Weekend Thread for April 2024

I have nothing to say, and I say it well.

This is for when we quiet folks of the pub want to get out and party! Or maybe not. Anyway, please discuss your wild, quiet, quirky, inspiring, or any other kinds of plans you would like to talk about.

And when we say weekend, that can be from Monday through Sunday because a lot of us are retired or nearly so.

Whew. Please pass the PGGB pitcher. That was a lot of words.

Who's making plans for the eclipse? We're fortunate, the path of totality is right over us, we don't have to go anywhere. Hoping for clear weather.

>2 Karlstar:
I hope you enjoy the eclipse. I have let my daughter and her husband know you are on the total eclipse path, so they and the two children will be arriving the day before. I hope you all have a good time.

:-)

>1 MrsLee: The PGGB is chilled and sitting on your side table. I hope you enjoy it.

We're well outside totality and the forecast is cloudy, so I haven't made any plans to view the eclipse. I think there will be only a tiny bite out of the sun here. The local planetarium and the university have set up viewing stations for them as are interested, assuming it is clear on the big day.

I am going to an antique show on Saturday. I doubt I'll buy anything, but I always enjoy looking.

I also need to go for runs on Friday and Sunday. My husband is doing a Half Marathon in Vancouver at the beginning of May, and I impulsively signed up for the 8K. I'm also registered for a 10K at the end of May. I haven't done any running in almost a year, so I plan to run alternate days for the next month, building up to the 8K. I haven't been completely inert all this time - I do regular yoga, gardening, and I walk a lot, so I'm not anticipating problems with anything other than my motivation.

>5 tardis:
Best of luck with the marathons and the preparation for them.

Also, enjoy the antique show.

I doubt I'll buy anything,

Yea! We all believe you.

>6 pgmcc: They seldom have many books at these antique shows, or the risk of buying would be higher. My rule is that I have to have a use for AND love whatever I consider buying. One year I got a very nice letter opener with a turned wood handle. Possibly not antique, but useful and beautiful :)

>7 tardis:
I once came across a definition of an antique as something made before you were born. Now I find things referred to as antiques that were made when I was in my twenties and thirties. It is quite disconcerting.

>2 Karlstar: We had wanted to go to our in-law's home in Texas to view this, but life and time got away from us. The last one we were in the right place, but so were a lot of clouds and smoke.

>4 pgmcc: You're the best!

>5 tardis: Whew! Running sounds almost as exhausting as looking around at an antique show! lol

>8 pgmcc: I thought it was 100 years old for an antique and 50 years for vintage, but I hear the terms applied randomly. Also, people are calling things vintage from the 80s, and we all know those were only 20 years ago!

I managed to garden today. Felt good, not much done, but it took an hour and a half to do it in.

>2 Karlstar: We were in the totality zone in 2017. The whole area was in a mild state of panic thinking we would be inundated with watchers. Instead everyone stayed home and the streets were super quiet for about a week. It was wonderful. Oh and the eclipse was pretty cool, too. Although I had a raging migraine afterwards.

I had a day full of doctors today. Went to my regular doc for a wellness checkup. She looked at my heart scan and listened to my heart and concurred that there is indeed calcification on at least one of my valves. She also thought it would be prudent to further explore why my lymph nodes had some granulation, I guess you’d call it. It can be caused by infections or by something called sarcoidosis. And a couple of weird things going on on my skin could be a sign of this disease as well. So I had to go from her to get x-rays of my lungs. She is also going to refer me to a dermatologist so he can take a biopsy of the weird thing on my arm. She said it was easier than taking a biopsy of my lungs. I may also have to have a CT scan. From my x-rays I went to get my echocardiogram. I will hopefully hear the results of that sometime tomorrow. The little valves looked like they were working so I guess that’s good. :)

In better news, my asthma medicine has helped my breathing on runs, and after them, tremendously. I was able to run 9 miles on Sunday. Haven’t done that in a while.

>5 tardis: I’m training for a trail marathon in August. So being able to run 9 miles felt great! Getting motivated to get out and run has been a challenge. Having an event will help. And my friend and I are holding each other accountable. That helps too. :) Good luck with your training. I hope you find joy in it!

>10 catzteach: So some good news and some ambiguous news. That's a start. Hopefully the next bit of news is good.

Eclipses: I regret particularly missing 2 of them. In 1975 I was living in Canberra and the eclipse was total in Cooma, only an hour's drive away, and I didn't go. Been kicking myself ever since for that one. And in 2015 there was a total eclipse visible from Svalbard on 20 March, just as the sun rose for the first time since the previous November. We reasoned that it would be cloudy (because it very often is in Svalbard), so didn't go. But it wasn't and the eclipse was beautiful.

>10 catzteach: That was a long day of appointments and testing! Hope it results in some clear answers for you.

>3 pgmcc: Just let me know when they plan on arriving. :) As it turns out, some folks I know only from online will be in the area and we're meeting for dinner. It will be nice to meet them in person.

>10 catzteach: I hope your scans come up with only good results.

