Observations

[Diane Amberg]

I love reading about your adventures.
   My family was always so small and scattered we never had a family reunion on either side. Daddy would occasionally visit his cousins in OK and Texas. Uncle Ted was only married for a short time and had no children, and Mom was an only child. They would all talk on the phone from time to time but we never got together like you do. I've always felt like I missed something.

[larryJ]

Over the many years that I have been married, I've learned much.  One of the things I learned is that when I am in trouble, there are varying stages of the amount of trouble I am in.  It can be a little or it can be a lot. 

Let me tell you beforehand that over the years, she has developed a habit of calling me from her cell phone to the house phone in the living room and asking for "room service" when she wakes up. This means she would like me to bring her a cup of coffee.  I don't mind and when she calls, I always answer "Room Service."  It is one of those little inside things we have.

Stage #1:  This is where I have said or done something not particularly in line with what my wife thinks.  It is where I get a nudge or "the look."  I call this stage the "I'll hear about this later and have to apologize" stage.  In this stage, the situation is already settled and she calls for room service the next morning.

Stage #2:  In this stage, I have committed a real mistake in her eyes.  It may take a day or so before this problem is worked out and I have officially apologized.  I call this stage "the uh oh" stage. She still will call for room service even though she is still upset and I am still in trouble.

Stage #3:  The final stage.  In this stage, I am lucky that guns are not allowed in my house, or I would not be here today.  Whatever I have done is pretty devastating and threatening enough to cause me grievous harm.  It will take a lot of apologizing and "kissing up" before this is settled. I call this stage "the D-I-V-O-R-C-E is next" stage.  How do I know when I am at this stage?

She gets her own butt out of bed and gets her own coffee!

I put this here merely as an humorous observation and not to be taken seriously.  Like I said we have been married a long time.

Larryj

[larryJ]

We planted tomatoes this year, as usual.  Normally, the plants get to about five feet tall before producing ripe tomatoes.  This year, as of today, the plants are less than two feet tall and we enjoyed our sandwiches today with a ripe tomato from the garden.  Maybe she bought dwarf tomatoes.  I've have to ask.

I won't put Jessica Sanchez on the list of stars who can't sing the National Anthem.  She wasn't great, but did okay.

And she's cute.

I am not happy when pro players don't put their hand over their heart during the National Anthem.  What's wrong with that picture?

I am going with OKC in the championship merely because they are closer to Elk County.  And Patyrn lives nearby.

I was asked by my better half what she should tell our children when they ask for suggestions for Father's Day.  I told her it was just another day and I don't need anything.  She asked if I wanted to go to the Legion........the beach.............the mountains............ anywhere.  More questions until the last one which was.........."Would I like a bottle of Coco Chanel for my wife?!"

That makes me think of the old line..........First guy,"I got a new Toyota Camry for my wife."   Second guy, "Good trade."

That's my observations for the day.

Larryj

[larryJ]

Much as I like Sara Evans, she can't sing the National Anthem very well, either.

GO OKC!

Larryj

[Warph]

Observation..........Remember the old saying......"Grandchildren are terrific and wonderful...then they go home," or something like that.  Well, it is true.  After they left we seemed to sigh a lot from the enjoyment of having the kids here or sigh a lot because they went home or sigh a lot because we would be able to watch the game undisturbed.  After the game was over, we were amazed somewhat at how tired we felt.  It was close to our normal bedtime, but we felt even more tired than usual.  There is something about being around the kids that wears us out and we aren't that physically involved, i.e., running around the yard, etc.  We mostly just sit and watch or play board games or card games.  Love of grandchildren can be tiring.

Larryj

Observation:  Larry... I believe #3 would like her lollipop back before she goes home.

[larryJ]

 

Larryj

[larryJ]

Dwelling on that picture and comment, the restaurant we were at last night gave #3 granddaughter a sucker.  To her amazement she discovered that once it was wet from putting in her mouth, it would stick to anything and everything it touched...........her fingers, her hair, the car seat, Papa's shirt............!  It is a good thing that it was a short ride home and Nana had plenty of wet wipes. 

She was very well behaved in the restaurant.  She didn't like the way that the little sugar/sweetener packets were arranged, so she rearranged them several times until she was satisfied. 

