Blended Living

Horrid Mosquito!

My net has thousands of holes

Not one for you- Splat!

• haven’t blogged in a while
• or maybe it just seems that way…
• hope you all had a good 4th
• I ended up making it a relaxing weekend, but
• got lured into the crowds of fireworks onlookers
• on the westside highway around 70th street
• might have gotten a couple nice shots with the camera
• (haven’t looked at the stuff on the computer yet)
• as it dawned on me that fireworks isn’t that easy to take nice shots of
• if you don’t know what is coming up and the exposure takes quite
• a few milliseconds and the fireworks come and go in that interim
• also without a tripod and a mulling crowd its hard to hold still for 200+ milliseconds
• even with an optical stabilizer
• and it took a full 20 minutes to exit with all the people
• just enough time for a mosquito to get me a few times on the leg
• so that answers the question
• do insects take the holidays off?  (NO!)
• can’t complain much with this moderate weather, but still its more rain than I remember for a July
• and its almost mid month and haven’t turned the AC on yet, although I scratched
• the AC cleaning off the to-do list early this year
• finished that Elmore Leonard novel, it was fun to just read for pleasure
• at various parks, cafes, and other places
• and I’m starting another tonite
• that kindle dropped in price to 299, and it seems like a bargain
• but I think I’ll do some research and figure out how much
• I spent on my last 20-30 books and see where I’d breakeven with a kindle
• More recently I made it to the track for a couple 400′s but
• then got sick the next day
• and I think I actually slept about 40 of the last 50 hrs!
• which only makes ups for the loss of sleep from those pesky Mosquitoes
• but I do have nets now
• came across more references to Neil Howe’s work
• and his books are on my NYPL list now
• although I find my passions pleasurable, sometimes it does add
• to the stress levels, which could lead to me being sick
• and its awkward to have the sniffles during July
• so have to mix in some remoteness stuff, like
• Now to “Pagen Babies”.

• I’ve slept more the last two nights than in the previous week
• that mosquito net can’t arrive too soon
• score update: killed another 5, but they bit us another 19 times (at least)
• this blissfulness with lots of sleep is throwing me off a bit
• is that the sun?
• its a strange round bright thing in the sky
• don’t crave caffeine today
• but haven’t run enough lately either
• maybe next week things will go smoother
• that was definitely runners legs on that babe I saw today
• she was dressed up for work, but with tennis shoes on and moving pretty fast
• took my first Yoga class a few days ago, was sore in a few new places
• but overall it was pretty cool, stretched out a few tight spots that running has made worse
• the instructor has such a nice soothing voice, I think I could have fallen asleep
• as we did the corpse pose at the end
• then she handed out some postcards
• with a photo of her doing a really impressive pose
• that inspired me greatly
• and gave me the impression that Yoga is harder than I really give it notice
• plus I was sweating more than I thought I would
• the librarian commented on my sunglasses
• and I said that it was nice to have the sun out so that I  could wear them
• I hope they get enough support to keep them open and hired
• basketball in the rain isn’t so much fun
• but it is cooler
• changes the game to outside shooting and driving only to the truly daring
• as the court is more skating rink than hardtop

Some guys at work I head to the gym with three lunch times a week, talked me into some basketball.  I really liked the fact that we strive for a 10 minute weights workout – and I often scoff at the ‘long-timers’ and squatters that we have to maneuver around when we are on our little rush to fit in 10-12 sets and get out of there.

I especially like the fact that its almost fast enough that we don’t really sweat and we are out of there and on the way to grab a bite or head back to work in record time.  Not with basketball.  Despite the air conditioning, we are all drenched.  Despite the “we’ll just shoot around” line, I know the competitive nature that envelopes us all will win out.

Trying to not sweat so much, I fall back on my usual strategy of remembering past solutions and getting to the crux of the game. Min Max tables chart out in my head.  Minimize effort (sweat) and maximize results (baskets and reputations) .   I think of the main data points to recall, the way to size up an opponent, how to exploit my strengths and their weaknesses- I strategize that their must be about 7 things to know about someones game.  The stuff that would fill my cheatsheet about player X, or player Y.

Is he Righty or Lefty?  Can he dribble?  Perimeter shooter or layup artist?  Where does he set up to shoot?  When does he spot the rim?  What’s their pattern and rhythm?  Upset any of that and they will usually start to miss.  Miss much more often.   There are others, but it was only 2 on 2, and we only played 3 games, before getting exhausted.

I guess I was applying a sort of facial reading, but in a more physical whole body way.  It would be interesting to see where the tells are.  Like a poker game.  Patterns set up, and then I like to exploit them.  That’s the real fun part of the game for me.  Basketball, poker, chess, trading, people reading – there’s more in common than we think sometimes.  Or at least in the way I see things.

The other difference is I can control how much weight to lift, the number of reps, and choose to skip a particular weight machine, or exercise.  In the heat of the game, past glories light up our memories, and we think that we can hit that shot again. There are more opposing forces here, than just steel and gravity and singular will power. Arms and elbows and knees collide in the dance to score 15 baskets, first.  I’m sore and bruised.

Falling rose petals

As  winds blow a butterfly

Last embers cool dark.

This rain is taxing my optimism.  More so the mosquitoes that have invaded my home – to the tune of more than a dozen this last week.  I go from window to window in search of holes in the barricades.  Screens intact I guess that they hop a ride on people, or slip in when the door is open.

