a99kitten's Musings

I’ve come home from my afternoon walk and shoveled the back deck for 2 days now – Monday and Tuesday. I cleared from the sliding glass door to the front of the BBQ, and a path to the stairs and railing. Like I would for Smokey. But not as much as I would for him, but started. Plus cleared about 1 foot off the giant pile that was his.

It’s been the first time I’ve gone out there since he left me.

I got very sad yesterday after doing it so decided not to do it today. I decided that already on my walk. But I still looked out there tonight.

Then I saw them. The paw prints. In the newly-shoveled, topped-off snow pile. So I went out there. The snow was soft, so I know they were new. I touched the snow – yep. Soft. But paw prints all around. I looked at the pile of snow on the stairs and see them there too.

I know they are not Smokey’s. I don’t live in a fantasy world. I would imagine a coyote. Although that seems odd since that has never, ever happened and they are so skittish. But with Smokey gone, and a snow pile highway right up to the deck, maybe they smelled a buried treat and felt brazen enough? Smokey loved to bury his treats so I am sure there is at least 1 out there.

I know they are not Smokey’s. But I am not going to lie and say that when I first saw them, I didn’t look around for that milisecond before my analytical brain kicked in.

Or maybe they were Smokey’s…

Why did they change Chewbacca’s look (aka costume but he is a real Wookiee so not a costume so whatever..) in the new trilogy?

Had the Star Wars TNT marathon on last night after the Marvel marathon on some other channel. So had the last part of The Last Jedi on and then Rise of Skywalker. And then just now, turned on TNT and the best movie ever made in all of the history of movies is on…The Empire Strikes Back. That’s the Chewie I love the best.

But if you compare fluff – he’s way bulkier in the final trilogy. I know it’s a different actor for the bulk of the final trilogy but obviously that should not matter.

It annoys me. Not in a psychotic nutjob post my hate all over the internet and any fan forum or story kind of way that people love to do, but it annoys me.

But I love Chewie. No matter what. I guess maybe he got his winter coat (although he did not that on Hoth…)

Trading/investing/researching stocks

Trading/investing/researching cryptos

Trading on Star Wars Card Trader

Trading on Disney card trader

Monitoring 3 stock trading groups

Staying up to date/trading on SWCT Discord groups

Staying up to date/trading on Disney CT FB page

Moderating/staying up to date on Funko Funatics board

Updating social media with Smokey pics

Updating social media with collecting pics

Monitoring FinTwit re: stocks, cryptos

Monitoring twitter re: CA fires and now FL storms

Funko NFTs – so much

NFTs – even more

Gardening

Smokey hikes

Regular daily housekeeping/chores.errands

Now football season is upon us…fantasy crap, sell tickets, etc etc.

This is my day. Every day. No wonder I have 2 page list of TV shows and movies I need to catch up on. lol

Being retired is tiring.

Ok…so last week’s Grey’s Anatomy was a repeat from a million years ago. When the show was good. But it put me in a funk. Of remembering when the show was good. And the show wasn’t all Covid. And life wasn’t all Covid.

Just started watching this week’s ep, and yet another “old” character is leaving. So they play flashbacks. From when life wasn’t all Covid. Or whatever the F.

And Friends is coming back! Well…a reunion episode which will make me cry. Not even going to try not to.

But my friends are not going to be here to watch it or for the holiday next weekend. Well…1 of them might be. But not sure. All I know is too many humans on the face of the earth. FFS.

Life is weird.

Did another 2+ hour walk this AM with Smokey. We go as far as we used to but now a bit slower so more time outside. But I think that is totally OK as he loves being outside. As long as we are not hot. As the sun rises earlier, we will get out earlier but the sun bakes us both.

I dd a lot of work today so was sitting on computer for a chunk of time – like a normal Friday vs a “holiday”. But every time I get up to do chores, etc Smokey gets up too so his naps get interrupted.

Took him to the beach around 3pm for his afternoon walk since it’s too warm this week for neighborhood walks. I hate spring and summer. Hate.

He had fun. We met some other buddies, sniffed lots of stuff, peed on lots of stuff (well..he did lol.) But you could tell he was tired. I cut it shorter than usual. Since we’ve been home he ate 1 treat, but not his normal evening treat “routine”and he ignored his dinner. He does this when hot and/or tired. Completely normal. But I also know he is getting older by the day. He did act this exact same way last year, and the year before, when we switched from winter to spring weather – he just gets hot fast. I do too so I understand. But he can’t take off his winter coat.

He’s sleeping now. Snoring actually :) Senior dogs need more sleep. But they also need their walks, their routine, less stress and things to stimulate them mentally. I think we do a good job on all of those. But I cannot stop checking on him every few minutes to make sure he is all A-OK.

It’s not fair they don’t live longer.

