Miriam decided that she had had enough of walking up our drive way in the dark. Me? I have my phone, and besides, less light means few people. At least that was my excuse.
new drive way lighting
Intelligently, she didn’t ask. Just ordered and installed a series of solar powered lights along the edge of the drive way. They are pretty…
Since that wasn’t enough, she added a string of lights to the lemon tree… I guess they will keep the flamingo wind chime company
and in the lemon tree
I must have been totally asleep or feeling guilty when I signed up to join an orientation panel late this afternoon. Admittedly, I like and respect the faculty member who asked me to join in. Unlike the year I started UCHastings MSL program, there are more than a dozen signed up this year. I was an only which actually worked out well for me since my peer group became the incredibly interesting class of LLMs (Master of Law – non-US law degrees).
So what words of wisdom could I offer this bright eyed and shiny group of 20s and 30s who are looking for ?what?
My purpose in doing the degree was … what? To not waste my GI bill? To be challenged by a program? To learn how lawyers think? Which, since I had been married to one for 40+ years doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
In any case, I spent time late this afternoon watching faces I mostly didn’t know on Zoom. And, being an active participant – stitching and knitting were out of the question.
Bummer
Oh, let me see.
You get up early and gather everything you need for yet another trip into UCSF. Load the husband, medical supplies, cross-stitch into the car. Find your phone, grab the car keys. Before starting the car, you order coffee from Peet’s (large latte, thank you very much) so that you can deal with the drive into the city. Stopping at Peet’s, your coffee is there at the take out bar as you walk up. This bodes well for the trip.
Compared to Tuesday, the drive across the Bay Bridge is a breeze. Minimal slow down at the Toll Plaza and the metering lights aren’t on. What is even more surprising is that everyone seems to understand merging lanes of traffic.
Since it is going to be a long day, it is the parking ramp for us. The first anti-biotic is essentially in as we arrive so that George gets to head inside for his blood draw without dragging an infusion along. Blood draw completed, he rejoins me in the car so that I can start his second antibiotic. Apparently the clinic is ok with him hanging out in the waiting room so off he goes for a comfortable chair and WiFi access.
I settle in. It is now 0945. His appointment is at 1200. We didn’t have a choice about the early arrival since one of the blood tests was to measure the trough (blood level just prior to dose) of the second antibiotic. If we had come in later, he could potentially be 4 hours late getting started..
So there I am, sitting in the car. Having parked at the outer edge, I have enough ambient light to stitch. I am listening to an audiobook while carefully picking out stitches of a color that is just not working for me in a sampler. Finally done, I move on to the next project. Every 10-15 minutes, I restart the car as it shuts down so that I can listen through the car speakers. Not a problem, except for one small item that has escaped my attention.
Are you starting to get an idea?
More than an hour early, George reaches me on the phone and I “participate” in the clinic visit. Done, he comes down to the car. I pack up all the stitching and turn the key. Na-dah. Nothing. Just enough to go “click.”
Now, I thought I had started it several times. But, I had forgotten to turn the lights off…. and had been using the car speakers for my audio book. My phone was happily at 90%+
As it turns out, the parking attendants have this lovely, small portable charger. I had walked up to the exit and asked who was the best to call (so they would let them in the garage). Turns out I am not the only one who has had a dead battery. This nice man came down with one of the other attendants (new) and showed him how to jump a car. Small device. I remember the old, huge chargers which had to be wheeled. Just a minute or two and my car started. Obviously, I had enough sense meanwhile to turn off EVERYTHING that could suck electricity and ran the car for a few minutes prior to heading up the ramp and home.
Moral of the story? Obviously, don’t run electronics and headlights when hanging out in a parking garage for hours…
And no, this is not about politics, per se.
I was listening to an interesting Webinar from the One Health group at CDC. Ok, fine. Talk about those things which affect all parts of the biosphere; plants, animals, people. So far, so good. But then the discussion went on to the subject of animal care/pet care/companion care in the face of disaster.
I am still good. But wait – there are huge amount of precautions recommended for anyone who has the misfortune to develop COVID-19 and has animals.
