AND MAKE MYSELF A PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH

 CRUISING ALONG STIRLING'S LINE THIS MORNING WHERE PHEEBS AND I USUALLY WALK ON NICE MORNINGS AND WHERE I COME TO SIT UNDER THE NIGHT SKY

On this clear and sunny but cold windy morning, Pheebs and I made it out for a couple country blocks.  Roads hadn't thawed out from the overnight freeze so mud wasn't an issue.  Later in the morning, Woodsy and I slipped into Clinton for some gas and a couple of coffees to go along with a few eats at Tim Hortons.  A stop at Elliots Liquidation and then it was over to Jerry Raders in Zurich to stock up on some things for the freezer.  Almost back to the Park, and being an avid walker, Woodsy had me drop her off to walk the rest of the way. (about three-quarters of a mile)  I was quite happy to simply drive the rest of the way, get into the warm house, and make myself a peanut butter sandwich:))

THERE GOES WOODSY WALKING HER WAY BACK TO THE PARK

Al's Music Box Careless Whisper is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter George Michael. Released as the second single from'Wham's second studio album Make It Big (1984), it was written by Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, with Michael producing the song. Although the song was released as part of Make It Big, the single release is credited to either Wham! featuring George Michael (in the United States and several other countries) or solely to George Michael (in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and some nations in Europe).  A contemporary pop song with R&B and soul influences, it features a prominent saxophone riff composed by Michael and played by Steve Gregory. It became a commercial success, topping record charts in at least ten countries and selling about 6 million copies worldwide—2 million of them in the United States.  The song later achieved popularity on social media, mainly due to the saxophone riff being used in many movies and as a popular internet meme.  With sales of over 11 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best selling songs of all time.  In 1981, Michael (age 18) was working as a DJ at the Bel Air Restaurant in Northwood London near Blushey, Hertfordshire.  Michael explained in his autobiography, Bare, that he conceptualised "Careless Whisper" based on events from his childhood. Michael wrote, "I was on my way to DJ at the Bel Air when I wrote 'Careless Whisper'. I have always written on buses, trains and in cars. It always happens on journeys... With 'Careless Whisper' I remember exactly where it first came to me, where I came up with the sax line... I remember I was handing the money over to the guy on the bus and I got this line, the sax line... I wrote it totally in my head. I worked on it for about three months in my head." Sheet music for "Careless Whisper" sets the key of D minor.  "When I was twelve, thirteen, I used to have to chaperone my sister, who was two years older, to an ice rink at Queensway in London," he explained. "There was a girl there with long blonde hair whose name was Jane. I was a fat boy in glasses and I had a big crush on her—though I didn't stand a chance. My sister used to go and do what she wanted when we got to the skating rink and I would spend the afternoon swooning over this girl Jane."  "A few years later, when I was sixteen, I had my first relationship with a girl called Helen," Michael continued.  It had just started to cool off a bit when I discovered that the blonde girl from Queensway had moved in just around the corner from my school. She had moved in right next to where I used to stand and wait for my next-door neighbour, who used to give me a lift home from school. And one day I saw her walk down the path next to me and I thought – now where did SHE come from? She didn't know it was me. It was a few years later and I looked a lot different. Then we played a school disco with the Executive and she saw me singing and decided she fancied me. By this time she was that much older and a big buxom thing – and eventually, I started seeing her. She invited me in one day when I was waiting for my lift and I was... in heaven.  Michael observed that after he stopped wearing glasses, he began getting invited to parties. "And the girl who didn't even see me when I was twelve invited me in," he noted.  So I went out with her for a couple of months but I didn't stop seeing Helen. I thought I was being smart – I had gone from being a total loser to being a two-timer. And I remember my sisters used to give me a hard time because they found out and they really liked the first girl. The whole idea of "Careless Whisper" was the first girl finding out about the second – which she never did. But I started another relationship with a girl called Alexis without finishing the one with Jane. It all got a bit complicated. Jane found out about her and got rid of me... The whole time I thought I was being cool, being this two-timer, but there really wasn't that much emotion involved. I did feel guilty about the first girl – and I have seen her since – and the idea of the song was about her. "Careless Whisper" was us dancing, because we danced a lot, and the idea was – we are dancing... but she knows... and it's finished.  Andrew Ridgeley came up with the chord sequence on his Fender Telecaster he had received for his 18th birthday. They continued to work together on the music and lyrics both at Michael's house in Radlett, and Shirlie Holliman's aunt's basement flat in Peckham, where Ridgeley was living.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop.  The surgeon was there, waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike.  The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?"  The surgeon a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, fix 'em, put 'em back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"  The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic, "Try doing it with the engine running."

