Friday Funnies

 Hi,

I am having problems posting photos into the Blogger program.  I'll keep working on it and repost with the photos sometime this weekend, I hope.  Thanks.

The overnight temps seem to be warming, making the possibility of a warmer pool a reality.  Now all we need is cleaner air to breath during the exertion.  Yeah, life is hard sometimes (555).

The ‘Jazzy Wednesday’ tune was “Honeysuckle Rose”, written by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf in 1929.  Here is a clip of Ella Fitzgerald singing with Count Bassie and friends in ’79.  The vocal begins at about 1:44, it’s wonderful stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PMB-wgHM4Y   Now, time for ‘Old School Friday’:  “Tonight you’re mine completely.  You give you love so sweetly.  Tonight the light of love is in your eyes.  But __ __ __ __ __?”  Hint:  This was a major hit by an R&B ‘Girl Group’ before anyone knew about the writer, who also had a hit with it.  It’s asking: ‘Is this a one night thing?’  Easy.

This morning we went back to our old favorite, The Wanderer, with JaiDee.  As we entered the main patio we were greeted by Mercy, who had trouble getting JaiDee’s attention.  He was too focused on his girlfriend, Khwan.  Mercy and I howled a bit and I think JaiDee acknowledged her before we went to our table.  The air in the woods seemed much cleaner smelling than the air at home when we returned.  Maybe we need to spend more time in the woods.  Maybe they need to stop lighting fires.

Today, Natcha had to go to Mae Lao on business so we had to get our own lunch.  Pitiful, I know.  When it got close to lunch time, Lisa called Sabroso and ordered our new favorite:  Chimichangas.  Lunch was a big success (555).  

Our air quality was actually better today.  The level is called ‘Moderate’ during the day.  This evening it went back to ‘Unhealthy’.  We were hoping the clouds might bring a cleansing rain, but the winds blew them away.  Tomorrow’s another day.  It could be better.

Tomorrow we’ll have a Graduation dinner with Cat and Noom.  We’re really quite proud of her and how she stayed consistent in her studies through the five years of university life.  It wasn’t all easy, but she did what was necessary.  

The last photo of the week is JaiDee giving us a serious ‘I.D. Card’ pose.  Natcha caught a great moment here.

The health agencies here keep track of two separate numbers when counting the covid cases.  One number is for those cases that were generated from within the local community, the other is what comes in with new arrivals.  This way they can better track the progress being made in controlling an outbreak.  They are stating that they are feeling confident, whatever that means.  The numbers are going down slowly.  There is also an increase in the pressure to reopen the country to travelers.  Caution and patience still seem to be winning the real battle.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.        Time for the ‘Funnies’.

                          Peace,

                                    Danny

Enemy

 Hi,

The weather is staying mostly the same as far as the temperatures go.  The big ‘weather’ issue is the pollution  from burning crop waste, that seems to be treated like it’s something necessary; it’s not.  The effects of the ‘smog’ are starting to be seen and felt.  The clouds today didn’t help the matter, but only held the bad air in place.

A couple of readers named the ‘Jazzy Wednesday’ tune.  This song was first introduced in ‘Load of Coal’, a musical revue.  “Don’t buy sugar, you just have to touch my cup, you’re my sugar, it’s so sweet when you stir it up.  When I’m taking sips  from your tasty lips, seems like the honey fairly drips.  You’re confection, goodness knows, __ __.”  Clue:  The title is a name, combining a sweet tasting plant and a sweetheart.

This morning we took JaiDee to Polar Coffee Shop and Bakery for a visit with John.  It was his first time going there and he was very cool.  After the usual sniff around the grounds, he settled down at the table.  Even his greeting with John was a lot less boisterous than in the past.  We were fortunate to get the one table that was in the shade.  These visits seem to average about one and a half hours when we get together and the time just flies by.  JaiDee is the timekeeper.  When he starts getting restless, it’s close to time to go.  This morning we took a large Kong toy stuffed with frozen treats with us and that kept him occupied for at least 20 minutes, and it’s much healthier than a rawhide bone.  

