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Memor-Elayne

2026-10-23T21:20:35.770-04:00

Today's self-appointed task, which roped in Robin of course, was going through the boxes marked "Comic Convention Stuff" that had stood in our loft from when we moved in to a couple months ago. I was surprised to find it wasn't "stuff what we used to take to conventions" at all, but rather "collections of convention programs, comics, cards, and other mementos." Since I honestly don't recall doing most of the stuff I did then, and the programs themselves didn't aid my memory, into the trash they went. The two now-empty boxes will house all the greeting cards I've received (two other recovered boxes are also full of cards, I've saved them since I was a kid), and after I retire I'll go through them again to see if they spark memories better than convention programs. One thing I seem to have picked up in the post-COVID era, besides my desire to avoid crowds which means no more major comic cons for me, is that I just don't feel like hanging on to things from past lives if they don't enrich my present. I'm not quite at Kondo level, but at the same time I can't help but remember my college buddy Bill-Dale Marcinko, who died way too young due to a fire in his abode which the firefighters couldn't vanquish because they were unable to get past all his papers and zines and comics and other collections with which he couldn't part. His memory is not just a blessing but an object lesson. We'll see how well I've learnt it.

Manhattan Respite

2026-10-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

I was hoping to take in the High Line park at lunchtime, but I'd been up since 4 AM and just found myself too weary to do much more than fetch my lunch. Probably all the moving around of stuff yesterday. I'm glad job stuff kept me busy enough, and the commute was fine (well, the subway's always crowded and at least I always get a seat when it empties appreciably at Times Square, but if it's a "middle" seat things get difficult), but I'm glad to be home to empty my overstuffed backpack. And I'm making good headway with my newest partner, resigning myself to not being able to schedule everything in fewer and fewer hours. After all, I cannae change the laws of physics! And now to bed.

The Cleanout Continues

2026-10-21T20:10:14.127-04:00

Honest, we weren't going to do any downsizing work today. Robin needed to rest after yesterday's shredathon, and I had a fairly time-consuming job project. But I woke up and decided to get through all the weekly local newspapers I've not read since July, after which the clear recycle bag needed something else so I threw out a bunch of mini-zines from a shelf that I decided would be a good place to transfer the cleaning products from elsewhere in the library... only some of them didn't fit so Robin moved books up to that shelf to free a better one on the same case, then decided he was restless and wanted to shred some more old financials, but part of that involved blocking another shelf where I've been keeping my read comics so those went into shopping bags to give away to a neighbor... well, you get the picture. So stuff's been rearranged or shredded or stored or whatever, I got my project done and then some, and I'm glad to be going into Manhattan tomorrow so as not to be tempted to Do More...

I'm Walkin' Here

2026-10-20T20:40:32.670-04:00

OMG that cold this morning! We got up at 4 AM and I was out of the house in the dark at 6:15 to catch the bus. It's autumn but there was a definite spring in my step which continued throughout my Manhattan workday. My feet didn't seem to hurt! I have no idea how long this period without pain will continue, or to what I can attribute it (my podiatrist visit on Saturday? the socks I wore today?), but I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Meanwhile, Robin had indeed continued the Great Shredding Project of Aught-Twenty-Six, including some really old tax records from before we were married, and had filled a further 5 or 6 bags with the detritus. Only seven more years of old financial records to go, then maybe we can give our shredder a bit of a breather. Meanwhile, I'm starting to think about what other paper I want to toss out in our now-paperless society... zines? college records? old poetry books? I'm halfway in Kondo mode (what exactly is sparking joy anyway?) and halfway in "will I want to keep this to supplement my memory lapses in the future?" mode. We'll see which one wins out. Probably the one that's the most organized...

Shredtaastic

2026-10-19T20:31:00.000-04:00

Well, we could have done without the 1:30 AM wake-up as our neighbor's car (which was parked right next to mine) was repossessed. I had no idea repo folks do their job in the dead of night, but it's just one more adventure for us being situated in a 2-familiy house (converted to 3) at the conjunction of a dozen backyards. Anyway, I was punchy all day, fell asleep in the recliner again this afternoon, and only the whirring of our shredder kept me awake, as Robin decided to tackle the old financial records now that the variety of overnight bags and carriers are tossed and our usable suitcases stored in a closet. He made great headway, three bags of shredded paper, and I think he'll be working on it tomorrow as well. I'll be happy just to work on my job stuff for awhile.

