3014

May ends and June begins! Silence of the dream. It was a moving day--that is my daughter's partner moved out of his house and into her space here in this house. I helped unload as much as I could. My body is not shape. I am weak and wobbly. I managed to help some though. It's amazing how much stuff we can accumulate! It took a rather large truck to hold everything he moved--there was some things he just dumped of gave away. Tomorrow is the yard sale--people will be sailing by hoping for a treasure or something that they can accumulate.

It was warm today and I definitely worked up a sweat. I also felt like I had hit some kind of limit, but I went through that period and felt better by dinner time.

I dreamed last night that I was making a presentation to potential funding agents for an educational software package that we (a group of us) had developed. I was making the pitch in a couple of cases and was feeling uncertain that I was doing a good job. There were four of us at the presentations while there might be only one person representing the funding people. I was about to go into another presentation where there was only one person, a woman who had a good reputation for vetting start-up groups like ourselves. I understood that she was tough but fair--that she pushed for answers to her questions, but only to be complete. My team was giving me a lot of support and was telling me that I'd do well with her.

The moon in June looks like a spoon that just might swoon or ride in a huge balloon.

3015

Dental oils arrived a day earlier than promised. The post office tracking feature is simple and effective. Just launch the link and the history is presented--each step along the way!

I tried the dental oils and they are refreshing. Now, just have to see if they are as effective as promised. Part of the process, more frequent brushing and such, will no doubt produce some more positive results. The proof will be in the hygiene pudding in a few months.

I dreamed something last night that was like a dream continuance--a replay and continuance of some previous dream. Last night, I dreamed that I was working in a kid's electronic toy design shop. We were putting intelligent robots into young kid's school/play environments. The robots were not being designed to teach anything, but to learn from being in those environments. They came in with fairly rudimentary skills and information. As they interacted with the kids, the robots used the recorded information to increase their abilities to interact and play with the kids. The kids were, in effect, teaching the robots how to be in the world.

The dream shared some overlap with the previous night's dreaming, but it also seemed to connect to some other previous dreams. In this dream, there also seemed to be a slight difference in the language that people were using--some nuance in the way things were spoken.

It's warm and windy today--which helps counterbalance things. I sat outside when I drank a green tea latte this afternoon. The touch of the breeze felt nice!

3016

Thermostat tinkering! Last night, as I was doing my nite-nite check of things, the thermostat conked off as I was looking at its settings. I went outside and checked the circuit breakers--they were not tripped. I came back and grabbed the instruction booklet. It mentioned that there might be batteries in the unit--just pull it off the wall and replace them.

It took me a while to finally pull it off the wall. I was fearful of breaking something, but I eventually gave it a tug and it popped free. Indeed, there were two AA batteries in the unit. I rummaged through some of the kitchen storage drawers and, behold, I found a packet of AA batteries. I replaced the old with the new and, voila, the unit started working once again. No need to call a repair person!

To top it off, the trash people managed to pick up my inadvertent compost debris. My efforts at breaking up the clumps that had formed paid off--the contents of the two cans disgorged everything into the maw of the truck. Farewell fair grass and weed debris! May you mulch into joyful dust!

I dreamed last night about making devices and testing how they worked. I was tasked with inventing all kinds of devices that could perform complex tasks. I helped direct the efforts to design and prototype the units, and put them through a range of tests and evaluations. There was a clean room feel to the places in the dream and everyone was dressed in white smocks.

Cooler daze and breezy waves--wandering the mystic maze! The month of May decays!

3017

Wobbly Wednesday! Weather has cooled back some and the breezes are plenty. Slept well last night and some this morning. Got a message that the new dental oils are in the mail. They were shipped today and are expected on Saturday. The company's website is crisp and clear, and they handled the transaction smoothly and efficiently. I'm hoping that their products are as advertised. Let them be so!

I've started watching an older TV series called the Guardian. The lead is the same guy who stars in the Mentalist. I think I've already seen many of the Guardian episodes, but the stories are good and the show is solid. There are three seasons of 20 or so episodes. Will work my way through as many as hold up, in my opinion.

I believe I dreamed last night but don't think the dream surfaced enough for me to remember it. Many of my dream episodes seem to look and feel like TV episodes--wonder why?

