They Had the Giggles

On Monday nights, I go to the practice of the Topeka Barbershop Chorus, aka the Capitol City Chorus.  For some reason, I did my best to shake the hand of everyone at the practice as they arrived.  Once we got out practice going, it seemed that almost everything we did was worth a few laughs.  A lot of the idle chatter was about the Royals winning but it seemed that the mood was just one that led to laughs.  Our chorus director tried some new teaching methods on the chorus and it just set the tone for a less than serious tone.  It is kind of hard to imagine a group of senior singers having the giggles but that's the way it was.  He told us to get loose and I told the guys that I had Chili for lunch and was afraid to get too loose after eating beans.  Yep, it was one of those nights.  Kind of like the third grade.  The kind of humor shown in the photo below.

Blond Pole Dancer

The chorus is working on a new song "Happy Together."   The base part is Doot followed by doot.... There is one place where we break out is words but the bass line of doot is the majority of the words we have in the song.  It is a fun song and I am excited it I have that much doot in me.  For some reason songs that are fun are just easier to sing than some more simpler songs with words.  One real exception to this is our Director's version of Home on the Range.  Our version is just one sweet song with the bass section having a few measures of the lead. One of these days I will figure out how to make this all work and post a version on here. 

As soon as the grass dries out today I am going to Dave house and trim up his garden in the front of his house.  The Master gardener has planted a lot of pretty things but they like most plants need trimmed back for the winter.  I put a new tire on his mower and will do a little mowing also.  Then it will be back to rabbit run for more of the same.  I wasn't sure that retirement would make me the groundskeeper but that's the way it is.

Yesterday I went to the Doctor for a consultation about my tendency to fall down.   He gave me this litany of why I am prone to have problems and was glad to hear that I have perfected the Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) and have learned to keep my hands and fingers protected when I fall.  He says that most of the older patients don't learn that.  He says he shares a lot of his patients with the Orthopedic Doctors.  My problem stems from the fact I injured my back years ago and I have a lack of feedback from my feet. (Neuropathy?) I can feel them but not really well.  Throw in my inner ear problems from many years of the Field Artillery and it is two of the three things most people rely on for balance.  When you put me in a low light situation it just gets worse because vision if the third link for balance most people use.  Dang I hate getting older but will take it when I consider the alternative.   The really good news is that I have a good attitude and can smile through.  He said I can come back if I start falling more than once a month.  

In the Dr's office I went to, there was a picture of LTC Doolittle who led the raid on Japan in WWII.  It had the Captain of the ship and many of the pilots and crews of the B24's in a collage.  There is also some signed cards from the crew in the display.  he said that many people have asked him if he was in the picture. The guys there if alive would be in their 90's.  Seeing as how he is about 20 years younger than I am, that is just not possible.  We discussed how that when Jay Leno would take his show out on the street and ask people questions, it was amazing how little people really knew.  I guess that because I was in the Military, I learned history by the dates of Wars.  That is a fixed timeline I use and hang other events on that framework.  Knowing that my father would be 90 and Barb's dad is just 90.  We are lucky to have any of the WWII Vets still with us.  That group is getting smaller each day.  Kind of like the Vietnam Vets are in a lot of cases the sons and daughters of the WWII Vets, we too are a group on the decline.  But I'm going to be here for a while.  I went to war with a bunch of kids and now all I see wearing those Vietnam Vet hats are old guys. 

The TV today said there is a new gene linked to the craving for caffeine.  I will admit that no matter if it is nature or nurture, I really love a good cuppa coffee.  I don't drink the stuff after noon each day as it interferes with my naps, but there is nothing that get me rolling in the morning.  I have been trying several different brands and types but keep going back to the old stand by Folgers.  They have markings on the cans that tell me the roasting level and I can pretty much get the same taste out of their regular roast. 

I feed the deer cracked corn and for years have used the house brand from Tractor Supply.  I must have got some from a pallet that was in the back of a warehouse this last time. It has a musty smell and a grey color.  The deer won't touch that stuff.  I have complained but I remember seeing the sales slip blowing across the pavement as I loaded the corn so I don't have much hope of getting a replacement or my money back.  Bummer.

MUD