Lead

Hi,

If you’re keeping track, it was even warmer today than yesterday.  This is about the time we start looking at California temperatures while deciding on clothes to take on our trip.  Looks like the ‘Winter gear’ for our two days in Palo Alto, and our Chiang Rai clothes for Southern Calif.  

“__ __, a 54 convertible too, light blue.  I’ll wait up for you dear, __ __, so hurry down the chimney tonight.  Think of all the fun I’ve missed, think of all the fellas that I haven’t kissed.  Next year I could be just as good, if you’ll check off my Christmas list.  __ __, I wanna yacht, and really that’s not a lot.  Been singing angels all  year, __ __, so hurry down the chimney tonight.”

This morning, while we were talking to Lisa’s dad Joe, Gong took the van to the DMV and renewed the registration.  After we talked to Joe, we called New Zealand and talked with her brother Dan.  It was a bit of a Skype day.  Everyone is doing great and for a moment, the world seemed a little smaller.  Tomorrow we talk with our friends Stephen and Claire in Tasmania.  

JaiDee has decided on 5:20am as his regular wake-up time.  The interesting thing is, he doesn’t want to go outside, or eat right away, he wants to be petted.  That’s when he’s at his best.  This gentle soul who just wants to be close and feel a hand stroking his head and scratching behind his ears.  But understand, he’s still a puppy and the mood can change at any time.  An interesting thing happened this afternoon:  Somehow, he found the kitchen door ajar and just strolled out into the yard.  Lisa didn’t see him and called for him outside and he came bounding from behind the pool with a happy look on his face.  He was just exploring on his own.  We’re thinking this might be something to let him do in small doses, just to get to know the whole yard.  

Our morning ‘street plan’ was to get some coffee and then visit our friends at Teppawan Art Supply.  At Work@Home we had a fun time with Katai, the co-owner, talking mostly about dogs and looking at photos.  It sounds like she and her husband Towan are getting closer to getting a puppy.  

As we approached the art supply store we noticed a pick-up truck with flashing red lights (Police) in front of the shop.  There are signs stating the days of the week and which side of the street you can park.  There must be a new sheriff in town because the side we usually use was empty, except for one motorbike and it was being scrutinized by the pick-up truck.  Around the block there was no parking so we just drove home.  Tomorrow will be the side we like anyway (555).

Natcha and Nitchanan went Christmas caroling tonight with a group from their church.  They’ll go again tomorrow night as well.  Nitchanan will probably really enjoy herself.  

The English teaching school where Cat has been working part-time has closed it’s doors.  When she found out they were going out of business, she filled out some applications and now has a job teaching part-time at the YMCA.  She likes the structure and the management so it should be good for her.  

After the evening walk and the running across the lawn, JaiDee was still full of energy.  The upstairs bedroom is not a good place for a full-of-energy dog of any age.  The toy in this photo worked for a little while.  Here, in the photo below, he’s perched himself on the shelf that Daku used to rest on when he was a tiny puppy.  Hmm.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                        Peace,

                                  Danny

“To lead people walk behind them.”

~Lao Tzu

Run

Hi,

Happy days are here again (555).  It’s really getting warmer.  As directed by my brother, who lives in Colorado, I will stop complaining about the cold.  As he put it, "The ‘Hawk’ ain’t Thai”.  If you don’t know about The Hawk, we’ll have a lesson soon.

The ‘Old School Friday’ tune was “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, by Chicago.  Probably one of the longer song titles in those days.  Time for a change of pace, and some ‘Holiday’ songs.  We’ll kick off ‘Easy Monday’ with a classic:  “__ __, just slip a sable under the tree, for me.  Been an awful good girl, __ __, so hurry down the chimney tonight.”  Hint:  This early ‘novelty’ song became the singer’s most famous hit.  It was written in 1953, for the singer.

Things I forgot to explain:  Friday I mentioned that I would be celebrating a milestone in my Recovery, but didn’t tell you what that meant.  Well, on January 5, I will have been Clean and in Recovery for 30 years. 

Saturday morning we went to the mall for some shopping and walked into a big surprise.  A huge tree filled the entrance part of the lobby.  There were also big decorations all around the walkways.  The first photo shows the ‘tunnel of lights’, and in the second, I’m in there with a polar bear.

