Here we are at the end of another month. I can't believe tomorrow is July 1st. In exactly 28 days I will be 60 years old. There is something about this birthday that has me a bit unsettled. I don't mind the idea of being 60 per say but I'm not thrilled about the fact that my new roof has a life expectancy of 30 years but I don't! I expect that from now on every time I have to purchase a major appliance I'll be wondering whether it will out live me. My high school class of 1967 is having a birthday bash in August for all of us alumni that are turning 60 this year. I haven't decided whether I want to attend as I don't know if I'm in the mood for celebrating or not. I guess I have 28 more days to get used to the idea and realize that having another birthday still beats the alternative.

Today is the retirement party for one of my co-workers. He is about 53 years old and already retiring. I an envious in some ways but also know that I'm not quite ready to retire myself. My plan is to work another 6 years but I realize that plans can change. Right now I can't imagine not working but there are times when I wish I could travel while I'm still physically able to go and enjoy myself. Of course traveling is more fun when you have someone to go with and since I'm on my own I don't know if I'd enjoy going anywhere alone. But then I've never tried so I guess I shouldn't rule it out either. I do have a list of places I'd like to visit. There is Astoria Oregon, the Grand Canyon, Canada, an Alaskan cruise and maybe Hawaii. Maybe I'd better go ahead and retire and purchase some luggage.

From the cat's perspective

E.T. Phone Home!


You lied!


N000000000000000000000000


You call this water warm?

Father of the Year

A man boarded a plane with 6 kids.
After they got settled in their seats a woman sitting across the aisle from him leaned over to him and asked, "Are all of those kids yours?"
He replied, "No. I work for a condom company. These are customer complaints."

Wish I could think so quickly

And the Heat Goes On......and the Heat Goes On..... Another day of brain boiling heat ahead. I'm going to my daughter's this afternoon to swim. Hopefully the water won't be so hot we get boiled to death.

I just finished cleaning out the inside of my car. It seems it rained just enough last night to get the humidity up and get my car seat wet. Obviously I wasn't expected rain. I had left the window down a little just to keep the inside of the car from getting so hot. I forgot about it last night.

I need to go take a shower, Jamie is coming by and we are going out to lunch. I have a few things to get done before I go back to work tomorrow.

My vacation is coming to an end. I wish I could say that I did something outrageously fun and exciting on my week off but it is not the case. I just tried to keep the lawn watered and the flowers from expiring in the heat. It has just been too hot to do anything. I am in the process of getting the roof replaced on the house. The insurance adjuster is coming tomorrow so we will see what they are willing to kick in to the replacement cost. I had foundation piers put in a few years ago and they are in need of adjustment. I don't have a confirmed date for when that will be done yet. I had hoped to have a lot of this stuff done on my week off but obviously that didn't happen.

My television viewing has been reduced to one tv in the living room now. I can't seem to get any channels on any of the other tv's since the digital conversion took place. I even have an HD television in the other room but still only get 2 channels. It's not a real big deal but I sure hate the fact that you pretty much have to subscribe to some kind of cable service to get any channels.

My friend Ron is in Durham, NC visiting his daughter and her family. He hasn't seen them in 4 years so I'm sure he is having a ball. I didn't realize how many things he helps me with around here like changing all the light bulbs I can't reach. It's nice to have a tall person around. ha

I am off to get a haircut and run a few errands before the heat gets too bad.

Happy Father's Day

I hope father's everywhere had a great Father's Day. I sure miss my father and wish I could have spent another father's day with him. My father died 17 years ago only a week before Father's Day. I remember how hard that Father's Day was. My daughters have never had a relationship with their dad as he left when they were 5 years old and they have only seen him twice since then. The last time they saw him was 20 years ago. I think about that every Father's Day and feel bad that they were not lucky enough to have a relationship like the one I had with my dad. Fortunately the girls were close to their grandfather. The girls don't talk about it but I know it as impacted their lives and especially their relationships with the oppositive sex. Julie tends to guard herself emotionally and resists allowing herslef to be vulnerable. Jamie doesn't stand up for herself and doesn't seem to demand the kind of respect she deserves. I wonder at times if this is because of feelings of rejection they have from their dad. The relationship a girl has with her father has a huge influence on the women they will become.

