Sunday night late

Small but important (and painstaking) project this weekend, laying a bead of silicone caulk [arrow] to rescue the big mirror with the attached "Hollywood" light fixture in the master bath (similar to the mirror I removed in the guest bath now under reconstruction) before water intrusion destroyed the silver from the bottom up (as was happening even worse in the guest bath). (Don't plan on redoing this bathroom anytime soon.) The vintage faux marble sink and vanity will remain for now (perhaps for someone else to replace in the future). I still may replace the faucet fixture, however, since it's a little leaky (but I don't think it leaks to the floors below).

This bathroom contains a fiberglass tub enclosure, which could also use some help. (Maybe I'll strike a deal with a reconditioner to have the fiberglass units done in both bathrooms simultaneously.) Meanwhile, I've already spent hundreds of dollars in this bathroom replacing plumbing valves.

Ordered special almond-colored silicone caulk on the Internet for this project (caulk cost $3+ and shipping was $6+; had been unable to locate a small tube of it at the nearby Home Depot).

I first tried doing it on Saturday night but totally botched it (I was out of practice), so fixed it today (entailed lot of scraping with a razor blade).

This is the bathroom I first tackled when I moved here. Added the classical wallpaper border and "artifacts."

(including the Chac-Mool pottery piece, which I'd bought in Cancun following
a side trip to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, along with the smiling Etrucans [?])

Christmas: 1 small pot Yuban + 2 cups Starbucks Pike + spare time = cleaning time!

Spent a good chunk of the day cleaning (floors mostly). And most of that time I spent thinking I needed a new vacuum cleaner (to sweep the tile floors). I was manually (with a wet rag) getting up the stuff the otherwise reliable vacuum cleaner was supposed to pick up (in "bare floor" mode).

After most of the chores were done (and after having started searching for a new vacuum cleaner online), I realized that the hose attachment for the various tools was inserted into the floor-cleaning unit. Thus I was getting no suction (though the brush was rotating).

What a bunch of work that was! After I'd discovered my error in not detaching the hose, I swept another room I hadn't even planned on doing. (So I'm ahead of the game now.)

Up till then, it was really baffling just watching the cat hair blow around and the ubiquitous cat litter atomizing and going nowhere (and having to wipe it up with the rag and keep rinsing the rag out).

(Cleaning is not my forte. But the place is a lot cleaner now.)

Since I haven't been able to find someone to help me with the cleaning (floors mostly), I have to occasionally do it myself. (Didn't use the steamer today since the vacuum wasn't working, so I was down on my hands and feet and ass.) Glad I got some of the most neglected areas done.

More Monday Night Late

Woke up early this a.m. and Boozy was doing OK, so no visit to the vet. But Boozy is weakening, and I'm trying to get him stronger (fighting aggressively against the ongoing kidney failure, which has been ongoing for a few years already).

(Glad I woke up early, since the vet closed at noon today, which I found out after grocery shopping tonight -- vet is by the Publix [Siegel TLC].) (But, again, Boozy was feeling well this a.m., so no vet call or visit required.)

Boozy's downward spiral (which is now upward) came into focus this long weekend when I noticed he no longer had the strength to hop up onto his settee. (I've since found some new food that he likes -- a different brand.  (That was a shot in the dark.))  He's a lot better now.

Watched "The Dark Knight" on Comcast tonight. Seemed very long, but good. (Will watch again tomorrow night at earlier time.)

Monday nite late

(I have no use for religion or frivolity, but have a great day!)

Late Sunday night

Worried about Boozy. May try to get him to the vet tomorrow. We'll see in the morning.

Saturday afternoon

I forgot to mention that yesterday I received a letter from my homeowners insurance company (Citizens). Apparently my claim is being processed and I was advised to meanwhile protect my property from damage, etc. (Done.) I'll not start up with these repairs until I get a check/advice from Citizens.

Weather is nice today (in the mid-70s) so I thought I'd WALK up to Walgreens to pick up my scrip and also stop off at a linen store nearby to get a new towel for Bootsy's settee. The old one is shot and needs to be thrown out.

Boozy has been ailing off and on (throwing up, losing weight, having loose stools). I'm contemplating taking him to the vet's, maybe tomorrow, for a shot, or something. When he's feeling well, which is most of the time, he has an appetite and gets around OK. But today I watched as he tried to hop up on his settee and didn't make it, after which he let out with a cry and went to lie down on the rug next to the sliding glass door (where's he's been spending a lot of time lately).

I have pet stairs going up to the settee, but Boozy doesn't use them. (The other night I even put catnip on the steps in an effort to entice Boozy to use the stairs to get up on the settee.)

Saturday night late

Got lots done today. Had planned on going to Panda Kitchen & Bath up the road, so got up at reasonable hour (after going to bed not terribly late). Had a little pot of coffee and some stroganoff while reading on the Internet before showering and heading up to Panda a little after 2:00 (after taking pills).

