3287

A muggy day in every way! I spent most of the time organizing and updating the various web sites that I use for a variety of tasks. I discovered just how scatological my choices of user names, passwords, and security items have been. Not all that neat and orderly! I got started on this task because of the CC security issue that happened and the fact that I'll need to update many sites with my new location. Thank goodness it's a long weekend so I can get on with some of the other moving tasks I'll be doing.

I popped out for breakfast this morning. I went to Whole Foods and discovered that they put up a tasty breakfast buffet. My daily green tea Frappuccino helped me make it through the day and  shortened my nap period. Weather got warm and remains muggy even now.

Watched a film this evening--The Master. It's a dramatization based loosely on some of the life and times of a fictitious Lancaster Dodd (an amalgam of people including L. Ron Hubbard of Scientology fame). Joaquin Phoenix did an intense job of playing Dodd's wacky disciple. Philip Hoffman did a reasonable job of being the megalomaniac Dodd (Hubbard). The whole film surprisingly enough focused more on Phoenix's character with Hoffman and the rest of the cast picking up the pieces. That feature left the film feeling a bit lopsided--as if huge hunks of it was being dragged along from one wacky disciple episode after the other. And, of course, there is no mention or footage dedicated to how Hubbard's writings continue to create waves today. Hubbard was a prolific writer and holds the world record for most published author (1084 books)!

Sunday, Sunday! Coming soon to a city near everyone! Let there be light!

3288

I just calculated that I'll only have 11 more classes (at the PI) before the move takes place. They'll happen over the next three weeks, sprinkled out over that period of time. Eleven more classes and I'm on the move! Went to a resistance class today. I'm not sure if I'm getting weaker or stronger. I seem to be fading at the end of every set. I'm still only using the 10-lb weights--I never made it back to the 12-lb ones. I grabbed a Frappuccino after class and that put me back on track (I was starting to fade during the class and afterward). A little caffeine seems to have become part of my daily diet (if I don't want to have to nap in the afternoons). Day turned quite warm this evening and is still muggy now (a bit before 9pm).

Watched a film this evening--Contagion. A star-studded cast but a bit loose on the plot. Although the virus spreads quite quickly, the action did not. Perhaps a fewer less side-stories might have helped. A symptom of the plot malaise--three high-powered actors (Damon, Paltrow, and Law) are all in the film but almost never interact--Law never with the other two and Damon and Paltrow only briefly even though they are married and she is the primary vector of the virus that gets passed around the globe. When the virus goes global, the martial law that is invoked seems nowhere as real as it would be in actuality. The film was more educational in nature than exciting--you come away with a lot of knowledge about virus propagation and what might happen in a pandemic.

Labor Day weekend! Three more weeks left for me to finish my moving prep and complete my checklist of stuff to be done by then. Countdown on all fronts--moving, Syria, saying goodbye to people, doing the checklist, and--who knows how the cabbages may grow, or if it will snow, or the four winds blow, or if things will slow, or perhaps sink below and swing to and fro?

3289

Dropped off a pile of foam today to the place that recycles the stuff. It is a handy place to know about--just about the only place that's close and does the recycling. Had a movement class today and for some reason people there were not aware that I was moving to Fair Oaks--they thought that I was moving to the senior place. The news shocked a couple of people.

Today, I again felt wobbly after doing a class and having only a light breakfast. After dropping the foam, I stopped an grabbed some food and then had a Frappuccino. All got right with the world--except for the warm, muggy weather. Holiday weekend almost upon us--Labor Day! I'll probably be laboring with my packing process. The place is getting emptier though--I am getting rid of a lot of stuff. I gave a toolbox full of various tools to a neighbor. I had wanted to not haul that heavy box anymore. I found the perfect person to give it to. Cruising on down the road!

I picked up a fresh set of DVDs while I was out. Watched a somewhat dull thriller this evening--Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. For some reason it made me remember the old TV series. The current episode maintains an illusion of being very hi-tech but is really a gloss to glue together the chase and fight scenes. The whole thing starts on an improbable note--breaking out of a maximum security prison in order to take on a mission that has the team stealing something from the Kremlin. But off they go--all the way up to the ending where they save the world by disabling a nuclear missile while it is armed and in flight. Oh, yeah!

Resistance training tomorrow! I feel it's important that I maintain as much exercise/activity as I can while I'm still here. The body knows what it needs!

3290

Made it to G&B class today just barely on time. I was awakening, eating, checking email, and planning out the day--and suddenly it was past time to leave for class. But I did get there! Class was challenging!

