Noisy Neighbor Issues

As part of my commitment as the secretary for a state-wide fellowship, this weekend I was in Jefferson City for a business meeting. The meeting was hybrid; attendees could choose to attend either on Zoom or in-person. The in-person portion took place in a small sectioned-off portion of a hotel ballroom. 

Everything was going swimmingly until midway through the Saturday afternoon session. All of a sudden a patriotic concert band in the next section of the ballroom started practicing. Their music came clearly through the partition into our area.

Although the music was annoying, it was also fun. I was dancing in my seat while listening to "The U.S. Air Force" ("Wild Blue Yonder") song. A little later I went to the microphone to make a comment while "The Star Spangled Banner" was playing, and I felt like I should march up instead of walk. 

However, I don't think everyone had the same opinion as me. Our organization's contact with the hotel scrambled to see if the problem could be fixed, but couldn't find anyone with authority to do something. The person running the sound system had to work hard raise and lower the microphone volume as the music started and stopped. 

After about 20 minutes the music stopped permanently. It was replaced by a light hum of people conversing in the room, a much more pleasant background.

Five years ago today: The Talking Cuckoo Clock

November

The leaves are fading and falling; 

The winds are rough and wild; 

The birds have ceased their calling– 

But let me tell you, my child, 

Though day by day, as it closes, 

Doth darker and colder grow, 

The roots of the bright red roses 

Will keep alive in the snow. 

And when the winter is over, 

The boughs will get new leaves, 

The quail come back to the clover, 

And the swallow back to the eaves. 

 

 The robin will wear on his bosom

A vest that is bright and new, 

And the loveliest wayside blossom 

Will shine with the sun and dew. 

 

The leaves today are whirling; 

The brooks are all dry and dumb– 

But let me tell you, my darling, 

The spring will be sure to come. 

 

There must be rough, cold weather, 

And winds and rains so wild; 

Not all good things together 

Come to us here, my child. 

 

So, when some dear joy loses

Its beauteous summer glow,

Think how the roots of the roses 

Are kept alive in the snow. 

~~Alice Cary~~

I Live In A World Of Wonder

We've lived in our condo building since January 2020. That's a long time, but there's still things that surprise me.

 This morning I was carrying some boxes from the second floor to my car in the basement. Coming down the flight of stairs from the second floor I caught a glimpse of this fascinating shadow:

 The sun was coming through the window on the first floor landing on the east side of the building, and it's angle showcased the branches of the nearly-naked tree just outside the window. If I hadn't been looking for it I would have completely missed the beauty.

“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Five years ago today: Leaving Home, Coming Home, And Leaving Home Again

Just a Tuesday In Retirement

After breakfast and the daily household straightening, Hubby Tony and  I started out our morning by going to the polls. There was only item on the ballot, no line at the polling place, and we had both figured out where we stood on the issue. We were in and out in less than ten minute.

Next, we headed east to find clues in two chapters of our scavenger hunt book. One of them was Soulard, a neighborhood just to the south of downtown. The other one was downtown itself. When we started today we had both chapters a little over halfway done. After a couple of hours of sleuthing today both are almost finished.

Halfway through our downtown adventure we stopped for lunch at a soda fountain restaurant. After our savory food (hot dog and onion onion rings for me, BLT and fries for Tony) we ordered dessert. Tony chose a root beer float. I went for a "Freak Shake", one of the most over the top items on the menu. The rim of the large glass was crusted with miniature chocolate chips and potato chips. The bottom of the glass was coated with chocolate sauce. The vanilla shake was topped with a heavy layer of whipped cream, and a chocolate-covered pretzel rod, brownie, and Reeses were stuck into the whipped cream. 

I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed to report that between Tony and me we finished off all of his float and everything but the brownie on mine.

What Do You Do?

The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1000 bet: The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people had tried over time but nobody could do it.

One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice " I'd like to try the bet." 

After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man. The crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass. 

As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and asked the little man "What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, or what?"

The man replied, "I work for the IRS." 

Five years ago today: Starbucks Has No Coffee

Halloween Spirit

This month I've kept an eye out for unusual Halloween decorations. Here's what I've found:

👻 Do any of these sound appetizing to you?

 

👻 I see this one when I drive the back way out of the subdivision. It cracks me up every time.

👻 The bucket is over the dusk-to-dawn light, so the scarecrow head glows when the sun goes down.

👻 Am I the only one who's never seen a tree decorated with Halloween lights before?

 

👻 This restaurant had 3-dimentional bats attached to the mirror in the ladies room.

