Flu Shots

It is that time of year again. But this year things are a little behind due to the government shutdown. The notice went out to all employees today that the flu shots will start up next week. We never had a choice about having or not having it when I worked in health care for thirty years. I'm so used to it the notion not to have it seems odd. I've even given a few in my day! Both my husband and I just got over a two week cold and respiratory bout, so we aren't fooling around. We need to get him to the CVS because he hates going to the doctor office just for this purpose. As for me, I'll get it at work. And this year they are starting with the end of the alphabet. That was an employee suggestion and it works on my behalf too. 

The Four Promises Print and Kindle Versions

Two of my children's books were published by StoryChimes and are available as apps in iTunes - A Tiny Fish Tale and The Four Promises. The stories were mine but the art was not. So my goal was to publish these books on Amazon in both print and Kindle ebook versions using my art. In the meantime I wrote a third book, My Trip to Washington - from LA to DC and back - all by myself! So in between custom requests for pet portraits, I finally completed the last book this month. The Four Promises was the shortest of the three but it didn't seem any less time consuming! So I am happy to say my "trilogy" of books is now available on Amazon. They are all true stories inspired by my grandsons, pets, and separation. I never thought I would ever be doing something like this, but the iPad reignited my interest in art. All the illustrations are hand painted using the iPad as the canvas and the stylus as the brush. I've got a fourth story written. I just need to come up with the pictures to go along with it. 

A Luggage Carrier Put to Good Use

One thing we learned in Milwaukee was to make sure the soil next to the house was high enough against the wall so any water would flow away from the foundation - not towards it. Because water damage is more common around here than I'd like to think about, we needed to make sure the same approach applied here. We are lucky to have a nice little patio garden attached to our condo. Unfortunately we have to maintain it ourselves. That's fine when replacing tomato plants with mums, but not for heavy lifting maintenance. The soil in the corner had worn down so replacement dirt was required. It's not as easy to get this kind of thing to the patio, and we are a lot older and very wary of carrying heavy objects. We know too many people with back pain. We don't own a wheelbarrow any longer, so we needed to improvise. I'm glad we saved our old luggage carrier - that we bought before luggage had wheels - and used it to move the dirt from the car. We don't have a large shovel either. So we used our dustpan to do the job of moving the dirt from the bag to the garden. Unfortunately, three bags just about did it. I really don't want to do this again!

A Supreme Court Wedding

My husband was just asking me if we had ever seen a wedding at the Supreme Court. As soon as he said it we noticed a small crowd gathered near the steps as we approached the building. Upon seeing us a motorcyclist asked me to take his photo on this splendid afternoon. The police guarding the place told him to make it quick. I guess they don't like unattended cycles in front. Upon closer inspection we figured out it was indeed a wedding party. The groom wore white and the groom wore black. A few tourists were making noise and were asked to keep it down. But most of us just stopped to observe and take a few photos. It all seemed so very appropriate in this very public space. 

 

Comcast Failed Chat

About four weeks ago our service area lost both Internet and Cable TV service. It was intermittent and lasted for a few days. My husband called Comcast to see if it was a universal rather than an individual problem, and it was universal. Since that time we lost several 800 number HD channels. We still have cable and Internet service. We just don't have these channels. So at my husband's request, it was with dread that I embarked on a chat session with Comcast. I hate talking on the phone, so chat usually works fine for me. The long story short is that after an hour and a half of crawling around the back of the TV, unplugging and replugging the cable line, powering off the system and powering it up again, and having the data "refreshed," we have the same picture for those channels that we had when the conversation started. I knew as soon as she said that after 30 to 45 minutes things would be back in order it wasn't going to happen.  And it didn't. The only thing that happened four weeks ago was something external to us and it is really annoying that is hasn't been corrected. "One moment please" is lasting weeks. 

Two Expletives at the Stoplight

I'm not sure what is in the water. But something has changed over the last year. Or maybe we just notice it more, or maybe that's how it always was. As with a lot of intersections in this neighborhood, five or more streets join and it makes for confusion and near miss accidents. I was almost run over the other day as someone went sailing by on a red light. Another one thought he was in England and turned down the left side of the road. At this particular area just two blocks from our house we are well aware how the lights work. But someone on the corner thought he knew how they worked better. He was yelling to us to turn. I'm not sure why he thought it was his business, but he wouldn't give up. He said he worked in the building across the street ... We said we lived here and know the light. He still wouldn't give up. Finally he crossed the street cussing all the way. Behind us was another fool who kept beeping at us to make the left turn. We had to wait for the left turn arrow, but he knew better. So he swung around us on the right and pulled in front of us to make a u turn, yelling more expletives at us as he went. Shortly thereafter, the left arrow finally appeared and we turned as we always do. We are used to following lights and signs and directions. Not only do people around here think they don't need  to, they have to scream and insult you while they are at it. 

The Washington DC Mattress Monument and Landmark

I have always loved going for car rides. And I like it even more when I am in the front passenger seat. When we leave the house and get on the freeway, that is only a few blocks away, we see the sights of Washington DC that a lot of others have only viewed in pictures, TV, or the Internet. I am consistently awestruck by the images...the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial...and the mattress. It's been about a year or more and that same once blue mattress has now faded and and is falling apart at the seams. There is roadwork taking place right next to it by the tunnel that it sits behind. Off in the distance is the Jefferson Memorial, but I can't say this piece of junk adds much to the scenery. It is not unusual to come across mattresses sitting on the sidewalks on Capitol Hill. It always takes quite some time for them to get removed. Eventually someone calls to have it picked up. In Milwaukee, this rarely happened. If you had junk to get rid of, you either brought it to the dumpster or called to have the city pick it up. This mattress must have flown off a truck and no one noticed. The difference is no one seems to care, or want to do anything about it. So now it has become another DC landmark - just not as remarkable as the others.