I came back from class and finished a termination notice for my landlords alerting them that I was giving 30-day notice and would be moving next month (actually on the 25th). I also wrote out checks for several bills as well. I loaded up the far infrared heat lamp (very heavy). I stopped at the health clinic office and gave them the lamp. I stopped by the post office to buy some stamps and mail the bills. By then, I was noticing that I had eaten a light breakfast (fruit and kefir) and was getting wobbly and needed more food. I stopped by the Spice Kit and had a Vietnamese rice bowl with roasted pork (very tasty). The food made me feel less wobbly. I went home and napped for a while. When I awoke, I made a run to TJ's and grabbed my usual afternoon pick-me-up (a green tea Frappuccino).

Oh, yes! Somewhere in all of these comings/goings, I stopped at the Foam Shop and verified that they recycle used materials. I have two big bunches of foam that need to be dumped. I'll drop them off tomorrow.

In the evening, I watched the last three episodes of the PBS show--Any Human Heart. I discovered that there were 4 episodes on the discs--I had thought there were only 2. As I suspected from watching episode 1, the rest of the story became a complete Greek (except it was British) saga with the hero enduring awful losses and suffering--and then he died. It was a well done presentation and mirrored, to some extent, my sorting/dumping/donating activities over the past few months.

Movement class tomorrow and a foam dumping event. I'm coming down to the wire on having things that need to be dumped/donated. I'm glad I took an extra month to wrestle with everything. It feels good to be rid of so much stuff I wasn't using. Everything is lighter and brighter now!

3291

Dropped off a box of computer discs at UPS this morning--for them to shred. They were old backups of project records that I didn't need to haul with me anymore. I stopped afterward and had a prawn burrito at Como Esta, the Mexican place in midtown. I sort of spaced out and was almost late for PD dance class even though it didn't start until 12:30pm. I lost track of time when I stopped at the chiropractor's office to ask if they wanted to take the far infrared heat lamp off my hands. They indicated that they would do so--I'll take it there tomorrow afternoon.

Had a resistance class today following the PD dance activity. G&B class tomorrow--starts earlier (9:45am) so I'll have to leave by 9:15am.

Watched the first episode of a two-part PBS Masterpiece presentation--Any Human Heart. Each episode is over 2 hours so I had to stop tonight after part one. So far, it's been a quietly mysterious journey back and forth in the early life of an older man who is shuffling through his cluttered studio and remembering those earlier years. I certainly know how it all ends based on the older man's actions and memories, but there is a gnawing pull to find out how it all happens--especially since the early years were somewhat haphazard. I await the conclusional episode.

Tomorrow I send my landlord a 30-day notice that I will be leaving by the end of September. I've been here over seven years. It's difficult for me to grok that I've been here for that length of time. Where did all the minutes, hours, days go? Gone to ticktocks everyone! When will they (I) ever learn?

3292

Late (or early) post! I slept the day away. Got up late and missed C&M class. Dropped off the kitchen items to place in MP that uses donated items. Grabbed a sandwich on the way back. Fell asleep when I got home and the rest is a blur. I got up around 6pm and had a snack. Started watching a French film that was too dense to follow. I turned it off and lay down--for a bit supposedly--and awoke at midnight!

Today is another day! PD dance and resistance training classes! I'm now wide awake. Will read some and see if I can (yes) sleep some instead of staying up for the rest of the night... Adieu!!

3293

Weekend got off to a somewhat slow start, but picked up speed as the days went by. Reserved a trailer yesterday and settled on a general plan for The Move. Today, I did the laundry and emptied the kitchen. I'll be dropping all of that off tomorrow at a charity that provides items to people who don't have furniture, etc. Whoever gets my stuff will have a complete kitchen (dishes, pots/pans, utensils, coffee maker, blender, toaster oven, and more)--everything except a microwave. I was amazed at how much a service for 8 weighs--I can barely lift the box in which it is packed! But, now the kitchen is empty except for a minimum set of items I need for my snacks/foods. The beat goes on!

After emptying the kitchen stuff and putting all of it in the truck, I grabbed some food from TJ's, treated myself to a Frappuccino, listened to "Says You" on the radio, and watched a Swedish film--Everlasting Moments. It's a film about a woman, Maria Larsson, at the turn of the century who became an accomplished photographer. She managed to do so while living in poverty, through a time of wars, birthing seven children, dealing with an abusive husband, her youngest child getting polio, and never having any formal training in how to use a camera and develop film--quite impressive and courageous! It's a bit long (over 2 hours) but needs that much room to get in all of the obstacles she had to overcome to feed and house her many children, and to persevere and do her art work.

