Category: The DayBook

Today’s feature – rain. clouds. chilly.  Sort of like the USA. 

Last night, I came home from dinner. And, I found this alarming message on Shamu the Phone.

Well, this is very disturbing. This institution has almost all of my money. Who is helping themselves to it. Grab Shamu  the Phone and call. After 15 minutes on hold Shamu starts to shut down on me… It is past Shamu’s bed time. Plug Shamu in and continue on hold for another 30 minutes. By now it is past my bedtime too. Eventually, a very nice man finally takes me off hold and asks “How can I help you?” I explain that I am an old woman and when I got home from dinner I found this message… Nice man starts to explain that it was a computer “glitch” and that every customer got that message. I start laughing – explain to nice man that I have on at least one occasion done that very same thing. I wish him a good evening and get on with my life. Ain’t technology grand? To err  is human, but it requires a computer to really foul things up!

Harlene: Much talk – but only talk – about expanding the “large electronics ban” to flights originating in Europe.

After slow moving bugs this afternoon because I logged 6+ miles on the fitbit today. 

Which made me think: “Is it time to get a car?” But, wait – isn’t this backwards? Aren’t old people supposed to give up cars – not take up cars? I just don’t have a car mindset. Mentally, I am already planning my trip to work tomorrow in a way that will minimize walking. You just have so many more options when you are not hauling a 2,000 pound carapace around. But, I know that people who have cars extol the freedom that the car provides. 

Had a fine dinner tonight – Shrimp and Tuna Kabobs. A mistake was made and stuffed cabbage showed up. I don’t usually care that much – but – stuffed cabbage when I was expecting shrimp and tuna – well – very nicely – I sent the offending cabbage back to the kitchen. By and by, shrimp and tuna kabobs appear.  

What Carlton would call “Wreckage of the Future”: How will I deal with having to check everything electronic when flying? I who do not check anything. Check my computer, my camera, my kindle, my Bose headphones? Just me and Shamu the Phone – all alone – in the plane. And, would my beloved toys even arrive at the final destination? Could I leave them all behind. Even my camera? Please Saint Synchronous, patron saint of all things that plug in, I pray to you – do not let this plague befall us.

 

 

It wasn’t too windy this afternoon – after my nap – so I was able to capture a couple of flying critters.  

And…

Now, any reasonable person would wonder: “Why exactly does a person who hasn’t turned her stove top on this year grow 11 square feet of herbs?”

Well, they are really easy to grow. All manner of interesting flying insects visit them when they flower – leading to lots of photo ops. You can cut them and put them in an old Perrier bottle – which cheers up the Old Bat Cave. And, You can give them to people. What’s not to love?

And you know, I really don’t think I have turned on the stove this year. Well, I was in Hawai’i for the first 2 months. But I don’t recall cooking anything since I returned to The Asylum.  Nuking Trader Joe’s frozen stone ground oatmeal doesn’t count for “cooking” even if you put strawberries and yogurt on it. Un-wrapping a granola bar isn’t cooking. 

Well, isn’t that interesting – The Orange Lord just fired the head of the FBI, James Comey. Wonder why? Is he mad at Comey for helping him get elected? Don’t let the door hit you on your ass, Jim. BUT wait. Am I 100% sure this isn’t about The Orange Lord and Putin? When did I become a conspiracy theorist? When The Orange Lord got elected. That’s when. 

The 41 Bus is a very fine bus. Most of the drivers are nice. And, I usually ride it in the “going home” direction – so most of the passengers are pretty nice too.  Everyone assumes that I am just a little old lady who lives in “affordable” housing in South Arlington. Nevermind that I live 6 feet over the Arlington line in a rather up market “elderly” Asylum. 

Went to a college graduation this afternoon in my nice cosy Old Bat Cave. Very civilized of it to be streamed on YouTube. 

Here at The Asylum – with some regularity an enormous basket of roses appears in the public area honoring some never seen resident on their 100th birthday. 

And then there is Virginia. She is 100 or so. Frequently seen in the public areas. Still into Martinis and Manicures.

Virginia is looking a little grumpy. But, she isn’t really. She just can’t see or hear as well as she would like. 

This is has been a strange 3 days. It has been what I consider “indoor” weather. And I have sort of just hung out in the Old Bat Cave, with occasional forays  out for meals. And a little dart over to the grocery store for Perrier, beer,  and granola bars. 

I read and listened to books, did laundry, and yoga. And, I attacked my annual photo culling project with a vengeance. And, I took a couple of naps. A totally fine lazy self indulgent time. And, I am OK with that. Doubt that Mr C would be fine with that – but then again he was the one who was always telling me to “slow down”. However, I always suspected it was because he wanted a little more attention than he was getting! 

I miss that man – but he was pretty high maintenance! 

According to Shamu the Phone – this is where I have been over the last 12 months. It is actually pretty scarey that Google knows all this. I presume that all the cell phone providers know where we have been. But, Google Fi makes a “feature” out of it. This makes it pretty had to run away from home!

