random thoughts – Day 2,361 (Tuesday) – minimal effort day

It was gray and rainy and the perfect day for minimal effort. And minimal effort it was. The basics were covered – a shower, coffee, food. The official “staying in the house” brown lounge pants and hoodie were donned in the morning with the intent of changing later. The bed was stripped and sheets washed. 

Kiki lounging and waiting for a treat.

Kiki did her usual lounging about on the bed until I pulled the sheets off, and then she looked mildly offended and disappeared for a while. Once the bed was remade, she and her magnificent whiskers were back on the bed, alternately napping, surveying her kingdom (my bedroom) and telepathically requesting treats when I passed through the room.

Beyond the big “accomplishments,” the rest of the day was spent on word games, reading (Perfume, by Patrick Suskind), and binging Netflix shows. The new season of Leanne is out and it’s pretty funny. The entire second season was watched this afternoon, which I did instead of changing out of the slug outfit and going to the weekly dance class I love and didn’t attend today.

The sporadic rain showers stopped long enough for the street to dry, but I still skipped the almost daily walk to the mailboxes. The USPS notifications didn’t show anything urgent being delivered. Maybe tomorrow the switch will flip from “off” back to “on” and the activity level will ramp up again. Or not. We’ll see.

random thoughts – Day 2,360 (Monday) – green and golden

Two weeks had passed since the last time I mowed and the yard was shaggy. It needed to be done. I meant to mow on Sunday and then I forgot, so it had to happen today. The back yard is small, quick, and straightforward. The extension cord is long enough to get the furthest corners of the rectangular space done efficiently and without incident.

Goldenrod!

The goldenrod out back along the edge of the woods is getting tall and has been flowering for a couple weeks. It has been left deliberately for the pollinators. I read something recently that said the first autumn frost can be expected about six weeks after the goldenrod begins to bloom. That seems awfully soon, but is also helpful information for the planting instructions of "before the first frost."

The other day, many bees were making the rounds of the goldenrod and I watched them from the windows. Today, I got to see them up close up during the yardwork. One little buzzer was covered in a sweater of golden pollen.

The larger front yard is different story. The mower power cord (75-feet) is just long enough to reach most of the yard, but the tiniest tug or extra tall blade of grass causes the plug to edge itself out of the outlet the fraction of an inch that will shut the mower off. The mowing process requires a lot of flinging of the cord to get it out of the way of the next pass and I often think that rodeo school and rope work would come in handy. In general, much swearing occurs in the front yard stretch of the project.

Preserving the little flowers.

Lately, random little clusters of weeds with tiny white or yellow flowers have been springing up and I have been mowing around them. My general lawn rule is, if it’s green or has some sort of flower, it can stay. Once I figure out a way to minimize the front lawn and maximize the area with flowers and shrubs, the transformation will begin. Lawns are so silly. So much effort for an expanse of green that is encouraged to grow and then cut down when it does what we want it to do. At least I get some walking in with the mowing.

random thoughts – Day 2,359 (Sunday) – finishing and starting

Sewing finished.

After a fermentation period of several weeks, Operation Finish Mom’s Sewing Projects began today. The first project, chosen weeks ago, was based on the criteria of quick and easy. It was a cotton vee neck top which needed one sleeve stitched in and a hem on the bottom edge. It had been in a box with fabric for an unknown number of years and has the lightly dusty “been in storage” scent to it.

The sleeve was pinned in earlier in the week. Finishing it wasn’t specifically on today’s list (nothing was on the list), but suddenly, I was off the couch and in the spare room fetching the sewing machine and setting it up on the dining table. The sleeve was stitched. The narrow hem was sewn. The top was tossed into the laundry. I didn’t try it on so I don’t even know if it fits me, but it fit the sewing mannequin. 

Propelled by the satisfaction of completion, the next project was retrieved. After rummaging through a bin and a bag, the purple and gold brocade skirt, bought at Salvation Army several months ago was found. The intention for this one is to remake it into a belly dance belt and it was brought to the sofa along with the seam ripper and thread clippers.

The zipper and waistband were removed and the pleats unstitched, and then the project was set aside for the day. The basic prep work was accomplished and the next steps require a pattern, which depends on the specific design chosen.

There is currently no design chosen from several options available. The shape could be pointed or curved. There could be multiple sections connected with D Rings.  The belt could fasten in one or more places with ties, snaps, hooks, or even buckles. There are also embellishments to consider, because beaded edging is often sewn on in the first steps, before the lining. And I was becoming preoccupied elsewhere.

Ellison Barber on Allegedly.

The TV had been turned on during the skirt disassembly step, mostly for the noise company. I was thinking of stand-up comedy, but an interesting show popped up in the Netflix home page lineup. It was Allegedly, a true crime series podcast with Ellison Barber and various guests. The case in the first episode is one I started watching a documentary series about last night (The Death of the Pastor's Wife). 

I’ve heard of many of the cases covered in the episodes and the series is fascinating. The dance belt design can wait until morning. I’m sucked into this show right now.

random thoughts – Day 2,358 (Saturday) – once upon a time in boston

Spending Friday in Boston has me feeling nostalgic for the city and what was and might have been. When I was in college in my early twenties, my limited thoughts of the future didn’t extend very far. 

The furthest my “vision” extended was to age 27, which, for some reason, was going to the magical year that launched the rest of my life. I pictured myself at 27, working in a posh Boston ad agency and living in an apartment in Boston with brick walls and wood beams. I saw it as the point in time where I would be making headway in a great career and had a busy and fulfilling social life. Basically, I would have my sh*t together.

Janet, Monica, and Me on the dorm roof.

The image was reinforced when I spent a semester at Chamberlayne Junior College in Boston. I just really needed to get out of Fitchburg and applied to a school with a fashion design program that was advertised in the fashion magazines I read. I was starting during the winter semester and the design program started only in the fall, so I studied advertising and retail because I couldn't wait any longer for an escape.

