Many moons ago, I ventured to one of my favorite happy places to celebrate my birthday. Twas a solo retreat meant to enable me to enjoy some sand, surf, and solitude as I began a new trip around the sun.
After several years of not doing so, this year I resurrected this activity. A month ago on what’s known as The Best Day of My Year, I ventured to one of my favorite beaches and spent several glorious days there all by myself.
‘Tis the last day of the month, time for a look back at the month that was. We’ll ignore the fact that I haven’t done this end of the month thing since, like, November, right?
I don’t believe in astrology whole-heartedly, except when I do, because Mercury was in retrograde until the 28th and right around that date I actually started feeling better. The world works in mysterious ways, eh?
Anyhoo, March is ending. Let’s LOOK BACK with Daisy Digest.
We’re losing our grip on summer, mostly because the humidity makes it too slippy to hold on to. As we sweat our way to the second-best month of the year (after April) and one of the most beautiful words in the English language (September), I’m looking back at the month that comes to an end today.
A spam comment started with this: “Keep functioning.” (A) Thanks, bot, for the encouragement said in a really weird way. (B) How did you know I’m struggling to function?
I know why Barnes & Noble will eventually go out of business. (Yes, they’re still in business.) They are acting like Blockbuster and Best Buy in terms of what they offer (a (possibly) dying commodity) and customer service (buying just one CD? It STILL takes at least three hours here!). It won’t be long until they close their doors for good if they keep this up.
I just put pain-relieving cream on my neck and left shoulder area. I’m an athlete, always moving, who took it too far? Oh, no. I hurt myself by holding a book whilst sitting in my car at the park for a while, followed by an hour-long phone call during which I held the phone’s receiver between my right shoulder and ear, instead of my hand, with my head up straight.
I put pain reliever on my body because of a book, a bucket seat, and an old-school landline phone.
At least this injury took some doing. I remember a few years ago when I pulled a leg muscle stretching before getting out of bed, and the time I worked a temp job that didn’t appreciate employees’ need for a chair with arms and an ergonomic mouse set up, causing legitimate back pain from my arm dangling for hours as I clicked.
This latest “injury,” and I’m using that term loosely, is simply caused by the fact that my muscles and body are no longer easy to abuse (not that this qualifies by any stretch of the imagination — which is stretching I wouldn’t do lest I injure my imagination as well). And why can’t I sit in an uncomfortable position holding a book for hours and cradle a phone receiver with my shoulder? Because I’m no longer a youngin’.
*in my whispy old-timer voice* I remember when I could stay up all night, falling asleep during summer breaks at 6 a.m. and waking at noon feeling refreshed. Now, I’m lucky if I stay awake past 11 on Friday night. Back in the day, I could half-hang off the couch, upsidedown, and read for hours. Now, I need my reading glasses, which I often can’t find, and apparently a back pillow and frequent breaks to rest my eyes, my arms, and my neck. And yeah, it wouldn’t have been an issue had I used my newfangled 21st century cell phone (of course, that will give me brain cancer, but at least my neck wouldn’t hurt, eh). But I like my Princess phone and the landline sounds better (still).
Cheesy Buffalo chicken dip. Not shown: Antacid.
Am I truly old? No. But obviously I’m on my way. How old am I? I’m I pull neck muscles holding a book in my car and a phone with my shoulder old. I’m I have to take antacid before eating (and often the morning after eating) Buffalo chicken wings old. And now I’m I complain about my aches and pains old.
I’m too young for my AARP card or to start buying that insurance that only covers funerals. But my body’s making me feel like I’m half-dead sometimes. *sigh*
Speaking of time, what time is it? 3:30? Oh, I have to start getting ready for the early bird special at 4. Ooh! Buffalo wings *pops an antacid*
After I closed the cover of The Life We Bury, I visited Goodreads to click I’m finished. I read one book! I’m ahead of schedule! Woohoo! Look at me go. This year, I’ve pledged to read 12 books. Surely I can read one book a month.
In 2014, I read 17 books after pledging only 12 (overachiever!). So in 2015, I upped my goal to 24, which I accomplished (go, me!). In 2016, I thought I’d go for more: 35. That’s more than 1 book every 2 weeks.
A rare moment alone, so I sit in silence, not saying a word. I can do this for hours, perhaps days (have to try that). No music. No TV. Just the sound of the wind outside my window blowing through the trees (whose leaves may never change color since the temps are back in the 80s).
‘Tis the last day of the month, time for a look back at the month that was. We’ll ignore the fact that I haven’t done this end of the month thing since, like, November, right?
