World of mine Wednesday’s Ws

What’s top of my mind: End of the year matters. October, November, and December always seem more busy compared to the previous trios and thus need more planning ahead of time. I want each month to be on its own but they tend to blur into one long ninety days. I want to focus on Hallowe’en first and not fret about Thanksgiving or Christmas until then, but some things need to be done sooner the better. There are the holidays to plan and times-off to request. I don’t want to be caught like last year trying to shop/do too much in December.

Where I’ve been: The Garage. Where I live the homes have no basements so folks keep things either in a rented storage locker or in the garage. When garage doors are open on the street you can see who does what. The garage at La Casa de Spo is cluttered and full up with discards that are still useable. A garage sale has been proposed for over a decade but the conclusion is the the moon will go blue with cold before this happens. When I can I am in there separating the sheep from the goats as it were into what goes into the rubbish and what goes to Good Will. Some of the neighbors have tidy garages with cars and not much else. How nice that would be.

Where I’m going: ‘A delicate balance’ by Edward Albee. Someone announced the other day we have tickets to see this play this week. He reminds me we have seen this play before, but I don’t remember. I have seen countless plays in my life. Alas, Babylon! I remember only the tip of the iceberg number of them. I suppose I saw ‘A delicate balance’ at The Stratford Festival or The Shaw Festival (they do that). I have a vague memory characters in Mr. Albee’s dramas say lots of clever things and do odd things that don’t make much sense.

Anyone seen this play?

What I’m watching: Hurricane Ian. I’ve written on this already: I have a fascination with hurricanes. With politics and leadership the way they are in Florida, I am curious to see what the governor and the residents do in reaction to Ian. Will people not do the right things merely because they are told to do so? Will preparation be merely to pray away the storm? There is a nasty part of me that wishes to see destruction, particularly to certain parts and residences in Florida. Has anyone proclaimed Ian is G-d’s will on Florida for evil-doings done therein?

What I’m reading: ‘Sons and lovers’ – D. H. Lawrence. After finishing a few short ‘light’ reads, I am proceeding with Mr. Harchick’s (the high school English literature teacher) list of ‘thumping good reads”. I’ve read 13 out of 19 of them. The next one is Mr. Lawrence’s lofty tome. Wish me luck; this looks a long one.

What I’m listening to: The king in the carpark. This week I heard a podcast summarizing the history of how Richard III of England was found buried beneath a parking lot. I learned they found the bones in the first attempt, based on deciding to dig under an “R” (for Rex) which actually meant “reserved”. It turns out he had scoliosis so the famed ‘humpback’ wasn’t wrong. From the soil analysis, R3 had worms, poor devil, but that was probably common back then. Fascinating too is there were ructions where to next bury him. I learned he ended up in Leicester Cathedral on the grounds anybody exhumed in a dig is to be buried in consecrated ground within the diocese where the remains were located. This leaves only one English monarch whose whereabouts aren’t known: Henry I.* I hope someone goes looking for him.

What I’m eating: Salmon. And lots of it. We have two meal kits services and I try to keep on top of them, carefully selecting for each week there is a fish dish, a meat dish, and a vegetarian dish. Somehow I got three out of the last six kits with salmon. I very much like salmon but this too much. Happily the fish is prepared in different ways. I am improving my salmon-cooking skills to make a crispy skin and a not too-done-nor-dry interior.

Who needs a good slap: The Family Circus.** I have never cared for this comic. As a boy I thought is mawkish and repetitive. I figured it would fade away as most comics do in time. I recently discovered not only is TFC still going but it remains one of the most popular comics ever. I had a look-see and it’s just the same: ‘cute’ One line remarks said by three children still the same age they were in the 70s. Why on earth is this comic popular? I suppose it is because it is ‘cute’ not deep nor thoughtful – and it’s predictable/the same. Many folks like things to be this way.

On my 1-5 scale I give The Family Circus one slap.

Who gets the fist bump: Bill at the gym. At the gym I often see the same folks. No one actually introduces themselves it seems but we all see each other. There is one fellow I regularly see there, a good-looking dude well over four feet, who reminds me of a friend I had long time ago who is dead. After countless times seeing each other I was brave and approached him to say I admired his diligence for his always here. He laughed and said likewise. He told me his name was Bill. We had some phatic interactions both saying ‘nice to meet you”. He then reached out and gave me a fist bump. I cannot remember when last received such. I was the first time I have had physical contact with another in a long time. This felt nice and I felt good for having reached out..

What I’m planning: Another trip to Michigan. Brother #3 kindly requests I take a round with Father at the end of the year after Christmas so he and family can go skiing. I ring in the new year with Father. This means I have to get tickets, a possible rental car, and find some winter clothes.

What’s making me smile: The arrival of October. Hot puppies! I am one of ‘those people’ who sees Hallowe’en not as a day but a lifestyle to do for a month. I have thirty-one days of Hallowe’en movies and treats and such. My ‘good morning’ memes will be apropos and the podcast subscriptions are sure to have lots of scary stories and history lectures.

Do you do Hallowe’en and when do you start?

*H1 reigned 1100-1135. He was probably well over four feet but not by much.

**This one is petty. It is based on a preference and not on any awful person or doing. Sometimes I just want to slap someone or something simply because it is saccharine.