FICKLE FALL -- CONFLICTS -- MODIFICATIONS

Fall keeps flirting with Summer as our temperatures alternate between being in the 90s and then dropping 10 to 20 degrees for a day or so.  When will our SoCal seasonal weather stabilize here in the foothills?

^ ^ ^ Life events are erratic for me, too.  On a positive note, I've finally been consistently sleeping each night, so my efforts to realign my metabolic mechanism without resorting to medication or other aids is becoming effective to date.  I'm getting deep sleep, even remembering some dreams, despite at least one interrupting tour each night to survey the bathroom.  

^ ^ ^ On a less positive note, the mechanism on my car's moon roof has become inoperative with diagnostics unduly expensive, plus with the potential of uncertain part(s) needing repair also is not cost effective -- if a motor is needed, they aren't even made any more. 

I don't want a different car presently as this one, intended to last the rest of my life, has plenty of good mileage left and the rest of the car is in very good condition.   Plus, the timing is poor for purchasing another vehicle right now.   Consequently, I have had the slightly opened vent position sealed as-is on my vehicle to prevent any rain's infiltration as we, hopefully, but doubtfully given our drought, enter our rainy season.  Am I being too optimistic?  

^ ^ ^ What really irritates me is another issue -- when credit is due customers, all too often the amount is not automatically given.  After two months of receiving no credit for the week I was without internet service, partly due to my provider's comedy of errors which I described previously HERE, I had to contact the company to request they provide me the credit which was long overdue.   They offered no apology for not having already given me this credit.  I should be able to impose a late charge.   

^ ^ ^ An annual medical appointment I anticipated keeping was rescheduled but not until next year in January.   I guess the doctor figures I won't die between now and then, at least that's how I'll look at it.

^ ^ ^ The final recent aggravation occurred when I contacted a special designated L. A. County phone number that scheduled an appointment at a drive-thru site as I requested to receive my Pfizer booster injection to prevent the Covid infection.  Later, I decided to phone that site directly just to be sure that, in fact, the site was giving drive-thru booster shots.  They were not, only walk-ins.  I can get a walk-in injection at any number of much closer sites.

A pharmacy may have a drive-thru business for prescriptions and other purchases but that does not automatically mean they provide injections as I needed.  I would have expected our County special services number personnel to have realized this, but apparently not, so I'm glad I double-checked.  I'll wait a while longer to see if a drive-thru site(s) is eventually scheduled in my area since I don't feel rushed to get that booster injection.  

I mask when out encountering others, which is infrequently, anyway.  I did forget to put my mask on when JAZZ musicians conversed with me at a distance outside my car where I sat for their patio concert as I've previously described.  We had all been vaccinated.  

^ ^ ^ Oops! The assaults are not over .....  a letter just received today, as I write this, informs me an insurance policy we've had for years through my husband's employer is now terminated.  The Insurance Company could not be rehabilitated so all Cancer Reimbursement Plan Policy/Certificates that company has underwritten are cancelled.  

This policy was to cover some costs ordinary health insurance didn't.  Fortunately, we never needed this insurance.   Now, I hope I never will regret no longer having the coverage.   Apparently, we should remember that in life there are no guarantees all insurance policies will remain in effect, or that we won't need the coverage they offer at some future time for that matter.  (I'll contact my husband's employer from whom he retired to see if they will be offering a replacement policy at reasonable cost.)   

Well, I hope the coming week proves to be go a little more smoothly.  Keep smilin' and laughin' is my motto.

* * *

Aging has had me making adjustments in my home to be more compatible with how my physical activities have changed as I've become older.  Those of us choosing to live in place sometimes find it necessary to  modify our homes in numerous ways.  Some modifications can become necessary to make living not only safer but more comfortable.

Numerous web sites provide lists of recommendations and other suggestions to aid our determining what changes or additions we may need or want to make where we live.  One such site is Assisted Living.org.  For example, one of the most appreciated changes for me has been replacing the commodes in my bathrooms to taller ones.  

