A great visit!

We went to Margaret’s Saturday to visit and eat. Bobby did some of his wonderful fried fish, and we also got their wonderful vegetables, etc. We got back to town about 7, and picked up Ann & Al’s rental car for the rest of their trip (they’ll be leaving in the morning).

I have volunteered to help with World Book Night. This program has provided me with 20 paperback books to give away at a place of my choosing - all to be done on or immediately after Monday, 23 April - International Book Day. My book is Friday Night Lights, and I'll be giving them away at our local Homeless Shelter. I just picked them up today. I'll be calling the shelter to be sure all is okay before I got over there with the books. This has been done in the UK (I think), but it's the first year in the US. Should be fun.

It’s been a great week. We played lots of bridge in the evenings, changing partners after each rubber, and keeping a running score. Ann was the big winner for the week - and (surprise!) I was last. I hope we’ll be getting back to what we laughingly call normal over the next couple of days.

Quiet day today - just doing laundry getting things put back. Ann & Al left early this morning. They've called to check in from their overnight in Charleston, WV. They stopped by the West Virginia Craft center at Tamarack in Beckley, WV, but made good time. It surely was good to have them here. We'll get back into the normal routine tomorrow. We’ve just seen the weather forecast, and several inches of snow is predicted to where they’re headed tomorrow in western PA. Oh, dear.

Long day

We had a lovely, long day today. John drove us up along the Tellico River, and up on Indian Boundary Road. We ate lunch at a little cafe in Tellico Plains. We ate our supper on the porch, then played bridge until well after 11. Off to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery and to Margaret's tomorrow.

Sue says that Randy is feeling better every day, and that Alison and Joe are coming in this weekend to visit. Great news from South Carolina.

Thursday with Ann & Al

We had a laid-back day today, followed by a really nice evening. We went to the String Theory chamber music concert at the museum - two pieces with a string octet (Shostakovich and Mendelssohn) and a one with a string trio (Dvorak). Terrific music and musicians. Then we went to eat at our favorite Mexican place. And even finished up with some bridge.

Today's news

Pat Summitt has retired. Not unexpected, but I hate the situation. I read this, and it’s certainly her most enduring legacy: Every Lady Vol player who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has graduated, and 74 former players, assistants, graduate assistants, team managers and directors of basketball operations are currently among the coaching ranks at every level of basketball.
======================================
Randy went home from the hospital this evening, without a pacemaker. His cardiac rhythm was good enough that they decided to go with medication. He's to take a daily aspirin and Plavix, and always have nitroglycerin with him. He'll be doing some cardiac rehab, too. We're all hugely relieved, of course.
======================================
I wanted to share these pictures of Kate and Wayne. Together they started on Weight Watchers about a year ago and have lots of weight. They've really done well, making the necessary life changes. The first picture is in October, 2009. The second was taken in October, 2011. Kate’s lost 120 pounds, Wayne 125. Great news from them, too.

Rainy Tuesday

It’s been a great, busy day with Ann & Al. We did the “behind the scenes” tours at both buildings of the Tennessee Aquarium. Then they took us out to dinner at the Bonefish Grill. (Yum!)

To cap off the evening, we played a lot of bridge. We trade partners after each rubber, and keep a running score. So far, I’m low.
===================
Randy’s still in the hospital, as they continue to evaluate whether or not he needs a permanent pacemaker. Sue says he’s beginning to get “cabin fever”, so I guess that’s a good sign.

This and that

Ann and Al got here right on time - they had one of those rare travel days where everything works. Everybody's gone to bed now, except me. We spent the evening on the porch, eating out there, too - lovely weather, with even a pleasant rain shower to listen to.
=================================
Randy will probably be having the pacemaker installed tomorrow afternoon . They'll do one last set of EKG tests in the morning, but are pretty sure the pacemaker will be the treatment of choice. His parents got there, so Sue's getting some relief from being at the hospital all day long.
==================================
This is from L‘empress‘s blog, A Place of My Own.

