random thoughts – Day 1,931 – (Monday) –portals and departures

Fairy door, 6-30-25.

The final walk from the garage to the office featured an unexpected sight and I have no idea how I even spotted it. At a building at John and Merrimack Streets, where the sidewalk meets the wall, there was a little fairy door. So cute! Is it the only one downtown or are there more? Did a human put it there, or was it a fairy? Is it a portal to a magical world? Answers please. 

Over at the Lazy Cat Lounge  I looked for the kitties. Instead, I saw a plastic nip bottle left by a littering human on a ledge at one of the windows. 

Like so many other days at the office, there was food. The bagels were fresh and plump, with sides of whipped cream cheese. The doughnuts were fresh and varied. We all stood around and a few delivered some words to the collective, sometimes with a catch in the throat and/or a moist eye. It was bittersweet. It was heavy and also light. Then we splintered off to our desks to do whatever it was we needed to do.

There was a steady flow of people into and through the department, and all I could think was “farewell tour.” Meanwhile, I was actually trying to work. I know, right? It definitely wasn’t my plan, just how it worked out.

As I ran through the project statuses in our request portal for the last time, I realized two ads hadn’t been delivered. Worse, I hadn’t even had them reviewed. Oops. Time to hustle. The ads were reviewed and delivered, because our team (may it rest in peace) is (was) amazing.

Then, as the clock was ticking towards the time on my calendar noted for returning my company laptop and turning in my access badge, I got answers to questions asked last week. Another review project was opened and the project was reviewed in record time, thanks to most of the reviewers having been involved in the earlier discussions. Updates were delivered to the parties handling the next step. I could finally log off with a clear conscience.

Goodbye, desk.

I left my desk in a hurry and only later realized I had left behind my mouse pad which was a gift from a former manager. There are probably more things I forgot, but I'm sure I'll live. 

There were hugs. In the department, in the hallways, in the parking lot. Whenever two colleagues approached each other, the conversation started and ended in a hug. It took a while getting out the door. Across the parking lot. Off campus.

Luckily, it took next to no time to get home, where it was time to get busy with real estate stuff. My realtor connected me with a real estate attorney for the closing and I missed the earlier call from his office. The legal office sent forms for my signature. My realtor and I had forms to review and things to discuss.

At 3:45, shocked at the time, I remembered the inspection sticker that expires today. Luckily, Hank’s Garage is only two streets away. The sign said inspections take place until 4:00 and I felt bad for being so late but another vehicle pulled in after me, and then another after that. It seems a few of us remembered the same thing around the same time. Anyway, it’s done now and I can forget about it for another year.

On tap for tomorrow – adventures in unemployment begin with combing the job listings for a new place to land and opening the magic portal to apply for unemployment benefits.  

random thoughts – Day 1,930 – (Sunday) – adventures

Another day, another adventure.

Rice and veggie salad.

The weather was perfect when I dashed out to Market Basket for a few ingredients for a rice salad started last night for a pool party today. The rice, corn, and carrots had been mixed with peppercorn ranch dressing and set to chill last night, but it still needed green and red peppers, broccoli, and sliced black olives to add colors, textures, and flavors.

At the end of yet another slow crawl down Route 495 south, where four-cars had been involved in a mishap in the left lane that backed things up considerably, my rice salad and I arrived (late) at a lovely setting with sunshine, lots of food, and a wonderful pool to play in. My phone was set aside, and checked only periodically for updates on the real estate front. There was conversation with dancer friends that there isn't always time to talk with. Some of us listened to some snipppets of music and tossed about an  idea for a fun sounding Bollywood medley group dance. 

Despite the blue sky, sunshine, rippling pool water, flowers, and all the food, I didn’t think to take any pictures at the party. It was nice not having my phone attached to my hand or in my pocket.

While at the pool party, there was a call with my realtor (who was out on a boat on a lake) informing me that a new offer was coming. Surprise! Excitement! And damn, technology is amazing. Once upon a time, we would likely have been stuck at home on a beautiful summer day, waiting for the wall phone to ring with important updates on important transactions. Or maybe worse, we would have been walking on eggshells and holding our breath all weekend waiting for news on Monday.

Whew! Since Friday, it's been a roller coaster ride – stress, hope, confusion, excitement. There have been lessons in negotiating, clarity, communication, and patience. Thank goodness I have an amazing realtor to guide me through all this, handle all the hard parts like negotiating, and fill in my knowledge gaps on the process. 

Sunday evening sky.

Back at home, it was back to the dull reality of the litter box and trash. At least I took a moment to notice the sky when I took out the trash. There was no more lounging in the shade by a pool. No sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet in the water. No more sampling everything at the potluck set up on the outdoor counter near the fire ring and steps from the pool. Talk about a nice setting for outdoor living and a gorgeous and relaxing day.

The workweek for me and too many colleagues will be only one day long. The company laptop is ready for transport and return tomorrow, basically the only item on my to-do list. Oy. 

random thoughts – Day 1,929 – (Saturday) – houses and home

Late yesterday, there was another request for a showing of my house for today. An offer was made yesterday but with no agreement in place yet, the new request was granted. There was another morning hustle to make sure the house was presentation ready again.

Luckily, there hadn’t been much of a chance for me to mess it up too much from Thursday’s showing, but the birds had plastered a couple upstairs windows with their airborne excrement. The vinyl tilt-in windows made it quick and easy to deal with the dried avian offerings on the screens and windows.

There was quick dusting and vacuuming, spot cleaning of the kitchen floor, fluffing of pillows, wiping of sinks and counters. And then, I was westward bound. The house I looked at Thursday had an open house today and I went to see if I liked it as much today as the other day. (I think I do.) They weren’t even taking any offers until after today’s open house.

It was busy and I got to be a fly on the wall, which was kind of fun. One person expressed their concerns about the bathroom skylight to their companion who was in an adjoining room. I wondered if they were real concerns or a strategy to turn some of the other visitors off the place. Another expressed their surprise to the realtor that of the decorating updates done over the years, removal of the textured ceilings wasn’t one of them.

Several visitors said they lived a street or two over, walk or drive by often, and just wanted to see the inside of this one. One shared their knowledge of the neighborhood with all within earshot and I learned there are seven different home layouts in that neighborhood. Between Mom’s house, a family friend’s, and the three open houses attended, I’ve seen several of the layouts, but still not one with sliders and a back deck or a garage instead of a carport.

After the open house, I took Mom with me on a ride to Athol to an open house at a 1940s-era house with amazing original wood floors and woodwork and high ceilings. I love older homes and this one has original light fixtures, numerous closets, French doors, a two-car garage, and lots of charm. It needs a full set of kitchen appliances, light sanding and floor work, a garage roof, some window panes in an enclosed back porch, and new ropes in the original windows or new windows. To name a few. Not rocket science, not impossible, but more than my budget and patience can accommodate. The skillful photos were very flattering, but I’m still glad I got to see the reality of it. I wish I had the capability to polish it up to be the shining jewel it certainly was once upon a time.

