I Feel the Need, the Need for... (not speed)

Henri "Papillon" Charriere (Steve McQueen)

I am in a crabby mood today. I didn't know why but then I looked at the calendar and realized that it is the end of the month (my time of the month). So, there is nothing I can do about the mood other than wait for my time to pass.

I am still eating mainly salads and fruits and vegetables. Occasionally I will have a corn tortilla or two. I am getting pretty creative with the salads and the tortillas. I suppose people throughout history lived only on gruel got creative with that too. Even in prison they probably add cockroaches or ants and such for protein. A mouse or a rat would be a wonderful change for these people I imagine. Kind of like being on Survivor probably. I, at least, add turkey or grilled chicken to my salads once in awhile. There is always giardiniera in them though - ALWAYS!

I saw that Donald Trump is declaring a victory over Fox News by not participating in the most recent Republican debate. I am not sure how that is a victory but everything he does is the biggest or best or UGE! I think this is just another thing he is doing to try to lose votes but it does not seem to be working. He says "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue (New York City) and shoot someone and I wouldn't lose any voters, okay!" That is not saying much about how he feels about his voters. I sincerely hope that people would not vote for someone who would do this. I cannot even imagining voting for a person who even said something like this. But, I venture to guess his numbers even rose. I have said, since the beginning of his campaign, that he wants the attention and headlines and probably tax shelters and he would throw the election. He won't quit, it seems, but his Kool-Aid drinkers seem to still be behind him. He cannot handle Fox News-person Megyn Kelly and we want him to handle some of the tough foreign leaders and foreign affairs?

Megyn Kelly is pretty frightening I suppose

We still have not recorded an new podcast yet. Life sure does get in the way of things. Maybe this weekend though the weekend seems kind of action-packed. I predict we record on Sunday?

I really have a hankerin' to do some live gambling. I think the last time I did any live gambling was in Prague. There are several places to that near here but I can never seem to find the time. I used to have large poker tournaments here at the house (for entertainment purposes only, of course) but it has been a long time. We would have 15 - 20 people here No-Limit Texas Hold'em games. The basement is now an exercise room, a recording studio and and a large bedroom. Plus the area in the back and in the partial crawl space for storage (holiday stuff and mementos along with four folded-up poker tables). I have always loved competition (sports, contests, games, gambling...). I am not sure if that will ever die in me, That is probably my number six most annoying trait - too competitive at times. I blame Drum & Bugle Corp and boyhood sports for that because it could not just be a trait in my DNA.

Okay, I feel better after writing though I am stuffed-up now. Great, now I am allergic to blogging. Thanks a lot for stopping by - I am always happy that you stop by. I am almost certain I will not blog tomorrow and, hopefully, we will record a new load of Dirty Laundry Podcast on Sunday and I will edit and upload that on Monday. But, who the heck knows? TTT I blog ya again...MITM (out) TA!

Gettin' My Move-On Again

Cha Cha and I have not been able to find time to record the new podcast this week. We uploaded the one last week and still hope to get one recorded, edited and launched this week but I would not hold my breath with you. It has been a crazy week. Cha Cha had a root canal and Splenda had her wisdom teeth out so far. Next week is another big week in the same sense so who knows what will happen?! Good thing that the podcast is free as is this blog or I would feel even more guilty than I do.

It is nice having Splenda here though she had hoped to head back south where it is warmer by now. She has a follow-up appointment with the wisdom teeth dude on Monday and then she will head back south where it is warmer sometime after that.

Yesterday I found time to do six miles. I have not moved quite that much in one time in quite awhile. When I was done, of course I was tired, but I also now have a large blister on the bottom of my foot. I am sure it is because I only have half a big toe on that foot (from a mishap when I was 17-years-old) and the socks and shoes rub weird after that long of a stretch. It might be that I should wear different size sock for each foot? My work boots, when I bought them a couple of years back. I did a switch-a-room and got a 10-1/2 for the right foot and a 10 for the left foot. I bet the guy who bout the reverse pair later was surprised that he right foot seemed to have shrunk. I sure did sleep like a baby last night though. I am not sure why we use that saying as babies don't normally sleep very soundly throughout the entire night. I should have used the "sleep like a log" thing. Or, does that have to do with snoring because that sounds like "sawing logs?" How about I slept like a hibernating bear?

I wish Jeff was more calm like Butkus so I could take him with me

Weigh-in day was yesterday and I lost another 3.4 pounds last week; that makes 16.2 LBS since December 29th. I guess that averages to losing just a bit over four pounds a week. I am fairly pleased with that; it also seems like a healthy rate to me. Cha Cha is doing very well also. I will not share her specifics as that is for her to do if she wishes. I will just say that I am very proud of her.

This morning I worked in the basement again. After getting the room done to allow more space for our new live-in guests that are coming soon I thought it would be nice to get a work-out room together again. So, now we have a work-out room down there too. We have lots of equipment: excise bike, treadmill, free weights and bench, weight machine, sit-up bench... We even have one of those sit-up chairs. I also have a television with a built-in DVD player and a VHS player in this new space. That made getting the room ready go faster too as I watched Braveheart and about half of The Big Lebowski. We have lots and lots of movies so I am sure work-outs will seem to go faster than they really do too. Yesterday I just listened to The Eagles station on my phone while pretending to be Rocky Balboa. I imagine it's tougher to watch videos when you are actually moving horizontally and not just running in one place on a conveyor belt.

Buy and stupid looking car or saving lives? Easy call for me!

