![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Nov. 6th, 2022
This has been the best Fall.
Nov. 6th, 2022 02:31 pmI truly can't remember a better autumn in my life.
You know how some years you feel ripped off (if you live in a 4-season place) when it seems like Spring or Fall lasts only for a few days? This has been the opposite of that. It was cool early (or on time) and then warm a lot, with a few cooler stretches, for weeks. The leaves started turning but took a long time to start falling off the trees. Mine fall earlier than the others in the neighborhood, and they've been down for a while now, but all over town there are still mostly-full branches of yellow and orange and red. Just gorgeous. As I hinted at before, I've tried taking pictures of trees, but you can't capture but a small-ish fraction of their glory that way.
Halloween seemed extended in my life, and I actually got into it. Impulsively I bought a little metal tractor-and-trailer model, with "Pumpkins" on the trailer; I've had my Baltimore street fair goddess (of stuffed stocking and string hair and beads) and my thrifted Shaggy riding it for weeks, piled on a bunch of other gee-gaws on top of my bookcase. I put purple lights on a bush and, when the sunflower headpiece I failed to buy when I first saw it at Target was sold out, I got something like it (less comfortable) online and used it as one of a few costume-ish looks this season, for tho I didn't go to Sam & Dan's extravaganza, I was at 3 events live (and one more on Zoom) at which people were dressing up. And one of them was the little kids' parade, first time since the pandemic, at my job, where many people came in on a usually-remote day, and we had a chili cookoff, as well as (later) donuts and cider. The way the date of Halloween fell, it was like that holiday fell over the course of more than a week itself.
The other day over by Esch Park I was cutting throught the apartments Olja and Rosario used to live in, and I noticed---and the people noticed me noticing---a veritable pile of jack o' lanterns in one of the little back yards. The owners invited me in, so quick to see me there & looking that it took me a second to process what they were saying. Clearly proud. I obliged, and admired their collection, pointing out how I like the extra snarliness of the scarier ones, now that they were starting to rot, and also the mix they had of goofy-happy and spooky. They explained that they'd had them all arranged in the little back yard for trick-or-treaters to make their way among, on the way to candy, but now they have them stacked so they can still enjoy them from inside, looking out their sliding glass door. "Keith and Sus" (pronounced "Soos"), said Keith, inviting me to come back any time. "Lisa," I got out, and indicated appreciation. Walking away I they probably figure I'm a new neighbor, in the complex, not some 20-year resident of a house half a mile up the road.
Not too far from there, another several days later, even the sight of four or five pumpkins topping off a compost bin (such that they were holding the lid up) looked jaunty and happy to me, and tickled me.
Yesterday was really windy, and today it's sunny and not too cold. I've vaguely planned to head to Mr. Stadium to wash my bedspread, some other bedding while I'm at it, and maybe winter coat (once I check whether I already did that for this year), and then set up my recall-replacement CPAP and assemble a desk chair that arrived a few days ago. You know, and do the dishes, and maybe finally try putting up the 3 cabinet doors I maybe have all the hardware for now (plus have the cabinets already painted for). But that's a lot of inside stuff, you know?
Really I guess I should make a plan to paint the rest of the cabinets before it gets so cold I won't want to open up the place for some ventilation. That's not today, though. That's maybe take-a-day-off-work. I've finished eval drafts (late Friday night) and have to burn some leave, after all.
The Phillies lost last night. I don't much care for the Astros, among the post-season teams, but it coulda been worse. It coulda been the Yankees. And Justin Verlander and Dusty Baker weren't Astros when the team was cheating its way to success. Still, ya see Halliburton and oil companies among the "community" supporters on the billboards in their outfield, and, well. There are reasons I find it hard to root for that team, despite the name I like and their history of colorful fun uniforms and even the way I know it makes some people in Texas very happy.
Now I'm going to put some clothes on, including one of my new pairs of shoes, and go outside. It's the last week I have Susan's compost bin, so two big ones to fill.
Maybe I'll put the bedding in the washer and walk around that area---maybe get some extra keys to the Blue Water Tower portal (I've been Ingressing again, dunno why, but just got promoted to level 16), as it's a multiple-field connection point in my recent shenanigans there. Then move the laundry and walk outside some more.
Could include Stadium Liquors, and buy lottery tickets, but I think not. I bought Powerball tickets last night, and was a little relieved when no one won the giant pot. Lottery riches would muck things up big-time, and I feel strongly that the lottery (or more specifically the I-could-win-the-lottery) does working people and our larger society real harm.
There IS that pot dispensary over there. Another temptation. Could consult with them about varieties and anxieties. But probably not. I think I'm better served by the ways I've been (not to jinx anything) (knock on somethin') taking care of myself pretty well lately. Just gotta avoid turning that into obsession and orthorexic mania. Slippery slope.
