Shop Walk into Yellow

As reported yesterday my wife and I decided it would be better if she went shopping instead of supervising my preparation for the house showing.  Actually I wasn’t involved in the decision but I was in full accordance, see earlier blog posts about the cleaning tornado syndrome.  I finished the prep with all of five minutes to spare and was heading down the driveway with the Wonder Pooch as the realtor pulled in. 

Buddy On the Road Yesterday

Buddy decreed we couldn’t waste a perfectly fine, if a little cool, autumn day by staying on the paved road.  A few years ago we discovered a series of trails in the forest behind the house that my balky knee has kept us out of for the past two years.  Buddy could not have been any happier to rediscover this old haunt although I’m firmly convinced he set some sort of record by the number of times he had to mark our passing.  He may never urinate again.  The knee held up fine and I enjoyed reconnecting with the New England woods.  I didn’t realize how much I missed them – going to have to figure out a way to get hiking back into the program.

We returned home to find the potential buyers still in the house – well after their scheduled time.  Buddy took off to play with the neighbors spaniels while I took up residence in the far back yard.  We haven’t received any feedback from the realtor which is either ominous (they’re either preparing some sort of offer) or the realtor is just lazy.  Another showing today and we’re done with the whole process for the winter.

While I was sitting on the grass in the back yard I apparently picked up a tick which made the tactical error of walking across the back of my hand before chomping down.  While he enjoyed an all-expenses paid trip to the town sewage treatment plant I stripped down all the clothes I wore for a sanitary cleaning and vigorously inspected the Wonder Pooch who was somewhat mystified by my sudden interest in his less than accessible places. 

I amused myself with some really bad cinema and very entertaining college football as the sun set.  My wife was finally heard from to report she and her accompanying friend had declared victory and were heading home from the outlet mall.  Our daughter had provided a blanket discount certificate at one of the stores and her mother felt obligated to properly recognize her munificence by subjecting the certificate to a thorough thrashing.  At least I got to watch football in peace.

My Wife and Friend Leaving the Mall Yesterday

Another couple days, another Travis McGee novel falls to my voracious consumption of John D. MacDonald, with One Fearful Yellow Eye.  McGee heads into a Chicago winter this time to rescue an old friend whose husband died and was swindled out of money before doing so.  The intense Floridian McGee is not happy in the cold of Chicago in December but no less effective as he starts from nothing and eventually figures out the bad guys.  You do not want to mess with the friends of McGee.  Along the way he finds another young lady who may “be the one” only to have fate step in once again to protect his solitary ways. 

McGee spouts a lot more of his philosophy of life during this one which while a little ravaged by time (written in the late 1960’s) still holds some wisdom for our times.  I’m really enjoying this reconnection with my first literary hero.  As always, a passage from the book just completed:  “Every day, no matter how you fight it, you learn a little more about yourself, and all most of it does is teach humility.”