Got $tuff --- Day 9/48

Walk: Hood
Distance: Short mile just to get out

So like many of her neighbors near and far, Ciwt has been deeper into her closets and drawers than she thought she ever would be short of moving.  And as her storeroom fills with 'donations,' she wonders if Goodwill or any of the 'usual suspects' will once again be allowed to take them. From there, it isn't much of a leap to "Whatever will Ciwt do with these things?"

The other day, she saw a Yellow Sack on the sidewalk.  Maybe that is the answer; you buy one, put it on the sidewalk, fill it and they pick it up on 24 hour notice.  But ...looks like every pick up is at least $130 and there are tons of work arounds for where you are allowed to place the sacks.  So she'll be holding off and hoping Goodwill will be back in action.  (Also that her near neighbors don't decide to go the sack route because they are quite an eyesore.

But Can She Cook? --- Days 9/46 & 47

Walk: 1. Hood  2. Hood

Distance: 1. 4.5 Miles  2. 3.5 Miles

Ciwt's new user friendly helpers: Steamer, Blender, Grill

Returned: Too scary for Ciwt.  Maybe later.

What's Your Type (Today)? --- Days 9/44 & 45

Walk: 1. Hood 2.No
Distance: 1. 4 miles, Up and Down Stairs x 5, Pedal, Yoga  2. 0 and no exercise.  Taking it easy, see                    how that goes.

Ciwt's Type changes from day to day.  Today she was Type One/No Energy maybe from being Type Three/Cleaning a lot & opening Amazon boxes yesterday.  The good news it she had major lab work recently, and apparently she is totally healthy. Guess she's just spent from constantly figuring out things to do.  

Memorial Day 2020 --- Day 9/43

Walk: Mountain Lake
Distance: 4 miles, yoga

Air Time --- Days 9/41 & 42

Walk:  1. No, Fiddling with/and readying for return new Kitchen gadgets  2. Sloat Garden
Distance: 1. 0, Pedal, small yoga  2. 3.5 miles

Ciwt is feeling a bit up in the air this Memorial Day weekend.  (Maybe too much time in unknown territory: her kitchen).

Today's Hats --- Days 9/39 & 40

Walk:  1. Up and Down Stairs with Amazon Deliveries  2. T. Joe's, Sloat Garden Center
Distance: 1. Yoga    2. 3.5 miles

Ciwt says "Hats Off" to the owners of this 'hat house' for providing Ciwt with something to fill CIWT when her brain has been numbed by Amazon deliveries, kitchen reorganizing, housework.  

U-shaped Shelves --- 9/39

Walk: Presidio and Hood
Distance: 4 miles

                    No                                Yes*

What kitchen novice Ciwt learned on the internet 💋 today:

1. The size pot she needs is the 3 quart, not the 6 quart she ordered. (video)
2. How to operate it when the proper pot arrives. (video)
3. Amazon will arrange home UPS pick ups (for the heavy 6 quart pot). (internet chat)
4. If you have small, shallowish shelves, try arranging your pantry items in a 'U' shape (with                    openness in the center) so you can actual see things in the back. (online blog)
5. You do Not need hundreds of $$ of fancy containers.  (Ciwt figured this out all by herself)

*Neither of these photos are of Ciwt's now U-shaped pantry shelves. Hers are pretty empty, except of course for cat food 😸

Part Two --- Day 9/38

Walk: UPS
Distance: 2 Miles and Lots of Unpacking, Reorganizing, Repacking
                                                                               *

There's the ordering of  new 'essentials' part and then there's the part about finding a place for them in Ciwt's small kitchen...

* Not Ciwt

Going Ape --- Days 9/35, 36 & 37

Walk: 1. Presidio 2. Hood 3. No, lugging boxes upstairs and opening them
Distance: 1. 4 miles 2. 3.4 miles 3. 0 Pedal and Yoga every day

Hello, Ciwt is back!  She's been spending all her time in (the) Amazon.
Ordering those kitchen and cleaning supplies she used to know nothing about.

Life Review --- Day 9/34

Walk: Wells Fargo and Hood
Distance: 2 Miles, Pedal, Yoga

So somewhere in her recent internet travels, Ciwt found and downloaded an article on Life Review, particularly of 'An Old Never-Married Single.'  She just re-encountered it; here are a few points.

* According to it, life review is a 'normal, healthy and essential process (not some pathological preoccupation with memories) which serves as a means for evaluating and giving meaning to life.'

* '.....the main advantage of choosing singlehood is the freedom and ability to have exclusive control over one's life.'

* 'In modern individualistic societies, men and women find greater value in their personal development and advancement, preferring freedom and liberty to shape their lives according to their personal inclinations.'

* 'When people who have lived at peace with their singlehood for many years reach old age, they experience only the physical solitude of living alone - to which they have been accustomed throughout adulthood."

Ciwt would only comment that this being a 'never-married single,' is a long process affected by circumstances, life events and the accumulation of decisions re: same.  And in making their choices to the best of their abilities at the time, they are not thinking things like 'how can I have exclusive control over my life?' although that is is where their decisions might lead.

Housework, Yes! --- Day 9/33

Walk: No, Rain and Housework 💪
Distance: Zip, yoga

Still the Best!

