Day 208, washer, docent, dinner, play

Friday, 6/28/2019

Started the day with a run, ending at yet another coffee shop: Mademoiselle Collette, which Harriet has praised a couple of times. Cappuccino: good. Pastries: legit. I had a Koign Amman, a pastry I first had on our French vacation several years ago. This one was pretty close to the real thing. The only drawback to the place is its small size; it is basically a 20×20 foot cube, about the size of my apartment, and noisy. There are pleasant seats outside, however, and I may try those for Sunday morning.

Next official thing on the calendar was a docent tour, but about 9 I got a phone call from “Tarla”, the person who was supposed to look at the washing machine at 2pm. Could she send George her handyman to look at it now? Oh, sigh, I suppose so. I drove over to Tasso street to meet George who came up in his pickup truck from San Jose. He was tasked by Tarla with making sure the washing machine functioned, and taking it away if so. However, Tarla and he appear not to be the greatest planners. She hadn’t told him it hadn’t been paid for. When I said, the price is $100, he was taken aback, then said, ok, he could pay me and get it from Tarla. Then he looked at the washer and while I was making it run through its cycles, I pointed out that it weighed well over 200 pounds, and he didn’t have a dolly, so how was he alone going to get it up my gravel driveway to his truck, and without a lift gate, how would he load it?

He talked at length to Tarla, who sounded like a confused drama queen on the phone and seemed to want to blame him and/or me for the mixup. Anyway, no sale, and George went off to try to get Tarla to pay him for his mileage and time. Best of luck with that, George.

My docent tour group was the smallest ever, just one couple. Very nice people but it was weird talking to just two. I am so used to projecting my voice to lecture to a dozen or more. I had to back off, and use a conversational voice, and generally lower the pitch of my presentation. But they enjoyed it.

Dinner was a date with Betsy and her husband George. She has the task of introducing new residents at the monthly Residents’ Meeting which is a week from Monday. She quizzed me at length on my work history etc. We were joined at table by Bob. Bob retired from running Stanford’s overseas campus in Germany for many years. All these people are over-achievers, I feel very… modest. Kind of like when I went from high school ace to being just an average one of the herd in college.

A little after 7pm I made the ten-minute walk to Lucy Stern center to see A man with two guv’ners by the Palo Alto Players. I saw a production of The servant of two masters, the classic by Golden, some years ago. This is a modern version, updated from medieval Venice to 1963 England, and played with lots of bravura slapstick physical comedy and bad British accents. It was pretty entertaining.

Day 207, Shustek, Tasso

Thursday, 6/27/2019

I drove to Shustek for a day of photographing artifacts and then, when the “ready to pack” shelves were full so we couldn’t place any more photographed items, Sherman and I turned to packing.

Deborah was to do some pricing and setup for the sale this afternoon. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to work Chuck’s lockbox. She called me, then she called Chuck, and found out the changed combination, so all was well.

I stopped by Tasso on the way home, but she’d already left. I chatted briefly with neighbors across the street. Former neighbors, I guess.

Back at C.H., while getting my mail before supper I was accosted by Betsy, who has the job of introducing new members at the members meeting, one of which happens next week. So she invited me to dinner with her and her husband tomorrow to get some material for introducing me.

Before bedtime Deborah texted wanting me to meet with a possible washing machine buyer tomorrow. I’m doing a docent tour at noon, but we managed to settle on 2pm for that. So tomorrow has: tour at noon, washing machine looker at 2, dinner at 5:45, and I’m going to a play at 8pm. Checked the map. From my new home, I’m just 0.6 mile from Lucy Stern center where the play is, an easy walk.

Big day, better get some rest.

Day 206, many errands, FOPAL

Wednesday, 6/26/2019

I started the day with a run. At several points my pace was interrupted by texts from Chuck. Lawyer Lady’s agent had texted him, quote,

Chuck, I just received this text from [Lawyer Lady], “Lyn, I am so sorry about the delay. I am in negotiations (complex license). As for Tasso, I would love to buy it but I cannot swing it at the [our counter offer] price.” Chuck, this was my first communication with [Lawyer Lady] since last Friday. I think it is best for your seller to move ahead without us. Again, my deepest apologies, Lyn.

