Raindrops Are Falling On My Head

The day started early this morning as I headed out for a quick medical appointment. The skies were gray and spitting chilly drops of water as I hugged my coat closer and dashed to the car. It was definitely colder than I thought it should be. A damp chill seeped into my bones.

Arriving back home, I scrambled up some eggs, hoping a little protein would energize me for a few chores around the house.

It didn't.

Next, I tried doing a little cardio at the gym. That didn't work either.

Once back home, I noted how peaceful my two cats were, all curled up on the sofa

I decided to lean into the dreariness of the day, grabbed a blanket, and curled up right next to them. 

Unfortunately, the sun may not show until the end of the week. It may be a few days before those chores get done.

Glory Days

My 90-year-old mother was sitting across the table from me, enjoying her onion pizza while recounting her glory years.

"Rita, Janet, and Liz all belonged to different golf clubs. So, when I was down in Florida, I had three different courses I could play on. It was great."

My parents never owned a condo in Florida, but many of my mom's friends did. She opted to rent a place nearby for an extended winter getaway. Every January, she would pack up her car and head south, determined to get 12 hours of driving under her belt. She would spend the night in Ocala, so the last leg of the trip to Naples would be only about 4 hours the next morning.

My father was not a beach guy. On family vacations, he spent his time wrapped up under towels beneath the umbrella. He went to the beach because it made his wife (and children) happy. It's not surprising that he didn't spend much time in Florida during her winter break. He'd go down for a week or so, but not much more.

I've had a lot of lunches with my mom lately. Each and every time she tells me about the good times in Florida. There was golf, dinners out, beach time, and more golf. I can tell by the way she talks how much she misses those days. Those days when all of her friends were still alive, and her own body was without the issues she's been having the last few years. 

"That's the thing about the good ol' days, Mom. You don't realize you're in the midst of them until they've already passed."

"Ain't that the truth?" she smiled.

Missing You

 

A college friend was in town to attend a rescheduled holiday gathering. Each year, my close group of St. Mary's College friends gets together for a night of food, drink, laughter, and gift-giving.  What used to be a night out to dinner has turned into a full-on ladies' slumber party, complete with kitchen-dance parties and very little sleep.

"I'm heading out to the store. Do you need anything?" 

"Thanks, yes! I could use some crackers."

"What kind?" I asked.

Robin looked down, wrinkled her nose a bit, and considered her response. 

I drew in a breath.

"It's just...," Robin replied, "it's just, I miss-"

"Stone Wheat Thins!" I finished.

What transpired next was a 10-minute eulogy to the demise of Red Oval Farms Stoned Wheat Thins, a cracker that was a staple in my life since sometime around 1982. Of all the crackers out there, this cracker was like no other. It was delicious, whether it was served with a slice of cheese or on the side of a bowl of chili.

I was introduced to this very important cracker at the same time I first met my friend Juli. Up to that point, the only crackers I knew were Premium or Ritz.

The Stoned Wheat Thins and I had a good run. I munched on them through my twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties. And then, sometime in my early sixties, they were gone. I spent most of the COVID years on a low-carb diet known as "Lazy Keto."  By the time I was ready to taste them again, the distinct blue box with a Red Oval had disappeared from the shelves. I had more than a few grocery aisle conversations about the box missing from the shelves, and didn't get many answers until the internet informed me that Red Oval Farms had discontinued the cracker in 2022.

Add this cracker to the things absent from the world that I miss at least once a month. It's at the top, followed by the band REM, and the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Cheers, Ladies

After a pretty unproductive weekend, I decided to get up and get moving today. I started off with a nice, long walk and then switched into errand mode with a trip to a local, family-owned hardware store.

Driving past the outdoor seating of a nearby restaurant, I was surprised to see almost every table full. Across the street, I noticed full tables at a local coffee shop. I couldn't figure out why all these tables would be full on the day after Labor Day. Isn't school in session? Haven't most people returned from vacation and gone back to work? Isn't today one of the worst days in the DC area for rush hour traffic?

I pulled around the pack of the building to park. As I grabbed my bag to head into the hardware store, I came across another interesting sight. A young blonde woman emerged from her car, practically skipping into the taco restaurant.  Before walking in, she raised her fist in celebration as she let out a loud, "Hallelujah!"

