My Week

Monday I tried to change a light bulb over my front door.  It's hanging by a wire.  I had shut off the power to the house, climbed up the ladder with a needle nose pliers and still couldn't get it out. This might be a good excuse to get an LED ceiling light.  

I got my certificate in the mail for DAR by my mother's ancestry.  Mom died and never knew that she had an ancestor recognized in the Revolutionary War as a patriot.   It was a hard and long paper trail.

 Last year I took an 6 month class to become a volunteer at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.  I missed some of the sessions and got held back to make up some classes in the next training session.  Then, when I was finally a graduate of the training, the museum closed for COVID mitigations.   Well I finally had my virgin experience at the museum.

Earlier, the museum was open but only staff worked the guest experience.  This was a great day to start off since traffic was slow and instead of a 4 hour shift it was only 3 hours.  Jack, another volunteer, mentored me on my first day.  He was a Navy veteran.  When I told him I was Air Force he replied "a different shade of blue".

Monday evening I went to our first American Legion meeting since the pandemic.

Tuesday I took Amber to the nursing home to perform tricks.  She always starts out great in one wing of the ward but tuckers out on the other wing.  She learns that she's not getting treats at the nursing home and slows towards the end.  I understand we are basically and after lunch performance to delay the afternoon naps. On the other hand, Amber seems to find really minuscule crumbs which I discourage as a bad precedent should she eat the forbidden dropped pill.  So as she started to slow down, I pulled a treat out of my pocket and demonstrated the "leave it" command.  Amber can stare at it until release of "get it".  The doesn't seem to work with a crumb from lunch that is smaller than the treat I tossed.  In the evening we had a meeting of the Capitol Canine Dog Training Club.  I brought Sophie to that.  She likes people.  I just know that the TDI policy of "no touch" would break the hearts at the nursing home that Sophie so desires.

Wednesday I got a new baby guinea pig.  It's a girl.  She seems to like rice cakes.

Then I took Amber to practice out at Mechanicsburg.  She did pretty well but tired out and went in the shade under the A frame.  That was frustrating because it wasn't that hot but she got tired.   At 2pm I had a virtual meeting about safety at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum for volunteers. At the end, the host asked for questions.  One of the other volunteers insisted that volunteers be vaccinated for COVID.  The host said that they could not require it.  So that same volunteer changed the request to be more like an endorsement by the museum to all volunteers instead.  Those that believe that I'm wrong, think I'm hindering the cause.  I was offended.  These are the same folks that probably are pro-abortion and insisted that it is "my body ~ my choice".  It's experimental and nobody has the right to force me.   Prove me wrong in 5 years or take me to the gallows earlier for you Marxist types.  You can't tell explain they are wrong to those that took the jab because you cannot be UN-vaxcinated. They went off the cliff and swallowed the pill of fear.  Now on the other hand, those that accepted the jab are at fault for not doing research and trusting the fear imposed by the mainstream media for a magic cure to live forever. Meanwhile the VAXED are not the spreaders of mRNA and it's potential for depopulation and blood clots.  On top of all this, the presidential museum is offering free entry with proof of vaccination.

Thursday's highlight was practice at the dog club followed by lunch at the Sangamo Brewing Company.

Saturday I took Amber to Champaign for a "Fast Cats" practice run.  A Fast Coursing Ability Test is a timed 100 yard dash for dogs chasing a lure. Think greyhounds chasing a rabbit. Amber had to have a height check and "season" exam.

I had never heard of Fast Cats until a few weeks ago and now I R 1. I was amazed at the variety of dogs in this practice. Some just went half way down the track and turned around back to the starting point. On the first run, it looked like Amber had a moment of hesitation also but did not turn around and chased the plastic zip line toward me at the finish. After watching the line reset, between the runs, Amber was rarin' to go. She did so much better on the second run.

 I let Amber watch the lures reset and it got her excited.

As I shouted for Amber at the finish line, a lady said I deserved an academy award for all that hootin' and hollerin'.  The weather was just right.  Not too hot and not too cold.  Good for soaking up some vitamin D. 

Saturday evening I participated in the Vietnam Vigil's guard at Oak Ridge Cemetery.  Different organizations take turns walking the memorial. The rain that was predicted showed up a little later that evening....just as we got off our one hour shift.  The weather brought a damp chill.  I had to find an extra blanket since I'd already put my summer covers on the bed.

Sunday was Mother's Day.  Church had a special blessing for mothers and the ushers handed out a little gift of chap lip balm.  My sons arrived and TV station was changed to wrestling. Alan brought a beef roast but it was big and I told him it would take hours to prepare.  So Alan fixed chicken that I had instead.  He's a pretty good cook.  I pulled out my water bottle from the fridge that was formerly a chocolate syrup bottle.  Alan laughed and thought I was just as crazy as my sisters.  Alan gave me tomato plants and (tobasco) pepper plants for the garden.   Alan also got me some Ferrero chocolates.  Sean gave me some Paparazzi jewelry he got from the lady that dog sat for our 3 dogs last weekend.

I wore the earrings pictured in the lower left right away.  Alan suggested that I should have named Amber as Blanch instead.  That way we would be the Golden Girls (Rose, Blanch and Sophie).  Hmm, that might be a good name for the guinea pig.