Dear Family, Friends, and Diary,
It's my birthday. I am normally not fond of my birthdays, but I am starting out early in the morning, facing this little bit of aging as positively as possible. First, it's better than the alternative. Second, I appreciate that my partner does her best every year trying to combine my antipathy toward celebration with something special. This year, I know we will have a nice dinner out. I'll try to remember to document with a food picture. Third, I have to recognize I am far better off than most 78-year-olds; healthy, wealthy (enough), and experienced enough to be wise (enough).
In the meantime, I'll talk a bit about what's been happening. Nothing very special. Last Friday's Family Zoom was limited to us and Colorado, since the Maryland folks were off on vacation. We do appreciate this pandemic-originated custom.
Otherwise, I am working on making a 2D puzzle into a 3D version. I have stalled, because there is no guidance about construction details, just lots of pieces and a memory from our trip to the Boulder factory. I am working on getting a video conference with Brian where he can view it in person and give me clues.
Weather has given us a quick break with a few days a degree or two below 100F. We even had one afternoon meal out on the patio, the only opportunity we've had in weeks. August is starting with the prospect of more triple-digits days, but the air conditioner is still working!
Speaking of stuff working, our refrigerator continues to drain by throwing water out on the kitchen floor. Have you ever had that happen? A service technician came by and cleaned out the drain filter, but left us with the task of a complete manual defrosting to clear ice from the drain pan: an hours-long task I thought technology had made unnecessary.
Our other technical struggle has been the controls for cable TV. Two of our four controllers have been acting up, not changing channels on command. I have had two long calls with the AT&T help desk, each one ending in new pieces coming in the mail. Neither helped. Yesterday, we had technician Lou come out for an hour and troubleshoot. He updated the software and half-heartedly said "that often fixes such problems". It didn't, so he had to come back for my birthday and replace all the boxes that might be a problem. (As I write this, the problem remains. Lou will be back next week.)
Technology, sheesh.
I took our weather break as a chance to do some more neighborhood flower photography. I suppose it would be better to be off taking pictures of Yosemite Falls or the Grand Canyon or the Eiffel Tower, but we do what we can.
So, what did this 78th birthday really contain? Mostly, "the regular".
Marianne finished up her art coursework, with hours spent in her office cleaning, organizing, and generally reviewing what she has been learning with instructor Pam. This 140-square-foot studio is the most-used part of our entire house.
Throughout the day, I enjoyed opening cards-from-kids (paper and electronic), gifts, and Marianne's obtskuchen (a German fruit cobbler). And answered a few phone calls. Even 95-year-old neighbor Vern walked down for a little visit with his weekly caretaker-therapist.
For dinner, Marianne treated me to a new restaurant: Oakhill Wine and Bistro. Nice ambiance. Good service. My steak sandwich was tasty. Marianne had selected the place because they had mussels on the menu, a favorite of hers, but they failed her taste test - by a wide margin. That's OK, it was a worthwhile break from our normal haunts, but Oakhill will not make it onto our list of regulars.
So, my 78th year ended with the low-key celebration I generally hope for. Thanks to all.
Now I start my 79th year, not really comfortable looking forward; wars, economy, health, climate, Republicans, and other worrisome distractions abound. Different from other years? Maybe not. We will see.
Stay tuned,
John and Marianne