So tomorrow there's a C&M class followed closely by a kitchen item dump--and hopefully some cooler weather.

*************
I just discovered that there is no Maria Larsson as depicted in the film. The character is based on a real-life relative of the film director's partner, but there are no gallery prints of any images done by Maria Larsson. To help confuse things even more--the actress who plays Maria in the film--her first name is Maria! Media magic multiplies my murmurings!

3294

Reserved a 5x8 trailer today--one that I plan to tow behind my truck. Proposed a possible plan for having my daughter and her boyfriend to come this way, help me finish loading the trailer, and help get me over to Fair Oaks. She got back to me and concurred that the proposed plan sounds OK with them. So, I just have to finish sorting/dumping and getting all of my final tasks completed. It's about four weeks to the move--and I'm sure that the time will fly by.

A couple moved out of one of the apartments today. They used a fairly large van and made short work of their move. They were one of the more recent renters. They never seemed to be around much. They probably found a better place for the money they probably were paying here. I'll be happy to be out of here.

I went to the Olive Garden on my way back from the U-Haul place. As I walked in the door, the couple who once rented me a room/bath in their home came out. It was the Suarez-Pereira's. He must be in his upper 90s. He continues to look healthy and well. We chatted for a while and then I was called in for a table. Had one of their bottomless pasta bowls. It was OK but nothing spectacular.

Went by the chiropractor's old offices and didn't find anyone there. I was going to donate the far infrared heat lamps that I have (and have hardly used). It looked like they may have closed that office--will check back with them next week. The lamp is really heavy and is difficult to move--don't want to wrestle with it when I get to Fair Oaks.

Watched a police drama that I have seen before--Training Day. Strange experience! I know that I have screened that movie before--but I only recalled a few bits and pieces of it. It was like watching a film I had never seen. Can my memory be that poor? How can I not recall a lot of a two hour film--especially one as riveting as this one? The brain does strange things or so does mine. Mine mind is melting! Melting into a miasma of organic mush!

3295

Resistance training today! Had a fairly full class but still quite a few people are MIA. Saw news item that Linda Ronstadt just announced that she has been diagnosed with PD. One in fifty to one in a hundred are now the odds of having the illness.

I spent part of the day trying to understand my vehicle-moving options. Looks like I'm going to tow a light trailer (4x8 or 5x8) with my truck. I just need to understand what I need to install on the truck so I can attach and tow a trailer. It will only take three hours of on-the-road activity to move everything I own in my truck with a trailer in tow. I'll check with the U-Haul people this weekend and go ahead and reserve a setup.

I stopped by the MV U-Haul place on the way to class. They were short-staffed and quite busy. I think I'll try the place in RC this weekend. Hopefully, the dissatisfied customer who was at the MV place won't be at the RC store. She was really upset over a delay that she had experienced and was unloading on the sales clerk--who tried to be accommodating despite her loud and angry tirade. I was next in line behind her but I could feel the waves she emanated and they weren't pleasant.

I watched an episode of a British cop series--George Gently. The episode I saw was surprisingly well done! The storyline was deep and thoughtful (a play of good versus evil and the large grey zone that can surround those concepts), and well acted. I'll have to look for others in that series.

It's the weekend already! Where went the week? About one month now until Moving Day! Still much to be done! No time for a bun! That's not much fun! Son-of-a-gun! Days in the sun! Time for a run! Or a dish of Chow Fun!

3296

Had a movement class today followed by an acupressure session! Good combination! Grabbed a bite to eat afterward and then a stop at SB's for a green tea Frappuccino! Made for a nice outing! I felt good going into the movement class, coming out of it, and after the acupressure work! The green tea topped everything off! Oh, joyous day!

I've moved my prescriptions for medication to a national drugstore. In this way, I can move to Fair Oaks and still get them filled under the existing medical plan until I make a permanent switch to that area. My prescriptions are good to the end of the year and beyond so I won't end up without medication in case there's a delay in making the policy switch. What a difference a pill makes!

Watched a French film this evening--The Father of My Children. It was slice of life (literally and figuratively) about a modern French family where the father is a busy film producer and owner of a secret about his life before his current marriage. As business pressures mount on his film production company, he begins to lose control of both his business and his life. He has three daughters in his current marriage, whom he loves, but not enough to pull himself away from the various brinks he stands before. The film was a bit jagged--sort of three stories done in three parts--first his now life, then his previous life, and his finally his family's future life. All of this is compounded by him being in a film about making films. It was somehow too convenient, too smooth--too deliberately plotted. C'est la vie!

