Ta da!

I just hit "Submit" on my application to become a free-lance blogger for the Examiner. I'm so danged proud of myself! FInally!!

Meanwhile, because I haven't really posted much since Booker T. on Sunday, I thought I'd try and bring you up to date. Nothing much has happened that's exciting. Mainly I've been busy with WOW (my writer's group) stuff. There's a bit of internal wrangling going on that, hopefully, will be resolved soon. That's where my creative time was spent Monday. Well, between that and extensive napping because I'd gotten so little sleep the night before. :(

Tuesday was more of the same (not napping, necessarily, but WOW stuff). In addition to that, however, and the small amount of time it took to write and publish my post that day, my son-in-law and I spent a good two hours trying to identify, address and fix various and sundry problems that I'd been having with my computer. There was something in the system that was using up my computer's "Memory" at an alarming rate. There were other problems as well, and while they've not all been resolved to our mutual satisfaction, I'm moving on. At least I'm getting my e-mails!

Yesterday I mentored at the bridge studio. This was our third time playing together and we are scheduled to play again May 13th (always the 2nd Wednesday). I first mentioned this gal here. We had another *great session* and spent as much time as we could together afterwards (before they closed and locked the doors on us) trying to discuss key aspects of the game that had come up. I botched the defense on one hand (Ouch!), which really irritated me. However, declarer,who was another mentee, could (and should!) have avoided a possible set by playing the trump suit differently. But she didn't, and I failed to take advantage of it. Ouch, as I already said.

* * By writing 'great session', I don't mean to imply that we won. We didn't even check the scores. Just as soon as I hit the 'Publish Post' button for "Ta da!", I'll be drafting an e-mail to my mentee which will outline a couple of things that I think will be really helpful for her to work on, bidding-wise, between now and our next get-together. I'm having a lot of fun with this, as you can probably tell.


An added complication to my schedule, which will continue on into September and hopefully a couple of weeks beyond, has been the start of baseball season. I've been able to watch only one Astros game thus far ... the one they won in 10 innings Tuesday night. :) I'll be able to watch three more within the next week, and then it's almost "Timbuktu city" for me, not having cable.

But that's OK. I still have my radio. They're "off" today. Tomorrow they begin a three-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals and I'll get to watch two of those games on television ... the ones on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I'm really looking forward to those. Then they go on to Pittsburgh to play against the Pirates. I'll see only one of those games on television, the one on Wednesday evening, April 15th. (Income Tax day. Have you filed your tax return yet?) Also, April 15th is my daughter's birthday. If you think I'm going to tell you how old she'll be this year, you can guess again! Let's just say she's getting to that sensitive age where she doesn't want to publicize how old she is and let it go at that, OK? :)

We play a bunch of games this first month against our National League's Central Division rivals. I like that! So far we are 1 and 2 in wins and losses. Chuck's (Cubs) and Patrick's (Braves) teams are both 2 and 1, I believe. My son-in-law's team (Boston Red Sox) opening season record is ... ... ? ... ... he didn't even know when their opening day was, for crying out loud! What kind of fickle fan is that?!? I mean, I ask you!


How much is left of my grape salad? Not much! One large container. I had to go over to HEB to buy some gorgonzola cheese. The fellow (at that Kroger's store) who made it didn't put nearly enuf cheese in it to suit my fancy! Do you want to know what I think is going to happen? I think that, pretty soon, I will have enough of the necessary ingredients to make my own, that's what I think is going to happen!

Q: How does one invest in cracked pepper when one only uses it in grape salad? That's a serious question, OK? Please don't take it lightly. I'd appreciate any good answers/suggestions. Or maybe they make it now where you can purchase teeny tiny quantities? I haven't investigated that possibility!


All right. Moving on. Let's go north and east to my friends in Michigan, whose daughter is undergoing just horrendous therapies to try and combat and then defeat what was initially presented less than four months ago as a most aggressive and potentially deadly cancer.

I have since heard from the mother. Six hours were spent in treatment just three days ago and her daughter has since had allergic reactions to danged near EVerything, including the tape used to try and seal the spot where a needle had been injected!

All of them are fighting, fighting, fighting! Please continue to send your thoughts and prayers their way.


That about does it for me today. I'm going to hit 'Publish Post' in just another second and then go on to read some of my "Favorites" and perhaps leave a comment or two before starting that e-mail to my duplicate bridge mentee.

I'm sending the warmest thoughts that I can possibly conjure up to send your way. Please know that I care about each and every one of you!