random thoughts – Day 2,196 (Sunday) – rodeo party

It was an off-week for dance group which worked out great for me as I had a family event to attend. Baby G turned one year old the other day and there was a rodeo themed party in his honor starting at noon. 

It was great to be around family, extended family, and friends, some of whom I hadn't seen since a couple years ago at the wedding. A photo wall featured pictures of Baby G and milestones of his first year. Eight teeth! Favorite music is the theme to Law and Order. This wee lad is fascinating!

The rental hall looked great with tables set with wood and cow print layered table cloths, centerpieces, western hats, rodeo/western themed word search puzzle, and adorable little favor bags with a sticker featuring Baby G in western garb, a horseshoe pin, and a cute cow. 

The star of the day was attired in jeans and a shirt printed with his name and age. Some of the guests dressed to the rodeo theme with western boots, hats, fringe, and denim jeans and jackets, and there were plenty of hats planted around the room for anyone who wanted one. I dug out the bolo tie and a big belt buckle with a longhorn steer on it which I forgot was even in my collection of big belt buckles. It was once my wish to find a platter-sized rodeo prize buckle in a thrift shop to be the crowning piece in the collection, but finally lost interest in the search. Today was the first time in a decade I even thought about the buckles I used to wear all the time. 

Snack bowls featured Chicken Feed (Chex mix), Hay Bales (Rice Krispie bars), and Bugles that had a thematic name I have forgotten. The catering was delicious with salads, fries, and burger sliders, all with thematic menu names. 

We all gathered around the high chair and sang the birthday song to Baby G and he tore into a cupcake. I imagined what it must have looked like from Baby G's perspective with a room full of giants staring at him and singing out of tune and then laughing. It seemed like the seeds of a nightmare. After that, I tore into a cupcake topped with the rich and creamy frosting that I love.

Birthday boy.

The guest of honor made the rounds in parental arms throughout the day and visited with all the guests with a big smile. He smiled all day, and even when he got fussy, it lasted barely a minute and then he was back to beaming. 

After a couple hours of socializing, Baby G was zonked out asleep on his beautiful Mama’s shoulder. I get it little guy, socializing is exhausting. And napping is wonderful.

Happy birthday Baby G, it was great to party with you!

random thoughts – Day 2,195 (Saturday) – winner of a day

The postal service alert for the morning indicated a package was arriving. This was a surprise, because I hadn’t ordered anything and the automatic shipments for Kiki’s treats, food, and pellet litter aren’t due for weeks. I had no idea what it might be and couldn’t wait to find out. I stopped for the mail on the way to the grocery store.

The package was small enough to fit into the mailbox, at least from the backside of the neighborhood post office where the mail person puts the mail in. On the front side with the keylock, due to the framework to attach the door onto the mailbox, the delivered box was one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch larger than the mailbox opening and wouldn’t come out. In the process of trying to extract the box, I tore my coat sleeve on the mailbox door. Then, I skinned a finger trying to maneuver the cardboard box out of the metal box.

It would be highly unusual to take a toolbox to the mailbox or the grocery store, so I was lacking helpful items like a box cutter. Liberating the parcel required crudely tearing the paper tape sealing the box with the mailbox key, pulling off the end of the box, and reaching into to remove packing paper and the contents. Then, I was able to crunch the empty box enough to yank it out of the mailbox. With the right director, timing, and filming angles, it might have had the making of a solid comedy scene. The box contained a thoughtful gift from a friend in another state and was definitely worth the effort to free it from the mail box.

Later in the day, a couple friends and I had dinner at their house. We feasted on salad, curry cous cous and tender chicken that had been marinated in buttermilk, coated, and pan fried. It was delicious. 

After dinner, we went to Greenfield to see "Molten, An Evening of Bellydance and Live Music from the Valley Arabic Music Ensemble." The band had nine musicians playing oud, violin, frame drum, clarinet, accordion, nay (rim blown flute), riq (tambourine), and finger cymbals. The live music shows I’ve seen before had two to four musicians, so this was even more impressive. Before the second act, the musicians had a chance to talk about their instruments and how western notes and instruments differ from Middle Eastern notes and instruments which was interesting. 

There were nine dance performances, mostly solos, and I recognized several dancers by name from social media and others by sight from other shows. They were all experienced dancers who have danced across the country and in some cases, across the world. The costumes were sparkly, vibrant marvels with beading, embroidery, sequins, and tassels. Silk veils floated in the air and costumes shimmered in the lights.

There were beverages and Turkish Delight (pistachio flavor). After hearing of it for ages, it was fun to see what all the Narnia fuss was about and I might have a new favorite sweet. I already located some recipes online, because the Internet is wonderful when it isn't being an overbearing algorithm arse. I'm not saying I will make the stuff, but with a recipe it's at least an option.

This day really had it all. Surprise gifts. Delicious dinner. Belly dancers. Live music. Turkish Delight. Winner, winner, and there really was a chicken dinner.

random thoughts – Day 2,194 (Friday) – spring

Robin on the first day of spring.

The first day of spring rolled in gray and misty, with some gentle rain, and later in the day, a downpour followed by varying intensities of rain. At least it wasn’t snowing. I’m not sure if I expected a sudden explosion of wildflowers or something else dramatic, but it felt a little disappointing. A robin in the back yard had the kindness to stay put long enough for me to go into another room to grab my camera that happens to be a phone and return for pictures. Thank you robin on the first day of spring.

