Low down dirty cat...

Fred Green: "My cat, Tom, is a dirty s.o.b.! Around 6 am, he whined, jumped and walked all over me until I got out of bed at 7:30. I went upstairs to get my phone a little after 9. Guess who was laying in my bed! Anyone want cat?"



'via Blog this'

I Love camping, but…

(1) Facebook: " For the longest, I have been trying to find things to write about in regard to my writing life. It’s either boring or non-existent, now and in the past. I have been trying for many days to find things to write about in that area…but I digress.
Anyway, I went winter camping this past January, and I realized I love camping; it was my first time camping in the cold, cold climes of winter, in northern Michigan. After talking to my neighbor, the gung-ho former Marine, he has gotten me totally interested in backpack camping, however, as far as equipment goes, I fall far short.
Three years ago, I joined a social group, which included camping, hiking and just about everything outdoors. Considering that, I have been camping for over 25 or more years, including camping as a cub scout. However, with this group I have gone camping 10 times since 2015.
Throughout those many years, I have only gone car camping, which help me carry all the equipment I could load into my car, enough to last an entire weekend, or more if I wanted to stay longer. In addition, all have included either a 20 or so mile bike ride or a hike.
As far as backpacking equipment, all I have now is a Day Pack, it, in its self, is large enough to hold all of the things I need to go on a 15 mile hike, my longest so far. I can carry my water, extra clothes, food, well, some nuts, bananas, apples and stuff like that, and my walking stick. But, that’s where Day backpacking hikes end and weekend backpack starts.
This past November I got the opportunity to camp at Sleeping Bear campsite near the shores of Lake Michigan, an entire weekend. However, it was kind of car camping because, my car was a little more than 15 feet away from me. However, I really enjoyed that weekend and now I like camping in cooler weather.
I do have a four season tent, (the advertisement states that it is a four season teat and the manufacture states that it is only a three season tent. I’m guessing for legal reasons...), which I bought earlier last year, and a sleeping bag, rated to 30 degrees. My only problem, I cannot fit all of that equipment into any of the backpacks I own.
On the other hand, considering, the temperature, that weekend, got down to 27 degrees both of those nights and the wind was gusting to 35 miles or more all night long, but I was toasty and warm all night long. For whatever reason, though, I cannot sleep, soundly, in a tent anyway.
Before I joined those outdoor groups, I usually camped with another group, but they camped once a year. And those weekend were on the shores of Lake Eire. For whatever reason, and the fact that the water was beating onto the shore, the noise kept me away all night long and that started my never being able to sleep in a tent. I guess I am more comfortable in my own bed."

To me honest, I have no gear that I could use to go backpack camping, yet. I might be able to squeeze my tent and the rainfly a large enough backpack, though. As it is now, I am saving to purchase a 60 liter Plus 10 Backpack. I should have enough money by the middle of August.

In the meantime, I am putting together a list of things to purchase, light enough to go backpack camping this coming fall and winter. Then I will be ready for a new adventure. I just hope I don’t freeze to death on one of those marches to the campsite. That kind of happened, my feet freezing solid, this past January when I forgot my second pair of wool socks.

'via Blog this'

Fred Green - OMG!! I did it again...

"OMG!! I did it again...I could have sworn today was Wednesday...I am going to have to stop taking 2 and 3 hour naps! It seems like I lose a day when I do."



'via Blog this'

nap time...

Facebook: "OMG! I just flamed out. I shouldn't have sat down to read these post on Facebook. I decided to run my last half mile, now I have no energy to do my core exercises. That's two days in a row now. Oh well, I guess I am going to take a longer nap today..."



