Just killing time.

Sendai july 2010

This is a small test. Hummmm, I might just like this theme. It supports “child themes” so, I can tweak it some. Never mind that a little tweaking was what wiped out my old theme.

Afternoon now, guess I’ll keep the theme for a couple of days.

I booked myself on an 8 hour bus tour of Glacier Park. And, I worried about what in earth am I going to do in Toronto from 9AM until 11:30PM when the $10.50 MegaBus departs. I did find an AMC MoviePlex across the street from the bus stop. (Thanks Google!) I’ll plan to see a movie after dinner. And there are Starbucks. Maybe, visit a day spa. (What I really need is The Dormy Inn – a Japanese budget hotel chain that Sam and I used several times. It rents rooms in 4 hour chunks and that includes use of the communal bath). It is all part of the adventure.

 

Honey, I shrunk the binoculars

Really great 5 ounce Nikon Binoculars.

I decided to get these really tiny, really fine binoculars for the Great North American Train Trip. (I admired them in Japan a couple of years ago.)

And, I decided to not get a new iPod Touch. (Mine is from 2009). It was pointed out that the Gen 4 has a camera, but a pretty crappy camera. And, I think the Gen 4 will be 24 months old come this fall. So, it might be time for a new release for back to school. Except for pictures, my old one does everything I want it to do. It Skypes fine, does email, updates the blog, checks facebook. Oh, and it plays music, movies and is a trusty alarm clock.

Rumor has it that yesterday’s tragic event was a suicide. From the 9th floor. If the guy wanted to die, I hope he did. Because, if he was unhappy enough to end it all and wakes up in the ICU – well – let us just say that his sorry life will not have gotten any better as a result of  the SPLAT.

Not a pretty picture

Everything looks worse in black and white, but this would look bad in Kodachrome.

About an hour ago, I was all settled down getting ready to work on my cookbook. Carlton was watching golf on TV. We hear a soft “thunk” outside. Never heard that sound before. I think maybe something fell over at one of the constructions sites nearby. I hope no one got hurt.

Then sirens. They don’t sound like they are going any of the usual routes. When you live in the city you know when the sirens are doing something different. I getup and decide that they are at our metro stop. Get new binoculars. Go to the balcony that allows a fine view of metro. And SPLAT. Someone seems to have jumped, fallen, or was pushed out of an apartment on our end and our side of the building. We watched the EMT’s. I go up and make sure our Russian lifeguard is OK. But she says he didn’t come from the pool area. Life in the city. Nobody on the roof is aware that anything is going on. He must have come from the apartment above ours or one in our line below us. I think the SPLAT would have been messier if he had come from a floor near ours. Maybe from 5 to 10. But, I don’t know how much SPLAT a jumper makes.

Closure

No, not that touchy feely kind. Real closure. Once again, my Levis button. But, I don’t think it is time to abandon the diet. For one thing, if your body thinks that a Luna Bar and a big cup of coffee is breakfast – well, that makes it darn easy to get breakfast on the train. BYO Luna bars and buy a big coffee. And, if – The Horror – they are out of coffee – one can always pop two NoDoze tablets.

One of the other volunteers at the hospital brought me some maps and info about Glacier NP. (He went last week). I think he made a point of getting all the bear warning propaganda. Doubt that I will see a single bear. More likely I’ll see mosquitoes as big as 747s.

Cookbook Time Again.

Working on the Hulihe’e Palace Holiday Cookbook today. That sort of used up all my zeal for computer things today.

Speaking if computers. The MacBook Pro with the Retina Display is gorgeous. Even these old eyes (with glasses) can see the difference. I went down to the Apple Store today. Apple Store happens to be across the street from Whole Foods. Lunch from Whole Foods today. Grilled chicken and mushrooms with broccoli.

Not very interested in fixing my WordPress Theme today. Maybe I’ll putter around with a different theme.

Woops

Wiped out my theme again. Guess I know what I’ll be fixing again. OK, that is done. Now, gotta find my header picture.

Rainy Day.

Guess I wasn’t the only one interested in our local mortuary’s death. The Central Library, which is next door posted this little Obituary. Check it out.

As for me, I moped around the apartment. Ordered a pair of binoculars in preparation for the Great North American Train Trip. And put my rain jacket and went out for a walk in the rain.

Now, I am back from my walk and out of my mope and my top parts are still dry – so, I guess the ugly pink rain jacket leftover from 10 years ago and Alaska – is good to go on the GNATT.

Also, I am just now  finally starting on the Xmas Cookbook for the Hulihe’e Palace. The first one sold well enough to warrant  another volume. Fortunately it is going to look just like the first one. So, no fiddling with fonts, colors, styles etc.

Our Local Funeral Parlor Is Being Demolished.

Last Year - Arlington Funeral Home Lot
In you go!
All cosy?
Okay, fire it up.
Okay, fire it up.

Talk about gentrification. The local mortuary – one block from our apartment – will be replaced by an office/apartment building. They started knocking the old building down yesterday. Today, they hauled the crematory out. It got crunched. No mistaking the box that most of us might visit. But, none of us will actually see.

One More From Our Bike Race

HOT day today.

I have had a chunk of frozen salmon in the freezer since last October. Lots of times, I would like a nice chunk of fish for dinner. But, when I am hungry – I have little patience with a chunk of frozen fish. So, this morning, before I got hungry, I prepared a nice teriyaki salmon dinner. Which we feasted on for a late lunch. I sure didn’t do my diet any favors today. But, it was onolicious.

Bike Race 2Day

Every June, since 1998,  there has been a fine little bike race in Clarendon. Every year I go. Every year I record lots of digital images. Every year I realize that I do not have a future as a photographer on the pro cycling tour.

Went to the Apple Store between races and looked at the Gen 4 iPods. They are thinner than the Gen 2. I didn’t have my glasses – so no comment about the Retina technology. I am not sure I can see well enough anymore to notice the difference.

More Testing

Doing the blog with the iPod again. One of my IT consultants recommends getting a Gen 4 now. The other says consider waiting and get a better camera come fall.

There will be prepaid iPhones soon, too. Something else to consider. And what would I do with my dear old Gen 2? I could just add it to my iPod museum.

But mostly my typing has to get way faster. Time to teach my opposable thumbs a new trick or two.

Testing

Wonder if I can update the blog without a computer? No pictures. I am so ready for the Great North American Train Trip.

Test results: Well, I can at least type stuff anytime I have WiFi. I wonder, if I had a new iPod – could I put a picture up too? I do love my iPod Touch. Mine is Generation 2.

Research results: Seems like I could post an image, if I had a newer iPod Touch-one with a camera. Wonder what other goodies are in a newer Touch?  Looks pretty much like what I have – just with a camera. Let us wait and see what next week brings in AppleLand. Haven’t heard any rumors about a new iPod until later this year.