The Dalles, Oregon

Our next stop was at The Dalles, OR. There were several possibilities of tours. I went to the Maryhill Museum on the Washington side of the river. It’s a very nice small museum, originally built to be a home. I didn’t take any pictures, this one came from Google Images.

John went to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Raptor Center. These pictures are from his visit there.

John took this one of me on the ship watching as he came back from a shore walk.

Sunday Stealing

From Sunday Stealing

1) Do you think Daylight Saving Time is still necessary?
              I don’t know about necessary but, in general, I like it.
2) How long does it take you to adjust to the time change?    
              Only a couple of days
3) What's the hardest part of the time change?
              Changing all the clocks.
4) How many clocks are in your house?
              Lots. I think there is at least one in every room except John’s bathroom and the dining room.
5) Are you generally early, late, or on time?
              I used to be almost pathologically early. I’ve gotten somewhat better - as in nearly on timel
6) If an invitation to an event listed the time as 8-11pm, what time would you arrive?
              If it were an open house, I’d work really hard to not get there until after 8.
7) Do you wear a watch?
              Not usually. Only when we’re traveling.
8) Have you ever glanced at the time and had to glance again because you didn't pay attention the first time?
             Of course, doesn’t everybody.
9) Are most of your clocks digital or dial?
             Most are digital
10) What does your alarm clock sound like?
              Like an alarm clock is supposed to sound - it just rings.
11) Do you use the snooze feature on your alarm clock?
              No
12) Does clock ticking drive you nuts?
              No - after the first few minutes, I don’t hear it anymore.

Pasco, Washington

This trip was designed to focus on Lewis and Clark. We didn’t pick it for that reason. Anne picked the timing of the trip because of her schedule, but no matter. We were there.

The first stop was at the confluence of the Snake River and the Columbia River. Lewis & Clark actually did spend time in this location. This small state park at Pasco, WA, is named in honor of the native American guide and only woman on the expedition - the Sacajawea State Park.

It’s a lovely jewel, with a tiny museum packed with artifacts and information. One couple on the trip was a pair of musicians. The woman’s walking stick is also an Indian toned flute. We found this out when we heard this plaintive music floating over the water and park. It was the lady playing her flute. Just magic.

At the beginning

It’s very hard to get back into a routine after being out of it for a while. I’ve fiddle-farted around all day trying to work out something to say today. I’ll go back and start with the beginning of the trip.

We left home a little after 4 a.m. ET to start on the first leg of this journey. From Chattanooga to Atlanta to Denver to Spokane to the hotel - this all went fairly smoothly. We met up with Anne & Nick in Denver, and Ann & Al at the airport in Spokane. We spent the night in a hotel there and were bussed to the Queen of the West in the following morning. We got settled into our cabins, had lunch, and embarked on the start of our voyage down the Snake River.

The end of the story

I’ll start with the end of the trip. 

We left the ship, docked in Portland, at 8:30 am P and went to the airport. Things went downhill from there. Our original flight to Denver was scheduled for 12:20 pm or some such. The plane came in, disgorged its passengers, and we sat and sat, waiting. It was announced that there was a problem with the plane, and they were working to fix it.

After about an hour or so, they said it was fixed and the full complement of passeners boarded the plane. Within minutes, the pilot announced that something else was wrong, and it would take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour to fix it. But would we please stay on the plane because it would take so long to get everybody off and back on. After a while, they took some folks who had certain connections in Denver off the plane to get them to other flights - about 1/3 of the passengers. After about an hour, they told us that they had another plane for us, at the adjoining gate.

We got off the plane, and lined up as best as we could remember our boarding numbers, and waited some more. Turns out, on the walk-around the new plane, they discovered a small fuel leak. And, of course, that had to be taken care of.

Finally about 5 pm PT, we boarded THAT plane, just giving our last names to the guy at the gate. It was a larger plane, and with our fewer people we were able to spread out. Also on the flight were three people with pets in carrying cases (two cats, one puppy) and about 6 families with multiple children (ranging from about 8 to a nursing infant). Once in the air, it was one of the quietest flights we'd ever been on. Amazingly so!

We finally got in to Denver about 8 pm MT. We'd called Gin (John’s cousin) that there were delays. She had kept checking, so our getting picked up worked great. Just a long frustrating day.

