JIM'S LITTLE BLOG

. All about our early bedtime arrangements is what Linda wants from us this week. Linda asked several questions. Click her icon, right, if you want to read others or participate in this. First,

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?

DONALD: H I J K L M N O.

TEACHER: What are you talking about?

DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.

Now, to what Linda asked us to answer: What was bedtime like when you were growing up? Dad usually went to bed early, around eight. I would follow at nine or a little later. Mom would got to bed around midnight. I cannot remember when my sister, Lois, would go to bed I suppose earlier than I would but possibly it was the same time. Were your parents strict in enforcing bedtimes? The only bedtime that I can remember was when I was eight or ten or older. I think I just went to bed when it was time, mostly around nine. We didn't have TV so there was not TV to want to watch earlier or later than that. Were you a difficult one to get to bed? I don't remember any hassles about going to bed at a certain time. Most always I was tired and ready. Did your parents share stories about getting you to sleep when you were a baby? I think Mom used to read to me before going to bed or else in bed. But I don't remember any of that, just that I had some favorite books which I wouldn't have been old enough to read by myself. When did your parents turn bedtime over to you? Maybe always I had control. Or else when I was young I would take a suggestion like, "It's your bedtime. But again I only remember setting my own time. Were there any special rituals/routines a parent did - books, singing a special song, etc.? The only ritual was that for the next morning I had clean clothes hanging where I had put my dirty ones. That was in a closet designated for me in the bathroom. Nightlights, music, special doll/blanket or other things? We had an outside yard light that shone in through my shadeless windows. And the kitchen had a window that light would shine through as Mom would still be up reading the paper, counting the church money, or cleaning the eggs that had been laid that day. Did you have your own bed or did you share with a sibling? My bed was also a front porch couch during the day. At night Mom or I would pull it open for a sleeper bed. Before my sister was old enough to have her bedroom I slept in the second upstairs bedroom. Our house had four rooms, a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms upstairs. Grandpa and Dad remodeled the front porch by screening it and putting on sliding glass windows. There were storm windows for the winter. My porch sleeping room was not heated and we did not have air conditioning. This is the house where I was born. Probably around the turn of the 20th century it was brand new. It had two bedrooms upstairs, a living room, and a country kitchen. Later two enclosed but not heated porches were added. The porch on the right is where I had to sleep when my sister was old enough to have her own room. Cold mornings would find frost on my blankets where my breath would freeze. You can see it is fallen in now, first entered by the raccoons, then finished off by the tree. Did you have nighttime fears and bad dreams? How did you handle them? I did not have any night time fears. But I did not like to go out in the grove to the outhouse in the dark by myself. So I would get Lois to walk with me to the outside toilet. Bad dreams,none. Did you ever walk or talk in your sleep? I did walk in my sleep. Dad or Mom would find me out in the ban or barnyard. Dad thought he fixed it by hooking the screen door to the outside. I don't ever remember trying to unhook it or of my parents finding me walking. Dad's theory was that if I had to take the time to unhook the door it might be enough trouble to wake me up. As I said, I don't remember messing with the door. Feel free to also share any routines you have done with your kids. No routine except that we did enforce bedtimes for the kids. I think it is a trait that runs in my genes of not wanting to wake up in the morning. I have slept through an alarm making me late for work. When Dad would get up he would dress, then head for the barn and cow milking. On his way out he would wake me up so I could come help him. Several times I went back to sleep and either missed milking or would get a stern call from Dad who had walked back to the house to see where I was. When Karen (daughter) had her own apartment at college I would daily give her a long distance call to wake her for classes.

Labels: Flashback Friday, Jim's Life, Routine

# posted by Jim : 9/17/2010 01:37:00 AM  14 comments

Tuesday is Ladies Day here at Bentwater. Especially on the golf course. On their play day from 40 to 60 women are matched up into flights. Those ladies play 18 holes of golf. To do that they must have a handicap of at least 36. [large picture] [super size] Other ladies who don't want to play all 18 holes or the beginners with handicaps higher than 36 play only nine holes. Both groups have a very good comradery. [large picture] [super size] Mrs. Jim has played in both groups, the last few have been with the 18 hole group. But today she wasn't a part of this group that we have seen above. She and her friend, Ellen, played by themselves on our other course. Mrs. Jim generally plays with the group on Tuesdays and with her golfing buddies on Fridays. Then there is this group of ladies who don't play golf so much. They are on the tennis courts today. [large picture] [super size] Or some go for a nice walk. More than half were wearing shorts on this nice warm spring day.

