Just need to talk to my friends (208)

Carl46

Good morning!

I was taught that weird doesn't follow the i before e rule because it's weird.

I used to work with a laptop that was on a LAN when I was in office. When I logged on, the message "connecting to wired" appeared on the screen. Our joke was "You know it's going to be a bad day when the message says "connecting to weird."

Ron, granddaughter day sounds like a great time. Enjoy!

Tomatoes are so good! I ate the last of my Amish tomatoes for breakfast yesterday, so I cut the cantaloupe this morning. Yum!

Hot and wet today, occasional showers and high humidity. Looks like my evening at the fair may be a rainout, but we'll see. The fair runs through Saturday, so all is not lost if we get thunderstorms tonight.

BethL

JeriLynn, you are a fashionable lady! Blue glasses, red glasses x 2! Good for you. I have lots of glasses because mine are for reading only so I have pairs in my bathroom vanity, kitchen, living room, family room, bedroom and purse. I have 2 red pairs and a purple pair. I had blue ones at one time but the prescription just didn't seem right in them so I placed them in the boxes they have for glasses donations. Enjoy shopping! You and your DH are very generous people. ❤️

Carl, hope you enjoyed the fair. We too are in a rainy spell, unusual for July in Iowa. Per my rain gauge, we've had 12" this month. We had chances for severe storms the past 3 overnights but it didn't materialize in our area for which I am grateful. We did get rain, thunder and lightning.

We could have more rain today. I'm praying not, or that it holds off. We have plans to take two grandsons to a BB game this afternoon.

2 swim days this week, with 2 different friends with private pool access. I really enjoy that.

The faces of dementia art show sounds great, Eagle. Your DH did really well walking 4 miles! It's good he is keeping in shape.

Iris, I have really enjoyed your photos and your stories about your trips. Alaska will be beautiful too. I know you lived there at one time. Was that when you were in the military?

Tigersmom, I am so saddened about the shootings in NYC. One is left to ask WHY? No answer I guess, since the gunman is dead.

We have a cooler day here today. Hope it gets cooler for you soon, Lorita.

Have a good day everyone!

Lorita

Morning, already hot but it isn't cooling off at night. Carried a big watering can full of water five times from the hydrant to water plants this morning and it hurt my costo so now my back in that one spot is really hurting.

Took Stormy for a ride to the mailbox and he and Sheena are sleeping now. I am finished for today, I hope.Supposed to begin a cool down tomorrow but then back to heat.

You all enjoy the rain and cooler weather.

Iris L.

JeriLynn, how nice to have a wardrobe of glasses. I think I might have to rejoin Costco for the optical benefits. My last glasses cost $900. I can't afford three pairs of glasses if I want to kerp going on my trips. I'm planning four trips for next year.

The tomatoes look beautiful.

Carl, the fair food here has become so outrageous that I can't even begin to describe the offerings. What happened to a simple corn dog? They still do have turkey legs, I believe.

The tsunami warning has passed, waves only reached three feet on the west coast.

Crushed posted about his DW for those who haven't seen.

Iris

jfkoc

I am tasting a tomato sandwhich….Sara lee classic with Miracle whip and a pinch of salt. After assembling i like to smash down a little to keep the tomatoes in place.

Carl46

Tomato sandwiches are so good! I like a dash of roasted garlic on it. In fact, the roasted garlic flavored Triscuit cracker is really good with a bite of tomato on it, like a little canape. Triscuit is salty and I can't eat it often, but I buy a box occasionally.

We still have corn dogs and funnel cakes at the fair, but I walk right past those treats to buy a smoked turkey leg.

I read the NYC gunman was afflicted with schizophrenia. Most schizophrenics aren't dangerous, but a few are. I attended a psychiatric lecture in which the speaker said there are people who make lists of persons they intend to kill, and such people are very dangerous.

tigersmom

Good afternoon, rockers. It is 93 degrees here, on the way down from 96. This is supposed to be our last day of this, and I am ready for it to be over. By Friday, the high will be in the 70s.

Carl — I have not read that yet about the gunman. They kept saying he had mental health issues but did not name them. On a lighter note, chocolate-covered bacon? Yikes!

