random thoughts – Day 1,353 – (Thursday) – back yard neighbors

There are two houses that sit behind mine and that I can see from my windows. One is a two-story duplex and we share a back fence. One occupant likes to stand on the back steps and talk on the phone really loud. 

The occupants of neither side of the duplex use window coverings. No curtains, no mini blinds. When I’m closing the blinds in the bathroom, or adjusting the curtain over the sink, my eyes are often drawn to the brightly lit windows across the yard. Quite a few too many times, as the room is lit like a Broadway stage, there is a person standing at or near the window in the room as bright as a stage. Usually it's a shirtless man wiping his face or a woman with a towel coiled on her head and another wrapped under her arms, and I have conclude that these are bathrooms. 

I feel like a creeper and then think that maybe it's not really me and the people behind me are exhibitionists. I have become very adept at quickly closing the curtain and the blinds. Once or twice I have wondered what would happen if I gave a big neighborly wave before closing the window coverings. 

The neighbor coughing in the window.

The other house behind mine is also a two-story dwelling. The second floor of the house has an occupant who, unlike the duplex next door, believes in window coverings. The window dressing of choice is usually a green Celtics flag. This neighbor likes to open the window and the storm window, then hang out the window to smoke. That is no big deal. 

What is a big deal for about the past six months is the occupant hanging out the window coughing. If I’m anywhere in the kitchen, bathroom, office, or worse, outside in the yard, deck or driveway, I can hear the coughing. It’s deep and phlegmy and after a minute or two, I’m totally grossed out and on the verge of regurgitation.  

This week has been especially bad. The neighbor was simultaneously smoking and coughing so deeply  that my lungs were burning. There is also the flicking of ashes out the window, and when done, flinging the butt out the window, because as many smokers know, the world is, indeed, their ashtray. It's probably just a matter of time before the small roof below his window goes up in flames. 

When the window goes down, the Celtics banner goes back into place, and all is blessedly quiet. For about 45 minutes or so anyway, until the next episode airs. Sometimes I fantasize about living in a remote area with no neighbors. I bet it's nice.

random thoughts – Day 1,352 – (Wednesday) – good food, good day

The day began early. The alarm was set for 5:00 so I could get to Lowell General at 6:45 for a 7:00 lab appointment. Just in case 5:00 wasn’t early enough, I woke up at 4:15 with a case of monkey brain that wouldn’t quit. What to wear to LGH that could go to work. Would I have time to stop at home in between appointment and work. What would I bring for lunch. When is the next day I can sleep later than 6:00. How many days until Christmas. And so on. At 4:45 I got up to make coffee and get the day going.

The lab was quick. There was time to stop at home for 40 minutes before heading to work. Quiche was packed for lunch.

Beautiful charcuterie.

A lot of eating happened at the office. A colleague arrived for the day with cupcakes and cookies. I had already inhaled a bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal, but I didn’t let that stop me from having part of a cookie, part of a small cupcake, and a bit of a layered butterscotch and chocolate brownie. There was an array of dried fruit snacks from another colleague. Another colleague set up a beautiful charcuterie board for Snack & Share. 

Not long after eating my lunch from home, leftover sandwiches arrived from an event. Half of a BLT wrap? Yes, please. I called it supper, but we all know darned well how that works with me. Supper happened in the form of a bowl of turkey soup. There may have also been some potato chips.

The day went smoothly. There were work meetings that were informative and productive. Tasks that moved along in the pipeline of work. There was a short change of pace when helping set up the Community Room for the Sun Santa breakfast fundraiser on Thursday. I can already taste the French toast casserole. And the breakfast pizza. 

While signing out for the day, there was a weird error message about an exception breakpoint something or other, whatever that means. There are days I can certainly relate to the breakpoint part, trusty computer. I have danced on the edge of a breakpoint more than a few times. Not today, though. Today was pretty great. And there is a breakfast feast in the morning. 

random thoughts – Day 1,351 – (Tuesday) – teeth and hats

Despite determined declarations on Monday about going to the gym on Tuesday, it didn’t happen. The concept percolated in the back of my mind all day, but when work was done and it was finally time, there was no longer an interest. Funny how that works. I was cold and hungry and it became more of a food mission. A hot Italian sausage was sliced and mixed with rice and hot salsa and topped with cheese and it was delicious.

The evening’s entertainment was movies on Prime that star aging stars. The first was called Book Club: The Next Chapter, with Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Don Johnson and an adventure in Italy. There were a lot of Hollywood perfect brilliant white teeth.

Diane Keaton and her very white teeth.

This was followed by And So It Goes with Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas and more blindingly white teeth. I can’t tell if the teeth are veneers or dentures and if both of these actors always lisped or if it’s something to do with aging and the teeth. Seriously, in And So It Goes there is a lot of lisping happening from both aging lead actors, and it's noticeable because there is a character named Sarah who is addressed by name and talked about throughout the movie. 

Now I’m fixated on the teeth and the lisping, and wondering if I had my teeth whitened would they blind people and also would it come with a lisp and if so, would speech therapy correct it. 

I’m also dwelling on Diane Keaton’s hats. Across the various movies, she sports a great assortment of hats in the outdoor scenes and I wonder if I start wearing my hats more (or at all) if I would look like an aging movie star. Or just an aging fool in a hat. Food for thought.

random thoughts – Day 1,350 – (Monday) – determined

Seven years ago, I had moved into The BungaLowell and was still getting settled. The living room furniture was sparse, consisting of an armchair and ottoman from a resale store, a round mid-century table from a yard sale, and a buffet from Mom with the TV on it. I had spent Black Friday and the following days searching for a sofa without luck. One store specialized in massive furniture for massive homes that would never fit in my small living room. In another store, I did everything but jump and down waving money and yelling to be helped. The store wasn’t even crowded, but after being ignored by several alleged sales people, I left.

Futon assembly, November 27, 2016.