After that we had a good visit with Gin & Jim. The weather was gorgeous on Sunday (they kept telling us that Denver‘s average was 300 sunny days/year). We went to the Garden of the Gods, and stopped to see the Air Force Academy Chapel on the way back to Littleton. Both are spectacular!

Unfortunately, the weather was dreary and misty on Monday, temps ranging from 35-31 - definitely not as advertised.

We had planned to drive to Loveland to have dinner with Merritt and Judy (Merritt is Gin's older brother - another cousin). Turns out Judy's sister in Illinois was having a medical emergency and Judy was going to have to fly there. But as it worked out, she was leaving Tuesday morning - as were we. So after our nice dinner with M&J, Gin & Jim went back to Littleton, and we spent the night with M&J. Merritt took the three of us to the Denver airport Tuesday morning (temp 31-33 and misting rain, but no snow/ice), and we headed home. Everything went smoothly from there on. Our shuttle was on time, and it was only half full.

On the way home in Chattanooga, we went to see Tina and took her out to get something to eat. We all needed some hugs since we hadn't been here when Allan died. She's a tough gal and will get through it, but it's going to be hard. Seeing her was good for all of us.

After a good night's sleep in our own bed, it was time today for the grocery store and laundry. It’s always good to get home.

Home again

We're back home.  All parts of our trip were good - a few glitches, but still a great trip. 

The worst part was the death of our old friend, Allan, while we were gone.  We weren't here to be able to mourn with and help his family.  We mourned separately.  We did stop to see and hug and talk with Tina on our way home from the airport tonight.

I'll talk about the trip later, but for now, we're unpacked, calmed down, and are ready for bed.

R.I.P.

Allan Geschwind (1943 - 2013)

R.I.P. Old friend.

Pampering and then....

This morning was for pampering - a manicure, pedicure and massage.  That's tough to beat for a trifecta.

This afternoon was for washing and decision-making and packing.  But it's done, and "the bags are packed.  (We're) ready to go.  Standing there beside the door."   (Gee, maybe somebody could write a song with those lyrics.)  (sorry)

Anyhow, we'll be off way before the sun comes up, heading for Denver and then Spokane, for our boat trip on the Columbia River.  I'll try to check in when I can.  I would imagine we'll have internet connections each night, but who knows. 

I know you other bloggers and readers will keep things going.

Wednesday Miscellany

Light rain this morning, cool temperatures all day.

YMCA for two exercise classes, coffee with friends, and packages mailed.

Tina had to take Allan to the ER because of difficulty breathing. He’s back home with a portable oxygen unit.

Our dinner plans with Tina & Allan and Carol & Stephen didn’t happen quite that way. We did meet up with C&S for a great dinner at the Red China Bistro.

Tina came by the restaurant to get some carry-out, including some soup to tempt Allan to eat.
 

Finishing

I actually have finished a couple of things today.

I finished the sweater I’ve been knitting for Alison. It really looks good, if I do say so myself.

And I finished assembling the stuff we’re sending in to the health insurance for reimbursements. This is the first year we’ve ever had to do this, and we’ve struggled with gathering all the stuff involved. I got copies made this morning, and forms filled out.

All that’s left is the trip to the post office in the morning.

That part of the government IS still operating, isn’t it?

Monday stuff

It seems like it was harder to get up and get going than usual this morning. Maybe I have “short-timer’s attitude” - thinking about heading out of town.

In any case, it was off to the Y for the two exercise classes, then back home. Bridge was pretty good. I was in the winning couple on each round, albeit with not really high numbers until the last round. That was a good one!

----------------------------------------------------

These are the people who are running the country. Chris Hayes talked about Markwayne Mullin (Rep) from Oklahoma’s 2^nd district. In one of his speeches, he is quoted as saying, ”This country isn’t ran by just one individual it’s ran by four branches, but three branches that are in control of this.” This is scary.

Silent Sunday

(not one of my photos, but very pretty)

Sunday Stealing

 

The Random Randomness Meme, Part 2

 

What was your first alcoholic drink?

Bourbon and water - I grew up in Texas in the early 1950s. Standard fare.

 What was your first job?

