tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19701119419680774312024-03-19T01:48:51.745-07:00Welcome WordsMartyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.comBlogger1264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-37891811474349485662024-03-15T10:33:00.000-07:002024-03-15T10:33:12.550-07:00Flashback<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After a
delightful breakfast out (an omelet and a fabulous scone with a hefty helping
of Devonshire cream!), I visited the WC before leaving.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There, I found a sight that I never,
ever would have seen in those bad old post-2020 times:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXaO-FbyUeODGbwy04_C9k6o3m_GDbfjrakM7YJezrgchDQcnTvJQBe095L9vbhkS1DWG_fTCoP8k9qo1mCaV0ibI9xZX-9kvR8YRGGLtdveEOhg82tb_VMl0KCZoqwZ6D0aWw17y37iQiDhMAW_rTPtWV_Pu8BT664n0mkmXLp8vD8CTkSv9SQbLHSY/s1417/Flashback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="1417" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXaO-FbyUeODGbwy04_C9k6o3m_GDbfjrakM7YJezrgchDQcnTvJQBe095L9vbhkS1DWG_fTCoP8k9qo1mCaV0ibI9xZX-9kvR8YRGGLtdveEOhg82tb_VMl0KCZoqwZ6D0aWw17y37iQiDhMAW_rTPtWV_Pu8BT664n0mkmXLp8vD8CTkSv9SQbLHSY/s320/Flashback.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A table holding a generous supply of
toilet paper, unguarded and set out for patrons’ convenience. Mid-Covid times,
I’d probably have contemplated this vision and debated whether emptying my
purse of non-essentials like my wallet and car keys would make enough room for me to abscond with a roll. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-53998358719625482552024-03-13T12:42:00.000-07:002024-03-15T10:33:24.374-07:00My Dogs are Barking<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s been a tough spring, feet-wise. <span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I age, the chickens
are coming home to roost (to mix up those metaphors). An unhappy bunion has
been objecting more and more to being bound into shoes, triggering an unhappy
arch, shin splints, and a new knee issue. Apparently, as the song goes, the hip
bone really is connected to the thigh bone, and so on.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With the possibility of surgery being
the next apparent step (see what I did there?), I figured I had nothing to lose
with a trip to a pricey orthotic shoe store. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9oChJnwzWtevKPcTVOuMbgcgl95JHXJ0q3kB7lDLNtBgmRx_Ac3styc8E02crgAW6EDvQF4XHyLEmJgKlVXtv5vTUZp7ykdFRp2Mgtb3lrKHj3gvK4ObBV_0kqW9p_2zoPSXysqIJn7QrTNSC4CLC1UsolvFSKD3IO4qcZ72t7iIz_cBjjX9-51xdUg/s1200/My%20dogs%20are%20barking.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9oChJnwzWtevKPcTVOuMbgcgl95JHXJ0q3kB7lDLNtBgmRx_Ac3styc8E02crgAW6EDvQF4XHyLEmJgKlVXtv5vTUZp7ykdFRp2Mgtb3lrKHj3gvK4ObBV_0kqW9p_2zoPSXysqIJn7QrTNSC4CLC1UsolvFSKD3IO4qcZ72t7iIz_cBjjX9-51xdUg/s320/My%20dogs%20are%20barking.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Foot O Scope, <b>not</b> the machine I used</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />They had a contraption reminiscent of the 1950s Foot-O-Scope Xray machines that were all the rage back
then. (Never mind that the unregulated exposure put both clerks and customers
at risk for future ailments triggered by that exposure.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I took a breath, but stepped on anyway.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuM2iWghYsAEsJWNzevt-GoHwO6EDBKV5tz9ar9_y9v3eMrxFzBx4vWEKchBeLpWU0zq2cKusJzBeTjZlQCZPVnJ9DFCIV__uvjStIWGOEDFlkVghCkfyTjdTE9RN_EbY-0SAwFo60M8vcybtizk9qWKtrdcDQJdp8i-xGi096onwUHJ-CtgkOKQr3FM/s932/My%20dogs%20are%20barking%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuM2iWghYsAEsJWNzevt-GoHwO6EDBKV5tz9ar9_y9v3eMrxFzBx4vWEKchBeLpWU0zq2cKusJzBeTjZlQCZPVnJ9DFCIV__uvjStIWGOEDFlkVghCkfyTjdTE9RN_EbY-0SAwFo60M8vcybtizk9qWKtrdcDQJdp8i-xGi096onwUHJ-CtgkOKQr3FM/s320/My%20dogs%20are%20barking%202.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I didn’t learn a heck of a lot other
than my arches are falling, my left more than my right. But I confess it did
make me feel a little like, “There! This ought to accomplish something.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> And f</span>or the cost of what I used to spend
on a week of groceries for a family of four (granted, it was 1972), I came away
with a fetching pair of baby blue sneakers that feel like heaven. Arch support!
What a concept! And soft mesh on top to keep the crabbiest bunion happy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ptvOqFRB6NOY1cDjSx4JvqhwYYSEp08pnH59QT93eBfPLWBOivcKVvrsGstMy5d-9_1Zz-QF9QWPzm9K-JEL1ZtT-mNlhI5HILb4N_Ts4EkuRBfNo2dqRMfS2BvMYG1w7luhR6mqBiY2HwtdR-3-e109ivjaCzOhaD88RDt0oRnSqxRPO061USmYHOE/s2016/My%20dogs%20are%20barking4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ptvOqFRB6NOY1cDjSx4JvqhwYYSEp08pnH59QT93eBfPLWBOivcKVvrsGstMy5d-9_1Zz-QF9QWPzm9K-JEL1ZtT-mNlhI5HILb4N_Ts4EkuRBfNo2dqRMfS2BvMYG1w7luhR6mqBiY2HwtdR-3-e109ivjaCzOhaD88RDt0oRnSqxRPO061USmYHOE/w150-h200/My%20dogs%20are%20barking4.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’m proud to say that this afternoon I did a cushy
two mile stroll and could have kept going if the heat hadn’t told me it was time
to go in. That surgery may not be happening after all.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> And at the end of my walk, I had to
capture this sweet message chalked on the sidewalk. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8px5G-GT2fBiNOJ1kwuUQBVe9agdm4yoIeDfxnnCjTcvWhtuAsbcHfFYkRCVJsUHna2f2Ujzv7Z8z5pbBbh7BkaXFuu8ZGlLc9j1om2dayBZ4m5u-t6L9erRUUjOoXMdsJNHQ5fTVukfJFstp163_Wc4EEcC4xhxcFMvzHkWadjIQDuYQHkI8LhVMbJ4/s1123/My%20dogs%20are%20barking3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1123" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8px5G-GT2fBiNOJ1kwuUQBVe9agdm4yoIeDfxnnCjTcvWhtuAsbcHfFYkRCVJsUHna2f2Ujzv7Z8z5pbBbh7BkaXFuu8ZGlLc9j1om2dayBZ4m5u-t6L9erRUUjOoXMdsJNHQ5fTVukfJFstp163_Wc4EEcC4xhxcFMvzHkWadjIQDuYQHkI8LhVMbJ4/w400-h381/My%20dogs%20are%20barking3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-55652632254935060852024-03-11T10:29:00.000-07:002024-03-13T12:51:05.336-07:00My Shelf Runneth Over<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApg-A0oD-9tv-S7sGN9s5l0uA2Wowaszu0PXwIUgRChueLZzfW_F014RtOpw8ndwjwcKkkRn-P-XxbHadFlsjMmSJ_H9RxupXYpUzPMRbzWOLeJRQKRWSAiLEBrAWDZWdriOY6EA4OapmprBU9WMhHucDf7am0DnHh1KAqaKJ4oecbDLNbPDaIzCa128/s1900/My%20Shelf.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1900" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApg-A0oD-9tv-S7sGN9s5l0uA2Wowaszu0PXwIUgRChueLZzfW_F014RtOpw8ndwjwcKkkRn-P-XxbHadFlsjMmSJ_H9RxupXYpUzPMRbzWOLeJRQKRWSAiLEBrAWDZWdriOY6EA4OapmprBU9WMhHucDf7am0DnHh1KAqaKJ4oecbDLNbPDaIzCa128/w200-h138/My%20Shelf.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Last year I guess I was out of library books but too
close to our date of return to Massachusetts to check any new books out. I must
have mentioned my plight because a friend loaned me a paperback mystery, which
saved me from the horror of having nothing to read. In the meantime, I had downloaded
one to my iPad, so I was doubly rich.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I returned the book to her in January
when we got back to Florida, and a couple of weeks later, there she was at my door with
another loaner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For Valentine’s Day, My Guy surprised
me with a James Patterson – who I <i>never</i><b> </b>read – because he knew
how much I love mysteries, and the title - <i>Holmes, Marple, and Poe -</i>was so serendipitous. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today, on my way to play pickleball,
another friend stuck an arm in the car and dropped in yet another unsolicited
offering.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYHzGrmMJV_9VBTxyOxYWWjDtOxwWxJJJzgInx8FikkfPbrW45AsDzbs4EnjuExlgT3qPvslI0YvYOfWsg5b5ZBQ15UMHqqZP_L7449D2dsqsNrrHXmc8L06sQoSGsEQ6uNG14V5TSDOGz2fr3mSyJziPwFumE7oSeg9Zmni3dbxtT2DZqWvDbKkFjz4/s1723/My%20Shelf2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1723" data-original-width="1413" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYHzGrmMJV_9VBTxyOxYWWjDtOxwWxJJJzgInx8FikkfPbrW45AsDzbs4EnjuExlgT3qPvslI0YvYOfWsg5b5ZBQ15UMHqqZP_L7449D2dsqsNrrHXmc8L06sQoSGsEQ6uNG14V5TSDOGz2fr3mSyJziPwFumE7oSeg9Zmni3dbxtT2DZqWvDbKkFjz4/w328-h400/My%20Shelf2.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I already have four books from the
library, two that I’ve read and enjoyed (Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabelle
Dalhousie series is glorious), one that was so predictable that I slammed it
shut, and one more that I’m enjoying hugely. (Kate Atkinson is the bomb! Post
WWI London? FABULOUS)<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The pressure is on. Do I plow through
each so I can give a genuine response to the people kind enough to offer them?