This was to be the day we got our main air/con serviced.  We made the usual preparations and relocated in the guest room.  When the time passed and they hadn’t shown, Lisa called the service manager and we were given a new time.  That time elapsed and we changed it to next week.  It brought back memories, hanging out downstairs with JaiDee and now TongTong, trying to keep them busy and him off the bed.  For some reason, he thought he should be able to stand up with his front paws on the bed, like a person.  Maybe since he gets to do this at the kitchen sink when Nitchanan goes to school, he thinks it’s a thing.

Today’s photo is from the ‘Natcha Collection’.  Both dogs posing for a portrait.

This evening, while walking around the outside of the house, JaiDee caught up to me and decided to walk along the deck of the pool.  Somehow, he got to close to the edge and fell in.  He does not like the pool, so he started scrambling, trying to get out.  He was just this side of panic when he put his front legs on the deck and gave me a look of desperation.  I reached down and pulled him enough so he could get a hind leg up.  He took off at first, then calmed down.  Lisa washed him off and he zoomed around the yard.  Later, he returned to the deck and walked along, making mental notes of what went wrong.  Now the question is, does he want to try swimming?  More will be revealed.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                        Peace,

                                  Danny

“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance,

allied with power, is the most ferocious

enemy justice can have.”

~James Baldwin

Comeback

 Hi,

The sky was hazier today than yesterday.  The hill to the west is getting more ‘vague’ every day.  I guess by the weekend it will have disappeared.  There is also a forecast for possible rain later this week, so there is hope.  

This week’s ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb.  It’s time for another dose of ‘Jazzy Wednesday’.

“Ev’ry honeybee fills with jealousy when they see you out with me.  I don’t blame them, goodness knows, __ __.  When you’re passin’ by, flowers drop and sigh and I know the reason why.  You’re much sweeter goodness knows, __ __.”  Hint:  The title could be a name, or a flower, or a person.  The music was written (1929) by a prolific ‘stride’ style piano player and the lyrics are by a collaborator on several hits. 

Our morning adventure was an early trip to Bangkok Hospital for Lisa to have blood tests.  Everything is great and her doctors are very happy.  There were specific things that improved and that’s cause for big smiles.  She had to fast overnight, which meant she was very hungry when we left the hospital.  We ended up coming home and relaxing before lunch.

While we were gone, Natcha took the dogs out for their morning exercise and ended up doing a photo shoot.  I’ll be posting photos of dogs for a while.  Here’s JaiDee shaking a paw.

This afternoon, after our nap, we went to ArtBridge to pick up Lisa’s artwork from the last exhibit, and leave a piece for the next exhibit.  We took JaiDee along with us for the ride.  On the way home we stopped at Browney Pet World for treats and vitamins.  JaiDee was on his best behavior and had fun sniffing the lower shelves of treats.  

I spoke with a friend of mine in Chiang Mai and he said the air there is getting bad.  In past years, he would fly down to Hua Hin, a beach town we went to a few years ago.  This year it’s hard to ‘escape’ because of the virus.  It’s going to be a different kind of lock-down for some folks.  We will do what we did last year.  Masks and air filters and staying inside.  Not so fun, but it works.

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.    Don’t forget to wear your mask, even if you got the shot.  Patience wins.

                              Peace,

                                        Danny

“I’m always making a comeback

but nobody ever tells me where

I’ve been.”

~Billie Holiday

Mad

Hi,

The weather conversation around our house is about the air quality, or lack thereof.  It’s different than the air when the neighbors burn their stinky trash.  This smoke is the stuff that paints the horizon with browns and oranges.  It’s March and therefore, we must burn the crop residue.  Not true, but traditional.  Hmm.

The ‘Easy Monday’ song is one we’ve been puzzled by before.  Many of you knew it then, a few now.  Here’s more:

“__, thank you for the sunshine bouquet.  __, thank you for the love you’ve brought my way.  You gave to me your all and all, now I feel ten feet tall.  __, one so true, I love you.”  Clue:  The title relates to the thing that shines during the day.  