[large picture] [super size] Congregating on the street is nice too. Do you think these ladies might be exchanging the latest in neighorhood gossip? [large picture] [super size] Adi had a nice walk also. We went on a different route yesterday, and got to see a lot of different sights than we usually do on our fairly set routine. [large picture] [super size] We met this fellow and the dalmation. Adi and I exchanged greetings, Adi and the dalmation declared they had enough, both growled a bit and raised the hair on their necks and backs. They went on their way. [large picture] [super size] Then there were these ducks. Just minding their own business, aren't they? [large picture] [super size]

If Adi could have her way, those ducks would be hustling along out of there. [large picture] [super size] Do you think Adi could play golf? And that I could be her caddie? She directed me to get her Big Bertha Light. Wait a minute, that's my driver club she wants! [large picture] [super size]

That borrowing of clubs serves her right. Look, she's lost her ball out here in the rough. [large picture] [super size]

Labels: Adi, Animals, Dogs, Eating, Food, Golf course, Humor, Jim Bunch Eats, Routine, Walk pictures

# posted by Jim : 2/06/2008 12:12:00 AM  17 comments

Brother-in-law Dan and wife, Winetta, and Mrs. Jim



Hey, what's this?





Oh, that's ok, Mrs. Jim is doing it too!

I do it too! So I thought I had better introduce you to the new rules of etiquette for using cell phones in restaurants. It used to be illegal in poor taste you know.

However, necessity and convenience breed change. Just accept it, change comes.

There does need to be some semblance of order in this matter, therefore I have developed the following New Revised Rules of Cell Phone Usage Etiquette in Restaurants. I do believe a few generalizations would make these rules applicable for cell phone use in most any public places.

NEW REVISED RULES OF CELL PHONE USAGE ETIQUETTE IN RESTAURANTS

1. Lay the phone on the table as soon as you sit down. This prevents so much annoyance to other patrons. Generally you can catch it on the first ring that way instead of fumbling through your pockets or purse to find the machine.
2. Talk no louder than you need. It is the loud cell phone talk that bothers other people. Besides loud talking disturbs others who are trying to use their cell phones.
3. Keep your conversation short.
4. Laugh quietly, not out loud! (LOL)
5. For an extended conversation or for more privacy go outside or to an unoccupied area.
6. Do not make unnecessary calls. A quick check on the kids, grandma, or your dog, and the like, is probably necessary now and then.
7. It is better to call while sitting in the restaurant than driving your car. This goes especially for text messaging (unless you have memorized the key placement and routine--like you did in touch typing).
(c. jimmiehov 2007)

NOTES AND LINKS:

1. This blog has been in the planning for quite some time (note the pictures are dated 1/20/2007, the day after my mother-in-law's funeral [link]).
2. Ken Hoffman probably will not like these rules, you may agree after reading his column in this Tuesday's paper (Houston Chronicle, link). BTW, his column did push my 'hurry and post button.'
3. Mrs. Jim reminded me today of her rule # 107, never wash dish towels and cloths with bath towels and socks. That is NOT a good rule for bachelors or men who do their own washing.
4. Any suggested changes or comments on the new revised rules will not be appreciated. Perhaps you could suggest some pleasing ringtones or the like.
Cell Phone Cell Phone Etiquette Ringtone Ringtones technology Culture Humor Life Eminem IT'S OK


IT'S OK LYRICS
[from Sing365.com (link)]
Artist: Eminem f/ Eye-Kyu

Labels: Blogging, Celebrities, Eating, Family, Humor, Issues, Jim Bunch, Jim Does, Music, Places, Procedure, Routine, Songs

# posted by Jim : 11/08/2007 12:12:00 AM  11 comments

Click on picture for full screen size,

[click on picture for larger view] Humor

Date: Thu 7 Jun 11:17:04 CDT 2007

From: Brother-in-law "D"

Subject: Newest Scam

To: a bunch of us

Labels: Adi, Dogs, mailings, Routine, Scams

# posted by Jim : 6/08/2007 12:12:00 AM  6 comments

.

