New Novel

I'm coming along writing my new novel.  It's science fiction, about settlements on the Moon trying to become politically independent of Earth.

We'll see how it goes.

Double Dip

So, IU teams lost twice last night, in basketball and football.

One of my aides knows IU's new head football coach.  They're both from New Castle.

Big Night

IU and Purdue play back-to-back basketball games on television tonight, plus IU's bowl game is on.

Mercy.

Grandpa Joe

My brother Joe became a grandfather for the first time Saturday night with the birth of Charley Ellen to his daughter, Brandi.

Joe will make a great grandpa.

Uncle Herb

My Uncle Herb passed away Saturday night at age 90.  When Mom couldn't take me to high school my senior year because she was pregnant with my youngest brother, Uncle Herb took me and brought me home.

Uncle Herb was a quiet, steady, funny man, and we all loved him.  I hope he knew that.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.

Leftovers

I'm hoping to get some Christmas leftovers from sister Kim, like dumplings, dressing, turkey....

Kim makes dumplings using Mom's recipe, and Mom got it from Dad's mother.  They're great.

Bummer.... Sort Of

The snow and cold we got last weekend notwithstanding, it doesn't look like we'll have a white Christmas.

That's the only time a lot of people want snow.

Football

My  aide Robin gave me an Adam Vinatieri-autographed football  yesterday.

It's pretty neat. 

Family Photo

I have a photo of my family on a small table beside my couch that keeps getting laid down.

I have no idea why.

Chicken and Noodles

My aide Robin made me chicken and noodles last night.

I haven't had them much if at all since Mom made them last.

Another Issue

Last evening I had to call my team leader to have him call the aide company because no one had come for the dinner shift.

Finally, the guy did come.

Blown Shift

My daytime aide company blew another shift yesterday.

It's becoming almost predictable.

Snow

We're getting our first significant snow of the season today.

Happily, my aide actually got here early this morning.

Christmas Season

My aide Yodit brought me some Christmas decorations last night.

They are really nice.

So Far

I've had a pretty easy week.

We'll see how the weekend goes.

Brrrrr

I saw a few flakes of snow in the air this morning, and my apartment is chilly, though my aide says it's warm in here.

And so it begins.

College Hoops

So, the state of Indiana now has four schools in the top 25 in men's college basketball-- IU, Purdue, Butler. and Notre Dame.

That's how it should be.

Jom

Today is my brother Jon's birthday.  He is 44.

He was born the same day the last Apollo mission to the Moon was launched, and now he lives just outside Houston.   Coincidence?

Colts

Well, the Colts have a real chance to make the playoffs if they can get healthy.

They need to win tonight, though.

Yodit

My aide Yodit was feeling bad last night.

I hope she's better tonight.

My Sinuses

I had a bad little while with my sinuses this morning.

I hope the weather stays cold now.  Changes in the weather are generally what set my sinuses off.

Snow

I hear we might get our first snow of the season this weekend.

Hopefully, it'll be the first of only a few.

Emails

For a while last summer, I was getting 20, 30, and even 40 emails a day-- and they weren't mainly  political stuff.   Lately, though, I've getting maybe 5 a day.

Very odd.

TV

I'm finding I  can't get at least a few channels I used to get.  Now, it says, you have to subscribe to something or other to get them.

Bummer.

Turkey Day

My sister Kim and niece Renee came over yesterday, and Renee brought her boyfriend.  He called me "Uncle Greg."

It was a nice day.

Thanksgiving Day

My nighttime aide company is covering the daytime shifts on Thanksgiving.

Ir seems the better run of the two companies I use.

Again

My daytime aide company again failed to cover my dinner shift yesterday, and, as of now, has no one at all coming on Thanksgiving Day.

I'm beginning to dread holidays.

MLB Network

I tried to watch the MLB Network this morning, but it was blocked.  It said I need to subscribe.

Too bad.  I will miss it.

Denver

Wednesday, it was 80 degrees in Denver.  Yesterday,  Denver was expecting eight inches of snow.  Something like that is expected here this weekend.

Crazy Midwestern weather.

IU

IU's men's basketball team looked really good for the second game in a row last night.

I'd say it has real potential.

