I guess I have blogged too much about me and my yard

I don't want to lose my few followers, so I am going to change tack (boat term for boyfriend).

Today from yesteryear's "president":

Former president Donald Trump responded to criticism of his coronavirus policies by his health officials with a caustic statement ridiculing them as “self promoters” with “bad instincts and faulty recommendations.”

Well he certainly knows self promotion, bad instincts and faulty recommendations..........when they threaten HIM. And anyway, why didn't he get a personal claim on those qualities via trademark, patent, copyright, deity dibs or calling "shotgun". For such an abundantly (if not capably) lawyer-ed grifter, it is very sad.

I will end this with an example of the absolute inanity of some of the so called targeted ads that pop up when I am on the Washington Post site. I failed to get any screen grabs of things not labeled and about which could not begin to guess who would want them and why. It seems a highly random way to seek customers.

But what do I know? I was the little Camp Fire Girl who was forced to "sell" mints by going door to door. My sales pitch was not a pitch so much as a kick me sign: "You don't want any Camp Fire candy do you?" And they truly did not. My best friend at the time would boldly ask: "How many boxes do you want?" She had her summer camp paid for on the strength of her sales. I (correctly) counted on Mom wanting me gone for two weeks badly enough to the pay full sticker price.
 

Improbable Covid-19 side effects

I have been suffering for the 2nd Spring in a row with a condition which is unlikely to befall a person of my type: post middle age, poor fitness level, photo-phobic, allergic to bug bites and pollen, plus bone lazy. That condition: a new found willingness to "see to the yard". It started in 2017 when I purchased a corded electric mower (not self powered). 

Since then I have been keeping my ECO lawn trimmed-ish, and my front yard's deliberately planted areas weed free-ish. The front yard is somewhat hazardous to the tippy footed, but holding onto the mower has kept me upright. Since taking this on I have had my first ever wasp sting, and numerous mosquito bites which swell to look like new volcanoes emerging in a strangely pale field. ONE bite alone drives me mad.

But the condition has worsened to where I am now trimming bushes and trees and last year declared war on front yard darn-delions. They first appeared in FEBRUARY this year, which is just wrong. Hence, I do a near daily sweep (twice today) for new signs of yellow. For now I am just extracting, either with my upstanding weed extractor, or my hand held weed "fork" for areas either too rocky or too  rooty to use the fun tool. Later I will spot treat the ones whose roots I can't remove.

And this year I have discovered some enthusiasm for keeping the back yard darn-delion/moss experimental farm from overtaking the house. My back yard is aggressively rooted by two too large maple trees. I love the shade (on west side) as does the moss (which I quite like) and as does the yellow headed scourge. I decided to "kill" the weeds and nascent blackberry vines on the north side and then cover it with black plastic to rob it of sunlight. I found a roll of black plastic on Amazon which was 25' by 10' which was perfect for my 25' by 5' bit of yard. So today I rolled it out over the hellscape and pinned it down with 6' pins like tiny wickets. After laying the plastic down I could no longer tell where the exposed roots and rocks were, so it was a tippy process during which I fell once. It does not look professionally laid, but I am unreasonably proud of my accomplishment.

Tomorrow I Casseron the south yard to discourage weeds that grow readily in the gravel path. I am shooting for a dry application followed by a nature provided watering in on Sunday. 

This is not the real me. But next week I have an appt. with my psychologist who should be able to get me sorted. I have been alone with my demons since my last visit in mid September 2020, and I  fear that left unchecked this trajectory could lead to a serious yard-tending condition.

Southern accent related post

 This thought arose from the interesting (to me) WaPo article by Tracy Moore: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/03/16/how-covid-19-gave-me-back-my-southern-accent/?arc404=true 

Here I will briefly recount the months I spent (not so much lived) in Houston (Feb-Aug) a few years into my marriage. While there I managed to get a job during tax season (which my brilliance pushed past April 15th) at a CPA firm with two born and bred male Texan owners. All other employees were older (than me in my 20's) women. What was most notable to me in the entire span of my employment was how my interview went.

I was sent by an employment agency who apparently paid little attention to my skill set and/or their client's requirements. They sent me for a job as typist in the reception area with principle phone duties. First: I did not represent myself as a typist of any sort and Second: I clearly lack the accent to communicate well on the phone with Texans. I was unaware of this, as I had applied as a tax preparer and bookkeeper which I had done in Denver. 

