A photograph that haunts me.
Seems like there are two origins to the phrase “We sure are shitting in the tall cotton”:
1 The term “high cotton” or “tall cotton”originates from the rural farming community in the antebellum (pre-Civil War) South when “high cotton” meant that the crops were good and the prices, were, too. The term has generalized to mean one is doing well or is successful.
2 According to some theories, slaves who were in the field all day picking cotton would relieve themselves among the tallest plants, and use the biggest, fluffiest bolls they could find to wipe themselves afterward; also sometimes referred to as “shittin’ in high cotton and wipin’ on the top leaf.”
Tuesday – lead the Mid-Mountain hike in the morning. Drizzle most of the time, not so warm, but 9 of us are crazy enough.
Wednesday – raining most of the day then baseball again. 224 and I80 are a bumper to bumper nightmare. Good junk food try the brisket sandwich – recommend it.
Thursday – easy coffee shop ride with Mike on his new electric bike, it’s awesome and only $1,400. He loves it. Then in the evening S&B, Mike and Betti come round for dinner. It’s been that long since Wendy had to cook I think she may have forgot.
My doctor asked if anyone in my family suffered from mental illness and I said, “No, we all seem to enjoy it.”
Just once, I want a username and password prompt to say, “Close enough.”
I’m a multitasker. I can listen, ignore and forget all at the same time!
Retirement to do list: Wake up. – I Nailed it!
People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.
Friday – bowling in the morning then take Wendy to get her injection in the back at long last – NHS have been jerking her around for 3 years. Here we go to see a pain management specialist, cross his palm with silver and he offers next day injection.
Then in the evening Mike and I finally get to try the Reuben from Stacked in Prospector. As per Howard, it’s awesome, really thick Pastrami.
Wendy’s got to relax after the injection so she dips out on the free tickets to the Kimble Arts Festival. What a joke, punters have to pay good money ($12 to $299 – free to locals) to go and view / buy so called art. There is some impressive stuff there, especially the pottery, but the prices just turn it into an absurd joke. Only one piece I really liked. Had a discussion with the potter about his superb, bright coloured crawl glaze. Apparently he makes his own and fires in at earthenware temperatures to get the bright colours.
Glad I’ve been, got my cultural overdose for the year, but never again.
Saturday – wow an evening in. I’m sure Wendy’s forgot how to cook with all the wining and dining.
Sunday – Mark, Joe and I do my version of The Road To WOS hike, it cuts out that long steep ascent and descent, reduces it down to a very pleasant 3 mile hike, well shaded.
Monday – well I moved my Easy Bike Ride to Wednesday so I could go on the Brighton flower walk, but then I discovered it started at 0800, too ungodly an hour, so I give it a miss. Have a ride down to Kimble Junction and back with Mike.
In the evening a gang of us drive down to a Korean BBQ, recommended by Sarah. I80 was a nightmare as a lorry had burnt out, 3 lanes down to 2, bumper to bumper all the way down to I215.
BBQ is as much as you can eat and cook at the table. Everyone had a good time, a unique experience. Fortunately we were sat next to Sarah, an expert in Korean BBQ cooking.
Lying Liars
https://www.prageru.com/video/lying-liars?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_7419565
Tuesday – light rain just as I’m leading a hike up Dubois and down Colin’s. Weather turns out perfect, no rain and not too hot.
Then sat on the balcony enjoying some superb coffee and watching the birds, especially the awesome aerial combat of the humming birds. They sure are aggressive to one another. Then the deer stroll by. How lucky can we be. Sadly no sign of the mountain lion or black bear spotted around here recently.
In the evening we’re off down to Marianne’s for dinner with most of Mikes family. A lovely evening dining out on the deck, great food and great company in a lovely setting. Marriann’s house is awesome and Glenwild is such a great setting, right on the golf course.
Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.
I don’t trip, I do random gravity checks. One minute you’re young and fun. Next, you’re turning down the car stereo to see better.
I’d grow my own food if only I could find bacon seeds.
Some people you’re glad to see coming; some people you’re glad to see going.
Common sense is not a gift. It’s a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn’t have it.
