My wife has been planning her trip for many weeks we know

This Sunday was the morning that she had chosen to go

Her itinerary was now set in stone

She intended to make this trip all alone

There are people to visit on her way

This adventure was scheduled to start today

All the time and effort was wisely spent

Just to get ready for this latest event

Throughout all this time, all her necessities were put in place

Slowly over time, taking up all of our living space

Things were put here and there

They could be found almost anywhere

The living room couch was reduced to just one seat

Once this was done, her stockpile was complete

This was the night before her eight hour trip, which is pretty far

The major challenge that laid before us, was how to pack it in her car

This shouldn’t be a problem because here SUV has lots of space

However the first thing was a mattress that we had to put in place

We put stuff underneath it which raised it up some more

We had to abandon that idea because we couldn’t shut the door

There is a special skill my wife has of rearranging things to fit

Did she get all her supplies packed? Yes, every single bit

Hats off to her because it really was quite a feat

Good thing it was a solo trip, because she also filled up the passenger seat!

Everything she needed could be accessed by either back door

Hopefully she has enough room left when she buys stuff at the “IKEA” store!

I hope she enjoys her trip and doesn’t encounter too much frustration

The plan is not to open the hatchback until she reaches her final destination

Once she reaches “Quebec” there she will be able to stay

She’ll spend some weeks with her daughter’s family and watch the grandchildren play

Then when it’s time to go, she can leave without a care

She will have no problem packing, because the mattress is staying there!

“Lucy”, “Ricky”, “Ethel” and “Fred”

“Ralph”, “Alice”, “Trixie” and “Ed”

“Ward”, “June”, “Wally” and “Beaver”

The “Ricardo’s”, “Mertz’s”, “Kramden’s”, “Norton’s” and “Cleaver’s”

These are characters in “50s” sitcoms that paved the way

They set the pattern for the shows that we watch today

So with each decade there are shows that have  stood the test of time

The trick is to mention some of them and still make it rhyme

I am going to go through each decade and some names you should know

The trick is to try and see if you remember the show

“Rob”, “Laura”, “Sally” and “Buddy” start the “60s” scene

Then there is “Jed”, “Elly May”, “Granny” and “Jethro Bodine”

“The Skipper”, “Gilligan”, “The Professor”, “Ginger” and “Mary Ann”

Can you guess all these shows?  I think you can!

“Archie” and “Edith”, “Gloria” and “Mike”

“Trapper John”, “Hawkeye”, “Hot Lips” and “Radar” are others you might like

“Mary”, “Lou”, “Murray”, “Rhoda” and “Ted”

Those were your “70s” shows, enough said!

“Sam”, “Diane”, “Rebecca”, “Carla”, “Frasier”, “Woody” and “Norm”, so many in this cast

“Dorothy” , “Rose”, “Sophia” and “Blanche” is another popular show from the past

Round off with “Alex”, “Mallory”, “Jennifer”, “Steven” and “Elyse” who make up the “Keaton” crew

Those are all the characters and now the “80s” are through!

“Jennifer”, “Monica”, “Phoebe”, “Joey”, “Chandler” and “Ross”

There could have been a few episodes that you might have come across

“Phillip”, “Carlton”, “Ashley”, “Hillary” and of course “Will”

This is a series that is popular still!

“Jerry”, “Elaine”, “Cosmo” and “George” make up our final cast

These represent some shows of the nineties and that is our last

This brings us to the end of the “20th Century” and I am going to finish there

This covers fifty years of television in case you’re not aware

I’m not doing the next two decades and I hope you understand

If you get nostalgic after reading this, these shows are all “on demand”