On Sunday of that weekend, seven years ago today, I went to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore to see what I could see. It was there I found a futon in a light-colored wood that seemed it would work. If there were guests, the futon would open to a bed. Once the temporary storage room was sorted out the futon would go upstairs and the search for a sofa would resume. 

The futon needed assembly, which worked out well, because I was able to load it into the car and then into the house by myself, piece by piece. A video found online showed the assembly process. It wasn’t my first time assembling furniture. I had experience with assembling storage cubes, bookcases, a TV console, a bathroom rack, and two tall bookcase wall units with doors on my own, and figured a futon would be just another project. It took some determination, elbow grease, effort, and swears, but the futon was assembled. And all these years later, the “guest” room is still a storage room and the futon is still in the living room.

Today, there was a lesser level of determination than that needed to assemble the futon single-handedly. It was focused on going to the gym. After work, while removing the big pot of turkey, vegetable, rice soup from the refrigerator, I remembered the plan to go to the gym and put it back inside.

It was a quick stomp upstairs to change into sweats and sneakers, during which there was a pep-talk about the benefits of the treadmill and the massage chair. Around 5:20, I pulled into the plaza containing the gym, the auto parts store, a nail salon, and Family Dollar. The sections of the parking lot bordering the front and side of the gym were packed. I joined the three or four vehicles circling the parking lot like vultures.

Turkey soup.

After a loop through the two sections and finding no open spots, I kept going to the other end of the strip to Family Dollar. Tissues and hand soap and possibly some other things were needed at home. The items were purchased and the parking lot at the end of the gym was surveyed again. It was still full, and a full parking lot usually equates to a full gym. An unfortunate number of treadmills had “Out of Service” signs on them Saturday morning, and waiting around in a busy gym wasn’t a scenario I felt like dealing with. I wasn't that determined to be at the gym and drove home for the soup supper that was delayed a half hour earlier.  

Tomorrow I will summon the determination to attend the gym again. 

random thoughts – Day 1,349 – (Sunday) – streaks

Wordle wins, current phone.

The last day of the long weekend was quieter than the previous three days. While engaging in the morning coffee ritual it was discovered I had forgotten to finish Saturday's Wordle puzzle and broke my streak again. 

The current tally is 564 games played with a 98% win rate and a current win streak of 1. There was a win streak of over 100 days on the old phone, which disappeared when I got the new phone. It makes me wish I had been keeping a spreadsheet of the puzzles, answers, and wins. Oh well. 

Duo Streak.

The morning Duolingo Spanish lesson put me at a 1234 day streak. Take that, everyone who has ever accused me of having commitment issues. The Duo streak includes jumping around from Finnish, Italian, French, and Spanish. 

The nerd in me would love to know a breakdown of days for each language, but it doesn’t work like that and I also don't have a spreadsheet of that data. And no, I’m not fluent in any of those languages, and Finnish is still the most difficult.

It was our last dance class until January, and as usual, it was great being in the studio. After class, there was a quick trip to Unique Boutique, a resale shop. There was a lot of Christmas décor and a variety of sequin holiday sweaters, but my target was the small room with dishes and cookware. There are always cool things there. 

I was hoping for soup bowls, but I came away instead with a small grater for the whopping bargain price of $1. It can join the box grater, larger flat grater, and vegetable peeler in the arsenal of graters. 

Next, it was Big Lots for makeup remover wipes, a tube of mascara, and some 3D white toothpaste. The gas station with the $3.19 gas was visited on the way out of town. Then there was a load of laundry and a quiet afternoon. Decorating for Christmas was considered, inspired partly by having walked through a sea of decorations at Big Lots, but it was dismissed as feeling like work.

Compared to the previous several days, it was a wildly mild low-key day, but it was good. At 4:30 it felt like it was time to go to bed, but I held out for a later bedtime, because 4:30 is not acceptable, mostly because then I’d be awake at around 2:30 and wouldn’t know what to do with myself at that hour. 

random thoughts – Day 1,348 – (Saturday) – three days

Day three of extra ordinary activities was a success. Day one, of course, was the annual feast of the turkey out in the central chunk of the fine Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Day two started with the harrowing removal of the gigantic rodent corpse from the basement, an afternoon recovery from the harrowing experience at home, and was capped off with dinner and a concert at the Sawtelle Room at The Bull Run, back in the central region. For dinner, I selected the soft pretzel, followed by a slab of pecan pie which was dressed with whipped cream and a side scoop of ice cream and drizzled with caramel. Yes, there was “real food” on the menu, and yes, I chose to skip those options because I could and it seems to be best (and sometimes only) benefit of being an adult.

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams.

The concert was the annual show by The Slambovian Circus of Dreams, which, according to Wikipedia, was founded in Sleepy Hollow (NY) in 1998. They deliver an energetic folk rock, Americana style sometimes described as "Hillbilly Pink Floyd," or "Punk Classical Hillbilly Floyd." What’s not to like about that? The show was terrific, with songs from their newest album and those before it. There were quite a few fans sporting Trans-Slambovian Bi-Polar Express tee shirts in the crowd. 

Day three of the long weekend had a loose plan to resume the Country Roads Holiday Tour that was tightened up around 9:00 am. I managed to get to the gym for a quick romp on the treadmill before heading back out to the middle of the state. Fortified by Espresso pizza delivered by my sister, we reviewed the tiny map image on my phone and plotted our attack.

At Plain View Farm.

We made it to seven shops today. Two were repeats for Mom and me, but my sister mentioned wanting something from Plain View Farm and I wanted to return because they were expecting more alpaca sweaters the last time I was there. There were several newly arrived cardigans sized for adults, but the one I liked best was a kid’s size I had seen before and the slightly funny, potentially depressing thing was that the kid’s sweater fit so that’s what I bought. 

We visited a gourmet food shop featuring lots of regional products, a craft gallery, a basket shop, an herb farm, and a country store. The route connecting all these very cool, very New England shops, was a winding road through woods. Miles of road. Lots of woods. No cell service and therefore no access Waze for navigational assistance. 

