A cleanly day

This week has been almost free of blog worthy events. In other words, pretty humdrum. The most significant happening occurred as I was Hoovering up dog and cat hair. Fortunately, I was working from ickiest to least icky (and most sweepable with a broom). I approaching the final room when my vacuum cleaner just sort of gave up the ghost. I tried a few recussitation tactics, but to no avail. My friend Samos offered to help me take the poor thing into the vacuum cleaner health clinic (a funky relic of the days when people actually got things fixed instead of just throwing them away,) and on the way we stopped for lunch – see photos. The vacuum cleaner man seemed quite confident that he could fix it, but I was dubious. “Come back tomorrow,” he said. Two days later, Rebecca and I went to see how the patient was getting on, and it was sitting exactly where I had left it. As yet untouched. “Oh my gosh!” I said. “I need it today. Have you figured it out yet what’s wrong with it?” He looked upset. “Is your cleaning woman coming today?” he asked. For some reason, the idea that I would have a cleaning woman struck Rebecca and me as incredibly funny, and we broke out laughing. “I’m the cleaning woman,” I said, “but my house is getting pretty dirty.” “Come back in an hour, and I’ll have it ready.” We did, and he did. A sort of modern miracle. He explained the reason it wasn’t ready on time in the first place was that he had suffered some sort of disasterlet which he described at length, but which I did not comprehend. Anyway, my vacuum is fixed and I am happy about that.

As I mentioned, Samos and I went to lunch on the way to the vacuum repair store. We visited the same Mexican restaurant in which we eaten on my birthday, and once again our food was both attractive and delicious.

A Birthday

Today is my birthday! As usual, I wasn’t really into it, and hadn’t mentioned it to those who probably would wish to be reminded. I always wake up not into it, but generally family and friends rev me up, and by evening, if I am having dinner or party, I get pretty excited. This year, since both Rebecca and Rachael were working, I decided to hermitize at home and see if anyone remembered. My friend Samos is really into birthdays. “It’s two weeks till my birthday,” he used to tell me. “It’s eight more days. I hope you’re ready!” etc. So I was a little surprised not to hear from him. At around noon, the phone rang, and it was he. He said, “I’m coming to town. How about lunch together.” I wasn’t very hungry, but said we could go grocery shopping and get a snack. That was fine, so off we went to my favorite grocery store, where we saw these wonderful squashes. After that, we debated about where to get a snack, and decided to go to this funky little Mexican restaurant. We both had always wanted to go there, but were a little nervous about it. It is not far from my house, but in the very part of the neighborhood where, not too long ago, driving through, one always used to lock the car doors and keep an eye out for the pimps and dealers with their gats – the very scary part of town. Everything there is newish and respectable now – the pimps are gone, the dealers have moved a few blocks south, but this one restaurant remains from the bad old days. We felt a little frisson of daring. I wanted only a tiny thing to eat, and he wanted real lunch. “Who’s paying,?” I asked, knowing full well that he had paid last time. “I think it’s your turn,” he said. Had our lunches been more equal, I would have just paid. However, “It’s my birthday,” I announced. Was I not naughty? He was horrified. How could he have forgotten! Of course he would pay. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten. What luck that he had called. Yes indeed, it was good luck. I had a very pleasant outing and a nice lunch at a cute restaurant, not scary at all (except for the headless horseman pumpkin), and a fun time with a good friend.

PS Ana and Julie remembered, but those aunties - so far, at least, did not!!! I had better call and remind them or they will be upset.