Category: The DayBook

I need a vacation. Do people who live in an old folks asylum even get vacations?

Well, I guess I could check out the Republican Candidate… Then I would be hot, tired, bored and annoyed.

Think I’ll hit the shower.

I found this wonderful moth this afternoon. And, it always pleases me no end when I can come up with a positive identification. Googling winged black bug with orange neck and feathery antenna… doesn’t get it done.

The name indicates this cute little moth (or his caterpillar offspring) can do serious damage to your vineyard. I think he would make great earrings!

Summer seems to be coming to an end. The youngest grand started back to school today. Last summer, I was crazy busy getting ready to move. The summer before last, I was busy keeping Mr C alive and happy. Ditto the summer before that. I guess this summer has been “ordinary”.

The Epiphany – I have reached my final destination. After a lifetime of moving around. Changing addresses, jobs, men, – but mostly addresses – I have arrived.

For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seatbelt sign. 

Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight.

So, here I am, at The Asylum. For the rest of my life. Carlton and I moved anytime the mini-blinds got gross dirty. Or just because. But, I am here. Forever. Well, at least for my forever. Your forever may vary.

This is a pretty scarey concept. No more moving. Well, except to Canada if The Donald wins…

For some reason vendors come in and set up shop in our lobby and sell “stuff”. Today’s stuff is clothes. If it is for sale in the asylum lobby – you don’t want to wear it. Who even knew that there is this little cottage industry – selling crappy clothes and other junk to inmates of old folks asylums.

And, that is about it from my final destination.

Note to Carlton: I stopped by the old apartment this afternoon. Dave, Dave, Mike, Ali and Ted are all still there. I didn’t see Ali and Ted – But Dave, Dave and Mike were all there. And, I saw several of my dog friends. That was a great place to live. I am glad we spent our last years together there. (But the mini-blinds were getting pretty dusty!)

That red/black flower doesn’t always show up. It is supposed to attract insects.

When stalking wild carrots – one must remember that hemlock is also a wild carrot. A very wild carrot.

 

Yesterday afternoon I spent 25 minutes and 14 seconds on the phone trying to change my address with Humana. Nope, they wouldn’t let me do it online or by mail. I had to call them. Last year before I moved – I got out my list of addresses to change and worked the list. I reviewed that list last weekend and noticed that I hadn’t changed Humana. I guess I tried and got pissed off and gave up. I tried to change it last weekend – but no luck.  I was mad enough to cancel the insurance. It is just my drug coverage and it is pretty crappy. But, I couldn’t cancel it online either. Fortunately, when I finished up it was time for the regular weekly meeting of the Bar Belles. (I think I can change it this fall. Maybe online through SSA.)

Today – I addressed my addiction to boxes.

The rest of the boxes went off to the recycle room.

Then I cleaned the overstuff disk drive on the Airness. I have 103GB available. Up from 68GB.

I need to go somewhere. Those damn jackrabbits in my boots are bouncing around.

Hello, my name is Peggy and I am powerless over empty boxes.

Yes, empty boxes. Especially shoe boxes. But also candy boxes, Altoids tins and printer/copier paper boxes.

I am going to have to have an intervention. I actually moved empty boxes to the Old Bat Cave.

Why am I saving them? Many of them are boxes that tennis shoes came in. Carlton went through about three pair a year. But, I don’t think I am saving them because they held size 11 tennis shoes. I am saving boxes that held size 38 Mephisto sandals and clogs as well.

I don’t think I am ready to get rid of all of them. Maybe, I’ll recycle half of them. I don’t have any trouble getting rid of “amazon-type” shipping boxes. It is boxes with lids that I seem to be overly attached to.

Every week, we have some “specials”. They are usually at least interesting. And then there is “Fried Protein Chicken Like…”

Politics: Here at the asylum – where we have experience with dementia – folks here are suggesting that maybe the Republican candidate may be suffering from some sort of dementia. We just can not allow that man to become president.

Photography: It isn’t as much fun anymore. I realize that Carlton was my best audience and critic. I had my book of 2015 Photographs printed. But, who is going to look at it. I may stop printing photo books.

But, I am still taking pictures. Two from this afternoon…

Spent a long day at the office and then did some quality time with a spreadsheet from the comfort of the Old Bat Cave after I got home. No time to sneak up on unsuspecting bugs.

I forgot my phone today. There are a hell of a lot of things that one can not do when your phone is at home and you are not.

1. First, you don’t know what time it is.
2. And, then, you don’t know when the bus will be coming.
3. You can not check email.
4. You can not get a Starbucks – well unless you use actual money.
5. From your windowless office – you can not check the weather.
6. You can not hail UBER.
7. You can not read a book whilst waiting of the bus that may or may not be coming soon.
8. You can not listen to Pandora or NPR.
9. You cannot ask Google for directions.
10. You can not listen to an audiobook.
11. No text messages for you.
12. Downtime gaming – I don’t think so.
13. You can not access your calendar – but since you don’t know what time it is – you might as well just miss the meeting.
14. No online shopping.
15. And, last and certainly least – you can not make a phone call. No even from someone else’s phone because you don’t know the number.

