Ephemera #176

• Went to see "Mandalorian and Grogu".  While I liked it, it would have made a better three episode arc for the TV series than a movie.  I was hoping, as a movie, it would have higher production values and writing, but it was the same as the TV series.  It felt like they put this out to attract more subscribers to Disney+.
  
  I also watched a couple marvel shows.  The first was season two of "Daredevil: Born Again".  This I liked.  Looking forward to season three.  The other was "Wonder Man".  This short season one was an introduction to the characters.  It was good enough but I think the real meat of the series will be in season two.
• I walked 5 times since the last Ephemera post totalling 32.8 miles (52.9 km).  It is getting hotter and more humid here in Omaha so walking has become a struggle.  It sucks when you totally soak your shirt with sweat after walking only three blocks.
• This week I have my prostate biopsy.  It's a more detailed biopsy as the MRI reader suggested.  This means twenty-four samples versus the usual twelve samples.  Not really looking forward to this as each sample collection feels like a bee sting in your nether regions.

2026 Southwest Meander - Day 7

Day 7 - Las Vegas, NV

We left Kanab, UT and drove three hours, through beautiful landscapes and barren flats, to Las Vegas, NV.  We've been to Las Vegas many times before, not for the gambling, but for the shows.  This time would not be different.

When I picked a hotel in Las Vegas, I picked one that I'd thought we'd stayed at before a few years back but, totally by accident, I picked one that we'd never been to before but located in the perfect location for what we were planning to do.

The Judges and VIP section of the arena.

The first show we were going to was in the early afternoon and located, literally, across the street from our hotel.  The Battlebots Destruct-A-Thon was located in the Battlebots arena.  We walked over and, first things first, we went to the gift shop for a t-shirt, a magnet, a piece of 'Scrapnel' (a piece of scrap shrapnel from a battle bot with a certificate of authenticity), and a few gifts.

Several BattleBots were on display.

We entered the arena which included the same battlefield you see in Battlebots on TV (now on YouTube).  They were not filming a new show at the time but they hold daily shows.  I learned a few things.  There are multiple copies of each battlebot  When they aren't filming, random battlebots are selected to battle and a group of substitute drivers cycle through the running of the battles.  The owner/designers of the BattleBots only drive when they are filming.  Now before you start thinking these substitute drivers are professionals or anything, I ended up buying Red Vines and chips from one of them at the concession stand where we joked about having to feed the munchies and he looked like he had a lot of experience with the munchies.

They staged four battles which felt like you were watching the show on TV just more exciting in person.  One of the announcers, Bill Dwyer, was one of the original TV hosts for the BattleBots show on Discovery. Unfortunately, the lighting, the protective plexiglass, and the speed of the battlebot movements made it difficult to photograph the actual battles.

The Sphere from the outside, flowers projected on its surface.

After we left the BattleBots arena we walked the one mile to the Sphere.  Here we would be watching an AI enhanced copy of the original "Wizard of Oz".  The sphere is an incredible venue.  The actual venue takes up maybe two thirds of the sphere with the other third being full of escalators to get people to their seats.  We were pretty high up and, I suspect, anyone with a fear of heights would have issues entering the venue.  The stairs are very steep and I held on to the railings as I walked to my seat.

The "Wizard of Oz" in the Sphere.

The movie started with a small projection like a normal movie theater then at the perfect time the movie expanded to fill the inside of the venue.  AI was used to wrap the film around the inside of the Sphere.  Most of this was seamless but there were a few glitches here and there but, having said that, it was very impressive.  A large gasp rose from the audience when the projection expanded.  There were other things to enhance the movie experience like paper leaves flying around the venue during the tornado scene.  I was surprised how much of the movie I'd totally forgotten about.  Scene after scene seemed new to me even though I'd watched this movie a kajillion times.  Shows you how little I'd paid attention, and how much my memory simply forgot, watching it as a child.

Psychedelic Sphere.

The best part of the Sphere, frankly, was the graphics that are projected on the outside of the venue.  I probably could have sat there all day just watching it change.  It was particularly spectacular at night.

