A few memories.
Missing you.
Today started like many Mondays.
The alarm (TV) goes off. I hear it, listen to the first bit of traffic news and intend to get up.
Then I wake up (again), look at the clock and realize that I must now get up (for real), shower, and be ready to go in about 15 minutes. Mondays are almost becoming predictable.
What was a bit different today was that it was a “holiday” and my carpooler was taking the day off. I was on my own, but thought traffic would be light. I was correct.
But then I spotted the traffic advisory sign that said,
“I-5 South exit to I-90 Eastbound Closed.”I took a bit of time (seconds really) to process this information.
Which way am I travelling, and which way do I want to go on I-90?
I determined that this was my route, and that they probably were not playing an April Fool’s joke on the early morning (not sooo early) commuters.
I seemed to remember a traffic report in my first awakening about a motorcyclist that went from the I-90 exit, back down onto the southbound I-5 lanes. But the accident had happened in the wee hours. Still, I chose to believe the sign.
Quick decision time.
I do know how to get around the freeway to freeway exit, but it entails driving quite a while on City streets. No school today, but there would undoubtedly be others doing the same maneuver. So I opted for the other freeway to eastbound freeway bridge.
This used to be my primary morning commute route. That was until the end of the year when tolls started on this bridge (SR 520), but not on the I-90 bridge. I choose to avoid the $3.50 toll unless traffic is indescribably bad. Or blocked.
Exiting east, traffic was still very light.
As I drove onto the bridge I remembered that this was my prime eagle and heron spotting route. Looking about – there he/she was. The bald eagle perched on a light standard over the freeway, checking the Lake Washington waters for salmon. Or maybe some other tasty morsel.
The sighting made the costly detour not a total loss.
And I am sorry to report, the motorcyclist paid an even dearer price.
Sorting, flinging – today we tried our hand at selling.
As it turns out, we are not very good at the selling bit.
But – if the end result was getting stuff out of the house, then we won with books, and lost with clothes. That is, the store I took the clothes to bought some, and returned more. On the other hand, on a price per pound we did better with the clothes.
My wish now is that it were spring and we could do a proper garage sale. I am going to stack the boxes as best I can and wait for the flowers to start to bloom. It may happen sooner than I think. As I was unloading boxes from the car for the last time tonight, I noticed the daffodils starting to poke their leaves out of the ground.
Offerring at SAM - Not a Gauguin
Downtown, from Petula Clark
When you’re aloneSo today we spent the day downtown.
Started with the Seattle Art Museum. They have a Gauguin exhibit. It was really nice. I think it helped that I actually read some detailed information on-line yesterday, so I was able to go in with a bit more knowledge than I would have had otherwise. I found myself noticing his technique, and directionality of brush strokes, or lines at least.
Next on tap was some lunch. The Guaymas Cantina on the Harbor Steps was our destination of choice. Carl had a burrito that looked delicious, and I had the taco soup. Really good. I would get the soup again in a heartbeat, but probably the cup instead of the bowl. Quick service too, which helped because we were on a bit of a schedule.
Our final scheduled destination was Benaroya Hall for the Seattle Women’s Chorus show. It focused on love stories, having chorus members tell how they ended up with their mates. (at least a few of the stories) This all tied in with the recently passed law legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington, signed into law by the Governor on Valentines Day. The two openly gay Washington legislators were in the audience, and made a pitch to talk to anybody and everybody about voting in the November election, when the law will inevitably be on trial. It was actually quite moving, and about damn time!
Then it was time to go back out into the elements, and catch a bus.
We had considered walking downtown and back, but in the end the blustery day that it was made the bus a better choice. Walking in the elements isn’t really a huge problem, but we wanted to look like something better that what the cat dragged in.
Today was an aberration to my normal routine.
This was good in an interesting sort of way. Interesting to me because it was so different from the norm. It had a different feel. But in the end, it was just a day of one errand after another.
Woke up at essentially the same time as a normal work day.
Coffee and yogurt for me.
Eggs and a little white pill for Carl.
We were off on our first adventure of the day.
I didn’t know exactly where we were going, but Carl did.
But that little white pill made Carl a bit off the straight and narrow, and there were some interesting directions being provided.
“It will be a right turn, but you have some time to change lanes.”
a few blocks later
“Turn left here – left, all the way.”
