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saturday

Leaves. In a repeat of last year I got the idea again to try and paint the sound of walking through autumn leaves. That sound is one of my favorite things about fall.

Rainy got her hair cut today. Then when I got her home I noticed that her left ear was red inside. I couldn't see it when all her former long hair was in the way. So I started the ear cleaning regimen and I'll put antibiotic in it later tonight.

Berdella was having problems getting her earrings in so I offered to make her a pair of earrings that she could leave in and sleep in. A pair exactly like mine but with white CZs instead of the peridot that I have in mine. It has been a LONG time since I did any jewelry work and my fingers got sore pretty quickly when it came time to hold the little pieces of silver and file and sand them. And my eyes just don't work as well to line things up or see things close anymore. At first when I started yesterday I was excited - yeah! I can make a bunch more neat things! I'm blessed that I know how to do this thing and I should use this skill! Though the longer I'm working at it (and having difficulties), the more I'm thinking that I'm really glad that I retired from making things to sell commercially. But I don't want to get rid of any of my tools or supplies. Thinking - I bet I could figure out a simpler way to make something pretty neat using the wonderful stones and elements I already have. Something that wouldn't require good eyesight and all the perfectionism I used to expect of myself. Kind of like the quick and simple little art-a-day paintings now. Make silver things just to please me or that I'll feel free to give away or decorate with.

I started watching "Doc" on netflix and am really liking it. Taking a break from "Touched By An Angel". Though I will still sometimes watch an episode of TBAA before sleep. Like watching comfort tv.

Saw the PA at my doctor's yesterday. I like her - better than I like the actual doctor there. She is reassuring. I guess I will learn to live with the crazy heart beats. I'm having palpitations about once every other day. No rhyme or reason to when they happen. They usually last less than 10 minutes. At least my heart is beating! And since I got off the metoprolol it's not going too slow anymore. I've cut my caffeine way down hoping that would help me avoid any future Afib that might be lurking. So that's the plan.

Yesterday and today

The picking up of the sofa cushion was every bit the nightmare I though it would be. Driving around in a web of undermall parking surrounded by downtown one way streets and traffic looking for a really horribly identified place with no signage. Well, there was a sign, actually, once you got there. Not helpful. I was so pissed off. But, I got the cushion and got the fuck out of there. I do not ever have to go back. Well, maybe next time Scott and Julie come from New Zealand but that won't be for two years. I'll be recovered by then.

I did go to Uwajimaya after. It's a decent sized store. I couldn't find the sandos but I got my noodle salad and a few other goodies plus a few dinners worth of Mongolian beef. And a banana milk cake. The beef made the car quite aromatic. It was fun to see all the stuff again. They are, supposedly opening here a store here next year. Their poke is my favorite but I did not get any this time. Should have. The noodle salad was not nearly as good as I remember it. And the Mongolian beef was a fail. BUT I'm still glad I went.

Then I also stopped at Daiso on the way home to get a couple of things that I cannot get anywhere else. Then, uneventfully, home. I was going to stop and fill the tank but it's not yet below the halfway point so I didn't.

This morning's volleyball was cut short. Linda and Bob are in Canada, Cecil was missing (he's the asshole so it's hard to count this as anything but a win), Wally had to leave early and Tina always does so we had a great time and then called it at 8. This gave me enough time to run take my Amazon returns to UPS. Turns out there was also enough time to pop into Safeway but I didn't think of that last bit until I got home. I may go later.

The first baseball game is at 11 just after elbow coffee but it is the one, out of the four today, that I really don't care about. Maybe I'll pop out then and also pick up some lunch. Then the games at 1 and 3, I do care about and, of course, the Mariner game at 5. Full day.

And now I have a fully cushioned sofa to enjoy it on.

Road Trip

So, apparently, my sofa cushion has been ready for pickup for a week but no one bothered to let me know. I was beginning to worry that my constant emails asking for updates were annoying. Now I don't care who I annoy at that stupid Crate and Barrel.

