Random Randoms – Week Ending May 20, 2016

 

Cloudy Skies and Virtual Clouds

Early in the week the son was still here and managed to finally convert me to the virtual Virtues of the Cloud. What used to be that fluffy thing in the sky is now an imaginary cloud that holds all the information about you and your life.  And all you have to do is a technological rain dance to retrieve things!

Now I can find a fuzzy picture taken four years ago of a street sign reading “Road May Flood”.  

I thought of that photo because it was raining when Corky arrived and raining when he left.

It rains for two days at a time here now in Virginia.  And if you need to mow you had better do it on the third day.

Dashing in the Dashlane

dashlane logo

My myriad of passwords (a million or so) are now retained in that ethereal CLOUD too.  Dashlane miraculously  signs into Amazon (and those million other places) for me.  Woosh and I’m in!

The result? If I forget the Magical Master Password to get into Dashlane I won’t remember any of my million other passwords.  That almost happened last night.  Talk about PANIC!

Ten Minutes at the YMCA

The week’s major feature was a return trip to the YMCA after a seven month absence dealing with BigFoot. The Big/NowLittle Foot is still  sporadically sending pain notices via Plantar Fasciitis to the heel, clear reminders to pay attention or else!   This  stop at the “Y” was therefore a gentle new try for ten short minutes on the NuStep thing (no dashing or crunching, moaning or groaning – a short practically nothing workout for legs and arms).

And what joy and divine energy were generated in those ten minutes at the gym!  And the foot stayed happy along with the rest of me!

Personal Pride and a Personal Trainer

photo from http://weightliftingacademy.com

Give me ten minutes of ego driven personal pride and I was back to the YMCA today for a  one hour session with a personal trainer.

Justin’s task was to re-introduce me to the YMCA’s torture chamber equipment.  And now that I am steeped in knowledge about Range of Motion numbers, weights, and repetition goals, I am fully prepared for a full return to the world of fitness.  Hurrahhhhh!

All I need is a “Range of Motivation” motivator or a viable plan for commitment.  Hahahahahhhha!

Too Tall for Comfort

A new patio/deck umbrella arrived (purchased online from a place logged onto by Dashlane!).

The umbrella is the right color and advertised as “wind resistant” (no mention of rain protection) but it is practically perfect.  The only problem is it’s a push up/non-crank style and is too tall for me to raise and lower.  Ever ready to accommodate all obstacles, I volunteered to keep a footstool handy.  But falling off the footstool in an effort to raise an umbrella did not make much sense.  Packing the thing up to return to sender also seems formidable.

Bill, to the rescue, says he can cut the pole back by six inches!  Would that it be true since we will not be able to return the umbrella with a hacked pole (not hacked in the sense of breaking into a computer mind you – hacked in the sense of sawing and pounding on a metal pole  – O.K.,”forgedda about it!)

Such are the perils of buying online.   You have to think of everything and be sure to enter detailed specifications.

Sold on Selfies

Finally, though I haven’t told Bill or Corky yet, I bought a $4.98 Selfie Stick!  I am so excited about this and hoping the distance between the camera and my face will make for passable pictures (hopefully slightly blurred).

How surprising it is to actually come up with a list of Randoms when I always think there is nothing to say.

And now I am wishing you (and me) pleasant randoms for the week to come.

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Random Randoms Week Ending 5-13-16

Downtown Lexington, Virginia has been abuzz with activities, young folks, traffic, and busy restaurants and shops.

It all has to do with end of school stuff (three universities in the area), plant sales, art shows, farmer’s markets, and the advent of Spring and Summer!

My friend Norma and I had lunch downtown at The Bistro.

The quiche was grand, the atmosphere was upbeat, and best of all, we had the chance to catch up on our lives.  It is always so surprising how much there is to talk about after about three or four weeks.

Corky is here!  That’s our son, who arrived Wednesday from California.  We met him at the door (like in the commercial) with all our technological questions (and gadgets) stored up for repair or clarification and pleas to help us with everlasting computer confusion.

