December 23, 2005

Yesterday, what a day! My plan was not to go anywhere but I went to town for a $10 haircut that based on Eldon prices, was worth $14. At Eldon, they get $12 for a whip'er out cut and only $10 here for a nice, worked on hair cut. I did tip the guy a buck but I had my tongue in my cheek trying to suppress my feeling of guilt of not giving him more.

Then, I took Dory to a couple of stores for a few things. Wait! Before shopping for necessities could begin we had to check out the Fortune Casino.

We had already eaten breakfast at home, so the discovery of their special of, two eggs, hash browns and toast for 49 cents was too late. I wanted to order it anyway but Dory said that she was against it. She said that the feeling she had as we stood there so close, might not be, if the size of my middle kept increasing. I've got such a huge middle, I took her comment as a compliment and did not order the breakfast. Worry, worry!

Out of the whole thing, we/I took her to the places that she thought she need to then on the way home.........there was Railroad Pass. We hadn't stopped there yet tho it is only a little over 2 miles from home. Anyway we stopped this time. Stopping there made coming through the pass for home, kind of like a toll. If you go straight thru, you are not forced to pay a toll. Our verbal plans are to do the straight thru thing in the future. That plan is sort of complicated tho, as we have a couple of free ???? meals there that we wouldn't want to miss out on.

"All the fat guys watch me and say to their wives, 'See, there's a fat guy doing okay. Bring me another beer."~ -Mickey Lolich

December 22, 2005

Yesterday was good all day long but it was the best at 5:00 a.m get up time and 10:00 p.m. going to bed time. At least those are my two favorite times of the day. Tho I can't say anything bad about all the stuff between the two times either.

We visited a couple of casinos, Emerald Island and the Fiesta. Made a little money, saw some good prices for breakfast at the Emerald island and had a free Samo buffet at the Fiesta then got home full, tired and feeling like we'd been somewhere.

Wouldn't you think, after cooking the same old stuff over and over for many years, that at least one or two of the dishes would get better? Not so! They are still serving the samoshit! If it was truly free one shouldn't complain but I think we've paid them enough to have better chefs with new and better dishes by now!

Today may be an 'eat leftover ham' at home kind of day. Man, that ham is good and it is still unbelievable that it was only 38 cents a pound. We wish not that we had picked up more than one!

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.~John Lennon

December 21, 2005

We had a good visit with the cuz and his wife yesterday. We were to meet at the Tropicana registration desk at 2:00. Glenda and I got there a little early. Anyway as 2:00 came and went we were sitting at a bank of two machine back to back with another couple machines. We faced the registration desk but had to stand to look over the machines. About 2:10 we decided to walk through the registration area another time and as we rounded the corner we discovered Eugene and Jo sitting at the two machines butted up to the ones we were playing. When we stood to look for them we was looking across and just above the top of their heads. We were all winners in that we got to visit but I paid for my wait while the others received a little pay.

Today is going to be a very nice day weather wise and life wise but we can only hope about financial wise. Without hope life can't be a dream sweetheart!

Hope is but a waking dream.~Aristotle

December 20, 2005

It is only 30* here this morning but that is certainly better than the reported 18* in Rocky Mount! The high here is going to be a lot better too.

Glenda went to Sam's Club yesterday to make a few bucks at the game of bingo. Somewhere along the way the lines got crossed leaving Sam's club the maker of the few bucks. Glenda is no quitter! I bet she will be right back in that bingo fray in a couple of days. Probably dragging me along.

We're off to the Tropicana today where we're supposed to meet one of my cousins and his wife. They are only here for a short time so I suspect it will not be a very long visit. It's hard to visit with all the gambling going on anyway but it will be good to see them again. Especially when the occasion is a wedding instead of a funeral.

Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.~Lewis Carroll

December 19, 2005

Checked in at a few places yesterday (Sunset, Sam's Town and the Gold Rush) so that we might start getting the mailed bargains one more time. It doesn't sound like we'll be getting very much this year. We were gone too long or some kind of deal. Who knows? We still have enough points left to reap a few of the so called free meals. However, the trip around didn't come very cheaply tho we can call it another experience!

I think Glenda told me that today is a do something around the house day so it's possible we'll save some money and some of those food points too. I hated to hear Glenda say yesterday, that we could eat out cheaper than we can buy groceries and cook at home. She did cook a ten pound or so ham that we bought it at Food-4-Less paying only 38 cents per pound. There is enough for many meals I'm telling you. Now tell me it is cheaper to eat out. I'm a little teed that we only bought one.

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.~Oscar Wilde

December 18, 2005

Our might be daily, Las Vegas (Henderson) report for December 17:

No, we don't go to Las Vegas very often. Anyway, we went to the Fiesta (HENDERSON) yesterday and only to the Fiesta. I won really good there until the guy next to me blew his nose or was it when the smoking couple started talking very loud standing almost behind me? It might have been when Glenda came to sit beside me. Whatever, I cashed out my $60 winnings and went elsewhere. Elsewhere, I found more loud smoking people that seemed to suck some of my luck/skill but I'm now remembering that Glenda came along too....Humm. We finally got away with enough to try it again another day but any free meals???? are still in question.

We ended up coming home and eating snacks that we sat out for our most beloved relatives here in Boulder City. They all came and ate some of the stuff that I was unable to eat before they got here. We had a pretty good visit.

Today we may check in at the Sunset and also Sam's. We need to check in so they will begin sending us their enticement lists.

Gambling promises the poor what property performs for the rich--something for nothing.George Bernard Shaw

December 17, 2005

We left home at 4:50 a.m. on Thursday and drove 904 miles. After a nights restless fight with the animals in Moriarty we got up and left there at 5:30 and drove the remaining 594 miles to Boulder City 89005. Got here tired with no workable phone nor email server.

A real good nights sleep last night and we are almost as good as new. Well, I might should say that we're feeling about as good as we were before we left which is one heck of a long ways from feeling new!

It's a little cool here but we don't need a jacket!

Dory said there is something calling her over the hill so we've got to go over there now to answer.........bye.

A safe but sometimes chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer.~James M. Barrie

December 14, 2005

A rough day ahead of us here. Ninety seven trips up and down the stairs as we lug what few belongings that we can find room to haul. A huge portion of the back seat is taken up by a couple of animals that don't seem to appreciate the good ride at all. Then the up front passenger seat is taken up by another unappreciative being. Unfortunately this one can talk. On several trips I've been tempted to tie her up, put a blindfold on her and lay her in the back floorboard but I can't do it this time because it will be full of other stuff.

So as it is now I've got to get with it and you may not read nary another thing from us for several days.

Merry everything and thanks again for all your prayers!

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.~Jacques Maritain

December 13, 2005

We're out of here. Heading for Columbia and the doctor appointments. We believe things are as they should be so not too much worry about this visit. Well, there are a few but some just can't be helped.

Daughter Debi is taking a day off work and plans to meet us at the hospital again. She sure is good to have around and asks questions of the doctors that we should know enough to ask but don't.

I'm thinking a little extra prayer would be most welcome!

If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.

December 12, 2005

No time like the present....Matter of fact if you're not in the present you don't have any time at all. But I just wanted to say I have very little time at the present to devote to this failing endeavor. Yes I'm aware that the quality time I spend typing here is almost a complete waste of my time and some of yours too. Even if you hit the delete button right away without reading this it still takes at least a second then the wonder if you might have found something interesting for once will play in your head consuming a little more of your time. ........ Or it may not.

Gotta go now........We're taking the car to be worked on and dropping Mikey off to get cleaned up then I'm talking Glenda to breakfast in honor of our anniversary today. Wow! I'm just so proud to be here but it seems like it is a lot more years there than what is. Whatever happened to "Time really flies when you're having fun"?

