I love it

I set the timer on my watch for, say, an hour.

The timer goes off so I stop the repeat.

But I have absolutely no recollection why I set the timer in the first place.

I keep telling myself, when I’m setting the timer, that I should write down what I need to do when the timer goes off, but I don’t.

Therefore, once again, my timer just went off, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.

I look around, but, nope. Nothing jumps out at me. Nothing seems to be needing attention.

So, I just sit here, wondering what I’ve missed. Again.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

What a laugh

So, last night, being a Saturday, we got to have a few drinks.

After our first drink, President brandy for Ivan, and 100 Años tequila blanca for me, he decided he wanted a cigarette. (He had an old pack that he bought more than 6 months ago, when we were still drinking with more regularity. I’ve kept them in the fridge, well out of sight.)

I went to the kitchen, got him the cigarette, lit it, and took it to him.

He took one drag off it, and started choking.

We both laughed for minutes.

What most of you won’t know is that I smoked 2-3 packs daily for at least 35 years before I quit. After that, I had a few cigarettes, occasionally, when drinking heavily, but nothing substantial.

I had 2 drags off it, gave it back, and he put it out.

That was that. Won’t have to do that again anytime soon. Guaranteed.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Candles, then cookies

Last year, well, 2022 actually, I bought about 2 dozen Glade scented candles on Amazon US, had them delivered to my SIL, Mayra, who, in turn sent them to us.

For the past year, I have been burning said candles as the season dictates. In the summer, we enjoyed the Clean Linen scent, while in the fall, I burned the Apple, and Cinnamon scent, the Pumpkin Spice Things Up scent, the Fall Night Long, the Nordic Crisp Pine scent, and Cashmere Woods scent.

We have actually finished only 4 of the candles insomuch as I can use the glass jars

as perfect Oreo cookie dunking glasses. They hold about 3/4 c. milk, which is the perfect depth to dunk our cookies.

We don’t eat many Oreo cookies because of their cost, but when we do, we now have the glass with which to dunk them perfectly.

Said cookies.
Said glasses, recently used for just such an occasion

We get our Oreos online, in a big box with 14 packages of 10 cookies per package. It’s the only was they come down here. Hey, at least we can get them.

Those, and Frito Lay Original Corn Chips. We can get those in a bulk box, 1oz per bag, but 50 bags in the box. Yet, another treat.

Our other guilty pleasure.

It’s the little things.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Sometimes

I think rocks are smarter than I am.

Seriously. I just wrote a post about my latest exercise experience, using the Svelte app. What I failed to realize is that I had such a great workout routine going, so many months ago, doing those back, and core strengthening exercises every night that I had been doing.

So, why did I stop doing them?

Not sure. All I know is that I was able to walk all around the park, and even to the market, and back, without having to stretch every 500 ft. for the entire walk.

So, why a did I stop?

It’s 2am, and I’ve been out, in the living room, on the floor, doing the original back/core strengthening exercises I was doing for weeks. I want to walk the 10,000 steps I’m supposed to walk every day. I want to walk around the park, the market, or to Walmart, and back, pain free.

I’m going to go back to doing what worked so I can drop this weight that doesn’t want to budge, no matter what I do. I’m going back to what worked for me. Period.

‘Nuf said. I’m going back to bed. Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

It’s been awhile

Almost 2 years since we had a bloom on the peace lilies. We’ve got one now, finally.

This plant has been through so much in the last 2 years it’s no wonder it wasn’t able to bloom.

It’s been in the North facing window, behind the washing machine for over a year now, receiving biweekly fertilizer, and is finally going to bloom for me. Only one bloom at the moment, but I’m always hopeful there will be others to join it.

Until next time friends, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Post script: happy birthday to our daughter.

Completely different

As of 4/19/24, my “exercise routine”, if one can call it that, has changed completely.

As you may recall, from a prior post, I found several exercises, on line, that help with stretching my lower back muscles, opening up my stiff hips, and strengthening my core muscles.

Well, here’s the thing. I bought a program, several years ago, before retiring actually, called Svelte, run by an RPT named Meredith Shirk. I’ve had the program, as I said, for quite some time, and open it annually.

That’s as far as I ever got.

Until the 19th. I decided that I am going to take my health concerns into my own hands, and finally get back into a decent shape. I’m 2 months shy of 69 years old, but my body feels like I’m closer to 79 years old.

Nuts to that, I say.

So, on YouTube, she has, with 2 other coaches, Gaby, and Greg, short, usually less than 10 minute doable routines that I have been not only participating in, but saving to a playlist, making them all quickly accessible.

I’ve been trying to go to bed between 10pm. and midnight, getting up between 7:30am, and 8:30am. each morning.

I get up, weigh myself, turn on the shower, take my pills, walk to the kitchen, and turn on the kettle, heating water for coffee. By the time I do all of that, the water is finally hot in the shower, so I proceed with my morning ablutions. (A word I’ve never gotten to use before. I love it.)