The only trip across the threshold to the outside was to drop some items into the recycle bin and walk to the back of the house to check the new dryer vent which was thankfully still attached to the house and blowing hot air outside like it is supposed to. The laundry is back to needing only 40 minutes to be properly dry and all is well in the laundry room again.

It was the perfect day for old-school comfort food. Today, that meant the boxed macaroni with the powdered cheese, with sliced hot dogs in it. Half of it was lunch. The rest was supper.  It was good.

Cleaned up.

The most productive activity of the day was another date with the Barkeepers Friend and cleaning another coin belt. I like tasks like this with visible results. The cleaning was done in the living room in the late afternoon of the gloomy weather day and it was not the best lighting. While the belt is much improved, daylight may reveal some missed tarnish that needs some extra touchup work, but no worries. I can tackle that when I start one of the next belts in the queue. 

random thoughts – Day 2,193 (Thursday) – hearing

The merger that ended my nine years with a local bank led to more than just the stress of joblessness. The bank hosted an unemployment workshop led by staff from the department of unemployment assistance (DUA). In the workshop, we were advised to open a claim for unemployment benefits on July 1 based on our separation date of June 30, as well as how to document the job search and log the activity certifications. 

I followed the instructions and opened the claim, searched for jobs, and provided the certifications week after week. For months, the status of my certifications was “Pending ... while an issue is resolved.” In mid-September, I called the DUA to ask what the issue was.

In mid-October, at around 15 weeks into the searching and certifying process, 14 deposits landed in my bank account for the benefit payments that had been pending. Two days later, a notification was received that the bank had appealed my unemployment benefits and a hearing would be scheduled. The letter instructed me to “get ready for the appeal hearing” and to be prepared to explain my case.

Without knowing what the reason of the appeal was, it was hard to prepare information and “get ready,” but I gathered the layoff letters from the bank, payment stubs for my final paycheck and severance pay, screen shots of the severance amount and duration questions/answers required to open the claim, copies of my notes from the DUA workshops, and a timeline/index for my 14 uploaded documents. These were uploaded to the system in December.

In February, after my unemployment benefits were exhausted, I called the DUA to ask about the hearing, having heard nothing about it since October. My concern was that not logging into the system for weekly job search certifications could result in missing an update concerning the hearing. A couple weeks later, a notice was received of the hearing date in about a month. That date was today.

This morning, per the instructions I am good at following, at the designated time (10:55), I dialed in for the hearing, typed the event PIN incorrectly, re-entered it correctly, and the automated system informed that there was an estimated wait time of two minutes. Hold music was along the lines of classical Spanish guitar and was a refreshing change from the usual classical piano music. The hold music was remotely familiar, and I flipped through the musical index in my brain.

When the DUA representative came on the line to take attendance, I learned the bank rep that filed the appeal was not on the line and there would be a ten-minute wait for them to log in and the rep got off the line. Back on hold, the delicious music continued and I determined it was the same mood and sound as a composition the dance troupe performed to around 2019. I listened to it and as the clock ticked closer to the expiration of the ten-minute wait, the first notes of the dance music plucked in (Dark Fire by Light Rain). I almost wished the hold had been a few minutes longer.

Even better than the great music, when the DUA rep came on the line for the second attendance check, there was still no bank representative present for the appeal. At 11:11, the DUA rep dismissed the case and said that letters will be sent to that effect. The bank has the opportunity to appeal the dismissal, but for today, it was over. The first thing I did after hanging up was search online for the hold music and listen to it before moving on to other things (like combing through job listings).

random thoughts – Day 2,192 (Wednesday) – solved(ish)

The hardware store was visited this morning and a very helpful worker escorted me to the dryer vent stock. We chatted about my dryer vent being so close to the ground (12"-18") and he offered suggestions for raising it which I may or may not someday execute. I got to see the ginger cat grooming itself atop a box and the black sauntered past me on the way through the store.

Packed.

When I took the screws out and tried to pull the old vent cap off, there was an extensive ring of silver duct tape at the juncture of the cap and the metal part from the inside. I fought it off with the aid of the screw driver. Once liberated, I could see there was about an inch of solidified lint tightly packed against the screen. It was impressive how dense it was. Behind the dense pack was another couple inches of fluffy lint. That part was only a tiny bit icky.

Slightly less simple in real life.

The picture instructions on the box looked straightforward enough, just slip the cap over the metal part and screw it on. It wasn’t that easy. The metal part of the vent seemed a smidge larger than the plastic part and was hard to get them joined. Then, it got trickier. The outer frame is slightly wider on the new cap and the screw holes didn’t match the previous screw holes. The skirting material is sculpted to look like rock and isn't flat so the larger frame of the vent didn't sit flush. Ugh. 

It was cold out (in the 30s), and as my quick swap out project blossomed into a lengthier project, I just wanted it to be done. The idea of it being done well was rapidly slipping away as a requirement. Two screws were set in the existing holes and two screws were at screwy angles to reach the other existing holes and a bunch of duct tape was used around the frame to cover gaps. When it’s warmer out there will be a proper redo.

random thoughts – Day 2,191 (Tuesday) – mysteries

The rain of Monday night arrived with a vengeance, accompanied by some super-duper crazy wind. The wind howled and the rain battered the house from all directions. At 1:00 a.m., I was still awake, partly due to the noisy weather and partly because I was racing to finish reading a book. There was a loud and heavy noise outside. And again. It seemed like something had crashed into the house.

I got out of bed and lowered the living room shade cautiously, not sure what to expect, but mentally assessing where the home insurance paperwork is located. The wind had thrown open the full glass panel storm door and was bashing it into the metal railing on the front landing. Luckily, the door didn’t seem damaged and I wrestled it closed and locked it. 

