Author: Peg

Sad news today.  The man who saved Carlton’s life by sending him to Alcoholics  Anonymous in January 1973 died last night. 

He was also Carlton’s boss. And my boss. For me, he “integrated” a famously “male only” black tie dinner back in the day. Cliff and his wife were the only people at our wedding in 1994.

Cliff and his family are a huge part of my life. And, Cliff was my Carlton designated “guardian”.  As in “If you have any questions about anything: Ask Cliff and do what he says.”

About 4 times a year, I have to call Cliff and ask for advice. And at least once a month I just ask myself “What would Cliff do?” Fortunately, I can still do that.

Goodbye my friend. 

Went to my mailbox after dinner this evening and found this wonderful offer. FREE lunch and informational seminar on the benefits of preplanning your cremation.

Coming upstairs, I think – does it get any better than this? Well, then I check my email.

Yes, apparently it gets better. My doctors are moving to a new computer system. And that is supposed to make be happy? Or rather excited.

Spent the entire day here at the Asylum trying with little success to help my friends move to our new WiFi. I finally got all my stuff moved over. Will be glad to go back to work tomorrow to get some rest.

Deacquisitioned today: one funky little purse, two eyeglasses – to the Lions box. 

Still cold and damp and dreary what the f… am I here here. But, I am not going to work tomorrow. 

Got home late today. Went to a meet and greet with the head of our Dining Services. Then dinner. Then off to a friend’s apartment for ice cream. Finally went to a talk given by a Washington Post reporter. His world view is rather bleak. But, who am I to talk. I am not so cheery about the future either. He says that in the near future we should watch the elections in Mexico and Brazil plus the war in Yemen. And for the US – he sees a huge political move to the left if  the millennials decide to register and vote. Universal health care, jobs, student loans being the concerns of the young.

Deacquisitioned today: one pair of shoes.  today: one pair of shoes. Acquisitioned today: one pair of shoes. So, I am not sure I get credit for the deacquisition. 

My friend and I were standing here – hoping to be rescued by hunky young men.

Ostriches are native to Africa. But, they are “ranched” in Australia. This big guy was more or less contained behind a none too tall fence.

All I have to do is look at this guy and there is zero doubt that birds evolved from dinosaurs. A memory that is hopefully seared in my mind (because I have no photograph) is of a herd/flock of emu spied striding across the nothingness from the  Geraldton to Perth  bus window. 

This blog has been around for years. sometimes I wander back for a looksee:

March 26, 2002

I was learning “Flash” then. And it is no longer supported so – there are thing that don’t work  on those pages. 

Now this is MUCH better:

This morning I am playing around and discover a new WiFi network. Well, of course I try to get into it. It seems to be our “new improved” wifi. I am guessing that I am the only one using the network. And, after my 500 neighbors get on line – well – I am enjoying the wicked great speed while it lasts. 

Realized today that I am going to have to learn how to be “retired”.  It can not be all that hard. You just stop going to the office. How hard is that? Well, I have cut back to 3 mornings a week. We’ll see how that works. For me. And for Employee Health.

Leisurely day today. I still find it too unpleasant outside. Windy and in the 40’s. 

I have a new neighbor. She moved in while I was away and I haven’t seen her. But our website says: She has a piano, folk harp, hammered dulcimer, fretted dulcimer, and autoharp in her apartment. Well, today I could hear little harp-like sounds wafting from her unit into mine. Not really too loud. But disconcerting. “Computer play Pandora Grateful Dead” time. 

Deacquisitioned today: nothing. Well, nothing real world. Some digital stuff. But, that doesn’t count

I did not attend the March – I sent warm thoughts and money. Hope that all those great kids register to vote and then vote when they hit 18. That should scare every politician in the USA.

Really happy that it went well. 

Still looking for spring:

Deacquisitioned today: 1 jigsaw puzzle, cleaned out my pencil jars. Not very impressive. 

Time to renew my library card – so – I headed out to the library with camera in hand. Figured I would look for signs of spring. Signs of spring were hard to find. 

Feeling a little guilty about not joining the other grannies in DC tomorrow for the March For Our Lives. Out of town grannies and kids are staying here today. Our Asylum bus is delivering folks downtown and will pick them up – complete with a box lunch to enjoy on the way home. 

But, I decided to wimp out. If I change my mind, I can get there using public transit/feet. But, I am just feeling a little too old. And, I really don’t stand well any more. That is a pretty lame excuse. Props to the sisters who will be on the bus and in the street.

Dinner conversion tonight – My dinner companions wanted John Denver music played in the Alzheimer’s and/or Nursing Units when we get there. If they are playing John Denver – then I ain’t going! Or I’ll take my Bose cans and keep following The Dead. With a little Parrot Head music for Friday afternoons. 

Deacquisitioned today: 9 bras, 1 jacket, 1 sweater, 1 shirt, funky candle holder.

At 1604 yesterday my Lightroom catalog seems to have had a major upset. 

Think I have it back in order. Not that it really much matters anymore. No, it matters. I would hate to lose my photo library. (The VW image was one that was in the messed up part.)

But, I am having a harder and harder time getting stuff to “matter” these days. Maybe I am an old rock and time has worn my sharp edges down. 

But, the Lightroom catalog was the least of my worries. My portfolio is noticeably lighter this evening. Thank you trade-warmongering Orange Lord. And, the dangerous John Bolton is back in the house.

Maybe stuff doesn’t matter so much because I realize how totally out of my control everything is. Laissez les bons temps rouler

Deacquisitioned today: nothing. 

Some days are just like this.

Yesterday was my first day back at work and my 2nd yoga class. And it was cold and rainy. And I got wet and cold.

Ended the day on my backside doing my best dead bug imitation-after several glasses of wine. (Let the record show, I can still walk in those shoes.)

And today is a snow day. 

Deacquisitioned today: Wooden Snake.
Deacquisitioned yesterday: Nothing. 

I played slack key guitar for background music during the morning open house session and Grateful Dead for the afternoon session. I wonder if anyone ever played The Dead for an open house here?

And, I made a bunch of puffy origami bunnies. 

Back to work tomorrow – weather permitting?

Deacquisitioned today: 11 tops. (Tee Shirts, blouses, sweater etc)

The sun was out today. It wind wasn’t blowing too bad. Life is better.

Tomorrow Ray’s magnificent rosemary plant will be moved to my box. Replacing my rosemary plant that didn’t make it through the winter. I don’t know if it will survive – but it will have a chance which is more than it will have in the compost heap. That is where our plants go when we are gone. Come to think of it we go to the compost heap too! 

While I was out inspecting rosemary plants, I spied a couple of signs of spring.

Tomorrow the Old Bat Cave will be on the Asylum open house tour. I brushed the OBC up a bit today. And worked on origami bunnies. The older I get the more impatient I get with the hard models. Maybe I should make an effort to do a “hard” model every week and keep doing it until it is no longer hard. 

Trying to deacquisition something every day: The Gilbert and Sullivan Song Book – which I picked up from some trashroom to use as origami paper. Well, it made crappy origami paper. Deacquisitioned today.

And one that wasn’t from The Asylum.

On Saturday – I collect the mail from my in-house mailbox. The first 3 amused me. As did the slick insert from some cruise line in this morning’s paper.

The was sort of the high light of the day. It is cold and gray again, if it wasn’t for my good friends here – I would be seriously considered just bailing on this joint and moving to an asylum in Honolulu. I really hate gray and cold.

But then – there are my friends…

Big event today was hanging Rosie the Honu on the wall

And, moving Gingerbread the Giraffe all around trying to find the best place for her.

She ended up back where she started.