The biggest news of the week has to be the “Presidential” debate

“Harris” nailed it from the start but “Trump” didn’t do all that great

“Kamala” shook “Donald’s” hand after having to walk right across the floor

This was just the beginning, “Trump” wasn’t prepared for what was in store

She made a point of pronouncing her name to him as she made her introduction

This was just the first example of “Trump” starting to malfunction

This would be the only time he would look at her face to face

After ninety minutes of questions he was put in his place

She knew what she was doing and luring him was the trick

He took the bait every time and came out looking like a lunatic

He lied throughout his performance and was fact checked which was a first

This was something that he wasn’t expecting and he went from bad to worst

“Kamala Harris” had a chuckle with the outbursts he displayed

Especially with this wild accusation that he made

He claimed that “Haitian” immigrants were eating cats and dogs for food

This marked the point where he officially became unglued

The moderators told him it wasn’t true and of course he didn’t agree

He went into a meltdown by saying he saw it on TV

A little later each candidate said their final words and it was officially done

All the major networks said that “Kamala Harris” clearly had won

Later on that evening “Trump” was seen claiming he came out on top

The lying and the stupidity he spiels just never seems to stop

Meanwhile in “Springfield Ohio” where these “Haitian” immigrants can be found

“Republicans” continue with the claim that they are eating their cats and hounds

Bomb threats have been called in causing two schools to close

I guess when you are trying to win an election that’s just how it goes

The sad thing is that this may not sway the diehard “Trump” supporters away

In their loyalty to their cult leader, this is just another day

Over sixty seven million people tuned in  to watch this debate

Will there be another one? We are forced to have to sit and wait

“Americans” have only seven weeks to make their selection

Even after all of these escapades “Trump” could still win this election

I took the time to look around my neighbourhood and was shocked at what I’d seen

As I glanced upon the treetops, they weren’t that solid shade of green

They were tinged a bit with the colours of yellow and red

What was just a few leaves last week, was now beginning to  spread

Saturday has arrived and it isn’t warm at all

I guess there is no denying it, we are only weeks away from fall

The temperature tonight is supposed to drop below the freezing mark

Tomorrow we will pick up the pace when walking through the park

I am not going to  panic, it’s just a sample of what’s in store

This is to last the weekend and then the warmth returns once more

All the signs are there, the NFL has just begun

The baseball fans are hyped up for their teams to make the playoff run

The networks are advertising their new lineups and shows coming our way

They bombard us with their commercials each and every day

Setting us up for the seasons where we spend more time inside

Mother Nature will become unpredictable, a fact that can’t be denied!

Take advantage of the nice days that are left because there is a limited supply

We are only days away from kissing summer goodbye

Get out and enjoy the colours of fall that will be on full display

Take in all the sunshine each and every day

There should be lots of great weather ahead for all of us to savour

Go out and partake in it, do yourself a favour

There is so much beauty out there for us to share

There is still plenty of time before the trees are bare

The landscape’s pastels will vary from week to week

There will be experts advising us when these colours reach their peak

Each time a stiff breeze comes in, more leaves fall to the ground

Who knows how much longer we will hear that rustling sound!

The participants in this annual event get reduced with every gust

Getting out to enjoy this scenery certainly is a must

I intend to make a point of enjoying this spectacular show

This is the final production before we are trudging through the snow

My Saturday morning started early, around six o’clock

Then shortly afterwards, the dog and I were on our walk

It was a nice morning and we didn’t set much of a pace

After over an hour and a half of walking, we were back at our place

Both of us were contented in achieving our daily goal

Once we entered the house, I filled his water bowl

He lapped it up mightily and finally quenched his thirst

Meanwhile I polished off a glass myself and was able to finish first

I filled up his food dish and he ate a little bit

Then we headed to the front porch to relax and sit

I wolfed down some cereal as I listened to the news

The puppy did his usual, stretched out and took a snooze

After relaxing for a while, I heard my cell phone beep

It wasn’t quite loud enough to rouse my dog from sleep

My neighbours were wondering if I wanted to join them in a hike

I messaged back that I would and proceeded to get my bike

It was a little after nine when the three of us headed out

We all knew where we were going and were familiar with the route

It would be almost four hours after everything was said and done

We arrived back in our neighbourhood  a little after one

We covered over thirty four kilometers on the trek that we took

We took in all the scenery and had the time to stop and look

I finished cleaning myself up and was just sitting around

When all of a sudden, my phone made another beeping sound

It was my daughter asking me if I wanted to see the bands playing on Main Street

I was all for it and decided walking down to her house was the best place to meet

It would be just before five when we reached the “downtown” core

We walked between “Oak” and “Main” right up to the final encore

We ate some pizza and ice cream and ran into cousins we haven’t seen in years

The highlight of the evening was when the band “Dwayne Gretzky” finally appeared

They were a remarkable cover band and all their musicians were great

All the songs they played were classics and they were well worth the wait

Everyone there seemed to be enjoying the show

After playing their final song, it was now time to  go

Once we got back to my daughter’s place, her fiancé came up with a plan

They insisted that they wanted to protect this “old man”

The two of them escorted me right up to my front door

After standing and walking for six hours who could ask for more!

