Nobody is Promised Tomorrow. . .
Ten years ago today, I was preparing for the scariest move of my life. The move into The Asylum. An old folks’ home. And, I had to give them $171,516.00 for the privilege. I moved in late in September 2015.
But, it was the right thing to do. Never mind that I get annoyed with the place. I dislike the food. The list goes on. But. This is where I belong.
The Old Bat Cave is where the orchids live. The Asylum is where my friends live. It is home.
Little hints of blue sky today. Strange weather for August. Of course, everything feels strange these days.
Near the toad-truck, I picked up a dime. Which, of course, reminded me of Carlton. I’m glad he missed the end of life on the planet as we knew it.
Carlton ended every talk he gave at Harpers Ferry Park by pulling a piece of paper from his pocket and reading—always with theatrical flair:
Charlestown, Virginia Dec 2, 1859
I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think vainly, flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done.
(The note John Brown handed to a guard on the morning of his execution.)
There are small signs that real resistance is emerging. Or maybe I just want to see signs. In the spring, peaceful protests might have turned things around. But now—it feels like 1859.
Still feeling old today. I can do everything I need to do. But there’s so much I want to do and can’t. ChatGPT told me: “You cannot feel like you did in your 40s. Your body just isn’t running the same software anymore.”
And yes—it’s still gray and muggy.
Very grateful for Zoom yoga. I wasn’t feeling up to making the trek to in-person class, but I was able to attend via Zoom. In fact, only one person besides the teacher showed up in person today. I felt much better after yoga. And I love that it’s the same class I’ve been taking for 10+ years.
Thinking about that crazy Christmas trip to Tokyo. Honestly, it’s the jet lag that worries me most.
And… pass the salt!
Small blessing: After more than a month, salt and pepper returned to our tables yesterday—along with sugar packets.
Large blessing: Going out to dinner tonight.
So, today, I feel old. And why shouldn’t I feel old? That’s what I am. I am not aging gracefully. Oh well. What can I do? It will be over sooner or later. Five people have died already this month at The Asylum.
Well, enough of that morbid shit. Ain’t dead yet.
A crowd was gathering for yet another musical performance when I returned from my afternoon walk.
What have I accomplished today? I made amends for a snide remark I made yesterday.
Grateful to AA for introducing me to the concept of making amends. Especially the prompt part. Thank you, Carlton.
Made a fine lunch for myself. And watched too many YouTube videos about my potential 20-hour plane ride from Honolulu to Tokyo on December 18.
That flight should be enough to scare anyone off. United staffs four pilots and a mechanic onboard. The mechanic even carries spare parts—including spare tires. And you’re not allowed to take pictures out the plane window at one of the stops.
Now doesn’t that sound like a great way to spend a day? And you have to continue on to Tokyo to get the really great price. Otherwise it’s stunningly expensive.
I’m pretty sure the plane will miss its Tokyo connection anyway. How can it possibly make a 45-minute transfer that includes customs? And how could a plane that makes 5 stops be on time? But it’s United’s ticket, and United’s problem.
My only problem will be my 81-year-old body. (No, I haven’t decided to actually do it. I just have a 14-day fare lock.)
Blazing hot today. But…
Signs of autumn. Coming. Not soon enough.
I’m working on getting my Halloween-to-Christmas-Eve trip mostly nailed down. I have lodging from October 31 until December 18. I’m not spending Christmas at The Asylum. I did that during COVID, and when I become frail or infirm, I may have to do it again—but not yet.
So, what to do with that extra week? And where? ChatGPT suggested Tokyo. I wasn’t taking that suggestion seriously until I found a cheap fare from Honolulu to Tokyo with six stops and one plane change. What’s not to love? You all know me: I’ll go to an island where the big attraction is dead whales and the little attraction is McKay’s Bunting. Of course I’d take that flight. You have to go all the way to Tokyo to get the cheap fare. I spent $16 for a 14-day fare lock—a sort of cooling-off period for the Old Bat.