Also, earlier, we were all sitting in the front yard and my son arrived after he got off work.  Nana brought out two glasses of water for my son and daughter-in-law.  The baby was given one to take a drink from.  Have you ever noticed that during a marathon or race, contestants grab a cup of water and then throw it to the ground?  The little tyke must have seen that, because that is what she did...........took a drink and then threw the glass to the ground.  (Plastic glass, on the yard, not at anyone....no damage done.)

You gotta love 'em!

Larryj

[larryJ]

I mentioned somewhere recently about the cleaning lady calling out sick.  Today is the day she will be here.  Up til now I've done a lot of cleaning before the cleaning lady comes.  My better half had said before we went to sleep last night that "we" needed to pick up some things before the cleaning lady comes..........yeah, right.  When the cleaning lady arrives, she and my wife spend the first 30 or so minutes exchanging gossip (I'm still picking things up.)  On top of all this, my sister-in-law has arrived despite the fact that she was told not to come until the afternoon.  My brother-in-law also announced he was coming by and was told not to because of the cleaning lady.  He will probably show up anyhow. 

However.............In a trip out to a fast food place last night, I was shocked to see that my Chevron station has dropped it's price to $3.79 a gallon for regular and I need gas.  I also have an upcoming appointment with my oncologist on Tuesday which requires me to get a blood test.  Saturdays are good days to get the tests because it is not too busy.  So.......................

I AM OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WHOOPEE!!!!!!!!  Maybe a trip to the library for another book.........maybe stop at the city park and read my new book in the shade of a big tree.  If this really makes anyone here unhappy, I might go to the AL at the beach for a few hours.

We shall see what happens.......

Larryj

[larryJ]

I've observed in my lifetime that there are days when you know it ain't gonna be a good one.  My trip to the lab started off good.  I managed to get a handicap space in the front which is not too unusual for a Saturday.  I walked into the hospital and down the hall to the lab.  There were maybe 15 people ahead of me.  I punched the ticket machine and my number was 16.  I looked at the monitors they have that show who is being called and who is being tested.  They were on number 12.  Okay, this is good because they move pretty fast.  Within ten minutes they called numbers 13, 14, and 15...................Then the computers went down.

The announcement was made that having the computers down would only slow things down a little, not to worry.  After another 10 minutes, they called my number.  I went to the reception desk and waited while they inputed by hand on the computers my lab request.  This normally takes about three minutes.  It took ten.  Instead of receiving the bar codes for the vials, I was given four sheets of paper listing my labs and then sat again for another ten minutes.  When I was called to the station, the lab person had to go through the process all over again to make sure he had the right color coded vials. 

What should have taken 10 or 15 minutes at most, stretched into about 45.  I went home. As the cleaning lady prefers us to be out of the way, we sat in the front yard on the swing (it's a nice day) and talked.  I should say my wife and her cousin talked.  Fortunately, as the lab took so long, my sister-in-law was gone by the time I got back, so maybe the day isn't so bad after all.  After a while, I had the swing to myself and laid down and almost fell asleep in the gentle breeze.  Then my errand list landed on my face.  Go to the bank.........go to the store..........etc.

I am looking forward to a turkey sandwich for lunch and a nice nap.

Larryj

[larryJ]

Having lived in SoCal for 47+ years, I've grown immune to most weird or unusual or nonsensical things that happen here.

Example:  Some months ago, it was announced that a downtown museum had decided to move a rock to its location for the art effect.  Now, this is not just some old rock.  This is a 340 ton, that's TON, rock.  A special vehicle was used to transport this behemoth rock.  It took a very long time to move it from Riverside, some 60 miles east of Los Angeles, to the museum.  In front of the museum is a walled concrete walkway which dips in the middle and then goes back up slope.  The rock was placed above the bottom of the dip on the concrete walls of the walkway.  According to the local news, the museum is calling it "a blend of nature and modern art."  It is expected to draw millions of visitors who can marvel at it as they walk...........underneath it.  The rock is not spectacular in any way other than its size.  There is no religious icons on it, either real or imagined.  It is not shaped like anything or anyone familiar.  It is all one color, no different strata throughout the rock.  It doesn't do anything at all except sit on the walls.  Maybe it they put Christmas lights on it and wire it for sound, it might be more of a crowd pleaser.  Who knows?

What's wrong with this picture?  Where does the museum think that rock is going to go if there is a sizeable earthquake?  Would I want to be anywhere near that rock if the ground moves?   I think not!

There are many natural phenomenon in this area.  No need to create one.  

I shake my head in wonderment sometimes.

Larryj