Yes, I like living where the coldest it's been so far is about 35 degrees during the night. Of course, this house, at least, and perhaps others in the area as well, isn't made to keep out the cold. Chilly drafts whistled through spaces under and around doors and windows. And the house is about 24 inches off the ground, with no particular insulation in the floor, either. Fortunately, so far that's only been a couple of nights, and yesterday and today the daytime temperatures were back into the 70s.
I've been trying to keep busy. Starting last week, I lugged my keyboard over to my favorite eating place, The Starfish Cafe, and I've been playing Christmas music during their lunch shift, 11-1:45. Today, when I left there, I picked up Remy and headed out to do errands. First, we went to The French Knot (knit shop) in nearby Diamondhead (maybe 8-10 miles?). From there, we hurried toward a specialty pet store in Slidell, but it closed at 3:00 today, and we didn't make it. So, I searched locations in New Orleans that carry Stella & Chewy's (my faithful back-up, freeze-dried dog food) and found one in a neighborhood I'd already been in once -- a real plus. Also, it had its own parking lot!
From there, we meandered over to Veteran's Memorial Parkway, another place I've been before, and found a Joann's Fabrics so I could get a particular type of needle that I need for the proper finishing of the knitted items I've been producing. I "yelped" restaurants in the area and found a place where the brisket was highly recommended -- and it was close by. It turned out to be a bar where smoking is obviously allowed, although fortunately it wasn't busy or smoky at the time. I had the brisket tacos, and the corn tortillas came back to haunt me almost immediately, but the meal was delicious.
The piece de resistance of the evening and the reason for going all the way to New Orleans was a workshop/class for voice actors. This is hosted in the home of the instructor where he has his own little recording studio. He (Marc Preston) talked about a lot of different things including emphasis on the acting part of voice work, focusing on a particular area of voice work, and marketing oneself, and the class culminated with each of us having a turn in the booth, practice reading some prepared copy. I felt I did well at my first try in many years. There was a special price offered for 4 classes ($25 per single class, or $85 for four), so on my way over I had to stop at a couple of different Walgreen's and buy small items so I could get cash back.
This means that, for the next 3 weeks, I have a Tuesday meeting in New Orleans. I'm not sure what I want to do with this. I just know that it's something I like and could do for income. First, I guess I need to get back with Social Security one more time and try to understand how this all works. Initially, I was asked how much I expected to earn this year, and I was told that my monthly income from SS would rise or fall based on my other sources of income. I got a form from the SS office a couple of months ago, asking whether I was earning what I expected. I said no. I got back pay from April and May, but the monthly amount didn't go up. When I went to the SS office in Lacombe the middle of last week, the person I talked to said that the amount wouldn't change. She wasn't specifically a retirement agent, but a disability person, but she said she checked with a retirement person. I'm a little confused. If the amount is fixed, then does that mean I can work without it affecting my SS income? If so, I'm off to find work, because this is not (quite) enough to live on. If not, then I need to know the ins and outs of this system.
If anyone out there reading knows anything about this, please fill me in. (The SS I'm getting right now is Spousal Benefits, not my own SS. I won't be eligible for that for a few more years, and I figure to stay on the Spousal Benefits for a while in order that my own SS income will be higher when I finally get to it.)
I'm having an interesting experience of Advent/Christmas this year. I'm far from loved ones. I'm in a warm climate. The UU church I've been attending doesn't really do much with Advent or Christmas. I have no decorations. And I've been playing Christmas music 2-3 times a week at a cafe. I think it's funny that people in this climate hang lighted icicles and snowflakes. I mean, can't Christmas fit into the reality of this climate? People sing about "Winter Wonderland" here as much as they do in Michigan. It seems odd to me.
I may take a pottery class after the first of the year. A place opened just a block from us where they're teaching classes in pot building and casting on the wheel (two separate classes). I have to look into cost. Oh, and I met a florist with a business right on Main Street next to the Starfish Cafe. She offered to do a barter with me where she would teach me to make the floral arrangements for Abby's wedding, if I would teach her some piano lessons. Sounds like a pretty good deal. I'll be talking with her. Now to find a massage therapist who wants to do the same! Oh! And yoga. After seeing Ginny Peterson do a backbend at Thanksgiving, I thought, "I really need to work on my flexibility!"
I miss my friends and family and wish you were here, rather than me there. I don't miss the blizzards ... too much. I actually do like shoveling, but only once or twice a week, not 3 times a day as someone posted on Facebook. Remy and I are doing okay, holed up in the bedroom most of the time. Rick has the living room, where he plays Solitaire, writes short stories, and checks email, while watching TV or listening to a fabulous jazz station out of New Orleans. Ever since Rick nearly tripped over Remy in the kitchen, I try to stay out of there when he's in there. I try to keep Remy in the bedroom as much as possible. Apparently, while I was at the cafe today, Remy must not have been feeling well (I say this because he had been out twice before I left and did everything he needed to do both times) and left "gifts" (as Rick said in a note) for me in the laundry room. I didn't realize I'd left him access to the laundry room. More careful restriction is required.
Shrimping season is upon us, and we've had some delicious, fresh shrimp a couple of times in the past week or so. Both Rick and I have had our turns at cleaning the shrimp. I felt as though I had gotten pretty good at it by the end of the 2.6 pounds I bought. And the bamboo steamer is just the piece of equipment to steam the shrimp to perfection.
I try to assess my reaction to my living situation on a daily basis. It's not quite the companionable situation I had hoped for, but I'm making other friends, so it's okay. I cannot speak for my roommate, except to say that my own impression is that he finds much of what Remy and I do less than ideal, and perhaps even unacceptable. But who knows what we might learn in the next 4 months -- yes, we've already paid rent for the third month! Remy is my good buddy, and I've spent lots of time alone in the past, so I'm doing okay.
