Good, sunspots, sad…

thistle
thistle

Good:  The “new improved” old bat cave is perfectly fine. It has a tiny living room and a tiny bedroom. A big closet. A bathroom that is old school sized. Which is to say the sink, john and shower take up all the space. That is ok. A little closet. And a very modest kitchen. The three windows face east. I can still see the Washington Monument, and the Capital. Plus, I can see the National Cathedral and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception again. Can not see south or west any more. Just east.

They will take down the wall – so I’ll end up with a single 23 by 15 foot room. With the bath, kitchen, and closets taking up the rest of the 590 sq ft. And, I’ll get a dishwasher. I’ll pass on the washer/dryer. Don’t want to give up the space. I can use the common washer and dryer. I am not much interested in the kitchen. My real cooking days are over. I might make a small pot of soup, I make salads, and baked potato, do things with eggs, and saute a little of this and a little of that. That is about the end of my cooking these days. Oh yes, and oatmeal.

I will pay for this hummer next week and move in in 3 months.

Sunspots: As I was trying to leave the office today – one of those things that sometimes happens with computer systems happened. It never happened before. Hopefully, it will never happen again. A record was unexplainably “jumbled”. I am sure it happened at about 10:55AM. So what? I was trying to leave to make my 1:30 appointment to see the old bat cave. I didn’t get out until 12:30. Our system “help desk” – had some mushy explanation. I understand they have to come up with some answer. I am going to say that it was due to “Sunspots”. Old computer hacks know that you can not fix a bug that you can not recreate. Sunspots.

Sad: What can I say about the killings in Charleston? What can anyone say? Evil. Pure evil.

To the Old Bat Cave, Robin…

Fun with post-processing today.
Fun with post-processing today.

The asylum called. I passed the mental exam. Silly people. They have no idea that they have let the original cage rattler into the asylum. And, it seems that due to residents moving to the next level – a more gracious unit has become available. It is 600 sq feet on the 11th floor with a “lovely city view”. Well, the view will not be as lovely as my current view is… but it will be better than 347 sq feet on the 7th floor with a “lovely grocery store parking lot view.”

This unit is in its original 1985 condition – so, renovations will be in order if I decide that it is my final destination. The new option costs more, but still way less than I am paying now. Not to mention the weekly maid and linen service, plus one meal a day. Inspection tour of the unit tomorrow.

Emptied the Airness’s trash can. Restarted the Airness. And checked the available disk space.

yeah, right 140TB
yeah, right 140TB

Apparently this is a rather common harmless “known issue” with OS X. I could use 140 terabytes. I’d never have to cull photos again. And, that might not be a good thing.

Grief…

bumble bee
Today’s bumble bee

Guess what? Eight months isn’t enough. I still miss that man. I was sort of paralyzed by grief this afternoon. I approach grief by going into Energizer Bunny mode. The paralyzed parts were at war with the Energizer Bunny parts. It was well over 90 degrees, but I grabbed the camera and went bee hunting. Grief didn’t go away. But, bee hunting beats sitting on the floor crying.

After I do some yoga, I think I’ll pack a box. I don’t know where I am going to be moving to. I don’t know when I am moving. But, I am going to go some where. So, I may as well start packing. (Still haven’t heard from the asylum.)

Today's honey bee
Today’s honey bee

But, on a positive note. The Donald is running for prez. Let the fun begin.

Puttering Around…

One more from the bike race.
One more from the bike race.

No news from the asylum as to the results of my mental interview. Wish Carlton had been in the room. He would have aced it. Charmed the panties right off the interviewers. What if I flunked my entrance exam to the asylum? What if there is no old bat cave for me? It will be pretty embarrassing if I can not get in. But, it would make a good story.

Assuming I am going to get in the asylum… attacked two vintage piles of junk in my “home office area”. As best I can tell, the piles were two years old. Scraps of photos, negatives, notebooks. I tossed some of the stuff. And, fitted the rest into one of Carlton’s many old tennis shoe boxes. I will move these to the old bat cave.