I plan on having the fiberglass tub enclosure reconditioned (last step in the whole remodel process). The consultant at Panda told me -- after I'd told her I saw a YouTube from a guy in MA who reconditions these enclosures -- that no one in Florida does this. (She insisted I have the enclosure removed and replaced with a regular tub and tile surround.) She didn't know what she was talking about. See here and here. (I think she's in cohoots with a certain tile store up the street.)

The tub enclosure is very practical and easy to keep clean (no mildew in tile grout, etc.). If I can get it to look shiny and new, I'd prefer to go that route. Plus, all the plumbing has recently been redone for the enclosure and all leaks sealed (@ $280). (And imagine the labor costs involved in sawing the enclosure to pieces, having it hauled away, and installing a tub and tile surround.)

I frankly think that while tiles look nice around a traditional bathtub, they're impractical vs. a solid enclosure (and this is already there and one piece). The tile grout gets mildewed and eventually needs re-doing, and the tiles can start falling off the wall. More opportunity for water intrusion into the backing (unless expensive and difficult to cut concrete backer board is used, but even then...). I've looked into it and have decided on trying to rescue the fiberglass enclosure.

Otherwise, her advice was sensible. She said I needed a contractor or handyman and to talk to the building management about the projects that need to be done (remove old vanity, remove and replace old tire floor, hang light fixture from the repaired drywall, etc.) and get their recommendations, since they're in the know about these types of projects going on in the units. She said a nice 42" vanity and mirror would cost around $1200 (to be installed by Panda). (But maybe I want to find my own mirror.) Not terribly impressed with with that offer.

Meanwhile, the traffic today was crazy, as was to be expected. There were no parking spaces to be had in the shopping center where Panda is located, and drivers were going round and round waiting for someone to pull out of a spot. I went through one (slow) round of that and decided to park around the corner and across the railroad tracks. (Put steering wheel lock in place, since that neighborhood is crappy and there was no activity.) Five minute walk back to Panda. Then went to liquor store by Panda. (My usual rum was out of stock so had to buy something else, which was almost out of stock itself.) (I bought the last of the substitute that was on the shelves -- enough for now.)

Fortunately my truck was still sitting there on the other side of the tracks after doing my business, so I drove down to Home Depot to have a key made and then one block up to Walgreens to pick up a prescription. There were no parking spaces available in that (huge) parking lot either (which also serves a Ross, Office Max, Panera, Burger King, etc.), so I decided to get of there and drive back home. (Still have a few pills left of that prescription [the sleeping pill, estazolam].)

Meanwhile truck was laboring -- maybe need a new clutch. This laboring happens from time to time, but I was just happy to be back home and out of the vehicle.

Walked to convenience down the street store for a carton of cigs and some microwave sandwiches (for the long weekend -- not a lot of food here except the "stroganoff" and some eggs and frozen pizza). Then walked up to E's place for dinner (was hungry by then). (He comped it.)

E. wants to go to Flanigan's next Saturday at noon for lunch (probably his mother's suggestion). Sure, I'll go. Haven't been to Flanigan's in ages.

Day is over and done.

Lobby decorations

As GOP Sinks Plan B, Obama Should Tune Out His Own Party’s Doubters

Robert Shrum's perspective from The Daily Beast

Justice Antonin Scalia In Hot Water Again Over Homosexual Comments

From The Daily Beast

Amish Mafia : Great show!

Amish Mafia : About the Show : Discovery Channel

Monday night

Well, I lost another $20 bill tonight. I'd taken it out of the ATM this morning at the bus stop (where my bank is) just to buy holiday stamps at the P.O. tonight. Turned out the stamp dispensing machine this year accepts debit and credit cards only (and doesn't dispense holiday stamps -- so I got a generic "Celebrate!" stamp with balloons on it). I had the bill on me at the time. I guess I lost it when I was pulling the keys out of my pocket to get back into the truck (so distracted these days...).

Didn't notice I'd lost it till I was checking out later at the grocery store. (I think I must have turned a shade of purple or something.) Drove back to the P.O. to look around and also back to Target (adjacent), where I'd been before the P.O.

Well, Merry Christmas, whoever you all are, but I'm done playing "Secret Santa" this year. (BTW called doctor's office this morning and no one had found the money clip I'd lost Friday, with the $20+ attached.) (I'd used that money clip for 15 years or so.)

So as of today, I'm no longer carrying cash -- nada. (The stamp-dispensing machine doesn't even take it anymore!)

UPDATE: Found money clip in a pair of pants and will continue to carry. (Still lost the $20 bill, however. Happy holidays to the finder!)

Sunday night

All chores done (including giving Boozy a sitzbath). Watching show on volcanoes now. I wouldn't live anywhere near a volcano. (I was terrified of them as a child -- after seeing pictures of Pompeii in National Geographic -- though we don't even have volcanoes in Florida.) (Hurricanes were kind of fun, though, if you lived in a sturdy house with shutters; losing electricity and taking cold showers not so much fun.)