Iris, how fun to read that you grew up in Williamsburg. For the last several years, it has been the destination of choice for young people here. My only niece didn't look anywhere else when she came here to do her residency.

GG, IKEA always serves lingonberries with their meatballs. I like them. They are good with salmon, too.

BethL, the gunman left a suicide note in his pocket. He played football in high school, and he thought he had CTE, a brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. He blamed the NFL, whose headquarters are in that building. But he took the wrong elevator bank and never even made it to their floor. So senseless. He asked in his note for the doctors to study his brain, which is why he shot himself in the chest. Apparently, they are going to do just that.

And Judith, I have heard of Tell Mama, but not the other places. Your granddaughter is bucking the trend by leaving Williamsburg for the East Village, which is where young people always wanted to live. Good for her! I know we don't usually do recipes here, but I typed up the cake recipe since you asked and have attached it, I made it every year for DH's birthday. How I wish I were still making it.

Mocha Chip Chiffon Cake.pdf

Coffee Frosting.pdf

ronald71111

Granddaughter wasn't feeling well, so grandfather/Granddaughter day has to wait. Wind blowing hard but no rain. I am now craving tomato sandwich. Been awhile since I've had one, but I can close my eyes and taste a good home grown 🍅 🍅 with miracle whip between two slices of bread. Still trying to have everything transfered to Missouri, weird that closing on the house was the easiest. Changing address and banking information the hardest.

Ron

ladyzetta

Good afternoon Rockers.

Lorita. It sounds like your doing to much in this hot weather. Are you trying to do outside things in the cooler part of the day. It's 106 on my porch right now, going up to 108. Me and all my critters are in for the day.

Ron. Sounds like your enjoying your new life in Missouri. You will have a fun time, with your grandaughter, she will have fond memories of your times together.

Tiregersmom. That is so sad what happened in your neighborhood, it was on the news this morning. Was it very close to where you were?

Carl. You sound like, a kid going to the fair. When I was young I liked the fair, but not the rides, they made me sick. I did enjoy the fair food. In my older years the food was the only reason I would go. Now you can't get me close to a fair, way too many people. My favorite was the cotton candy. I hope the rain doesn't keep you away.

Iris. Thank you for sharing your travel pictures. My daughter was looking at them with me, she recognized a few places, her and her DH, are travelers. It benefits her working for a cruise line. Being a member of a travel club, I bet you have a lot of fun. Do you always find a comfortable person to share the room with? You asked if I was moving again, yes my SIL job is moving him to Bosie, Idaho. We have to be there by October 1st.

JeriLynn. Your tomatoes are beautiful, im going to make me a tomato sandwich, like Judith, was talking about. Your DH, great granddaughter, is so blessed to have you both in her life. Hopefully someday she will come live with you. That was a cute story about the dogs protecting the goats.

And did I hear you say, you will never have indoor pets again? I will remind you of that someday. 😄😄. It's good that Oliver Kitty is feeling better. It's gets so hot here, by 9am I make sure my cats and dogs are in for the day.

The move to Bosie Idaho is in the making. We have to be there by ths first of October. We have found a moving company, now we just need to find a place to move into. My DD is real picky, she has a few homes on hold right now. One in Meridian and two in Bosie. She likes the home in Meridian, but the homes in Bosie, are much closer to where her DH will be working. Hopefully the decision is made soon. I'm looking forward to being in cooler weather, and closer to Bend, Oregon. Most of you know that Bend Oregon, is where I moved from.

Stay cool all of you. Hugs Zetta

jfkoc

Tigersmom…google The Grange….interesting place. I think they liked Williamsburg but not the daily into Manhatten.

Thanks for the recipe.

Crushed has posted that his wife died yesterday.

Lorita

Iris and Judith, I saw Crushed's post. Wasn't it.several years ago when he was posting?.

It was 101 on the porch today, too hot for man or beast.. Girls have made good use of the pond.today. You know I have never had a strictly tomato sandwich. Weird since we always had tomatoes. Carl, if you go to the fair, have a tunnel cake for me. Love those. Have fun!

Zetta, I water early.in the morning, every other day but fill the water tank everyday. It's hot but not too bad. My back has hurt most of the day.I must have lifted too much or twisted the wrong way. I'm leaning against a heating pad now Crazy, isn't it? The GPs run outside, do what is necessary and come back and bark to.get in.