I heard that they are going to begin producing the DeLorean DMC-12 again. That is the car that Marty McFly traveled Back to the Future in. I do not see that this car is very practical. I would probably change my mind on that if it actually traveled through time. With the doors opening like wings how could you get in and out in a typical garage? How could you park in a parking lot and open the doors without hitting the car next to you? Maybe they are just for wealthy people like Marty and Doc Brown? You would have to either park it outside or have a very large garage at your house. I just checked and they will cost "just under $100,000." I just if you paid that much for a car you probably have a barn-sized garage already. Who pays that much for a car unless you are a collector or a car museum or Donald Trump or a lottery winner? One car could feed an awful lot of hungry, malnourished people for quite awhile. This kind of thing sickens me when there is so much starvation and poor living conditions in this world. When I started writing this paragraph I thought it was pretty cool until I looked up the price for one car. Disgraceful.

Okay, I am going to stop now and eat my salad. Salad, chicken and fruit is pretty much all I eat these day. Good thing that I like those things. But, if I didn't, I don't suppose I would eat them would I? Thanks for stopping by again. I am not sure when I will blog again or when the next load of Dirty Laundry Podcast will be recorded, edited and launched but I will tell you when it is. Enjoy everything 'til I talk at you or to you again. TTT?...MITM (out) TA!

See, I Still Blog on Occasion!

One of the drawings provided to us by The Lost Sock (Cha Cha's Bro)

Well, it's been a week since I last blogged and, now that we have the first new Dirty Laundry Podcast show up I have a few days to focus on something else before we record again. Probably the easiest way to listen is to join the Dirty Laundry Podcast Facebook page and you will be alerted when a new show is available. You then can just click the link and listen while you blog or surf the interweb or do the dishes or drive... or, if you have an iTunes account, the shows are also available there. Since I have not used my iPod for a couple of years I just listen to it on my phone. I just talked wrote myself into clicking the link and am listening to the new load while I write this.

If you have listened to the show you know that I promised Cha Cha that I would start binge-watching Game of Thrones. In keeping my promise I watched season one episodes one and two yesterday on HBO GO. I will probably watch a few more episodes today. I was not surprised to learn that it is awesome and I love it. I just never wanted to watch an episode without watching knowing the character histories and such.

Today is our normal refuse (trash) pickup day but I was not sure if, since Monday was the day that we celebrated Martin Luther King Junior's birthday whether they would pick it up today or not. So as not to miss the truck I put it out last night in hopes that St. Trash Collector soon would be here. I hear the trucks rolling now and am glad that I put the refuse out. I am a bit sad that we call MLK Day a holiday (with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act as you may have heard about on a certain show that is, ones again, being shamelessly plugged).

Today is Fabio's birthday and he doesn't want us to say anything about it or celebrate it in any way. Please do not tell him that I even mentioned it in today's blog. I do agree that, when we get past ten or twelve celebrating birthdays is kind of silly. To be honest, I think it is even silly celebrating Jesus' birthday. If Jesus were here I know he would agree with me. We don't even give Christmas presents here anymore. We just do something fun as a family and make time to spend with one another. This past Christmas the four of us. and my parents, went to see the A Christmas Story play at The Paramount Arts Center in Aurora, IL.. Saving and spending time with one another is plenty for us now and really always was.

Today is also the anniversary of the day Heath Ledger died. He was a very talented young man and he seemed to be a genuinely kind and gifted person. I cannot imagine what he would have accomplished by now were he still among us above-grounders. I thought of him while I watched Game of Thrones as he was in a film with the man who portrays Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy).

HERE COMES THE POLITICAL PARAGRAPH though, who doesn't like to hear other opinions?

I am so happy that Sarah Palin has joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Campaign again. In my opinion, you can never have enough clowns at a circus train wreck or something like that. To me this is just further evidence that Donald Trump doesn't really want to become President and he'll do and/or say anything just to try to get out without quitting. Sadly for him, this will probably bolster his numbers with his supporters. In the meantime, I will just sit back and enjoy the three-ringed show. I must admit that I do enjoy listening to both sides of any argument or debate before I make a decision. I am not closed-minded enough to rule-out ever voting for one side or the other but I need to be shown that my decision is justified. I make choices based on the information that is provided to me straight from the elephant's or donkey's or whatever animal represents the independent's or whomever's party's mouth. Most politicians, I have found, talk out of the other side of their anatomies anyway; they just tell their followers what they think they want to hear.

This is one of Simon's drawerings. The Lost Sock's are better!

Okay, I have many things to try to accomplish today so I had better wrap-up. Thank you for stopping-in and for hanging on for the new podcasts while we were getting healthy (not wealthy and wise though unfortunately) again. I hope you listen to the new shows every week or so. I will remind you here because I am a pest but you will learn sooner if you subscribe or follow Dirty Laundry Podcast on the Facebook. The show is worth just hearing some great music, hearing Eric Solfisburg's theme songs and looking at The Lost Socks drawerings. Have a great day and I will blog again soon. Who knows? Maybe even tomorrow. TTTWhenever the mood strikes me...MITM (out) TA!

Shave and a Haircut are More than Two Bits Now

Yesterday I was told that Splenda's train was to arrive in Aurora at 13:00 when, in fact, it arrived in Chicago at 13:00 and not until 15:00 in Aurora. So, after learning this, I went and bought some bananas and headed back to the train station to read more of my book and eat two bananas in the car. Nature was calling so I went into the station for a moment. As I walked inside a young man, maybe in his mid-to-late twenties, asked me if I could spare some money for him to get a haircut.  He said he had $5 but a haircut cost $18 as he pointed to the haircut kiosk or shop or whatever it was inside the train depot. I said I'd pay for his haircut and we walked over and I paid the barber $20 so he would have a $2 tip. They both shook my hand and I walked away. Thank you for making me even more of a better person Richard Gere!

