Sat., Dec. 29th 10 pm

Sat. Dec. 29th abt 10 pm
non- eventful day.   cold outside with a north wind.  My dock is dangerously close to being under water.  It is splashing up on the sides as I write.  also, I have this little boat slip cut into the shoreline.  It is underwater and taking quite a beating.  I can see future major repairs on this.  Weatherman is talking about more rain.  We had 3 inches just a couple days ago.  It is possible for us to get another 2 this week.

We started putting away Christmas decorations.  Tomorrow they'll go up into the attic to rest for a few months.  Circle of Life.  You take the decorations out - you put the decorations away.  So far I haven't bought any new decor on sale.

Flipped over to see part of the OU / Alabama ballgame.  OU is in trouble.  Just for a moment I thought I was watching Tech play.  New coach at Tech for next year - I wonder how long he will survive.

Mail brought only bills - the newspaper - and an advertisement to take river cruises in Europe.  The cheapest  cruise is around $4000 - up to ;$11K or more. I'm thinking I don't need to get my passport anytime soon.

I am doing Ancestry stuff.  Last night I ran across someone who has my ancestors.  This person has tracked that line all the way back to near 400 B.C.  When I see stuff like that, I wonder how they were able to get this done.  Sure, I'm gonna put this line into my family tree.  It could be right.  It could be wrong.  Either way, putting it online is free.  Now some other klutz (like me) will read my family tree and copy it way back to 400 B.C.   Ya see, it is the Circle of Life again.

Decorating outside for Christmas can have nice results.  My son in Lubbock has a computer program attached to his decorations - it is "dance" of lights to a "musical concoction" - seen by hundreds in the Christmas season.
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We take the local Corsicana newspaper.  One of the syndicated columnist is a Dr. Don Newbury.  I enjoy reading his articles.  Often he talks about his Uncle Mort - "106 and counting."  His column toady was fun telling of misconceptions that Uncle Mort has had.  Newbury has a 817 area code, so he must live near Ft. Worth.  He gives speeches for money - a worth occupation.

A couple quotes (paraphrased):  The most exercise Uncle Mort gets is "jumping to conclusions." In this colun he talks about Dr. Nieder of Colorado - "the Jerry Seinfeld of Medicine."  Nieder has a website   www.healthyhumorist.com.    This might be a fun website to visit.
More tomorrow.   

12-28-2018 A.M.

12-28-2018  10:59 a.m.  FRIDAY
Here I go again.  I will try to do this better as the year goes by.  I have come to grips with the concept that if anyone reads this, nobody ever comments.  I read other blogs and never comment.  So, I suppose it is just the way it is.  My thought now is to keep a running diary (not dairy) of daily things - just to see how that goes.  Hopefully, I will be able to create this as a habit.

Friday:  wind is brisk from north and upper 30ish temp.   lots of sun - all dogs are inside away from the chill. Greta has had 2 successful trips  to "wet" outside.  Greta, my blond 10 lb beauty, has just turned 18 years old.  She is going strong other than visual and hearing problems.  It is getting to be that she sometimes won't (or doesn't care to) make it outside in time to woo or wee  ( a previous blog entry explains those terms).  

Yesterday was Sadie's 3rd birthday.  Sadie is three years old.  She had dogie ice cream - old fajita meat - shared a can of wet dog food with the others - and I sang to her.  She only truly appreciated the food even though as a whole, she doesn't care about eating.

Bruno & Oscar on the other hand have a completely different view of eating.  LET'S EAT  24 hours a day - continuously,  And Greta just snacks sometimes if she feels like it and the moon is in its 3rd phase and I hold my mouth in just a certain way.  Eating has never been her thing.  Maybe that is why she has made it to 18 years plus.

Went to town yesterday to deposit rent check and mail real estate taxes to Ellis county for the rent house on Johnston Blvd.   Over $4000 seems like a lot for taxes on a 3 bedroom.

I checked  Walmart's post Christmas sales - everything still is too pricey at 50% off.  I may wait for the 75% sales.  I ran into the FUMC choir director and her husband at Walmart when I was trying to buy printer's ink - they were out of style 250/251.  I  looked for another insulated coffee thing for BJ ... they were out.  I did find my seal saver lubricant for my new power washer.

Went by HEB and came home.  Mail was sparse.
Back to today:  Brenda, wife, mom, BJ, girl, etc. is sleeping.  i think she found someone's cold over the holidays.  I may be on my own for lunch.  I see lunch meat sandwiches in my future.