 “Hi, good to see you.  Come on in!  None of this works.”

Cork has been offering Windows 10 lessons ever since he arrived.

I am now safely floating around in the Cloud too, but I keep thinking of the song, “The Little White Cloud that Cried.”  Isn’t there danger in trusting a cloud with all your family pictures?

 

Corky may be slightly overwhelmed by all the required tutorials.  Tomorrow will be devoted to Dashlane – a site that will store your passwords for you.  I think that is like a vault (in the cloud?).

“Everything on Microsoft is RIGHT CLICK Mom.

Now what do you do next?”

“Right click,” I reply.

“Great!  You are getting the hang of it.”

We had dinner at The Pink Cadillac again, which now boasts an expanded menu!  Interested in fried shrimp?  It’s there.  Or pulled pork barbecue?

Like everyplace else around here, the old place was crowded with happy people.  Isn’t this a wonderful time of year?

Finally, who can discount the weather?  It rains almost every day. And folks are getting fed up with humidity and downpours.  I still love the sound of raindrops falling though, and tend to run around cracking windows open to increase the volume.

The good news is Big Foot is now reliably Small and the plantar fasciitis less sensitive.  It’s still there but seemingly subsiding.

It’s Bad Luck Day – Friday the 13^th – but around here, there is a whole lot to be thankful for.

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Random Randoms at Week’s End

Photo courtesy of the Lone Tree Museum, Lone Tree, Iowa

 

“Wash on Monday, 

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday.”

~ From Pioneer Journeys of the Ingalls Family, Pepin, Wisconsin,  Household Chores

It’s Friday again in Virginia!

I vowed to send off an events diary every week for your reading pleasure

and to share my own life in capsule form.

But I am failing to meet the challenge.

My life has been a panorama of dedication to routines and commitments.

Time to let go right and make some serious life changes?

I’m washing today and it’s FRIDAY!

Read Full Post »

Random Ramblings in Virginia

Photo from www,weightliftingacademy.com

Some of my favorite bloggers are consistent about posting the events of the week and I can never come up with anything much to write about.  Here’s another try though, since this week was fairly busy.

I hit the gym on Monday!

I know that conjures up images of treadmills and weight lifting, but can we please count “Chair Yoga?”  What is Chair Yoga?  Well, it’s yoga done mostly sitting or holding onto a chair.  I know that makes me sound on the decrepit side, but it’s a beginning for final recuperation of the BigFoot.

I have forgotten Tuesday;

except I think we had dinner at the Pink Cadillac with good friends.  The rest of the day was spent elevating the BigFoot to recuperate from the gym.

Midweek featured a monthly outing with my friend, Norma,

only this time our outing was in town (Lexington, Virginia).    We stopped at Southern Girls, a wonderful decorating and design shop that makes me want to trash everything in the house and start over.

We also stopped by The Stitchin Post to pick up some yarn!  I am a novice crochet-er even though I have been crochet-ing since early childhood.  Never really learned to read patterns, but finally found one that yields “curly scarves” that everyone seems to like.  My dental hygienist (Chancee – isn’t that a beautiful name?) said she would like to have one of those curly scarves so she will have it when I go for teeth cleaning in April.

Today I hit the gym again but skipped the barbells of course.

And that my friends, constitutes a pretty full week – at least for this old country gal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Random Rants

Uh Oh – it’s Friday!

SUPER WOMAN COLLAPSES

I started working with a mattock on a long narrow ex-flower bed now destined to be grass only.

A MATTOCK IS A VERY HEAVY TOOL.  I think huge men use that tool to build railroad tracks.

Anyway, the soil I was attacking was compacted into immovable iron.

And my goal was to fluff up the iron into rich loamy (is loamy a word?) stuff to welcome grass seed.

