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rolandlytle
Over 90 days ago
United States

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Glad to have you back, Mendalla. I hope you enjoyed your vacation. I saw a couple of videos about 'free men of the land' from the Ontario area. It is nice to know Canada has ignorant, crazy people too.

I did the ten-word story challenge today.

I hope everyone is doing well this holiday weekend.

I won twice last night at bingo, but no one won the big prize of $9,000. I hope to get a chance to win it Wednesday.

Verbal, that seems great! I hope you finally finished your pee. BTW, Jeff McNeil should enjoy this year. With his bat control and limited infield shifting, he could do better than his league-leading AVG. from last year.

I love Friday the 13th! 13 is my lucky number.

Good afternoon to all!

Aaron, my grandson, Is fine. However, he will be wearing a knee brace for a couple of weeks. Thanks, Verbal. I was a well-scouted catcher in high school until I broke my kneecap. A year later, I completely recovered. But no one scouts young catchers with knee injuries. I am sorry, Verbal, but I forgot your favorite baseball team. Who is it?

Gillian, the medication should be alright for a year or two past the expiration date. They set a date of 80-50% of the actual average date to be safe for drugs that do not require special handling. It is almost as bad in hospitals with that trifecta of respiratory diseases as it was at the worst of Covid.

Peace and health for everyone! JLYSDI! ❤️

In December, I saw 'Violent Santa.' It is a cross between 'Home Alone' and 'The Vikings.' It will bring a lot of tummy laughter and knee-slapping funny. My whole family liked it. We also watched the DC universe 'Black Adam.' One of the better DC superhero movies.

A week ago, Liz and I viewed the new 'Avatar' movie in 3-D. It was quite a good film. The vistas and world were absolutely amazing. It had exciting character development. It is what you expect from a three-billion-dollar movie. The weakest part was the idea that caused the conflict.

I am here at home waiting to hear about my grandson, Aaron. The school called earlier, informing us that he had a dislocated knee. Her mom went to take him to the hospital. We have not heard anything from them yet.

Kat, I hope you get better. Have you tried a dab of honey, a pinch of cinnamon, and a shot of whiskey? I recommend Jack in the black. 💖

So many people are going to the dentist. Just do not think about what the dentist could do with those instruments in your mouth. 🤣🤣

It is a bad day today. My brains are all mush. I could not get out of bed until the afternoon. The worse thing of all is I missed BINGO last night at the Maple Tree bar. JLYSDI!

It is a typical cold day in the Chicago area. I was up very late watching C-SPAN; that was a cluster duck. I have been binge-watching 'Supernatural' with 4-5 episodes a day. Have a great day, everyone.

The Chicago Cubs have made a few interesting moves in the off-season. They may even have a winning record in 2023.

I wrote my first sci-fi story in high school, and it was set far in the future... 2023.

It is nice being someplace where people know about Yogi, Quick Draw McGraw, and Baba Looey.

Hi, my friends.


I was in the hospital for ten days and got home on Friday. Today is the first day I could get online.


I hope everyone is well. I wrote about my time in the hospital, and then today, I read it while having a semi-normal mind. Gosh, it was awful! I could not understand half of it myself. Maybe I should post it entitled 'The Ravings of Madness.'


Tomorrow, I am going to NC for my father's funeral. He was cremated, and they were waiting for everyone to get well and be able to show up. I am lucky I got out of the hospital in time.


I hope you all are doing well and have a wonderful weekend.

My better half has cooked salmon tonight. Yummy! James, I finished reading 'The Bear and the Girl.' I greatly enjoyed it.


Peace and love to everyone!

Quote by Ping
Quote by Mendalla
Quote by Ping

LBD?


Lewy Body Dementia, I think.


***


It’s called levity. 

Anyone who’s dealt with dementia knows how challenging it is. I do. Currently dealing with it too. Moving someone in a supportive care home today. It’s brutal. I also know trying to make someone smile is better than trying to embarrass them or shut them down.


Ping, I do appreciate levity. It is always better to laugh than cry. I retired from the US Navy. I have very thick skin and have a bit of a dark gallows humor and regular punny humor.


BTW, in high school, I was a thespian. I wore dresses on several occasions, including once in a black dress with a pair of gorgeous black six inches heels. With the prosthetics, I looked fabulous!


Hope you continue to mend, Sara. 😃


Everyone, have a great day. 🍺

Hi, everyone! 🍷

Sorry for my long absence. After the news of my father, My brain was pretty messed up. I had more than a week of bonkers and many bad days after that. I fell and broke a tooth which had to be pulled. I have an irrational fear of dentists, so that was a real struggle. My doctor found a suspicious mole on my neck that I will soon be excised. All of this may seem bad, but the real problem is the progress of my LBD. It has multiplied any real issues. I have had a hard time getting to SS.


My LBD has made the transition to the new site difficult. My whole life runs on a set schedule and routine. Dealing with change is difficult, yet I am trying to get used to the new format.