When we get old, we realize how much we don’t know and how little we accomplished.
….There are days when I think that I didn’t learn anything and that I taught even less to my children. You have to find a balance between your appreciation and your regrets. I just hope the gratitude comes out ahead.

Update

Randy had some episodes of low blood pressure during the night, but otherwise was resting comfortably. They did finally see the cardiologist.

A cardiac catheterization is scheduled for first thing in the morning. The plan is to see if they can open any vessels up to increase the blood flow. If this does the job, the results should be instantaneous. If it doesn't, they will insert a temporary pacemaker. He still holds out some hope that the node will start firing again on its own. If that happens within the next few weeks, he can take the temporary one out. If it doesn't, they will go back in and place a permanent pacemaker.

Randy’s folks will be going down tomorrow. That’ll be a great help for Sue, and support for Randy, too, of course. We’ll be waiting for the phone calls.

Thinking about Randy

We got an e-mail from Sue yesterday. Randy (our son-in-law) had had a mild heart attack, and was in the hospital. Fortunately, Sue works for a group of internal medicine docs and he had come into the office to get his pain checked. They wouldn't even let her drive him the 2 blocks to the hospital - they called an ambulance. All seems to be stable now. He's 56-7 years old. As Sue says - there will probably be a bunch of life-style changes in their future.

As of tonight, Randy's still in the hospital. His natural pacemakers aren't working quite properly, so he’s in a telemetry room where they can keep all those things monitored. And they'll do more evaluating tomorrow - depending on what all those readings show.

Needless to say, we’re all concerned and waiting for further developments.

Blank

It's late, and I've drawn an absolute blank tonight. Thanks for checking by.

Kerfuffle

I love the word kerfuffle! From the entry in the Oxford Dictionary, it’s quite an old word. But I don’t remember having heard it until relatively recently.

No particular reason for this - it’s just one of those words that sounds like fun!

Creativity

Painting went much better today. We all got involved in doing stuff. I got a great present - the instructor gave me a small original piece similar to one I had admired at her show. We’re thrilled with it!

John cleaned up the porch this afternoon. It was SO full of pollen and dust. He went over it first with the leaf blower, and then we took everything off it, and he washed it all with the hose. I hand washed some of the stuff, put some in the dishwasher, and did a load of wash for the stuff that could go there. I'll finish getting it put back out tomorrow. So it can get dirty again.

Hey dog lovers! Here's a movie for your Netflix queue. My Dog, Tulip is an animated British film - quirky, funny, delightful, beautifully drawn. We had no idea what it was about and were totally charmed. Get it now!

Another exciting day in Tennessee

I had my quarterly eye check-up this afternoon. Our optometrist is very thorough. He found a change in the acuity in my right eye, but couldn't find any reason for it. I'm supposed to be doing some home reading checks until I see him again in three months and, if I see any worsening, to come back immediately. As we say, if it isn't one thing, it's another. At least he ruled out most of the usual problems. It always takes a while for dilated eyes to return to normal.

I got a "lamb breast" on sale at WalMart yesterday. I'd never cooked anything like that before. We like lamb, I just never seem to see it or think about it. Anyhow, I figured out something from looking at recipes on the internet. It was really good. I roasted some potatoes quarters and mushrooms, and made some gravy. There's enough left to make some hash.

So much for another exciting day in Tennessee. (We won’t discuss our wussy governor not vetoing a law permitting the teaching of “creationism” in science classes in TN, but not signing the bill - thus allowing it to become law without his signature. Which, of course, makes both sides mad. Sometimes I really hate to tell people we’re from Tennessee.)
====================================
Another view of this great sculpture.

Blah!

John’s cough is still awful. I do hope he gets over it before next week.

We’re quite a pair this evening - he’s coughing like crazy, and my body is just blah.

Oh, well - with any luck we’ll get a good night’s sleep and both be better in the morning.
=====================================
I love urban sculpture.

Smith's roses

What could be better than some gorgeous roses (pictures by Margaret).

Saturday 9

This is a Saturday 9 meme from Kwizgiver.

