life in the old lane

52 weeks ago today – I came home from work at about 1230 and found Carlton very dead. Today, I came home to a new home. It was raining and I was driven home by a co-worker. Last year it was sunny and I walked. I was fine. I figure that I’ll be fine tomorrow too. Because – if Carlton thought for one minute that I was moping around – he would be off that autopsy table at Georgetown – and back here kicking my butt. Reminding me that “misery is optional”, telling me to make a “gratitude list”, saying “nobody is promised tomorrow – so get on with life”…

So – I am not miserable. Or even sad. I enjoyed being driven home. Had tomato soup and mac & cheese for lunch. Had a nice phone visit with a friend in Kona. Tried out the asylum pool. It is very large for this type building – maybe 25 meters. I swam laps for 15 minutes. Then tried out the jacuzzi. Came back to the apartment and read until going down for happy hour – beer and cheese and stuffed mushrooms for me. Decided that was dinner. I was about socialized out by then. Oatmeal up in the OBC sounded pretty good – and it was.

The Asylum hallways shout “little old lady”. But, I am where Carlton wanted me to be.

The rain is supposed to continue tomorrow – I’ll go to yoga or not – depending on the weather.

And on October 2, 2014 – Halloween Day 2 of 31, everything was just ducky with Mr C and me. And that I think is the lesson. Nobody is promised tomorrow. And, I am so glad and everything was rock solid between us. Nothing needed saying, no sins of omission or commission required amends. I have no regrets.

If you believe the sign in the elevator lobby – it will be the end of life on the planet if i don’t “Prepare for Hurricane Joaquin”. I am suppose to fill my bathtub with water. (Does it count if I fill my shower stall?) I am suppose to remove large items from my balcony. (OK, I’ll put them in my bathtub.) And, fill my gas tank with gasoline. (Would filling my tank with booze work)

The TV weather guys are predicting monsoonal rains. I am not worried.

The little sofa arrived today. I like it.

Oct 1, 2014, Halloween Day 1 of 31, I was happily starting a series of Halloween photos. All things considered the series came out pretty good.

 

Logged 6.5 miles on the fitbit. Went to work, had lunch at Starbucks, went to the old apartment building to pay the rip off water/sewer/trash bill. Better to just pay it than get my panties in a bunch. No future in jousting over a bill with Sam Zell. Stopped off and topped up my metro/bus fare card.

Then I went to the dentist where my teeth were declared “stable”. That is as good as it gets. I hopped on the 41 bus for the ride home. Spiked punch and cake were being served in the lobby for no apparent reason when I arrived. Did punch. Skipped cake. Got a little takeout salad. Looking forward to some down time in the OBC tonight. (Which means I am going to miss Oktoberfest – well if it isn’t October and if beer isn’t on the menu – it isn’t Oktoberfest.)

September 30, 2014 must not have been noteworthy. No blog entry for that day.

Rain, rain, and more rain on tap. I may call out of work on account of rain.

A little brightness in a gray day… Son-in-law found a never seen image from 10 years ago. Aren’t backup’s wonderful?

Most days I curse the general bus riding population. If there are 10 riders, 9 of them will have to fumble around all their pockets and bags to come up enough cash for the fare. Why can’t they have a fine high balance fare card like I do? Of course if you are a minimum wage worker you can not have $25 tied up in bus rides that you might never take. Well, today as I was running to catch a bus – I was damn glad that all these riders were holding up the bus – fumbling around looking for cash… for their fares. Getting to work used to take 30 minutes by foot, now it takes about an hour, and 2 busses and you had best not miss either of the busses. (I think I could walk it in a little over an hour.)

Had dinner a big table of Little Old Ladies. It was good.  And, the ladies told me that every on in “our” building was very sociable – but only outside of our apartments. They said that no one would ever just “drop by”. That is a very good thing.

Tomorrow afternoon is the dentist. And then I might have to take Thursday off – my sofa is scheduled to arrive. I hope it isn’t too big. It’s not like I can send it back.

All was good on September 29, 2014 – Happy Trails – And all is good today. No 1st class tickets to Hawai’i, yet.

