working out with sarge

Posted on June 14, 2016 by is there any more pie?

Sarge is a workout beast, which is not news.  But what he did today?  Well, I thought you’d get as much of a kick out of learning about it as Banjo Man and I did.

It seems that Sarge and about 20 other soldiers in his battalion recently scored over 290 points on a physical fitness test.  To put this in perspective, I’m guessing I would score an optimistic 12, especially if there were points given for showing up.

Their reward?  An hour spent working out with the Sergeant Major of the  Army and the Undersecretary of the Army in Philadelphia, in front of Independence Hall.

How cool is that?

And it is the Army’s 241st birthday today, June 14!

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Sarge said reporters and photographers covered the event.  He had such a good time, even though he had to get up at 3 AM to drive to Philadelphia.

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Sgt. Major Dan Dailey

Here’s a little more info about Sgt. Major Dailey:

Dailey’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Bronze Star Medal (3rd award), Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), Army Commendation Medal (7th award), Army Achievement Medal (10th award), Good Conduct Medal (7th award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd award), South West Asia Service Medal (one bronze service star), Iraq Campaign Medal (five bronze service stars), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon (4th award), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd award), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Drivers Badge (wheel), Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, The Order of Saint Maurice (Centurion), and he is a member of the Distinguished Audie Murphy Club.

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Under secretary of the Army, Patrick Murphy, working out with soldiers in Ft. Hood last January.

 

Needless to say, Sarge had a great morning.  He received an Army commendation and a new patch for his uniform, along with the chance to meet some highly respected soldiers, who are also his bosses.

If he sends me pictures (and hopefully he remembered to take some) I will add them to this post later on tonight.

In the meantime, happy birthday, Army.

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updates

Posted on June 11, 2016 by is there any more pie?

The rug is getting used again.  As are Uncle Don’s plastic soldiers (circa 1957).

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We had a pizza party Friday night, with much-anticipated pepperoni pizza.

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So happy about pizza!!!

Remember my $30 car repair project?

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It worked!!!  I am now $1770 ahead of the game.   Banjo Man is so impressed and happy.  The climate control knob now let’s lovely cool AC blast from the vents.  Not that we need it, because it is 59 degrees right now.

Despite the cold weather, the Funny Grandson discovered the Atlantic Ocean.

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And lost a tooth.

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What a vacation!!!

 

Posted in family, friends, grandmother stuff, rhode island | 3 Comments

if this rug could talk

Posted on June 7, 2016 by is there any more pie?

IMG_20160428_145410My paternal grandmother was quite the craftswoman.  Her specialty?  Rugs.  Braided, hooked, latch-hooked, she did it all.

The braided rugs were made from wool she bought at mill outlet stores (when New England was a center of fabric manufacturing) and yard sales (she bought wool clothing to recycle).  Many times she dyed the wool to get the colors she wanted.  I remember the Ritz Dye boxes lined up above her basement washing machine.  She also fed wide strips of wool through a hand-cranked device that churned out lengths of spaghetti-like wool for her hooked rugs.

The braided rug in the above photo has been in my parents’ house since 1964.  Before that it was in the living room in their previous home in 1955, where we lived until I was twelve.

There have always been braided rugs in our homes.  Grandma stitched them together with heavy thread and thick needles.  She must have had the strongest fingers in New England.

Son #1 is bringing the Funny Grandson to Rhode Island tomorrow.  This will be the five year old’s first visit to the East Coast.  Son #1 wants to watch his son play with his little cars and his little plastic Star Wars figures on the braided rug.

I think they are both going to have a good time.  The rug will make sure of it.

 

 

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missing the lake life

Posted on June 6, 2016 by is there any more pie?

In my heart it’s still 1976.

Here I am riding in the back of Retired Mountain Man’s truck 40 years ago.

FORTY YEARS AGO.

How cool is that?

I’m still alive.  And so is RMM.  And so is the truck!

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bachelorette jojo and crazy chad, recap 2

Posted on June 4, 2016 by is there any more pie?

Once again I watched an episode of The Bachelorette all by myself.  Banjo Man went to bed early and reminded me to record it, just in case I thought he’d like to see it eventually.

I will not be recommending that.

Boring and idiotic just about sums it up.  What has happened to romance, I wail to myself from the Giant Couch.  Why do I have to spend two hours watching arrogant Chad alternate between insufferable arrogance, rage and scarfing down cold cuts?  Why can’t I see sexual sparks and cute smiles and some shy-yet-intense kissing?  (Okay, there was some of that but not enough!)