I've been trying to make the house presentable for the past two weeks, and you'd think I hadn't done anything! By this time tomorrow, my oldest sister and her husband will be arriving (in a pickup truck with an attached camper -- a 5th wheel?) from the Denver area via Big Bend. They'll be camping in my driveway.
By Saturday evening, my oldest brother and his partner will be arriving from Sarasota, Fla via an airport in Fort Worth, and then driving three hours. Apparently, the flight times are a large consideration, and it's what works out best for them. I live a little more than a half-hour drive from the much larger airport in Austin.
Early Monday morning, my oldest son and his girlfriend (lives maybe 4 miles from me) will be arriving to caravan with us up to Karrell's sister's place a few miles north of Waco where, if all goes well, we'll be enjoying almost four and a half minutes of totality on a 50-acre former ranch with no lights around. Afterward, my sister and her husband are headed back home (north and west.)

I wish!

I'm full expecting that we'll be socked in by clouds and/or rain, so the most likely scenario is that we'll make a big batch of popcorn and sit around my monstrous television watching some live stream from some other part of the country while discussing the plans for the family reunion in August in New Jersey. Yeah, I'm doing another road trip.

My brother and his partner will be staying with me for another week. The following weekend is the F-1 motorcycle races in Austin, and he is still a big fan of that.
Their plane leaves that Monday afternoon.

Ah well, back to shoveling papers and crap into boxes, then dust and vacuum everything.

Echo last month was unchanged. Lung function test today was normal. Small wins but I'll take them. (Getting old really sucks.)

>14 WholeHouseLibrary: Don't forget the cobwebs. ;) I always do.

>15 Taphophile13: Normal lung function is huge, we just don't think about it much until it isn't there. Glad for your wins.

>16 MrsLee: You are so right. Two years ago I had pneumonia and pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs prevents them from fully inflating). I was struggling for every breath, very frightening.

Hope everyone else having tests has good results.

>15 Taphophile13: Forgotten who said that getting old is not for sissies, but it's true.

Well, this was an exciting Friday morning. There has been a 4.8 earthquake in NJ and both NYC and Philadelphia felt the earth move (tremor, really). I felt it but (and this should tell you something) the thought of an earthquake never occurred to me. I mean, who gets earthquakes on this side of the North American continent? I just assumed it was some heavy piece of construction equipment or some 18 wheeler going past the house (due to some issues on i-95). Meanwhile, my son is texting me to let me know he and his fiancee were okay and were we? I wasn't sure what he meant and he indicated that he thought a 4.8 earthquake was probably deserving of a check-in message. That was when I turned on the news to verify. (Right now they're just telling everyone to be aware of the potential for aftershocks.)

So does this mean someone has scheduled a day for Armageddon after all?

>19 jillmwo: I too experienced the quake as more noise than tremor. I felt the 2011 Virginia quake and immediately knew what that one was.

I thought it was a little bit sad that Bill Nye thought it was necessary to reassure people that this has nothing to do with the eclipse.

>20 Taphophile13: Poor Mr. Nye. He's seen enough to know that he does in fact have to make that point.

People here in Southern NH reported experiencing some tremor, but I live partway up a pretty solid mountain of granite so the waves didn't reach here - I just heard a loud noise and didn't attribute it to anything in particular until I saw the many reports from nearby friends.

Not much planned for this weekend. Supposed to go to a birthday party, but if any of the sick people are going we're staying home. No need to court sickness when we're leaving for Norway in a week.

My Friday run is on hold - I woke up to fresh wet snow and I do NOT want to slip in it. So, I did the grocery shopping and if it doesn't melt quick enough to run later today, I will either use the dusty elliptical trainer in the garage or do some extra yoga. I have an audiobook to listen to while on the elliptical so it will be less boring than usual.

Also somewhat sad as we got word yesterday that our former neighbour has died. She was 102, but up until Tuesday she was doing really well. She fell and broke her hip and the assorted complications took her down.

>23 tardis: Sad news...

Sigh, I celebrated too soon. Although my echo and LFT were okay, my blood work is a mixed bag. Some things were good but others were a little off. Reduce this medication, add this other medication and go see a nephrologist. Ugh.

>25 Taphophile13:
Good luck with the nephrologist. Hopefully amending the medication is all that is needed.

>25 Taphophile13: Ugh indeed. And what Peter said.

>25 Taphophile13: Oh. I'm sorry. Keeping my fingers crossed that what >26 pgmcc: hopes for comes true.

I'm in recovery/ catch-up mode this weekend. My daughter was here for a week, so there's laundry and cleaning, etc to be done. Plus, I keep waiting for more aftershocks from yesterday's earthquake.

>25 Taphophile13: a nephrologist? I’ve never heard of that. I hope it all works out ok.

It’s just a basic weekend for me. The Husband and I need to do some work on my closet shelf. I tidied up the closet a couple of weeks ago and discovered that the shelf, which also holds the rod, is coming off the wall. So we get to add supports to it today. Unfortunately, the means I have to take everything out of the closet. Just a lot of work.

Tomorrow is a 10 mile run.

Throw in some reading and crocheting and it should be a relaxing weekend.

