A Fowl Day?

I saw what I guess to be Canada goose feathers drifting outside a home improvement store today. No other shoppers seemed to notice.

This drift, trapped along the curb...

I hope no bird got hit by a car. There was no sign of an injured animal.

Is this something that would draw your attention? Do you think the store workers perhaps cleaned out an abandoned nest?

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A Strangely Foiled Outing

On Wednesday I met my friend Scars to see a movie, “The Sound of Freedom”. My husband didn’t feel up to a heart-wrenching tale and gave his blessing.

Scars bought my ticket while I paid for our sodas. We walked into a silent theater. How bizarre. There should have been advertisements running and then previews before our 11 am showing.

This is all we saw:

Scars joked that maybe someone needed
to revisit the concession stand...

At around 11:15 or so, he and I returned to the lobby. Five other patrons sat baffled, waiting for word. I’m usually timid but I think Scars’ fearless nature inspires me. I walked behind a vacant service counter, looked into an empty office, and called out. Back in the auditorium, I even banged on a locked door.

Nothing. I later learned everything is automated, run by computer.

At long last two technicians appeared after Scars and/or I talked to a few different employees. Having climbed a ladder into the screening room, they apologetically claimed an inability to clear the glitch. Not even rebooting the mainframe. Issues included the system indicating no tickets had been sold. It all seemed stranger and stranger.

Around noon, the first fellow who approached us as opposed to the other way around returned and apologized because nothing had worked. Even calling their corporate office led nowhere. It seems corporate had been overwhelmed and stymied by this issue. Strangely, the nationwide problem apparently affected this particular movie alone.

I give all the staff credit for their efforts. And each individual patron received a refund offer, free food/drink tickets, and a complimentary movie pass.

All of us thwarted moviegoers remained calm, I’m proud to say. The others got their ticket cost refunded while Scars declined. He is financially well off and wanted the filmmakers to get their portion of the earnings.

Have you ever encountered something like this? Do you, like my husband, think it was a cyber attack on the theater chain?

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A Problematic Pollywog

Upon the kittens’ first visit to our local veterinary clinic, a doctor noted Polly’s right front paw has a toe that didn’t fully form beside the other extra. Of late I started calling it a pollywog. ~snort~ Sad to say, our Polly Esther started favoring that foot.

Don't you just want to tickle those toes?

The veterinarian stated it might become a problem. So I reached out in an email today. My hope is that perhaps discomfort stems not from the malformed toe so much as its claw. Stories abound about beloved pets dying due to miscalculated anesthesia. But I understand surgery will probably be required.

Besides, I never felt comfortable trimming claws, having tried exactly once with Luna back in her youth. Of course she’d been living on the streets until she chose me as her human in 1999, so her sensitivity makes sense. Valuable claws enabled her to defend and feed herself as well as the three kittens she birthed before we met.

Fast forward to 2021, and both these kittens are incredibly gentle with us. But I still can’t see myself trimming toenails, especially when Polly doesn’t like that foot handled. ~sigh~ We shall see. Adorable as I find all her toes, we want what’s best for her. Regular trips to a groomer for nail trimming doesn’t seem like fun for anyone.

Can you believe even unseen indoor cats sent my teenaged asthmatic self to the ER about once a year? Isn’t it a shame I re-homed Luna’s kittens before her presence led me to proper allergy meds? Or should I just be glad we had space to adopt Tilly and Jezebel in the intervening years?

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Cursed

Our home, built in 1979, sits across from one built in its exact mirror image. I don't know why the builders chose to do this; they are the only two around designed this way.

Unfortunately, we have never seen a family living there in harmony. And children often end up in the crossfire. One resident only screamed at her husband on holidays such as Memorial Day. I can only imagine alcohol was involved, even first thing in the morning. ~shakes head~ They eventually lost the house to foreclosure.

The next couple appeared serene, but nighttime could get interesting. One Sunday morning I looked outside to see soda or beer cans spilled all down the sloped driveway. My husband and I quietly kept our distance. Soon thereafter those young parents divorced and moved away.

About two years ago a promising pair moved in. She and he appeared successful, at peace, and soon had a baby. But again, chaos reigns. J next door to them, whom I've mentioned in past, can't resist inserting himself into people's business. ~shakes head~ I'm quite certain he means well.

In fact, J told me he drove the husband to Tennessee for a used mini van. When I praised the action, he said, "It was either that or keep driving them around." Okay. He proceeded to describe the home's interior as that of hoarders and relayed a time he waited outside a store for the wife while she got caught shoplifting. Yikes.

He claimed their hoarding includes animals to some degree. Twice now they have lost a cat. I can't help thinking of the creatures as escaping and only hope neither encountered hungry coyotes. ~shudder~ I guess the wife blames her husband for this latest loss. One afternoon she shrieked profanity at him that would make a plumber blush. After that she almost ran over two pedestrians before her tire squalling exit.

Jezebel, caught here in the act of opening this sofa drawer,
would hide forever if we fought like that.

Her spouse shouted, "You can take the baby!" She screamed FU and sped away. A few mornings later I heard her sobbing on the phone. She didn't sound like a child, or even an infant. I can only describe the wailing as that of an attention seeking drama queen.