Happy more luxurious Fall to you all, and to me.
You know how some years you feel ripped off (if you live in a 4-season place) when it seems like Spring or Fall lasts only for a few days? This has been the opposite of that. It was cool early (or on time) and then warm a lot, with a few cooler stretches, for weeks. The leaves started turning but took a long time to start falling off the trees. Mine fall earlier than the others in the neighborhood, and they've been down for a while now, but all over town there are still mostly-full branches of yellow and orange and red. Just gorgeous. As I hinted at before, I've tried taking pictures of trees, but you can't capture but a small-ish fraction of their glory that way.
Halloween seemed extended in my life, and I actually got into it. Impulsively I bought a little metal tractor-and-trailer model, with "Pumpkins" on the trailer; I've had my Baltimore street fair goddess (of stuffed stocking and string hair and beads) and my thrifted Shaggy riding it for weeks, piled on a bunch of other gee-gaws on top of my bookcase. I put purple lights on a bush and, when the sunflower headpiece I failed to buy when I first saw it at Target was sold out, I got something like it (less comfortable) online and used it as one of a few costume-ish looks this season, for tho I didn't go to Sam & Dan's extravaganza, I was at 3 events live (and one more on Zoom) at which people were dressing up. And one of them was the little kids' parade, first time since the pandemic, at my job, where many people came in on a usually-remote day, and we had a chili cookoff, as well as (later) donuts and cider. The way the date of Halloween fell, it was like that holiday fell over the course of more than a week itself.
The other day over by Esch Park I was cutting throught the apartments Olja and Rosario used to live in, and I noticed---and the people noticed me noticing---a veritable pile of jack o' lanterns in one of the little back yards. The owners invited me in, so quick to see me there & looking that it took me a second to process what they were saying. Clearly proud. I obliged, and admired their collection, pointing out how I like the extra snarliness of the scarier ones, now that they were starting to rot, and also the mix they had of goofy-happy and spooky. They explained that they'd had them all arranged in the little back yard for trick-or-treaters to make their way among, on the way to candy, but now they have them stacked so they can still enjoy them from inside, looking out their sliding glass door. "Keith and Sus" (pronounced "Soos"), said Keith, inviting me to come back any time. "Lisa," I got out, and indicated appreciation. Walking away I they probably figure I'm a new neighbor, in the complex, not some 20-year resident of a house half a mile up the road.
Not too far from there, another several days later, even the sight of four or five pumpkins topping off a compost bin (such that they were holding the lid up) looked jaunty and happy to me, and tickled me.
Yesterday was really windy, and today it's sunny and not too cold. I've vaguely planned to head to Mr. Stadium to wash my bedspread, some other bedding while I'm at it, and maybe winter coat (once I check whether I already did that for this year), and then set up my recall-replacement CPAP and assemble a desk chair that arrived a few days ago. You know, and do the dishes, and maybe finally try putting up the 3 cabinet doors I maybe have all the hardware for now (plus have the cabinets already painted for). But that's a lot of inside stuff, you know?
Really I guess I should make a plan to paint the rest of the cabinets before it gets so cold I won't want to open up the place for some ventilation. That's not today, though. That's maybe take-a-day-off-work. I've finished eval drafts (late Friday night) and have to burn some leave, after all.
The Phillies lost last night. I don't much care for the Astros, among the post-season teams, but it coulda been worse. It coulda been the Yankees. And Justin Verlander and Dusty Baker weren't Astros when the team was cheating its way to success. Still, ya see Halliburton and oil companies among the "community" supporters on the billboards in their outfield, and, well. There are reasons I find it hard to root for that team, despite the name I like and their history of colorful fun uniforms and even the way I know it makes some people in Texas very happy.
Now I'm going to put some clothes on, including one of my new pairs of shoes, and go outside. It's the last week I have Susan's compost bin, so two big ones to fill.
Maybe I'll put the bedding in the washer and walk around that area---maybe get some extra keys to the Blue Water Tower portal (I've been Ingressing again, dunno why, but just got promoted to level 16), as it's a multiple-field connection point in my recent shenanigans there. Then move the laundry and walk outside some more.
Could include Stadium Liquors, and buy lottery tickets, but I think not. I bought Powerball tickets last night, and was a little relieved when no one won the giant pot. Lottery riches would muck things up big-time, and I feel strongly that the lottery (or more specifically the I-could-win-the-lottery) does working people and our larger society real harm.
There IS that pot dispensary over there. Another temptation. Could consult with them about varieties and anxieties. But probably not. I think I'm better served by the ways I've been (not to jinx anything) (knock on somethin') taking care of myself pretty well lately. Just gotta avoid turning that into obsession and orthorexic mania. Slippery slope.
Happy more luxurious Fall to you all, and to me.