You're Doing It Wrong

Unfortunately, I don’t have the energy to put my video clips up so here are some pics. This is what an outdoor concert looks like in Oly Wa in August. Note the rain gear and cold weather clothes.

Actually, it just happened that we had a rainy weekend for the concert. The weekend before and after were hot and sunny. In expectation, there were notices directing us to the water stations and there was tenting material that I bet was good for shade but wasn’t so good for keeping rain out.

We had to strategize our attendance carefully because I can’t stand out in the rain in wet clothes and 58 degrees and think it’s fun like I used to.

I also ended up buying a new wool hat and new wool socks.

Bikini Kill! This is the short people view. Originally I was hanging out closer to the stage but I was mosh-pitted back to the drinking tent. I noticed another similarly aged couple also retreating. But we loved seeing the kids having so much fun.

And here they are X! I have seen them previously in 2013 and 1985 – post here. I am pleased to report that we’re all still here! Lots of grey tops and classes rocking out.

Olympia coverage continues with a photo of the Spar where my cousin worked for awhile back before it was a McMenamins. We did not go in this trip. We had other evening plans all the nights we were there and much as I would have liked to, my day drinking days are long over.

I used to like to have a drink in the afternoon on vacation but now it just puts me to sleep. I can barely even finish 2 drinks now and everything gives me a headache.

Aging means a new relationship to your body. See also: big greasy meals, staying up late, sitting in uncomfortable positions for more than 15 minutes.

During the non-raining part of the weekend we walked up to the capitol building and wandered around. So many cool trees.

The second night of the outdoor music festival we had perfect weather. Incredible view while we waited for X to come out. There was a paddleboard guy who came out and stayed even after dark to watch the show. A jetski guy joined him for a few moments. Also seen: a seal, heron, and lots of boats.

When we were in Olympia we went to the farmers’ market and I found Gravenstein apples. This is my favorite pie/sauce apple. I used to find them at the local farmers’ market but it’s been a few years.

I bought a whole box. I told the guy it was my favorite pie apple and he said there isn’t much of a market for them but people who grew up with them love them.

I made apple sauce. It seemed pretty labor intensive for just 4 quarts but I guess 4 quarts is a lot. It’s always such a great treat in winter. We didn’t have much left over to eat now so I will buy some other apples to make some fresh apple sauce.

When I first started canning things I was always so nervous about it. But now it seems like common sense and following the directions and keeping things clean and boiling the crap out of everything.

We have a ton of jam and now the applesauce. I don’t expect to do anything else this year.

I also made two apple pie fillings. This is my favorite in winter when we need dessert and it’s so easy to thaw one of these and make some crust. It was a lot of apples to peel and slice. When I went to bed my right wrist hurt and at first I wasn’t sure what I did to it. Then I remembers: 10 pounds of apples.

I love living in the apple state.

Remember back in December I reported that I had a DIY fix it project and I was going to attempt to fix the zipper on my backpack? I chickened out and decided to live with it. Here’s the post where I bought it in 2017.

The zipper situation further deteriorated. At some point I decided to check if they could fix it — I didn’t even mind paying. I hated to get rid of a perfectly good backpack just because of a zipper.

They had contact info and told me I could mail it in and they would check it out. I think the contact said there was a fee — but they didn’t charge me and they fixed it. Look at these amazing zipper pulls. And they gave me some tips to keep the zipper zipping smoothly.

Waterfield Bags are terrific. I have a laptop back and we have a bunch of laptop cases. All great.

Here’s my favorite dahlia. My dahlias aren’t the healthiest. The earwigs have taken over and my half-assed attempts to address haven’t made a dent. I am digging a few up at the end of the season. But this one is so pretty.

More posts on deck. I am just pooped tonight. I woke up at 4am and just decided to get up. (Tell me you are old without telling me you are old.) And then I cleaned house and made applesauce and did a bunch of laundry and worked out and went for a walk. I’m going to watch a show and go to bed early.

I have always struggled with knowing my left from my right. I would always need to take the extra step of pretending I’m writing and my writing hand is my left hand.

But also I wear a wedding ring. When I do yoga class I’ve gotten really good at quickly figuring out my left because I wear my ring on my left hand. In fact, I thought I’d gotten over this confusion.

Recently, my left knuckle seemed to be sore and swollen. Is this arthritis? Do you get arthritis in just one joint? Did I jam it and not notice?

Who knows? But my wedding ring was bothering me so I moved it to my right hand.

The next time I did a yoga class, I was paralyzed when I had to figure out which side was my left. I kept looking at my ring and looking at my left hand and on one level I understood that I’d moved my ring but on another level I was completely confused by which side was which. It was like translating from a foreign language — I had to think through the problem: my ring is now on my right hand so left is the other hand.

What next? Rings on both hands?

I wanted to do a representation of my “to read pile” except I couldn’t figure out a good way to do this. My eReader doesn’t have any great way to show my list. This is not my complete paper book to read pile — it’s just a shelf area. There are other shelf areas and unread books mixed up with already read books. I don’t mind a little chaos with my books.

Someone should invent a way people can show their TBR piles of ebooks.

If someone has, and you think I would understand it, please forward the info.

The NYT did a list of 100 books of the century or something like that. Like many people, I had to go through and see how many I’ve read. Only 22. For example: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I recommend! The HBO series, too.

There were about a half dozen that I tried and quit. For example, Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald. As I recall, I had something going on at the time and couldn’t get into it. But I also recall there were no paragraphs. The wall of text was overwhelming.

Most of the authors that had more than one book, I had read at least one.

And there are about a half dozen currently in the TBR pile.

I did a little better with the Reader Top 100. I read 33 of those.

I don’t care a lot about lists — it’s all arbitrary and a good way to get clicks. But it’s fun to see what makes the cut.

I am surprised by popularity of Elena Ferrante. I got the My Brilliant Friend series as ebooks and then could not make it through the first 50 pages. I hated the voice. I have been convinced to try again and it’s back in the TBR pile.