Black Ladies' Hair

One of my aides has taught me never to mess up a black lady's hair.

Not that I ever would.

Hot Streak

It looks like the next couple days will be the last warm ones before the cold settles in.

Yuck.

Saturday

This past Saturday night, my daytime aide company failed again to staff my dinner shift.

It's extremely frustrating.

IU Hoops

IU plays mighty Kansas in men's basketball tonight in Hawaii.

I think it's on an aircraft carrier, which is interesting.

Pants Pull

I have an aide who picks me up by grabbing my pants and pulling up.

It can be quite uncomfortable.

President Trump

So, Donald Trump has been elected President, to the shock of virtually every political pundit on television news.

I'll be interested to see how many of them keep their television job.

Good Luck To Us All

Today is Election Day.  Many people, including me, are glad this campaign is over.

Of course, we have only ourselves to blame.  American voters gave these people the nominations, and we got what we got.

Yodit

My aide Yodit will be away for the next ten days.

I will miss her.

Bathroom Stuff

Lately, I've been going ten hours or more without urinating.

There's been no pain, and this is more in line with my habit before I had the bladder cancer, so I guess it's okay.

Bigger May Be Better

I have a couple of aides now who chop up my food into tiny pieces.  They say they don't want it going down the wrong tube and getting into my lungs.

But aren't tiny pieces the pieces most likely to do that?

Game Seven

The seventh game of the World Series is tonight.

Both teams seem to be at basically full strength, which probably gives a slight edge to the Cubs.

Blown Shifts

My daytime aide company has blown the dinner shift two days in a row.

My nighttime company covered Sunday, but not last night.  I was just stuck.

Still Warm

It's still warm out, and will remain so into November.

I've seen forecasts of a brutal winter.  I hope they're wrong.

Over

This has been a tough week.  Lots of little things have bugged me.

I'm glad it's nearly over.

Birthdays

Today is my twin brothers' birthday.  Jeff and Joe are 57.

We have several October birthdays in my family, which tells you what certain people were doing those cold nights in January.

Mouse

I'm still struggling to use the new mouse, but I'm finding new ways to use the keyboard.

Hopefully, I'll get faster soon.

World Series

The World Series opens tonight, and I'm picking the Cubs in five games.

It's not a good idea, however, to be playing baseball, at night, possibly into November, in Chicago and Cleveland.

Tough Sunday

My daytime aide company sent an aide yesterday who could barely walk.  I had her give me lunch, but waited for the next shift and the next aide to go to the bathroom.

It was tough.

Dad

Yesterday would have been Dad's 84th birthday.

I often wonder how certain things in the family would have worked out if he had been here to help us.

Debate

So, I watched the debate last night.  I've watched all three.

It's hard to believe one of those people is going to be the next president.

Mouse Quits

My computer mouse finally stopped completely, so now I'm having to get used to another one.

It's a pain.

More Aide Stuff

I have an aide now who puts her hand on the back of my head when she feeds me.

It's annoying.  I've tried to tell her not to do it, but she hasn't taken the hint yet.

Colts

The Colts lost another close one last night.

They looked better, but they need to start winning.

Computer Problems

My computer is acting up again.  It's extremely frustrating.

I am figuring out a way to operate the system without using the mouse, however.  It's much slower, and I don't know yet exactly how much I can do that way, but it's good for my nerves.

SimLeague Baseball

My latest SimLeague baseball team finished the season 80-82, but that was good enough to win the division, so now it's in the playoffs.

I  think it has a shot to win some playoff games.

Columbus

On this date 524 years ago, Columbus discovered America.

It's amazing how much the world has changed since then.

Election

This election has been bizarre from the start.

Who knows what will happen next.

Colts

The Colts got their second win of the season yesterday.

Hopefully, they'll get on a roll.

Heat

We've had a span of warm days this week.

It might not be this warm again till next spring.

Still With The Computer

I'm still having trouble moving the cursor on my computer.  It's not the mouse.  I think it's the software.

I hate fiddling with it.

Back Rubbing

I've had aides recently who rub my back while I eat.

It's annoying.

Computer

My computer is  giving me fits today.

Some birthday..

Baseball Predictions

I'm picking the Rangers and the Dodgers to play in the World Series, with the Rangers winning.

