Category Archives: anxiety

Time remaining: estimating….

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Mrs. sitting in a tree.

While I’m writing this post, the words from my headline are staring at me from my new phone. There’s a gray bar above those words that hasn’t made one iota of progress. It should tell me how much time I have left. But it’s estimating…

I’m not one to get new phones. But, I cracked my screen two haircuts ago getting out of the car at my hair dressers. I could live with it.

Then my husband completely killed his phone. It would ring, but nothing on the screen worked. He couldn’t slide the bar to open the phone. I ordered a new phone for him and set it up. He wanted me to get a new phone, too. I finally agreed, after I bought him the wrong size protective case by mistake. I agreed to buy the phone that would fit the case, so I didn’t have to drive 45 minutes to the Apple store and exchange it!

I went through our phone carrier to order my husband’s phone online. They asked for my ID to verify who I was. I had to sit with my driver’s license in my hand and show it to a camera on the screen. It said it successfully verified me.

Then I got a series of emails and texts telling me the order was going to be cancelled unless I verified myself with an ID. I clicked on the link and it said verification successful! But the website with my order said they were cancelling unless I verified my ID. Such is the new world.

I called a human being at the phone company and told them of my dilemma. While I was explaining the continual loop I was stuck in, I got a text and an email that my husband’s phone order had been cancelled! While I was on the phone with the phone company!

Now I’m patiently waiting. And waiting. And waiting while watching nothing happen on my new phone.

What recent technological or company snafus have you experienced lately?

Lost and Found

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This was one of six photos I took for my week 11 photography assignment. It depicts POV. I took this photo looking up at our fence from the sunken bar which is below ground level. It looks to me like the dove is watching his step between a rock and hard place — an alien gecko and a saguaro. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with the article — except it’s quirky. Read on to see what quirky things Uber drivers found left behind.

This is the ninth year Uber has released a list of the oddest items left. We’re not talking umbrellas, wallets or keys — which make it on their list of most common items left.

Here are Ubers Top 20 list of unique items that made it into lost and found:

“From wayward mannequin heads to live lobsters, Uber riders have left behind some truly unforgettable items this year,” said Camiel Irving, VP of Operations and GM of Mobility US&C at Uber. “Whether essential or totally unusual, we understand how important it is to be reunited with your lost belongings. The Uber Lost & Found Index celebrates the most unique and commonly forgotten items, while reminding riders that getting support to retrieve their prized possessions is simple through the Uber app.”

Uber’s 50 most unique lost items:
(I’ve included the top 20)

  1. Mannequin head with human hair
  2. Viking drinking horn
  3. Ghostbusters ghost trap
  4. Chainsaw
  5. Breast milk
  6. Fine china
  7. My turtle
  8. Urinal
  9. Club promoter sign reading “Annie’s married” – it belongs to the club
  10. Sticky boob bra
  11. Aviation headset
  12. Shrek ears
  13. Bermuda shorts
  14. A pink fan that has two hearts and the word “bimbo”
  15. DNA testing kit
  16. Pickleball paddles and ball
  17. 2 mattresses
  18. 15 hookahs
  19. Amethyst crystal
  20. Aquarium
    https://www.uber.com/newsroom/the-2025-uber-lost-found-index/

If you want to read the entire list of 50 items, click on the link above.

I don’t have much chance of leaving stuff in Ubers or Lyfts. They don’t like to drive this far out of the way. Good luck if you come visit me to get an Uber ride anywhere from our home. Once I came home from Washington after visiting my mom. My husband had COVID and couldn’t come to the airport to pick me up. I got a Lyft and when the driver looked at the map with my home address, he wasn’t happy. He called his wife, told her she had to find another ride home from work. He called his son, told him to pick up mom. I sat in the back seat feeling guilty!

Have you ever left an item in a taxi, Lyft or Uber? If so, what?

On the list above, what do you think is the oddest one?

Do you leave items behind? If so what is a common item you lose?

Two Snippets

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I snapped this photo out the casita window. It looks like this chipmunk is doing push-ups. But in reality he’s eating the blossoms on top of the cactus. Seems like it would be an uncomfortable place to be.

