Is there anything more tedious than comparing 4 companies's packages/bundles for tv and rentals $7. For a modem per mo. I may just stay at AT&T just to avoid it.
Car stuff is the same way. I want an assistant to come in and taker care of it.
I know what belts and pumps my car has now. The difference in estimated time it would take to do the repair and the cost per hr. for labor is almost $50. The Toyota dealer is more. Hinman' s Evergreen garage is where I've always taken my cars. The estimate is 150$ cheaper.
The problem is to catch a ride or ride my bike home. Fortunately my friend David will take me tomorrow. I'll see what I can do about t he pick up.
I should go into elder care, gerontology. I would like that. Several years ago, in my 20's it didn't appeal to me at all.Myself included, we're all aging.
I made an error. I hadn't even looked at my Soft Surroundings catalog because I had no money to spend so why look. How ever today I opened it and want several items, a purple and light plue denim shirt, a skirt, several tops, a poncho, coat and pj's a red Asian blouse, another sweater, like one's I have, now in purple. I like the coral and the burnt sierra color. every year they send me a $25, coupon. I'd like to have it now. I love their fuzzy warm bed socks. Who ever came up with the concept is brilliant. Women always have cold feet. I know people knit socks and slippers. Walking on hand knit socks is uncomfortable for me. There is a really pretty long dress if I had anywhere to wear it.
I bought the glasses and they "lost them in the house. I thought they might be under the bed. Today 4 months later I found them in a basket in the family room! The 2nd pair, were thicker than I've had in years and did not fit the frame. The technician has tried to tell me it's the style to have an opening between the top of the lense and the frame.. I've not seen that in 45 yrs. And am not buying it. I have floating dots, perhaps the onset of glocoma in my r eye. I need to return to have my pupils dialated so they can do that test. In May or so I got 2 pair of glasses at Site for Sore eyes. It was so odd. First, they were very expensive even with the coupon I bought from Amazon marketplace for $150. off. The glasses I got were ok but that first week I misplaced them. When I rediscovered them I was so happy. I would never have thought to look there.
I just made so me brown rice to add scallions, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms and red pepper to with some feta.
The trick about dieting is never to bring the bad stuff home. You can't eat what you don't have. There are a lot of satisfying things to snack on in those moments of mindless grazing that fill you up and are nutritionally sound.
I need to sell some looser stocks and get into AT&T. Scottrade here I come.
I made some brown rice. Then started red peppers, onion, bok choy, garlic, and ultimately eggplant . Months ago Jack got me a set of 3 non stick pans I love to replace Revereware and Capalon. All this time I only used the tiny one. Today, I finally dragged out the largest. There is nothing as delicious as veggies sautéed lightly. I steamed the bok choy.
Yesterday when I stopped at the market red peppers were on sale, a favorite of mine. In 2 days I've gone through 5 in addition to a jicama. Finally, I'm eating less fruit and more veggies. Everything's better with garlic!
I'm trying to purge stuff and am putting things aside for Goodwill, City team ministries who equip people with needed household goods. I have towels, mats and clothes that can go along with 2 computers, an Apple and old Dell laptop whose keyboard or mouse went out. I might like some of my old files or just to strip it all.
In this area, people recycle them regularly for the gold and what ever else is inside. The guts are valuable. I remember I used to know how to take them apart, add boards and drives.
I went out to trim a few errant suckers from my orange and lemon trees. Next, I need to get on the front wildflower bed.
Apple is up again yes! Glad to have that stock. I got it when it went public, then sold it and bought it again.
I need to do some letters. For some reason I've ween waking really early. As a consequence I'm exhausted.
I need to be at the garage at 8.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Extraordinary hero
There is a short distance between an ordinary person and an extraordinary hero. What does it take to help others, to enable change? Something's as simple as recycling, encouraging reuse or recycling of plastic bottles, as major as taking a week to build homes in Mexico or Habitat for humanity here help families.
Remember there are people here living in homeless encampments and vehicles all over the city, state country and the world no doubt. Women in Sudan, Dafor, Ethopia especially are in need and further subjugated to defilement on a simple quest to get water and firewood. Over half of their day is taken up roaming their drought, war ridden country for these resources. The boy soldiers who ride around in jeeps with machine guns that rape, kill and pillage at whim not direction are being taught from childhood to devalue their spirit and human life. The ruination of the women from gang rapes are perceived as a "Sheba" at fault from a vicious act that is about power and control. Women and girls that are gang raped are often left with child, scared, further ostracized by their families and communities.
Help where you can.. Help how you can. It in turn inadvertently helps you. More people have cell phones than bathrooms.
