Sunday at the Conference Center. I almost lost track of my daily words. 200 a day now. The problem with Sundays at work is that the day is short, and it takes some time to get rolling. Some time to get rolling on useful and important tasks. So, there will be hours to work from home on Monday and Tuesday. That’s OK. Judy’s party on Tuesday is moving again. The rescheduling is fine with me. It gives me found time to engage in work and other activities. I’m eager to get my arts missions moving. There should be some time for those. Today, I need to push the Visit Ukiah quarterly newsletter towards completion. Yes, I’m late getting to work on that today. But I’ve had lunch! A pointless accomplishment, but something. This afternoon is Tom Liden’s 75th birthday party at his house. I don’t know how long we’ll stay. It begins at 2:00 PM, right when I finish work, so we’ll miss the very beginning. We’ll take a couple of bottles of wine, a card, and that’s it. It’s all he asked for. Luke will make sushi. That we have enjoyed in the past. His older brother Jamie will cook tri-tip. I do like beef, so that will be nice.
Shall I bump these posts up to 200 words beginning today? I shall. Reading Julia Cameron, I should be long-hand-writing three pages first thing every morning. That won’t work for me. After cancer treatment, with neuropathy, my handwriting is problematic. I can’t read it. Cameron specifically says not to keyboard, but I’m going to keep keying. I’ve got this 100 word practice going. Expanding to 200 words now, and gradually increasing to 500 words is my plan. No timeline affixed for 500, yet. Otherwise, I’ll stick to her twelve-week course, and get that organized by tomorrow. By organized, I mean on my weekly calendar. Now, on to a new subject. I have stumbled upon a combination art-practice. Or perhaps I have done so. “Treasure Books” and collage could combine writing, drawing, photography, stamps, and old books. That could be satisfying and maybe show-able. I know, I know. I keep reaching out for new things. How music, theater, and linocut art fit into the plan, I don’t know, yet. Exploring, reading, writing, and trying will help me get something going. I may need another bookshelf, which is annoying. We’ll see what I can figure out at home and in the office-hut.
I’m getting ready to go. Work day downtown. I’ve made a start on the Historic Ukiah Home Tour piece. I’ll get that more done and send it off for review and first use. Then it’s on to the Visit Ukiah quarterly newsletter. This one goes to potential visitors. Some 4,800 of them. That seems like a good beginning. I understand we get leads fed to us by the State visitor agency, which helps grow the list. Design work in Constant Contact and learning how to do that work. Copywriting and adding images to some design. I expect it will be Sunday before I’m finished and ready for review.
Today I’ve work to do. I want to make space to work, and make plans to work. And work. I’ll begin in the man-hut office in our back garden. It’ll get too warm by midday. Then I’ll move into the house (the hut isn’t conditioned space). Switching to the laptop is easy. And I likely need to take that machine with me to the CA Welcome Center on Friday and Saturday. Bigger screen and more power. Viewing the images I have on my camera to transcribe historic home information about Ukiah. In the meantime, I’ve got Dog Lucy with me in the hut as I begin to dig in.
Today’s tinged with overwhelm. I now have some more challenging work deadlines. Organization and time management are necessary to meet those deadlines. But I lack a sense of control. There’s no time for all the other things I want to do. Or it seems like there’s no time. That’s why organizing projects, prioritizing tasks, and managing time are so important. I’m getting this 100-words-a-day thing down. Now I need to work in some longer format writing. Or I could string together 100-word blocks to a singular end, thus creating a longer format. Space management is also an issue. Book management, too. I need to make room to be.
So, now I’m feeling all artsy. And unskilled and unpracticed. Should I be working on the ukulele? Or sketching, photography, watercolor, collage, linocut, or writing? I actually have a modest writing practice. I need to set up space and schedule to actually feel purposeful. Practical and consistent efforts would help. Thus, my weekly planner that I’ve begun but not built upon. Thus, my project planner that I’ve got in hand but haven’t added to. Goodness, but there’s a lot I could be doing. All things I should be doing. Or things that I suspect may give me satisfaction. Writing my own creative brief seems in order.
Money worries are at our door, as usual. George looks to be needing financial support. We’re ill-equipped for that. Plenty of our own debt to deal with. I’m always concerned about money. And it hasn’t ever got any easier. We’re easing into a reduced spending plan. But we haven’t got that working us in a positive financial direction, yet. Exhausted CHance is away from home (helping George with his hospitalization and operation). No familiar surroundings or routines for her. Worries about her brother. Fears about money. Buttoning down a spending plan is essential. But not long distance when she’s already spinning.
