After a leisurely morning of exercise, high-fiber breakfast, dishes, reading, and lunch, I went out to the truck to go pick up some more tan bark to put around the stepping stones. It didn't start. I have it charging now but this means that the alternator may not be working. A belt or a bearing has been "squealing" for sometime but our mechanic never could find it. Now that I live in a different town, I don't know where to take it, or have it towed.
Before I take it anywhere, or call AAA to have it towed, I need to get it washed. I was going to sell it but due to timing need to wait until after my son's wedding in September. Now I need to get it fixed before I can sell it.
I was able to work my Prius out from its partially blocked position and use it for my errands but doing so put a front tire on the edge of two of my set in place stepping stones. Yes, this moved them. I went ahead and bought the bark I was going to put around the stones, but in resetting the stones and putting down the bark, found that I had under bought the bark. I need another half of a bag. I guess I can store the extra in my new shed.
While I was out, I also bought three of the four vitamins and supplements I take for which I was getting low. Yes, I also bought food. I also bought a toilet, (a place for the food?). My wife had our guest bathroom redone and I particularly like the toilet she had put in there. So, I bought one for the Master Bath. Since I have more time, I am finding more opportunities to spend. Life after Layoff is costly.
I also bought a couple wire baskets to cover the two plants of six of the same type that are the most deer eaten. I hope they aren't really dying but they have been severely trimmed. I cut up some hangers to "nail" them down. The rest of the plants are doing well.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Day Thirty: More exercise
I started today off with my back exercises. The effect of my extra-muscular activities really caught up with me yesterday but with the soreness not gone, I decided that I'd better do the hair-of-the-dog equivalent. This is just my first day but I intend to work my way up to an ability to go downhill skiing.
With my wife's passing due to cancer, we did not get to do our multiple of 10 year anniversary celebration, going downhill skiing. I was attending her memorial on what would have been our 30th anniversary. So, I intend to go skiing next year for what would be our 31st anniversary. Hey, I can become a ski bum, at least for this coming winter.
Today I stayed to a low calorie diet by dusting off my calorie tracking spreadsheet. I still need to work on getting the right mix of vegetables, fruit, grains, and legumes, while staying in the calorie and fat limits.
The big accomplishment today was my trip in my truck, which started, to pick up some stepping stones and sand to put them on. The sand was $2.50 a bag, bagged yourself. The first bag I filled half full and couldn't lift it over the side of the truck bed. I could barely get it up on the tailgate. So, I filled the second bag less full. After the struggle with the first bag, I was so exhausted that I could barely get it up on the tailgate. But wait, it didn't stop there. I proceeded to dig up the sod in the area I was putting the stones. Yes, this was part of the sod that was turned over as part of the extra-muscular weekend. I bagged the dug up sod in trash bags and after dumping the sand and placing the stones, I put the last two busting trash bags into the sandbags. I could barely carry them to the side of the house. It's a dirty Life after Layoff, but somebody has to do it.
I need to figure out how to protect what appears to be the only plant we got that the deer eat. Every other plant is doing really well. Even the four the deer have yet to chomp on, we planted six of them, are doing fine. Even though they are drought resistant, I am watering them every day until they appear to be tolerant. They will have to be by the middle to the end of August.
Now to take on the back yard...
With my wife's passing due to cancer, we did not get to do our multiple of 10 year anniversary celebration, going downhill skiing. I was attending her memorial on what would have been our 30th anniversary. So, I intend to go skiing next year for what would be our 31st anniversary. Hey, I can become a ski bum, at least for this coming winter.
Today I stayed to a low calorie diet by dusting off my calorie tracking spreadsheet. I still need to work on getting the right mix of vegetables, fruit, grains, and legumes, while staying in the calorie and fat limits.
The big accomplishment today was my trip in my truck, which started, to pick up some stepping stones and sand to put them on. The sand was $2.50 a bag, bagged yourself. The first bag I filled half full and couldn't lift it over the side of the truck bed. I could barely get it up on the tailgate. So, I filled the second bag less full. After the struggle with the first bag, I was so exhausted that I could barely get it up on the tailgate. But wait, it didn't stop there. I proceeded to dig up the sod in the area I was putting the stones. Yes, this was part of the sod that was turned over as part of the extra-muscular weekend. I bagged the dug up sod in trash bags and after dumping the sand and placing the stones, I put the last two busting trash bags into the sandbags. I could barely carry them to the side of the house. It's a dirty Life after Layoff, but somebody has to do it.
I need to figure out how to protect what appears to be the only plant we got that the deer eat. Every other plant is doing really well. Even the four the deer have yet to chomp on, we planted six of them, are doing fine. Even though they are drought resistant, I am watering them every day until they appear to be tolerant. They will have to be by the middle to the end of August.
Now to take on the back yard...
Day Twenty-nine: Recuperating
Today was a vegetate day. I'll admit it, my daughters worked me too hard over the weekend. I took anticipatory preventative aspirin and still couldn't fall asleep until late last night. This led to doing sedentary things all day. I scanned a few slides. I made a few phone calls. I took a nap.
I hope tomorrow is a more ambitious day with renewed dedication to eating right. I got on the scales and even though I exercised to the point of physical pain working on the front yard, I weighed substantially more than my low point. As a result of my weight gain, I've been putting off my suit purchase and alteration date.
This day would be the Life after Layoff of Reilly, if someone were around to wait on me. I don't think I could take that for long, but one day ...
I hope tomorrow is a more ambitious day with renewed dedication to eating right. I got on the scales and even though I exercised to the point of physical pain working on the front yard, I weighed substantially more than my low point. As a result of my weight gain, I've been putting off my suit purchase and alteration date.
This day would be the Life after Layoff of Reilly, if someone were around to wait on me. I don't think I could take that for long, but one day ...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Day Twenty-eight: Floor art
As part of loading the shed, and my oldest daughter helped me stow the last of the big items from the garage into it this morning, I went through the various framed art work that my wife had collected over the years. Very little of it is actually hanging, which is why I call it floor art.
Several of the more commercial pieces in metal frames went into the shed. One of the ones that didn't was one that my wife put up in Fremont. It is a pen and ink drawing of a house with words around it that say: "I hear your footsteps down the hall. You are home again, ..and safe. All the burdens of the day are lightened--and all the night noises... ...are music to my ears."
I don't know whether I ever really read it when she had it hanging up in our bedroom, but reading it now is really bittersweet. It brings back all the memories of far better times and the acute missing of her footsteps. I can't get rid of it, but I will not be hanging it.
The garage may be usable after I give away or sell the remaining stuff that is designated for disposal. It looks a lot emptier and I can get to the shelves that line it now. I may put a few more of the boxes currently on the garage shelves in the shed and have left a lot sorting the stuff that I may use more frequently back into the garage and less frequently in the shed.
Today was overcast all day and fog drizzly, so, I decided to stay in all day. I even took a nap.
While I didn't drive and burn gas, I did restart my thermostat over the weekend and have yet to turn it back off again. I'll get out another sweatshirt tomorrow. It doesn't come on when set to 58 degrees. Yes, Life after Layoff is cool.
Several of the more commercial pieces in metal frames went into the shed. One of the ones that didn't was one that my wife put up in Fremont. It is a pen and ink drawing of a house with words around it that say: "I hear your footsteps down the hall. You are home again, ..and safe. All the burdens of the day are lightened--and all the night noises... ...are music to my ears."
I don't know whether I ever really read it when she had it hanging up in our bedroom, but reading it now is really bittersweet. It brings back all the memories of far better times and the acute missing of her footsteps. I can't get rid of it, but I will not be hanging it.
The garage may be usable after I give away or sell the remaining stuff that is designated for disposal. It looks a lot emptier and I can get to the shelves that line it now. I may put a few more of the boxes currently on the garage shelves in the shed and have left a lot sorting the stuff that I may use more frequently back into the garage and less frequently in the shed.
Today was overcast all day and fog drizzly, so, I decided to stay in all day. I even took a nap.
While I didn't drive and burn gas, I did restart my thermostat over the weekend and have yet to turn it back off again. I'll get out another sweatshirt tomorrow. It doesn't come on when set to 58 degrees. Yes, Life after Layoff is cool.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Day Twenty-seven: Pain and soreness
Wet and drizzly. Unlike yesterday, this day was overcast most of the day. The drizzle was just dew point fog condensation but I rediscovered the hard way that the sun burns through clouds.
While my youngest daughter started turning over the undead sod, my oldest and I went to Sloat's Nursery on Sloat next to the San Francisco Zoo. We spent over $250 getting planting soil, Forest Mulch, and drought tolerant plants. From a sod, and weed, no maintenance yard, I was to go to a no grass no weed low maintenance yard.
Getting to a yard that will take a little work, although it looks so much better, was a lot of work AND IT'S NOT DONE YET. It was obvious when we started digging the holes for the plants that some previous resident had parked cars where we were digging. The amount of compaction was horrible. As a result, we over dug the holes and used copious amounts of the planting soil to fill them in so the plants would have room for roots.
Then we went back to Sloat's and bought more Forest Mulch and bark chips. Oh yes, we bought more ground cover plants. But we got everything planted and every thing covered with either the mulch or bark.
The real story here and the reason for the title, is what we had to go through to dig the holes. I had to get out my spud bar. While my daughters would clean out the dirt, I would go around to the holes and spud the next layer loose. After my share of sod turning, the spud work has nearly done me in. All of my upper body is sore already, at least all the a's: abs and arms. I almost hate to go to sleep, if I can, because I know I will be stiff an sore tomorrow.
The pain and soreness are worth it. We got so much done this weekend. I'm encouraged that this place might even be presentable for visitors coming out to my son's wedding.
Life after Layoff is a pain, a glorious satisfying pain.
While my youngest daughter started turning over the undead sod, my oldest and I went to Sloat's Nursery on Sloat next to the San Francisco Zoo. We spent over $250 getting planting soil, Forest Mulch, and drought tolerant plants. From a sod, and weed, no maintenance yard, I was to go to a no grass no weed low maintenance yard.
Getting to a yard that will take a little work, although it looks so much better, was a lot of work AND IT'S NOT DONE YET. It was obvious when we started digging the holes for the plants that some previous resident had parked cars where we were digging. The amount of compaction was horrible. As a result, we over dug the holes and used copious amounts of the planting soil to fill them in so the plants would have room for roots.