Now my husband and I have had our ups and downs. No relationship is perfect. The sort of behavior I have witnessed over these last two and a half decades, however, is inconceivable. In fact, during my brief hospital stay last autumn, staffers asked various times in different ways if I felt threatened at home. After either the fourth or fifth time I burst out laughing. In that moment, the relief on the administrators face was palpable. Nobody asked again after that. Heh... I think I made her day. My husband like the story so much he sometimes asks me if I feel safe. ~grin~ Not so amusing is the fact I've seen police show up over there.

Have you witnessed area residents in a screaming match? Did you know police officers face some of the greatest danger answering a domestic abuse call?

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Ah, Memories... How Bittersweet

A Bygone Era...

I am so thankful for having seen Palaye Royale perform three times before this pandemic. This past week would have been the fourth. By the way, super early reporting by Styxhexenhammer666 (Warning: some foul language) on happens in Communist China stopped me from buying a concert ticket.

It saddens me that the brothers' skyrocketing careers are on hold. They could not be any sweeter in appreciating their fans (of all ages, shapes, and sizes). ~grin~ Emerson complimented the bolero jacket his fun and spirited pirate fashion sense inspired me to buy.

Too bad I never got to meet
Emerson (L) & Remmy's
big brother Sebastian.

Isn't it adorable how Remington, who hugged me first, looks a tiny bit protective toward his baby brother? And how lucky am I that my friend spotted Emerson walking past last summer at an outdoor venue, gaining me another hug and my first (cheesy) selfie?

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Better Days (Who is That in the Photo?)

Why, it's me in the photo below, though you'd never know it today. My husband and I were vacationing in Charleston, North Carolina. As a side note, I wasn't too pleased with him over the weeks leading up to and following the trip but we managed to enjoy ourselves overall.

The image is grainy, but this was way back, when My Space was the big social media platform. Having only signed up to communicate with my nephew serving with the US Army in Iraq, I chose this for my home page image. My how things have changed, though my nephew continues thriving in Stateside military protective service.

I set up our old camera to photograph myself rather than request assistance. ~grin~ However, we laughed together numerous times, especially when outdated Magellan satellite mapping software showed us driving into a river rather than over the new city bridge.

Do you remember when cameras had a timer and you didn't need a 'selfie stick'? Can you imagine not having today's satellite guidance? How ever did we manage?

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Oops! I forgot to think of a title.

I have to admit, that 'brave' anonymous person who trolled me on my last post made me laugh. What a moron. But please don't check it out if (lengthy and rambling) idiotic vitriol upsets you.

Instead, enjoy Jezebel "helping" hold down my Kindle

Meanwhile, my hope today is sharing some laughs with a quirky list of blessings. Some aren't quite funny, but rather cool incidentals in my humble opinion. So, below are eight rather silly things making the crisis more bearable here.

1. Since Ohio is on a shelter in place edict, a clingy friend across the state can no longer hound me about visiting.

2. A few weeks ago we accidentally doubled up on purchasing sugar and liquid hand soap while I put laundry detergent and mouthwash on the list way early. How lucky is that?

3. I feel vindicated eating some foods with absolutely zero redeeming qualities. After all, that box of Cocoa Wheats isn't getting any younger.

4. We have a tiny extra stash of body wash, toothpaste, and whatnot following last September's little 'adventure'. Who knew getting hospitalized for a swollen tongue would benefit us months later?

5. I reinvested in my aquarist hobby this year, because watching my fish and making homemade decorations are both very calming.

6. Likewise, I not only discovered neat filming options available on my iPod Touch, but my husband bought the adapter that converted my awesome old tripod for its usage.

7. His emergency room visit years ago has us stocked with several tubes of antibacterial ointment for things like my little gashed thumb tip, which I'm happy to report is healing well.

8. I decided to grow out my bangs last year, so while my wild graying hair doesn't look so great, it's past the awkward stage when the ends constantly pokes my eyeballs.

How are you doing? Are mainstream media reports getting you down or have you found alternative news sources with a more even-tempered tone?

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Collision Course

Today I saw Jezebel limping. Distressed after the frightful incident last year, I did not panic. And my poor husband announced a probable cause. Early today she darted in front of him, running straight to his left as he turned that direction into a room off the hall.

I won't judge. Things happen. It's not like he would ever kick any living creature on purpose. I know this for a glorious, admirable fact. He has helped me relocate spiders, among other critters, countless times.

I'm a lucky gal. ~grin~ And so have been all our kitties.

Meanwhile, before we noticed Jezzy's limp he calmly mentioned a water leak wetting our hall bathroom floor. He soon discovered the source. That turned out to be from an old distilled water jug, which was weird. I'm grateful, because this house has seen countless damaging water leaks over the decades and it could have been much worse.

Have you ever seen a plastic water jug spring a leak? Do you have a decent supply of potable water on hand in case of emergency?

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Cultural Curiosities

The interesting (and appreciated) comments received on my “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” post started me considering all sorts of regional differences. As for covered bridges, it makes sense that they only behoove societies receiving regular snow and/or freezing conditions. Of course, they don’t guarantee safety. Heh…

Classic dark comedy aside, I ponder over other territorial peculiarities, many just within United States borders. Take Sweetest Day, for example, observed on the third Saturday in October.