Arts Imbibe is my new blog. It awaits content. But I have set up the blog at artsimbibe.com. That URL forwards to artsimbibe.blogspot.com. I’ll share news, events, opportunities and information about food, drink, arts and destinations. Particularly about Mendocino County, Lake County, Northern Sonoma County, and Southern Humboldt County. Why am I adding Arts Imbibe to my communications project list? Because I’m passionate about the subjects. And with my California Welcome Center and Visit Ukiah work, I hear about a lot more goings on. I’d like to be a greater resource for others in my local arts, food, drink, and destination community.
Back to the Welcome Center. I’ve got a six-hour shift today. I hope it goes swiftly. There may be interesting visitors. Newsletter is the task for this day. Catching up with Katrina and Kaylee, too. And relearning how to type on this GO keyboard. I’m very sloppy with it. The touch and feel are fine. But I tend to hit adjacent keys often. Backspacing is a way of life on this little guy. Planning the week, and the week ahead, are also priorities. I’ve got my new Weekly Planner. It’s a turquoise soft cover I still don’t immediately recognize in my Dad-Basket.
I wasn’t scheduled for a Remicade infusion and another nine week course of Prednisone, but now I am. We need to beat back the onset of immune response colitis. Immune response in response to the immunotherapy Keytruda. So far, there’s no plan to stop the Keytruda. It seems like we’re going to keep at that infusion every three weeks. In the meantime, I may have discovered that Tums helps. It helps ward off the feeling that I need a bowel movement every time I stand up. It worked yesterday evening, and seems to this morning. Ah, health care! I need to try Pepto Bismol, too.
I’m tired of not feeling good. There’s not much I can do about it, except to keep a happy face plastered on my mug. I hardly remember what it feels like to feel good. At least there’s no pain, which is a blessing. Complaining is pointless. Feeling sorry for myself is a waste of life energy. The most difficult thing is feeling that I should keep trying to do … something. I’d best have some kind of purpose to keep me going. But it’s really a question for my doctor (oncologist). If how I feel now is the best I can hope for, I should make the best of it.
It’s the shopping day for Wednesday’s supper party at The Brownhouse. Christine is shopping for under-the-weather friend Judy, too. Lots of shop stops today. The time has also come to begin our Ashland planning in earnest. That trip is only five weeks away. Ten of us traveling north to enjoy the lovely town and fine theater. Six plays (including Oregon Cabaret) over five days. I’m not in perfect health, but I’m so much better than last year. It was a rugged Ashland trip in 2022. I expect it to be much more fun this year. Meanwhile, Joyce must have arrived in Istanbul by this morning. The first stop on her Slovenian walking holiday.
We did our first day trip for CapStage yesterday. Drive to Tapa the World in Sacramento. A three-hour drive each way. (Free street parking on Sunday). Lunch at 11:30 with Dan, Leslye, Beth, Patty, and John. Largest group I’ve dined with at this restaurant. Next time, we’ll refine our ordering process. My lunch was odd, with the passing of plates and leaving the favorites ordered by others. Then an easy one block stroll to CapStage for a 2:00 PM matinee of “Clyde’s” by Lynn Nottage. I’ve subtitled the play “Salvation by Sandwich.” An odd play that’s grown on me in retrospect. We need to schedule more time with our Davis friends.
(somehow I missed Saturday … too busy at work, I guess)
Friend Judy’s canceled her Labor Day picnic-party. It’s due to sickness, Judy’s. None of her guests want her to feel bad or catch her ailment, so she’ll reschedule. I’m delighted. I’ve always taken pleasure in the cancellation of calendared activities. It’s because once something is canceled I have an unexpected opening on my calendar. The open hours or day(s) are like a gift. There are things I look forward to. And I’m still delighted when those things get canceled. The gift of time is a powerful opportunity granted. Anything could happen in that suddenly open time slot. I feel guilty in pleasure, but I take pleasure nonetheless.
Today’s Friday, but it’s the Monday of my work week. Six hours at the California Welcome Center today. Then five hours tomorrow (Saturday). No work on Sunday because we’re off to Sacramento on a day trip. Meeting friends for lunch at Tapa the World. Then “Clyde’s” at CapStage. Monday is a Federal holiday. We’ll be enjoying a Labor Day picnic at Judy Waterman’s south Ukiah home. I think Tuesday, September 5 is an open day. Then Wednesday we’ve guests coming over for dinner. DAH will grill tri-tip (beef). Then we’re rolling on towards another work weekend. Lots to organize, but some fun things planned.