Besides babysitting, I worked helping to collate specifics about room fittings in a new hospital (around 1950), and then I transcribed dictation of old autopsies.

What was your first car?

I learned to drive a 1950 straight-shift  Chevrolet.
 

What was your first mobile phone?

A flip-front AT&T phone

What is your first proper memory?
I remember closing the refrigerator door on my thumb when I was 3.
Who was your first teacher?
My first grade teacher was Mrs. Wildermuth (same as John’s) 

 

Which fictional character do you wish was real?

Josiah Bartlet - the President on The West Wing

Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
From Nashville to Lexington, KY.

 Who was your first best friend?
Betty Lou LaMaster

 What was your first detention for?

I don’t think I was ever kept after school (detention in the old days)

What's your strongest sense?

Honesty and fair play.

 

Who was your first kiss?

I don’t remember, isn’t that awful?

 

What was the first film you remember seeing at the cinema?

Dumbo or Bambi - I’m not sure which

 

What's the largest amount of money you've ever won?

I’ve never won any money.

 

What's the largest amount of money you've spent in one spree?

I don’t do spending sprees.

If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

Slow to anger, but then watch out.

Have you ever got sweet revenge on anyone?

Not that I know of - it’s usually a wasted emotion.

Have you ever been to a live concert?

Other than symphony or chamber music or theater? We’ve been to a Jimmy Buffett concert.

 

Have you ever been to see stand up comedy?

We saw Brett Butler at a local comedy club. Not a favorite form of entertainment

 

Have you ever needed stitches?

Oh, that IS funny!  Surgical or injury?  Uncountable.

 

 

Good eats

I don't intend this to be a food or cooking blog, but every once in a while something good comes along. 

This recipe was in a local hospital's quarterly magazine. I made it tonight, and it was SO good!


CURRIED BUTTERNUT APPLE SOUP
¼ cup margarine or butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 rib celery
4 tsp curry powder
2 medium butternut squash (about 2 ½-3 lbs) peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
3 medium apples, peel, cored, chopped
3 cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock
1 cup cider

In a saucepan, combine margarine, onions, celery, and curry powder. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are tender (10-15 minutes), stirring often. Add cubed squash, chopped apples, and liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes or until squash and apples are cooked thoroughly. Strain liquid and set aside. Puree the apple/squash mixture with one cup of the strained liquid. Add cider and remaining liquid to reach desired consistency. Garnish with grated apple, yogurt, or low-fat sour cream. Serves 10.

My Notes: I don’t know how they got 10 servings unless they were very small cups. I used the whole amount of liquid, but only one squash and got four dinner-sized bowls. I didn’t use celery (didn’t have any, and John doesn’t particularly like it) and didn’t have any cider to put in. I added some instant potato flakes at the end to thicken it.

 
Such a gorgeous color!

String Theory

The 5th Season of the String Theory at the Hunter Museum started tonight.  The Brentano String Quartet led off the series with pieces by Mendelssohn and Dvorak.  Fabulous!  We are so lucky to have this series and get musicians of this caliber.

Exciting!

It is so exciting to watch the International Space Station fly over your house.  It just sails up there so evenly and steadily.  And it's amazing to know that there are people in that little speck of light.

Click here to find when the ISS will be visible in your area (cloud cover permitting).  You can even sign up and get e-mail notifications as to when it will be in your neighborhood.

(This is not one of our photographs and not in Tennessee - taken from Google Images)

Tuesday haiku

 

Two parties today.

Saying farewell, swimming friend.

Hi, basketball coach.

Ruth Benerito (and other stuff)

My previously unknown heroine!

Ruth Benerito died today at age 97 in LA. Until today, I'd never heard of her or that she was one of my heroes. She invented permanent press. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about ironing - and that I stopped ironing as soon as permanent press was invented and I could replace all our clothes. This previously unknown savior contributed a large benefit to my life. Click here for the Wikipedia site and click here for a Slate obituary about her.
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Why do so many of the police procedural programs (the ones we watch regularly) feel they have to have a continuing psychopathic killer that goes on for many episodes and even seasons? These really turn me off and I’m about to stop watching them for that reason. These include Bones, The Mentalist, Person of Interest, and probably others. It looks like Bones might have finally gotten rid of the one on that problem, but who knows. Anyhow. I really wish they’d get rid of these story lines.
===================================
I spent a quick hour this morning at the oral surgeon’s getting an upper back tooth removed. I don’t remember much about it - love that light IV anesthesia plus an Atavan. I’ve been taking my pain meds, drinking milkshakes for nutrition, and sleeping. All that seems to be working well. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Margaret

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARGARET!

