Dandelions - Friend AND Foe!

I don't really know who reads the blog. I can see how many people read it each day and where they live, same as with Dirty Laundry Podcast, but I do not know exactly who they are unless they reveal themselves via emails or posts or they tell me in person... I assume the 49 people who follow Matt In The Middle on Facebook read it semi-regularly. You know what they say about assumption.You make an ass out of the ump's son or something like that. There are a few people who comment regularly and I love that. Thank you very much to those of you who do. Thank you to those of you that don't too. The other day my neighbor Kevin mentioned that he reads the blog; I had no idea. I would say that I will be more careful what I blog about my neighbors and the neighborhood but that would be a lie; I blog what's on my mind. Anyway, Kevin said that I should blog about dandelions. I don't know that I have even had a request for a topic to blog about. I imagine it has come up in conversation like, "you should blog about how fabulously good looking you are" or something along those lines but I don't think I have just been given a topic. It's kind of like freestyle improv blogging or something. So, at the request of Kevin - my thoughts on dandelions...

I think I may have written about dandelions, briefly, once here. I talked about how my dad used to make dandelion wine when I was a kid and they would pay us kids to go out and pick dandelions. Fun dandelion fact - they are 100% edible, stems and all. Now, however, since getting this topic I have been thinking about and noticing dandelions constantly so I had better write about them or I will start having Matt and the Dandelionstalk nightmares; I have such a weak mind. The word dandelion is French and means "lion's tooth." We used to have our lawn professionally treated for weeds and fertilized but stopped when we got Grubs and they couldn't see that we had them. Today I noticed that, after mowing the lawn about four days ago, we now have a few dandelions in our yard. Some people in the subdivision have no dandelions, some have a few and some have more dandelions than grass. I think the green and yellow contrast is nice. Without dandelions how would we know if we liked butter or not? Remember that as a kid? You'd rub the dandelion on somebody else's skin and if it turned yellow it meant they liked butter. Seems like everybody really liked butter in those days. There is a house on the corner by us that has about a 50/50 mix of yellow to green. I think it looks beautiful. Yesterday (Mother's Day) a car pulled up to this house and two women and two small girls got out of the car all dressed in their Sunday best. One of the little girls started picking dandelions and forming a bouquet. I assume it was for her grandmother inside the house. One of the women was motioning for the girl to hurry and come to the porch. The girl started walking faster, bent-over, picking yellow "flowers" and adding to the bouquet on the way. I bet grandma was thrilled to get that beautiful gift. It must be a flower. How could a weed be so important that, when it goes to seed, you can blow on it and make a wish? Has to be a flower. Did you know that actual name of the dandelion is "Taraxacum?" Did you care? Did you further know that there are false dandelions? They must be special if other plants are impersonating them, huh? Who would imitate a weed?

While we are on weed talk... you didn't think you'd get out of here without me talking about my poison ivy/oak/sumac did you? It seemed to be getting worse so I went back to the doctor Saturday; I was nervous when it started getting too close to my junk. I got a doctor that was not sick this time and I got some meds that seem to have helped. He had me stay home from work the last two nights (I feel like Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein with a note from my mother doctor). The new steroid, along with the prescription ointment that he gave me plus me staying off the legs for a couple of nights seems to have done the trick. It now just looks like a bad burn (red and pink) rather than like wounds from war. I have not scratched in the last three days either. Could it be a coincidence and the healing just reached that point? I suppose so. He also gave me a referral for a Dermatologist. I doubt I will use that one unless this one goes south again. I usually feel a lot of this stuff is just to pass a few bucks on to their buddies. Passing the buck!

Sorry, I found this and thought it funny

The Cubs and Cardinals start a four game series at Wrigley Field tonight. Thursday (my first day off of the weekend) they have a 12:45 game. I get off work at 06:00 and I could go right to the train station and head to Wrigley. I could sleep all the way to Chicago. Driving would be stupid because with traffic and no sleep I probably wouldn't make it one way or another. If I did make it they would probably have me on WGN with bright red skin from the sun to match my Cardinals' shirt while I was fast asleep in the stands. I could also just sleep until noon and go to a bar in town and watch the game. Or, I could just sit in this chair, save lots of money and watch the game. I do love day games at Wrigley when the Cardinals are in town. Actually, I like day baseball anywhere. I even liked in in Arlington, Texas when it was 10,000 degrees outside and my skin was bright red to match my Cardinals' shirt even though The Rangers weren't playing The Cardinals. I think I know someone who also has Thursdays off and is a Cubs' fan. It's a day game so I bet I could get tickets fairly easily though this is usually a tough ticket to get; everybody wants to see The Cardinals. There's always those "who needs two" dudes outside the park too. Man, the Cubs have it rough. Right after the Cards they have The Brewers. I guess if you want to move up in the division it's good to play the top two teams in the division (as long as you win).

I am currently playing Words With Friends with a Chicago radio personality. He was one of my favorite radio "characters" in Chicago awhile back and now he is on a different station. I have liked him as his charachter and when he is himself. I know this must be exciting for him.

We did not record Dirty Laundry Podcast this week due to my ailments. The show doesn't have to go on when it is free and there are no advertiser obligations I suppose. I do feel bad when we miss a week though. I know some people really do look forward to the show. We usually record on Thursdays so maybe I should just stay home and watch the game Thursday since we won't have a show this week. Save money, get sleep (especially when my body is still recovering), watch the game and be able to record the show. One ball and three strikes says I might have to stay OUT of Chicago Thursday.

Speaking of OUT I should head out. I am going back to work tonight for my Wednesday and I have a few more things that I need to get done (including getting a few winks). Have a great night. GO CARDINALS! Thank you for stopping by. If you have any topics you'd like me to blog about please feel free to send them in. TTTT...MITM (one, two, three strikes I'm OUT) TA!