…when if you wear short sleeves, it will be windy. And freezing in the shade. But if you wear long sleeves, it will be warm and downright blazing hot as soon as the sun peaks over the trees.

When if you wear winter hiking/exercise pants, you will cook yourself. But if you wear regular hiking/exercise pants, you will end up being dragged through bushes with only pointy stick branches to scratch you on your way through being dragged by a husky or 2 hunting wabbits.

And if you wear hiking or snow boots, you will be hot and definitely not as comfy had you worn trail running/hiking shoes. But if you wear those, you are guaranteeing the snow piles and mud that don’t seem to dry up until June and are sought out by fluffy snow dogs.

If you take a jacket or hoodie, you will zip and unzip it at least 5 times each depending on the shade/sun/wind ratio and will still be hot and cold on the same hike. But if you don’t take a jacket or hoodie, you are basically guaranteeing a spring snow shower or wind storm on your hike.

If you don’t wear a beanie and gloves, it will be below freezing temps in the shade and your fingers will actually lose all feeling. But if you do wear them, as soon as you hit the sun you will feel like the sun is actually cooking your brain. So always take them and then you won’t need them. But this means you need the jacket with big enough pockets to stuff them in along with the poo bags, treats and phone.

When you hiked in feet of snow on Friday and Saturday, was out on a hike the following Wednesday and Thursday in capris and a tank top and you were sweating. And are now looking at a forecast of possible snow on Tuesday.

Ah springtime in the mountains…

Cynicism: a Greek philosophy of the 4th century B.C. advocating the doctrines that virtue is the only good, that the essence of virtue is self-control and individual freedom, and that surrender to any external influence is beneath the dignity of man. — Cynic, n. — Cynical, adj.

I was catching up on my Vanity Fair reading in the sun yesterday. Actually just my legs were in the sun. It was so hot that my head felt like it was going to spontaneously combust after 15 minutes. And just why exactly are calves the hardest part to tan?!?! Anyway…

I have not read my VFs since last year so I have a stack of them. They are more of a summer time in the sun reading item for me. I like to page through the entire thing including the Letters section. I noticed 2 people wrote in about inaccuracies from an article about King Tut. It happens all the time and usually the pat response is “we stand by the author, the end,”

But in this issue, someone pointed out that the packing and shipping of the artifacts wasn’t entirely explained (having to do with political upheaval, the navy, etc. not just packing tape issues. Actually interesting details.)

The second letter pointed out that the article stated that the “Treasures of Tutankhamum” tour concluded at the Met in NYC when, in fact, it went on to the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco afterwards and that the attendance surpassed that of all other shows. And even that the museum stayed open longer several days a week (until midnight) to accommodate all of the visitors.

VF replied that the original article by the author included all of these details but they were cut due to space constraints.

Really? It’s a 13 1/2 page article (about half were photos.)

So a couple details about a subject you were writing about were just cut? And by cutting the SF detail, you could say the article stated a falsehood by saying the show concluded in NYC. I assume anyone taking the time to read the article was doing so because they are interested in the subject and wanted to know about it. So who decided these were insignificant details to simply cut?

But I’m not some huge Tut fan or SF museum tour fan insulted by this slight. No, my bigger question is how many times does this happen in more “important” articles such as Vanity Fair’s tiresome Obama and liberal ass-kissing/bashing anything and anyone not drinking the Kool Aid being force-fed to everyone.

The media’s job now is to sell magazines, newspapers, ad clicks, get eyeballs on the site and unique visitors up. The truth? Include all the facts? That’s just silly and old-fashioned. We report what we want to report. What we think you should read.

This is why I never, ever, ever just believe anything I read in a magazine, paper or anything from any “news” outlet. But you’d hope that at least the fun/fluff subjects would be easier to be honest about. I guess not.

(That title is SO ridiculously Carrie Bradshaw but seemed to fit…)

Yesterday a friend of mine posted her engagement pictures on Facebook and changed her relationship status to Engaged. This is how we spread the news now, right? And watch as everyone on your timeline comments (or sometimes just to themselves. Or talks behind your back about it.)

I am very happy for her. I’ve known her since when she was married to a very nice guy who I am also friends with. But they weren’t happy together. They had been together since high school. You change a lot as you grow up. And sometimes you don’t change the same way together. It happens.

When they separated I was sad, since I knew that meant she’d move. It’s not like we were bast pals but we had gotten closer as friends so I knew I’d see her less with her moving away. And I ended up hearing a lot more of the guy’s side of the separation via my husband who would talk to him. But I know in cases like this there are always 2 sides. And always pointed that out to husband. And frankly, I saw her FB updates daily and she seemed really damn happy.

