random thoughts – Day 1,842 – (Wednesday) – wednesday walk

Working downtown today meant an afternoon walk downtown, and afternoon downtown walks sometimes mean seeing interesting things. Shortly before going out, I looked out the window to check the world outside. The high school had gotten out and the sidewalks were filled with students. Merrimack Street was filled with seven city buses waiting for the light to turn green.

There was a wait of a few minutes to let the students clear. When I went outside, wearing my leather jacket, after a colleague said it was “wicked nice out,” I was surprised at how chilly it was. There was a stiff breeze as I turned a corner and I wished I had gloves and a scarf. 

New doggy friend.

There was a quick pop-in at the new bakery, followed by a pop back out. There are no prices posted near any of the items and I hate asking. I'm not going to stand at the case asking the price of every item. After buying a loaf of rye bread at the grand opening that turned out to cost seven dollars, a transaction that likely wouldn’t have occurred had I known the price in advance, I’m leery of the sticker shock and potential personal loan that might result from a brownie or a slice of torte.

On the way back to the office, two older gents in fedoras sat in the window of Market Street Market. In a nearby doorway, a stocky and sturdy looking white and brown dog with shoulders about the same width as mine barked at me through a glass door. 

With each bark, both front paws bounced off the floor. It was loud-ish, but didn’t seem especially angry, as in, there was no teeth baring or growling. I was amused enough to take a picture of my doggy friend through the glass door separating us. 

Middle Street stoop party aftermath.

Around the corner and down the block on Middle Street, there was evidence of a picnic of some sort with food wrappers and packaging abandoned in a doorway. A few doors down there were signs of a stoop party, with two empty liquor bottles left on a step. Come on people, there are trash barrels all over downtown. 

On Palmer Street, closer to the office and outside one of our buildings, Heineken beer boxes sat on the sidewalk, presumably from the beer distributor truck parked in the alley on the other side of the street. Why were they in front of a bank building when the bar is across the street? Who knows. Whatever.

On the way to the garage after work, Merrimack Street filled with the wail and scream of sirens. Multiple firetrucks sped by from the station behind City Hall and more could be seen approaching from the other end of Merrimack and turning onto John Street. I was concerned the street might be closed and I’d have to walk another block to the next street and backtrack a block to get to the garage.

When I got to John street, there were several engine trucks, a couple ladder trucks, and a red SUV filling the length of John Street between Merrimack and Paige. The sidewalks were open and available and firefighters walked in the street. The cluster of fire trucks blocking the street meant that there was no traffic blocking my egress from the garage and it was quick getaway to home sweet home.

random thoughts – Day 1,841 – (Tuesday) – luck or whatever

With Monday being a vacation day and feeling like Sunday, it wasn’t a surprise when Tuesday dawned feeling like a Monday. 

Coffee cleanup underway.

As I sat on the couch and sorted through paperwork before work, I reached over to set something in the nearby bookcase. A pillow shifted and knocked over the mug of coffee recently set on the flip-up end table of the couch. The ten or eleven ounces of hot coffee with caramel macchiato creamer in the just-filled mug arced up and out, kind of like a wave in a Japanese painting. It hit the wall, the bottom of the drapes, and the side of the same bookcase that I nearly concussed myself on last week. It was dangerously close to the power strip for the laptop and phone charger. Coffee pooled under the couch and along the edge of the rug in various coffee colored shades and earth tones. It dripped from the end table. It was fun chasing it around on the floor where it sort of blended in.

Paper towels were fetched and the cleanup alongside the couch commenced. In my head I was announcing the intercom page, “Cleanup needed in the coffee aisle,” and thinking it would have been nice to have some of the sawdust that was used at Market Basket when I worked there in high school. 

Coffee dripped from the little side table onto the sleeve of the brand new, rose-colored half-zip sweatshirt I had put on less than an 30 minutes earlier. This was the same sweatshirt that had to be washed on Monday after three hours of wear when I dropped butter-flavored movie popcorn on it, leaving greasy marks. It’s starting to feel like the sweatshirt is cursed. Or maybe yesterday’s popcorn marks were because I’m kind of a slob when left without adult supervision, and maybe today’s coffee dousing was the klutz gene kicking in again. Or an April Fools' Day prank from coffee overlords. Or just crazy luck.

