Something useful

Though I've been silent here the last couple days, that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Sometimes. When I haven't been collapsed in bed, and sometimes even then too. At any rate, on Friday after spending a large portion of the day in a state of supineness, I kicked myself out of bed and made myself do the most useful thing I've done so far this month.

See, my major means of transportation has become increasingly dangerous to me of late, so I had to go out and get a replacement. That's right, I went out and here's what I bought (why oh why does that page have to have slow-loading Flash?).

I'd tried finding something cheap (same maker, though; I have bad luck when I try other brands, which means I can never go as cheap as I might like) at a couple of discount places, but nothing there suited my needs. Finally ended up in a store with a sale going and tried out anything that looked reasonable in either the Women's or Men's sections of the store. Was undecided for a bit, as two different pairs of shoes were exactly the same price and the men's pair had more appropriate coloring for me (do I even own anything orange?), but I ended up with the brighter women's pair because they seemed more appropriate for actual exercise. The men's shoes ultimately felt like they were made for guys who want to look like they like to go running but never actually do. At least I didn't end up buying the women's shoes with the mint green & purple combination. I was kinda relieved when I discovered the store didn't have any of those to fit me.

An older guy in the men's shoe section looked askance at me as I checked out the selection there, as if he were afraid I'd give the shoes he tried on girl cooties or something. He had nothing to worry about, though. My feet were much longer than his.

Happy Mother's Day!

As I was walking, I saw a branch hanging low over the sidewalk and was considering whether I should try to duck underneath it or walk around, when I realized that there was a nest half-hidden in the leaves. Going closer, I saw that the baby birds were in the helpless, featherless, fuzzy phase when they are, frankly, rather ugly, so of course I heard myself saying "Awww!" before I'd even realized I'd opened my mouth.

If you are a mother who has never made a home for your children a mere five-and-a-half feet above a suburban sidewalk, you're doing better than some mothers.

Since my own mother died more than half my lifetime ago, I tend to forget about this holiday until it's right here. What I do today doesn't have any effect on her. But I thank all the good mothers out there, all of you who try your best to raise children in the best way you know how. Your hard work makes the world a better place for all of us.


Edit: Old post about my mother.

(no subject)

In the dream a group of people appeared almost as if from nowhere, strangers to the area who brought with them a promise. They would sell you one special item or service--a new one on sale each time they visited--for the price, apparently, of one small dream. The first time they came round, I didn't quite catch the details of their offer, so I couldn't quite tell if they wanted to hear about a specific type of dream you'd had, or if they somehow had a way of taking a dream from you so it wouldn't be a part of you anymore. And I couldn't quite tell if they meant the common variety of dream you have at night, or one of the other kind of dream, the deepest longings you cherish for your life.

Because I hadn't been paying attention the first time, simply refusing the offer outright, I really had no way of knowing if what they sold could possibly be worth the price. The people around me who had bought the first week's special all seemed happy with what they'd gotten out of the bargain. When the strangers came by the second time, the offer sounded more enticing, but even though I'd thought I was listening, I still didn't manage to catch the details. I still had no clear idea what part of themselves people had so willingly given up. So I turned to the salesman closest to me as he sat smiling in a kitchen chair, and I asked him to please tell me again, very specifically, what the asking price was.

He beamed at me, happy to see the known skeptic looking closer at the bait. "Well, isn't this a surprise!" he dimpled as he leaned back in the chair, folding his hands over his belly and preparing to launch into his spiel. This time as he spoke, I listened. I listened very closely. And even though I was paying his words as much attention as I could as he talked and talked and talked and talked, the only thing in all his verbiage that I was certain was really part of the answer to my question was this: "Thursday." He was still talking when I woke up.