Dear Diary

Has anyone see urs around? Has she dumped Bigdice?

<taps fingers>

what did i miss there bubba?

Have you been staying out of the hospital?

What happened to husker's face?

Jeez! He looks gaunt.

no hospitals

glad to hear it.

Husker! You're back!

Glad to hear you've stayed out of the hospital! Does the infection in your leg seem to have cleared up after all this time & trouble?

Something going on in the diary!

Hello Husker, good to see you!

Gustav, no, I didn't dump BigDice. He can cook - why should I dump him?

my leg is still big as basketball

Oooooooh nooooooo!!!

After all this time?! Wow. That's one pesky infection you've got there!

CATCH-UP TIME
I've completed rehab for my open-heart surgery...sort of, I'm going to the clinic's area 3 times a week. Looks like I will do it for the rest of my life. It keeps me focused. Limits the ugly head of depression from possessing my soul.

My 37 year-old daughter/husband are considering moving to Madison, Wis. Tuff time to pull up and start a new life in a new community, but they are convinced they need to leave Conservative Cincinnati for more liberal????? Madison.

Some of you may have more experience in that area.

My wife's son/daughter-in-law live in Atlanta area with 6 year-old grandson....I'm still struggling with the amount of money they spend....those of us who came out-of-the Depression era drive cars for ten years and save, save money....besides that I'm 68. Most of the commercials don't even make sense to me.

Hope to hear from you!

CATCH-UP TIME
I've completed rehab for my open-heart surgery...sort of, I'm going to the clinic's area 3 times a week. Looks like I will do it for the rest of my life. It keeps me focused. Limits the ugly head of depression from possessing my soul.

My 37 year-old daughter/husband are considering moving to Madison, Wis. Tuff time to pull up and start a new life in a new community, but they are convinced they need to leave Conservative Cincinnati for more liberal????? Madison.

Some of you may have more experience in that area.

My wife's son/daughter-in-law live in Atlanta area with 6 year-old grandson....I'm still struggling with the amount of money they spend....those of us who came out-of-the Depression era drive cars for ten years and save, save money....besides that I'm 68. Most of the commercials don't even make sense to me.

Hope to hear from you!

Dear D,

I'm very happy today. And I don't know why.

Mapleleaf my friend! So good to hear from you!

Dear Diary,

Lots of changes are going on here at the moment. BigDice quit his job in the restaurant and his last working day was June 15. On June 16 we started our vacation. First we went to Düsseldorf for the Bruce Springsteen concert. One of my dreams finally came true and it was great!

Then on to Sweden for a family visit and midsummer celebrations with inlaws and little niece. We had a wonderful time even though the weather was not nice at all - cool, very windy and rainy. But we did a lot of things, saw many nice things and enjoyed it.

Now BigDice is learning to make sandwiches during a two week hands-on training at a Subway restaurant. The plan is to open his own place in September. If only the landlord would finally sign the contract... He will, it will work out allright. I know it!

Urs - that sounds exactly the same as my experience of midsummer Sweden - and I travelled a lot further to be cold and wet! (The middle of winter in Sydney is much better weather!)

It was still interesting - we don't have those sorts of festivities here. We went up to Dalarna from Stockholm - very interesting - parades, decorating poles (I managed a bit of one!) and processions, dancing around the pole - (I gave this a miss!). My next agenda item is winter, St Lucia Day and possibly Christmas! When

Best of luck to BD - if the operations here are any indicator - he should be on a winner!

G'day Mapleleaf

Goodness Urs,

Did you say Subway?

My wife's sister celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary today. The family and community came together in a wee town, an old Methodist church in a new all purpose room. Lots of space for drifting and talking. Relatives we seldom see and our children/grandchild from Big-O Atlanta, Georgia.

Geez! Buckets of senior citizens comparing pills, failing body parts and recounting the past 80+ years. Teens were present.

Our front yard is beginning to draw away from the concrete driveway. Last year cracks in the yard were over one inch wide. The ponds evaporated into mud and the lake beds were in bloom. I dread the specter of 2008 dry spells.

I am now the acting grandfather of two mixed race boys conceived in a crack house. When we visit Cincinnati, I enjoy interacting with them. They appreciate whatever you do. My old storytelling skills flavor what could be an anxious time.

Dear diary,

BigDice is bored - he had to get up early today to work. The town where he is staying at the moment is not exciting at all. But that's just the way it is - a couple more days then he will be home for two weeks. Then two weeks of training at the 'Subway University' in Cologne. He has to take the tests for his driver's licence.

And I had dinner with my neighbours tonight. Indian food - it was delicious. My neighbour really knows how to cook. And she is a very sweet person.

And today is my brother's birthday. Happy birthday, big brother!

Now I have to go to bed... Good night!

Dear Diary
Dear Diary,

I am wondering about Urs' Indian meal...more details please!

Dear Mapleleaf

Details about the food? Delicious! Not enough details? I'll try... Rice with raisins, vegetables with coconut milk, beef with lots of strange spices, yogurt with cucumber and cilantro. And red wine from Italy

indian food but no indian wine ? :wink: