We had a family outing to St. Louis’ Forest Park. The park itself is well worth book-length history lessons and many fabulous stories have come from its years! What I’ll say here is that Missourians vote to pay higher taxes so that our public (and any visitors) can luxuriate in culture…for free. It’s one of the reasons families tour St. Louis. -get here but your day trips can be at no additional charge — of course, there are many things that cost money but the cultural stuff? Free. Even The Muny* offers free seats.
* The Muny is a for-real theatre; however, it’s basically the greatest hits of theatre and very often musicals. Hey, they sell. If you cannot afford tickets, don’t pay anything. Jeez. What does it take to make you happy, free seats? If you want to go crazy and get the most expensive tickets, they’re $581 for the entire season. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
These are Forest Park highlights, which is by no means the full listing. There are too many to put on one calendar, so you’ll have to go to individual specialties. For example, they didn’t even list the Shakespeare Festival (again, free), which we have yearly during summer. It’s called In The Park.
I’m still sick and have changed meds a couple of times. Brother is sicker than I am but he waited to get in to the doctor. Yesterday, he got a nice, big, fat hypodermic needle with steroids and more to take as pills, along with new antibiotics. I’m not up to the steroids yet. Hopefully, my new, stronger pills will kick the bacterial infection but the virus part has to ride and it’s running roughshod over me. I’ve got music going for me:
A lot of people don’t like Neil Young, mostly for his voice. No offense, but who does like his voice? It’s the writing and music, man. Anyway…
I’ve loved this song since I can remember. I don’t think it meant anything to me as a kid but as I grew up, the song grew with me–or I grew with it.
I went to grab this song for y’uns and absolutely love what the editor has done to this, the imagery.
I’ve been revisiting the 1970s since watching Dallas Buyers Club (that’s the 80s but ya know) and American Hustle.
I dug up some Elton John, which I’m fair-certain I’d sworn off completely by the late 80s. He found his way back.
I also added some Pat Benatar and what popped up but this one (technically 1980). God, I wanted to be her.
Been rocking out to Free, too. Man, I loved them! Easy On My Soul is easy on my soul.
Dug out some Faces, too, but I can’t do much of them as Rod Stewart makes me want to punch things. It’s a personal correlation that I cannot blame Rod the Mod for but will anyway, as it’s easier to say that he makes me violent. I still like the music, if he’d shut up.
I’m a big fan and supporter of Alysia and Jason. They’ve relaunched their site — while it’s shiny and streamlined, I’m still used to the old one. Change is hard on old dogs…
If you’ve never been there, LiveFitRevolution.org is fantastic! There’s motivation (videos, challenges, memes), workouts (video and text printouts for those who prefer to only hear themselves) and nutrition advice along with recipe videos. It’s all free, with no catch.
It got up to 48F / 9C yesterday! We’re still buried under about 2 inches of ice, though. The next couple of days are supposed to be just as warm, so we’ll probably thaw out but…
Guess what Santa left on the ranch’s private road? A FEDEX TRUCK!
When you live in a remote area that survives winter, you know to pack extra this and that, wear your snowboots even when nobody where you work has been wearing them for a week (they have a different climate, three counties away, not to mention they have infrastructure) and be damned sure you get home as quickly as possible because sunset is 16:30. You haven’t even made it home by then. There’s nothing like getting stuck and hiking in the dark when it’s True Dark. –also, carry a flashlight or three
I went straight home last night and to what did my wondering eyes should appear but a FedEx truck stuck on our road within sight of the county road.
She’d been there since midday. I hiked up and made her a cup of cocoa. Spike went several times to check on her, the last being 20h (8PM) when he proclaimed: I’m telling her to come up out of the cold and sleep on your couch.
My parents are extremely generous with my things. Har! Nah, I’d want her to be comfy, too.
About 21h, I heard Bobby pitching a fit. I assumed they’d brought a wrecker. When you go off our road, there’s a ravine. I’ve personally had my car go 40 feet down into it, which isn’t all the way.
-are the new readers gone yet?
This driver was lucky because she slid off the road sideways into the ravine til one of our nice, big oaks stopped her. The truck is nestled against a 100 year old tree.
On my way out this morning we have a truck but no driver. I assume the noises around 21h was another truck coming to rescue the driver and her packages. -damn! Missed my chance I still have that truck, though, so it’s a good Christmas!
UPDATE: We still have a truck at 24 hours after. Spike rang FedEx to ask when they were going to come get their truck. They swear they have no truck on our property. –free trucks, y’uns!
