Riding the Blazing Furnace

I don’t mind the change in the weather.  I welcome the cool air.  Even if it means I need to bundle up or dress in layers.  The thing I don’t like is having bus drivers blare the heat as though it’s his or her sole responsibility of heating the entire universe.

When I lived with my mom and was working downtown, I would get on the bus and start stripping down.  It was a good 30-40 minute ride.  Just before we got to second south, I’d layer up again.  But the distances I have from West Valley to my destination are so much shorter. It seems senseless to strip down.  At the same time it seems I will suffocate if I don’t remove something.

I sit next to the door as often as I can – though the back door doesn’t always open.  I’m getting familiar with which drivers are able to deal with a minimum amonut of heat and which ones have to have the heat cranked up as though Roland is the driver.  I try to avoid their routes just so I can breathe.

Returned to Standard

It was nice to have light this morning as Jenna and I walked to the bus stop.  I usually don’t see it until after Jenna and I have parted ways and I start heading back to catch a return bus to West Valley.

We were supposed to set the clocks back on Saturday night – but forgot.  We got up at our usual time on Sunday – thinking we had slept in, but hadn’t.  Jenna asked me what happened to all the clocks.

Hopefully this will be the last time we have to adjust our clocks and the majority of voters who want to do away with daylight savings times will get our way.

I do enjoy seeing where I’m going in the morning.  In December it will be dark again.

I notice there are trees that still haven't turned and just as many that are bare now.  Perhaps that will make for a longer fall like we had last year.

I Don't Spring Clean - I Clean When the Weather's Crummy

We got a new furnace and thermostat – which we haven’t totally figured out.  It was really cold yesterday morning.  Not a big problem for Jenna and me, but Roland needed warmer.  So he made a few adjustments and the air blasted and continued after he left.

I put my hair into pigtails to keep it off my neck.  I keep it up during the summer because it is so thick and weighs like a fleece blanket in addition to the already blasting sun. 

When Jenna and I left the house, my hair was still in pigtails.  I have worn it down when the morning air’s been cold.  But I didn’t bother taking the bands out of my hair, but secured my hat around them.  It was amazing how warm my ears felt.  I may just continue to do that.

In addition to a new furnace, some new appliances were added to our house.  As we made room for all our new material things, items were moved, furniture rearranged and it looks like a tornado blew into our house.  It’s in need of so much attention right now.

It’s much easier to clean the house when the skies are grey and the elements are cold and dreary.  When the sun is out, I would like to use the sunshine for other things – like reading or running errands or even taking the dog for a walk.  It’s hard for me to be motivated to clean when the weather is nice.

My niece and nephew would always clean whenever they would stress – which happened quite frequently when they were living with mom and her health had deteriorated.  I thought it would be nice to have them in my house (though the clutter alone could give anyone stress) and right now I’m so ready to let go of everything, I wouldn’t care what they threw away.

Monday I did an excellent job going through the drawers and discarded a lot more than I kept.  I need to do that with every room in the house.  But I have to be motivated.  I think I need to take a break and pick up when it gets dark again – which seems to happen earlier with each passing day.

I remember voting online for whether to keep daylight savings or not.  Must have not been legit as the anchors are sending reminders to set our clocks back.  The majority said to get rid of daylight savings.  Like 80%.  I hope that this is the last time we have to move our clocks an hour and that we can just stay on standard for the duration.

The Wind Has Knocked Me in a Coma - Journal Entry

I take Highness for a walk

He’s notorious for wanting attention

after we have all gone to bed

I want to wear him out

I’m already worn out

Roland and I are on the couch

watching Shark Tank

I suggest we finish watching

in our room

He let’s the dog out just before

he comes into the bedroom

to join me

“What are you doing

letting the dog out?!”

I think.

Now one of us will have to

get back out of bed

to let him in.

I can’t remember

which one of us

received that honor.

