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Weekend Coffee Share – Forging Ahead
November 19, 2016
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Forge
If we were having coffee I would offer you some tasty new teas I just ordered, including a tangy cranberry flavored black tea that I am drinking. We have coffee, of course, and some cornbread to eat by the wood stove. The fire from last night is out, and today is warm, but I like to hang out next to my stove all winter. It radiates heat as well as coziness. I keep a big pot of water on top since it does zap what moisture we have out of the air. Today I am floating a large dose of lavender essential oil with a dash of frankincense to bring up the seasonal mood. My set of remote controlled LED candles arrives today from Amazon, which will complete my winter decorating. Next week I will let you play with them. I could not resist the sale on remote controlled candles. They just sound like fun.
It is my pleasure to host this diverse group, and my wish that you will all continue to visit. When the streets fill with the jolly sound of holiday traffic I stay home. It is not difficult for me, and I am not at all missing out in any reindeer games. I never go to malls, don’t like chain stores at all, and we don’t do any special gifting at holiday time. So when I am asked if I am ready for Christmas I can safely say yes because I do nothing to prepare. I like to have more lighting and scent in the home all winter, but there is no particular holiday theme. The theme is fire building, a sport I completely enjoy. I love the job of fire tender, and consider it to be one of my best skills. There is a trick to starting fires, which is allowing plenty of air to flow. I try to use as little kindling as possible to get the bigger stuff started. My partner does the wood splitting, but I like the game of doing more with less. It is a metaphor for life. We don’t need more fuel, we need more air to get started.
I consider this talented group of writers meeting for coffee to be friends, or at least allies. Forging alliances takes time and alchemy. We have a new year and new challenges. This is a time to strengthen our alliances and forge new ones. We use this phrase to mean find commonality through trial by fire. Forging requires intense heat and strong force. Once bonded the metals are inseparable, much stronger than a weld. Hephaestus, blacksmith to the gods, was the creator of both Pandora and her famous box. At the bottom of the box when all all else had escaped into the atmosphere, hope remained.
Hephaestus
Thanks to all of you who forge friendships by finding time to share coffee each weekend. I am mighty glad you came to hang out today. My week has been smooth and easy. My hope is to continue that pace and level of difficulty (very mellow) into 2017. Please visit the digital party here to comment to add your post.
Dorothy Parker, Queen Of Swords
November 18, 2016
the queen of swordsOne of my favorite authors of all time is Dorothy Parker who lived from 1893-1967. Her career included writing poetry, journalism, drama criticism, and screen writing. She is best known for her wit and satire. As a public figure she was both well-loved and controversial. Her political statements got her listed on the Hollywood black list during the witch hunt for communists. When she died she bequeathed her estate to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Her stance on civil rights was progressive long before it was socially accepted. I admire her for the way she used humor.
The Queen of Swords in tarot is a symbol of independent thought and judgement. She is professional, perceptive, analytical and sharp witted. She beckons to the future and is looking at it in the card, but we can’t see what she sees. Her intellect is mature and her discernment and ability to judge impartially make her a royal. She does not beat around the bush, but comes directly to the point without emotional investments. She uses logic and facts to make good decisions. When this card turns up reversed in a reading the shadow elements of the archetype are indicated. When she is upside down it means her normally clear vision is being clouded by emotions. Rather than clear and precise independent thought, she is influenced to preserve status quo in relationships. Her goals are compromised by fear of what others think. Dorothy Parker had a lot of tragedy and failed relationships in her life. She played both sides of the Queen of Swords, famously doing quite a bit of drinking. Like her buddies Hemingway and Fitzgerald she spent a great deal of time in bars. She suffered from alcoholism which consumed her last years. Her work endures.
Here are some of my favorite quotes attributed to this sharp and sassy sword queen:
“That would be a good thing for them to cut on my tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment.”
“A little bad taste is like a nice dash of paprika.”
“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.”
“I think that the direction in which a writer should look is around.”
Dorothy ParkerFashion Flexibility
November 16, 2016
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Arizona Inn Dining Room
tourist look
mermaid look
local look
Tumacacori tourist look
Tumacacori tourist look
80’s party look
There is much to be said for having a signature style by which one is recognized. One leaves a lasting impression with costuming, intentional or not. I have spent more money and time in my life shopping for clothing and fashion accessories than I care to calculate. I think I am above average as a shopper in skill and bargain hunting. This is how I rationalize the obsession with owning too much clothing. Since discovering the tidy muse my struggle to release and repurpose much of my stuff has become obvious. I have gradually been thinning out the wardrobe, but have reached a basic truth about what I value. I like to be able to shape shift. It is not really disguise, per se, but it is costuming.