The floor and furniture got a good hand wiping, and hours later, the faint aroma of coffee still lingers in the air and on my sleeve. It’s not unpleasant. It’s actually nicer than most of the fragranced candles I have.

After a work day where things got done and it felt good, it was my big return to the Tuesday night dance group. It was pleasant to be driving there after work in daylight under a sky that shifted to a magical blue-ish teal color that reminded me of paintings by Maxfield Parrish. So pretty, and so impossible to capture in a photo while driving. I really need a chauffeur so I can take photos out the car window while going places. Yesterday I missed some gorgeous soft fog photos while driving down a narrow country road.

Dance group tonight was challenging because I haven’t been in this one very long and I don’t know the dances yet. Missing six weeks of it definitely hasn’t helped. I’ve got some work to do. After arriving home, the April Fool's Day pranks continued on the technology front with the cable box needing to be reset. Again. It's been about two weeks, so I guess it's time. Welcome. Bienvenido. Bienvenue. Bad luck? April Fools' Day? Whatever. Either way, pound sand Comcast Xfinity.

random thoughts – Day 1,840 – (Monday) – more eggs and words

The David Sedaris show was hilarious, as expected, and as delivered each time I have seen him. It felt so good to laugh. My friends and I arrived in Keene early enough to walk around and choose a place to eat before getting into the pre-show book signing line. Half the time we were walking in the chilly air, we wondered if David Sedaris himself would be in a local eatery and if so, which one he might be at. We ended up in the Mexican restaurant next to the theater and chose a table near the window so we could keep watch. There were lots of dogs being walked in a Sunday evening in Downtown Keene.

Too slow with the camera.

Just a few minutes before the theater doors were supposed to open and while waiting for the check after a delicious meal, my friend and I whisper-yelled “that’s him, that’s him” as Sedaris approached and then walked by the restaurant in a flash of silver lace-up glossy oxfords, a red patterned baggy shorts/skirt piece, a long white shirt, and beautifully tailored black jacket. Unfortunately, instead of being inches from hand at the ready, my phone was jammed into my tiny purse and by the time I fumbled it out, unlocked it, and opened the camera, he had passed by our window. I barely got a photo of his back. We learned during the show the ensemble was the designer label Comme de Garcon. 

It was cold in the book signing line that eventually extended down the block behind us. We chose from the big selection of books and worried in the line we might say something ridiculous that will land us in a future show. When it was our turn, the three of us stood at the table and had a great chat with David while he signed and drew in our books. He asked if I had children, and my standard response of “No, I forgot to do that” popped out. The topic continued to David wondering why it’s always seemed ok to ask women that question, Bible names and how funny they would be today and how Methuselah would likely be called “Meth,” ways parents punished us as kids, and other random and fun tidbits.

After the show, we were able to exit quickly and get to the car. We were on the foggy roads headed to my friends’ house. This morning, it was still foggy, or maybe it was all over again. My friends had to work, and I waited until 9:00 to head home, thinking I could avoid some of the morning commuter traffic. The winding wooded roads looked mysterious and slightly creepy in the autumnal bare tree mood. There were still patches of snow.

It was a vacation day for me, and I briefly considered continuing up 495 to visit the beach, just because I could. Instead, I got practical and boring and the spontaneity was redirected to Market Basket instead and then home. Kiki was scarce. I yelled greetings and meowed and there was not a single Kiki syllable in response.

Egg and cottage cheese bake.

It was 5:00 and I was mixing eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar, spinach, tomato, and pepperoni for a version of what seems to be the new trend in baked egg  dishes before she showed herself. It seems I was being punished for having been gone for 24 hours. 

Kiki meowed at me from under the dining room table for the 15 minutes it took to mix the egg mess and it felt like forever. Once I sat on the couch, she  seemed to have forgiven me and came over for head rubs. My sweet baby girl. 