Resistance training tomorrow and then a dive over the weekend back into the sorting/dumping tasks. More c'est la vie!

3297

G&B class today was another workout! I came away from the class hungry. Had a tasty lunch at the Thai place down the street. Came home and flopped into the bed for an afternoon siesta. I could sleep the days away! Have a movement class tomorrow and then an acupressure session in the early afternoon.

Watched an older French film this evening--Elevator to the Gallows. Louis Malle's first full length feature film with a music score improvised by Miles Davis. The music in this film is haunting. There are clips of Davis recording the background tracks as the film is played for him--a mesmerizing combination of filmed activity.

Blue moon over the past nights--true blue--the third full moon in the current season with four moons. A moon state that has inspired a number of songs and pieces of music--and it's not really blue.

This week has felt unexpectedly long for some reason. Like it's been going on forever. Or so it flows!

3298

Didn't make it to the PD dance class this morning. I did the regular thing of laying down for what I intended to be a short nap and nodding off for over an hour.  I awoke about the time the class started. I just rolled over and went back to sleep, again! Needless to say I awoke in time to make it to the resistance training class! That class went well but I was feeling somewhat logy from all the sleep I'd had over the past few days. Have a G&B class tomorrow (early start) so no napping in the morning. I wonder if we'll have a passing thunderstorm tonight like last night? We could use the rain!

I watched an Iranian film this evening--Deserted Station. It is based on a short story by Kiarostami about a couple who get stranded in a remote location as they make a pilgrimage to ask for good fortune with the birth of a baby the woman is carrying. The remote spot where they encounter a breakdown of their vehicle is an abandoned village populated only by children, old women, and a solitary teacher. In order to get their car repaired, the teacher is the only one who can do such work. In order for him to do the repair, the couple has to agree for one of them to take over the teaching tasks for that day. The woman agrees to do so and she goes through a surreal experience dealing with these somewhat feral children, the lack of guidelines as to what she is supposed to do, and what she learns about herself in the process of dealing with the kids, the villagers, the abandoned train station, and more. The story and consequently the film has Kiarostami's influences clearly portrayed.

Days slip by! While the evening is spread against the sky! My! Oh! My! How time does fly!

3299

Went to the C&M class today and it was a tough workout. It wasn't so much that I've missed a couple of classes and was a bit weak--we just did some tough moves. I came out of the class feeling hungry. I grabbed a sandwich at the SpiceKit. After eating, I went home and napped for a while.

I had a flurry of email this afternoon from MF up in Washington, LL in La Jolla, people from PD dance class, BA in Tracy, and a few more.

MF called to tell me that EF, her partner, passed away last week. He was suffering from Alzheimer's and Dementia, and was losing it. She went through a rough period with him over the past year. These progressive, degenerative illnesses are no fun when it's near the end.

I have a PD dance class and resistance training session tomorrow. A brief rain storm just went by along with some promised thunder and lightning! It only lasted a short while, but it refreshed the air.

Watched a film this evening--The Paper Chase. It was a low key movie about the law school process and how students have to navigate their way through the gauntlet that is imposed. It was a bit slow but was well acted by John Houseman who had the role of the imperial professor.

Muggy, muggy! Hot and muzzy! As it was last night! With the moon so bright!

3301-3300

I emptied the storage locker yesterday and gave notice that I was out of there. I'll get a refund of one month's rent and the security deposit. But the good news is that I am out of there. Doing so has been long overdue!

I stopped on the way back to grab a bite to eat, pick up mail, etc. When I got home I was drowsy so I lay down for a nap. About 12 hours later I awoke! I had slept through the afternoon (missing my medication), through the evening (missing my bedtime medication), and on to about 2am! I took a dose of medication, and despite the lengthy nap, I fell back to sleep for about another 4 hours!

When I awoke this morning, I was hungry. I went out and had a hearty breakfast.

The rest of the day went by in somewhat of a fog--it warmed up quite a bit and got awfully warm in the afternoon. I ended up parked in front of the fan and watched an old Hitchcock movie--To Catch a Thief. The key characters were played by Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. It's an OK film but very predictable as to who is the "thief". There's a lot of camera hugging by the lead actors before the action gets to its final resolution. A good old film (with the emphasis on "old")!

Tomorrow there is a C&M class! Even though I'm entering the countdown phase of The Move, I still plan on getting to as many classes as possible. My body/mind/spirit will be happy if I do so!

