Being frivolous and superficial…

Pentagon City - Eating and Shopping.
Pentagon City – Eating and Shopping.

Being frivolous and superficial, I spent this fine fall day shopping. As my evil twin says “Someone has to support the economy.” The economy is well supported. And not just by me. The shops were busy.

Being frivolous and superficial and a literary lowlife – I was overjoyed when Bob Dylan won the Nobel for Literature. Finally, something I understand. I usually know more about the Nobels for Chemistry and Medicine and Physics than I do for the Literature one. Sometimes, I get an audiobook by the Literature Laureate and use it to put me to sleep for the next year.

Moonrise over the asylum
Moonrise over the asylum

Rather than photoshop out the double of the moon from the window glass – I left it in as a “feature”.

Just Another Friday at the Asylum

The regular friday meeting of the Bar Belles.
The regular friday meeting of the Bar Belles. Brave men welcome.

Tonight at the regular meeting of the Bar Belles – I was reduced to near hysterical laughter. Two of our residents are getting married on December 31. (Not sure that they shouldn’t wait until January 1 – but, I was always a mercenary bitch.) Two residents getting married was not hysterical. What was: They are taking ballroom dancing lessons from a man named “Fabio” in preparation for their wedding reception. According to the bride, Fabio is hot.

Laissez les bons temps rouler! 

It is scarey out there…

Yes, it is scarey. But, it isn't Halloween.
Yes, it is scarey. But, it isn’t Halloween.

Still terrified about the aftermath of the upcoming election. Really glad that I am going to be in Hawai’i – which we all know – isn’t a part of “America”.

Enough of politics. Saw a super ad in the dead-tree version of the Wall Street Journal yesterday. It was sorta like this:

screen-shot-2016-10-13-at-7-23-30-pm

Think about it – a Samsung refrigerator – with wifi and controllable from your phone. I kept imagining that the fridge would self immolate and your pork chops would be barbequed!

Guess if you are Samsung you do anything you can to save your brand.

Went to the doctor today – well actually to the nurse practitioner. Guess what – I have high blood pressure. I am not fat but I do NOT need to gain weight. 70 is NOT the new 40 and indeedy I could be getting arthritis. I shouldn’t do less. But, I should “rest” more and better.

Maybe the last outdoor meal of the season.
Maybe the last outdoor meal of the season.

Had a lovely, peaceful, and quiet lunch outside today. I was the only person eating outside. It was perfect. (Tuna salad, lentil soup, ice tea.)

Last Bee?

A Last Day of Bee Shooting
A Last Day of Bee Shooting – cheap long lens

Lovely fall weather today.

What is not lovely is the general unease that I am feeling about the upcoming election. I feel sure that Hillary will win. I am really concerned about what will happen then. Not worried about total government gridlock. Worried about Donald’s supporters. They are scarey. They don’t respond to logic, reason, or decency. Pretty sure they never heard of the Electoral College. They have guns.

A Last Look - My 11 Square Feet of Dirt
A Last Look – My 11 Square Feet of Dirt.

Tuesday

Will try to find the AUTO
The Shrine of Immaculate Conception.

Called in “cold, dark and tired” at 0555.  And at about 0930, the sun bounced off the top of the bell tower. Managed to get myself to the office by 1130 – just in time for yoga.

Went to dinner with the office peoples. Great big bowl of pho, some old time Vietnamese beer. And then off to bed.

Political note: Is this like the election of 1860 – As you may recall it ended badly.

 

Monday

Nature Conservancy Weed Lot
Nature Conservancy Weed Lot

Walked through the Nature Conservancy Back Yard over near my old apartment today. Lovely crispy cool fall day today.

And that is the only good news. Even the politicians couldn’t mess up Mother Nature’s gift. But they tried.

 

Hey, Carlton!

Just a great day at the Alexandria Farm Market yesterday.
Just a great day at the Alexandria Farm Market yesterday.

Super day for richly colored fall veggies. Never Mind the rain. I got one of those adorable little cauliflower. Also a bar of coconut scented soap, a bunch of flowers, a bottle of chocolate milk. I think that was it.

Yesterday, a kinda had a little panic when I realized that 2 weeks from now – it would be almost time to go to Kona. And, the fridge is “full”. Well, full when you consider that they feed me here at the asylum. And, now days – as opposed to in Carlton days, I do go out to eat with friends.

But, this morning, I made a fine omelet – which polished off the eggs and grated cheese. And, I just finished a nice salad that used up some of my frozen chicken, some of my not-grated cheese, some of my lettuce and the last tomato of the summer and some peas. And, a beer. Which wasn’t in any danger of going bad! (Port CIty Monumental IPA).

And, I thought about my packing. Mc C is going in the Flat Rate Box, with monopod, cheap heavy lens, and wetsuit and mask and snorkel. Bigger problem is my pāpale. (That’s hat to you non-Hawaiians.) The airplane isn’t a problem. It can just set on my lap like a baby. It is the train part. It will sort of fit into to my rollaboard. But the rollaboard will not be with me on the train. It will be “downstairs” in the luggage rack. And mypāpale will surely get squashed. My pāpale can ride “upstairs” with me. But, this leaves the problem of getting off the train in Chicago AKA “The Windy City” and Seattle AKA “The Rain Capital of the Planet” with my dear hat on my head. The pāpale doesn’t fit in a flat rate box. And, the pāpale will be seriously pissed if I didn’t take it back home to Kona. One way or the other, the pāpale will get to Kona. As will I.