Let us stop and think (excluding the rapid spread of SARS-COV2 in mink farms in the Netherlands – that is its own problem and will be gone by 2024 anyway when the farms are outlawed) – according to conservative estimates – there have been at least 19 million cases of COVID-19 in humans. Deaths are well above 155,000 in the US alone. Look at those numbers for a moment. Think about them.
Now, consider that there have ben 42 (forty-two, no trailing zeros) documented cases in pets (and not all in the US). That is 42. And how many of the 4+ million in the US who have been diagnosed have pets?
The following is my personal take – and NOT the official CDC guidance
Do not isolate yourself from your pet if you are ill. You need them and they need you. Do NOT drop your pet off at a shelter just because you have a positive test. If you are too ill to take care of it, you are probably too ill to take care of your self. Make the appropriate arrangements for both of you.
I am more concerned about those living alone who land in hospital – and haven’t made arrangements for their animals. The same way that pets/companions need to be considered when hurricane, tornado. or earth quake strikes, But this particular disease is not the same at all. Any pet who goes out side is at much greater risk of parasites and worms than they are from catching COVID-19 from you…. Please be sensible
As a result, I have been learning about the Middle Ages, various assorted sciences and a bit of music. Just for a lark, I pulled their course on “Introduction to Infectious Disease.” It was produced sometime after the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Unfortunately, the author describes the US public health system as organized, well prepared, well recognized, and “able to leap tall buildings with a single bound.”
I had to stop listening, it just hurt too much. Yes, Dr Fox is accurate in that we recognized that diseases can spread rapidly. But stating that we were prepared for the current pandemic is completely ludicrous. Decades of under funding coupled with a complete disregard for safety, security, and human rights whenever anything got in the way of someone making a fast buck left the US woefully unprepared.
His intro was meant to encourage and laud the progress that had been made in the wake of Ebola. Instead, it just made me feel bad and not be able to listen to the rest of it. After thinking about it for a couple of hours, I emailed the production company to suggest that they re-do the intro. Most of their material is on-line and it just isn’t that hard to update digital files.
In family news: in spite of traffic this morning, we managed to get to UCSF in plenty of time for George’s radiology appointment. Assuming we won’t get results till Thursday when he has a follow up. Otherwise, there is organizing, stitching, baseball – with a side benefit of Angel deciding to BBQ tonight resulting in a lovely supper on the back deck.
I was thinking that tackling all the cleaning and organizing that needs to be done is overwhelming. I just look around, take a deep breath, and then go bury my head in stitching, sewing, knitting, audiobooks, webinars, or more than one of the above.
So I considered the old elephant story – how do you eat it (hello? Who in the world would want to eat an elephant anyway?) but the principle of “one bite at a time” would be most certainly applicable.
That would mean one drawer at a time. Once the drawers are done, I can tackle the closets. And bins. And piles of stuff. And stacks of puzzles and books. Let me count – there are 10 drawers in my small living room cabinet. Six drawers that I claim between our two dressers plus a night stand drawer. Do I count the hanging clothes compartment divider in the closet as drawers? How about the bins in my cabinets in the sewing/craft/disaster room? Two sets of three under the one table, three in the sewing cabinet, three in each of the two small rolling white cabinets. 12 in one sorter and six in another (all of these are tiny) plus six in the tall storage cabinet in the corner. I don’t have to count the three drawers in the cabinet that I gave to Miriam. Oh, yes, there are also two drawers in the corner built-in.
That is somewhere upwards of 60, which now seems like an insurmountable task. I have been avoiding dealing with the bedroom because I know that there are things that I need to donate, but the charity shops are still pretty much closed.
And we are still not speaking about the garage.
I would much rather be stitching or sewing or reading….
I think if I kept at is solid for a month, I could probably embroider all the towel and clothing blanks that I have which would free up a couple of bins which would let me get better organized. Of course, the reasons that I haven’t gotten things organized are not knowing where to start and having the challenge of decreased ability to function in disorganization.
Argh!
