Trashy Tuesday – October – Now What?

It's always darkest before dawn, so if you're going to steal
your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Good Morning Friends, Neighbors, Acquaintances, Earthlings, and others. Well, just how in the heck do you like October? I have experienced probably two or three of the very best days of the year recently – weather wise anyway. A light breeze, temps in the 70's, sunny, absolutely gorgeous. How did I enjoy those days, you ask? I squandered the time. It was so nice, I did virtually nothing but soak up the day through every pore. Is there a place like that year around? I am open for suggestions.

Citizens of Cedar Rapids have been notified through the on air and print media that the cities leaf sucking service will commence beginning yesterday, October 1st. We went out yesterday, and blew and raked the leaves we had in a windrow along the curb. I was really out of breath blowing those darned leaves. Although they were bone dry it still takes a hefty breath to get them moving. On my bucket list is the purchase of one of those blower and sucker machines. Of course any city service has a detailed set of instructions on just how to prepare your pile of leaves to be sucked by one of their leaf sucking trucks. To me, an old Iowa farm boy, it is just a matter of making a windrow along the curb. No big deal right? Some people seem a bit over-zealous and a bit too precise with the leaf piles. I on the other hand prefer to wait for a good breeze to blow them off my lawn and then deal with the leftovers.

One good thing about our neighborhood is the abundance of good Samaritans. Our neighbor, bless her heart, just raked our front lawn prepping for the leaf sucker. How cool is that? God bless those of a kind and generous heart. If we could only make more of them, our world would be so much better off.

Nasty week in my fantasy football league. My team, the Drivel Dingers (3 - 0), played the Answer (1 - 2) It was unbelievable how close this match-up was all weekend. Into the fourth quarter of last night's game, we were separated by .40 of a point. Then the fireworks started with his receivers. The final: The Answer – 120.09; Drivel Dingers – 111.80. Here is the headline of the leagues weekly recap; “The Answer Wins Shocker Against Drivel Dingers, Bounces Them Out of First”. I am humbled. I won't bore you with the gruesome game recap or stats. It is all I can do to keep from crying seeing a perfect season gone; but that is why we play the game.

Let's see what else has been happening. Oh, daughter no. 2, Debby the younger, had a safe trip to Cran Fest in Wisconsin with her girlie friends. I believe there were 8 in the group. They seemed to have had quite a time judging by the photos that I saw (that I wish had not been posted on face book) but what can you do. Meanwhile, at the Spa, the pugs enjoyed 4 days of lounging, sniffing, marking, and sleeping. Max's girlfriend visited a number of times Thursday and Friday but went out of town on Saturday. He was kind of bummed the rest of the weekend. I have mentioned in the past that I truly believe the pugs are only motivated by food. These two are constantly on the hunt for food. I think their brain has a direct connection to their stomach. It is really fascinating. They do occasionally get gaseous, which we all do it seems, but this weekend it was Max. He let go of a couple of silent killers that were off the charts. With a dead pan face, he would look around at his tail end and then casually saunter off to the far side of the room with the rest of us. No reaction, no emotion, just business as usual if you are a pug.

They have entirely different eating methods; Barney is the connoisseur of food. He savors, he chews thoroughly, and he cleanses his palate after a bite or two. He eats every morsel and every scent of food. Max, on the other hand, feels eating is a necessary evil and he really doesn't like to waste time by chewing. Max is a gobbler. He inhales his food. He will occasionally honor your request to “chew it up” with a semblance of chewing – maybe 3 or 4 exaggerated chews to get you off his back. I do not believe Max has ever really tasted his food or treats. In the mouth and down the hatch. By Sunday morning I could tell they both were really getting homesick so when I returned them to their mother in the afternoon, they were really, really glad to be home again. I was happy for them also. I promptly took a nap.

A couple of the old geezers in our Men's Breakfast club have begun campaigning for me to get a vacation in before the snow flies. They joined this cause I think because I was lamenting at how I don't ever get beyond Linn and Johnson counties. I related that I have a difficult time motivating my current wife into a trip of any kind. The other day we were talking and before I knew what was happening, a Minnesota road map was produced and I was given instructions for a 2 day trip along the Mississippi River to Stillwater, Minnesota and back. Oh, they knew everywhere to stop and shop, eat or tour. Time is running out on this effort I am afraid.

Last week I was working out at the gym when I spotted a sweet young thing walking in. I asked the trainer standing near me, “What machine should I use to impress that lady over there?” The trainer looked me over, head to foot, and said: “I would recommend the ATM in the corner..” I nodded and scurried upstairs to the treadmill machine. As I was setting it up and beginning my warm-up, I noticed to my right a 30ish lady of average build running. I didn't think too much about it for a while but would occasionally glance over at her. This gal never broke into a sweat or even breathed hard. I mean it was like she was standing still. In contrast, here I was sweating like a chicken just before lunchtime; shirt soaking wet; panting like there is no tomorrow on my way to a mile and a half walk/run. I finished my workout on the treadmill 30 minutes later and she had quit a few minutes before me. I noticed she had ran 3 ½ miles. Boy was I bummed. Still am for that matter. I am thinking I have missed my prime; what with my experience in the spinning class and now this. I need motivation of some kind, words of encouragement, achievable goals, or whatever.

Somebody sent me one of those “pass around emails” that caught my attention last week. It was a series of quotes from Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien and others regarding President Obama. I usually like to stay away from this type of thing in my blog especially since I don't have any Romney jokes to off-set but a couple just caught me as funny. Jay Leno - “America needs Obama-care like Nancy Pelosi needs a Halloween mask.” Conan O'Brien - “Q. Have you heard about McDonald's new Obama Value Meal? A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you has to pay for it.” Sorry folks, I just couldn't resist. As they say in the movies, Adios Muchachos or something like that. Sip, Here's to successful French Roasting of your French Roast. May the Drivel be with you. TA!