COLD. Not much early traffic on New Year's Eve.
Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Beth by - she forgot watch and rings. I continue at computer. Bring in Christmas tree and decorations boxes for Beth. Eventually move into living room. Make a sandwich and have lunch while I watch today's recording of Lawman.Continue watching the rest of Apache Drums. Into office - down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail; feed girls; clean up side yard; open mail for Beth. Bring in trash can. Work for awhile in office. Into watch some O'Reilly. Start cooking. Beth home. Help her in with her things. We eat and talk. After, I fix her printer; and find out our copier is out of toner. Then we watch recording of Sara Palin's Alaska. Beth showers; all to bed. HAPPY NEW YEAR! - Later ~

Straight home after meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers (popcorn's gone). Talk to Beth. Then I'm of to Sam's Club for some shopping for the Hall. Drive home. Turn on TV then make sandwich for lunch. Watch today's recording of Lawman while eating. After, Watch most of Apache Drums, with Willard Parker, Colleen Grey and Stephen McNally. Down for nap with Misty. Phone rings in an hour - it's Beth reminding me of dog food delivery. Stay up. Bring in mail. Into office and work some more. Clean up front porch from wind last night. UPS delivers dog food (60-lbs) for Jo; plus a check for Beth. Call her. She comes over with someone with a pickup; gets check and dog food. I'm writing here. Into kitchen and open mail for Beth. Sit and read new copy of Westeren Clippings for awhile. Sweep tile floor. Have a cookie snack

Gene and Champ

Home after meeting - stop for Hi to Nader. Once there, I check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Work at computer for awhile correcting and editing Whiskey Tears. Into living room - make lunch and eat while watching today's recording of Lawman. After, watch 1937's Joe Kane directed, Get Along Little Dogies with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette. Down for nap with Misty. Up and write here. RAIN starts to fall. Nothing heavy. Sun tries to peek out after an hour. Bring in mail; feed girls; clean up side yard; open mail for Beth. Skim several magazines. Into office and call Jimmy George in Mississippi. Into kitchen and start dinner. Beth home; help her bring in a few things. We eat and talk over a few things. She leaves for H&I Meeting at Hall. I record President Bush on Hannity. Write here.

Monte Hale, Eddie Dean, Rex Allen

Gas up on way home from meeting. Check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Head back to Palm Desert around 9:00; pick up my suit pants at tailor - buy some batteries at Radio Shack for Beth. Home. Work at computer; then fix lunch and watch Lawman recording from this morning. Follow with some Eddie Dean PRC Western. Beth calls. Then its down for nap with Misty. Up and check e-mail. Bring in mail. Feed girls. Pills. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Work in office. Sweep tile floors.

George (Gabby) Hayes in Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Lucille Browne and Gene Autry in Tumbling Tumbleweeds
Leave meeting early for a blood draw. Then on to Deep Canyon Albertson's for grocery shopping. Home, unload and put away food-stuffs. Into office to check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Load car with unused dog bees we got for Crystal and take them to Southwest Thrift Store and drop off. Home again and make some lunch - then watch today's recording of Lawman. Watch a little Tumbling Tumbleweeds with Gene Autry, Gabby and Smiley. Down for nap with Misty. Up and write here. Bring in mail; feed girls; clean up side yard; open mail for Beth. Drive to bank and make deposit for Beth. Home and work in office. Beth home. We eat. She off to meet Terry and they take meeting into Indio Jail. I work at computer. Get ready for bed; trash out; wash up. To computer and close up as Beth arrives home. All get ready. Later ~

Frank Q. Dobbs aka FQD

T'was the day after Christmas ...
Sleep in day for me. Beth up and to Hall to meet Joe (he's replacing Brenda while she's visiting family). I up 5:45 - shower and dress; bring in paper. Fix breakfast and eat while reading paper. To office and work at computer. Beth home and we talk. She's here for a short while then she' off to her employers' place to work. I turn on TV and watch recording of Gambler V, written by FQD, Caleb P. - story by FQD, DSC and Kelly J. Make some lunch and eat while viewing. Down for nap with Misty. Up in two hours. check e-mail and news sites. Beth is home. Call from James Jenkins in Florida. Sit with Beth in kitchen and talk. Eventually we off to the mall to check out number beds. Then to take back an ink cartridge from our old fax to exchange for other ink cartridges. Order Pizza from Papa Dan's. Take our time driving to pick it up. Home with pizza - welcomed with excitement by girls. Sit down and eat pizza. Dessert after. Into office and work - joined by Beth. Bed early. Later ~

Merry Christmas from The Lodge Family!

