Monday, June 05, 2006

I'm Sorry. More Random Thoughts.

Seems random is about my energy level for words these days. Couldn't possibly form a whole thought. Too sleepy.

1. Today was the last big push. After a fairly successful yard sale on Saturday, we went back over to the old place today and emptied out the last of the junk, er, belongings. And we cleaned. We took over a car packed full of stuff to our favorite thrift store (where the proceeds all go toward HIV/AIDS research). Although the few boxes of toys we had to take to the Salvation Army because our favorite place wouldn't take them. Funny that combination of benefactors.

2. Just after we dropped off that last load of donated goods, I saw a man loading a big box into a truck. And I commented to D, "I wonder how much of human beings' time is spent moving things from one place to another." The thought amused us tremendously. D suggested it would make a fun sci-fi short story--where aliens visiting earth file a report to their motherplanet--"These creatures always seem to be moving things from one place to another. They have devised all manner of ways to do this: by automobile, by train, by air, by ship, on small metal things with wheels, in personal packs that they carry around on their backs. What we haven't been able to figure out is why, once they have moved their objects to another place, the objects just seem to sit there unused. Why move them at all when they were perfectly unused in the former place?" And so on. It made us laugh to think of it. And kind of disturbed us, too. Thoughts from the Latter Days of Moving. It's either utterly clever and brilliant or completely daft. We wouldn't be able to tell the difference at this point.

3. Something I'm thankful for: the past two days I was wandering around in two different stores, clearly looking for something and clearly not finding it. At each place, a salesman perceived my trouble and asked, "Can I help you find something?" Then graciously proceeded to lead me directly to the thing I was looking for. (A new dish drainer and those yellow dishwashing gloves, if you must know.) :) Such a delight to have someone make an effort like that. What a difference it makes. I kvetch about miserable customer service--so I figure I ought to celebrate it when it's great.

4. Yesterday I wore my purple dress to church. You need red to make purple. It was the best I could do. And G lent me a brilliant red stole. :)

5. This past week a woman in our church died after a couple weeks of hospice care. She was 105. Up until a month ago, she was in church nearly every Sunday.

6. D has discovered a "slight imperfection" in our laundry room here. Seems the washer walks a bit. Not such a big deal, right? Well, seems when it walks it shimmies on over in front of the door that leads into the laundry room! So after a load, you can only open the door partway, reach in, and muscle the washer out of the way in order to get inside. That is hilarious to me. But then again I'm not the one who does the wash.

7. E came in first place in his school chess tournament again today! Second time in a row! And D is playing in his final hockey game tonight with a chance to win it all. House of champions, I suppose. Me? I got nothin'.

8. My letter 'i' key seems to be cooperating today. That's somethin'.

9. We live three blocks from the train tracks now. The train just passed with whistle blaring. It fills the apartment with its sound. I love it. Don't you think, if trains were invented today, towns would pass all kinds of ordinances preventing it from blowing such a loud whistle? But because it's a part of our world, we just live with it. Some of us even romanticize it a bit. (Not that that's the least bit unlike me.) I wonder what my cat thinks the sound is. A pterodactyl?

2 comments:

Kim in KCK said...

On the walking washer issue:If you didn't already know this, I'll let you in on a little secret...There are these little leveling feet on the bottom of the corners of the washer. Usually the washer walks because it is a little bit out of level. When it is in the place it should be, push down on each of the front corners and see if it rocks a little. If it does, it is capable of walking. Find the little foot on the corner that is not the pivot point and turn it. It is a screw that adjusts the height of the foot. You'll probably need to turn it clockwise (looking from above) to make it taller. Turn it till it makes firm contact with the floor and the machine no longer rocks. Should cure the washer of its wandering tendencies. :-)

JWD said...

Hey, thanks for that advice! We'll see what we can do. My brother also sent me this great link in response to the walking washer problem: www.ehow.com