Gracie and Me: Covid-19 #24

     Today is my mother's mother's birthday. She's 121 years old today. Not my mother, but my grandmother.

Mima & Cousin Richard/Circa 1973ish

     My mother's still alive and a very spry 88-years old next month. My grandmother, who we all called Mima, was born in 1899.
     Mima's birthday got me to thinking about all the living people having birthdays in these times. Birthdays were once my happy time. I'd even use memories of good birthdays to fall asleep when I was younger. It worked a whole lot better than worrying about the child snatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To this day, I pull the covers up to my chin.... just in case.
     But back to birthdays, here are some of the folks from my FB friend's list with upcoming birthdays. I'm including a little or a lot that I know about them.

     Mike Thornton (April 6,): Retired from WTC, helped with the colors at The Big Apple Deli and quite the artist.
     Alexander Dreith (April 5,): Son of former WTC President Mike Dreith, an amazing karaoke singer. His specialty was "Sweet Caroline." Great worker!
     Brodie Calley (April 5,): One of the original Big Apple Deli employees. Super young man and now new father.
     Stacy Reed (April 10,): She's a great golfer. Her husband, Johnny, is a GIANT gun enthusiast. Their daughter married at The Windmill Ranch.
     Beth Baque' Conner (April 13,): I've know Beth since around 1982ish. She married my best high school friend, Stephen. They lived and raised a family in Thailand while he worked for Union oil. Now, they live in the NOLA area. Stephen taught me how to water ski.
     Matt Ellis (April 18,): I met Matt & his son Charlie when they came into our coffee shop. Later, Matt and wife Michelle played live music at the deli. Fantastic!
     Gary Dean (April 21,): TKE fraternity brother from Stephen F. Austin State Univ. in Nacodoches back in the early 80s. He was an active. I was a pledge. He scared me.
     Happy Birthday friends and even not friends. It's a weird time to have a birthday. I hope all of you are well and that your day is the best day.

     Diet Update: We cheated. Nuf' said.
    Gracie Update: She's wiped out from walks and bike rides. She's not riding. Just us.

Bill Robertson,We're having fish for supper. It's not fried. Big bummer.

Gracie and Me: Covid-19 #23

     I'm flummoxed. I want to talk golf, but I think writing about time is more timely.😆 Killing time, making time, finding time.. Have you ever thought about how many times you say the word time or think about the concept of time?

     What time is it?, Daylight Savings Time, Time in/Time out, etc, etc.. I'm going to gamble and say the word time and the concept of time are the most used word and most channeled thought of all modern mankind. And now more than ever, for all of us staying home to help others, we have a whole lot of time on our hands.
     "Time to go, Time to eat and Time to go to bed" are three phrases used everyday in millions of homes around the world. That's a lot of times that time is said.
    "I need to leave by ???, guests arrive at ???, and I need to pay that bill by ????" are just three time thoughts that I bet we've all said many, many times. Oops, there I go again.😂
     So, the $64,000 question is.... How are you spending your time while staying home? We're taking care of a ranch in the country. So, we're dividing our time to tackle a lot of chores vs tackling one chore at a time.

Pulling Weeds/WRP, Snyder TX

     Here's how it works. Weeding flower beds gets the least amount of time. I'm dedicating 15-minutes to pulling weeds, but not 15-minutes at once. Have you ever been 57-years old and bent over for 15-minutes?
     No, I'm dividing my weed pulling into three separate, five minute increments TIMES three. Oops, I said time again. 😏(pic)
     Bigger chores, usually the chores that come with equipment, get more time. There it is again. 😂  I picked 30-minutes for the bigger chores and I'm absolutely amazed about how much can get done in one half hour.

Circle Drive/WRP, Snyder TX

     The picture doesn't do my weed eating justice. I was able to weed eat round our parking circle, behind our pavilion, around the trees in our mesquite grove and trim the flagstone patios on our Big & Little Houses, all within 30-minutes. In fact, I stopped at 22-minutes because I was out of weed eater twine.
     The weed eating killed my back so I jumped on the riding lawnmower. I mowed a crazy amount of grass in half an hour. Now, I feel bad about complaining about our ranch chores when I realize that if I measure each by time, 😀 it really takes very little time to get the job done.

