Happy 85th Birthday Ron!

 Friends! Here is my annual birthday video.

Here's hoping I can make another video next year!

I Can Breathe Again

 Now that the Blue Wave has wiped out MAGA I can breathe again. 

Ever since I realized that a large portion of the American public was conned by Donald Trump into believing his lies, I felt like the America I grew up in and believed was all a lie. With the results of the midterm elections in which the Democrats effectively wiped out so many Republicans who have cowardly bent the knee to The Convicted Felon in the White House, I've been depressed. It was just hard for me to believe that so many of my fellow Americans supported Trump and his thugs. Perhaps what finally woke them up was when they realized Trump's promise of lowering the cost of living and no more endless foreign wars was just another Trump lie, was what enabled so many Democrats to return to power. Make no mistake about it, a lot of voters did not vote FOR the Democrats but they either voted against Trump or they just stayed home and didn't vote because they couldn't bring themselves to vote for a Democrat. Not that I can blame them. Too many Democratic politicians have for too long taken their base for granted. They became to involved in fringe groups like which pronoun to use and reparations for blacks. Give me a break. How about the every day American who can't keep up with the cost of living? And by the way, the Democrats can start by replacing Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer with new young blood. 

Just saying. And another thing, forget impeaching Trump. That's not going to lower the price of gas. Impeach Hegseth and Bobby Kennedy, Jr. but it's a waste of time impeaching Trump. Besides you'll just get J.D. Vance, the same one at the top of this blog posts who is refusing to swear in a legitimately elected member of Congress, Abdul El-Sayed. 

A load has been lifted off of all of us, even those MAGA who don't realize it now. America was going in the wrong direction with Trump and his spineless Republican enablers. Now we have a Congress which is going to do its job which is oversight and providing a balance of power to prevent any one person becoming a tyrant which is where this country was going. And maybe, just maybe American can regain some respect in the world community, much of which Trump has squandered in the past ten years by his childish and deadly tantrums.

We're on the road to recovery folks. I had hoped I would live long enough to witness the demise of MAGA which I have. Now I want to live another two years at least to see Jon Ossoff elected president. 

Senator Jon Ossoff

Sorry Kamala, your time has passed. 

The Blue Wave

Chris Pappas, first openly gay an elected to the U.S. Senate.

 Last night I was up until 2:30 AM this morning following the midterm elections returns. 

The majority of American voters finally came to their senses and massively rejected the spineless Republican candidates and put Democrats back in power. Not all Democrats won (Florida is still in ignorance) but enough won, especially in Texas to turn that state blue. 

There is so much I want to say about this historic election which I don't have time now to do so. However I do want to note that for the first time in American political history an openly gay candidate, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire was elected to the United States Senate. I'm old enough to remember when being openly gay was against the law. We've come a long way my fellow Americans. I'm glad I have lived long enough to see this.

By the way, is it me or do a lot of gay couples look alike?

I Voted!

 

I arrived about forty-five minutes early at my local polling location which is conveniently located at the entrance to the development where I live. 

I was again first in line as I was the last time I voted. I like being first.

From the time when I could legally vote (21 years of age back in 1964), I've voted in every election. It's interesting, I rarely see young people vote. That's how weird I am, I couldn't wait to vote. Now Congress finally changed the law and lowered the voting age to eighteen. I was eighteen and in the U.S. Army. Old enough to put my life on the line for my country but not old enough to vote. Took them long enough to correct that mistake. 

Of course I voted straight Blue (Democratic). I doubt if I will ever vote for a Republican again in whatever years of life I have left on this earth. The Republicans have pretty much self immolated with their subservience to Trump and their failure to keep their oath to the Constitution when they took office. I'll never take them seriously again after their betrayal to my county. 

Now to await the results of today's mid term elections. I hope there are no surprises like the last two elections when The Stupids elected Trump and all those Republicans. Hopefully they have realized now, that their pocketbooks are affected, what a horrendous error they made electing a criminal like Trump as president and his spineless Republican enablers. 

When this election is over and the Democrats take power, hopefully accountability time will come.

 

Election Eve

 

Only one day to go for the midterm elections.

It has been a long two years since Trump was elected president. Millions of Americans and people worldwide have had to suffer the consequences of the incompetent and lawless Trump presidency. A presidency that was only made possible by the profound ignorance of his supporters, the cowardice of Republican lawmakers, business leaders, and a corrupt Supreme Court who enabled Trump and his thugs and cronies to get away with their crimes. I will vote early tomorrow. I hope you will too.

Change Those Clocks!

 

That time of year again! Time to change all the clocks back one hour to Standard Time.

I hate this twice a year ritual. Mainly because I have so many damn clocks. At last count I think I have between forty-five and fifty-clocks that I have to change. And almost every one of them has a different method of changing. 

Thank goodness I do have a handful that change automatically. But most I have to figure out the secret sauce how to change them. Some the dial doesn't work so I have to take the battery out and wait for that time to arrive (usually 11:00 AM) and put the double AA battery back in. I have two clocks that are high up on the wall. One in the kitchen and the other in the garage that I look at all the time. I have to change those because those are the ones I depend on. But both require me to stand on a step ladder to get the large clock off the wall and take it down to a flat surface to change. And as you know these days this old man isn't too steady on his feet. 

