Monday's Air

[Bud Baker]

Good morning, everyone!

It was 78 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 102. The 10 day forecast is calling for every day to be over 100 degrees. It's going to be a hot summer.

I settled for a short ride early on Saturday, riding from home and doing 47 miles. I conceded my fishing plans to the wind yesterday and just stayed home and zombied out in front ot the TV.

Wow, the Air was quiet over the weekend. I must not have been the only one who didn't do much computer time. I had to google Qigong. It looks interesting, but I'll have to read more when I have more time.

Have a great day, all!

[Joppette]

Hello Sleepy Heads! Just kidding.

The Air was really quiet this weekend. I'm guilty too. We were so busy with so much stuff, and I just didn't have time to pop in. It was so nice to see Karen's post. Annette, sounds like you got some well deserved relaxing in. You boring? Never! I can't wait to meet you one day. I think we'll have a blast talking in 3D.

Judy sounds like you had a nice weekend too.

Saturday I grabbed my purse and started to head out. Randy asked where I was going. I said "for a ride". He said "can I come along". "Of course, I said." As we're driving, he asks where we are going. I told him that he'd see when we got there.

I have wanted to go see our John Ball Park Zoo http://johnballzoosociety.org/ for years now. I used to go there all the time when I was young, and hadn't been for a long time. I'd suggest it to Randy, and he'd always poo poo it saying my feet couldn't take the walking. So this time, I didn't tell him where we were going, I just went and we walked it and it was awesome!

It brought back so many good memories. They were just bequeathed $15 million dollars, so a major expansion is going to happen,and I wanted to see it before they expanded it.

I got my permanent handicapped placard Friday too,so it was nice to be able park up close and enjoy the walk through the zoo.

The foot doctor is going to fit me with special shoes with an insert they use for diabetics. I'm not diabetic, so of course, insurance does not cover it. But he said with the cysts on the bottom of my feet, he thought this could be the only solution for me. More surgery is just not an option at this time.

It's pouring rain here Bud. More rain. More rain. More rain. The growing season is strange this year due to this.

Well, in this gloomy weather, I probably should get the cleaning supplies out and clean this joint. Hope you all have a good day.

Judy in MI

[Annette]

Afternoon - where did the morning go...

I was in and out of here yesterday - kinda took it easy after the long drive and fun. Now, as you can see, I am ... hard at work ... yep that's it. (Well I should be anyway - won't be long til I start counting the hours til Sunday.)

I'm so excited - I think I got a commitment out of my daughter to meet us in Williamsburg on Tuesday - she is a history freak - I mean she likes history - and I will simply act like I taught her everything she knows (and yes I told her that was how I was going to act). I have never even been there - she has been so many times she even started telling me about the courthouse and the declaration of independence and .... stuff .... all of which I knew (not). I told her she should save it and impress Eric with her vast knowledge - especially since I ask people if they are trying to punish me when the conversation turns to history.

We all know my knowledge lies in reality television.

My next assignment - is to find some place to take Eric on the 4th - I am usually a stay at home person but he will want to share in our celebration of independence - surely no one will notice the kilt.

I may just have a smile on my face this week in anticipation. I have my camera out just need to remember to use it to record everything so you don't miss anything.

Well I guess I better return to "real" work - I am on call to help our AA she spent yesterday in the emergency room with a cyst and still she is here today - I have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't do anything heavy but I honestly don't mind. She is like me - here no matter what - I came back to work 2 weeks after both my surgeries.

I wanted to share something funny - well it makes me look 'dumb'. Yesterday when I finally logged onto FaceBook I saw a couple of posts wishing my mom a happy birthday - yep you guessed I had forgotten. I knew the date just didn't realize it only takes 3 days to go from the 23rd to the 26th! So i called her and sang a couple of lines of Happy Birthday to you.... and when she picked up the phone again she acted like I might have affected her hearing. Guess I should continue to miss Karaoke night.

Glad you got the handicapped pass Judy - it will cut a little bit off your trips anyway. $15 million sounds like a lot but I bet it doesn't go far when you are building animal exhibit expansions or new.

Bud - you will of course tell us what a Qigong is - right?

