June 1, 2024
Well, June is finally here. It’s not only the time of gloomy weather, but it’s also the time of Patti and Brian’s anniversary. June 14 is less than two weeks away. We didn’t have a vacation set for this time of year, so I decided to take an extra day off work. Our anniversary is right in the middle of my three days off. Whatever will we do? Only Patti can answer that question. I would suggest something lame, like having fun around the house. Now that she’s retired, the house is not a special place for her. Whatever we do, it will probably involve going somewhere.
I’ve been listening to an autobiography of Norman Lear. He changed what subjects you could talk about on TV. From race to sexism, his shows represented real people who were not presenting idolized versions of their lives. Actual situations led to truly humorous and memorable shows. It reminded me that there was a time when you had to tune in at a certain time to watch shows. If you missed watching a show, the only thing you could do was to hear about it from someone who saw it. This was before VCRs. It was horrible!
Today’s world of streaming services allows viewers complete control over what they see. No network executive is shoving commercials down your throat or deciding what you can handle. The fundamental opposition to viewing what you wanted when you wanted were the censors. Christian fundamentalists, or those they controlled, made up most censors during Norman Lear’s era. These fundamentalist groups controlled the sponsors of the shows and would boycott anything they found objectionable. Once again, religion ruins everything.
Patti finally got her first retirement payment, and it was substantial. To celebrate, we went to Olive Garden. She wanted to go to Olive Garden mainly for the tiramisu. I could have gotten the soup and salad, but I didn’t. I decided to consider this a mini vacation. Not only did I get shrimp scampi, but I got chocolate lasagna for dessert. Patti took most of her meal and half her tiramisu home. I only had half of my chocolate lasagna to take home. I finished it the next day. My scale punished me appropriately for those two days.
On Friday, Patti and I were going into Aldi, and I saw an SUV that was filled to the roof with stuff. I thought about taking a picture, but I stopped myself. The only space that wasn’t filled with stuff was around the driver’s seat. Whoever was driving this vehicle drove everywhere alone. The only explanation for this vehicle’s state was that the owner was living out of the car. When we came out of the store, we saw an older woman get into the vehicle. We both saw her in the store and wondered where she was going to put the stuff she bought. Patti speculated she ate or drank whatever it was before she got in. No matter what the circumstances of the woman’s life, something wasn’t right.
Thoughts from Life 
Leave a comment