Moody Monday: Transitions

From the office, to retirement, was a transition.  From my calendar being filled with the demands of others, to my days being filled with what I want to do.  Somedays I have mastered this, somedays, not really. 

Five years ago, many of us transitioned from full time in the office, to remote work.  In many ways, once we got used to working remotely, it was nice.  It was nice to be free from the commute. For many of us, the hours became more flexible, with the ability to take care of household tasks over the course of the day.  It also allowed work to creep into personal space and time.  

Many people are being told to transition back to work in the office. I am not entirely convinced that this is a good thing for many people. But if asked to, I urge you use this transition to draw a clearer barrier between work and not work.  Work should only happen during expected work hours. Unless you do lifesaving work, or support critical systems, there is no reason to read,  or listen, let alone respond to office messages outside of office hours.  If your employer is removing the flexibility to work remotely, remove the ability of your employer to expect you to be on call, when you are not in the office. They don't pay you enough to own your soul, no matter how much they pay you.  I have been there, done that, and it was not worth it. 

When I transitioned to the staff at the American Bar Association, I asked the "boss" what the work hours were.  He said, "I don't care when you arrive, or when. you leave, we try to schedule all meeting between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM so it is helpful for you to be here then. Get your work done, and we will never think about your hours." It was nice. It freed me from the clock, and allowed me to focus on doing good work.  

I am transitioning into adventure mode.  Thinking about early morning soaks in the hot tub on the pool deck, about train rides, and exploring old cities.  There is one pilgrimage on this trip. I have my grandmother's birth certificate, I want to go find the house she was born in, near Greenwich, England. I have seen it on Google Earth. We will see if I can find it on the ground.  Years ago we were in Swansea on the south coast of Wales.  I found where her mother was born. 

I am having fun playing with transition.  If Elon's teenage boffins are scanning my messages, they are wasting their time. I like wasting their time.  That probably describes my mood this Monday.  

  

The Sunday Five: That's Entertainment

1: What is the best program on television these days? 

2: What is your all time favorite movie? 

3: When was the last time you saw a live stage play? 

4: What was the first "concert" you attended? 

5: When they make an animated movie of your life, who would you want to play the part of you? 

My Answers: 

1: What is the best program on television these days?  The CBS Sunday Morning Show, 90 minutes of well produced stories. 

2: What is your all time favorite movie?  On Golden Pond, with Henry and Jane Fonda. 

3: When was the last time you saw a live stage play? A couple of years ago, we saw "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Kennedy Center. 

4: What was the first "concert" you attended?  1976 Kiss in concert at the Jacksonville Coliseum.  

5: If they made an animated movie of your life, who would you want to play the part of you? Charlie Brown. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks: Illinois

 

I assure you there is more, much more, to Illinois than Chicago. Chicago is a great American city, tall, diverse, a great transit system, with cold windy winters, and hot humid summers.  Located at the bottom end of Lake Michigan.  My great grandfather worked there over 100 years ago, digging tunnels out under the lake for fresh water intakes. To get there fly into O'hare and take the CTA Blue Line into the loop for $5 it takes about 40 minutes.  It is an amazing city.  My next expected visit there will be in August of 2026. 

There are about 400 miles of Illinois from north to south.*  Once you get south of THE CITY, there are miles and miles and miles of amazing farm land. Millions of acres of corn, wheat, and soya beans.  My grandfather was born near Brighten in the south west of the state, not far from the city of Godfrey Illinois.  The family tree of the founder of that city, hangs above my desk, stretching back to England and Plymouth Massachusetts. Yes, a Mayflower descendant. 

West of Chicago, is a wonderful train museum.  If you like trains and transit, it is worth a visit.  

I first visited Illinois as a child, I remember stopping to see Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, and the Monticello College in Godfrey.  I returned in the late 1970s' when I was driving my grandmother.  Longer stays in Chicago started after we moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1995.  For probably a decade we went to Chicago at least once a year. I was speaking at a conference in Chicago when I turned 50. I went to dinner with a group of friends at a great little French restaurant that has long since closed. 

