life in the old lane

Well, my last fireworks from the aerie were fogged out. The lack of any breeze made it even worse. BUT, how about the Smog Monster. Click on it. It needs to be enjoyed large.

About 10:30 this morning – my absolutely must do list was done. I jumped on the subway and ended up in Old Town Alexandria. I stopped in every furniture store on that Google suggested… I looked at chairs. My living room chairs are 50 years old. I am sure they will last as long as I will. But, I am going to get a new chair for the Old Bat Cave.

As happens in Alexandria – I ended up at the river. Hopped on the water taxi and went to Georgetown. Where Google guided me to additional furniture stores. Walked across the river (on the bridge!) and subwayed back home.

Also, picked up some origami paper – toying with the idea of making 1,000 cranes. It is a Japanese thing. If I start, I might like to finish by the 1 year anniversary of Carlton’s death. Just because. But, that means pumping out cranes at a pretty good clip. It might not be such a tranquility producing, zen experience. We’ll see. I did get a Senbazuru “kit”. The Old Bat Cave could use the good luck 1,000 cranes promises.

I took the new macro lens on today’s outing. 120mm is not a good walk around lens for me. Noting macro worthy showed up. But, I have some “water themed shots”.

The water taxi takes about 45 restful minutes.

The thing – I think it called Washington Harbor looks like the Lost City of Atlantis. I am not sure what the developer was thinking. Maybe he wasn’t thinking.

And, grownups were making good use of the Potomac. When I moved to DC years ago, one wouldn’t have gone into the water on purpose.

It was an altogether fine day.

As I was retiring to my bed chamber – suprise fireworks!. It was sort of rainy. My macro lens and body (camera) are supposed to be weather-proof. So, I went out and made pictures.

It is rainy right now – 1715. But, it is supposed to clean up by fireworks time.

What a difference a year makes. I wonder how I’ll be next July 4th. Nobody is promised tomorrow.

This was when Carlton asked me to take care of his sword, little steam engine and big bolt. And told me to pitch the rest. I don’t know who I would tell to take care of my stuff. Or what stuff I would want taken care of. Damn I am getting a little morbid.

 

The baldface hornet isn’t really a hornet. It is a yellow jacket. According to Clemson University:

Known for large nests and a defensive nature, baldfaced hornets are an impressive and often misunderstood members of the wasp family. Contrary to the name, the baldfaced hornet is not a hornet. It is actually one of the many types of yellowjackets found in the United States. The baldfaced hornet is often confused with a similar sized wasp, the European hornet, which is the only true hornet in North America. In nature, baldfaced hornets are extremely valuable because they kill many pests including flies, caterpillars, and spiders. It is only when their nests are located near areas of human activity that they pose a threat to people.

 

Hey, Carlton… This is really sad. I makes me wish were a believer. Then I could light a candle. I know you remember Ryan Levins. The kid from one of the flat square states who volunteered at Harpers Ferry with us. Last I heard he was Chief Ranger at Harpers Ferry. A couple of days ago, he was competing in a law enforcement/fire fighters bike race. There was a serious wreck. One guy died. Two are in grave condition at Fairfax. On TV they just said that Ryan was one of the two. You have been dead 9 months today. But, I am sadder about Ryan.

On a happier note… Your good buddy and one of the last to see you alive, Bob became a grandfather early this morning. It is a boy and everyone is doing fine. And since you have been away for 9 months – you most likely didn’t know that a grandbaby was coming.

Not much fun with the new lens today. The weather is “strange”. Cloudy. Rains hard every now and again. Cool.

Note to Carlton: Had lunch with Cliff today. No, I didn’t cook. Sorry. We went to Rocklands for BBQ. Cliff is fine. He made his first hole-in-one at Burning Tree 2 weeks ago. He said he was using the wrong club. Seems to me if you make a hole-in-one, you were using the right club. He is really pleased.

The new phone and service still needs a tweaking. Getting the phone working “fine” and outfitted with necessary apps is my project this weekend. And, weather permitting, I’ll play with the macro lens. Sort of tired. I’ll take it easy this long weekend. (Maybe)

BTW – I am not running for President on the Democratic side either.

The new macro lens arrived just before I went off to the dentist. Stopped off at the Nature Conservancy weed lot on my way back home for a few test shots. I am going to love this lens. I don’t love it yet. We only just met. But, I will love it by the end of July.

Today’s (and tomorrow’s and maybe the day after that) technology adventure is to get my vintage t-mobile number ported over to Google’s service. I don’t have a good feeling about it. Worse case – I’ll just get a new number – but I don’t want to do that.

Dentist appointment went smoothly. Young Doctor Reyes just sort of stuck some superglue sort of stuff in my front tooth. Hopefully, it will last 5 more years. Especially if I don’t eat taffy, caramels, candy apples or corn on the cob.

UPDATE: Got the old t-mobile # ported over to Google’s experimental cell service. (It took 2 calls to support. 0 time waiting on hold – but, I found the answer myself – Google search provided the answer.)

No bee hunting today. Went to the dentist instead. Going to the dentist again tomorrow afternoon. My front tooth is chipped. I knew it was chipped. I figured that it would take a couple of weeks to get an appointment. But, NOOOOOOO, I had my choice of appointments tomorrow. Seems that nobody wants to see the dentist in July 4th week. I shouldn’t have been surprised. We have darn few appointments in our office this week either.

In case you were wondering, I am not going the enter the Republican Presidential Primary. And, I decided that I am too old to go to an outdoor late August afternoon Beach Boys concert. It was easy to say “I don’t do that anymore”. “I don’t do that anymore” is an essential part of the old bat vocabulary.