But after an hour of hefting, heaving, sweating, and finally broadcasting seeds and tamping them down, I staggered into the house and collapsed.

Bill stopped by my inelegantly posed body (complete with ice packs in pertinent places) and said, “Are you o.k.?”

Moan:  “Yes, but      having      chest       pains……….”

“Oh,” he said.  “I’m going to get a haircut.”

RAIN, RAIN –  PLEASE!

SittingLying still with ice packs helped and I started thinking about the poor grass seed dehydrating in all those parched clumps of soil.

Those seeds needed water and fortunately THE FORECAST WAS FOR RAIN.  There was already high humidity, overcast skies and even thunder in the distance.

“I will just sit here a little longer and let the rain do the work.”

And I promptly fell asleep.

No rain.

This is Day 4.   Tomorrow I will resort to the hose!  It is sure to rain after that.

MORE WORK?

I am the secretary of our landowner’s corporation.

All of a sudden there was a lot of busy work to be done re the sale of one of the properties.

Work?!   Me?  Wasn’t working with a mattock enough?

I would rather play on my blog!

 

A DEAR ENCOUNTER

On my way out, there was a deer.  I stopped.  He stopped.  We looked. Why is he staying glued to the spot?   I reached for the camera.

Turn on camera.

Wait until things don’t look too fuzzy.

Aim.

No.  Too far away.

Aim again.

O.k. – Shoot Click!

We were frozen.  He still stood perfectly still looking right into my eyes.

How long could this last?

“I’m sorry but I have an appointment,” I explained and slowly moved forward.  And finally the young buck returned to the forest.

Such are the wonders of living in Brigadoon.

GAP TOOTHED WOMAN

I had a tooth enlarged to fill in a gap that harbored leftover morsels of just about anything lodged there.

ENLARGED?

Well, maybe that is not the exact dental terminology.  But what else would you call the insertion of putty or enamel or whatever between two teeth to fill in a gaping void?  It doesn’t show by the way so I am still a ravishing beauty.

The process took an hour, required numbing, cost $200 and left the same gap eagerly awaiting future lodged in morsels.

I have a darling of a dentist though who says to come back.  He wants to try again.

LAUGH UNTIL YOU CRY OR OTHER THINGS

Pete Begins the Laughing Fest

And tonight I laughed so hard I cried (and other things).  It was dinner out with friends and one of those times when everything is hilarious.

We were all beyond having a stable quiet evening but were into leaning over, close to falling over, screaming with laughter.

Bill tried to pry open the coke bottle salt shaker and missed seeing all the little pouring holes on top.  That sent us into fits of giggles and guffaws.

Pete ordered brown beans and he got about eight beans in a soupy mixture.  Talk about laughing tears!  I could hardly breathe.

The sign on the door left off pants in the dress code (see previous post “Pants Not Necessary.”)

And what better way to end a week than in laughing to the point of total collapse?

 

Read Full Post »

Finding a Long Lost Cousin

Bert and Friend

Good Old Days -Dor, Little Brother Steve and Cousins Charlotte and Bert

This is a Random ONE Friday since there was only one momentous event this week.

Bert and his beautiful wife, Rita, came for a visit!

Bert is my “long lost cousin.”

How did so much time go by?

I haven’t seen Bert in about 40 years.

But time stopped this week, and there they were!

And it was as if we were still children, talking, talking, laughing, laughing, and eagerly reliving visits to each others’ homes, silly summers, beaches, feeding the pigeons, and rehashing old family stories.

We didn’t forget Bill of course, but Bill is a wonderful listener.

And we didn’t forget Rita either.  Rita is a wonderful talker.

Buffalo Creek

We went on tour of our rural Virginia neighborhood with a stop to visit a lonesome horse.

And onward we meandered down a country road along the Buffalo Creek.

It was a one lane road with the creek on one side and steep cliff walls on the other.

Rita and a Lonesome Horse

And then it was off to downtown Lexington, Virginia to the old Robert E. Lee Hotel.

