The Cheemer

If you're not really into cars, or your involved in doing something productive, you might not want to spend time viewing this video from "Jay Leno's Garage". If you are curious and have about 10 minutes to spare, this car is very cool. When our Mega Millions ticket is a big winner tonight, maybe I will make an offer for this baby.

We Got Wii

We have been talking about buying a Wii for some time. Well, yesterday was the day that we did it. We felt that there were signs that we were destined to have a Wii and that now was the time to buy.

Sign #1 -We got the rebate card from my Verizon phone update earlier this month, but we hadn't used any of it yet.

Sign #2 -Our annual check from Evergreen Energy Inc. came in the mail yesterday. This is a check that we get for allowing them to think about possibly mining coal on my grandpa's farm, sometime in the future. If they ever actually start taking out coal, the checks will get bigger.

Sign #3-The total of the two amounts above was almost a perfect match for the cost of a Wii plus an extra game disk and a second controller. So you see, fate was telling us, "buy, buy, buy".

We didn't make the purchase until about 9:00 last night, and didn't really start playing until after the 11:00 news. Sue cleaned my clock at bowling. I tried to be cool and hook the ball but I couldn't control it. I got my revenge in baseball. The game invoked the "Mercy Rule" after the score got to 5-0 in the second inning.

Just another avenue for "Time To Play".

MSG

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My Small Garden has finally produced some red tomatoes. So today, we had BLTs and some of last year's tomato soup for lunch. Now that the crop is coming in, we'll have to begin freezing the excess tomatoes so that we are ready to make the 2009 batch of soup.


Yesterday, my barbershop quartet had a gig in Sandusky. We went early enough that we could visit the Firelands Winery before we had to sing. They had an elevated walkway that allowed you to see the wine-making machinery. Unfortunately, there was not much Friday afternoon activity for us to see. We did buy a case of assorted wines to bring home (3 bottles per couple). And yes, we were more than sober enough to make it to our singing engagement. It was at the Providence Care Center Nursing Home. A big outdoor barbecue for residents and their families. We strolled from table to table and sang a variety of songs (no repeats) for about an hour. Then they treated us and the wives to BBQ chicken, corn on the cob and all the fixings.

Before we left Sandusky, we stopped at Toft's Dairy and Ice Cream Parlor. We had passed by Toft's on the way to the winery and made a note to stop later. I highly recommend Toft's to any ice cream lovers. It is similar to Graeter's and we know how good their ice cream is.

Back In The Old Routine

Well, now that the big party has come and gone, it's time to get back to the tasks at hand. Today, we finally get the motorhome back. It's been gone for over 5 weeks. I certainly hope that the five things that were in need of fixin' are now ok.

Last night, we went to the ballgame between the Indians and the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim". No team should have a name that is so long. The barbershop chorus got a block of 50 tickets for free, so it was a good chance to take in another game. It was a beautiful night and the Tribe gave it their all but lost 5-4.

We are in the early stages of remodeling the upstairs bathroom, so that work will now be continued. Ripping up carpet, prepping the walls and then painting them and re-doing the ceiling are the immediate jobs. Then we will have tile put on the floor.

Thursday night, the chorus is singing for an Italian-themed dinner in Medina. Then on Friday, the quartet and wives are going to Sandusky. We have a "stroll and sing" gig there that evening, and plan to spend the afternoon at The Firelands Winery. Moderation, moderation, moderation.

Financial note: Our lottery ticket for the $170 million prize did not come through last night. So everyone will need to pay their own mortgage at least until Friday. Then we try again for the prize, which is now $207 million.

Stretch It Out

Most of us have a favorite excercise video. Here is mine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdX_OBUeHb4

All He Needs Is Motivation

For some time now, our 13 year old Shih-Tzu, Wickett, has preferred to be carried up the steps when we turn in for the night. He never has come down the steps by himself. That comes in handy when a repairperson comes or something else is going on downstairs that he should stay away from. He tries to get someone to carry him up the back steps onto the deck, but we haven't fallen for that trick yet.

Well, this afternoon, we had a series of nasty thunderstorms pass through with lots of lightning and wind. Usually Wickett finds a corner to hid in when such things happen. Or maybe he goes behind a couch.

Well today, when I went upstairs after the storms had passed, there was the Wickster, reclining in the upstairs hallway outside of Kris' old room. I wish I had his climb on video. Despite his age, he still is pretty nimble, so the non-stair climbing is more a case of "It's easier if you carry me", than "I can't really do this". Every once in a while, when we say "Let's go to bed", he'll fly to the foot of the stairs and go up one or two. Then he gets this look on his face like, "Oops, I'm not suppose to do this".

That's a slice of life with Wickett.

Not All Farming Is Virtual

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Just so you don't think that all of my plants are in FarmVille on Facebook, here are some pictures of our flowers (shared credit to Sue) and my 'mater patch (all credit to me).

It's Little Billy

The new blog picture shows me on April 18, 1948. And you thought that the leisure suit was something from the 70's. I was obviously on the cutting edge of fashion, even at an early age. And how about that Run-DMC hat?

Hot Air Balloons

The big Pro Football HOF celebration has started in Canton. It lasts for more than a week and includes a rib burn-off, huge parade, the enshrinement ceremony for this year's class of inductees and of course, the football game( I believe that's a week from Monday).

One other big part of the festivities are hot air balloon launches and related activities. This year, there are over 70 balloons participating. They had two launches or arrivals both yesterday and today. One early in the morning and the other in late afternoon.

Another balloon event is the "night glow". They bring 15-20 balloons to the Stark County KSU campus, inflate them and then light them up in time to recorded music. We have been wanting to go to see this for years, and it never seemed to work out. Well, last night we went and it was great.

The theme this year was "The Wizard of Oz". Since the movie was released in 1939, this is the 70th anniversary. There was actually an Oz balloon with graphics to celebrate the anniversary. You will see it in the pictures and the video below.

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