I have sorely missed your companionship in my daily life. I continue reading your stories, though slowly.


BTW, I have shaved off my rather large 'Santa Clause' like beard, and my youngest grandson took almost a week before he recognized me. It was pretty funny seeing everyone's reaction to the appearance of my face. I certainly hope it was not fear or disgust. 😀


I hope you all stay healthy and happy. ❤

Hi my friends.

I have been off my rocker for a few days but started feeling better last night. I am falling so far behind on my reading. Please accept my apology.

I love my father, but he believed in so many of the right-wing conspiracies like Covid-19 was a hoax. So he did not get the vaccine. Last week he got sick. He would not go to the doctor because he did not think it was serious. My sister and her husband, who live with my father, made him go to the hospital on Sunday night with labored breathing and a fever. When they arrived My sister and her husband had their temperatures taken to get in the hospital and found out they both had fevers too. All three were tested and were positive for Covid-19. Last night my father died of Covid-19. My sister and her husband both had their vaccines. My sister still has a slight fever and a sore throat and her husband no longer has any symptoms. Next week I will be going to Charlotte, NC with my family for his funeral.

I am heartbroken and upset. I can not help but think my father threw his life away because of the lies he listened to and believed.

Until I return from the funeral, I will not be writing much, but I will try to read some. I am sure that reading your stories will help keep me sane for the next two weeks.

Death is a part of life, just like birth, happiness, love, and tragedy.

Till later. Be safe, happy, and continue being the great people you are.

Laughter is healing, so remember; chameleons who can not change color are suffering from reptile dysfunction.
Happy Monday y'all.

It is beautiful here. Sunny and about 25c. My youngest grandson is in his big blow-up pool on the raised deck. He is throwing water all over and singing. He is my special grandson. He has non-verbal autism but is usually a happy, fun child who loves life except when he can not communicate well and gets frustrated. We now have a robin's nest under one corner of the deck.

Quote by verbal
Speaking of the Cubbies, you are right about that fire sale, Roland - but it also means you'll have fresh new talent and a smaller payroll to start fresh. Rosters get bloated after a World Series win. At least the Mets got a piece of that championship in Javy Baez.



Jeff, you are going to love watching Baez play. He plays the game with the heart of a gladiator, the talent of a hall-of-famer, and the joy of a little boy. His defense and baserunning are gifts from Olympus. If you forgive him for his strikeouts, he is day in and day out the best in baseball.

Ginger snaps and pecan divines for me. I brought my own strawberry and cream flavored water.

Saw my brain doctor today, and he said over the last six months, I have shown only a minor decline in my tests. So I did not dare tell him I had not slept since Saturday night. I have had insomnia since high school. So I have been binge-watching 'Grimm.'

Have a great week, my friends.
Hello everyone

Congratulations to all of the entries to the contest. Every story was excellent. I would have pulled out every hair on my head if I had to make those choices.

Sometimes, when I read a story, I can not think of a single thing about that story that has not already been said, and I wind up not commenting. I read every story in this competition, and everyone was excellent, but I did not comment on three of the stories. Two of those three non-comment stories won awards. Either that was a big coincidence, or the judges must think my praise is negative towards grading.

A couple of cookies and tea, please.

Bryant (SFG), Baez (NYM), and Rizzo (NYY) all hit home runs in their first game for their new clubs. I wish them well.

Have a great day, my friends.
Hi everyone.

I have been spending so much time reading the great stories here that I have not been to the forum much. All of the competition stories were fabulous. I am glad I do not have to pick the winners.

The Cubs have cried uncle and had a fire sale. 5 of their best 8 players are gone. The Mets got Baez and a decent pitcher Williams. Lindor will be very glad about that; he is a close friend of Baez. Bryant and Rizzo are gone too. Well, at least four years for rebuilding.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones.


I had a lovely early evening sitting on my raised deck, watching the pond next to my house, and reading a little. We have two otters in the pond and a big turtle. I saw a heron in the pond a couple of days ago, along with a few swans. I am re-reading one of my favorite books, 'Ball Four' by Jim Bouton. It is the best book about baseball I have ever read. I knew that baseball has changed, but a lot of what made the book so good is still happening today. If you like baseball and have not read it, I highly recommend it. Also 'Moneyball' by Michael Lewis is a great baseball book too. I am reading SS stories too.

There are quite a few new members that have joined and written stories. Am I wrong in thinking we have gotten so many new members in the last three to four months compared to the site's recent history?

Everyone, have a wonderful week.


Sorry for my not being here lately. My brain has been off-line.

It is nice outside today. In the pond next to my house, I saw a heron and an otter today.

The Cubs are still struggling. I overestimated their ability to win by about six games. That would drop them from 1st to 4th place this year. They may have a fire sale to get rid of their high-paid player to get young prospects before the July 31st trade deadline.

Larry, sorry to see the Suns not win the series. They had a great run this year.

Way behind on my reading. I will try to catch up with my reading this weekend.

