Pollination

     I have about five tomato plants. I bought them as seedlings and they have grown tremendously. One is even up past my knees. I don’t eat tomatoes but I wanted to grow something. I got into a discussion with a friend of mine about tomatoes and made a deal. If I grow them then she will eat them.

    Now, I have five healthy tomato plants. They’ve put out a few blooms but when it comes to bearing fruit only one plant out of the five has managed it. The tomatoes are also smaller than what they should be. That week of hot weather we had probably has taken a toll.

     I talked to my mom about it and we are going to give them some more plant food to see if that helps, but she also mentioned the lack of bees. I mean I’ve read the articles and everything, I know that bees are endangered and that it is a very bad thing for the entire world. It was even mentioned in a Doctor Who episode once. Its why I have a random pot of wildflowers growing near the back fence that I just leave alone and let do their thing. Yet, I cannot actually recall seeing many bees this year. Maybe a bumble bee or two but none of the honey bees that usually buzz around the clover.

Now, as I look at my tomato plants I am saddened. When I first got them I actually worried that five plants would produce too many tomatoes for me to give to my friend and she would grow tired of them. So far I’ve managed only three and one of those we laughed about because it was so small.

I set out to grow tomatoes but now as I look at the plants on my porch steps I realize I unwittingly grew an environmental science experiment instead. I must say I am unhappy with the findings.

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To Sleep…

There are usually a couple of reasons I can’t sleep. Very rarely is it because I am not tired. The more likely reason is that my thoughts are too loud.

I will lay there in the cool dark with the ceiling fan stirring the air, and instead of just enjoying the peaceful silence my mind starts to wander. I think about work and the kids. I think about all the things in life I could be better at. I feel guilty about the things I didn’t get done that day or the fact that I am making the dog stay outside in the back yard because she keeps peeing in the floor. (She will be out for hours and then come in and pee on the floor for no reason. I really don’t understand why.)

Depression closes in around me and I just continue to spiral downward for hours until I finally pass out or it is time to get up again. To bypass this, I often read before bed. However, this is a double-edged sword because I have a problem putting a book down once I start. So if I am not careful I will not sleep for reading too much.

There are over the counter sleep aids that I can take but I usually only go with those if I don’t have to get up early. Even if I try to go to bed early I am still groggy the next day. Often I end up feeling the same as if I haven’t slept.

I also have an autistic son that likes to wake me up after I’ve been asleep for a couple of hours. It is usually because he needs something so I feel guilty getting annoyed about it, but it is just so hard to go back to sleep once someone wakes me up. It feels like it is twice as hard as just going to sleep to begin with.

I am having trouble sleeping right now. I thought maybe writing a few words would clear some brain space for sleep. Here’s hoping it works. Sweet dreams everyone.

Lost and Found

I’ve not been writing much. Honestly, I’ve not been doing a lot of anything that isn’t strictly necessary. Last week I read a lot and watch Good Omens when it was released to Amazon Prime on Friday. (It was awesome.) Sunday I went to the movies to watch the live action version of Aladdin. It was pretty good.

I’ve paid my bills, I’ve gone to work, I’ve made sure everything or everyone I’m responsible for has been fed…but it has all been just me on autopilot. I suppose I could blame the unseasonably warm temperatures or depression, maybe even a combo of the two. Anyway, I didn’t even notice that I was on autopilot until Friday.

The book Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman has always been one of my favorites. I took a course on British Literature in college and as a final project, the teacher had us choose a work by a British author and do a presentation on it. There were the usual picks like Chaucer or Shakespeare that the rest of my classmates went with but I waited after class to ambush speak with the professor in order to convince him to allow me to use Good Omens. (The only rule he had given us was that the author had to be of British origin.)

At first, he was hesitant because he wanted us to do a project on something he was familiar with. However, I had come prepared. I gave him a copy of the book I just happened to have on hand and told him a short synopsis.

Basically, I told him that the book is about the end of the world, they’ve misplaced the antichrist, and the four horsemen ride motorcycles. (The motorcycle part was the important bit because I knew he rode as well.) Anyway, I got permission and passed the assignment with flying colors.  It was more difficult to pull the project together because there was less to work with.  The people who pick Hamlet or Canterbury Tales had tons of sources to choose from. I had a few pieces of fan art, the book itself, and some author interviews. But it was worth it because I got a chance to share something I loved with the rest of my class. No one else had read it, outside of the professor.

So this past Friday I realized it was May 31, 2019. It caught me off guard. The date was etched in my mind because I had been waiting over a year for Amazon to bring one of my favorite books to life. I had high hopes because they had cast David Tennent as Crowley and I knew he would be able to pull it off. Yet instead of eagerly counting down the days, the day arrived without me noticing. That was when it hit me how much of a fog I’ve been in.

I sat down that afternoon and watched all six hours of Good Omens. The story unfolded perfectly and I was excited as I waited for each new episode to start. I felt for the characters when bad things happened, I laughed at the jokes, and I enjoyed trying to spot all the Doctor Who references they snuck in.  During those six hours, I shook off my fog and came back to life.

So here I am. Back to me again. I don’t like being lost like that. It’s a scary thing and I’d like to prevent it from reoccurring.

 

Monday

This Monday snuck up on me. I’m not sure what happened to the weekend. Friday afternoon was hot. I remember that. There is no air conditioning in my car and the window don’t roll down. We had to go to appointments in the next city over so the kids and I were well done by the time we got home. Everyone went to bed early.

