msconduct

I had a, mostly, online friend who died a few years ago. He was Jewish and always bitched incessantly about Jesus music this time of year. He always acted like it was an unexpected insult. It amused me every year. Now when I hear background Christmas music, I think of him. I'm pretty sure that would piss him off.

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I think I'm a fairly good communicator. I try to consider my audience and how they might receive what I'm trying to convey whether it is in writing or orally. This journal is a great test. I am surprised how often I totally miss the mark. I can tell by comments when the point I was trying to make landed somewhere off in never never land. It's humbling.

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I am soon to be 77 years old. Multiple times a day, nearly every day, I find myself thinking 'when I get old, I will...' or 'I'm never doing that when I get old...' And then I find the brake pedal and realize, doh!

Out in the wild, people drop dead of 'natural causes' every day at ages much younger than 77. Of course, here at the cult, where the average age is mid-80's, I'm quite young. I'm pretty sure that's how my perspective gets skewed.

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I am out of shredded cheese. Not out out but close to out and I use that stuff on everything so this needs to get remedied. I might wait until tomorrow when the house cleaner is here. Or Bonny usually goes to the QFC on Mondays because that's when the new flowers come in and she does love her fresh flowers and she could grab me some cheese.

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I've had my swim. I need to empty the dishwasher and probably get dressed. Oh and make the bed. And then...

dandylover1

Hello, Dear Readers. Let's start today with some lovely music.

( Thoughts on Haydn: String Quartet No.53 Op.64 No.5 Lark )

It's another ridiculously cold day, but I have the space heater on in my room, so I'm dealing with it. Of course, we do have real heat in the house, but they never keep it as warm as I like. I like it anywhere from seventy to seventy-four, but they always keep it on sixty-eight, though I've even seen it get as low as sixty-five here. Regardless, I had a wonderful breakfast today. During the week days, I usually take care of my own breakfast (if I have any) and lunch. But on the weekends, one of my parents will make something. Today, Joanie made her famous French toast, and it was delicious. She usually makes hot chocolate, but I like mine made with milk, not water, so I made my own. It's actually a mint hot chocolate made by Grounds and Hounds, the same company that makes the wonderful coffees and donates twenty percent of all orders to local shelters to help dogs. (Sadly, I've never found a company like this for cats.) I always buy from them at least three or four times a year, just to help the animals. Once I added a teaspoon of sugar, the drink was excellent. We've had a few more food adventures as well. Two nights ago, Joanie made quesadillas. At first, I had one with just blended cheese. Then, I tried one with chicken. Both were wonderful. I hadn't had them in a very long time. Last night, we had rib eye steak and yellow potatoes, also called new potatoes. These are very small and taste absolutely wonderful. I hadn't had them in awhile, but all of us loved them. Originally my next sentence was about the Italian chicken breast we were due to have tonight, but just as I was writing this entry, Mom called me upstairs so I could try a gift left for us by some very dear friends of ours. They are Egyptian, and I love their cooking. This time, it was chicken, rice, and potatoes. I had some for lunch, and then came up and had more for dinner. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that or just stay down here and eat my own food, but the temptation was too great. D made us all laugh by eating four helpings of rice! A even commented that his brother had more of an appetite than he, which is extremely unusual. But while they ate the food, other than the above, they didn't really enjoy it. That means more for me next time, whenever that will be.

I am thinking of switching from Android back to IOS. I know that someone of you aren't great lovers of technology, so I will put this behind a cut.
( Considering a Phone Switch )

Regardless, all of this has led me to sign up for a Google Voice number. With my A15, I can use Google Messages, which also has a website, though it's very annoying. But iPhones only work with iMessage, so I would have to either switch keyboards or switch my keyboard from Windows to IOS in order to respond to any texts sent to me. This way, I can receive messages on both of my phones, and respond there or on my Toughpad with Windows. Anyway, since this one uses Georgiana Brummell for the name, I can give it out to everyone. If anyone here wishes to contact me, my new number is 201 589-1890. I will also be putting it in my profile. It's probably better for you to send me a text if I don't know your number, since I don't answer if I don't recognise the caller. Of course, I am also still available on MSN Messenger at dandylover1@escargot.chat.

