Author Archives: Pamela Rentz

I love cheddar fish but also don’t buy cheddar fish except on road trips because they are too easy to mindlessly eat.

Not long ago I had a gift card and decided to buy a dress. I don’t have to dress up very often and I tend to wear the same dress for every thing. My mom refers to this type of dress as a “function dress.”

I haven’t bought a function dress in a long time and since retail has been ruined, (I don’t think I will ever be over it) I was looking online.

What’s the worst part about any clothing shopping? Figuring out your size. I have even bought the same brand and the same style of clothing and when I got it, the thing didn’t fit.

So for this particular shop, I clicked on the size chart and it told me to list sizes and the labels on the dresses I already own.

How many dresses do people have?

I guess this sizing chart isn’t for people who wear the same function dress to everything for years on end.

This is from a slide that I scanned from the family archives. I have no idea who or what this is. The note says 1972 and it’s in the batch with photos from the Grand Canyon. I like to think this is Carl, a tour guide, who has spent years around the Arizona desert and loves to tell people about the Grand Canyon.

I don’t get pepper. I have never tasted anything and thought, “This needs more pepper.” I don’t dislike pepper and when the person at the restaurant with the 4-foot long pepper mill comes by and asks if I want a little pepper on my salad or my pasta, I always give an enthusiastic, “Yes, I do.”

And if I bite down on a big nugget of barely cracked peppercorn, I know that it’s pepper. But otherwise, I don’t notice pepper.

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There was a New Yorker article a couple weeks ago that described a woman as “having a frazzled aspect.” That is a great description that could apply to me. But also the article was arguably biased against this individual so it wasn’t very generous.

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The New Yorker also had an article about Michael A. Cummings who is an amazing quilting artist. I love seeing cool quilting art. Last time I was at the Clark County Fair I talked to one of the artists — I wish I could remember her name. Sewing is a skill I still would like to learn and I would love to try some quilting. Not sure how that’s going to work since I also still want to write books and work on drawing. Better to want to do too much than to wither away on the couch.

I am still sorting through my feelings about AI. I have posted a couple of AI generated photos this month. Now I am posting an AI generated post — which includes 2 cites provided by the AI. This is purely for amusement. I am not going to use AI for writing.

Okay, AI, take it away:

Waking up to the sound of an analog alarm clock is a nostalgic experience that many people miss in today’s world of smartphones. The gentle ticking of the clock, the sound of the alarm, and the feeling of turning off the alarm by pressing a button or turning a knob are all part of the experience.

In contrast, smartphones have become the go-to device for waking up in the morning. While they offer a wide range of alarm sounds and customization options, they lack the tactile feedback and sensory experience of an analog alarm clock.

According to a study conducted by the University of California, San Diego, waking up to melodic sounds such as pop songs can increase energy levels and reduce daytime grogginess compared to waking up to unmelodic alarms 1. However, the study did not compare the experience of waking up to an analog alarm clock versus a smartphone.

Moreover, using a smartphone as an alarm clock can have negative effects on sleep quality. The blue light emitted by smartphones can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, and interfere with the body’s circadian rhythm 2. Additionally, the temptation to check notifications and scroll through social media can keep you awake longer than you intended.

In conclusion, waking up to an analog alarm clock can be a nostalgic and sensory experience that is worth revisiting. It can help you start your day on a positive note and reduce the temptation to check your phone first thing in the morning. So, why not give it a try?

I already wrote about how we gave up our season tickets. (Part 1) and (Part 2).

Ticket partner and I went to our last match of the season in October. Because of various scheduling snafus, we hadn’t even been to a match together in over a month.

I think going in: if we won and a few other teams did us some favors we could make the playoffs. But in typical Timbers fashion, we went down a goal in the first 11 minutes and never got it together. We lost 3-1.

Also, as I read the forecast, we might get a wee drizzle. So many matches I have geared up in my plastic pants and plastic jacket and brought my little towel to wipe off my seat. And so many matches there was barely a mist. I wasn’t going to haul out that stuff for this match.

That was a mistake. It didn’t rain hard but there was a persistent driving drizzle almost the entire night.

Then for the trip home we walked down to the transit mall to check if the bus was anywhere near … and walked past at least 3 people actively doing drugs. I asked ticket partner if he felt like doing some drugs and he declined and called a ride share.

One the one hand it was a bummer that the last match was so crappy. But then, we didn’t feel like we were giving up much. I’m sure we’ll pick up tickets to a match or two. Or more likely, the Thorns, next season.

This bus was parked by my bus with the “wrong code” display for a couple of days in a row. Every once in a while the bus will show up downtown with the wrong display and we give the driver a hard time (in a teasing way.)

