Posted in random with tags pride, random on March 6, 2026 by jefferyrn
It has been a week. On Monday I got a bill for medical supplies the insurance didn’t pay for. Then Tuesday I got food poisoning and stayed in bed all day Wednesday after a night on white porcelain. Then Thursday I had a blood draw only to come out to a dead car battery. Thank goodness for AAA.
I am afraid to say what else could happen. On a high note it is pride weekend in Cat City. Truly a maller event as these things go but it is the first of the season. A few goings on in front of city hall and a celebration at Agua Caliente on Sunday as they sponsor the infamous bed races. It should be a good time.
Here is a shot from a previous year.
Oh and David Archuleta is headlining a show on Saturday. He is a former American Idol contestant who came out recently to the chagrin of his Mormon family.
Oh David! (Not the one from HGTV.)
Side note, after several phone calls I think I got the insurance payment straightened out. It was “a billing error.”
Today is take the car for an oil change day. Since we only have one vehicle it means scheduling a day with the neighbor so we can drop it off and pick it up later. When you retire, everything is painful. It’s not like we don’t have all the time in the world, but it somehow feels restricting. It’s a doctor’s visit for the car.
It should be done by noon. Then we can go to lunch and enjoy the afternoon. I’ve been contemplating swimming this morning or perhaps some yoga. But so far all I have done is drink coffee and watch the news.
The darn president came on with a special report on the war in Iran. This has been concerning. This administration has gotten us in a pickle and the end and outcome seem uncertain. Is it the end of the world?
Posted in family, pets on February 26, 2026 by jefferyrn
My brother-in-law is being treated for cancer. The treatment has been successful in keeping him alive. But the quality of that life has changed.
He is still mobile and actually drives himself to the facility for is ongoing procedures. But he has COPD and is on oxygen. This has limited his ability to do a lot of things he used to enjoy.
Before Christmas his dog had to be put down. The dog also had cancer. This dog was his joy. He talked to him like a human. They had a route each day. Tricks for treats, a feeding schedule, and playtimes were all part of their day together.
So he got a puppy to replace his beloved dog. It seemed like this would work. But the puppy was too much for him to take care of and the routine he had with his old pal was not possible. His son ultimately took the puppy
Rick texted him the other day to see how he was doing. He said “Holster” (the dog) had to be put down and I’m okay but lonely.
That’s when we heard about the puppy experiment. It makes me sad that he is so lonely. He has two children and four grandchildren. But they have their own lives and he doesn’t want to interfere or be a bother to them.
Truth be known he didn’t really participate in their lives when they were younger either. His wife raised them. That relationship needs to change now but it’s hard for all of them to adapt.
I had a thought. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place where people like him could go and get a pet that was already trained and ready to go? He doesn’t qualify for a guide dog or anything like that, he just needs a companion.
Posted in random on February 24, 2026 by jefferyrn
I read an article this morning about loneliness. It was an interesting take about people who seem socially active but are still lonely. Their social persona is fake. They are playing a role and are hiding behind it. They are not being their true self out of fear of rejection.
I’m not totally explaining this right but the concept is that we are not sharing ourselves as we would be at home in our comfy clothes on a Sunday afternoon relaxing on the coach watch amour favorite movie or tv show for the seventh or eighth time.
Kind of sounds like gay people who live a double life in the closet. Interesting but not surprising that this form of loneliness does not just exist in our gay world.
I am not an expert by any means but it got me thinking about my own loneliness. Yes, you can be surrounded by people and still feel left out and alone. Thankfully I do not become sad and depressed. I deal with it in my own way.
Sometimes “I want to be alone.” Marlene Dietrich is credited with this line whether she actually said it or not she lived it.
“Marlene Dietrich spent the final 11 to 13 years of her life (approx. 1979–1992) as a secluded recluse in her Paris apartment at 12 Avenue Montaigne. Following a successful career, she became bedridden, relying on painkillers and alcohol while avoiding public view. She maintained contact only with a select few, dying alone in 1992.”
While I am not planning on becoming a recluse, I do enjoy being alone sometimes. Having a partner who is also retired has made these moments few and far between. I make them by getting up early or staying home while he goes to the store. I love those early mornings.
One of my faults as it were is I am not keen on affection. This has resulted in a friendship style marriage. The intimacy is awkward or non-existent. There I said it. I know it is my fault. I am not sure how to overcome it. Now that I am on so many medications the sex drive is very limited. While I feel excited sometimes I cannot show it outwardly and act on it anymore. ED etc.
Why am I going down this rabbit hole. I think because it is related to the lonely persona. I am hiding my true feelings and needs out of fear of rejection. It is an unreal fear to be sure because my husband loves me unconditionally.
Don’t worry about me I am just brain dumping right now. We are planning a trip into the city on Friday. A gay night out. Maybe that will break the solitude.
Flowers from Trader Joe’s. Rick sent me a picture in case I didn’t see them on the cradensa.
