Spo-Reflections

What’s top of my mind: Tidying up the house. Patience above! Brother #4 and family are coming to town in early April. They will be the first people to step foot into La Casa de Spo in ages. There is so much to do and prepare it makes my eyes cross. They will want to be in the backyard and probably the pool and hot tub too, which are all in desperate need of a tidy up. It’s going to be some job. On the positive, the house will get a much-needed make over.

Where I’ve been: Fibber Mcgee’s closet. A.K.A. the closet in the Blue Room. This is used to store books, read and unread, and a lot of other things as well. They are piled up vertically, so one dares not remove anything from the base, lest there is an avalanche of books to bury you, which is an ignominious but fitting end for a reader. Every once in awhile I try to take out the books I won’t read again and try to give them away. Alas, Babylon! The local library has grown parsimonious in its donations. They could fill their bins on my discards. Someone sees the books I’ve pulled and he puts some back as ‘someday to read that one’, which never happens. Oh the pain.

Where I’m going: Wicked. Someone ushers and when he does I sometimes tag along and see the show. I’ve seen Wicked on stage once. Alas, it is at that tedious theatre designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Despite the history and aesthetics, there is lousy parking and hardly any toilets, especially for thems who squats. The City of Tempe has long wanted to expand the much-needed facilities and parking but thems in charge of Mr. Wright’s precious things won’t let them. Oh the pain. ‘Wicked’ suffers from being familiar enough I know every song, every note, and I listen like a judge at the Olympics. I shudder to sit among groups of girls (and their parents) who see live theatre as a ‘singalong”.

What I’m watching: The night sky. Tomorrow morning (around 2AM local time) the sun crosses the equator. This looks like a job for Captain Equinox! Orion and his winter friends are sinking in the west and the spring constellations are on the rise, particularly Leo, my old friend, who reigns as king of the night sky at this time of year.

What I’m reading: A red herring without mustard. This is the third book in a murder mystery series about Flavia de Luce an 11yo girl living in post-WWII England, who solves murders via her keen observation and knowledge of chemistry. I am not a big fan of the murder mysteries, but I am enjoying this series. It’s jolly good fun watching a clever girl outwit the doltish adults and her sottish sisters. She’s sort of like Pippi Longstocking with more dead bodies.

Have you read any “Flavia de Luce” murder mysteries?

What I’m listening to: The Woman in White. And speaking of mysteries, The podcast “Storytime for grownups” host Faith is currently reading this book, chapter by chapter. It’s a good read, although it makes me cringe to hear how Victorian England treated women, especially the married ones.

Has anyone read this novel?

What I’m eating: Someone’s food. Someone is dieting and making great strides in his goal to lose weight. Good for him! He isn’t eating much, and being a Midwesterner who detests food waste, I eat what he doesn’t. This needs to stop as the total weight in the house is not going down but merely changing positions. That ain’t good.

Who needs a good slap: Thems in charge of the deficit. Mind! This one is ugly; thems with anxiety may want to breeze over this one…..

I recently heard an expert on federal budgeting. She painted a bleak picture about the national deficit. It seems both political parties have erroneous beliefs about what to do about it. The Trump party which is now just Trump says tax cuts, tariffs, and hacking at government agencies will help. Historically this hasn’t work, and while President Musk does shocking and illegal things, the actual amount ‘saved’ is a drop in the bucket of overall government spending. Meanwhile behind this horror show, government spending goes up, worsening the deficit. The Democrats believe if we taxed the rich more this would help. True, it makes things more fair, but the expert points out even if the rich paid truckloads of taxes this would not really fix the real problem, which is government spending. Apparently to reduce the ever-growing deficit we should raise taxes and make ‘real cuts”, not the hack and sawing spectacles.Alas, Babylon! No politician will do this as it is political suicide. So spending continues and the deficit grows and there is no end in sight except an inevitable crash. It was very depressing to hear this.

On a scale of 1-5, the government give 5 slaps.

Who gets a fist-bump: Coworkers. Thems at work (both the PHX and MESA offices) have are bringing in homemade treats and volunteering buying lunch. These acts of kindness are appreciated and they make for a better at work milieu. Plus, I don’t have to go out as much now in noon time traffic to find food.

What I’m planning: The removal of an organ. That probably raised some eyebrows! I shall explain. Years, if not decades ago, I inherited Grandmothers organ. It hasn’t functioned since it arrived and even if I found someone to repair it I wouldn’t play it. It takes up much-needed space in The Dragon Room. I am finally getting around tp cal someone, anyone, to haul it away no questions asked. Afterwards I plan to arrange the room for better Feng Shai or whatever one calls it. I want this done before Brother #4 et. al. arrives. It will feel good to be rid of the thing.

What’s making me smile: My Shag store “Puff’s place” print. Happy Joy! It arrived at the Mesa office on Monday. The box it comes in is as big as a door. It is going to be difficult getting it home. I may have to rent a Home Depot truck to do so. I hope it didn’t break in the shipping process; I would hate to have to ship it back.

What’s top of my mind: Nothing specific. Funny how this question is the first in line in the meme, but it is often last to deduce. This week there isn’t anything ‘top of my mind’ per se. What is paramount is what’s happening at the moment, whether be work, working out, or addressing the problem de jour. This as a good thing viz. I am living in the present, taking things day by day and one at a time.*

Where I’ve been: Joanns – for the last time. While in Palm Springs I heard Joanns is closing its stores. I didn’t hear the reasons why. Last Saturday I was cutting fabric to make a Spo-shirt when it dawned on me I needed interfacing – and I get it from Joannes. I rushed right over to find the place was having a closing sale. It looked like a horror show. Everything was chaos. People were swarming over the remnants, and most things were picked clean. The threads section was as empty as toilet tissue in 2020. Alas, Babylon! All interfacing was gone but for some heavy stuff that felt like cardboard. I guess I will have to rely on Mr. Bezo (or someone like him) to provide some. Until then, shirt production has come to a halt.

