Here We Are - You Have to Laugh

 

150 Pats on the Back and A Rather Expensive Week - With Autumn Colors

Leon polished my headlights (really) and saved us $150+ which it would have cost to have it done at the auto shop. 

He used Comet cleanser! Worked great. I gave him at least eleven pats on the back. So, at a $1 a pat, I owe him 139 more pats on the back. Good job honey!

Headlights Before and After the Comet

My 2010 Honda Fit has not cost me much in repairs over the years. Regular maintenance, a brake job, tires, but at just over 142,000 miles this past week, the clutch gave out. Thankfully we have AAA because the car had to be towed about 40 miles. 

I had to have a new clutch installed to the tune of $1,400. 

That came right after the MRI of my lumbar region ($300 co-pay) subsequent to a severe case of sciatica that had me hobbling around with debilitating pain in my left leg and calf and numbness in my left foot all over the Central Coast of California while on vacation. 

Followed by ordering my very first pair of hearing aids at Costco ($1,600 - which is almost a thousand dollars less than the co-pay for the ones that my Medicare Advantage Plan is pushing). 

And the month is not over yet. Looming in the near future sometime around November 14, is the Government Shutdown which means hubby will be out of work without a paycheck for who knows how long with no guarantee of receiving back pay. 

(Don't get me started on the ridiculous, petty, selfish republican members of the House of Representatives who are poised to cut spending by eliminating social security, medicare, foreign aid, and any program that actually HELPS people, but will let the budget lapse and it will end up costing more in the long run....vote them all OUT!)

A shutdown will cripple a lot of people financially. Luckily we saw this coming and so have a cushion for this eventuality. (Those republican fools in the house need to grow up and get their act together. Each one is worse than the next.)

I'll leave with a few photos of autumn in New Mexico. It's no secret that I often feel overwhelmed by the stark landscape here, the chalky brown earth, the endless juniper trees, the dead grasses and weeds and prickly things everywhere. 

We are fortunate to live near the Rio Grande and its Bosque (forest/woods). So we have a bit of color in the fall here in the Land of Entrapment.

This is great dinner music...actually just great for relaxing

 

Back to the Past

 Back to the past...in more than one sense...we had gone back to the Central Coast of California where we had been in the past...for our fourth time...and now we are back to the past...to where we started a few weeks ago, otherwise known as "home". 

Hubby and I just celebrated 35 years together and we had two wonderful weeks of summer vacation by the ocean. That, to me, was/is being in heaven. Being by the ocean. Hearing the waves crashing on the shore...knowing that the waves are endless. 

I cannot describe the feeling of total disengagement from all the quotidian routine and worries. Il dolce di far niente. The Sweetness of Doing Nothing. Sun, salt water, sand, warm breezes, Astrud Gilberto singing Corcovado. Walking barefoot along the shore. Sunning our buns at Pirates Cove. Going for a dip in the cool waters of the cove. Makes this 75 year old feel like 14 again. Trying to hang on to that feeling for as long as I can. I am truly fortunate.

But it's not like we did nothing, just nothing like we would do at home. At home I cannot seem to read a book. I might take me months to get through a book, sometimes I never finish one. I've had the nine book compendium of Armistead Maupin's "Tales of the City" series for years. I'd read the first six some years ago but just never able to pick it up again to read the last three. I read the last three (Michael Tolliver Lives,  Mary Ann in Autumn and The Days of Anna Madrigal), all 822 pages, in three weeks! Enjoyed them immensely.

But I do have questions. Could someone please explain the ending of The Days of Anna Madrigal? She's on the mechanical butterfly at Burning Man. Then I'm lost.

Just a few words about California and our sojourn.

California is expensive. At least to live there - anywhere along the coast. Multi-million dollar homes. Taxes. Landscaping. Insurance...etc. 

But I will say that California goes out of its way to provide amenities for all: lots of free parking, public access to the the beaches and lots of state and county and town parks and beaches. Rest rooms. Yes, Clean and numerous. Tables, benches, fishing piers, trails, walkways, bike trails, etc.

