Kentucky Derby today. Also our local yuppie cross country extravaganza – the Gold Cup. I am not amused by horse racing. I no longer approve of horse racing. I am no fan of horses. They are big and dumb. But, they shouldn’t be forced into service for our gambling and hat-wearing pleasure. We humans can bet on pro-sports and organize garden parties to show off our chapeaux. And let the horses be horses.

So, as for as long as I pay the bills – no horse racing on my TVs.

A really great double rainbow for about 5 minutes this evening.

50 years ago today to summer of Freedom Rides began. All done without Facebook, Twitter, or Flash Mobs.

Reason to move to New Mexico – You can donate your body to a “Skeleton Library”.  See: Laboratory of Human Osteology

Mark your calendars boys and girls – The End of the World, well … sort of, 21 May 2011. Just to be safe – I’ll return my library books. This a is good time to mention the great little Library Book App. If you have a Mac, iPhone, iPad etc. and if your library is supported… just get it. Well, maybe you should wait until May 22 just to be safe.

The real question being – what on earth happened to the kid’s lower half. Honest – she is all in one piece. This was taken on Carlton’s Mother’s back stairs. At least once a year the kid and I got stuffed in Carlton’s old car and dragged off to Richmond to visit “mom”. “Mom” hated Pam and me. And, we weren’t too fond of her either. We tried to always go together and to always stay together. We felt that “mom” would be less likely to attack us if we stuck together. Eventually we just refused to go at all.

 

I am trying really hard to clear out all the “digital clutter”. Which means, just because I can save everything doesn’t mean I should save everything.

And what is this new plan? Yesterday evening I sort of rediscovered “anatomical donations”. Which in real-speak means donate your dead body to science. It appeals to Mr C because it is cheap and to me because it is the ultimate recycling. In our area at least four medical schools will collect our dead selves and a couple of years later return a coffee can of remains.

We both like Howard University. Just because it is a “historically black college”. I sort of like Georgetown. But, they are the “fussiest” about the condition of your dead ass. After Georgetown is done with your dead body, they have a funeral mass for it and a have a Rabbi and Imam say some kind words as well. What I like about that is – what if I am backing the wrong side religion-wise. What if there really is a god? A god who cares about funeral masses or the kaddish? Sort of an insurance policy – don’t you think? Besides – that is the only way I’d ever get into Georgetown.

There also seem to be corpse chop shops. That is rather crude. But, you get the picture. Your knees might go to some one researching knees while your pinkie toes would go on to someone researching toes. In a couple of months – whatever is left of you after the useful parts are dispatched comes back in a coffee can. These folks don’t much care what you died of as long as it wasn’t contagious. I like travel. I like the idea of my bod going off on various trips without “me”.

Hayfever

 

Carlton brought his head to our office at the hospital on Tuesday to get a professional look-see. And to get a few more tasteful flesh colored band-aids. For some reason, he doesn’t care for the nice red ones that I got on sale at Walgreens. (One of our co-workers took this with her iPhone. I don’t look 5 pounds too big in this photo – but trust me I am.)

I am not getting up at 0430 hours tomorrow to watch the royal wedding. The Space Shuttle – well, 1547 is a much better time. But, I am not sure about watching that either. I am always too afraid that I’ll be watching something blow up. That said – I would love to go along for the ride. I am not afraid of being blown up… just don’t want to see other people being blown up.

A nice time was had at the 80th birthday party. Only Carlton and I and one other couple did not live in some very up scale old folks “asylum” or the other. But, they all seems very happy in their asylums. Each of them had reasons for thinking their choice was the “best”. All of these people still drive cars, set on corporate boards, belong to country clubs etc. But several have spouses who had moved on to the “care” units in their asylums.

I continue to think of our rented apartment with the great view, wonderful staff, public transportation and deli downstairs as my version “assisted living”.

A sort of boring day today. But, there are worse things than being bored! I am not complaining.

Going to a friend’s 80th birthday party tonight. We are at the age where our friends start having birthday parties again. Birthday parties and funerals. Not to different really, except at the former the guest of honor is supposed to stay wake. Which is why birthday parties among the senior set are held at increasingly early hours.

Yesterday, I got exasperated by the diet. Moderation, a return to portion control and  banishment of all things sweet, buttery, or alcoholic from the diet were not getting it done. Quickly enough. So, I kicked the diet into one of deprivation, starvation portions, and  eliminated all  tasty carbohydrates. (High fiber cereal is still allowed.) As of yesterday AM the weight was solidly stuck at 130 pounds … Which is 9.3 stones. Doesn’t sound so bad.

