Category: 2018

I’ve been slumming it in Santa Fe with no internet, just hot spotting when I need it. Then we decided we ought to put home security systems in both houses, because there’s often no one at the house in Placitas, and I’m up here alone in Santa Fe. So this weekend, John came up and helped me install internet and a security system. I love the new internet, but the security system – not so much.

What I originally wanted was just a camera at my front door so I could see what’s going on out there without opening the door. But we ended up with some sensors for the doors and windows, and some sort of Alexa type thing that talks at me. She has a freaky sci-fi voice that I guess is supposed to be soothing or sexy or something and it’s awful.

I’ve turned it off for now, until we can figure out how to make it behave. The sci-fi lady talks too much. At first I thought she was just talking at me when I came home. It’s not a very welcome greeting either. She starts out – “Warning.” Everything she says, starts out, “Warning.” Then she goes to explain that the system isn’t set up with dispatch (yes, we know, we didn’t want to sign up for that service). Then she goes on to tell me that the keypad isn’t working, even though it appears to be working. She says this every time I come in the door.

We found this at the Placitas Flea Market this morning:

And then Mini attracted a sharp looking new friend while we were in Walmart.

You’re like, “Ok, I know you like your car, it’s cute and all, and yes, that other one you saw is even cuter, but WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF AFRICA?”

And I’m like, still overwhelmed, procrastinating, sorry. At breakfast today John started explaining that there are actually more than 1300 photos because there are also some on the other camera, and I’m like, “OTHER CAMERA!?”

John’s home safe! He’s got a head cold, but he had a wonderful time. Here’s a photo. Elephants!

He took 1300 photos, so ummm, not sure what to say about getting any more pictures posted anytime soon because I don’t know how to begin to sort them.  My friend said I should write an algorithm to pull every 20th photo. Maybe more like every 50th. But I will post some when I can; the few I’ve seen so far are amazing!

I laughed so loud and suddenly that the dog startled awake and started barking!

John says, “I’m in Maun airport starting my return home! Here is one photo that I had on my phone. I have about a thousand much better pictures on the camera. It was a really great trip, but I’m looking forward to seeing you soon or soonish — after 40 hours of flying. “

John says, “This is a lioness – taken from a vehicle, not on our walk. :P”

When he says he has about a thousand more on his camera, I’m afraid that’s not a figure of speech, he actually means a thousand. We’ve been known to take hundreds just at a local park in Albuquerque where we’ve already seen (and photographed) everything several times before.

A thousand pics. So how am I going to decide which ones to post? I could just randomly pick every 10th picture – no wait, every 100th picture…? Well, I can’t wait to see them! (Some of them.)

Here’s today’s text from his Garmin:

I don’t know how the tour group knew it was his birthday. It must have been in the application form, or they took a copy of his passport or something. Because John wouldn’t have said anything about it. Plus, in order to prepare, they must have known ahead of time, because I believe them to be wandering around in middle of nowhere Africa.

I’m wondering if he actually liked the surprise birthday party? Because he’s always told me never, never, throw him a surprise party because he would hate it. Hmmm. Maybe I could get away with a surprise party? Although I know what he’d say to that. He’s say, “Yeah, maybe if we were in Africa.” 😉

The length of time it took someone outside our Air Quality Bureau to forward a time sensitive request to our Bureau Chief: 7 days.

The length of time it took our Bureau Chief to delegate it to two managers below her: 20 minutes.

The length of time it took one of those two managers to delegate it to me, requesting that I task one of my employees: 4 days.

(The second manager never did delegate it to his employee, who found out about it from us).

The length of time it took me to delegate it to my employee, and call him to make sure he saw it, and offer to help: 3 minutes

The length of time remaining for the employees to complete the task before the originally specified due date: 3 hours

~

On a more amusing note (I hope), every month at work we have a meeting for all the managers in the entire Air Quality Bureau. It’s mind-numbingly boring. The agenda, into which we are all supposed to put our team update every month, can run to 10 or more pages.

The big news for my team is we’ve just managed to hire the first of 4 new employees. I wrote, “He will start on June 30, and will be located in Suite B #30. He has a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where the mascot is “Speedy the Geoduck” (pronounced gooey, like fudge). A geoduck is a type of mollusk. He didn’t mention the geoduck mascot; I just happen to know because I used to live in Olympia. We can all tease him about it.”

The likelihood the goeduck quip will make it past two layers of management review and still be in the agenda come meeting time on Thursday is vanishingly low. But hopefully whichever manager cuts it, will at least have a slight chuckle before hitting the delete key.

At least I didn’t mention WHY Evergreen’s mascot is the geoduck (which is probably not limited to the fact that they live in the local mudflats in Olympia). If you’re curious, just do a google image search on “geoduck”.

John says:

Wow!  just now had a bull elephant walk by ten feet from my tent while I was inside! :O inr.ch/RKP34PB  – John Sullivan

John says,

inr.ch/C7JGADJ

https://inreach.garmin.com/textmessage/viewmsg?mo=7bc3cfb5f90a4b7880f8e187ee47648a&adr=%2b15052933344

It doesn’t seem like John has cell or internet, just this satellite connection with his Garmin, which he can use to send a text associated with his location.

I’m guessing we’ll have to wait until he’s home on Friday before we have any pictures. I’ll try to post some over the weekend. I’m afraid he’s going to take hundreds. The time consuming part will be sorting through them all!

One advantage to having the house to myself is I can eat whatever I want without worrying about it’s impact on others.

For dinner tonight:

Brown rice topped with scrambled egg, seaweed, sauerkraut, carrots, sardines, sesame seeds, and two different kinds of sriracha sauce.

At least I scrambled the egg. Another option would have been hard boiled (even more stinky), or the authentic way – raw.

If you’re thinking, “what the heck?” just imagine something vaguely like bibimbap, except just about every ingredient has been substituted for something I happened to have in the house. If you’re wondering what sauerkraut has to do with Korean food – I couldn’t find any kimchi in my kitchen! I guess it’s all at the other house. That is the story of my life no matter which house I’m at – “Uh, I’m sure I had some – it must be at the other house.”

Real bibimbap:

Real bibimbap from a good restaurant will come in a really hot stone bowl (dolsot), and is still cooking when it arrives. If you want your egg cooked, just stir it in right away and it will cook. Also, even if they serve it with the egg already cooked, if you don’t stir it, the edges of your rice could overcook.

I don’t have a dolsot. I looked into ordering one once, and it was quite expensive. I just need to visit a Korean store next time I’m in the bay area or somewhere. There is a world market in Albuquerque, Talin Market, and they used to also have a Santa Fe location, but it closed before I moved here.

My dinner: