random thoughts – Day 2,353 (Monday) – light panels and turkeys

Plastic light panel, ca 1989.

The sun was shining and all was well. At least, until I tried to actually do anything. For the past year, I have intended to remove the textured plastic covers from the ceiling lights in the kitchen and bathroom to clean them. Periodically, over that year, I have tried to figure out how to release them from the frames to facilitate the cleaning. Today, I tried again. Just like before, it didn’t go well.

There are two tiny levers on each frame. I stood on the stepstool and tried to pry the miniscule tab out with the file from a nail clipper. It was a total failure in the bathroom and the tabs wouldn't budge. On one of the kitchen fixtures, the levers actually move and I got them swiveled out. And then nothing happened. I still couldn’t figure out how to get the plastic sheet out. 

They are all yellowed and very crispy and are very likely the original 1989 sheets of plastic. If I break it, how will I replace it? I don’t even know what it’s called or where to find it. 

Turkey dinner party out back.

The female turkeys and the younglings paid two visits to my backyard today. I was surprised on the morning visit. I was out by the recycle and trash bins and the turkeys suddenly appeared from behind the shed. Just a few feet separated us as they sauntered by, and because all I was doing was putting a jar in the bin, I didn’t have my phone and missed the best chance for close-up turkey photos.

During the evening dinner party visit, I happened to be at the kitchen sink and they appeared. One clever little poult wiggled itself through a space in the wire fencing around the squash, basil, and lavender plants and feasted on the ground in peace and solitude while the other birds headed to the far side of the yard. 

random thoughts – Day 2,352 (Sunday) – plans and gentle peaks

Woke up to clouds and rain and no plans for the day, which was perfect because I have books to read. Before I had finished knocking out the last couple chapters of the book I was too tired to finish last night, there was an incoming message about going to the movies today. Yes, please! That is also a perfect wet weather activity. The plan was set – 4:00, chick flick (Spa Weekend).

The time between making and executing the plan was spent on details for a Boston trip on Friday, doing laundry, telling Miss Kiki how wonderful she is, and eating leftover brew pub quesadilla for lunch. The rain stopped and the sun broke through sometime around 1:30 or so.

There was a test run of the “Sharper Image Acupressure Mat and Pillow” with “over 7,000 gentle peaks” (very pointy plastic bits) to stimulate muscles. I bought it Saturday at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet right before meeting friends at Thirsty Robot. I wasn’t looking for such a product, but it found me. It was the only one on the shelf.

Feet activated.

I set the new acupressure mat on the living room floor and laid down with it under my back and the pillow under my head. It didn’t really feel like anything anywhere. I moved the bulk of my hair so the pillow’s “gentle peaks” had more direct contact with my head. I pulled my knees to my chest so my back had more direct contact with the mat. It was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. I wondered if anything was even happening and also if my clothing was too thick as the model on the box was wearing Lycra leggings and a cropped sport bra top and I was wearing cotton twill pants and a long sleeve tee shirt.

When I stood up, my back felt pretty good, as in, not horrible. I stepped on the mat and the soles of my sock-clad feet felt stimulated, activated and ready for action. Kind of tingly and suddenly, immediately alive. Wow. That, right there, was worth the $12.99 bargain outlet price tag.

The movie was good, as in, it was a brief distraction from the ongoing stress and strain of real life – BS politics, war, increasing prices for food that will either sicken us or kill us (salmonella jalapenos, salmonella eggs, cyclospora lettuce, E. coli alfalfa sprouts, E. Coli blueberries, etc.). Luckily, movie popcorn is not on the list (yet) and a large bucket of it was had and called supper.

There were some decent laughs in the movie and my friend and I now want a spa weekend, just not as screwy as in the movie. My body always hurts and my skin is developing all the issues I was spared as a teenager. I want soothing music as I sit around in a fluffy robe sipping cucumber water between a massage a facial and to feel relaxed even if it takes money for someone else’s skill and training to make it happen. Lord knows, I don’t know how to make it happen on my own.

