Today is a truly ugly day. It is a rainy, dark day. I can hear drops hitting the barbecue. A wind blows the leaves. From my window, I can see the yellow, orange leaves turning and spinning. There will be fewer still hanging after the storm. My house was cold when I woke up, down to 63°. I turned on the heat. Now my house is comfy. The dogs are sleeping, Nala beside me and Henry on my bed. They live the good life.

When I was a kid, I liked a rainy afternoon. I’d snuggle in bed, the light over my headboard lit, and I’d read. I always had a book. After I’d get my allowance on Friday, I’d walk uptown to the Children’s Corner, a clothing store which had a bookcase in the back where they sold Whitman Publishing Company books. The books were only 49 cents which worked out perfectly as my allowance was 50 cents. The change was worth one penny candy. Whitman published Tricia Belden, a girl detective. I liked her more than I liked Nancy Drew as Trixie was a regular kid. During the week, I’d often walk to the library after school and take home as many books as I was allowed.

When I was in high school, we’d sometimes go to Revere Beach. It had rides, games, bars and restaurants. We’d ride the roller coaster and the round ride that went fast in circles and sort of plastered you against the wall. We’d eat a hot dog or a slice of pizza. We never played any of the games. What I liked the most were the lights. All the outside railings of the roller coaster were lit with white lights and the cars too were lit with lights. I also remember how loud the cars were clicking and clicking on the track. Corners were brutal. There were no seat belts, just a rail in front of the passengers to hold them inside the cars. I remember the anticipation as the coaster chugged up the first high hill. We knew what was coming. The downhill was really fast especially around corners. We all yelled. A few of the intrepids held their hands above their heads. I didn’t.

Sunday we have a uke concert. We also have one on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Add practice and my lesson. That doesn’t leave much time. When will I nap?

Mother Nature gifted us with a taste of summer, maybe the last taste. Yesterday was t-shirt weather, in the mid 70’s. I opened some windows. Today is hoodie weather. It is only 57° which will be the high for the day.

We are in the middle of our usual morning routine. I’m on my second cup of coffee. I read the paper and finished all three puzzles. The dogs have been in and out twice, had their morning biscuits and are now napping on the couch.

I wonder sometimes about the oddest things. I know there is an ongoing controversy between two camps about toilet paper rolls, the end over or under camps. I am in the over camp. Now, here is my question: why are paper towel rolls always hung over? I also wonder why people put ketchup on scrambled eggs and not on fried or hard-boiled eggs? What is it with scrambled eggs? Hot dog rolls in New England come slit at the top. I’m thinking that keeps the lobster salad from falling out of the roll. Speaking of hot dogs, I am not a fan of ketchup on hot dogs. It seems almost sacrilegious. Slather on the mustard and relish or piccalilli, maybe add some onions. That is my hot dog. I used to ponder why dropped toast always lands butter side down. This pondering even has a name, the buttered toast phenomenon. Is it bad luck as some claim or is it physics? Experiments were done. It is because the bread makes a half turn in the air. It has nothing to do with bad luck. I found a poem from 1884 by James Payn which stirred the debate.

I never had a slice of bread,
Particularly large and wide,
That did not fall upon the floor,
And always on the buttered side!

The next question I asked myself was why has so much time been spent on buttered toast and toilet paper, including mine? My answer is simple. I started Coffee in 2004. After all this time my muse is old and exhausted. Her hair is white. She tends to nap a lot. Inspiration is slow.

On my dance card is a uke concert today in Barnstable. Tomorrow is a 90 minute tour of the Kennedy Museum in Hyannis. I have been through the museum a couple of times but never taken a tour. I’m looking forward to it.