day to day

Partied last night with Craig Stevens and Lola Albright in episode "Murder on the Line". 144th and final episode of the Peter Gunn series.

Woke early this morning, lay in bed and obsessed myself into a full panic attack. Mary sent me outside into the sun and fresh air. Prepared a cup of Tila (lime blossom) tea to calm my nerves.

I came back in later. As I sat in the living room, some defense mechanism, survival instinct, took over. My pulse started to come down. Breathing became easier. Oxygen levels rose.

After attending mass, Mary brought home an Arbys Turkey & Bacon sandwich and curly fries to share for our lunch.

Pandora. Trance Radio Station. Interesting how a driving beat can release tensions. Like a powerful massage to the neck and shoulders.

What will tomorrow bring?

73.8 °F, partly cloudy.

overpowering

Maricruz came yesterday evening with her sons. She needed comforting. Her father was near death in Mexico. She can't go to him. Mary was there for her. We made Maricruz copies of some prayers appropriate to the situation.

I partied with Burt Mustin and Jane Weintraub (as Jane Morgan) in episode "Down the Drain". Weintraub was overpowering in her role. What a vamp.

The electricity was out when I woke up this morning. Service was soon restored.


Shrimp salads for lunch.

Checked out the tomato plants. No more caterpillars. Noticed brother George had someone working in Mother's field with a tractor. Never figured out what they were trying to do.

Heading back to the house, the Pacesaver Jr's front tire went completely flat. Mary brought out the other scooter for me. Later, I called Co-op. Closed till Monday.

Spent two hours posting Mother's bank statement. Over $11,000 in expenses. I'm still in shock.

79.3 °F, clear.

Blue skies

Mother forgot to bring the bank statement with her when Deborah brought her this morning. Unpleasant chore delayed.

I remained inexplicably calm.


A big pork chop for lunch, with sweet potato and green beans amondine. Cantaloupe appetizers.


Mother wasn't very sharp at cards. Required prompting. I noticed she was now unable or unwilling to count up her score, even a small one. She would show her cards to Mary and wait for her to count them.


I went outside after Deborah picked up Mother. Was listening to my audiobook at the outpost when Deborah returned with the bank statement. Mother had insisted. We chatted a while before she drove off. In pretty good humor, I think.

With no small amount of trepidation, I took a quick look at the checks written. Couldn't believe my eyes. Nothing out of the ordinary. If anything, Mother wrote fewer checks. And, except for the new office roof, they were smaller than usual.

Blue skies
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see

(Irving Berlin, 1926)

123 lbs.

79.7 °F, clear. (835 Yell Rd 1/8 mile S downtown square)

bits & pieces

From the outpost yesterday evening, I observed a small rabbit, two deer and a skunk. Made my way home in the dark.


Saw the night through the Canon's eye.

At Subway today, Mary had her favorite tuna sandwich; I had the featured Turkey, Bacon and Avocado.


Shopping, we ran into Marcela again.


On my way out, I stopped and spoke to Kenny Green, my old buddy from highschool . He told me he had been sober now for twenty-one years. If he hadn't stopped abusing substances, he would have died a long time ago.

Temperature was up to 93 °F, by the time we got home.

Pulse down to 72. Nice.

88.5 °F, clear.

chicken

Made calls. Dealt with the Winchester Court Clerk ($94.75), State Auto ($3,323.00) and Cosmolab's Anderson. (left him a pointed reminder) The tension that had been building since yesterday, immediately began to break.


For lunch: chicken drumstick, spicy chicken tamale, butterbeans from last year's garden and some just picked tomato. Guava juice on the side.

Too hot to spend more than an hour sunning. Even with a popsicle.

87.6 °F, partly cloudy.

like it's supposed to

Been a month since I've had a respiratory crisis.


Perch for lunch, with patacones, stewed acorn squash and steamed okra. The repaired Canon arrived by FedEx just as I was photographing the plate. Ironically, after making several shots with both cameras, I ended up choosing one from the Sony to post. Happened to have a better angle.

Mary and I watched Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011) from Netflix. Two very different brothers find their individual destinies. Pleasant and entertaining hour and a half. Mary and I were stunned to see how Ed Helms' character is almost a dead ringer for our friend Carlos in the Dominican Republic.


Canon back in my shirt pocket. Everything feels kind of like it's supposed to. I'm cool.

78.8 °F, overcast.

spacing out

Partied with Patric Knowles and J. Pat O'Malley last night. Episode "Death is a Four Letter Word".

Got up this morning feeling much better than I did the previous morning.

A day of maintaining my cool. Keeping thoughts and feelings at a safe distance.

Thought I would start attacking some of my entanglements while Mary was at mass. Ran into a stone wall with the first one. No online information on my citation. Called the rest of the day off.

Arby's Turkey & Swiss with curly fries for lunch.

While Mary zombied with the TV all afternoon, I sat next to her spacing out with music on Pandora.

78.1 °F, mostly cloudy.

nervous little loser

Partied last night with Milton Selzer, Allen Jaffe and Francis X. Bushman in episode "Last Resort", then with Bert Ramsen and Edward Colmans in episode "A Matter of Policy".

Selzer was always the nervous little loser. Jaffe played gruesome heavies. Colmans could be counted on whenever there was a story requiring an agreeable older latino.

Didn't feel at all well this morning. Anxiety. Dread.