I always had at least two careers at the same time. I taught swimming and fitness and was also an outside sales travel agent. Outside sales means find your own business and split commission with the house. I did not dress up and spend the day at the agency answering calls. I came and went when I made sales. I often went during the night to run tickets at the travel agency just so I could have the whole place to myself. This strictly financial agreement came with no dress code, but I did feel the need to change into street clothing rather than show up at the office in a leotard and tights with a warm up suit if I went during office hours. Sometimes I came in the back door in my swim suit and did a quick change in the bathroom like superman. I also had two briefcases designated one for fitness and one for travel because we did all kinds of things on paper in those days. I used a black Swissair briefcase for travel and something southwestern with no travel company logos for the spa. I often provided travel services to my work colleagues at the spa, but I kept the whole filing system separate in those briefcases. They were looks, they were also personas. You are what you wear at least as much as you are what you eat. Costuming is everything.
Now that I never have to work at any office but my own at home I am trying to narrow down the broad range of costuming I have acquired. The Japanese tidy system demands that I decide why I want to keep my things, and why they make me happy. This whole process has brought me to an examination of my delight in shape shifting. I have always loved it. I had a giant dress up box as a child, and must have been influenced heavily to believe in the value of limitless wardrobe choices. A look into my closets confirms that I am still under that spell. I am going to eliminate more and scale down to ONLY the items that give me great joy. I am in the process of figuring out how to keep my options from up to down, mature to infantile, straight to hippie, athletic to hipster, and work to party. I do think I still need all that. I just don’t need so many items in each category. I don’t enjoy having just one signature look. I like to keep them guessing and myself amused. How do you dress, gentle reader? Do you dress to impress, for comfort, or for effect? I think I do all three.
You Don’t Need A Weatherman
November 10, 2016
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…to know which way the wind blows. Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues.
Think about how perfect these lyrics are for America right now, 2016. Suddenly everyone is surprised about the conditions that prevail. We are swinging to the other end of the pendulum, my gentle readers. It is time for the equal and opposite reaction of those who are disenchanted with government. Initially these words were used to call out an oppressive secretive regime. Today the vandals who took all the handles are the political parties themselves. If we ever had a real revolution (doubtful, fellow boomers) now comes the obvious counter revolution. We said we believed in the winds of change. Here they are. They will huff and puff and blow this house down because we built it out of sticks. If you are feeling homesick in your country, take responsibility for the future. Take democracy seriously or it will vanish before our very eyes. I can’t give you any specific advise except to say this did not happen overnight and was not done by one person, one party, or even one country. We have all been partners in this crime. Wake up and smell the danger.
To Live Existentially
November 9, 2016
orchids
“Everything has been figured out, except how to live.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre
From the post war philosophers and artists who created the existential movement to Woody Allen who made movies designed to parody the literary and philosophical culture, existentialism flourished. Jean-Paul Sartre coined the title. He was a French writer who is known for philosophical as well as fictional books. He and his contemporaries were concerned with the individual’s freedom and responsibility rather than social or political issues. They concluded that to understand the human nature science and morals were insufficient. They were obsessed with how to live life by taking responsibility for creating reality. They believed that every individual action taken changes the world to some degree. Each act must therefore be done in full awareness and with precision. Our acts, not particularly our thoughts, make the atmosphere we inhabit what it is. The personal power and responsibility to act wisely belongs to each individual. The sum of all these individual actions creates the entire world.
Existential therapy deals with the inevitability of death, freedom and its attendant responsibility, existential isolation, and finally meaninglessness. This remedy aims to answer the big questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” in each individual life. This is an extension of the philosophy focuses on helping clients make good choices and thorough evaluations of all the options available. I always liked this way of thinking. Now is a perfect time to take stock and evaluate how we are creating the world around us. This life is a limited time offer. We never know how limited until it ends…and then there will be nothing else.