We managed to get out of Las Vegas without gambling even once and I didn't miss it.

Next ... Oxnard, Cambria, and the Clown Motel.

Photographs can be found in my 2026 Southwest Meander Google Photos album.

Weekly Ephemera #170

Another couple of weeks that really didn't matter much.

• We really didn't do anything.  The Wife watched basketball and went to Mass , including one with her little cousin.  I just vegged, napped, and didn't do much else.
• I finally finished "Alien:Earth"  It took me two months to finish the last three episodes.  I liked it but it didn't excite me.
  
  I watched "Jurassic World: Rebirth" with expectations of seeing ScarJo kill some dinosaurs.  Strangely enough, no dinosaurs were killed by any of the humans, as far as I could see.  Several humans were killed by the dinosaurs though.  It was ok but it felt a little flat for me.
• I walked four times over the last two weeks.  I walked 29.8 miles (48 km) since my last Weekly Ephemera post.  On my last walk I must have looked bad as a lady in a car stopped and asked if I needed a ride.

Weekly Ephemera #167

• We had a quiet Christmas.  We went to see a movie ("Marty Supreme") which the Wife and I thought was Meh.  We ended the day with yummy steaks on the grill.
• I hiked three times this week for a total of 22.5 miles (36.2 km).  The walks were uneventful.
• We started watching "Stranger Things".  This is the last season and it seems to be a fitting finale so far.

Weekly Ephemera #155

• Forgot to mention last week that I got my Covid and Flu shots.  Take that, RFK jr!
• The Wife and I went to see "The Long Walk".  It is an interesting movie based on a Stephen King novel (writing as Richard Bachman).  It was good and felt ... relevant to our times.
• As for TV, I watched season thirteen of "Futurama" and I soaked in cheesy horror anthologies.
• I had a tough time walking this week.  After two 30 miles (48 km) plus weeks, my body just didn't want to walk.  I forced myself to walk twice, but they were shorter than what I have been doing.  I ended up walking a total of 16.6 miles (26.7 km).  I can already feel that next week won't be much different.

Weekly Ephemera #152

TV and walking ... That was it.

• I watched "Foundation" season two and part of season three.  I didn't realize there was a season three.  The last three episodes haven't dropped yet but will be available before our month of Apple TV+ expires.  It's not following the books that closely but it is entertaining.
  
  Next I watched "Murderbot" season one.  I liked it, but the episodes were too short and the voice in the main character's head doesn't sound like the one I had in my head when I read the novella.  Obviously this is more of a me problem than a problem with the show. I look forward to the next season.
  
  I needed a break from binging series so I watched "The Gorge".  This movie is cheesy action and it fit the bill.
• This was a very successful walking week.  I walked three times, totaling 30.6 miles (49.25 km).  More importantly, I felt very good during these walks and I wonder if it's the new diabetes medication.

Weekly Ephemera #148

• The Wife and I went to see the procession at the Santa Lucia Festival today.  It turned out to be a bit underwhelming.  The food from the stalls did smell good after the procession but we didn't partake.
• One reason I didn't buy any food at the Italian themed festival is that I'm getting blood work done later this week and pasta, bread, and other carb-heavy food would not be helpful.
• I went to see "Fantastic Four: First Steps" in IMAX this wednesday.  I like how Marvel is moving to smaller scale movies and varying the styles and stories.  I enjoyed the movie and can't wait to see what's coming.
• I watched more "One Piece" before starting the second season of "The Sandman".  I like "The Sandman" but it's too bad that the author turned out to be so stupid.
• I walked twice this week for a total of 12.7 miles (20.4 km).  I need to start increasing the length of my walks.  I feel like I'm slacking off.