You all stay cool. It will be a bit cooler tomorrow, then in the 80s for three or four days.

Good night. See you all tomorrow..

GothicGremlin

JeriLynn - Your tomatoes look wonderful.

About the tsunami …. We don't get warnings that often, but when we do, I pay attention. When I was just out of college and living in Santa Cruz - right by the ocean - we got a tsunami warning. And wouldn't you know, people flocked to the beach to "see it". I'm not sure what they were expecting, but authorities kept having to run people off the beach. Ugh. I'll never forget that.

I'm glad Oliver Kitty is perking up!!

tigersmom - that's a good tip about salmon and lingonberries. If they're kind of like cranberries, I can see them going well with salmon.

Zetta - I'm thinking positive thoughts about your move. I've only driven through Idaho, but I've spent a lot of time in Oregon - Portland, which is great, but also Grants Pass and Rogue River in the south. I had family who lived in both of those cities for decades, so I'd see them on family vacations.

Lorita - I also saw Crushed post. 🙁 I may be wrong on this, but it seems to me he's been quiet for the better part of a year, but he was moderately active before that. I did some math based on what he's said, and I think his wife was diagnosed when she was 58 - which was my sister's age when she was diagnosed. So both had early onset, but my sister passed away only 5 1/2 years after diagnosis, but Crushed's DW lived with this disease for 15 years. Just proves that everyone is different.

Iris L.

Tigersmom, a few years ago I returned to Brooklyn to visit my old schools in Williamsburg, PS 16 and JHS 59. It felt strange seeing them as an adult, but they were unchanged after all these years.

My mother used to make a mocha 3-layer cake with frosting. It was so delicious! I never have found a recipe but yours might come close. I will print it out and save it for later, because I don't do much baking. Perhaps around Christmas-time. Thank you for the recipe!

Judith, you have me craving a BLT. I never had a plain tomato sandwich though.

Zetta, I drove through Boise in December 1979 when I drove cross country after leaving my station in Alaska. There was wet snow in Spokane, but not so much in Boise. It's nice that you're getting back to the environment that you love.

I love cruising. It must be nice for your DD to work for a cruise line and get to travel so much. My travel club has begun offering several river cruises and yacht cruises. I think I will consider them because I like the idea of unpacking once.

Lorita, Crushed said his DW'S journey began 15 years ago, so he has probably been posting about that length of time.

The elephants that were moved from the LA Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo apparently are settling in with their new elephant neighbors. But there is a group that is trying to move them to a sanctuary where they will have more space to roam. Now that I have seen elephants and other animals in their natural habitats, I don't like the idea of large animals being cooped up in enclosures. They need SPACE.

Carl, that gunman grew up here in SoCal and apparently was a high school football star. After HS he moved to Las Vegas, but no one knows yet what he was doing there.

I found a listing of county fair food offerings. Each year they try to top the previous year in outrageousness. Here are a few: meatball mozzarella corn dogs, a Pibb pickle drink, hot honey turkey leg, and hot honey bacon-wrapped pork belly on a stick (doesn'tfood taste better on a stick?).

Iris

JeriLynn66

Morning,

Hot, humid and yuk continues with no rain. The dogs are in the shade unless something alerts them to investigate. Hummingbirds are constantly at the feeders. Haven't see the geese on the front pond in several days, guess they are visiting ponds with shade available as ours does not offer any shade. They can't go to our back pond because Lilly sees them as intruders.