I know I have written about Gere researching for the role of being homeless by walking the streets of New York in his getup from the movie. I just, finally, saw the film that he studied this role for yesterday morning. I got it Time Out of Mind at Red Box and returned it on the way out of town to the station. You cannot convince me that this was not all cosmically aligned. I believe in fate and destiny and karma as others believe what they believe. I am probably just as wrong as most but helping all the world's inhabitants, if we are able, sure seems like our duties as caring beings. I do know, as fact, it is the proper thing to do. I know Gere is just some dude who is working on his second divorce (his first divorce was from a woman, Cindy Crawford, who calls her childhood home the town where I currently reside) and is full of crap like the rest of us but, even though he is probably an arrogant, misogynistic, sexist, egomaniac I do agree with him on how to treat people who need a hand-up. However, he may have just said that to promote a movie that wasn't really that good. 

I finally checked my lottery numbers to see if I at least won two bucks and I ended-up donating to the new millionaires who won. I hope those people were people who really needed the money and not just some millionaires who just bought all the possible combinations to increase their wealth. If you were to buy tickets for all of the 175,223,510 combinations it would cost $350,447,020 at $2 per game. That would still be worth it if you won the entire billion-and-a-half alone. At half of the pot, with taxes, it may not even be worth it. I have never really been very good with arithmetic so I could be all wet, as I often am. 1/3rd of the pot would be a money-loser. Though, if you were a billionaire, you would probably have tax loopholes already

Tonight I will be volunteering to work at the Brian Regan comedy show at The Egyptian Theater here in town. I do not know what to expect as this is my first volunteer shift there. I also have no idea what I will be doing but I will do it my very best; I hope there will be no math. I am also having lunch with my buddy Mike today. I have not seen him in awhile so that should be nice. I would have said "no" because Splenda is home but she has a dentist appointment around lunch time so she will be busy anyway. 

Okay, I will end now as I have some shopping to do this morning also. What a busy, action-packed day and night this will be. I am not sure if I will blog this weekend with Splenda being home and Cha Cha and I recording a new Dirty Laundry Podcast also this weekend. Thank you for stopping by. Are you proud of me for not mentioning the Republican debate last night? It was not easy. TTT???...MITM (out) TA! 

"Never Forget" Seems to be a Theme of My Year

 One of my favorite guests we ever had on our show - Magda Brown 

I'm bloggin' in the railway station, picking up Splenda from her destination. I brought my book and stuff with me, reading about old history. At least that is my short-term plan. She's Homeward Bound! Yes, she is. Homeward bound...

As promised, the podcast is back up though we decided to find a new home (hosting company). We were on Podomatic for about three years and now we are on Buzzsprout. I like the sound of Buzzsprout better than Podomatic even though the latter has my name in it. The show we uploaded was our 137th show though we did 162 shows before we went on our short hiatus. Short is such an ambiguous term. So, if you want to listen to the show that was just posted (again) CLICK THIS LINK which will take you to the Dirty Laundry Podcast Facebook page and you can listen to it right on your handheld device (phone...) or you can just listen to it from your computer. This particular show was with Magda Brown that we recorded at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie. Magda is a Jewish woman, originally from Hungary, who was sent to a Nazi concentration camp as a 17-year-old girl. I will not go on because then why would you listen to the show? Though, she does the story much more justice than I ever could do it as she lived (and survived) it.

I read that Powerball winning tickets were sold in three states and none of them were Illinois and I did not buy my tickets in: Tennessee, California or Florida so I guess I didn't win 1/3rd of the big money. I am still hopeful that I won a couple of thousand or a million or something. I know I will get a thank-you card from the three people who won for helping them be multi-millionaires. We really could have used the money because our microwave just went out two days ago. We bought a new dishwasher earlier this winter and now the microwave. I am assuming that we have lived here long enough that all of the new appliance that we bought when we moved-in here have all simultaneously reached their expiration dates. We really do take these conveniences for granted. Fortunately, our washer and dryer were replaced a few years ago. We have also replaced the refrigerator not long ago so I guess we may be good for a bit. I am happy we didn't win the big money because who wants yo file bankruptcy?

 Thank goodness we didn't win. Who needs that paperwork? 

I am going to end here because I am not getting much reading done and that is what I was really looking forward to other than Splenda's arrival which far surpasses my excitement of reading. I will let you know tomorrow if I won any money at all. No word means no money. Have a great day and try to stay warm. They are talking flooding here today so I am assuming that means that it will get warmer and all of this snow will turn into slush and water. We cannot have anything nice. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Just the Usual This & That

I usually fill the bird feeder and sprinkle kernel corn out each night so it is there when the birds and the squirrel are up bright-and-early. I open the window and fill the feeder and spread the corn. Last night, when I went to do my duty, I found the window was frozen shut. I had to go outside and fill the feeder and spread the corn. I really home the birds and Mother Nature appreciate me sacrificing my safety and well-being for them and make sure I win the Powerball. I do believe in karma but I know that is not how it works. I believe karma is something we keep inside of us and it is the warm feelings we get by doing nice and correct things. There is no pay-back other than within one's self. That being said, I hope I am wrong and I win the Powerball jackpot tonight so I can spread a little karma! I finally located where the squirrel lives last week too. I was burning some things from when I got that room in the basement ready and I saw him/her scamper from his/her home when I walked near. Knowing this, I helped to secure the privacy a bit more for the lady/fellow from the wind and snow and other critters. He/she still comes up daily (two or three times) to drive Jeff crazy and eat. If I already wrote last week I apologize for my redundancy as well as my redundancy. After writing that I walked back outside and filled the feeder again. In nicer weather I only fill it once but, since food-supplies are reduced for the wildlife this time of year I feed them two or three times.

