Day Two-hundred: More leaking

I ran the dishwasher forgetting that its drain runs to the garbage disposal. I had another mess to clean up just after I finally put all of the stuff back under the sink. All the stuff is back out from under and drying again. Before I put it back under, I will have to take the drain apart and figure out where and what is the problem. Since it doesn't appear to affect the main sink drain, at least I can do the dishes the old fashioned way, by hand.

I went on a very short motorcycle ride to a motorcycle shop. I tried on a display boot that was supposedly my size. While it was difficult to get on, it did fit once I got it on. I had almost given up when I noticed an instep velcro strap. I also checked out saddle bags. I'm wanting to get the largest I can get without having to do any modification to the bike. After no one came around to help me, I left and rode home.

I'm making what I call Gerson Ratatouille for dinner. It consists of an onion, a few cloves of garlic, an eggplant, and a large can of diced tomatoes. While I never put anything else into it for Marilyn, I may try some other spices this time. I'm also thinking of cooking some linguine or spaghetti and using it as a primavera. I still have to wash the rice cooker or I would have had rice with it.

The first few days after I got back from my trip, I didn't feel like cooking. In fact, I was quite lazy. The last two have been different in some way. I actually cooked lunch and now I'm cooking dinner. If I hadn't already used it, this would be a good place to say I'm really cooking in my Life after Layoff. (Does this variant count?)

I'm heading out for my youngest daughter's place tomorrow morning. I will be taking two sets of golf clubs just in case we end up golfing. This means I won't be riding my motorcycle even though for other reasons I should. I also won't be taking it to the Bear Valley Lodge January 29th. I decided that skiing is more important than skiing on the 28th. This way I won't be alone on the trails, if there are trails. The day has been quite sunny and warm again. I've been able to see the Farallon Islands every day I've looked since I've gotten back. I do want to take a boat trip around them some day. Plans for the future are an important part of my Life after Layoff. (Since I don't go back and read my earlier posts, I don't know whether or not I've used this before as well. Someday I need to go back and take a copy of all my entries. Maybe I should start that soon. I don't know how long they let me add before they start deleting the earlier ones.

Enough!

Day One-hundred-and-ninety-seven: Before dawn

I got up this morning with a renewed purpose and an expanded "to do" list. I won't go into the details but I did make it up before dawn. I'm sure I'll get more of it done if I leave the TV off. Besides, other than my vast collection of movies, I'm not supposed to have TV. If Comcast ever comes back and tries to collect for my TV watching after I cancelled the service, I'll sue for them not putting on the trap like they were supposed to and thus enabling my TV addiction. I have to have better will power than that. Today will be a good test.

Renewed purpose meets a lazy day of summer. It is over 70 degrees out there. After I got my haircut, I had to walk down to the ocean. I only spent a couple of minutes because the sun was positively warm. I even had to take off my fleece vest. It was too hot with it on. Of course, it is also black.

I posted another flyer in the Palo Alto Whole Foods. The flyer I posted at my "stylist's" is still up. I was hoping to have to replenish the cards but it didn't look like any were taken.

I traveled all the way down to Fry's, in Palo Alto, for a rice cooker. They didn't have the model I wanted in stock and wouldn't sell me the display, so I just ordered it online. With shipping, it actually costs more but the time it takes to drive 50 miles round trip plus the $2.039 for the gas makes it more convenient to have it delivered.

I tried to make reservations at Marilyn's and my favorite cross-country skiing place, Bear Valley, for our upcoming anniversary. I don't know about skiing in my lack of shape or alone but I do want to do it. I will have to see if I can stay in Murphy's but that is at least an hour away from the trails. Around this time and specifically the 27th and 28th the Bear Valley Lodge is swamped with a school or schools from down the road. The last time Marilyn made the reservation, she must have done it much earlier.

I won't be posting my Toastmaster's speech, although I will write it out for timing. If you've read my posts over the last 45 or so days, you will have far more information about my trip than I will put into a five to seven minute speech. Except for my faulty memory of what I have written about as I don't reread the entries after I have published them, at least not so far, I have tried not to be too duplicative, even in the associated use of my Life after Layoff tag line. However, I have mentioned that I do now see the end of this blog coming. This doesn't mean that I won't be making daily blog entries again but it will be in a new blog with a new theme. Maybe several new blogs, just not all at once.

It's been a good day even though my "to do" list is mostly still in that category. Perhaps it is the two things I got done: my hair cut and my car washed.