I had big plans to plant the rest of my sunflower seedlings, and move mountains this weekend, because Monday I will have minor surgery to have another port installed for future infusions. That will put me out of commission for at least a week in the garden. Mark and I are not feeling well though. Hopefully only allergies. I'm terrified of a cold or worse because of the dire warnings on the prednisone (which I am on a heavy dose of at the moment) packets. Other than cancer and liver failure, my body is pretty healthy (yes, I know that sounds weird), so I hope to defeat the sick.

>30 MrsLee: Best of luck with whatever you're fighting off. And I hope all goes smoothly with the new port.

>29 catzteach: I just have to say "10 mile run" and "relaxing weekend" don't seem like they belong in the same post.

>30 MrsLee: I remember when my father got a port when he was on dialysis. Hope it goes smoothly.

I agree with >31 clamairy:. The only thing "10 mile run" and "relaxing weekend" have in common is the letters r, i and e.

>30 MrsLee:
Wishing you the best for the procedure and protection from whatever bug your fighting.

>29 catzteach:
What >31 clamairy: said about your 10 mile run and relaxing weekend.

>30 MrsLee: Good luck with the surgery and everything else. I hope it all goes smoothly.

>30 MrsLee: Warm hugs from the chilly, damp north (ish - there are more north places than here LOL).

Well, I went to the antique show, and bought nothing, as expected. But pgmcc, there were SO MANY elephants! Including quite a charming pair of carved wood bookends, which I did not buy as my shelves are so packed that there's no room for them.

On the way home I got caught in the latest (redacted due to politics) protest going by the Legislature and assuaged my feelings by giving the assorted tractors, giant pickup trucks, and placard-holding protesters the finger.

>35 tardis:
Thank you for reporting the abundance of elephants.

There is always an elephant, as you obviously know.

>35 tardis: I realize the gesture probably made no difference to the protestors, but it makes you feel a bit better, didn't it?

>30 MrsLee: You and Mark may be feeling a tad under the weather but for what it may be worth, we're all sending you good vibes and crossing our fingers, toes and thumbs that you'll make it through.

>35 tardis: I dunno. It may be because I lived further south but when I lived in Washington DC, seeing the demonstrators was how you knew spring had arrived.

>37 clamairy: It did make me feel a bit better while I was doing it. They make me so angry, though.

>38 jillmwo: These jerks don't care what time of year it is. I've seen them out in January.

>23 tardis: Very sorry to hear about Doris.

I do hope that everything goes well for all those with health concerns.

Sounds like everyone is having a more exciting weekend than I am. So far I've been eating leftovers, going to bed early, and rereading books. My knitting is between projects.

Sadly, I'm down to the last few days of skiing. There were several bare patches yesterday, and it will likely be worse today. There is quite a bit of grass showing in my yard now.

I did pick up groceries for a post-surgical friend yesterday, and we had a bit of a visit.

Today I have to pick up an interlibrary loan. Unfortunately it's for a book-club book that I am not looking forward to reading. At least I didn't spend money on it.

Re: Eclipse. We are NEAR totality; we are having a little bbq with family tomorrow to view it.

Other (non) news: We are finally close, we hope, to no more frost/freezes, so I hope to get some seedlings in the ground, and will make my first trip to the nursery to see what pretty things they have. My creeping phlox and tulips have been spectactular this year.

Canceled my port surgery. This seems more like a cold and my Nurse Practioner niece recommended I cancel and get well first.

Did muster up energy to bake peanut butter cookies this afternoon. That's about it for the day.

>42 MrsLee: I hope you get rid of that cold quickly. As ever, thinking of you.

>29 catzteach: Nephrology is the study of your sibling's male offspring. It's a specialised field.

>42 MrsLee: It's always a little anxiety-provoking when you have to decide whether to cancel a procedure. Will it make the health situation worse? Will schedules be flexible or will they be full? All that stuff. I do hope recuperation from the cold is quick and that all the little pieces fall back into the right places. ((Hugs))

here in southern NH we are expecting partial solar eclipse in about an hour. i have had to surrender on explaining how it works to one admin assistant who actually thinks that it means that the moon LEAVES ITS ORBIT, and travels TO the sun. she wanted to know how long it takes it to get back.

i tried drawing diagrams, and also using my thumb to blot the sun in demonstration, but it didn't help. i give up...

>46 Darth-Heather: Yikes. Does she also think the earth is flat?

>47 Taphophile13: oh lordy, I'm afraid to ask her....

>48 Darth-Heather:
You mean the Earth is not flat?
Oh lordie!

I couldn't even get her to understand the size difference between the moon and sun. I may in fact have made it worse by trying to explain that. Drawing a small circle and a big one DIDN'T work. She's pretty sure I'm wrong about that because of course she can SEE the moon and it looks bigger in the sky than the sun does...

I guess everyone is good at different things. Astrophysics is definitely not her thing... I worry about the American education system.

>42 MrsLee: I hope you will get rid of this cold soon!

>46 Darth-Heather: Sweet mother of pearl. Did this person graduate from high school?:S

>46 Darth-Heather: OH my. I would say I hope she is pulling your leg, but I'm afraid I've met with similar unbelievable folks before.

