Really there is nothing to say about today except I've spent most of it in bed. I'm trying to catch up on my rest in one solid block as the only way I know to beat a cold. This has pushed off my departure by at least a day but coughing or not, nose running or not, I will be driving to Springfield and beyond on Wednesday.
Now that I've started the leaving, I'm eager to complete it and start arriving. Arriving is not only my new year's resolution, it is my Life after Layoff.
(I did get up to see the second quarter of the Ohio State and Texas game. I'm making this entry during half-time.)
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Day One-hundred-and-eighty-eight: Cold in Columbus
Well, actually it is above freezing at 9:00 PM in Columbus. However, I have a head cold. If I didn't get it from my oldest sister, still younger than me except in Wii, I got it from her youngest daughter. Now I know that the Rhino virus is with us all the time and I probably got it by not getting enough rest. To this end as soon as I finish this entry I will be drinking a hot toddy and heading to bed.
I'm looking forward to getting the best night's sleep I've had in my Life after Layoff. I will try and sit up more in bed using multiple pillows and make sure I keep my forehead warm. If this doesn't clear it up tonight, I will get some symptom medicine so I can head out of here on time.
I want to make sure I have enough travel time built in so I can get back before my plants die after the watering I arranged stops. I also want to use my new toilet and see the work in person rather than by picture. (This anticipation is all part of my New Year's Resolution which I reported in yesterday's entry.)
I've enjoyed my visiting but with the Columbus crowd working, my sister-in-law is planning on getting up at 5:30 AM tomorrow, the visiting can quickly become an imposition, keeping them and me up way too late. Besides, I don't want to deplete their immune systems and give them an extra dose of virus on the side.
Tomorrow is a final get together, but it is more for my daughter and her husband. Many of the spouses of relatives won't be there due to The Ohio State University playing Texas. If I don't go, it will be because my cold will make everyone miserable not because I would prefer to watch my university win a football game. (Besides, I know how likely it really is that they will win. I believe!)
On Tuesday, I hope to stop in and visit my cousin in Springfield as well as make a healthy start on my trip home. (The hope is due to the status of my cold. I will call him tomorrow to let him know.)
I'm looking forward to getting the best night's sleep I've had in my Life after Layoff. I will try and sit up more in bed using multiple pillows and make sure I keep my forehead warm. If this doesn't clear it up tonight, I will get some symptom medicine so I can head out of here on time.
I want to make sure I have enough travel time built in so I can get back before my plants die after the watering I arranged stops. I also want to use my new toilet and see the work in person rather than by picture. (This anticipation is all part of my New Year's Resolution which I reported in yesterday's entry.)
I've enjoyed my visiting but with the Columbus crowd working, my sister-in-law is planning on getting up at 5:30 AM tomorrow, the visiting can quickly become an imposition, keeping them and me up way too late. Besides, I don't want to deplete their immune systems and give them an extra dose of virus on the side.
Tomorrow is a final get together, but it is more for my daughter and her husband. Many of the spouses of relatives won't be there due to The Ohio State University playing Texas. If I don't go, it will be because my cold will make everyone miserable not because I would prefer to watch my university win a football game. (Besides, I know how likely it really is that they will win. I believe!)
On Tuesday, I hope to stop in and visit my cousin in Springfield as well as make a healthy start on my trip home. (The hope is due to the status of my cold. I will call him tomorrow to let him know.)
Day One-hundred-and-eighty-seven: Leavings
After unsuccessfully trying to make some notes during the movie, "The Dark Knight," I gave up with just one incomplete sentence. After the movie, since I was now in a place with a broadband connection and fewer people, I thought I would catch up on my entries and just freeform this one without notes. Once midnight rolled around, I thought, "Surely I won't forget so much about yesterday that I can't make this entry and tomorrow's entry on the same day." If I ever get to yesterday's entry beyond "I saw a movie," we'll see if this is true.
I did have a secondary reason for postponing this entry, it was starting out too dark and melancholy. Knowing that it wasn't the movie and thinking that it may have been my tiredness, I decided sleep was the better choice for two reasons: an improved entry and avoiding a cold.
This day was all about leaving. While some who had left earlier returned, my oldest sister, still younger than me, and my oldest sister's daughters, separately and one with children, for example; more left and didn't come back. Then it was our turn. My youngest daughter, her husband, and I left for Columbus so they, and I, could visit with my wife's relatives and they eventually could get to the airport to fly home.
Leaving is harder than being left. It is also harder than arriving but if I have to do the former, it is good to do the latter in the same day.
