Today we went to the local music shop to look at acoustic guitars. Lots to choose from at this place. My friend found and acquired one that fit the bill. It sounds wonderful and even has a built-in tuner. Listening to the music while working around the place was quite relaxing. The furry one seemed intrigued, too.
Listening to the guitar made me think of a song about the power of music. It can heal and relax and so much more. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Magic Power -- Triumph
Today brought a mix of sun and cloud. I filled the tank with gas and headed out to the airport. Flight delays made the arrival of a dear friend later than expected. I was pleased that I had booked a hotel room for the night since the drive home would put us in close to midnight --- a much longer day than either of us needed. Our late dinner consisted of an amazing pizza made in a real pizza oven in the hotel restaurant. We had a new-to-me cabernet sauvignon with a great spicy finish. It suited the pizza well -- prosciutto, pesto, arugula and wonderful mozzarella and red sauce. The crust was fantastic, too.
Today was the first time I have driven on the new four-lane highway that goes all the way to Halifax. I have ridden over it once, but this is the first time I've driven it. There is a lot of climbing as just outside town the road climbs the mountains -- lots of rock blasted to make way for the road. We ride above the treetops when we get to the top. I expect it will be lovely in the fall, but less pleasant in the winter. We'll see. It was nice to drive to the airport. It has been several months since I drove anywhere outside of town.
A song lyric came to mind. The song is light and upbeat which matched my mood today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
On the Road Again -- Willie Nelson
Today, I called my cell phone carrier to explain the charges on my most recent bill. It was due to my use of the phone during the move when there was no house phone or wifi available for over a week. They explained that my current plan has limited talk minutes for local calls only and other free minutes were for evenings and weekends. I don't usually use the phone for outgoing calls, so these limits have never been exceeded. Once things were cleared up for me, the agent explained a different rate plan that would have more anytime minutes in Canada and more data than I would likely use. It could provide some flexibility and allow me to use data for things like Maps and such. I said I'd think about it. She then offered to reduce my residential plan in an amount that would more than cover the increase in the mobile plan. In fact, it would make the overall monthly bill for the two about $12 less. Hmmm. I said I'd think through it and crunch numbers and call back if I choose to go this way.
I dislike being pressed to make a purchase or any decision on the spot. I need time to think through things and find the questions that I still need answered. I will ponder this offer -- and it isn't time limited -- before making the decision to change or not. A song rattled around in my head when examining the sales experience today. She was not pressuring me in the way many have in the past. She took the time to answer my questions and explain the plan fully. I prefer being able to read about offers, but that isn't how the world works anymore <smile>. I share the song that came to mind today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Salesman -- The Monkees
Today a wonderful friend and I took a huge load of paper and boxes to the dump -- which we now call the Solid Waste Management Facility <smile>. We packed her wagon and my baby suv with bundles of flattened boxes, several larger flat boxes and three larger boxes crammed with packing paper. Under all that cardboard and paper there was a dining area. Imagine! The room looks much better without the piles and boxes.
While I think of the place as the dump, very little goes into landfill. All that we took out today will head into the recyclable waste stream. I really wish that I could have found someone who might be able to reuse the materials. For me, reuse is part of refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle. So, what we did today is at the end of that series of environmental actions.