Yesterday we left home around 9am for the shopping trip. Left DH and Greatgrand in one part of TJ Maxx while I visited with friends in another. Came back and the child had 3 T-shirts and 1 pair of "women's" jeans - "only pair I found". Did you look in the Junior's section? What size do you wear? Umm, I don't know she says. What? You DON'T KNOW???? OK then… NOW the shopping gets serious. Found 3 pairs of jeans (one cropped with fringe at the ankle!!!!, adorable), 2 pairs of slacks (1 with a floral pattern that is just cha-cha), 8 shirts, 2 dresses, cute jacket (I already have a fuzzy jacket in my closet for a Christmas present for her), cute bag for her backpack to store "personal items" all young women need and a matching hairbrush AND a spirited debate about NOT wearing "granny panties". I won. Then on to the Mall. Whole shoe department at Belk. She can't find anything. Move on to Dillards = success. Birkenstock sandals and Hey Dudes. 2 more stores and more shirts. DH was drooping. He's not a shopper. Wimp. We had lunch out and headed home around 3. I had already bought a jumper and 3 tops from Old Navy for her, along with 3 new bras so on the way home we had a discussion about proper care of those. She has been putting them in the washer AND dryer together with everything else. We got that straightened out. I guess next I'll have to visit when they are doing laundry. I can only imagine. I admit I was tired afterwards but she's excited and very appreciative. So, it was worth it. I can't wait for winter clothes and Prom!

Our camping trip is cancelled. Brother/Sister in law's camper is still in the shop. BIL is so disappointed. SIL is ambivalent. Me too. It's too hot to sit outside, so I told SIL we would make the men take us out to lunch Friday and maybe shop a little. She needs help shopping too. Desperately.

I think today we are going to ramble over to another campground in TN just to explore by car. After we can some more tomatoes for sauce.

What y'all doing today?

ronald71111

Good morning

Carl46

Good morning!

I bailed out on the fair last night. It was just too hot and sticky, and my bad knee has been bothering me. I'm going to the pistol range with a friend this afternoon. He's former law enforcement and has been looking for someone to shoot with, so I dug out my old .22 target pistol. I haven't fired it in years, largely because I didn't have time to do much of anything besides care for my wife.

It has cooled here, cloudy and 73 with predicted rain and high of 78. Walgreen is putting out the candy corn and plastic skeletons. First signs of autumn. 🎢

harshedbuzz

Good morning. It's haircut and wine in the city for me. I'm hating my hair of late which tends to result in impulsive decisions.

Tigersmom— The story from your neighborhood gets sadder and sadder.

Judith— I had to google "Indian Tacos" and was today years old when I realized they weren't made with naan, meat from a tandoor and perhaps some curry with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. That actually sounded pretty good.

Lorita— When I joined in 2017 (yikes!) Crushed's DW was still at home with him as 24/7 caregiver. He'd just recently installed the wet room in their home.

Carl— Connecting to weird would make me chuckle too.

Ronald— How's the cabin planning coming?

Iris— The travel group sounds great although I can't imagine sharing a room; how does that work? I would have a difficult time deciding between the South Africa/Botswana trip and the one to Australia/NZ. Maybe do both?

$900 for glasses? And I thought I was bad; most I've ever spent was about $750 for leather wrapped aviators with Polarized progressive high-index lenses. I still have them and wear them on occasion. They're still pretty cool.

Lady Z— I don't blame your daughter for being picky. You want to find a community that feels comfortable and offers the amenities that matter to you.

Jerilynn— Three pair of glasses— you're channeling my mom again. Last time I took her for glasses she bought 4 pairs. 2 pair of readers (one standard and one sunnies) and 2 pair of bifocals (one with a magnetic sunnies attachment, which she's lost once and replaced and one to be a "spare"). She tends to pick things that are a little out there, too vs my tortie schoolboys.

I was very excited for Costco glasses but had no luck with them. I just could not adjust to their proprietary hi-def lenses. I was really bummed because I have friends who rave about them. My Doctor of Optometry double checked the prescription for me— it was perfect but I could not get used to them. That reminds me, I need to make an appointment for an exam. I'm due for a Xiidra refill and checkup. I have to keep tabs on my cataracts and screening for AMD.

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We should have rain later to break the heatwave. Probably when I'm walking from the train station to the salon and then after to dinner. It seems to always rain on my freshly styled hair.

Bestie and I were supposed to have lunch yesterday, but it was just too hot to eat outside (she masks indoors because of her immune deficiency). We got a couple extra-large iced teas and sat on a bench in the shade to catch up on things. I turned her on to a new Italian bakery near me and she managed to spend $40 there on the way home. She an amazing baker from a family that owned one of the most iconic Italian restaurants in South Philadelphia so impressing her made my day.

I hope you all have a pleasant day out there. Be safe.