Or do I just wait a decent interval and return them with a big smile and a
thank you? After all those years of getting English degrees and then teaching
it, I want to choose my own reading material.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh, and I’m trying to make myself
re-read my own first novel so I’ll know what the hell I’m talking about when I
speak at a friend’s book club in a couple of weeks.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-29824009889684801092024-03-03T09:57:00.000-08:002024-03-11T10:29:53.631-07:00Tech Day<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KSmjcbS48FjX0dridXzg4YwBYQ4wDvf4pXvgzRtQWHJUMJBLdrJh6qNSOk6BJWNL2XHaJcXQfqeQ_03oWH4pg3MLjCyyHbB3lswTFZBseJDGqABJXJKSy0UxAnvU0r0rsO1w5y3DYc3YrspiPQjvkYThAtQBF2fQIOBsPM1yiP4TeiOK4Vxj-ayFva0/s640/Tech%20Day.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="640" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KSmjcbS48FjX0dridXzg4YwBYQ4wDvf4pXvgzRtQWHJUMJBLdrJh6qNSOk6BJWNL2XHaJcXQfqeQ_03oWH4pg3MLjCyyHbB3lswTFZBseJDGqABJXJKSy0UxAnvU0r0rsO1w5y3DYc3YrspiPQjvkYThAtQBF2fQIOBsPM1yiP4TeiOK4Vxj-ayFva0/w640-h206/Tech%20Day.webp" width="640" /></a></span></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">At 7:00 a.m. I checked the Team Reach app on my phone to see
if there were enough players that day to fill a Pickleball court. We can often
have 16 show up to play, but for some reason most of our regulars looked to be off doing
something else, most likely entertaining company since this is when we all start
opening our doors to chilly relatives from up North.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> At 7:15 I noticed I had an email from
the lawyer handling my sister’s estate. He had attached a form for me to download,
print, and sign before a notary. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> At 7:30 a.m. I was texting our
housesitter. After a storm last week, our Nest thermostat back in Massachusetts
decided to clam up and not talk to us here in Florida so we asked her to swing
by. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> An hour later on the Pickleball court, I was calling my
hairdresser’s HQ to see if I could get a trim this coming week. The person I usually
see had no openings until April 27 (!!! A true sign of the influx of us
snowbirds) but someone else was free. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> At 12 noon when I was back, our housesitter texted that
she was done with her dog walking and was at our house. Once in (using our keypad), she reported
that yes, we did have heat. Next, she gamely rolled up her sleeves and tackled
our non-working modem while we talked her through the process on speaker phone.
There was unplugging of modem and router, re-plugging of modem and router, but
no soap. The internet was not to be had. I think we have a dead modem but at
least we know now that the furnace is chugging along.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Consider how tedious – or impossible
– much of this would have been in say, 1970.</span>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-76627672763180645352024-02-29T09:16:00.000-08:002024-03-03T09:57:54.497-08:00Power and Plants<p> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">I was on the phone with our
daughter in New Jersey who, after an onslaught of wind and plunging temps, is
without power and therefore heat. Kindness made me avoid revealing that I was
sitting on our porch in my jammies.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Afterwards, it seemed like a good idea to check our thermostat
at home in Massachusetts. She Who Must Not Be Named had been interrupting our
day yesterday with ominous alerts of high winds in our area back there, too. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0lCANryTOjPpz9MHF0uTG2LJkSn9qjjLPMCuhd3GdhaWs3MwMjnOdVuP5gjUV_7sxiWQwKAV64tUdv7L2_CwWEcVjwxrRNZXy-YqEicBRfQxFxtfIkn6uYp7TbFuaSuIvf2AWomAkb99kxPT5RqRLUvrIL62QnxbMxeLzZUeiFZ_6Xj4IJCt3jOtREo/s2532/Power%20and%20plants5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0lCANryTOjPpz9MHF0uTG2LJkSn9qjjLPMCuhd3GdhaWs3MwMjnOdVuP5gjUV_7sxiWQwKAV64tUdv7L2_CwWEcVjwxrRNZXy-YqEicBRfQxFxtfIkn6uYp7TbFuaSuIvf2AWomAkb99kxPT5RqRLUvrIL62QnxbMxeLzZUeiFZ_6Xj4IJCt3jOtREo/w185-h400/Power%20and%20plants5.jpeg" width="185" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">So that’s not good. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I texted a friend who lives in the same complex back home and
she said they’d been without power briefly, but all was good. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hopefully, we’re just having an internet snafu and the heat
is still chugging along. Hopefully. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">On a happier note, here are some sights from yesterday’s stroll
around our condo area here in Florida’s version of winter:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQmmp9VRXQbzXpOEZvwWPr0HyqLJEb1Hsip4oDdwYMo0bspYs5aMArYGv8TQvn95bkyXglUqo9rAzvQMgmeWKIbR8WktaMVfBVWpQRuUvBT4ceIM-K_aKwel8189Cr4TeAEr2uFY0qodCsXPe7GzIzH654YhqcozOJ2TGkzJ8SVURgtEteBM71SqA8W0/s1053/Power%20and%20plants.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1008" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQmmp9VRXQbzXpOEZvwWPr0HyqLJEb1Hsip4oDdwYMo0bspYs5aMArYGv8TQvn95bkyXglUqo9rAzvQMgmeWKIbR8WktaMVfBVWpQRuUvBT4ceIM-K_aKwel8189Cr4TeAEr2uFY0qodCsXPe7GzIzH654YhqcozOJ2TGkzJ8SVURgtEteBM71SqA8W0/w191-h200/Power%20and%20plants.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>The hibiscus is moderately happy, producing about one<br /> flower
per bush. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9894tN22NpgW0h_WYc-k_63P1TwX0EZvhGTvr24jjBlIDtSb95b3lUrhLcjzFwTaR4aMlNJc0Lt1QRtdnfRbprdI6JsgVSme9q-CGSexFGnB-kuJYeElHxBQpz4aHJ_-FPJFt9AfgOLEsliJpvgp7OuRO5UZf5biTg1xl3ik6Px2KN_Ap2iwOrfX80E/s839/Power%20and%20plants2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="731" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9894tN22NpgW0h_WYc-k_63P1TwX0EZvhGTvr24jjBlIDtSb95b3lUrhLcjzFwTaR4aMlNJc0Lt1QRtdnfRbprdI6JsgVSme9q-CGSexFGnB-kuJYeElHxBQpz4aHJ_-FPJFt9AfgOLEsliJpvgp7OuRO5UZf5biTg1xl3ik6Px2KN_Ap2iwOrfX80E/s320/Power%20and%20plants2.jpg" width="279" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It’s still surprising to me to see poinsettias (although a little scraggly) in the ground
instead of a pot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHK7kAx-D45S2cMC6MZuLYTx6JeGAcoDIId3rbwHrNYfl9-GB_X-TL2CyfqpgMhUhVvw_y7E_uBnW3quNPDes2LBQdAt4iH4C1LuKILCCjRLWe7H8YN4uGnzKwKk29N28T8pe4aqxqW2xq5H4U9rJuE-lZKrwyduNbwLfV2KcJzQHIWkt4BE99Qn0-flo/s1525/Power%20and%20plants3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="1099" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHK7kAx-D45S2cMC6MZuLYTx6JeGAcoDIId3rbwHrNYfl9-GB_X-TL2CyfqpgMhUhVvw_y7E_uBnW3quNPDes2LBQdAt4iH4C1LuKILCCjRLWe7H8YN4uGnzKwKk29N28T8pe4aqxqW2xq5H4U9rJuE-lZKrwyduNbwLfV2KcJzQHIWkt4BE99Qn0-flo/w289-h400/Power%20and%20plants3.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></p>And here’s a plant that always reminds me of my mother – she always
had one<br /> growing near a window.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And it’s good to see the fish in our ponds are busy making
circles in the sandy bottoms to plant their eggs. Spring!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgQL-pAkKwiODGFNCcuYr4vJBI1v1HSSF5DKqXnSvgqZ9IMuuNHC69VsFmzgOKCCBt50w2zIuAVh15fjywE3qSB6u5ITKiOCb2427VGBXbdPnry3RdxtWewc7F3FmCdCr0R9jgYg-rzNhfGGcv9qmeUd3Fy810SRE5CESsAEhKQndcBBGyzxeC1hQA8E/s557/Power%20and%20plants4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="557" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgQL-pAkKwiODGFNCcuYr4vJBI1v1HSSF5DKqXnSvgqZ9IMuuNHC69VsFmzgOKCCBt50w2zIuAVh15fjywE3qSB6u5ITKiOCb2427VGBXbdPnry3RdxtWewc7F3FmCdCr0R9jgYg-rzNhfGGcv9qmeUd3Fy810SRE5CESsAEhKQndcBBGyzxeC1hQA8E/w640-h430/Power%20and%20plants4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-66000888343365255282024-02-28T09:27:00.000-08:002024-02-29T09:17:36.856-08:00Retail Robbery<p> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> My Guy was
off sitting behind an easel at an art workshop, so I took myself out for some
retail therapy. There was little on the agenda other than a poke around in the
stores at a neighboring town but I ended up at the same discount store I shop
in by our condo.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Mecca (aka TJ Max) I shuffled my
cart around, unmoved by any of the clothes. But I did find some lovely bath gel
and a new wallet. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I already have a wallet that I’ve
loved for years, but it takes up too much real estate in my purse so I’d
unearthed a tiny one I’d squirreled away in a drawer long ago. Soon I was wondering
where all those mysterious dark crumbles at the bottom of my purse were coming
from. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Time for a new wallet and I found one
- a goldilocks wallet, not too big and not too small. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4FrfXgRX1h48yEEq2agARA4KWwv-bh48TWSiEkbr0tHGznNFClR7kibXob9LSSG-kVihE8ZHItwcZ1__pq-Hx0K0s6YDj2mwiRnmSa35YoWxA0uTX7yXWwio5UC60H0xrVXfVSFh8mZhqiBykD3MKZdxOIfJ-g88UFiQhIlcCFc49sm9EiIwcaH7qo0/s2016/Retail%20Robbery.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4FrfXgRX1h48yEEq2agARA4KWwv-bh48TWSiEkbr0tHGznNFClR7kibXob9LSSG-kVihE8ZHItwcZ1__pq-Hx0K0s6YDj2mwiRnmSa35YoWxA0uTX7yXWwio5UC60H0xrVXfVSFh8mZhqiBykD3MKZdxOIfJ-g88UFiQhIlcCFc49sm9EiIwcaH7qo0/w300-h400/Retail%20Robbery.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> The thing, though, was the price. $16
was okaaay, but the original price – if the original tag was to be believed –
was patently absurd. Maybe the MSRP (manufacturers’ suggested retail price) is
just that – a suggestion. A hope that some fool would actually spend that much.