Mysterious cracks? Tunnels?

This morning, I scanned the yard with the aid of daylight. There were pieces of broken plastic skirting in the yard, but that was the only evidence of the storm visible from the window. The snow has melted away and there are strange, curving crack-like marks visible in the side yard and behind the house. It looks like earthly varicose veins or a tunnel network just below and along the surface of the yard. Weird.

Once dressed, I went outside and walked around the house to check things out. There were two pieces of broken skirting on the front lawn and another wedged in the rhododendron. The skirting didn’t come off my house, so it's a mystery whose house it blew in from.

Some house is missing some parts.

The dryer has been not doing its job very well lately, and I checked out the vent at the back of the house. Someone on Facebook mentioned recently that their dryer vent had been plugged up due to the height of the snow. I think the same thing happened to mine because 1) the snow was very high against the back of the house, especially after the roof was cleared off; 2) the dryer vent cap is not very high off the ground; and 3) the vent opening is currently packed with soggy lint pressing against the screen. 

Of course, it isn’t as simple as taking the screen off and pulling out the lint. The latches are broken and the screen has been securely wired onto the vent outlet at four points with what is now some crusty wire. It might be wise for me to visit the hardware store armed with a photo of the existing vent and get a whole new exterior piece before I start monkeying around with it.

Dance class tonight had mysteries and surprises. Usually when we arrive at the rental space, there are a few tables and a varying number of chairs (from a couple to a lot) to be moved out of the way so we can dance. Tonight, there were six tables arranged in the center of the floor and set with chairs. A series of ropes above the floor held crepe paper that had been draped in twisted around the ropes and hung low enough that our tallest dancers hit it when our arms were extended.

Festive!

Additional festive ambiance was provided by plastic panels printed with flamingos and palm trees that were attached to some divider panels with push pins. It was all very neat, like someone went to some effort to set up for an event and someone is going to be surprised the next time they visit the room because we had to move all the tables and chairs out of the way because there was no possible way to dance around it. There may have been a communication gap concerning the precious nugget of info that we rent the space every Tuesday night. Oopsie. At least the furniture moving was an extra workout.

random thoughts – Day 2,190 (Monday) – napping

It’s mid-March and time for my annual pre-spring blahs and energy dip. This is a period of weeks where I feel extra chilly and wander around my house in a coat, even though the temperature setting for the heating system is exactly as it has been for about four months. And also, I’m tired. It started about a week ago. Hooray.

Leftovers.

Today, after being out in the world for a few hours at a fabric store, a dance supply shop, and an Indian restaurant for lunch, I arrived home and despite intentions to do something productive, I crashed on the couch. I was chilly so my jacket stayed on and a blanket was added while episodes of Suburgatory streamed on Netflix. 

There was an early supper of leftover basmati rice and Vegetable Vindaloo from the lunch restaurant. It had been years since last having Indian food and I couldn't even remember what I like, so conservatively ordered the spice level at medium. I should have gone full spicy. Next time I will know better.

Eventually, a lovely nap on the couch crept in. I don’t know how long the nap was, but it was solidly refreshing. I awoke to full darkness outside and the comforting sound of a heavy downpour on the roof. The light on the automatic timer was on, which tipped me off that it was at least 6:30. The clock in the kitchen read 7:30. Thank goodness there were no commitments tonight.

random thoughts – Day 2,189 (Sunday) – practical worry

Elevator gap - source
of anxiety.

For nine years working at the bank, I worked on an upper-level floor. The first office  location for my team was on the second floor, then a couple years later we moved to the fourth floor of a different building across the parking lot. Sometimes I took the stairs to and from the office, but more often, I took the elevator. Every time I took an elevator in one of our several campus buildings and especially when leaving the fourth-floor office space at the end of the day, I felt a twinge of panic. It wasn’t a fear that the elevator would careen out of control and crash in the basement level like in an action movie. It was something more realistic.

My ongoing and regular fear was that I would drop my keys and they would fall into the door gap between the elevator box and the outer area and plummet to the basement, rendering me unable to start my car and drive to the home I would not be able to enter. 

I have a tendency to invest my worry efforts in things that have a chance of actually happening, so it’s much more likely I will lose sleep with worry of dropping my keys in an elevator gap than of me being swept away in a tornado.

House gap - new
source of worry.

This morning, while preparing for departure for dance class and locking the back door to the house, I dropped my keys. They bounced on the concrete landing outside the door and landed near the edge of the top step. While retrieving them, I noticed the gap between the concrete staircase and the skirting wall that encloses the crawlspace under the house. It’s not a wide gap, but it's probably wide enough and the skirting material is flexible. The gap, plus the flexible material might be sufficient for my keys to fall into and would probably be difficult to extract, especially when I'm using the spare ring with just the house and mailbox key. 

And just like that, I have a fresh new thing that could actually happen to worry about on a regular and ongoing basis. Oh, joy.

random thoughts – Day 2,188 (Saturday) – corned beef and devil dogs

The weather mood swings continue. There was fresh snow on the lawn and the bushes this morning when I hauled myself out of bed. During the course of the morning, it was cloudy, it snowed again at varying intensities, and it rained frozen ice pellets. Then the sun came out.

Irish at the British.

There was a plan to meet my sister and her husband, and Mom and StepDad at the British American Club for their annual corned beef and cabbage Irish dinner. The food was good, the tables were decorated with little pots of fake clover and green and white carnations, and at times the music was just too loud to talk, but then the volume was adjusted and it was good.