Kiki being cute, 6-28-25.

There were updates from the latest showing of my house and the planning of responses. Once we get those numbers settled, the focus can shift to finding my next place, and I’ll be the one sweating blood and bullets and making an offer.

As usual, Kiki has been ruling The BungaLowell.  Her routine, best as I can figure,  involves sleeping all day then emerging from wherever and being adorable, asking for face rubs, and alternating between posing in various rooms and padding around the house all evening. I'm not sure what she does when I sleep, but she's quiet enough with it that she doesn't wake me up and when I arise in the morning, the place isn't trashed. Good Kiki.

random thoughts – Day 1,928 – (Friday) – falling into place or apart

It’s been an exhausting week of work, weather swings, lack of sleep, panic over the end of work, lack of preparedness for job searching, house selling and buying, and well, basically everything. How fun!

Friday morning sky.

The morning sky was cloudy and it was also sunny. I like the combination. It was in the 70s again and it was comfortable. 

The ride to work included one of my favorite songs from the 1990s -- "This is the Day" by The The. There was some car singing, especially the chorus of "This is the day - your life will surely change. This is the day - when things fall into place." It seemed like a positive omen. 

There was an offer made on the house, which felt promising and exciting until I saw it. Then there was a counteroffer, and then a counter-counter offer and it’s requiring careful consideration. The stakes feel a bit high, and it’s stressful. Things did not feel like they were falling into place. It felt more like things were at risk of falling apart and the peppy chorus lied to me.

This weekend I’ll pack up the work laptop and its assorted cables for transport to the office on Monday. The monitor is optional, and deciding whether to keep it or not just feels like more work. If I keep it, it’s one more thing to eventually pack and move. But there could be regret with not keeping it. At least the monitor decision is a low stakes issue.  

If only there was a crystal ball or a fortune teller to tell me the answers.

There were no traffic jams or road rage witnessed on the drive home, which was a huge plus. At home, I crashed on the couch and sat there for four or five hours, staring in the general direction of the TV. Thinking has been postponed until tomorrow. The catatonic state was paused long enough to order a food delivery (seafood platter) and eat half of it.  After that, there was more staring accompanied by yawning. I can’t wait to sleep. Maybe a dream will show how the things will fall into place so everyone feels like a winner.

random thoughts – Day 1,927 – (Thursday) – difference of a day

“What a difference a day makes …. 24 little hours.” For sure. Maria Grever originally wrote the song in 1934 in Spanish and Dinah Washington won a Grammy for her 1959 English-language recording of the song. While in the song, “24 little hours - Brought the sun and the flowers - Where there used to be rain,” we got cooling breezes, a welcomed 20-degree temperature drop, and maybe a little rain, depending upon where you were. The A/C at The BungaLowell got a break and the windows were opened this morning when I realized it was cooler outside than in the house. The rest of the song goes into some lovey-dovey crap that is poison to my ears so I stop caring and tune out after the first part. 

Today's x-rays.

Compared to yesterday, I woke up completely exhausted thanks to not sleeping very much or very well last night. Today, there was a wrist surgery follow-up appointment with more x-rays. I wasn't too keen on the cryptic way some things were said and/or unsaid. 

For example, “the tendon isn't rupturing .... yet,” uttered after having me make a fist and then stretch my fingers while the doctor held my wrist. And, “come back in two months and I'll figure out about removing the plate. I usually wait a year, but ...” It will be six months post-surgery then. Is the tendon the consistency of shredded chicken and hanging together by a prayer? It doesn't hurt, but dang, this is making me a bit nervous. And it didn't hurt when I broke the wrist, so what's up with that?

The doctor's appointment made me more uneasy than I was a day ago, but the day wasn't all gloom. In addition to the weather relief, the day brought a couple rays of hope on the housing front. The 11:30 showing of my house went well and we are awaiting a promised document involving certain numerical information. 

Meanwhile, in a more westerly direction elsewhere in the state, a house near Mom became available for viewings today and my realtor extraordinaire and I were the first to see it, mere hours after the scheduling was available. It’s a great house. My favorite quirky feature was a small built-into-the wall radio/cassette player with speakers in the ceilings. I mean, I loved the pantry and the spacious and abundant kitchen cabinets, the walk-in shower, and a long list of other features, but the wall radio/cassette player is the one small, silly,  thing that sent me over the edge, because sometimes that is how it goes. I might have squealed a little when I hit the power button and music played from the small round speakers in the ceiling.

It turned out there was a second showing scheduled, and it turned out to be the a nice couple we met a couple weeks ago at the open house a couple doors up the street. Now I know who my fiercest competition might be getting into this particular neighborhood, seeing as we clearly have the same real estate alerts activated and are circling the ‘hood like hawks, ready to pounce for every showing. We will either come out of this adventure as mortal enemies or possibly neighbors, depending upon what else comes available in the neighborhood and who wants which one the most and has the deepest pockets. 

It could be the making of a comedy (or murder) series. “A casual acquaintance born of a lighthearted critique of an overpriced property during an open house event devolves into a fierce rivalry as the same wannabe homebuyers keep bumping into each other at real estate showings. The talons come out as each tries to be the first to see new listings and outwit and outlast each other in the competition to buy into a surprisingly desirable yet mostly unassuming 55+ neighborhood. Who has the most patience? Who has the deepest pockets? Who will win?”

There are a couple more listings that look interesting not far from Mom's, so the inventory might be loosening up a little. Let's all cross our fingers, hope, and maybe send a few prayers to Saint Joseph, patron saint of real estate.

random thoughts – Day 1,926 – (Wednesday) – heat and such

According to the readout on the radio panel of my car, some part of something was 104 degrees at 8:08 this morning. Thank goodness for the remote start and remembering to both use it and leave the A/C on. The cabin was more comfortable than hell-hot. It wasn’t really 104 degrees today, but it did get hot.

Hot!

The drive to the office was the perfect summer day commute. No buses. No trash trucks. Few vehicles and no numbskulls blocking intersections. It’s amazing the difference that school being out makes.

At the office, the A/C blew delightful chilled air throughout our space. Some of us even felt a wee bit chilly. I solved my minor chill situation by taking an afternoon walk. In a shop, a woman who was sweating profusely and said she was visiting from Alabama complained in a Deep South drawl about the heat. We told her to wait, it would be 20 degrees cooler Thursday. Because we must certainly be lying, she verified the info on her phone and said, "oh, yeeees, 75 degrees."

If it was super hot out, I didn’t notice, but I did unbutton the long sleeves of my white cotton shirt and rolled the cuffs up while I was outside. They went back down to full-length when I was inside again.