Thursday – in the evening we take Ruth and Mark out to dinner at the Red Rock brewery as a thank you for winter bike storage. Food was pretty good but service and sticky tables left a lot to be desired.
So much for climate models. Bloody hell they can’t even forecast tomorrow never mind January 5th 2099.
Saturday – clay pigeon shooting. Can you believe I get two rounds of 20 out of 25. Dave’s advice of pointing with the finger is starting to pay off. It also seems to slow me down, rather than rushing it.
In the evening Wendy and I go down to Kimble Junction for the free “Rat Pack” concert with Sylvia. Not only is it free but you can take food and booze.
Sunday – hike with Mark and Joe.
In the evening we have Mike, Sylvia and D&J round for dinner.
Monday – as usual lead the easy bike ride.
Tuesday – lead an easy hike.
In the evening we go to Szechuan with Mike, Sylvia and D&J. Great company food was pretty good, spoilt only by cold plates.
Wednesday – have an easy bike ride – off the PCMSC books – down to Kimble Junction for coffee.
Then in the afternoon Wendy and I drive down to the Tracey Aviary. Last time we went we really enjoyed it, complete with great bird show. They’ve really let the place go to ruin. Mainly only saw colour pictures of birds, no actual birds and no bird show. Won’t be going there again at $13 it was a rip off.
Thursday – kayaking in the morning – gives me two days of back ache.
In the evening we drive through some of the worst rain I’ve ever seen in PC, roads were flooded, down to the Bee’s game. Fortunately weather at the game was great, no rain.
Friday – the usual bowling and TGIF (one of the better ones) good food and company.
As we left home this morning a Moose and her calf were wandering along in front of us.
Saturday – usual clay pigeon shooting.
In the evening we go down to the Country and Western concert at Kimble junction, despite the dire forecast. After 50 minutes it starts to rain so we abandon play. A pity.
Sunday – a hike with Mark and Joe. abandon our original plans for the Mormon trail and stick to tarmac given the awful overnight rain which will have turned a lot of the trails into a quagmire.
In the afternoon it’s a shopping expedition to Walmart and Smiths – joy.
Tuesday – go to O’Shucks, as recommended. No room to sit; band is indoors as it’s raining, way too loud, I’ll be deaf for a month; tables are sticky – yuck; even the bannister is sticky. Plan B dinner at home, burger and beans.
Thursday – Howard and Nancy come round for dinner. Wendy panics at 1600 when she suddenly realises Howard is Jewish and is worried he doesn’t eat pork. Dashes off to supermarket for chicken. Great evening putting the World to rights and bemoaning the kakistocracy we all live in.
Friday – pass on the TGIF as it’s outdoors in someone’s garden. Night in trying to help empty the freezer.
Take the US citizenship test result:
You got 10 out of 10 questions correct.
Congratulations, you passed the U.S. citizenship test!
You’ve proven yourself to be a great student of American history and civics.
Did you know that only 30% of U.S. adults and just 3% of public high school students in America can pass the U.S. citizenship exam? 😱
Sadly Wendy didn’t pass.
Why I love America from Dennis Prager
https://www.prageru.com/video/why-i-love-america
PragerU’s age-appropriate and educational materials are only problematic to those who want to teach Critical Race Theory, gender fluidity, that math and objective truth are racist, and that America is a terrible place.
Sunday – Mark, Joe and I at last do the Mormon trail from Mormon Flats. For the first 100 yards we need a machete to get through, but very pleasant thereafter. No relics from the past and very few on the trail.
Monday – I lead an easy bike ride. In the evening Mike takes us and D&J out to dinner at the Full House, great food, great choice on the menu and as always great company.
Pastrami (Romania: pastramă) is a food originating from Romania usually made from beef brisket. Later recipes use lamb, pork, chicken or turkey. The raw meat is brined, partially dried, seasoned with herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed. Like corned beef, pastrami was originally created as a way to preserve meat before the invention of refrigeration. One of the iconic meats of Eastern European cuisine as well as American Jewish cuisine and New York City cuisine, hot pastrami is typically served at delicatessen restaurants on sandwiches such as the pastrami on rye.