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I’ll do a brief recap of Episode 2 for those  of you who might be fans of the show.  I’m sure it will be better next week (there will be two nights of back-to-back episodes) when the men dwindle down to a dozen or so and we can actually start telling them apart.

I cannot tell them apart.  Except for Chad (Roid Rage), Evan (Erectile Dysfunction specialist) and James (the guy with the curly hair).  I think James with the curly hair is the same James who plays the guitar but I can’t be sure.  There are three James this season, but one was sent home the first night, thank goodness.

Before some of the guys went on a group date, the limo caught on fire in front of the mansion.  No one seemed all that surprised.  A fire truck raced up and Jojo, dressed as a fire fighter, jumped out with a hose and announced their date would be at the fire fighting training facility.

This turned out to be so intensely physical that Wells, who is a DJ and not an athlete, almost passed out.  He ended up getting the Pity Rose later on that evening.  Grant, who is an actual firefighter, won the contest (“rescuing” Jojo from a fake burning building).  Duh.

GRANT, JOJO FLETCHER

from fashion-blogs

Meanwhile Chad, the “luxury real estate salesman from Tulsa”, is doing pull ups with his suitcase attached to his belt and calling the other guys names.

The next day  was a coveted one-on-one date with Derek (one of the normal men).  He and Jojo flew on a private plane to San Francisco and drank wine overlooking the Bay Bridge.  Just your normal first date, with “tell me about yourself” conversations.  Derek got a rose, which means he is safe for another week.

Another day, another group date, but this one was at the Sports Nation (ESPN) studio with two of its hosts putting the guys through their paces.  It was unwatchable, so I did a jigsaw puzzle on my Kindle and refilled my bowl of pumpkin seeds.  The guys seemed to be having a ball, except for Chad.  He made it known he thought it was dumb (why exactly is he on this show?) and called Jojo “naggy”.  I’m not sure he realizes that Jojo will NEVER FORGET it–I looked up from my Kindle in time to catch the look on her face–and his days on the show are numbered.

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The producers are giving Chad lots of air time in order to create some drama and fan the testosterone-drenched flames, but it’s not all that interesting.  He will push it too far, he will attack someone and he will get kicked off the show (ABC does *not* want to get sued and anyone aggressive and/or abusive is immediately ushered out of the mansion and sent home).   I only hope he attacks Alex The Marine, because Alex is dying to take him down.

I would enjoy seeing that.

Meanwhile…Jojo looks gorgeous and seems to be enjoying herself.  For now.

 

 

 

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diy car repair via the internet

Posted on June 3, 2016 by is there any more pie?

The climate-control dial of my 2004 Highlander’s AC/Heat broke last fall.  Luckily it broke while set to 85 so we had a heated car all winter.

Of course that’s not so much fun now that it’s summer.  Hot air blowing at me is not all that terrible right now, but as soon as the heat and humidity set in, it’s going to be miserable.

You know how I believe that 99.99% of every problem can be solved by looking it up on the internet?  Well, this was no exception.  I actually found a lot of information about the climate control knobs on early Highlanders and how to fix them.

First of all, taking it to the Toyota dealer meant a bill of about $1800.  This would be the cost to replace the entire unit, including man hours.

(I also learned that the nuts/bolts behind the dials can get loose and then eventually result in the loose/broken wires.  I’ll be checking those nuts on our other Highlander, just to make sure things stay tight.)

I found a website–with pictures!!!–that gave step-by-step instructions on taking apart the console, removing the box, dismantling the connections and finding the three tiny wires that needed to be resoldered.  I assumed I would be able to solder them myself (I even went to Home Depot and bought myself a soldering kit) but when I realized how small they were I decided to take the advice of other online posters and find an expert in micro-soldering.

Here’s what my dashboard looks like.  Sarge, Banjo Man and I managed to take things apart with the proper screwdrivers, wrenches and butter knife.
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And here’s the part that I took to several computer repair businesses before finding a car stereo repair shop and a guy who said he’d give it a try.

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58 nuts, bolts and screws later here it is, heading to town for a cheap fix.

I just picked it up from town and now have to remember how to put the whole thing back together again.  The soldering cost $30, so this is definitely a budget project.

If it works it will be a miracle.    Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

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finally, hopefully, summer

Posted on June 2, 2016 by is there any more pie?

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Scenes from around the house.

I think it’s summer.  Sarge mistakenly left a lobster roll behind, so Banjo Man and I split it for lunch.

Lobster rolls = summer.

The rhododendrons are in full bloom.