There are other clocks that I don't bother changing because I rarely look at them. I leave them be.

Why do I have so many clocks? I like clocks and over my lifetime I've collected a lot of clocks. I just like clocks. I remember each one, where I got it and what time of my life that I got it. Memories, that's the story of my life.

This morning I had a scare though when I got in The Princess (my new Hyundai Venue). I had no idea how to change the clock in my car. Then I realized my car doesn't have a clock. I use Apple Play and whatever time is on my iPhone is what is going to be displayed on my navigation screen in my car. But I had no navigation screen. "What's up with that?" I thought. Then I realized I didn't have my iPhone in my pocket. Phew! I almost made a trip without my iPhone. I hate when I do that because I feel so vulnerable leaving the house without my trusty iPhone. How would I record an accident if I had one or call somebody in an emergency. We are all so dependent on our smart phones these days aren't we?I am totally dependent on mine, I know that. It's like driving. Before I drove I really didn't miss driving but now that I've been driving these past decades I can't imagine my life without having the use of a car to get up and go whenever and wherever I want to go. 

Have a great day everyone, I have a dozen or so more clocks to change.

Halloween 2026

 

Here I sit at my computer in my home office which is right next to my front door. It is 6:08 PM Halloween Night. I will not be opening my door to trick or treaters tonight nor any Halloween in the future. There is a good chance I won't even be here next year so that's a moot point.

There was a time when Halloween was a big deal in my life. Especially when I was young, in elementary school. I was lucky in that I lived in a small town and the streets were easy to traverse. Also the time was in the late Forties and Fifties when getting free candy was a big deal. Also a time when candy tasted like candy not that plastic, processed, tasteless stuff they call "candy" nowadays. 

Then came a time when I was an adult and Halloween resurfaced as an adult treat. That was fun to dress up and go to a Halloween party. I went to a few of them and it was fun. Alas, in this day and age of fear and strife, those days are no longer. Especially this year with the mid term elections only a few days away and the possibility of finally ridding our country of the scourge of Trump and his enablers and allies who are dragging our country down. 

Does this year feel like Halloween to you? I have a feeling of anticipation like I did when I was a kid on Christmas Eve. I just can't wait until the Republicans are thrown out of power, finally and we can get our country back on the right track. 

That's it. My Halloween rant. 

Update On Pat's House

 

Pat's house (yellow door) is on the left, the druggie house is in the middle and Samantha's house is on the right

Finally, good news on Pat's housing situation at his home in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 

His druggie neighbors are gone. GONE! 

Their drug haven house is boarded up! 

One half of the duo (Ray) is in jail for the next five years. We don't know why, probably for theft and/or drug dealing, both of which was conducted out of that small house located between Pat and his neighbor Samantha. 

The other half of that duo (Kim) now has a new boyfriend and have relocated to whereabouts unknown to Pat and Samantha. 

That druggie couple lived and conducted their "business" (selling stolen goods and drugs)out of that house for over three years, paying no taxes of course. The house actually belonged to her father who left no will. Her father also owned another house in Hamilton which has been boarded up for quite a while. 

Pat and Samantha are hoping that the city of Hamilton puts that house up for sale to recover their back taxes but it's complicated. Normally when a house is abandoned a bank owns the house through a mortgage. In this case the father apparently owned the house outright. I see many houses down here in Delaware that have long ago been abandoned and are now slowly deteriorating  and being swallowed up by vegetation. Apparently because of a similar situation, a family member died without a will and it's unclear who actually owns the property. I hope that's not the situation with this house. Pat hopes someday to sell his house and move in with me here in Delaware (when he gets his green card approval which could still take years). Having a falling apart house like that right next to your pristine property doesn't help setting a decent sale price. One good thing though, Pat and Samantha don't have that headache next to them now. Both of them can now get some sleep.

Meeting a Blog Follower

 

I've been blogging over twenty years now. Occasionally I get to met in person someone who follows my blogging. Last week during Pat's visit I got to met one such person. To protect her privacy I won't name her or the place but I will say it was a pleasure to meet her. 

When I was a teenager I had pen pals. At one time I had over sixty pen pals. Never met a one. Which is a shame. One girl who lived in Council Bluffs Iowa I did so want to meet. A few years ago I tried to look her up but didn't have any success. She probably married and took on her husband's name which is why it is so difficult to look up the whereabouts of some women.

People have shown up where I used to work at the hotel in Lewes, Delaware. I met Pat through my blog even though he wasn't a follower of my blog. And in fact still doesn't read my blog. He saw my photo testifying before the Delaware State Legislature for Marriage Equality and found my blog. He contacted me and asked to meet me. That's a long story in which I went into several times in this blog. It was meant to be. 

It's interesting that two of my best friends I met through my blog but they don't follow my blog. The only friend who does follow my blog is Spo of Spo Reflections. He's a dear. Coincidentally, during one of his visits to Delaware one of his blog followers met him by serendipity at a restaurant

where we were having lunch. Such is the random nature of blogging. I love it!

Seventy-Five Years Ago, My First Job

Little ten year old "Ronnie" Tipton

 Seventy-five years ago I was ten years old. I was in third grade at the East Ward Elementary School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. 