Oh Dear --- Days 9/30, 31, 32

Walk: 1. No, 2 & 3. Hood
Distance: 0, 4 miles, 3.4 miles, yoga, pedal

Whatever is Ciwt to write about?

Along Presidio's Lover's Lane --- Day 9/29

Walk: Presidio
Distance: 3.5 miles, Yoga

detail: Hope

Presidio kids have been busy since Ciwt was walking along Lover's Lane* yesterday.

*The oldest footpath through the Presidio, lore has it that Lovers’ Lane was established in the early 1800's as a shortcut used by Spanish soldiers and missionaries to get from the Main Post to their lovers and families near Mission Dolores, three miles south of the Presidio.

Timeless Upper --- Day 9/28

Walk: No
Distance: 0, Wall Ball, Yoga, Pedal

Here it is again.  Ciwt's favorite street garden and time travel trip to renaissance Italy.  Ever changing, always perfectly beautiful.

The Elusive Routine --- Day 9/27

Walk: Presidio
Distance: 4 miles, Pedal, Small Yoga

So Ciwt's father wasn't much for advice giving.  The only piece of it she can remember - because he said it often - is "just establish a routine and do it."  That rang in Ciwt's young ears much like the old lady rountinely washing her hands above.  In other words, it had zero appeal no matter how many times she was told how marvelous that would be.

But now!  - in lockdown and as old if not older that the purple cat lady - she would love to be able to establish some sort of routine.  It is even her intention but keeps alluding her as she looks at the weather and thinks 'nah, a little later' to the early morning walk 'routine' she had scheduled.  Instead she might open a cabinet and decide on the spot to clean it out and then get to her emails, read a chapter or two of some books, groom her cats, and finally go for that walk.  Things like that, pillar to post.  Her father would not approve....

Monet et Etretat --- Day 9/26

Walk: Hood
Distance: 2.6 miles, yoga

Etretat today

A Few of Claude Monet's many paintings of the cliff at Etretat:

               
In the winter of 1868-1869 Monet's attention was drawn to Etretat in the Caux region of Normandy. He then returned there every year between 1883 and 1886. Like many painters, particularly Gustave Courbet, Monet was captivated by the picturesque qualities of the place, and took inspiration from it for more than fifty of his paintings.
The configuration of "these high cliffs pierced by these strange arches called the Gates" (Maupassant, Adieu, 1884) gives an unusual character to the landscape. The largest of the three openings in the cliffs, the Manneporte, "an enormous vault through which a liner could pass" (Maupassant, Guillemot Rock, 1882), appears in only two of Monet's paintings. 

In 1885, Monet frequently met up with Maupassant who was living in Etretat. The writer chose this place as the setting for several of his short stories. The writer's feelings, expressed throughout his descriptions, are close to those of the painter. Moreover, this view of the cliffs illustrates both the close links between art and literature in the 19th century and Monet's love for the Normandy coast. Elsewhere, Monet's repeated studies of the cliffs herald the "series" which would flow from his brush in the following decade.     

Musee d'Orsay, Paris

Free These Creatures --- Day 9/25

Walk: Hood

Distance: 3.5 miles, small yoga

The following is pathetic filler for what Ciwt made up to think about when she had (momentarily hopefully) run out of ideas for how to structure her shelter day.  

Remember the red hat?  Well it has been replaced by these two.

Next door is this Pegasus itching to fly away

And who knows who this long nosed guy is staring forelornly out his window

Alpine Parrot --- Day 9/24

Walk: Presidio and Hood
Distance: 4 miles

KEA

That You, Myrtle? --- Day 9/23

Walk: Presidio
Distance: 3 miles, Yoga

Anybody know the name of this bright red shrub?  Might be Red Crape Myrtle.  

Whatever its name, it has a way of perking Ciwt up when she spots one here and there on her walks.

Something About Sundays --- Day 9/22

Walk: Hood
Distance: Short, Small Yoga, Small Wall Ball

How Much (And Why) is That Red Hat in the Window? --- Day 9/21

Walk: Hood
Distance: Very short, Yoga

Things we notice when we take shelter walks....

Social Solitude --- Day 9/20

Walk: Presidio
Distance: 4 miles, small yoga

Ciwt is seasoned at spending time alone, but she hasn't realized until this prolonged shelter in place that she's actually a 'social loner.'

For example, on her walk today Ciwt encountered a pickleball acquaintance, and they decided to join up, 6' apart of course.  On other walks, she has had short chats with neighbors, former club members, just people she's seen over the years.

During non-shelter times, these unplanned get togethers with 'street people' are decidely more extensive and longer lasting.  She might meet someone and decide to have lunch together, or she might have an in depth catch up on the local park where she's a board member, or a long discussion with a docent friend when attending a museum art show at a museum - or even the same with herself as she watches a movie at a local theater.  All in all, she usually spends enough spontaneous and stimulating time with people, she is happy to shut her door and spend the rest of the day and evening letting it all sink in.  It is her form of regular people and it works for her.

Sheltering does not. Mostly now we are all paying more attention to the 6' separation from the masked person we need to avoid.  When we do stop to chat, it is short and rather fraught - like maybe we are doing something wrong to even be talking to each other.  The few planned walks with friends are completely unsatisfactory - not the least because what is there to talk about when we are all so understimulated and, perhaps, down?

One by one counties around here are easing their restrictions, and Ciwt looks forward to returning to some form of her 'social solitude.'