1. Have you ever watched something unfold, that as you watched, you could not believe what you've witnessed?
At the Aquarium, we start a large snake start to shed its skin. We watched the whole process - it was fascinating.

2. What is your favorite city in the world? Why?
I’m not a big fan of cities in general. I love Chattanooga. It’s a great place to live.

3. What is the strangest film, to your sense of reality, that you have ever seen?
I can’t think of one. I haven’t seen a lot of movies recently. Movies are, by definition, not real.

4. It seems that the older that you get, the less you want the hassle of seeing a live concert. Who is an artist or a band that you'd actually pay to see?
We pay to go to the Symphony and to the String Theory chamber concerts.

5. When was the last time that you lost your temper?
I think I got angry about something last week, but I get over it quickly and rarely remember anything.

6. When you were little, did you think "sex" was a bad word?
No

7. What does your smart phone do that really surprised you when you loaded the app?
My smart phone is so much smarter than my ability to cope with it. Everything it does surprises me.

8. Have you ever been attracted to someone that you should not have been? (Feel free to take this lame question any way that you please.)
I’ve been married to the same man for 56 years - guess that attraction worked pretty well.

9. Will you see the new "The Three Stooges" film? I didn’t really like the original Three Stooges, so I won’t be seeing a movie about them.


==============================
Urban cityscape.

My morning's entertainment

After swimming this morning, I went to the downtown library to work a shift in the library book store. Usually it’s pretty boring and I get a lot of reading done. It’s a bit weird as I sit there reading my Kindle, but….

Today there was a floor show. From where I sit, I can see all the traffic at the main circulation desk. My attention was drawn to a loud voice. A woman was complaining to the employee at the desk about the fact that, although she had a Chattanooga mailing address, she was being charged for her library card.

Note: The City of Chattanooga has recently taken full control of and responsibility for the public library. It’s free only for people who live within the city limits. There are people who have a Chattanooga mailing address who do not live in the city limits. With payment of an annual fee, nonresidents can use the library.

This lady, from her address, obviously did not live within the city limits, but she was adamant that because her mailing address was “Chattanooga”, she should have a free card. She got louder and louder, and eventually demanded to see some “higher-up” in the library, somebody who “sat upstairs at a desk”.

Within a few minutes, the new director of the library came downstairs to deal with this woman. The director is a fairly young woman who has been on the job for less than six months. The woman went through her story again, still quite loudly. The director responded in a very quiet voice - I couldn’t even hear what she said, even though I knew what she had to be saying.

The angry woman went on about how her family had lived in Chattanooga forever; had been on the banks of the river giving corn to the settlers when they showed up. And then she went on to say that her ancestors had all had dark hair - that none of them were blond. What???? Well, the director is a quite attractive, white woman, who happens to be blond. I hate to think how the conversation would’ve gone if our director had been black - but I digress.

Finally, the director managed to defuse the situation, and the woman got her fee refunded, which I guess is what she was after in the first place. And things quieted back down to normal.

The new director made some big points with me, and her employees, and certainly earned her keep today. I got an entertainment bonus of watching a well-dressed woman make an ass out of herself. And I even finished my book.

Be sure to read Drift, Rachel Maddow’s new book.

Just another Thursday

We had a good lunch at the Olive Garden with Vicki. Just spending some time with her made it a good day.

Miscellany

I’d heard about a BBC TV series called Doc Martin. We ordered some of the DVDs of the series from Netflix and watched the two first episodes tonight. The premise is that a top London surgeon develops a phobia about blood and has to stop operating. He winds up as a GP in a small Cornwall town. It’s delightful! Give it a look sometime.
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My niece, Robin Hill, posted a link to this fabulous Wind Map . This shows a moving map of winds over the United States. Amazing! Thanks, Robin.
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We had a good exercise class, but I didn’t do so well at painting. I just couldn’t get into the rhythm of anything, so didn’t do much. It was frustrating. I went for a massage afterwards, and that helped even things out somewhat. I’ll look at the painting stuff again tomorrow and see what I can do.