I am asleep

I missed the end of Shark Tank

I actually don’t remember

turning on the TV

maybe Roland did

It’s 2:00 in the morning

when I can hear Highness whining

“Go lay down!” I say

Sometimes that works

Highness ignores me and continues whining. 

I let him outside.

I have two pillows in my hand.

I sit on the couch in a reclined position.

I don’t know how long I have slept

when I hear Highness bark again.

He has stayed out longer than usual

How surprising

Especially when I consider that

he’d been out for five to seven hours

while I was away less than

fourteen hours ago.
Not to mention the twenty minutes or so 
when we had gone to bed

Roland wakes at 4:10.

He sees that I’m gone

and goes back to sleep.

On couch this morning. 

It is getting cold.

I decided to turn on the heat for Roland.

I don’t hear the click when I turn the dial.

I don’t check the clock.

It could have been 5:30 or 6:00.

I should have checked.

I stir on the couch

The wind is howling. 

I pull the afghan around me.

I think the heater is broken.

I get up.

I am in a daze.

I hear noise coming from

the TV in my bedroom.

I see that the light is on.

The door opens. 

Roland is fully dressed.

He says it’s 6:30.  Oh, shoot.

He was supposed to take us

to school this morning. 

Jenna has drama club

early in the morning and

he doesn’t want her left alone

before the school opens

That is why I have to go with her.

But Roland will be late

if he takes us all the way

to the school so I tell him

to go ahead and leave

Jenna is crying

because nobody had woken her up

and she believes she’s going to be late

and she didn’t get breakfast. 

None of us did.

I throw on a wrap

and grab my windbreaker for Jenna

to wear over her hoody

(which is not all that warm)

I grab a hat from my back pack

I should have grabbed one from Jenna’s room

as well

Before we head out the door

I grab an apple and banana

Roland hits McDonalds

before he gets to work

He wanted a hot chocolate

and they told him there’d be a wait.

I think he would just leave

except he already paid.

He doesn’t drink it

until he gets to work.

It tastes awful!

McDonalds messed up his order

Roland received a coffee

instead of hot chocolate.

He finds another

to give his coffee to.

Jenna and I wait for the bus.

We wait and wait and wait.

Jenna cries

as she believes she will be late
She will be if the bus is as late as it had been
last night.

We’re not going to be late.

The bus finally comes

We arrive at the school

fifteen minutes before drama club starts

My wrap blows in the wind

I am reminded of the tail end of

the song “Spirit – Freedom”

from Red Riding Hood

though my cloak doesn’t 

wave that long

I make three bus transfers

I am home by 8:30.

I turn on the TV to watch

“Dancing with the Stars”

I missed two dances

because I was asleep.

Roland calls me and relates the

events of his morning with McDonalds

Says he’ll return for lunch

and report to the manager

It’s a short day and so I leave the house

to pick up Jenna

I am wearing my windbreaker and wrap

and hat and scarf

because the wind is loud

and howling like this morning

not as cold though

but I don’t notice until I have passed

the house next door.

I remove the wrap and scarf

and return home so that

I don’t have to carry them on the bus

Before I get to the school

I have removed my hat

I pass a house with a windmill

Funny I have never noticed before

Today the wheel is spinning hard and fast

So fast it just might come off

The bell rings just before I sit down

at the bench

Jenna is playing on the playground

but does come eventually

I ask if she would like to catch the bus

in front or behind the school

she chooses front because

she needs to run inside the school

for a few moments

We notice Marvin out on the lawn

waiting for his grandfather

When we exit the school

Marvin is still waiting

It is a short day

Perhaps grandpa has forgotten

I asked Marvin if he would like me to call his grandpa

But he doesn’t know grandpa’s number

And I don’t have my old phone

Where I have grandpa’s number stored

I ask Marvin if he would like to go to the office

to call his grandpa or maybe

we could just walk him home.

I choose to walk around the school

rather than cross the field

(though it takes longer to go around)

That way we can look for grandpa’s car

in case he is on his way.