The rather funny thing is the guy she just got engaged to is a friend of my husband’s. We went to a Porsche event at Laguna Seca with him last fall. That was the first time I had met him and he was an incredibly sweet guy. My husband mentioned that my girlfriend was really into cars and would probably have fun at an event like this and semi introduced them via FB. And then…the rest was history. I think husband felt guilty in that he didn’t do it as a “get them together” thing and now felt he “betrayed” his other friend whose now ex-wife he just set up.

Yesterday at dinner, another couple was talking about it and I said “I know! I’m so happy for them!” And both that couple and my husband were like “oh, it’s only been 10 months of dating, it’s so soon, I don’t know.” I responded who are we to judge how they feel about each other? And how do you determine how much time of dating is “enough”? Well, maybe you realize just how much you like someone and don’t want to ever be without them or let them go? And that they are The One? And maybe that hits you 2 months in, 4 months in or 10 months in? And really, just maybe, if you need 3 years of dating and living together to figure it out, and you are still not sure, it’s likely NOT The One.

I don’t mean to say at 16 you should marry the boy you like after dating for the summer. But as you grow up, you (hopefully) mature. And you realize what you like about people, and what you like about yourself when you are with those people.

After I pointed that out, the other couple agreed and said they did seem really happy. And that is what really matters. Husband still said they should have dated longer but maybe they will have a long engagement.

I tell ya, when I’m the voice of romance and true love in the room, makes me realize I hang out with some really cynical people. But honestly, I could not be happier for my 2 friends.

Yes, I am one of those annoying CA drivers with a personalized plate. Before I had my doggies, I had a plate that, because I am a bit naive sometimes, I thought was cute but later found out could be construed to mean something else. Doh. Oh well! As soon as I got Angelus, I changed my plate to…

Simple. It was even more self-explanatory on my previous car when the huskies would hang their heads out the windows as they had the entire back seat and back (Jeep Grand Cherokee.)

So last week I was at the beach about to load Storm in the car. Guy parked next to me asks “What does your license plate mean?” As I am about to pick up Storm, my SIBErian husky into the car.  I say it’s for Love. My. SIBErian Husky. He still looked confuzzled. OK….

Today, walking to the car with Storm (in same parking lot) and a guy asks me what a sibby (as he pronounced it) is. I say it’s SIBE (ya know – long IIIIII or even SYBE I suppose) for Siberian Husky.

He looked a bit confused. Is it that hard to get?

But then another guy sitting on the edge of his truck asks “Who Shot First?” I say “Han” without hesitation. He cracks up laughing and says “you are awesome – no hesitation whatsoever.” I add “There should never even be a discussion.” He keeps chuckling as Storm and I pull away in our Falcon. At least the plate frame is translatable.

You meet some interesting people at the beach…

Woke up, fed the huskies and took them on their walk at 7am. Already a gorgeous sunshiney day here and the huskies and I had a great walk! I knew I had to get back by 8:50am though!!! Before I left, I set up my laptop and put my wallet next to it so I could run in and be ready! We ended up getting back at 8:45am so I made some coffee – figured it was a good idea to add some caffeine to my already amped up mood! Had the reg page all up and ready to push go. And at 8:59am…it crashed. Doh….here we go again…

Was on chat with my friend so we could collude on getting passes – whoever got in first had the marching orders to purchase! Kept refreshing and finally got the order page after 45 minutes. Then it timed out again. NO!!!!!! (all Darth Vader style!) Husband texts me (from downstairs) “what are you doing?” (yes, I did actually yell out NOOOOOO!) I don’t have time to text you back, I have to keep hitting refresh!!! But the URL did say checkout so I had hope that I was in a different part of the website! Finally I got to the credit card and registration info page! YAY! Enter all the info and then…timed out again. GAH! But it said order review in the URL so again…HOPE! And then after refreshing lots more – CONFIRMATION!

The order was confirmed and I saved a screen shot of my confirmation page! They aren’t sending confirmation emails out until (starting) 2/8 so I wanted to be sure I had the info! Hopefully, it is not screwed up somehow. The system basically sucked but at least it worked this time. Ah….the good ol’ days (like 5 years ago) of faxing in my registration and getting my pass sent to me in the mail are long gone….Now it’s hit refresh and yell at my screen for an hour, hope the order actually went through and then wait in a 2-hour long line to pick up my ticket in San Diego. Improvement of modernization? Notsomuch….

BUT…the point is I got them!! YAY!!!! 4 day pass for me and my friend! And a day pass for husband so he can pop in if he wants but not be forced to endure 4 straight days of geeks and lines :) And the Chewbacca backpack gets another San Diego adventure!

Now I just need to figure out the lodging. Details, details…

The last 2 times they started registration and put tickets on sale, and the systems crashed, I remember having it on my calendar and being excited but between Storm health issues and family troubles, I was unable to try and get them. Life wasn’t cooperating. But then neither could anyone else. I put this date on my calendar and hoped I’d be able to get tickets. So I like to think that I was meant to go to Comic Con this year and have a blast like last year :)