My Life with Morry and Liz

I think when I move, I'm going to get a poodle. Not one of those yappy little fur balls, but a genuine, standard size poodle. People in Indiana make fun of poodles, but they are lovely dogs.

They are considered the most intelligent dog breed.

They can be working dogs, not just froo-froo pets.

They make excellent watchdogs.

They are good with children.

They are easy to train.

They don't shed much.



If it's a male I would name him Maurice Chevalier, but call him Morry. And if it's a girl, I'll call her Liz.

Maybe one of each. Morry and Liz sound like a fun couple.

Time on My Hands

I went shopping at the bookstore Saturday morning. The 1/2 Price Bookstore. I wanted to stock up on some paperbacks to read since TV stinks presently and promises to only get worse during the summer.

I bought one novel and I read it Sunday afternoon. I also got some used tapes that I'll enjoy at my leisure. Or not. You can't expect a whole lot from $1 movies, but I got Bogart & Hepburn in The African Queen so I got my money's worth.

I bought a book about tea parties that was mostly recipes, but still made interesting reading (and I gained 5 pounds just reading the recipes for cakes and cookies and scones that go well with a pot of tea.)

I found another cookbook (Easy Basics) that I wanted, but decided it was a little high for a used book and I'd check it out with my on-line book stores. Today I found it listed at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com, but it is out of print. The book got rave reviews and everybody said that were ticked that you couldn't buy it new anymore because their's is worn out. It probably won't be there when I go back.

Right now, I have to go watch TV. There are at least 3 programs and I want to see - all at the same time. Next hour there probably won't be 5 minutes, but so it goes.

Whether or not, it's still weather

Spring is gone before it ever got here. I know it's coming back next week, but I like things to happen in an orderly fashion. Winter, spring, summer, fall. That's how it's supposed to be, but the seasons don't seem to be cooperating anymore.

The world's climate scientists reported recently that the Earth's climate system is increasingly heating up and that it probably hasn't been this warm for at least 1300 years. I'm not a climate scientist, but I'm pretty sure that it hasn't been this hot in March in my life time.

It's 80 degrees here in Indiana today. It's hard to imagine that it could snow tomorrow, but it's Indiana s0 it could. It's not going to, but it could. Maybe next week. Or the week after.
Or not till next December. Weather is just a crap shoot in Indiana.

At least, that's what the climate scientists told me.

Bobbed hair isn't sinful anymore

I have been looking at new hair styles. My two favorites are "Spiky Bob" and "Curly Bob".

I'm trying to work those names into story lines. Spiky Bob could be a strung out rocker dude, or maybe a biker.

"That's Spiky Bob over there. He's the one you want to talk to," the bartender declared.

Jim slid off the stool and tossed a sawbuck on the counter. "Thanks."

"But he ain't gonna talk to you," the bartender grinned as he palmed the money before Jim could change his mind. "He hates cops"


Curly Bob would be a girl, a modern cowgirl, maybe an urban cowgirl.

Curly Bob bounced down the street, her hips swinging in the opposite direction of the fringe at the hem of her leather skirt. She knew heads were turning as she walked past. She smiled softly to herself and tossed her long, blonde hair flirtatiously.

Or a cowboy.

Curly Bob smiled shyly and tipped his hat, "Mornin', Miss Lily. Nice day for a buggy ride."

or

Curly Bob grinned at the sheriff, "Aw, shoot, Sheriff, I was just funnin' . I didn't mean no harm when I shot that hat off the drunk's head. How'd I know he was going to jump like a cat on a hot griddle and break a leg?"

How'd they do that?

This is fascinating! Just follow the instructions:

1. See the four small dots lined up in the middle of the figure? Relax and concentrate on them for about 30 - 40 seconds.
2. Now, look quickly at a blank wall near you. You should see a circle of light developing.
3. Blink your eyes a few times.

Do you see a face emerging? Whose face is it?

Dribble and Shoot

It's March in Indiana - that's basketball season, otherwise known as March Madness.