Our classrooms and dormitories were in amazing historic buildings on Commonwealth Avenue. The dorms were between Fairfield and Gloucester and two blocks from The Prudential Center. The female dorm was once a hotel and had a marble staircase in the lobby, tall windows, and fireplaces in some of the rooms (not functional). Bathrooms had a small shower and were shared by two or three rooms.

My room overlooked Public Alley 434 with a view of the back door of the laundromat. It had a sink (very odd feature, but probably a big deal when the place was new). Once, my roommate and I had our illegal hot plate turned on and one of us used the blow dryer and blew out the electricity in the building. Sometimes a few of us went up onto the roof to hang out.

Classmates Heidi and Debi lived on the same floor that I did and because we were all of legal drinking age, we spent time having white wine spritzers and Tanqueray and tonics at Daisy Buchanon’s on Newbury and Fairfield (closed in 2014) and Friday’s on Newbury and Exeter (closed in 2005). Debi worked at Bloomingdale’s. I worked at Casual Corner. 

At the end of the semester, after the fashion show and the ceremony where some of my friends graduated, goodbyes were said and I went back home to Fitchburg and eventually returned to Fitchburg State. A few semesters later, armed with a freshly minted marketing degree, I couldn’t find a job in Boston, panicked, and took a minimum wage bank teller job in Fitchburg. And that was the beginning of the end of the Boston dream.

Every time I have been on Comm Ave in the decades since, (including Friday), I look for the old classroom and dorm buildings of the now defunct Chamberlayne Junior College. The Boston trips have been fewer and farther between and it is harder to remember the buildings each time. Internet searches informed me that my old dorm became part of Berklee College of Music after Chamberlayne’s demise and is now an apartment building.

The pace, traffic, and buzz of the city were a topic of conversation yesterday. Neither my friend nor I think we could live in Boston now. We both live in the same quiet little city 1.5 hours to the west, and Boston now feels a little overwhelming. It’s a wonderful place to visit, but there is no place quite like a home on a quiet street with turkeys in the yard. At least I have the memories of that minute of being young and vibrant in Boston, living on Comm Ave, working in retail on Boylston Street, and visiting the cool spots in between.

random thoughts – Day 2,357 (Friday) – elephants in boston

Elephants on Comm Ave.

Today, on the final Friday of the free Friday MBTA commuter train program, I finally made it to Boston. A friend and I boarded at Wachusett Station, which is a stone’s throw from my house and only a bit further from hers. We chatted the entire 1.5 hour ride to North Station.

Our plan was to see The Great Elephant Migration, an exhibit of 100 life sized elephant sculptures on the Commonwealth Mall (Commonwealth Ave). Options for getting to the exhibit from the train station (1.2 miles) included the Green Line of the subway or walking. We walked. It was 80-plus degrees. There were a few raindrops early into the walking, but not enough to make an impact.

The exhibit is really cool. According to the exhibit sign, each elephant is a replica of a named and known wild elephant of the Nilgiri Hills of southern India. It extends for a couple blocks in the shady stretch of the park that runs up the middle of Comm Ave. There were quite a lot of people, but everyone was cordial and it wasn’t overwhelming.

Bridal party and swan boats.

After seeing the elephants, we popped over a couple streets to the Prudential Center to enjoy some air conditioning and a falafel lunch break. Then we walked over to Newbury Street before heading into The Public Garden and back towards North Station. At 4:00, the Public Garden was busy with people, swan boats on the water, geese on the grass, and two wedding parties having photos done within sight of the bench upon which we rested for a few minutes. It was a beautiful afternoon with lots of sunshine.

On the way back to North Station and in no rush, we saw a lot of stuff. We popped into a store with a store closing sale of Chinese figurines, dishes, jewelry display racks, satin embroidered cushions, and tons of other stuff we liked but didn’t want to have to carry to the train. We passed the Financial District, saw the Old State House, passed Faneuil Hall, and walked through the produce market outside Boston Public Market. It was a large market (and crowded). Every vendor had fruit packaged by the same producer/distributor, which seemed weird. I might have bought some veggies, but just like the stuff in the store closing sale, I didn’t feel like schlepping stuff to the train. 

Outside Boston Public Market.

Without scheduling our time, we still managed to arrive a North Station at 5:15, which was just in time for my friend to get an iced coffee before we boarded the 5:30 train for home. While she got coffee, I noticed a sign posted on the very high corrugated metal ceiling and nearly fell over backward trying (and failing) to get a clear photo of it. It read "Danger - do not walk on ceiling." Ok, no worries. 

At home, I turned on a movie called The Drama with Zendaya and Robert Pattison (HBO). Immediately, the scenery looked familiar. The movie was filmed in Boston and the streets of Back Bay and the Financial District leapt out, as I had just been there a few hours earlier. 

It was so much fun. Even with train fare, it will be less expensive and less stressful than getting into the city by driving and parking. I need to get to Boston more often.

random thoughts – Day 2,356 (Thursday) – bolts and all kinds of jobs

Today was the day for my haircut appointment, which had been rescheduled from July 28 because my hair was on its best behavior and there was no way I was going to mess with it then. My hair stylist is in Worcester, and back in the days when I was sociable and on top of things I would make lunch plans with a friend who lived in Worcester. For the past year (maybe longer) I’ve been negligent in the friend meet-up part of things, and on appointment day, I’m often flying solo and visiting a thrift shop.

Bolts of fabric!

Today, my plan was to visit Savers before the appointment but then I took a detour and landed at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. The store is in the old Building 19 location and still has the old store name in the building, right underneath the new name. I thought the Ollie’s store in Fitchburg was chaotic, but Worcester was a hundred times worse. The anxiety kicked in the minute I crossed the threshold and I nearly turned around and walked back out. But, and it was a big but, allegedly, there were bolts of fabric, lace, and tulle, that were available beginning Wednesday and that is what stopped me from leaving. With so few fabric stores left, the idea of full bolts of fabric was intoxicating. 

