Say It Isn't So

The premier source of inspiration for procrastination, and the ultimate waste of time, faces a nearly eminent shutdown. The Chief Inactivist of the blog "76003.1414" (where one can enjoy "world-class work avoidance" among other things) has announced his desire to take a much needed nap.

76003, in its current form, originated in 2005. However, its inception dates back to1998, before the word "blog" even existed. In 2009, it became the inspiration for the blog "back(b)log" which is a mostly defunct site originally created to chronicle one person's journey with back pain. That blog led to two others. This one, "Chocolate Chip Mint" (started in 2010), and "Beer Here" (2017). These three blogs, combined, have not equaled the success of 76003 with roughly 450,000 total hits compared to 1.66 million.

76003 has mostly been a news blog or, rather, a running commentary on the news of the day. It has also been a place where stories from long ago were memorialized (sometimes with audio recordings by the Chief Inactivist himself), photos were posted, and contributions from correspondents throughout the world and beyond were shared. It's been both funny and insightful.

I happen to know the author and Chief Inactivist of 76003.1414 quite well and I know he is a wonderful storyteller, historian, tech guru, and an intelligent commentator on the news, politics, and events of the day. He is also a man who has done an exceptional job of letting his family know that they are loved.

It's understandable that he's tired and grumpy from the state of things as they are today. While one can hope he will awake from his nap and declare 76003's closure was just a dream, one can also hope he spends his much earned time off to write his memoirs.

Onward.

Here, hold my salad!

 . . . is never the start of a great story.

Case in point: Hubby said to me the other day, "Here, hold my salad!"

We both bust a gut laughing because everyone knows, a really great story never begins with that. I thought, "I need to write about this!"

The next morning I found the note I left for myself which read, "Here, hold my salad!" I asked Hubby, "What happened after that? I can't remember."

"Nothing," he answered. "I just needed to free a hand to dig the car keys out of my pocket."

And there you have it: No great story ever starts with "Here, hold my salad!" even if a story really does start with "Here, hold my salad!"

What’s my dream job?

I was with a group of women when this questions was asked by way of an icebreaker. The idea was introduce yourself and tell a little something about yourself. 

It reminds me of a time when we were with our sister-in-law (who, coincidently, has both my first and last names). We were in a small bar. So small, that it was impossible not to get to know your fellow drinkers.

We might not have been on our first beer when my sister-in-law proposed that we should ask everyone in the bar three questions:

1) What was your first job?

2) Have you ever been fired?

3) What's your go-to karaoke song?

The most interesting answer came from a woman who was dressed in a bathroom having just come from the hot tub. She started signing Adele or some such thing and blew our minds. She was amazingly talented.

Now the question was, "What is your dream job?" And I was seated to the left of the person who asked it.

If I had answered first, I might have said "Ninja." I was relieved when someone a few seats to my left volunteered the first answer.

The sad truth is that I wanted to become an accountant at a very young age and I became one. Not very exciting.

Everyone else in this group of women picked exciting things like singer, dancer, actor, or film producer.

I was nearly the last to answer and said, "Writer." Humorist, if you wanted to be specific. 

I think the truest answer would be "Extrovert" if that was a job. Singer, Dancer, or Actor - even Ninja - would be roles that would require a certain projection of self which, generally, is not my bag. Thus, it would be a dream of mine to be able to do any of those things. Writer is the closest I can get to expressing myself but, really, that is a solitary endeavor. I can be seen and unseen at the same time. It's safe.

Being an introvert is part of what made me a good accountant. I wasn't a CPA and I didn't deal with people. I just dealt with numbers. 

Being an introvert makes me a good long distance walker/runner/biker. I like people but in the end I will go the distance alone.

New situations or situations that require that I put myself out there scare the crap out of me (although I have been known to sing karaoke from time to time. "Crazy" by Patsy Cline is my answer to Question #3, above.)

So, what's my dream job? I don't know. A ninja who writes funny things? I would like to be fearless when I walk in a room sometimes but other than that, I think I already have the dream job of just living my life.

Shout out to my sista-from-another-mister and my entire family and my friends for making my life meaningful. There's nothing better than that.

On second thought . . .

My 12 year old granddaughter told me she wants to live with me so I asked her, “Why?” 

She said, “Because Dad is so annoying.”