3302

Busy day! Busy day! Met MI for lunch and I had a delicious Greek wrap with salmon! Went to resistance training after lunch and that went smoothly. For the most part, I felt strong and up to speed. Went from there to the library and picked up a fresh set of DVDs. Then back to Mt. View and an acupressure session with LM (felt really good). On my way to the session I walked past TJ's and bumped into Barbara Christiani! I hadn't seen her in years. Turns out she has a daughter in a town near where I'll be moving to next month (small world). After the session with LM, I stopped by SB's for a green tea latte and a slice of banana/nut bread. Then meandered on home and watched a thriller film--The Professional.

It was a story about a "cleaner" (read: hit man) who gets entangled with a young (12 years old) girl whose parents and siblings are killed in a drug raid by some corrupt cops. The "cleaner" ends up sheltering the girl and teaching her cleaning basics. She wants to exact revenge on the corrupt cops...and there the action really begins. The young girl was played by Natalie Portman (Black Swan), who did a great job of being so young, so vulnerable, and so persistent in her pursuit of payback. The film ends as you might guess it would--with all the bad guys dead, the "cleaner" sacrificing himself to make that happen, and the girl back in the real world, smarter and wiser.

Empty storage locker is the mantra for this weekend! Let it be so! Today's PD news--the active ingredient in wrinkle cream seems to have a cell healing effect in PD'ers! It seems to supercharge the mitochondria (the cell's energy factories) which leads to reversal of cell death. I think we will hear a lot more on this finding as things unfold.

3303

Felt good to do a movement class today! I came home and napped for a couple of hours. Woke up when the apartment got warm from the afternoon sun. Walked over to SB's for a Frappuccino and that helped smooth out the day.

Watched a mayhem movie this evening--Safe. It's about a set of rival criminal groups (Chinese Mafia, Russian Mafia, a band of corrupt cops, corrupt politicians) and an ex-cop and a young Chinese girl who is a savant and can recall anything to do with numbers. There were non-stop battle scenes among all of these factions with heavy body counts and extreme martial arts displays. The young girl holds the key to a vault full of cash and a vault with a valuable computer disc. The ex-cop accidentally becomes entangled in the battle over the girl and ends up protecting her--him against everyone. It was a well done film, filled with lots of action scenes little twists and turns.

Resistance training tomorrow, which will be a welcome activity, with lunch before with one of the PD people, MI. M has young onset PD.

Didn't drive the truck today so don't have an update on the "check engine" alert dealt with earlier this week. Plan to clear out the storage locker this weekend--let it be so!

3304

Went to G&B class today and it was a workout! I really noticed the classes that I missed over the past two weeks--I could feel that I had lost some ground and that it was a push to keep up with today's exercises. Have to keep on moving/stretching/lifting/dancing and more.

GH and I finished the book we were reading--Bohemia. It was an interesting read about how the bohemian came to be starting in the early 1800s and through time to today. The book is dense but full of notes and quotes along with the author's comments and opinions. It is a trip through all of the trips that have been and are still being manifested.

I watched a French crime film this evening--Le Deuxieme Souffle--which translates as the Second Wind. It was a compelling story about a master criminal (French history seems to be full of such personalities) who wanted to make one last big score before hanging it all up. As he went about performing this feat he gets entangled with thieves who do not abide by the code of thieves and the police who want to capture him and send him back to prison. The film is a bit long but kept things moving along so that it didn't feel that lengthy.

Movement class tomorrow and back to the sorting/packing tasks. Enough posting for today! Time to hit the hay! Ole!

3305

Took truck in for diagnostic check! After much analysis, they determined that the housing that covers the on board computer was not strapped down properly--that the movement of the housing was triggering fault messages causing the "check engine" light to appear. They weren't 100% sure that they found the problem, but the "engine check" light is unlit and hopefully will stay so.

I missed going to resistance class today--got the truck back too late to make it to class. Will go to the G&B class tomorrow--need to go! Missing classes has a noticeable effect on my well being.

Used the local bus today to get to/from the garage. Always interesting -- the mix of people who take the  bus. There were two homeless people on trip from the garage--they were buried in their meager belongings and didn't look like people at all--they looked like burrowed animals.

Short post tonight! I'm tired even though I nodded off this afternoon. It was a long day!

3306

Got a new CC today and was able to get back online! Still have some clean up to do but still don't have a clue as to what happened. Whatever it was it made me change my user name on that account--or rather it got changed for me. Luckily, I managed to jot it down after it magically appeared as I was stumbling through the reset process.

Didn't get much done today vis-a-vis packing. Have to drop the truck off in the morning so the garage can run a diagnostic and let me know what needs to be fixed. That process won't help the packing project either. But should be able to get something done while waiting for the truck news.

