Beep Beep Beep

The beep beep beep sound that construction vehicles make when they reverse is driving me crazy.  I'm even imagining hearing it long after the sun goes down.  The last few days it's been incessant, as they continue work on the house next door to mine that just got sold.  And if it's not the beep beep beep, then it's the hammering, the generator or some other noise getting on my nerves.  Considering the amount of time and effort that seems to be going into renovating this property, it sure seems like someone is eventually moving in.  I think it has been abandoned and unoccupied since I moved here.  Even when it got sold a few years ago, they started making renovations but gave up/ran of money.  This time it feels different.  So now I'm fearing the worst for how long this construction noise could be going on for, and then what kind of neighbors I could end up having.  I think it's just unfortunate that I'm having to endure the noises because I happen to be working from home right now.  My eyesight is still far from ideal, so I'm using that as an excuse for not going into the office.  That might have to change next week (I should have some new glasses by then - if my new eye prescription hasn't already become outdated). 

Radio

I am fed up with the local radio station I normally listen to.   It's main draw is that it limits advert breaks (though not as much as it used to) - which is a big problem with most stations here.  However, the lack of variety in the songs it plays is shocking.  Yes, sticking to alternative music does somewhat restrict the playlist.  But my god, I am sick to death of hearing Nirvana, Wheezer and Green Day every hour, let alone every day.  I need to investigate other alternative music stations - surely there have to be better ones, especially in a city like Seattle steeped in alternative music lore.  It might also be time to embrace internet or satellite radio.  And it really makes me miss BBC radio and it's lack of adverts and extensive music library.  I wonder if I can listen to it here?  Back in the day I used to be able to do so, but then they blocked broadcasting outside the UK.  But I've just downloaded a BBC Sounds app and it looks like I can again.  Hmmm, options.         

TV Theme Tunes #45

Kenneth Williams - so much more than just the best thing in a whole load of crappy Carry On films.  Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me.  Ooh matron.  Etc.  Etc.  I also remember him fondly from this classic early 80's cartoon.

Work News

I was told this off the record, but apparently there were some layoffs in our Seattle office last week.  Of course, they are not calling these layoffs but "organizational restructuring".  Whatever you call it, some people used to have jobs and now they don't.  No one I know, these were people who worked in the lab.  Entirely different department to mine (they are in research, I am in development).  Nonetheless, they did work in the same therapeutic area that I do.  And indeed I don't think it's coincidence that the head of clinical development for the same therapeutic area quit recently.  It seems to me that our company might be exiting the therapeutic area I work in.  Although it is easy enough for me to transition into another area, and I'm already doing work for a different group, it is rather unsettling.  I don't think my job is under threat, but who knows what might happen.  If I'm going to be honest, I wouldn't mind being laid off with a generous severance package.  The only thing that concerns me is losing health insurance!       

Construction Noise

Much to my chagrin, I am currently suffering from a trifecta of construction noise around where I live.  Let's go to the map for some context:

A - this is the house that was for sale, but unbelievably someone actually bought it.  Even more shockingly, they paid nearly half a million dollars for it.  My landlord said it is going to take nearly that much money again to make it habitable.  But that hasn't stopped the new buyers from starting work on it - cue lots of annoying construction noise.

B - I have no idea what the owners of this plot of land are doing.  There isn't a house there - it just seems to be a dumping ground for a load of crap, including construction materials.  But just over the last week there has been lots of noise and activity there and it looks like they might be constructing something.  I remember talking to my landlord a while ago about this plot and I remember him saying that you couldn't build a house there - but I don't know what else they could be doing.

C - the owners of this house don't live there, but I occasionally see them doing some maintenance e.g. mowing the lawn.  But, again, just in the last week there seems to have been a significant uptake in activity there.  I heard from my landlord that they might try to rent out the property, which might explain all the construction noise.  

Hiss

Imagine my surprise to discover this on my driveway yesterday:

I only noticed it when I almost stood on it - scaring the bejesus out of me.  But no, it was very dead.  I have no idea how it got there - did I run it over, did some disgruntled neighbor leave it there to send a message, did some other animal drop it there, did it die of old age?  I have no clue.  But yes, confirmation of another animal in my yard that I've only ever seen as tracks in the snow.   

Meme

I had to include one here, sorry (not sorry).

Posing for the camera

Some deer action from August via my trail cam, before it ran out of batteries.  Plus what looks like a house cat - but I have no idea whose house cat it is.

Lacking Clarity

And so my eyesight woes go on.  I've only been wearing my new glasses with a new prescription for about 5 days, and my vision is already starting to go blurry again.  My optician did say this might happen, but it is still very unsettling.  And it is putting my upcoming trip back to the UK at risk.  I don't want to go back if my vision is too compromised.  And I fear that is the way things are going.  What can I do to mitigate this?  It isn't cheap, but I have scheduled another eye exam next week - with the aim to get another pair of glasses with an updated eye prescription before I head back.  But even that might not be enough.  I am definitely feeling quite a lot of anxiety right now.     

