Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Redbubble Vizsla Face Mask Special Delivery

We have a furry Vizsla granddaughter. She lives in central Virginia with her family and has the room to use up all her energy. I have painted her portrait and her image is available on all of my websites. Since Redbubble and other sites now produce face masks, I thought it would be a good idea to send a mask to our daughter in law. I have already sent a t shirt to our grandson with a tiny image of the dog on it. It took a couple of tries to get the order right. I kept tracking it on line and it wasn’t getting anywhere. So I finally contacted Redbubble to ask what was the hold up. The issue was on their part and finally resolved. So I started tracking the package again and it finally arrived yesterday. What started out in May took until the end of June, but at least the deed was done. And immediately after I saw that it was delivered I got a text from our daughter in law. If nothing else it’s a gentle reminder that face masks are a part of every day living these days. Why not wear one with your favorite pooch on display? 














Monday, June 29, 2020

Luenx Aviator Polarized Sunglasses - Secret Agent Man?

My husband hates sunglasses. He never wore them because he thought they made him look like a spy or sinister person. However, after having recent cataract surgery, he needs them more than ever because everything is so much brighter. And since his vision is perfect, he just needs some cheapo glasses because I know he wouldn’t want to spend any money on them. I use the cheap plastic over the glasses kind because I have prescription lenses. They certainly aren’t stylish, but they work. So I researched Amazon to see what was out there. I always look at the number sold, then read the reviews. It looked like the Luenx brand might just be the ones. He hates black rims and lenses. So I searched for an aviator traditional style, with silver rims and silver/mirrored lenses. The surprise package arrived last night and my husband opened the box with some suspicion. The glasses came in a lovely box, in a hard shell case that could be attached to a belt, a cloth bag with a drawstring if you prefer, and a lens cleaning cloth. It was all quite impressive for just $17.99. Today was the first day wearing them, and he admitted he liked them. So if anything happens to them it won’t break the bank to get a replacement. I wish my sunglasses looked as distinguished! 
















Sunday, June 28, 2020

Total Wine Curbside Pickup

We have a half a glass of red wine every evening. It’s a habit we have had for a very long time. It’s one of the few things us “older folks” can still enjoy. We don’t do much of anything else these days. Since we only order grocery delivery since March, it’s difficult to add wine to the list. So, we have been ordering wine by the case from Total Wine and having it delivered. But picking it up in the lobby is awkward having to show an ID, etc. After two rounds of that, we decided to give curbside pick up a try. I ordered a case and got a really great deal. First of all the wine is quite cheap, and it got even cheaper by ordering 12. Without a delivery fee and tip it got even cheaper. We got an email this morning saying the purchase was ready for pick up and to follow the instructions on the sign when we arrive. After our morning walk we got in the car and drove just a couple of blocks to the store. We pulled in to a designated curbside parking space, texted the number, our name and parking space. They asked for the order number and within a few minutes the wine was delivered to the car - of course - only after they saw my ID. Luckily it was a dry day. It might be dicey if it’s pouring rain. I think my husband prefers the pickup. If it wasn’t for the ID I still prefer the delivery.













 

Saturday, June 27, 2020

A Ride In to Town

Our road trips these days are driving in to DC to visit the old neighborhood and back. It’s only nine miles away so it’s a relatively safe distance. We haven’t done one for a while so we ventured out last week to put a few miles on the car. We can’t remember when we last filled the gas tank. The city was still pretty much shut down, although the traffic on the GW Parkway was much heavier. The skies were blue and the clouds were dancing - giving off a very different vibe than what most people must be feeling inside their heads these days. The streets were empty, there were a few people mulling about, but most of the activity was construction on the roads and the some of the museums. We stayed away from the White House area and spent most of the drive around Capitol Hill where we lived for thirteen years. We are glad we moved to northern Virginia last year but there will always be things we miss about the old neighborhood. A lot of that is in our minds rather than reality. Every time we visit, things just don’t look the same. But then again, things never really are the way you remember them. 

































Friday, June 26, 2020

Glass Recycle and A Walk in the Park

It’s starting to get hot around here. Walking in the neighborhood is like a concrete jungle so we prefer the shaded park. We don’t plan to go to the enclosed space mall either. It’s taken us a while to get back up to our two mile per day walk after being out of practice in March/April. So today we decided to kill two birds with one stone. The glass recycle bin is located in the community library parking lot that is by the park. So we collected all the bottles and drove over in the car. After dumping the glass, we started taking the shaded paths a few times around. I still find it amazing how many people do not wear masks or even attempt to move away to the other side. Because of our health care background and age, we wouldn’t leave the house without a mask - for everyone’s benefit. Regardless, I try to ignore and avoid them and enjoy the landscape around us. There are stretches that are very peaceful - and I’m always on the lookout for the cardinals. Last week we came across a heron, a duck, and a box turtle. Today the bees were out and the summer flowers are all starting to bloom. The deer must all be in hiding. When we were done we got back in the car and took a spin around the neighborhood. It’s a great alternative - we were less “sweaty” because we didn’t walk from our house and back in the intense heat, the flowers were in bloom, for the most part the path was clear, and the car got some wear and tear. Now we are sitting on the balcony before “breakfast” and I’m writing my blog - without a mask. That feels so normal. 


























Thursday, June 25, 2020

DC Rowhouses - a lot of Red Brick

We live only nine miles away from DC since we moved to northern Virginia from Capitol Hill. We used to go back in to town to hear programs at the Library of Congress where I worked for ten years. We haven’t taken a ride in for quite some time. So yesterday we thought we would give it a try just to see the old neighborhood. Since everything is still pretty closed up, the traffic was lighter than usual but much heavier than a month ago. The only activity was road work and construction on the air and space museum. The new Eisenhower Memorial still stands behind a fenced off space because the dedication has been pushed back. One of the things I will always love about the city is the architecture and the rowhouses. There is just something stunning about them - from the outside. Living in one can be a bit more trying - the staircases are vertical on three floors, if you live in the center of the block you’ll need to walk around the entire neighborhood if something needs to get to the back yard, and most of the pipes are clay and prone to bursting. A lot of this we know from personal experience. For that reason we are happy we now live in an up to date space - but even brand new has its own set of issues. So, it was a treat to see the homes and the gardens once again. But nothing looks as good as I remember.