Random 5 for May 1, 2022 – May, jobs, facial recognition, trees, covid

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My old crabapple tree

Can it really be May? – April turned out to be a cold and windy month. That didn’t stop the flowers and trees from starting their blooming season. It did, however, curtail my walks to my happy place. Hoping for more great weather.

Gone! – There was a barista at my local Starbucks that had been there for at least a decade. She knew everything and could fix anything (but the expresso machine!). She was poached by a local car dealership to start an upscale coffee shop inside their customer area. I was surprised. What auto place would set up a fancy coffee shop? Most have those help yourself pods for the folks waiting in the service area. It’s the Porsche dealer so they pamper their clients. I will miss her, but she will be a great fit there. Super friendly and remembers everyone.

Speaking of remembering everyone – I’m getting that disease where you can’t remember people’s faces. I call it anti-facial recognition syndrome. Everyone looks alike. We’ve had three different workmen here this week. The lead I know from other projects but the other two I can’t tell apart. They are white middle-aged males of similar height, but their facial features escape me. I refer to them by their transportation. There is jeep guy and motorcycle guy. It doesn’t help that they’ve been wearing hoodies. It happened with landscapers too. There were three guys, all Latino. One was the lead on the job. I was good as long as his jacket was different. They wore jackets supplied by the company. On a cold day they all had the same thicker jacket, and I was up the creek! Oh the joys of aging.

Still struggling on that tree – We are adding a tree off the new deck. Visiting nurseries is as confusing as researching on the internet. I’m looking at sticks and wondering how it will look in 20 years. I drove around neighborhoods and took pictures of trees that are blooming now. That’s all good but I don’t know for sure if they are cherry or crabapple trees. I’ll get one chance to make a selection. It takes years for a tree to mature and match that pretty picture posted. By then it’s too late to say “I want the other one.”

An unwanted visitor – Covid made a sneak attack in my family. My 90-something brother and sister-in-law got it. That are vaxxed and boosted. My brother, who we worried about the most because he has asthma, had a short run but his wife is very ill. Her doc prescribed the pills. They cut down on the duration and the severity, but she’s still been pretty sick this week. We are grateful they didn’t get it when there were no treatments or vaccines.

So how was your week?

54 thoughts on “Random 5 for May 1, 2022 – May, jobs, facial recognition, trees, covid”

  1. I’m sorry about your brother and sister-in-law … worst that they’ve taken precautions and got the shots, but thankfully they did as hopefully both will rally back soon. Funny about the facial recognition and the landscapers – you can’t blame it on them wearing a mask either I’ll bet. I have never had a Serviceberry tree, but my friend Carol in NY has one – it’s beautiful in Spring when it blossoms and she is planning on getting another one to complement the original. One thing about this tree is that Cedar Waxwings love them

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  4. I have always had trouble with facial recognition. It’s been a tremendous liability in my life and I’ve amassed a variety of embarrassing stories. I’ve learned through the years that I have to really work at it, where other people really don’t. I feel for you! And I’m so sorry that your brother and sister-in-law are sick with Covid! It really does feel like we all will eventually! As hard as it is to see them ill, especially your SIL, it really does indicate they’d have been extremely ill without the vaccine. Hope they recover very quickly!

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  5. I remember faces but have some difficulty with names. I just smile and listen, sometimes the name comes to me but not always. We are losing trees here. To me, they look okay, but they are being cut down by the city. I am hoping they will be replaced.

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  6. I’m sorry to read about Covid in your family. I know how you feel about garden nurseries, so much hope for sale. But will it actually grow like the pic– and will I be around to see it? I’ve never been good at recognizing faces. Can’t imagine where that’ll leave me in a decade or so!

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  7. I’m so sorry about the covid. It has become a bit more mysterious than ever, who gets sick and who doesn’t, etc.
    Not being able to recognize faces is called Prosopagnosia. I know this because I read and reviewed Heather Sellers’ memoir You Don’t Look Like Anyone I know. She has that problem. Maybe your problem might just be visual (not seeing details as clearly) and indifference (kind of who care as long as X gets fixed)? hahahaha Seriously, I do understand that issue myself! and sometimes people who look alike hang together!

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  8. Remembering people’s names has always been a problem for me. That Seinfeld episode (“Mulva”) where he couldn’t remember his new girlfriend’s name was something that actually happened to me back in college! I always try to make an immediate association in my head so I can remember (i.e. someone named “Tom” will become Tom Petty to me). It admittedly doesn’t always work, though.

    Sending positive thoughts to your brother and sister-in-law. – Marty

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  9. I had a crabapple once that was planted in my front yard, just to the left of my walkway (or to the right if you were walking toward the house). Beautiful tree! Tons of flowers! Bird food! and Bees. If it’s going to live near you, be aware of the bees. Bees are good, but not so fun to walk through going to and from your car.

    I’m sorry that covid has hit your family. I am very glad that vaccines and better treatments are helping to make it more survivable but I am sometimes worrying about the next variant and the way people around here are pretending the crisis is over. Then other times, I pretend also that there’s nothing to worry about. At any rate, I’m glad your brother and sister-in-law are recovering.

    I have terrible out of context recognition. I might recognize people who consistently were coming to my house to do some work, but I likely wouldn’t recognize them if I ran into them in the store. Part of this is a learned behavior. I was a psychotherapist for almost twenty years and you don’t want to “recognize” people in public because they shouldn’t have to explain how they know you. And since I could never remember whether that person who looked familiar was a former client or someone I got coffee from, it was never safe to acknowledge anyone.

