random thoughts – Day 1,109 – (Friday) – trash

When I arrived at the office, the alarm beeped signaling it was one of those very rare occasions that I was the first to arrive in the space. This was only the second time in a bunch of years, and by some miracle, I remembered my code to deactivate the alarm. Sometimes I amaze myself.

The day turned out to be even more rare/odd when it was realized I was the only occupant of the entire fourth floor. Just like the last time it happened, it was a bit unnerving being the only person rattling around in the cavernous space with nobody to talk to.

The oddities continued. For whatever reason, there was an empty shipping box dumped in my cubicle, which kinda sorta maybe pissed me off. Like a little bit of a lot. There was no way of knowing if it would be needed again, so instead of tossing it, I moved it to the cube where nobody currently sits, nor has for months. In doing so, I noticed an open carton of copier paper sitting on the floor in the unoccupied cube. 

The box of paper was unloaded and put into the cabinet near the printer where it belongs. The opened box of interoffice envelopes sitting on top of the office supplies cabinet was put into the cabinet. There may have been some grumbling and bitching about feeling like the office mother/maid and only person who seems to know where things belong and how to put them there, but there were no witnesses so it doesn’t really count.

Later in the day, when I was frustrated over some project issues, the boxes of decorations that had been sitting in the unoccupied cubicle for months were carried over to the storage space from whence they came back in November when the office was decorated for the holidays. The physical labor was really handy for burning off aggro. If only I could channel this at home. Sigh.

Daily John Street trash.

At the end of the day, the sun was out and it was a pleasant walk to the garage. One of the homeless guys who is always hanging around on Merrimack and John Streets was crossing the street and I took a wide path to avoid the daily request for money. As he crossed, a woman from the other side of the street was yelling to the guy asking if he needed a bag for his trash. He yelled that it wasn’t his. 

I caught up to the woman who worked at the credit union on the corner. She and her colleague were talking about the mess on the sidewalk outside the credit union. They said they saw the guy eating and they saw him leave the trash. There was a bunch of fresh bananas, several cardboard takeout soup cups, nip bottles, beverage containers, cigarette butts, and other trash. 

The women said this guy and the trash is a daily event, which tracks with what I see when I’m downtown. The trash is a problem, but so is the situation of the several guys living, drinking, and sleeping on the sidewalks and doorways downtown. The solution seems elusive.

random thoughts – Day 1,108 – (Thursday) – busy season

The calendar seems to have hit the busy season for non-profit organization events. Monday had the breakfast before work, and tonight it was DIY Lowell’s “Chill Night” at Mill No 5, a converted mill space. The function room on the fifth floor was festive with lights on the wood columns and the downtown skyline and twilight visible outside the windows. 

The event featured a chili and stew competition with 18 chili and stew entries and I managed to try more than half of them. There was a lot of yummy happening, plus super affordable beer and wine. 

The night ended with ice cream, but by then I was a bit too full of chili and Mighty Squirrel Cloud Candy New England IPA beer. I will confess, I was mighty tempted, but not quite willing to make myself sick over it.

Converted mills are cool.

There were four of us from my department at the Chill night, and three bankers from other departments were there. It was fun getting to chat and compare chili notes with a Commercial Lender who I hadn't see since the remote and then hybrid work schedules took effect.  

I had two events this week, but a couple colleagues are volunteering Friday morning in Boston to set up the Belle of the Ball Boutique Day, which makes three events this week for one of them. I’m kind of glad my commitment issues kicked in and didn’t sign up for that. 

Flipping through the calendar for the next few weeks, I’ve got a “Dinner and a Show” fundraiser, Comedy Night fundraiser, and an Earth Day performance. In May, there is a reception for an art show for which I need to get my photos prepared for delivery and the TeamWalk for CancerCare. 

Things are about to get busy. I better make sure to take my vitamins.

random thoughts – Day 1,107 – (Wednesday) – pieces

Late last week, a colleague brought in two puzzles and they sat on the counter since last Thursday or Friday. Knowing how I get sucked into a puzzle, I didn’t dare open either of them. When I have one going at the house, it becomes an all encompassing ordeal with all spare time spent hovering over the pieces.

The start of something.

Today, another colleague opened on of  them. Once the box was opened, I spent a couple minutes worth of breaks pulling straight edges for the outer frame. At 5:00, when nearly everyone else had left, I was pawing through the box of pieces and connecting outer edges. “Just one more piece. Just one more piece.”  

Luckily, I strung out my departure for only about ten minutes and then I was out the door. It was knowing that Winston was waiting for me, likely in a soggy diaper, that got me moving. That, and the idea of my supper. It will be fun to see how much more is built the next time I'm on site.

Springtime delight in a bowl.

Win’s supper was the usual kibble and roasted chicken. Mine was leftover tortellini primavera made Tuesday night. A couple of us had been talking about the great tender asparagus that has been available and the fresh veggie and pasta concoctions with white wine that we had been cooking. Mine featured asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, carrots and a can of diced tomatoes. 

Sure enough, the leftovers were as good as the original dish, and supper was super. It was a bowl of springtime delights.

In other exciting domestic news, the new vacuum cleaner arrived and was waiting for me on the side deck when I finally remembered to check for it. The promise of clean rugs awaits, still sealed in the box. Tomorrow there is an event after work, so maybe Friday night’s entertainment will be the unboxing of the vacuum and the first test suckage. Or maybe Saturday. There is no real rush.

random thoughts – Day 1,106 – (Tuesday) – photo day

The morning was gray and rainy and it was not the usual remote day at the desk. There were photos scheduled in the morning at a customer location. Luckily, it stopped raining around the time the photographer and I arrived, and even better that it wasn’t snow, because some of the photos were to be taken outside. We did some inside office shots first, then moved outside. 

