Abounding Gratitude in Everyday Ramblings

Most Honorable took this shot yesterday with the big SLR and his favorite new(ish) lens. I got a tighter shot of the door. This is the house we were looking for on the street that no longer exits. Because we had done research, we knew what we were looking for and the house with its old double chimney was fairly easy to find.

This was the third time I had been up there, but the first time I saw the historic house. It is well hidden in the trees. There is a funky 60’s apartment house built on stilts on the hill above it with a lower patio that ends about two feet from the side of the house, and below it on the hill is a large condo building.

This house is smack in the middle of the hill facing a small side yard and the only access is a pretty treacherous stairway (in parts) from above or below and not for the faint of heart. If you like historic homes though what is not to love here?

There is a college-days, rooming house feel to the whole area now. It is spread below a neighborhood with huge complicated houses where everything is well maintained and there is a lot of money. We passed a brand new bright red Jaguar on a parking pad our way up and as we were going up the narrow one-way street a guy coming down in a fancy blue imported car cheered us on from the driver’s seat.

It helps that we are white presenting, oldish and that Most Honorable was carrying an expensive camera and we were both wearing masks. Our reception would have been quite different if we looked different.

I was thrilled because I had plotted out a way to get over there without going over the freeway and it worked. It is so cool that I am learning this other fascinating neighborhood adjacent to mine that is infused with history. So many stories.

We are all working on our balance learning how to walk up and down public stairways without touching the railings. I carry alcohol wipes and the student I have walked with a couple of time carries an alcohol spray but it is just easier not to touch anything except what we have on our person and then not touch our faces.

It was a bit cooler yesterday afternoon and it was lovely sitting out in the Sherlock’s garden but they were both wearing more layers than we have all worn in a long time while we ate homemade fish tacos and tried to solve the problems of our country and city, read Auden poems to each other and listened to a little history.

Mrs. Sherlock brought me home. The first time I have been in her car since early March. We both wore clean masks and I did elaborate hand hygiene when I got home. Our case counts here are flat but about 7 times higher than in March, April or May. And sadly, people are still dying from the virus daily.

Most Honorable brought up more photo studio lighting equipment. We solved a couple of problems in terms of lighting videos. Where when I was working my bedroom work area looked like a hacker’s den, now my living room is seriously taking on that photo studio vibe.

He showed me how to take down the big reflective umbrella in case I want to oh, say, not feel like I am sitting in a photo studio on a day I am not teaching or recording.

I am entertaining the possibility of walking to the grocery, which I have done a number of times over the years. It is about 4 miles the way I go. And taking the bus back. It is a 10-minute ride, it is still warm enough to have the windows open. I will wear a mask and gloves. It is an agency thing, an independence thing, certainly not a spur of the moment go pick up a couple of things, thing.

But we’ll see.

My risk budget was pretty well used up yesterday.

I envy those of you in the southern hemisphere where you are beginning to warm up and open up and get out more. The prospect of fall and winter here alone mostly inside during short dark days is a little alarming.

We adapt though. I will adapt. And just think of all the historic research rabbit holes I can go down! Gratitude for the Internet abounds.

Last updated September 07, 2020