* I guessed at this, then did a quick search, Google says 390 miles.   

Foodie Friday: Bake Some Bread

I have been working on this recipe for a few weeks.  It is a little different, the results are tasty. You start this one the day before you want to bake the bread.  

Ingredients: 

4 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons of dry active yeast (yes that is a lot of yeast)

1 3/4 cups warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees F) 

1.5 teaspoons of salt

2-3 tablespoons of butter melted 

The afternoon or evening before you want to bake bread, 

Combine 1 cup of the flour, 1 cup of water and the yeast to form a thick batter. It will get bubbly within an hour or so. If it does not, the yeast may have failed. Cover and let sit on the counter for 12-18 hours. 

The next day: 

Add the remaining 3 cups of bread flour, salt and melted butter. Start mixing, slowly adding about 3/4 of a cup of additional water to form a stiff dough.  I do this on the stand mixer with the dough-hook running on slow.  You are looking for the dough to pick up the flour and pull away from the sides of the bowl.  If it is sticking to the sides of the bowl, dust in a teaspoon or two of additional flour.  Knead on medium low, about 9 minutes.  

Cover and allow to rise for 60-120 minutes.

Form into a loaf, you can split this for two baguette style loafs or form it into one large loaf as I did above. 

Slash the top with a razor, (I keep an exacto knife (scalpel) in the kitchen just for this use.) 

Cover and allow to rise for 60-90 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

I am baking this on a pizza stone, with a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil under it. 

Bake about 35 minutes, it will sound hollow when thumped on the top and bottom when done. 

Cool on a rack for about an hour, before slicing. If you cut into it too soon, it will not cut well and it will dry out in a matter of minutes. This is best when still warm. It keeps 2-3 days, but drys out fast, other than the salt there are no preservatives in it. 

 

The Thursday Ramble: I wonder what ever happened to Shirley

Shirley, was 22 years older than I was, 45 years ago. She was a client, and a friend.  She was originally from Indianapolis.  She was married and divorced several times. She had two teenage daughters when I knew her. 

She just wanted to have fun. She had an MGB, in British racing green, with a convertible top.  When we went out to lunch, she would put the top down, turn the music up, and cruise. She would have a couple of glasses of wine at lunch, and hand me the keys and let me drive. It was my first time driving a fun car with the top down.  I fell in love - with the car. 

Shirley liked men. She made passes at the waiters, gas station cashiers, officers on a cruise ship, and the mortgage loan officer at the bank. When we went to lunch, she would talk for hours about her various affairs and liaisons. Seduction was her hobby.

She enjoyed life, and romance. She ignored all of the norms, and lived life her way. When a relationship failed, she quickly moved on. She was one-of-a-kind in my circle of friends as a young man.  

It has been probably 40 years since I last heard from her. She was settling in after another divorce and thinking about moving back to Indiana to be closer to family. If she is still alive she is 89. If she is I bet she is chasing all of the men and squeezing their buns.  

What triggered this ramble, the MG in a parking garage. 

 

My World of Wonders, aka The Wednesday Ws End of March 2025

Where have I been this week? The library, Aldi, out to lunch a couple of times, the gym, the pool, the swamp, a couple of exotic supermarkets, an arts council meeting, and the pharmacy. 

Who have I talked with? My Sweet Bear, the water aerobics gang, the artsy types, Erica, Jessica, and Beth - people I worked with. 

What have I been reading? A short book Three Roads Back, and Pig Years, and realized I have read it before, I read it again, it was good. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen?  Bangers and mash, meatballs, macaroni and cheese, shrimp pasta, chicken soup - starting with a whole chicken. 

HoW am I feeling? Pretty good. 

What are the signs of spring this week?  Bulb flowers and trees are in early bloom, you can see the buds on the trees swelling by the day. 

What made me think this week? Bloggers, John, Yorkshire, Angus each posted at least one item that made me stop and contemplate. 

