I DID FINALLY PULL MYSELF OUT OF MY RECLINER

Monday:: Our good neighbor, Monica, had a wedding to attend in Montreal this week so Lorraine and I offered to drive her to....no, not Montreal, but to the London International Airport to catch a flight to Montreal via Toronto.  And, we decided to do it with two cars.  Lorraine had planned to return to Stratford today, and with London's airport being closer to Stratford than Bayfield, it was decided that she would follow Monica and I two thirds of the way to London, and then leave her car in a parking lot, and accompany Monica and I to the airport where she could escort Monica into the terminal and help her with wheelchair assistance and get her checked in.  After dropping them off at the terminal entrance I slowly cruised around a large parking area looping back to pick up Lorraine when she exited the terminal minutes later.  From there, we headed north out of London's northeast end and back to where Lorraine had left her car parked  at the corner of Elginfield Road and London's Adelaide Street.  From here, Woodsy headed east to Stratford, and I headed west to Bayfield with a Tim Hortons stop in Lucan for a coffee and a BLT type sandwich to go.  But our earlier drive to the London Airport today didn't quite go as planned.  My plan A to get there encountered a road closure on Airport Line and I had to quickly revert to a Plan B and skip around Exeter using the Morrison Line.  No problem, and we were soon back on my plan A route.  However, our next little problem occured on Clark Road when we encountered a line of slow moving trucks being escorted through a construction area.  Minuets after clearing that and nearly at the airport, and with the highway not being as I last remembered it, I made a slightly wrong turn, but it only took me a couple of blocks to realize that and I was easily able to make a turn to the east and get us back on track again at the next traffic light.  From there it was only a couple of minutes before we entered the airport complex.  All was good.  I think the last time I was at the London Airport, coincidentally was with with Lorraine back in about 1986 when we caught a flight from there to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  Woodsy and I were reminiscing a little bit about that today.  Sometimes what goes around comes around.  

I was so hoping to get out Monday night for some stargazing, but a hazy cloud cover put an end to that thought.  Too bad, because we have a spate of rainy days on our doorstep.......My wonky laptop computer has somehow stabilized, and I am 'caustiously' optimistic I might be out of the woods.  But, I will not be surprised if the wonkiness starts up again.  It was so strange how things just started going ka-flooey.  I suspect Facebook 'Messenger' might have had something to do with it because that is where things began going sideways.  I decided not to take my laptop to Goderich.  I'll wait and see if the wonkiness continues.

 HERE'S WOODSY FEEDING ONE OF OUR CHIPPY'S A PEANUT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO

With the humidity factor at 86% this morning, and a light rain falling, I didn't make it out for my country road walk.  Temps were okay at 73F but I couldn't quite get myself motivated.  Of course, there were things to do around the house, but I just didn't feel like doing them.  I'm sure we've all had these kinds of days.  But, now having said all that, I did finally pull myself out of my recliner and head off to Goderich for a few things I was getting low on.  It was a weather watch 'squall warning' that had popped up on my phone, prompting me to do that.  In case of a power outage due to a bad storm, I wanted to make sure I had a good stock of peanut butter in the cupboard.

Al's Music Box::  Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry.

GROANER'S CORNER(( The other day I was eating in an Italian restaurant when I accidentally spilled some spaghetti sauce on my favorite white sweater. I wasn't too distressed, though, because Mr. Wong down on High Street has been doing my laundry for years, and I knew that he could remove just about any stain and get it out like it'd never been there.  So I took the sweater down to Wong's Laundry and dropped it off; Mr. Wong said he'd probably be able to have it cleaned by Thursday. So on Thursday afternoon after work I stopped by Wong's again.  Mr. Wong looked quite distressed when he saw me. He brought out the sweater and, apologizing profusely, explained that somehow this stain was beyond even his power to expunge.  And sure enough, though fainter than before, there was still a distinct red stain on the sweater. In an attempt to make up for his failure, Mr. Wong offered to send the sweater to his brother across town, who had been in the laundry business for an even longer time, and who might have a clue as to the method of removal of this extraordinarily persistent stain.  The elder Wong brother would rush it through at no extra charge, and should have it looking as white and clean as new by Friday. So on Friday I went back to Wong's to pick up my sweater, but when I arrived, Mr. Wong regretfully informed me that his brother, too, had failed to remove the red blotch. "No charge," said Wong, "but you must take sweater elsewhere to clean.  The Moral: ... Two Wongs cannot make a white."