Weekly Ephemera #144

• Since I will be walking close to three hundred miles starting next Friday, I decided to be lazy this week and did not walk at all.  Instead I watched eight movies including: "Knives Out", "Her", "MI 7", "The Tomorrow War", "Smile 2", "Multiverse", "The Visit", and "The Mandela Effect".  The first four were pretty good.  The last four were a mix of so-so and ok enough.
• We are slowly getting things together for the Wife's Camino later this week.  I insect-proofed our sleeping bag liners with Permethrin in case of bedbugs.  One of the Wife's ex-co-workers brought his kids over to check out our yard – they will be mowing and watering plants.  I went around locating where various things we will need are – things like dry sacks, rain jackets, my pocket knife, compact flashlights, etc.
• Not sure if I will be posting while on the Camino.  Since we are walking shorter stages this time I will have more time at the end of the day but that doesn't guarantee I will feel like writing posts.  I may post some pictures ... or not.  It will be a surprise for everyone.

Weekly Ephemera #143

A fairly slow week  for us.

• We had a roofer back on our roof repairing/replacing a couple of turbine vents that were making squeaky noises when it was really windy – which it has been lately.
• I walked three times this week for a total of 25.5 miles (41.0 km).  On one of my walks downtown, I bought a magnet at a store specializing in Omaha/Nebraska memorabilia.

  

  Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, in magnet form.

• I finished watching "Andor" and decided to rewatch "Rogue One" since it's pretty much Andor season 3.  Really liked Andor and Rogue One is one of my favorite Star Wars movies.
• One of the Wife's friends spent the weekend.  We ate a huge brunch, while laughing, at Louie M's before she headed back home.
• Our next trip, the completion of the Wife's Camino is approaching rapidly.  More on that later this week.

Weekly Ephemera #142

• The Homer's Travels' week was all about the Pope.   Cardinal Prevost was on the Wife's shortlist but, like everyone else in the world, thought he was a long shot.  When he became Pope, the Wife was over the moon.  Not being religious myself, even I was moved by how happy everyone seems to be.  I wish him well.
• I planted a few plants in my corner of the backyard.  Several of the ones I've planted over the past couple of years have come back up again but I have a few holes where some didn't make it.  I'm still maybe four or five plants away from filling the space under the fir tree.  We saw a couple rabbits in the backyard so keeping my fingers crossed they will leave them alone.
• I walked three times this week totaling 26.2 miles (42.1 km).  It's starting to warm up, suggesting a hot summer is coming.  This coming week will see temps approaching 90℉ (32℃), so I will be sweating a lot, I think.
• I went to see the latest Marvel movie, "Thunderbolts".  I enjoyed it.  This movie and the last Captain America movie earlier this year have been lower-key and remind me of the earlier Marvel movies.  Sometimes you have to get back to the basics.

Weekly Ephemera #141

I skipped last week's Ephemera post because I was out of town last weekend.  Time to catch up.

• Last weekend we went to Minneapolis, to celebrate one of the Wife's cousin's First Communion.  We stayed at the Matron of Honor's (MoH) and Best Man's (BM) new house.  Their new house is very nice and is perfect for them.  The long weekend was full of family and conversation and I had a good time.
  
  The first communion was nice and the after-party with family was fun and full of food.  The Godson's and Deacon's families are great and fun to be with.
  
  On Monday we joined the MoH and BM and went antiquing and booking in Stillwater, MN.  It was a bit drizzly but we had a great time looking for treasures.  Sadly, none were found.
• I finally took pictures of the rest of our magnets.  Naturally, a day later I came across three more magnets hiding on my desk in the den.  I will be posting a couple travel magnet posts later this week.
• Our travel agent called this week and told us the September tour dates for our Greek, Albania, Macedonia trip fell through.  Fortunately, there are dates in early October that will work so she is reworking all the hotel reservations and Athens tours.
• Moving the trip will let me go to Rilo Kiley's reunion tour at the Astro.  Looking forward to that.
• I walked three times over the last two weeks.  I walked a total of 27.9 miles (44.9 km).   I skipped a couple walking days to get some chores I'd put off far too long.
• I started watching "Andor" season 2.  I like it so far.  Also watching the current series of "Doctor Who".  I'm also working through a show on Amazon.  "ALTER Collection" is an anthology horror series where each episode is themed and consists of four to ten short films.  They are a bit hit or miss and some are surely movie school projects but they are holding my interest.
  
  On Friday the Wife and I went to see "Sinners".  I have mixed feelings.  The music, setting, and ambiance were spot on but the horror felt a bit off.  There are many layers in the movie and it's worth a view.
  
