I am feeling disconnected.

Perhaps it is because I disconnected. I have failed to blog since early September. I have had many intriguing ideas, but of course I do not recall any of them. Hence I will spend this time on the many out-triguing thoughts that plague me.

First, I think I have finally deciphered Cleo's "love language". By this I mean her actions meant to prompt me to show her more love. 

When I am at my computer within a short time she will meow plaintively at the office door. This means: I am here waiting to be reminded how much you love me; please invite me to join you, and I will hop on the desk and pace back and forth as you coo and pet me until I am bored of it.  

I am lying in bed reading and she will meow plaintively from the living room. I will call to her to no avail to come join me. She will not come. This means: I know where you are, but I want you to come here. 

I sit on the couch for a read, or a "bit" of TV and she will sit near my feet and look up plaintively. This means: Of course, I know you WANT me to jump up there to snuggle with me, but I always want you to ask for this as if for the first time ever - so I know you do not take me for granted. 

And on and on. Neither of us seems to tire of this "love" dance.

A few weeks ago, before our blessed cool spell with heavenly rainfall, having HAD IT with getting dressed to go to Winco, I decided to go in my double layer of nightgown and house dress sort of garment. Many of you will know EXACTLY what this looks like. To top of this breach of decorum (who cares anymore!?!) I draped a refrigerated cooling shoulder wrap over the top of this outfit. I also had HAD it with sweating as I shop because:

1. I am over insulated as well as of running hot since birth and

2. I am wearing a mask that makes me feel as if I am in a steamy jungle.

I suppose I got some censorial glances from fellow shoppers, whose opinion of me stopped mattering a few decades and (on a higher scale) a pandemic ago. Later that week, I read some article which mentioned a NOW "hot" dress trend (of course they mean popular with trend zombies, but occasionally also very hot in the worst sense). I have not seen this yet in Eugene, but that does not surprise me. And TADA here it is: The "nightgown dress". Wow! I love it. Short nightgowns with gathering above my, you know, are marginally (very) flattering and bind no where, while allowing breezes to waft up and under. I do not intend to purchase such an item as I have this genre on hand. And now I wear it EVERYWHERE!

Many folks deplore the softening of public standards of appearance. Seriously? With the deliberate destruction of our democracy and the un-intended yet still active destruction of our climate and ecology why on earth would clothes matter?  My stand is: if YOU keep warming the planet, I will wear whatever is the least problematic for me!

 

Fall!

I am available for personal appearances at your home, place of work (possibly redundant) and social masked gathering. I will bring my unbounded enthusiasm for the best of all seasons and my signature:

"FALL" in an exuberant falsetto with both arms flung high to the heavens. Free of charge. 

small print: non-consensual; no request required

I am aware that we still have warm (and possibly too hot) days ahead of us, and the risk of smokiness until the season's rains can come to quell spontaneous combustion. At least this year is not as horrible as last year (yet).

 

 

Also guilt free binge TV!

On a sad, or just confused note: my squirrel friendly back yard is un- squrriled. Are they hanging out in your yard? Is this a seasonal shift? Have my offerings become passe? Do I need to stock some resident wildlife? 

There seem to be quite a few "domestic squirrels" living in homes with the blessing of the human occupants (from trusted source:YouTube). There would of course be some destruction, but boy oh boy would Cleo be more entertained and aerobically fit!

 

 

And finally, this little video depicting my "fall is here" emotional state. Hedgehog happy dance

Inquiring minds...encounter reality

Green looks bigger; purple feels heavier

 I am currently having my personal trainer come to me twice a week for a 30 min. session in strength(A), flexibility(B) and balance(C) as qualified below. For several weeks now, I have felt that my mismatched 3# weights are not the same weight with the purple one being noticeably heavier. This holds true even when I switch hands, which I do to ensure that one arm is not getting an advantage over the other. My body is a symphony of symmetry in which I want no discordant chords. Again, it was my frugality which led me to purchase mismatched weights at "Play it Again Sports" because despite the color difference they were both labeled as 3's.

Today I decided to reveal this deception once and for all (i.e. Twice in Eltonese - see 4/8/2019 post if unfamiliar with this usage of  "twice")

I used my cooking scale (mostly used to weigh envelopes actually being snail mailed) to weigh each weight. I then did a bit of dimension research due to the weighing results.