I had just begun my first job as a paper boy. A job which I held for five years until I entered ninth grade and I thought I was too big to ride a bicycle. It's funny to think of that now when adults riding bicycles but back in the Fifties the only adults riding bicycles were Europeans we saw in newsreels who couldn't afford cars in postwar Europe. Interestingly that paperboy job I had was probably the best job I've ever had in my lifetime. I was my own boss. I got exercise, I had money and learned responsibility. The reason I had that paperboy job was because I asked my Mother for an allowance and she told me "If you want money, you earn it." She's the one who got me that paperboy job which I wasn't too thrilled about. Later I realized that was probably the best decision she ever made for me in addition to minding my manners and respecting my elders. Something of which I rarely do these days since I am approaching the grand old age of 85 years. 

Until I left home to join the Army at eighteen years old, neither one of my parents gave me a cent. Not in allowance or any other form. 

As I grew older I had additional jobs, some of which I like and some I didn't like too much but they all had a purpose. To teach me self reliance and earn money. Some of the jobs I held were office cleaning which I did five nights a week for about four years. I also worked weekends at the local farmers market at a meat market. Marty Brill and Sons. I stood behind the meat counter and hawked passerby's to buy our ham (at 39 cents a pound) and souse meat (look it up. I worked at the farmers market from six PM to 12 PM Friday nights and 12 PM to 12 AM Saturday night. I was paid the grand total of $14 for the weekend. For my office cleaning job I was paid fifty-five cents an hour. For my paperboy job I usually cleared about five dollars a week. 

I also had some sporadic jobs on the side like mowing lawns (50 cents) and sweeping out my local barber shop on a Sunday morning ($2.00). 

When I graduated from high school, I was told there was no college money so I joined the Army. My first pay there was $69 a month.

Private Ronald Tipton

When I left the Army after three years I was making E-5 (sergeant) pay. $355 a month. Tax free. First job after the Army was at the Pittsburgh Hilton as a night auditor. I was paid $250 a month. This before taxes including a wage tax in Pittsburgh. It was tough going for me the few months I had that job. I rented a furnished efficiency apartment in Shadyside Pittsburgh for $8.00 a week. I had to share a bathroom with four other apartments in the old Victorian building where I lived. 

I've never earned more than $38,750 a year once I began my adult career in back office trust operations in banking. My first job at the bank was $70 a week. This was in March of 1965. 

Also in March of 1965 I moved in with Bill. He was making four times what I was making (about $12,000 a year) as an electronics technician for RCA. Eventually our salaries matched at $22,000 a year. When Bill was fifty-five years old he took early retirement from GE (who bought RCA) and for the next forty years until he died at 95 years of age, I was the main income earner. For the seven years after he took early retirement (from 55 to 62) I was the sole income earner. I really didn't mind because I encouraged Bill to take early retirement because he was traveling so much and it was better for us if he stayed home and took care of the house and pets while I worked at the bank. We managed.

So what is the whole point of this post? I'm just glad I'm not a young person now the high cost of living and housing. We managed to buy our first house at $27,000 (center city Philadelphia town house) by combining our incomes. That house now is valued close to $900,000 on Zillow.  

I eventually did get a college degree by going to night school three nights a week after work for four years. I only got an Associate's Degree in business management which did nothing for my banking job but I was the first in my family to have a college degree. The GI Bill from when I was in the Army paid for that schooling. 

At this time of my life as I look back over the past seventy-five years of my life I think I did pretty good for a guy of middling intelligence (I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I do know how to survive). I attribute my success to my Mother's direction seventy-five years ago when I asked for that allowance and she told me instead "get a job."

Thanks Mom. You did good.

Me and my Mother April 26, 1997

Where Is Toronto?

 

When Pat comes down to visit me, I take advantage and visit some of my favorite local restaurants. 

I like to dine out but not alone. Pat doesn't mind dining alone. I feel uncomfortable though dining by myself. I feel like I'm one person taking up a whole table and the servers are anxious to get me out of there to get a larger group. 

Pat also has his favorite restaurants when he visits. One of them is Zava Cafe in Milton. This short video was an interchange we had with our server. Usually I ask our server to take a picture of me with who ever I'm dining with. This time I asked her to take a short video. I'm glad I did because we had this spontaneous reaction when she asked Pat where he was from. Check it out.

By the way, I'm going to post more of these short videos of me and Pat. I take them and yet I don't post most of them. That's dumb Ron. So be prepared. Pat is good company and I do so enjoy his visits. I am looking forward to the day when he is a permanent resident of the United States. That's the goal, he wants to be a U.S. citizen. We're working on it. Still waiting for his green card approval. Could take another year. 

Sunday Morning October 18, 2026

 What a beautiful fall Sunday morning I woke up to today.

After my walk this morning, I stopped up at my fish pond and encountered an unexpected visitor to my pond, a squirrel. That's the first squirrel I've seen on my property since I moved to Delaware these twenty years ago. Where we lived in Pennsylvania, Bill and I had plenty of squirrels. As my friend Spo would say "heaps of squirrels." In fact, we had too many squirrels in Pennsylvania. That was one thing I didn't miss when we moved to Delaware, the squirrels digging up my tulip bulbs. Vandalizing my bird feeder. Now I don't mind. I'm not planting any more tulips nor do I have a bird feeder out. The squirrel obviously has taken up residence from all the trees that I planted on this formerly blank almost one acre of land that is Lot 37 in my development.

