Looking…

looking back
looking back
looking forward
looking forward

The boss and me: wearing our 10 year anniversary shirts. Now, we just have to make it through the next 14 days – we’ll be trying to get 4,000 employees, contractors, doctors, and volunteers flu shots. My job is record keeping. It used to be just the two of us – boss gave shots and I entered data in the computer. Now we have a host of nurses to give shots and they are all armed with “point of sale” iPads and badge scanners to capture data. I “just” have to keep the technology going these days.

Weather is getting cooler. So, I was out and about today looking for fall colors. Not much yet.

looking for autumn
looking for autumn

About this Lamar Odom character… man runs up $75,000 tab in a whore house – and is found unconsious – and people are surprised???

Updated my iPad to iOS9. The Phone is still waiting for Marshmellow. Have to seek out better internet before moving the Airness to El Capitan.

And for your viewing pleasure (weather permitting): On Saturday morning – October 17, 2015 – Mars and Jupiter conjunction. It hasn’t happened since July 22, 2013. The next conjunction of Mars and Jupiter won’t be until January 7, 2018. So, if you are up early. Look up.

Marking Time

The Storage/Chicken Coops
The Asylum Storage/Chicken Coops

Fifty three weeks ago, Carlton put in his final COA. Three weeks ago I moved into the Old Bat Cave. In two weeks I am going to Hawai’i. And ten years ago, I started my lucrative career at Virginia Hospital Center.

Much to my surprise – my office had a party for me this evening. Complete with cake and presents. (Also beer, steak and crab cakes) And I was picked up and delivered and returned home.

what now?

waiting for the 28a
waiting for the 28a

Walked my tax stuff up to the CPA afterwork. Then hiked to the nearest stripmall and waited for my big red ride home.

And while I was waiting, I realized that for the first time in over a year – I have NOTHING that needs doing. I handed the last death duty/move task over to the tax guy. I felt a little lost. What now? And, here at the asylum Bingo is cancelled tonight. What now?

Well, I can always upgrade The Airness to El Capitan and the iPad to iOS9. The phone is patiently waiting for the arrival of Marshmallow.

Change is good, right?

more downsizing

The contents of my purse
The contents of my purse

My purse – a case study in excess. 4 bus schedules. 3 tomatoes. 2 socks. 1 plastic spoon. Don’t need any of those in my purse. I had a purse intervention this afternoon.

Halibut for dinner again tonight. Hey halibut are big fish. It might be up to me to eat the whole thing. I might be called upon to eat halibut again tomorrow. The “regular” prix fixe menu selections are $14. The “special” prix fixe menu selection is 2 bucks more. I’ll gladly spend an extra 2 bucks for a big chunk of halibut.

Columbus Day, or whatever happens…

Found some pretty mushrooms whilst walking home.
Found some pretty mushrooms whilst walking home.

Columbus Day, or whatever happens is what you planned. Gotta be suspicious of a holiday celebrating a man who was F-ing-A lost.  Being a guy, he didn’t ask for directions.

Not a holiday for me however. Hard to get to work today – buses are on “holiday” schedule. Fortunately, I figured that out yesterday when I was going ride-about. Walked home.

Spent some time this afternoon getting numbers together for the accountant. I am adding an accountant to my “team”. I want to assemble (and test) this team while my brain still works. I have a lawyer and an investment guy. The cpa should just about complete my team.

Halibut for dinner tonight.

Just Sunday

The 16P Bus
The 16P Bus

Checking out the #16 bus line today. Rode the 16G bus to Pentagon City – where I went to Costco – I don’t have a Costco card – I don’t need one – but I like going in and generally gawking at all the stuff – and – of course – there are always the samples. I called them “lunch”. Then walkabout Pentagon City and on the 16P bus back home.

Did a little laundry, a little paperwork, actually – I didn’t do much today. It is a little strange not have “chores” today.

I just went down and checked out the crowd at dinner. It seemed more than I wanted to deal with – but – it will clear out at about 7PM when all head off to watch 60 minutes. That is when I’ll head down. Or I’ll just nuke dinner right here in the OBC.

Looking out the window

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The Old Post Office and Washington Monument
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The National Cathedral
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The Air Force Memorial
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The US Capitol. 

Took some snaps through the OBC window of the major “sights”. Hand held 400mm Leica lens.

Didn’t do much today. Yoga. Took some stuff down to my storage cage. Next October 1 – I’ll get rid of everything in the cage. (I might not wait that long.) And, I bussed some stuff to the Goodwill. Went for a swim.

