Brite 'n early....

"A day without sunshine is like, y'know, night."  Steve Martin

Brite 'n early…

It's only nine-ish but what with all this Spring in the air stuff 'n bright, sunshiny mornings, da boyz are clamoring (never ever really tho't I'd use that word in a sentence) to be out 'n about…the whining 'n jumping 'n throwing their toys in the air all translates into "THE PARK AWAITS"…or at least, that's what I'm thinking they're saying…of course, with dogs, you never quite know…people who know such things claim that English is a difficult language to learn but I've been speaking it, well, a form of it anyway, all my life 'n I didn't find it  hard at all…..same can't be said for reading 'n writing, we all had to learn how to do that….up until the present daze anyhow, not sure what kind of language t'days kids are texting….anyhow, dogs have been a part of my life s'long as I c'n remember 'n tho' I pretend to speak 'n understand dog, I've just been faking it…most of the time,I don't really know what they're saying..

The roof is progressing nicely….well, in context anyway…as it goes up, the once't upon a time bank account is taking on a historical context…I ain't quite got that liberal spin of how to amass a fortune by spending all my money as it comes in….that's called living from paycheck to paycheck, my world 'n welcome to it…I guess if I'da stayed a Democrat, I could'a spent so much money that I'd be richer than Croesus now but I guess switching p'litical parties has doomed me to a life of poverty 'n genteel frustration….Still, I ain't gonna really worry until one of them guv'mint men comes knocking at my door offering to help…..

The Village is looking good in this Spring sunshine…the enhancement program that wuz s'pozed t'be finished before Xmas is moving right along…I reckon they'll have it done in April before the Fair Oaks Fiesta which is on the schedule for early in May (I think)...

"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do."  Issac Asimov

A long time ago there wuz a joke about growing old that said that 'you know you're old when it takes all night to do what you use'ta do all night.'

So, I've been loading the 150 up for another run to the landfill…I've been loading it for two dayz now 'n I'm getting tired of it…as the day wears on, my rest periods get longer 'n longer 'n my work periods get shorter 'n shorter…

On the plus side, howsumever, I'm getting closer 'n closer to having a full load on board…what's kicking my butt at the moment is walking back 'n forth from the south forty with relatively small pieces to finish up…all the medical advice (available for free on the 'net 'n in junk magazines) is that walking is good for old folk…all I know is I'd rather be swimming…swim for an hour, get out 'n lay in the sun for 15 or 20 minutes, then hit the shower 'n go home feeling good 'cuz you got your exercise in….even if it didn't do you as much good as walking...

Anyhow, the 150 is loaded 'n tarped, ready t'go….only problem is:  THE DAMN THING WON'T START!…I have admitted to being whelmed but, by gosh 'n by golly, I'm getting closer to being overwhelmed….I think it may be time for a dos Equis, maybe two of 'em…

Whelm, whelmed, whelming....

"I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim 'n now I'm overwhelmed by this decent 'n good feeling."  Frida Kahlo

Off-loading shingles onto my roof directly above me….much more mechanized operation t'day than it wuz the last time we had the roof done, lo those many years ago….big truck with a power conveyor belt….two man operation, one on the truck, t'other on the roof… stood 'n watched 'em casually walking the belt as tho' they were strolling thru my driveway…starts about 10 feet 'n rises to more'n 20….there wuz a time, once't upon a time, a long, long time ago when I cud'a catwalked like that…not t'day, howsumever, now I get nervous climbing a ladder to replace a lite bulb…

Speaking of which, I guess it's time to take down the Xmas lites, at least the ones that are gonna be in the way of all the stuff that needs t'be done to make the old homestead habitable once again…thankfully, the tree is safely stowed away for another year…

And that thing about it never raining but it pours…..I wudn't say we were overwhelmed by all the stuff that seemed to happen all at once, the need for a new roof, the trees that needed t'be cut back to accommodate the new roof, the detritus from the trees that needs t'be hauled to the county landfill, not to mention all the dump runs that I'm gonna have t'make to clear away the detritus from the deck that needs t'be torn down 'n replaced, the side porch that Dad 'n I built so many years ago that now needs t'be redone 'n the washer that decided that it wuz a good day t'die….we haven't been overwhelmed but we've quite definitely been whelmed...

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably don't lead anywhere."

Early on a foggy morn.....

Foggy mornin' here in the Village…first garbage truck woke up Rusty 'n he woke up me 'n we had to go outside to investigate…big old green truck looming out of the fog, creaking 'n groaning…t'other truck prob'ly won't show up until late morning or early afternoon 'n he'll come thru fast, air brakes hissing 'n he'll leave the garbage can on its side…garbage pickup costs around $50 or so 'n you gotta pay it whether or not you use it…back in the daze of yore, A garbage truck came by once a week…with a driver 'n two guys hanging on the back…they'd come into your backyard, pick up whatever cans you had, dump 'em in the truck, put the cans back in the yard 'n they did it all for about two bucks a week…now, we got progress…a huge ('n hugely expensive) truck with an automated claw that grabs the can (that the homeowner must put on the curb) lifts it high in the air 'n dumps it in the compactor that is the rear of the truck whils't the operator sits in the cab pushing buttons 'n pulling levers…

Ah well, I saw where Canada is going to quit using pennies 'n I expect we'll follow course eventually…might as well, durn penny ain't worth anythin' any more…nor is the nickel or dime, for that matter 'n the quarter ain't worth a plug nickel….when I wuz a boy, I found a quarter one time, tho't I 'uz rich for awhile…I wasted it on a movie, a soda pop 'n popcorn 'n a candy bar…..Boy Howdy, if I had that quarter t'day, it wudn't buy me fifeen minutes on a parking meter…..

