A Wasted Trip

I had plans to go to Costco early this morning before the crowds arrive, and pulled into the parking lot at about 10:30.  I reached in my purse for my wallet so I could get my membership card out to show at the entrance.  No wallet!  Well, that was that.  Not only could I not get into Costco, shop and pay, get gas, etc., I also was driving without my license.  When things like this happen to me I take it as a message from the Universe that I shouldn't try to shop at Costco today, and just came back home.

I've ordered a couple of books to read on the plane to and from NY, with one of them being shipped to my son's address just in case it might not arrive here in time.  Ironically the book has already shipped to NY, while I haven't heard anything yet on the one I'm expecting to be delivered here.  I still have a week for it to arrive.  I wish I knew what to expect weather-wise for NY in September and early October.  I can go by previous years and/or forecasts for this year, but I don't think the forecasters know any more than I do.  It's probably a crap shoot!

Speaking of weather, Sacramento is finally looking pretty good for a change, with the coming week in the high 80's and maybe into the low 90's.  I am truly sick of the heat, but know it's not over.

I note that an old sports hero of mine, Johnny Bench (catcher for the Cincinnati Reds) is now making commercials.  I would never have recognized that gorgeous sex symbol of the 1960's as the guy doing the commercial.  I just shake my head and realize if anyone remembers what I looked like in the 60's they wouldn't recognize me now.  No one is lining up to pay me to make commercials!

The moon has shone in on my bed in the exact spot I've been sleeping in (to avoid washing the sheets last week).  It has been a spectacular sight as well as comforting to be in the moonbeam.  I think last night was the actual full moon, and it seemed to be a little larger than usual.

Speaking of changing sides on my bed, it is working out quite well and I'm glad I did it.  The mattress will have a chance to recover from my weight on the same spot night after night, and the new side feels like a new mattress.  I've always turned the mattress at least a couple times a year but the last time I had a very difficult time maneuvering it by myself.  So instead of moving the mattress around, I'll just move Gypsy around.

Cars

I was sitting at a traffic light on my way to the market this morning and happened to observe the vehicles around me.  I'm sorry to say that I think there are a whole lot of ugly cars out there these days.  I don't like the square, boxy look, and remember fondly the curves of the 50's.

My dad drove a car with a manual transmission until 1956, when he bought a car with automatic as I was turning 16 in November and would be learning to drive.  Our dads or someone else taught us to drive in those days as the schools didn't have driver's ed.  My dad was a supreme teacher.  He could often get excited and yell, but when in the car with me at the wheel he was perfectly composed - at least outwardly.  There were times we got in traffic in a place I wasn't familiar with and begged him to take over, but he calmly made me go on, and never raising his voice, talked me through it.  I miss him so much!

But I got off track.  The cars back then had beautiful curves and looked so sleek and aerodynamic, not like all the boxy angles that were around me in traffic this morning.  My dad, in his wisdom, wouldn't take me to the DMV on my birthday, which was the dream of every 16 year old.  He told me I wasn't ready and needed more practice, so I practiced every chance I got until March of the following year.

The vehicles around me this morning may have been ugly as sin, but they provided me with a beautiful trip down memory lane!

Laziness Reigns

I am doing a load of wash this morning before it gets any hotter (going up to 100+ today), and have been wanting to wash the sheets on my bed.  Just before I took them off the bed I realized that the sheets on the other side of the queen size bed are in pristine condition.  That settled it!  I will sleep on the other side and hold off on washing them this week.  I am also conserving water, and my halo is just a bit more shiny!  I hope I don't fall and hurt myself trying to get to and from the bathroom from the far side of the room and I'll need to make sure the way is clear enough to walk in my sleep.

The chiropractic visits are going well and getting a little more intense.   I've been given exercises to do at home, and with the walking I try to do at the gym, it seems like I'm always doing something.  Actually I sit a lot which isn't good for anyone!  I will be doubling up on the visits before I leave for NY and after my return.  A month is a long time to be away from it.  I can honestly say that finding and going to a good corrective chiropractor has been the best thing I've ever done for my total well being and health.  (A corrective chiro restores normal curves to the spine and aligns the vertebrae.  Spinal corrective care can be compared to orthodontic corrective care. It is a process of slowly changing the spine to a more anatomically correct position, similar to changing the position of teeth through multiple visits. Once optimal position has been accomplished, periodic maintenance adjustments are required to maintain that position, which is similar to using a retainer after an orthodontist removes braces.)  Of course, proper nutrition and elimination of medications, Rx and OTC, have me feeling like a new person.  I hope I never have to go back to a regular MD again.

At 9:30 am it's already hot.  I just hope New York is cooling off for the fall season.  I might see some changing of the leaves, but will probably return before the true autumn colors emerge.  I often get confused with NC, where spring arrives earlier and autumn comes along much later than the Northeast.

