Author: Lynn Monahan

I keep thinking of that song.  I was thinking about when a plastic bag gets caught in the wind and then gets whipped around.  Pleasantly floating one way and then the current comes and whips it another way until it eventually crashes and burn.

Isn’t this a great way to start a blog?  Can you guess what’s coming next? Sorry.

I’m moving.  Again.  And for the THIRD time in my recent life I have been packing to go one way and in the last moments go another way.  This time I had bought a house.  Or so I thought.  A 3 bedroom on ½ acre.  Not exactly the area I wanted to live in but an area I’m familiar with so I was okay with it.  Mostly I couldn’t believe that my bid was accepted and that I actually was all approved and able to buy a house in today’s market. I’ve been looking for 2 years. Along the way this particular deal would fall apart, then pull back together, then fall apart, then together.  And I was just convinced this house wanted me to live there.  It just wouldn’t die.

Until it did.

Having one too many scary stories of people paying thousands – tens of thousands – of dollars to repair cracked sewer lines I made sure to include that those had to be clear, free of vegetation and cracks. It was actually on the seller to prove as I could SEE grass in it.  They had the test and said it came back clear.  Hard to believe but I thought it was all just meant to be.

Fast forward to this week.  Monday.  Mortgage has everything they need to close on Thursday.  I have Friday plans to paint, have internet hooked up.  Kids moving me on Saturday.  My car is filled with yard tools donated by a friend to get started on the overgrown yard work that I have ahead of me.  Zach bought me a new painting kit. Excited to have a basement again to putzy in. And then I said, wait, where’s the sewer line video?  I haven’t seen it.

My agent informed me that the selling agent said it was clear.  I said yea, I want to see it. And after yelling and saying we don’t have a deal without that. I haven’t signed off on it, blah blah.  And them saying they have until midnight to send. Well, for the first time in this whole thing I lost my mind.  Screaming, throwing out the “eff” word freely and said “get me the gd video.” – But I think I said the “eff” word and not “gd” 

Guess what was in the video?

Broken pipes and roots.

I thought about it for about ½ second and cancelled the contract.  My one friend described the driveway of that house (I thought I was buying) as a lantern post driveway, referencing how long it is.  Know what else is long?  A sewer pipe from the house to the road.  Maybe 100 feet.  Maybe longer. Know how much it costs to line a cracked pipe?  A lot. So they lied, attempted to conceal evidence and pushed me to the last minute, I’m sure just hoping I would go along with it.  What assholes.  Since the mortgage company had already notified me that they were taking all my savings, I had nothing left to even consider repairs.  So that was that.

In retrospect, had they told me initially when they found out the information I may have had time to think about it and get bids and know exactly what needed to be done.  But three days before closing when I have to get out of my current residence in two weeks, well they shot themselves.  Didn’t they? And then I didn’t trust anyone or anything.

I’m within my rights to get my hand money back.  But they have 30 days to sign off on giving it back to me.  And guess who is not signing or returning calls.  I mean talk about bad, unethical real estate agents. I’ll wait until the thirty days is up and then social media here I come.

This all happened Monday night at 10 pm. I emailed my old friend, property manager, from when I lived in the city years ago.  She sent me some options.  Tuesday (yesterday) I looked at 5 apartments.  Picked one, applied and signed the lease today (Wednesday) and on Saturday I’m moving to an apartment in the city.  It’s actually an apartment right next door to the apartment I lived in, in 2014, before I moved to Florida.  Same building, same floor, same view,  But bigger apartment.

In three days my mind has gone from paint chips, yard work and new bathroom vanities, to one bedroom, elevators, storage units, and city living.  

When the wind didn’t blow my way, again, I adjusted my sails. I’m really good at that. My sister told me once that my super power is resilience.

