With there being several pressing duties I had at home this morning, I was a little more than tardy upon arrival at office. When seeing the reddish-orange sunrise, it became a confirmation that our atmosphere is still filled with the smoke from those Canadian fires. What little time I spent outdoors today, that smoky haze was making my eyes watery. It’s amazing how smoke can travel so far and still have a physical effect on a person. I’m sure that particular smoke is from coniferous trees which is adding a great deal of creosote to that smoke. Personally, I never liked being in homes when fireplaces were burning because no matter how well their chimneys draw the smoke up and out, it still manages to weep into living quarters.
My contemplative session went very well, and again I felt far more refreshed and uplifted by the time it was over. I did say extra prayers for those Ukrainians who’ve been under siege by those vile forces of Putin for nearly a year and a half now. Can you imagine living in a country where it’s in a state of war that long? I just read this morning where Russians purposely bombed a historic Orthodox cathedral in Odessa, which is one more example of the disregard Putin and his cronies have for innocent people and sacred places. I’m sure the Ukrainians will be coming up with a tit for tat kicking-back.
I placed a quick call to my dear friend, just to share a few more happenings with her. I had to tell her about another test we all have on occasion which took place yesterday while I was out at Hy-Vee. There was an impatient gentleman waiting behind me, so I took the change and put it in my billfold and walked out. Well, about halfway to my car, I suddenly remember the amount she’d given me, which didn’t add up, so I put the sack in my car and reached in for the receipt. Well, that clerk must’ve mistaken a four for a nine, so I opened my billfold, grabbed that five she have me, and then walked back inside. The moment she saw me she immediately must’ve thought she short-changed me, so I handed over the receipt with the five dollar bill and quietly said to her, “You gave me five dollars too much.” There was a near-instant relief on her face when she actually admitted having wrongly read on her register screen, the amount that was to be remitted.
Ok, now here’s what my friend and I fully agreed upon, and that is whenever someone gloats about having been given too much back from a clerk and not correcting the fault, that’s plain and simple theft, and especially damaging to those clerks because if the amount is large enough, that’s grounds for dismissal. On the flip-side, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve had to correct clerks on the prices their computerized registers are reading from those bar codes, and to date, I’m still batting a thousand. Just last week I would’ve been charged full price for a head of cauliflower which was on sale. What shocks me the most, is how nearly everyone doesn’t remember the prices of the groceries they’re throwing in their carts, which makes me wonder how many thousands of dollars the general public have been over-charged in a year’s time. I was actually glad to’ve been put to the test again regarding that extra five dollar remittance which didn’t belong to me. Yes, we all need such tests from time to time.
In spite of my being a little late in getting over to First Congregational Church, I was surprised to find not a soul having yet arrived, so I proceeded to get myself situated at their organ, and then began running thru the hymns I’d been assigned to play. The Minister mentioned that he wanted the songs to move a little faster, so I played them as they were written, which satisfied him. I did mention my having watched their Service from last Sunday online, and thinking at the time they were being played too slow.
Having made the decision several days ago to open the organ up full-tilt, I was delighted to find a number of their members coming up to me and saying how wonderful the music was this morning. The highlight of my day was when one of the members said to me, “While watching and listening to you, I couldn’t help thinking to myself how you were saying to our organ, “I’m in charge now.”, and she went running with you.” I dare say their pipe organ is one of the few which can be fully-opened, yet doesn’t drive a person crazy with metallic tones. Yes, whomever created that organ, knew how to build it right.
When I arrived back at office, I had to change into my work clothes and then head over to Hardware Hank, where I purchased a can of yellow jack spray, and only because I’m having a problem with a number of them near my house and have managed to build a nest in the ground. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the most aggressive, and if you’ve ever been stung by one, you’ll never forget the pain. I’ve been stung by them twice in my life, and two times too many as far as I’m concerned.
The remainder of my afternoon, was spent working over at my little/big project, so I can now say I’m four hours closer to having it completed. As always, whenever I start working on something, there’s an evolution which takes place to where I’ve done nearly twice as much more than I’d initially planned.
I’ll be so glad when our North Iowa Fair is over tonight, because the noise from those stock car races were enough to drive me up the walls these past several evenings. I know everybody’s got their likes and dislikes, but I can’t get my brain wrapped around being seated in the stands and listened to those eardrum-breaking engine noises, and then having to breath-in all those fumes from their exhausts. Way back when I was young, I went to one stock car race, and that was enough for a lifetime. I’m still in amazement regarding how far that loud noise travels. So much for the wishful thinking they’d move that fairgrounds far and away from our city.
Tonight’s photo is one I took while driving to work this morning, which is a shot I managed to get at the bottom of the hill where N. Taft meets 12th St. NW. Now tell me, what is the first animal you see in the photo?
Tonight’s One-liner is: By the discipline of others, the poor are prevented from thinking for themselves, and the rich by their own.