life in the old lane

Okay, it’s been 8 years of piss-poor bagels. And, what did I do? Complain. And what good did that do? Nada, zero, zilch, bupkis. This would be the bagels that are served at each and every Asylum Brunch. The lox and the condiments pass muster. The bagels. Pathetic. 

But wait. It gets worse. There is an Einstein Bros Bagel shop in the shopping center next door. And did it ever occur to me that I could  BYOB? Nope. I would be a very slow learner. But, I did learn.

This morning a got bagels for the table. Hey it isn’t like this is a real restaurant. It’s my home.

Our accidental family numbers 8. Six of us were at the Father’s Day Brunch. I had Lox, Bagels, Shrimp, Mimosas, Chocolate Cake, and Coffee.  

The phone tries to take good insect pictures but it falls short. But, you shoot with what you have with you.

Today’s bus adventure was delayed. I was playing with my watch and phone. I knew that the watch could be used as a remote shutter release. But, I had never tried it.  I did not know that the watch mirrors the phone screen. I suspect that it only works when the phone and watch are connected via blue tooth. 

The “planned” bus adventure didn’t happen. So, whatever happened is what I planned. The real plan was to go to the Courthouse Farm Market. Well, by the time I was on the 41 bus, it was too late. So, I hopped off in Clarendon. Visited some shops. Saw a gillion dogs. A three-legged German Shepard walked much faster than I did. Bought a couple of tiny dead tree guidebooks. One for Vancouver. One for Reykjavik. Ate a granola bar. Drank a bottle of water and bussed back to The Asylum. 3.43 miles today.

I ready miss my old neighborhood. But, I am glad that it’s easy to get back to. Coming home, the bus stopped at a light by my old building.

The building exterior looks like it needs a good powerwashing. I stopped in to visit with the concierge last fall and the interior was all sparkly and newly decorated. Guess interiors are easier than washing a 20-story building.

 

Another boring day in The Old Lane. You have to work hard to make the days unboring. You have to go out and actively seek adventures or learn to accept a shrinking universe. And, bottom line: There are worse things in life than being bored. 

But wait? Don’t I live in a place with LOTS of activities?

•Total Body Standing, Auditorium, 8:45 am
• Pickleball Practice, Pickleball Court, 9:00 am
• Total Body Seated, Auditorium, 9:30 am
• Chair Yoga – Must Register, Auditorium, 10:30 am
• Seated Fitness, Channel 1960, 10:30 am
• Meditation, Channel 1960, 11:00 am
• Chair Yoga, Channel 1960, 11:30 am
• Mah Jongg, Card Room, 12:15 pm
• Afternoon at the Opera, Media Room, 1:00 pm
• Art, Doodle, Love, Art Center, 1:00 pm
• Arts Committee, Art Center, 2:00 pm
• Mat Yoga, Aerobics Room, 2:00 pm
• Mah Jongg, Card Room, 2:15 pm
• A Taste of CenteringPrayer, Auditorium, 2:30 pm
• Mindfulness Group for Stress Reduction Practice, Smith Study, 4:00 pm

Which one of those things do I want to do? None. Absolutely Zero. There are books to read. And there is paper to fold. Walks to take.

Maybe I am not really bored. Maybe I am learning patience and acceptance at this late date. 

Have a little photo project planned. Very little project. 15 pictures or so. I spent a little time checking on a venue. The light on an overcast day in our garden is fairly flattering to the elderly. Not 100% behind the Pixel Phone’s “portrait” mode, however.  

Today’s adventure. Walk as far as necessary to get the steps in for the day. At the next bus stop, get on the first bus that comes along and take it to the end of the line. Get off the bus. Wander around. Get on a bus and come home. The 16H Bus came along. It took me to Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. That would be a 150+ store shopping center that I believe attracts more tourists than residents. So, it was sort of like a trip. They have a Travelex Currency Exchange booth. And, lots of stores and kiosks stocked with androgynous young men wearing ill-fitting tight pants thrusting perfume samples at the unwary.  Also, had to remember how to get out of the place to find the correct bus stop.  It was a fun way to get my steps in today. 3.5 Miles.

Note to self: Don’t be an entitled asshole bitch, bitch. So, my boat trip through the Northwest Passage ends in Nome, Alaska. Then we all get on a charter plane and fly to Vancouver. It’s actually easier for me to get home from Nome. So, I was thinking about just bailing in Nome. Then it occurs to me that when the boat docks in Alaska, we are coming from Canada. Customs and Immigration time. But, if the boat puts us all in buses, takes us to the airport, and puts us on the chartered plane… then we are transit passengers and no Customs and Immigration. So, I really should just let the trip play out and not try anything cutesy. Because the one and only Customs and Immigration guy might not be on duty when the boat arrives. 