I have more good things to tell you, but they will have to wait for the next entry, as this one is already quite long. But I will apologise to all of you, yet again, for not reading your entries, especially when you are kind enough to red mine. I will start doing so this week. I need to balance Dreamwidth and Mastodon, where I post a lot, though obviously, the content is very different.

bill_schubert

Beaux appreciates life as much as any being I know.

susandennis

When someone dies here, they put out a small frame with or without their photo and with their name and birth and death dates. It stays for a week. I have seen weeks when there were 5 or 6 frames out. But, lately, like since Halloween, deaths have been few and far between. It's been a few frameless weeks. Until yesterday. When I got out of the elevator on the way back from volleyball, there was a group of non-residents getting in discussing funeral plans so I knew the no deaths string was broken. Turns out it was Harriet's husband. Harriet was the first person who ever left me a thank you note for my creatures. I did not even know who she was then. But now I do. She's a force. She's in charge of the pea patch program and next year will be head of the Food and Beverage Committee. And she has a giant golden retriever named Apple. She and Apple sometimes visit volleyball on their way back from morning walks. Also Apple has a job visiting folks in the memory wing.

I never knew her husband but saw them at the Abba cover concert last year. He needed a walker to move but clearly was ready to boogie. He kept getting up to try and dance and she kept getting up to try and stop him. Over and over and over again. He looked like a ton of fun. As most of us here, I have a healthy stash of sympathy cards. I'll drop one off for her on my way to swim this morning.

It's still dark out and foggy. Perfect for swimming. I think I'll go do that.

dandylover1

Hello, Dear Readers. It has been a very long time since I've listened to a full opera, and I decided I needed to change that. Here, then, is what I wrote in the Old Opera subreddit. If any of you would like to join it, please feel free to do so. We are always seeking new members and posts. As you may have guessed, the friend mentioned briefly below is DB.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OldOpera/comments/1pemjq9/larlesiana_1951/

""Tonight, I decided to listen to an opera that is rarely performed today. The inspiration for it lies with a dear friend of mine who always sends me various classical pieces. In this case, the piece in question was Bizet's two suites from a play called L'Arlesienne. As soon as I saw the name, I immediately recognised something and realised it was L'ARLESIANA,. I checked my Tito Schipa folder, and naturally, I found the Lamento di Federico. As a side note, while the role was created by Caruso, for some reason, he never recorded this aria. I did, however, hear the version by Gigli, from the 1930's, and it was absolutely beautiful. At any rate, both the play and this opera were based off a work called L'Arlésienne by Alphonse Daudet. I became curious and tried to locate the opera. That was easy. I even found a version with Tagliavini. But finding the libretto, either in Italian or in an English translation, proved to be impossible. The best I could do were summaries.

Summaries:

https://operastory.co.uk/larlesiana-by-francesco-cilea

(pdf)

https://spikesworld.spike-jamie.com/opera/L'ARLESIANA.pdf

Recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxpyJL1d8A

The story was a simple one with a sad ending, but it makes sense for opera. Interestingly enough, the woman for whom the opera is named never appears, nor is she given a name, just a city designation like The Londoner or the New Yorker. So we only get one side of the story, though we do have the letters to prove that she is in love with someone else.

Personally, this is one of those operas that I simply didn't like, despite Tagliavini being in it. Other than the Lamento, I didn't find any of the music to be appealing, memorable, or moving. In some parts, it sounded more like shouting than singing. I am referring strictly to the way the music and vocal parts were written, not to the singers. But I can see why this is hardly performed these days. I think I will go back to my pre-verismo operas."

dandylover1

(Catchup - 6 December 2025)

Hello, Dear Readers. I will begin with some sad news that I wrote about in more detail in a friends-only entry on the 28th of November. To make a very long story short, my nephews have been living with us for the last six years, though they had their own lives, since they lived with a man who adopted them, whom I will call M, since I never received permission to write his name. Since my nephews are minors (D is twelve and A is seventeen), I won't write their names either. On 31 October, M began feeling ill. A little over two weeks ago, he was admitted to the hospital. However, he was so ill that nothing could be done for him, and he died on the 27th of November. Since D and A have no other family, my parents will be fostering them. We all discussed it and are in full agreement about it. S now, if you hear me mention them, you'll know who they are and why. Both have been taking things well, and they have been eating dinner with us. Even I have joined them, mostly to keep their minds occupied. Both of them are extremely funny and witty, and I've laughed more over these last few days than I have in a long time.

