The Minimalist – Summer Express – 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less – NYTimes.com.
A couple of summers ago the Times had a list of 101 quickie summer dinners. It might be time to revisit that list.
Do nothing kind of a day…
Not doing much on a rainy Friday. I did my forced march around the inside of the building. And, the dog walkers exercised their charges by tossing tennis balls up and down the hall ways.
The American Way…
It is the American way. We the people have the right to TV, but not to health care. If you are one the unfortunates that have neither cable nor digital TV’s – that would be Carlton – our government will send you a coupon for $40 off a converter box. And, if you can not figure out how to set up your converter box – the government will send an Americorps person to your house to set it up. (Carlton had me set up his converter boxes.)
All things considered, wouldn’t you rather have a government who would send you a coupon for $40 off your medical care. And, a doctor to check on you in your home when you are ill.
One day you wake up old…
Yesterday morning, I was just Peg. This evening, I am an old woman. My medicine cabinet is outfitted with not one, but two, blood pressure drugs. I have to go get lab stuff done tomorrow. And get EKG. And, I have to go back and see the Doc in less than 2 weeks. I suppose I should be glad that she thinks I’ll be alive 12 days from now.
But, how is that for medical service. Within 24 hours I decided to see a doctor, I got an appointment and saw a doctor. All thanks to our county’s Outpatient Clinic. It is cheap. $38 a visit. Your doctor is a resident. But, heck, if you were in Medora North Dakota or Skagway Alaska – your medical care provider would be a nurse or a vet. So, figure it is a good value. My two drugs were selected from the $4 list from Target and WalMart. The waiting room leaves much to be desired. And, the exam rooms are sort of Motel 6-ish. But, the residents are from a fine medical school.
I think I need a treat. Maybe a new toy.
I give up
I give up on the blood pressure issue. It is still scary. An hour a day of forced marching doesn’t seem to lower it enough. So, I either have to:
- Give up and stop taking my blood pressure, or
- Give up and seek medical help.
Guess I’ll take the second option. Both options involve giving up.
Oh, savings bonds. Maybe 5 years ago I started buying old fashioned savings bonds – instead of nursing home insurance. Well, I just discovered that MY government has stopped paying interest on my savings bonds. My interest rate is ZERO percent. The reason being the cost of living has gone down. And the interest rates are tagged to the CPI. But, I bet that the cost of a stay in the nursing home next door hasn’t gone down.
Best Images from 2001
All things considered, 2001 was not a great year. And, I had a hard time coming up with 20 favorites. These are the 32 finalists.
Hey, It’s June Already
Hey, it is June. General Motors has declared bankruptcy. Something seems wrong about Fiat buying Chrysler and Jeep. (Remember, boys and girls, Jeep is a WW2 vet.) And, GM goes bellyup. Now, let it be said that in my 50 years of car ownerhip I have owned all or part of:
- British built Metropolitian
- WV
- Austin Mini – the original
- BMW
- Jaguar
- Fiat
- Honda, another Honda
- Alfa
- Miata
- Plus 3 or 4 boring Toyota products
So, an American manufactured car has never darkened my driveway. It would seem that I am part of the problem. But, Ike Turner’s Rocket 88 is on my Fitness Walking playlist. That is about as close to a GM product as I get.
Working with WordPress
Today – seeking a better way to do photo galleries with WordPress.
Apparently this needs work … time to RTFM. Or go to the pool. Or take a nap.
Now that is better. I took a nap. And took a peak at the documentation. This is sweet.
But, one image does not make a photo gallery.
This is good too… I am using the NextGen Gallery plug-in. I am having way too much fun with this.
Did a power walk this morning. Blood pressure still pretty spooky. Might try 2 power walks per day. That cuts an entire hour out of the day. Of course, death would cut 24 hours out of every day.
Day At The Races
500 plus images came home from the bike race. Less than 50 remain. Doing better – keeping up with the newcomers at least.
Really tired tonight. Been trying to get in a “forced march” every day. That would be 30 minutes of walking like I am going to miss the last train out of town. I hope that I will get used to the forced march and will start feeling stronger. For now, I just feel tired. Very tired.
I am trying to knock my blood pressure down. Carlton is sort of a “Christian Scientist” w/o the God component. He doesn’t approve of modern “life style meds”. Meds that try to control blood pressure, cholesterol, sleeping, etc. So, I am trying to keep my BP out of the scary range with exercise. And diet.
BTW – Carlton is OK with antibiotics and aspirin.
A WordPress Project.
I managed to batter my images from 2001 into the previous post. My latest WordPress project will be to find a more elegant solution. I am sure there is one to be had. I just have to kick my senior brain cells into action.
Farm market – one block away – opened today. Not much to be had yet – but the old vendors were back. I got asparagus, strawberries and honey. And an apple turnover for Carlton.
Bike racing this weekend.
2001 – a photographic wipeout
Think I have finished culling, editing and cataloguing my images from 2001. Next step is to select the top 20 and have a little book printed. Well, I can not find 20 that I good enough to include. So, I shall resort to the last refuge of the amateur photographer – family snapshots. Forgive me. Also trying to figure out how to do pictures with word press. Stay tuned. Ah, I see – titles muck up the thumbnails. Found a better way. NextGEN Gallery Plug-in.
Enough already. Time get on with the important work of the day – bathroom cleaning!
Nobody is Promised Tomorrow
I am finishing up the photographs from 2001. Came upon this snapshot of “MomIda”. She was looking happy and healthy. Thirteen months later she was dead. Which reminds us – Nobody is Promised Tomorrow.
So, Peg, keep deleting those photos. Keep simplifing your life. Keep stuff organized. Never know when you’ll be shipping out.
Carlton and I have reached the age where – as a friend’s father says – “Keep your blue suit pressed”. Well, I don’t have a blue suit. But, I do have a “Final Exit Play List” – suitable for listening to while on route to funeral/memorial service.
A Change Is Gonna Come – Neville Brothers
The Far Side Banks Of Jordan – June Carter and Johnny Cash
In This Life – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Looking Forward – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Goodbye My Friend – Keali’i Reichel
Lullabye (Good Night, My Angel) – Billy Joel
Someday Soon – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Dress Sexy At My Funeral – Smog
St James Infirmary – Louis Armstrong
Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton
Will The Circle Be Unbroken – Neville Brothers
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean – B.B. King
Only Good Times – Keola & Kapono Beamer
The End of the End – Paul McCartney