I don't even have the words

The State of the Union Address was last night. I thought it was so disrespectful of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to sit stone-faced on his hands. I know he feels he cannot respect the President because of some archaic party lines but show some respect to the Office of the President of the United States. I would not be surprised that he was even told to sit on his hands and look like a mope. I think this party system is so ancient and it needs to go. I may vote for Bernie Sanders simply because he thinks for himself and isn't told what to say or how to behave by puppet masters of a party. I am still on the fence for my vote but this makes me lean one way over the other for certain.This is not an attack on one party over another as I am certain this behavior swings both ways. The speech was very hopeful and positive but maybe that is what the one side is afraid of - that we will not continue to be afraid while they empty our bank accounts and benefits packages. I don't see this being the party that Abraham Lincoln pictured so many years ago. I know some people don't like me talking politics and, quite frankly, I just go by what I feel is correct and what is wrong. I believe WE THE PEOPLE means ALL of the people - not only the ones with the biggest bank accounts. Promote the general welfare.

The area for Kajunkles Studio is vacated and we now have room to set-up the new studio. We are still on-track to record a new show this weekend. I am pretty excited as we really enjoyed doing the show and we have lots to talk about. When the studio is set-up that will leave more room in the back of the basement, where the studio furnishings are being stored right now, to get the work-out area set-up again. I only lost two pounds this past week as I have not moved as much as the previous week with the new bedroom being done. I will be able to move again and grow more muscle to burn more fat. It is going to be a really good year with the podcast and being healthier and being billionaires and all. Yesterday I went to Target and walked the entire store while filling a cart to purchase. I went down just about every aisle just to walk a bit more.

Splenda comes home for a visit tomorrow; I get to pick her up at the Aurora train station. She is always a delight to have home. Home for after the holidays though Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday is Monday and that is a holiday so, I guess she will be home for the holiday again. Northern Illinois University begins classes on Tuesday too so this city will be crazy-busy again very soon. The students have been gone for over a month. I like having the students here but I also like not having them here. I think one thing makes you like the other as it does in many instances. It is one of the many yin - yang things of our lives.

Okay, that's enough for today. As always, I have lots to get done so I will end. Stay bundled and warm today. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

The Soup is Falling, the Soup is Falling!

 I should have put some acorn squash in it to tie this in (maybe next time) 

I am ready for a nap; it has been a pretty busy day. I went grocery shopping this morning and then I went to my weekly fat-guy pep talk and weigh-in. I lost two pounds this week which makes 10.4 pounds in two weeks. If I keep this up I should be almost invisible by the end of the year. When I got home I made a five-gallon (maybe it is five quarts now that I blog about it) pot of chicken and whole grain pasta soup. Technically, I used whole grain penne pasta so I am calling it Henne Penne Soup (patent, copyright and trademarks pending). Maybe The Sky is Falling Soup would be good too but that doesn't tell enough. The soup is pretty good if I do say so myself but it does have a bit of a kick to it. The only ingredient that I added that may be responsible for the kick is garlic. I suppose the black pepper could assist in that but I didn't use much pepper, I also grilled the chicken breasts in garlic and rosemary (we were out of Morey Amsterdam) before I cut them into small pieces and added them. I hope it is not to kicky for the other members of the house because five gallons of soup will last me quite awhile. That's why freezers were invented though I could just put it outside foe awhile right now. I could start my own soup kitchen and help the needy I suppose.

Side note - I grilled the chicken on the panini maker that we have had for several years. I don't think it has grilled a panini in about six or sever years but I grill chicken on it quite often in the colder or rainier months. Why did Ron Popeil, and the like, do that to us? More accurately, why did we need Pocket Fishermen and Sledge-O-Matics Veg-O-Matics and electric pasta makers and beef jerky machines and the like? The old ways worked just fine and it didn't litter our cupboards with things that only had one function. "But wait, there's more..." That's what Goodwill and The Salvation Army are for I suppose, So, I took a panini maker and turned it into an indoor grill - new function. "Conjunction Junction what's a panini maker's function? Grilling chicken and making grilled cheese with cool grill marks." (I know you sang that in your head didn't you?)

That makes me remember something from yesterday. It was cold out, though not as cold as it is today, and I was driving up Annie Glidden Road (up is Northbound) near The Elks Club, you know where I'm talking about. I saw an adult person (I could not tell if it was a male or a female because of the bundled-up clothing) walking kind of briskly with a little boy (I am guessing six or seven) struggling to keep up. I surmised that they were headed to the bus stop and I wanted to stop and ask them if they needed/wanted a ride. Then I thought, I have done this before and people looked at me like I am a masher or something so I kept going this time. I over-think everything so then I think, even if I stopped to ask them if they need a ride, they will probably say, "no" because what is that teaching the child about taking rides from strangers? I have some identification that I could show this adult that would probably make them less leery to ride with me but people can fake identifications and that may also sent the wrong message to the youngster. A several thousand maniacs have ruined things for the rest of the world. I wish we could go back to the times when people could trust other people and their intentions. Maybe when Ron Popeil was around we were more trusting or I wouldn't have a panini maker in my cupboard.

With the Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night at about $1,500,000,000 (one-and-a-half million dollars) I heard on the radio today that one-third of all Powerball winners ends-up declaring bankruptcy. I guess Donald Trump must have won the Powerball jackpot four times. Why would Powerball winners have to declare bankruptcy? Are they getting bamboozled by people? I know that I would not declare bankruptcy but I am a boring person. I know exactly what we will do when we win the big jackpot tomorrow -  #1 disappear from planet Earth. The End! Weird, just as I typed that I got an email from Ally Bank. We have done financial business with them in the past and they are probably sending emails to everyone in their computers in case they win the Powerball. Do you have a branch not on planet Earth Ally Bank? What we will do is take care of the people we love, pay-off everything we owe on (which is not much actually) and then travel and stay being moving targets. I would also leave Facebook and all other social media which is probably a good idea anyway.

