life in the old lane

The sky was very strange early this morning. Soon, it was hot and humid, and at 5 p.m., a violent but brief thunderstorm swept through. There is nothing boring about today’s weather. This is just a little reminder that wicked hot weather will be arriving soon.

I had a fine day. Blazing hot Korean chicken wings for lunch. Blazing hot never happens with Asylum food. The seasoning is always bland, and the temperature is always tepid. Not so our Korean chicken wings. Hot on both counts. Well worth the trip and the calories.

So, what to do but try to take a picture with my phone. Once in a great while, I miss my camera gear. But, it was time for it to go.

This was from The Wall Street Journal. Will the horrors ever stop?

But wait. Mother Earth is on the job.

Twice a year, the Chairman of the Board of The Asylum comes and tells us about Uppermost Management’s plans for the future. (When you are old, “the future” is after dinner.) Today’s event started off with a touchy-feely “how are you doing” period, where residents related how they were feeling. Everyone was feeling pretty depressed. But, I am sure that not everyone in attendance was depressed. We do have some Trump supporters. They keep a low profile since they are outnumbered 20 to 1.  And no one spoke up with any positive feelings. It would have been interesting if they had. But, they have to live here. So, under the radar is best.

Strange times we are living through. 

And that is a hopeful sign. We humans may totally mess everything up. But, Mother Earth continues.

Absolutely nothing special about today. One might even say that today was boring. BUT, there are way worse days than boring days.

Hey Carlton. You got an email this morning.

This is from Escapees. I think I didn’t renew your membership when it expired 10 years ago. Can’t blame them for trying, I guess. And, I have missed you too. But, trust me on this, Carlton, you ain’t missing a thing in 2025.

Here at the Asylum, we have little books where one can leave comments about the food.

• • Next time you serve clam chowder, please put some clams in it! 
  • 5/13 The dinner in JDR was poor. Kugel is usually noodle or potato. It was neither and what was there was dry and tasteless. The Brisket was fatty and my slice was very small.

I love it when people complain about the food quality and the small serving size in the same sentence!

And that’s about it from The Asylum.

That’s the suicidal orchid on the left. All repotted in a much heavier and taller pot. I don’t think it will be able to jump out of this pot. But you never know.

Enjoyed a rainy day in the Old Bat Cave. Opted for Zoom Yoga. Did some light aerobics work using the stairs.  Discussed my plans for large-ish origami crane wreaths with my next-door neighbor and fellow folder. 

This is just a mockup using pins, not glue. I could complete the wreath, but I can imagine what it will look like, and this gives me a good estimate of how many cranes are required. I originally thought 100 per wreath, but 30-40 should be enough. Cranes gotta have room to fly.

The plan is to make 3 blue, white, and silver wreaths and then 3 more wreaths with other papers. I would like to make a black, white, and red wreath. But, I don’t know if it would be popular with our clients.

And today in Little Old Lady Land – I went to see my doctor.  There is nothing wrong with me. I am just old. The doctor agreed with my diagnosis. We have been together since she was an intern. 

I made an adventure out of going to the doctor’s. A non-adventure way would have been to Uber. But when the doctor asks, “How are you doing?” I like saying, “Well, I walked to your office today.” I got almost 5 miles today, but not much cardio. 

Stopped off before my visit for an espresso and chocolate croissant. 

OH DEAR. One of my just orchids tried to commit seppuku. 

I guess that’s one way to get my attention and express displeasure with the current accommodations/potting material.

Cleaned up the floor before dinner. The orchid had to sulk in the sink until after dinner. It is currently soaking in its new pot. Hope it is happy. 

The orchid appears to be undamaged. Even the flowers. 

Orchids still blooming like crazy.

It’s a fine day except for the state of the country. I am trying not to think about it. But it’s hard—Very Hard.

It’s a nice day today, and it’s a good day to get some exercise. The plan was to walk about 4 miles. The turnaround point was a dear little thrift shop run by St John’s Episcopal Church.

Now, we all know that I don’t need anything. But still… I had to go in.

These were hard to pass up. But if I intended to wear them, I would need to borrow a Zimmer frame.

Unfortunately, I will be getting a lot of use out of that shirt.

Things are not looking good in the USofA this evening. The mayor of Newark was arrested for protesting outside an “immigration prison” in his city. They are talking about suspending habeas corpus. The proposed surgeon general isn’t a licensed physician. The president fired the Librarian of Congress. Other than that, everything is just ducky.

Today’s only adventure was getting my blood drawn prior to my 6-month check-in with the doctor. That much activity sans coffee or breakfast left me sorta depleted for the day.

So, what to do but take a 2-hour morning nap after breakfast.

When I woke up, a new pope had been elected. Time passed, and he turned out to be from Chicago. More time passed, and it seemed the MAGA did not approve of Pope Leo. Pope Leo XIV must be a good man.

Picked up a new iPad in Santa Barbara back in late February, trading in the old one. Paid extra for cellular because, well, Google Fi is great and I like being connected everywhere (okay, I’m spoiled!).

Big mistake: I didn’t check the details. The iPad uses eSIM, and Google Fi didn’t have data eSIMs then. Basically wasted $150.

This morning, breakfast was deserted. While doom-scrolling, I saw a Google ad. Normally skip, but boredom won. Turns out, Google Fi launched data eSIMs late last month!

Five minutes after returning to the Old Bat Cave, the eSim was “installed” and the iPad connected to Google Fi. It will connect almost anywhere in the world. So, I didn’t “waste” $150. And yes, I know, I can always use my phone as a hotspot. But remember, I am spoiled.

Such is my exciting Little Old Lady Life.

This morning, I got an email “offer” for concert tickets from my credit card company. They had 22 “offers” and I had only heard of one of the groups. Alice Cooper. Rock On, Cooper. Rock On. Pretty sure he is over 75.

On the topic of getting older, the Asylum CEO visits every month to talk directly with residents. It’s a chance to ask questions and voice concerns, though his responses can sometimes be a masterclass in corporate speak. Today, a resident brought up a very practical, and for her, quite significant issue: the lack of storage in our Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing sections. She currently has lots of storage space – four huge closets and a separate storage unit.  She wants storage units for Assisted Living and Nursing residents in case she has to move to a higher care level. It’s a stark reminder that, ultimately, none of us is taking a moving van to the great beyond!

Gratitude

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Grateful that I took döstädning to heart some years ago. I am not 100% there yet. But, I am close.

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Moving into skilled nursing, your stuff should be the least of your problems. 

Did you know that in June 2023, Modelo Especial overtook Bud Light to become America’s best-selling beer brand? Wonder how tariffs will impact sales.

At this instant, Cinco de Mayo is being celebrated downstairs. I hate those things. Maybe I will go get a free beer. No beer to be had. But truly outstanding street corn. And a fine Mariachi band.

1355Days, 20Hours and 46Minutes.