Well, my thoughts are with my gums and teeth. The dental wake-up sessions last week spurred me into action. I definitely don't want to undergo the recommended surgical procedures. Telling the dental people that I wanted to postpone sent my energy levels floating. The thought of doing the procedures was weighing on me--I now feel lighter.

Older and bolder! Chip off my shoulder! Nothing to moulder! No heavy boulder! Warmer and colder!

3018

Day after Memorial Day! I can't remember yesterday!

I cancelled the dental procedure that I was supposed to do in a few weeks. I'm going to give the dental oil products a shot at clearing up the problems--along with some more intensive hygiene. I rescheduled a hygiene in about three months. Will evaluate what's so then and take the next steps. I'm not ruling out the surgery, but I want to find out more about it and to check with people who have had the procedure. I want to hear what it was like and what the results were. In the meanwhile, I'll give my teeth and gums more attention. I ordered a set of the dental oils--they should arrive within a few days.

Hot today but not as warm as during the past few days.

Had an elaborate dream last night. I was with a crowd of people in a huge banquet hall. Many of us were related and there were people from each of our many marriages and subsequent divorces. I'm not sure exactly what was being celebrated--a wedding perhaps. There were many people there that I knew and/or was related to.

I recall two outstanding things that happened. One involved a young girl (like the grandkid) who was with her mother at one table, and who got up and ran across the hall and threw herself into her father's hands. As she ran, she kept saying something about being with her father.

A second event involved a statuesque woman who walked past me and into another room. I felt that I knew her and I got up and followed her. There was something important about me talking with her.

Otherwise, the whole thing was a celebration that went on and on.

3019

I remembered to sleep today! I woke up late and slept through the afternoon. Went out around noon for some errands, but came back and slept. It's now about 90+ degrees--a bit less hot than yesterday (99+) but still quite warm. Again, thank goodness for the AC. Without that cool technology we would be frying.

Now about dinner time. I picked up a sandwich from Pantera's when I was out and about. Will finish off the last half--a delicious and cooling almond chicken salad sandwich!

Time to eat! Time to meet! Time to greet! And tap my feet! It's so sweet! What a treat! I won't repeat!

3020

99+ and climbing! We (grandkid, ex and I) went to a park that sits on the banks of the American River. We went early and beat the heat and the crowds. It's a picturesque place with lots of wildlife and many walking trails. It's also a prime fishing spot as well. During the salmon season the banks are jammed with hopeful anglers or so I've seen in photographs. The water was pleasant today--cool and refreshing.

I cleaned out the green waste recycle bin today--it contained a really dense compost of grass cuttings that weigh a ton. The recycle truck couldn't empty the bin because its contents had compacted into an immovable, dense clump. I dug out the contents of the bin with the compost and moved some of it into a second bin--hopefully so both can air out and dry some so they can be emptied. If all else fails, I'll dump the contents in the back yard and spread everything there--mulch for the moles!

Got up early this morning--others were up and about. Right now, I'm trying to let an iced green tea latte to spin off the fuzz and haze of the morning's activities--and let the AC keep the place cool and crisp. Not sure that it'll work--I may have to nap some. I know I need to go out and get some dental items from the pharmacy--and a bite of food perhaps. I had a flatbread taco for breakfast/lunch and I need more fuel. Oh, yeah! And take my afternoon medication--I'm running late on that.

Remember! Tomorrow is Memorial Day! Don't forget to remember! And if you can't remember, forget it!

3021

90's today and possibly 100s tomorrow! It is warm! It's alright in the house, the truck, or the stores, but outdoors it is scorching. And it's not close to what the high temperatures will be as the summer proceeds.

Not much difficulty with the extracted tooth area. I spent some time today looking at what the suggested next-step procedures entail--not very pretty! What's being proposed by the clinic is an invasive procedure that looks horrible. Given the cost of the protocol and the invasive nature of the activity, I'm considering some more natural remedies. For a fraction of the costs and with no surgical interactions, I can try some of the items people swear have worked for them, and see what happens. I've been dealing with these problems for about 60 years--another year of trying something less onerous than the GBR/GTR (Guided Bone/Tissue Regeneration) procedures seems to be a no-brainer.

