Le Tour, the Woodshed and Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Le Tour de France for 2020 wraps up this weekend with a personal time trial on Saturday and the ride into Paris with the final sprint to victory on Sunday. I haven't watched as intensely this year, but what I've caught has been excellent and the intense COVID preparations have all worked out. The crowds have been smaller, but the spectators were still there to cheer on the riders, and the commentators, although distanced, were excellent - clicking on all cylinders. I'm quite pleased with this year's Tour and am delighted for Slovenia who, with only two riders in the Tour this year, managed to put on a splendid show. I'm sure that small country has been glued to their media during the Tour. 

Saturday's stage of Le Tour de France is an individual 
time trial with a steep run up to the finish line. Here's where 
a Tour can be lost. Time trials rarely determine the 
winner of a Tour, but a fall or a bad ride can certainly 
determine a loser. 

On Sunday the Tour wraps up with the traditional 
ride into Paris and sprint race around the Champ-
Elysees. I'm not sure if I'll be watching, I might be 
helping DH move wood into the shed instead, but 
I'm amazed and delighted that the Tour managed to 
be run this year of COVID. The changes worked 
and the riders and spectators were kept as safe 
as possible. Well done to all! 

The woodshed is almost 100% completed now. DH finished putting the side boards on yesterday and after he puts a couple of back braces on today, he can start moving the wood over from the garden (where it's been stacked for more than a decade) over to its' new home. I'll probably be pulled into helping him on Sunday, but hopefully he can get a lot of it done today. 

The woodshed is 99% completed now. He wants to 
put a 2x4 back brace behind each of the two end 
sections to strengthen them, and then the wood can 
start getting moved from the piles into the shed. 

Just to remind you of why he built the woodshed, the 
entire back of the castle walls are stacks of cut wood 
from trees we've pulled down over the years on our 
property. It's our hope that we'll actually be able to 
get our chimneys checked out, re-flashed and get 
chimney covers, and then have fires in our 
fireplace in the den once again. We've certainly 
got the wood for it. 

We decided to celebrate our wedding anniversary on Sunday and DH left the menu up to me. He bought the food yesterday and is already complaining about my menu choices. What did I choose? I wanted ribs that I could cook in the crock pot (easy, minimal fuss), Au Gratin potatoes - the kind you bake in a casserole dish in the oven and cole slaw from our grocery store's deli. He grumped that he would have preferred corn and mashed potatoes, but I wanted something that was lower carb. I'm quite happy with my choices and I'm looking forward to my meal. 

I wear my Ruth Bader Ginsberg shirt often, and I'm wearing 
it today in tribute of a great woman who was strong and 
took no nonsense. Her presence on the Supreme Court 
will be sorely missed. 

Of course I can't end without saying how very sad I am at the passing of a great woman - Ruth Bader Ginsberg. RBG was an inspiration for so many, a steady voice for civil rights and the rights of the individual on the Supreme Court. Now we have to hope that filling her place won't be done by the current President because that could be frightening. Cross your fingers - we need the position filled, but not until the elections have been held and the after-election fights have ended. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have an excellent Saturday and enjoy your weekend. I'll be back on Monday - at least, that's the plan. Be safe, stay well and please, wear a mask. 

Sick Didn't Stop Me - A Day of Accomplishments

Despite the fact that I was feeling poorly, I still managed to get my errands accomplished with some small schedule changes. I got my new standard driver's license taken care of. Now I can work on gathering the paperwork for either a "Real" or an "Enhanced" driver's license without deadlines. My local license bureau had been known for long lines and slow service, but to my surprise, they were now open at 7:30 am instead of 8:30 am, and it really made a difference. I had to wait, but it wasn't horrific. I'm sure my photo will look awful. I did use minimal makeup, but decided against wearing a wig - embracing the bald. I'll be curious about how I look on the finished license when it arrives. 

I really wanted a "Real" or an "Enhanced" driver's license,
but it's going to take some time to get all of the paperwork
assembled and together. I went ahead and just renewed my
standard driver's license instead. 

