Nobody is Promised Tomorrow. . .
For as long as I have been going to Kona, I have “known” Fred. Today, I found out that he recently died. He seemed ageless. Go Fund Me will provide a nice send off for the gentleman. A hui hou …
While I was looking for pictures of Fred – I found some old film-time favorites of mine. All from the last century.
And the iPad has made it to Louisville KY. By way of Anchorage, Alaska.
I have been riding the 51/52 bus with this guy for years. After Carlton died, he asked what happened to Carlton. And when I moved and stopped riding those buses regularly, he asked after my health. He is the cook at a small residential hospice.
My well organized travel companion selected Cookeville Tennessee as our viewing station. Not a bad choice, for east of the Mississippi.
Being a confirmed city woman – I was a little concerned when I looked at today’s Cookeville newspaper and found this as the lead story:
A total eclipse is on my bucket list. Next one comes to the US in 7 years. I’d best not wait. My travelling companion saw one earlier in the century from a cruise ship. She has the tee shirt.
I must say – Shamu does a mighty fine job as a camera.
Spent a little time this afternoon helping a friend with her Windows 10 HP computer. I know nothing about Windows 10. But, the problems were solved. The good old – let’s turn everything off and back on again did the trick. This friend would really be happier with an Olivetti typewriter, a bunch of onion skin and carbon, plus a coop of pigeons for delivery. But, I taught her how to change the yellow cartridge in her printer a couple of months ago and when the blue one ran out – she was able to replace it herself.
On the technology front – the iPad has made it to Incheon, Korea.
On the political front – the good guys don’t seem to have found the range yet. We should have knocked off one of the recent congressional races.
I focus on pretty basic things here at the office. Coffee, oranges, my pink mouse, and gummy bears.
If you ever order a thing plus an accessory for the thing from Apple – the accessory will always arrive days before the thing. And, the accessory is always useless without the thing. It just lays on your table and snickers because the thing is still in China. Chengdu China to be exact. Which is where my iPad is. The fancy iPad “pencil” in on my table. Still in its box.
Yesterday, I decided to leap waaaay outside of my comfort zone and take a road trip with a friend. (An old woman friend!). And, if we happen to see the eclipse – that will be a bonus. If we return to the Asylum still friends – the trip will have be a roaring success. Blast off late August.
Today, I will just refer everyone to my post of June 19, 2014.
Glad that I have those 3 years behind me. No, I am not too young to be here. The Asylum is really Carlton’s lasting gift to me.
That is my view – well – through the 300mm lens. The construction crane is temporary and I really don’t think the building will obstruct my view. I hope. Nobody is promised tomorrow. And, no view lasts forever.
Last night a dinner at friend noted that perhaps Carlton was still tugging on my purse strings from the other side.
She was right. So, this morning I checked online and found that “my” Apple store had the iPad I wanted. Hop on the bus. Wait in queue to get my shiny new toy. And, discover that they are out of iPad I wanted. So, I slink out. Dejectedly. But, not before I check online and indeed they are now out of my iPad.
Not going to spend serious bucks on my second choice of iPad. Back on the 41 bus. Back home. Order the thing. And a pen. And a really sleek leather sleeve. And, I got it engraved. “Nobody is Promised Tomorrow” – just like the iPad Mini which I got in late 2013. I think it was a retail theraphy purchase when Carlton was having course of radiation.
The new iPad Pro 10.5 is larger and heavier and hopefully, it was be easier on my aging eyes. Scheduled to arrive June 28. I ordered a Data Only SIM card from Google today as well. Tricked out like a Space Gray Vegas Showgirl.
I don’t pay as much attention to the latest and greatest happenings in the technology world as I used to. Remember the good old days when – no matter what – the computer you wanted always cost $4,000?
But, my much loved “late 2012” MacBook Air is getting pretty old in computer years. And, Apple seems to be abandoning the formerly oh-so-cool MacBook Air offering. Time to look at what “mid 2017” has to offer MacBook-wise.
I am sure that everyone else was aghast last fall to discover that the MacBook comes in 4 colors, but only has two ports if you count the headphone jack as a port.
I feel like a luddite. I still have sd-cards, and backup drives, and a scanner, not to mention a usb printer and the occasional usb memory stick. And, I haven’t used it since I moved to the Asylum – but – I am not sure I am ready to ditch it just yet – a DVD burner.
