Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We were up and moving before 7:00 a.m., heading to the office for our daily cage match with the digital world. On the bright side, I learned several colorful new words that apparently can be used to describe a computer — none of which are listed in the owner’s manual.
After peeling Mary off the wall and administering emergency treatment — three strong coffees and a stern look at the monitor — she slowly returned to normal.
Okay, okay… it wasn’t that bad.
There was no wine involved.
It was coffee.
Lots of coffee.
The computer, however, may never be the same. It got so scared that it panicked, froze, made a weird noise, and spilled 1’s and 0’s over the floor.
Poor thing had a digital accident.
After beating the computer to death and yelling incantations not heard since the Vikings landed in the New World, we went for a walk in the garden. Many of the vegetables went into hiding from Dr. Mary!
We spotted some pumpkins brave enough not to hide, and they soon severed their relationship with their vines! In a few weeks, they may become Mary’s world-renowned homemade pumpkin pie!
We walked around the garden pulling the last of the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. When we return from our trip, everything else will be decapitated, and we will be ready to plant the winter garden! Of course, that means we will have to turn the soil, pick some weeds, and put in a round of fertilizer!
When we get to work, Mary will put on her farming duds and call the pig to help!
Our basic plants are doing well because of the forest this year, with several of the plants growing four feet tall!
Basil is a fragrant herb commonly used in dishes such as pesto, pasta, salads, soups, and Thai dishes. It can be a healthy addition to meals, though it is usually eaten in small amounts.
Potential health benefits of basil:
- Rich in antioxidants: Basil contains plant compounds such as flavonoids and polyphenols that may help protect cells from oxidative stress.
- Anti-inflammatory properties: Some compounds in basil may help reduce inflammation, especially when part of an overall healthy diet.
- Supports heart health: Basil contains small amounts of magnesium and potassium, and replacing salt-heavy flavorings with herbs like basil may help lower sodium intake.
- May support digestion: Basil has traditionally been used to ease mild digestive discomfort, though evidence is limited.
- Contains vitamins and minerals: Basil provides vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and manganese in small amounts.
At noon-ish, we went back inside, and Mary prepared the daily vittles, consisting of a homemade pastrami sandwich and ta-bool-la, complete with our cucumbers and hummus. Mary keeps us well-fed and well-nourished.
Her sandwich creation was fantastic! The English muffins are a treat, and the lettuce and tomatoes were freshly picked from our garden! The pastrami was from Monday’s lunch. This beats a hamburger any day!
Around 2:00 pm, Joe arrived and heroically completed the Great Flagpole Relocation Project of Casa Valencia.
Previously, the flagpole stood in the garden outside the fence, which meant that every time I wanted to raise or lower the flags, I had to embark on an expedition through bushes, dirt, and rose bushes—basically a patriotic obstacle course with thorns. Joe, being a man of both wisdom and self-preservation, suggested we move the pole inside the fence onto the concrete front patio slab, where flag duty would no longer require jungle survival skills.
We cleaned out a hole the cement-driller guys had made in the pad, positioned the flagpole foundation tube, leveled it with the precision of NASA engineers, and filled the hole with rapid-set concrete. By tomorrow afternoon, the flags will once again fly proudly over Casa Valencia—without anyone needing a machete or a tetanus shot.
Afterward, Joe came inside and enjoyed some of Mary’s homemade tookies while making work calls, proving he can multitask at an elite level: business in one hand, cookie in the other.
And best of all, I got two great pictures of him, which may or may not be used later for historical documentation, blackmail, or the Casa Valencia Hall of Fame.
After Joe departed, we continued getting ready for the trip. Mary ironed my shirts, and I polished some shoes.
The nightly call to Robin occurred at 7:30 pm. We laughed and giggled with her and Bob for almost thirty minutes.
We then settled in and watched a Reacher spinoff, Neagley, until around 10:00 pm. Neagley is an American action crime television series created by Nick Santora and Nicholas Wootton for Amazon Prime Video. Based on the character created by Lee Child, it is a spin-off of the television series Reacher. It stars Maria Sten, who reprises her role as Frances Neagley from Reacher.
I had allergies last night and kept blowing my nose, sniffling, and coughing. It must have sounded like a Model-T just as it ran out of gas!
So, when I dozed off, “The Kleenex Fairy” apparently visited me.
Apparently, the Kleenex Fairy had reached her limit with my sniffling, sneezing, and Olympic-level nose-blowing.
Taking matters into her own tiny, tissue-powered hands, she staged an intervention while I was asleep — burying me under a mountain of Kleenex like some congested archaeological exhibit. Naturally, she also snapped a photo right as I was waking up, because even magical beings need evidence.
As I slowly came to, confused and partially mummified, I heard her make her escape — accompanied by a very distinctive cackling sound.
After finally digging myself out of Tissue Mountain, I did the only sensible thing left to do:
I went to bed.
We finally crashed around 11:30 pm.
