life in the old lane

Got two ads in the snail mail this morning. One was for a rather modest mid-rise condo and the other was for Turnberry Tower. There is one in Vegas. This one is in Arlington and you can have one – with a really pimped out potty for about one mil. The ones in Vegas seem have fallen on hard times and I am guessing you can have one there for 1/4 mil or less.

Don’t want one. Not here. Not in Vegas. Like my rental digs fine. This morning the fridge sounded “funny”. Well, it was a rented funny sound. If the fridge stops working management will make it all better. When I came back from volunteer work – it sounded normal.

Investment-wise, starting to get a real queasy feeling about the equities market. I might take 25% off the table. It is never too early to take profits and the first loss is frequently the best loss.

Seven years ago, we did a massive downsizing and moved into an apartment. Just about two years ago, we moved into this apartment. Stuff is starting to pile up again.

Rained all day today. Not a bad thing. I found the top of the desk. Chucked a bunch of old software CDs and manuals. Pitched a bunch of non-iPod mp3 players. Remember the Diamond Rio – late 1998. Beat the iPod by three years. It’s not much. But, it is a decluttering start. Eternal vigilance.

A life well lived would leave little stuff behind. And all the stuff that is left should be neatly labeled in several cardboard cartons.

Not sure how serious Carlton is about identifying an Old Persons Asylum for us.  When you reach our age you have friends who live in “those places.” Our friends live in very nice (read expensive) Asylums. Never mind that the most expensive one is going bankrupt. Problem is: they are all geriatric country clubs. What’s this with “Gentlemen must wear jackets after 5PM”? Some of the men look like they would forget their pants without a reminder.

What we need is a Rock and Roll Rest Home. California seems to have some emerging Rest Homes for Rockers. Nothing  in our area. You have to die with your panty hose on, your face done and your hair processed at the beauty salon. And, if you are a gentleman and die after 5PM you darn well better have your jacket on.

And after lunch, it is time for a little urban wild life hunting.

Had one of our little “exercises” at the volunteer job today. I made it from 7:30 to 1:00 PM. But, I am just not  as sturdy as I used to be. When I left, I so hoped a bus would come along. But, no such luck. Had to walk home.

The hospital feeds me when I work. Yeah, free hospital food. I usually bring a prepackaged sandwich home. If the sandwich is fresh, it is usually pretty good. Today a got a ham, bacon and cheese sandwich. That doesn’t sound very healthy! Mr. C and I will share it for dinner along with some salad.

The quest for a old folks home. Carlton’s best friend moved into a seriously up market place 3 years ago. Today, the friend told Carlton that his place was going to be foreclosed. That would make me really unhappy. Not the way I would plan to spend my final act. Moral: do not be the first person to move into a new facility. Because enough other people might not follow you.

What is it with the “Titanic Reenactors”. Those folk who have gotten on cruise ships to sail out to where the Titanic and the iceberg met 100 years ago tonight – actually in the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

What role do they want to play? 3rd class passenger who drowned? That wouldn’t have been fun. Maybe they want to be a first class passenger who didn’t drown – they had better outfits – but that still wouldn’t have been much fun. Maybe they would like to reenact being a band member and play “Nearer my god to thee” just before drowning. Still not fun. There are no fun parts. At best it is a morality play with emphasis on technological hubris.

At least once a week, I cook an entire meal with “real” ingredients. No help from Trader Joe, Whole Foods, or other purveyor of heat-n-eat comestibles. Today it was salmon, broccoli and cauliflower, rice.

There is a perfectly fine stainless steel tree down on the Mall. It has been there about 4 years and is still all shiny. I have seen real birds sitting on the branches. But, it doesn’t give off much shade!

Perfectly tranquil this evening – spent all morning at the hospital doing my part of get our office ready for one of our periodic drills on Monday. I walked home. Fixed lunch. Read a book. Took a nap. Thereby managing to avoid noticing any political insanity.

Giving a little thought to Carlton request that I “Find us an Old Folks Home”. Seems to me they have perfectly fine old folks asylums in Hawaii. I am sure that in 10 years such facilities will seem like a better idea to me. (Carlton is 9 years older than I.) Not so much an age thing – but a lifestyle thing. The “nicer” asylums in this area have various dress codes and support a general lifestyle that is sort of faux-country club. Carlton really isn’t looking to move. Between me and the management of our building he is already in an “assisted living” facility. He just wants to have Plan B in place if he survives me. And no, Carlton isn’t sick – but he will be 77 next week. Nobody is promised tomorrow.

I managed to get through the day without having a hissy fit over our dysfunctional country. I fought the good fight for equal rights and civil rights. I was there for antiwar marches. And count me in for the ERA. And against Tricky Dicky. I was on the front lines of bra burning and marched around with an “Our Bodies Our Selves” sign. I was all in for Make Love Not War. What Happened???

The Blog is approaching it’s 11th birthday. Think I would like to convert it to a dead tree book. Can not figure out how to do that. Yet.

Stop the planet. I WANT OFF. I have lived too long. I am too cynical.

1. The legislature in Arizona actually PASSED a law that says a woman is officially pregnant two weeks before conception.
2. A member of the US Congress from Florida said there are 80 members of the Communist Party in the US Congress.

Unfortunately, I am too old and not rich enough to emigrate to a more civilized country. I will avoid Arizona and Florida.

Played tourist this morning. I went to see this year’s Cherry Blossom exhibit at the National Gallery. (Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird-and-Flower Paintings by Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800) March 30–April 29, 2012)  It was exquisite. But, I can only take so much art. Even interesting art.

After the art – I took in the Butterfly Exhibit at the Natural History Museum. I can not get enough butterflies. Note to local residents. Admission to the butterfly exhibit is free on Tuesday.

Carlton says it is time to starting thinking about moving to some sort of continuing care facility. Crap – that sounds scary. Of course, he is right – we don’t want to have to make those decisions  after one of us goes down with Alzheimer’s or a major stroke. His best friend made the move a couple of years ago to a seriously upscale old folks home in Maryland. Most of “those places” are out in the f-ing boonies. I like concrete, public transportation  and urban grunge. Stay tuned.

Chocolate Bunnies Go On Sale Tomorrow. That is how those of us who are not believers mark Easter.

I made Chicken Kiev, sweet potatoes, broccoli and tomato salad for lunch today. Carlton was frighten. Feared I was suffering from a case of religion. But, I assured him that this was just his “Last Supper”. Mr C is having some dental work next week and he thinks he’ll be eating gingerly for the foreseeable future.

WOW – a bald eagle just flew by. About 100 feet away – right at the 17th floor level. Beats the shit out of the eagles Mr C is watching on tv just now. (A golf match.) Seriously cool.

Speaking of Mr C. I am trying to dynamite him out of his routine. Trying to convince him that he needs to go somewhere. Do something. He needs new stories to tell. And unless you are Stephen King or on drugs – you gotta do new stuff to get new stories.

Now, I am looking of an adventure. Realistically, I’d have more fun if Mr C stayed home in his rut. But, I am trying to find something that he might be willing to do. I have been dangling Norway in front of him. Reindeers, polar bears, puffins… Next, I am going to try Iceland. No reindeer, no polar bears. But puffins. And  volcanoes. Also the highest literacy rate on the planet and a very high rate of alcoholism. Wonder if they are connected?

Note to DC area folk: April 17 Mid Morning – Lookup. Space Shuttle