Chronicles of A Left Turn at Albuquerque, continued

Five hours later, and my body said enough. It was too much daylight to keep sleeping, so I got up and went to the workout room, still dressed. Yes, I am crazy. I figured I was just going to try the elliptical machine, it wouldn't hurt for me to shower after.

That machine proved to be frustrating to say the least. It also monitored your heart rate automatically just by your grasp of the handles, but I could not, no matter how I programmed it, get it to quit pausing every 30-45 seconds. After slogging away for quite a while, I gave it up as a bad job, turned the individual tv with which every piece of machinery in the place was equipped back on (sorry, I haven't watched tv in years, and didn't feel the need to do so now, either), and went upstairs to clean up and change.

Another quick "we are in a desert" shower, clean clothes, and breakfast. This time, I ate mostly by the computers, watching to make sure there weren't other people waiting for me to leave so they could get online.

I got into the chat room, checked email, made sure Sweetie hadn't done any unplanned spending that would bounce our insurance payment, and again gorged myself on fruit I didn't have to cut up myself, most of it stuff I don't get often, and topped with chopped nuts. My idea of breakfast bliss, with coffee.

Grace and Pickles came down for breakfast, too, then we packed the car. I made sure that I had cleaned up after myself from the cooking, everything loaded into the dishwasher. All the cold items I wanted to leave for Pickles went into the cold bag with my smaller freezer pack,

both of which she could have. The cold items we were keeping, Grace and I packed into the ice chest with the larger pack. My biggest regret was that I didn't have more to leave with Pickles, that I couldn't give her even more, as this trip had given me so much.

We left to pick up Script and go back to the small town where Pickles' official address is for the Sunday event of our meeting, which was to go to an art studio and each create something of our own design. Pickles had arranged it with the owner of the studio, and for a set price, we would get a couple of hours to just do free-form art. We stopped right off the interstate to meet up with Eagle, and Lades, who was at another nearby hotel, was going to meet us at the studio.

Script had wonderful news that morning. Unlike lazy mimi, she had gone to church that morning, doing what I would have done and should have done, which was attend the very closest service, no matter the denomination. It turned out to be a church named after St. George, which had a tremendous meaning for her family, having been connected with a St. George parish for many years.

Then, because of the much better internet capabilities of the hotel she had moved to, she had gotten to watch part of a marathon her brother was taking part in. She also got to speak to her family, and it turned out to be a record day for him -- a personal best time, for a man who,
apparently, was considered handicapped by some (hearing loss from birth, among other things, I did not press too closely). He was thrilled, his family and trainer were thrilled, and when we were blessed to be able to listen to her conversation with him later at the art studio, she was in
tears, and I held on only by a thread. Next year, when he moves up an age bracket, such a time will have even more of an impact.

So, on to the studio. Lades made it, with Ford the puppy, who got to snooze in the shade of the front porch, under the trees. Now, finally, all 6 of us are together.

Eagle sat down and painted a beautiful landscape. She doesn't say much, but when she does, it is always worth listening to, and when she paints, you can tell it was done by someone who has talent.

Script made sure to keep the conversation moving and including everyone. She has a smile worth watching for, it shines, showing the depth of her character.

Lades was her usual fun self. She is beautiful and elegant and if life went as it should, she would be given back as much joy as she brought to my life.

Grace decorated the cover of a small blank art book, one in which she could record thoughts, or have room to draw, or both. It reminded me of the graciousness of the person herself in its design.

Pickles -- courage and vulnerability, steel and a baby kiss, if you could mix these, you might come close to the artist, poet, farmer, child inspirer that she is. Also a pretty voice; I didn't get to hear her sing, but I'm sure she could.

As for this mimi, I did what I always do, puttered, and didn't say a thing worth really listening to, and put together a boring, blah, nondescript little thing that didn't end up at all looking like what I imagined when I started. Don't touch, the dullness might rub off. That's okay, I was obviously built for scrubbing and chores.


Today is:

Festival of Unmediated Play

Floating of the Lamps, Thailand

Fontinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (winter festival)

Friendship Day, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

International Skeptic's Day

Modern Mythology Day

National Face Your Fears Day

National Peanut Festival

National Yorkshire Pudding Day

Pumpkin Festival

St. Colman's Day

St. Edward the Confessor's Day


Birthdays Today:

Nancy Kerrigan, 1969
Kelly Preston, 1962
Jerry Rice, 1962
Marie Osmond, 1959
Chris Carter, 1957
Sammy Hagar, 1947
Paul Simon, 1941
Nan Mouskouri, 1934
Lenny Bruce, 1925
Margaret Thatcher, 1925
Nipsey Russell, 1924
Yves Montand, 1921
Cornel Wilde, 1915
L. L. Bean, 1872


Today in History:

Nero becomes emperor, 54
The Vandals and Alans cross the Pyrenees and appear in Hispania, 409
Rabbi Issac Abarbanel begins his exegesis on the Torah, 1483
Jonathan Swift publishes the last of Drapier's letters, 1724
Charles Messier discovers the Whirlpool Galaxy, 1773
First publication of the "Old Farmer's Almanac", 1792
George Washington lays the cornerstone of the "Executive Mansion" (White House), 1792
Founding of B'nai B'rith, 1843
The first arial photo taken in the US, from a balloon over Boston, 1860
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda & friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations, which begins the revival of it as an active and growing language, 1881
Founding of Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga. Tech), 1885
Premier of "Kukla, Fran, & Ollie", 1947