Paying Attention To My Surroundings

When I got up this morning Hubby Tony was already gone. I put on clothes that would be good for exercising, because my plan was to take a walk right after breakfast, then come home and shower before continuing with my plans for the day.

I usually walk with Tony, but without someone to talk to I was able to pay attention to the small details around me.

Like hearing a pair pf crows talking to each other from two nearby rooftops. They made sounds I'd never heard before, some of them almost human-like.

At this time of year it's easy to see the sheet-like grass spider webs...even when they're on top of ground cover.

And this partial fairy ring of mushrooms (some large and some small) that was not there a couple of days ago.

This mainly-dead tree had branches covered with more galls than I had ever seen before.

I was almost home when I saw a tiny maple tree sprout growing in the gap between the lower rail and a fence picket.

Picture-Perfect

After Foster Cat Pimento's photo shoot last Friday I kept an eye out for the snapshots. On Sunday the photographer sent a message to me, Hubby Tony, and the shelter that included a Google Drive link with the files.

I sent a thank-you message to the photographer and shelter, relayed the story of how I had written about the experience on my personal blog, and that several people were interested in seeing the results. I asked if I could include the link to their adoption page on a post. The shelter contact replied "I think sharing a link to his adoption profile would be awesome! More eyes on profiles is always a good thing".

The photos showed up on the website this afternoon. If you're interested, go to the adoption page of Tenth Life Cats and scroll down to Pimento's profile.As of now the photos were just added his the existing collection, so if you scroll through there are some from his first foster residence and some from us.

Five years ago: Just A Reason To Hit The Road

Added Items

The shirts in my closet tend to fall into two categories. There are some I've had for years, and some that need to be replaced on a regular basis (usually because they get some type of hole or stain).

White ones tend to be the worst, but they're such a wardrobe staple I keep trying. I have a short sleeved button down I purchased at a thrift store back in 2015, but right next to it there's the cotton tee I bought last year that's been treated for multiple stains. The last time I went to put it on I noticed some permanent dark marks that haven't responded to any treatment.

Over the years white tee-shirts have gone from being made from nice beefy material to being so thin they're almost see-through. I get that the thinner fabric is cheaper, and stores are trying to save money. I would love to invest in some nicer ones,  but I keep buying the cheapies because I don't have to feel so bad when they have to go into the discard pile.

Last week when I hit up the thrift stores I found a cute white tee with ruffled sleeves. Instead of cotton, the material was a mixture of polyester, rayon, and lycra and I'm hoping that will last and be less likely to stain. Over the weekend I was gifted a box of clothing from someone in my Buy Nothing group. As I was going through the contents I found two more white-ish tops to add to my collection. Neither is perfect; one is polyester and spandex, the other one is an ecru translucent slub cotton. However, now I should have enough light-colored tops to get me through the rest of the season (and maybe even longer). 

Knowing me, I'm not holding my breath, though.

Five years ago: Goin' Phishing

Icky And Sticky

Along with a good chunk of the Midwest, my area has been under an Extreme Heat Warning (meaning the maximum heat index temperature is expected to be 105° or higher for at least 2 days and the night time air temperature won't drop below 75°). The warning started on Friday afternoon, and is expected to stick around until at least 8 pm on Monday.

The first rule of advice during extremely hot weather is to minimize outside time. However, this afternoon a fellowship I belong to had an ice cream social scheduled. The pavilion and ice cream truck had been reserved, and advertising had started months ago. The show had to go on.

Public Domain Pictures

I was expecting the afternoon to be horribly hot, but it ended up not being as bad as I envisioned. 

By the time Hubby Tony and I arrived to help set up, two large ceiling fans in the pavilion were already circulating the muggy air, and several floor fans placed along the pavilion's sides added additional breeze. In addition, someone showed up with washcloths in a bucket of ice water for people to wrap around the back of their neck.

