Labor Day…

Sunrise - Labor Day 2015
Sunrise – Labor Day 2015

Took my camera outside for a sunrise shot this morning.

The B/W Version.
The B/W Version.

There was a little layer of fog. I just wish I had been able to center the sun right on top of the Washington Monument.

Most of you know that I was a member of the Longshoreman’s Union back in the day. ILWU Local 142. So, I have to remind one and all that we have Unions to thank for weekends, paid holidays, etc. When we had strong unions we also had employer paid health insurance and pensions…

Today – I took the little lenovo computer to the Goodwill and had a fine time checking out all the stuff. I love thrift shops. A vintage Ralph Lauren velvet jacket and a fine old belt with silver fetish animals. Now, I have to decide what I am going to remove from my carefully curated wardrobe to make “room” for the new additions.

And, this weekend – I did not succeed making butterflies or bats – but I did master the penguin.

trust me, it's a penguin.
trust me, it’s a penguin.

Back in February – I had a Penguin Morgue

And September 7, 2014 was pretty normal.

 

 

Another Lazy Day

I gotta get out of this bee mode.
I gotta get out of this bee mode.

Better find something other than bees to photograph. If you want to take more interesting pictures… Go to more interesting places. I’ll try that tomorrow. Maybe.

Vacuum Cleaners are a worthless. I thought they were supposed to “clean”. Who knew that the eat the fringe on rugs and get all clogged up with hair. And you have to CLEAN the vacuum cleaner. SO, what exactly is this thing doing for me. After I go around and sweep up all my hair. Then I eversocarefully run the darn thing around, being careful not to run over the rug fringe. Then I have to unjam the brush thing – which has strangled itself on hair that I missed. And take all the “dirt” out of the little box. And, I am supposed to do something to the filters. (But, I haven’t)… I am so not taking the vacuum to the Old Bat Cave.

Can you tell that Carlton was our family’s cleaning person. No wonder he used to complain about my hair being everywhere.

Oh – this is your very last chance for the little Lenovo.

IMG_0652
It is in a box, ready to go down to the Goodwill. It is tiny, I can mail it to anyone in the US who wants it. It was designed to be used with your TV. But, it is a perfectly fine Windows 7 machine. HDMI cable conveys. As does the funky keyboard/mouse/remote. Provide your own tv.

September 6, 2014 – Heatwave Continues

Lazed around today…

Glad something was busy!
Glad something was busy!

My biggest accomplishment today is a pile of very crumpled dollar bills. Trying to fold a nice butterfly. Total failure. I did fold a bunch of cranes for my senbazuru.

Rejected any notion of going to the asylum to eat. I’ll be eating there for the rest of my life. Instead, went to the grocery and got some food. Most likely my last trip to the grocery until I stock the fridge in the Old Bat Cave. HEY, maybe I could bag the butterfly folding and try to fold a BAT!.

Love this:

bra woman

September 5, 2014 Old Age, Beats the Alternatives, But Still Sucks.

It is hot and I am tired

Passiflora incarnata
Passiflora incarnata – with too much postprocessing

It was something like 96 degrees today. And, I am just tired. Carlton could always tell when I was getting over tired and he would sort of force me to take it easy for a couple of days. I guess I am not as young as I used to be. I don’t like taking it easy. Plenty of time to take it easy after I am dead.

September 4, 2014 – No Macros Today

Passiflora incarnata - sans postprocessing
Passiflora incarnata – sans postprocessing

TBT – Family Birthdays

Dad with Jake the Snake.
September 3, 1919
Pam - 1969
September 3, 1969

Nice and toasty hot here today. I did nothing except go to work. Three weeks from today is the much dreaded MOVING DAY.

One the plus side. Four weeks from today it will all be over and I should be all settled in.

Looking on the bright side – in this apartment I have to put 10 shades up and down – the Old Bat Cave will only have three shades. Is this really an advantage?

September 3, 2014 – Macro Day 9

Bus Signs

 

Not In Service
Not In Service

I want to move to “Not In Service” – they have really good bus service. “No Passengers” would also be a good neighborhood. Lots of Metro Trains go there.

But, this morning – I saw a new bus sign.

Bus is Backing Up???
Bus is Backing???

This bus is parked. The person on the right is the driver – she is heading off to get a coffee. Normal enough behavior. But, exactly what good does a BUS IS BACKING sign do? Especially when it is on the front! Not to mention – the bus is parked.

Went to the asylum directly from work today for a late lunch. Stopped in to check the Old Bat Cave – it is being drywalled today. Still needs paint, floors, a kitchen and a bathroom. Three weeks from tomorrow is Move Day.

Move-wise no actions today. Today was sort of a The Widow Peg chore. I made an appointment for a mammogram.  And, what does this have to do with being a widow? Well, mammograms always make me nervous. Very nervous. Waiting for the results. I have had more than a few mammograms that result in a call to “Come back and let us look again”. And, Carlton always kept me as calm as possible. I was supposed to make the appointment back in May. I figure I put it off 5 months. I figure my doctor will yell at me if I don’t go.