I woke up this morning early and sat on my deck shortly after sunrise.  Anyone that knows me, knows that is NOT me.  I am a sleeper.  I have a couple days left here on the Mount before I move.  I will enjoy my deck with my neighbors and my face in the sun for three more mornings and then I’ll be on to the next/old adventure of living in the city.  My beloved neighbors are an incline ride away. I loved living in the city before.  I’ll love it again. 

Anybody need a patio umbrella?

xoxoxo

I’m reading a book about Immigration.  It’s called The Undocumented Americans, by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. I have never thought much about Immigration other than what I see on the news, which is vastly different (or at least not as thorough) as actually reading a book about it.  But this blog is not about Immigration.  This is about Karla Cornejo Villavicencio style of writing.  She writes in short sentences.  I am a rambler writer (when I write).  She would never use parenthesis. Or after thoughts. When I read a book with short sentences, I think like that after I put it down.  Right now my thoughts are short sentences.

I am moving again.  I look at several rentals a day. I am no longer looking to buy.  I am not competitive in today’s market. I am not sure how I feel about that. I am not sad. I am just moving on. I am sad about leaving this particular residence. I love my neighbors. I love my view. I can not see the view in the winter months.  There are no windows in the back of the house.  I have 4 windows. One of those 4 look directly into my neighbor’s kitchen. My bathroom is downstairs. My bedroom is upstairs. The heat on the first floor where the bathroom is does not work correctly.  I hate the cold. I am not moving back to Florida. I am moving somewhere where the heat works in the winter time. On all floors. In all rooms. I also need closet space. I have boxes and bins of photos. All people my age with children (or not) have photos. We also have shoes. I wear most of my shoes. I will wear more when I can go out of the house. I have nowhere to keep my shoes. I also have books.  They are piled on various floors. I do not have ample space in this current abode.

I think I want to live in the city limits of Pittsburgh. I think I want to be close to work. But I think I am NOT a real city girl.  I look at these places and then I think “where I am”? Beautiful views. But I don’t know where I am. I was very sad to leave Daytona Beach when I moved back in January of 2019.  But now I am very happy to be home in Pittsburgh.  I think I’ll be happy in my next place but again sad to leave this place. I will definitely be happy when I am warm and not tripping over my shoes. I want to find that next place soon.  I am tired of looking.

I have recently been exposed to an infected person with Covid. I believe my neighbor is infected. He is not the one I was exposed to. He is just an additional exposee. He is on his way right now to be tested. He does not feel well. I am worried for him. I am fully vaccinated. I can still get Covid and be a carrier without symptoms. My employer only cares if I have symptoms. If I don’t have symptoms I am expected to continue working in the office as long as I wear a mask 100% of the time and don’t eat lunch with anyone and don’t go into anyone’s office or meeting space. If I have symptoms I need to get tested they said. I said I think I should get tested anyway so I don’t spread it even though I don’t have symptoms. They said, it’s up to me. If I choose to get tested on my own, and the test comes back positive, I can’t go to work. With or without symptoms and masking. They don’t advocate for a test without symptoms regardless of exposure. I don’t know how to process this logic. They said very few people understand the logic of their requirements.  I work at home anyway. I don’t have a job that requires me to come in. I just wanted to know if I “wanted” to come in if I would be allowed or what the company line is. Now I know. Or do I?  I have a life outside of my home which is the one I care about.

The Spanish flu lasted 1-2 years. Somewhere between 20 million and 100 million people died worldwide with the Spanish Flu, according to Google. 675,000 US Deaths are attributed to the Spanish Flu from that time. Covid deaths are up to 555K deaths in the US. Worldwide 2.86M. The Spanish Flu did not last forever. Covid will not last forever.  

Masks were worn in 1918. I will wear mine in 2021. I have several that match my shoes.

xoxoo

Is anyone else thinking about what they want to do and be in the next life?  I am realizing I spend a bit of time saying “I want to do that next life”.  I know I (hopefully) have another 25-30 years, which is a good amount of time, but there are some things you just can’t do with the time you have left.

