Zurich, Switzerland La Quinta, California: We are obviously not in Europe. Obviously not strolling along ancient cobblestone streets. Sadly not getting-in our usual ten-mile-average daily steps when we travel. Instead, I am getting maybe four miles + a few more inside the house/daily life (still always getting 10000+ steps). DT is a bike-riding machine and whizzes past me countless times on his bike as I walk. The European tourist diet can't continue, so I will (mostly) discontinue my European vacation re-creation menu plan... or I will no longer fit into my ten sleeveless tank/tent dresses. Our diet will return to normal, but we will still reminisce on our trip and pretend we are somewhere we are obviously not. We just can't eat that much meat, Dear Readers.
Sorry, not sorry.
Sunday is the day many professional runners go for their longest run of the week - Church of the Long Run - they call this weekly ritual. I, also, try to go for my longest walk/jog of the week on Sunday. The runners I follow on social media run 12-20 (some run more) miles on Sunday. Six is a good Sunday for me. But even six is difficult to cover when the temperatures are in the 115-range. Things should cool-down within the next few weeks. These high temperatures are very unusual for the Coachella Valley. Some records being broken now are from before I was born (and I was born in 1955).
We are really taking advantage of our beautiful salt-water pool. After we work-out, we meet at the pool and take a dip. So refreshing!
While things are pretty quiet and boring here at our mostly-empty country club, just outside of Boulder, there has been a flurry of activity. My Baby Brother, and his wife, Kris, have noticed something eating the pumpkins in their Colorado garden. So odd. They live in-town, not in the suburbs. Raccoons?
Due to the many forest fires around their area, there have been a lot of bear sightings in places where there would usually be no bear. On Steve's street (or maybe, I should say, his alley), there were sightings of a cub and a mamma bear. He went to investigate. Imagine Steve's surprise when he walked around the side of his house:
As soon as Steve sent this video to me, I immediately forwarded it to our friend, Rob, who lives just a few blocks from Kris and Steve. Rob, and his wife, Angie, have a toddler daughter, so I was concerned. Rob responded with: Angie's flip flops were torn-up in the back yard overnight, and something ate a watermelon from our garden!
Mystery solved.
Cubs are one thing. A Mother Bear is another. Be careful out there, people!
My theme of the day: cord management. I simply have some sort of OCD phobia about electric cords/chargers everywhere. Just makes me nuts. So unattractive and probably some-sort of fire hazard. Today I wrangled all the cords on my desk top into an ingenious little box I found on amazon. It holds most power strips, and services all my electric needs, and has several USB ports for my phone, iPad, ear pods, etc.
I also bought a power strip for my nightstand (and mounted it on the back of the nightstand) that will power my iPhone charger, bedside lamp, Alexa Dot, etc. No more unsightly cords cluttering my life (or nightstand or desk). Happy Dance.
So much of my time over the past few weeks has been researching mattresses. How to buy mattresses for our guest rooms without actually going to a mattress store? There was no way, in hell (or anywhere else), I would lay down on a bed in a store during a pandemic. Yet, we need mattresses. Online research. Videos. Remembering stuff from when we bought a new mattress for our own bed two years ago. The mattresses will be delivered in a few days from a local mattress shop - that was - DON'T BE SHOCKED - HAVING A LABOR DAY MATTRESS SALE!. We can test the beds for 120 days. If we don't like the beds, they can go back for a full refund, or we can exchange. Seems like a win-win situation.
Love Shopping in the time of Cholera COVID.
Is this a good time to mention the twin beds we ordered on July 1st for Leo and Lucy have yet to arrive? Is this a good time to mention - I'm talking to you WEST ELM - they charged our credit card in full on July 1st for beds that were IN STOCK, but have yet to be delivered? Is this a good to mention if I go to their website right this very second and order the exact same beds, they are IN STOCK and can be delivered to our house within ten days? I call them every few days. I have the phone number memorized, and know which extensions to push. Every single person I talk to gives me a different answer. Who runs a company like this?
Easy lazy dinner tonight. Not European. Mexican. Black bean enchiladas from the freezer, so also not complicated. Tomato and cucumber salad, to accompany.
Until my next update, I remain, your uncomplicated correspondent.