A Day in the Life

Another Monday, and I thought I would chronicle it with a blog.  
My daughter's family had been here this week end while she spent the time with a few internet friends in Indiana.  We had a great time here with Suhitha, Gabe and Omar.  I could write the whole blog on that, but I  wanted to concentrate on Monday's activities.  The kids are great though.  So vibrant and full of life and energy and fun.  The weather was great so we could play outside. Gabe can make baskets now with a small basketball or a volleyball.
The regulation basketball is too heavy for him to throw high enough.  The sand box was used.  They went for a walk in the big wagon...Suhitha pulled.  We got breadsticks from the Fenton House.  Sunday Uncle Matt and Aunt Rissa came over for dinner.

So, Mom and I were exhausted when they left for Toronto.  Monday Morning I was still sleeping in the Mexican Room and heard music playing at about 7AM.  I got up at 7:30 and turned off the alarm that for some reason had gone off in our bedroom, and Mom had ignored, as she was sleeping in Gilmour's old room.

I came down to a slight mess of kid's toys and books.  Brooke had taken care of dishes the night before-bless her heart.  I had some coffee and recopied a list of some things to do.  Top item was to mail a few things out to Martyna and Jake.  It took forever to assemble the stuff.  Plus, when you add the psychological gamesmanship that always goes on with Brooke and me, it's a standoff for quite a while.  (We still haven't done our taxes!) This seems stupid since we worry about spending too much on small items, but now we will have a large fine to pay.

Sorry, to have this turn negative, but really I'm very happy.  I accomplished the first item on the list.  The package should arrive in about 5 days.(no more than 15)  

Actually, I have started each of my last three to-do lists with BE HAPPY. So that helps.  On with my Monday...I agreed to get something from the car from Mom...she said it was a Big Favor.  Also, since she got me to do that, I guess, she said she would put away the kid's toys if I would collect them all. 

I decided to paint a little more on the sidebedroom trim.  I painted a little while and then noticed my brush had broken!  I thought this was a very good brush and would last for years.  So, I have been repairing and re-repairing it today.  Why can't I just throw it away?  I enjoy fixing things.  I did use Google to try to find out if that brush was any good and I think it is just okay.  But I did learn how professional painters clean their brushes. So, I spent an hour cleaning brushes and finally got to my third significant thing  I did today...I went to Tyrone Hills and played nine-holes of golf.

I used my pull cart for the first time this year and despite a terrible beginning, had a pretty good round.  I played the back nine.  If you know how most golf courses are laid out, usually nine holes will go around the outside of the property and the other nine will be on the inside.  The 9th hole should end up near the clubhouse.  The 18th hole also will end up near the clubhouse.  Also the first tee and 10th tee will be by the clubhouse.  I wanted to play the back, as my first two rounds this year had been on the front.  Since the front nine has a lot of holes running along adjoining properties(many of which are rough) one expects to find more golf balls on this nine.  Just walk over in the woods or high grass and you will most likely find some.  Part of my mental score is determined by how many balls I gain.

 My very first shot, (Drive on 10) was errant, to the left, and glanced off a small tree.  While looking for my ball, I found two others(up two in balls gained) but then I dropped one down to continue the hole.  I made two miserable attempts and then found my original ball.  I reset my score, declaring my bad shots were hit with a provisional ball.  I finished out the hole with a score of 7.  Well, this is interesting only to me. If you play the game,  there is a lot of fun to be had out there.  I came home tired and in pain. I must have found 8 balls today. The game is coming along and I look forward to my next round. 

I'm rested up now though and am ready to try the second repair on the paint brush.         

Why was Jones so great?

Now George Jones has passed on.  He may have
been my favorite singer of all, but Elvis and Roy Orbison make me a liar there. Favorite country singer for sure.
Without much thought or knowledge one might think he was just a drunk with a good voice.  That will only get you so far. George I have read, worked at his craft and developed himself beyond the honky tank singer. His voice had a certain timbre? I'm not sure of the word, but it spoke to me like I was listening to a close friend or relative. I trusted what he said.

