Cars and Trashcans

 

It has been an interesting summer, so far.

It is HOT! (duh). The fans are on. Cold showers are the norm. More naps and less eating and lots of hydration. Plus, lots of rain to make the Commonwealth humid.

Unfortunately, started out the change in season with bodily discomfort. Was it covid? Didn’t take the test, but energy lost, gut problems, can’t sleep and generally feel yucky. Self-medicated with off-the-shelf fixes but it took a month or two to get the body back in order.

Got some steps installed and upgraded my to-do list, but when the heat hit, all motivation stopped. Change a light bulb? I can do that tomorrow.

Stare at the screen and it is all about politics with the election months away and bad weather predictions. Plus, the west seems to be burning up?

Seems like all the neighbors have done all their construction. The neighborhood is quiet again. Only the weekly lawn maintenance companies interrupt the peace. No wild parties or fast driving or even dogs barking. Even the children have gone inside to get out of the heat.

Got new neighbors, but you can’t tell. The only way I know is there are different cars parked. Maybe the old neighbors just bought new cars? I don’t see any of the neighbors climb in their cars, but usually they disappear when they go to work and arrive back in the evening. On holidays, most wander off to a vacation and empties the block. The only other times they move is for street cleaning.

My other way of knowing there are other people living around here are the trashcans. Every Monday the city brings those massive trucks down the alley and hauls aways all our rubbish to some unknown place. The only time I actually see and talk to neighbors is over the trashcans. One can also see what people are spending by their trash.

While summer’s heat does slow the body down, had a few other projects. The water meter was leaking (again). Not a gusher out into the street, but a puddle that wouldn’t stop. A call to the Department of Utilities and recorded the request. Then another call. Then another call. Then another call. Then an email. That got a response, but it still took another month for two trucks and a pile of guys to show up in their yellow vest and hard hats. Don’t know what they did, but the pond dried up and the water bill dropped $100.

After that success, I decided to try going back to the cell phone store to get an explanation of why my bill was so high. Unfortunately, the location was a bit farther than I could pedal, so I asked a friend from a return ride with the promise of a free meal. She had injured herself again, so I asked another automobile driver. He accepted the request so with paper in hand visited a closer Verizon shop with a face-to-face question that I could not get an answer online. A quick conversation, a few clicks of the mouse and my phone bill dropped $60.

Being on a roll, I asked the driver if he would drive me out further to a Guitar Center to see if I could try out this Martin Jr. Bass I’d seen online. I could have it delivered but like dancing partners, I like to hold them first. He obliged and I could wander through the toy store until I found the ‘Martin’ room and on the wall was the treasure I’d searched for. A quick play and I walked out a few $ lighter but with another lady to add to my collection.

Then in one week, a former President vying to return to the White House is shot in the ear, the power blew on a 105° day sitting in the dark with no fan, then ‘the blue screen of death’ shuts down airlines and hospitals, then the President get covid and then steps aside for the Vice President to take the lead. This all following a ship knocking down a bridge and astronauts stranded in space. I’m sure there were tons of other unimportant stuff that happened that I skipped over.

Just to top it off, I get another flat tire.

Another thunder boomer predicted tonight, as if the grass isn’t thick enough, but I have no control over it.

The city did alleviate myself of recycling and the invisible neighbors have disappeared.

A couple more weeks of HOT and politics, with the promise they will both be over soon.