Looking · for · everything · in · the · perfect · size

A real quick post before I get on with my day.

A photo of mine (taken by Laura, actually, but staged by me) has been chosen to kick off a new Metropolitan Museum of Art Ad campaign. Since February 14th, we've been hanging on a giant billboard in Times Square, in addition to being on buses and subway boards. And the New York Times ads also.

1. Gene's mom is now living 2 miles away. It's going to be a hard road for her. She is further along in her dementia than we realized. She has a hard time remembering anything new longer than 20 minutes. She asks the same questions over and over. She is obsessed with locating her keys at least every 5 minutes. She has introduced me to her friend Bonnie at least 20 times. Plus, poor thing, it's been difficult for her to adapt. Initially, her medication had to be adjusted by a new doctor, and until we did that the staff at Atria would not alter the dosage down on her anti-anxiety, which made her stumble and fall a couple of times. Her room is quite a ways from the eating/social area, and at first it was so frustrating for us because she was so extremely weak it took a really long time for her to get down and up. But now she is stronger and walking faster and seems to be happier than she was. It was really tough going the first month. She was scared, depressed, tired all the time, and did not want to do anything social. Got better when Bonnie moved in across the hall, a real down-to-earth Sierra Club member who has memory issues too. Let's face it, everyone at Atria has some issues which necessitated them living there. Some are older than others (one lady is 103), some are more actively involved in activities, some are more private.

Gene has been visiting her pretty much every day since she moved in. I do not want to say that she doesn't want him to visit, but I think at times he visits her more for his own sake than hers. She really doesn't need every day, and I honestly feel that it is preventing her from developing relationships on-site. When she sees us she, naturally, wants to be with us, not with her friends. How do I tell Gene that a couple of days off is OK? He is so stressed with work, the economy, and so forth, you would think taking 2 hours in the middle of the day or going down there for 2 hours after work every single day would take its toll. He feels compelled in a very strong, strong way. I think unless she is having a particularly hard time of it health-wise that 4 times a week is plenty, but what can I say to him about it? "Stop spending so much time with your Mom"? I can't say that, it seems self-serving and selfish. Does she indeed need that much time with her son, or is that he needs that much time with his mother?

2. I am cooking again with a new-found furor. I love the weather a little cooler, it just gets me into the kitchen more.

3. I hate my body and I hate my hormones right now. Switched to an Estrogen/Testosterone mix with which I seem to get more hot flashes. The hot flashes make me sweaty and queasy and drain all enthusiasm from me. I'm trying to tough it out for a couple of months, though, to see if it might get better. The upside is that my libido is better....but Gene is too stressed to respond to it on a regular schedule.

4. I have started my 50th year. Turning 50 next November will be a huge milestone. As the youngest of 6 kids, hitting the half-century mark is a real turning point. I think of all the decades, it will be the defining moment for me in terms of where I am health-wise, relationship wise, family wise. There are a few improvements I'd like to make during this year to make me feel really, really good entering into my 50's. I want to be stronger, leaner, and more motivated, more excited about life. And after seeing how much decline may be in my future if I don't grab the present and run with it (the Atria population, that is), I am motivated to keep my mind sharp and my body active.

5. Got a bike for my birthday! Gene and I have been on a few rides. It's more user friendly for me as my old Trek was making my hands go numb. I'm more upright and in control with this one. No speed demon, though. Gene's aerodynamics are much better than mine, now. Still hate hills.

Ok that's about all I've got right now.

Current Mood:

indifferent

1. About a month ago I started auditing some classes at Berkeley. It's a 1/2 hour commute on BART, it's free, I don't necessarily have to take notes, I don't take tests, I don't do homework. I just show up for lecture. It's heaven! How did I manage all that? Well, the trick is....I don't get a degree either. But I'd gladly trade the "no pressure" situation for that, and it doesn't cost me anything, except my time. Oh, and I'm learning stuff. Like how the economy works (Economics 1), how the brain works (Biological Psychology), and how drugs work (Drugs and the Brain). You know, all those little mysteries of life I haven't figured out on my own.

