Category: The DayBook

Finally, I got the base set.  I went for a walkabout around The Asylum grounds before continuing. 

I found this fine milkweed leaf beetle. It wasn’t on the milkweed plants. It was on a fig tree. 

I made myself a tomato sandwich for lunch and then worked on the model for another session.

It’s three-dimensional now! I am almost beginning to think that I’ll be about to make the damn thing. Question is: Will I be able to do it a second time? Or was it just dumb luck that got me this far? Always better to be lucky than smart.

Let me say it again. I have had a great life. Thanks!

 

Start with yesterday’s creased sheet of paper – I attempted to collapse it. It did take long for me to realize that I had done something wrong. Either with the initial moves or the crease pattern.

So, I creased another sheet of paper and ended up with a mess. I blamed it on the paper. But, I am the one who selected the paper.

I tried another kind of paper and couldn’t see the creases. One last try for today.

Still have a rumpled mess in the center. And, it’s not square anymore. But, I hope that I can move on from here. Tomorrow. 

Went to a “Celebration of Life” this afternoon. And, there is another one scheduled for later this month. They are pretty popular here at The Asylum where “no one gets out alive”. There haven’t been any memorial services, except byZoom, in 18 months. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was lots of good-looking food, but I was over being “social” by the end, so I left. Besides, Mac and Cheese was on the dinner menu. 

 

It occurred to me that if I am ever going to learn how to fold a Kawasaki Rose, I had best start in earnest. I managed to fold an acceptable rose last week. But not a great rose. I have a crease pattern for the rose. And, I have a Kawasaki rose that I unfolded. 

After about an hour of creasing and thinking and thinking and creasing – I decided to fold more bluebirds.  I needed to start and actually finish something.

About Asylum Food: Today’s featured meal included Tomato and Kale Soup, Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Turnip Greens, and No-Sugar-Added Banana Creme Pie. What’s not to hate? I did scrabble around the menu and ordered a fine rare flat iron steak and a baked sweet potato. Last night we abandoned the Asylum and went to Five Guys. 

Now what? Will this new mask mandate be the end or is it just the being. At least one of my friends thinks that we should be quarantined if we “travel”. But, what the residents think or want isn’t factored into what we are “allowed” to do. Or not do.

I haven’t been sleeping all that well this week. But, the morning at about 4:30, the moon was coming up behind the Washington Monument. It was almost worth being awake to see it. 

AND…

Not unexpected, but still unwelcome. Just got a notice telling us that we have to wear masks around the building. That’s all they have told us. So far. I will try hard to avoid “living in the wreckage of the future”. And just take this latest inconvenience as it comes. Actually at my age – a mask is a good thing. Covers up 50% of my facial wrinkles, ripples, and sags.

I failed to find any bugs waiting to be photographed. But, I did find a bunny – and I decided to mess with digital zoom, which I never use. But, it does come up with some interesting looks.

Hope to get a Pixel 6 this fall. Also hope it has a “telephoto” lens option. 

Well, got go dress for dinner. It is an Asylum Sister Birthday tonight. Also have to round up a mask. Good thing I didn’t burn them all. I did toss some of the cloth ones. Pretty much going to use KF94 masks this time, I think. To Be Continued I am sure.

I don’t think that sticking them to the ceiling with museum putty is actually the way to do it. But, I didn’t know that until I tried it. I think I have to attach the birds to something sky/cloud-like and attach that to the ceiling. 

When I was prowling around the art center looking for another way to fly the birds, I found people crocheting sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic shopping bags. 

See what you have to look forward to if you are lucky enough to get old? Kinda scary, isn’t it? 

Fortunately, these guys are really easy to fold.  Our art instructor decided that it would be “fun” to hang doves from the ceiling like has been done in several cathedrals, (See National Cathedral). I decided that white wouldn’t look good in her white art studio – since I have almost 1,000 sheets of blue paper – it’s bluebirds. Bluebirds of Happiness. Ain’t that sappy?

Best thing that happened today was I discovered a cache of vintage Japanese origami books online in pdf format. So, now I have 10 books of origami that is way past my level of expertise. But, all it cost me was a little cloud space. 

The exhibition doves are flattened and secured in a flat position. I plan on using my bluebirds as fat and not flattened. But, I guess tomorrow I should hang some from my own ceiling just to be sure. Doves are sleek. Bluebirds are fat.  In my mind’s eye at least.

A wonderful start to August. I even got an origami rose to turn out OK. But, I did get drafted to teach residents how to make origami doves for an “installation”.  The doves look great done with white paper in cathedrals. But, I am thinking that blue doves will be better in our largely white exhibit space. 

But, back to origami roses.

I am only starting to attempt models that a done with crease patterns.  I have never come anywhere near a success.  The recycle bin is my most important piece of origami gear. 

 

It was supposed to be a box.  On the other hand, I had better luck with small flying insects this afternoon.

The screen was OK when I went to Happy Hour yesterday. When I returned a couple of mai tais later, there was a big hole in my screen.  It is right by my desk. I am sure it wasn’t there when I left at 4:30. Too bad I didn’t get it on camera.

Nice “cool” summer day today. According to Alexa it is only 81 degrees. 

OK. I have been complaining about OLD. Well, there are a few advantages to OLD. 

• • If you want to laze around all day you can. If you are criticized for being lazy you can say “I am old”. 
  • You don’t have to save anything for a “special occasion”. If you make it out of bed in the morning without assistance and through the day without Depends then it’s a special occasion.  So drink the good beer.
  • You don’t have to ever consider an “extended” warranty again.
  • You don’t have to worry about your stuff wearing out. You will wear out first.
  • The prospect of “Life in Prison” isn’t much of a deterrent. 

I thought that the shirt was being photographed – but she got me too. I was down to take pictures of the “knife and fire dancer”. I didn’t attend the “luau”. Somethings I will not do.

Always fun to mess with the photos.

Much nicer weather today. Mai Tai’s on special at the saloon this afternoon. Life is good if you ignore the Delta Variant. Which is increasingly hard to do.

And. There was a tiger swallowtail out this morning.

I think this is a male. But, it only matters if one is another sallowtail.

In fact, all the photos from Montana and North Dakota can just be deleted. I think this might be the most interesting one that I took on July 1, 2021.

Thank goodness for GPS. 

Gotta note the passing of Dusty Hill. The man was 5 years my junior. More of this getting OLD shit. And, I think I heard the ambulance pulling up to the asylum. But, it isn’t coming for me. Yet. 

Before I forget. A parting shot from Chicago.