Even Colder Feeling Today

The wind chill's ten degrees today and I'm going to walk the dog along the river in about an hour.  Brr.  Good thing I've got a hat and gloves and mittens and fingerless mitts and fleece jackets galore.  The sunrise was a glorious mix of pink and orange and purple today.  It took real dedication to get out there to snap a pic--and I even put pants on first today.  I had to go outside to put the 3 old bed pillows at the curb for the garbologists to pick up today anyway so it was no trouble to slip the camera into my pocket and snap a photo.

I've got a big bag of peels and fruits and squash entrails for the chickens today too.  They'll really love me today, well, I don't think they really get the concept of "me," they just equate bipeds with food, so when I come through the gate they rush to the corner of the coop nearest the gate and begin to croon, "come here, food lady, over here" then they begin to pace as if the minute it takes me to walk thirty feet across the grass is too long.  They scatter when I come through the door but then the wonderfulness of what I scatter overcomes their shyness and they fall on the food with abandon, even forgetting to peck General Tso out of the way if my offerings are alluring enough.  It amuses me no end.

I have had zero paying customers at work so far this week.  That's two entire days of putting absolutely no money, not even charge slips, into the till.  I've had humans in the store--mail carriers, the UPS guy, UWGB students picking up their certification cards, a guy wanting to sell a BC he found in an abandoned storage locker he bought, a cop picking up a box of fancy mask straps--but no paying customers.  None.  In other news, I've almost finished the cardigan sleeve I restarted last weekend, only 2 more inches to go, so I'm really happy to be getting paid to knit, but a bit disappointed to not be doing my job.  Well, I guess being there to answer the phone and be ready just in case someone does want to buy something is my job but still days like this are hard.  (don't roll your eyes and wish you had a job like this [well, you should wish you had a job like mine because it's a lot of fun when people come in and tell me about their trips, and BUY stuff], it's boring and makes for long days and makes me tired and feel like I'm taking my salary under false pretenses--at times)

November 13--Egyptian, Long-Necked Bottle from the Embalming Cache of Tutankhamun.  The blue caught Celia's eye because it was in such contrast to the tan of the sand it was buried in.  She took a picture and then began to brush away the grains a few at a time.  The first piece, half blue and half rusty red, was about the same size as her thumbnail.  Over the next few hours she found nearly forty more pieces of the same color pottery.  Lauren and Katy on either side of her search area weren't finding much more than an occasional sherd or faience bead, they were pea green with envy.  Celia tried hard to keep a triumphant gleam from her eyes as she carried her tray over to where Dr. Mason sat under an awning recording the day's finds.

Well, I guess I've put off getting ready to walk the dog long enough, I'd better get a move on or the wind will pick up (it's supposed to howl later) and blow us right off our feet.  I don't know if I'll ever get the leaves taken care of.  *shrugs*  Ah well.  Later, dudes and dudettes.
--Barbara