My Pirates didn't make the playoffs this season.

Aches And Pains

I've had different aides moving me in different ways lately-- sometimes unsuccessfully-- and I have a few extra aches and pains.

I guess that's part of that price of my independence.

Space Stuff

Elon Musk has announced his company can build spaceships that open the whole Solar System to human exploration.

That would be quite something.

Literary Agent

I have another literary agent from a solid New York City agency interested in reading more of another of my novels.

Think good thoughts.

Stilll A Problem

My daytime aide company is still challenged to get an aide here every shift.

Hopefully, it understands it must get better.

Colts Win

The Colts won their first game of the season yesterday.

Now, if they beat Jacksonville in London Sunday, they'll be right back in the hunt.

Computer Problem

I didn't blog here yesterday because of a computer problem.

It's still a problem, but I'm working around it.

Hot Weather

We're heading into autumn, but, according to weathercasters, we might have more 90 degree days coming up.

Hopefully, we'll have a mild winter.

Football

The Colts and Notre Dame are off the rocky starts, both because of defense.  The Colts are 0-2, while ND is 1-2.

I think they'll both be okay.

More Shifts Blown

My daytime aide company has blown two more shifts.  It simply failed to send anyone.  Twice in two days.

I've been careful not to name the company in this blog.  That can change.

So Far........

No aide is coming the afternoon shift today.

I can probably make it to the dinner shift okay.

Dentist

I went to the dentist this morning, and everything is fine.

So ends a month of medical stuff.

Bugs

Lots of little bugs are in my apartment.

An aide, or more than one, had my patio door open last week.  Maybe that's when the bugs came in.

Again

For the second day in a row, my daytime aide company blew the morning shift.

Just incredible.

Aide

There was another shift mix up today.

It's becoming weekly.

Aide

The aide who didn't show Tuesday is scheduled to be here tomorrow.

We'll see whether he comes.

NFL

The NFL season opens tonight with a rematch of last season's Super Bowl.

I think the Colts have a shot to be there this season.

Pirates

My Pirates look to be fading in the baseball playoff race.  They lost a tough one last night.

Too bad.

Old Story

An aide failed to show again this morning.

Actually, due to a misunderstanding, an aide was very late last night, too.

Visit

My sister Kim and her granddaughter Hailea came over for a visit this morning.

It was good to see them.

Wednesday

No aide came on the dinner shift Wednesday.  I had to eat supper when the night shift aide came.

It's not good.

Good News

I had my annual scope at the urologist this morning, and everything is fine.

I'm still cancer free.

Scope

Tomorrow morning I go back to the urologist for my annual scope.

I'll be glad when it's over.

Another Goof

My aide was 90 minutes late today.

It's extremely frustrating.

Colts

The Colts got pounded in a preseason game this past weekend.

I hope they do better when the season starts.

Power Outage

We had another big storm blow through Indy this morning, and it knocked out power to my daytime aide company.

Hopefully all will go well this weekend.

Earth II?

Astronomers have announced the discovery of an Earth-like world orbiting the closest star to our Sun.

Wow.

Dennise

It looks like my aide Dennise won't be back any time soon.

Darn.

New Aide

I had a new aide yesterday.

We nearly fell twice, but we got through the shift.

Colts

The Colts looked better Saturday night, even though they loat.

Absent major injuries, they should be just fine this season.

Check Up

I had my annual check up this morning, and everything is fine.

Doctor

I go to the doctor for my annual check up tomorrow morning.

Hopefully, I can get in and out quickly.

Ford

Ford says it will have driverless cars by 2021.

That will be a big step towards more independence for the disabled.

Sigh.............N

My daytime aide company blew another shift yesterday.  Yodit came early to help out.

It's really poor business practice.

New Novel

I've started writing a new novel, an extension of a short story I wrote.

We'll see how it goes.

Mixup

My brother Jeff took me to the urologist this morning, but the doctor wasn't there.  He was at a different office.

So, I go back in three weeks.

Aides

So far this week, the aide situation has gone well.

I hope it continues.

Olympics

I've been watching Olympics coverage in the mornings this week.

For whatever the reason, I enjoy watching the rowing.