Then we went back to Sloat's and bought more Forest Mulch and bark chips. Oh yes, we bought more ground cover plants. But we got everything planted and every thing covered with either the mulch or bark.
The real story here and the reason for the title, is what we had to go through to dig the holes. I had to get out my spud bar. While my daughters would clean out the dirt, I would go around to the holes and spud the next layer loose. After my share of sod turning, the spud work has nearly done me in. All of my upper body is sore already, at least all the a's: abs and arms. I almost hate to go to sleep, if I can, because I know I will be stiff an sore tomorrow.
The pain and soreness are worth it. We got so much done this weekend. I'm encouraged that this place might even be presentable for visitors coming out to my son's wedding.
Life after Layoff is a pain, a glorious satisfying pain.
Day Twenty-six: Shed building and storing
As soon as I find my camera, I will have to take a picture of my new shed and learn to post it in a blog, this blog.
The day started early, earlier for me than my daughters. My youngest daughter said that we should get up at 6:00 AM to get an early start on the shed. Then later after they went to bed, they agreed that 7:00 AM was a much better time to be getting up. If I hadn't already gotten up at 6:00, I would have agreed.
Anyway, we had overnight slow cooked steel cut Irish oats for breakfast, with lots of dried fruit. (That was one of the reasons we had to stop at a grocery store yesterday on our way home.) The other reason was to get the ingredients for making a no knead bread. Well actually a low knead bread. It is baked while in a dutch oven with a lid on it for about a half an hour and then finished baking with the lid off. It makes a great tasting artisan bread.
Well, we got the shed up in about three hours. Then, while my two daughters went to a play, I got the boxes out of my bedroom and into the shed. Then after the play, we moved more stuff into the shed while my daughters went wild on my yard. They cleaned, cut, pulled, and crammed. Not only did they cram my green bin full, they filled several other smaller containers.
After a meal at Tam's in Pacifica, they designed a landscaping plan for the front yard. The sod that the previous owners slapped down to sell the place was a pain to mow and difficult to water. The weeds grew nicely.
It was a nice fulfilling day like most of them are in my Life after Layoff.
The day started early, earlier for me than my daughters. My youngest daughter said that we should get up at 6:00 AM to get an early start on the shed. Then later after they went to bed, they agreed that 7:00 AM was a much better time to be getting up. If I hadn't already gotten up at 6:00, I would have agreed.
Anyway, we had overnight slow cooked steel cut Irish oats for breakfast, with lots of dried fruit. (That was one of the reasons we had to stop at a grocery store yesterday on our way home.) The other reason was to get the ingredients for making a no knead bread. Well actually a low knead bread. It is baked while in a dutch oven with a lid on it for about a half an hour and then finished baking with the lid off. It makes a great tasting artisan bread.
Well, we got the shed up in about three hours. Then, while my two daughters went to a play, I got the boxes out of my bedroom and into the shed. Then after the play, we moved more stuff into the shed while my daughters went wild on my yard. They cleaned, cut, pulled, and crammed. Not only did they cram my green bin full, they filled several other smaller containers.
After a meal at Tam's in Pacifica, they designed a landscaping plan for the front yard. The sod that the previous owners slapped down to sell the place was a pain to mow and difficult to water. The weeds grew nicely.
It was a nice fulfilling day like most of them are in my Life after Layoff.
Day Twenty-five: TGIF
At least this Friday. I had a lot of work to get done before my daughters showed up. I even had to make a to do list. First, I had to wash their bed's sheets, well, replace their bed sheets. This also afforded me a good opportunity to wash mine and turn my bed.
My daughters showed up before dinner. If I didn't have everything done on my list, it wasn't going to stop our fun. We went out to dinner at Chez Shea in Half Moon Bay. Good food and a whole bottle of wine split between my oldest daughter and me. My youngest volunteered to be the designated driver. We closed the place down. As it turned out, that wasn't so late, just a little past 8:30 PM.
On our way home, we stopped at a grocery store. This appears to be a family tradition, going out for a nice evening and at some point while out, stopping at a grocery store. My wife and I used to do it all the time, even when it was a dress up event. I can't say that this was dress up. In fact, dressing up is definitely not part of my Life after Layoff.
My daughters showed up before dinner. If I didn't have everything done on my list, it wasn't going to stop our fun. We went out to dinner at Chez Shea in Half Moon Bay. Good food and a whole bottle of wine split between my oldest daughter and me. My youngest volunteered to be the designated driver. We closed the place down. As it turned out, that wasn't so late, just a little past 8:30 PM.
On our way home, we stopped at a grocery store. This appears to be a family tradition, going out for a nice evening and at some point while out, stopping at a grocery store. My wife and I used to do it all the time, even when it was a dress up event. I can't say that this was dress up. In fact, dressing up is definitely not part of my Life after Layoff.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Day Twenty-four: More memories
While I don't intend for my Life after Layoff to be so dominated by my memories, today was another day of exactly that. Today I scanned slides of Marilyn and my visit to the Grand Canyon, including our day trip on mule back half-way down and back. I'll leave the actual discussion of that experience to my Memories of Marilyn blog and when I learn to include pictures.
I scanned pictures of our first married Christmas and the origins of a somewhat family tradition of a Fun Hunt. Also more about that in my Memories of Marilyn blog, but yes I did have her looking behind the toilet and in the freezer for clues to the next clue and finally her gift.
I scanned pictures of ..., and I have a lot more to go.
I also had a couple of long breaks. In order to install software, which didn't work once installed, I disabled the virus protection and disconnected from the Internet. When I reconnected to the Internet to send a couple of the pictures I scanned, I re-enabled the virus protection, which immediately started scanning. Rather than stop the virus scan to speed the slide scanning, I just took a break.
I cut my thumb yesterday morning while dicing a fresh white peach. Today I decided that it wasn't healed enough to wash dishes so I had to go out shopping for food that didn't need to be cooked. I decided on bagels and hummus. I also bought some beer. I don't normally drink anything alcoholic when I'm alone but somehow this day may lend itself to doing so.
When is the grief going to fade so I can enjoy the joy? I had 30 wonderful years...
I scanned pictures of our first married Christmas and the origins of a somewhat family tradition of a Fun Hunt. Also more about that in my Memories of Marilyn blog, but yes I did have her looking behind the toilet and in the freezer for clues to the next clue and finally her gift.
I scanned pictures of ..., and I have a lot more to go.
I also had a couple of long breaks. In order to install software, which didn't work once installed, I disabled the virus protection and disconnected from the Internet. When I reconnected to the Internet to send a couple of the pictures I scanned, I re-enabled the virus protection, which immediately started scanning. Rather than stop the virus scan to speed the slide scanning, I just took a break.
I cut my thumb yesterday morning while dicing a fresh white peach. Today I decided that it wasn't healed enough to wash dishes so I had to go out shopping for food that didn't need to be cooked. I decided on bagels and hummus. I also bought some beer. I don't normally drink anything alcoholic when I'm alone but somehow this day may lend itself to doing so.
When is the grief going to fade so I can enjoy the joy? I had 30 wonderful years...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Day Twenty-three: Scanning memories
I was never a camera person and neither was my wife. She would always quote her mother, "Hold it in your mind." Still, there are quite a few slides that need to be scanned. I finally got the slide scanner working, I think, and have scanned over 100 so far.
It's slow because I have to put three slides at a time into a plastic tray that holds them in place then manually push them through the viewer / camera.
It's made slower from the frequent stops that I have to take, particularly after scanning the 20th anniversary pictures. Since I asked her to marry me when we were downhill skiing and it was ten years before we got to go skiing again, we made it a tradition to go downhill skiing on our ten year anniversary celebrations. (We went cross-country skiing after we moved to California in between.) She didn't make it to our 30th anniversary and instead of downhill skiing, my and her family had a remembrance open house.
I figured that Life after Layoff would have it's ups and downs. I just never figured that one thing would be both.
It's slow because I have to put three slides at a time into a plastic tray that holds them in place then manually push them through the viewer / camera.
It's made slower from the frequent stops that I have to take, particularly after scanning the 20th anniversary pictures. Since I asked her to marry me when we were downhill skiing and it was ten years before we got to go skiing again, we made it a tradition to go downhill skiing on our ten year anniversary celebrations. (We went cross-country skiing after we moved to California in between.) She didn't make it to our 30th anniversary and instead of downhill skiing, my and her family had a remembrance open house.
I figured that Life after Layoff would have it's ups and downs. I just never figured that one thing would be both.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Day Twenty-two: Charity cards
I had two objectives today: get my hair cut and start scanning slides. The slide scanning didn't work out because the software didn't install. I did get my hair cut as well as a few more things done.
I dropped off a reprint to an article I wrote for my favorite charity, the Marilyn Westbrook Garment Fund, at the place I get my hair cut. I also included several copies of a prototype "charity card." This is so people who read the article can take a "card" and hopefully be reminded to donate something.
These "cards" are normal business card size, two inches by three and one half inches, and reference both the National Lymphedema Network website as well as the direct link, above, to the special fund honoring and memorializing my wife. I had hoped to include a copy of the "card" here but don't yet know enough about html to do so.
I also got the next best things to checks in the mail, books. I received not one, not two, but three books. Unfortunately they weren't gifts and thus a surprise, but an Amazon.com order I had placed. Since they go here so fast, I must have paid a shipping premium. Not going into work means that my Life after Layoff means more Internet shopping.
I did drive about ten miles today. According to my Prius mileage calculator, I'm getting 48 MPG, which means I used less than a dollar's worth of gas, or less than 33 cents a day. (I didn't drive anywhere the previous two days.)
I also determined, by reading the picture book on how to put the shed together that I better wait on it until I have some help. It calls for two people for things like the roof. By the way, the pictures show the two people putting it together wearing safety glasses.
Two days too late for it to do any good, I found my one pound claw hammer. After I couldn't find it anywhere in the garage or my other sheds, I should have thought to look in the next most obvious place, my kitchen. It took me a long time today to remember why it was in the kitchen, beyond I sat it down and left it there. But, I finally did remember. I took it in to the kitchen over a month ago to reinstall the rollers on my butcher block, now rolling again, stand alone island. Hey, I go into the kitchen every time I want to get a tape measure where I always know I can find one. (Except the last time I got it, I did not put it away. Now I will have to find it in some other room so I can put it back in the kitchen so I can find it.)