In a disaster of retail display, the bolts were stuffed underneath a wood structure that was loaded with a bunch of random stuff. There was some very rugged striped upholstery fabric, aqua tulle with sparkles, white tulle with foil multicolored flowers, plain white tulle, one bolt of green tulle with sparkles, and dark green lace. After pulling out the stuff I liked, I started sending fabric photos to my dance partner.

Ideally, we will be able to coordinate belly dance costumes with some of the stuff, but there is currently no plan. I bought two bolts each of the aqua tulle, white floral tulle, and dark green lace, and the sole bolt of green tulle with sparkles. Luckily, the fabrics are lightweight because I forgot to grab a cart. I headed to the register clutching seven bolts of fabric. Each bolt has eight yards of fabric and cost a pittance at $3.99 each. I haven’t bought fabric at anything close to that price since finding muslin for 39-cents a yard in the early 1990s.

All kinds of jobs!

While crossing town from Ollie’s to the hair salon, I got to sit in Grafton Hill construction traffic. It provided a chance to window shop and there was one shop that especially caught my attention. The window was crammed with figurines and statues and the sign over the door makes some lofty promises. Botanicas Las 21 Division De Haiti claims “We do all kinds of jobs - Good Fortune - Love - Health - Court Cases - We Guarantee Your Job.” 

Hello, come again? The curiosity on this one could send me right back there. I could use some love. Health is important. Guarantees are comforting. We’ll see.  

random thoughts – Day 2,355 (Wednesday) – another day

Another lovely start to the day. It was a coolish morning with sunshine and coffee, reading, and word games.

The mama turkey in the ferns.

Mid-morning, a smaller group of turkeys than usual was spotted in the yard. It was just the female with three littles. I wondered where the other female and the teenager were. Maybe they had already made it to Mom’s yard and I missed them. I’ve been skittish since seeing a young turkey laying on its side, one leg extended, it’s neck looking very odd. It was at the edge of the neighbor’s yard about a week and a half ago. And ever since, the female that used to come through with four younglings now has only three.

The female walked through the ferns and into the woods and the three littles followed. The female was soon spotted atop the big rock behind the shed. It looked like she was surveying her realm or maybe she was playing hide-and-seek from the littles. Then she moved on. Hopefully the littles kept pace.

A trip to Salvation Army for half-off day yielded two blouses and sweaters including a lavender 100% cashmere pullover, a gray pseudo-Nordic style pullover, and a grayish-greenish silk cardigan. All three sweaters had been rejected on Tuesday, but were suddenly more appealing at half-off. Yes, please and thank you.

New used sweaters.

The cashmere sweater had a few small very holes but I can wield a needle and thread, so for $7.50 and a few stitches it was worth it. Everything has been cleaned and is ready for action, though the cashmere and Nordic hopefully won’t be needed any time soon.

Time was spent reviewing descriptions for workshops and classes in the copper foil stained glass method. I always worked with lead came, fumbled poorly with the copper foil, and meant to learn the process. It looks like this may be a golden opportunity to do so.  

Like yesterday, the great day turned on a dime and became less great. This time, it was the news that actor Tim Curry also passed away yesterday. As if losing Dolly wasn’t enough. Two in one day. What the hell?

random thoughts – Day 2,354 (Tuesday) – a day

Alternating headline treatment.

Mom called to say she had newspapers for me. I’m the final stop in the newspaper cycle that begins two streets over with StepDad’s sister. When her house is done with the papers they will drop a couple days worth at Mom’s. When she and StepDad are done with them, they land in my hands. I flip through several days worth in a sitting, wondering why the main headline alternates between screaming in difficult to read all caps and easier on the eyes mixed case. A few days in all caps, then back to mixed, then back to caps. Pick a side, please. I vote for mixed case for readability.

I used to set the papers in my recycling, bin immediately after reading them but lately I’ve been letting them stack up while I decide if they might be useful when the flowerbed is dug along the side of the house after the siding is done. They could still end up in the bin. Or maybe I’ll do a papier mache thing or a collage or something. Anything is possible in the land of this retired person with lots of free time.

There was a quick trip to Salvation Army to scout for fall sweaters. Some of my favorite sweaters have lived in a drawer for several years because they are too small. I thought maybe stress would cause weight loss like it always did before, but that has not been the case and it’s time to accept that I am not an extra-small or even a small anymore, suck it up, clear the drawer, and replenish it with the correct size items for the job-free lifestyle.

Four sweaters were tried on. The butternut squash turtleneck scratched my neck and would require a base turtleneck underneath. A dark green crew neck in a merino wool blend also scratched my neck and had a hole in it. A nice silk cardigan was in a difficult light greenish gray color that coordinates with exactly nothing else in my wardrobe or the store.  The fourth sweater was too big. I saved a fortune by leaving a store empty handed. 

The sun was shining, the air was clear and despite the shopping failure. it was a great day. I won my 20th consecutive game against Oscar, the Duolingo chess tutor. My tires all still have the correct amount of air since being filled a week ago. There was some lovely leftover tortellini with veggies and cheese from last night for lunch. It was dance day. 

As I prepared for dance class by changing out of sit around the house clothes into drawstring waist dance class pants, I saw the sad news on social media that global icon Dolly Parton had died and it was suddenly not a great day any longer. A big cloud of sadness took over and now it was the day we learned that the world lost a true treasure. At least we will still have the songs and the memories of Dolly’s generosity, humor, and greatness. I wonder if the local newspaper will run the headline in all caps. 

random thoughts – Day 2,353 (Monday) – light panels and turkeys

Plastic light panel, ca 1989.

