PNewL PNewS
Volume 29 Issue 3 “All the pnews that phits.” September 2021
Our New Normal
I was walking with Roger in July when neighbor Beth stopped to chat. Somehow it came up that I was maybe possibly kinda thinking about maybe possibly getting a dog…a “transition” dog. The next thing I knew, I was meeting Roscoe, a busy little CRD, as my vet called him—a Carolina Red Dog. He was found by the newspaper delivery person. She wants to be an “Ambassador” for the Humane Society and I guess is practicing. She found this little dude on the road, tried to find an owner, got him fixed and all the bells and whistles of being a legal dog (shots, chip) for free, and heard I was looking. They showed up on my front porch at 8 the next morning. We had a good meet and decided to try a sleepover. I said I was going out of town so maybe it would be better to do it before so she wouldn’t be waiting around wondering if we were a match. I picked July 4th (he’s not bothered by fireworks, thankfully). That morning she showed up with him before 7:30, apologizing that she hadn’t let me know when she was coming. I was ready. I had figured out her MO.
The sleepover went fine. Roger and the new guy did their social distancing. They kept an eye on each other but didn’t interact. I decided to go for it. I changed his name—Roscoe didn’t work for me. Buster Brown came to mind and stuck.
Welcoming a new member into any household is an adjustment. Some for better and some for worse. Adjusting to Buster, has its ups and downs. He’s great fun and a total pain. He has a youthful enthusiasm we’ve been lacking. Sometimes I forget the part about how I now have two faces looking at me as if every moment not spent on them is a disappointment. Now I’m reminded…regularly… I have two beings counting on me. It can add up, but the upside far outweighs the downside. Well except for the running away part. Oh and the weird shrieking bark.
When I picked up Roger and Buster from puppy camp, Bonnie was very complimentary of both dogs and their relationship. She said they needed to find each other. I liked that—they do seem to like each other…even the rough and tumble rough-house before breakfast which includes a lot of biting. She also said she’d had other campers that look like Buster and she thinks he’s a “puggle” — a designer dog??? I went home and googled it and yup, I’m afraid he is a puggle. And then there were the characteristics: a weird bark, a desire to run. And then the physical issues: breathing issues from the smooshed nose. His is not too smooshed but he can be a loud breather. Okay that’s enough. He is what he is. He ran last night and he came home so that was good to know—he knows where Home is.
Prepare for more tales of the Adventures of the Boys.
80-20
When I was in Montana in May, I got to listen to a tele-health appointment with one of Martha’s healthcare team. When she asked if she needed to eat “clean” forever. He laughed and said, Think 80-20. That is 80% clean, 20% …party! Okay he didn’t say that last part, but he did say she could do what she wanted.
Recently, there was a posting on a Covid related FB page that was set up by a local to support people during this crazy time. It has been good and kinda sweet but sometimes veers into us vs them between maskers and anti-maskers and vaxxers and anti-vaxxers, and the moderator asked that we think 80-20 when posting: 80% positive and 20% rant.
Is this 80-20 a thing? I like it. I’m thinking I will adopt it for my mantra—I aspire to 80% busy to 20% sloth. 80% good behavior, 20% not. 80% angel, 20% devil. (I ASPIRE…) We’ll see how it goes. I’ll let you know…if I remember…
In the New Times of the ’Rona & Other Miscellaneous Observations
• I often wish I had my camera or phone to take a picture that I know will not be there to take if I move. I know I should enjoy the image and not bother with documenting it, but, you know…
- When people put a call out for volunteers, I am often first in line …and sometimes I regret it. I don’t know why I keep doing it—I need to be more discerning. Recently, I went to an event to help set up the room and stayed 34 minutes. I moved chairs around and people rearranged them behind me. I told the woman who asked for volunteers I thought they had enough people helping and I was going to go. She nodded and looked kinda apologetic.
- In August, I spent 10+ days with some of my nearest and dearest in the Bay Area. It was really good. It had been that amount of time during which we all haven’t seen our people and it felt so good to see them again. California is in a world of hurt with drought and fires and that was obvious from before I landed. The air was yellow. I could barely see the Dumbarton bridge over the bay. It was bad. There were some clear days but probably more hazy ones. It’s heartbreaking. It’s unhealthy. It’s the future.
