Maytag Moments
A Journal
(Like so many pieces of laundry, thoughts occur in no particular order.)
BIGHORN FIRE!©2020
Living with Parkinson’s
Phyllis, B.A. & SamTurner, M.Ed.
June -08-13
06.07.2020: 0515: The goal is to shoot three arrows inside each white circle. I practiced for 45-minutes and this was my best series of Ends. (Remember: An End is three arrows in my case.) I need to be able to do this when Swombo is scoring me. If the arrow touches the white edge, it counts as a ten. Top left=30; Top right =20; Bottom left and right are each 30. This would = 110 out of a possible 300. I continued for six more ends.
My next series was 20, 20,10,30= 80 with a final two ends of 20,20.=40. The total score is 230/300.
Usually, my first four or five ends are the best. As my arm tires or a tremor develops, the score drops off.
My goal is to break 250/300. When that happens, I will move from 10 to 15 yards with a goal of 250/300. When that happens, I will move to 20 yards – the standard distance for our (league) competition.
06.08.2020: 0630: As we leave for Udall Park, these night bloomers will close and be done when the sun hits them.
We have adjusted our routine because of the heat. We can walk Udall, go to Desert Sports, peddle the recumbents for ten minutes, and arrive home for breakfast before the heat hits us.
I will practice shooting ten Ends before the temperature hits 100º. I’ll continue writing for an hour.
0930: I spent 30-minutes at our CPA with forms and checks to the IRS. Everything is clear until September. Why this early? PARKINSON’S rares its head at a most inconvenient time. Today, my tremor is active, and I knew I would have difficulty filling out forms or writing checks. Swombo is resting after our exercise routine, (One does not disturb Swombo when she is resting!) I left a note saying I would return in thirty minutes (1000). Jessica, the secretary, wrote the attached forms for me, I signed my name (Mickey Mouse!) and since she says she is a reader, I gave her a copy of our latest short storybook, WELCOME HOME.
With that expense out of the way, I can concentrate on getting MM out a day late. Fortunately, a text from Julie explained what I needed to do, and I had Maytag Moments –THE DAY OF THE HAWK published only a half-day late.
Swombo is busy reading other works of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables.
We get responses:
From DanBaldwin: “I’ll see your Cooper and raise you one Redtail.”
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em –
Know when to fold ’em.” Thanks to the late Kenny Rogers.
BEEEAUUUTIFUL, Dan. Thanks. SET
Speaking of birds: A pyrrhuloxia stops by. (Similar to a cardinal.)
After lunch, PJ read her book and I worked on my CIP for three hours and typed about 2000 words. The story is getting exciting. I have no idea how it will end!
I’m a practicingwriter! I write into the dark letting my characters take me along for the experience.
“How long have you been practicing dentistry, Doctor?”
Get it? The more I practice, the faster the stories happen. That’s what I like about fiction. But the practice of writing works with memoir or non-fiction, also. Did I mention that I practice archery? If each End of thirty arrows were typed words, and if some of those words are on target, the practice improves. So I try to practice archery every day (as long as I don’t have a tremor). I practice writing every day. 500 words or 1,000 words. or 60 words. It all adds up.
06.09.2020: 0430: I had to answer Dan’s poker challenge because of his redtail hawk. Thought of the answer this morning. Thanks to the late Kenny Rogers.
0640: The fire started in Pusch Ridge, yesterday. It has moved closer to Pima Canyon.
This photo was taken from Udall Park. We put 1600 steps down this morning. I was tired and suggested we skip the club. We finished breakfast by 0800.
This response comes in from Ana Felix: What a photographer! She sends a relaxing video clip for us to enjoy. https://youtu.be/hcosLDDJ9EM
1230: Our HomeChef order arrived. The box contains three meals that we can prepare. A different menu but the same process as last week. The first meal that we tried this evening was Mahi-Mahi with roasted sweet potatoes and corn on the cob. You almost didn’t receive a picture of this. I was half-way through when I realized that I hadn’t photographed it. Chef Swombo monitored the roasting of the sweet potatoes while I fried the mahi-mahi. The total time from beginning to plate was just under thirty minutes.
1800: The meal was excellent. We have enough leftovers for tomorrow.
After dinner, we watched the local news on ABC. Then, our recording of Songland (from last week). It comes on NBC at 2100 which is when we go to bed. Fortunately, I have it on an automatic recording. This was unusual because the pro-singer picked two of the three to combine their songs into one. What a transition of lyrics and music, and it worked.
06.10.2020: 0300: Awake. 0400: Up and writing – started the dishwasher – 0630: practiced archery 80º – hot – quit after one end. 0800: breakfast.
1100: The fire is now called the Bighorn fire – getting closer! 1200: We had leftovers! 1300: Caught up on e-mail. Read material by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Donated. Responded to ProWritersWriting.
1700: Stopping for the evening.
1730: Took another shot of the Bighorn fire. Now at 3,277 acres and 10% containment. Headed for Finger Rock.
06.11.2020: 0400: Up. residents north of Skyline between Alvernon and First Ave are on Alert Stand-by to evacuate! 0530: Catalina Mts.
By 0700, the fire is on the south face. The rouge color is 19,600 gallons of fire retardant, dropped from a 747 Super Tanker.
I then practiced archery and broke a nock. The score was like this: 10,10,30, 10,20,20,30,20,20,20=190/300
1500: (Still Thursday. This day is going slowly.)
And the fire grows. 4,690 acres and some Catalina Foothills residents are evacuating.
2100:After watching the news (late) we turned in.
06.12.2020: 0530: At last! A normal wake-up – did the laundry – 0630: Al and Dexter Dog stopped by and I walked partway up Elbow Bay and back with them. I put 1462 steps while PJ is still sleeping! She will be surprised. I’m finally ahead of her. By the time we returned, the temperature was 86º. Temp is supposed to hit 107º, today. I didn’t think about archery practice. Instead, I retreated to my office and cleared all my emails. 0900: Working on my CIP dividing chapters (or Episodes) Around 30 pages each.
Bighorn Fire is now over 7,000 acres. 800 residents are evacuating. 1000: Watching a watercolor ink sketching video.
Picked up the order to go from Jerry Bob’s for dinner. Watched news of Bighorn Fire. Some residents are out of danger. Still, only 10% controlled. Watched Netflix – Echo Canyon: Music of the 60-70s. Where were we that we didn’t recognize most of these tunes? Well, the Beatles, of course, but…
06.13.2020: 06000: Archery practice. I shot only eight Ends: 0,10,0,10,10,0,0,10. (wrist won’t hold still) Tomorrow, I’ll start at 0530.
I worked on my CIP. Then, I moved to Zoom for the RWA meeting. 0930: I was able to attend this time. Amazing! I may not learn much about writing in these meetings, but I’m getting better navigating with Zoom.
It is said that
t before entering the sea,
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast, that to enter there
seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river cannot go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean,
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing
into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.
– Khalil Gibran