WordPress says this is my 100th published post. So for the seven people that will read this-Cheers!

The Queen is dead, long live the King! As I type this (9/11), the UK is in mourning with the passing of QE11. I admit to not understanding the draw of royalty or the inherent cost shouldered by the Brits. To willingly fund that lifestyle seems ridiculous. As I say that I wonder. It would be nice to see throngs carrying flowers and hugging each other rather than storming our Capitol and beating each other up. I would gladly give up most of our “elected officials” in both parties for some genuine unity-and some really colorful hats. During one of the many interviews I watched on CBS Sunday Morning was a particularly relevant observation of why the Queen is so beloved and such an enigma. “In her 70 years on the throne, she became one of the most recognizable, admired and trusted figures in the world. And yet, as familiar as she was, the Queen was largely unknowable.” Because of that, even though I can be judge, jury and executioner in my opinion of her, I have no evidence of anything derogatory about her. Today, social media is full of quotes and sound bites of everyone Imaginable fueling any plot or political bias you choose to follow or fight. Except the Queen. R.I.P.

Free lunch.

I had a pair of boots on auction-actually the third time available and the second time re-listed. They sold twice but the buyer never paid. I am a new seller and maybe that is common but a first to me. Maybe 3 times the charm. 2 days after listing (again) I saw it would sell. Great I thought. This time though I received an email. It said basically that this was intended to be a gift and if they won the bid they wanted to make sure shipping was timely because the recipient (grandson) was going overseas on a particular date. I saw the address was local so if they won they could pick it up. As a seller on eBay, you can offer an option of local pickup in addition to shipping. I offer it but no one has taken advantage of it. The next day came a response that the person was elderly and didn’t like to drive so while they appreciated the offer, prompt shipping was critical. No worries I responded. Early today I received an email that this person had won the bid and wanted assurance it could be shipped quickly. After a minute of deliberation, I emailed back saying that Lisa and I would be out and about today and would be happy to deliver it with the understanding that if the buyer felt uncomfortable with that, I would absolutely get it mailed on Monday. The response was quick. That would be wonderful! He offered to buy us lunch in appreciation. I thanked him and told him that was not necessary. In today’s world, we have to be cautious and mindful of situations out of the ordinary that might put us in harm’s way. I wasn’t concerned because of the fact it was the conclusion of a business transaction and the delivery offer was totally random. After treating us to a $120 lunch (he would not even allow me to pay the tip) we said our thank yous and goodbyes.

Allergies

For those with “Hay Fever” or any type of seasonal allergies, you can probably attest to how miserable it has been this year. I have suffered with it all my life, finding relief only during those years we didn’t live in Salt Lake City. I have an app that gives me the daily anticipated pollen count, and more importantly, what the primary contributors are. In the past my level of suffering was pretty much in line with the app. It was on a 1-10 scale-the higher the number, the more miserable. This year I look out of curiosity because the number they show can be a 5.1 which is minimal yet I feel like my head is going to explode, more specifically the sinuses behind my eyes. I find myself taking Claritin D 12 Hour twice a day rather than once. Helps a little but I sure miss Actifed. After it became illegal in the States I would buy from Canada but that was a lifetime ago. I do miss it. I am really looking forward to the first freeze!

Accounting & Inventory-Again

I used Quickbooks in the 90’s when Lisa first started her business to help with the books. I am not a bookkeeper by any measure and hated doing it. I was thrilled when her needs outgrew my limited abilities but I kept using it for our personal account. Mine is not a numbers brain so It takes me much longer to grasp and manipulate the numbers (manipulate here does not mean criminal, just knowing where to correctly put them.) I did it the first half of our marriage and thankfully Lisa has been doing it now for 20+ years. So all these years later and here I am selling on ebay and realize I better get my shit together. I can just see the 1099’s showing up and all I have are receipts, scraps of paper and a notebook. My non-numbers brain is now figuring out books and inventory. Here is another thing I hadn’t planned on after retirement but here it is. The software company I just started exploring seriously has an accounting/Inventory program that looks promising. I received an email welcoming me and offering to help in any way if I am interested. Of course I responded immediately. That was four days ago and not a word. Please don’t break my heart before we even talk!

Saying goodbye to a friend

My youngest son lost his constant companion Reagan last week. For the last 5-years she has literally gone everywhere with him except on a plane. He moved up to an Audi Q7 to better accommodate her needs. Reagan was a Belgian Shepherd that had been a service dog early in her career but failed out in the end and ended up with a trainer. That trainer was dating my son. Their relationship was rocky and they ultimately broke up. Funny thing is at first they shared custody and within 6-months Reagan was my sons dog. She was very obedient with a sweet disposition but became anxious if my son was out of sight for 10 seconds. The only other person she could attach too was Lisa and that was only when our son was gone. As far as Reagan was concerned no one else existed if those two were around. A year ago, my son knew Reagan’s health was declining and wanted her to be able to help “Train” the next generation, so he chose his next Shepherd and received her 6-months ago. The first 6-months were in training by his ex-girlfriend trainer. Ruth is my sons dog for sure but is not so emotionally attached that she cannot acknowledge other people like Reagan. My son showed a tremendous level of compassion and patience during Reagan’s final months and especially her last weeks when she could not control her bowels or navigate without supreme difficulty. Every morning he knew he faced cleaning his floors and bathing his dog because of it. He carried her into his shop where she had been a regular fixture since day one so she could say her goodbyes. Arrangements were made for a home visit by a individual from a group called “Laps of Love” on Sunday. We had the opportunity to say our goodbyes and to cry and hug throughout the day. Losing a companion is hard as anyone who has experienced it knows. I am grateful to have known Reagan and experience what an amazing Human my son is.