Our two dogs are Cockapoos. That means part Cocker Spaniel and part Poodle. Because of the Poodle part, they don’t shed. Tinker and Lucy have hair, not fur. The hair keeps growing, so regular grooming is necessary. Today’s that day for our two lovely ladies of the floor. We’re driving them south to Cloverdale to our regular dog groomer. CHance and I will kill 2-3 hours as our pups are prettified. Likely lunch out together, but what else? We should be home by midafternoon. Then I’ll get organized for work days, Friday and Saturday. With freshly groomed dogs to come home to after work.
I’m falling behind in my reading. There’s no obvious reason. But I’m not happy about it. My writing depends upon my reading. It does for my TheThereThere book notes. It does for my inspiration to write. Lack of inspiration in all areas is discouraging today. Reading and writing aren’t the only areas in which I’m falling behind. Fear about autoimmune colitis after yesterday’s immunotherapy infusion is also worrying me. Sleeping in this morning seemed like a good idea. But having someone arriving to visit Christine within 10 minutes of my rising put me out of sorts. That may be an unreasonable response on my part. But I’m not sleeping in again.
We’re heading south again today. Into Sonoma County, which we like. For medical appointments (one CHance, one DAH) which we don’t. Christine will drop me off at the Sutter Santa Rosa Infusion Center. Then she’ll drive back north a few miles to Healdsburg for her appointment. I’ll chill in the Infusion Center waiting area with a book. This means we have to leave home earlier. But I’m hoping it will reduce stress. We won’t be anxious about Christine’s appointment running long. I’ll be at the Infusion Center in plenty of time. This evening I’m going to a Sauvignon Blanc tasting at Left Coast Seafood in downtown Ukiah.
Deciding what to do on an open day can stump me. There’s plenty waiting undone in and around me. Seldom is any of that plenty demanding urgent attention. I’d like to make progress in all my interest areas. Sadly, some areas remain untended for an extended time. Guilt isn’t involved. It’s not usually involved. That’s more accurate. My interest areas are writing, books, stamps, cameras, learning to draw, and playing the ukulele. The last two receive no attention. Writing receives regular attention, but I’m not advancing on any particular objectives. I may need that to do list practice more than I thought.
It’s Krakatoa Day. It’s also my half birthday. I’m celebrating by heading to Cloverdale for the closing performance of “Lonely Planet.” It features our pal Bhavvy Ducharme (with Jeff Shipp), directed by Michael Ducharme. An early supper will probably follow the performance. We have no details about that yet. Anyway, Krakatoa was a volcanic island in Indonesia between Java and Sumatra. On August 27, 1883, the Krakatoa volcano erupted in a cataclysmic explosion that was heard up to 3,000 miles away. The ash cloud darkened skies across much of the globe. I’m imagining such historic fireworks in honor of my half-birthday.
I’ve got an email newsletter project. It’s for the California Welcome Center (Ukiah) where I work part-time. Newsletters like this interest me, but I have no direct experience creating them. That makes this project rather exciting. Opportunities for new learning are a reason for me to get out of the house and work. I can outline something now and begin collecting design elements. Plus checking out the newsletters of other similar organizations. A “how to” article or two will also be helpful. All that research and thinking begins today. We’re targeting a quarterly release for this consumer newsletter. Then expanding to monthly when we’re able.
Friday has become the hub of my week. More accurately, the beginning of the week. Work hours begin today and reduce as the weekend progresses. Then there are open days on the calendar. Or there would be if we didn’t schedule things almost every day. It could be a good idea to add a “schedule nothing” commitment to my “spend nothing” one. Back to Friday. This is also the morning when I hit “send” for each week’s TheThereThere letter. Friday is clearly my week’s focal point. I must go into the digital calendar and schedule No-No-No a few times. That’s my way of saying, “This day should remain open.”
Dreams and fantasies from the past are rising around me. Dreams and fantasies I thought they were gone, ideas done with. I don’t know what’s inspired this renaissance, but it’s interesting and surprising. I have the time and energy to give the past full rein. This past is far enough behind me that there’s no chance of it becoming real. But there’s so much entertaining to think about. I’d say it was nostalgia, but I’ve no desire to go back in real life. I’ll let my imagination and writing to the time traveling. And there’s enough of interest in current real life to keep me focused.
Today will be a gentle outing day. Lunch out with CHance and a shopping visit to Oliver’s in Windsor. Our timing ought to give us afternoon and evening time at home. I want to get out and about, see some countryside. And not have an appointment to which I’m rushing. Most trips south into Sonoma County involve either appointments or tight timing. The biggest challenge today is to find a good place for lunch. I’m still not settled on that. What I’d like is a casual restaurant with wine service. Somewhere comfortable to sit and chat with CHance. I’ll have to continue my research.