How is your day Today? Chat about your plans and achievements 2025....

It's gonna be a Benadryl night again. Last night I was up and down like a yo-yo, and the last time I got up was at 3:30, then Maggiecat wanted breakfast at 5:45. It's like she knows when it's been a bad night and punishes me further by insisting on eating early. What did I do to deserve that?

Speaking of eating early, DD/DSIL/DGD went out for lunch today because DSIL has a day off. I didn't go because I didn't eat breakfast until 10 (and because I really don't enjoy eating out). They left about noon, came home at 1:30. At 4:30, DD came over and announced "dinner is ready." Really? 3-3 1/2 hours between meals? No wonder they're all overweight.
 

It's gonna be a Benadryl night again. Last night I was up and down like a yo-yo, and the last time I got up was at 3:30, then Maggiecat wanted breakfast at 5:45. It's like she knows when it's been a bad night and punishes me further by insisting on eating early. What did I do to deserve that?

Speaking of eating early, DD/DSIL/DGD went out for lunch today because DSIL has a day off. I didn't go because I didn't eat breakfast until 10 (and because I really don't enjoy eating out). They left about noon, came home at 1:30. At 4:30, DD came over and announced "dinner is ready." Really? 3-3 1/2 hours between meals? No wonder they're all overweight.
I love animals..not very keen on cats, but overall I love animals, but honestly this is one of the main reasons I won't get another dog.. I don't want to be woken up early in the morning
 
Pope Francis, R.I.P.

I am Lutheran but my Asian wife is a devoted Catholic. For her sake, we traveled with our children in 1990 to Rome to participate in Pope John Paul's general audience. Just my wife and I did so in 2010 to see Pope Benedict, and in 2015 Pope Francis. Now she wants to participate in the general audience of the next pope. At 89 I don't want to go anymore; so, my wife wants to fly now with our two daughters and grandson.

Around November 1st is the least expensive and least crowded time to visit Rome. A roundtrip from Los Angeles to Rome at that time is less than $500 per person (flights.google.com.) A reasonable 2* or 3* hotel room for four people and one week should be around $1,500 (hotels.com.) No rental car and not eating at restaurants but buying groceries and eating in hotel rooms, as my wife and I usually do it (we take with us kitchen utilities, like a can opener and plastic cutlery, that are essential.) This should bring the total cost for 4 people and one week to just over $4,000. That's as cheap as you can do it. European entry requirements (https://www.etiaseu.com/us-citizens) apparently have been postponed until next year, while attending the papal general audience is free (http://www.papalaudience.org/tickets.)

PS, we are travelling light. Even for a two-week Europe trip, we take only carry-on luggage on the airplane. This means we have to wash our special light-fabric clothing every 2 or 3 nights in a hotel wash basin, and let it drip-dry overnight. Our economy rental cars would not have space for more luggage in the trunk, and we never leave any valuables in view while parking, especially in cities. We travelled often but only "on a shoe string." However, we celebrated with our daughters the Millennium at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, which was a once-in-a-lifetime splurge.

Well, I'll do the planning for Rome and chip in for the cost, while my family has all the fun. Here are some pix of our 2015 trip to see the late Pope Francis:

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Climbing up to the very top of the the double-walled dome of the St. Peter's Basilica, and viewing Rome.

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I just place the thick folder with our 2015 trip to Italy on our dining room table for the family to familiarize themselves with Rome, detailed maps, etc.
I understand why you don't want to travel at this time. Good for you for contributing to the trip anyway. I pray your family will stay safe in their travels at all times. Nice photos.

I really liked Pop Francis. Even though I knew his health was failing, his death was a shock, especially since I saw him overseeing the Easter celebration from the balcony, just the day before. May God reward him for his humility and great deeds and may he Rest in Paradise.
 
I remember well all the interactions with the cats, growing on the farm and later.
Basically they want love me 24 / 7's. You or a child Asleep, some want to suck a
the breath too! Sleep with bedroom doors closed most evenings.
 
Great day today, but accomplished nothing important. Although I did come across six bottles of my favorite wine - just sad it wasn't a case, as that seems to be how the Stones rolled..., "We're gonna bring a case of wine Hey, let's go mess and fool around You know, like we used to."
 
I still need to check on Mumsy. She has gotten more cantankerous over the last few days:>(
SO made it to his play date and the weather cleared up. One happy camper!
Early to bed with a book. Tomorrow CT scan at the crook of insanity, Amazon returns, trying on crazy Western boots and then another section of weeds. The living room rug will be back in two weeks but the pad partially disintegrated. Not a fun clean up but it needs to happen.
 