The sun was shining and all was well. At least, until I tried to actually do anything. For the past year, I have intended to remove the textured plastic covers from the ceiling lights in the kitchen and bathroom to clean them. Periodically, over that year, I have tried to figure out how to release them from the frames to facilitate the cleaning. Today, I tried again. Just like before, it didn’t go well.

There are two tiny levers on each frame. I stood on the stepstool and tried to pry the miniscule tab out with the file from a nail clipper. It was a total failure in the bathroom and the tabs wouldn't budge. On one of the kitchen fixtures, the levers actually move and I got them swiveled out. And then nothing happened. I still couldn’t figure out how to get the plastic sheet out. 

They are all yellowed and very crispy and are very likely the original 1989 sheets of plastic. If I break it, how will I replace it? I don’t even know what it’s called or where to find it. 

Turkey dinner party out back.

The female turkeys and the younglings paid two visits to my backyard today. I was surprised on the morning visit. I was out by the recycle and trash bins and the turkeys suddenly appeared from behind the shed. Just a few feet separated us as they sauntered by, and because all I was doing was putting a jar in the bin, I didn’t have my phone and missed the best chance for close-up turkey photos.

During the evening dinner party visit, I happened to be at the kitchen sink and they appeared. One clever little poult wiggled itself through a space in the wire fencing around the squash, basil, and lavender plants and feasted on the ground in peace and solitude while the other birds headed to the far side of the yard. 

random thoughts – Day 2,352 (Sunday) – plans and gentle peaks

Woke up to clouds and rain and no plans for the day, which was perfect because I have books to read. Before I had finished knocking out the last couple chapters of the book I was too tired to finish last night, there was an incoming message about going to the movies today. Yes, please! That is also a perfect wet weather activity. The plan was set – 4:00, chick flick (Spa Weekend).

The time between making and executing the plan was spent on details for a Boston trip on Friday, doing laundry, telling Miss Kiki how wonderful she is, and eating leftover brew pub quesadilla for lunch. The rain stopped and the sun broke through sometime around 1:30 or so.

There was a test run of the “Sharper Image Acupressure Mat and Pillow” with “over 7,000 gentle peaks” (very pointy plastic bits) to stimulate muscles. I bought it Saturday at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet right before meeting friends at Thirsty Robot. I wasn’t looking for such a product, but it found me. It was the only one on the shelf.

Feet activated.

I set the new acupressure mat on the living room floor and laid down with it under my back and the pillow under my head. It didn’t really feel like anything anywhere. I moved the bulk of my hair so the pillow’s “gentle peaks” had more direct contact with my head. I pulled my knees to my chest so my back had more direct contact with the mat. It was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. I wondered if anything was even happening and also if my clothing was too thick as the model on the box was wearing Lycra leggings and a cropped sport bra top and I was wearing cotton twill pants and a long sleeve tee shirt.

When I stood up, my back felt pretty good, as in, not horrible. I stepped on the mat and the soles of my sock-clad feet felt stimulated, activated and ready for action. Kind of tingly and suddenly, immediately alive. Wow. That, right there, was worth the $12.99 bargain outlet price tag.

The movie was good, as in, it was a brief distraction from the ongoing stress and strain of real life – BS politics, war, increasing prices for food that will either sicken us or kill us (salmonella jalapenos, salmonella eggs, cyclospora lettuce, E. coli alfalfa sprouts, E. Coli blueberries, etc.). Luckily, movie popcorn is not on the list (yet) and a large bucket of it was had and called supper.

There were some decent laughs in the movie and my friend and I now want a spa weekend, just not as screwy as in the movie. My body always hurts and my skin is developing all the issues I was spared as a teenager. I want soothing music as I sit around in a fluffy robe sipping cucumber water between a massage a facial and to feel relaxed even if it takes money for someone else’s skill and training to make it happen. Lord knows, I don’t know how to make it happen on my own.

Unfortunately, neither my friend nor I know of a single day or weekend spa in our region. I went a couple times to a lovely place in Clarksville, TN, but that was a million years and 1,100+ miles ago. I detect a research project on the horizon.

random thoughts – Day 2,351 (Saturday) – finnish pastry and thirsty robot

The day began with attending the Finnish Mama 4^th Annual Summer Finnish Coffee Table. I initially thought it was on Sunday, but luckily got the info straight in time to attend on the correct day. Some of my friends are in the Finnish dance group and I have been very negligent in seeing them perform, which I have felt bad about.

I saw a Finnish Mama booth at a festival last fall that the dance troupe performed at and I was intrigued by the variety of pastries. There were coffee breads with orange and other fruit flavorings, and lots of smaller bun type breads that I wanted to try, but that festival day was warm and it was during the stretch when my neck and shoulder were in big pain and after we danced I just wanted to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible. 

Dancers in authentic Finnish costumes.

Today was a great opportunity to check out the pastries and see my friends dance the Finnish dances. I didn't quite know what to expect, and all I can say is "wow"! A long table in the center of the room was loaded with plain and flavored coffee breads, tiny cakes, and cookies. There was coffee, iced tea, and cucumber water.

The dancers wear authentic Finnish costumes from various regions in Finland and perform several dances. I even had a chance to chat with someone who has been to Finland several times and now I want to go there even more. 

The day turned into a double-header of social events with a meet-up at Thirsty Robot for supper, music and a game from the big rack of tabletop games. We played Shut the Box, a wooden dice board game I had never heard of before and now look forward to playing again.

Five of us shared quesadilla, pretzel, and pizza. Some of us were meeting for the first time, but it felt like we were all long-time friends. The quesadilla is amazing with a lacy edging of browned and crunchy cheese. The pretzel was warm and soft and served with mustard and beer cheese dip. The pizza was as good as the last time I was there. We ate until we were full and there was still some left over. I love it when a day without solid plans blossoms into a fun time with friends.

random thoughts – Day 2,350 (Friday) – schedules and procrastination

Another Friday and another week have come and gone. Despite being unemployed for 14 months, I still have the Monday-Friday office work sense of time with weekdays as one vibe and weekends having a special time-off mood. Except all my days are time-off days now. Every day is essentially a weekend day.