Thank you all for the get well wishes. I think I can say it's not worse, but not better. The very odd thing is that somehow I can read again. Usually a cold puts me right off reading, but lately I've not been reading due to other things. It seems that at the moment, two wrongs are making a right for me. I will take it.

>46 Darth-Heather: Sadly, it doesn’t surprise me. I showed my kiddos an 18 minute video this morning about the eclipse. Right before lunch he asks me “Is that eclipse thing in the sky?” Oh boy. At least he has the excuse that he’s 8. :)

>53 MrsLee: oh how I wish that were the case! I have had other situations with this same person. She seems to be genuinely ignorant but refuses to learn or consider other ideas.

>54 catzteach: yep, that's the thing! It's fine to not know something, as long as you are open to learn, but doesn't seem right for a person to have lived for 6 decades without bothering to learn even the basic stuff.

>55 Darth-Heather: Oh, so this person isn't a Yoot.

>56 clamairy: newp. she represents a certain bigoted, biased, racist, ignorant portion of our population, so while it's infuriating sometimes, it serves me as a reminder of a wholly different mindset that I don't encounter very often otherwise. that's the only bright side i've found so far... :)

It’s supposed to be stormy here this weekend. We’ve been warned we are going to get “severe” hail storms and up to an inch of hail. Luckily I don’t have much going on. Looks like my long run will be on Sunday as that’s supposed to be the better weather day.

I’m trying a few new recipes. One has portobello mushrooms in it. I’ve never worked with them nor eaten them, so that should be interesting. Another one has radicchio. I’ve never had that, either. So a weekend of food adventures. :) I am making a pizza tonight because The Husband is having a really hard time not eating as much meat as usual. :) I just want to know I’m getting enough protein.

Nerves starting to build over the upcoming wedding of my youngest. The wedding is three weeks away and there are things that need to get done. Finalizing my own garb for the day (do I need new earrings?) and wondering why I gave away the nice little clutch bag useful for these one-off occasions. Finding a nice blank book to serve as the guest book at the event. Standing in front of a mirror and thinking that a really good haircut would be a nice thing.

Jill runs screaming through the house. Or alternately chews on her nails... I keep having to remind myself that this is just one day and that life will go on, regardless of all the hoo-rah across the next 21 days.

Meanwhile, downstairs I'm reading Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand and upstairs at bedtime, I'm reading one by Ngaio Marsh -- Death of a Fool, published in the UK as Off With His Head but in the U.S. under the other.

Had the on-going discussion with my academic book group earlier today about American Classicist which is a fascinating biography of Edith Hamilton. She was an amazing woman. I do recommend it.

>59 jillmwo: Oh boy. I don't envy you, but I'm sure all will be well, and when the day comes you'll be able to relax and just enjoy it. Whatever you do, don't try to cut your own bangs!

>58 catzteach: Portobello mushrooms are awesome! I'm not very fond of radicchio by itself, but it's okay in small bits mixed in with other greens in a salad. Nuts are a great protein source, BTW.

>59 jillmwo: Good luck with the wedding! I am sure everything will go well.

Friday has been grocery shopping and yard work. I've been raking leaves off the perennial beds, supervised by the cat.

I'm volunteering as a Master Composter/Recycler on Saturday morning at the nearest park with a toboggan hill. The City puts bales of straw at the foot of toboggan hills to keep users from running off into traffic or other dangerous objects. In the spring after the snow melts, they give the bales of straw away for free. People show up with all kinds of vehicles and shove bales of straw in wherever they fit. It can be hilarious. My job will be to talk up the things people can do with straw bales and also the City's compost and mulch programs. We don't have to do any of the heavy lifting, either.

The other possiblity on Saturday afternoon is a FRED gathering with friends at a brew pub downtown. FRED stands for "Forget Reality, Enjoy Drinking" and we do some of them on Zoom, providing our own bevvies, but when weather cooperates we find an outdoor patio and buy snacks and drinks. I might have a cider! Whether we go or not depends on my energy levels after volunteering and whether my husband wants a beer more than he wants to keep working on whatever project he has on the go.

Sunday is completely unbooked, so probably mostly more yard work but getting the comfy chair out of the garage and reading in the shade is a strong possibility.

Ran some errands, went for a swim at the beach, put together some swedish flat-pack furniture without losing my mind, made tandoori chicken and salad for dinner, and got a radio announcer on a national broadcaster to describe Beyonce's latest album as "subnivean", entirely out of context. A good day.

Sounds like a good day! What is the water temperature at the beach these days?

Subnivean? Really? I actually listened to her album the other day, and I don't do country music at all. There were two songs I had to skip but the rest were actually quite good.

>60 clamairy: if I like them in the Buddha Bowl they are in, I will try a portobello burger. I do try and put nuts in my salads, and I use them in my morning oatmeal.

I’m currently sitting on the porch enjoying a coffee while I wait for the predicted hail storms.