Annette

[jaminkw]

Afternoon All! Monday morning in the home office. I spent probably near an hour trying to print a deposit slip for the business. Finally wound up handwriting it. I get so frustrated but find it difficult to give up. Makes no sense. Seems I checked everything. This old desktop has to go. Stan is leaving on Thursday and I'll have the computer doctor here after he leaves. I can concentrate better then. Want to set my newest laptop up in place of a desktop--it's too big to be totting back and forth to the coach. It would be too complicated to hook up to the big screen tv there like I wanted. For portability, I'm finally going to get a Mac--debating between the Mac and the Mac Pro. Any recommendations?

Worked a lot between house, laundry and office this morning then had to take Stan back into town for his truck. He's got lots of errands to run so I can goof off.

Annette, the animal farm is really at the Sheriff"s Detention Center--big County jail/prison whatever you want to call it. Somehow someone working for the dept wound up with a donated animal and decided it could be a project for the trusted inmates. That was years ago and now they get animal donations from Miami and who knows how much farther. They have a wide range of animals. Of course, it is nothing on the scale of Judy's zoo--15 million? Wow.

Bruce, I have to tell you the farm has a llama. What big teeth he/she had! Bottom teeth stick right out of it's mouth. I would not want to be nipped by one. Oh, and there was a bull. Sign said it is probably a cross between a steer cow and a Mexican roping bull. How would they know that? lol

Bud the rest of us slugs are happy to see you take a day and chill out. Stephanie, let us know how that Soaring Crane works out. If you get any more centered, I may have to roll back time and start working on myself again.

Have a great day everyone.

Judy in KW

[jaminkw]

[jaminkw]

Not touching the previous post again! Tried to go back and edit text and it reverted to a link. So excited to at last introduce you to Stephanie. Don't worry our Stephanie, Bruce did not name her after you. Stephanie was born on his son, Steven's, birthday. Isn't she beautiful?

Judy in KW

[Joppette]

LOL, Judy. When I saw the picture I thought you were posting one of the steer, and I'm like ......what????.......

So funny.

We had the 3 bulls back by the road last week. I pulled over and dialed 9-1-1 and she asked if I had an emergency. I said "not yet. But it will become one if one of the loose bulls gets into the road and someone hits him."

No fence, just 3 bulls in the farm field on the side of the highway.

Funny.

Judy in MI

[eric byrne]

Hi Everyone,

Busy weekend,i am just back from a Dallas Team lockers room doing an interview for TV,following a short visit to Mexico,thanks Stephanie for filling everyone in.

No I wasn’t,on Friday I was in the Ingram Wynd Restaurant at Bill’s retirement night out,funny I must have passed this place many a time and never noticed it?.Great night,food,drinks,company with speeches that made your sides ache.Bill, covered several topics ,one he was recounting from his early schoolboy days in the fifties,times of austerity ,Britain broke after WW11,people struggling to make ends meet,Bill,well you never know when he is joking sometimes and being serious,said one of his classmates parents clothed their children for the army surplus stores that abounded in the UK then,he said on e of their kids attended school dressed as a Japanese Admiral.I think everyone had a good time.

Late to bed and an early rise,not a combination that best suits me.Met up with my sister Dot and her husband Jim for out cruise Doon the Watter(see pics)Really enjoyable day,Rothesey had certainly changed from my memories in my youth,the throne of hundreds of holiday makers milling about and how lively everything seemed have now gone,most people now going abroad to France Spain,Italy and Florida,these places have so much more to offer,well sunshine for a start. LOL.

Sunday,I forgot my sister Irenes birthday last week,so I invited them to Guidies for a meal,Sally booked it and was so looking forward to it all week but somehow managed to get wrecked on Sunday afternoon and was unable to go,not really an unusual occurance.Well we three had a lovely meal to-gether.

Busy again today,i took Dot and her grandson Jack to the newly opened Riverside Museum of Transport,at a cost of £75 million,it should become a major tourist attraction for Glasgow,well the building is stunning,but for me the juries out,the old museum allowed everyone to climb into the old steamtrains,buses,tramcars,cars,now they have put up barriers to prevent of restrict access,which is rather ridiculous,since the exhibits are all public forms of transport,well on the plus side it is free to enter.Young Jack (6) just loved it.Dropped Dot off back home at 5pm,picked up Jennifer, she was wanting to go to the Braehead Shopping complex,to get some things from Ikea and I wanted to buy a net book for my trip to the US,well we both got what we wanted,then home for dinner.