Happy Holidays to you all -- anyone who continues to read my blog (and everyone else, of course)!
I've been trying to keep busy. Starting last week, I lugged my keyboard over to my favorite eating place, The Starfish Cafe, and I've been playing Christmas music during their lunch shift, 11-1:45. Today, when I left there, I picked up Remy and headed out to do errands. First, we went to The French Knot (knit shop) in nearby Diamondhead (maybe 8-10 miles?). From there, we hurried toward a specialty pet store in Slidell, but it closed at 3:00 today, and we didn't make it. So, I searched locations in New Orleans that carry Stella & Chewy's (my faithful back-up, freeze-dried dog food) and found one in a neighborhood I'd already been in once -- a real plus. Also, it had its own parking lot!
From there, we meandered over to Veteran's Memorial Parkway, another place I've been before, and found a Joann's Fabrics so I could get a particular type of needle that I need for the proper finishing of the knitted items I've been producing. I "yelped" restaurants in the area and found a place where the brisket was highly recommended -- and it was close by. It turned out to be a bar where smoking is obviously allowed, although fortunately it wasn't busy or smoky at the time. I had the brisket tacos, and the corn tortillas came back to haunt me almost immediately, but the meal was delicious.
The piece de resistance of the evening and the reason for going all the way to New Orleans was a workshop/class for voice actors. This is hosted in the home of the instructor where he has his own little recording studio. He (Marc Preston) talked about a lot of different things including emphasis on the acting part of voice work, focusing on a particular area of voice work, and marketing oneself, and the class culminated with each of us having a turn in the booth, practice reading some prepared copy. I felt I did well at my first try in many years. There was a special price offered for 4 classes ($25 per single class, or $85 for four), so on my way over I had to stop at a couple of different Walgreen's and buy small items so I could get cash back.
This means that, for the next 3 weeks, I have a Tuesday meeting in New Orleans. I'm not sure what I want to do with this. I just know that it's something I like and could do for income. First, I guess I need to get back with Social Security one more time and try to understand how this all works. Initially, I was asked how much I expected to earn this year, and I was told that my monthly income from SS would rise or fall based on my other sources of income. I got a form from the SS office a couple of months ago, asking whether I was earning what I expected. I said no. I got back pay from April and May, but the monthly amount didn't go up. When I went to the SS office in Lacombe the middle of last week, the person I talked to said that the amount wouldn't change. She wasn't specifically a retirement agent, but a disability person, but she said she checked with a retirement person. I'm a little confused. If the amount is fixed, then does that mean I can work without it affecting my SS income? If so, I'm off to find work, because this is not (quite) enough to live on. If not, then I need to know the ins and outs of this system.
If anyone out there reading knows anything about this, please fill me in. (The SS I'm getting right now is Spousal Benefits, not my own SS. I won't be eligible for that for a few more years, and I figure to stay on the Spousal Benefits for a while in order that my own SS income will be higher when I finally get to it.)
I'm having an interesting experience of Advent/Christmas this year. I'm far from loved ones. I'm in a warm climate. The UU church I've been attending doesn't really do much with Advent or Christmas. I have no decorations. And I've been playing Christmas music 2-3 times a week at a cafe. I think it's funny that people in this climate hang lighted icicles and snowflakes. I mean, can't Christmas fit into the reality of this climate? People sing about "Winter Wonderland" here as much as they do in Michigan. It seems odd to me.
I may take a pottery class after the first of the year. A place opened just a block from us where they're teaching classes in pot building and casting on the wheel (two separate classes). I have to look into cost. Oh, and I met a florist with a business right on Main Street next to the Starfish Cafe. She offered to do a barter with me where she would teach me to make the floral arrangements for Abby's wedding, if I would teach her some piano lessons. Sounds like a pretty good deal. I'll be talking with her. Now to find a massage therapist who wants to do the same! Oh! And yoga. After seeing Ginny Peterson do a backbend at Thanksgiving, I thought, "I really need to work on my flexibility!"
I miss my friends and family and wish you were here, rather than me there. I don't miss the blizzards ... too much. I actually do like shoveling, but only once or twice a week, not 3 times a day as someone posted on Facebook. Remy and I are doing okay, holed up in the bedroom most of the time. Rick has the living room, where he plays Solitaire, writes short stories, and checks email, while watching TV or listening to a fabulous jazz station out of New Orleans. Ever since Rick nearly tripped over Remy in the kitchen, I try to stay out of there when he's in there. I try to keep Remy in the bedroom as much as possible. Apparently, while I was at the cafe today, Remy must not have been feeling well (I say this because he had been out twice before I left and did everything he needed to do both times) and left "gifts" (as Rick said in a note) for me in the laundry room. I didn't realize I'd left him access to the laundry room. More careful restriction is required.
Shrimping season is upon us, and we've had some delicious, fresh shrimp a couple of times in the past week or so. Both Rick and I have had our turns at cleaning the shrimp. I felt as though I had gotten pretty good at it by the end of the 2.6 pounds I bought. And the bamboo steamer is just the piece of equipment to steam the shrimp to perfection.
I try to assess my reaction to my living situation on a daily basis. It's not quite the companionable situation I had hoped for, but I'm making other friends, so it's okay. I cannot speak for my roommate, except to say that my own impression is that he finds much of what Remy and I do less than ideal, and perhaps even unacceptable. But who knows what we might learn in the next 4 months -- yes, we've already paid rent for the third month! Remy is my good buddy, and I've spent lots of time alone in the past, so I'm doing okay.
Happy Holidays to you all -- anyone who continues to read my blog (and everyone else, of course)!
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