Bridge (the game)

Harriet, I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience playing bridge. It is one of the few (if not the only) card game where luck isn’t the determining factor. Yes, of course, you can’t do much if you don’t get good cards, but you also can’t win if you don’t make the most of the cards you have.

Contract is the “basic” bridge game, and is played by any group of four people, playing as two teams. It’s a game of communication, done within a set of rules. If there are two or more tables playing, the scores are based on what each pair can make on each deal, and no two deals will be the same throughout the playing time.

In duplicate bridge, the cards are dealt ahead of time and placed into racks (called boards), the hands are kept separate during play, and returned to the board after the hand is played. The boards will be passed around, so that each pair will play the same cards that other pairs have played. This way the scores are a reflection of how one pair does against another playing the same hand.

The rules of bidding and play are the same in each game, the differences are in the scoring and in the fact that pairs are all playing different hands in contract bridge, and playing the same hands in duplicate.

I hope that makes some sense. Again, Harriet, I’m sorry you’ve had less-than-optimum experiences. With your analytical mind, you ought to be a good player. And one learns by playing with people who are better players. We like to help less experienced players gain experience - it‘s the only way to get better. And, otherwise how do we get new players to play with.

Duplicate

We played duplicate bridge tonight.  We had played once before, but it was probably at least 30 years ago.  This was a small (3 tables tonight), low-key group.  We knew about half the people there.  We came in a "close third" for the evening.  We bid and made a slam the first hand, so that was a nice beginning. It was a nice group, and I guess we'll be going back. 

From Wordsmith

One of my daily internet stops is A Word A Day from Wordsmith.  He picks a word, usually with a theme for the week, gives the pronunciation, derivation, and definition of the word.  Then the Wordsmith gives one or two quotes using the word.  He closes the page with a Thought for the Day.  The Thoughts are from a variety of sources and frequently are related to the news of the day.  His Thoughts for this week, in the wake of the government closure as a result of the radical right Republicans, were worth repeating.

Ultimately, the only power to which man should aspire is that which he exercises over himself. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928)

A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. -Jimmy Carter, 39th US President, Nobel laureate (b. 1924)

When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948)

The corporate grip on opinion in the United States is one of the wonders of the Western world. No First World country has ever managed to eliminate so entirely from its media all objectivity -- much less dissent. -Gore Vidal, author (1925-2012)

Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use. -Emily Post, author and columnist (1872-1960)



　

Silence

Fall from Green's View, Sewanee, TN

Chapter 2

Lowe’s sent the installer. He came this afternoon, and his first comment was that guys who work with the warranty always want to blame things on the installer. But he pressed on.

His comment was that the dishwasher had been installed the same way the previous one had been. The new one had worked for a year, and the old one had worked for a long time without the non-drainage problem. Now, for some reason, it was plugging up.

He made a new drainage path with the re-installation and said that this was probably the way it should’ve been done in the first place, but…..

Anyhow, it’s now supposed to work. I’m filling it up with dirty dishes and we shall see.

The saga of the dishwasher

I got a new dishwasher at Lowe’s in midSeptember last year - not a top of the line model, but not the bottom, either.

In August, it didn’t drain. We were just heading out of town, and John fiddled with it and got it to drain, so we let it go. Then, just at a year from the purchase date (but not the installation date), it quit draining again. This time I called Lowe’s to see about getting it fixed.

After several phone calls and five more days, Frigidaire agreed to do a service call under the one-year warranty. Hooray for Frigidaire! The appointment was made and the service guy came this afternoon.

He got the dishwasher out and rummaged around with its innards. And then told us that it wasn’t draining because…… It wasn’t installed properly!!!

He couldn’t fix it under the warranty because it wasn’t a problem with the machine, and he charged us only for the service call. John asked him to put in writing on the invoice that the problem had been with the installation. Then John called Lowe’s, told them about the problem, and asked what they were going to do to make it right. They’re to have an installer get in touch with us.