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A fellow nurse at my hospital received a call from an anxious patient.  "I'm diabetic and I'm afraid I've had too much sugar today." the caller said.  "Are you light-headed?" my colleague asked.  "No," the caller answered, "I'm a brunette."

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- A genie granted me one wish, so I said, "I just want to be happy."  Now I'm living in a cottage with 6 dwarves and working in a mine.

- My childhood crush and I are finally getting married this year!  Me in August, and her in November.

- Why are orphans so bad at poker?
They don’t know what a full house is.

- This is America. It is my God given right to be loudly opinionated about something I am completely ignorant of.

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Little Johnny's new baby brother was screaming up a storm.  Johnny asked his mom, Where did he come from?  He came from heaven, Johnny.  I can see why they threw him out!

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner

DRIVING AUNT JEAN BACK TO THE RANCH FROM THE TUCSON ARIZONA AIRPORT WITH KELLY AND THE LUGGAGE STUFFED INTO THE BACK OF OUR LITTLE JEEP WRANGLER

THIS WAS THE COLD MORNING IN AJO ARIZONA WHEN WE MET THE LEGENDARY RV BLOGGER GUY,  TIOGA GEORGE

Al's Art Gallery

A SNOWY FIRST DAY OF SPRING AND A TRIBUTE TO MY BEST FRIEND, RICHARD

ON THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING I FOUND SOME EARLY SPRING FLOWERS IN GODERICH

It was Thursday morning and I had figured out it was my turn to drive for another one of our coffee and muffin country road coffee tours.  I'm talking about my long-time best friend Richard of course.  Regardless of who drove, we always picked each other up a 9:30 a.m. twice a month.  But alas, it was only me with a coffee and a carrot muffin this morning with Richard having passed away a week ago.  On my way to Goderich with Pheebs in the passenger seat instead of Richard this morning, I thought a lot about him and our many, many, long conversations over the past 50 years.  Never a dull moment between us as our conversations flowed effortlessly like a fine-tuned Swiss watch.  So many times this past week I have found myself saying aloud and in my head, "Talk to me Richard, talk to me.  Below are a few excerpts from previous posts that I have written over the years about our country road coffee tours.......On July 06 2017 I wrote this.  "It’s about a 5 second drive from Richard’s driveway to our driveway so I was waiting for him this morning.  It was his turn to chauffeur me around on our 2 hour plus country road coffee tour.  Blue sunny skies with warm temperatures made it a perfect time for we two manic Magpies to be out and about.  Pretty much ran the gamut of just about everything again.  Can you imagine two half-stubborn and half-memory-challenged old Senior guys aged 79 and 72 respectively trying to convince each other that it would be a very wise move to ditch our archaic rotary phone mentality and truly get hip by getting ourselves into the ‘Smart Phone’ world.  No I can’t imagine it either but but that’s just one of the many topics that taxed our cobweb-challenged brains this morning.  Richard with his old frayed straw hat and me with my 12-year-old underwear on backwards."..........  I wrote this one on Sept 13 2018 after Richard and Gayle had sold their home kitty-corner from us in our Bayfield Pines Mobile Home Park.  They were leaving for Georgia and other unknown destinations in their Class A Georgetown motor home.  Here were my thoughts......Despite this being the last of our routine coffee tours our non-stop conversation never skipped a beat with our attention towards the end settling more around our age factors and the relentless march of time quickening the uncertain future.  Memories over the past 43 always bring us a few laughs and sad thoughts about those we knew who are now gone.  Always light-hearted, humorous, interestingly serious, and educatingly prophetic, all wrapped up in each and every one of our conversations every time we meet.  Been like that ever since we met many, many, Moons ago.  I will greatly miss my best friend, our coffee tours and all the things we talked about over the years.  But here’s the neat thing.  Where and whenever we meet next we will just pick right up where we left off as if a day hadn’t passed between us.  Until next time."......  Here's one from August 02 2019.  "I picked up my good friend Richard at 9:30 this morning and we were off on another one of our bi-monthly country road coffee tours.  How can two guys have so much to catch up on in only two weeks.  I don't know either but we always manage to enthusiastically get things up to speed right quick.   We even managed a walk in a scenic hilltop countryside cemetery southeast of Hensall Ontario.