It was an afternoon at a table with family and friends talking about a variety of topics including scammers and fraud protection, crazy stories from my sister's job at a credit union, and electric utility costs. The elders left before we got to the good stuff  like stalkers, stupid songs we had to sing in elementary school (“Get Along Home Cindy, Cindy, I’ll marry you some day” still randomly invades my brain and hangs out for too long), updates on pets, and hated adult chores like grocery shopping and daily cooking. We laughed over our childhood family car trips from Massachusetts to Fort Worth, Texas and Lantana, Florida in the summer heat with no A/C. We tallied up who fainted at which vacation spot (Sis was Disney World, I was Six Flags over Texas and West Point). The usual. It was fun.

On the way home, I stopped at Dollar General. There was no particular reason other than when I am near the place I go in. Then, while walking around it seemed I should have a reason to be there. After roaming the entire store, I ended up buying a new hand soap for the kitchen and Devil Dogs that were on special two boxes for $5. I was more of a Ring Ding fan as a kid and my brother liked Devil Dogs. I thought about him when I bought them. Really, I bought them because of him. It will be five years this summer since he removed himself from this world and some days the hole feels bigger than other days. Today, I tried to feed the hole in my heart with a mass-produced snack my brother liked. 

Devil Dogs.

The “Mochaccino” Devil Dog flavor is an update for the modern palate and it’s pretty good. I still think Ring Dings are better conceptually because they are covered in chocolate, but now that Ring Dings aren’t wrapped in foil anymore, they have lost a bit of their flavor edge. Maybe tomorrow I’ll dip some Devil Dogs in chocolate and see how those are. It would involve chocolate, so it won't be awful.

random thoughts – Day 2,187 (Friday) – ruins

Roman ruins, March 2023.

Three years ago on this date (March 13), four friends and I were in Rome. Usually, we traveled together to resort hotels on beaches with buffets, restaurants, beverage plans, and waiters who delivered to the chaise lounges on the beach. In Rome, we stayed in a lovely hotel located a short walk from Trevi Fountain. The Coliseum was down the street. Ruins were everywhere, nestled between buildings. 

We walked for hours every day, exploring the city’s ruins, museums, churches, cafes, and restaurants. We took day trips to Pompeii and Tivoli and learned that hotel-booked tours pick you up at your hotel and bring you to the site, but they don’t necessarily bring you back where they picked you up (or at all). We drank coffee, Aperol Spritzes, and lovely wines and ate pizza, fresh pasta, pastries and gelato. There were grotto restaurants and sidewalk cafes. The hotel breakfast area had a view of the nearby rooftops. It was wonderful.

What a difference three years makes. Back then, I had a decent amount of vacation time and a decent salary that led me to the strategic decision to to endure a dead-end job for several more years because retirement age was creeping closer and starting over somewhere else would likely mean less vacation time. Then, last year, the merger swooped in and snatched away the job I was willing to tolerate. And nine months after the layoff, I’m still trying to start over and find another job in a market crowded with new graduates and hundreds of other experienced, laid off professionals. Advertised roles with my former job title include the responsibilities handled by three or four people on my old team and pay half the salary. Breaking into a new area seems even more impossible.

At Trevi Fountain, March 2023.

The stress of the past year has loomed large and overshadowed any fun stuff. Luckily, I have photos to prove to myself I used to be a visible, productive member of society who sometimes traveled instead of the feral remnant of that person who now looks for a job, tries to not spend money, and sometimes gets stuck dwelling on the ruins of a former life. 

Maybe I need to return to Trevi Fountain and make a better wish. I’m pretty sure in 2023 I wished for dumb shit like romance and happiness (and that hasn't worked out), but maybe I should have wished for financial stability and a job that lasted until full retirement age. Live and learn.

random thoughts – Day 2,186 (Thursday) – progress

Receding snowline.

It wasn’t as warm today as recent days, but it was still above freezing and the snow continued to melt. Behind my house, the snow on the small hill is receding like a middle-aged hairline and is free of snow at the top. 

Even with all the snowfall this year, it looks like it will be drought conditions again this spring/summer. I read an article recently that said the groundwater table is reported to still be low and it has to do with the speed of the snow melting and running off the ground instead of melting into the ground. Or something like that. I'm not exactly a scientist or an environmentalist and sometimes I half-read articles and learn just enough to be dangerous. I guess I won't be launching my home car wash or laundry service this year, either. Phew.

I managed to miss out on engaging with nature during the past two warm, springlike days. I was shopping and lunching one day, and stress sweating in a dentist chair for a chunk of the next day. Today, in weather that was 30 degrees cooler than a few days ago, I walked to get the mail. It’s the second time I have walked to the mailbox since last fall (but who is counting?). 

The snowbanks have melted back, the street is its full width again, and it wasn’t wet or windy or sub-zero temperatures, so I laced up my sneakers, put on a coat, hat, and gloves, and walked. My neck was cold because I recklessly thought I wouldn’t need a scarf, and that made me walk quickly so I could get back to the warmth of the house.

The only mail today was the replacement sunglass clip ordered from the company I bought glasses from a few years ago. I lost the original sunglass clip a year ago, and despite my fantasies of finding it under the seat in my car or in a tote bag or a coat pocket, it hasn’t turned up. Every sunny day I would mourn the loss of the clip on shades and I finally caved and ordered a new one. This means I'll probably find the old one any second now.

Working on the 4" x 4" canvas.