Don't mess with Mother Nature

The tornadoes and storm line that went through the Dallas/Fort Worth area this afternoon was devastating. I’ve never seen such film of the storms actually hitting and throwing such debris. It’s amazing that there were no fatalities (at least not so far). Weather that happens in North Texas usually eventually gets to us, but I can only hope it will have weakened some by the time it gets here. Today we just had to deal with above-normal temperatures (87 this afternoon).

Click here for a neat live map of winds.

======================
Congratulations to the Baylor Lady Bears on their decisive win of the NCAA National Championship. Having said that - Go Lady Vols!

Another Monday

Of course, there was the usual Monday morning stuff.

After all the terrible cards I’ve been having, I actually came in high last week. Amazing! Of course, today, I was back to the usual dreck.

John started on Saturday with a really nasty cough. At this time of year and the extra heavy pollen, it could well be allergy. But this is the third day of it.

The NCAA final game isn’t finished as I write this, but Kentucky seems to have it well in hand. UK’s Anthony Davis is an incredible player - and fun to watch if you’re not cheering for the other team. Congratulations to the champ, whichever team it is.
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John’s photo of the clematis on our mailbox post.

Slow Sunday

Weekends are usually not too exciting around here - and today was no exception.

It was special that Matt stopped by and did some work on the roof, including the really nasty job of cleaning out the gutters. (Thanks so much, Babe!)

Not much happening during this upcoming week, either. Be sure to stay tuned for all the excitement.
==================================
The NCAA Women's Final Game is set, too. Congratulations to Notre Dame and Baylor who will be playing on Tuesday.

Mild-mannered, but.....

This morning, kwizgiver posted a “Saturday 9” meme on her blog. I opted not to use it, but when she described herself saying,

" I’m mild-mannered with a side of snark"

I had to sit up and pay attention. That describes ME!!! (Well, John did say it should be amended to a “jumbo side of snark”. Too good!
========================
Have you seen Les Miserables? I’ve been lucky enough to see it twice and it is fabulous. A concert version was performed to celebrate its 25th year, and it’s out on DVD. I got it from Netflix, and finished watching it today. What incredible music! I’ll be singing for days.
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Congratulations to UK and KU - heading to the NCAA Championship game.

Surprise

I worked at the Library Book Store this morning. I made a couple of sales and, to my amazement, I didn't screw up the cash register. And I came out with the right amount of money. I probably shouldn't pat myself on the back too much - I'm working again next Friday.
==============================
Chattanooga Public Library (downtown branch)

Under construction

This is one of the two pieces I started last week at painting. No telling what it will look like when it's finished. I'll show stages from time to time as it changes.

www.Wednesday

www.Wednesday from Kwizgiver

• What are you currently reading?
Drift (Rachel Maddow)

• What did you recently finish reading?
Game Change (John Heillmann and Mark Halperin); Destiny of the Republic (Candice Millard); A Cold Dish (a Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson)

• What do you think you’ll read next?
Hell is Empty (a Walt Longmire mystery by Craig Johnson)
=================================
Be careful which shirts you put on in the morning.

Last Tuesday in March

Nothing going on around here - except basketball. Congratulations to the teams who will play in the Women’s Final Four: Baylor, Connecticut, Notre Dame, and Stanford - and best of luck to all. The seeding committee obviously did a good job this year - the Elite Eight games were all #1s versus #2s. All the #1 teams won in lopsided games.

I walked 15+ minutes on the treadmill this morning, and then went for a pedicure. Tried a new place this time, and the guy was really good. And the massage chair was one of the best I've ever sat in. They ought to just rent out those chairs. :2funny:

John was a happy camper this morning - he got on the river for the first time this season. That always means a good day for him. I hope he gets to go again in the morning.
=========================
Typical traffic in Saigon.

End of a season

It’s a sad day in Big Orange Country - the Lady Vols lost to Baylor in the Elite Eight round of the basketball tournament. With the legendary Pat Summitt suffering from early onset dementia, it’s entirely possible that this was her last game. Time will tell on that one. But, for sure, this is the end of the season for the 2011-12 Lady Vols. Good luck to the other teams that will be in the Final Four next weekend.