The old girl is now upscale and POSH (not me – the hotel).   It was a rundown place before but has recently been restored to modern day glamour.

There are New York style revolving doors at the entrance and the only thing missing is a doorman! And in the lobby are original recessed telephone booths to retain the historical flavor of the place.

Photo of Robert E. Lee Hotel by http://www.expedia.com

There is also a jewelry store in town (Hess & Co.) in a rennovated building that was once a bank.  I often take folks there to see the old thick vaults from the good old days.  Above the vaults at ceiling level, are little inside windows.  Bank guards used to sit behind those windows with rifles pointed and ready to shoot at potential robbers!

Can you see the ceiling-high windows in the back?  I love it that Hess is not only a wonderful jewelry store in the middle of Lexington, Virginia, it is also a historical fixture.

Anyway, there just wasn’t enough time to see all there is to see and do in my part of the world, but the visit was fast (maybe too fast) and so much fun.

And that’s my Random One.  And it was all about my long lost cousin!

Notes: 

The Robert E. Lee Hotel is a six-story luxury hotelbuilt in 1926 in Lexington, Va. The recently restored classic hotel has thirty-nine guest rooms,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Ho Hum Random Ramblings

It was the week that was and unfortunately nothing much happened.

How do my witty blogger pals come up with magnificent summaries of fun filled fascinating days?

One sees wild horses and swans, and another treks into the unknown, and still others record family reunions, baby birds learning to fly and the drama of insects pollinating the world.

This old gal staggers out of bed each morning and things are pretty much the same as yesterday.

I HAD A RUNNY NOSE MOST OF THE WEEK.

 It was leftover from a sore throat that hit two weeks ago.  Not a pretty sight really.  Not a pretty mood either.

I WASHED MY HAIR SUNDAY NIGHT AND BY MONDAY MORNING THE FRIZZ WAS BACK.

 Seems the older I get, the more tolerance I have for frizz and things.

The trick is to think of my head as covered with a lion’s mane.  Then try to avoid mirrors.  And no matter what – walk tall with pride.

Dad always said to do that you know – walk tall with pride.

BILL SAID HE SAW SIX BUCKS!

No, not the money.  These were six male deer with antlers, except for one.  No, not the antler – the deer.

There was a spotted antlerless fawn hanging around the macho crowd!

Talk about luck.   I missed that awesome photo op too. 

But, did you know deer have bachelor parties, or that they invite youngsters to join in?

Don’t you think this raises all sorts of questions about the nurturing habits of deer?

Maybe they have the equivalent of inner city gangs teaching  newbies how to maraud and pillage.  It would explain the mass extermination of plant life in our gardens.

MY MONTHLY “OUTING” WITH FRIEND NORMA WAS A GRAND SUCCESS – EXCEPT FOR LUNCH.

We hit a new Thai restaurant in Staunton, Virginia (pronounced Staaantin by our locals) and I smugly ordered Green Chicken Curry like I knew exactly what that was.

There was an extended level of HOT shock and awe.  I was speechless, hacking, and had no control over watering eyes.   The wait staff looked on with pity and kept checking to see if “we” were all right.

Norma was doing fine with her Red Chicken Curry.

I left the restaurant hungry but on the positive side,  my sinuses were cleared.

TODAY WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE OUR BATHROOM FLOOR REPLACED.

 Talk about excitement!

I am really looking forward to that and to including the event in next Friday’s Exciting Random Rants.

 

 

Read Full Post »

Country Storms and Personality Flaws

Random Friday Randoms

• I paid the locker fee for a whole year at the YMCA.  Now the question is, will I go?  And/or, will I go regularly?
• Also signed up for a Beginner’s Crochet class at our local Stitchery
  

  photo from http://www.jennyandteddy.com

  Actually, I know how to crochet but unable to read a pattern, join new skeins to old ones, or end a thing so it doesn’t unravel.  Some folks have received Dor’s scarves that are undoubtedly unraveled by now.  And apologies if your feet are sticking through that afghan I sent last Christmas!