Pat has been gone a day now and I'm getting back into my former routine. I saw a movie last night at the Flynn Cinema in my basement alone. The past two weeks I had the pleasure of watching movies with Pat by my side in our own private movie theater. Seventy-seven inch, 4K, Surround Sound movie theater. Something I've always wanted and now I have in my twilight years. Such a pleasure to be immersed in a movie with someone you love, cuddled together. We can talk outlaid, pause the movie to go to the bathroom or a snacks, and don't have to be disturbed by anybody else. Also no parking or outrageous movie fees and snack concession prices. I've always been a movie fan but not of all the aggravation and expense of seeing a movie in a theater these days.

When Pat and I visit or take a trip out systems (bowels) get out of whack. Probably an "old man" thing but one of the downsides of getting together. Thankfully we're both back to being "regular" again. That's a relief.

Something interesting happened last night. The whole time Pat was here that burned out Christmas light was on. That was Bill visiting us. Last night it was off. I really felt alone. Not only was Pat gone from Casa-Tipton Kelly but Bill wasn't here. He does that. He will come by for a week or two and go away for weeks at a time. I wonder where he goes. I hear in the Afterlife our souls still go to school or maybe he's visiting another relative.  One thing is for sure, I'll know eventually when I pass over.

Now I'm looking forward to the next two weeks of the final campaigning for the mid term elections. I am so hoping for a complete Republican wipeout so my country can return to sanity and start the steps to regain respect in the world. 

Also coming up is my birthday in two weeks. I can't believe I'm only fifteen years away from the century mark. There is absolutely no way I want to be one hundred years old! Oh my God! Can you imagine? Look at me now, hobbling around like an old man which actually I am an old man. The fifteen years scares me because I know how fast that happens. The last fifteen years are a blur. So much has happened. I met Pat thirteen years ago but it feels like I've only known him for about five years. We're still waiting to hear from the U.S. State Department about Pat's authorization for his green card. Nothing yet. Hopefully this year there is some movement so we can get Pat down here in the states and start that procedure to add him to my insurance as my spouse and get his American citizenship. Pat likes Trump so that shouldn't be a problem. Oh, you didn't know Pat likes Trump? We don't talk about it. Perhaps eventually I will be able to make him see the error of his ways but I'm not going to let a little thing like that stand in between us and our relationship. I love that goofy little guy from Canada.

Have a great day and week everyone!

Pat's Returned To His Home In Canada

 

Pats back at his home in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada now as I type this blog entry.

He left early this morning (3:30 AM) for the eleven hour trip back to his home. I couldn't sleep so I saw him off as he drove away into the darkness of the night to his northern destination.

Last night we had our last restaurant foray during this visit. We time our arrival at Tequila Real in Milton perfectly. We got in just in time before the locals descended upon the restaurant with their families and kids. 

My two favorite Mexican restaurants are Sol Azteca in Georgetown and Tequila Real in Milton. Two Mexican restaurants with totally different clientele. Sol Azteca is located in Georgetown, Delaware. Many Mexicans and others of Central American countries live in and around Georgetown. The diners in Sol Azteca are 90% Hispanic. The restaurant plays music you can hear and Pat and I can have a conversation without shouting at each other. 

The other Mexican Restaurant is located in Milton where I live. In this Mexican restaurant the diners are 90% or more the locals in Milton which is all white Caucasian. They are loud. And when I say loud, I mean LOUD. Pat and I have to shout to each other because our fellow diners are so loud. Most are local families who know each other. And they bring their kids who are usually screamers. I try to avoid this restaurant during dinner hours and only have lunch there but since last night was Pat's last night, I didn't want us to drive all the way to Georgetown with is about sixteen miles away. Pat wanted to go to bed early so he could get an early start. So we braved the local loudmouths and ate at Tequila Real last night. Of course the food was fabulous and very reasonably priced. The Rehoboth Beach restaurants are very expensive. Partly due to high rents because Rehoboth Beach is a beach resort and also because of the high hourly wage paid restaurants workers. I like some of the Rehoboth restaurants but can only afford to eat there when I take advantage of their off season specials. Both my favorite Mexican restaurants feature my favorite frozen lime Margaritas which I love so much. They look different but are so delicious. 

Pat may come down again at Christmas. I hope so. But it is expensive coming down from Hamilton to Milton. I had more expenses to day getting my house power washed. Just a few days ago I had my lawn fertilized and weed control. That should be it for the season. We're both going to try and save up some money for the next trip. Hopefully this time next year Pat will have his green card and either be down here permanently or making plans to do so. Then we can combine our incomes and make a nice life as a couple living together. That's the goal.

Just A Perfect Day!

 

Pat and me at The Summer House restaurant in Rehoboth Beach today

What a wonderful day Pat and I had today! 

We started out early taking a load of household hazardous waste materials down to the Delaware Hazardous Waste Disposal facility in Georgetown this morning. This is something I have been wanting to do for years. I had so many garden sprays and such that Bill had collected over the years. I hate using garden insect killers. Also I had three long fluorescent tube lights that were burned out that I could dispose of no other place. I'm glad we got that out of the way. More room in my (our) garage now.