And after a month of overthinking, procrastinating, and searching through images, yesterday I finally started my 4” by 4” canvas for the art auction at The Brush Gallery in a couple weeks. The outside edges of the canvas were painted black. Today, the final selection of the photo for the front was made. Even though the photo had originally been printed at the correct size, it was a smidge longer on one edge and required trimming of about 1/32 of an inch which I labored over for far too long.  Apparently, I like to torture myself with such details and knew I wouldn't sleep for a week if I didn't trim it. Now it just needs three or four coats of Mod Podge to seal it all and I can deliver it next week.

random thoughts – Day 2,185 (Wednesday) – teeth and mood

After waking up with some coffee and Wordle, at 10:00 this morning I called the dentist. The temporary crown that broke off Tuesday night while eating cheese had not miraculously regenerated overnight to be whole again. The best case scenario I hoped for was that the permanent crown, ordered last week and scheduled for delivery next week, had already come in from the lab. The December crown had arrived from the lab in a week, so I knew it wasn’t totally unreasonable.

Luck was with me, the crown was in, and I was booked for a 12:00 appointment. Sometimes when things in my world go sideways, they at least have the decency to have favorable timing. At departure time, a paperback book went into my bag in case there was a wait, and I hit the road.

I was barely one page into my book when the dental assistant called my name. There were x-rays, poking, prodding, and the removal of the remainder of the temporary crown. My gums were poked, prodded, and pushed up to accommodate the margins of the crown. The new crown was ready to go in. There were several attempts, a lot of fussing and minor drilling. It didn’t fit. The scanner wand, which is too big for my mouth, was stuffed in there anyway for more 3D images. My jaw ached.

In the end, a new temporary crown was installed. A new permanent crown was ordered. It was another two-hour episode in the dental chair before I was released. I felt like I’d been punched in the head and dragged behind a truck. My dental misadventures are starting to feel like a boring mini-series.

From the dentist I went to my favorite gas station to top off the tank, where the gas that was $2.999 last Wednesday was $3.199 today. Then I headed home. I was hungry and my stomach was rumbling. A Friendly Fribble seemed like just the thing to soothe my mouth and fill my stomach so I stopped at Friendly’s and got one.

The dental appointment was draining. My gums ached and throbbed. I felt cold and sat on the couch like a potato for most of the afternoon, still in my outdoor jacket. By suppertime, I perked up a bit and took off the jacket. An Aldi store brand frozen pizza was heated. It was hard to eat on one side of my mouth, but I wasn’t risking offending the already abused other side of my mouth with crunchy edges. It’s finally starting to feel better than earlier today. Tomorrow it will feel better.

Snow melting.

The recent warm temperatures have been appreciated. It was 66 degrees on Tuesday, and 56 degrees today. It has led to some snowmelt in the back yard, with patches of earth and rocks showing. Seeing the fallen leaves and the rocks lightened my mood.  Next up in the mood improving department is the the Love is Blind: Ohio season reunion on Netflix. Every little bit helps.

random thoughts – Day 2,184 (Tuesday) – sunshine and monkey wrench

It was a pleasant day with a cloud-free blue sky, sunshine, and warm temperatures. The best part might have been not hearing the furnace kick on a million times. 

New books!

Another bright spot was spending time with Mom and Sis. We went to Dollar Tree, where we each stocked up on greeting cards among other budget friendly items like toilet paper, paper towels and aluminum foil. I overshot my shopping list when I hit the aisle with books for $1.50. I got four books including one by Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, and a cookbook I chose when I flipped through it and saw the recipe for Shredded Cabbage Fritters.

After Dollar Tree we went real old school and went to Friendly’s for lunch. Yes, Gardner still has a Friendly’s. It has been decades since the last time I was in a Friendly’s. We each got a Fishamajig®, and it is still delicious. The accompanying fries were the perfect level of crispness. The Happy Ending Sundaes had creamy ice cream and hot fudge. I hope it’s not a million years before I go there again.

Tuesday's dance space.

Dance group was productive. We meet in a space in a church, with a decent wood floor and a stage. Tonight we worked on four group dances for our June show which is in the same space we practice in. The dances are coming along nicely. To make up for the bad weather cancellation last week we went a half-hour longer tonight and will do so again next week.

Overall, it was a great day, at least until a monkey wrench was tossed into the works. I decided to have some provolone cheese for an evening snack, and wouldn’t you know it, the temporary crown that required 2.5 hours in the dentist chair last Wednesday broke. On cheese. What. The. Heck. What remains is jagged and feels gross. The permanent crown is supposed to be done next Wednesday. I guess I’ll be calling the dentist in the morning.

random thoughts – Day 2,183 (Monday) – another OCD day

Tarnished.

Another day, another variety of activities and annoyances. At 8:30 this morning, there was a call from an 800-number that has called several times in recent weeks, with no messages left. Curious, I answered, and it was someone claiming to be from Comcast/Xfinity. From the start it felt scammy. First, there was dead air when I answered the phone and it took a few seconds before there was a click and then a voice on the line. The caller, in a heavily accented voice, said they had been notified of a security alert with my internet connection. They asked if I was at home.

It felt shady and I responded that the call felt like a scam and I was hanging up. I checked the phone number online and it’s been frequently reported over several years as a scam that spoofs a Comcast 800-number and attempts to get banking info. I knew it felt off. Maybe I should have stayed on the line and consumed the scammer's time to allow less time for calling other people. Maybe next time I'll think of it.

Cleaned up and shiny.

Much of the day was spent cleaning and mending the second coin belt. This one went a couple hours faster than Sunday’s coin belt marathon cleaning project because this belt had fewer coins in the larger size, and is made entirely of metal parts with no beads that needed to be avoided. 