Today was another of the new ordinary every day is a weekend day days. I had a plan to take the free commuter train to Boston. When I had made no effort to leave the house to be on the 11:25 train, there was still the 1:25. When I was still at home doing nothing at 1:15, there was still the 3:25 train, but that was just pushing everything too late.

So, like most of the Fridays all summer long, I hung around the house, ate every few hours, and read a book (Rage by John Kellerman). There is always next Friday, but that is the final Friday of the free commuter train program, so if I blow it again then, I will have missed out.

Lawn offering.

One of the commuter turkeys that pass through the yard on a schedule that has not yet been catalogued left an offering of a feather. I’ve seen random feathers on lawns throughout the neighborhood and today it was my lawn’s turn. It fluttered in the not so green grass with the breezes until I picked it up and stuck in the flowerpot with the reddish mum. 

Somewhere in a box in the house are several turkey feathers from the yard in Tennessee. There was never a plan for them, they just live in a box with the art supplies.

random thoughts – Day 2,349 (Thursday) – water and storage

The city is under a mandatory water ban from 9 am to 5 pm which went into effect May 11. The ban states that “Nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to mandatory restrictions include:

-          Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;

-          Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety;

-          Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.

Unfortunately, my adherence to rules that benefit the public good often causes me to resent those who disregard them and potentially endanger the public or abuse public resources (like the water supply).

What water ban? Let's wash the shed.

Today, my resentment was provoked by a neighbor who spent several hours this morning washing his house, carport, shed, planter boxes, snow plow that has sat in the driveway since he took it off in the spring, back deck, and all his lawn equipment which he had pulled out of the shed. This same neighbor washes his truck practically every other day. 

I didn’t act on my resentment and feelings of moral superiority and stayed inside my house reading a book, looking out the window once in a while and observing the activity, and telling him off in my head for being a selfish water wasting dipshit.

Stuffed animal storage chair!

Anyway. After the domestic washing event was done, my social media scrolling delivered chuckles. One of them was in an ad for Five Below, chain store purveyors of inexpensive trendy things. A featured (and fascinating) item in today’s ads was a “stuffed animal storage chair.” 

Damn skippy, I could have used that storage chair when I was young and had tons of stuffed animals and I have adult friends and family who would probably like it now.  It might even look really cool stuffed with all my belly dance practice scarves and veils which are currently crammed into and overflowing a basket. New decorating quest? We’ll see.

random thoughts – Day 2,348 (Wednesday) – milestones and intrusions

The milestone accolades continue to pile up. Well, in Duolingo and other pretend realms, not so much in real life. Today, my streak hit day number 2,222 which, numerically looks cool. It popped up on my phone screen after completing a lesson this morning and, like so many other things in my phone and laptop, has absolutely no value in the world beyond my phone. 

My email is now gamified with a little badge popping up to pat me on the back if I delete some magical number of messages some magical number of days in a row. This one has zero fun value and is 100% annoying. I am not looking to spend more time in my inbox, I just want to check messages, get out, and move on with my day. I don’t want extra overlays on the screen patting me on the back and blowing smoke up my butt for deleting some emails.

The annoyances have multiplied in the retail world in the form of interrogations, specifically Ocean State Job Lot, which is close to the house so I go there a lot. The annoying practice is to flash a survey on the payment screen while the customer is attempting to pay and get out of the store. No, I don’t want to answer questions about today's customer service and hold up the rest of the checkout line that extends halfway up an aisle while doing so. Ocean State still has employees at the registers and doesn’t force us to check out purchases ourselves and I appreciate that.

The surveys are rampant, but usually arrive via text or email and I can deal with them (mostly delete) on my own time. I get one every time I go to the dentist. I ignore it, and they send a follow-up. I get them from the doctor’s office (also ignored). And Amazon. And Kohl’s. Walmart. Ocean State the one time I ordered something ship to store. I am exhausted by ignoring all the requests and then the screen congratulating me for deleting emails. I'm all surveyed out.

random thoughts – Day 2,347 (Tuesday) – choose your own

Yesterday I returned a books to the Little Library Box and it was so full I needed to take more out so they would fit. One of them is a “choose your own adventure” book. I’ve heard of the concept, and the book is pretty cool. Each chapter ends with an choice and tells what page to go to for the option chosen. There is a lot going in for 188 pages.

On the way to dance I stopped for gas and air. The tiny station on route 2 was packed with vehicles being jockeyed into position and a massive dump truck swallowing up the space. To the credit of the other drivers, we all made it out unscathed.

Dance was good, but the wood floor was slippery again, especially when we had the A/C running. I slipped in my ballet shoes and I slipped when I was barefoot. there was no winning. We tried both choices. The slightly less slippery floor meant sweating like crazy but the conditioned, drier air meant a more slippery floor, and neither was ideal. It’s hard to dance full out when I don’t trust one knee and ankle and the floor is already trying to wipe me out.

On the way home, I decided to stop to grab some supper. The options included Market Basket prepared food, Chines food, or pizza. I missed the turn into a plaza with both Chinese and pizza, missed the turn for the grocery store, and ended up at a pizza place down the street from home. The pizza was good, just not the way I love it. The crust was a bit thicker than I like, it was light on sauce, the mushrooms were chewy and seemed like they came from a jar, but to its credit, it had a good amount of cheese. I will likely choose a different menu option if I go back there. The pizza option has ben chosen and it’s time to back up a chapter, make a different choice, and try that adventure.

random thoughts – Day 2,346 (Monday) – more real turkeys

Narcissus!