For instance, next life, I want to attend school more than I skip it (if we even have the same school system).  I want to focus less on boys.  I still want to be a girl but focus on something else in highschool.  Like learning.  I want to play sports AND music.  I want band to be cool again, and this time I WILL practice that piano. I promise. I want to take up dancing too. Maybe drama club. Maybe even singing and dancing?

I want to meet my “soul-mate” in my 20’s.  Maybe in college.  I want us to both be professionals in our own right.  I want to make a difference in whatever I do. I want to get married and stay married our whole lives and celebrate our 70th wedding anniversary together.  After our initial apartment together, when we have kids I want to get one house and stay in it our entire lifetime.  So our kids always have “home”.  The same “home” and at the end of our lives (next time) there will be uncounted treasures and memories throughout that house.  Sure they’ll sell it, but we won’t. I guess additional vacation homes would be okay too.

I want to grow up in a different country, or maybe New York City.  LOL. That’s like a different country. I would have loved to have grown up in the city.  I mean how different would my life have been.  I can already see how even growing up in the city limits of Pittsburgh would have been so different than the suburbs where I grew up.  I love hearing the stories from my neighbors, life long residents of “the city” and taking inclines and busses and downtown was their “up street” – it’s so fascinating to me to think of growing up that way.  It sounds more fun and adventurous than how I grew up, looking for rides to get off that hill. What if I could have jumped on a subway to get where I needed to go?

Living in Europe would be fascinating.  I’ve heard on the border of some countries people know FIVE languages just because they have to.  FIVE.  I want to know five languages too. 

I’d like to have the same siblings, but my parents would have to have some major tweaking.  They can be the same but there’s going to have to be some ground rules!  I wouldn’t mind trying it all again with all of us.  But I’m not joking about the tweaking.

And I hope to the Gods I get the same children and more.  I had an astrologer tell me that I’ve never been poor in a past life.  LOL.  Seriously, wtf.  She also said because of this wealth I’ve never raised my own kids.  So, if this is my first time doing that, and I started small with 2, maybe after review it’ll be determined that I did okay and we can add a couple more next time.  Not like a litter, but 4 would be good.  Nice round number. With the same father. Although I’m okay with adopting too!

I know there are many years ahead of me which is why I am looking for that one “grandma” house so when I have grandchildren it will be Grandma’s house for at least the rest of mine and their lives together.  And they will have their memories of being at grandma’s.  The house also needs to have a yard for the grandpups.  So they can get excited to spend the weekend at grandmas too. Those pups are easy though. They get excited regardless of a yard.

Unfortunately, so far, this next and final house is alluding me. Because this is not a wealthy lifetime (like who decided that?) I am not competitive enough to get these houses that come on the market. I am not sure what the message is from the universe and at times I wonder if I’m not supposed to resettle in this area.  Spain looks pretty.  But that would be a far visit for those grandpups.  Of course we could all move there couldn’t we?  Is it too late for me to learn another language?  Hola?

The Gemini that I am is feeling the wanderlust of wanting to do something so totally different and wanting that grandma’s house that never changes and is constant. In the past I had no interest in traveling to Europe.  Now I have the next five years of European trips planned out. One a year. I wonder if I planned to have money at least the rest of my life or if this life has been totally devoted to “wanting more”. I’ll have to go back to that Astrologer.

xoxoxo

I’ve been thinking lately about this neglected blog site.  I recently received a message from a very old friend who mentioned something he read on my blog.  I had no idea he even knew about it.  Then Debbi, my cousin, mentioned it (or lack thereof).  THEN I was remembering Amy’s blog.  While living in Florida and writing finallyflorida.net I would read her blogs.  She wrote lots of stuff at the time I considered “woo woo” – like a new moon ritual (which now I do faithfully every new moon) or following the Artist Way journal, which I then bought but never ever read. She also wrote something about a particular sort of journal that I thought I’d try, and then didn’t.  And then she just quit writing that particular blog. I think she initially moved to another platform/website that I didn’t know how to follow and now I just follow her on Instagram on her professional site.  She is hands-down the very best wedding photographer in the WORLD.  Seriously she is. And she travels the world as well for these weddings.  But the bottom line is I miss following her life.  Her cat, Mo. Her dating life (or lack thereof).  She became my friend in Nova Scotia.  But not really, but yea she is.  And now, like her, I have seemed to have moved on without a thought to my friends and family that I’ve left hanging. I feel kinda bad.

