I am not going to bore you with all the COVID-19 information making the rounds on social media. It just shows you what some people do with too much time on their hands. What happened to reading books, newspapers, magazines, and Reader’s Digest? I grew up reading and loving to read. It is better than spending time on social media forwarding all manner of things. It has pushed me to a point of irritation. Go in the kitchen and experiment with new dishes or healthy drinks.
I have gone back to my old ways of baking, making drinks, and gardening. I have planted bell peppers and will be planting strawberries from seeds. I will keep you updated until I harvest them. Thankfully, I do not have to deal with the deer of Maryland. Oh, they messed up my gardens in Beltsville. The only thing I have to worry about is a cat on my street that loves to dig up the woodchips in the front and lay there when it gets chilly.
One upside of the stay at home here in Texas is that my next-door neighbor finally spoke to me. Normally, all I would get is a handwave, but on this Sunday, their little three year old saw me digging with a shovel and came over to ask me what I was doing. I explained to her that I was digging a hole to create mulch so when I plant in that spot I will get a huge plant. Dad was standing nearby, so we got talking…two hours later we ended up saying goodbyes, but in that short time we spoke (me being sarcastic about time) we learnt a lot about each other. He is originally from Southern California…moved here with the family about five years ago. We got talking about cars because he has a nice sports car and, in my younger days, I did own a nice, fast car…a Honda Civic Vtech 5-speed stick shift. Had to get rid of it when I got married because my wife could not drive a stick, and in the process of trying to teach her we got upset at each other (differences of opinion as I choose to call those moments, to be politically correct, lol). That is a story for another day, and I will simply say husbands should never try to teach their wives to drive, lol….unless you are an extremely patient person. Somethings are better left to the professionals.
My teenagers are something else. They typically get their work assignments for online learning on a Monday, and by Wednesday, they have finished. They push long hours to get them done; then they relax. I overheard my 14-year-old daughter, Jada, telling her 16-year-old brother, Javin, that they should do an all-nighter with the work. I had to intervene and tell them no way. There is no rush.
What do I miss about Maryland? I really miss the grocery stores. I would buy groceries for the home because I am a more patient shopper than my lovely wife. I love to look for deals…she will just walk in and buy. I miss rushing to Shoprite in the last 45 minutes to get the Manager’s Specials. Or I would go to Shoppers and get other stuff or the international stores in Adelphi for vegetables. Don’t worry: I have found similar stores here where I get good deals (right now 20 limes for a dollar, 5 oranges for a dollar, and lots more).
Well, stay safe until next month. I have to go and get ready for work now. My main job is at FedEx Express. It is business as usual. We are classified as essential workers, so I got to work. Thanks be to God and again please, please be safe. Do all the things that the health professionals have recommended. I literally take a bath at work in the sink with degreaser and soap and then spray down my clothes and shoes with Lysol before entering my car. My FedEx truck literally gets a bath with a bleach and chlorine mix before I drive.