We had some laughs. We wondered about living “so far out in the country.” We bought some things, although for my part, Christmas shopping has so far turned out to mostly for me. Today it was the sweater and a six-pack of craft beer, but the best gift was a most excellent afternoon spent with Mom and Sis.

The ride back into Lowell featured three floats on the move after the City of Lights parade. The first one was a flatbed carrying the classic sleigh, which likely had Mr. and Mrs. Claus on it during the parade. It crossed by while I sat at the light at Fletcher and Pawtucket Streets. 

Barbie Dream House float in traffic.

While sitting at the light at Pawtucket Street and University Avenue, another truck held a float that looked like buildings all outlined in lights. While in the traffic on University, two lanes over a vision in pink appeared in the form of the Barbie Dream House with a sign pointing to “The Real World” which was apparently somewhere just up ahead. It was fun enjoying a few bits of the parade without the cold and the crowd. 

Three days of fun are complete. 

random thoughts – Day 1,347 – (Friday) – poop bucket

Poop bucket.

Sometimes weird stuff is kept “in case I need it,” and sometimes, unlike 99% of the stuff in the kitchen junk drawer, it turns out the item is actually needed. One such item that was kept for, what was at that time, an imaginary potential use, is the emptied 2.5 gallon Minwax Polyurethane metal container from when the floors were coated in the stuff before I moved into The BungaLowell. 

Lined with shopping bags, the can was used to harvest the fecal offerings from the Canine Overlords, mysterious deceased birds, and the random trash that blows into the yard from parts unknown. Despite no longer having dogs, the can and the poop scoop remain. And thank goodness.

Early this week, the carbon monoxide detector was chirping in the basement and needed to be reset. Thanksgiving morning, it emitted its annoying sound again. In pajamas and a bathrobe, standing on the basement steps, verifying it was the detector, the landscape was surveyed to assess the aftermath of Wednesday's rain. There were some damp spots visible. 

As my gaze swept across the floor towards the area near the bulkhead, something else was noticed. It wasn’t water. The first thing spotted looked like a wrapped wire which turned out to be a long tail attached to a large-ish brown body. Generally shaped like the mice that have periodically been found deceased in the various traps placed strategically around the house, it was significantly larger. Like about four times larger. 

I was unprepared to deal with wildlife while in pajamas. After dressing, I took the step stool downstairs to reset the monitor. Then I stepped carefully across the basement to investigate the death scene and the known facts and observations. The rodent was city dumpster in an alley large. There was no blood. The tail looked discolored. The corpse wasn’t present two mornings earlier. 

The massive size really has me creeped out about the point of entry. It was great to bolt from the premises to go to Mom’s for Thanksgiving dinner.

This morning, I took a deep breath and went back downstairs. The corpse was still there, which was less disturbing than if it had disappeared. There was no way the poop pickup tool was large enough to scoop up the body like with the previous smaller mice, but there was a plan formulated overnight.

The dustpan was called into service for the operation. The corpse was double bagged with the floor sweepings gathered because as long as I was downstairs, it made sense to do a tidy up. Found among the wreckage was a sprung mouse trap, laying empty and several feet away from the rodent. The bag of basement dust and dirt and the corpse of the Rat King were deposited in the trash bin. The whole thing took a few minutes and several declarations of “ewwwww” and “oh God, oh God,” uttered in the horror movie way and not the joyful surprise way. 

It wasn’t fun. But it’s done. Just another homeowner’s tale. And thank goodness for the poop bucket. Best piece of trash I ever kept.

random thoughts – Day 1,346 – (Thursday) – turkey day

The crazy speed in which this week, this month, and this year is passing is amazing and Thanksgiving is now over. How did this happen? It’s a bit frightening. At least I’ll have all day Friday to contemplate the speed of the year in between some aggressive online holiday shopping.

There was family time at Mom’s and a pre-dinner visit with my sister and my middle niece. In-person conversation and shrimp cocktail kicked things off before a Facetime call with the kids in Vegas.

This year, Mom didn’t want to cook and decided we should go out to eat. Unfortunately, a lot of other people decided the same thing before she did and there were no reservations available. I would have been fine with peanut butter sandwiches or a frozen pizza, but that idea was not well received.

Turkey dinner.

The solution to not cooking the big traditional meal was to buy the prepared grocery store version of the traditional meal that just needed to be reheated. The meal was ordered from Price Chopper for a Wednesday pick-up and after fetching it, Mom learned the turkey was pre-cooked but also frozen solid. 

The instructions said to thaw it in the refrigerator for two days, which would have been a great nugget of info to have when the meal was ordered, but the person taking the order neglected to mention it. With 24 hours to go between pickup and showtime, Mom and StepDad somehow figured out how to get it safely less frozen, into the oven, and hot for dinner. 

There was the pre-cooked turkey plus mashed potato, squash, green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy, rolls, and cranberry, apple, orange salad which was a cross between Jello salad and cranberry sauce. There was also the classic can-shaped cranberry sauce, an all-purpose white zinfandel, and a toss salad. And it was good.

There was pumpkin pie and apple pie for dessert, which was enjoyed after Mom and I played a game of Scrabble where she very nearly beat my butt until I made a stellar comeback late in the game when I had a great triple word score and her letters turned to crap. Whew!

A sliver of the backyard view.

Mom’s living room windows have a view of the back yard which abuts woods. In addition to the Macy's parade on TV, which seemed to last all day long, the day included live action theatrics of the squirrels, chipmunks, and three deer in the back yard. There were no turkeys spotted back there today. Later, the TV channel was finally changed and It's a Wonderful Life was located. 

Back at home, loaded with leftovers, the carcass went straight into the soup pot. Dinner rolls were stuffed with turkey, stuffing, cranberry "salad," and a schmear of mayo. The challenge will be jamming containers of the broth into the already at-capacity freezer. That can be a Friday challenge, maybe while I ponder the crazy speed of 2023.

random thoughts – Day 1,345 – (Wednesday) – good week

The weather forecast had mentioned snow, which happened to the west in central Massachusetts, but in Lowell it was rain. I awoke to loud weather with wind and rain slamming against the house and battering windows that usually don't get rain spattered. Wardrobe options for the day were evaluated based on waterproof footwear and built from the shoes up. Before leaving, it took a minute rifling through the coat closet to find a waterproof coat.

