Mystery

-----for those who read all my blogs, in this case the one yesterday titled--"The Day After--", I would like to report that I DID check out the other major supermarket here in Los Angeles, (Gelson's) and THEY too, did not stock frozed Cauliflower/W cheese sauce???---I could be wrong but this use to be a fairly regularly stocked item in all so called supermarkets---now nowhere to be found??----are the major supermarkets denying us accessibility to what we should have----or dictating ----"you vill eat the broccoli and LIKE it---!!"----???? (is somebody hoarding Cauliflower and causing a shortage or what?---know for a fact the government has a surplus of cheese just from underwriting the dairy farmers to buy up milk and keep a floor under the price of milk---and yeahhh I know---why the HELL DOES milk cost so much??, but today lets stick to Cauliflower ---wonder what Hillary and Brack's position on Cauliflower is??)

Sign In Mystery Guest----??

Those who have looked are familiar that underneath my wordy blog inputs one can see a map of the united states ---which reflects by lil flags whose looking at my page---between my immediate family and family of wives and husbands of my nieces and nephews had pretty much got the both East and West Coasts covered---suddenly wham I now see got input (somebody checking out my blog) from what appears to be Kansas------wow, both coasts and now the middle of the USA too---makes me kinda well ----"National"?? (blush) (ahh, you sure this is how Will Rogers got started guys?

----moving right along----

---today boys and girls GOG has discovered WWW.Photobucket.com----and all the fun lil widgets one can put on one's page----eeeeeeehawwwww!!!---LIFE IS GOOD!!

The Day After

Greetings all----I survived another B-day. (sorry for those of ya who bet the wrong way on that) The LP had a great pizza delivered, and the champagne was cold---and literally evaporated in one's mouth----yum. I had the brains to take two aspirin before calling it a night, so awoke as I am prone to do at 6am---clear headed, and a heavy need for hot coffee. It being a Tuesday, I was the first one at the Sherman oaks coffee and debating Society (SOCDS) meeting , and working on my second cup before others began to arrive.

Leaving the SOCDS a bit earlier than normal, made my wait to our local Ralphs Supermarket to do the LP's grocery shopping. I must say that shopping at our local Ralph's store has become something of an adventure these last few weeks, in that the store is remaining open and doing a complete renovation at the same time---nothing is where it use to be---its structured chaos---one merely has to have fortitude, and perambulate up and down every new isle, (moving around the work in progress as necessary), and one my one find the items on one's shopping list----which in the case of the LP's list is yet another challenge. The kid has nothing to do but watch cooking shows, and compose his shopping list accordingly---and then sending me to the store looking for such items as PB dough, and other mystery items-----and you can't imagine the wild discussions we have had over the differences between Yams as compared to Sweet Potatoes---.
(for those of you who hasn't figured out what PB dough is----its the Lil Prince's shorthand spelling for Peanut Butter Cookie Dough)---learning that took me the better part of 30 minutes and the humiliation of actually asking for direction from one of the store clerks. (needless to say I won't forget what PB Dough is NEXT time it shows up on the list). I am not complaining here boys and girls (having just past my allotted 3 score and 10, that automatically makes everyone younger than me ---so I can say things like that---)---Jerry, in his own indubitable fashion, is teaching me how to be a better cook and definitely a wiser shopper and I thank him for that. (wow, so THAT's a Shitake Mushroom----wow!!)

Todays list howver was quite simple, he biggest problem was trying to find cauliflower with cheese sauce----couldn't find it at Ralph's, so substituted Brussel Sprouts in Butter Sauce---(hey he didn't throw anything at me, so guess I did okay on that) Tomorrow after the SOCDS meeting ,will see if I can find cauliflower with cheese sauce at Gelson's---if not there, will go to Vons, ---surely somebody has cauliflower with cheese for sale??

Its A Dancing Jester Day today

Back from the Monday meeting of the Sherman Oaks Coffee&Debating Society---(making the world safe for democracy). Now here I am blogging on auto-pilot----I think I feel a thought coming on------wait for it!!??-------nope, sorry, just a silly muscle twinge. My good friend Midge was kind enough to give me a fun birthday card, one of them new fangled ones, where when ya open it,it plays music----the tune in this one was "Shout"----and now I got that tune flitting through my head and can't get it out-----(make it stop mommie!!)---makes me kinda feel like the dancing Jester icon I got on the page to the right----.

This evening, normally, this being a Monday, it would be MY night to prepare the evening meal---but in that its MY birthday today---the Lil Prince will be giving our traditional birthday party dinner---ordering in Pizza and having champagne. (yeahhhh! lets hear it for champagne!), and with that we will have (compliments of netflics) an oscar award winning movie--"No Country For Old Men"-----it just don't get no better than that!!