Sunday we had lunch at The Wanderer.  It felt a little odd without the puppy, but sometimes the adult humans need time alone.  We were all set to have dinner at Sawadee Restaurant, in the night Bazaar, but they were closed.  We opted to dine at Connect Cafe, a place we’ve known since we moved here.  It’s run by a husband and wife team who lured us in with yummy brownies and cool jazz.  We talked with the husband and asked about their twins (boy and girl).  He told us they are now in grade 4 and doing great.  On our return through the Night Bazaar we saw our friends Susan and Noy and their visiting relatives.  

Today we shopped for food in the morning and had massages from Khun Jin in the afternoon.  I got my first 2 hour massage from Jin and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be.  When it was over I felt very relaxed all over.  A few annoying aches were gone and I’ll probably want another round midway through our visit to the States.  Oh well (555).

Have a Great Week.

                   Peace,

                             Danny

“Let not your mind run on what 

you lack, as much as on what you 

have already.”

~Marcus Aurelius

Friday Funnies

Hi,

The weather in Chiang Rai is on a warming trend.  There’s still a bite in the air in the morning, but it’s ‘leaving’ sooner than before.

The ‘Zany Day’ song was “25 Or 6 To 4”, by Chicago.  A serious case of ‘writer’s block’.  Time for ‘Old School Friday’ from their first LP, when they were Chicago Transit Authority.  Hope it brings back memories.  “As I was walking down the street one day, a man came up to me and asked me what the time was that was on my watch, yeah.  And I said, ‘__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, I don’t know, does anybody really care?  If so, I can’t imagine why, we’ve all got time enough to cry, oh no, no.”  Hint:  There is a giant hint in there, but it’s about the status of the passage of something.  Hmm.

Today was moving day, but first there was coffee with John at Chivit Thamma Da.  We discussed everything from how our pets have control of the house to the status of health care to a few whispered comments about politics (555).  We have fun sharing experiences as expats, with comparisons to that ‘other life’ when appropriate.  

We have been living in our downstairs guest room for 3 months and it was time to return to the proverbial nest.  About a week after JaiDee came home we realized that he was getting too big to carry up and down the stairs.  He could make the climb himself, but it wasn’t good for his young joints and muscles.  Now that he is a stronger dog, and he doesn’t have to go outside nearly as often, we’re ready for a change.  Cat came over after lunch and helped us carry everything that had accumulated in the guest room to the upstairs room.  There was more than we remembered.  It’s so nice, being back in our real living quarters.  What made the whole thing easier was the fact that JaiDee prefers to sleep in the kitchen for his naps and overnight.  

We’re at that point in our prep for the Winter Visit that there are several lists being addressed.  After 12 years of this, leaving home for 3 weeks still feels like a lifetime.  Making sure that Gong and Natcha have what they need to keep things going, that JaiDee will continue to be spoiled, and that we are taking enough warm clothes.  There’s also the list of people and places we want to see.  We know what to do, it’s the ‘thinking about it’ that can trip one up.  There is also the fact that the last week of our trip, I will be celebrating a major milestone, in my eyes, in my Recovery.  So, on the one hand one must plan ahead, and on the other, one must try to stay in the ‘now’.  

Today’s photo was taken in 2016, right down the road from our house in a little inlet of the Kok River.  We don’t know how everyone knew, but the word got out fast.  One day a year this happened, then it stopped.  I guess the fish stopped coming.  

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

                       Peace,

                                 Danny

Suffering

Hi,

I’m happy to report that it’s actually getting warmer.  That’s not to say the we have shed the winter wear just yet.  Getting up in the morning is still shocking.  Daytime feels like summer.  This could make one crazy.

The ‘Zany Day’ song has a few fans out there.  It’s not what it appears to be; perhaps a search for inspiration.

“Staring blindly into space, getting up to splash my face.  Wanting just to stay awake, wondering how much I can take.  Should I try to do some more?  __ __ __ __ __….Searching for something to say, waiting for the break of day, __ __ __ __ __.”  Clue:  Time is an element in the title.

This morning JaiDee was raring to go at 5:40am.  So much for theories about sleep patterns and puppies.  Last night he had more sleep than the night before, but woke up earlier.  He did manage to take a nap after breakfast and all of us got up around 8.  Having Natcha back gives us the option of leaving JaiDee at home when we need to run errands.  Today was a day like that.  