 

 

Five years ago today: Fajitas For Two

Oh My 'Gourdness'

Today was a perfect fall day-brisk in the morning and evening, but warming up nicely in the afternoon.  In the middle of the perfect afternoon Hubby Tony and I were taking a walk. I told him that I had learned that today was National Pumpkin Day, a holiday that recognizes the fall-favorite squash, but other than admiring the pumpkin I put outside of our condo unit door yesterday I wasn't planning on doing anything to commemorate the day.

For dinner we were having leftovers of the soup Tony made for dinner last night, a tasty combination of butternut squash, chickpeas, greens, and brown rice. I thought anything else with pumpkin as an ingredient would be too similar tasting.

We got to the back entrance to the subdivision and I turned to go home, but Tony wanted to get some more steps and kept going straight. He returned about 45 minutes later, carrying a foam tray from a local bakery. Inside were these cute frosted Jack-o'-lantern​s, his contribution to Pumpkin Day.

Shelter From A Storm

Last night we had some nasty storms come through the area, including multiple tornadoes. Fortunately the worst of it passed to the south of us and the only damage was some twigs on the deck. 

About the time the high gusts of wind and pouring rain passed through our area it was time to turn on the local news. The meteorologists had taken over from the anchors, discussing the weather situation in animated tones. They even had someone who was storm chasing and providing updates. After almost a half hour of those meteorologists rehashing the same data we turned off the television. Tony fed Jackson the cat and we both got ready for bed.

Tony put a local jazz show on the radio. I was drifting off to sleep when I heard the jarring tone of the emergency alert system, announcing a tornado warning two counties to the east of us in Illinois. The system did what it was supposed to do (get my attention), but then I had a hard time settling back in. My mind started racing, and I realized that if the weather had been in our area we had no emergency plan in place.

We live on the second floor of an apartment-style condominium building with a garage tucked underneath. If a storm was rapidly approaching would it be safer to hustle down two flights of stairs into the basement garage or hunker down in an interior room? At night we would have to throw something over our pajamas in case our neighbors were doing the same thing we were, which would take extra time. There would also be the issue of finding Jackson and carrying him down with us.

This morning I sent out a text to some of our neighbors asking them what they did in the event of a storm. They all told me they headed to the garage. One woman said she sat in her car. The others did not share any details. Hopefully I'll never have the opportunity to figure out exactly what they do.

Five years ago today: Froggy In A Flowerpot

And Then There Were Five....

Grandchildren, that is. Yesterday there was a text in our family chat group that Son Tony and DIL Ie welcomed a new addition to their family. Meet Granddaughter Evee.

Those cheeks!

According to Tony both mother and daughter are doing well, and once they get home the family plans to cocoon along with big sister Gee for several weeks. Hubby Tony and I already have our tickets to visit.

Five years ago: Pumpkin Juice

Candy...And Much More

Today Hubby Tony and I pulled out our scavenger hunt book and headed for a section of the metropolitan area we don't know very much about--the Old North St. Louis,a neighborhood just north and slightly west of the downtown area.

Anyone who's lived in the metropolitan area for any length of time knows that Crown Candy Kitchen is there. For most people, including me, that's the only place they know. However, after several hours of walking around I know so much more!

The area of North St. Louis was established shortly after Lewis and Clark left to explore the Louisiana Territory, and a couple of decades later was incorporated into the city.  By the mid-1850s it was heavily German, and later a large Polish enclave developed. By the 20th century many new residents came from the Deep South. After World War Two there was an exodus to the suburbs, leading to decline. In the 1980s, a nonprofit organization began to promote and revitalize the area. 

 I parked my car just down the street from Crown Candy and we walked through the small commercial area on North 14th Street, which was lined with unique vintage buildings. We were standing outside of a hardware store (which had a sign that said it had been established in 1875) when the owner came out and talked with us, sharing a little history of the area.

The residential parts of the neighborhood were filled with red brick buildings, and there were commercial buildings on the corners of many blocks. Sadly, many of them were in rough shape, and their were quite a few vacant lots, but I was pleased to see a substantial number of nicely maintained homes. I don't think I'd walk in the area after dark, but during the day I felt perfectly safe.

Tony and I brought finger-food lunches to eat as we walked, but we popped into Crown Candy for dessert. When I saw a chocolate and marshmallow sundae on the menu I knew what I was ordering. The combination was one of my Dad's favorites, and I have fond memories of indulging with him at the kitchen table.

Not fancy, but brought back memories

Five years ago: Finding An Easier Way