Well, duh! This is both profound and stupid. Every day in my Life after Layoff has been filled with leavings and arrivings. Every moment I am arriving into something new, a situation, a place, a time. It's all in my perspective and I choose to look forward with anticipation for those arrivals.
Ever since the "Resolution Diner," I've been struggling with what my resolution should be. Now, I finally have it: "Make the most of all my arrivals." Again, I've impressed myself. This one I'll keep.
I did have a secondary reason for postponing this entry, it was starting out too dark and melancholy. Knowing that it wasn't the movie and thinking that it may have been my tiredness, I decided sleep was the better choice for two reasons: an improved entry and avoiding a cold.
This day was all about leaving. While some who had left earlier returned, my oldest sister, still younger than me, and my oldest sister's daughters, separately and one with children, for example; more left and didn't come back. Then it was our turn. My youngest daughter, her husband, and I left for Columbus so they, and I, could visit with my wife's relatives and they eventually could get to the airport to fly home.
Leaving is harder than being left. It is also harder than arriving but if I have to do the former, it is good to do the latter in the same day.
Well, duh! This is both profound and stupid. Every day in my Life after Layoff has been filled with leavings and arrivings. Every moment I am arriving into something new, a situation, a place, a time. It's all in my perspective and I choose to look forward with anticipation for those arrivals.
Ever since the "Resolution Diner," I've been struggling with what my resolution should be. Now, I finally have it: "Make the most of all my arrivals." Again, I've impressed myself. This one I'll keep.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Day One-hundred-and-eighty-six: Star gazing
I'm making these notes in the wee hours of the morning of the next day because, now last night, four of us froze staring at the night sky. Each of us saw shooting stars individually and in pairs. Once three of us saw one. Then finally after a long dry spell, we all saw one. We then decided to quit, warm up, and make our way to our individual beds.
Even without the shooting stars, the stars were spectacular! The dusting cloud of the Milky Way was visible. This meant a lot of individual light points were also visible. While the hills cut off a lot of the sky, they also stopped all the light pollution except for the local housing complex, my parent's place. We star gazers went in early on and turned off all the lights that weren't being directly used by any of the occupants. The few that were left were shielded from my eyes by the brim of my winter fleece hat. The hat also shielded me from that half of the sky as well.
Except for our talking, particularly to point out shooting stars that the others may have missed, most often one that I had missed, it was quite a meditative experience.
When I first moved to Pacifica, I was amazed at the greater number of stars I could see over the ones I could see from Fremont. Even when it's not overcast, it is nothing compared to this West Virginia night sky. This was the kind of night sky I would love to see every night in my Life after Layoff. I would never grow tired of it. However, I would grow tired. I don't think I want to regularly stay up past midnight, even for these glorious skies.
On a sadder note, tonight is my last night with my parents and sisters, until some future time as yet unknown. My oldest sister, still younger than me, didn't come back over due to a worsening cold. I don't know whether or not she will come back over tomorrow before I have to leave. I may just have to drop in on her to say goodbye. It will have to be short as I want my youngest daughter and her husband to see Marilyn's family as well.
My oldest daughter and her husband left this morning. Surely, and not so slowly this winter family gathering is disbursing, back to individual lives. I'm sure there will be other crossing of paths but probably not such a large one for some time, at least that I can attend. (But what is a Life after Layoff for if not this?)
Our long walk today wasn't particularly long, just rugged, even more so than my little jaunt down the hill on the walk yesterday. Maybe it was more so because this time the direction was up. Once again it was Docent lead as my father walked with us and told us about the land, people, and certain events. It was a slice of geographical and family history. (I really am going to have to take notes but don't see how I could have on this walk.)
We did walk over the former "bridge to nowhere," now properly serving its purpose to somewhere, crossing the creek so my father can get his ATV on the larger land portion of his 106 acres. Although given its ruggedness, I'm not sure what he is going to do or where he is going to go once he is over on his ATV.
I am trying two of my middle sister's ear plugs tonight. Hopefully they will allow me to sleep better in the few, shorter hours I now have to do so.
Even without the shooting stars, the stars were spectacular! The dusting cloud of the Milky Way was visible. This meant a lot of individual light points were also visible. While the hills cut off a lot of the sky, they also stopped all the light pollution except for the local housing complex, my parent's place. We star gazers went in early on and turned off all the lights that weren't being directly used by any of the occupants. The few that were left were shielded from my eyes by the brim of my winter fleece hat. The hat also shielded me from that half of the sky as well.