After coffee at The Wanderer, we drove up to ArtBridge so Lisa could repair the mounting on a painting that will be in the annual Artists Exhibition later this month.  From there we went to Bangkok Hospital for a check-in with her doctor.  Things are going well and he dismissed us with no charge.  There are little ‘wafer’ style batteries that are used in some newer products, like scales, etc.  We stopped at Mega  to see if they had any, but no.  Down the highway a few minutes and we were at Makro, the Costco of Thailand.  It used to be our main store for quantities, but lately we’ve been buying things from different sources.  Today it was just a few items and even though the place was a zoo, we found an empty check-out lane and got out with our sanity.  This store supplies a lot of mom and pop markets in the surrounding villages and people go to check out with carts piled high with merchandise.

That was enough of a day right there, but there was more.  This afternoon we took JaiDee to the vet.  As soon as we walked in the door the staff were greeting him by name.  They never say ‘Hi’ to us.  It was like ‘Cheers’, if you’re that old.  A sample was taken to see why he is still itching so much.  It is a bacterial infection, apparently a mystery, so we came home with more meds for the puppy.  One of them will help with the itching while the other one kills the infection.  The scales revealed what seemed obvious to us, JaiDee is growing.  He weighs 19.4 kilos, or 42 lbs. and it’s all muscle. 

The moon is full and that’s all you need to know.  It might explain some of the odd behavior we’ve encountered on the road and at home today (555).

Today’s photo was taken at The Wanderer.  

Have a Thrilling Thursday.

                       Peace,

                                 Danny

“Although the world is full of

suffering, it is also full of the

overcoming of it.”

~Helen Keller

Day

Hi,

The cold is still with us.  The worst time is the overnight ‘shift’.  Daytime temps are in the 70’s, but it’s those mid 40’s, low 50’s that require layers of clothing.  All around town, small fires can be seen right off the street, with people gathered around for warmth.  Many homes in the villages are not built to withstand these low temperatures.  

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was “Saturday In The Park” by Chicago.  Here’s a ‘Zany Day’ tune from the band:

“Waiting for the break of day.  Searching for something to say.  Flashing lights against the sky.  Giving up I close my eyes.  Sitting crossed-legged on the floor, __ __ __ __ __.”  Hint: There are a bunch of numbers involved.

We spent the day at the house.  Khun Naa, the pool guy, comes on Wednesday and since we had to let him in and out, we just stayed home.  JaiDee slept all night, until 6:20am.  The little break for food during his evening marathon sleep made all the difference.  He was a pretty good dog until this evening.  He slept all afternoon and woke up ready to terrorize the world.  As we were coming home from his walk we noticed the moon.  Tomorrow is supposed to be the official full night, but this moon was clearly tugging at a certain puppy brain.  

We didn’t notice until late afternoon, but ‘The Little Family’ returned from their trip to Mae Sai.  They knew we were taking our nap so they didn’t disturb us.  Our clue that they were back was Natcha’s singing to JaiDee.  Nitchanan was very excited to tell us that she brought us gifts.  Natcha told us we should open them, since we could use them now.  Later, after the walk, we opened our gifts.  Lisa now has some warm pajamas and I have a pair of very cozy slippers.  The timing couldn’t be better.  

Gong washed all of their shoes after the trip and set them in the sun to dry.  Today’s photo is:  Shoes in the Sun.

Tomorrow is doctor day and Friday is coffee day.  We’ve given them these names because that’s the nature of the days.  JaiDee is still itching, so we’re taking him for consultation.  It will also be nice to know how much he weighs these days.  Lisa’s just going for a check-up.  On Friday we’re having coffee with our friend John in the morning,

and n the afternoon Brenda is coming to the house for coffee.  I guess we could call Friday ‘American Expat Coffee Day’, but we won’t (555).

Feels like a Wacky Wednesday.

                      Peace,

                                Danny

“When someone is impatient and 

says, ‘I haven’t got all day,’ I always

wonder, how can that be?  How can you 

not have all day?”

~George Carlin

See

Hi,

It’s still cold here in Chiang Rai.  We had a high of 77°F and a low last night of 45.  Now they tell us we’re on a slow climb to more comfortable temps.  It will continue to be ‘cold’ until the end of January, according to the Bangkok Post.  

This ‘Easy Monday’ tune reminds me of the Love Ins of the 60’s, only on the East Coast.  The band is named after a city known for it’s wind.  “Another day __ __ __, I think it was the Fourth of July.  Another day __ __ __, I think it was the Fourth of July.  People talking, really smiling, a man playing guitar (play a song, play a song, play on), singing for us all.  Will you help him change the world?  Can you dig it (yes, I can).  And I’ve been waiting such a long time, for today.”  Clue:  Where is a likely place for a picnic to be held?