What a year, huh?  What. A. year. I mentioned to Debbi that I quit blogging because I couldn’t help but be political, then the social unrest was/is heartbreaking and didn’t feel appropriate to blog about my nothingness…and then well, then I fell down the work-at-home, sweat-pants, ordering groceries online, Amazon shopping, rabbit hole.  I RARELY, if ever, go out (although I’m getting out there tonight).  I mean it’s so rare when I go out that I notice how good the air feels in my lungs.  And with winter now here the windows are primarily closed.  I open them when the temperature goes over 40 (like today).  Sometimes I wonder if I’m gassing myself, like carbon monoxide poisoning, with all the space heaters I keep on all the time blowing on me.  Only one floor of this tiny house keeps the heat so I leave my new electric fireplace on all day long to take the chill out.  My electric bills are astronomical. But it’s better!  And cozy. I love working at home.  But I also love the fresh air, I love my view at the end of the street that I used to see every single day, I love going for walks but I don’t.  I just don’t.  I’m blaming it on the Covid.  I never had trouble making myself walk on the beach. I just wonder what the underlying issue is. Too much sugar (cookies) Covid-itis and cold?

I’ve been watching a lot of TV, but not really current TV.  It’s either so stupid (game shows) or really way too violent.  Like this new show “Clarice” – really?  Who thinks these shows are good ideas?  The FBI shows seemed interesting but they are so twisted and violent like what is happening?  Isn’t there supposed to be a murder and then it’s really more about the characters?  Am I saying this right?  Now it seems to focus more on the sick mind of the murderers.  There’s something wrong with that being the primary focus of TV shows.  Where’s our shows like Joan of Arcadia? Touched by an Angel? Even the Good Wife.  I mean who is in charge on CBS?  Netflix is good and so is Prime and Hulu. And I’ve finally bit the bullet and am paying for HBO Max.  The trouble is when you watch shows on streaming channels you really have to pay attention.  But on regular TV you can cook, look at a magazine, talk on the phone or write a blog.  You just have to look up once in awhile.

What else,,,, I am a grandma to two pups.  Daisy the boxer girl , now 1 ½ years old and Rooney the beagle boy, about 5 months old.  I keep photos of them at my desk and love puppysitting them.  They seem to know me and get excited when I visit.  It’s so fun. I am really into it. They both go to daycare on occasion and get report cards for the day.  Daisy does art projects and they have picture days.  I mean it’s effing crazy. You just can’t help but laugh and love them. And I do, love them

It will be two years that I’ve been back in Pittsburgh, this January.  January 25 exactly.  I’m going to celebrate by spending a week in Daytona in January to celebrate my Return-to-the-Burg anniversary. My plan is to spend a week alone, on the beach and walk everyday like the old days. Hopefully read a couple books. I could take the computer and see if I can come up with a blog but I’m afraid I would look at work emails.  Then I’d hate myself. Am I afraid of the “rona”? NO.  I’m going to mask up and wear gloves on the plane. And then stay in my room, on the beach with the balcony door open (except it will be freezing) but you get the idea. From what I hear there is no Covid in Florida.  Right Ron DeSantis? (asshole) My niece who lives in Sarasota just got over the Rona.  She was positive and sick for a week or so.  She got a negative test today so very happy to get out of her apartment and in the fresh air.