When the girls were younger they would celebrate Father's Day by giving me what they called Dad gifts. I got tools, #1 Dad t-shirt, stuff like that. It was their way of recognizing me as both mom and dad. Now that they are grown they often talk about the children in their classes who are going through divorce and are torn between their parents. This is when the girls say that they are glad now that they didn't see their dad. They didn't experience the going back and forth between parents. I still think a child is better off having two parents that care about them. But a lot depends on whether the parents can be respectful of one another for their children's sake. Children shouldn't be caught in the middle. It's not fair.

I started this blog only as another form of journaling. I never imagined anyone other than myself reading it and if someone accidentally come upon it I imagined they might read and then move on to more interesting things. I still think I just write to ramble about my day or what I'm thinking at the moment. I have always journaled but as arthritis and hand surgeries have made it harder to write the old fashioned way I turned to typing an online journal. It has helped me work through sad times and allowed me an avenue to vent frustrations. Knowing that others may read it at times makes me feel I need to be a more interesting person but then I realize that defeats the initial intent. I never think about being anonymous because I'm not good at keeping secrets anyway.

I started my vacation today. I have checked one thing off my to do list and patched the missing mortar in the brick work. It was a pretty easy job. I got that done this morning before it got too hot. I need to move on to the next project but I haven't figured out what that is yet. I've been considering painting the brick on my house. Everything I've read kind of discourages that idea but I think it would be fun to have a completely new look. I was thinking of a grey brick with white trim and a charcoal grey roof, black shutters and a red door. I'd like to put in a grey slate walkway to the porch. I'd add lots of red flowers in the landscaping. Does anyone have any experience with painting brick?

Maverick

Well, in response to how I managed to play football with James Garner here is the scoop. Mr. Garner is a hometown boy who's last name was Baumgarner later shortened to Garner. (Can't imagine why) He was playing Maverick at the time and I went to school with his younger cousins. Jim (don't you like the familiarity?) would come home to visit his folks and his Aunt & Uncle who happened to live across the street from me. On one visit his younger cousin Linda invited every kid in the neighborhood to come over and meet her famous cousin. The impromptu visit turned into a backyard game of touch football and believe me.......there was some touchin going on by all the little girls. On one of his visits his co-star Jack Kelly, who played Bart Maverick, came with him and they rode horses up to our grade school dressed up in their cowboy gear. Needless to say I've been a fan of James Garner's forever. When he was a kid here in Norman he would skip school all the time to play pool. My dad used to play with him some and when he told me that it made me want to learn to play pool so my dad taught me. Hence how I learned to make a 3 rail bank shot. Mr. Garner was here a few years ago and he looked good for a 77 year old man. We dedicated James Garner corridor (a portion of main street) in his honor and the bronze statue of him as Maverick. Pretty cool.......

Twenty-Five Random Facts About Myself

1. I once had a children’s short story published in Jack and Jill Magazine. (I was 12
at the time)

2. I thought I was 5 feet 7 inches tall until I was 30 years old. That's when I
found out I was only 5 feet 4 inches tall. I guess I had delusions of grandeur.

3. I am a Leo born on the cusp of Cancer


4. When I was younger I thought numbers were people with genders and personalities.
For example….4 was a girl, young and silly. 5 was a boy, 6 boy, 7 boy, 8 girl, 9
girl…….numbers 1 through 3 were just numbers. 5 & 6 were in love with 8 and 9 was
jealous….. (weird huh)

5. I also thought that a little man lived in my head. He was surrounded by book
shelves and sat at a desk. Every time I wanted to remember something or needed to
know something he would look it up in one of the books.

6. I didn’t fly in a airplane until I was 32 years old.

7. I’ve never been out of the country.

8. I’m afraid to drive on highways and try to only make right hand turns.

9. I had a bridge phobia when I was a kid….and older!

10. I won the good citizenship award in the 2nd and 4th grades.

11. When I was 2 years old I met Harry Truman and he patted me on the head and said,
“Well, hello darlin”.

12. My nickname as a kid was “doodle-bug”.

13. In the 6th grade I tried to remove my freckles by taping a cotton ball soaked in
O.J.’s Beauty Lotion across my nose overnight. It took the hide off my nose but
not the freckles.

14. I once got stuck on the roof of my house in an ice storm trying to put a stick in
the ventilation turban to stop it from squealing.

15. In high school the elastic in my bloomers broke while I was walking down main
street. I just stepped out of them and kept on truckin.

