A few Measly Steps a Day #2

Hello and merry/happy holidays to all as well.

My daily steps are geared to a major trip to Edinburgh Scotland for the Fringe Festival and to tak a look at Findhorn. Findhorn was once a station on the New Age circuit. It's a shell of its former glory, but I figure since we're be roughly in the area we should take a looksee. All this in August, just using our time now to get a jump start.

Good thing, too, we have lodging for all nights booked except for the last night. We'll need somewhere near the airport and a cab in the wee hours.

One of the fun things now is stray reading about Walter Scott, Robert Browning and Robert Louis Stevenson.

I've heard of FIndhorn, actually, from a compilation of notes by "Scottish esotericist Robert Ogilvie Crombie (known as ROC)" He wrote of encounters and interactions with otherworldly beings at Findhorn. I'd say it's definitely worth "a looksee" What do you know of it; how did you learn of it?

Happy holidays.

I lost this site again. I forgot the name, and it took a bit of doing, but, hey, here I am. My projects grew from nine to twelve, but I did finish five of them. (Some were pretty quick.) The fidget blankets were hard because I don't know how to work my sewing machine. Fun project - two wall hangings - one with gold embellishments, one with silver. I'm not sure what you'd call it. Sort of a multi-media mosaic.

I'm going to look up Findhorn now. Sounds intriguing. In case I didn't already post this - my next book is about a right-wing, fundamentalist Christian and a free-spirited hippie who conceive a crack baby. I'm in a good writing place right now - enjoying the process. In other news (about me) I got my final teeth implant, $$$$ It's better than nothing, but not as good as dentures. I left a one-star review on Yelp.

Good things to you all.

Hey steppers. I worked at the NY Open Center for a few years. It's a station on the New Age/human potential circuit which includes Findhorn, Omega Institute, and the famous Esalen Institute at Big Sur. By circuit I mean, the best-selling authors made regular visits at all of these places. Findhorn, being in our 'league' was a place often mentioned and people who had taught, lived, or visited there were on our program a lot.

In 1993 the Fellowship for Intentional Communities "organized a six-day, national conference called the 'Celebration of Community' at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, attended by about 800 people. The Celebration offered panel discussions, 160 workshops, and nine plenary presenters: Caroline Estes, Kirkpatrick Sale, Dorothy Maclean, Debra Lynn Dadd-Redalia, Corine McLaughlin, Gordon Davidson, Dr. Noel Brown, Patch Adams MD, and Catherine Burton." Wikipedia

I volunteered at that conference. Dorothy Maclean was one of the founding group at Findhorn and had an international reputation for communicating with plant divas that energetically supported the health and growth of each crop. By tuning into and listening to these divas, Findhorn grew outsized vegetables that the press ate up. I had the honor of driving Maclean to the conference. She was quite accessible though I don't remember the conversation. She might not have added much to what I'd read or heard about. Plus, I had to keep my eyes on the road.

Wow, that must've been a thrill to be in such close contact with Dorothy Maclean!

Hmmm, something in your last paragraph makes me wonder if the movie "Wickerman" partly was inspired by Findhorn, which, as you wrote, "grew outsized vegetables that the press ate up."

Although dark and twisted, the movie was about a pagan group who live on an isolated island (off of Wales?) and conducted ceremonies to sustain their crops, which normally grow in warmer & sunnier climates. When I write "dark and twisted," I mean that my wife and I selected the movie for Halloween.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquarePegGuy Wow, that must've been a thrill to be in such close contact with Dorothy Maclean!

Yeah, it was. Had interesting experiences with other luminaries of the trade, too.

Wicker Man was shot in Scotland! Also, the Burning Man festival might trace back to it, though according to Wikipedia, no less than Julius Caesar commented on a human effigy being burned with sacrifice people inside.

Had fun reading about the various versions of the film made by the director, cut back by studio insistence, lost minutes, found middle cut version (at Harvard), original full version retained by Roger Corman, etc.

May search it out to catch scene of Scotland.

My life is boring in comparison, R. Today I staying inside and goofed off. I don't recommend it. I did get some writing done, and I'm working on a collage of nostalgia. and, of course I played more solitaire than is good for my brain.

RE: Wickerman, we watched the original. And I apologize for confusing Wales for Scotland and hope I haven't offended anyone! I've heard this triggers the inhabitants. There are palm trees in the landscape. I've assumed those were edited in. Were they?

We've had almost no precipitation here. We could have wildfires if we're not careful. Also, our water pump is cycling oddly, so I'm starting to wonder if the aquifer is dropping too low.

Hi,


R, When are you going on this trip to Scotland?


Square Peg, I hope you don't get any fires. Have you had a number of dry years, or is this your first?

Me - still boring. I'm getting more involved in church than I want to be. I got asked to be Sr. Warden. That means leading meetings and doing unpleasant paperwork and asking people to do things. None of these are my strong suit. I'm dong it because we're an aging congregation, and there aren't a lot of other people who can do it, but I feel like I'm the bottom of the barrel. On the other hand, I was thinking about what my life would be like without church, and the answer is pretty bleak. Besides the spiritual aspects, most of my social life revolves around our church group. R, I want to go to Scotland. Your trip sounds exciting.

Good wishes to you guys.


Me - still boring.

@delightful, we've had drought conditions before, but this is the longest and the first that involved so much wind! But we're finally getting a nice blanketing of snow, so I guess the fire danger is low.

I tend to avoid volunteering for non-profit organizations for that very reason. They keep asking for more and it's so hard to extricate oneself from them.

I sang in the church choir for 10 years, two years longer than desired. At the end of the eighth year, I had planned to announce my "retirement," except that the choir director announced her retirement! The interim replacement was one of us guys -- a full time computer programmer. He had a good understanding of music, but he didn't have the time to do more than bridge the gap. As one of the strongest male voices (strongest in the sense that I can sight-sing) I felt I had to stay on while the church found another director. That took two years. So when the new season started and she took over, I just never showed up -- I was so done with it. I didn't even speak to anyone about it. There were a few others that did this, too. I never understood it until that moment.

It was fortunate that I didn't depend on that church for spiritual fulfillment -- fortunate, but sad, I guess. And now I'm involved wth a Buddhist group....

Hey steppers. D, we're going to Scotland from August 1 to 23—Edinburgh for the Fringe for 2 weeks, then about a week @ Findhorn, then back to the drudgery called my regular life. I'm collecting names of performers and shows from Seattle who may be going. Have 3 so far and it's just January & and I'm only getting started.

SPG, the palm tree might be added. They film is supposed to be in the spring but they shot it in the fall. They glued leaves to the apple trees! So anything is possible as its make believe.

Re volunteering. I used to be a volunteer coordinator. Learned more about leadership at that job than all the books, courses, and workshops could teach. How do you lead people who can walk away at any moment? Carefully, like cooking a small fish (from the Tao Teh Ching).

I wrote agreements which the volunteer and I would read over, propose changes, and when all was acceptable, we would both sign it. There were a few people I scorched when we were severely under staffed, and one or two who failed to hold up their side of the deal, but generally it worked out great. An agreement can be drafted by anyone.

So, D., I suggest you outline what exactly what you will do and will not do. And for how long (a year? 6 months?) I'd also condition it on their finding a partner and the pair of you take on the work together and figure out who will do what month to month.

As the vol coord. as much as I could I assigned tasks to at least 2 people. Partly this was because some volunteers want to meet new people and maybe form friendships. Or sometimes a relationship more on the romantic spectrum. Organizationally, it was a backstop because if one needed to cancel their shift there was the possibility that their buddy could fill in for them (and save me the horrendous job of getting someone at the last minute).

About my interesting life—it's all show. Long ago, a couple of my female college friends were discussing me and thinking I had it all together. Then they mused on just where I had this togetherness. They had to laugh: nowhere!

Still applies.

Thanks for sharing your volunteering experiences. I do have someone helping me, and I'll be automatically done with the position in a year and a month.

Tomorrow is our annual meeting at the church. I'm the moderator. Everyone else will help. Hopefully everything will go smoothly.

I'm writing a lot.

And I'm propagating roses.


As I said - my life is boring. But boring is better than terrifying.

Happy stepping.

Watching myself sniffle I've given myself the rest of the day off to rest and recover. Spent too long on Friday idly walking about in the cold and rain.

Just finished skipping about Andre Agassi's "Open." There's one quote I wanted to find the page # for because I've been using it for myself. Found it. Page 7.

Interesting man, complex, hated tennis but lied to the press and public and said he loved it. Had to shed his father's motives for winning and find his own, tumbling from the top ranks to 141 and battling back to the top. Won my heart by founding a charter school for poor kids in Los Vegas, his home town. Here's the quote:

The finish line at the end of a career is no different from the finish line at the end of a match. The objective is to get within reach of that finish line, because then it gives off a magnetic force. When you’re close, you can feel that force pulling you, and you can use that force to get across. But just before you come within range, or just after, you feel another force, equally strong, pushing you away. It’s inexplicable, mystical, these twin forces, these contradictory energies, but they both exist. I know, because I’ve spent so much of my life seeking the one, fighting the other, and sometimes I’ve been stuck, suspended, bounced like a tennis ball between the two. ~ Andre Agassi

Interesting quote. And I'm amazed that Agassi was able to play that well while hating tennis.

