The eye of Lambeau is upon you. Taken from the mall parking lot in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Friday morning.

August 10, 2013 – Saturday morning

41 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

We left for Green Bay shortly after I was finished writing Friday morning. I’m not sure why there was so much traffic, but it was almost a solid line of cars going the entire way to and from the City of Green and Gold.

The first stop was at Sam’s Club where Sargie found some bargains on the clearance tables. I meandered into the meat section and selected a large pork loin, one that I’ll cut into one-inch chops and wrap later today. I prefer to cut our own and wrap two or three to a package. Certainly we eat more pork than beef and it’s about half the price.

We made our way to the mall and found Kay’s Jewelers. They checked Sargie’s ring so the warrantee remains good and then kept it to be resized. It will be at least two weeks before she can put it back on her finger. I was fearful the girl was going to cry when we walked out of the store.

Darn straight! It's Paul Blart, Mall Cop!!

Since Friday night was the first preseason game of the year, it seems almost everyone in Green Bay was garbed in green and gold. It reminded me of a high school pep rally where the student body wears their school’s colors the day of the big game. My big game day will come in October when Andy and Mollie are here and we’ll all be going to see the Lions play the Packers at Lambeau Field.

Lambeau Field. Taken from the interstate heading north out of town.

Our last stop of the day was at Harbor Freight. I purchased several smaller things, mostly pre-packaged containers of stuff… like a large plastic box of assorted lag bolts, another of various sized alligator clips, and still one of hose clamps. Those inexpensive collections have saved me countless trips to town in the past.

We made it home in good shape late in the afternoon and continued on to the plant to get the Man Truck that had been filled with firewood.

Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love my Man Truck.

Looking at the truck closer on my computer, I notice the passenger side seat belt is dragging the ground... from the inside through the floor. No wonder everyone wants to be me.

Brutus wasn’t a very good dog while we were gone. He’d managed to pull a pillowcase off the line and shred it sometime during the day. This is the second chewing incident since Mom’s left and as Sargie said last night, she thinks he’s missing her and acting out. He was almost inconsolable after she left, often whining and pacing the house looking for her. One thing he’s not going to miss is my severe reprimands when he learns that life for a bulldog becomes quite miserable should he decide to chew whatever he can fit into his Grand Canyon-sized mouth.  When Mom was here, she and Brutus were inseparable. Wherever Mom went, so did Brutus, and he ignored his usual place by my chair to keep her company across the living room.

My last words to Brutus last night before going to bed were that if he didn’t shape up, I’d be shipping him down to live with Mom at the senior citizen’s upscale high-rise in Indiana. That would be cozy; a three-room apartment on the third floor, Mom, and an oversized bulldog.

It was painful to watch the Packer’s rookies and free agents play in the season’s first exhibition game. 

Nothing better happen to our quarter back, Aaron Rodgers, because we have no one to replace him. Oh well, that’s why it’s called preseason. In fact, the second and third teams looked equally as pitiful. I’m not worried. We’ll be ready to play for real in another three weeks. 

Sargie’s off today for a rare two-in-a-row from work. I’m not sure what all we have on the agenda, but I do know there’s a pickup truck full of wood that’s calling me to empty it out, a large maple tree that needs to be cut up, a lawn that has to be mowed, and a garden to tend to. But first, I need another cup of coffee and no doubt, will think a few deep thoughts while savoring it.

After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…