9-212 (31/7/22) -- Cooking Again

We had another sunny day with warm temperatures and a touch of humidity. I used the stove again today -- two days in a row -- without overheating the house. I made a big pan of onions and peppers that will ensure I get some vegetables in the diet on warmer days. Salads get old quickly. <smile> I even used the oven last night. That felt freeing <grin>.  Why is it that we crave things that produce extra ambient heat  when it is sweltering already? Perhaps the knowing that such foods will be off limits for a while creates the felt need.  

I headed out just after lunch to get some groceries -- mainly fresh veg with a few other items. I managed to get two full bags for $40! It has been a while since this happened. Some housecleaning got done and I folded the last of the laundry. How cool is that? <grin>  Cooking and cleaning helped me feel productive. I went for a short walk just around sundown. That felt good, too.  So, today was better than yesterday -- lots more action today. 

Craving foods that require a lot of stove top work or oven use took my brain to a song that fit my thoughts. It made me smile.  It is about something else entirely but still fits a bit. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Constant Craving - k.d. lang

9-211 (30/7/22) -- Heavy Grey Day

The day felt rather dismal. There was sun amongst the clouds outside and I felt rather down inside. The usual Saturday stuff happened -- well some of it at least -- laundry, and some cooking and sweeping. I watched three movies -- The Queen, HP Deathly Hallows pt.1, and  Fantastic Beasts-the Secrets of Dumbledore. I couldn't find a comedy and these were rather dark but on the TV. So, I"m not sure that helped my mood elevate much. 

Days like this aren't the greatest, but they don't occur regularly. So, there's that <smile>.  A walk often helps, but it didn't happen today. I expect tomorrow will be somewhat better. A good night's sleep could help, too. 

I was reminded of a song today and recognized it as fitting my thought processes today. The melody is amazing and the harmonies in this version are so beautiful. It helps with relaxation, too. <smile> 

I Shall be Released -- Cass Eliot, Joni Mitchell, Mary Travers

9-210 (29/7/22) -- Music & Friends

It was a day of appointments. In the afternoon, I went to a medical appointment and then to the physio. I had very good conversations with the professionals involved. It made me feel positive and brought laughter and smiles.  I also made two appointments for next week to deal with future planning

In the evening, I went to a friend's for a visit. We listened to play lists from our early university days mixed with more recent selections. It was very relaxing to just stop and listen to a song that brought back such great memories. We had a wonderful wine and fun snacks. Again, there was much laughter and smiles. The walk there and back created less pain than other walks this past week -- Something else to make me smile. <smile> The lyrics spoke  to the power of music and friends and seemed to fit well with my thoughts  today. I very lucky to have a wonderful group of friends who help me me in many ways as I travel my path. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Listen to the Music -- The Doobie Brothers

9-209 (28/7/22) -- Settled/Unsettled

Today some things finished and others continue to drag on. The  slip and fall injury at a local store has been settled. The customer service for the crushed pet food cans in the latest shipment managed to help. A replacement shipment is on its way. Now the only thing left is to clean up any unopened cans from the damaged shipment and empty the others for the compost and recycling pickups. The temperature remained hot and another issue added to the stress level again -- or still. I went for a short walk in the evening when it got a bit cooler. I enjoyed being out moving, but the Achilles heel created some pain. I plan to see the physio again tomorrow, so that should help thing feel better for a while. 

On an up note, I spoke with my travel agent to look at trip planning for the fall.  Flights are sill presenting a challenge. It is difficult to get anywhere without one or two stops -- or in some cases three -- such that a 7 hour travel time stretches into 12 or even over 24. Some stops involve an 8 hour sit at an airport. These convoluted routings also cost 2 to 4 times the price for a one stop trip. So we pay for inconvenience. <sigh> I will make an appointment for next week to speak with the agent again to see what we can finalize. The expectation is that several changes will occur between booking and travel -- the agent said 4, 5 or 6 for each file seems the norm. <sigh> Getting things back up and running smoothly after the pandemic will take some time since people who had been laid off seem to have found other jobs and aren't ready to return to their former jobs. So, airlines and airports  will continue to run short staffed.

Lyrics from a song came to mind today that note the possibility to see positives all around even when something negative rears its head. Take care. Enjoy! 