I dropped off a reprint to an article I wrote for my favorite charity, the Marilyn Westbrook Garment Fund, at the place I get my hair cut. I also included several copies of a prototype "charity card." This is so people who read the article can take a "card" and hopefully be reminded to donate something.
These "cards" are normal business card size, two inches by three and one half inches, and reference both the National Lymphedema Network website as well as the direct link, above, to the special fund honoring and memorializing my wife. I had hoped to include a copy of the "card" here but don't yet know enough about html to do so.
I also got the next best things to checks in the mail, books. I received not one, not two, but three books. Unfortunately they weren't gifts and thus a surprise, but an Amazon.com order I had placed. Since they go here so fast, I must have paid a shipping premium. Not going into work means that my Life after Layoff means more Internet shopping.
I did drive about ten miles today. According to my Prius mileage calculator, I'm getting 48 MPG, which means I used less than a dollar's worth of gas, or less than 33 cents a day. (I didn't drive anywhere the previous two days.)
I also determined, by reading the picture book on how to put the shed together that I better wait on it until I have some help. It calls for two people for things like the roof. By the way, the pictures show the two people putting it together wearing safety glasses.
Two days too late for it to do any good, I found my one pound claw hammer. After I couldn't find it anywhere in the garage or my other sheds, I should have thought to look in the next most obvious place, my kitchen. It took me a long time today to remember why it was in the kitchen, beyond I sat it down and left it there. But, I finally did remember. I took it in to the kitchen over a month ago to reinstall the rollers on my butcher block, now rolling again, stand alone island. Hey, I go into the kitchen every time I want to get a tape measure where I always know I can find one. (Except the last time I got it, I did not put it away. Now I will have to find it in some other room so I can put it back in the kitchen so I can find it.)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Day Twenty-one: Cleaning, eating, shedding
Three full weeks of LIFE, that is, Life after Layoff, which is L I F E.
I got up this morning closer to what was my normal work time for rising. I jumped into getting the dishes done while fixing my high fiber breakfast, oatmeal, All Bran, and lots of fruit. I almost got done before the oats boiled over and made me clean the stovetop.
After cleaning up, I was hit with a food coma and took a nap. By then it was time for lunch.
This afternoon, I swept the shed area and unloaded the shed from the back of my truck. Unloading consisted of opening each box one at a time, taking out its contents, moving the empty box, and reloading it. I kept out the instructions so I can see whether or not I can put it together by myself. Unfortunately, to conserve space, I stacked the boxes back on top of each other, with the floor being in the one on the bottom. I'm sure however it is built, the floor is first.
The day seemed more productive than I just recounted. Oh yes, I need a couple more boxes. I can't believe that I unpacked several books for storage in other places, packed storage boxes only, throwing away the water cartons that were used as three book boxes, and ended up without enough ... boxes.
I also worked on some lyrics to a song that I hope one of my sisters will sing.
I added a couple descriptive words to my focus pages and thought on them a little bit. I wouldn't say what I did was meditating. I'll work my way up to that. I'm adding it to my mental list. If I tried to write all my mental list down, I would spend all my time doing that and still not get enough done.
I got up this morning closer to what was my normal work time for rising. I jumped into getting the dishes done while fixing my high fiber breakfast, oatmeal, All Bran, and lots of fruit. I almost got done before the oats boiled over and made me clean the stovetop.
After cleaning up, I was hit with a food coma and took a nap. By then it was time for lunch.
This afternoon, I swept the shed area and unloaded the shed from the back of my truck. Unloading consisted of opening each box one at a time, taking out its contents, moving the empty box, and reloading it. I kept out the instructions so I can see whether or not I can put it together by myself. Unfortunately, to conserve space, I stacked the boxes back on top of each other, with the floor being in the one on the bottom. I'm sure however it is built, the floor is first.
The day seemed more productive than I just recounted. Oh yes, I need a couple more boxes. I can't believe that I unpacked several books for storage in other places, packed storage boxes only, throwing away the water cartons that were used as three book boxes, and ended up without enough ... boxes.
I also worked on some lyrics to a song that I hope one of my sisters will sing.
I added a couple descriptive words to my focus pages and thought on them a little bit. I wouldn't say what I did was meditating. I'll work my way up to that. I'm adding it to my mental list. If I tried to write all my mental list down, I would spend all my time doing that and still not get enough done.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Day Twenty: Its hard to give up books
Well, I've gone through everyone of the 33 boxes in my bedroom. I've physically handled every book. Out of the 33 boxes, I am giving away seven. Of course, one of the larger ones that I'm not giving away is filled with my son's books. I've put a couple of the series I most like in some previously empty drawers. I found a cookbook I was looking for. I discovered that I have language books for German, Spanish, French, New Testament Greek, Latin, and Russian. Plus, several English books, dictionaries and writing books. Only the German and Spanish language books weren't mine.
I'm keeping all of the language books. I did get rid of several of my and my wife's college textbooks. I haven't looked at them for over 30 years and I'm sure she didn't look at them either.
I found a couple of duplicates, which means that I probably read both of them at least once. (The books I really like I read more often but usually the same copy.)
I also reread one of the books to find out whether I should keep it. I not only decided to, but went to Amazon and bought the next two in the series. After that book, I decided to not be uncertain again. It took an inordinate amount of time and cost me money.
I found a whole bunch of cards that my wife must have accumulated. I'd write more about them but I'm planning on using them.
I also found several blank notebooks, only two of which were mine. I have several partially filled ones, and by partial I mean only a few pages out of several. Notebooks are really a poor name. They are more like journals. Some are even leather bound. Anyway, I was really glad to find one that only has three pages filled in.
Before my wife passed away, she insisted that I listen to one of her audiobooks, The Secret. I have since listened to it several times. In one moment, lengthy moment, I made three focus pages for what I want out of life: Joy, Health, and Freedom. Some long time before I listened to The Secret I bought my wife an iPod. On the back of it is inscribed: "Marilyn Westbrook the JOY of my life." I have just had a physical and no particular problems were discovered. In my Life after Layoff, I have more freedom than I ever would have imagined. Two out of three were supposed to be good. I'd give everything for my Joy.
To top it off, I still have books on the floor and books on my bed with a lot to do before I rest my head.
I'm keeping all of the language books. I did get rid of several of my and my wife's college textbooks. I haven't looked at them for over 30 years and I'm sure she didn't look at them either.
I found a couple of duplicates, which means that I probably read both of them at least once. (The books I really like I read more often but usually the same copy.)
I also reread one of the books to find out whether I should keep it. I not only decided to, but went to Amazon and bought the next two in the series. After that book, I decided to not be uncertain again. It took an inordinate amount of time and cost me money.
I found a whole bunch of cards that my wife must have accumulated. I'd write more about them but I'm planning on using them.
I also found several blank notebooks, only two of which were mine. I have several partially filled ones, and by partial I mean only a few pages out of several. Notebooks are really a poor name. They are more like journals. Some are even leather bound. Anyway, I was really glad to find one that only has three pages filled in.
Before my wife passed away, she insisted that I listen to one of her audiobooks, The Secret. I have since listened to it several times. In one moment, lengthy moment, I made three focus pages for what I want out of life: Joy, Health, and Freedom. Some long time before I listened to The Secret I bought my wife an iPod. On the back of it is inscribed: "Marilyn Westbrook the JOY of my life." I have just had a physical and no particular problems were discovered. In my Life after Layoff, I have more freedom than I ever would have imagined. Two out of three were supposed to be good. I'd give everything for my Joy.
To top it off, I still have books on the floor and books on my bed with a lot to do before I rest my head.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Day Nineteen: Demo'd out but demo's done
I finally got down to three 4x8 ten + feet long redwood beams suspended eight feet in the air by four 4x4's. Two of the beams were attached to the house. My challenge was to get them down without having them crash down and damage something. I moved all the miscellaneous stuff form under them and from the surrounding area, which was made more difficult by a fifteen gallon bin that had at least ten gallons of rain water in it. Since I had to empty some of the water to move it, I watered my potted plants with the rain water from the bin. (I don't have any potted plants indoors. These were all outdoors and because of a few deaths are fewer than they used to be.)
Then I got tired of hitting my head on the low over hang of the bottle bushes from my neighbor's yard and figured that I might as well get rid of them. So I chopped as much as I could along the fence line and put the residue into the green bin. I was really doing this for the truck unload, which I still didn't get to.
I planned it all out. I took all the screws out from the braces that connected the beams and posts together and particularly from the brackets that connected the beams to house. Then all I had to do was crowbar the beams apart far enough for the clinching nails to pull out. I went back and forth trying to make sure to drop just one beam. Well, as it turned out, the supporting 4x4's were only anchored into the concrete with plastic expansion sleeves with the size screws that you might use in drywall. When I dropped one end of the crossing beam, the posts pulled out of the concrete and fell onto each other, NOT ME.
They didn't mark up the house. They didn't break the sliding door glass. They didn't take out the fence. I just had a lot of nails to pop out and heavy wood to stack. I'm glad I'm lucky because my plan certainly didn't work. Speaking of work, I still have a lot of work to do, but I was enjoying the amount of leisure I was interspersing with the work, including two long weekends in a row. Even though today was a lot of physical work, I am enjoying the kind of work that I'm doing in this Life after Layoff.
Still, I hope tomorrow is a little lighter. Maybe I'll get back to my books.
Hey, I didn't drive at all today. Zero dollars sent to terrorists.
Then I got tired of hitting my head on the low over hang of the bottle bushes from my neighbor's yard and figured that I might as well get rid of them. So I chopped as much as I could along the fence line and put the residue into the green bin. I was really doing this for the truck unload, which I still didn't get to.
I planned it all out. I took all the screws out from the braces that connected the beams and posts together and particularly from the brackets that connected the beams to house. Then all I had to do was crowbar the beams apart far enough for the clinching nails to pull out. I went back and forth trying to make sure to drop just one beam. Well, as it turned out, the supporting 4x4's were only anchored into the concrete with plastic expansion sleeves with the size screws that you might use in drywall. When I dropped one end of the crossing beam, the posts pulled out of the concrete and fell onto each other, NOT ME.