Marvin believes the sidewalk is a better choice

and faster than crossing the field.
It's not.

I don’t know why grandpa drives around to pick him up. 

His brother Isaac always crossed the field.

I wonder if Marvin has been bullied

and maybe that is why.
Or maybe it was expected last year 
because Marvin was just in half day kindergarten 
and is just used to being picked up

As we approach grandpa’s house, I notice

that his car is gone.

Marvin thinks that grandpa has gone to the store.

I hope that is where he is and

not at the school searching for Marvin.

Jenna and I continue to the main road to catch our bus.

We get off at the corner and grab

a late lunch at Burger King

before we continue our walk

to our house

I start dinner

Roland calls to say he’ll be late

He’s not hungry anyway.

He gives Jenna a coupon for a

Free smoothie or frappe from McDonalds.

She is off school for the next two days.

Saying Hello and Good-bye to Autumn

Whereas autumn seemed to linger for several months last year, I believe that the cycle will be over all too quickly this year.

I had heard the mountain trees had started turning in August.  But as for my view of Salt Lake City valley, the trees (or the majority of them anyway) did not start turning until last week.

            There are still many green trees that haven’t handled the chill in the same way as those that are already starting to lose leaves.  What?  The ones that started turning last Monday are now shedding their leaves for the winter?  

            Toward the end of the week, I did notice more that were turning.  This morning I saw radiant beauty of yellow and orange golds, one tree that was undressing and still a wide variety of green.  I’d like to see them radiate color before the winter brings snow – if it brings snow.

            I heard that it had started snowing in the mountains earlier than it has in the past.  I don’t know.  I don’t seem to go to the mountains as much as I used to.  And yet I’m so close to them. 

            Weather is peculiar!

TOO WET TO READ

I do like the weather we are currently experiencing.  But it is strange. 

 

            I left the house early yesterday. I had wanted to stop off to pick up some trouser socks that I’ll need to start wearing.  When I left the sun was shining.  I had stopped to take off my jacket and put on Roland’s safari hat (recently purchased at Hogle Zoo) and removed it along with my sunglasses before I got to the store.

            As I waited for the bus (so that I could continue on to the school) I took out a book to read. As I was reading, I noticed that light drops began to fall – not enough to concern me if the book had been my own – but it’s a library book.  I’ve already purchased more lost and damaged books than I care to admit. I’d rather not have to make a purchase for replacement anymore.

            The skies were weird.  Blue sky with puffy white clouds mixed in with shades of grey threatening to rain.  I tried to capture what I saw, but the picture doesn’t do it justice (does it ever)

            By the time I arrived at the school, it was just too wet to read – unless maybe I had had my umbrella – which I didn’t. 

            The books I am currently reading are “Cookies to Die For” by Dene Low and “The Storybook Legends” by Shannon Hale.

            “Cookies . . .” is the one I read while on the bus. It is an adult novel (that’s right – adult.  Are you impressed) a mystery-comedy, if you will, with a flavor of LDS lingo and Mormon culture.  

            Thus far Jane (the narrator) has been kidnapped by two thugs whom she calls Beard and Kid.  She doesn’t know why they’re in her home or what they want with her husband – but he is out of town – along with her boys and dogs.  But she does have neighbors.  Unfortunately for her, they are all at Church.

            Beard finds her neighbors more than annoying as they are constantly calling to find out why Jane is not at church.  Or if they can stop by or pick her up or visit, etc.  Meanwhile, Jane is still wearing her yellow scouting shirt from the previous day.  Right now it is stained with tomato and she thinks it might look like blood.  It is the middle of the night and they have left her house and are now at the auto parts company where her husband works (I’m really not that far into it)

            “ . . .Legends” appears to be part of a series called “Ever After High”.  I wonder if Jenna will want to read more from the series.

            Jenna and I do not have to have this one read until we meet in November.  It’s for the mother/daughter group that we attend.  We’ve already read the one for October.  Jenna was hoping to start on the one for May.  But I think we should do them in order.

