Thursday 9th May 2019.....lots of walking!!

Woke up again to a cool day with overcast skies.....after breakfast and amusing Izzie for a while...I went out for my long walk through a different neighbourhood...

When I came back Gracie and I tried to play cards but little Izzie was not thrilled with that idea..

It did get a tad warmer and Gracie dressed up little Izzie and I took her for my first stroller walk.....

She was so good looking at everything and then often glancing at me....after a while this happened...

She woke up and never did cry...we were gone nearly 90 minutes and I think she really enjoyed the time out!!

Came back and had tea and a rest before I went to pick up Jonah from day care....today we went grocery shopping...

He loved this cart!!!

He also loved seeing these outside the store....

I was tired tonight and Gracie and I watched some Tv before she went up to watch her show and I watched a live hockey game!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Wednesday 8th May 2019...babysitting week two!!!

Up early this morning starting our day of Baby sitting......after Izzie was fed and pamper change Gracie went to the grocery store and I stayed home and watched Izzie..she was really good for me...

When Gracie came back I went for my long walk and found this lovely scene only a five minute walk from the house...

These a ten minute walk away..

Now I need to find someone to play with!!!

We are going to get the stroller set up for tomorrow so we can take the baby out for some fresh air..

I watched another amazing live soccer game this afternoon..that has been two fantastic games two days in a row!!!

We celebrated Jonah’s third birthday tonight......

He was a really good boy and loved his cake!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Tuesday 7th May 2019....relaxing!!!!

Really a quiet day spent spelling off with watching Izzie whilst Emily and Gracie went out for lunch.

I did watch an amazing live soccer game from England..

Went and picked up Jonah and took him to the park...

The day went by quickly and now I am settling down to watch a hockey game.

This was sent to me by my friend Chris....I had never even heard of this word before!!!!

 

PARAPROSDOKIANS

I had to look up "paraprosdokian." Here is the definition:

"Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation." "Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

Ok, so now enjoy!

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed w ith you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

 12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

 13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

 14. *Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

 *15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

 16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

 18. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

 19. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

 20. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

 21. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

 22. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

 23. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

 24. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

 25. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

 26. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

 27. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

 28. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.

 29. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water

Yashi Kochi!!!!

Monday 6th May 2019......out into the country!!

This is an interesting article taken from the Inter about Mexico’s new President!!

Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected in July and took office on 1 December

When Mexico's populist presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected by a landslide in July, some analysts warned that he could quickly lose support once in office, especially if he failed to deliver on his ambitious promise of delivering a "radical transformation" of his country.

Four months after his swearing-in, his approval ratings range between 60% and 86% and are the envy of many other leaders in the hemisphere.

But how has the 65 year old commonly referred to as Amlo fared so far and what problems has he been able to tackle?

Just weeks into the top job, Amlo announced that he had launched an operation to fight widespread theft from oil pipelines, a nationwide problem costing the Mexican state about $3bn (£2.3bn) each.

Fuel thieves have ruptured pipelines which in some cases has led to deadly explosions

Besides deploying thousands of troops in the operation, his government also shut down major oil pipelines that criss-cross the country. Almost immediately, shortages of fuel in major cities were reported, causing massive queues at petrol stations.

Nevertheless, polls showed Mexicans supported the crackdown, and normal fuel supply has since been restored.

Official figures suggest the move has significantly reduced the amount of oil being illegally siphoned off daily, from 81,000 barrels in November of 2018 to 4,000 in the first months of 2019.

"We joined forces, and we worked together and we were able to make progress," he said in a speech marking his 100 days in office.

'Peace and love' for Trump

In spite of early predictions of an impending bruising ideological clash between the US and Mexican leaders, Mr López Obrador has insisted that he wants relations with President Donald Trump to remain on a friendly footing.

Amlo has sought an attitude of "peace and love" towards his northern neighbour despite recent public threats by Mr Trump that he would "close the border" with Mexico if the Mexican government failed to stop Central American migrants reaching the United States.

