Author: Peg

It is my mess and it is my job to clean it up before I die. But damn, the dumpster is looking pretty good. I am not Margaret Bourke-White. No one wants these. Not even me (very much). But, I made this mess and it is my job to clean it up.

This was the summer we were in Yosemite. I can see a WinBook Laptop, a Zip Drive, a pretty good Canon printer, a LogiTech scanner and some sort of CD “burner”. And somewhere there must have been some sort of a modem. Oh, and the mouse. Feel sure it was a Microsoft mouse. 

I have put this one up several times before. Next stop will be the dumpster. 

This fine plant is one that I got at a local “native plant” sale this spring and I planted it in my weedlot. Apparently, it is a fall bloomer the woman who sold it to me said: “you only need one, it spreads like mad”.  Bring on the madness.

Found this picture when I was processing the binders. In 1994, I took Carlton to the HC&S Plantation where I worked in the 60’s. I belonged to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union – Local 142. 

 

Today, I watched Senator McCain’s funeral service at the National Cathedral for 2 hours. Then I spent another 2 hours trying to help a friend get a visa to Uzbekistan. 

This “Beta Test” warning appeared on the website. So, l shouldn’t have been surprised that it didn’t work.

But, after two hours of trying every possible thing, there were too pretty annoyed little old ladies in the house. 

 And how is it that John McCain is more popular among Democrats than Republicans? We live in interesting times. 

Today I was kitty daycare. I survived and when I last saw them, the cats were still alive – so, I would consider kitty daycare a success.

Then I sprung into action as tech support. How do you get a visa online to Uzbekistan? Very Carefully, my friend. Very Carefully. Heck, I didn’t even Google Uzbekistan without firing up my VPN, the TOR browser etc…  My friend is having trouble. I think her visa photo is the wrong size. I putzed around with the photo. We’ll see tomorrow if it works.  Using her computer. Who knew that old women have so much fun!

I ride the bus. That is how I get where I want to be. I firmly believe that I could actually drive a car. Nevermind that, I last drove a car 4 years ago. I can afford a car. Any car that my little heart would lust after. 

But, I ride the bus. Today, I think I figured out why I ride the bus… well, aside from the fact that I am just too lazy to own a car. I ride the bus because every trip is a journey to gratitude. And the goddess knows, gratitude is damned hard to come by these days.

Bus “Gratitude List” – 

1. Grateful that the bus shows up.
2. Grateful that I can find my fare card and that it has money
3. Grateful that I can go almost anywhere for one dollar
4. Grateful that the heat or A/C is working
5. Grateful to just sit and read, think, nap, people watch for a while
6. Grateful to the bus drivers, who on crappy weather days, will let the homeless people ride around as long as they behave. 
7. Grateful that I am still physically and mentally able to ride the bus
8. Grateful that I have the option of taking Uber – that is an option that most of my fellow riders don’t have
9. Grateful that I am always treated kindly by my fellow riders
10. Grateful that when the bus gets to my stop and I wander back up the hill and into my cosseted life in The Asylum, I have had a little time to reflect on my good fortune. 

This was in today’s dead-tree Wall Street Journal. A full-page ad for a gun auction. The  pièce de résistance seems to be a tank. Or maybe 20 tanks. Who needs a tank? Really. 

Well, I did it. Consigned 23 pounds and 10 ounces of photographs to the dumpster. I still have 2 archival boxes to deal with. But, I am putting that off until Saturday, soonest.

I don’t think I’ll regret this move. Maybe I should have done it 15 years ago when Carlton and I first moved. But, I didn’t. It was not the right time. This was the right time. I made all those photos. So, they were mine to clean up before I  leave.  And, I did.

The remaining binders are 3 binders of Carlton’s DVDs. And a binder of financial records that are too old, flimsy and stapled to scan. 

And summer is giving us one more blast of hot air. 95° in late August is easier to take than 95° in early June. Because, in August, fall is one of the coming attractions. 

Back into the old summer oven again today. Over 90° today. Maybe higher tomorrow.

Thinking about getting a ticket to see Hamilton. That is one advantage of being a widow lady. You buy A ticket. Of course, back in my day – if you were a girl you never bought ANY ticket. Tickets are most expensive in NYC. Then DC. Much cheaper in Chicago.  Or maybe just try to score a standing room ticket. Think I can still stand upright for 3+ hours. 

You just never know what you will see on the bus. Learning how to use public transportation 15 years ago was one of my smarter moves. Checking into   The Asylum was another. Wonder if I have any smart moves left?

A busy but very ordinary day. Nothing at all wrong with that.  10 of us ate dinner together. Five of us got the wrong order. The kitchen was not having a good evening. At work, our computer system was really really slow. Could not do a thing about it. Server issue. Outside my pay grade. Nothing life-threatening. 

1995 is when I drug Mr C off to Hawai’i – for his first time ever. After that, he never missed a winter in Kona. 

Tired now. Off to read then off to sleep. 

Been spoiling myself with the last of my Kona coffee most afternoons.  Feeling a little smug this particular afternoon – because I have almost finished with the photo binder project.  I looked back on the blog…

July 7, 2004.  Made a major dent in getting my photo collection ready to move. I decided that I am not throwing out a single photo. I’ll move them. And, then maybe, just maybe cull things down. Same with the negatives.

Well, I have only taken 14 years to get down to actually getting rid of the prints and negatives. Negatives all gone. Prints will be gone by this time next week.

In a fit of boredom yesterday I decided to figure out how many “animals” live in the Old Bat Cave. My earrings and hair sticks not included. Surprised to find 16. And, I am not sure that dragons count as animals.

Surprising how many animals share my studio apartment!

Exactly how bad will next week be for The Orange Lord. Expect more than normal weirdness. It will be be some sort of end of summer fit of madness. Even crazier than “normal”. 

Still “death cleaning” my photo collection. Nothing made it to the dumpster. But, I processed another book. Only 2 books and 2 boxes of photo left. 

As was our custom in those days, we went on a 4 to 6 week road trip in the fall after we finished working at Harpers Ferry Park. In 1995 we some to have crossed Canada and then turned south and east through Utah.

And, we ended up in Kansas. 

WordPress isn’t working correctly. Well, that worked. Let us see if we can make a real post now. OK, here goes. Hope this will publish.

Well, I took the day off from work today, because of the hurricane. Never-mind that the hurricane is 5,000 miles away. But, I thought you would like to see how worried my home folk are about the coming storm. 

Did it. I actually took a fist full of negatives and prints to the dumpster. As well as some crap  to our “What Not Shop”. Real progress is being made. 

Today, I am messing with prints from 1990-1991. At that time, I was playing with one of my favorite cameras. The Zeiss Ikoflex 1a. It was a twin lens reflex camera – sort of a poor man’s Rolleiflex – and it had been my father’s. 

I always printed the Ikoflex photos in full frame as was the fashion back in the day. Especially when using 120 film. I still have the camera. And, I believe 120 film is still manufactured. But, I sure don’t have what it takes to develop and print my own photos anymore. 

The Ikoflex is a decoration now. As is it’s buddy an old Yashica.

We lived a couple of miles from this establishment and it was a favorite subject. And, that would be my beloved Alpha Romeo in front.

This is one of my all time ever favorite photographs. I didn’t take it. Some fellow traveler in the South Pacific did and sent it to me. We did that before we had email. And, a phone that took pictures.

That trip to French Polynesia was the first time Carlton had been anywhere that wasn’t all nicely western civilization white bread. And, it was his introduction to Polynesia. Which became an important part of his later years.  

Well, it is dinner time. So, this is it for today…