I told them to make sure when they got home to give me a call

So to add up to that cycling, I finished with over 27,000 steps in all

Went to bed last night thinking that I would be homebound today

When I awoke, there was an opportunity and I went without delay

I had a chance to get out before the rain

I may not get another opportunity again

I went out this morning and took a different route

Sticking close to home is what it’s all about

Stayed on the paths that meander throughout our city

No traffic to dodge and the scenery is quite pretty

The dog enjoys the adventure because he can run free

Even though he likes to roam, he sticks close to me

We weaved through the area with only having to cross a couple of streets

Returned on the same path and our journey was complete

Walked under bridges and through city parks

It was so quiet and not once did my dog bark

Only ran into maybe three people on this morning excursion

To be honest , these paths were a welcome diversion

The sky was starting to blacken so we decided to pick up the pace

The dog managed to find only one squirrel to chase

We walked around ball fields to lengthen our stroll

With each extra step, it brought us closer to our goal

With all the foliage around us, I figured we could stay dry

The leaves would protect us and home was still nearby

Everything was going great, all according to plan

Near the end we had to rush but we never ran

The rain started when we were getting close to home

Which was the main reason we didn’t go too far to roam

The timing was great we were on the final block

We walked up the front stairs and that officially ended our walk

All in all I never got too far away

But when I looked up the totals we put in more steps today

Usually I stay on the same blocks and follow a straight line

Today we took a winding path and everything turned out fine

I had a busy weekend and it started Friday night

My daughter and son in law wanted to get things right

Their plan was to move a refrigerator and put things into place

This was the first step in freeing up some much needed space

So with just a piece of cardboard he slid the fridge into the next room

This was to be the only task he was to perform for the evening I presumed

After doing this all by himself, he wanted to do some more

So with a friend and I, the three of us continued with this chore

This goes back to all those records that I mentioned some time back

In order to store them all, we had to purchase a couple more racks

Because of this, we had to maneuver them to a different location

The trick was to transport them and keep the new configuration

Thankfully there was an empty rack that we could use to start

If we tried to carry a full one, chances are it would fall apart

One by one we filled them and were able to maintain the design

I originally started with four of them and now I was up to nine

We filled every crevice and now have a couple of empty shelves to fill

This finished our Friday night and the next day my daughter would show her special skills

We were back at it early on Saturday afternoon

Then hooked up the stereo and listened to some old tunes

We played some of our favourites and then we took some requests

We got into a lot of “Motown” that we knew would please our special guests

While we were doing this, my daughter took the reins

She performed her special magic once again

She transformed our whole basement with a music and sports theme

With my “Blackhawks”, “Expos” and “April Wine” memorabilia, it’s a dream

I took them out for supper, it was the least that I could do

I couldn’t thank them enough, but she wasn’t through

She came back to the house and moved a few more things around

So if you are looking for me, that’s where I’ll be found

Down in the rec room is where I’ll probably be

Trying to figure out what to do with those thousands of cds

Last month was “Joe Biden’s” last debate and it ended his “Presidential” run

He listened to his fellow “Democrats” and decided he was done

Gave the reins to his “Vice President” and endorsed her to take his place

Looks like this is the candidate that this party has chosen to embrace

 “Trump” and his selected “Vice President” candidate are slipping in the polls

Seems “J.D. Vance” isn’t the right man to perform in that role

He was handpicked by “Trump” because “Vance” likes him very much

This inflated “Donald’s” ego and he figured they are the perfect one two punch

Their convention was going great and they couldn’t do no wrong

That was until “Trump’s” speech ran a little bit too long

They said that he was going to tone down the hostility because of his recent brush with death

They promised he had changed and we could all take a nice long breath

This was going to be a unifying speech for the nation as a whole

He was calm and collected for twenty minutes then he assumed his usual role

Once again he reverted back to the idiot that we all know

Talking about “Illegal immigrants” and bad mouthing “Sleepy Joe”