Upon arrival, I was escorted to a typewriter for a speed/accuracy test. I could have passed a 10-Key test, but nooooooo. I typed ineptly, and upon "completion" angrily said I thought this was a preparer position which is what I sought via the (clueless, useless) agency. They left me there to (as I found out later) consult an owner about someone they might want to look at. Hence, I was taken to an office with two youngish Texans who I could (just) understand having context, faces and gestures to help.

The questioning included: was I married, do I have children, what does my husband do, are we planning a family, and then they got more on topic. I was able to outline my tax experience (1 season at H&R Block) and bookkeeping experience (at a multi-state uniform retailer). I think I probably did well enough, together with my resume, which had only education and 3 jobs listed. The next item was not so much a question as a policy announcement: I would be expected to wear a bra. I can assure you I have TO THIS DAY never gone to a workplace as an employee with the girls UN-corraled. Then (and this is what the above article sparked a memory of) one of them asked the other: Do you think she will hunt?

Bizarrely, they hired me and were sad to see me bail on Texas and them so soon. I then brought my "Oregon II" photo book by Ray Atkeson when the wondered at my destination selection. They said these photos were not accurate (suggesting a born Oregonian could be such a fool). I did not push my point as why would I encourage any Texan to venture to another state, least of all Oregon? They should stay right there so they can leave the US when Texas does what it keeps threatening.

In the course of this employment I occasionally had to take the phone during lunch (it was rotated among all the employees (i.e.women). After my first sweaty and fraught turn, I was informed that an irate client wanted to know what a "damn Yankee was doing answering their phone?" I admit that I was finding it every bit as difficult and undesirable to attempt telephonic connection with a traitorous southerner.

Here is a photo of me, taken in Portland in the late 70's before the Texas debacle. With bra and in a beloved shirt.

P.S. At the time I had no way to challenge the non-job related questions. Had I done so, I am sure I would not have been hired. In the end, it was sort of my husband who necessitated (Allowed!) the move. We were there because he was told it would be a job in Houston. And about 5 months in they admitted that all they had was offshore pre-drilling boat riding off the Arabian Peninsula coast (I forget which NO WAY country it was.) Neither of us wanted that, and he was willing to try Oregon having decided that nothing good was going to come of his BS in Geology anyway. As it didn't until I divorced him, he want back to Colorado, and managed to get a teaching job at a small college in Sedona AZ.

Covid immunization update

Yesterday morning I had my first Pfizer shot at LCC. It went VERY smoothly - and why not? It was deeply staffed, clearly signed, very very organized and time efficient. This part of the getting shots into arms is working well for folks with personal transportation. It is likely only limited by vaccine supply.

I admit to being confused by Oregon's choice of adding additional eligible cohorts before nearing completion of the earlier ones. My "stylist" is a young woman I followed around various salons until she found better gigs. She has been cutting my hair at my house for MANY years now - perhaps decades. Her mother lives independently in Eugene and has not yet been given an invitation, and I heard from several other 70+ folks in my swim class that they too are waiting. I am sure there is no ill intent behind the perplexing process of selection. And no evidence of this level of craven purchase of access:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/03/04/florida-keys-desantis-vaccine-donation/

But I am left with one niggling question: are they secretly testing the efficacy of Covid vaccinations by having a placebo group? It is standard best practice required for FDA approval, which I was reminded this shot does not have in the literature provided yesterday. It reiterated this 4 times over six pages and twice stated that it is in an ONGOING clinical trial. I think I got a placebo. I have had no noticeable symptoms of having received something that is generally expected to make it's presence known to the recipient. My arm was briefly sore in the evening and so far today I am symptom free (except perhaps for being more susceptible to flirting with a conspiracy world view).

And one final affront (or likely the only one in this post): There is an amazing tool (v-safe) which is available to anyone WITH A SMART PHONE. This is getting out of hand. Albertsons  has some weekly specials which are Digital. 

Disclaimer: This is why I keep blogging. It is a constant struggle for me to not see the encroachment of virtual into physical life as a threat. Sometimes it is harmless and sometimes it seems just silly (eg: internet connected microwave -REALLY). I am hyper sensitive to when it might be exclusive to only digital believers. But I want my blogs to be as accurate as possible (unless inaccuracy is funnier and harmless). Hence I searched for the proof that the DIGITAL COUPONS are not accepted as paper coupons. Apparently they are (FOR NOW). And I registered on v-safe via my home computer and gave them my dumb cell phone number. This is a test of inclusivity. Consider yourself warned, CDC!