'via Blog this'

STAR TREK BEYOND

Facebook: "I am a fan, a super fan of Science Fiction, in fact, I write science fiction. I have two short stories and one novel published and I am working on a second novel, but I digress…
I decided that I am going to start reviewing the movies I have seen, the new movies that are in theaters, now. I have only, started, recently writing reviews of things like books or music, but I have only posted them to sites like Amazon and Goodreads. Hey, it’s as start.
I went and saw Star Trek Beyond the other day. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. As of today, I have seen many posts, on Facebook, hating the heck out of the movie, saying it was worse than the 2009 reboot, STAR TREK. As far as I am concerned, I loved all three of them, what more can I say.
For me, it was the best Science fiction movie of the year, so far! It reminded me of the original Star Trek and the Director and writer tried to stay within those boundaries. Another movie that will go into my collection when it comes out on Blu Ray. On the other hand, I had one tiny problem with the movie, since I went with a group of youngsters, (my son and his friends).
When I got my ticket I was unaware the movie was in 3D and IMAX, at first. I have only gone to one movie in 3D and didn’t enjoy it, I really can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the movie, it was AVATAR, I just didn’t enjoy the 3D effects, at the time. That was 7 years ago.
However, I was amazed with STAR TREK in 3D. Now that I think about it, one other, tiny thing bothered me. In most the action scenes it seems like all the actors were blurred, the faster the action, the blurrier it got. Maybe I am not use to 3D, in my older years. If it were this great 20 or so years ago, I would have had no problems with 3D today. I think I prefer watching in 2D, though.
All in all, I give STAR TREK BEYOND, 5 stars!"
#STARTREKBEYOND, #sci-fi, #sciencefiction, #startrek,


'via Blog this'

Sit and watch or sit and...

Facebook: "You know, I just realized that it is almost 1 pm. and I am still in my PJs. I guess I should get up from this comfortable couch and make something to eat for lunch or whatever, maybe some pancakes, and some ice cream...
Today was one of those days I just didn't feel like doing anything, only because it has been raining since early this morning. So, I am taking the day off from any overt exercise, the first day off in 10 days.
For the rest of the day I am going to sit here and watch Tiger's baseball and drink beer. I don't know if I really can just sit here though, my butt kind of hurts...from sitting too much. Yes, retirement does that.
I thought the game started at 1:00, but I guess it starts at 2 pm. I was also guessing that, since the game was postponed because of rain, last night, I figured they would be playing at 1, I guess not.
On the other hand, maybe I should sit here and write something as I watch the BB game."



'via Blog this'

A tail of two...

Fred Green: "It's nice to see my two cats laying next to each other each other not trying to kill each other. But, Jerry kept whipping his tail into Tom's face. So what does Tom do? He bit Jerry's tail. Then the fight started." #cats



'via Blog this'

A burger and fried...2 bits!

Facebook: "I am going to do something different, eat something different for lunch today. I am going to have Yogurt with honey and blueberries. Heck, who am I kidding, I'm going to have the usual...a veggie burger, loaded and some fries! Oh yeah, and a beer!"



'via Blog this'

You can fly, but you can't hide...

Facebook: "Here's something you don't see everyday; on my daily walk I heard what sounded like a bunch (murder) of crows heading my way. To my right I saw one crow fly by at its top speed. Then three more followed, also at the fastest they could fly. A second later a hawk flew out but it turned and did one of those numbers that a Mountain Banshee, in Avatar, did...hop through the trees from limb to limb and then it flew into the trees waiting for something else to catch and eat."



'via Blog this'

Its' plastic, you nut case...

Fred Green: "I think my cats have a dying wish; they are suicidal, in my opinion. Tom and Jerry will be 11 years old this coming October, 60 years, in human years. All during that time I have tried my best to put things up and keep things off the floor so those dummies don’t eat it or destroy it.
I use to have flowers, in my house. When they were kittens they started to eat the plants and flowers. All flowers and plants are now plastic. I use to let them out of the house and let them roam the backyard, under my watchful eye for a few minutes and I was fine with that.
One day, as I was rushing out of the house, going to a wedding, I left the house door open and forgot to close the garage door. I was gone about six hours. My son got to my house earlier and called me and told me what was going on and he said he couldn’t find the cats.
When I got home Jerry was upstairs in my bedroom, but I could not find Tom. I went out on the deck and saw a pair of glowing eyes peeking at me. He decided that he wasn’t coming in. After a half an hour I just put a bowl of cat food out and he came to it. That was five years ago. Now, they don’t go outside at all, anymore.
That brings me to today. When I came downstairs today I noticed that one of the cats had thrown up. In that mess was two inches of green string. Actually, that thick string that I used to keep my eyeglasses wrapped around my neck. Funny thing, they had been playing with that string for the last year or so. They would drag it around the house, or drag it into the kitchen and drop it into their bowls.
I am glad one of them threw it up. I don’t want a sick cat on my hands right now. The sad thing, a couple of weeks ago, as I came downstairs, the first thing in the morning, I saw more throw up on the carpet. This time, though, there was part of chewed up plastic bag in the pile of goop.
I have no idea how they got hold of a plastic bag. I make sure that there are no plastic bags where they can get their tiny paw on. Yesterday I found a chewed up piece of plastic. Now I have to do double duty to make sure they don’t find plastic and the strings are out now. No more play time with string.
Like I said, I don’t need a sick kitty on my hands right now, because if anything, bad, where to happen I don’t think I have a box big enough to bury them in."