I'm also concerned about doing such a radical procedure given my other issues--specifically the PD. I'm already barely hitting on half of my eight cylinders--my concern is adding another stressor and what that might trigger. (Of course, everything is a stressor--life is a stressor.) Dealing with an extracted tooth is a stressor.

Memorial Day weekend is underway! Do people with Alzheimer's remember what's being celebrated on this holiday? Do people without Alzheimer's remember? Is memory necessary? Why remember when you can forget? Forget what? I don't remember!

3022

It's over 90 degrees right now and seemingly still climbing even though it's late in the afternoon. I conked out for much of today--some residual let down from yesterday's dental work. The extraction went smoothly and I've had no problems with what was done. I ate a regular meal at midday although I had to chew on my left side.

I'd started making my way through the mini-piles of papers I've managed to accumulate since I moved here. I dumped a lot of them and found few that I really needed to keep--mostly more recent items it seems.

My daughter has returned from her excursion to a family memorial for her cousin. Haven't had a chance to talk with her about the event. She and the grandkid showed up a few minutes ago. She had to take some pictures of the grandkid's upper arms--it seems that a teacher grabbed the child and bruised her in some kind of confrontation. Not exactly great welcome home news!

I'm about to complete the viewing of the Murdoch Mysteries episodes. I'm down to the final episode that is available on Netflix. Apparently, there are other shows that were done but NF hasn't secured the rights to stream them. Hope they do! It was a good series!

Looking like it will be a warm weekend. The heat will greet the Memorial Day participants.

3023

Didn't make it to the last dance class for this session--did a dance with the dentist instead. I ended up minus one tooth (right upper molar--tooth #2). And, I will be going back for some gum procedures that will attempt to prevent losing more teeth. Of course, my insurance doesn't cover any of this. The dental clinic will reduce the full costs by about 50%, but it will still be a big hit.

The tooth extraction seemed to go smoothly and I've not had any pain or discomfort from the procedure. Have to eat soft foods and other regimens for a few days. But, I had to punt on the dance class today. One of the items on the post-extraction check list was to avoid any exertion--do nothing that would stress or strain the area where the tooth was removed. The molar that was removed was one of the newer crowns that I just had done before coming here.

Watched the last parts of the Survivor series. This season's results were a lot more engaging than I thought they would be as I watched the first episodes this time around. I think the guy who won the $1MM deserved the win--he played his ass off from day one. He was also a bit wacko and fun to watch. This season's shows are coming to an end. It'll be a long hot summer without them while we wait for their return in the Fall.

Will the tooth fairy leave me a surprise tonight? I can put my tooth under my pillow and find out.

3024

Did dream a dream (or two) last night. One part of the dream featured being on a huge airplane. We were coming in for a landing in a crowded area of a city like LA. I had landed there before and was telling some people (a family) what to expect. The pilot was forced to work a path between buildings that appeared shockingly close to the large wingtips of the plane. The path made for a thrill ride that was partly real and partly illusion.

As I was talking with the father of the family, he indicated that he worked for a toy company. He was involved in the design and realization of toy concepts for the company. I too had once worked for that company (MB) and we had a lot in common. I asked him where they were staying and he indicated that they had not yet booked a place. I and my wife immediately suggested that they stay with us. We occupied a flat in a multi-unit high-rise.

The place was like a unit that I've been in other dreams--the one where people are living in many adjacent levels and where the security of the place was always in question. However, in this dream, my concern was not so heavily slanted over security issues--I felt really comfortable in the facility and with the people who were our neighbors. The man and his family arrived just after we did and settled in immediately. We were all quite comfortable with each other.

My daughter is off to her cousin's funeral and its related events. The house is really quiet today--just MD and me, and no doggy--the dog is staying with my daughter's partner. It's warming up even as I post--going from a somewhat chilly yesterday, through a rainy evening, and now a sunny sky.

I have an 8am appointment in the morrow with the periodontist--no fun expected!

3025

Cooler daze! Wind is blowing and it rained some tonight. I was up early this morning. I did some watering in the garden area and checked what the sprinklers covered since I activated them for last night and this morning.

