Monday Musings - Memorial Day Edition...

Welcome to the start of another week; a rather somber start however, for we take time to remember those who fought and died to make our nation (and the world) free. Still, this IS a day worth such an observance. More about that later on...
Our Hoosierland weather for today sees a cessation in the rain for most of the day, with a small chance of a scattered light shower later.

And get your FLAG out, people.

Temps will top out around 75 degrees, and hardly a gust of any wind outside. We do need some time to dry out as it is, so what say we get started with a nice refreshing drink to quench our thirst and fuel our American spirit, as we see what's been going on elsewhere, hmm?

*** First off of the flagpole is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MAY 28 -
---it's National Coq Au Vin Day

(chicken, wine, mushrooms...sounds like a winner to me)
---It's National Paperclip Day

(such a small item, and yet so many uses)
---It's MEMORIAL DAY

(stay tuned for my "closing argument". on this)
*** Next, our weekend around the "Fortress" was a bit on the unusual side. Allow me to explain...
Grocery went normal, even though the store was more crowded than usual (holiday weekends do that stuff), and we got home without a problem. Wifey went up to the mall for her "nail job",  No problem there.

After she got home, I took to cleaning out our gutters, which REALLY needed it, in spite of the gutter "guards" - many of which seems to be M.I.A.!

This guy's SMART - does it in the FALL! (note to self)

Hauling that big-ass (wooden) ladder around wore me the hell out (gotta remember, I'm not still 35 years old). But I did get a LOT of crap cleared and the (brackish) water flowing DOWN again.

I even started my car...and forgot about it for OVER an hour...!!!

What a wonderful EXHAUST smell I discovered.

That's what being tired and distracted will do to you. Had to open the doors to ventilate the CO from there.
Yep, in the garage, engine running, burning fuel. That's what I get for NOTsetting the timer I always use to give me a 15-minute window for doing this. A victim of my own chiding - called FOCUS.

Anyway, no harm done (that I know of), and the battery is certainly CHARGED now...lol.
But, we weren't finished yet.

Pop's okay.

Around 6 PM Wifey got a call from her Dad's senior care facility (Vincnnes). Seems he was having chest pains and trouble breathing. A choice was made to take him to hospital and Wifey took to getting ready for a run down-state to be with him.
I (somehow) felt this was not necessary, and was pretty much opposed to having her on the road on a VERY busy weekend and having to deal with Indy traffic with the race there and all.
Well, she left anyway, leaving me a worrying mess, and after about two hours into her "jaunt", I get a call from Wifey's aunt saying her dad had run out of SINUS MEDS and that was the cause of his discomfort and NOT a heart issue. I told her aunt to ring up Wifey to tell her. Wifey calls me back and I said come on back home...which she did, but not after driving the Interstate for FOUR hours (plus). There goes a half tank of fuel we bought earlier in the day, but she got home after 10 PM, more than a bit tired.

I was just relieved to NOT have her out there this weekend, and told her my gut feeling was not to go in the first place. Point taken.
You don't always have to acquiesce to fate every time it knocks at the door.

Sunday found Wifey starting out fine, but (uh, oh)...she got a migraine for the better part of the day (enough to make her sick, in fact), So much for dinner, but it had to be some leftover stress from the previous day. That'll do that to you, maybe not immediately, but later on.

I will say the Indy 500 was worth the watch. Great to see another 1st time winner (Takuma Sato - Japan). I always like the underdog in this race, and Sato came close in 2012 (but I did like Dario more - he's of Scottish lineage...sorry).
And Sato's win marks another win in the racing belt of the Andretti family...always good to see that. Helio came in second (damn).
As for what today brings us...we'll take it as it comes, and not before. As for dinner? Home made mac and cheese and hamburgers for today. Nothing fancy...just tasty. And maybe a Yuengling to wash it all down.
*** Next up, let's see what's been going on at "Kitten Corner"...

"I haz...a dubble?"

Well, the kids certainly related to our less-than-normal weekend.
After Wifey left to drive to Vincennes, they stayed close by me until she came home.
Then, they hung around her. In between that, they took to watching outside, making sure everything was fine.

Playing peek-a-boo.

And yes, they still get those "chasing-crazies" at least once a day.
Funny thing, Wifey was playing with Violet using the laser pointer. I was coming in from doing some hedge trimming, and the cat had a head of steam going. I stopped in the family room...Violet didn't and wound up with a spread-eagle CLING to my camos, digging into both thighs. The look on my face must have been priceless, as was the picture itself (if anyone had a camera, that is)...LOL.
I can see the headline now:

"Daddy told me he was okay".

"Velcro Cat Removed From Owner's Thighs by Paramedics"...LMAO. 
*** Next, let's spend some time with our "Tales Of Midnight"...

Resting between rainstorms.

We didn't see much of him when the rains hit, and understandably so. He didn't get soaked, so his other spot is keeping him dry enough. He NEVER missed a meal yet, however. Gotta love such "dedication".
Oh, and he's a very good "supervisor" when it comes to trimming foliage...guards the tools well enough and never takes his eyes off of you.

He is always fast to give you a "leg-rub" as a job well done acknowledgment.
He also naps off the patio so soundly, that birds have a chance to come for seed ON the patio itself.
*** Last back to the garage...Memorial Day is a day with more importance attached to it than many people realize.

They're too busy practicing the freedom they enjoy, without nary a thought connected to the WHY behind their freedom.

All the sacrifice by all those exceedingly brave armed forces personnel over the history of our nation make such a thing possible, even to the uninterested and uninitiated,
One might say there's a blatant lack of respect shown by the people.
It's not all about sales at a store, or even a cookout, or fireworks...it's about a stoic resolve by those in uniform who served, fought, bled and died on battlefields both here and nations abroad that make those cookouts and sales possible.
My Dad was keen on letting me know this when I was young, and I have never forgotten it over six decades. All the parades we attended as I was growing up tend to leave a lasting impression.

When we take the time to observe this day, we do so with a purpose, and that is to remember the fallen, as well as those who came back to their families to tell the stories OF those fallen. We remember what they did, the conditions in which they performed, and the sacrifices they made JUST so everyone else could sleep a little easier at night, and breathe a little freer each day.
To those who served, the securing and preservation of freedom was a "job that needed to be done", and one in which our armed services performed in an exemplary manner.
To every other John and Jane Doe across our nation, I would remind them that such valor and honor is an example that we can ALL learn from, even if a uniform is never worn. We must all rise to the occasion, and embrace our freedom, rather than exploit it or waste it upon frivolous pursuits.
Freedom is as precious gift as the time we are all allotted on this good earth. It's never guaranteed, and often must be fought for...and the price can be costly to bear.

Let us all bring to remembrance those who fight for our freedom, which makes our nation the special one out of many, and let us thank GOD every day for His divine PROVIDENCE along these lines.
Do have yourselves a good Memorial Day.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.