So, I will end now for, what I hope, is my second to last blog unless I can get a spy computer that cannot be tracked after I win the big money tomorrow night. Try to stay warm and if you're hungry let me know because we have plenty of Henne Penne to go around. Jeff just came in from outside and it sounds like he is wearing tap shoes as he has ice frozen to the bottom of his paws so I have to go assist him in remedying that predicament.

Have a great night and thanks for dropping-in. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Mostly an Entertainment Blog Today

Maybe The Lost Sock will provide some new art for the relaunch (like the launch of MTV)?

It has been five days since I blogged; it seems so much longer but maybe that is because I have been pretty busy. The room downstairs is ready for inhabitants but our new house guests may be a few weeks longer than we thought they would be. That is fine as it will give us time to get our stuff moved into the new Kajunkles Studio so we can begin the Dirty Laundry Podcast again (that red link will take you to the DLP Facebook page. We will, most likely record this Sunday and the new show will be ready for your aural pleasure (or mockery or whatever) by a week from today. Cha Cha and I, The Agitator, are very excited to begin again with the better equipment. I think it will make it much easier to hear all of the people on the show all of the time. I just re-opened out Podomatic account and maybe, in the meantime, I will upload one or two of our old shows to whet your aural appetite. If I do this, please remember that we should sound better when the new shows start as we will will be mic'd separately. The definitive word is "should." I will let you know, if and when, I launch one of our "worst-of" shows! The new studio is smaller than the old studio so I believe that will help the sound as well.

I was going to write about two movies that Cha Cha and I saw over the weekend but then it would not be as interesting when you listen to us while driving to work or while you shovel snow in a week or so because you will already know what we thought of these movies. I also watched two Red Box movies I was going to write about. I forgot that I had this conflict when we were doing the show.

R.I.P.  Major Tom!

I was sad to hear that David Bowie died. He was a pretty talented fellow. It is odd for me to think that he was only 16 years old when I was born. It seems like he must have had an expiration date as he died only three days after his birthday. Bowie was very big in the launch of MTV back in the 1980's. I can still see that music video with him and Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street. I also agree that "all we need is music, sweet music (there'll be) music everywhere" sometimes. There were probably no bigger musical stars back when this video came out. He seemed like a very nice chap for as big of a world-wide star as he was. I know he has been battling cancer for quite some time and this is probably best for him and his loved-ones.

I am definitely working the Brian Regan comedy show this weekend. I wonder if he'd want to be on the podcast? I don't think I will ask him since we haven't even gotten our pod-legs back yet. Timing is everything and tiiiime is not on my side, no it's not (in this instance).

I have a hankering to get back into writing for newspapers and magazines again. I really enjoyed investigating for stories. I suppose one of the reasons I write this blog is just because I like to write even if much of what I write here is nonsense. I also know that Egon Spengler would disagree with me but I do not believe that print will ever be entirely dead. I think we will always have print in one form or another. I have to find the book of all of my old clippings to present to potential employers. I am also still working on my forthcoming novel but I suspect that will be going-on for a couple of years before I am ready to present that to publishers. I think self-publishing is much easier these days too.

I have not had any "episodes" in well over a month. I hope I am completely cured but I will not jump the gun and fall back (no pun since I usually fell forward) to deteriorating my health again. It was probably 100% not sleeping like people are designed to sleep (at night when it is dark) all along. No MATTer what I have to find a job where I am not working all night long (all night - I have MTV running through my head now).

Okay, that's all I have on my mind today other than the movies I was going to write about and will wait until the podcast to discuss those. Maybe in a week or so I will write a review of the new Dirty Laundry Podcast - I imagine I will really like it. Okay, I'm out - TA!

I Blog About One of the Things You're Not Supposed to Blog About Again

On the way to see the doctor this morning I heard a radio commercial that said "(such and such) was the last thing on my mind." I don't think we can possibly know what the last thing on our mind is because as soon as we think of that thing it is the first thing that is on our mind. If, right before we die, we tell somebody what we are thinking and then we immediately die I believe that is the closest we can ever come for anyone to know what the last thing on our mind is. But, you would have to die the same second that you said what it was to make that stay true. I don't think you can even know "the furthest thing" from your mind either now that I think of it. This entire paragraph was the furthest and last thing on my mind until I started writing it. Our minds sure are tricky aren't they? I suppose that is where the phrase, "my mind plays tricks on me" comes from.

  Yet, we are made in God's image to question 

While I was sitting and waiting for my name to be called at he doctor's office I saw a copy of The Watchtower sitting on the table. Since I like fiction as much as fact, I decided to see what the Jehovah's Witnesses had on their minds on November 1, 2015. The first article was called "How Does God View War?" I instantly thought that he must be a big fan of war epics because I think there has been at least one war going on in the world since 2700 BCE. Yes, that is an actual abbreviation - it means "Before the Common (or Current) Era" - I think it may be just a Mormon term but I am not certain of that. Anyway, the article says, "Many think that God approves of war. They reason that he commanded some of his worshippers in the past to engage in warfare; the Bible records as much. Others, however note that God's Son, Jesus, taught his followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:43, 44). So they reason that at some point God's view of war changed and that today he disapproves of war." It is a god's prerogative to change his/her mind. My questions is what about the "thou shalt not kill" part of the top ten? Was there supposed to be war just to maim and rape and pillage and steal and not to kill? I have my own views of religion, as I do with politics, and I know we all have our own thoughts. I doubt that any of us are 100% right about either. I am hard-pressed to think of a time in recorded history when there has ever been total peace and harmony in the entire world. There has even been war "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" among the Stars. I dare say that there has always been war and there always will be war. I brought the magazine or pamphlet or leaflet or whatever it is called home with me as, if there can be war, thou can steal too. I am not sure if this is classified as stealing as that is what the JW's give to people for free and, according to my doctor, I am a people. I can always justify everything I do in some way. I could write a whole book on my thoughts on the Jehovah's Witnesses but that is not what my novel will be about.

