Thursday, March 26, 2026

     53 degrees in my bedroom this morning. I put on my green puffer jacket and warm sweat pants to eat my breakfast. Weather report says it will be a warm day today. Hummmm., maybe.

      My state and federal income taxes are done and the envelops are stamped, ready for the post office. Of course, I expect some comments from the IRS agents as usual, or maybe from their AI agent. They would like me to be modern and use a computer. I just want to pay my taxes on time. They are more complicated and sophisticated, and I have just become older and set in my ways. But I do pay my taxes every year. They don’t scare me anymore.

     This morning is my cancer surveillance appointment with the urologist. All week I have alternated from feeling dread and hopeless, and it’s all going to be fine. No way to predict what he will find in my bladder with his tiny video camera.

     Last night we watch the latest season of the Australian show DEADLOCH.  It is funny, weird and difficult to understand with their Australian accents.  And they speak so fast. The sub titles help.  Really good show. I am almost finished reading ANTIDOTE.  I will miss these characters when I am done.

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 

        I did it Tuesday morning. Yep I drive to the library, park close to the front door.  Drag in the heavy bag with 4 books to return, conquer the curb with my cane and a pole sticking up from the sidewalk. Inside I use the library’s walker, picking up the California tax forms and the twelve books waiting for me.

     At the check out desk, I shuffle through the pile to find six books to keep. I use the walker to take the new books back to the car. And then I return the walker. I am so tired I can hardly move. My roommate says she will bring in the bag of new books into the house. I miss my wonderful recovering personal librarian.

     We begin to hear the sounds of a cooing in the morning. At first, I think it is the owl but no according to the phone app, it is a mourning dove. We hear the owl at night. At 10pm I comforted with the bugle blowing from the army presidio marking the end of the day.

      The music on TEHRAN is thrilling, starling.  We brace ourselves for the opening sounds. We finished the first season and then watch another episode of THE CLOSER.  There are seven endless seasons of THE CLOSER. I am committed to seeing every episode. I continue to read ANTIDOTE, a long complicated imaginative book.

 

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

     I am learning about park benches. You don’t know a comfortable bench until you sit for an hour on an uncomfortable bench. I now know I need a short bench, one where my feet can be secure on the ground. I am going to bring a pillow to sit on.  I love meeting with friends. 

     My bench friend Monday is great. We have a lot to talk about and agreed we would continue to meet next month. At a different park bench.

    My roommate places an order for home delivery at COSTCO. Always big boxes of food and other stuff. Last night we ate a delicious deep dish pizza for dinner. Now we have half the pizza left over and another one in the freezer. Everything comes in giant sizes.

     In the evening, I watch another episode of my favorite TV series, THE CLOSER. Later we watch more of the thriller, TEHRAN.  Monday is not only garbage day but it is also Rachel Maddow night.