Here are the counter intuitive results: I was entirely wrong. A concrete example of what feels obviously true to me can be patently in error.

I should feel humbled, and I do. Reality is stubbornly insistent on being the final word. And we mortals always lose when we engage in a test with it (Her).

A. I am maintaining a decent amount of strength needed for every day tasks such as ambulation and  awkward but possible getting up in defiance of gravity.

B. My flexibility needs more attention over more time than I likely have left. But I persist.

C. Balance is not a concept I hew to as a rule. Physical balance is an on/off capability challenged by uneven ground, the prior day's pot party, getting up from seated too abruptly, and tripping on shadows.

And in closing let us celebrate the athletic and comedic styling of the humble squirrel. This video is somewhat repetitive and occasionally of poor quality BUT there are some gems scattered in to the end. If you can spare 7 min:
Quirrels!!  (misspelling intended)

John's Gourmet Pizza

I should have asked him if HE had a moniker for this creation. But I am fired up, in the mood to blog, and don't want to wait for his next awake period (currently under renovation). The enclosed photos were courageously taken by the accomplished chef himself while under the waning influence of our Tuesday night pot, (another p-word), and pizza party. While I was still pinned down by the cat he got a ladder to get  better photo angles. I would have stirred in the event of an audio alert from the kitchen. Really.

I was expecting the first photo to show a medium virgin Papa Murphy's thin crust half Papa's Favorite and half Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza. But I guess the idea to take photos occurred Post Pizza Perfecting and left us with:

All trimmed out and ready for the oven 

Here I have rotated the photo so Papa's Favorite half is in the Northern Hemisphere. 

On the cutting board you see the remains of slicing and chopping one entire sweet onion (this time smallish and from a friend's garden). 

Not actually discernible on the pizza are the rest of the pre-oven additions, detailed below.

This shot is the one where perhaps you can discern the various onion shapes created to either survive cooking, or placed on edge and sticking up in order to become singed in delicious sacrifice. 

Also a closer look as the culinary and medicinal inputs (left to right)

Beano - obviously medicinal and not a topping

Red pepper flakes - added later by each diner

Fennel seeds - generously sprinkled

Papa Murphy's Herb and Cheese Mix - VERY generously "sprinkled"

Gourmet olives John adds to his after cooking.

Right out of the oven. Now comes my contribution: cutting it into 8 unequal sizes so we will have something more to talk about.

Please forgive my poor photo editing. I have only mastered a few "fixes" and show scant inclination to expand this capability. Also note that incredible aroma and flavor do not photograph well

I have recently heard an apt description of my "falling quite short of expertise" condition in all undertakings: A Renaissance "Man". In my case this is: Aspiring only to the minimum effort my inner perfectionist/sloth negotiated.

 

 

 

Oh the horror

Only read if you are willing to grok what this new and "enhanced" summer weather does to me.

What I had going for me:

I left for Winco at 7:45 am (even that late there are still many stockers blocking aisles).

1. I used my car A/C , when usually it is not necessary at 70 without high humidity.
2. I was wearing a neck drape from the freezer.
3. I only wore my mask in the store.
4. I was wearing shorts, a short sleeve shirt and sandals.
   
5. In the car I had a hand towel for mopping my face, and used it.
6. My home A/C is set at 70, which works for me only if I don't exert AT ALL.

What was not in my favor:

The temp was about 70 with 64% humidity. At that point my body just keeps pumping out sweat in a futile attempt to cool me down. It was a full body sweat with it streaming off my head.

I decided to provide the sodden details of why I am so averse to heat. I am sitting on a chair with a chilled pad, covered by a towel for absorption. I have a fan blowing on my face, and the ceiling fan on high, and a small fan blowing up the skirt I am not wearing. I am only wearing a short all cotton summer nightgown. I am also drinking chilled water by the quart (I had 2 quarts after getting up).

It is now a little after nine and after toweling off my hair the dripping has ceased. I cannot report on my public presentation during this foray, but I would not be surprised if I had a wild and hunted expression in my eyes (still masked).

Sort of losing quite a bit of weight (which if I were working at it would still take months) I honestly do not know what I can do to manage my misery.