Now, what if it were a Dead concert? Would my answer still be “I don’t do that anymore”? I know what my answer would be if it’s a Barry Manilow concert!

Speaking of “I don’t do that anymore”… I don’t have to do everything move-wise. I have a meeting with a senior move expeditor next week. (Note to Carlton and Cal: Widow woman spending the old man’s money alert!)

Thank you Bob Z, for teaching me “I don’t do that anymore” years ago.

Lovely day today – weatherwise. (no complaints about anything today actually) Went out on a little bee hunt this afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon is the dentist. I know that my front tooth need repair. Hope everything else is OK.

The move to the asylum is three months away – but – my planning/actions have sort of ground to a halt. So, I am calling in a “senior move consultant”. Mr C would not approve of “throwing money at a problem”, but, it is my problem and my money – so – deal with it, sir. I am OK with downsizing, hiring movers, packing, unpacking, etc. I am not OK with getting rid of everything that isn’t going with me.

And, I need to give the apartment building notice and start trying to play let’s make a deal to get out of as much of the lease breaking penalties as possible. I think I am willing to move me and my stuff into the studio that I “own” already down at the asylum- if the landlord makes me a deal I can not refuse. They might rather re-rent this very costly apartment in August vice October.

Note to Carlton: It is Wimbledon time again. The usual suspects seem to be playing. Hope you will excuse me if I don’t watch. It will be 9 months this Friday. I still miss you. Not raw grief. Just a nagging memory that life was sweeter before you moved on to Georgetown.

Time for a little yoga.

After yesterday, being locked inside due to the rain – I decided to walk the three miles down to the asylum for lunch. I was underwhelmed by my previous meal in “my” dining room. Today’s meal was perfectly fine. The soup was excellant. The roll soft, warm and wheaty. The salmon was not overcooked. Carlton would have complained that the broccoli wasn’t cooked enough – so I liked it fine. The carrots – were carrots. I also had cherry pie. Not as good a my cherry pie. But since I have no intention of ever making a cherry pie again – it was a fine slice of cherry pie.

The old bat cave is going to be a tchotchke-free zone. Things are heading out. But, first… if anyone wants anyone any of these – email me – and the first one who emails a request gets it. I’ll mail them. Anywhere in the US. Love flat rate boxes. Take one. Take’m all. Or be smart and let them go to the Goodwill.

These will be heading down to the Goodwill.

Note to everyone who doesn’t have a presidential library: This is what is going to happen to all your stuff one day. It’s just stuff. One step away from the Goodwill.

Yes, Carlton – I am taking care of the sword, the bolt and the steam engine. After I go – well, no promises…

 

It rained all day – as promised. I had several tasks that kept me busy enough.

First – get snail internet running again. It died last night. My router is old. My modem is antique. I dug up my modem manual – stashed in evernote. They had instructions for setting up the internet using “Microsoft’s Latest System – Windows 98”! The modem must be over 15 years old. The router is  younger – about 10 years old. And why might you ask do I have this old internet setup… If you knew Carlton, you know why. Why haven’t I replaced it? The asylum provides wifi to all the apartments in the building. If I don’t like the wifi service – I’ll get cable internet.

So, early this morning, I strapped on the headlights and went to work. The router is toast. Not going to buy a new wifi router for 3 months max. So, I reset the modem to get it out of bridge mode, round up a 25 foot LAN cable and it worked. Blue wire snaking around the living room is better than hotspotting via the iPad’s cellular connection.

Speaking of cellular – converting to Project Fi – from T-Mobile next week. Not exactly leaving T-Mobile since Project Fi uses their network.

Second. Spent the afternoon running tax numbers. The asylum, since it caters to rich people is awash in tax breaks. Not that I am tax-break rich. I am getting the second cheapest apartment in the joint. Following the old real estate rule “Buy the cheapest house in the bestest neighborhood”. But, if you put a tax break in front of me – I am smart enough to take advantage of it. Limousine Liberal.

PS – love that headlight. Every old person should have one.

Lots of weddings for Mr C and Me. Glad that everyone can have an computer full of these memories now. Thank you America.

PS – Carlton would have loved this week in America. Sorry you missed it, Carlton.

Carlton and his washboard – the Yosemite Stradivarius. For now, I still have his washboards. Don’t imagine I’ll keep them. He didn’t ask me to take care of them. And, I don’t imagine they are of any value. So, off to the Goodwill they will go. If you want them (I have two, a big brass one and small tin one) speak up. Well, actually email up.

And why didn’t I start to try shooting lightning years ago. Not just now that I am getting ready to move. After I move, I’ll have to shoot thru the window. But, maybe the screen will slide out of the way and I can shoot out the window. We’ll see what next summer in the old bat cave yields.

Speaking of the old bat cave. The deed it done. I am now an official non-resident resident of Goodwin House at Bailey’s Crossroads. Yup, it is filled to the gunnels with old people. People with walkers. People with failing memories. People with caregivers. People who play bingo. I will go from being the oldest person in the building to being one of the youngest. Not the youngest. There are a few who are younger than I am.

FYI – Goodwin House is a “tertiary care facility” If you are healthy and mentally OK – they let you in. Then they take care of you. It is sort of a combination rental apartment and good long term care insurance policy. Most people are there because they don’t want to “be a burden to the kids” or because they have no kids to burden. Most of the residents of my place are “rich, old, white, liberals from Arlington”. The building is literally just inches away from liberal Arlington, the parking garage is in Arlington. But, the building – and hence our voting residence – is in way too conservative Fairfax. This is a big deal to every politically active person. Which is just about everyone in this area.