As I look at the cleared space tonight, things look so different. It looks like a dining room and not just a catch all space. I feel a bit lighter with all the packing materials gone from there. Now there are more boxes to deal with in the den/guest room and in the garage. Those will be smaller boxes that will bundle easily for curbside pickup. A song from the dim, distant past came to mind today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Oh, What a Feeling -- Crowbar
A load of laundry almost bested me today. A larger bath mat that I have washed here before created issues today. The washer could not balance the weight of the wet mat with the towels I had in to manage the weight distribution. Worse yet, the machine wouldn't shut off when trying to spin while banging loudly. I tried to use the pause button to stop the machine. That didn't seem to work. It did eventually stop, but with loads of water left in the tub. The mat was so heavy to lift and unwind from the large ball it had been beaten into by the machine. I finally tried to use the rinse and spin only cycle. It didn't do much other than stop after filling with water. I then somehow managed to get it to spin off some of the water. But then it tried to refill rather than spin. This happened two or three times without any major spinning to wring the water out of the mat and towels. Then, it just stopped once after draining most of the water. <sigh>
I'm sure there is a way to do this so it will work as designed. However, when in the midst of seeing the stacked dryer swaying as the washer is off kilter, there isn't much time to search for answers online. <grin>. I do now that I shouted something untoward at the machine while trying to stop the action. The evening ended with me transferring the rug to a large pail and the towels to a large sink where I squeezed as much water as possible out of the towels. The rug went to the bathtub where again, I tried to remove what water I could. I hung it up on the grab bar and expect that this will take several days to dry <sigh>. Frustrating.
Two thoughts came to mind while in the midst of this mess tonight. How efficient is an HE machine if it keeps rinsing but not spinning? Also, if the machine won't respond to the buttons that should stop the insanity, then who really is in charge here? That brought to mind the name of a band and a song. The lyric may still contain language that may offend. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Take the Power Back -- Rage Against the Machine
Other than laundry and housework, today I went to the grocery store to replace the lost chicken. of yesterday. There were no packages of locally packed chicken breast as there had been last night. The closest in price was $12 and was three breasts rather than the two I bought yesterday. The customer service woman was hesitant and told me I had to pay the difference since I didn't bring a package of two. When I stated that there were no packages like that on the shelf, she decided to give me the larger package for the price of the smaller one. Had the larger package been on the shelf yesterday, I would have chosen it over the other as it is cheaper per kg and had the whole breast -- the other had the 'tenders' removed. So, the book on that story has been closed.
When I left the store today, I felt like a valued customer. That isn't always the case at any retail outlet. While the customer service rep didn't speak as she busily scanned the receipt and chicken package over and over. I was holding my credit card waiting for the need to tap or insert to have the discounted $9.90 come off the price of the replacement package. When she handed me the receipts -- yesterday and today versions -- I asked about using the card. Then she said I wouldn't need to pay the difference. Until then, she seemed rather sullen. Still, she chose to give me the $2.00 difference. I hoped she recognized that I had to drive up to the store twice to get this one product and that the error was on the part of a store employee. She didn't say anything, but I chose to think that she made an informed decision. A line from a song seemed to fit this event. I share that here today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Respect -- Aretha Franklin
What a weird day. I got groceries and did a few errands before heading home. When unpacking the grocery bags, it became clear that the chicken breast that I had purchased for $9.90-something.was not anywhere in the bags. I usually do a visual sweep of the bagging area before leaving and did not recall seeing chicken sitting on it own anywhere after the cashier had packed the bags. <sigh> I called the store and spoke with the customer service desk. I asked if something was in their 'left behind' book. They asked the cashier who said nothing left behind at her register. <sigh> It's not that it fell out onto the floor as I wheeled the cart to the car <sigh>. The woman I was speaking with said the cashier would call me back after she finished with her current customers. That call came about 20 minutes later. I got three different stories from her. Firstly, she stated that she had no 'left behinds' today. Secondly, she noted that there was an exception with a man who left behind a package of chicken. I asked if the package price was $9.90 and she said that it was. Third change in the story was that the man who had been behind me in line was going to drop it off at my house. Now I was very confused. How will he drop it off? She said likely in my mailbox <shaking head>. I said I didn't have one (as I have a box at the community mail box). She said that I had spoken with him since we knew each other. I didn't speak to anyone while at the checkout. So, no. I don't know the guy. But he lives in XXX (a small community just out in the county). I wasn't sure how this was relevant. He had red hair -- again not relevant. Apparently, he told her he knew me and we both lived in the same community, so he'd take the chicken and drop it off for me. As she realized that this was not going to happen, she said that he must have lied and got a free package of chicken. I could tell she felt badly that someone would do this with her. Then she told me that I could come to pick up the package of chicken. What??? The clarification was that it would be put in the book and I could stop by and get another package of chicken for the same price.