<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I hope I never reach a point in life
where I need to impress people with the label affixed to my shirt/wallet/coat.
I remember shopping with a friend of the same mindset who held up a sweater, a
giant abbreviation emblazoned across its chest, and said, “I refuse to pay to
be a walking advertisement for some company.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> And when you pause to consider the
markup on things you buy, remember that wallet may have dropped from $98 to $16, but TJ
Max was still making a profit. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-1041073513061468112024-02-26T13:24:00.000-08:002024-02-26T13:24:43.462-08:00Looking over my shoulder<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> I faced the unfaceable and stuffed my Temple of Carbs into a
bathing suit for the first time this year. I was off to the small pool in our
complex to read and maybe catch some conversation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Unlike everyone else, I dodged the sun
and planted myself safely under the shade of an umbrella and opened my book,
but after a while, the chatter in the pool drew me in. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While we stood in the water, swishing
with our hands, one woman there mentioned that when she returned North, she’d
be going back to her job in an assisted living facility. I knew one of my
friends there at the pool had sold their house in Georgia and moved with her
husband to such a place. Both facilities were the ‘staged’ sort, where you might
begin in the independent living portion but when the need arose, you would then
move on to the next level of care. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My friend spoke about the changes she’d
likely see there when they returned to Georgia from Florida – people needing
more help in the common dining room than before, others who they might not see
again at all. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One thing I like about being here is
that most of the people I see are in my age range and out and about, which means
that paradoxically, with few opportunities for comparison, I tend to forget how
old I am. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I don’t think I’d like living in a
place where the ongoing frailties of others would serve as a graphic reminder
to me of what’s ahead. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-35134777551391513742024-02-25T06:40:00.000-08:002024-02-26T13:24:59.943-08:00Changing the Bed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqfKtOd_k6xEfYefzTLUFLj2HTcmVqtpIQ76t7KSlqe5rIe4w0D2JTS6NI2EobNHUjcp4DfuCXCTVJlxoxHeFoBFd6ViNie_9mxOJni3GAuqnscSnih2TsLlwpMk9RVem_P6Eu4gHa9FJC8idNUJhydmT1ZefG0HTnAIs3BS9S1o2vPSM6v0PVGU3XJo/s800/Changing%20the%20bed.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="800" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqfKtOd_k6xEfYefzTLUFLj2HTcmVqtpIQ76t7KSlqe5rIe4w0D2JTS6NI2EobNHUjcp4DfuCXCTVJlxoxHeFoBFd6ViNie_9mxOJni3GAuqnscSnih2TsLlwpMk9RVem_P6Eu4gHa9FJC8idNUJhydmT1ZefG0HTnAIs3BS9S1o2vPSM6v0PVGU3XJo/s320/Changing%20the%20bed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">When I was
teaching, Sundays meant fitting in those last weekend events while still trying
to finish up those papers I needed to grade to hand back on Monday. <span><a name='more'></a></span>Those in
the teaching world I’m sure will recognize the phenomenon in which the longer it is
before you return work to the students, the less they’ll care about it.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now in retirement land, it’s usually
anyone’s bet what day of the week it is. But I am able to spot Sundays because
it’s the day the bed gets changed. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And by the way, whose great idea was it to
create pillowtop mattresses? Seemed like a good thing – more cush! – when I
bought it, but now I can’t flip it to delay localized sag. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So instead, I spun the mattress, top
to bottom and bottom to top. And as I shook out the sheets, I wondered – <i>When
were sheets invented?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to one source – from a nice
company trying to sell me bedding on line – we found refuge from our scratchy
blankets sometime in the 15<sup>th</sup> century when Rashid Sab-Anah invented
the flat sheet in Cairo. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>In the 16<sup>th</sup> century, the Greeks and Romans
were already stuffing their pillows with straw and down feathers. Like so many
other things, that part of the world was way ahead of some of us a who were probably still snoozing with the sheep. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And “hitting the hay?” That’s a
carryover from the Middle Ages, when the poorer folks slept on sacks of hay,
which had to be beaten daily to drive out the resident bugs. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-36349555810370947862024-02-24T09:15:00.000-08:002024-02-25T06:40:17.740-08:00Once more into the breach<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwthBzZ5JrrkfrCWXsd3-CKtsgeNmjRCHOBg6FRWfgv5ESm9bUz1hmKcD8iRH4bmjv_wsAkyh2Qn9bqTPMIcu-t6g9CUKXuThvXhxQBtWKXrSSB1vA-FI58ZDaYiBh0jpH0fWI5-XnPzYQxcMpVOrU7BRxMQP2G3w4lOoCs-8iJlf_93LJQJdCtxa_mY/s770/Once%20more%20into.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="770" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwthBzZ5JrrkfrCWXsd3-CKtsgeNmjRCHOBg6FRWfgv5ESm9bUz1hmKcD8iRH4bmjv_wsAkyh2Qn9bqTPMIcu-t6g9CUKXuThvXhxQBtWKXrSSB1vA-FI58ZDaYiBh0jpH0fWI5-XnPzYQxcMpVOrU7BRxMQP2G3w4lOoCs-8iJlf_93LJQJdCtxa_mY/s320/Once%20more%20into.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> They’re at it
again. A month ago, after our credit card was compromised, we spent hours and
days running the unforgiving obstacle course of contacting all the entities
that are paid by it.<span><a name='more'></a></span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And here we go again. We woke up this morning
to an alert from the bank issuing the card to tell us about a number of purchases
made while we were sleeping, all to random Google places. The fraud division
people – bless their corporate hearts – told us the attacks were coming thick
and fast so yes, <i>again</i>, we needed a new card.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At least, unlike last time, our bank
account is okay. But looks like we’ll be spending the day phoning our phone
provider, Amazon Prime, the YMCA, cable company, and other deserving folks. Cash
is looking pretty darn good about now.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-56412777396885363032024-02-22T08:54:00.000-08:002024-02-24T09:17:01.562-08:00Hunting and Gathering<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">With My Guy off at an art workshop, I decided to go to downtown
Venice, aka “the island” for a little shopping.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever since 1960, when
the West Coast Inland Waterway was created, the original city center has been an island, accessible only by crossing one of three bridges.<span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5l8k28qdKDErKsKlxoAfJMwFATpRHB7de5Yrh4NcpcYnIiiq0kvJRaXBe1dzQuJG4M_kpYQ2oILFD2F78IwWK0R963ViCUpgYWX5Kjr3qsbsUR8pigWhxz5HmdsjLkNKZK_T1xpTZ3fhK-EqgQssVT3_uODFu1CkpEkvNdonOY3bdNCo6zNuyQhWKCY/s2016/Hunting%20and%20Gathering1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5l8k28qdKDErKsKlxoAfJMwFATpRHB7de5Yrh4NcpcYnIiiq0kvJRaXBe1dzQuJG4M_kpYQ2oILFD2F78IwWK0R963ViCUpgYWX5Kjr3qsbsUR8pigWhxz5HmdsjLkNKZK_T1xpTZ3fhK-EqgQssVT3_uODFu1CkpEkvNdonOY3bdNCo6zNuyQhWKCY/w300-h400/Hunting%20and%20Gathering1.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Like this one I had to pause for,</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> opening for a boat beneath.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwzETpChmD-h_IBl53ZZY1_PBmwuCGWCRVWGLqTxMIXNyqSvf_X1j5-iJCeYLniSb_FJcxsIVpew98XOrcmQtd33odSAhajAJ6dt91uxMPAGve2mPK5Fp8o-MalMQ6cxLr0SFGPgJc_HMkGJWD8ya1W47stzJjz8xJWfYoiYdiIME1KKGWQ13wTtDSro/s840/Hunting%20and%20Gathering.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwzETpChmD-h_IBl53ZZY1_PBmwuCGWCRVWGLqTxMIXNyqSvf_X1j5-iJCeYLniSb_FJcxsIVpew98XOrcmQtd33odSAhajAJ6dt91uxMPAGve2mPK5Fp8o-MalMQ6cxLr0SFGPgJc_HMkGJWD8ya1W47stzJjz8xJWfYoiYdiIME1KKGWQ13wTtDSro/w496-h640/Hunting%20and%20Gathering.webp" width="496" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p>Today’s History Facts : </i>The Waterway is part of the
long Intracoastal waters, an idea that began shortly after the American Revolution
when government and military leaders saw the need for a secure route of
shipping along the Atlantic coast but not on the open sea. It stretches from
Virginia to Florida and is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5mChOG4bT9-qaH12TQQuw2K7mYM79Ew7lmdoelpuLxyBOUDuqneiQw4WHe10Fo9Y_6kKaoJ-52HWSRG_bNOTcorkP5J71MthheHSp-GswemwOAvd_6qisD8BLacbBhX96LJw5da7k3CeVsny58TMmtARTO81SKiBwp9XfNkBMNtCAu1Iy43ejd4dcmo/s640/Hunting%20and%20Gathering7.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="640" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5mChOG4bT9-qaH12TQQuw2K7mYM79Ew7lmdoelpuLxyBOUDuqneiQw4WHe10Fo9Y_6kKaoJ-52HWSRG_bNOTcorkP5J71MthheHSp-GswemwOAvd_6qisD8BLacbBhX96LJw5da7k3CeVsny58TMmtARTO81SKiBwp9XfNkBMNtCAu1Iy43ejd4dcmo/s320/Hunting%20and%20Gathering7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />As I should have expected, on a day too cool for the beach,
the stores were awash with people. Downtown is basically three streets, three
blocks long, made of buildings never higher than two stories. Very cozy and
sweet. But I soon tired of the crowds, first picking up some tee shirts to have
ready when the twin grandgirls come in April, and then I left, handing over my more-precious-than-gold
parking place to the next shopper.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">My day wasn’t a loss, though. Before leaving the island, I drove over to a run-down shopping center that was a gold mine of the pre-owned.