Bingo 2Night at 7PM. The dining rooms were deserted by 6:45PM. Let the record show – I did not go to Bingo. I did have blackened grouper for dinner. Still adjusting to life as an inmate.

Moving to the asylum did not make me into a wildlife photographer. But, there are birds in the little garden out front. How hard will it be the haul the tripod out?

I got up at 5AM and was at work by 7AM. I left the OBC at about 610. I bused some and walked some.

So far, so good as I approach the one year anniversary of Carlton’s death…

September 28, 2014 – Lazy Last Summer of September – everything was “fine”

Interesting times: Running water found on Mars. The Pope was received like a rock star in DC. No, it was bigger than that – more like back in the day when the Redskins won the Superbowl. And, the crazies seem to have taken over the Republican Party – at least the part that runs the House of Representatives. Interesting times.

Went to on walkabout today and took my camera. Nothing great. But, it was nice to not do anything moving-wise.  I missed lunch. Not a problem. Still got a nice avocado and grilled salmon salad. I have to be careful with all this unlimited food available 12 hours a day. Not cruiseship. But close. Don’t want to require an entire new wardrobe. Dinner will be oatmeal and yogurt in the OBC.

I am going to have trouble this week. Because 52 weeks ago Carlton was alive and planning on staying that way. We had our last Sunday together a year ago.

And, September 27, 2014 – A Few Fall Grays – recalled October 3, 2013 – Accidental Panorama – that was when the wheels really fell off…

Note to Carlton: I really am OK. And thank you for getting me on my way to the asylum.

Time to catch up on emails and paperwork. Then “dinner”.

I might not have taken any pictures – but I worked my okole off today. All day, until 4PM when I started getting ready for the little block party that was happening in my honor at 4:30. One thing about the asylum – you can go to a party and do dinner and still be back in the old bat cave – in jammies – by 8PM.

But, I am now all moved in. My closets are even almost done. I took some stuff down to the storage cage. stuff like milk crates. and baskets. and shelve organizing thingies. stuff that will go to donation or trash.

But I am tired and am taking tomorrow OFF. This being a religious place – most of the residents seem to head out to church on sunday, A couple of retired ministers live on my floor. But, they don’t seem to mind having a pagan in their midst.

My apartment turned out fine. It is one room – plus a tiny bathroom and a big closet and a barely there closet. But, it is all I need. It is not “cozy”. It has an almost industrial or loft type feel to it – don’t know when that comes from. Maybe it is the shape of the room. Maybe it is my eclectic furniture collection. Who knows.

September 27, 2014 – A Few Fall Colors – we were enjoying a few days of grace.

Day off tomorrow. Will figure something to do – even nothing at all – tomorrow. Will take some pictures – weather permitting.

Big sign in “my” neighborhood. But, I don’t have a phone – so, no one can call. Not a bad thing, I am sure. Zuchini bread arrived at my door. And, the folks from “my” neighborhood are having a little welcome party for me tomorrow. Each floor seems to consider itself a “neighborhood”. A neighborhood of maybe 25-30 folks.

So what did I do today – well, I didn’t go to work. Need some time to find my stuff and get organized.

• Got up at the usual time – 0530 and had breakfast in the Old Bat Cave.
• Organized the bathroom a little more to my liking.
• Organized the kitchen.
• Went walkabout around the neighborhood (outside the building).
• Stopped by Bed Bath and Beyond for “stuff”
• Wandered over to Trader Joe’s for a little food. This is the same Trader Joe’s that I patronized 15 years ago.
• That was about a 3 mile round trip walkabout.
• Picked up a take out lunch at the asylum bistro.
• Napped a little.
• Worked on setting up my computer and desk area.
• My boss paid a surprise visit. She is the first outsider to see the Old Bat Cave.
• I decided I wanted to fix my own dinner, so I did… If I eat asylum food twice a day – I’ll need a new wardrobe.
• And that is about all.
• 10,420 Steps on the FitBit.

So, you want to see the new digs…

 

And that is about all there is to it.

Note to Carlton: Your sword is safely mounted on the wall – just like you liked it hung. And, your little steam engine and chrome plated bolt are in the “living room” – or as I call it – the North End.