Unfortunately, neither my friend nor I know of a single day or weekend spa in our region. I went a couple times to a lovely place in Clarksville, TN, but that was a million years and 1,100+ miles ago. I detect a research project on the horizon.

random thoughts – Day 2,351 (Saturday) – finnish pastry and thirsty robot

The day began with attending the Finnish Mama 4^th Annual Summer Finnish Coffee Table. I initially thought it was on Sunday, but luckily got the info straight in time to attend on the correct day. Some of my friends are in the Finnish dance group and I have been very negligent in seeing them perform, which I have felt bad about.

I saw a Finnish Mama booth at a festival last fall that the dance troupe performed at and I was intrigued by the variety of pastries. There were coffee breads with orange and other fruit flavorings, and lots of smaller bun type breads that I wanted to try, but that festival day was warm and it was during the stretch when my neck and shoulder were in big pain and after we danced I just wanted to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible. 

Dancers in authentic Finnish costumes.

Today was a great opportunity to check out the pastries and see my friends dance the Finnish dances. I didn't quite know what to expect, and all I can say is "wow"! A long table in the center of the room was loaded with plain and flavored coffee breads, tiny cakes, and cookies. There was coffee, iced tea, and cucumber water.

The dancers wear authentic Finnish costumes from various regions in Finland and perform several dances. I even had a chance to chat with someone who has been to Finland several times and now I want to go there even more. 

The day turned into a double-header of social events with a meet-up at Thirsty Robot for supper, music and a game from the big rack of tabletop games. We played Shut the Box, a wooden dice board game I had never heard of before and now look forward to playing again.

Five of us shared quesadilla, pretzel, and pizza. Some of us were meeting for the first time, but it felt like we were all long-time friends. The quesadilla is amazing with a lacy edging of browned and crunchy cheese. The pretzel was warm and soft and served with mustard and beer cheese dip. The pizza was as good as the last time I was there. We ate until we were full and there was still some left over. I love it when a day without solid plans blossoms into a fun time with friends.

random thoughts – Day 2,350 (Friday) – schedules and procrastination

Another Friday and another week have come and gone. Despite being unemployed for 14 months, I still have the Monday-Friday office work sense of time with weekdays as one vibe and weekends having a special time-off mood. Except all my days are time-off days now. Every day is essentially a weekend day.

Today was another of the new ordinary every day is a weekend day days. I had a plan to take the free commuter train to Boston. When I had made no effort to leave the house to be on the 11:25 train, there was still the 1:25. When I was still at home doing nothing at 1:15, there was still the 3:25 train, but that was just pushing everything too late.

So, like most of the Fridays all summer long, I hung around the house, ate every few hours, and read a book (Rage by John Kellerman). There is always next Friday, but that is the final Friday of the free commuter train program, so if I blow it again then, I will have missed out.

Lawn offering.

One of the commuter turkeys that pass through the yard on a schedule that has not yet been catalogued left an offering of a feather. I’ve seen random feathers on lawns throughout the neighborhood and today it was my lawn’s turn. It fluttered in the not so green grass with the breezes until I picked it up and stuck in the flowerpot with the reddish mum. 

Somewhere in a box in the house are several turkey feathers from the yard in Tennessee. There was never a plan for them, they just live in a box with the art supplies.

random thoughts – Day 2,349 (Thursday) – water and storage

The city is under a mandatory water ban from 9 am to 5 pm which went into effect May 11. The ban states that “Nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to mandatory restrictions include:

-          Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;

-          Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety;

-          Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.

Unfortunately, my adherence to rules that benefit the public good often causes me to resent those who disregard them and potentially endanger the public or abuse public resources (like the water supply).

What water ban? Let's wash the shed.

Today, my resentment was provoked by a neighbor who spent several hours this morning washing his house, carport, shed, planter boxes, snow plow that has sat in the driveway since he took it off in the spring, back deck, and all his lawn equipment which he had pulled out of the shed. This same neighbor washes his truck practically every other day. 