  Since the conclave is this Wednesday I figured I'd better see "Conclave" so I watched it today.  The three cardinals vying for the position of Pope reminded me of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Visually stunning at times, loved Ray Fiennes, but the final twist was not necessary.

P.S.  Happy Anniversary to the Wife's Niece and Husband!  To everyone else, I hope the 4^th was with you today.

Weekly Ephemera #136

• The first half of this week was dedicated to chores.  I paid the first half of our property taxes on Monday and did some overdue cleaning on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• We probably had our last snow of the season appropriately on the last day of astronomical Winter on Wednesday.  It snowed, the wind blew most of the day, and I had my one and only chance to use the snowblower this Winter.
• On Thursday I got my stent (installed during my kidney stone procedure) removed.  The odd sensation I'd felt for the past week or so was gone immediately.  The doctor suggested that a lot of people have a hard time with their stents but it wasn't much of anything for me.  Next follow up is an ultrasound next month.
• With the stent removed I went for a walk on Friday.  Unlike my last walk, I felt fine this hike proving that what I'd felt the last time was, in fact, the stent.  I walked 8.4 miles (15.6 km).  Unfortunately this destroyed my legs probably because it had been forty-five days since I did a 'real' hike.  Next week I intend to get back to my three walks per week schedule.
• I haven't really watched anything special the last few weeks.  Last night, after seeing a reference to it on social media, I watched the 1959 version of "On the Beach".  It was good but I wouldn't want to watch it if you needed a pick-me-up.  Most post-apocalyptic movies/shows I've seen have always had some amount of survivors.  No matter how bad it was, life went on.  Not in this movie.  It ends with extinction and it's kinda depressing.  (You may want to skip it if you are triggered by suicide.)

Weekly Ephemera #133

• We returned from Guatemala late Sunday night.  Guatemala is in the same time zone as Nebraska so no jet lag.  We both returned without catching anything which is always a plus.  We both had a good time in Guatemala.  While I was in Guatemala I decided not to read Bluesky.  It was nice to have two weeks of no doom scrolling.  The Wife, who did monitor the news on Bluesky, did keep me informed though.
• While we were gone we missed winter.  While we were in Guatemala - Land of Eternal Spring - there was snow and below zero temperatures (one day the high temperature in our backyard was 1.8℉, -16.8℃).  It bounced back into the 50s when we got back so we missed it completely.
• On Monday I had a pre-op exam in preparation for my kidney stone removal this week.  Everything went well.  The procedure is scheduled for late Tuesday afternoon.  It was going to be early on Tuesday morning but they called to reschedule.  Not exactly happy about this but it is what it is.
• On Wednesday I started catching up on a few movies that came out during our trip.  I started with "Captain America: Brave New World".  I really liked it with its many, somewhat obscure, call backs to previous Marvel movies.
  
  On Thursday I went to see the Oscar nominated live action and animated shorts.  Watching the shorts at our local art house theater has become a pseudo-annual ritual of mine.  They were pretty good this year.  I don't really have any favorites.  Several ended without a definite outcome which was a bit disappointing but otherwise they were all well done.  It was nice that there really weren't any Pixar/Disney entries.
• On Friday I did our taxes.  We owe less than $50 which is the way it should be.  I have to admit, taxes are really easy when you are retired.

Weekly Ephemera #126

• On Christmas Eve the Wife and I went to see "A Complete Unknown".  I thought it was ok but the Wife thought it didn't tell us anything about Bob Dylan leaving out "why he cut ties with his family, why he was in and out of relationships, and why he was such a dick to the folk movement."  She suggests waiting for it to stream instead of paying to see it in the theatre.  This means it will probably win some Oscars.
• I went on a mini Godzilla/Kong Marathon this week watching three of the last five Godzilla/Kong movies.  I've seen the first Kong movie and the first of the new Godzilla movies is not on streaming it seems ... unless you want to pay.
  