The fog is beginning to lift…it'll prob'ly burn off altogether in a couple hours 'n maybe, hopefully, we'll get a little sunshine…AND here comes the second garbage truck…it's hard to not be a little cynical sumtimes but I suppose we shouldn't ever give up hope….

Life in paradise.....

Been just a little on the busy side 'round the old manor house lately…after years of neglect (my fault, I fear) the place seems ready to come down around our ears…seems re-roofing has become a necessity…the deck has to come down 'n a goodly portion of the verandah is about to succumb to (gasp) dry rot…had I but known a bit more of the necessary skills back in '84, I might have built it better…..Helas,  such was not the case 'n now it must be re-done, this time by a better, more qualified craftsman…

'Course, back in '84, Dad 'n I provided not only the labor but the planning 'n execution 'n the durn thing has lasted almost 30 years so, I suppose, considering all 'n sundry, we didn't do all that bad a job…it's just that we didn't do all that good a job…..ah well, the Zen master says that life is what it is 'n if you don't like it, it is still what it is…

The weather here in norCal couldn't be more perfect…Spring has sprung, paperwhites in bloom, almond trees in blossom 'n plum trees budding….tee shirt weather….'course, that also means that you could, if you were a mind too of course, just sit 'n watch the grasses grow (thank Gawd for weed-whackers)….

Da boyz get antsy a little bit earlier every day now, anxious for their walk around the village…we've pretty much moved to 3 walks a day now that the weather is nicer 'n the chickens that disappeared for awhile seem t'be returning…dunno where they went tho' I suspect that the ones I'm seeing now are replacements…seems the city of Sacramento allows residents to keep 3 hens 'n since it's durn near impossible to tell the gender of chicks, I think when it turns out that some of 'em are roosters, the people merely drive out to Ol Fair Oaks 'n drop the unwanted roosters off to fend for theirselves…ah well, keeps the coyotes 'n raccoons well fed 'n happy, I guess…..

"Begin at the beginning 'n go on 'til you come to the end; then stop." L. Carroll

A quiet morning in Ol Fair Oaks…just cool enuff for a light jacket (for me, not da boyz of course)…Willy charged 'cross the street 'n back all the way up Crestline, nose to the ground, intent on Gawd knows what, while Rusty, appearing sumwhat perplexed followed along behind…I think I kind'a know how Rusty feels since I think I've been wandering along behind a big part of my life…it's a lot calmer at the end of the parade 'n you get a little different point of view from the preening Drum Major…ah well, no matter...

Seeing more chickens again…don't know where they might'a been hiding or, truthfully, if they're the same chickens as before or mid-season replacements…hard t'tell with chickens…

'Round the park we went, sniffing 'n peeing…dogs do that really well, y'know, then back home…had t'cut it a little short this morning 'cuz the truck wuz loaded 'n ready t'go…first time I've been to the dump for awhile…surprising how hi-tech the dump has become…

Undoubtedly a good thing…back in the old daze, they'd bulldoze a hole 'n fill it up with trash then bulldoze dirt over it 'n do the same thing ag'in 'n ag'in….now, they bulldoze a humonguous hole, line it with a scientifically designed 'n expensive supercalifragilistic Californis dumpliner…'n I'm sure you c'n figure it out…

Anywaze, what with the trip to the dump 'n the stop at Costco on the return, it took the better part of three hours….(In the olden daze, when I'd make the trip with my Dad or my brother, John, it'd still take the better part of three hours but in addition to dumping, we had to make our way thru at least one six-pack 'n a bag of chips, but that wuz then…)

I'm sure that in the dayz ahead I'll be making more trips to the Kiefer Blvd landfill but it ain't near as much fun as it use'ta be….

"One of the biggest problems with retirement is that you never get a day off."  Anon

Quite a nice day here in Ol Fair Oaks…da boyz are a little unhappy 'cuz we skipped their walk this mornin'….well, I got problems with the old septic tank…I know that in this modern age ever'body is s'pozed t'be on sewer service but I ain't 'n that's all there is to that story…anyhow, got to have the durn thing serviced…haven't had it done since 

pre-cancer days 'n, I'm thinkin' a couple years prior to that…

Use'ta be, we had it serviced on a fairly regular basis but after ever'body moved out on us 'n we did some traveling, why it just wudn't necessary t'do it as often…'n now we find out that the price has doubled…ah well, what with the price of go-juice headed for $5 a gallon again 'n groceries doubling, looks like we're gonna be spending more time at home which makes the septic service even more necessary….

