2015-7-31 - long story to go with this photograph

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2015-7-31 - An excerpt from an eMail written to Douglas today:

"Am getting plenty of exercise. Since I'm writing you this eMail I thought you might enjoy this example. I wanted a refill of coffee while in the midst of typing this. I went in the kitchen and saw the empty (powdered) milk container sitting in front of the coffee pot from last night - it seems I forgot to refill it; I put down the cup and walked back to the pantry shelf to get the powdered milk box; in front of the shelf is an open cardboard moving box in which I spy the German version of a wooden plate "Give us this day our daily bread", filled with excitement I pull it out and look where I might hang it in the kitchen, here? no!, there? no!; I decide I don't want it in the kitchen after all because I don't want it to get greasy but where to use it?;

I walk, confused into the living room and look around; I stand there a bit and decide it has to be the kitchen and as I turn around to walk back in I spy the perfect spot for me - in the living room, but on the small space of wall above the entry way into the kitchen; I walk to the step ladder which is in front of the living room window; I see an air freshener on a stool that needs to be moved, not knowing at the moment where I want the air freshener I decide to move the stool with the air freshener on it; the stool is now in front of the coat closet door; I get the step ladder (was in front of living room window where I had yesterday fixed the thingamajig that was letting the window shade pop out of its hole, but that's a two-day story and has nothing to do with today) and move it to the kitchen entryway;

I need nails and, thank goodness, I find them exactly where I put them but the drawer wouldn't open far enough to let me get to the container - it wasn't brutal, but it did take some effort to take out some things, rearrange some others, get out the container of nails, and put other things back - I thought I might get frustrated but I content myself with knowing that it's only a matter of time until everything in the drawer finds its place and eventually settles into an arrangement that will allow the drawer to open - I've *earned* this little bit of wisdom;

nails, I have nails, now to get the hammer, I walk to get to my tool chest which is in the living room coat closet which is blocked by a stool; I move the stool with the air freshener on it back where it was originally; I open the coat closet and the tool box is where it's supposed to be (on the floor) *and* the hammer is in the top tray of the tool box!; I take the hammer back to the step ladder; I move the step ladder so I can get into the kitchen and retrieve the plate I was going to hang which I had left next to the drawer that had the nails in it;

I don't immediately see the plate and wonder where I left it and walk back into and around the living room looking for it; totally puzzled I walk back into the kitchen and glance idly about, whereupon I spied a sizable portion of the plate exactly where I left it and only partially obscured by the lid of the container that held the nails; I take the plate *and* a nail, walk back into the living room and place them next to the hammer;

I move the step ladder back and look to make sure that I have everything I need - I eye the step ladder with some misgivings - yesterday I had it in front of a window, a flimsy thing a window can be but it gives some reassurance of being able to break a fall - there is nothing but air behind the step ladder now - I try the first step and chicken out - I need a break to collect myself; I go down a flight of steps, look at some greenery to compose myself - 10 minutes later I go back up the flight of steps;

I make some minor adjustment to the position of the step ladder and two minutes later (how long, after all, does it take to pound a nail in a wall and hang something from it?) I have the *first* wall hanging in my new home!; I need a break and walk to my chair and sit;

there is no coffee cup and therefore I get up and walk to the kitchen to fill the cup I left there earlier; before gaining entry to the kitchen I need to move, fold, and store the step ladder; I make it successfully into the kitchen without further interruption, the empty powdered milk container is still empty; I walk back to get the powdered milk box from the pantry shelf and consciously avoid looking at that other cardboard box; I walk back to my coffee station and fill the container and walk the powdered milk box back to the shelf (still not looking at "that" box - once burned, twice shy, you know); having successfully returned the powdered milk box without further distraction from that other box, I walk back to the the coffee and think I deserve a double dose of Irish creamer in it;

I walk back into the living room *with* my coffee cup and sit down; I have now accomplished what I set out to do - get a refill of coffee.

I've decided to leave the hammer and nails out. I might move them next to the measuring tape.

p.s. - There is no exaggeration in my retelling of this, not one word has been reported that isn't true in the recount of events. This is my life, exciting, and filled with walking! No need to wonder what I do all day!"