What did I remember this week? My first triathlon was in August of 1988, the swim was in the lake at Seaworld in Orlando where the water ski show was held, the bike ride out around that part of lower International Drive  - there was not much out there at that time, and the run finished in the Seaworld park. I did it on somewhat of a dare from my boss.  I had to really learn to swim to do it. The guy who finished in front of me, was celebrating his 84th birthday, I was marking my 30th in a very memorable way. 

What censorship am I practicing this week? I just deleted a depressing political rant.  We all have them. 

When do I need to start painting? Now, the arts group is going to do a special at end of the year exhibit of "New" works. Things created after the March meeting. 

When was I a smart ass this week? The pharmacy made a mistake in a price the last time they submitted a prescription to my insurance.  It was corrected and the insurance company billed me for an underpayment, of 1-cent.  I taped a penny to the bill and sent them payment.  So far we have spent about $1.20 in postage over that 1-cent difference.    

Travel Tuesday: Renwick Gallery

 

Moody Monday: An Extra Helping of Kindness

Writing the Monday Mood, I pause once a week, to reflect on the state of my mind.  How am I really feeling, what is bothering me, what is my level of angst, what is my level of happiness. It seems to help me to pause and take inventory on a regular basis.  

This week I am doing better than I had been a few weeks ago, still not as calm and fun as I would like.  I am fortunate that I am generally able to find mental and emotional balance in life, and stressful times.  Feeling down, or anxious happens, but I am able to move back to balance within a few days. I realize that many of us are not able to do this. I am trying to remember to allow extra kindness to those who are struggling.  These are times for kindness and for many, professional help. 

This week I will remember to say, please, thank you, to hold open a door, and let others merge in front of me on the road.  Little acts of kindness.  I returned books to the library the other day, I took along a couple of donations, one was Randy Rainbow's latest book. The local library didn't have it, so I bought a copy to read.  She desk clerk, looked at it and said, "thank you, I have been trying to get a copy of that!" It is so easy to share. 

It also helps that we are less than three weeks from our grand adventure of the year. Travel is kind of like sex, anticipating it, thinking about it,  is half the fun.       

The Sunday Five: Work

 1: How many different professions or kinds of work have you done in your lifetime? 

2: What work have you done that would be most surprising for others to hear about? 

3: Did you ever find your "dream job?" 

4: Have you ever been "self employed" or owned a small business? 

5: How many employers or jobs have you had in your lifetime? 

My answers: 

1: How many different professions or kinds of work have you done in your lifetime? Bee keeper, photographer, real estate broker, homebuilder, retail sales, credit analyst, lawyer = 7

2: What work have you done that would be most surprising for others to hear about? I sold ladies shoes in a department store while waiting to start law school. 

3: Did you ever find your "dream job?"  Yes, the last one. 

4: Have you ever been "self employed" or owned a small business? A couple of times, as a photographer, a couple of the builder jobs, and my current little consulting practice. 

5: How many employers or jobs have you had in your lifetime? About 12, one of them twice. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 States in 52 Weeks - Idaho

Idaho is just east of Washington state in the far northwest corner of the continental United States. Idaho will always hold a special place in my heart, it is where in 2023, I completed my goal of visiting all 50 states.  I drove into the southeast corner of the state, spent a night in an elegant small hotel in a tiny town, and drove back to Wyoming the next day.  

It is a rugged landscape, with mountains, and geothermal activity.  Idaho has a relatively small population. It's major export is oil, its major import is older adults from California. 

Idho is isolated, you have to intend to go there.  In 25 years of work related travel, it is one of a handful of states I never had a reason to go to.  I wouldn't want to live there, but it is very much worth visiting.  I would go back. A dear friend of mine retired and moved there a few years ago.   
 

Foodie Friday: A Really Great Hole-in-the-wall Restaurant

Hole in the wall, is very much a United States phrase, describing a small restaurant or bar, located in an out of the way location. Helena's I would proudly describe as a hole in the wall. It is in one America's ubiquitous little strip shopping centers, between a bank branch, and a dry cleaners, just down from a shop that sells flooring and kitchen countertops.  I drove past it without finding it the first time I went looking for it. 

