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Help Meeeeeeeeeee!

I am trapped in a house with 5 females and only 1 little year-and-a-half old guy. But seriously, it is real nice having most of my family here visiting from Texas. I know the girls have to be bored out of their skulls here with the 'old folks' but that's what we do. They've been going through my video collection (647 movies and counting) quite a bit and just 'hanging out' after the press of school. Driving lessons for the older granddaughter are progressing, albeit slowly, as she has a hard time waking up before the crack of noon. She suffers from insomnia so sometimes she doesn't get to sleep much before 2 or 3 AM and that makes it difficult to get up early. We have been out a bit though - no clogged city street driving yet, but progressing. This has to be the first teenager in history that isn't hopping from one foot to the other waiting for a chance to drive.

Rain clouds have gone away and sunny skies have returned. Today was nice, but it is supposed to be hotter tomorrow. I hope not as I have a few outside things to do - like put up another ham antenna to add a 2M capability from my shack. Not good to be climbing towers when lightning is afoot.

I had a barium swallow upper GI today. OOK is that stuff nasty. It wasn't the pepperminty kind, just plain old chalk that the military uses. Wouldn't have been too bad, except that they kept it in the sun for about three days and it was almost warm. Cold I can take it, but warm is the very worst. What started it was the little bit of bubbly crystals they have you take first. The kind that expands your stomach to bass drum size while they tell you "don't burp now". I tell you, my eyes were out on stalks trying not to burp loud and hard enough to cause seismographs in California to stutter. I bet I looked hilarious.  Like Ren or Stepmy (whichever one does those really gross burps).

Stupid bicycle has a flat - again. There has to be a garage troll that pokes holes in tubes when you don't feed them regularly. This makes the third time in two years I've had to patch a tire (sorry, I guess I mean 'tyre'). This time the repair went pretty fast though and it is back in operation again.

Later.

 

Current mood: Bored


Well, its birthday time again

Where does the time go? Seems only last year I had one of these. Now, I'm 66 on the 5th. How about we all petition to have birthdays every other year? Sound good?

We (the family) are going out to a friends house for a Fourth of July celebration. Loads of hot dogs, burgers, beer, and brats. Good music also due to a really good boom-box (emphasis on the boom) provided by one of his neighbors. This will be almost a block party if everyone comes.

More later.

Had a real nice celebration even if the drizzles came and went.  There was a neighbor from the Philippines that brought Lumpia - very, very tasty.  Had a few Hispanic guests also that filled a table with all sorts of really good meals from south of the border.  I'm afraid I overindulged a bit though - I feel very fat.

A couple of days later:

Now, it is nice and sunny out, but not very hot.  Temperatures are down in the 70's and very pleasant.  I have to go mow the lawn or it will get out of hand.

 

Current mood: mowed


Back home again

We are now back home again.  It was a longer trip back than going down, but still an enjoyable one.  Our mileage back - with the air conditioner going all the time - was 38.5 and 41.2.  Only 2.75 tanks of gas for 1020 miles.  I love that little car.  It's got 80K miles on it, and was built in 1995, but really runs great.

Our granddaughter, Briana, came home with us so she can scope out some local colleges, get a job, and move upwards into the adult world. Its going to be strange having someone that old back in the house again after our two daughters left.  I have to teach her to drive my pickup because she loves the 5-speed instead of an automatic shift.  My daughter (her mom) drove 18-wheel big rigs for a while so I guess it is in the blood.

My yard was a jungle - literally.  I ran the mower over it one direction and then ran across the grain a second time to tame it.  Loads of little trees that grew up from the "propellers" that dropped from the maple trees. I also have to get up on the roof and remove plants growing in the gutters before they break loose and jam up the downspouts.

Very hot today, considering it has rained for three days straight.  According to my rain gauge (which has not been emptied in two weeks) we had 4.25 inches of rain -- and that's a lot.   Sunny today though; humid, but sunny.

 

Current mood: Hot


Hot and muggy

It's been very hot and muggy all yesterday and today.  Temperature running in the high 90's.  Humidity is at least the same.  Today we had a real decent downpour for about an hour.  Rain running over the rim of the gutters and all that.  Quit just like turning off a faucet.

Had a good dinner tonight and now just sitting down for a comfortable read.  New book even.  Sister-in-law's kittens (2 Ragdolls) bouncing around following a laser dot on the floor.  Might even go sit in the pool later even though it's about 2000 or so.

 

Current mood: Full


Arrived in Addison, Texas

Not a bad trip at all. Took us 1047 miles in two days - and only three tanks of gas. The lowest mileage we made was 37.9 and the highest was 40.8 per gallon. Not too shabby for an elderly (1995) Eagle Summit. This is a car produced by (and has the logo all over it) Mitsubishi. A very nice 1800cc 16 valve 4-cylinder, 4-door car.

It is certainly HOT here though. Well over 90 yesterday and probably the same today. The breeze helps (as well as the pool in the back yard). Just going to sit in the living room and watch the Indy 500 today though. I'm rooting for Danica - she's a good driver and cute to boot.

More later.

Well, the Indy 500 has run and I am really bummed out.  Danica took a really shabby shot from a supposed professional driver coming out of pit row and got knocked out of the race.  She thinks it was deliberate; and so do I.

  

Current mood: Angry

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