This has to be some sort of a sick joke. See ds5513-proposed (Sorry, haven’t figured out how to to this more elegantly.) That would be the proposed New Improved Passport Application Form. I am one of the few people on the planet who could actually fill this thing out. And, this is really funny – but yesterday I was seriously considering deleting my old extremely high clearance forms. The repository of all such info.

 

There I was enjoying a fine afternoon at leisure. Day One of “Ain’t Doing Nothing in the Kitchen” Week. We had completed a nice lunch of leftover pasta salad, the aforementioned leftover tuna paddies, strawberries. Life was tranquil.

Carlton comes home from a bike ride carrying his front tire. It was flat. But, lucky thing number one, it went flat right outside the building.

So, he takes his tire down to the shop to get repaired. He has a very old bike and the guys at the nearby upscale bike works like him. Carlton takes money for the parking meter and some money for the bike shop. But, Carlton being Carlton – parked in the free Walgreens lot across the street from the bike shop. The bike shop is about one mile from our apartment. The second lucky thing. Soon, he comes steaming in the door carrying the repaired wheel. His car got towed.

We found where his car ended up – less than a half mile for the apartment. The third lucky thing. He went huffing off to rescue his car. Shortly, he returned… $115 poorer. Good thing he saved $1.50 on the parking meter. And got a lot more walking in than he normally gets.

I, however, share an apartment with him.

Yesterday, I expressed my displeasure with using drone aircraft to kill people. Today, am happy to report that the “pilots” of said aircraft do no get combat pay if their butts are safely in CONUS. They do, however, get flight pay.

Been here in the apartment one year next week. So, today, I installed the knife rack on the wall. The old apartment didn’t have anywhere to put the knife rack. So, for the first time in 6 years, my knives are not lurking in the drawer waiting to slice unwary fingers.

Carlton is a culinary philistine. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Last night he said he liked my cheap canned tuna paddies with salsa as much as my wild caught salmon with guacamole. He said he couldn’t tell the difference between tuna paddies and crab cakes. I guess, it is a good thing. Because I am planning on taking next week off from cooking. Oh, we’ll be eating at home – because Carlton doesn’t eat out – but everything is going to be nuked from the freezer. Or sandwiches. Or salad. And, it will not complain. In fact, he’ll like it.

Speaking of Carlton. The other evening, he delineated his plan to improve America.

1. First stop doing what ever it is we are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring the troops home. Now.
2. Then, by the end of this calendar year – come up with some sort of flat, VAT, whatever tax system that will be simpler and raise more money.
3. Revise Medicare and Social Security so wealthy old folks start getting less and paying more now. (That would include us).
4. Stop the the “all you can eat” Medicare as we know it now – for everyone. Bring on the “Death Panels” as the Republicans called them.

Actually, Carlton’s plan would cost us a bunch.  I don’t know if he is really willing to pay more. Maybe he is just sure nothing will happen until we crash and burn…

Easter: When christian celebrate a jew who got nailed to a tree by the romans by having a rabbit deliver colored chicken eggs. Go figure.

About froze my butt off walking home in the cold rain yesterday noon. And, it was cold and foggy and drizzly this morning.

But, I declared winter over already. Washed up my winter Ninja wardrobe and stored it away. Washed up the winter navy blue sheets and replaced them with the light blue summer sheets. Washed the fluffy winter robe. Got out the summer shorts and linen pants. And, if the weather doesn’t suit my clothes. Well, I’ll just stay indoors.

In my underwear drawer – there is a pile of granny panties and a pile of non-granny panties. The non-granny pile can go months without being used. I moved the granny panties to the back and moved the silky lacy things to the front of the drawer. Exactly what am I saving the lacy things for? At my age – any day now I could be shopping for Depends.

That is about it for my Spring Cleaning.

Started thinking about:

• iPad 2
• FujiFilm x100

I so don’t need either one of these… but this is not about need, is it?

About shooting at people using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. I do not approve of people playing video games in Colorado killing people on the other side of the world. I sure hope the UAV operators don’t get flight pay and/or combat pay. But, I wouldn’t be surprised. I have no problem with using drones as spy planes.

I saw my first iris while wandering home from the hospital today. Once again I’ll spend all of iris “season” trying for an iris image that pleases ME.

Whilst strolling home from the hospital this noon – what did I spy – Bus One??? The Presidential Bus??? Has our economy tanked that  much? Has Air Force One been mothballed? Is Marine One AWOL?

According the Internet – Bus One belongs to a Richmond based bus company. Check it out… But,  it did get my attention.

The Spreadsheet from Hell is all good now. However, my other hospital client now wants her spreadsheet spiffed up. Oh well, it beats doing Sudoku to ward off dementia.