One unresolved problem I've encountered is changing light bulbs in ceiling lights.  In the dining area adjacent to my kitchen is a pull-down light over my table which is perfect, allowing me to easily change burned-out light bulbs.  Why not have pull-down lights for those in the ceiling in other rooms?

There are numerous pull-down lights I found in my web search but most are much too fancy as is their price, and that of even the few more appropriately plain ones given they're all considered vintage.  There were no pull-down lights revealed that I find acceptably appropriate for bedrooms which is what I need.

I did find a rather plain, simple light, with a frosted glass square having curled corners similar to what I have, that softens or mutes the two bare light bulbs above.  This light fixture would be ideal if only it was pull-down.  I've inquired of one light distributor whether or not such a light pull-down adaptation could be made by the manufacturer.

I would think there might be a market for such a pull-down light to others besides me.  This pull-down light could be what older people living in place need in order to change light bulbs safely --  no standing shakily on the bed if you're tall enough as I anxiously watched my husband once do,  or climbing on ladders,  having to ask a friend, or hiring a handyman when bulbs burn out, especially important for those who live alone.  Granted we have longer-lasting light bulbs now but they, too, ultimately burn out and need to be replaced.

Could numerous others use pull-down ceiling lights?

Do you ever encounter challenges having to pursue getting credit to which you're entitled? 

What modifications have you found to be beneficial or some you need to make to be safe and comfortable where you live?   

KALILILY TIME -- AGEISM -- BLESSED RAIN -- EXIT 9

"Kalilily Time" by Elaine -- a writer/blogger/poet of interest who has been in the blogosphere since blogging's beginnings -- read the "Who" and "Why" by clicking on her blog above.   Like many of us life has resulted in her needing to take a hiatus from time to time and I've missed her when that has occurred, so let's welcome Elaine back!  

Elaine's poetry has appeared in numerous publications.   She also wrote some very interesting blog posts which she has resumed doing in the past few days.  An excerpt from one of her recent blog posts says: 

"...I've been trying to track down other bloggers around my age to see if we can develop into a virtual community of kindred spirits.   That's what I had back in the 2000s, and I miss the virtual camaraderie."

I think you may want to pay her a visit to welcome her back by clicking on her blog above at her web URL:  http://www.kalilily.net/

* * *

I've had a rude awakening, or in the vernacular of today, I'm woke.  I discovered I may actually be ageist when I wrote to my adult children a description of my experience when I recently attended an afternoon outdoor jazz concert.  I referred to some other people there with descriptive words well beyond saying they were old, which, of course, I am, too, so I'll omit any of that ageist language which might be seen as offensive.  

The concert afternoon stayed hot in the mid to low 90s as I sat in my car in the parking lot right next to the concert area patio of the Japanese restaurant, with all of my car windows down.  I turned the A/C on briefly only once since I didn't want to run down my battery during those hours and my gas was rather low.  

I digress ..... but I haven't filled my gas tank, expecting rates will go down from the $4.40+ per gallon.  Now I learn that's not likely to happen any time soon and the price could go up -- to $5 or more!  Clearly, I better fill up my car's gas tank soon.

No doubt you've heard we've had a big oil leak off our Pacific Coast originating in the Long Beach area, with the oil slick moving southward, possibly to San Diego, adversely affecting the environment -- ocean life creatures including sea lions and otters, dolphins, fish, birds covered in oil though only a few needing rescuing so far, wetlands damage, pollution of numerous beaches.

Early aid to mitigate some of the potential problems has helped the total damage be less to date than had been expected.  The cause is presently thought to be a ship's 's anchor dragging and ripping open the oil pipeline, possibly occurring as long ago as a year earlier, but the definite cause is yet to be determined.  I expect the oil companies might cite that as another excuse for our high gas prices.  When will offshore oil drilling everywhere permanently cease?

Back to the concert ..... I enjoyed the young Exit 9 trio (note: current YouTube musical group videos with this name are not this group) who played classic mellow jazz standards including a favorite of mine, "On Green Dolphin Street", plus a few pop songs through the decades, other newer tunes, also easy listening compositions some call smooth jazz.The Exit 9 trio consisted of a keyboard, guitar and drums.  A duo of guitars played one short segment.  I hope this group is invited to return each month as I told them.   The next week's performing group, ZZAJ, is a longtime favorite of mine about which I've written HERE before.

