(no subject)
Been a busy month. I had what I'm pretty sure was a tonsillar abscess for a few weeks but it appears to have healed with antibiotics. I'm scheduled to see an ENT at the end of the week, but as there's nothing left for him to examine and treat, I'll have to cancel.
Shannon went to our annual SCA camping event on the other side of the Rockies last weekend while I stayed home. I hadn't really enjoyed the last couple of times (due more to internal reasons than external ones), so I didn't want to go this year. I did encourage Shannon to go on his own. Partly for his own enjoyment and partly - I admit - so I could have a few days to myself. I took the same time off as if I were going, but I didn't tell anyone until after the fact that I stayed home.
There are reasons for this. Some people seem to have the idea that being alone is a bad thing. I have well-meaning friends who would have started inviting me to go "do something" with them while I was on my own, apparently feeling that I might get lonely or something. Or they start asking what I'm going to do "for my vacation" and would have been appalled if I'd told them not much of anything in particular. Thing is, I like being alone. I need a certain amount of solitude or I get cranky. I can go "do something" with people any weekend; I wanted to revel in my utter solitude and not having to do anything at all.
So I did some sewing when I felt like it. I puttered and organized a bit when I felt like it. I read a lot. I played with the cats. It was great. I mean, I can do any of these things when Shannon is home, too, but somehow it's different when you know no one else will be around. I reveled in my solitude and didn't have to field any well-meaning attempts to keep me company.
This weekend the Thunderbirds were in town for the air show. The last time I saw them, I was 16 or 17 years old and working as parking security as a Civil Air Patrol cadet at Homestead AFB. Had a great view from the flight line, too. This time I didn't have to deal with any crowds at all; my mother-in-law lives right next to the airport on a gravel road. While most of her property is surrounded by trees, the grass next to her driveway has a clear view of the runway. So we set up our lawn chairs and snacks and got to watch the whole thing without the nightmare of parking and walking amongst some 30,000 spectators. It was an even bigger deal than usual for our little valley because Major Jason Curtis is a local boy.
Anyway, the air show ended this afternoon and now I think (not 100% sure) that they're taking a few days with their families up here. Whether it's the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels performing, that's how it usually happens. The families will arrange to meet them here and everybody gets to have a little vacation in one of the best places on earth. (I'm biased, I admit. :-)
In less happy news, we had to shoot a skunk last night. I don't like having to kill animals, but occasionally they become a problem and it needs to be done. This one had been driving off the outdoor cats, taking their food, and tearing things up. It had no fear of us at all, refused to be driven off, and in fact was a bit aggressive. There's also the possibility of rabies in skunks. So it had to go. We debated about live-trapping and releasing it, but its behavior meant it would likely just end up being someone else's problem instead. Now, when skunks are killed, you have to bury them quick because they completely release their scent glands and it's a lot worse than just having them spray. Their last revenge, I suppose. There's still a lingering odor at this point, but it's lessened a lot. The cats have also returned and seem much relieved at having their patio and food back. Daisy the matriarch had tried to challenge it the other night, but it was bigger than her and, as I say, somewhat aggressive. It had her cringing a little at one point, then turned back to gobble her food. At that point I stopped feeling sorry for it and would have fired the shotgun myself if I were a better shot. I'm not having that. The safety and well-being of "my" critters comes before other critters, up to and including Bigfoot. Exeunt Mr. Rude Skunk. May your departing odor serve as a warning to others.
Shannon went to our annual SCA camping event on the other side of the Rockies last weekend while I stayed home. I hadn't really enjoyed the last couple of times (due more to internal reasons than external ones), so I didn't want to go this year. I did encourage Shannon to go on his own. Partly for his own enjoyment and partly - I admit - so I could have a few days to myself. I took the same time off as if I were going, but I didn't tell anyone until after the fact that I stayed home.
There are reasons for this. Some people seem to have the idea that being alone is a bad thing. I have well-meaning friends who would have started inviting me to go "do something" with them while I was on my own, apparently feeling that I might get lonely or something. Or they start asking what I'm going to do "for my vacation" and would have been appalled if I'd told them not much of anything in particular. Thing is, I like being alone. I need a certain amount of solitude or I get cranky. I can go "do something" with people any weekend; I wanted to revel in my utter solitude and not having to do anything at all.
So I did some sewing when I felt like it. I puttered and organized a bit when I felt like it. I read a lot. I played with the cats. It was great. I mean, I can do any of these things when Shannon is home, too, but somehow it's different when you know no one else will be around. I reveled in my solitude and didn't have to field any well-meaning attempts to keep me company.
This weekend the Thunderbirds were in town for the air show. The last time I saw them, I was 16 or 17 years old and working as parking security as a Civil Air Patrol cadet at Homestead AFB. Had a great view from the flight line, too. This time I didn't have to deal with any crowds at all; my mother-in-law lives right next to the airport on a gravel road. While most of her property is surrounded by trees, the grass next to her driveway has a clear view of the runway. So we set up our lawn chairs and snacks and got to watch the whole thing without the nightmare of parking and walking amongst some 30,000 spectators. It was an even bigger deal than usual for our little valley because Major Jason Curtis is a local boy.
Anyway, the air show ended this afternoon and now I think (not 100% sure) that they're taking a few days with their families up here. Whether it's the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels performing, that's how it usually happens. The families will arrange to meet them here and everybody gets to have a little vacation in one of the best places on earth. (I'm biased, I admit. :-)
In less happy news, we had to shoot a skunk last night. I don't like having to kill animals, but occasionally they become a problem and it needs to be done. This one had been driving off the outdoor cats, taking their food, and tearing things up. It had no fear of us at all, refused to be driven off, and in fact was a bit aggressive. There's also the possibility of rabies in skunks. So it had to go. We debated about live-trapping and releasing it, but its behavior meant it would likely just end up being someone else's problem instead. Now, when skunks are killed, you have to bury them quick because they completely release their scent glands and it's a lot worse than just having them spray. Their last revenge, I suppose. There's still a lingering odor at this point, but it's lessened a lot. The cats have also returned and seem much relieved at having their patio and food back. Daisy the matriarch had tried to challenge it the other night, but it was bigger than her and, as I say, somewhat aggressive. It had her cringing a little at one point, then turned back to gobble her food. At that point I stopped feeling sorry for it and would have fired the shotgun myself if I were a better shot. I'm not having that. The safety and well-being of "my" critters comes before other critters, up to and including Bigfoot. Exeunt Mr. Rude Skunk. May your departing odor serve as a warning to others.