Have started the lastest book form Eric Flints "Ring of Fire" Series, this one titled "Ring of fire II". In the forward of this book the author makes reference to two more novels in the series that are due to come out soon, if not already-----so can look forward to those. Actually can't believe I am so into this Sci-fi series---my normal reading is in the venue of "Who done-its", my goal is to read all of them in the library so have been working the list of Mystery writers alphabetically, primarily those authors that have published more than one book, being the avid ready (I said AVID, not RABID)---I uusally have six or seven books from the library laying around. Hey beats watching television. ----well more later-----stay tuned sportfans

----Seems I Have Rippled The Blogging World Somewhat

I was fully immersed in my latest book "The Grantville Gazette III" (another in the "Ring of Fire" series written and edited by Eric Flint---when the LP hollered at me to inform me I had a phone call----twas from Judi,--- (That's Judi, of the famous blogging page "SCRAPPIN FROM BLUEFIELD RANCH" ----back from a successful fun junket to Laughlin,Nevada. She wanted to inform me that my "Blogging page" has become somewhat the talk of the local blog network, with one complaint. ----many had wanted to lay a comment on my blog but not being in the blog network were unable to do so---SO-O-O!! I have hopefully got into my settings and corrected them to allow comments to be made by those who enjoy reading blog, but have not as yet started their own blog page, these people should be able to click on the "anonymous" sender and it should get posted. I look forward to reading the comments you all might have----and feel free to critique my inputs as you feel necessary. From time to time you will no doubt see new bits and gadgets on my page---I bore easily---so delete and add stuff as the mood strikes me---kinda have it in mind that Blogging is not all that different than Stripping----anybody can strip , so to stand out from the crowd-- ya gotta have a gimmick-----so looking for new gimmicks all the time here. (damn its after 3PM , definitely time for a cold brewski----LIFE IS GOOD)

HEY Just expressing myself here

Coffee is made, the sun is shining, life is good----but then its early yet. Here's a thought. No doubt you all have heard how come next Febuary the entire television broadcast system will stop broadcasting in analog and only broadcast in High Definition digital. So if one wants to watch tv on their current old fashion analog sets off the traditional attennea on the roof, once needs to procure a converter box. The goverment has put in place a system so that all who ask can get coupons worth 40 dollars with which to buy the required converer box. Needless to say I have applied for my coupon, and expect to receive itg sometime late in May. In anticipation of receiving it, I paid a visit to my local Circuit City store. Sure enough they have the converter boxes----priced at $60, use my coupon and I will be out of pocket for the difference---plus taxes . So come febuary, I will get the new super fine digital signals, converted and shown on my old analog set------life goes on----now if only the government could mandate and improvement in the quality of the television programs being offerred------(sigh) Thank goodness Jerry and I have signed up with Netflics and if all else fails we have the 600 plus movie cassettes of old movies we have watched since we were little kids. and of course there is the Library.

----LATER IN THE DAY---

OKAAAY forget the macaroni thing-----shoot ANYBODY can make macaroni and cheese (like hello all that takes is macaroni, cheeze and a microwave!!---sheesg)---No tonight sports fans the dinner is gonna be PORK CHOPS---cooked in a bag marinated with orange preserves, cooked in a bag---along with the ever popular escalloped potatoes---and whole green beans---VOILA!! (to die for---). The dreaded macaroni and cheese has now been delayed to Monday----(sigh).

Moving right along---yes Virginia we did get ourselves a haircut, we did make it to the library,and picked up acouple more Sci-Fi things---(will get back to Murder Mysteries soon). Obviously from the above you know I made the grocery store scene---did the paper /plastic question (please no plastics for this boy).

Just another damn nice day here in Valley Glen, ---so now will abandon myself to the patio and finish reading Eric Flints "Grantsville Gazette III" and then move into "Ring of Fire II" all part of his original "1632" book . (note: if your not into sci-fi the Eric Flint "Ring of fire" series is not for you.----bye now---got this cold beer in the fridge calling me------

Once more into the breech we go-------damn the torpedo's--FULL SPEED AHEAD----oh damn, no, no-o-o waaaait a minute!!!?? (had to stop, forgot to get a fresh cup of coffee before starting) OKAAAY now where were we??----as yuou can see have been busy "pimping" my page, and experimenting with colors and layouts-----for those visiting this page there is a drawing pad at the bottom for doodling---so if your feeling creative---have a go at it. At the top of the page, just over the top of this blog input you will see news from Google, apple and Microsoft running, click on any of the subjects mentioned and get the full story.

Today being saturday, the old dude has to cook dinner tonight---we are going for the dreaded MacaronNCheese----and if I get to the damn store, will also have a small tossed salad with that, and if I don't get to the store, will have a side of mandarin orange slices----shoot, guess I really need to go to the store, almost outta beer too---can't let THAT happen.