We were running on minimal information (basically none, my least favorite mode of preparedness, but I can only perform so many interrogations and beg for info so many times before I just roll the dice). I don’t know when the ads will be scheduled to run and it's always weird seeing an ad in July with someone wearing a winter coat, so the photographer and I tried to avoid that possibility by having the photo subject take his coat off. Unfortunately, it was cold and jackets were needed today. 

The poor guy looked a bit chilled after a few minutes with no coat on, but he was a god sport about it. Maybe the near-hypothermia won't be obvious in the images.

Flying in the dark while trying to cover all the photographic possibilities means way more photos are taken than would be necessary with the benefit of a concept layout, the ad text, ad size info, or any helpful nuggets of info. Will it be a vertical ad or a horizontal ad? No idea, so we better shoot both landscape and portrait. Luckily, the photographer and I think along the same lines, try to cover all the bases, and we get stuff done. Ok, he gets stuff done, as he is the one doing all the actual photography. 

random thoughts – Day 1,105 – Monday all day

Winnie!

The day had an early start with the Lowell Women’s Week breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. I woke up at 4:15 when Winston needed to go out, and then was worried I wouldn’t wake up at 5 when the alarm went off. It was fine – I woke up, got up, dressed, prepped Winston’s food and had time to sit around drinking coffee and reading news for while before leaving. 

The breakfast was great. There was a full buffet with eggs, bacon, sausage patties, fruit, French toast, and pastries. There was a full slate of speakers and some 300 people in attendance. After the breakfast, the rest of the day dragged, and only partly because of sciatic nerve pain that woke me overnight and then hung around all day.

Despite the hearty breakfast, I was hungry at lunch time. This, long with the sciatica and the dragging day, seems to be another of life’s little mysteries.

Rome outfit.

Mysteries aside and back on the fabulous side of the equation, the State Auditor, who was one of the speakers at the breakfast, and two other women I also didn’t know told me they loved my outfit. It was the first time wearing the pants and patterned blouse I bought in Rome. 

Back at home at the end of the longer than usual day, Winston was ready and waiting for some dinner. He was pacing like a hungry lion, at least as much as a little doggy in a soggy toddler diaper inside a doggy pee band can pace.

After eating, Win curled up in his bed to ignore me and have his post-dinner nap while I cozied up on an icepack to try and relieve the sciatica, which worked somewhat. Temporarily, anyway. And now I can focus on the new favorite post-vacation hobby … waiting for 8:00 to go to bed.

random thoughts – Day 1,104 – (Sunday) – life suck

Several weeks ago, the power brush roll on the stupidly expensive Hoover pet hair pickup vacuum stopped rolling. The brush roll is the part that cleans the area rugs and carpet, removing crumbs, pet hair, and the insane amount of hair that I manage to shed that lands on absolutely everything.

For several years, the Hoover upright vacuum and I got along well handling hard floors and rugs. The stairs were pretty much a death-defying act, but everything else was pretty okay.

The vacuum still had suction, so there was some effect on the rugs, just not the former level of power brush roll cleaning. I was hoping the vacuum would hang on until I mustered the bravery to take the brush head apart and check the belt.

Today, there was success cleaning the hard floors, for which the brush roll is always turned off, and a moderate level of swearing while trying to clean the rugs. To clean the baseboards and the hard-to-reach floor spaces, the extension pole and dusting brush were pressed into service and it was going pretty well. 

I can take a hint.

Suddenly, the hose fell out of the extension pole. That seemed to be the final death knell for the vacuum. The hose doesn’t have any way to reattach and it would take a lot of duct tape to get it back together. I can take a hint. The remainder of today's vacuuming is cancelled. 

The vacuum isn’t even that old, maybe four or five years, and I’m not going to try to fool anyone by pretending I used the thing every day or even every week and somehow wore it out. It replaced a vacuum that was 20 years old. A broom is faster to use on the main living area floors and was the usual quick and regular option. But now, the broom is the only option, at least until a new vacuum arrives.

Thank goodness for online ordering and free shipping. In a matter of days, a new vacuum will arrive at the house, courtesy of Kohl’s, which had vacuum cleaners on sale and a 20% Friends and Family coupon. I could have driven to the store and had a new one tonight, but the online order meant I didn’t have had to wrangle it to a register, then into the car, then out of the car and into the house. Brilliant!

And the best part, I don’t need to feel guilty for not finishing the vacuum cleaning today. The stupid thing broke even more broken that it was a couple weeks ago. Not even my fault! Off the hook. 

random thoughts – Day 1,103 – (Saturday) – planning

Small town life is back in full swing. There was the regular monthly Finnish breakfast at Saima Park in Fitchburg. The organization switched from long rectangular tables to round tables and it’s so much easier to talk now. Friends and family were there, some of whom I see only at the breakfast, so that was nice.

The car was on “low RTE” when I started it, meaning I probably wouldn’t make it to Fitchburg without a visit to the gas station. This was disappointing because the gas is much less expensive out there, but I had to stop in Lowell and cough up $3.19 a gallon. Sure enough, it was $2.87 in Fitchburg, but by then, the tank was full.

After the breakfast, classmates and I toured the summer kitchen to check out the refrigerator space, and then convened at classmate Cate’s home for a planning meeting. In less than three months, our class will gather under the pavilion for a class reunion on the same date in which we graduated more than a few years ago. While the snow swirled in the air outside, we talked about details for our June event featuring grilled chicken and ribs, summer salads, various games in the field area, raffles, and more things I’m not thinking of at the moment.

As if planning a reunion isn’t enough, the team is also planning a comedy night fundraiser for April. We’re building the class funds for reunions and the class gift that we’ll be making to the high school in five years at our next reunion. Whew! I don’t know how my classmates do it. I feel like I’m clinging on for dear life trying to keep up with their energy.

Once back at home, I spent time going through Rome photos. Walgreens had a 50% off photo deal so I jumped on it to make photo collages for my friends and I. It made me wish we were all still there.

Winston the aloof.