As for the egg dish – it was okay. It sounded a lot better in the recipe posted on Facebook than it tasted in my mouth. Maybe I can doctor it up the next time. 

random thoughts – Day 1,839 – (Sunday) – eggs and words

This morning I was finally back to the studio for dance practice. I hadn’t been there since early February due to snow cancellations and then the wrist thing. It went pretty well in that I remembered all the dances, but the wrist was very fatigued afterward. I understood the driving ban with every little twinge while en route to and from class.

After dance, there was a quick brunch at 873 Tavern. A veggie omelette with hash browns and toast hit the spot. The hash browns were extra crispy and delicious. 

Then, it was off to see my friends for a quick visit before we headed out to Keene, NH to see David Sedaris. After the tickets were bought for Keene, other shows were announced in the area on days that might have been more convenient for being up late (as in, not a Sunday night with work the next day). The same thing has happened to a colleague with concert tickets. It's definitely a thing. But you can't not buy the tickets for the certain event because you're holding out for hopes of a different date or location that doesn't exist yet. That can result in "missing the boat," as my parents used to say.

And in news of other writers who I love, I saw Saturday night that Margaret Renkl, whose work I adore, will be in my area in a couple weeks. I saw her speak at the Clarksville Writer's Conference (possibly the first one ever) while living in Tennessee. She will be at The Bull Run in Shirley for a brunch with the author event, and in another one of life’s cruel little tricks, it’s on a Sunday two weeks before our April dance event at exactly the same time we have practice. It was a brilliant flash of excitement (brunch with an author I admire!!) followed immediately by the dark sadness of it conflicting with a much earlier commitment for something I love. 

Instead of sleeping, I spent time trolling the Internet looking for other nearby appearances, but came up empty. In this case, I definitely cannot attend the brilliantly convenient location on the impossible date, so I am on high alert for other engagements. Fingers are crossed and I can do it on both hands now, so maybe that will double my chance of success. We'll see.

random thoughts – Day 1,838 – (Saturday) – out of the house

Today was the big day I left the house all by myself and was back out in the world. There were errands, an event to attend, and innocent fantasies about grocery shopping and visiting St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop.

The day kicked off with coffee like every other day. I was registered for a two-hour webinar with a resume coach that began at 10:00. There were five attendees from locations including New Jersey and Maryland, plus the coach. It was my third resume workshop in about as many weeks and each one has provided different helpful nuggets. At first, two hours seemed like it would be a long time, but it went by quickly.

After the webinar, there were two hours before the start of the event downtown. Pizza was extracted from the freezer and reheated for lunch. A product return was logged with Amazon, and I checked the hours for the preferred UPS drop-off and saw it closes at 1:30 on Saturday. Assuming, of course, I didn’t screw up the military time in which it was displayed. And why was it shown in military time? Sir, I don’t know, sir. Also, why was it spitting snow? 

The minute the car started I was greeted by the yellow “you gotta check something out” indicator. The last time that light was on by itself it was something with the gas cap and sensor. By the time I got to the UPS store to return the “elegant lace long swing Latin skirt” that was supposed to be for women but arrived in a child size version, the glow of the low tire pressure indicator dominated the instrument cluster. The driver front tire was showing 25 puny pounds of pressure, another was at 33, the other two were okay at 35. There was a stop at a gas station for air, because hey, it had been six glorious weeks without such a stop and clearly I was overdue. I accidentally overfilled one tire when I didn't hear the dinging sound.

Rainy day in downtown Lowell.

It felt a bit early, but from the gas station I went downtown for the event. The spitting snow had turned to rain, enough to take the umbrella from the car, but not heavy enough to use it. 

I looked in the window of the bakery but decided to not place myself in the path of that specific temptation and kept walking to the bookstore for different temptations. I hadn’t been in there for at least six weeks and things were different. There was a vinyl record vendor tucked in the back area where the used books used to be and the used books are now in a different nook. It's a small shop, but I still find it a little overwhelming when I'm not there for something specific. 

My 2025 4x4 raffle prize.

The event was the "Four by Four for Education" at The Brush Art Gallery and Studios. I checked in and a card with my name went into the bucket. There was plenty of time to preview the art on the shelves and note several that I liked, and chat with people, many of whom I hadn’t seen in ages. I was number 30 in the lottery draw and chose a mixed media piece with silver, pearl, and turquoise. 