Then on this beautiful fall day we headed back to Rehoboth Beach to enjoy the boardwalk. We decided to take advantage of the off season 50% off hamburger specials at The Summer House restaurant.

Delicious! I also had a happy hour price on a coconut lime martini. Oh I do love a martini. Yum! 

Then we spent the rest of the afternoon people watching on the boardwalk. I love this time of year. The crowds are gone, no fee parking and restaurant off season specials which Pat and I are taking great advantage of now. 

My apologies for the short post but Pat awaits me now at the Flynn Cinema in the basement of our house. We're seeing another double feature tonight. Last night we saw "The Wolfman." Scary!

The Week That Was

Pat and I having a left over pizza dinner last night hare at Casa Tipton-Kelly

Wow! Pat's been here a week already. 

Last Sunday is when he arrived. He will leave this Friday. As always, his visits are too short. 

Oh how I look forward to the day when he can live here full-time. We are such a good match for each other. Even though we're both basically loners in life (we like to live alone), we do like each other's company. It was so ironic that I moved in with Bill when I was 22 years old and lived with him for almost sixty years. Me, the guy who at twelve years old wanted to live alone ended up living with someone for the next sixty years of my life. 

The past two and a half years since Bill died I had the opportunity to live alone. This experience might fall under the "be careful what you wish for" because at times I've been very lonely. Actually depressed but I didn't want to admit that to myself. Life with Pat is always an adventure even though to the casual outsider it would probably seem as if we lead uneventful lives. 

Well, just briefly this past week we've been eating out a lot. I never eat out alone and I do like to go to good restaurants. However, the restaurants are getting very pricey so I took advantage of the off season specials. The leftover pizza we had last night for dinner was from Touch of Italy 50% off pizza night. Pat and I like to drink red wine with out pizza. We're really not drinkers but red wine with pizza complements each other very well. The glass of red wine I ordered at Touch of Italy was $12 a glass! I think nine dollars a glass of wine is expensive but the wine was so good I ordered another glass. Needless to say the wine cost more than our pizzas. And the pizzas were huge! 

Pat got a cheese pizza (he vegan) and I had sweet Italian sausages and arugula on mine. We actually could have split a pizza, they were that huge. Next time.

Yesterday we ventured into Rehoboth Beach, first time I've been in that East Coast tourist magnet trap since early spring. I don't go in season, traffic and people too crazy. We had lunch at our favorite Lori's Cafe. So good! Just perfect weather. Today the weather is light rain. Time to stay in although I did reach out by text to an old friend of mine and his wife for a possible visit to their home. I used to go to night college with "Rich" back in the early Sixties. Three nights a week for four years if you can believe it. I got my associates degree and he continued on to the University Of Pennsylvania Wharton School for his bachelor's degree. GI Bill paid for both of our education. He and his wife retired down here to southern Delaware a few years ago. He got prostate cancer the same time I did (2013) and we've been sharing our experiences since. His hasn't went too well. I have fared better. As a matter of fact, I thought my prostate cancer has returned because of my elevated PSA score but it apparently hasn't. And just this seek I saw my VA doctor (with Pat, I introduced him to my doctor) and my PSA score has actually reduced! That's great news. I still have a lot of trouble walking though. Rich doesn't but he went to renewed treatment and had terrible side effects. The radiation has ruined his urethra (scar tissue) and he can no longer pee regular. I'll write more about this situation in future blog post. This post I'll concentrate on Pat's visit.

Pat's been helping me out around Casa Tipton-Kelly with little handyman jobs.

Pat fixing the loose weatherstripping on my front door

He is such a help. So good. Something bad happened though, he took a glass of wine in his bedroom and accidentally spilled it on the wall to wall carpet. I think we got most of the stain out but I was so angry. It seems every time I have guests in the house and they carry liquids in another room,  they spill it. Coffee, wine, soda. I now have a hard house rule, NO LIQUIDS EXCEPT WATER IN CARPETED ROOMS. I never take liquids in my other rooms away from my tile floored kitchen and dining area. Pat felt so bad an it was had for me to stay angry with him. Accidents happen, I understand that. But these people who have to constantly have a cup of coffee (Pat's also a coffee drinker, I am not), soda or wine wandering around my wall to wall carpeted house, waving their hands when they talk.....something is bound to bow to gravity. 

Pat's at church now. That's why I'm able to have time to write and post this blog. Which I think I will wrap up now.

Hopefully I can post more before he leaves this Friday and I'm alone again. Depressed and sleeping a lot again. Which actually isn't as bad as it seems when I write this. I fall into a pattern when I'm alone. I feel like I'm just marking time until I can be with Bill again who I know awaits me. By the way, he's visited several times via that burned out Christmas light since Pat's been here. In fact the other night Pat was out there talking to Bill and the light was blinking. He's definitely a believer now. He wasn't expecting that.

Have to go now. Pat just returned from church. We're going to go out for coffee and a sticky bun at the Lewes Coffee Shop, one of Pat's favorite locations.

Running Ragged

 

Pat and I taking advantage of the Wednesday Early Bird Special at Touch Of Italy this afternoon at 4 PM, just as the doors opened.