I am going to volunteer to help at scarlet Hear food pantry, community closet and assist with vocational skills and resume development. Also on my agenda is a commitment to teach ESL at the library once a week like I do with tutoring kids in Reading Partner's. In addition, I am going up to San Francisco on Sat. To the Mission to help with an adoption fair at the SPCA.
I love the city and the Mission, a diverse Latino neighborhood. I rarely get up there with time to explore and enjoy.
I've been out trimming my lemon tree this morning of suckers that are trying to encroach once a year again and take over it's neighboring orange tree to the L. The one on t he R seems fine. In the spring, I had my Gardiner cut down half of the lemon and much of the orange where it had intertwined branches. Somehow it recovered it's massive trim and is thriving.
Plums seem better than either the peaches or nectarines I'm finding in the farmers market. I can't seem to find the small deep violet ones I remember. I did get a new green type this week. I like the dolmas I get at the fafallel stand. The fafallel is ok if I add extra tomatoes and cucumber. The tiki I is delicious with yogurt, dill, and whatever else. I like raita too.
I want to try to make pita bread, rye and matzo.
Remember there are people here living in homeless encampments and vehicles all over the city, state country and the world no doubt. Women in Sudan, Dafor, Ethopia especially are in need and further subjugated to defilement on a simple quest to get water and firewood. Over half of their day is taken up roaming their drought, war ridden country for these resources. The boy soldiers who ride around in jeeps with machine guns that rape, kill and pillage at whim not direction are being taught from childhood to devalue their spirit and human life. The ruination of the women from gang rapes are perceived as a "Sheba" at fault from a vicious act that is about power and control. Women and girls that are gang raped are often left with child, scared, further ostracized by their families and communities.
Help where you can.. Help how you can. It in turn inadvertently helps you. More people have cell phones than bathrooms.
I am going to volunteer to help at scarlet Hear food pantry, community closet and assist with vocational skills and resume development. Also on my agenda is a commitment to teach ESL at the library once a week like I do with tutoring kids in Reading Partner's. In addition, I am going up to San Francisco on Sat. To the Mission to help with an adoption fair at the SPCA.
I love the city and the Mission, a diverse Latino neighborhood. I rarely get up there with time to explore and enjoy.
I've been out trimming my lemon tree this morning of suckers that are trying to encroach once a year again and take over it's neighboring orange tree to the L. The one on t he R seems fine. In the spring, I had my Gardiner cut down half of the lemon and much of the orange where it had intertwined branches. Somehow it recovered it's massive trim and is thriving.
Plums seem better than either the peaches or nectarines I'm finding in the farmers market. I can't seem to find the small deep violet ones I remember. I did get a new green type this week. I like the dolmas I get at the fafallel stand. The fafallel is ok if I add extra tomatoes and cucumber. The tiki I is delicious with yogurt, dill, and whatever else. I like raita too.
I want to try to make pita bread, rye and matzo.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Prius time for service
And recalls done. There are 4 recall things to do. One is the floor petal, a steering column thing, one for the seat belt and one more. In addition, I need to get my belts done. I'll only get the fan belt done today and come back for the others. At least they wash my car. I've been meaning to do that or get it don't. What is an HIV pump? I have 3. Who knew! That's the other thing on recall.
It's another beautiful day here about 80 with a tad of a breeze. I prefer 70 but, it ain't bad. I appreciate the curtesy van at the Toyota dealer. My other garage is run down and shaky but I need to ride my bike which I haven't done in 10 yrs. or catch a ride.
On the way here and for the last mo. Or so I've noticed a Homeless tent colony of about 6 tents on the side of the road and in the circle of grass next to the exit ramp. I've been amazed they stay there. I know that there was a large colony several miles down called the jungle. One ex electrician even rigged up a solar shower with tarps, trash bags and heats water next to his enclosure space. There was an article in the paper on it. A hard way to live.
Sometimes John and I walk from my house to the park. When we go south towards Hellyer park, we pass an established encampment complete with furniture and chicken. Some of the people have beds and dressers on the top of the berm next to the roD above. It protects from the rain, is somewhat protected and you can see all around to see who is approaching. Downtown too is another camp.
I know there is a large one I outside of Sacramento, I think. In Santa Cruz there is a park for drivers to park overnight. There are a lot of homeless people. One library patron had an RV he parked at the old GE plant. It was empty for 10 years or so. Then, they told him he had to move. He was berefit.
Rent's are $1800 for a 1 bedroom! Welcome to Silicon Valley! Imagine it used to be all cherry and plum orchards!