Well now that I have convinced myself I need to go to the store, might as well also go to the Library, and also go get a haircut-----(does it ever stop??)

(get away from me blockhead or I'll throw a woodpecker on ya!!)

As the Sun sets in the west (as usual)

Well folks, as those of you who monitor my page with surprizing diligence---You now observed I have added a small banner to the head of my page----I suppose if I had wanted to impress would have done it in Latin---but thats not my style---just your small town ,barely eddicated , aw-shucks type here---and not comfortable being in the lime light----I exist primarily as on a few occassions them around me find me somewhat amusing. (now if I could just get em to supply me with Natural Light beer instead of the fancy names and ales they ply me with----(sigh).

Friday's Routine

Today, being a friday---the routine is to arise at the crack of dawn, dress and go out for coffee. I am of the habit of having my coffee at the small coffee area of the local Gelson's Supermarket. In the inter we sit inside by the fireplace, on nice days, we sit outside on the covered patio area. The "WE" I just made reference to is the gathering of the ShermanOaks Coffee & discussion Group of which I am a founding father of. Do not become overly impressed, as what I am talking about is old folks, set in our ways, having coffee at the same place four or five days a week. Been doing this now for about ---wow, gosh, almost 12 years now. People join the group for a while, then either move or fade away, replaced with new faces-----only Midge LeBelle and myself are left of the original group.-----Anyway fridays is Coffee at Gelsons, where we catch up and comment on the world situation, local politics, gossip , weather, and etc, etc----. I then return home, to make a pot of coffee for the Lil Prince who gets up around 10AM---and I put in acouple hours or so of computer time---balancing the checkbook, checking my stock portfolio , playing SIM City4, checking my E-mail, and of course blogging. Noon I get off the puter, (the LP gets on), and I take myself out on the patio to read.---Today I SHOULD go get a haircut, but I may just procrastinate and do it tomorrow----afterall, need to have SOMETHING to do tomorrow---besides water the lawn.

Are We Ever Ready?

we try to plan ahead, make allowances, save for rainy days (does it EVER rain in california?), and well you know what I am saying. Still, then it happens and it catches us so not ready----today it happened to me----had done the laundry, had a modicum of success playing on my blog page and then WHAM there it was---??? the dreaded "CHANGE MOUSE BATTERIES" sign----totally killed my mood---so underlined how weak and feeble we really are------in a single micro-second ---reduced to being a slave to our technology!!!----Needless to say I immediately, and obediently (like all well trained house slaves (not to be confused with the field laborers), changed the batteries.----I think this calls for a second cold beer------(not to mention add buy more batteries to the grocery list)

Wash Day, (must be Thursday again)

One thing about being retired, and away from the 40/wk grind-----all the days begin to look alike, the sun comes up in the east, and sets in the west, day after day after day. The point being after some time, one begins to not place any importance on just which day of the week it is--in that they all share equal booking so to speak. Today for example, its thursday, how do I know this you ask??---simple I did the laundry this morning, yeah the whole enchilada---got up, packed the dirty clothes into the big basket, dragged it out to the truck, added the box of soaps, and bleaches, and drove to the laundramat, stuffed the washers full (carefully seperating the whites from the coloreds, ---(and yeah girls, us men make better cooks too), walked a half block over from the Laundramat bought me a large coffee ($1.25), got in about 20 minutes of reading of my current Library book (1635 by Eric flint), ----did the fluff and fold bit, and drove back home, and Thats how my Thursdays go---if I am doing laundry KNOW it must be thursday.----and then like most days here I sit playing with the puter, and blogging my brains out---.

Can An OLD DOG Learn New Tricks?

Hey I figured out how to put a comment on Wendy's blog ----(eat your heart out Pete), and do have a pic of myself now on my blog (not really sure how I managed that----its a f*****g miracle I tell ya). So now how does one acquire LINKS??----or as I want to list em, "FunPlaces"----thats my latest mystery to unravel. Damn this blogging is starting to cut into my Library reading time, but hey----GOTTA BLOG!!! Stay tuned sport fans, will I or won't I learn to add links-----??

It's a Miracle I Tell Ya!!!

All men like to believe they know what they are doing and how best to go about doing things. (Its a guy thing, its a given like the Sun always coming up in the east.) So yesterday I am concentrating on how to insert a pic into my blog-----and getting no where with it----finally deciding that the system would only handle pics with up to xxxxx pixels in em, and the one ones I was trying to jam in were much bigger----. The sun comes up (again in the east), and I find myself once again sitting in the control chair, staring at the computer screen once more throwing my keen mind and family stubborness into the problem of getting apic into place. then suddenly, for no apparent reason, I find myself staring at a pic I had tried to install yesterday----I have absolutely no idea how it happened---its a Miracle I tell ya!!!---anyway now if ya look over to the upper right of my page here---you will see the old coot hamming it up for his Nephew Peter, while at Melanies Easter gayla------.

