RV Poetry

Dear Mom:

I get it now. Why you wanted to live at the beach so much. I’m sorry you never reached that dream. I don’t think it isn’t that you didn’t want to reach it, but that you had no clue how to get there.

I never truly understood the big deal. The only beaches I was familiar with were the Gulf Beaches in St. Petersburg area- and as beautiful as they were, with no shade, not much breeze, and scorching sun, it didn’t add up to me. I loved the beach, but only in the middle of a cold winter – and we never knew many cold winters there, did I?

Now, I know better, for I discovered the beaches in Western Washington on the Pacific and in Eastern Florida on the Atlantic. I discovered onshore breezes and the music of waves on a quiet night.

Yep, Mom, every night that I have tightly closed windows and cannot hear the waves breaking; every day that the breeze that always is, dares to stop; I miss it. And at those moments, I know why you so wanted to live on the beach. I get it now.

So, my dreams of years gone by, to escape Florida completely, have faded a bit. I am content to be here, but only for 5-6 months – and – on the Atlantic coast. Summer belongs to Washington, along the coast or snuggled in the Western side of the Cascades. (OK, reality is, just about anywhere West of the Cascades would make me smile, but you know that!)

I always thought it a little useless to live someone else’s dream for them after they are gone. I still do, but it is my dream now, come by honestly. If you want to look over my shoulder and tag along, you are more than welcome.

How will I know? Why you could send a shooting star through the sky when I have a camera handy to document it. Or, perhaps, money could fall in my lap (gently, Mom) to get our RV now, before the hurricane season.

Just kidding. I already know you have been tagging along these years. But you can’t blame the daughter you spoiled for trying!

PS. Leon would probably appreciate an RV with a washer/dryer in it. He already does more than his share… guess he took over where you left off. Oops, I forgot I was supposed to be doing something for him. No times to insert photos now. Gotta go, Mom. Say hi to Daddy – and tell him to send me a sign.

Love to you both,

Marcia

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So, planning and drinking don’t mix. Neither does insanity and writing, perhaps. This morning, Leon had an early appointment and I grabbed my laptop and crawled back in bed.

What follows, though long, is a quick read; punctuation is horrid, so do not use it as an example. It started as an email response to a friend. She is an event planner for a major corporation and was telling me about timelines used in planning, down to who is going to toast whom at what time. I had seen similar used on the wedding planner television shows.

I love detail, but time management and I are arch enemies as I am so easily distracted – except when Muse has taken over. My friend knows this all about me. So, I decided, in jest, to show her I could think of the details needed to serve tequila to Leon and plan out the time and cost factors. Well, I got into the moment… Oh yeah. Just like with the majority of my poetry and short fiction I have posted on MeeAugraphie, words just poured out without preplanning. Muse took over. I don’t know that I want to claim these words, though I must. (There is a ring of truth to some of them, not that I’m going to admit it to you.) So, for a change of pace:

So, let’s see. I have to figure out how long it takes to take four steps to the refrigerator from the dining area, get out the tequila, grab a lime, rinse it off, cut a tiny wedge out of it, wait, how many wedges can I get per lime? Add that to list of to dos so I know how many to buy, and then research how many shots of tequila I can get out of a bottle (hmmm research myself, or just call a former bartender and chat it up some or try googling?) Then there is salt, I suppose I need to figure out far salt stretches or sally up with a purchasing manager at a bar or restaurant to see how much salt they allow. Good, I got this now. So, then, I need to rent special shot glasses, (How am I doing so far?) Oh, back to the original planning I was doing, so now I’ve counted the steps, know I need to rinse and cut the lime, grab the salt from the cupboard, put some on a plate, (don’t want to double dip in the container), grab a tray, get two shot glasses out of the cabinet, wait, now the tequila has gone warm, need to put it back in the freezer a minute, (note, next time get it out last – but better build in time in case I forget next time – or my assistant doesn’t know any better)… There, two steps to and two back from refrigerator with tequila in hand… pour into shot glasses, lime wedges were put on rim of glass while tequila was re-chilling. Pour salt on another dish, oops, should have wet the edge of the shot glasses and put salt on them. Well, down those two, rinse glass, dry, wet edge, drown in salt, add lime wedge, pour tequila, squat down to be sure both are exactly the same, don’t want anyone complaining they were stiffed. Wait, no snacks, grab nuts throw on plate, toss some kind of spice on them to make it look like they are special, grab two napkins, no, not those giant dinner napkins, oh no, no napkins, now what? Wait, doesn’t some fancy restaurant use wash cloths as napkins? Surely I have some somewhere… oh no, this planning is a disaster… the tequila is going to be too warm, what can I use? Wait, I have those jagged edge scissors and I left them out when I was crafting, run to the other room, grab them, thank goodness we bought plain white paper towels and not those ones with the dumb designs on them, quick cut some weird shape out of one. Wait, I need to do two at once so they are the same, but I forgot, now what? I know, just do them both totally different, hmmmm, what shape should they be to be so different? I can’t cut cool designs. Hmmmm.. hmmmm. Nothing is coming to me. I know, I’ll just put this one beneath the nuts. Now, let me grab two more and cut them together so they match, no more thinking hard that way. Oh no, look at the condensation on the shot glasses! Can’t serve those, let me just redo them. Waste it? No, better not, need to justify the cost. Down those two, rinse, dry, wet the rim, add salt, add lime wedge, pour in tequila (Hey, I got this now!), add back to tray. PIck up tray walk four steps back to dining room. Gone. Where is he? Put tray down walk the ten steps to the living room recesses. Not there. Walk the ten steps back to dining room. Not there. Walk the ten steps back to the other room, notice bathroom door closed. I don’t remember closing it. Not in the other room. Why am I laughing hysterically? It is not funny that he is lost. The tequila is causing the shot glasses to condensate again, I’m sure it is. He’s ruining my surprise. I mean I never remember to finish the tea, so I thought serving him tequila on a fancy tray would be fun… maybe lead to conversation, gain points, who knows. Where is he? Why is he not here when I’m trying so hard to be nice? Tears start. I hear his voice from somewhere.