I made this amazing mix of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms with feta to serve on top of scallion brown rice. It has wonderful and so healthy. I snuck in avocado for dessert and an oatmeal raisin cookie I made.
I' m down 5 lbs as a result of paying attention.
It's another beautiful day here about 80 with a tad of a breeze. I prefer 70 but, it ain't bad. I appreciate the curtesy van at the Toyota dealer. My other garage is run down and shaky but I need to ride my bike which I haven't done in 10 yrs. or catch a ride.
On the way here and for the last mo. Or so I've noticed a Homeless tent colony of about 6 tents on the side of the road and in the circle of grass next to the exit ramp. I've been amazed they stay there. I know that there was a large colony several miles down called the jungle. One ex electrician even rigged up a solar shower with tarps, trash bags and heats water next to his enclosure space. There was an article in the paper on it. A hard way to live.
Sometimes John and I walk from my house to the park. When we go south towards Hellyer park, we pass an established encampment complete with furniture and chicken. Some of the people have beds and dressers on the top of the berm next to the roD above. It protects from the rain, is somewhat protected and you can see all around to see who is approaching. Downtown too is another camp.
I know there is a large one I outside of Sacramento, I think. In Santa Cruz there is a park for drivers to park overnight. There are a lot of homeless people. One library patron had an RV he parked at the old GE plant. It was empty for 10 years or so. Then, they told him he had to move. He was berefit.
Rent's are $1800 for a 1 bedroom! Welcome to Silicon Valley! Imagine it used to be all cherry and plum orchards!
I made this amazing mix of fresh tomatoes, zucchini, red peppers and mushrooms with feta to serve on top of scallion brown rice. It has wonderful and so healthy. I snuck in avocado for dessert and an oatmeal raisin cookie I made.
I' m down 5 lbs as a result of paying attention.
ESL
I'd only need a few additional credits to certify as an ESL teacher. They seem to always be in demand.
"The majority of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." Henry David Thoreau
I got a new, to me, love seat for the family room yesterday. Michaela and Rosemary helped be by putting it in and out of her truck. I managed to move it from the driveway to the front atrium gate. I'll try to get it inside today. I need to move some existing furniture to make room. After 33 years in this house it's way past time to move the camp chair out. I still have the sedan club chair from uncle Leonard's somewhere in D.C. That is a comforable chair that has worn all the moves well from VA to FL, CT, CA, HI and back to CA. It's traveled at least 6000 miles.
My arm's are aching from the law mower and Vinnie pulling on his leash.
Micaela, Vinnie and I had a lovely walk yesterday then took him still full of joy and energy to the dog park. That was relaxing and a cool place to cool down.
I got up very early and came home and took a nap.
I stopped at the store and got a few things and returned a bag of brown rice that was in my pantry unopened. When I cut it open things flew out. Fortunately, I had a 2nd bag. I need to get some plastic containers for sugar, flours, rice... I usually keep grains in labeled glass jars.
I have bread flour, wheat, rice, white and coconut. Quinoa, orzo, other pastas, dry milk, wheat berries,
and rye flour.
One of the blogs I follow suggests soda bottles and filling liters with rice, sugar, and the like for storage and to buy in bulk. I can see that with oatmeal. I like both kinds. Steel cut takes longer and is more grainy. Caro suggests soaking it over night.
I like that Lucky and Savemart have 2 items weekly that are free with purchase of $25. This week it's artichokes and aspirin.
"The majority of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation." Henry David Thoreau
I got a new, to me, love seat for the family room yesterday. Michaela and Rosemary helped be by putting it in and out of her truck. I managed to move it from the driveway to the front atrium gate. I'll try to get it inside today. I need to move some existing furniture to make room. After 33 years in this house it's way past time to move the camp chair out. I still have the sedan club chair from uncle Leonard's somewhere in D.C. That is a comforable chair that has worn all the moves well from VA to FL, CT, CA, HI and back to CA. It's traveled at least 6000 miles.
My arm's are aching from the law mower and Vinnie pulling on his leash.
Micaela, Vinnie and I had a lovely walk yesterday then took him still full of joy and energy to the dog park. That was relaxing and a cool place to cool down.
I got up very early and came home and took a nap.
I stopped at the store and got a few things and returned a bag of brown rice that was in my pantry unopened. When I cut it open things flew out. Fortunately, I had a 2nd bag. I need to get some plastic containers for sugar, flours, rice... I usually keep grains in labeled glass jars.
I have bread flour, wheat, rice, white and coconut. Quinoa, orzo, other pastas, dry milk, wheat berries,
and rye flour.