Mint

good afternoon

it is a cloudy day and raining. But it is much cooler and not humid. It’s been a very different summer.

Lorita

Morning, a little cooler here, too, Mint, but no rain. Wal-Mart prices are going up. I like French bread sliced diagonally for toast and sandwiches and it has gone up 50%. Not sure about other things.

You all tire me out reading about all you all are doing. Guess I did a lot of things when I was younger, too. I haven't been in a department store for years -QVC is much easier.

Carl, I saw my first sign that fall is coming this morning- one of those big black and yellow spiders but he isn't too big yet. If all of them hatch the front porch will be alive with them - there are those big balls of eggs everywhere. Now to look for Goldenrod!

tigersmom

Good afternoon, rockers. It is starting to thunder; the skies are supposed to open aound 3. It is going to rain hard all night; they are forecasting as much as two inches an hour. This will be a problem for the subway system, which can’t handle that much volume in so short a time.

The funeral for our slain officer was today, as well as one for a second victim. The first funeral was yesterday. It is hard to watch.

Zetta, this all happened in midtown Manhattan; it is close to me, but not next door. What is rattling for us is the location— a block from the Waldorf Astoria hotel. If you aren't safe there, you kind of don't feel safe anywhere.

Ron, i am sorry that you missed grandfather/granddaughter day. I hope that gets rescheduled very soon.

Iris, i smiled at your trip back to elementary school and JHS. Don't the lockers really look small when you go back? i hope you do try the cake and enjoy it. It sounds like your mom was a great baker, too.

JeriLynn, that sounded like a spectacularly successful shopping trip to TJMaxx! I have had no luck at all there since the pandemic. I keep trying, but it’s not happening.

Judith, I did google the Grange and it looks wonderful. What a beautiful venue for a wedding! Rooftop farms and green spaces are very popular here. Are you going?

I hope the weather cools down for everybody. My two cats are pretty wilted from all this heat.

jfkoc

Here…busy doing nothing interesting…lol

No, not going to the wedding …logistics too difficult for me…sigh

loveskitties

For those who are wondering, Crushed joined the group in 2014

Lorita

Going to say good night. It has been a much better day weather wise today with three or more to come. Sleep tight. Ser you all tomorrow.

Iris L.

HB, most of my experiences with roommates has been good. One roommate actually called me up to be her roommate in France. I think I am a good roommate, if I do say so myself.

I attended an excellent presentation this morning about Avoiding Scams, put on by various California consumer departments. A lot if great informstion was given.

About a year ago some people made numerous claims that a bear had gotten into their car and wrecked it and they were seeking insurance money. That was determined to be scams.

Iris

Mint

good morning

they are showing at least four days of sunshine, that sounds good. I hope I can get caught up in my yard.

I ordered garage door with all the fixings plus new windows in the entire house in basement in April. They are supposed to come and install my garage door and the fixings today and then August 18. Hopefully they will install my windows. I was beginning to wonder lol. I know all the windows are manufactured locally approximately an hour from my home so nice. I’m not sure about the garage door.

hope everyone is blessed with a peaceful day, I’m sure we would all enjoy that

BethL

Mint, glad you are getting the work done on your house. You will enjoy it. I hope you are able to get yard work done. It seems like there is a lot to do this time of year outside. How is your garden doing?

I enjoy reading what everyone is doing. What an energetic bunch we are! Below is some of what I did this week.

My garden report: we moved to our new home last September. At that time, I "renovated" the existing vegetable garden into a flower garden. It is 18' x 12'. We have clay soil. I added 20 bags of compost and some worm castings. I planted peonies, black eyed Susans, balsam, coneflowers, daylilies, zinnias and some others. Now to the vegetable garden I tried to fashion. It is an area bordering the house and it seemed grass didn't want to grow there. That should have been my first clue that the soil was poor. This spring I planted rhubarb, 4 cucumber plants (only 1 survived), and 2 'Jet Star' tomatoes. That is the variety of tomato I have been planting for years. Well, they didn't do well there. Very scraggly and thin. However, I added some of my homemade compost and they are doing better now. I also crushed Tums, a calcium source, and dug it into the soil by them. Calcium use is to prevent blossoms end rot. In the meantime, seeing how poorly they were doing, I bought 3 more tomato plants and put them in my flower garden: 'Cherokee Purple', 'Rainbow', and 'Pink Brandywine'. Those are all heirlooms. Also a volunteer tomato popped up in the garden and I let it grow; appears to be either a Roma type or grape tomato. Well, all the tomato plants are doing well now. So I should have plenty. Sometimes I have trouble getting this to bold! Finally got it after a few tries!