In further exchanges — Chuck likes long text conversations — Chuck noted that right at the start, Lyn had given him a “qualification document” showing that this buyer was qualified to finance the price we set in our counter. So “cannot swing it” really means, either “don’t want it” or “I want to dicker”. I texted to Chuck, and suggested he quote it to the agent,

We are not interested. We would accept her PROMPT acceptance of our original counter. Otherwise we are done with this negotiation.

We agreed he’d give them a deadline of Thursday noon, after which he would inform the escrow company that we are “out of contract”. I am not sure what happens then to the deposit she placed to open the escrow. Probably goes back to her, although I think we would be justified in keeping some of it, after the amount of jerking us around she’s done.

Back at the barn I assembled some stuff and headed out for a day of going and doing.

First stop was the Wheeler Accountants office in San Jose, to turn in the thick packet of documentation I have assembled so they can compute the actual value of Marian’s estate, and thus how much of her estate tax exemption transfers to me.

Next was a visit to Yamagami’s nursery in Cupertino. My aim is to replace a pot that broke on moving day. It was one of a pair of elegant high-fired pots. Actually I want to replace both, because the remaining one is only 9 inches wide and the plants really need 11-inch pots. I don’t know where Marian bought them but I was hoping, Yamagami’s. They do have a very large selection of pots, many more than any other nursery I know, but nothing like these. However, I bought a pair of I think rather pretty glazed pots.

I used the phone to find the nearest US Post Office, just a mile away, and went there to drop off the DVR for return to AT&T.

Next up, the grocery store next to FOPAL to lay in my favorite no-cal drinks and some snacks for the room. Then, about 11:30, I went into FOPAL and spent 4.5 nonstop hours, cleaning up the Computer section and sorting.

At this point I am not ashamed to say I felt a little bit tired. I headed home but via the T-Mobile store where I meant to return my micro-cell. We always had lousy T-Mobile reception at Tasso street, one or two bars in the living room and “No Service” at the back. That was only an annoyance until Marian got sick and we needed to make lots of phone calls. T-Mobile very nicely gave me the micro-cell, a box that hooks to the wi-fi and acts like a local cell tower. Four bars in every room, it was wonderful!

Now at Channing House I have an acceptable 3 bars everywhere, so I don’t need the micro-cell box. However, the nice young lady wouldn’t take it because I “didn’t have all the parts”. She particularly noted I didn’t have the original yellow CAT-5 cable that came with it. On the way home I remembered there is also a little antenna dongle that I hadn’t brought either. So now I have that to do over.

Anyway, home to chillax and have some dinner and maybe watch the Democratic Debate.

Oh, that revealed a weakness in the voice search for the X1 box. When I said “find debate” all it could find was the PBS show, “The Debate”. When I said “find democratic” all it found was some Netflix show called “Democrats”. Only when I said “find democratic debate” did it find “National Democratic Presidential Debate”. Why couldn’t it find that title for the first two searches? (It’s definitely artificial but I don’t know if it’s intelligent.)

Day 205, Basketball camp, laundry

Tuesday, 6/25/2019

As planned I headed out at 7:15. I decided to take a Lyft rather than cope with the parking. Met Lily and the rest of the usual SWBB fan crew and had a quick breakfast at Jimmy V’s, the cafe next to Maples. For the opening of the one-day camp I was assigned to the “trainer table”. The actual trainer wasn’t there, I was supposed to take notes for her. Each camper whose mom had noted any kind of physical restriction–almost always exercise induced asthma–on the application, was redirected from the sign-in table to me. I was supposed to ask if she felt ok, had any needed meds or inhalers, and remind her to call Katelin, the trainer, if she had any problem whatever. As there were only about 5 campers out of the 100 affected, I didn’t have much to do.

All were checked in by 9:30. Then, it turned out, there was nothing for volunteers to do until 12:30, when check-in for the “elite” camp began. The elite camp is a four-day residential camp.

I walked across to the location for that operation so I knew where it was; then I decided to fill the time with acquiring a few things I’ve been meaning to buy. The first was an antacid, Ranitidine, that I take daily. I called a Lyft to CVS on University avenue. I was about to buy two 90-cap boxes when it occurred to me the price seemed high. Hey, it’s the 21st Century. I got out my phone and in under a minute found that the same 90-pill bottles were literally one-third the price at Target. OK, Target would probably also have the other things I want, too.