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A man rushed into the doctor's office and shouted, "Doctor! I think I'm shrinking!" The doctor calmly responded, "Now, settle down. You'll just have to be a little patient."

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- My aunt gave me a walkie-talkie for my birthday. She says if I'm good, she'll give me the other one next year.

- I had amnesia once or twice.

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A lawyer's dog, running about unleashed, beelines for the local butcher shop and steals a roast off the counter.  The butcher goes to the lawyer's office and asks, "if a dog, running unleashed, steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog's owner?" "Absolutely," the lawyer responded.  The butcher immediately shot back, "Good! You owe me $17.99 for the roast your dog stole from me this morning."  The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for $17.99. A few days later, the butcher, browsing through his mail, finds an envelope from the lawyer.  The contents read  "Consultation: $175.00."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery

I HAVE A COMPUTER PROBLEM

 A FEW IRIS FLOWERS IN OUR FLOWERBED TODAY

It seems my laptop computer has picked up some kind of disruptive virus.  I lost two-thirds of today's post.  Annoying ads are popping up all over the screen, my cursor is jumping around, and when I type, the letters jumble up.  I may have to take it to the computer shop in Goderich tomorrow.  Right now, I am using my desktop computer, and everything seems okay, but I can't sit long and type at this computer before my upper back becomes too painful. Luckily, I had put together the framework of today's blog last night and this morning.  By framework, I mean Al's Music Box, Groaner's Corner, Al's Doggy World, Meanings, and Al's Art Gallery.  But, I can tell you this much.......today's happenings included the London International Airport.  No, I did not fly away.....................  

Al's Music Box:: Michael Row The Boat Ashore by The Highwaymen.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Dear Ma and Pa:: I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay... practically nothing. Men got to shave, but it's not so bad... there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys who live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you 'til noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much. We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet, and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none. This next will get Walt and Elmer to laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry. Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join up before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding on in. Your loving daughter, Tammy Bethann.

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If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it will always be yours. If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with. But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money, and doesn't appear to realize you set it free...You either married it or gave birth to it.

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery 

BUT THAT WAS ABOUT IT

 A COUPLE OF FROGS IN THE FRONT YARD FROG POND TODAY

Not much of anything going on today.  I did get out for a morning walk, but that was about it.

 SOME FARMER'S CROPS ARE NEARING HARVEST

 NO, WE DO NOT EAT FROG LEGS HERE!!

 A COUPLE OF LLAMAS AT A NEARBY FARM

Al's Music Box:: All I Have To Do Is Dream

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and says to the first man he meets, "Do you want to go to heaven?" The man said, "I do Father." The priest said, "Then stands over there against the wall." Then the priest asked the second man, "Do you want to get to heaven?" "Certainly, Father," was the man's reply."Then stand over there against the wall," said the priest. Then Father Murphy walked up to O'Toole and said, "Do you want to go to heaven?" O'Toole said, "No, I don't Father." The priest said, "I don't believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don't want to go to heaven?" O'Toole said, "Oh, when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now."

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I got a new pair of gloves today, but they're both 'lefts.' Which, on the one hand, is great, but on the other, it's just not right.

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A teacher says, “Okay, class. Today we're going to be talking about the tenses. If I say ‘I'm beautiful,' which tense is it?” Little Johnny raises his hand and says, “Obviously past tense, Miss.”

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How many ears does Captain Kirk have? The correct answer is Three...The left ear, the right ear, and the final front ear.

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A six year old goes to the hospital with her grandmother to visit her Grandpa. When they get to the hospital, she runs ahead of her Grandma and bursts into her Grandpa's room ... "Grandpa, Grandpa," she says excitedly, "As soon as Grandma comes into the room, make a noise like a frog!" "What?" said her Grandpa. "Make a noise like a frog - because Grandma said that as soon as you croak, we're all going to Disney World !"

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Al's Art Gallery