Have yourself a Merry, Merry Christmas ...
Up at usual time. Beth and girls, too.
Home from meeting and check-mail and news sites with girls. Beth home - she was a few minutes behind me. We talk about meeting, etc. She opens presents at kitchen table while girls and I watch. I make reservation for dinner online. I fix a small (for me) lunch (big sandwich for her) and we eat and talk. I down for nap with Misty. I up and write here. We putz around; feed girls; Beth reads paper. Get ready and drive to Palm Desert for Christmas dinner at Mitch's place - Pacifica. Home and make some phone calls. I write here. She washes hair. Then we have ice cream mini-cone and watch Thursday's re-run recording of CSI: Vegas. Later ~

John Wayne as Rooster (1969)

Jeff Bridges as Rooster (2010)

T'was the day before Christmas.
Harry wasn't responding during meeting so 911 was called and they took him to hospital. Everything was done so quietly, I didn't know what happened until after the meeting; and I still don't know much more.
Home and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Int living room and watch the new True Grit on a DVD I got because of my guild affiliation. Like all new movies, it had too many night scenes, and was very dark on my home TV screen. I really gave this thought, but I liked the John Wayne/Henry Hathaway version much better. The first was what a western should look like - big; blue skies; vast land; and larger than life characters. Bridges is good as Rooster, but not as well-fitted to the part as John Wayne was. After viewing, I fixed some lunch and watched today's recording of Lawman. To office for a minute; then down for my nap with Misty.
Up and to office to write here. Bring in mail; feed girls; open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Work at computer until Beth gets home. We take package over to her employers and sit around and talk for awhile. Then it's home to get ready and go to the Southwest Church Christmas celebration. Drive all over looking for a place to eat. Finally head home and eat there. Shannon calls from Texas. I write here.
Merry Christmas!

Sarah Palin and Family

Home after meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Spend some time at computer before heading out to do bank deposit for Beth; drop large package at Beth's place of employment; pick up prescription; by AT&T with a question. Home and make lunch; then watch Lawman recorded this morning. Talk Beth. Down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail; feed girls; open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Into office and work at computer. Start dinner. Beth home and help her in with her stuff. We eat and talk. After, we watch Sarah Palin's Alaska recording from last Sunday Both get ready for bed. Later ~

John Russell and Peter Brown in Lawman

MORE RAIN (AROUND-THE-CLOCK)
Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Putz around until 9:45 then off - stop at Lowe's looking for a mail box latch (no luck), then on to Sam's Club to shop for Hall and us. Home and check e-mail - write here. Fix lunch and eat while watching today's recording of Lawman. Down for nap with Misty. Up and package comes for Beth's employer. I out and bring in mail in rain. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Sweep tiles inside. Putz around then start fixing dinner. Belkieve it or not, Beth home right on time for dinner when it's done. We eat. After we watch rerun recording of NCIS. Later ~

Rain in the Desert

RAIN
Haircut by Sherry after meeting - see Mel. Drop suit pants at tailor by Sherry's. Home in rain and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Call Paul (bug man) about rat bait time; he will be coming earlier. Some TV. Paul here with rat bait - we toss it in sheds. More TV and dessert; then it's down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail; feed girls; open mail for Beth. Thinking I have some free time, I start to watch True Grit. Phone call from Beth messes that up. Drive over to Beth's place of employment with something for Brenda. Home and read for awhile. Work at computer. Eventually Beth gets home. I cook and we eat. Watch Monday's recording of Hawaii 5-0. Bed and we sleep. Later ~

New G4 iPhone

Drizzling RAIN
No power in AA Hall - all morning meetings make due with candles. On way home stop to get a gift card at a restaurant; pick up some sympathy cards for Beth. Home and check e-mail with girls and popcorn. To bank and make deposits for Beth. To River for a Christmas present for Beth. On to hearing aid place where Jason fixes my right instrument; then to AT&T and get new G4 iPhone. Home and make lunch; then eat while watching today's recording of Lawman. Down for nap with Misty. Up and no mail. Feed girls. Clean up side yard. Finally bring in mail; open it for Beth. Screw around with my new phone. Turn on Christmas lights. Wait for Bethie. She home a little after five. Help her bring in stuff. We talk at table while I fix dinner. We eat and talk. Both to office for awhile.