So I walked home, got in the car, drove to Tar-zhaay in Mountain View. It took a while but I found what I wanted there, including: three teaspoons, forks, and knives. I could have taken these and more from Tasso street, but I didn’t want to break into the 12-setting set there. (One supposes that a good 12-place set of stainless flatware will sell for more than a 9-place? OK, probably not much.)

From there I drove back to Stanford and parked in the underground Wilbur garage, and walked to the elite camp check-in place. Here I was assigned to the group selling parking passes. Parents who want to spend any time watching their kids need a parking day-pass, and we sold them for $5. We also told parents where to park etc.

During this period, Chuck texted from Tasso street where he was getting a painter’s estimate on the house. He will also get an estimate on replacing the linoleum in the kitchen.

About 3pm that was all over and I drove myself back for the day’s last adventure: Laundry! My first laundry at Channing House. The 6th floor washer and dryer are heavy-duty Speed Queen models that worked fine. There’s an iron and ironing board and I ironed my Docent shirt and pants.

Exciting times in Palo Alto, huh?

Day 204, planning, bridge, FOPAL

Monday, 6/24/2019

My second Monday here. Last night coming out of the dining room I nabbed a roll and a banana, and that’s what I had for breakfast this morning. Eating in the room, before dressing and going out, is much more satisfactory for me. Take in a little fuel and go.

Go I did, leaving at 7:30 for a run, the third time I’ve run this new route. The phone app doesn’t give consistent results for the distance, but it’s about right, around 40+ minutes of (pathetically slow) jogging plus a few minutes to walk the last few blocks. Being so early I didn’t stop at a coffee shop. The earliness was to be ready for the Monday bridge game beginning at 10:15.

Before I went out to run I discovered that the button on my usual shorts was loose and almost off. So on return I got out the small sewing kit I’d brought from Tasso and sewed it back on. Also after returning I finalized the estate docs for the tax people, and printed out the various maps and forms needed when I go to help with registration, tomorrow morning on campus, for Tara Vanderveer’s summer girls’ basketball camp. They want us there outside Maples pavilion at 7:45, which I calculate means I have to be out the door by 7:15.

I only had to play the first session of the bridge game this time, because I have an appointment to meet with Angela to review the completion of my apartment. I have a few QC things to bring to her attention, but mainly I want to get straight how to have a piece of furniture (the planned bookcase) delivered.

That interview was pleasant. She agreed to have fixed a couple of minor sloppy construction items and we talked about the move-out in September, and what work would be done during the renovation. To have furniture delivered, contact her.

That done, I felt the pull of my section of books at FOPAL and went there, arriving about 3:30, and staying three full hours. There was a wall of 18 boxes in front of the section. I culled them and sent 16 boxes to the bargain room, and priced and shelved about 50 books in all.

Back home just in time for the final minutes of dinner service. And then to spend a relaxing evening in the glow of much accomplishment.

Day 203, wood, furniture

Sunday, 6/23/2019

The sun, like a stage spotlight, shines into the room at 6 and works its way around the edges of my nose under the sleep mask. Need a better one.

Walked to Paris Baguette for Sunday morning coffee, and they immediately lost my favor. One, their plain croissants, although properly shaped and a good texture, have a sugar glaze. Come on, people! I’ve eaten croissants on a Sunday morning still warm from a neighborhood bakery in Paris. I don’t mind you selling a croissant-shaped sweet roll, but label it as such. And two, although I say “a cappuccino for here”, I get what can best be described as a small latte in a paper cup. That’s it, says the grumpy customer; I’ll be having Sunday breakfast elsewhere.

I extend my walk up to Alma and the hardware store where I get another kind of wood treatment for the coffee table. And two metric screws. For why? Boring story.

Sometime Friday I noticed that I have an old-fashioned aluminum framed window that opens, or should open. This is the kind of horizontally-hinged window with two levers you turn and then pull to swing it open; and it is regulated and stabilized by two side-levers that slide in the frame, or should slide. (I’d take a picture but it’s dark now.) I tried to open it and it wouldn’t. One of the two handles was dangling on a loose screw. The handle is secured by two screws, but one was missing and the other was half-out.