Corned beef, or salt beef in some Commonwealth countries, is salt-cured brisket of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt. Sometimes, sugar and spices are added to corned beef recipes. Corned beef is featured as an ingredient in many cuisines.
Most recipes include nitrates, which convert the natural myoglobin in beef to nitrosomyoglobin, giving it a pink color. Nitrates and nitrites reduce the risk of dangerous botulism during curing by inhibiting the growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria spores, but have been linked to increased cancer risk in mice. Beef cured without nitrates or nitrites has a gray color, and is sometimes called “New England corned beef”.
Tinned corned beef, alongside salt pork and hardtack, was a standard ration for many militaries and navies from the 17th through the early 20th centuries, including World War I and World War II, during which fresh meat was rationed. Corned beef remains popular worldwide as an ingredient in a variety of regional dishes and as a common part in modern field rations of various armed forces around the world.
I’m nominated for a key role in the re-enactment as a Mormon Bishop – managed to resist the temptation to mention the Meadows Massacre. It’s nearly a 2 hour drive to get there, in the middle of nowhere, but worth it to visit this awesome historic site.
The golden spike (also known as The Last Spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. The term last spike has been used to refer to one driven at the usually ceremonial completion of any new railroad construction projects, particularly those in which construction is undertaken from two disparate origins towards a common meeting point. The spike is now displayed in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. 
Monday – Wendy goes to the Chiropractor then in the pantry at the Christian Centre. For me it’s some great Pickleball with a bike ride down the Rail Trail in the afternoon. Then in the evening Mike takes us all (Marianne, Carmel, Joanne, Dan, Wendy and I) to Giodottis. What is it with American restaurants? The place is virtually empty, the tables are set but “please wait to be seated” – about 10 minutes of the usual power play. No concept of customer service.
Thursday – Wendy, Marianne, Mike and I go to the Bee’s baseball game. A tad cool but great junk food. Finally get the proper Chicago Hot Dog, along with salted peanuts and soft Pretzal.
Friday – bowling again. In the evening it’s Dogs and Suds with PCMSC in the City Park. So far the weather’s been pretty mixed with afternoon monsoons and crap weather forecasts that make it difficult to plan. But my week seems to be settling down into a routine. Mondays lead an easy bike ride while Wendy volunteers at the CC; Tuesday lead an easy hike, sometimes Wendy comes; Wednesday hike with the Newcomers and sometimes NAC archery volunteer in the afternoon, pistol shooting in the evening; Thursday kayaking coming back on the calendar; Friday bowling then TGIF in the evening; Saturday clay pigeon shooting; Sunday relax with a stroll and free cinema or a meal in the evening.
Friday – a gang of us go down to Feldmans for dinner and then to the Bees game.
Saturday – Wendy’s been invited to a pig roast so we troop off along with D&B.
Sunday – free cinema tickets with D&B and B&M. Film was so boring I tried to escape to the High West.
Friday – bowling with the usual crew and D&B. Followed by TGIF in the evening. Invited to a retirement due at Marions, haven’t a clue who she is, but finally manage to identify her. Going shooting that night. 
Saturday – Clay pigeon shooting, then bike ride with Bob and Mike, then B&M come round for dinner.
In the afternoon we host a traditional English afternoon tea party to celebrate the coronation with our colonial friends. Don’t you just love the trouble they went to with those hats. And not forgetting Wendy’s stylish fluffy slippers – fit for a trip to Walmart. 
It’s snowing for the drive up to Park City (PC, aka paradise) but as we turn off the interstate for PC the sun comes out, Is this an omen. Wow they sure have plenty of snow – see pictures – never known it as good. Why Bob’s even complaining that they have too much snow on the ski slopes.
Joy of joys it’s a major shop at Walmart and Smiths.
Yeah, back to Kamas gun club for some clay pigeon shooting with Mike. It’s a gorgeous sunny day with snow all around – good to be alive weather. Those clays didn’t need to be frightened of me, an abysmal score of 11 and 13.
Well it’s time for a review of our first week here in Paradise.