At any rate, today was my birthday. I am now officially forty-two years old! I knew I wasn't getting much from my parents, because they told me. But I did get some house clothing from Mom and a wine advent calendar and a meat and cheese box from Joanie. I'm not Christian, but such calendars can be fun. (Update: 6 December. I still haven't opened any of the wines, as I'm still enjoying the other little bottles that I have. Later that week, my parents also bought me an absolutely delicious chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta from my favourite restaurant, so I most certainly won't complain.) The day was fairly quiet, but that was fine. I usually celebrate a birthday week, instead of just a day, though it's mostly by doing things for myself, buying things I enjoy, etc. I am not one to deprive myself of joy, so it's easy for me to spoil myself. I plan on listening to the 1932 version of Don Pasquale, which I absolutely love. I just don't know when I'll do it.

I wasn't really sure what sort of cake or dessert I wanted for my birthday. I like all sorts of cream-filled things, from pies, to chocolate mousse, to pudding, to custard. But since they had a gift certificate to Carvelle, we decided to order an iced cream cake, and I'm glad we did. It was delicious!

Other than that, things have been relatively quiet here in general, other than Mom making phone calls and such, but I'm in my own part of the house and don't disturb her on such days. I can't really think of any strange or interesting food that we've had either, but with luck, that will change soon. We still have many things from Omaha Steaks for me to cook on my Prepology Grill.

susandennis

Volleyball was a mess. We have one very bad actor and he was on his worst behavior this morning and several of the regulars were there so we quit early. Elbow coffee was not horrible but not great either. Again, good people missing and we did not quit early.

Sigh.

Yesterday I broke a light bulb and did not have a replacement but did have a couple of things on my list for Dollar Store so went there and got a bulb that kind of works. But mostly could not find stuff on my list. The Amazon smart bulbs do not work in my bedside sconces because they are dimmable fixtures. The bulb I got at Dollar Store says it's non-dimmable right on the box but I bought it anyway. Instead of stopping at Lowe's or Home Depot or even fucking Safeway, like a normal person, I just came home. The Dollar Store bulb at least doesn't flicker like the Amazon bulb but I still need better ones - one for each. Why am I being punked by light bulbs???

Anyway, Hazel and John need a new calendar and they always get their calendars at the Dollar Store and they came to elbow coffee to ask us to get them one next time we are there. So Bonny and I are going this afternoon.

I started writing this entry and hour ago and keep getting distracted - squirrel!

I have an Instagram account and scroll through daily. I rarely post anything but I do enjoy looking. There's a dude in London who has two sisters who sent him a giant box of advent adventures. Every day he must deliver a gift to the person on the card. Generally it's a first name and destination. He posts videos of his finding someone with that name in that place. It's charmingly delightful. fridgeplug

While I keep a short list of people I follow, most of my feed is people Instagram thinks I need to follow. I get a lot of 'babies with their Dads' and 'dogs with babies' and lately, it's Tai Chi for old fat people (kind of on point, that last one). At least, for now, I'm out of the fat boobs that need bras phase.

Dinner's ordered for pickup downstairs and Bobby's probably about ready to go so I'm done for now.

bill_schubert

This morning was an AI morning. First of all I ran across a question on the NextDoor email about ISD property taxes. It made me look and I didn't like what I was seeing. Finally I went into Google and ended up having a discussion with Gemini that was quicker, WAY cheaper, and easier than talking to a lawyer or calling the county tax authority. And I received and verified my answer. So nice.

Then I was making a few bucks on my Prolific account and picked up a survey basically wanting me to do a chat with both Copilot and ChatGPT. Same chat. Compare results. The topic was dealing with medical systems specifically over this Plavix thing.

First of all, the CoPilot voice for me was a Brit. So obviously he knew what he was talking about. I was posing a very complex problem and got a bunch of feedback the end of which was "OK, let's take the first step." It was really solid and I'll likely pick up the conversation as it is one that will actually take a few days.

Then ChatGPT which basically told me how sorry it was I was going through this and how it understood how stressed I was and could it help. Never offered any specific items, never a plan, no 'first step'. Just virtual smoke going up my virtual skirt. And it was an American. Not at all trustworthy.

