Sunday, November 01, 2009

That'll be the day!


I took the dog for a walk in the wind and the rain and that made me cold and wet and make me appreciate the inside of my apartment so much, that my rate of happiness grew by at least 1.5 points. I can't be too exact about these sort of things, so it is an approximation. The dog was happy too, because his hair curled from the dampness and he got a bowl of food when we got home. What more can you ask for? I wish my hair would curl from the dampness, I would walk in the rain all the time if it did.

Well, this is the first day of November and you can't expect it not to rain. It sort of comes with the time of year. It's not that cold out and not all that miserable. I keep telling myself that, because I refuse to admit that the weather is bad and I will keep denying it until there is half a foot of snow on the ground. I keep saying that it's nice for the time of year, like an optimist sees the glass half full. This little bit of bad weather will be over in the shortest amount of time and then everything will be back to normal again, meaning cloudy skies with some sunshine now and then and middling temperatures.

I do not have little windshield wipers for my glasses and they were quite wet when I got inside again, but the dishtowel got them dry in no time. I don't dry them with paper towels or Kleenexes, because I've heard that's bad for them, as the little bits of wood fibers that are in them can scratch the lenses.So, mustn't do that. I threw away a pair of reading glasses that looked as if an elephant had sat on them. They were completely misshapen and hardly stayed on when I wore them. It was a cheap pair that I bought at the drugstore and I will get a new pair the next time I am there. I have another pair that I can use, but I like to have two of them, one pair for by the computer and one pair for by whatever book I'm reading. When I have to enter an ISBN number at Bookmooch or LibraryThing, I need the reading glasses to see the number in the book, because it is always in very small print.

I should start a petition against things printed in small print, such as ingredients in food products and ISBN numbers. Most people when they get older need reading glasses and it's a hassle to always have them handy when you are in sudden need of them. Besides, manufacturers of food products act so mysterious about what's in their cans and jars and packages, as if they don't want the public to really know. Well, they probably really don't and purposely keep it in the smallest letters possible.

That makes me think of Kosher hot dogs and how long ago it has been since I've eaten one and how good they taste with onions and mustard and ketchup and how I really want to eat one before I die. I'll have to have the fluid pumped out of my gastric band, though, because I could never eat a whole hot dog now. I'll have to have that done one of these days, because I don't think I eat all that healthy now. I'd give anything to eat a sandwich with cheese and lettuce and tomatoes. Anything must be better than what I eat now.

The city sent all the citizens a map with all the bus routes in town.It's very handy and I put it in my purse for future reference. They sent it to encourage people to use public transportation to get the cars out of the downtown area, which I think is a pretty smart idea. The parking is horrendous and the streets are really not made for all the traffic. It can be quite dangerous if you're a pedestrian of a bicyclist. There will be real die hards, though, who will always want to use their cars, who see it as their god given right. They'll never use a bike or the bus, as they see that as a step beneath them. Their car is their status symbol and they need it to show the world that they've made it and that they don't need to sit in a bus or ride a bike. It's especially the working class people who own a car that refuse to ride a bike or take the bus. After that you get to a point where environmentalism starts to play a role and people gladly ride their bikes again, until you get to the rich who feel entitled and won't give up their cars ever. Rich people don't travel by bus or bike.

Well, it's that time of the evening again. I'm going to get my pajamas on and have something to eat and watch 15 minutes of television before I go to bed. I really hope I'll sleep all night long and don't wake until the morning.

Have a good night.

Ciao,
Nora

4 comments:

Gail said...

I would love to ride a bike to work or take a train or a bus. I live nine miles from work, which is close compared to what a lot of people have to travel.

I think when the Red Barn is open and I am retired I shall ride my horse to work.

Friend of the Bear said...

Hi Nora. My hair just goes frizzy in the rain - it's horrible!

The Bear gets through reading glasses like you wouldn't believe. Always losing them or dropping them or otherwise breaking them. Luckily he gets new ones from Poundland (where everything costs a pound) so they're not expensive. But he does require a new pair practically every week!

I can't get him to put them on a chain round his neck. I think he thinks it will make him look too elderly. But it's such a kerfuffle every time he needs to get them out of his pocket or rucksack or lay his hands on them at home.

The powers that be have built cycle lanes in the city where I live but the traffic is still overwhelming. I noticed how bad the traffic was when I first moved here - from London. Yes, more traffic than central London. This is because the buses are no good in this county. Many places only have the bus service 2 days a week. If you live out of town you really do need a car.

Hope you have a good night sleeping all the way through.

Bearfriend xx

VioletSky said...

One of the things I HATE about walking in the rain is the frizzy hair I get with it.

This reminds me - I must get my bike out again before it is too cold.

Maureen said...

Everything is so spread out over here; it seems the cities were made for driving...