After all of this silliness, I chose to wait until tomorrow to go to get another package of chicken. During my conversation with the cashier, a song title came rushing into my mind. It did make me smile and giggle a bit, too. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Red Headed Stranger -- Willie Nelson
I did some further rearranging of furniture in the living room and master bedroom today. It looks less like a maze now. I've put things where I think they'll fit and they may we'll go from there. They may find other places to reside as time progresses. With no linen closets, finding reasonable areas to store sheets and towels has been a challenge. At present, I have some under the sink and in the smaller drawers in the main bathroom with some under the sink in the master bath, too. One larger kitchen drawer contains sheets. There are two other drawers in the kitchen island that might end up holding some of the bed and bath linens, as well.
It looks like change may be with me for a while yet, as work flow finesses the location of items. Change is ever-present. A bluesy rock song from a Saskatchewan band came to mind when thinking of the current change and potential future changes. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Change -- Wide Mouth Mason
The living room area boxes are almost finished. There is so much packing paper. It actually made me cry thinking about how I was to get it all out of the house soon. Emphasis on that last word. The whole dining room area is filled with flattened boxes and a few large boxes filled with paper.
While in the midst of it all today, I looked out the living room window and saw the plants on the patio. This reminded me of a quote from Carl Sagan. "Extinction is the rule; survival is the exception." The seemingly never-ending emergency feelings add to the anxiety of the moving process. The plants on the patio all came from the yard I lived in for 25 years. One survived hurricane Fiona after being uprooted. I thought it would not survived and this spring it was bigger and happier looking than ever. A chunk of that peony is out my window. In addition, there are irises that survived the crazy winter. I dug them up in January when they were actively growing with shoots about six inches tall. Under the basement stairs it continued growing though without the green of photosynthesis. Again, I thought it would not survive. Instead it started over and grew amazing green shoots. I think it might have flower spikes next season. The tomato plant that was in the kitchen is easily viewed from the bedroom and living room windows, too. It is looking happier than when we moved. The last planter holds a chunk of one of a hosta from the other yard. It turned brown and crispy in the heat wave just after being transplanted into a pot. I watered it faithfully and once we got settled in the new place, new green leaves began. These have now taken over the major growth of the plant. Each plant in its own way has demonstrated resilience. If they can do this, surely I can, too.
I thought of a few lines from a song today. I share this less known song by a well-known band. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Long Promised Road -- The Beach Boys
Last night I noticed some seepage around the back of the toilet. Today, I made my first work order in the new place. The maintenance fellow was by in about two hours. Amazing. He conferred with the plumber working on the unit next to me and then tightened something and all is well. I hired a carpenter working on the new builds here who does small piece work in his off hours. He did a great job of installing two curtain rods. He even helped me to hang the curtains for the one room and the rings for the rod in the other room. I have one more that will need to go up later. At present, he wouldn't be able to get to the window for the boxes in the front room. Sometime later, this one will be done.
I took two bundles of flattened boxes to the curb for recycling pick up tomorrow. A few bags of packing paper made the trip, as well. Other than that, the day has been fairly ordinary -- unpacking and finding places for things to reside for now. Much of my thoughts dealt with how to get things into the recycling stream when there is just so much. On the upside, a friend stopped by for a short chat and told me that I'd made real progress with unpacking. Cool. I tend to see what is left to do rather than what has already been done. Interesting.