It was a weird day at the office. Someone from the acquiring bank was on our floor meeting with people. I was busy trying to clean up my drives and delete unnecessary files and kept getting sidetracked, so progress was spotty. There was a cocktail meetup at The Old Court after work, but I just wanted to get home and skipped it.

Traffic, oy!

When leaving the building, the street suddenly filled with the scream of firetrucks. Several fire vehicles tried to get down Merrimack Street, which was clogged with traffic in both directions. The side streets off Merrimack and over by the high school were filled with cars attempting to reach French Street. From the fifth floor of the parking garage, where my car was already chilling in remote start glory, cars were lined up on French Street towards Father Morrisette Boulevard from Bridge Street as far as I could see in the direction home (of course). For a minute I thought about backtracking and hoofing it to The Old Court to hang with the bankers.

One exit from the garage was blocked by a white SUV with California plates. The arm was still down, and instead of swiping a passcard or inserting a validated ticket, the driver was drinking from a large chiller bottle. I moved over to the next lane.

The side of John Street headed toward Merrimack was clear, so I turned that way. It was a good plan for a stretch until the cross traffic from Dutton onto Arcand heading towards Father Morrisette chose to block the intersection and complicate the already messy situation. Luckily, I could take a left onto Shattuck Street and get out of the mess. Nine years of working downtown and I finally figured out the escape routes with three workdays left. Go figure.

With a little luck and street knowledge, I managed to be traveling in the opposite direction for a lot of the ride home. At the University Avenue bridge, where the road rage often runs as high as the Merrimack River, sure enough, the temperature was hot and so were the tempers.

In my rear view mirror a white car seemed to be attempting to cut in front of a large white truck. Horns blew. One finger salutes were flying from both vehicles. Then, the guy in the truck seemed to be gesturing with both hands for the guy in the car to come at him.

When the light turned green and we began to move, the truck with the white car now behind it seemed to be traveling intentionally extra slow. I was very glad it was behind me. I was also very glad to arrive safely at the peace and quiet of home with no need to go back out into the traffic again.

When I finally checked my phone, there were missed calls and messages from earlier in the afternoon. One was about scheduling a showing of the house for tomorrow. Yes, please. Another was that the house next door to my mother is now on the market with an open house on Saturday. Fingers crossed that great things happen (for me, of course) concerning both dwellings.

random thoughts – Day 1,925 – (Tuesday) – not monday

The sun was shining on the lilies in the back yard this afternoon and from the office window the blooms looked like they were glowing. It was impossible to capture through the window and the screen from across the yard so I went outside, cell phone in hand. The elusive, magical glow was also difficult to capture close up and in person.

A not orange evening sky.

As much as I like the long light of this time of year, I have neglected to spend any time outdoors in the evening enjoying it. Then I see friends’ photos on Facebook of stunning orange sunset skies and get a bit cross with myself. The best I have gotten on my brief pops outside the past couple nights is a slightly glowing, cloud-free blue sky. I couldn’t catch an orange sky tonight but at least the lilies were bright orange today.

It was feeling like a regular Monday as I took the 20-step 5:00 “commute” from the desk to the couch where the fine dining was tuna salad on artisan black olive bread with a side of potato chips. It felt like I had forgotten something or was supposed to be doing something and while thinking about whether I had pulled the trash bin in from the curb I realized it is Tuesday. Or maybe it was the notice from Waze about "heavier traffic than usual from Lowell" for my usually frustrating Tuesday night drive.

The first Tuesday night without dashing off to dance class clearly had me confused. Next Tuesday, when it’s the first day I also don’t have work, ought to be a real hoot.

random thoughts – Day 1,924 – (Monday) – and just like that

Some days feel like an abusive relationship and today was one of them. Some of last week’s last minute projects are still on the list and today delivered a couple more. They weren’t horrible projects and wouldn’t bother me so much ordinarily, but these are not ordinary times at the place of employment.

Even though the whole layoff thing has been knowledge for a few months, it has felt more like  an abstract concept. Today, when another late afternoon very important email arrived with very important details about the timing of our final payroll and deductions and accrued vacation time and other information, I started to feel a little bit shell-shocked from the reality that is suddenly pressing in. In another week, ready or not and just like that, it's going to be a whole new world. I'm feeling like I'm on the not ready side of the line.

After work, time was spent on a mindless and relaxing game on the phone that is one of the many games that seem to be based on Candy Crush with different images. More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye before I realized I hadn’t had any supper, but luckily I had Greek yogurt and frozen fruit on hand, which felt like a dessert treat.

After that it was mindless streaming of max with the new season of the series And Just Like That. I used to like Sex and the City, but the revival series just doesn’t seem to be as good or as clever and feels overacted. Or maybe it’s me. 

The show kept pausing and the audio would glitch out for a second or two every couple minutes. Annoying. Everything is annoying lately. There is no maybe involved, that is definitely me.

random thoughts – Day 1,923 – (Sunday) – weekend update

Things are rosy outside.

The final day of the four-day weekend enjoyed a healthier state than days two and three suffered. Whatever had me in its grip with sinus issues, headache, and a tender throat had largely made it’s way out of my system after around 48 hours. Now, with the exception of a few tiny sniffles, I feel much better again. The health seems rosier, just in time for the workweek. Yay. The countdown clock shows six more workdays until the dreaded layoff, after which things look much more murky and less rosy.

It was another lazy day of solitude. The rainy morning produced soft silvery-gray light in the house. After a while, the sun came through and the light shifted to buttery yellow tones and the A/C kicked in. 

A box of crystal wine glasses and champagne flutes was packed up and labeled for the still unknown future dwelling. In preparation for the start of The Gilded Age season three premier tonight, season two played on the TV all afternoon. I love the costuming and the music and the depiction of wealthy New York society of the time. 

More lilies.

The basic Sunday chores were completed – laundry done, sheets changed, Kiki’s litter box cleaned, trash gathered and rolled to the curb. Overall, it was a quiet weekend at The BungaLowell. Sedate, bordering on comatose, even. But not awful. Definitely calmer than some of the headline-making events taking place in the world at large. 

Things were livelier outside. More lilies have opened in the front yard and the nearby rosebush is still showing some vibrant red-pink blooms.

random thoughts – Day 1,922 – (Saturday) – hot and stuffy

Four-day weekend, day three. The sniffles of Friday transformed to full-blown sinus congestion with a headache and ears ringing worse than usual when I woke on Saturday, several hours later than usual. Summer cold? Allergies? Life’s practical jokes? I don’t know. Whatever it is, it’s unwelcome. The throat that felt rough and scratchy on Friday felt slightly swollen and looked red today.

It was another day spent hanging around the house wasting time and feeling chilly with the A/C on, turning it off and getting too warm, then turning it on again. Useful tasks were imagined, like wrapping and packing the wine glasses, champagne flutes, and martini glasses, and continuing the purge of items to be donated, but in the end, none of these things were done. 