Rhododendrons = summer.

I am packing for our trip west.

Packing up = summer.

We should be at the lake in 22 days.

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bachelorette jo jo and the men

Posted on June 1, 2016 by is there any more pie?

Here is Jo Jo, this season’s Bachelorette.  She was dumped by sweet Ben in last winter’s Bachelor season, but that’s okay.  He would have bored her to death within six months.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved Bachelor Ben, but he and Jo Jo were not a perfect match.

As Banjo Man said, “This is a girl who wants someone with an edge.”

He’s so wise.  Sometimes.

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Here are the guys who got out of the limos on the first night.  They were a strange crew.  I have my doubts about this season.  There were a handful of very sweet men, but I’m not sure Jo Jo is all that into “sweet”.

I hope I’m wrong.

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At the beginning of the show Jo Jo told us how she fell in love with Ben and she wants to find love again.  Okay.  Then three former bachelorettes showed up to give her advice.  In other words, “kiss as many men as you want” and “don’t get sidetracked by lust”.

Uh, how does that work exactly?

Then we were shown profiles of eight of the guys, which is always a good clue as to who ends up as the winner.  Must watch the edits, folks!

Brant, age 28, a fireman from San Francisco.  Handsome guy, but according to his ex-girlfriend’s best friend, he dumped his longtime (years) girlfriend/fiance to go on the show and broke up with her by text and then changed his phone number.  Brant might be a player.

Jordan, age 27, a former NFL player who was dumped by three teams and is now looking for a career in sportscasting.  His brother, Aaron Rodgers, is a Green Bay quarterback.   Jordan seems like a nice guy, but he’s obviously looking for publicity (of the good kind) to further his tv career.  Is he a player, a smooth talker?  I’m a little suspicious.  He’s going to be Top Four, if not the Last Man Standing.  Either that or he will be the next Bachelor.

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Jordan

Alex, age 25, former Marine.  He’s adorable, handsome and sincere.   He’s one of the sweet guys.  Top Six.

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Alex

James, age 27, who was goofy and a self-described Bachelor Super Fan.  I’m not sure guys would want to admit that?  He looked like he was wearing make up and practiced  giving himself a rose in front of a mirror.  Obviously not going to make it to the Fantasy Suite.

Evan, age 33, a balding former pastor who now specializes in erectile dysfunction (I kid you not).  He is divorced with three sons.  He looks nothing like anyone who has ever been part of this franchise, but seems like a nice guy.

Ali, bartender, with a huge head of black hair.  He is a beach guy, a free spirit, who also plays the piano.

Christian, a fitness techie who gets up at 4 to run.  He takes care of his two brothers and seems like a really nice guy.  Top Six.

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Christian

Luke, from Burnet, Texas.  Went to West Point, served in the Army for 9 years, now describes himself as a country boy.  He posed in front of a red barn, but nothing was said about the fact that he is a musician and has a band.  But then again, if you live near Austin (Burnet–pronounced BURN it–is about an hour north) you have been in a band at some point in your life.  Top Four.  Possible contender for next Bachelor.

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Luke

I’ve been antique shopping in Burnet, so every time I see Luke on the tv screen I think of the really cool coffee table I bought there.

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Twenty-six men climbed out of the limo to meet Jo Jo, who wore a gorgeous sparkly peachy bronze dress and enthusiastically greeted each man.  She’s very chatty, which is good, because the guys were pretty nervous.

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She liked what she saw.

I’ll give you the highlights from my notes:

First guy out of the limo was Jordan, which means he’s one to watch.  Jo Jo thought he was hot and he made a good impression.

Chad seemed funny and confident and intense (from my scribbling).  The previews show him as a totally arrogant ass, with a violent streak.  He’s this year’s villain and it will be interesting to see if he gets kicked off the show for being violent.  And will he be on  Bachelor Pad this summer?  I hope not.  I imagine he’ll stay on the show for a while to provide some drama.  If Jo Jo likes bad boys (and she admits she does) then he could make it to Top Six before self-destructing.

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Chad, “luxury real estate saleman” who wants to punch people.

James Taylor brought a guitar and sang.  Very sweet guy.

Jonathan, who wore a kilt and explained he was half Chinese and half Scot.  He also confided he wasn’t wearing underwear.  I’m not sure America cared.

Nick, a guy dressed as Santa Claus.  It looked stupid.

Sal, who brought blue balls.  Huh?

Daniel, a model from Vancouver who would end up stripping down to his little black briefs and diving into the pool later on during the cocktail party.  He was one of three guys who drank too much, but he still got a rose.   Go figure.