Winston was a cuddle bug, and seemed to want my attention which is always more fun than when he slips into cat mode and ignores me. I got to rub his head and massage his little shoulders until he suddenly lost interest and wandered off to lay in his bed. That is the basic pattern of our relationship – he pushes in, he pulls away, I pursue, sometimes he humors me with a speck of affection, but mostly he is aloof. 

random thoughts – Day 1,102 – (Friday) – weeks and rest

The work week was short due to being sick at the start of it, but it was still exhausting. Monday had lots of sleep, but I was sick and feverish, so it wasn’t quite the same as lounging about. The weekend is pretty booked, so it will be another week before there is a potential chance to sleep late.

This is how time is measured now, as an older adult. The week is counted down with “in three days I can sleep late …” Half the time I remember something that requires me to be up early on Saturday and it becomes “maybe next week I can sleep late” and “when is our next holiday?” (not until May).

The best substitute so far is going to bed early. At age 20, 30, even 40, I thought sleeping was a waste of time, but now it’s my favorite activity. How I managed to stay awake on vacation is a complete mystery to me.

That last Rome pizza and Aperol Spritz.

A week ago was our last day in Rome. My friends went to the Coliseum in the morning for a tour, but I needed a break from the ever present crowds and stayed behind. I packed and relaxed in my room until 10:00, then went out for a walk and to shop. That afternoon, we had a tour reservation at The Vatican, then ate dinner. The night had my last Rome pizza – a vegetarian with grilled eggplant, zucchini, and peppers that was delicious but I couldn’t finish it. My last Aperol Spritz in Rome. I was too full for dessert. Tonight's supper was delivery pizza, which was good, but not a Roma pizza. 

And just like that, the week was over and we’d be getting up early to head to the airport and back to regular daily life, routines, and cooking and cleaning for ourselves. At least it’s less crowded in Massachusetts everyday life compared to the Roman holiday. I need to go back for another month (or forever) just to eat. 

random thoughts – Day 1,101 – (Thursday) -- book club

It was the magical Thursday of the month when the LaLa Books Boozy Book Club meets. It’s my one standing social engagement and I look forward to it. Tonight’s bonus – there was a beer rep at the restaurant promoting Whirlpool, a hazy pale ale by Night Shift Brewing. Ordering the beer came with a free pint glass and I was sold, as were three other members of the book club. Yes, we can be bought with trinkets and glassware.

March book club selection.

I started reading the book club selection Olga Dies Dreaming on the flight to Rome, but only got about 50 pages into it before the cabin lights were turned off at 8:00 for the nighttime flight. I took the hint, closed the book, and curled up to sleep. 

The book wasn’t read again until a week later on the return flight. I thought about it several times while in the hotel room, but BBC News or sleep were chosen instead.

By the time of the flight home when I finally resumed reading, I had forgotten who characters were and had to flip back for a refresher. There was a lot of “which one is the politician?” and “wait, who is that?” I learned a little bit about several things, especially Puerto Rico, politics, and wedding planning, with a dash of blackmail, Russian money laundering, and the foundation for a revolution. Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read for an interesting and enjoyable meeting.

random thoughts – Day 1,100 – (Wednesday) – real life

It was fully back to real life and the office today. The post-vacation coughing has subsided. The COVID test was negative. It was my turn to bring the snack for “snack and share.” The snack was Tri-Sum chips and corn chips, because I like them and the point is to share a snack we like. 

Ravioli in Rome - 3-15-23.

Last week's life of walking around and eating and sightseeing was really agreeable to me, even if I wasn’t that keen on the crowds of Rome. Why could I not have been born into a wealthy life of leisure? There are withdrawal pains from the absence of the amazing food in Rome.

Now it’s back to this commoner’s life of work and cleaning and grocery shopping and cooking for myself. At least the work colleagues are nice, the house is small enough to be manageable bordering on claustrophobic, and Market Basket has all that is needed for sustenance.

Last Wednesday night, after a day of sightseeing and Roman ruins, supper was ravioli with gorgonzola and nuts and chianti. So delicious. Tonight, after a day of work and meetings and emails, supper was the last five Thin Mint cookies in the opened sleeve. I miss vacation. 

The silvery golden pink orange sky.

While letting Winston outside, there is often time to look around. The arthritis in his back legs means it takes him a while to get down the steps into the front yard which gives me a chance to look around, usually at the sky so I'm not  being some creepy gawker staring at the neighbors.

Tonight, towards the far end of the street, the sky was turning a silvery, golden, pink and orange color. It was pretty, and it was nice to pause and notice it. 

random thoughts – Day 1,099 – (Tuesday) –The Pieta

In high school, Miss Rita Mullahy was my teacher of choice for English classes sophomore, junior, and senior years. I was fascinated by Miss Mullahy. She wore leg braces and used a wheelchair after having been stricken with polio in college. She lived with her sister. She was passionate about literature and poetry. 

There are a couple things that have stuck in my head over the decades from the years with Miss Mullahy. She shepherded us through a lot of reading with lots of questions, including the nightmarish essay question “Is it fate or free will?” I never had a hard stance in either camp and would argue both sides of that topic.

The Pieta

One random recollection is Miss Mullahy telling us that her favorite sculpture was “The Pieta” by Michelangelo. Carved in marble in 1498-99, the sculpture depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. 

When my friends and I were choosing specific things we wanted to do while in Rome, visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and seeing The Pieta was high on my list, largely due to Miss Mullahy.

Like the Mona Lisa at The Louvre, The Pieta is protected by plexiglass and ropes to keep visitors at a safe distance. Also like Mona Lisa, it was mobbed with visitors. But I saw it, and on the walk over to it I thought, “Miss Mullahy, this one’s for you.”

random thoughts – Day 1,098 – (Monday) – bonus souvenir

When traveling, I rarely buy a lot of souvenirs, if any. For a while, I bought shot glasses, because they are small and portable, and there is a box stuffed with souvenir shot glasses that haven’t seen the light of day in ages.

