The surpassing of the master

 As the father to four children, I frequently enlisted their help, willingly and unwillingly, when doing various projects around the house.  They would hold a flashlight (usually pointed in the wrong place), pass me tools, and hold fasteners until needed.  My oldest son is apparently still traumatised by the flashlight duty that he performed, because he posts memes about it on social media.

The other day youngest son and I went to our church to assemble a metal locker to be used by my wife's knitting club at the church.  I brought my tool bag filled with screw drivers, cordless drill, pliers, crescent wrench, tape measure, but no flashlight.

While I was still examining the directions, youngest son armed himself with a cross tip driver and went to work.  Soon I was reduced to holding the scews for him and holding my cell phone to light up his work.

It struck me right there that I was filling the role that the children had done for me those many years ago.

At !east I pointed the light in the right direction.

In Praise of the Library

 Growing up, one of my best treats was a trip to the local library.  It was in the next town over from the small suburban borough where I lived, so I was dependent on a ride from my parents to get there.

I'd clatter up the stairs, past display cases filled with relics from the Civil War incluing GAR badges and caps, and into the children's section.  There I was introduced to science fiction by Robert Heinlein, and to the Tom Corbett-Space Cadet series.   I could spend hours there, searching for books and looking at the stereo card collection with a genuine stereo card viewer.

Moving on in life, I've always had at least one library card in my wallet ( today I have cards in three different library systems but don't tell, they might get jealous).  A library is a must for a community and a good library is a blessing.

More recently I've started attending the monthly book club meeting at the local library with the Missus, an hour for the attendees to discuss a book or books that each has read (in an allocated five minutes per person please).  Despite being outnumbered 20 to 1 by the female attendees, I've always felt welcome.  The two library ladies not only do book stuff, they do craft sessions, make pet toys for the animal shelter, do seasonal celebrations, a veterans day 'Talk With a Veteran" event, and today provided snacks, sausage balls (yum!), cookies, and small presents to us book people!  The library ladies are awesome.

I love my library!

Emergency!

 Over a month ago and in the early morning I was struck with rapidly intensifying chest pains, vomiting, and fainting (not necessarily in that order).  It got so bad that the Missus called 911 and before I knew it, 4 firemen and 2 paramedics were in my bedroom.

I ended up being transported to the local hospital and then admitted to a second one for various heart tests. At this point they don't know the cause of the big show.  But that's not the point of this post.

What I was struck by was the calm, caring, and very professional attitude shown by everyone I came in contact with during my journey through the medical process.  Despite being the middle of the night the first round of staff were chipper, friendly, and very responsive. Who can be so awake at 3 a.m.?  The follow on day shift nurses and doctors were equally so.

The Missus was wonderful and caring, responding to the crisis with efficiency and staying by my side.  Sons and daughter gathered at bedside, and younger daughter checked in from the west coast.

It is at times like this that I am reminded how lucky we all are that we have people who want to help strangers like myself.  

I am doubly lucky to have such a loving and caring family.  We don't know what we have until it is put on the line.

Thanks to all.

Wordle as a Personality Test

 The Missus and I recently discovered Wordle.  For the three people in the world not familiar with Wordle, I will elaborate:  Wordle is an on-line game provided daily for free (yay!) By the New York Times (boo!).  In this game, you are given six attempts to guess a five letter word.  Proper names are not allowed but sometimes slang is.  The game keeps track of how many times you guess the word correctly (winning streak) and how long the previous streak was (in my case, 23).

It is interesting to see how the end goal (maximize the streak) is approached by the two of us.  The Missus, being very competitive, has a main goal (the winning streak) and a secondary goal (correct guess in as few guesses as possible).  Me on the other hand, being both a grouch and risk adverse, wants to not lose.  To me, a correct guess, even in six tries, is a win.  And a win is a win at the end of the day.  I will use chances to find and exlude letters even if it means using words thst I know aren't correct.

