I don’t fit in this world.  I used to be closer to fitting in but that has diminished as I’ve gotten older.  Since I retired, I rarely see anyone anymore.  Since I’ve lost my mom & dad & sisters I have no love in my life & few people I can trust.  I have a niece & nephew.  Both live in other towns & have their own families.  I rarely see them.  I don’t get invited for holidays or out to eat …it’s not their fault.  They’re busy. I have a couple of good friends but they have their own drama & I’m not much on drama.  So, I’m basically alone most of the time.

I’ve always been mostly fine alone.  I wish I had someone special in my life.  But I’ve always been pretty self entertaining.  But it’s gotten harder.  I don’t like going out to eat, not for the food anyway.  If someone asks me to go eat, I actually enjoy the company.  But I eat at home, alone, for weeks at a time.

I try to deliver packages 2 days a week.

I can’t stand shopping or going to the movies anymore.

I get tired of the TV noise.  I don’t listen to music anymore.

I like to cook but I don’t like leftovers & cooking for 1 person is hard.  So I eat junk, mostly.  I do have a NY strip for my lunch tomorrow so I’m not completely barbarian.

I don’t sleep.

I can’t read anymore & I’ve always been a big reader.  I can’t concentrate.

I don’t like traveling anymore.

I hate talking on the phone.

There are weeks I literally talk to no one. It’s been years since anyone has touched me.  I’m not talking about sex.  I’m talking about anyone for any reason.

I’m hurting.  I’m black & empty inside.  My heart has died.  And I don’t know what to do.

 

 

 

 

When you drive through a town named for a famous person & there is a park with statues,stopping should have been required.  So on my way to Frisco a few weeks ago I went through Bowie, TX.   Ok, the sign says he was from Kentucky & was never actually in the area.  But people obviously admired him enough to name a Texas town after him in 1881.  The reasons they chose him are not noted in the park…guess they just liked him & the big knife he carried.  It was described as 9 1/2″ long, a quarter inch thick & 1 1/2 inches wide, with a simple wood handle.

The town apparently commissioned a really big, Guinness World Record winning replica in 2016.

I saw, I stopped, I photographed, I blogged.  Here you go!!

 

 

 

 

It’s finally fall & in west Texas, the first part of fall means South Plains Fair time.  Years ago the fair had country concerts most of the week.  We paid something like $10 and saw George Strait or Alan Jackson or Ricky Van Shelton.  But that fizzled out.  Now the radio stations sponsor shows & the concert is free after paying to get into the fair.  The concerts are not necessarily the same.  One station was doing up & coming country although that seems to have stopped.   The oldie station does the fogies–this year is The Cowsills, a band that I never heard.  Last year was Gary Puckett & the Union Gap.  I’ve also seen Air Supply, Gary Lewis & the Playboys and Herman’s Hermits, to name a few.

Last night, the oldies country station had the ‘Roots & Boots Tour’ which featured popular-in-the-1990’s acts Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin & Collin Raye.   My friend Jan & I went & stuffed our faces with fair food.  Hamburger, fries, strawberry lemonade, funnel cake & Methodist fried pies, cherry & apricot.  To be fair, I had a few bites of fries & funnel cake & brought the pies home for later.  Then we went to enjoy the concert.

The concert is held in the Fairpark Coliseum, a big old barn thing with inadequate air conditioning so it’s always pretty warm in there.  I’d bet the heating is same & it’d be pretty cold too.  But nothing has changed in the 40 years I’ve been going to shows there so it’s all good.

First all 3 came out & all sang big hits…Aaron Tippen sang ‘You’ve Got To Stand for Something’, Sammy Kershaw sang ‘Cadillac Style’ & Collin Raye sang ‘That’s my Story’.  Then they each did a set and met again at the end to sing together again.