So in the meantime, I still don’t have a functional dishwasher. Stay tuned……

It's nuts!

 

 

How can these nitwits

Do this to the voters? It’s

Absolutely nuts!

Weekend stuff

Margaret came by yesterday and spent the night. It was good to see her, and she brought some lovely green beans and tomatoes. We're always glad to get the produce. We ate dinner with friends last night - Margaret got here in time to go with us. It was an easy meal of meatloaf and baked potatoes, so not a problem - and Margaret's known them for a while, too.

We went over to see Allan this afternoon. John's been going most days to walk with him, but I haven't seen him. It was good to get a chance to get back in touch with him - even though I hate seeing him so weak. He has his second chemo treatment this coming Friday. It’s tough stuff to deal with, but he’s fighting.

Lots of stuff coming up for the week - should be a busy one.

Last Saturday in September

A quiet weekend,

Margaret came, dinner at

Carol and Stephen’s.
 

Otherwise, it was

Football, football, football, and

Even more football.

====================================

 

Dental visits

I spent most of the morning in various dental offices. My regular dentist started on my tooth (back upper left), with the numbing and drilling, etc. Then he stopped and got another x-ray to be sure about the amount of decay. After reviewing the film, he said that there was more decay than he had hoped, and that it was going to call for a crown or maybe a root canal or just to lose the tooth. I had thought about this before, and decided that if those were my options, I was just going to lose the tooth. I told him that since it was a back tooth, and I was 77 years old, that I had decided earlier that I would just have it removed. He agreed, and sent me to the oral surgeon in an adjoining building.

I saw the surgeon and got a brief oral exam and conversation. My appointment is for ten days, and he'll do it with a light anesthesia. John will need to come with me to drive, but it sounds fairly straightforward. And so it goes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The America's Cup

A few weeks ago, John started watching the preliminary qualifying races for the America’s Cup. New Zealand boat won the opportunity to challenge the defending champion, the US boat. And I got sucked in to watch it, too.

This race is actually a series of races, with the winner being the first one to win nine races. The boats are incredible catamarans, with crews of about a dozen men. There are two very tall “sails”, and they look like no sailboat you’ve ever seen before.

As the races went on, it seemed like New Zealand was giving the US sailing lessons. And soon New Zealand was ahead 8-1. Obviously, the Kiwis were quickly going to put the Yanks out of their misery. But then amazing things started to happen. The US started to win races.

Every day the Yanks got better and better, and kept winning. Tuesday, New Zealand was ahead 8-6 at the start of the day. Wind conditions were such that they were able to run both races, and by the end of the day, the boats were tied at 8 to 8.

So today, there was only one race - the one for all the marbles. And amazingly, the US won it, going away. New Zealand was never even close. What an exciting come-from-WAY-behind win.

Nobody’s ever paid much attention to the America’s Cup, but that will certainly change - if this type of competition and coverage continues. Just wait until next year.

Banned Book Week (22-28 September)

I mentioned Banned Book Week a few days ago.  Today, Bev Sykes posted her blog on Banned Book Week on her blog, Airy Persiflage.  She, as always, hits the nail right on the head.  I'm going to quote her today (Thanks, Bev!).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is "Read a Banned Book" Week (Sept. 22-28), an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.  It focuses on efforts across the country to remove certain books from libraries and schools because some people find them offensive.

Who are these people and don't they have anything better to do?  A list of America's most surprising banned books include such books as "The Diary of Anne Frank," for sexually explicit passages, and in 1983 the Alabama State Textbook Committee banned it because it was "a real downer."

A specific illustrated book of "Little Red Riding Hood" was banned because the young girl is shown carrying wine in her basket of goodies for Grandma and rather than seeing the message that children should not talk to strangers, school officials in Culver City, CA saw the book's message as "alcohol is yummy."   The LA Times reported that "After reviewing the award-winning book from the state-recommended reading list for first-graders, Culver City Unified School District officials concluded that its message conflicted with the anti-drug and -alcohol theme they promote in the classroom."

"Hansel and Gretel" was banned because it "gives witches a bad name."

In 1952, "Charlotte's Web" was banned in Kansas because it was felt that humans are the highest level of God's creation and so any book featuring talking animals must be the work of the devil.  They felt it was sacrilegious and disrespectful of God.