A couple of weeks ago I had a doctors appointment in the morning, she likes to do blood work without my having eaten, the appointment ran long and it was nearly noon by the time I left the doctors office and I had not eaten.  This restaurant was the first sign I saw, and I wheeled. 

I ordered chicken enchiladas with a verde sauce, black beans and mexican rice. Complimentary chips and salsa arrived.  The chips were warm and salsa was smooth in texture and had a nice chipotle pepper smoky flavor.  Though not on the menu, the server made me a wonderfully strong Iced Coffee.  The enchiladas were delightful. They were fresh, not overly sauced, not buried in melted cheese. The sauce was fresh, and creamy, showing julienned fresh veggies in it. It was obvious that there was care put into making this. Many places make this kind of a sauce every few days and keep serving it until it runs out, this was fresh. The beans were cooked, but not mushy (again a sign of freshness), and served in a small bowl so they didn't run all over the plate.  The rice was flavorful and not greasy. With a generous tip, lunch was about $24. 

I will go back. 

Thursday Ramble: Things that made me think

I read the preliminary report of the National Transportation Safety Board on the mid-air collision at National Airport in late January. In the minutes leading up to the crash, the helicopter was as much as 200 feet above the maximum allowed altitude for the flight path, the flight crew was aware of this well before the helicopter flew into the airliner. The helicopter had descended slightly, but still over 100 feet above the maximum altitude for the flight path at the time of the collision. The airliner appears to have attempted to climb, seconds before the helicopter flew into the underside of the jet. The two pilots and the observer/instructor on the helicopter failed to take proper corrective action on the altitude deviation. 100+ feet is not much, but it was the difference between life and death that night. 

There are other factors in the report. Somewhat limited experience of the helicopter pilots, the two aircraft operating in shared airspace on different communications frequencies, and some disparity in instruments between the pilot and co-pilot on the helicopter. This was essentially a training flight, in high risk airspace, a flight that very likely did not need to be there. 

The immediate impact is extending a prohibition of the use of that helicopter airway for all but emergency flights and Presidential transport.  Giving controllers authority to close the airspace when helicopter flights are necessary, rerouting of non-essential helicopter traffic to avoid crossing commercial aviation flight paths. I have been at National when there was a ground stop for overflight by the Presidential airlift, it only stops things for 5 minutes, only happens a few times a week. These changes should have been made years ago. This was an avoidable accident that many people knew the risk of. 

Another transit item:

NHTSA released a report about compliance issues with an autonomous or robo taxi being tested in San Francisco.  The design is not in compliance with the standards written for a taxi with a driver.  Well duh! Some of the non-compliance issues were a lack of a steering wheel, brake pedal, rear view mirrors, or windshield wipers. The design is 100% driverless.  The report applies the wrong set of standards.  There will never be a driver in this design, so there is no need for a steering wheel, brake pedal, rear view mirror or windshield wiper. They need to look at an emergency override stop system, effectiveness of the radar and video monitoring systems. Those are not in the standards applied.  If you apply the wrong standards, you get a wrong answer. Let me offer and example.  If my doctor does a physical on me using the pediatric standards I will fail miserably. I am not gaining weight fast enough, when you apply the standards of a 6 year old instead of a 60 year old. (The same problem is seen were we use the standards for a 30 year old, on an 80 year old.)  

Well, that is my rant of the week. 

  

My World of Wonders aka The Wednesday Ws March 19th

Where have I been? Grocery shopping, the gym, the pool, a nice walk at Dyke Marsh, Pentagon City Mall, out to lunch, 

Who have I talked with?  Deirdre, Emily, Karren (with 2Rs), John, my sweet Bear, Mike - a college classmate of J's, Erica, 

What have I been up to in the Kitchen? I made a fun whole wheat bread. Steaks with cheesy scalloped potatoes. A hearty beef stew. A blackberry cake, a total experiment I had a box of blackberries in the refrigerator that I needed to use. 

