Author: Peg

Wonder if they will serve roast groundhog for dinner tonight? Actually not fair. Tonight is Petit Fillet night. Believe I’ll have mine with fries. Steak Frites.  Complete with cheap red wine. 

I am tired of winter. And we haven’t really had any winter. So, I asked ChatGPT how to survive winter. 

From ChatGPT: Here are some ideas to help you enjoy winter:

1. 1. 1. Outdoor activities: Take advantage of the winter weather by going skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, or snowshoeing.
      2. Winter sports: Watch or participate in winter sports such as ice hockey, curling, or the biathlon.
      3. Winter festivals: Attend a winter festival or fair, such as a Christmas market or a winter carnival.
      4. Hot springs: Soak in a hot spring or visit a spa to relax and warm up.
      5. Indoor activities: Try indoor activities such as cooking, reading, movies, or video games.
      6. Travel: Visit a winter destination, such as a ski resort or a winter wonderland.

OKAY. Let’s try MidJourney.

A train trip? Maybe?

Most do/go something/someplace. 

Woke up this morning to a little sprinkles of snow.  Didn’t amount to anything.

Soon the sun was out and I got my sorry ass out for a nice walkabout. No complaints at all. The sun was shining. There was no wind. Nothing was slippery. 

A little reflection of getting older. I find that my focus has narrowed. As recently as BC (Before Covid), I didn’t see boundaries. I still had time to go everywhere, time to read all of the unread books that live on my Kindle, time to learn to make every origami model. Time to do everything. All I had to do was work harder and/or smarter.

Well, guess what? Nobody is promised tomorrow. And, I find myself consciously editing my life to fit into my perceived boundaries.  And, also fighting the editing process. The old conflict. Plan like you are going to live forever. Live like today is your last. 

Little things, like reading the books that I really want to read NOW. And not save them for LATER. Big things like getting my affairs in order. Little things like not buying a 5 year supply of conditioner. Big things like realizing that if I am doing to do the northwest passage and get off the boat, I best do it this summer.

It is as if every day has become more valuable. Every friend more precious. 

It was 10 degrees warmer when I woke up this morning than it is now. It’s just plain nasty out. Time for gratitude? 

Gratitude

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Homemade, by someone else, cookies. Hot coffee. Cold beer. Zoom yoga. Origami with a friend. Great tax loophole for residents of the asylum. Almost ½ of my yearly “room and board” charges are tax deductible as a “medical expense”. I don’t approve of tax loopholes. But, I am not dumb enough to turn one down.  My 9 year old Kindle. Handmade, by someone else, wool socks. 

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After this rather bleak start, I had a fine day. It was almost 60°. And I spent much of the day outside. 

I celebrated global warming by going to the hospital with a friend and then walking back home. It’s a little over 3 miles, not far for the young. A little farther for the elderly. 

It was just good to get out in the real world. The Asylum can be a little like a cruise ship to dead. Notice above, we have rails on the walls. Friends get big serious diseases.  12 residents have died since I returned from Hawai’i. We have buffets and trivial pursuits. And Bingo. Plus enrichment lectures. It is good to get out in the real world.

Think I will put on some Jimmy Buffet and clean up the office before dinner. Lobster or pizza. Those are my choices.  And not bad choices at all. 

AI is better than real life in this case. Maybe in every case?

Time to go tidy the office. It’s not like I can close the door on it!

It was too nice a day to spend all day indoors ordering my affairs. Nevertheless, I made some real inroads on the tax front. 

But, it was warm and sunny out. So, I went out. According to the trusty Pixel Watch, I walked 3 miles. Nowhere special. Just out. Real air. Sun. What’s not to love?