Colts

The Colts game scheduled for Sunday night was canceled due to a problem with the field.  It was to be nationally televised.

Odd way for the NFL to start the season.

Medical Stuff

This week I go  to my urologist for my yearly scope, and next week I have my annual check up.

I'll be glad when this month is over.

Bathroom Issue

I didn't urinate for nearly twelve hours yesterday.  I wasn't in any pain or difficulty, but I don't like to go that long without going.

Maybe the heat and humidity sapped the liquids in my system.

Success

My new aide was able to let herself in the apartment today.

Yay!

Trump

I saw this morning CNN was speculating about whether Donald Trump might drop out of the presidential race.

It seems some parts of the media will do anything to avoid covering the real issues.

Opening The Door

I have an aide who's been here three times, and all three times I've had to open the door for her.

Hopefully she has it figured out now, though.

Another Blown Shift

My daytime aide company failed to cover another shift yesterday.

Friday, the scheduler told me he didn't have anyone for that shift.  It seemed to me he was through trying.

Dennise

It looks like my aide Dennise will be coming back to me fairly soon.

That's good news.

Heating Up

The weather is heating up again this weekend.

In six months we'll probably be wishing we had some of this heat.

Colts

The Colts open training camp this week.

Absent a rash of injuries like they had last year, the Colts should be Super Bowl contenders this season.

Getting In

I had two new aides come yesterday, and I had to help both of them get in my door.

Not good.

New Aide

A new aide oriented here last night, and he'll be back on his own tonight.  He said he's never done this kind of work before.

We'll see how it goes.

Geese

When we went to the store this morning, several geese were standing in the road.  They didn't fly away as our car approached.  They seemed to move just enough to avoid the car.

That probably means they're too used to humans for their own good.

Shirts

When my aides pull my pants up, they always pull my shirt out of my pants.

Who knows why.  It's no big deal.  Just odd.

Apollo 11

Today is the 47th anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon.

Dad and I stayed up into the night watching Armstrong and Aldrin until they got back inside the lunar module. 

Getting Hot

It's getting hot again this week, with the heat index even hotter.

We're getting to my favorite time of year, weather wise, but we're not there yet.

Persistence

They say the key to getting a book published is not talent. but persistence.

I'm still trying to find a new literary agent.

It's Official

Mike Pence is Donald Trump's running mate.

Now there's a scramble to see who replaces Pence on the GOP Indiana ticket.

Gingrich And Pence

Donald Trump's choices for vice president may be down to either Newt Gingrich or Mike Pence.

I conducted email interviews with both of them years ago.  They both seemed to be nice guys.

NL 4, AL 2

I watched baseball's All-Star Game last night.

It's the only all-star game I ever watch.

Heat

It's supposed to be red hot again today and tomorrow.

I hope my power doesn't blink off again.

Monitor

My computer monitor is flickering a bit today.

I don't know why.

PT

It looks like I'm going to have to take some physical therapy because some aides complained about lifting me off the floor.

Bureaucratic silliness, but I have to put up with it until I can make the money to pay my own way and make my own rules.

Old TV

I've found several channels dedicated to old television shows, and I watch them a lot.

I guess that means I'm getting old.

Cold

I had the air on yesterday and actually got cold.  I had the aide turn it off last evening.

It's crazy.

FBI

FBI Director Comey announced this morning he will not recommend any indictments of Hillary Clinton.

Unless the investigation had built a strong case involving a major crime, that's probably all he could do at this point.  It's not up to the FBI to determine who runs for president.

Again

There was another foul up yesterday.  I had to call my team leader, and he got the company to send an aide.

Documenting this stuff is becoming boring.

Dem Troubles

So, Bill Clinton had a chat with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, but they didn't discuss Hillary's possible legal problems?

Whether they did or not, the meeting calls into question the legitimacy of the legal process if Secretary Clinton is not indicted.

Delay

My aide was late this morning, and then she had to use the bathroom.  She said traffic was bad.  Fine.

I don't doubt it was, but I know my aides leave here on time, as far as helping me is concerned.

Dennise

I understand my aide Dennise won't be back with me this summer.

I miss her.

GOP Troubles

The Republican Party seems to have gotten itself in quite a fix with the success of Donald Trump.