TV Theme Tunes #44

We're going back to the 1960's for this one.  A classic theme that sounds remarkably familiar - I'm sure I've probably heard it in some other show or advert.

Shorts

I went to the local shopping mall at lunch today to try to buy a pair of shorts.  I say try, because I didn't succeed.  Both the big chains, Macy's and JCPenney, had a pitiful to non-existent selection.  Perhaps trying to buy some shorts at the end of summer isn't the best timing.  Nonetheless, very disappointing.  No wonder department stores are dying.  I'm probably going to end up buying some shorts online instead.  And for a lot less. 

Mister Rogers

I quite like this sign I saw in the front yard of one of the houses I pass on my regular neighborhood walk:

I appreciate the sentiments.  But it got me wondering, does the UK have an equivalent to Fred Rogers?  Who isn't a disgraced children's TV presenter.  Maybe Fred Rogers is to children's TV as David Attenborough is to nature documentaries.  I was thinking Tony Hart - but I think Tony Hart's US equivalent is Bob Ross.  Among the other suggestions I saw in a reddit post were Johnny Ball, Brian Cant, Johnny Morris and "Blue Peter".  In other words, I'm not sure there is a close equivalent.        

Rivendell

It's been a while since I bought a set, but I got myself a little birthday present:

I really need to come up with the space and the right shelving unit(s) to display these big lego sets.

Air Quality Alert

We now have an air quality alert in effect from Saturday through Monday.  I guess all the smoke from the fires in the north of the state and Canada is coming in our direction.  The alert says that air quality may reach unhealthy levels or worse, and that everyone should take steps to reduce exposure.  Limit time outside, avoid strenuous outdoor activity, etc.  Hmmm, well that's not going to stop me going out on some hikes over the weekend.  Particularly as I got my new temporary glasses today, so I can actually see properly for the first time in a couple of weeks and am actually safe to drive.  I can't tell you what a relief that is.      

More Autographs

The most recent addition to my collection:

This is a very typical purchase for me.  Dual autographs from two models/actresses who played minor roles (at least I think so, it's been a while since I watched the film) in an infamous scene in arguably the best Bond film ever. 

Naked Gun

When you hear news like they're going to reboot Naked Gun with Liam Neeson, then you hope the Hollywood strike goes on for a very long time.  It is a travesty to reboot this classic, and Leslie Nielsen is irreplaceable.  They were due to start filming the reboot this summer, so I have no idea what the status of the film is right now.  Hopefully it doesn't see the light of day (but Hollywood being what it is with it's lack of original ideas, I doubt it).      

TV Theme Tunes #43

An important and formative show from my student days.  One I would be curious to revisit.  I have no idea how well it has aged or not.  But what I do know is that it should have lasted more than 2 seasons.

Eyes

A much needed trip to the opticians today, as my blurry vision woes continue.  The good news - no long-term damage to my eyes from diabetes.  The bad news - it appears that my vision will not be stable over the next month.  Apparently my blood sugar levels have caused some swelling in my lenses.  As my levels normalize (and I check my blood sugar levels twice daily now, and the results are encouraging) then the swelling will decrease, but not all the way - and I'll probably be left with an eye prescription somewhere between what it is now and what it used to be.  And, according to the optician, that is a massive difference - one of the biggest he's ever seen.  I'm getting some temporary glasses on Friday, that should help in the short-term.  But my eyes are so bad that I'm not legally supposed to drive at the moment.  But I have been, and will continue to do so, when it is absolutely necessary - e.g. going to an optician's appointment.  Driving back home after my appointment, with a combination of my bad eyesight and dilated pupils, was one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had.  I'm glad I got home without incident, because I could hardly see where I was going.  And, unfortunately, all this uncertainty over my vision has made me question the timing of my trip back to the UK.  TBD.          

Excessive Heat Watch

We were under an excessive heat watch from this evening until Thursday, but I've just checked my weather app and it looks like it's been downgraded to a heat advisory from tonight until Tuesday night.  Either way, the hottest weather of the year for us so far.  But, relative to other heatwaves we've had, this one doesn't seem too bad.  Daytime temperatures of around 33 C, and overnight temperatures around 18 C.  That is manageable.  And indeed, summer here has been very pleasant this year without any extreme weather.  Which is a relative surprise.  Cue an absolutely terrible fall and winter.    

Fire Hydrants

When out for a local walk today, I noticed a number of white fire hydrants.  It looked like they had been painted recently.  I thought fire hydrants were always yellow, so I was confused.  A google search reveals that the cap of a fire hydrant can be different colors to indicate the flow rate out of the hydrant.  But different colors for the body of the hydrant, less clear.  Perhaps the white is just an undercoat, and the hydrants will eventually all be painted yellow.  I have no idea.  The surprising things you notice, even when your vision is currently compromised.   