Have one more chapter to read to GH from the Bohemia book. Should do that on Wednesday. And the green grass grows all around, all around--The green grass grows all around!

Tried to catch a meteorite in flight last night but it was too much ambient light. Still, it was peaceful just lying on the floor trying to see one fall.

Off to bed early this evening--I've scheduled the truck drop for 8am so will be getting up and out early tomorrow.

3307

Today turned into a laundry day and that was it! I ran a few errands and such but truck is running poorly and I didn't want to drive any more than needed. I won't be going to C&M class tomorrow and may miss resistance training on Tuesday--when I take the truck in for repair. Hopefully, by Wednesday I'll be back on the road and can make it to G&B class. Have to go a day at a time! Will try and pack up the kitchen stuff so it can be donated. Feels strange to be donating/dumping so many material items--stuff that I've intentionally accumulated but in some cases never used. I'm assuming that I'll feel less strange once it's gone, but right now I keep asking myself ,"Do I really want to do this?"

Dreams have been vivid and very reality-oriented, but I've not been trying to remember them. In the mornings, I seem to wake up somewhat earlier than I expect (about 6am) and am a bit jittery until the 7am medication is taken and kicks on. I also seem to get a bit jittery around 2pm-3pm. Eating seems to help as does taking medication around 3pm (and topping things off with a green tea drink).

As evening rolls around, I don't seem to hit a jittery stage, but I do get somewhat hungry for snacks (fruit, watermelon, cheese, chips, juice drink, cookies, chocolate, and sometimes a ice cream bar)! I also tend to zone out during this time by watching a movie or TV episode. Then, it's about the time it is now and I brush my teeth, post to this blog, sit quietly for a while and head for the bed where I read for a while. During this last stage I read a bit and then nod my way to dreamland!

3308

I filled a recycling bin (big one) today! I went through several containers that I had pulled from the storage locker. They were full of miscellaneous papers, books, hiking gear, and other stuff. It was an exhausting activity, but I dumped a lot of debris that I'll no longer carry around.

I went out for lunch and the truck was running rough--the Check Engine light is on but not flashing. I may have to skip the classes in the early part of the week and only drive if necessary until I can get into the garage on Tuesday. Not optimal but is what it is!

Watched part of a terrible film this evening--Mysterious Skin. It was a disturbing flick about child molestation (and people generally being ugly with each other) linked up with supposed UFO abductions, drinking, doing dope, and probably more darkness and perversion. I only made it about half way through the piece before I clicked the eject button. It was not worth the pain to find out how it ends--if it does!

I napped for a short time after grabbing some lunch. Did not do a SB's Frappuccino today--considered it but let it go and kept on with my purge/dump operations. My apartment is starting to look like it's been hit by a mortar. There are mini-piles in every corner. But it's getting brighter as I get lighter!

3309

The moving gods continue to sidetrack me! Today, it was a simple yellow light on the dashboard of my truck saying, "Check Engine"! The garage people will have to run a diagnostic to determine exactly what is going on. It's probably something to do with the catalytic conversion system or the fuel mechanisms. Can't take the vehicle in until next Tuesday. Have to putt about until then and not put too much of a strain on the engine--just short, local trips (which is what I do anyway). But, bummer! What I didn't need was one more thing on my To Do list! Had a good day yesterday and woke up to this event this morning--makes me wonder!

After checking with the garage, I had a late lunch (couldn't find a parking space when I went to class and had to settle for a Jamba Juice instead of whole food)--a subway sandwich and a Frappuccino (which I got again for $2 on their afternoon special). Came home and napped for a while and then watched a film--Whisky. It's a film shot in Uruguay, in Spanish, about the lives of two brothers and a woman who works in one of the brother's factories. It's a slice-of-life movie about the foolishness people can get involved with by just following what life unfolds for them. Whisky is one in a series of films that have been intentionally set in foreign (to U.S. and European audiences) locales and cultures. The result is a gratifying film experience that was funny/sad and somewhat quirky.

So, what's on the agenda? Will focus on emptying my truck and continue with sorting/dumping. Perhaps I may be able to get back to the storage locker to close it out--but that can wait, if need be, after I get my truck back on Tuesday/Wednesday. I'm too foggy right now to make any definite plans.

3310

Made some progress on the sorting/dumping fronts today! Did so after doing a movement class, eating some food, and napping for a few hours--and getting a Frappuccino when I awoke. I then spent about 3 to 4 hours sorting through a few boxes. I feel awake and full of energy right now. I feel alert and clear, for a change!

