random thoughts – Day 2,084 (Sunday) – cards and treasures

It was another gray day with a side of snow flurries followed by rain. In other words, the perfect weather for staying home and testing a new ring light/cell phone floor stand setup. The dining room is now a makeshift photo studio with a touch of Christmas decorating chaos with storage totes, delivery boxes, and stuff strewn about.

There were challenges, including the floor base not sitting level (possibly a flooring issue) making it impossible to get the cell phone level. A day planner stuffed under one side solved the leveling problem. After a series of photos was shot and analyzed, it was concluded that having the cell in its own holder independent of the lighting might be a better idea. MacGyver-esque solutions were attempted using materials in the house. One possibility included setting the phone in the center of a roll of duct tape. It fit, but kept tipping and causing parallax error.

Skip-Bo.

The latter half of the afternoon was spent at Mom’s with two of the nieces and the nephew playing Skip-Bo. During a lull in the action, an internet search for a cell phone tripod provided a result for one at Ocean State Lob Lot, around the corner and down the street. As soon as the card games ended and we all scattered, I went to the store.

During the search for the tripod, other treasures were found. A pair of dark red boots I’ve looked at the last three times I was in the store and successfully talked myself out of buying because I have an abundance of footwear were 30% off today and were bought. Ornaments were 30% off and I got a box of black and silver balls and a string of lights for the black tinsel tree. It turned out a bulb is missing on the old string, along with the little bag containing spare bulbs and fuses, which are probably in the big tub of lights that were donated before moving. And the string of new lights is much too long for the tree. Errrr.

Treasures.

After wandering the store gathering the extra items and not finding the tripod, I finally asked a store team member for help. The item was in the makeup aisle. Huh? Even better, it was in a plain brown box with “Torjim” printed on the side. I would never have found it without help.

The new tripod is pretty cool. It works for cameras and cell phones and has a bubble level, a feature not included in the much more expensive camera tripod bought years ago. Tomorrow there will be more photos.

random thoughts – Day 2,083 (Saturday) – snow and sparkles

Morning sun and light snow.

The Friday snow flurries continued through the night and left the neighborhood blanketed in a thin coat of fresh flakes for the morning. The rising sun cast long shadows across the lawns and soon, into the windows at the front of the house, flooding the living room with sunlight. It was pretty. 

I was mistrustful of the coated street and assumed it was slippery. I have wiped out on innocent light snowfall before thanks to ice beneath it.  Before long, a couple cars limped along the tiny incline of the street and seemed to prove me correct. Then Mom called to say she slipped and nearly fell in her driveway because it was slick under the snow.

There was an errand planned for the morning, and luckily, the snow on the asphalt had melted off and the streets were just wet by the time I was dressed, sufficiently caffeinated, and ready to roll. At The Good Earth Farm and Garden Center a sign informed that photos could be taken with Dominic the Donkey. Several people stood nearby waiting for their moment with Dominic. Once out of Gardner, the ride along route 2A included stretches of road where I was the only vehicle and it felt a little creepy in a Twilight Zone sort of way.

Shiny thing #1.

On the return leg of the morning outing, there was more traffic. I made a stop at Back in Tyme, which is the shop Mom and I tried to visit earlier in the week but couldn’t find. Waze had the destination set on route 2A, but it is actually on a street behind 2A. The shop advertises “reclaimed furniture and home décor.” 

The shop was filled with affordable décor items and ornaments. I came close to buying a framed painting, but talked myself out of it with the knowledge of the too many art pieces still not hung on the walls that are nearly impossible to bang nails into.

The shop that succeeded in getting my wallet open was Pease Orchard Gift Shop. The tiny shop was loaded with sparkly sun catchers and handcrafted jewelry. I got a dangly thing with a slice of a yellow stone with beads and a faceted crystal ball because the yellow was perfect for my kitchen. Then I added a wood stick with strands of faceted discs and pointy crystal things which was a soft pink when the sun shone through it. After the snowflakes and icicles come out of the bay window it will likely hang there, but for now it is temporarily hung on the corner of a mirror where its full splendor is somewhat stifled. 

Shiny thing #2.

On the return trip past the shop with the Dominic the Donkey photo site, Dominic stood quietly, waiting for more visitors next to a human who sat in a lawn chair. I almost stopped, more to pet the donkey than to have a photo, but kept driving. It felt like the sort of thing that would be more fun with a companion than as a solo operator and there were things to be done at home like finding display spaces for the new shiny things.

random thoughts – Day 2,082 (Friday) – not black friday

It was the best Black Friday in ages and I saved a fortune. That’s because I stayed home and stayed off the Internet shopping.

Morning energy was invested in attempting to coordinate a semi-local non-retail diversion for the day. The top idea was to visit a museum sort-of halfway between my town and that of an acquaintance. The location challenge was to minimize drive time in the hellacious Black Friday traffic for both parties. It was harder than it sounded.

There aren’t that many museums between the two locations. Website results had a standard butt-covering disclaimer that “Black Friday may affect operating hours” with no way to confirm before the posted regular opening time. Many museums now have a ticketing system where you need to arrive within a designated window of time. Late in the research, the person at the other end of the challenge said they were thinking of MFA (Boston) which is basically in their backyard and a solid hour-plus from mine on a quiet day that isn’t the primary shopping day of the entire year. The idea was dropped.

Oh, silver tree.

Inside the protective bubble of my home, safe from traffic jams and road rage (mine), I added a string of dark beads and more ornaments to the silver metallic tree in the bay window that was started on Wednesday. Another tension rod was located and more beaded snowflakes and clear icicles were added to the center window. Two small green trees were set on the buffet and trimmed with pine cones and small iridescent glass balls. In a questionable dietary choice, half of a small sweet potato pie and a slice of pumpkin pie were consumed.

Outside the protective house bubble and within the independent weather system that is the snow globe of Gardner, snow swirled and blew and fell in spurts that were occasionally interrupted with patches of blue sky most of the day. The back yard collected more of a coating than the front. The street looked cold and wet and potentially slick. I was glad to be inside, warm, dry, putting up decorations, and not in traffic. Screw Black Friday, I made my own Silver Friday.

random thoughts – Day 2,081 (Thursday) – thanksgiving dinner 2025

The family dinner time was set for late afternoon because my youngest niece was working until 4:00. This was great news. It removed all the usual Thanksgiving morning hecticness. I could sleep late! Instead of setting up the family Canadian poultry stuffing recipe Wednesday night, I could do it in the morning. Yes, my Southern friends, I know that technically it is “dressing” because it won’t be cooked in the bird, but I’m back in Yankee land where my family calls it stuffing and it includes stuffing mix as an ingredient.

