Evening

Apocalypse

This is what's in my survival kit:

• Shopping cart
• Gun
• Sunglasses

Okay, all I really have are the sunglasses. But I've seen the moving The Book of Eli and read The Road by Coumac McCarthy and that seems to be the essential list of survival gear.

Book of Eli is interesting visually, if nothing else. A modern Western, it makes interesting use of color. (Actually, the lack thereof.)

Joe

The first cup of coffee in the morning is like a first love. The second isn't quite as good somehow - not as sweet, decadent, satisfying. All others that follow are compared to the first and never measure up. When the first one is gone, one longs for it and assumes taking another will fill the longing but it never does. No, it never does.

Seeing the empty cup reminds one of the time together, shared in quiet moments, intimate mornings. Oh, the longing for night for afterwards is another First Cup of Coffee.

Ski Rope

Photo by Kellie at Kelly's Hardware, Chelan WA

Pearls Before Swine

(Comic strip from here.)

Deer Harbor

Previously Published on 76003.1414

Photo by Lynn C Dot

Under Construction

Chocolate Chip Mint (2)

Not sure where we're going with this. Just playing around.

Yoga Bare

That's what I call my bikram yoga studio that gets so hot you have to take your clothes off.

Sand Wench

That's what I call my sand sculpture of a woman hoisting beer steins.

Dolls

Daycare has inAction Figures. Actually, they are disabled dolls. Not in the missing parts way. In the canes, wheelchairs, and walkers way.

Toddlers playing, Let's Be Old.

Not kidding....

Dogs

Saw a woman out running with her tiny chihuahua today. She had to stop every couple of feet to let the little guy catch up.

Not much of a workout.

Notebook, Dogs, and Dolls

I bought a little spiral bound notebook today which is so retro but feels comfortable, trusted. A way to keep track of all my thoughts and random musings and access them without power or cords, without needing to be at one computer or another. I know, I know - I could have a smart phone or an iPad or some such device that would be infinitely more cool but writing with a pen is so much faster than typing on a teeny weeny keyboard. Besides, my investment was in the neighborhood of $3 and came with pink flowers on the front and back covers. I'm thinking, good investment.

So I've already filled the first page, which included the following list:

Notebook
Dogs
Dolls

...among other things. So I guess I'll have to tell you about Dogs and Dolls.

Ghost

Cute Little Boy

Someone asked me Who's the little boy in your FB profile picture?

Well, that's not a little boy. That's me.

It's not the first time I've been confused for a boy. In fact, just a year ago (when my hair was much shorter) one of my friends said I was wondering who that boy was on your boat, until I realized it was you!

The first time I remember being called a boy (my brother remembers this story) was when we were little, my brother and I, and we were playing on some playground somewhere - back in the day when you could leave your house on bikes without Mom or Dad and no one worried about sexual predators or stranger danger. I think we were swinging on swings and some elderly person (presumably with poor eyesight, maybe?) said something along the lines of Cute boys....

Well, after that, I grew my hair long. Kept it that way for a very long time. Cut it short and there you go - I look like a boy.

Guess it's time to change my profile picture.....

Ladies Room

I was in a hardware store the other day and stopped in the ladies room. Guess what? No line. In fact, no other ladies in the restroom at all. A dozen stalls, two of those communal washing stations, no women. It seems such a waste to be in an out in a couple of minutes. A whole big restroom to myself and, what? No conversations to strike up, no gossip, just using a restroom for what it was intended.

This, in stark contrast to a state park I visited last month. It's an island, with no vehicles, no bridge, no way to get there except by boat. There's no hotel, no cabins, just tent camping if you're willing to trek it there by boat and then hike it to your site. It's all of 475 acres. You can walk the five miles around it practically without seeing another human being until, of course, you come to the ladies room in the middle of the island. Then, there's a line. Seriously.

Football games are sweet revenge when the lines are outside the men's room.

Your Call Is Very Important ... Please Hold

Have you ever called someone to listen to the "hold" music or message? I did that yesterday but someone actually answered the phone. So then I had to explain that I didn't really call to talk to anyone. I called to be on hold. Right... Crazy lady.....

There's a reason, actually. When I called yesterday, the first thing I heard, in a whisper, was Choose your words carefully .... and then it went to cheerful music and eventually a recorded message advising me that my call was very important, blah, blah..... It was so weird I thought I might have imagined it. Creepy.

I explained all this to hubby later that evening and, to prove it, I called the number again. Only, this time, someone actually answered the phone. After thoroughly embarrassing myself trying to explain that I would like to be placed on hold, we disconnected without solving the mystery.

It was then I discovered the irony: Only when the business was closed was there anyone available to answer the phone.

Angel On The Water

I haven't really seen any angels lately. Of course, I haven't really been looking for any either. Then again, there are angels that are in my life every day that I tend to overlook and take for granted.

But a new one showed up the other day and washed my boat. I don't know who did it but when I got there, I found the cockpit carpeting was soaking wet. No note, not business card, just clean carpets.

The cockpit cover was on the boat so it was all buttoned down when we left it, and it was all covered up when we came back so whoever it was either had to crawl in underneath the cover or, more likely, took the cover off.

What I'm thinking is, the angel cleaned the wrong boat. The good news, as if that wasn't enough, is that we'll probably get another year out of these carpets. We were planning on replacing them this year. They still need to get replaced (the rubber backing is falling apart and making a mess) but now they look good enough to go another year.

There's a 40' Formula PC on the same dock, same color as ours. I'm thinking the Evening Rose maybe is wondering why her carpets aren't clean....

Speaking of angels, Blue Angels will be here this week....