The tirade was full of lies which is always the case

 What was such a promising event, now ended in disgrace

This didn’t seem to affect him because he felt he was in total control

He was in the driver’s seat and nothing is going to stop him from his goal

Then just three days later “Joe” is out and “Kamala” is in

The “Republican Party” is now in a tail spin

Now “Trump” is the old guy and “Harris” is closing his leading gap

“Vance” is being criticized severely and the “Republicans” are starting to unwrap

“Kamala” is packing stadiums putting “Donald” in his place

Telling “Trump” if you got something to say, “say it to my face”

She wants him to show up for the previously scheduled debate

Is he going to appear? All we can do is sit and wait

The campaign has received record donations since she took the wheel

Hundreds of thousands of volunteers have joined due to her appeal

They are comparing this to the “Kennedy” run if you are old enough to remember

Let’s hope this excitement leads her to the “White House” in  November!

The “Olympic” games have begun yet haven’t started great

It seems the “Canadian” women’s soccer group  are the ones to hate

Looks like they were doing some surveillance on the “New Zealand” team

That didn’t seem to sit too well with the “FIFA” regime

They used a drone to spy on a practice by the “KIWI” squad

The punishment they delivered was pretty broad

They deducted six points from them and banned three coaches for a year

Whether “Canada Soccer” makes an appeal hasn’t been made clear

They fined them $313,000 for this infraction

For all the players involved it must be a major distraction!

They are the defending “Gold Medal” champions and are ready to defend

All the pressure that’s been put on them is a little hard to apprehend

They are the pride of “Canada” and deserve all the admiration

Don’t think for one second that they have been abandoned by their “Nation”

I feel very sorry for these women but now they are on a mission

Through no fault of their own, they have been put into this position

They beat “New Zealand” two to one in their first game

Then defeated “France” and the score was the same

They are undefeated so far and their points still add up to none!

You have to have faith because their journey isn’t done!

They scored the winner in stoppage time when they defeated “France”

If they would have ended in a tie, they wouldn’t have had a chance

Wednesday they play “Colombia” so they still have a shot

If they come  out victorious they advance to the “quarter finals” slot!

This whole fiasco has had a devastating effect on them as a whole

They have become so much closer in trying to achieve their goal

What the “coaches” did was wrong, I think most of us agree

But all of us “Canadians” are hoping they are victorious in game number three

Then justice would be served and they could still contend

Still be in the running and  have their title to defend

The players aren’t the “cheaters” but that’s the price they pay

They will become a team of “legend” if they  go all the way!

I am sitting on my couch and taking some time to reflect

My thoughts are on the fact that I am giving my dog too much respect

I never even considered it, but lately it’s becoming painfully clear

The fact is that I am not the boss of him as it would appear

This was not my intention when I first acquired this pet

To be honest with you, I’m really not that upset

He has been there for me every morning ready to head out the door

As soon as I stir out of bed, he is ready to explore

I guess he is my therapy dog but he doesn’t wear the vest

He is always right there beside me when we do our daily quest

I looked back at the past year and we only missed four days so far

When you really think about it, it all seems so bizarre!

We missed two days last month because of heavy rain

So that record accumulated during winter and spring seems so insane!

It was definitely a mild winter because we don’t like the cold

When it gets really bitter, out daily adventure gets put on hold

Close to six kilometers we cover each and every day

I let him take the lead because he knows the way

Maybe I have given him too much authority and the power has gone to his head

I am now second in command and he is in charge instead

Here are a few examples of what I have had to endure

I thought it was enough when I had to pick up his manure!

He sleeps in every room for hours in the day

We don’t venture into them because we could be in the way

I don’t go out to the front when he is eating anymore

I make sure he is finished before I head out to the door

He follows us to the front porch and he frolics about

Then he sleeps in front of the entrance and we can’t get in or out

We have a fenced in yard for him to go out and play

Once he lets out his yelp, we rush to let him in right away!

I know we got him neutered, but he still thinks he has his balls

We both seem to cater to him and are at his beckon  call

Through all of our disciplining, he has gotten the upper hand

To others that are pet owners, I think you understand

The trick is to let him think he has it and then show no concern

For all the love you give them, you get so much more in return!