Lots of traffic today or so it seemed. People were zipping about, going everywhere. I went to Pantera's for lunch and had a bowl of their chicken pasta--savory and tasting good!

I came back and napped for a while. Resting felt good but I soon felt I'd had enough and got up and out to run some errands.

I recall that I dreamed last night but the details have melted back into the shadow world. Dreaming, dreaming, always dreaming, living in a dreaming world!

Still early right now. Feeling like an early night. Dream the dreams! Dance among the shadows!

3026

Had dental hygiene and exam today. Not especially good news! Despite the more aggressive brushing/flossing and such there has not been improvement. Have an appointment to see a periodontist on Thursday for an exam that will result in a recommendation of what to do about this issue.

Repairman came by today and fixed the broken dryer. Contractor also came today and did some work on his to-do list items.

In all of the hubbub, I managed to not eat anything until late in the afternoon. I also didn't make it out to get my daily green tea latte infusion. I had an energy V8 instead--the one that has an energy booster (caffeine).

It cooled off quite a bit today. The winds, however, were steady and strong.

I read the news stories about the breakthrough in physics--that matter can be produced from energy (light)! It's just what the e=m(c*c) formula implies--you can go either way. Light and a 3-D printer can create my favorite sandwich! Are we ready for this?

Watching the season finales of my favorite CBS shows. Both sad and glad to see them end--sad to not have the weekly dose of stories and such--glad the finales are over with their crafted setups for the next season's offerings. Time to sleep! Going deep!

3027

Sun Day is on it's way to another day! Just a few more hours and it will be gone.

I dreamed a complex dream last night. It involved going to a cafe with a small group of family members. The cafe was strange in that you had to pre-order what you would later be served when you came to eat. I had to debate whether I would later prefer to have--pasta and sausage or something else.

After ordering, we went for a walk around the area. The place was in a junky part of town and we had several threatening encounters before we returned to the cafe for dinner. The whole thing was odd and distorted with everything feeling out of sync or out of time in some way. I remember the savory smell of the pasta/sausage dish that I ordered for my dinner. It was pungent and left a lingering residue in my nostrils when we went for the walk.

A friend of my ex dropped by today that I had not seen in over 20 years. She is still in the Bay Area (in SF) and still teaches and paints. She looks the same as she did 20 years ago. She still has her French accent (actually Belgian accent) that is still difficult to parse. It was good to see her again.

The rest of the family here and in Arizona are talking with each other concerning the death of the young relative. There will be a funeral later this week and my daughter is planning to attend.

I have a dental appointment in the morning and have to be up and about to look for the appliance repair person. Life goes on in its petty pace and so on! Endings and beginnings always! Always!

3028

It was a bit cooler today--not quite the hotness of the past few days. And, it's cooling down tonight even more with more coolness as the week begins. I did my laundry today in two steps--used the washer here in the house to wash the clothes, then took the damp load to a local Laundromat and used their dryer. All went well. The place was a bit tightly built to hold as many appliances as possible, but the place was clean, the units seemed well maintained, and I was in and out quickly. Compared to the place I used in the Bay Area this local one is almost spotless--the place in the Bay Area was a dump.

I located the SBs that is near the laundry place--it's in the same huge shopping strip. The place was jumping--I suspect they do a huge business. They have both a drive through as well as indoor service. They had about 5-6 people working there.

I felt good today. I went a bit too long before eating some lunch and I felt the drag that produced. After a hearty bite to eat, I felt better and sailed through the rest of the day. Oh, yes! I was up early so I could check the sprinklers and water the garden. I picked a half bowl of blueberries from the two bushes in the planter area. Nature provides!

I think I dreamed last night but I don't recall any details right now. I think I dreamed about something that was in the mood of the Proulx book that I'm reading--Postcards. She is a strong writer--very inventive but always a bit dark and shadowy. Her ability to elicit vivid detail is amazing though--and she weaves it all together smoothly and naturally.

Sun Day in the morrow! Looks like there will be few weekenders about. I will enjoy the stillness!