And who would ever think that "Where's Waldo" would appear on a banned book list, but it does.  It was banned in Michigan and New York because there was "a sunbathing woman suffering a wardrobe malfunction the size of a pinhead in a corner of one of Martin Hanford's drawings."

Who is so dedicated to smut eradication that they would examine every page of a Waldo book to find something objectionable, and ban a book based on such a teeny tiny drawing.

The top banned children's book in the last decade is a book called "The What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys," deemed inappropriate and banned in 21 school libraries in Texas, following a 2010 complaint by the father of an 8 year old who was shocked that his son could see this book. (I wonder if this Dad has taught his young son how to shoot a gun...?)

Even the dictionary is not free from complaint. School administrators in Alaska have banned both the American Heritage Dictionary and the Merriam Webster dictionary in schools and libraries for its "objectionable" entries — particularly slang words, including "bed," "knocker," and "balls."

I checked the list of books that are frequently challenged or banned.   They include books like "The Great Gatsby," "Catcher in the Rye," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Grapes of Wrath," "Beloved," "Of Mice and Men," "Farewell to Arms," "Gone with the Wind," "Call of the Wild," "Lord of the Rings," "Sophie's Choice," "Brave New World," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "The Sun Also Rises," and a host of others.  (You can read the reasons why these books were banned here.)

 

I feel positively wicked...I think I have read every single one of those books.

Do yourself a favor and flout convention...read a banned book this week.

The usual Monday chaos, but....

Mondays are chaotic - lots going on every morning, and then bridge in the afternoon.

But, I did have some cards today.  I was in the winning pair in each progression (although it doesn't necessarily follow that I was high for the day).  And we have found a group that plays duplicate and I think we're going to give it a try.  We shall see....

p.s.  This is not one of my hands - just a bridge hand from google images.

There's fall in the air

Rainy Saturday in Fall

 

 

First rain this month. Gray

All day. It made for a good

Day for football, naps.

 

 



The Born Loser

We're often in the funny papers, but some days we get nailed more than others.  This is The Born Loser from yesterday (9-19-13).

Banned Book Week coming up

Addendum: To the title of last night’s entry “Supremely happy people”, I intended to add “(whatever that might be)”. Thanks, Harriet, for calling it to my attention.

======================================

Next week is one of my favorite weeks - Banned Book Week! Click here or here for a couple of web pages about the event.

And even better, perhaps serendipitously, our Friends of the Library is having its fall book sale next week. Good timing, I think.

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Fountain outside the Scripps Aquarium, La Jolla, CA

 

Supremely happy people

Today, the Huffington Post had an article about 21 habits of “Supremely Happy People”. I think I’d worry about anybody who claimed to be “supremely happy”, but I thought the points were worth repeating. The Huffington Post elaborates a little on each one, so Click Here if you want to read more.

The Habits of Supremely Happy People

1. They surround themselves with other happy people.

2. They smile when they mean it.

3. They cultivate resilience.

4. They try to be happy.

5. They are mindful of the good.

6. They appreciate simple pleasures.

7. They devote some of their time to giving.

8. They let themselves lose track of time. (And sometimes they can’t help it.)

9. They nix the small talk for deeper conversation.

10. They spend money on other people.

11. They make a point to listen.

12. They uphold in-person connections.

13. They look on the bright side.

14. They value a good mixtape.

15. They unplug.

16. They get spiritual.

17. They make exercise a priority.

18. They go outside.

19. They spend some time on the pillow.

20. They laugh out loud.

21. They walk the walk.
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An anvil cloud over San Diego from Point Loma.

Another fun Tuesday

What a fun day today! My semi-annual teeth cleaning was first this morning. I always like how my teeth feel, so that wasn‘t so bad. But I hate it when the dentist comes in to check, is behind me looking at the x-rays, and says "Uh-oh, there's a boo-boo". I can't remember the last time I had a cavity, but.... At least it's a small one, and he hopes he can just put in a filling. So that's my fun event scheduled for next week.

And then, I went to Aldi, WalMart, and put gas in the car. That pretty much took me to lunchtime. And spending the rest of the day babying my sore back. So much for Tuesday!