Whose strategy is best?  I would like to say mine, but she has longer winning streaks.  Maybe she's just smarter than I.   I do come up with some pretty obscure albeit not correct word guesses.  That must count for something!

New puppy plus 4 years

 Last time our puppy was mentioned was 2020.  She is now 4 and is named Nessie! She is the world's smallest collie and the most loving.

Hello to the Missus

 The Missus told me that she sometimes checks this blog, the one I haven't even looked at for some years, so this a hello to her.

Perhaps I'll start contributing again!

Snow Day!

Here in temperate and rainy central North Carolina it doesn't snow much or at least for the two years we've been here.  The previous snow fall was 14 months ago but the 'snow drought' was broken this week!

After much hoopla and anticipation the steady rain that had been falling gradually turned to sleet and then actual snow late in the afternoon.  By that time the schools had closed and the offices and shops had emptied out as everyone streamed to Food Lion to pick up the obligatory NC disaster food: Milk, Bread, Eggs.  The 11 p.m. news showed empty food shelves as panicked pre-Apocalypse persons had already picked those three food groups as their items of choice to survive the coming snow-pocalypse.

We of course ventured out for our usual nightly walk and found blowing snow, slushy roads, and a biting 32F wind.  What was this, the Great White North?

Even though the temperature was 28F when we got up, some of the snow had already started to melt off from last night.  The ground and pavement was still warm so the snow was fighting a losing battle to stick around.  Our morning walk was pretty though.

Kerby found that doing her business in the snow was not what she had signed up for when she agreed to come to NC with us but finally was brave enough to try it.  Such is the dog's life!

Puppy Pic!

Cute Puppy Alert!

Our puppy is now six weeks old and no name yet.   In the running:

Skye, Nessie, Penny, Penne, Dexie.

No one but me like Nessie.  We better pick a name soon because in 2 more weeks she will be here!

The Count Down Begins....

Today was my last day at work for some time but not my last day of work.  I'm going into semi-isolation for the next week and a half before my prostate cancer surgery to shield myself from colds and the flu.  My immune system is compromised so I'm trying to stay away from the folks at my job site that seem to be constantly coming down with some sort of respiratory sickness.

Starting Monday I'll work from home, so I bought my laptop, keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, chargers, paperwork, work cellphone and cellphone charger.  These are the modern equivalent of my sword and shield and with them I am prepared to do battle (remotely) on my employer's behalf.

The folks at work were nice and wished me best of luck and a swift return.  It was nice to hear their good wishes.  I hope I don't let them down by being nervous or wimpy when the time comes to get cut open.

More to follow....

Puppy Love

Because our lives aren't about to be complicated enough with my impending surgery and recovery, we've decided to amp things up with a new puppy in the house!

The Missus has always wanted a rough Collie (since little girl times).  Our current dog was one of three, then one of two, and is now the only dog in the house (except when I'm in the dog house) and she  loves having a doggie friend around to run and play with, when a grand dog comes for a vist.

So, we started the search for a puppy and last fall got on as list for a pup at a kennel about 1.5 hrs from home.

Puppies were born in January and we picked out this one from the litter.  Her kennel name is Destiny but right now Penny is leading in the voting for a permanent name.

It's been 8 years since we've done the puppy thing.  Hope our skills aren't rusty!

She arrives on February 29 so stay tuned.

Even Older and probably No Wiser

Hey!

Anyone still reading this?

I dropped by to see what's happening here.   Would you like an update?

Since my last post we've:

Moved to North Carolina

Been through 3 hurricanes

Taken two cruises

Visited 7 countries

Celebrated two Christmases

Bought a new car

Got a job

Invited a rough collie puppy to join our family

Found out I have prostate cancer

Scheduled prostate surgery

Lots of other stuff happened too but these are the highlights.

Perhaps I'll be back to write some more.

Stay well Grouch fans!