Almost Everyday/WRP, Snyder TX

     I just used the word TIME or referenced Time three times in two sentences. Oh my! Now, I've used the the word TIME or a reference to time four times in three sentences. And there I go again, I just used a TIME reference again and again.
     So, the point is: Your likely home, hopefully you are well and you have time on your hands. I offer this suggestion...  divide your chores into 'timed' amounts. You'd be surprised how much you can get done in a short amount of time. I sure am.

     Diet Update: This is a terrible time to be on a diet. I'm working on a recipe for Mexican Turkey Wantons.
     Gracie Update: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Bill Robertson, Be Safe. Stay Home.😃
   

Gracie and Me: Covid-19 #22

     My masks don't go with Teresa's outfit, but they're sure easy to make. The last time I paid $1.62 for gas was 2003 and anyone who's still stupid enough to be telling Covid 19 jokes is either an idiot or a top shelf insensitive puke.

T's a Rule Bender/Randals Corner, TX

     The CDC came out today with news that we should all wear masks when we go outside.

     Presumably, they meant that we should all wear masks when we go outside and expect to be near other people. I'm a rule player. Teresa's a rule bender. So today when we went to the grocery store, I insisted she wear a mask whether she liked it or not. I won the argument, but I got an earful.
                             Teresa: "It doesn't go with my outfit.... It's messin' with my ponytail... I'll be okay                                             this one time.. My heads too big to fit through the hole."
                             Me: "Uh huh.. put it on."
                             Teresa: "Okay."
    

Mark & Cut/Snyder, TX

     The beauty of my mask is, it's incredibly simple to make. Granted, it's probably not the mask the CDC wants us to wear, but the report I read said just cover your nose and mouth.
      The picture shows the simplicity. Just take any old T-Shirt, draw a line from the neck to under the armpit and begin cutting. Then, pull the sleeve over your head. The under arm part dangles under your chin. So, use a relatively clean shirt otherwise the sweat stench may cause more harm than good.😁

Cheap Gas/Snyder, TX

     I paid $1.62 per gallon for gas today in Snyder. To tell the truth, the gas was priced at $1.92 but with my discount, I got a $0.30 discount. Still, when's the last time gas was less than $2.00.. discount or not? The low prices at the pump may seem like a silver lining, but here in West Texas the lower the price the more we cringe. The lower gas prices mean lower oil prices and lower oil prices mean many, many cities begin struggling because oil to us is Black Gold... Texas-T. It's our currency.
   
     Now to the absolute idiots who think it's funny to continue telling Covid-19 jokes. Plain and simple, how stupid are you? You're not ignorant because that means that you don't know what you don't know. So unless you are living under a rock, you must know the devastating impact that Covid 19 is having on our globe, not just our country. You are an insensitive moron. Dummy!
     Knock it off! I know you think comedy has no boundaries, but believe me it does. And if you don't believe me, try telling your smart aleck, incredibly insensitive jokes to someone who's affected by Covid 19. Dummy!

     Diet Update: Looking Good Billy Ray. Feeling Good Louis!
     Gracie Update: We're home schooling and she's a straight A student. Smartest dog I've ever had.

Bill Robertson, We wore our masks in the grocery store today. It felt kind of strange at first, but in minutes we  didn't even notice.
   

     

Gracie and Me: Covid-19 #21

     My nephew gave up drive-thru restaurant service for Lent. That's a sentence I never expected to hear, much less write. His big sister gave up sweets.

Luke, Mercy & Bucky/Abq, NM

     Luke's a junior and Mercy's a senior at Albuquerque High School, Go Bulldogs! It's crazy, but I've seen them more in the last week through ZOOM than I have in person within the last year. When my 'lil sister, their mother, told me about L & M's sacrifices, I think I almost fell out of my chair. I'd heard of giving up sweets, but giving up drive-thru restaurant service? Who does that? As Teresa said, "That's ingenious."
     Julia, my sister and their mother sent me the picture of Luke eating what looks like a GREAT sandwich. It's all homemade. It's Luke's version of a Whataburger Chicken Strip sandwich. Apparently, he's taking his favorite drive-thru menus and recreating in their family kitchen.

