Home Safe

Travel really wipes me out! But I'm home and acclimating to everyday life again. 

And someone is very happy about that. 

Live, from New York

I made it safely to New York yesterday, so I’m not in Florida for a few days (“as you know, Bob”), but in case anyone hears about the hurricane and Florida today, I wanted to note for you that it is making landfall at the panhandle, which is roughly an 8-hour drive from home. Florida is big, y’all.

Have some pictures from the plane(s), and I’ll be back here sometime.

Between Body and Brain

My brain has its ways of getting ready for a trip. I do enjoy anticipation, but also I find it soothing to be "ready" as much as possible ahead of time. I make lists and check things off. I want to feel prepared.

Even though I don't leave until Thursday, and even though I went downstairs earlier today and brought things up, including the suitcase, to start getting my packing organized, my brain wants me to go down again and bring up other things. 

My body says, nice try, pal, not doing the stairs again today. I have to go down each of the next three days for different things. That's plenty of opportunity for carrying.

If the elevator was working, I would probably have made two more trips down today. "I wonder where I put the..." and "I should also grab that..." and so on.

It doesn't need to be done today. My brain wants it to be. My body says no.

I'm listening to my body. Reluctantly. It feels like an itch that I can't scratch.

A Few Fun Things I have Bought Recently

1. This absolutely adorable kitty snout cup (from Curiosibee Ceramics), which I love. The details!

2. When this photo came up in my FB memories from three years ago recently, I decided that I wanted it on a canvas wrap, so that I see it more than once a year. For now, it's leaning against the wall atop a bookcase, but I'll probably put it up on the wall once I've decided exactly where I want it.

Hot tip for canvas wraps: there are regularly offers on Groupon that bring the cost down considerably. I bought the Groupon on a sale day, bringing the total from $7 down to $5.60. The cost for this order from Discounted Canvas was $17.36, which included tax, $14.50 for shipping, and $1.99 for the sawtooth mount on the back. Right now the website prices the 16x12 size at $89 plus shipping, so twenty-three bucks is a good price to me.

3. Water bottle! I appreciated the comments on my water bottle post, and did some looking around at various types. After a bit of that, I felt myself falling into decision paralysis, so I picked one (an Owala) and bought it. Boom, done. It has been acquired, stickers have been stuck on it, and I like it.

If anyone is interested in the specific features of this bottle, let me know, and I can answer that...sometime.

Reminder of the other bottles I have:

Kind of funny that Owala decided this size is a kids bottle.

See the white text at the bottom? "Your kid's gonna love me." Nothing especially kid-like about it, but I guess it's just the size.

It's Friday, and I don't leave until Thursday for my long weekend visiting my aunt, so I will probably be posting here again before I go. But if not, just send fond thoughts to me as I run around like that proverbial headless chicken, getting ready.

I wonder how the headless chicken would do on the stairs? Possibly better than I do.

Tuesday Be Mondaying

My Monday was not actually a horrible day this week, but today was kind of ugh. I have some grumbles to get out of my system.

• To start, I had to do fasting bloodwork for a doctor's appointment next week, and I hate fasting.
• So I had to be dressed and out earlier than I like to be even semi-functional.
• Stairs.
• Started raining on the drive there.
• Turns out that this lab is no longer on the list that my insurance covers 100%, as it has in the past, so I have to pay a chunk of that. (I was not going to try to figure out where is covered, and get an appointment and fast again, all ahead of next week, but I'll look into it for next time.)(I looked it up, and it says it's still a preferred lab, so I'll have to wait and see what the EOB ends up saying.)
• My favorite bakery, which is where I usually run in after these things to get a "congrats for doing the thing" treat, is closed for vacation. I went somewhere else, but their caramel latte wasn't as good.
• Drove home and climbed the stairs in the pouring rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. (Not actually being rained on on the stairs, but the stairways are open air, so there's some dampness there.)
• In addition to drinking water this morning (to be ready for the urine sample), having blood drawn has made me thirsty, so I keep drinking more and more water. At this point I feel like I'm going to the bathroom every ten minutes.
• Also my stomach has been upset alllllll day, which does happen to me sometimes, so it may not be caused by the fasting, but who knows.
• And the rain and overall ick of weather is made sadder by the fact that on Sunday, for the first time in months, the weather was cool/dry enough that we turned off the AC and had the windows open all day, which was fabulous, and then for most of Monday as well. I want it back! Unfortunately, this was Faux Fall, and we're back to summer weather.