They didn't mark up the house. They didn't break the sliding door glass. They didn't take out the fence. I just had a lot of nails to pop out and heavy wood to stack. I'm glad I'm lucky because my plan certainly didn't work. Speaking of work, I still have a lot of work to do, but I was enjoying the amount of leisure I was interspersing with the work, including two long weekends in a row. Even though today was a lot of physical work, I am enjoying the kind of work that I'm doing in this Life after Layoff.
Still, I hope tomorrow is a little lighter. Maybe I'll get back to my books.
Hey, I didn't drive at all today. Zero dollars sent to terrorists.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Day Eighteen: Demolition day
Just as a few days ago I had a successful day of shredding and tossing, today consisted of demolition. It was fun to wield a crowbar and strip off redwood 2x4's from an arbor that inconveniently is where my new shed needs to go.
What with more book sorting in the morning, more strawberries for lunch, this time with chocolate, and finding tools to do the demolition, including the ladder, I didn't get to the demolition until late in the afternoon. So, I only got the top boards off.
I also got a call from the founder of the charity that created the memorial fund, Marilyn Westbrook Garment Fund, for my wife. I have a couple of assignments to prepare for the conference where I will be staffing a booth for her fund. The expected dress is jacket and tie. After losing weight and wearing business casual for years for work, my selection of jackets and ties are, well, limited. Good thing I was going to go shopping and altering for my son's wedding coming up two weeks after the conference.
I still have books all over my bedroom floor. I still have the big boards to demo on the arbor. I still have a dirty truck with a bed full of shed. But, I had strawberries and chocolate. Great desserts give meaning to Life after Layoff.
What with more book sorting in the morning, more strawberries for lunch, this time with chocolate, and finding tools to do the demolition, including the ladder, I didn't get to the demolition until late in the afternoon. So, I only got the top boards off.
I also got a call from the founder of the charity that created the memorial fund, Marilyn Westbrook Garment Fund, for my wife. I have a couple of assignments to prepare for the conference where I will be staffing a booth for her fund. The expected dress is jacket and tie. After losing weight and wearing business casual for years for work, my selection of jackets and ties are, well, limited. Good thing I was going to go shopping and altering for my son's wedding coming up two weeks after the conference.
I still have books all over my bedroom floor. I still have the big boards to demo on the arbor. I still have a dirty truck with a bed full of shed. But, I had strawberries and chocolate. Great desserts give meaning to Life after Layoff.
Day Seventeen: Sheds, shirts, and strawberries
Today was an "s" shopping day. In addition to the list in the title, I also bought salad and shorts, the kind that come in a package of six.
As reported yesterday, I shopped online for sheds and found two that were roughly comparable in price at two stores I could easily get to. So, this morning I hopped into my now starting truck and drove first to Costco. Costco had a different shed at the store with just a slightly reduced price so I got it. I also got a couple dark micro-weave T-shirts, and four pounds of organic strawberries.
Now that I've had two meals with strawberries and haven't made any noticeable dent in the remaining amount, I realize that I wasn't thinking. I guess that combined with them being organic, my wife loving strawberries, and a brain burp, I loaded up on the things. Perhaps it was the memories of the very non-vegan strawberry shortcake my wife used to make. I am searching for a substitute in my Veganomicon, which is supposed to be the Joy of Cooking for vegans.
Now, it took three of us to load each of the three shed boxes into the back of my truck. So, there they have sat since I got home. I guess figuring out how to do things by myself is just part of my Life after Layoff.
The big accomplishment today was not the shopping but rather starting on the boxes of books in my bedroom. So far I have books in stacks by author over a good portion of my floor; books in drawers; books in five boxes to give away/sell; and books in boxes destined for my new shed.
As reported yesterday, I shopped online for sheds and found two that were roughly comparable in price at two stores I could easily get to. So, this morning I hopped into my now starting truck and drove first to Costco. Costco had a different shed at the store with just a slightly reduced price so I got it. I also got a couple dark micro-weave T-shirts, and four pounds of organic strawberries.
Now that I've had two meals with strawberries and haven't made any noticeable dent in the remaining amount, I realize that I wasn't thinking. I guess that combined with them being organic, my wife loving strawberries, and a brain burp, I loaded up on the things. Perhaps it was the memories of the very non-vegan strawberry shortcake my wife used to make. I am searching for a substitute in my Veganomicon, which is supposed to be the Joy of Cooking for vegans.
Now, it took three of us to load each of the three shed boxes into the back of my truck. So, there they have sat since I got home. I guess figuring out how to do things by myself is just part of my Life after Layoff.
The big accomplishment today was not the shopping but rather starting on the boxes of books in my bedroom. So far I have books in stacks by author over a good portion of my floor; books in drawers; books in five boxes to give away/sell; and books in boxes destined for my new shed.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Day Sixteen: Nothing done except the day
While I hope there will be lots of days like this, but not necessarily before I have all that I need to do done.
In the book Discover Your Strengths and the associated Internet test, you can find out which of 34 strengths are your top five in order of score. My number one is Achiever. This means that I have to accomplish something every day, well, I have to feel that I accomplish something.
Today I bought another hose and watered the back yard. After 24 hours of charging the battery on my truck still wasn't fully charged. I took it off but decided not to start it just drive it a short distance to the stores so late in the day. I will be going to Home Depot and Costco tomorrow to shop for a shed. Yes, I shop. Well, I shop until I find something that will work for what I am willing to pay. I guess I am going to have to learn to find the best bargain to conserve money. I'm going to Home Depot and Costco because I already shopped online.
I also talked to a person who is helping me get some money for my wife's memorial charity. I'll find out tomorrow how much more needs to be gone through to actually get it. I'd like to get some business cards printed up with the logo and the URL to encourage other donations.
I also took all the mail that has been delivered for the previous residents to the post office. Oh yes, I mailed my earthquake insurance, my RSVP to my son's wedding, and a thank you to some friends.
I feel a little better. I got more done than I thought I had and I didn't even write everything I did. The above list is probably more than enough to thoroughly discourage any readers. It's an exciting Life after Layoff.
In the book Discover Your Strengths and the associated Internet test, you can find out which of 34 strengths are your top five in order of score. My number one is Achiever. This means that I have to accomplish something every day, well, I have to feel that I accomplish something.
Today I bought another hose and watered the back yard. After 24 hours of charging the battery on my truck still wasn't fully charged. I took it off but decided not to start it just drive it a short distance to the stores so late in the day. I will be going to Home Depot and Costco tomorrow to shop for a shed. Yes, I shop. Well, I shop until I find something that will work for what I am willing to pay. I guess I am going to have to learn to find the best bargain to conserve money. I'm going to Home Depot and Costco because I already shopped online.
I also talked to a person who is helping me get some money for my wife's memorial charity. I'll find out tomorrow how much more needs to be gone through to actually get it. I'd like to get some business cards printed up with the logo and the URL to encourage other donations.
I also took all the mail that has been delivered for the previous residents to the post office. Oh yes, I mailed my earthquake insurance, my RSVP to my son's wedding, and a thank you to some friends.
I feel a little better. I got more done than I thought I had and I didn't even write everything I did. The above list is probably more than enough to thoroughly discourage any readers. It's an exciting Life after Layoff.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Day Fifteen: Sleeping my life away
After almost two days in one yesterday, today was less than a half day. I did discover that my truck battery was dead. It was the second time I tried to start it in seven months. I'm hoping that it will take a charge. I put the charger on this morning and will check it out tomorrow.
I missed my retirement planning seminar because after the late night I was just a little too "retired" today. Somehow I had it on my calendar for 15 days later than today.
After an early dinner, I fell asleep while watching TV. It may not have been the first time, but it certainly was the longest time.
Well, tomorrow is another day and I can still sleep the night away. I just can't sleep all of my Life after Layoff, I have too much to do.
I missed my retirement planning seminar because after the late night I was just a little too "retired" today. Somehow I had it on my calendar for 15 days later than today.
After an early dinner, I fell asleep while watching TV. It may not have been the first time, but it certainly was the longest time.
Well, tomorrow is another day and I can still sleep the night away. I just can't sleep all of my Life after Layoff, I have too much to do.
Day Fourteen: Fauning
Exactly two weeks into my layoff and wow, I've never enjoyed a vacation more. Well that isn't really true. My worst day with my wife still beats my best day without her.
I got up even later today. It must not be the sun. I didn't even hear the roosters through the once again open door. While they could have slaughtered them, I think the trick is to be excessively tired. We stayed up until close to midnight watching Office Space. When I did get up I saw the cutest spotted faun walking with its mother. I also saw a large variety of birds. Enough so that I may have to get into bird watching, at least the next time I go up I will remember to take my own binoculars.
After breakfast and some last minute completion of the second canoe seat frame, which is still far from complete, it's just, well, framed. The edges aren't rounded the caning holes aren't drilled and won't be until they know what size caning material they will be using as the cane goes through the holes up to eight times each.
On the long ride home in reverse order, we basically split up the driving among the three of us. My daughter and son-in-law drove to their place and then I drove on to my home. We stopped in Shasta for lunch, which allowed me to leave my souvenir Liberty Island hat at the Billy Goat Cafe. I don't even know why I put it on. Anyway, the food was good and the two beers that I had were even better. After all, I had two designated drivers and drinking good beer is a worthy Life after Layoff. Maybe it was the beer that induced me to leave the hat I shouldn't have worn into the restaurant. (Can eating outside and never actually going inside be considered going into a restaurant?)
We couldn't see the smoke plumes west of Redding that were so visible going north. This doesn't mean that the fire was out. Indeed, the smoke was so bad that we couldn't see the hills west of Redding.
The rest of the trip to Davis involved me listening to my daughter's iPod music collection through the Prius' car speakers and resting in the back seat. I would rouse every so often to ask, "Are we there yet?" My children didn't to that often because they were rational people who could look out the window and see that we weren't there. Instead, they frequently asked, "How much longer before we get there?" If I hadn't be drowsing, I might have remembered to ask that more accurate historical question instead.