There was a women’s clothing consignment shop full of fancy brands, a thrift
store with proceeds going to the local animal shelter, and a Goodwill store so
big it had a row of at least 8 check-out stations. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpiG-3Nau2L57DREznzBFeb9-hylAgi9DqNtkVir8tioWjv_gHjCukqeaj213V3fmcMA3Djskmjz5SX1zMrHd91O4CnPfTEXqcZOXZPbFddm2E2AI8Bs48p0Z_lY5_CiNoSkpQkht8PlpMVb3UlENNZc3aGu5UA81ie7uogbRayDXpuzQjv9jk3gMlog/s1056/Hunting%20and%20Gathering4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wf5_sANEKQq0vETtZspuqeM5zNxTSqhsdRBnuwMpluwmETeF3m43epdyXHXR_3vEs_wIE_-dWCmxckV4i01HU9Q2u-n88aMTvJSAHGPLt3h5xMeGn5Jsen1-Ka40lJgNihT7bnhpcqaPnry_JdViHwLI7fOgFxaYqvm5cG69dUmo5HK_oXqC-PQB-Fs/s1056/Hunting%20and%20Gathering4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="694" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wf5_sANEKQq0vETtZspuqeM5zNxTSqhsdRBnuwMpluwmETeF3m43epdyXHXR_3vEs_wIE_-dWCmxckV4i01HU9Q2u-n88aMTvJSAHGPLt3h5xMeGn5Jsen1-Ka40lJgNihT7bnhpcqaPnry_JdViHwLI7fOgFxaYqvm5cG69dUmo5HK_oXqC-PQB-Fs/w263-h400/Hunting%20and%20Gathering4.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>The thrift store was eclectic to say the least.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTasP6dO2Uyp18MUQz3BgwauBtw_CBadv7umccsu5kMn38ejPQMK1YAHZZ3lXyRWD2h3YgVlvxPhuSCfb8qRjZuKtmhCTtemLGHW73j6bmmn2oD7MOOsBckXJIP6JpEvutHi6_CMB7ITagSW_484yNfD9YrW1WRWA7WwqMWhjtsfPvIbNxoN6LRuiWqA/s1428/Hunting%20and%20Gathering5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1428" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTasP6dO2Uyp18MUQz3BgwauBtw_CBadv7umccsu5kMn38ejPQMK1YAHZZ3lXyRWD2h3YgVlvxPhuSCfb8qRjZuKtmhCTtemLGHW73j6bmmn2oD7MOOsBckXJIP6JpEvutHi6_CMB7ITagSW_484yNfD9YrW1WRWA7WwqMWhjtsfPvIbNxoN6LRuiWqA/s320/Hunting%20and%20Gathering5.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>What <i>is</i> this??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezBs4NkJiGGphlMo3UsZSNZs-5zx0hPkStT1prl8eBKZcXYptk509o38K9BBAzdtDccwefgEdv9qpgkecVojtoa2v7wt0kLOqIPHUW40TVU8Bsqw9QMRg_mWb-heo4SS2_p_L7tr0IKFd2wSTH7F_yrIrOFqDTxWQgp2J_l9UAh5qDYGZ6ILZ_dD0YNM/s1415/Hunting%20and%20Gathering3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1206" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezBs4NkJiGGphlMo3UsZSNZs-5zx0hPkStT1prl8eBKZcXYptk509o38K9BBAzdtDccwefgEdv9qpgkecVojtoa2v7wt0kLOqIPHUW40TVU8Bsqw9QMRg_mWb-heo4SS2_p_L7tr0IKFd2wSTH7F_yrIrOFqDTxWQgp2J_l9UAh5qDYGZ6ILZ_dD0YNM/s320/Hunting%20and%20Gathering3.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I did find a couple of faux candles (complete with working
batteries!) for a total of $4.00. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">One goal was an angel food cake pan, and I found one at
Goodwill, but it was so weirdly small I’d either have to dump half
the batter down the sink, or resign myself to letting it oodge out all over the oven. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-34425258074183237952024-02-18T09:22:00.000-08:002024-02-22T08:54:46.054-08:00How to Entertain 101<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">My Guy and I
had a great evening of dinner and Mahjong at some friends’ house the other
night, but I have to say that another set friends have truly found the true key to
effortless entertaining.<span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">A couple that I play golf with from our condo complex has taken the plunge and bought a house. They haven’t sold their condo yet, and
haven’t moved themselves or their belongings since they figure a furnished home
shows (and sells) better than an empty one. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">After the three of us did our nine holes in the afternoon, we
met My Guy and another couple at their empty new place. The only furniture in the
house was the patio set the previous owners had left behind, but the most critical elements were there: plenty of beer, G & T, and a bag of chips. No cleaning
(other than the bathroom, which was spotless), no prepping, no cooking. No
pressure. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WQcViCunOmwaPWAE-DGDHIIN-bqDX8_qZ1iibAAUokIoBbn7iSZRXee93yXtJVtKu1CcOAN6HMSArp1sAmfiY_cdhN3cspeumg4Gl4frHNuh17k-Uir0a2Ond9ATC7CpjUgn36U2SiwUjoyd2SFlgrsVtbHs5VOzXKQjb3GGNEPmJHWPYdlHHi461N8/s1600/How%20to%20Entertain.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WQcViCunOmwaPWAE-DGDHIIN-bqDX8_qZ1iibAAUokIoBbn7iSZRXee93yXtJVtKu1CcOAN6HMSArp1sAmfiY_cdhN3cspeumg4Gl4frHNuh17k-Uir0a2Ond9ATC7CpjUgn36U2SiwUjoyd2SFlgrsVtbHs5VOzXKQjb3GGNEPmJHWPYdlHHi461N8/w640-h429/How%20to%20Entertain.webp" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />We sat on their lanai, enjoyed the soft breezes, looked at
the water beyond their pool, and enjoyed each other’s company.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> Then darkness fell and we all headed
home.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-22196023886088851532024-02-15T08:13:00.000-08:002024-02-25T13:57:11.436-08:00Heights, Lights, and Turtles<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjWvi3kdnQ78eerbWr1s22Wrtr1eK6QsAYzjika7kWc11lw3HcV0PMxLhFZsesB1aciUeunjkkzVIgmW34673aQLTNoz0IqQ87asewaFNFFphdaLeZ7o79F5whTYvoyhQlGcCJzlvZ3__qkgzWDN1Ej0zdfkFQlnxsyrnDyFaL29KdTwVkn-lg_RSN6g/s1657/Heights,%20lights,%20turtles.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1657" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjWvi3kdnQ78eerbWr1s22Wrtr1eK6QsAYzjika7kWc11lw3HcV0PMxLhFZsesB1aciUeunjkkzVIgmW34673aQLTNoz0IqQ87asewaFNFFphdaLeZ7o79F5whTYvoyhQlGcCJzlvZ3__qkgzWDN1Ej0zdfkFQlnxsyrnDyFaL29KdTwVkn-lg_RSN6g/s320/Heights,%20lights,%20turtles.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> The entertainment value of my walk around the complex –
usually limited to an audio book on my phone – went up the other day as I
spotted first, giant finials on the ground, and second, the men who were
installing them.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> In the post-hurricane complete
replacement of all the roofs, the finials had to come down and even though they
serve no purpose, they were part of the original design and so by contract they
must be returned to the roofs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XYcGTR_sO98jSlfFcKmCOCWOzuQ3SoKAbiyd4qdXOMDaH2U8pVlz_P5OOJzek2bn43-6TMCEVlLPiNnRTTewzd4VZ9HSYMWmhqPM1RYU-9FBvXjMlRWJtNZeLsc7V5xOc1rq-J4TjqxazJSgPETvhRZv5rI-SJGr7z-5y8A_kMybIw1BUKcEr-GJjQ4/s1691/Heights,%20lights,%20turtles2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="1691" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XYcGTR_sO98jSlfFcKmCOCWOzuQ3SoKAbiyd4qdXOMDaH2U8pVlz_P5OOJzek2bn43-6TMCEVlLPiNnRTTewzd4VZ9HSYMWmhqPM1RYU-9FBvXjMlRWJtNZeLsc7V5xOc1rq-J4TjqxazJSgPETvhRZv5rI-SJGr7z-5y8A_kMybIw1BUKcEr-GJjQ4/s320/Heights,%20lights,%20turtles2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> I walked on, not wanting to let my
imagination play with the idea of that workman strolling around three floors up
with no guywire. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> My Guy and I went out for breakfast,
which was nice except for the disappointing contrast between the description on
the menu – Eggs Benedict with crab, asparagus, and Hollandaise sauce – and the
reality – overcooked eggs, 3 tiny limp asparagi, a scattering of crab flakes,
and a thimbleful of sauce dribbled ineffectually across. And no, I didn’t
complain to the really nice waitress. I cheered myself up with all the calories
I was being spared with this desiccated version. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-qnl3x0aE6JRtVNir1y_-A6klDcoBU_u7TfrpS7B7P2IM_HuLWb3jxiXC7PPgl6YdTXNb2uZtj0_TzVTnXnMwLvEB9-BvsmnSgwexNJPf6wKkPadDBe8QMlYE8hkn72OajEwupzEj5D_jgtD9iMwE6uLnWBf92uZrkQdKVEIfPeomlxbwQlCmZPKKE4/s287/Heights,%20lights,%20turtles3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="287" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-qnl3x0aE6JRtVNir1y_-A6klDcoBU_u7TfrpS7B7P2IM_HuLWb3jxiXC7PPgl6YdTXNb2uZtj0_TzVTnXnMwLvEB9-BvsmnSgwexNJPf6wKkPadDBe8QMlYE8hkn72OajEwupzEj5D_jgtD9iMwE6uLnWBf92uZrkQdKVEIfPeomlxbwQlCmZPKKE4/s1600/Heights,%20lights,%20turtles3.jpg" width="287" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Plus, as
we left we looked up to see a city worker cleaning a streetlamp with the
attention to detail you’d see in a grandma’s parlor, never mind the hundreds
more he likely had ahead of him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> And back to the home front, it looks as though
we do have some life in our little pond after all. In the late afternoons, we’ve
spotted as many as twelve little turtle noses at a time poking up from the
water outside our porch. Yesterday, I was idly chatting on the phone with my
daughter when I thought I saw something dark on the bank opposite. Finally
remembering we had binoculars, I confirmed it – a big guy was sunning himself,
head extended into the air, while two of his friends lounged below, half in the