Blouse and pants.

In Jamaica in 2017, I bought a three-inch square framed watercolor painting. I saw a couple in Rome in one shop and didn’t buy one, then forgot to look after that. I bought a scarf from a street vendor, and a blouse and pants from two of the shops near the hotel. That is the full tally of the purchases. 

There was, however, a bonus souvenir. Saturday night, after picking up Winston from the sitter, I was feeling “off.” There was a shot of Nyquil at bedtime and Sunday morning things felt pretty normal.

By Sunday night, there was lots of coughing and the skin on my back felt hypersensitive and crawly, always the key signal that I am, indeed, sick. The thermometer read over 100 degrees instead of the usual temp at just over 97. At 8:00 it was time for a shot of Nyquil and a trip to bed.

After a night of odd dreams and twice waking up sweating, the alarm rang to get up for work. There had been rest, but I still felt lousy. The thermometer was still registering a high temp, and it became a sick day. 

Winston was fed and it was back to bed until waking again until 10:30. From then on, Win and I were wrapped in a fleece blanket in a couch encampment situation. The TV went on more for the background noise, and the day was spent sleeping.

All I can think about now is how my back is all crawly and sensitive again and I can’t wait to go back to bed for the night. Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel better.

The bonus souvenir was an unwelcomed surprise but it could have been worse. Thank goodness it held off until after I was home. It would have really stunk being sick in a hotel room and then a long flight.

random thoughts – Day 1,097 (Sunday) – central location

The flight to Rome left Boston at 5:30 pm on Saturday, March 11, which allowed for a leisurely morning of coffee and dropping Winston off at the dog sitter. A small lunch was considered, and while retrieving a container of mac-and-cheese from the fridge, I discovered I had brought the opened vial of insulin that didn’t have enough for the week. That required another stop at the dog sitter en route to the Logan Express station to deliver another vial.

No interesting seatmate for me.

For the record, Logan Express is awesome. It was a 30-minute ride to the station in Woburn, and another 30 or 40 minutes on the Express bus to step off at the airport. It was $56 to park for the week, and the tickets were on sale for $9 each way when I reserved. 

Logan was busy but not overwhelming. And after a wait of a couple hours that included a snack and drinks, the purchase of water and neck pillows, and potty stops, my four friends and I boarded the plane and were off. I had been declaring for weeks that I would be seated next to an interesting stranger, but the seat to my right remained empty. Sigh. 

On the plane, I read, I listened to French club music, and I stretched out across the two seats to nap. The two-pack of reusable earplugs bought from Amazon were a huge help and my eardrums didn’t feel like they would explode on landing and takeoff. Best $18 investment ever.

The view from the rooftop
breakfast buffet.

With the distance plus the time zone changes, we touched down in Rome Sunday morning. A preplanned shuttle took us to the hotel to drop our bags. The rooms weren’t ready, as check-in isn’t until 3:00, but we were able to visit the breakfast buffet before hitting the streets to explore the immediate area. The rooftop breakfast buffet offered a view of Rome architecture.

The Cosmopolita Hotel, a Hilton Tapestry Collection property, was a great location. A ten-minute walk in one direction had us at Trevi Fountain. Fifteen or 20 minutes in the opposite direction had us passing multiple excavation sites and arriving at the Coliseum. We were surrounded by restaurants, souvenir shops, and stores selling clothes, shoes, handbags, and men’s suits. 

Our first morning there, we walked to Trevi Fountain, which was jam packed with people at 10:00 on Sunday morning. We would learn throughout the week that it was always varying degrees of packed.

There was one drawback to the hotel location in the form of Nag’s Head Scottish Pub across the street. From around midnight until 3:30 or 4:00 am the noise from the patrons outside the pub floated right up to my window. I tried to remember what it was like to be young, energetic, and out drinking into the wee hours of the morning, but I could only remember being tired, old, and pissed off at rowdy bar patrons. The airplane ear plugs worked for pressure, but not noise blocking. My friend gave me foam ear plugs which saved my sleep at the end of the week once I figured out how to get them to stay put.

random thoughts – Day 1,096 – (Saturday) travel planning

The trip to Rome was booked in early October for travel from March 11 to 18, which was reportedly off-peak. There were grand plans after pushing the buttons to reserve the flights and hotel. I would walk for 30 minutes every day at lunch to prepare for a week of walking around as a tourist. I would eat better, in order to lose a couple pounds and fit into my clothes. I would learn some Italian, especially related to coffee and food. I would research attractions.

The months slipped by, and suddenly it was February and I had done none of the things. No walking had taken place, except for the meager quarter-mile to and from the office and garage three times a week. No mindful eating had occurred and when the battery died on the scale, it wasn’t replaced. Italian lessons on Duolingo hadn’t begun until early February. Euros were finally ordered two weeks before the trip when the rate was less favorable than in October when I meant to do it. 

The bags were finally packed.

There were trip things that did happen. TSA pre-check was applied for and a Known Traveler Number issued. Several pairs of shoes were bought, but then never worn for a break-in period to avoid being hobbled and blistered on vacation. New pants and jeans were bought. A camera was borrowed from a friend. The suitcases were dug out from the storage in the eaves. A dog sitter was found for Winston and chicken for a week’s worth of his meals was chopped and frozen.

Lists were made on paper and scattered all over the house. Wardrobe lists. Toiletry lists. Winston’s packing list for doggy boarding. Lists were made in the head and then forgotten. Lists on sticky notes, on lined notepaper, on the reverse side of grocery lists.

Suddenly, it was time to pack, which was not fun, but it never is. I hadn't let myself be excited about traveling because five months between booking and going was a lot of time for things to go sideways with COVID and variants and flu and RSV floating around. 