He spent hours on the phone, transferring around and on hold til somebody said they’d call back. During this time, he bemoaned the FREE GIFT TRUCK to a neighbour who said, ‘Call the cops.’
Cops have visited El Rancho Reedo today but then Spike learnt they don’t just tow away, they charge you. -and hello? My FREE truck?
I’ve already Made Plans.
ReedEx. I designed the logo meself!
This is my ticket to Freedom. I can start my own delivery, extermination service (I’ve killed hundreds of animals on the ranch, so I’m thinking this is a Natural for me), as it works with the name or cook meth in a mobile lab. I just need to learn how. Killing animals or delivering packages sounds easier.
Spike rang back and told them, ‘Whatever you do, don’t do anything that I have to pay for.’ Good luck with that, Spike. You done brought in Johnnie Law.
FedEx finally rang back and using the numbers from the package delivered, they say, ‘That’s not our truck. We don’t have to sort this. It’s a U-Haul.’
This, to me, sounded Fishy because it sure as hell was a box truck with FEDEX plastered all over it. As I was just sharing this latest development, a bloke I work with said he used to deliver for FedEx and they absolutely rent U-Hauls and decorate them with FEDEX. I say, ‘WHATEVER.’ Either give me the bloody truck or get it off my land. For one thing, it’s blocking the road (a wheel is barely on and that means you can’t risk squeezing by when your choices are: road, ravine or hit truck.
It’s all raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, snowflakes that fall on my glass full of–
-are the new readers gone yet?
Thanks to EVERYBODY who entered and Congratulations to the Divine Ms. Erin!
Erin, you’ll be receiving your COMPLEMENTARY, full-sized, skin care product in a few days. -hopefully, it took 3 days to get mine and I live in the middle of nowhere
Again, I am so happy to help promote a product I love. I blogged about my Holy Grail moisturiser a couple of weeks ago and was given the opportunity to share my love for Merlot-wine, too!Skin Care with a reader. Erin is a super-supportive reader (though you don’t see her publicly often). I’m happy somebody who contributes daily -puts up with me to conversation won!
Now, you’re wondering:
How did she choose? Did she assign names to random numbers, then pull a number out of a hat?
Were ping pong balls involved? No balls were involved in this. Bobby was neutered as a puppy. –readers have been warned time and again…you can’t tell some people. They have to learn the hard way
The names were written on post it notes and stuck to the floor. The first to receive a Bobby Kiss won. He didn’t see me placing them, none were closer to him than the others (it was done in an arc; I’m Crafty).
The first night of Chanukah*
This is my primary choosing programme.
I’ll buy three pair of shoes and lie them out. ‘Bobby, which one?’ He’ll snuffle sometimes before kissing but other times, he goes directly to the ‘right’ one. Sometimes, he doesn’t kiss at all. I was hoping we didn’t run into that, let me tell ya! We didn’t. He bee-lined it for Erin! Her choice was Merlot Skin Care’s Purifying Peel Off Mask.
I recently purchased their clay mask but I’m currently testing Moonlight Radiance Night Cream. You can see their whole line (including something for the Men!) here. While I usually purchase their products at the drugstore, you can buy direct.
Yay, Erin!
* Yes, first night of Chanuka, on a Happy Halloween bed cover with a furry elf wearing a Santa/Christmas hat. We’re an inter-faith fam, yo. Bobby has much love for everybody!
I gots me a pretty! This is fun. I’ve written about Josie Spinardi’s audiobook and youtube channel, including this post…which Ms. Spinardi commented on this week!
As one would expect from her videos and audiobook, her email was kind, supportive and funny. She’s my kinda friend! (except we don’t know one another)
In addition to her audiobook, which I truly found helpful for emotional eating; it’s not a diet, she is releasing an ebook. As she said: it’s pretty! 🙂 See the pokey-dots?!
(cutesy orthography intended)
She sent me one free! Oh, how I adore free-mail! I love books! I love snail mail (postcards)! Just SEND me things, for goodness sake!
(bear in mind, if I don’t like it, I’m brutally honest)
It’s available for Kindle and if you’re like some people I know, you use Calibre* software to render any ebook Any Ereader Friendly.
If I were eating that cupcake, it would be gluten-free and made with Gram’s frosting recipe. (and ultimately delicious…nobody knows what it’s made from except ANGEL’S HALOS AND UNICORN FRINGE)
* Seriously, it’s freeware but I’ve sent the dude money.
opinions expressed may be incorrect 