"Annoying? That’s literally in the job description," I said. "He’s supposed to be annoying."

"Yeah, but he’s so annoying." She pleaded, "I could help you clean the house. I would always do my homework. We could go swimming. I could help you bake cookies and bread because, face it, you're not that good at it."

I asked her, "Who do you think taught him to be annoying?"

After a moment of thought, she said, "Yeah, I might not want to live with you."

Good thinking.

My weather vane is a turtle.

This is what it looks like on a clear, sunny day. There is a smaller turtle on the turtle's back, an elephant on its head, and a little green Army guy on the back of its neck.

On a windy day, it looks like this:

Can you find the elephant and the Army guy?

On a really windy day, you'd have to go looking for the little turtle as well.

It's been said that it rained last night but I didn't capture how it was reported by the turtle vane. First of all, I slept right through it and, secondly, I didn't want to disturb the nesting hummingbird outside my sliding glass door.

By the time I woke up and the hummingbird took flight to forage, everything had dried up anyway.

[No new activity to report in the nest, btw.]

 

In case you're following along

 ... this is an update on the hummingbird nest.

The nest itself has been fortified. It looks more like nest and less than a tiny beehive. The hen (for I presume the bird is female) has been sitting on the nest more, keeping perfectly still. I have rarely seen a hummingbird so motionless. She is very small with non remarkable plumage (dark brown/gray). 

My guess is she's laid her eggs, possibly two, which means we could seem impossibly small chicks as early as next week.

I'll keep an eye on it. (If I had a better camera, you'd be able to keep an eye on it, too.)

Just something I'm playing around with

 

Progress on the nest

 

It's very difficult to see in these photos - I really need a telephoto lens to get a better image - but, the gist of it is the nest (left photo) has been expanded and reinforced. It's less of a sack and more of the bowl shape that you might expect a nest to look like.

The hummingbird is sitting in the nest in the right photo. She was very still - more still than I've ever seen a hummingbird - almost as if she was asleep.

The images are much clearer with my binoculars but I haven't figured out a way to take a picture through the binocular lenses.

I'll be out of the office for the rest of the week so I won't be able to post any updates on the nest for a few days. I'll be sure to check on it as soon as I'm back.

Not nearly as gripping as a live camera on an eagle's nest, is it?

Not bald eaglets, not Big Bear

 Something even more rare. . . .  Do you see it?

This is a picture of our back patio looking out to our back yard. See it yet?  

Here's a picture of the ceiling fan on the patio looking out to our back yard. There are two pull chords for the fan. On one, I tied a ribbon which is weighted by a lock. The ribbon was added because I couldn't reach the pull chord. You can see the pull chord on the right is anchored by a round metal object which is out of my reach. The ribbon on the left pull chord is tied to its round metal object with a bow. (We have a lot of MacGyver fixes around here.)

In case you still can't see it, here's a closer view:

On top of the bow is something that looks like a dusty fuzzball. In reality, it's a hummingbird nest which is hard to find in the wild because they're so small. But, for whatever reason, a hummingbird decided to build one on top of a piece of ribbon under a ceiling fan on my patio.

Right now, it looks more like a fuzzy sack, hanging from the pull chain next to the bow. The hummingbird has been coming and going over the last week, adding to the nest, and perching for a short while before zooming off to feed or gather more fuzz. 

The activity has slowed over the last couple of days but I can't see any activity in the ball of fuzz. I have a pair of binoculars on the dining room table so I can get a closer look and have been checking frequently. I can't imagine how impossibly small the babies might be if the hummingbirds laid eggs.

A quick internet search suggests that if eggs are laid (likely two), it will be two weeks before they hatch.

Check back later. Things could get exciting!

Fail!

In my last episode, I told you that I may have reconciled with 'Bucks but I didn't get the bonus stars as I had expected. 

After I ordered my drink, I noticed that I had exactly the same number of stars after my drink as I'd had before. I thought that maybe the stars would only be awarded at the end of the promotion period which was still a few days away, not that there had been any precedent for this. But, no. It turns out that I hadn't ordered a latte as was required by the promotion offer. (The promotion was for 30 bonus loyalty stars when I purchased a latte within a certain timeframe.)

I ordered this:

Instead of this:

See the difference?

That light foam at the top is what makes coffee and milk a latte. Without it, it's called a flat white.