I discovered one significant fact riding in the back seat. Never sit behind a person who thinks that 90 degrees are cool when the only source of air conditioned air is in the front and they control the flow. I discovered that my daughter had actually closed off one of the cold air vents on our mutual side of the car. When I was driving by myself on the last leg, the trip from Davis to my home along the coast, a blessed 64 degrees when I arrived, I actually left it closed so more air would blow on me from the two driver's side vents. I also lowered the temperature from 78 to 72. Life after Layoff is and should be cool. (Two "Life after Layoff" puns in the same entry. I probably won't run out of them before I stop making entries anyway even if they get worse and repetitive.)
I got up even later today. It must not be the sun. I didn't even hear the roosters through the once again open door. While they could have slaughtered them, I think the trick is to be excessively tired. We stayed up until close to midnight watching Office Space. When I did get up I saw the cutest spotted faun walking with its mother. I also saw a large variety of birds. Enough so that I may have to get into bird watching, at least the next time I go up I will remember to take my own binoculars.
After breakfast and some last minute completion of the second canoe seat frame, which is still far from complete, it's just, well, framed. The edges aren't rounded the caning holes aren't drilled and won't be until they know what size caning material they will be using as the cane goes through the holes up to eight times each.
On the long ride home in reverse order, we basically split up the driving among the three of us. My daughter and son-in-law drove to their place and then I drove on to my home. We stopped in Shasta for lunch, which allowed me to leave my souvenir Liberty Island hat at the Billy Goat Cafe. I don't even know why I put it on. Anyway, the food was good and the two beers that I had were even better. After all, I had two designated drivers and drinking good beer is a worthy Life after Layoff. Maybe it was the beer that induced me to leave the hat I shouldn't have worn into the restaurant. (Can eating outside and never actually going inside be considered going into a restaurant?)
We couldn't see the smoke plumes west of Redding that were so visible going north. This doesn't mean that the fire was out. Indeed, the smoke was so bad that we couldn't see the hills west of Redding.
The rest of the trip to Davis involved me listening to my daughter's iPod music collection through the Prius' car speakers and resting in the back seat. I would rouse every so often to ask, "Are we there yet?" My children didn't to that often because they were rational people who could look out the window and see that we weren't there. Instead, they frequently asked, "How much longer before we get there?" If I hadn't be drowsing, I might have remembered to ask that more accurate historical question instead.
I discovered one significant fact riding in the back seat. Never sit behind a person who thinks that 90 degrees are cool when the only source of air conditioned air is in the front and they control the flow. I discovered that my daughter had actually closed off one of the cold air vents on our mutual side of the car. When I was driving by myself on the last leg, the trip from Davis to my home along the coast, a blessed 64 degrees when I arrived, I actually left it closed so more air would blow on me from the two driver's side vents. I also lowered the temperature from 78 to 72. Life after Layoff is and should be cool. (Two "Life after Layoff" puns in the same entry. I probably won't run out of them before I stop making entries anyway even if they get worse and repetitive.)
Day Thirteen: Balloons and Open Houses
Maybe it's not the sun after all. I got up later today. The only difference was I had the door closed and didn't hear any roosters.
Of the several treats this morning, the most visually stunning was the flotilla of hot air balloons over Medford. I could see nine in the gaps of the trees and there may have been more blocked by trees. They certainly weren't moving very fast.
Today was Open House day. After a lazy morning, at least mine was lazy, (My daughter was learning caning from her mother-in-law, my son-in-law and his father were framing the canoe seats that the caning was to be for.), we went house looking. While my daughter likes going to Open Houses for its own merits, just like her mother did, this was for the purpose of getting ideas about the kind of house that they might get when they move to that area. Depending on job availability and physical ability to hike the PCT, it can be early next year or late next year.
We saw several houses with only one being that perfect combination of price and cosmetic seediness that would allow them to enhance their profit through sweat equity. We took turns driving the Prius. There were five people in it, over a hundred degrees outside of it and at least 78 inside with the air conditioner running at maximum.
After house looking, we drove to Ashland and walked in Lithia Park before a very good dinner. The last time my wife and I were in Ashland, we had done exactly the same thing, just not in the same order. We had walked in Lithia Park and looked at houses. If there hadn't been the small need to make money, we would have been in Ashland back then. I think my wife would have loved this Life after Layoff. I know I wish she were here to be able to.
Of the several treats this morning, the most visually stunning was the flotilla of hot air balloons over Medford. I could see nine in the gaps of the trees and there may have been more blocked by trees. They certainly weren't moving very fast.
Today was Open House day. After a lazy morning, at least mine was lazy, (My daughter was learning caning from her mother-in-law, my son-in-law and his father were framing the canoe seats that the caning was to be for.), we went house looking. While my daughter likes going to Open Houses for its own merits, just like her mother did, this was for the purpose of getting ideas about the kind of house that they might get when they move to that area. Depending on job availability and physical ability to hike the PCT, it can be early next year or late next year.
We saw several houses with only one being that perfect combination of price and cosmetic seediness that would allow them to enhance their profit through sweat equity. We took turns driving the Prius. There were five people in it, over a hundred degrees outside of it and at least 78 inside with the air conditioner running at maximum.
After house looking, we drove to Ashland and walked in Lithia Park before a very good dinner. The last time my wife and I were in Ashland, we had done exactly the same thing, just not in the same order. We had walked in Lithia Park and looked at houses. If there hadn't been the small need to make money, we would have been in Ashland back then. I think my wife would have loved this Life after Layoff. I know I wish she were here to be able to.
Day Twelve: On the Water
I could really tell that I was 300 miles further north and that Summer Solstice wasn't that long ago. This is a long winded way to say that the dawn and the light that wakes me up came earlier. Even being on the north side of the house didn't help.
In my college days I had gotten used to sleeping in a near sensory deprivation chamber with my interior dorm room in the Ohio State Stadium Scholarship dorm. But I have always found it difficult to sleep in the light. Of course, the sounds of roosters coming through the screened but open door may also have had something to do with it. They did not belong to my hosts.
While at the time I did not have access to the Internet and this blog, I did use the time to prepare some notes so I could make this entry later, as I am now doing.
The big activity of the day was rowing (for me) and paddling (for others) in a rowboat and canoe that my son-in-law's father had made. They were excellent crafts. It was a lot of fun. While I wasn't used to rowing and got a couple blisters for my presumption, they didn't break; I didn't get sore; and in no way was there any discomfort to diminish the fun.
After dinner, we appropriately played the card game "Up and Down the River." I had played it before but never so well. Well, never so lucky. I even had a good chance to win the first game but had to bid zero and only got ten points each in the final two hands while my host bid and made two and one; beating me by three points. But my luck wasn't universal. Earlier in the day I was skunked by daughter in cribbage. I guess to truly enjoy the good luck of this Life after Layoff, I'll have to accept a little bad luck in cards. It is well worth it.
In my college days I had gotten used to sleeping in a near sensory deprivation chamber with my interior dorm room in the Ohio State Stadium Scholarship dorm. But I have always found it difficult to sleep in the light. Of course, the sounds of roosters coming through the screened but open door may also have had something to do with it. They did not belong to my hosts.
While at the time I did not have access to the Internet and this blog, I did use the time to prepare some notes so I could make this entry later, as I am now doing.
The big activity of the day was rowing (for me) and paddling (for others) in a rowboat and canoe that my son-in-law's father had made. They were excellent crafts. It was a lot of fun. While I wasn't used to rowing and got a couple blisters for my presumption, they didn't break; I didn't get sore; and in no way was there any discomfort to diminish the fun.
After dinner, we appropriately played the card game "Up and Down the River." I had played it before but never so well. Well, never so lucky. I even had a good chance to win the first game but had to bid zero and only got ten points each in the final two hands while my host bid and made two and one; beating me by three points. But my luck wasn't universal. Earlier in the day I was skunked by daughter in cribbage. I guess to truly enjoy the good luck of this Life after Layoff, I'll have to accept a little bad luck in cards. It is well worth it.
Day Eleven: North to Alaska Oregon
I was invited up to visit one of my son-in-law's parents. I don't really know if the invitation was extended with or without the children, but I was certainly more interested in visiting with our common interests, the children.
I drove to Davis to pick up my son-in-law and together we proceeded to Shasta to pick up my daughter. (She had taken a bus up earlier to visit with some college friends and be picked up on the way.) Anyway, we stopped in Redding for a late lunch. It had been a long time since I had been in Redding. I didn't recognize the place. Of course, it didn't help that I confused it with some other town, probably off of Highway 101 as I was looking for a specific Thai restaurant that didn't exist, in Redding.
Instead, we ate at Chu's, a Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese restaurant. It wasn't a fusion place either. (In fact, I think the name was a pun.) Each menu type was distinctly separate from the other. The waiter was, to say the least, enthusiastic. Every choice we made, Chinese for me and Sushi for my son-in-law, was declared to be the best choice. Mine was good, definitely not Hunan or Szechwan though. We got in just before they closed after lunch by just a minute or two.
California's Central valley is normally hazy, but had seemed extra so on this trip up it. In Redding, we got to see why. There were major smoke plumes in the hills to the west of town over quite a large area. In the restaurant one of the other diners commented on being evacuated and hoping that her house hadn't burned. We both wished that so. My house burned down when I was 14. The fire was so hot that I couldn't find any of my silver coins from my coin collection and the pennies I found were paper thin, the nickels found were misshaped and only by heft could be identified as nickels. Unlike the Oakland hills fire where I could see orange flames in concentration points that were obviously houses, all that was visible from across Redding was the smoke. The smoke persisted in cloud-like haze form until after Lake Shasta.
Son-in-law's parents' place is fantastic. (While not using names is awkward, I don't know any better way to avoid trampling on people's privacy, which I have not asked for permission to trample.) The place is full of great wood from floors and decks to furniture. Most of it was done by them. Even my daughter got to help in some small way toward the end. Then there is the layout. My son-in-law's mother is a design genius.
Great food! Great conversation! It lasted far later than all of our normal bed times. I am honored to have been invited to join them this weekend. Long weekends visiting is certainly the Life after Layoff for me.
I drove to Davis to pick up my son-in-law and together we proceeded to Shasta to pick up my daughter. (She had taken a bus up earlier to visit with some college friends and be picked up on the way.) Anyway, we stopped in Redding for a late lunch. It had been a long time since I had been in Redding. I didn't recognize the place. Of course, it didn't help that I confused it with some other town, probably off of Highway 101 as I was looking for a specific Thai restaurant that didn't exist, in Redding.