Anyway. The “sleeping late” ended up being exactly the time I usually get up. I knew it was time to get up because the dream I was in took the usual weird turns. In the dream, I was on a west coast beach with friends who I kept being separated from. We were returning home at 2:00 (coincidentally the same time Mom and I planned to be at my sister’s). I wasn’t packed yet. Friends were disappearing from the beach area, presumably to prepare for departure. I couldn’t remember where we were staying. Handsome men kept trying to make conversation but I couldn’t chat because I needed to go. (Pray tell, where are the chatty handsome men when I am awake??) In the dream, as I searched for my shoes and my friends and my lodging I was thinking “this is weird, it must be time to get up.”

Once caffeinated and alert, the stuffing production commenced. The recipe, written in Mummu’s perfect “Palmer Method” script, had been retrieved from a file box Wednesday night. In Lowell, a framed photo of it lived on my kitchen wall, but the kitchen in this house is all cabinets (actually quite great!) and practically no walls and I haven’t unearthed the framed version from the move yet.

There are questions involving the recipe that I wish I could ask Mummu. For instance, the three stalks of celery listed in the ingredients are never addressed later. Are they cooked in the skillet with the onion and meat mixture or added later with the stuffing mix and potato? Speaking of potato, the recipe specifies “2 cups of instant potatoes.” Does that mean to add two cups of the potato flakes, or does it mean to prepare the potatoes with water, milk, and butter and use two cups of that? I did the first option on the celery and the second option on the potato. It seemed more logical. Clearly, as a youngster in Mummu’s kitchen I should have paid closer attention to what she was doing instead of slinking around and eating all the olives, sweet baby gherkins, mixed nuts, and chocolates she had me set out in pretty glass dishes.

Ten of us sat around my sister’s table. There were two younger nieces and their boyfriends, the elder niece with her husband, Sis and her husband, Mom, and me. We feasted on the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with stuffing, potato, vegetables, macaroni and cheese, gravy, cranberry sauce, and rolls and it was delicious. Stories were told. The entertainment value of AI videos of cats playing musical instruments were discussed. There was laughter. In all ways it was good.

random thoughts – Day 2,080 (Wednesday) – with pie

At the Spine and Pain Center.

The week of appointments that kicked off with a wrist surgery follow-up on Monday and physical therapy on Tuesday continued with a follow-up at the spine and pain enter today. And finally, an answer of sorts. Apparently, the curve in my neck is not quite correct. I need to continue with PT. There may be an MRI in my near future (depending upon insurance). The rest was a lot of words I forgot before I left the building, but I figured the visit notes will contain it. There just aren’t any visit notes in the patient portal yet.

On the way home, there was a stop at Walmart to check for the little clear corners that hold photos but none were found. It wasn’t a wasted trip, though. I left with a pecan pie (for me), a sweet potato pie (theoretically for dinner at my sister’s house on Thursday but probably for me), a pack of hand sewing needles to boost my dwindling collection, and a tension rod for the living room window because I can’t find the several I already own.

Ornaments on a tension rod.

At home, pecan pie was consumed (not all of it). The new tension rod was installed in the upper part of the center section of the bay window and some ornaments were set on it. There are more ornaments that could be hung in the window, but more tension rods are needed. As soon as I buy more and take them out of the packaging, I'll probably find the ones that are currently missing.

Later, a trip was made to Aldi but when I arrived, I couldn’t remember why I thought I needed to go there. I never remembered the specific item but still managed to gather a bag full of groceries for what might soon be considered a pantry hoarding situation.

random thoughts – Day 2,079 (Tuesday) – sew what

Small sewing machines in
an antiques shop.

On Sunday, while shopping with Mom in an antique shop, I saw a display case filled with small sewing machines in pretty colors. It sent me right back to my early childhood and the apartment we lived in on Laurel Street in Fitchburg until I was five.

Suddenly, there I was, at a table in front of a window in the kitchen of our first floor apartment, stitching away with my pink plastic sewing machine. This wasn’t just some pretend toy. It used a real needle and thread to create actual stitches and was probably early training to prepare us to work in the factories. Mom was nearby doing Mom things, so I wasn't unsupervised.

During my sewing of whatever it was I was making, I put my fingers too close to the action and the needle went through the pad of my index finger. I don’t remember, but I probably screamed, because Mom was at my side quickly. As I recall it (and this could be wrong), Dad did a fly-by to assess the situation and promptly exited the kitchen and Mom liberated my finger from the needle and the machine. After dragging her to the display case in the shop, Mom confirmed the pink machine and me sewing my finger with it. I had often wondered if I imagined it.

My early brush with domestic arts blodshed didn’t deter me from sewing and it effectively taught me to be more careful. Mom taught me how to lay out patterns on the grain and cut and stitch, and in seventh or eighth grade I made myself a maxi dress with a cap sleeve for the junior high chorus performance. I chose a polyester knit fabric with a cream background with maroon flowers. I laid out the fabric on the rug in the living room, checked and rechecked the fabric grain, pinned the tissue pattern, took a deep breath, and cut out the pieces. Then I stitched it together on Mom’s full-size Singer machine that lived in a brown wooden cabinet.

We weren't a frequent photo-taking family so there are no photos of my dress. The only time I remember wearing it was for the concert in the school auditorium. I remember almost fainting from standing still for so long. I remember singing “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King and the popular World War II song “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” but not if those were in the same concert or if we had more than one concert.  And I still remember that pink plastic sewing machine from when I was four or five, and the dress from junior high.

random thoughts – Day 2,078 (Monday) – thrifting and gas

It was another unusual Monday with a follow-up at the office of the surgeon in Chelmsford who worked on my wrist last February. One of the unexpected bonuses of the recent neck and shoulder pain situation is that I completely forgot to obsess over my wrist for the past couple months. The wrist is good. There will be a visit in February to discuss removing the plate.

Dishware!

After the surgeon’s office, there was a visit to St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Lowell. There was a lot of great housewares at great prices and I bought some pieces that work for both Christmas and the kitchen with the green counters and woodwork. 

The score included a green glass lidded bowl, a three-cup Pyrex baking dish, a square red fancy plate, a light green oval plate, and a mug that says “OMG my mother was right about everything.” I can’t wait to show up for our morning coffee at Mom's house with the mug. I also scored two collapsible storage bins and six frames for $1.45 each including four front-load frames that have already been cleaned and are in service for a project that is underway. Not bad for $18.

