Life's little mysteries

Regular readers will remember the mat that mysteriously appeared in front of my door about a year or so ago. I never never did find out where it came from but I got used to after a while. Even started to like the cheezy thing.

Well, it's disappeared. Without a trace. It was light and tended to blow over on a windy day because our hallways are open. But it hung on for all this time and now it's gone. It happened right after a really windy day but I looked around to see if it had blown down the stairs or something, and it was no where. Gone. Like a magician's rabbit into the hat.

I kind of miss it. But in a way I'm glad it disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived. My life has become so mundane that even this tiny bit of magic makes it feel a little more interesting.

Bite me

The dentist warned me to careful when I was chewing food because after not having any molars for so long, I would be likely to bite the inside of my cheek.

I was really careful. I bit myself anyway. Twice. Gah!

On the bright side, I was able to remove the plate without breaking anything last night. I hope it's as easy to get it back in. I probably should have practiced a couple of times while I was there.

Well, I'm back

I got my new teeth today. The plate feels weird. It's made of metal. I didn't expect that and I was wondering when I got home how that's going to work with metal detectors. Drinking felt odd with this thing in my mouth. I'm just trying to eat something. Chewing feels really weird. It's going to take a while to get used to.

I went shopping today too. I've had this Target gift card for over a year. This was my second try to spend it. I had to throw away the down pillow I'd been carrying around since childhood when I moved from my last house. So I splurged on a new feather pillow. It's really big and really soft. I can't wait to sleep on it.

I tested it out when I got home. It feels great. I've been missing the coziness of sinking into the pillow for a long time. Think I'll go to bed early to check it out.

Soup is good food

Man is it cold here in the alleged south. I'm not complaining because I know my friends up north are a lot colder than 30 degrees, feels like 22, but you lose your tolerance after a while so I'm freezing right along with you my dears. I have on long johns, a shirt and pants, a sweater, and my bathrobe. When I get really chilled, I wrap a Mexican blanket around me too. Making the soup helps though.

I'm making pea soup. It's a bit of a challenge since I haven't cooked anything from scratch since I made that chili for John two years ago. I haven't made pea soup in years so one bag of peas didn't look like enough at first. A half hour later I realized that two bags of peas were too many and my soup pot isn't big enough for it. I ended up taking half of them out and now I'll have to do two batches I guess. Which is fine, it smells good and it warms up the house some.

Of course, as a result I made three times the mess. The kitchen was full of dirty pots, bowls and various utenstils. That wouldn't be a big problem except I don't have water at the kitchen sink. I woke up yesterday and the hot water wasn't working. My first thought, being a New Englander at heart, was the water had frozen. Of course it wasn't that. It was cold, but not THAT cold. Apparently there's something in the pipes, most probably a plug from the water heater that's blocking the flow.

The maintainence guy didn't want to start the job on a Friday afternoon since it may require ripping walls apart. Something to look forward to for Monday. Fortunately, the water in the bathroom works fine, so I was able to clean up. I like a clean kitchen with soup simmering on the stove. It feels like an accomplishment.

A little help from a friend

My dentist appointment was cancelled again last week so I've been moping around here for days on end. I've been so profoundly depressed I've been getting a little agorophobic. I have days when I get anxious when I have to leave the house. I feel like there's a big sign on me that says unemployable loser.

But then a little light shone on my darkness. Karen, the woman who was dating my now deceased friend John, kindly called me and dragged me out to lunch a couple of days ago. It was good to get out of the house and pal around with a real life person. It made me feel more human again. I think she's on a mission to save me from my morose self. She's called me since then and I boldly invited her over to have lunch here, since I can't afford to take her out. I'm making pea soup with ham.

Kind of feels like having a friend again. I don't feel quite so alone. It cheers me up.

Fun with numbers

I try to avoid politics on this blog but since the bailout is pretty much universally hated, I'm going to post The Bailout Game. It's based on the real bailout and the object is to pass out the funds, or not, without causing a depression. The background music is awful but you can turn the sound down and the game was fun. Good graphics and informative if you watch the clips after you make your choices.

I successfully saved the economy without spending the whole $700 billion. My score was in the 4000s and I found it very satisfying to explode Lehman Bros. and AIG. I saved some of the smaller banks though. Try it out and post your score if you dare.