I turned the other handle and by heaving and yanking, got the window to grudgingly open. It clearly had not been opened in many years; the slide mechanism was balky and when I got it open, there were festoons of spiderwebs around the edge which was black with grime. Friday I had taken the one remaining screw in my pocket and when I stopped at the hardware store, I bought a mate for it. Feeling all clever, I brought it back and tried securing the loose handle. Hah! It turns out that both the screw holes for that handle had been stripped. Steel screws in an aluminum frame, too much muscle, the threads disappear.

Those screws were #10 machine screws. Today, just for fun, I bought the nearest metric size machine screw, which is juuust a bit wider. And brought it home. On the way in, I stopped at my car in the garage and got out the cane deck chair I’d bought at Cost Plus yesterday and brought that up.

So it was now about 9am, gotta love the early start on a Sunday. I tried the metric screws and danged if their little threads didn’t bite into the aluminum and snug up nice. So that handle is once again secure. I spent a while with cleaner and paper towels getting all the spiderwebs and general schmutz off the window frame. I also discovered I had a blind I could lower in that window. Well, it had been there, up at the top, now I found the string that raises and lowers it. The rod that you twirl to change the angle of the slats? Broken off. (Note that this window, being single-pane glass, will be replaced during the upgrade. Hopefully with a better style of window mechanism and blind.)

I assembled the deck chair and put it out on the deck, and fussed with the position of the chair, the little table I brought from the back yard at Tasso street, and the various plants, trying to find a nice arrangement. And failing. Not happy with what I have there.

I applied the new wood treatment to the coffee table and it is looking better. It hadn’t been oiled or waxed or anything for going on 40 years. The first application produced quite a bit of yellowish color on the rag, which I think was old nicotine coming off.

Killed a bit of time doing Zooniverse classifications and finally it was lunchtime. I went down to the first floor and discovered a traffic jam of hungry oldsters. This is actually the first time I’d come to the dining room for lunch. I didn’t want to stand in line so I sat in the lobby and did a sudoku, and then another, and it was 12:45 and still there was a jam-up at the food counter. I was aiming to walk to University to shop for furniture after eating, so I just started walking now. Had a sandwich and smoothie on the Ave.

Visited Design Within Reach and Restoration Hardware and didn’t see a good bookcase. So I took a Lyft over to Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park where I’d noted another furniture place. Didn’t like anything there, so I took another Lyft to Crate and Barrel at Stanford Shopping Center. Here I found something that is pretty darn close to what I want.

austin

It’s the right size, about, and won’t clash with anything else I’ve bought. I’m letting it ripen in a browser window for a day or so before I pull the trigger on it. For one thing, for a 5-foot by 3-foot bookcase, $999 seems a little steep. All right, it is real walnut, not veneer on chipboard. But the one at Cost Plus, see previous day, was about a third of that. I can maybe live with veneer on chipboard.

Had supper. Then sat down with Amazon and selected a better sleep mask, one that specifically says, it blocks light coming in around one’s nose. It’ll be here Tuesday. First time I’ve had an Amazon Prime order shipped to this address! And so, as Mister Pepys liked to say, to bed.

Day 202, docent, washing machine, dinner

Saturday, 6/22/2019

On the way down to breakfast about 8am I ran into Craig, who pointed out that my painting was now properly hung opposite the lounge door. Later I wrote to Dean Linsky and sent this picture. He wrote back later, appreciative of the note and that the painting wouldn’t be sold.

Today I am scheduled to lead the noon tour at the museum. I put on my red shirt and head out at 10:30. I stop at the post office, but it isn’t open for receiving packages on Saturday, so I can’t mail the DVR.

Scott showed up to take my tour. We started with over 20 people. At least 5 wandered away, but the rest seemed to enjoy it. Just after I finished up, Deborah called to say someone wanted to see the washing machine and dryer, could I show it at 3pm? Oh, yeah, sure. I drove back to C.H., changed clothes, picked up the house key, and drove to Tasso street. A very charming couple showed up; they are moving into a rental that, they think, doesn’t have a washer/dryer. They approve of mine, and went away to talk to their landlady. Later in the evening, Deborah texts that they won’t be taking the machines after all.

