Making It Up As I Go Along #517

Rainy Afternoons

Rainy afternoons bring memories

Of Chinese Checkers tinking onto the tin board

Marbles to tin as the rain to the window

My grandmother tinkering in the kitchen

As I tinker with the game.

Rainy afternoons bring thoughts

Of massive plates of nachos

While recorded movies whir on tape

Geoff fast-forwarding ads

As I gulp milk

Looking for salsa burn relief

Rainy afternoons bring shadows

Of blanket forts in corners of the house

Tucked behind the sofa

With cushions used as anchors

While I hold Sparky hostage

Scribbling crayon art

Rainy afternoons bring ideas

Of block built construction

Lego block moon bases

Mighty baseball stadiums

Or a CN tower all multi coloured

Red, yellow, blue, green

Not enough white to get the job done.

MONDAY…

--- Days alone.  Slow morning… busy afternoon.

--- Softball in the evening.  We get beat pretty bad.  I take two line shots off my wrist.  Glove would have been better.  It’s a bit swollen and sore after the game but fine the next day.  I do hit my first homer in two years… first one since my shoulder injury.  But we’re well behind by then and I hit it almost more out of anger than anything.  Well, softball anger… hardly ulcer worthy.

TUESDAY…

--- Alone again.  Fairly steady all day today.  Not much downtime. 

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY…

--- Nights alone. Makes for long, fairly busy nights.  Play some ball before Wednesday’s shift and have Thai for supper.  Left over Thai for Thursday.

FRIDAY…

--- Awake way too early.  In bed by 6:30 this morning… awake for good by 10:30 after having woken up a few times in between those hours. 

--- Two hour walk today.  Walk to Farm Boy along the power line corridor… get a few groceries there… walk back with a couple of bags of food.  It’s warmer than I thought today… in the 30s for sure with humidity… so I’m feeling pretty tired and thirsty by the time I get home.

--- Bit of an afternoon nap is much needed.

SATURDAY…

--- Morning walk.  Do about an hour today.  Afternoon movie.  The Abyss really was a good movie… holds up well all these years later.

--- Head for the movies with Sarah but it falls apart.  The movie apps on my phone show The Apparition playing at 9:20… the cinema isn’t even showing that movie at all.  So we head off for some patio time… a snack and some drinks.  So still a nice night.

SUNDAY…

--- My neck is giving me some trouble.  Likely from falling asleep on the sofa at an odd angle is my guess.   

Making It Up As I Go Along #516

Things were slow going in the blog.  I basically missed the Aug 11 posting due to having to switch my shift at work.  When you work seven of nine days at twelve hours a day, there isn’t much time to put to anything else from a mind point of view.

Now, after four days off, I’m still tired and not sleeping great… but getting back to the swing of things.

Lawn Fridge

Who wants a lawn fridge?

Our garbage’s across the street.

Another car comes pulling up

The neighbours not to meet.

The fridge it is for sale

Three hundred to take it home

Just watch for mice up in the back

With fridges they need not roam.

On garbage day the cans

By the fridge they will sit

The other six days of the week

Why it’s by the forest that they’ll fit.

The cars they come all day long

In driveway, street and garage

Often drivers yell out the door

Of humanity, it’s a great barrage.

The fridge it sat for two full weeks

The lawn below did turn

I doubt an offer came to them

No lowball try to spurn.

The garbage sits in overflow

A meal for woods critters

I do believe the sweet raccoons

Will become garbage can sitters.

I know the world it takes all kinds

I know I shouldn’t complain

But when you have neighbours such as these

You’re liable to go quite insane.

MONDAY…

--- Off work for the stat holiday.  I do a walk and watch some Olympics while doing laundry.  US vs. Canada soccer is exciting but frustrating.  Horrible inconsistency from the ref and Canada ends up losing 4-3 in extra time.

TUESDAY…

--- Back to work.  Fairly quiet day.  Return of the Jedi on Blue Ray for the evening.

WEDNESDAY…

--- Go to softball before work but we get rained out about 20 minutes in.  So I’m at work about 20 to 30 minutes earlier than normal.

THURSDAY…

--- Good afternoon nap.  Good to the point where I wake a bit later than normal and look at the clock wonder if it’s AM or PM. 

--- Work is fairly normal.  Last night with the latest team.  I head back Sunday working as a tandem with Keith… though he won’t be there Sunday.

FRIDAY…

--- Rainy day.  Get groceries and go for a wet walk.  See something coming along a river ditch… either a beaver or a big raccoon.  I think raccoon… it veered off into the woods before it got too close to me.

SATURDAY…

--- Walk in the morning.  Rain much of the afternoon while I watch TV.  Supper with Karl and Jennifer.  We planned for a movie afterwards but mixed up the times and went to the Mayfair at 7:00 for a 6:00 showing.  Oops.

SUNDAY…

--- Back to work.  Fairly quiet day but do have some priority things to do in the afternoon.  One of those times when it feels like you’re being there can make a difference.

--- Catch the end of the Olympic closing ceremonies.  Not bad from what I see.  The Who really are a band with presence. 

MONDAY…

--- Steady go on dayshift alone.  Bit of a walk after work… a half hour… some TV after that.

TUESDAY…

--- Night shift.  Back with Keith at work. 

WEDNESDAY…

--- RCMP ball before work.  Funny how my infield arm is fairly good now but my outfield arm is that of a little girl.  Different muscle groups I suppose… but somewhat pathetic when I’m forced to throw beyond the cutoff. 

THURSDAY…

--- Off again.  Not a moment too soon.  I pour a glass of cereal and am motioning to pour my bowl of juice next to it for breakfast before catching myself.

--- Groceries… a leisurely walk filled with frogs and toads… plus two heron encounters… a big one taking off out of a tree I’m under followed by a young one flying up to a tree when I startle it.  Some TV and laundry in the evening.

FRIDAY…

--- Brisk walk… several blue jays out there now.  You really get an idea of animals in relation to time of year when walking the woods daily. 

--- Next door neighbour’s house for sale.  Makes for a slightly nervous time.  Don’t want some hicks who keep a fridge on the lawn next to me.  Here’s hoping for a young couple that are easy going.

SATURDAY…

--- Bad shark movie that was fun to watch… a walk…  bbq hotdogs for supper.  Decompression from previously working seven of nine days is nearly complete.