I’m very very happy to be back home in Pittsburgh. It’s bizarre having to zoom with my kids on Christmas this year, like I did when I lived in Florida, when they are only 2 miles away.  But we all decided it was safer.  My house is too small for distancing, not enough windows to have the air move and well it’s just so crazy out there that it seems like the smart thing to do.  I think we will have a different appreciation of being together next year.  At least I will.  They will probably want to zoom every year after getting a taste of being able to stay home and not having to go 17 places on Christmas day (mom’s house, dad’s house, other mom’s, other dad)

So my kids and I are doing the “smart” thing Christmas morning but I am expected at my sister/mother’s/niece house for Christmas dinner where it is a ses-pool of who knows what germs.  Last year on Christmas day my baby niece was so sick I brought her home here so the rest of the family could do something the day after Christmas.  Her symptoms were a very dry cough that she just couldn’t stop coughing and a 104 temperature.  Her mom took her to the hospital twice and they couldn’t find what was wrong with her.  They said upper respiratory.  Things that make you go hmmmmmm. I was sick a week later with a low grade fever. Wrote it off.  Now, we just all wonder.  I imagine someday I’ll get a blood test and see if I have the antibody.  But I’m just getting over all the payments for the medical bills from last year that were “covered” by my medical insurance.  Ya know?  They charge for everything and then say “it’s covered, but this is what’s not covered” but “it’s covered” – it’s crazy.  I won’t get started on healthcare.

If I got started blogging again regularly, I would probably get in the swing of the everyday nonsense, it’s just hard to get started (just like eating right and exercising).  I understand how you can get hooked on it.  Even when it’s about nothing.  Especially when it’s about nothing.  It’s a nice distraction.  It could be a nice social service, a distraction from our homebound lives. Except I’m part of the homebound social scene as well.  OR maybe, maybe it would motivate me to go for a walk and report on the outside surroundings.  Well now, there’s a thought.  I could talk about the snow, the grey skies, the neighborhood.  Hmmm, could be a 2021 goal.  I’ll call it “the great re-opening 2021” – maybe the great re-awakening – the new “great” . Maybe it would catch on.

Well, I will think about that later. Now, I have to mask up and go out for eggs and sugar. The great Christmas baking frenzy has begun.  Although I don’t know why, now that I live next to the real cookie queen, I should retire the kitchenaid mixed.  Here’s a photo of her Cookie table as “we” packed boxes for her to ship and deliver.  I have become her taste tester.  I never want to move.

Oh and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year.  Let’s be happy to move on from 2020.  Take what we’ve gained (introspection) and start again.  Maybe we’ll have a better perspective on the world.  It could happen!

Remember the days when I apologized for blogging about nothing?  Is it me or do we all miss those days of me just rambling about nothing?  Don’t answer for real but just incase, I’m going to practice getting back there.  Because one day I hope that life is that mundane again.

Let’s see – I’ve been reading A LOT.  I used to love my reading on the bus/commute time so I’ve picked that back up and everyday at 5:00 I leave my computer (I’m working at home remember) and walk out to my back deck and read.  Sometimes I fall asleep but mostly I read.  I’ve gotten through a lot of books this way.  One difference that the commute did not offer (because I’d have to get off the bus) is that I find myself sometimes sitting there past 7 pm deep in whatever it is I’m reading.  Here are some of my recent books:

White Fragility – Robin D’Angelo
Red at the Bone – Jacqueline Woodson
The Book of Longings – Sue Monk Kidd
Ancient Secrets of a Master Healer – Clint Rogers
Those Who Save Us – Jenna Blum
Walking Through Walls – Philip Smith
Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ – Levi
a couple by Harlan Coben that I can’t remember as I’ve already passed them on.  ANYTHING by Harlan Coben is good.

Up next –   Another Harlan Coben: The Boy from the Woods.