Please do not respond with suggestions I get acclimated (I have gradually moved my A/C from 65 a few years ago up to 70). Please do not send me ideas for cooling gadgets, clothing, etc. I own everything that has proven to work, and a few that only do a little bit.

Just do everything in your power, budget, and willingness to mitigate the climate crisis I believe we now inhabit.  And this is prior to the inevitable local summer smoke inundation.  oy

This reminds me that autumn coolness is likely still scheduled for 2011

Happy polar bear cub

 

 

 

Beaver mania

I am re-reading "Eager Beavers and Why They Matter" by Ben Goldfarb. These guys could play a very large role in healing our environment. They love water, are dependent on it and conserve it (like me!).

Here is a brief video explaining some of their wonderfulness:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cyPyEQ4OHI 

Boyfriend caught this guy (gal?)

My current aggravation is my neighbor across the street who is clueless about maintaining a resilient lawn and best practices. Every summer once he has started watering, he waters EVERY morning. This prevents the grass from growing deep roots, which help it survive a reduction in moisture (should it occur in this case) and periods of higher levels of groundwater loss. As it happened, we experienced quite an early, warmer spell this spring, and although EWEB had not yet made available weekly watering guidance, I put some moisture into my eco lawn environment. He had a routine, and stuck to it, and within a few days his lawn mysteriously died. I suspect no hardiness had been built up. Sadly, he asked a friend/yard guy (1) what might have happened. He was told it did not look like something killed it (eg: fungus), so it just needed to be re-started. Never mind this was in mid June, warmer than usual (2) June in Eugene. He was told to aerate, then heavily seed, then aggressively water. Of course he is on that path. In addition his sprinklers are misdirected and keep some driveway, side walk, and ultimately sewers well watered too.

He is a good neighbor, and I quite like him. He has done neighborly things for me. I am uncertain if any suggestions from me would be received well, and I don't want to damage our slight, but friendly interactions (I have good reason to not trust my communication skills in this area).

Nursing kit, so cute, and soft!

The fact that North America was beaver infested until it was discovered that the beaver's under coat was excellent HAT material is the genesis of environmental destruction in what was a very rich continental eco system. Beavers CREATE rich eco systems and pump up the water table. The current activities to re-establish beavers in the too dry west should be given more support and resources. STAT! If you want to read more, this article is readily available, otherwise you will need to wait until I return the beaver bible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impacts_of_beavers#Invasive_impacts

1. What kind of yard guy would suggest trying to revive a lawn once summer has commenced in earnest? I would have waited for spring and delighted in no mowing!

2. Warmer colder dryer (etc) than usual is becoming a problematic assertion. Normal is being revised rapidly. Previous normals will not be returning, perhaps ever.

There's a lot to this TED talk

And some additional connections I made. This is a short, engaging summary of Barry Schwartz’s “The Paradox of Choice.”: https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice#t-1159965 

Years ago when I had a moho I occasionally wanted to take a two vehicle jaunt with my friend Julie. And it was inevitably more fraught to make a plan than I could imagine. She suffered greatly for fear of choosing a less than optimal option. Consequently, many times we never got to a solution. She stayed home for something she thought might turn out better, and I did my own jaunt. I can somewhat empathize as I often am tortured with a different version of decision paralysis: is there a choice which meets my needs and desires without being unnecessarily complicated with options I don't desire? (smart phone)

I did not need convincing that our choices have become overwhelming and for me burdensome at times. At the end of the talk he hints at a possible re-calibration: The affluent societies (and in the US, the affluent PORTION of society) could voluntarily scale back their acquisition of things and big experiences and reap the benefits of less pressure, more deep appreciation of what is chosen and reduced pressure on the environment. The world is close to or past sustainable use of resources (clean air, clean water, arable land, and many other important components of modern life) and currently impoverishing the planet of biological diversity. Our current pace of using, owning, and despoiling is unsustainable and ultimately a path to a poverty of options. 

I, for one, hope we can choose to limit our impacts before our ability to choose no longer exists.

Sorry, but this topic always takes me to dark imaginings.

Here is an example of what human ingenuity and accomplish toward less destructive life choices:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No6qTbn0J4s