Last night Mr. JaiDee went to sleep after all the exercise.  Normally, we wake him up around 9:45pm for a tiny meal and then he might sleep until 5+am.  Last night he didn’t want to wake up so he just slept, until 4:20am.  Should have made him get up.  Tonight we’ll make sure he stays awake before his big crash (555).

This morning we went to The Wanderer for coffee, roti and ice.  When we enter the property, JaiDee routinely turns toward the gate to the apartments where the family lives, looking for Mercy.  Today they were all sitting around the ‘Winter Fire’, as I call it, and when they saw JaiDee a big welcome from everyone surprised him.  Mercy ran over and they started playing before we even had time to order our coffee.  Joey wanted to join in, but he still has to take it easy.  Once inside, Kwan, Kern and their brother Khun joined us and played with JaiDee.  Mercy wasn’t getting enough attention so she came to us and the whole thing was a doggie love fest.  The coffee and roti saved us from the animals (555).

On the first night of ‘The Cold’, Lisa draped a towel over JaiDee while he slept.  He left it there for a long time and then kicked it off, but so cute.

This evening, after dinner, JaiDee was acting like a brat.  In the bedroom he went into The Zoomies and raced around and surprised us by jumping up on the bed.  We thought it was too tall for him, but there he was, up on the edge.  He did it twice, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke.  Now we have that to contend with.  Beds are off limits, no exceptions.  Hmm, there must be a training video that covers this.

In less than two weeks we will start our trek to the States.  There are still plenty of things to do, get, fix, etc.  Oh yes, and decide, as in whether to move back upstairs to our ‘real’ bedroom, or wait until we return.  Meanwhile, the coffee dates are starting to appear on the calendar.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                         Peace,

                                   Danny

“There are three classes of people:

those who see, those who see when they

are shown, and those who do not see.”

~Leonardo da Vinci

Can't

Hi,

The weather in a word: Cold!  We got that low of 45°F that everyone was forecasting.  It did warm up today, to somewhere in the 70s.  So we’re in the 30° swing thing again.  This year it’s a little more extreme.  

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Drown In My Own Tears” by Ray Charles.  ‘Easy Monday’ should ring a bell:

“__ __ __ __, I think it was the Fourth of July.  __ __ __ __, I think it was the Fourth of July.  People dancing, people laughing, a man selling ice cream singing Italian songs.  ‘Eh cumpari, ci vo sunari’ can yoiui dig it (yes, I can).  And I’ve been waiting such a long time for __.”  Hint:  A day of the week is involved, and a group with a big horn section.

The big news at The Big Brown House is that JaiDee likes to sleep in the kitchen.  It began with putting him in there one day during ‘nap time’.  He barked once and went to sleep.  Then we tried it last night and he crashed and didn’t wake up until 5:20am.  This is wonderful, we don’t have to feel tethered to the puppy and it turns out, he likes it.  Could this mean he’s growing even more?  Oh my.  On another note, since we put the ring in the front of his halter, the walks are much better, with less pulling.  

Natcha, Nitchanan and Gong are in Mae Sai for a few days.  It’s time for Gong to take Chopper for a vet visit.  He has grown up to be a big dog with much better manners than when he lived here.  When I asked Nitchanan how he was she spread her arms and said “Big”.  Natcha made us a bunch of food so we can feed ourselves during her absence.  

Saturday night we were going to go to “Walking Street”, something we haven’t done in years.  "Walking Street” is a weekly event that involves closing off a main street that stretches across town for many blocks.  Vendors from Chiang Rai and all around the province set up booths and sell handmade items as well as commercial goods.  There is a whole section of ethnic food and music, and the crowd travels up one side and down the other, as if caught in a tide.   Our plan was to park nearby, then take a Tuk-Tuk to the actual street, and then get a ride back to the van after we were done.  Just approaching the area was a little intimidating.  The traffic was very heavy.  We decided to check out the Night Bazaar first, and see if many vendors were there.  That turned out to be a good decision, with a lot less stress.  We saw our friends, and did a lot of the shopping we needed to do.  

This morning we went to The Wanderer for coffee and the staff were all wrapped up in warm outfits.  They are basically working outside, so the morning part of their shift is pretty cold.  They had even dressed the cats in sweaters.   Below is one of the cutest pics.

Have a Great Week.

                        Peace,

                                  Danny

“My dear friend, clear your mind

of ‘can’t’”.

~Samuel Johnson