They are in the heart of downtown Bellevue in a gynormous old timey multi floor walkyoufuckingfeet off mall. But, they do have a spot where you can pull in and call them and they will bring your goods to your car. Supposedly. We'll find out today. I'm going in. I'm not looking forward to it.

But, it's not far, and a kind of straight shot from there to Uwajimaya and a stop there might be worth the pain.

The Yankees did not lose last night which is such a shame on many levels. The baseball schedule is now flushed out with times (the days have been set for a while). There is baseball all day long every day for as far as the calendar can see. It's exhausting to consider. It starts tomorrow. The Mariner game is the last of four games tomorrow.

More fun in tech support... Yesterday Noelle rang my doorbell and came in full of frantic. "This is David's (her husband) phone and it's not an iPhone and I don't know how to work it and USAA says we we have to have a 6 digit code and it's supposed to be in here and we can't find it and we have to have it for my car that goes way back years ago and is so complicated..." This was one long run-on sentence. But, she's the best to support because if you can get through her trauma, she knows what she wants and she's ready. So I told her to take a deep breath. "All you want is a code they just sent?" "Yes, please." I clicked on the text app he had on his home screen and found it immediately. I looked up and she has pen ready to write on paper. I gave her the code and handed her the phone and she raced off in a puff of gratitude. She makes it so easy.

I'm enjoying the re-read of Project Hail Mary. It's still an amazing story but this time I'm struck by how poorly written it is. Ach. Sometimes I feel like I'm reading an 8th grade short story. But the story is so good.

Yesterday, Julio and Biggie were cuddled on the couch. So here's a free cat pic.

Time to go get dressed and hit the road.

English to English translation needed

I've seen every one of the 23 scillion Great British Bake Off episodes but last week's (which I just watched) was the first time I was truly lost multiple times. It was Back to School week and clearly I did not go to school in England.

First was school cake. Everyone seemed to know what this was except the woman from Ukraine... and me. Turns out it's a vanilla cake (or sponge if you want to sound posh) with vanilla royal icing and sprinkles BUT - here's a massive twist. They make some kind of vanilla custard that is not set. It pours and they pour this over the cake AND icing. I'm all over vanilla cake and I like royal icing. and I love custard but all three is a bit of overkill, in my book. And I never ever went to a school that served any kind of regular cake.

Then there were flapjacks. Now, in my world, flap jacks are just another name for pancakes. Not so in Britainville. They all made some kind of dense, almost power bar dense, oat thing. No relation to pancakes at all.

Then they made Summer Fete stuff - cakes and cookies and stuff reminiscent of Summer Fete. Never heard of Summer Fete in my life. I couldn't even make out what they were saying until they said it a bunch of times.

But, apparently plastic ducks with rings on their backs are a big piece of summer Fete as they get 'fished' in something called Hook a Duck. There is also something called Quoits which involves maybe rings and sticks? Again. never heard of it but no on they show gave it even a question mark.

So weird that after all those episodes, I get all these questions marks in just the one.

Waiting

Amazon has taught me that I can order stuff and not wait weeks for it. Now waiting those weeks is a lot harder than it was. Thanks, Amazon. I ordered a cat puzzle/toy that I should not have (they don't need and too expensive) and it's taking forever to get here. I ordered the new cushion for my couch eons ago. Last Friday, the sales guy said it just arrived and I will get an email when it is ready for pick up... waiting... waiting...

So that and baseball is my day. Most wildcard playoffs (best out of 3) take 2 games to decide. MLB has four wild card series. Only one was decided in 2 games this year. So today I do not have 4 games to watch. Only 3. Geesh. The Yankees have not been totally humiliated but they have been bruised a little and, with any luck, they will be gone after today.

I was texting with my nephew about the game and my phone's keyboard suggestions for words to follow 'stupid' included 'Yankees'. This cracks me up. I'm glad my phone is on my side.

I think I want an air fryer with more 'fryer' real estate. But still a proper single use air fryer. (not a toaster oven) There are way too many options and, honestly, I cannot decide if I actually do want it or not. My little one works great and I love it, I just want a bigger boat. I think. But Amazon is getting ready to have a sale next week so I'll likely hold off at least til then if not forever.