Beth's 2010 annual Christmas Party




RAIN and drizzle all day
Sleep in day. Beth up and off to Hall to meet Brenda. I up 5:30. Shower and dress. Make breakfast and eat with no paper (it came late). Beth came home by 7:30. Started getting house in better shape for her AA women's party. She drives over to her employer's home to get the food she and Brenda prepared. She's back and continues to get ready. I help when needed; but mostly in office on computer. Brenda here and puts me out of a job. Beth brings me some food so I into bedroom to eat while watching a movie, The Stalking Moon. with Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint. People start arriving so I gather the girls (dogs) in bedroom with me and I down for nap. Sleep 2 and a half hours, until party is over. Dress and clean up. Dogs out and everyone's gone. Help put away some things. Into office and write some e-mails to friends. Into kitchen and dish up party leftovers for dinner. We eat then clean up. Both to office to work. Then it's shower for Beth and bed for all. Later ~

With my sweetie on board the MS Zaandam

Grocery shopping after meeting. Gas up at Nader's station. Home and Brenda helps me carry stuff in. I put it all away. Into office and check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Putz around on computer while Brenda cleans. Bring in chairs for Beth's party - Brenda puts extenders in table. I turn on TV - watch some western. Brenda leaves. Make some lunch and continue watching TV. Talk Beth; then down for nap with Misty. Up and comb hair and dress. Beth has done my pills. I put in boxes and then put them away. Beth off to pick up her employers at Bermuda Dunes airport. I clean up side swamp - use buckets of water instead of hose. Work at computer; work at other things she's asked me to do. Beth home around 5:30ish. I cook dinner and we eat - soup. After, she into office to work, I scan TV. I into office. Mark calls. I work at computer. Get ready for bed - Beth follows. Later ~

The Judds

Home from meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and popcorn. Paul the bug man here to spray inside and out. Beth calls and I drive over to follow her to Bermuda Dunes to drop van. Drive back and drop her off at work. I home and make a sandwich. Watch today's recording of Lawman. After that, watch the beginning of Range Beyond the Blue with Eddie Dean. Check e-mail again then down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail. Feed girls (dry food for Crystal). Open mail for Bethie. Clean up side swamp. Sweep inside tiles. Beth home. I cook then we eat. After, we start getting ready to go out. Drive to Agua Calente Casino to see The Judds Concert - Great! Home by 11:30. Later ~

On a beach in downtown Hilo; on Hawaii - the big island

Home after meeting and check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Talk Beth at work. The window cleaners - Tom and Steve - here to do windows all around; plus solar panels. Beth calls back and I read her e-mails from her boss. Continue working on computer. When window cleaners leave, I to Beth's place of employment and follow Beth to Bermuda Dunes airport where she drops Tracker then we back to her place of employment. I home - fix a sandwich then eat while watching today's recording of Lawman. Down for nap with Misty. Up and take some packages from porch to garage. Bring in mail. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Check something online. Beth having hair done so she's late when she arrives. I have dinner ready and we eat. Then we watch Sarah Palin's Alaska. Later ~

John Russell in Lawman

Home after meeting stopping along the way to say Hi to Nader. Once home, check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Make calendar pages for Beth to use for workers. Copy Employee sheets. Into living room and watch today's recorded episode of Lawman. Into office. Beth calls, and I over to pick her up and take her to pick up BMW. Home - quick microwaved hamburger patty and dessert. Down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail. Feed girls - Crystal still on wet food. Clean up side yard - Crystal poop everywhere. Sweep tiles inside. E-mail Stevie G. Turn on Christmas lights. Get ready for Beth to get home. She home. we talk. She into office while I cook. We eat. Then we watch NCIS from last night and Hawaii 5-0 from Monday. Both into office where she has more messages from her boss. Later ~

Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfield in the NEW True Grit

Jeff Bridges in the NEW True Grit

Beth leaves meeting early to take BMW in for work. I follow after meeting and pick her up and take her to work. I home. Check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Work for awhile and listen to Rush; then into living room to watch today's recording of Lawman. After that, make a sandwich and watch She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain, with Gene Autry and LeRoy Mason. Into office for a moment then down for nap fully dressed (waiting for Fed Ex delivery). Sure enough, as soon as I fall asleep the doorbell rings. Two screeners - The Fighter and True Grit. Great - now I won't have to go to the theater to see True Grit like I was going to. There are so many bad movies today I usually stay home and watch older movies. Back to nap for about another hour and a half. Up and check e-mail. Out to bring in mail. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean mess in side yard (Crystal still has the shits). Sweep tile inside house. Turn on lights inside and out. Wait for Beth who shows up sooner than later. We talk; then I cook; and we eat. Both into office where she orders books for her boss. Then she's off to speak at The Betty Ford Center. I work at computer a little longer. To living room and watch Shilo Falls, a lousy attempt at a horror western. I get ready and to bed. Beth in later. Later ~

