Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
We were up and going around 6:00 am, as today is 1) get-ready-for-the-board-meeting day and 2) watercolor painting day!
I got on a roll and got out all my shoes, ALL 24 PAIRS. Oh my, I might be a girl! All I need is about five pairs! I need formal dress shoes (tuxedo), dancing shoes, leather dress shoes, two pairs of tennis shoes, and that’s it! Someone at the Salvation Army is going to be happy!!
We worked around the house until 11:00 am and then got ready for Mary’s weekly painting class. I dropped her off at 12:30 pm and then headed home for a few minutes before doing my errands:
- Filled up the tank on the Silver Fox; it was running on fumes!
- Stopped at the bank and refilled my wallet, which was down to $3!
- Did a Del Taco run and got a taco and a small Diet Coke
- Stopped by the cleaners to drop off two of Mary’s blouses
Then it was off to pick up her nibs at the seniors center. Mary was into swamps today!
Knowing that she loves frogs, I used my magic and added two additional friends to her painting. Snoop Frogg and Captain Croak were added to the masterpiece.
On the way home, we made a strategic stop at the post office to mail a letter to the IRS, with whom we are currently engaged in a spirited game of financial dodgeball. We dropped it in the slot and hoped it would find its way to the one person there having a good day.
Once home, we checked on the kitty—who, as usual, had been managing the household with complete indifference—then headed back out on an important expedition to Home Depot, also known as the place where”we only need one thing” goes to die.
We picked up a few more solar-powered LED walkway lights for the backyard, and now every planter has one. At this point, the yard is better lit than some airport runways. We also bought a new handle for Mary’s favorite rake, because apparently even garden tools get hip replacements, and seven new tomato plants, which will be going into the ground early tomorrow morning—assuming they don’t unionize overnight.
Then it was back home for the rest of the day. Mary went VFR to the kitchen and successfully scrounged up a delightful dinner of corned beef and cabbage with a homemade cucumber salad. Meanwhile, I performed the highly technical task of unloading the car and putting away our purchases without losing any receipts, tools, or dignity.
The new lamps were installed quickly so we could watch them come on as the sun set. Sure enough, as darkness fell, the backyard began to glow proudly—like a tiny solar-powered Las Vegas, but with more tomatoes.
The west wall is now quite bright.
The center wall in the backyard is lit up like a Christmas tree!
We went into the pool for about two hours and watched the lights and the stars!
After drying off, we watched the rest of Comanche, a 1958 shoot ’em up. Summary: Released in March 1956 and directed by George Sherman, Comanche is a CinemaScope Western starring Dana Andrews as frontier scout Jim Read. Read tries to broker a peaceful treaty between the U.S. government and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, but renegade faction leaders and a bigoted government commissioner constantly sabotage their efforts.
Mary crashed directly after the movie while I stayed up and finished off the Daily Diary. As I took pictures of my lighting handiwork, I found Grace in the Family Room contemplating a run for the back door. I stopped her in her tracks!
“I will escape again, I will!!”
I returned to the office, powered down the computer, and went to bed at 11:30 pm.