The coins were quite tarnished and my hands were black with grime until it occurred to me to wear gloves, which I bought for doing tie-dying. Duh. This would have saved my poor fingers yesterday. The second belt now looks shiny and new. Once I get some jump rings and another OCD episode I will clean up and mend the remaining belt.

It was warm today, but my only encounter with the great outdoors was when I rolled the trash bin to the curb and then took it back up the driveway a couple hours later. There were birds singing their little hearts out this morning in the bushes out front and it was nice to hear them. It will be nice when spring settles in.

random thoughts – Day 2,182 (Sunday) – manual labor

On Saturday, I bought three previously used metal coin belts and several other dance costume elements from another dancer. When metal coin belts are worn for dance class or in performances, connecting jump rings can get loose and time tends to cause the metal components to tarnish.

On Sunday, after driving to dance group in dense fog that felt like the setting for a Stephen King story, then returning home in much clearer conditions, I set to work mending the belts. This is exactly the kind of project to grab my attention and hold it for hours. More than six hours today, to be a bit more exact.

I consulted a couple sources online for guidance on how to clean the metal belts. I checked the instructions on the Barkeepers Friend I used to clean my dance zills to a brilliant shine a couple weeks ago. Then, I set up shop in the living room with the jewelry pliers, some jump rings, a couple old towels and wash cloths, a bowl of water, and the Barkeepers. The latest season of Love is Blind played on the TV for company and chances to randomly yell at participants.

One down, two more to go.

The first belt features more than 130 beaded strands (yes, I counted) with a metal coin at end of each one. The top edge of the belt is constructed of a metal underlayment with small coins attached on the front. Each and every one of the coins on the belt was individually cleaned and taken from a brassy orangey tone to a softer golden tone. There is no faster way I know of to have it come out consistently cleaner. It took all afternoon, and another couple hours after a supper break for some soup.

The process of cleaning was a great way to see where jump rings were detached or missing and fix or replace them. The belt was also too long, so I removed a couple of the beaded strands to shorten it and used the beads to repair some strands that had beads missing.

A second belt was examined to determine what repairs (and supplies) are needed. Mostly, it needs about a dozen jump rings replaced to reconnect the under layer, some medallions reattached, and to be cleaned up. This will require buying jump rings in a size I don't have on hand. The third belt needs the coins cleaned and to be shortened. 

My fingers now need some time to heal from the manual labor and abuse of hours of rubbing hundreds of coins with a damp terry cloth towel and then drying them. Then I can move to the other belts and the construction of a coin bra before choosing a fresh, not yet discovered, temporary obsession to occupy my time and keep me from boring household chores like vacuuming rugs, alphabetizing the spice cabinet, and arranging for service on the dryer that has become an amusement park ride for the clothes that now come out well tumbled and still damp.

random thoughts – Day 2,181 (Saturday) – fancy late night

The day began with an unconventional breakfast of the rice and black bean concoction that was Friday’s lunch and supper. When I get on a food kick I tend to ride it to the end.

A friend picked me up a short time later so we could meet with a dancer to shop a treasure trove of costume components and accessories and specifically saris which we can use to make other costumes. We returned to our homes with armloads of dance coin belts, trims, veils, jewelry, and saris. 

Back at home, there was time to relax for a minute before dressing for the night's museum gala, which was made easier than usual by having planned the outfit on the dress form earlier in the week. In the past, there would be a mental list of potential outfit ideas and I would wait until the day of an event to check my mood, try on a slew of outfits, and have a full-blown case of panic before deciding what to wear. This new way felt a lot more civilized. A couple times in years past, I attended events on behalf of the bank as a fill-in for someone who couldn’t make it and didn’t know I was attending until the day of the event, so the outfit timing wasn't always my fault. It could get a little crazy, especially if it was a themed event, but it was always fun.

It was crowded in the gallery
during the remarks.

Tonight’s night out in society was Fitchburg Art Museum’s 100^th Anniversary celebration, and the galleries are stuffed floor to ceiling with works from their extensive collection. The old art mixed with the new and made for a colorful and eclectic exhibit that included paintings by Eleanor Norcross, the founder of the museum. The wall colors in the galleries are painted gorgeous deep greens and blues and the art really pops on the walls. 

"Whimsical."

People dressed up for the event and attire included tuxedo with cummerbund; many sequin-crusted dresses, tops, and jackets; long dresses; dress pants; neck ties and bow ties with suits. It is exactly the sort of attire I love. 

I opted to embrace the “colorful” and “kaleidoscope” terms in the event description and wore a chiffon ruffled skirt, light pink sparkling boots, a purple sequin top and hip scarf, and a multicolor kimono-type robe, and topped it all with a multicolor fascinator. Not to brag (ha!) but one guy liked my boots, five people said they liked my "headpiece," and one museum staffer said I had “the most whimsical outfit of the night.” Thank you indeed. I saw a couple dancer friends and a former bank colleague and it was fun to chat and catch up.

The catering was a colorful array of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, cold cuts, crackers, bread, hummus and dips, along with passed hors d’oeuvres including homemade waffle bites with blackberries and cream, guava empanadas, Thai chicken skewers, and crostini. The desserts featured brownies, thick cookies, and cannoli. It was all tasty and I’m pretty sure I tasted it all.

There was an interactive art wall which involved pulling a tile from a jar and drawing the image from the tile onto a card and hanging it on a grid marked on the wall to create a much larger artwork. My friends and I all got into the colored pencils and got busy.  It was a cool idea and really fun.