Such a huge difference between the two I can hardly describe but I won't use ChateGPT again and likely will use CoPilot. This is the second really good interaction I've had with CoPilot, BTW. The first was a few weeks ago and gave me a step by step plan to work on bettering my flexible stock holdings. At that time it was compared to Gemini and came out way better.

And I've never even looked at Claude or Perplexity and used Rufus once on Amazon but can't remember why or whether it even helped.

In general I love doing research using AI. So much potential. And, yeah, it is going to destroy humanity but it says I'm going to die at 89 years old anyway and I don't think it will take over before then.

susandennis

Biggie takes 3 pills a day. He has a vet appointment next week. His old vet moved to Iowa. So this is a new-ish one. She saw him last fall when he ate (and then popped) the nose plug but she hasn't weighed in on his pills/food. The last vet gave him one of the pills to discourage him from eating weird shit. The other pill was in lieu of the hyper expensive food she had prescribed the year before for his urinary issues.

I'm thinking we drop the anti anxiety pill and see how that goes. And then also drop the other one and go back to the hyper expensive food. Expensive, yes, but easier over all. He's fine. He acts fine. He eats fine. He poops fine. He pees fine. He drinks plenty of water. He's fine.

Oh and the tofu litter? It's really really fine. I am never going back. It's cleaner with no dust or debris and I also feel like I need less of it to do the job.

This morning, I think I'll go out and get some smaller cash. I never need 20 dollar bills. When I do need cash, it's ones and fives. There is a little Christmas fair this morning to raise money for something. But Martha has a table so I have to go. If I want to buy something, it's much more considerate to have exact change and all I have are 20's. To today is a good excuse to go get some usable money. I set up the Chase account for this very reason but have yet to take advantage. The closest Chase branch is very close.

It's cold and rainy but not nearly cold enough for ice so no big obstacle for going out and the car needs to stretch its tires.

somedayseattle

In my previous life as a walking human being, I was quite an active photographer. My goal for every week was at least 100 photos. Out of that would come four or five great shots. I kept them corralled on a page over yonder at Flickr. In early 2023 the camera on my iPod gave up the ghost. I still had professional equipment as well as a pocket camera, but they didn’t have the convenience of the iPod. I had to remember to bring them and if I didn’t, I was out of luck. Towards the end of 2023 I got sick and was hospitalized. Being in the hospital and not having the convenience of the iPod put an end to my photography. I changed my Flickr page from professional back to basic. Fast forward to today and I have a new phone with an excellent camera. I’m not fully biped yet, but I am far more mobile than I was two years ago. I’m out and about, taking pictures of every little thing I see. Some nice and artistic & others just documenting the details of every day life.

So with that in mind I am upgrading my Flickr account back to professional. All 31 pages, over 3000 photos, are now available for public consumption. Drop in and you can put names to faces. Pictures of all the people in The Weirdness Parade that is my life. You’ll see

tinytadpole, Da 2 Headstrong Sistas, Maxwell, Your Favorite Mustached Black Cat. You’ll see pictures of J-Nic and going back a couple years you’ll see Detective Ziggy Pigglesworth and Da Lady Zoe Blubbington. . You van even see pics of my full-on mountain man look whilst hospitalized.

Framed prints or now available !!!
Instructions-
1-Pick out a photograph. Click the 'print' button. Print the photograph.
2-Go to the Dollar tree and purchase a frame.
3-Insert printed photograph into recently purchased frame. BOOM!! You got yourself a framed pic.
4-Send me $19.99 for licensing fees and you’re all set!

Check out my page here. If you have a Flickr page send me a link so I can check you out.

bill_schubert

I saw an article not long ago, one I wish I'd saved, that said in order to really lose weight requires you to become a different person who might end up having different friends and doing different things. The reverse being true. Same actions,same habits, same friends means you stay the same person.

That seems kind of radical but does make some sense. One of the things that semaglutide is touted for is to lessen all the cravings. Cut down addictions from drugs to gambling to eating.

I recently took a survey asking me about those things and I was not too helpful. I've lost all my addictions, the ones they asked about anyway. I don't gamble, don't smoke, don't much drink, don't do drugs. I'm a fairly boring person and was not all that exciting when I did smoke and drink and do drugs. That last might be a different point.