The song for today uses water as a metaphor -- love as a waterfall. The seepage in the bathroom was minor today, but I liked the rhythm of this song about water, so it is shared here today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
May This Be Love -- Jimi Hendrix Experience
I did not feel very rested when I woke today, but I did a fair amount of unpacking and loading into a dish cupboard that my grandfather made. That is where the good stoneware and stemware resides. So, there was lot of packing paper to slow the process. When I had done most of this, I felt a bit hungry and made a small snack. As I was seated and paying more attention to me, I realized I had a migraine. This one was more painful than usual. My usual med didn't seem to touch it. I rested, napped and listened to tv for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The pain often subsides into the evening, but this didn't seem to occur today. I did notice that when I was speaking with a dear friend that there was a lessening of pain level. Perhaps laughing helps. <smile>.
A title line and a repeating lyric line said it all for me today. I didn't recognize the symptoms yesterday, nor did I see it today until it was if full force. <sigh> Hopefully this won't go on for too much longer. Keep safe. Enjoy!
I Want to Break Free -- Queen
Today I took things slowly. I completed a few loads of laundry and worked on the backlog of blogs. That may not be what blog refers to, but for my blog over the past month this has been the case. <smile> We will get caught up eventually.
I felt very fatigued today -- a bit sore, achy, dizzy and such. So, I rested as much as I could. I did have to play Tetris with the boxes in the font room (bed/office combo). I searched for an envelope and a couple of items that I had expected to encounter already. I did find one of them and some other things in boxes that should have been elsewhere. So, hefting around the boxes and sliding things into a new stable pile was the main activity of the day.
I thought of a song from the past as the day went along quietly. I've always enjoyed this song. Keep safe. Enjoy!
The Sounds of Silence -- Simon & Garfunkel
Packing went fairly well today with several major boxes being unpacked. There are still many to go, but the living room, dining room area is starting to look a bit better -- well less stacked with full boxes. The empty one's are piled in the centre of the area, greeting me every morning. I have to walk by them to get anywhere in the place. <smile>
As I was ready for bed and catching up with the blog, I realized that today if Friday. That means tomorrow is Saturday -- the day someone will pick up boxes of things donated -- between 8 am and 6 pm. Boxes are to be placed on the front porch to facilitate easy contactless pickup. So, I got redressed and headed to the garage where I packed three boxes with linens, clothing and household items. I knew there would be some things to donate. As I got nearer the moving date, I had to forgo the sorting process and just pack what was left and do the sorting once I got here. As I have been unpacking things, I've taken a number of items to a corner in the garage where I can repack things for pick up. That day was today. I will need to do this again for the next couple of months pick ups. Other agencies have time in the fall when they accept small furniture pieces as well as other items like books, clothes, and such. a handful of things will be put up on the local sellers page. I aim to have the space clear enough for the storage to not interfere with getting the car into the space. We'll see. <smile>
The song shared today is about sharing what we have with others. I've tried to this as I cold throughout my life. It isn't always about money, but goods and services or even a smile work. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Give a Little Bit -- Supertramp
We had a new campus website launch today. It involved a new way to login and get to email and such. I looked and didn't find anything that seemed to get me where I needed to be. I called the Help desk. They were flooded, so the system asked me to leave a call back number. Over an hour later, I heard from one of the Help Desk people. He provided a web address I could navigate to and then discovered that I could to it from the Home page. The link has a new name and the look of the next page is very different and things have new names there, too. He noted that they were all learning the page, too. It seemed odd to me that there wouldn't have been a cheat sheet prepared and distributed prior to the page going live. Things aren't always as intuitive as techs might think they are. This has been in process for many months, so those to those working on the new look and links would not find it 'new'. The rest of us were in a bad place. I had to get a file to someone and had to defer to another software package not part of the campus site. It was a reasonably simple fix once we deciphered the new nomenclature so won't (shouldn't) be a longer issue.
In the evening, I went to a concert -- the first that I have been to in several years. It helped me to put aside my frustrations from the day and to be pulled into the performances totally. Sadly, the event was poorly marketed, so there were about 20 people in a hall that holds over 200. It was an intimate performance by Joelle Rabu who sings Piaf and did some wonderful renditions of Harry Nilssen, Lennon & McCartney and other modern artists. She was accompanied on piano by her son, who was amazing. His virtuosity was stunning as he composed and arranged on the fly. I really enjoyed it and was pleased on some level that there was a lot of space between attendees. The opening act was a young woman who won the national music festivals award for musical theatre. She sang several songs from contemporary Broadway shows. She is one to watch with such power and animation in her performances.
