A Busy Week Off

Last week I had a week off from work....well, I should say a week away from the office because I actually got a lot of work done while I was off. :-) A long-neglected walk-in closet got a quick reorganization, and I got some shredding done. (How does all that junk mail pile up so quickly?)

With Daddy still dealing with his back issues (he has a procedure scheduled for next Monday; keep your fingers crossed!) and unable to drive, I spent some time running errands with Mom. Mom actually has a valid driver's license but hasn't actually driven to speak of in several years.

We had a very sad occasion to attend last week. A dear friend of the family, Audrey Taylor, passed away. She'd been very ill for several years, and though we'll miss her we're glad that she's now at peace.

In the neighborhood where I grew up, Taylor's (we never called her "Mrs. Taylor"; it was "Taylor") house was the one where all the neighborhood kids congregated at one time or another. She let us all use her upright piano to practice our lessons. She organized arts and crafts for us in her living room. She made the best seafoam candy I've ever eaten. We made ice cream in her back yard in the summertime and had snowball fights in the front yard in the winter.

She was a large part of the childhood of all the kids who grew up in that neighborhood in that era. We loved her, and we'll miss her. Sleep well, Taylor, you've earned your rest.

Can I Have a Nap Before Bedtime?

It's been a busy week so far, and this is only Tuesday. Not excruciatingly exhausting, mind you, but busy.

Sunday was spent doing all the household drudgery I hadn't done on Saturday (which I spent running errands). You know, I can remember when I'd work all week, get up on a weekend morning and start doing the housework and be finished by noon. I still QUIT at noon, but I'm rarely finished! Oh well....one advantage to getting a little older is that when my energy level went down, the timing was such that I started wearing bifocals. So, I have more cobwebs and dust, but I can't see them as well as I used to. :-)

Monday I worked until 1:30 at the office, then went to my doctor for my regular 4-month follow-up. All was well; my triglycerides were a little high, but they're pretty changable so the doctor wasn't too worried about those. I got my flu shot, which didn't sting as much as last year's shot. (Yay!) On my way home I stopped in my apartment manager's office to report a drip in a valve where the water goes in to my water heater. She sent the terrific maintenance guys right away and they fixed it in a jiffy. (Yay again!)

This morning I felt a little achy from the flu shot. Not enough to stay home or even to say I'm sick. Just a little achy. We had a biometric screening on campus today, so I went over first thing this morning to be sure that the folks conducting it had what they needed. They really had their act together and were already well underway to setting up. When I went back at 9:00 for my screening, everything was running like clockwork; I was impressed.

We had an in-service training from 10:00 until noon, "Give 'em the Pickle". It's apparently been around awhile, but it was the first time I'd been through it. When I got back in the office, the afternoon seemed to zip by; I was really busy, so it went quickly

And now I'm in my beloved recliner with Tilly and the remote control, preparing to spend a few minutes catching up on the television shows I've missed in the past week or so. Hopefully I can stay awake until bedtime. :-)

Today's random thought: As I was driving to work this morning, the timing was such that I was driving past a row of street lights when they shut off as the daylight grew brighter. Why does that make me feel a little off-center, as if the power had gone out or something

Have a good evening, everyone.

I Love Fall

I love fall. I love that the sky looks crisp, clean, and clear after the muggy haze of August. I love that little nip in the air in the morning that segues into a lovely warm afternoon. I love the smell of drying leaves. I love the beautiful golden glow that appears in late afternoon signalling the beginning of the end of the daylight hours.

I miss the smell of burning leaves, since no one seems to do that anymore. Or maybe it's against city ordinances? I actually don't know since I'm an apartment dweller and don't need to know such things.

I love sitting on the deck in the early evening hours after work and knitting until it's too dark to see properly. I love that a hot cup of coffee feels comforting while sitting there in the rapidly cooling air. I love knowing that soon a frost will come and hopefully help with my allergies. I love knitting mittens with the knowledge that I'll soon be able to wear them.

I love watching the trees gradually fade from their deep lush greens to the varied hues of the season. I love seeing lovely pots of mums all around town, even though I don't have any myself. (Allergic, y'know.)

I love driving home from work in the afternoon with my car window down and the air conditioning turned off, wind whipping my hair into a frenzy. I love waking up in the morning and finding that TillyCat has snuggled up against me under the covers, attempting to steal a bit of my body heat before I get out of bed.

I love that I don't need the air conditioning very often at home, but it's not quite cold enough to turn on the heat yet. I love schlepping around in flannel sleep pants and wool socks on weekend mornings to ward off the chill.

Yup. I love fall.