I was living in Helena, Montana when Mount St. Helens erupted (in 1980) in nearby Washington. We had ash raining down for days. (I used to have a film container full of it, which I'd collected off the sidewalk.) We were also advised not to breathe the air outside without wearing a mask or some kind of face covering. (I think I got a painter's mask.)

Visited Yellowstone Park while I lived out there. (It sits on a supervolcano.) Sounds like that's one we should all be afraid of. The whole park was bubbling and steaming and spewing geysers. (Stayed at Old Faithful Inn [pictured] -- named after the geyser outside.)

Beautiful old log hotel with enormous lobby and humongous hearth with chimney extending several floors up through the open multi-floored lobby area (to the roof), which I guess one day will be destroyed by the supervolcano.

Grass not greener on the other side

Spoke recently to neighbor next door. (Her toilet next to my guest bath had a leaky wax ring, allowing water to seep onto my bathroom floor -- but we didn't really talk about that.) (And that's been fixed.)

She told me her other bathroom -- the one with a bathtub vs. just a shower -- has been out of commission for around three years because of a leak.  Plumbers had not been able to get to the bottom of the problem until recently, when they opened up the wall in the hallway between her unit and the next one over, which recently began experiencing problems of its own.

Having looked inside the wall at the plumbing for my neighbor's tub, a plumber told her that the only way to fix her tub would be to break floor tiles in the bath, disconnect the toilet from the wall, and remove drywall in that area to have access to address the leak. She said it sounded like it could be costly and that she might just have to hold off doing it. She was supposed to get an estimate on Friday but the plumber wasn't around. (He's very busy these days.)

Meanwhile -- and this sounds crazy but I'm afraid it's true -- in order to stop the flow of water to her toilet so they could replace the wax ring, they had to close a valve that's located beneath my sink, which also regulates the flow of cold water to the sink. (I'd noticed the cold water to my sink had been shut off.) The whole time it was shut off, however, (a few days) my neighbor and her daughter were unable to use the shower and had to bathe themselves using water from her sink. Crazy!

Daily Kos: Public debt of the United States shall not be questioned: the 14th Amendment and the debt ceiling

By Armando here

Maureen Dowd: 'A Lost Civilization'

Here from NYTimes.com

'What could go wrong when voting absentee? Plenty, it turns out'

The Herald keeps running this story. Almost sounds like they're discouraging people from voting by absentee ballot. (Almost like voter suppression!)

Story here

The most disagreeable time of the year

Ever since I've been a full-fledged adult, the holidays have been an unwelcome distraction. My reaction to all the hype and forced gaiety has been to withdraw in defense inside my shell. I find myself peering out at the world in a state of torpor till the days finally pass. (And watching all the people put on a happy face on Facebook only adds to my misery.)

Enough of that. Time to write out the Christmas cards.

Late Saturday night

Excellent movie (rewatching it now). Thank God it had a great ending, because a bad ending can kill the whole thing (for me) even if up till then it's excellent.

See political controversy over it here. (Creators of the film said speculations were ridiculous.)

E. called after he got home from work tonight, so I was all wrong in my speculation (but not without basis).

Will watch this tonight

See here.

Reality check: Sea level rise in Miami

(That's the Freedom Tower at the arrow. Watch it become inundated.) (Article at Huffington Post here.)

Huffington Post: Celebrities At Art Basel Miami Beach 2012: Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson, Diddy, And More!

(MORE PHOTOS)

Charlie Crist signs papers to become a Democrat

MiamiHerald.com: "The widely expected move positions Crist, 56, for another highly anticipated next step: announcing his candidacy for governor, taking on Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Scott and an untold number of Democrats who would challenge him for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination."

Charles Blow: 'Dinosaurs and Denial'

NYTimes.com:

 [Marco Rubio] said, “There is no scientific debate on the age of the Earth. I mean, it’s established pretty definitively. It’s at least 4.5 billion years old.”

But then he hedged: “I just think in America we should have the freedom to teach our children whatever it is we believe. And that means teaching them science. They have to know the science, but also parents have the right to teach them the theology and to reconcile those two things.”

Why the hedge? Because he is in a party of creationists. According to a June Gallup report, most Republicans (58 percent) believed that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years. Most Democrats and independents did not agree.

Art Basel: World’s largest art scene pops up in Miami — for 1 week only

Freedom Tower: Kind of looks like this now

This is killer on the traffic here (bus ride home at night, in particular).

World’s largest art scene pops up in Miami — for 1 week only - Business - MiamiHerald.com

See here and here too.

Saturday

Slept in late!

Not a lot on my agenda. Clean cat boxes. Water plants. Do the Xmas cards?

Having coffee and going to read news and blogs.

Email problems have been fixed, by the way, since the hacking incident at the beginning of November. All mail from my Bellsouth account is being forwarded again to my gMail account, as before. Everything back to normal. (Worked back on that last night.)