Today was our ‘At Home’ day.  The routine of the Big Brown House was only altered when Cat came over this afternoon after school.  She is at the end, the five year journey is basically over.  She just has to finish out her internship at the school (next month) and she’s done.  She is so happy.  Saturday we will take Cat and Noom to Sizzler for dinner to celebrate her graduation.  When she first arrived, JaiDee went into his usual puppy freak-out, and TongTong scolded him by barking at him for barking at Cat.  Very interesting.  Once the dust settled, the kitchen was filled with several conversations at once.  Nitchanan was talking to Cat, Natcha was talking to Cat, Cat was talking to Nitchanan and we were trying to jump in from time-to-time.  Home sweet home.

The photo for today was taken the last time we were at Chivit Thamma Da.  The table next to us was being prepared for a special reservation and the napkins caught my eye.  So that’s why some places use starched napkins, to make origami birds and stuff.  Personally, I hate the way they feel on my mouth.

A few days ago Nitchanan decided that she was going to go swimming even though the water was very cold.  She would go in, scream, get out, then go back in.  Today was day three of the swimming saga and she appears to be used to the cold water.  She is really into swimming, with the aid of her floatation harness.  She dives off the second step and swims in her style.  So much energy, it’s just amazing.  

The reported virus cases gets lower each day in Thailand.  Today, only 42 reported.  Feeling hopeful.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                            Peace,

                                      Danny

“I have walked into the palaces of

kings and queens and into the houses

of presidents.  And much more.  But

I could not walk into a hotel in America

and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad.”

~Josephine Baker 

Blues

Hi,

Our weekend weather was a little different.  We has some cloudy, cool mornings, but they didn’t last.  The days ended up being in the 90+ neighborhood.  Sadly, today we had unhealthy air.  They’re at it again.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “I’m All Shook Up” by Elvis Presley.  Now, a really easy ‘Easy Monday’ song for you:

“__, yesterday my life was filled with rain.  __, you smiled at me and really eased the pain.  Now the dark days are done, and the bright days are here, my __ one shines so sincere.  __, one so true, I love you.”  Hint: The title is a name that is also a weather condition.  It’s from the ’60’s.

Saturday morning we met Caty and her girls at The Wanderer for lunch. The twins (Taeyo and Jaiya) plus their half sister (NamKing) presented me with a birthday card that Taeyo made, and a Sor-Au (pronounced Saw).  It’s a two-stringed instrument played with a bow, in a vertical position.  The girls wandered off soon after the ‘presentation’ and returned to give their food orders.  They found a nearby table and made that their base of operation.  It was interesting, they created the ‘kids table’ on their own.  That left us older people to talk about things like ‘the times’, including all the ‘what ifs’ of possible international travel in the future, etc.  Every now and then one of the girls would pop over and bring along some witty, silly something that would crack us up.  All in all, it was a delightful outing.

In the afternoon, Eric came over to see the tree he had installed several years ago in memory of Blue.  He was surprised at how well it’s doing.  He brought along a bouquet of flowers that liven up the dining room table.  We went out in the front yard and he took some photos of us with the tree.  Then we went into the back and enjoyed the shade, some cold water and the green space.  

Sunday morning JaiDee got a bath.  It’s his least favorite thing to do, but he’s getting more and more tolerant as time goes by.  You can see in this photo, that he’s not going to be a ‘Big Dog’, which is fine with us.  The kid is all muscle.

We went to the Talat (market) for some around the house things and on the way in, one has to pass several fabric stores.  We’ve done pretty good at resisting many meters of material, but Sunday we saw a pattern that screamed ‘Bedspread’, so we bought some.  Today we took it to Khun Orn, with measurements.  She’ll call when it’s finished and we’ll have another motif for the room.  

Have a Wonderful Week.

                             Peace,

                                       Danny

“I merely took the energy it takes to pout 

and wrote some blues."

~Duke Ellington

Friday Funnies

 Hi,

The weather today started off cooler than yesterday morning, which led us to believe that something had shifted.  All was not lost, it got hot right on schedule.  

The ‘Jazzy Wednesday’ tune was “Night and Day”, written by Cole Porter, first sung by Fred Astaire and made famous by Frank Sinatra.  So, time for an ‘Old School Friday’ song that’s not as old as the last tune, but still old.