Indoor waterfall.

At the garage, it was another free rain situation. Water poured from the ceilings of all four levels of the garage I visited. On the nearly deserted fourth floor where I parked, it might as well have been the roof in terms of water and puddles. Even so, it still had a smaller puddle than the second floor. The numerous water features in the parking garage always amaze me, but not in the good way. Let's just say I won't be shocked if the news someday soon is about the collapse of the structure.

This was a satisfying week for work. There was finally progress on a couple things that had been stuck in a holding pattern. A couple new things were started and overall, it felt great. This may be my favorite work week in months. To make it even better, with the holiday on Thursday and a day off on Friday, it’s a four day weekend.

Also in the success column was success in taking a break from the desk. There was a walk to LaLa Books (two blocks!). The seat was reserved for Boozy Book Club in January and I got the book. Instead of rain, the air was filled with mist. Tiny droplets hung in the air.

"Time to Break Free"
by Dominique Ehrmann.

I ducked in to the New England Quilt Museum gift shop on the way back to the office because I couldn’t remember the last time I was in there. Gift shop items include jackets, scarves, knitwear, ornaments, books, and quilting supplies, but the thing that captivated my attention was a sculpture titled “Time to Break Free,” by Dominique Ehrmann. At 14 feet long and 7 feet high, this multimedia masterpiece combines Steampunk elements, expert quilting, storytelling, and incredible detail. Wow. It’s amazing, and in the good way. I want to go back and spend some more time with this one.

The traffic was easy going to and coming from the office, and even better, we got the okay to cut out a little early today. As I stood in the kitchen heating up soup, it suddenly occurred to me I could have gone to the gym. I’m so far off the gym routine that it isn’t even a thought any more.

And now it’s time to watch the moving pictures on the in-home entertainment screen while also playing woodoku and checking social media on my phone. Good times. For real. Once upon a time on the night before Thanksgiving, it was impossible to consider that there were things to do beside go out to bars to see and be seen and hang out with classmates and other characters. It turns out there are other options, including sitting quietly at home like every other night, and actually choosing it as the option. I guess this is what is called “growing up”?

random thoughts – Day 1,344 – (Tuesday) – frost season

Frosty.

 It was cold this morning. The car was coated in frost, but using remote start meant the front and rear windows were defrosted and the seat and steering wheel were warm by the time I got into the car to leave. The side windows still had some delicate frost designs. 

The walk to the building from the garage included some shattered ice on a sidewalk on John Street and a quick pace to get the the office and inside. Before leaving for the office, I had planned to go to the bookstore at lunchtime, but that was forgotten until 5:00 when I was leaving for the day. Once at my desk, I was there to stay. Maybe tomorrow.

At home after work, it was quality time in the living room with soup, crackers, cranberry and jalapeno dip, and The Family Business. This show is killing me (along with a lot of criminal on criminal death).

Held hostage.

There is a storyline across several episodes where Consuela is being held hostage in a stone cell. Allegedly, she’s been there for a while, and is begging the guy who brought her food for several days to let her out so she can shower. She’s claiming her hair is a mess and it’s been so long since she’s felt water on her skin. Meanwhile, her clothing is neat, her hair is not the slightest bit grungy, and her makeup is perfect. Even every one of her nails is long and perfectly manicured. It wasn’t the slightest bit convincing. The makeup team dropped the ball on this.

Of course, it’s supposed to be an entertaining telenovela type show and not a documentary crime drama. There is a reddit thread on the series and it’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one who thinks this is a hot mess of a production, yet none of us can tear ourselves away. Some people are unhappy it deviates from the book, and others claim is is true to the book. 

I’m in Season 4 right now, and once it’s finished, that will be it for a while, defined as “until Season 5 comes out.” If there is a Season 5. I hope there is. 

random thoughts – Day 1,343 – (Monday) – no problems

It was a pretty good day, and especially for a Monday. A few things got done. Other things advanced a step closer to done and I didn’t even have to nip at anyone’s heels like a chihuahua. Practically a workday miracle, really.

The day began with the annoying chirping sound of a detector which required some detective work. After determining the sound was coming from the basement, the step ladder was taken down the scary staircase. The noisy carbon monoxide detector that was chirping every few seconds was unscrewed from the ceiling. It was hard wired and didn’t have batteries, but the reset button was pushed and quick and easy, all was quiet on the home front. Boom, problem solved. 

Much later in the work day, it seemed that time had stood still. It turned out it had, because the battery in the wall clock has suddenly stopped doing its power move. It was nice when the battery was changed and 4:30 turned out to really be 4:45. Boom, problem solved.

Tomato chicken vegetable soup.

The soup of the day was a tomato chicken vegetable soup that had been assembled from fresh chicken broth with some leftover spaghetti sauce, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, onion, and rice with a sprinkle of cheese. Delicious, but I haven’t met too many soups I don’t like. Or most likely, I make soups using only ingredients that I like. My favorite part of chilly weather, especially since I discovered how easy it is to make it fresh, is the soup. No problem at all. 

The after work, after supper entertainment was last night’s episode of The Gilded Age. The costumes! The New York City homes and Newport “cottages.” Oh, to be wealthy in the Gilded Age. Or any era, really. I bet it's great.  After that, it was back to a different era of millionaires with The Family Business on Netflix, where the acting is terrible and the entire production seems barely two steps above a student project. The main characters are exceptionally well dressed (because they are millionaires) and I am a sucker for a man in a well-fitting suit, but I swear half the actors for the minor roles (and some for the leads) were pulled off the street, handed their lines and thrown into the scene. The music soundtrack often contains a clicking sound that makes me think I'm hearing a water drip in the house, but when I mute the sound, it disappears. The whole thing is pretty bad and I can’t stop watching the drama of a bunch of drug running, murdering, money laundering families. They have problems I'm glad I don't have to know about in real life.

random thoughts – Day 1,342 – (Sunday) – problem at the mall

I hadn’t been to dance class since the end of October and it felt great to be back in the studio this morning. The drive was pleasant, the stretching was much needed and the dancing felt good.

