Battles of the Titans

                                  

 CostCo (and Sam's) is a horror to experience on any week, any day, or any hour.  So much fortitude is required to gird up any given body part when entering its gates of hell.  Once a membership is flashed to an employee, air is sucked straight out of one's lungs and a spectre of doom hovers around anyone with money in pockets or purse.  

Common sense flees, prices seem reasonable, and the hunt begins.

We had a list given to us by his sister:  a specific list for specific number of guests.   Twenty hamburgers,  twenty hot dogs, and six chicken breasts to be halved seemed very reasonable. 

When reaching the meat section, my high I.Q. husband starts figuring and asking, "Does one hamburger really mean these? Where each is larger than my hand? Six pounds--is that enough?  Chicken? Nine pounds?  Can one chicken breast really be halved and be substantial? And, hot dogs?  Surely not the cheap ones, skinny and pathetic.  Let's buy these."

$25 + $25 + $40 + .... It was $175 totaled up for twenty people to eat just grilled meat.  What are our relatives?  Ravenous cannibals, piling plates with nine dollars worth of meat? 

Then John reasoned buns and condiments were necessary.  Throw in a jar of jam, a new purse for Mother's Day, a three-pack Redi-Whip, and some vitamins, our wallets opened as spectres vacuum green bills, and a nice cashier smiled, "Have a good one."

God help us.  We are too old to take this pressure.  When CostCo was Price Club 30 years ago, we called it the One-Hundred Dollar store, enjoyed strolling the aisles.  Now, it is closer to Two-Hundred-Fifty Dollars, and our legs hurt.

We still go to Sam's Club, it is closer and more user friendly.  CostCo or Sam's club...It is an addiction, either one.

Wikipedia

Just a note: our BBQs usually end up with some charred meat.

It is always good.

Temperatures here have been 103 deg F. Hot so hot, and people head to cooler places.  Sam's Club is our favorite, and Lowe's is next. Lowe's is actually more interesting. Either way, hot or cold means we are stuck for a while.

 

N is for Nebo, Illinois

 

Hebo High School, 1917?

The irony of Nebo, Illinois, is that while I lived there, I could not wait to leave it.  Now I think about those days, get a wallop of nostalgia, and wish I knew more about the place left behind.

It began as a true log cabin town, growing with each new settler with names of Shaw, Ross, Franklin, and many more.  With each new family the settlement became a township.

  When I returned for visits over the years, the town had shrunk just a little bit more and the people I knew had died. Their children left (just as I had), and then there were empty vandalized houses, and people I don’t know.

                            Basically this ghost town could never compare to its former self.

Here are photos of back then :

Baptist Church, which still looks like this.

 

Peck house on Pearl-Nebo road

C.R. Rodgers' Trans Continental trip for
to promote Vin Fizz soda

 

 

 The community flooded to the events like this. Life was personal at this time of Nebo's existence.

Painted by in-mate at nearby prison

Nebo High School Gym--all that remains
of the High School

Country School Students

Another Nebo, in Wales, 1984

 

Mt. Nebo, where Moses is buried

Love Songs from 60s

 

Different music artists in my formative years are plastered in my memory. Some of their recordings make me happy, just humming tunes and recalling some of the lyrics.

Bobby Vee... I always loved Go Away Little Girl.

                                       Bobby Vee died in 2017 at age 73 years, from Alzheimer's.

Sigh.  Bobby Vee made many teenage girls sigh.  I was too young, had not done much sighing at that time.

The Beatles had their own song, Run for Your Life, Little Girl. I never listened to the lyrics until recently.  Creepy. Beatles were stalkers, promised to behead the girl if she left.  This song has been declared to be one of 10 worst Beatles songs

Run fast, Little Girl.

Del Shannon was famous with My Little Runaway. The organ riff was unique at the time. My brother had a 45 Vinyl and a record player! We listened to that record over and over.

 

Where did this Runaway Girl go?  Why?

So, there you have it.  

                Bobby Vee wanted a girl to go away before he begged her to stay. 

Del Shannon wondered why his girl ran away. 

 

                 Beatles were stalkers, promised to behead the girl if she left. 

These narcissistic men viewed these girls as objects, didn't they understand that? Obviously, all girls need to watch themselves and ask serious questions about any guy who is controlling and possessive. They should consider cross-country training. 

 

Maybe, it would be better if girls just listened to the lyrics. And, maybe it would be a good idea if the parents listened what is being playing.