On the way home, I stopped for a much-needed car wash and some gas. At the gas station, while fighting with the gas tank that demands very precise placement of the nozzle and keeps clicking itself off if the angle and insertion depth are not exactly right, the driver from the car behind mine appeared at my side. He asked if he could show me something and I waited for the big reveal of something amazing. Nope. The big life hack he was eager to share was the tiny lever to lock the gas nozzle so you don’t have to hold it. And it instantly clicked off. He kept trying it, despite me telling him the nozzle has to be exactly placed or forget it. I told him he didn’t have to keep trying, I’ve been dealing with this quirk of my vehicle for four years. After the 50^th time that it clicked off I gave up and called it done. When I got back into the car, the tank was only showing ¾ full and not the full level I was aiming for. At least the car was clean.

random thoughts – Day 2,077 (Sunday) – country road shopping

The chilly weather left a skim coat of ice on the bodies of water passed en route to dance this morning. The reflections on the surrounding water were interesting, but it was another case of narrow and winding country roads with no safe place to pull over for photos.

Troupe dance day involved using our newly acquired red veils and red hip scarves. They are so new, we laid eyes on them for the first time today. You may wonder why we are buying new troupe costume parts mere weeks before a show in the middle of the year’s extra expensive holiday season. I wonder the same thing. It looks like I bought myself a red hip scarf and veil this year for Christmas. It is not what I had in mind, but that is how the cookie crumbles sometimes.

After dance, it was an afternoon out with Mom. Snow began spitting before we headed out, but it was nothing that lasted. We visited four more local shops that are on The Country Roads Tour. Today it was Smith’s Country Cheese (Winchendon), Soulful Body & Mind Apothecary (Baldwinville), The Kitchen Garden (Templeton) and Country Bumpkin’ Antiques (Templeton).

Chicken wire and beads.

I love the cheese shop and it was my favorite stop until we visited the apothecary where I bought a sun catcher made from an embroidery hoop, chicken wire, and beads. I had seen something similar online a couple years ago and thought I wanted to make one.  I have a ton of beads (probably not much of an exaggeration) and a dozen embroidery hoops bought at thrift shops over the years, but the absence of chicken wire in the craft supply arsenal was the roadblock. Now I don’t have to worry about it. 

We tried to visit a shop with reclaimed furniture and home décor, but when Waze said we had arrived, there was nothing resembling a shop in sight and I turned into a daycare center parking lot to try and figure it out. I backtracked down the same road with no luck and decided to head home. On the way back from the shop we couldn’t find there was a sign for an orchard on the tour, but I didn’t see it time to make the turn. I was kind of done with shopping by then and kept the car moving in the homeward direction.

random thoughts – Day 2,076 (Saturday) – food, friends, music

Sobernaught at the BAC.

The day was full in many ways. There was my sister and brother-in-law’s annual Friendsgiving potluck event at the British American Club in Fitchburg. As usual, the food and desserts were plentiful and delicious. There was catching up with relatives who are not seen very often and friends seen only once a year. Late in the afternoon, Sobernaught, my BIL’s band played. I didn’t stay too long for that portion. It was a bit loud, but more importantly, I needed to prepare for the second chapter of the day. Unfortunately, I neglected to pace myself with the food. 

Slambovian Circus of Dreams
at The Bull Run.

From the potluck, I went the home of friends so we could travel together to The Bull Run in Shirley. Every year around this time the band Slambovian Circus of Dreams plays a show there. Seven or eight of us convene at the table for food and the show. My usual order is the Mushroom Lovers Bull pizza with various mushrooms, truffle oil, and cheese. Much of the pizza came home in a box due the overeating during chapter one of the day. There was no room for dessert. 

The food was great, catching up with people not seen for a year was fun and the bands sounded good. Overall, the day gets an A.

random thoughts – Day 2,075 (Friday) – onions and more

Onions were needed. There is a recipe to be made Saturday morning for an event in the afternoon and on Thursday night it was discovered the lone remaining onion was soft with loose skin and seemed quite unappealing. Luckily, Friday was available for onion acquisition.

After wasting most of the day, I rallied, put on shoes, and headed out to Aldi mid-afternoon. The mission was to buy a bag of onions and some backup boxes of cornbread stuffing mix which were on sale for 79 cents. It should have been a quick in and out trip, barely a few minutes.

At the carriage area, an apparent newbie was yanking on the front carriage from one of the columns of carts with a force that might have dislocated a shoulder of a more frail person. Then he tried the second line with the same force and no luck. I told him he needed a quarter to release the cart and would get it back when the cart was returned. I offered my cart, already liberated by the magic power of a coin, knowing there was one more quarter in my wallet. The Aldi newbie fished a quarter from his pocket, handed it to me, and  grumbled that he “never heard of such a thing as needing a quarter for a cart.” I said “yeah, that’s Aldi, and it’s why there are no carts loose in the parking lot.” He charged forth into the store. I could only imagine the reaction to the merchandise and self-bagging. I didn't see him again.

Beyond the food items.

A stockroom u-boat loaded with produce blocked the first aisle and beyond the u-boat were Brussels sprouts. I grabbed a bag. There was a leisurely stroll through produce. Yellow onions were located. Chopped walnuts were on sale and bought just in case. The legendary Aldi Finds “Aisle of Shame” occupied a lot of time. Recent Facebook chatter in the Aisle of Shame group has had rave reviews about the plush lined leggings, goldtone stemware (with “Love is Blind vibes”), reversible holiday signs, and more. Before long, the seat of the cart held black platform “warm-lined sneakers” and a two-pack of black base layer shirts so I could contemplate them during the rest of the shopping. Disinfecting wipes were added. And sour cream.

By the end of the trip, one item had become 12 and an hour had passed. I had been to the “Aldi Finds” aisle four times, partly because an annoying woman yammering on speaker phone was blocking a section of the displays and it was safer to temporarily exit the aisle than ram her with the cart. No golden stemware was found. The alleged flannel pajamas and shirts were not flannel at all and I wish retailers would recognize that flannel is an actual specific fabric, not a marketing concept like “cozy.” The vision of the full closets and drawers at home led to the sneakers and base layer tops being put back on the shelf, saving me $25. Overall, it was a successful shop.

random thoughts – Day 2,074 (Thursday) – waiting room

Through the magic timing of me arriving to physical therapy a few minutes early, and the therapist running a few minutes late, I sat in the very crowded waiting room for longer than usual. It turns out that Thursday afternoons have walk-in hours for something related to hearing aids. I was glad this was the only afternoon appointment, because the waiting room is much quieter at 9:30 am than 1:45 pm. 