Speaking of home. Two years ago today, I was getting serious about moving to The Asylum. Getting to acceptance? Or not.  

• I still don’t like the location. But, I have accepted the location. It just is. 
• I really like my room. All of my friends have apartments. I have a room. A nice big comfy Peg friendly room furnished with all my favorite things. 
• I enjoy the meals, the maid service and the “free” toilet paper. 
• And, I love my new best friends.
• This is my “forever home”.

By the way, this was not a technology free weekend – only and on-line free weekend.  

Decided that I have been killing too much time putzing around online. At my age, I don’t have all that much time to kill! And, it only depresses me. So. I am leaving the 21st Century until after sunset on Sunday. 

As a part of my widow recovery project – I took a beading class and set out on a project to make a beaded turtle purse. And, I even promised to have I done by the 1st anniversary of Carlton’s death. Well, it didn’t happen.  But, yesterday, I found a home for that unfinished project. Which is not as good as finishing the project myself. But, it was a very close second. And, the aborted turtle purse project was a valuable step on The Widow Peg’s journey.

That is all until 8:10 PM or so tomorrow.

Took a “rain day” today.  And, I accomplished almost nothing. But, are old women supposed to accomplish things? Aren’t we emerita members of society? 

Thanks to Momma Nature – 

Thanks to Momma Nature – the garden box is looking great. I sure didn’t do anything to deserve this lush response. 

According to the Washington Post: “Professor Stephen Hawking thinks the human species will have to populate a new planet within 100 years if it is to survive,” the BBC said with a notable absence of punctuation marks in a statement posted online. “With climate change, overdue asteroid strikes, epidemics and population growth, our own planet is increasingly precarious.”

I am not all that sure that the human species deserves to survive. And, I don’t plan on leaving Earth. But,  I can think of more than a few folks who could leave for parts extraterrestrial any day now. In fact, they couldn’t leave soon enough for me. 

 

The day starts out sunny and fine.

The usual chaos at the office. Came home. And the House passed its version of Trump Care. Have a hard time calling it care. Trump Couldn’t Care Less?  

The only good thing is that the House seems to have removed the clause that exempted themselves from some of the parts of the bill as related to preexisting conditions. But, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it sneak back in. Vigilanti semper.  

I see that the medical profession including the AMA is lining up against the bill. Seems to me, if the AMA hadn’t been such an obstructionist – starting way in the 1940s – we wouldn’t be in this pickle… 

Anyhow – if you lose your insurance, or can no longer afford it – check out 

Mail Me To The GOP

On a happier note. I have had my fitbit for a little over 3 years. It was one of my more successful retail therapy acquisitions during Carlton’s last years. 

Almost 5,000 miles. Not too shabby for an old woman. 

Problem is – they thought they were on the 38B. 

Just puttering around with a new theme for now.  Don’t know if I’ll stick with it. I’ll go to dinner and think about it.

Had dinner last night with a friend. She is younger than I am and is living here because she is a hospice patient. She figured that she has enough money to stay in her condo until she dies. Or she could move in here and not have to worry about organizing her own end of days care.  She is just sure that she doesn’t want anymore “treatments” and she wasn’t happy with her earlier stay at the “best” inpatient hospice facility in the area.  She made the same decision that Carlton made – quality of days not number of days.

After dinner, I went to a lecture on World War III.  My friend said that was one of the only advantages of her prognosis was she really didn’t have to worry about World War III or the current (part time) resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Well, dinner is over. Think I’ll keep the new style for a couple of days. To comment – click on the date.

Yep, working on “old” photos this evening. And, waiting for the promised “big” storm. 

Pretty tranquil day in the life of an old woman. 

I notice a common theme in my life. I am always culling photos and always wishing I weighed 5 pounds less. 

But, culling photos found me this little gem. No photoshop tricks. Just light.

Speaking of photos, I decided not to enter any photos in the old fart’s art show. It is just not important. Maybe someday I’ll enter origami. But not photographs. I don’t know why. It is just how I feel. 

How’s this for junk mail. A free lunch and seminar about cremation. I like the “Travel and Relocation”. Well, Carlton “traveled and relocated”. Albeit in a USPS flat rate box protected by my wetsuit. And, the postage for that box was all the I paid for Carlton’s “disposition”. Wherever he is, I am sure that he feels that I was extravagant with the flat rate box. I should have put him in my carryon. Deal with it, Mr C.

Nobody gets out alive. Enjoy every sandwich.

Knew I was going to get a good day for street shooting – when not 3 blocks from the asylum – I find four blind guys making their way down the street.

As you can see, it was hot today. HOT HOT HOT. Late June weather in late April.

I doubt that the trolley pub would be a big hit here at The Asylum!

And so The Blog is launched into its 17th year. Thanks for checking in from time to time.