One of the interactive art walls.

The event ended at 9:00 which was perfect. My friends and I traded stories about what a typical (non-gala) evening would look like and in all cases, it involved being in comfortable clothes on our respective couches by 7:30 and mentally preparing for bed. We joked out being awake and out “so late.” But we were glad to be dressed up and mingling with other fancy folks, looking at art, and eating fancy food.

It’s funny how the concept of “late” changes with age. In our 20s, we would just be getting ready to go out at 9:00 and now at that hour we are ready to head home and are plotting exits. Sleeping “late” when I was younger meant noon or early afternoon, and now I feel like I’m getting up late if it’s after 7:00 a.m.

random thoughts – Day 2,180 (Friday) – searching and yearning

I was looking for accessories to finish off an outfit for an event on Saturday, which is described with terms including “colorful” and “kaleidoscope.” Specifically, I was looking for a couple narrow sequin belt/scarf things or a fringed tuxedo scarf. In doing so, I found my two heavy coin dance belts, bought when I first began belly dancing. They look great but tangle easily and I almost never use them. In Tennessee, they hung as valances in my two bedroom windows. In Massachusetts, they have lived in a storage bag and I often thought about again using them to adorn windows.

The discovery of the belts led to a search for a couple jump rings (quite literally – two jump rings) to mend a spot in the belt chosen to hang in a window. That required fetching the jewelry and chain maille tools and sorting through a limited quantity of rings in a supplies box which doesn’t have the full inventory of rings because I can’t remember where those are. The belt was mended and then I needed hooks to hang it from the nearby curtain rods.

Christmas ornament hooks were easily found but too flimsy, the supply of s-hooks is missing somewhere in the stained glass making elements, but large paper clips seemed like a possibility. The search for paper clips involved a search of two desk drawers, a file cabinet pencil drawer, and three cabinets. I felt like an investigator looking for clues and evidence. The step stool and a hammer were required. The several additional side quests to the new main quest which was actually a side quest to the original main mission consumed a large portion of the morning.

The paper clips worked with a small modification, once again illustrating my MacGyver-like prowess, instilled during a youth and adolescence of needing to make do with what was available. I learned that a lack of funds breeds creativity. Fun fact – Mom’s cousin, who I met through a genealogy site, informed me that we are cousins to Richard Dean Anderson, who played the original MacGyver (1985). So there.

Coin belt as a window valance.

The coin belt was hung in the bay window and the living room vibe moved a couple degrees towards bohemian. Maybe that will inspire me to finally hang some art. It’s been more than seven months here and the walls are not talking to me about art, but maybe the windows will guide me. All the stuff pulled out to hang the coin belt was returned to the proper locations.

The search for accessories for the event outfit led to finding even more potential outfits that I wish I had thought of a few days ago. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a harsh reality for me and I need to remember to take a breath and shop my own closets before I race out to a store. In this case, I spent $23 at The Salvation Army Store for a skirt and blouse that might work for the event plus a summer dress that I might actually wear, then changed my mind on the event outfit a couple days later when I found the exact type of skirt I originally had in mind for $11 in a consignment store. 

After buying the new old things, I remembered at least four other garments that were packed away for winter or in the dance costume stuff that would have been great for this event. Someone please invite me to a bunch of fancy events, because I have many fun wardrobe options waiting for a chance to come out and play. Anyway. The outfit for the museum soiree is finalized and I am eagerly anticipating this event.

It started with rice.

In the early afternoon, tired from hours of running around, climbing the step stool, fetching things, and returning things, the train of thought had reached its caboose and I wanted rice. 

That is how some meals are built. I wanted rice, then I had to figure out what to do with some rice, because a bowl of plain rice has limited appeal. The desire for rice turned into a pan full of black beans, plant-based “meat” crumbles, chopped onion, mushrooms, spicy tomatoes, and queso to go with the rice, plus corn chips and guacamole. Usually, I make this dish because I want an excuse to eat corn chips or guac, but today it was because I wanted rice. It was delicious. It was repeated for supper.

Things really slowed down after lunch. There was minimal guilt because the morning was plenty busy with the train of thought running off the track all over the place. The dress form where the outfit had been built was stripped and the outfit was laid out for Saturday. The mail was fetched. I dove back into the costume dramas I love, which today happened to be the rest of The Forsyte Saga, which has entertained me since I finished the latest episodes of Bridgerton a couple days ago. Damn, fashion used to be so glamourous and exciting. Now it's all althleisure and jeans. I was definitely born in the wrong fashion timeline. 

random thoughts – Day 2,179 (Thursday) – freezing rain and soup

Wednesday was warm enough for things to be melty, and today was in the 40s, but by 8:00 tonight it was back to freezing temperatures and frozen crispy rain pinging on the windows and a change to snow  forecast for later. The weekend promises 40s and 50s, so based on the past few days and the forecast, it seems we are in the seesaw weather season. It’s freezing – no, it’s warm – never mind, it’s cold again – and so on. We can count on multiple seasons in a week, and even in one day. Growing up, it was always talked about like this is a condition unique to New England, but Middle Tennessee had remarkably similar wild weather mood swings.

Soup starter and a full freezer.

The vegetable broth on the stove today was started the other day. The days this week have all smooshed together, so it's hard to know exactly which day it was. After straining out the onion skins and broccoli stems, carrots, chopped onions, potato, and mixed frozen vegetables and some leftover spaghetti sauce were added and it simmered for a couple hours. It needs mushrooms next, and some garlic, but I was already bored with  working on the vegetable soup. 