Made a little experiment with the android-Pod camera. I put one of the old photos on the window ledge and took a picture. Two years ago, I had scanned – using my rather poor scanner – here are the results.

Scanned Version
Scanned Version
Quickly post-processed scanned version
Quickly post-processed scanned version
Android-Pod version
Android-Pod version

 

Android-pod same post-processing
Android-pod same post-processing

This was Henderson Harbor NY – sometime in the late 1990’s. Thanks Mr C. We had a lot of great road trips.

Think I’ll print up the test photos. The android-pod approach is sure easier…

I also decided to digitize all my negatives. (I should rethink this.)

 

Yes, Dear Reader

2015 Clarendon Bike Race
2015 Clarendon Bike Race

Yes, they shave their legs. Always have, for as long as I can remember. And, I have been a fan of bike racing for decades. They believe it makes them faster. And, it sure shows off the legs nicely. Most of them shave their arms too. As I said, buff guys in spandex.

Buff women in spandex, too.
Buff women in spandex, too.

Today I realized that the old bat cave is 2 inches too short for my beloved carpet. Well, the carpet is just going to have to deal with being folded or rolled at one end until a larger cave opens up.

I spent Carlton’s last tax refund on a Nexus 6 – I still haven’t decided what carrier to use – so it is still a HUGE android-Pod. Today, I remembered that the thing has a camera. So, I took it for a little test photo walk. A thunder storm came up – so the testing was cut short.

Test shot with the Nexus
Test shot with the Nexus

It isn’t too shabby as a camera.

As for the whole android experience. Well, it isn’t as sleek as iOS. Sort of like the A-Team did the apps for iOS and the B-Team made the android versions. Note to Apple: The BACK arrow is very nice. And, I completely forgot that my collection of earbuds/phones with mics and controls only work with i-devices. The ear part works – but the control/mic parts don’t.

Did a little work to help getting ready to move to the bat cave today. Things like measuring the rug and taking into account things like radiators. Also, consolidated Carlton’s three investment binders into one. I squeezed Carlton’s old tax returns into my tax records box. Mr C kept returns for 6 years. I keep them 4 years. Mr C now keeps returns for 4 years. I would like to keep this box in the storage cage. But, it might not be the smartest move.

Gotta get back with the getting ready to move program.

 

1271

2015 Bike Race
2015 Clarendon Bike Race

I bet this guy didn’t spend the last 4 hours culling 1271 paintings from today’s bike race down to 71. I am actually rather pleased with myself for:

1. Going to the race.
2. Staying for the women’s and men’s races – all the way to the end.
3. Deleting 1200 digital images.

Continuous shooting mode fires off a lot of shots with the newest camera. I got it late June last year as a “retail therapy” device. So, this was its first bike race.

As usual my race photos are only OK. But, OK is OK with me.

2015 Clarendon Bike Race
2015 Clarendon Bike Race

What’s not to love about a sport that involves buff guys with shaved legs in spandex? Sounds I little like the gay pride parade that also took place today. But, the old bat body wasn’t up for another 4 hours in standing on the street in the sun.

Hot.

The Fly
The Fly

No bees today. It was really hot. I didn’t spend much time bee hunting. So, this rather common fly will have to do. For me, the fun part of bug photography is seeing what I manage to capture in the camera.

No news from the asylum re my acceptability. It is kind of like trying to get into an exclusive country club or to buy into a NYC coop apartment.

Addendum: Will it take an “Internet Pearl Harbor” for the US to secure our cyberspace? And, will we survive the initial massive attack?

 

The Old Bat…Pass or Fail???

clematis
clematis

Well, I spent an hour being tested for possible admission to the asylum. They wouldn’t tell me if I passed or failed. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I flunked??? But, then, would I want to live in an asylum that would have me… to paraphrase Groucho.

After the tests and interviews, I measured everything in the proposed bat cave. And I inspected it’s 4 square foot chicken wire storage cage. I don’t think I would store anything in it that I really cared about. Rather ordinary snips would get anyone into the cage, and it is in the basement with the proverbial “overhead sewer lines”. Wondering what I might store in it. But, all the cages seemed to be full of mostly junk. Well, I guess I can keep my sewing box and electronics box in the cage. And, maybe a box of kitchen stuff that I could later move to a bigger apartment. If I move to a bigger place, I’d get a different (but same size) storage cage. Don’t want to get involved moving junk from cage A to cage B.

