Random 5 for June 30, 2024 – Birthdays, heat, talk, renovation, therapy

Gallery

Posted on by

My brother and his wife celebrating New Year’s Day 2024

Happy birthday bro! – My (much older) brother was 94 yesterday. He is amazing. Still golfing twice a week and as stubborn as ever. No major health issues. Obviously, he got the best genes in the pool!

Delayed thoughts on summer solstice – Last week we watched the summer solstice celebration at Stone Hedge. It was during our stinking hot weather. The only thing I fixated on was the fact that people wore jackets, long pants and scarves. I may have shivered. Perhaps I should watch a polar expedition when it heats up again.

Small talk – It’s meaningless to me. I went for a dermatology check-up this week. I’ve had the same PA for eons, yet I always have to do a 20 questions routine. What are my plans for vacation? Doing anything interesting? Is it hot enough for me? After all that I realize how boring my life is. Then I heard about her family. Truly I don’t care. Just do your thing and get me out. Some people enjoy it. My sister-in-law considers it a failure if she leaves a doc’s office without the life history of everyone there. Different strokes and all that.

A teensy update on the bath renovation – It’s moving along (not fast enough for me). Tiling the shower will take a week (they say). The prep work started on Friday and will continue Monday. Every time I’ve seen a shower redo, the materials are different. They used a new wallboard that looks like hard rubber. Can’t wait until they start putting up the actual tile. That will be the first “pretty” thing getting done. The vanity comes the week of July 8th. That will be exciting.

Retail therapy – It’s a good time to shop for summer clothes. Stuff is on sale if you are lucky to find your size available (I’m usually not). I bought a summer top, half-price. It perked me up after a week of intruders, dirt and flies. I could use a new pair of sneakers but I don’t have the stamina for marathon shopping.  Unless I have a good idea of sizing, I prefer to try them on.

So how was your week?

56 thoughts on “Random 5 for June 30, 2024 – Birthdays, heat, talk, renovation, therapy”

  1. Happy birthday to your brother! Stonehenge would be a pretty cool place to visit for summer solstice, except for the crowds! Heavy clothes is surprising for this time of year there!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Happy birthday to your brother! We have always talked about Stonehenge for the summer solstice but the more we find out about the crowds, the less it appeals. I think watching from afar was a good choice!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I’m not particularly good at small talk. But when I’m with my doctors I never let on. I tell them anything they want to know as long as it makes me look good. If I’m grumpy and withholding I am afraid they’ll put a “grumpy old woman” notation in the record!

    Your broth is just amazing! How wonderful that he continues to enjoy good health!

    Liked by 1 person

    • My PC doc doesn’t waste time on small talk and for that I’m appreciative. I get time beforehand to talk with his nurse. We connect on a personal level so I don’t mind chatting with her but it’s not about vacations and such. She has given me great tips on some health issues that we both have. If I can find a common threat, I’ll all for a chat but not just to make noise.

      Like

  4. I’m with you about the 20 non-medical questions routine. I don’t want to sound rude, so I answer vaguely but I’m there for my health, not to hear your family plans.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I don’t know if it’s part of the aging process but I’m less interested in personal stories of people I don’t know and probably won’t see again. I once had a hairdresser who always asked me what my vacation plans were even if I saw her last month. I’ve always been vague about any plans to be away even with people very unlikely to break into my house. People can overhear or someone can make an offhand comment to someone more likely to break in.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Bro looks great for 94. Handsome. Has a Paul Newman flavor around the edges.

    Can you order sneaks from Amazon? By the way… Happy 4th. Rumor says… Grace and Gus are barbecu-ng.. For some odd reason, some of the letters on my keyboard aren’t work-ng. A ploy from Apple maybe to buy a new MAC?

    Hmm

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Belated Happy Birthday to your brother.

    Retail therapy – Yes! Only trouble is – my wardrobe is full! and most of it still fits me and is in good condition. I could do with a pair of nice black shoes that are both elegant and comfortable but that is almost Mission Impossible!

    Weather? Well, it’s always hot here in summer and every year, it seems to be “hotter than average for this time of year”. Maybe they should just change the definition of “average”.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. We want a bathroom redo but all the folks I know who are in the midst of one say it takes forever and I’m going to have to get psyched up somehow for the invasion of the worker bees. Ours may just involve a new shower vs. full reno so maybe I’ll be able to stand the disruption (MAYBE). Your brother and his wife are a testament to staying active – nobody in my family made it to their 90s – lots of medical issues that seem to have been passed down through the ages in spite of the advances in medicine. I’d like to break that trend! I ordered my last sneakers online from Easy Spirit – I love them but ordering online is a (pardon the expression) crap shoot!!

    Hugs, Pam

    Liked by 1 person

    • Believe me, I worked through every scenario on the bathroom. The shower HAD to be redone but it would affect the floor so that would have to be redone. If we were doing that…you get the idea. I tried doing one side at a time but that would be twice the trouble. I pulled the bandage off all at once. We are about in the middle (they say about 6 weeks). Patience is wearing thin but there is no way out except through it. Last project though. My bro has had asthma for 50 years but today it is so much better managed than in my mom’s day. Easy Spirit…I like them but fit is a crap shoot for sure.