I will likely finish off the Elbow puzzle today. We can start a new one on Saturday (after elbow coffee is over). Bonny's kids gave us a good one to do next.

It's laundry day. So baseball, laundry, puzzle - three things? OMG I'm outta control here.

2 of 2+?

I watched 3.2 baseball games yesterday. They were all good except the last one. The poor Cincinnati Reds got matched against the We'll Beat You Up Dodgers and they did. Boston beat the Yankees which was satisfying. The rest was yawnerville. I'd kinda rather we played the Guardians and they got beat yesterday by the Tigers. And I don't care one bit whether the Cubs beat the Pirates or vice versa.

Today is another round of same. Same games, same game times. I think I'll skip the noon game and the 6 pm game and just watch the 10 am and then 3 pm games. This set is 2 out of 3 so, likely, at least one of these teams will win their 2nd game today and tomorrow's schedule will be lighter. As long as the Yankees lose. With a Dodger kicker (which ain't gonna happen).

Otherwise, that's it for me for news. John's still dying - Hazel was wheeling him around yesterday. His mind is starting to leave. Dick is getting better but not fast enough for Jan. Yesterday, he had her running back and forth getting stuff. Happily, the nursing wing is on this floor so at least she didn't have to wait for elevators.

It's a rainy overcast day so I'm off to swim some laps.

Entry tags:

deer

tuesday later

I just now got my own pic of Little Deer - I looked out my studio window and there she was. Next thing I knew she was heading back towards Jules' house. We all hope so much that she doesn't cross the road and get killed like her mother.

Muscle amnesia

I got my first DVR in 1980 (a beta max, since you asked). It has a wired remote. Yes, a wire strung across the room from the TV to the couch but this was 1980 and DVR was magic so I did not care who I tripped.

I learned to fast forward through commercials. My thumb hit >> without my even being aware of it for more than 40 years.

When I moved here in 2023, I gave up all recording services.

Today I splurged on Hulu+Live for the playoffs and now I have recording again. I tuned into the first baseball game recording 30 minutes after it started but it was a good 30 minutes before I remembered I could fast forward through the commercials! My thumb has forgotten its main purpose in life.

These announcers are not remotely interesting but they are not spending whole innings discussing the players' mustaches. They are following the game. Shocking. They also have twice now used 'fewer' instead of 'less' correctly so I'm a happy camper. Also the game is a good one so far.

Playball!!

I am far more interested/invested in the baseball playoffs than I expected to be. Even the wild card games that the Mariners are not a part of. So that will be my day today.

And it's housecleaning day. My hardwood floors are a mess. I have hardwood in the entry and the kitchen (carpet everywhere else). It's lovely but ugh what a mess all the time. It shows every single little thing plus, I think, for the edges and corners, it goes to other parts of the apartment and gathered dust and debris. Ugh. The house cleaner sweeps and washes it and it looks fab again.

I got Julio in the summer of 2022. He was always meant to be Biggie's cat and he always has been. He's always run from me. He gets close sometimes when he's starving and I'm feeding. He will sleep on the bed at night but only if Biggie is there. But, a few months ago, he ran into the room and onto my lap. He then realized where he was and ran away. Yesterday, he hopped into my lap and let me pet him, not once, not twice, but THREE times!! So weird. I'll be interested to see if he repeats today.

My elbow is very much improved. I felt a twinge yesterday while swimming but that may have been my imagination. No problem with volleyball this morning at all. I'm still wearing the brace for both activities but no other time.

And, in other health related news... I remember last January when I had my annual doctor visit, we were discussing my COPD (which I am now sure that I do not have). I had been off the high priced inhaler for six months then and was fine. My lungs sounded fine. I still had coughing fits and was using the Albuterol (inhaler) and Benzonatate (pills) every once in a while. It dawned on me yesterday that I have not had a coughing fits or used either one of them in months. They are going to expire before I get to them. Pretty cool.