I have a Dream -- ABBA

 

9-208 (27/7/22) -- Delivery Surprise

Today I received a shipment of pet food. It was delivered within 48 hours of ordering. Amazing. Sadly, when I opened it, the top layer of the case of food was badly crushed on one side. Four visible tins of the top layer of the case of food had lids popped open. The delivery box was not damaged in any way, so the product was damaged when packed -- despite the note that it was 'picked with love by someone'. I didn't open the box until later in the day, so the toll-free number was not answered because it was an hour past their work times. So -- I will call tomorrow to determine what needs to be done to get this replaced. The last order had some minor dents in one-quarter of the cans and those previous were undamaged. Not sure what is up in the warehouse. 

I had wondered how the furry one recognized the one box as his and paid no attention to the other box that arrived with the case of food. Once it had been opened, it became clear that there was likely an odor he detected -- one I couldn't smell through the cardboard and plastic and packing paper. I suspect that is a good thing <smile>

One song seemed fitting for the day. Receiving the parcels and cans that didn't remain sealed brought the title and chorus to mind. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Sign, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours -- Stevie Wonder

 

9-207 (26/7/22) -- Summer Music

Guess what? It was sunny and hot again today <smile> with thunder overnight and into the morning -- very little rain, though.  It felt a bit cooler inside -- just a bit. I did cook a quick one pan dinner for the first time in several days. 

I finished a writing project and got it submitted by late afternoon. Several business calls were made, with one leading to a meeting later in the week that should wrap up that topic -- finally. I went for a short walk just before sunset. I hadn't gotten out to walk for the past few days due to the heat. I find it difficult to call this a productive day, when it was on many levels. I'm not sure what I expect to happen but it is obviously unrealistic. There are many things that need doing in the next week or so, yet I expect to get through 'more' daily. <big sigh>. Getting to a less punitive space in my thinking will take some work. Success isn't always measurable -- as in how many things did I finish today. Nor do they have to be tangible -- or at least something one can hold in your hands. For years projects have been countable -- how many papers did I grade today? A lot of thought goes into many items on the 'to do' list before they are completed. I often omit this progress as part of productivity in  a day. Hmmm. Lots to consider here.     

Thanks to a wonderful friend who has been sharing performances from the Newport Folk Festival this past weekend. There were many great collaborations between older and younger artists. The song shared today is part of a full set with this icon and Brandi Carlile. Other recognizable faces are on the stage that is arranged to be like a living room jam. My friend shared this one with me knowing somehow that it might find its way to this blog <grin>.  Of course it would fit here. The topic fits the overall weather issues and the artist -- who now sings in my range -- lived in Saskatchewan for some time as a youth. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Summertime -- Joni Mitchell at Newport Folk Festival July 24, 2022

9-206 (25/7/22) -- Heat Impacts

The weather remained hot and humid today -- 31C feeling like 41C; 88F/106F -- though the outdoor thermometer showed higher actual temps in early afternoon. Severe thunderstorm watch and warning were issued in early evening. We could hear thunder for at least 20 minutes before dark clouds, rain and wind arrived. Luckily this lasted for only a 10 minutes or so. Other regions likely got strong winds, hail and big rain. Further west and north had risks of tornadic activity. More storms are forecast for overnight. 

The up side of this mess is that cooler air is arriving. Now 'cool' is a relative term. <smile> Temperatures will still be hot, just not hot enough to trigger a heat advisory. The a/c unit and fans will still be necessary. If temperatures dropped into the mid-teens (low 60sF) overnight, it would promote sleep. Not only would this occur due to temperature, but the lack of loud motors running fans would not interrupt sleep cycles. Lack of decent sleep leads to mood disturbances and a lot of cranky people out there. Hopefully, the next week will bring more restful overnights. 

Thinking through many songs that deal with sleep and with heat made me feel a bit disheartened. I do find this type of weather unpleasant. Being somewhere with central air conditioning helps a lot. So, traveling to hot locales is fun as long as I can cool off in a nice house or hotel. <smile>  This got me thinking of more upbeat songs. One that came to mind made me smile at the title and the lyrics. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Summertime Blues -- Alan Jackson