2 busses+2 subways+95°+6.35 miles = 1 very tired old woman.
I’ll tell you what I saw and what I did tomorrow. I had a great time. Topped off by a fine dinner with my asylum sisters. Lots of laugh induced endorphins. And, it wasn’t even a free wine night.
I’ll try to stay awake for another 15minutes. NASA is firing a rocket from Wallops Island VA between 2105 and 2120. I used to be able to see the night time launches. Will see if I can see them from the Old Bat Cave. Note: launch was scrubbed. Maybe next time.
Went out looking for interesting insects. But, the most interesting thing I found was the rogue onion growing in one of the garden boxes.
Nice weather today – so, the fitbit logged 10,000 steps with normal coming and going. And, I continue trying to moderate my eating. At the rate I am going I will weigh 150 pounds before the end of the year!
Which brings up the recent 5.3 earthquake on Big Island. According to the USGS: the quake was caused by the island settling from its own weight. Who knew that islands have weight issues?
In typical DC fashion – bars opened early for today’s political festivities. It was a nice sunny day – so – the sidewalk cafes were in full swing. But, the viewing was better in big screen sports bars. I am sure many folk did what I did and watched from their phones.
My take:
Trump is a liar.
The Republicans are in denial.
John McCain is ready for “The Memory Terrace”.
BTW, how about those election returns from Great Britain?
As I said, nice day today. Got my steps in just coming and going. And, had nice cocktails, conversion, and dinner with friends.
OH, I am thinking about a technology upgrade. Just because.
The Airness – 4 years old this december
The iPad Mini – 5 years old this october
Shamu the Phone – 2 years old
The Kindle – 2.5 years old.
No reason to replace the Kindle. And, I kinda like Shamu the phone. The Airness’s battery is shot. The iPad is just old.
Not ready to give up the computer. Lightroom and Photoshop. Shamu is on the last supported Android upgrade. And, I am pretty sure that neither the Airness nor the iPad will be upgradeable come this fall.
And, I am still perfectly happy with all my camera gear.
Here it is chilly and damp again with 95 degree plus days promised starting Sunday. And, my sinuses are acting up big time – bring on the Sudafed.
Well, most of the area is on alert for tomorrow’s Senate hearings. Some of my most vivid memories are of Senate hearings.
The first being the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954. I remember it being on our family’s giant Zenith short wave radio. We were in France then.
And, of course Watergate in 1973 – I had just moved to DC and was working as a contractor to the Navy and the White House Communications Agency.
Next I remember Iran Contra Hearing and Oliver North ca 1987. Was later happy to vote against Ollie when he ran for the Senate.
In 1991, there was Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas at the Judiciary Committee Hearing.
The Clinton impeachment hearings in 1998-1999.
Will this one match the others in drama. And great lines. “Have you no sense of decency?…” “What did the president know, and when did he know it?” “It depends on what the definition of is is…”
Laissez les bons temps rouler(Sorry Laurent, I don’t think this is good French – but it is good Cajun.)
According to Google, this is what my day looked like.
According to Peggy, this is what my day looked like.
Waiting for the 41 bus.
And after I wandered around Clarendon for a while…
Waiting for the west bound Silver Line.
And finally,
My Little Closet – after decluttering.
I went to the hospital today for yoga – not for work.
Everything came out of the little closet. And nothing went back in that hadn’t been used since I moved in. Seems like a reasonable approach.
Overheard at The Asylum: “Did anybody die yesterday?” – This was at breakfast this morning and the answer was “I don’t know, I didn’t get the mail yet.” (The Asylum posts pictures of the newly departed in the mail room. Sort of like the Most Wanted Posters in the Post Office.)
Woke up this morning to find the clouds and damp had returned. “They” say it will be this way most of the week. The garden box will like that.
Palms of Artichoke. A house speciality!
No, I didn’t have the mahi with palms of artichoke for dinner. And before you ask, NSA Cheesecake is not your Granny’s very secret recipe cheesecake – it is No Sugar Added cheesecake.
Been thinking about lamps. Why is it that lamps in pictures never have cords?
Thinking about buying a new lamp. All of my lamps, well over the years Carlton and I acquired them by urban recycling. I think I am old enough to buy an LED lamp and be pretty sure that it will outlast me!