Entry tags:

deer

little orphan

Watch on YouTube

The day before I left for Florida 2 weeks ago I saw a deer was killed on the road out front. The next day Jules saw this little one in his back yard. It's been there, or close to there ever since. Yesterday when I was driving past on my way home from town I saw it there. Jules can get pretty close to it. It's curious about him but cautious.

Entry tags:

tuesday

Candy and I had a nice walk in the woods at Two Mile yesterday. I was missing my hills and deciduous trees.

At the end of our walk there is a bench with this view. Someone had set up this wreath.

Walking back. Looks almost like springtime with sparse green leaves in the trees, till you see all the fallen leaves on the ground.

A little stream bed that I liked the look of.

I have really been enjoying learning to play the black 12 hole ocarina I got a few weeks ago but finding it difficult to get my ring finger and little fingers to work properly so I thought I'd try a 6 hole ocarina (doesn't use those fingers except for stabilization). I love this little thing! So pretty. It doesn't have the range of the 12 hole but I think I love it more for its simplicity. Just like with the piano I doubt that I will ever be "good" so I appreciate easiness.

Today is my day to work in the gift shop at the nursing home. I still haven't swept and vacuumed the house yet. I want to pick up all the washable rugs and take them to the laundromat soon. That's where the dog smell in the house is coming from I think. I'm listening to the chickens on the baby monitor right now. 7:30 am. The first sounds of the day that they make are a purring sound.

Drive bys - the food version

I've had mayo and peanut butter on my grocery list since forever. Last week I added some other stuff. This morning, I got everything on my list except, you guessed it, mayo and peanut butter. Sigh. Fortunately neither is critical. I'm just replacing backups.

A couple of weeks ago, I grabbed a very small bag of mellowcreme pumpkins. My fav. Only when I got home, I discovered they were not Brach's. ECK!! Did that stop me from finishing the bag, no. But, it did increase my desire for Brach's. At least I did not forget that on the list. I need a container with a combination lock on it, to keep them in... And then forget the combination.

Last week Bonny had some deli thick slicked turkey that she could not finish so she gave me the last slice. When she offered, I thought she was talking real turkey not pressed faux turkey. But, it was fine. When she gave it to me, she gave me a box of stove top stuffing, too. Which was weird but ok. It's getting close to the season. Then I discovered I have no cranberry jelly left in the cupboard. Got some today. Whew. And another box of stuffing. And a container of chopped up onion and celery.

When I got home I added the onion and celery to a pan of butter and them threw in the stuffing mixes and some chicken broth. DAMN, does that taste good. The two boxes together only made me about 5 servings so I know there will have to be more. I would have said that I preferred Peperidge Farm stuffing mix but this boxed shit is pretty damn good!

And I made another batch of chopped up cukes and onions - just salt, pepper and sugar. It's getting good in the fridge. Tonight's menu includes pork chops in a peach glaze. Usually their pork chops are horrible but whenever they have them on the menu, I try them once, in hope. (And then fill out yet another dining room feedback card... WHY THE FUCK CAN'T YOU PEOPLE DO A DECENT PORK CHOP??!! They have been ignoring me for 23 months now, but I still hope.

Monday

Tomorrow there are four baseball games - here they are at 10, noon, 3 and 6. I'm not going to watch all of them but do want to check in. Today there are none.

So I think my now long put off trip to Safeway will happen today. Nothing else on the calendar so the perfect day for it. Plus, I think I might stop in at Hobby Lobby. As much as I hate to shop there... I need yarn. Yes. I have a house full of yarn but no more baby pink and blue which are perfect doll colors. I only need a skein of each and that's not enough to justify shipping charges. So shopping with Jesus it is.

But I think first I'll swim. It's a nice, rainy day - no sun threatening.