“Uh, well, a-bless my soul what’s wrong with me?  I’m itching like a man on a fuzzy tree.  My friends say I’m actin’ wild as a bug.  I’m in love.  __ __ __ __.  Mm, ooh, yeah, yeah.” Hint:  It’s from 1957.  Think sideburns, bell bottoms, and someone trembling with love.

Today was Makha Bucha Day.  It commemorates a time in Buddhist history when 1,250 Buddhists spontaneously came together to pay tribute to the Buddha.  It has become a festival for the community to reaffirm their commitment to Buddhism.  Schools were closed and it is a widely celebrated holiday.  We went to the mall when it opened, to get a jump on the crowd.  We had a short list of things to get and got all but one thing.  While we were in Top’s Market we saw our friend Eric and made a date for him to come over and see the tree he donated in Blue’s memory.  He hasn’t seen it in quite a long time.  As we were leaving the mall I noticed several monks being escorted into the mall.  It was a day for folks to make merit and possibly take a monk to lunch or shop for essentials.  

The number of Covid cases in Thailand is going down every day.  This means that the testing and tracing are having the desired effect.  Chiang Rai is still free of the virus, but still being very careful.  As soon as the vaccines get circulated in the problem areas, we should see a major improvement.

Tomorrow we are meeting our friend Caty and her twins at The Wanderer for what will either be late coffee or early lunch, or both (555).  We’ve been trying to schedule something since my birthday.  It’s always fun to hang with the twins, who are evolving into their own styles.  So cool to watch kids express themselves.  

Today’s photo is the last of the bunch from Rai Mae Farluang.  I don’t know much about this giant tree, except that it’s very big and stately.

Have a Wonderful WeekEnd.   Time for the ‘Funnies’.

                            Peace,

                                      Danny

Hair

 Hi,

We’re in that ‘feels like summer’ weather, with highs in the mid 90’s, and the pool getting warmer every day.  Look out, it’s almost time to inflate the toys and the pink swan (555).

The ‘Jazzy Wednesday’ tune got a lot of responses, meaning you know more old stuff than you thought.  Verse two:

“__ __ __, why is it so, that this longin’ for you follows wherever I go?  In the roarin’ traffic’s boom, in the silence of my lonely room.  I think of you __ __ __.”  Clue:  It was written in ’32 by a very famous writer.  The first recording was by a tap dancer and the lyrics let us know that love can blur time.

This was the day I heard the results of my audio hearing test.  With all of the tests and investigations into parts of my health, I am learning to turn off the ‘what if’ channel and listen to ‘radio wait and see’.  We went to The Wanderer for coffee and roti and then cruised up to Bangkok Hospital for a 10am appointment.  The doctor looked at the graph and it’s squiggly lines that meant nothing to me.  She smiled and told me that my hearing was actually good for someone my age.  Hmm, there was that phrase again.  I guess it’s time to start believing them.  She kept telling me that there was nothing unusual going on.  She gave a few tips on hearing someone behind me, and also mentioned not going to ‘pubs’ where they play loud music.  We assured her that we didn’t do that anyway.  When we left, I felt like I was 15 pounds lighter, had a spring in my step, blah, blah, blah.  Life is good.

This afternoon we were hanging out before dinner.  JaiDee and Nitchanan were playing.  She runs and he chases.  At one point, he grabbed his ball as he chased her down the hall.  Today’s photo was taken during a rest period.

If you look closely, you can see TongTong under the table.  She is becoming a wonderful member of the family.  She has been going on our evening walks around the outside of the house.  It started with her lasting a few times around, and now she does the whole 40 minutes, with a few rest breaks.  She is also learning to walk on a leash.  It’s interesting to watch her as she tries to work with us.  When she gets more confident on the leash we might be able to begin some socialization away from the house.  I have a feeling that she’d love to go for car rides and visit places like The Wanderer.  Time will tell.

Have a Thrilling Thursday.      Please continue to be careful.

                                Peace,

                                          Danny

“Prejudice is like a hair across your cheek.

You can’t see it, you can’t find it with your fingers,

but you keep brushing at it because the feel of it

is irritating.”

~Marian Anderson