Voluntary Confinement 03/18/2020

            Not that you asked, my spouse and I have stayed at home the last few days. Donna made homemade chicken noodle soup and a black berry cobbler, not for health reasons but because we like it! As senior ole retired people on a fixed income, the chicken soup and cobbler is all we have to eat for the remainder of this Confinement. Go to our ^non-existing web site to make donations. 

            I did get outside yesterday and worked in the yard, and took the dog for a walk. It is ok to get outside and have some fresh air, but don’t over work. I cut the jasmine yesterday, it was from 1 to 1 ½ foot tall, and is now about 6 inches tall. Will it come back, I think it will, but if it don’t that is ok too.

                                               

            As I said, go outside and enjoy some yard work, but don’t work too hard.

            Our neighbor just texted us saying she was going to the grocery store and asked if we need anything. There are nice people in this world and in our neighborhood!

          If you have an older neighbor that needs or might need some help, give them a call and check on them. If you know someone who lives alone, even if they are not in your neighborhood, give them a call, it will make them feel good that you have thought about them.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself!

Senior retired and voluntarily confined person; Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

The fog was there 03/17/2020

            As the Tres and I ventured outside this morning in an effort to get the morning newspaper, we were very much aware of the dense fog in our area. This dense fog was like a wet blanket covering the neighborhood. Tres inspected the front yard looking for any evidence of any intruders during the overnight. He found no evidence but he did leave some evidence that he had been there. I gave the command, “Get the paper”. He did not respond as he was still investigating the yard. I gave the command again, “Get the paper”, with no acknowledgment that he even heard my command. I then said, “Get the P A P E R”, spelling the word paper. He looked at me and then retrieved the paper. Who knew he could spell?

            Follow up story, Tres was laying on the floor and I noticed something. Tres is a natural STAR. I have a photo of the Tres and I encourage you to click on the photo to see this star. Look at his feet to see a star!

                                   

               Advice from the Ford:

Many normal daily activities aren’t acceptable!

Be careful and change your daily routines!

Assume that everyone else is infected and stay at a distance!

Check on your ole friends and relatives!

Think it won’t happen to you?  Bull Shirt!

Senior stay at home ole person, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Meditation 03/16/2020

               What the heck is meditation? There are several answers to that short question, I might define it as quietly thinking about something. I have heard it said that meditation at times is like looking into a mirror. Was I meditating in this photo, taken of my monitor? For your pleasure click to enhance.

                                                           

            Who knows what this hansom senior person was meditating on when this photo was taken, and who took the photo? A person can’t have even a moment of privacy in their own little office area. Meditation or day dreaming, is there a difference?

            Let’s change the subject, I came up with a short story that will follow. Do you think I came up with the story while meditating?

                                                  Was it murder?  

                                                         A short story by Don Ford                 

            I have a short story to present to you, this short story could apply to co-workers, bosses, non-friends, and family members. I have chosen a family member for this story.

            Susan Caster, is a well to do older lady in her early 80s. Her husband of 47 years passed away over 12 years ago, leaving her his portion of a business in which he has stock worth over $50,000,000. The board of directors of the company offered her $5,000,000 immediately and then they would guarantee payment to her or her beneficiaries of $5,000,000, a year for the next nine years.

            Susan consulted with her daughter Angela and decided to take the offer, as she did not have any desire to be in a business, and being elderly, she just wanted to be at home and enjoy life. Angela and her son Robert lived with Susan in the 38 room mansion located on 300 acres overlooking Big Foot Lake.

            Robert was in his early twenties and enjoyed having a good time spending his grandmother’s money. There were times when nearly violent arguments would arise between Robert and his Grandmother, and these arguments were always over money and the fact that he did not work.

            There came a time when there was a virus spreading worldwide, and oddly this virus had little effect on the younger people but often would kill the elderly. All the government agencies were putting out information as to how to possibly avoid coming in contact with this virus.

            Angela was being extra careful to keep her mother more or less quarantined, Angela would order the items they needed, have them delivered, then she would do all she could to disinfect the items, before allowing them inside the mansion. Angela was continuously reminding Robert to disinfect himself by washing his hands and changing his clothes before he would go into the same room as his grandmother.  

            One night while out partying Robert learned that a friend might have the virus. Now his friend was self-quarantined. Robert decided to visit his friend knowing that the virus doesn’t usually have much of an effect on the younger people. Robert and his friend talked, watched a movie and shared several bottles of wine, and Robert spent the night with his friend, sleeping in the same bed.