I ordered a flat white - a latte without the light foam - which IS NOT A LATTE!

Really?

I guess I really had forgotten how to order at Starbucks. But, to be fair, I didn't know a flat white was not a latte. In fact, when the flat white was first introduced on the Starbucks menu, it was listed as a latte. But, whatever, it's not a latte now.

My grandkids like Starbucks so later in the week, I found myself there buying them sugary drinks just before I returned them to their parents. That was enough to push my star balance up over 300. (I already had nearly that much already.) That allowed me to get a pound of whole bean coffee FOR FREE. Which is like gold. 

I wonder what would happen if I order a latte, hold the foam?

Meh.

After I had my latte Hubby asked me, "How was it?"

I had to think about it.

Which is to say, not memorable.

Um. A medium, please?

It’s been so long since I’ve been to a Starbucks that I forgot how to order!

I’ve been boycotting Starbucks ever since they started to throttle their loyalty stars program under the leadership of their new CEO. If Starbucks didn’t want to reward my loyalty then I wasn’t interested in giving them any. It was a standoff. 

But the standoff had its benefits. I saved money by not going to Starbucks and I reduced my calcium intake, which benefits me in other ways. I got used to having either an iced coffee or doppio at home for my mid-morning break although I missed the extra calories that the milk in my regular latte would provide. It was like a small snack just filling enough that I could put off lunch for a little while. 

I soon got used to the new routine and thought, if loyalty stars never come back I’ll be fine. In fact, I should start giving my loyalty somewhere else! Support local businesses!

But then a few weeks ago this showed up in my Starbucks notifications. It was for a drink that I would never order. 

Not long after a second offer appeared. This one was more interesting in that I could order something that I liked, but I had to go twice and the reward was minimal for my effort. 

Today I got this offer. I could order any latte and get 30 extra stars and the offer was at a convenient time for me. How did they know? 

I was a conflicted at this point. I felt successful in changing my habits. I no longer needed that milk latte every day whether I was out or at home but there I was buying a Starbucks on a day when they were willing to give me 30 extra stars for ordering a cup of coffee. Well, I thought, if I was trying to deliver a message to the CEO that stars were important to me then I thought I’d let him know that I approved of the new direction they were taking by sending another message: Yes, I will have a cup of coffee for your stars. I will take it that you have received my message. 

Hopefully, you get this one too.

Under the bleachers

 

Pick me!

Coffee brewing methods can have a big impact on heart health

" The method used to brew coffee can significantly affect levels of natural cholesterol-raising compounds called diterpenes, according to a new study. It might be that the way your coffee is made is affecting your heart health. "

Drip coffee through a paper filter is best so if you already make your coffee this way, you're probably fine insofar as coffee-related diterpenes go. But to be absolutely sure, researchers need more data.

" To determine the precise effects on LDL cholesterol levels, we would need to conduct a controlled study of subjects who would drink the coffee. ”

Hm... 

The Coffee Rabbit Hole

Someone gifted me some coffee beans from Mostra Coffee which I just finished. I looked up the coffee company just recently and learned that Mostra is located in San Diego and their coffee is not cheap.

I also learned that Mostra roasts some of the best coffee in the world according to Coffee Review. Mostra Coffee describes Coffee Review as "an online publication that reviews coffees on a 100-point scale and comments in formally written tasting reports."

Of course, I had to check it out.

Mostra has 24 reviews on Coffee Review with scores in the low to mid-nineties meaning their coffees are exceptional or better. Their coffees that rated 95 and above are considered "flawless, ... shockingly distinctive and beautiful."

By contrast, Starbucks has four reviews with only one receiving a score above 85 which makes them "fair," at best. One, Pike Place Roast, scored 78 which is considered "poor." (Pike Place Blend, apparently different, scored 84. One, Sumatra Dark, rated a 90 or "very good to outstanding."

None of my local roasters even made the list (or have not been tested by Coffee Review).

Nevertheless, down the rabbit hole I went. 

I found this article on Coffee Review: How Do Six National Specialty Coffee Brands Stack Up? (As previously mentioned, Starbucks did not do well.) As it happened, after I read this article, I found myself in a grocery store perusing the coffee aisle and what to my wondering eyes should appear but the highest rated coffee reviewed in that article: Forty-Six from Counter Culture Coffee. I was very excited to try it.