water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8fr9e-YbW7c2z_lue19ojuHu4JGtX66ckUX6d4VflcgW4PdWC9Bjh2tP7UwdjkXNTqY19q2rcVscli5MNi5tntVWtiVFNm7Or76Jjpf56Unhg374YWKNYnkZz5NuwpqkrT72HGtlRqVZ5Nc2KpXZ4KPUSos7vmnfd3yH1grJKXfoFz7xF6-EG5raj14/s641/heights,%20lights,%20turtles4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="641" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8fr9e-YbW7c2z_lue19ojuHu4JGtX66ckUX6d4VflcgW4PdWC9Bjh2tP7UwdjkXNTqY19q2rcVscli5MNi5tntVWtiVFNm7Or76Jjpf56Unhg374YWKNYnkZz5NuwpqkrT72HGtlRqVZ5Nc2KpXZ4KPUSos7vmnfd3yH1grJKXfoFz7xF6-EG5raj14/s320/heights,%20lights,%20turtles4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></div>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-82676624011357068952024-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:002024-02-15T08:13:34.310-08:00Compos Mentis<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> I knew I’d just had it in my hand.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In fact,
I thought it had just been . . . .<i>here.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hadn’t
it?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I couldn’t
find my library book, which was ridiculous because it’s an Elizabeth George,
which means the hardbacks are larger than my toaster. This edition was a
paperback version, but was still big enough to prop open a door on a windy day,
definitely not the kind of thing to get lost between the sofa cushions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Bathroom,
bedroom, living room, kitchen, den. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Den,
kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nothing.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">After
the third exasperated pass through the house, I began opening cupboards,
closets, and the fridge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL5b8UhMzFsXe3ki_7xu5fZDcCbWnElC6g-qjjSMAWAlUYtw16cTMmnd_YKW_NL1jiS-6eFY0sHozNGLpJy4IaoQHJ-I19rGi5SXvgitClEAGm6igSCLRpgigZF5zOH48dQY8BkwxXDmCFH9uci2J59ewAkRmKoNUyNl2geactJd0b3PNQNSX_KckVVs/s2016/Compos%20mentis.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL5b8UhMzFsXe3ki_7xu5fZDcCbWnElC6g-qjjSMAWAlUYtw16cTMmnd_YKW_NL1jiS-6eFY0sHozNGLpJy4IaoQHJ-I19rGi5SXvgitClEAGm6igSCLRpgigZF5zOH48dQY8BkwxXDmCFH9uci2J59ewAkRmKoNUyNl2geactJd0b3PNQNSX_KckVVs/w480-h640/Compos%20mentis.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Well, of
course. Where else would you expect to find a 719-paged tale of murder than in the
drawer dedicated to containers for leftovers?</span><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-47682328407309771022024-02-05T09:17:00.000-08:002024-02-10T11:19:52.807-08:00Someone else's shoes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYBfUFecCRH3QhrLJ7VDzzVD3uCXBl40WdAL5qH7JxQ_PXVVliwMBRxGIkCzF_XaQ4lkhaJUZ-xTt1Mo0LFm1gSkPKZrKDtsh3AlMDdOmpB4MxTgiyfEY_01N6rlXnLmw8EL_spw07fxfFLCUExLCiMWMImFCi6ypsxIWv0mBIQr0JDYfKKImqdvYjEU/s902/wearing%20the%20other%20shoe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="902" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYBfUFecCRH3QhrLJ7VDzzVD3uCXBl40WdAL5qH7JxQ_PXVVliwMBRxGIkCzF_XaQ4lkhaJUZ-xTt1Mo0LFm1gSkPKZrKDtsh3AlMDdOmpB4MxTgiyfEY_01N6rlXnLmw8EL_spw07fxfFLCUExLCiMWMImFCi6ypsxIWv0mBIQr0JDYfKKImqdvYjEU/w400-h200/wearing%20the%20other%20shoe.jpg" width="400" /></a><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We haven’t exactly had glorious Florida weather for the past
few weeks, so with another blustery upper-60s day, My Guy and I happily chose an
inside table at the waterside restaurant for another mid-week lunch. It’s always breezy here,
and the closer you get to the water, the more the wind picks up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We could see several groups of people on
the porch right outside our window, and they looked comfortable enough since
the restaurant had strategically placed wind shades to slow things down a bit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Halfway through our lunch a young
couple arrived, he, fit and handsome, her, willowy and very attractive with
long silvery-blond hair framing her face. I watched with interest as they chose
a table outside, diagonally across from our window. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My own hair is long enough to be an
issue, so I’ve become skilled at outside dining. A slight breeze : loose hair
but sunglasses on top holding it back. A stiffer breeze : sunglasses +
ponytail. So windy all napkins go flying : ponytail + baseball cap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The young lady was facing me, and I
decided that judging by her continuous smiles and fussing with her long, long
hair – they must be on a date. Perhaps they chose their table because its view
was unimpeded by a shade, but he sat with his back to the sun while she was
pinned to her chair as though in a 1,000 watt spotlight.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In spite of her sunglasses, in order to
see him, she had to constantly hold one hand over her brow while controlling
her hair and also attempting to eat her lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Along with knowing I would by then
have slapped a ball cap on my head, I began to ask myself questions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why didn’t he see how uncomfortable
she was and switch seats? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or change tables?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Did she need his approval so badly she
was willing to put a brave face on wind and sun?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Juicier than that – maybe this was a power
play situation: hostage? Sex worker?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It certainly added spice to my crab
cake. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-66866429904888428552024-01-31T07:03:00.000-08:002024-02-05T09:18:24.725-08:00Destruction and Construction<p> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Yesterday after some laundry, a walk, and computer time, we
decided to go out for lunch. It’s still in the 60s, so we didn’t feel any great
need to find a scenic spot by the bay. Instead, we went to a once-blank area
(think scrub pines and cattle) that’s being transformed into a town. Once completed, Wellen Park will have 22,000
homes.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s a similar
shopping/living/dining build to the north of us – Lakewood Ranch. It’s been
there a few years and is pleasant to visit even if it does have a manufactured,
Disney-like quality. Betcha can’t guess from the name what used to be there in
its place. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After lunch we drove around, agog at
the vast stretches of empty, moon-like land all readied for the trucks to roll
in, and at the house after villa after multi-condo already being constructed,
most of them <i>starting</i> at $400,000. Are that many people really coming
here? It’s terrifying. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We returned home and thanked our stars
that seven years ago we’d lucked upon this modest and cozy complex. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We were so cozy last night we decided
to stay in and skip the complex’s trivia night, although another big factor was
the cases of Covid that had hit our neighbors over the holidays.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maybe I’ll send you some photos of the
construction devastation one of these days but in the meantime you can enjoy
the progression of the sunset last week when we took our beach chairs and
G&Ts to watch the show. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As spectacular as these scenes are,
the real thing was so overwhelming it looked like the sky had been overtaken by
molten lava. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKIVQkPK3Fy11zvGTfn54P438IJSru1nFlsVQsZsUpGmP7XzBTMqJnt7DhOYBE6-cVvjqgHhQ443jijHCUc7KaQQ7HfZp4j12chMbQkmCHlmH2RpN9PIBYtQeuqO7SGXIFJsjiTcYyLwcqnBfSCxzCWcCKqKKxC1fqHRbzGTrDBJMN9pBmMEKoi0ogtk/s2016/Destruction1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2016" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKIVQkPK3Fy11zvGTfn54P438IJSru1nFlsVQsZsUpGmP7XzBTMqJnt7DhOYBE6-cVvjqgHhQ443jijHCUc7KaQQ7HfZp4j12chMbQkmCHlmH2RpN9PIBYtQeuqO7SGXIFJsjiTcYyLwcqnBfSCxzCWcCKqKKxC1fqHRbzGTrDBJMN9pBmMEKoi0ogtk/s320/Destruction1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqjn1qTsacZB32x_75bkIRYdDRvC55NJ3di3Z9ABL83aqO5y7XmyOXoMwND4A6uFViMFZu8kSQCck-fVvbRxP5HrV9rdyoosydhS6dnofY1zqAYqOYdeko_CIbAoZ1UgjivhdcqyWZlnY6wUbLXDTi32d1t0QZCWQaSuoy9Gy_FOxlONPueNWjbkiZ5I/s2016/Destruction2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="2016" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqjn1qTsacZB32x_75bkIRYdDRvC55NJ3di3Z9ABL83aqO5y7XmyOXoMwND4A6uFViMFZu8kSQCck-fVvbRxP5HrV9rdyoosydhS6dnofY1zqAYqOYdeko_CIbAoZ1UgjivhdcqyWZlnY6wUbLXDTi32d1t0QZCWQaSuoy9Gy_FOxlONPueNWjbkiZ5I/w400-h291/Destruction2.jpg" width="400" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaUMBeojWVI-y8mwvGuBEOGXDVr5lMdbyDD8WfeT-S7Whj5n8xnBF35ij_69_zFOQFSS4u-W3uKVfFPOSH4wF_KUC0pMNv0xoB3h_H8smW4s9MorJz9IJecSfkWVdEHrkS-zHzTVQIoTtkWiwV24oQmWVIQ9TK6Rm2w32RBI5PjzzGpV5uyBB9B53V6w/s2016/Destruction3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="2016" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaUMBeojWVI-y8mwvGuBEOGXDVr5lMdbyDD8WfeT-S7Whj5n8xnBF35ij_69_zFOQFSS4u-W3uKVfFPOSH4wF_KUC0pMNv0xoB3h_H8smW4s9MorJz9IJecSfkWVdEHrkS-zHzTVQIoTtkWiwV24oQmWVIQ9TK6Rm2w32RBI5PjzzGpV5uyBB9B53V6w/w640-h308/Destruction3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-64830136810722242352024-01-28T08:48:00.000-08:002024-01-31T07:04:23.894-08:00Chats and Rats<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_PtPkuEt-1XEZbBzTEKC8vHWEvW8_nI_oCZDjZMqi7vSwJJHOidlPfIuYmUK8L0jJLEkXkRTgrm-B201iBspyKa2soTd8x1gzSKeZeHHEjIsL3pdY4c1_e9pWHVP8KC-_u2YzoUksDlqKhWH3bGP0ctoOXaMzIaWsHjVQvCD-xWPhXWhF-7ik1_Lh1Q/s259/Chats%20and%20rats2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_PtPkuEt-1XEZbBzTEKC8vHWEvW8_nI_oCZDjZMqi7vSwJJHOidlPfIuYmUK8L0jJLEkXkRTgrm-B201iBspyKa2soTd8x1gzSKeZeHHEjIsL3pdY4c1_e9pWHVP8KC-_u2YzoUksDlqKhWH3bGP0ctoOXaMzIaWsHjVQvCD-xWPhXWhF-7ik1_Lh1Q/s1600/Chats%20and%20rats2.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></div><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><br /> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> Maybe it was a childhood of growing up
