Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
We were up a little late,te but by 8:15 am we were on our way to get beaten up by the best at Peak Performance. Mary and I rode the stationary bikes almost four miles this morning. We worked hard as we wanted to be ready for the upcoming party.
So, now that we’d worked off 400 calories, we went to the bank and then the bagel store to replenish our calorie supply with two magnificent “everything” bagels.
We bought two bagels, one sesame, one everything, and carried them home like royal jewels. At the kitchen table, I squinted at the wrapper. “Three hundred calories each,” I announced. Mary frowned. “But if we cut them in half, that’s only one hundred fifty.”
I nodded, impressed by mathematics. “And if we toast them, calories burn off,” Mary added, adding cream cheese. “This is protein camouflage.”
We ate happily until I spotted crumbs. “Those are escaped calories!” Mary swept them into her palm and whispered, “Quick, before they reattach.” We then exercised by laughing for almost nine seconds straight.
We had two appointments before lunch!
Our solar panel washer came by first and polished the solar cells, making them sparkle! The kid must be in hismid-20ss and is doing amazing well!
The second appointment was with Mary’s attorney, as she is updating all her legal documents: Will, Trust, Medical Power of Attorney, etc. I completed mine last year, and it is good to look at them every couple of years!
We send our wills to ChatGPT to ask for advice. I used the following prompt, and you must be intelligent to use AI; the prompts (commands to AI) are the secret!
Please review the attached will and provide a clear, plain-English summary. Identify the main parties, including the testator, executor/personal representative, alternate executor, beneficiaries, and any guardians named for minor children. Explain how assets are distributed, who receives what, and whether any specific gifts, residual estate provisions, or conditions are included. Please highlight any clauses that may be confusing, unusual, incomplete, inconsistent, or worth discussing with an estate planning attorney. Check for potential issues such as missing signatures, unclear beneficiary designations, outdated references, conflicts between provisions, or language that may not match common will practices. Do not provide legal advice or make conclusions about legal validity. Instead, help me understand the document and prepare questions for a qualified estate planning attorney.
The AI analysis was very revealing and raises several questions for the attorney!
After the meetings, we zipped over to Newport Beach, where Dr. Bill performed what I can only describe as a heroic toe rescue mission.
My ingrown toenail had been causing serious drama — the kind where the edge of the nail decides, “You know what? I’m not growing outward anymore. I’m going spelunking into the skin.”
Needless to say, I was VERY HAPPY to have it dealt with.
After numbing my toe — bless modern medicine and whoever invented painkillers — Dr. Bill dug out a piece of nail that looked like the jagged tip of a saber-tooth tiger fang. Honestly, I half expected archaeologists to show up and ask if they could carbon-date it.
Thanks to a generous shot of anesthetic, I felt absolutely nothing, which is exactly how I prefer all toe-related excavations to go.
Dr. Bill is my hero. My toe is free. The fang is gone. Peace has been restored.
Then we headed back to Orange to our favorite Lebanese restaurant to order snacks/food for our guests arriving Sunday afternoon. Since we were there, we, of course, had lunch/dinner. Mary tried their lamb kabob while I opted for spicy sausage!
Here’s some kabob trivia:
- “Kabob” / “kebab” generally refers to meat, vegetables, or seafood cooked on skewers or grilled.
- The word kebab is believed to come from Middle Eastern/Turkic/Persian culinary traditions.
- Shish kebab means skewered kebab — “shish” refers to the skewer.
- Kebabs are popular across many cuisines, including Turkish, Persian, Armenian, Greek, Indian, Afghan, Arab, and Central Asian food.
- In the U.S., “kabob” often means chunks of meat and vegetables on a skewer, while in the UK, “kebab” often brings to mind doner kebab.
- Doner kebab is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and inspired dishes like shawarma and gyros.
- Traditional kebabs were likely cooked by soldiers or travelers over open fires.
- Common kabob meats include lamb, beef, chicken, and fish.
- Popular kabob seasonings often include garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, coriander, sumac, turmeric, yogurt, lemon, and herbs.
- In Persian cuisine, chelo kebab — kebab served with rice — is considered a classic national dish.
We thought that was enough for one day, then we remembered we needed to do a Trader Joe’s run for several items, including Four Buck Chuck!
Finally, we arrived home, unloaded the car, and put everything away! Mary went to the garage and pulled out all the plates/knives/napkins we had from other events! Oh my, we could easily set a table for 60. On the bright side, no trip to Costco is required, AND the storage area gets to be reorganized.
We skipped dinner because our post-lunch visit to Veza apparently identified as dinner and took over the role completely.
After that, we watched Jack Reacher until 8:00 pm, then bravely ventured into the luxurious, bath-like waters of our pool. Thanks to the heat wave, keeping it warm only cost us a casual $700 in gas — practically a bargain, if you don’t enjoy having money.
But come September, when the daily surface-of-the-sun temperatures finally calm down, we’ll shut off the pool heater and return triumphantly to the swim spa, which has been sitting there feeling abandoned, dramatic, and probably composing sad little bubbles.
I thought I heard someone talking and sure enough, our pet Koi had a message for us!
We watched more Reacher reruns until 11:00 pm, then crashed. Tomorrow is another big day! We are off to Girls Night Out and then, thanks to Vicky, we are off to the Muck for a rousing evening with The Alley Cats! Never a dull moment!!