More TGIF

I hadn't heard from E. in a few days (which was odd). Maybe he's back with the crooked old BF (or someone else), which is fine with me. (I'd been the last to call - twice - and got no answer or call-back, and thought the hell with that!) Well, when I got back to work from the doctor's, there was a message from him on my work phone. I called him back and no answer (no surprise). Then he called back - he just wanted to say TGIF and have a nice weekend. Kind of flaky. We also discussed the latest with the guest bath (which had incurred a lot of water damage).

I think, as of this week, all the damage has been done (at least for the time being), and next week I'll look into having an insurance claims adjuster come in and assess the damage (so I can maybe get paid for something). (Neighbor had leaking wax seal on toilet that was causing water to seep into my bathroom and cause damage from the floor up (into the drywall) - that was fixed this week.) (That was just the latest problem that has been fixed - there'd also been water seeping in from above and destroying the drywall in the ceiling and wall behind the shower head.)

After the adjuster has been here, I'll start getting things fixed. Good time of year for that - bonus time!

(First round of damage)

(Latest damage) (Toilet is gone, BTW - have new one waiting to be installed)

And -- in between the first round of damage and the latest damage (which was probably ongoing during the first round of damage), I myself was accused of causing damage to the floors below (from a faulty wax ring on my toilet and leaks in the tub enclosure). I'd known there was a slow leak coming from the old toilet tank and had a towel on the floor to absorb this. The plumber said the toilet should go (so I bought a new one and had the old one disconnected so as not to leak from the wax ring). The plumber also replaced the valve to the toilet tank (which I couldn't turn off), replaced the "cartridge" in the tub enclosure, replaced the tub faucet, and did necessary caulking. So I'm no longer leaking out of here myself (so I've been told by the management).

I used to use this bathroom for about everything (for various reasons). Now I use the master bath for everything. It's been a bit of an adjustment, especially when getting ready to go to work in the morning.

The guest bedroom adjacent to the guest bath is where my flatscreen TV and computer are, so I spend most of my non-sleeping time in this room (when not at work). (Can no longer watch the TV from the toilet, if the need arises.)

TGIF!

Had nursing appointment this morning and was an hour or so late to work. There's a MacDonald's a few steps from the doctor's office, so got breakfast (steak, egg and cheese bagels plus hash browns) to eat back at work after having blood drawn (didn't want to contaminate blood for the tests - may sound silly, but... (it's a lot of fat and cholesterol). Back at work and hungry, I did enjoy them (even though by then they were a little cold). The bagel, steak etc. sandwich I think is their best breakfast sandwich. The steak is fried with onions and well seasoned, plus it goes perfectly with the chewy texture of the bagel (chewy but not tough). 

Had pretty busy day mostly designing holiday e-cards for a couple of the attorneys.  Then stayed an hour late since to make up some time.  So no gym tonight.

Noticed earlier in the day that I didn't have my money clip in my pocket (with $20-something in bills clipped to it).  I thought maybe I'd forgotten to put it in my pocket while I was getting dressed.  Well, when I got back home, it wasn't sitting in the dish where I keep all the stuff that goes into my pockets.  So apparently it slipped out of my pocket either when I was on the bus or at the doctor's.  I'll call the doctor's office on Monday to ask whether anyone found the money clip.  If not, I'm out a (stainless steel) money clip plus some cash.  (This has never happened before.)

Reason for de-activating from Facebook

Facebook asks why you're deactivating. One on the list of choices is something like I didn't get any benefit from it. (That's the one I chose.) So true.

[LATER] The choice is actually, "I don't find Facebook useful."

So peaceful to be away from Facebook

I've de-activated my account.

Facebook was always a net negative experience for me.

One more day

Been having trouble with email lately. Email not coming from original AT&T account to gmail. Got a lot of technical support tonight (chat and then on the phone with a person). My password didn't work. Finally got things straightened out and went onto AT&T Webmail to see this email notice from Nov. 2:

This email is to advise you that your account may have been compromised.  We recommend changing the passwords on your account(s).  In case of active misuse the account will have the password invalidated.  Be sure to select a password not used previously.

When the phone tech guy had helped me reset my password earlier, I set it to the old password. But when I read this email, I immediately changed the password. Hope AT&T emails will now keep coming in through gmail.

[LATER] They don't.  I've even gone into AT&T Webmail and followed all the instructions for forwarding them.  Guess I'll be looking at two webmail services from now on.

OMG abbreviation traced back to 1917 Winston Churchill letter

OMG abbreviation traced back to 1917 Winston Churchill letter (VIDEO) | GlobalPost

Wednesday night - back at the blog

Watching a "Nature" show on hummingbirds. Never knew they ate insects or made chirping sounds (I've heard them buzzing). I always wondered how they could survive on nectar alone. (I think it was one-quarter of their diet consists of insects.) (They showed them catching flies in mid-air, just gulping them out of the air.) I also didn't know that the epicenter for hummingbird diversity was in South American (Ecuador).

Next, it's onto a new "Restaurant: Impossible."