Mexican officials estimate some 900,000 migrants - mostly from Central America - will make their way through Mexico towards the US border by the end of 2019.

The issue of migrants crossing Mexico on their way to the US has strained relations

"We have to help [the Trump administration], because Central American migrants cross through our territory and we have to deal with that migration in an orderly and legal way, and at the same time we have to protect the human rights (of migrants)," Mr López Obrador said on 1 April.

Following President Trump's complaints about migrant caravans heading towards the US, Amlo's government started providing temporary humanitarian work visas to thousands of Central Americans thereby somewhat reducing the number of those continuing north to the US.

Failure on the murder front

One area where President López Obrador has yet to make an impact is on Mexico's soaring murder rate. This reached a new annual record in 2018 with 28,839 violent homicides across the country, a 15% increase over 2017.

The murder rate has continued to rise

The murder rate has continued to climb since Amlo came to power. In the first quarter of 2019, 8,493 murders were reported, an increase of almost 10% compared with the same months in 2018, according to Mexican government data.

In a speech he gave on 11 March, Amlo acknowledged that "the population is currently in a defenceless state".

"Violence, as we have said many times, cannot be fought with violence (…), the construction of a better, more just and more humane society is the starting point of our public safety policy," he said.

In a move approved by Mexico's Congress, the president has created a new security agency, the National Guard, to enforce his strategy to reduce crime and violence related to Mexico's powerful drug cartels.

'Austere' presidential style

Mr López Obrador has promised to cultivate a more "direct" relationship with Mexicans and often breaks security protocols to shake hands and take selfies with people.

He travels around the country on commercial flights after putting Mexico's Dreamliner presidential plane up for sale arguing that it was too lavish for the leader of a country where millions live in extreme poverty.

On his first day in office he also ordered the presidential residence, Los Pinos, to be opened to the public and turned into a cultural centre.

Mr López Obrador and his family will continue to live at their middle-class home in Mexico City's Tlalpan neighbourhood until his youngest son finishes elementary school in mid-2019.

After that, they plan to move to a midsize apartment near his office at Mexico's National Palace, from where he says he will continue to work towards a "fourth transformation" in Mexico's history, following its 1810 independence, the 1854-1857 liberalising reforms led by then-President Benito Juárez, and the wars of the 1910-1920 Revolution.

Today was my hiking day and I went to the park where the next door neighbor suggested I go and boy was he right!!

About a forty minute drive to the park entrance..

And then I just drove around the park, very beautiful...

Then found where to park for my five mile hike to a lake!!

Had my lunch with this view!!!

I got back in town in time to pick Jonah up and take him to the park he likes to go and see the ducks before he goes on the playground!!

Tonight was different as we gave Emily and Ryan the night off and they have gone out for dinner..

Gracie is with Izzie and I am about to get Jonah to bed, wish me luck!!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Sunday 6 th May 2019...back home!!!!

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Sunday, May 5 in 2019, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

Cinco de Mayo history

In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.

In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces.

France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

The Battle of Puebla

Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla.

The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and led an assault.

How long did the Battle of Puebla last?

The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash.

Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France finally withdrew.

The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely victory occurred, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration.

Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open.

Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States?

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations.

Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of indigenous Mexicans (such as Juárez) over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla.

Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

Confusion with Mexican Independence Day

Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla.

Independence Day in Mexico (Día de la Independencia) is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.

We both found it so quiet in the house this morning....where were Jonah and Izzie???????

Had a lovely leisurely breakfast with Gail and watched the rain pound down outside so our plans to drive back a different scenic route were thwarted ...

So Gracie really likes this store called Home Goods so I dropped her there and I went into the bakery next door and had a juice and did some computer work...

Then we just put in our destination and drove home arriving around 4 pm.....

Emily and Ryan had made some Mexican food for the celebration of the day but also bought a rotisserie chicken for me.....a lovely meal....Jonah and I played downstairs in the basement he has baseballs and a basket ball net before it was time for his bedtime ritual....

