Still Winter

argh.

Snow this morning.  Down to seven tonight.  Endless.

Go Green!

14 years ago I got interested in a little activity called March Madness. The reason: our local Michigan State Spartans had won the NCAA tournament that year . I remember I had a borrowed camera that I took down to the capital to take pictures. That was my first digital camera experience. I remember I was so excited that crossing the street by the NAPS building I actually tripped and fell.  Thankfully I did not break the camera.

Since then I have learned more about brackets. Not enough to get many right but it has been fun. Thursday at work we had a green and white snack day. It was fun and fortunately our Spartans won again

Unconscious Mutterings

Week 582

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Encourage :: hearten
2. Geography :: map
3. Entrance :: exit
4. Helicopter :: whirlibird
5. Creation :: beginning
6. Pillars :: mainstay
7. Article :: news story
8. Desk :: work station
9. Discouraging :: word
10. Display :: show

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

First day of spring

We've been robbed!!!!

Chicago Union Station

Things we like at Chicago Union Station.

The Great Hall:

The activity for the trains is all underground and under another building but love love love the look of the Great Hall.  New since we were last there: it is used for private and public events. An awesome site and sight, it opened in 1925.

The Grand Staircase:

If you are a Kevin Costner fan, you know this as the "Untouchables" staircase.

Tabasco

I have to admit, I always thought Tabasco was a word like ketchup - a generic term for hot sauce.  Now, thanks to my New Orleans trip, I know differently.  I didn't acquire this information in New Orleans: rather, the train went through bayou country and it was so intriguing that when I hear Louisiana Bayou (this time on Sixty Minutes) I pay attention.

Tabasco: a sixth generation business.

Train trip!

and hunting for spring.

In February the boss called a meeting with those of us charged with keeping the computer system up-to-date.  Our software provider was holding a "summit" in New Orleans, and he wondered if we wanted to go. I am not a good flyer, so normally I beg off these engagements.  However, I knew the train went from Chicago to New Orleans, and somehow going  to New Orleans seemed like a really cool thing, so I said, why sure, if I can train it!

Our boss tries to work with individual quirks.  One of our service techs didn't want to fly to a conference, so the boss rented a car for him and let him go, so I knew there was precedent.  The boss smiled and said, book it!

It might be an overnight-er, I reminded him.

Book a sleeper, then.

Oh, I don't mind coach.

Book a sleeper.

So I did.  What a blast!

I took the Blue Water to Chicago.  I had to wait for the New Orleans train, so I went up in the Willis (Sears) tower to see frozen Lake Michigan.  Brrrr.

Unconscious Mutterings --- I have returned!

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Crunch :: Captain
2. Handle :: pan
3. Stoned :: drugged
4. Kettle :: pot
5. Worst :: best
6. Agreement :: rappaport
7. Keg :: beer
8. Legacy :: gift
9. Gig :: engagement
10. Nails :: bite

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Barn Living

Seeing a converted barn always makes me think of Grace Livingston Hill's book The Enchanted Barn

I thought they tasted stale.

Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips Wins 'Do Us A Flavor' Contest.

Weather

Wearying.
That is all.

There's Nothing Like . . .

a birthday party for a one-year-old to brighten up the long winter!

Muttering we shall go

1. Wine :: white
2. Cooperate :: go along with
3. Dropped :: knocked over
4. Painter :: my brother
5. Binger :: drinker
6. Knot :: tie
7. Collar :: tie
8. Barefoot :: contessa
9. Town :: city
10. House ::home

get your mutterings here: http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Unconsciously muttering

1. Person :: of Interest
2. Children :: kids
3. Tweet :: twitter
4. Points :: score
5. Grill :: charcoal
6. Traces ::bits
7. Unsolved :: crimes
8. Lines :: circles
9. Fourteen :: 92
10. Coincidence:: no such thing

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

south end

south end
Originally uploaded by Aunt Owwee

The south end of the barn! My friend Linn has done wonders with this side. New windows (using old glass), new door, patched side.

I need to walk down this way more often.

End of an Era

I have worked for my present company for 36 years. Now, the company is the same name, but it has had five different owner combinations in that time. Many of us have been here for a long time, but the longest-running employee was Eppie. Eppie came in 1967, raised four children, many grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She had a stroke in 1988, but came back to work part-time. She had numerous health issues, but she kept working. A few years ago she drove her car THROUGH the building. She was unhurt, but it was found at that time that her heart was in failure. But Eppie kept on working.

In October Eppie had another flare-up of health issues. At 77, you would have thought she would call it quits, but she still wanted to come back to work. Our boss is a gentleman, and he said if she got medical clearance he would let her come back.

She went to physical therapy, got an exercise bike, and worked on her return.

Monday morning she had another stroke, and passed on Tuesday. One of our employees had talked to her the week before about the Super Bowl pool. She had been in good spirits, and was still planning on coming back to work.

That's the way to go, with a dream. (Only I guess I'll make mine something a little different than working at 77.)

RIP

Good Ears!

The barn cats must have super hearing. I went out tonight for their feeding. I set out the dry food, called "kitties, food is out." Nothing. I went out to the garage to retrieve a package, took it up to the porch, then came back to open their moist food. Pop! went the lid. Out came the barn cats. Good ears.

A muttering we will go

I say ... and you think ... ?

Doorknob :: key

Arch :: door

Clay :: sculpture

Doves :: peace

Bloom :: flower

Curious :: George

Kissing :: cousins

Stomach :: flu

Courtyard :: surrounded

Shorts :: summer

http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

Robert Parker Lives on

My boss introduced me to the works of Robert Parker years ago. Parker was the author of the Spenser series. There was a TV show based on the character starring Robert Urich called Spenser for Hire back in the 80's. My boss is a great library user, so after I got hooked, he shared his Robert Parker books with me. Parker's books also include the Jesse Stone series (TV-movies starring Tom Selleck), and the Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch Western Series. Parker passed in 2010, but when there is a series characters can live on. Spenser lives on, with books written by Ace Atkins and Helen Brann. I'm not particularly fond of the continuation on that series. It feels as though Ace is trying to be too inventive with the character. The Jesse Stone books have been taken over by Michael Brandman. He has been the producer of the Jesse Stone TV movies, and seems to have a super good grasp on the character. (And his books read even faster than Parker's.) Robert Knott has taken over the western series. He did the screenplay for the movie based on Parker's book Appaloosa. Parker had not developed the western characters very much (only four books) and it is perhaps because of this that these are the books I feel have been transitioned most easily. A book review of Bull River, the most recent one, ishere. Looking forward to more of Virgil and Everett. And long may characters continue . . .

Not How I Really wanted to use my vacation time . . .

Third day this month that I wasn't able to get to work due to the snow. I tried to be tough today. Got up, got dressed, shoveled the big drift in front of the garage, gunned the little car out to the end of the driveway, made it onto Benton Road . . . which had not been plowed. There was a rut, so I decided to drive up the 1/4 mile to the corner. Mount Hope was only ruts too. Sheesh. I was afraid my little card would be buried. I came back home. This weather has to calm down one of these days. Doesn't it?