I didn't have plans for the weekend, but other people seem to be making them for me. It's a good thing. A nephew and his family stopped by yesterday for a short visit, then my sister and her husband brought dinner, my grandson and his parents came by and he decided he wanted to eat Chinese noodles for dinner instead of the Taco Bell his mother had waiting in the car. He's two, and my grandson, so of course the answer was yes.

This morning sister visited a little more and after they left another nephew asked if he and his family could come for a short visit. Awaiting their arrival now. A fun day.

I went to bed by 10 last night thinking to get a bit more sleep than I have been, but no. Woke up at 2;30 and gave up and got up at 3:30. Kept busy doing this and that.

>66 MrsLee:
Delighted you have had such a wonderful day of visits. I hope you get a bit more rest this evening. Perhaps all the visits will have prepared you for a longer sleep session.

P.S. I have put that crumb back into its cotton wool lined case.

Good for family drop bys.

Hubby and I are in Oye Norway and are expecting a fabulous day on a private fjord sail followed by sauna and dinner. This is a landscape straight out of Tolkien!

>68 Bookmarque: I hope you are snapping away.

Have a great time.

>68 Bookmarque: Norway is lovely. I want to go back some day.

My husband and I were in our first recital for the marimba class we have been attending since August. It was so fun! Our class did well, and it was great to hear the more experienced players. We are very much enjoying the class and the lovely community of players.

Tomorrow is a "nothing day." Of course I will do some chores, but I will spend most of the day watching sports, crocheting, and reading.

>64 clamairy: about 21c apparently. 70f. It felt pretty nice to me.
I was actually surprised that it didn't feel warmer, it has the last few times. The sea temperatures is 2 or 3 degrees above average, you wouldn't think that would be very noticeable but i've been shocked lately at how much warmer the water feels.

Yup, subnivean. There was some debate about whether the album was country or not, and if so, was it for commercial or artistic reasons. I threw in a bunch of the most ridiculous postmodern genre classifications i could think of, and I included subnivean for good measure. They picked it up, which was funny. I'm not a country fan either but i've liked the tracks I've heard so far.

>71 MrAndrew: How much does the water temperature vary during the course of a year? When I was visiting Maui they said the water temperature only fluctuated by about a degree. (It was around 70°F, the same as yours.)

The temperature of the Atlantic here swings a bit wildly during the year. Going up to 70°–75°F (21°–24°C) in August and down to 36°–39°F (2°–4°C) in February/March. I swim in Peconic Bay, and in the Summer of the temperatures in there can go up into the 80°s (upper 20°s C), which some people complain about but I really enjoy because I can stay in for much longer.

I think Beyoncé recorded the album just to prove the point that it was doable. Haven't a bunch of country music stars released rock and roll albums over the years?

>68 Bookmarque: Sounds lovely! Enjoy your time in Norway :)

>68 Bookmarque: Norway is definitely on my travel list. Ah, someday. :)

Well, the big storms never manifested. I think they ended up east of us, which is not unusual. We had some rain but that was it. Today is shaping up a bit sunnier. My run this morning was very nice. A visit to the grocery store, then I’ll get to settle in and read the book I started yesterday.

>59 jillmwo: Wishing you all the best with the wedding prep. I hope you can relax when the big day comes, and just sit back and enjoy it.

>68 Bookmarque: Hope you're having a wonderful time! It sounds marvellous so far!

I spent this weekend on a bell-ringing outing around north Norfolk. The weather was glorious, the company excellent, and it was good to ring at some different towers. We sat out on the sea front on Friday evening eating fish and chips, watching the sun go down over the water. It was perfect.

>72 clamairy: yeah i don't think i'd be swimming in water a few degrees above freezing. Minimum here would be 17c/64f, and maximum 25c/76f (but rising). It stays warm during autumn so that's the optimum time for swimming, less crowds. When the land temperature warms up in spring and the crowds start hitting the beach again, the water is at its coldest, hahaha.

>75 Sakerfalcon:
You’re reminding me of The Nine Tailors.

>77 pgmcc: Yes, we were not far from the Fens, and most of the places where we rang had the angels in the rafters which are characteristic of East Anglian churches. There will be pics on Facebook when my internet co-operates.

>78 Sakerfalcon:
I look forward to your photojournal.

>78 Sakerfalcon:. Angels in the Rafters? Are these carved or plaster decorations? Or is it a euphemism to convey the presence of bats in the belfry? Seriously seeking enlightenment.

>80 jillmwo: As far as I remember, they were carved (in oak?) in The Nine Tailors.

>80 jillmwo:, >81 hfglen: Yes, they are carved from wood.

Apologies for the poor picture quality.

>82 Sakerfalcon: Gorgeous!

>82 Sakerfalcon: Wow. Thank you for posting that. I had never even heard of angels in the rafters before.

>82 Sakerfalcon: Those are amazing! I am in awe of the careful craftsmanship involved in having those as a permanent part of the building. Thank you so much for taking the photo and sharing!!!! (AND I can't think why you feel you need to apologize for the quality of the photo. It's lovely)

>82 Sakerfalcon:
That picture is excellent.