1. Wash my hair with bar soap, lathered in my hands and transferred up to my head. Excess lather goes on my upper body.
2. Rinse, apply shampoo. Brush in vigorously with a medium bristled brush. Excess lather goes on my body, getting lower (if you know what I mean) than before with the bar soap.
3. [Added] With the brush, scratch every part of my back that I can reach.
4. With a soapy wash cloth, arms, head and ears, and so on, working down to the toes.
5. Rinse my hair.
6. Apply conditioner. Excess goes under arms and other places.
7. Wash unmentionable parts very good with lather from bar soap.
8. Rinse entirely.
9. squeegee off the shower walls and floor. This helps prevent mildew.
10. Dry off.

It all takes ten minutes. If I'm in a hurry, I can do it all in nine. I should have made that the top ten list, but maybe nine will do. Well, last night I forgot the # 3 back scratching part with the brush. That keeps the crusty brown patches from growing there.

Scrubbing my hair with the brush is the reason I haven't gone bald. I've done that since I before I was twenty. Tim is trying this and found that a little hair is growing back. The last time I checked with him it was.

Once in a while I get carried away with ideas for blog topics and lose my rhythm. This gets me out of the routine and who knows what I skip or have to do over again. I can't carry my little notebook into the shower. I should just get out and write my brilliant idea right then and there.

Lagniappe

Last night on Dave Letterman, there two cute ladies from Oakdale, Louisiana. Both had touched a dead guy. More than one. One lady was a coroner's assistant, her sister-in-law was a registered nurse.

Some of the other parts of Dave's show were pretty raunchy.

Labels: Adi, Routine

# posted by Jim : 3/04/2006 06:40:00 AM  5 comments

There is more:

.

n) I take three medicines and three vitamins/minerals every morning. Adi is my helper with this. We are in the kitchen beside the sink. o) Before taking the first medicine I get a glass of water and eat one rectangular piece of graham cracker. Adi eats a small piece from one end. p) She waits patiently while I take the rest. I have a small routine [programmers, would this be a subroutine?] doing this so that I don't take one medicine twice or skip one. My secret is to take out of my shoe box the three pill bottles. As I take a medicine, I put the bottle back in the box. Can't go wrong that way. q) After the last pill, which is a generic EyeCap, we eat the other rectangular piece of graham cracker, just as we did the first. r) Next for Adi is 'breakfast.' . .That for me is one half package of two (i.e. one piece) pieces of granola bar and coffee. . .Mrs. Jim eats the other piece/half package. Adi waits for the granola bar ritual. s) I pour coffee for Mrs. Jim, who is now reading the paper or getting e-mail. Adi waits for the granola bar ritual. t) I open the granola bar package. Adi is still waiting. u) I eat one third of my granola bar piece. Adi gets a corner, about the size of a large pencil eraser. v) Mrs. Jim sips her coffee and has a one third piece of her granola bar. Adi gets a corner, about the size of a large pencil eraser, from Mrs. Jim. w) We repeat this procedure four more time, two each for Mrs. Jim and me, with Adi and her piece, and the granola bar is gone. Adi has had a total of six bits. x) Adi goes to the utility room to get a drink of water. y) Adi tries to get me to play toss and take-away with her and her teddy bear. z) Adi gets tired from playing teddy bear with me. Or she gives up trying to get me to play. I'm old, you know. aa) Adi gets in her breakfast room bed for a long nap. bb) If the sun is shining I always fix a blind so there is a sunny spot on the carpet and she sleeps there instead. That is Adi's morning ritual. Every morning except Sundays. On Sundays, the paper goes into the back of the car on our way to church so we don't do the front yard part. So on Sunday, Adi does her thing out back while I'm putting my shoes on, sitting in a rocker on the porch. Then we do the medicine/vitamin bit. I'll let you figure out which steps from above are omitted. There are additional steps. Adi goes in the utility room and gets into her 'kennel' with a treat. She eats the treat while I put the baby gate up. Adi takes a nap until we return. Ah, life in the fast lane. That is her and my routine. I thought it might get close to being 26 steps. So I was surpised when the list got to 28 discrete items (four of the granola bit were lumped into one, at step 'w') Of course at 9:30 or ten, Mrs. Jim and I have a sweet snack with coffee. I take another pill. Adi gets into this act also. Are you in the fast lane?

Labels: Adi, Adi Can, Eating, Family, Health, Humor, Procedure, Routine

# posted by Jim : 2/08/2006 12:54:00 AM  5 comments