The squirrel gang

Our lovely back yard is host to all sorts of cute wildlife.  We have a multitude of birds such as finches, California scrub jays, mourning doves, even some east coast robins have visited over the years!  Quail join us too as do rabbits and Disney cute brown ground squirrels.

Recently the Missus planted two Dahlias: a red one and a yellow one.  I had just done my shoulder operation so the Missus and Young Son dug the holes, moved the dirt and gently laid the flowers in place.

They bloomed and thrived and all was right in the world.  Until the Missus noticed that something was biting the buds right off of the Dahlias.  Not only that, the rose bushes were being stripped of their leaves as was the poinsettia!

We first blamed insects.  Of course the hapless insects always get blamed.  I can just see them now, at the insect bar having a brew with the snails and slugs saying 'you hear we're getting blamed for the Dahlia buds?  Again with the buds?  Why I wasn't even in the neighborhood that day...'

Then we noticed a new squirrel in our back yard.  It was thin and shifty looking.  Gray with a long skinny tail.  More menacing than cute.  Then another, and another!  Soon we realized a gang had moved into our back yard.  The gray squirrel gang.

Just seeing them cued music from "West Side Story".  They were either the Sharks or the Jets; I couldn't tell which.  They undoubtedly had a switchblade concealed in their fur somewhere.

The Disney-cute brown squirrels fled.  The Grays ate everything in sight.  We put fencing around the plants and they tunneled under.  I buried the fencing below the ground and they tunneled over 20 feet to reach one of the Dahlias!  I sprayed animal repellent everywhere.  They laughed.  The Missus spread cayenne pepper everywhere.  They shrugged.

I didn't want to do it but I had to do it:  the bird feeders were taken down but we left the finch feeder in place.  Apparently squirrels don't like thistle seed.

The poor birds wondered what happened to their free lunch and left for more lucrative yards.  One morning after several days sans feeders the Grays didn't show up.  Nada.  They had moved on.

About a week later the brown squirrel came back, cautiously, tentatively checking the territory.  He got a sniff of the pepper and shook his head and ran off but he came back the next day to poke around.

These days the Dahlias and rose bushes are thriving and the mourning doves and quail decided they like the thistle seed dropped by the finches.  The rabbits are back to grazing on the grass and the insects are no longer being slandered.   And the Grays?  They've moved on to terrorize someone else's flowers...for now.  

Update to the update!

Since my last post:

1. House is sold to a nice young couple with two little boys.  They are calling our house their "forever house".  My eyes misted up at this.

2. I visited NC and picked a house that the Missus can accept.  2400 sq ft on a 1.5 acre lot for less than half of what our current house is selling for.  I also got to visit with Oldest Daughter and family.  What a great time!

3. Youngest son found an apartment and moved most of his stuff out today.  Still some stuff left but in the next couple of weeks he will be living 52 miles from us.  I am proud of him but so very sad to see him go.  Our baby!

4. We are having dual home inspections today on both properties!  Hope neither inspection turns up any issues. 

 Such a sad time but also an exciting time.

Home for Sale update

We currently have three offers on Grouch estates!  Our agent is going to call us tonight from his poker game to tell us if offer #3 is the winner.   Stay tuned.

Goodbye "Code Black"

The season finale for "Code Black" was a tear-jerker of the first water.  Both the Missus and I were dabbing our eyes and sniffing as many relationships were healed and the series appeared to be wrapped up and saying goodbye.

We have always enjoyed this show even with the sometimes gross surgical procedures and horrific injuries that the staff of Angels Memorial in Los Angeles contended with every Wednesday night right on our TV screen.

We're happy that the show was able to do a true finale and bring happy closure to the open issues in the lives of the series regulars.

We'll miss you.

Home for sale!

Because our home is now for sale I find myself checking Zillow and Redfin several times a day to see how many 'saves' and 'likes' we've achieved.   I'm excited to see the saves and irritated at the three 'X' we've gotten on Redfin.  The nerve of some people!