2. Gene's Mom is coming to town. Permanently. We found a perfect assisted living facility about two miles away. Her life in Lampasas after Mack died has been absolutely miserable. She's lonely, frail, not eating enough, not exercising enough, and bored. It's a big move for her since she's lived in that house since the 60's, and she'll have to leave most of her stuff behind (hopefully to be exchanged for cash in an Estate Sale). Selling the house, car, and stuff. She's coming tomorrow with some huge suitcases filled with clothes and things she wants to bring with her. Boxes will be shipped later if she can't bring all she wants to bring with her. Atria (the place she'll be living) has a lot of social events--coffee clatch, bingo, pool, cards, Wii games, chair volleyball, movies, outings--and three meals a day, a much more stimulating environment. I am optimistic that she will be more stimulated and arrest the mental decline we've seen in the last few months. Anything is better than Lampasas.

3. My Uncle Dick died October 17th and I went out to Long Island for that. We had become closer to him and my Aunt Joan when we lived on the East Coast a few years ago. Lung Cancer. From cigarettes he stopped smoking over 30 years ago. That poison will get you eventually, everyone reading this take note: Tobacco is the perfect poison in so many ways (I'm learning a lot about it in school, can you tell?)...and you WILL become addicted to it if you continue to "try" it. Stop. Now.

4. It's been really hot in the East Bay this summer. Some days in the 100's. Most days in 80's and 90's. But when it does get like that, I spend some time down by our condo pool. It's real interesting sometimes.

5. A skincare clinic opened up right outside the front door of our condo building (actually in the building) and I am in heaven. Already got a great facial there. I am preparing to spend some time (and probably money) there in the future. I'll try to control myself a little.

6. Gene got his bike stolen and then he got a new one. He likes to ride. I hope this one lasts a while.

7. I got a physical with a new doctor and I got a clean bill of health, despite the fact I've gained too much weight in my opinion in the last year. I have to keep telling myself I'm older and without a uterus and for God's sake don't keep looking at your profile in the shop windows! I am obsessed with comparing myself to other women walking around town...does she have a belly? OMG how can she wear that top with a gut like that? Hmm she's shaped a little like me and looks OK. Does my face look fat?... But, oh, I did buy some bigger bras to balance out the ass I've grown even bigger. And I'm really not eating all that differently and getting more exercise around town. Oh well, I have to stop obsessing before I drive myself crazy.

I guess that's about all there is for now. I'll try to update a bit more regularly.

Current Mood:

calm

So on the one side we have Obama, an extremely charismatic, brilliant, controlled candidate; he has experience as a state legislator and a state Senator, and has been active in Washington introducing and supporting bills in this capacity. He is a Harvard graduate and an attorney. He is one damn smart cookie. As his veep choice he chose Biden, who has been in the senate since 1973 and has experience up the ying yang.

On the other side we have McCain, who has been in public office since 1983, after retiring from the Navy. He graduated at the bottom of his class (894th out of 899) at the Naval Academy in the late 50's. He then became a Navy pilot and crashed a couple of planes, flying one into power lines. He has this tendency to be injured in planes that are even just sitting on the deck of a carrier.

At the age of 30, he then went on to Vietnam where he was swiftly shot down and captured. He spent the balance of his distinguished service in the war as a POW, enduring what had to be excruciating torture at the hands of his captors. He was offered release as a political move, which he refused, after which he was tortured a whole lot. He even tried to commit suicide. Altogether, McCain was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years. He was finally released from captivity on March 14, 1973.

After extensive rehab, our hero engaged in a series of extramarital affairs which ruined his marriage. He married his second wife, Cindy, with a prenup in place, separating their assets. He retired from the Navy in 1981 as a Captain and then entered politics. Since then he's been in the Congress and the Senate, and has attempted to run for president several times.