Best wishes to all!


I watched Richard Branson go into space with five others. I should have chosen billionaire as a career path after high school to make it into space.

Quote by Ping
Fittest players of any sport? Most physically strenuous sport to play?

Football (not US Stewie head-shaped throw ball) and hockey for the first question. Surprising to some, but not to those of us who played, squash was rated as the most physically taxing sport.


I guess the rough and tumble sport of curling did not make that list, but I still enjoy watching the stone traversing the pebble-strewn lane as the sweeper tries to direct it for the perfect curl with their brush on the hammer to reach the button for a winning end. Curling is the most exciting yet slow-moving game I have ever watched. My favorite sports in order are baseball, curling, hockey, and sumo wrestling.

Cool and overcast with showers again today. Birds are building a nest under the corner of my elevated deck again this year.

I watched 'The Tomorrow War' last night. It may have the most poorly thought-out plot idea I have seen in sci-fi in quite a while. It is not a time travel movie; it is an alternate reality movie. If you watch it, that will become very evident. The makers of the film were lazy. It is apparent in the writing and production values. To prevent spoilers, I will give an example that will not give away the plot. While in a wintery snow-covered location, they did not use special effects to provide fog to the actors' breaths. I would rate it a 5 of 10 myself, despite a decent acting job by Chris Pratt.

The coffee cake looks amazing, and I will have a piece to go with some herbal tea today.

Till later.


I hope everyone's weekend is off to a great start.

I scrapped my idea for the completion. Another story I wrote about a year ago was recommended to me. I decided not to enter it before because the site may not be able to post it. I am trying to fix it so that it will be allowed.

I am putting aside time during the next week to finally catch up with my reading. I am ten stories/poems behind.

I liked the weather here in Illinois today. I sat outside for two hours reading in 22c and cloudy conditions.

Green tea for me today as I talk with Molly. (we have a lot in common)

Quote by Mendalla
Later, alligators.

Afterwhile, crocodile.



I hope everyone's week is ending well and that you all have a fun and interesting weekend.

Bill, I am pulling for the Suns to sweep.

Ping, if you want to see giant mosquitoes try the Louisiana bayous. I had two of them land on me; one on an arm and one on a leg. The one on my arm said, 'Make a wish.' Those mosquitoes are regularly the length of your thumb.

Larry, I have not heard the term sun-dodger in a long time. Usually, they are called bubbleheads. My best friend is a bobblehead, I am a skimmer, worked with brown shoes and jarheads, and my father was a flyboy.

Jeff, remember when doubleheaders were scheduled, and you bought one ticket to watch both games?

It is quiet on the home front, and Liz is making significant progress with the new knee. Unfortunately, today will be the last sponge bath I get to give her. She can use the bath/shower from now on. I guess my cheap thrills are over until her next operation.

Green tea for me today.

What would you see if Pinocchio said to you, 'Watch my nose grow.'
Hello everyone.

We had some afternoon showers here today.

The Cubs have lost eleven in a row. Will this nightmare ever end? [-o< [-o< [-o<

I was in court this morning for some idiotic behavior between my son and his wife. I am trying to stay neutral, but I am sort of wishing they could both lose.
No one can hurt you worse than family.

Liz is now hooked on watching 'Karen' videos.

I have started two stories, one of them for the competition.

I will have a ginger snap and tea, please.
I have started watching the show 'Dead Like Me.' My wife said we watched it when it came out in 2003. It is about a young woman who dies by getting hit by a toilet seat from the Mir space station. When she dies, she becomes a grim reaper and collects souls from people in Seattle, Washington. I have only watched the first two episodes, but I like its weird humor.
Hi everyone.

I would like to thank you for all of your input concerning rating stories on SS. I found it very useful.

Covid -19 deaths in the US are averaging about 220 a day now. Compared to the thousands a day losing their lives only a few months ago shows that, for the most part, the US has turned the corner. The vaccines seem to be doing the job. Covid-19 will probably be with us from now on just as our cases of flu are. Even the daily death totals around the world are continuing to lower, but we have now passed the four million worldwide death total. We have come a long way, but there are still huge areas of the globe that have vaccination rates below 20%. There are many on SS from all over the world. How are things going in your part of the world?

I am looking forward to seeing 'Black Widow' in theaters soon. I believe it is coming out Friday here in Illinois.

The weather is good and my youngest grandson is playing in the large blow-up pool on our back deck. He is such a happy child.

Liz started work today. She will be working from home until she recovers from her next operation in September.

I am going to watch last night's Cubs game at 3 pm. They have lost nine in a row (five by one run) and gone from 1st to 3rd place in the NL Central. <pout>

I hope everyone is well and happy. Assuming you want to be happy. I do not want to put undue pressure just in case you feel like having a sad or angry day.

Thank you both, Elizabeth and Trevor, for the good jokes.

I will have some milk and cookies, I hope you do not mind if I dunk. Till later.