Daily Notes -September 24

Yesterday.  After writing the Daily Notes I went out and picked grapes off the trellis in the fenced garden.  I picked enough to fill and sort of overflow the lid from my birthday cake.  I like to reuse plastic items once or twice before recycling.  I only picked what I could reach.

Then I pulled all the ripe grapes off each little- what do they call them- bunch?  Yes. and then added a  half cup of water and boiled and then simmered and then used the jelly bag to collect the juice. I managed to collect 6 cups.  Now the juice has to sit for 24 hours and then I can strain out the tartrate crystals and move on to making grape jelly and then use the big canning kettle to seal the jars.

I think all that work and mess will result in 4 to 6 half pint jars of jelly.

I need to go buy a really big bag of sugar.  I think I need 5 cups of sugar to make 4 to 6 half pint jars.
Jelly is just flavored sugar.

I am reading the Plus One.  Geeky Tech Engineer girl needs a plus one for her sister's wedding.  Can't find one so she builds one in a weekend (at work using parts stolen from work)-- really hard to even think it's possible and he can even eat food and--ah......dispose of it with a "special unit" installed inside.  Yes, all this in one weekend.  She even painted his eyeballs a "dreamy" aqua. The robot is also connected to Google. So he can constantly update vocabulary and social skills.  The "inventor" has also given him a credit card so he can do errands for her.   Really--  I am not kidding.  I was getting sleepy but last thing that happened while reading last night.... is they went to a Mall in Silicone Valley and she bought him some snappy clothing and introduced him to someone she had gone to high school with.   I was laughing..........once you get the hang of the sloppy way this author writes-- you can start laughing.   But this robot is smart.  He seems to be modifying and upgrading himself.  She hasn't noticed yet.  Let the games begin.

I mention all this because this is so NOT the kind of book I read.  Somewhere in my local library there is a "new" person buying books for the fiction section.  A person with a really wacky sense of things.  This is not the first strange book I have selected.  And I go looking for them now.  And I am never disappointed when I find one.  I read the last one twice and look forward to reading it again.

Riley has developed a nervous "tick" of barking.  Just little yips.  He doesn't seem to have any control over it.  Each little yip startles him.  Other than that and the sundowner's anxiety at around 9 pm- things are much better with the two big blue liver pills. He's rather "spunky" and demanding. Sleeps all night.  Is eating.  Drinking water.  Going for his walk.  Just like a well rounded 87-88 year old.

I only hope G and I do as well at that age.