“Is that tea ready yet?”

I answer instinctively, “oops.” Then try to calculate where the voice is coming from. Remember the condensation. Must get to the dining area and retrieve those shot glasses, can’t serve them warm and dripping with condensation. Head the ten steps back to the tequila. (Wait, can’t write it that way in the planning log, must say dining area, that way plan can easily be adapted to other romantic, I mean, events.) Walk by the bathroom door again. I don’t remember closing it. I like to leave it open since the vent fan does not work well, must let the moisture from the earlier shower mix with the dry air so it gets sucked into the air conditioner. Moisture, wait. condensation. Must redo those shots, ’cause he is here somewhere. Must be perfect. Grab the bathroom door handle shove the door open, remembering it shouldn’t be closed. Wait, didn’t I just think that a minute ago. Loud voice assaults me, using words I don’t like.

“You too,” I yell back and slam the door as I recoil in something akin to horror or was that just grossness or was it just embarrassment. Not sure. Walk the remaining steps to the dining area, tears flowing now. This was not supposed to be so hard. Oh look at that condensation. it has wet the napkins I so carefully cut from the paper towels. Grab the shot glasses, down one. Try to down the other, don’t feel so good, my legs don’t want me to stand up. Huh? See the soggy paper towels, look how ugly they are all wet like that, no, don’t let your mind go there, you will be sick. But… No, don’t let it go there. Reach for other shot glass again. Wait, look at the little river running down the side, wait, there is another one. Wow, two rivers are about to merge into one. Just like those rivers in WA near the house. but they run horizontally, oh, I like that word, Hor eh zahn tah lee… hor eh zahn tah lee. Laugher ensues. Screech ensues.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Don’t do that again. Look at the hor eh zahn tah lee rivers on this glass. No, I mean vertical. They are so cool. Did you know rivers can merge when vertical?”

“How many shots have you had?”

“Shots? I don’t need any shots. I’m not allergic to anything horrible like you are. I didn’t cut myself. Why would I have a shot? And why did you ruin my surprise? Oh… I don’t feel good.”

Note: Tears turned into sobs here. But I don’t know how to write the words that come out. That requires eye hand ear coordination. Besides, that was last night. Maybe he can fill in the blanks. This planning stuff is too hard for me. I’m adding it to his list of jobs.

So, I suppose you could use this as an example of why not to drink? Remember, it was fiction.

Have a great day, y’all. And stop by This Eclectic Life and check out Only the Good Friday, I got lost in something yesterday and forgot it was Friday, again. And she has written a post about Aunt Cleo, Courage, and the Four F’s… Worth reading, trust me. (This is me speaking, not the playful Muse.)

My good yesterday: had a wonderful day, as in, I spoke with other people having wonderful days, laughed a bit, and got lost a while in work, the kind I like, and felt the cool wind blowing the blinds. A day of smiles. Did you find good in your day, if only in hindsight?

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Below is advice to a friend having a horrible work week, the kind where the “others” undermine your confidence as you second guess yourself – even though you know honestly what you are doing well. There is a tad bit of understated humor, however well hidden that may be. May it stand as a reminder to all of us when we get in that situation, I could have used it having been there in the oh-so-distant-thankfully-past!

Yeah, get over it, it is what it is, deal with it. Just do the best you can and REALIZE your best is good enough. There will be people like those anywhere you go for the most part. Always something.