I have the radio on when I drive. There’s often short little snippets of helpful information during breaks of programming. Here’s two I heard this week that stuck with me:

MUSIC
I heard the reason we think music was better in our day is because music holds many strong emotions for us. Our interest and love of popular music peaks around age 20. When we hear music from that time, it triggers memories. That’s why no matter our age, we think music from our teens and 20s are the best. It’s also why we don’t always relate to current music.

FOREST BATH
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice that involves immersing oneself in a forest environment to promote relaxation and well-being by engaging all five senses. It can help reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall health by connecting with nature.

Even if you don’t have a forest near by, like me, five minutes outside can do wonders for stress and health. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, go outside. Focus on what you see, hear, smell and touch. Breathe, relax and nature will restore you. I think that’s why I enjoy my daily walks so much. I’m getting exercise but also connecting to nature.

Have you heard of or tried a Forest Bath before?
Why do you think our music was the best?

Here Comes the Sun!

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pool photo with fountain and fake alligator
My backyard pool view complete with fake gator.

After a cold few months — I guess that’s why it’s called Winter — a bit of warmth from the sun has returned.

It’s the first time I’ve been able to sit in the backyard by the pool in months. We were having highs in the 40s but now it’s in the 70s. It’s still cold at night, but what a treat to take a break in the sun.

I’m having a time with an upcoming fundraiser where I’m contacting magazines, newspaper, radio and TV to drum up coverage with the hope to sell tickets. I’ve started the dreaded tax prep. I have an HOA newsletter due. I have a board meeting to review our progress on the fundraiser…

Then there’s my photography class. Each Monday morning the professor posts a new module which includes reading what he’s posted, plus the textbook, and learning the basics of how my camera works. Then there are quizzes. We haven’t gotten into the fun stuff yet. But to be fair, it’s only week two.

I’m worried I won’t make my deadlines or be able to finish my tasks. Then I woke up in the middle of the night and stayed awake. I turned on Audible with “Travels with Charley” by John Steinbeck. It was somewhat calming, but the story and writing is so beautiful I wanted to listen rather than fall asleep! I’m not finished with this book, but I highly recommend it. Steinbeck travels across the country to discover America with his poodle Charley. His observations about different areas are intriguing.

I’m also reading the “Daughter’s of Shandong” that I heard about from one of my blogger friends. In any case, taking a few minutes to be warmed in the sun, reading, is saving me!

What is your go to to control stress when life gets too busy?

Who was your favorite Beatle? Hint: Mine wrote this song.

I almost fell for it!

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harris hawk on a fence
A visit by a Harris Hawk.

What did I almost fall for? A phishing scam.

They almost had me. I was on Facebook for the Creative Women of Pinnacle Peak’s page. That’s the charity I volunteer for to help victims of sex trafficking. I’ve written about the group and our focus HERE and HERE.

I’m in charge of communications and publicity for our group. I’m promoting our annual fundraiser on Facebook as well as other places. I logged into FB and saw a notification that our page was going to be taken down due to copyright infringement. It was a message that looked legit from Meta. I panicked.

How could it be that a group of less than 30 women, who have been around for 30 years could violate FB rules? We are helping the community for pete’s sake! They provided a link to file a complaint and have our account reviewed. I clicked on the link.

Up came a box asking for my name, birthdate and password. I filled out my name and birthdate. I didn’t have the password, because I was given access to the page, but didn’t set it up. Then I thought about it. Why would they need that info?

I erased the info and began looking at help pages on FB to find out if this was legit or not. The first notification that our page would be deleted was from a person named Wojtek Brawo. I clicked on this person’s account and there was no info and no posts. Only a few friends. Then I googled the name to find out what country or nationality the person was from. I found this:

Wojtek was a Syrian brown bear adopted by soldiers of the 2nd Polish Corps during World War II. As a young cub, his mother was shot by hunters, and he was found in the mountains of Iran by a young boy. The boy then sold him to a group of Polish soldiers who were in the country after being evacuated from the Soviet Union. Wikipedia

I did report this person as a scammer. Then a second notification came under a different name with the same message. I reported that one to Facebook, too.