Anyway. Despite the crowd in the room, it was quiet, except for two women seated in the area near me, They sat in two chairs along a wall and near the entrance to the PT area. An older woman in a wheel chair was parked in front of them and they ignored her. The two along the wall chatted loudly. Really loudly. I considered jumping into the conversation I couldn’t block out, but instead tried sending them the telepathic message “shut up!” It didn’t work. They did not shut up nor did they lower the volume.

I imagined being direct and telling them they are not as quiet as they might think they are. I did not do this. Maybe they should book appointments for hearing tests. Based on their stories I was forced to hear, they specialize in telling people off and I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one and become a future story.

They sat there rehashing every not-perfect customer experience they ever had (going back decades), and how they made calls to corporate headquarters and wrote letters and how in some cases, the offending party later called with a personal apology. Then they began talking about their mother, who was the woman in the wheelchair. They wondered about her status in the queue and discussed whether they should continue to wait or all leave and come back another time. They finally asked the receptionist and learned there was one person ahead of their mother on the list. They decided, without much consultation with their mother, to wait. Luckily, my therapist came through the door to collect me and I was able to escape the loud talkers and retreat to the peace of the PT gymnasium.

random thoughts – Day 2,073 (Wednesday) – pain-free and tasty

The reduction of pain and discomfort made for a good day. It wasn’t uncomfortable sitting at the desk so the job applications, which are never fun and are almost always mentally painful, at least weren’t also physically uncomfortable.

A photo from a recipe in a Facebook post inspired an immediate trip to the kitchen. Within minutes I was slicing and layering carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, and canned diced spicy tomatoes in a baking dish. Feta cheese was added for the final minutes of the bake. Inspiration comes from everywhere and lunch was a success.

Round two - with cheese and
chicken added for supper.

At supper, the tastiness of lunch was still on the brain and the baking dish with the rest of the veggies was pulled from the refrigerator. Chopped roasted chicken, whipped cream cheese, tomato juice, and a splash of creamer were added and it was round two the oven. Thirty minutes later, it was finished with grated Italian cheese blend. Lunch was good and supper was even better. The chicken made it more filling. The only regret is that it is now all gone and there is none left for lunch tomorrow.

random thoughts – Day 2,072 (Tuesday) – satisfaction

Another Tuesday, another good physical therapy session. Exercises for upper back strength using stretchy bands were added to the list of neck exercises. The manual cervical traction and muscle pressure felt great, and afterwards, my arm and hand were less sparkly than before the session. It all felt very positive.

The big kettle of chicken soup started on Sunday was finished today after a post-PT trip for carrots and frozen mixed vegetables. After it simmered a couple hours, I fetched a pot from Mom’s and returned it a few minutes later, filled with hot soup, officially kicking off soup sharing season. It’s easy to share soup with Mom when she’s right next door and I don't even have to find a container to deliver it.

Miss Kiki!

Miss Kiki, the Beauty Queen of South Gardner, has been operating at an increased level of need for admiration and petting. It’s exciting. My house rule (established when I had the dogs) has been “if the critter can communicate what they want/need, they can have it,” so when she approaches and pauses close enough for me to pet her, I do. Today, she approached for petting, then as bonus content, laid herself out on the rug and let me rub her belly.  

She really doesn’t ask for much. There are face strokes and head to tail petting (usually on demand) and Temptations Treats before bed. So far, it’s been a mutually beneficial arrangement. 

random thoughts – Day 2,071 (Monday) – road trip

Crispy morning.

Sunday night’s icy rain lingered as a light coating for a lightly crispy Monday morning. Most of it melted from the latest blanket of the never-ending oak leaves and pine needles. The carport gutter, cleaned out just a few weeks ago, proudly sported spiked oak leaves like a holiday dinner table centerpiece.

This afternoon, Mom and I took our road trip to visit some local shops on the annual “Country Roads Holiday Tour” and (hopefully) kick off the holiday shopping. We intended to go last Thursday but I started feeling really crappy, we postponed, and I spent the next couple days on the couch.

The big challenge with going today was that many of the shops on the list are not open on Mondays. Or even Tuesdays. In some cases, even Wednesdays. We made it to three of the 20 shops today, and will visit some of the others later this week or some other week.

The first stop was The Good Earth Farm & Garden Center (Gardner), which has lots of gardening, pet supplies, and interesting gift and small décor items. A friend advised transplanting my Christmas cactus, but I couldn’t remember what size pot it’s currently in, so no flowerpot was bought. The cat toy selection was great, but Kiki already has an insane number of toys that she neglects (cha-ching!) and I moved on.

Red Apple Farm (Phillipston) has lots of jam, jelly, relish, pickled eggs, fruit, fudge, baked goods, and take and bake foods. We bought donuts. Back at home, I learned that pumpkin donuts are quite tasty.

The third and final stop for the day was The Country Store (Petersham), which is a café/eatery with gift and grocery items including cheese, baked goods, candy, craft beer, and specialty condiments. The gifts and artworks are spread throughout the store, including near and behind the tables where people were eating, which made it feel very awkward to be shopping. “Excuse me, let me squeeze behind your seat and overhear your personal conversation to look at this basket of images printed on book pages.” Weird. The wood stove was roaring and cozy. We were in there for maybe 15 minutes and hours later, my hair smells like I’ve been sitting by a campfire for a week. At least wood stove smoke doesn’t mess with my sinuses like scented candles and perfumes do and I can still breathe.

Clouds in Phillipston.

The clouds were dramatic and captivating during our ride. The best views with distant hills and low, moody clouds were unfortunately on the winding and narrow-ish country roads. There was no safe place to get a photo and/or I wasn’t willing to terrify my mother by stopping the car on such a road to take a photo. I’m sweet like that.

random thoughts – Day 2,070 (Sunday) – little delights

Sunday morning
sun patterns.

The morning sun comes through the textured glass window panel at the top of the front door and casts shapes and patterns on the wall. I love it every time I see it. It’s a simple joy, on the list of little delights with seeing the turkeys, neighborhood cats, crows, and other critters in the yard. 

