The life and times of ...

 yes.  The life and times of .... me. 

My previous blog mentioned certain things that always happen.  At my age, I am in a rut.  I do certain things on certain days.  Our water company (I don't own.  When I say "our," I mean the one we use.)  They limit us to watering one day a week.  I project, soon, they will eliminate that too.  Our lake is low.  

We water on Wednesday.  It may not be in the true spirit of the issue, but we water GOOD on Wednesday.  I have the system set to start at midnight plus 30.  The entire yard gets sprinkled.  Then, when we get up in the morn, we hand water the trees.  By 10 a.m. we are through.  They ruled that you can water from midnight to 10 a.m.  and from 8 p.m. until midnight.  We have, We done, We did.

Monday, I took the wife to a podiatrist.  She has some funky toe nails that are real tough.  The guy worked on them - then, after I asked, he said we should find one of the stores that does nails and go regularly.  It is our plan.  another thing to add to my  monthly rituals.  She gets to put that smelly Vaseline type stuff - can't remember name of it - children put on the chest when they have colds.  Blue stuff.  Anyway, doc has her put on toe nails to make them softer for cutting.

Today, I am going for a haircut.  It happens regularly.

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That didn't work out.  The above was written a while back.  I paused to do something of earth shaking importance - never returned.  Could you tell?  My, how a couple of weeks change things.  I'll try to take them in some type of order.

1st of all, the haircut.  Didn't happen.   I hate going to barbers.  Not really.  Yes, I do hate it.  I will not go into one of those fast places full of 12 year old girls cutting hair and trying to make you love them - I don't mean love in the LOVE sense.  They want return customers.  I'm too old to believe that any female in that position really cares what I am doing or doing it with.  Leave me alone.  If you must talk, speak of innocuous subjects.  Never loved sports or talking about them.   The weather is good.  "Yep, it is really hot."  "Nope, I don't think it is gonna rain anytime soon."  Cut my hair; leave me alone.  "Yes, I know my eyebrows are bushy."  Uhhhhhh

I have found a barber in Belton - small shop on 6th street - so far no female cutters - just burly guys getting the job done.  I tried a couple of other places in town.  Didn't work out.  One had this really short lady.  I don't think I've ever had anyone be so rough, banging around on the top of my head.  There's not much up there;  be careful  (that's not much inside and outside).  This 6th street shop has several different barbers.  I'm not sure that I have ever seen the same one twice.  $14.00   Back in Corsicana, I found this guy who cut it for $7.  Liked him a lot.  Too far to drive to save $7.

So, I went into town.  Big closed sign on the door.  Went on to Walmart with every intention of returning.  Returned.  Same "Closed" sign - noticed a smaller paper taped to the inside of the door.  Sighed.  "Vacation.  Be back on the 15th"   That is next Tuesday.  This was Thursday.

Returned the following Friday week.  The barber eliminated my burly hair mess and left me shorn.  [ you shear sheep.  Shear, Sear, Shore, Shorn, Shorned]   When I taught,  students would make fun of my hair cuts - let's face it - they made fun of everything I did.  I always explained that I had found an Indian Barber who enjoyed his work.  That was especially true sounding when I taught in Oklahoma.  

I started life getting burr cuts.  Later, I advanced to a cross between Dagwood and Dennis the Menace.  In mid-High School times, say 1955, my family conned me into getting a flat top.  it worked for me through college into the mid-70s.  Returned to the Dagwood cut when we lived in Ardmore.   Now, the top is thinning.  There's a little hole in the back of my head.  When I wash hair, my scalp is way too easy to see.  I come close to a shimmer.

I walk into the barber shop - 2 guys in front of me.  Chairs were sparse unless you wanted to sit right beside another.  We guys frown on that kind of elbow touching unless it is with your wife or another beautiful creature.  Finally, the big man in front of me sat in the chair.  I'm next.  The barber and customer seemed to be old friends.  I'd guess they went through high school together.  In walks a black garbed giant with a gun on his hip - badge printed on his shirt.   Within 2 minutes, another black garbed giant with Sheriff printed on his back - he joined us.  I felt safe.

The man in the chair had a short burr hairdo.  He said to the barber, "Can you make it shorter, this weather is really hot."  { Really?  Wear a hat! }  Assuring the friend customer, our bearded barber (he reminded me of the guys on the duck call show) soaped up the head, dome if you will - wrapped it in a hot towel - twice - pulled out a blade and shaved the head.  I have these age spots all over my face and head.  If you used a blade, I would be a bleeding mess covered with band-aids.   Enjoy your 50 year old youth feller.  The spots are coming.

My turn.  I told him to cut it back.  He did.  I gave him 3 fives and split.  Wanted to stay and see if the black garbed, gun totting, badge encrusted giants talked about the weather or shoot outs.  Never will know.

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WATER.  See above:  we had been cut to one day watering a week.  Not now.  The water company is doing repairs and "IMPROVING" the system (sure), no watering at all outside.  This distressed us.  We have spent pretty big bucks on trees and bushes and crepe myrtles and fruit trees and our vegetable garden.  No water for 2 to 3 weeks in this 105+ weather will surely kill all.  Already, the bermuda has died.  It is too expensive to re-buy trees.  Digging the holes in this soil is back breaking.

My daughter bought 2 - then another - big rubber tanks with in and out takes.  We load them up in the truck - drive into Round Rock (as an example) and fill the tanks with water.  Back home, the water is divided among the trees.  We capture water from showers, baths, and kitchen sink.  This is all taken outside to the plants.

Here is my question.  We have this problem.  Will the water company do anything to make it better for next year?  Really?  What are they planning?  

In Salado we have I-35 running down the middle of things.  East of I-35 gets well water.  West of I-35 pulls water from Stillhouse Hollow Lake.  I'm on the west side.  The east side, primarily the real town and old settlers and country club, they still have water.  The west side, primarily new developments of housing, we do not.  I wonder, is there a big valve somewhere that connects the east with the west?  If there is, why won't they share?  Bunch of socialist ...

Maybe the west side needs a few wells to take the pressure off the lake problems.  I don't know.  Did I study "Water" when I was in college?  Nope.  Should have.  This driving to fill up water tanks, and, then, hand delivering it to the plants.  That is hard work in the heat. I'm open for suggestions.

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I have one more stone about out air conditioner.  I tire.  Time to get the mail.  Save the AC for another time.  School buses just rolled by.  5 bouncing children exited and scurried down the street.  My pooch Sadie told them "What For!!!"  

see ya later, MM