His veep choice is a woman who majored in Journalism, was a sports announcer, entered local government in the late 90's and was mayor of a small borough in Alaska (about 7K people), and is presently the governor of Alaska for the past 20 months or so, a state which has a population less than that of San Francisco. She is a member of the NRA, is strictly pro-life and wants to strike down Roe v. Wade, has a husband who, woo hoo, is a world champion snow sledder, commercial fisherman and oil worker. All her kids, Track, Trig Paxson, Bristol, Willow, and Piper have really weird names. My theory is they were all named after the locations in which they were conceived: Track, on a track, Trig Paxson in Paxson, Alaska, which is reportedly a very beautiful place, Bristol at a "meeting place by a bridge" (which is what the meaning of Bristol is), Willow either under a tree or in the town of Willow, Alaska, and Piper in a small aircraft. And that just makes her all the more redneck in my book.

What is McCain thinking? And are republicans really that shallow-thinking and, excuse the word, out-and-out stupid? Did you see the look on his face when he introduced Palin and during her speech? He stared at her boobs and nervously twiddled his wedding ring the entire time. He really thinks he can get the female vote this way! This is an insult to all Republican (and Democratic Hilary supporters) to believe that it will be just that easy to swing the vote because she has not only a vajayjay but a gun-toting vajayjay that has done it's job more than the average vajayjay in bringing more life into the world. Additionally, she gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby rather than aborting it. She is the perfect embodiment of the Republican quest for the perfect running mate: Governor, prolific, female, NRA member, hunter, fisherwoman, anti-abortionist in thought and deed, beauty contestant, and quite possibly a hard-driving bitch. Never mind that she has no national experience, no international experience, and very little governmental experience (due to the fact that Alaska has very little government to run).

Fox News Channel’s Steve Doocy says Sarah Palin has foreign policy experience because her state is across the Bering Sea from Russia. Those guys at Fox News! What a brain trust they have reporting over there!

So we have one ticket with a young, vital, undeniably brilliant, quick learning albeit "somewhat" experienced Presidential candidate (although he has had experience in Washington, unlike Palin) with a VP with experience a mile long; and we have another ticket with a less than intelligent shell shocked and tortured 73 year old 4X cancer victim with a difficult personality who might drop dead any minute with a very young VP who has virtually no experience in politics (but she does have the Vajayjay, so that counts for something).

Who is more likely to die in office? And do you want his VP to take over? Holy shit, this election, in my book, is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the Republicans who definitely have less capacity for critical thinking outside of their party lines, have less than no brains. They have negative intelligence. And that's the only way McCain might have a chance.

If he is, indeed, elected, I'll not only be disappointed in my country, I may just move to Canada.

I know this is not perfect political commentary, I don't pretend to be a perfect political commentary....ist....but common sense tells me to vote for Obama/Biden.

Current Mood:

opinionated

It'll be interesting to take these classes after 30 years of being a grown up....I anticipate everything to make so much more sense, kinda like solving the jigsaw puzzle after losing a few of the pieces for a while. I'll be surrounded by kids who don't even have fully mature brains yet, and it'll be interesting to see everything from "the other side."

I am looking forward to learning again!

Current Mood:

refreshed

Thank God I live where I do now. It is possible to do almost everything, even go to the doctor, by either walking or getting on the Bart or a bus. Last week we took the Bart and then walked to Giant Stadium for a game. Later in the week we went into the City and took busses and cabs around. Today I took the BART a few stations to Rockridge for a stroll down the main street for shopping. Loved it.

Here in town I walk everywhere, to the market, out to eat, to Peet's for coffee, to Nordie's.....everywhere. Life couldn't be finer...or greener...these days.

Just doing my part, one step at a time.

Now, if the fire alarm would quit going off at random times, deafening us all, life would be perfect.

Current Mood:

