life in the old lane

Nice and sunny today. So I hopped a bus and escaped The Building and Grounds. I ended up in the old neighborhood. So, I headed out for a nice long stroll

The sign is still there. I was surprised that it lasted a month. The sign used to be brighter. Halloween – Day 21 of 31

I spent some time sitting on the bench where Carlton most likely sat on that fateful morning almost 9 years ago. The tennis court seems to be getting some repairs so no one was using it. It would normally be busy on a fine autumn day.

Then I went to check out the old building. Building looks the same on the outside. The interior has been redone at least twice since I moved out. 

This park used to be just grass and a few benches. It’s all spiffed up with tables, chairs, a strange little building, and walkways. I think Arlington did this in Covid Time so people could get together out side. 

This little urban park has really been spiffed up. There are outdoor sofas. Lots of tables and chairs, kids’ playground equipment, and several firepits, and it’s always busy. 

By and by, I got tired and bused it back to The Building. Made 3 miles “strolling” around. 

Absolutely nothing going on today. Zero. Guess that’s a good thing. I couldn’t even rouse myself into a little bus outing. I did manage a nap. 

Today’s only accomplishment: Made pea soup. 

A leisure day.  Nice longish walk. And a nap. The only paper I folded was the Journal. 

So, why not revisit Uluhaktok.  In the Northwest Territories. 

By this time in the trip, we have learned about the water and sewer operations in the far north. Twice a week the “pump out truck” visits your house and pumps out the sewage.  And twice a week a water truck fills up your water tank.  And that’s how these hamlets get running water and flush toilets.  It’s a little like dry camping in an RV. Where they put the sewage and where they get the water depends entirely on the community and the season. 

Uluhaktok works hard to add color to an otherwise bleak landscape. The box in front of the duplex house is a “raven-proof” trash can container. Apparently “raven-proof” is kinda like “racoon-proof” or “bear-proof”. They make things difficult for the humans just trying to take out the trash and only deter the less resourceful critters. 

Close enough to wall art for me. 

First thing this morning I went to get my blood and pee inspected for signs of decay. And all morning results came trickling in from the lab. Well, guess what? I am not 100% within the normal limits. But I didn’t see anything that made me think that I’d not be making it to Kona this Halloween. (But, this time 9 years ago, Carlton thought that he would be making it to Kona on Halloween. Nobody is promised tomorrow.)

While reading my lab results, I was online with the Grand and we decided on where to stay on Kauai and when to meet up at the Lihue airport. Funny thing, we are staying at a cheap hotel that Carlton and I had stayed at some 30+ years ago. Now all I need is a way home on Xmas Eve.

And, I reclaimed my kitchen. Plus, I got the makings for pea soup.

Years ago this would have been a great tragedy. Now, just cut it out of the rug and move on. 

Finally. A video of what it takes to make one of the many flowers on each wreath.

 

I am pau, finis, finished. Well, except for minor fussiness. I may soon reclaim my kitchen. 

I put on my headphones, cranked up the rock and roll, and got it done. Including folding a bunch of flowers. I timed myself it’s a little over 4 minutes per flower. And each wreath has about 40 flowers I am guessing. 

Tomorrow, I am getting myself the the hospital lab at 8AM tomorrow to pee in the plastic cup and get blood drawn. I really don’t know why I let them do this to me. What are they going to find out that will make my life better? They might discover something that can be “treated” and that might make my life longer. But not necessarily better. 

But, except for reclaiming the kitchen. tomorrow is going to be an origami-free day. I will take myself for a nice breakfast and COFFEE after visiting the lab.  I will avoid going to the office because they are moving on Friday and I have no interest in packing.  

Carlton loved to be up high. But, he would never rent an apartment on the top floor. He said that even in a rental unit, he wanted someone else to discover that the roof sprung a leak.  So we frequently lived one floor from the top. As I do now. 

Dinner tonight with one of the accidental family who has been in Covid quarantine and isolation since before I returned on Sep 12. I couldn’t have done it. I would have jumped out that 11th-floor window of mine. 

Not liking these as much as some of the others. Methinks I am suffering from wreath overload. 

And I need at least 50 more roses to make the last 2 wreaths. Tomorrow. Folding. 

We collected our stuff this afternoon and thought about how to price things. I still hope to be finished by COB Thursday. But, That might not happen since I have to fold some more flowers. 

It’s 59° and still gray and damp. Good weather to stay indoors and make wreaths.

All origami and no play make for a very boring blog. Haven’t been missing anything outside. It’s been chilly and damp. 

Someday I am going to want to cook something.  I barely had room to slice an apple for lunch today. 

Less need for the F word today. Everything I glued on yesterday was still in place this morning. Wondering if I’ll have enough flowers for ten. I’ll worry about running out of flowers when I actually run out of flowers. 

Guess I should figure out how to hang them all up. Because I really want to be sure that they are well and truly stuck together. 

My cooktop is the primary wreath assembly area. The origami dojo is for folding the odd crane, butterfly, etc.

Went out for a walk anyway this afternoon. I can only stand so much indoor time.  

The F-word was frequently deployed today. I am not a craft person. Why do people put themselves through all this torture? At least I didn’t step on them. Yesterday, I found an easy-to-use craftything called Glue Dots. Well, they might be easy. They were Dots. But the Glue part wasn’t up to the task.

So, yesterday’s wreath required a major do-over. And I kept getting glue on me, glue on my kitchen rug. Glue everywhere. Once again the dreaded glue gun was suggested. 

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. Then stop. Don’t make an ass of yourself. Figure I have one more try if I find my floor littered with flowers tomorrow.

Needed to end Origami Day 6 on a different note.

Nobody is promised tomorrow.

OK, that’s one. How to get the thing stuck together is the issue. 

The plan is to do one a day. It takes longer than I thought it would. But, everything takes longer than I think it should. 

Spent all day on this thing. Except for my walk. About 3 miles. Did some extra walking today because lots of rain is coming our way. I plan on using the rainy day to make another wreath or even two. I am sure that this is like so many other things: by the time you are finished doing a job you have finally figured out how to do it. 

I can not see the thing from my window at this time of year. But when the leaves are off the trees, there it is for me to admire.

Today, I should have escaped from the Building and the grounds. I did some work for the job that I thought I had retired from. And, I took a nice 2.5-mile walk around the neighborhood. And I had an excellent nap. Figure that was escape enough. 

And tomorrow Origami Wreath construction begins in earnest. All of the materials have been assembled and all of the flowers completed. 

I would be remiss if I completely failed to note the passing of Dennis Austin. He created Powerpoint. 

Another day without huge origami progress. But, I have 80% of the paper I prefolded on the boat completed. They will be finished tomorrow. (Nobody is promised tomorrow).

Great dinner last night. Guess what? Turns out that I am not retired after all. But what the heck? This job saved my sanity during Covid. When I started years ago the hospital had less than 2,000 employees and now they have over 4,000. It was just THE nurse and I. The office was an unused hospital room.  The “computer system” was a Microsoft Access database.  

Interesting Zoom with a guy from Hawai’i today about estate planning and records. 

A good day.