I chose to share two songs that were performed at the concert tonight. Keep safe. Enjoy!
I Guess the Lord Must be in New York City -- Harry Nilssen
Padam, Padam -- Edith Piaf
While working at unpacking, changing addresses and other mundate tasks of moving house, I realized that much of what I was feeling fit one word -- lost. I have a new floor plan to learn to navigate. I'm trying to get the piles of boxes out of the way to assist with said navigation. I can't find things that I know are packed. A different rhythm is needed just to get a jug of milk. That entails a 15 minute drive one way, parking and then getting to the store. Before, it was a 5 minute walk one way and took little planning to execute the plan. I find myself saying that 'I'll go into town'. Technically I now live in the county, but it is part of the town -- well, the edge of town. <smile>.
The title line of a song fits well with my feelings today. It is by a Supergroup so several familiar names and faces were there. I've included an electric and an acoustic version because I can't make up my mind -- reached decision fatigue earlier today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Can't Find my Way Home -- Blind Faith (electric version)
Can't Find My Way Home -- Blind Faith (acoustic version)
I was downtown today in between appointments. I got a snack and ate it while walking down Main Street. It felt much different than it did a couple of weeks ago. It made me feel like an interloper. I saw the street differently, too. Knowing that I couldn't just run home for the 30 or more minutes just felt strange. Now it would take me that much time to drive to the new place and then immediately turn around and drive back. <sigh>
I don't fully belong to the neighbourbhood I've been part of for 25 years. While I know the area, it just has a different feel to it now. The new place doesn't feel much better yet, either. It will take time to get to know the area and the residents and to get used to the remarkable sameness of the buildings. Older neighbourhoods tend to have a variety of styles of homes. Here, we all have the same roof line and yard. It isn't bad, just different from anywhere I've lived before.
The feelings of being a foreigner in both areas brought a song or two to mind. I share one where the band as well as the lyrics fit my thoughts today. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Long, LOng Way from Home -- Foreigner
My aunt passed away today. She was my dad's eldest sister. She was a bridesmaid at my parent's wedding. We visited her often on the West coast. I have many fond memories of those days -- shopping, picnicking on the beach and in the mountains and sharing great meals. When I visited once as an adult, she had errands to run in town and dropped me at the grocery store. She knew I'd enjoy seeing the different products available in a US store. She understood that food was my life even without me telling her outright. <grin>
She had a wonderful laugh and great sense of humour. Recent pictures with her family showed her wonderful smile and often that great laugh. I will miss seeing new photos of her outings, but most of all I will miss her presence in this world. She was special.
Today I share two songs -- one states how I feel today and the other is by one of her favourites. Keep save. Enjoy!
A Hole in the World -- Eagles
Music Box Dancer -- Frank Mills
The HE washer sounded like the TARDIS today and when it was unbalanced it didn't rebalance the load. I had to use the 'pause' button and rearrange the towels. This was repeated twice more before the rinse would reset and complete. I still have heard nothing from the company about where to find user manuals for the stove and microwave. All that was provided by the builder was the installation manual. All bits were left in one kitchen drawer. User information was available in brief for other appliances and a couple also have more in-depth information. The cooking units, though, have very little information.
I've felt a bit disoriented over the past couple of days. I found myself heading to the old house twice after shopping. That's what I've always called 'cow mentality' -- always going the same way day in and day out. <smile>. While in bed I turned to look out the window -- turned right when the new place has a window on the left. I also headed left once to leave the bedroom when the door is on the right. I've done well up until now, but my brain must feel the novelty of the new place has worn off and it is ready to go back home.
A song line and title seemed to fit the pondering of disorientation. Keep safe. Enjoy!