      Like

  11. I haven’t been shopping for clothes for the longest time. It sounds like a good idea, especially if I can find some good sales. During the heat wave in much of the country, it’s been cool here with a high in the high 60s or low 70s. This coming week we’re heading for the 80s. I’d better get my shorts out.

    I don’t have a bathroom remodel to worry about, but I’m going to get a new roof in late July. I’m bracing for all the noise.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Roofs are fairly fast so it shouldn’t be too bad. That is cool weather. This week will be pleasant but we’ll probably go into the hot and humid again next week.

      Like

  12. Well your brother sure doesn’t look like he’s 93 1/2 in in this picture and your sister-in-law looks good as well. Maybe they need to share their secret(s) to longevity and looking youthful with all of us!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Happy Birthday to your brother! How blessed to still be in good health. I need sneakers, but I am having a tough time finding good ones. They all seem to be the lightweight mesh kind.

    Liked by 1 person

    • He is blessed. Overall we have good genes healthwise, He has asthma but it’s very well managed. I like Ryka’s but they have the mesh tops. They usually last a year before my toe pops out. Other brands with mesh seem to last longer. My step-daughter loves Hoka sneakers but I haven’t tried them. They are $$ so I’m watching for sales.

      Like

  17. I’d love to get some summer clothes deals but they always seem to run out of the smaller sizes quickly. Makes me think the buyers should have had smaller sizes in inventory in the first place. Oh well… I really don’t need anything.

    Your brother looks fabulous. I’m sure you have similar genes. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hopefully. My older brother died at 93 so this one is setting the family record. Argh on small sizes. One of my favorite places decided not to carry the XS size. I can look at the small and if I’m interested I have to order on line (if I’m lucky and they have it).

      Like

  18. Happy Birthday to your Brother. They both look great! I don’t mind the small talk at doctor appointments. Keeps my mind off of them taking my BP. I have lost my enthusiasm for IRL retail therapy. I have been hanging out at LL Bean online. Purchased some nice summer shirts and a pair of shorts. I am thinking though if I ever got in a mall again the happiness would come back if it wasn’t too crowded. And you have a point with regard to stamina… I don’t have it anymore!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I was at our local LL Bean store and bought a pair of shorts. They are longish as I mostly wear capris but it’s been hot here. As it turns out I could try them on for size but the color I wanted I had to order on-line. Athleta is having sales but no cigar there. I picked up a top at Chico’s on sale too. Two purchases and I was happy but I really need a pair of sneaks!

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Next time they ask, fill them in on the remodeling project, the cat food issues, your brother’s good jeans, etc. You have a wealth of material from which to draw. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Your brother looks great! Good genes are important and you must have some too. I don’t care for chitchat when I am in a doctor’s office either. May the tiling go a little faster. Still it must be exciting. OK here this week.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Happy birthday to Mr. Amazing! An icon and a role model. Glad to read that progress is being made on the bathroom. Reminding me I still want to post about mine, soon I hope. I have some posts in the pipeline already…

    Deb

    Liked by 1 person

  22. I’m learning so much from you, as we’ll be doing our bathroom next year. A week for the shower titling to be done? Wow, I’m so naive. I thought for sure that would be two days. I pretty much have the opposite with my doctors’ staff and chit-chat. After “How are you?” (which I suspect they’re not even listening to my response), the pleasantries end, stat. I guess I’m okay with that. Your brother is amazing! – Marty

    Liked by 1 person

    • They spent a day putting up the wall waterproof wallboard and put a spackle of some sort over it. They said prep was 2 days. Nothing is on the floor or ceiling so maybe putting a floor pan or some sort. The tile guys are like your doc’s staff. Men of very few words. The carpenters are willing to explain what they are doing.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. Best genes in the pool for sure! Older brothers are like that, at least mine is. Of course it helps to be white and male in this country, you get to miss added stressors that age you, like misogyny and racism. We have to redo our bathroom at some point and I dread it! Glad you are making progress.

    Liked by 1 person

    • We needed to redo the shower as we were getting mold. The vanity was also worn. I tried every plan in the book to make it an easier job but the vanity change required a new floor. If we were going to go that far we may as well take out a useless closet. This is my last big project. Nothing inside that takes more than a week from now on.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Happy birthday to your brother. He looks amazing. I have friends who quite often walk through the night to get to Stonehenge for the Solstice celebrations. They walked to Avebury which also has stones but less crowds this year. It is not for me. The weather here is how I like it, cool and sunny. I would wear a jacket but a scarf seems a bit much.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Paws crossed that the tile starts going up soon. Having something actually looking like it is moving toward completion helps in renovations. We are so happy to have a working kitchen sink and garbage disposal again. So much easier for washing the few dishes we’re using than the utility sink in the laundry room. Hoping for completion in the next few days, though I suspect there are going to be some dangling details that may not get finished this week. They gotta get the dang painter back in her to finish so I can start putting things on counters and such. And one cupboard and one drawer are still incomplete. It will be the small details that will be the most annoying at the end!!

    Liked by 1 person

    • It’s good to have a working sink again! I remember that feeling. We are looking forward to sleeping in our first floor bedroom. We are not used to the up and down of a 2nd floor bedroom and closet. The upstairs continue to be warmer although the past few days haven’t been bad. Tonight does not look promising though. We have at least two more weeks up there. I’m hopeful we can move downstairs once they are down to smaller details but we’ll see. Patience is not a virtue I have in abundance.

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.