I wound up doing the kitchen and bathroom floors around 2:00 a.m. I was tired, so fell asleep before I could do it last night. Was on a couple more business calls today. On one, I talked with the senior partner in the law firm that prepared my will about correcting a glaring error they sent it out with. My son's name was misspelled the third time on a page where it appeared three times. How do you let something like that leave the office?!

Didn't do much else besides cleaning up the kitchen, running the dishwasher early, playing my games, watching T.V. and taking a nice long nap.
 
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Drove to my $1.75 car wash. Turns out they now want $2.50!

Glad that I wetted the car then snow-soaped it at home before driving over and paying for the hot high-pressure rinse.

Deserted at 10 PM as expected but for one weirdo lurking in the shadows on the grounds. No car, not smoking/vaping or yapping on the phone. Very unusual.
 
It spring bloom time of year for our urban rose garden. Well about 2 weeks from peak. Weather forecast was for 52F at 7am, relative calm breezes under 4mph, and overcast clouds for good even diffuse light, early morning. Thus this morning at sunrise, for the first time this year, drove the 3.7 miles and toured the garden while setting up for 7 subjects. Back home was able to post process 4 of the 7 modest image sets per below screen captured off Adobe Bridge.

042325a.jpg

On two other subjects I'd incorrectly used a 6mm lens extension close-up ring to get closer to a subject but only checked the lens could focus on the nearest subject element while gambling, not bothering to check the furthest element was within lens rotational adjustment range. Another image I manually triggered a stop before I should have. My focus bracket function is set to 50 shots maximum. Flowers are not going anywhere but do change a bit day to day. Because tomorrow is similar weather and every day I wake up is Saturday, , I'll go back at sunrise tomorrow, and re-set up the shots.

What the center frame area of the last image looks like at 100% pixels with this crop:

https://i.postimg.cc/L5YZSK6Z/UY09320-69-cr1.jpg

UY09320-69-cr1.jpg
 
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Belated Happy Birthday @hollydolly . What a grand high tea you had! That was a bucket list celebration. Thank you for the pictures and the link🎂🎂

I mowed the dog yard today for the first time this year — I won’t let it go that long again🤐🤐

This time of year, I have to either stay on the tractor all day for 1-1/2 days or mow two hours a day almost every day🤐🤐. The farm tractor still isn’t up to snuff, I’m afraid I will have to pay my neighbor to cut the pastures🤐🤐

I Think what small amount of spring my area saw is over. Temps are now in the 80’s (F) with high humidity & dew points. I have been running the barrel fan for the horses. My Dutch Warmblood loves the fan. The Arab not so much just yet - he will when he figures out it keeps the flies off him.
 
@David777 your roses are beautiful!🤠🤠.

My husband planted Knockout Roses 5-6 years back. They didn’t do at all well last year, but this year they have produced a huge amount of roses. My dwarf Lilac bush also was in full bloom.

I guess the weather was right for them to produce. Anything that grows on my watch grows in spite of me, not because of me. I am known to kill chia pets😳
 
@hollydolly, Bill Maher’s podcast guest, Winston Marshall who was formerly with Mumford & Sons described the medical and overall situation in Britain exactly as you have. My British friends who are in regular contact with family back there describe it the same way. Everyone is afraid to do anything for fear of being called racist.
 
you don't think the great british empire might erhm erhm - brought it on themselves starting with slavery?? back in the day and lovely plantations in the WE??
 
@David777 your roses are beautiful!🤠🤠.

My husband planted Knockout Roses 5-6 years back. They didn’t do at all well last year, but this year they have produced a huge amount of roses. My dwarf Lilac bush also was in full bloom.

I guess the weather was right for them to produce. Anything that grows on my watch grows in spite of me, not because of me. I am known to kill chia pets😳
So you're the reason for all the flooding, did I get that wrong! :ROFLMAO:
 
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Morning all folks!!! Rained from 7pm yestiday to sometime this
early morning, pretty soaked out there, lawn getting taller....
Got to get to the dishes today, the chubby guy has apparently
taken off work a couple nites.....Ususal aches and pain this ealry
morning, same typ'o's too I see...this getting older is getting
harder every day it seems....ah well....take care of yourselves and
each other, okay !!!! :love: :coffee:
 
Looking at a mostly sunny day expected to reach 80F or so. Warm here for April but hardly unprecedented, yet I'm hesitant because mentally I'm still in "keep warm" mode.

Early flowering trees are in bloom now, and Redbuds are just beginning to show color before they burst out. My apple tree is starting to just begin to leaf out, so at least the cold winter didn't kill it. Tulips seem to be within days of blooming now. I see other flowers already out around the neighborhood, but these seem to be hothouse annuals people bought and set out for some color.
 


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