Where I’m going: The storage spots at work. Over the years the offices have accumulated all sorts of items left behind when staff leave for pastures new. The conference room and a few vacant offices are full of furniture, artwork, and oodles of boxes full of knickknacks, cords, computer parts – piled up high as Fafner’s hoard and no prettier. There is no inventory or clarity what’s to become of all these discards and rubbish and it’s all for the taking. I go through them like a packrat. I recently substituted my modest-sized monitor for a big and wide one – there were five to choose from. I got a quieter keyboard for the PHX office and several discarded/left behind mugs were placed back in MESA office kitchen, so I don’t have to bring any from home. So far, I haven’t found any bodies and mercifully there were no booby traps ala ‘Raiders of the lost ark.’

What I’m watching: The tanking of the stock market. I keep wondering if The Felon can do something to finally push him over the edge. His tariffs seem to be heading the economy towards a recession. Will the loss of funds and the price of groceries be the matters to finally turn his myrmidons against him? Or will they grimly grin and say their shriveled IRAs are just a noble sacrifice for their leader’s glorious plan? I don’t like seeing my savings tank but if it makes him squirm and others riled, perhaps is it worthwhile? Meanwhile I am watching my spending and delaying major purchases – which is probably what The Felon/his minions don’t want to see happen.

What I’m reading: Pharmacogenomics in psychiatry. Nowadays physicians can order an analysis of their patient’s genetics and liver enzymes to guide them with what medications the patient may be sensitive to take. Patients erroneously believe these tests tell the doctor what to prescribe. Don’t I wish! What these tests tell is what the patient may be sensitive to take. What to prescribe is still based on clinical information. Since I always start any new medication in the ‘go low and go slow” approach, these tests aren’t much help. A study showed genetic testing helps only 1 in 10 patients in cutting down on the trial-and-error approach. On top of this, the companies sell the patient’s DNA data to others. Stirges. I hope this article clarifies if any of the newer test kits are any better.

What I’m listening to: Praise and adoration. The Boss Lady sent me an email the other day, listing a handful of patient comments. In them Urs Truly is praised as a good doctor, on time, well over four feet, who listens and does a good job. The email ends with ‘you continue to do phenomenal work, and your patients have such lovely things to say!’ Curious! This doesn’t elicit warm fuzzies but curiosity, curiosity about what percentage of feedback is positive, and what say the negative ones. Are there many? Do any have legitimate gripes useful for self-improvement? This thinking comes from having Saturn in Virgo in your horoscope (or something): the drive towards improving oneself until you obtain apotheosis or something like it.

What I’m eating: Fiber. Unless you are one of those weirdo-types who actually eats five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, you are not getting enough fiber. I have a jar of oat bran and a container of soluble fiber in gummi form, but I am not taking them. I put them into new containers at eye level, within arm’s reach, in the kitchen, to enhance adherence. The bran gets sprinkled into whatever will accommodate some and the gummies serve as Small Chocolate Cone. I hope this helps.

Who needs a good slap: Princess Goddess. Last week my niece A.K.A. Princess Goddess and Urs Truly got assigned to the same league on Duolingo. She is somehow learning “English” and she is doing music, something she has good skills with. She is able to accumulate points quickly this way, while I struggle slowly learning Spanish. We were in a race to be in the number one spot. I would periodically surpass her, only to have her top me again. On Monday, in response to my good morning meme, she sent a photo showing she won in first place, and I finished in third. So much for her inheritance.

On my 1-5 scale I give smug pre-teens una bofetada. That’s Spanish for one slap.

Who gets a fist-bump: Doers of small deeds. ‘King Lear’ is arguably the most horrid of the tragedies based on two anguishes: a parent sees his children die before he does, and there is no karma/no justice to the suffering. The one thing that makes the play from being a total downer is small, good deeds are sprinkled throughout the play. The king tells another to take shelter before he goes in. A nameless servant stands up to the powerful to say what they are doing is wrong. Two men of no power stay with the naked grief-stricken abandoned king to watch his welfare. In these dark times it is easy for people to withdraw and not be nice to others. However, I still see strangers being kind to each other in little ways. Praise be! People aren’t succumbing to anthrodynia. Good for them!

What I’m planning: A memorial service. 16 May will be the day for Father’s memorial service. In his will he wants a service with only the immediate relations. Word went out to his sister, his brother-in-law, and the various cousins. Speaking of cousins, one of Father’s recently died, and his memorial service is scheduled for 17 May. Spo far and near are pleased as Punch it will be a ‘double-header’ so they won’t have to fly back twice to Michigan.

What’s making me smile: Hooks. I went to ACE hardware the other day and purchased a handful of hooks. They are the kind you peel off the back and adhere to the wall. I set up two at the MESA office: one for my office and another for the loo. I hung one up at the PHX office. I even hung one on Someone’s side of the walk-in closet in the master bedroom, upon which he can hang his trousers rather than dropping them on the closet floor – or so I hope in time.

*Post-script: a few hours after I wrote this essay, The Medical Assistant informed me a pack of Overlords are coming to town next week to hold an inspection and cause general anxiety for their presence. This item shot up to the top of ‘what’s on my mind’. Why they coming? The mind boggles and the soul swoons with what-if and worse-case scenarios.