I didn’t act on my resentment and feelings of moral superiority and stayed inside my house reading a book, looking out the window once in a while and observing the activity, and telling him off in my head for being a selfish water wasting dipshit.

Stuffed animal storage chair!

Anyway. After the domestic washing event was done, my social media scrolling delivered chuckles. One of them was in an ad for Five Below, chain store purveyors of inexpensive trendy things. A featured (and fascinating) item in today’s ads was a “stuffed animal storage chair.” 

Damn skippy, I could have used that storage chair when I was young and had tons of stuffed animals and I have adult friends and family who would probably like it now.  It might even look really cool stuffed with all my belly dance practice scarves and veils which are currently crammed into and overflowing a basket. New decorating quest? We’ll see.

random thoughts – Day 2,348 (Wednesday) – milestones and intrusions

The milestone accolades continue to pile up. Well, in Duolingo and other pretend realms, not so much in real life. Today, my streak hit day number 2,222 which, numerically looks cool. It popped up on my phone screen after completing a lesson this morning and, like so many other things in my phone and laptop, has absolutely no value in the world beyond my phone. 

My email is now gamified with a little badge popping up to pat me on the back if I delete some magical number of messages some magical number of days in a row. This one has zero fun value and is 100% annoying. I am not looking to spend more time in my inbox, I just want to check messages, get out, and move on with my day. I don’t want extra overlays on the screen patting me on the back and blowing smoke up my butt for deleting some emails.

The annoyances have multiplied in the retail world in the form of interrogations, specifically Ocean State Job Lot, which is close to the house so I go there a lot. The annoying practice is to flash a survey on the payment screen while the customer is attempting to pay and get out of the store. No, I don’t want to answer questions about today's customer service and hold up the rest of the checkout line that extends halfway up an aisle while doing so. Ocean State still has employees at the registers and doesn’t force us to check out purchases ourselves and I appreciate that.

The surveys are rampant, but usually arrive via text or email and I can deal with them (mostly delete) on my own time. I get one every time I go to the dentist. I ignore it, and they send a follow-up. I get them from the doctor’s office (also ignored). And Amazon. And Kohl’s. Walmart. Ocean State the one time I ordered something ship to store. I am exhausted by ignoring all the requests and then the screen congratulating me for deleting emails. I'm all surveyed out.

random thoughts – Day 2,347 (Tuesday) – choose your own

Yesterday I returned a books to the Little Library Box and it was so full I needed to take more out so they would fit. One of them is a “choose your own adventure” book. I’ve heard of the concept, and the book is pretty cool. Each chapter ends with an choice and tells what page to go to for the option chosen. There is a lot going in for 188 pages.

On the way to dance I stopped for gas and air. The tiny station on route 2 was packed with vehicles being jockeyed into position and a massive dump truck swallowing up the space. To the credit of the other drivers, we all made it out unscathed.

Dance was good, but the wood floor was slippery again, especially when we had the A/C running. I slipped in my ballet shoes and I slipped when I was barefoot. there was no winning. We tried both choices. The slightly less slippery floor meant sweating like crazy but the conditioned, drier air meant a more slippery floor, and neither was ideal. It’s hard to dance full out when I don’t trust one knee and ankle and the floor is already trying to wipe me out.

On the way home, I decided to stop to grab some supper. The options included Market Basket prepared food, Chines food, or pizza. I missed the turn into a plaza with both Chinese and pizza, missed the turn for the grocery store, and ended up at a pizza place down the street from home. The pizza was good, just not the way I love it. The crust was a bit thicker than I like, it was light on sauce, the mushrooms were chewy and seemed like they came from a jar, but to its credit, it had a good amount of cheese. I will likely choose a different menu option if I go back there. The pizza option has ben chosen and it’s time to back up a chapter, make a different choice, and try that adventure.