Speaking of the trusty Pixel Watch. I got it a month ago. It does text messages great. Phone calls are OK. Email – more or less tells you if you need to check your real email.  It tracks all my little old lady fitness activities or inactivity nicely. It nags me to get my ass in gear. It watches me sleep. It even notices when I take a nap. It does a mini-ECG.  And I haven’t really tried the Maps feature. It connects to Spotify. And I have a really good grandfathered-in deal with Pandora. So, I haven’t used it to play music. OH. And it tells the time! How cool is that?

I love the thing!

This paperwork is sucking the life out of me.  So, I did a very mature thing. I took a nap. 

Think I have a handle on what the new tax-guy will need. I sent the MIA lawyer a  firm email, essentially expressing my concerns about our ongoing relationship. Got an autoresponse that she is on vacation. 

I have identified a couple of new law firms. Including one that this lawyer was briefly a partner with. Their relationship didn’t work out.  But, I recall they used to answer the phone at least. 

Who knew that the paperwork involved with old age and ultimate demise was so taxing? Job One for me is to stay alive until this is all sorted out! 

Another one of the gang hits 80. But we are still having fun as you can see. 

Okay, now that’s an interesting idea. The Asylum has decided to admit those 55 and older.  Most folks don’t move in here until they are well into their 70s or older. 

Does anyone really think that a 55-year-old (sound of mind and body) would really move into this place? I hope that 55-year-olds start moving-in in droves. That might kick the joint out of 1952. We seem to be stuck there.

One of my readers hates cats. Really really extremely hates cats.  I waited until she went on a cruise to put this MidJourney image up.

Absolutely nothing good to say about the weather today except that it’s not freezing rain or sleet. It’s just plain old ice cold rain. 

So, I spend most of the day making Kawasaki roses. And a couple of boxes to put them in. 

Creeping up on getting my affairs in order. And chipping away at stuff for the new tax guy. I am going to treat myself to a trip to somewhere either warm or interesting when this is done. 

SO: How about Cairns?

I didn’t spend nearly enough time in Cairns in 2018. They have warm weather, ocean, and big ass bats. Just an idea to keep me sane for another 24 hours.

This old bat is in party mode for the rest of the day. First – Wine “Seminar” AKA drinking. The Birthday Party! I’ll post this now while I am still sober.

Just sort of trying not to completely screw things up today. And that’s about it. Went downstairs to snag a cup of coffee a while ago and someone asked “Well, what have YOU done today?” Didn’t want to truthfully respond,  “Absolutely Nothing”.  So, I said, “I haven’t killed anyone, YET”. 

The sun is starting to make it out from behind the east wing of our building. In a couple of weeks, it will start spending some serious time streaming in my windows. For now, just happen to see it at all. 

I decided that Getting Affairs in Order could be expanded to include Getting Tax Shit together for the new tax guy. And this year it is going to include me doing the taxes myself with TurboTax. Just checking. What was it that Regan said, “Trust but verify”? 

So far my lawyer/her office has failed my test. (A very simple test, please email me a copy of my Advance Medical Directive.) I’ll try calling the office next. I HATE calling any office. 

On a happy note. Luke Shepardson, a lifeguard who was working, won The Eddie with a score of 89 out of 90. He was allowed time off for his heats. One of the old-timers who won The Eddie before gave up his spot so one of the alternates could play. There was almost no prize money. The biggest prizes were actually Hawaiian Airlines miles, which any Hawaii surfer can use. All six women did good. Actually, everyone did good. It’s a day that surfers and former surfers will remember fondly for many years. 

Gratitude

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Fine evening with the accidental asylum family.

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A very simple Sunday. Killed a lot of time watching The Eddie. It was cold and gray and damp outside. Forced myself out for a walk. That’s about it. 

Gratitude

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Grateful of central heating. I don’t like turning the heat on. But, as the temperature in my apartment gets closer to 66° the appeal of turning the heat on increases. (I get zero solar heat gain in the apartment from November to late February. Not to mention there hasn’t been sun anyhow.)

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The Asylum’s “Pizza Joint” is open tonight, so I am looking forward to pizza with all of my Asylum Family.