Saturday I went to visit my folks and my dad fixed the passenger side window so now we have at least one window that rolls down. I took a walk with my camera and took a bunch of pictures but haven’t actually sat down and looked at what I took.

Sunday we went to see Detective Pikachu. It was an okay movie. I probably would have enjoyed it more if we hadn’t missed the first 20 minutes. When we got to the theater we were directed to screen 6. So that is where we went. We waited long past the time for the movie to start. I had a feeling from the moment we sat down that something was off. Soon some nice gentlemen showed up and were really confused because we were in their seats. Turns out screen 6 was showing John Wick 3. (Which I wouldn’t have minded watching too.) Detective Pikachu was actually playing on screen 4 which was on the other side of the theater. Fortunately, our seats were in the very back as you entered so we didn’t disturb anyone else by our late arrival but it still annoyed me that we were sent to the wrong area and I was annoyed at myself for not listening to my gut.

Afterward, we stopped by the bookstore for a couple of new books. My eldest was going through emotions like bored couch potato flipping channels. My youngest found two books and was ready to go home immediately thereafter. We decided to call it a day. Everyone went to bed early last night.

This morning I awoke to the alarm going off and realized I hadn’t packed lunches or any of the things I usually do the night before. Clean clothes had to be pulled out of the dryer and random things stuffed into lunch boxes before everyone head out the door. I am pretty sure we may have even forgotten to let the dog in last night. (Not that she minded. She likes it outside at night because it is cooler and she does have a sheltered place to sleep. She came in for breakfast and wanted right back out.)

I also realized I didn’t do my usual weekend blog post which is why I am writing this on a Monday morning. I am not ready for the responsibility of a new week. I’m going to need extra coffee or something.

Goodbye Uncle Timmy

Uncle Timmy is gone. That is a hard thing to consider and I didn’t even know him as well as many others. Uncle Timmy was this larger than life person. This everlasting Uncle to everyone. You adopted him as soon as you met him and only realized what happened later.

Uncle Timmy was real life magic. He ran a convention where hundreds of strangers gathered to meet with like-minded individuals and left as family. He had an amazing ability to listen. If you had a question he would listen, pause for a moment and then provide an answer. He provided direction and a sense of support to even those of us who didn’t know him that well. If you were at Libertycon and ran into a problem, you could always go to Uncle Timmy. I never really had to, outside of directions, but I knew that I could if I needed to because Uncle Timmy told me so and he meant it.

Uncle Timmy you will be missed.

 

You’ve set sail for the Undying Lands

leaving the rest of us mortals behind

The gentle waves carry you onward

as we watch through blurring eyes

You have earned your peaceful rest

though we are left heavy hearted

Wise Uncle and keeper of magics

too soon have you departed

Such loving spark in a human soul

so caring, clever, and so kind

Too soon will it always be

to those who are left behind

No Spoilers

Today I am going to see Avenger’s Endgame. I haven’t seen it yet so you can read this without the fear of spoilers. (Which is why I am writing this now and not later.) I am actually really annoyed right now.

Many of my friends and coworkers have already seen the movie, which is great. I am happy they enjoyed it but I also appreciate that they keep any information about the movie to themselves until I have had a chance to enjoy it as well. I have managed this past week rather well, avoiding any hints of what happens. Then today, mere hours before I am to see the movie, two separate people tried to ruin it for me. (It was almost three, but that I managed to convey to the third person that if they valued their life they would keep their mouth shut.)

It is great if you read or watch something you really enjoy. It’s okay to tell me if you enjoyed something and make the suggestion for me to watch or read it as well if you think its something I will enjoy. However, do not tell me all the major plot points or the ending. If I ask for details, that’s fine, but to go around spewing spoilers unsolicited or to purposely cause problems…that’s being a jerk. Don’t be a jerk.

My Friend

Many years ago a 7th grade me was approached by a frizzy-haired, green-eyed girl roughly the same age. We were in the school gym during P.E. walking laps and talking. It turned out that she liked cats and her birthday was just two days after mine. Later we found out that our dads also shared the same name. This was how fate gave me my best friend.

Even that young we had plenty of differences but that didn’t seem to matter. We were kindred spirits. Over the years there have been many shared adventures and many life-changing events. Yet, even all these years later, she is still my best friend.

Her first child and my first child were born three months and one day apart. We didn’t plan it. That’s just how it happened. We have gone years without speaking only to discover that we both decided to go on vacation two states away at the exact same time. We both showed up at the same area attraction on the same day and the same time without consulting each other at all. (We almost did it again in a different state but missed each other by days.)

Today was another one of those life-changing events. Today my best friend’s father was laid to rest. I went to the viewing but could not stay for the funeral, even though I wanted to. I know my sadness is not the equal of my friend’s, but it hurts that she hurts and I can’t help.

He was a good man. I remember him from the point of view of the 13-year-old kid I once was. He was tall and kind. His mother lived next door so he could keep an eye on her and I remember visiting her with my friend. I also vaguely remember being chastised for playing upstairs in the barn. To be fair, we were sword fighting with sticks and not paying attention to our surroundings. My friend had also just recovered from a broken arm.

I feel drained. I wonder if this is how she is feeling as well. Hopefully, I can be there after the newness of her loss wears off and the reality sets in. I told her to call me. I meant it, but so many just say the words because they are expected. I think she knows me better than that though.