My new system is to stack the books up (I keep ordering new ones) and just take whatever is on top and read it. I’m thinking this way I’ll read the book when it’s “time” – you know like “time.”  A couple of these books mentioned above I’ve had for a while and was just waiting until I was in the mood. Now I put them in the stack and make myself read them when they come up.  After Harlan Coben is Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram Kendi.  It’s very intimidating (in length and subject)  but with my current line of thinking it’ll be time to read it.

I’ve been using that line of thinking in other areas of my life as well.  Not sure that this is a new concept or one I haven’t shared before but because this is a rambling blog I will continue.

One night, when I couldn’t sleep, I was thinking about mom and how it’s near the end of her life, I mean it just is.  She’s 88.  Well anyway, I realized I need to get her life story down before she goes.  So next day I called and we spent quite a while reviewing her life.  Most of the stories I’d already heard but there’s more to go.  I am truly amazed at how she lived at times during her life.  She has taken so much in stride. How much is lost when our parents go, and as the generations pass?  Ya know?  I mean before blogging would we ever know what happened?  Thank god for authors, books and historical novels.  I am always amazed how people have survived throughout history, such as Nazi camps.  Unbelievable.  I copied this from the book Those Who Save Us:

“The world has gone crazy. To burn people in ovens..that we talk about this the same way we used to talk about whether Irene’s husband was going to leave her, or the price of turnips, or the weather.”

And this is historically true of that time.

I’ve been writing other notes down.  Something will speak to me in a book or passage and I’ll write it down now (copying the source).  My thought is to compile them all someday and then use them as one of those books you open randomly on a day when you’re looking for guidance.  Have you ever done that? 

My brother used to open the dictionary randomly and read a word a day.  That’s pretty cool.  I’ve tried that a couple times and sometimes the word fits something I’m doing.  I don’t have my mom’s HUGE dictionary anymore.  I mean it was HUGE.  I wonder where that is.  It was a family relic.

I’m missing a lot of those family relics.

Let’s see what else:

Recently I was dog sitting at a friends who has very large rooms in her house.  I realized I’ve been living in closet sized accommodations since 2017.  Although I may have one time thought I’d like tiny living, after stretching out in her house and not having to turn sideways to access the washer and dryer I’ve decided I’m back on the home search for BIG rooms and a yard.  Any yard really.  With dogs (other’s dogs) and children in my life again (Evan’s babies) I need a FENCED in yard.  Primarily for the children. They were here for a visit the other day and as I was making dinner in the kitchen, those kids said they were upstairs and then I found out they were ½ way down the street at my neighbors.  I should put shock collars on them when they’re here.

What else,

Oh, I joined this new group.  It’s a group of like-minded individuals who try to increase awareness of one’s self.  I initially thought it would be a good group for me to ensure that I make wise decisions and actually used the example (in my head) so that when I buy a car I am making the right decision.  So since then,,,,I bought a car.  A (used) Subaru Crosstrek.  I have been buying cars for myself since 1978. This is the first car that I almost hate.  Lol.  So much for the group’s effectiveness.  There is nothing wrong with the car.  It’s fine and all but I just don’t love it.  I barely like it.  When I was buying it I guess I thought it was the “right” thing to do.  I hate doing the “right” thing.  It’s just not me.  I am hoping that life is going to unfold in a way and I will be happy to have this car eventually.  Maybe my next house will be in an area where I need all wheel drive and be happy to have such a car.  In retrospect, I think I should have waited one more year.

Other than that I love the new group – we meet virtually once a month.  I like it. Something I learned this past week, or that was suggested, is that when you get an urge or an idea, to act on it. It is living your purpose.  That seems a little simplified but that was the gist. Obviously it needs to be an urge or idea with a higher purpose I imagine.

