Shots from the Lip

 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'.........

There was a street festival planned for late morning through early evening along Ocean Avenue today.  The entire street was blocked from traffic and I anticipated that this would likely screw up any bicycle riding this morning ..... and since I've already had some really nice weather rides the previous two days, I opted for a photoshoot and walk around down town....aided and abetted, of course, with my student tap card and nice weather......... I lost count of the number of taco trucks that were setting up as I walked Ocean Avenue where I gave up with the photoshoot idea after pressing the wrong button and locking the camera......regardless, it was a nice walk! Spain Argentina begins in 50 minutes.......do I go to watch at the start or do I wait for Katherine.....? I'll have my portion of the deli sandwich we got from Fromin's, yesterday, and then go....... After?  Erewhon??? A smoothie?? 

 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...