After class, there was a trip to Nashua for the annual eye exam. Sunday appointments are the beauty of an eye doctor with an office at Pheasant Lane Mall. The mall was quiet. There were a few families with the kids all dressed in matching Christmas outfits for photos with Santa, where there was no line and no waiting.

While headed to Lenscrafters, I was accosted by a sales person from a cosmetics shop. She held out a sample packet of some crème, which I stupidly took before I realized that opened the way to being convinced to enter the shop so she could show me an amazing undereye treatment. When I said I was on my way to an appointment, she promised it would “literally only take a minute.” I fell for it and she swabbed some stuff under my eye with a cotton swab and said something about it being better than Botox. It required a tiny fan to dry it. It did look better, but the spiel about the ointment “training the undereye muscles to be tighter”? Come on. Seriously? Training the eye area muscles?

She applied the stuff under the other eye and made me confess it looked better before swooping in with how the purchase of the tightening gel comes with a bonus box of some other thing. The cost, the most relevant detail, was withheld to the last moment  after she completed the obligatory sales steps to create the need and then solve it. The solution to the “problem” of the fine lines around my eyes costs only “two ninety-nine.” It allegedly lasts about 30 months, and she was setting aside product for after my eye exam, which I knew damned well I would not be back to buy.

Cranberry and
jalapeno dip.

While the eye doctor’s hours are convenient, the selection of frames rarely includes anything I want. It took three laps through the racks before I finally tried one pair on. During the browsing I kept trying to will frames I liked into existence. It didn’t work, but I noticed they finally had the frames I wanted years ago after seeing someone on TV wearing them (signifying they existed) and ended up buying online in 2017.

At Target, there was success with something unrelated to eyeglasses. They have a cranberry and jalapeno dip, which I’d been looking for since we had it from Costco in Vegas. A $5 solution to a problem is one I can commit to. It was tempting to buy several containers, but sensibility took over and I got just one, along with some crackers. 

random thoughts – Day 1,341 – (Saturday) – season’s eatings

The season of merriment and excessive eating has officially begun. I had sort of been inadvertently training for it with the laser focus on food for the past couple weeks, so I felt ready for my sister’s Friends and Family potluck event today. Each year, she and her husband rent a hall, and the Saturday before Thanksgiving, a parade of crockpots, sterno pans, and desserts carried by an assortment of friends and family members files into the space for an afternoon of conversation and eating.

Prep work.

This morning, while chugging the usual pot of coffee, I was also playing little Betty Crocker. There was the chopping of onions and celery, peeling and cutting of apples, slicing of cranberries, smashing of walnuts, and sprinkling of cinnamon. The prep work was followed by a sauté in butter and a toss with cornbread stuffing. It’s one of my favorite winter food side dishes. 

There is always so much food. This year was no different. The tables stretched for about mile and were loaded with food.

There was toss salad, finger sandwiches, and Cowboy Caviar bean and veggie salad. There were tiny tartlets stuffed with buffalo chicken, and various dips and chips. Sterno cans heated trays of turkey with gravy and ham with pineapple. Crockpots held beef stew, loaded potato soup, mashed squash, beans with hot dog bites, meatballs, and stuffing. Chicken pot pie and piping hot trays of shepherd’s pie appeared as if by magic. Trays and bowls held various hot and cold pasta dishes and veggies with chicken.

And then there was the dessert table, marked by a sign declaring “Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.” It was loaded with pizzelles, whoopie pies, brownies, and assorted cookies. So, so amazing and tasty. Yes, I think I tasted it all, savory and sweet. Ok, almost all. I missed out on the meatballs, which were clearly a bit hit. 

My season of eating will continue with a plate of leftovers from today. Then, it’s on to Thursday and Thanksgiving dinner at Mom’s. On Friday, the plans are for dinner and a concert with friends. And so on, likely until the New Year. I really need to buckle down and get back on a regular gym schedule. 

random thoughts – Day 1,340 – (Friday) – almost famous

The day had some surprises including one from Lowell National Historic Park. There was a social media post for National Take a Hike Day that included a photo of a National Park Service Ranger with four people looking at the Merrimack River. 

Park Service famous.

As I looked at the photo, I recognized, um, myself. My long, used to be red hair. My yellow short sleeve tee shirt, blue summer-weight pants printed with tropical flowers and birds, and blue Steve Madden sneakers my eldest niece helped my choose. The way I stand with my arm behind my back. I wondered about donating those pants and after seeing the photo there is no longer any doubt that they need to go. Oy. I also need to become more dedicated to the gym.

By 9:00 pm, the post had been shared four times, so clearly I can now add Park Service famous to the list with the fame earned from dance group performances -- Townsend Famous and Hubbardston Famous. Exciting! Soon I'll be legitimately famous.

I used to go on a lot of the NPS walking tours back in the day, when I heard about them in time to go. For some reason, in the past couple years the walks rarely make it onto my radar. Thanks to the photo from years ago on the post today, I was nearly inspired to take a hike for National Take a Hike Day, but as so often happens, I never left the office and only left my desk to visit the rest room and the water machine. I need to do better before I find my backside rooted to a chair permanently.

random thoughts – Day 1,339 – (Thursday) – food hug

It’s been a while (thank goodness), but today was a series of not much fun. Since lowering the daily bar for success to “tolerable” there have been many more days that receive passing marks. Today played limbo with that new low bar.

The ongoing delays in the projects on my work list were the foundation for the shit heap of stress and frustration. Even the things that had been running mostly on track were having hiccups and headaches.