September 25, 2014 – Back in this century, I took a “formal” picture of Carlton. If I had known I would have done a much better job.

And the move happened. My “people” got my stuff here. Took the stuff I don’t need/have room for “somewhere”. And unpacked my stuff and put it “somewhere”. The operative word is “somewhere”.

The furniture fits. That is a good thing. My job tonight is to find my toothbrush. And toothpaste. I found my computer gear. The Airness says “mouse needs new batteries”. Well, suck it up Airness – your mouse will get new batteries when I find them.

The people put everything that looked “kitcheny” in the kitchen area – somewhere. And everything that looked “bathroomy” in the bathroom – which is to say it is stuffed under the sink. The rest of the “stuff” got “stuffed” into my closets.

Pictures of the new digs tomorrow.

For now – about 12 hours after and 3 miles from the pictures above.

Not too shabby a view – But, I have to stand up to see it. From my chair or my bed – all I can see is sky. Nothing wrong with sky.

September 24, 2014, Back in the Last Century, I was thinking about Hawai’i. Time to think about Hawai’i this year.

September 23, 2014 Today, I am an old woman, One year ago today, I made a deposit for Carlton and I to move into the asylum. Today, I made the final payment for my Old Bat Cave. They finished it up a little after noon today.

Took a few “valuables” to the Old Bat Cave. My camera lenses, Carlton’s sword, Sam’s Au Hoy’s wonderful lauhala pāpale, the 8783 Propeller Stool.

Then I came home (for the next 16 hours home) and decided that some more stuff needed to get the green – not going to the old bat cave – tape job.

And, I didn’t have any time left in the day to mope.

BTW, the Old Bat Cave is about 23 by 16 feet. Not big. But heaps better as one room. It was 2 rooms when I found it.

I had no idea that moving out of the last place I lived with Carlton would be so hard. I had no idea that the emotions that have been well under control for almost a year would come undone. We lived in lots of places. Four main places. But lots of NPS and/or other temporary places. Places that were “home”.”Home” was wherever we happened to be. Places where I cooked dinner, Carlton cleaned up, we made love, places where we lived out our lives. 

And now, I am tucking all those memories away. And, I am moving to a place where no one knows Carlton. A place where Carlton will just be a ring on my hand, pictures on my wall, a treasure in my heart and a void in my life. The Old Bat Cave will be where I live. But, it will not be home. Because Carlton made a place a home.

I have one more day here. Two more nights. I will be too busy to lapse into melancholia. I hope. ( and this time I am the cleaning crew!)

September 22, 2014 Happy September Equinox was very “normal”.

These two pictures are worth at least 500 words.  Guess who wanted to “make it legal”? And who said “it works don’t fix it”?

72 hours from now it will be over. I’ll be moved. And, if I get my act together here in the apartment – I might be out of the apartment when the moving van moves out. Then, I can spend all of Friday getting “settled in” the Old Bat Cave and not need to come back to check out. 

A potential problem??? The Holy Father will be in town on moving day. He isn’t coming to Virginia. He will stay in DC.  But, he is going to seriously disrupt traffic. Sort of like a snow storm. What if my moving van gets stuck? Well, I have people who will worry about that. Feel sure that once the van gets to the apartment – no problem getting it to the asylum – but, getting it here??? 

I loaded up the push cart with “stuff” and rolled the “stuff” down to the Goodwill. I could have left it for my people to deal with – but – taking the “stuff” to Goodwill – it reminds me that “stuff” is a burden that I don’t need at this stage of my life. And, I made 3 or 4 trips to the building dumpsters. I also checked with building management on the exit process, passed out tips to the building stuff. And scrubbed the tubs. (I plan to do what Carlton would do – the bathtubs are squeaky clean – I will not use them – I’ll use the showers in the gym.)

Cleaning the apartment reminds me of Park Service times – in September we would get the fridge down to zero food. AND, get our quarters clean enough for the Park Administrative Officer. Then we would pack our car and leave. Sort of what I am doing.

Thanks Laurent, I’ll keep iOS8 for another week or so…

September 21, 2014 Happy Birthday, Little Brother