  It was the same with a long ago Beginner’s Typing Class when  I was already typing fast but had no idea how to set margins.  Good thing WordPress sets the margins for us!

  Is this a personal personality flaw or what?  How about playing the flute in high school and making First Chair after memorizing Flight of the Bumble Bee while never learning to read music?

  But more randomly:

• We had dinner out with good friends (the same good friends) twice this week (or was it thrice?).  It is always amazing to find we never run out of things to talk about.
• The grounds around the house are lovely again, filled with the hope of beauteous blossoms and neatly manicured beds.  Everything is mulched, trimmed and awaiting the encroaching weeds of summer and deer denuding.  Spring never fails to elicit hope in my heart and oh, Virginia is truly gorgeous this time of year – like the fancy icing on a wedding cake.
  

  en.wikipedia.org Cardinalis cardinalis male feeding female, in a white-flowered C. canadensis

There was a storm brewing today though.  I am afraid of thunder storms so managed to beat it home in time but it didn’t thunder too much after all.  Otherwise, there is always the closet for shaking in privacy and  missing old dog, Rozie.  Rozie used to be so frightened of storms that her teeth would literally chatter.  I have never heard of a dog’s teeth chattering, have you?

 

Read Full Post »

Time Out for Wallowing

It’s Friday and so many of my blogging buddies are posting randoms.  I’m “not in the mood” though.

Actually, I am thinking it may be time for a Time Out from the blog that has been so pleasurable for so long.

Maybe it’s the winter blues.

Yes,  I do believe I am Wallowing in the Blues.  Great name for a song huh?

But, winter woes do not really excuse this current malaise.  There has been very little snow this season.

Yes, it’s cold.  So what?

Is it the light?

Why does my computer screen remain a daily confrontational blank?

I am already missing you cyberspace friends.

I’ll be back when the wallow is over.

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Remembering Friday Randoms

After I have finished reading a book, I forget it.  Well, most times.  Especially if it is fiction.  The upside of this is I can read the same book several times and always think it’s new.

After a week in my life is gone, I forget it.  Well, most times.  Especially if I am tired out and sleeping off a lot of excitement.

Today, Friday, I am staring at a blank page.  Can we call a backlit white space on a computer screen a “page”?

What did I do since last Friday that would warrant remembering?  And what could possibly interest my blogger family out there?

Lemme know if any of these “Randoms” leave you breathless o.k.?

• I made a cake for an upcoming block party but my grandgirls ate it.
• I made a second cake for the same upcoming block party.  Same cake.  Same party.  It escaped unscathed as it is hidden now in a spare bedroom.
• Our son, three granddaughters, and a possum came for a visit so I spent one whole day making beds and preparing advance meals.  No problem.  Excitement mounted.  The beds were not for the possum although one grandgirl wanted to let him in.  This was Mr. Possum’s second visit!  Can he be domesticated?
• We talked, laughed, got caught up, played scrabble, watched funny movies and made our traditional grocery store Runs for Survival.  Each college girl gets a canvas shopping bag she can fill to the brim (and over the brim) with snacks, goodies, and some real food for her dorm room.  It used to be a $5 run to the Dollar Store but times have changed haven’t they?
• Soon, well fed and stocked with provisions, our son and granddaughters left.  I spent another whole day making beds and my own Survival Run to restock pantry and refrigerator.  The possum returned once but seemed to know the food was gone, family time was over and he hasn’t come back.
• Another day was spent well, sleeping – like falling asleep between meals and before bedtime, and once standing up at the sink.  How exciting can you get?
•  I added three pages to a real book I am writing, so I am three pages past the Introduction.  This is a definite sign of recovery.  I started writing the book last spring.

Next, you will be quizzed on this report.

Can you remember anything about my Friday Randoms?

 

Read Full Post »