So, remember what you love about your job, then: chin up, chest out, stomach in, shoulders down and back; hair brushed, teeth showing between the lips, clothes pressed, makeup on, shower taken; mind poised to take advantage of any situation; breathing slowed; confidence in hand… and emotions spilled onto emails and phone calls after work….

Yeah, work, some days it is great; some days co-workers can make it a living nightmare. Here’s hoping you have more of the former and never become the latter!

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If this doesn’t freak out a few people we know, nothing will. Leon and I are seriously considering not buying a house or renting, but living full time in a tiny RV. This is the same Leon who, for years, spoke about how much he did not enjoy living in the 864 square feet apartment we rented for one short year. This was the same 864 square feet apartment that I loved the floor plan and could have lived there almost forever.

I have a feeling we will talk ourselves out of full timing now, though it is something we had and still plan for in the not so distant future. In part because of certain logistics, it won’t be easy to work it out on the East coast, but that he is even saying it out loud…. Oh my.

Hmmm. Could this be reverse psychology? Could he be doing this just so I will decide against it? No, I would just reverse it on him, he knows that.

Stay tuned. And don’t tell our son, he will think we have gone over the edge, I’m sure. Not that I blame him, we almost feel the same way, not like we are talking a 40 foot one with a separate bedroom….

The Born Free 24RB was our first choice. Their safety record is impeccable, their quality control is awesome, and their rear bath sold Leon! And, every time I turn around I am reading yet again how happy their service department or factory has made another buyer. They are apparently so willing to adapt them to your needs, to work with you, it is short of incredible, and long time readers know I would want something changed and put them to work on some unconventional something.

But the new 2009 Winnebago 24A has a workable kitchen that far exceeds the counter space of the Born Free. And a slide, though that was not what was pushing over toward it, it was, indeed, the kitchen and the fact the kitchen is in the rear.

The one thing holding us back is suitable locations to live in it down here…. (and perhaps sanity).

Maybe we will just wait until after hurricane season when we know we might be working elsewhere… or maybe we should get it now anyway – so we can run from the storms. Instead of storm chasers we could be storm chasees, or something like that.

Or maybe, we should just go bigger. Or play the lottery and get a tiny condo and an RV… or….

Note: It was not reverse psychology; time has passed since I started this post. It is still an option.

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John G's Fruit

YIKES! I just looked at the photo, the color is drained, the watermelon was a deep red, and so on. But you get the portion size, I hope, so I will leave it posted.

Now doesn’t that fruit tempt you? This is the fruit that comes with fish if you choose that option rather than fries at John G’s, across from the beach in Lake Worth. Leon grabbed it for our lunch the other day. His fish was in a container just slightly smaller than this one! I only ordered fries and cole slaw. Of course, he shared his fruit, he bought it because I had been bugging him to order it instead of fish and fries all these months. He had leftover fish, fries, and slaw for dinner tonight. I posted a photo of his breakfast there back in September. I guess it is about time I posted the link to their site: John G’s, 33 years of breakfast and lunch service!

Now to the heart of the day:

I seem to have this love hate relationship with Shelly’s Only the Good Friday since I tend to forget it is Friday or I do things like this morning and manage to lose an entire Only the Good post! Maybe it is just that I am so easily distracted anyway and have been quite busy trying to find a new place for us to live that meets ALL our needs and is dirt cheap, make the decision on whether to change our life style in a major way sooner than planned, and renew or delete my blogs immediately as they are about to be deleted if I don’t renew. Add to that trying to remember I am not longer retired full time but working part time and I am just all over the place. (OK, so the latter comes naturally.)

It must be the distracted thing, because I LOVE Only the Good Friday, I am excited Shelly at This Eclectic Life has made it into a meme, finally. More importantly, I believe in posting about Only the Good at least one day a week, I used to do it and had planned to make it a meme, but knew my personality would never keep it up. It needs someone like Shelly to do it. So, check it out here. Join in, I would LOVE to read what you think is good in this world.

My original post today was about being in the moment and seeing how much enjoyment I find in otherwise frustrating things like hunting for a house, organizing things, working. But that post disappeared So, let’s change the focus from me to all of us! (Perhaps, there was good in that missing post.)

You don’t have to like your entire project or job to get some enjoyment: just be in the moment as you are working so you CAN recognize the parts you do like and focus on them first. Already you have found good in your day.

You could, then, take it a step farther and try to be in the moment when doing a part of your project or job you don’t like. Why? Because if you pull yourself into that crummy project and look for the good in that moment, you may find parts of the disliked project you actually don’t mind, or maybe even enjoy when looking at it without emotion. Just a thought, y’all.

Feel free to check out what good Shelly and her readers have found to write about this week!

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