16. I was on tv once, the Foreman Scotty Show, and I got to ride on Woody the wonder
horse.

17. I have been afraid of the dark all my life. I carry a lighter around just in
case the lights go out.

18. When my kids asked me how the street lights know when to turn on I told them a
little tiny man lived in the light and when it gets dark he just pulls the chain
and the lights come on.

19. I have two toes on each foot that are webbed. (You know….like a duck)

20. I’ve only lived in 2 homes my entire life….my parent’s and my own.

21. There is a school named after my grandfather in Poteau, Oklahoma.

22. My great, great, grandmother was on the Trail of Tears.

23. I am 1/16 Choctaw Indian.

24. I once played touch football with James Garner.

25. I can make a 3 rail bank shot on a snooker table.

Kids Are Quick

________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America .
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D- I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
(I Love this kid)
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ' I. '
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE: No, sir. It's the same dog.
________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher
________________________________________________________

I just got home from work. We had our annual medical/dental staff dinner meeting. I'm so stuffed I'm in pain. We have an excellent chef at our facility and he out does himself for this meeting. It was a 13 hour day and I'm really tired. I was finally able to access my blog from home. I had to trick it by sending an email with a link from work to home. I only have 3 more days before I am off a week. I can't wait. I'm not planning to go anywhere but I'm planning to tackle some home projects I haven't had time to get done. I just need a little time to regroup. I will also be packing up my mother's things and I know that will be hard. It's just something that needs to be done and putting it off won't make it any easier.

I tried like crazy to access my blog from home this weekend but was unsuccessful. I lost all my bookmarks and blogger wouldn't let me in. Can't figure out what the heck happened.

We celebrated my brother's 61st birthday yesterday. When he was a little kid my dad told him that everyone put out the flag for his birthday. He always thought that was so cool. We had a pool party at my daughter's house and he loved it. I wanted to fill her yard with 61 American flags but I couldn't find enough little flags anywhere. I did bake him his favorite chocolate cake and he was one happy camper. I'm really proud of him. He's doing great and living on his own for the first time in his life. He's taking his medication faithfully and really doing well. He knows we are all here for him.

I made a list of projects I needed to get done Saturday and managed to accomplish all of them. I'm going to be off next week and I have another list in the works. I need to get estimates for a new roof and to paint the outside of the house. Home maintenance.......ain't it wonderful.

Try To Remember

When my mother was ill I tried to find ways to entertain her. Her eyes were bad and watching tv was no longer pleasurable so I would engage her in sing-alongs. Music and singing were always her passion but I struggled to remember the lyrics to songs I knew she enjoyed. Today I was cleaning off some of the files on my computer and came across the lyrics of a song I downloaded and intended to sing with my mother. I guess I forgot about it or my intention was interrupted by her worsening condition. Anyway, I read the lyrics and remembered why I chose this particular song.

September Song

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow,
Follow, follow, follow, follow.

Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
That dreams were kept beside your pillow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
That love was an ember about to billow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow,
Follow, follow, follow, follow.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow,
Follow, follow, follow, follow.

Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow,
Follow, follow, follow, follow.

Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
Although you know the snow will follow.
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
Without a hurt the heart is hollow.
Deep in December, it's nice to remember,
The fire of September that made us mellow.
Deep in December, our hearts should remember
And follow.


I hope you can hear me mother.......I miss you every day!

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.......nah

I have a big birthday coming up in July. I haven’t really thought much about it until lately. I guess it is another milestone in the rock garden of life. It seems that as I get older I recall more and more some of the events of my parent’s lives. I remember the depression my dad went through immediately following retirement. I remember how we thought he was crazy for acting like his life was over. I think he just started planning to die. He finally got out of that mood and started to actually enjoy himself but it really took some time. I find myself thinking about that more and more. I know that 60 is the new 40 etc. etc. but I’m still having a hard time understanding how I got here so fast! I know it is a waste of time to to worrying about just how much time you have left. If you do that you miss out on the time you have. But it must be normal to feel some stress as we enter a new phase of life. Especially as we leave a phase of life that has defined us for such a long time. Men have wrestled with it longer than women because they have identified themselves with their work and professional life. Women now feel some of the same feelings as more and more of us have had life long careers. I am looking forward to retirement but my work has been a major part of my life for a long time. I think that if I had grand children I might look at retirement through different eyes. I would be excited about spending more time with them. The fact that I don’t is a big reason why I intend to work as long as I am healthy enough to do so.

