Rambling On A Friday Afternoon

Can you believe that in ten days we will be stepping into September? Two-thirds of 2009 will be behind us and in four more months we will be living and breathing in the year 2010.

Such are my thoughts this Friday afternoon, August 21st. My fingers are ready to put down my thoughts but my mind is boggled. Activity in my brain is slow moving like the nearly imperceptible raindrops falling lightly onto the deck boards, grass and everything else outside my windows. Fingers get to do the easy work. They do what they're told (usually). My brain activity is supposed to be at my disposal and obedient to my will too. Not today.

I'm staring off at nothing and still half-asleep this afternoon. I worked this morning and then ran around town to the library, and then to the department store next door, to the bank, and finally in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible. I headed for home and after a lunch of some cottage cheese (right out of the carton), a few Triscuits (right out of the box), a plum and a couple (actually three) fun-size Three Musketeer candy bars, I dropped onto the sofa and simply breathed for thirty minutes. I usually don't take naps but I've found myself plopping down midday every day this week.

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From this afternoon's siesta, I ended up on a stool beside our pub table with my open laptop before me. I'm unsure of what or who lifted me from the sofa and onto my feet. Since I'm the only one here, I must have accomplished that feat all by myself inspite of the fact that my motivation level remains nearly incapable of anything more strenuous than inhaling and exhaling. My love of blogging must have performed the magic that got me moving again.

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I'll blame my lethargy on the rain. Why not? If the weather was nicer, I bet I'd be on my bike with my camera in hand. I took a short ride on Tuesday afternoon that took me about three miles from home. I have a few pictures here that I hope will provide a bit of interest.

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In order of placement, the photos include:

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1. The high school Lon and I attended back in the sixties. Turner High School was brand new when Lon began his sophomore and I began my freshman year.

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2. A field of corn, a common sight around here in the summer months, and a pretty blue sky overhead.

3. Beloit's hospital from the southwest parking lot.

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4 and 5. Windows in the hospital's latest addition.

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6. A view of the hospital from the north side across the cornfield.

7. The front of the hospital facing south.

8. Newly laid road lines on a recently widened section of W. Hart Road in front of the hospital.

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I planned to take more pictures as I continued on my bike ride, but my camera stopped cooperating. Without my reading glasses, I couldn't read the message on the LCD screen. I pushed a bunch of buttons without success. The message kept appearing and since I didn't know what it said, I was out of luck.

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Home with my glasses on, I got the message to remove the memory stick and reinsert it. That seemed pretty stupid but I did it and the camera began functioning again.

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The last three photos show off the purchases we made at Buckeye Lake. Ain't we gonna be sweet when we don our duds from the "All Things Buckeye Lake" shop? May I suggest that you simply nod and say "Yes." I'd like that.

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(Tomorrow promises to be excellent for outdoor activities. I bet my bike and I with my camera slung over my shoulder will find plenty to delight in when I head over the river, west and then and south of here. Last year I rode thirty-six miles the day I went in that direction. I'm not promising to repeat that but who knows...I sure don't. I just try to keep myself happy and afloat, the best I can. It's a tough job, believe me!)

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****If you're wondering about the asterisks, let me explain. Sometimes after I publish my post, this website doesn't put spaces between all of the paragraphs as I typed them. The only way I can be assured of a blank line is to edit the post and insert an asterick where I want a blank line. So that's the rest of the story.