Weekly Ephemera #15

What have I been up to?

• On Tuesday I got my blood drawn (I posted about the results here) and while I was at the doctor's office I got my second COVID booster (Pfizer this time).  I feel a lot safer ... I really do.
• On Wednesday I stopped by Mom's place and we called Social Security ... again ... but this time we got good news.  Things were moving.  On Friday she received her death benefit so she is now waiting for all the back benefits they owe her.
  
  I went home with some Central American treasures Mom wanted to get out of her house (It's all cool stuff)
• On Thursday the Wife's niece spent the night with us while she was doing work stuff in Omaha.  It was a good reason to go out to eat at Village Inn.
  
  The niece, mother of a nearly two year old boy and a soon to be 0 year old girl, went home with one of the non-Guatemalan treasures Mom gave us.  We gave her my childhood rocking chair.  It's missing a lot of the varnish it once had having been stripped over time as I sat in the chair, eating chocolate ice cream and drinking Pepsi, in my wet swimsuit.  I am sure it will be put to good use.
• I walked twice this week for a total of 21.2 miles (34.2 km).  Friday's walk was warm and a bit humid which reminded me of July and August on the Appalachian Trail.  Fortunately the wind that seems to have settled in for good helped make it feel less disgusting.
  
  My walking has been a bit erratic and I need to be more consistent in frequency and distance if I want to get my blood test numbers down.  I will have to try harder.  At least this week I met the 20 mile goal.
  
  I discovered the hiking distance mile counter in the blog sidebar was not updating properly.  I fixed it.
• And finally, on Saturday, as I left to get some dinner, I saw the glove I lost months ago propped up on a little garden fence not far from our house.  This made me happy since they were great lightweight gloves.  I bought them originally for the early, still chilly, Appalachian Trail.  I've driven and walked by that spot multiple times since I lost the glove and never saw it there.  Today, with the wind blowing, it was like it was waving me down.