Random 5 for September 11 – Twin towers, death, hugs, bad luck, sales

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day-lily-2016It’s been 15 years – How did the time go by so fast! I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard of the attacks. I was at work and we closed. People needed to be home to cling to each other for comfort. That event has significantly changed life.

Speaking of comfort – A dear friend lost her dog this week. She was an old girl and had been having issues for quite a while. My friend and I would commiserate – me with the trials of an aging cat and her with an aging dog. When I heard the news my first reaction was to hug my cats. They were all sleeping and not happy about it. For once my needs came first. Morgan had to wash her whole body because I must have made her dirty with my hugs.

The nugget here – Hugging brings comfort. The “huggee” does not need to be human, just living. Maybe not even living. Maybe a fleece blanket will work for some. I prefer cats or people.

More appliance headaches – This was the summer of the “big break.” The dishwasher flooded the kitchen. We fixed it. We had to replace our washer and found we needed plumbing work because our shut-off valve was broken. We are installing a new range exhaust next week. Now the new washer is wonky. I am convinced that the evil Siri is inside. The digital display is bizarre. I am expecting to see the “f bomb” next time I turn it on. To complete the week, our air conditioning went out the evening before the start of a heat wave with temps in the 90s and “real feels” over 100. (Remember when we were in high school and a “feel” meant something different?)

On sale? Now? – There is a type of pant I like a lot. It’s geared for athletes. The fabric isn’t hot, wicks perspiration and comes in lengths from shorts to full length. It doesn’t wrinkle and is easy to wash. It’s pricey. They rarely go on sale. No coupons ever. After looking at a new style for a while, I bought it a month ago. It’s jogger length (high ankle). With the hot weather, my calves haven’t been covered with fabric so they haven’t been worn. Still have the tags on. My pair is now on sale for $20 less. That’s a week of Starbucks (almost). I will return and buy on sale.

So how was your week?

 

 

 

42 thoughts on “Random 5 for September 11 – Twin towers, death, hugs, bad luck, sales”

  1. Buy 2 on sale. Saves time later.
    Those objects breaking….a phrase we dare not even mentally picture here…borrowed time…
    Unsettled times – one thing that bothers me is that so many were so young or not born that 911 will always only be a film image to them. The shock and stunned looks by an entire nation – every single one – experienced live – that’s hard to get across by pictures.
    Hugs. Yes. They know we need that and suffer the indignity as well as they can. Love that “Morgan had to wash her whole body because I must have made her dirty with my hugs.”

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  2. We don’t have any appliance breakdowns but this was the summer that it seemed every dang thing went wrong! I am glad you got your ac up and running quickly. Hugs to you for the other misbehaving appliances. I am one of those people that has a blankie (beach towel) and a stuffed rabbit to hug when it gets bumpy… a little strange for a soon to be 65 year old but it works… 🙂

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  3. I see you have the same gift I do. Buying something causes it to immediately go on sale or clearance. I go into perpetual planning for going in for a refund of the difference… but never actually do. Than feel bizarrely guilty for having paid too much for it. I’m telling you – ignorance of sales is bliss.

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    • I did take it back. The length was good but the elastic was a little snug at the ankle (and I have skinny ankles) so I ended up not rebuying. Sometimes it depends on the mood. Returning something has to be worth it. I would do (usually) for $20 but not necessarily for $5 unless it was really, really easy and close by. Had the summer not been so hot, I would have already worn them and it all would have been a moot point.

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  5. Must be in the air, appliance breakdown. My microwave went south along with an air conditioner. Thank god for ceiling fans that seem to whirl and twirl forever. Sorry about your friend’s dog. Nothing is worse than losing your 4-legged pal. I still cry over Carmela, the basset hound, and she just moved away. They love you so much without judgment, loyal as can be. Please tell her my heart opens for her. Love the word wonky which is how this comment may look since I’m in bed writing on my phone. Hug the cats. Tell Morgan to get over it. 🙂

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  6. hard to believe it’s already 15 years ago. i still remember hearing about it once i arrived at worked – for some reason i didn’t have the radio on or i would have no doubt heard about it on my drive in. but one of my co-workers told me.
     
    there used to be a bank upstairs where i work, and they had a TV and a small lounge area. i remember going there on my breaks and being one of the ones standing there (it was standing room only). not much was said. everyone just stared and watched in disbelief at a recapped news story that seemed almost surreal. unbelievable, horrific, tragic.
     
    and hugs are indeed good. 15 years ago there was a cat in house who was not much of a hugger, and did the washing off of hugging as well. our current resident tiger, Timmy, is very much a hugger, and cannot get enough of it. he sends purrs your way.
     
    and all the best with your appliances… doesn’t sound like fun!

