Author: Peg

Nothing to report.

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“In a country where ordinary citizens had the courage to give their lives to bring down a plane headed for mass tragedy (Flight 93), it’s inconceivable that elected Republicans cannot summon the courage to challenge an out-of-control president.”
— Seen online, origin unknown

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That about sums it up for me. Well, maybe there’s more:

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“The 400 richest Americans are now worth a record $6.6 trillion.
The entire bottom 50% of America is worth just $4.2 trillion.
Read that back.
When 400 people control more wealth than half a country’s population, we have a very serious problem.”
— Robert Reich

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Pretty lazy day — letting other people do my thinking for me. I’ll try to do better tomorrow.

But instead of staying in my comfy chair, I walked over to REI and bought something that Amazon would’ve delivered for less tomorrow. Because — it matters. Or at least, I hope it matters.

Busy day tomorrow, so I gave myself the afternoon off. According to an email, half of our elevators did the same. So I took a nap.

Any good news? I didn’t kill anyone today. And I only bought what I went for at REI. That’s restraint. Hard-earned restraint. But at 80-something, there’s not much I actually need from REI — except single-serve pour-over coffee.

My walk today included peeking into a store that has blown right past all the fall holidays and gone full-on Trumpy Christmas already.

That little display reminded me — I might want to get my act together for the westward trek. I leave October 27, I think.

I keep dithering about how to get back from Tokyo. I consulted ChatGPT and got this advice:

Sometimes the smartest move for the return leg is to make it as simple and gentle as possible:
• one flight,
• in the pointy end of the plane,
• straight back to your comfy chair at GHBC by dinnertime on Christmas Day.

So, I did it. Booked a very boring flight from Tokyo to Dulles — arriving an hour before I leave. Now all that’s left is a ticket to Honolulu and a night at “my” Honolulu airport hotel.

⸻

Alaska Trip Report (YWCA Hotel, Vancouver)

1. Glad I went.
2. Still convinced I’d hate a round-the-world cruise.
3. The last day of any trip is a drag — nothing new there.
4. ChatGPT helps with planning. Trust but verify.
5. I can still plan and execute a trip without ChatGPT.
6. I don’t have as much energy as before I got old. Need more downtime.
7. Better pacing this time — but didn’t like it.
8. Two bottoms, four tops, enough layers for warmth. Allbirds high tops good; Allbird slip-ons bad. (Remember that fall.)
9. I could probably go to Antarctica, but a medical emergency would turn the ship around. I’d rather not be that passenger.
10. I finally know why I chafe at  The Asylum: it removes all risk. It’s “safe,” but I don’t want to be taken care of.

⸻

Just tired today. Finished the little computer project for my friend, took a couple-mile walk off-Asylum, and made some chili — because it’s definitely autumny.

Two weeks from Monday, I’ll be on my way to warmer climes. All new digs in Kona, a bit farther from “my” usual places. Change is good. Right? Well, good or bad, it’s happening.

Lots of protests next Saturday. I don’t think having my sorry ass on the street will change much. Pretty sure Bezos hasn’t noticed my canceled Post subscription or my boycott of Amazon. But if I do nothing except complain, then I’m no better than MAGA.

Captured my last DC moonrise of the year with my brick, book of Robert Service Poems, and telephone.

Today I did everything except wipe the hard drive on my friend’s late husband’s old MacBook. He was a journalist for 40+ years. Google his name and you’ll get pages of hits. (Google mine or Carlton’s and you get zip.) His life’s work is sort of still in that machine. Wiping it feels like erasing part of a life. I’m pretty sure I’ve got everything backed up, in multiple places, but you never really know where data hides. There’s always another cloud.

Note to self: Make sure people can find what they need from your computer after you die.

Note to those left behind: Anything important is in Dropbox. And not much is important. Just delete all my photos — I am not Ansel Adams, and I know it. And please, don’t judge me by my Kindle library.

