Working On Mellow

Nothing has really changed since my last transition report of April 17. Pretty much all things are moving along as they would normally. But I did have a hiccup with my mental state of gratitude and being at peace. I found myself getting caught up in details and feeling self-critical about either doing this, or not doing this. It took me a couple of weeks but I've managed to get back into the flow of Trust and Gratitude. It truly does lead to a much better frame of mind. And, honestly, almost all of the issues that arise all seem to work themselves out. This doesn't mean that I don't do anything. I certainly do things. I just let the worry flow rather than grab and jump on it with full vigor. So good on me for that.

 

Warmth Returns

Since we returned from SE Asia in early April, the weather has been unseasonably cold. My friends tell me that while we were gone in March, the opposite was true. The weather was unseasonably warm. 

Typically in late April, things are warming up here, and by early May it will be downright hot. We've had many a year when by the end of the first week of May it was problematic to plant in the garden because the heat made it difficult for new plantings. Based on this I confidently scheduled the change over of our heating system to our evaporative cooling system on April 21.

Oopsie 😬

The weather has been super cold since then. The highs barely in the low 70's often in the 60's. The lows in the 40's. As a result our house has been extremely cold, with us sleeping with three or more blankets on. Not fun.

FINALLY, this weekend we are having highs in the 80's with even a day or so toward 90 predicted. Lows are in the 50's. I can at last put on shorts and open our windows. And we are now safely inoculated against Viking Expeditions from Sweden as they have a hard time surviving in temperatures above 80.

What? You Can Do That? (An AI Novice Adventure)

#3 works for a company that makes heavy use of AI. So she follows AI things closely and has strong opinions on the reality of the promises promoted by the AI universe. 

I, on the other hand, am the equivalent of an AI pre-schooler and am much easier impressed (or pissed off as the case may be). When I tell 3 of one of my revelations, I usually get a big eye roll.

Having come back from a big trip and having no major travel planned again until the end of summer, I am throwing myself into my 12 year now saga of fantasy fiction writing. Here is the backdrop for the AI involvement.

In the current iteration of writing (Book Seven), there is a technological event that is brewing to create a transportation system beyond anything this world has ever seen. However, the world I've created is sorely lacking in metal or fossil fuels that could be used to construct the vehicles or power them. During the course of past books, the power part has been solved. There was now the challenge of what was this system to be made of if not metal. I recalled all the current man made materials that have become prevalent in our manufacturing culture. Could their be a way for my characters to devise artificial materials from things found in their own environment? Fortunately a base concept in my writing has been the movement of my characters to and from Earth. So it would totally make sense for them to go to Earth to learn about these.

Great idea, but one problem. I don't know anything about man made materials so writing something that made any sense whatsoever seemed quite the stretch. This is where AI came in.

I made a query for the tool I am using. I described the backstory of the world and the reason for the trip to Earth and asked where they would go to get the information they needed. Lo and behold, I got back not just sites of where important work was done, but descriptions of the environments where the work was done and how the discoveries were made. It even made suggestions for how I could have my characters move from one place to the next and observe the differences in the environments.

I decided to go deeper and explained how the 'wizardry' of my fictional world had to do with experts who could 'see' the underlying cosmic energy that makes anything happen (think String Theory). I asked how these 'Savants' might take the information gained from Earth's development of man made materials. To my surprise, it developed a story line whereby the Savants would observe the energy patterns underlying the molecular rearranging that leads to man made materials. Then it suggested they would find materials on the home world and would create energy patterns using their 'wizardly' abilities to do the molecular rearranging. It even threw in some theoretical examples using various plants. 

This was WAY BEYOND anything I had imagined. I happily bookmarked the conversation for reference later as the AI tool advised me. 

The following week, I was deep into writing and I went back to check the thread only to find that only the initial query was saved. What the &#@%!  Going to the AI tool, I asked what had happened. I got a bunch of mealy mouth excuses and some remedies that didn't work. This is not the first time I've had an AI tool do things for me and then come back and say 'Sorry. That actually doesn't work.'