All Shook Up -- Elvis Presley
The day was rather mundane. Completed several loads of laundry as is usual for a Saturday. I did some shopping for food and other items for the new place. When home, I spent a lot of time thinking through the location of furniture in the new open concept dining and living room. I moved two pieces around -- sliding them around the new floors on cardboard. At least I found a use for the hateful boxes <smile>.
Things are beginning to look like a semi-livable area. The area between the kitchen island and the dining room table is filled with boxes, but most are empty now. I have broken apart many of the boxes so they are in pile of sorts. I will need to bundle them for recycling in a couple weeks, but those that are filled with packing paper are a whole other story. <sigh> Working on how to get it all out of the house and off to the recycling depot. I've offered it to three different folks in the process of moving, and none took me up on any of the packing materials. <sigh> For now, I will continue moving forward and finish emptying the boxes that remain. Most are for the dining room buffet and china cabinet. Some of the contents will be donated or put online for sale, but that will happen once the living space has become more usable.
Apparently, others have found fault with cardboard of one sort or another. I share a song from a musical that highlights some of the societal issues with cardboard <smile>. It is quirky, but cool. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Coffee in a Cardboard Cup -- Mandy Patinkin
Today involved further work on unpacking. Surprise! <grin> At one point the packing paper pile from one box seemed enormous. I heard some rustling and the furry one was burrowed into the pile. It was good to see that someone was enjoying this process. It also helped me to laugh.
I have began lining up non-moving activities after a hiatus of a few weeks. I am hoping that this helps me to re-establish a routine and rhythm other than 'all boxes all the time'. It feels good to have a few items on the calendar again adding back a feeling of being useful and engaged in the outside world. I hope that things soon move into a more comfortable space again, one with a stronger sense of normalcy.
Pondering moves to get back into a multi-focal groove brought a song to mind. The lyrics note that it takes a lot to get back into a rhythm or routine after something has interrupted it all. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Finding My Groove -- Trace Atkins
There has been a struggle with a business situation. I have a definite lack of trust with the individual involved. Legal statutes are clear and this person skates around the edges or moves into full violation -- likely hoping no one will take the effort to report them. I hate having to state regulations and laws in order to end the situation. It will be over soon, I'm sure. A discussion today made it sound things would be completed today. As of end of business, things still had not been finished. I expect the weekend will not see any work done, so if things aren't done by mid-day Monday, I will be forced to escalate the situation and I so don't want to do that.
A dinner out helped me calm a bit and took my mind off the silliness with this business person. I had a wonderful fusion dish -- penne with haddock and lobster in a Thai green curry sauce, served with steamed broccoli and spinach. Amazingly divine! <smile>
A song came to mind today. The calming rhythm and melody help as do the chorus lyrics. It reminds me that the situation will be resolved soon. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Ooh Child -- Beth Orton
I spent another 90 minutes on the phone with my service provider. Today the television package ceased to record with the pvr. The error code simply said that the recording feature was not working and that I should try again later. It had recorded last night, but there were no entries showing in the scheduled recordings. So, it wasn't just live recording. Once again I was instructed to reboot the system and then the modem. Twice. During the final waiting period, the assistant found a system error that was blocking my recording ability. So, it wasn't me or the equipment, but the overall system that messed up. Not sure how it was shut off, but at least it is back up and functioning.
I think that was the fourth time that I have had to call for help with the system I pay oodles for. Today, I also found that when my account was transferred to a new address, they wiped my phone messages. I kept several messages that were from people who will not be leaving further messages. This made me sad that I wouldn't hear these voices or messages again. <sigh> Overall, the service provider only added to the stress of moving. I do need to chat to them about this experience, but I don't have the energy to do that right now.
I will admit that I've thought of other providers, but we have few other choices in this region. That said, there was a song line running through my brain today as I pondered the past few weeks and the messes I've had to live with as they feebly and slowly addressed my complaints. <sigh> Keep safe. Enjoy!