We are having a blood drive here at the hospital today. So far we don't look like we are going to hit our goal as everyone seems to be anemic or can't donate for one reason or another. The best excuse I heard today from a young man was that he couldn't donate because he has a case of herpeghonosyphylaids. In other words he's a biG weenie.

I'm not teasing!

I was reminded yesterday of just how old I am when I commented on the cute new haircut of one of my co-workers. She had been sporting her new hairdo for a few days and I told her that when you are able to fix it yourself that is a sign of a good haircut. She responded that her beautician tried to teach her how to fix it herself but that the style required "teasing" the hair. She said she didn't know what that meant nor how to do it. She then said, "You know, that thing they did way back in the 60's." I about swallowed my gum. WAY BACK in the 60's! Oh good grief-------

This is so funny! I wish I had heard it when I was twenty. Check it out!

BE POSITIVE

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."

I am a morning person.....cheerful upon rising, ready to start the day. However, I'm becoming increasingly aware of the fact that there are few of us out there. My father told me once that my eyelids and my mouth are connected. When my eyes open so does my mouth. I'm a talker by nature and I waste no time getting started. I don't need time to wake up it's automatic. I rise and I shine......I was talking to our grounds keeper at work the other day and discovered he is an early riser also. He wakes up happy and is ready to go. I shared this information with Ron and he said "Hooray, did you get his phone number?" "You can call and talk to him in the morning" I guess some attributes are not appreciated by everyone.

It was a pretty good weekend as far as weekends go. I probably didn't accomplish as much as I could but overall it wasn't a total bust. I think the tv, phone, and internet issues have finally been resolved. It only took a week 1/2 but hey, who's counting? Ron and I went to see Star Trek yesterday and though it isn't particularly my kind of movie it did hold my attention. I thought it was only fair for Ron to pick this time since he is always sitting through some chick flick on my behalf. Sometimes I wonder how we ever find things to do together since we are complete opposites in every possible way. But friends compromise and that's what we try to do.

Ron and I went to view the festival of homes today. It was a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I like going around looking at new homes but I'm always amazed at how expensive they are and how cheaply made some of them appear to be. It is hard to think of spending that kind of money for something and not be sure how long it will hold up. I purchased my house in 1969 for $12,000. You can't even buy a car for that now. That's a whole other story. I can't stand the idea of spending more for a car than I did for my house. My house meets all my needs and though I have certainly put more than the original $12,000. in to it I know it is still a bargain. I was going to take pictures today but left the camera in the car.

I haven't decided how I'm going to spend the remaining part of the day. I was considering going out to see a movie but haven't gotten around to see what's playing. Maybe I'll just check it out real quick.

What a day. I've been working on a slide show for a retiring co-worker and simply finding out how much I don't know about desktop publishing. I can't even learn how to spice up this site. I guess I'll just keep trying.

I was reading about Dr. Phil's show yesterday. It was about male reproductive rights. It seems a young man told his girlfriend he was not ready to be a parent and she agreed. She also told him she was unable to get pregnant so they had unprotected sex. Well she got pregnant but the guy told her he didn't want to be a parent. She had the baby and then sued for child support. He didn't feel he had to pay because well, he told her he didn't want to be a parent. He lost and she was awarded the child support. He tried to appeal but his case was denied before hearing it. His argument is that a woman has the right to abort a pregnancy but a man has no right to opt out of being a parent. Now....I see the reasoning in that but I think they both forfeited their right to opt out when they decided to have sex in the first place. Now, I believe a woman has the right to choose but I think maybe a father should have a say in whether to terminate a pregnancy. I know that makes things complicated but the woman shouldn't be the only one with rights. I don't think you can let father's opt out of financial support though because then all of them would be saying "I told her I didn't want to be a parent." Sometimes I wonder if people still remember what causes pregnancy! I'm curious as to what other people think about this.

One of your best Greg!