My first impression was "bright" which I would maybe describe as sour. So, I went to the Counter Culture Coffee website to see if I could learn more about the coffee I had purchased and what I was tasting. It certainly didn't taste like the coffees that I had become accustomed to and I didn't see what was so special about it.

Down, down, ....

That's where I found brewing instructions: using 18 grams of coffee, "weigh your ground espresso and adjust the dose to ensure accuracy. We recommend dosing within 0.2 grams of the target weight." 

Oh, I was deep down in the rabbit hole then.

I got out my kitchen scale and tried again. It was still sour. Or, was it bitter? 

Next, Counter Culture's website suggested adjusting the grind. So I tried it with a finer grand. Then, I tried it with a courser grind. I was getting downright scientific about it. But I kept at it and now I've found the perfect combination of grind, bean, and water to make a cup of coffee I genuinely look forward to in the morning and enjoy.

The point is I'm trying new things. I suppose there were easier ways to get there but, hey, no one said life was easy.

Neither is a good cup of coffee.

I'm opening a new spa!

✨Introducing Mimosas and Mammograms: The Spa Experience You Didn’t Know You Needed✨

Gather your besties and treat yourselves to the ultimate day of relaxation, rejuvenation, and empowerment at Mimosas and Mammograms! Kick off your experience with a refreshing mimosa and slip into a luxuriously thick terrycloth robe made from the finest cotton—available for purchase at the end of your visit as a stylish souvenir. 🍾✨

Your journey begins with a soothing shower or bath, followed by your choice of indulgent treatments: manicure, pedicure, massage, or facial (brow shaping included). With all-you-can-drink mimosas in hand, you and your squad will be pampered while soft lighting and your favorite playlist set the perfect mood. 

When it’s time for your personalized mammogram*, enjoy the unique experience of a little radiation, one by one, as you take part in this life-saving service. This is more than just a spa day—it's an opportunity to care for yourself and your health, all while having fun with friends!

Whether you’re booking an hour or an entire day, Mimosas and Mammograms is the perfect blend of relaxation and wellness. Make it a celebration you won’t forget—because taking care of yourself has never been so fabulous! 

*Note: Spa services do not require prior approval from your doctor. Complimentary deodorant, lotion, and powder will be provided post-mammogram. Some restrictions apply. Written with the aid of ChatGBT.

Button, button, who's got the button?

Went to lunch with my gal pals and wore a new pair of linen slacks. The waistband had two buttons, one on the inside and one on the outside. Apparently, the inside button is called a French bearer - something I just learned.

Anyway, I was looking sharp.

But, when I went to the restroom later, I found the inside button was missing - the French button could bear it no longer. I glanced around the floor of the bathroom but didn't see the button and wondered where I could have lost it. I had only dressed a short while earlier and drove the restaurant. Maybe when I got in or out of the car? No matter. I still had the outer button.

When I got home after lunch, again I had need to go to the bathroom. This time, as I pulled up my pants I heard the button fall out of the leg of my pants. The question was, where was it all this time? Stuck to my navel? A mystery....

The mystery now is where did I put that button now? I still have a pair of pants missing its French bearer. If I lose the remaining button, I'll not only be out of a French bearer but I myself will be bare.

Très embarrassant!

Brought to you by Christopher Kimball and your local library.

 

Delicious!

This is Umbrian-Style Chicken alla Cacciatora from Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean by Christopher Kimball. You can find it at the link from Amazon. 

I found it at my local library. 

Stars Matter

I had a dentist appointment on Monday and before I went in, I flossed my teeth. It's sort of like cleaning the house before the housecleaner arrives. But I got chastised last time. The hygienist said she picked meat out of my teeth!

It wasn't meat. It was oatmeal which is what I ate for breakfast that morning. I had brushed my teeth before going but, apparently, I didn't get it all. I could have flossed but I figured she was going to do it less than an hour later so I didn't. I didn't see the sense in torturing my gums twice in rapid succession when it wasn't, in my opinion, necessary.

This time, I brushed, flossed, and used mouthwash before heading to the dentist.

This time, I got praised for my dental hygiene. "Gold star!" they exclaimed.

Why does it still matters to me that I get a good report from my dentist?

Must be the stars.

They don't make me faster but I can wear them with flip flops.

 

Happy feet!