 

By the was,  has anyone ever listened to Norwegian Wood? Let me know what you think it means. Thanks! 

 

Dinosaur vs. three year old.

 

"Sue" in Field Museum Chicago 

From early excavations of large bones in England by Rev. Wm. Buckland and Dr. Gideon Mantell, begun in 1820s, to contemporary discoveries world-wide, dinosaurs have remained a fascination for people then and now.  My family are among those who gaze at gloriously articulated dinosaurs at museums in absolute awe.

When "Jurassic Park" was released in the early 1990s, dinosaur-obsessed people were ecstatic.  When #2 sequel came along? Not so much.  #3 was better. Then there was "Jurassic World" which we have watched three times, and are up to another viewing.

Real joy is now seen in our 4 yr. grandson, Benjamin.  His collection of accurate dinosaurs is enviable, and he KNOWS scientific nomenclature.

In Bern, Switzerland, our daughter and family reside, life-sized dinosaurs have been relocated from a remodeled museum to family parks throughout the city.

Amazement and joy shown below:

Is this real?

It's bigger than ...

It's pooping on me, Mummy!

A good day to be parents

Joy captured.

Other dinosaurs are scattered through the city in neighborhood parks.  I can only assume that dinosaur hunting will be another day trip for Benjamin (and his parents.)

Benjamin "getting down" with my own personal collection of vegan dinosaurs His dinosaurs are realistic. Boring, if you ask me.

Leftovers are just fine.

 

Tonight!  For your dining pleasure, dear who

ever eats this, I will be serving a one-of-a-kind cassoulet .  Its contents? 

Heck if I know.

No, I do know.  The contents are from the pantry of “What do we have here?” and the larder of “What is its expiration date?”

I returned from a visit to my sister in Ohio last Thursday.  It usually takes my body and brain about a week to connect.  Consequently, options were few when it came to tonight’s supper.

 

I found some cooked brown rice in the refrigerator.  It smelled fairly normal.  There was also a jar of spaghetti sauce, almost a half jar.  I had trouble opening it, but there was no green or black in the sauce. 

Then the carton of cottage cheese sneaked out from the back.  Its expiration date was November 3^rd , but it didn't have that sour nasty odor, and it was still white.

Scrounging a bit more in the dry pantry, I discovered a can of albacore tuna and some sliced green beans, along with diced tomatoes. This had a date on it, but it was smeared but the expiration numbers looked okay

Tah-dah!  Drain the tomatoes, tuna, and green beans.  Mix it all together.  Add some Parmesan cheese, lots of it.  Bake until bubbling.  Stir it up really well.  Top with non-moldy cheese.  Let brown a bit. 

Serve with a flourish and great style.  They will never know. Even if they do know, that means a bit of dessert, say, jello and carrots.

 

Voila! =(Vwah-lah)

This is a post from November 2011. It is true. I bet there is someone out there who is  nodding silently.

 

We have been sick with COVID for the better of 2 weeks. I wish I could say we are just fine, but it is a long haul. Now, if some elf or magic person  come appear and then voile ah-lah. , oh that would be marvelous.

Ever Faithful

 

I wish John Wayne had lived longer. 

John Wayne was a fervent patriot. He wanted to join up for WW2, but was rejected as being too old. The military wanted him to act in patriotic films. He was active in helping veterans and  supporting the military. He was faithful to this country.

A list of some of his military movies:  

The Flying Leathernecks (1951) ...
Operation Pacific (1951) ...
The Fighting Seabees. ...
The Green Berets (1968) ...
In Harm's Way (1965) ...
The Longest Day (1962) ...
The Flying Tigers (1942) ...
Back to Bataan (1945)

I have seen all of these once and then twice. Now that I am older and have a better understanding of that horrible war, I appreciate what he portrayed. 

 

War is hell.

 

A brave man like John Wayne is often few and far apart.

John Wayne, May 26 1907-1979

 

Steppenwolf on the Highway

 

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
In whatever comes our way

 

Yeah, darlin' gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightnin'
Heavy metal thunder
 

Racing with the wind
And the feeling that I'm under

Yeah, darlin' gonna make it happen
 

Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

 

 

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Looking for adventure
 

https://youtu.be/

Yeah, darlin' gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
 

And explode into space

Like a true nature's child
We were born
Born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

 

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

 

 

  I was astounded the first time I saw a big "hog", as the roar came by our car. Never knew there could be such a gorgeous ride.