This morning Kiki sat on a windowsill in the bay window, tail flicking, whiskers twitching, intently observing the crows walking on the front lawn. I sat on the couch, coffee in hand, watching her watching them and feeling thankful that the cold symptoms of recent days are now gone.

After dance class, there was a visit to my sister's to spend time with family. We sat around the dining table catching up, trading stories, sharing photos and videos on our phones, and eating crackers and dips. It was simple, but it was also everything.

Pasta, veggies, and
tomato pesto.

Later in the day, there was the simple satisfaction of a quickly assembled supper that tasted amazing. It took only about 30 minutes from chopping board to bowl, with vegetables sauteed in olive oil and butter, mixed with rotini and tossed with a jar of sundried tomato pesto mixed with half-and-half for a creamier sauce. A sprinkle of grated Italian blend cheese and black pepper finished it off. It was so quick and tasty. Or maybe it was extra tasty because it was nearly 4:00 and I hadn’t eaten anything all day except for some crackers and dip after dance. Tomorrow’s leftovers for lunch will refute or confirm today’s level of taste satisfaction.

The kitchen skylight has a delightful bonus feature. In addition to providing wonderful natural light (from the sky!), it also serves as a precipitation detection system. Many times, my first clue that it is raining is the sound on the skylight. It’s fun. Tonight, the skylight had a sharper, crispier tone than recent nights. It took a while to penetrate the background noises of the washer, dryer, and furnace, but once I was aware of the added instrumentation to the household symphony, I stepped into the kitchen and looked up. Ice crystals bounced and gathered on the surface of the domed skylight. Out front and under cover of darkness, frozen rain covered the hedges and assaulted the lawn.

The bed is made with freshly laundered sheets, and clean pajamas await. It is nice to be inside for the night, warm and dry with calm sinuses and a happy belly. The small things can really be the big things. 

random thoughts – Day 2,069 (Saturday) – snow day

There have been several days with snowflakes floating in the air, but today was the first time there was a coating of it on the ground. I slept late, and stumbled into the living room still half asleep. It was a surprise when I looked outside and saw the light covering on the lawns. The asphalt street and driveways were clear, and the woods out back had less coverage than the grass out front.

While admiring the snowfall, I noticed a house up the street now has a for sale sign out front. Being a nosy neighbor, I looked it up online to see the listing price and the interior photos and proceeded with my day.

After shaking off the initial morning combination congested/runny nose situation, the cold symptoms tapered off. The snow disappeared from the lawn around the same time. Later, the local wildlife began to appear. A tabby cat with white paws and later, seven turkeys passed through the snow-free yard.

The symptoms continued to improve. When I found myself on the couch pounding down a six-pack of mini Baby Ruth bars after a lunch of leftover pizza, it seemed the corner had been turned and it was declared the last day of the self-directed convalescence. I probably could have gone out in the world and done things today, but the choice was to indulge in the hermit life for one more day. I had already dressed in the officially designated "not leaving the house" fleece pants and there were no destinations in mind.

random thoughts – Day 2,068 (Friday) – yes, and ...

On Wednesday, a friend shared info about a one-night improvisation class taking place at the community college in my new town. She and her husband had signed up for it, and she was letting several of us know about it in case we were interested. Within a few minutes, I uttered the fundamental rule of improv – “yes, and…” – and enthusiastically signed up for the class. 

Improv has always seemed like fun, but any classes I saw in the past were expensive, many towns away, and ran for many weeks. The low fee, location a few miles away, and commitment of just a couple hours on a single Friday night made this class exciting. It seemed like a great chance to do something completely different. Yes, and ... maybe meet some new people, which is the fantasy used for years to drag (trick) myself out of the house.

Thursday, ick season caught up with me and a very messy head cold blossomed in my sinuses. Yes, and ... I was parked on the couch like a Victorian-era invalid with a box of tissues for the rest of the day. Daytime and nighttime medicines were ordered from the big A, to be delivered Friday, just in case the ick continued. In my sometimes overactive imagination peppered with heavy doses of denial, I thought Friday morning would dawn with me feeling fully rested and restored to optimal health with the ick nothing but a foggy memory and fresh cold meds relegated to the bathroom closet. Nope.

On Friday, I awoke at 8:30 after a solid ten hours of slumber. Fresh frost glistened on the neighboring lawns and roofs. The head cold had slithered southward into the uppermost respiratory region. Sneezing and coughing were amplified. The previously runny nose was congested until I got out of bed and gravity kicked in. Yes, and... then it was simultaneously congested and runny. Ewwww. Things were definitely feeling worse.

The day's view.

Attending the improv class was deemed out of the question. The daytime cold formula helped, but it was still too much for a mask and the tissue consumption was excessive. I resigned myself to another day and night on the couch fortified with soup, tea, a box of tissues, "Woodoku"on my phone, and Love is Blind on Netflix. For anyone keeping track, I’m now up to season four.

Hopefully, the improv class at the community college will be offered again. Yes, and ... if it is, I will sign up for it again.

random thoughts – Day 2,067 (Thursday) – physical

Place of physical therapy.

The first physical therapy appointment was this morning. The location couldn't be more convenient, within a couple miles of the house. The therapy session took a two-pronged approach after talking about the various twinges from the home exercises and my now extra long showers with the hot water beating on my neck and shoulder. The therapist provided manual cervical traction and some shoulder muscle pressure which felt great. After that, it was a series of exercises, some involving stretchy bands. Overall, it was pretty good and the arm and hand tingling was definitely minimized for most of the day.  

After the very productive PT, the day careened sideways. My sinuses kicked into snotty overdrive and it felt like I had suddenly been gifted with a full-blown cold. Instead of going to some small local shops with Mom, I parked myself on the couch under a blanket.

Tuesday’s kettle of vegetable soup, which had been supplemented with salsa and spicy diced tomatoes for Wednesday’s lunch, was boosted again today with fresh spinach, garlic, mushrooms, celery and grated ginger root. Multiple bowls of soup were consumed while wrapped in the blanket.

After lunch, the rest of the day was spent resting and recuperating with season three of Love is Blind (2020) on Netflix. There is no real reason to watch this show other than it’s easier to watch all the old seasons (which I did not watch when they were “fresh”) than to find something new to watch. It’s obvious I watch too much Netflix when I’ve seen every one of the “Top Ten This Week” features and most of the “New on Netflix” shows. If Netflix viewing paid by the hour, I’d be rich.

random thoughts – Day 2,066 (Wednesday) – aurora

Last night, driving home from dance class along some back roads and the regions major roadways, it was dark. It was a lot of the usual sights along the way. There were trees along a stretch of Route 117 and in another spot, orange barrels with reflective tape placed around a new looking rotary. A few idiots blazed down Route 2 much faster than the speed limit. There was nothing unusual seen along the way.

