Oh, Hello Punkin!

Yesterday afternoon, I made a quick run to one of the specialty groceries nearby, and I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of pumpkin products!

In addition to pumpkin spice coffee, cold brew, tea, chai, and hot chocolate, there was also pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin brioche, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin gnocchi, pumpkin protein bars, pumpkin butter, pumpkin sheet cake, pumpkin spice chardonnay, pumpkin ale, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin cider, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin croissants, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin English muffins, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin pretzels, pumpkin dog treats, pumpkin body scrub, pumpkin bisque, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin yogurt, pumpkin samosas, and several varieties of pumpkins.

And that's just what I saw in my 15 minutes of shopping and 5 minutes of waiting in line to check out.

Get on deck, Peppermint. You are up next, and the bar is very high.

Supporting Role

Heidi had two old friends in town for a memorial service this weekend, and my being retired has really come in handy. Each of the three women was understandably feeling anxious: in addition to grief for their loss, there was traveling, hosting, preparing to speak at the service, self-consciousness for the changes that the years have brought, and dog logistics. 

Fortunately, I had all my time and attention to lend to making those things easier. The house was clean and ready, the shopping and cooking managed, my sympathetic ears were open, and I am currently dog-sitting a couple of neurotic pups. But it has been lovely. The ladies will be back soon, the weather is grand, the house is scented with (gluten-free) apple crisp, and there is actually a playlist of music purportedly composed to relax dogs.

It all works.

Missed Opportunity

"Where do they do the screening?" I asked when my doctor recommended a baseline cardio-plaque CAT scan.

"It's down in Shirlington," she told me.

"Oh! I know the place! Is it right by the car rental?"

She nodded. 

"Oh my gosh!" I continued. "I can't believe I'll finally be able to park in one of those reserved spots!"

"I know, right?" she laughed. "Whenever I'm down there, it's a battle to find parking, and those six spots are usually empty."

But? As excited as I was? In the end, I just walked down for the scan. It seemed silly to get in the car for such a trifle.

Perks

I never gave getting my COVID booster at the doctor yesterday a second thought. And when I had some leg aches on the injection site side later in the afternoon, I didn't make a connection. But when I woke up with chills, aches, and a splitting headache at 2 a.m., I started to suspect side effects. 

A dose of ibuprofen and another of acetaminophen a little later have taken the edge off, but I still don't feel good. Current situation: sitting on the couch with a blanket and a dog, sipping seltzer water and streaming TV shows on my laptop.

Boy, was I glad I didn't have to go to work this morning! 

>60

"Oh, good!" said the nurse practitioner conducting my annual wellness check when I mentioned that I was recently retired. "Maybe getting these screenings done won't be too inconvenient for you."

Her list was extensive: mammogram, bone density, thyroid, dermatologist, eye doctor, and colonoscopy, with an optional CAT scan for plaque. And really? Are any of those tests ever actually "convenient"? However, I can schedule them without delay or consideration for conflict.

"Just think!" she added. "Your wellness can be a retirement project!"

In-N-Out

I read today that the summer TikTok trend of "very demure, very mindful" has run its course and is over.

Well.  

I'm glad I met it on its way out the door.

Leave It

Judging from how much sniffing Lucy and Lady were doing up on the hill this afternoon, I reckoned that something big had recently gone down in the canine community. 

And when we saw the disembodied squirrel tail, I knew what they were on to, and we hastily made our way past the scene of the crime.