Chicken drumsticks for lunch, with plantain and a pasta broccoli carrot steamer.

Mary and I had planned to pay a visit to brother Marion this afternoon to see how he felt after the first procedure. We were saved a trip. He and Delores appeared at our front door soon after lunch.


Delores had Marion show off the four new screws in his head.


She must have been in a particularly singular mood. She's the original cameraphobe. But, allowed me to photograph her. The only condition was that it be with Marion.

After company left, I tried to relax outside. Gave up after about half an hour. Too hot in the sun. Came in and watched two of my Sunrise Earth movies. That calmed me down.


Three of our tomatoes are about ready to pick. Too bad there aren't more than a dozen or so. George says the plants have a fungus.

76.1 °F, clear.

Summer Solstice

Had to deal with another clueless trucker this morning. Sheesh.

Dropping off Mother for her day, Deborah gave me a vague hint about next week's bank staement. It won't be pretty.


Chicken hearts & gizzards for lunch, with potato and green beans amondine. Kiwi, Bosc pear and black grape appetizers. Ice cream, oatmeal cookies and chocolates for dessert.


During the card game, niece Denise dropped by with Leah Marie.

After company left, Mary and I watched Life is Sweet (1990) from Netflix. Besides the glimpse of a very young David Thewlis, little remarkable in it. I suppose someone familar with the London working class dialect, could find a few laughs here. But, to me and Mary it was just horrible. Thoroughly unlikable people doing the reprehensible. We were dumb. Sat through the whole thing.

123 lbs.

77.9 °F, clear.

bridal wreath

Partied with William Phipps and Peter Mamakos last night. Episode "Till Death Do Us Part".

Mary talked to son Antonio this morning. Last night he attended a reception for his cousin, Mary's nephew, Omar, who had just published a book on jurisprudence. Antonio got to shake the hand of Álvaro Uribe Vélez, former president of Colombia.

Stephanie popped by. Collected some of Mary's rosemary to use in her bridal wreath. Mary says it's supposed to be good luck.


Turkey salad for lunch.

Mary and I watched Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) from Netflix. Documentary about the oldest human-painted images in the world in the Chauvet Cave of France. I found it very interesting. I suspect Mary had a struggle staying awake.


After our supper, it was time to had out North. Stephanie's wedding was scheduled for 7:30 pm. A stop at Walgreen's for a wedding card. Then, up to Highway 99. The Ceremony took place in a little park next to the Duck River. Stephanie was bubbling. Tyler looked rather nervous.

Took quite a few snaps. First real test for the Sony. In spite of the difficult lighting conditions, it did alright. Still, I'll  be glad to get the Canon back.

Mary and I didn't stay for cake. It was getting dark.

73.6 °F, clear.

good news

Called Delores. Talked to Marion. He had the first of four surgical procedures yesterday at Vanderbilt Hospital. Four screws in his head, but feeling alright.

Heading out, we noticed brother George mowing grass in front of Mother's #1 office. He had several fellows working on the roof.

Mary got a call from niece Jessica. Good news. She's expecting her third child. I suspect she and Max are hoping this one will be a boy.


In Subway, Mary and I shared a large club sandwich. First day using the Sony at Walmart. Not quite up to the Canon's standards, but I'll do.


Shopping, Mary ran into Maricela, Moro's wife, and two daughters.

Niece Stephanie just called me. She and Tyler are getting married 7:30 pm tomorrow and Mary and I are invited!

78.4 °F, clear.

off and on

Rained off and on.


The rest of the ribs for lunch, with potato, butter beans, plantain and steamed okra.


Mary requested a picture of the appetizers, grapes and apple.

Been very busy, organizing photos on Picasa. There are a lot.

73.0 °F, clear.

debacle

Finished with the photo archive file last night.

Mosstly overcast today.


Tilapia for lunch, with stewed turnip, patacones and green peas. Guava juice on te side.

Watched Margin Call (2011) from Netflix. The best dramatization I've seen of the recent Wall Street financial débâcle.

Rain.

72.0 °F, mostly cloudy.

in the spirit given

Partied with Harold J. Stone last night. Episode "The Most Deadly Angel".

Mary gave me new shirt and pants for Fathers Day first thing this morning. Cooked me a special breakfast of two pancakes, two poached eggs, three slices of bacon. Papaya and banana as appetizers. I ate it all in the spirit it was given. But, that pretty well guarantees an extra pound or two tomorrow.

Talked by phone with Antonio. Wished me Happy Fathers Day too.

Tried to sun today. Just too hot.
 
After mass, Mary brought home barbecued ribs from Kroger for our lunch. She added potato, corn on the cob and plantain.


A couple of brief outings. Had to get a snap of Mary's first pink lily to bloom.

Been working on the Xanga photo archive since midday. Uploading by dates into Picasa albums. Labor intensive.

75.6 °F, partly cloudy.

reassuring

Partied last night with Paul Brinegar in episode "Short a Motive", then with Jean Willes, Owen Bush, Roy Jenson and Jim Hayward in episode "The Murder Bond". I love familiar faces. So reassuring.

Got up a little antsy. It soon passed.

Mary finished mowing this morning. I was at the outpost, when brother George took a break from his garden, came up and chatted me a while. Identified some grasses for me.

Lunch rushed. Only the little Hormel dinners.

Several hours transferring Xanga files.

77.4 °F, clear.