The kettle was divided into three containers for the freezer and another one for the fridge. And once again, the freezer, which briefly had space for some ice cream that was never bought, is again stuffed full. It's a good situation to be in.

In all likelihood, tomorrow’s lunch will feature vegetable soup, but I could change my mind before then and concoct some baked dish or make a plate of cheese and crackers instead. Food on a whim and making things up as I go is one of my favorite things about being a so-called adult.

random thoughts – Day 2,178 (Wednesday) – appointment and errands

Back in the chair.

It’s been several weeks since I last visited the dentist, so today I went in for another visit. The December visits were for a crown needed due to a broken tooth. January’s visit was for routine cleaning. February was blissfully dentist-free.

The March appointments are strategic. There is a tooth with a crack along a filling that would most likely break eventually and we are controlling the timing of the event. Today, we began the prep work for a crown. I thought the appointment would take about an hour, but the dentist was running behind and I enjoyed 2.5 hours in the chair. If it had been a massage chair, it would have been swell. The piped in office music was blues, which I prefer to the country that is sometimes playing. In two weeks, I return for the formal coronation and final emptying of the wallet. 

From the dental chair, when I wasn’t reclined with a bunch of stuff in my mouth, I had a view of the traffic in and out of the dispensary in the plaza across the way. It was a steady flow of vehicles in and out and it seemed that no parking spot was empty for more than a minute. A patient in another chair, who wasn’t very familiar with the concept of “indoor voice,” in the midst of his incessant ramblings yelled, “wow, the pot shop is hopping!” He wasn’t wrong. Just louder than needed.

The day of adventure also included a successful trip to a consignment shop for something to wear to a fancy museum event on Saturday, the closure of the matured and problematic IRA CD, a visit to my favorite gas station, and a stop at Market Basket for things Aldi lacks including cheese ends, brick ramen, and frozen mixed vegetables. What a day.

random thoughts – Day 2,177 (Tuesday) – window watching

The forecast for today called for snow and just before noon the stuff began to appear. By 12:45 it was sticking to the road and the driveways. 

The cable bucket truck appeared on the street around the same time as the snow. A couple weeks ago, a similar (or the same) truck was in the neighborhood. Previously, the bucket was lowered during travel, but today, as the snow fell steady and heavy, the bucket remained in the full upright position as the truck rolled slowly down the street with a worker standing in the bucket.

Hanging wiring on a snowy day.

The guy in the bucket would give a quick yell and the truck would pause for a second as bucket guy attached clasps to an existing wire and pulled a new one below it and then it would roll forward some more. Pause, clip, roll forward. The driver had the window open (presumably to facilitate being yelled at). He had a cigarette in one hand and drove with the other. It’s the only service truck in the neighborhood that doesn’t violate the 15-mph speed limit, so kudos for that. 

Five hours later, the snow was still falling, the light was fading, and the truck was still making rounds in the neighborhood. 

While the wire hanging activity took place outside, I was inside playing the role of nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz (Bewitched). I recently read something that claimed “the older one gets, the more one looks out the window.” This seems to be true, at least for me. It’s hard not to look outside with the living room in the front of the house and a bay window facing the street, and especially when a truck is outside with multiple sets of lights flashing and a guy in a hardhat is floating down the street in mid-air. And I need to be ready in case a call for emergency services is needed. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

random thoughts – Day 2,176 (Monday) – pantry pleasure

After a stretch of time where I forgot about a treat I used to like, I suddenly remembered about peanut butter and Fluff on Ritz crackers. Of course, it became a fixation for at least five whole minutes and then I did what any self-sufficient adult would do. I visited the pantry, where I found a partial sleeve of crackers. pulled out the peanut butter and Fluff, and got busy.

Peanut butter and Fluff crackers.

Did I prepare the snack at the kitchen counter, and set it on a plate like a civilized adult? Nope. I took that sleeve of crackers, the jars, and a knife to the living room. The wax paper cracker sleeve was opened on the new-ish couch and the assembled cracker sandwiches were set upon it. 

It was like I was boldly tempting fate and yet, by some miracle, the furniture remained peanut butter and Fluff free. Another of life’s little miracles, right up there with the electric bill coming in lower than expected. What a day of triumphs.

random thoughts – Day 2,175 (Sunday) – red meat

It was a mostly regular Sunday with coffee, phone games, news, emails, and dance group. It snowed this morning, which has been all too common this winter. Dance practice involved trying to override muscle memory on a choreography learned a few years ago which is now being heavily revised. It’s turning out to be a difficult rewiring process and feels like a test of my dwindling reserves of patience.

After dance, it was a quiet day at home. There were snuggles with Kiki, too much time on social media, and the roasting of sweet potatoes, red-skin potatoes, and broccoli.

Steak and veggies.

The only unusual aspect of the day was at supper. I rarely eat steak (or even much meat), but today a box of steaks that has been in the freezer since it arrived as a Christmas gift was opened. After studying the instructions, a 1.5-inch beef tenderloin steak was covered with seasoning, seared in the cast iron pan, then the pan was set in the oven to finish cooking. The seasoning blackened during the searing. It was delicious.

After supper, I could feel my iron poor blood reviving in my veins. Or maybe that was my imagination. Hours later, the steak was sitting heavy in my stomach like a stone. Pretty sure that was not my imagination. Clearly, my system, accustomed to heavy consumption of vegetables, sugar, and meat substitutes, is confused by the sudden presence of a steak gift from Omaha. It will be interesting to observe the after effects of the steak consumption.