Sunday, September 28, 2014

A New Catalog

Here we are in the midst of fall - and let me just say, this has been a spectacular fall so far.
I'm sure I am no different from anyone else when it comes to . . .
what the hell is going on with my wardrobe?
I start looking at what I have in preparation for the temperature dip and I hate everything.  Ok, some of it doesn't seem to fit like it did last year - I have no idea what happened there - but I need to supplement - big time. 
Now comes the hard part.  Where do I go and what do I buy?
I hate shopping.  I hate squeezing into a small dressing room with rude lighting and, obviously, distorted mirrors.
I'm a catalog gal.  I like to see pictures of women with the clothes on; not a hanger with a shirt draped over it.
I'm coming to the point of this particular blog - are you ready?
I want a catalog for women over 60 years of age who are between 5 feet and 5 feet 4 inches tall and are carrying 15 extra pounds.
Oh, and the catalog must feature stylish clothing - not grandma stuff. Nothing wrong with grandmothers.  I don't happen to be one so don't think I'm disparaging that particular group - it was the only example I could come up with.  You understand, right?
Just because we're collecting social security and carry a Medicare card doesn't mean we don't care how we look.
I can't wear high heals but I sure as hell don't need a shoe with velcro . . . yet.
Where is that catalog?  I have money and I'm not afraid to spend it!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Dr.Dickinson is retiring

Tim has been our friend and physician for a number of years.  He has played a huge role in our community.  He's funny, sings and plays guitar and is always there when you need him.

He won't be retiring officially until the end of this year but the need to celebrate his time serving us was meant to be outdoors in temperate weather rather than butt-deap in snow.

When I say temperate - it was warm-ish but it rained like hell there for a bit but didn't dampen (get it?  dampen? hahaha) our spirits.  Besides the food was great and apparently so was the hooch.

The setting was outstanding.  Tim's pals, the Lickleys, have a piece of "the good earth" out on A-37 and it couldn't have been more perfect.





See what I mean?


There were photos on the tables depicting the "young" Tim and the, uh, uh . . . more "mature" Tim.

Here he is in the flesh.  Handsome sucker isn't he?


Here's a little "Tim" story that represents the man to a T:  I had a rather nasty reaction to a bug bite that I'd gotten the day before this event.  By the time Saturday evening rolled around, it had taken on a life of its own - on my chest!
So, naturally, after we'd greeted the guest of honor I asked him if he'd look down my shirt.
Before I knew it, he'd whipped out a flashlight (does he always carry one?) and so did my husband (does he always carry one too?) and both lights were focused on my, well, chest.
It only bothered me for a nano-second that he complied so swiftly and then I thought, well, who wouldn't want to look at my chest???

He dispatched his diagnosis and remedy swiftly and Petey and I relaxed knowing the "doc" was right and I wasn't going to die an ugly death.

And the bug bite (which, I might add, grew to be 5 inches long and red) slowly disappeared after ample applications of a baking soda paste.

Thanks, doc!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Secret Places Tour, 2014

Last year we went on the first Secret Places tour in downtown Allegan.  We climbed stairs and peeked into dark places.
It was so much fun we decided to do it again this year.

Stairs.  A lot of them.  Oh, look - my toes photo-bombed!

Exposed brick and a metal ceiling.


I thought these old locks were cool until Petey pointed out the fact that we have a few in our house.

More old metal.  The designs were so vintage.



This is the wonderful staircase inside the above building.


Original marble.

I wanted this doorknob.  Wish I'd thought to bring a screw driver with me.

Check out the windows.  Great light, eh?

More metal but this ran along the baseboard.

Heat vent.

Good thing I wore my comfy sandals.  More stairs.

Wow, how'd you like to repair this ceiling?

Wonder if this still works?

I stood next to this radiator for a good ten minutes.  Nothin'!

Our dime store legacy.  The Huff men.

A view of our "main drag" from one of those big windows.

Wouldn't you expect to see the Mickey Mouse Club on the screen if this thing actually worked?

