random truths – Day 1,056 (Monday) – mysteries

The day began with mysteries. There was the early morning case of “What’s that smell in the kitchen?” At least I can smell most gross things, even if I can’t smell most flowers. Gross smells are probably an indication of something dangerous and smelling them is likely a survival mechanism. 

The base scent was unpleasant “eww” with hints of “could get a lot worse.” There was a lot of walking around the room sniffing the air like an animal. Then the human brain kicked in and ran through the list of places the pest control company had set mouse traps. Bingo. There was a very deceased small gray mouse with a white belly in mousetrap. That left me with the disposal issue. It was a hold the breath and hope for the best kind of ordeal involving the poop pickup tool, the dustpan and brush, a plastic shopping bag, and the trash bag that was mere seconds away from going to the bin and the curb.

By the time the deceased rodent was dealt with, feelings of power, conquest, and completion coursed through my veins. Or maybe it was the coffee. In any event, it was a rare feeling of strength and accomplishment.

Once at work, hunger hit hard. Of the food rations in the desk drawer, instant oatmeal with maple and brown sugar was chosen over various iterations of granola and cereal bars. It’s warm and comforting, but it was mere minutes before the next chapter of the mystery of “Why does oatmeal make me hungrier than I was before I ate it?” was launched. Most people I know say that oatmeal makes them feel full. Not me. I swear, it activates some hunger trigger for me, but it doesn’t stop me from trying. Leftover pizza lunch was eaten early, and I was still hungry.  When I remembered I had a banana in my bag, a portable fruit saved the day.

The third mystery du jour began last night when the Duolingo app suddenly started running captions on every spoken segment. They were annoying and covered part of the screen. They were also nonsensical and amusing. The situation continued this morning, with captions added to videos. The phone was restarted. Settings were checked without success. A google search on “How do I get rid of live captions” finally helped and the correct mystical sequence of menus arrived at the magical setting. I think.

The oatmeal question is still open, but solving two out of three mysteries feels like a pretty good success record for the day. Should sequels be warranted, the oatmeal is a certainty, and the phone mystery is preferable to the deceased rodent ordeal.