“You are — your life, and nothing else.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit
Sartre
These Photos Will Take You Inside The Symbiosis Gathering, Burning Man’s Even-Cooler Cousin — Real Stories – UPROXX
November 4, 2016
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Daniel Zetterstrom Go ahead, call it the younger relative of Burning Man. Make your “dirty raver” jokes and tease the body-painted revelers. Snark away. That’s all well and good, but here’s the rub: The Symbiosis Gathering‘s attendees call it “adult-Disneyland” for a reason. Are you sure you’re not interested in an amusement park filled with…
Bing Search, Green Stamps For Now
November 4, 2016
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collecting points
I switched to Bing search a few years ago for no particular reason. It serves my needs and I get paid to search. My mother was an avid green and gold bond stamp saver during my childhood. She did amazing things with them because she saved up for the big stuff. I personally felt very good about my job, which was pasting them into a book. I had a set up with a sponge that was efficient and easy. I thought I was the Department of the Treasury stacking up the books for Christmas purchases. I also was heavily into the catalogs that described the items one could buy with the stamps. When my mother started the habit i am sure it was an economic necessity for the household budget. She continued until the stamps disappeared because it was a sport she enjoyed. I remember when I was about 30 she bought me a set of dishes with stamps. She would always let you know if she used stamps to buy you a gift because she was proud of it. It showed she was a smart consumer.
I suppose I feel the same way about the $5 of Amazon credit I earn each month by searching with Bing. The system is now called Microsoft rewards, and points can be earned searching on a PC using Microsoft Edge. I have a Mac, so I don’t earn those points, but I earn enough to make $5 a month. I am going to search anyhow, so I might as well be paid a little bonus to do it. I scored my monthly gift this week and am on my way to next month’s. There are various kinds of gifts you can select for your points. For me this is the best and most useful. If you use Microsoft products they make it even more lucrative when you exchange your points. They also let you enter contests for a few points to win Microsoft gear.
We have come a long way into the land of consumer rewards since the days of green stamps. I was a genius at using airline flight miles back when I was a travel agent. Things have tightened on the airline fun since I was a frequent flyer, stacking up the miles. I used to buy coach international tickets and upgrade to business with miles. My peak achievement was flying first class round trip on Singapore Airlines to Bangkok. It was very much like going to heaven. I even met Jack LaLanne and his lovely wife Elaine on my return flight to LAX. There could never possibly be a better flying experience. I have an autographed photo of Jack that he gave me as a momento. I never forget that I have that picture because of my use of frequent flyer miles. Today it is impossible to upgrade for miles, and Jack is dead.
What is the moral of this story? It pays to use all the rewards for which you exert no effort and give up no privacy. There is no telling how much you will earn.
Our Sling Fling
November 1, 2016
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Sling TV
I hooked up my new ROKU stick today. It was an easy and quick transition from my ROKU box, which was working just fine. I was enticed to try Sling TV with the promise of the stick as a subscribing gift. It is cool, and a little easier to navigate than the old model. It has preprogramed buttons for Amazon, Sling, Google, and Netflix which the old system did not have. This convenience of going straight to those channels is a good shortcut. Everything else is the same. It is super easy to take with you on the road if you care to do that. The only missing element on the new stick remote control is an earphone jack. I used the earphones occasionally after my partner had fallen asleep, to keep the noise to myself. He sleeps very soundly so I don’t think the loss of this feature will be a game changer for our household.
Sling TV is a major hit with us. I can’t predict if I will keep it after my initial subscription for 3 months, but I feel like a savvy shopper who found a great bargain for now. I got the ROKU stick and three months of Sling (plus 7 days free from the offer open to all takers) for $60. I am a satisfied customer at that price. I am easily fatigued by television, but sometimes have been known to binge on shows I really like. Sling is offering us a new variety of content. I don’t care about the sports programing much, but Bob will be able to see 3 different ESPN stations. The subscription lasts until 25 of January next year, so we will have plenty of time to get tired of it as a constant feature. There is no obligation to stay subscribed, which appeals to me. I get a month of Hulu 4 times a year, and freeze it for the maximum amount of time in the interim. I may alternate Hulu with Sling after I binge myself out on all the fun documentaries, comedies, and music content. The new stick answers a need in me to have new gadgetry when it comes out. I get a little thrill from that, and a pretty big one from all the new entertainment from which I can now choose. The upgrade packs a lot of punch for the bucks.
I hardly have time to read all the new books Amazon Prime is lending me every month. I need to make sure that my subscriptions are not outstaying their welcome, becoming useless expenditures. As a thrifty person I hate when that happens. I heartily recommend Sling TV for those in the market for new ways to buy entertainment at a good price. At least we are paying far less than we did for cable. The trend is away from cable for very good reason. There are perfect custom solutions now for far less. How do you buy tv, gentle reader, if you still watch it?
