Hi folks! I just got home from work and called to check in with the parents. They were home from camping and were trying to enjoy their Seattle Mariners baseball game but couldn't get them on the satellite or Direct TV or whatever they have. I discontinued most of my cable stations in order to get some work done once in a while, but I still figured out I could watch the M's on channel 34 - in black and white and snow and without any sound - just noise. (Some bad habits are hard to let go of. I'm not paying for it though, if that matters.) So, if I mute the TV I can kinda watch them play and read the play-by-play to Dad and Mom but its slow and so I'm reading it to them basically after each play happens. If I'm not watching the snow screen or I don't read fast enough, they go to a commercial and we never know what happened.

Well, we soon tired of this nonsense, but the game was great! From what I could tell, we were ahead of New York 14 to 8! I got on the phone with the techs at Direct TV to find out which station out of the 700 or so Mom and Dad have was FOX Sports. After about a half an hour and several phone calls back to the folks the guy at Direct TV finally did the right thing and miraculously on channel 651 they were watching the M's play! It was a blessed event. The game was almost over, but they were ahead of the Yankees 15 to 8 or something. Mom says, "Hey, we might even get to watch them win for a change!" We all whistled and cheered - for ourselves as much as for the team! Fun times with Maudie and Bernie!

They were tired of talking to me by then and well, the game was on, after all. I left them watching the game, Dad in his chair and Mom quilting away on a quilt Shirley had started. It was a fun evening.

I talked to Tyson in Florida today. He's starting to get too hot and wants to head home to work and cool off. Sounds like he has had enough of the weather for now. I hope the Uncles are having fun on their Florida fishing trip. (How far is the Gulf of Mexico from Turnbo Uncle Joe?)

I'm looking forward to barging in on the Aunts in a few days. (It's the real installment of Aunt Camp for us!) I hope we get lots of things planned for the family event. I don't know what I can do, but will be happy to roll up my sleeves and spend time with the ladies.

I haven't gotten my garden in yet, but I planted a fuji apple tree and harvested some rhubarb for the neighbor to make some pies. Eric, the yardboy is going to help me rototill (hopefully) next week - I'm trying to outdo Uncle Norman. Have you got yours in yet, Norm? How am I doing?

Nothing else exciting here - Just want to say hi. We'll be in touch!

Go M's!

Sandi

My back deck and garden!