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    • We turned on the TV in our large conference room too and allowed employees to come in if they wanted. We closed early on so people could pick up their kids and gather their families but there were many who hung around in a daze just watching the plane crash over and over again. Today the last new appliance gets installed and I am hoping it’s all over.

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  7. Fifteen years is a long time. It’s gone very quickly. The world has seen a lot of changes since 2001, and I think I’ve changed a lot in that amount of time, too. We all have! Recently I’ve had several friends go through the terrible steps of putting their beloved pets down. Mostly dogs. I just grieve with them, and I, too, hug my beloved Zena just a little tighter and hope that her years don’t pass too quickly!

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    • Pet deaths seem to go in cycles. When I started blogging several bloggers I followed lost their pets (and I think you lost a dog before Zena). Many have adopted again but some haven’t. I can’t imagine life without a pet although there are days when I wonder why I have 3 cats! I love dogs but never had one because I worked full time. Now I’m not sure I want the extra work. My crew is enough.

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  8. I read “The Falling Man” yesterday, an article about the search for the man captured in photos jumping off the Trade Center to escape the fire on 9/11. I had no idea just how many jumpers there were — something like 200. The news did not show the footage. I thought I’d assimilated that day’s horror, but there was more. I guess there is always more.

    I think I need to hug several dogs and cats.

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  9. I thought of you this morning, Kate, when I stopped by Starbucks. I drink more tea than coffee these days, and when I buy coffee, it’s often at a non-Starbucks drive through. So I don’t have nearly as many Starbucks stories as you do. This morning I went to a real Starbucks. The line was too long, so I went inside. A thin middle-aged man with thinning hair and a nervous look about him was arguing with a young male barista–something about flat instead of foam and they should have known better. The harangue had been going on for a while and the barista, who looked at the end of his rope, finally walked away to be replaced by an older man. He tried to give the man what he asked for and then shut him down. But the man wouldn’t be shut down. Oh, my!

    Am I boring you yet? Anyway, the thin man pestered them a few more times, even after he got his drinks and asked for the name of the young man. The older man was distracted enough that he gave me an iced Americano instead of hot. I didn’t bother to tell him. My sympathies were with the staff. This was my first Starbucks drama.

    Re. hugs. Long ago my husband and I went to an exercise class on a cruise, and the exercise leader made us all hug each other. She said we need six hugs a day.

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    • I like that exercise leader! Re: Starbucks — some customers are bizarre. The baristas are people and they make mistakes. The great thing about SB is that they will correct it without any argument even if the customer is wrong. I was in a local pub a week ago. The guy at the next table ordered a chicken quesadilla with bacon. It came with chopped bacon. He was livid (and he wanted his entire order free). He wanted the full strips. Seriously. Life is too short to get hung up on that small stuff.

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  12. I really hate when things go on sale soon after I purchased them at full price! When that happens, I struggle with balancing the time and effort it will take to return and re-buy (and will they still have my size?), or just accept the fact that I spent more than I had to.

    We’ve been fortunate not to have any appliances break on us for quite a while. They are probably colluding together to break all at once right before a critical event.

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  14. Love your ‘Random Five’, Kate! My week in review included: Camping, followed by friends visiting from out-of-town, followed by an out-of-town baby shower, followed by our SPCA Paws for Cause Walk (today). Can’t believe that all happened within a seven-day timeframe! Good thing no appliances broke…but there were lots of hugs!!
    Donna
    http://www.retirementreflections.com

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  15. Yes, everything seems to fall apart at the same time, including us people maybe. I find solace hugging a big stuffed dog my mother gave me a few years before she died. There is no response from the dog but somehow I feel better for the hug anyway. 🙂 May your dishwasher and air conditioner start humming in harmony. 🙂

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