I have 1, or 2 cups of coffee, work a few of my word games to get the old brain limbered up, then find the latest workout to do on my computer, and do it. When I’ve done my 10 minutes, and have worked up a lovely (clean) sweat, I’m out the door to walk once around the park, or twice if I’m able.

All of the above has been having subtle changes to my large frame, though not all for the best. I’ve developed shin splints. Poor Diana.

Whilst I work through that, however, I still try to walk at least once a day, sometimes twice, and to the market, or all the way to Walmart, and back, twice weekly.

I’m putting in the distance more so on a weekly basis versus daily. At least I’m out of the chair, out of the apartment, and in the sunshine. My tan is coming along nicely with my new summer dresses, and my sandals, so it’s all good.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

The sweet smell

of wet dirt.

I cannot tell you how wonderful is the smell of freshly watered soil. It was the most motivating factor when tending my gardens back in the US.

Now, I have it here, in the living room.

The smell is, for me, ambrosia. Intoxicating. Sensual. Bewildering, all at the same time.

When I water the few plants that are left in the apartment, they give off the most precious, earthy, heady aroma of which I have never tired.

It is, in all actuality, an aroma, a smell that I find I cannot live without. It fulfills me. It makes me part of who I am.

It wasn’t until recently, while sitting in the living room, at my newest “office space”, having watered the plants only moments ago, that I noticed the scent of which I speak.

It is a scent that those, who have not gardened, in any form, do not know. It is a scent that I have come to love, and anticipate when it is time to water my plants here, in the apartment.

And when I do, my senses come alive. It is a smell, an aroma that can’t be imitated, or

Well, it’s probably why I kill all of my plants- from overwatering! Not funny, but probably true. Unfortunately for the plants, but so good for me.

Until next time, please, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

It’s a lotta coffee

Before the Christmas holidays, and as we were planning on spending said holidays in Los Altos, we bought 5 kilos of instant coffee, in bulk, obviously, to give out as presents. (They drink a lotta instant coffee.)

We got sick. We didn’t go to Los Altos. We still had 5 kilos of instant coffee to give out. Yikes.

10 containers of 1/2 kg. coffee each.
The filling of said containers with coffee.

I spent some time moving the coffee granules from a large, black plastic bag, into the small plastic bowl, into the smaller plastic containers. Lovely. (We’re going to distribute the Coffee Mate as well. I have to find some used jelly jars for that.)

There are plenty of neighbors here, in the condo, or the guards at the front door, or friends of the guards at the door, or family members of our neighbors that will take free coffee, of that I have little doubt.

We just have to get it downstairs, and into their hands. And out of our kitchen.

As I said in an earlier post, we are going to heavily downsize this year. I don’t care how we do it, but we are going to do it. Ivan is in complete agreement, as well. That’s always a good thing.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Had to show you this

This is one of the first copies, found in gastronomic history, of the original recipe for Indian Chicken Curry.

It is my mission to make this very recipe, maybe not exactly like the above, but as I’ve seen online, before I die.

I don’t even really know curry tastes like, but it seems to be such a well liked food, I want to try it.

The recipes I’ve seen, which are, actually, very similar to the above, don’t appear to be very complicated, and probably something I can make with moderate success.

Hope so. I’ll let you know.

Speaking of

YouTube videos.

I recently mentioned TrekTrendy, (I think), in one of my posts, and wanted you to know that I have successfully binge watched almost his entire list if vlogs. I didn’t spend much time on the originals as they are so different to the newer ones.

His name is Will Davis, and is someone who reviews luxury vacations, i.e. first class cruise ships, first class, and economy flights all over the world, and, more recently, train rides, again, all over the world.

He takes a flight on a particular airway one time, from, say London to New York, then gives an honest review; how much it costs normally, then how much it cost him. He also tells how he got the price he did, be it with air miles, buying extra miles, etc.

He eats different things from the menu to let you know what to expect when you fly this particular airline, going to this particular part of the world, what is included for the price you’re thinking of paying, and what isn’t.

If the airline is good, but the amenities are crap, he tells you so. If the plane is outstanding, the food the best he’s had in the air, but the bedding is hard to sleep on, he tells you.

It’s an addictive channel as he flies frequently, and I do mean that. He has hundreds of videos flying, sometimes, to, and from the same cities, but on different airlines, to show you what each airline has to offer, not to mention the difference frying this type of airplane, or that one.

The bulk of his vlogs are 10-20 minutes, 10 being more the norm, but he flies almost weekly, and the bulk of those are transcontinental. Those are the most costly flights, and if you’ve never flown that particular airline, or on that type of plane, you may not know what to expect.

He also finds out, especially flying first class, or business, what first class lounges you have available to you, included with your ticket. Not all airlines inform their clients of these features.

Anyway, it’s an amazing time, flying all around the world, in first class. Or taking a cruise, or train, all over the world. They are all places I doubt I will ever see, but can through this channel.

Give it a shot. Let me know what you think.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.

Post script: it’s probably a difficult job but someone has to do it. 🙂