Livin’ La Vida Local
October 31, 2016
Day of the Dead in Tucson
Localoop
My city is the best place to live, or to be dead. Tucson celebrates Dia de los Muertos in a very big way. I love the festive, colorful death party that is our own home-grown version of the Mexican All Souls Day. My own parents are in the cemetery not very far from downtown, so I am sure they will take part again this year. My hound dog now joins her grandparents in the festivities. She is scattered at the pet cemetery across town, but space and time are no longer an issue for her, and she loves to party. They will be in the ghostly part of the procession.
My friends joke with me about my extreme localism. My business jurisdiction (where I spend my money) is as tight as I can make it. I am a true believer in supporting the small business efforts of my neighborhood establishments. I love to discover local providers of all kinds. This week I discovered two new ways to fulfill my dream of finding and frequenting local enterprises. At TenWest I met Aaron Gopp, creator of a new app, Localoop. He is enthusiastic about his new service, locating businesses that meet a strict locally owned and operated criteria for people like me. It was a lucky break that he stopped to chat at our table. His directory was created for my very picky and specific needs. It will also help businesses discover and reach potential clients in the area. I have downloaded it and already have found a couple of places near home of which I was unaware. As he develops this I look forward to the guidance it will provide to consumers as well as to businesses. My neighborhood could use some economic development.
While I was out biking around town with my homies I stopped at the Local First Arizona booth. Aaron credits this group with helping him and giving him good guidelines to follow for defining what is local. This non-profit foundation exists to support local small business. It has membership and benefits, like a chamber of commerce. They have created a system of locating local food sources called Good Food Finder AZ.com This page lists local providers, restaurants, farms, markets, and aggregators. There is even information about local food assistance programs. This is a major service to society. Both the food finding and the local looping will make me very happy, and upgrade the economy around me. Do you like to shop local, gentle reader? What are your best ways to discover new places in your area?
Home For The Holidays
October 28, 2016
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Tucson color
Tucson color
Tucson color
At the end of the year we typically make a purchase for the home and call it our holiday gift to ourselves. We have also enjoyed short trips in December to celebrate for a few days in the past. The travel is not in the cards this year since we had to spend big on a new air conditioner recently. This purchase, needed but not very sexy, shot holes in our budget. We will enjoy the time between now and 2017 in Tucson at home.
This is not at all bleak. I decided to make prudent small investments in local fun available to us. I purchased a three month subscription of Sling TV to add new programming to our nightly ritual of watching a few shows. They offered me a free Roku stick if I paid up front for three months. I may quit at the end of that time, but for now we are having a lot of fun with all the new options. I am watching a series on Cyber-War that is blowing my mind. We like the comedy series Bunheads, which we just started to watch. The stick is in the mail, which I think will be fun. I don’t know if it is voice activated, but it is updated to make search easier. For a total of $60 we get the new stick and three months of channels we like. I also decided to let Alexa keep her subscription to Amazon Unlimited music. At the end of my free trial she will switch my payment plan to $3.99 a month to play every song at Amazon, but only on my Echo. She will be the only device able to stream this. I have been having a great time calling up all artists and almost all songs for my home at will. When Alexa is loaded with this unlimited capacity, she truly rocks my world. I want her to be able to do all the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s greatest hits in December, so I don’t mind paying to have her loaded for a while longer. I listen to her all day, so I do get a lot of value for dollar from this subscription. I have been traveling down memory lane in music, and it has been fun.
To put finishing touches on our festive celebrations I have also decided to loosen the Uber budget. I rarely use the driving service, but love it when I do. Any time I want to drink alcohol or don’t want to fight the crowd at the end of an event I call Uber. It makes such an upgrade to any event arrive and leave with your driver. It only costs us about $20 round trip to go downtown Tucson for dining, shows, or the 4th Avenue Fair. This is my last gift to us, a few more more to spend on transportation. Our basic entertainment is restaurant dining. If we take Uber we can cocktail without worry. There is plenty of tourist excitement for us just a few miles from our house.
I am finished with my holiday shopping now. All I have to do is pay for the Uber as we use it, and I am done. I feel intensely liberated this year. I never get into the shopping frenzy thing, but this time I am happy all the gifts will be invisible, consumable, and will not require and storage after the holiday. I wish you all such efficient holiday planning. Good luck! Do you have your plans made? Do you shop for lots of gifts, gentle reader, or take it easy this time of year?
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