I watch a fair amount of YouTube. It's kind of my go-to on the TV when I have 10-15 mins to spare. I've had an annual Premium subscription ($140) for the past few years because I have no tolerance for the ads. Last year they announced a cheaper hybrid. $8 a month (no annual but it would be, of course, sub $100). It's billed as 'fewer' ads. But the ads, apparently are only on some shorts, which I never watch and some music, which I also never watch. My idea was to try it out for a month. I set it up a few weeks ago and it kicked in last week and I forgot about it. Until yesterday, when I was watching some YouTube and realized my experience had not changed - only the price. Woot. It's rare that I save money on a TV subscription. But, I really hate it when there's no way to play annually. So much easier to keep up with.

Netflix and Hulu would get far more of my money if they would offer annual plans (with no ads). So now they get a month or so in rotation and then a few months or more off, lather, rinse, repeat.

Ok, time to get moving.

Entry tags:

monday

Late September Pennsylvania color out the front window. Don't have time to write much this morning. Due to go hiking with Candy. And I have lots to catch up with when I get back to the house later - cleaning etc... I've gone from being pampered and on vacation in Florida to busy busy here.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Many of our workers are of Hispanic heritage. Lots and lots of them have very little English (But, even those, have way more English than I have Any Other Language At all.) Most, I believe, have Spanish as their native tongue but that covers a lot of politicals. So this month Timber Ridge put up a giant poster of Hispanic countries. They put little yellow rectangles of paper with pins and pens on the table next to the poster. Then they asked everyone to put their names on their country's flag. It's the coolest thing!!!

Turns out my house cleaner is from Ecuador(this is corrected the next day - i'm blaming the original misspelling on autocorrect). I just wikipedia'd the shit out of Equator and found out I didn't know shit about it. Tatania (my house cleaner) is the only one here from Equator. Anyway, the map is amazing and it's great fun to see where everyone is from.

This morning, I did my new swim+brunch thing. The swim was great. The brunch was not spectacular BUT it was definitely OK and I did not have to cook it or clean up any dishes other than my fork so that is a win in my book. Turns out there is no aqua stretch class tomorrow so I'll probably lap in the morning but no brunch.

Today is the last day of regular season baseball. All games start at the same time which is always kind of freaky. Next week is a round of playoffs to secure the teams who will view for the respective divisions. We get to skip that round. So the next Mariners game (and the next Phillies game) is next Saturday. There are still playoff decisions being decided today - one in each division of each league. Very symmetrical. Once those games have been decided then they will, hopefully, publish the times of all the various playoff games.

In former years, this is the day that starts my winter life. I go back to watching episodic TV and put off thinking about baseball until February. This year is sure different.

Last night, I was stumbling around the Google Photo app trying to make today's collage and I hit the wrong button and discovered something called Remix. It applies AI to a photo of your choice with astonishing results. I used a couple of photos of me with a couple of their options and pretty much got a drawings of Hillary Clinton.

This one came the closest to me but is not me.

I paid $10 for the drawing of me that is my profile pic and it is still the closest to the real me. But this remix stuff is sure fun. I finally did it so many times that google says I have to upgrade my AI or wait until 8 pm tonight to try again. Maybe tonight, I'll take one of the new ones and the old one and see if I can get Mr. AI to morph them into something.

Entry tags:

sunday

Seeing with the Heart. This is an image that is meaningful to both Kathy and me. We both have worn a pendant with this heart on it since 2006 when our brother died.

I'll be back in PA by 5 today. Girding my loins this morning for a day in airports and airplanes. My heart is still doing its weird rhythms. I'll see my regular doctor on Friday and they'll probably make me an appointment to see a cardiologist then.

Saturday

The Mariners lost last night which means they will not be seeded which means they will not get home field advantage automatically. Which is not a big deal. BUT it also means that tonight's game and tomorrow's game do not matter one little bit. I will likely watch on mute. I'm so over these broadcasters. Happily, tomorrow is their last Mariner game this year. We get network yahoos from here on out.

But the big Mariner news is the network. The network they have used to televise their games for the past 15ish years is being dissolved. The Mariners own the network and it sucks so dissolving it is a tragedy really only for the 25 people it puts out of work. Hopefully, they can find jobs elsewhere. It will probably mean that I can pay a little less to get the games on TV. It will not change the horrible broadcaster situation, more's the pity.