3029

Fry Day! And so it was! Outside in the 90s, frying everything that has to be out in this heat. French fries with a grilled chicken (not fried) sandwich for lunch. Dryer on the fritz--it fried itself on its own. Repair person will not arrive until next week. I checked out how to do a diagnostic and repair for such an appliance. It would be quite simple to use a voltmeter to scope out the problem. But, making the repair might present more of a challenge. There are 5 to 6 switches that form the controls for the appliance. When one of those switches fries, the device stops working. The repair person just has to identify which switch is on the blitz, and replace and/or repair it. Easy for me to say and for him/her to do.

Meanwhile, I can't beat the heat--just have to stay indoors and stay cool.

Dropped off my ballot for the upcoming election. There was an odd collection of people meandering about the place. It appeared that someone was getting married, but it was not clear who were the bride and groom--it was a family affair with several relatives involved.

I seemed to have weathered the dance class of yesterday--no residual problems or pains. Need to do more dancing! There was discussion about a Tuesday class that everyone on Thursday appears to attend. Will check it out!

Have a dental appointment set up for next Monday. Hi, ho, hi, ho, it's off to dental place I go! But, first the weekend and all that will entail. Enjoying the quiet Fry Day afternoon!

3030

Made it to dance class today despite the scorching hot weather and all of my internal conversations of why I shouldn't go. I enjoyed the 1.5 hours of movement and challenge. The class is really for high intermediate-level dancers and it's a push for me to keep up. However, just the past three sessions have given me a great sense of what I can do despite the considerations. I felt really good after the class--the movement lifted my spirits.

We learned today that one of my daughter's cousins on my ex's part of the family died last night from an overdose. What a shame and a waste! I'm not sure just how old he was, but it was too soon for him to go. It's always too soon for anybody to go I suppose.

I got a notice from the PD support group that two members had passed away. It seems that we tend to lose someone every month.

Watched this week's episode of Survivor. It's coming down to the wire and treachery reigns it seems. Blindside bonanza should be the name of the game. Net week there's a final 2-hour episode followed by an hour's reunion show where all is revisited and revealed.

Saw the new show announcement for the CBS schedule. They seem to be bringing out several new shows that look like they will be fun. That will make for a lot of shows each week since they already run a full schedule. The Madam Secretary looks like it will be a wild one--with an unabashed linkage to Hillary Clinton's time in office.

I wind down it seems. Time to read a little and jump into the dream stream!

3031

It was hot today--really hot! Still is--it's over 80 degrees outside and it's muggy and warm inside!

Spent some of the morning trying to help the contractor puzzle out the sprinkler systems. They need a lot of tweaking to get them to work correctly. We were outside for a good part of the morning and I started to feel the heat.

Most places have good AC systems so getting out and about is not too bad. Still have the 100+ days to come though--we'll see what that makes us do to keep cool. I ate a lot of fruit and some salads today--didn't feel like eating anything warm. Dance class tomorrow should be fine--the place seemed to have a good AC unit.

I'm punting early tonight with this posting. Dreams will come and dreams will go. May they continue to come my way!

3032

Warmer and warmer! The day gets hot! Stepping outside is like stepping into a blast furnace. Thank goodness for the AV--I didn't have any when I was in the Bay Area. I don't know how I weathered such weather there.

I had a pair of elaborate dreams last night. In one, I was living in a shared housing facility. The place was a high rise building that was subdivided into many apartments and living spaces. I was concerned about security. People were always coming and going--almost all the access doors were routinely left unlocked. Anyone could walk through one of the doors and gain access to any of the other rooms. I was new to the place and broached the issue with several of the tenants. Only a few seemed to be mildly concerned--most simply waved away my worries. The place had been operated for quite some time with no problems associated with the open doorways. In the dream, I spoke with many residents.

In a second dream, I was with a group of rescue people who were trying to locate a woman's body. It appeared that she had fallen into a fast moving stream and had disappeared. The search team had just moved to a new downstream location when what looked to be her purse appeared in the adjacent water. From that item, we concluded that her body was still upstream and that it could be found by moving in that direction. It wasn't clear how are why she was in the stream.

3033

Warm Monday and getting warmer as the week wears on. The house's AC works well--it was cool inside throughout the day.