One of the blogs I follow suggests soda bottles and filling liters with rice, sugar, and the like for storage and to buy in bulk. I can see that with oatmeal. I like both kinds. Steel cut takes longer and is more grainy. Caro suggests soaking it over night.
I like that Lucky and Savemart have 2 items weekly that are free with purchase of $25. This week it's artichokes and aspirin.
Maintenance
When I took the car in for oil and tire rotation I found out it's time to change the belts. Bah!
I've got a lot of rearranging to do in the family room to get the love seet where I want it. The couch I have in there may have to go. I used to read in there with I had a chase. I like lookin out on the deck and the garden.
I've got a lot of rearranging to do in the family room to get the love seet where I want it. The couch I have in there may have to go. I used to read in there with I had a chase. I like lookin out on the deck and the garden.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
I think you repeat the issue until you learn to resolve it...
Michael always says, "If you keep on doing what you've alway's done, you'll keep on getting what you always got." How incredibly obvious! "They say stupidity is to assume you'll get a different outcome and keep doing it anyway or stupidity is to keep on doing the same thing and to expect a different outcome."
There is an info guy that touts, if you keep on doing this year what you did last year you'll be in the same place. I know. We all know change is hard, scary and often necessary. I once took a seminar on it at a SLA convention in Seattle. Big title for little content and msg. No one wants to change. Most will be screaming and dragging their feet the whole way. The more input, discussion you illicit from the group makes them feel part of the process. Change is often proscribed fait a compile from the powers that be. Her grand finale was to hand out an envelope which would be mailed in x time that contained the idea for change as a reminder y time in the future and see if you actually implemented it.
I ran by the library this afternoon and for the first time perhaps in 33 years or so ran into an acquaintance randomly. He wanted to get together. I'm not sure I want to again. He is younger and interesting. He is bilingual, Mexican, so I enjoy the chance to converse in Spanish. He's very busy, has a lot of family with a lot of problems he's very involved with and has odd IT work hrs.
It was nice to see him though. It's been a year or two since I last saw him.
There is an info guy that touts, if you keep on doing this year what you did last year you'll be in the same place. I know. We all know change is hard, scary and often necessary. I once took a seminar on it at a SLA convention in Seattle. Big title for little content and msg. No one wants to change. Most will be screaming and dragging their feet the whole way. The more input, discussion you illicit from the group makes them feel part of the process. Change is often proscribed fait a compile from the powers that be. Her grand finale was to hand out an envelope which would be mailed in x time that contained the idea for change as a reminder y time in the future and see if you actually implemented it.
I ran by the library this afternoon and for the first time perhaps in 33 years or so ran into an acquaintance randomly. He wanted to get together. I'm not sure I want to again. He is younger and interesting. He is bilingual, Mexican, so I enjoy the chance to converse in Spanish. He's very busy, has a lot of family with a lot of problems he's very involved with and has odd IT work hrs.
It was nice to see him though. It's been a year or two since I last saw him.
A walk on the beautiful Coyote Creek Trail on a beautiful Sat. morning
Micaela and I set off on this spectacular Sat. Morning to walk along my favorite Hellyer Park at Coyote Creek that goes to Gilroy. The trees are lush and mature, the creek runs deep along side and there are fish, ducks, egret, bobcats, squirrels galore and turtles sunning on rocks.
I was up at 7 but we met at 10, a perfect time usually. This morning, on a day getting up to 81, 9 or 8:30 might have been better. It started off superb but got hotter and sunnier by the end of the trail. This is the trail I always want to come to in the middle of the night when I have a yen to walk. My friend Kim however, who used to be a ranger there in her early life, said not to. "That's where all the druggies and criminals go at night." She said that they used to patrol in the morning to see if there were dead bodies! What a sheltered life I've lead. I assume I can handle anything. I jet off to Mexico alone. I drive across the country without a thought even camping out perfectly confident I will come through unscathed. She worries about me going to Big Sur alone.
I used to go and camp at Andrew Molera or Kirk Creek alone all the time. Anyway, back to our walk. It got warm after an hour and a half, although Vinnie the tiny pincher kept pulling on his leash. He wanted those squires and to be off to explore all those new delicious smells. He's always full of joy and energy. We had a good talk. Afterwards, she took me to the dog park there. I had no idea it was there. There were some beautiful golden labs playing and romping and an Irish Setter. Not too many little dogs for him.