Now I have Jimi Hendrix stuck in my head! He is much larger than I thought so, of course, he didn't fit entirely as my brain isn't that large.

The incredible edible baked hard -"boiled" egg

One of the things that Cha Cha and I have been eating a lot of for this entire year are eggs. Mostly hard-boiled either stand-alone or on salads. I just got done cooking 18 eggs. Many people who would see them and eat them would think that I hard-boiled them. I discovered a way to cook "hard-boiled" eggs without boiling them. This way also makes so the yolks do not crumble like they do when they are hard-boiled yet the yolks are not solid rock-hard. Today's cooking tip - preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (or it's equivalent in Celsius or Kelvin or whatever you measure heat in where you are). While the oven is warming-up place eggs in a muffin pan with each egg getting his or her own little compartment as if they were all riding on a train or a plane. No need to grease the pan. I used a mini-muffin tin because that had 24 compartments so it could house my 18 eggs. The usual cupcake pans have twelve spots, I believe, so that would be great for 12 eggs. Anyway, I baked them for 30 minutes in the pan. When the timer told me they were ready I took them out and put them into an ice bath (water and ice) in the sink, though I am sure you could do it in a bowl too if that is more to your liking. Of course, I had to eat one right away and it was perfect inside. Some of the outsides got little brown spots on them either from the heat of perhaps there was still some residual cooking spray from muffins cooked in the pan previously. I ate the one with the most brown spots on the outside first and found no browning inside. So, now I have the other 17 back in their original egg carton and will put them in the fridge and crack as wanted. Another bonus, no pan to clean - just let it cool and put it back in the cupboard. I guess you could just put them on the rack too if you don't have a muffin pan who lives on Drury Lane.

They are this kind of rugs (whatever that is)

I also made a HUGE pot of porridge. I actually made oatmeal but porridge is more fun to say even though I know they are not the same thing. I am letting it cool and then I will put it in a container (probably containerS)  and I will put in the refrigerator so it can be heated when wanted. We should start a farm with all of the eggs, oatmeal and the eleven cooked chicken breasts in the refrigerator. This is farm country out this way you know.

I have a bunch of stuff to burn in the backyard this afternoon. Many cardboard boxes and some rugs from preparing that room in the basement. The rugs are made of bamboo or something similar. Jeff loves when there are fires in the backyard. He will be out there herding the smoke; smoke cannot be herded Jeff you silly Collie. It gives him a purpose and that is all any living thing really needs at the root of it all.

I am going to end now because I have much more to get done. I appreciate you seeing what I am up to and what I have on my mind today. I hope you are doing something blog-worthy too. Most of what I do isn't blog-worthy until I blog about it. I guess that makes everything blog-worthy. Have a great rest of your day and a nice night. Stay home if you can and you live in these MIDDLEwestern parts. It is supposed to get really cold again tonight and there will probably be ice falling from the sky. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

My Memories Keep Coming To Life!

Didn't the basement look nice when we were broadcasting?

It is 17:11 already and I am just now starting to write the blog. It was a busy day. The basement room is ready for carpeting and furniture!!! The final room size is 16' X 17-1/2' - it is bigger than the MATTster bedroom. I did not frame in a closet but we have a set-up for clothes to be hung and we are getting a bunch shelves of bins, like Cha Cha has in her office, for clothes and books and knick-knacks... How can you say knick-knack without thinking paddy whack? Or saying "give the frog a loan?"

While doing some of the clean-up over the last couple of weeks I realized there were a lot of great memories made down in the basement. There was a tiki bar down there for awhile and then that grew into a poker room. I would have poker tournaments down there with 15- 20 people down there. Usually three tables going with a side table for the people who were knocked out of the tournament. Those were lots of sun. Then, we did the Dirty Laundry Podcast in that same area for a couple of years. Incidentally, the equipment for the podcast is fixed and reconfigured so we will know how to use the new mixing board this coming  Friday. There should be another new show recorded within the next weekend or two and then up for your listening pleasure shortly after that. We are very excited and I hope some of you are too and some of you who did not listen to us before will enjoy it soon too.

Man, I loved this thing as a kid - welcome back old friend

Another memory that came from getting working on the basement was kind of creepy in a way. Jill and I had watched the movie Bad Words with Jason Bateman awhile back on HBO and there is a scene (not a spoiler per se) where Bateman's character talks about one of his favorite Matchbox cars as a child. It made me think of a Matchbox car that I remembered as my favorite as a lad. It was a white ambulance with a gumball on top and a red cross on the hood; I loved that car. That was about a month or two ago when we had that discussion. Anyway, karma must have been with us that night as I found that ambulance in the basement this afternoon. I probably have not seen that thing for at least three decades if not four decades. When I looked at the bottom of the car I saw that it was a Husky car not a Matchbox car. Who in the heck has ever heard of Husky cars? It also said. "made in GT Britain."  I am happy to be reunited with my old friend. It looked the same to me but, when I took the photo of it for today's blog, I could see that it really needs an Earl Sheib paint job. I wonder how much they would charge for a Husky paint job? I would never have it painted; it is exactly like I remember it and I like when my memories are spot-on. I also like nice trips down memory lane.

Today was the one-week anniversary (for the lack of a better word) of when Cha Cha and I started our new way of eating to try to get healthier again. I ended-up losing 8.4 pounds in the past week and Cha Cha lost almost four pounds. I always feel bad that guys lose faster than women but we are both please with our results. The first week always seems to be a big one. I also hot my 10,000+ steps in for today because of all the working in the basement again. Up and down stairs and back-and-forth... really adds up the miles (10,000 steps is a bit over five miles according to my watch).