in a suburban single-family home, but I remember as a child being fascinated by
those Indian pueblos, all those homes stuck one on top of another. It looked
like fun, maybe climbing a ladder up to your neighbor.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You might sacrifice a little privacy
in condo living, but one bonus is the availability of small conversations on
your way to empty the trash. Yesterday I was loading things in the back of my
car when my upstairs neighbor stopped to chat. She’s an interesting person,
working as a life coach while her retired podiatrist husband acts as a docent
at the local history museum. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We went through the conversation I
swear we have every time, in which she asks if we hear her dog barking or if
she and her husband are too loud. Sandwiched as she is on the second floor, I
guess she knows what it is to hear the neighbor above. I’m used to it now, but that
was an adjustment when we first moved in, hearing footsteps above. I assured
her they were fine, (even though today, like every other day, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to
their distant walking as they started their day) much better than the people
they replaced who I’m convinced threw on hobnail boots and spiked heels as soon
as they were out of bed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I remarked that this year I hadn’t
seen much – if any – wildlife out on our small pond. Moorhens used to nest in
the grasses by the bridge, mallards would be out there honking, and we’d sit
out on the porch and watch the herons stalk by. Granted, we’d had an alligator last
year, but I’m happy to say he was removed so he couldn’t be the cause. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlF7yAqCXtdbop9aiAkayBqWCW6TP0AxzkqAKb23S5Ds0Vw0KkbwKR2kDb_cauQUUXH2crAy3LhuWKXUtHjdrrPCw9NKpkNDi-FgcrATYTOVfK8TelVgJ_Slu5zAtcArXJTf5vzTu47-hl-Gi7RSAaKhxqQbpQwxjWbjk_wjy0IXgx8lqgQcLWT-SkaM/s1512/Chats%20and%20rats.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1512" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlF7yAqCXtdbop9aiAkayBqWCW6TP0AxzkqAKb23S5Ds0Vw0KkbwKR2kDb_cauQUUXH2crAy3LhuWKXUtHjdrrPCw9NKpkNDi-FgcrATYTOVfK8TelVgJ_Slu5zAtcArXJTf5vzTu47-hl-Gi7RSAaKhxqQbpQwxjWbjk_wjy0IXgx8lqgQcLWT-SkaM/w640-h296/Chats%20and%20rats.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She said, “Oh, that’s because Linda’s
stopped feeding the birds.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This was surprising, because in the
past every morning I’d see her outside tossing bird seed into the grass. At
least it wasn’t white bread, which a past (moved, thank goodness) next-door
neighbor here used to scatter. White bread offers no more nutritional value to
wild animals than it does to us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“So, why'd she stop?” I asked. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Because of the rats.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> In Linda's eagerness to draw in her
feathered friends, she’d gained a few others. </span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-51004607748281745452024-01-26T09:17:00.000-08:002024-01-28T08:48:33.192-08:00Sleeping Easy<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">So “Succession” scored 27 nominations, with 6 winners. Big
deal. I got rid of a couch.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Truly, this felt like a comparable
achievement. As anyone who’s tried to unload a piece of stuffed furniture can
tell you, accomplishing this can give you the same rush of victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, if you’re lucky enough to find someone
willing to take it off your hands, you still need them to, well, <i>take it.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was only a small loveseat, but it’s
not like we could tote it out to the car ourselves, even if it didn’t have a
fold-out bed inside. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fortunately, last year I’d helped here
in a complex-wide spring clean out that sent unwanted items to a charitable
foundation that not only would take upholstered furniture (in resaleable
condition) but pick it up in their truck as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX2eAfJx2bT4tU_DjH80qYQfm7knQiwnf48lL_VCieoTUOKvCMnS58OlA07GTQxVeu5ZbdRdKTlUBo5GnWv02AxdocFJBKIyv7U4ie2wYhy3KyigGBC4njqlYHsW0Abwr56JvQK7oJdHdoctk0dRQEzmlY0pSvdIoqzd0wW_a92J78n0CuZD3mKzPecg/s2016/Sleeping%20easy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX2eAfJx2bT4tU_DjH80qYQfm7knQiwnf48lL_VCieoTUOKvCMnS58OlA07GTQxVeu5ZbdRdKTlUBo5GnWv02AxdocFJBKIyv7U4ie2wYhy3KyigGBC4njqlYHsW0Abwr56JvQK7oJdHdoctk0dRQEzmlY0pSvdIoqzd0wW_a92J78n0CuZD3mKzPecg/w150-h200/Sleeping%20easy.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> This was at least the couch’s second
home – we’d bought it at a consignment shop – but it was time for it to move
on. A couch that only sleeps one, preferable someone under 5’10”, wasn’t
cutting it with our 6+ plus grandsons who’d already pointed out that under the
mattress was the same back-breaking iron bar seen in that Seinfeld episode. And
flinging blow-up mattresses on the floor in our tiny den wasn’t working either.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nervously, off to Amazon I went. I’ve
never bought anything larger than a lawn chair on line, but I was desperate –
and cheap. What I had in mind was hundreds and hundreds of dollars in the
stores here. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Magically, in the same
morning the couch went and four big boxes were delivered by a none-too-happy
Amazon guy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9ihtVSKxI6jQIeWEy8sZEqqjcsz8QxrIHgEQW3-VpGp9mLXepT3AKNkUG5c5HJ8q5TBMfxA5idEIdWBB0Kq2Xv-Wd7gDmI8TtDrVCFH7H6PCRxSEZapPlfB8YB9jUOvbB9jp7alJKzzxm3oABjnWdQ8mDEdcFnuO2rw-w1toywwYzHNwQQSu_DUCBXU/s2016/Sleeping%20easy2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9ihtVSKxI6jQIeWEy8sZEqqjcsz8QxrIHgEQW3-VpGp9mLXepT3AKNkUG5c5HJ8q5TBMfxA5idEIdWBB0Kq2Xv-Wd7gDmI8TtDrVCFH7H6PCRxSEZapPlfB8YB9jUOvbB9jp7alJKzzxm3oABjnWdQ8mDEdcFnuO2rw-w1toywwYzHNwQQSu_DUCBXU/w150-h200/Sleeping%20easy2.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>My Guy’s and my graduate degrees were
put to the test, but we assembled one chair in spite of the graphic directions
being reversed at one point.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnflDlx7ElPePnNGTfUj45qpU6FhIm5hJ0_kcE824ApJqUk4Mk5yaRBEpv9ZLHQD_dTWVNzKqLy349QtVpHLIyCwhL5_EA38CiIWTFJOwr5mT5tkChRg_r7oet-mxyBAnJ5UOGCmSReEuVlVadf76Loriw1oand-Y8fqkDFfP5RdchYucC5dEHnVJwaA/s2016/Sleeping%20easy3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnflDlx7ElPePnNGTfUj45qpU6FhIm5hJ0_kcE824ApJqUk4Mk5yaRBEpv9ZLHQD_dTWVNzKqLy349QtVpHLIyCwhL5_EA38CiIWTFJOwr5mT5tkChRg_r7oet-mxyBAnJ5UOGCmSReEuVlVadf76Loriw1oand-Y8fqkDFfP5RdchYucC5dEHnVJwaA/w200-h150/Sleeping%20easy3.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> I put together the second the next day while he
was hovering next to the window (for reception), trying to sort out our hacked
and tangled financial life. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnt9OVNJB0EuCK1ZOCabIvSH8jgcFWUr9futI5hxjZ5zEJd34GH2gkhzY4UeigICWBQzUORIHjwNvhP1PxMJ6w9-mbLrn03rkE9ooxm8AdcY1sYL17xWLIFjuQbBGHP2BXqBsMwgKZt_nyNR4LuEJvSgUe-2dOhdVTYkxcqhwFcnN2p93BNWD0yPpcPM/s1203/Sleeping%20easy4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1203" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnt9OVNJB0EuCK1ZOCabIvSH8jgcFWUr9futI5hxjZ5zEJd34GH2gkhzY4UeigICWBQzUORIHjwNvhP1PxMJ6w9-mbLrn03rkE9ooxm8AdcY1sYL17xWLIFjuQbBGHP2BXqBsMwgKZt_nyNR4LuEJvSgUe-2dOhdVTYkxcqhwFcnN2p93BNWD0yPpcPM/s320/Sleeping%20easy4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They’re not exactly cushy, but we now
have two useful chairs that take up much less room when unfolded, and yet are
78” long for the big boys. I’m ordering bed toppers to enhance the experience.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-61037011137996956462024-01-25T08:25:00.000-08:002024-01-25T08:25:14.388-08:00Time Travel<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2QJ19hSmr0P01Yc6SWGrBFSG1gtHl8LILxVJQfbe3zGDkyRL8DarZfoUOU9eH5FzH7ItpGNNRYs6TUmi7wY-mTCimtkKpynhaD3hVLvTv_fQMtSLQhWaJPwN1QoVu509OBmV8Vaol_meu6I0cdFFmrMuZaNjTiwd68x5fbarSkTv3Sph64xAvMklMqs/s259/Time%20travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2QJ19hSmr0P01Yc6SWGrBFSG1gtHl8LILxVJQfbe3zGDkyRL8DarZfoUOU9eH5FzH7ItpGNNRYs6TUmi7wY-mTCimtkKpynhaD3hVLvTv_fQMtSLQhWaJPwN1QoVu509OBmV8Vaol_meu6I0cdFFmrMuZaNjTiwd68x5fbarSkTv3Sph64xAvMklMqs/s1600/Time%20travel.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> A letter to
the editor in Tuesday’s paper reminded me of something else I read the other day.
