Midweek musings

• One of our new sets of neighbors has a garage full of tools and building supplies. They work in it at various hours of the day, and recently have started being mysterious about it. I went outside one day with the dog. The man was inside the garage using some sort of loud, high pitched tool, and when I got closer to the street he stopped. He appeared in the entrance of the garage for a minute, and then he disappeared, the garage closed and he resumed using the tool. I wondered if he had closed the garage because I was closer to it, but I didn't give it much thought. Until my husband brought it up this week. He said that every time he takes out the dog they close the garage. That night, it was after ten, the couple was working out in the garage, and we decided to test them. I watched from the darkened kitchen window while Tom and Elliot strode down the driveway in the dark. They had just reached the street when the woman came out of the garage as if heading to her car. She immediately turned around, spoke to the man in the garage, he came out to stare at Tom and the dog, and then both of them retreated to the garage and closed it. It took all of three minutes. We have introduced ourselves to the couple, but they are very standoffish and apparently have no interest in being neighborly. They also own a white utility van. I'm keeping my eyes on them.
• I have decided that my new constructive project this fall (because my others aren't enough) is to weed out and purge things. After moving my old living room furniture into the Steelers room instead of just getting rid of it, I feel cluttered. Walking through the room thinking of things to get rid of or move, led me to my file cabinet full of old memories that won't mean a thing to my kids. I have my mother's stuff. I have her parents' stuff. I have too much stuff. Ninety percent of the "stuff" in our house belongs to me or my descendants. My husband's childhood stuff literally fits in an Amazon book box. My childhood stuff is in containers in the garage, my closet, Madison's closet, the Steelers closet, our hallway closet, and my file cabinet. I have to downsize. It will be my fall project. 
• All of the things that my mother did that annoyed me I have started doing. I catch myself. I hear myself. Little things. Like drinking water from a bottle. I hated the way she did that, and now I realize I do it the same way. I think she may be possessing me.
• High school homecoming is coming, and my kid is already prepared. Last week she decided that she should cut her prom dress and turn it into a short dress that she could wear for homecoming. She also figured she would get more wear out of it short than long. I agreed. She went to grandma who is currently working on doing just that. But just in case she didn't like it she bought another dress. And some shoes. And some make-up. I keep reminding myself to embrace this time.
• I'm behind in my birthday shout outs. I think I need to change up the format.
• I worked a full day yesterday on trying to get my new Iphone synched with Itunes. I had no idea there was a new IOS download until I was in the middle of downloading it. That's when I found a million articles on the Internet warning Iphone users to beware. Luckily for me, I had done everything right, and had no issues. It was all done by accident. Whew.
• I can't text the college kid. When she doesn't respond in a timely manner I text again. Then when she doesn't respond right away I freak out and imagine all sorts of horrible things. I keep telling her, "Kid, I spent the summer with you. I know how attached you are to that phone. How hard is it to text back one sentence? Suggestions: I'll get back to you later. Love you. Thanks. You're the best. Talk later. In class. Boo. I told her from now on I'm not texting unless she texts me first. That lasted a few hours. I mean, I had new Steelers emojis, and we had won, and I knew she wouldn't be keeping up on that, and yeah, I texted her. She responded back right away; "Love you. Yay! See how quick I responded?"
• I'm on the association board at The Condo. Don't ask me why or how that came about, but as secretary it is my duty to do the agenda for the meeting. I also am suppose to post the agenda and the meeting time on the association board by the mailboxes. The other board member who lives on the property use to do it, but she informed me it is my job to handle the posting, and oh, her printer is on the fritz. So I have to write the agenda, print it, and DRIVE THIRTY MINUTES NORTH to post it, and then turn around and DRIVE THIRTY MINUTES HOME. When I suggested that I send it to a neighbor who would print it and pass it on to the member with the irrational printer to post, I was told no can do because it was ASSOCIATION BUSINESS. I just didn't even bother to respond to that. I mean, really? She can't post an agenda that she will be reading when she goes to get her mail? I seriously don't make this stuff up.