What is my great accomplishment for the week? I sorted through the travel plans for next month, everything is in order, and all of the dates are correct. 

Who deserves a slap this week? Congress for caving in on a budget deal with the devil, 5 out of 5. Remember these weasels at election time. 

When will spring arrive?  Soon. The early bloom is later this spring than some. The National Parks Service is still predicting Cherry Blossoms before the end of the month.  I have a feeling the spring bloom will come fast and fade fast. 

What am I reading? I finished a book on medical aid in dying written by one of the first practitioners in Canada, it was informative, and depressing; and started into a book on living in a cabin in central Maine.  It is time to head back to the library again.  

What birds have I seen this week? A male cardinal, blue jay, robins, turkey vulture, pileated woodpecker. 

Political Trigger Warning 

What made me think?  There was a newspaper report, JD Vance, the Vice President and his wife attended the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Because of the security screening the performance started 30 minutes late.  When JD and his wife took their seats they were booed for 30 seconds or so. My thoughts. It is nice to see people sitting in the Presidential Box, it is empty much of the time. There were lots of nasty comments about the hillbilly going to the symphony, I am reminded that origin is not destiny, the man has an Ivy League education and while I don't often agree with his politics he is a bright man. If the administration wants to improve the arts and the Kennedy Center, they need to see the place, attend the programs.  They can start by fixing the aging building.  The escalator from the Blue Level parking on the south end has been broken down for months.  Fix it, replace it.  About half of the time one of the two elevators in the concert hall is broken, they need replacing.  Look at the outside, the paint on the ugly columns is faded and chalky, the columns themselves were obviously a budget cut item when the building was built, they need replacing.  Update the seating. Add security capacity so when VIPs attend a performance, the show can start on time. Why have a Presidential Box, if we can't get people seated in time for the show to start.  Provide funding, the arts feed to soul of the attendees, leave the art to the artists, but fund the work. People will decide what is worthy by buts in seats, not bombastic speeches by politicians. 

Travel Tuesdays: Off to Sea

Happy Birthday to my sister Karen. 

These are from last springs cruise. 

Take her to sea Mr Murdoch? Do you know what movie that line is from?

 

Moody Monday: A Work in Progress

We have had a few warmer days, a few days when it was easy to get out for a walk.  I walk nearly every day, walking outside is different than walking on the treadmill.  On the treadmill I watch YouTube videos on my Ipad.  I need to do something to block out the background noise, often someone has cable news playing on one or more of the televisions, or someone will be sitting on one of the stationary bikes holding a loud conversation on their phone.  I just tune and tune out.  When I walk outside, I walk in silence.  No headphones, just the sound of the wind, water and birds.  A walk outside is great thinking, or non-thinking time. 

I love my daily blog reads.  I look forward to hearing what people are seeing, doing, thinking. Please keep sharing.  For my own health, I am avoiding commenting on political posts.  Post them as you need to, please don't take it personally if I skip commenting on them.  I just can't do it sometimes.  

Trigger Warning, the following paragraph is somewhat political 

These are strange times.  I am finding the Washington Post less emotionally disturbing than Facebook.  The Post reports the silliness of the day, and the reversals of last week's outrage. I remind myself that the clown is looking for reaction more than approval. When the joke fails, he moves rapidly onto the next outrage. Facebook is filled with anger - and there is plenty to be angry about - but marinating in it is not healthy for me.  Facebook and Instagram also insert political content that is opposite of my views.  The algorithm is being tweaked to force this crap into my feed. I am avoiding these platforms, seriously considering dropping them.  

I go political from time to time in my blog posts.  I will try to remember to post trigger warnings when I do.  

The Sunday Five: Keeping Track

1: How do you keep track of the passage of days? 

2: How do you keep track of staying active? 

3: How do you keep track of what you have read? 

4: How do you keep track of travel and other adventures? 