Monday I went swimming with two good friends who are former coworkers. We see each other often; have stayed friends over the years. Wednesday Ron and I took the 10 and 11 year old to a baseball game - minor league, Triple A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. We were in the 4th row behind home plate. We had such a good time! Weather was perfect, they won and we saw two home runs. Thursday I went swimming with church friends at one of the ladies' homes. She has a large (40' x 24') pool and it is beautiful and well maintained. Lots of good conversation, always, at our Thursdays at Bev's. Today the dog goes to the groomer and we get groceries.

I hope you all are having better weather. It has cooled to the 70s here, however, we have poor air quality due to the Canadian wildfires.

Beth

Lorita

Morning, we have rain! It began just after 7. Of course, I have grocery delivery between 8 and 10. I called to delay it and they can't do that.

Guess I won't need to water this morning.. Mint, sounds like it has been a long time to get your windows and new garage door. Seems like there is always a delay in everything. Hope you get them soon and you like them. We got new ones years ago and I think they got them installed in one day.

Beth,you have been one busy lady. Doesn't it feel good to.get things done. I have outside work to do but it's too.hot and dangerous for now.

eaglemom

Good morning……….

Phew, yesterday's heat was brutal. It was 106 with the heat index of 116, and truthfully it felt like an oven outside. The dog didn't even want to go out, and I don't blame her. The poor people who have to work outside, its awful.

Ron I think its great everything your doing. I'm sorry your granddaughter was sick, but you'll get your rescheduled date in soon I'm sure.

It seems like everyone's busy. I guess we are too, but not too busy. I can't believe it, but several school districts around here are starting school on Monday. That seems crazy to me, Aug 4th. When I mentioned it to DH he said something like: its not like they are outside playing like we used to or helping their parents with the farms. I thought for a guy with dementia he's pretty sharp and spot on.

I've got to get busy around her before our Zoom. Today's program is music, the participants always enjoy it so much,

Let's be safe everyone.

JeriLynn66

Morning

We rode up to Rock Island State Park in TN yesterday. It's lovely. I think it would be even prettier in fall when the leaves are turning. There is a dam, a waterfall, a reservoir and nice RV camp spots.

There were 2 little antique stores at the turnoff to the Park. I found 2 white chairs to complete the dining room table setting!!! $50 for both. I was excited and they look great. I've been moving furniture around this morning.

We had rain the last two nights and it is cooler this morning. The birds are ecstatic this morning. 6 hummingbirds at the front feeders, the Great Blue heron made an appearance, and the last batch of barn swallow babies are about ready to fledge.

HB, watched the weather for Philly and worried about your hairdo… did you get soaked? And, as predicted by Tigersmom, I see the subways in NYC were flooded. This entire year has been just crazy weatherwise.

We are meeting SIL/BIL for lunch in Decatur. I picked the restaurant. 609 Social Market and Provisions. Something different than the chain steakhouses (I hate those) and the menu looks fun. Gumbo and oysters for me today😁.

TRIGGER WARNING:

When granddaughter and I went to NYC last year we stayed at the Hilton Midtown where the UHC executive was gunned down and right around the corner from Park Avenue where we went shopping. The sad news from Alabama and TN this week includes a child XXX ring in rural Alabama close to Birmingham where children ages 3-15 were locked in an underground bunker with dog shock collars while abuse cost $200 per visit. And in TN currently a manhunt for a two-time felon who has shot 3 adults and a juvenile for as yet unknown reasons. Even more bizarre, the group of 4 dropped a baby in his carseat off in a random front yard before the shooting. Almost as if the group was anticipating the encounter? It's awful. If my MamMa were here, I can just hear her saying "Jesus is coming back soon and it can't be soon enough!!!" in response to such evil. Sorry for the rant but I agree with my MamMa.