optimistic

Just came off a week with Giant John visiting from Nebraska with his girlfriend Jessica.  Just when you think they can't possibly get any bigger, they do.  He's at least an inch or two taller than his dad and about 30 pounds heavier, taking up most of the cubic feet available in this little place.  It's a bit of a challenge to deal with John after the first exciting 3 days here, because that's when the bloom is off the rose and he reverts into being the immature 20-year-old adult that he is.  Namely, drinking too much of our wine and trying to focus all the attention on himself by constant sarcastic patter while touring the normally tranquil Japanese Tea Gardens in San Francisco.  While waiting in line for brunch in the City he was totally unreasonably bothersome simply because he was hungry, as if he would disappear from the face of the earth if he didn't eat something RIGHT THAT INSTANT.  Never mind that he could have eaten something before we left, but, no, we were going to brunch......at, it turned out, 2:00 PM, which was exactly 6 hours after he became a starving maniac.  Things got a little better after that, until it became necessary to walk through Chinatown with ALL THOSE CHINESE PEOPLE....Laura leading the way in her efficient wending through the crowd and John being deathly afraid of contracting some deadly disease along the way, probably through the open blister he had on his flip-flopped feet which he refused to cover with anything slightly resembling a functional, practical shoe.  Because when you go to California, all you need are shorts and flip flops.  Because it never gets cold in the Bay area.  Yeah.

After spending the time with John and Laura, I started missing my own kids terribly much, which got me down for a couple of days.  Despite the fact I've written Emails and called and left messages for my two California resident children, no one has even bothered to respond, which I do not take as a personal affront because that's just the way they are.  So, anyway, that's gotten me in a funk the last couple of days.  I guess it's time to plan a trip down South.

Condo life continues to amuse me, especially when the resident eccentric is out by the pool.  I am disillusioned, though, by the realization that with urban life comes a certain element of crime that I've never had to deal with before.  It seems that there continues to be some random burglaries of our storage facilities, which is, thankfully, being handled by the local police, but mostly after the fact.  There has been one arrest, and it appears to be the same eccentric guy who stole the receptionist's chair.  At least that's what I gathered from the Walnut Creek Police Log.

But, all in all, I love this little place.

Wish me luck....

Current Location:	Home
Current Mood:	blah

Today's forecast is 108 degrees. Yesterday it was about 103, and I spent a good part of the day walking around town, which is my usual exercise. That and swimming a little in the pool, which is what I wanted to do yesterday after the walk (with a break for another viewing of Wall-E), until I realized that I was supposed to go to the HOA meeting. So instead of a cool dip in the pool I sat through two hours of "issues" related to our development, ranging from vents that are too loud to bike thefts and everything in-between. The concierge started on Monday, I didn't realize it until yesterday when I saw her as I was entering the building after my outing. Apparently, though, someone has stolen her chair, which really didn't surprise me in the very least. After all, there has been a rash of stolen property in the form of bicycles, motorcycle helmets, golf clubs, and anything else of value that has been stored in the storage rooms, which, stupidly, all share the same lock, the result of a recent re-keying to allow access to the police and fire departments. Instead of doing a skeleton/subkey arrangement, they just put the same locks on every damned door. Granted, these storage rooms are then divided into separate cages for each unit, cages that can easily be broken into unseen with a wire cutter because the big "secure" door has been closed behind the thief, who has a key to every storage room in the building. Hell, we all do. Stupid idiots.

Gene is out of town on business and for a trip to Lampasas to take care of health issues regarding his mom, which is a whole other story altogether. Let's just say it is stressing him and his sisters to the max, and involves making lots of phone calls, home care, powers of attorney, and expense.

Today we get yet another new sofa, a small one for the office/guestroom, which is about the 8th sofa we've bought since we've been married, and, and!, it has a bed in it, which makes it about the 20th bed we've bought in the last 10 years as well. I may be exaggerating slightly, but it seems that every time I turn around we are adding and/or getting rid of couches and beds. You'd think we had enough already. This has got to stop. Present inventory after today is: King bed and two sofabeds, plus an extra sofa/loveseat we are keeping at the office and a chaise lounge we have in storage. Given that we got rid of our older couch/sofabed and 2 queen beds in the last year, I'm not sure if we have more or less than we started with. Thinking about it makes my head explode.

Current Mood:

complacent

Someone got access to the storeroom that our bikes were stored in, cut through the lock on our cage and then through the lock on the bikes and stole Gene's new Trek.