Layered on top of that was the ticking bomb of the benefits open enrollment deadline. A tight timeline to sort through all the info, make decisions, and complete the mandatory electronic form was stressful. This morning, the second of two emails on the topic this week arrived with red, bold, underlined text that made my normally low blood pressure spike.

It wasn’t like I was ignoring the earlier messages and the looming deadline – the information session I signed up for wasn’t until this afternoon. Then when I tried to log in to make the choices, the system timed out because the confirmation text code to complete the log in wasn't arriving in time. Three times. It happens a lot with that system. I thought I might burst a blood vessel by that point.

While I was in the info session and then fighting with the stupid system, questions and issues were brewing on a project that is right up against a deadline. This day really needed to frigging calm down.

When there was finally a moment to check my cell which has the ringer turned off during work hours, it showed three missed calls. The list included the name of a classmate I haven’t spoken to in years, plus one that just said “Leominster,” and one from Mom. With the way the day had been going, panic hit hard and my mind went to some scary places because my family rarely calls during the work day and then it's usually because something bad happened. I was trying to not think about who might have become ill, gotten into an accident, or died. 

It required a couple rounds of slow, deep breaths before I could listen to the voice mails. There were two new voice mail messages but not from the classmate or Mom. 

The first message was from someone with a British accent who was looking for “Nancy” and left a full two-minute-long voice mail about direct mail and Nancy’s management role in a credit union and blah blah blah. Dude. A two-minute voice mail? And not even for me?

The other message was from the oral surgeon my dentist sent a referral to yesterday and now I have a consultation to try to not worry about for the next couple weeks. Yay. When I talked with Mom, nobody was ill, maimed, or dead, so that was a relief.

Food hug.

The best part of today, like so many days before today, was supper. Part of Wednesday’s roasted chicken was added to sautéed mushrooms and onion, black beans, roasted broccoli, hot salsa, and queso. There were corn chips. It was all very warm and textural and satisfying. The food hug from inside saved the day. 

I felt a little bit bad about not going to the gym to blow off steam (again), but I got over it. Instead, it was cooking and eating. It feels a bit pathetic, but that is life. Mine anyway, in this very alone version with no pets or close people. There could be worse/more harmful things than food and there is solace in that. Or maybe it's smug, judgemental self-righteousness.

I just kind of wish I'd retreat back into a fitness obsession like in the past when I dealt with aggravation and stress through aerobics, kickboxing, biking, or roller derby. But for now, it's food.

random thoughts – Day 1,338 – (Wednesday) – delicious

At work, the morning kicked off with a bang. There were donuts. Fresh, delicious, and amazing donuts from a shop in Windham, brought in by a colleague. The box lid was raised and the intoxicating donut aroma was inhaled. A glazed old fashioned beckoned unto me from a corner of the box. I resisted. It was all of three minutes before I cut that glazed donut and took one half to my desk to accompany my coffee. It was so delicious. 

After our weekly team meeting, the contents of the box were examined again. A maple frosted raised donut with sprinkles whispered my name. I cut it in half and then halved one of the halves. It was delicious. I went back for another bit. Still delicious.

By now it was lunchtime. The half of a spanakopita twirl brought from home for a light, healthy lunch was warmed in the microwave and brought to the desk. It was delicious. After lunch, the siren call of a quarter of a cream filled donut taunted me. Again, delicious.

By now, the calories were accumulating and padding my thighs and the bitter taste of disappointment in my reckless dining danced on my tastebuds like an aftertaste. It was okay. I needed to brush my teeth anyway for my afternoon dental appointment.

The updated food plan for the day was to skip supper. Totally doable.

Dental goodies.

On the ride back from the dentist with my goodie bag containing a new toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, and appointment card for the next cleaning, the route took me past Market Basket. It isn't hard when there is one on every block. This route involved the Fletcher Street store. 

Suddenly, I wanted a roasted chicken. Needed a roasted chicken. The last time I bought a roasted chicken was for Winston. It was August. But suddenly, I wanted roasted chicken more than any food item in ages. I stopped at the store and raced down the coffee aisle to the roasted chicken warmer. It was 6:10 and there were just two birds in the warmer and none in the rotisserie behind the deli counter. Both birds were slightly overcooked with darkened skins. I bought the one that looked the least overdone.

At home, the still warm chicken was unwrapped and l started picking at it. With my fingers, like a cave woman. Roasted broccoli was heated in the microwave to accompany the fresh, hot chicken. It was delicious. 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will do better. I will eat roasted chicken and vegetables and skip the junky, less healthy food. There will be no delicious donuts. Fingers crossed.

random thoughts – Day 1,337 – (Tuesday) – presentations

Today was the day. Two colleagues and I were scheduled to present to a Branch Leadership meeting. We were presenting an overview of what the marketing team does, tips for making requests for marketing help, and social media. 

It sounded like a great idea when I first heard about it a while ago. Then I didn’t really think about it again except for in the vaguest terms. Last week it was pointed out that the meeting was “next Tuesday.” I thought it was going to be on Wednesday or Thursday, mostly because I just hadn't been paying attention, so that was a tiny surprise and I got a little nervous.

My manager said it would be like the last time we presented. Cool, cool. Except that wasn’t me, that was our colleague who left a few months ago. I have done very few presentations in the past 7.5 years, with “few” being maybe two presentations. Out of practice? Ha! I never did enough to feel like I was in practice.

Knowing the material wasn’t the issue because I had worked on a procedures document about the topic a couple years ago that I reviewed and updated over the summer. Oh, and I work with it regularly. Figuring out how to not ramble on about it forever was the challenge. Oh, and not sounding like an idiot.

This morning, before our designated time on the meeting agenda, I got nervous. I tried to practice and stumbled over my words which increased the nerves, so I started doing “things” to burn off some energy. That coat that had been draped on the back of a kitchen chair since Sunday? Hung! The six pens on the tiny desk? Now in the drawer! I took a lap around the kitchen table. Fifteen steps!

In the last few minutes before logging in to the meeting, panic hit. Suddenly, my sweater seemed too plain and I wondered if there was time to change. (There wasn’t and I didn’t.) Teeth were brushed. Hair was combed. Lip balm was applied. I logged in.