The Honkers - Cast and Crew

Sleep in day. Beth up early and off to Hall to meet Brenda. I up 6:30 - shower; dress; bring in paper. Cook and eat breakfast while reading paper. Beth home and buzzes around doing this and that - then she's off to Sam's to meet Brenda and shop for Hall. I trim beard. Get two silver buckets down for her party. Into office and start blog for today. Work for awhile on latest story. Have microwave hamburger patty for lunch while watching end of The Honkers on Western Channel. Down for nap with Misty. Up to telephone ringing. Beth picks it up so I know she's home. I up and clean up; dress. Check e-mail, etc. Into join Beth at table. She's reading paper. I read comics and little magazine. Crystal eats some canned food. Putz with TV to see if Justified is on yet. Back to sit with Beth. We both into office. I clean up side yard. Back to office; Beth calls Sue: I call Mark. She into kitchen to start dinner. We finally eat - Crystal eats, too. After, she washes her hair; then we watch last Thursday's CSI: Vegas recording. Later ~

Scene from Gene Autry's The Old Corral, with The Sons of the Pioneers - and Roy Rogers, second from right, in a bit part

Grocery shopping after meeting. Home and unload with Brenda's help. Into office and check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Brenda cleans while I work in office. Then I move into living room for TV and lunch. Watch some of The Old Corral, with Gene Autry; plus Roy Rogers in a bit part as one of the Sons of the Pioneers. Brenda leaves. I stop so I can drive up to Dinah Shore and Monterey for a pedicure. Sit beside Beth. She stays for manicure while I run home for dessert and down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail. Clean up side yard. Crystal still has upset intestinal tract. Feed girls. I into office and putz. Beth calls - on her way home. Beth here and we take off for Sam's Club for light shopping, To Yellow Basket for dinner, then home. She works in office so I join her at my desk. Eventually I move to living room, expecting to watch a recording with her. Misunderstanding has her showering and going to bed. Oh well ... I get ready and dive in beside her. Later ~

Theresa and Steve Grippi

Stop for gas on way home from meeting - no Nader. On home where I check e-mail and news sites. Work at computer for awhile (Talk Beth 2 times). Into living room and watch the previous episode of Boardwalk Empire as I realized I missed that episode, too. Make some lunch and watch the end of Whirlwind again because that's what came up on the screen. Into office to catch up. Down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail and recycle bin. Feed girls - Cristal not feeling good - she won't eat; plus she appears to be very tired and has liquid stools. I found that out when I cleaned up side yard. Open mail for Beth. Then back into office where I continue writing about an old friend and mentor. Beth home and we talk. Off to El Paseo for her to shop then we meet Grippis at Tommy Bahamas for dinner. Home and we to bed. Later ~

Lunchtime on Lido Deck


Unable to record on front room TV and recording box.
Stop to say Hi to Nader on way home from meeting. Once home I check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Dive into building a new Christmas List. Beth call several times. I try Time-Warner and they say it's their problem. More name copying. To kitchen and make some lunch. Then I eat while watching TV in dining room. After to office and work a little more. Down for nap with Misty. Up and do some more names. Bring in mail. Feed girls. Clean up side yard. Open mail for Beth. Back to office and continue inputting addresses until I'm finished. Print out the Christmas Labels. It worked! Putz around waiting for Beth. Beth home. We talk briefly. She to office while I make dinner. We eat; then it's The third episode of Sara Palin's Alaska. Sent Hall photo to Grapevine. Later ~

Gail Davis and Gene Autry - stars of Whirlwind
Stop at Office Max on way home from meeting; trying to find an address list program. They weren't much help. Get car washed. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Look for program online. Find a good one and download it. Set it up and begin entering names from our old Christmas List. Make some lunch and eat while watching Gene Autry and Gail Davis in Whirlwind. Stop before it's through and off to nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail. Feed the girls. Open mail for Beth. Clean up side yard. Sweep tile floors. Sit down with new program and enter addresses. Work all afternoon. Beth home. Help her bring things in. We talk; then I make dinner and we eat. After, she washes her hair and I work on Xmas list. We watch Hawaii 5-0. Later ~

