STUCK IN A RUT!

After an extraordinarily long afternoon, which I had planned to make
short, I returned from the pool on Sunday.  I did not intend to spend all afternoon chatting and socialising, as I had a book to read!  Sometimes I just want to be antisocial.  However, I always rise to the challenge and the completion of my latest read would have to wait.  It was a pleasant afternoon, nonetheless!

I have to admit, I have got into somewhat of a rut.  It is a rut that many may be envious of, but it makes me realise I need to be more flexible!  It all stemmed from the long weekend, last weekend.  My Netflix disc did not arrive back at the warehouse in time for the next one to be sent out!  Sunday night is barbecue and a Netflix disc containing a television serial.  Please, bear with me!  For someone who does not like change, this was momentous.  Hence, the envy of my 'rut' is soon going to change to a 'thank goodness I am not in that kind of rut!'  My husband is very patient, but I sometimes look at him and wonder how he disguises his despair!  The disc was mailed back on Tuesday after Labor Day, and did not arrive.  Therefore, the new disc did not get sent out.  I communicated with the company through their website that something had gone wrong on Friday, but it was too late to send out the next four episodes, to arrive on Saturday so as I could watch it on Sunday, whilst enjoying my barbecue!  The bottom line is that I do not have to think about anything on Sunday night. This is, usually what I do on Sunday evening with no deviation.  (Unless I am on a planned trip!) To make matters worse, on the way to Pok E Joe, my husband said he was going to get a burger, and not barbecue!  I just crumbled.  It did not take long to pull myself together.  After a few seconds, I realised that I need to remember how I got here.  Not in the rut, but here, in the USA.  I upped and left everything I have ever known, and started afresh half way around the world.  One Sunday night I was watching a soap opera on the BBC, and the next I was trying to negotiate my way around a foreign language!  

I survived Sunday.  The server behind the counter at the barbecue joint told me that the beef sausage would be another twenty minutes, but they did have the turkey!  They had been ready and had a run on the sausage.  "You mean other people are in a rut, too?" I thought!  The next server smiled asked me how I was doing, and put some coleslaw in the takeout box, and shouted through to the back, "Peach cobbler to go", and put a piece of 'Texas toast' into the box, with some 'classic' sauce.  I did not have to open my mouth, although they do like me to do so, as they all want to hear me talk!  

With the weekend gone, and another work week dawning, I was determined to embrace any change in routine as a challenge to be enjoyed!  My first challenge was at seven in the evening.  I had a 'virtual' meet and greet with Drew Fish, a Country singer from Austin.  I came home, went swimming, and then got ready for the meeting.  I took my laptop, and set it up in my spare room.  (Dana was happy not to participate.)  The laptop was dead.  There were no lights.  I did not get the 'blue screen of death', nor did I get the circle of ball bearings going around and telling me to wait as it was 'resetting'.  I had a dark screen with no lights. It was dead, deceased, just like the Norwegian Parrot!  Although panic was trying to rise, I managed to suppress it, and opened up my travel bag to use my 'surface'.  However, that device did not appear to have a speaker.  It may have had one but now time was running out and I did not have time to test it.  My phone was not an option.  My husband came to the rescue, gave me his laptop and I was ready to go.  With a minute to spare, the programme downloaded, and the 'interview' was about to begin.  

I thanked the person whose face I saw on the screen.  I thanked him for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak to me.  "My name is Scott" he said..  I was expecting Rita.  I do not know Rita, personally, but we have communicated many times when I have won prizes.  I thought Scott was Drew, but Scott did not know that, so all was still good.  Drew appeared shortly thereafter.  Scott and Drew greeted each other as long lost friends, and I sat silent, watching my face in the corner of my screen, wondering if they knew I was there!  After a minute or two, (it seemed much longer,) Scott introduced me.  Once I responded to the "How ya doin?" question, my host became quite excited.  I was not 'Mericun! The 'chat' went on and on.  It was like three old school friends, who had lost touch over the years, who did not know if they had anything in common anymore, but wanted to catch up on missing decades.  "Who's your favourite band?" asked Drew.  I responded that I was an Elton John fan, and he said he was lucky enough to catch him at COTA.  "I was there!" I said.  We chatted about the Seekers, whom Scott remembered.  I told them I was lucky enough to see Michael Jackson live.  Drew said his Dad and Sister had organised a trip to London and had scheduled everything around the Michael Jackson concert, but it was cancelled.  "I went to that concert!" I said, and told him that I then went to the one they reset a month later.  "Don't think it was the same one", said Drew.  "Theirs was cancelled because he died!"  Silence. "Nope.  Definitely not the same one!"  We all laughed.  After a short conversation about Independence Day and cancelled concerts, Scott commented that I probably didn't celebrate July 4th, as it wasn't really a celebration for my folks.  I told them about my birthday.  We laughed again.  As is the norm, Drew sang a couple of songs, and I asked a couple of questions. We probably wouldn't have followed usual protocol, but Scott said, "This is what usually happens", so we felt obliged. I knew enough about Drew to keep up with the conversation. 'Meet and greets' are usually about twenty minutes long, but after forty Scott told us that 'zoom' was about to 'kick' us off, and we needed to 'wrap it up'.  We did, but not before I was promised passes to the next Drew Fish concert, and a chance to really meet the man, and Drew said that the chat had been great, mainly because I was not 'Mericun!  I realised that Country music is very much a part of my life, as it had edged its way in, a little bit at a time.  I love Drew's song, "Every damn time", because it is a waltz, but a far cry from the waltzes I used to know, and Drew is a far cry from those whom I knew to sing a song that was a waltz.  Engelbert Humperdinck did not wear a stetson, nor cowboy boots.  I bid my farewell, after enthusiastic thankfulness, and went to find my husband.  I was, apparently,, beaming.   It had been a different experience.  Of course, I had to provide my own pizza, but I did get an extra twenty minutes prime time, and it was (almost) a one on one!  My 'out of the rut' experience was a success!