Two weeks before departure, as the work calendar was checked for deadlines, I realized the trip was now just two weeks away. That's when the panic set in. I hadn't been on a vacation since 2017 when I went to Jamaica, and packing for a warm weather beach trip is different than an end of winter city trip. 

random thoughts -- day 1,095 (Friday) -- saints and such

This week was a trifecta of commemorations. There was the Ides of March/ friend's birthday, then St Urho Day, then St Patrick's Day/ Anniversary of the Unification of Italy. The traffic outside the hotel was backed up for a good part of the morning with the Anniversary event. Oy.

St Patrick's Day included a trip to the Vatican for an exhausting guided tour. We did not seek out green beer, but we sure were surrounded by images and paintings of Angels and Saints. It was Italian history, food, wine, and cocktails all the way. New favorite: Aperol Spritz, made with Aperol and Prosecco. Way better than novelty green beer. 

After a week of ruins, history, wine, and Aperol Spritzes, I feel so cultured. 

random thoughts -- day 1,094 (Thursday) -- st urho

March 16 is the day American Finns celebrate St. Urho Day. St Urho is the totally fictitious character credited with driving the grasshoppers out of Finland and saving the wine vineyards from destruction. 

This feat was accomplished by chasing the grasshoppers out of Finland while yelling "Grasshoppers grasshoppers go to hell." 

It's fun. It's harmless. It have the Finns in America something to celebrate and a reason to erect a big statue in Minnesota. And it's fun to yell nonsense once in a while. 

Happy St. Urho's Day! Drink wine!

random thoughts -- Day 1,093 -- (Wednesday) -- Ides of March

March 15, year 44 B.C.E., Julius Caesar, dictator and declared emperor of Rome, was assassinated. Depending upon which modern source you read, it involved a mob of either 23 or 40 senators, with some 60 to 70 senators participating in the conspiracy. Oy. That is one p*ssed off work family. 

 Caesar, in the red wrap, doesn't know what's coming.

The conspirators were led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the soothsayer tells Ceaser to "Beware the Ides of March." The Ides refer to the first new moon of a given month, between the 13th and 15th, but  Caesar asked, "What man is that?" Oh, silly Julius. It was much more than one man. Shakespeare's lines stuck, branding the date with an ominous connotation.

In modern Rome, March 15, 2023 was marked with a reenactment of Caesar's assassination at the ruins in the very spot where the deed occurred. We didn't know this beforehand, but learned about it at 11:00 when we were there celebrating a friend's birthday  and saw a sound crew setting up. 

By 1:30, we returned to a large crowd including tourists and student groups. The sidewalks along the perimeter of the Curia of Pompay were packed with spectators waiting to see the 2:00 reenactment of the stabbiness. It was quite the toga party. 

In addition to the excavated ruins, the modern  Curia of Pompay site is home to a feral cat colony, and during the wait for the reenactment, there were frequent exclamations of "oh, kitty!" There were black cats, gray ones, orange, and multicolor. 

There was plenty of entertainment for all. Well, except for Caeser. As we know, things didn't go very well for him this date. 

random thoughts -- Day 1,092 -- (Tuesday) -- pi day

It's Pi day (3.141592 plus an endless stream of other numbers) and I forgot. I forgot to make 3,145+ pi comments, and worse, I forgot to eat pie. I didn't even think about it until too late in the day to tuck in to a slice of blueberry, or maybe pecan pie.

I had a marinara pizza pie for lunch, so maybe I did observe the day, even if it was accidental. Next year will be more intentional. Of course, that's what I said last year .... 

random thoughts -- day 1,091(Monday) -- snow

It doesn't surprise me that there is a snowstorm barreling towards New England. Not one bit. 

It's the week of March 15th and there have been several such weeks when the Tuesday of the week gets nailed with snow. I am aware of this because of the Celebration of Success at work, which used to take place on the Tuesday of the week around March 15th. 

Twice I was on the event committee and privy to the very detailed planning involved, which, from the first meeting, included a bad weather date. Bad weather in New England usually means snow. This year, it looks like it will be quite a lot of it. The weather event it projected from 8pm Monday to 8am Wednesday. Oy.

Words like "heavy snow" and "travel could be difficult or impossible" are appearing in the weather stories. Hype? Reality? The answer will be known soon Enough. For now, stock up on the traditional snow storm necessities, which usually include bread and milk. 

What the heck does everyone do with all the bread and milk, anyway? I don't usually buy it in a regular shopping trip. I recommend chips, cookies, ice cream, and your beverage of choice. Might as well enjoy yourself.

random truths -- Day 1,090 -- (Sunday) -- space and time

Some days repeat like cobblestones in a street -- minor variations, but mostly the same. Same length, same spacing relative to the others, same level surface. 

Except for the clock changing thing twice a year in America (and elsewhere)  and crossing time zones, Earth days have 24 hours, but it's amazing how some days feel shorter while others feel longer than that. Today was one of the slightly irregular cobblestones and very long day. 

random thoughts -- Day 1,089 --(Saturday) -- self checkout

Since the introduction of the self-checkout, I've avoided them for multiple reasons. I've observed self-checkout lines that took much longer than a checkout run by a store employee, mostly because the customer had no idea what they were doing. Also, I was thinking that if I have to do the work, I want the employee discount, thank you very much. 

One time at Kohl's, I headed over to the registers at the side of the store near misses to discover it was all self-checkout. A personable store associate was inviting customers to check themselves out in what seemed like an old-timey carnival barker fashion. She swept her arms toward the lanes. She promised it was easy. A couple other customers and I weren't falling for it and walked across the front of the store to the registers near the men's department. 

I greatly prefer having someone ringing up my items while I enjoy the full body stress sweat surge that accompanies rifling through my purse, wallet, and/or phone for the payment card and any coupons. The multitasking of scanning items and ripping through the other stuff seemed too stressful. 

I finally got to test my stress theory when visiting a 24-hour CVS during a quiet time when there seemed to be just one clerk on site. First, I couldn't find the item I needed and after found a loop through the store, hunted down that one clerk for help. 