Our House Christmas 2010

Straight home after meeting. Check e-mail and news sites with girls and crackers. Try working on Christmas list but bog down and stop to give myself time to think. Beth calls. I to living room and watch today's recording of Lawman. Make a sandwich and eat while viewing. Ice cream for dessert. Watch some of a Gene Autry movie after. UPS letter for Beth comes and I call her. Put envelope on porch for her and down for my nap with Misty (Crystal can't get up on bed anymore). Up and check e-mail. Sam and Dale here to put up Christmas lights. I bring in mail. Open it for Beth. Guys are having trouble with electric out front - call Jay, the electrician - he over and does something. After all lights work, the guys help put up new flags. They leave. I clean up and put away. Turn on all Christmas lights for Beth when she gets home. Into office for awhile. Write here. Getting to be twilight - time to take pic of Christmas lights. Beth home. While she unloads, I shoot pics of house. Help her in. We talk. She to office to write e-mails while I fix dinner. We eat and talk. After dessert we watch CSI: Miami, recorded last night. Trash out. She showers. Later ~

My old High School

Sleep in day. Beth up and off to Hall to meet Brenda. I up at 5:30. Shower and dress; have breakfast with paper. Work on Whiskey Tears edit - get first chapter done. Trim beard. Beth home around 9:00 and we off to Sam's Club to get our Christmas picture made into cards. Head for Palm Springs and the Jensen's BBQ Lobster Fest - fundraiser for local animal shelter. We have lobster and frozen yogurt. Home and do several more chores. Beth starts on my pill boxes and I down for nap with girls. Up and check e-mail and other sites. Into kitchen to sit with Beth and close my pill boxes. She reads Sunday paper. Then she's off to the Hall for Steering Committee Meeting. I stay here and work on some decorations. Into office where I scan some photos; then write here. Beth home. We fix dinner and eat - tamales and salad. To living room and watch Bridezillas. She showers. Later ~

2010 Christmas Card Preview

Grocery shopping after meeting. To CC Albertson's and Sav-On not open. Home and Brenda helps me unload and put away. Back to CC Albertson's and pick up prescription for Bethie. Home and Brenda still cleaning. When she's done we out to shed and bring in Christmas decorations. Beth home and they begin decorating; while I fix Brenda and me some lunch. Brenda and I eat and talk with Beth. After we clean up, we take Christmas Card pictures in back yard with Brenda as photographer. I down for nap with girls while they continue decorating. Beth and Brenda leave for Indio and Tamale Festival as I'm getting up from nap. Out to get mail; feed girls; open mail for Beth. Check e-mail and news sites. They back and Beth makes test salad for Brenda to taste. Then we all sit down and have tamales and salad. Brenda leaves. Talk to Mark Rizzo. He fell off ladder today while putting up outside lights - broke his leg in two places. Beth showers. Later ~

USS Missouri, from the USS Arizona Monument

Straight home from meeting. Check e-mail and news sites with crackers and girls. Off to Palm Desert Imaging place to get a scan of my kidney. Stop at Ace for Christmas light hangers. On to Beth's place of employment to deliver her paper (wasn't there when we left this morning); Sam, Brenda, Dale there helping put up Christmas decorations. Home to wait for Joel's guy, Mark, to deliver new copier-fax-scanner. He shows and installs the machine. Quite late so I have some fruit and down for nap with girls. Up and out to get mail. Fed girls. Open mail for Beth. Try to watch recording - no record. Clean up side yard. Work at computer. Beth home. I fix dinner and we eat. Then we watch last night's recording of CSI: Las Vegas. Later ~

With our King's Room servers aboard MS Zaandam

Leave meeting early to do a blood draw at Country Club and Monterey clinic. Stop for gas at Nader's - we talk for several minutes. Home and check e-mail and news sites. Have snack with girls. Guy by to show off our pool. Jimmy George calls and we talk for awhile. Call Beth and we talk. Work some more at computer. Into living room and watch today's recording of Lawman while eating a sandwich. Follow with some of a Gene Autry western. Make an appointment for today with Xerox repairman. Down for nap with Misty. Up and bring in mail. Feed girls. Open mail for Beth. Work in office. Beth home. Help her bring in her stuff. Talk for awhile. She to office while I cook dinner. We eat; then it's NCIS recorded last night. She gets cramp in shower. Takes half a pill. Has something to do with the cold an her arthritis. Both to bed. Later ~