It's in the Bag

2026-10-18T22:09:53.096-04:00

I'm still fairly exhausted, especially since yesterday's drive, so it was all I could do to wake up enough to drop off some sundries at the local farmer's market then shop at our usual supermarket. It didn't take long to achieve unconsciousness upon our return, and thank goodness I slept most of the afternoon away. No regrets! Once dinner was done we tackled the mound of overnight and carrier bags and such that we've accumulated over the years (so many from Rothstein Kass! you wouldn't think six years of service could produce that much swag). Aside from the tote bags which can be squished anywhere and may still come in handy when it's time to pack for the move, they're all now in the throwaway pile, and Robin was able to fit our actual suitcases and backpacks (some of which were newly-bought a few months back, and three of which were his suitcase set brought over from England 30 years ago) into the tiny closet in the library. So we're now almost back to where we were prior to the Great Rafter Clean-Out of Aught-Twenty-Six. Just a bit more shredding to go, then we start looking through non-financial boxes. But all that is for another day...

Warm and Cozy with Family and Friends

2026-10-17T21:01:00.000-04:00

This morning I went for my "medi-pedi" as my feet have been hurting, but the doc looked them over and found nothing major amiss so I carry on. The feet do feel nice now, though. I then drove 90 minutes to my brother's house in NJ for a visit and a pre-birthday lunch, then 15 minutes west to the annual reunion of my college frat buddies (co-ed service fraternity). Lots of fun as we recounted our plans for retirement in England's south coast to various friends, but as the lunch and subsequent pot luck weren't exactly agreeing with me I opted to leave after a couple hours and head back home. We got slammed at the GWB entrance, my main reason for not wanting to travel back from NJ on a Saturday afternoon/evening, but otherwise not a bad drive, and we came home to find that the landlord has finally turned on the heat, so it was lovely coming back to a cozy house after the outdoor chill. Tomorrow we shop and watch baseball (alas, looks like the Tampa Bay Rays are surging again) and football and other such TV while we declutter some more.

Truncated Work Day

2026-10-16T21:59:00.000-04:00

I rewarded myself with a couple PTO hours, since I never seem to use them all, which made working from home a bit easier. The AL playoffs were cancelled this evening due to storms in the Cleveland area, and we got a fair few as well. I'm about as ready as I can be for tomorrow's activities, and I've finished every ready-to-eat meal in the fridge and freezer, so I'm looking forward to our Sunday grocery shopping, which may or may not be accompanied by a sushi lunch. Depends on how I weather tomorrow!

The Ides of October

2026-10-15T21:55:00.000-04:00

And all my folks' expense reports are submitted! I wish I could do as well with scheduling client meetings, so many people seem to be out this week and nobody's answering my emails. Very frustrating. Plus, the commute home is really starting to get to me. Maybe it just the change in the weather, or anticipating the coming weekend when we will once again be on the road visiting family and friends (meaning we have to shop on Sunday), but I just can't relax yet. Maybe by Sunday afternoon...

Early Adopters

2026-10-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

Robin and I have many sensibilities in common. One of them is preparation. We're already looking (virtually) at retirement bungalows on the south coast of England, trying to narrow down exactly what we want. As I mentioned yesterday, next week we resume our clean-out, but before then there's Saturday. And that's now taken care of. The bean salad took much less time to make this afternoon than I'd anticipated, we're a well-oiled machine now, so I'm set with my potluck contribution to the annual college reunion. And we're meeting my brother Jay before that for a pre-birthday brunch, which has also been scheduled. We don't like to wait on things! This way we can travel without worry, relax and enjoy the day. The weather today only lightened my mood, it got up around 80 degrees F (about 26 degrees C)! so Robin threw open the windows and I took a couple relaxation hours because I'm really, really trying to learn how to just Do Nothing and Be in the Moment and all that...