If there had been solid plans on the calendar, I’m sure I would have rallied and met the commitments, but that wasn’t the case. The role of pale, sickly, Victorian ghost-type creature drifting through the house continued. A marathon of The Gilded Age on HBO was stumbled upon and provided a full afternoon and evening of visual entertainment and company. 

Kiki, meanwhile, has taken over the mostly empty spare room where she curls up under a chair or in the middle of the carpeted room with a view to the main bedroom, keeping an eye on things and mostly ignoring me.

First lily of
summer 2025.

The first lily bloomed today. It seems earlier than usual, but I don’t keep gardening notes so it’s hard to know. 

There was one thing that prompted action. Yesterday’s memory of the grass rippling in the breeze, coupled with a forecast for temperatures in the 90s to over 100 degrees were enough to briefly tear me away from The Gilded Age and get me out to the yard to mow. It seemed better to knock it out today with sinus issues and a headache than in a day or two when the grass is taller and the temperature is hovering around 100 degrees and hell-hot.

random thoughts – Day 1,921 – (Friday) – lazy day breezes and sniffles

It was a day off. Day two of a four-day weekend had no plans.

Yesterday, immediately upon entering Target, my sister commented on the great smell of coffee wafting from the in-store, national coffee chain café. I didn’t notice the coffee aroma. What I noticed was my sinuses stuffing up like when I’m near a candle or fragrance shop and wondered if maybe I’m allergic to Target. Weird.

The sinuses calmed down after a few minutes while the three of us wandered the store. When we split up, I proceeded to the next activity – the dental cleaning appointment that was the reason I was in that geography, 20-ish miles from home.

This morning, I woke up around 4:00, grabbed the phone, and hit “dismiss” on the alarm, set for the usual weekday time of 6:15. The next time I awoke, it was 8:45. My sinuses were simultaneously stuffed and running and my throat felt dry and sore. Grand.

Curtains in the breezes.

There was water followed by coffee and then more water. The medicine cabinet was ravaged in a search for allergy pills which were found, but also bore an expiration date of March 2022. The dice were tossed and I took some anyway. I really wished I had some of the orange juice I brought to work for Wednesday’s potluck, but it was all still in the office fridge for whoever came in. The expired allergy pills seemed to help, or maybe it was a placebo effect situation, but I was using fewer tissues so it felt like a success. I still wanted OJ, but not quite enough to drag myself out to buy more.

It ended up being a lazy day where I alternated sitting on the couch with wandering around the house like a pale Victorian ghost. Sneezing kicked in, each time loud and surprising. 

Outside, it was windy and the trees and plants were dancing wildly in it. The grass in the back yard, mowed last week, was just long enough to have a cool rippling effect as the wind blew across it and I spent time at the kitchen window sniffling, sneezing, and watching the grass ripple because it was interesting.

The roses continue to bloom.

Later in the day, I ventured onto the porch with a book. It was breezy and comfortable and the sheer curtains floated on the air movement. The wind was strong enough to pop the front door open when I hadn’t pulled it tight behind me. Eventually, I was lured outside where the hosta has begun blooming, the roses are still blooming, the lilies are preparing to pop, and the rhododendron and bleeding heart needed trimming. It's a pretty time of year in the yard.

random thoughts – Day 1,920 – (Thursday) –day off and dentist

It was hot and the day would have been perfect for a trek to the beach, but I, of course, had a mid-afternoon dental appointment, booked six or seven months ago and definitely without considering it was a holiday. The day kicked off with getting the house ready for a showing requested last night for 11:00 this morning. Vacuuming happened, and the opening of curtains, activation of the A/C knowing it would be very hot out, lights on, laundry basket with cat things into the car. 

Beautiful new street surface,
done in a day.

I left early to head to Fitchburg to meet Mom and my sister, and that’s when I received the text that the showing was off for today and would be rescheduled for the weekend. The delay of today’s showing was definitely for the best, because it turned out that today was the day the city did some surfacing work on the street, which, according to the flyer left at the house a couple weeks ago, was going to happen on June 9. Yeah, ten days ago. But it’s done now and when I returned home the length of the street had been refreshed in a lovely, dark, even color.

Mom, Sis, and I went to Kohl’s for nothing in particular, then Olive Garden for salad and soup, then Target because I needed dental floss to deal with the kale in my teeth from lunch before I headed off to the dentist. I had bought a new toothbrush and toothpaste at Ocean State Job Lot before I met Mom and Sis because I forgot mine in my haste to leave the house and I knew we would be having lunch, but there were only the floss picks at Ocean State and those always get stuck between my teeth. A couple times I’ve had to hunt for scissors to cut the floss and get the apparatus out of my mouth. Not super fun. 

The dentist was just a routine cleaning and there were x-rays and also a panoramic image to try and figure out why I keep getting a random, weird pain in my jaw when I'm putting on makeup or brushing my teeth, but nothing unusual showed in it. The hygienist and I were joking about adding spa services to maximize time and income per square foot. It couldn’t be that hard to add paraffin wax hand treatments and cucumber or teabag eye treatments. Botox is already a service in dental offices, so why not other beauty treatments? There was the usual dental cleaning goodie bag with appointment card for the next visit in January, a new toothbrush, small toothpaste, and small dental floss after my appointment so now the medicine cabinet is stocked with fresh dental supplies.

random thoughts – Day 1,919 – (Wednesday) –brownies and miracles

It was a full day at the office in both hours and staffing. Our fourth floor team had a potluck and it was a ton of pastries and donuts, fresh made Belgian waffles, French toast casserole, fruit, and a spectacular quiche with homemade crust that was devoured in minutes. 

Brownie contest!!

As if the feast wasn’t enough, the first floor suite hosted a brownie competition with nine entries lined up for sampling and voting. The one I voted for (entry #8) had chopped walnuts and some wonderful undertones and flavors and it won, but unlike horse racing, there was no prize money for picking the winner. Bummer. 

We ate so much today that we really needed naps afterward, but that wasn’t possible, because, well, we were at work. When I rule the world, adults get naps. Not kidding. We will also be allowed to take all the naps the toddlers refuse. No nap will wither and die from neglect.

The afternoon was busy-ish with some cross-training with colleagues who are not being axed on June 30. There were more short-notice requests that landed in our laps outside the long-ago established procedures which make me wish we could just say, “nope” (or more accurately, “are you frigging kidding me, no effing way!”). But we can’t say that, and instead we smile (though gritted teeth), respond with “we'll do our best,” (after deleting the aforementioned phrase from the email) and then two or three or however many of us huddle, strategize, reshuffle the deck, tap dance, maybe swear a little, beg for the rest of the critical info not provided with the original request, and then pull off yet another miracle which goes largely unacknowledged. 

This has become a daily event over the past couple weeks. The problem is, once you pull off that first miracle, suddenly that becomes the expectation. And boy, people seem to expect a lot. Plus they talk and tell their colleagues how fast they got something and then everybody expects a two-hour turnaround on a two-week project.

