I percolated some coffee last night. I’m not positive, but I think that was the first time I’ve ever done so when I wasn’t camping. While I do love the speed and convenience of my little pod-based coffee machine, there’s something about percolating that I’ve always like; and something nudged me to brew a pot when I got home last night. It was good. It’s also good this morning.
Spent some quality time lying in bed with the cats this morning. 5:15 came incredibly early, so I got up to feed the cats (Ocean Whitefish today – Boo was not pleased), then went back to bed for a few hours. I would dearly love to spend most of the day there – checked my sleep activity yesterday, and I haven’t gotten more than 7 hours in two weeks – but I’ve got a concert with the brass band at Kennesaw State this afternoon. Next weekend is also booked with band stuff, all NABBA-related rehearsals. Friday night, Saturday morning, all day Sunday. I suppose I should be looking forward to that. To some extent, I am; but I really just want a weekend with nothing planned. Preferably a sunny one (it’s raining again today and is forecast to do the same tomorrow) so that I could head for the woods and try out the new car-camping setup that I put together several months ago and have yet to try. I’ve got a new Napier rear-gate cover, similar to the tent that I’ve used for a few years, but without the tent. It just slips over the back of the car, and provides a screen window and a very shallow awning. Also picked up a couple of door window condoms – I think they’re supposed to be used to keep sun off of babies or something, but they also function as fast and sturdy door screens (to replace the netting & magnets that I’ve been using). The only thing I’m still looking for, to have what I think will be the perfect car-camp setup, is a kid-sized memory-foam mattress. The air mattress that I normally use is great, but I’d like to get something a little firmer and less prone to leaking.
Had a pretty decent day at work yesterday, although I learned in the late afternoon that the client who had previously sent a letter from their lawyer has now sent another. They’re unhappy. I get it. They want to get out of their 5-year contract. I get that, too. I really sort of hope that we just let them go. I’m tired of hearing their complaints, and I’m tired of them blaming me for stuff that I can’t control. I’m told that I’m not mentioned by name in this second legal missive. That’s a good thing, I guess.
Still thinking about retirement and how to go about it. It’s dawning on me that I may have to postpone it for a bit – mainly because of the cats, although if I can put up a big enough shack, they should be fine. Questions about pooping (mine, not the cats’) have me vexed for the moment. I know I’m hiking & camping guy, but I really don’t want to just have a composting toilet as my primary john. I’d be completely happy with a pit toilet in a separate shack, but if I do go to the place in SC that I’ve been thinking about, I don’t know if that would be allowed. If it would be, I’d have to find out how much it would cost to put it up. Understand that I don’t want just a hole in the ground with a wooden one-seater over it. I’d want a cement vault, as you might find in some decent wilderness campgrounds.
I’ve also decided that I want a hot shower, which my friends who’ve retired early have so far forgone. They’ve been bathing in a tub resembling a small horse trough and heating the water with a huge heating element. Yeah. No. I want hot showers on demand. Propane could do this, I guess. Or a tank-less water heater.
It’s basically all coming down to “what am I allowed to do, and what will the start-up costs be?” I’ll continue to work it out in my head and then start putting things on paper before deciding if and when I can actually take the plunge. It’s always in the back of my mind.
Today’s featured image, by the way, is – I think – one that I took during a weekend in Waukegan a few years ago. Amy and I spent a good part of an afternoon at a little coffee shop and took a shot of the wall. Or maybe it’s a stock photo, but I don’t think so. I can’t imagine why I would save it if it is. Nah. Pretty sure that I took it.
Since mentioning a few weeks ago that I intended to start walking in the mornings again, I have yet to actually do so. I’m usually dog-tired in the mornings. I guess that getting out of bed and walking for 45 minutes or so would help with that, but I just don’t have the energy or the desire to bundle up and go out into the (relative) cold. Maybe next week.
Well, I must do something productive before getting ready for the gig. Still working on the football site, and I have to figure out why the images from my migration blog aren’t showing up in my media library on this one.
Need to start taking back my guestroom, too. It’s still full of boxes that got thrown into it when Mary moved in. Really want to clean that room out and make it usable again. It’s a nice room.