This continued until we were safely into the parking garage.
But then we had to get out of the parking garage to a building across a few street corners. Once I managed to steer us in a general direction Carl was able to get us to the correct building.
Safely in the periodontists’ office, Carl was put in their care. I pulled out my computer and commenced to make their waiting room my office away from work. I actually got quite a bit done in the few hours we spent there.
Carl came out with a prescription for more fun drugs and an ice-pack.
After a stop for coffee, we went to our HMO to get said drugs.
The drugs that were probably more important were the antibiotics.
But there was the prescription for the pain meds. Should we or shouldn’t we.
We often get them, and always have many left over. So Carl asked if he could get only about 1/4 of what was prescribed. The pharmacist went along with the request, after warning Carl that he would not be able to get the rest if he changed his mind.
Then one final stop at a grocery store for a few items. Carl walked to the grocery store while I retrieved the car. The idea was to meet up in the grocery store parking lot. Good in theory, but there was a fire truck, delivery truck, and lots of other cars. I parked and went in search of my wayward charge. One more grocery store and it was time to go home. And it was only noon.
Finally back home for a bit of lunch. I did not even have time to do more than replug in the computer before it was time to leave again.
This time the orthodontist was the goal. They had to reput his brace wires on (and one fake tooth back in). This trip did not take as long and I amused myself in the waiting room with Soduko.
Then he wanted to do just one little side trip (only 100 blocks north and 45 blocks west). But he had been such a good little patient, that I drove him to his store. Then it was off to gasoline alley, and home once more.
Finally connected with work via VPN, only to discover nobody knew where I was. I had checked out with my boss, but he had been at offsite meetings most of the day. A bit of work done, and dinner was in front of me. Then a bit more work.
I don’t think I got in my full 8 hours for the day, but it was getting late enough that I decided it was time to stop.
Then it dawned on me that I should really get reservations for our first vacation of the summer, still over three months away. The sites that I was playing with told me the hotel I wanted was not available for our dates. I looked at some others, reading some reviews, generally getting nowhere close to a decision. Then it dawned on me that I should try the hotel site itself. And low and behold – there were rooms available. Hmmmmm. Reservations made. Now it was really time to get off of the machine.
Except to blog (of course).
Carl is fine. No pain meds taken, yet. Of course, there is the cut on his head that he got doing dishes. It was a cupboard door that leaped out and bit him.
And now, I really am going to shut this down. This day has had a veneer of rain to add to the just keep moving feeling. Starting with fine mists in the morning, it changed to full blown deluge by the end. What else should I expect from a February day in our corner of the country.
I know that when a flag wears out, there are prescribed methods for disposal.
So, what do you do when a book you love is just too tattered to continue?
Pooh and friends have seen better days
So – Happy Birthday Jane.
Note to self - take more pictures of your sisters
Sorry we can not be there to celebrate with you in person.
Hold a rain check for about 6 months from now.
So – we will make do with some previous celebratory efforts.
Some people paint. I frost.
We managed to unload a few pounds from the house today.
Two of Carl’s former charges came over and had their pick of the books slated for removal from the house. They took about 3/4 of a box. Not too bad.
The best part was after the initial flurry of looking at the books when they both were sitting in chairs reading away.
Repacking what stayed, for their final journey.
Other than garbage, which gets parceled out each week, to whatever can fit into our mini-can, these are the first things to find new homes. Hopefully this trickle will start the flow, and may it become a roar.
Things have been continuing here.
Cleaning, sorting, working, working, working.
Carl has been the primary cleaner and sorter.
Jay has been the primary worker. Only in the measure of hours past normal this week, which has resulted in less cleaning and sorting.
I actually have work to attend to today, but am trying to take care of a bit of transactions that are not quite correct. I am on hold – speaker hold, so thought this would be a good opportunity to put up a blog.
The great book sort is nearing its conclusion. The last big bit of books have been gathered and vetted for keeping or going. The next step is to start the going process. Maybe even starting tomorrow.
Carl has expanded the sorting into pictures. Mostly gathering, not too much “going away.” But he keeps bringing them down to look at. The current picture being viewed is from approximately 1990-91. Ashlan, “Can I snuggle?” Actually, she was possibly not that verbal at the time.