I cannot even express how absolutely incensed I am that this happened. The policeman who took the report said that they have their hands full on Friday and Saturday nights with the bars in town. Downtown Walnut Creek turns into any other urban environment that has dance clubs with 20-something guys fueled with liquor and drugs. And then those douchebags come over to our building and break into shit and steal stuff. And the police are operating under the impression that we have our own security? BULLSHIT! We have no security here in the parking garage that amounts to anything, unless you count the never-ending false burglary alarm on the weekends or our fun early morning false fire alarm that pierces your soul from 1:30 to 4:30 in the morning.....this morning.....every 10 minutes.

What a bunch of Keystone cops we have running this place.

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

Current Mood:

infuriated

One more phone call later, it was decided we would clear out our random leftover detritus as quickly as possible while the new renter starts unloading into the garage, and we could skip the cleaning we were going to do to make the place like new. It was a deal.

So off we went to hurriedly get through the last of the crap we had left behind; the crap that is too nice to throw away yet something we know we don't have room for or probably never had any need for. Note to self: stop buying stuff.

So come around noon, up drives the new renter's moving truck. I wish I had my camera, because into this nice upscale neighborhood drives the most ghetto moving truck ever, complete with graffiti all over the side of it, driven by illegals and one Asian boss, filled to the brim with the most hastily thrown-in shit packed in disintegrating boxes in what looked like a time span of about 1/2 an hour.

While the boss hastily instructed his minions to unload into the garage, enter the new renter. Actually, enter his Uncle and some other relative who will most likely be hanging out in the 'hood most of the time. Another hour later, enter the actual dude who is renting, still strung out after a long night of some mind-altering substance. One of them was wearing a shirt saying, "Ghetto Diploma", a salute to the educational system in the 'hood, I guess. Also, some 8 year old kid with random braids sticking out of his head, who we thought was a girl for the longest time because, hey, he had random braids sticking out of his head. "Do you live here?" "Yes, but we're moving out as quickly as possible" "When, like, in 2 seconds?" Screw you, you brat.

So for the next two hours or so we semi-interacted with these people as the movers brought in the most dilapidated furniture I have ever seen, making the dining room set we couldn't sell and had to leave behind look upscale, cat scratches and all. Making our 27 year old dining room set the newest furniture in the house; and we were worried. High irony that that very set was the first really really nice furniture I've ever owned, bought way back when with my fiance and future father to my children, furniture that I kept and loved all these years, hosting year after year of family Thanksgivings, not to mention hundreds of Shabbat dinners and a few Passover Sedars. Ugh. Makes me kinda sick just to think about it. But, we must move on in our lives, let go, and laugh a little on the way.

Har har har. Har har. Har. *cough, wheeze*

Don't even get me started on the musical instruments and recording equipment we saw. Something tells me the house we worked so hard to keep in pristine condition because we respected our landlord's possession will be trashed in the next six months. Oh well, we are outta there now, and into our new digs here. More on that to come.

"You know, you just need to put the lid on the pot to put the fire out."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. *cough*"

Hope things get better. *looks into life insurance policy information*

Current Mood:

amused

It started out OK, since the move consisted of the pieces of furniture we knew would work and a few boxes of the essentials. That first few days was organizing the kitchen, our closet, getting the internet up, getting window coverings installed, and having a few odd repairs done. Over the weekend we returned to the house where we realized we still have so....much....stuff. The kitchen...oy. Packed everything in boxes, made a big box for Goodwill, and brought a few more boxes home and, well, we're at critical mass. There's just so much storage available. I'm thinking cans of tomatoes under our bed or something like that. Or, the best solution yet offered up by Gene....upgrade to a bigger storage unit at public storage and throw it all in there.

Because despite "letting go" of so many things, the fact remains that 50 years of life cannot fit in a 2 BR 2 BA condo with a small storage area. Times two, 'cause there's two of us. Plus some detritus from a few of our kids. Egads, the pictures alone take up 1/2 the storage area, and that doesn't count what's in the albums. Those are the pictures that weren't quite good enough to put in books but too cute to just discard, pre-digital. 'Cause when you throw away a picture of a loved one, my firm belief is that you are throwing away a small fraction of your love for them. It just can't be done. Unless, perhaps, it's been scanned.