Premier League

Jeez, is it already the start of the new Premier League season?  I'm surprisingly indifferent to this, probably because I'm distracted by other stuff right now.  Cannot say I'm feeling particularly optimistic about Palace - how much will we miss Zaha? 

Wildfires

As wildfires decimate Hawaii, we can expect more in Washington.  There is already a large fire of note in the North Cascades National Park.  And apparently we are expecting an extended wildfire season this year.  With the hottest weather of the year in the forecast next week, and with a lot of dry combustible land just waiting for a spark, things could deteriorate here quickly.  But hopefully not to the tragic extent that it has in Hawaii.  A state I still haven't visited yet, but hope to one day.

Blurry Vision

Currently suffering from blurry vision - probably a symptom of high blood sugar level or the medication I'm taking to treat it - and it's an absolute nightmare.  Affecting everything from being able to get any work done  to being able to drive anywhere, it really is making my life utterly miserable and stressing me out.  It's so bad that I can almost see better without my glasses than I can with them.  And when you've been wearing glasses for as long as I have, then that is extremely disconcerting.  I am keeping my doctor appraised of the situation - and I do have an appointment on Friday - but I pray my vision returns to normal soon as I can't function properly otherwise.    

TV Theme Tunes #42

Say what you see.

A Bad Back

The good - with my landlord's help, I have replaced my mattress.  The bad - I have woken up with a bad back every morning since.  Hopefully it won't take much longer for my body to adjust to this slightly firmer mattress.  I am increasingly feeling like a very old man.

USWNT

I've not really been following the Women's World Cup, but I find it hilarious that USA got knocked out early.  It was just a bad tournament for them, they could easily have got knocked out at the group stage.  And why is it so funny?  Because they didn't top their group, their round-of-16 game was played in the middle of the night instead of primetime so nobody watched it live and instead woke up to the news they were out.  And the sense of shock was, and is, palpable.  And the coverage here has a lot to do with this - too much hype, too much self-absorbed commentary, absolutely zero respect to any of the other countries competing.  It was like they had already won the tournament before it had even started.  And then reality set in.  No sympathy.       

Mega Millions

I used to criticize my dad for buying loads of lottery tickets.  As a statistician, I know that the odds of winning are practically zero.  But here I am, buying lots of lottery tickets over the last few weeks as the Mega Millions jackpot rises up to stupid levels.  The only time I bother to buy a ticket is when the jackpot is so high that it makes the news - and it is definitely in the headlines right now.  The next drawing is on Tuesday (they're not stupid, doing 2 drawings a week rather than just the 1 - and at $2 a ticket rather than just $1, with the option of paying extra for a multiplier) and the estimated jackpot is $1.55 billion.  It's inching closer and closer to that all-time largest ever jackpot (which I believe is over $2 billion).  What is misleading to me is that I always think that a billion should be a million x million.  But it isn't, it's only a thousand million.  Of course, I use the word "only" very loosely there.  Despite having no chance of winning (I don't think I've even matched one number over the last few weeks), I'm sure I'll end up buying some tickets before Tuesday's drawing.  And not winning.      

Friday Evening Hike

A pleasant Friday evening hike.  Nice weather, not too many other people on the trail, no bears.

Self-Sufficiency

I ordered a new mattress and it arrived yesterday.  Now I'm in a dilemma - do I call in help to assist replacing my mattress, or do I try to do it myself?  I think I'm going to give it a go alone first.  But both my current mattress and the new mattress are heavy, big (king-sized) and difficult to handle.  There are 2 big obstacles that I need to overcome - moving my current mattress into the spare room, and then getting my new mattress upstairs.  The first is going to going to involve a lot of dragging, the second is going to involve a lot of pushing.  I don't even know if it's possible for me to do either without help, but I'll try this weekend.  It will at least be some good exercise.   

American Healthcare

A classic example of why the American healthcare system is so flawed.  I had another doctor's appointment this week and got prescribed a new medication.  But then when I went to the pharmacy to pick up the medication, I discovered that it has been denied by my health insurance provider.  They apparently want me to continue on my current medication for at least another 3 more months.  If I want to get this new medication, I would have to pay for it out of pocket.  And how much does that cost?  A pricey $900 for one month of medication.  There's no way I'm paying that much.  My pharmacist is urgently appealing the decision by my insurance provider (even with insurance, now I'm worried just how much it will cost).  But it seems fundamentally wrong that the insurance provider has the power to deny me a medication that I've been prescribed.  In the American healthcare system, money always tops what's in a patient's best interest.

TV Theme Tunes #41

Another cartoon from my childhood, which I guess appeared on my YouTube feed because of my choice of theme from a few weeks ago.  These 2 cartoon are very much paired together in my mind.

Because it's a stretch to call this a theme - here is a version of the more musical closing theme.