respublica

Toddler footprints on the patio

Odd being in Maryland

Two things about Maryland puzzle me and don't make a whole lot of sense when compared to the rest of the civilized world. Heh

1. For some reason residents still aren't able to co-mingle their recyclables into a single stream pickup container. Paper goes in one while another is for paper and cardboard. One huge bin on wheels for the paper, a small one for glass, cans, plastic, etc. I just find this weird because we're so used to being able to toss everything into one bin.

2. You cannot buy beer or wine much less any harder liquor in a grocery store in Maryland. We're very familiar with other states which have state run liquor stores where hard liquor is sold but beer and wine are sold in grocery stores. Maryland makes things very inconvenient and in this day and age, it's very weird. It's like they still consider residents children. I know it's a state in the profit making business, but come on, most states have conceded the beer.

Done with the limb bagging and cutting

This was yesterday as we worked another day on trying to get rid of all the tree limbs which fell in the Bailey's back yard during the late June storm.

This is today

Everything cut to size and either bagged or put out in 6 foot lengths for tomorrow's curb pickup and we have to thank the next door neighbor, George, who spent the entire morning today chain sawing the last of the long trunks and limbs and then carrying them to the curb.

But not Ferdie, he was making sure he wasn't put out in a brown bag to be taken who knows where.

Just saying, this was work.

Oh, and, not to neglect another big project done by Dale, a new gate by the garage door to keep Riley in the yard.

He put in a lot of hard labor and is justifiably proud.

 

Dinner with the DC cousins

Our children have quite a few cousins who left the midwest after college and headed to DC. Although Lizzie and Darren moved back to St. Louis last summer, there are still a goodly number of their generation out there who get together periodically. Last night a few of them came to dinner at Katie and Charlie's new house. Dale and I were sort of the parental guardians.

A bit of visiting on the deck before dinner

Stephanie's daughter Sam got to meet Ferdie

Two babies played, the photo is a bit blurry because they really keep moving.

Anyway, we came in and ate at the dining room table.

Hmm, what's so funny?

Ah, it's Charlie coming home after playing golf.

Then the toddlers got to the point where it was obvious they were getting tired.

We all felt a bit this way by the end of the night. But a nice evening with close relatives.

 

 

 

The first Olympics on American soil

Was in St. Louis in 1904. If you live in St. Louis you know very well that the Olympics were held on what is now the campus of Washington University. Francis Field and Francis gymnasium were constructed for the games and turned over to the university at the conclusions.

A bit of trivia.

The 1904 Olympics were held in conjuction with the famous St. Louis World's Fair lasted for 4 and 1/2 months  because the organizers of the games attempted to hold an athletic competition each day of the fair. The fair was the big deal in those days.

The Marathon was run in what was described as "brutally hot weather" (sound familiar?) The roads in those days were not really paved so the dust flew in the face of runners who followed automobiles clearing the way. The runner who actually won the event, Thomas Hicks of Great Britain, was given several doses of Strychnine Sulfate (rat poison) mixed with brandy. It was thought that chemical stimulated the nervous system. Hicks had to be supported by trainers as he crossed the finish line and treated immediately by doctors at the scene or he would have died.

But but journalists

Two tweets I found amusing and pretty true.

You know who really doesn't understand foreign policy?    Journalists

You know who really doesn't understand domestic policy?   Also Journalists.

Painting, digging, sawing, chopping, clipping

All hands on deck working on Katie and Charlie's new house today. Did we come to DC to sit around and stare at the TV? Nope, we've been working on 3 projects-cutting up as many limbs and branches which fell in their yard during the June 29 storm, rebuilding a back gate, and painting the dining room.

Dale and Charlie began the new gate work by digging 3 holes for the support posts. Dale mentioned (as Charlie did the digging) "They didn't name this place Rockville for nothing." Drew was right in there digging his own hole.

Charlie would dig and then Dale would stick the tape measure in the hole to see if it was deep enough.

Then it was more digging

Finally the hole was ready for the post and concrete.

They got one post set in concrete, the most important one because all the others would have to line up with the first. While this was going on Katie was doing a lot of limb cutting which I have to say, she probably shouldn't have been doing.

Lots of limbs got cut up and bagged, Charlie came down and helped. I bagged a bunch yesterday. But there is still so much storm damage left to pick up.

I was painting the dining room.

While watching the Olympic Opening Ceremonies...

We laughed til we cried during the surprising tribute to British Health Care.

Seriously, there were sick kids dancing and nurses and doctors dancing. Probably happy after having waited 6 years to be treated.

Clayton tree ordinance withdrawn

For some time the Clayton Board of Aldermen have been discussing a tree ordinance which would have penalized home owners who removed trees for property improvements. There was opposition to this ordinance which the aldermen listened to very seriously. This week the bill was withdrawn. It may return in another form but for now it is done.

Ferdie goes to DC

The adventures of Ferdie, he gets his first long cross country car trip which began in Clayton, an overnight stay in Paris Illinois, and ended in Rockville Maryland at his cousin Riley's house. Katie, Charlie and Drew are out here too.

Ferdie in the backseat of the truck is on the post just below this one. He was a trooper about 12 hours in the car with short breaks for go potty and stretch. 

When we got to Paris Wednesday afternoon, we found Dale's family outside on the driveway having happy hour in 105 degree heat.

Ferdie was happy to get out of the car after 3 hours and liked the snacks. Little did he know the next day would be 13 hours in the car.

We had dinner, went to bed

and got up at 3:15 a.m. packed up the car and were crossing into Ohio at sunrise.

And blah blah, endless driving until we got to Rockville and the Bailey homestead.

Drew and Katie led us down to the yard.

Under the deck

Drew showed us how to turn on the water.

After supper Drew got on his jammies

And took my iphone

And here we are this morning, everyone raring to go. we've worked in the yard already, planted some hostas and now Katie and Drew and I are going to her doctor visit while Dale and the dogs rebuild the back gate.