I have no idea what might happen next.

Pirates

My Pirates are going for a four game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers today.

They haven't accomplished that since the Dodgers were in Brooklyn.

So Far.....

My daytime aide company is still mixing and matching aides, but so far, largely, it has worked.

I guess it'll be this way through the summer.

Pirates

My Pirates are struggling in baseball this season due to injuries and poor pitching.

Hopefully, they'll get things turned around.

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA title.

I didn't think they could do it.

No Shift

As far as I know now, my daytime aide company is not covering the afternoon shift today.  So, I used the bathroom later this morning and asked my dinner shift aide to come an hour early.

Lawyers call that mitigating damages.

Another Issue

My daytime aide company failed to cover a shift again Saturday.  Simply failed.

Luckily, my sister Kim had come over for a visit, so she helped out.

Police

Four police cars were outside my apartment this morning, and the police took away a SUV on a flatbed truck.

I don't know what happened.

NBA Finals

I say the Warriors will wrap up the NBA title tonight.

If they don't, all bets are off for the final game.

My Monitor

I was doing my blog today, and my monitor went black.

Luckily, my aide Robin was still here, and we got it back.

Storm

It's thundering outside right now.

I hope I don't get knocked offline.

Good Times

Yodit was back last night, and everything went well.

Now, if I can get Dennise back during the days.....

Frustrating

I've had a really nice aide this week who constantly told me I scared her when I ate.

It was frustrating.

Yodit

My aide Yodit is definitely coming back Sunday night.

Things are getting back to normal.

RN Aide

My aide today told me she passed her test to become an RN earlier this week.

Good for her.

AOL

AOL Mail has been screwing up lately.  I don't know what's wrong.

It's frustrating.

NBA Finals

The Warriors pounded the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals last night,  It didn't look like the series will last very long.

That was the first NBA game I've watched in quite a while.

Another Aide Out

My regular weekend aide is getting married, so he won't be here, and the company still hasn't filled Saturday's shifts.

It's tiring.

Autonomous Cars

Elon Musk of Tesla said recently that autonomous, self-driving cars will be here within two years.

That could be a game changer for the disabled.

Bathroom Stuff

For a couple years after the bladder cancer I had a tough time urinating.  Now, however, I'm doing much better.

I hope it continues.

Lights

My aides tend to leave lights on in the bathrooms when they leave.  Not always, but often.

I guess it's just an oversight.

Aide Glitch

I had to yell about twenty minutes this morning before my aide came.

I can't wait till Yodit gets back.

Aide Scheduling

It seems my daytime aide company sometimes schedules aides to be here at the same time they get off somewhere else, which means they are late getting here.

It's sloppy work.

More Emails

I had 58 emails waiting for me today, of which I only read two.

Very strange.

Emaills

The past couple days I've had over 50 emails waiting when I got online, virtually all of it spam.

Who knows what's going on.

Wild Geese

My aide Dennise and I were outside last night, and two Canadian geese were well down the road.  They started waddling towards us, and then they took to the air and flew right over Dennise.

Dennise said that was what they would do before they did it.  She must be a goose mind reader.

Literary Agent

I got an email yesterday from the literary agent who asked to read one of novels.  She apologized for taking so long-- she really hasn't-- and promised to get back to me soon.

Maybe I'll hear from her this week.

500

Practice for the 500 is finally underway.  I remember when the race teams were here the whole month of May, but now it's down to about two weeks.

Too bad.

Yodit

My aide Yodit came by for a visit yesterday.  She comes back from maternity leave next month.

I can't wait.

Chipmunk

I saw a chipmunk just outside my patio this morning.

There's probably a lot of young critters out there this time of year.

Blood Pressure

My aides are supposed to start taking my blood pressure more than they have.

It's a pain.

Chilly

We're going through a few chilly days, though it's supposed to warm up later in the week.

I comfortably wore a sweatshirt yesterday.

Weight

The nurse came by yesterday, and, just by looking at me, she thought I might be losing weight.

I've been thinking I might be gaining weight.  Oh, well.

Schedule

My daytime aide company is fiddling with the timing of my afternoon shift today.

I'll just have to deal with it.

Temperatures

It's supposed to reach 80 today, but be in the fifties this weekend.

