purple room vents: PAIN IN THE ASS COMPUTER UPDATE

If I never had to update anything on my computer, I would be so happy. I updated my os on this thing back in June. Yosemite I think. And ever since then at least once a day the whole thing freezes. I then have to turn off the laptop and then back on. So frigging annoying. (shovel list).

The eating has been going fairly well. I haven't weighed in a while but have been eating lots of good stuff. We did go out for Chinese food the other day, spur of the moment. It was super good. We avoided some of the obvious sweet dishes but you can't avoid the rice and the fat. My fave dish was a hot pot...eggplant and shredded pork. So damned good!

Eggplant always reminds me of Cookie's youngest, Kevin. In Bamfield one time I made eggplant...the way our Filipino nanny Luz used to. Wok, onions, garlic, eggplant, sesame oil. Delicious! Poor Kevin. He was a 'tween at the time I think or a bit older. Cookie asked him to try at least one piece...he was NOT happy about this eggplant! So he reluctantly popped one in his mouth and proceeded to gag and gag! The poor guy! I think it was kind of like eating a slug to him!

On Friday my friend Anne came over. From here we hopped into my jeep and made a stop at Safeway for picnicking stuff. We then drove way out past Westsyde, past Whispering Pines. We parked in a grassy field beside an old old building and started our picnic. It was so beautiful and fun.

But, of course, just as we start tailgating it, along comes a big shiny pick up, and turns onto the dirt track that cuts through this field down to the river. Wouldn't you know it? A million places out in the wilderness to go and they have to come along right behind us.

It was two women and a little kid. In the back of the open pick up, chained to something, were the two biggest ugliest slobbering snapping and barking growling pit bulls. Honestly? How a dog like those ugly slit eyed nasty beasts can be appealing to anybody is beyond my comprehension. There is no doubt in my mind if they broke those chains, Anne and I would be dog food.

When the lady driving found out that we were just picnicking, she said she was taking the dogs for a run and then asked "You don't have a little dog with you do you?" I asked her why. And basically she told me that those two dogs can spot a small dog five miles away and would eat it in a New York second. Lovely. Why? Why would you want something like that in your life? And they were UGLY!!! Especially when you can have a big goofy friendly happy lab! Or if you really are a scaredy cat and need a protector, then get a german shepherd. They guard you sensibly but they don't drool and eat little kids.

Yesterday I checked out two more furniture stores for dining room stuff. No go. But Kathy dropped by and had the most fantastic idea. If we push the wall out in the dining room, or make a large arch, and add a solarium, the room would be so much more open and longer. It would make that room big enough to hold my old dining room table...where I can sit 21 if its pulled out to the max!!! I love the idea! I just now need to get an estimate and see just how much it will cost. It will certainly be an asset for resale..open up the sight lines a little. Exciting idea!

Today is Sunday. There is so much smoke outside I can't see downtown or the mountains. It must have moved in early early this morning. I was awake at 1:30 and the northern lights were spectacular! This time they were very green, a lot like my morning eyes are! And they were spiking and swirling. Its always exciting to see them.

Tonight Kathy and I are going to an outdoor theatre near Armstrong. We went a few years ago, taking Mom and all the kids, stopping along the way for dinner. The play that time was MacBeth. (is there an 'a' in there?) And my advice to you is if you have to see MacBeth, this is the way to see it. When the horses were ridden down through the trees on the hill right beside us, carrying lanterns, it was so exciting! I am not sure what the play is tonight. So I am totally looking forward to this again!

Last thing...its time to do a 100 project, something once a day for 100 days. Last time I wrote really bad poetry for 100 days. But the poetry wasn't the point...it was doing something 100 times that it was all about. This, for some stupid reason, just really appeals to me. Its a discipline I can embrace!!! And as you know by now if you read this regularily (or even once or twice) I am NOT into disciplines...of any sort. Especially those 'do something that scares you' or 'think outside your box'! No. I am quite content and happy as I am thank you very much. I feel no obligation to challenge myself whatsoever!

So I read a ton of hundred day ideas. There is a website that shows many many people's past projects. A lot of them involve writing like I did, photography, crafts etc... So after much thought I decided to combine two fave activities of mine.

One..a picture a day. Two...an item in my storage room to throw out. Now that might sound easy, and the picture part is. But I am getting down to the 'I love this' nitty gritty stuff down there. But I still have waaaay too much stuff. And frankly, no one would ever want that crap. So unless its something I know someone would really like (like the Indian art of Bill's) its being tossed. And first I will take a picture. And on Dec. 2 2015 (my gramma's birthday...she would be like 115 or something) I shall have thrown out 100 things and recorded every one of them!!!! I will put the picture here. Every day! Sometimes I will do two or three at once, posting only one thing. That way I will have a few extra to use when I am not home.

Now off to pick the first item and take a pic! I won't post this til I put the pic on. Plus a couple more pics I took. TTYL