Oh well. I'll surely be complaining about being cold when I'm in NY in 10 days, so there's that.

At Least I Have a Cute Cat

I'm not really having a good day week month summer day, but at least the cat is adorable. Enjoy.

Tongue!

The bed that he has ignored for months.

Not a lap cat, but lap-adjacent.

Rotating in his sleep.

Hey, You, Have an Opinion on Water Bottles?

Every time I glance out my office window, and see what the elevator workers left behind, I feel either very sad, or incredibly angry.

Which accomplishes nothing. My feelings about this limbo situation change nothing.

I spent some time this weekend trying not to think about it. At first I thought I would work on my packing list for my trip next month, but I was hit with a wave of despair at the idea of packing and carrying everything downstairs, again, which made it an unsuccessful diversion. So I did what knitters do, and turned to knitting.

I'm currently working on a big project, Noncho by Casapinka, and it's going well. Here it is, two weeks ago:

But it has several hundred stitches per round (shown here with markers for counting to check my stitch count):

And right now, I wanted something smaller and quicker, so I pulled out this yarn:

And started a hat.

I know, that doesn't really look like a hat. This pattern starts with a sort of headband, which gets folded over to cover the ears double thick, and then you pick up stitches for the top. 

So far, so good!

Now, on to the question I put in the title of this post. I want to get a new insulated water bottle that is between the sizes of the two I have. 

The Bruins one is a Tervis stainless that holds 24 ounces, and it is super-well insulated. I drink from it at home, not bothering with the top, and what is left in the bottle at night is cool or even cold the next morning, depending on the ice-to-water ratio.

The smaller one is an Igloo, and holds 12 ounces. It is decently insulated, but if the top is not on, the water will not be cold overnight. 

So, what I want:

• somewhere in the range of 16-20 ounces
• completely leakproof
• ideally has a wide mouth for putting in ice cubes
• really keeps water cold
• easy to clean is also a plus

I don't object to some of the ones I've seen marketed for kids: I don't need a Serious Grown-Up Style bottle, I just want one that works, in that general size area.

There are SO many brands out there, ones I've heard of and ones I haven't, so I thought I would ask the crowd: any thoughts? Definitely do or definitely don't? 

It's Worth It, It's Worth It, It's Worth It---It Would Have Been Worth It

On Wednesday afternoon, there was (finally, finally) a sign of progress on the elevator. A truck was parked in the lot, workers were unloading supplies from a trailer, and most promising of all:

Blocked off elevator access.

I am was thrilled to think that we may (finally, finally) see the elevator fixed. But that doesn't mean that I won't be skeptical until the day the thing works, and it also doesn't mean that I won't complain about the noise of the work.

It's worth it! Truly, it is! But oh ye gods and little fishes, is it loud.

Well, that was then, this is now. I wrote that on Wednesday, and the workers were here Thursday, but on Friday morning, the trailer was gone, and I heard from the condo board that the workers found more damage. The company is working on an "estimate and timeline of the additional repairs."

It broke May 7.

More than four months ago.

And now? Who knows.

I'm torn between crying and screaming.

Neither would do any good.

Not What It Was Supposed to Be

boooooooooooooooo

I really wanted to write today about how the elevator work had started! And how excited I was!

Instead, since there was no sign of work by this afternoon, I emailed the condo board to ask for an update, and they said the installer had a burst appendix and had to be rushed to the hospital. They're working on getting another installation team here, "hopefully this week."

Now, I don't want to be unsympathetic to this person. I sincerely hope he is okay, and recovers well.

But also: Is this building on haunted ground? Has someone laid a curse on it? Maybe it was built with a 30-something-year good-wishes spell that wore off?

I don't think it's that last one. Things have gone wrong in the building before. But not like THIS.

Hockey Season Cometh!

Bruins training camp starts on Wednesday, but the rookies have already started, and they played a few games, one yesterday and one today, against Buffalo’s kids. I greatly enjoyed watching the livestreams! Yesterday:

Today's victory was 4-3 in overtime, and all of the Bruins goals were by the same player, James Hagens, who also had two yesterday. Promising start for the kid!