>83 clamairy:, >84 Taphophile13:, >85 jillmwo:, >86 pgmcc: Thank you all! The texture is a bit grainier than I'd like, but I was using my phone camera.

I had a lovely Friday evening with my mom yesterday - we went to a Ballet Academy "Spring Recital". These young people were so talented, it was a pleasure to watch them. There were two classical ballet pieces and two modern dance pieces, a very good mix.

Now it's time for a lazy Saturday morning, with lots of tea and Locklands - I am not loving it, but it's interesting.

Nothing earth-shaking about my weekend. Today was my first (for this training period) 5K run. I'm getting faster, but I'm still averaging over 9 minutes/km. My stamina is fine - going 8K for the race won't be a problem. I'd like to get my speed up more, though. My reward is to go to a rummage sale on at a nearby seniors association because they have books.

On Sunday I will attend a board meeting for the orchid species preservation foundation, followed by yard work.

>89 tardis:. I hope you are able to gather in a good haul at the rummage sale.

>90 jillmwo: I got nothing at all :(

Am on my 3rd and last plane home after a week in Norway. Great trip!

>89 tardis: If you run with a pack of books on your back when you practice, then don't have the books when you do the actual run, maybe you will go faster? I am not an expert in these matters. The last time I ran a mile was 43 years ago.

>92 Bookmarque: But you only just left!

I seem to be in somewhat of a cooking frenzy. Working on 2 shrubs (mango-honey and fennel-celery) finished 2 shrubs (Cranberry-orange and watermelon-orange blossom), also a jar of cocktail cherries which will take a month or more. I used the fruit from the cranberry shrub to make a loaf cake which is more sour than usual, but both husband and I decided we like it that way. I used the fruit from the watermelon shrub to make a smoothie which tastes like a Jolly Rancher sour watermelon Stix. Yum!

Made a sourdough chibatta dough to be baked tomorrow, and tried a recipe for hamburger buns to make hotdogs buns. That did not perform to expectations, but I am pleased to report that the buns do NOT look like a penis. I was very careful having made that mistake in the past.

Since the oven is hot, I decided to roast some chicken thighs and bake some pork ribs. Last will be roasted beets which I will then use as the start of a beet shrub. After making the shrub I will put the beets in some vinegar for pickled beets.

I also worked on my project of grandma's stuff. There was a trip journal which had the month and day, but not the year. From an event she mentioned in the journal about a San Francisco newsman named Billy Boyd, who took his family into the wilderness up here (same area grandparents were packing into) to see if they could survive as "The Last Man" for six weeks with no (or few as it turned out) modern tools. Turns out they could not. Gave up after 2 weeks. Anyway, I found it on the interwebs! So I was able to date that trip to 1960. Sadly, grandma quit writing on the second day when she was telling about bears in the camp. A cliffhanger. Only I know they got out alive. lol

Turns out five hours of sleep instead of four makes a great difference. Tomorrow's adventures to be determined, but they had better include some housework and preparation since my liver biopsy is this coming weekend.

Oh, two noneventful nights for my brother in hospital, is on low oxygen and begging to go for wheelchair rides! I am hopeful.

>93 MrsLee: As ever, I'm awed by your industry. Good news about your brother too.

Today is Thursday, so not quite the weekend yet, but it's Anzac Day, which is a very significant public holiday here (and I'll bet that anyone who can swing it will take tomorrow off work so as to get a four-day weekend). But a minor weirdness. We needed one of Mrs H's prescriptions filled. The local pharmacy that we use opens 365 days a year, including Christmas Day. So I toddled down there expecting to do some minor grocery shopping at the same time. The pharmacy was open all right, and happy to see me, but all the big supermarkets, including the one in our local centre, are closed! I found a smaller one a little further away where I could get what I needed.

The weirdness is that all the liquor stores were open.

It's the ANZAC spirit.

>95 MrAndrew: Have you ever heard of the game two-up? It's a very old Australian gambling game. Simple:the "spinner"tosses two pennies in the air from a specially shaped piece of wood and the players bet on how they will land. (The pennies have to be the old pre-decimal pennies: bronze, 30 mm in diameter.) The game is illegal everywhere in Australia except possibly in casinos, but on Anzac Day it's traditionally played in pubs and clubs, and equally traditionally the police turn a blind eye.

>96 haydninvienna: That seems such a mild game to be illegal. I suppose it is the gambling aspect of it, but laws like that never made sense to me. A true gambler will bet on anything and you can't possibly make everything illegal.

Happy ANZAC celebrations to all who celebrate!

I met a friend for lunch at a cafe that was coincidentally *cough* right next to a used book store. After our lunch I popped in (you knew I would!) and scored 4 Nero Wolfe mysteries off the list of the ones I'm missing.

On Saturday, there's a plant swap at the community league. I'm planning to offload some of my extra houseplants and not come home with any new ones but we shall see. Otherwise, I'll mostly be working in the garden.

>98 tardis: What a happy "coincidence." ;D

Going to a gig in the city tonight. Although, since it's EDM, not sure that it is actually called a gig. I'll probably be the oldest person there by at least 20 years, but IDGAFF. I like the music.