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Big Lies Of Mitt Romney IV: Obama Slowed The Recovery On Purpose, Ctd - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast

The Big Lies Of Mitt Romney IV: Obama Slowed The Recovery On Purpose, Ctd - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast

Get background on the student revolt in Quebec

In a province of sacrifice, a few pursue privilege - The Globe and Mail

David Brooks' Dishonest Invocation of Alexander Hamilton - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime

David Brooks' Dishonest Invocation of Alexander Hamilton - TalkLeft: The Politics Of Crime

Judges' robes and pots & pans join together in Montreal demonstrations against university tuition hikes and new law to curb disruptive protests

(That's some excuse to lose weight, cochonne)

Toges et casseroles, de concert pour manifester | Cyberpresse

Daily Kos: Florida voter rolls purge snags eligible voters

Gov. Rick Scott

Daily Kos: Florida voter rolls purge snags eligible voters

Controversial Painting of South African President Jacob Zuma Vandalized

Controversial Painting of South African President Jacob Zuma Vandalized | Clutch Magazine

Gay bar bans bachelorette parties

Gay bar bans bachelorette parties

(From CNN. Watch video.)

Daily Kos: The Chronicles of Mitt: May 28, 2012

Daily Kos: The Chronicles of Mitt: May 28, 2012

'Hello, human diary. It is I again, Mitt Romney, your better. . . .'

Sunday afternoon personal

Sitting over at Starbucks, using their WiFi, while Internet is down at home. AT&T said there's an outage in my area that began at 11-something this morning and could last 24 hours. Great!  :(

Saturday nite late

Been spending a lot of time on Facebook lately. Switched to the new Timeline version and have been learning how to use it. (I like it.)

Leaf chameleons found in Madagascar are among the world's smallest reptiles

NY Daily News story here.

Gay Colombian priests hired hitmen to kill themselves

Read the story from Mail Online here.

Tuesday night personal

Received this email from my doctor's office today:

Dear Patients,

As many of you may know, [my doctor's practice] was acquired by [a national healthcare foundation] on 09/01/2011. Since we are now working under the [foundation's] umbrella, our current insurance contracts will be changing from [my doctor's practice] to [the foundation]. This credentialing process can be a slow one. You might receive a letter from your insurance company stating that your doctor is no longer participating with your plan. We apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this change may have caused.

Your care will not be interrupted, and you will still maintain access to your doctor. Please rest assured that this situation is simply due to contractual changes during this transition. Your providers ([my doctor and his associates]) will continue to provide you with the same high-quality medical care you have come to expect and appreciate.

We highly value our patients and welcome any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact our offices at _______________.

Sincerely,
_________________________
Practice Administrator

Yes, I received one of those letters a couple of weeks ago and called my doctor's office the following morning. I was in a state of shock.

Monday night personal

Wanted to get E. something for Valentine's Day, so I stopped off at Radio Shack on the way home (after getting off the bus at Home Depot to pay my kitchen remodel bill) and bought some speakers for his laptop (the last ones on the shelf) ($20), along with a card at the Walgreens in the same strip mall. The speakers appeared to have been returned, and it was the only box left on the shelf. Brought them home and tested them on the netbook and, unfortunately, they (or one of them) were defective. (There appeared to be short in the wiring or a faulty connection.)

I then got into the truck and drove back down to Radio Shack to get a refund and then head up to Target, telling the clerk there was something wrong with one of the speakers, but in a flash he whisked a brand-new box of the same speakers from the stock room, saying the box had not been opened. (Meanwhile I glanced back over at the shelf and it was empty.)

So they were trying to move the returned merchandise before putting out the fresh, which I can understand. I don't mind buying returned merchandise, but in this case there was definitely a defect.

Brought the new speakers home and tested them. Sounded great. Then I taped the Valentine's card onto the box and dropped it off at E.'s restaurant before heading out shopping. He was thrilled and called me back after he'd opened the card. Didn't get the message till I'd put my desktop back online, after doing a bunch of updates on the netbook (which had been sitting in a drawer for months).

The speakers are nothing spectacular but they sounded good to me (a helluva lot better than the tinny speakers built into the laptop - actually the worst criticism I'd read for this particular laptop) and don't take up a lot of room on his computer table. And they were simple to connect. And, I hope, will last longer than flowers or a box of chocolates. (Meanwhile I'm holding onto the receipt.)

Adele - 'Someone Like You'

Watch on YouTube here.

Sunday night personal

Last night, after I hadn't heard from E. by 11:00, I decided to drive up there to see if he was OK. (I guess I was freaking out a little over Whitney Houston's untimely death.) It was cold and I got my jeans on, etc., and packed a backpack. I then called at around 11:20 and he answered the phone. To make a long story short, I ended up spending the night there. (He'd even bought me some heavy socks with black soles to hide the dirt.) (He has a matching pair.) (And we were wearing them, since it was in the 40s outside.) (And no smoking inside.)

Drove back home early this a.m. and crashed.