The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.~Unknown

December 11, 2005

I've been told that today is a clothes packing day. Of course I'll want to take what I always wear so what will I wear till we get to Boulder City? I'm thinking Glenda will have the answer for that but will I like it? I wouldn't want to get shot over the deal so I'll just do like I always do, bite the bullet and like it.

We have a few things to get taken care of on the car tomorrow then Tuesday we go to Columbia for all of Glenda's tests. Wednesday is car packing day and Thursday is a driving day. I need to check the driving conditions sometime between now and then. Think I'll wait closer to the leave date. If things go as planned we should get into Boulder City mid-afternoon on Saturday the 17th.

I like getting there but with the animals in the back seat and Glenda riding beside me it sure can be a struggle. I wanted to switch Glenda to the back seat and put the animals up front but Glenda vigorously vetoed that idea.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.~Denis Waitle

December 10. 2005

Got up this morning feeling kind of lost in a non-caring attitude about the day. Don't know what the deal is but I guess I'll haft to ride it out hoping that it will pass soon. Meanwhile, struggling with this doesn't seem to help the cause so in an effort to lessen the chance of worsening the picture I'm not going to pounce around on this keyboard anymore for now.

Happy comes and happy goes. A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it: it would be hell on earth.~George Bernard Shaw

December 9, 2005

Kind of cold here at 7 degrees but our hearth is warm as well as our hearts. My hands aren't cold so something must be amiss in that "cold hands, warm heart." Oh well, the sun is shinning brightly. It is so bright with all the white and the sunshine it is almost painful to look for any length of time out the window but I'm doing a lot of that. I've been seeing two bald eagles flying around in our neighborhood. One immature and one mature bird. Yesterday the mature bird landed in the tree right outside the window in front of the computer. That's less than 20 feet away. Glenda was at the computer at the time and rather than reach 27 inches to her left for the camera she ran into the other room to get me. I did get to see the guy fly off from the window in the other room. Glenda said that he was a huge bird and very indescribably beautiful. After that I got sitting sores sitting here waiting for him to come back.

If you bothered to read this so far, I surly don't want to waste anymore of your time so I'll just slip on out of this little note.......

Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.~G. M. Trevelyan

December 8, 2005

Just a short note to let you know we're thinking about you and let you know that we got us a little snow last night and it's still snowing tho only lightly. Schools are closed everywhere and even tho we've received less than an inch so far. I guess it must be very slick. I'll find out after while when I go out to start the shoving it around. I may try the blower first. I don't see any sense in starting the removal attempt until it quits tho.

I thought North Shore was only supposed to plow our road when we got over two inches but he has already been here this morning. I guess they needed a little extra income. The road is about covered again where he plowed too. Of course he didn't plow to the end of the road, stopping at the other side of Parkers drive, there by leaving us to clean our own little part of the road. They may get a call from Glenda before this day is over.

The doctor said I could do some lifting now, just in time for the snow fall. He did caution me not to over do it for awhile.

Good things, when short, are twice as good.~Gracián

December 7, 2005

One of yesterdays visits was postponed until today because the doctor was in surgery. That means a 9:00 for the CPAP mask and 10:00 for the hernia doctor in Columbia then a 12:00 for the dentist and a 1:00 for a tire rotation in Jeff City. Busy is as busy does and I hate appointments!

Ruthie went with us yesterday and that just about convinced me that the old steering wheel was going to be jerked toward I70 yesterday and by George it was. That free meal was costly too. That is the last time I plan to be in that rip-off place this year!

I did walk up to a young security officer while there and stated to him that I wanted to report a robbery. He looked pretty shocked as did the black guy that was standing near us. I told the security officer that every machine that I had played in the casino had robbed me. The first look on both their faces was worth a good bunch of what I had lost.

Of course the meal was.....we were able to eat anyway. The waitress came to pick up some of the used plates which because of the flavor or whatever, had stuff still in them. I told her to be careful with the one plate because it contained mostly vomit. We're really welcomed there any time.