====================================

From Point Loma, San Diego

More Meme - Part Three (minus a few) (from Sunday Stealing)

Most daring Dare you have ever done?
I don’t do dares.

When is the last time you did something you knew was wrong?
Last year when I fell down.

What was on your mind most today?
How nice the weather was today.

Have a best friend?
Yes. John - and several very close women friends

If you were upset, who’ s the first person you would go to?
John

When was the last time someone yelled at you?
This afternoon - I yelled at myself.

What have you done today, so far?
Cooked supper and made apple pie enchiladas for dessert.

What did last weekend consist of?
I can’t remember.

What are you listening to?
There is football on the TV, but I’m not really listening

Who were you last in a car with?
John

Have you ever been called cute?
Maybe, when I was a baby.

Describe how you feel right now in one word:
Comfortable

Has anybody ever told you that you talk too fast?
Of course.

Did you have fun yesterday?
Yes.

Do you like to cuddle?
Yes

Do you think someone is thinking about you?
Probably not

Are you stubborn?
Sometimes.

Is there a friend, boyfriend/ girlfriend, or ex that you will never forget?
Yes, some of each.

Thinking back, are there people you have no idea why you hung out with?
I don’t really remember back in school, but in recent years, I don’t “hang out” with people I have no use for.

How’s your heart?
Compared to the rest of me, it’s great.

Are you easily amused?
Yes, and I laugh easily, too

Do you speak more than 2 languages?
I speak English fairly well, and I speak Southern. I know a smattering of Spanish and French, but don’t “speak” either.

Are you doing anything tonight?
Answering meme questions while John watches football.

Is there a person of the same sex who means a lot to you?
Lots of them.

Is your hair naturally straight?
It used to be naturally curly, now it’s pretty straight.

What happened at 10:00 am?
I was doing my computer stuff.

What were you doing at ten last night?
Getting ready to watch a rerun of Blue Bloods.

Have you made someone happy today?
It was a pretty good supper, so I guess John was happy.

Think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted?
I don't like it when anybody gets really wasted.

When you are home alone do you still close the door when you shower?
Yes.

Belated pictures

Here are the pictures I promised you yesterday:

(This one is the front of the camper van - a Scarab)

Sensuous Steel pictures

This exhibit is only up until Sunday, 15 September 2014.  Maybe it'll show up somewhere else.  I apologize for not having the names of these automobiles.  They are all rare models - sometimes the only one made.  Some of these photos are John's, some are mine.

For some reason, this program is not allowing me to put more than one photo up tonight.  I'll try again tomorrow.

A super day

We took a quick trip to Nashville today to an exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Missy went with us, and we met Jean for lunch at the Gerst House (our usual choice for lunch when we go to Nashville).

This terrific exhibit is called Sensual Steel. It’s an assortment of rare art deco vehicles, polished, lit, and displayed to a fare-thee-well. We took pictures, and I’ll post some as soon as we get them into the computer and do some editing.

All in all - a super day!

A busy week

It's a relatively busy week this time.  Yesterday was an all-day thing.  After the usual morning at the Y, I had an appointment with the orthopedist for my shoulder - regular scheduled one.  I've been having some pain and just have thought things weren't quite right.  He says that things aren't great with it, that the bone still isn't forming up the way it should optimally.  He said I might need a revision of the implant at some point, but it's way too early to be talking about that.  I'm to go back in 6 months, or earlier if there's much more pain or some other problem.  So not the best, but not awful, either.  Oh, well...

At bridge, we found that John was high the last time we played before we went to CA.  He had thought that would be the case.  And, if anything, he had much better cards yesterday.  He had almost 10,000 points for the afternoon - with 3000 points the last round.  Amazing.  He was so pleased. 

I had several errands to run this morning, as well as going to Aldi and WalMart.  I was exhausted when I got home about 11.  That ended up in a lot of inaction the rest of the day.  Tomorrow, we're going to a special exhibit of Art Deco cars at the Frist Center for the Arts in Nashville.  Just going for the day, and should be home by suppertime. 

Victor Victoria

The concert we saw at the Hollywood Bowl reminded me of the movie, Victor Victoria (1982). The first half of the program was about the movies of Blake Edwards and music by Henry Mancini. The music was played by the LA Philharmonic, conducted by John Williams, and narrated by Julie Andrews.

