Monday Dusting

Monday is my Saturday, as I have no plans (usually) on Mondays, and everyone is back to work, so I have no appointments to meet anyone. This week is exciting as it is when I have three events: Fix The Machine (Laundry), Install the EV charger, and replace the mattress in the master bedroom.  M@ (i.e., Matt V) came over and helped with the garage, and now the EV fits in it, and the location for the charger is ready. I patched the walls in the garage (going back to before I owned the house) and the hole for the new drains for The Machine. Once the machine is fixed, I can push it against the wall and be done with it. I am not traveling for January, and Deborah is coming for a week. I decided to clean and update the house in these two months. I had not planned to buy a new car or to repair the laundry, but all provided opportunities to grow and learn.

I rose at about 8:30 and found the coffee and the last Costco pastry. I started on the blog and updated the transactions in Quicken. I also updated my 401K balance, which is not automatically tracked with the end of January value. Since October 2024, I have seen no significant change as the markets swing in a narrow range from various stories (i.e., Elon good/bad, AI sells chips, AI now cheap and Chinese, Tariffs Yes/No, and so on ). From my reading, there is no more talk about EVs being the go-to, green energy, or repairing failing infrastructure.

I wrote the morning away. I am taking high blood pressure (HBP) cold meds because my nose will not stop running. Today, I plan to take no trips and clean and organize the house. I made beef and veggie soup from a can for lunch. I wanted something good for a runny nose and cheap. I finished and published the blog.

A load of bagels showed (thanks, Joyce).

I looked up what USAID did on the US government websites (here, the websites were shut down for the agency) and found that it spent $43 Billion last year, or 0.004% of the US budget, with most of it in Afghanistan. I learned that it was the US government agency you would use to ship items free on ships and military aircraft (finding unused space in both). The agency was created in 1961 by the Republican Eisenhower administration to consolidate all the programs done during and after WW2 to help Europe and other countries affected by the war. Its mission was to prevent suffering by building hospitals, funding maternity care, and providing access to US military and government services for free (like space on a military flight). It was independent of the US State Department and was closely linked to Congress and the US military. Thus, if you have farming equipment you want to ship to Africa, this is the agency you use to get the transport done using US government ships and aircraft for free. I disagree with the actions taken against this agency, though I believe they have been sloppy with some programs, and some reform is always good.

After cleaning up and shaving, I dressed and started removing things from the top of the Hunter cabinet; some had been there since Susie’s last Christmas at the house. I found many glass items with memories from our lives together. Some I photographed, but all were carried one at a time to the glass recycling. I will keep the memories, but the things are part of the clutter now and make me sad. It is time for them to be recycled.

I tossed most of the candles but lit one to scent the house. I also moved many items to a box to be taken to Goodwill. I was able to put away a few items. I cleaned the photo frames and cabinet top from a thick cover of dust. The space is now back to looking well, with photos back up and the top mostly empty and uncluttered.

I also organized and dusted my chess table space. I spent the whole day loading updates for my Millennium Mephisto Phoenix M Chess Computer to the current version, an expensive birthday present for myself from two years ago. This consists of a few touches and then waiting. It can now connect through the Internet. I still have to buy the interface ($99) if I start to play online, as nothing is free in chess! I can also buy ($99) engine updates to get the best engines. Rated at 2400 as is, I do not need the engines. With the software updates and Raspberry 4 2G running, the LINUX-based device is now always cutting edge. I bought an early release and got a discount. Without a discount, it is expensive ($1,199 for the computer and another $1,099 for the board).

Corwin stopped by to get his mail, and then Deborah called. Corwin found a snack for 90 minutes and enjoyed my fine cable shows. Deborah and I talked on the phone for a while. After, Corwin and I headed out to the Barnes and Noble bookstore. I bought a magazine. I went through the ritual of what is connected to my old account, alohawild@me.com, which was my last choice, and it worked. Next, we went to McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse for an early dinner. We had a curious spice-Italian-styled beef dip sandwich with fries and beer for me. Corwin no longer drinks alcohol and is trying to eat healthier.

By the way, my weight is down to 230 pounds now. Slowly but surely, I am headed to 220, my goal; I credit the drug MetFormin, my doctor’s persistence with lab results, and my desire to live until 120. As I have recorded in my blogs previously, my labs are good, with an A1C down to 5.1! My doctor said, “Retirement has been good for you!”

Air VW the Gray gets us home, and Corwin and I clean up the bedroom. Corwin lifts the mattresses for me, and I vacuum and remove all the stuff under the bed. We move the bed close to the wall. With Susie falling out of bed, I moved it out to make it safer. We put it back to get more room back.

Corwin takes a few of Susie’s candles home (some are duplicates). I put on Babylon 5, the old sci-fi show, and enjoy one of their two-part episodes, which moves the underlying story forward; it’s more of a Space Opera than a recurring TV show. This episode is the framework for the later animated movie from 2023 and includes some of the comedy that I found a bit surprising in the film; yes, the show got silly a few times. While I loved the movie, it is an acquired taste and cannot stand alone.

I removed the layers of dust from the stand, pulled out all the Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs, wiped the dust from them, and put them back. I was at first thinking of sending the disks to Goodwill, but I might watch some of them, and they are free in a world where corporations want you to rebuy things you have purchased before. So I think I will hold on to them longer. I vacuumed the area in front where all the dust went.

I read, showered, put the sheets and blankets back on the bed, and climbed in wearing my PJs. I soon, after talking a shot of night cough and cold meds, slept until 7ish. No dreams that I remember, but I woke happy so it must have been a good night.

Thanks for reading and dreaming with me.