Thanks to Jake and Der Bingle, we were alerted to THIS SITE.

Okay, this is me, AmeliaJake, at the nursing home playing around with my camera and being silly. I think was telling Kathryn about taking photos in Iowa.

Well, I did. Here’s the river with Iowa in the background.

And here’s the bridge that got us there.

I promised I wouldn’t publish photos willy-nilly on the blog. I think I lied, but I will not mention any names as pictures pop up here and there. I will say this, there is a good reason for the continuous burst mode.

And here’s Der Bingle – you would almost think he psychically saw the picture at the start of this post.

LZP and I talked bits and pieces, now and then, on and off while we were in Iowa. He mentioned that he has come to the conclusion he can’t be responsible for other people’s obligations or feelings. (Obviously, we are not talking the deliberate ‘hurting of feelings aspect.) I am thinking I need to accept that. You can do all you can to help others but you just can’t do the actual task for them.

We also talked about there being no need to voice sinister thoughts – sort of a stronger “if you can’t say anything nice” rule for hardcore folks. That is soooo hard for me, but probably a wise attitude – better than my wiseguy persona, at least.

And, of course, we talked about the weather. Can you imagine a heat index of 115? I survived it . . . unless I’m typing this in a heat stroke coma dream.

I’m back, but this is a picture of me waiting for Der Bingle to start the car in Iowa and begin our trek eastward – well, the car did the work.

The little shark tucked in my seatbelt is Crazy Eyes; LZP would move him around and his eyes would spin and LZP would say, “What you looking at?” And Jody would laugh. We’re calling him CE for short because, well, he’s a little sensitive about the crazy moniker. Actually he is CEO for Chief Executive, Ocean.

The only real drama on his ride to Indiana came at the end when I unsnapped my seatbelt and forgot momentarily that it was not also an AmeliaJake belt and that he would fall if I got out of the car. BUT THEN I REMEMBERED and he was safe. Which reminds me, I must make it a habit to put him on the back of the sofa and not on the seat.

He’s settling in and Rose made sure he brushed his teeth last night. I’m certain we’ll all be chums.

Note from Rose: Dear reader, please be tolerant of  AmeliaJake when you read this post; we here think she has a bit of ‘road age’ . . . Ha, ha, ha. Oh, we need to take our own advice.

Yes, long trip and heat and more heat and taking sugar levels and when Der Bingle handed me a business card from the wedding photographer, I looked at it – www.literitephotography.com  and thought, “Oh, a little  coded fun in the name.”  The  ‘literite’ being a reference to literate, implying knowledge about the process,  and the rite part meaning it was ‘right’ . . . even though it was misspelled.

Then I looked it up and saw the website: LiteRite Photography.  Lite Rite . . . literite. Oh, heavens, whatever happened to my brain. Maybe it was too much bright light coming into my brain through my eyes. Or maybe it was too much focusing on my I’s –  you know, the me, myself and I ones.

Maybe I will be better tomorrow – as for me and myself, who knows?

Yes, it is hot – 101 –  according to weather.com when I looked earlier today; I don’t know what it is right now because I am in the AC while others are not . . . It just worked out that way. UPDATE: I just looked and it is 90 but feels like 100.

BUT, ACTUALLY, I HAVE NOT REALLY DISLIKED THE HEAT.

It has reminded me of actually living; we have had cold cuts and fruits and veggies for lunch – a tablecloth with a watermelon print and lots of iced tea. Some of us have made trips to the place (Dirty John’s) where they have more beer labels than you can count . . . and have come back with purchases. We have watched movies on a  BIG SCREEN TV (by my standards) and, wait for it, old Marx Brothers shows.

Uh, and, oh, yeah, we did go to a barbeque place that had great food . . . and air-conditioning.

I have a new member for our colony back at the PBC&R – a stuffed shark from Jody’s room, one of her favorite friends. Picture to come.

When we first got to LZP’s, I announced I was making myself at home; a couple of days later, he realized I meant it, but he’s been a good sport. I napped on the sofa while three of the Der Bingle brothers told stories and woke up to hear one of them say, “Well, something didn’t work and I jumped out of the bed and yelled, ‘I want morphine.'” Then they all laughed and I nodded off again.

Stories of Dad this and Dad that and Uncle Joe, and Grandpa Vance’s dry humor, and Grandma Vance’s feisty persona.

I’ve had a real good time

Today is Quentin’s birthday.He  is in Houston and we are in  Iowa and the  heat index is supposed to be 110  -HERE. Hope  we’re taking some of the

BIG  HOT

from him.

We got here and we are- and, how do you say? HOT. I’ll be taking pictures. That’s all I am ccol enough to contemplate.

We are setting out for Iowa this morning with cooler and drinks and all our assorted charger cords; it seems as if technology accouterments have taken the place of diaper bags, toys to keep a kid interested (yeah, right), play pens, juice boxes and all that paraphernalia. Sigh. I don’t want to even think about the stuff I’ll have to back in the next stage of my life. Defibrillator, soft foods, hearing aids . . . ah, it depends. (Yes, groan, I am.)

Der Bingle’s nephew is getting married on Saturday. And we are staying in a hotel with an indoor pool, so I will be spending some time slinking into the pool area covered with a towel and then mostly submerging myself. Not the wedding and seeing folks isn’t important. Good thing I have decided to let my hair grow out – the chlorine effect, dontcha know? Oh, am I back talking about the pool and me again? Sorry, it’s such a habit.

Taking cameras (and chargers) and since Der Bingle is doing most of the driving, I’ll be snapping shots out the window. Damn! Wish we had a sunroof. Better not to visualize it.