Instead, we ate at Chu's, a Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese restaurant. It wasn't a fusion place either. (In fact, I think the name was a pun.) Each menu type was distinctly separate from the other. The waiter was, to say the least, enthusiastic. Every choice we made, Chinese for me and Sushi for my son-in-law, was declared to be the best choice. Mine was good, definitely not Hunan or Szechwan though. We got in just before they closed after lunch by just a minute or two.
California's Central valley is normally hazy, but had seemed extra so on this trip up it. In Redding, we got to see why. There were major smoke plumes in the hills to the west of town over quite a large area. In the restaurant one of the other diners commented on being evacuated and hoping that her house hadn't burned. We both wished that so. My house burned down when I was 14. The fire was so hot that I couldn't find any of my silver coins from my coin collection and the pennies I found were paper thin, the nickels found were misshaped and only by heft could be identified as nickels. Unlike the Oakland hills fire where I could see orange flames in concentration points that were obviously houses, all that was visible from across Redding was the smoke. The smoke persisted in cloud-like haze form until after Lake Shasta.
Son-in-law's parents' place is fantastic. (While not using names is awkward, I don't know any better way to avoid trampling on people's privacy, which I have not asked for permission to trample.) The place is full of great wood from floors and decks to furniture. Most of it was done by them. Even my daughter got to help in some small way toward the end. Then there is the layout. My son-in-law's mother is a design genius.
Great food! Great conversation! It lasted far later than all of our normal bed times. I am honored to have been invited to join them this weekend. Long weekends visiting is certainly the Life after Layoff for me.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Day Ten: Thinking about my business
Since my garden hose repair didn't work, I moved the furthest couple of plants closer the backyard faucet so my shorter hose could get water to them. I still had to arch the water to reach the furthest plants and fill the bird bath. I will need to get another hose or put in a watering system before my trips in August.
Today was another lazy day with a lot of rest and thinking. The rest was in the form of a nap in the afternoon and actually sleeping in until 8:00. The thinking was on the nature of how I would like to make money in my Life after Layoff. Well, not so much on the specifics but more on the philosophy.
Unless my former employer wants to hire me back, I don't want to trade time for money. Rather I want to produce a product, or establish a company to produce a product. Now here is where my philosophical thoughts on my business comes in. I don't want to participate in accelerating the consumption of finite resources. So either my product/business needs to be purely intellectual or an advance in something physical that reduces the consumption of finite resources.
The practical side of this is that, while I do not rule out learning something that would allow me to invent something physical, I don't think that I'm likely to learn enough quickly enough to actually create a product matching these criteria. I do have some trinket ideas that are not usable for anything practical but are out of renewable resources. In between having all of these thoughts, I still like the intellectual product path. Whether this is a writing product or some business around intellectual products, they are the only unlimited products that don't effectively consume much, if any, finite resources.
I'm traveling tomorrow and don't know when I will be back to this blog. I will be making notes and continue my entries as I did last weekend, all in one day when I got back.
Today was another lazy day with a lot of rest and thinking. The rest was in the form of a nap in the afternoon and actually sleeping in until 8:00. The thinking was on the nature of how I would like to make money in my Life after Layoff. Well, not so much on the specifics but more on the philosophy.
Unless my former employer wants to hire me back, I don't want to trade time for money. Rather I want to produce a product, or establish a company to produce a product. Now here is where my philosophical thoughts on my business comes in. I don't want to participate in accelerating the consumption of finite resources. So either my product/business needs to be purely intellectual or an advance in something physical that reduces the consumption of finite resources.
The practical side of this is that, while I do not rule out learning something that would allow me to invent something physical, I don't think that I'm likely to learn enough quickly enough to actually create a product matching these criteria. I do have some trinket ideas that are not usable for anything practical but are out of renewable resources. In between having all of these thoughts, I still like the intellectual product path. Whether this is a writing product or some business around intellectual products, they are the only unlimited products that don't effectively consume much, if any, finite resources.
I'm traveling tomorrow and don't know when I will be back to this blog. I will be making notes and continue my entries as I did last weekend, all in one day when I got back.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day Nine: Memories are overwhelming
I can't help but think I shouldn't have started titling these entries with the number of days I've been laid off. Assuming I keep doing it, I think I will have problems should this layoff period get into some higher numbers. With all that I'm planning on doing with this remarkable freedom, it may take at least one hundred and eighty days.
Today was a lazier day, again. After tackling my office yesterday, I was left with picking it up, filing, today. That went a lot slower than the shredding and tossing. I even had to make the little paper inserts that go in the plastic tabs for the hanging file folders. Although I was creating some new files, I will not be going through the old files just yet.
I did look in just one folder and was almost overwhelmed. While I never appreciated my wife's filing system, she used envelopes, binders and hanging folders, she did keep it all tucked away. The one hanging folder I opened had too many memories. I took a break and the work is still undone. It is hard to keep this blog light and humorous, although readers may disagree, after what happened today.
I thought I was mostly cried out in the first six months of this year, but I guess crying is still part of my Life after Layoff. I'll be better tomorrow.
Today was a lazier day, again. After tackling my office yesterday, I was left with picking it up, filing, today. That went a lot slower than the shredding and tossing. I even had to make the little paper inserts that go in the plastic tabs for the hanging file folders. Although I was creating some new files, I will not be going through the old files just yet.
I did look in just one folder and was almost overwhelmed. While I never appreciated my wife's filing system, she used envelopes, binders and hanging folders, she did keep it all tucked away. The one hanging folder I opened had too many memories. I took a break and the work is still undone. It is hard to keep this blog light and humorous, although readers may disagree, after what happened today.
I thought I was mostly cried out in the first six months of this year, but I guess crying is still part of my Life after Layoff. I'll be better tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Day Eight: Feed the worms
I was awakened early with what sounded to me like my wife calling my name. It wasn't, of course. It couldn't have been. But I got up anyway because either my wife or my subconscious was telling me to get up.
As a result I've had a very productive but boring day. Basically I've made my computer room, study, usable again by getting rid of a lot of paper. I don't have a cross-cut shredder but I have something possibly even better, a "Wriggly Ranch." Well, I actually use my compost pile but I've put worms from my worm farm in it so it is much like the same thing. Basically, I mix my kitchen compost scraps with my shredded documents and they all become worm food. After a worm eats the paper, I defy anyone to reconstruct its contents.
As a former exempt employee, I would frequently work long hours and take work home for even longer hours. There were also many times I had to get something done on the weekend because that is what the job required. However, I don't think I've ever spent so much mind numbing time voluntarily as I have today. In fact, I even enjoyed it because it was making progress toward something that is truly important to me, personally.
I did have breaks, to do other work. I did a couple loads of wash. I made food and ate it. To do the latter, I had to go shopping. During my breakfast cooking, I made such a mess that I just had to clean up the kitchen. All in all, today was a solid twelve hours of work and may be even longer, I haven't gone to bed yet.
Now work really is life, Life after Layoff.
As a result I've had a very productive but boring day. Basically I've made my computer room, study, usable again by getting rid of a lot of paper. I don't have a cross-cut shredder but I have something possibly even better, a "Wriggly Ranch." Well, I actually use my compost pile but I've put worms from my worm farm in it so it is much like the same thing. Basically, I mix my kitchen compost scraps with my shredded documents and they all become worm food. After a worm eats the paper, I defy anyone to reconstruct its contents.
As a former exempt employee, I would frequently work long hours and take work home for even longer hours. There were also many times I had to get something done on the weekend because that is what the job required. However, I don't think I've ever spent so much mind numbing time voluntarily as I have today. In fact, I even enjoyed it because it was making progress toward something that is truly important to me, personally.
I did have breaks, to do other work. I did a couple loads of wash. I made food and ate it. To do the latter, I had to go shopping. During my breakfast cooking, I made such a mess that I just had to clean up the kitchen. All in all, today was a solid twelve hours of work and may be even longer, I haven't gone to bed yet.
Now work really is life, Life after Layoff.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Day Seven: Reading by listening
This officially is my first full week of layoff. I spent six and one half hours driving over 390 miles from Pasadena to Pacifica and I most likely wouldn't have done this trip, or been able to have done it this way without having been laid off. I'm truly enjoying this different Life after Layoff.
I was looking forward to the long drive to do some deep thinking but instead, I listened to part 2 of How the brain works and Ian Flemings' 1953 book "Casino Royale." (I don't have parts one, three and greater, which is a long worded way of saying I only have part two.) It was short but quite informative. In it, I learned that we don't really learn anything without adequate rest. In fact, sleep deprivation can be a killer. I also learned that there are declarative, procedural, perceptive, and emotional learning / memory and that dreams are the association of those four for storage and eventual retrieval.
Casino Royale was both amazingly like and substantially different than the movies of the same name. The movies stayed very close to the intent of the book, with some updating and perhaps making the Bond character more, well, likable.
Perhaps more amazing was that I made it most of the way without having to back off of cruise control. I was only trapped once on I-5 and once on 152, before I had to drop off of it all together at the construction on 152. Then is was on and of several times up 101 and I-280. My Prius calculated mileage was 52 mpg.
While I was in awe of the gold and black hills and loved looking at them whenever I could do so safely, my lasting memory is of the acres and acres of bare ground of a cattle feed lot. This lot had thousands of cows, mostly under strips of tin roofs held up by metal poles, separated by more land. Every once in a while there was a sprinkler going off to keep the cattle cool.
Now that I've caught up on my Life after Layoff blog, I will definitely be going to bed earlier tonight than I have in the previous three nights. However, my to do list is growing. I'm getting excited about some of the things coming up and while a lot of work, it will be fun work. While work may be a four-letter word, fun definitely is.
I was looking forward to the long drive to do some deep thinking but instead, I listened to part 2 of How the brain works and Ian Flemings' 1953 book "Casino Royale." (I don't have parts one, three and greater, which is a long worded way of saying I only have part two.) It was short but quite informative. In it, I learned that we don't really learn anything without adequate rest. In fact, sleep deprivation can be a killer. I also learned that there are declarative, procedural, perceptive, and emotional learning / memory and that dreams are the association of those four for storage and eventual retrieval.