The beauty of this event is how quick it is. It took only 45 minutes for the names to be pulled and the canvases to be chosen, but at the end of it I was exhausted. As I prepared to leave, I calculated I could home on the couch settling in for a nap by 3:15. Grocery shopping was off the schedule. 

Even with a stop at Family Dollar for coffee creamer, which expanded to include chips, popcorn, jelly beans, and mascara, the timeline estimate was close. I waited about an hour to enjoy the nap, finishing the series The Lady's Companion on Netflix. Now I can look forward to going to bed.

random thoughts – Day 1,837 – (Friday) – household hazards

For the last day of being on the driving restriction, my arm was letting itself be made aware of. The scar is really sensitive, the arm feels tired and overworked from the shoulder to my fingers, my wrist is larger than it used to be and my metal bracelet watch doesn’t fit right now. There are twinges from my pinky finger down the outer edge of my arm and in my thumb. The body that the arm is attached to also feels tired. I keep reminding myself it was just six weeks and a couple days that the wrist was broken, but dang it feels like a lot longer.

Dangerous furniture.

Tonight, a new layer was added. I bent over to plug in the phone charger into the power strip from a different angle than usual. When I stood up, I hit the top of my head on the very pointy corner of the bookcase. I saw stars. It hurt like crazy. Then, in less than five minutes, it was like it never happened, which was okay with me. 

There are certain challenges with a lifetime of being a klutz. Everyday household items can become lethal weapons and walking into things happens so frequently, it barely registers in my brain. A day or two later, I’ll being rolling back the mental tape, trying to recall what happened to leave the bruise on the knee, the hip, or the arm. They could (and do) come from almost anything really – the doorway, corner of the table/buffet/bookcase, underside of the desk.

I once punched myself in the face pulling the blankets up while in bed and had a bruise for days. Decades ago, I pulled a groin muscle moving a full case of paper with my foot. Earlier this week I dropped a metal spatula which landed on-edge on the top of my foot, and nearly burned both hands removing a bowl of soup from the microwave. 

Really, almost everything is a potential danger. It’s feeling like it’s time to start working on some bubble wrap outfits and inflatable furniture.

random thoughts – Day 1,836 – (Thursday) – random retail memories

Sometimes random memories explode into consciousness without warning. Recently, it was one involving a job I had while in college. It was a minimum wage gig at Child World, which was a toy department store that disappeared when Toy "R" Us won the toy store war.

I was a cashier at Child World (aka "Wild World" because we like nicknames), and like my high school cashier job at DeMoulas, we also go to straighten the sales floor. 

It's probably obvious that straightening a toy store sales floor is more fun than a grocery store. At DeMoulas, we had to stack the cans and jars two high and two rows deep and face the labels to the front. The dreaded baby food wall had a million tiny glass jars and it didn't take much for one or more of them to launch themselves onto the floor and smash to smithereens. At Child World, there were balls to toss, light sabers and bats to fight with, and all kinds of everything fun to goof around with while putting things back where they belonged.

When working night shifts at Child World, I was eventually assigned the closing task of going upstairs to the office to set up the cash drawers for the next day. The task itself was okay, but it meant I wasn't downstairs playing with the toys, and the office working conditions were not the greatest. The manager would also be in the office, seated in a chair to my left.

While he prepared the deposit of the day's cash and I set up the register drawers for the next day, he would edge his chair over closer to mine. Soon, his leg (and sometimes his hand) would be touching my leg and I would shift my chair away from his. And he would move his again. Eventually, I’d run out of space and would end up wedged between the office wall and his chair. The entire time the cat and mouse game was happening, there was also a whole lot of praying for the assistant manager to get upstairs to the office. 

I was a 19-year-old college student, living at home, raised to not question authority. It was many years before I cultivated the courage to say “knock that shit off.” I don’t remember there being an employee handbook with a section on what to do when the creepy store manager who is twice your age tries to get handsy, so my solution was to find a new job, which was probably the solution for most females of the time. I found safety a few doors down the concrete sidewalk at a shoe store. My time at the job with the creepy boss may not have lasted long, but the icky memory still lingers.