Heroes

Click here for a must-read op-ed piece (By turning our soldiers into heroes, we mask their true sacrifice ) by psychologist Dr. Gordon Livingston in the Baltimore Sun. Check it out.
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A foggy March morning.

 

Springtime at the Smiths'

 

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Spring is early this year.

2. I hate strong fragrances.

3. I forgot the name of our favorite character in The West Wing (played by Alison Janney).

4. The ceviche at our local Mexican restaurant is delicious!

5. Heads, shoulders, knees and back all hurt at one time or another.

6. Knitting is my favorite form of exercise when it's warm enough out not to wear a coat!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to basketball, tomorrow my plans include basketball and Sunday, I want to watch more basketball!

From Friday Fill-ins via Kwizgiver,

Comments from a physician

I’m appalled by the onslaught on women and women’s health issues by the Republicans in this election season.

My friend, Essie, is a physician who retired because she contacted systemic lupus. She is now an incredible knitter (designing and selling) and writes EssieWB: Knitting my way through . Her comments today and her letter to one of Tennessee’s senators are well worth reading.

=======================

Another power pole snarl in Saigon.

The laptop came home today.

Fairly busy for me today, with swimming, painting, and massage. The painting was good. This is my 4th or 5th session with Sandy. It’s a challenge for her to continue to come up with new ideas for those of us who take her class multiple times. But she loves teaching, and it really shows. There’s one total newby in the class, so she’s going to have a good time, too (I hope). And the massage is always good.

I got my laptop back a little while ago, and I‘m a happy camper. Staples did the free tune-up, and I signed up for the Carbonite back-service. It’s downloading now, and will do a continuous back-up per my instructions. At least I won’t lose any photographs if (when?) this laptop crashes.
=========================
Typical power pole at a residential intersection in Saigon.

Laptop checkup

I got lots done this morning. I walked 15 minutes on the treadmill at the Y; took clothes to the Community Kitchen; got my service tweaked at Verizon; and took the laptop to Staples to get the microphone turned on (which I couldn't figure out by myself). They're having a free tune-up service now, so I left it overnight (withdrawal!!). I'm on John's desktop this evening - trying to find where I've hidden things.

We had signed up for a downtown history tour with the History Center tonight. It was fun - and it was hot (mid80s), but there was a nice breeze. We ate dinner afterwards at a Genghis Grill - a first time for us. You get a bowl and pick what meats, veggies, and sauce you want, then they cook it for you on a huge grill. It's brought to your table in another bowl, served on the rice or noodles you've chosen. It's really quite good and a nice amount.

The next 6-week session of painting starts tomorrow, and then I have a massage. I do hope I get my laptop back tomorrow, and can pick it up on the way home.

Did you see the list of 10 worst allergy cities in the US? Knoxville, TN, was first, followed by McAllen, TX in #2. Chattanooga was 6th or 7th. The nasty yellow stuff is starting to coat our cars.

Tough Mondays

Mondays are just long. I keep thinking I should spread this stuff out to other days, but I really hate to give up the time elsewhere. I’ve got a pretty busy day tomorrow morning, too - at least in the morning.

At least the cards were somewhat better today.

Dare I complain about the weather, too? In the 80s again today, and they’re already predicting a record-breaking 87(!) for tomorrow. C’mon folks, it’s just March!

Mostly Silent Sunday

Mostly I neither watch nor listen to TV commercials. I happened to see this one - muted - and really laughed. Click here to watch it.
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Ultramodern buildings in Saigon.

It's March!

The first day of a March weekend. That means basketball!

We went to a string quintet program at our branch library this morning. It's an outreach program from the Symphony, and directly mainly at children. The players do a great job, and the grown-ups have almost as much fun as the children.

Happy Birthday to me!

In response to the old white males who are making unconscionable, unwarranted, unbelievable decisions about women’s health, some female legislators are using irony, ridicule, and a sense of humor to fight back.Click here.
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I’ve always been a process person. And I’ve always loved politics and elections and reading election results. So I’m in hog heaven reading Game Change, the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. It’s about the party primaries and campaign leading up to the 2008 election. I’m loving this! There’s an HBO program based on the book. We don’t get HBO, but I already have it reserved on Netflix. And there was a panel discussion on BookTV.
======================================
John found a birthday present to top his Valentine present.