Stay tuned tomorrow I see a lovely hike in my future!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Saturday 5 th May 2019...up north!!!

After breakfast we packed up and said good bye to the family and started on our mini road trip to Connecticut!!

We tried to take the back roads and came across this great view of New York across the river!!

We were soon out in the country with lovely views of the river...

Crossed into the states of New York and then Connecticut.....some sights along the way..

We found our way to Gail’s beautiful home in a gated community.......great to see her again and to know after many months her health is returning to normal...

I left the girls to chat and walked all around the development and onto the golf course.

My dream car...a royal blue convertible Mercedes!!!!!

Gail took us to her favourite fish and chip restaurant and I think they were the best fish and chips I have ever tasted!!!!

Back home we played Mexican Train and now I am in the den watching the late night hockey game!!!

We return back to New Jersey tomorrow late afternoon!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Friday 3rd May 2019.......not much happening today!!!

The cool weather returned again this morning so Gracie and I just spent the morning spelling off each other watching and being with Izzie who continues to be a great well behaved baby.

Around noon I took a drive and then went on a walk through this lovely park!!

Pity it was drizzling at the time.....

I came home and we gain we took turns with Izzie until it was time for me to go and get Jonah and when I picked him up this was his art work!!!

The days go by quickly and the evenings it seems everyone goes and does their own thing and Gracie and I sit and watch Jeopardy.....that amazing man is still winning!!

Tomorrow we leave on a short two day road trip to Fairfield Connecticut ..

and to visit with a good friend of Gracie....I also know Gail a little bit and she has a home in SMA but has been sick and away for over a year....

It will be a nice change but again the weather forecast is not too great!!

I wish you all a safe and happy weekend ......

Yashi Kochi!!!

Thursday 2nd May 2019....gone in a flash!!!

It was on this day 39 years ago that this man

said ” I DO”

to this lady

We were married in a garden ceremony in the back yard of Connie’s parents home in Bermuda...we had dated a while and I had served ten years in the Police force and  Connie had a brother that lived outside  of Edmonton Alberta, Canada and he had sponsored us to come and live and work for him.

I was Connie’s third husband and she had two daughters aged 9and 11 years of age...the day after we got married we left to emigrate to a new life in 🇨🇦 

The marriage was a mistake and lasted a short time till I divorced her about a year later.

I do not talk about this  often but it is a part of my life and I think it changed the course of my life in a good way and is one of the reasons why I am where I am now!!.

Linda sent me this article below which is extremely interesting and I have already told Gracie I want to see the cemetery when I drive back south!!

ARLINGTON CEMETERY   Jeopardy Question:   On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was "How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns?" All three contestants missed it! This  is really an awesome sight to watch if you've  never had the chance. Fascinating. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier   1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why?       21 steps: It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.       2. How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why?       21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.   3. Why are his gloves wet?   His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.       4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and   , if not, why not?     He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.   5. How often are the guards changed?   Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.       6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?   For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.   They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.   After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on his lapel signifying he served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guards must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.   The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.   There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.   The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.   Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe Lewis {the boxer} Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty. ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.   In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm

Surprise today was really lovely and sunny and after breakfast I went for a really long walk and a few shots along the way!!

When I came back Gracie went to the grocery store and for the first time I was left alone with Izzie...she was really lly good and when Gracie came back we were sat out on the covered porch and she was asleep on my chest!!!

Around 4 pm I went to pick up Jonah at day care and we went to a different park and I brought the soccer ball and we kicked and ran around.

I then took him to IHOP and he enjoyed this pancake and yogurt I know it looks like he is not happy but he was!!

Well this day went by quickly....there is a late start hockey game on tonight so when everyone has gone to bed I will have my tea and enjoy the game!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Wednesday 1st May 2019....rabbits...rabbits...rabbits!!!

Well April sure went by in a flash...rabbits...rabbits....rabbits!!!

Today is the start of our babysitting with both Emily and Ryan going to work......so we were up quite early and Ryan did not take Jonah to day school today so after his breakfast I drove home there and Gracie stayed home with little Izzie.......