You are guilty

Boys and fisticuffs  Another day on the range, at least that is how I think.

There is the evidence gathering.  Which students in the class witnessed the event?  One by one those witnesses are questioned outside, while the finger-pointers steam at their desks, out of ear shot.

Debates, questions, answers ensue.  Decision made.  Teacher directs the two less-angry students outside to deliver the verdict.                                                                              

Sometimes both are guilty.  If the students are girls, this is highly probable. Cat fights/shouting, you know.  

Sometimes one is the guilty party and the other the victim.  These are usually boys. 

 One will shout the loudest and deny the most.  He will also accuse the other of the very things of which he himself has been accused.   I look at that person suspiciously from the get-go.

 Chances are this is not his first time facing judgment. 

I sigh.  Being the judge, delivering the verdict is a great responsibility. Well, sometimes it works to grant grace.

 

Tax Man

 

 

In the past my opinions about The Beatles fluctuate. 1965 was when I first learned of them (7th grade. Since then, The Beatles have made some really good music, and some I really dislike.

 That aside, this song is one that I didn't understand until I became an adult. April 15 is always remembered.

This song is unusual for me. I am picky when it comes to music.

 

Joe Bonamassa : guitarist super

"The Taxman" with George Harrison? Isn't that awesome? What is your favorite song? The Beatles? If any?  What about Joe Bonamassa. That man can play.

August, Abandonment

 

Mind gone dry,

Mined too many times.

Rocks crumble

From inside the hill.

Nothing left to pick 

With a broken tool.

Wind echoes

Through empty caverns,

Taking wisps of ideas

Leaving dry husks

In which

Only a throbbing sound

Is heard.

Abandoned.

Source: Izabelha

 

The Buttocks (Important to us all)

   

 

Sitting in an airport, I tend to watch people walking along and note a few things about them. Oh, yes, the clothing is always peculiar; they are always on the phone; and they have the worst shoes for walking in an airport one hundred miles long. People are interesting, no matter what.

Given that, now I find myself noticing other oddities in watching people: Buttocks.

This is not a recent occurrence. For me started back in 2009 while in New York when we were staying at Pennsylvania Hotel, right across from Madison Square Garden. Crazy place. Down the street a bit is Macy’s Department Store, the famous Macy’s from Miracle on 34^th Street.  

This revelation happened as we rode up the one remaining wooden escalator from that era. What a time that must have been way back then.  Anyway, as we enjoyed the ride, standing RIGHT IN FRONT me was a gaggle of teenagers.

 

 

The one right at eye level was a guy with dropping drawers, popular at that time. I could see the label on his underwear, plus a good 5 inches of fabric. Couldn’t see the size, but they were old with an old tag.

  

One of the few wooden escalators still in use

Finally, the worst butt view was recently when we were at a high school theater event. We were sitting at the end of a row so we could escape easily. That was when a clutch of teenage girls climbed over us.  They wore short shorts and oh-my-golly the ample “gluteal folds” flashed us.

gluteal region

Are we old folks? Does anyone else find this to be true?

I truly apologize to all whom I have offended. Blame it on my peculiar way of thinking. It has been a rough year.

Big Sister Little Sister

 

 

As a five year old, Patty was intrigued by a ladder that leaned on the porch. 

 

Although with dust and dirt, Patty knew that her climbing skills were inadequate. She had stop the climb, choosing to slide down splinters-covered porch. It was a rough ride .

 Damn, Patty swore. The best she could manage on the porch today was tangling little sister Debbie's long blond hair, while she played sweetly in the playpen. 

For good measure, Patty wove in sticker weeds. Mom is so gonna kill me, she guessed.  Oh, well.

 Wednesday Words are highlighted above. No idea when I posted, but I'd say about 2018.

This is a blog post 2014. Only bits of words manage to work through. Let me ask you: Did you ever do stupid careless things that you really needed to think through.  I made some unwise decision, and so far, I think there will be more unwise decisions.

 

 

About Liza and Henry's holey bucket

                                 

There's a hole in the bucket,. Dear Liza, dear Liza. There's a hole in the bucket , dear Li-za, a hole..

Come on, you mouthed the words, didn't you.  This is the version that makes me the happiest.

Sesame Street was part of my children's lives. This reminds me of the energy this produced. The above is about 4 min. long.  

Irony is that my two pails are cracking. Let's give them a chance, shall we?