11/22/2015

Weekly Update 11/22/2015

Sometimes, I have no problem eating well. And then there are the other times, when I feel like a steam shovel, and can't seem to put enough in my mouth. Same with walking. There are times when I actually want to get out and walk. But other times it's so hard to open the front door and put one foot in front of the other. Am I alone in this? or does this happen to everyone? This has been a week of eating everything in sight and not being motivated to get outside. I hope the pendulum swings back the other way soon. Probably not until after all these holidays are finished, though.

Are you all tired of reading what history lecture I went to this week yet? It seems as if I do a lot of that. This week, one was the DH fall lecture series. The talk was about the canal craze that followed to opening of the Erie Canal in New York in 1825. In Georgia, the business investors were not immune to the lure of money to be made by easy transportation of goods, and canals were built throughout the state. None, however, had the success of the canal in New York, and railroads quickly surpassed them as a way of moving goods and products. Having grown up close to the Erie Canal, I was not impressed by the little ditches in Georgia. On Thursday, I went to the Telfair Gallery (not to be confused with the Jepson) for what I believed was going to be a talk about the large painting there, The Black Prince. I had hoped it would be about the painting itself, or the story about the Edward of Woodstock. But it was about armor and the parallels of the armor in Medieval times to the armor in the Batman movies. Yuck! And for that I was late for the Jeff Work birthday party at the exhibit Suzy has put together. 

 

the Black Prince, by Julian Russell Story

I had a couple of service problems this week. The right blinker on my car has been making a funny sound for a couple of weeks. So, I finally decided I'd better get it looked at. I made an appointment with my friends at the Goodyear center, and took the car in on Monday morning. To my amazement, they said the blinkers were working and that there must be a short on the turn switch. No charge! As long as my directionals are working, and other drivers have a clue when I'm about to make a turn or change lanes, I guess I'm good. I'll take the car to the VW shop “someday” to have the wires checked, but not right now. Then, early one morning, my tv went blank. If only Comcast were as easy to work with as my mechanics, but it's a different story with them. I talked to someone in Bangladesh or Central America who wanted to be sure I was having a good day, but was a little less interested in fixing my tv. (Don't you love the ads on tv where you call customer service and get Jake at State Farm, or some beautiful young girl who is all smiles and reassures you that Dish Network is only $29 for 2 years? Young, attractive, intelligent, American reps? REALLY???) Finally, after nearly a half hour, she sent a “refresh” signal to that cable box and I was back in business. I dunno, but maybe that would be the first thing to try - to “refresh”? Whatever. 

 

Friday was DH, of course, and then The 90. I don't have to be at DH next Friday, so I'll not be downtown the day after Thanksgiving. Although Donna isn't back in Savannah yet, I went for a quick drink this week and to wish Martha and others a happy Turkey Day. It's amazing how many people I know there, even when I go by myself. I didn't stay for too long, and went home. I unsuccessfully tried to talk myself out of going to see the movie Rosewald. It was only going to be playing on this one day, so if I wanted to see it, this was my chance - I went back out in the evening to see it. Just like the Peanuts movie last week, this would have made a wonderful PBS American Experience, but it was not so good as a movie I had to pay to see. I knew most of the story already, so I only learned a little by watching the film. 

poster for Rosenwald, "the remarkable story of a Jewish partnership with African American communities"

 

Saturday, I had to open BC, but I didn't have to stay. I stopped at the Walmart on my way back home and picked up some paint samples. I've been meaning to paint my sunroom for a while, to try to make it look a little more as if it's a separate room, not an extension of the living area. There's nothing going on for a few days, I’m able to have the windows open for ventilation, and there's a few entertainment adventures for me in the near future, so now's the time. I chose a color that was nearly the same as the brown shade that has always been on one wall there, hoping that it would match closely enough that I wouldn't have to paint the wall in the dining room, too (and I did ok with that, because once I was done in the sunroom, the last thing I wanted to do was move all the dining room furniture and climb the step stool to paint that wall, too!) As soon as I started, I knew I'd made a mistake. I'm too old for this now - getting on step stool and reaching to high places, using muscles I haven't used in years. Once started, though, what could I do? So I worked all Saturday to get it done, and finished cleaning up Sunday morning. I don't know if I like it - it didn't change much - but I'm glad it's done. 

before

after

during