Dave's Journal, July2019
The first American flag? It's arguable, but the "Betsy Ross" flag is generally accepted as the first official design (actually Betsy did not sew any flag, ever, but it's a good homespun legend).
Designed around 1777, it was first used officially in 1792. It has long been regarded as a symbol of the American Revolution and the young Republic.
Crazy cardinal still drops by every day to attack the parlor window. Drives the cat wild.
I'm getting a lot better, fast. Dr checked me out today and he's happy with my new dose of heart meds, so we're leaving it there for now. The codine cough medicine is wonderful stuff - try it !!
It's way too hot for the Cars of Summer / 2019 show in the park, so we are skipping it this year, which is disappointing but necessary.
IRS is auditing me for a mistake *they* made. They put up this big smoke screen of forms and adjustments and crap, but they had refunded me twice (2X !) the refund that I entered on the tax return I submitted. I knew they would catch it someday and did not spend it - but would be nice if they said "we made a mistake, here's a dinner for two gift certificate".
Started reading a new book (now I'm reading 4 at the same time!!). It deals with "deafness" due to Auditory Processing Disorder, which is actually a brain disorder in interpreting sounds coming in from the (perfectly functioning) auditory nerves. This is a big part of my current hearing problems, now that the electronics have solved my technical deafness problems. It is a fascinating and frustrating subject.
Well ..... anyway ....
Deb is up in Maine (York Beach) a few days with high school girls. I had about 6 plans for things to do today, but 870 and sunny meant I was not going to get on a train or walk around Boston. So I just went to the local botanic garden to chill for a bit.
They keep hiding this little statue (below), but I always find it. Have no idea who this is, if anyone, but I like the way she is always embedded in ferns and things.
The cafeteria was swarming flower and garden club people wearing floppy hats and flowery shirts.
Been very sluggish around here, with the high summer temperatures. (I have recovered well from bronchitis.)
Making some prints for Chris' new office. I took a few pictures in town; also bought vintage postcards on Ebay, blew them up, cleaned them up, sent the files out to be printed this morning.
Samples here.
Too hot outside.
Lots of talk about undocumented / illegal immigrants these days, and the law, and their protection under the law. You wonder how a person who is in the US illegally can be protected by the law. And the reason is because that's what it says in the Constitution; specifically in the 14thAmmendment. Like it or not, that's the fact of the matter.
To quote the Constitution:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Glad that I looked that up, the topic was driving me crazy.
Words come and go. "Boss", "righteous", "groovy" are long gone. "Twee" is here now.
And it's not a trite "twitter" or "instagram" word. You read it in (as one example) New Yorker restaurant reviews.
"Twee" ..... what (you may ask as I did) the #### is "twee".
"Twee" is the new ever-so-cute way of saying "sweet".
I personally would think it should actually be "tweet", but it's not my world anymore. I just make fun of modern and pointless affectations that come about.
"Affectations" .... now there's a word for the ages.
Went there today; annual local artists show (artists within 30 miles of the museum). Some stuff was really outstanding. Hard to believe there is so much talent nearby.
(The vertical light and dark stripes in the panorama are caused by the flickering (60Hz) lights interacting with the camera's shutter speed as it sweeps across the room.)
Some stuff was mildly interesting. But its was an enjoyable visit.
(1) None of my kids had been born yet. (2) Your cell phone today has more computing power than the computers that guided this mission.
Last month, the doctor I saw for bronchitis referred me to the eye-ear-nose-throat specialist that I saw today. She (nice person, but talked too fast) ran a wire scope up my nose and down my throat. "Hmmm .... uh huh .... yeh .... " is what she said.
" Your problems are all diet / stomach related. Go home, read this (handing me pages of dietary advice) and come back in 3 months" is what she said next.
I scanned it all. "You're serious" is what I said .... "no milk, sugar, yogurt etc etc? " .... "Do it or don't, see you in 3 months" (I liked her ).
So I am home making up a grocery list for tomorrow. It includes all the stuff I don't eat now and excludes all the stuff I do it now.
Life is way too complicated now, but I will do what I am told.
After watching several semi-documentaries on the 1960's space program, last night I turned my attention to an excellent documentary on WW2 bomber crews (pilots, navigators, gunners, ...). Those guys (all were 19 - 28 years old !!) had palle di ottone, without doubt.
They'd have to fly in strict steady formation through a sky filled with German anti-aircraft fire; no swerving, no dodging the bullets - fly a dead steady course to the targets.
The film was 100% original actual 16mm film shot in the airplanes and on the ground. No hollywood intervention.
They had to fly 25 missions before being released to go home. The statistics of surviving 25 missions was 1 / 4. So lots of army / air force people never went home. In fact the mortality rate was a lot higher than the in the Marine Corps, though the "flyboys" were unfairly called the "prima donnas".
Another chunk of our retaining wall fell over a few months back, and our primary renovation guys (Jerry and brother Jay) came to the rescue (again) this morning. These guys had completely remodeled the main bathroom and hallway stairs for us maybe 2 years back.
There are some harsh rumors making the rounds on social media.
"Dave's a snob, he doesn't relate the everyday man on the street, he never rubs elbows with the common people .... etc etc"
Well I'm here to set the record straight.
I went to Walmart today, all by myself.
I'm 6 days into the diet suggested by the doctor. No dairy products or red meat or refined sugar. No eating for 3 hours before bedtime. No candy or cough drops. It's working out well, surprisingly. I've had "mediteranian wraps", roasted vegetables, onion, olives - stuff you think would uspet your stomach, but it's feeling good.
That's my breakfast over there: a cup of almond milk (with a shot of espresso), an apple, a banana.
So far, so good.
A hobby of mine is starting (Netflix / Amazon / HBO) movies and turning them off after 5-10 minutes. I stumble upon good ones now and then, like Heartbeat with Ginger Rogers (very early role). She never looked better - no glam makeup! It's a rom-com with Basil Rathbone has a humorous professor of pickpocketing (sadly I can only see him as Sherlock Holmes and it took me a few scenes to understand that he was trying to be comical !!).
