northernwalker

Norad Santa is up and running

2018-12-24T14:14:03Z

northernwalker @ 2018-02-28T21:09:00

2018-03-01T02:10:49Z

Until yesterday, I had no idea that laundromats outside Alaska don't come standard with showers.

Just to explain, Alaskan laundromats have, along with laundry facilities, several shower cubicles. Basically, there are four or five little rooms along one wall with shower setup and changing space. They're private, cost about $5, and provide towels. There are also water filling stations for people who live in dry cabins, which are exactly what they sound like- no running water. You fill up your five gallon jugs and haul them out to the car.

Your other alternative is a gym, or, if you're University staff or students, then you have the student rec center and there are showers in several of the campus buildings. The building my dad worked at has a couple of showers downstairs that are used by staff or grad students, and have been very useful when our pump broke down at home (we have running water. Mom was not going for a dry cabin with two babies.) When I worked at one of the campus libraries, our building had a small locker room. One of my coworkers who lived in a dry cabin would come in and shower there each morning.

I live in Maryland at the moment, and apparently this is not a thing. A quickie FB poll agrees. It's interesting to see what we take for granted as normal.

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northernwalker @ 2018-02-26T15:01:00

2018-02-26T20:02:23Z

There are three kinds of people: those who learn by reading, a few who learn from observation, and the rest who have to test the electric fence for themselves.

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From a friend's FB

2017-06-15T19:56:31Z

She posted that her son asked her:
"Mom, do you think the good side or the evil side will win?"
Like, in life? Dude, it's Monday morning. Quit it.

My answer: "The fluffy side will win. Pick your side and add fluffies."

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northernwalker @ 2017-06-11T23:06:00

2017-06-12T03:09:26Z

I had a magical experience on Friday. I went into Washington, DC, for a dental appointment in Georgetown. It was my birthday weekend, so I decided after lunch to go up to Dumbarton Oaks, a historic garden and museum. I love the garden and try to go a few times a year, but it's been a while since I was in Georgetown. I got there around 3:45 and wandered around for a bit before I came to part of the garden called the Ellipse. It's a huge circle of grass surrounded by benches and a double row of hornbeams, with a fountain in the middle.

I sat down on a bench to catch my breath, looked at the lush grass and thought, "Why don't I?" I promptly pulled off my sandals and walked onto the freshly trimmed grass. It felt so good underfoot, like a living carpet. I let my feet feel where they wanted to go, padding slowly in a circle for several minutes until I heard a group coming.
Then I put my shoes back on and retired to the North Vista, which drops in shallow levels to an ornamental rail. Again, my shoes came off and I walked the length of the vista slowly, watching for chipmunks (I saw my second one of the day there!) and just enjoying the different feel of the sun-warmed patches of grass and the shady ones. After that, I went back to the Ellipse and began walking it again, this time in company with another woman. We smiled and nodded, both of us moving in concert in our bare feet around the circle.

After a little while, we passed each other and she spoke to me, asking if I was meditating. I said I was, and she was too. We kept walking and smiling as we passed each other again, until another woman and her three young daughters came in. She asked, "Are you grounding?" and we both agreed that we were. She joined us with her youngest daughter and we all continued to walk together.

When they left, my impromptu meditation buddy and I kept walking for a while, enjoying the transition from sun to shade as the sun's angle shifted. When the garden came close to closing time, we both wound down our walk and got ready to leave, thanking each other for the experience. It was wonderful.

There's a photo below (not mine) of what it looks like.

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New Dawn

2017-04-10T00:56:48Z

First day on the new site. Let's see how it goes.

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