If you watch some of his performances you notice the great backup musicians and other things that go into making a polished product.
I'm sure glad he made so many recordings.  I read he charted more hits than anyone. I loved him.  There were times in my life when I heard one of his songs and it was perfect for me at that time.  Try "The Cold Hard Truth" on for size or "Walls Can Fall".  So many classics.  "He Stopped Loving Her Today" may be his best known.  "The Door" was powerful when I got divorced and there was a point when the goodbye was final and the door closed. I know he affected millions of people the same way.

I think whoever did the video for Walls, really screwed up.  Great men like George, me and you can really get screwed over by lesser people who don't have the AUTHENTICITY, Heart and Soul that we do.  It is understood, (unfortunate), and forgiven. I'm listening to "If Drinking Don't Kill Me" right now.  Thanks, George. 

   

Grading my first round of golf

Watching the Masters usually puts me in a golfing frame of mind.  The temperature was close to 70 today so I thought I'd get out of the house and see how the golf swing was.

I had an accident yesterday.  While chasing Zeke to get him back into the house, I aparently forgot that we had a fairly large step from the porch down to the first level of the sidewalk.  I think the first things to hit were my knees.  Then maybe my right hand, broom(I was carrying) left hand and my face.
I hadn't been drinking at that point so maybe I'm just losing it.  Since the incident, I'm a little shook up.  So, I didn't know if this would affect my golf.

Since I was out in the Spring air I thought I'd try to start my convertible.  After sitting all Winter in the garage I was quite sure the result of turning the key would be nothing.  Instead, I heard the engine turn over and start as though it had been sitting for no more than a week.  This was a minor miracle! Shades of Sleeper.  So, I cleared a path and drove out to the golf course in my VW.

I'm being pressured for time now so to finish quickly, my driving and long woods get a B+.  The long irons C+.  The mid irons A-. Wedge D and putting B.  It was a nice afternoon and I plan on spending many many more out there this Summer.

   

Three Dreams

Thought I'd share the dreams flowing through my fertile mind this morning. I must warn you that I watched an episode of Sherlock Holmes last night just before retiring.  This is a BBC version of Sherlock Holmes and takes place in present day London for the most part.

The first dream I recall I found myself in a car? that was moving down a street, but I was not at the controls of the car.  I'm not sure anyone was. The drivers seat was two rows ahead of me.  I reached over and somehow released the back of one of the seats ahead of me and that resolved the situation.  Apparently there were two other people in the car with me then.  We were approaching an intersection at which our "street" did not cross.  The house directly across the intersection was a small house and that is where Trey Burke lived.  He and Tim Hardaway Junior were on the porch preparing to deliver their paper route.  They both had T-shirts on that had 816 E. Third St. on the front.  That was our old address in Flint.  Today is the day Trey is to announce whether he's leaving Michigan to turn pro.  It is expected he is and that Hardaway probably will also.  The car I was in turned left and turned into the driveway between Trey's house and the next-door neighbor's house.  I said, something like,"Don't go in here, turn around."  We started turning around but several people came out of the two houses and invited us to hang out with them.
Trey's grandmother lived in that house.  We sat around a large table that was outside and we were offered Pot.  One of the women said that the local dealer had been by a couple of weeks ago and had some good Shag? I don't recall the name now. She was going to go and get some of her stash so we could experience the good stuff.  Everyone started pulling money from their pockets to buy the good dope.

Dream two took place in the desert.  It involved working as a team,  setting up a small plot of ground.  I know not what for.  We were being led by President Obama in this effort.  Mom/Brooke was working on it and was on the phone talking to Emma reporting how well I was participating. The whole project was based on one that had been abandoned  years ago by Walt Disney.  

Dream three combined a boomerang and the 14 year old golfer from China who is playing at The Masters this week end.  What? You say Who is on first? No, who is playing at The Masters.  Except his name isn't Who .  It is Guan. My dream thoughts combining the boomerang with golf was that this kid was playing golf in a different way.  He plays in total harmony with the golf course.  This includes the conditions and movement of the air above it.  I think most of us see golf as a challenge and the wind is an element to be fought and conquered.  The new way is to use the conditions as they are presented.  Remember the speech by Bill Murry in Caddy Shack.  He was speaking of caddying for the Dalai Lama with the flowing robes. That may be the new "Way".

Food for thought.     

