A Lovely Day

It's very hard to ignore the kakistocracy these days, but I'm trying.  I listened to MSNBC as I paid bills and cleaned out my inbox (my desk is still clear!) and as I was wrapping brownies, until I realized that I wasn't paying that much attention to the scandal du jour.  I was telling myself stories about my nieces, my friends-since-middle-school, my Chicago girlfriends.

I turned off the tv.

There were spatial relations problems to be solved when fitting bubble wrapped goodies into flat rate envelopes.  If it fits, it ships is the only instruction given by the Postal Service, and neatness does not count.  More than one recipient has commented that the holidays start when the misshapen package from you arrives.  I prodded and folded and used more tape than might have been necessary, it's true, but the damn things get where they are going and that's all that matters.

The giant blue IKEA bag I've used in the past to schlep the packages to the Post Office is now filled with gardening crap; I found an old plastic laundry basket to use instead.  I had issues with the USPS website (not a surprise) but finally got the labels printed out and attached to the knobby packages and the packages in the basket and the basket to the Post Office where I dumped them into the gigantic cloth hamper the thoughtful postal employee had placed near the main counter.

I picked up Dr. K at his new house, leaving Not-Kathy behind, painting her dining room tabletop a lovely shade of lavender.  She calls it purple.  We both think it's wonderful.  Her husband and I stopped at the-slowest-ever-not-really-Caribbean-or-fusion Asian/Caribbean/Fusion fast food restaurant on the planet.  We agreed that not worrying is one of the major benefits of being a retired person, so we agreed not to worry that we'd be late to class as our food took longer and longer and longer to arrive.

We weren't late to class.  I found a parking space on the first floor right next to the exit doorway; we agreed that we each have parking karma, that others are amazed at our powers, that it's one of the ost fun things about being us.  We've been friends since 1973.  We have been having these kinds of conversations for a long, long time.

Dr. Tolbert taught us about the body map embedded in our brains which led to an explanation of the science behind phantom limb pain, replete with a mirror box we could use to freak ourselves out.  The brain works in mysterious ways, compensating and replacing and organizing. When I saw what I knew was not happening I jumped and Dr. Tolbert laughed.  Watch the video.

I made all the lights coming home, there were no bills in the mail, and JannyLou is finally home from New Zealand.  Having her sit at our kitchen table wass like being enveloped in cotton candy - she is the sweetest human being I've ever known.  Her trip was great, her health is good, and Fast Eddie is ready to book another adventure.  Good things should happen to good people.... especially good people I like a lot.

And now we await Dr K and Not-Kathy and the pizza they are bringing.  I have more political postcards to write as they watch football and we talk about this and that and nothing and everything, the way old friends do, weaving stories around stories and laughing at ourselves.

It's been an absolutely lovely day.