Nonetheless, I have the basic information I need and am writing away.  

Can These People Be Serious?

I try to stay away from politics and our general social situation in my posts because if I didn't I would just be filling these pages with paragraph after paragraph of rants. But two recent things I saw simply put me over the edge. 

First - "Republicans concerned about their electoral prospects in November are considering reducing the capital gains tax to help with the affordability issue."

When I first read this, I thought it must be some kind of joke. But no, this is evidently a serious proposal. I ask you, do you think that the people who are most affected by rising prices of things like gasoline and groceries are even remotely concerned with what the capital gains tax rate is?

Last I looked, you pay your capital gains tax when you sell some significant asset like a house if it is not your primary residence. Our when you sell securities out of your investment portfolio. 

Do you think the person who is working at your grocery store is giving a sigh of relief that they can sell off some of their investments and not get hit up with such a high tax bill?

Seriously, this is the most inane proposal for affordability relief that I think I've ever heard. 

Second - "Major bank records record profits and announces it will be laying off one thousand employees"

We are making more money than we ever have but no, that is not enough. Because we need even more. More - More - More. Screw the workers. Screw every human being (except the super wealthy). We need to make MORE! 

Thank You Migrant Workers!

We had an incredibly successful weekend with our team of migrant workers from the mean fields of Lafayette, California. 

Garden successfully set up for the season

Major storage area thoroughly sorted and cleaned out (more room in there then ever! Time to buy more wine racks 😁)

Garage cleaned out

New rug installed in Master Bedroom Closet

Workers returned to their home without ICE having even caught a sniff

I wanted to place a review on Google but I guess they are not really marketing their services. 

In all seriousness, we are totally grateful that #1 and 1.2 came out. They took what would have taken us many weekends and got it all done in one.

We Welcome Migrant Workers

 On Thursday we welcomed the arrival of two badly needed migrant workers out of California. Although we live in an environment now where any person who is not a resident of your locality can be called and illegal Alien, Wife and I took advantage of an opportunity to bring back the workers who had done such a great job for us last year. We have a full list of things we want them to help us with with the main focus to be the garden. We are working them hard because we want to have them back in California before we draw the attention of ICE.

In all seriousness, having #1 and 1.2 come is a blessing. With their help, work that would take Wife and I many days to do, with serious consequences to our physical well being, gets done in a fraction of the time. There was a time a few years ago when my ego would have objected to getting help like this. Now, with the wisdom of greater age and recognition of the reality of diminishing physical capabilities, I welcome the help gladly. 

And we welcome the time with our oldest daughter and the ability to spend meaningful time with our grandson. 

Enjoying The Changing Seasons

Not the changing of the climatic seasons (though the lengthening days and softening weather is indicating that too). But rather, the seasons of my life from the 'travel' season to the 'home' season. Like the tropics where they have a wet and dry season, we of de-I-andia have the two seasons of 'travel' and 'home'. 

This 'home' season is starting off particularly nice. The home season is marked by the return to the 'one true bed' and the 'shower of enlightenment', not to mention the 'wine cellar of bliss' (though used in more controlled fashion due to the necessities of gout control) and renewal of work on 'the Story'. 

There is enjoyment of the Man-Tower especially as the longer days are bringing longer sunsets at times when they can be enjoyed more. Although there is frustration on the 'what I can eat and not eat' front, I am using that as stimulus to be creative with my meal design and cooking. 

I have just the right number of clients to keep me stimulated and they are all engaging situations that have interesting aspects to them. 

Theodora and Rotary EDI are both moving along. They have their challenges but nothing that is demanding huge stress or worry on my part. 

And I'm sure  there will come the time when I will be longing for the return of 'travel'. But for now it is melding into the mellow. 

(This post brought to you with much gratitude that there are no 'remodels', 'roofs to be repaired', or 'major irrigation' issues. At least so far 🫰🏼)