I wanted  a pill sorter to help me remember if I took my vitamins and allergy pills. The vitamin D deficiency was no fun and I hope to never repeat it. After finally locating the item I had walked past twice, it was time to pay. 

The only option was self-checkout. I scanned my CVS program card and when prompted, scanned my $1.29 item. The next instruction was to put the item "in the bagging area." So I set it down on the metal counter next to the checkout machine in the area in front of the bags. It kept repeating the instructions. I started sweating and swearing. I imagined that the only other customer in the store, who was waiting for me to finish so he could start, was rolling his eyes over the spectacle. 

The clerk appeared and waved a card. I confessed I had no idea what I was doing, even though it was quite obvious. She told me to continue. Without knowing what stage of the process it was, I scanned the item again and this time set it into a bag. 

Note: if you want people to set the item in the bag, say so. "In the bag" is much more specific and clear than "in the bagging area."

Anyway, I ended up with the item charging twice and the clerk had to void one. Then the system informed me I had a 45-cent award and asked if I wanted to use it. I confidently tapped "yes" and then it told me to "scan the coupon." Ummm.... What coupon? You told me I had a reward, so do you not already know what that is? And if you mean the loyalty card, say so. I backed out and to apped "no."

In the end, it took about four times longer and significantly more muttering and cussing  for me to check myself out than if another human had done it. 

That stupid pill keeper better be worth the stress. Too bad there is no Valium to add to the compartments. 

random truths – Day 1,088 (Friday) – weird week

The past eight work days have been loaded with projects and extra projects and a surprising extra dose of stress. I think the full moon had a lot to do with it.

There were the usual lunch breaks at the desk and most days no fresh air during the day until it was time to leave. It happens.

There was also the shipment of jeans and work pants ordered from Kohl’s last Friday because the projected delivery was this Tuesday, which was changed to Wednesday, and on Wednesday it was changed to Friday. Annoying. They did finally arrive today. 

The week.

In other annoyances, an adapter for the living room laptop was ordered in January after the laptop was plugged in but the battery wasn’t charging. It happened before, and the problem was the charger unit. The new charger arrived two days later, but then, the laptop battery was miraculously, mysteriously charging again and I never opened the box. 

Thursday, I finally opened the box and discovered the prongs in the box part don’t fit into the plug holes from the cord. The problem seems to be the large prong. Errrr….. 

Anyway. There was a chuckle in today’s Facebook feed in the form of a meme created by Cheesy LeVeda that kind of sums up the week. There is little more I can say. Thank you Cheesy.

random truths – Day 1,087 (Thursday) – recess

The remote work day was as brutally busy as every day since March 1^st, the first day of my manager’s vacation. Despite our carefully orchestrated handoff of information and tasks, random projects not on my list to cover kept landing in my lap. I was suddenly facing a learning curve for multiple projects for which I was completely unfamiliar which were suddenly competing for time, attention, and deadlines with the projects I actually knew about. The stress level has been high and increasing.

As I was finishing my lunch of leftover macaroni and cheese with chicken pilfered from Winston’s chopped chicken reserves, a Prime truck arrived outside. I rolled back the tape and tried to recall if any of my many recent orders were still outstanding.

Adult recess.

The delivery man was not there for me. He dropped something on the porch of the neighbor on one side, then he backed the truck to the end of the street to deliver a package to the neighbor on the other side. Instead of the sound of the truck driving away, the next sounds were of a basketball hitting the pavement. 

Prime delivery guy had grabbed the basketball that was on the ground near the hoop. For a few minutes, he dribbled and shot and chased the ball as it rolled. He seemed to enjoy himself in his adult recess.

It was way better than my recess breaks which, on remote days, usually involve letting the dog outside and inside, and on office-office days consists of walking to the water machine for either chilled water or instant hot water for tea.

Prime delivery guy has the right idea. Adult recess looked like fun, and throwing things might help with the fresh stress.

random truths – Day 1,086 (Wednesday) – lunching

The celebration of the fourth floor victory in the Holiday “Deck the Doors” contest happened today. Free lunch! 

The first celebration was awarded to each department and branch that participated. For that one, we all got breakfast sandwiches or smoothies from Brew’d Awakening. One person ended up compiling all the orders and placing one big order online, then two of us went to pick everything up.

Today’s celebration was for winning in a category.  Instead of  trying to order a group lunch, which would involve trying to get a dozen people on the same page about where to get the lunch from and then someone coordinating all the orders, it was decided to have everyone order their own lunch and submit their own expense voucher. 

Adventurer Bowl.

A couple days prior, the budget was shared ($15 per person) and the plan was formulated to eat together at noon.

The lunches today covered the gamut. Two had Mexican from El Potro, one had Greek from Athenian Corner, one had a bento box from Asian Mandarin. There were salads and other stuff I forgot to notice. One colleague and I got food from Life Alive Organic Café. I rarely eat lunch out, and when I do, it’s never at Life Alive because of the expense.

My Life Alive bowl was the “Adventurer Bowl” with red beets, broccoli, kale, fresh corn, tofu, roasted almonds with quinoa & cheddar rice, sesame & tamari ginger sauces. It was delicious and huge. I was full halfway through but I kept eating.

Being stuffed to the gills with organic healthy food didn’t stop me from eating Wednesday snack and share Little Debby treats. Self control around sweets? Nope. Maybe once upon a time, but not lately. I'll do better tomorrow. Really, I will. Ok. Probably not.

random truths – Day 1,085 (Tuesday) – reality hit

The view from the smock room,
March 7, 2020.

On March 7, 2020, COVID-19 started to become real. The news for that day included a story about federal officials trying to figure out where to dock a cruise ship off the coast of San Francisco that had COVID cases. 