Shop Around -- Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
The highlight of unpacking today was emptying the four wardrobe containers and filling the front closet and part of the bedroom closet. Throughout this adventure, the furry one has found solace hiding in the boxes or under piles of packing paper. I've thought that joining him might be comforting. <smile> Today, I found a box that I could fit inside -- a wardrobe box. I thought about it, but didn't actually get inside. <grin> I do have one stored in the garage, so if the time comes again . . . <giggle>
I chose a song that speaks to the need to disengage or cocoon a bit when feeling overwhelmed. It can help sometimes. Keep safe. Enjoy!
In Hiding -- Pearl Jam
As I've been working at unpacking and moving furniture around, I've wanted something magical to come along and just do it all for me. That made me think of the many magical women of you youth. On television I saw weekly the women on Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. They seemed able to get themselves and others out of work and trouble with a blink or twitch of the nose. Similarly, in the movies we saw Mary Poppins, who could sing through clean up and the packing and unpacking of her carpet bag. Given all of this, is it any wonder that my brain heads to someone magical to get me out of the mess of boxes and packing paper?
While I enjoyed the programs and found them comical, I worry that they may have sent an odd message to youngsters. Was this a way to demonstrate the myth of the superwoman who could do it all? That was the focus of the time -- women working outside the home and still doing everything to maintain a home and family. This has been proven to be an impossible task without extra help. Perhaps the fictional programs were addressing that need for assistance through the magical powers of the women characters. Hmmm.
A song that seemed to fit the ponderings of the day. It made me smile and even giggle a bit. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious -- Julie Andrews
The day brought a major rainfall warning followed by a deluge. Here we got about 100 mm (4 inches) of rain. In the Halifax region and north of the city, as much as 300 mm (12 inches) fell in a 12 hour period. The flash flooding led to many rescues of people from water and trees. Sadly, several others were swept away by the rising waters several of whom were trying to escape their submerged vehicles. Many road washouts exist throughout the province. Cleanup will take some time.
In my new neighbourhood, plans are underway to install drainage pipes to avoid future damage. My thoughts are with those who lost so much. A song rattled around in my mind today that deals with a similar event. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Wasn't that a Mighty Storm -- James Taylor
A major musical icon left this world today. Tony Bennett died at age 96. His singing career spanned many decades with his first #1 song occurred 72 years ago. During his career, he reinvented himself twice. Bennett chose to bring his song stylings to a younger audience through MTV and then twenty years later when he recorded with Lady GaGa. He received many awards including 20 Grammys.
I heard his earlier work as a child when my dad listened to it. The duets he did with many contemporary artists were in play on my stereo in later decades. I admired his tenacity and desire to share his music with many generations. The songs for today include the his first hit recording and a more recent duet. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Because of You -- Tony Bennett
It don't Mean a Thing (if it ain't got that swing) -- Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
I was back at unpacking boxes in the kitchen today. I expect I will move things around several times in the coming months, but I had to get things somewhere for now. I feel like I"m stuck in a loop. It is all 'rinse and repeat' it seems (How's that for a mixed metaphor <sigh>). I'm just opening boxes, piling up packing paper in a large box and trying to find places to house the box contents. Once that is done, it is on to the next box, and the next and so on and so on ...
I'm not convinced this is much different than filling the boxes. It is the same process and movements in repeat. When packing I often was seated, but unpacking seems to have me standing at the kitchen island unpacking. It is mind numbing and physically tiring. Again, just as I yearned for packing elves to do the work as I slept at night, I'd now like the unpacking gnomes to do the same thing. <smile>
A song came to mind as I was in the midst of all the repetition today. It deals well with the tedium the boxes bring. I love the voice of the singer. <smile> Take care. Enjoy!
The Circle Game -- Joni Mitchell
Last night, I put out the compost bin and garbage bags for early morning pickup. Today, I went to retrieve the green bin from the end of the drive and found it across the street in a construction zone beside a port-a-potty. <sigh> Someone mentioned that we may have to put things on one side of the street since the trucks might not go down both sides. <sigh> How goofy will that be? Putting my waste on somone elses driveway or lawn. <sigh> I will get it straightened out -- just not sure who to contact to find out where this should go.
