Climbing back up... Bah...

I don't know what it is about having an illness, small or large, that just takes it out of you.  Well, I know what is happening, the body resisting illness and such.  But it's the idea that I can be well and healthy, going gangbusters on the machine once EVERY OTHER DAY, (she can be taught!), and getting stronger, then, like a wet blanket dropped from above, a cold.  Or worse, in some cases.  But whatever, it knocks you down.

I just fell flat as far as doing ANYTHING when I was ill.  And all I had was a cold, but I was just as happy, relatively speaking, to sit and stare at the cows outside, as to actually get up and DO something.  I mean, I had one day, that I didn't even want to knit!  And anyone that knows me, that's pretty off the charts!

Tuesday, I got up early, and tried to work on my machine.  Well, I *did* manage to work out for about 15 minutes, but am not as greatly recovered as I hoped.  I started slow, and worked up, then started coughing. Yay.  Okay, well, I can walk, so we do that.  And I managed to get something done, so I feel like it was good.

I had a friend who had cancer, she went through so much, and I remember there were a few times I would talk with her, and she was quite happy to just sit, and let me babble on.  She was so worn out from what she had to go through, even with her up attitude, and good doctors and such, she just had a battle and a half to stay stable.

So am I odd to think that I should be happy it was only a cold, and that I will recover quickly???

Attitudes.

I was in line.  You know, the too few clerks for the amount of customers, so queue up thing. 

I was bored.  I read a bit on my phone, but really don't like to get too engrossed, as I have found when I read, book, phone, heck, cereal box, I tend to not pay attention to what I should be doing.

I people watched for a bit.  The line crept forward.  I saw a little one, and waved.  She didn't want ANYTHING to do with me, and hid her face.  A couple more tries, and I gave up.  I think someone needed a nap. 

I am sure the little one did, too...

Looked at the ads.  Yeah, not going to be buying any of THAT stuff.  Hey, that's interesting... Oh, doesn't work with my stuff, sigh... Not going to buy a whole new set up, just so I can get it, poop on that! 

Did the line move?

YES! 

Ah, and these two are together!  Oh, crapitz.  They are trying to set up something. New customers?  Oh, how long is this going to take?  Grumble.  I look out at the weather.  It's weather-ing.  Nothing special.  At least it's not hot, or humid. 

That's when I click.  I am being a grump.  And I have been trying to be mindful of it. Not always successfully, probably much less than I should be, by a lot, but I do try to not snarl and bite folks, at any rate.

So.  A bit of situational awareness.  Doing fairly well, except that my feet are a bit sore.  Ah, stop focusing on the bad.  Hey, getting things finished quickly, mostly, it's rather pleasant in here, no ear bleed level music... Sounds like the couple are opening a new store. Hmm.  Close by, and sounds like something I might enjoy. 

Ah, the line moves again.

Don't have much to do here, just bill pay.  Check the bill, oh, good, this will be quick, have all the stuff I need... 

Huh, that woman has a pretty set of earrings.  I don't wear earrings, but I think it's fun to see all the different kinds...

And... Hi, can I help you? 

I actually can smile, yep, yes you can.

And my feet didn't hurt too much after, either!

TARDIS! (Some assembly required)

Remember recently when I said I was looking for a cabinet to make a Tardis garden shed?  Well, I kept looking, and found one a few days ago.  (!!!)

I now need to work out what paint to use, turns out plastic needs a different paint than John Q. Housepaint.  So, I went to the paint store, and asked about the specific color Pantone 2955C, which is the color of the Tardis.

Um.

When you are talking about a TV show someone has never heard of, and they ask what it is... Describing a blue telephone booth that flies in space and time...

Makes people look at you funny.  Like you will start baying at the moon funny.  But, she rallied, and told me if I brought a sample of the color in, she could match it, and what was I painting.  So, I guess the Pantone number didn't help.  I do have access several ways to this color, and so the next time I go in, it shouldn't be so crazy person look inducing.

I hope.

Conversely, I was at the grocery store, and realized the checker I was going to had a Doctor Who style tattoo of one of the characters.  I have asked about things like this, and found people will wear things that they haven't a clue about, they just think it's pretty, or they like it.

So, I took a deep breath, and said,  "Ok, two words- (I point at the tattoo), "Don't Blink?"  Her eyes lit up, and she says, "Yes!  I am such a Nerd!  And then showed me the teeny Tardis necklace she was wearing as well.  I told her she should like my project, and she laughed when I explained my Garden Tardis.

I finished, and I heard the poor gent behind me say, "Why not blink?"

I guess sometimes it's worth a crazy person look...  :)

Meet Carl.

Anyone who has read my blog knows I am not a fan of spiders.  Ask Husband, and you will probably know find out that he had to put screens in every vent of the house, as the little monsters were getting in, and freaking me out unmercifully.  I have screamed my head off when I am... ensconced... in the bathroom, and one is near me, so he can rescue me.  

No, I am not fond of them. 

