I rose before 7, with no remembered dreams and a terrible headache; pollen! This is not a new thing, and I will soon start using the AC, vacuuming, and showering at night to reduce the amount of pollen I carry into my bed. Now, with temperatures just breaking into the 80s (26 °C), I simply open the windows and run the large fan in the dining room to cool the house. I might have Jeff put a ceiling fan in the master bedroom. I rose, drank some water, and soon the pain slowed and disappeared into the mesh of pain that is being over 60, the usual. I had posted a card for Mom Wild the previous night, but failed to set up the coffee. I made half a pot of coffee.
Deborah works from home on Friday, and also, like most working people (and I remember doing this too), does some chores, making the weekend free for other things, more planned things. We talk on and off all day. I spend the morning starting the laundry on Friday. From the days of working and the pandemic, Monday and Friday were laundry days. Our back-to-work days at the shoe company began on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and were later expanded to include Monday and Friday. For most, Friday remained a work-from-home day, and in the summer, the afternoons were yours. Thus, I would use Friday for laundry and, before The Machine, start the washer and leave, and finish after work. While I am retired, I find the schedule still works well for me. Sheets on Friday and towels on Monday.
The blog was late, and it was short, as the days have been a bit boring. I’m recovering slowly from being ill over the weekend, and my colon is playing tricks on me. It gets respect as it is 25cm shorter due to colon cancer. I am happy to have some colon left!
I shower and dress after wandering around the house and admiring my flowers in my yard. Although I see all the issues, it is lovely and well-maintained by my lawn service. I soon started on lunch.
A searched the pantry and freezer and discovered I had an expensive large Costco pasta sauce jar, artisan pasta, and ground beef. I heated the sauce in a pan until it was bubbling, not burning the sauce. I boiled water with lots of salt. I browned the beef until it was almost crunchy, and then, holding the pan at an angle, I spooned out the grease into a heat-resistant bowl. I poured the sauce into the frying pan after cooking the degreased meat for only a few minutes (the oil reduces the heat, meaning that without the grease, it is easy to burn the meat). The hot sauce boiled when poured, and I was careful to ensure everything was mixed (and not burned). I let the sauce and meat combine for a while until the sauce appears to be settled and starting to thicken. I boiled the pasta, remembering to reserve a cup of the starchy and salty liquid, and then added it to the sauce before mixing it with the drained pasta.
I enjoyed two bowls. When it cooled I put the whole pot in the frig. With broken sleep and full of pasta and my colon letting me enjoy some gut pain, I rested. I woke 90 minutes later. The headache (pollen!) was harsh. More water (no dice!). I grabbed a Hershey Bar with almonds in the frig and that broke the pain. Yikes!
I boarded Air VW the Gray and soon arrived early at the Mission: Impossible movie at the Movies at TV Regal Theater. Joan S joined me, and we soon found ourselves watching endless previews and ads for products we would not likely buy. Finally, with both of us wondering if being the voice of an animated Smurf is good for a person’s career, we get a very long 2:45 movie (shorter than the previous one) that is a festival of action, insane stunts, and breathtaking special effects. Oddly, the Entity changes shape between movies, and Tom Cruise is no longer in suits and short business haircuts. Also, Joan S pointed out, there are too many close-up shots of his face, and he looks better from a little distance. Hmmm.
It was 9 when we got out. We caught the 5:40 movie, and with the previews, it’s over three hours of sitting. I had to rush to the restroom after the movie, even though I had gone just before the movie and had no drink. Yikes! I thought the movie was unlike the previous version, with longer speeches and elevating Tom Cruise’s character to a savior-like level. But still a good flick and recommended.
Joan S and I went our separate ways, and the EV had me home soon. I was shocked to discover that the kitchen no longer looked like a mad Italian had attacked it, but was now cleaned, and the dishwasher was running. The pot was gone and replaced with one meal of pasta and meat in a container. Corwin, who is always welcome to what he finds, had my recent pasta creation for dinner, and then cleaned the kitchen for me. Excellent! I reheated the pasta, watched some more YouTube history, and ShipHappens update.
Somewhere on this day, I rented and watched the old movie The Day of the Jackal (1973). This is the typical, poorly aged early 1970s movie of the post-war spy genre, but this time it’s an assassin movie. The Jackal is a cold-blooded killer, and it’s hard to feel any affection for this excellently acted anti-hero. The actor whom I always remember in the James Bond movie as Drax plays a perfectly dispassionate detective who tracks down the Jackal. The treatment of women is awful. The book is better, but I have always wanted to watch this version. I enjoyed the novels of Frederick Forsyth while living in the Washington, D.C. area. Spies and assassination stories seemed more real there!
I found that the day was ending, I had trouble winding down, and the house was warm. I had remade the bed and left off some blankets. My new PJs, which fit (but a bit long), were too warm for the season. I finally got comfortable and slept.
Thanks for reading. And I will try to take pictures!
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