Chills; Another Step Toward Elevation

Spoke too soon about the vaccine aftereffects: mid-afternoon Saturday, I got the chills so badly that bundling up on the couch wasn't enough, I burrito-ed myself into bed in the fetal position until I warmed up. But other than swollen lymph nodes under that arm, which has happened to me after most if not all covid shots, I'm doing okay today, in a low-key, hanging out way.

Meanwhile! We have been told that the elevator work will start on Monday or Tuesday! We all seem to be in the mindset of "that would be nice, if it works out to be true," which I think is fair given how many delays have been part of this saga. At least, we're trying not to count on it. I know that I will be a wreck if anything else goes wrong, no matter how many times I tell myself not to count on it. I just keep thinking, maybe, maybe? 

I have climbed* more than 900 flights of stairs since May 7. I am so ready to be done with the stairs. 
*Do you still say 'climbed' if it's down? Do we climb down the stairs, or only climb up? I think my grip on English is loose today.

Double Shot (of vaccines, or of advice)

As a big believer in science, and vaccines, and things like that, I am very happy to say that I got this year's flu shot and covid vaccine last night.

One arm, I think the covid side, is slightly sore; the other isn't at all. I wanted to get this done before traveling in October, and I specifically got it done on a weekend when I don't have anything else on the schedule, so I can laze around without guilt, but so far it's nothing too bothersome.

I know there are people with comorbid conditions who can't get some vaccines, but if you're not in that group, I would encourage you to get yours.

Oh, and while I have your attention, if you're American, vote in November. It's 'just' the midterms, but wow is that more important than ever this year.

One Degree Removed from a Blogger Meetup

It's a long weekend in the US, and every time one of those comes along, it makes me so happy. I would love to work a 4-day week and have long weekends all the time, but generally by the end of an 8-hour day, my brain is fried. No way could I edit for 10 hours a day. Oh well.

This weekend I actually have two social events, which is a lot for me! But they're both good ones. My local knitter friends meet up for lunch one weekend a month, which is this weekend, and the other event is my first face-to-face meeting with someone I only know through the computer. But not a blogger! Through Zoom.

It seems like recently, a lot of bloggers have had meetups with other bloggers, which is fun to read about. I haven't had that kind of encounter in a long time, but this weekend, I'm meeting someone in a six-degrees-of-separation kind of way from blogging.

Okay, that sounds convoluted. 

A few years ago, I started joining an online stretch class that Engie mentioned doing: it's a 15-minute class on Zoom, usually three times a week, and it's a good way to get some movement into your day. I wasn't sure this healthcare place in Wisconsin would want to let me in from Florida, but they've been nothing but welcoming. It's a fun break in the day, and while we move our bodies around, we're likely to be talking about weekend plans and peanut butter cups. 

The teacher's husband travels for work, going to conferences and things, and she will sometimes join him if he's going "somewhere fun." And guess where he is this week? Down the street from me! So she and I will be getting together on Monday for coffee/brunch/whatever you want to call it. I'm really looking forward to it.

Have you met anyone in 3D that you only knew through electrons? How was it?

Words to Ponder

 "You can't start last week, but you can start now."
~James Clear

Interesting thought, no? Like the proverb says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second best time is now."

Maybe/Hopefully/Provisionally Teeny-Tiny Good News

It ain't over 'til it's over and all that, but we have been told that the elevator piston has been manufactured and shipped, which could mean they hit the latest, mid-September target date. Maybe. Hopefully. 

(The timeline recap is here, if you're new, or just have forgotten details over the last four effing months of this saga.)

Honestly, I'm afraid to believe that nothing else will go wrong. There are still so many potential failure points, and I will only celebrate in full once the elevator actually works. But this is at least not bad news, and I'll take that!

Looking for Advice on....

Hi there, how would you like to be the expert today? I have a couple of random things to ask about, in hopes that one of you lovely readers will have answers.

1. Compression socks. First part of the question is do you use them, do you swear by them? I don't have a diagnosed condition that recommends them, but was wondering if they were a good idea for flying anyway. And if you do recommend them, what about material? I see both cotton and bamboo in a quick search. Also also, if you have a brand recommendation for people (women?) with large calves, I'd take that.

