Uncertainty and appetizers

Mica and I met at Greg’s restaurant for lunch. We still go every week, as we’ve done since discovering the place a month after they opened. Mica had arrived ahead of me, and I caught the two of them canoodling a couple of doors down. He said he was showing her the extra space he was taking over so he can expand the event/banquet space. I know what I saw, however. I’ve always liked Greg and admired...

Read More

All-time weird

WednesdayEve came into my office and dropped into the visitor’s chair. “My life has sunk to an all-time weird. [Coworker] just asked me to take close-up photographs of his ear...

Read More

Dreaded errands

MondayWhen they began talking snow a week ago, I requested a vacation day so I wouldn’t have to worry about the streets and dumb drivers. Glad I did. I stayed in bed longer than necessary but eventually got up and left the house to take care of three dreaded errands: Renew my driver license. Replace the windshield wipers on my car. Pick up clothes from alterations. Buy new tires. Before I returned...

Read More

Snow day, no cookies

SundayAs snow storms that turn into blizzard warnings go, this one wasn’t so bad. The heaviest snow hit further south. I had a couple of inches to shovel, and I only had to do the back patio and the steps down to the sidewalk. My next door neighbor borrowed another neighbor’s snowblower and cleared the drive. Another neighbor had gone through and cleared everyone’s front walk.I did laundry, took a...

Read More

Lock swap

SaturdayLainey’s birthday is next week but her party was today. Last year she received a pony. This year the theme of her party is horses, which is why they planned to have the party in the barn at their farm. The first text of the day came from Tessa just after 7 a.m. Cody wasn’t able to finish the office space in the barn so they were moving the meal and present-opening to the house and then we...

Read More

The football season ends

Friday I don’t know what day it is. Today feels like Saturday because there was a football game. In fact, when the invitation went out to meet the usuals at a sports bar, I replied that I may need to leave early because of Lainey’s party. Eve and Blaine both brought me back to the correct day. The game didn’t get interesting until the fourth quarter. There was plenty of time before then to chat...

Read More

Thanksgiving

Thursday My brother and I went to Cody and Tessa’s for Thanksgiving. Her family wasn’t there and Jenny was with Andrew’s family, so it was a small group. It was nice to have time with the girls and to actually have a conversation with Cody, Tessa and Vicki. April was in good spirits (it’s hit and miss these days). Before we left, they took us over to their farm so the girls could introduce us...

Read More

Mocked cinnamon

Wednesday “Did you bring your cinnamon?” Blaine asked.“It’s in my purse.”“Wrapped in cotton? Protected by bubble wrap? Booby trapped?” “Snarky is a side of you I haven't seen before.” “I’d argue those are fair questions based on observed behavior and attitude.” “You shouldn’t mock my spices.”“You shouldn’t mock my spices,” he said in a sing-song way. It was a long, enjoyable night of baking....

Read More

Translation

TuesdayHere’s a new twist to my job. I have to find someone who can translate materials into Spanish. “Unless you are fluent in Spanish,” Henry joked.“As fluent as any kid who grew up watching Sesame Street.” I’m solid on agua and hola.This is going to be a pain in the nalg...

Read More

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Monday“You’re dead to me.”I’ve been dead to Susannah so many times, the announcement didn’t even interrupt my typing. I gave her a slight shrug. “My life is more serene when I’m dead to you.” Susannah and I have the same boss. Last Friday he asked me to help organize an in-office holiday party, and then he asked Susannah. I said, “Your name was already on his list.” “Uh huh.” It came out as a knowing...

Read More

Eli's debut

Sunday Blaine picked me up just after 8:00 this morning for church. I had told him to stick to his normal routine, and that meant going early and having a cup of coffee in the social hall. It’s a newer church, more modern than the old, traditional church I grew up attending. I’ll always miss soaring stained glass windows and beautiful light fixtures hanging down from the ceiling, but there is something...

Read More

In the mood for pizza

SaturdayToday was the last home football game. Unfortunately it started at 11 a.m. (again) and I had a hair appointment, so I didn’t watch it with the usuals. John and Kim cancelled--or never scheduled--a tailgate. The morning ones aren’t well attended and are a hassle because of how early they have to get there to set everything up. This week it’s also cold--12 degrees overnight and only rising into...

Read More

Antsiness

Blaine and I met Mica and Greg for drinks and an appetizer after work. Since Mica works until 6:00 and lives on the opposite side of town, it was later than normal when we arrived. The place was packed, but the wait was only 35 minutes. We had arrived first. I sent a text to Mica to let her know we were waiting on the bar side.Blaine ordered a beer and let me have a couple of sips, which is all I...

Read More

Write, post, sleep...hope it makes sense

As soon as I arrived at work this morning, I submitted a request to take this afternoon off. I didn't think I would make through the day otherwise. I'm having several days of extreme tiredness. It should end soon. It's horrible right now though. Before I went home, I drove to an outlet mall where I hoped to by a plate and a bowl from the Corning store. Why? Because the dishes are unbreakable and...

Read More

Allison's birthday

Wednesday “My dad?” Allison’s hand was suspended mid air, not quite reaching the drink in front of her. “Baked a pie?”Blaine appeared to be working hard at not reacting. Knowing what I do about him, the reaction would be more amusement than annoyance, although it was the latter he was trying for. Today is Allison’s birthday and Blaine took the family out to dinner. As is becoming the custom, I was...

Read More

Pick up in checkout four

I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work. The cashier was a high school guy with olive-tone skin and large dark eyes. He was notably well dressed, efficient and personable. The girl bagging the groceries was a bit nondescript but relaxed and with a presence that promised she knew she was capable of more than you might think. While I was punching in my pin number, she told him she had...

Read More

Great Pheasant Feast

MondayI’m experiencing the age-old blogging problem of being too busy to write. As a consolation, I’m busy doing the same thing over and over again, so not much of a loss.Going back to Tuesday, election day (or day of disappointing outcomes), I stopped on my way home to vote. Blaine and I made dinner at my house and watched the returns. Not one race or ballot measure turned out the way I wanted. Blaine...

Read More

Quills up

MondayI concede I may be extra prickly because I’m super busy at work, and perhaps I shouldn’t have gotten my quills up when I received an email about some incorrect information on the website. But there’s a right way to request a change and there’s a wrong way. The wrong way is to throw me under bus and not delete that part of the email string that you send to me. It took two minutes to make the...

Read More

Sleep on it

Sunday It was Blaine’s idea to go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to select bedding for the bed he bought for the basement bedroom. (Give me a second to see if I can figure out more ways to add some form of “bed” to that sentence.) As I told Mica later, it was like I was taking him to the vet. The closer we got to the bedding section, the slower he walked, the more he wanted to stop and study every little...

Read More

Push through

SaturdayBecause I’m still not feeling 100 percent I let Blaine know I needed a slow morning and would meet him and the rest of the usuals wherever they ended up to watch the game. It was another 11 a.m. kickoff, which is an annoying starting time. I could have skipped the game altogether but I had errands that had to be accomplished by noon and thought I might as well go and have lunch with everyone....

Read More

The crane

Friday Eve slipped off the high stool into an open space between tables. She straightened her spine, bent at the waist 90 degrees, raised her right elbow perpendicular to her body with her fingers pointed at the floor. The other arm was bent like a wing, hand tucked against her side. Our waitress approached. “What do we have going on here?”“It’s called the crane,” Eve told her, staying in position....

Read More