Before The Snow Comes

 

Woke up yesterday to the crow caws. The three amigos (Sheryl, Russel and Counting) are usually quiet. They are the funeral directors of the neighborhood. They come around now and then for some water and say ‘Hello’ but are too big for the yard. They usually don’t fuss, unless it is Al (my old owl friend) has come back around. My usual feather alarm are the J’s who make a fuss if Mr. Hawk is around. I never did see them but whatever it was stopped shortly. Whoever it was left me some big feathers. Did you know you cannot buy eagle feathers? You can buy goose feathers, but only the native Americans can collect the nations bird feathers for their headdress.

Went outside to the studio. No plans to ride today, but need to feed the yard and enjoy the sunshine. My bike buddy was inside staying warm from the wind. He’s got his own entrance and is always welcomed. Then I noticed the yard was full of smoke. The breeze was blowing and I figured the neighbor was stoking up the fireplace, but the smoke kept coming. I walked outside and looked around to make sure it was coming from my house. I checked all the smokestacks and didn’t see any smoke? I think the neighbor was burning spy secrets again but it is very dry and don’t need a spark to lite the yard. It didn’t get any warmer, but the smoke stopped.

Today the governor is calling for a ‘commonwealth of emergency’ and schools are closing before the first flake. The sun is shining, so I made a slow ride to the Tummy Temple to get a few items and enjoy the panic.

Stopped to pet the girls behind me and find out the electric company is surveying the area to run underground wires.

The Tummy Temple parking lot was as full as I expected, but found my spot without too much delay. What was surprising was everyone seemed friendly. With all the carts full of snow preparation for staying inside and gorging, everyone was pleasant and patient and almost courteous. I found what I was looking for without too many detours and even the check-out was pleasant. I commented to the manager that they were busy and someone must have said the ‘S-word’. She smiled and agreed. I’m sure in her mind she was thinking ‘cha-ching’.

Took a little longer to get out of the parade of shoppers, but still no signs of fighting over empty spots or honking horns. Back on the road, the additional layer was keeping me warm and there was little traffic. It must all be back in the parking lot.

Now the plan is to sit back with a warm cup of coffee and watch the weather postings for a week. I may stir outside, but don’t need to test the icy streets. Still haven’t made my New Year’s dinner of ham steak, black eyed peas, okra and stewed tomatoes soaked up by Virginia cornbread. Got a lot of wire to run and cables to connect.

Wonder if they will pick up the trash and recycling tomorrow?

Shake It Up Baby

 

New year and time for new resolutions. Scratch off the date from last year and add 2025? The routine has been constant for several years with little ‘to-do’ to be ‘to-done’. How will a quarter of the 21^st century be any different?

Evaluating my expenses and looking back on last year (getting ready for taxes) I conclude I’m an old slug. It is not for lack of money or time and the ‘to-do’ list isn’t that hard. ‘Vacuum’, ‘Clean the sink’, ‘Change a light bulb’… done of which requires special training or technical prowess reserved for the young. I have the tools that what for a turn on but I don’t have the gumption to tackle the easiest of chores.

Instead, I’ve got into a daily routine of riding in good weather to the Tummy Temple, then using a cart as a walker and collecting the daily meal (for me and the yard critters) plus 2- 6-packs of hydrations, then returning to get lost in social media and music until dark. When all the hydration is empty and placed in recycling and darkness comes, wander back into the big house to list my financial spending of the day, turn on the NPR channel and crawl under the covers.

Unless motivation by something that is broken (like the microwave that is replaced the next day after being delivered to the front door) every day is rinse and repeat. Life has become boring.

So, my 2025 resolution is the ‘shake it up baby’. Break the routine. Do something different and get that ‘to-do’ list done.

I’m not crazy to change everything overnight. I still go to the Tummy Temple, but do not go down the alcohol aisle. I don’t need it or get tipsy drinking it and it has gotten too expensive, so I can shift to tea or ginger ale. It will probably be better for me anyway, but it is only day 3 and I haven’t had any withdrawal.

Yesterday I did a bit of gardening and came away huffing and puffing as if I had done some major lifting. My still rational mind tells me that is not good and I’ve been sitting on my butt too long. Time to move these old bones around.

With that said, the beginning of a new year is the reflection of the year past. The holiday season has plenty of memories and pictures to suck me into a melancholy mood, but now snow is coming and it will be cold enough to say in the hot house. Tomorrow and next week I will not go to the Tummy Temple.

The other considerations for change from last year are:

Culture

I’ve tended to observe rather than participate in cultural events (except voting, I did that) and am not interested in where I perceive our species are going. I’ll scan the headlines and get a gist of what is popular and trending but unless it involves old folks will probably avoid it. It was easy to turn off the television, perhaps it is time to leave social media?

Food

Yesterday I ate two hamburger patties and bloated as if I’d devoured a 6-course meal. I’ve tasted most delicacies and cuisine and little interest me to culinary experiments in the kitchen.  A cup of soup or a breakfast biscuit does me for the day. Perhaps when I start moving more, I’ll require additional portions?

Community

Being a hermit seems to fit my need for socializing. I do notice when I get around others for conversation, I ramble on, for I have plenty of stories and no one to tell them to. Unfortunately, there are many I used to have interesting discussions with, but they are gone. Many of the banter I hear today are complaints about health, society or politics.

