Not to say “mourning.” One of the neighbors passed away this week, leaving a bereft spouse. Nice folks: it is a loss, for everyone who knew them.
Well, if you have to croak over, you couldn’t pick a nicer time of year to do it — not in central Arizona, anyway. Beautiful weather. Gorgeous day to be buried, if interment is your choice.
Unknown whether the widow will stay in the house — right next door to the Wonder-Accountants’ place. Can’t imagine what I’d do if I were her. As a practical matter, these houses are reasonably sized: not hard for one person to care for, and not so elaborate you can’t afford a housecleaner and a yard crew. I find this place easy to care for and pleasant to live in. But…well…if you had a miasma of memories to cope with, that might be a different matter, indeed.
***
In other sylvan realms:
Dare not leave Ruby the Corgi out in the front courtyard by herself. Just now we have a pair of coyotes roaming the ‘Hood. Saw them over at the park yesterday. One of them — to say nothing of two! — would make short work of the Short Stuff. 😉
Seriously: she wouldn’t have a chance to defend herself against a coyote. That’s one reason I don’t like to leave her out in the backyard alone: Our canine neighbors trot up and down the alley, and they could hop over that six-foot wall in a trice.
So anyway…Ruby and I are therefore loafing in the front courtyard, listening to the beloved Accountant neighbor working on his yard.
****
Meanwhile…serious loafing.
Probably not the most salubrious way to diddle away the day. Doing NOTHING led me to think about an old friend and colleague from graduate school, neither seen nor heard from in years. Stumble upon her name in LinkedIn. And yep! She’s apparently still teaching at Scottsdale Community College.
Urk! What a way to spend your life. How can I say how much I appreciate being so seriously without ambition that I haven’t spent the past 20+ years killing time and boring students witless at some junior college.
Have I done great things? Nope. Neither has she.
Have I been bored out of my mind for the past 20 years? Absolutely not!
Uhm…so…what HAVE I done?
Yeah, I’ve taught a few junior college courses.
I’ve published a pile of books, all of them through respectable publishing houses.
I’ve taught a fistful of university courses.
I’ve edited and published academic publications for that university. Also a PR publication or three.
I’ve traveled the world: Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific islands, Alaska, Mexico, the US..the US…and the US, Europe, the Middle East, on and on and freaking on….
And hey! I’m running one of the Great Blogs of the Western World!
😀
Wow! I had no idea you’d traveled so extensively. It sounds like you’ve seen a lot of interesting places.
My dad’s work took our family to Germany twice, for a total of about six years and I have fond memories of exploring it and surrounding countries, but they’re a child’s memories, as I was about ten years old when we returned to the States. I’d have loved to go back, and especially to have taken my own kids there, but we’ve never been in a financial position to do it.
If you were to travel now, where would you go? Or are your traveling days behind you now?