Real Turkeys of South Gardner returned with new episodes today. The afternoon matinee featured fast moving adult females on Sunrise Lane accompanied by several equally fleet footed younger birds that Mom and I call “the teenagers” because they are larger than the youngest birds, but not as large as the adults. This looked like a different flock than the one I usually see with the two hens, one adolescent, and four littles.

The group hustled across from my side of the street to the other as if they were in a race and were soon hidden by shrubs and fencing. They moved too fast to get them all in a photo. One of the adults was walking a bit off, and she may be the hen that had the injured foot last year. If it is her, she’s made great improvement. If it isn’t her, what’s up with the lame hens?

Silly bunny.

Later, over on Champagne Road, the gang of four toms seemed to be missing a member. Two toms were walking on the roof of the tan house. Narcissus was across the street making love to his reflection in the chrome on the back of the Tacoma. I was imagining the soft turkey noises I heard were the fowl equivalent of "dang, you are one handsome dude, I can't take my eyes off you." Maybe the toms rotate the chrome time and it isn't always the same one. I wonder if the vehicle owner is aware of the evening admiration ritual and chrome pecking. The fourth tom was nowhere in sight. I hope he’s okay. Maybe he was on the far side of the roof.

A few houses up the street, a bunny dined from the greenery growing in the long crack in a longer driveway. There was lawn on either side of the driveway, so it was amusing seeing it sitting on the pavement eating from a skinny strip of grass.

It's darker earlier now and as I passed the houses, images from giant TVs could be seen from the street. My TV looks like a postage stamp compared to some of the ones I saw, but I am unbothered. I have no desire for a TV screen so large someone on the street could also watch.

random thoughts – Day 2,345 (Sunday) – screws and loss

Screws. 

Fourteen years ago today, I lost a few screws. (Unleash the loose screw comments. Go ahead, I’ll wait.)

The screws were in my left leg – two at the knee, two at the ankle, and were inserted the previous October with the rod that was set in my shinbone (tibia, if you want to be all correct about it). The fibula also snapped, but it never got any attention during the rebuild. 

I could see the screws under my skin and it grossed me out, so when the surgeon said they could be removed, my response was along the lines of “ok, great, can we do it right now?” Unfortunately, it was not like adding a manicure to the pedicure appointment and required planning and scheduling and transportation coordination due to factors like anesthesia.

I miss these guys.

Once removed, the screws were set into a screw top container (ha, ha) and I took them home. My morbid self had asked for them and I was surprised (and slightly freaked out) at how long they are. They are currently still in the container and somewhere in the house, but it might take some digging to locate them.

While I relaxed on the couch after the quick procedure during which I enjoyed a satisfying drug-induced nap, Moose and Winston, my constant companions, kept me company. I really miss those little guys. 

It stinks that great pets can’t live forever or at least as long as we humans live. Moose shepherded me through a breakup and the immediate aftermath of the broken leg, and Winston joined us several months after the leg injury and added his flavor of support.

The screws are gone from the leg, and so is my full trust in my leg. It’s great for walking, casual hiking, and even belly dance, but those don’t involve jumping or anything even remotely strenuous. This summer’s weekly ballet class has illuminated my lack of trust in my left leg (and ankle) for leaps of any flavor. Leaps used to be my thing. Some of my dancer friends were amazing at spins and holding long poses with an amazing elevation of a leg, and I loved the hang time in a leap and often received the teacher feedback of “great push off” when we did grand jetes across the back of the room. 

In dance, it was leaps, and in roller derby we had to jump over objects while skating to pass our skills test. Now, I barely trust myself to do a tiny hop over a crack. The broken leg broke my spirit. I’ve known it for a while, but it’s become shockingly obvious to me lately. I gained a titanium rod and lost the bold and zesty version of myself I was before it happened. It’s been gone so long now I don’t know if it’s possible to get even a sliver of it back.

random thoughts – Day 2,344 (Saturday) – water, sunshine, and food

Rippling pool water.

The forecast was for nice weather and that was good because it was the day of one my belly dance groups pool party pot luck. Dance bestie picked me up and we headed to the destination -- a lovely backyard oasis with a pool, massive dining countertop, beautiful plantings, and lots of seating.

We live in several different towns and some of us hadn’t seen each other since our show on June 16^th which now feels like a very long time ago. In September we will start our classes again, in a new venue as the old place was sold. That has been the situation with both dance groups I’ve been in over the past couple years.

It was a bit cool and cloudy at the start of our gathering which made it comfortable and perfect for eating. There was so much food we could have fed the navy with salads of the vegetable, bean, pasta and antipasta varieties; assorted veggies and fruits; multiple varieties of hummus; lemonade and iced teas; and desserts. So many desserts, including carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting made by dance bestie to continue the celebration of my birthday earlier in the week. The carrot cake cupcakes were far superior to the store-bought carrot cake earlier in the week.

Poolside prettiness.

The water rippled and sparkled in the pool. After a couple people went in the water and came back out, the clouds split up and scattered and the sun came out stronger. I’m not really a pool person (the chlorine wreaks havoc with my skin) and was content to sit at the edge of the pool with my feet in the water.

We sat in the shade near a tall pink variety of hydrangea (I had to look it up in PlantNet) and chatted. During the afternoon our multifaceted group covered all the important topics -- food, a couple local murders, looking for houses, state police department horses, an upcoming dance show, various styles of dance classes, children and grandchildren, sleep and waking up, knee problems and surgeries, and a thousand other things. It was fun.

The evening walk was taken earlier than usual and it was quiet. There were none of the usual critters and very few people in sight at 5:30. A cookout was underway at one house and the smell of smoke filled the air.  After walking off the caloric equivalent of one potato chip from the afternoon party, I dove into some bean salad, followed by carrot cake muffins. Life was extra good today.

random thoughts – Day 2,343 (Friday) – turkey antics

Today’s new and exciting episode of Real Turkeys of South Gardner opened with the females with poults parading on my street. The one with the four littles and the one with the teenage turkey reappeared around 2:30 this afternoon and traversed the yards on both sides of the pavement.

