Shots from the Lip

 Stillzy is still cheapest - even with their $3.45 service fee and failure to include prior  discounts still available.......and ordering yesterday afternoon, I was secure in the anticipation of knowing how the delivery route is set up and that I'dbe the first delivery........of course I was!! And then my normal, morning walk followed by my news reading routine. It is now 11:01am.  The stuff I had scheduled to work on today can easily be worked upon later....not today......and I will likely play some music (I already have, accompanying Buena Vista Social Club in Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White on harmonica. Yeah, I'll do some piano later on and, who knows  - one of these days it'll be time for me to take out my keytar??!!!!! And I do want to continue sketching, without SMC classes but You Tube lessons that seem to be what will work.......assuming I follow through COMPLETELY.....

 By beach city standards, it is going to be hot here over the next week with the temperature projected to hover around 32C (94F) at the day's hottest times.   We lived with a whole lot more (pollution, humidity, temperature) in Bangkok and the tropics.........it might get to 32 but it don't feel like 32 - it feels lower....and it ain't bad!  Inland?  Who knows??  I sure as hell am not going out! I did my morning walk in T-shirt and light-weight Uniqlo cargo pants but switched to my sole pair of bathing-trunk-like shorts for the balance of the day.  The weather needn't prevent us from living our way - we simply start earlier and are out ONLY before it gets too hot.  Ralphs opens at 5am as does NY Bagel & Deli;  Whole Foods opens at 7am, Trader Joe's at 8am and CVS is a 24 hours a day business........we can start early and productively plan to have great days, indoors and out, by managing our time to maximum benefit. Hey, this applies no ma...

 I purchased both the 'larger' Amazon Fire and the keyboard for it early in 2025 but I never really realized its capabilities and what I can use it for until now......and damn, I am beginning to love it! The screen - it looks like - is 9"x5"  big enough for a split screen (2 pages at a time) viewing of The New Yorker that I can now read for free from the Santa Monica Public Library because I am a member (as well as an author in their catalog).........and hey, while that screen is far too small to read, just a two-finger enlargement makes my having AMD and not being able to read the actual magazine anymore, the solution to continuing to love reading that truly wonderful magazine!!! And the Fire works as an e-book reader alternative to both Kindle and Kobo, thus, all my reading is now available on one tablet (and a tablet/computer -  this trustworthy, albeit ancient Surface Pro, which will be deskbound, here at home). On Monday I go to the Geek Squad at Best Buy to get ...

 I ate something?  Or I succumbed to the heat?  Whatever.......I was in St John's Emergency Room all Tuesday afternoon, a day when there was only one other patient than me waiting......and with Medicare Supplement insurance, the hospital was assured of payment of all they did....and they had a field day!!  I got faster test results than I got from the blood takers at UCLA Health the week before.  Why can't the two systems communicate and efficiently eliminate a needless repetition of tasks?  Will there be Medicare for all in the future (in my lifetime) to eliminate so much of what is wrong with our current, very inequitable system?  What'll it take to change if this is going to be the eventuality? Enough questions! We are getting our act together vis a vis next week's Court appearance. And I have a very, very workable schedule between now and then.........onwards.......

 Last week, in preparation for an August meeting with the 4th UCLA Health GP in 3 years, I gave blood - enough to fill 9 (or 10?) test tubes.  Yesterday at St Johns Emergency where there were few patients and as a Medicare Supplement insurance holder, I was completely guaranteed for government payment of everything, they had a field day and there were 11 test tubes of blood as well as a cat scan........ Why isn't there 'sharing' between health services?????? While I cannot truly say that whatever I had knocked the shit out of me (because I am currently constipated) I am 'weakened' and it'll take some days to get back to where I want to be feeling like....... And while all of that takes place, it is a very comfortable 26C outside......a really nice day to be indoors and resting, too.......

 Is there a hole in my pocket that I am unaware of?  Did I NOT put the sunglasses holder in my pocket, thinking that I did?   Regardless, it ain't there and I need to re-adapt myself to what I have now, without that case (and one flip glasses inside - one flip glasses outside and still here!). Today was the last day of drawing class.  I appreciate the coverage of three types of media (graphite, charcoal, colored pencils) for the class but I don't want detailed drawing - I do want to be able to do much faster sketches - and perhaps line drawing in ink.......that'll take practice to get better but it is what I want........contour drawing - outside outlines of what I want to draw, first........ And today I seriously start preparation for our 'trial'.........