According to the entry on the website The Week for March 7, 2020, “Overall, the number of global cases of COVID-19 crossed the 100,000 threshold Friday and it has reportedly killed nearly 3,500 people. The U.S. death toll rose to 17 after Florida reported two fatalities, the first that weren't on the West Coast.” In Austin, the South by Southwest Festival, due to start on March 13, was cancelled for the first time in 34 years. 

On March 7, 2020, as I drove back to Lowell from a hair appointment in Worcester, my phone rang. It was a message from the Bank to all employees, telling us that the annual Bank-wide Celebration of Success, scheduled for the following Tuesday, was cancelled. Having 500 team members in one place was too risky. The event had been postponed by one day in the past due to snowstorms, but this was something else.

That evening, I met friends at Christina’s Restaurant in Leominster for dinner, followed by a dance party at the Elks club with the band Neurotic Gumbo. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was my last time eating dinner in a restaurant with friends for a year, maybe two. Possibly three, if we’re talking about a sit down restaurant dinner with drinks, at night.

March 7, 2020.

Had we known what was coming, we would probably have taken photos to mark the event. Instead, the photos from that date are of the glass block window in the smock room at the hair salon and its warped view of the outside, and my hair after it had been blown out straight and smooth. 

Since that day three years ago, nothing has been quite the same. Schedules, relationships, routines, work, all shaken up and not always put back together the way they were. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just different.

random truths – Day 1,084 (Monday) – content

The Sunday panic shopping included a package of Portuguese sweet muffins from Ocean State Job Lots. The grocery department there has a lot of cool stuff like the jam made by the Trappist Monks and coffee I don’t see anywhere else. And the Portuguese sweet muffins and bread.

Breakfast!

This morning, before work and because the sweet muffins were on the counter, one was toasted and buttered for breakfast. It was delicious. Fortifying. 

Oddly, despite the breakfast that was more substantial than the usual granola bar, I was hungry by 11:00. The kind of hungry where my stomach was making embarrassing loud rumbly noises and I was worried that the colleague at the desk next to mine could hear it.

Lunch was microwaved leftover grilled chicken breast with roasted cauliflower and broccoli pulled from the freezer right before dashing out the door. It was less satisfying than breakfast. The chicken was dry, but it took only three minutes from deciding to eat lunch and actually eating lunch, so speed was a clear benefit and I was content with that.

Sometimes, contentment is a simple as a toasted sweet muffin and lunch that is ready in a flash.

random truths – Day 1,083 (Sunday) – panic and pants

On Saturday, time was spent trying on clothes from the closet. Five or six pairs of work pants that don’t fit were pulled, folded, and set aside in a pile. They will likely be donated, because even though they could probably be sold through a consignment shop, that takes a lot more work than setting them at the curb when the Big Brother Big Sister collection truck is in the area. Hopefully, having them gone from the closet will alleviate some of the morning wardrobe stress.

The casual pants/denim drawer was also reviewed. Several pairs of jeans were removed and stacked to disappear. One pair of beloved dark wash skinny leg jeans hasn’t fit for years. They might be considered an aspirational item if I was actually trying to lose weight to fit back into them. That trick used to work.

In my late 20s, my mood and comfort level with myself was affected by whether a single pair of size five Chic jeans fit. They usually didn’t, but on those magical times when they did, it felt like I could conquer the world. Years later, it was a pair of dark wash denim Vera Wang jeans that provided the power. There have been no such magical jeans for about the last 11 years, which is about the last time I felt invincible. Oh, the good old days. 

Refresh button.

Today’s panic shopping to backfill the drawer and closet started oddly enough with a fixation on boots before shifting to denim. Three pairs of jeans were tried on at TJ Maxx with comical horrible bad luck, but a peach patterned blouse and some white boots were bought. 

Over at Kohl’s, there was better luck with denim. Two pairs were tried and both fit. One pair was bought, and the other pair that was tried on confirmed that the jeans ordered online the other day will fit. On the drive home, I realized the blouse from TJ Maxx would go with the dress pants that were left in the Kohl's shopping cart because they weren't on sale. We can all probably guess what will happen next.

Everything was on sale. Until I wear them, things can be returned. These are the things I tell myself. And Winston, but he never knows (or cares) what I’m talking about unless the word “cookie” is part of it. 

random truths – Day 1,082 (Saturday) – snow day

Today is the answer to one of my favorite dorky third grade/Dad jokes.

Q: What is the bossiest day of the year?

A: March 4^th (forth)

I crack myself up with that one every year. Because I'm a dork, in case you wondered.

The weather forecast for the bossiest day of the year called for snow. Unlike many weekends,  there was an actual plan for the day. After sleeping late (8:00), the official plan was to stay inside where it was dry and warm, at least until it stopped snowing. I love personal plans that carry a high rate of success. Winston was feeling extra cuddly and amorous and kept wrapping his paws around my forearm and licking my wrist. 

It snowed most of the day with the tiny flakes pouring forth from the sky. It was the heavy, moist, “widow maker” stuff. Shoveling was a workout, which makes three workouts so far for the entire winter season, including the “angry ice chopping” sessions a week ago. I feel stronger already.

Late in the afternoon, after seeing a Facebook post that the monthly open studio event was taking place at Western Ave Studios, I traded the fleece lounge pants for jeans and bolted out the door. There was only one hour left, but that was enough time to visit a couple studios, particularly that of a handsome painter who recently posted some amazing new paintings done while at a program in the Midwest a few months ago. I chatted with the painter once or twice in his studio before the pandemic.  

I headed out to Pawtucket Boulevard and turned onto the bridge on Mammoth Road. Once across the bridge, I thought it was the wrong bridge and turned onto Pawtucket Street and headed over to the Rourke Bridge.

At the Rourke Bridge I realized the other bridge was the correct bridge and just hadn’t gone far enough down the street. DUH! I turned onto the bridge and crossed the river, landing across the street from Market Basket and Marshalls. It was close to 4:30 and the open studios ended at 5:00. The idea of the handsome painter was abandoned.