I'm down to 194.6 pounds as of this morning. That's 35 pounds that I'll likely never see again. The first 20 was on Noom, the most recent 15 from Semaglutide.

Last night I was eating dinner and realized I just wasn't hungry so I stopped. I'd not eaten all that much yesterday but I wasn't looking for more. Dinner was OK. I just reached down into myself and didn't find any desire to eat.

That's the way of semaglutide. I watch out to be sure I get enough protein and fiber and then just eat when I want to eat and not when I don't. Sometimes I'll track it in Cronometer but as long as I'm continuing to lose weight I don't feel like I need to bother doing that.

The whole thing will be even more interesting when I get to whatever weight I decide is where I should stop. "Normal" for my 5'9" height is 168. I would look like a scarecrow, like an Okie on the way to California. I can hardly imagine.

I was shooting for 180. My current BMI is 28.6. "Normal" is 24.9 or less. 180 would put me at 26.

No one who knows me thinks I'm much more than normal overweight or thinks I should lose another 25 pounds.

So, we'll see. I am moving better on the Pickleball court. It will be interesting if there is a difference in my knees and the rest of my joints. Maybe would be worth it after all.

Meanwhile, I'm not really hungry right now but I do need water.

bill_schubert

It's in the 40's today and wet and windy. Beaux and I went for a walk early on (Beaux ALWAYS wants to go on walks) but other than a later walk I'm not going to spend much time outside today. No pickleball today. Nothing else on the schedule. I'm doing some Prolific work and will likely knock out $50 or so today. I've been getting higher paying jobs recently and it has been much more profitable.

This is the duldrums between the Thanksgiving noise and the Christmas News noise. Then we'll get the quiet of the winter and spring. Looking forward to that.

We lost our electricity last night between 9:30 and 11:30. Didn't make too much difference to us. It was time for bed anyway. No indication from the electric company of reason but the area was fairly small and the epicenter was where they are doing a lot of work adding a commercial center across from our HEB. The last time we lost power was when they were building the HEB. I'm suspicious of both incidents. I suspect they have to shut off power to do something or other and it is easier to just 'lose' power than any of the alternatives. Just my thought. No harm done anyway.

Dana went to the doc yesterday to get an injection in her spine, an LESI L4/L5. She's gotten them in the past many times. They help with her rather severe sciatica. But this time the doc said that she could not get it if she was on Plavix. She said she was prescribed Plavix but was not taking it. Two docs and the nurse told her she should take it if prescribed. I'm kind of wishing I was there but maybe better that I wasn't. Yet another example of a doctor out of their lane. Dana was very confused and now had someone telling her something different from what we had figured out. She got the shot she needed and told me about it all afterward.

I decided to nail down the cardiologist and wrote a note asking for the basis for the Plavix prescription. No response yet. BUT I did discover that Plavix potentially interacts with two of her current meds AND specifically should not be taken with Aspirin which she takes. The Cardiologist did not, apparently, notice this. So my blood is on a slow boil and I will not respond well to anything other than a full retreat from the prescription at which time I will ask him to ammend her record removing the drug so we don't have to go through this again.

On the off hand he decides he will not budge I'm going to get a second opinion during which I will definitely be sitting in the room.

And why the hell doesn't their system flag the two meds and the aspirin problems?

I'm starting to get fed up with shoddy medicine and increasingly have an issue with the inability of medical systems to do the same thing I can do with ChatGPT. I was able to find the three interactions (all three have very specific and fairly serious hazards) in about a minute in the AI.

Having already had a discussion with the Scott and White patient relations department I'm just standing by.

She is not going to be taking Plavix unless and until I see a test or procedure that indicates she is in hazard from blood clots that merits serious interdiction to prevent.

Nothing more dangerous than a retiree who had time and a computer.

susandennis

When I lie on my side in the bed, my eyes look out on Barbara's terrace. Barbara lives in Assisted Living. She's a lovely lady with very little vision left. Someone has hung a VERY bright set of icicle lights on her terrace rail. I can practically read by the damn things in bed. I thought about asking her to turn them off at night but then decided, fuck it, I can wear the eye shades that I wear in Summer. They aren't uncomfortable and do the job so problem solved.

Laundry day. I have the process started. I forgot to turn on the lotion warmer before I left for volleyball so it's warming now. The paint roller enables me to apply a layer of lotion all over my back and then get dressed without oiling up my clothes.

