An interesting evening

We had some brisk winds in the area yesterday. The drive home was quite a challenge. Traffic wasn't bad but there were lots of power outages and some important traffic lights were out. I had to take an alternate route to my house because a tree had fallen across Main Street in Ellicott City, blocking the road and taking out several telephone poles. My house had been without power most of the day but it was back on by the time I got home.

I walked down to the river this morning before dawn and power hadn't been restored to Main Street yet. There wasn't much moonlight and it was remarkable how dark the street was. The nights are usually bright with street and house lights in my area. It was interesting to get this view of what it must have been like in earlier days. Much easier to imagine those images in novels of creepy scenes on foggy London streets. It was a good morning.

Sore today

Well, this was unexpected. I finally started doing some exercises - after over a year of doing no strength training at all. I'm sore a bit, which isn't a surprise, but the spot where they cut through my back hurts quite a bit. I guess that I should have seen that coming but after nearly a year I didn't think it would have been the case. It will go away in time, I'm sure, and would probably have happened no matter when I took this back up. The sooner I get back into a routine, the sooner this minor issue will correct itself.

Colder weather

It got down to the upper 30's at my house this morning. I still have some of the windows open so it was fairly crisp in the house. Last year at this time I was gearing up for my big event and bought an assortment of warm fleece things to wear. I also received a very soft robe and an electric throw so I am enjoying the opportunity to put them to use again. While it was a series of experiences I'd be happy not to repeat, many good things did come from the events of this past year. Those warm clothes are among the things in the plus column.

Eleven months

This is my 11 month surgery landmark. I'll stop counting monthly in November. At least I'll stop counting here. But these monthly acknoledgements still seem like landmarks to me. So much is different from this time last year.

I thought this morning a lot about how I vowed to be different because of this experience and how I haven't made good on that. I will pay more attention to that in October so that I'll be able to feel that I actually progressed somewhat through this year.

The weather was glorious this weekend although I didn't have much time to revel in it. Lots to do. I did notice that the trees are beginning to change everywhere now. In the spring each tree shows up individually as leaves come out freshly pale green. In the summer the trees appear as a group - a uniform, richer green. You don't hear people saying, "that tree" as much as "those trees", or "that forest", or "that hillside." As the leaves age into the autumn each tree can be identified separately again. It's almost as if each wants to be noticed as different from the others before moving into the cold of winter. That makes sense to me.

Another birthday celebration

I have just returned home from a birthday celebration with my friends the Rubes on the Loose (Sue, Cindy and Mary Lou). They took me to Toby's Dinner Theater to see The Producers. It was a very good production. They also gave me gifts which seemed too much but which I enjoyed quite a lot. There were too many to list here and I don't want to make anyone jealous.

One is worth special mention, though. Sue and I have mentioned that we often put important things in 'a safe place' and then can't find them again. Sue's daughter Sarah made me a safe place box to use for that purpose. It includes this warning, "Caution: Moving this box can cause you to lose it, feel worried, frantic, sick, confused, disorganized, and hungry. Ingestion of this box after finding or ever will cause major weight gain due to stress of not having s safe place." And on the side it says, "Do not eat or move."

Inside it included a portable safe place (also shown in the picture above) for me to use when traveling. I will make good use of this!

A sluggy week

I have lived like a slug this week. Probably a reaction to having pushed to get ready for the 5K last weekend. I'm hoping to get back in the swing soon.

The cool weather has arrived and that always makes me want to curl up. Little by little we're creeping up on the days when the drive to and from work is made in the dark. "Soon will the winter be on us, snow-hushed and heartless" as the poem goes. Not yet, though, so I want to take advantage of what daylight there is to get the yard and garden cleaned up and ready for winter.