Saturday morning, for some reason, Max thought it was a good idea to start scratching the wicker chair for attention at 4:30. He usually doesn’t start up till 6 or so. I chased him away but my sleep was shot and I dawdled another half hour and got up and was starving, also not usual. So I gave in and made coffee and toast. I did my stretches and weights and got Ed up. We were both to volunteer at the German Club’s Oktoberfest up the road. But I felt lousy. So Ed said I could stay home and he’d go alone and there wouldn’t be much action anyway. He manned the literacy booth, hoping to recruit volunteers for the program.

I went back to sleep. Ed had warned me it would be exceptionally hot, almost 90, so I gave up on the idea of walking and started doing housework, which is its own workout. On Friday, I had walked without water and I have to think that was the cause of feeling faint most of the way back. I took my phone out in the event I’d have to call Ed to come get me.

As far as the housework goes, everything I tried to use needed refilling. I knocked the Scrubbing Bubbles container off the counter and the spray button broke off and it may be that none of the rest of it can be used because the thingy won’t go back on.

I had planned to use the pool since it was going to be a scorcher and when I looked outside I saw an infestation of dead bugs floating on top. I skimmed it for about 20 minutes and it’s looking better. I’ll just have to be careful not to swallow any. Guh.

Ed had said, as a helpful thought, that if I separated the laundry, he would do the wash. And I said, separating and spot spraying the laundry is the lengthy, tedious part and if I’m going to do that, I might as well toss it in the washer. But first, I decided the bed needed changing and that should be done first and I am doing the mattress pad that is so bulky, it is its own load. The mattress is stained so I used Resolve Pet Stain Remover on it, and it helped only a little. So then I applied Clorox, no dilution, and that helped a little more. I’d turn the mattress but it is a king and it buts into the ceiling fan, so unless I empty the room, it won’t work, and, of course, it would take two of us. I’m thinking if we ever do move this mattress, it will be because it is going on the scrap heap and we would be getting a new one. My wish is to get two twins, put them both on the king frame, use king bedding over them – who is to know – and then there would be no transfer of weight from one to the other. This would eliminiate being awakened (me) by anyone else on the bed (Ed) who might be thrashing about and muttering into the darkness, audibly resolving whatever didn’t go right that day.

I have been hungry all morning and it doesn’t make sense. The last time I had the hunger-all-day problem, was because I had been using a sugar substitute and that messed up my stomach. The night before we had Chinese. Maybe there was MSG in it. I am not, to my knowledge, allergic as some people are, but my stomach may be rebelling. It also seems to me that the quality of the food at this newish plate is not as good as when it first opened.

Our neighbor, Debby-to-whom-one-cannot-say-no, has alerted the fire department and the community workers who hand out fluorescent wands so people will not be run over on Halloween, to send people up our way and we will put luminaria out to entice them. My across the road neighbors, Ken and Shelley, have decorated the center berm in the circle with a pirate’s chest (Ken made it out of Styrofoam and stained it) and it is overflowing with “gems” and stuff, there is a skeleton and a shipwreck. They worked really hard. I will sit outside near this wonder, dressed in my fairytale witch costume, at a little table and hand out candy.

What annoys me about many of the adults who bring children to our island is that they are into socializing with each other and ignore the kids. They don't watch them and these brainless small ones run out into the road and even a car going 12 miles an hour can kill the child of a stupid mother. I am also angry that when I say watch your kids, they get huffy.

Once we get more action at our end, we can elaborate on the event. By the time I hit 90, it will be an extravaganza. I am thinking music and refreshments. I am thinking a merry-go-round. I am thinking pony rides. Obviously I am thinking too much.

Ed came back from his volunteer booth duties, in a snit, because his evening replacements didn’t read the instruction literature and came in another way, and he was waiting for them at the front gate for 15 minutes. He went back to the booth and there they were. “I hope you were graceful,” I said. He said they were arrogant. I said, no, they were mindless twits. He snarled, which he does beautifully. I am blessed.

xx, Teal