Now you see them...

While I'm a fan of change, and I think my itchy feet and wanderlust and lack of money are the root cause of all my issues lately, I've been thinking about routine lately. Or, more accurately, I've been thinking of people who are part of my routine.

When I lived in Northern Civilization, I drove to work the same way ever day, and at about the same time. I usually was put together but sometimes I put lipstick on at a stop light. But there was a guy I saw every day who always was shaving at the stop light. It got to the point where we would wave at each other every day because we followed each other down the road. We weren't neighbors (though we could've lives near each other but in a spread out city it's to tell) but as I pulled onto the main road it was usually behind or in front of him. It was an especially busy road and if I timed it right, he would stop and allow me to pull in front of him, if it would work out. We always waved. If it was "have the car window down" weather, we'd say "TGIF" or "have a good one" or "nice weather." When I moved, I always wondered what happened to him & I wondered if he thought about me and my whereabouts.

Even then I had a Starbucks I went to all the time and in a city of 1/2 million people, the baristas knew my face to make me my "usual." And I go to that one when I got to N.Civ., since it's my favorite one and if the right people are working, they still remember even though it's 7 years later. Now, how awesome is that?

I go into the Speedway gas station almost every morning for coffee (since there's no Starbucks in my town--- though--- the Starbucks that's 25 minutes from my house have several baristas who know me not only by my drink and pastry order but by NAME as well!!!! *ahem* !) and the same girls are working. I know their names and they know mine. They ask how school's going, I ask about their kids. They tease me about having Fridays off and I joke with them about their pizza perks. They notice when I get a new haircut and vice versa. One of the girl's is going to have a baby and another's kid had chicken pox. They even ask if I've been okay if I haven't come in for a few days. It's really nice to see those familiar faces.

Not only do I see the same employees on the same shift, I see the same customers; I'm in the early group so I see the truck drivers fueling up delivery vehicles, nurses, whomever. We're the "have to be at work by 8am" group. I see teachers from other schools. I see the people who are getting off of 3rd shift. I see the grandma who takes her grandson to pre-school on Tuesdays so he gets a Krispy Kreme from the big glass case as a special treat on those days.

There's a small coffee shop in town and I can go in and they know my name and my drink. Several cashiers at Wally World know me (I'm ashamed to admit that). I can call the bank and two of the tellers recognize my voice. I even have become friends with a woman who used to work the early AM shift at McDonald's and she got a new job but we liked each other so much we stay in touch! And there are several restaurants in town who recognize me and can ask if I "want the usual"! My Pizza Hut delivery guy says hi to me when he sees me in public, and asks how my dad and son are!! (I think that means I have PH delivered waaaaaaaaaaay to often!) I won't even mention how personally acquainted I've become with people at the video store and the public library!

So, while I give living in a small town a rough time, and I clamour about the boredom of a routine, there's something nice to be said about seeing the same friendly faces over and over again.

Maggie

Worthless Layabout I am

It's already day two of Spring Break Week and my mind is already a blob. Does this happen to other teachers, too?

I don't feel like showering or talking to people. I have a good mind to just lay on the sofa and watch tv and surf the 'net. Anything that doesn't have to do with teenagers, including my own. I thought one day this week I would give him cash and the keys to the car and tell him to go away for the day. Yes, I realize that probably makes me a bad mother and sounds a little hard core, but I am trying to get my lazy alone-ness on!

I'll probably be tired of being a slug before today is over, though. Curley and I have lunch plans for tomorrow, and who knows what else we'll get into? And Mac has to go get his teeth cleaned (he's a sick boy- he's EXCITED about it!) I have to firm up a time to hang with Lilith, whom I haven't seen since Christmas! XRay Girl and I are going to do our thing- whatever that may be... a pedi? Food? Movie? Yes, yes and yes!

I also have some chores to do this week. I want to try and sort of "organize" the garage. I'm afraid if I use the word 'clean', I won't do it. By that same token, I also want to "organize" the attic where I live. Mac and I have to rake up some left over fall leaves from the backyard, too.

In the category of hobbies, I want to finish some knitting projects, my dress, and two quilts.

OMG- when I read this list, I have no idea if I have time to be a slug today. I'll need a vacation from my vacation! I'll need a week of doing nothing after doing all this!

Slugg-ary doesn't sound so bad after all.
Mags

Trip to the orchard- a very fall thing to do

I love to go to the apple orchard. Each autumn the one closest to me has an open house every weekend in Sept. and October. They always have different types of musical entertainment as well as cider making demonstrations, wagon rides, a variety of apples to sample, a corn maze, tours, and "u pick it" pumpkin patch.

When I lived in the Wild West I always missed my fall trips to the orchard. We never seemed to have anything like that at all- probably because where I lived skipped the season of fall entirely and went straight from summer to snow blizzards. Anyway...

Now that I've moved back to Civilization, I was pretty excited to go again. And it was a nice time. And just as I remembered it.

One thing I especially like is that every type of apple is available to taste. A visitor can get a knife and cut a slice off a "sample" apple. Each variety is labeled as to the flavor and use for that particular type of apple, as you can see from the picture on the left. You can read the card and if it sounds like it's worth a taste, you can cut a slice off of the apple in the plastic container. We bought a good cooking apple, that's also sweet enough to be a good eating apple called a Spartan. I'm going to make dumplings to freeze and put up some applesauce out of those.

The day I was there an amateur brass band was playing, which was nice. A guy was making cider the old fashioned way and letting people have a taste. Oh, one thing had been updated: the wagon rides. They used to be on a big old hay wagon pulled by a horse. Now, it's a low, flatbed trailer lined with bench seats and pulled by a John Deere tractor. There's also no corn maze this year; the field is a bean field this time.

I also like that there is more for sale than just bags of apples or pumpkins. There are also homemade cider, caramel apples, and apple butter- all made at the orchard from their fruits. Baked goods like pumpkin or apple pies, dumplings, and cobblers can be found as well a fresh honey made from the bees at their orchard as well.

Something else the orchard is offering this year is a little arts and crafts area. Local vendors can set up tents to sell their wares, but it's cannot be flea market junk, but craft type of things. Also a local high school has a little tent set up at the edge of the parking area where they make and sell apple fritters for a quarter. They make them in a kettle over a fire pit- very awesome.

It was a fun day and I hope to go back again in two weeks when the leaves have a chance to turn colors a little more. I'm also going to go for a wagon ride this time and maybe brave the pumpkin patch (I didn't last time because I was wearing flip-flops. Flip-flops are not pumpkin patch appropriate footwear- take my word for it.)

It's nice to have an autumn and find fall activities that I've missed! This is just one of many! This weekend I get to attend a REENACTMENT as a guest, not a participant this time! (Can we say "history nerd"?) I'm also going to a chili cook off festival and an arts/ crafts hobby show, all over the next few weeks. And I've been taking pictures so if you're interested in seeing some of the autumn whereabouts, check out my photo blog!

Enjoying the season change,
Maggie