Long Day of Teaching Ahead

 

Yesterday in the very late afternoon, my wife and I went to the cemetery across town to pick up the Memorial Day flowers we had at our various relatives' grave sites.  This is something we have done for decades, and I did with my Mom & Dad before that as well.  

My wife and I went purposefully yesterday afternoon to try to assure the greatest percentage of our flowers would still be there.  The cemetery is often pilfered by some folks who want "free" flowers for there use.  Typically the pilfering is heaviest starting today, so that is why we went late in the afternoon yesterday.  We were able to retrieve 100% of our plants this year.   As is our custom, these plants then are used around out yard in various locations for the Summer to help remind us of the many loved ones who are no longer with us here on Earth.  

After getting the plants, we continued even further away from there to visit her sister (my SIL) and BIL.  We stayed and visited for about an hour or so.  My SIL had been feeling rather low due to her continuing medical ailments related to her diabetes (kidney issues, foot & bone issues, circulatory issues especially in her legs and feet).  She was happy to see us as was my BIL.  He is a really nice guy.  He is quite good at the guitar, although he does not read music.... he plays by a mixture of chord notations and ear.  He was happy to show me how he writes out the lyrics of the songs he works on and strums until he figures out the correct chord and then writes it above the specific part of the lyric where the chord progression occurs.  

* * * * * 

• With teaching starting so early (I begin "big voicing" at 8:00am), my runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays  during these sessions tends to be a bit truncated compared to what I try to evenly space out for the week.  So, today I managed to get up early enough to get in 9.2 miles (Just a hair under 15km (14.8km)).  I was happy to get that many in and still clean up and get to the U in time.  

• My MIL has been feeling off.... I am thinking she may have an infection.  I suspect my wife may be working with my MIL most of the day to try to help get this on the mend.  My MIL was having some mild hallucinations which seems to happen with her dementia when she has an infection.

• Just the POSSIBILITY to go to Iwan Ries and fully and completely and unabashedly indulge in a wonderful bowlful of pipe tobacco still is having me feel almost "giddy" at times.  If I DO get to go to Chicago, it will be such a beautiful way to spend some time.  To realize how happy just the THOUGHT of getting to smoke a pipe IS to me.... is something I find both interesting and perplexing as well.   I will likely (if I get to go) get another box of their wonderful matches as well.  When I was smoking a pipe every day, I only sporadically used matches, typically using my Zippo pipe lighter or my Nimrod pipe lighter as my preferred flame producer.  But on trips, since 9-11 occurred, matches or a disposable Bic lighter were used traveling because if the TSA would give grief, they could be tossed. 
  

This is about all I can get in before I have to get to class.

PipeTobacco