But then we go and taste brownies and things feel a lot better, and things get done, and at least we can feel good about our secret superpowers that let us get the stuff done, no matter how unreasonable. I need to figure out how to make that a resume bullet.

random thoughts – Day 1,918 – (Tuesday) – showtime

Our Tuesday night dance group put on a little Tuesday night show tonight and it was fun. We presented dances in a range of styles from a variety of countries, with solos, duets, trios, and larger groups.

The ride from Lowell to Hudson was the usual aggravating Tuesday night drive with top speeds of about 30 mph for long stretches, enhanced by light rain which then got heavy. Luckily, I left really, really early, and was parked at the venue listening to the radio when the heaviest of the rain hit. 

Through the rain.

I waited it out for a few minutes, taking photos of a building across the lot through the wet windshield. There was a planter with pink flowers at the glass doors of the concrete building and something blue hung on a window which got all smooshy through the water drops. Yes, there are now more than a half-dozen new rain pictures in my phone. I can usually entertain myself pretty easily.

The first dance I was in was the show opener, so it was nice to get the jitters out of the way. Even better, it was a dance where we weren’t supposed to smile, so my potentially intense face of concentration was allowed out.

From backstage, where I spent most of my time between dances either changing my costumes, helping my friend change her costumes, checking and responding to text messages, or just hanging around for a few minutes, the show seemed to go off without any big hiccups. And then, in a blink, the show was over, but the adrenaline was still lingering. 

There was a big group photo op of the performers at the end, followed by chats and visits with friends in the audience afterwards. Overall, a great night. Next, is the unpacking and rehanging of the costumes and the putting away of makeup, hair accessories, and jewelry, but that stuff may need to wait until tomorrow. There is work tomorrow and it’s time to rest.

random thoughts – Day 1,917 – (Monday) – work and dance

The schedule for this week is all different and exciting. Today at work there was a retirement lunch for the head of the Sales and Marketing division and the executive office was set up with tall tables with white coverings and a long buffet table with salad and mashed potatoes and chicken pot pie from Lenzi’s and of course, a cake. It was nice and also a little sad. The reality of the merger hits a little harder each day with each new email detailing instructions for returning equipment, and to be on the lookout for this form and that form and various dates. And then there are the farewells that are beginning.

After work, there was our dress rehearsal for the show. The drive there was awful, which seems to be the new normal. At several points on route 495 there were vehicles on the side of the road, including the first one I saw which was a white 18-wheeler with a black Acura SUV firmly wedged under the back of the truck and buried to the windshield. Fire trucks, a rescue vehicle, and an ambulance were assisting. That was wild. For miles it was heavy volume that managed to creep along southbound which was much better than the standstill of several miles on the northbound side.

Costume parts laid out.

 At our venue, we staked our claims for dressing room space and laid out costumes and accessories. There is a lot of bright yellow in my costumes for two of my three dances. 

We worked out stage entrances and exits and plotted the location and handling of quick costume changes. Luckily for me, I don’t have any super crunchy changes, but my friend has about two minutes for a complete costume change, so we figured out how I can help her. The show is tomorrow night and it feels like we are ready. Whew. 

random thoughts – Day 1,916 – (Sunday) – discipline, clutter, and trinkets

The schedule is sliding into summer mode. There is no dance on Sundays for a while, which meant staying up too late reading on Saturday night and then oversleeping this morning. It doesn’t take much to bounce me off a disciplined schedule.

The house, close to pristine since last weekend, is a bit less tidy and disciplined today, too. I'm kind of surprised it lasted as long as it did, and now I need to get it back on the ready for real estate showings track.

Laundry was done today, including the special items that need the in-home dry cleaning treatment. Today it was the large-ish blue, white, and silver fabric pieces with white fringe. When I bought them in a thrift shop in Tennessee, they were tagged as a tablecloth with two placemats. I tossed it on my dining room table and it looked great with the white leather dining chairs and lived there for a while. 

Laundered and now in the way.

Closer examination of the “placemats” revealed them to be pillow shams, which meant the “tablecloth” is really a lightweight bedspread. In any event, the small pieces have sat in the center of a table under a vase and the large piece has been used as both a dining room table cloth and also hung over a tension rod to be used as a wall hanging in the little alcove behind my bed. 

As a wall hanging, it was a great focal piece for the bedroom, but after months without incident, the rod started losing its grip and kept falling down and I finally gave up. Then it sat on a chair in the bedroom for a while, then in the laundry basket where it wasn’t in the way of anything, but now that it’s cleaned, it needs a proper place to be. 

For now, the three cleaned pieces are neatly folded on the dining table. And this, my friends, is how the clutter innocently and insipidly begins to creep in, and sometimes an empty laundry basket isn’t the triumph it’s imagined it will be. These pieces don’t fit in the buffet drawer with the vintage table linens so they may just be immediately packed up in a box to cushion some dishes. 

Bollywood accessories
are delivered and ready.

Fresh laundry clutter aside, the rest of the day was relaxing. The costume jewelry for our Bollywood style dance, ordered from Amazon for the quick delivery, arrives two days later than expected when bought, but still in time for tomorrow’s dress rehearsal and Tuesday’s show. There is a multicolored necklace with matching earrings, golden bangles, and my favorite – a set of four anklets with multicolor bells, which, when found advertised as “cat collars with bells” are a fraction of the cost of dancer anklets.” Score! No point spending a fortune on something for a four-minute dance. 

They may be promoted as a cat accessory, but I don't plan to try to get one on Kiki as a collar, it would likely freak her out. I still haven’t managed to get her collar with name tag and my phone number on her. 

random thoughts – Day 1,915 – (Saturday) – house and home

There was an appointment on my calendar today to see a house and the day was built around it. My new habit before leaving the house is to straighten up as if there was a showing scheduled at my house, just in case. It could happen, right? Today, I drank coffee, dressed, and made the bed. The bed now gets the two extra pillows in shams, which is more fancy and attentive than before the house was listed. The newly instituted scan of rooms was conducted to look for wayward items.

After I had left the house and before I was due to meet my realtor, she sent me a message. Someone wanted to see my house at 3:00 today. The wishful thinking post-departure check seemed less crazy and the answer was, “of course!”.

The house I was scheduled to see was, to put it kindly, interesting. Among the first words in the property listing are “meticulously maintained.” The carport had some junk, but the outside of the house has new siding and the back yard is a nice, wooded lot. The inside of the house was miles away from “meticulous” or “maintained.” It was cloudy outside and inside the house it was dark, depressing, gloomy, and cluttered. Were the lights even on? I don't remember. We had to carefully step our way through the place. The realtor cooed at how she thought the owners had “done a wonderful job in getting things ready in less than a week,” and if this was “ready” for people to see, it must have been an extra-special flavor of a nightmare a week ago. Maybe they should have taken another week before they even listed it. We understood immediately why there were no interior photos with the listing.

