Working on the new year. 01-09-24

How do you see time? I've always been curious because I imagine that most people just don't have a mental image of time,  I see time in the reverse of a clock.  Although I do see the daily  passage of time as an analog clock.   I find that my brain translates a digital clock into analog clock!  I discussed this with one friend and she decided that she sees time as a ladder -  January at the top.

Here in Southern California I think of winter as Nov thru mid-March.  Spring goes through March, April, May.  Summer is June through September.. Autumn is just October and a little bit of  November. I grew up in Western Oregon and Southern California, so I have never experienced a "real" winter.

It is definitely winter here now.  Early morning temps have dropped into the 30s so KoKo and I wait until it warms up to 50F and we walk faster!  He will wear his sweater and I wear layers and cashmere socks.  I've looked at down jackets, but it seems impractical to spend over $100 on a garment I would wear only infrequently during maybe a few weeks of the year. Sometimes I am Ms. Pinchpenny.

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Had the epidural today 06-08-23

And KoKo stayed home with Froggy.  He is very good when I leave him alone.  He barks at people who walk by (not very many) and especially at dogs.  But mostly I think he sleeps, with Froggy of course.  This morning we walked before 7am before I had to leave at 7:30am. 

My friend Dick drove me down to Irvine to the Hoag Surgical Center for Dr. Le to do his magic (I hope) again.  The last epidural was in October and the pain did not get bad again until May.  I hope this one lasts as well.  Who knows why some do better than others.  It is always an ordeal to sign in with dozens of papers explaining whatever horrible things might happen, both medically and financially.  I was surprised that nobody was wearing masks, so I didn't either.  Check in time was 8:15am, procedure scheduled for 9am, but happened about 9:45am.  All that laying on a gurney with no book, no phone, no idea when the procedure will start.  It is a drag.  They didn't put me out, just some relaxing drugs and, for the first time, oxygen.  Don't know why.  My age?  Then it was over in about 15 minutes and they hustled me out of there.  When I was home again I ate a small turkey sandwich and took my morning pills and drank an entire bottle of water.   Reclined with KoKo in my lap and slept for four and a half hours.  We did a short walk this evening so KoKo could do his business. 

No luck finding my calendar book.  I think it is gone forever.  I have a wall calendar from AARP and am filling in those little squares as I call to see what appointments I have scheduled.   And Book Groups (2) and Surfside QGuild.  I know there are some ZOOM meetings, but don't know how to figure out when they are.  A friend has almost convinced me that I need to do a calendar on my phone.  She says  that if I lose my phone I can still find my calendar in backup.  Thinking about it. 

Probably more than you wanted to know, but sometimes I just need to "talk" to someone about things in my life.  Love.

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Return from San Diego (06-03-23) 06-05-23

The drive to San Diego on Friday afternoon is always slow and I expected it, so I didn't get uptight and other drivers seem to take it in stride.  There are always one or two maniacs that just jockey from lane to lane to get ahead.  All that does is slow traffic even more.  My average speed was 24mph, but, of course, that was an average between dead stop and 80mph.  It took three hours.  

I  checked into  HIE-Old Town, my usual stopping place, and Beth  picked me up to go to dinner at Jimmy's Famous American Tavern right on the water, but we sat  inside out of the wind.  The French Dip was delicious, the first  I have had in years, it came with house made chips (no sulfites), and an Arnold Palmer to drink.   Interesting  to watch the customers, I just don't get out much any more!   

Ouside in the breeze  way was  this  wonderful  fully blooming vine.  Looks like  honeysuckle, but I've never seen such huge blooms or leaves.  Not terribly fragrant. 

I was  early to bed in the firm center  of the king sized bed with my earplugs in.  Can never sleep on either side of those big beds because they are all broken down.  My other option is to sleep crosswise across the foot part of the  mattress.  My preference would be a recliner and I understand  that some motels offer rooms so equipped.  I'll have to check around. 

On Saturday morning off to pick up Andrea and Deb and drive to Jamul, which is southeast of San  Diego, for the Art Stream meeting.  There were only five of the eight members, but that gave us all more talking time!!  We do an "assignment"  at each  live meeting and this month it was trees.  I didn't ask if I could post anyone's work, so I am just showing mine.  It is obviously not finished - just the fusing is done.  It is an abstract of a forest and I am still debating how to add some foliage.  The color in this image is rather darker than  reality  and  I don't know how to fix that.  Sorry. 

There will be smooth outside edges, probably faced.  

After the meeting and lunch I headed home in medium traffic, some  fast, some  slow and picked up KoKo at Nancy's about 3pm. Then another hour home.  Of course, we both needed a nap before putting things away.  And the  discovery that I don't have my datebook/calendar.  It has disappeared and I am  completely  in the dark about any dates or appointments I have for the rest of my life!!  It  is  a horrible feeling to not know what tomorrow, or tomorrow, or tomorrow or.....   will bring!  I have started a list as I remember things (like my 3pm doctor visit tomorrow, which I called to confirm), but there are notes and phone numbers I will not be able to recall.  I have never switched to keeping a calendar on my cell phone - in case I lose it!!!  This has been very stressful and I feel unconnected to my own world. I have never been one to lose things, but guess I screwed up this time.  Woe is I!

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