Didn't do a thing all day except sleep and eat and cut my hair and shave for tomorrow.

Saturday night personal

Stayed up late last night, but not terribly late. Was off to bed after taking a sleeping pill prescribed by my doctor and got a lot of good sleep. Had set phone alarm to wake up at 2:00 p.m. to take some pills. Got up with earplugs and blindfold still on (pulled up so I could see), took pills, fed cats, and went back to bed for a few more hours. Got up after 5:00. Enough rest, I figured.

Was full of energy. Walked over to Starbucks to pick up a coffee and a Chicken Santa Fe panini. Then emptied and reloaded dishwasher and ran it. Scoured sink. Got a coffee refill but didn't drink it till I did some sewing with needle and thread. (Needed steady hands for that.) Had to turn on all the lights in here and also use a clamp light to see what I was doing. Mended the cuffs of my hoodie - they were coming apart at the seams - and also stitched up a small tear in my comforter. Now at least when these items get washed again, they won't keep unraveling as they have been. (I think I did a pretty good job.)

Had called E. at work when I got up. He wasn't there. Called him at home - he'd taken the day off. (He doesn't do that often and must have needed it.) Sounded like he was about to crash. Called after 10:00 and left message to call me when he woke up.

TGIF at last!!! (Personal)

Good news! Called my doctor's office this morning and they said the letter from the health insurance company had been sent out in error and to ignore it. They still have a contract with the company. (I wasn't the only patient who'd called about the letter.) The doctor's assistant I talked to said some patients had called in a real "tizzy" (I think is the word he used). (I wasn't in a tizzy but was sad I might lose my doctor.)

No gym tonight, but I did take a decent nap. It was raining when I got off work and the buses were running late and the traffic snarled. Got home at the time I would normally go take a nap, and I need some down time to feed cats, check email, change clothes, etc. when I get home. So no gym (but needed nap).

E. called me after he got off work. He'd been expecting me to come over there tonight. I don't recall his inviting me, but he said he did so last weekend when I went to his restaurant for dinner. He called me at work today and didn't say anything like "See you tonight" or whatever. (Nor had he mentioned the visit at any other time during the past week.) I also called him at work when I got home tonight, and he didn't call back (he said he'd been too busy). Lots of mixed signals. But what should I expect from someone coming out of a bad relationship. (I think he's still shell-shocked.) Meanwhile, I'm not pushing anything.

One reason I called him at the restaurant tonight was to ascertain what his plans were for later. I perhaps would have suggested coming over here, since he hasn't seen the cats in a while. But, again, I have no recollection of his account of the plan being for me to go to his place tonight.

Almost TGIF!

Since tonight is Bad TV Night, I got a lot done around here. Had to walk to the convenience store to get milk to make Stroganoff Hamburger Helper. Along with a bowl of citrus salad, I ate some of that for dinner. (Pretty good - I'd recently seen an ad for it on TV and thought I'd do something with ground beef other than make chili.) (Yesterday I made Zatarain's Dirty Rice and had that for lunch at work today.) (Really good.) I always make this stuff meatier than called for (including my chili, with I make with Chili-O, Rotel extra-hot tomatoes, tom sauce, Bush's red kidney beans, and a little vinegar and salt).

Went to truck for some stuff and stopped by the mailbox (on the same floor). Had a letter from my health insurance company saying that my doctor would no longer be associated with the company as of the end of April (and I have a doctor's appointment at the beginning of May). I'll have to call the doctor's office tomorrow about that and, I guess, get a referral to someone else. What a shame. I'd been going to this doctor for 10 years or so and loved him. What a sucky health care we have.

Watered the plants, also.

'Life amid the lemon trees'

 Read the Miami Herald story here.

"One of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods, Lemon City, was home to the county’s first school, library and major grocery store."

'Underground Miami: A voyage to the center of the port tunnel'

Read the Miami Herald story here.

(And be sure to watching the fascinating 7+ minute video.)

'The Caging of America'

Mass Incarceration and Criminal Justice in America : The New Yorker

'The scale and the brutality of our prisons are the moral scandal of American life. Every day, at least fifty thousand men—a full house at Yankee Stadium—wake in solitary confinement, often in “supermax” prisons or prison wings, in which men are locked in small cells, where they see no one, cannot freely read and write, and are allowed out just once a day for an hour’s solo “exercise.” (Lock yourself in your bathroom and then imagine you have to stay there for the next ten years, and you will have some sense of the experience.) Prison rape is so endemic—more than seventy thousand prisoners are raped each year—that it is routinely held out as a threat, part of the punishment to be expected. The subject is standard fodder for comedy, and an uncoöperative suspect being threatened with rape in prison is now represented, every night on television, as an ordinary and rather lovable bit of policing. The normalization of prison rape—like eighteenth-century japery about watching men struggle as they die on the gallows—will surely strike our descendants as chillingly sadistic, incomprehensible on the part of people who thought themselves civilized. Though we avoid looking directly at prisons, they seep obliquely into our fashions and manners. Wealthy white teen-agers in baggy jeans and laceless shoes and multiple tattoos show, unconsciously, the reality of incarceration that acts as a hidden foundation for the country. . . .'