  Also watched "Civil War" (ok), The Doctor Who Christmas Special (ok), "Inside Out 2" (enjoyed it), and "Asteroid City" (WTF was that ... remind me not to waste my time on a Wes Anderson film ever again).
• I walked twice this week.  I was going to walk three times but the gloomy/foggy/drizzly weather kept me indoors on Friday.  I still walked 20.9 miles (33.7 km) which isn't bad.  I'm done walking for the year.  My next walk will likely be Thursday or Friday.
• Christmas decorations come down this week.  If things go as planned everything will be put away by the 1st.
• They say it may snow this coming Monday-Tuesday.  If it does it will be the first real snow of this winter.  I'm not holding my breath though.
• Question:  If I put this thing in a Museum of Modern Art, how much would it sell it for?

  

  Is this art?  If it is, would it be worth more than a banana duct taped to a wall?

  
  

Weekly Ephemera #107

• Most of the week I spent chasing after documents needed to get Mom qualified for Medicaid.  Mom's piling system is not much better than mine.  At one point my head was buzzing so much I just laid down on the floor and stared up at the spinning fan for a while in an attempt to clear my head.  I still don't have everything but I'm getting closer.
  
  We are also spending Mom's money down on some essentials.  It's kinda sad that, to qualify for Medicaid, you have to be poor.  Our medical insurance system is a freaking disgrace.
  
  Mom had a visit with the neurosurgeon.  Everything looks great.  She no longer needs to wear the cervical collar.  The bond fire will be glorious (JK).
  
  Met with the Comfort Keepers, a home aid company, to organize someone to visit Mom to help her with tasks around the house.  We expect Mom will be returning to her home early this coming week.
  
• I called our homeowner's insurance agent to get a second adjuster out to look at our hail damage.  They want a report from our roofer before they do that.  Our roofer, not happy to be doing the insurance company's job, will be stopping by this week.
• The car insurance adjuster called and our car is officially fixable.  Yay!  I was worried it would be totaled and I would have to go car hunting.  Now it's a waiting game to see when I get my car back.
• On Friday the Deacon (formerly known as The Altar Boy) and his family stopped by on their way to a family vacation.  They were a nice distraction from all the mess we've been dealing with.
• As for what's on the boob tube, we are an all Olympics, all the time household.
• I'm hoping to go see "Deadpool & Wolverine" this week ... time willing.

Weekly Ephemera #85

• I called my investment company about my 1099-Rs (I mentioned them in my last Weekly Ephemera post).  Turns out they are not mislabeled or at least they label all Roth IRA withdrawals this way even if it causes problems for tax filers.  So I called a tax filing company (I use their software to file my taxes) and asked how to properly file.  I expected to be pointed to an IRS form I would have to file.  No.  This is how I need to fix it:

- First, I should edit the 1099-R to "correct" them.  
- Second, file my claim.
- Third, wait for the IRS to email about the edited 1099-R.
- Fourth, explain to the IRS why I did what I did and hope they agree.

I took a deep breath and did what they suggested.  This could go well or lead me into a deep dark hole.  Wish me luck. 

•  On Thursday the Wife and I went to our local home store and set up an appointment for a bathroom remodeler to come by the house.  We are planning to gut our master bathroom and we hope to get ideas and an estimate for what it will cost.  Expensive, I'm sure.
• Thursday afternoon I went to see the Oscar nominated animated and live action shorts.  This has become an annual ritual for me. Over the years I've noticed that the animation is becoming more serious and tackle hard subjects.  This year was no different.  The live action entries have always had a hard edge but this year there were a couple uplifting and/or humorous entries.  I enjoyed my little two movie marathon.
• I'd hoped I would walk farther this week and I managed to meet that goal.  I walked three times for a total of 21.9 miles (35.25 km).  Unfortunately this coming week is full of appointments and walking time may be limited.

Southeast Asia 2023 - Day Nineteen And Twenty - Halong Bay

UPDATED 12-06-2023: Added photos.

Day Nineteen (Tuesday)

We checked out of our Hanoi hotel and were driven two and a half hours to Halong Bay.  We were early so we stopped at a 'pearl farm' to see how pearls were cultured, harvested, and graded.  It was interesting and we both learned a few things about pearls.  The Wife already has pearls so we skipped the obligatory shop. 