Back at home, feet up, TV on, I popped open Facebook and the feed began filling up with photos of the aurora borealis in pinks and greens from friends in the Midwest, Tennessee, New Hampshire, towns around the former residence of Lowell. I went outside to have a look. Many times. At first, it was cloud cover. Then it was more clear, but just a dark sky and sometimes a star.

Not the aurora,
sky version.

I looked upwards from the front of the house, and then from the back. I looked up through the skylight in the kitchen. Nothing. Just like the last time the aurora was allegedly visible in my area, I saw nothing and my camera captured nothing. The biggest difference was that this time I wasn’t alone and cold on a gold course in Dracut, I was alone and cold in my yard in Gardner.

Hope was finally abandoned and I went to bed. While doing the final doom scroll before sleeping with even more aurora images, I saw a really cool photo someone had posted of the aurora outside their window, which they took while laying on their floor. When I woke up at 2:46 this morning, I raised the shade and looked at the sky, hoping for something like the window picture seen earlier. Photos were taken, but it was more nothingness.

Not the aurora, TV version.

Once again, the aurora borealis was visiting my area and I saw nothing. There were even more aurora pictures this morning. The closest thing to the aurora I saw was the newly frequent error message about "an issue with my streaming device" (also known as the Xfinity issued cable device) while watching Netflix.

To say I had another raging case of aurora envy would be exactly correct. Allegedly, it may be visible again tonight. I’ll be out in the yard, or maybe I’ll take a drive in search of a more open area with the hope I’ll get to see it.  

random thoughts – Day 2,065 (Tuesday) – critters and therapy

Morning turkey visit.

The turkeys were in the front yard this morning and I still get stupidly excited when I see them. The sky was spitting snow which meant it was cold and also a great day to start a new pot of soup. Chopping commenced and soon the kettle was full of cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and onion with olive oil, before being joined by canned diced tomatoes, water, and two packets of onion soup mix. 

Once the soup kettle was going and set to simmer for a couple hours, I got all inspired and hospitable and called to invite Mom for lunch. At noon, Mom and StepDad came over and the three of us lunched. It was fun.

Kiki as a gargoyle.

Kiki has returned to posing like a gargoyle on the arm of the chair after a break of several months. Currently, the two pillows that came with the small couch are parked in the chair because they are too bulky to fit on the couch and allow someone to also sit. It might not be too much longer before Kiki registers a complaint about the inaccessible chair. 

After lunch, I had the long-awaited physical therapy evaluation. The way the whole shoulder/neck mystery has played out so far, I wasn’t even surprised to hear the physical therapist didn’t have the x-rays that were done two weeks ago, even though the practitioner that ordered the x-ray and the PT are all part of the same medical group.

There was a questionnaire before I saw the therapist, and it included a long list of activities with yes and no answer options for existence of pain. Most made sense, but I couldn’t answer a couple. Can I “raise a bag of groceries to waist level?” That roughly equates to setting the groceries on the counter, so okay. That was followed by “raise a bag of groceries overhead.” Seriously? In what situation would that be needed? Can I “throw a ball?” Ummmm, had I known it would be a test question I might have tried it at home. Can I “lift a small suitcase?” Probably. It seems more likely the small suitcase would the thing needing to be lifted overhead, especially on a plane, but, hey, they went with groceries on that one.

In the exam room there were lots of questions, measurements of mobility, and pulling up of my head to take pressure off the neck which felt really good. There was some muscle poking and pressing and I got to use my highly scientific terminology which included “there was just a little rice Krispie pop,” and “my entire arm and hand feel like sparklers.”

The actual physical therapy begins Thursday morning. I left with a sheet of exercises to do at home, which will be pretty easy to remember because four of the five exercises are in the stretch routine we do every Sunday before we dance and I already do them at random during the day. Now I just need to make sure I do two sets of ten once or twice a day (depending upon the exercise).

Dance group was good, even with four or five people missing due to illnesses. It’s officially ick season. The ten of us in attendance worked on three dances and we adjourned on time. Several people wanted to get home to watch Dancing with the Stars. I wanted to get home to eat crackers and the rest of the cranberry and jalapeno dip. Tomorrow, I need to visit the store for more dip and also some chicken because I think the dip would be great mixed with cold chicken in a sandwich on multigrain bread.

random thoughts – Day 2,064 (Monday) – shopping and fog

My sister had the day off from work, so she, Mom, and I had an early-afternoon retail therapy outing. The first stop was Ollie’s in Fitchburg. It’s located in the former Big Lots building. As a Big Lots substitute, it’s okay. My favorite department today was Books. The variety of genres was good, with graphic novels, kids books, novels, puzzle books, and coffee table books including one that was so big it could serve as an actual coffee table with some legs attached or maybe stacked on piles of other books. 

New book acquired.

During the moving in days, there was a vow to not buy any more books, and since moving in, a bunch of books have been donated. Walking into the book department was tempting fate. During my meanderings of the book racks I spotted the name “David Sedaris.” It was The Best of Me, a title I wasn’t familiar with, for the crazy price of $3.99. Despite the self-imposed ban on acquiring more books, of course I bought it.

Attempting to exit the shopping plaza was a trip. The driver ahead of us was pulled to the right side of the two car wide exit, with a signal on to turn left. Points for using a signal, but demerits for being a dipshit. Then, because half the population (including this dunce) seems unaware of how a turning lane works, they sat there for an unnecessary and insane length of time. Meanwhile, the traffic piled up behind us. I expressed some harsh commentary, and I wasn't even the driver. 

Once we finally got out of Ollie’s, we went to Dollar Tree. We were living large in retail today. The Tree had some surprises. For example, there were five-brick ramen packs for $1.50. As a frequent brick ramen buyer, I knew that it usually costs 50-cents a brick in the grocery store and recognizing the bargain price, I bought a pack.

Trees softened by fog.