Sunset

Last night presented one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen from this house.  I took a lot of photographs, but none do it justice.  For one thing, the photos show up a lot of yellow glow but miss the gorgeous blue in the sky.

A couple of evenings ago, before sunset, I happened to look out the front door and saw a huge red ball in the sky.  I'm sure it was the sun, but I've never seen it that color or that big, so I grabbed my camera and took a couple of photos.  I was so disappointed that the sun didn't even show up on the photos.  I was telling some people about it and one suggested it might have been a UFO.  Could be, but from what I've heard you don't see the "UFO" until you look at your photo and there it is!  This would have been the other way around.

I watch the sunset every day, and have to close the vertical blinds a little so that I don't have the sun glaring in my eyes, and I'm sure the sun is in a much different location by the time it comes into my view.  This was in the same general direction, but much more to one side than it usually is.  It no doubt has something to do with the smoke in the skies, although I honestly don't smell smoke lately.  I think the winds blew it to the north, and we can breathe easy again.

I realized after I had gawked at the sun for a while and taken several pictures of it, that I had no eye protection!  Here I am with macular degeneration which is surely worsened by the sunlight, and I'm looking straight at it!

Birthday Party

Meg took some photos when we first arrived - Donald, Jeannie, Sarah, me, and Joe:  (There is much more detail if you click to enlarge the photos).

The tables had some of Liam's small dinosaurs with party hats they made for them:

Liam enjoyed opening his gifts:

Donald outdid himself (as always) on the cake.  This was a dino, with two big eggs one of which had little dinos hatching out of it.

It was a good day, with good food, good company, and a fun time for all the kids.  There was a bounce house that kept them occupied for a while, although I didn't take a picture of it.

I was sleepy when I got home from being in the warm outdoors, and fell asleep while watching a YouTube video!

I was grateful to get a ride with Jeannie and Donald so I didn't have to tackle the traffic.  It's having to change lanes that bothers me the most, and I can do it when I have to.  I just hope I don't have to from now on.

I'm glad it's Friday

I try to do as little as I have to on weekends so I hit the gym and Target this morning. Now I'm ready to relax for a couple of days, and am looking forward to Liam's birthday party tomorrow.  I finally got the present wrapped and the card signed.  I try to print so the kids can read it but I normally print in capital letters and have to concentrate when writing in lower case.  When Liam opens the book I gave him last birthday, he always turns first to the little note I wrote in the front of the book.  He knows it by heart, and always starts by reading it out loud.  Sure pulls at my heart strings.

I wanted to clarify that my eye surgeon didn't recommend that I see the retina specialist yet, but he offered me the opportunity to do so if I wanted to.  He said that if I decide I want to between now and my next appointment, I should just call the office.  So I don't feel bad not going to the specialist at this time (and maybe never).  I can remember my mother-in-law had surgery for a detached retina which was not successful.  I know times and surgical procedures have changed since then, but I doubt I will ever follow through on this. 

I thought I was going to be feeling really down for a while, but watching how Jimmy Carter is approaching his medical issues with such grace, I feel like I can do the same with my much less serious issues.  He is an inspiration to me.

So I'm feeling great, just ate a delicious supper which I topped off with some ice cream!  It was the second serving of ice cream today.

"Down" time

I've been feeling "down" since my visit with the eye surgeon yesterday.  They took many pictures of both eyes, including several of the retinas, and it doesn't look good.  He suggested that when I am ready, I can see a retina specialist, who will take tons of tests and probably do surgery.  I said "No thanks", at least for now.  At my age the last thing I want to do is have any more surgery, especially eye surgery.  I will see the doc again in 6 months.

It looks like I will be flying to NY in September and return in October.  I'll be there about a month.   It just so happens that my youngest New York grandson's birthday falls within that time frame.   (My youngest grandson, Liam, has a birthday next week and his birthday party is this coming Saturday.  I'm hitching a ride with Donald and Jeannie as I no longer want to drive through downtown Sacramento or any city, for that matter.

I went to Costco on the way home from my chiro appointment today and I now have a gallon of ice cream in my freezer, actually a gallon minus about 5 spoonsful.  I had to test it, you know.  Now I need to go to Target for a couple of items.  I have pretty much stayed out of the stores all month, and I'm afraid I might get reckless with the amount in my checking account with only about a third of the month to go.

I think it is nice enough to sit out on the driveway and see if there is any fresh air to breathe.  We've had breezes that are blowing the smoky stuff further north - sorry for that, Judy "Birdlady" Bell.   The effects of the fires that are not only devastating so much land in CA, but also in WA and ID, will be evident for a long time.  I've heard it said that we can expect many trees to fall from being weakened by lack of water.