To its credit, there were lots of closets and new laminate flooring which unfortunately failed to extend all the way to the walls in a few spots. A massive hutch was filled with an abundance of Hummel figurines that someone most certainly felt would be worth money some day. The kitchen was old and not in a cool retro way, but in the worst of 80s heavy wood. The house needed a fair amount of work inside which was not reflected in either the description or the listing price which suddenly seemed grossly inflated.

The realtor mentioned that the house next door was also open for viewing. She told us she had just picked up that listing this morning and her colleague was over there. The price hadn’t even been set yet, but “will be more” than the one had just seen. We trotted next door to check it out.

The second house was better than the first. The yard had some beautiful perennials and the carport was huge. The kitchen had been updated and planned by someone who actually cooks, which makes a huge difference over the contractor versions of kitchens. Unfortunately, the house didn’t seem like it was ready to be shown and was overly full of furnishings and stuff which made it hard to see the place itself. I really couldn't get a feel for the space and I now understand my realtor's focus on being able to see walls and floors when she was coaching me on the presentation of my house. 

While we admired the kitchen with spice cubbies and a skylight, a woman holding a small dog popped in. It turned out she was the owner. She stuck with us like velcro, yammering away the rest of the time we were there, which was awkward, annoying, and eliminated the opportunity for my realtor and I to discuss anything as we were seeing it. It was a brilliant illustration of why realtors ask the owners to not be present during showings.

As we were ready to leave, a man popped in through the door we were about to exit. He lodged himself in the narrow hallway in front of the door and announced, “I’m the husband.” He was wearing what appeared to be pajama bottoms. Nice. And we were stuck there while the selling couple extolled the virtues of the lot and the house and chit chatted and blocked our egress. It got more awkward by the second until we finally extricated ourselves. Oy. I remember the awkwardness of the situation, but not much about the actual house.

I brushed the tentative plans for the rest of the day off my radar and headed home to grab a slice of pizza for lunch and make my house more ready for the newly scheduled showing. The laundry basket with stuff needing washing was pulled from the laundry closet. The cat bed and carrier were removed from under the buffet and set in the laundry basket, along with my work bag of files and notepads, and the whole thing was set in the car. The sinks and mirrors were wiped. The lights were turned on and curtains opened. The recent Amazon delivery of the big bag of cat food that will last six months was set in the bathroom closet. And I was off.

Grapes, not cherries.

The first stop was Family Dollar, because I haven’t been going there much lately. I got some cards and a couple canned food items. Then it was Hannaford because I needed to kill more time and had coupons that included free chips. I usually buy green grapes, but bought red grapes that were on sale, plus Greek yogurt, frozen berries, frozen burritos, and a few other things. I wasn’t really in the mood for grocery shopping.

At home, I keep grabbing red grapes and thinking they are cherries. Then I’m surprised when they taste and feel like the grapes that they are. Weird how that works. 

Definitely chocolate.

I switched to chocolate. My niece had given me a Trader Joe's passport collection of little chocolate bars at Christmas which I tucked in the back corner of the refrigerator. Each bar is from a different country and is marked with the percent of cacao. I finally cracked it open tonight and visited the bar labeled "Peru - 60% cacao dark chocolate" described as "rounded with subtle jasmine notes" and it was good. The wrappers even suggest wine pairings, but I was drinking ice water and didn't read the wine pairing part until the chocolate bar was already gone. 

There hasn’t been any feedback yet from today’s showing at my house, but that’s okay. Maybe tomorrow we'll hear something. 

random thoughts – Day 1,914 – (Friday) –good friday

While walking from the garage to the office I engaged in the avoidance strategies honed over the years of working downtown. I scanned the blocks ahead and saw the cluster of dudes hanging around the park bench on the John Street sidewalk. I crossed at the first crosswalk to be on the opposite side of the street. It is easier to scan the block and cross early than to be asked for money by one or more of the guys every morning.

Artist at work.

An artist was painting a storefront window at the former District Five restaurant on Merrimack Street where Fork will soon be located. The weeks before the Lowell Folk Fest see many storefront windows painted by local artists in a variety of styles. Fork catered an event I attended last year and it was delicious. I’m looking forward to the restaurant opening.

Further down the street, the scanning took on a different purpose. One the block before the bank is the Lazy Car Café and sometimes the resident cats are in the windows. This morning, the fluffy white cat was sitting tall and surveying the street. When I paused to take pictures, white cat looked everywhere but at me. I almost didn’t see the black cat laying in the shadow in the window. Seeing kitties in a window is a nice touch to the morning.

White kitty in a window.

The day was quiet with just three of us in the office, scattered across the expanse of the fourth floor. It was also chilly because the A/C on the fourth floor is trapped in the North Pole climate zone, while the first floor suite is often an oven.

There was an early afternoon walk with fresh features. The painting underway several hours earlier seemed complete. The flower box outside Tijuana Grill was bursting with bright yellow, pink, and orange flowers. 

The park behind the Trolley Museum with the miniature trolley car where the high school students would be hanging out after school in another half-hour, was instead hosting a cluster of late-middle-aged men with ball caps and messenger bags and one dressed like a conductor. A limousine bus was backing up the one-way cobblestone street. Too bad the trolley group couldn’t have arrived by trolley, but most of those tracks are under the asphalt.

After work, the Lazy Cat Lounge windows were kitty free. The walk to the garage was pleasant and nobody asked me for money. Silvery gray clouds hung over the city like a billowy silk scarf and the traffic was at the lessened summer volume enjoyed after UML holds commencement exercises. All is well, and it was a good Friday.

random thoughts – Day 1,913 – (Thursday) – time and tasks

The days are dragging and yet, the weeks are blowing by at a blistering pace. It’s possible I may never understand time. Seriously. We are bumping up on the midpoint of the month. How is this even possible? 

Wednesday's empanadas.

It’s two weeks and a sprinkling of days before the first wave of layoffs. Yesterday, while downtown for a regularly scheduled in-office day, after enjoying the team member food truck lunch in the parking lot (empanadas, pizza, chicken, and cookies with ice cream) I tackled my top desk drawer. This one held the random assortment of items that help me survive office life.

We’re talking instant teas (ginger/honey, licorice), instant hot cocoa, salt and pepper packets, three emergency Keurig cups for when we run out, lip balm, toothbrush, toothpaste, sewing kit (twice I have repaired colleague’s clothing in a pinch), small items from vendors, spare logo pins from HR (because a shocking number of bankers would forget theirs on banker portrait day), plus the set of organizer trays and cups to keep it all straight. These things were all laid out on my desk for consideration.

A few items went onto our work counter in our version of the “swap shed” and colleagues took what was useful for them or their kids (bye bye fidget spinner and backpack clip bubble gum dispenser). Paper clips, binder clips, extra Sharpies, and a bunch of pens I hate went back to the supply cabinet. The organizers, bought at a dollar store years ago, were rinsed out and liberated of about eight years of dust and packed to go home. Today, in the home office tidy-up, they were used to reorganize the home office top file cabinet drawer.