5: Is your blog keeping track of your life? 

My answers: 

1: How do you keep track of the passage of days? I am in the 15th month of the daily selfie blog. 

2: How do you keep track of staying active? I don't, for years I kept running and workout log books, when I stopped running I stopped keeping them.  Walking an hour a day is a habit, I know I did it without writing it down. 

3: How do you keep track of what you have read? One of the first blog posts I start each year, is my year end list of books I have read. 

4: How do you keep track of travel and other adventures? This year marks 20 years of keep a travel and hotel log, I have written down every hotel I have stayed in. I have spent two years out of the past 20 years, away from home. 

5: Is your blog keeping track of your life? In many ways, it is that and more. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: 50 states in 52 weeks: Hawaii

Located about 2,500 miles southwest of California in the vast Pacific Ocean,  Hawaii is the 50th State in the United States. It is a tropical paradise. 

I have been there once, for work.  I flew out on a Friday arriving late in the evening, because of a nasty headwind we were almost an hour behind schedule. I had a couple of meetings on Saturday, including an interview on National Public Radio. I had Sunday free in Honolulu. I rented a Mustang convertible, put the top down and drove around the island.  On the Monday we did a full day training on legal issues in dementia in Honolulu, on Tuesday we did a half day program for non-lawyer advocates, then flew onto Kuai. On Wednesday we repeated the full day program on legal issues in dementia, then flew to Mau, on Thursday we repeated the full day program and flew onto the Big Island of Hawaii, on Friday we repeated the full day program, and flew back to Honolulu. On Saturday I flew home to DC, with a change of planes at LAX. 

It was an exhausting schedule. And I was limited in my ability to move due to spinal cord compression. But it was in paradise.  I would like to go back, but it is a very long trip from here. 

Jody, my local arranger in Hawaii was working on me returning to present more training in 2022. Sadly the champion for the project at the Hawaii Bar Association died.  Patricia was a dear. And the idea died with her.  

Foodie Friday: Breakfast When Traveling

My favorite meal when I am traveling is breakfast.  I am always looking for a great eggs benedict. I am disappointed when this dish is not on the menu, though I can understand making it properly takes a bit of skill.  

The basic form is a toasted English Muffin*, a layer of ham, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce.  The primary variations are the underlying toasted bread, and the meat layer.  

I am not a big fan of american biscuits or corn meal based breads for this. House made English Muffins often lack the texture of commercially made ones. The bread is not a deal breaker for me. 

The meat layer is traditionally "canadian bacon" really ham.  I have had some wonderful variations with smoked salmon, crab cakes, pulled pork, and shredded beef. It should be something that is enhanced by egg yolk. The key here flavor balance and enhancement, not overly dominating. 

The one above I had at the Sheraton in downtown Phoenix.  It was not the best. If featured house made corned beef. The beef was tough, stringy and overly salted and there was a lot of it.  The eggs were over cooked, the yolks were firm not runny. It was disappointing. 

I seldom make this dish at home.  A perfectly poached egg takes practice and skill, I seldom am happy with mine.  Hollandaise is a bit of work for one breakfast, though I think all of us should learn how to make it. The French have that right, you have master sauce making to be a good cook.  

I will keep trying on the next trip. 

* English muffins are more American than English.  An English Crumpet would be close in structure and texture.  

  

The Thursday Ramble: A Horse of A Different Color

The main campus of the University of Louisville has long been home to a colony of albino squirrels, an inherited genetic anomaly. The squirrels are white, with red eyes. It is considered good luck for a student to see one or more of the albino squirrels on the way to an exam. Pure superstition, but I did well taking a long walk across campus on the way to exams. 

Most squirrels in North America are grey. Grey squirrels were imported into Great Britain, I have no idea why. Probably as retaliation for Britain sending starlings to North America. The Grey squirrels have proven to be aggressive, squeezing out the native Red Squirrels. Sorry! The Reds are prettier. 

