Leigh's Views

We’re sliding into fall.   Not that the weather has changed yet – well at least not around here.   But the squirrels are going nuts over the pecans, not even waiting for them to fall out of the trees.   Another year is winding down, the holidays are just around the corner.   Do I start making plans?   Or do I just wing it like last year?   These are the times when being alone can make people sad and blue.   They start to dwell on the road not traveled, opportunities missed.   Me, I never wonder about things like that.   It’s best not to look back.   It’s also best not to look to far forward.   I like to live for today.   Yeah, I’ve heard it said those who fail to plan, plan to fail.   I don’t see my life as a failure however.   I see it as a series of misadventures which have shaped me.   Sure, I’ve ended up in the same situations over again.   Somehow I never seem to see certain things coming.   Oh well, I just keep pushing forward.   There’s a new adventure around the corner.   Som

I love packing for a long trip to somewhere I’ve never been and I have to fly to.   The excitement of all the planning for the vacation coming to fruition.   The pile starts to grow, you think of more things you need, it grows some more.   You now have more things you will ever need for the almost three weeks you’ll be gone.   You start to thin out the herd, so to speak.   You have to leave room for items you’ll purchase while there after all.   Do you really need 3 sweaters?   It’s still practically summer after all.   Can you do with only 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 6 shirts and 6 pairs of undies?   Then find some laundry soap when you arrive and handwash things in the sink every other day or so?   That’ll give you lots of extra space.   At least the TSA has made some choices easy – they only allow tiny shampoos, conditioners, etc.   Thus it’s better to purchase those items when you arrive at your destination.     But is a hat a necessity or a luxury?   How about a jacket?

I was talking to someone whose husband is in the Air Force.   Therefore, they move often.   I asked her if she ever felt like she was “home” in each new house they were in.   She smiled and told me that only after her brother-in-law visited did each new place have that feel.   She went on to explain how they would settle in.   Make a few changes, add a few touches to the new space.   Then the brother-in-law would arrive.   Her husband would suddenly become puffed up like a peacock, showing his brother around the house.   Pointing out everything, talking animatedly.   Pride of place showing on his face, really on his whole body.   Finally, the two of them would go out to drive around the new town for a while and end up at some bar for a beer.   After a few days the brother would leave.   Then and only then, would her husband and by extension, the whole family relax and enjoy the new digs.   Her story showed the bonds that are possible between two brothers.   Sure sibling rivalry can b

I had a friend visit my home the other day.   She made a comment about how dark it was in my living room.   Uhm, well, okay.   It was the middle of the day, the blinds were half open, I could see just fine.   We talked for a while longer and then she asked if I needed some help financially.   Hold up here, what gave her that idea?   For the life of me I had no idea.   My house is nice, not to mention the fact I own it.   I wear nice clothes.   I don’t typically look like a slob.   I had served her coffee and a decadent chocolate cake.   Fine, I’ll bite and ask what the deal is.   Turns out, as far as she was concerned the only reason someone wouldn’t have the lights on was because they couldn’t afford the power bill.   Yikes, I would’ve never seen that one coming in a million years.   I typically don’t turn the lights on until nighttime.   Don’t know why exactly but my general rule of thumb is if I can at least sort of see, than there’s no need for any extra light.   And I really d

Today I needed to go to the store for a few things.   As usual, I was watching everyone who was going by me.   The guy with the dresser not strapped to his minivan.   Yes, I did say not strapped.   There he was driving down the road with a dresser on top of his minivan.   I don’t know what was keeping the thing in place because there were no ropes, straps or even hands hanging out of windows to keep that thing in place.   The guy towing a lawn mower with his bike.   Now I’ve seen this before.   Repeatedly.   And it’s never the same guy.   Not even sure why this is a thing.   It looks like it’s almost impossible to do.   The woman walking down the street in a dress and combat boots.   I thought that look went out of style years ago.   But I guess what’s old is new again.   The guy with the pink and purple polka dotted backpack.   Hope he was just borrowing his daughter’s for the day.   The two little boys with a drill on the porch of an abandoned boarded-up house.   Uhm, wait, that’s

My local grocery store has butchers.   Because of this, they provide the service of customized meat packaging.   This is great for me since many of the premade packages are designed for large families.   And I really prefer it if I don’t have to freeze my meat just because I have to buy 5 pounds of something.   There I was the other day, asking for a small steak, 2 chicken legs, 1 chicken breast (skinless, boneless of course) and a thick, boneless pork chop.   A fairly typical weekly order.   As I was waiting, a friend spotted me.   She and I talked for a minute or two.   Then the butcher handed me my packages.   She kinda freaked out on me.   How dare I waste the guy’s time like that.   Uhm, it’s his job.   Half the time when I’m in this store, I see him and the other butchers standing around laughing.   It doesn’t seem to me like their job is overly taxing.   Let’s face it, is it so hard to put a few pieces of meat on a Styrofoam tray, wrap it and then either put it in the display