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  10. So sorry to hear about the Covid with your brother and his wife…..we tend to think it’s “far away” but it’s still haunting. Hope in time it will truly go away. We fortunately have a very knowledgeable nursery and landscaper who has been able to tell us what we should consider when it comes to trees and shrubs based on what we WANT to happen. Lots of things are slow growing – and people tend to want something NOW. You can get “NOW” but you pay a lot for larger/grown trees that’s for sure! I bet you’ll find – and get – what you like. Interesting about the barista in the Porsche dealership – that IS a good idea.

    Hugs, Pam

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  12. Last time I was at the nursery, I bought a Hinoki false cypress, a beautiful, full evergreen. Evergreens or easy to choose. It must be hard to choose a stick that will become a flowering cherry or crab apple. I hope yours turns out nice.

    I have more trouble with names than with faces, although it sometimes takes a while to notice the characteristics about someone’s face, esp. if you don’t spend much time talking to them.

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    • There was a guy who often walked with my walking partner and me. He always wore a baseball cap so I assume he’s bald to some extent. I don’t think I would recognize him easily. Since we were walking we were always looking straight ahead so I don’t remember his features especially without the cap.

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    • I was surprised that they would have a full service coffee shop for their customers but they are a high end dealership. I usually pick up a Starbucks if I have to wait for my car. All of the dealerships are within a mile or less of a Starbucks.

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  15. So very sorry about the Covid, and I’ll leave it there. Hope they completely recover. You lost one of your favorite SB baristas? Oh my goodness, that’s not good. As for the tree, once you decide on it, I think I’d buy a big one so you can enjoy it and not worry about watching it grow. The money would be worth it. I can remember faces but not names, never could. 🙂

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  16. I never thought about choosing trees. We had two nondescript trees removed because they blocked the view of the mountains. We told the yard man that we wanted six trees there with limited upward mobility. The three redbuds and three holly trees were good until this winter. One redbud keeled over dead. Guess we forgot to say we wanted the trees to stay alive. For sure, the fallen tree won’t obscure or view.

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    • Redbuds took a hit here this winter. Our neighborhood has used them for street trees which is not something they are good for. There are three dead ones withing a few blocks. So sad. A dead tree doesn’t obscure view for sure!

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  17. Sorry about your brother and SIL. Glad your brother had a short run of it and hope your SIL can make a full recovery.
    I like your tree! Bought flowers yesterday. Love this time of year, minus the allergies! Wish they could be gone!

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  18. I have the same issue with faces but I’m not sure mine is age-related since it’s been going on for a while (or maybe I’ve been old for longer than I thought 🙂 ).

    Some friends of ours – both vaxxed and boosted – attended an annual event (suspended during Covid) that attracts tons of people, many young, from around the world. Since it’s indoors and it would be impossible to avoid crowds, my husband and I decided not to go. Sure enough, the friends both got Covid (duh). Not too bad but it reminded me how magical thinking usually doesn’t turn out well.

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    • My relatives got it at a small diner they frequent. Everyone there got it. We’re still being cautious. Most of our trips right now are to plant nurseries outside and the grocery store.

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  19. Adding trees to your landscape is tough… a decision that we have not had to make.. yet. I am reading in your above comment that your SIL is feeling better, such great news! Our week was good but we didn’t get any rain and we need it. Hope Monday starts out well for you with deck guy showing up and putting in a longer day of work!

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  21. I hope you can figure out your perfect tree.
    I hope that job isn’t a fleeting thing for her. Sounds like an idea somebody at the car dealership thought might be a good idea, you know?
    I’ve never been good at remembering people’s names. When I start not recognizing faces I will be in real trouble–LOL! Oh, and there are all these people I have met at the clinic and hospital who I wouldn’t recognize without a mask on–LOL!
    Have a wonderful day!

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    • The good news for the barista is that Starbucks would take her back in a heartbeat if the new job doesn’t work out. When I started my last job I met about 300 people in a 2 days period. There were two women who were very large. Very, very large. Both had dark hair and I had trouble remembering who was who. I called one the wrong name and she was really offended. After that I talked to both of them directly without using a name!

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  22. I just read a book about that facial non-recognition disease ~ ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS. It’s by Alice Feeney. If you’re looking for a decent read, it kept me turning pages. There’s a dog in the story, but no cats. 😀

    If you show your “trees in bloom” photos @ the nursery, they should be able to say whether it’s a cherry or a crab apple ~ if not, better call Saul! I also google photos on line to get a sense of how mature trees & shrubs will look.

    Best wishes to you SIL and Brother.

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    • I’ve googled and taken photos but they can’t always tell me the exact variety. The tree person at the nursey is suggesting a kwanzan cherry but I wanted deeper pink blooms so I’m pretty sure I have to go to a crab for that. There is also an app that you can take a photo on your cell and it identifies the species but it’s not always accurate. I should read that book. I’ve never had that problem until the last few years. There is a guy that occasionally would walk with us at the mall. I swear if I saw him on the street I wouldn’t recognize him. Bald, tall and old is how I’d describe him. Once he starts talking, I know who he is. I have the issue more with men. Women are somehow easier.

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      • Oops. Just reread my comment ~> The book isn’t really about the disease . . . it’s a novel with a character who has the disease, which plays out as the plot unfolds.

        Brad Pitt says that he has the disease and that’s why some people think he’s snobby. Because he doesn’t say “hey” since he doesn’t recognize them.

        I expect we will all develop it to some degree as we age since:

        As we age, our eyesight isn’t quite as sharp.
        And our memory banks are over crowded.
        And our friends’ facial features begin to sag (due to gravity).
        And our brains process info and intel slower.
        Etc.

        I just smile and wave at anyone who looks vaguely familiar!

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  23. I am thinking about that with my next tree–the jacaranda is better with this climate, grows faster, and has gorgeous purple blooms, but the autumn blaze maple will look so pretty in the fall! (Jacaranda will drop stuff on my evil neighbor’s car half the year, though. Jacaranda is probably going to win out.)

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