Eating lots of seafood was one of my favorite pastimes.

Our Air B&B

Walking at Pismo can through you off balance

The path to Pirates Cove (down to the beach, up to the parking lot)

Linguini Beach

Great attention to decor - even the concrete has real sea shells embeded

Pirates Cove from the trail

Pirates Cove trail

I love the waves

 

We watched wales breaching for hours...and putting on a great show

Whale breaching in the distance

Another one

Central Coast of California has to be totally void of LGBTQ people

Pismo Beach and surrounding area is the straightest place. Virtually no gay people - at least not openly. I think we may have zeroed in on two couples, total.

So...while we were away in California getting an "ocean fix" and cure for desert fever, we returned to find that one of our kind and generous neighbors had gifted us with a new (and very large) Rainbow Flag which has replaced a smaller, rather faded one. We thank you for the lovely gesture and while the size of the flag makes more of a statement than we might otherwise, we fully embrace the sentiment so aptly expressed by Gloria Gaynor so many years ago, "I Am What I Am" or in the case of Frank and Leon, "We Are What We Are" - so thank you neighbor!

Il Dolce dì Far Niente

 The Sweetness of Doing Nothing. 

What more is there to say? Except “Where did they hide the gay beach, hon?”

Like I’ve Said Many Times

 A cloudy day at the beach is better than a sunny day at work. 

The sun is burning through. Sciatica has improved. It’s been challenging but I have found joy in being by the ocean. 

We are at Pirates Cove today. A bit of a hike in and out but not as difficult as Blacks Beach. 

Dinner last evening was OK. Food was good but it lacked ambiance. For the price, ambiance should have been a given. 

A Few Thoughts on Hearst Castle

 Leon and I went to Hearst Castle for the first time yesterday. While I was predisposed to be disgusted by the opulent display of wealth, I was surprised to find that I was actually impressed in spite of it. The tour and the film after the tour were quite informative. William R. Hearst was an interesting fellow, not at all like the infamous money grabbing ex president we all despise. 

His collaboration with architect Julia Morgan, a pioneer in the field, was both unusual (as it was a many years project with lots of re-do changes that I would think an architect would quickly become impatient) and it was also a very creative working relationship.

As is my particular bent, I was more impressed with the exterior of the building and more particularly the grounds and gardens and lush flora. The interior was grand, but to me somewhat dark and boring. I didn't take any photos inside the building.

The project of bringing all the concrete, iron, marble and other building materials up the very long, winding and steep road (that was not necessarily smoothly paved back then) was a daunting task in itself. The hill overlooks the Pacific at 1,600 feet above sea level. I could not get a good photo of the road but I assure you it was miles long and very winding and, in places, rather steep.

Here are a few photos:

The fact that there was an Emergency EXIT on the ROOF of the bus did not make me feel secure in the least.

We Made It To California

 It has been one hell of a year. Hubby’s health issues in February and in May and June. Not to mention the cold and daily wind and intense heat. And my aching back and this week a most debilitating case of sciatica. Which made the 1,000 mile car trip almost unbearable at times. 

We took three days to get here so it was not too grueling.  I had to stop every hour or so to walk off the pain. The ibuprofen and acetaminophen did nothing but I think the indomethacin (which I have for the gout that flares up every two years) really did give me some relief. 

It would not be the first time I’ve had some ailment while on a vacation: torn Achilles tendon, swollen knee, gout from too much shrimp, just to name a few.

But we made it. We arrived at Pismo Beach around 3:30 pm CA time. All in all it was an enjoyable trip. 

Traveling without the camper (which we sold) is a good thing. A lot less hassle and actually cheaper. We get 50 miles per gallon with the Kia. Stayed at motels which are hit or miss when going cheap. 

We have not eaten at a McDonalds for years but there was one next to the motel so Leon got us Egg McMuffins with ham(?) and 2 coffees. $20.34.