All the while lamenting my lack of a 7K Leica Q3, I shot the moon again last evening. One really needs a tripod. No longer own such a thing. So, I used a brick, a book of Robert Service poetry, and my Pixel 8 Phone.

And today I set about setting my life back in order after the cruise and the last-minute craft sale activity. 

Took a nice long walk in the “woods”. Last year, I ran into some deer in this spot. Not this time. But long walks are good. I’ll try to get more walks in before heading to Kona. 

When I came back from dinner last night, I thought I saw fireworks to the east. But the clouds shifted, and a fat orange moon appeared for a few minutes. I made the best shot I could with the gear I have. My phone.

Back in my comfy chair, what should appear but an ad for a $7,000 point-and-shoot camera. Fixed 28mm lens. Sweet machine, sure, but not much better than my phone for moon shots. Still, a camera that can’t doomscroll might be worth the price.

Gratitude

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Grateful to everyone who supported the 11th Floor Origami Dojo.
ありがとうございます

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The craft sale wasn’t exactly mobbed — at least, not at our table — but we’re pleased. We made a respectable pile for the Foundation and even sold our table decorations. And we are not doing this again. It’s important to know when to fold ’em

Today’s only job — besides not killing anyone, no matter how much they deserved it — was getting everything ready for the 11th Floor Origami Dojo’s Going-Out-of-Business Sale tomorrow.

Mission Accomplished. (And I didn’t kill anyone either.)

Bonus points for today: my “living room” no longer looks like a Daiso Store trash can.

And no, I wasn’t worried the boat would sink — far more likely that I’d die. Nobody is promised tomorrow.

Still have to do one last check to be sure I’ve got all the data, then see if I can decipher the Apple ID to wipe and revive the old MacBook Pro. Sharlene just wants it wiped and ready to recycle, but it’s a sweet old machine. Someone might show it some love.

Glad I shot the moon last night. It’s looking cloudy this evening. And I’ll miss November and December’s max moon. Well, I’ll be in Hawai’i. 

Entirely too busy for an old woman today.

Big event: the doctor agrees that I’m old — but fine. And a little fat. That’s about as good as it gets.

Big chore: getting everything ready for the Craft Sale on Wednesday.

There’s always the fog of war. These days we seem to be suffering from a full-on Fog of Washington.

The old folks at the Asylum are organizing another No Kings protest on October 18. I’d like to make it into D.C., but it might be smarter to stay here and support the home team. That’s the far-distant future — 13 days from now.

While I was away, a few things needed doing, but didn’t get done. Today, I did them. Which tells me maybe I could just “do things” on the first and fifteenth of each month and chill the rest of the time. Because, honestly, a lot of what I do doesn’t need doing in the first place.

Tomorrow’s task: get ready for the 11th Floor Origami Dojo Grand Going-Out-of-Business Sale on Wednesday.
I have:
• 3 large crane wreaths – $60 each
• 3 other large wreaths – $40 each
• 2 cute little butterfly wreaths – $20 each
Plus some boxes. 

Not sure what my neighbor will contribute. For us, origami went from fun to challenging to drudgery. Time to close up shop and just fold for fun again.

Note to self: Stop buying folding paper.

Back at The Asylum by mid-morning. Unpacked. Picked up a few groceries. Washed my hair. Took a nap. Drinks. Dinner. With luck, back to “normal” tomorrow.

One great advantage of living at The Asylum: you know everything will be fine when you get home. Not like the time Carlton and I returned to find three dead squirrels in our fireplace and the house infested with very hungry fleas.

Eleven years ago today I came home from work at about one pm and found dead.

It’s been an interesting 11 years. I miss my dear friend every day. And every day I am grateful for all the days we shared.

Back at The Asylum tomorrow morning. 

After lots of walking over the last few days, I am into doing nothing much. Reading. Folding bats. Thinking about packing up and getting off the boat. Eating. Drinking. Might have to go to AA when this is over. 

On the Norwegian ship we got chocolate not towel critters.

Only 2.5 miles today. As chillaxing as this is, I am not a candidate for an around the world cruise.