back forty. The front twenty is at most sparse after I mowed it throughout the winter with my snowplow. Nice to get started doing spring projects.

 

Josh pitched a high school game last night at Hadlock Field, the home park of the Portland Sea dogs (a Boston Red Sox AA team). He pitched six of the seven innings. Gave up two hits and had three hits himself (one was a triple). Won game 7-1. Beat the team that the Scarborough coach won seven state titles with back a few years. Josh's team is now 6-1; last year they missed the playoffs at 7-9. Go, Red Storm (formally Redskins)!

 

Getting serious about getting Spouse ready for our wedding trip. Outdoors tomorrow for a little walk. Keep the prayers coming.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Emily's Post

(I hope that Emily doesn't mind my sharing something she posted on Facebook today. I will never be able to top her brief story. Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

Today's true story I wish wasn't.

Eli - "Mommy, does water make ants dead?"
Me - "It can."
Eli - "Good. I peed in the ant trap next to the toilet for you."

Goody

How I Started My Day at Work

Why did I start my day under my desk?

The carpet I am sitting on is brand new as of Friday night!

In order to put the new carpeting down, the work crew had to dismantle my workstation.

Dismantling = Easy.
Reassembling = Not so much.

A component of my desk had been put back in the wrong spot, so my supervisor and I worked together to get it out from under the desk.

Now to just put everything back in the right spot....

I sort of wanted to sit under my desk all day instead!

Lew's Logbook: What Would YOU Do?

(After reading his daily devotional, Lew writes his own thoughts about it in a notebook. I always get to read what he has written. And today you do, too.  ~  Tracy)

I was reading in 2 Kings 2 about Elijah asking Elisha “what can I do for you before I am taken from you”.

It made me think of 1 Kings 3 when God said to Solomon “ask for whatever you want me to give you”.

Both Elisha and Solomon chose to be given a gift that would make them better men and more useful to His purpose.

The media is reporting that the “Powerball” jackpot is currently $415 million.

God says to you, “Do you want to win the Powerball jackpot or do you want stronger Godly character?"

Hmmmmmmmm.... I hope you didn’t answer too quickly.

We CAN Get There From Here

Lew and I made our first pie & fry run of the season tonight.

"Pie" was tasty, and there were no seagulls in sight.

The fries were excellent, as always.

The only unfavorable part of our outing was the cold wind. Brrrr!

Can't really complain, though. Pie & fry.... Only a few minutes drive away.... Yum.

Pirates

I've been spending far too much time over the past couple days playing "Word Spell" on my phone and/or iPad.

I know that it's "too much time" because I've been dreaming about words, combinations of words, word games, etc.

For example, the word "Pirates": Subtract a letter from either the front or the end of the word and make a new word....

Pirates
Pirate
Irate
Rate
Rat
At
A

You could also do:

Pirates
Pirate
Irate
Rate
Ate
At
A

A variation of this game would be to start with a word, subtract a letter, and use the remaining letters to form a new word:

Pastor
Roast
Oats
Sat
At
A

How about making up a story to go along with the words?

Dinner at the
Diner was a great way to
Dine with a
Din
In the air for you and
I.

So, you see what I mean about "too much time?"  I thought you might!

I'll stop now....

Dad 304: Wish I Were There

(Rain, rain, go away.... Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Not enjoying another cold damp spring day. Supposedly going to have another week of this weather. Lew refuses to go out and do jobs he has on his "to do" list until the weather catches up to normal spring weather. We are ready for Spring. Would like to reach 60° sometime soon.

 

Wish I were in Illinois this week to be a participant in PACC week. Like the sound of their upcoming concert with a jazz band. Too far away to travel. Good luck to Kim on her solo. Wish we were there! Knock 'em dead.

 

Also wouldn't mind seeing sister Deb's concert with her choir in Florida. Again it is too far away. Good luck, Deb!

 

Josh's team is currently 4-0. I'm sure they will not go undefeated, but they are off to a good start. Keep it up!

 

Still would like to sleep for a month but we seem to be gaining in Spouse's recovery, with the exception of her arm. Prayers are still requested. Thanks.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Post-"Post-Birthday" Post

I neglected to share a photo of my birthday cake.

Here's what's left of it:

Post-Birthday Post

Lew made spaghetti for my birthday meal yesterday. Then we ate cake and ice cream, of course!

It was a lovely day.

And we even had company.  :)