Wish I Could Swim

My friend Fogg found me my dream job. You get a 3 bedroom house on a beach, free airfare to get there, and $150,000 for six months to be a beach bum. Major duties are feeding turtles, watching whales and picking up the mail. That and "The caretaker will be required to produce a weekly online blog, photo diary and video updates of his or her time."

It's in Australia, but I could dig that. Damn, I wish I was a better swimmer. Hell, I may apply for it anyway. I could find a good swimmer to take with me and split the job.

[h/t Capt. Fogg]

Stand By Me

I know I'm relying heavily on YouTubes these days but trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life is taking up a lot of time yet it's really uninteresting. I just heard from the dentist and my new teeth are in. I have an appointment in the morning to get them installed. Likely to be a story in that but in the interim, here's a very cool video montage of one my favorite songs.



I love that they used street musicians for this. I have a soft spot in my heart for buskers.

Robin Hood Changes his Oil



Gideon Freudmann. Gideon is more than just an casual acquaintance but not quite a friend. It's actually a very cool instrument he's playing in the opening shots. I think he invented the synthesizer he uses and first started playing it in Sheehan's basement on an electric bass he also built himself. He lays down all the bottom tracks on the spot and then plays the top end over it.

The video is a little hokey, but it uses scenes from the Happy Valley that I know and love. I've walked that ground. It comforts me to see it.

I'm getting older too

Well, as Elisson would say, I completed another trip around the sun today. I put this video up a while ago, but the song feels right for the moment and this is different version.



It's not the best birthday I've ever had considering the unsettled circumstances of my life right now. But's it's not the worst either. On the bright side, most of my moving parts are still working pretty well. The foot is almost all better. I got a few nice cards and lots of good wishes. I'm warm. There are people who love me even if I don't get to see them much. I have food in the fridge and a full tank of cheap gas in my car. I didn't have to drive through snow and ice to go the store and I could splurge on a 12 pack of Newcastle, one of my favorite beers, without feeling guilty because it was on sale this week. I'm blessed in many ways.

I don't feel as old as I am but I have changed. Ten years ago, I would have been getting ready to head out to the bars in lovely downtown Noho to cash in on the free birthday drinks and party till dawn. Tonight, maybe I'll have two beers instead of one, to celebrate the annual milestone, and I'll be in bed before midnight. Probably fall asleep watching a Law and Order rerun. But I'll wake up tomorrow and start the next orbit around the sun without a hangover. I don't hate that.

Hey Brother

I love this man. The video doesn't do his talent justice. He's always been a little shy at parties.



Matt Herschler. He's like family to me.

Thanks friends

I've been horribly remiss on answering emails. I don't think I've answered one in a month. I've been in a such a black depression for weeks. But I'm feeling better now that the light has turned again and it doesn't get dark so early. My plan this week is to catch up. So if you emailed and sent me cards or made a donation and I haven't thanked you yet, know that I appreciate the support and I'll be writing soon.

I love you all dearly.

For the birds

I wonder why I can eat fried eggs every single day without a problem but hard boiled eggs make me sick. I made some egg salad the night before last. I started feeling kind of crummy about an hour after I ate it and I had an upset stomach all day yesterday. I'm still feeling a little dicey today. Strange.

Speaking of eggs that reminds me I meant to post my bird story. I was sitting on the deck drinking coffee the other morning. It was really warm and there was a low ceiling of barely dense but really opaque white clouds. All of sudden a huge flock of silent birds starting pouring from behind me, heading for the far horizon. It went on for a full half a minute and they eventually filled the sky in my immediate vision.

They were flying through the bare bottom edge of the cloud so it was hard to identify them. I thought at first they were seagulls. We see them here now and again. The silence was profund. The whole McCompound was eerily quiet.
Finally as the last stragglers broke off from the flock, a couple of them spoke. I think they might have been crows but I'm not sure. Crows are usually so much noiser and the seagulls sound a bit like them. I'm not unconvinced it wasn't the biggest flock of seagulls I've ever seen in my life. I'm sure that must mean something.

Too cool

I'm glad I didn't make a new year's resolution to post here every day because I would already feel like a failure and the year is just getting started. I have to run out for a couple of errands, but this is the coolest youtube I've seen in a while to entertain you until I get back.



I think I might have freaked out just a little when the big orca surfaces right next to that flimsy looking rubber boat. It looked to me like he was comtemplating his options on overturning the thing so he could get that penguin.