I awoke early (6 or so), but went back to sleep for a couple of hours. The patio contractor showed up alone with MD's caregiver. And the guy who mows the lawn showed up at some point. The place was a bit like a busy street corner.

Tonight, I'm catching up on some TV episodes (Good Wife and Mentalist). I spent a lot of the day playing Just Words. That game is addictive and I'm getting quite good at the medium level. I think that by now I've been exposed to nearly all of the special words (en, em, es, col, za, and so on). This batch of words is the key to winning the game--by taking advantage of using these short words to gather big scores. At some point, I'll have to graduate to the expert level and see if I can win there as well. Medium level offers quite a challenge, but can be mastered by playing at that level persistently.

I didn't nap today, but I also didn't move a lot. Today, I didn't feel as logy as I did yesterday. Sitting and resting most of today helped.

Got a batch of "teachings" from LL. She called last night and we talked for quite a while. She mentioned that she was finding the "teachings" very valuable, so I asked her to send them to me.

The month of May is speeding by--already nearly half over. The daze fly by!

3034

The big M day is about over--or it will be in another six hours. We had a tasty breakfast that included a soufflé, a stir fry of yams and asparagus, and a pudding cake. I woke up early and missed out on my usual early morning nap. I've felt drowsy nearly all day. I feel like I've eaten too much food today. I just feel heavy and ready to drop off to sleep as quickly as possible.

I had an elaborate dream last night. I was with a group of all of my artist friends. We were gathered together to brainstorm ideas for new products (toys, games, software, books, and more). In the dream, we worked with a display unit that let us put up sketches of an idea and enhance the sketches with color. sounds, and animations. It was an exciting process and we were all feeling energized by what we were creating.

At one point in the dream, one of the participants issued a command that merged the sketches into a whole, connected set of images. That point of merger was the highpoint of the process. I remember that I felt as if the sensations of the dream stuck with me as I awoke and became aware of my surroundings.

The month of May seems to be flying by. We (my ex, the grandkid and me) spent some time with the garden today. The beans and corn are growing tall. New sprouts for beets, broccoli, tomatoes, and cucumbers are beginning to show and grow. More items were planted today.

How does the garden grow? Superbly! Just superbly! Happy M-day to all the mothers out there!

3035

Sunday! Fun Day! Better than a Monday! Sharper than a Tuesday! Wilder than a Wednesday! Louder than a Thor's Day! Crisper than a Fry Day! Sillier than a Sat Turns Day! Enuf, enuf! No more of this stuff! Gets kind of rough! The going gets tough! But that's when you bluff! Pull a card from your cuff! Pick up your muff and land on your buff!

As the above indicates--I am somewhat tired--or is it tiered--or both?

Filled out my voting form--will drop it at the local office in the shopping center on Monday. Lots of people running for a handful of offices. And, thank goodness, only two referendums. Government activities seem so remote, so off in the distance.

In last night's dreamings, I found myself flailing about--so much so that I awoke as I nearly tossed myself out of the bed. I awoke just as I was teetering on the edge, about to crash into my cluttered corner.

The mothers are gathering! My daughter, who is also a mother, cooked a light and tasty dinner.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate the clan that will gather--the four generations (97, 60, 30, and 5)!

3036

I was in fairly good shape today despite the lengthy dance class yesterday. I'm feeling a bit slow, but good otherwise. Dance the dance and let the energies flow! Feels good!

I'm somewhat tired tonight--not sure why. I've eaten lightly today.

Had an odd dream last night. I was in a doctor's office. The doctor seemed a bit flaky. I didn't really trust him. He was starting to do an examination. He made some odd remarks that made me feel leery of him. Someone came into the room unannounced. It was someone I knew. They started asking the doctor some questions regarding what he was doing. In that exchange, he acknowledged that he had not been trained as a doctor. He had simply started his practice without going through the rigorous certification process that physicians had to undergo. I awoke about then feeling strange and disoriented.

Tomorrow starts the weekend of Mother Day events. Going with the flow! Not much else to know! It's like waiting for the snow! Or for the wind to blow! But there's an undertow! Going with the flow!

Time to close off these rambles and return to the dreaming states.