Crazy stuff.

Folorunso

My aide Folorunso is back from Nigeria.

Presumably, he'll be here tonight.

Wish Me Luck

I have another literary agent interested in another of my novels.

It'll probably be weeks or months before I hear from the agency, but at least it's a shot.

Long Weekend

It seems I'll have two aides this weekend I've never met.

It might be a long weekend.

MLB

The MLB Network has a blackout policy, so I missed the Cubs-Pirates series this week.

It's a bummer.

Voting

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump seem to have their respective party's presidential nominations locked up.

I can't see voting for either, but we'll see.

Primary Day

Today is primary election day in Indiana, which means there should be fewer political ads on television for a few weeks.

That's a good thing.

Park Again

The park project of my aide Dennise seems to be off to a fast start.

She is quite something.

Blood Pressure

An aide took it his head to take my blood pressure today.  Who knows why.

It's hard to do with me because my muscles keep twitching.  The aides, and the nurse, tend to keep trying until they get a good reading.  I'm not sure that proves much.

Park

My aide Dennise is working on a project to build a park for kids in wheelchairs.

If anyone is interested in learning more or helping out, contact me here, and I'll pass it along.

Slow Start

I got off to a slow start typing today.  My hand wasn't cooperating.

It does that sometimes.

Querying

I have novel queries out to several literary agents.

Hopefully, at least one of them will hit.

Gone To Texas

My brother Jon, his wife Angela, and their younger daughter Callie are moving to Texas later this week.

They're moving in hopes of finding a better life, which is basically why Americans have always gone to Texas.

Ted And The Donald

I've seen TV commercials for Cruz and Trump this morning.

It's going to be quite a ten days or so around here.

Folorunso

My aide Folorunso is off to Nigeria for two weeks.

The aide company seems to have his shifts covered, so hopefully all will go smoothly.

Getting Out

I went around the complex Monday evening, and met a sweet little pit bull.  I also saw a hot air balloon.

It was nice.

Bernie

I saw my first political television ad of the presidential campaign this morning.  It was a Bernie Sanders.

We'll see lots of political ads over the next two weeks.

Nice Weather

We're in a run of nice weather, and people have been walking their dogs around the complex.

Maybe I'll go out after supper.

More Water

An aide told me yesterday I need to drink more water.  They often tell me that.

So, I'll try.

No More Snow

Winter finally looks to be gone.

That means I'll be getting out more.

Good News

My brother Joe is doing very well with his cancer treatment.  He and his wife Robin are going ahead with their plans for the future.

So, this has been a good week for family news.

Welcome News

I got an email from a niece today saying she's not moving to Florida as planned.  Instead, she's getting her own place up here.

I'm very happy.

So Far...........

Yodit has been away for about a month now.

So far, it's gone pretty well.

Doing Better

Even with the shifting of various aides, I've been getting through my days pretty well.

The shifting will continue for a few more weeks, so hopefully I can keep going.

Cold Snap

We have yet another cold snap coming up this weekend.

Surely this will be the last one until next fall.

Baseball

The major league baseball season is underway, and my Pirates have won their first two games.

It's great to have baseball back.

Wildcats Win

Villanova beat North Carolina in a terrific championship game last night, capped by an incredible finish.

North Carolina came back to tie the score on an amazing shot that would have gone down in history, but it was trumped by a great shot by Villanova.

Tar Heels

I'm picking North Carolina to win the NCAA championship over Villanova tonight.

Of course, my bracket was destroyed the first week, so what do I know.

Again

An aide missed a shift again today.

After lots of fuss this week, the company is still failing to execute.

Long Stretch

I'm going to be without my two main aides, Yodit and Dennise, for about a week.

It's going to be a long week.

Spot

My brother Jon and his family came over Easter Sunday and brought their dog Spot, a Dalmatian mix.

It was good to see how close Spot is to my little niece, Callie.

Bathroom Stuff

Yesterday I urinated early in the morning, not again until 3 in the afternoon, and not again until almot 11.

It worked out fine, but I'd rather go more often.

Reading

I read in bed about every night.  Last night an aide was doing her first overnight shift, and she into my room about every ten minutes asking if I were finished reading.