There are still a few drawers with random promotional items sent to me by vendors and project notes I’m not sure we’re done with yet and ad tear sheets I have no clue what to do with. On June 30, that last day when I return the home office equipment and make the final goodbyes, I hope to walk out with not much more than the small plant from my desk in hand and some tortured memories of my time with the place that claimed for 35 years “we will always be independent.” Umm, okay. Until we're not. Got it.

At the home office today, things were sporadically busy, then not. It reminded me of the bunnies I see in the yard, sitting calmly for a while, then suddenly sprinting off to whatever. A hiccup prevented completing the simplest of tasks (wrong image size for a website financial learning article), but there is always tomorrow. Well, until the end of the month when there is not. But it won't be my problem.

Among the tasks that were not casually shifted onto tomorrow was the mowing of the lawn after work tonight. The sun was shining. There was a stiff, cooling breeze, and the backyard was accomplished in record time. 

This used to be a purple mum.
Now it is sticks.

The front yard, like projects at work, has a delay of game until I can roll the mower down the freshly sealed asphalt driveway to access it. A brown bunny was in the front yard trimming the greens for me tonight, and there is more clover than grass out there, so it’s not that bad. 

The bunny may or may not be the culprit that ate every single purple flower off my potted mum, too, but I'm trying not to jump to conclusions. I may never know what ate it, but something decapitated the entire plant in one night last week. The white one planted across the yard is intact and blooming. Purple must taste better. When it had flowers, they hid the fact that the pot shattered during the recent power wash of the deck. Oops.

random thoughts – Day 1,912 – (Wednesday) – fresh seal

The neighbor had someone working on her front walk and her side of the shared driveway the other day. One of the tenants mentioned it Monday when we saw each other outside while fetching the trash bins. I said I wished I’d known the work was happening because I might have liked my side of the driveway done also. The tenant said she’d mention it the next time she saw the guy working on the big hole he cut into the front walk.

Today, when I got home from working downtown, the neighbor’s car was in front of my house along the fence and a truck with a trailer were in the street blocking the driveway. I parked behind the neighbor’s car and started walking towards the driveway and my usual entrance at the back corner of the house. That’s when I saw a guy painting sealing stuff along the edge of my lawn, and another guy at the far end of the driveway spreading sealant across the full width of the shared space. 

We can’t park on the driveways until Friday, and the sealant guy provided tips about turning into the driveway and making sure the car is moving before turning the wheels when leaving. I hope all the regular parade of delivery drivers that like to use the driveway to turn around in notice the bright orange tape that has been strung across it before they try to whip in and ruin the sealant.

It's too bad the 8 foot by 16 foot moving box is occupying my other parking spot or I could have had that one sealed, too. And when I wrote the guy a check, did I think to ask for his number? No, I did not. 

In other asphalt news, the notice left at the house about street paving from Monday the 9^th until Wednesday the 11^th seems to have been wishful thinking on the timeline or a big miscommunication. There has not been a sign of a paving truck or a whisper of the project starting. The notice last week included a URL for information, but that just led to a not very helpful webpage that seemed to be the first step in a lengthy treasure hunt for information. I like a good mystery, but I abandoned this one after too many frustrating clicks that failed to deliver the promised information. It would be nice to know, though. I may need to resume the search.

random thoughts – Day 1,911 – (Tuesday) –french toast

The cloudy morning meant less early light attempting to coax my eyes open before the alarm. That allowed the weird dream I was having to run a few minutes longer. In the dream, I was hanging out with Bruno Mars and a third person that I can’t remember now. It was very casual, as if it was an office chat with a colleague. Then the alarm went off and interrupted it all.

French Toast for breakfast.

After a dream that Bruno Mars and I are friends, it seemed like the day should have another special treat. A quick forage in the freezer turned up bread, and suddenly French Toast with maple syrup was the breakfast I suddenly really needed. I can’t even remember the last time I made French toast. It was delicious and there is a really high probability it will happen again. 

The day remained gray and it felt chilly in the house, despite the temperature holding steady at 68 degrees. The purple hooded sweatshirt bought in a thrift store in Vegas when I was freezing in the rental house with the assertive A/C was fetched and worn all day. Thinking about palm trees and sunshine made me wish I was sitting poolside at that same rental house today. 

After work, the drive to dance group in Hudson, MA was horrendous again with heavy volume and slow speed, but the run through of the show went well. Next week, it’s a full dress rehearsal on Monday and the show on Tuesday, and then a couple weeks off before classes resume. After the merger that casts me out from my employment, I’ll also be free to attend the afternoon dance group with dancers from the studio of my youth. This could be my busiest summer for dance in years. And French Toast.

random thoughts – Day 1,910 – (Monday) –frustration and comfort

I woke up tired again this morning and it seems there has been no catching up on rest the past several nights. The early light and the birds chirping away merrily this morning had me awake sooner than planned. Except for the birds singing, the morning was extra quiet and peaceful. 

The day started out optimistically with visions of warm temperatures when I slipped on gray and white striped lightweight linen drawstring cropped pants and a white gauze shirt, but by early afternoon, despite it being 71 degrees in the house, I was chilly. It seems the warm temperatures were wishful thinking or a fatigue-induced hallucination. I went upstairs and swapped the pants for jeans and added socks. Even hot herbal peach tea didn’t warm me up.

The workday was mostly quiet. There was an ad request from a branch that made little sense and had to be sent to the department head. Now it will sit in my queue until we have an answer on how to proceed from our acquiring institution. 

The afternoon was dominated by the completion of the hideous task started on Friday. The process requires two different programs in the vendor’s system. The ancient program used on Friday is where we set up messages to appear on account statements and indicate which account types will receive the message. Then, we have to log into a different system to add a narrative explanation, upload the graphics files, and request statement proofs. This step involves navigating a couple screens of checkbox options that must be answered and which have absolutely nothing to do with the task we need. Worse, the screens have never been the same twice, so notes from a previous effort don't help. It’s time-consuming and absolutely infuriating. 

Today, the system timed out while I was using it. I typed in all the instructions, uploaded the files, and when I hit “submit” the response was “you have been logged out due to inactivity” and the whole thing had to start all over. I kid you not, it’s the most annoying system I’ve ever worked with in 10,000 years of working. I wanted to punch something. How about a tiny clue when the system logs a user out? 

So far, it has taken me about four hours split over two days to set up the messages and rules in the first program, then use the second program to load four graphics files and add specific instructions which are rarely followed by the vendor. 

