Category Archives: doing it wrong

Olympia coverage continues with a photo of the Spar where my cousin worked for awhile back before it was a McMenamins. We did not go in this trip. We had other evening plans all the nights we were there and much as I would have liked to, my day drinking days are long over.

I used to like to have a drink in the afternoon on vacation but now it just puts me to sleep. I can barely even finish 2 drinks now and everything gives me a headache.

Aging means a new relationship to your body. See also: big greasy meals, staying up late, sitting in uncomfortable positions for more than 15 minutes.

During the non-raining part of the weekend we walked up to the capitol building and wandered around. So many cool trees.

The second night of the outdoor music festival we had perfect weather. Incredible view while we waited for X to come out. There was a paddleboard guy who came out and stayed even after dark to watch the show. A jetski guy joined him for a few moments. Also seen: a seal, heron, and lots of boats.

When we were in Olympia we went to the farmers’ market and I found Gravenstein apples. This is my favorite pie/sauce apple. I used to find them at the local farmers’ market but it’s been a few years.

I bought a whole box. I told the guy it was my favorite pie apple and he said there isn’t much of a market for them but people who grew up with them love them.

I made apple sauce. It seemed pretty labor intensive for just 4 quarts but I guess 4 quarts is a lot. It’s always such a great treat in winter. We didn’t have much left over to eat now so I will buy some other apples to make some fresh apple sauce.

When I first started canning things I was always so nervous about it. But now it seems like common sense and following the directions and keeping things clean and boiling the crap out of everything.

We have a ton of jam and now the applesauce. I don’t expect to do anything else this year.

I also made two apple pie fillings. This is my favorite in winter when we need dessert and it’s so easy to thaw one of these and make some crust. It was a lot of apples to peel and slice. When I went to bed my right wrist hurt and at first I wasn’t sure what I did to it. Then I remembers: 10 pounds of apples.

I love living in the apple state.

Remember back in December I reported that I had a DIY fix it project and I was going to attempt to fix the zipper on my backpack? I chickened out and decided to live with it. Here’s the post where I bought it in 2017.

The zipper situation further deteriorated. At some point I decided to check if they could fix it — I didn’t even mind paying. I hated to get rid of a perfectly good backpack just because of a zipper.

They had contact info and told me I could mail it in and they would check it out. I think the contact said there was a fee — but they didn’t charge me and they fixed it. Look at these amazing zipper pulls. And they gave me some tips to keep the zipper zipping smoothly.

Waterfield Bags are terrific. I have a laptop back and we have a bunch of laptop cases. All great.

Here’s my favorite dahlia. My dahlias aren’t the healthiest. The earwigs have taken over and my half-assed attempts to address haven’t made a dent. I am digging a few up at the end of the season. But this one is so pretty.

More posts on deck. I am just pooped tonight. I woke up at 4am and just decided to get up. (Tell me you are old without telling me you are old.) And then I cleaned house and made applesauce and did a bunch of laundry and worked out and went for a walk. I’m going to watch a show and go to bed early.

I have always struggled with knowing my left from my right. I would always need to take the extra step of pretending I’m writing and my writing hand is my left hand.

But also I wear a wedding ring. When I do yoga class I’ve gotten really good at quickly figuring out my left because I wear my ring on my left hand. In fact, I thought I’d gotten over this confusion.

Recently, my left knuckle seemed to be sore and swollen. Is this arthritis? Do you get arthritis in just one joint? Did I jam it and not notice?

Who knows? But my wedding ring was bothering me so I moved it to my right hand.

The next time I did a yoga class, I was paralyzed when I had to figure out which side was my left. I kept looking at my ring and looking at my left hand and on one level I understood that I’d moved my ring but on another level I was completely confused by which side was which. It was like translating from a foreign language — I had to think through the problem: my ring is now on my right hand so left is the other hand.

What next? Rings on both hands?

I wanted to do a representation of my “to read pile” except I couldn’t figure out a good way to do this. My eReader doesn’t have any great way to show my list. This is not my complete paper book to read pile — it’s just a shelf area. There are other shelf areas and unread books mixed up with already read books. I don’t mind a little chaos with my books.

Someone should invent a way people can show their TBR piles of ebooks.

If someone has, and you think I would understand it, please forward the info.

The NYT did a list of 100 books of the century or something like that. Like many people, I had to go through and see how many I’ve read. Only 22. For example: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I recommend! The HBO series, too.

There were about a half dozen that I tried and quit. For example, Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald. As I recall, I had something going on at the time and couldn’t get into it. But I also recall there were no paragraphs. The wall of text was overwhelming.

Most of the authors that had more than one book, I had read at least one.

And there are about a half dozen currently in the TBR pile.

I did a little better with the Reader Top 100. I read 33 of those.

I don’t care a lot about lists — it’s all arbitrary and a good way to get clicks. But it’s fun to see what makes the cut.

I am surprised by popularity of Elena Ferrante. I got the My Brilliant Friend series as ebooks and then could not make it through the first 50 pages. I hated the voice. I have been convinced to try again and it’s back in the TBR pile.

There are A LOT of potatoes in my yard.

Since I took this photo, I cooked about 1/4 of these. I have given away several pounds. But still, lots of potatoes.

Somehow, I cut one of my toenails weird and then it grew and somehow I wasn’t paying attention and it was like a talon. My foot was dangerous. I scratched my own self with my pointy toe nail.

I know, this is a weak post. See the manager for a refund.

I’ve had time to go back through some old non-priority projects at the office and I found this note to myself: a true classic. After reviewing the situation, I think I recall my thought process and I think it’s both incomplete and a duplicate. If we’ve lived without it since 2021, not sure it’s critical but I’m going to spend a little more time with it.

I had a tooth pulled last October (bottom of post). It was one of the very last ones in the back.

Initially, I decided I would not get the implant. At least one person advised I was unlikely to miss the tooth and I felt like I didn’t miss it.

Until,

on the other side of my mouth in the very back, the crown failed. That was a whole other not-wonderful dental adventure that I’m not going to detail here. But while I waited for the new crown I had only a nubbin for that tooth.

I missed having back teeth. Try eating a carrot without back teeth.

If you’ve ever read Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself there is a character San Glotka who was tortured and they pulled every other tooth so he can’t eat anything but soup and soft things. That’s not a spoiler. He’s in that condition when the story opens.

I had more appreciation for his problem and it was just two bottom back teeth.

I am getting an implant. Also, I’m not sure what dental insurance covers but so far it seems like nothing that I am doing with teeth.