3037

Made it to dance class today, and did better than I thought I would do. It's a tough class. I wasn't walking all that well afterward, but I managed to do a lot of the dances. Two more classes and then a month's break.

The instructor is undergoing some form of cancer treatments. He had just had a session in the early part of the week and was a bit frail--his partner had to step in and review some of the dances he had planned to teach. Everyone has their own set of challenges. He seems to be pushing it a bit--they are teaching a host of classes each week.

I also did some shopping today as well as hit SBs and went to Panera's for some lunch. I was really hungry when the class was over--I stopped and grabbed some deli items on the way home from dancing.

Mother's day is on the way! We have four generations of women here in the house. That's a crowd of mothers--three of them and a grandkid who may one day be a mother too.

3039-3038

Missed doing a post yesterday--I went to the PD support group meeting and came home zonked. I lost track of time and ended up falling to sleep in the afternoon and then again later last night.

The support group had a guest speaker--the lady who teaches classes about falling. She had a lot of statistics and clinical study results that she could bring up as needed. The session was informative--I've still had no falling events (knock on wood)!

It's warm and muggy today even though the temperature is down some from last week. Today, I spent some time reviewing YouTube videos of some line dances that we did in class last week. It's helpful to have videos of the dances (steps and music), but it's still a task to watch and learn that way. I hope the class that I'm taking doesn't prove to be too advanced for my current skills. Unfortunately, unlike the Bay Area, there are few classes in this locale.

I made a run to the library today--took back the read books and picked up some unread ones. I also wanted to go and pick up another set of bedding linens, but just didn't feel like going to the Big Box again. But, I want to pick up a matching set so I can have one in the laundry and one on the bed. Will try and work that in with tomorrow's dance class.

3040

Cinco de Mayo is almost done. It just began to rain--a passing storm signaling the end of the festivities.

I had to buy a set of sheets and pillow cases--my two sets of existing bedding-ware have both reached the end of their days. They had been used and washed to the point of disintegration. I guess they are about seven years old or so--they have served faithfully and now get recycled. I should also retire my bath towels as well--they are also starting to go. Everything gets recycled eventually--the way of the world.

I sleep tonight between new sheets. Fresh rain and new sheets!

There's a PD support group meeting in the morrow. I should make the meeting unless the universe says otherwise. The meeting is in the early afternoon--right after lunchtime. Probably will dine at Annie's and then motor on over to the meeting.

Will review some of the dances we did at the last class in the morning. We went through quite a few dances in the 1.5-hour class. I won't remember all of them, but I need to review as many as I can. There will be more in the next class.

Didn't make it out for a neighborhood loop today--I was a bit zonked from doing the shopping trek. The stores are really huge with large collections of items. Shopping is not my favorite activity--and the huge stores makes it even less appealing. The loop through the shopping center was almost a replacement for the neighborhood loop--but not as peaceful!

Welcome to Seis de Mayo! Another day, another loop! Loop-de-loop and more!

PS: In my previous post, I started off with Quatro de Mayo--should have been Cuatro de Mayo--Quatro is Portuguese for four, Cuatro is Spanish. Thank goodness for the language translators!

3041

Quatro de Mayo--the 4th of May! Streaming dreaming! Quiet sun day but not as warm as it has been. There's a strong breeze out of the south that's cooling things down. Don't think we got into the 80s today--just the high 70s.

I just went for a walk around the loop--breeze made it feel good. But, I am slow moving--so slow now!

How does the garden grow? Quickly and well! I discovered that there is a bed that has been planted but that hasn't being watered. I fixed that! Turned on the drip lines and let them run for nearly an hour. I then topped them off with a good sprinkle. Let them grow, let them grow!

Didn't take advantage of the SB special half-price Frappaccino--went for the latte instead. Comfort in the warm drink over a chilly one.

The mole(s) is having fun! He/she/them is building a mound of tunnel castings just beyond the spot where a trap has been set. It's like they are saying, "Trap? What Trap? Heh, heh, heh!" The yard is full of the creatures though, and something radical is going to have to be done to make them go away.  Mole holes beware! The Mole Muncher is on its way! (Not to be confused with Senior Mole, the chickens' dreaded dish! Ole, Mole!)

