random thoughts – Day 1,483 – (Monday) – eclipse (in)action

The weather forecast was for a sunny, warm day with temperatures in the 60s. That’s right, sunshine! No rain or even clouds! No raging wind! Pretty much a dream come true, especially for all the very many New England folks with plans for seeing the eclipse.

Some New England acquaintances traveled to Vermont or to Maine to be closer to the path of totality for the eclipse, and some Middle Tennessee acquaintances headed to Kentucky for the same reason. I had no such plans, despite having been aware of the event for possibly as much as a year. I neglected to hurry up and make friends to see the eclipse with. I neglected to get eclipse glasses, even after hearing that they were available at the library two blocks from work. Whatever. Planning for and getting excited about things as a party of one is just a lot of work for not a lot of fun.

It was a remote work day and I went outside several times during the height of the activity. I heard the birds being very active and chirpy as the light shifted. Neighbors chatted in nearby yards while wearing eclipse glasses and looking up at the sun.

I made a hole in a piece of manila folder to watch the shadow on another piece of manila folder, like I did once as an elementary school kid. Back then, I stood alone in the middle of our dead end street, some nerdy kid staring intently through a pinhole in a piece of manila cardboard, looking for the shadow on another piece of the flimsy cardboard. I don’t remember it working then, either.

I noticed the diminished light in the home office that was just a few minutes shy of needing to put on the light, and then it returned to the usual level of afternoon daylight. By the end of the workday, the lighting and workflow were back to usual.

Kiki's all day, eclipse day hangout.

While all the eclipse action was happening, Kiki stayed in her little hidey bed under the buffet. Like she has in recent days, she spent hours in it today, deep in the shadow, with one eye keeping watch from the opening. 

In addition to the eclipse, there was another unusual thing today, in that I wanted to go to the gym. Huh? So, I went. To limit the time I was there, the treadmill program was set for 20 minutes instead of 30, but to maximize the shortened time, the pace was increased from the usual 3.5 miles to 4.0 miles per hour. With a long stride at that pace, I could feel it a lot more than the usual slower place at a longer time. That might be the new treadmill plan.

Hours later, I could feel my lightly smoked hamstrings in a way that hasn’t been experienced in ages. Jackpot! The treadmill was followed by the massage chair, then a quick stop at Family Dollar for jugs of dishwasher and laundry detergents because even on a magical eclipse day, the boring things in life still need to be dealt with because I ignored them on the weekend.

Barely a bit left of the old nest.

Arriving back home at 7:00, it was still sunny. What a difference sunshine makes after a dreary winter and the recent temperamental weather which even destroyed the bird nest over the drainpipe, leaving a muddy mess on the ground near the downspout. If I act quickly, maybe the gutters can be replaced before the avian squatters return and I’ll be spared the guilt of home improvements displacing residents.

The gutter replacement might already have been scheduled if not for the current gutter heating system. It isn’t used often, maybe once or twice a winter for a couple days, but when the gutters freeze and I need it, it is crucial. The gutter folks were very clear in stating in the estimates that they will take the wiring out as part of the project, but under no circumstances will they replace it. It seems like every home repair that needs doing has some stupid speed bump.