There is another park there for dogs under 40 lbs. without grass. There was a tiny chowwawa there, happy creatures. While walking there was a woman walking carrying her teacup Taco Bell dog. I don't understand at all why they are so popular. They do not appear to me at all. I had a maid who offered to clean for me free if I let her board her dog here. In the brief time she tried to leave him here, he ate through my screen door, dug out of my yard, chewed through one of Lacy's leashes and generally caused problems. The woman wanted to go Mexico and leave him here. He wouldn't even come to me and had never been trained to walk on a leash, just carried everywhere.
She promised but never did fix the screen, replace the leach or do any cleaning to make up. Lesson learned....
I did some watering of all my deck plants and transplanted yet another spider. I've decided to remove yet another juniper bush out front which harbor spiders, and plant lavendar. I'd like to slowly get to low water, zero care as I can.
When I got the other junipers removed I planted wild flowers. That's fine here Jan- May or April when there is rain and a quasi spring, but May- Oct. There is no rain and the water bill would be through the roof. I need to get out there and unearth interlopers weed wack others that dried out and get it looking better. I cut the lawn last night.
I saw today that I have a lot of pruning to do too. I swear we just trimmed that lemon tree in Spring massively. Now it's returned to overwhelm it's neighboring orange trees yet again. I swear I had my gardener take half the lemon and a lhot of the orange where it was being embraced which sounds better than encroached or strangled by it' neighbor, the lemon.
My back can only take short sessions. After an hr. Or two I need a break. How far that is from 33 yrs. Ago when I deliberately got a push mower to get exercise. That lasted a week or so. Then I replaced the gas one for electric.
I made a big jug of sun tea. I love it with mint and lemon. Mom weaned me on it although she didn't use mint or fresh lemon. All the need to recreate the scene is her and grampa's blue 'ice tea pitcher"
I need more ice too!
I was up at 7 but we met at 10, a perfect time usually. This morning, on a day getting up to 81, 9 or 8:30 might have been better. It started off superb but got hotter and sunnier by the end of the trail. This is the trail I always want to come to in the middle of the night when I have a yen to walk. My friend Kim however, who used to be a ranger there in her early life, said not to. "That's where all the druggies and criminals go at night." She said that they used to patrol in the morning to see if there were dead bodies! What a sheltered life I've lead. I assume I can handle anything. I jet off to Mexico alone. I drive across the country without a thought even camping out perfectly confident I will come through unscathed. She worries about me going to Big Sur alone.
I used to go and camp at Andrew Molera or Kirk Creek alone all the time. Anyway, back to our walk. It got warm after an hour and a half, although Vinnie the tiny pincher kept pulling on his leash. He wanted those squires and to be off to explore all those new delicious smells. He's always full of joy and energy. We had a good talk. Afterwards, she took me to the dog park there. I had no idea it was there. There were some beautiful golden labs playing and romping and an Irish Setter. Not too many little dogs for him.
There is another park there for dogs under 40 lbs. without grass. There was a tiny chowwawa there, happy creatures. While walking there was a woman walking carrying her teacup Taco Bell dog. I don't understand at all why they are so popular. They do not appear to me at all. I had a maid who offered to clean for me free if I let her board her dog here. In the brief time she tried to leave him here, he ate through my screen door, dug out of my yard, chewed through one of Lacy's leashes and generally caused problems. The woman wanted to go Mexico and leave him here. He wouldn't even come to me and had never been trained to walk on a leash, just carried everywhere.
She promised but never did fix the screen, replace the leach or do any cleaning to make up. Lesson learned....
I did some watering of all my deck plants and transplanted yet another spider. I've decided to remove yet another juniper bush out front which harbor spiders, and plant lavendar. I'd like to slowly get to low water, zero care as I can.
When I got the other junipers removed I planted wild flowers. That's fine here Jan- May or April when there is rain and a quasi spring, but May- Oct. There is no rain and the water bill would be through the roof. I need to get out there and unearth interlopers weed wack others that dried out and get it looking better. I cut the lawn last night.
I saw today that I have a lot of pruning to do too. I swear we just trimmed that lemon tree in Spring massively. Now it's returned to overwhelm it's neighboring orange trees yet again. I swear I had my gardener take half the lemon and a lhot of the orange where it was being embraced which sounds better than encroached or strangled by it' neighbor, the lemon.
My back can only take short sessions. After an hr. Or two I need a break. How far that is from 33 yrs. Ago when I deliberately got a push mower to get exercise. That lasted a week or so. Then I replaced the gas one for electric.
I made a big jug of sun tea. I love it with mint and lemon. Mom weaned me on it although she didn't use mint or fresh lemon. All the need to recreate the scene is her and grampa's blue 'ice tea pitcher"
I need more ice too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)