Tuesday, June 24, 2014

A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT AND SOME MORE OF THE OTHER

On Friday I could not resist the urge to walk past my favourite consignment shop.  I went in and immediately found a few pieces I was dying to try on.  This was a problem on Friday, since I had recently applied my "Top Coat" I was not keen on trying on clothes in the event that I did not purchase them, so I did the next best thing and had the wonderful owner hold a few pieces for the following day.

I had tentative plans to drive my friends to the airport so I told her I would come back in the afternoon before she closed, eager to see if what caught my eye would suit my frame and my style.  Style, now that is one of my goals.

I had gotten too comfortable in the country going around in concert t shirts, blue jeans, shorts, sneakers or barefoot.  No style there.  Just one of the boys, so to speak.  I was tired of my concert tees and blue jeans.  Besides losing my sense of style I had also lost the weight that the cortisone injections had not so pleasantly dropped on me.

Saturday came and I was ready early for the airport ~ only to find out that plans had changed and I was no longer needed.  Sadly, I adjusted my focus on the shopping therapy I had planned to dull my sense of loss from the short time I got to spend with my friends.

I walked up street thinking various thoughts, happy thoughts indeed, many memories flooded my brain as I thought fondly of my friends, and sadly of their departure.  Hungry to try on the clothes, and earlier than I had planned I approached the store.

I was deep in thought when I got to the door and reached for the handle, which did not give to my pull.  I looked at the sign ~ Open ~ 10:00, I thought it was after 10, I peered in over a paper on the door and saw the owner ~ okay, then I notice the sign ~ Closed due to Flood.

OMFG!!!  Now this day was seriously not working out my way!  One blow after another!  Good thing Ainsley had phoned yesterday asking if she could sleep over ~ that would take my mind off of life and things.

I made my way further North and got some sugar and half and half so I could at least console myself with some tea when I returned home.  Tea, always comforting, regardless of the situation!

I decided I would head to the Library.  The last thing I had seen the night before, or maybe it was early the morning before was "The Thin Man" by Dashiell Hammett.  I am a huge fan of the Thin Man Series in the movies.  Now I wanted to check out the author himself.  Lose myself in another world, as it were.

My back began to protest as I headed South towards the Library.   I found myself having to sit down a couple of times as I made my journey.  I crossed the street in the crosswalk, only to have a car stop and another one change lanes to go around and yes ~ through the mandatory cross walk ~ with a cruiser and a cop in full view.

I was barely out of the way of the cruiser as it did a U~turn after the offending lawbreaker.  The cop on the street said ~ "We will get him."  I smiled inside ~ one for the pedestrians, and said to the officer "It happens all of the time ~ they don't stop and frequently go around".  "I know, he said back, it happened to me earlier."

A light bulb went off in my head.  One way (the only way) to have the police respond to a problem is to make it be a problem for them ~ otherwise - no problem.  I was thankful for the cop having the problem.  It seemed like a small amount of justice.  I was slightly satisfied.

I continued on my way.  Slow going, but determined not to make it worse.  I used the elevator up to the second floor knowing I had no capacity for the stairs at the present time.  I found the "H" aisle and was grateful that the books ~ all four of them were on the bottom shelf so I could sit down and take a gander.

I settled on two. One of them was a book of stories which to my delight has the first Thin Man story.  Something I did not realize until a day later ~ yeah!  It holds only one other story which I am aware of but have not seen in it's entirety ~ The Maltese Falcon and three others.

I went down to check out the books.  Looking for my library card and not finding it I pulled out my license as an alternate form of identification.  I am always misplacing my library card, so it wasn't too odd that it wasn't there.

When it was my turn I told the lady I owed a few dollars and she told me that my library card was there ~ nice ~ she also told me I owed less than I thought, which was doubly nice!!  We made an exchange ~ I got rid of my library fines and she got rid of my card in their box.  Win/Win.  I guess I was more excited by both than I should have because she mentioned that it didn't take much to make me happy.

To this I replied " You have to enjoy the little things, because if you wait for the big things they may never come!"  She agreed that was a good outlook and one I have much faith in!  She should see how I react to the "big things!"

I am really enjoying reading this wonderful book of short stories.  Mr. Hammett is as entertaining on paper as his stories are on screen.  It has been nice entering his world indeed a wonderful distraction!  I can say this since after I hobbled home I made a tea and devoured about 100 pages before calling my granddaughter.

My body was still screaming in extreme pain from my back down to my knee-which I could not bend again and no amount of anything would relieve that pressure!  I cursed the gods and prepared my granddaughter before she came that I was broken.  She laughed at me and said that I wasn't.

I got ready for their arrival.  Tom was at his brothers so I was on my own.  I had picked up some brownie mix so we would have something fun to do in the kitchen.  I was not up for mixing cookie dough and everyone loves brownies.

They arrived and Ainsley ran to the living room ~ stopping short of the wall in the computer room to look at the Art Wall.  She is to date the only person who has stopped dead and looked at it without me saying anything.  Perhaps it is because she has art on the wall ~ I don't know but I was happy that she noticed it!

Hugs and goodbyes and we were on our own.  After a while she persuaded me to go to the Park.  She loves that playground!  I agreed reluctantly ~ how could I say no to her?  We made our way slowly there.  I had warned her that I would not be able to run around after her like I normally do.

I tried to sit on the bench like other parents and grandparents, but soon she was calling me and I was up on the second level with her talking and watching her.  There were quite a few kids there, more than we are used to so I was okay with hanging close by.

