Beneath the Wraps

         I notice as I age, parts of me don’t seem willing to move as well and my balance seems to be thrown off.   Actually has been for quite some time.   Sometimes it’s like when you have your arms spread out to either side from your shoulders and you lift one foot while trying to close your eyes.   Go ahead and try it.   I’ve not met anyone yet that can make it to a full minute. Two years ago I had an MRI as I thought I’d been having stroke related symptoms.   Nothing was found.   But today I keep dad’s walker quite near the bed and have used it at night just to balance myself while getting up.   I have not yet used it to assist my walking. As of now I don’t feel any different as far as balance goes. I do seem to be experiencing a little more pain in different places – like just behind my left knee – when I twisted it while exiting a bus.   The pain comes and goes.   The other d...

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 route...

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.

“Paperboy” takes place in the mid to late 50’s sometime after Elvis had made a name for himself and when Arkansas started integrating schools The story takes place in Memphis and reads like a journal.   No commas, no quotations.   Very cleverly written, I think. The summary of the story itself got my attention, but what really intrigued me was Rob Buyea’s recommendation.   I had posted a review on Buyea’s books here Victor Vollmer has agreed to take his friend’s paper route for a month.   He enjoys throwing papers and is good at it.   His problem is with collecting money, for Victor has a stuttering problem and lacks the confidence in talking with people. But he learns a lot and meets a few people that he may not have otherwise.   He records his thoughts and some conversation and little by little the reader can see the growth of this young man. There doesn’t seem to be much of a plot until pretty much towards the end – after all...

I remember seeing a story on the news about a class project featuring two rodents with different diets.   I was hoping to find the story online, but have given up my search. I believe it was an elementary school, but don’t know what grade or from which state.   The class had voted the names of the rodents to be “Nut” and “Honey”.   Nut was given a healthy diet of lettuce, nuts and whatever else might be healthy while Nut was given sugars and starches.   The children were able to see Honey wilting away as she became skinnier and thinner – while Nut remained healthy and had gained weight. I remember the newscasters making comment that they wondered if that might backfire for anyone having the desire to lose weight – to follow Honey’s diet.   Sadly, it was Nut who died first and not Honey.   I remember the newscaster trying hard to fight the smile as the story unfolded that Nut had choked on a healthy cracker. I LOVE sugar –...

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 ou...

                                              Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler: Hank Zipzer authors          Hank Zipzer is a character invented by Henry Winkler – though I wonder how much of the character is based upon himself as he had struggled with learning though nobody understood that he had dyslexia but wasn’t diagnosed until he was in his 30’s.          The first Hank Zipzer book that I read was “The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down” Hilarious.   I laughed out loud with almost every page.               I really liked how in this particular story, it is not the obvius talent put who p...

            No, I am not getting paid to advertise.   For heating and air conditioning I had always used Gils.   Gil comes out and gets the job done and no need to call back because the system works and they don’t leave glitches.   They’re reasonably priced – inexpensive even.   But it’s just a father and his son.   They don’t finance.             We called Hartman when our furnace seemed to give out.   They had serviced our furnace before.   I hadn’t remembered, but it was Hartman’s paperwork tacked to our furnace that hadn’t been serviced since two years before we moved into the house.             As I was waiting for someone to pick up, I started playing with a switch on the side of the furnace.   Apparently it had been knocked into last time someone had been ...

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...