If you have raised kids (or been one), and gone through the pet syndrome, including toilet flush burials for dead Goldfish, the story below will have you laughing out LOUD!
Overview: I had to take my son's lizard to the vet.
Here's what happened:
Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was 'something wrong' with one of the two lizards he holds prisoner in his room.
'He's just lying there looking sick,' he told me. 'I'm serious, Dad. Can you help?'
I put my best lizard-healer expression on my face and followed him into his bedroom. One of the little lizards was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed. I immediately knew what to do.
'Honey,' I called, 'come look at the lizard!'
'Oh, my gosh!' my wife exclaimed. 'She's having Babies..'
'What?' my son demanded. 'But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!'
I was equally outraged.
'Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce,' I said accusingly to my wife
'Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?' she inquired (I think she actually said this sarcastically!)
'No, but you were supposed to get two boys!' I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting my teeth).
'Yeah, Bert and Ernie!' my son agreed.
'Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know,' she informed me (Again with the sarcasm!).
By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it.
'Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience,' I announced. 'We're about to witness the miracle of birth.'
'Oh, gross!' they shrieked
'Well, isn't THAT just great? What are we going to do with a litter of tiny little lizard babies?' my wife wanted to know.
We peered at the patient ... After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later.
'We don't appear to be making much progress,' I noted.
'It's breech,' my wife whispered , horrified.
'Do something, Dad!' my son urged.
'Okay, okay.' Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gentle tug. It disappeared I tried several more times with the same results.
'Should I call 911?' my eldest daughter wanted to know.
'Maybe they could talk us through the trauma.' (You see a pattern here with the females in my house?)
'Let's get Ernie to the vet,' I said grimly. We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap.
'Breathe, Ernie, breathe,' he urged.
'I don't think lizards do Lamaze ,' his mother noted to him. (Women can be so cruel to their own young. I mean what she does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb, for G~d's sake.).
The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass.
'What do you think, Doc, a C-section?' I suggested scientifically.
'Oh, very interesting,' he murmured. 'Mr. And Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?'
I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside.
'Is Ernie going to be okay?' my wife asked d.
'Oh, perfectly,' the vet assured us. 'This lizard is not in labor. In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen. Ernie is a boy. You see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into maturity, like most male species, they um ..um .Masturbate. Just the way he did, lying on his back.' He blushed, glancing at my wife.
We were silent, absorbing this.
'So, Ernie's just, just...excited,' my wife offered.
'Exactly,' the vet replied, relieved that we understood.
More silence. Then my vicious, cruel wife started to giggle, and giggle. And then even laugh loudly.
'What's so funny?' I demanded, knowing, but not believing that the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my flawless manliness..
Tears were now running down her face. 'It's just that ...I'm picturing you pulling on its...its...teeny little... ' She gasped for more air to bellow in laughter once more.
'That's enough,' I warned. We thanked the vet and hurriedly bundled the lizard and our son back into the car. He was glad everything was going to be okay.
'I know Ernie's really thankful for what you did, Dad,' he told me.
'Oh, you have NO idea,' my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter.

Two lizards: $140.
One cage: $50.
Trip to the vet: $30.
Memory of your husband pulling on a lizard's winkie:

Priceless!

Moral of the story: Pay attention in biology class.
Lizards lay eggs!

Rambling Thoughts

Yesterday my daughter and I were out shopping when she ran into a friend of hers who was the aunt of a young man she knew in high school. The friend told her that her nephew had just come out of the closet. Julie acted surprised but she later told me that she had always suspected her friend was gay however he had married and had two children. He has now been divorced and living with his partner for two years. The story got me to thinking about how many gay men and women have felt forced to live a life that wasn't true to themselves. They chose to do so I'm sure for many different reasons. This young man was fearful of losing family acceptance, which it appears his fear was founded. I simply can't imagine being a gay teenager. Being a teenager is difficult enough without the social stigma of being gay. The other day Dr. Phil had a panel discussion on California's proposition 8. I tried to listen openly to both sides of the issue but frankly it's hard to understand the opposition. One of the fears was that schools would start teaching about same sex marriage. I don't know but I don't think you can teach anyone to be gay. You might just teach tolerance of those who are. I heard someone ask a former co-worker of mine (who happens to be gay) the question "When did you know you were gay?" His response was interesting, "When did you know you were straight?" I thought about that awhile a nd knew that for myself I never had a defining moment of realization that I was straight. So...I guess I don't understand the fear of recognizing that homosexuality exists, they are human beings who have basic rights. What is horrible about allowing them to have the same ability to honor their committment to another person? I'm pretty sure that heterosexuals are not honoring the sanctity of marriage with a divorce rate over 50%. Let's see if same sex marriages do a better job. It would be an interesting statistic to watch.

Interesting Grave Markers

I think I'll take my camera to the cemetery and see what I can find. Since I have been a notary for about 30 years I considered having a very simple marker. Just a notary seal stamped on some granite that simply says, "My Commission Expired"