I felt somewhat better Tuesday morning, as if I had been cured of the cursed 'rut', but when I checked the post on Wednesday and the Netflix envelope stared back at me, my immediate thought went to the comfort of 'Fringe' (our current series) and barbecue.  I was still looking forward to the norm.  However, I had enjoyed the deviation.  

My Tuesday morning had been taken up with making cookies.  It was the birthday of one of our servers, and rather than make a cake, or buy one (simple and simpler) I had opted to be enthusiastic about the project.  I could have bought cookies, too, but making them seemed like a simple choice.  Martha Stewart came to the rescue, although simplicity was not written anywhere in the recipe!  After making a batch and a half (as I thought there may not be enough) I was left with enough cookie dough to keep the girl scouts busy for an entire season!  As the recipe told me, I refrigerated the first batch, (not for as long as Martha told me to, but as long as I had to spare,) and then rolled the remainder for a later bake.  I cooked the first batch and filled my fridge with the rest.  Yes, filled!  I cooked them Tuesday night. It took most of the night!  Note to self...just stick to the recipe!

The plan was to take the excess to my neighbour, as I know she loves chocolate chip cookies.  However, she was on her way to Dallas to the hospital, as she had not been well, and with all tests for various viruses coming back negative, they feared it may be her 'rejection meds'.  My brave neighbour had a heart transplant a few years back.  I told her the cookies would be awaiting her return!

With a factory load of biscuits having been made (in the English sense) I decided this would have to be dessert for Wednesday, and treats for the office, the office neighbors, the next block office and their neighbours, etc., etc., etc!  What a shame I did not have another 'meet and greet'.  I could have mailed them out to the participants!  However, of all the things talked about, I have no idea if Drew or Scott, or their families, their extended families, neighbours, neighbours families (yes there were that many) liked cookies!

The gorgeous girl from the next door office came in to see me.  "She said it was okay", she started. I was wearing my new shoes.  The shoes that are shocking pink and way too high. "I love them!" she said, very enthusiastically.  I did a little dance.  Just a little dance, as I can't actually walk in them.  It was not a waltz, more of a 'step to the side'.  I was quite delighted at her visit.  I was even more delighted that my daughter had initiated a conversation and told her to come and see me, as I had 'the shoes' on today.  My daughter, who when we arrived this side of the Atlantic would not say a word to anyone, and still has trouble at 'drive thrus'! (Don't we all...that is 'we all', as in 'y'all' as in the two of us!)  I wanted to offer her a cookie, or a dozen, but had to concentrate on standing upright!

As the week came to an end, I vowed to 'change things up' over the weekend.  Of course, I did not!  It had been a long, busy week.  We headed out to our Friday taco place!  This too is a 'rut' but one I enjoy! I love to cook, but I love tacos, and more to the point Cabo Bobs put together excellent tacos!  "Perhaps I will have something different tonight", I told Dana, who looked at me in disbelief.  "Really?" he said.  However, as I got to the counter, the 'tortilla cook' had already taken the three cilantro tomatillo dough balls and placed them on the 'squasher'.  He had told the next 'preparer' that I do not like rice or beans in my tacos.  I just smiled and nodded as the next lady added my 'extras'..  I didn't really want anything elsesomething different, but wanted to show willing!

I went swimming in Saturday morning, despite it being a little on the chilly side, and shopping with my daughter.  We witnessed an altercation in the Dollar Tree.  It was amusing to see the polite way in which people get angry!  A lady had jumped the queue.  There was one queue and two tills.  "Ma'am, the line is here", said the man, two people behind us.  "He has his light on", she responded.  "But the line is here, ma'am" he said, and she moved, whilst complaining that the man had his light on.  Another man came up and stood in the queue.  "Sir, the line is here" said the same man.  The back and forth started again, with the first lady reiterating that the manager had his light on.  Eventually, the first man told the manager he needed to explain about 'the line'.  "You ain't the line police" said the manager.  All the time, Samantha and I are watching this like a tennis match.  "No, sir, I aint, but I know that the line is here".  The first lady responded.  "He has his light on.  You shouldn't have your light on, sir".  The addition of 'sir' and 'ma'am' at the beginning and end of every sentence kept everyone at bay.  It was one of the most polite arguments I have heard, and it made a change.  There was not a moment when we felt it would turn to 'fisticuffs'.  We were later getting home than I had hoped, but I was determined not to let it bug me!

My afternoon was pleasant.  My neighbour had returned from hospital, and we spent a short three hours chatting.  I say a 'short' three hours, as I did not realise it was so late when we packed up and headed back to our respective houses.  

Sixty two degrees showed on my temperature gauge as I went to swim on Sunday.  I would not let it bother me! Another neighbour was walking her dog as I emerged from the water.  "Do you ever not swim?" she asked.  I told her that someone else had asked me the same question.  "When you see me in the water, when it is really cold outside, and I am looking up to the sky and looking mournful, it is because I am lamenting the end of the season, and you shall not see me down here until next year!" I replied.  She laughed.  It is true!

I have my Netflix disc, and it is more than likely that I will go to Pok E Joe later.  It is hard to break free! Despite the amount, the cookies were, apparently, very good.  I don't eat them myself, as I do not like 'cookies'.  I like English biscuits!  However, with Martha's help, I was able to create (near) perfection!

Next week does not have any interesting deviations planned.  However, if they were planned they would not be deviations, or would they?  I am going to just wait and see, but hope to embrace them with a happy heart and without a headache!  I longed for a time when I could just throw caution to the wind, and now it is here, I cower at a small breeze!  Perhaps something will change in ............ another story!