I also got my health insurance policy in the works for my new Medicare policy. That is what I had been bugging Social Security for. Finally, approval number and Medicare number in hand, I was able to fill out the multi-page health insurance form and bring it in to my insurance company. I am now set to switch over next month, just waiting for letters of confirmation to arrive. 

My chicken soup didn't look as wonderful as this, although
my cranberry whole-grain roll was marvelous. 

I got the groceries purchased and the laundry done. I also got two separate naps in - one in mid-morning, the other in mid-afternoon. I only had some soup and a roll to eat all day, I passed on breakfast and passed on dinner. It's one way to lose weight, but I don't recommend it for a regular habit. 

No, these are NOT my tulips. I think I might have
daffodils, but they aren't silly enough to try blooming
until May. 

The snow finally started falling in the afternoon. I went out and shoveled the driveway around 5:30 pm or so. It was wet and heavy, with 1-1/2 inches already down and lots of snow still falling. I haven't taken a look outside yet, but received phone notification that the plows are in service. We should be getting more snow and sleet throughout the day today and it will stop tomorrow. I really hate spring snows, they're always heavy. I'll probably have plow scree to deal with at the shop, too. Ick! 

It's always difficult to lose a beloved life companion. My
heart goes out to Aearwen and her children. 

For those of you who may not have heard, my friend Aearwen's husband passed on around noon (her time zone) yesterday. She texted me shortly afterward to let me know. It's always hard to lose a life's companion. My heart goes out to her and their children. 

So that wraps this up for today. Tonight is Project Runway, so I'll be posting about the episode in tomorrow's posting if all goes smoothly. Have a wonderful Thursday and tell your loved ones how much you love them. It makes a difference - really! 

When Did We Get So Angry?

When did we get so angry? When did we wake up in the morning and have an overwhelming desire to strike out, harm, maim or kill someone else? When did a world of religious leaders preaching "peace" become a world of societies based upon and focused upon war? When did we lose it - lose our self-control, our personal happiness, our tolerance for others and our joy in our differences? When did the world become an "us" vs "them" instead of an opportunity to discover new thoughts, new friends and new lands. I don't like this new world very much, and Sunday's shooting showed anger at its worst.

The hits keep coming and we seem to be getting more and more immune to the shock, terror and death. Think back just a few years - let's keep it to within the last twenty or so. In 1999 we had Columbine - a high school in the foothills of Denver where two students with rifles, knives and explosives killed 13 of their fellow classmates. By the end of a very tense day, they also were dead, leaving the total at 15.

Then we had Virginia Tech - one perpetrator, two pistols, 33 dead (including the perpetrator). There was shock, and appropriate murmurs about gun control, but nothing really happened. That was in 2007.

Next on the major radar was Sandy Hook - an elementary school full of children and teachers. One shooter, two serious weapons, and a total of 28 kids and teachers dead by the end of that day in mid-December, 2012. The deaths elicited more discussion about weapon control, but once again, nothing actually was done.

Pulse, an Orlando nightclub, was the target of a mass shooting in 2016 where a single shooter killed 49 and wounded 58 others using a semi-automatic rifle and a semi-automatic pistol. Gun control laws and restrictions were discussed again, but only discussed, not acted upon.

Now we have Las Vegas. On Sunday night, a lone wolf in a high hotel room set up numerous high caliber weapons onto tripods aimed at the venue for an outdoor music concert and festival. At a time he felt was right, he knocked the glass from the windows (not easy to do) and then he started shooting, moving from one weapon to another to another, finally committing suicide before the police broke into the room. Although the final toll has yet to be determined, as of now 59 people are dead and more than 525 injured in the worst mass shooting in US history.

So I have to ask. What will it take to finally get these high-powered guns out of the hands of the general public? When did we, as a nation, become immune to an armed individual taking up a rifle and killing innocent people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? I remember the shock we, as a nation, had when Charles Whitman killed 18 and injured 31 others from the clock tower of the University of Texas in 1966. Many point to that specific event as the beginning of this very rocky and blood-filled road. But hindsight is always easier than looking forward. The past can't be changed and the future is uncertain.

Will the very powerful gun lobby in this nation going succeed in pushing yet another mass murder underneath their heavily blood-soaked carpet? Will we, as a nation, allow something like the Las Vegas shooting, to possibly occur yet again in our future? When did reaching out for a high-powered weapon instead of our fists or the pen became the norm? How can we, as a nation, channel our anger into peace?