Weather

We had one of those weird weather days today. The high was 86 - not only a record for the day, but the highest temperature recorded this early in the season. I surely am glad there’s nothing to this climate change thing.

Then during the afternoon and late evening, two lines of thunder showers blew through - not a lot of rain, but some wind, lightening, thunder, and cooler temps.

Spring is always exciting.
================================
I guess I have to mention one more birthday - mine.

Happy Birthday, Sarah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH
(She's really 23 today)

 

3-2-1 Cake

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) box angel food cake mix
1 (18 ounce) box cake mix (any flavor)

To make an individual cake:
3 tablespoons of the cake mix
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Mix Angel Food cake mix and your choice flavor cake mix (I used devils' food).

2. Put both in zip lock bag and mix well.

3. When ready for your quick cake snack attack, take 3 tablespoons cake mix.

4. Put in microwavable small ramekin or bowl.

5. Mix in 2 tablespoons water; mix well.

6. Microwave on high, 1 minute.

7. Cool and top with whipped cream or icing of your choice or just eat it plain.

8. Just enough for that quick fix, snack attack!

9. Prep time includes opening and mixing the cake mixes in zip lock bag and measuring out mix and water and mixing together.

10. ENJOY!

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This is the old post office building in Saigon.

Happy Birthday, Alison!

Happy Birthday, Alison!
(on the left)

 

Blog Break

I'm going to take a break for a couple of days. Y'all hold the fort, and I'll see you later.

Sounds like anybody you know?

Poem of the Year (I don’t know the author)



The computer swallowed grandma.
Yes, honestly it's true!
She pressed 'control and 'enter'
And disappeared from view.


It devoured her completely,
The thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a virus or been eaten by a worm.


I've searched through the recycle bin
And files of every kind;
I've even used the Internet,
But nothing did I find.


In desperation, I asked Jeeves
My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative,
Not a thing was found 'online.'


So, if inside your 'Inbox,'
My Grandma you should see,
Please 'Copy, Scan' and 'Paste' her
And send her back to me.
==============================
Independence Palace, Saigon

Spring Forward

Today was a lovely spring day. If you forgot to "spring forward" tonight, you'll be an hour late.  It does take a while to for our bodies to adjust, but I really do like having the light later in the afternoon.

=======================================================
In the interior of the erstwhile American Embassy in Saigon.


 

Friday Fotos (History Department)

The first photo is a new photo of the last people leaving the US Embassy in Saigon in 1975. 




This photo is our picture of the same building taken in 2011.

 t

Experimentation

This is today's version of a "start" that I did a few months ago.  No telling where it will wind up.  Just thought I'd take some photos along the way to let you see the process.

Also, the "Picasa: Blog This!" which I've been using to post photos has suddenly started doing something different.  So I'm trying to see how it work.

Experimental stuff all around.

Massage Day

Nothing too exciting today - but I did get my delayed massage. She really worked over the area of my back that has been bothering me. And I think it really helped this time - at least for a while.

This surely has been a quiet week. Enjoy!

Vegetable!

Today was a totally veggie day! I've been hurting, and just had a chair day. I slept late, and then took a long nap. Better this evening.

We didn't vote today (Super Tuesday) because we voted early.
======================================
Saigon public park (unknown woman)

 

'Nuf said

Click here if you can’t read this picture.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Eve Was Framed Meme provided another meme for the weekend.

Cheers to all of us thieves!
1. Why is your favorite color your favorite?
Usually it’s blue or green, for no particular reason.

2. Do you prefer dogs or cats or do you just hate animals, and want to kill baby seals?
I like both cats and dogs, but don’t have pets any more.

3. How much time do you spend on the computer?
A lot.

4. Not including porn, what do you do on the computer?
E-mail, read discussion boards, play games, write a blog, manage photographs.