So, you will know why the following is not my normal reaction.  I just planted my window boxes for the season, I have geraniums, zinnias, and a couple colors of wave type petunias.  I put them up, and saw that there were little bugs on the geraniums.  

Greaaaaat.

I was kind of tired at that point, and figured I would deal with it later.  

The next day, I noticed a small spider.  Fortune smiled, it was on the OUTSIDE of the window.  Industriously making a web.  Right on the geranium.  Meh, wash the spider AND the bugs off later.

I came back to the window a few hours later, and the spider was busily catching the bugs, and disposing of them.  I was also noticing, oddly, that he (No, I don't know spider biology, it was just a convenience to say he) was sort of neat looking, for a spider, sort of stained glass like.  I watched, the sun actually sort of made his tiny legs glow as he moved, like some sort of tiny jellyfish spider, to mix a metaphor.  

I decided to wait on the arachnid/bug removal.  I started watching the little guy.  He built up his web, which, while not in a great spot for me, did allow me to see he was busily downing little bugs with alacrity.  

We had wind come up, and it was pretty bad for the little guy, I saw him 'run' under the leaves, and hang on for dear life.  Finally let up, only to have a passing rainstorm splat him, knocked him off the web a couple times, and I thought he'd maybe be drowned.  Nope, just hung on.

I decided if I was going to be nice to this little critter, he ought to have a name.  I thought about Boris the Spider, but he wasn't like the song, and Boris seemed a little over the top.  Charlotte crossed my mind, but I had thought of him as a he... 

Carl.  

So, here is Carl, helping with garden maintenance.  I am less freaked out, he is getting dinner, and we are both okay with it.  

 I still am a bit unnerved, but we shall see what happens as time progresses.

J is for, well, Jay.

I like watching birds.  I especially like watching them at campgrounds.  They seem to figure out so quickly that food is for the taking, if they are quick, or if the humans are dumb enough to leave things out for them. (Even if they didn't mean if for said bird.)

I guess that jays are, in general, some what of a thieving bunch, I looked up "Camp Robber Bird", and this came up, proving that several species of bird can be profiled...

So, this couple leave out a loaf of bread in a plastic bag.  Husband and I tell them they should not leave it unattended.  They laugh it off, saying that it's too heavy for the birds to mess with.  Husband snorts, I roll my eyes, and the couple go off on a walk around the campground.

We watch as a rather large crow, and a jay land within seconds.  The jay pecks at the bag.  I start to rise, and Husband, with a mischievous look, says, "Let 'em.  Remember, it's too heavy for the birds to mess with."  The jay had nearly pecked a hole in the plastic, and the crow was watching, and tugging on the tied end of the loaf.

The crow soon tired of tugging, and started flapping his wings furiously, lifting the loaf to a 45 degree angle, and dragging it across the table.  Just as it was about to fall off, the jay dug in and tried to pull out a slice, succeeding in tearing out a crust to take with it.

The couple shows up and realizes that the bread is just about to do a disappearing act, and take panicked action, whereupon the crow drops the loaf, and the crow and jay land in a nearby tree, screaming avian obscenities at the couple.

They pick up the bread, look at the significant hole, rather mangled center slices, and then glare at us.

"Why didn't you STOP them?"

Husband looks innocently at them, and quotes,"It's too heavy for the birds to mess with."

They glare at us for a minute, pull out the "dirty" slices, and throw them in the trash, and go into their motor home, slamming the door.

And we watch as the crow and jay swoop down, grab a slice each, and land on the now vacated table for lunch.  I was quiet about it, but I said, "Good going, guys..."

Husband just chuckled.

X is for Xmas.

(Yep, it's the end of the month, and I am not finished.  Oops.  Long story short, April was a bit busier than I thought, and I screwed up a little on getting the blogs out.  I will finish up the alphabet, however. Now back to our blog, already in progress.)

This one is as close to political as I am going to get.  I have heard the term Xmas used.  It also causes great controversy and gnashing of teeth in this area.

Some say that it's taking Christ out of Christmas.  Others loudly state that X stands for Christ in Latin.

Have you noticed how words change over time?  I don't know if there will be a 'standard' for the Xmas/Christmas/Holiday thing.  At least not soon.

I was in a classroom, and started with the poem about "Monday's Child is fair of face...", and didn't think a thing about it, when the teacher took me aside.  I couldn't say Sabbath.  Okay, then, it sounded strange, but "Sunday day" worked for the meter.  I ended with "bonny and blithe, good and gay."  An eruption of laughter ensued.  I had SECOND GRADERS that knew "gay" as sex, not as an attitude.  A business, a men's clothing store, had to change part of its name.  It was The Gay Blade", later becoming just "The Blade".

And I'm sure that there are other words that have change meanings over time, for better or, more likely, worse...

I am oddly conscious of words people use.  I sometimes find it's hard to know what to say, when anything you say could be one syllable away from ticking someone off.

And people wonder why I don't talk in groups much...