Usually, shortly after Labor Day, I start getting antsy for fall. And, I go on a “fall quest”. Looking for red leaves and anything pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice shows up first. But, today – red leaves. And it’s only half past August.
There is always something to fuss about here at The Asylum. My favorite is the food. Others care about the height of the toilets in the public areas.
I got a reality check about the food yesterday. There is a gentleman who lives on my floor. His wife lives in a similar (but more costly) asylum in DC. They take turns sleeping over at each other’s apartments. Last night I asked the wife, “Which place has the best food?” With no hesitation, she said, “Here.” OK. Message received. Accept and Adapt.
What was I thinking—using my phone/camera in point-and-shoot mode? Point-and-shoot works fine for nearly everything. Except when it doesn’t. And since the phone/camera is now my only camera, I really need to do a better job.
(Right now, Big Orange Asshole is meeting with Putin in Alaska. I’m hoping a massive earthquake takes out both of them. There will be collateral damage—but there’s already intentional damage.)
This is better than the point-and-shoot butterfly from earlier this week. Not SLR-good, but better.
Lots of photos from my July trip need deleting. And the rest should be cataloged.
As I grow older, I sometimes wonder why I keep culling and cataloging photos. I guess I do it because I always have. Habit.
Speaking of old—I suspect I’ve been living my life in point-and-shoot mode lately. Time to get back to manual mode.
I’ve also been playing around with AI—mostly ChatGPT—trying to turn my antique iPad mini into a voice-activated AI “assistant.” Something like Alexa with half a brain. I’m not expecting it to replace Alexa for running the lights, and I’m certainly not expecting Amazon to get AI sorted anytime soon.
But that’s enough. It’s Aloha Friday.
Still playing around with my phone/camera.
First, I shot a bunch of RAW photos. When I was 25 years younger, I wasn’t patient enough to do RAW processing. My patience has not increased with age.
But I did get that promising tiny insect. So, delete all the RAW images except this one.
Cooked an excellent lunch and decided to shoot HUGE jpgs. And just crop. Out I went.
Way back 12 or 14 years ago, I went bee hunting on many late summer afternoons. It was easier with a real camera. But it’s still fun to see what I can capture. Whatever happens is what I planned.
Perhaps I should do this when the weather is cooler and write down the settings.
These two haven’t been cropped. They are just out of the “camera”.
This keeps me barely amused. And it keeps me off the news feeds. And gets me out of the Old Bat’s Cave.
The Old Bat is feeling rather frayed around the edges these days. Yoga is hard. Not sleeping all that well. Things hurt. My laser focus is more like a Gatling gun. Gotta whip myself back into shape.
In person yoga again today. Walked and bussed to yoga took Uber home. Ordered Uber-X and got an Uber-Black. Gotta say, Uber Black is nicer! But, I have never actually ordered Black. However, if one shows up – I tip very well.
Feel that my photography skills have gotten a little sloppy. Or maybe it’s the software on my phone. Doing a little experimenting.
Gotta go to a 100th birthday party for a man who lives on my floor. Think about it. 100. He still lives in independent living and does his own laundry. Think about living another 18.5 years.
Actually, I agree with The Orange One. Crime is rampant in DC. We do not agree about who is committing the crimes, however.
Very little was accomplished today. I did not kill anyone, yet. And I did my annual battery check on my emergency flashlight and radio. Also, charged up my phone powerbank. Be prepared. Sooner or later, the shit and the fan will collide.
This is one colossal waste of taxpayer money. It does nothing. But it hasn’t killed anyone, yet.
Old age. You begin to enjoy the tiny things. Things like the early morning sun.
Things like maple seeds.
As my old body slows down, I slow down, and the small chipmunk brings joy. And soon the chipmunk can enjoy the maple seeds.
And then I see the hearse drive by. Nobody is promised tomorrow.