Tonight's Music Video

This Afternoon

 

Pretty flowers.

I just spent over two hours on the phone with the State Health Department, trying to get Sam's healthcare straightened out. This wasn't my first attempt. I talked to four different women in four different departments - and I'm still not sure that it's fixed. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that it isn't. 

I won't bother to go on a(nother) rant right now. I have a headache and I'm too tired. Instead, feel free to go back and read any of my past "commentaries" dealing with either SSI, the Bus Company, the schools - or any of the other many, many places I whine about. It's all the same.

Back to the Market

For the second time in about eight months, Sam and I braved the wild and made a trip to Grocery Store Number Two. This was necessitated by the fact that Thanksgiving is in the not too distant future and, while we do the bulk of our shopping at Grocery Store Number One (being a bulk food store), there are some things we either can't get there or would have to buy way more than we need.

For this reason, Sam and I keep two lists (well, four actually. But that's another story). One list is our regular, somewhat weekly (or, "weakly" - both apply) visit to Grocery Store Number One. The other is for the less frequented Grocery Store Number Two. 

I was kind of dreading this trip. The last time we went to Grocery Store Number Two was close to three months ago - and it was not a pleasant experience (as mentioned here). But unless I wanted to give in and do without some of our Thanksgiving staples or, unless I wanted to buy, say, a case of six pumpkin pies at Grocery Store Number One, I was going to have to make the dreaded trip. 

So, immediately after Sam was done with his lunch and, with the grocery list (#2) in hand, Sam and I hustled out to the store. 

I was hoping that by going at this odd hour, the place would be nearly empty. It wasn't. But I told myself that it could probably be worse - which I guess is not a total lie since most things can almost always be worse - so we found a parking spot and, remembering for once to bring in our reusable bags, we headed inside.

I have to say that even though the place was more crowded than the last time we were there, our trip went more smoothly. I attribute a good part of this to me re-writing our list the night before the trip.

Last night, I got the brainstorm of taking the grocery list and rewriting it in the order of how and where I was going to find all of the things in the store- thus streamlining the entire venture, and therefore minimizing (relatively speaking) my aggravation. (As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that I'm putting way more effort and preparation into my grocery shopping than I ever did with my homework. Go figure.)

The preparation paid off (maybe there's a lesson to be learned in there somewhere). We were in and out in record time - less than an hour, anyway. 

My only comment about the trip was that there were way too many people going the wrong direction down the now-one-way aisles. There had to have been at least eight different offenders throughout the store. Why those store managers aren't equipped with tasers to enforce their own, clearly displayed, apparently indifferently enforced rules, I don't know. Maybe next time I'll drop a note in the suggestion box.

Even more aggravating was the fact that giving these borderline felons my patented evil-eye gazes accompanied by my under-my-breath/ behind my mask complaining, was having absolutely no affect - other than, perhaps, making me look like the one who's crazy. The irony is killing me.

To top it all off, uncharacteristically, these rule breakers didn't even phase Sam(!). Since our visit, every time I've brought it up, he's come back with, "At least everyone was wearing a mask." 

Jeez. It's almost not worth complaining about it if he's going to have some weird positive attitude.

Diminishing Options

 

Sam and I keep a list of fifteen possible locations for going on our evening walks. But now, due to the fact that we're well into fall, coupled with the recent time change, the now-rapidly diminishing afternoon sunshine has reduced our options considerably.

I typically work until about 3:30 or so, and the sun is currently setting around 4:30. This means that, even though we've shifted our after-dinner walks to before dinner, if we're going to go for a walk, it a) has to be nearby and b) we better get going. 

Since it has to be close by, this eliminates five, possibly six options on our list. Each of these are a drive of at least fifteen minutes away. This would eat up way too much precious daylight. 

Also out of the question are walks in the woods. At least the woods we go to. These places are difficult enough for us to navigate in the daylight. Navigating them at or near dusk, is inviting trouble - possibly getting lost-in-the-woods-type trouble, possibly resulting in an airlift rescue accompanied by the embarrassment of being in the local paper.  

Plus, neither Sam nor I wants to get mugged by any non-hibernating bears that might be wandering around the forests at this time of the barely-still day (not that we've ever seen any bears, hibernating or otherwise, but still). This eliminates another two or three options.

Two more options are affected by COVID so those are off our list - daylight or not - at least for now.

There are another three locations that close at dusk (or claim to). These places are, at best, borderline options for us. One place in particular might be fine when we first start out, but by the time we reach about our halfway point, the already rapidly fading light fades even more quickly with the sun dipping behind the not-so-distant hills. 

The photo above was taken last night at this one location. When this was taken, we were on the return leg of a two and three quarter mile loop. Five minutes later, when we reached the car, darkness had settled in. This time of year, when night falls, it falls with a thud.

This leaves us three options - all of which begin at our front door. There's nothing wrong with these three options but since we walk every day (or nearly night) and often go for walks twice on Saturdays and on Sundays, it quickly becomes a little repetitious. Options are good, even if we don't take them.

All of this is to say that, thanks to the shortened daylight, our walking possibilities are quickly being whittled down. And this doesn't even factor in the weather. 

So far, we've been lucky. With a few exceptions, the weather has been unseasonably, almost disconcertingly, mild. But before long, we'll have ice and snow to contend with. I'm not sure what we'll do at that point. 

I guess we'll just take it one day (or evening) at a time - as if we have any other choice. 

The beginning of winter is a month and a half away and I find I'm already looking forward to spring.

Today's Brief Comment

 Exhale.

Spotted at the Local CVS

Apparently, we now need to explain to people what "One Hour Photo Processing" means...

Click to enlarge

I wonder what prompted this. Were people complaining that their One Hour Photo Processing was taking pretty darn close to an hour (and damn it, this is America! We don't have to wait for anything! READ THE CONSTITUTION, COMMIE!)?

Of course, posting a sign like this assumes that these same people are able to read.