It went well. There were a couple great questions. And then it was over and time to get back to the to-do list and things that are more familiar.

Delivered for the
Festival of Wreaths.

After work, the finished touch was added to the wreath for the Festival of Wreaths. The gold, glittery ribbon was transformed into a bow and attached. Gold glitter is now all over the dining room table and floor. It was carefully slipped into a bag to go with me to be left at the gallery during our board meeting. 

When I started the car, the center of the panel where the low tire pressure image periodically appears to haunt me presented a different symbol. Tonight’s apparition was the glowing image of a big yellow gas pump and the gas gauge was in the red zone. I had always wondered what happened when the gas got really low in this vehicle. That’s when I remembered that when I arrived home from Mom’s on Sunday the gas level was suddenly low. Oops. 

When I pulled into the gas station around the corner from home, I spaced out, forgot which side of the car the gas tank is on, and went to the wrong side of the pumps. Seriously? I’ve had this car for two years now. Talk about being a doofus. At least the station was empty so it was easy to get to another pump on the correct side.

random thoughts – Day 1,336 – (Monday) – feeling bent

The week kicked off with an insanely long to-do list. Four items have been in limbo with two departments since August. At the end of every week, I move the entries to the following week’s list and get a little more aggravated about it. Every time I follow up with the business lines that still need to provide either approval or changes for the materials that they requested we create, the response is, “we have a meeting tomorrow to review it.” Ummm, okay. 

Open Enrollment for our benefits ends this Saturday and I haven’t figured that out yet. I’ve tried looking at it twice and both times given up in frustration. Basically, it seems that everything medical is changing and my disdain for the American for-profit health care system (medical /insurance mafia) has probably never been higher. It’s likely to be the thing that sends me to a premature grave, which would actually be okay at this point because at least then I wouldn’t need to worry about frigging health care coverage and premiums and deductibles and co-pays on top of co-pays and still never getting any answers as to why my hip is jacked up and my leg still hurts. The whole thing has me a bit bent out of shape.

Bent! WTF?

It was trash day, and the yard waste was picked up early. At lunchtime, I went and hauled the yard waste barrel in but the other barrels were still all full. I must have been focused on work, because I never heard the trash or recycle bin pickups happen, but around 3:30 I heard the neighbor rolling the very noisy bins up the long, shared driveway, outside my office windows, and into her side yard.

After logging off work for the day, I went outside in the evening darkness to roll the bin up the short, shared driveway on the other side of the house. That’s when I noticed that one of the pickets in the center of my front fence (where the neighbor puts her barrels), which used to be straight like all the others all the way up until this morning, was creased. Not a little – it’s crazy bent, like it was the subject of a violent attack. So much for “vinyl is final.” And what the heck is up with the trash truck operators and how did it even happen? So annoying. But now I'm not the only thing bent out of shape here. 

Tortellini lunch.

At least today’s lunch was good. Warm. Satisfying. Filling. It was left over from Sunday’s supper. 

I love my cast iron fry pan for making the initial batch of food, and dang, I love the microwave for the leftovers. In literally one minute today, lunch of mushroom tortellini topped with smoked salmon dip from Aldi mixed with sauteed onion and mushroom was heated and ready. It was topped with grated provolone (from the cheese ends hoard) and freshly ground black pepper. So yummy. 

random thoughts – Day 1,335 – (Sunday) – sunday excursion

Out where Mom lives, this time of year there is an event called the "Country Roads Christmas Holiday Tour." There is a list of local shops located in several neighboring towns in central Massachusetts and the idea is to visit the shops during a certain time frame, collect a stamp from each shop, and enter a drawing for gift certificates.

Smith's Cheese Shop, Winchendon.

This year there are 19 shops on the list located in seven towns, and four weeks to visit them under the tour. Mom and I spent a day visiting shops last year and we had fun. Some shops were new to us, some we’d been to before. Today, as we set out for our Sunday excursion, I tried to remember how many shops were on the list last year. As it usually works, I found the 2022 list recently in a pile of paperwork and after a year, tossed it into the recycling bin, and today I was wondering which shops were on the old list.

We made it to six shops in about three hours today, including a farm and garden center, antiques shop, bakery and gift shop, and a cheese shop. Something was bought by one or both of us at each location, so we did our part for small businesses. I got several small holiday décor items, Finnish coffee bread, and alpaca shoe insoles. 

A Thyme & A Place,
Hubbardston.

The cheese shop had a great selection of craft beers but after staring at the case for a while, I couldn’t decide on the too many unfamiliar options, gave up, and didn’t buy anything. Unfortunate, because there is currently no beer at The BungaLowell, a situation to which I have turned a blind eye for about a month. 

The alpaca farm was cool. When we entered the barn to get to the gift shop, a couple alpacas were standing nearby, close enough to get a great photo. There were a lot of people around and I wanted to get inside the gift shop, figuring I could get a photo on the way out, so I didn't take a picture. 

The shop had some beautiful knitted items – scarves, mittens, hats, and sweaters, plus stuffed animals in many sizes. In 2013 or 14, Mom, my sister and I went to the same alpaca farm and I bought what is still one of my favorite sweaters. I was fully prepared to buy another pullover, but the only sweaters in the shop today was an open front style with some sort of ruffle and brightly colored zip front cardigans in kid sizes. When we exited the gift shop, all the alpacas had already exited the barn and headed to the field. Photo lesson learned. Or not. This has been happening for years. 

The plan is to visit more of the shops in the next three or four weeks. We like a challenge. Hopefully, the time won’t slip away like it did last year, when we also intended to hit the route again, and forgot to send in our stamp sheets for the drawing. We got enough stamps today to enter the second prize drawing for a gift certificate to a single shop. With all 19 stamps, the drawing is for a gift certificate to each of the 19 shops. That would be a sweet prize.

random thoughts – Day 1,334 – (Saturday) – home work

Mom and StepDad came over this morning for the seasonal dismantling of the deck table and umbrella. I can handle getting the table from the shed to the deck myself, but I can’t get the umbrella into or out of the stand and up through the hole to clear the table, lacking both the reach and the strength. Maybe next year, the umbrella should be set in the corner and not through the hole in the table. A smaller table would also help. Me being taller with longer and stronger arms would also solve the problem. 