Our dear friend who died last week had planted a garden about a week before she died. It is my honor to watch it grow to maturity. Well, me and Mother Nature with help from my friends.

A photo from June 12, 2013. From my balcony at Virginia Square. 

Didn’t do much at all today. Completely ignored my watch every time it nagged me to MOVE.  Old age really is sneaking up on me. No. It’s not sneaking. It’s doing it right out in the open. 

I believe I like MidJourney’s version best. Sigh. Beaten by a machine. Again.

Went to the hospital for in-person yoga today. I was the only real person in the class – well except for the teacher.  Everyone else was on Zoom. I go because I don’t want the teacher to have to be alone. And to get out in the real world. 

Today’s bonus was seeing an old friend in person for the first time since Covid. Another bonus was finding the perfect magnolia flower on the hospital grounds. Magnolia flowers are “perfect” for 6 hours – MAX.

It might not seem like much to you, but, I had a surprisingly productive afternoon

1. 1. 1. I changed my password on a site that was totally in Icelandic and that wouldn’t translate to English. Try that sometime. 
      2. Stopped fussing that there is no good way to Iceland and just booked tickets on Iceland Air. (After changing my password.) I had a credit from Iceland Air for a flight they messed up in March 2022. 
      3. Got a hotel for 5 nights in Reykjavik.  That will give Iceland Air plenty of time to get me there before the boat leaves.  I haven’t actually “been” to Iceland, except the airport in years. It will be fun. 
      4. AND, I finally got all of my essential “end-of-life” paperwork completed, signed, witnessed, and notarized. Now all I need are the copies. But, if I die before I get the copies – well, that’s OK. (I had all that paperwork, but it was 9 years old. Things change and need a little tweaking.) The pleasant surprise was, my lawyer and her staff were visiting other clients in The Asylum so, she called and asked if I was available to sign stuff today. Yes indeed. 

Didn’t get any death cleaning done. But, I figure getting the death paperwork done takes care of the death cleaning for today.

Sort of feeling old today. Big surprise. I am old. Only walked 3.3 miles today and didn’t hit my cardio target. But, I am alive. 

Back from dinner. Fried egg and bacon sandwich. An excellent dinner. The oldest person at our table had cake and ice cream for dinner. He also ordered soup, but he didn’t think it was worth eating. As you can see, when you reach a certain age you don’t worry too much about “healthy eating”.  Something is going to get you. So you might as well eat cake for dinner. 

I sure buy don’t buy the things that I used to buy at Traders. It’s mostly because I eat breakfast every morning at The Asylum. Breakfast is the one meal that consistently delivers the goods. And I eat dinner at The Asylum because … well … let’s just say I go for the company and not the cuisine. If it were not for my friends, I would not be eating The Asylum dinner very frequently. And, I never eat The Asyum’s lunch. Hence, sort of light lunch stuff from Traders. And Sweet and Spicy Pecans. Gotta have those things.

Sort of getting in the spirit of Death Cleaning. Maybe I’ll dig out my copy of Ms Magnusson’s famous book and see if it provides an additional boost. I am on a three-day streak of getting things in the proper donate, trash, or recycle container.  Today I decided if something was dusty, it most likely wasn’t mission-critical. 

After putting the “groceries” away I moved the orchids over to the stove. They get watered and fed on Sunday mornings. At this instant, they sorta look like drunks waiting for the bar to open!

According to the internet, the air is “moderate” at this instant. It is most definitely better. Much better.

Some death cleaning was accomplished today. Just do a little every day. Well, maybe every other day.  

Wonder how the current Trump kerfuffle will end up?

Note that the toilet appears to be a generic beige model. And the shower curtain leaves much to be desired. 

That was early this morning. It’s down to just “Unhealthy” at this instant. 

I didn’t do my regular “brisk” fitness walk today. I don’t think it would have harmed me in the least. But, it seems like a good excuse. 

Still working at the death cleaning thing. It shouldn’t be this hard.  I know that when I die, all the stuff with either end up in the trash dumpster or down at our Asylum What Not Shop/Christmas Bazaar. So, what’s so hard about getting a head start on the process?  

Françoise Gilot died a couple of days ago at the age of 101. She lived life large. She was a respected artist, Picasso’s mistress and mother of 2 of his children, she famously left Picasso, and later married Jonas Salk. That marriage lasted for the rest of his life some 25 years. 

I wonder if she spent her declining years death cleaning? I seriously doubt it!

I know she won’t mind me using this picture because she emailed it to me to use in my recent video. It’s really an excellent image. The “horizon” is level. Things are in focus. And the picture radiates love and joy. Ellie was a rather serious photographer. This is a good way to remember her.