            The next morning Robert dressed and headed for his Grandmother’s home. Robert arrived and he forgot to wash his hands and did not change his clothes before visiting with his grandmother.  During this visit Robert was polite, even handing her a glass of tea as they sat there talking. Susan was surprised that Robert was being so nice and she assumed he was going to ask her for money. The subject of money did not come up during their conversation. After about 30 minutes of conversation Robert left his grandmother. Susan was still wondering why Robert was so nice to her, and she was very surprised that he did not ask for money.

            Eleven days after his nice visit with his grandmother, Robert tested positive for the virus and was quarantined. After the quarantine period he was ok and ready to start partying again.

            Two weeks after his nice visit with her grandson and while Robert was quarantined, the grandmother Susan was not feeling well, she had a fever and was coughing. Susan was tested and found to be positive for the virus. Susan died 10 days later.

Do you think it is the perfect murder, or just an accident?

Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

It happened to me 03/14/2020

            Well, if you are reading this you already know that I work continuously, and yes, “I am now working from home”! As with many Americans, I am now working at my home office. I just realized that I may have made an untrue statement, I am “Working at home, not from home”. If I was from home, wouldn’t that mean I was not at home? 

            You can see I am at my desk entering this brilliant article into the Ford’s ole computer.        I ordered a bag of fertilizer from the ole employer, and when I went to pick it up Friday I learned that the VP of Logistics had issued orders that no non-employees (aka outsiders) were to be allowed in the center. Wow, I am now an outsider. That is what happens when you become a senior person without employment (retired).

            I was able to get the bag of fertilizer and they took my check, I hope it don’t bounce. Returning to the homestead I fertilized the front yard and the entire back 40. Yep that is a lot of walking for a senior person. 

            Completing that work I was able to pull together a few scraps, you know left overs, for what was almost a real lunch, and then I headed outside. Tres and I drove the Ford’s ole Chevy into the back 40 and hooked onto the Ford’s ole trailer. We brought it up to the front gate where we parked it. It is loaded with tree and shrub parts to be hauled off next Saturday. It is supposed to rain next week and I did not want to drive through the yard when it was wet. 

            Concluding that task, we got the Fords ole string trimmer out and attacked the back ditch. I completed one swatch along the ditch when I decided to get a gator aid and close the garage door, photo to follow, click to believe.

                                               

            Sorry the photo is not clear, I must have been very tired from, “Working at home”! After the gator aid break, I did complete the job of cutting all the weeds in the ditch. 

            I have another photo and it is of a plant in the Ford’s ole small hot house. I will be needing to attempt to get these plants out of there as I believe cold weather is over. What? Ok since no one asked I will tell you, I got the hot house at the Freight Company.

                                                

            Now you see that working at home can often be much more difficult than working at the employer. 

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            Here in Hewitt TX the schools have been on spring break all this week. Our school system has now canceled school for the next two weeks, they are supposed to go back on March 30^th. 

            Prediction: at the end of the two weeks the situation with the virus will be worse! The     school will cancel school for another two weeks. The students who have school tablets will be expected to work from home. At the end of the second two weeks (April 13^th) things will have leveled out somewhat, some schools will resume on the 13^th, some will be out for an additional two weeks, our students will be back in school April 20th.

I haven’t even told you about the effect on parents and employers. You don’t want to know!

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You really don’t want to know!

Senior know-it-all and work at home person, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Who is watching? 03/13/2020

            Yesterday I worked in the yard a couple times. First I cut some of the vines in the front yard so I could remove some acorns. I was there with my ole shop vacuum. The vines that are still there make it almost impossible to use a rake, so the vacuum will pick up the acorns. A neighbor lady asked me what I was doing, she said she had never seen anyone vacuum their yard. I explained that vacuum is a good way to get the dirt up from the yard. She looked at me like I was a silly senior person!     I am!

            My spouse of half a century wanted to wash the dog so we went to the back yard and began the, “Scrubbing of the dog”. As we were in the rinse mode, all three of us heard a buzzing sound. Tres was looking up and I noted that there was some kind of bug flying around. Tres continued looking up and the sound became louder. My spouse and I then looked up and observed a drone. Photos to follow, click to believe.

                                               

            Why was the government observing the Ford Homestead? This government drone went back and forth several times, it lowered some, I assume to get a better video, and then it left. Why should the government watch nude senior people in their own back yard wash their dog?

            Let’s go to a different subject. After scrubbing the dog I decided to cut some of that ole stump that was a part of ole Fort K. Photo to follow.

                                               

            As you should see, I had my work, “Cut out for me”, get it. Would you believe some of those wood blocks weighed more than 100 pounds? I wouldn’t either.

Work less have fun more!         Today is Friday 13^th.