I believed Midwestern greeting card companies contrived this holiday. Today’s research uncovered an altruistic nature. You can the article here if interested. In a nutshell (as we say in Ohio), the holiday now synonymous with St. Valentine’s Day originally focused on community goodwill – uplifting all laudable and less fortunate neighbors.

This next practice may or may not be common, but around here our Mexican and Chinese style restaurants designate dishes with an additional number and/or lettering system. I suppose this makes ease of communication easier for nonnative speakers on either side of the menu. I’m not sure. For certain, though, I wouldn’t thrive where few spoke some form of English.

Speaking of communication, my minor relocation from northeast to southwest Ohio posed a few issues. I mean, why respond to my question or comment with “Please?” That turned out to be a plea for the original speaker to repeat his or herself. I’d heard the phrase “Excuse me?” or a succinct “What?” all my life.

And I had no idea what ‘briar’ meant. That’s the equally derogatory equivalent to ‘hillbilly’ from my youth, meaning a ‘hick’ or ‘hayseed’ or ‘rube’ or ‘redneck’. I don’t think we have half as many words for our wealthier citizenry.

Hmmm…

Have you heard of Sweetest Day before? As I learned not long ago, do you know the distinct difference between a redneck and hillbilly?

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What if?

Sorry for ripping off your idea, Liz A. ~grin~ Alongside her inspiring Tuesday blog installments, such as this, my speculation is based on a real event as well as a movie.

To start, the quirky film “11:14” features a stellar cast whose stories revolve around a terrible incident occurring one night at, you guessed it, 11:14. I enjoyed this DVD again last week, going so far as to re-watch the included ‘making of’ documentary.

To avoid spoilers, let me say the plot follows various characters whose viewpoints converge with tragic intricacy. Its creators distort the timeline enough that, while I have no trouble following, still found myself surprised by the final reveal linking two duplicitous human beings.

The film’s portrayal of instances, momentary decisions shaping our existence, is what brought “11:14” to mind.

As usual, yesterday afternoon I drove my husband around on our few various errands. Snowfall grew denser as we neared home, decreased visibility causing me to bypass my usual left turn.

Today I can’t help wondering what different outcome might have resulted if not for incliment weather.

You see, following a curve mere yards from our street, we found a distracted driver headed right toward us. As happened just over a year ago, I concentrated on minimizing the impact and didn’t tense up, let alone have time to honk my horn.

I’m happy to report this ended better than that January 2019 occurrence and we escaped this collision. It’s a wonder, as my best option was to pull onto the curb, stop, and hope for the best. Otherwise our Blue Meanie would have bashed into one of many nearby obstacles and no doubt been totaled by the insurance company.

The Blue Meanie named and personalized last spring...

One can only hope our red 2013 Volt lives on providing parts for others. ~sigh~ What can I say? I grew up in a family of automobile fanatics including a few amateur racecar drivers. And we intended to drive that machine until our last days.

Anyway, thank heaven this gal noticed in time to swerve. We concluded our journey with twin headaches, fortunately allayed with a guilty barbecue take-out meal.

So, what if I had not detoured? Do you think that split second decision prevented another, perhaps fatal accident? How likely is it she would later have blown through a traffic stop or some such and plowed into us, or some other hapless commuter?

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Moon Child

As a little girl I tended to align my sleeping face with moonbeams. Sometimes I woke with my head at the twin bed foot board, having moved without conscious decision, that silvery reflection near blinding.

Mesmerizing...

When I walked outside our house to get the mail on Friday the full moon staggered me. How beautiful was the sight inspiring fond recollections. The view also triggered a bizarre memory.

Back in the 1990’s a lawn care company employed me at their corporate office. One day our janitor remarked on the moon, startled by its daylight appearance.

Uh… Hmmm...

We all suffer momentary lapses of reason. But to this day I wonder if the sweet elder lady suffered early onset dementia. I doubt she is alive still and wish her kin all the best.

Do you sometimes prefer soothing moonlight over sunshine? What is your favorite type of lazy day weather? And can you imagine the devastation our planet would face without this crucial orbital satellite (that old program "Space 1999" is implausible, to say the least)?

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Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

This year has been strange, for sure. I (mostly) recovered from loss of my cherished fish, though dealing with the burgeoning snail population without clown loaches to control them with diet is another matter.

Ugh…

And I refuse to purchase more such long-lived, expensive, and delicate freshwater creatures at this stage in my life. To date, on the bad front my best friend’s father had a minor stroke a few months ago. I'm happy to report he’s recovering with the wife whose healthcare he’s managed for decades.

But ‘Dad’ is on a growing list of concerns, as is his spouse. Thank heaven, ‘Mom and Dad R’ have lots of nearby family to aid the care of both. But my same longtime pal’s father-in-law, who is very elderly, requires quintuple heart surgery. We keep praying. What else can you do? Sometimes, I feel it’s more like one step forward and two steps back

I will share a more mixed update soon. Blessed be, all.

How fare thee?

~