Late Breakfast
Feb. 8th, 2025 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeBecause of the long day yesterday, I slept in until nearly 8 AM, which is very late for me. I decided to go ahead and have a weekend breakfast at the Wigwam, although the place is much busier then. To help reduce their capacity issues at that peak weekend time, I volunteered to sit at the small table they have near the window rather than use up one of the booths. (This also means I don't feel any pressure to eat quickly and leave. On weekends, I don't want to be rushed.)
Diagonally from me was a family of our: two girls and what I take to be their parents. One of the girls had very pretty earrings. At one point that girl sneezed, and the other one started to chew her out for not covering her mouth and was lecturing about it. This was about the time I was getting up to leave, and I put on my N95 mask and decided to go over and in what I hoped to be a friendly way said, "I didn't intend to evesdrop, but I heard what you were saying and [addressing the second girl] I'm glad to hear that you understand the importance of this." I then told them a short and edited version of how I ended up with the first airborne illness in five years at the lottery center back at the end of December. I finished by turning to the other girl and said, "An also, I want you to know that I think you have very pretty earrings." The parents did not appear to seem offended by either of my statements. The younger girl (with the earrings) seemed a little stunned and had to be prompted to say thank you. I pointed out my own little earring studs and said, "I just had these done three weeks ago." Both girls seemed fascinated and one said, "Is that emerald?" and I explained that it was peridot, my birthstone. I finished by saying something I've been saying a lot lately: "I may be old, but I'm not old-fashioned!" And the parents both laughed. I was a little worried about addressing anything to the kids, but I looked to the parents as I was doing so, and they didn't seemed bothered by the Old Guy with the Hat.
I walked to the post office after breakfast to collect the mail. (The renewed tags for the Rolling Stone, which is alas still hors de combat, had arrived.) As per the instructions from M-Spa, I was lathered up with SPF 70 sunscreen, was wearing my Jacaru hat, and kept my face mask on even outdoors to cover some of the most sensitive areas (i.e. where most of the laser work is being done). I may get a bandanna to cover more of my face when having to go outside during daylight. I am taking the warnings about sun exposure seriously, particularly given our 4000 ft / 1225 m altitude.
On the way back from the post office, I had a small crisis in form of an urgent call of nature. Had it come a little bit earlier, I would have popped into the donut shop and used their restroom and bought a single donut, but now I was is "no-man's land," and I started to think I wasn't going to make it home in time. Luckily for me, the Imerys Minerals plant has a portable toilet set up for the benefit of the truckers to serve the plant, and they don't lock it when they're closed because trucks come there at all hours, sometimes arriving and parking overnight. Whew!
I considered changing into my coveralls and old shoes in order to start clearing tumbleweeds and other noxious stuff from the fence between our two properties, but decided that while the temperature was good, I would be better served by doing this when the sun is not high overhead. Evening would probably be best, followed by pre-dawn twilight, although that's colder.
Diagonally from me was a family of our: two girls and what I take to be their parents. One of the girls had very pretty earrings. At one point that girl sneezed, and the other one started to chew her out for not covering her mouth and was lecturing about it. This was about the time I was getting up to leave, and I put on my N95 mask and decided to go over and in what I hoped to be a friendly way said, "I didn't intend to evesdrop, but I heard what you were saying and [addressing the second girl] I'm glad to hear that you understand the importance of this." I then told them a short and edited version of how I ended up with the first airborne illness in five years at the lottery center back at the end of December. I finished by turning to the other girl and said, "An also, I want you to know that I think you have very pretty earrings." The parents did not appear to seem offended by either of my statements. The younger girl (with the earrings) seemed a little stunned and had to be prompted to say thank you. I pointed out my own little earring studs and said, "I just had these done three weeks ago." Both girls seemed fascinated and one said, "Is that emerald?" and I explained that it was peridot, my birthstone. I finished by saying something I've been saying a lot lately: "I may be old, but I'm not old-fashioned!" And the parents both laughed. I was a little worried about addressing anything to the kids, but I looked to the parents as I was doing so, and they didn't seemed bothered by the Old Guy with the Hat.
I walked to the post office after breakfast to collect the mail. (The renewed tags for the Rolling Stone, which is alas still hors de combat, had arrived.) As per the instructions from M-Spa, I was lathered up with SPF 70 sunscreen, was wearing my Jacaru hat, and kept my face mask on even outdoors to cover some of the most sensitive areas (i.e. where most of the laser work is being done). I may get a bandanna to cover more of my face when having to go outside during daylight. I am taking the warnings about sun exposure seriously, particularly given our 4000 ft / 1225 m altitude.
On the way back from the post office, I had a small crisis in form of an urgent call of nature. Had it come a little bit earlier, I would have popped into the donut shop and used their restroom and bought a single donut, but now I was is "no-man's land," and I started to think I wasn't going to make it home in time. Luckily for me, the Imerys Minerals plant has a portable toilet set up for the benefit of the truckers to serve the plant, and they don't lock it when they're closed because trucks come there at all hours, sometimes arriving and parking overnight. Whew!
I considered changing into my coveralls and old shoes in order to start clearing tumbleweeds and other noxious stuff from the fence between our two properties, but decided that while the temperature was good, I would be better served by doing this when the sun is not high overhead. Evening would probably be best, followed by pre-dawn twilight, although that's colder.
no subject
Date: 2025-02-11 02:16 am (UTC)Sometimes, when you present as non-threatening and amenable, the reaction from folks is positive! I'm glad you had a good interaction with the girls and their parents!