Other than cleaning up, I charged my phone - helped dogs in and out side.  Retired our 2018 desk calendar to the IRS Pile of Papers - and have now turned on computer to do this.  We'll see how the rest of the day goes as I started taking down Christmas... 

October 1st

Here it is October 1st - 2018.  I see my last post was in 2017.  I understand this.  While I can write stuff, nobody listens.  If I am the only one who listens to me, why write?  I can tell myself things sitting on the back porch.  I rarely argue with myself.  The debate is minimum.  I have been considering printing a hard copy of all my posts, past and future; then, I'll create a notebook - 3 ring type - and keep it on a shelf.  Is it possible that one of my future great, great, great, great grand children will find it to be worthy of a read?

I have been doing some genealogy stuff this year.  I find it quite interesting even though I really cannot prove most of my results are valid.   I can go back to great grandparents with some certainty.  But, when I get further back, there are some questions.  Too often I reply on research done by others. One of my lines goes back to a year in B.C.   Minus 325 I believe.  I do roll my eyes when I type that.  

There is royalty in my family line.  King de Bruce of Scotland - the 3 King Edwards of England - a couple of French kings - the Plantagenets -  even a King  back into Switzerland - the list goes on including a Queen from somewhere in Spain... I seem to be lacking any Romans.  

Maybe, someday, if I feel like it, perhaps, or not, I'll find a way to post my family ancestors.  Of course, if someone's research was faulty, then I'm probably just fishing here.   

Henry Hudson of the Hudson Bay Colony shows up in one of my lines.  An aside:  my wife is doing the same.  She has a couple of the King Edwards too - which makes her my cousin, or aunt - depends - she is not my grandmother.  Daniel Boone is one of her uncles (she descends from Daniel's sister)  Her list goes on too.   Right now my wife is in the process of gaining membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.  Me thinks this would be "swell."

So, I got my paperwork started for membership in the Sons of the American Revolution.   If I get approved, THAT and a dollar will buy you a big gulp.    Right now, I have 59 great grandfathers who were alive in the USA in 1776.  It is logical some of those fought in the revolution.  

WHAR'S MAH BIG GULP? 
(insert a smiley face here for me)😁

Letters to Jim #1

I see that I have not been here since Feb. Read 2 things below to see why.  I had a thought though.  
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For those who don't know, I lost my brother Jim 2 weeks ago to lung cancer.  I'm not looking for sympathy or anything like that.  
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Over the past couple of weeks I noticed a certain void, if you will.  Jim lived a good 2 1/2 hour drive from here.  It's not like I would see him every day.  But, I would email or phone or whatever on a regular basis.  If I received a SPAM of funny interest, I'd forward it to him, and he would respond or send me another back.   If I had a political comment, it would be sent & visa versa.  For a while we played online poker together for a lengthy time. He is much better at online poker than I; but we played and talked daily like that.
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Now, he is not here.  I can't send him notes or snide remarks.  He can't complain back in my direction and make fun of my stupid puns and comments.  I am missing that. Sure, in time, this too shall pass. I will move on - hopefully not too far.   I am 76, and that is getting up there.  I don't have far to move to.

So I thought I'd write a series of blog entries titled "Letters to Jim."  They would be short and to the point - nonsense or nay.  who knows?

When you see a Letters to Jim, you'll know it is stuff I might send to him.  There won't be any of that mushy stuff and crying and wailing...just general stuff.
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Therefore, right now, here is 
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LETTERS TO JIM, #1
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I have these 2 big red, 5 gal. gas cans that I use here at the house for lawn mowing, etc.  They are fine cans - red - heavy when full.  The trouble has to do with the spout. Both spouts are somewhat broken and leak when used.  If I put gas in the mower - well, I am putting gas on the concrete.  I try to limit the amount of spilled fuel - tough job.
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Heading to town today - I decided to stop at Walmarts and buy a new can.  Red, hopefully, 5 gals, with a working spout.  Walmarts  (yes, I know it is Wal*Mart) has no 5 gallon cans.  They have a slew of 1 gallon but no 5 Gs.  Wellsir, our Walmarts is remodeling right now - maybe they just haven't put them out.  
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I leave.  My next stop after a delicious meal at CiCi's is our Home Depot.
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I looked and looked.  There are no 5 gallon cans in H.D.   a MOST helpful attendant drifted by with the "can I help you find anything?"  I asked about the 5 gallon cans.  They had a slew of red one gallon cans.  He said, "We had a run on five gallon gasoline cans."
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I marveled  (but didn't mention my previous stop at Walmarts).
"Why," I asked, "why now; it's almost the end of the season."