Six Degrees of Separation in Manchester

Six degrees of separation strikes again. In this case, not so much of a good thing, but it certainly made me sit back and pay attention. My friend Seth, my ex-boyfriend/fiancee, is involved in the music and performance industry. He is hired to help produce events, one of a crew who travel on the road with the headliner and set up/tear down the equipment, running the computers during the show itself. He happens to have been working the Ariana Grande show through northern Europe, and yesterday morning had posted his current location on his Facebook page as being at the Manchester Arena in England.

The bomb exploded in the foyer as fans were leaving the arena, many
heading for Victoria Station. As of this morning the death toll is 22. 

At the end of that show as people were leaving to get to Victoria Station for transport home, a suicide bomber struck at the arena, killing 22 and harming many more, 59 at latest count. I, like many others, immediately checked on the well being of those who I knew had been there. Seth posted "All band and crew are accounted for. We were evacuated about 10 minutes into the load-out. There are confirmed fatalities." Wow. How horribly frightening for everyone there, but also for his wife, brother and parents. This morning, hours after the attack, it has been confirmed. Twenty-two people lost their lives in this senseless attack, many others were wounded.

Two concert goers shocked and a bit lost. So many people were harmed by
this act of violence, in an audience heavily comprised of younger children
and teen aged kids. 

The audience for Ariana Grande tends to the young - children and teens. So many photos taken at the scene featured kids. Who would want to harm children? I know there is no common sense to these killings, but I'm once again appalled, saddened, and frightened at the complete callous lack of love or humanity that exists in anyone who could plan and carry out an act of this nature. The fact that a dear friend of mine was there at the time brings it even closer to home.

Prayers go out to the victims and their families, as well as all of those injured and otherwise affected by this blatant act of violence. It's Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow.

The Frozen Northlands Are Earning Their Nickname

The Arvin family are in my thoughts and prayers today.

Winter finally came over the weekend and we got 8" or so of snow. In fact, it is the beginning of a very snowy week. Unfortunately that will mean a lot of shoveling because the pull cord for our snowblower broke when DH tried to start it yesterday morning. The snowblower will be picked up by the hardware store on Saturday and it will probably be up to three more weeks before it will be returned to us! It'll be 2017 before we finally have a working snowblower again.

Unfortunately, the snowblower is too large to stick into
my car, so the store needs to come by and pick it up. For
some reason, it's the busy season for snowblower repairs
and tune-ups. Who would have guessed? LOL.

Meanwhile, the weather service is predicting that we'll be getting a serious snowfall on Friday with up to another foot before Saturday noon. What will make that truly miserable is the cold. Our Frozen Northland freezer will finally open and we'll be in killing cold overnight for the rest of the week, with an overnight temp on Saturday predicted to fall to -16 F (-26.6 C). Truly bundle-up weather. Once again my thoughts turn to the homeless at these times of the year. These are killing cold temperatures.

We're moving into the days that give us the nickname
"Frozen Northlands". It's going to be bitterly cold here
overnight for the week, getting progressively worse
as the week moves on. 

I hope you're getting your holiday gifts purchased, wrapped and shipped. My Wednesday job this week will be stocking stuffers for DH, but except for that, everything else has either been stashed in my closet or is on its way. I'm almost ahead of myself and that's a bit worrisome. I'm not usually this organized.

Only stocking stuffers remain on my to-do list. DH is thinking
about baking cookies. The holidays are certainly starting
to dominate our thoughts. 

Have a wonderful Monday and stay warm wherever you are! I'll be very happy to bundle up in my new, warm, long coat; it's working out VERY well. Now to find a new pair of warmer gloves ...

Grieving With Orlando

Orlando -I grieve with you. Was Pulse chosen because it was an LGBT nightclub? Or was it chosen because a nightclub is an easy venue to get into? Whatever the rationale behind the choice, it is not the assailant I want to remember, it is the victims. These are those who were unable to escape - targets who had never met the man who cut them down. They ranged in age, education and history and their only commonality is that they now appear on a roster together. Read their names and join me in prayers that their passage has been easy and that their friends and relatives will be comforted over time with the memories of those they loved. Here are those victims identified so far.

• Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
• Stanley Almodovar III, 23
• Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20
• Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22
• Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
• Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
• Luis S. Vielma, 22
• Kimberly Morris, 37
• Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30
• Darryl Roman Burt II, 29
• Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32
• Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
• Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25
• Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35
• Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50
• Amanda Alvear, 25
• Martin Benitez Torres, 33
• Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
• Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26
• Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
• Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
• Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31
• Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26
• Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25
• Miguel Angel Honorato, 30
• Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
• Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
• Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19
• Cory James Connell, 21
• Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
• Luis Daniel Conde, 39
• Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33
• Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
• Jerald Arthur Wright, 31
• Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
• Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25
• Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24
• Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27
• Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
• Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49
• Yilmary Rodriguez Sulivan, 24
• Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32
• Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
• Frank Hernandez, 27
• Paul Terrell Henry, 41
• Antonio Davon Brown, 29
• Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24
• Akyra Monet Murray, 18

These are not the last names. Many others remain in critical condition in hospitals throughout the Orlando area. Some of those will not return to their homes, and all who were there that fateful night - injured or not, will be affected throughout the rest of their lives by the events of early June 12th. 

An early post for my Tuesday, but one that had to be made. Peace. 

Reading Catch-up, Fiondil and Wind-Chill

I'm a total book whore. I admit it, I acknowledge it, and I'm NOT taking any 10-step program to eliminate the addiction of books from my life. However, I have changed to e-books instead of physical books because - well - space! E-books have been a total blessing and I've been an avid reader on my phone or other e-device for many years now. I don't Kindle, I prefer Nook, but I love reading my e-words.

I tend to read on my phone instead of on a separate device. It's always with
me and super convenient. But many people prefer the larger format of a
true Kindle or Nook, or even a tablet computer. It doesn't matter - e-books rock! 

That said, I read A LOT, and I found that I have to keep an ongoing list of books as I purchase them to avoid missing one or simply forgetting that I had wanted to read a particular tale. In 2015, according to my end of the year count, I purchased 188 e-books, and I read 154 of them. The unread 34 transferred over to my 2016 list and I've already started in on those as well as purchased another six to add to the bottom of the list. It's going to be a great year!

I made and sent Arthur's family this card when he passed.
I never heard from them, but really hadn't expected to. It was
important for me to do this, though. It brought a bit of
closure. 

For those who are on Stories of Arda at Yahoo Groups, Kaylee Arafinwiel wrote a delightful and poignant ficlet she calls "The Road Less Traveled" to honor the upcoming anniversary of Fiondil's (Arthur Boccaccio) death. I remember how hard the news of his death hit me last year. I felt that sorrow again late last year as I realized I wouldn't be sending him a holiday card, nor receiving one of his lovely Quenya e-cards in return. I shed some tears yesterday after reading the ficlet, and I dreamed about my friend in the Halls of Mandos last night. But, as stated elsewhere, not all tears are bad. I recommend the small story to those of you interested. It's quite lovely.

We're used to bundling up for the cold up here, but it's still a shock
when we get the first serious cold of the season. We'll be shivering
for the next few days. 

Finally, it's drawing to the end of another week and we'll finally be hitting true winter temperatures over the weekend. The bad thing is we'll be shivering in single digit cold and below zero wind chill temps. The good thing is so will Seattle when they come to the Cities to play in the playoffs on Sunday against our own Minnesota Vikings. It is speculated that the windchill at the stadium for Sunday's game will be -15F to -20F. I'll be watching it on television ... just sayin'!

Have a wonderful Friday and don't forget to bundle up if you're in the cold zones.

Paris

Paris - shock - tears - prayers

Paris - disgust - anger - confusion

I don't understand how anyone could have planned and carried out acts this evil.

I hope I never do.

Paris - your lights have been dimmed by sorrow.

My heart goes out to Paris. 

Rushed - Yet Again

I'm in a bit of a rush today so that I can get to the gym in 45 minutes. I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who shared memories and hugs with me over yesterday's 'Four Memories' post. It allowed me to heal one more small step and knowing I wasn't alone in these matters, but that others of my friends had also gone through similar experiences, made it much more bearable. (Of course, those of you who aren't part of my LJ family missed that post - it's a meme that's been working through my friends and yesterday's post was all about memories - sad ones in my case.)