The voices are weaker.  The bodies showed a little middle age.  But they put on an enthusiastic show & everyone had a good time.   My favorite was Collin Raye’s ‘Love,Me’, his signature song.  Everyone got their phones out & did the old lighter thing with their phone flashlights.  Even Aaron came out with his phone from the back of the stage.  Aaron is a little weird.  Probably one of those off the wall kids who turned in to a very hyperactive adult.

Ready for next year…fair food, free music.

 

Did I mention Aaron is weird?

 

 

 

1 lb Ground Beef
2 Potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel Tomatoes.  I use mild because I’m a wimp.
House Seasoning to taste
3 cups boiling water
Ketchup.   Not part of recipe but I love it.

Brown the meat with the onion & house seasoning. Drain. Add tomatoes & potatoes.  Pour boiling water in and cook until potatoes are tender.  Eat as is or add ketchup which I love in this recipe.

One of my favorites!!  I’ll post a picture next time I make it.  It’s pretty too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City Homicide is an Australian police drama that ran from 2007-2011 & I found it a couple of months ago to stream from Prime (3 seasons) & Hulu (last 2 seasons).  It follows a squad of …surprise…homicide detectives…as they solve crimes every week.  I really liked the originals…Matt, Duncan, Jen & Simon.  And the administration guys…Sgt Wolfe, Superintendent Jarvis & Commander Waverly.   As an aside, I like that fact that Brit (and Aussie) TV have women in police administrative roles without explanation or drama as to how they got there.  American writers could learn a thing or 2.

Later on, Simon left.  We saw him leave but he was never mentioned again which bothered me.   And sadly, we got Allie.  Possibly the most annoying character ever on my TV and as a NYPD Blue fan, she’s even more annoying than Diane Russell, the character I always hated more than the rest.  Allie was big mouthed, rude to everyone & argumentative to admin to the point of insubordination but never took any flack for it. She almost ruined the show for me but I hung in to the end.  They also added Nick, who had a past history with Jen (rekindled)  & Rhys, the Commander’s nephew.

The cases were pretty routine & fun to watch and solved in 45 minutes.  As we ran down towards the end, the best thing I was holding out for was Jen & Nick, who had separated on season 4 because 2 detectives on same squad could not be involved. I wold have been horribly disappointed if they had not gotten back together before the end.  I was not horribly disappointed.  And there you have it.  After all the murder cases and personal drama (but pretty minimal for a show on this long), it all comes down to rooting for love in the end.   And I’m happy.   And sad it’s over.  Like finishing a good book.

 

 

Here is my new Texas Tech Wreath.  I found a pattern on Pinterest, bought and dyed clothes pins, added my friend Aaron’s Double T and viola!!

This is the first time I’ve ever made a wreath.  I try to be creative but I’m not great at it.  I crochet scarves to donate. I used to cross stitch before my eyes left the building.  But I really like the way this turned out.

My very creative friend Jan said it needed another element & we discussed a couple of things to add.  And they would have looked great.  But I liked what I’d done.  I liked the simplicity of it.  And decided to leave it as is.  Because I’d done it all by myself.

First football game is August 31 and it’ll be proudly on my door.

One day last week, I picked some tomatoes off my vine and had them in my car when I passed my friend Amy’s office.  I hadn’t seen her in awhile so I took 2 tomatoes & put the on her desk.  She wasn’t there but I told her husband I’d left them.  A couple of days ago I called Amy to make sure she’d gotten the tomatoes. She ‘meant’ to call me…but said she knew immediately when she saw them who they were from.  And so now I’m wondering…what did that mean?

I’m kind of old fashioned, no doubt.  I think it’s growing up with little and having more now but not as much as many.  I consider fresh fruits & veggies a great gift.  And homemade gifts.  And someone bringing me a coke because they were stopping to get one for themselves. Actually, because I’m not really a stuff person, those things impress me even more.

So was sweet Amy, who has a whole lot of money, happy with my gift or just shaking her head and thinking I’m pathetic?