I try to not harm any life unnecessarily, but verbally persuading them to leave has had no effect – on their leaving nor my spirits.  A few sleepless nights due to late night blood sucking, and I have easily slipped into the role of mosquito assassin.  I stop short at making notches in my belt or carving out a count on the dinner table, but Mosquitoes 17 (bites) VS John 12 (kills).

The last victim smeared bloody against my inner upper arm.  The red streak left a long line like a hunters marker towards the carcass where the kill happened.   A tissue had no effect in wiping away the evidence.   The soap and water did the trick, while the successful kill lingered in my psyche.  Some religions believe that the lowly mosquito will reincarnate into a higher being. I don’t know if that is true, but it provides some solace.

Perhaps tonight the mosquitoes have found other prey, and tomorrow the sun will dry some of this rain.

I don’t read enough, so I randomly will segue into different areas by random clicks on web pages, or by whimsical  strolls down unfamiliar aisles in bookstores.  Its like a physical randomization while walking in NYC- you sometimes find something new and unique, or at least you get some exercise.

I last used the nickname of one of my kids schoolmates, and came across an interesting book about a storyteller.  It interspersed a story between chapters that unfolded about a trying period in the life of the author, Ben Izzy.  [Izzy short for Isabella] I recommend the book- its a quick read, with some interesting old world stories – some which were familiar to me, others that came fresh.  The short folk stories span the world, covering the bible, the Greeks, some Jewish and some Zen.

My latest wandering comes in the form of “Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven”, which finally came off my reserve queue at NYPL.  So long ago that I didn’t remember how I chanced upon it.  Its part memoir and travelogue.  The provocative title and cover photo do catch your eye, but there was then something familiar… I couldn’t quite place it, then I did a little digging online, and it turns out that the author was a high school classmate.   We weren’t close, but we must have had some classes together, as her back cover photo made me scratch below the surface.

Coincidences are funny- I’ll write again when I’ve read it.

I allow myself to pause somewhat from my daily miles and spend some time stationary to watch an old movie in BlueRay.  It still has that old kick to it, and the amazing clarity is like watching it anew.  Some moments later, discipline finally winning over inertia I continue down to-do Lane.  A gallon of milk and some other nightly rituals before I can get some shuteye.  The fast sprints and slow workday empty my tank, and a sour mood creeps its way in, as I cross 110th Street.

I think to myself that I can swiftly maneuver the aisles and grab a milk and escape to dreamland.  Unopened boxes and other late night shoppers block my plan.  Maybe the next aisle over, or the next.  I finally get to the back of the store, cursing that person that discovered putting the milk back there forces all of us to walk past items we might not need.

I smile bleakly towards a coed, more to get her to let me pass than anything else.  She smiles back and tussles with her hair.  I think to myself, why didn’t this happen more when I was younger?  Maybe it did, and I just better understand the signs now.  I pick up the milk and make it over to the checkout area.

An elderly couple is slowly inching forward on checkout #1.  I try to see what else is going on.  Is #3 the racehorse to bet on?   Sigh, its a muddy track and the purse isn’t motivating anyone this night.  I settle behind the elderly.

The West African cashier is playing a game with the old man.  She clearly has a 20 in her hand, but she keeps saying its a ‘ten’.  He utters something but I can’t quite catch it.  Then he hands her 3 singles, and she says its a ‘five’ and now she has 8 bucks.  In my rush, I’m annoyed but intrigued by this little game. It goes back and forth a couple times more.  By now their smiles and banter have erased my sour mood.  They get their change and walk away.

The cashier has a large smile for me.  Its infectious and we chat for a minute.  She explains later that he just turned 88 recently, and that was his daughter.  She confesses that she is enamored by the guy.  More details about him.  I say I wish I’ll be so healthy and surrounded by loving people, too.

I walk out of the store a bit lighter despite the 8.6 pounds of milk.

Are we at the eye of the storm?  This economic downturn seems to have lost some of its shock value.  That is if you aren’t one of the millions who got laid off.  There in that storyline you definitely feel the pain. But for the other roughly 90% who are still employed, this seems like the clouds are parting, the warmth of the sun is upon us, and things might just be looking up for  a change.

My guess is that this is a false recovery (in the markets at least), the banks aren’t really lending, although if you feel like you just found a bargain in a new home, all the more power to ya.  The housing numbers were “not as bad as expected”.

I think that homes will be more affordable next year.   Layoffs are likely going to continue, and its a supply VS demand game there.  Fewer employed means less demand for home purchases.   Lower home prices and money will find its way into other venues.  Like the stock market.

So throwing a wild guess out there, the DOW will be flirting with 10,000 sometime in 2010 just as you discover that that phenomenally lowball bid you made on that nice home you found, gets accepted.

Sometimes we just get busy going through the motions and suddenly find ourselves transported ahead in time quickly.  Maybe its the 90 degree weather that’s hit NYC, or those crazy planes buzzing downtown, or that swine flu that wakes me up today.  I noted this weekend that the official start of Summer and beach going is only 5 weeks away.  That’s 35 days, and if anything I sure don’t feel like I’m beach fit quite yet- but I do enjoy a challenge.

Its time to lose that winter flab!  Jotting down my workout regimen now.  See you at the beach in a few.  If I devise some great workout in the process, I’ll share it here later on.