The offered comfort was very appreciated. 

I got a LARGE box in the mail yesterday from Swim Outlet - two more long, cushy towels for my swimming and shower times, a new pair of swim goggles that I'll be breaking in today, some hand paddles which I'm not quite up to using yet, but I'll get there, and a book on swimming. OK, I can hear some of you say to yourselves - "She knows how to swim. Why a book on swimming?" Well, because I'm not exactly sure of the best arm position, or the best way to kick, and there are tricks of the trade in anything. The old adage "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well" was the push behind this purchase. I looked for the e-book first, but it was only available in soft cover. So I broke down and bought a physical book. *sigh* one more piece of junk that made it into my house.

It seems silly to buy a book detailing what I probably already
know, but review is always a good thing. 

Chickie actually awakened early yesterday and joined me at the Y for time on the elliptical. Her own Y is closed for a few days while they pack and move their equipment to temporary quarters for the next year-and-a-half. They're knocking down the old Midway YMCA and building a new structure, scheduled to open in 18 months. The new temporary location will open on Monday, so she might come to my Y again today. I invited her to join me in drowned guppies, but she said she'd rather work on the bicycle. So, good for her. I'll be in the water, though.

Chickie loves working out on the stationary bike. I prefer the recumbent
bike. Different strokes for different folks. 

It's Friday, and for many of you that's the final work day before the weekend. Chickie and I are getting together with our friend Meghan for breakfast tomorrow. She's getting married on Monday and is in town for that purpose. Meghan used to work for me and has stayed good friends with me since she left to wander more than ten years ago. It will be wonderful to see her again.

Meghan is really lovely. She has two little boys, Sebas (6)
and Joseph Jr (less than one year). She's a fun person
with a joy-filled personality and an artistic flair. 

And on that note, I'll wish for you a fantabulous Friday. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow. Maybe a picture blog tomorrow...

Thoughts on September 11th - Why I Mourn

As the US (and other people scattered throughout the world) think back on the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I am taking a few moments to reflect on how much our world has changed since that horrific day and the ways that we have become harder, more volatile, and forever scarred.

Smoke pours from the North Tower of the World Trade Center on the
morning of September 11, 2001. 

Before September 11th:

The word "terrorist", although certainly in existence, was not an almost daily utterance. It seems to be now, to my sorrow.

Believers of Islam in the US were generally accepted. The Islamic world and nations were judged on how well (or poorly) they interacted with Israel. Mosques were not viewed as hotbeds of potential aggression and the rumblings in the Middle East were just that - rumblings.

We were not fighting any active wars, conflicts, or undeclared aggressive actions. Our soldiers were home with their families and our National Guard members weren't being sent overseas into zones of armed conflict.

We didn't look at women wearing the traditional head covering of a Muslim woman with automatic suspicion, rather we were curious about why they wanted to wear such a thing.

It took one day to change our world in ways that have emphasized and fed upon a lot of the darkness that lives in human souls.

The song is by Jewel, the art by Dorkside on Deviant Art.
To see the piece in higher resolution, follow this link. 

That's why I remember and that's why I mourn.

Nelson Mandela - A Torch Has Gone Out

I posted this on my LJ account yesterday afternoon as soon as I heard the news. I am reposting it today on my standard Blog as well as my DW accounts because I think it's important to think about this great man who has now left us. This is my post for today.

Some people shine with the flare of matches, a fast, hot and small illumination lighting those around them with a flame that quickly dies.

Others are candles, often ignited by the flare of those matches, but burning with a longer and brighter flame and casting a wider circle of influence, brightening the hearts of many more.

Occasionally among us are those rare human beings who bear the torches of hope for our world - those whose flame lights our world in ways that we will be discovering for years and decades and perhaps centuries. One of those torches has gone out today. The world is poorer because a great man has left us.

We will miss you, Nelson Mandela, but we are richer because of your constancy, your contributions and your immense courage. Thank you for having walked the brightest path and sharing our world.

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013