Pat's here but I've been running myself ragged. 

When Pat is here I try to take care of those backed up items that I've put off because I either don't want to do them by myself or can't.

Pat arrived late Sunday afternoon. That was fine. We enjoyed a movie in the Flynn Cinema, my in house 77 inch TV screen and surround sound system in my basement. 

Next day was the challenge. We drove to the Christiana Mall just outside Wilmington, which is a 93 mile (one and a half hours) trip north. We were going there to pick up my new iPhone 18. Involved was transferring the data from my new iPhone 18 from my old iPhone 16. Then Pat's older iPhone information had to be transferred to my old iPhone which I was giving to him. Also we had to repair both of our Apple Watches to our new iPhones. All told this took a little over two hours. Then the long trip back to Sussex County downstate.

I was having trouble understanding my Apple CarPlay in my new Hyundai Venue. Next stop then was the Hyundai dealership in Millsboro to see a salesman to have my questions answered. Then off too the new Weiss Markets to by my favorite Progresso Tuscan Soup mix. I buy about two dozen cans each visit. Weiss Food Markets is the only place where I can by the Tuscan Soup which I have almost every day for lunch. I've asked my local supermarket (Food Lion) to stock it.....several times....but the manager just ignores my request. I even gave him the label of the can and told him I've been shopping at that particular supermarket ever since I moved down here to Delaware. He could give a shit. I could tell by the way he looked at me. I even reminded him another time I was in the store and he just looked at me like I stepped off a spaceship from Mars. Ironically Food Lion sent me one of those random surveys about how I like their store and if I can "any concerns."  Well, for once I expressed my concerns about my request to stock that soup. You can guess the response I received from Food Lion....nada. 

After that I vowed never to complete another online survey again. But I just did again tonight, the VA sent me a survey. I figured I better complete that survey or else the Trump administration will kick me off their system. I can't chance that because that's where I get my meds which never cost more than $15. You won't see me getting a $500 bill for a prescription like my dear friend Spo. That's the main reason I stay with the VA medical system. Speaking of which I had my six month visit with my VA doctor. This time Pat was at my side. I introduced him to my longtime doctor, who is wonderful by the way. That visit went well. This was to review my labs which I took a week earlier. My labs showed I was very healthy and even my PSA score went down. Only one small problem, when they first took my blood pressure, like they always do before I see my doctor, it was 186 over 90. That's the highest it's ever been! But I told the PA that was because I had to pass a picture of Trump, Vance and the VA administer Doug Collins as I rounded the corner to see my doctor. 

This has happened every time since Trump's uncle mug shot has returned to all government buildings including the VA Outpatient Clinics. The American president who calls anyone who goes into the service "suckers and losers". Captain Bone Spurs himself who not one member of his family has ever been in the service. Who grandfather in fact immigrated to the United States from Germany to avoid the German draft. Draft dodging is Trump family tradition. And yet so many of my fellow vets still support this draft dodging coward. That and many to her reasons like his recent suggestion that Iran drop a nuclear bomb of the two California cities Los Angeles and San Diego because California didn't vote for him. Yes, that person. But I digress. The PA took my blood pressure again and it was down to my "normal 144 over 72. 

After the visit at the VA I decided to take advantage of having Pat with me and we visited one of our favorite Mexican restaurants Sol Azteca in Georgetown, just a bit down the road from the VA Outpatient Clinic. We got there about 4 o'clock and were one of the few diners because we were so early. I like this so much better than going out later at night when it's dark and the restaurants are loaded with noisy family and noise and chaos. I don't like to drive at night either even though Pat drives all the time when he visits me. We had a fabulous meal and I had a fantastic Frozen Lime Margarita in a quiet restaurant except for Mexican music playing lightly in the background. We could actually hear each other talking without shouting. And I had enough food left over for another meal at home. 

Today we made the rounds to look for a dryer vent cover. The one I bought last week at Home Depot doesn't fit as the one I bought from Amazon last month didn't fit. My previous dryer vent covers have deteriorated from the weather and I need the pest guard to keep the nearby field mice from entering my house and setting up a family under my refrigerator like they tried to do a few years ago (I killed the dad and pregnant mama with dual mouse traps - I don't like to kill critters but I won't share my house with mice, no matter how cute they are). At my wit's end about finding a vent cover that fits (why do manufactures always change the size?) I gave up and called Scott, my local handyman to rescue me and Pat. Pat is still willing to fix the vent cover

Pat checking out the size of the vent cover

but right now I have no vent cover and I had to place a screen over that hole in my house where the dryer vent that comes out. I love living in my own house but there are always maintenance items like this to take care. Always. 

We took advantage of another off season restaurant meal this afternoon at four. We went to Touch of Italy with has 50% off of past a dishes. I got the Penne Rigate

My Penne Rigate pasta with Bolognese sauce and freshly graded Parmesan cheese 

which was delicious but at $27.95 regular price which I would never pay but at half price, it's doable. $10 for the house wine which was also very good. I can't afford regular restaurant prices anymore unless they're Mexican restaurants which seem to be less costly and offer more food. I ate this whole bowl of pasta, no leftovers to take home like I did yesterday. The Touch of Italy entrees may be expensive but they are worth it. They make their own pasta and have their own wine. Their food doesn't come from Sysco frozen food delivery trucks

Sysco Frozen Food deliveries early in the morning at Rehoboth Beach restaurants. On the truck it says "quality food". Don't believe that statement for one second. It's frozen food to feed the tourist masses at vastly marked up entrees and such. My taste buds still work fine and besides, I used to work at the Hampton Inn and that's where we got all our food. Frozen.

one sees so often unloading early in the morning in the back of restaurants to serve that defrosted slop to the tourist masses. If I want reheated frozen food I'll eat food that I have prepared myself and put in my freezer chest. It tastes better than Sysco's. 

