STORM CREW - SALTINES AND SOUPS - TIME CHANGE - JIBBER JABBER

Storm damage line crew morning "show-up" with several thousand outages left to repair.

----------------

GOYA SALTINES 

We finally opened one of the Goya (from recent post) saltine cracker cans. We were surprised to find that the crackers are packed in foil pouches, 4 crackers each. The saltines are thinner than other brands, and have a crisp salty flavor.

The saltines worked perfectly in a bowl of homemade broccoli-cheese soup.

First of November now with colder temperatures means breaking out the soup pot.

And this just in!!

Her is making cream of tomato soup. 

 ...continued next week

 --------------------
TIME CHANGING

 

I just learned again how much this bi-annual time changing causes some stress. 

 

We have tried a few tricks changing the time early, later in the day or ignoring the fact. I now remember that technology changes all of that because cell phones, computers and smart electronics are right there when you wake up to let you know that you are getting up an hour too early. Eating breakfast too early. The time to go out side for the daily morning walk arrives before I am ready. Or is it later? Feeding the cats at a new time cannot be done in one night because "they know what time it is for feeding," regardless. New cat feeding times take a few days adjustment. 

 

The in-home generator now does it's bi-monthly start up checks at 05:00 not 06:00. We will adapt.

  

She is in charge of all the home clocks and I am happy that she has taken this task on. We do work well together because we both have learned that no amount of pissing and moaning helps the process.

 

She cannot change the clock on the microwave no matter how many times she tries. I can. She has given in to let me do that.

 

But the analog chicken clock pictured above is the clock that breaks the camel's back. No matter what time all the other clocks say it is, the chicken clock is always our go-to time reference, coming or going. It was there this morning to remind us life is an hour out of sync. 

 

A ladder is needed, instructions are always given to me that to be careful and not break a chicken in the process of getting the clock down. "Those are your mother's and it would break my heart to lose one."

 

I gently bring down each chicken and secure it. The clock is twisted, lifted, pulled gently off the nail. A new battery is added, the clock is cleaned and the time set, the chickens are cleaned and I get back on the ladder and reverse the process. 

 

Finally, each chicken is re-oriented in its proper position. I have yet to set the chickens initially correctly. They are moved, pivoted, pushed back, pushed left or right and rotated to with in a nano inch of perfection in relation to the clock and each other. Once perfect, having walked the length of the kitchen, she expresses, with glee how wonderful they look. That is a good moment for me proving that I do have patience, that it will be months before we have to do this again and that that analog clock will pay back instant time information dividends a dozen times every day. 

 

JIBBER JABBER

 

At some point in your future, you will need pill boxes. I lived the majority of my life without them. But that has changed.

 

Taking two blood-thinner pills an hour apart was a mistake. To the point of driving to the emergency room to make sure I was not going to implode or "ooze out." The doctor enforced that it was indeed a big mistake and not to do it again. Thus, pill boxes and even a check list. Seems like overkill, but I have not made that mistake again. And I am more organized in the daily pill-taking process. Memory will be another issue, too, as you age. 

 

I only take three pills that are doctor-prescribed. Not bad, but the add-on supplements for eyes, vitamin this and vitamin that and a magnesium gummy all help with ............... they help!

 

And you will have to learn how to use your calendar on your cell phone for appointments. Doctor appointments. Yep, you're gonna have more doctor appointments than you think you will. And you cannot have appointments that require you drive in the dark to go to the appointment or return home.  

 

Her said this morning that "80 is the new 65." I am not sure about that. I rode a motorcycle coast to coast to coast when I was 65. My wife and I together would be hard-pressed to drive that now. Probably, but it would take longer and there would be many pit stops. 

 

Thanks for the visit this week.