Monday, it’s pickleball drop in at last 09:00 to 12:00. Must be 2 years since I played, but never mind such a great game. Wendy’s off to the Christian centre volunteering for the day. I manage a route march up there to meet her, 17 minutes 30.
Tuesday, it’s snowing yet again but we risk a Costco run. I80 a mess to drive down, a tad better coming back.
Friday, well it’s pickleball yet again, then in the afternoon Wendy and I go a stroll down the Rail Trail, hard going with snow under foot. Pick my bike up from Ruths and have a pleasant ride home.
What a great job the Christian Centre do with all these Easter baskets for the kids. Sadly no chocolate in them though.
Lazy start to a cloudy, breezy yet warm day.
Another lazy start to a warm sunny day.
Another warm and sunny day. Up early to swap the Hertz Mobile.
Drive to the Blue Grotto but apparently, the only way to see it is via a boat trip. Not for Wendy so we pass. Settle for a coffee.
Another warm, sunny but windy day.
Another lazy start to a warm sunny day. 
Wendy was kept awake until about 02:00 with the monotonous thumping of teenage tribal music from the local bars and discos.
Then it’s a 40 minute drive to our Airbnb in Mill???. No motorways and amazed how many backstreets Apple Car Play knows.
Lazy start to a warm sunny day.
Well first impression of Malta are good – in Wendy’s case it could have something to do with an M&S and a Lidl. Yes, it’s a fairly typical Mediterranean resort but not as chaotic or dirty as most. People seem very friendly and a pleasant blend of old and new. Roads are fairly basic which is not surprising given the size of the island.
One of the first mainframes I wrote programs for was the height of sophistication, as well as tape drives we had 2 Megabyte Exchangeable hard Drives. Can you believe that I ran all the companies accounting etc on an ICL 1903 with just two 2 Meg drives. The computer had a dedicated air conditioned room.
Lazy start to another warm sunny day.
Lazy start to another warm sunny day.
It’s a lovely walled city. Yet more churches and even a cathedral, daylight robbery it’s $18 to get in. What about if my immortal soul is wanting to repent and see the light. Tough shit if you don’t have $18, to line the already overloaded koffers of the Catholic Church, you can just go rot in hell. So much for “In my house there are many mansions”, none of them FOC. Needless to say we pass on the spiritual experience.
Have a spot of lunch at a cafe with great views, try the strawberry meringue with walnuts and lemon curd, very tasty. Really getting into Cappucinos.
So here I am a 73 year old body enjoying the delights of Malta. Meanwhile my 16 year old mind wonders what the hell it’s doing here. 
Lazy start to another warm sunny day.
Wendy starts off bitching why is it that women always have to queue for the toilets. It’s oh so simple, they’re badly designed.
Tonight’s tea at Il Barri restaurant started with a free starter of Sally the snail, about 20 of them in a tomato sauce, Wendy passed, followed by a mixed grill of Peter rabbit, Quincy the quail and Red Rum the race horse. Delicious. 
Back home for some beer and wine. sadly Wendy does not fancy driving over here.
I’m not eating one of them.
Another lazy start to yet another warm sunny day.
Arrive at the capital Victoria. The roads are a nightmare and there’s only one public car near the Citadel. It’s chock a block along with underground car park. Get fed up of driving around trying to park so quit and head back. Apart from the Citadel, and god knows how many churches, there doesn’t seem much worth seeing. We’re so pissed off with the parking we even pass on a couple of the bays and cut our losses. 
Back home for lunch followed by a stroll up to M&S, Wendy’s treat, and then the supermarket. 
Usual lazy start to the day and then we take our life in our hands and go out for a drive amongst the crazies. Decide to follow the hop on off bus route.
Then head to a fountain but thanks to a village map not having the all important “you are here” we give up on it. 
Let’s head into town and visit the municipal gardens on the route. Apart from parking on zebra crossings, which seems to be a Crete favourite along with double parking and anything to stop the flow of traffic, there’s just no parking to be had. The pay car park is blocked with a Brocken down heap of rust. There’s not many car’s around here without dint’s or scrapes. Pass on the municipal gardens.