We had a great Teriyaki dinner the night before for about $24 for the two of us. 

Here are a few photos of the road trip. 

Dinner was much better and more reasonable than MickyD’s. Fish and Chips and Blackened Albacore. 

Tomorrow THE BEACH!!!

Summertime, summertime, sum sum sumertime.

 

Just some news from Provincetown, MA

Getting nostalgic for the Cape. 

We will likely be going to California this year as it is 1,000 miles closer and as we will be driving, as vacation time is limited. California is nice, beautiful seacoast but Cape Cod is my happy place.

  

 

The National Seashore is a Treasure.  

 

We always loved hiking the dunes and driving out to the beach oversand with our truck.

This summer has NOT been at all like the summers I used to love. They may be a thing of the past.

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett passed away this morning at the age of 96. He had a beautiful, warm and melodious voice. (I think he was always better than Sinatra). A beautiful singing voice is such a gift and singers like Bennett generously share that gift with us and even those like me who are tone deaf can be moved.

It is sad losing a legend like Bennett. I'm not sure why his passing is making me teary-eyed because he was never particularly important or influential in my life. But I did appreciate his talent and enjoy his recordings. We will have his legacy to enjoy for years to come. Thank you Tony.

I guess it was A Good Life.

Take a Break From the Daily Doom and Gloom (AKA "the News")

 I was looking for info (years on the air) for the old TV show Dharma and Greg the other day and decided to watch a couple of episodes. 

This is a thoroughly delightful series. No violence, superb writing, great comedic timing, and just plain entertaining. Dharma (flower child), Greg (lawyer), Dharma's parents, Larry (old hippie), and Abby (free spirit), Greg's parents, Edward (CEO), Kitty (socialite) are the characters but they are really caricatures of themselves.

The juxtaposition of conservatives and liberals in the context of two diametrically opposed families brought together through marriage is the basis for some hilarious situations. Dharma's father, Larry, is so serious in his denigration of republicans, the wealthy, the police and the government (he's almost a right-wing liberal, if that makes any sense). 

Greg's parents are so stereotypically a white privileged classist couple. Dharma and Greg are always trying to get their parents on the same page, but it is nearly impossible.

So much of the dialogue and humor is still relevant today. However, I think, we unfortunately lack the humor nowadays.

Watching more episodes is on my TO DO list. Hope you enjoy the show as much as I do. Link to full series:

https://youtu.be/QA6D79_7IXQ

Comments - not sure what the problem is

 I apologize again for blogger: I have not been getting email notifications about pending comments to be moderated. I received ONE notification today and find there are about 10 comments waiting. Sorry. This has been a issue for some time now. Not sure how to fix it.

So, in reply to Russ, I wrote just now (June 29):

Well, I just found these waiting in moderation mode. I changed the email address for notifications and that did no good. And there used to be, ages ago, a reply button after each comment...now I have to reply as if I were just another reader...

Tried different browsers. That's no help.

PRIDE Santa Fe

Just got back from Santa Fe Pride. The general consensus was that it was likely the longest parade and largest Pride street festival ever in Santa Fe.

Yes, there were more commercial entries and non-LGBTQ non-profits represented, including the Bureau of Land Management (my hubby, the Park Ranger was there all happy and proud telling folks about hiking trails and wild places!).

Seems everyone wants to get a piece of the Rainbow.

Not the Pride of the 80s and 90s and the music sure wasn't classic disco.

It wouldn't be Santa Fe without some cowboys and cowgirls on horseback. It's ALL OK. It was festive and exuberant.

After these past years of COVID and republican hate laws, I really need this. I'm glad the gays stole the rainbow from God!

Hubby Leon

What HGLHC could have been

Straight Neighbors Marching with the Presbyterians

MEOW WOLF is an art experience in Santa Fe

Not sure where all the Chorus was

Overheard at Pride: Guy: I want to go after my plumber, he's so hot. And the dry wall guy is even hotter.

Me: (Thinking: gives new meaning to "having work done".)