Me - Well, I can identify with that force pushing me away from my goal, but the other one???
Did I complain about my dentist and my teeth yet? The implants are worse than dentures, but not as bad as nothing at all. They are wider than the original teeth, so I bite the side of my cheek a few times a day. It's not usually a problem because I don't bite down very hard, knowing that I might bite into me. But if i'm with a friend, I'm not always paying close attention to my chewing habits. They aren't comfortable, and they are hard to keep clean. there's a spot under the appliance that I can't reach with a water pick. It's behind the place in the roof of my mouth that never healed properly. They are supposed to be permanent, but I don't see how they can be. The pressure of the appliance is suipposed to keep me from experiencing more bone loss, but the appliance doesn't actually touch what's under it. Also, it will only last if I keep it clean, but I know there's a spot I can't reach. I did call the company that makes the appliance and asked if my dentist actually used their plate or if she got it from somewhere else. And I gave her a one-star review.; Please forgive the foul mood. I'll be more pleasant next time.

Dentures are considered the cheaper and inferior alternative to implants. Are these your "final" teeth or just a temporary "flipper" that fills the space while the real teeth are custom made? My wife still has the flipper, which is just as uncomfortable as you describe, so she had it modified a bit.

I have a flipper I'm resigned to. And an implant. Crowns. Yeah.

Number 1 because its our mouths and we need to not only eat, but enjoy eating, comfort is a top goal. D, might be time to search out a better dentist.

I have none of the above (no flipper, implant or Crowns).

Early last year I asked the dental hygienist if there were any toothpastes that aren't minty. The idea is that I don't want to use something close to bedtime that's invigorating.

(I was already aware of children's toothpaste, available in Bubblegum or Strawberry.)

"Maria" recommended Boka (coconut & ginger). It's a totally different type of paste that you use very little of and you don't rinse out. The "Nano-hydroxyapatite" works overnight to strengthen enamel. "Boka's nano-hydroxyapatite (n-Ha) toothpaste helps remineralize teeth, supports enamel health, and freshens breath, all without fluoride, sulfates, parabens, or artificial flavors."

I had a couple of sensitive teeth that hurt a little when I brushed. But after about a week with the Boka, the pain was gone.

I have this type of 'paste,' too. It's in tablets that I cut in quarters. Didn't know to leave in overnight. I'll adjust my routine accordingly, and report back.

Today went reasonably well. Slogging on with "chores" for the condo no one else but me carry. One is with TK Elevators and a couple of missed service calls. Got through to their national customer service director today. A day after I'd filed a complaint with the Attorney General's office. We'll see how matters unfold.

Then got hold of the landscaping company we used and picked over their contract. It shot up to $8900 from $7600 last year. Had him explain every increase. Then I said we budget for about double the inflation rate from "construction" services, for some reason this is the national experience, but this increase was well above that. Blah blah about their suppliers charging more. Then he offered, " maybe we can adjust the frequency." I was ready for that and quickly agreed. We talked about the year month by month. The new agreement is $3700 less than their first contract.

I declared that a win & called it a day.

Definite win, Revue,

Since you both mentioned teeth - she's a terrible dentist. She tells me everything is fine, when it isn't so I don't believe a word she says. Square Peg, I hope your wife has a better dentist than I do.
Did I tell you that when she put the temporary in, she caught a piece of my lip in the flipper? I tried to tell her that, but she didn't believe me. I managed to pull most of it out before I left her office, and the next day, she got the last piece out. She said we needed better communication. She got that right.
She pulled teeth, and sewed sutures where she had cut. She left a piece of thread about two inches long on one of the sutures. A few days later, I thought I had a hair in my mouth, and pulled on it. Ouch. The roof of my mouth had just been cut and was very sensitive. That area of my mouth is still sore, five months later.
She didn't give me anything to strengthen bones and prevent further bone loss. I'll look for the toothpaste you suggested, Square Peg.
She replaced all the teeth on the top of my mouth, and yes, what I have now is permanent, not temporary. It's a little more comfortable than the temporary, but not much.
On the flip side, the temporary was not centered in my mouth, but off to one side. Kinda funny, actually. The permanent is centered, but it's wider than my original teeth, so I bite my cheek a few times a day. It's not as bad as it sounds, because I expect it, and don't chew very hard. I know that keeping these teeth is contingent on me keeping them clean, but they're hard to clean, and there's a spot I can't reach with the water pick. There were supposed to be five ports to help me keep everything clean, but these permanent teeth don't have them. ???
The chewing surfaces don't line up well, so my molars bite instead of chew.