The writer, who came to spend the winter here in Florida, said he hadn’t realized that
not only was he traveling south, but he was also moving backward in time.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Did
you know that –<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Florida
observes Robert E. Lee’s birthday on Jan 19, Confederate Memorial Day on April
26, and Jefferson Davis’ birthday on June 8. At least they’re not paid holidays
for state employees, although they are in Alabama and Mississippi. Even better,
in 1983 several states combined Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday with Robert
E. Lee celebrations to create “King-Lee Day.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
DiSantis’ campaign may be over, but the book banning continues and in the
latest development, sociology has been canceled in the public colleges. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> At
Pickleball the other day, one person said she’d have to leave early because she
was going to an abortion rally. I said, “Good for you,” and then realized she’d
probably be holding a different placard than the one I was picturing. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-77736060527276806492024-01-19T06:48:00.000-08:002024-01-25T08:25:36.196-08:00Changing Times<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Pickleball was cancelled this
morning on account of damp.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> Wet courts and aging bones are not a healthy
combination. And yes, My Guy and I really do have enough sense to be grateful
we’re here in Florida while every other single person we know or are related to
are shoveling and slipping and shivering.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But I’ve never seen this much rain here at this time of year.
In fact, generally we would go for weeks in the winter without seeing a drop. In
the winter months we’re usually bemoaning the evaporating pool outside that’s
supposed to be a small pond. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This week our daughter in New Jersey texted to say that school
was cancelled yet again and the temps were plummeting. Coincidentally, just
then I was watching the old “Day After Tomorrow” – the one about a climate Armageddon
– and realized that my reaction when I read her text was pretty much, “yup”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This movie used to seem like science fiction, but these days
we’re absorbing weather aberrations with a fatalistic acceptance. The movie’s triple
simultaneous tornadoes in San Francisco? Softball-sized chunks of ice falling
from Tokyo skies?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The
ocean washing over NYC streets? It doesn’t seem so far-fetched now. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPArOY0j9j8FKiHmbC4IsPovdUT-rPCBYE1Wh6g6PIejBakVEKCXUnwVv19IMmU9Trb3dYRHr2kxcdxpRmD2UPhC_Vjy7iX9MjTt2oIYOk4KB7nEYB31nnjs1II8MPmd600vJ6_ZOf3Qn8_IQBfiBGAETv64UD-bcCN5jBCXTxhZ6nd5v9RKx4ZXi9myk/s846/changing%20times2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="846" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPArOY0j9j8FKiHmbC4IsPovdUT-rPCBYE1Wh6g6PIejBakVEKCXUnwVv19IMmU9Trb3dYRHr2kxcdxpRmD2UPhC_Vjy7iX9MjTt2oIYOk4KB7nEYB31nnjs1II8MPmd600vJ6_ZOf3Qn8_IQBfiBGAETv64UD-bcCN5jBCXTxhZ6nd5v9RKx4ZXi9myk/w640-h264/changing%20times2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first day we arrived here, we
drove down to the causeway (whose giant boulders and asphalt path were washed
away last year in a storm) that reaches toward the Gulf. We were lucky
to score a spot for our car with a first row view of the ocean. It was about 70
out, with a stiff wind, nothing unusual. Except the water was filled with
surfers in wet suits, riding the waves rolling in from some storm far out at
sea, something I’ve never seen on our placid waters. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-12745525339210072292024-01-15T13:21:00.000-08:002024-01-19T06:48:50.227-08:00Dead Zones and Dead Phones<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Here in our place in Florida, we live in a bunker. Our walls
are cinderblock, surrounded by our neighbors in the building whose walls are
also – you guessed it – more cinderblock.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCoRCizl3TvTSX_7cUmbxI05tN2bSb_WwcnPpFnJlotoLt5qtQmGMAJxW4gxbBWb0phI1qy3Re7rsVJPGPTkCL19M2kzIAWeZX_PzHK8ha62Pbk7ilINs7I8nGCQ6ItKUJj8L1SFvAze1HunaNXwMlJ2sYf1gUgCzWt9kxKrruMib6zRwQTjFSk9vAeQ/s2016/Dead%20Zones.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCoRCizl3TvTSX_7cUmbxI05tN2bSb_WwcnPpFnJlotoLt5qtQmGMAJxW4gxbBWb0phI1qy3Re7rsVJPGPTkCL19M2kzIAWeZX_PzHK8ha62Pbk7ilINs7I8nGCQ6ItKUJj8L1SFvAze1HunaNXwMlJ2sYf1gUgCzWt9kxKrruMib6zRwQTjFSk9vAeQ/s320/Dead%20Zones.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We’ve grown used to dashing to the
porch or the nearest open window when our phones ring. If we’re going to make
an outgoing call, we plan ahead, camping out in the dining area with the slider
door open. Or while we were slogging through the gazillion calls necessary to
sort out banks and credit card companies when our account was hacked, huddled
next to the window in the den (where the computer is) with the phone strategically
balanced on a trash can. Okay, so we may have been broadcasting our financial
information to the parking lot, but it was either that or carrier pigeon. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except one day my phone was even less
cooperative than before, cutting out as soon as a call came in and absolutely
refusing to dial out. Until a half hour later when it would connect. And then later it
wouldn’t. One moment I had a phone and the next I might as well have been
dialing on a shoe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Down we went to the Verizon store.
After digging in my heels for years, I now have a new phone, although the one I
gave up, an iPhone 7, still felt new to me. Or maybe that was just the new case
I received for my birthday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve almost figured out how to operate
this new toy, although I’m not happy that it’s heavier and physically bigger
than my old one. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And now that we’ve bought it, we’ve
seen multiple comments online from people here complaining about their phone
problems and the reason for them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Infrastructure! The epic, incredible,
mind-boggling number of people who’ve moved to this area is so ginormous the
cell towers can’t handle the load. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-53007063944482048152024-01-14T07:46:00.000-08:002024-01-15T13:21:42.753-08:00Watch your back (or fingers)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJgpLfqB7DixvNui8O2Xev6BRC8txfbdyx5ZJMn-qXndFx8ROEVTgrAGezHULy4td5L_bQVer-c2AJa8_wVXSYf1s-cDFKmXTsz_M179XEMhQ97IbjITH29OwyGLp-vG2SCnKJg4CcQGI07EPgYLWYYcYFbJohKdRSc87Wwx01THEBo8Y1GMlV4i82RY/s4000/Watch%20your%20back.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2224" data-original-width="4000" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJgpLfqB7DixvNui8O2Xev6BRC8txfbdyx5ZJMn-qXndFx8ROEVTgrAGezHULy4td5L_bQVer-c2AJa8_wVXSYf1s-cDFKmXTsz_M179XEMhQ97IbjITH29OwyGLp-vG2SCnKJg4CcQGI07EPgYLWYYcYFbJohKdRSc87Wwx01THEBo8Y1GMlV4i82RY/s320/Watch%20your%20back.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />We’ve had a busy past couple of days, and not in a good way.<span><a name='more'></a></span>
<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My Guy was sitting with his phone the
other day, updating Amazon tv kinds of things. It seemed we needed to update
our information for the site, but when he got to the prompt that asked for bank
account and routing numbers, he quickly closed out. Phew!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except I guess not quickly enough
because his credit card was invaded. He called that into the card’s fraud
people and canceled the card. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then a second card was hacked. Closed
it. New cards in the mail. Fortunately, I usually travel with my LLBean credit
card, which I have never used in the many years I’ve had it. I only have the
account to order things now and then. I gave him that card until the other new
ones arrived. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He got up Thursday ready to leave for gym, but sat down to check accounts. Someone had accessed our back account and wired
a significant amount of money to be drawn to them. *!#!@! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> All of Thursday was spent contacting,
first the bank (of course), and then the seemingly endless places that connect to
our back account, and canceling the payments due to be drawn from the old
account which would now bounce. You know, minor stuff like taxes and utilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Late at night, before all this crashed
down, he’d noticed an anomaly – someone had deposited 25 cents into our
checking and 39 cents into our savings. Hmm. We now know that opened a pathway
for the fraudsters and proved it was an active account. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Three days later, we have a shiny new
bank account (the old one was 50+ years old), leaving the old one available
only for deposits so that his pension and Social Security payments can still arrive.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And today we hope to finish a complete
glossary of who we pay to and how the money gets there. Silver lining?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-3863685363605114812024-01-10T08:01:00.000-08:002024-01-14T07:47:12.706-08:00Finally, I'm back<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq01LgN2ts0dIrrNIA0wy7coiRZP96RzM0ch_8HeNyShIGMsYMOBCiVgR3NSONze7LV5ZQh_loDKqe5WZvGVWUBaM-ohzL4fvmE6NLB7ADlOEPjO06YEJz52s13xyjZD1njjyvwBvQs_7e-aP9f9Xd_-tgvVZCdT20SXK3ihuEJOggAM858kgx_Bm-TM/s262/Finally%20Im%20back.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="262" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWq01LgN2ts0dIrrNIA0wy7coiRZP96RzM0ch_8HeNyShIGMsYMOBCiVgR3NSONze7LV5ZQh_loDKqe5WZvGVWUBaM-ohzL4fvmE6NLB7ADlOEPjO06YEJz52s13xyjZD1njjyvwBvQs_7e-aP9f9Xd_-tgvVZCdT20SXK3ihuEJOggAM858kgx_Bm-TM/w400-h266/Finally%20Im%20back.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It’s been a busy few weeks; like many people, full of
shopping, cooking, and family. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">We had our usual secular Christmas, hosting our
kids and 4 of the 5 Jewish grandkids. We were short one grandson – he opted to
stay back with his girlfriend whose mother had just died and for whom he’d been
