Random Thoughts

1.  Why are the Summer Olympics being held in Brazil?  No offense to Brazil, but it is WINTER there!  They must have warm Winters...

2.  My neighbor appears to be moving out.  That will be a shame.  Not that we ever talked much, but he has been a good one.  Quiet (at least since he stopped idling his motorcycle a half hour in the driveway each morning at 5 am a few years ago), no loud parties, no barking dogs, and mostly absent.  There is no "For Sale" sign, but he might be doing what I would do:  Move out, clean up, THEN sell it.

3.  Last Fall,  after years of one side of the front lawn settling lower than the drainage easement along side it and flooding periodically, I had a landscaper add 2 truckloads of topsoil and raise it 2 feet.  It was part of a larger project involving removal of several trees and leveling a 6' high ridge in the back yard.  I roto-tilled the soil, added compost, and planted new grass seed (a high quality brand).  The grass is now dying (and the older part of the lawn is fine).  I hope there wasn't something bad in that soil! 

4.  Donald Trump is self-imploding.  YAY!  I have previously wondered if he was doing it deliberately to avoid the restrictions of becoming President.  But now I think it just comes naturally to him.  Republicans are starting to bail out all over the place.  And I won't call that "rats deserting a sinking ship".  I would call it sensible people trying to escape a burning building.

5.  By the way, what is bad about rats deserting a sinking ship?  It is a rational thing to do.  I don't even think CAPTAINS should go down with their ship...

6.  I surrendered to the cat claws.  I can't clip them (my hands aren't steady enough anymore and they resist)!   In spite of having scratchers they use and running around outside briefly, they were starting to stick to blankets towels and carpet.  So when the vet announced he was offerring clipping for $13, I brought Marley in yesterday.   He is far more compliant at the Vet, and there are 2 people to do it (one to hold and one to clip).  Iza goes in tomorrow! 

7.  I had a new bathtub installed end of May.  And the room needs to be painted.  I painted the entire interior of the house 15 years ago.  I haven't painted the bathroom yet.  Suddenly, the task seems daunting.  All that wall-cleaning, all that taping, all those drop cloths.  And all those accessories to be removed:  towel rack, TP holder, toothbrush holder, soap dish, light switch cover,  outlet cover, mirror!  I can't get myself to start...

8.  On the other hand, my garden is finally starting to produce!  I have home-grown heirloom tomatoes again.  I have heirloom flat italian beans again!  I'm getting carrots and zucchini.  I'm getting cucumbers.  I have some Fall crops started.  And the chicken-wire enclosed garden structure is keeping the squirrels and groundhogs out!

9.  I had been having constant battery problems with my 11 year old Toyota Highlander and my equally old riding mower.  The recommended batteries weren't lasting.  In Spring, I replaced them with ones recommended by Consumer Reports magazine.  Well, who would have thought that Walmart sold the best batteries for my 2 vehicles?

10.  I love the odd little butcher/deli/liquor store in town.  They were selling filet mignon whole for $8.99/lb this week.  They trim it to perfection and slice it to your desire (I like 1.5").  They normally toss the trimmings, but I have them save them.  I can get another whole meal from those with a little knife work (which I enjoy doing).  So I end up with six 6 oz filet mignon steaks for $4 each. 

They also sell frozen large deveined shrimp at $6/lb.  And they used to sell a Zinfandel (Twisted Zin) that I really loved but dropped it.  But they special order it just for me.  I get a case of 6 1.5 liter bottles for $10.  They really appreciate their regular customers.

11.  Speaking of local businesses, the barber shop I used to visit suddenly started wanting appointments.  But the barber shop close by them, that used to be busy as heck is now a no-wait place.  So I tried them.  Hey, I have dead-limp straight hair, I'm retired, and I'm not fussy.  Who COULDN'T cut that?  And they do just as well as the previous place.