Use'ta take me about a half-hour to dig the darn tanks out but that stretched into about an hour 'n a half this morning 'n that wuz with the help of Millyrose…gettin' old ain't for wusses….

Anyway, now all I got t'do is wait for Curt 'n his pump truck t'show up…I'll go out there 'n kibbutz a bit 'n sign the damn check….I get a kick out of watching those commercials showing old, retired couples strolling hand in hand on a beach or sitting together watching the sunset on a tropic isle…all the old retired couples I know only get to watch that stuff on television 'n only then when they c'n afford cable….

Ah well, me 'n da boyz'll go walking this afternoon 'n see what's happening 'round 'n about the Village...

"No, I don't belong to a retirement community!"  Anon….

Justin Other Sati'day Rant!

 T'ain't really a hangover but I think it all starts from staying up too late watching old movies then getting up too early to let the dog out...

It's all in your viewpoint, I guess…one 'a those glass half full or half empty things….what I'm talkin' about is some 'a things people are saying about Chuck Hagels 'performance' during the Senate hearings…

Now, I only watched part of it so maybe there wuz some  parts where Chuck was…how did the letter writer phrase it, disciplined and composed, while that old meanie, one foot in the grave, the other on a banana peel, McCain showed the world that he's just an angry old man living on past glories…

Reminded me of that never-read book (at least by me) "Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars"…except this just shows t'go you that Democrats hear different from Republicans…or Independents…or Libertarians…or six year old boys pointing their fingers 'n yelling "Bang!"

We all know that guns are inanimate objects, incapable of thought or reasoning, with the possible exception of those weapons in the hands of the liberal elite…those p'ticklar weapons undoubtedly have a computerized intelligence manufactured in them at some hidden laboratory high in the Berkeley Hills…(the Berkeley Hills may not be geographically high but they are high, man!)…

While I personally don't care for John Kerry, we have to give him points for a smooth 'n polished, some might even say 'slick' performance at his annointment hearing but Chuck Hagel's performance wuz on a par with a thirteen year old boy trying to explain to his Momma why she found a condom in his jeans….('n No, that never happened t'me but I wuz witness to a normally voluable friend of mine being turned into a mime impersonator)….

Anyway, while Republicans ('n others) see a polished actor reading his prepared script from a teleprompter in a back hall of the White House, Democrats see a soaring orator standing tall on a world stage issuing proclamations destined for historical posterity…

While most of us are struggling t'get by, watching our shrinking savings 'n escalating grocery bills, eyeing the growing ranks of streetside beggars 'n wondering what the future holds, the Democrat pundits, ie. Bob Beckel, et al, rave about the booming economy, the thousands of new, green jobs 'n how the Obama Doctrine of leading from behind has brought the USA to a whole, new position on the world stage, one where we are more admired than ever, with more new friends (not counting Muslims) than you can shake a stick at, so to speak….

I got to admit that Hollywood history is a lot more fun than real history…like the Civil War re-enactors that fall down dead then get up 'n break for a catered lunch…what wuz the real history of that war:  Three quarters of a million battlefield dead not counting the…what d'ya call them, collateral dead…the parents, the wives 'n children…ah well, no wonder we prefer a make-believe President in our brave new fantasy world…..

On a Spring morning, carry extra doggie bags....

"Kickin' down the cobblestones…" Paul Simon

Movin' right along, tho' we (meaning I, m'self) seem t'get a little slower ev'ry year…had some advide t'other day from an old buddy who's seriously pushing 90…he claims that he intends to avoid the falls that injure so many of his friends by avoiding walking entirely…sez if he needs to go anywhere, that he'll just waddle from now on…sez nobody ever falls when they're waddling…I told him that it's a theory but far's I know, he may be right….

Where have all the chickens gone?  I haven't seen the chicken wrangler lately so I haven't been able to ask her but not too long ago, there were several hundred chickens inhabiting the byways of Ol Fair Oaks…On our walk t'day, we saw less'n a dozen in 'n around the park…it's gotta be people harvesting them cuz there ain't that many coyotes coming up from the river for chicken dinners…

John at the Salon laid in another supply of doggie treats which meant that I had to practically drag Rusty 'n Willy away…he has 'em spoiled as it has become an automatic stop for the both of them now…

We met up with another dogwalker this morning…we've not seen him before but he had 3 on a leash 'n they were all about the same size as Rusty 'n Willy…I kept da boyz on a short leash as he dragged his little horde past…I sed, "Good Mornin'…" but he just kind'a glowered 'n passed on by….ah well!

Brother John told me it wuz a balmy 7 degrees at his place in Kansas last eve…I began the day wearing two tee-shirts but the short sleeve one has t'go….I'm pretty sure that we'll get some more rain 'n chilly weather in the next couple months but by gee 'n by golly, it sure feels a lot like Spring…..

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."  Groucho Marx