Chef Luke/Abq, NM

     The drive-thru he misses the most: Whataburger and Taco Bell. The drive thru he misses the least is Burger King, maybe but not really.  Mercy's absolute favorite is ice cream. Her go to sweets are brownies.
     For me, I'd miss Taco John's the most and Whataburger the least and my favorite sweet is chocolate pecan pie, but my go to is Oreos... Five of 'em. Three dunked. Two dry.

Joe & Sharon/Berry Hill, TN.

     If things had gone as planned, we'd have a new daughter in law this afternoon. Youngest son Joe and fiancé Sharon, like so many other couples, had to delay their nuptials. But they didn't let Covid-19 get in the way of an impromptu celebration. Older son, Jack  and daughter in law Allison with a nice assist from other family, surprised them with champagne, food, fun and more. Now, Joe and Sharon are looking forward to a November wedding in middle Tennessee. We told them, "Look at it this way. Now, y'all have two wedding days to celebrate. Joe, you can be in charge of planning one and Sharon, you can be in charge of planning the other."
     Diet Update: I'm working on a recipe for stuffed wantons... something not too fatty, low carb and low sodium.
     Gracie Update: A stray tabby's hanging around the house and driving Gracie a little crazy. Lots of chasing around the house.

Bill Robertson, Once after a high school wrestling match, Jack ate $17 worth of Taco Bell.

Gracie and Me: Covid 19 #20

     Right now, We should be at my youngest son's wedding rehearsal dinner at Battle Mountain Farm near Franklin, Tennessee. We'd be having food from a Taco Truck. He sends me pictures all the time of the giant portions. T & I were looking forward to this great weekend.
     Completely unrelated to Joe's wedding, I never dreamed I'd write this blog 20-times, just like my old friend and co-worker Dave Wille said, "I don't do anything 20-times in one day."

Sharon Anderson & Joe Robertson/Middle Tennesssee

     Joe met Sharon Rose Anderson at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tenn. That's about an hour and half due east of Nashville. She's from the Chicago area and played volleyball. Joe grew up in middle Tennessee and played football. The two hoped to get married this weekend, but had to postpone everything due to Covid 19.

Joe and Sharon/Chicago

     The current crisis has meant a lot of changes for all of us, but just imagine the most important day of your life. We made our changes, probably just like hundreds of parents of the bride and groom around the country. But, imagine if you're the actual couple who planned to get married in these times and had to put absolutely everything on hold.

Joe Robertson/Sharon Anderson

     We feel for Joe and Sharon like other parents feel for their kids who had to stop their future. But if there's a silver lining, maybe it's an experiment in patience, possibly the most important virtue when it comes time for young couples to begin their next chapter. Much love Joe and Sharon. We'll see you in November.
     Now to Blog #20 and my old friend Dave Wille. We worked together back in the '90s at KOLN/KGIN (ch. 10/11) in Lincoln, NE. I worked news. Dave worked sports. One day he asked me a good question, but his response was even better.
                                 Dave: "Bill, how much do you smoke a day?"
                                 Me: "About a pack."
                                 Dave: "How many cigarettes are in a pack?"
                                 Me: "20"
                                 Dave: "20? I don't do 20 of anything in one day."
     I've never forgotten that conversation. Dave is now a sports photographer for a Denver area TV station. He married Pam Sullivan who we worked with in Lincoln.
     And like Dave said that he never did anything 20-times in one day, I never expected to write a blog with 20-parts on the same subject.

     Diet Update: Big Bummer
     Gracie Update: It's cold here and she doesn't like it.

Bill Robertson, We wish Joe and Sharon were getting married this weekend, but hardly as much as they do.
   
   
   
   

Gracie & Me: Covid-19 #19

     Coffee, Covid 19 and creativity... It takes a little thinking ahead these days to just visit and enjoy family who doesn't live in the same house.

Coffee during Covid-19

     We hadn't seen my 87-year-old mother in quite awhile. We'd talked and even texted as she's pretty progressive. In fact, she has more devices that we do.  But, an electronic/virtual connection is never the same as laying eyes on someone. You can't shake hands, hug or give a kiss on the cheek.