When I came back Izzie was in her swing chair smiling and happy...we both realize that each Wednesday Thursday and Friday for the next three weeks will be dominant by watching the children.....

The day went well I was able to help a little with Izzie whilst Gracie practiced her piano and around noon I went out for a 90 minute walk..I take a different route each day..when I came back the next door neighbour was out in his yard and we chatted and I told him I was a hiker...later in the Afternoon he came over with a map and showed me his favourite hike to a lake about 35 minute drive away so I shall look forward to hiking there next Monday.

We knew when we came we would be busy but we also knew we would take the weekends and go off...so on Saturday morning we are driving up to Fairfield Connecticut to see one of Gracies best friends who unfortunately has been very sick for the last year but is now on the mend and we will spend the weekend with her and come back Sunday evening!!

At 3 pm I watched another fantastic live soccer game from Spain and then around 4.15pm went to get Jonah..we went back to the same park as yesterday but went to a different ice cream shop before getting home around 6pm.

Emily came home shortly after and she enjoyed her day back at work but obviously missed her baby!!!

Are you watching this amazing man on Jeopardy???

Someone told us about him and we have watched all last week.....cannot believe that someone can know so much about every Subject!!

A Former Jeopardy Champion Scrutinizes James Holzhauer’s Strategy

“I think he has a good shot at beating Ken Jennings’s overall earnings, but I don’t see him winning anywhere near the 74 consecutive games Jennings won.”

James Holzhauer Explains the Strategy Behind His Jeopardy Winning Streak

The Jeopardy contestant James Holzhauer has now won 18 consecutive games and earned more than $1.3 million—and he’s outperforming the 2004 Jeopardy legend Ken Jennings in providing correct responses. Last week, Joe Pinsker wrote that three things give the seemingly unstoppable contestant an advantage: a deep knowledge of trivia, the speed of his recall, and a mind for strategy.

As a former five-time Jeopardy champ in Season 1, I am very surprised that no one has adopted Holzhauer’s “maximize your winnings per show” strategy until now. I think a lot of future contestants will probably do so.

Two factors affect your winnings on Jeopardy: your winnings per show, and how many shows you win. If you try to maximize one, you will lower the other. This is because winnings per show is primarily dependent on a Daily Double strategy. If you are the best of the three players, betting big will increase your expected winnings for the episode, because you’ll generally get the answers right; however, it will decrease your chance of winning that game—and allowing you to play more games—because betting big and missing will work in favor of your opponents. If you bet small, you’ll increase your chance of winning the game, but decrease your expected winnings.

When I competed on the show—and for many, many years after—there was an upper limit of five games and/or $75,000 in winnings. The values on the board were half of what they are now. As a result, the best strategy for the superior player—especially if you had a decent lead at the time you hit the Daily Double—was to bet small and maximize the chance to win each game. That’s what I did, and I had five solid wins and  earned almost $55,000 (which would be at least $120,000 today). Betting big would have only increased my winnings somewhat, and I would have had to risk losing a game, which was not worth it.

That’s what just about everyone did for years thereafter, including Ken Jennings in his 74-game streak. But since Jeopardy eliminated the upper limit on winnings and the five-game rule, my strategy may not work anymore. It seems like betting big on Daily Doubles—especially if you like the category—and risking a loss is what will maximize your expected winnings. You’ll likely have a shorter run, but you’ll win a lot more money per show.

Maybe it took a game-theory guy like Holzhauer to figure that out. With this strategy, I think he has a good shot at beating Jennings’s overall earnings, but I don’t see him winning anywhere near the 74 consecutive games Jennings won.

It sure makes Jeopardy more exciting, though. After about 12 or 13 years of never watching the game I appeared on three different times—first a run of five wins, then a Tournament of Champions, and finally the Ultimate Tournament of Champions—I’m watching again.

Ashley is still doing so well in tennis and school....

Have a great evening..I think there is a hockey game in my future after everyone has gone to bed!!!

Yashi Kochi!!