Leigh's Views

Social distancing. The buzz words of the year. Problem is I'm a very social creature. I thrive on being around others. Not that I have to be in every conversation but I do need to at least be a fly on the wall. I love to sit and people watch, observe this strange creature that is human. But what am I to do when my favorite coffee shop is closed? My favorite restaurant is take-out only? Sigh… So there I was yesterday watching cats. Yes, I did say cats. For some reasons there were 20 or 30 cats in my yard. Apparently when the humans no longer roam the earth the cats will. They were chasing each other, running after the squirrels and jumping onto and off the shed repeatedly. It was getting boring quickly. Then I heard the neighbor’s kids come out to play. Ah, now this may get interesting. 2 kids became 6, then 10, then I don’t know how many as every child in the neighborhood ended up in one place. Yikes, I guess they don’t know about the rules of keeping gathe...

So yesterday I went to the store for my weekly grocery trip. Just a few items needed, nothing special. Okay, I know all about those news stories about panic shopping but somehow I didn’t think it would apply to me and where I live. As I entered the normally very busy store, the first thing I noticed was it’s like a ghost town in there. It’s eerily quiet and I think I’m completely alone except for a few employees. Fine by me. Lets see, I need milk - no milk. Uhm. Eggs - no. Chicken - no. Hamburger - no. Rice - no. Beans - no. Pasta - no. Tomato sauce - no. Bananas - no. Yikes. Ah, there is lettuce. Ick, it’s brown. I’m not buying that and the tomatoes are moldy. Moving on to frozen meat - no. Frozen fruit - no. Frozen veggies - ah, there’s something on that shelf! Brussel sprouts and a bag of lima beans?! Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to put only lima beans in a bag and try to sell it? As I stand there with the door to the freezer open poking throug...

A while back, I had a group of friends over. We were enjoying an evening out on my back porch. One of my friends grabbed the remote to the T.V. Now this remote is one of those with only limited buttons - one up/down for the channels, one up/down for the volume and two that control the apps for online viewing. He first made a comment about how few channels I had. I didn’t reply but I knew what the problem was. Then he exclaimed, “Wait, that channel wasn’t there a second ago!” Yup, I was going to have to show a grown man how to use a remote. So much funnage. So, without rolling my eyes back into my head far enough they could be stuck there permanently, I explained the problem. He was a button masher. As in, instead of lightly tapping the button on the remote, he was mashing it. Thus, instead of the T.V. changing one channel at a time, it was jumping 2 or 3 or 4 channels. What was his response to this? About what you’d expect. He not so carefully tossed the remote aside ...

Last week I had the opportunity to be the plus-one for an elderly neighbor who was having minor surgery. After I got her sent off for her procedure, I settled into the waiting/reception area for the several hours wait. All of the other plus-ones were quietly sitting there playing with phones or tablets and the air was thick with tension. Clearly, no one was happy to be there or about what their loved ones/friends were having done. Then an elderly couple came in. The reception desk was far enough away one normally couldn't hear what was being said. However, when the woman behind the desk started to put the armband on the gentleman's arm, he raised his voice loud enough for all to hear. Yelling something to the effect that he wasn't going to have surgery anywhere that could only tell which side he was needing the procedure done on based on which arm the band was on. Yikes. But the woman at the desk had been there, done that, and got the t-shirt to prove it...

Now I’ve always lived in a bit of a bubble. Most people call it my ‘happy bubble’ and think I’m more of an ostrich-sticking-my-head-in-the-sand kind of a person. I’ve never really been that into the news – I will watch the local news on occasion and ignore most of what I hear. I don’t really do social media or the internet 24 hour scrolling thing. I often leave the house without my phone - I don’t care if I’m not reachable. The way I figure it, if something's important and will affect me, I’ll learn about it one way or another. For a few years, I’ve been hearing a lot about how people need to ‘unplug’ and get away. But lately, I’ve noticed this has seemed to kick up a few notches. I’ve seen posts about the need for a ‘happy/positive only news channel’. Others about the need for a weekend spent in an isolation tank to ‘detox’ from the world. And, yes, even a few encouraging people to find their ‘happy bubble’ and ignore everything negative. Well, color me impressed. Because, no ...

I had lunch with a friend over the weekend that I hadn’t seen in years. She was so excited to see all of my photos from the crazy places I’ve been since we’ve last been together. As she swiped photo after photo on my tablet, she made comments about so many of them. This place looks so intriguing, that place looks so far off the beaten track, this beach is the best. When she was done, she slowly put the tablet on the table and gave me a funny look. Then she asked me a question I never saw coming. “What are you going to do when you’ve crossed everything off your bucket list?” Uhm, what?! Hold on a minute, who said anything about a bucket list? Bucket lists are for the end of a book. I view what I’m doing as the start of a new chapter. I’m no longer a parent, I’m trying to figure out who I am as an adult. And in order to do that, I’m exploring the world – literally. Okay, okay, I know. Once a parent, always a parent. Just because my child is an adult in his own right doesn’t mean I wo...

Okay, so I’ve been traveling a lot. And I’ve got a science to packing – my shirts neatly rolled and tucked into a homemade cloth bag. My dresses neatly rolled and tucked into another bag. Of course each pair of shoes have their own bag. I could go on, but you get the idea, no need to list each item until I get to my unmentionables. Oops, I mentioned them! Anyway, there I am stuck, waiting for a flight that’s been delayed several times. The young man next to me had been talking endlessly about his fiancée he was flying to see. Enough was enough, I pulled my suitcase onto the seat to dig out a few things to go freshen up. After all, it’s easier to open the thing in the waiting area then the bathroom. In a few seconds, I have what I need and in my mind I think my next move is to head to the nearest bathroom. But no – the young man next to me is making noises like he is choking. Stopping for a second, I turn to him, my case half closed. He starts blabbing something about how organized my...