Monday PM

Just a few lines before heading out for the evening.

I'm still adjusting to the organization of the new Hy Vee grocery store. I'm pretty sure that they have patterned their location of products the same way in all their new stores, but I am slow on the uptake. The learning experience has taken me past lots of products that I'm not sure that I knew existed. The old store is down, and my guess is that the new parking lot will be done by mid-July.

The Sopranos finale was the topic of discussion on the morning news shows. Never have watched it. So I took a pass on the finale. Interesting that a cable show can now draw so much attention from mainstream TV watchers. Then again, Sportscenter is a cable show too. Although ESPN is included on most basic cable services while HBO is on a premium package.

On our first TV on the farm ( black and white, of course), we got reception for KTVO Channel 3 Ottumwa/Kirksville, which I think was a CBS affiliate, and WHO Channel 13 Des Moines which was an NBC station. After that, we occasionally, but not often, picked up WOI in Ames which was an ABC station. There was an antenna on the East side of the house that extended a few feet above the roof peak that had an electric control on the top of the TV that you played with to adjust for the signals.

(I still use the old technology "rabbitt ears" in my current house to pick up the local stations since I refuse to pay the additional fee to include those stations on my dish contract. Originally, the local stations were not offered through the dish in this area. When the technology became available a few years ago to offer those channels to dish customers, I elected to forego the convenience. So now to get network TV, I need to switch wires on the back of the set. And even then, the ABC channel is a bit sketchy.)

In a full turn to another direction, in baseball, "rabbitt ears" is what we labeled an opposing player who acknowledged some razzing from our bench. It was usually a pitcher, and once he started listening to us, we piled it on. I doubt if our antics lead to many Irish victories, but we had a good time. (In today's age with things like ESPNU coverage of college games, we couldn't get away with that kind of conduct.)

Lots of comments about 1's picture in the paper yesterday. Even from her PV varsity basketball coach whom I ran into at the store last night.

4 and I have exchanged a few text messages from Espana. It works. I haven't got the bill yet.

The professional peloton is in east-to-southeast France this week for the Dauphine-Libere race which is one of the last warm-ups for le Tour. Discovery has an "A" team there so I would expect them to do well. Levi could win. But there are a lot of other strong riders using this event as a measure of their form in anticipation of the bigger race next month. I think Dauphine-Libere is the newspaper in that area that sponsors the race. Per Wikipedia, Grenoble is the capital of this area known as le Dauphine, a title likely derived from a ruling family in the Middle Ages that used a dolphin in it's coat of arms.

There has to be a crossword clue in that mix of sport, geography and history.

I'm off to hit some range balls to get ready for the golf event this week with my pal Roy. Two range sessions is plenty of practice, right?

Great to read 4's journal. She has a gift.

Have a great evening.

Be careful out there.