Well not long to go now,not only going to meet up with Annette and Keith but Randy is also coming up on Sunday to join us from North Carolina,this is going to be so much fun.Jennifer is moving back in with Chris tomorrow and has asked me to help move all her stuff,just as well I have being gyming and swimming recently,all the stair climbing in both her old and new flat.

Well I do hope the sun begins to shine tomorrow for all of you who have been suffering from the downpours recently you have been posting in about.Judy good show getting Randy out to the Zoo,hope you both had a great day.Goodnight everyone,see you tomorrow.

[lilyjohn]

I came here a few times over the weekend but seeing no one I didn't post. I had a pretty lazy weekend. In fact I have been learning how to relax and be lazy. I never really knew how to do that, Johnny told me that was the one thing I needed to learn.

Friday afternoon I lay down to rest for a minute and the first thing I knew it was 4:30. I had slept nearly 2 hours. I just don't sleep in the day time at least not really sleep but only doze. Well that was no doze let me tell you. I think I am just reading too much about Bud and his Bike rides and Eric and his adventures and they are wearing me out. Can't imagine what would happen if I was doing half of what they are

Saturday I took a couple of my neighbors out to the farm for produce. We were too late for the early peaches but were told that next weekend the Red Haven peaches will be ripe and they are so good. I did get some really good cherries. Then we stopped at the Farmers Market and I bought some more green beans and some small squash to fry. Green beans were not as good as the ones I bought earlier in the week. I think those had been Contenders because they tasted a lot like Kentucky Wonders. I think I would be willing to pay$5 a pound if I could find Kentucky Wonders. No one seems to grow them anymore.

Anyway we had a very pleasant ride in the country,even if it is only about 12 miles from here. One of my neighbors who went is 92 and she doesn't get out much except to doctors and her daughter's house.

Annette I love Williamsburg. History was always my favorite subject. I think I watch the History Channel more than any other. My favorite places were always the civil war battlefields. We went to Manasas one time and I was seeing the whole battle in my mind. I could see the Rebel soldiers coming out of the woods and Stonewall Jackson sitting on his horse leading the south into action. I could even see all of the people who had drove out from DC to "watch the war" trying to get to safety when the Union troops were routed. All of that was going on in my mind and my husband turned to me and said" I don't know what is so special about this, all there is is an empty field". He did feel differently when we went to Gettysburg. No wonder we were no real match

Judy I must have missed something about why the picture of the calf is there. I enjoyed it anyway. It reminds me of so many that I helped raise on a bottle or a bucket with a nipple.

Bud you are getting our weather. Normally this time of the year we are in the high 90s to 110 plus almost everyday. This year we have seen about 2 days over 100 and not much over and not more than a week or two of 90s. Today it is 92 and tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 60s and by the weekend 102. Crazy crazy weather

For two nights one of my neighbors and I have gone out to the Sundial Bridge to walk. It is so beautiful out there on the river and usually a good breeze even when it is hot. We went later last night and walked further. From the car to just past the bridge is probably 1/2 mile so round trip it is a mile or a little more. Part of it is down hill then of coarse you have to go back up, so it is good exercise as well. Part of the Sacramento River Trail runs through the park there. It is a trial that runs from Redding up to Shasta Dam about 10 miles. A lot of people walk part of all of and many ride their bikes there. That is not for me. Mountain Lions, Rattle Snakes and even Bear have been spotted on that trial and not too far from town.

She is busy tonight and after spending the afternoon walking in the stores on top of my walk up the hill this morning I think I will take it easy tonight.

Eric I know you must be getting excited now. When are you leaving to head here to the states? I am getting very excited because in just two weeks from today my daughter and granddaughter will be here. My daughter was born in the Bay Area but has never been up here and my grand daughter has never been to California, in fact just one of my grandchildren have been and she was only 2 at the time. I plan on showing them some very beautiful places.

We decided today to have hot dogs and snacks on the 4th. Probably keeping inside because from what they are saying it is going to be scorching by then. That night I will do what I do every year, take my chair part way up the hill and watch the city fireworks display. For a fairly small town Redding puts on a spectacular show and we can look down on it by just walking about 100 feet up the hill.

Well I guess I will get off of here now. I think I have caught up on everyone. Sorry if I missed anyone and very glad to see everyone back for the week.