Robbie (Robby?), a former swimmer (don’t know what he does now, though) who brought wine.  Seemed like a decent guy.

Derek, good looking banker from Florida who appeared nice and normal.

Chase wore a fake moustache and glasses, but turned out to look a lot like Jordan (that same swoopy-top hairstyle) and seemed like a decent guy.

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Chase

Christian arrived on a motorcycle.

Last guy to arrive (on a white horse!) was that sexy soldier cowboy Luke, a clue that he goes far.

The party itself was a little tedious.  She sat on Santa’s lap.  Ali played her a song on the piano.  Chad was arrogant, but funny.  The men were very, very nervous.  Daniel jumped in the pool.  James F., another Texan, was terribly sweet.  Luke gave her cowboy boots.  Jordan kissed her and he got the First Impression  Rose.

So who is going to go “win”?  My picks are Jordan, Luke, Christian, Chase and maybe Alex.  Jordan, Luke, Alex and Christian were all featured at the beginning of the show.  I’d put my money on Jordan, but he was almost too visible (first kiss, first rose, first out of the limo) and too obvious a front-runner.   If he fades into the background for a few episodes then he might be the final 1.  The editing will be interesting to watch.

The previews showed romantic settings, romantic kisses and lots of conflict between the guys and Chad.  There were shots of bruised knuckles, cut faces and a bloody shirt.

Testosterone?  You bet.  Good luck, Jo Jo.  You might want to pick a Texan and go home.

 

 

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oh my goodness!

Posted on May 31, 2016 by is there any more pie?

Yes, that was our reaction upon meeting Sarge’s lovely friend.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

They arrived arrived 7 Friday night after dealing with hours of horrendous holiday traffic on 95 and we ate lobster pot pies (which looked beautiful but didn’t really have that true lobster flavor, which was not the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe’s fault).

Aesha was sweet and lovely and polite.  She and Sarge smiled at each other all of the time.  I was very relieved to see that Sarge was the same goofy guy he is with his family as he is with the young woman he loves.  She makes him dress up, though.  No sweatpants and muscles shirts for Sarge this weekend!  She brought us a beautiful basket filled with the kinds of goodies we like, too.

They spent most of Saturday at the beach and in town, as Sarge showed her where he grew up.  The weather was perfect–sunshine without humidity–and Rhode Island looked good.  They bought Del’s Lemonade and “walked the wall” at Narragansett Pier.

Meanwhile…Banjo Man cleaned out his water fountain of four years of leaves and muck and I scrubbed the rust off of the patio chairs and table.  Grandma and Daughter Nancy joined us for a family dinner.

 

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Grandma, Banjo Man, Sarge and Aesha

She absolutely adored Banjo Man and thought he was funny.  The feeling was mutual.

We taught her to play Mexican Train Dominoes and she whooped us.  Badly.  She helped me with my cell phone, and Sarge helped Banjo Man install the air conditioner and remove an old box tv.  Sarge helped me remove the control panel on my Highlander so I could fix the air conditioning (the success of which will be explained in another blog, I hope).

She liked clam cakes and seafood chowder.  But she *loved* Del’s lemonade.  They left late Sunday night, after chicken enchiladas and brownies and with bags of leftover food.  Sarge loves leftovers, especially spinach casserole.

I think they’ll be back for  Thanksgiving.  Aesha has never experienced that particular holiday and she said she loves pecan pie, so we’ll be ready!

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Banjo Man wore himself out making everything look beautiful.

Monday morning the parades were cancelled due to the rain, so we met some friends for breakfast.  And then we came home and went back to bed!  What is better than a nap on a rainy day?

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time out

Posted on May 27, 2016 by is there any more pie?

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Yesterday, between a dental appointment (yes, another one!), searching for a fennel bulb (no luck), new twin blankets (no luck) and creating a curtain for a guest area cupboard, this little guy came over to visit.

His parents dropped him off at noon and Sam and I spent a few lovely, peaceful hours making “cookies” and watching Thomas the Train on Netflix.  My little friend even ate a bowl of ice cream, took off his shoes, and collapsed on the Giant Couch with me.

I picked up those candy molds at a thrift shop a few months ago.  I knew Sammy would love them and he did.

When his parents returned, Sam wanted to know what the name of the Thomas episode we were watching (we were in the middle of Thomas being lost at sea and then stranded on an island) so the next time he came we could pick up where we left off.

I’m ready whenever you are, Sam.

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