Instead of artist studios, it was chain retail. In Marshalls, a pair of white Chelsea boots and pair of white Doc Martens were serious contenders for a share of my wallet. Jeans were browsed. Pants were browsed. Beauty products were browsed. I left empty handed.

Next door at Market Basket, the shopping was more fruitful. Purchases were roasted chickens for Winston, and Tri Sum chips, ice cream, bananas, ramen, and coffee creamer for me. At the deli counter, lobster cakes perilously close to the “sell by” date were on discount and bought for supper.  

The price may have been good, but the lobster cakes were only “meh.” I was glad they weren’t full price, and there is no need to look for them ever again.  

random truths – Day 1,081 (Friday) – upgrades

What a difference early morning coffee at home makes. The new funnel was placed in the not even two-months old coffeemaker. By the time I was dressed for work, coffee was ready, with minimal manual intervention required. The day was off to a great start.

In the living room, coffee was enjoyed. Winston was cuddly. Wordle was solved. Emails were checked. News was read. An email from two weeks ago about participating in an art exhibit was finally answered.

A Kohl’s ad interrupted the Facebook scrolling. It featured a pair of dress pants looked at recently and parked in the shopping basket with two pairs of pants on clearance and a pair of jeans. 

The ad reminded me of the items languishing in the shopping basket, along with the 20% coupon that arrived in Thursday’s mail and was valid beginning today. After a few too-easy clicks and taps, the two pairs of pants that were on clearance, the jeans were ordered, and wardrobe updates are on the way. I was grabbing the day by the ovaries and it was barely 7:30 am. 

Like most Friday mornings, the traffic was light. At the office, the earlier momentum continued. Projects moved along without problems or even hiccups. 

Bagel breakfast of champions.

No lunch was carried in due to an absence of interesting options that led to a decision to get something from a restaurant. When a colleague mentioned she was getting something from a nearby coffee shop, I decided to get a big breakfast and bump lunch. 

A lightly toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers, onion, and tomato was ordered using a gift card from Christmas. It was a huge improvement over the usual dry granola bar. Except for the part where I was eating it at my desk, breakfast reminded me of weekend mornings in New York during my twenties. Some memories are really delicious.

Most of the morning felt easy, breezy, and like I was living someone else’s life. It felt like an upgrade, and it was  pretty good. 

random truths – Day 1,080 (Thursday) – front door

 There have been quirks and surprises arriving at the front door this week. Tuesday evening, the next-door neighbor texted that she was coming over to get her Amazon package. She sent the photo the driver provided of her package delivery for #135 which was sitting on my front step, right below the white mailbox with 129 on it in blue lettering. The mailbox is 20 feet away from the fence corner post with my house number on two panels, to be visible on the approach to the house, and while in front of it. A pre-schooler could probably figure it out. But not some delivery drivers. Numbers are hard, I know.

Dude, you gotta move.

Twice this week, Winston has been outside barking and I’ve been unable to let him in because he was standing on the top step, up against the door. It’s a poorly designed entrance. If I opened the door, he would be launched sideways down the stairs, like so many delivery packages. 

The first time this week, to rectify the dilemma and rescue the pup, I went out the back door, down the driveway, and into the fenced front yard to scoop up my boy from the step, open the door, and carry him inside. Today, I ended up shoveling the end of the deck on the other side of the house and the steps leading to it, and crossing the driveway to enter the yard to fetch my fur boy. At least it was a productive rescue.

This evening, there was a noise at the door, and a large box from Amazon appeared in the porch. The box was much larger than the masks or the purse strap I am expecting. I wondered if it was another delivery intended for a neighbor.

The box held a new coffeemaker. I was expecting a replacement funnel part, but the seller sent an entire unit. That was a nice surprise. And a relief. The accidental coffee boycott is over and tomorrow morning, there shall be coffee. Lives will be saved. 

Now I need to figure out where to store the backup unit and carafe.

random truths – Day 1,079 (Wednesday) – progress

The morning routine without the coffee maker had another slightly rugged start. The company is sending a replacement funnel, but until it arrives, it feels like being lost in the woods. I fumbled through the morning routine in a fog and then couldn’t remember if I gave Winston his insulin. Again. The second time in a few weeks.

The car was coated in ice and snow and the windshield looked like textured glass. I nearly wiped out on some very slick ice at the end of the driveway while clearing snow off the hood of the car. It was quite the waker-upper. 

On the walk from the garage to the office, a 20-ounce coffee was grabbed from The Coffee Mill. It really helped kick start things, and from then on, things fired on all cylinders. The lengthy to-do list that keeps receiving additions was no match for me and that coffee.

At the start of the day, four list items were flagged as “F/U,” shorthand for “follow up.” Sometimes, depending upon the number of times that follow up has been already been conducted without results, it may take on tones of the other, more colorful “eff you.” Luckily, this is rare.

Two follow ups yielded answers that allow me to proceed full steam ahead. One inquiry yielded an answer of “tomorrow,” which was great, because it meant I didn’t need to think about it again until then. One follow up didn’t happen because I didn’t make time to send the email asking about it.

Stock photos were searched and selected. Copy was tweaked. Project info went to the graphics guru for design or edits. Words went to the digital goddess for a web page layout. Quote requests went out. Layouts came back and one project moved into the formal review process. Progress is a great feeling.

There was one moment of panic when I thought I somehow missed a meeting. It turned out I read my calendar wrong and it wasn’t for a couple more hours.  

Back at home, poor Winston was in a drenched diaper band and his water bowl was empty, signs that I had, indeed forgotten his insulin in the morning. When I filled the bowl, he drank about half of it right away, then barfed water on the floor. Poor guy. 

After picking through his dinner, he sat and silently begged for some of mine, then napped. He probably feels like crap from the insulin thing, and I feel like crap for putting him through it.