Senior dog washer and wood butcher, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

How did it go? 03/12/2020

            If you read the posting from yesterday, you would have known that I and my first wife were going to the ole employer for a free lunch on Wednesday, and to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Distribution center which I was general manager of, for a bunch of years. I have a couple photos and a few notes. The first photo is of the break room prior to lunch. Why are all the napkins and table cloths black? Possibly the reason was in preparation for the virus that is coming. Click to enlarge (I am kidding about the virus).

                                               

            They were giving jackets with a logo on them to all employees, indicating 40^th anniversary, it is also black. They did not have jackets for the retirees who were in attendance. They were told they only ordered jackets for the employees. Not a positive point for the retirees. Are the black jackets also preparation for the coming virus? Click to enhance (kidding again).

                                               

            I was asked if I wanted to speak during the meeting. Originally I said no, let Tim (the VP) do the talking. Later I learned that Tim was not coming due to the company flight restrictions because of the virus. I then said I would have a couple short comments. I was not called on to speak. That is ok, I didn’t have anything earth shaking to talk about. I would have recognized those supervisors who were there during the opening, and that our team back in the olden days, seemed to be more like a family. We knew each other and their kids. 

            After the meeting and meal, the meal was very good, one of the employees came up to me and begin to tell me of concerns he has. I want to say, this person never voluntarily talked with me when I was manager. One thing he said, “We didn’t know what we had when you were here, now we wish we had you back”! I have heard this many times from various staff who I had hired in past years. This fellow coming to me, cause me to think, I hope both Corp. and local management are listening to staff and working on improvements.

            All in all, we enjoyed the meal and seeing those retiree friends who were in attendance!

            I returned home and changed the oil in the Ford’s ole riding mower and then I mowed the back yard. I need to change the oil in the Ford’s ole generator too.

            I went over to my Son’s house and fed the animals (cats, mice, lizard, fish, and Guinea pigs) yesterday afternoon. They all seemed to be happy to see a real person in the house. 

May your day be fill with kindness!

Senior kind person and animal care taker; Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

What to do 03.11.2020

               With the virus popping up in various locations, some businesses and schools have told their employees or students to, “Work from home”. That seems like a fair idea to me. 

 

               I am heading out to my ole work place this morning to have a free lunch and celebrate the 40th anniversary of this facility. I began wondering what should this type business do, if or when the virus is occurring in our area. If you tell the employees to stay home then no work can be done. The stores this distribution center supplies, would run short or out of items to sell fairly quick.

               This type business receives products from all over the world, is any of it contaminated with the virus?

               In work situations where groups of people are employed, what changes must occur in order to protect the health of everyone. A few things to consider; Arrival by staff, doors, work stations, breaks, lunch, restrooms, intercoms, times and or areas where staff gather or meet. 

 

               Should employees come to work yet stay away from the other staff throughout the day.

               Possibly hand cleaner at all work benches and on all equipment such as fork lifts and tuggers.

               Should staff wear masks, not so much to protect them from others, but to keep them from spreading anything via a cough or sneeze?

               The mask when worn will help remind people to keep their hands away from their face.

            Should doors be left open or open automatically to help avoid contact with door knobs and handles that other have touched.

            Should a company like this employee a special cleaning crew who attempt to disinfect as much as possible. Can you trust this cleaning crew to do their work properly?

            How should they handle lunch? Normally everyone gathers in the break room to eat. Most have their lunch in shared refrigerators.

       How can arrival time and breaks be altered?

 

           

Lots to think about!

 

Senior person who has thought about the virus, Don Ford

Virus-free. www.avg.com

Spring break 03/09/2020

            Here in Hewitt Texas, our schools have allowed the kids to be off from school for a week, and they call it spring break. We have learned that many parents who work for a living, do not enjoy this so call spring break. Consider if you will, you have a kid or kids at home while you are working. What kind of trouble will they get into?

            As I see it, there is a good point to this spring break and that is, daylight wasting time is this week and that allows the kids to get use to the time change prior to returning to school.

            Spring break for this senior driver of grand kids, to and from school, should mean, “A week with nothing scheduled”.  Well, I do get today off, but starting tomorrow, I will be driving to and from the grand kid’s home twice a day taking care of the animal population (would you believe it is a hundred miles one way). We will be feeding and watering the animal population because the grandkids are taking their parents on a vacation. Even though it will be in the 80s here in central Texas this week, there will be no spring break for the senior grandparents. Thank goodness we have something to do!

            Let’s continue on this weather topic. Yep, it is going to be in the 80s this week, and we are supposed to have varying chances of rain daily. Temperatures that would make you want to get outside, and yet if you do go out in the rain, a sweet ole senior such as me, would melt.

                                                Sugar melts in rain!

 

It’s spring, but is it a break!

 

If seniors weren’t broke, they could enjoy spring break, Don Ford

 

Virus-free. www.avg.com