At this point it was 3:30. In the morning I’d used Google Maps to make a list of all the local furniture stores. I’m determined to find a pleasing, open bookcase to display some objects and my few books. I can exactly picture what, in college, I would have built out of glass blocks and planks. Now I decide to drive to the southernmost of my list, Cost Plus. I remember visiting Cost Plus with Marian several times, although I don’t recall what specifically we ever bought there.

55782_XXX_v1 This time, they have one that is almost exactly what I want. The only problem with it is the shelves are only about 10 inches high, and my taller books won’t fit. They could be on top, held by a heavy pair of bookends I have, but I am going to keep looking.

I headed back to C.H. where I’d been invited to join Patti and Craig for dinner. We sat for over an hour chatting, that was nice.

Day 201, lunch, Time Capsule, DVR, mail forwarding

Friday, 6/21/2019

Went for a run first thing, without breakfast. I don’t want to go into the dining room in my t-shirt and running shorts and shoes, and there’s nothing in the to-go case that I can eat while running (whatever that might be, I really can’t imagine). So, went without. Health app said, 2.5 miles.

Had a baked good and coffee at Prolific Oven then stopped at the Walgreen’s on University to find a sleep mask. Jackpot! Found a good sleep mask, one with an adjustable elastic band and convex eye-covers, so there will be no pressure on the eyes. The sun through the drapes at 6am is just amazingly bright. Have I written that I spoke to Angela about the missing drapes, and it was a misunderstanding between us? She thought I was willing to wait for them when they replace the drapes as part of the upgrade this fall. I had thought they would be installed now.

Well, I can’t disagree that it makes sense to wait until the drapes are replaced; but that leaves the problem of sleeping past sunrise, which will be getting earlier and earlier in the next couple of months. The problem will solve itself in September when I am moved to the 4th floor West side. Meantime: a sleep mask.

Next I solved a technical problem: getting my Apple Time Capsule to work in the C.H. internet ecosystem. It turned out, thanks to the magic of Apple technology, to require little more than plugging it in and turning it on. I put it next to the Comcast modem and connected with a cable. It immediately found the internet and began to broadcast the same Wi-Fi signal, “Cortesi Home”, that it has been serving for several years. I don’t want it to do that; that network is redundant and unneeded here. However, it turns out you can use the Airport Utility to make it “hide” its network. So the name won’t show up in the long list of competing wi-fi networks in the building.

Meanwhile my laptop and desktop both found it and immediately began backing up to it. So, problem solved. After they’d both done complete backups, I shut the Time Capsule down. I’ll start it up every week or so for another backup, or if I need to recover anything.

Now it was time for lunch with Scott and Craig. Craig drove us to Town and Country in his newish red Prius. It makes my 7-year-old Prius look dowdy. I had been thinking — and still do think — there is no practical point in buying another car. The 2012 plug-in will serve me just fine for as long as I’m likely to drive. But… on the other hand… the new ones have some safety features mine doesn’t… and smell nicer… Maybe next year, after the house is sold and my finances are solid…

Scott and Craig reminisced at length about the old days at IBM. I had worked longer in the same organizations as Scott so knew roughly what he’d done during those years, but I had no real feel for Craig’s career. It was interesting to learn.

For a couple of days FedEx has been texting me about the progress of “your package” — what package? I couldn’t think what I would have ordered that hadn’t already come. Today I guess it might be the package from AT&T/DirecTV for returning the DirecTV DVR. When at 4:50 I got a text saying my package had been delivered, I drove over to Tasso street and sure enough, it was the DVR return box. I am still sure I bought that DVR but heck, I’m not going to fight AT&T over it. If they want to recycle it for me, great. I packed it up per instructions, but it was now to late to deliver it to the Post Office.

I gassed up the car (first time in a month, almost 800 miles on a tank at 91.4 mpg, let’s hear it for the seven year old plug-in hybrid!) and stopped at the hardware store to find some kind of snake oil to improve the finish of my teak coffee table. It’s a beautiful piece of furniture but it has the patina of 40+ years of benign neglect.

Back home I checked the mail, and there was a letter from my insurance company, addressed to me at 2340 Tasso, and officially redirected by the Post Office computers to the new address. So my address-change has truly been processed.

I guess I live here now.