We are at the end of a busy week. My wife’s sister and her two brothers have been staying us so we had a week of touristy visits. On Monday, which was her eldest brother’s 70th birthday, we brought them to La Maison de La Magie and they enjoyed the tour. That evening we had dinner in a restaurant to celebrate the birthday.
Tuesday they toured the Château in Blois and really enjoyed that. Lunch was in a lovely little brasserie calked Louise XXII.
Wednesday was a visit and wander around Amboise, the town where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years and where his remains reside.
Thursday was a visit to the international garden festival in the grounds of the Château in Chaumont. Dinner was delicious pizza from the local takeaway.
Today is relaxed and pottering around our place. We take them to the train station at 4:30pm.
I suspect the weekend will be low-key and will consist mostly of battery recharging. At least thst is what I hope.

Last weekend before the travel / wedding, family get-together. And, of course, TODAY is when some vile, VILE @#$% overseas scammer tries to push through bogus charges on my credit card. They were stopped but now I have to wait for the bank to send me a NEW credit card at a time when there are all kinds of unusual out-of-town charges to be dealt with in the days ahead. I've done all the things you're supposed to do and the bank swears that they will get me a brand new card by tomorrow. But I'm sitting here shaking.

>102 jillmwo: oh no, that is so upsetting when that happens. It's good that your credit card bank is able to get it sorted out quickly, but it's still very frustrating!

>102 jillmwo: Deep breaths. In, out, in, out. Hang in there. *hug*

>102 jillmwo: Oh sweet baby cheeses... like you need this NOW? I did not realize it was a destination wedding. I hope all goes smoothly from this point on.

>102 jillmwo:
That sort of thing is really upsetting and knocks you for nine. It is also really inconvenient. It is good it was caught and that the bank can get you a new card quickly, but you must still be feeling awful. Big, big hugs.

>102 jillmwo: Bloody hell! There are some scum in the world, aren't there? Peter has it exactly right: even if nothing bad happens, it puts a serious damper on your state of mind (apart from being inconvenient). Even more big hugs.

>102 jillmwo: Hugs, Jill! I had my card compromised twice in a few months a while back. It was a major inconvenience each time, and I wasn't even going to be travelling. I hope it all settles down and you have a fab time at the wedding.

>102 jillmwo: Oh, hugs! It's awful when this happens. I hope you will get your new card as promised. Wishing you smooth sailing from now on.

Friday night was a night at the opera. I can't remember when was the last time I did something like that, so I was extremely happy. My mom and some friends happened to get free tickets via a friend of a friend ;) It was the Barber of Seville, and a very fun production - they had a huge rotating house in the middle of an empty stage, with people falling out of doors and windows, hiding in closets etc. The costumes were inspired by commedia dell'arte. The audience laughed a lot :)))) The singers were pretty good!

>110 Alexandra_book_life: That looks amazing!

I had my first hummingbird of the season yesterday. It was a male Ruby-throated hummingbird, and arrived two weeks earlier than the first one I spotted last year. I suspect he's just passing through on his way North, but this pleases me greatly! The ones that stay all Summer should be arriving soon, too.

Went to the Giants game last night with husband, sister, and nephew. Nephew attends Berkeley and it was "Cal Night" so we all got Giants/Cal themed beanies (which were welcome as it was pretty cold). Great pitching and Giants won in a spectacular 3-run walkoff homer!

Today, we have two parties to attend and tomorrow I have a brunch thing with bestie girlfriends. I haven't crammed so much into one weekend since before the pandemic!

>111 clamairy: Thank you :)

Wow, seeing a humming bird sounds wonderful (we don't have those around here ;) )

>112 littlegeek: Sounds like a great weekend!

>111 clamairy: I had my first hummingbird of the season

I love hummingbirds, but it's so hard to stop at just one.

Just finished clambering all over the roof, trying to seal a leaking skylight. I'll find out how successful i was the next time it rains :\ Cleaned out some inaccessible gutters while i was there.

It was quite the adrenaline rush. I kept thinking of all those movies where someone slips and starts sliding uncontrollably down a mountain or ice sheet.

"What do we say to the god of death?"
"Not today".

>115 MrAndrew: That's the kind of adrenaline rush I do my best to avoid. I hope the fix was successful.

>115 MrAndrew: I could not do that chore. I would gladly pay someone to do it for me! I hope the fix worked.

I’m at my mom’s this weekend. We went to a little craft fair down the street from her house. I found a little shadow box one crafter made with a cat in it that looks just like the cat from my tattoo! I had to buy it. It’s going to hang in my bathroom, I think.

Other than that, pretty mild weekend. I’ll head home in a bit and do some laundry and see what The Husband and cats have been up to. :)

Two of my best friends from childhood are coming to visit today. Very much looking forward to it.