"Down South," he projected.  "They are getting them to go South."

Yep, that makes sense.
Houston and area is being swamped by Hurricane Harvey.  The people heading home are taking an extra 5 gallons of gas home - just in case.
later,
m
a little P.S.   HEB does not have any of my preferred cheap sandwich bread.  None.  I figure it is in a truck heading for Houston.  I bought a hunk of garlic bread instead.  I am looking forward to warming it up in the oven.

O Mister Moon

Feb 9,2017  (2nd post of the day - shorter than previous one)
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I was raised in Levelland for most of my life.   My wife & I met in JHS and have survived together for all the years since then.
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Levelland was a fairly large high school in those days.  Actually, it was fairly small, but we thought we were big.  We had band and choir.  I was in choir my 2nd half of my senior year.  And, I was in choir during other years.  Our director was Ralph Benningfield.  He was a nice gent with a great deal of patience.  The choir was probably okay.  Who can remember??
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I do remember that he decided to do a musical each year.  One year, we did Captain Crossbones.  A story about a sea captain, his henchmen, and "getting" the girl.  I had one line.  It had something to do with calling him "Chief" and so forth.  I froze up and barely got the line out.  Brother Jim was one of the other henchmen.  That pretty much is all I remember.
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Another year, Mr Benningfield decided to do a variety show to "showcase" the choir and other school groups.  The 3 M's performed something.  (Metze, Metze, & McKay)  One particular scene and the reason for this post was in front of the curtain.  There was a backdrop created which had little round windows.   Two rows of gray folding chairs were put by each window - Imagine, if you can, an airplane, a passenger airplane with little round windows.
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Using this as a prop, different individuals or groups of individuals would rise from the passenger seats and sing something.
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I cannot remember the kid's name.  He was a skinny frail little kid who did not run with the popular crowds at all  - this kid stood up, looked out the fake window and recited his line,   
"I see the moon."   At this point I got up and sang a song about the moon.  I think it was "Oh Mister Moon, Moon, Bright and shining moon"  Maybe not.
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Well this kid, who still goes unnamed by me,  had a speaking problem.   Everytime he said his line, it came out,    " I Tee Da Moon. "   Snickers abound.  There was no compassion.   He was really a nice guy and respected enough that nobody made any loud comments.  Well, the 
"I Tee Da Moon" has stuck with me all these years.
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I have often wondered why Mr. Benningfield didn't change the line to something like,
"Look, the Moon."
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added note:  Mr. Benningfield was our church choir director at the Methodist Church.  He nursed the adult choir through many a Sunday morning song.  We had Sunday night services in those days.  The Youth made up the evening choir.  We would have a youth meeting, then go down the hall for a 30 minute rehearsal.  Imagine taking teenagers and learning a new song every Sunday evening.   Afterwards, we had what was called "After church recreation"  over at someone's house.   Kum Ba Yah seemed to always make its appearance at that time.
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When Mr. Benningfield died, it just so happened that I was in Levelland as well as my 3 brothers.  We all sang in the choir at his funeral.  All of a sudden they had a strong bass section. One of his two sons came by and made nice comments later.
It was good.
mtz