Grilled shrimp for dinner. Then I went to the Saturday Nite Movie. I lasted 45 minutes. There didn’t seem to be any point to the movie so I bailed. (Cameron Crowe’s Aloha).

Nothing on tap for tomorrow. Will figure out tomorrow tomorrow.

 

Food Trucks!

Love Food Trucks!
Love Food Trucks!

Nice day. Three weeks from now – let’s see – it will be almost noon in Kona and – travel goddess willing – I’ll be less than three hours away.

Got my maid service started this week. Every Friday – Elizabeth will be in the OBC. Doing my cleaning. Putting clean sheets on my bed. Stocking my bathroom with fluffy white towels and toilet paper.

Got a one year sympathy type card from Georgetown Medical School. Guess they still have Mr C.

No work 2day

An Old Bat Breakfast

Started my day off off right with a healthy wholesome breakfast. Yeah right. Hey, it has fruit on it. And I didn’t eat all of it. (Yet)

And…

First Sunrise from the OBC
First Sunrise from the OBC

I have been here 2 weeks today – but this is the first time I have seen the sunrise. Most days, I go to work at O-Dark-Hundred… and on the weekends it has been rainy.

Yesterday at the bus stop
Yesterday at the bus stop – be there at 0615 or else.

I took today off for no apparent reason. I really am all settled in. I bought as big a mirror as I could carry home – about 3 blocks. Don’t know if I like it now that I have it here. Well, if I don’t like it – off it goes to the “What Not Shop” – The Asylum’s Thrift Shop.

This afternoon, I realized that all of these 500 plus/minus inmate here at The Asylum are a shock to my system. I am just not used to interacting with that many people. I am not used to people trying to get me to join the “Green Team” or to come to “Line Dancing”. (It is a little like a Club Med vacation in the 1980s.) I am not used to having dinner a big tables where I am supposed to be sociable. For 30+ years, I ate dinner across from a man who I really didn’t have to talk to. He didn’t like to talk while he was eating. So, after lunch, I locked myself in my room. Took a nice long nap. Made my own dinner here in the OBC.

AND – GOT TICKETS TO KONA. Friday Oct 30. One way – as usual. DCA-PHX-KOA

Now about VW – Excuse me – but I really don’t believe that 3 rogue computer programmers decided to rig the emissions test all by themselves. Oh, they could have thought it up. They might even have tested the code… But, to install it and leave it in the production model just for giggles… Not happening. Don’t toss the programmers under the bus.

 

The Asylum Grounds

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Colonnade

Came home with a nice long mental “MUST DO” list. I decided to do the most important thing first. And, what was the most important thing? “Acquire toilet paper”. After that, everything else just sort of happened – Then I took the camera on a mini-walkabout around the grounds.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
These roses are still going strong
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The last of the bumble bees?

Tonight’s activity – A discussion on The Pope’s Environmental Encyclical – I am not so sure that I will be going.

Formal Dining Room Breached.

The Formal Dining Room - as seen from Table 14 by the walker parking lot.
The Formal Dining Room – as seen from Table 14 by the walker parking lot.

So, what did I wear that got me in? Cowboy Boots. Levi’s 5 pocket jeans skirt. Scruffy black shirt. As I said the same food as in the “Not Formal” dining room. But it is quieter and more relaxing. Not sure I want to wear cowboy boots every night.

IMG_20151006_180930
flank steak, carrots and squash, plus wine, coffee and birthday cake.

Work yoga walk home “newcomers” meeting dinner… And now I am tired.

 

Walk in the woods…

The way home, via Google.

The sun came out today. And, I decided to walk home – 3.2 miles. “OK Google walk home… ” I followed Google’s directions. Gotta say – Google knew a way better way. Including this sweet little stretch thru “the woods”. I didn’t even know the path existed.

Lunch was in the apartment – this afternoon I went to a lecture about “Final Transition” – that is Asylum Speak for “Dead”. An entire year of lectures about “Final Transition” is on tap.

Speaking of “Final Transition” – my collection of iPods has transitions to the Therapeutic Recreation Department.

The formal dining room – Round 1. I put on my good skinny jeans and a jacket and ask for a table. The first response is “Yes” I’ll get you a table. Then guess what? There is no table. I can not see in – so I don’t know if there were really no tables – but I am suspicious.

Score Round 1 for the house. (That outfit would get me into every restaurant in DC – but, not into most Country Club dining rooms.)

I went over to the “informal dining room” and had a darn fine chunk of halibut.