My husband has been close to falling for phishing scams. He gets texts that a package is arriving but he needs to click to update information. I tell him it’s a scam and tease him about not realizing it’s phishing.

Now I almost fell for one! In defense of myself, the scammers are getting better and better. Be careful and if something doesn’t feel right, don’t click. Don’t provide any personal information online!

What phishing scams have you seen in your inbox, texts or online?

FYI, if you missed my post Friday, please take a look HERE. I posted new hawk photos. I accidentally scheduled it for the wrong day. Corrected my mistake, but it didn’t appear in Reader.

What’s up kitty cat?

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Olive is feeling better. I keep finding her up on top of things.

I had a few stress-filled weeks when we came home from vacation. Olive the cat was not her usual perky self. I wrote about it HERE.

For about two weeks, I monitored Olive. She’d have a good day followed by several bad ones. On her bad days, I wouldn’t see her. If I did see her for a few brief moments, she looked really scruffy and miserable.

One of my neighbors asked me how old she was, When I said 11, the neighbor suggested maybe it was time. You know what? I pushed back on that. I took Olive to the vet. I waited, watched and eventually Olive no longer hid under the bed all day. She started eating like a champ. Her other bodily functions became normal. Definitely it was NOT “time.”

Our last cat, Sherman, was 17 years old when he was attacked by a neighbor’s dog. No, he didn’t make it. Olive is an indoor cat and I expect her to have a long life.

Now, she’s leaping to the top of the closet. The shelf she’s on is six feet high! Yesterday she was up on the closet space a few feet higher than that!

I walked into the casita to see this! She’s never been a counter shopper before.

FYI, the photos on this post are taken with my iphone, not my DSLR camera.

I’m getting ready for guests this coming weekend. The Wickham Casita has been a popular place this past month. Our last guest is a world champion spear fisherman. He’s entering a competition at Lake Pleasant, which is about 30 minutes from us. He’s planning on scouting the lake several times before the event. He brought us black cod, salmon, rock fish and lobster during his last visit. I wrote about Black Cod also known as Sablefish HERE.

We enjoyed lobster over the weekend. Our houseguest free dives off the coast in Southern California for lobster.

What a treat! I had to share the lobster photos.

Lobster poached in lemon butter with steamed broccoli. Yum! Yes, our last guest is welcome to our casita anytime.

What is your most favorite food and why?

If you’ve had dogs or cats, do you get stressed if they aren’t feeling well?

Panic attack

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This owl hung out in our tree for a week.

I had a panic attack last week. It was while driving home from the eye doctor with my husband. He had his eyes dilated so I was the driver. It’s a road I take several times a week. Nothing out of the ordinary.

But then I turned left too soon and found myself in a construction zone with cars rushing around me. I struggled to get back on the road and my husband told me when to go. I couldn’t see. It was a blind rush back into traffic.

After that, I tried to calm my breathing. My hands were shaking and sweaty. I don’t like the drivers in Arizona. They are way worse than California drivers. I ended up pulling off into a parking lot and taking a moment to collect myself.

When I tried driving, I panicked again. I haven’t had a panic attack in at least five or six years. I only have them while driving. I felt so bad about myself. My husband, thankfully, was very supportive and told me I was doing a great job. But I still had a low opinion of myself.

Then I saw an article on well-being called, “How to Calm an Anxious Mind” by Gregory Jantz, Ph.D., founder and director of the mental health clinic The Center: A Place of Hope in Edmonds, Wash.

He gave a list of strategies to regain peace:

Intentionally limit information intake

Choose to be thankful

Go against the frantic flow

Stop procrastinating

Set aside time for stillness and silence

Make a small change to alleviate big stress

Steer clear of negative people

Take a nap

Unplug for awhile

Write in a journal or notebook

Retrain your brain with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Stay connected to friends and family

Maintain activities that replenish you

Express yourself creatively

I like this list and there are a few areas I excel at and other I need to work on.

Do you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks?

From the list, what can you improve on?