Thursday 02/16/2023
Lots of things today. Started in the gym. Then I put in an hour on taxes, which was very successful. What I did was locate and download all the 1099 and similar forms that I needed.
I’ve been meaning to get a POLST together for some time. This is basically a more terse statement than my “living will” document, covering specifically what treatment I want, or don’t. I had the form for months, but the hangup was, it has to be signed by my physician, supposedly after a frank conversation on end of life choices. I didn’t expect to see her until August, the usual time for my annual visit. So it’s been lying on my desk.
Finally I got off my ass and did something, specifically, I messaged her asking if I could drop the form off for her signature, and also with a copy of my “living will” which basically says all the same things (“no CPR, comfort care only”) in lieu of the conversation. She messaged back on Tuesday, that’s fine. So Tuesday I dropped those documents off. Yesterday I got a call that the papers were ready.
At 11am I headed out. First to down to Los Altos to the Dr.’s office to pick up the POLST. Then to the Mitchell Park library complex for a FOPAL luncheon. But on the way, stopped at the grocery for some supplies. And then after parking at the library, I spent 5 minutes attaching my new 2023 license plate sticker on the Prius rear plate.
The luncheon was just a pizza party that Janette, the FOPAL director, had put together to make volunteers feel happy. We ate pizza and participated in a Palo Alto history trivia quiz. Sample question, “Leland Stanford owned property in another Bay Area town where he was originally going to site his university — what town was it?” Answer, Fremont. Apparently his wife Jane liked “the farm” on this side of the Bay better.
Back to CH for a 2pm meeting with other AV team members and Gerald of IT, to learn about some of the features of the replacement sound board. It has an effects channel, any mic can be directed through one of a menu of ambience mods, like “large hall”. Basically a choice of reverb effects, which are pretty useless. But also it has a bluetooth input, and he demo’d pairing the board with his phone, and playing music from Spotify into the system. There might be a use for that some time.
Now to make up a package consisting of the POLST, my Advance Directive, and a cover letter listing people to inform “In the event of my demise or incapacity”. Copies of this package to be filed with CH and … where else? Not sure. Handy by my desk to take along if I am every hospitalized.
Codgerville 