MY BUDDY FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS

 ON ONE OF OUR  OCCASIONALMORNING WALKS NEAR THE MAITLAND RIVER

 RICHARD'S VAN AND MOTORHOME

THIS IS THE DAY WE WENT TO LOOK AT THE MOTORHOME HE BOUGHT IN PARKHILL ONTARIO

 DIAGNOSING A PROMBLE WITH OUR 'TRIPLE EEE 'MOTORHOM

 RICHARD TAKING A SCREEN DOOR OFF THE TRIPLE EEE THAT I HAD BENT

 TAKING THE DOOR BACK TO HIS PLACE ACROSS THE STREET TO FIX IT

 RICHARD, GAYLE, AND KELLY

 THE ONLY TIME I EVER SAW RICHARD TAKING A PICTURE OF ANYTHING

 RICHARD, GAYLE, ME, OUR GOOD NEIGHBOR MONICA, AND KELLY AT THE BAYFIELD BERRY FARM

 BEST PALS FOREVER AND BEYOND

Richard Robert Gregory ...... Passed away peacefully with his family by his side at Clinton Public Hospital on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the age of 87.
Loved husband of Gayle Gregory (nee Dilamarter). Proud father of Hayden Gregory and Sally Gregory. Fondly remembered by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many dear friends and acquaintances.
As per Richard's request, cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated.
Arrangements entrusted to Falconer Funeral Homes, 153 High Street, Clinton, Ontario. Messages of condolence for the Gregory family are welcome at www.falconerfuneralhomes.com.

 I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW UNCOMFORTABLE RICHARD MUST HAVE BEEN HERE WEARING A SUIT

With Wednesday's 70F temps I figured all the snow would finally be melted off Stirling's Line where I go to sit under the stars.  This road has been our morning walk road for Pheebs and I as well.  Hopped into the Subaru  last night and took a drive out there.  Except for a small blurb of snow, the road was clear.  But, like the previous night, the sky wasn't.  No matter, I did get to see the Big Dipper clearly and I was able to try out the star map app on my iPone to see through the cloud cover where the Constellations were located.  And as I stood there in the night's inky black darkness the words kept coming to me, "Talk to me Richard, talk to me".........

 ONLY THIS SMALL PATCH OF SNOW REMAINED ON STIRLING'S LINE LAST NIGHT

Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich this morning and amazingly enough we never even went to Walmart.  Nope, dropped into Zehrs Supermarket, picked up a few things and headed down to the harbor.  So nice to finally see all the ice and snow gone from Lake Huron's waters.  From there we stopped at A&W where I had a mess of bacon and eggs, toast and coffee with Pheebs helping me to eat it.  Pheebs ate her portion in the car of course.  Home again, with it spitting rain all the way I decided it was a good day to begin working on the carport's storage area.  This will be a different clean-up than other years just as it will be for the two sheds and the house.  Kelly and I accumulated way too much stuff over the years and it is my intent to get it all down to a manageable level.

