Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Veggies and Rainbows


I've had a very long day. I got to the office early in case the cable guy arrived before his 8 - 10 a.m. scheduled time. It was a good thing because he did arrive right after 8. He remembered me from setting up the cable at my house. I don't remember that, but he did. I think he remembered the house more than me. I'm sure it was in a bad state when I had the cable hooked up but I don't recall.

His news was not good, but not awful - the network card in the machine is dead. I'll have to get a new one but didn't have time today. Of course, I could have figured that out myself if I'd had the laptop with me yesterday. Anyway, I'll get it dealt with.

Teresa and I had lunch and that was fun. It was the day for the diversity lunch group, and I love the people in that group, but they want to go to restaurants that are consistently bad - bad food, bad service, bad. The one they had planned to go to has apparently closed. It's a pity, but your food can only be so bad and you stay in the restaurant business. I knew the first time I ate there that it wasn't going to last. But, I'm not sure how to say to a restaurant owner, "excuse me, but your food is truly awful... you're going to be out of business in no time unless you do something." They obviously think it's good or they wouldn't have gone into the restaurant business, and it's not like they're asking me. But, overall, my record is stellar at predicting such things - I've been wrong ONCE.

Anyway, they wanted to go there but when they couldn't decided to go to another place downtown. I've eaten there once and that was more than enough. It's bad. Very bad. So, Teresa and I went across town instead. She didn't want to waste her money there either.

I worked on various things all day, and late this afternoon called Susan to ask about dinner. She was open so we went out. I left the house in the midst of a torrential rain storm. Fortunately, I had my Radio Kansas umbrella. By the time I got to the restaurant it had mostly stopped. I went to the grocery afterwards and should have taken the umbrella in with me because it was pouring again when I came out.

However, I just don't find hanging out in the foyer of Walmart to be that thrilling, so I went out and loaded my groceries in the rain so I could leave. It's always funny to me to see people standing there watching it rain. We all know eventually they'll give up and leave in the rain, getting just as wet as they would have if they'd left 20 minutes earlier. It's a bizarre human phenomenon. It's not like it's a cold rain - it was over 90 degrees today.

I hadn't been home very long until there was a knock at the door and it was my neighbor, Bob, with some fresh green beans and new potatoes for me. He asked me earlier today if I liked them. I adore them. Guess what I'm having for dinner tomorrow? He came in and we chatted a bit and when I walked out with him there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. He said he and his wife had seen a double one. And, upon looking more closely, you could see the remnants of the double one. I came back in to get the camera so I could share it with you. It was well defined all the way across the sky - a lovely sight. I'm so grateful I got to see it. I would have missed it if Bob hadn't come to the door. So, just a wonderful happenstance.




Beautiful Morning


It's a gorgeous morning - only 70 degrees so far. I think I'll go take a little walk before going to the office. It's supposed to be over 100 here for a couple of days so I'm not going to want to move any more than necessary then. I'm so very thankful for air conditioning!

At the meditation class last night, the instructor was talking about the Buddhist concept of being thankful to have a human life because you have the opportunity to pursue a spiritual path. I have thought about that before, although not in those particular terms, but just how fortunate we are to be able to pursue our interests more than any other animal.

Well, if I'm going to get in a little walk and be at the office by 8 I must go. It will have to be a little walk, but you see things on a walk you miss any other way. There is a mimosa tree just a block away from me, and although I drive by it, I'd never noticed it before. The blooms smell so sweet.

Full Day


It has been a full day today. I had lunch with Trish. She's planning a rafting trip to the Grand Canyon with her oldest son, Nick, and I wanted to hear all about it. I just know they will have a great time together. She tells me I was instrumental in her deciding to go ahead and do it.

We went to El Potrillo, our usual spot. The other day when we were in there the owner told me he has noticed Trish and I are both always smiling. He said he loved that, that it made him feel good. It was so sweet of him to say something.

I spent a large part of the work day on the phone with tech support at Cox. They're sending someone out between 8-10 tomorrow morning to check it all out. I just know I couldn't get online.

Tonight I went to a meditation class at The Dancing Grouse. I'm glad I went. Diana was there, of course, as was Debbie. Austin and Amy popped in after the event was over so I saw them briefly. Austin has started a new business - basically hiring himself out for anything people need done. I may try to hire him to put together the rest of my bookshelves for the library upstairs. I keep thinking I'll get in there and get it done, but I haven't. Maybe it's worth it to just pay him to do it and be done with it. I still have to do some painting in that room and I can't get to the walls to paint because the boxes of books that go on the shelves are in front of the walls. Seems my house is always like puzzle pieces.

I did call Salvation Army and they will take mattresses. So, I'm going to donate those to them and get them out of my house. I just don't have company and if I do a good air mattress would be better. I'm also thinking about getting rid of the fold out couch. We'll see. I need to measure my other couch and see if it will fit in that space.

I wasn't home tonight so didn't get much done in the kitchen, but things are coming along slowly. I've got something every night this week, and an event on Saturday, so it will be awhile before much more happens in there.