'via Blog this'

Getting Higher, and higher...

Fred Green: "My dentist started something new, at least something new that he didn’t do on my last visit, yesterday; they now take your blood pressure. I use to have great blood pressure when I was working, over 10 years ago. That was because I spent most of my time, after work, in the gym.
For whatever reason when I retired my pressure slowly went up. I joined a gym, but because of the expense I quit. So, for the most part I watched the boob-tube from sun-up to sun down. Six years ago I saw a cardiologist and it was confirmed that my blood pressure was high, very high, but not crazy high. At that time it was over 150ish over 70ish.
Of course there were other underlining factors and the doctor decided to put me on drugs to keep my pressure in check. I stayed on it for a couple of years and decided that was enough for me. It seemed that my pressure, ranged from 120/73 to 153/78 during the times I was on the drugs. When I stopped taking the drugs my BP stay around 130/70ish, the lowest being 116/78.
In 2014 I decided to step up my working out, not going to the gym, but just running, I only walked in 2013. I included riding my bike, taking longer tips and lifting weights and I started going on hikes with a 25 pound pack and I dropped about 79 pounds and got down to 180 pounds, maintaining 185 for a few months. In 2015 I gained five pounds and stayed at 190 for the rest of the year, until Thanksgiving. By the first of the year I got up to 210.
I had to step up my work out, and my work outs got harder, but it seemed too hard to drop that 10 pounds. It’s now July and I am at 200 and I can’t seem to knock of the 15 to 20 pounds I really want to lose. My metabolism has slow down.
At the dentist, my BP was 153/90. I have had higher, but that kind of bothered me, a little. My cardiologist told me that sometimes your BP can get higher when you visit the doctor’s office. I have my own BP machine and when I got home my BP was a lot lower.
I checked it today and it was 140/80, in my right arm and 135/78 in my left arm. For a second, I was thinking that I may have to go back to the doctor and get back on those drugs, but that thought was only for a second.
I decided, and I may change my mind later, but for now I must add a couple of exercises, the ones I stopped last year, lifting weights and core exercises. Each takes about an hour of my time. I hope they will be worth it. But, I will see the results and if those exercises don’t work and old age takes hold of me, I guess the drugs will have to do."



'via Blog this'

I love peanuts and all that other nutty stuff...

Fred Green: "I love peanuts! Now that I think about it I love all nuts, especially cashews, oh yeah, and seeds too. It didn’t start out that way though. When I was younger, really younger, let’s say about 10 or so, my Mother told me not to eat any of the donuts that she had just purchased.
Being the hard-headed child I was I went ahead, when Mom went to work, and ate a donut. A donut with nuts on it, peanuts, as a matter of fact. I can still remember the taste of those donuts after 50 year of never eating them. What made the situation dire, I, later, got nauseated and sick and I then went on and threw up, mostly those donuts.
That stuck with me for many, many years. I have, to this day, never eaten nutty donuts. But, I love peanuts.
Last week or so, I went to the grocery store and one of the things I needed was peanut butter and I love peanut butter, too. Kroger has their own brand of peanut butter and I thought I would try a brand I had never, I don’t remember ever seeing it before. Honey Roasted peanut butter. So, I grabbed two jars of it because I love peanut butter.
Sometimes, before bed or if I have a cup of coffee, I get a spoonful of peanut butter. I opened a jar, stuck my spoon in and get a large dab of peanut butter. I took a bite and notice that it was chunky peanut butter. I had always hated to eat chunky, crunchy peanut butter.
Well, I couldn’t take it back so ate it. I have now fallen in love with crunchy, chunky peanut butter again. Of course the honey taste helped a lot, though. I finished the jar the other day and opened the second jar. I stuck my spoon into the creamy mixture, pulled out a spoonful and tasted it. It tasted the same, but there were not crunchy or chunky peanuts in it. It was just plain old creamy peanut butter. I was so disappointed.
I guess I should look at the jars when I buy stuff. And, now that I think about it, why was a jar of chunky, crunchy peanut butter next to the creamy variety? Oh well, I will remember next time. But, I will still get both, because I love Peanut Butter! Oh and peanuts, cashews, and seeds and all kinds of mixed nuts!"



