Journal of a Sabbatical

June 23, 2001

the mushroom

Today's Reading: Unbeaten Tracks in Japan by Isabella Bird

Today's Starting Pitcher: i forget - and i listened to the game and everything

2001 Book List
2001 Plum Island Bird List
Plum Island Life List

The mushroom fell off. Priscilla picked it up and carried it home for her granddaughter to display at show and tell. (View the mushroom while it was still on the tree.)

It's far too humid. Especially far too humid to be power walking through greater Lawrence visiting yard sales. But we are. Oddest thing noted: Beanie Babies have now become the stuff of yard sales. Yup, the days of waiting in line at the store the day the UPS man brings the too small shipment of beanies are over. Moment of silence for the Beanie Baby fad please. And while we're at it, whatever happened to the Tamagotchi fad?

Harold has tried a new variation on the vegetarian version of his baked bean recipe so Priscilla gave me two containers of them, one for me and one for Nancy. Plus she stewed some rhubarb from the old house (one of the first journal entries I ever wrote was about the rhubarb rescue mission to Priscilla's old house - I'll be darned if I can find it right now...) and gave me a container full of that too. She asks if there was anything else I needed to make a meal. "Do you have any bread?" "Sub rolls, white bread, wheat bread, raisin bread..." she ticks off a list of more kinds of bread than one household could possibly have on hand. "Just kidding," says I.

Curiously, when Airborne Express came yesterday to attempt to deliver the new G4 keyboard and missed me they left a note saying they would try again on 6/24. When I looked at it last night, I assumed that meant today. But now that I am slightly more with it, I realize that is Sunday. They don't deliver on Sunday. So did they mean today? Or do they mean Monday? I called their number and it rang forever with no answer. That might be a clue that they don't deliver on Saturday either. What's a customer to do? I signed the form they left and hung it over the doorknob when I went over to Priscilla's house but nothing came of it. Now, do I leave the form out there when I leave for Nancy's and hope that if they do show up they have the good sense to wrap the package in a plastic bag as we're expecting thunderstorms. Do I leave them a plastic bag with a note?

Then there's the matter of the check I left on the dining room table yesterday for the cleaning lady. The check is gone and my house is not clean. Did I really put the check there? Did Wilbur move it? Did the wind blow it somewhere? Did she show up, take the check, and not clean? How odd. She called Thursday night and left a message that she was coming... the schedule has gotten all weird lately... I'd hate to have to hire a new cleaning lady at this point. It is darn hard to get someone who is OK with a messy cat.

And have I mentioned it is humid beyond belief? Every item of clothing I am wearing is soaked with sweat. I must shower and change again before the drive to Providence.

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