During my evening walk I was surprised to not see the four males who nearly always congregate two streets over. I was hoping to see the one turkey dude eyeballing himself in the truck chrome again, but the truck sat in the driveway, ignored.

Turkeys on a Roof.

Instead, a few houses down the street from the Tundra with chrome, there was an odd sound up high and that is when I finally spotted the four males. They stood along the peak of the roof of a house as the sun sank lower. Against a backdrop of trees, they strutted and posed like sculptures and shifted around and one even shoved another one. Now I wonder if there have been turkeys on my own roof. 

This evening’s staging of Turkeys on a Roof  was even more entertaining than the usual ground level episodes. I look forward to upcoming episodes of the unscripted adventures of Real Turkeys of South Gardner.

random thoughts – Day 2,342 (Thursday) – birthdays and such

My birthday has been dealt with in a number of ways over the years. My family has always acknowledged birthdays, no matter what. When we were little, my brother’s birthday (July) and mine (August) were celebrated together with a family party, often on a Sunday afternoon at Mummu’s apartment, with cousins from Mom’s side.

Significant birthdays got some drama. When I turned 13, I was visiting at Mummu’s until Mom said it was time to come home. It felt weird that I was at Mummu’s and I couldn’t just go home, but once home, I knew why. When someone finally picked me up, there was a surprise party and a ten-speed bike that was assembled while I was at Mummu’s. 

My Sweet 16 fell on Friday the 13^th. The plan was a pool party at our house and painting “The Rock” at the granite quarry where, in a tradition started in 1936, the senior class would traditionally paint their graduating year in red and white paint on the granite face of the big hill facing town. My friends and I would start our junior year that fall, so it was essentially an act of sabotage to go paint our year.

My parents weren’t fans of the rock painting idea, but somehow caved and bought some red paint for the job. My friends came over. There was a huge thunderstorm and my party became an indoor event with Dad, who was a freelance DJ, playing all the hit music in our dining room.

When I was turning 30, another surprise party was planned. At the time, X1 and I lived around the corner from Mom and the house I grew up in. X1 and I shared an office in the house and he used the big desk for work stuff, I used a smaller table for sewing. Usually, the only thing on the top of the very tidy desk was a phone and a calendar. On the weekend before my weekday birthday he had written “surp party” on the calendar which, of course, I saw. I finally asked if it was required I act surprised. It was supposed to be a cookout at Mom’s, but it poured and became another indoor house party.

Cake and ice cream, round two.

There were no surprises this year. Mom and my sister chatted in advance about going to lunch and then filled me in. We no longer ask “what do you want to do on your birthday,” because none of us want “a fuss” and will answer with “nothing!” The current (successful) system is to formulate a loose plan and then tell the birthday person, “we were thinking of X and/or Y for your birthday, unless you want to do something else.” Doing nothing is forbidden.

Today’s weather was sunny and warm and thunderstorm free. We decided on lunch at Gardner Ale House and then walking around downtown a bit, followed by cake and ice cream and Yahtzee at Mom’s. (Later, for supper, I had a second round of cake and ice cream.) 

The Ale House has a couple non-meat menu items which is twice as many as some places so I was afforded the luxury of being torn between the veggie burger and a veggie quinoa bowl instead of settling for the lone item on menus elsewhere. Mom had a burger, Sis had a roast beef sandwich, and everyone was happy with their food.

New tree in the kitchen.

After lunch we crossed Parker Street to visit a new shop featuring local artisans that opened about a week ago (TejvaB’s Treasure Chest Boutique) and another shop nearby (Happy Trails Natural Foods). They are both great little shops with lots of interesting stuff including décor and gift items. Need local honey or honey pollen? They’ve both got it. Cool decorator items? Covered. Jewelry or maybe some natural supplements? On it.

I bought a tree of life hanging piece with bells and now I have a lot bordering on possibly too much stuff hanging in the kitchen. We’ll see. Things can easily be moved. I possess the technology (hammer, nails).

In other exciting news – turkeys of all ages and genders paraded through the yard this morning. Also, there may be bear poop in my front yard (discovered this evening on a walkabout). Earlier in the summer there was definitely some in the back yard. Today’s suspicious material looks the same but is smaller.

random thoughts – Day 2,341 (Wednesday) – reach

Tendrils reaching out.

There were weird dreams this morning (again) which is usually the signal that I have slept too long. Sometimes the editor/narrator in my brain thinks “this is weird, it must be time to wake up.”  

Some of the latest weird morning dreams before waking have included themes and imagery from previous dreams. I’m trying to pack for a trip and my stuff has gone missing. I’m moving into a dorm-type building and can’t find my room or I find it and somebody else is already set up in my space. I'm at a big hotel with a maze of staircases, storage rooms, cafes, and lounges and can't find my way back to my room. I’m standing alone in the center of an empty room with beautiful wood floors and large windows. Some day I'll figure out what it means.

When I checked the time, still groggy with sleep, it was 8:12 and I thought, “hmmm 8:12 on 8/12” as if it was still a dream and this information was supposed to be significant. And I got out of bed.

There was a delicious fresh eggs and cheese breakfast burrito, followed by a shopping trip with Mom to Kohl’s. I found three purses I liked there and none of them had a price tag. It didn’t feel worth the effort and I put them back. I ended up getting a Cuddl Duds base layer shirt on clearance and using two Kohl’s cash certificates.

