Filling In
Fri., September 19, 10:48 AM
I didn’t want to get up this morning, let alone sit and write an entry. But I admire those who manage to post every day, and I know I have to write more often. In the spirit of “vanity not being a sin,” I have to post often enough to get people to come and read. A special thank you to auntie-mari, who gave me a very complimentary write-up. On the other hand, I don’t ask for reviews, because I’m still the woman who wrote Diaries Then and Now. So, even though I have not yet finished the piece I was working on, here are a few daily tidbits.
We survived the passing of Isabel without incident. We didn’t even lose power, and there are no large branches in the yard. The only anomaly was looking out on the deck to see that M.D.’s grill wasn’t there in the far corner. I went out to look – how could it have fallen over the rail? – and found it in the corner next to the house. Oh, I get it. Husband got up in the middle of the night and moved it out of the wind… When you think of all the things he “can’t” do, he’s a real wonder.
I have made an appointment with a specialist to evaluate my back pain. She doesn’t want to wait; I’m going in Monday. Nevertheless, I had to argue with my primary doctor’s office to get them to send the backup papers, so when I confirmed with the specialist, I asked whether the fax had arrived. “Only one page of blood work.” So I called the primary’s office again. “What was supposed to go? What are you seeing her for?” [My back, idiot, you were supposed to send the results of the X-ray! She’s an orthopedist.] Sometimes I think my life consists of figuring out what people are thinking, so that I can get them to do their jobs without insulting them.
Next weekend, which is Rosh Hashana, Husband and I are traveling by train to visit Son in Boston. The tickets have arrived. Son will make hotel reservations for us. (His new place has a guest room, but it’s not furnished yet. It’s really new.) I will spend the next week reminding Husband, asking him what he wants to take with him, reminding him he needs his ID, reminding him to bathe and change his underwear before we go…
At this point, something happened to my computer, which brought up a “Cannot find” page, then another and another and another and another and – you get the picture. They were coming up faster than I could close them, and I had to shut off the machine. Thank heaven for small miracles, Word saves the unsaved document! I had already rebooted once because the Diaryland page simply wasn’t reading my mouse, even though the other screens were. Is the whole day going to be like this?
If you know me, you know that I am not the compulsive housecleaner. In theory, I do the least I can get away with and wait for others responsible to do their bit. That’s in theory. In the real world, sooner or later I see something that can’t wait any longer, and this morning it was the bathroom. That is, the single bathroom in the Cheesebox, the one I share with other people who are supposed to help. I vacuumed up cat litter. I washed the scale, where clumping cat litter had hardened in the steam of showers. I cleaned the ring in the tub, although I never take tub baths, and my showers don’t leave that ring.
The ledge of the tub contains two items of mine: one cake of soap and one bottle of shampoo. There are ten other bottles/tubes/jars lined up in there. Finally, the new shower liner that I put up – at great pain to my shoulder – only two weeks ago has a big rent in the middle because Cat tried to climb it. Do you see an inequity here? At the very least, the lazy feline could sweep the floor once in a while! 
The feline known as Cat
I hope all of you on the Eastern Seaboard are okay.
