A Birthday Post

I don't publicize the DAY of my birth to any online questionnaire (Yahoo, Google, etc) which requires we enter a birth date.  I'm a Libran so the chances are pretty good it's in October, but I'll often enter January 1st, it's none of their business.

This year I decided to take a quick b-day trip to my (Libran) pal in Incline Village.  It's perfect timing, since once it starts snowing here it doesn't stop until April or so, and I don't do snow tires or chains.  It may be cool now, but at least the sun is shining.  No smoke from fires, we've been lucky this year.

(Photo) No, I'm not giving 'the finger' to Nance for dragging me on yet another hike (I get one or two in each trip).  It's my arthritic fingers, which can't stand up properly, commemorating reaching the second switchback on a local trail.  Took me months to make it that far years ago when I housesat for my friends, and James was doubtful I could make it this trip.  Going down wasn't bad but coming back up was a...you get the idea.

I'm currently steeling myself for this afternoon's 'trek' which admittedly excites me not at all.  Beautiful autumn leaves are still here and there, but many have already fallen off, seems kinda early.  So instead of hiking in the woods we'll be walking along the East Shore Trail, which she claims is 'Andrea-friendly'.  I'm not a walker, everyone I know can attest to that.

I arrived last week, actually driving away from last Saturday's ideal eclipse-watching locale (my home along the Oregon Coast), it wasn't that big a thing for me.  I'm sure I saw one as a child, for I vaguely recall Dad creating some sort of box in which we could watch.  I don't trust those solar glasses, and since I only have one good eye I wasn't taking any chances with the Ring of Fire.  Besides, I was more interested in watching the sky turn dark; which of course it didn't in Tahoe.  I waited patiently, back to the sun, wondering how much it would resemble A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  It did get a bit darker like a cloud was passing overhead, but not like the movie.  I finally held up my hands and asked Nancy (when she stuck her head out, she wasn't fooled like me),

"Is that it?!"  What a hullaballoo; I'll find out in a week if my co-Workampers had a good show.

I'm afraid I'm having difficulty turning away from the war in Israel, even on vacation. I began this post prior to my hike, and after returning just now I deleted a half-dozen rambling, opinionated paragraphs about the current mess in the Middle East,  I'm sure others share my thoughts so there's no need for affirmation that "I'm right."  I think everyone needs to tone things down, myself included, and not add fuel to the fire.

We're ALL experiencing the stress of waiting...for a war to escalate; for our Congress to get its act together; wondering what calamity will hit us next, we need to relax.

Which is what this afternoon's hike (which kicked my como-se-llama but good) achieved - it took my mind elsewhere.  I must remember that when I return home.

So Happy Birthday Month to Me, Nancy, Robin, Gayle, Miguel, Lizette and Claudia.  I know there are others but I didn't bring my calendar, darn memory!