Shots from the Lip

 Before going out on my Friday morning bike ride, I walked with our new suitcase to Trader Joe's for a watermelon and a bag of Japanese sweet potatoes. No long sleeves today - now, at noon, my watch shows 27C - only it sure as hell doesn't feel like it with virtually a non-stop daylight breeze that makes it comfortably cooler when the iWatch shows 27C. Bike riding was nice, doing it after shopping at Trader Joe's - others on the bike path were fewer and definitely not obstructions to be careful about.   Today is gonna be one of those rare days when, if I had them, I'd wear shorts out......but for only a few days a year, do I really want to buy a pair of short pants?

I went online to the UCLA website on 2 July to make an appointment to have their lab take blood for an early August annual meeting with my GP (the third GP in two years).  Staff called me back and I made an appointment for this morning.......only to find out once the lab had me in, that there was no order from my GP and they could not take my blood without an order.  Fine, I said, how about having whoever is in charge to coordinate getting an order for another once a year drawing of blood - it is routine......and if, when my GP returns next week and discovers he needs more testing, I can always come in before my annual physical. It took 90+ minutes before they were able to decide I was right and they got an order made and took my blood...... This should have been a quick, easy decision, not one that only happened because I did not plan to go anywhere until they acquiesced..........The excuses made at Internal Medicine - UCLAHealth- Santa Monica, this morning, were pure, unadul...

 The ONLY time I got to immerse myself in world football to a degree similar (but far less intense or of duration) was two weeks after Joanna was born in 1994 when the World Cup, for the first time ever but with far fewer teams competing than the 48 this year, took place in the good ole U.S. of A. with all the big  games  taking place at the same time as Joanna's late night/early morning bottle supplemental feeding......of course I volunteered for these feedings.  We bonded in an extraordinary way because of this.....and I saw a whole lot of football! After three years I can safely say that I survived the worst part of retirement:  developing the necessary new routines to replace approximately 60 years of work routines that have suddenly ceased.  This is a frightening experience that far more individuals, husbands and wives do not 'survive'.  Yet it has got to be done to prevent brain rot and a living death.  Have I survived?  Who truly knows...

 The last time I posted to the blog, it was a Thursday just before the start of the weekend 4th of July holiday. Then, on 3 July, John Berg drove by and on the 5th and 6th, someone (Berg??!) threw liquid on our porch and cut the retaining Rose of Sharon wires.   But on the 6th we went to the Santa Monica Police Department to update our previously filed police report. The police watched the Simplisafe videos and had us file for a restraining order........it was filed late Thursday, the 9th and on Friday th 10th, Katherine and I went to Beverly Hills where we filed our petition and notices to be served by the county sheriff...... On Saturday there were two World Cup quarter finals......and on Sunday, yesterday,  we took the E Line Metro to the K Line and then the K Line to downtown Inglewood and a preliminary walk to the Courthouse.   But the best part of the day?  Fiesta Martin, a great Mexican restaurant in Inglewood!!!!! Busy, busy, busy.....we'll sur...

 32 years ago,  the only prior time World Cup was played in the US, China's time zone made watching US games on television  between 2-4am the perfect way to pass the time while doing daily bottle feedings. So here we are again, times not as convenient as they could have been for the US but with video going worldwide, the world is watching unlike ways they previously did......and those coming here for this month+ party are not complaining - they are having too much fun!  And they are helping the service economy......... With the odds that I will never again have access to so much football coverage on a hi def, 18' x 9' screen across the street from where I live, today I watched the 13th match of World Cub 26.   know that I will watch France - Paraguay on the 4th and USA - Belgium on the 6th........and yeah, there'll be more - this is fun! And anything else that has to be done between now and the end of World Cup?  If it can wait, you bet your sweet ass ...

 They are indeed a powerful team!.  I watched them play with Sweden, en route to a 3-0 victory, their 4th 3  goal game out of 4 games thus far,  They have 4 strikers who know how to pass the ball around to the striker who seizes the task at hand at the right time.....and scores....... I went to school, came home, ate, took care of immediate tasks at hand and went across the street for a 2pm game......I will do this as frequently as feasible between now and the 19 July final...... Tomorrow at 5pm: US - Bosnia-Herzagavina (or however it is spelled). Saturday starting the round of 8:m France-Paraguay from Philadelphia PA on the 4th of July!!!