Also, there is my trip to Hawai’i. In 2013, I had to beg a change in our tickets because Carlton had a serious recurrence of his cancer. In 2014, I had to get a refund for Carlton’s ticket – a ticket I bought less than a week before he died. SO, I don’t want to have try for a refund on my 2015 ticket – caused by me being treated for cancer discovered at the mammogram. 8:00 AM Sept 11. Not a particularly auspicious date.

Any how – I will not get a ticket to Hawai’i until after I get the all clear from the mammogram folks.

My VPN. When I am out in the wild, I fire up my VPN. If I use the WiFi that my asylum provides – I’ll need to run my VPN all the time. So, I have it set up fire up automatically now. It causes a hiccup here and there. But, seems to me that hacking into the WiFi at an asylum for well off old folks – that sounds like a real good hack target. All those old people shopping online, checking their bank accounts, etc. etc.

September 2, 2014 – Dog Swim Day.

The Gift

Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly
Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly

I received a wonderful gift this afternoon. A co-worker and her husband came by late this afternoon and took an entire car load of stuff to the Goodwill for me. I feel much freer. Lighter. Relieved that I’ll not have to worry about that stuff anymore.

September is going to be a bittersweet month. The last month that I had Carlton to worry about, to abuse, to love. CORRECTION. I still love him. But it isn’t the same.

According to the blog Sept 1, 2014 was Labor Day. Check out last year’s entry: The folks who brought you the weekend – Labor Unions.

Signs

Sign that it is time to move to the asylum.
Sign that it is time to move to the asylum.

I was washing sheets yesterday – and whoops a huge hole had appeared. And this is my last sheet. Well, I just put the hole on Carlton’s side of the bed. (Yep, it is still Carlton’s side. Always will be.) The asylum provides linens. (They wash them and make your bed – just like a hotel.) You don’t have to use them. But, why not? Especially when your last sheet has a big hole in it.

Sign it is time to get back to Hawai'i: My supply of Nori Komi Furikake is dangerously low.
Sign it is time to get back to Hawai’i.

My supply of Nori Komi Furikake is dangerously low. I am sure that someone sells Mishima nori komi furikake in this area – but – I haven’t a clue where. On the other hand, I know exactly where my fave furikake is at the KTA in Kona.

Today’s moving accomplishments:

Wrote a HUGE check to break the lease and pay the rent through Sep 25.

Packed up the little Denon system. It has a new home.

Decided that my WW2 army trunk – dented and painted blue will head off to Goodwill. Years ago I lined it with cedar. I moved the cedar to Carlton’s more stylish trunk and packed all the quilts in it.

And that is enough for one day.

Note to Carlton: RG3 seems to be out as QB. And, Gov Mandel (95) died. Google had a little Doodle honoring the US Open today.

 

Bee Attack…

What are you doing in my territory?
What are you doing in my territory?
You have been warned...
You have been warned…
ZAP
ZAP – bumblebees are territorial

And – a personal best.

I finally captured a compound eye.
I finally captured a compound eye. (you can make it a little bigger.)

Started breaking down the electronics today. I am taking my little TV. All my Mac stuff. The tube TVs, the PC stuff, the stereo stuff… all going to Goodwill. The linux is already at the Goodwill. Actually, the tube tvs will go to the dump. Not to worry – you pay to dump tube tvs and crts.

I think the “responsible” part of the Republican Party is in denial about The Donald. If they don’t wake up – he is going to knock that Bush Boy right out of the race. Of course, the establishment part of my party isn’t taking Bernie all that seriously either. Bernie vs The Donald… Wouldn’t that be fun?

Had to clean today.

Another look at the Great Black Wasp
Another look at the Great Black Wasp – with little bitty milkweed bugs.

Not tack sharp, but cool colored wasp.

Today, I cleaned. Except the bathroom. Haven’t done that yet. My apartment was so messy that even I couldn’t stand it any longer.

Did I mention, the asylum has weekly maid service. And they change the sheets.

Note to Carlton: Redskins not doing so very good. Quarterback troubles. Name troubles. 3rd game of the preseason tonight.

Friday

Another one from the headon bee burst.
Another one from the headon bee burst.
And a dragon fly.
And a dragon fly.

I don’t have the right stuff to do dragon flies. That doesn’t stop me from trying, however.

Spent many hours last night putzing around with my apartment layout.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 8.37.03 PM

The gray room is the closet. I haven’t put in the cabinets in the kitchen yet. It doesn’t matter anyhow.

And now I am very tired… so off to bed for me.

Coming soon to a tree near you…

Found a nice red leaf today.
Found a nice red leaf today.
And milkweed bugs
And milkweed bugs, lots of milkweed bugs

Well boys and girls, 4 weeks from now… I’ll be ensconced in the Old Bat Cave. For the rest of my life. My final home. My last move. Well, actually, the asylum might move me down to assisted living or the nursing unit. I just hope the asylum lasts as long as I do. Since they have promised to take care of my sorry ass.