Back at home, there was a walk to the mailbox, which I hadn’t visited since last Wednesday. The daily notifications showed there wasn’t a lot of mail in recent days and nothing really important, so I hadn’t worried about it. During the walk in the chilly, foggy air, there was time to notice the trees. It had been raining on and off all day, and foggy most of the day. It was soft and pretty, and looking out the windows of the house, the world looked like a watercolor painting or soft charcoal drawing.

random thoughts – Day 2,063 (Sunday) – snacks and a show

The cloudy weather inspired a leisurely morning, but there isn’t much in my world that doesn’t inspire leisure. Really, any situation will do. Sunny and/or hot? Lounge around the house! Cloudy and/or chilly? Lounge around the house! In younger years, staying home was viewed as a punishment for social failure. Now, it’s a primary life goal.

That said, the afternoon was reserved for an out-of-the-house adventure with a trip to Worcester for the Middle Eastern Music and Dance in New England show. The ticket included mezze and cookies from Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace and Bahnan’s Bakery. A table in the lobby was loaded with tabouleh, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, spinach tart thingies, and a variety of cookies. So delicious. There is going to need to be a field trip to Worcester for provisions from these two places.

Andromeda and her sword.

The band (Ed Melikian Ensemble) included clarinet, oud, guitar, and drum. The floor was open for dancing before and after the soloists performed and several audience members hit the floor for different line dances and some freestyle songs.

The two dance shows were amazing. The first act dancer, Andromeda, performed with veil, zills (finger cymbals), and a sword. The sword was balanced on a hip, upper arm, and head. While playing zills. And dancing. And doing back bends. And balancing on one foot. Very cool.

Soroya Jamal.

The second act dancer, Soraya Jamal, entered the dance space as a ball of energy swathed in a vibrant green veil and costume. The energy lasted throughout the entire performance. Zills rang, hair flew, there was graceful floor work, interplay with the drummer, and perfectly executed belly flutters throughout. Another wow.

On the way out, the catering team was armed with plastic baggies and encouraging patrons to take some of the remaining treats home. That meant I got to enjoy a snack at home of grape leaves, a spinach pastry thing, and cookies. Delicious all over again.

random thoughts – Day 2,062 (Saturday) – kiki, food, zoomies

Another week bites the dust. Gone in a flash.

Kiki on display.

This morning, Kiki stationed herself on the sill in the bay window like a piece of art. It was almost as if she was posing for me. The lighting was lovely for admiring her feline majesty in silhouette. Maybe she was looking for yesterday’s black cat in the same way I was always on the lookout for boys from school as a pre-teen and teen.

It seemed nice out again today, based on the foot traffic passing the house. All the dog walkers were out and I could see sneakers and paws below the window shades. At one point, three sets of human feet in sneakers with generic straight leg jean hems accompanied by three dogs converged in a conversation outside my house. The dogs are adorable but I couldn’t identify any of the humans in a lineup if I had to.

The world outside the living room bay window was observed from the couch while pressing tennis balls into various points in my back and shoulder and sitting with the heated neck cozy that “Promotes muscle and joint recovery.” It was a peaceful and quiet day.

Comfort food.

There was a lunch feast of sauteed veggies and four cheese risotto from a packet. The risotto took significantly longer than the 15 to 16 minutes noted on the package and six minutes extra were required for the water to be fully absorbed. So far, two brands and flavors of risotto have been prepared (butternut squash and four cheese) and both have been delicious and creamy and makes me want to eat more of it. This is the latest comfort food until something else catches my attention. 

Before I knew it, it was dark out and 5:00 felt like bedtime. Ugh. By 5:30 I was thinking about going to bed, but that's when Kiki got her zoomies and started running around the house at top speed. Then she was attacking a bump in the rug (of her creation during the zoomies). Laughing at her antics revived me.

random thoughts – Day 2,061 (Friday) – peeping cat

Kiki and the peeping outdoor cat.

This morning, Kiki went to the window like she often does. Then she began making noises, which is very unusual. The face of a black cat was in the lower left corner of the window near where Kiki stood and at first I thought it was Kiki’s reflection in the glass. Then I noticed it was missing the white trim under her mouth and chin leading to her tuxedo shirtfront. Kiki’s weird noises got louder and weirder. It was definitely not the sweet little meow that sounds like “hello” when she and I greet each other. Not hostile. Not easy to define. Just different. Did I think to video the interaction instead of just taking photos? No, I did not.

The black cat that wanders the neighborhood was peeping through the screen and the window. Kiki was right there, inches away and making weird noises, with the glass and the screen between them.

Have they “met” before? Are they friends? Enemies? Frenemies? I have no clue. 

A couple times in Lowell a neighborhood black cat would sit on the deck staring towards the glass sliding doors. I don’t know if Kiki ever saw that one. She was usually upstairs under the bed when I would see that cat violating our privacy.

The Gardner black cat and several other outdoor cats frequently pass through the yard and driveway, usually traveling solo. Once, I saw one of the cats lounging under a bush with the turkeys in the back yard. This was the first time I’ve seen one this close to the house – perched on the bay window ledge and literally looking in through the window.

After a few minutes, the outside black cat turned and left. Under the overgrown rhododendron, along the front steps, across the yard, across the street and into another yard. Kiki remained at the window, watchful. 

Judging by the extreme and wild fluffy volume of Kiki’s usually sleek tail during the “visit” it didn’t seem she enjoyed the cat hanging around outside her window. She looked out the window for a couple minutes after the visitor left, maybe to make sure it was really gone, then headed for the bedroom. 

random thoughts – Day 2,060 (Thursday) – slices

There was no oversleeping this morning and it was good to be up by 7:00. There was the new usual morning activity of coffee with Mom and the TV cowboys, then back home for domestic chores. The dishwasher was run and then emptied. The kitchen was cleaned. 

Hours (ha! most of the afternoon) were spent going though job listings and the semi-annual review of a seldom used email account to clean out old messages until I thought my eyes would bleed. I still get clusters of messages for Todd, Terrence, Terry, Terri, Timmie, Tracey, and Thomas, all of whom don't seem to know their own email addresses or a typo happened somewhere. Todd was looking at real estate in Pennsylvania, and after many days of receiving listings for lovely properties, I wrote to the realtor and told her the emails were coming to me. Poor Todd might have missed out on a dream property. Terrence signed up for a Texas political email list. Terry had a profile on a dating site and was getting a lot of attention. Terri had duplicate GED accounts which were merged. Timmie donates blood in New York City. Tracey has a 2014 Camaro and someone was trying to sell extended warranty service. Thomas and Kathryn took a Drive Safe course and their course payment receipts and completion certificates landed in my inbox. I wonder how many times I’ve mistyped my email and had messages sent to a stranger.

