Sitting on the front porch

August 9, 2009

Today is day 7 of my 9 day vacation. Most people take their vacation from weekend to weekend to get their 9 days, whereas I worked last weekend, so I get until Tuesday. It is weird to go back in the middle of the week, but I will certainly take the break. I feel much more recharged now than I did this time last weekend. This is due mostly to the fun I have had with my partners in fun, Beth and CJ. Today's fun had us at church this morning followed by brunch. The preacher discussed how we need to get back to being front porch people within our communities like people used to be. This was strangely appropriate for Beth and I as she had just come home from her walk last night and mentioned how the street she had gone down had more houses with front porches than our street does. It seemed like neighbors could see each other more easily and strike up conversations more readily. Beth wants a front porch on our house. We are not back deck people, which was the other category the preacher mentioned, but I am hoping to meet lots of people as I begin construction on our front porch. I am just hoping some of these people are lumber suppliers, handy men, and women with lemonade. I am hoping none of these new friends are ambulance drivers or firemen. Who am I kidding? I am never going to build a porch on this house. I do hope to find more ways to mingle with my community though.

Our second activity today was brunch. We do not often do brunch, but that does not mean we don't love it. We just love having money in the bank and pants that fit more. Today was special since it is nearing the end of my vacation and the end of summer vacation for Beth and CJ. Therefore, we went to the revolving restaurant on top of the Raddison just across the river. The food was good, though not long on variety, the air conditioning was broken, and the chair I sat in had, at one time, been patronized by a very heavy individual. Nonetheless, we were able to have a good time, enjoy the view as we revolved, and found our table every time we got up and came back. We also managed to not look at the floor while we ate because catching sight of the floor moving had the possibility of causing one of us to have to puke and rally. Finally, they charged CJ as a child even though he is 12, stands 5'4", and weighs 117 lbs. Someone was not counting the 8 trips he made back and forth to the buffet when they made our ticket.

We then managed to stop back by church on the way home to participate in the blood mobile they had going on. I have given many times before and they always send me a nice thank you postcard whenever they use my blood. Whomever receives my blood today, is going to have to take with it the richness of the sauces and desserts swimming through my bloodstream. I suppose that if they are having to have a blood transfusion, the fact that the blood is a little on the rich side is the least of their problems.

As for the rest of today, I am attempting this week's crossword puzzle and failing badly so far. I find that if I start out well and scoff at the fact that I figured out "smote" as an old-style way of saying walloped, suddenly everything else seems to require the obscure name of a Dutch painter (obscure or not, I don't know it), or something to do with history. They say those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Since I did not pay much attention in history, I am going with ignorance is bliss.

Now CJ wants me to come kill some Nazi zombies with him. I plan on going for it and hope to be able to gloat on how adeptly I smote them just like Napoleon did to the Nazis back in the Crimean War. Until dead zombie flesh starts to stink up the basement...