There are a lot of seasonal activities planned around here and 99%, maybe even 100%, make me want to lock the door of my apartment with me inside. I have never been a fan of holidays but this year, I am really not. Don't know why and don't particularly care. Happily, I don't even have to explain myself to people. I can be what I want to be.

I got a really interesting email this morning from a French artist asking permission to use me in an AI art piece - specifically in an upcoming exhibit in a French High School. I cannot even believe that sentence. What a wonderful time we live in.

His name is Matéo Picard and his note was delightful. He was, oh so very respectfully, asking my permission to use my data. Of course, all of the stuff is out there for the world to see, no permission needed. He gave me a wide runway for landing a response of 'oh no, that's too creepy' which I really appreciate but do not need. I think it's fascinating. I have more than 25 years of daily journal entries, and photos back to the beginning of Flickr and Tweets and Bluesky posts and that autobiography I wrote and of course my now very old website. I mean there's a shit load to scrape from. It would be fodder for an artificial dummy but artificial intelligence could really go to town.

What amazing fun. And I love his website.

Ok the lotion is warm. Time to get greased up and dressed.

susandennis

I'm still not yet over the fact that I turn on my lamp in the morning and the light comes on immediately and does not flicker and stays on until I turn it off. Fucking miracle. I ordered more of those bulbs. One for the bathroom overhead fixture and two for my bed side lamps. All their bulbs work fine but the automation is flaky on each and they require 3 apps total. These bulbs will knock out two of the apps and delete the flaky.

Hazel dropped by last night. She says that the hospice workers are talking about letting John come back home (from the nursing unit). He has, apparently, after months of not eating, found his appetite. He was supposed to be dead way before now. But decided against it, I guess. She asked me to have Christmas dinner with the and their son. It was a lovely thought, but I think, no. I don't want to get chummy with the son and make it very easy for him to assume I'm ready to step in with their care/needs/etc. They both need a lot and I am just not up for it.

Also last night, I got an email telling me I'd been selected to serve on the Food and Beverage committee next year. I signed up for it the last two years but didn't make the cut til this one. Which turns out to be good. The new chair is sharp and nice and, hopefully, it will be interesting. It means two meetings a month and I already go to one of them so really just adding one.

Yesterday I changed the comforter on my bed to the winterwinterwinter one. It's about 14 inches thick. Of course, not really, but it is a very nice one with a lovely print and an even more lovely texture to it and burrowing under it, when it's cold, is the best sleep you can get. Ever. I finally have the temperature stable in here so that it's very cold at night and refreshingly pleasant during the day. The new thermostat they put in helps make controlling easier.

Also yesterday, I gave away my TV. I had a smallish TV in the bedroom that I never used. Last Summer I replaced it with a fan, which I never used and should probably get rid of, too. I put the TV under the bed. But the chaise cushion for the couch is also under there and it was getting crowded and bugging me. So I hauled out the TV (and was then able to push the cushion further in so you cannot see it from any angle) and bundled it up with its remote and legs and put it out in the elbow with a 'free' sign. It lasted an hour. It's such a lovely way to recycle shit. Easy peasy and someone is happy for sure.

I'm not sure what's on tap for today. I was toying with the idea of not swimming but it's so nice and gray and cloudy out, it's hard not to take advantage. So I probably will.

susandennis

I lost a shitload of money in my investments yesterday. I didn't even bother to look up why. I assume Trump farted or didn't and the captains of industry hit the panic button. One day last week, I made a ton of money in one day. Didn't look up that one either. I keep a spreadsheet (of course) of the totals with a very simplified chart and I just watch the line go up and down and up and down. My chart would make a great ski field.

On the other hand, Social Security did me a real solid. Last year they deducted $200 for Medicare and then an extra $400 for Medicare Part B IRMAA (which, roughly translated, means you made too much money). This was not unfair. Inheriting my cousin's investment accounts did the trick. That was in 2024. According to the fine print, Social Security only reviews IRMAA status every two years so I figured I was in screwed again in 2026. But, nope. I got the news today that I am officially IRMAA-free! So my 2.5% Cost of Living raise is more like 30% in real life. I'm perfectly fine with that.