Head home and stop off at a bakery and coffee shop for some coffee and cakes sat in the sun.
Lazy start to my 73rd birthday, then we’re off out with Brett, Karina has to work, for a trip up to Heraklion. A major busy city with the usual death wish drivers and car parking. One silly bitch decides to step off the pavement as we’re going past, alas we missed her so the gene pool remains polluted.
Had lunch in a nice restaurant overlooking the sea.
Then it’s back home for afternoon tea and birthday cake.
In the evening we head out to Raki ba Raki for yet another splendid meal. Nice end to a birthday. Birthdays, such a damn pain as a reminder you’re getting older.
In the evening we all set off to Zorba’s taverna, as you can guess with a name like that it’s a typical Greek restaurant with some great food. Like sitting in someone’s lounge with Grandma doing the cooking.
Then meet B&K at a typical Greek restaurant for yet another typical Greek meal, finally get a stifado and some great starters.
Then it’s a quiet night in watching TV.
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis is from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, “highest point, extremity”) and πόλις (polis, “city”). The term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis in Greece. During ancient times the Acropolis of Athens was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king.
Lazy breakfast again then around lunchtime we set off for a hop on / off bus tour around Athens. Typical our starting bus stop has no indication of where the bus stops – only in Greece.
Tours pretty good and weathers sunny. Get off at the Olympic stadium and have a stroll through the gardens followed by lunch. The we notice the guards (Evzones – see trivia below) outside the parliament are off on one of their marches, a performance not to be missed – this must have been where John Clees got the idea for the “ministry of silly walks”, bizarre see the video.
Back to the hotel for some wine – find a good wine shine shop for a merlot – and some more TV. Wendy’s convinced the moans, groans and slaps from the next door may indicate we’re in a brothel. Actually the hotel is a very swish 4 star with excellent service. Great big executive suite with settee, comfy chair, dining table and big balcony, with great views of the Acropolis. Just a pity that it’s in one of the more salubrious areas of Athens.
Awake to wind and rain. Spend most of the day hunkered down, but it all clears up mid afternoon.
Joy, up at 03:00 to catch a flight to Athens and then onto Crete.
Lazy start to the day then we’re off down to Rethymno – hereafter referred to as rhythm – for a stroll along the front. Espresso by the harbour and then of course a merchandising opportunity down the shops. I have come to the conclusion the Crete economy is run on slippers. More shops selling slippers than Muslims at a stoning – unbelievable. There’s an excess of shoe shops and plenty of shops hawking provocative dresses and lingerie.
Then Wendy gets her daily fix with a trip to the supermarket, oh joy.In the evening we’re off down to Raki ba Raki for dinner, well tea. I get to try Oxtail, love it in soup, but never got to try the meat until now, tasty. Have a great meal, good service, good food and wine, all very reasonably priced and followed by two free desserts and some Raki (Greek fire water).
It seems like there’s a Santa marathon on complete with a band so the place is swarming with Santas, and of course, women have to get into the act, so there are even female ones.
Then it’s an hour’s drive back home to some Greek merlot and Netflix. Sadly Greek wine is nothing to get excited about.
New Year’s Eve, lets go down to Rhythm, “I bet it’ll be heaving with it being new years eve” says Brett. 
It’s almost a ghost town. Have a meal at a very popular Greek restaurant – but even it’s nearly empty. But at least I get to have rabbit, a tad tough.
Off out to Bali bay for Karine to have a swim. Lovely bay but a tad too cold for Karine, nesh. Then have a drive down to the cave but as expected it’s closed. Back home for lunch. A spot of rain.
In the evening we venture out to a Greek taverna, very family orientated, and good food.
Lazy start to the day then we drive down to Rethym for a wander around. Have a coffee and everyone else has a pancake.
The evening meal is bread cheese and wine, just like in France, and finish off watching Treason.
Lazy morning sorting out passwords. Meanwhile, we wait for the lazy car hire company to get back to us to put me on the car hire. Typical Mediterranean attitude to customer service not a clue what it means.
Warm and sunny. Back into shorts and tee shirt as we drive down to Orlando. 4 hours past so many familiar places. 
Breakfast not bad.
