Making It Up As I Go Along #433

Fortresses of Solitude
I’ve always enjoyed tucking away in small spaces. As a kid, a blanket or two tucked here and there made my bunk bed’s lower bunk a chamber of solitude.

The old love seat, in the living room was propped on an angle and leaving a triangular space where the corner of the room makes two sides, and the love seat back makes the third. I’d push the love seat out on one side of the wall... just enough for an eight year old to squeeze by. And just enough for a Sparky dog to be coaxed in behind him. Me and the dog sitting there, in secret... until the dog got bored. Back scratching could hold him there no more, and he click click clicks down the hardwood hall to see what else is going on.

Linen closets, both at home and in my grandmother’s house, where fine places to tuck away in. A unique quietness where the normalness of the rest of the house can be heard beyond the door. Where a line of that normalness can be viewed through the crack in the closet door. But there, on the dark side of the door, a stillness.

A crawl space in a friend’s basement. As a room for a tiny species of people. Boxes of old kitchen cutlery, worn out Christmas decorations, and old suitcases of old cloths... all as ancient relics to be explored as you crawl along the maze. While parents drank coffee in the living room, we were explorers of ancient Egyptian tombs.

Toys and a flashlight under a bed. A little fort within the house. Sometimes curiosity would get the best of the dog... and Sparky would shuffle in... clawing along the hardwood... making his way towards the light... my flashlight. It was a sad point of childhood when under the bed was outgrown. The last few ventures there being a claustrophobic journey. Unable to turn my head... needing to leave it turned to either my left or right. Such trips were short and depressing. A little world that was just for me and the dog... cut off.

With our second dog, came a travel crate. The crate was her home within our home. Sometimes, I’d crawl in with her... and being a sweet little dog, she never reacted as if I’d infringed upon her territory. Her reaction was more that of host. Smiling dog eyes, a little lick of the tongue, and she’d lay down next to me, nuzzle through her blanket, and happily produce a tennis ball from within it’s folds... giving it a squeeze or two... daring me to try and take it.

As an adult, the small spaces to tuck in to aren’t as easily available. Storage closets, which once could have been explored for the treasures that may lay within, are just storage closets. When you’re the one who put it there, the treasures are just stored items. Yet even now, after a few years of storage, items become forgotten and a cleaning of the closet produces a moment of treasure discovery. There’s that old baseball glove!

But there are still cozy spaces. The seat at the dinning room table where the kitchen counter blocks off one end, and the wall is at your back. It’s why booths are always better than tables at restaurants. Little tuck aways where people bring you food.

My kitchen nook has the potential. From the rest of the house, it could be assumed the nook doesn’t exist. An entire room that opens up beyond the refrigerator. But, for now it’s a mess of papers and small things to store... and the place where my bike sits.

Soon I’ll have to get to work in that nook. Throw out some things and buy a cabinet to hold others. So that I can put a chair over there... and have a little reading nook. A place to sit in secret. A little fortress of solitude.

MONDAY...
— Lately it’s felt like the laptop is on it’s last legs. Very slow at start up much of the time... and often getting pop ups about scripts not running and such. Need to go computer shopping soon. Five years and the laptop is near retirement.
— Groceries after work. Would have got them yesterday and even drove to the store, but it was crazy busy and I didn’t even stop the car, returning home again. Today was fine.

TUESDAY...
— Wake early with my head swimming... it doesn’t go away. Sick day from work results. Not sure if it’s sinus issues or what.
— Around the house with the TV and computer and rest. Feel better in the late afternoon but start to decrease again in the evening. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

WEDNESDAY...
— Still feeling unwell. Go to work and am draining as the morning goes... decide to do lunch and see about maybe leaving in the afternoon. But lunch peps me up and I stay. By the night, I’m feeling better... but still got a feeling where it’s like my strength reserves aren’t high... it wouldn’t take much.
— This new Survivor show... this may be bad. Old against young... Jeff calling them the Younger Tribe and the Older Tribe rather than the names given them... Jimmy Johnson, the old football coach... the medal of power. Oh boy, could be the beginning of the end of this franchise.

THURSDAY...
— Staff barbeque on the coldest day of the summer. I think it tops off at about 11 today and rains in the afternoon. I get my dogs and drink and get back inside quick.
— Feeling pretty much better now. Tired... but that’s likely more to do with day shift than being under the weather. Always tired on day shift.

FRIDAY...
— Good to get the week over with. Tired. Call home after work to chat with the parents... and then watch some TV in the evening.

SATURDAY...
— Lots of laundry and lots of video game baseball today. Make spaghetti for supper too. A relaxing day.