Anyway –
at least I have made progress on Coffee Compendium
2 Aug 2020 – start
which shows complete through page six plus some portions of 9&10 also complete
end 2 Aug 2020
As of last night, completed through p 7 and all but the word “Turner” on page 8. And, in case you (just like me) have no clue what “Mary Turner” has to do with coffee – turns out (ouch) it is a beauty product with coffee and blueberries.
I am thinking it is a waste of both….
Yes, I am more than comfortable, sitting in our back bedroom/guest room/TV room with baseball on the television, but it just is not the same. Not like sitting the ball park. Not being surrounded by fellow noisy (and noise making fans) and most certainly not bothering to wear As logo gear.
Admittedly, I don’t miss the PITA of riding BART to and from the game. Nor cmoming home late. But I miss my game day friends, cheap food & souvenirs, and the pleasure of driving the occasional opposing side right fielder out of the game.
But all of that is not stopping me from watching the As play. without yelling, cheering, or cowbell it is just too quiet. I am also keeping an eye on the Twins as a back up team to support. Angel informs me that the Mets have to figure out their bullpen before they have a chance – the absence of a closer is costing them.
So that is the update.
Game stitching is the Linen & Threads 2020 Mystery SAL
August Clue
Which, as you will see over the next week – is not a clock.
Otherwise I am making relatively good progress on my Tempting Tangles Coffee Sampler. Originally released in 16 parts, I have parts 1-4 completed (except for a small blank spot) as well as 5 & 8. Now to finish up parts 6&7 to claim 50% completed…
Coffee Compendium.
Let me see, where do I start?
As you can probably guess, the last six weeks have been not a lot of fun. No one here has yet to acquire COVID-19 but that doesn’t mean that other illnesses haven’t intervened. At least I have had enough sense not to make public the bitching, whining and otherwise self-pitying posts that have been written. I am in the process of separating out craft content from general whines and will release what is fit for public consumption over the next couple of weeks.
The kids (ok, none of them are kids, with an age range from 27 to 41, but still, they are my kids) are all well; either working or in school. George, on the other hand developed some issues which landed him back in UCSF for about 9 days early July. Poor guy, he had the cheerful prospect of celebrating his birthday in the hospital. End result of the hospitalization is a guesstimated diagnosis. Follow up treatment is consisting of by eight weeks worth of IV antibiotics here at home. At q12 hours (with total time for each set of infusions added up to about 5 hours) I am getting. a bit sleep deprived. He has more tests this coming week.
Meanwhile, I have been avoiding cleaning and organizing in favor of listening to old favorites on audio, doing a lot of stitching, and spending time with Miriam’s cat in my lap when he gets bored. This, of course, lets me completely avoid doing anything else.
Now, in the good old days when you could just press down a button, it was easy to lock a car. Admittedly, a determined thief armed with a wire coat hanger could break into your car in the old days. With today’s electronic locks, most of the old fashioned break-in methods don’t worked and have been replaced by hammers and crowbars. Even not keeping anything worthwhile in the car doesn’t completely render a car safe from thieves.
And, when you think about it – if you are reporting a theft/break-in, one of the first questions asked is always “was it locked….
So there I am, with a passenger door that doesn’t lock. I get everything organized (yes, I said that before) and drive to Oakland. Attempting to check-in, I am not on the list. They look me up in the computer. George is the one who made the appointment and gave me the information. Well, 1000 was right. Unfortunately, the appointment was for yesterday….
After getting through the challenges of figuring out how I was going to manage the fact that the fabric I really liked and had wasn’t big enough for decent margins (stitch on what you have and add binding later) and closing colors to shift over to Sulky from the original Dinky Dyes or DMC I was ready to go.
Pages 1 & 2 were fine,
Pages 1 & 2
but then I hit page three…. and there it was – Chai Latte …
Page three – with blank space
So I worked around it and shot off an email to the designer.
Latte refers to the milk, not the coffee. A Chai Latte that includes coffee is an Espresso Chai Latte. This leaves me with a challenge: I can’t see my way to include a tea in the coffee sampler. The list is alphabetical… and there is no where enough room to add Chai Espresso.