Wow, I just got an email from The Egyptian Theatre here in town and I am probably going to be working the Brian Regan comedy show and a showing of the movie Clue. I am fairly sure that I have already worked with Brian Regan at Zanies Comedy Nite Club. I worked with so many comics that are big real big now that I cannot remember them all. I am pretty excited. I always liked working at the comedy club and, this is even better because I get done at 22:00 instead of working two shows and getting done at 03:00 (after the free drinks when we were done doing the books and closing the club). I doubt if I will have to shush people and escort people out at this venue; not that I have a problem bouncing people when necessary.

Okay, I have to end so I can fix Cha Cha's watch. I am not sure how the world would rotate without me - probably a little smoother I imagine. Thanks for stopping by again. I am so happy that you give me a reason to keep writing. Let me know if you have a 16' X 17-1/2' foot rug lying around that you're looking to get rid of. I will probably go buy the carpeting tomorrow and then comes the shelves. TTTT (probably)... MITM (out) TA!

This May Just Be a Dream-Sequence Blog

I so much love to sleep at night rather than working all night long. I have dreams every single night now; I have not had that luxury in a very long time until quite recently. I believe that dreams are meant to help us deal with things that are on our minds during our waking hours. Dreams take a bit of ciphering and interpenetration many times but, some times, dreams will just smack us right in the mind. Last night I had two dreams, one right after the other, that just smacked me in the mind and I awoke and wrote them down and went to my jewelry/trinket box to get an item that I found as a child. These two dreams and the item in my treasure box both directly tie into my forthcoming novel. I have been meant to write this story since I was about 13 or 14 years old as it turns out. Yes, I believe in destiny and I also believe in chance and I think they intertwine and are in cohorts most of the time. They are even mistaken for one another quite often.

I went to the store (not Walmart) after writing that last paragraph and it is now 14:43. I picked-up some Cuties and lots of bananas and I have eleven breasts cooking. Hey, that is probably the same think that is going on at Hugh Hefner's place. We have discovered it is easier just to cook all of the chicken at one time and put in the refrigerator and cut it up or heat in as we go.

Earlier I changed the toilet seat in the downstairs powder room and put a new bleach disc or whatever they are called in the back tank. If you come over soon enough you could have the honor of being the first one to sit on it. After that I went to the gas station (no connection) and got five gallons of gas in the gas can container as the youngest person in the house told me yesterday that there is not even enough gas to get to the gas station. After I get done writing this I will go back down to the basement and move the stuff that is in the MIDDLE of the new room to the back and measure the newly painted area for carpeting. I suppose we should also get under-padding though that only needs one measurement.

My friend Jennifer St. Martin, who lives in Portugal and is an amazing person, is working on a project that you can help her with if you want to and can. She is asking for contributions (not monetarily) of  "amazing / interesting grandparent stories." They could even be grandparent-figures rather than your actual grandparents. Could also be great grandparents or even beyond one great. They do not have to necessarily be sensational stories but interesting is great. Or, even if you know someone who would like to do this - let them know about it. If you or anyone you know would like to help you or they can send the stories to Jennifer St. Martin at Fenixwellness@gmail.com or just send them to me and I will forward them for you if you feel more comfortable doing it that way. You can also send her a message at that address if you would just like more information on this. Telling stories is the way that knowledge and information has been passed information on since the beginning of human life. I am trying to get something together for her myself.

My goodness, it is now 16:52. I keep breaking away and working on various projects. Time flies when you have endless work to do. Since I am in distraction mode I should probably just stop now and, if I think of other nonsense to write. I will start tomorrow's blog today; that would not be the first time I did that. I also am very tired but, instead of taking a nap, I will just tough-it-out and go to bed earlier than usual tonight maybe. I also want to read some more of the book that Splenda got me for Christmas. So much to do and quite a bit of it very important (to me at least).

Thank you for stopping whatever you could be doing to spend a few moments with me today. I will try to be more interesting tomorrow. The definitive word was "try." It probably will be late again because tomorrow is my weigh-in day for my new nutrition program. As of this morning I was down eight pounds from last Tuesday. I wish I could lose eight to ten pounds a week every week until I stopped but I know, from experience, that is just how it goes at the beginning. I hope you have a great evening and are enjoying the global warming we are having i the MIDDLEwest.
Oh yeah, global warming is just a myth. Thanks again. TTTT...MITM (out) TA!

Life is Good

I am finally beginning the blog at 18:23. It was a pretty busy and productive day. Cha Cha and I took her sister to breakfast as we do most Sunday mornings and then we went to Menard's to get some things for Cha Cha's home office. After that we went to get some groceries and we did not even contemplate going to Walmart. Cha Cha has been anti-Walmart for quite some time and I am finally on-board even if the things we get are a bit more expensive at other places.

Cha Cha and I are both watching what we are eating and trying to walk more. For breakfast we went to The Junction and I had oatmeal with bananas and a fresh fruit plate. Since we began on December 28th I have already lost eight pounds. I know that rate of loss will slow down but a good loss will happen when one goes from a see-food diet to eating mainly fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, chicken and turkey. I eat at least one salad per day (most days two or three salads). I will say the thing that has been helping the most is that I use giardiniera as the dressing. We have four kinds of giardiniera in the house but my favorite is Ditka's. As far as the walking part - I have walked more than 10,000 steps (a bit more than five miles) every day since 12/28.

I just got done painting a second coat of paint on the walls in our soon-to-be new room in the basement. I am very happy that I don't have to hide the entrance behind a bookshelf or something. Most of my walking steps today and yesterday came from doing the painting (filling the pan, up and down the ladder, moving down the walls...).  We will be happy to be providing a home to a few more people soon. I hope they learn to like giardiniera (maybe I hope they don't now that I think of it). I then showered and am now sitting in my jammies talking to you. I smell delicious or maybe that is the turkey meatloaf?