Except for our talking, particularly to point out shooting stars that the others may have missed, most often one that I had missed, it was quite a meditative experience.
When I first moved to Pacifica, I was amazed at the greater number of stars I could see over the ones I could see from Fremont. Even when it's not overcast, it is nothing compared to this West Virginia night sky. This was the kind of night sky I would love to see every night in my Life after Layoff. I would never grow tired of it. However, I would grow tired. I don't think I want to regularly stay up past midnight, even for these glorious skies.
On a sadder note, tonight is my last night with my parents and sisters, until some future time as yet unknown. My oldest sister, still younger than me, didn't come back over due to a worsening cold. I don't know whether or not she will come back over tomorrow before I have to leave. I may just have to drop in on her to say goodbye. It will have to be short as I want my youngest daughter and her husband to see Marilyn's family as well.
My oldest daughter and her husband left this morning. Surely, and not so slowly this winter family gathering is disbursing, back to individual lives. I'm sure there will be other crossing of paths but probably not such a large one for some time, at least that I can attend. (But what is a Life after Layoff for if not this?)
Our long walk today wasn't particularly long, just rugged, even more so than my little jaunt down the hill on the walk yesterday. Maybe it was more so because this time the direction was up. Once again it was Docent lead as my father walked with us and told us about the land, people, and certain events. It was a slice of geographical and family history. (I really am going to have to take notes but don't see how I could have on this walk.)
We did walk over the former "bridge to nowhere," now properly serving its purpose to somewhere, crossing the creek so my father can get his ATV on the larger land portion of his 106 acres. Although given its ruggedness, I'm not sure what he is going to do or where he is going to go once he is over on his ATV.
I am trying two of my middle sister's ear plugs tonight. Hopefully they will allow me to sleep better in the few, shorter hours I now have to do so.
Day One-hundred-and-eighty-five: First full day, 2009
Unlike the two previous mornings, this day started with breakfast, not walking. To make up for that, we did two walks. The first was up to my grandmother's rapidly detereorating no heat, no water, no lived in house. There are some things in it, but most of the good mementos are gone. I did grab a die, a wooden checkerboard piece, and a copper ring. What I would have really liked to have had is the Chinese Checkerboard, if it hasn't already rotted away. I certainly didn't see it in the short time I was there.
The second walk was almost the reverse of yesterday's walk. The changes were minor. A different walker or two and my choosing a road less traveled by going down a steep hill rather than walk back to the logging road so I could walk down the same logging road we had just walked up the day before.
The 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle I brought in Monday was finished today and put back in the box before I even had a chance to see it fully assembled. The puzzle solvers had already started on another puzzle.
The big event of the day was the Family Initiation of three new members by marriage and two close potentials. While the initiation consisted of several events involving dexterity, coordination, balance, trust, and good humor, one feat of skill was postponed, my father's favorite: threading a needle with one eye. What the initiatees did was so exciting to them that four out of the five ended up with wet pants. (Of course that may have been the direct result of using a funnel in their waistband to catch a quarter from their forehead among people who have handy glasses of water.)
I may reflect more on this initiation in future blogs as there were some differences from the one that Marilyn undertook 30 years ago. (Now I can publish most of an entry I've had written for some time in my Memories of Marilyn blog.)
While I ate breakfast and lunch, I didn't eat a real dinner. I did have the traditional family foods that are supposed to bring wealth or luck throughout 2009: sauerkraut, black-eyed peas, and pork. (I had the barest sliver of ham for the pork.) I did this to continue enjoying my Life after Layoff. Wealth is a significant key to being able to do so. Besides, I've been walking and can afford to go off my diet every once in a while.
The second walk was almost the reverse of yesterday's walk. The changes were minor. A different walker or two and my choosing a road less traveled by going down a steep hill rather than walk back to the logging road so I could walk down the same logging road we had just walked up the day before.
The 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle I brought in Monday was finished today and put back in the box before I even had a chance to see it fully assembled. The puzzle solvers had already started on another puzzle.
The big event of the day was the Family Initiation of three new members by marriage and two close potentials. While the initiation consisted of several events involving dexterity, coordination, balance, trust, and good humor, one feat of skill was postponed, my father's favorite: threading a needle with one eye. What the initiatees did was so exciting to them that four out of the five ended up with wet pants. (Of course that may have been the direct result of using a funnel in their waistband to catch a quarter from their forehead among people who have handy glasses of water.)