Late last night, there was enough bandwidth to upgrade The Airness to Sierra. Not an earth moving upgrade. But, my son-in-law did show me how to make Siri recognize voice command to fire up. SO… Now I can yell – HEY CARLTON at the computer and it is just about as useful as Carlton was. HEY CARLTON, who won the Redskins game? HEY CARLTON, is it cold outside? HEY CARLTON, what time is it? It answers all these questions, just like Carlton would. HEY CARLTON, what is going to happen to long term interest rates if Trump wins? No response. Same as what Carlton would say.

Going to watch the debate this evening with my housemates. I am bringing a travel mug of Kona’s finest for me to drink and some chocolate covered macnuts to share.

All things considered…

It wasn't such a hot day to be a pidgeon.
It wasn’t such a hot day to be a pidgeon.

Or a Republican, hoping to ride to election victory on the coattails of the standard bearer.

Just realized that I have two weeks to get myself ready to go to Hawai’i. But, how hard can it be? Been doing it for 25+ years. And the train part too.

Food Trucks in the Old Neighborhood

Ballston
Ballston

Yesterday, I took a picture of my neighborhood taco truck. It is our one and only food truck.

Today, I went back to the old neighborhood to visit the dentist. We had LOTS of shinny foodie trucks. They are not better. Just prettier.

No problems at the dentist. I didn’t even get scolded about flossing. Either I did really good or the hygienist has just given up on me. I’d bet on the later.

I had a Peg mini-meltdown at dinner tonight. I went into the dining venue with four friends. I waited in line. And ordered a nice dinner. There were no tables. We did find four seats at one of the “group” tables. And, I just said screw this. I don’t want to eat with who ever shows up at the table. I almost walked away, abandoning my ordered and paid for dinner. I stayed. But, it wasn’t pretty for about 5 minutes. My friends will be able to talk about my meltdown for the next couple of weeks. They patted me on the head and told me to “take it easy”. Group living isn’t easy for me. I stayed. In the end, the black cod was pretty good. And, some people that I know and like took the extra chairs at our group table.

Think it was a tired Peg at the end of a very long week. Or maybe it was the real me.

Note to Carlton: The Nats are just about to lose game one of the Division Series.

 

Our friendly neighborhood taco truck.

Pa' Tacos El Papi

This is our friendly neighborhood taco truck. It is rather good. It hangs out at the bottom of “our” hill. It doesn’t court the upscale millennial market like the sleeker food trucks in my old neighborhood. Pa’ Tacos El Papi’s market are the working men and women who live in our surrounding “affordable” apartments.

We had a little “floor” party this evening – welcoming our newest resident. About 25 people live on our floor. And, we are a rather jolly bunch. For a bunch of old farts, that is. The funniest thing I heard was that some years ago the residents formed a committee to test toilet paper and make recommendations. Now, who wouldn’t kill to be on the toilet paper committee?

Note to Carlton: According to my FitBit, I have logged 4,132 miles since I got the thing back in April 2014. The Surgeon General wants everyone to walk more. I am not sure that I can walk much more than I already do.

OK Carlton, Message Received!

Way Back in FIlm Time - Harpers Ferry Park
Way Back in FIlm Time – Harpers Ferry Park

OK Carlton, message received hot and clear…

Those of you who knew Carlton will remember that he was famously penurious. Coffee was one of the many things that he would not spend money on. When we were a road trip he would grudgingly stop at a Mickey D’s and get me a styrofoam cup of “senior coffee”. I drank it black and when I was about 1/2 finished he would take it and add faux-cream and artificial sweetener – rendering it undrinkable by me. He would then finish it off all the while telling himself that he was a great guy for buying me coffee.

So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure how he would react to me buying a Starbucks coffee. I did do Starbucks – but not while he was watching. What happened in Starbucks, stayed in Starbucks.

Well, today – I was waiting for the bus. A nice warmish/coolish fall day. Wouldn’t a nice tall coffee taste great? Well, there was 15 minutes ’til bus time. I got my coffee. Settle in on a bench with the sun on my back. And, then I feel warm – warm in a place that hadn’t been warm in two years and four days (but who’s counting?). My coffee has suffered a massive cup failure. My lap is filling up with hot coffee. My jacket is wet. My leggings are wet. My dress is wet. My underdrawers are wet.

Fortunately one doesn’t have to look so very good to ride the bus. But, when I got home the lobby of the asylum was stuffed with prospective tenants. And, I fine sight I was – a bedraggled old woman with a massive wet spot down the front of a beige dress. If that wouldn’t be enough to cause one to rethink the advisability of moving to the Asylum, I don’t know what would.

So, it think this was just Carlton. Expressing his disapproval of my frivolous expenditures. OK, Carlton. I got the message. You are watching and you can cause massive and sudden paper cup failure.

So what? Get over it. I will continue to Starbuck. All of the clothes have been washed and they will be out of the dryer soon.

Long time without a little photo time

not great - but I just had to shoot something!
not great – but I just had to shoot something!

Well now, for two years I was Carlton’s own personal combat medic. I took out stitches. Brewed up quarts of Dakins Solution. Had an Amazon subscription for extra strength Ensure. Kept JP drains draining. Tegadermed him up. And worried. Did I ever worry. World class worrier.

And, for the last two years I have been an old widow woman. I only have one Widow Woman task – I need to get Carlton back to Kona. “Legally” he is supposed to go via Express Mail – labeled as “Cremated Remains”. Methinks he will go in a nice flat rate box. Safely wrapped up in my wetsuit. Unlabeled.  I don’t seem to have any “feelings” about that heavy plastic box that is all that is left of Carlton. But, I don’t want to creep anyone out. I don’t want a box showing up at my dear little hotel in Kona on Halloween labeled “Cremated Remains”.

And that will be that.

Will tonight’s VP debate have a line as great as “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” I doubt it. That is a very high bar to clear.