It was difficult convincing her to leave but I could no longer sit or stand and I knew I needed to make that journey back home.  Thankful it was downhill we made it home and I found an ibuprofen and some bio freeze and we played some hangman while I let the medicine and the heating pad do it's magic while some chicken cooked in the oven.

I wish I could say that any of those things helped.  They really did not help one little bit.  I did what I always do and tried to ignore it and carry on.  I was glad I had a live distraction.  I am not sure what I could have done at that point anyhow.

We ate some dinner and shortly after that got into our jammies and settled in to watch some television.  My monkey girl was tired from the park and excited as she told me about school finishing and her summer camp adventure which she was about to begin.

She fell asleep around 10, which is early for her.  I went downstairs and watched some t.v. and did some computer stuff before turning in myself around midnight ~ early for me when she is here also ~ I remember my head hitting the pillow and not much else until 7 when I was awake before her as well ~ odd, but okay.

I went downstairs and had a cigarette before she got up, lying on the big couch under  a little blanket to ward off the chill from the A/C when I heard her patter of feet coming downstairs and into the living room to take the love seat across the room.

I gave her my blanket and turned on cartoons and we both woke up slowly and quietly.  I made a cup of tea and rolled a cigarette when it was ready I went out on the deck so I wouldn't pollute her air.  A few minutes later she joined me with the Tinkerbell who can fly.

She couldn't get Tink to fly as high as I could so she got her shoes and went on the grass while I made Tink fly from the deck and she would catch it and bring it back ~ I was on the grass before you knew it and soon she made a game out of it ~ she was in the shade, so if it landed in the sun and she had to get it she would turn good (shade=evil), I was in the sun and I was good and if I had to get it in the shade I would turn evil ~ it took three times of touching sun or shade for the transformation to occur.

We played that way for a while and then I remembered the croquet set.  Knowing she was familiar with the Cottage she would probably have been exposed to Croquet.  I was correct and in five minutes we had our mallets, balls, posts and wickets set up for a test run.

We played a couple of games, made some adjustments and played a couple more.  Then things got silly and we started playing cutthroat ~ sending each other's balls sailing, or as far as we could on the uneven lawn.  I was thankful my knee and back were feeling better on this glorious Sunday.

Soon she was checking out the garden and wanted to plant some seeds so we planted some sunflower seeds along the wall and some daisy seeds in the bed by the driveway, watered everything down and went inside to get some refreshment.

We were both hungry after all of that so we decided to make some pancakes and enjoyed a nice breakfast.  I jumped in the shower while she was watching some of her Sunday morning shows.  When I got out we were discussing when her parents were going to show up ~ we thought we had until noon, and she was hoping for 2 when the phone rang.

Sometimes I wonder if they planted a bug...no surprise ~ it was the PARENTS!!!  They were heading over soon and it wasn't even close to noon!!!  I went and got dressed and was working on Ainsley when they pulled in the driveway.

One of these days these kids and I will be on the same page time wise and I wont look like a disorganized person and will have the kid ready ~ Sunday was not that day.  We got everything together and she was less reluctant to go knowing there was a surprise for her, and as quick as they arrived they were gone!

I went out to the yard and picked up the evidence of our day ~ croquet was picked up and packed up and put back for next time.  I called Thomas to see if/when he was coming home.  He was playing a game and he didn't know.

I decided I was needed nowhere and went up to my room to read.  I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Soon I was napping.  Before I knew it it was after 5!  I felt better than I had in a couple of days.  Sleep is the ultimate medicine, this had been some of the most restful sleep I had gotten in a long time and it was just a nap!

Tom decided he was coming home on Monday.  Our new comforters had arrived on Saturday afternoon and I couldn't wait for him to get home. I had a feeling that he was going to want the one I ordered and I was happy if he did.

I was correct, when he finally got home we made a mutual decision to trade.  His made it up to his room and mine I left downstairs.  I need to do some much needed work in my room and need to decide where I am going to move the bed and stuff once and for all so I am holding my comforter hostage until I do so.  Self motivation for me.

So it is finally Tuesday.  I waited since Saturday, knowing that the Consignment shop was closed Monday.  I got up early, got ready and went out to do my chores and hopefully try on clothes...get to the door and ...CLOSED!!!

I really do hope that there isn't too much damage (and none to the clothes I had set aside!)  I am praying that everything gets in order for her soon so that she can get on with her life and I can get on with mine!  (Did that sound as selfish to you as it did to me?)

I really was discouraged.  I wandered down the street wondering what to do next.  I went into a couple of stores and wished I had a favourite place to get a cup of tea or something, but I really don't.  I never have money for things like that.

I went into a store which replaced the local 5 and dime and was amused by what it had to offer.  It had a little of this and a little of that.  Some really overpriced, but pretty measuring spoons that if they were 50% off I might have bought them ~ $20 is too rich for my poor blood but they were a set you wouldn't misplace for sure!

I settled on a coconut ice cream cone.  It was tasty and I enjoyed all the way back to the Common, where I finished it as I looked at Phase III (I think) of the park renovations.  I was trying to figure out from the rough diagram what the huge hole they dug next to the playground was going to be ~ been wondering for days, actually.

From the picture it looks like it might actually be a watering hole ~ or a wading pool or something of that nature, although for the life of me it doesn't seem like this city would go through all of that, especially not there.  It is a mystery and one which will become clear soon without a doubt.

I have forgotten my tea for the past 20 minutes while I have been rambling on here ~ so on that note I am going to reheat and enjoy ~ have a great day and thanks for reading!




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