Carlton’s ashes came back from Georgetown in this bag.
June 17, 2015 was the day I first saw the Old Bat Cave. And a couple of days later I said “I’ll take it”. Which begin my mad summer of downsizing. In the last two years – there has been a degree of Clutter Creep. So, it is time for a little Clutter Tune Up.
I started today – in the back of my closet. There is supposed to be a washing machine there. But, I said screw the washer. I want the space. I have a metal garage-type shelving unit where the washer should be. Took everything off the shelves. And nothing got put back that hadn’t been used since I moved in.
I have an addiction to shopping bags and empty boxes. Forced myself to recycle all the empty boxes. And, the shopping bags. Except for the one from Georgetown. It was the bag that had Carlton’s ashes. I didn’t want to get rid of it. But, I didn’t want to keep it either. Exactly what was I going to do with it? I surely wouldn’t put some tissue paper in it and use to transport a gift. “Happy Birthday – your present is in this sturdy bag that last transported Carlton’s ashes” I don’t think so.
This is what works for me: I took a picture of it. And then I had no trouble taking it off to recycling along with the rest of the shopping bags. (And the empty boxes.) What is it with me and empty wood pulp based containers? I don’t hang on to plastic or glass containers. But, there is that collection of Altoids tins!
And, while I was in the back of the closet – I decided that my wonderful aluminum step ladder should go. I haven’t used it and don’t think I will ever need it. I have people to change my light bulbs. And a little stool for reaching the top shelves.
I haven’t figured out how to embed a Google Photosphere into WordPress. But I think if you follow this link: https://goo.gl/photos/QA2bCqPxS5BqQxRJ8
and click around some you can see the OBC.
Oh and there wasn’t a blog post yesterday because I had a wild evening with old women – watching movie about old women. Strangers in Good Company. We were Friends in Good Company. Wine, popcorn, smoked salmon dip and dark chocolate were involved.
Today I took my camera to work and stopped off to take magnolia pictures. In the old neighborhood I know where all the “good” magnolia trees are – so that is where I went.
Then at Happy Hour –
grandes dames of the asylum
These ladies have almost 200 years experience being alive. Phyllis on the left started this off by wondering where everyone had been… Virginia, on the right and 100+, had been everywhere and when pinned down said that Antarctica was her favorite place. Because of the penguins.
Note to young people: Travel. Do interesting things. Nobody will care about your trip to IKEA in Woodbridge when you are 100+. But, they might listen to you describe penguins. And, you’ll have penguins to remember. Which is better than remembering IKEA.
And this rather nice shot of the back side of a bee.
Butt Shot
Practiced bug photography this afternoon.
Worked overtime today – missing my nap. So, I am really tired and my eyes don’t work all that well. Think I’ll make an early night of it.
Oh, and Google Chrome stopped loading images. Haven’t a clue why. The usual stunts did nothing. I am way too tired to delve into that mystery. I fired up Safari and away I go….
Out I went this afternoon – looking for something interesting to photograph. Nothing. Nothing at all. I was reminded of the old saying “If you want to take more interesting travel photos – travel to more interesting places.”
I returned to the Old Bat Cave and was on the phone (on hold), getting text messages about dinner and trying to do something else online when I feel something crawling around my neck. It is not hair. It is going down my shirt. It ends up on my hand. A spider. A daring jumping spider. What to do? I don’t want to squish it. I don’t want to lose my place in the hold queue. I don’t want the spider to take up residence in the OBC.
Phidippus audax ends up “Under the Dome”. Well actually under the vintage Agfa 8X loup that lives in my desk drawer for old times sake. In due time he is transported back outside. Jumping spiders are wonderfully photogenic. Don’t know why I was in such haste to get rid of him/her. Guess I like to be the spider hunter and not the spider prey.
And that was my adventure for the day. Now about that travel to more interesting places…
On the way to work this morning, I heard that Amazon’s stock was going to hit $1000 a share today. The goddess willing of course.
Which made me think about the first time I used Amazon. I bought Desert Solitaire by Ed Abbey. This was the summer that we spent in Yosemite. I seem to remember Amazon took out a full page ad in the WSJ. It was all rather radical.
All things considered, I should have bought fewer books and more stock.