Well, getting close to dinner time--I have half a sandwich left over from lunch. I'll munch my lunch, again! Cinco de Mayo is riding in on the wave of cool air.

3042

The day did fade away and there is not much to say about this day. SBs at Safeway has a special on from 3pm to 5pm through 5/10--half price on Frappaccinos! What a deal!

Very quiet here today. No one coming or going today--just MD her all day doing her rituals. I went out for breakfast (Annie's) and out again in the afternoon to grab a Frap at half price. Annie's had a big crowd today--that usually happens each Sunday (tomorrow) more so than Saturdays. Going there late Sunday mornings is an exercise in chaos and crowded tables.

Tomorrow, excluding any unforeseen adventures, I'll be laying out explicit daily deeds and get more rigorous about getting back to a set of exercise activities. I'm doing too much floating and not enough intentional tasking.

I've been enjoying the opportunity to do nothing except the essentials--eat, sleep, eliminate. But I'm starting to feel like I need to be doing other things--things that are more productive and that are of benefit to others. I was doing more in the Bay Area--especially with all of the movement and exercise I was doing. I was doing more but also in a state of stress and anxiety. A lot of the stress/anxiety is now replaced with no demands and a more relaxed state of being. But, I need to get back to moving and exercising more than I've been doing. It's the only thing that makes sense--doing nothing really isn't an option if I want to maintain my well being. Resting has been nice--I now have to not let it become addictive.

I have been doing a lot of space filling--I watch a host of CBS TV episodes each week, I fill in any empty TV days with Netflix offerings, I nap/sleep a lot, I have my food rituals, I have my small list of household tasks, I spend a lot of time playing Just Words (each medium level game lasts about an hour minimally), and other similar activities that burn up the hours.

Well, enough for now! Time marches on! But, I've been down that road before! Time to snore!

3043

I bumped into one of the dancers from the Orangevale dance class at the grocery store. She's the first person that I've met outside of class or meetings out in the regular world. I've been here 7 months and this is the first time it's happened.

It's been warm for the past few days, but the AC keeps things bearable (in the stores/offices, in the vehicles, and in the house). Temperatures have hit the 90s. Wonder what it'll be like when we get to the 100+ days.

I had a tasty lunch--a rice bowl with tempura and sesame chicken. The place I go to get this dish is a sushi bar. They only charge $6 for the lunch special and it's filling and delicious. I did a green tea Frappaccino in the late afternoon--a drink that really tastes good when it's so hot outside.

I was a bit slow and achy today from the lengthy dance class I did yesterday. Didn't do the loop today.

Watched a battery of TV episodes this afternoon and tonight--I did Criminal Minds, CSI, and Person of Interest. Also did a couple of rounds with Just Words (I'm winning consistently at the medium level).

Have no specific plans for the weekend--not sure if the family members have anything in mind. Monday is Cinco de Mayo and Tuesday there is a PD support group meeting. Of course, there are all of the myriad of little tasks that I've mentioned before.

 

3044

Happy May Day! Maybe the month of May may be a month of Mayflies--or maybe it will not be.

I didn't make it up this morning in time to go to the local PD support group meeting. I woke up early but fell back asleep--and it felt so good!

I shaved and showered, and went out around noon to grab a sandwich and a cooling green tea Frappaccino. I zoned out for a while and then went to the community center for a CW dance class. The class went for 1.5 hours--it was a challenge but I did alright given the pace of the class. The classroom is the theater where we just went to see the grandkid in the Oz show. It makes for a great dance classroom--wooden floor, wall mirrors, stage for setting up sound equipment, and it was cool. Temperature was about 90+ degrees outside at the time the class was taking place.

It felt good to dance--I came away a bit tired and stressed, but feeling good overall. I went to/from the class via some back roads that are really beautiful. The main back road is Winding Way and it lives up to its name.

I seem to remember talking in a dream last night and coming awake as I was speaking out loud for real. I don't recall what the conversations were about, but I think they had something to do with PD voice issues.

Watched this week's episode of Survivor--it involved a lot of switches and changes--more than I would have thought in the beginning days. One guy has now found three immunity idols, and he still has two of them. Power to the idols!