grand grand grand reasoning

Feb. 9, 2017
Me thinks I have figured out why I don't write more here.
1.  I never get feedback.  I write to myself?  Sometimes my daughter Laura makes a comment to me - she is always nice about it.
2A.  When I finally croak, what happens to the blog and the previous writing?  I read in yesterday's paper that the odds are 1 in 2 billion of living to 116 years old.  That's not in the cards I rather think.  
2B.  Originally, I mused - thought - pondered - that I was writing to my grand girls and their children so they would know their grandfather (and grandmother).  Now, I believe that is not the way it will work.  I croak.  The blog goes unseen; nobody ever visits it.  The money doesn't get paid to continue it.  Poof.  Magic.  Zipper. All gone.  Memories cease.
3. I am writing this to myself right now.  My opinions don't really matter, especially if your opinion is different from mine.  I am not going to persuade anyone to take my suggested pathway.  Why should you?  
4.  My little Sadie is on the back porch right now in 50 degree weather barking to come back into the house.  She turned one year old a couple of weeks ago.  Her voice is heard.   Her voice is being ignored.   I shall pause to let her in.  She's a good girl - a bit of a she-devil, yes.  But, her voice needs to be heard when she thinks it is important.
(paused)
5.  I let her in.   I asked Oscar if he'd like to come inside to the warm too.  He looked at me; he looked over his shoulder and saw a squirrel.  He ran after the critter with Sadie bounding after - following his lead.  You see, while her voice needed to be heard, she only says a few things.   
"In," "Out," "Eat," "Oooo another dog," "Ball," "Gotcha," "Bye-Bye," "Who me?" "Cookie," "Chew stick,"  "Pit," and/or "SQUIRREL!!!"  Most of her words sound the same.
6.  A local banker was featured in the our newspaper last week.  He has written a book about his life in banking and growing up in small town Oklahoma.  He recites that the book was written for his grandchildren's grandchildren.  
         This guy gets it - or being FRUM Ok-lee-homa, he GITS it.  A blog doesn't do the work.  It cannot do the work.  He has a website I think called something banker dot com.
7.  What to do?  I would like to be remembered by someone.
8,  I could print all of my blugs and bound them with future unwritten bluggys.  I could pass that on to a grand child - maybe print hundreds of copies bound in bright blue leather.  Sell them on Amazon.
9.  Ask yourself this - unless you are one of the few special folks - what did your great great great grandfather do?  How did he live?  From where did he come?  There must have been a wife and children?  HERE'S THE GOOD ONE:  did he own slaves?   was he a slave or indentured servant?  did he rob banks?  did he burn witches in Salem?  was he in the Civil War -  or better, did he fight with Napolean?  did he pal around with John Wilkes Booth?  So many questions and no answers.   
10.  I can tell you right now, he did not write a blog, nor did he print out hundreds of copies of his autobiography encased in a beautiful bright blue leather binding.
11.  Reading this week in the February copy of National Geographic, there is a lengthy article on booze and its beginnings.  They can take it back 8,000 years B.C. and find residue of beer.
If there are 3 generations of people per every 100 years (hypothetically) and you go back 8,000 years,  you had a grandfather drinking beer from a gourd.   
12.  3 times 8,000 is 24,000 grandfathers who have come since then (many drinking beer) in order for you to pop Miller Light - I don't drink, so I have a slight problem relating to this.  They did not have diet Coke 8,000 years ago I would surmise.
Now I could sit here and type in the word "grand" for you 24,000 times.  No, I won't.  
grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, grand grandfather...
Isn't Copy/Paste wonderful.
It boggles the mind.  Your and my grandparents survived all those years, climbing down from the trees in Africa, moving across the middle East, journeyed across Europe - unless of course they turned and went to China or Australia or the good ole USA.  ALL THESE YEARS.  And I sit here writing a blog for my own grand children that never will be read.
13. No I am not depressed.  I am hungry.  It is almost noon.   I have done my part to regurgitate the human race for future beer drinkers.  My process of thinking will figure out what to do for my grandgirls.   Perhaps, you have a suggestion.
14.   Had to write a #14; couldn't stop on unlucky #13.  My boys Oscar and Bruno turned 8 years old yesterday.   I cut up a bit of smoked meat for them (and the other 3).  We howled "Happy Birthday To You" as the meat disappeared.  It should reappear in the Pit today.  It was a  GRAND" time and nobody worried about tomorrow.
See ya guys,
Mtz

so cold

Jan 6th  2017

It is soooo cold outside.  The dogs still have to go outside to do their business.  And, being a good father figure, I wear my big coat outside to encourage each one's participation.   So Cold.  Cutting Wind.

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I might add that it is 25 degrees here south of Dallas.   Amarillo has 17 degrees.

My wife's little bro lives in New Hampshire - It is 29 degrees up there.   It is warmer in New Hampshire than it is in Texas.  Go Figure.

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Obviously it is time for a big pot of homemade Chili...

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Or, a cauldron of Green Chile Pork Stew...

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Or, a nice big bowl of Beef Stew...

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Or a big helping of chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup and nuts.

Comfort Food.  

(With a shout out to bro Jim who prefers cherry vanilla.  another "Go figure")