“Sometimes life is too hard to be alone, and sometimes life is too good to be alone.”
This morning the Globe was filled with the most interesting articles so it took me a couple of hours to finish reading. I learned rats have become suburbanites. They are appearing in towns outside of Boston. My first and only encounter with a rat was in Boston. I was waiting to work a water station for the marathon. Because I was early, I was having coffee in a well known bakery/coffee shop. I was the only one there. A big rat sauntered across the floor by my table. Luckily it kept going I have no idea where. I yelled at the guy behind the counter. He saw the rat but seemed unconcerned. He offered me free coffee all day.
The weather has been cold but at least we have sun so the day is pretty. I have some errands later so I’m be out enjoying that sun.
Life has been quiet for me the last few weeks. I haven’t been anywhere, and I haven’t spent time with anybody. I talk to Henry, but I think I’m glad he doesn’t answer. I suspect he’d be a bit annoying and a little pushy.
When I was a kid, the house was always filled with us. We shared bedrooms, two of us in each one and my parents in the third. The kitchen table didn’t hold all six of us at once, but that worked out okay though as my father was never home early enough from work for dinner, and my mother always stood and ate at the counter. Our living room had a couch and a comfy chair. If we all watched TV at once, my father always took the chair. In my mind’s eye I can also see him sitting there reading the paper. That was about it for rooms except we also had a cellar. It was where we played mostly on rainy or freezing days. I used to pretend to ride a horse while I was sitting on the end of the stairway bannister. I also used to go down there to read and to be myself.
I live by myself and have since I bought this house. I could do a Mad Hatter and move from room to room, but I tend to spend most of my time in the den. I get the comfy chair.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
October 22, 2018 at 2:13 pm
Solitude Standing
When Mrs MDH heads to an evening meeting, I have TV Night – which generally means I am watching a documentary on Netflix or Amazon Prime on the goings on during the Second War. An especially comfortable position is taken up on the sofa fully knowing that I will not go the duration of the documentary. As one might expect, if, and of course it is a big if, I wake up during the show, the visual images are exactly the same as when a fell asleep. A lot of dudes marching up and down.
As a child, the sofa was on one wall and the TV next to the fireplace that heated the lower house. Such was the day that the picture would have a tendency to roll and distort and we were constantly playing with an image via the test card with black and white contrast. There was no heat in the upstairs, only electric heater bars mounted on the wall to hopefully take the edge off on those cold damp winter evenings.
I do have general memories of my sister and I charging down the stairs and in to the living room pretending to be the Beatles – no doubt copying the big entrance of the Fab Four that were very much part of their TV appearances.
I have been thoroughly enjoying the Deluxe version of John Lennon’s Imagine. Next big arrival will be Dylan’s More Blood More Tracks, followed by The White Album with bunches of discs
October 22, 2018 at 3:46 pm
My Dear Hedley,
I get to watch whatever I want being the only watcher. If I start to fall asleep, I DVR the program I’m watching so I don’t miss the end. Lately I’ve watched baseball, even game 7 of the other series.
I think in those days all the pictures rolled. We had a rabbit ears antenna to which aluminum foil had been added as a booster, but one of us had to keep moving those ears until we found the sweet spot.
I haven’t bought any music in quite a while. It is Christmas shopping time, and I have a rule that I buy nothing for myself during this time. I’ve often been tempted to break my rule, but I am still standing steadfast.
No Verlander magic in game 5.
October 22, 2018 at 3:52 pm
When we downsized a couple of years ago to a 1,650 sq.ft. condo, we are in each other’s way more frequently than when we had a 3,500 sq.ft. house. We still eat in shifts because my son is a grazer. He will make his dinner at five while the rest of us eat around six thirty. Then, during the next twelve hours my son will eat various sized mini meals and snacks.
My wife, daughter and I ate lunch at our favorite middle eastern all you can eat buffet restaurant. Of course, I ate too much including braised lamb shanks and topped it off with lot’s of baklava. I’m always amazed when I eat there how many folks from all over the world live in Dallas. I don’t think there’s a terrorist or illegal Alain among them and they are all contributing to our country. Early voting has begun here in Texas and everyone should use the ballot box to vote the fear monger, xenophobic, misogynist and racist Republicans out of office.
Another beautiful day off with partly cloudy skies and 75 degree temperature.
October 22, 2018 at 8:05 pm
Bob,
I’d be okay with a small house, but I’ve come to like having a den for TV watching, a guest room and a dining room for having friends over for dinner. I chuckled at your definition of your son’s eating habits.
I love Middle Eastern food. I first tasted it in Ghana in 1969. When I was in Accra, I’d head to one of the many Middle Eastern small restaurants. When I went back to Ghana, there were far fewer Lebanese restaurants, but we managed to find a really good one in Accra. Ghana now has all sorts of ethnic restaurants. I ate my first Indian food there as well.
There is no attempt to hide the xenophobia. The Republicans are the party of hate.
October 22, 2018 at 8:37 pm
When my son gets a job and moves out, God willing, I will also have a den. My condo is either a tree bedroom or a two bedroom with a den.
October 22, 2018 at 8:42 pm
My nephew is in his 30’s and doesn’t have a job. He was a deputy sheriff who lost his job when they downsized. It has been 8 or so years since then. Luckily my sister still has a spare bedroom and my brother-in-law has an office.
October 22, 2018 at 9:34 pm
Although my son is finding himself, which ends next year and then he has to get a job of some kind. His move out date is when he turns 25. I assume your nephew is not disabled.
October 22, 2018 at 9:52 pm
No, he is not disabled.
He does sell many of his nature photos but not enough to live on his own.
October 22, 2018 at 10:29 pm
I usually vote Republican and many of my friends do as well. They are uniformly none of those things.
October 22, 2018 at 11:02 pm
Spaceman,
I know we’ll not agree on many issues, but I don’t mean you or your friends are hateful. I can only talk about some of the people I know, and they were the haters I meant.
I’m sorry about generalizing. It wasn’t my intention to have a broad condemnation.
October 23, 2018 at 7:29 am
Oh I think we would agree on far more things than not. Which is perfectly fine. The founders of the country were not a harmonious lot and we would hardly expect no less today. People get to do that in America. I know many people through work and socially, men and women. Being in Alabama, a goodly number are politically conservative. That I can tell, none are xenophobic, misogynist, or racist. That isn’t to say that they don’t have opinions on political and social matters.
October 23, 2018 at 11:11 am
Spaceman,
I’m just fine with that too.
I don’t know any conservatives. My friends are all liberals, but we became friends before the labels. We never discussed politics back when we met.
October 23, 2018 at 12:09 pm
Ya’ll have a very popular Republican governor. We have a very popular female Republican governor who will be re-elected soon. Plenty of my friends are lefties. And good for them.
October 23, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Our governor seems to be neither one nor the other. I will vote for him again. He is the second Republican governor I’ve voted for. The first was Weld.
Lefties?
October 23, 2018 at 1:43 pm
Lefties = liberals. From the Latin sinister. Surely a proper Catholic girl took Latin?
All that aside, how bout same Tanya Tucker? South Caroline girl does Texas. Been to San Antonio several times. The vid rolls into the Pecos Promenade next
October 23, 2018 at 2:36 pm
It was a question about the word, not the definition. I haven’t heard the term lefties in years.
This proper Catholic girl had four years of high school Latin. I even still remember my declensions.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tanya Tucker perform. She gives quite a show. I’m thinking she must be exhausted at the end.
October 23, 2018 at 5:11 pm
Tanya’s a bundle
October 23, 2018 at 6:40 pm
I find her amazing. Watching her made me tired.