Done and dusted?

News blues

South Africa’s President Ramaphosa has criticized the EU for protecting vaccine profits over people. He also concedes that progress has been made towards lifting COVID-19 vaccine patent rights (9:30 mins)
California’s Governor Newsome describes the “smarter plan” for post-pandemic Covid in that state  (first 4 mins of 9:16 mins)
Six African countries – including South Africa - to begin making mRNA vaccines as part of WHO scheme 
R200 voucher incentive resulted in 15% increase in vaccinations for people over 50 >> 

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Meanwhile, as many countries ease Covid restrictions, UK’s Boris Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the country was “moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility” as part of a plan for treating COVID-19 like other transmissible illnesses such as flu.
“Today is not the day we can declare victory over COVID, because this virus is not going away,” 
Hmmm, “personal responsibility”. Let’s hope Boris ain’t jumping the gun….
Then again, Covid’s toll of death and destruction is eclipsed by Putin’s threat of upcoming of death and destruction.
What a crazy world!

Healthy planet, anyone?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea levels around the United States will rise up to a foot over the next 30 years due to climate change. That’s as much as they have risen in the previous century.
NOAA’s study  forecasts sea levels rises along the U.S. shoreline of 10-12 inches (25-30cm) on average by 2050.
The good news? 

NOAA predicts levels will tend to be higher along the Atlantic and Gulf shores, because of greater land subsidence there, than along the Pacific coasts.
Ten to 12 inches will impact the beach and park where I live in California. It might be manageable although heavy rainfall could enter the slightly-below-ground-level garage upon which my condo complex is built.
Better hold on to my Sea Eagle inflatable: by 2050 I’ll be too old to dog paddle.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

According to my StepsApp, I reached my goal (6,000 recorded steps per day) ZERO times last week. That app is accurate: I do not carry my cell phone – with the StepsApp – in my pocket when I’m working outside. But working outside produces way more exercise than 7,000 steps per day.
As do all days so far, yesterday’s work began with the pool: backwashing the filter, cleaning filter baskets, re-setting the system. 

Then, up on the carport roof cleaning gutters that haven’t been cleaned in years. All sorts of perfect composting material fermenting in those gutters, but much as I love compost and composting, saving gutter debris for compost was just a bridge too far, even for a compost-obsessive.
The irony of me, a white woman, doing such tough physical labor? White South African womandom would take credit for the labor but would not actually do the physical part. Rather, a gardener or handyman would do it overseen by the WSAW and presented as her labor. Gods know, it is tough work managing laborers…. 

The American parallel? A hands-off boss or office manager taking credit for excellent work done by lower-level employees – without mentioning who performed the actual labor.
I have no gardener or handyman, only me …gifted with a pair of strong hands, a strong back, and way too much impatience and determination. Moreover, I’m a cheapskate. Why pay someone to do work I can do? There will come a time – soon, I hope – when such tasks will be too much for me. 

Meanwhile, I face a perfect storm: no trusty gardener, no trusty handyman, dwindling funds, and an enormous pile of repetitive chores.
Move over, Sisyphus.
For the many jobs I’m incapable of doing – including re-roofing a section of leaky patio – I ask around for worker references from friends, acquaintances, and other handy-people. The biggest obstacle? Despite saying they’ll show up to review a job and give a quote, more than 50 percent of the time, the handy-person never shows up! This is a feature of life in South Africa. Lots of talk and not much action.
This is frustrating for an American-punctuality-trained South African. In the US, time is money. In South Africa? Time is fluid.

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Today? I recycle patio furniture I’d planned to toss out. A second look persuaded me a good cleaning, scraping off rust, and repainting with anti-corrosive paint would squeeze out another few years of use. Moreover, besides offering me latitude to paint creatively – adding additional color and design - I love the feeling of momentarily beating the system of rampant consumerism – and saving hard-earned dough.

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Autumn/fall marches toward South Africa:
KZN, South Africa:
Sunrise: 5:45am
Sunset: 6:39pm
In less than one month, daylight saving time begins in US states:
San Francisco Bay Area
Sunrise: 6:49am
Sunset: 5:55pm