Coffee maker, take 2.

The house was vacuumed and dusted, because nothing inspires cleaning like a visit from Mom. Or anyone, really. The dishwasher was emptied of the dishes and coffee mugs washed Friday night. The second pot of coffee for the day was started. Coffee beans had been ground earlier, using the slightly inconvenient grinder that is seldom used because it’s kind of a pain in the derriere. The coffee maker, bought in January, seemed extra noisy as it began the second shift of brewing operations. I couldn’t tell for sure if something was wrong because I’m usually not standing nearby staring at it and waiting for the precious steaming liquid. 

After producing a mere half inch of coffee for the expected full pot, the noise continued, but the coffee had stopped flowing. The water in the reservoir wasn’t making it to the grounds and then the pot. We all stared at it. The lid was raised and we peered through the steam into it. The unit was emptied, refilled with water, and restarted. It had ceased working. 

Luckily, the replacement unit that was sent when the filter funnel broke was still in the box upstairs. Instead of sending the one replacement part, the company sent an entire boxed set, but I only pulled out the funnel and left the rest in the box. I certainly didn’t think I would need it so soon. An eleven-month life span for a coffee maker doesn’t seem very long. 

Tall and leafy.

As StepDad took the umbrella out of the table a completely intact peanut in a shell fell out of it.  That’s the second time there has been a peanut in a shell at the deck table. I set it on the deck rail and wondered if the critter that left it (likely a squirrel) would be back to retrieve it. I’m also wondering who is the neighborhood peanut pusher.

StepDad had a saw in the truck and the eight-foot tall whatever it is that grew alongside the deck was cut down. The plant has huge leaves and created a spot of privacy and some shade on the deck, which gets blasted with full sun all afternoon in the summer. Parts of the plant also grew sideways and encroached on the neighbor’s driveway.

We finally got some fresh coffee and were able to drink coffee and talk for a little while. Then they headed back to their home and I kicked back to relax, alternated with decorating a holiday wreath. As usual, my initial idea isn’t working out and is shifting sideways to something totally different. No worries. It will all work out.

random thoughts – Day 1,333 – (Friday) – super quiet

Deserted Bridge Street, Nov 10, 2023.

Friday morning traffic is often lighter than Wednesday, and today was even lighter than usual. The streets were practically deserted. Next to no vehicles. Hardly any people. It was nice with a hint of eerie. With Veterans Day on Saturday, it seemed many people were off today.

The ride downtown was so quick and easy that I had time to walk to the office “the long way” from the garage. This route turns away from the general direction of the bank for a block or so before turning to head towards the bank. In a rare sighting, there were no cars on Bridge Street, usually the site of a traffic nightmare. This wasn't the result of a road closure, just the the absence of traffic.

Feed the birds.

I hadn’t walked that way in months and there were so many things to see. There was a dumpster parked on the street that was full of metal from a building project. As I stopped for a photo between some buildings, movement caught my eye. Someone was opening a window. It seemed kind of chilly for that, but hey, it’s not my home or office, so not my business. 

When I rounded onto Merrimack Street, a truck loaded with holiday wreaths was parked and ready to hang the decorations on the light poles. Further up on the façade of a building was the open window. Pigeons were hovering and perching nearby and I figured out the occupant was feeding the birds. Awwww. The “Feed the Birds” song from Mary Poppins started flitting through my head. 

It all felt so quaint. I could imagine the watercolor paintings that could appear in a children’s book with scenes about the man in the window feeding the birds and the wreaths going up in preparation for the City of Lights Parade in two weeks. That’s when Mr. and Mrs.Claus will make their triumphant appearance on Merrimack Street. Good times ahead.

Getting holiday ready.

By 5:00, as I was heading home, things were closer to normal. There was activity. Pedestrians were walking downtown. The vehicular traffic level was still lighter than usual, but the drivers who were out were driving in the usual idiotic and familiar manner. 

At least I have the memory of the lovely and peaceful morning. And a few photos for proof because I don't think anyone would believe that Bridge Street had a morning moment without a traffic situation.

random thoughts – Day 1,332 – (Thursday) – cheese hat

Grilled cheese.

It might have been cold today, but I never set foot outside so I don’t know. There was a plan to leave the house after work to go to the gym, but it didn’t happen. I neglected to plan to convince myself I wanted to go, so it didn't happen. 

Instead, I made a grilled cheese sandwich with some bread excavated from the freezer and some of the many cheese slices from the personal cheese ends stash. I seem to have become a cheese ends hoarder on my trips to Market Basket. 

After joining the gym in July I did a pretty good job of going regularly. It started with the recumbent bike, but when the work wellness program steps challenge began, I shifted to the treadmill. Ever since vacation, however, the gym routine has crashed and burned. I seem to have fallen out of the gym habit. According to the check-in tracker on the app, I have been there only once since returning from vacation and not all yet this month. Oops. I just don’t care right now. I'll care a lot all over again when my jeans don't fit anymore. 

The indoor hat.

This time of year, when work ends and it’s dark and chilly I just want to hibernate. I sit on the couch wearing my fleece with the funnel neck pulled up and a blanket across my lap and a Yankee Candle burning on the side table. This week even saw the return of the stupid lightweight hat I started wearing at home during life’s big shutdown. Yes, the heat is on. No, I’m not raising the temperature setting on the thermostat. Theoretically, 68 degrees should be warm enough.

For tonight’s entertainment, and I don’t know how I stumbled upon it after I ran out of episodes of Upload, I’m watching Psychic Tia. While doing so, I was also shoving the last of a bag of corn chips into my face like it was some kind of Coney Island eating contest. Super classy.