I may reflect more on this initiation in future blogs as there were some differences from the one that Marilyn undertook 30 years ago. (Now I can publish most of an entry I've had written for some time in my Memories of Marilyn blog.)
While I ate breakfast and lunch, I didn't eat a real dinner. I did have the traditional family foods that are supposed to bring wealth or luck throughout 2009: sauerkraut, black-eyed peas, and pork. (I had the barest sliver of ham for the pork.) I did this to continue enjoying my Life after Layoff. Wealth is a significant key to being able to do so. Besides, I've been walking and can afford to go off my diet every once in a while.
Day One-hundred-and-eighty-four: The end was near
The last day of the year started out with a snowy, windy, walk. This time my father wasn't with us so I had to be the one to slow the group down. At least I kept them from crossing the fence at the wrong place and walking five miles to Sand Fork, if they would have ever reached it.
Once home my mother convinced me to take some Metamucil for my opposite condition for what the label says it is for. Either my disease had run its course, or the fiber worked.
My middle sister planned a great five course mystery dinner titled the "Resolution Diner." The menu items, utensils, napkins, dipping sauces, dessert toppings, ..., all had strange names that if you thought really hard you might have been able to figure it out, such as: "Sleepy Relative" for napkin. I didn't do too badly, but only because I didn't have any dressing put on my salad, making it finger food, the only thing I had to eat it with.
Then we stayed up well past midnight. I'm no longer alone in the "pool room." It's now truly a dormitory. Since it's after 2:00 AM as I'm making these notses for this day's blog entry, I will undoubtedly not be sleeping the first day of 2009 away. All in all, it has been a great start for my first Life after Layoff New Year.
Once home my mother convinced me to take some Metamucil for my opposite condition for what the label says it is for. Either my disease had run its course, or the fiber worked.
My middle sister planned a great five course mystery dinner titled the "Resolution Diner." The menu items, utensils, napkins, dipping sauces, dessert toppings, ..., all had strange names that if you thought really hard you might have been able to figure it out, such as: "Sleepy Relative" for napkin. I didn't do too badly, but only because I didn't have any dressing put on my salad, making it finger food, the only thing I had to eat it with.
Then we stayed up well past midnight. I'm no longer alone in the "pool room." It's now truly a dormitory. Since it's after 2:00 AM as I'm making these notses for this day's blog entry, I will undoubtedly not be sleeping the first day of 2009 away. All in all, it has been a great start for my first Life after Layoff New Year.
Day One-hundred-and-eighty-three: Pre-breakfast walking
The day started with a Docent led walk around the farm. I used my hiking boots rather than my mud boots. The ground was mostly frosted but even though the mud was still very much mud underneath, my hiking boots actually finished cleaner than they started. (My mud boots are built for the cold a little better.)
The rest of the day has been a blur of eating, playing, jigsaw puzzle working, and the consequences of eating. I did do the fitness test on the Wii and came out, after the second time, with an "age" of 42. (Anything that makes me feel younger is okay by me.)
A little work was done, by others. My youngest daughter and her husband finished welding the "bridge to nowhere." In the process of pulling it to its eventual position a gate post was substantially rocked, both in the widening of the hole it was in and in the rocks used to fill that hole to keep it somewhat upright.
I slept in the multi-bed dormitory, a.k.a. pool hall, by myself, and will be doing so for at least one more night. (The rest of the New Year's celebrants are to arrive tomorrow.) This has allowed me to practice quite a few racks. I wish I could say its helping me but I'm losing as often as I win.
This has been another great Life after Layoff day. What little work was done was done by others. There was lots of laughter. And, all of my children and their spouses are here.
The rest of the day has been a blur of eating, playing, jigsaw puzzle working, and the consequences of eating. I did do the fitness test on the Wii and came out, after the second time, with an "age" of 42. (Anything that makes me feel younger is okay by me.)
A little work was done, by others. My youngest daughter and her husband finished welding the "bridge to nowhere." In the process of pulling it to its eventual position a gate post was substantially rocked, both in the widening of the hole it was in and in the rocks used to fill that hole to keep it somewhat upright.
I slept in the multi-bed dormitory, a.k.a. pool hall, by myself, and will be doing so for at least one more night. (The rest of the New Year's celebrants are to arrive tomorrow.) This has allowed me to practice quite a few racks. I wish I could say its helping me but I'm losing as often as I win.
This has been another great Life after Layoff day. What little work was done was done by others. There was lots of laughter. And, all of my children and their spouses are here.
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