Tonight, we got our DVD of the movie and watched it again. It is fabulous! The performances are great; the music is great; the sets, costumes, lighting, choreography -everything is great!

We decided to watch the “commentary” extra after the movie. It seems to be basically a replay of the movie with voiceover comments by Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards. This adds a fascinating inside look at the movie and its making. We didn’t finish it tonight, but will continue it tomorrow afternoon.

Make a point to watch (or rewatch) this movie.

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Be still my heart!

 

Sunday excitement!

Waffles, sausage, bacon and

Laundry. Then football.

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Shoreline, Point Loma, San Diego

 

Saturday meeting

I didn’t post last night - just couldn’t come up with much to say. I think I may not post every day for a while - depending on how the spirit moves me.

We only got out of the house once today - to a meeting at the Library for the Friends of the Library. This was the second “strategic planning session” for the FOL, attended by staff, members of the Friends, and “community stakeholders”. I guess John and I fell into the “community stakeholder” category, although I was on the Council of the FOL for a 3-year term a few years ago. We decided the term referred to people who supported the Library and the FOL, but weren’t directly connected to it.

Anyway, we participated, although I don’t know how much we actually contributed. We are interested in seeing the Library prosper, but don’t want to be involved in any organization. Our days of direct organization involvement are over, even though we support the aims and goals.

All libraries are going through tough times right now, trying to cope with the “digital evolution”, as our young, vibrant director puts it. She’s gathered a new young staff, and from what we can see, they are doing a great job in dragging this old library kicking and screaming into the 21^st Century. We support them all the way.

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The huge old fig tree outside the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.

Quiet day

 

 

Massage always great

To begin a quiet day.

Lovely weather, too.

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Two roses in Alison and Joe’s yard.

 

 



Tough

It's tough to get back into the routine, but it's a start. 

It did feel good to get back into the pool this morning.  Even the exercise class felt pretty good.  The massage I have scheduled for tomorrow will feel pretty good, too.
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I'm very skeptical about our going into Syria - being opposed to war in general.  Chris Hayes said it quite well this evening.  Check it out for a reasonable argument against our involvement.
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Another lovely photo from Alison's yard.

What we laughingly call "normal"

A day of getting back to “normal” got an unusual when I slept until after 10 a.m. I can’t remember ever doing that - guess I needed it.

Then the real world intruded when I went to Aldi and WalMart. I had to do something about the empty refrigerator and pantry.

The held mail was delivered and got sorted. Tomorrow, we’ll get back on our exercise routine.

And so normalcy begins….

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From Alison’s yard

Southern California

Our trip to California was terrific. We went to spend some time with Ann & Al near LA, with a side trip to visit Alison & Joe in San Diego. And we had added benefits of getting to see all the nieces and nephews, too. Lots of talking and good eats and trip planning were added to the mix.

Highlights included getting to see the space shuttle Endeavour at the LA Science Center,

And a visit to the LA County Natural History museum.

When we went to San Diego, we picked up Alison (enjoying her yard)

and went to dinner at a Japanese place at Balboa Park, and then stayed for a wonderful organ concert. We met with the great Cap’n Poolie - getting to visit with her for the second time. What a treat she is! I’m sorry that the only picture of her I took was too blurry to save.

The next day we went back to Balboa Park and went through the Botanical Garden and the Timken Art Museum, then to the Museum of Natural History. After lunch, we drove out to Point Loma,

before going back to the motel to nap, then to dinner with Alison & Joe.

On our way back to Torrance, we stopped at the Scripps Aquarium in La Jolla. What a great facility that is! We wanted to go to the art museum, but it was closed. The sculpture outside was special, though.

Also, heading north, we stopped at the Old Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. It was great, and one of the few missions that Ann & Al had not visited.

We spent the rest of our visit talking and playing bridge.

We got home about 9:30 Sunday night. The plane was a little late leaving LA, but no problems in flight. We were late enough getting to Atlanta that we missed our scheduled shuttle. There was enough space on the next one, though, so we weren’t too late getting home.

Tomorrow, it’s back to the routine - especially getting to the grocery store and restocking the empty larder.

Home again

We're home from California - a great trip, visiting with great people.  I'll write more tomorrow.