So here’s an urge/idea I had (besides looking at farmhouses).  As background, in my current job and with my last job at Stetson I did a lot of Surveys.  I have learned that I like reading the surveys and making sense of them – I guess analyzing.  It’s not always (hardly ever) raw data, but the words and comments tell a story.  So I’m thinking about a story.  You know how one of those Facebook questions is “if you could have dinner with anyone ever who would it be?” Many people answer Jesus.  Also, usually people pick a parent.  So (I shouldn’t use so many so’s) Just for fun I am asking anyone who reads this to complete the survey linked below and let me know if you could ask Jesus one question what would it be (This is not a religious question – even if you don’t believe he existed – especially if you don’t believe he existed – even asking “who’s your real dad?” is acceptable – any question is acceptable) – AND if you would invite someone else (parent, Hitler, Joan of Arc) who would you ask and what one question would you ask them. Obviously you can respond in the comment section below but if you want to remain anonymous use the survey.  But, don’t sue me if I write a best selling novel and use your question and don’t mention you 😊

Starting with today I decided I would follow through with a bunch of things that I’ve been waiting for the right time to do.  Like write this blog, call a lawyer (just routine), put away beach stuff…you know…all that stuff that waits and piles up.

That day is today! Carpe Diem!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and were able to enjoy one extra day off from sitting in front of the computer.  As has become my new habit, I sat on my deck all afternoon and finished a book.  Although my exercise habit has really taken a nosedive, my reading habit has become all consuming.

Lets see if this link works: Survey says:

xoxox

And now our time has come, where the rubber meets the road.  We’ve stayed home, we’ve washed our hands, we haven’t spit on anyone in a long time.  We have long hair and unpainted nails and some of us have suntans from sitting on our deck while taking a lunch break. I don’t feel a need to leave this existence and venture out into the yellow phase world. I’m content.

I feel rested.  After the initial shock of being sent home, like ”go to your room” feeling I am settled. My job is busier than ever.  I have additional duties, a new boss in a new world. I am challenged, busy and often grumpy with work, but I’m fully relaxed as well.

I enjoy my home now.  I’ve invested in it. I’ve invested emotionally and financially. I’ve decided to stay, not move.  It’s also because of all the return address labels I have.  I don’t want the Vets, the disabled, St. John’s or Luke’s hospital, Easter Seals, the Shiners and the adorable Native American children to think I don’t appreciate the labels with my return address, cards and notepads. I do wonder though if their marketing people are familiar with the internet and paperless billing.  I only mail one bill a month now.  And the only reason I do that is to use the labels and keep up the practice of check writing.  Kids these days…. they don’t even know what checks are, let alone how to fill one out. So, I keep up the nostalgia. Maybe what I should do is start mailing the cards to random people.  That would be nice.  Everyone likes mail that’s not a bill or advertisement.  Now look at that, if my head wasn’t so clear, so relaxed, would I have come up with that solution?

I mentioned to mom the other day that I can understand words of songs now when I hear them on the radio or through Alexa (don’t say that out loud, she’s always listening). One of my favorite laughing memories is my college roommate Barb singing songs, always the wrong lyrics, but never in doubt. In the past I wouldn’t even try to pretend to know what the words were but lately, post Covid, I can hear better.  Don’t you wonder what that’s about?  I also think much clearer (or is it clearly?) I feel clear headed and calmer and much happier.  I’m restless like the rest of the world. I’m anxious and looking forward to going out to eat but I don’t mind waiting.  I think a year is good.  Let this thing run its course for one year.  Let’s see how it plays out.  Don’t you think?  No one wants to listen to me.  Even I don’t listen to me.

We all think we know better; apparently we need to live and learn.  We can no longer be satisfied with being told; we need to learn it for ourselves.  Is this thing bad or not?  Are we going to die or infect someone else and they die?  Personally, I’m not ready to get back out there.  I am sure to wander through a Ross Dress for Less sooner than later but for the most part I’m happy with just wait and see.  I have lived and learned plenty of lessons already. My life experience is saying stay home, continue to catch up on Outlander, let the others test their bravado. I’m ordering in. 

xoxoxo