Happy Honing

One of my errands today involved a little self-care, but not in the traditional way you might think. My treat for myself was to have all my kitchen knives sharpened while I waited.

Yes! Ten knives while I waited. This new machine uses a laser scan and industrial grinders to restore a burr-free beveled edge to the knife blade with almost no material loss. Each knife takes 90 seconds or less, and it's all housed in a big, plexiglass cube, so you can watch the process as it happens. And? The machine was located at a hardware store about 3 miles from my house.

I am so excited to use them! Any cook will tell you what a great pleasure working with a sharp knife is. And now I have ten! Plus, I know just what to do when they lose their edge again. 

A Little M.O. for Trying Times

Some words of Mary Oliver ran through my mind as I walked Lucy today: 

Instructions for Living a Life

Pat attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

I think that's basically what I've been trying to do with this blog for the last 16 years, although lately, the astonishment piece has not been as positive as I like. So, as I walked, I remembered another Oliver poem, one that is almost like a prayer to me. In fact, it would be a good idea to say this every night before going to sleep or every morning before rising.

When I am Among the Trees 

Mary Oliver 

When I am among the trees, 

especially the willows and the honey locust, 

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, 

they give off such hints of gladness. 

I would almost say that they save me, and daily. 

I am so distant from the hope of myself, 

in which I have goodness, and discernment, 

and never hurry through the world 

but walk slowly, and bow often. 

Around me the trees stir in their leaves 

and call out, “Stay awhile.” 

The light flows from their branches. 

And they call again, “It's simple,” they say, 

“and you too have come 

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, 

and to shine.”

Jigsaw Puzzle as Metaphor

 

The outside edges are there, but the center just seems so hard to connect.

Mixed Review

In an effort to see most of the movies nominated for major awards at the Oscars this year, we watched The Substance with Demi Moore last night. At the age of 62, Moore has received her first nomination for the horror film which explores female aging and body image in general and in Hollywood.

I've always liked Demi Moore; she and I are the same age, and I think I've seen most of her movies, definitely her early ones. I thought back then that she was a generally underrated member of the Brat Pack, and I especially loved her in Ghost, but also in The Seventh Sign. 

I do not, however, like horror movies, especially contemporary specimens of the genre. I just don't care for the mandatory and, in my opinion, often gratuitous violence and blood. But even before the picture was nominated, I had heard and read a lot about it; most of the coverage focused on the social issue and Moore's unflinching performance. 

And those things were definitely there, but I just can't say I liked the movie.

On Brand

I noticed a billing issue with my Disney+ account, so I turned to the chat feature on the website for assistance. There, I was paired with an agent named Irene, who promised to get to the bottom of the situation. 

Here's the next part of our conversation:

Despite the mixed message, Irene resolved the issue a short while later. And I was grateful for her help.

Please Proofread for Meaning

I jumped when I saw it. Walking Lucy through the green spaces around and between the adjoining complexes of the neighborhood, we came upon a dead crow. At first, I simply pulled Lucy away from it, but as we continued on, I thought about how few dead crows we see, considering how many living ones gather in all the trees of the neighborhood all winter long. 

Then I thought of avian flu. I have been following the details of the disease loosely, but I know it is on the rise. The virus can pass between species, and so egg prices are skyrocketing, there have been several reports of contaminated milk, and some cats recently died after eating raw food made from infected chickens. 

I decided to report the crow to Animal Control in case they are testing for the virus, and I found a form on their website to report concerns. Thank you, my screen read once I had submitted. You will hear from us within 48 hours.

And I did. Today, I received the following reply:

Subject: Crow Concerned 

Hello, 

We received your email regarding the deceased crow found near the Windgate Condominium. We're currently not collecting any dead crows for testing. We are only picking up deceased animals that are considered rabies vectors. As precocious, for any deceased animal, do not touch it with your bare hands when disposed of. Thank you for contacting us.

I get it. Avian flu isn't a big thing, and I'm actually glad.

However, I must also point out that this flawed correspondence would not be considered worthy of a Mystery Shopper.

The Mystery Shopper

Here’s how to make money with a side gig and how long it will take to see the extra income was the subtitle of the article link I received in my email this morning. Despite appearances, the site was legit, and one of the suggestions was to become a "mystery shopper" for one of the several companies that employ such independent contractors.

My interest? Was piqued, and I spent an hour or so completing the orientation slideshow and taking the subsequent quiz just to see what the job entails. After acing the material, I was "hired" on the spot, but I found that, somewhat unexpectedly, every assignment comes with its own extensive set of directions and a quiz. There was also a lot of emphasis on making sure the reports are correctly written with specific examples and details, as well as submitted in a timely fashion. It actually warmed my English teacher's heart a bit.

It seems like shoppers can earn between 10 and 20 bucks a pop, although some gigs require you to buy merchandise that you can be reimbursed for (as long as it is below $10.00, unless you get permission to spend extra from the company contact for the job). 

For example, one nearby opportunity that is currently available involves going to an athletic shoe store, waiting for a salesperson to approach you, and then asking for a recommendation for a specific pair of shoes. The shoes are up to you, but there were suggestions such as I need some pickleball shoes, I want to run a marathon, but I pronate, or Do you have the shoes Taylor Swift was wearing at the Chief's game? 

Then, you had to try the shoes on, buy them, and return them the next day, all the while evaluating the store and the employee according to a detailed set of criteria that you can NEVER bring onto the actual premises with you. If you successfully complete that task, you will be paid 18 bucks.

But, as amusing as I found all the complicated directions and as good as I was at the tests, I just couldn't see myself actually doing the job.