9/23/2013

weekly update 9/23/2013

In view of yet another tragedy this week, is it time to enforce some strict gun control yet?

I spent the first part of this week at the pool, getting the very little exercise I bother with any more. I think I still have few more weeks to get into the water before it's too cool to attempt. Then I will be sitting in front of the tv, and the only movement I will do will be to get up and get something to eat.

On Thursday, I had signed up for Verizon training for my smart phone, since I’m not smart enough to figure it out by myself. The training was at a Verizon store that was close to the airport, so I headed out that way. I got stuck on a highway, waiting to pass a disabled car, for about 20 minutes; a difficult wait for someone who has issues of wanting things to be exactly as they are supposed to be. But I kept my calm and was at the store in time for the 1:30 training. The problem was that the training was at 1, not 1:30, so I was late anyway. A 14-year-old representative tried to answer the questions I had and spoke to me about some ways to make using the phone easier, and I thought that was nice of them, since I really had been in error when I wrote the wrong times down. I got a few clues, and I think it made it a little easier. I also stopped at the grocery store and the Walmart to pick up a few things while I was out.

The battery in one of my smoke detectors at the condo died, and it was making a beeping noise. I can't tell you how long I listened to that beep before I figured out what it was. Then I had the problem of climbing up my step stool and trying to change the battery. The whole operation took about 15 minutes, but that was probably a record setting pace for any repairs or changes I’m force to make. I turned the a/c off (don't know how long it will be before I have to turn it back on, but I'm trying to save a couple of dollars here), and that was an easier task, and all it required of me was to turn the button. I'm household-repair-challenged.

Saturday night was a Ladies Dining Out event. Five of us met (welcome back, Suzy) at a.llure, a very very nice restaurant. The service was wonderful, the food tasty and beautifully presented, and the company superb. I had something called “peas and carrots”, and while that doesn't sound impressive, it really was. Pan-seared scallops on a bed of risotto, with peas and carrots, drizzled with the same veggies pureed. And it was so-o-o good.

I was not looking forward to Sunday. According to the BC schedule, I was to open and close the cemetery, and I was going to be sitting at the visitor center in the afternoon to answer questions. There was no one scheduled for the morning shift, so I had a sinking feeling, which was confirmed, that I would be there for the morning, too. It was raining lightly, and I didn't think there would be a lot of visitors, so I was surprised when it was quite steady and the morning went by quickly. I was even more surprised when another member of the historical society showed up at 1 pm, to take over. I left and went straight to Coach's Corner. I had assumed that the Bills / Jets game, pretty much a meaningless match up and played on the east coast, would be at 1 pm. Not so - it didn't begin until 4:30. So, I had been upset about missing the game over nothing after all. I had to go back to the cemetery to lock up, but then I returned to Coach's to watch the game, or the first part of it anyway. Man, they looked awful. Here's the thing - if the running game isn't working, try passing. I'm no coach, but I at least know that much. Because the Steelers weren't playing until the Sunday night game, it was pretty empty when I was there. I had a seat right at the bar, in front of the screen where the Bills were embarrassing themselves, and I could enjoy my beer & wings, if not the game. Too bad it wasn't better. I left in the third quarter, but unlike last week when my early departure meant the Bills pulled it out, this week that didn't work.