Note to Carlton: the asylum a soft ice cream machine. I had a small cone before bussing back home. Dolce de leche.

The Old Bat Cave

No bees today - but a magnolia
No bees today – but a magnolia

Today, after my nap, I decided to call my new digs “the old bat cave”. My definition of an “old bat” is the British one: an old woman who you think is slightly crazy. I think old bat describes me rather nicely. And I always loved Batman.

The big mental exam for the old folks asylum is tomorrow at 1400 hours. That is my naptime. Hope I pass the test. Note to self: Take it seriously. Remember the trouble you got into years ago when you didn’t take your DIA polygraph seriously.

It depends on what you call it…

Bee Photography Season!
Bee Photography Season has begun!

What’s in a name? My 367 sq foot cell at the asylum. Possible names:

Cell
Room
Studio
Pad
Efficiency
Chamber
Pied-à-terre
Flat
Micro Unit

I am thinking that what I call it is important. I am leaning towards “chamber” or “micro unit”. In late April, I did test layout.

There is a closet/bath/kitchen area as well.
There is a closet/bath/kitchen area as well.

On my last visit, I located the outlets etc. So, I revised the plan.

Screen Shot 2015-06-09 at 6.45.28 PM

After my mental exam on Thursday – hopefully, the “chamber” will be empty and I can get really accurate measurements. There is zero room for error. Absolutely everything has be measured. Also, I’ll add the bathroom, kitchen area, and closets. Maybe, I’ll call it a micro unit. (Carlton was always in charge of measuring and drawing layouts. He had an unused degree in architectural engineering.)

The Capital is undergoing massive renovations. (Too bad the occupants can not be renovated!)

Nation's Capital is looking a little funky these days.
Nation’s Capital is looking a little funky these days.

Note to self…

One from the film-time vault. Jack daniels distillery.
One from the film-time vault. Jack daniels distillery.

Note to self: look out the window before you get on the elevator. If there is lighting – reconsider boarding the elevator. Especially with a skittish, elderly german shepard. The elevator stopped about 5 times. Each time we got it going again. I finally wised up and got off. But, had I learned my lesson? NO. I was on a mission. Going to Starbucks for a fix. So, I continued down. Via the stairs. When I finally made it down, the lobby was filled with large dogs and their owners. No one wanted to get stuck in an elevator with someone else’s dog.

I went off to Starbucks. When I got back to the dog filled lobby – decided to walk home. Up all 17 floors.

Nothing much going on. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Back online after 36 hours

Starting a herd of elephants
Starting a herd of elephants

This 36 hour period was “easier” than the last 36 No Technology weekend. Last time I had to keep a pencil and paper log to keep myself sane. But, this time – I “needed” to work on my photo files. So, I allowed myself to use Lightroom. 2014 photos are all off the Airness. As are a bunch of audiobooks and the Airness has more space.

I read all the old newspapers and magazines. And researched the tax implications of moving to the asylum. The asylum promises to take care of my sorry ass – no matter what. It is really just very good long term care insurance. And, I am moving into the cheapest unit in a very expensive building. The result is – I have a tiny little unit. But, I am going to get a killer tax break. I knew there were tax consequences. I just didn’t know how good they are.

Getting sort of psyched about moving to the asylum. I still love it here. The view and the location. But, the asylum will cost 1/2 as much. And since I know I’ll be moving, I am getting short timer’s attitude about this place. Also, I have to be gone before the vacuum cleaner needs to have it’s bags, boxes, and filters replaced or cleaned or whatever one does to the vacuum. The asylum includes weekly maid and linen service. The vacuum ain’t making the move.

Tramping around DC yesterday – what should I find but a Paul’s. And another. And another. I finally gave in. Had a ham, cheese, in a baguette with butter. Exactly like in France. Who knew we had a Paul’s franchise in DC. Well, at least 3. I have to get out more.