The Calm Between

2026-10-13T21:47:00.000-04:00

I didn't miss Mango that much during the day as I was in the Manhattan office, but it was so lovely and quiet when I hobbled home this evening (yes, that IT band and/or the neck is acting up again) that I'm starting to find it kind of eerie. We have nothing on our immediate calendar except Saturday in NJ, so next week we restart our downsizing, probably getting rid of most of the overnight bags I've accumulated over the years and, of course, continuing to shred our older financial stuff. I'm waiting for a phone call with my family's financial advisor to discuss cash flow as I look towards purchasing a retirement home on the south coast of England (so many lovely possibilities!) but I'm not eagerly seeking it out, we still have plenty of time before I retire, For now I have to learn how to relax a bit better.

Mangone

2026-10-12T20:23:07.138-04:00

Mango is back home with Jonny now. Robin just observed that it feels like a weight has been lifted. A good reminder that a pet is a responsibility, even a temporary one. But it’s been one thing after another with us for the past month-plus, and we really need the down time. Aside from a trip into NJ on Saturday to take my brother out for a birthday brunch then see my college friends for our annual reunion, we have no plans nor are likely to make any for the foreseeable. The quiet is already blissful.

Sunday Will Never Be the Same

2026-10-11T22:34:00.000-04:00

Our last day with Mango until Jonny picks him up, and I made the most of it. He was a sweet lap cat, curled up next to me as I napped, and has generally made himself at home. It’s actually going to be weird not having him here. In other more positive news, I felt something in my neck loosen chiropractic-style earlier this evening, and that seemed to take care of the majority of the back pain I’d been having. Would have been nice if that had happened a few days ago, but oh well. After tomorrow we can both get a good night’s sleep again, nothing better for healing.

Holding Pattern

2026-10-10T20:10:00.000-04:00

More of the same today. My bad back and leg held together for the most part when we shopped, and the rest of the time was football and baseball. Oh, and Mango. Two more days then we rest.

Up and Down

2026-10-09T21:12:00.000-04:00

Catching up and winding down, that is. I did all I could on the job to try and nail down some elusive meeting scheduling, and at least I have help now on one front. And we're actually counting the hours until the lovely but surprisingly high-maintenance Mango returns to my godson, who's attending a wedding in Boston this weekend before temporarily moving into my uncle's place a few miles away from us (my uncle, his grandfather, being in assisted living now) whilst looking for a more permanent spot. We're both so tired that I honestly believe this lingering backache isn't just from exercises to try and mitigate my IT band issues but from stress as well. Stress on a 69-year-old body isn't the same as stress on a 45-year-old, I'm sure. So far the heating pad and ibuprofen are helping ease the back pain but rest and a decent night's sleep or three would help a lot more.

Surviving the Commute

2026-10-08T20:13:00.000-04:00

As I suspected, my lunch plans got scuttled, but more importantly I feel like I'm getting back into the rhythm of my commute. Not that the back or left leg has been that much better, but I'm off the naproxen and onto occasional ibuprofen now, which is good as I hate to overmedicate. Still, glad I'm home now and back off my feet for a few days (give or take grocery shopping). Got a bit of mail I have to deal with, both estate stuff and medical stuff, which will all be tomorrow if I have the energy.

Yer Out!

2026-10-07T22:09:00.000-04:00

Well, that's it for the Yankees' 2026 season. Thank goodness. Someday I'm sure the truth will out about, for instance, how their training staff seems to break players more than they fix them (in my opinion the fix is certainly in), but in the meantime maybe this will disabuse them of the notion that they're automatically owed a World Series berth every year. They never could catch Tampa Bay in the stretch run, Judge and Stanton only played a handful of games, Cole was back for, like, one game?, and as good as Ben Rice is he couldn't hold up the entire slumping team himself. Chances are Aaron Boone will retain his position, but someone needs new blood somewhere. In other news, despite being sleep-deprived I believe my back is improving incrementally, and I plan on going into the office tomorrow. With luck I'll lunch with one of the many New York Comic Con-goers, but I have my doubts there too. Ah well, as long as I get my work done I can lunch alone...

Laid Up

2026-10-05T21:19:00.000-04:00

Well, not only are the Yankees losing again (it's fine, I'm rooting for Milwaukee to take it all this year anyway), but I must have done a bit too much on the IT band exercises, because my sciatic nerve has now flared up and I'm in a good deal of back pain. I started feeling it about halfway through my work day, and it appears I may have to work from home tomorrow as well. It's fine, I have enough goodwill built up that nobody will miss me tomorrow. And I really want to get better in time to make that podiatrist appointment! The thing I hate most about this is that when I'm in pain I think much less clearly, so once again nothing much to write about.