2. Jigsaw puzzle games for iPad that are not ad-forcing. I play a variety of games on my iPad, and with almost all of them, if an ad pops up that isn't the one-touch-X to close, I can close the game and reopen it, and it will open to the new game/level and let me play. But I've been trying a jigsaw puzzle one lately, and if I close the game and reopen it, I'm back to square one. The only way to get to a game is to wait out the ad, and with some of them, you have to close it four times before it's done. Do you know of any that don't so that?

This is actually the second jigsaw game I've tried. The first one interrupted a puzzle to play an ad, and then did it again during the same puzzle, and no, sir, we're not doing that. This one, Jigsawscapes, doesn't do that, but I hate having to sit through the kind of ad where you have to close it 4 different times, and sometimes the tiny X is very finicky and you have to hit it juuuusssst right or it opens the browser to try to sell you something.

3. There was a third thing. What was it? Damn it, menopause brain is a thing, y'all. Well, if you want to give random advice, now is the time.

Much Belated Trip Talk ("Boston" trip, part 4/?)

Yes, I took this trip in May; yes, it is now August; no, I haven't finished recapping it; yes, I'm going to! For my own sake, at this point. (Part 3 here.)

That Sunday morning was rainy and chilly still, which was a real shame given that my friend's house has this lovely little porch that I would have been so happy to sit in, except for the weather. At least I got the garden tour on Saturday!

Before I left town, we had to check out the Bookmill, which was a lot of fun to roam through. It's a super cool store, though I will say that the hill it's on is steep! The website says they're open in winter, but I can't imagine it. Unless they put up a little ski lift?

Anyway! I didn't take photos inside (so that I wouldn't look like I was comparison shopping), with this exception, as I liked the light and angles.

Later, I took a picture of the book I bought, totally at random. I do love odd old novels.

Being in an old mill, the store is of course on a river. And they have a little cafe, where we got treats (maple milk, anyone?) and sat chatting for a while.

Western Mass. is an interesting place.

Back at the house, it was time for me to pack up and get ready to go east again. Though I actually went south first, since my host suggested I might enjoy visiting the North Hadley Sugar Shack. Spoiler: I did!

The bucket is (was!) maple cotton candy, which we had been talking about since we've had that at Rhinebeck. The little jars are jams that I brought home for Mom, and the rest is various maple candy items. The maple peanut brittle was excellent!

Despite buying all that, I really wanted actual food for lunch, not just maple sugar. Since I was in the area where I went to college (UMass Amherst), I decided to see if the diner we all loved was still there---not as much of a reach as it might have been, since I had been there in the years since (in 2013, anyway, thank you blog for memory). And it was! Just as full of hungover college students eating as it was back in the day.

And the food was still really good and an excellent value.

I drove around the UMass campus a little, being so close, but it's hard to look around and drive safely at the same time, and it was still so rainy and chilly that I didn't want to get out and ramble on foot, so I didn't stay there long. I did stop in Amherst to get a coffee and visit the bathroom before heading out, and I liked their sign:

The drive east was fine but unpleasant, since it rained pretty hard the whole drive. I was glad to get back to F1's home! We went out to dinner, but otherwise just hung out Sunday evening.

Monday, F1 invited me to join her in taking her father out to breakfast, something they do regularly. We were also joined by her brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, and though the wait for the food to come was long, the food was delicious, and it was nice to get to see everyone.

We had a quiet afternoon, then went to a friend gathering held at someone's house, very close by. The weather was nice enough to sit out on their deck, and do some catching up as well as eat delicious food. 

On Tuesday, F1 had to work, but was able to take a break midday and join me for lunch with a friend who hadn't been able to make the Monday party (F5). It was another beautiful day:

And we very much enjoyed our lunch at the Colonial Inn in Concord. while having one of those good deep conversations friends can get into, given enough time.

Having left F5, and with F1 back at work, I did some wandering around the area where I grew up. I drove past my old house, and continued to disapprove of what the current owners are doing with it (wrong house color and bad landscaping: it's a mess). Then I went to the library! I appreciated the lines of the walls and some quilts they had on display.

As well as this multi-level view.

It's a lovely old building.

I sat on the town common for a bit, and after a few minutes, realized that although I hadn't seen any lilacs, the season for them being mostly past, I could smell some.

I looked around and followed my nose, and there they were, off to one side. I love the scent.

Walking on, I noticed these chairs in front of a nearby church. Good for you!

That's probably enough for one post. I'll try to wrap things up before the end of the year!