We got to have our 40th Angel Island Picnic—but no camping this year. (Reservations were cancelled for camping because of Covid and then they were opened up again but we didn’t know about it until we were on the ferry. It was a cool foggy day and I was not sorry to be heading back to warm and dry that evening.) I visited with several people, missed a few. Guess I’ll have to go back! And got some up close and personal time with the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. And went to a lovely wedding reception on a farm in western Sonoma County. Sweet! Despite this being an overused and annoying (to me) expression, it was, indeed, all good.
• Pardon me if this is the 100th time I have said this but Think Long and Hard and Then Think Again before you hit Reply All, please.
• I had a great couple days this summer helping unpack the craft supplies of a crafter’s estate for a sale at Local Cloth. It made my collection of supplies pale in comparison. Seriously a LOT of stuff. I kept saying, one day someone is going to be asking these same questions about my stuff (what was she thinking? What do you suppose she used this for? SO many unfinished projects!). The sale went well, sold a lot, donated a lot to libraries, school art programs and UNCA theater department. Made some money for the family of the crafter and for the organization and a lot of stuff was passed on to new crafters. It was surprisingly satisfying and productive.
- I pulled up to the ATM closest to home and there was a receipt hanging out so I took it to throw it away. I always look at them out of curiosity. Usually there are balances of $100 or sometimes less, withdrawing $20. I feel for those people. What must that be like? I confess it’s been a very long time since I was playing it that close to the edge…probably before ATMs. (As I recall, I ate a lot of zucchini through those times…a lot…) I ponder what that person’s life is like. How scary is it? Does one get used to it? This time, the balance was $111,844.79. S/he withdrew $100. I pictured someone who had a loan come in and the person wanted to make sure it had hit their account and as long as they were there, why not enjoy it? Or maybe it’s a person who likes to be super-duper liquid?!? More recently, there was one hanging out of the ATM in North Asheville and the balance was $6400+ and that made sense in North Asheville.
- When I skip a mow cycle, the cut grass looks even better than when I am mowing as I “should.” Because it rained 6.25” (Hurricane Fred) in 24 hours, and I wasn’t paying attention enough to mow before the deluge and I was going out of town for almost two weeks, the grass got to grow for about a month. Cut yesterday, it looks great—practically like a golf course! (Please no comments about how I shouldn’t even have grass—I know that but have no idea what to do with all that wide open space, it’s mostly weeds and I have never put poison on it. And am okay if you don’t offer suggestions…)
- On the World Tour, I came to know that one of the weak links in travel is zippers. You blow out a zipper and there is Stuff that Has to be Done. On my recent trip to the Bay Area, I learned that when I don’t zip things up, I lose things.
- In May, someone used my credit card to charge around $2500 at Amazon. Several items were $3.75 which I know can add up but it takes A LOT of them. There were larger charges too—and some in between. My credit card company was very helpful and friendly in setting up a fraud claim and slowly picking away at it. By my August bill, I had received a letter saying that my case was closed, but on my spreadsheet (which, by the way, no one seems to want to see), I was still owed $330+ in charges and around $70 in interest charges. I had a very nice conversation with a man for whom English was not his first language and he is working on the problem and feels confident in 24 to 48 hours he would have all my money back. I wish I had his confidence. (Nothing so far. Sigh.)
- In July, I made another trip to Montana to join with a small crew to celebrate nephew Bowen and the lovely Hayley’s wedding on Flathead Lake. It was a very different kind of visit than others I have had there and equally fun. I got to be helpful—driving up a vehicle filled to the brim with a ton of flowers and driving back a ton of recycling and party related stuff. The weekend was lovely and sweet and touching and full of plenty of stories that make weddings so memorable. For me it was a little different because I was in the midst of my second successful attempt at the Whole 30 diet (basically meat, veg, with a little bit of fruit (period).) No champagne, no wedding cake. No cheese trays. No sandwiches. It was actually fine, just different.
Afterward, I put together my pictures for the happy couple and Martha and Mike. I figured the “real” pictures would take a while and it would be fun for them to have insta-albums. When I edited them down, I found there were few people in them—all my pics were of dogs and flowers and food. That’s the important stuff right?
“Always be on the look out for the presence of wonder.” EB White
“If we can uproot the tree of hate, what would the landscape really look like?” LaTosha Brown
