Signs of the Times at the Adams, Hiles Home

For the last several months we have been walking pretty much in a serious manner -- no real spring in out steps, today is another matter though. Starting yesterday, Friday the 13th, we have a different gait -- or some of us do anyway:

This is pretty much how we both feel at the moment -- we'll see how long that lasts. So what would bring about this sudden swagger -- the photo by-the-way came from www.stumbleupon.com and belongs to andreas612.

Well it is the "signs of the times":

Anyway you picture it, our previous home has sold -- and the new folks move in TODAY. It is all a done deal and the months of taking care of two personal residences is over. This saga all started around May of last year on a sunny Sunday afternoon when all we were going to do was to take a brief drive around town.

We spotted some "open houses" and decided to take a peek. About the second house we looked at -- just for entertainment purposes mind you -- was a house that both Gail and I remarked "we could live there" . . .

That started the whole process that ended yesterday. And who said that Friday the 13th was not lucky? The real estate market as you know has not been the easiest to deal with and the time of the year -- the Holidays -- was another factor to deal with. But aside from all of the above, the process was happily completed and all parties are happy. The way it should be.

I ran into "our contractor " this morning while walking Dino in the grocery store and told him we would be contacting him next week for possible projects . . . oh yeah.

So What to Concentrate on Now


What else -- one of the great relaxers for me is the NFL and what more could we ask for than a playoff game that involves our home team -- the Niners. Now even though the game is going on as I write this I have removed myself from contact with the outside world because we time shift (record) the game and since it is delayed we can skip through certain parts of the broadcast.  When Gail gets home -- hopefully -- she too will not know the results and we can then enjoy the game together at the time of our choosing.

If you click on the above you can see some of the details of the playoff games going on this week-end and hopefully where it will lead the winners to . . . two good games today for sure and then we'll see about tomorrow.

Dino and other Guide Dogs for the Blind


If you happened to have been in the Santa Rosa Mall last Tuesday night ( and many of you were, I'm sure, NOT) you would have seen numerous pups in training, including Dino, walking the mall floors, riding the elevators and going through exercises. Every pup, including the other new one -- one week younger than Dino, really behaved well and were diligent in their work.

And what is the work that they might  one day be doing? Gail and I are currently reading a new book named "thunder dog" by Michael Hingson illustrating the work that a guide dog might well be called upon to do:

This book written a few months back relates the astounding story of Michael being led down 78 flights of stairs in the WTC on 9/11. The dog, Roselle, passed away this past July and Michael has written this as a memorial to the dog that saved his life on that day. The dog and Dino sure look alike and as a matter of fact Roselle was born the same place that Dino was -- in San Rafael, California at the GDB 17 acre campus.
Gail and I met Michael and he signed our copy of his book  . . .

If the fact that Michael, a blind person preparing to conduct a sales meeting on the 78th floor of the WTC wasn't enough -- 7 floors below him was another blind man, Omar Rivera, a computer technician who also had a GDB dog, Dorado who ultimately saved his life as well.

This is why people commit to be a "puppy-raiser" like Gail and I are doing  . . .


From the Tree -- On This Day


Today would have been the 81st wedding anniversary of my parents. Sadly. I do not know much about that ceremony or where exactly it took place -- only that I am told it was in Chicago. I have seen an announcement regarding the event but I can not recall ever hearing any details from my parents and of course now it is too late to hear first-hand . . .

Gail, too has a Grand Aunt and Uncle who were married on this day -- it would have been their 92nd anniversary.



And Now a Solution to the after Christmas Christmas Tree


Every year it is a problem as to what to do to dispose of the tree. It is a shame that it is cut down for such a short period of time -- it should be recycled somehow AND now maybe it can be:

I think this was in London, but it could be done here -- we just need to "find" an elephant and bring our trees to him/her. Talk about the perfect recycling program . . .


So ends another week for us -- Gail is finishing up her second week at the office -- with some 95 days to go -- but who is counting. We are looking forward to planning some home improvement projects and of course to -- Slider Saturday Night -- while watching NFL Playoff games . . . see you in a few!