Author: Peg

Busy day at volunteer job. Seems our hospital has to come up with a policy on “workplace fatigue”. Everyone else was tired of the problem, so it got passed off to me. Just as I was settling down with coffee in hand, in full bullshit and plagiarism mode – we got real busy. I had to play receptionist and medical assistant, not bullshit and plagiarism maven. So, I’ll be working on our fatigue policy this weekend – if I am not too tired!

This afternoon, I was taking a rest. Carlton decides to go for a bike ride. He crashes into a wall and cuts his hand. Returns to the apartment for first aid. But, wait – there is more – he crashed in to the wall on the way to the elevator. He was riding his bike in the hall. So, he crashed into a wall in our hallway. Happy to report that he did not hurt the wall or bleed on it. You would think that a 77 year old man would know better than to ride a bike indoors. So much for my afternoon rest. Sigh.

Ah, what a fun way to spend the day. Looking your failures in the eye. Owning up to mistakes. Errors in judgement. Miscalculations. Bets gone wrong. Important changes in underlying motivations that were missed.

What happened to my Drone Aeroplanes??? What the F happened to my little company that makes: bullets, pressure cookers and generic Depends??? Why did my little local defense contractor have a serious sinking spell??? And mostly, why on earth did I keep buying coal as it kept going down??? Couldn’t I see what nat gas was doing to coal? It wasn’t a secret. So, I have been doing some buying and selling. throwing good money after bad. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

It is most likely time to just accept my losses in coal and get on with the rest of my life. Also, toss good money after bad and get more of my little defense contractor. Wait on the drone aeroplane business to get better and cut my losses on bullets, pressure cookers and generic Depends.

Spring cleaning for the the portfolio.

There are 2 big power substations within a mile of our apartment. They are surround by tall fences. But, every now and then they leave a gap in the gate and you can sneak a peek. I always like to take a picture when I get the chance.

Bought Apple stock this afternoon. Unfortunately, only 5 shares. But, every 5 shares helps.

Got two ads in the snail mail this morning. One was for a rather modest mid-rise condo and the other was for Turnberry Tower. There is one in Vegas. This one is in Arlington and you can have one – with a really pimped out potty for about one mil. The ones in Vegas seem have fallen on hard times and I am guessing you can have one there for 1/4 mil or less.

Don’t want one. Not here. Not in Vegas. Like my rental digs fine. This morning the fridge sounded “funny”. Well, it was a rented funny sound. If the fridge stops working management will make it all better. When I came back from volunteer work – it sounded normal.

Investment-wise, starting to get a real queasy feeling about the equities market. I might take 25% off the table. It is never too early to take profits and the first loss is frequently the best loss.

Seven years ago, we did a massive downsizing and moved into an apartment. Just about two years ago, we moved into this apartment. Stuff is starting to pile up again.

Rained all day today. Not a bad thing. I found the top of the desk. Chucked a bunch of old software CDs and manuals. Pitched a bunch of non-iPod mp3 players. Remember the Diamond Rio – late 1998. Beat the iPod by three years. It’s not much. But, it is a decluttering start. Eternal vigilance.

A life well lived would leave little stuff behind. And all the stuff that is left should be neatly labeled in several cardboard cartons.

Not sure how serious Carlton is about identifying an Old Persons Asylum for us.  When you reach our age you have friends who live in “those places.” Our friends live in very nice (read expensive) Asylums. Never mind that the most expensive one is going bankrupt. Problem is: they are all geriatric country clubs. What’s this with “Gentlemen must wear jackets after 5PM”? Some of the men look like they would forget their pants without a reminder.

What we need is a Rock and Roll Rest Home. California seems to have some emerging Rest Homes for Rockers. Nothing  in our area. You have to die with your panty hose on, your face done and your hair processed at the beauty salon. And, if you are a gentleman and die after 5PM you darn well better have your jacket on.

And after lunch, it is time for a little urban wild life hunting.

Had one of our little “exercises” at the volunteer job today. I made it from 7:30 to 1:00 PM. But, I am just not  as sturdy as I used to be. When I left, I so hoped a bus would come along. But, no such luck. Had to walk home.

The hospital feeds me when I work. Yeah, free hospital food. I usually bring a prepackaged sandwich home. If the sandwich is fresh, it is usually pretty good. Today a got a ham, bacon and cheese sandwich. That doesn’t sound very healthy! Mr. C and I will share it for dinner along with some salad.

The quest for a old folks home. Carlton’s best friend moved into a seriously up market place 3 years ago. Today, the friend told Carlton that his place was going to be foreclosed. That would make me really unhappy. Not the way I would plan to spend my final act. Moral: do not be the first person to move into a new facility. Because enough other people might not follow you.

What is it with the “Titanic Reenactors”. Those folk who have gotten on cruise ships to sail out to where the Titanic and the iceberg met 100 years ago tonight – actually in the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

What role do they want to play? 3rd class passenger who drowned? That wouldn’t have been fun. Maybe they want to be a first class passenger who didn’t drown – they had better outfits – but that still wouldn’t have been much fun. Maybe they would like to reenact being a band member and play “Nearer my god to thee” just before drowning. Still not fun. There are no fun parts. At best it is a morality play with emphasis on technological hubris.

At least once a week, I cook an entire meal with “real” ingredients. No help from Trader Joe, Whole Foods, or other purveyor of heat-n-eat comestibles. Today it was salmon, broccoli and cauliflower, rice.

There is a perfectly fine stainless steel tree down on the Mall. It has been there about 4 years and is still all shiny. I have seen real birds sitting on the branches. But, it doesn’t give off much shade!

Perfectly tranquil this evening – spent all morning at the hospital doing my part of get our office ready for one of our periodic drills on Monday. I walked home. Fixed lunch. Read a book. Took a nap. Thereby managing to avoid noticing any political insanity.

Giving a little thought to Carlton request that I “Find us an Old Folks Home”. Seems to me they have perfectly fine old folks asylums in Hawaii. I am sure that in 10 years such facilities will seem like a better idea to me. (Carlton is 9 years older than I.) Not so much an age thing – but a lifestyle thing. The “nicer” asylums in this area have various dress codes and support a general lifestyle that is sort of faux-country club. Carlton really isn’t looking to move. Between me and the management of our building he is already in an “assisted living” facility. He just wants to have Plan B in place if he survives me. And no, Carlton isn’t sick – but he will be 77 next week. Nobody is promised tomorrow.

I managed to get through the day without having a hissy fit over our dysfunctional country. I fought the good fight for equal rights and civil rights. I was there for antiwar marches. And count me in for the ERA. And against Tricky Dicky. I was on the front lines of bra burning and marched around with an “Our Bodies Our Selves” sign. I was all in for Make Love Not War. What Happened???

The Blog is approaching it’s 11th birthday. Think I would like to convert it to a dead tree book. Can not figure out how to do that. Yet.