'via Blog this'

Into the drink...

Facebook: "I saw two things that I normally don't see every day or for that matter, ever, okay maybe once... 1.) While out doing my daily walk, I heard a scream, but I couldn't figure out what direction it came from. Out into the lake I saw a head bobbing in the water and a boat making a quick u-turn. Apparently the speed boat accelerated too fast and that person fell out.

2.) A yellow plane just flew about a hundred feet over my house. Apparently it either just took off from the lake behind me or going to land in the lake behind me. That Happened a few years back, but that plane was red."



'via Blog this'

Fred Green: I gotta quit drinking...

Fred Green: I am really losing it; I just went into the bathroom and totally forgot what I went in there for...



"I just got back from the store and I bought something I haven't had in over 15 years...Soda, specifically, rootbeer. Hey, it was free, I couldn't turn it down. I hope moderations works for me."



'via Blog this'

Coffee, black and...cover your lady parts.

On my way to a café, the other day, in one of those towns where the uber hipsters hang out, I thought I’d park my car a little further away so I could get a little refreshing walk in. I crossed the street and made a quick left, heading to the café in the middle of the block.

Ahead of me were two young women. One of them had a head of bright blond hair with dark brown streaks in it, topped with a blue thingy wrapped around her hair ending in a long ponytail. She had on a colorful; I don’t know what you call it, a Halter top that exposed her belly button and a blue, short skirt that had frills on the ends near her knees. On her feet were beige-colored platform style shoes with straps that went up her ankles.

All of a sudden, she rolled her ankle, tripped and went down. She rolled over on her butt and as I walked to her to help her up, I noticed that she had no underwear on. It seemed like an eternity as I reached for her hand to help her up. She looked at me for a moment and said, “Did you like what you saw?”

I said, “No. You could use a trim or a Brazilian, maybe, or dye it the same as what’s on your head.” I smiled, and turned into the café. I then ordered a coffee, black, no sugar or cream. I wanted a brownie, but they didn’t have any that day, so I got one of those large, soft, chocolate chip cookie. I went and sat down on a vacant sofa and waited for my comrades to come. I was going to read some of my poetry, that day.

I was just about to get comfy when that young lady marched over to me. She stood there for a second then bent over to say something to me that only I could have heard.

“Are you some kind of pervert?” She said…her eyes wide, her face almost expressionless. I was shocked, but only for a second or two.

Looking dead into her eyes I said, “Youngster, I have seen, touch, tasted, and played with over xxx women in my lifetime. I am over xx years old and that,” pointing at her crotch, “doesn’t excite me as much as it did when I was your age.” I looked up at her and smiled, then added, “Besides, a pervert would have had a camera and took plenty of pictures. My camera was in my pocket.”

She straightened up and put her hands on her hips. I noticed the corner of her lip started to erect into a tiny smile. I figured she wanted to burst out laughing, but she didn’t. She turned and started to walk out of the café. I noticed, as she walked away, her rear end was sashaying, a definite prominence that she didn’t have as she was walking down the street. 

At that moment I realized, I had lied to her. Something I don’t do often, fibbing, not telling the truth. I did get excited, just a little, a tiny bit. Just enough to let me know, I’m still human.

Forty-five minutes later, as I sat listening to one of my friends read their poems, that youngster walked back onto the café, over to me and whispered into my ear, “can I get a ride home?”