I was on a walk in Old Town Alexandria on one of our warm early spring days, and saw the black squirrel above. A rare sight. And he let me take a couple of photos before scampering up the backside of a tree and out of sight. 

My grandfather was a hunter.  After World War II, my grandmother refused to cook squirrel.  She said it was too much work, for to little. I will eat almost anything.  I don't think I have ever tried squirrel.   

My World of Wonders aka The Wednesday Ws March 12th edition

What am I looking forward to? Bon Voyage this time next month. 

Where have I been? The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (we had tickets for three shows in two weeks.) The Library, the pharmacy, the grocery store, the gym, the pool, the Renwick Gallery, and Lunch at GCDC (Grilled Cheese District of Columbia.) Mt Vernon for a nice long - very long walk.  The UPS store, Trader Joes, Harris Teeter, a morning of running errands. 

Who have I seen this week? The water aerobics people, Ruth, Warren, Paul, Giuseppe,  and Mike. My sweet bear. Susan and Anna for our first friday LGBT community gathering.  I made pizza this month, it was a huge hit.  

What made me angry this week? We have a dear neighbor who recently retired with about 40 years of service in the Federal Government. She managed a major program, bringing honor to the country, doing really world-class work.  She is receiving a lifetime achievement award for her work.  Her father had received the same award about 20 years ago. It will be the first time the award has been given to father and daughter. The awards event was scheduled for early April, then delayed, then cancelled. They will mail her the award. Someone decided that honoring people in person who have spent a lifetime doing extraordinary work, is government waste.  She deserves better. Acknowledging achievement and accomplishment shows the person the world cares, and sets a standard for others.   

What saddened me this week? The actor Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their home a couple of weeks ago.  Law enforcement and the medical examiner released this week, that she died first of a respiratory virus. She was about 30 years younger than he was. He died several days later.  He had dementia, she was his caregiver, with no one else checking in on them.  It is sad, that he lingered, lost in the fog of Alzheimer's. The point, establish a habit of communicating with someone outside your home. If that is missed, reach out. The quarterly security report for the condo association where we live, shows that security did 18 wellness checks in the last reporting period, 12 of those resulted in needing medical attention, and a couple of deaths (there are over 1000 apartments in the community.) I trade daily text messages with three people, good morning - we are still alive. 

What am I watching?  A lot of YouTube, Glen and Friends cooking, Escape to Rural France, the Pethericks and others that interest me. Entertaining and no American politics. 

When will the weather start to get warmer?  This week. 

What do I want to say, but don't?  A friend of mine posts everytime HWSNBN goes golfing for the weekend, which so far has been every weekend. What do I want to say and don't? I wish he would stay on the golf course for the next 4 years.  I don't care what it costs to secure the golf course and haul his fat orange ass back and forth, he does less damage when he is cheating at golf. 

What am I reading? The last couple of books were not worth mentioning. I have finished 21 so far this year. 

What is on my calendar for this week? Whatever I want to do, no meetings or appointments. 

What do I tire of? People whining about the price of eggs. I just picked up a dozen pasture raised brown eggs at Trader Joe's for less than $5.  Ten years ago when I started frequenting the farmers market on King Street, I started buying eggs from a local farmer. The Chicken Man took very good care of his hens, and it showed in the quality of the product.  I was paying $5 a dozen for large, $6 a dozen for jumbo or duck eggs ten years ago.  Raising chickens is a lot of work, and fraught with many dangers that can wipe out the flock overnight. The birds require constant attention.  It is time we pay the famers what they are worth. The Chicken Man dropped the market during covid, I miss him, and his silly chicken jokes. You are highly unlikely to go bankrupt paying a couple of dollars more per dozen for eggs. And feeding this conversation, just helps those who voted for HWSNBN justify their vote in the face of overwhelming chaos. 

  

 

 

Travel Tuesday: The Phoenix Art Museum.

Wisdom 

This show was worth the price of admission 

The light changes in this room

I love this landscape

Great Space 

I tiny Caulder model 

The finest sheep art

The color and texture in this piece are amazing.