Sometimes I intentionally pick shorter books to read — it’s the same feeling of accomplishment as reading a long book but doesn’t take as long. You can make progress on the to read pile. You can jump into the world of a book and then be done and jump into a new one in a day or two.

Here are some ideas for short books:

Elizabeth Strout is a great writer and her novels are usually pretty quick. Example: My Name is Lucy Barton

T Kingfisher — I just finished What Moves the Dead which is delightfully creepy and quick to read. Nettle and Bone is also really good.

Seanan McGuire — the Wayward Children books. I don’t know how many there are. I’ve read at least 5. They are about the children in portal stories where the portal doesn’t always lead to some magical place where they save the day and all their dreams come true.

Martha Wells – Murderbot — I think there are 5 and a 6th one coming out any minute. If you haven’t read Murderbot, drop everything and go find a Murderbot book. The first one is All Systems Red. The books are funny with action and set in space. I would start re-reading all the books this second if I didn’t have 300 books in my to read pile.

Becky Chambers – Monk & Robot books. I’m reading #2 right now. The Ted Lasso of speculative fiction books. Of the first one I said, “If a book was a cup of hot soup and a buttered roll on a cold winter’s night, this would be it.”

If I was clever I would link these to something but I am writing all these posts in about 3 minutes so they are slopped together. xo!

A couple of weeks ago when I was at the office all by myself I heard thumping outside.

They wash the windows outside at least a couple of times a year plus they send us a notice when it’s going to happen so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But it’s still a little unnerving to see some guy hanging from a rope swinging back and forth and scrubbing your windows.

I guess they had to finish the next day and the washers were out there in the early morning in the dark. I hope they get paid well.

The other thing about this picture is my diplomas. A college diploma and my paralegal certificate. I asked the law clerk if I should throw them away when I retire.

She was horrified. But no one has ever asked me for them or looked at them. If if they did, it was 25 years ago.

Not retiring yet so I can decide later.

Generated with AI ∙ October 9, 2023 at 7:41 AM

At some point this summer I turned a corner when it comes to comfortable shoes.

I loved a stiletto heel back in the day (the 80s) and don’t remember complaining about heels in general.

But for many years now I have prioritized comfort over fashion so I don’t have uncomfortable shoes anymore.

One day, I realized my “athletic” shoes were ancient and needed replacing. I put athletic in quotes because I don’t do anything athletic in them. Walking around the neighborhood and including a hill is my big workout.

I went to a shoe store with the word “comfort” as part of their logo. There, they have people who know what they’re doing to help you find something good. The shoes they recommended are brilliant. They are New Balance and I think maybe subtitled something like: Comfort Foam. I did not understand how comfortable shoes could be until I bought these.

Shortly after that I had a gift card that needed to be used and I got another pair of amazing slip-on shoes No laces. Super comfy (Ecco).

Now my shoes must be at the highest level of comfort. I want my feet encased in super soft but also supportive pillows. They can look dowdy. Don’t care.

Throughout the year I keep a file on my phone where I jot down any ideas (I think “capture” is the word the kids use these days. I capture any ideas…) that I get for a post. It’s more like files, really. On my phone, on my laptop, on the desktop of my home computer. In a text file on the office computer. On an actual scrap of paper or little notebook I keep by the bed.

I even bought a note taking app so I could use hashtags and sync my notes over all my devices except the app maker stopped support for everything but the latest operating systems and a few years ago I gave up updating my operating system every year. It seemed like a giant project that didn’t measurably improve my life. Dumped that app and use Apple notes.

My laptop uses an ancient operating system because I have some old programs that won’t run on new ones.

Back to my blog post notes. I keep them but rarely use them. Until November.

Then, when I’m committed to 30 in 30, I search the notes and inevitably the note will say something like: clock tower, funny bird, 2 cars.

I won’t remember what that means.

I love this so much.

We took over doing Dad’s laundry so we fold his shirts now. I don’t bleach them every time but I try to keep them as sparkling white as he likes them. We also don’t fold them quite this good.

I guess we should borrow the board or fold them when we get there so they are perfect.

One of the get togethers with the wedding couple took place at the Getty. (I just typo’d that “the Garry” and was tempted to leave it.)

This is this a beautiful setting in LA. I don’t know what you would call the area — Getty hill.

You park in a structure and then take a little tram up the hill.

Look at this view. You can see all around from the ocean and if you could move around to the left: Century City, downtown. Probably other landmarks that I don’t recognize or no longer know the name of.

The museum seems fantastic, too, but we were so busy visiting with everyone that we never managed to get in there. I do have regrets about this but now we have an excuse for another visit.

I wish I had some good wedding photos but ours were weak and my pleading with friends to share has so far not produced too many. Trust me, it was a good party.

Here are Bob and I up at City Walk with King Kong.