Also amazingly wonderfully fine is the paint roller. I got the cheapest one ($5) - a 4 incher and it arrived yesterday. I lathered it up with lotion and wheeeeeee!! It goes on perfectly. All the books and crannies covered - even that spot in the very middle of my back that my arms believe is NoWomansLand. And it layers on the lotion evenly without big puddles. The spatula applies the lotion not at all evenly and also misses a lot of spots. This paint roller trick is the bomb, I tell ya. And fast and easy. I put the roller in a zip lock bag with the handle poking out the bottom. So now I just peel back the bag, slap some lotion onto the roller and
roll on a thin layer. Easy enough to do every day and not requiring special clothes to mop up the excess.

I'd love to get Google Gemini a big hug.

And in other news of success. I have this table lamp that I love. But it's failing. When I turn it on, sometimes it lights up and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes, it lights up 5 minutes later. My brother said he was willing to install a new lamp kit in it so I ordered one. Then last week, I had my own lightbulb moment. Maybe it's the light bulb??? So I black friday'd an Amazon smart bulb. And screwed it in. Alexa recognized it instantly with no action from me. (So I could eliminate the smart plug it was plugged into.) And... guess what? Issue totally fixed. The lamp kit is going back today.

It is house cleaning day and I have a nice collection of returns so I'll be heading out to UPS.

bill_schubert

Sometimes (probably more frequently than I'd like to think) I need someone to point out the obvious. After listing another of Dana's medical incidents last week,

anais_pf replied that she used a journal to track her husband's medical journey. It was like being slapped on the head for me.

When I had my own company I went to lots of networking meetings. Of course I did a crappy job networking with people but I did keep track of them all and what happened and what I was thinking with a nice faux leather bound journal. I had it with me all the time and it is so much easier to keep notes by hand and transfer the ones worth keeping to online.

A couple of days ago I bought a new journal. There are a lot of 'medical' journals with tabs and places to enter blood pressure and such. But I bought a blank page one and a set of nice mechanical pencils (what is now days known in my head as a lifetime supply) for less than $20. Yesterday I went through my wife's medical info online and extracted time lines and problems and procedures and organized them in the book. I feel like I've got a lot better control now. We're on our way shortly to get her a shot for a nerve issue she has. I'm her driver so I'll be there and if questions come up I won't be fumbling for my phone and Google Drive but will have the book. The information in it will only get better over time, more efficient, more thorough. And with AI I'll likely be able to easily import the written entries to online if I need to do so. I feel more in control.

Things will keep happening and I'll only become increasingly in charge of her medical outcomes. Such a simple idea will help and, should it become necessary, will help anyone else involved.

The back third of the book will have my own info. Not nearly as much or as complicated but still, there are dates I no longer care enough about remembering but still get asked about.

susandennis

My brother has now been the coach of many a Let's Get Rid Of This Shit sessions. He's a great one for the job. Toss it is his favorite answer to every question. We have another session coming up in Janaury. I just retired some tech. It does not work well and I will never use it again but.... maybe and then I gave a very serious thought to putting it in a bag and putting it with the other stuff for bargaining power.

When he says 'Toss it' to something I want to keep, I could use it to offer up instead! But, the voice of good prevented me from finding an appropriate bag so I tossed it on my own today.

Years and years ago, my parents live in New York City. I was in college and my brother was in New England in boarding school. Mother and Daddy had moved to New York City after we all left home so coming home to the new 'home' was an extra special treat.

One time, I don't remember the occasion, but my brother and I ended up there at the same time. Mom asked us what we wanted for dinner and we both agreed fried okra would be the VERY BEST. Mother's reaction was 'oh you clowns! you can't get okra in New York City!!' 'So, if we can, will you please fry it up?' Knowing she was safe from that duty, she said 'sure'.

AND we set out. I don't remember our even having to go too far. I think it was maybe the third store we tried - a Grestedes - they had two boxes of frozen cut up okra and we GRABBED it! Not that there was competition. It was clear they had not stocked it the day/week maybe month before but we didn't care. As we stood in line there was a woman behind us eyeing our treasure and inquired with a little bit of accusation "what in the world are you going to do with that???" I wanted to say science project. I forget my brother's response but I'm sure it was even better.

Mom was kind of impressed, actually, and we had a delicious dinner.

