Different

Every single day I get up, check email and LJ and then put on my swimsuit and head for the gym pool. The last day I did not do this was, I think, last January when I skipped a couple of days when my brother was here.

But today. Nope. Today I'm enjoying coffee and pastries and leisurely clicking around the internet. Today I'll go to the city pool but it does not open for lap swims until 11 am. I want to stop at Walgreens on the way so I'll leave here about 10:30ish. Unlike the gym, there are no traffic issues between here and this particular city pool so that's going to be a treat. Plus it's a chlorine pool which will be a fun change and it's a deep pool. I love my gym pool but this might turn out to be a fun change.

It's another cool and rainy day. Sleeping is now fun again. I have a very soft, lightweight, comforter on the bed now that helps make sleeping delicious. Also, when I first get up, I toss the comforter aside into a lump that then the cat loves to burrow into for a morning nap. She's in there now happily snoozing away. She usually burrows all the way in so that all you see is another lump but today, apparently, she fell asleep during the journey. So here's a little cat butt.



I'll make the bed later.It's still only 7:45. I think I'll go sew some for a while. Weird deciding what to do at 7:45.

Some same, some not

From about 2010 until 2015, I went to the Medgar Evers pool every single weekday except for holidays. I also often popped into the nearby Walgreens and Red Apple Grocery and picked up a Subway sandwich on the way home. I've been back exactly once since May of 2015 and that was early in the morning last April - so I skipped the retail stops.

Today I did them all. I started with Walgreens which they have really cleaned up. It was an ok Walgreens before but now it's a Really Nice Walgreens. And they have Android Pay working fine and dandy. And they had my toothpaste which I have not been able to find anywhere else in town.

Then on to the pool. Found easy good parking and got there after the pool house opened but they hadn't started swimming yet. Some of my old swim buddies were still there! The same people I used to wait for the pool to open with 18 months ago. We had a grand catch up. It was really nice to see them all and one of my favorite members of the staff. It was fun. And I had a fabulous swim. It's a big cavernous pool house and loud. And the pool was kind of crowded. And I felt like the lifeguards were judging my poor style and technique.

All while I'm swimming I'm deciding which Subway sandwich I will have and what I will have on it. The lap swim opens at 11 so today - just like every day during those 5 years, I swam hungry. Really hungry.

First, though, I need a few groceries so I went to the Red Apple. They have already announced that the store will be closing - the whole block has been sold for development. The store has clearly given up. Sad. Plus they didn't have any washed/sliced mushrooms. Like I'm going to wash and slice my own muchrooms???? NFW.

But then the big blow. The Subway has already closed and disappeared!!! So I came home a built a cheese sandwich out of the bits of cheddar slices that weren't moldy. It was as sad a lunch as it sounds like it was.

Before I left for the pool, I sewed up the suit I cut out yesterday. I made a few tweaks from previous suits and the difference was a huge success. Some of the arm holes of the previous suits end up rubbing my skin so that it's red by the time I finish. That issue is now fixed and I thought up a way to fix the suits that have the problem. So win win win.

Also... the gym pool is open!!! They opened it up this morning. I called to ask and then sent my swim buddy, Barrie, a note and got a reply that she called, too, and then hopped in the car and went and swam. Apparently they did a big clean and re-chemical and she says it's sparkly clean and crystal clear so now I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's swim. I can't wait to get back to my little, quiet, not crowded, no life guard pool.

I think I'm going go ahead and fix the older swimsuits right now.

Done!

I was able to totally fix the rubbing issue in the 3 swimsuits that have it! Yeah! Sadly none of the three have the ass area lined so they will likely blow out soonest but that's not an after market fix. At least now I won't have a constant rash under my arm!

Now I have sewing machine back. I wish I could remember to sit differently while I'm sewing. No dolls today. I have several all cut out and ready for assembly with plenty of time to do them tomorrow.

Tonight the Mariners play Toronto here at home and there are Canadians all over this neighborhood. I love that even though Toronto is on the other side of the continent, Vancouverites and other Canuks on this side of the country turn out to support Toronto. I still hope they lose but have a good time anyway. Plus I love the Canadian National anthem.

There are a bunch of people in the sports bar across the street having a wonderful and very loud time. Right now they are singing that Canadian National anthem for me!!

Lessons from Saturday - the retail version

On Saturday I walked up to the new drugstore. In my new shoes. These are winter shoes I bought on sale last Spring. It was the first time I had worn them and, honestly, they did not feel that great. But, it wasn't that long a walk and I didn't think too much about it.

Today, I looked down and there's a giant bruise that wraps around my foot right where they felt the least great. And a blister that burst on my toe. So... while I didn't pay much for them, I clearly paid too much. Sigh.

BUT, at the drugstore, they gave me a goodie bag of cool drugstore stuff. Bandaids, and q-tips and Advil and Clariten and Handywipes and a little travel bottle of shampoo and conditioner.

My gym outfits the showers with soap ad shampoo and conditioner and, honestly, I don't care so I just use theirs. But the city does not so I tossed these new little travel bottles into my swim bag today and used them after my swim.

I felt it first and then I went to look. This stuff is MAGIC!!! My hair looks adorable! It's so soft and curly and just amazing. Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.

So I bought more. I want this hair every day. Thank you.

And I went to Zappos and bought Uggs. I did. I bought two different Uggs styles - low cut. For winter. I will return one (or both if neither work). They are way too pricey for my cheap soul but buying shoes that bruise and blister my feet isn't that smart either.

Seriously my hair feels so soft.

My tweets

• Mon, 10:00: Hey @davezatz did you see this informal report of swimming with the apple watch? https://t.co/PY9MXPJlEJ
• Mon, 10:08: Well, this is new. I clicked on a phone number to make a call… https://t.co/w0ZzlTJi0A https://t.co/HRvuv0CRmT
• Mon, 16:48: The Mariners play the Blue Jays here tonight and I think most of Canada came down… https://t.co/CXeOHblDWJ