Morning sky drama.

It was a bright day with some morning dramatic clouds, but beyond noticing that, I have no clue what the day was like outside the confines of the house. Since August, and especially the many times driving past the state park in town, I have thought about hitting the woods for a walk. Since August, I have neglected to do so even once.

I usually think about visiting the woods when I’m in transit to something else and almost never when I’m sitting at home avoiding things or during daylight hours. It’s always a great idea at 9:00 pm, but not even a whisper of an idea at 9:00 am. Funny how that works, and also kind of pathetic, considering I live very close to two mountains (Wachusett and Watatic) and a bunch of state parks with trails. It’s just so easy to be a slug and doing stuff alone isn’t usually as much fun I try to convince myself it will be. 

Maybe once the arm issue is sorted out I’ll hit the trails. Until then, I’ll stay home and deal with my unintended slices of the lives of Todd, Terrence, Terry, Terri, Timmie, and Thomas.

random thoughts – Day 2,059 (Wednesday) – sleeping and panic shopping

Kiki on the bed.

It was another morning for sleeping late. Each day it’s later, and today it was 9:00. The last time I slept that late I was recovering from wrist surgery. I might have stayed in bed longer but I felt a little bit bad that Kiki was sitting patiently in front of the dresser like she does every morning until I vacate the bed.  When I get up, she slinks under the cedar chest and watches from there while I brush my teeth, get ready to shower, and dress. Then, after I leave the immediate area, she takes up residence on the corner of the bed where she naps and kneads biscuits. This is a schedule change from being under the bed all day.

Grocery shopping happened after a week or two off (or more, who is counting?). The groceries cost twice as much as usual, but it makes sense because I hadn't gone in a while and the refrigerator and freezer have been a little low on items which almost always makes me panic. There are now fresh reserves of cabbage, zucchini, mushrooms, Greek yogurt, Italian sausage, frozen pizzas, and frozen salmon.

Eating before shopping failed me and quite a few snacks and luxury items landed in the cart, along with a couple things from the seasonal aisle that are intended as gifts, but we’ll see how that goes. There is a history of buying gifts early, setting them out of sight, and forgetting all about them for years until, say, moving to another home. Then it’s a lovely trip down memory lane recalling where the items were bought and who the intended receivers might have been before the whole lot goes off to a charity donation.

Chaos in the pantry.

After the shopping, there was the putting away of things and it got scary in the pantry. The dry goods were already pretty well stocked, but the prices on several items looked good and now there is an overabundance of queso, boxed stuffing mix, and microwavable rice and risotto for the days when the cooking time for the stovetop versions is too long. Depending upon the day, mood, and hunger level, there is a big difference between 90 seconds and 15 or 20 minutes.

In violation of the carefully constructed pantry organizational chart, items were shoved wherever they fit, and now chaos reigns with the instant oatmeal and cup ramen with the pasta, salsa with the peanut butter, bagged rice with the brick ramen, and vegetable broth with the saucepans. Half a box of Swiss Rolls has been eaten since 3:00 which hasn't cleared any space in the pantry but kept with the day's emotionally charged vibe of panic in the refrigerator followed by chaos in the pantry. 

random thoughts – Day 2,058 (Tuesday) – steps and sparkle

The day was sunny and pretty and started with coffee, conversation with Mom, and the cowboy channel, officially known as “Grit” | Television with backbone.” The morning movie was Four for Texas, a 1963 western/comedy set in the 1870s with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Anita Ekberg, and, get this, The Three Stooges. The inclusion of the Stooges felt totally unnecessary, but I guess the studio needed to pile on all the stars of the day and it let them add the word “comedy.” 

We did our usual TV/movie commentary, noting the magical cleanliness of the white shirts and vests on two guys having a fist fight in a dirt-floor barn, the amazing Hollywood dirt road with no dust despite heavy horse traffic, and the movie star teeth on all the cowboys. That’s how we roll during our coffee visit when the cowboy shows are on. I left when the next movie began, to avoid getting sucked into another show and to attend to a long-neglected basket of laundry.

Tonight was the return to the Tuesday dance class after my taking the last two weeks of September and all of October off. We worked on two dances with lots of arm movements and because we were learning the dances, there was a lot of repetition. It was good to be dancing, but the sparkling, tingly arm got a little extra spicy during the class. I reunited with my beloved gel ice pack barely three minutes after arriving home. At bedtime it’s a menthol and lidocaine patch, and if the box didn’t say not to use more than one, I would be wearing them like a full sleeve every night. It will be nice when whatever is causing this unwelcome life intrusion is resolved.

random thoughts – Day 2,057 (Monday) – sleepy talk

It took a while to unwind from the show Sunday night. I was tired but not sleepy, and my brain was alive with ideas for future costumes and music for choreography. That led to a late-night scroll through costume companies for ideas and reference photos and through my Shazam search history for music ideas. In addition to the brain sparks, the tingling limb was slow to calm down, despite my being a carpool passenger to and from the show and having an ice pack on the shoulder the entire ride home.

When morning arrived, there was little interest in waking up and leaving the bed. I slept until 8:30, which would have been an unheard of 9:30 awakening two days ago.

The show costumes, makeup, and hair accessories needed to be sorted and unpacked. Troupe costume veils and hip scarves were collected and zipped into a storage bag where they will live until rehearsals and the next show (early December). Stage makeup and hair accessories were returned to their designated storage boxes in the main bathroom linen closet.  

Chess lessons in Duolingo continued. The app has varying faces for Duo the mascot owl, especially if it's late in the day and a lesson hasn't been done. Today there was a crazy fractured face on the app icon that looks like the scrambled screen on the channels that weren't part of the subscription package back in the early days of cable. (Feel free to use your imagination.)

What's happening to you Duo?

Today, an appointment was successfully (finally) scheduled for the PT initial evaluation and it will be next Tuesday. Fingers are crossed that there are no more system hacks to screw it up. The whole saga, now spanning five weeks and still in the early stages of diagnosing for treatment, has felt like a part time job. Between managing the logistics and the ongoing pain and discomfort, it’s no surprise I am tired.

Afternoon clouds.

Around 3:00, the sky was cloudy and darkening. By 5:00, it was dark dark and I was mentally ready for bed. It doesn’t help that I’m pretty sure I’m genetically part bear and am supposed to eat a lot and bed down to hibernate for the winter. Wintering in sunshine and long daylight would be better, but sleeping for several months sounds pretty good.