Without television, wifi or phone working at present, I've been playing dvds just for the sound in the background. Today was a literary day <smile> -- Alexandre Dumas' Man in the Iron Mask, Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy, and James Fennimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans. I've read many books by each of these authors. The stories are captivating. I find it interesting that things that were written 200 or more years ago still resonate today. Reading the books shows much more than movies often portray. I like them both, but the book often gives a richer tapestry of the story. That said, I hope the electronic connectivity issue can be fixed tomorrow when another tech visits the house <fingers crossed>. <smile>
My thoughts on movies and books brought a song title to mind. The lyrics are metaphorical, but I like the overt message of the title. <smile> Keep safe. Enjoy!
Why Don't You Rad the Book -- Nazareth
The big adventure today was searching for gasoline. My usual place seemed to have only diesel pumps functional. There was s run on gas recently just before the carbon tax increased the price. There is a supply chain issue, but I expect it will be back to fully operaional in a week. For today though, I needed gas. The icon light on the dash has been on for two day. So, I headed down the old highway and stopped at the next station. No issue there, so I'm still not sure what the actula issue is at my usual haunt. I put in half a tank since it was rather expensive.
At the new place, I spent a lot of time pondering the layout of kitchen and what should go in which cupboard and drawer. I then put suggested contents on sticky notes so I could move these around as i contintued to think through the process. I was at a point where I couldn't unpack anything else until I knew where it would be located. I've changed two drawers back and forth already. There will me more of this as I live and work in the space for a few months. A friend and i plan to go on a Halifax shopping excursion to get organizational items once I know what might be useful. Drawer inserts might help in some drawers, but until I know what will sit where, it seems silly to get inserts and then change my mind. The drawers are of various widths, so it isn't as easy as switching from one to the other. <smile> I hope this helps with unpacking tomorrow.
A protet song seemed to fit the rising cost of gasoline. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Gasoline -- Sheryl Crow
The day turned into a game of "Where's Waldo" except I was hunting for specific items that reside in boxes as well as the box cutters. A few days ago, it was the tape that kept kiding from me and now it is the very thin that cuts that tape. I keep setting the cutters down when unpacking a box and not being able to find them later. Things do show up and were sitting right in front of me all the time. <sigh> I try to set up a specific resting place and yet somehow I leave them elsewhere without thinking. As for finding things that were packed, my labeling of contents became rather erratic at the end of the packing process. One box was labeled 'kitchen/dining/living room items'. Now that is very helpful, isn't it? I'm likely looking for a larger box that holds the leftovers from several rooms and smaller boxes from those rooms. I took some time to reorg the boxes that had been left in the wrong rooms, I hope that helps me to find things. As for the tool that helps open the boxes, I bought a new box cutter when I kept losing one of the two others that I own. Now I have three, so when I misplace one, there is another that can fill in until I find my fave. <smile> One of the three also resides in the tool box in the garage, which helps me open and sort boxes left there.
While pondering the nature of unpacking, a song title came to mind. It is an overly simplistic melody and sadly might qualify as an ear worm. For that I apologize. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Searching -- The Coasters
I still dreamed that I neded to wake and go somewhere to complete a never-ending project. Yet, all the work that remains surrounds me. All I need to do is leave the bed and I will encounter the current work project. Something as intense and stressful like packing up a home to move elsewhere that goes on for days or weeks must create a singular mindset -- get it done, just get it done. This thought process takes a bit of time to reset. I hope it doesn't last too much longer. I really need to sleep. Adrenalin wakes me often right now, but I assume this will settle with time.
A song title seemed to fit my feelings right now. The first seven words hit the nail on the head. The opening sets a dream-like feel with the music. Keep safe. Enjoy!
Dazed and Confused -- Led Zeppelin