Pokemon GO! Geez, now what?

Facebook: "Here's something I don't see everyday and hope not to ever see ever again, in the near and far future.
At the end of my run today, as I was walking to my house, there was a young couple a couple hundred feet away. I would say they were in their late 20s or early 30s and they were walking and looking at their phones.
The young lady looked up at me, started to laugh and they made a hasty left turn onto an adjacent street. I just shook my head as the girl looked back at me, the guy probably didn't give an F....
I knew what they were doing...they had to be playing that... phone app, pokemon go...go figure.
Anyway as I passed the adjacent street, they turned around and headed back towards my house. The girl still giggling as they passed and they disappeared into the sunset, Okay, it was noon, but gone nonetheless."



'via Blog this'

One hell of an answer.

Facebook:  I have a sign on my door, stating: "Please no soliciting". It's been there for over a year. In that past, year and a half, a handful of people have knocked on my door.
Once, a bunch of old ladies, knocked. I mentioned the sign and one of them told me that was about prostitution. I told them to be on their way(not really but it was implied).

On another occasion, a boy knocked, I mentioned the sign and he too mentioned that soliciting was only about prostitution. I could only shake my head in disgust. Don't they teach these kids anything in school these days?

Anyway, today, two young girls knocked. I mentioned the sign, again and the oldest of the two said, "That means selling something...and we are not selling anything, we are asking for something.
Again I just shook my head...I then said, "Soliciting means asking for anything, not just selling."
She retorted, "...it means selling, My Mother is a lawyer."

I mentioned what other people do in life and what does that have to do with you not knowing what the word means, and I am a writer, I know words. I then said "GOOGLE IT!"
"It means, selling something, My Mother is a lawyer."
I could only shake my head in total dismay and disgust. Maybe her mother should be a teacher or something because these kids nowadays know nothing!"



'via Blog this'

Hairball season: it's that time of the month

Fred Green: "I guess it's that time of the month again...hairball season. My cats love to lay next to my shoes, for whatever their reasoning is. I was going to put on my sandals and I noticed a wad of spit-up IN MY SHOE!! Couldn't he have just thrown up a couple of inches away from my shoe? Geez, I hate my cats...okay, not really but if I had a stick I would..."



'via Blog this'

I see you...

Fred Green: "I see people trying to compete with others as to how many Megapixels their camera's and phones have. I hear that a company is trying to see if they can get a commercially viable camera to 75 megapixels! Think about this for a moment, your Eye has a resolution of 576 Megapixels! So, just blink your eye when you see something you like and put it into your memory banks and you can save it forever too. And it will be just as clear as a 7 megapixel camera, which is only what the eye can perceive anyway."



'via Blog this'

Dead or alive...feed me!

Facebook: "I just read that the reason why my/your cat wakes me/you up in the morning is that they are checking to see if I/you, the person who feeds them, is alive or dead. I kind of figured that, but my cat, Tom, bugs me for at least an hour, or until I finally get up, just to feed him and his brother, who doesn't bother me at all."



'via Blog this'

A Study in Orange and Black

A study in Orange and Black

Chaos

Fire and steel molten

red malevolence poured

from vessel to vessel,

Chaos.

A river of steel flowing growing

smaller, pounded, beaten, flattened,

drenched, cooled,

Chaos.

A whistle blaring, a train’s

coming laden with ore splattering

its contents down the side,

Chaos.

Sparks fly like static electricity

dancing in the air, sizzling

aimlessly, alight near a flowerless plant

growing in the orange rust colored ground,

Chaos.

On that same plant, a butterfly

A spectacle beholding,

a Monarch, or maybe…

Chaos?

Them's fighting words...

Fred Green: "Here's something you see everyday; as I was running today I saw two birds, fighting, or whatever they were doing in the air, and heading my way. One of them dropped right down on the ground just under my coming footfall.
I had to jump up and over the fighting bird! I hadn't jumped that high since I jumped over a car that almost ran over me."