I finally just quit.

Oops

IU plays tonight, not last night.  Notre Dame plays tonight, too.

Hopefully, they'll both win.

IU

IU plays North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament tonight.

If the Hoosiers win tonight, I think they have a real shot at going all the way.

Aide Stuff

I think my aide took a nap yesterday.  It took me a half hour to get him to come take me to the bathroom.

Fortunately, no harm was done.

Quiet Day

My aides came as scheduled yesterday, so I had a quiet, productive day-- my favorite kind.

They were all aides who come regularly, which is probably key to good results.

Aide Trouble

Yesterday, the aide from my daytime company missed both shifts assigned to him, and the overnight aide, from another company, also failed to show up.

It was not a fun time.

Bracket

I had Baylor in the Final Four, but they lost yesterday, so my bracket is already destroyed.

They lost to an Ivy League school, Yale, that had never won a NCAA Tournament game.  Such is March Madness.

NCAA

The NCAA men's basketball tournament kicks into high gear today.

It should be a wild ride, as usual.  I hope there are lots of upsets by smaller schools.

More Snow

More snow is expected for this weekend.

I thought we were through with that for now.

Final Four

My picks for the NCAA Final Four are Kansas, Baylor, IU, and Michigan State.

I have MSU beating Kansas in the championship game.

Early Work

An aide got here early for the lunch shift today, did what needed doing, and was gone after about forty minutes.

Don't know what happened to the schedule.

Night Problem

Yodit will be on maternity leave till June, and Folorunso intends to take a couple weeks off in the meantime, so I'll probably have to adjust again.

Problems never end.

Spring In Hoosierland

So, we had snow last week, and I got a little warm yesterday.  My fan is on now.

Indiana weather is crazy.

State Tournament

I used to love following the IHSAA basketball state tournament, but since they switched to the class system, I don't bother with it.  Having schools halfway across the state in the same sectional makes no sense.

My high school played in, and lost, the last state championship game under the original system.

Rankings

IU won the Big 10 regular season by two games, yet in this week's national rankings IU is 10th and Michigan State is number 2.

Odd.

Yodit

Tonight is Yodit's last night with me before she goes on maternity leave.

Her family is also moving into their new house in April, so Yodit will be a busy lady.

Cold

Maybe a couple more cold days, then a warm up into true spring.

I hope that's how it goes.

Forgotten

My main daytime aide forgot to come this morning.

It's one of those days.

Aide Switch

My regular aide Folorunso couldn't come last night because of a family emergency, so Yodir came an extra night.

Folorunso says he'll be here tonight.

Big Night

If IU beats Iowa tonight they'll clinch the Big 10 regular season championship.

There's some big political thing going on today, too.

Sinus Issues

These swings in the weather are causing my sinuses to act up again.

Hopefully, spring will settle in soon.

IU

IU won again last night, solidifying its place atop the Big 10.  The Hoosiers, however, are only the fourth highest rated Big 10 team in the national rankings.

If they keep winning, that will have to change.

Snow Again

So, it snowed last night, but temperatures are supposed to be in the 60s Sunday.

Hopefully, this is the last snow of the season.

Whistles

While reading in bed last night, I heard three whistles.

My aide didn't seem to do anything about it, however, so I guess it was nothing.

Shifts

My daytime aide company says it has all my shifts covered until March 13, but it hasn't told me with which aides.

We'll see what happens.

Birds

I've heard birds singing for the first time in a while.

Too bad they're going to get snowed on later this week.

Bathroom Lights

My aides tend to leave the bathroom lights on all the time, both in mine and in the bathroom they use.

Who knows why.

Changing Times

One of my aides wants to come an hour earlier on my dinner shift, which would take that hour away from my computer time.

I do most of my living on the computer, so I don't want to give up that hour three times a week-- I already give it up Friday for her-- but we'll see.

Yodit

Yodit is getting close to leaving me for a few weeks to have her baby and go on maternity leave.  She intends to work nearly to her due date, though.

I will miss her.

Westminster

I watched the Westminster Dog Show last night, and I will again tonight.  It's fun to see all the different breeds.

I see very little reason to go to New York in February, but attending Westminster might do it.