'The Story of a [Gay] Suicide'

Tyler Clementi’s Suicide and Dharun Ravi’s Trial (from The New Yorker)

America's Most Miserable Cities

(Miami's #1!)

Read the Forbes article here.

Late Saturday night

Been watching SyFy tonight. First "Outlander," and now this. Lotsa wasted bullets in this show. But this guy is cute:

(Coby Bell)

Nightmare!

Just woke up from a long, horrible nightmare in which both E. and I were fired from our jobs. (Phone alarm was also ringing - time to take some pills.)

I was working at a place somewhere on the grounds of an Episcopal church and day school. What my job was, I don't know, but I had volunteered to conduct a children's play featuring French songs and apparently they weren't happy with the job I was doing (among other things perhaps). They had reached the conclusion that my French language skills weren't good enough for me to have taken on this project, contrary to what I had led them to believe (I didn't even like working on the project; it was vapid and boring, and in reality - the reality of the dream, i.e. - I had bona fide credentials to undertake it). It appears they mistook my lack of enthusiasm for some kind of fraud on my part. (Or I thought maybe they were just using that as an excuse to fire me for some other reason - like I was costing them too much on their health insurance plan.) [Only in the USA!]

They didn't say I was fired; they just blocked me from coming in to work and had removed my personal possessions from my workspace. I think they even helped load them into my truck (in reality, I don't drive to work) and drove the truck off the premises, across a bridge. I asked them if they were firing me and, if so, why. They said they didn't have to offer any explanations and that if I didn't hear back from them within a month or so, I could assume I had lost my job. Meanwhile, E. was also on the premises (and I think was helping me load the truck) and said things weren't working out at his job either (doing what, I don't know) and he assumed he was "on [his] way out." Meanwhile I was being shunned by my supervisor and others. At one point, I was standing outside in a daze as all the WASPy-looking Episcopal children were frolicking around me.

It was very vivid (and long and complicated). So glad to wake up from that (and take my pills)!

Friday nite late

Used rest of flex time today, getting off work before 4:00 (after arriving late, as planned).

I'm not used to getting home so early, but used the time to properly import all the posts from the old blog and fine-tune the new blog's appearance. (I'd tried to import the old posts last night but kind of botched it.) (Not something I do frequently, and it's a little tricky.) Today I ended up going with a template similar to the last, so there are fewer problems with the old layouts' being imported.

TGIF!

See here.

On the banks of these rivers are the same kind of land as I have already described, and upon one of them a remarkable natural curiosity, being a bridge of solid rock forming a more regular arch than you can well conceive where it is certain no human hand has ever given it assistance. The width of the arch at the surface of the water is 25 ft, the perpendicular height from the water four feet, and the rock itself in the center 6 ft. The breadth of the bridge is 33 ft covered with trees and makes a most romantic appearance. I passed under it in the four oar’d boat only by holding my head down. The water being about 7 ft deep this bridge is about a mile and a half in a direct line from the mouth of the river, but by the winding about three miles upon some of these rivers may be seen the remains of old Indian fields which I suppose must have been the Yamasees [it was the Tequestas, actually]. . . .

Welcome

Arch Creek, in North Miami-Dade County, flows beneath a natural bridge

From Wikipedia here.

In 1957, the first of many threats against the future of the natural bridge materialized. The bridge was endangered by a plan to drain low lying areas as part of a flood prevention program. The Army Corps of Engineers wanted to blow up the bridge, or re-route the creek. A 1957 newspaper article announced that "the bridge must be sacrificed for better drainage of the area." Protests from members of the local Audubon Society, the Historical Association of Southern Florida and the Dade Conservation Council prevented any of this destructive action.

Things remained quiet until the 1970s, when Arch Creek became the property of the Chrysler Corporation. Their plans called for the construction of an automobile showroom, and a new and used car agency. In 1972, Chrysler requested a zoning change from the City of North Miami, which would have allowed them to pave the area and build a garage on the property. Vigorous opposition came from the Tropical Audubon Society, the Miami-West India Archaeological Society, the Keystone Point Homeowners' Association, and the members of the Arch Creek Trust. After almost a year, of intense lobbying the State of Florida agreed to purchase the land for a state park. The State's Land Acquisition Trust allocated $822,000 to buy 7.9 acres (32,000 m2) of property east of the Creek.

A group of local citizens, who later formed the organization Arch Creek Trust, went to Tallahassee in February 1973, to finalize the agreement. On the night they returned, the natural bridge collapsed and fell into the creek. Rumors of sabotage ran through the community, and the Metro-Dade Police Bomb Squad was called out. Nothing was discovered, and experts generally agreed later that the fall was probably due to constant vibrations from passing trains, or erosion, or just old age and decay. In the years that followed, there were various efforts to restore the bridge, clear the property of trash and save additional land in the area. . . .