 NO SNOW LEFT AT GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE

 AN ICE-FREE SHORELINE FINALLY

 FISHING BOATS ALL IN A ROW

 TWO LARGE SHIPS STERN TO STERN IN GODERICH'S ICE-FREE HARBOR

 SO NICE TO SEE AL THE ICE AND SNOW GONE OFF LAKE HURON

As the day wore on and with temperatures falling, the drizzly rain turned to snow and the snow kept coming.  Kind of depressing of course but then a bundle of sunshine rolled into the driveway in a little burgundy VW Tiguan.  It was Woodsy:))))))  She had driven through the falling snow from Stratford and said it wasn't as bad as it looked.  I knew she was coming, just not  sure when she was coming'.  I am a happy camper that she is here:))  Luckily, I had Dysoned all the carpets and Swiffored the kitchen and hall floors.  I cleaned up the washroom real good, did the dishes, and straightened everything up because I knew when Woodsy got here she would be walking around with her clipboard and pencil in her ear checking on my efforts.  I passed the inspection by the way:)))))  

 'YAAAAAAY, WOODSY IS HERE AGAIN':))))))))

Al's Music Box Do It Again is a 1972 song composed and performed by American rock group Steely Dan, who released it as a single from their debut album Can't Buy a Thrill as its opening track. The single version differed from the album version, shortening the intro and outro and omitting the organ solo.  Released in 1972, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot on November 18, 1972, and reached number 6 on the US charts in 1973, making it Steely Dan's second highest-charting single.  "Do It Again" features an electric sitar solo by Denny Dias. The "plastic organ" solo by Donald Fagen was performed on a Yamaha YC-30 with a sliding pitch-bending control.   David Palmer fronted the band during their live show, and sang "Do It Again" when the group played The Midnight Special in February 1973. Donald Fagen sang the vocal on the album version.  CashBox described it as a "fine commercial effort with plenty of potential as a hit record", going on to say that it "is highlighted by some fine vocal harmony and superb arrangement."  Record World" called it a "gentle rocker" that "has a bit of the Latin rock sound" and "solid production by Gary Katz."

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Complaints Received by "Thoma Cook Vacations" from Dissatisfied Customers!!

1. "They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax."

2. "On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don't like spicy food."

3. "We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish."

4. "We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels. We assumed it would be included in the price."

5. "The beach was too sandy. We had to clean everything when we returned to our room."

6. "We found the sand was not like the sand in the brochure. Your brochure shows the sand as white but it was more yellow."

7. "It's lazy of the local shopkeepers in Puerto Vallartato close in the afternoons. I often needed to buy things during 'siesta' time -- this should be banned."

8. "No-one told us there would be fish in the water. The children were scared."

9. "Although the brochure said that there was a fully equipped kitchen, there was no egg-slicer in the drawers."

10. "I think it should be explained in the brochure that the local convenience store does not sell proper biscuits like custard creams or ginger nuts."

11. "The roads were uneven and bumpy, so we could not read the local guide book during the bus ride to the resort. Because of this, we were unaware of many things that would have made our holiday more fun."

12. "It took us nine hours to fly home from Jamaica to England. It took the Americans only three hours to get home. This seems unfair."

13. "I compared the size of our one-bedroom suite to our friends' three-bedroom and ours was significantly smaller."

14. "The brochure stated: 'No hairdressers at the resort.' We're trainee hairdressers and we think they knew and made us wait longer for service."

15. "When we were in Spain, there were too many Spanish people there. The receptionist spoke Spanish, the food was Spanish. No one told us that there would be so many foreigners."

16. "We had to line up outside to catch the boat and there was no air-conditioning."

17. "It is your duty as a tour operator to advise us of noisy or unruly guests before we travel."

18. "I was bitten by a mosquito. The brochure did not mention mosquitoes."

19. "My fiancée and I requested twin-beds when we booked, but instead we were placed in a room with a king bed. We now hold you responsible and want to be re-reimbursed for the fact that I became pregnant. This would not have happened if you had put us in the room that we booked."

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner

 ON A MORNING WALK KELLY CHECKS THE WAY AHEAD

CHECKING OUR DELORME GPS TO SEE IF IT KNOW WHERE WE ARE

 IN TOMBSTONE ARIZONA

Al's Art Gallery