Yikes!  Where's the Ajax???

Not big on closets but plenty o' cabinets for this old office.

I love the old transoms. It had to get pretty dang hot on the second floors.  Air needed to flow however possible.

I made Petey piggy-back me up this flight.  Just kidding.




I don't know how far back this wallpaper goes but I'd hazard a guess . . . 1930s?

The children's museum is raising funds to refurbish this building for their new home.

Gonna need busloads of bills for this job.

More tin ceilings.

Petey thought since he carried me up the last staircase, I should reciprocate.  I declined.

The old power plant.

Don't look for captions defining this stuff.  My eyes glazed over when our guide (hi, Gary) began his spiel.

That looks complicated.

No clue.

A big wheel???


Another big thing.


I think this one is somehow related to that thing in the above picture.  Don't quote me, tho'.


Dials.  I like dials.

We had to dodge a few raindrops but otherwise, Mother Nature, smiled down on us.  She knew how tired we'd be after dragging ourselves up all those stairs.
Thanks, mom.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Oh, my achin' everything!

I may or may not have written about this last year and the year before and the one prior to that, etc. but as much as I enjoy the hell out of myself working the gate at the fair - it's got my backside dragging.
It's not like I'm working in the barns lifting bales of hay.
I'm standing in my little booth taking money from people.  By the end of my shift, I'm all in.  Dogs are barkin'.
The other interesting thing that happens, at least to me anyway,  I can't speak for the other "gate keepers," is the need to eat.
It's like when you take a long car trip and you're breaking out the snacks after an hour and a half on the road.
I was eating caramel corn at 9a the other day!!!
Today is #4 and I have only had one nasty person come through my gate.  Have you ever had the pleasure of bumping into someone who seemed to have been born angry?  That was her.
99% of the people that I see every day up there are pleasant.  They ask me how I'm doing, tell me how beautiful I am and offer marriage.  Ok, that last part wasn't exactly true but you get my drift.
Even when the tractor pull had to be cancelled because of horrific weather.  Even when the Lady Antebellum concert was cancelled due to a medical emergency, people were still nice and understanding.
It can be really hot in those tiny booths or cold as the dickens and when it rains, pretty dang miserable but this is my 9th year and I'm sure I'll be back for #10.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

It's "Fair Eve"

If you don't live in Allegan County (poor you) you won't understand what the Allegan County Fair means to us.  Well, most of us.
My friend, Jo, stopped by for a chat today (known her since kindergarten) and she was geeked because she'd just picked up her pass for all 9 glorious days of the fair. 
We reminisced about "fair anticipation" during our childhood summers.  Doing as many little odd jobs around the house as possible - "dad, how about I shine those shoes for ya.  Mom, would you like me to pull the weeds in the flower beds?"
Saving every quarter to spend (hopefully sneaking in first) at the fair on rides and french fries.
I had to break it to Jo that not everyone in town was as fair-crazy as she was.  A look of shock came over her face that quickly changed into confusion.
Yes, it's true.  Not everybody flocks to the fair like we do.  They don't start salivating at the first whiff of grease.
Tomorrow is day one followed by eight more.
Then it's "fair let-down" for some of us. 
I'm working the front gate again this year so I'll be there everyday anyway.
Tons o' fun . . . mostly.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Florida mind game

We've been going to Florida for some "get me the hell out of here" time during the winter since I retired in 2006.

Just this year I noticed something and I call it "The Florida Mind Game."

It's all about clothing purchased in Florida that you believe looks fantastic on you and will, obviously, look just that wonderful when you put it on in June when you're back in MI and the frigging snow has finally melted.

But . . . that's not always the case.

Maybe it's because there wasn't a decent mirror at the farmer's market when I bought that darling sleeveless summer dress.

Or maybe it was because the over zealous salesperson at J.Jill had me convinced that the sleeveless top made me look thin and young.

That last part isn't really true - the thin and young thing.  She didn't really say that but it was intimated.
 
I've only worn the famer's market dress once.

The J.Jill top?  No one has seen that one on me.