Today, I ran into the woman in charge of special catering today and asked her about the possibility of my ordering up a giant load of fried okra sometime. "Sure, we can do that, just pop me an email when you are ready and we'll make it happen." WOOOOT!!! Mom would be jealous, I think.

somedayseattle

Traditionally, I don’t make turkey on Thanksgiving. I’d rather sit around on my ass accomplishing nothing. This year I made Thousand Island dressing instead. I like to do things a little differently. I wait until Black Friday to go to the groceria and buy a discounted breast. I make it on Sunday instead. This year my turkey turned out well and Erica made some great baked sweet potatoes. We gave thanks to each other and then promptly fell asleep on the couch. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday unfortunately, the pig dog capitalists are paving over it to get to Chrimma faster. It sickening. This was my first holiday without MeMum. Both Da Headstrong Sista's were out of town. These days make feel more and more alone.

I was shuffling through a box labeled 'tinsel & lights' yesterday when I stumbled across a long forgotten notebook. I picked it up and began flipping through the pages. I was delighted to find they were from my all too brief time at Da Park. Skeletons of stories. Flipping through my heart hurt as having that job was literally the happiest time of my life. I had it all taken away from no fault of my own. It’s a bitter pill. Anyway, enough about me. The good news is now I have handful of stories about life I can relay. I will probably have to take some sort of artistic liberties to fill in some of the holes but as long as I stay true in the story, that’s okay, right?

I have an appointment tomorrow at another orthopedic emergency center. I was smart enough to call ahead this time to confirm they take Medicaid. I hope the issue is something minor and not neuropathy. I don’t even know what that is but a lot of the old fuckers here seem to complain about it.

I think I had something else to discuss, but I can’t bring it up to my thoughts right now. Perhaps I should have written down in a notebook that would eventually end up in a box labeled 'tinsel & lights'.

susandennis

Yesterday, I ventured from my apartment one time. I took some trash to the shoots - two doors down. And that was it. It was lovely. Martha came by for Amazon help. She wanted to join Prime for her free month so she could Christmas shop. It was not entirely straightforward but we got it done. And I had the conversation I've had with others around here about banking online.

"Aren't you worried about getting robbed?"
"Nope. I check all of my accounts first think in the morning. If they try to steal from me, they won't get much for long. How often do you check your accounts?"
"Oh, I check them every month when I get the statement."

So, bank account robbers... feel free to hit up all old people the day after the statement comes out. You have a month to enjoy the profits.

Plus, in texts last night, she said she could not find an 8x8 pyrex dish with lid on Amazon. I found about 20 of them. So she called around and will drive to downtown Bellevue today to pick one up from The Container Store. "I hope it's ready before 2, I hate that traffic."

Different strokes for different folks.

After she was here, she was on to drop off a photo for the newsletter this week. She and Richard have a wedding anniversary coming up and they wanted their wedding picture. She showed it to me and, frankly, it's about the most perfect wedding photo I've ever seen. And they look just the same but older. And Richard had a whole lotta hair back then. Next year will be their 60th. (I'll grab a copy Thursday when the newsletter comes out and post it.)

I was so very tempted to copy yesterday today and not leave this apartment. Some non-volleyball mornings, I wake up ready to swim but on the days when I'm not, I'm hesitant to force myself. I don't want to not like swimming. This morning was nice and foggy but it did not look like it was going to last so before I could spend any time in debate, I just slapped on my suit and hit the road. It was a very good swim so I'm glad I did.

I tried Movie Sunday yesterday. I have MADD. Movie Attention Deficit Disorder. I tried watching 4 different movies and did not last 30 mins into any of them. They all had potential but I didn't have the patience. I'm just not a movie person.

Biggie has, apparently, worked through his issues with the egg crate foam topper and has now taken to sleeping with me again. The lights go out, he hops up and snuggles into the bowl my spoon makes. We settle in. And here comes Julio who tries to settle in but cat words are exchanged and they both leap up and leave. I go to sleep. When I wake up to pee, Biggie is there and, usually, Julio and they stay the night although Julio usually gets up first. Then me. Then Biggie.

One side effect from watching TV news is exposure to commercials for every weight loss/diabetes product and there are a million of them. It occurred to me last night that the good news is all those fat dancers who couldn't get work because they were fat are now fully employed because they are fat. Sweet.

Ok, it's after 9 and I really do need to get dressed and make my bed.

susandennis

Still no cure.

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