5. Are you a clock watcher?
Nope - haven’t worn a watch in years.

6. What do you/did you look for in a partner?
Similarity of interests, sense of humor

7. What type of clothing do you prefer?
Soft clothes - definitely casual.

8. What is your favorite type of music?
Orchestral, symphonic, classical and baroque, soft jazz, blues

9. Do you believe in the paranormal, Ghosts, ESP, levitation, spoon bending?
I believe there are things we don’t know or understand - that just haven‘t discovered yet. I don’t trust folks who do stuff like that for money.

10. The most important question: Do you have a inie or outie belly button?
Mighty personal question, but it’s an “inny”.

11. What kind of car do you drive?
An old lady car - Nissan Altima

12. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or The Boys Are Back in Town?
What?

13. Camping or the Ritz?
The Ritz (assuming that’s a luxury hotel)

14. What food are you craving RIGHT NOW . . . did you eat it?
No cravings at the moment. I’m always up for ice cream, but don’t keep it around any more.

15. The most thrilling place you've ever visited. Why?
At least the most unusual was Antarctica - just because it’s a place very few people get to see.

16. If you could slip into the skin of one public figure--celebrity, artist,--who would it be?
I think I’d like to be inside Georgia O’Keeffe to see what she saw. Or maybe Jimmy Buffett, just for the fun of it.

17. Look up from your computer. What do you see first?
The TV.

18. Sum up your philosophy of life in one sentence. You can borrow it from someone else, if you'd like.
“I just want to live happily ever after, every now and then.” Jimmy Buffett (Jimmy Buffett may just be my favorite philosopher)

19. Name the one thing you just don't understand about kids today.
They don’t seem to spend time in face-to-face communication with others - just on their phones.

20. If you could steal one work of art from a museum or gallery, which would it be?
Only ONE?????

It's March

It’s March, and time for the madness!
The Lady Vols beat South Carolina, and will play LSU tomorrow.
The Lady Mocs beat Furman, and will play App State tomorrow
========================
The storms took the headlines yesterday, but there was other news.

Jesse signed his reenlistment papers. His next duty will be on shore in Norfolk. We’ve very proud of our Navy guy!
========================
Jesse with his proud parents and enlistment officers.

Follow-up

We are still having some rain and isolated thunder, but there are no more warnings in Tennessee at this time (11:30 p.m.). There are still some in the counties in north Georgia (along the TN and NC state lines) where warnings are in effect. There are no reported fatalities in our area, but a number of injuries and lots of property damage. It'll take tomorrow's daylight to get a more accurate assessment. Thanks for your concern.

A day of storms

I'm posting early tonight. Today has been nothing but storm and tornado warnings. There have been three lines of very strong storms marching through our area today. As I write this, we're between #2 and #3 - and the third one is predicted to be the worst. The first line came very near our house, but didn't spawn tornadoes until it had passed us. I was ready to head to the basement, but then it was gone. There was a lot of damage east of us. Then the sun came out and it was clear for a while.

Then the second line came through. It was wider, with more cells. Again, we were fortunate and they went either north or south of us.

And now, we watching the SEC women's basketball tournament (the Lady Vols beat Vanderbilt this afternoon), and waiting for the third line. As I write this, it's nearly 8:30 p.m. ET, and the storms should be over by midnight. We haven't lost power yet, but I thought I wouldn't push my luck and am posting this now.

We can only hope this line fizzles out as the temperatures cool down, but......
Hold those good thoughts that all in its path come through with minimal damage.
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This is a common sight at any traffic light in Saigon.

Outrageous!

I simply cannot comprehend how the current elected Republicans and Republican candidates can spend all their time, effort, and money trying to destroy all the progress that women have made over the last 50 year in controlling their own bodies and health issues. It’s even harder to fathom why any woman would stand still for this stuff.

Did you happen to hear what R*** L*mb**gh said on his program on Thursday? This is an article about it.

Absolutely outrageous! Women of all political persuasions should be protesting.

One more time

I seem to be having trouble getting this photo up the way I want it. Sighhhhhh.