            Actually both of them seem to have a similar theme – that is to retell fairytales from another point of view.  In this case it is two daughters: Apple White – daughter of Snow White (though I wonder why Apple’s last name would be White and not Charming for her father?) and Raven, daughter of the wicked queen.

            In the book each has completed her first year of school and has entered the second.  In the second year students are expected to sign the book of legends and follow the story the way the parents have.  Only Raven does not wish to be wicked. 

            The students have returned from summer break, and Raven is happy to see that she’ll be sharing her dorm with Madeline Hatter – who she considers to be a fun crazy type person.  But Apple has just made arrangements for the two of them to room together. 

            Last time we read, Raven had just been handed her schedule, and though she tried to make some adjustments, the headmaster wouldn’t allow it.  Jenna and I both love reading fairytales that have been rewritten in a different way from the same old, same old.

            In May (though I suspect we’ll be reading before Christmas) we will be discussing the book “Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin” by Liesl Shurtliff.  I placed a hold at the library, but it hasn’t been set aside as of yet.  I don’t know why.  The West Valley Library has a copy on display.  But as I am not a gifted speed-reader, and the “Legends” book has more than 300 pages, I’m really not in a hurry to check out another book when I have less than two weeks left on the other.  I may have to renew it – or wait until November to finish it.  

          I will be writing another review.  I've already written reviews on some of the books that we'll be reading this coming year.

        

October Air

     I Love the fall.  I love the crisp air.  I love rain.

     The last week of September seems to cool down – not as cold as October – sometimes wet.  Not always.

     This September has been extremely hot – hotter than August.  Hot like July.  I welcome the October air.

     It started on Saturday.  Down poured all day.  There was a funeral at the Church.  And Jenna had a party to attend.

    

     I went with Roland to the Church and took the cake for the luncheon provided to the family.  I asked what time I was needed.  Not until noon.  I returned to the house until it was time to leave.

     I put the dog out so he would go to the bathroom outside and not in the house.  I planned to bring him back inside after I took Jenna to her party.

     Joni and Super Ruby had plates of salad ready to go out into the cultural hall.  Originally the Relief Society was told to plan for 100 – 125 people.  I’m guessing the rain kept many away.

     Jenna played in the nursery as we waited for the funeral to end.  When Roland came into the kitchen to assist, I could hear the rain beating down.  I asked Roland if he would take Jenna to the party so that I wouldn’t have to drive.

     Pamela gave the closing prayer and asked that the rain could be lifted long enough for the grave to be dedicated.  And it was.  It stopped as the dedication got started, it continued just as the dedication ended.  Or so I heard.  I was moving salads from the kitchen to the tables – along with some other sisters and Roland.

     He left long enough to get Jenna to her friend’s birthday party.  Super Ruby cut each sheet cake into twelve pieces and scooped out monster squares to put on plates. 

     Super Ruby doesn’t seem to delegate.  She somehow believes that she is in charge and is responsible for feeding at least 30 - 50  people by herself.  She is a great cook.  I bet she owns at least a hundred pots and pans.  She had only brought twelve of them.  Plus she provided all the table decorations.

     I probably could have come home.  Before the family returned to the church, more kitchen help arrived.  More than was actually needed, I think. 

     After Jenna called to announce that the party was over and Roland had taken all the tables down, he came to get me and announced that we were leaving.  By then it was just Joni and Super Ruby left in the kitchen – although Kristen would be returning, and I said I would return as well.  But after I had stacked all of Super Ruby’s pans, and sacks, and goods by the door, Joni told me that they didn’t need me to return.

     Roland wanted to run a few errands.  We went to Fashion Place Mall.  I hate Fashion Place Mall.  It’s too busy.  It’s too overwhelmingly crowded with stores and shops and people.

     Roland had volunteered to drop me and Jenna off at the curb or return to pick us up at the curb so that we wouldn’t have to get wet.  Jenna and I welcomed the rain.  We needed it.  We needed it to soak into our skin and wash the heat away. 