On other matters other than "fitting in" to our new living quarters, we love this eclectic community. The condo project itself is a combination of bratty know-it-all twenty-somethings and empty nesters and really old retirees. Many divorced people (dads), we've guessed, since we only see kids on the weekends. The moms must have gotten the house. Walnut Creek itself consists of all types, mostly upwardly mobile, although it has a smattering of homeless people and rowdies. Last Saturday night on our way back from the movies (we walked!), we went by several very busy pubs. We are trying out all the restaurants and have deemed McCovey's to have the worlds best and most effective Margaritas on the planet. Oh, yes. Almost passed out right there after finishing only half.

What else....oh, the cat is adapting pretty well, although when she decides to start tearing around, she bumps into walls. She'll get used to it. Her first few days consisted of a lot of slinking and hiding. But she's quickly making herself at home and even went out on our little patio (3 stories up) yesterday. You wonder what they make of it all. "Who are those strange voices from that big blue watery thing down there? And what is this hallway thingy outside that big door they won't let me go out of? It looks like this place is really big, but we are only in this little tiny part."

And for your information, yes, my cat does talk. Her favorite word is "hello." Over and over again on car trips. You can't resist but answer back.

So it's off to Target (about one block away) to find area rugs and bath mats! Wahoo!!!

Current Mood:

grateful

For non-professionals, we did a freaking good job. Gene and I make a good painting team. He likes the broad strokes of a well-loaded 9-inch paint roller (wow, that sounded dirty). I prefer the detail work, and I found out that I am an expert masker. Yesterday, the last day, we really hit our stride thanks to a handy-dandy edging gadget we found at Ace that made that job so much easier....the guest room is our masterpiece. We did not have one mishap, one bad spill, or one paint fight. We did get a little testy sometimes, but we settled it in words, not latex.

We want to paint the guest bath as well, but we will do that another time. So...burned....out.

I did discover, though, that my yoga skills really paid off. Balancing on a 12 foot ladder, leaning and twisting to get that last...little...bit of that corner there, holding the pose for as long as it takes to get that section done....I was in good form and for the most part it was fun. Except for the detail around the doors and windows. I...hate...that. But, I have discovered that I like heights and am very sure-footed. Another reason to believe I was a cat in my former life. This realization has got me thinking about learning to rock climb on one of those climbing walls.

We also made numerous trips to public storage to slowly rid ourselves of the superfluous stuff. Tomorrow is the big move-in day and the first night we'll actually sleep there (since we're moving the bed). Thankfully, we have until the end of June to completely vacate the house we're in. You can't believe how that takes the pressure off. Since the new place is appreciably smaller it'll be a matter of moving a few things at a time until we reach critical mass. Then, off to storage with the rest of it, what we won't be selling in a garage sale that is.

Today, I must clear the desk and pack up the computer, take a few kitchen items over to the new place, and take care of some change-of-address issues. Soon we will be relaxing in our new place, enjoying the pool and gym, and walking and riding our bikes around Walnut Creek. But not before a shitload of work.

Boy, do I need a manicure.

Current Mood:

tired

I was also thrilled that the time she had left free after the ceremony, which she thought might be filled with friends activities.....she also spent with me and some yummy Thai food. It was good times all around.

She is off to Indianapolis now on the next leg of her journey through life, madly in love and looking forward to new adventures as a teacher in another part of the country, living on her own, and making the most of her life.

I must say, I have such pride in her progress, I could just scream.

Just after getting her cred

With fellow teachers in her block

With her very proud Mommy

Current Mood:

proud

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family tree chart - Geneology

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

On the condo front, it actually looks like closing is just days away. One last stupid question from the underwriters, "Where did the sudden influx of money come from into your savings account?" Uh, well, if Wells Fargo has half a brain, they will see it came from our Wells Fargo CD which matured a couple of weeks ago and got rolled over into our Wells Fargo savings. So that looks all buttoned up. In fact I just got off the phone with the sales office and we will be signing and inspecting early next week. YAY!!!! Then there's the move......

I guess that's all I've got going right now, except to say that I hope this becomes the location for every CEO conference that Gene attends until the end of time, 'cause I love it here.

Current Mood:

calm