Silence. Looked in the house surrounded by a siege of snow and cold. No movement. Little activity except to walk to the kitchen and back in front of the screen. A lap blanket and layers assist the dependable furnace keeping the frost away.
The sun is shining. That is always good. The critters are sheltered in place and only make some movement when I trudge through the white powder to spread out what little grub I can provide. The temps are below freezing for the week, so it is scurry back inside and under the covers.
The excuse of ‘too cold’ is good enough not to attempt any chores unless duly necessary. Today, being Wednesday, will be peel off the layers and place them in the machine that whirs and waters and suds and spins then heats them up to a nice toasty pile. Then back under the covers to the screens.
The radio is on repeating the many opinions of the sad state of affairs. Scrolling the disasters looking for some relief, the Walk for Peace presents humanity in its most basic and purity. Thank you.
Music is a distraction for a background but is to listen to rather than play. Am testing out some Ai software than converts .mp3 files to MIDI so I can then use another Ai software to transpose it. Boredom more than interest.
While the sun is out, the empty cans need to be dumped to make space for more empty cans for hydration must be attended to. Will venture out onto the crust trying to avoid any slippage that, at this age, could be life altering. But first…
The story goes that knowing there will be no movement outside and the silence of this polar vortex should be appreciated I zoom my attention into the screen. As long as the electricity holds out (knock on wood) I can find plenty of entertainment for diversion. Even took time to write a blog post on the ‘Rules of Engagement’ for better understanding on what and what not people who carry weapons are supposed to obey by law, acts, permission, regulations, licenses. I spent many an hour in this position.
The next morning, I awoke to a pain-in-my-neck. Not a disabling pain, but an annoying reminder to move around more. Enough of an annoyance to make the usual movements uncomfortable. The bad part was I couldn’t find a spot laying down to get some sleep. About 5AM after tossing and turning and walking and stretching and rubbing, I passed out of exhaustion.
Groggy and still tight, I looked in the medicine cabinet for possible medical relief. There was a dab-on Icy Hot tube I applied. That created some warmth but no cure. Then I found a Thermal Care heat neck wrap. I bought it sometime ago but now it was time to try it out. Place it on the neck and back, peel off the adhesive strips and wait for the warmth to start.
Pull back on my layers and waited for relief. My neck got hot. The instructions stated it would last for 8 hours, so I gave it a run. Before bed, I peeled it off and lay down. Slept comfortably with no twitching.
Back to our story…
I bag up the empties that I had ordered in plans for the snow and walked out to the steps. I closed the door and grabbed the post and stepped down hoping to find a footstep I’d made several days ago in the powder. Instead I found nothing for traction.
Whoosh! Feet fly out. Pound my butt. Head hit the side of the house. Glasses pop off and slide down the slick path ahead. THIS is what I wanted to avoid.
I sat on the ice evaluating my condition. There were no broken bones or blood but there was no way to hop up and be on my way. There was no one to call for assistance since my phone was inside nice and warm and cozy. Innovation is the mother of invention so I slid down the path on my gluteus maximus until I found a frozen lawn furniture to grab hold of and pull myself up (still skating). Why didn’t I wear any gloves?
Two choices. Continue to my mission of feeding the critters or try and return to lick my wounds? Gingerly stepping out to Mansland, I emptied the stores that just slid about out on the glassy surface and was immediately gobbled up by my feathered and furry neighbors. The temperature inside was 29° and my little heater couldn’t compete with that, so I slid carefully back inside. The empty cans will have to stay until June.
Apply some Icy Hot to my back that is already telling me a bump on the butt is no free ride. Every day is an adventure. Enjoy the ride.
The water is still running. The electricity is still on. Mister heat keeps blowing and there is food and hydration. I can still shuffle about as an elderly geezer so be appreciative of what you have.
“Dear Mother Nature. I got your message. I’ll stay inside. I understand you are thinking of sending some more of this white stuff this weekend. I may have to request some more stores delivered to get me through another week of this snowzilla. That will just put another person in peril which I do not attend. I look forward to rocking on the front porch basking in the warmth and listening to your children sing. Sincerely my sore tukus.”
No comments:
Post a Comment