What's Goin' On Lately

Hello to whomever might be reading this.

My life is pretty uneventful, these days. No crashing depressions or exotic vacations. Just meandering down the road, doing what I please. Not a bad way to live, I suppose. After a few fits and starts, I abandoned painting again. I wasn't inspired by the canvas or colors and found only frustration.  But, last week, I happened upon a rather large, glorious slice of cardboard and suddenly wanted to draw. Had run out of my favorite kind of colored pencil and lo-and-behold, they were on sale for 50% off online. Still waiting for them to show up in my PO box. The urge to put pencil to paper continues and I am counting the hours until my precious parcel arrives.

The Taos Farmers' Market continues its season-long run in the town plaza. I love getting up early on Saturday,  if only to watch the people and see what is ripe. I bought a bunch of succulent-looking beets for only $3.50 last week but haven't roasted them yet. I buy vegetables, in the hopes that I'll actually cook them, but invariably, they wind up in the chicken coop. Did I tell you I have chickens? Well, my landlord does, but they often get my scraps. Most days I'll stop by their cage and say hello and the four feathered ladies will cock their heads and murmur soft clucks, hoping I'll put something inside the pen to peck.

Went dancing a couple of weeks ago at an outdoor concert, featuring the Steely Dan tribute band out of Denver, Citizen Dan. Except for some bad notes by the sax player and an occasionally out-of-tune backup singer, they were awesome. Their lead singer sounded like a better Donald Fagen - he had a very similar tone and range, but he had much more vocal dexterity. I have seen the genuine article in concert a couple of times but their ticket prices are currently out of reach.

I have been dealing with a rather large lump on the left side of my thyroid. Had an ultra sound and blood tests on it. Hate how Western doctors refer to the thing as a "mass". Sounds so ominous. Happily, tests results all good, and don't point to cancer. Have also been getting regular acupuncture on the spot, which has shrunk to a fraction of its original size. Down from 5 inches to less than one. However, I am feeling run down and yesterday, when I looked in the mirror, I saw dark circles under my eyes. If my health care is resumed, I might drive down to Los Alamos, the site of the Manhattan Project, to get a biopsy. No doctors in town to handle endocrinology.

Even though the animal shelter where I volunteer has countless dramas involving management and former volunteers, I continue to make visits, two or three times a week, to "love the kitties". It helps me to connect with them and I know they need the warmth of human kindness. It has been very hot, lately, and the cattery has been over 100 degrees inside some days. But, sitting on the concrete floor, with a wire brush in my hands and getting the mats out of a cat's fur still bring me much happiness. I had fallen totally in love with a very mangy boy, named Darren, and begged my landlord's grown children to let me keep him. But, the possibility that they might one day bring their allergic children to sleep in my space, once I no longer live here, killed that hope. They did say I could have a dog, however, and one has caught my eye at the shelter. I'll keep you posted.

Still no decision on Bernard, the car's, fate. I might not be able to collect disability for much longer and need to keep every penny I can, for the time being. He continues to drive OK, though. But, boy, that hole in the muffler really announces my arrival to everybody from blocks away. I am doing much better in the heat than I did last year. Even so, I would love to have a working fan and air conditioner. We'll see what transpires, money-wise.

I still have days of crippling sensory sensitivity. Don't know what else to call it. Yesterday, I tried to go grocery shopping and it seemed that every aisle in the parking lot had a big pickup truck coming my way. It was too much, for some reason. It took forever to find a parking space. Once inside the store, I did my best to avoid other shoppers. Too crowded, too many carts. I have never liked shopping, and recently, it is completely overwhelming. Some times, after I'm done at the grocery store, I need a 2 hour nap, just to recover from the over-stimulation.

I think it is good that I don't live in a crowded city, anymore. I like knowing and saying hello to somebody nearly every day. Being here has also taught me to be kindrt to folks, especially since I might run into them again in the near future.

So, nothing earth-shaking in this part of the world, but nothing awful, either. Life goes on.

Bernard's Slow Decline

I am used to checking and filling the rack-and-pinon steering fluid in my car, Bernard, every week or so. I am vigilant with the oil and add some when necessary. Since last summer's radiator scare (2nd one in a year), I check and add more Prestone regularly. While I visually inspect the engine, I have no idea what kinds of defects I am looking for.

The driver's seat only has one  position that works. Luckily, it is the one I use. After I was rear-ended last year, I can't adjust the height of the seat. Bernard's muffler has a hole towards the back, that was patched shortly after he became mine. The patch needs to be replaced. Right now, the car sounds like some angry teen boy's hot rod. The CD player chews up CDs. And now, the fan and air conditioner only work on the two highest settings (but pumps out half the air it used to). The sound it makes is deafening. Not having air in the arid Southwest is the end of the line, for me.

I am grateful I got nearly a year's worth of driving out of the old boy, after he was "totaled" last September. I paid $2,000 for him and the insurance company gave me $2,200 as a settlement. I used him for 20 months and he was a godsend. But it is time for a change.