Saturday, November 2, 2024

Three Beautiful Things 11-01-2024: Ed Collects His Winnings, Debbie Cooks Turkey Soup, I'm a Youngster Again

1. Last week, Ed and I blasted into the Spokane Tribe Casino which houses a Caesar's Sports Book, and wagered modest bets on the World Series. 

Ed bet on the Dodgers. 

He won. 

(I didn't!)

Today, we blasted back into the casino so Ed could claim his winnings and we hung out there for a while. I put on a mask and vinyl gloves, confined myself to the non-smoking room,  and spun reels with modest success. I took a break at one point and ordered a plain bagel toasted with cream cheese and a cappuccino. Very satisfying. 

It was a very fun outing. 

2. Debbie stopped in at Yoke's today and bought turkey pieces and filled our house with the savory smells of making turkey broth and then cooking a pot of turkey soup for us to enjoy on Saturday for dinner. 

I can hardly wait. 

3. I enjoy going to https://cardgames.io/cribbage/ and playing cribbage with a robot. 

Bear with me. 

It reminds me of when I was a kid and I used to go across the street where the church is now. Before the United Church built its new building, that lot was a rock field. I used to take a bat to that lot and toss rocks a little ways in the air and hit them with a baseball bat. In my head, I'd broadcast an imaginary games between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The Giants in my head never lost a game. 

Now, here I am,  over sixty years later, and I still have a broadcaster in my head and as I compete against the robot.  I pretend like our best of seven match is being aired on television and viewers can look at my hands in much the same way viewers can see players' down cards on Texas Hold 'Em broadcasts. 

The broadcaster scrutinizes my every move. 

Today, I won the first three out of four games against the robot, but the robot made a stirring comeback and won the next two games. 

So, in the presence of my imaginary national television audience, we squared off and played a seventh game. 

Ha! I crushed the robot in Game 7. 

I then had fun imagining a post-match interview with Norman Chad. 

My mind went back to the title of Blood, Sweat & Tears' first album: The Child is Father to the Man

Friday, November 1, 2024

Three Beautiful Things 10-31-2024: Halloween Preparation, Pretend Dread, A Low Key Evening

 1. For Debbie, Halloween is always a trying day (a hell day, actually) at school and so I took on the uncomplicated task of preparing for trick or treaters. Basically, I blasted over to Yoke's, bought some Snickers, Twixts, and Milky Way candy bars all with the word FUN on the wrappers. I also bought replacement bulbs for our front porch light so that our visitors could see their way to the door. 

2. I pretended like I was dreading two things:  youngsters coming to our door and Gibbs scream barking at every trick or treater. I then took the following picture of Copper and projected my pretend feelings on him and posted it on Facebook as if Copper felt the same "dread" I "did". 


It made me happy that a few people found this picture and my dread commentary funny. Others "liked" it or "loved" it. That was fun.

3. I put Gibbs on a leash and that kept him calm. 

No scream barking. 

I'd say about twenty trick or treaters ranging from toddler to high schoolers (and maybe older) came to our newly illuminated porch and door. 

Debbie decompressed at Radio Brewing and missed most of the Halloween action here at home.  

My "dread" was unnecessary. It was a low key Halloween and after about 7:15 no one else came to our door.