     So, we set up a tailgate coffee meeting and followed all the Social Distancing rules. T & I back Big Red, our old Chevy pickup into mom's driveway. We sat on the tailgate while mom sat in the sun/shade. We brought our coffee from home, mom had her knitting and we just visited a  bit.

     Our new normal was pretty satisfying. Then, we had a normal, normal moment. Sitting and talking and laughing, we had a tiny visitor. He was completely oblivious to social distancing probably because as we'd find out he couldn't see nor hear very good.

Remi/The Lost Dog

     Remmy, the tiny Yorkshire Terrier, came out of nowhere. First, he hugged the house walls. Then, he walked right through my mother's feet and then, he came to Teresa and me. I picked him up thinking 'if you snap at me it'll be big trouble little dog.' But he didn't . He just kind of wiggled.

     Teresa kept calling Remmy a SHE, but she calls all animals SHE. Remmy had tags with his name and number. We called. 

        Me: "Hi. This is Bill. Are                                                       you looking for a dog?"

        Lady: "Yes."

        Me: "I'm on 34th street."

         Lady: "Oh my. He's gone a                                                                 ways. I just noticed a                                                               hole in our fence."

         Me: "We're here? Where are                                                          you? It's a sweet dog."

         Lady: "I'm on 36th. He's an                                                               old sweet dog. He's                                                                                                                                    11-years old. His                                                                                                                                       name                                                                                                                                                           is Remmy. I'll be right                                                                                                                                   there."

     Tiny Remmy is safe n' sound now. I bet he was a tough, little yapper many moons ago. Now, he's pretty tame.

     Diet Update: I'm done writing about my cravings. I still got 'em, but who cares? The bottom line is the diet food is chalk, but it works. I'm down 26 and Teresa is down even more.

     Gracie Update: She's learned to speak. No, not really.

Bill Robertson, Teresa said, "I could like a house dog like Remmy." I said, "Aargh!!!"

Gracie and Me: Covid-19 #18

     There are tales of incredible thoughtfulness and thoroughness in these times, 21st century education looks like school bus #15 in Snyder and my grandmother's irises are blooming. Who knew she was an LSU fan?

Debra Yandrich/United, Snyder TX

     Debra Yandrich runs, manages and takes care of the United gas kiosk. I think she's been behind her counter just about every time I've stopped in for gas, smokes or whatever. I've never seen her wear a mask, but today was different.
     It was what she said while I was paying my bill that caught my ear and prompted spotlighting her in this blog.
                                      Debra: "Put in your rewards number."
                                      Me: "No, that's okay."
                                      Debra: "It's okay. I wipe it down after                                                          every customer."
                                      Me: "Really? Every customer?"
                                      Debra: "Yes sir. Gotta keep my customers safe. I wipe down the gas nozzle                                                       handles and keypad at least once a hour, too. If we're busy, I wipe 'em                                                  down every 30-minutes."
     Now, that's customer service. I suspect United has a policy for its employees working the registers, but I got a feeling they don't always go above and beyond like Debra.

Wifi Hotspot/Snyder, TX

     Now to school bus #15 and the $64,000 question: 'Why is it parked in the United parking lot?' Simple. It's one of five Snyder ISD wifi hotspots.
     Students here and everywhere are being home schooled these days. A lot of our local kids don't have computers so they don't have internet access. Snyder ISD provided those kids the computers and equipment. Then, they created the school bus hotspots. Kudos to whoever thought of that idea, but it's sad they had to in the first place.
    

Mima's Irises/Randals Corner

           My grandmother's name was Josephine. My grandad called her Josie. We called her Mima. She liked to fish and grow flowers. Now, the irises that she planted literally decades ago are blooming at Randals Corner, about eight miles west of the square.
     They're mostly purple, but there are some yellow/gold ones too. So, that makes Mima an LSU fan because their colors are purple and gold. Geaux Tigers!

     Gracie Update: She hasn't figured out that bicycles move forward. She doesn't understand yet that when we ride our bikes it's the same as walking but faster.
     Diet Update: Pan seared salmon with roasted vegetables tonight.

Bill Robertson, I remember the day Mima taught me how to fish at Josie's Tank, behind the burned down house at Randals Corner. We used cane poles.