'via Blog this'

Tail of two kitties;

Fred Green: "Tail of two kitties; Yesterday morning my cats were nowhere to be found. For a moment I thought that I could have slept to at least 8am., my alarm goes off at 7. The night before the fireworks were nonstop and a few went on past midnight. I guess they decided to shelter in place for the night.
This morning is a different story. The both jumped into my bed about 6:30 and bothered the heck out of me until I got up, just to feed them. They are now filled and happy and out of my sight, until they want something."



'via Blog this'

It's over...until next year, Happy and bang, 4th!

Fred Green: "It has quieted down a lot. Even though Jerry has just been chilling Tom just came out from behind the couch."



'via Blog this'

Fred Green Happy 4th of July!

Fred Green: "I'm wondering if veggie dogs and veggie burgers taste just as good when cooked on a grill. I guess I should just try."



'via Blog this'

Light up the night...

Fred Green: "there are fireworks raging outside right now. Tom my scaredy cat is hiding behind the sofa, the noise is really affecting him. Jerry, on the other hand, the noise is not bothering him one bit. He is sitting on the sofa right now sound asleep."



'via Blog this'

The trees are alive with...

(1) Fred Green: "I did something different, well, sort of, yesterday. I went to a place, not to far from me called, Adventure Park, In Bloomfield Hills, anyway, this park has zip lines and other things to do in the trees,
Something I haven't done in quite a few years. The only difference, this place is smaller than the one in Mexico and it has more things to die from. It seemed like there were more stairs and bridges to cross than zip lines and for me that's where the struggle came into play
Today, I found those muscles that I have been missing for the last few months and I will start lifting weights, tomorrow, to compensate. Crossing those bridges required a lot of strength, at least for me. Heck there were kids, nine or ten years old who were up there following in step with the grow-ups.
And there were kids who were up there that took 15 minutes or so to cross the same bridge I crossed in 3 minutes. But, I digress...
Yes, my arms and deltoids and shoulders are aching a little But, I shall overcome. The workouts continue! "



'via Blog this'

Phone call for...

Fred Green: "For the last few weeks no one has left any messages on my home phone. I didn't mind because all I have been getting were calls from surveys, pollsters, and of course bill collectors.
My lawn mower is in the repair shop and I got a call yesterday but they didn't leave a message. So I checked online to see my calls and I see that I have calls as far back as 2013 on the list. It took me about 20 minutes to go through all of them to see which ones to keep and which ones to delete. I gotta quit drinking!"



'via Blog this'

Ahhhhh, Retirement

(1) Fred Green: " Today is July 1, 2016, another milestone, of sorts; this day, the official day, in 2006, I retired from Ford Motor Company, as I lay in a hospital bed at Henry Ford Hospital, my own private room, after 33.6 years on the job.
It’s not that I really wanted to retire, but Ford Motor Co. gave me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. A buyout. I just had to make up my mind by May of that year. It was hard at first because there were only going to give 12 spots for buyouts. There were 43 people in my unit. It seemed like people were trying to kill the person before them to get on that list.
However, I probably wouldn’t have retired or taken the buyout if it weren’t for prostate cancer. That made it easier for me to make up my mind. Considering that, all of a sudden the Union decided that they would offer the buyout to everyone in our unit and everyone took it.
There were many other things helped me make that decision. I was tired of driving an hour to work in the morning and 2 hours to get home in the evening. Deep in the back of my mind, I wanted to stay, though.
Anyway, it’s been ten years. Do I regret any of the past ten years? OH Heck no! What helped me get my peace of mind, I traveled. I went to London, Hawaii, And Mexico.
I went on two road trips, across the good old USA, one for 28 days and met a bunch of Internet friends. In those ten years, I bowled in over 30 bowling tournaments around the country and won quite a few times. Well, not outright wins, but I won some big jackpots and in one tournament, in Reno, I won over $1500! I had to file that on my taxes, though.
On the other hand I do miss working or doing something. In the beginning, I watched all the judge shows, you know, Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, and Judge Joe Brown, et al. all day long and into the night. I couldn’t do much but lie down and rest because of my surgery.
To top that off I had my knee repaired, 14 days later. I can say now, though, every day feels like Saturday, of course, except Sunday and holidays, and the occasional birthday. I have totally forgotten what a weekend is. For that matter, what the heck is a Holiday? That’s because my next holiday is…tomorrow! "



'via Blog this'