 Cha Cha and I really enjoyed this film 

Last night Cha Cha and I vegged-out (no pun intended) and watched a few movies after a busy day. We rented Spy from Red Box (not one inside of Walmart). We saw it in the theater when it first came out and we really liked it a great deal, obviously since we wanted to see it again. I think we even laughed more this time than we did when we first saw it. After that we watched Philomena on Netflix. Cha Cha and I both gave it five stars and we rated it that way on Netflix. Not a comedy but very heart-warming and a touching drama. You know how I am about movies based on true events and stories. After that we watched WWII in Color on Netflix. I made it through three episodes but I guess Cha Cha hung-on for five total episodes. It is really good and the way they tell the story of World War II is very good and informative; I learned many things that I never knew. I will, over time, watch the entire series. It is odd seeing the clips all in color.

My feet and legs are really beginning to ache just sitting here typing. What else did I do? I baked a ground turkey meatloaf. I make great turkey meatloaf and it only has two ingredients - ground turkey and giardiniera. I have been making this for years. I will never run a restaurant so I will give you that secret recipe for free. If you make money off of the idea some royalties or free drinks would be nice. I also cleaned the kitchen - AGAIN! That never stops. We have a new dishwasher and this new one is pretty great and makes doing the dishes easier. Thank-you Maytag! I think I wrote here when we first got it that it was a Whirlpool but that was incorrect. The Maytag repairman had time on his hands so he let me have it about that one. It is running right now about eight feet from me and I cannot even hear it.

 Gordon Jump was my favorite one - ,maybe because of WKRP? 

Ha, the clothes dryer is calling saying that it is done - I forgot I was doing laundry too. Man, I would be quite a catch if I weren't already caught. And, no I am not available for catch-and-release. I will be right back to wrap this up in a few minutes; I like to fold the clothes before they cool-off and get even a thought of wrinkling.

I am back. The laundry reminds me that I put another bag of drier lint out for the birds again today. I don't know if you read the blog when I wrote about how I saved the drier lint and, when I get a lot, I put it out where we feed the birds and the squirrel so they can use it for their nests. I imagine they appreciate the feed and the corn more than the lint but if it help even one squirrel or one bird I am pleased.

Okay, I am pretty wiped-out so I am going to break for today. Thank you so much for letting me remember what I did since yesterday. My memory is much better and I have not had any "episodes" for about a month I think. I guess I am cured for now. I am sure the better diet has helped. I hope you have a great night. If you think of some movies we should watch on Netflix or Hulu or Red Box or HBOGo or any of the other vehicles we have at our disposal please let me know and I will keep sharing the gems and flops we find too. TTTT...MITM (our) TA!

Just Be Happy - My True 2016 Hope for You

 I have always liked to make others happy! 

Happy New Year to you and yours. I haven't blogged in awhile as the holiday season was quite hectic. Additionally, we are possibly going to have two refugees living with us for awhile soon and I have been preparing an extra room in the basement to help provide space to house them. Fortunately, I do not have to build a secret entrance behind a bookcase as I am not quite that handy. I know many people are currently against refugees (even though some of them consider themselves to be good Christian or kind-hearted people) but I don't know how anyone could turn people in need away if they are able to help. Do you suppose Jesus would turn people away? Anne Frank is, in my opinion, one of the most well-known and loved refugees of all time and most of us greatly appreciate her story. Sadly, she died in Bergen-Belsen (concentration camp), after a stay in Auschwitz, at the age of 15 in 1945. Prior to going into hiding her family had petitioned to come to the United States of America but the U.S. was not accepting people from Germany in fear that people with family still in Europe could be blackmailed into becoming spies for Germany. War and doing the right things are sure trick-bags aren't they? I know what is right and I use my kindness and appreciation toward most people as my moral compass.

There beginneth my new year soap box I suppose.

I have made a few resolutions for 2016. First and foremost, I will not shop at Walmart at all in 2016 (and beyond). For the most part we, in this household, prefer to be patrons of our local establishments to help our local economy rather than give our money to people who really don't need a new boat or airplane as much as they think they do. It is more work to shop at several different store rather than to get everything in one place but I can use the exercise. Cha Cha and I started a better way of life on December 29th; we are eating much better and walking a lot more. I think, since then, I have only eaten: fresh fruit and vegetables and grilled and baked chicken since then. I have made my goal of walking/running/crawling 10,000 steps or more for the past four days. In fact, after just looking at the numbers now, I see that I added more than 1000 steps each day. If I want to keep that streak I need to do 15,000 or more today - we'll see about that one.

A new load coming soon

Another thing that will be new AGAIN this year is that Dirty Laundry Podcast will relaunch our show. We got the word that our equipment situation is straightened out so we are a go for a new show coming before January is over. We are very excited to get to meet a bunch of new friends again. We learned so many things and met so many great people (including Emo Phillips) and played so much great independent music... I am really looking forward to that journey again. It was life-changing and enriching and I have missed that. The fact that we were listened-to all over the world still blows my mind. So, that is what happened? Hey, maybe our refugees from little Egypt will be on the show.

Another resolution is that I am going to put all of the research that I have gathered and accumulated over the past five or six months into words; I think I am ready to begin my novel. I don't know if it is too lofty of a goal to write at least one chapter a month in 2016 but that is my aim. I am pretty excited about the novel and I think I can just do some small research as I go to fill in the color for the book. I am stoked!

I hope you had a great holiday and I am glad you came back to read my ramblings again. I wish you a great 2016 and I hope all of your wildest dreams will come true. Thanks for hanging on and waiting for me to return but I imagine you were busy too. TTTT (yes, maybe even on a Sunday)...MITM (out) TA!