At first, I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. Then I noticed a table of similarly aged women waiting for her, each one smiling broadly. 

"Oh, yeah," I thought, "it's time to celebrate the fact that the kids are back in school."

I heard of champagne breakfasts occurring on the first day of school back when I taught 5th grade at a well-to-do neighborhood school. I suppose the younger kids can be quite exhausting during those dog days of summer. The heat and humidity of August can drag on, just like the feeding, entertaining, and engaging of your own children, as the start of school can be seen at the end of a long, summer tunnel. 

I'm sure it wasn't easy getting them off to school this morning either. So, I guess if this group of young women has survived all that, perhaps they enjoy a small celebration.

Cheers, ladies.

Poor, Poor Pitiful Me

I recently pulled my bikes out of storage to give them a quick assessment. One bike was definitely in need of a great deal of attention. The second only needed some air in the tires and the brake cable put in place.

After pumping up the tires and failing at the brake cable placement, I decided to take it for a quick spin. I figured as long as the back brakes were operational, I was in okay shape. Besides, I didn't plan on going that far.

Of course, I went farther than planned. Leaving my neighborhood is all downhill, so it's easy to go a mile without breaking a sweat. From there, I followed the bike trail along the Potomac River. It was a gorgeous Sunday, the kind of August Sunday that is rare in the DC area —low humidity, a gentle breeze, and big blue skies. I knew better than to go all the way to Old Town Alexandria, but figured I could head over to the marina, take a break to watch the planes land at DCA, and head back home.

The ride back was a little more taxing. My backside was not happy- it hadn't felt a bike seat in over a year. And then there was the hill back up through my neighborhood. The one that was so easy on the way out was not so easy on the way in. I've ridden up that hill enough times to know that slow and steady is the only way to attack it.

Slow and steady, I went. And then, from out of nowhere, I heard the whirr of an e-bike pass me by. I caught the eye of a walker coming down the sidewalk. She smiled and mouthed a little encouragement.

"He's cheating," I laughed. 

I dug my feet into the pedals and kept pumping my legs —slow and steady — with Linda Ronstadt singing "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" in my ear. Linda always helps me up that hill.

Occupation: Retired

When I officially filed my paperwork to retire after 32 years of teaching, I got a lot of comments and questions about how excited I must be. Excited? I can't say that was the emotion I was feeling last spring. Mostly, I was exhausted. My final teaching year was hectic and challenging. I consider it one of the top three most difficult years of my career.

I smiled when questions about my excitement level were asked. Eventually, I settled on a more honest response: "I'm excited for summer vacation."

On June 20th, I packed up the last of my things, said goodbye to my principal, and walked out into the heat of the June day.

The summer went by in a blink- one that wasn't so much relaxing as it was busy with family care and a lot of driving between my house in Alexandria and my 90-year-old mother's house 85 miles north. The rest I was looking for didn't exactly come...until right now.

I was up early this morning for an appointment of my own. Traveling back home around 8:30, I noted group after group of youngsters, all looking a little sleepy, as they walked, biked, and scootered their way to nearby elementary schools. Parents, when in close proximity, carried mugs of coffee and smiled broadly as they ensured the safety of their own child.

I have a few tasks on my list today, the first being to complete a juror questionnaire. It was the occupation question that stopped me. After years and years (and years) of having an occupation to write down, I stopped before finally filling in the agreed-upon term for pensioner/relaxation specialist. How do I feel about that? I'm excited and content (for now). 

Good Afternoon, Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles played their first home game of the season today. There were many years that I made the journey from my residence in the DC area for the opening day game. Even though I have lived in the DC area for almost 40 years, I'm always a Baltimore girl at heart.

I drove right past Camden Yards this afternoon after taking my mom to a doctor's appointment. Even if I couldn't make it to the game, it was nice to be in the area. Everywhere I turned Oriole pride was on full display. The nursing staff all had their orange on today, as did my sister and niece when they headed to their respective schools for a day of teaching.

I listened to the game on the radio as I drove back to DC this afternoon. I turned it on when I got home as well, but I made sure to put on my new Orioles shirt, too.

Today's score? Orioles- 8, Red Sox- 5