Morning snuggle with the kids
The picture is in our old house (next door to our new house). Looking at the picture I see that we still have the same bed, different sheets. The TV was located in the built-in wardrobe in our bedroom. (I remember going to bed early while I was pregnant and watching Perry Mason re-runs on the wardrobe TV.)
This is the B&W TV I bought when I graduated from college and got a paying job. It continues to work, so we continue to use it. The only other “thing” I recognize readily is the alarm clock. It is still next to the bed, but it doesn’t work very well any more. The clock works fine. One of the two alarms can be set. What doesn’t work reliably is the radio that was the alarm to wake us up in the AM. So, it has been replaced with the B&W TV on a timer. The type of timer used to turn lights on and off when you are not around to do this.
Now perhaps it becomes clear why we have so much stuff to go through. If it has a chance of working, it doesn’t leave.
OK – Work is continuing to dominate my time.
This weekend has been a MUST COMPLETE PROJECT type deadline.
As usual, my initial optimistic estimate of time to complete the project was underestimated.
Nevertheless, I have persevered, and am taking a break now before trying to get through the last stages (for this weekend). Today I hope to finish the Water Comp Plan Amendment, complete 2 maps for the WCP, and finish the SEPA Checklist for the WCP and associated project.
Other bits that extend beyond today include some resolutions, letters to distribute SEPA, and finishing an Agreement and updating our Web information.
All this while remembering Salvador Dali’s quote, “Have no fear of perfection – you will never reach it.”
OK – now that we are past what I must do, here are some other bits.
It has been 50 years since the movie To Kill a Mockingbird was released. I read an article about Mary Badham, Scout, yesterday. When she was in the movie she had never seen a movie. Perhaps not so unusual back then. It sounded like her experience was very much one of an innocent just going along with what was happening. That 10-year old feeling that I really miss sometimes. Your expectations were limited in scope, and that provides a sort of freedom.
I was very much in an internal turmoil over the Susan G. Komen initial decision to pull funding from Planned Parenthood. I support both entities, and it was awful. I sent off my e-mail to SGK as soon as I heard the news, and apparently so did several thousand others. But I feel their move will continue to taint the organization, and it certainly won’t make our fundraising this year any easier. Even before this I was fairly certain this year’s event was going to be our swan song. For a day I was trying to figure out whether we should even push forward this year. At this point I do believe we will move forward.
Yesterday I was asking Carl a series of questions. They were not all related, and I can’t even remember exactly what they were about. His answers, however, kept being the same, “I am deferring to you, it is your call.” I finally managed to ask a question to which he said he wanted to, “Fer.” I am not sure exactly what “ferring” looks or sounds like, but I will continue to try to figure out how to use it in a sentence.
The weather in Seattle has been spectacular for February this weekend. So, in amongst the work, we did take a walk yesterday. It was late afternoon when we started, and it was clear that it is still winter, as the sun was fairly low on the horizon. (Translation – shining right in your eyes if you were heading west.)
It is a stated “fact” that Seattlites purchase more sunglasses than anywhere else in the country. Now this would fly in the face of all that cloudy, wet weather stereotype. But it is more the angle of the sun when it does shine, and the inability of Seattle eyes to acclimate to the sunshine. Speaking of which, I ordered a new pair of sunglasses a few days ago (see prior blog). They have not yet arrived, and I walked with clear lenses yesterday.
I have been using a new APP for our walks – Endomondo.
I found yesterday that you can look at what you did on their website as well – post walk.
One cool thing that I found was their altitude chart, which I tried to copy, but not successfully, so no sharing at this time. It also maps the route – pretty successfully. I have been pleased with it so far. Has all manner of workouts to chart – bicycling, spinning, running, ….
The BIG GAME.
We will be watching, or at least have the TV on to the correct station.
I don’t really have a favorite team. If I have a leaning – maybe NY Giants. Ashlan is living in NY.
I also have $5 riding on a random pick board. Could win $20 for each of the first 3 quarters, or $40 for the final score.
My numbers (these are for the last digit of the score)?
Patriots 8 Giants 6
Patriots 5 Giants 4
Patriots 4 Giants 6
Patriots 3 Giants 0
Patriots 6 Giants 5
This is what really helps us through the game. Figuring out what needs to happen for one of my “scores” to win.