     I don’t know what time it was when we finally returned home.  Oh, no!  I had left Highness outside!  All that time.  And he doesn’t have the sense to seek shelter, and so he was wet.  Fur soaked through.  We let him in.  He wanted to cuddle.  He wanted us to love the moisture away, I guess.

     It rained again yesterday and all last night.  Grey clouds this morning, but when the sun came up, the clouds gradually went from grey to white and it hasn’t rained today.  But the air is still crisp like October air.  

     Some trees have turned, but not all.  Most of them are green still.  At least the ones that are in my view.  I know they've already turned in the mountains.  I heard that there is a high percentage of snow - in the mountains.  It can snow in the mountains.  So long as it stays in the mountains.  I'd rather trudge in snow than blazing heat though.

     I considered going to Kayla’s.  Of course I missed the first bus I saw.  It turned before I could cross – and my feet hurt too much to continue walking.  So I sat down and waited 15 minutes.

     The transfer had buses scheduled at three minutes apart.  I should have taken the second one.  I may have made the next transfer.  I didn’t think about it until I was on my way to the TRAX station that I would have to wait for another half hour (which would make another hour before arriving to Kayla’s) and so I just took the train and went back home.

     I cleaned out the pantry and did the dishes.  Roland wanted me to program a remote.  But first I had to print out the directions.  My eyesight is not that great – I need the instructions to be in big letters.  I still can’t get the remote to work however.  And now I am creating this post to put on my blog.  And now you are reading it.

Where’s My Rain?

         So often the weather forecast promises rain – and there are a few drops.  Sometimes we have showers that last almost twenty minutes.  Jenna and I will sit under the carport and watch the rain.  I love rain. 

         The promised rain always goes somewhere.  Often it is not received as a good thing.  It has caused the earth to moisten to the point of mud slide causing extreme financial damage – not to mention has left some homeless.   Or having I-15 close – in the dessert of all places.  That’s just mind-boggling.

         For me personally, Rain has always been a positive thing.  As I mentioned in this post, at least half my family vacations involved rain – not that we had planned it that way.  Dad always helped us to make the best of it, and we learned to accept and enjoy.

         I have fond memories not only of places that I’ve been, but the attitude of those that have surrounded me.  We always had fun in spite of the rain or because of it.

         There are several times I have taken my umbrella and have not needed it or purposely didn’t take it with me because I wanted to welcome the moisture.  Each time the forecast says “rain” – there is, but always elsewhere.

         I had planned to go to Kayla’s on Monday – right after I dropped Jenna off at school.  That day the wind was blowing – getting ready for the supposed expected storm.  The air was cool.  I might have enjoyed it, except for some reason it seemed all my energy (which lately isn’t a lot) had been sucked out of me.  I was so tired.  My presence wasn’t going to do either Kayla or the children any good.  And so I went home and slept.

         Yesterday morning was overcast – but hot.  And not a humid hot.  A dry hot.  Like when you are standing too close to the vent and it shoots a warm dry air up your body.  I found the thick heat to be smothering.  After I left Jenna, I got on the bus headed toward Kayla’s house.  When the bus turned the corner, black clouds had filled the air.  I could get rained on, I had decided.  And I welcomed the rain – though my backpack didn’t.  I hadn’t thought to bring an umbrella to keep my backpack dry.

The rain had stopped by the time I got off the second bus. By the time I left Kayla’s house, we couldn’t even prove that it had been raining - well, except for my overly damp backpack.

This morning seemed fair.  I wore a light jacket.  It came off before Jenna and I parted ways.  I am warm again.  I would much rather have the rain than the blaring heat of the sun or the hot dry air that makes me feel like I’m trapped in a sauna and can’t ever get out.  Why do people pay to sit in saunas anyway?  I know from experience that it is less costly just to sit in your car – particularly if it’s a dark one.