I don’t think there is a MacBook in my future. I may pick up a used “late 2015” MacBook Pro. It still sports a nice collection of ports. The new MacBook Pros have several USB-C ports.
I was a very early adopter of the laptop form factor. I don’t see myself tied to an iMac.
The first laptop I remember for sure owning was the Toshiba 3100e Gas Plasma Display laptop. I think I had something before the 3100e – but the 3100e was a seriously cool machine back in the day – that being 1987 or so.
Today, after work, I walked the the 2.5 miles from the hospital to the Apple Store. Where I inspected the new iPad Pros. The one I like, all tricked out like a Vegas showgirl, would cost a tad over 1K. I retreated to the nearest Starbucks for a mandatory time out. The screen is to die for. The animations are buttery smooth. Then I remembered. Snail Internet! Wouldn’t I be better off if I just got my own FIOS or cable internet? And keep the vintage iPad Mini.
So, I returned home, sans shiny new toy. But, tomorrow is another day for toy shopping.
I can not complain. This is a first class problem. Grateful to have such problems.
Just an ordinary day. But, everyday should be special. I should have learned that from Mr C – he squeezed every last ounce of joy out of every one of his last days. Those were our “enjoy every sandwich days” with nod to Warren Zevon.
A tale from last night’s dinner.
One of my Asylum Sisters told us about her scolding. Seems this friend was having lunch alone and enjoying the company of her Kindle. She was accosted by a resident who wanted her to know that it is illegal to have a cell phone in the restaurant. The resident was just giving my friend a “warning”. Then she rolled off to continue making the dining hall safe from Kindles!
Gotta love it here.
The wild carrot plant in blooming. And this plant is especially fun because it produces lots of umbels with a single red flower in the center.
I think the little red thing is an actual flower – but it might be a leaf or some other plant part.
More about this fine weed as the season progresses.
Today we had a little “food fair” at the asylum to encourage “healthy eating”. I actually helped. I was a booth bunny – pushing salmon ceviche. There was a red wine station, a dark chocolate station, a blueberry station, also a kale smoothie booth and a beet and cauliflower station. Oh and a egg and avocado sandwich station. All things considered, my booth wasn’t as popular as the wine and chocolate stations but it did a good business.
But. Note to staff:
Red wine, beets, blueberries don’t work too well as old folk finger foods. Unless you have maroon carpets.
This just in – my candidate lost. But, I’ll be 100% behind and beside the Democratic team in November.
Today was another hot one. It was 97° and at 830 it is still 94°. So, I didn’t spend any unnecessary time outside. And, I am grateful to Willis Carrier who invented the air conditioner in 1902 in Buffalo, NY – which really doesn’t make much sense. You’d think he invent the snow blower!
Going to try again tonight to see the rocket launch from Wallops Island. But, you don’t have be be a rocket scientist to believe that it will be cancelled again tonight. Too much cloud and hazy. “They” are trying to make red and blue clouds for the scientists to look at. Well, let us be more precise. According to NASA it is a mission to spawn artificial glowing clouds over the U.S. East Coast. So, I am waiting already!
So, what I did on my Sunday. At about 10am, I hopped on the 16P bus and headed to the Metro.
Stopped in at the Indian Museum – I must tell the truth – mostly to check out the very fine jewerly in the gift shop.
Then, stop and check out the Pride Festival on the Mall. I good time was being had by all. The air was saturated with eau de spray on sunscreen. Many of the celebrants had on way too few clothes for the first really sunny day of the season.
Time for a little shade and water break – so, I head to the Botanical Gardens.
After a suitable rest period – and a quick inspection of my favorite rooms in the conservatory – it is off to
The Capital and the main reason for going into DC – the King Kamehameha Lei Draping Ceremony.
This year’s ceremony had a distinct edge to it. The theme as taken from the King’s “Forward, young brothers, drink the bitter waters, there is no turning back…” All of the members of the congressional delegation was there except for Senator Schatz. The Mayor of Kauai was there. There was more oli (chanting) than usual – that sort of went with the Imua/Forward theme. There was the usual talk about who went to high school where – even among the Representatives and Senator.
The statue before –
Some of the lei.
Then, I went back to Virginia
On the Metro and back to the Asylum by bus just in time to meet up with friends for dinner at 630PM.
What I learned is that I can still be out and about all day in hot weather – but – I must get out of the heat and sit a spell every hour or so. A much hated concession to aging. But, it beats staying home in front of the A/C.