Before the surgery, I had two loose teeth, one cracked tooth, and five teeth that were fine as far as I was concerned. My second opinion dentist didn't see a problem with them, but she said they were infected.

When she was checking my mouth after the surgery, she said into her tape recorder unfortunately, my teeth weren't going to last. (covering her backside?)
Before all this, I had dentures that worked okay. They attached to the three bad teeth. One day I wrapped them in a paper towel, and accidentally threw them away (the dentures, not the teeth). I would have opted for dentures, but my other two dentists didn't want to make a set like the last one. They wanted to pull the three bad teeth. And I figured the others were going to get pulled eventually, so I may as well get it all over with at once.


On the way cheerier side, I'm propagating mini roses. So far it looks like it's going to work. I have five that rooted and are sending out leaves. I started them in September. I'm doing about thirty more which are either going to get sold at a plant sale if we have one, or given away on mother's day at our church. Very fun.

Writing is fun. I was going great guns, and have slowed a little, but I'm still in the zone or close to it.

I've also got other projects going, which are making me so happy, but my house is a mess.

With that note, I'll get dressed, take my vitamins, and do a couple of chores before getting back to fun things.


Good wishes.

Aye, this weekend I'm making the 'step' of leaving the flip phone life and shifting to using my new Apple mini ipad as my phone. This is from a SIM to an eSIM.

The main motive is that we're traveling much more than the 2017 to 2024 period and need the mapping/GPS tools. Because the culture doesn't print paper folding maps. Because there are no pay phones. Because corporate makes it soo very easy. Just pay a small monthly fee.

Why wait this long? Here's a scatter of reasons. A flip phone is small and costs around $80, used. The simplest plan for 100 minutes with unlimited text runs $7.60 for 30 days and I can keep my remaining minutes if I re-up before the automatic renewal. And lastly, because I have no data with it, I am never tempted to use it to look away from my surroundings and surf the web.

I'm cautious and taking my time with the process. Especially curious to learn how I can import my contacts.

Nice outcome from the negotiation with the landscaping company, @Revu2!

I'm sorry you had so much poor service from your dentist, @delightful.

I was fortunate with the replacement of the two fillings in one molar. The dentist warned me that I might need a crown. But she just drilled it out and filled it with composite. We skipped the novacaine, too, so I was in and out in under minutes, including payment of the estimated copayment. It aches a bit when I drink cold water, and I'm trying to be gentle with it because it's one filling is "in a bifurcation."

We'll be getting icing conditions tonight (talking weather now), so I'm a bit on edge, since we have no generator and rely on electricity for water and heat.

Thanks for the high fives for the negotiated win with one of our vendors.

SPG, vibes that the weather stays within safe borders for you.

My Day of Transition

HaHa! What's needed to get something done. I had set aside 3 hours for this transfer of my phone to my ipad so I could get data. Started about 8.30. It was about 5.30 when I finished. 3 times as long. Well, with breaks, a meal, a few chores, and posting reviews on Letterboxd pushed in between.

Turns out, Tim Cook and Apple don't think anyone will use only an ipad as a phone. They think it should be tethered to an iphone. So the phone app isn't even loaded or allowed. Supposedly because there's no phone speaker. There's no such thing ... ipads have speakers, thus there's a phone speaker. I tested it with my VOIP account on google and it worked fine.

So, after my dashed hopes for leaving the flip phone world, I called the company (tello) and asked them to re-activate it. This took 2 hours. Since I'd added 1 GB of data (which I normally live without) I kept it as an experiment.

After that was all clear and confirmed, I opened a new line using eSIM on the mini 7 with data and no calls. That seems to have all checked out. Tomorrow I'll test it when I'm out and about.

The upside is I can keep my flip for my mobile & navigate with Garmin Glo 2 GPS tech in areas away from wifi using the mini 7. The downside is I'll be paying for 2 lines a month, or a total of around $15.

Also in the run-up this week I copied and re-copied my contacts in my effort to get them export ready. What I actually did was duplicate a few several times. Now that I'll keep the flip, when I need to distract myself I'll delete the extras.

Sigh.

This was supposed to say,Gosh