More Rest and Baseball

2026-10-04T23:00:00.000-04:00

No Yankee game today so I could enjoy baseball and naps and even get in some IT band exercises. Trying not to overdo things but my leg does feel better. With any luck I can kick my medical stuff into high gear, see my podiatrist and get ready for my annual physical with my new-for-the-next-few-years doctor... Nothing much else to report. Not really in a writing mood. Kitty remains kitty. That sort of thing.

Lazy Baseball Weekend

2026-10-03T17:55:00.000-04:00

Shopping all done this morning in somewhat record time, I settled in for a lovely afternoon of post-season baseball and napping, which of course go together because, you know, alpha waves. Good thing I did too, as one of the Yonkers houses around here seems to be in celebration mode, and the "boots and pants" beat has started already and put paid to any further sleep plans for awhile. Can't wait to move to the quiet English countryside! This city mouse has just about had enough.

Maintaining

2026-10-02T20:49:00.000-04:00

I was able to juggle my work stuff and make very good headway on the quarterly meetings for one partner and stay above water regarding meetings for my new one, so that's something I suppose. I just didn't have the mental energy to start on the thing I want to do for her, mapping all her prospective clients and their EAs to be ready for her meetings. Maybe on Monday! Meanwhile, Mango continues to be an exhausting joy, and his "daddy" Jonny has finally left Texas on his week-long drive east. I could really use the rest at this point, especially my IT band; at least I've dug out my exercise pages so I can start on those as soon as I have the wherewithal.

A New Something or Other

2026-10-01T20:44:00.000-04:00

White Rabbits, and welcome to October! Probably one of my favorite months weather-wise, but in terms of my job I still feel a bit lost. I've made headway on my quarterly meeting project, but not on my things for my newest partner. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later, but the older I get the less neuroplasticity I seem to have when it comes to work stuff. Retirement is looking better and better. Also, the commute is getting to me a bit, but at least it means I can drop off the rent check at The US' Biggest Post Office. And I still love living in NYC, so there's that.

One Window Closes, Another Opens

2026-09-30T21:32:00.000-04:00

The window for so many of my work colleagues is closing today, and summer appears to be making a brief comeback so we were able to open the windows again for the first time since before the nor'easter, which Mango loved. I'm starting to make headway in catching up on work stuff I'd postponed due to my English vacation, and hope to nail all that down by Friday. I'm also trying to offload the partners I'm supposed to be transitioning, but they're having a difficult time delegating my successors so they're still on my plate for now. Mostly I'm just glad to be working from home today in the relatively fresh air and quiet neighborhood, watching post-season Yankees baseball, and looking forward to autumn!

You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello

2026-09-29T21:27:00.000-04:00

Not the best day. My morning express bus was canceled and the local bus so crowded that the doors hurt me when they opened. I was only 20 minutes or so late, luckily. Then I attended a lovely breakfast to bid an in-person goodbye to all my fellow executive assistants leaving the firm tomorrow, and almost all of them either thought I was retiring as well or at least wondered why I wasn't. I'm starting to wonder that myself. I tried to settle into my new workstation on our brand-new floor, but the tech betrayed me. The IT guy made sure all the updates that had never been pushed to me got installed, and we still had issues. Two hours in we finally identified the cuprit, the wired mouse that wasn't compatible with the workstation. So I lost pretty much my whole morning but gained a wireless mouse in the process. A win? Homeward subway commute crowded as well, and I'm afraid about an hour ago I developed severe pain in my left calf as though it were about to cramp but never did. The pain lasted at least five minutes, and I've now put Voltaren on it to calm it down. Conclusion: my day really mucked with my IT band. I need to sleep...

Time Time Time, See What's Become of Me

2026-09-28T20:50:00.000-04:00

With a fairly organized home office I was able to get through my main objective today, nailing down everyone's fiscal year end timesheets and preparing for tomorrow's expense submissions. Sometimes the transactional stuff can feel quite soothing, but I guess I'm just too tired by my new responsibilities to enjoy it. I still feel like I'm a bit underwater, and tomorrow so many fellow exec assistants are retiring (plus I've relocated to our brand-new floor) that I can't seem to summon up the energy. Thank goodness Mango keeps me entertained, and autumn is well upon us if it ever stops raining...