(The bridge has been totally restored, by the way.)

Thursday night personal

E. just called (kind of late). (He usually calls at around 11:30.) (Good I'm taking flex time tomorrow a.m. and can stay up a little later tonight.) He'd been out to Flanigan's with co-workers after work. (What I'd thought.) Time to shut down.

Monday night personal

Had to work 1:00 to 5:00 yesterday, so that killed the day (and Saturday night). On top of that, the ING Marathon was going on downtown and streets were closed. Got off the bus several blocks from my building, before the bus headed west (i.e., not in the direction I was going), and then I had to thread myself through a metal barricade to reach my building (or else be late to work). Bus had been late (because of the snarled traffic, no doubt) and I didn't have time to stop off at the Checkers by Omni for chili dogs (got sandwiches at CVS instead on my walk to my building).

Was hungry when I got home, so drove over to the nearest Taco Bell. Hadn't been to TB in ages. Tried a couple of things I'd never had before (I don't think): a chalupa and an enchirito (definitely never had this). Won't get either again. Didn't care for the doughy chalupa wrapper - not much flavor there, and not much meat but a lot of toppings. The enchirito is a lot of fatty goop (or goopy fat). But I also got my staples: a Mexican pizza and a regular beef hard taco (also took four tacos home, which I ate cold for breakfast today). Mexican pizza was not the best, however - no scallions and meat layer was lacking.

Tonight I caught up with some chores. Ran dishwasher (meaning: emptying the dishwasher and putting all the rinsed-off dishes piled up in the sink into the dishwasher and washing them, and also sanitizing the sink). Also made a West African Tuna Casserole (from Joy of Cooking). (Don't do the au gratin.)

I usually always cry at "Interventions" and tonight was a good one ("Suzon").

Now "First Week In" - never seen it before. An attorney in jail! Also a gay 22-year-old who was driving drunk. And a father who assaulted his son.

Haven't heard from E. tonight. (His night off.) (Beer time!) (Plus he had some Jäger in the freezer.) (Also have Jäger in the freezer.) (Did get a call from the Alan Grayson campaign.)

[12:14 a.m.]  E. just called. He said he was "starving" and was in the car, driving to the nearby McDonalds. (I said no French fries.) (He eats enough of those from work and says he wants to lose some weight.)

He called back from home and all is well. (E.'s nites off always worry me a little.)

Nitey.

Saturday night personal

E. prevailed upon me to stay over at his place last night.  Had a nice time.  Watched a lot of "Dr. G."  We also paid some bills on his computer, and I checked for Windows updates.  I think I'm going to try to find a set of speakers for his computer, since the sound is pretty tinny. (He said he'd like speakers vs. a headphone.)

Watched a new SyFy movie tonight about an impending volcanic eruption beneath downtown Miami ("Swamp Volcano").  (Apparently it had been renamed from "Miami Magma.")

Have to work from 1 to 5 tomorrow, so will go to bed a little earlier than normal for a Saturday night.

E. called a couple of minutes after I posted this. He had a busy (successful) night, and someone slipped him a $100 bill for Xmas.

Thursday night personal

No working tonight after work. I was making gravy last night till past 10:00.

Just sliced off some more chicken for tomorrow's lunch (and spooned on gravy). No more chores tonight. Been busy at work. Need R&R. Just too bad that TV is so lousy on Thursdays. But lots of coverage on the Florida election campaign on MSNBC. Glad I don't have to choose between Gingrich and Romney (but I'd hold my nose and vote for Romney).

I think I'll watch "The Amityville Horror" on SyFy at 9:00 (a bad remake of a bad movie). (But it gets 5.8 out of 10 stars on IMDb.) (I may have seen it before - with a very toned Ryan Reynolds, with a beard.)

The house in Amityville on Long Island, NY

(The house doesn't really have the creepy windows)

See here and here.

[Later] Shortly before 11:00, got a call from E. He's going out for drinks to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. Told him to be careful. (He's driving.)

Wednesday night personal

Playing hooky from the gym tonight. Actually, I had a lot to do (and still doing it). Had forgotten to get cat litter the other night and ran to the store for that, then got gas. Roasted a chicken and making pan gravy (made stock of giblets for that, too). Major cat box cleaning, which is a big chore these days with Boozy's kidney condition.

Just finished up the gravy. Had put the drippings in the freezer to make it easier to skim off the fat. Then added that to the reduced broth, plus a packet of chicken gravy mix (don't always use, but this was Publix brand on sale, so was experimenting), some Wondra ("gravy flour"), frozen thyme sprigs, fresh black pepper, etc. Came out excellent! (I never used to use packaged gravy mix, but sometimes there aren't enough drippings - especially with roasts - so I supplement.) (And sometimes I don't have the time to do an elaborate gravy - I just eat the drippings with a spoon.)

Wondra is also great for making crêpes (per Julia Child). (Haven't made them in ages, however.) (Used to make Crêpes Suzette.)