Day 178 - the last Tuesday in June

 Today is the 3rd day of the 26th week, the 27th day of the 6th month, the 178th day of 2023 [with only 180 shopping days left until Christmas], and:

• Celebrate Joy Day
• Decide to Be Married Day
• "Happy Birthday to You" Day
• Helen Keller Day
• Independence Day - Djibouti from France in 1977
• Industrial Workers of the World Day
• International Pineapple Day
• Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Day
• National Bingo Day
• National Columnists Day
• National HIV Testing Day
• National Ice Cream Cake Day
• National Indian Pudding Day
• National Onion Day
• National Orange Blossom Day
• National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day
• Sunglasses Day

Quote of the day:
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."

~ Lau Tzu, semi-legendary Chinese Taoist philosopher credited with writing the Tao Te Ching

That quote pretty much sums up the state of the country and the world, doesn't it?  Unless we start caring about and for each other [strengthen the social safety net], bridle the greed of those who crave wealth and power [address income inequity and ensure a voice for minorities], and mitigate the harm we have done to the climate [if we can build a bridge for a busy highway in a couple of weeks, surely we can figure out a way to back away from fossil fuels] , we are rushing headlong into a much different world than I envisioned in my salad days.  I wonder about the world my granddaughters will inherit and worry that they will find themselves fighting the same battles that were fought and won by their grandparents and great-grandparents.  

Serious thoughts and rather discouraging as well, neh?  Two stories precipitated this rather down attitude:  one about a tourist defacing the Coliseum by carving his girlfriend's initials onto a wall and the other about how people are voting to preserve their power rather than make the economy work for everyone 

As a counterbalance, here is a picture of Trsicuit being cute to counterbalance the impact of my doom scrolling today

Construction update:

They have been sandblasting or power washing  away since 8 Am this morning - from what I can see, it appears they are cleaning the area out below the actual surface of the parking lot, when means they are tackling the roof below.  I feel like some of those holes go straight through, and note the workers are careful to stand on boards when they are standing in certain places.  The noise must be hellish down in that garage while they are doing this!

They kept right on working even as the skies darkened with the forecast thunderstorms, altho they started covering the holes they weren't actually working on with their plywood covers 

No word from the management office yet on the message I sent them about the renewal offer.  If I don't hear from them today, I plan to take the letter into the office and ask to speak to the manager and see what I can negotiate.

I've started once again looking around for another place to live, and mentally cataloging what I can take with me and what I cannot.  I think what I will do is simply pack up and take what fits in the new space and leave the rest behind, hiring my friend's organizer to clean out and dispose of the remaining items.  It will be expensive, but given the state of my health and the level of my energy, it will work.  On the other hand, if they come back with a reasonable offer, I will stay put for now because it just frosts me to pay the same price I pay now for half the space.  If I'm going to downsize, then I want lower monthly

costs!  It would be hard to give up that #viewfromthebalcony though, as I have become more conscious of late of the amount of time I spend both gazing out the balcony door, and sitting in the rocking chair on the balcony, watching the traffic, enjoying the clouds, and listening to the kids play.

Sometimes we just need a refuge from the constant barrage of stuff happening, neh?