I did my long run today - 8.4 km. Average pace 9 minutes 3 seconds/km (getting faster!), and there were significant hills on my route. I am very slow when going uphill; even the increased speed of going downhill doesn't compensate for it. Anyway, the race next weekend is fairly flat, so I should be able to maintain a sub-9 pace for most of it. I will still be a member of the "Slow AF Run Club" but my goal is to finish so I'm okay with that :)

We took the cover off our swimming pool this weekend. I also planted some flowers and cleaned up some pots. The rose-breasted grosbeaks are coming to my birdfeeders this week. They only stay a few weeks before moving on. Our Yoshino cherry tree has lots of cherries which is also attracting birds.

>119 tardis: Good job on the long run! One of my favorite running hats has running turtles on it. It’s perfect for me. I’m as slow as a herd of turtles running through peanut butter. :D

>121 catzteach: "a herd of turtles running through peanut butter" is a fantastic image.

I want a tshirt that says "Slow AF Run Club", with a picture of a herd of turtles running through peanut butter below it. Would probably need a caption.

Just found out that the Term of Venery (which is also a phrase i just discovered) for turtles is a bale. This tshirt is really going to confuse people.

I don't run but I walk on wet sand. Which isn't quite as bad as peanut butter, but it sure feels like it most days.

We had our annual gathering in the cemetery where my parents are buried to celebrate their birthdays. (They were both born on April 25th. My mom would have been 104 and my dad 109.) We bring chairs, tables, wine, cheese other things to nibble on. It wasn't supposed to be that nice, but it turned out to be a lovely day. We ended up having to get umbrellas out of our cars to attach to the back of our chairs to block the sun! 🤣

>102 jillmwo: Sorry you had to deal with that, I hope you got your new card by now!

>124 clamairy: I'm glad your gathering went well.

>123 MrAndrew: My husband used to do triathlons and he had a shirt that said "Slow, Fat Triathlete"

Today is May 1st and is the day of the largest flea market in France which is held at the Château de Chambord, one of the largest and most beautiful Châteaux in the country. Rain is threatened but if it does not rain we anticipate a very interesting day and some photographs to share.

The flea market was at Chambord was first organised in 1995 and boasts over 500 exhibitors. To maintain the quality of the merchandise the organisers do not allow certain items to be on sale including clothes and toys. This should be a good day...weather permitting. It will probably also be a traffic nightmare. :-)

I am sure there will be elephants. There have to be elephants. There are always elephants.

>127 pgmcc: This sounds so wonderful! I hope it doesn't rain.

Of course there should be elephants...

>128 Alexandra_book_life:
:-(
I am sitting on the veranda watching the rain splashing into the lake in front of me. The forecast is for dawn to dusk rain. :-( There will be no elephant hunt for us today in Chambord.

I have watching the rain since 07:00 hrs.

>129 pgmcc: Nooo! Is there a rain date for this event?

>127 pgmcc: Is the whole thing rained out then?

>130 clamairy: >131 Karlstar:
All I know. Is that the rain is persistent and heavy. Th location for the market Is an open field and with this rain it would become a quagmire. We decided not to wade through mud with a small dog looking at stalls. It would be miserable. I can only imagine the stall owners must be very disappointed. It must be a total washout. I do not know if they will have a follow-up day to compensate. Flea-markets are great to explore but would be totally miserable in weather like this.
Quelle catastrophe!

>129 pgmcc: Quelle catastrophe, indeed...
I am very sorry!

>133 Alexandra_book_life:
I am sure we will get over it, but how long will it take. :-(

It may take a glass of wine, and perhaps a second glass of wine. But we will find a way.

:-)

If this is all we have to worry about then our troubles are little ones. Now the even bigger problem presents itself. Walking the dog in the rain and getting her dried before on our return to prevent her getting dirty on the furniture.

May 1st is a holiday (nice), and the weather is glorious. Dare we hope that it's spring? 16C (60.8F), sunshine, everyone is looking happy and all the trees are suddenly getting very green. Lovely!

We had a nice morning with lots of tea, then we took a walk in the sun.

I also did some garden-related stuff. We don't have a garden as such, there is a space outside where I can grow stuff in pots, and a smallish patch of ground in front with a Tibetan cherry tree, a couple of philadelphus (mock-orange) bushes, a couple of cypresses, a couple of clematis vines, and a very small rose bush. Yes, it's crowded! I filled two huge garbage bags with yucky stuff, dead leaves etc. I did a closer check to see how things survived this very long and weird winter. It's looking good, mostly, and the Tibetan cherry tree is beginning to bloom. The raspberry bush (that I've had in a huge pot for about 4 years now) is looking quite dead at the moment, with just one little branch sprouting two leaves. We'll see... Oh, and I planted some seeds.

It was very satisfying :)

>134 pgmcc: At least if you have enough glasses of wine, you will probably see some elephants. So sorry about the disappointment to you and the venders, and all.

Our weather says it is "dangerously high pollen levels." Is is just me or are the weather folks calling everything a danger, disaster and catastrophic these days? Anyway, it is breezy and polleny and a pretty day to look at from inside the house because I woke up with a headache and sneezing. Due to pollen, I'm sure, but since I don't have asthma or other stuff I think I will be OK.

>134 pgmcc: Sorry about all that, Peter. It rains even in Camelot, apparently. Just be glad there wasn't an elephant.

Nineteen hours of rain was a bit much.