Some of the limestone islands of Halong Bay.

We drove by an amusement park were there were life sized statues of King Kong (parts of King Kong: Skull Island was filmed in Halong Bay).

We were dropped off at the hotel where we would board our cruise ship, the Paradise Elegance II, which would be our home for a night amongst the limestone island of Halong Bay.

The islands are pretty spectacular and number in the thousands.  Only a few areas are not protected by a national park and UNESCO heritage site so all the cruise ships tend to congregate in certain limited areas.

More islands in the mist.

We had two activities scheduled for the first day.  The first was a trip to a beach area.  The wife laid on the sand while I climbed the four hundred steps to a view point.  The view was a contrast - crowded cruise ships in one direction and pristine islands and waters in the other.  After returning to the beach I got into the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and rested my rubbery legs.

The second activity was  a 'bamboo boat' (not made of bamboo) ride through a cave to a stone ringed lagoon.  Another boat was full of very happy Koreans who were singing their hearts out as they toured the lagoon and went through the cave. 

The sun setting on Halong Bay.

As the sun went down the cruise ships spread out.  The lit up boats were pretty cool and the sunset over the limestone islands was spectacular.

Day Twenty (Wednesday)

The next morning we left for our last activity to Surprise Cave.  Seven hundred steps take you into and through an amazing cave carving in the limestone.  Even early in the morning it was crowded and hot.  It is low season and I can't imagine what it's like in high season. 

Our last view of the islands of halong Bay.

The ship docked and our guide and driver picked us up and we headed back to Hanoi.  On the way back we stopped at a farm to see the produce and at a handicraft factory run my Agent Orange victims. The wife bought a half jade Mary and we both purchased a beautiful handmade silk painting.

We were dropped off at the airport and we flew to Da Nang where we were picked up and taken to our next destination, Hoi An. 

Photos can be found in my 2023 Vietnam Google Photos album. 

Weekly Ephemera #69

• This week I had lots of opportunities to walk but ended up only taking two.  On Labor Day I hoped to get a longer walk in but I decided the holiday would be a good time to clean the kitchen and bathrooms.  On Wednesday when I had another chance for a longer walk I stayed home due to the smoke from the canadian wildfires that made going outside hazardous to my allergies.  I stayed home and streamed some shows instead.  I finally went for walks on Thursday and Friday doing a total of 14.1 miles (22.6 km).  The smoke had diminished greatly and the temperatures were approaching fall-like so the walking was delightful.
• This week I caught up on some shows and watched a few movies.  I started with Marvel's "Secret invasion".  It was ok but they obviously tried to do this on the cheap and it felt a bit like a throw away filler.
  
  Yesterday, while the Wife watched football, I watched a few movies.  The first was "The Menu".  It was an interesting horror, thriller, comedy that didn't quite hit the mark.  Next was "Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves".  This was a perfectly fine action, adventure, comedy.  Not great but about what I'd expected.  Finally I went towards the weird.  "Three Thousand Years of Longing" is a modern fairy tale where a literary scholar, specializing in how science is supplanting mythology, encounters a Djinn.  The movie is a commentary on storytelling and the modern world.  In the end you have to decide if what she encountered was real or if it was all a story told in a hallucination.  It was interestingly quirky in an understated way.  All in all, the movies I watched yesterday were ... ok.
  
• Tomorrow is September 11th.  In the past I would often dedicate a whole post on remembering the day.  I am done with that.  The events on that day could have been the catalyst for positive change in the world.  We could have turned an act of hate into an act of global unity.  Instead that act of hate has metastasized into division, bigotry, and idiocy.  I will not dedicate a whole post to September 11th until this world of ours has regained its sanity.  I just hope to be alive to see it.

Weekly Ephemera #56

I expected my next post would be a Camino post.  It would be a post - or a few - that would talk about the Wife's Camino, how it went, and why it came to a rather abrupt and unexpected end.  For the last week or so I have tried to get in the mood to write down this piece of personal history but the mood didn't arrive.  So, in an attempt to break this writer's block, I am posting another Weekly Ephemera post in an attempt to shake the muse loose.