Casino Royale was both amazingly like and substantially different than the movies of the same name. The movies stayed very close to the intent of the book, with some updating and perhaps making the Bond character more, well, likable.
Perhaps more amazing was that I made it most of the way without having to back off of cruise control. I was only trapped once on I-5 and once on 152, before I had to drop off of it all together at the construction on 152. Then is was on and of several times up 101 and I-280. My Prius calculated mileage was 52 mpg.
While I was in awe of the gold and black hills and loved looking at them whenever I could do so safely, my lasting memory is of the acres and acres of bare ground of a cattle feed lot. This lot had thousands of cows, mostly under strips of tin roofs held up by metal poles, separated by more land. Every once in a while there was a sprinkler going off to keep the cattle cool.
Now that I've caught up on my Life after Layoff blog, I will definitely be going to bed earlier tonight than I have in the previous three nights. However, my to do list is growing. I'm getting excited about some of the things coming up and while a lot of work, it will be fun work. While work may be a four-letter word, fun definitely is.
Day Six: Watching DVDs and playing games
I've been sleeping in later and later. The last couple of days sleeping might be partially explained by staying up later. Last night was, well, this morning around 1:00 AM. Well, anyway, I slept in with the kind of deep sleep that had me a little woozy when I first got up. I also remembered a dream.
Now, I typically ignore dreams, well, actually I don't remember them, but this dream was about me giving a speech on all the successes: business, personal, my wife's memorial charity; since my Life after Layoff began. I was particularly intrigued by this business idea that engendered the success that was what the speech was primarily about. I've written it down and will be looking into it more closely.
This was a truly lazy day. The most energy I could summon was to go with my daughter to her workplace because we were going to Whole Foods for road snacks for my trip back home the next day. Before we headed off, I think I actually napped a little bit through the playing of the deleted scenes of "Dogma," which was my first Kevin Smith movie for the second time.
Some of the napping may have been a food coma from the substantial lunch or the 10.8% alcohol Lobotomy Bock beer I had with it. Life after Layoff is, well, restful, at least for me, stress free.
I was determined to go to bed early tonight to make sure I could avoid another wake up call. Instead, we played a couple of rounds of Starship Command. It is a very intriguing card came, not with poker playing cards. My beginners luck had me win the first round, which led to another. Out of three players, I came in second the second time. Since we were going to go to bed by midnight, there was no third time, or I probably would have come in third. Maybe by the next time I play this interesting game I will forget enough of it to trigger beginner's luck again.
Now, I typically ignore dreams, well, actually I don't remember them, but this dream was about me giving a speech on all the successes: business, personal, my wife's memorial charity; since my Life after Layoff began. I was particularly intrigued by this business idea that engendered the success that was what the speech was primarily about. I've written it down and will be looking into it more closely.
This was a truly lazy day. The most energy I could summon was to go with my daughter to her workplace because we were going to Whole Foods for road snacks for my trip back home the next day. Before we headed off, I think I actually napped a little bit through the playing of the deleted scenes of "Dogma," which was my first Kevin Smith movie for the second time.
Some of the napping may have been a food coma from the substantial lunch or the 10.8% alcohol Lobotomy Bock beer I had with it. Life after Layoff is, well, restful, at least for me, stress free.
I was determined to go to bed early tonight to make sure I could avoid another wake up call. Instead, we played a couple of rounds of Starship Command. It is a very intriguing card came, not with poker playing cards. My beginners luck had me win the first round, which led to another. Out of three players, I came in second the second time. Since we were going to go to bed by midnight, there was no third time, or I probably would have come in third. Maybe by the next time I play this interesting game I will forget enough of it to trigger beginner's luck again.
Day Five: A long ride to Long Beach
Another Vegan taste treat for breakfast, Banana Pecan Pancakes. I'm so glad my daughters like to cook.
Today was a long Metro Rail ride that seemed short. We went to Long Beach, where there isn't actually a beach. We got there right at lunch time. Both my daughter and I hunger clocks are mostly driven by the real clock. We like to eat at noon. My son-in-law has a different stomach schedule but was willing to accommodate us. We ate at a brew pub that had some really good beer. I can't remember if I was impressed by the food or not, but they had some really good beer.
After lunch, we walked around Long Beach. I had my picture taken with the Queen Mary in the background. We walked around more. The Aquarium had a line so we walked around more. The movie started an hour later than we thought better than waiting, so we walked around more. We walked over some neat wooden bridges and partially around a concrete lake, pond, decided not to rent a paddle boat, and walked around more. I said I wouldn't mind some lemonade, so, we walked to the farthest point we had previously walked and finally sat down. Since it was a restaurant, we felt that we couldn't just order our drinks. So, we ate again, a salad and fruit plate dessert for me. Then a walk back to the Metro Rail station.
Some years ago while my wife and I were on a road trip to San Diego and we drove down to the Long Beach Harbor. (We were hungry.) There, after eating, we saw a Hat Store that we both commented that our oldest daughter would really like. She did. I just wish that my wife had been there to see her there.
Again, on the ride back on the Metro Rail we made very good connections. At the 1st St. station our rail passes were finally checked and the only time they were checked, at least mine and my son-in-law's were. My daughter didn't get hers out before the Police Officer checking moved on. I'm sure the officer thought that the likelihood was very small that she was skating when her two companions had the correct passes. One person couldn't produce a current one and was taken off the train to get a $250 ticket. The trip back, including the mile or so walk back to their house was again about two hours that passed quickly.
It would have been longer if we had remembered the right station to get off to see the "Acres of Books." Everybody in my family likes to read, and are quite pack rats about it. This is partially why I currently have 33 moving boxes of books along the wall in my bedroom. In what turns out to have been almost prescient, I evacuated a storage unit and what wasn't sold, given away, or even thrown away is in my garage, and in my bedroom. I will be going through these boxes and may find myself reading a few of them again. After all, reading is one reason there is Life after Layoff.
When we got back to their place, we drank more beer and I got to see my second Kevin Smith movie, his first, "Clerks."
Today was a long Metro Rail ride that seemed short. We went to Long Beach, where there isn't actually a beach. We got there right at lunch time. Both my daughter and I hunger clocks are mostly driven by the real clock. We like to eat at noon. My son-in-law has a different stomach schedule but was willing to accommodate us. We ate at a brew pub that had some really good beer. I can't remember if I was impressed by the food or not, but they had some really good beer.
After lunch, we walked around Long Beach. I had my picture taken with the Queen Mary in the background. We walked around more. The Aquarium had a line so we walked around more. The movie started an hour later than we thought better than waiting, so we walked around more. We walked over some neat wooden bridges and partially around a concrete lake, pond, decided not to rent a paddle boat, and walked around more. I said I wouldn't mind some lemonade, so, we walked to the farthest point we had previously walked and finally sat down. Since it was a restaurant, we felt that we couldn't just order our drinks. So, we ate again, a salad and fruit plate dessert for me. Then a walk back to the Metro Rail station.
Some years ago while my wife and I were on a road trip to San Diego and we drove down to the Long Beach Harbor. (We were hungry.) There, after eating, we saw a Hat Store that we both commented that our oldest daughter would really like. She did. I just wish that my wife had been there to see her there.
Again, on the ride back on the Metro Rail we made very good connections. At the 1st St. station our rail passes were finally checked and the only time they were checked, at least mine and my son-in-law's were. My daughter didn't get hers out before the Police Officer checking moved on. I'm sure the officer thought that the likelihood was very small that she was skating when her two companions had the correct passes. One person couldn't produce a current one and was taken off the train to get a $250 ticket. The trip back, including the mile or so walk back to their house was again about two hours that passed quickly.
It would have been longer if we had remembered the right station to get off to see the "Acres of Books." Everybody in my family likes to read, and are quite pack rats about it. This is partially why I currently have 33 moving boxes of books along the wall in my bedroom. In what turns out to have been almost prescient, I evacuated a storage unit and what wasn't sold, given away, or even thrown away is in my garage, and in my bedroom. I will be going through these boxes and may find myself reading a few of them again. After all, reading is one reason there is Life after Layoff.
When we got back to their place, we drank more beer and I got to see my second Kevin Smith movie, his first, "Clerks."
Day Four: Seeing fireworks from above
The high-light of this day came at night. We walked up the resort ruins on top of Echo Mountain to watch fireworks across the L. A. Basin, at least as many as we could see as the distance was quite obscured from the temperature inversion haze as well as all the wild fires in California. We even saw an air tanker drop a load on our way up. And up it was. A half a mile elevation rise over 2.8 miles. No, it wasn't steep but it was hot. I drank most of my three-liter Camelback's water.
I was quite impressed with all the illegal fireworks in Pacifica. But their little efforts are nothing compared to what goes on in the L. A. Metro area. Then, there were all the legal ones, several shows going on at the same time. It was neat looking down on them and quite a unique experience. Every once in a while the remote noise of one of the larger sustained bursts would reach us in some form of muted manner. But mostly it was quiet, well, at least from the fireworks. There was sufficient local noise from talking and oohing. There were also a lot of local flashes, from camera flashes.
Then we were walking down in the dark, except, we brought our own light. Unfortunately several people, including the person walking just in front of us, didn't have their own light. On the one person-wide trail they held the well lighted people up. They were even slower because of the shadows their bodies cast on the trail from the lights behind them. After following this person for about half the way, my daughter had the "bright" idea of getting in front of this person and lighting the trail for both of them.
It was neat looking down the trail and back up at the switchbacks and see the lines of lights. I couldn't help but wonder if any of the fireworks igniters were looking up at the mountain trail and seeing a different light show.
With all the hikers, the dust was being raised like a herd of cattle had gone through. I was cleaning my nose for quite a while after.
Well, after all that walking, my aching back lets me know I'm alive. After all, there is Life after Layoff.
I was quite impressed with all the illegal fireworks in Pacifica. But their little efforts are nothing compared to what goes on in the L. A. Metro area. Then, there were all the legal ones, several shows going on at the same time. It was neat looking down on them and quite a unique experience. Every once in a while the remote noise of one of the larger sustained bursts would reach us in some form of muted manner. But mostly it was quiet, well, at least from the fireworks. There was sufficient local noise from talking and oohing. There were also a lot of local flashes, from camera flashes.
