random thoughts – Day 1,569 – (Thursday) – not saturday

The day felt a bit confusing. The alarm went off at 6:15 like a workday and was dismissed because obviously, I knew I didn’t need to work today. I fell back to sleep and got out of bed later, around 8:30, which made it feel like a Saturday. Getting home from the Fitchburg Civic Days Block Party after 11:00 pm and staying up until nearly 1:00 am was way outside the parameters of a usual Wednesday and bound to screw up all time perceptions of Thursday not-Saturday.

After coffee and a hurried, easy breakfast of three strawberries, there was a quick visit to the gym. Yes, I drove. The drive was dominated by the thought that I should just walk there, and also that if I did walk there I wouldn’t even need to go inside and walk on the treadmill, I would essentially be done.

It wasn’t super busy at the gym on holiday not-Saturday and I scored my favorite treadmill. Yes, there is a favorite. It has a crappy display but it’s closest to the entrance/exit and front desk and is also the furthest from the output of any of the ceiling fans. When I’m on a treadmill, I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m in a wind tunnel or having to wear a hoodie buttoned up to my chin to keep from freezing. It’s worth tolerating the crappy display screen to be out of the path of the brisk and steady trade winds.

The rest of the day was super low-key, like many a Saturday, even though it is Thursday not-Saturday. Nothing on Netflix or Prime seemed at all appealing so the TV stayed off most of the day. 

Thanks to the recent purchase of a six pack of hard boiled, peeled eggs from Market Basket, there was egg salad for lunch. Made with the last three of the eggs, there was a half sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce, followed a half hour later by another half sandwich with lettuce, followed an hour later by the rest of the egg salad eaten with a spoon from the bowl. There is always the intent to “save some for later,” but “later” usually turns out to mean it’s gone within an hour or two. If the current egg salad cravings are anything like most of my food dalliances, it will be a short-term obsession and over soon, and I won’t have egg salad again for another five years.

Once upon a time at Target.

It’s also just as likely the personal favorite food trend will be prematurely cut short by never again finding hard cooked, peeled eggs in Market Basket. History shows this to be the case with several loved products that disappeared from shelves shortly after I discovered them. There are only faint memories left of the cranberry jalapeno dip (two brands/Costco and Target), jalapeno cherry dip (MB, you have forsaken me), Bibigo Korean steamed dumplings (gone from multiple stores), instant chai latte (a gift never to be found for my own purchase), stuffed grape leaves and the large jar of Kalamata olives in oil (MB screwing with me again on both of those). Discovered, loved, and then disappeared forevermore. 

Maybe I’m paranoid and making products disappear isn’t my unwanted super power. It might be a case of becoming infatuated with seasonal merchandise or popular products that sell out. In any case, it reminds me of something overheard in the Commissary at Fort Campbell Army Post. A customer asked where to find a certain product and the manager said, “We kept running out of that so we stopped ordering it.” I wish I was making that up.

Pasta salad.

Retailers, if there are any products you would like to disappear from your shelves forever, send me the product and for a modest fee, I can fall in love with it and then it will magically be gone in no time flat, clearing your shelf space for other things. Maybe this can be my primary retirement activity. I’m also experienced in feeling responsible for the disappearance of TV shows and clothing brands and items (damn you Apt 9 and the elbow length tee and the entire office wear collection).

Supper preparation felt like a regular Thursday. At around the normal supper time, pasta salad was assembled with mixed vegetables, fresh onion, cherry tomatoes and broccoli, and a slaw dressing. Lunch for work on Friday is covered. Then it’s the real Saturday (my favorite day of the week!) and weekend leisure time.