Elbow coffee was Bonny's National Shake Iut Day preparedness. It's not until October 16 but Timber Ridge has a whole Todo about it. Bonny and Dick are in charge of us but Dick is still recuperating so Bonny's doing it all (and it's kind of a heavy lift). She did a great job. Ingrid showed up early and quickly had a table pounding meltdown when Bonny asked her to move over a chair to make room for Joan. "If Joan wants me to move she can ask me herself!!! I am not an old person!!!" And then she left so the whole meeting was very cordial and productive since she wasn't there to complicate the situation.

Volleyball was good and I just folded up the laundry that I put in before Elbow coffee. So I'm pretty much all caught up except for lunch. I do want to go to Safeway but I'm too hungry to do it now. Maybe later or tomorrow.

I have TV to watch and I'm listening to Mary Roach's latest and it's about replacing body parts - Replaceable You. It's really good but complicated. I'm going to have to listen to the whole thing again. Also I want to listen to Project Hail Mary again. I read it when it first came out but I think I need a re-read.

But first... lunch. I am starving.

Entry tags:

saturday

Senses. When we were at the movie theater yesterday, or maybe somewhere else, I saw a picture of a profile face with a big eye in the place where the brain would be. That's all I can remember about it but I liked the idea so this is my version. The movie (Eleanor the Great) was good. I'm glad we got to see it on the big screen.

Today is my last full day here. Kathy's daughters Laurie and Tracy are coming over for a last visit. I didn't sleep well last night. I was awake more than asleep. I'm wondering how I'll get through the day. I might not be in top form.

Entry tags:

art a day,
movie

friday

Listening to Alan Watts this morning, sitting beside the pool, and this is what came out.

We are heading out in a while to see the movie Eleanor the Great.

Still wallowing

I'm still wallowing in the wonderfulness of finding the prize in Biggie's shit yesterday. Also, had I not been eagle eyeing his ever elimination, it's a little freaky to me how easily I could have missed it. And I then wonder how much junk he's eaten over the years and just shit out and I never knew anything about it. That cat!

Hazel came back yesterday afternoon, with John! She wheeled him right in. He was in good spirits but looks like death is way sooner than later. He's shrunken down so his teeth are now way too big for his face. I notarized their signatures and we visited a little and then she wheeled him out. I hope he does not have to last much longer.

I got the computer work all finished for Bonny and helped out the guy who made up the spreadsheet. He's pretty good at Excel but is clueless to most every other computer nuance. It's really interesting. BUT he's a great example of 'only answer his questions. do not offer up any other info.' He's happy in his little Excel world and I am happy that I had the restraint enough to leave him there.

I get a daily newsletter from a kid who covers mostly American Politics. He's a great writer and has kept me up to speed for years now with his Wake Up To Politics newsletter. But this morning's issue describes in numbers and text how I am not up to speed at all. He explains where everyone younger than me is getting their news. (Tiktok, Youtube, podcasts) He describes people, on the left and the right, who those younger than me are getting their political information from - vast and impressive numbers of those people - and I have only heard of one of the 20 or so people and programs he mentions. Holy fuck. Now I feel clueless but I can also live with that. I've tried to latch onto Tiktok more than once and just don't have the juju.

Regardless of what happens in the rest of the MLB, the Mariners first post season game will be Saturday, October 4. (That's also the day of the first post season Phillies game.) Somehow I had it in my head that I would need to buy a Hulu Live or YouTube.TV service to get the playoff games, but no. All the Mariners and Phillies games will be on Fox or TBS both of which I get with Timber Ridge free cable. I might buy a month of Hulu Live so I can watch the games in the bedroom. And watch some other stuff I want to watch but maybe not. I cannot tell if I can watch any of the wildcard series that precedes October 4 but I don't really care about those games much anyway.

I skipped swimming laps on Wednesday and my elbow felt so much better. I think maybe I'll skip today as well and start in again on Sunday. Today I plan to do a little puzzling, a lot of knitting and watching TV.