Even though I had a fabulous meal at Touch of Italy I was exhausted when I returned home today. 

With all this activity I just got so stressed out today that my left eye started to bother me again. I have a stigmatism in that eye and whenever I get stressed it's like I have a speck dust in my eye. I laid down for a nap around 5:30 PM. Pat woke me up sometime after 7 PM. I didn't want to get up but he urged me to get up or else I wouldn't be able to sleep through the night. So here I am now at 12:07 AM, early in the morning writing one of my longest blog posts in months. I hope you're not sorry for stopping by. Usually I don't blog post when Pat visits because I just don't have the time but I'm taking the time to get back into my regular routine so I can lower my stress level. And it is working because my eye isn't bothering me any more. 

A short while ago I talked to Pat about this situation and we agreed that he will go out tomorrow on his own and look for those vent covers and do whatever else he needs or wants to do. He doesn't need me hobbling about, struggling to get out of my car and then hobbling on a cane. That Pat, just like Bill....so patient with me. I don't know how they do it. Perhaps that why I love them so much, they put up with me. I don't know that I would if I was in their shoes. 

That's it for now folks. 

Pat's On His Way!

 

Pat left his house in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada very early this morning about 3:15 AM. Right now he is in upstate Pennsylvania. He should be here at Casa Tipton-Kelly about 3 PM this afternoon. YEA!

Guess Who's Coming For Dinner (for the next two weeks)?

 

Rolling out the red carpet for my Canadian husband!

That special time is here again folks! Pat, my Canadian husband of almost a year, is coming for a visit! 

He will be here two weeks. I already have a lengthy To Do List on his desk in his bedroom. 

As you all know I'm not the handyman type. Pat is. Not quite as skilled as Bill was (Bill could build a house and was a certified electrician - Army and Air Force trained). But Pat can handle the small jobs which still need to be done before they turn into big jobs. I can do them half assed but I hate that kind of work. I'm a cook. I love to cook. Experiment with different recipes. Funny thing, neither Pat nor Bill likes to cook. 

The only trip we have planned is one to the Christiana Mall outside Wilmington. That an hour and a half drive. I ordered a new iPhone 18. I have to pick it up at the Apple Store at the Christiana Mall. I could have had it delivered but it wouldn't be until the end of the month (October). Pat will only be here two weeks and I want to give him my iPhone 16. He needs a new iPhone. I'm on that lease plan with Apple where I can get a new iPhone every year or keep the one I have for two years until it is paid off then the phone is mine. These days since Casa Tipton-Kelly household income is cut in half, I have to be much more careful with expenses. Every dollar counts with the rising cost of living. I just paid my auto insurance for six months. You don't want to know. My "free" health insurance (Medicare) Part B also went up substantially. Thank goodness for the VA where I get my meds which I only have to pay fifteen dollars for, no matter what the meds and I use a lot of meds to keep this old body going.

I was going to take a trip with Pat to my former hometown of Downingtown PA (2 1/2 hour drive each way) for my monthly high school class (of 1959) luncheon. I cancelled out though because my former best friend from high school won't be there (he has another commitment). Not that I have anything against the other former classmates but I wasn't that close to them and a five hour trip in my new car ("The Princes") doesn't justify the expense nor the time. Making hard choices at this time of my life folks.

This morning I gave blood at my local VA Outpatient Clinic, also called "labs." I see my VA doctor next week. I see him every six months now that I'm nearing my Exit Date. It's going to be interesting to see if my PSA has taken any more leaps. Doesn't matter if it does, I'm not subjecting this tired old body to any more procedures. Not doing it. So far so good. I get up in the morning and I can hardly move but I attribute that to my advancing arthritis. I hope it's not the prostate cancer spreading to my bones but if it is, I'll deal with that if and when the time comes. As I've said many times before in this forum, although I have a good life now, when I go to bed I usually think about "is this the time not waking up.?"

That's the way I want to go folks, just slip away in my sleep.

But for now I have some good living to do the next two weeks. That's why I'm rolling out the red carpet for Pat. It will be nice to have a driver again and someone else in the house. Get's lonely here at times even thou Bill has been visiting me the past two night with that burned out Christmas light.

Have a great day everyone!

My World Is Shrinking

 

Me at eleven years old without a worry in the world. Year 1953. 

My world has been shrinking this past year.

Yesterday I woke up with a mild case of vertigo. Have you ever had vertigo? It's awful. The best way I can describe it is remember when you were a kid and you spun around then tried to walk straight but you couldn't? That's what vertigo is like. Everything is spinning. One time I had it so bad Bill had to take me to the emergency room. It lasted all day. The only way out of it is to take the medication they gave me and get a lot of rest. My vertigo wasn't that bad yesterday that I had to go to the emergency room so I just rested. I couldn't even read. I always like to read before I go to sleep. And I certainly could't drive yesterday. I did want to get a few items at Food Lion but driving was out of question.