I'm not much in to sports, but I used to follow college basketball with my father. Actually, after he retired to Florida where I was living, we watched any sport that was on TV. My brothers weren't around and Dad was kind of bored, so I watched basketball, tennis, golf, curling, bowling, lacrosse, anything but football which is just boring 99.7% of every game. But, being Hoosiers, basketball was king.

After he died, I couldn't watch basketball any more. It just wasn't the same.

I started watching some of the games this week off and on and I have a question, when did the players start wearing culottes?

I'M STILL TARP AS A SHACK

Remember about a week ago when I wrote that I sent myself a brief message at work to remind me to do something there, but it was so brief I couldn't remember what I meant?

I REMEMBER! Sooner or later it all comes back to me.

I think I need a better filing system in my head.

For Her Eyes Only

I'm not a morning person. When I get out of bed in the morning, I don't turn on lights nor do I open my eyes any wider than necessary to avoid injury.

I'm still not feeling well. I have no energy or ambition. I haven't done laundry for over a week.

Those statements may not seem related, but they are germane to the following story.

This morning when I was getting dressed I reached in the bottom of my lingere drawer and pulled out a brasserie. I sat on the bed squinting at it for several minutes wondering why the cups were in the back before I realized it fastened in the front. I put it on and struggled with the hooks. One would think it would be much simpler than the regular hook-in-the-back style, but one would be wrong.

Firstly, there are about three times as many hooks.

Secondly, if you get the wrong hook in the wrong eye, you have to start all over again and re-hook it till the hooks and eyes come out even.

When I got it hooked correctly, I thought the cups fit nicely, but the back was riding up so I reached to adjust the straps.

Firstly, can anybody tell me why bra manufacturers would be so mischievious as to put the strap adjusters in the back for a bra that fastens in the front? Does that seem illogical to you?

Secondly, the straps were the so-called "comfort straps" which are not. They never are.

Without opening my eyes, I pulled the contraption over my head without touching the hooks, and dropped kicked it across the room.

If I had to struggle with one of these things in the morning, I'd never get out of bed.

Lunch Time

We (Denise, Stephanie, and me) went to Max & Erma's for lunch today because I wanted a loaded baked potato and salad. And we had cookies! They have a new cookie - White Chocolate Chip Macadamia. If you can't choose between the new cookie and the standard chocolate chip, you can get 3 of each.)

We ordered 3 of each, but the cook made a boo-boo so we got 6 white chocolate chip cookies AND 3 chocolate chip cookies. They were hot and gooey and SOOOOOOOOOOOO good.

We took the three extra cookies back to Michelle and Cheryl, but they wouldn't eat them so eventually Denise and I did. I was going to exhibit some control and take them home (since I paid for them), but as soon as Denise found out they were still on my desk she had to have another one and so an hour or two later I had to have one too.

And then before we left work, we split the last one. I did offer it to Stephie, but she declined. And we didn't ask her again.

By the way, speaking as cookie experts we recommend the White Chocolate Macadamia cookies. But save me one, or maybe two.

Down Memory Lane

Sometimes when I'm at home on a weekend, I'll think of something that has to do with work and I'll send an email to myself at work so I can forget about it while I'm at home. I usually just jot down a few words thinking that's all I'll need to remind me what I was thinking about.

Today when I got to work, I had an email that simply said "look up training". I just sat there staring at it because I had no idea what it means. I still don't know what I was talking about - I don't have any training at work that would need "looking up".

I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many times I've done that. I don't know why I think a few little words will be enough to job my memory. I can't remember anything, but I can still retain water.

Spring Ahead and Trip Over Stupid Ideas

I don't like daylight saving time. It annoys me. It irritates me. It ticks me off.

But nobody cares. Nobody cares that a lot of Hoosier hate DST. We have to endure it an extra month. Three extra weeks in the spring and one in the fall.

