random thoughts – Day 1,675 – (Friday) – time, music, book

For some reason, the past two Fridays have dragged. There have been very few of us in the office and a few colleagues were off for the day, and for parts of the day it felt like time stood still. My slice of pizza lunch was devoured by 11:00, which felt like 3:00. A chunk of the afternoon was spent with earbuds in and the music of The Dresden Dolls playing while I reviewed and deleted duplicate files on our department server. The task was meditative, and perfect for an afternoon with nothing on a tight deadline, but the time passed slowly, even with the musical soundtrack.

Dizzy Dragons.

There was a quick early afternoon walk in the sunshine and cool air. The Bank parking lot had a few new features for an event on Saturday. There was a "Dizzy Dragons" ride next to a truck labeled "the Ultimate Illusion." Across the lot, a structure labeled "Dragon Wagon" was set up near the Quilt Museum. Tomorrow, the "Pumpkins and Pints" event will be underway with Navigation Brewing for the adult-types and the rides for the younger set. 

Over at Lala Books, there was a casual ramble through the shop. As I browsed the shop like a pinball bouncing around in a game, I hoped for a title or a cover design to leap off the shelf and grab my attention. This used to happen all the time in a different chapter of life, but it hasn’t happened lately.

Haunted Lowell.

I left the store empty-handed, but paused to look at the display in the window. That's where I saw the book that I intended to buy but forgot about while in the store. But the window display did its job and I went back inside to ask about the book. 

I left with the prize, Haunted Lowell – Ghosts, Goths, and Ghouls by Lowell writers Amy Roeder and Edward S. Read. The cover is fun and this is the perfect week of the year to read stories including those about a haunted restaurant and theater and Lowell-connected serial killers. And I know one of the authors, so that will add an element of fun. 

The house has been making weird noises lately, so that will add to the spooky ambiance. Between the weird creaks in the walls, the odd mechanical noises in the refrigerator, the random toilet tank noises, and a host of unidentified sounds, the setting is perfect for the new book.

The evening at home has not passed as slowly as the day at work. It never does. Why? So unfair.