And now what did you do TODAY?

[Grahame]

More cat, sitting, cat-sitting.

[Grahame]

Said À bientôt

To Ms. Chloe

(Bananas for scale)

[skullguise]

I kept meaning to say, Ms. Chloe could give Grumpy Cat a run for the money 😊  Still sounds like a sweetheart though!

For me, some good things happened and coming up:

• Andrew & Amy moved in fully, and have started working with the designer that Karen and I worked with for our bathrooms.  Lots of good ideas coming out, and everyone (myself included) is excited to see what comes from this
• Went out last night with some family to celebrate my mom's 86th BDay.  Was a nice time, not everyone could come but the smaller group made it very nice.  She had a wonderful time, until I was on my way home and she calls me all frustrated about her TV having issues (I am Tech Support).  I told her she needs to chill - I can ONLY say that to my mom 🤣 - and walked her through a shut-off and turn-on of power to reboot cable box, modem, etc.  Worked for the night at least, we'll see if it gives more trouble.
• In a couple weeks, we celebrate my dad's 90th!  He has a tough time getting around physically, and has hearing issues.  But mentally he is there, and he enjoys (for  short enough duration) the company of family.
• Work situation will get a bit better.  Had a chat with our new CIO and she seems great.  We were so in synch with a lot of things it was scary....but good.  I also heard they will open the REQ to hire another role like mine, very much needed.  Short-term will fill in with another off-shore developer; but we need the Business Analysis piece as well

 

[skullguise]

Got the latest COVID (Pfizer, August release) booster, as well as Flu Shot this weekend.  Fuck RFK jr. and his satanic minions!

They recommended shingles and RSV shots too; I may go for RSV, but my doc still thinks I could defer shingles.  Will talk with her in Sept at my appointment, so that may change as well. 

[Voltron]

Having had shingles years ago, I cannot think of a reason for you to wait for the vaccine (especially assuming you have had chicken pox). I had zero reaction to it and feel better knowing that I shouldn't have to go through shingles again. 

I still haven't gotten the RSV shot but also haven't had RSV. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[swt61]

My Mother had shingles 3 times. She said it was absolutely miserable. And the vaccine is not as strong once you've already had shingles I'm told.

I got my shingles vaccine a few years back, as well as RSV.

[morphsci]

Having had a mild case of shingles I got the Shingrix vaccine as soon as I could. Also no real reaction to it on this end. So totally agree with Al.

[robm321]

How long does the shingles vaccine last? My Dad got shingles and said he was miserable. I'd like to avoid that. 

[morphsci]

It is supposed to last about 10 years with very little drop-off in efficacy during that time. I already have my calendar marked.

[skullguise]

OK, I am convinced!  Thanks for the input all!

[Grahame]

Bonus:

Study strengthens link between shingles vaccine and lower dementia risk https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/shingles-vaccination-dementia.html

[swt61]

The newer vaccines are two part, with a month in between shots. I'm told this is superior to the one shot vaccine. 

I too had no reaction. However, I've never had any reaction to any vaccine. 

On 8/25/2025 at 11:19 PM, Grahame said:

Bonus:

Study strengthens link between shingles vaccine and lower dementia risk https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/03/shingles-vaccination-dementia.html

As someone who while in his 40s spent 30 minutes looking for my cell phone, while it was in my hand the whole time, I cannot confirm this lower dementia risk factor.

[blessingx]

After the air disaster article linked in the reading thread where Rear Admiral Moffett doesn’t exactly come off well, decided to return today with Esmé to the Moffett Field Museum that’s five minutes from our house. Of course the museum is about the place, not the man the place is named after, and the emphasis is on the USS Macon, once docked here, not its sister ship the USS Akron, where Moffett and nearly the entire crew perished (twice those of Hindenburg), all in the pursuit of military rigid airship supremacy (20/20 of course on what was accomplished there), but sometimes strange how heroes are selected. Bonus: Tom Cruises. Still a great, volunteer-led tiny museum  

[Voltron]

The Mavericks are annoying. The crocs are truly epic.

[mikeymad]

I was going to ask who the tiny old guy was.. got it.. Nice attitude shot of Esmé as always. 

[Voltron]

Tonight I watched northern lights dancing over the lake 

 

[swt61]

I miss watching them.

[Knuckledragger]

Short version: Got the shit kicked out of me.  

Long version:  There were two birthdays this weekend.  My friend Kate turned 37 on Sept 11 (her 14th was the worst.)  My (sainted, octogenarian) mother advanced one year the day after.  I ate a number of things that I don't normally, to be sociable.  I paid a steep price.  I felt kind of ill on the 12th, but still drove my mother to the alpaca farm here on MV.  We had done so previously all the way back in 2009.  I took photos, more on that (much) later.  

I slept terribly that evening and woke up on the 13th praying for death.  I felt weak, nauseous, and worst of all I had an icepick-through-the-temple headache.  When I have these issues, I clench my teeth while I'm sleeping so hard it gives me a headache that lasts most of the day.  The is enough of a problem that it's damaging my jaw.  If I ever disappear completely, it will probably be due to some related catastrophic event.

Yesterday I was only moderately ill.  I managed to get a few things done ...including like a 3 hour nap in the middle of the day (which is very unlike me.)  Today, I am not in pain (this is a miracle) but I'm fantastically weak.  I had to move a picnic table bench that belonged to my grandparents from the front of the property to the back and I needed to sit down afterward.

I cannot eat highly processed food anymore, especially store made desserts.  They kill me.  It's so bad I have to straight up say "no" when I'm offered.

[Dusty Chalk]

I'm glad you survived.  I hope you never disappear completely in my lifetime.

[mikeymad]

Took a walk. 

Found falling water.

 

[swt61]

I have a Cousin that I've talked about on here before. He lived in San Antonio, and thought he was an open minded liberal, but was anything but. He voted for Trump in his first term. We had a falling out over gay marriage. He tried to act like he was gay friendly around me, but was very opposed to gay marriage. I had no luck getting him to understand how insulting  some of his opinions were to me, so I just checked out of that relationship. This was several years back, while living in Texas. His wife tried to smooth things over a few times, but knew it was a losing battle.

Monday, out of the Blue he called me up. He said he was driving to visit his estranged Son ( his Son and I have a great relationship, full of mutual respect ), in Colorado, and was thinking of driving on to California afterwards. He wanted to get together tonight. I really had mixed feelings about seeing him at all. But he told me his wife had passed 3 months back. I attended their wedding in 1979, and really liked her. She sought me out at family gatherings and was somewhat of what we used to call a fag hag. So I felt somewhat sympathetic to his loss.

We had dinner at Rancho Nicasio. It's 1/2 a mile from my house, should I need to make a hasty exit. All in all it went well. We didn't touch on politics or social issues, though I must admit to wondering what his political stance is today. My Mom always had a good relationship with him, and for that reason I consented to dinner. He'll be headed back home soon, and that'll be that. We're planning to get together again tomorrow, after I install the doors I'm working on. I think it would have made my Mom happy. Just have to avoid certain conversations one more day.

It was fun talking about our grandparents and mutual family members. And I had some great fish and chips.