In a couple weeks we will hopefully have proofs to review, approve, and finalize or we’ll have to contact the vendor and beg for the proofs needing review. The fun part is this is just one part of a process which starts with graphics layouts, preliminary business line reviews, and a three-step formal review process. It’s insanity, but in three weeks it will be over. For me anyway. My worry is the stupid, hated vendor system will overshadow and taint the memory of my time with a company I liked.

Bowl of hot comfort.

In an attempt to combat the chills and provide some self-comfort, supper was ramen with mixed vegetables, hot pepper paste, and queso. It worked a small bit of magic for a very little while, but I still can’t wait to take my chilly self to bed. I'm just waiting for it to be dark out.

random thoughts – Day 1,909 – (Sunday) –fun and discontent

The weekend kicked off with dancing in the showcase Friday night and finished today with a visit at Mom’s and then a surprise birthday party in a nearby town. Whew! It was fun from start to finish.

I left the house this morning after Kim, my realtor, arrived to host the open house. In the hours before she arrived, I had showered and chosen to dress for the afternoon event to avoid changing again in a couple hours. That decision had me wiping down the shower, cleaning the toilet, and wiping counters and the sink in high-waisted flowy pants, a short sleeve top, and thick-soled flip flops required because the pants are a smidge too long. I wanted to wear something besides jeans, but none of my dresses or skirts felt right.

When I passed a mirror, I was immediately displeased with my wardrobe choice which had taken longer than it should have to select. A new-ish problem has arisen with dressing for events outside the home or office. The majority of my social events for the past several years have been work-related and there is a dress code for events stated in our team member handbook. Some events had a theme or suggested attire. Easy. I can follow rules.

It used to be simple dressing myself for almost any event or situation, but in recent years, I hardly know who I am anymore. Most of my clothes just don’t feel right and I'm totally out of practice dressing for much beyond staying at home. To add to today’s discontent, I hadn’t taken the time to blow-dry or style my hair, and when I started getting warm from tidying and trotting up and down the stairs my air-dried hair began getting bushy like a tumbleweed. It was put up in a clip.

When Kim arrived, I was at the final preparation step. Kiki’s scratching post that she never uses, hidey-bed, and crate were set in the laundry basket and brought to the moving box. We handled a few details like the spare key for the lockbox. I filled my travel bottle with water and ice, scarfed down a chewy granola bar, and with a couple minutes before I had to leave, dashed upstairs to change outfits. I ended up in the jeans I hadn’t wanted to wear and a floral oversized shirt. I felt messy and too casual, but the first visitor had arrived at the first minute of the open house time and I needed to exit the premises. Two streets away, I realized the water bottle was still on the counter and stopped at Market Basket for some bottled water before continuing on my way to Mom's.

Party plate.

After shaking off the initial, minor, self-induced stress, the rest of the day was a breeze. Mom and I had a nice visit, and the party was just 15 minutes from her house. The party had an impressive array of colorful and tasty pot luck dishes. Two belly dance sisters and I had a chance to chat and we were all entertained by the guest of honor’s little granddaughter who coerced us into coloring and taking photos at the selfie station.

At the end of the day, I returned to my magazine-worthy tidy home. It was magical. I need to figure out how to actually live like this.

random thoughts – Day 1,908 – (Saturday) – domesticity and such

The clouds were out today and it was rainy with thunderstorms predicted around the state. This did not affect my day much. I was tired from the activity and stress of the week and dancing and then arriving home at 10:00 Friday night. The plan for the day was to tweak some things for the open house tomorrow which roughly translated to “don’t allow any clutter to creep back in and make sure the place sparkles.”

It mostly worked. There will be things that need to be stashed out of sight tomorrow, but it’s 95% ready to roll. Some open house prep things like opening the curtains and blinds need to wait until tomorrow because, although I enjoy performing on stage, I don’t enjoy living on one. I guess I like to pick and choose the blinding spotlight moments.

There was time spent in the magical moving cube reorganizing things that had been hastily set inside Thursday and Friday. The rain splatted on the roof of the box and I finally understood comments read in stories about the pleasant sound of rain on a metal roof. At least it was pleasant when it was gentler rain, but then it got heavier and a bit more aggressive around the time I was ready to go back into the house. Of course, the padlock and key were not in the cube for fear of burying it in the chaos, so I had to retrieve it from the house and then go back out to the rain to lock the box, thus ushering in the wet tee shirt portion of the day.

Other highlights of the full domestic day included calling City Hall. The purpose was to ask about the notice left on the mailbox late yesterday afternoon that a paving project is slated for the neighborhood Monday through Wednesday. No cars can be parked on the street from 7 am to 4 pm and leaving driveways might be impossible at points during the day. My burning question was if it will affect Monday’s trash and recycling pickup. I was astounded when a human answered the phone on a Saturday and answered my question. The answer was “put the trash out as usual,” which has me now ruminating over how the trash trucks and the paving trucks are going to choreograph their placement in the streets.

Clothes going bye-bye.

The fascinating phone call about paving was followed by trying on a bunch of clothes and making piles on the bed before filling a bag to donate, then gathering the donation items temporarily stored in the moving cube on Thursday to load in the car. There was a trip to St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store where I managed to set the items in the bins in the vestibule and quickly leave without entering the store. I don’t need more things I will have to move. I avoided the streets that pass Market Basket stores and went directly home. Miracles do happen. 

The fun kept on funning. There was the sweeping of the basement then washing the dustpan and brush of the basement dust and grit. Cleaning the stove with the Magic Eraser. Knocking out the dirty laundry. Unpacking the storage bags of summer clothes and hanging them or setting them in the drawers as appropriate. I love the seasonal changeover. It’s nice to pack away the winter sweaters and wool pants and replace them with tee shirts, summery dresses, and cropped drawstring pants. Winter is now out of sight and out of mind for several months.

To relax for the evening, it was a Sarah Silverman standup show on Netflix. I find her amusing, and only just now learned she is from Manchester, New Hampshire. How have I missed that over all these years? Or did I know it before and forget because it doesn’t affect my daily life?

One sleeve is longer. I can't deal.

The thing that had me most transfixed with the comedy show was the outfit. She has on jeans and a blue long sleeve shirt with a brown short sleeve shirt over it. Short sleeves over long sleeves was a big thing when I was a teenager, and I thought it was dumb. And the brown sleeve on Sarah Silverman's left arm is longer than the one on the right. For an hour it was all I could focus on, wondering if her right sleeve just needed to be tugged down an inch, or if it was a shoulder or collar bone alignment situation. Her shoulders look level. Maybe it's a fabric and layering issue.

The Sarah Silverman sleeve fixation is similar to the hyper fixation on why the right leg of every pair of pants I own is longer than the left and the inner seam doesn’t hang straight. In high school I thought all my pants were defective, but I finally figured out it is me. A couple years ago a chiropractor said my pelvis twists, which had me wondering how much better my leg extensions might have been in high school ballet classes had the situation been known and addressed then. At least this doesn’t affect my ability to move boxes or belly dance or any of the other important things in life.