Have a resistance class tomorrow in the afternoon. Plan to get the stuff in my truck sorted through tomorrow--so I can empty the storage locker over the weekend and get that out of the equation. Feel like things are coming together. It's like I've gone over a speed bump and am now rolling smoothly toward my target dates. Let the good thyme roll!

Didn't win the lotteries! Three people will split the PowerBall jackpot. Each wins about $150MM! Not bad for a $2 investment even if the odds against winning are astronomical.

Cronuts are getting a lot of press! A pastry that's a cross between a croissant and a donut--that's a cronut! It's riding a viral tsunami and coming to a bakery near everyone, eventually! Just had a new moon! Meteors due this weekend! The sun is flipping its magnetic poles! All that and cronuts! Who could ask for anything more?

3311

Waiting for the lottery results! PowerBall tonight and MegaMillion last night! It would be nice--not likely but nice! Went to the H's today. Gave them some items that they said they would like. GH gave me some of his art pieces that he had produced several years ago. He is incredibly creative!

I watched a film this evening--Come See the Paradise. Interestingly enough, it was about the Japanese-Americans before and into World War II--how they were treated and how they lived through that time. The story revolved around an American who falls in love with a Nisei woman and how they went through all kinds of displacements before they finally came together. The film is a roller coaster ride through those times and places. The film ends almost on the current date of this posting--strange but true!

I'm still awaiting a new CC to replace the one that was voided along with my online account. My old CC still works but I can't log in to my online account. Have to wait until I validate the new CC--which hasn't arrived! What a pain! I'd rather be winning the lottery--of course!

Movement class tomorrow and resistance class on Friday--and hopefully some progress on the packing/sorting. I didn't get much done this week--I wanted to sleep a lot--so I did! Time to get on with it though! Time enough!

3312

Had a resistance class today! Felt good! Feeling quite sleepy tonight. Sent my youngest sister a Happy Birthday note. No classes tomorrow.

Awoke early today--was up early. No nap in the afternoon. Had a Frappuccino which took the edge off of the tiredness from the resistance class.

Watched a hokey film--Strange Days. It is a somewhat SciFi film about the antics of a subculture of wire heads (people who use brain stimulators to view/experience what another person records while immersed in an actual event). It's set at the turn of the century (2000) in the time just before the New Year is to take place. There is a monumental street party in process and much craziness. The story involves police killing a famous rapper and what happens when a recording of the event come to light. The film is filled with violence, criminal activity, people going nuts, and a lot of other disjointed behaviors--too much to actually be all that interesting. The conclusion is so heavily telegraphed that I became antsy when it didn't appear sooner. The film's title certainly describes what the film is all about!

HBTM--Hmmm!

3313

Feeling a bit more energetic today but didn't really do much beyond reading at the H's. I awoke early and sort of marked time until it was time to go to the H's. Came back from the H's feeling somewhat foggy, picked up my prescription, and did some shopping at TJ's. Then went to SB's and had a green tea latte which helped settle me down and erased some of the fog. I then napped for a bit and watched some films (an episode of Midsomer Murders and a 007 episode -- Live and Let Die).

The Midsomer episode was the one where the protagonist, Barnaby, does his last detective work, retires, and turns over the reins of the office to his cousin. He must have starred in about 80 episodes, in a quaint village, Midsomer, where he encountered about three murders in each episode. That means he had about 240 murders on his watch. Sounds like one of the most dangerous villages on the planet!

The 007 film was almost too campy to watch. The film had a weak and dumb premise and featured a lot of chase scenes, some not-so-sly double entendres, and was racist and feminine-bashing as well. It mixed voodoo with drug running, murders with mayhem, improbable escapes, and interminable chase scenes. The film should be taken as its name--Live and Let Die.

Tomorrow there is a resistance class--I missed not having a class today and only a few classes last week. I'll be up early working on the packing process for things still undone. Packing uber alles!

3314

Welcome to Sleepy Sunday! I couldn't extract myself from the bed today--I just wanted to sleep and sleep some more. So, I did that. I finally got up and about for a while. I didn't get anything done on my moving tasks today. Just napped, ate, watched some video, and sat around waiting for the energy to kick in--which never happened.

No C&M class tomorrow, no PD dance on Tuesday, and no G&B on Wednesday--so I have some free time to focus back on The Move--and try not to nap the time away.

It's not all that late tonight but I'm ready to pack it in... Or pack it up! I almost cleared the storage locker yesterday. I should be able to clear it completely before or over the next weekend. Just a few things left to be hauled away--I just have to clear some of the stuff I've now got in the truck. But I can't dwell on that tonight. I just want to get a few more Z's--if more is what I need!