This afternoon I learned about the desire of the spaghetti squash plant to reach out and climb. The plant grew across the dirt until it reached the fencing intended to prevent me from accidentally mowing it down. Now, several dainty, curly tendrils have wrapped themselves around the garden fencing. In doing so,  the blossoms seem to now be more elevated from the ground. I should have done some research before plunking it into the ground and might have known a trellis or a plant cage would be helpful. Now I can't get one in place without ripping the tender supports.

random thoughts – Day 2,340 (Tuesday) – eggs and containers

Pretty colored egg shells.

A friend gave me a box of 16 fresh eggs the other day with shells in pretty shades of tan, pale green, and white. Today, I used half of them to make baked egg and cheese with broccoli and tomatoes.

Fresh eggs laid just a couple days ago crack so much easier than grocery store eggs laid who knows when and trucked in from who knows where. And they are so delicious. 

At least half of the transformed into a baked dish product will be set into containers and frozen, ready for the next cycle of I’m hungry, I don’t feel like cooking, and I need food now. At those times, the lifeline to sanity is usually a plastic container of deliciousness from the freezer. Within three to five minutes (depending upon contents) the frozen block has been returned to a hot and ready-to-eat state and peace settles over the land. It’s a wonderous thing.

Eggs transformed.

Most of my current freezer containers are reusable black takeout containers that were sent home with me from someone else’s home after a dinner. Once upon a time, my containers were fashionable and colorful collections of Tupperware, invented by Earl Tupper in nearby Leominster, MA. To some degree, the colors kept up with fashion and decorating trends. Mom’s Tupperware pieces, bought in the 1970s, were collections in olive, tan, orange, and gold and coordinated with our Corelle dinnerware in Spring Blossom Green (aka Crazy Daisy).

My Tupperware, from the 1980s, was a disjointed mishmash of the 70s sunset colors and 80s blue, gray, and mauve. During a divorce, we split up the Tupperware, even though I was the one who endured the sales parties at the homes of colleagues and paid for the stuff. Like with everything else I walked away from, I told myself it was a small price to pay to be free. I got two of the square sandwich keepers with aqua lids, he got the other two. We split up the drinking tumblers, the hamburger patty holders, and the storage sets. I still have some of it, all these decades later. None of them are the correct size for the rectangles of my baked egg and cheese, but the recently acquired take away containers are.

random thoughts – Day 2,339 (Monday) – circles

The cycle of laundry and household chores chugged along today. It is mystifying to me that, despite weekly vacuuming, I am still finding sewing pins in the rug. I’ve been plotting a couple projects in my head, but I haven’t pinned and sewn anything since before the show in June. Even so, two more straight pins were picked up today during the vacuuming. Another mystery is how there are what appears to be several bleach spots on my sheets, yet I don’t use bleach.

Genuine fake stone circle.

The circles and cycles of time and life took literal form after a trip to WalMart. I have been looking for garden bed edging and today, the website indicated there was some in the store near me so I took the one-mile journey to explore. I checked the outdoor outdoor section last week and found none. 

Today, armed with a product screen shot showing edging and the status “in stock” in case I needed help from a store employee, I started in the in-the-store outdoor section. After aisles of planters, hoses, and tools, I hit the jackpot. In an aisle shared with pool supplies, several styles of garden edging were found. Even better, several were marked down.

I bought two boxes of genuine fake plastic stone border section with stakes. Back at home, I set to work immediately and fashioned a circle of hollow plastic “stones” in a circle under the tree. Forming the circle was harder than I expected. The first effort was lopsided and looked more like an egg shape. It took a couple tries to even out the circle. I need to pull out some more grass.

While I was toiling, a couple neighbors paused to chat. It was fun, and also the most social activity my yard has seen since move-in day just over a year ago.

Imposter carrot cake.

After the yard labor, I set my sights on other circular items from WalMart. One was a tiny sweet potato pie in a brown box. The other was a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I love carrot cake. In recent years, I’ve been buying one during my birthday week. 

Tonight I learned that WalMart may choose to call it a carrot cake and bury it under icing with a frosting carrot on top, but the flavor is 100% spice cake and there is but a single carrot flake of texture in the thing. I will still eat the imposter carrot cake, and now I feel compelled to have a taste and texture comparison of the so-called carrot cakes from Hannaford, Price Chopper, and the not-so-nearby Market Basket, but that might just be the nerd in me looking for another way to make a chart.

random thoughts – Day 2,338 (Sunday) – roof and books

Finally, the roofer.

The contractor for my roof and siding project, in response to my messages about two known incidences of the bathroom ceiling leaking during/after rain storms in the past two weeks, had said he would be over last Monday. At 5:00 pm on Monday, the contractor texted that the roofer would be here on Tuesday, but "the time was still being worked out." I don’t know where he came from, but the roofer and his chariot finally rolled up this morning, four days later than expected. I'm glad I wasn't holding my breath. 

After he leaned a ladder against the house, I went outside to show him the end of the house experiencing the issue and took him inside to show him the exact location. I don’t think there would have been any communication with me otherwise.

I also showed him the front section where the water flows off the roof at an angle and runs down the bedroom window and literally into the bedroom when the window is open. He said some metal piece up on the face of the house is warped and recommended gutters. I guess I shouldn't have tossed out the mailer from a gutter company that came a couple weeks ago. Oops.

Roofer guy went onto the roof with a tube of something and I could hear him walking around. There was some banging. He cast a shadow over the kitchen skylight that I could see from the couch. Whatever went on up there didn’t take very long and then he was gone without a word. There has been no follow up from the contractor since the text last Monday.

My summer 2026 salvation.

I spent the day finishing reading a John Grisham novel (A Painted House) I got it a couple days ago from the Little Library Box. It is some quality storytelling and I really enjoyed it. I returned it to the book box today, along with The Great Gatsby, which I read last week. The book box is so full I had to take two more books out in order to fit my returns in. That book box is turning out to be my summer of 2026 best friend and has turned the past couple months into the best staycation ever. It's exactly the sort of summer activity I loved when I was a kid and have been wanting to relive for ages. So far, so good.