And in order not to end on that sad commentary; a quote attributed to John Wesley;

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

Let's us be safe, loving and kind today. ❤️

harshedbuzz

Good morning. It's windy and cool here this morning. The heat wave broke last night— rather spectacularly— making it a good 20F cooler than this time yesterday.

Tigermom— The shooting must've really rocked the area. It's awful how often these high-profile shooters come from a completely different part of the country to make their statement in the most iconic city in the country.

Judith— It's a shame that circumstances prevent you attending. NY weddings can be somewhat extra. A couple of "kids" I know from the area have opted to marry there rather than in the bride or groom's hometowns. My neighbor's daughter opted for a river cruise wedding and another girl I know who works as an off-Broadway showrunner had their ceremony in a restaurant that closed for the evening. The place had different dining rooms and MOB complains to this day that she was seated "in Siberia".

Iris— I imagine you'd be a delightful roomie. That's cool that you went to the scam presentation. The police near where mom lives often do senior safety presentations at her 55+ community clubhouse. Our local LE puts tips on their Facebook page routinely which is helpful as well.

Mint— Good luck with your renovations. We did new windows a few years back. I was pleased with how tidy the contractor was, but I have never liked my front door and may replace that soon. I need a repair on the garage door but haven't heard back from anyone I've called. I'd love to replace it, but it's find. I really like the carriage door style better than the ugly flat panel one the previous owners (dad being his cheap self) installed.

Beth— I'm sorry you've been cursed with "bad dirt". It's a good thing you have the knowledge to improve the situation so you can be more successful. My soil is a mix of clay and rocks. My parents put decent topsoil in out front, but the back yard is terrible. This land was formerly a farm and often the contractors sell off the top-soil when they grade the lots ahead of building. It's pretty sketchy business.

I was talking with my niece about her garden last night. Her MIL manages a 120 x 20' mixed garden each year and now her DH has his own little garden. They're just now realizing that some of the seedlings and seeds he planted weren't properly labeled which has led to a surfeit of cucumbers and zero zucchini.

Lorita— I noticed a jump in bread prices about 4 months ago, too. Not 50%, but still noticeable. The $7.49 sourdough miche at Wegman's is now $8.99 which is just crazy. My local gourmet brings in Brooklyn Bread's sourdough and that's gone up $1.00 as well. I prefer that latter but it's not always available. It's funny, the reduced carb bread DS likes hasn't gone up yet; maybe because it doesn't really have ingredients in it. It tastes like packing peanuts. Bananas have gone up as well.

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My trip into the city to get my hair cut was a mixed success. I decided on a medium length bob and had about 5" lopped off. I missed the t-storms by minutes but DN got rained on. Things had calmed down by the time we were both done but it was still drizzling so we ate at the cute place across the street. They were having water-in-the-basement issues, so it was a while before the food service started. We sat at the little bar (which is quieter than the dining room) and caught up over some "happy hour" Rioja and small plates. The place is "vegetable-forward". We did a cheese plate and salad and then shared some small plates. So good. One funny thing was that the whole time we were there, random people were popping in and leaving with bags of produce. Seems the restaurant offers a CSA and people were taking away what looked like turnips, beans, and peaches. Pretty cool.

The train was running 30 minutes late because of the storms and about 2/3 of way to the final stop they announced that they wouldn't be making the last 2 stops. I was OK as mine was the last stop, but a few older ladies ended up stranded. Two of them called a husband to pick them up at a different station; normally it wouldn't be a big deal, but with the detour between the 2 towns they had a wait ahead of them. The other lady had been playing bridge all day and had gotten on the wrong train— she hopped on West Trenton instead of Trenton which meant taking an uber so she could connect with NJ Transit on to Princeton. I suggested she price out the ride to Princeton as it would probably be simpler and the Trenton Station is not a nice place.

I need to schedule some medical appointments and pick mom's ridiculous new pants up from the seamstress, too. She's off to MA in a couple of weeks and wants to wear them then. And I need to figure out dinner. DS's birthday is Monday, and I should probably sort that out as well. They messed up DS's pizza order last night and gave him a complimentary second pie so now I have an entire pizza in the fridge. Maybe I'll freeze it or give some to my mom.

I hope all have a nice day.

HB