Note to self: Don’t forget shamu the phone tomorrow.

It is not that hot today, but, it sort of kicked my butt. Why is it that heat affects old people more? A job for Google, right? Well, I am back from Google. Seems like our “heat processing systems” just sort of slow down and wear out like the rest of our bodies. No one ever said that getting old was easy. So, I decided to just give in and nap.

After reading and napping – I went down to check my “garden”

For no apparent reason – I had my cheap long slow lens on my camera – but this isn’t to shabby for wasp photos. And, I didn’t have to get close to it.

Now, my desk is looking pretty junky – if I really mean to dedicate August to “maintenance decluttering” – I should fire up some tunes and spend 30 minutes in my “office”. Oh yes, I live in one room. But I have an office, a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, a dining room/hobby area, and a library. (The library is a comfy chair and a Kindle.) I have a bathroom and a closet too. But, the closet and bathroom have proper doors.

 

I lounged around the Asylum this Sunday.

A year ago today, I took Carlton’s tennis rackets to the Goodwill. August 1, 2015

Two years ago, I was having technical problems at work. August 1, 2014

Decided that I will dedicate August to “Decluttering”. Yes, yes, I downsized bigtime before moving to the Asylum. But, stuff sort of creeps in and multiples. And, this apartment is much nicer when it is sort of empty. Carlton and I had different opinions about “stuff”. His theory was “If I have a place for it then I can keep it”. My theory is – “If I haven’t used it in a year, are not going to use it next year, or if I have forgotten that I have it – it should go.” (Except Carlton’s shoebox of trinket – well, I actually knew I had that shoebox – I just didn’t know where I had stashed it.)

It is time to start thinking about going to Kona. I really like riding the train. So, I think I’ll be training it somewhere out west and fly to Kona from maybe San Diego. Or Seattle. Or anywhere in between.

Well, Carlton, we haven’t talked lately. You wouldn’t believe what has happened since you relocated.

You would be amazed that gas is about $2.25 a gallon. Don’t take this too seriously, you know I don’t buy gas!

And, you wouldn’t believe the political scene. You would be happy to know that Hillary is our candidate. And, that wouldn’t surprise you. But, the rest of it… Well, best you not know.

Bond yields are really really low – actually negative sometimes. Ed and I are doing our best to manage “your” money almost like you would have.

The usual suspects are still winning tennis and golf tournaments. The ‘Skins are still The ‘Skins and the team doesn’t seem to be any better. The Nats – well, they were doing pretty good in 2014 and they are doing OK this year. They had a 3-3-5 triple play last week. Yep, not a typo. (To my non-US and/or non-baseball friends – the firstbase player got the first two runners out and threw the ball to the thirdbase player for the 3rd out. Don’t worry, baseball is incomprehensible.)

As for me. As you would say “I am fine.”

And why exactly do I think you can read this??? Silly Peg.

 

So, what did I do this fine summer Saturday – I got a box out of my chicken coop in the basement. My chicken coop is a 4foot cube – most of it is being used by a friend who is “over stuffed”. But, when I moved in, I put a copy paper box in the coop. A box that directed me to deal with and shred contents this year. Well, for me – this year has 3 months left at this location. And, I couldn’t have named a single item that was in that box.

So, I went to get the box this morning. It had several bundles of papers neatly labeled “Trash after Jan 1, 2016”. These went off to the to be shredded pile unexamined. There was a shoebox full of “Carlton Trinkets”. I got rid of lots of his “trinkets” – these are what is left. What do you do with a man’s “Army Zippo” lighter? Especially a lighter that belonged to a man of never smoked ANYTHING. And cuff links, tie tacs and bars? Maybe I need to put the shoebox back in the chicken coop and label it “Deal with in 2017”.

Then, I had lunch with friends and went to the theater. Great show. It think it was a happy confluence of the audience and the really crappy mood of the human race that made the show seem so very good. The show was “Born For This” – about BeBe Winans Story. What’s not to love? BeBe and CeCe, and rest of the family, Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, and Whitney Houston. The house was packed. 95% of the audience black church people. 5% like me – you know the crowd – old white liberals from civil rights/peace corps days. And every last one of us, scared for our county and our planet. Oh and BeBe was in the house.

 

Well, the political conventions are over. Let the mudslinging begin. I just hope no one gets killed. But, I don’t hold out much hope for a bloodfree campaign and no hope at all for a mudfree campaign.

While swimming my laps – I decided to “retire” on Aug 1, 2017. I might not completely stop. But, I will stop being an integral part of the day to day operation. Someone else will need to keep the database all nice and tidy. Someone else will need to hack out special reports and projects. A year should give ample time for an orderly transition. I am not getting any younger. 30 hours a week is about 20 hours a week too many.

Sleepy after watching the convention. NiteNite.