Altered states of mind

Just yesterday I was watching basketball on TV.  Things seemed different in some way.  I've had this feeling before; it's as though the things I am looking at are familiar, but I am seeing them in a different light.  My cymbal of course did look different, because I had just given it a ketchup bath.  I had also just returned from Planet Fitness where I had ellipticised for 25 minutes.  But something was going on with the brain.  Was I having some sort of stroke? Do I have a tumor? I was trying to think of the names of the players on this years Michigan Basketball team.  I couldn't remember them.  Only one came up. Tim Hardaway Jr.  I could remember the other players as to positions and characteristics but not names.  I was kinda panicking.  Then I slowly started getting the names back. Trey Burke, Nick Stauskus, Glen RobinsonIII , Mitch McGary.
Shortly after, I noticed the shimmering of and Aura in my vision.  I have been getting these for years.  Doctors have said they are often precursors to migraine headaches.  I  don't get the headaches, at least not very strong at all.  Well this is all more or less experiencial.  (I've been reading a psychology/hypnosis book)

One point in the book: It is difficult to know you are in an altered state when you are the one in it.
As I sit here this morning I still don't feel "normal".

Happy Spring everyone!

PS:  I sent an email yesterday about an idea for a beer drinking device. The next thing I see there on gmail, is an ad for beer brewing supplies. I hate this cyber snooping. Just let us have our free email and privacy at the same time.  

  

Difficult question

Say you heard about a new disease that has cropped up in the U.S.  Only one person in 10,000 will get the disease but it is always fatal if you get it.  You are scheduled for a physical so you decide to include a test for the new disease.  The Doc tells you the test is 99% accurate.  When the results come back, you find you have tested positive for the disease.  Should you be devastated? Slightly worried or not too worried at all?

This is included in Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown.  It turns out you still have less than 1% chance of having the disease, so not to worry.  I am slowly working my way through the book.  It takes good concentration to stick with it.  Usually I don't have that quality of mind, especially when I'm reading just before going to bed.  It is more like reading a text book.  

I thought I'd find out something about vapeing.  If you haven't heard about it, it's a way of getting the benefits of marijuana without smoking it. There is also no strong smell.  Instead of burning the "medicine" you grind some up and put it into a vaporizer.  The vaporizer has some means of heating the herb to a temperature less than the combustion point but the cannibinoids are released as a vapor.  One inhales this and gets the benefits they seek.  I still haven't seen anything telling me that it definitely is not a health risk.  After almost 30 years of not smoking I thought I might try vaping.  The vaporizers can be pricy and I can't believe the price of pot.  It used to be $20 for an ounce of Mexican, $40 for pretty good stuff.  Now it's more like $300 for "medical grade".  I think I'm just going to stick to PBR, FiveOClock vodka and cheap wine.

I did learn that the human mind can produce it's own cannibinoids.  Maybe I can develop a hypnosis routine to increase this.  Just received some bad news so I'll see you later.

Bloggin at 5AM

It's late in the morning since I woke up at 2:30.  Once in a while I will wake up and lie in bed for an hour or so before I fall back asleep.  If it goes on much further than that I get up for a while and then go back to bed when I get sleepy.  It may be part of an unstated and unplanned strategy that Brooke and I have fallen into, where we give each other the floor, as it were.  We try to avoid being in the same place at the same time.  It just works better that way.  I'm sure it happens with a lot of couples.  I mentioned it to one of Brooke's cronies when she was visiting and she remarked it's like room mates.
 It's working for us right now.

I'm following college basketball.  The big ten is still up in the air with a lot of good teams.  Indiana beat MSU in East Lansing last week and last night Indiana went to lowly Minnesota and lost to the Golden Gophers.  One of my favorite team names.
Michigan has both MSU and Indiana to play, both at Ann Arbor.  It's fun to follow.  It gives me something to do this time of year.

I am engaged in home improvement, also.  I am painting the side bedroom.  The ceiling is being prepped and tools assembled.  Wallpaper must be removed and repairs made.  I may put in Wainscoating.  I'm sure there will be a couple of very hard days involved before it is completed.

We are members of Planet Fitness now.  That is working out well so far.  It makes one feel good to walk on the treadmill or elliptical for a while.  

That's all the boring stuff for now. The really exciting stuff will have to wait 'til next time.