JOHN MCCAIN

I have lived in Arizona, off and on since 1972, for a total of 34 years.  So, being 72 years old, and never having lived anywhere else for as long as 34 years . . I consider myself an Arizonan.  But I have to say this: my state's senior U.S. Senator is an angry old man who ought to retire.  76 year old John McCain appears to have never gotten over being drubbed by Barack Obama in his presidential run four years ago.  It seems he picks fights with the President at every opportunity.  Frankly I am sick of seeing his scowling face on my television screen as he delivers another screed.  

Currently he and his buddy from South Carolina, Senator Lindsay Graham, have said they want a Watergate-style investigation of the attack in Benghazi, Libya that took the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens and two other Americans.  The not-so-dynamic duo have also come out saying they absolutely will do everything in their power to prevent Susan Rice from becoming the next Secretary of State because of her early statements about the Benghazi attack.

President Obama, at his news conference today, addressed the McCain and Graham attacks on Rice, saying . . . if they want to pick a fight let them pick it with me.

Numerous administration officials have said repeatedly that Ms. Rice made her statements based on what was known at the time.  She did not, as Graham and McCain would have it, lie to the American people.

But I have wandered.  I realize that up until this election, Arizona has been a reliably conservative Republican state in the last few years.  But I also heard the pundits this year who said Arizona will be a swing state by 2016.  Coincidentally that will be the year we will see if the then 80 year old McCain will run for reelection once again.  For the sake of my sanity, I certainly hope not.

Today's Gratuitous Critter picture reminds me of McCain's scowling glare.

THE EYE OF AN EAGLE

I had laser surgery on my left eye this morning to take care of a clouding problem from one of my cataract surgeries a year or so ago.  The doctor told me the clouding or scarring or whatever happens in about 35 to 50 percent of his cases.  So he just zaps the stuff away with a laser.  Takes about a minute and in a couple of hours, once the dilation goes down, you can see again.

I had to be at the doctor's office at 7:30 this morning.  I left home about 7 and was doing great until I got there.  "There" was no longer the doctor's office.  There was a big sign saying it was a Detox Center now but when I looked through the glass door it appeared to be still under remodeling.  No one anywhere.

So I called SWMBO.  She was asleep and didn't hear the phone.  I left a message that said, in an aggravated tone, "I don't know where the hell I'm supposed to be!"

Then I called the BRD.  I told her what my problem was but in my panic at being late and maybe having the surgery canceled, I couldn't remember my doctor's name.  I've been seeing him for years but I was suddenly having instant Alzheimer's syndrome.  The BRD started through the yellow pages, looking for eye doctors.  After a bit of fumbling on both our parts, I remembered his last name.  She found it and said his office was clear up in the north part of town.  I was pretty much in the Central part.  I thanked her and took off, faster than I should have, but keeping a wary eye (the good one) out for police cars.

Then I called her back and got the telephone number of the doc's office.  When I called it a recording said the office wasn't open but if I had an eye emergency I could call a different number.  By this time, my supply of expletives was running out.  But I called the other number, got an answering service, explained my problem and asked her to try to reach the office and tell them I was on my way.  She put me on eternal hold but finally came back and said she had delivered the message.

When I got to the area where the doc's office was located, I found a huge office park.  Each building looked like the other and I had forgotten the address.  So I called the BRD back and got the number and finally found the office.

Somewhat relieved, I got out of my car, went to the door and . . . it was locked!  I saw a sidewalk going around the end of the building, took it and found a window with a young woman behind it.  I knocked on her window, pointed at my eye and she opened up to tell me that my surgery would take place in an adjacent building.

I found it and went in, noting the name on the door: Stillwater Surgical Suite.

They were waiting for me and when I apologized for being late the nurse said, "no problem" the doctor was in surgery.

When I finally got to see the doctor, I asked him if he was from Minnesota.  He said he wasn't.  I told him in Minnesota, Stillwater is a town where the state prison is located.  He laughed and said, "No, no Freudian slip."

I was told by one of the other patients in the lobby that the doctor had moved his practice about a year ago to these new digs.  But I usually see him in consulting offices in my town, which is about eight miles away.  I hadn't been to Prescott to have surgery for over a year.  

Well that was hours ago now.  I can see nearly perfectly out of both of my eyes now and life is good once again.

OOPS!

I forgot to add my Gratuitous Critter picture to my Apple Pie post below.  So here it is:

"Did you say pie?"

APPLE PIE

Actually it's even better than that.  It's an apple pie with dried Craisins (an amalgamation of raisins and cranberries).

(Later: SWMBO informed me there are no raisins connected with Craisins.  They're just dehydrated cranberries.)

SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) made it yesterday afternoon. The apples within are a combination of Fuji and Granny Smith.

Now pair a slice of warm pie with some cold ice cream and you've got Nirvana.

Yummers!

VETERANS' DAY

Even in Iraq and Afghanistan it's not all shooting and getting shot at. There are also USO shows from time to time.  My grandson, of whom I'm immensely proud, Sgt. Russell Milburn, spent 12 years in the U.S. Army in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.  Along the way he got to have some fun.

With Louis Black . . . 

. . . and with Robin Williams.

But those were only rays of sunshine in some otherwise dangerous and dreary days.  I salute you, Russell, and thank you for your service.

WHEW!

What a relief.  The snow passed us by.  Oh we had a few flakes late yesterday afternoon but nothing stuck and the storm is now up in Colorado.

But it's a mighty crispy day.  42 degrees F. out there at high noon.  When I rose from the arms of Morpheus early this morning the temperature was sitting on the overnight low: 28 degrees.  

SWMBO had me unhook the hoses from our two outdoor water taps as the temperature was dropping last night so no damage there.  But her basil plant, which she neglected to bring into the house, got crisped.

It's a long way from those long snowbound winters I grew up with in North Dakota many years ago.  I can remember building snow forts, sliding off the second floor roof of our house directly onto huge drifts, and ice-skating for hours - - all in 20 below temperatures.  When I'd come inside, I'd sit on our steam radiator to warm my young and nearly frozen bones.  Those were the days!  But I couldn't handle those icy temperatures now.  Among other things I've lived in Arizona too many years.

I remember our first Christmas in Phoenix 40 years ago.  I posed for a photograph in the community swimming pool with a holly wreath on my head and holding a glass of champagne.  The family back in North Dakota simultaneously loved and hated that picture and finally got around to telling me I didn't have to keep telling them about my warm weather as they chilled through December and January and February and March.

Ah well.  Speaking of the arms of Morpheus, take a look at this Gratuitous Critter picture of a turtle apparently seeking warmth in a clutch of puppies!

B-R-R-R-R-R!!!

An early winter storm is scheduled to move through the northern part of Arizona this weekend.

It looked like it was already starting this morning.

The sky is alive with clouds moving briskly and much cooler temperatures.

There's a 30 degree temperature drop and some snow forecast.

I'm staying inside.

It looks like my Gratuitous Critter is feeling the chill also.