I could go out today but we just had a nor'easter roar through here last night and this morning. I don't want to get the Princess wet. I'll go out tomorrow. 

Having that vertigo again yesterday reminded me of how vulnerable I am living alone here. In the past Bill would drive me if I had to go someplace. Now that function is up to Pat and of course he's not here. He's in Canada waiting for his green card approval which could take another year. Week after next he's coming down for a thirteen day visit which he's been doing every four months. I try to schedule my doctors' appointments for when he is down here. Next Friday I have to give blood for my six month labs checkup at the VA. The following Tuesday I see my VA doctor. Pat will be with me then. This will be his first time seeing my doctor. 

Having this vertigo incident reminded me yesterday that I have to have a backup plan when I can't drive. I can have my food delivered and I can even have remote visits with my doctor via TeleHealth. That's how I visit my VA doctor now, it's just at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Georgetown. I used to see him in person but now he works from his home and sees all his patients via TeleHealth.

I like to get out. But I don't like to do long trips like visiting my former hometown in Pennsylvania. Bill and I used to take those visits almost monthly for several years after we moved down here. That's a two and a half hour drive up and back. I don't do that anymore. And of course with all the road construction down here in Sussex County this year I only go north on Route One to Milton and Food Lion. I can't go south on Route One, traffic has been backed up all summer while DelDot builds new roundabouts to handle the increased traffic in this year round tourists destination that Rehoboth Beach and it's environs now hold. When Pat comes down the week after next, he does all the driving. In the Princess. Pat's a good driver and I enjoy being chauffeured around. He does spoil me.

But back to my world shrinking. Ever since Bill died two and a half years ago, I have limited my driving. I used to take Bill out at least once a day for a drive, sometimes twice. I of course do not do that for myself. And when I do go out I only go out if it is absolutely necessary for food shopping or the occasional stop at my local Ace Hardware. Thank God for Amazon. I'm a Prime member and believe me I take advantage of my membership by ordering items I want on my computer and having them delivered to my front door in the next day. Amazon has spoiled me. I don't care that Mr. Bezos had bended the knee to The Convicted Felon In The White House, Amazon makes my life easier and that's all I care about. I'm not going to punish myself just because of the brazen cowardice of people like Mr. Amazon.

Well, I've rambled on enough for today. The rain has stopped. I think I'll take a refreshing walk outside. My daily walks are good in two ways. Clears my mind and keeps the blood flowing in my tired old body. And I always feel good after a good walk.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

How The Sausage Is Made

Today I will take you behind the scenes to show all my faithful followers where my blogging emanates from. My home office!

I finally have a tripod on which I can place my iPhone camera without breaking all my fingernails. I also have a remote control where I can position myself before I turn on the camera. No more scenes of me rushing to my position for videoing after turning on my iPhone. However, this morning's video is a little jerky because I'm still not smooth at this thing. Give me time. 

The last several weeks I've been in a depressed mood. Can't exactly explain why other than I still miss Bill terribly which I know now I will the rest of my life. I just have to deal with it. Thank God I have Pat in my life. Week after next he will be here for a couple of weeks. Always a treat when Pat is here. 

Fall has finally arrived here in southern coastal Delaware where I have been living for the past twenty years. Just on time to as the Winter Solstice began a few days ago. I am so tired of the heat and humidity of this past summer. It was suffocating. Most days I had to spend in my house. Lately with the cooler weather I can get out and take my daily walk in the Oyster Rocks development (they have better roads) behind my development. I couldn't take these walks in the summer heat and humidity. It would probably kill me. I can't breathe in that heat and humidity. Since I've been walking my legs feel so much better. They tend to swell up if I don't walk. Especially if I spend too much time at my computer as I am doing now. 

I noticed lately my sleep pattern has changed. I wonder what this means? I usually have a later dinner from 7:30 PM on at night. About an hour after I become seriously tired. I try to stay up until at least 10 o'clock but lately I haven't been able to manage it. So I go to bed around 9:30 PM. The thing is I get up around 4:30 AM in the morning. I'm ready to go. But then around 9:30 AM I'm tired again and I take a short nap. In the afternoon I take a long nap. That's my Serious Nap. Usually about an hour to an hour and a half. Pat always calls me at 6 PM to make sure I'm awake. I think I'm entering into serious Old Man Territory folks. 

I think a lot of my current funky mood has to do with the political situation in America now. I won't go into all that mess but you all know what I'm talking about. I will say this though, I'm confident the Dems will win big time the midterm elections but I'm not sure if the current criminal administration of Trump and his thugs will accept that outcome. Fasten your seatbelts folks, more chaos will be coming this November and especially January 3rd when the House is expected to verify the new members of Congress, which I'm sure the current criminals in charge of the United States government will to accept. We live in perilous times folks. To tell you the truth, I'm glad in a way that I'm at the end of my life and I won't have to endure this worry anymore. I have enough to deal with my current physical state where I can hardly walk.

Speaking of which, I think I'll try and take my daily walk now.