Shopping

Every holiday season I see all the advertising and marketing prompts for additional spending that I used to have a career doing and can easily avoid the latest craze or gadget that will be put in a drawer or thrown away. I do not miss going into a brick-and-mortar and coming out with bags of stuff that years later became clutter to donate to charity and have no interest in going to ‘the mall’ to waste time and go into debt helping the GDP.

Home

At this time in life, I am lucky to be where I am and with my surroundings and invisible neighbors. Without some catastrophe disaster, I should be about to live out my money and maintain my abode in semi-comfort.

Travel

I think I’ve been everywhere I wanted and some places I would not want to return. Even the voyages through the neighbor have shrunk to minimal milage. Besides I have friends who take selfies in front of some iconic ancient relic (or is that green screen?) and can reveal in the disasters of cruises or hotels.

Entertainment

Without television or movies, whatever example of entertainment I can glimpse on social media in short video clips. I do try to listen to current tunes but nothing catches my fancy. The ‘must hear’ reviews have little to offer and perhaps the music industry has gotten overwhelmed with digital downloads instead of vinyl records. The extravagances festivals or concerts do not entice me to spend enormous amounts of green to press into a mass of screaming strangers but that is what performers must present to get attention. Luckily, I have plenty of old favorites to sing along with and have plenty of toys to make my own noise.

Creativity

Part of this ‘new year’ resolution is to get back to imagination and putting ink on paper. Inspiration has avoided me so it is time to get back to sketching and doing something graphic beside telling tales on a blog. For my own gratification and curiosity perhaps take up the paint on canvas for I have the tools and a giant easel upstairs.

History

I looked back to last year to figure what entertained me. Not watching TV (which includes sports, soap operas, movies and reality shows – except for political debates) made me wonder how did I spend my time doing nothing.

I knew I spent too much time scrolling social media looking for something to attract my attention but only finding disasters, body counts and silliness. I used YouTube for my visual distraction.

There was some girl who had a Podcast of reviewing vinyl albums. She was cute and the show was short and her take on albums gathering dust in the other room was refreshing. I checked some videos on guitar manufacturing and techniques, but I searched for history.

Started out with ancient English battles and rulers as research for my Memoria, then moved into American Revolution, then Civil War, then WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War and… there is always another war. Some were recreations, some were historians’ descriptions and some were propaganda delivered to the public on newsreels to keep them paying taxes for bombs and with the country’s patriot spirit.

Then I delved into what it takes to be a soldier.

I have not had the experience of being in the military, so I had to hear the recollections and tales of the survivors.

I was given a Selective Service card with the possibility of being called up to go fight overseas in a jungle, but got a deferment by staying in school then getting a high number in the lottery. Didn’t even have to stand in line with a bunch of other boys in their underwear for a physical.

I understand those who signed up after Pearl Harbor or 9/11 out of wanting to go fight the ‘enemy’. I understood those who signed up because they had no other skills or talents and got guaranteed employment. I understood how the early armies were formed by either being donated by their feudal lords. I understood how local lads joined together to protect their land and women like gang members.

What I still don’t understand is how and why all these guys would walk into the line of fire in hopes to overtake the other guys in different uniforms?

It is interesting that of all the jobs on earth, the armies have a different procedure for training. Unlike any other job, where you go to an office or factory and work for a certain amount of time, then go home, the military has bases.

On a given time and place, the lads were lined up and place on buses and shipped into a detention center surrounded by wire. Unlike the cadet corps, they didn’t get to leave.

Then this ragtag mob started being degraded to lose their individually and separate themselves from society. Hair was cut, matching clothing was assigned, bunks in barracks became home and a guy who would yell at you started training everyone to act like a team. Everyone woke up together, ate together, walked in unison together, go back to bed together and rinse and repeat. Anyone who didn’t like taking orders were given the job of peeling potatoes or mopping the latrines until they fell in line with the others. After signing their contract with the military service had no options except the brig. To keep the units coherent, they would dress up and walk down the street with brass bands playing to be cheered by civilians waving flags. To be rewarded in good behavior, their arms were covered in strips and given jewelry. Like every organization, command was assigned by rank.

Everyone was taught to handle weapons with the ultimate goal to legally murder someone else.

In the mist of battle, it was fight or flight. Many were killed. Others were maimed. The survivors are called vets.

Today’s military are volunteers. Recruited by promises of training, education, healthcare and free housing. Don’t know when the shooting starts do they question if they had volunteered for this? In some countries there is conscription. The modern system of near-universal national conscription for young men dates to the French Revolution in the 1790s, where it became the basis of a very large and powerful military. Most European nations later copied the system in peacetime, so that men at a certain age would serve 1 to 8 years on active duty and then transfer to the reserve force.

As long as the news headlines the wars (though many miss the front page) there will be body counts, videos of explosions and the continuous grieving of killed as collateral damage. The local news will provide murders, domestic violence and mental despair. The weather will continue to become more disastrous and the homelessness will increase. Scientist will continue to find cures to mysterious symptoms while exploring the skies for unknown alien lifeforms migrating through space. Sports will become more violent and entertainment will flash to keep your attention. Politics will become so confusing that until there is a notice on your door, you won’t have any idea what our elected officials are doing. Children will wonder which bathroom to attend and why the library has empty shelves.

Welcome to the year 2025. Good luck to all.