The number is still going up which is a good thing and so far we've had 4 agents with clients look at it plus a well attended open house.  Now we need an offer and a contract so we can go back to our usual 'casual' living style!

Leaving the nest

The Missus and I traveled with Young Son to Pasadena this evening to look at an apartment that he is interested in renting before we sell and move to NC.

He was excited about the prospect of having his own place and I am excited for him but sad and a bit apprehensive too.  He's not been on his own before and the task of being a single man in the world is something that he will have to grow into. 

The next hurdle will be figuring out how to get his bedroom furnishings plus the couch, table/chairs, and bookcase that we are passing along to him from her to a second floor apartment with only a tiny elevator to hold the stuff.  Stay tuned for updates!

Moving On

The process to sell Grouch Estates and move east has begun.

The de-cluttering whirlwind hit us on Monday and now the house is about 60% empty.  Stuff has been tossed, donated or moved into storage pending the sale.  The house echos now.  Some of the echos are from our 30 years of memories.  No house besides my childhood home holds as many memories as this place.

Today the pictures were taken for the listing while the cleaning crew was here!  It was quite the dance to coordinate the photographer's efforts with the cleaners.

Tomorrow the carpet cleaner show up as well as the sign for the front yard.

Sunday is the open house and when we visit the potential apartment for Young Son to move to.

It is all almost too much at once.  Poor Kerby the best dog in the world can't understand what is happening to her life.  I think the Missus feels the same.

Guess I better find us a house to move to!

Getting humbled

So, because of my shoulder surgery I have been sidelined from doing the home gardening.  I have always done the grass and bushes at our various homes.

 When I was in high school I had a burgeoning lawn service that I ran for a select group of clients who brought me more business by word of mouth.   I also cut the home grass, attacked the grass and honeysuckle vines on the hill behind the family abode with a sickle, raked the enormous amounts of leaves that the oak and maple trees dropped in the fall and generally made myself useful outside of the house.

I couldn't even escape grass duty when I went off to the Army.  When the Grouch family moved into government housing in Germany I volunteered (because no one else would do it) to cut the grass around our apartment building.

Here at Grouch estate there are slopes around the house to weed-whack, grass to cut and trim and trees to trim too.  I've done it for 30 years here in sunny SoCal.

So anyway, no grass cutting and trimming for me due to my surgery.  Young Son and the Missus have stepped up to cut the grass but they aren't checked out on the weed-whacker so the slopes were getting unruly. 

We're putting the house on the market so I had to sub the work out.  Oliver the gardener showed up  this past Friday when it was literally 117F.  He labored for at least 4 hours and when he was done everything was dress-right-dress, cut, trimmed, edged, and weeded.  I have never in my life done such precise work.  And he raked everything up, filling both of our giant green waste barrels. 

I supplied him with water and the Missus handed over an ice cold Pepsi while he worked.  The heat bothered him not at all.

I am amazed and humbled at the extent of his work and I realize now I have been a gardener poser all of my life.  This seems to be something best left to the professionals.

At least until I get to Grouch estate east and I get to buy and use a riding lawn mower!

Hey, it's me again!

Hi there, Grouch fans!

So I guess it has been awhile since I've checked in. Some things have happened since we last visited with each other:

The Missus and I went on a Caribbean cruise for a week in which we piloted underwater scooters -    the Missus was very brave

             And we visited the only Star Wars themed museum in the Caribbean - on St. Maartin

 I turned 64 in April

 I had rotator cuff surgery on my left (dominate) shoulder so I learned how to do everything with          my right hand.  Thank goodness older son gifted an electric toothbrush to me for this very purpose

  The Missus, Young Son and I spent the weekend in the Danish heritage town of Solvang and ate        scrumptious Danish butter cookies!

https://www.solvangusa.com/

 We started the process to pack up the house and put it on the market July 15.  We'll be moving across the country to North Carolina.

There, now we're caught up!