Then we were walking down in the dark, except, we brought our own light. Unfortunately several people, including the person walking just in front of us, didn't have their own light. On the one person-wide trail they held the well lighted people up. They were even slower because of the shadows their bodies cast on the trail from the lights behind them. After following this person for about half the way, my daughter had the "bright" idea of getting in front of this person and lighting the trail for both of them.
It was neat looking down the trail and back up at the switchbacks and see the lines of lights. I couldn't help but wonder if any of the fireworks igniters were looking up at the mountain trail and seeing a different light show.
With all the hikers, the dust was being raised like a herd of cattle had gone through. I was cleaning my nose for quite a while after.
Well, after all that walking, my aching back lets me know I'm alive. After all, there is Life after Layoff.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Day Three: First big test for my Prius
Most of this day was a mad rush to complete the chores I absolutely had to before I could leave on what turned out to be a six and one half hour drive. As part of those chores, I did remember to reprogram the thermostat so the furnace wouldn't come on while I was away. (I'm writing this here so I remember I did so and can unset it when I get home. I'm sure I would remember when I felt cold but why would I want to be that?)
The drive was uneventful. I didn't even go off the road or change lanes when I fell asleep. (I don't think I really fell asleep but my eyes were dragging.) After that wake up call, I sat my seat up straight, stopped and got more food, and was on my hands free phone. I was amazed at the pockets of traffic that would build up around speeding trucks. They were all going faster than the 55 they were supposed to be going but they weren't going the 70, or more, that the cars, SUVs, pickups, and motorcycles wanted to. Every once in a while one of the semi's would pass another of their kind.
What was equally amazing is just the absolute number of vehicles on the road going south, and north, in the middle of the week. I thought we were in a gas crunch. Well, my Prius averaged over 50 miles to the gallon. Frankly I was hoping for more but I had it set on cruise control at 72, even up the grapevine. I'm sure that is what killed my average.
I arrived at my daughter's and son-in law's house exactly when he got home. My daughter came in about a half an hour later walking from the LA Metro station. (She is on jury duty.)
After a great light dinner, which I greatly appreciated with all my snacking on the road, we went to a local wine bar and spent about four hours enjoying a couple of bottles and a glass of yet another wine to start. The walk back was good for recovery. I don't think I had drunk so much wine since the last time I was down here.
As we got back to their place around 1:00 AM, I am writing this third entry the next day. Our fireworks display viewing plans will mean that I probably will be having a similar shift, if not outright skipping, for the next few days.
Living the HIGH Life after Layoff in Southern California.
The drive was uneventful. I didn't even go off the road or change lanes when I fell asleep. (I don't think I really fell asleep but my eyes were dragging.) After that wake up call, I sat my seat up straight, stopped and got more food, and was on my hands free phone. I was amazed at the pockets of traffic that would build up around speeding trucks. They were all going faster than the 55 they were supposed to be going but they weren't going the 70, or more, that the cars, SUVs, pickups, and motorcycles wanted to. Every once in a while one of the semi's would pass another of their kind.
What was equally amazing is just the absolute number of vehicles on the road going south, and north, in the middle of the week. I thought we were in a gas crunch. Well, my Prius averaged over 50 miles to the gallon. Frankly I was hoping for more but I had it set on cruise control at 72, even up the grapevine. I'm sure that is what killed my average.
I arrived at my daughter's and son-in law's house exactly when he got home. My daughter came in about a half an hour later walking from the LA Metro station. (She is on jury duty.)
After a great light dinner, which I greatly appreciated with all my snacking on the road, we went to a local wine bar and spent about four hours enjoying a couple of bottles and a glass of yet another wine to start. The walk back was good for recovery. I don't think I had drunk so much wine since the last time I was down here.
As we got back to their place around 1:00 AM, I am writing this third entry the next day. Our fireworks display viewing plans will mean that I probably will be having a similar shift, if not outright skipping, for the next few days.
Living the HIGH Life after Layoff in Southern California.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Day Two: Catching up at home, at least now I can
The furnace came on later, but I was up only marginally later and this time to a colder house. (It came on a half an hour after I got up.) Since I'm traveling to visit my daughter over the Fourth, I need to remember to set it to a low enough temperature that it won't heat the house up for no one. Of course, I'll need to reset it when I return or I will be reminded by a chilly house.
Because of the travel tomorrow, today has been one of mostly chores: clothes washing, car maintenance, cooking up food that would not last, ... I never realized how boring chores are. They are so boring that I can't even remember them all.
For the first time I waited for the car rather than just drop it off, proceed on to work, and pick it up on my way home. Even going prepared with reading, my laptop, and some paperwork, didn't keep me occupied for the whole two hour wait. I'd hate to think that I have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder.
I am charging my iPod after having loaded it with everything on my iTunes. I still need to charge my camera battery. For the first time I will be using my head lamp for something other than household maintenance. I started using it for household maintenance when I needed I was working on a light fixture and had to turn off the electricity. Well, duh. I don't know how long I had the thing while I was still using flashlights, but after that breakthrough I use it for proper lighting in most household maintenance activities, even for storage in the attic crawl space. Well anyway, I will be hiking into the hills above LA with the hope to see several fireworks displays. The head lamp will allow me to see and keep my hands free, if it has viable batteries. I will have something to do with my hands, if I remember my hiking sticks.
I'm also taking my Camelback. It makes me wonder just how far we will be walking in the dark. If I need a water supply that could last for days and we are only going high enough to see several fireworks displays, I may need to rethink that we can't get lost.
Today, with the chores, I didn't get anything done on the house. I did get something done for my wife. Further, since I'm traveling, I won't get anything done on the house for the next four days.
While I am also taking my laptop, I may not have Internet access and thus the ability to add entries into this blog. If every day is a chore day, I may not make daily entries anyway. If I'm boring myself, I certainly don't want to bore others.
Today wasn't so much Life after Layoff as Existence after Layoff. At least I didn't have to cram all these chores into an evening after work. I'll even get to bed on time, and probably get up around 5:00 AM.
Because of the travel tomorrow, today has been one of mostly chores: clothes washing, car maintenance, cooking up food that would not last, ... I never realized how boring chores are. They are so boring that I can't even remember them all.
For the first time I waited for the car rather than just drop it off, proceed on to work, and pick it up on my way home. Even going prepared with reading, my laptop, and some paperwork, didn't keep me occupied for the whole two hour wait. I'd hate to think that I have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder.
I am charging my iPod after having loaded it with everything on my iTunes. I still need to charge my camera battery. For the first time I will be using my head lamp for something other than household maintenance. I started using it for household maintenance when I needed I was working on a light fixture and had to turn off the electricity. Well, duh. I don't know how long I had the thing while I was still using flashlights, but after that breakthrough I use it for proper lighting in most household maintenance activities, even for storage in the attic crawl space. Well anyway, I will be hiking into the hills above LA with the hope to see several fireworks displays. The head lamp will allow me to see and keep my hands free, if it has viable batteries. I will have something to do with my hands, if I remember my hiking sticks.
I'm also taking my Camelback. It makes me wonder just how far we will be walking in the dark. If I need a water supply that could last for days and we are only going high enough to see several fireworks displays, I may need to rethink that we can't get lost.
Today, with the chores, I didn't get anything done on the house. I did get something done for my wife. Further, since I'm traveling, I won't get anything done on the house for the next four days.
While I am also taking my laptop, I may not have Internet access and thus the ability to add entries into this blog. If every day is a chore day, I may not make daily entries anyway. If I'm boring myself, I certainly don't want to bore others.
Today wasn't so much Life after Layoff as Existence after Layoff. At least I didn't have to cram all these chores into an evening after work. I'll even get to bed on time, and probably get up around 5:00 AM.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day One: More freedom than I've ever had
Just over six months ago my wife died from cancer. Today is the first day of my layoff. With the severance package, I have a freedom, at least for a while, that I have never had since I was fairly young. Of course, I did not appreciate it then.
While I'm spending time sorting out what I want to do with the rest of my life, I have decided that I will do something for each day for myself, for my house, and for my wife. Life maintenance, chores, doesn't count. Most of these things will not be major or dramatic. Certainly the chores aren't. But each will be progress.
The things I do for me will be exercise, eating right, entertainment, visiting family, travel, ...
The things I do for the house will be repairs, unpacking and clearing (I have 33 boxes in my bedroom from a storage unit I shut down, so this is no small thing. I also have a garage full and not with cars.), ...
The things I do for my wife will be writing (I want her grandchildren as yet unborn to know of her.), encouraging people to donate to her living memorial, which may be one and the same activity, ...
On this day one, I woke at my usual time, even without my alarm clock. While laying in bed I figured it out: the furnace had come on. So my first chore of the day was to reprogram my thermostat to come on later. (If there are ever any readers of this blog, I live close the coast in California. It is frequently low 50's or high 40's outside that early in the morning, even in the summer.)
Before I could eat breakfast I had to do another chore, wash the dishes. My wife would be proud of me, I am actually using the dishwasher, obviously not for the items I needed to use for breakfast.
Then for me I rode my bike at least three miles. I don't have an odometer on it so don't know for sure. I was sweating riding back up the hill to my house. As a measure of how out of shape I've become, I had to use the easiest gear at times coming back. Going downhill was easy and I found myself using the hardest gear to get any actually pedaling done. (If the lottery tickets I bought hit, the bike ride will be for more than just me.)
I also went to a movie, a matinee by myself. Going to a movie alone was a first for me. The movie, "Wanted," was okay, but then, I don't have all that high of standards having seen very few movies in recent years. My wife wouldn't have wanted to see it, even before she became ill.
For the house, I partially repaired a dryer vent. Basically I just stuck a vent cover on it. I need to figure out how to put screws into stucco before I can finish the job.
This blog is part of what I am doing for my wife today. It will be my practice area so I can write a blog for her. I also have studied more of my Beginning HTML book. Obviously I have a lot to learn so I can put all the flourishes on this and then my blog about her.
I also have a couple more chores to do, including watering her plants. I must admit I've already let a couple die for lack of water. One that I was sure was dead from freezing over the winter has come back. I'll take that as an omen: There is Life after Layoff!
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