Joe

My brother Joe and his wife Robin visited Saturday, and so did my brother Jeff and his wife Susan.  Joe said he's feeling really well, and he looks healthy.  He even wants to go back to work.

And yes, Jeff and Joe are twins.

Go IU

IU beat fourth-ranked Iowa last night, gaining a first place tie in the Big Ten.

The Hoosiers have improved a lot since the start of the season.  If that continues, they could go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

Mom

Today would have been Mom's 82nd birthday.

All her kids still miss her terribly.

Spiders

I've seen spiders in my place a few times lately.

I thought all the bugs would be dead by now.  Obviously not.

Winter Returns

We got snow last night, and it's seriously cold.  The weathercasters say it will stay like this all week.

The good news is that baseball spring training camps open next week.

Broncos Win

Denver won the Super Bowl last night, throttling the Carolina Panthers.

I'm happy Peyton Manning can go out on top, if he decides to retire.

Long Arms

New aides tend not to get me close enough to my typing table.  It happened again yesterday.

They must think I have arms like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Snow

It snowed again today.  We're supposed to have a mild weekend, then more snow and cold next week.

It's crazy.

HDMI

I got my new television hooked up to HD today.

It's a big, bright picture.  Really nice.

Ground Hog Day

Today is Ground Hog Day, when otherwise competent people want to know whether a ground hog sees its shadow.

It's one of the silliest American traditions.

February

We're into February, and in 18 days baseball spring training camps begin to open in Arizona and Florida.

The end of winter is coming.

Yodit

My aide Yodit told me last night that they're buying a house.

She's wanted to move out of their apartment for a while now, so I'm happy for her.

She also told me her baby is a girl.

Feeling Good

Earlier this month, when the weather kept changing, my sinuses were doing a number on me, but since the cold has settled in I'm feeling much better.

Next, I have to get through the transition to spring.

Mild Weather

We're having a stretch of mild weather they say will last into February.

Maybe the real cold stuff is behind us this winter.

Shorts

Last week I had a male aide who pulled my pants up in the bathroom, but not my shorts.  He did it twice.

You'd think a guy would know better.

Super Bowl

Denver will play Carolina in the Super Bowl in two weeks.

I'll be pulling for Denver, in what would likely be Peyton Manning's final game.

Friend Visit

I didn't post here yesterday because a friend came to visit.

We had a good time.

IU Hoops

The men's basketball team at IU is on a tear, still unbeaten in Big Ten play.

Hopefully, the Hoosiers will continue to improve.

Weight Gain?

One of my overnight aides told me this morning he thinks I'm gaining weight.

We're roughly the same height, but he outweighs me.

And Again.............

My daytime aide company failed to staff the afternoon shift yesterday.

I happen to know the company does much the same with another account, which suggests incompetence throughout its operations.

Again, Failure

My daytime aide company again failed to cover a shift today.

The pattern of incompetence, especially around holidays, is getting very old.

Update

My daytime aide company did staff the afternoon shift at the last minute yesterday.

The aide who came had never been here before, but we made it work.

Staffing

Just this morning, I told a lady from one aide company that the other aide company was doing well staffing shifts.

Later this morning I learned that company will not be staffing this afternoon's shift.

Cold Shower

The water heater wasn't working last night, so I took a cold shower.

It was no fun.

Winter

Full-blown winter has finally hit-- snow, bitter cold, and the whole bit.

The good news is that January is nearly half over.

Murder

There was a murder in my apartment complex Thursday night.  A man was shot multiple times.

Oddly, I haven't seen much about it on the local TV news.

Cold

We're supposed to get the first real cold and snow of the season this weekend.

Joy.

Books

I'm supposed to get books from Amazon today.  Actually, I was supposed to get them ten days ago.

Hopefully, they'll come.

Feeling Better

I'm feeling some better than I did earlier this week.

Now, if the weather either stays cold or stays mild, but stops jumping around, I'll be fine.

Pagano

The Colts are keeping Chuck Pagano as head coach for four more years.

Winning the last game of the season with two quarterbacks right off the street was a brilliant bit of coaching.  It certainly didn't hurt his cause.

Sick

I'm a bit sick.  The sinus drainage I get when the weather changes is back.

Hopefully, it will clear up soon.