Spatially Challenged

It's hard to believe that the year is just a couple of weeks from coming to a close. My daughter leaves on Christmas day to go to Brussels then Germany. She works part time (she's a full time college student) as a 'nanny' to a professional couple. They are going to Belgium to spend the holidays with their friends (who own a castle and are a count/countess).

Hannah will be helping them with their daughter (they are paying for her airfare both ways plus compensation for her time). She will then leave to visit one of her friends who is stationed in Germany. She will be staying with her friend. Essentially, she has a free trip to Europe. Not too bad!

I did manage to get a run in this a.m. on the trail with Macy/Daisey. Ella didn't make it to the trail head. Daisey flushed out 2 doe at different times. She didn't give chase. But the doe were as big as I've seen--and what is more powerful, elegant and poised as a deer? I felt invigorated seeing them and was able to huff and puff my way home. My running schedule has been a bit derailed; in the meantime I've been working out with an 8lb medicine ball. Incorporated with lunges and small + large circular movements with ones arms, torso AND using squats, it is some powerful medicine for one's muscle groups.

I had two lunch dates this week. My lunch dates noticed progress, which made me feel good. To be fair, one of my lunch dates also remarked on how much weight I've lost. However, to be fair, he did this to me some years ago. I had merely cut my hair. I was not overweight (nor had I been since he's known me), nor had I lost weight. However, for people I've not seen in a while, they seem to remark (whether true-- most recently-- or not--all times before!) that they are impressed with how much weight I've lost. I must have some fat visage that gets stored in people's memory until proved wrong when they see me again!

You'll remember that one of my goals this year (in addition to becoming fit and improving myself in a myriad of other ways) was to get my books straightened out. I've made considerable progress on it--but I've been waylaid along the course of this task largely by putting my hands on long lost books and becoming absorbed in them.

Yesterday and today I was in the re-arranging mood. As I no longer color my hair, I'm deprived of concocting various hair colors from this and that at Sally Beauty Supply. I've not looked to changed husbands nor switch out kids. Accordingly, I'm left only with moving stuff around the house. [I've scratched changing my blog theme as one of the things I could tinker with having already done that 2.5 times (the .5 time being a sizeable tune up)]

I've moved the piano out of my office and into the elephant room. The elephant room get's its name from the Ronald Redding wallpaper. It has elephants and camels in a very old looking print. I was going for a mission style look in the room, and got it. It's a large room--480 sqf. I've a mission style wood stove. Some large, old pieces of furniture: a Victorian bookcase and a late 19th century walnut/stained glass server. These two pieces of furniture are the subject of my attention. I had planned on taking the Victorian bookcase out and putting it in my office. After removing all the books, and staring at the bookcase where it was, I concluded that it was perfectly situated and should not be moved. I was able to clean the shelves! I also found my Calude Levi-Strauss book, The Jealous Potter. The picture at the top of the page is from the book. (Another book of mine that addresses mythologies of indigenous people--the Jivaro people of equador and Peru--and other myths in the European, American and Japanese domain).

From the bookcase, I also unloaded a box full of photgraphs. I found a picture of myself in full pregnancy with Hannah. Geez....maybe the people who think of me as being fat remember me from that time of my life! Mark and I enjoyed going through the pictures--many of them 1/2 a lifetime ago.

The server needs to be moved--it stays on the same wall, but it get's moved about 8 ft. It's a monstrous 3 piece item. I'm not sure how we will do it without killing ourselves or it. But two folks brought it in....we ought to be able to figure it out.

I also found my "Visual INvestor" book by Murphy (it was among several technical analysis and what not books on top of my piano. I reacquainted my self with the book and my text flags/marks. I also tried to read one of the James Tobin books. Remind me that economic lectures/reasearch are beyond my easy comprehension the next time I get such a itch that needs scratching. This book was 4 lectures on asset allocation...etc. The book is 1982--and it starts out that macroenomics facing challenges. I hate to think what would be concluded now!

I'm also planning my NY's dinner. A small group to whom I will serve a simple meal. I've still not fleshed everything out, but it believe I will have braised duck legs, a first course of roasted butternut squash with apples, blue cheese, endive and cranberries, sweet potato spoon bread, brocollini, lentils (I'm still on the fence on the starch) and a lemon tart.

But all of these activities were immensely enjoyable. I forgot the simple pleasure of reading in front of the woodstove (with a glass front) with my three dogs around me. I surely do not need to pay for any entertainment. We have a new grocery store in the property vacated by Winn Dixie. It's a Blooms which is owned by Food Lion's parent. Food Lion is the other grocery store. I rarely shop there. But you know you are getting old when you are looking forward to browsing a new store.