Day 200, Yosemite, Jean

Thursday, 6/20/2019

Drove to the Yosemite ave. warehouse for a day of artifact work. This was the first time I did this starting from University Avenue downtown, instead of from Page Mill Road. An extra half-mile of slow traffic. On the other hand, this was the first time I started from inside a covered garage. The Prius hardly knows what to do with itself now it is living inside a building instead of being exposed to birds and oak leaves 24/7, like it was for the previous 7 years.

During lunch with the rest of the artifact volunteers, I engaged in a long text conversation with Deborah, who had someone that wanted to buy the washing machine, but had only a pickup truck and wanted help loading it. Eventually it was settled that I would meet them Friday morning for this. I was not enthusiastic about this, and was pleased when a few hours later, Deborah texted that the person had canceled out.

From Milpitas I drove to Mountain View to pick up sister-in-law Jean. She wanted to see Channing House. For her age of 92 she is remarkably healthy. She uses a cane for balance and admits to no longer walking the mile to her church for daily mass. She drives instead.

She was favorably impressed by my new context. She got a free dinner because there was nobody at the entrance to the dining room to whom I could report I was bringing a guest. Her white hair and cane were sufficient camouflage that nobody suspected she might be a visitor.

I am concerned about what she may do going forward. She has about sufficient income to continue living in her current situation, but if she needs more care… And what kind of obligation do I have toward the support of my late wife’s sister? These are not easy issues.

Day 199, gym, tidy up, counters, FOPAL, furniture

Wednesday, 6/19/2019

Between breakfast and time to leave for the museum at 10:30, I totally blitzed a bunch of unsorted stuff. Weeks ago I cleaned out the desk by moving all sorts of office and stationery items, also some electronics and things like cameras, into the drawers of a tall narrow chest. Plus there was a big box of office supplies of various sorts. Now I went through all of that.

I populated the two “desk” drawers, shallow drawers at the top of the file cabinet that sits under the drawer-less computer desk, with the usual things, neatly arranged. Back in 1975-77 when we lived in England, we accumulated the cute little tins that the Brits sell candy in. They make perfect little drawer organizers.

I moved often-used printer supplies into the little table the printer sits on. I put lesser-needed supplies and such into drawers in the tall chest, but more rationally organized.

Then I cleared off the plywood counters in the bathroom and kitchenette in hopes the real counters would be installed today — and in fact, just as I was ready to leave, the guys with the counter tops arrived!

I joined the other docent named Dave to lead tours for a group of Berkeley students. Not the usual Comp. Sci. class, rather a group of Swedish exchange students doing graduate studies in management. So older, and not quite as tech-y as some student groups. Older, but not old enough. When I hold up a vacuum tube and say, hands up who knows what this is, not one one hand went up.

The 1401 team was there early and volunteered to give this class their demo when Dave and I finished our tours, so the Swedes got the full deal. They seemed appreciative.

Then I got some lunch, and changed clothes (I didn’t want to wear my fire-engine red docent shirt to FOPAL, and brought a Tee and jeans) and went to sort books. When I signed out at 4:15, I was honestly bushed. I stopped by Tasso street to look for the indoor/outdoor thermometer, but it wasn’t there. It must be packed in one of the 2 boxes I’ve not opened yet — I hope.

On arrival home I found my Corian counter tops installed, but still no sinks or faucets.

There is a possibility that a guy will want to look at and maybe buy the sofa tonight, and I really hope he cancels. I don’t want to go out again. As soon as I had settled in to writing this and relaxing, a man arrived to install the sinks and faucets. Then Harry, the guy who borrowed my old Kodak carousel projector, called to ask if he could come return it. So it’s a three-ring circus around here.

Deborah texted; Tony wants to pick up the sofa. So I grabbed a quick supper and went back to Tasso street. Forgetting to bring the front-door key. Oh, wait, the secret back door key stash is still there, I think. Yup, so I could get in. And now have moved the secret back door key to the bag with the other keys, so that won’t work again.

Tony took the sofa and one chair and the ottoman, but couldn’t or wouldn’t spring another $100 to get the second chair. Off he went and I went home to find both my sinks and faucets in. But the kitchen sink has a slow leak around the trap, so there’s that to fix.

Craig called to set up his formal floor-manager interview with me. And finally it was the end of a long day!