Politicians and their entourages claim that this is a good idea because of all the energy we'll save, but their decision was based on an old study that probably has little bearing on what we do today and some opponents claim it will increase energy expenditure. (I'm not making that up. The fact that it's just a stupid idea is enough for me.)

In a roundabout way it may be saving some energy: I'm fairly certain that the reason gas prices recently shot up has something to do with DST. That is my own theory. Not being privy to the conversations of the greedy guts that control the oil prices, I can neither prove nor disprove it. (But you know I'm right.)

This is the new picture on my dart board. We all know he had some really wacky ideas and was never quite right in the head after that ill-conceived kite flying in a thunderstorm incident.

In My Felt Fedora

I think I should change the name of this blog to "I still don't feel well." On top of the fatigue and malaise, my ears are still plugged from the plane trip a few weeks ago.

I realize that if I can't find a way to fly without the residual problems, I won't be able to do the research for the series of books I was planning, Midnight in Moscow, Midnight in Madrid, Midnight in Milan, etc. I will be stuck with writing about places I can drive to.

I have nothing against traveling to midwest cities, but honestly, does she look like someone you'd meet at Midnight in Muncie? What about Eight O'clock in Evansville or Four O'clock in Fort Wayne? Three O'Clock in Terre Haute?

Those name just don't have the same allure or conjure up images of sexy spies, whispered clues, mysterious shadows as remote, romantic European locales.

Hmmm. How do you look in an Indiana Jones fedora? Feel like taking a trip and staying up past your bedtime?

Supper time

I haven't fixed supper yet. I'm having leftovers, more or less. The baked penne pasta is left over and over and over. Last week I fixed spaghetti and meatballs. I had that two days in a row. Then I fixed penne pasta with meatballs. The next day I fixed Baked Penne with Meatballs. It made two small dishes so I ate one and put the other one in the freezer. That's what I'm having for supper.

I think it might be enough for two meals, but I can't tell. The dish is small but not real small and I'm having leftover broccoli and cauliflower with it. And Texas Toast. Then (because I'm still sick and I'm very self-indulgent when I'm sick) I'm having coconut cake and strawberry ice cream for dessert.

It's getting late though and if I don't get the leftovers warmed up soon, I'll only have time for cake and ice cream. Cake and ice cream. I can't remember the last time I had cake AND ice cream. I should get sick more often.

Patience is a virtue.

The temperature was over 50 degrees here in Indiana on Thursday. A hint of spring was in the air. You could catch a whiff of it every now and again on the rain and March winds. Much of the snow from the blizzard that hit here a couple of weeks ago had melted and the grass was greener than before. But ................

When I got up this morning and peeked out the window, I saw a blanket of snow covering the cars and the green grass. All signs of spring were gone.

Spring is like that here in the Midwest. A tantalizing tease. An alluring flirt. A hard-hearted Hannah. A deceitful little darling. Sun is mixed with snow; bone-biting winds with gentle, face warming breezes; sweet smelling rain with sparkling, but treacherous ice storms. This is spring in Indiana. Ice and blossoms at the same time.

As always, I want spring to come now.

Right now. I want to leave the cold and snow and gray skies of winter behind. If this is like years past (and with Indiana weather, nothing is predictable), I will search yearningly for small signs of spring. A robin, a crocus, a hint of green in a dogwood tree.

Patience is a virtue I lack. I will buy hothouse daffodils and bring them inside to remind me of what is to come. I will put away my winter coat, knowing it is too soon. I will venture south where spring comes a little earlier. Little things that make waiting for spring almost bearable, because this is springtime in Indiana.








Pictures courtesy of wilstar.com, a family-oriented website operated by an Indianapolis science teacher.

A Brief Note

I'm still sick. Are you tired of reading that? I sure am tired of feeling this way. I'm too sick to write much but I wanted to give you a cartoon about being sick to look at so I went to MSN search and put in "sick cartoons". Don't ever do that. Sick has more than one meaning, you know, and some of them are just sick.