I'm listening to my body! It's saying it wants to sleep!

3315

A moving day! The storage locker is almost clear. I took a truck load of stuff out of the locker. I worked my way through several boxes--going through the contents and tossing what I don't think I need to keep. Still have a lot of junk--but it's "good" junk. After it's moved, I can go through each box and retrieve/sort out the contents at a more granular level. My goal--to get everything parsed and sorted by 8/20--ready to be loaded and no stuff left to dump.

I got a message from my CC company today. They asked that I take a short survey regarding my assessment of the phone support I got yesterday regarding my "disappeared" online account. I gave them plenty to read and go through! I was not happy about what's going on--even if it's, ostensibly, for my own good. I told them I thought they could come up with a better way to tell me what's happening other than getting a message when I try to log on that says "Sorry, your account is gone"!

SB's, the coffee place, has an afternoon special--$2 for any grande drink (normally $4.25). The local barista has given me the special for several days now. What a treat! Helps beat the heat!

Well, more moving processing tomorrow--have to keep at it if I want to hit my 8/20 goal. Haven't been able to go full steam all day, every day. I nap when I have to and zone out with a movie as the day wanes. I have around 60 days to get sorted, moved and unloaded in the new place. I should be able to get it done.

3322

This entry got shuffled to this spot in the postings when an edit was made to the contents and saved... This put a new time stamp on the post and moved it up the listing... Oops! Date should be Saturday 7/27/2013...
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Storage locker is now box-free! I moved the last of the boxes into my truck today. There's still some miscellaneous stuff in the locker, but the bulk of things has now been removed.

The process of moving the boxes down the stairs and into the truck zapped my energy levels. I came home and nodded out for a couple of hours. I grabbed a bite to eat after loading the boxes, but I still needed a nap.

I've pretty much got the boxes sorted into a few categories and they are ready to be moved.

Will be doing laundry tomorrow--went for the boxes today and figured that I'd do laundry in the morrow.

I've got 3 or 4 boxes of samples of products I helped create. I'm hoping that the computer museum will accept them as historical computer artifacts. If not, they go into the recycle bins.

My DSL is acting up this evening--it's a bit intermittent and flaky

3317-3316

Technology! A curse upon it all! Yesterday and last night my DSL was slow, slow, slow! Bradykinesia  of the pipeline! I finally went to bed without making a post--I couldn't get the system to move more faster than molasses. Today was intermittently better--until I tried to log on to my credit card account!

At first I got a message saying the account was offline and to try later. I did so and got the same message. Then, as I was talking with a Customer Support person (whom I had to wait on for over 20 minutes) she indicated that the account was in the process of being cancelled. She said that I needed to talk with someone in the Credit department about what was happening. She transferred me to the Credit department and, as usual, my telephone batteries had grown weak while talking with the support person and we were disconnected. I grabbed my phone AC adapter, plugged it into my phone, and went through the process once again (elapsed time now about 40 minutes--lots of bad music and messages saying the agents are busy helping others, just wait). This time I made it back with a Credit person, who informed me (after a round of giving once again all my details and security question replies) that my CC had been canceled (while I was on the phone with all their people!) as a safety precaution triggered by what appeared to be some fraud activity for a block of CC numbers! Oh, boy! Oh, joy! That means that I will be getting a new CC which I will then have to propagate to all my auto-pay accounts tied to the old CC.

The past two days have gone by in a blur. I went to movement class yesterday and a resistance training class today. I didn't get much done by way of packing etc. But did do some browsing on the web (when my DSL was working) to locate a PCP in the Fair Oaks area and how I can link him with a new Medicare plan (which I will have to change to when I move there). It's been cooler (thank goodness) and that has made things easier. Have a clear patch of times without classes over the next 5-6 days--plan to clear the storage locker and gather and donate the kitchen stuff. Time moves swiftly and I must fly!

Watched an absorbing film this evening (while waiting for the DSL to heal itself)--Mao's Last Dancer. It's a film based on a true story of a ballet prodigy who was picked up from his native village at the age of nine. He was sent to ballet training facility in Beijing where he was chosen to go to the U.S. in a cultural exchange at the Houston Ballet. He quickly was given a lead dancer's role in the troupe and went on to defect and win world acclaim. Meanwhile, he could not go back to China and was cut off from his family. All was healed in the end of things--including him being allowed to go back to China. It was a powerful and moving story--with some exquisite dancing scenes.

But enough for tonight! Time to let the stars go bright! With endless dreaming in their light!