Here are two different versions of "On Green Dolphin Street",  one with noted Pianist Peter Nero with orchestra, the other with the Latin beat of talented musician Sergio Mendes.

Peter Nero -- The Unforgettable  -- Sheet Music & mp3 - Okmusix 

Sergio Mendes -- Moderno - Milestones Records 

Continuing the now-edited-to-remove-ageist-attitude-wordings report of my experience ..... I had a pretty good view of the Exit 9 jazz trio, could hear the music fine, but sometimes people on the patio moving to seek shade, as the sun crossed the sky, would block part of my view.  There was only a low wall and greenery between them and me, but, irritatingly to me, some seated at the back of the patio closest to my car parked headed-in next to them in the parking lot, paid no consideration at all to my presence behind them they had to have seen.  They were inconsiderate, unlike those sitting on the patio in front of them were for them, so they could see.  

I wrote disparaging descriptions later to my children of the old man, and an old woman there who chatted with him as the concert wore on.  My negative attitude toward them was obviously colored by the fact they kept interfering with my view.  I didn't want to toot my car's horn, but I sure felt like doing so several times.

In my message to my kids, I groused about the guy's appearance and ponytail, was rather snide about her appearance in a backless, very very short sundress that I'm more accustomed to seeing on a much younger woman.  Actually, she was very smart, definitely, including her big red hat, and wisely dressed for the extremely hot afternoon of well over 90 degree temperatures.  Comfort and safety from heat stroke is the name of the game.  They were both quite respectable representatives of their 60s generation.

People mostly sat some distance apart with less casual interaction than pre-pandemic days.  Nobody wore a mask, but I had one at the ready in my car, especially since the decrease in Covid infections had instead gone up in both the public and our schools -- attributed to the unvaccinated, of course!

There's usually a pretty friendly group at these free jazz concerts -- a few folks came together, but a number of both sexes came and left alone.  Strangers talked with one another between tunes and during breaks.  I do recall one individual years ago who was married, apparently lived on my street, though I had never known of him or his family.  Some in the musical group seemed to know him, or maybe he had just been showing up for their concerts before I started attending after my husband died.  

The man was a big talker everybody could hear with his comments between sets directed toward varying musicians, sometimes naming an instrument he said he played.  At one point, he spoke disparagingly of marriage with broad statements, then intimating he would welcome meeting someone he could rendezvous with in a nearby town.  

Later that afternoon after that statement he called me over, then started talking quite confidentially, but didn't make much sense.  He finally gave me a weak excuse for this talk in his one-sided conversation of having a toe problem that didn't sound like much of one to me but suggesting I might want to examine him.  I don't know what he had in mind since he wasn't removing his shoe and sock to show me, though I wouldn't have looked anyway.  Did he really want medial advice from me -- there, in front of others?

I nicely explained to him his toe was quite out of my area of expertise since, I stressed to him, I was a Speech-Language Pathologist -- we weren't exactly trained in toe rehabilitation.  I walked away and we never talked again.   I shared that conversation, laughing it all away, with the vocalist with whom I had become friends.  He never showed up at the concerts again, at least when I was there.  I think he and his family eventually may have moved away to that town he mentioned.

* * *

I'm in disbelief -- we actually received about one-tenth of an inch of rain here in my SoCal foothills!  Furthermore, we may get a dribble or drop more later.  This will hardly matter much to alleviate our drought, but "every little bit helps", as the saying goes.  Mammoth Mountain even had snow -- a ski area, driving time approximately 5 hours from Los Angeles, 3 hours south of Reno, Nevada.  Our temperatures have dropped considerably and finally begin to feel like fall.

Are the seasons noticeably changing where you live?  Do you listen to your favorite music to influence your mood for weathering the vagaries of life, including pandemic confinement or isolation, to distract from or escape pain, or perhaps loneliness due to other reasons?