Michael's Birthday

I think that I'll be ok, once I've been through all of the holidays once. Today would have been Michael's 65th birthday -- the Medicare birthday! I am still getting lots of invitations for him to get Medicare supplements. I guess this is proof that they really will insure anyone, right?

Dave did a memorial posting in his blog, and I hope that you'll read it! It includes pictures of Dave with Michael. I had thought that I was going to make it through the day without tears, but... this managed to squeeze a few out for me.

It rained on Thursday night, but then we awoke Friday to beautiful weather, high 60's and bright sunshine against beautiful blue skies. We have the same today.

My "presentation" wasn't really much of a presentation, because they couldn't figure out how to get the computer/projector connection to work -- till after the meeting was over.

Later on Friday, Jack came over and we measured and discussed plans for my deck addition. It's gonna be sweet! :)

George, JoAnn, John, and I went out to Corleone's for dinner last night, and it was delicious. If you're in Tucson and want some delicious Italian, you can find this place only if you look very carefully. It's on the southwest corner of Tanque Verde and Kolb, only accessible from the southbound lane of Tanque Verde. It's tucked in behind some other stuff, but is well worth the search!

After our real food, we continued the Italian experience by going to Frost -- also on Tanque Verde -- a bustling gelato place.

This morning, I did laundry and then came home and opened my windows! I went to help Ernie and Jan with their computer, setting up email. I went and did my walk, and then I came home and sat out on my little patio with Maddy. It was fun sitting out there and waving at passers-by.

Ione came by and we discussed the Photo Club agenda for Monday. She has many great ideas and I know that this will be a fun club. We're going to do photo shoots in interesting locations, have guest speakers, and learn about how to take better photos. We're also going to have photo-sharing sessions, and even some contest-format exhibitions of photos, where they're judged. (A bit like a real-life Art Challenge!)

I've decided, just in the past couple of days, that I'm not going to be teaching Photoshop classes anymore -- at least not for the foreseeable future. I would have so much work to do to update the classes for the new version of Photoshop, and I just don't have the fire in me to do all of that work. JohnD told me that I needed to be sure that I was doing what *I* wanted to do, and not just what was expected of me. I was pushing to do what was expected of me, and ... I'm just not there.

I DO want to do more art. And I DO want to do more Art Challenges. I will get my Community up and running one of these days, and I'll be able to do that. I have to get my big computer, my desktop, running again. It's just dead. That's the one that I can use my Wacom tablet with most easily and ergonomically. And that's the computer that I use in my front window here, where I can look out to the purple mountains majesties!

I'm not dropping out of life, as someone suggested to me in a recent email. I am just shifting gears. I'll find a new and appropriate niche for myself. And you know... even if I DID decide to drop out of life for awhile, it would be ok. :P~