• Most of this past week I, basically, tried to return to the normal world.  The Camino shifts you into an alternate world where priorities change and life is simplified.  Even though we were gone for just a couple weeks I've found it difficult to reset my priorities back to the real world.  This turned into watching 'Columbo' reruns.
• On Tuesday I went to see "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse".  I saw it in IMAX which probably wasn't necessary for an animated film.  I would have gone to our local art house theater but I prefer earlier showings than what the theater provides.
• The Wife and I watched "Mrs Davis" on Peacock.  It was not what I expected but was good in a very quirky way.
• On Friday I went to a local large greenhouse and purchased some plants for 'my corner' of the yard.  My corner is under an evergreen tree.  I have trimmed up the lower branches so that water and sun get to the ground under the tree's canopy.  I knew what I was looking for: Perennials with red or purple flowers, that can handle full sun, and grow between twelve and eighteen inches.  Turns out the height was the hardest parameter to meet.  I wanted them to be shorter so that they didn't grow up into the lower branches of the tree.  I ended up with more purple than red flowers (one is white) but, if they survive and spread, it will look nice in the years to come.  I still have another four plants to buy to fill in the bed but those I'll buy next year.
• On Saturday I picked up a couple bikes Mom had at her house and donated them to a place where they will be refurbished and given to people in need.

Okay, lets see if this shakes anything loose.

Weekly Ephemera #55

• To my surprise the painters/drywallers showed up on Wednesday.  The hole in the living room ceiling has been fixed and several water spots (caused by the condensation issues we had) were touched up.  On Monday they will finish the job when they paint the living room ceiling.  I wish this had been finished two weeks ago.
• I had my semi-annual blood draw this week.  Setting it up was a bit strange.  I called to make an appointment and I was told I couldn't get the blood drawn until I met with the Doctor.  I asked the person what I would have to talk about with the Doctor if we didn't have blood test results.  She consulted the Doctor and ... they authorized me to get my blood drawn.
  
  After my blood draw I checked the results on the health app our doctor's office uses.  All results were there except for my blood sugar numbers (A1C and Glucose) and my PSA.  I met with the doctor the next day and she said "oh yeah ... I should have asked for those."  Fortunately the blood drawn a couple days earlier was still 'good' and they could do the additional tests she had omitted.
  
  The results, by the way, were pretty good.  My lipid numbers (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, etc) were all in the normal range with a few of the numbers being the best I've ever had.  My A1C was 5.7 ... at the bottom of the prediabetic range.  I was hoping it would be in the normal range ... so close.  My glucose number was 100 ... the high end of the normal range and better than last time.
  
  Overall my numbers are moving in the correct direction.  Yay me!
• As for our Camino planning, the one thing I hadn't figured out was how to get from the Paris airport to the train station.  A little search came up with a couple options - The metro train or a taxi.  The metro was by far cheaper than the taxi option but it would take twice as long.  Also, as I was trying to figure out which metro trains I needed to take and where to change trains, I became more and more confused.  Not a good feeling when we will be in a strange new city.
  
  I am slightly concerned about how much time it will take to get off the plane, pick up our checked bag (containing our poles, pocket knife, liquids, and other items forbidden in your carry on bag), and go through immigration.  If it takes too long and we use the slower transportation method to get to the train station we risk missing the earlier train.  If we miss it, it would delay us by a couple hours and possibly arrive in St Jean Pied de Port in the dark.  I decided that the faster and less confusing, but more expensive, solution would be to take a taxi.
• I walked once last week.  I walked 11.9 miles (19.2 km) the day before my blood test hoping to burn off some of my blood sugar.  The painters showing up stopped me from walking any more this week.
  
  I usually don't walk the week before I start a long hike so I will not be walking this week.  This will give me more time to pack, worry, and battle my pre-travel anxiety.
• To distract myself a little I've been binging "Columbo" reruns and I went to the new "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" movie this morning - a very good end to the GotG series though I found the comedy a bit too heavy handed at times.