provided emotional support. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My Guy and I constantly point out to
each other how lucky we are. A great daughter and son, no family drama, and
everyone seems to actually enjoy each other’s company. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My biggest pressure was keeping the food
coming, with our two-person household suddenly expanded to 10, two of them sizeable
grandsons and two more 5 year-old grandgirls who seem to exist only on pasta
and fruit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then, since everyone had left, and
exactly one week later we were to be on the road heading to Florida for the
next 4 months, I had to somehow gut the fridge of all that largesse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few creative meals, some items delegated to
the freezer, a container of sour cream to a neighbor, and I’m proud to say very
little was sent to the trash. We always travel with a cooler full of carrot
sticks, hard-boiled eggs, and peanut butter sandwiches, so that’s another way
to use up food.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Side note, if you freeze cheese (as I
learned from last summer’s storage in the freezer now that I’m down here in the
land of palm trees), it’ll taste okay but will only be useful in the form of
crumbles.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-14892026004743448192023-12-15T11:56:00.000-08:002024-01-10T08:03:28.946-08:00Fears Realized<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDSNO9qEC-oaRBNPUz-r7DOThWuKvcnW8VIcjp91S_Si4oj7DrZZtMinXcb3TtAUJuagwFrsCFtiHg19Oz8Fvc6-BbDQN_oPTzq8KkoF0xpFB4obGez2tmVJlnwN41RRRwlkh5LowGFTafNBZQcORjNIpGeRWtPUzykLjnDv-sY55lm3xN_EkK5oQIFc/s212/worst%20fears.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="104" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDSNO9qEC-oaRBNPUz-r7DOThWuKvcnW8VIcjp91S_Si4oj7DrZZtMinXcb3TtAUJuagwFrsCFtiHg19Oz8Fvc6-BbDQN_oPTzq8KkoF0xpFB4obGez2tmVJlnwN41RRRwlkh5LowGFTafNBZQcORjNIpGeRWtPUzykLjnDv-sY55lm3xN_EkK5oQIFc/s1600/worst%20fears.jpg" width="104" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I hate having my teeth cleaned. It’s probably due to the bad
old days when my gums had started receding and that fiendish jet-powered water cannon
was used to scrub at the base of your teeth.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, thanks to Covid, that
evil mechanism seems to be retired (I think because it would stir up germs and
blast them into the air) and we’re back to the good old days of picking and
scraping the tartar away. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I’m sitting there, gripping the chair
arms and waiting for the tech to hit a nerve, I tell myself, <i>Well, at least
I don’t have a cold. </i>Dental work is unpleasant enough without gagging
because your sinuses are blocked, or sneezing just as someone is coming at you
with a sharp object. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Except for the past couple of days a
cold has been circling, dancing in and out, and this morning I had a suspicion
it was here. I slugged back some DayQuill, hoping that would do the trick. Off
I went to my appointment <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nope. I’d been sitting in the dentist’s chair with my mouth
agape for too long. A tickle in my throat began halfway through the polishing
portion. I hadn’t coughed all day but I could wait no longer. I raised a hand,
she backed up, I had a sip of water and thought, <i>There. All gone. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The hygienist moved in again, and
again I had to wave her away. This time she left the room (leaving me feeling like a
plague carrier) and I coughed into my elbow. Heaven. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We finished without incident and I
haven’t had a glimmer of a cough since. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-23927285694673325672023-12-09T08:29:00.000-08:002023-12-15T11:56:32.323-08:00Projects<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When Friday ended I looked back and realized I’d gotten more
done than I’d realized.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYD25Q0UnSB4tp9L4MItGnNUt_sKBJ6Au-7SCB_0WEZTn6RGU0F4Ld1M772pcMhOSkI_bBWZ-t7w6orNOUAoKH7LKdILhtIDhYnJJceI_Ylhn4wmMWiIQpyFprb6rsQkrfUfr7_oTaFKaWcLT5PNAWXXkzWBxfakjHJJvdfIlS5pJOjxdgq3qx8eSJg4/s1736/Projects2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1736" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYD25Q0UnSB4tp9L4MItGnNUt_sKBJ6Au-7SCB_0WEZTn6RGU0F4Ld1M772pcMhOSkI_bBWZ-t7w6orNOUAoKH7LKdILhtIDhYnJJceI_Ylhn4wmMWiIQpyFprb6rsQkrfUfr7_oTaFKaWcLT5PNAWXXkzWBxfakjHJJvdfIlS5pJOjxdgq3qx8eSJg4/w174-h200/Projects2.jpg" width="174" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First came something I’d been putting
off, but our cloudy glassware couldn’t be ignored any longer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> As of this
summer, I have a shiny new dishwasher but in the battle between it and our hard
water, it was losing in spite of the fact that we almost wash the dishes before
we wash the dishes. A dismantling and cleaning of the various filters, two cups
of vinegar in a rinse cycle and hopefully now I won’t have to edit the glasses
I give to company. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We also have a new air conditioning
unit. The last, original, one was easily over twenty years old and some of its
wires had been nibbled by our cute woodland creatures.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb4F6-1QiorOqwKwe9IP_sRBl8KHrdbqG6ah54TKM0gPJtNZlb1HL7UOTxOw1nyNVGl8IErC8zdTDZfL8rR85T6mKYfst_jOb44dk2PSf598w_O8gHrTAXywpCpJDb580Tj-JLphVO92yBRvxtxL62gP1vVGELtBYoZ9_ei2iyw4hT0WNeq0o-8LpdmE/s1784/Projects.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="1784" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb4F6-1QiorOqwKwe9IP_sRBl8KHrdbqG6ah54TKM0gPJtNZlb1HL7UOTxOw1nyNVGl8IErC8zdTDZfL8rR85T6mKYfst_jOb44dk2PSf598w_O8gHrTAXywpCpJDb580Tj-JLphVO92yBRvxtxL62gP1vVGELtBYoZ9_ei2iyw4hT0WNeq0o-8LpdmE/w320-h219/Projects.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> Hoping to discourage a
repeat, I gathered a produce bag, a couple of old seltzer bottles and a box of
mothballs. The mothballs were small enough to fit through the mouth of the
bottles, which I then stabbed several times with an icepick and then planted
outside in key locations.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JsKYonu31X-ss6_2GN_hclKm4AVeGX9l2XyhuHDxrFVwzs0MfXUXzB-xTx37P9zAM1L5NMzRgySaSul8sB7WZVt54dSKLmyNQPlg5hjsmSUYKJzYabN4jXQVaiX6wB8WVcTRPPUhlpCdzOV2A7Y48Ko7SL-QzwD92s38nMujAhKnNHDw8H5Qfcq5oLc/s695/Projects3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JsKYonu31X-ss6_2GN_hclKm4AVeGX9l2XyhuHDxrFVwzs0MfXUXzB-xTx37P9zAM1L5NMzRgySaSul8sB7WZVt54dSKLmyNQPlg5hjsmSUYKJzYabN4jXQVaiX6wB8WVcTRPPUhlpCdzOV2A7Y48Ko7SL-QzwD92s38nMujAhKnNHDw8H5Qfcq5oLc/s320/Projects3.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> My afternoon was spent running
errands, and then rubbing elbows with too many people in the grocery store. I
should know better than to shop on a Friday, but the next round of events meant
I needed ingredients for sliders (Saturday), nut bread (Sunday), and fancy
cookies (Monday). Not to mention the more important elements of tonic, wine, and prosecco. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1970111941968077431.post-43563460462973180952023-12-07T12:19:00.000-08:002023-12-09T08:29:23.340-08:00Spot Begone!<p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKe-Nhsumk2guWt093PwY0lgOFKP9HApcn_HeJuodg1Xzqan2C6D03X3-GxgeOFFIzpPjgl2uqTJWgKgqzF2JaB98I9n8dTCdaDGM0QibrJ3hZTQgCwrAvJffw8OZyv4V2c15yJodBiOIek1cR8OfkZtS0s9oNPeYPLPJOq2x3ZH8zXvhSbJyytD6LWZ8/s1591/Spot%20begone.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1591" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKe-Nhsumk2guWt093PwY0lgOFKP9HApcn_HeJuodg1Xzqan2C6D03X3-GxgeOFFIzpPjgl2uqTJWgKgqzF2JaB98I9n8dTCdaDGM0QibrJ3hZTQgCwrAvJffw8OZyv4V2c15yJodBiOIek1cR8OfkZtS0s9oNPeYPLPJOq2x3ZH8zXvhSbJyytD6LWZ8/w200-h158/Spot%20begone.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />December is filled with annual and bi-annual doctor visits;
today’s was my dermatologist to have my bumps and barnacles examined. <span><a name='more'></a></span>This is a trip I don’t mind at all since I like
my doctor and so far the news afterward has always been non-eventful. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though after waiting to be seen on the
cold plastic examining table in my thin little johnnie with the open back, I
did point out to them that they’re missing out on a keen commercial
opportunity. Flannel examination gowns. Or, at the least, heated examination
tables. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jR-gZy3ngvoOkqf16C9SyxkzsTD8S0QtwWrGwhdFUM0AHZVnl76uV8oxT7NnHOXeOq88ykzgA2q6I0lYcHSwltMW-_5dxGv31QxgmqKtfRqcDmTnIXCdbssk8MhfaR8ORv76kOET9pFIQLRF1Q_o0IF73HwrCeNKxvn6MIoo-dJgj1wzixy97GKV878/s1233/Spot%20begone2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1233" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jR-gZy3ngvoOkqf16C9SyxkzsTD8S0QtwWrGwhdFUM0AHZVnl76uV8oxT7NnHOXeOq88ykzgA2q6I0lYcHSwltMW-_5dxGv31QxgmqKtfRqcDmTnIXCdbssk8MhfaR8ORv76kOET9pFIQLRF1Q_o0IF73HwrCeNKxvn6MIoo-dJgj1wzixy97GKV878/w200-h169/Spot%20begone2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One good thing/bad thing during the
visit was her suggestion she zap a couple of spots for me. But the freezing
compound she shot at them was surprisingly pain-free, and with any luck this will
blast them into oblivion. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">One is a red spot the size of a nickel, prominently displayed
on my cheek. The other, an ugly grayish growth on my neck, has been annoying me
for a while; I sometimes wonder if having it across the table ever bothers my
dining companions. Getting rid of them is purely cosmetic, but it seems like
every visit my sweet doctor manages to slip a procedure like this past the
insurance police. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So, several freezing blasts on them
and now I get to enjoy being a bit red and crusty for the next two weeks.
Perfect for the holiday gatherings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She also did a biopsy on a teensy red
dot on my neck that I hadn’t even noticed. We’ll see what that has to say for
itself. The pleasures of my freckled, WASP heritage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And as My Guy pointed out, now I’m
ready to leave for the Florida sunshine! (Although in my defense, let me say I’m
<i>very</i> conscientious with sunscreen and hats.) </span><o:p></o:p></p>Martyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02366449267039641100noreply@blogger.com5