Beneath the Wraps

            I have mentioned the thick fog and now a constant rain.   It looks awesome and will green up the valley again.               This morning I noticed golden flecks donning the hills.   It was so spectacular!     Of course none of my pictures capture what I see.   The fog covered appearance of the towers as I was coming home.   After I got inside, it started pouring again.             At 11:00 I could see the sun.   I felt excited as Jenna has a field trip planned for today.   She's been looking forward to it for over a week now.   I don't want her to be disappointed.             Hopefully they were on the bus already and are at the corn maze now and enjoying themselves.   Perhaps it isn't ra...

            I have always had allergies.   It doesn’t matter what time of year.   When I was still in school, I had trained myself to fall asleep in a somewhat reclined position – that way my sinuses didn’t drain directly into my throat.   Thus I have actually spent most of my life sleeping propped rather than sleeping flat.   Roland sleeps flat.   Over the years it seems that only one or the other of us can be comfortable in bed.   But not both.             The last three or four years I have complained about the air quality in this house and I have suffered with painful sinus infections the last two or three years.   Before that I had believed that suffering a sore throat was the worse thing – worse than headaches.   But not worse than being so disoriented that I cannot think or function.      ...

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...

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...

     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. ...

Yesterday was the first day of school this school year. Before the bus pulled up to the curb, there had been only one passenger. I predicted that the bus before it was running behind and overflowing with passengers. I learned that my predictions had been accurate as we boarded the overflowing bus this morning. Right after we boarded, the frustrated driver called into dispatch to make a complaint that he was already running twenty minutes late – picking up passengers from the bus prior to his as well as those waiting for the bus behind him. It wasn't fair that he should be late because the one before him had been late or in an accident or whatever. By the time Jenna and I reached our bus stop, I saw the driver reach for the phone for the third time. This time it was with a request that he would only drop off passengers and not pick new ones up. He must have been granted clearance, for when I went back to catch the return back to my house, it was the same driver and...

Kayla was not feeling well yesterday. In addition to being pregnant she had symptoms of a virus or a flu. Jenna and I took her children over to the school to have lunch (I actually drove Kayla's car with expired plates) and then to visit a friend. That gave Kayla three hours alone. Our visit was quite brief with Kayla when we returned her kids and left for the bus. Jenna had even remembered to get her painting from last week. We were home for three hours when Kayla called us back. Bill took her to the hospital as she was having contractions and Jenna and I stayed with the kids. I thought we were headed for a rather long night with them, and then I heard the dogs barking and saw Bill's car in the driveway. The contractions and labor had been a false alarm. BJ did not come last night. I have given Kayla the option of leaving Jenna overnight. Usually Kayla has to think about it – but last night was a definite “yes”. She didn't even bat an ey...

On the day that my oldest nephew was married Jenna and I had lunch and played in the park with my youngest niece and her brother who used to be the youngest but another brother will be born I’m guessing in July.   Kayla’s due date is August 2 nd but she looks like she’s ready to pop any minute. We both believe that B.J. is on his side. Kayla says he moves around much more than the other two Anna and Garrett (we call him Gary) are replicas of their mother at least they LOOK like Kayla I bet their brother looks like Bill and has Bill’s personality. Hence my nickname for him – B.J. = Bill Junior Today we could not meet in the park for lunch.   This afternoon Jenna and I took a bus out to their house and took them back to the same bus stop and rode to the next TRAX station where we boarded the train Gary was especially awed by this new sensation. We took the train back to where Jenna and I had started out....

I have mentioned in earlier posts that my sister, Kayla, is expecting her third child.   Her eldest, Anna, will be four in the first week of July.   Garrett turned two in February and B.J. will be born in August. As a result, Jenna and I have been going out to assist at least a few hours each day.    This past Wednesday and Thursday we had made arrangements to meet the kids at the park nearest Jenna’s school.   There is a park closer to where they live, but the bus doesn’t go by the park, and I don’t particularly wish to cross the street with the two children in order to get to the park.   So Bill has dropped them off at the other park.   We can make the return trip on the bus without crossing the street. So on Wednesday, Bill stood in line with them to get their lunch and then he took off.   After Jenna, Anna and Gary played for a while, we got on the bus to take my niece and nephew back to their mom.   The kids were de...

            Jenna and I got on the more crowded bus this morning but I took the less crowded one back to the house.   I was actually the only passenger for the first three lights.   And I was thinking that UTA really missed out for not hiring Roland as one of their drivers.          He may have only applied that one time.   I don’t know if it even resulted with an interview or not.   Roland is a great driver.   I doubt he would be intimidated by the size of the bus.   He is a master behind the wheel in all kinds of weather.   He has exceptional people skills.   And I believe he enjoys driving.          Not me.   I remember taking the bus one time – cold wet snowy day.   I got talking to the driver about my job and searching for another.   He said that UTA was hiring drivers. ...