Still Windy & Now Cold Too

The wind blew like mad all day yesterday, didn't slack off much overnight, and it's still roaring out there this morning, only instead of being warm wind from the southeast, now it's chilly wind from the southwest.  I got home late last night to see that the recycling bin had blown over and a glass bottle had broken into shards on the street and in the gutter--where I park when we want to take Durwood's van.  So I was not thrilled to be out in the dark and windy night sweeping up broken glass and leaves (since it was too dark to separate them on the spot).  I think I'm going to take the hose out there later and blast all of the dirt, leaves, and any glass I missed down toward the end of the lot so I don't puncture a tire.  I don't need that since I got a call from the mechanic to say that while my oil change was done, the serpentine belt was cracked and ready to break and my front brakes were pretty much shot.  "Fix it," I said without hesitation, so that meant I got to amble down to Joe's after I got the glass swept up to fetch it.  It was still over 50 degrees so the wind, that was at my back, didn't make me cold.  I walked past the park and the trees were making odd squeaking and groaning sounds in the wind.  It should have been Halloween for all the creepy noises coming from that direction.

Being so windy and rainy it was pretty quiet at work yesterday.  I had a few customers come in and had to talk one lady through how to work the keeper on her new snorkel on the phone.  When I suggested she stop in so I could show her she said she would except she was in Chicago waiting to board her plane.  Okaaaay.  I grabbed a snorkel like hers and talked her through the button pushing, keeper twisting, and keeper pulling necessary to leave half on the snorkel and half on the mask strap.  I was quite proud of myself that I managed to tell her what to do clearly enough that she did it.  I also had time to crochet almost all of Hoot Hat #2.  Just one more earflap, two eyes, a nose, button eyes, braided ties, and I'll be done.  This is a very fun pattern and it comes in adult sizes too.  Hmm...  Just in time for the season's first snowfall which they're predicting for tomorrow night.  Ugh.  I know, I know, it's the middle of November and a week before Thanksgiving so it's supposed to be cold and snowy here in the Frozen Tundra but we're spoiled by the warm weather we've had.  I know the deer hunters aren't thrilled that there's no snow for opening weekend this weekend but those of us who aren't hunters or skiers or snowmobilers are darned glad it's been warm and dry.

November 19--Tom Arma, Elf Available.  It wasn't even Christmas time but there was the card on the notice board in the Red Owl.  "Elf Available" it read.  That's it.  Just two words and a phone number.  I stood there staring at the small green rectangle with its tidy printing and mysterious message.  Before I could write down the number I got nudged aside by the cart boy coming through with a string of rattling carts.  I took the end one when he stepped away, pulled out my list, and went down the first aisle.  I couldn't get those enigmatic words out of my head.  Elf Available.  What kind of elf?  A Santa's elf?  A Lord of the Rings elf?  A Harry Potter house elf?  There were a lot of things around my house that could use the attention of an elf who was good with tools, so as I walked through Produce I hoped it was a Santa's elf.  When I rounded the corner into the Meat department I thought maybe an elegant Tolkien elf would be good, someone to have a conversation about art, music, and literature with.  In the Dairy department I dropped a quart of milk that splattered across the floor.  That cinched it, I would call the number and hope a Harry Potter house elf would answer and help this muggle get her house in order.

Oh my, that was fun to write and it came screaming out the end of my pencil so fast I could barely keep up.  I love when that happens.  It should happen more often.  Time to shower and find an extra layer and maybe some warmer socks to wear to work today--in my car with its new belt and brakes.  Stay warm and don't blow away.
--Barbara