Bye.

Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.~Elbert Hubbard

December 6, 2005

Getting out of the house again today. I have some routine visits scheduled with a couple of doctors in Columbia. The last visit should be over by 1:30 and I'm trying not to worry which way Glenda will make me steer the car to head home. If she pushes me toward I70, it is about 18 miles further but could cost several dollars more. There would be a couple of free meals included but who can tell how much free might cost? You don't need to be piped aboard but you do need a card to gain entrance to the casino area.

The gambling boats seem to be the only places that I walk to and into at a slow pace then leave almost at a run. One of these days, as I'm leaving, I hope to get enough courage to let the sounds going around in my throat loose just to see if I can understand them. They would probably come out as things that I wouldn't want anyone else to hear.

A very, very cold day here and I'm again without words to type................................Hum...

A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if one's life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself.~Louis L'Amour

December 4, 2005

Had some folks over last night and we all played a little poker till around 9:15. We're all too old for any of those late night/all night gigs anymore. It was a nice and enjoyable way to supplement our happiness especially since Glenda and I came out together with a $24.15 winning score. Yes, Glenda won most of it but she didn't enjoy playing very more than the rest of us did.

I took the time to look at today's slate and it was clean. Either Glenda forgot to do the list or she hasn't gotten around to it yet. Could it be that our day will be left to the whims that may arise as the day progresses? I like the reading of that!

One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them.~Virginia Woolf

December 3, 2005

Another, "GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING"! That is if you don't let negatives mess around with the GREAT. Today's weather report: (Look for a mixture of precipitation today, possibly starting as freezing rain, shifting to rain, then becoming mixed with light snow late in the evening.)

I assure you the weather isn't going to make or break our day for us. We intend to enjoy it and we thank the Lord for the privilege that allows us to have another day period! Many, many blessings that include small common things that we so often take for granted or overlook are everywhere. Why just this morning I had to pause and give thanks for the renewed ability to put my socks on with both hands again. That tiny little chore had been a huge struggle while I couldn't bend over and was forced to attempt it using only one hand. I'm telling you blessings abound!

Well shoot! We're hoping that you pause a few moments to reflect on some of your blessings.

Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.~Charles Dickens

December 2, 2005

A mite chilly around here at 18* with a little wind bringing the chill factor down to around 12. Not too bad sitting here looking out the window. I'm watching the fog raise off the lake. After it gets so high it slaps the lake surface as it appears to freeze and fall back. You need to look real hard to see this as there is more fog still rising as the frozen fog falls somewhat obscuring the real drama. Imagine that! .......... I think I just did.

Dory is going to the bowling alley for a few games this afternoon leaving me here to take care of the home front and the animals. Russell is going to be gone for most of the day so that puts Daisy on the animal list too. That is going to be some cold walks!

I know that I have a lot more things to say but I suffer from an inability to put my warped thoughts into an understandable row of typed words. An undisguised blessing?

It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them.~Pierre Beaumarchais

December 1, 2005

Here, another nasty, cold and windy day that we're proud to be a part of. When we count our blessings an ugly day pales to nothing. Did you ever wonder how cold has a tendency to perk up a couple things on a woman and shrivel a deal on a man? Nothing wrong about wondering but I guess there might be something said about sharing the wonderment but I can't see why.

I've about decided to get out of the house for awhile today. Since it's so hard to have Glenda driving from the passenger side of the car while I'm driving and seeing as how the hernia operation has caused extreme muscle contractions to be so uncomfortable that I can't possibly ride with her just yet, we're taking separate vehicles. Since watching her drive might cause a contraction, I'll go to Eldon and the library while she heads over to Osage Beach and we'll stager our departing times.

Nope, I don't believe that I can say nothing any better!

A person needs at intervals to separate from family and companions and go to new places. One must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change.~Katharine Butler Hathaway