So, we shall see, and have to think…
Kitty Ramon taking over
Farewell to Anger
Considering 76k+ stitches, I am rather pleased.
Started 1 Jan 2020 (on Gold Coast NZ time) and finished 30 June 2020 – PDT. Artist is Leonid Afremov, design executed by Heaven and Earth Designs. Stitched on 16ct gridded Aida with ~ 90 colors.
I am not really sure who, if anyone, I might need to impress – but there you are – MD, MPH, MSL, MFTM (RCPS-Glasgow). Said string could also include COL USA (ret) if I would want.
In a more sensible vein – Noah and I put in a small bit of time in the garage. Excess boxes and the plethora of books are the low hanging fruit at the moment.
And then there is stitching
Farewell to Anger at 85% complete
and new puzzles from Nautilus
For whatever reason, I screwed up the courage this morning to visit Webadvisor. What is that you say? It is the extremely clunky and difficult to use registration/transcript program that UCHastings uses.
Amazingly enough, this time (as apposed to a month or so ago) it was willing to log me in for the start of an extremely frustrating attempt to located my transcript. Believe it or not – hitting the “transcript” button gets you exactly nothing. No idea why it is there, nor do I remember if it worked in the past. But for now? Meh. Rotating down the list several times – I tried “grades” which led me to the choice of Fall2018, Fall2019,Spring2019. The first was blank. Go figure – I wasn’t a student then. Fall2019 actually gave me a list of the courses I took that first fall. Of course, since the MSL students are not on the same grading system as the law students, I have the explanation for why clicking the GPA button got me no where.
[side note – programers are not stupid, that page could be designed so that it only gives you the options which are applicable to your situation. This means that the person who wrote the specifications was either shortsighted or the school was cheap on funds.]
Checking the Spring2019 showed that my incomplete had vanished and an MSL version of a grade was posted. This means that I am done, Done, DONE!
Now, do you suppose that they will ever mail me my diploma?
Should I add more letters after my name? Perhaps in the British or European style so that the numbers of letters after one’s name exceeds the actual length of the particular name? Having a short name could really help.
Just wondering….
Really, I will not tell you how many audio books that I own. Or have a license to (after all, there is Audible, iTunes, Chirp, GraphicAudio). What I will say that is currently I have very little tolerance for blood shed or violence. Not interested in reading or hearing about “bad things happening.” You can tell me that I can’t just stick my head in the sand – but really, all I have to do is listen to the news to get my fill of ugly – I don’t have to voluntarily import more of that to my ears.
As a result, I find my self listening to old favorites – the San Francisco library provides access to Hoopla, so I have been scouring their lists for books missing out of various of my series. Following links for “similar authors” and otherwise avoiding the worst of ugly.
All of this finds me listening to a number of old favorites. And I can stitch at the same time!
the well traveled Flamingo
The taste of the morning coffee that is my daily treat from Peet’s and The simple pleasure of one stitch after another going through the cloth of the cross stitch project on the floor frame.
past 60% complete
All of which are within my sphere, under my control.
Alex and I started it a couple of days ago, sitting at the dining room table quietly enjoying looking at the pieces and putting together a bit of here and there.
Miriam decided it needed to be finished…
Space Flight
If you click on the picture – you will see a bit more detail. Perhaps better would be to go to the puzzle site – it is a real hoot… and they have a lot of pictures
a Liberty Puzzle
I was thinking about starting a new puzzle, and found that I had failed to put this one away.
So, I sat and admired it for a few minutes before carefully placing it back in its box and cleaning the puzzle board for the next round.
[As you can tell – I am not going much of anywhere at any time…]
Not mine
It seems that there are two options for cat boxes – this particular one is call – to no one’s surprise….Sushi.
(photo furnished by the Eldest who just couldn’t resist the idea of more “cat in boxes or bags”
And, in just as momentous although without the same amount of speed – the first of the Cal Falcon chicks launched from the Campanile.
The rest of us? Home bound, land bound and dreaming of flight.