Posted in random on February 20, 2026 by jefferyrn
View from bedroom window Our patioHeaded out the driveway And down the roadA past resident donated this mountain goatMountain view front back lawnFront “lake”Clubhouse fountain Rainbow flag hidden in a palm tree Waterfall over spaMountain view from the opposite side of the loop. Santa Rosa rangeZero landscaping. This used to be a lawn to practice gulf swings or walk the dog.Mountain view back corner of Willow Lane loop . Mt. San Jacinto or maybe San Antonio, I’m directionally impaired. (I’ve been corrected this is Mt. Gorgonio. Mt. San Antonio, Old Baldy, is further West).
Posted in random on February 20, 2026 by jefferyrn
This month has flown by so quickly. Not a lot happening. I’ve been to several happy hours at the clubhouse. One was for Valentine’s Day. We celebrated a neighborhood’s birthday on the 12th and tonight we are having a small dinner party for another.
There have been the usual struggles with insurance. The latest is a rejection of my CPAP supplies claim. Now I have to visit the doctor and get an approval sent in to the carrier. Since I changed insurance everything requires a prior authorization. I suppose I went through this with the last company as well, but it never gets easier.
Spring is in the air for a day or two, hopefully longer. While I know the mountains need the snow, I am not a fan of rain and wind. I prefer bright sunshine.
We have no plans in the near future for any trips. Our new friend from South Carolina is coming to visit in late March. It should be nice weather by then.
I had an echocardiogram yesterday. Just routine, unless they see something a miss.
The world is as insane as ever. The news had one glimmer of hope today, the supreme court shot down the tariffs.
I know I am supposed to care about a woman in Tucson that was kidnapped. But the coverage is ridiculous. They have nothing to say that is new. Pure speculation.
It has been a small break from the ICE murders. The Epstein files do not get much attention except on the Internet.
And Trump keeps saying crazy things about the 2020 election being corrupt and stolen. Good grief…,
I need a break. I’m watching the Game Show Network out of desperation. For some reason I think you can’t watch Netflix before 8 pm.
We watched the four new episodes of Bridgerton. The lead this season is so handsome. But it is far fetched that he does not recognize the maid from the maskarade ball. They only wore silly little masks over their eyes. And he has kissed her.
At the ball.
The next four episodes are out at the end of the month. I shall have to search for something else to watch this evening.
Yesterday and today I spent some time scrubbing baseboards. I don’t think it has been done fully in four years. The first day I did the ones that were exposed. Today I moved furniture to get them all, in the great room at least.*
Joan and Christina
It really reminds me of “Mommie Dearest”, down on my hands and knees with a tooth brush and rag, spraying them with 409. Of course, Christina was scrubbing a tile floor with a can of comet cleanser and a tooth brush and she wasn’t 65 years old trying to get up and down.
These floors are not clean
Yep! I am that bored. Maybe this afternoon we will do something fun after lunch.
Posted in random with tags cleaning on February 2, 2026 by jefferyrn
We spent the morning scrubbing the floors and the area rug in the living room. This was the result of me stepping on a glass fragment and cutting my foot. A few weeks ago Ricky dropped several votive candles on the floor in an attempt to move them from the coffee table to the dining table.
It was kind of a strange accident. I’m usually the one breaking things. And just a few days earlier he dropped a water glass on the floor in the kitchen. I was more concerned with him and his new lack of coordination than the item which can be easily replaced.
Anyway, no more incidents till my bleeding foot this morning. Hopefully all the glass is cleaned up. We even moved the coach. What a mess we found underneath. We probably need to add this to our cleaning routine. Once every three years is too long a wait. Granted the cat used to lose things under there and he has been gone about that long.
I know this cleaning is a boring subject so here are some random pictures.
This egret has been hanging around lately.
My roses are blooming.My lemon tree is blooming and has a little green fruit on it too.The bougainvillea are blooming.A good friend bought me this metal rabbit. When I look out sometimes it fools me.Sunsets The moon
Hopefully, I will come up with something interesting to write about soon.
This week’s happy hour had a theme, Spain. One of our residents and his husband volunteered to make Paella for an appetizer. Other homeowners were encouraged to follow the theme.
We had a nice turnout and Rick and I got to know our hosts Gonzalo and Jon. Gonzalo is from Spain and most recently had a restaurant in San Francisco on Noble Hill. But after four years of barely turning a profit he decided to go back to being a corporate lawyer. Needless to say the food was amazing.
Jon is from England. To add some spice to the gathering he handed out flyers with instructions on fan language and fans were on all the tables so we could try them out.
These instructions are in Spanish. We had them in English too. Souvenir fan from the party.I’m not sure what I am saying here.
Supposedly Jon found some naughty fan language signs too but thought better of bringing them to the gathering. Of course after a few drinks we were coming up with our own. He also taught us how to properly snap the fan and make the noise. Some of my friends were naturals at this maneuver.
It was great fun. We talked about coming up with more themes for future events. Maybe a pride party, but disguised as something else. We could even parade around the park before the start. Probably doesn’t sound as good of an idea this morning but we were having fun with it last night. A one float trip around the complex and all of us in drag.
Life Beyond the Casinos 