As I expected, once the event started there was more socializing than exercising. People tended to sit or stand in the shade of the pavilion or nearby trees. I drank a lot of water, but the Italian ice from the truck also added another layer of refreshing hydration.

The event was scheduled to end at 5:00, but people started leaving a half hour before that. There wasn't much to clean up, and Tony and I headed home. My sweaty clothes were sticking to my body and I couldn't wait to take a shower.

Five years ago: I’m Gonna Be A Bear

A Glamerous Version Of Himself

When Hubby Tony and I were in California several weeks ago I received an email from the cat shelter we foster through. The message said that they were thinking of new ways of showcasing their adoptable adult cats like Pimento, and asked if we would be agreeable to a photo shoot with a volunteer professional photographer. That way Pimento would have some updated shots on the website and be showcased on their social media.

After checking with Tony I replied we would be agreeable, and suggested we set something up when we got home. It took some time to coordinate schedules, but this afternoon was the big event.

Open Clip Art

This morning when I told Pimento he needed to work on his photogenic side, he yawned and jumped up on the bed for a nap. After lunch I reminded him of his big event; he rolled his eyes and jumped up on the couch for an afternoon nap. 

The photographer arrived a little after 3:00, and Pimento was awake enough to know that someone different had walked through the door. He eyed the stranger warily, especially when he saw the large camera. However, for the next half hour I think Pimento might have enjoyed being the center of attention. 

The photographer got down on the floor and shot him from multiple angles, and to take advantage of better natural light I threw some treats in Tony's office so the cat would move that way. When Pimento sauntered down the hall; the photographer was positioned to catch him there, too. 

At the end of the session the photographer showed us some of the snapshots, and said the best ones would be forwarded to the shelter. I am excited to see what shows up.

Five years ago: Enumeration Road Trip

Southpaw Celebration

Did you know that since 1976, each August 13th is International Lefthanders Day?

Boynton

Research suggests that between ten and twelve percent of the world's population is left-handed. I am one of them. I've heard stories of some left handed people being encouraged (and sometimes coerced) to use their right hand, but fortunately I've never experienced that.

However, much of the world is designed for right handed people, which can be inconvenient. Some examples:

• If you're right handed, have you ever eaten at a crowded table next to a lefty? If so you're probably bumped elbows. Also, a formal place setting puts the drinking glasses on the right. That means they need to be picked up with the non-dominant hand, which can be a problem with a heavy, full glass.

• A standard tape measure has the numbers facing upside down when you open it with your left hand. A manual pencil sharpener has the hand crank on the wrong side. Computer mice are commonly set up for right-handed use. (That's how I learned, and what I still do to this day.)

• If you open an inward-facing door with your left hand you have to be careful or the door will open right into your face.

• Many kitchen items are designed with right-handed users in mind--scissors, manual can openers, many vegetable peelers, and some corkscrews.

When I was in school there were all kinds of left-handed obstacles, including:

• Classroom desks with the writing surface on the right, and auditorium lecture classes that had chairs with right-side pull out surfaces.

•  Writing. Have you ever seen a left-handed person with ink all over the pinky finger side of their hand?  That's caused when the hand drags through the fresh ink and causes it to smudge (unless you contort your hand or turn the paper at a weird angle). And even when you got past that issue, there were the problematic spiral notebooks or three-ring binders. Each has a barrier that gets in the way of writing on the left side of the page.

Are you a left hander, or do you know any? If so, can you think of any issues that I forgot?

Five years ago: Masses Of Masks

No Dressing Room...No Problem

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my wardrobe had some holes that needed filling. I also needed to get a couple of pieces for upcoming special occasions. For years my practice has been to try to find clothes at the thrift and resale stores before shopping retail, so I've been popping in when I happen to be driving by one.

So far I haven't had any luck, but this afternoon I had a chunk of free time and decided to go out to specifically hit up a few thrifts. However, for this trip getting ready to leave the house meant more than grabbing my purse and keys. In my area most used clothes stores no longer have dressing rooms, so unless I wanted to buy potential items and return the ones that didn't fit I had to dress so I could try things on in public.

For me that meant a pair of bike shorts and a sports bra topped with a coverup. I added a pair of slide-in sandals and I was ready to go.

At each of the stores I gathered potential items, then found a quiet aisle next to a mirror. I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then either slid a pair of pants on over my shorts or quickly took off my top, put on a top or dress, and then evaluated the thing in the mirror. It felt strange, but a couple of people walked by and no one seemed to care.

For less than $12 I was able to find a couple of shirts, and one lightweight sweater, but I will have to continue to hunt (at one store or another) to find the rest of the items.

Five years ago: Back To The Future

What Does It Mean?

On August 8, 1786 Congress established the U.S. monetary system, and because of that today is also National Dollar Day. In honor of the 'holiday', here's a video that discusses the bill's embedded items and their symbolism.

Five years ago: Safeguarded

A Tiny Part Of A Whole

You may remember that last year I completed a Parkinson's Diseasesmell test, which ultimately led to me heading to Chicago to have a diagnostic imaging test. (And ultimately learned that although I didn't meet the requirements to continue in the in-person study I could continue as a volunteer in the online portion.)

Last week the study was showcased in the newsletter of the PPMI (Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative). It was interesting to read the details of something I had been a tiny part of.

"Research has found that smell loss is an important indicator of brain health. PPMI recruited people aged 60 years or older who did not have a PD (Parkinson's Disease) diagnosis to take a smell test. Over 49,000 people received the smell test. 63 percent of people who received the smell test completed it. 27 percent of people who completed the smell test had low scores, meaning they showed signs of smell loss (hyposmia). Those who showed signs of smell loss were then invited to take a brain scan (DAT scan) to look for signs of reduced dopamine activity in the brain, which is often used to help diagnose PD.

In study results, PPMI investigators found that the worse someone’s sense of smell was, the more likely they were to have an abnormal brain scan. Among the people who took a brain scan, 69 percent showed signs that could lead to early Parkinson’s. Over half of the people who had smell loss and abnormal brain scans also tested positive for alpha-synuclein in the SAA test. Findings from this study show that testing for smell loss may be one of the best tools to find people in the earliest stages of PD. This could help researchers screen for early PD prevention trials and develop better tests and treatments."

If you'd like to get into the detail weeds you can read more here.

Five years ago today: The Assistant

Wireless Networking Wonder

This afternoon I had a chat date with a friend at her house, but I almost didn't get there on time. After lunch I got caught up in some To-Dos and had to scramble to get out of the house. It wasn't until I was walking up to my friend's door that I discovered that in my rush I had left my cell phone at home.

In my mind I like to think I'm not dependent on my phone, but today I learned that's not true.

• My friend lives in a multi-unit building with a buzzer system, but she prefers to have me text her when I get there. Today I had to navigate her automated system, which is more complex than I'm used to.
• At the end of a lovely visit my friend pulled out her calendar to set a date for our next time together. I realized that without my phone I could only guess when I was free.
• I usually text Hubby Tony when I'm on the way home, but today I just headed that way.

Wikimedia

When my car got close to my condo something surprising happened. Our unit is on the second floor, and there is a garage underneath the building, so on that side it is three stories tall. The primary bedroom's two windows overlook the driveway. As I pulled into the driveway and started towards the garage I was amazed to see the pop-up on my radio screen that my car had connected to my phone. The connection only lasted for a few seconds before it disappeared.

Once I got upstairs I found the phone on the vanity in the primary bathroom, which is across the bedroom, through a doorway, and catty-corner from the window.

That made me wonder just how far the range of a car Bluetooth was. Google told me it was around 30 feet (9 meters). Assuming each floor of my building is nine feet tall it would be 27 feet up in the air. The bathroom is approximately 22 feet from the window. That means the car 'found' the phone that was 49 feet away. 

Five years ago today: Civic Duty Completed