A PIC!!! My kingdom for a PIC-----!!!!

Most frustrating, I found a pic to put in my blog (of the families two OLDEST uncles), but the damn thing is to big to be uploaded into the blog system-----well gosh ya just know I tried to jam it in anyway---but failed. Back to the drawing board on pics---kinda envy all you guys with your fancy digital camera's---may have to break down and get me one.

Its just another damn nice day here in ValleyGlen, so when I finish this input, will grab me a cup of coffee, my current book by Eric Flint (I am reading his alternative history series ---its a kinda science fiction thing----but rather intriguing----its about a small town in W. Virginia, that gets zapped and is transposed back to Europe in the year 1632----in the middle of the 30years war (in case any of you remember the history you were taught---hmm? do they even teach history anymore in today's schools?), anyway that happens to be the title of the first book in the series "1632", and is followed by 1633, 1634, 1635, and then there are about five or six peripheal books giving side stories to the time frames listed -----I of course read them in sequence, and had to "order" the Library to collect them all for me------. I am a relatively good reader, at least as far as speed goes-----retention of the information I am reading is sometimes suspect, thus the experssion yo will hear me use from time to tome-------"OHH! I knew that!! being uttered a few seconds or a few minutes after somebody else mentions the fact in question. Not getting old, its just that I have this HUGE memory bank to sift throught to get the facts---(damn, I think I just called myself a fat head?)

Think now instead of grabbing a coffee, will make that a cold beer-----

no real excuses other than sloppiness---still mmmmph

new to editing here, and in my exuberance to express myself, along with poor typing skills errors occur---and am still struggleing with the edititing tools to correct mis-spellings----(sigh) ( SOPS----silly old people syndrome)

Ignorance is bliss

I am new to the blogging world, but am aware that one can do any number of things to one's blog page, ===change colors, add pics, and stuff---and if you notice I have added a little thing titled "This day In History"---wow everything you wanna know about the Red Baron, is featured today.

I want to take this time to say thanks for all the comments and kind words regarding my initial blog inputs---was kinda really impressed that even Wendy input a comment-----(have we ever met Wendy?---being the old guy I am, and you know how the family gatherings go-----I get confused easily?) Another comment pleaded for me to bring "game" to the blog world----not sure what my No. 1 fan has in mind there-----?

Then there is the matter of those silly lil tool icons on my side bars??---is that normal or what??---havn't found an explanation of what those are all about yet?

Still searching the immediate world to find a relatively current pic of yours truly---but my family appears somewhat reluctant to forward them to me----but then ---(sigh)---nobody LIKES ugly, so guess I can understand why so many pics were taken , but none seen afterwards.

One Must Walk First

We got troubles, troubles troubles, right here in River City, Trouble that starts with a capital T, and rymes with B, which stands for Blog!!!! Playing around with my page here and have kinda screwed it up and the moral of the story is a guy should learn to walk before he tries running---do not pass go, do not collect the $200 (sigh)----read the instruction manuels-----(thanks, I needed that!!)----so-o-o-o , time out for repairs, more to come later----

What to expect from this blog collection

So whats this blog sites theme you ask--?? I kinda suspect its gonna be mostly just a rambling mess of whatever might be flitting through this old guy's head. You KNOW how it is with us old folks,we get the bit between our teeth and run with it----might be pertinent, then again just mind numbing----about the old days back when there were dinosaurs. I might get into politics,gonna try and avoid religion. Could rant about movies, TV, and intertainment stuff---and when in doubt, we can discuss the weather----have I told ya about the big Storm of "77" back in Colorado?----anyway----this blog site is unpredictable, it will be whatever I am in the mood to post----its not like I have to read it now is it?

I Got Bored ------

It was a tuesday, minding my own business, and wham, the old "YOU GOT MAIL" announcement rings in my ear. (oh joy, oh happiness, oh shoot!!)---naturally I of course HAD to read it---I can leave phones ringing, but just gotta read mail---its one of my failings. Twas from my second oldest Nephews wife---Judi. She wished to alert me to her lastest passion ---BLOGGING!!

I of course had to check her blog site, and see just what all here excitement was about and oh my, the lady obviously loves to chatter-----. Unfortunately, her enthusiasm so permeated her blog, I found myself growing some one more green eyed than I normally am-----and the curiousity and yes the envy festered for acouple days, and okay so now here I am with my own blog site----can't let the younguns get to far ahead of us old folks, just far enough ahead if they fall in a hole, we know where not to step----.

Anyhoo---thanks for turning me on to blogging Judi------