Paint & Hobo Dreams

I did manage to get some trim painting done.

Of course, half-way through, the phone rings. I reach for the upstairs cordless (yes, I’m so anal the little electronic message on it says “upstairs”) only to discover that it says “place on cradle. Oops, the extension cradle is normally in the hall and has been unplugged for a week… great…

Run downstairs and catch it going to voicemail and intercept it.

Mom calling to catch up and tell me about one of my cats adventures this morning. She began the story with Bear is okay – which was important. As she walked into the living room this morning to an overturned lamp and tangled curtains. Not realizing that the culprit was still there, she reached down to untangle the curtains and heard a pitiful mew. Bear had been playing with the draw strings for the blinds and got tangled in them. Luckily, he did not hang himself, just got them tied up under his front legs and couldn’t get loose. Of course, in true cat fashion, she said he walked away disdainfully as if didn’t happen…

While she was on the phone, I asked her about a story from Dad’s family that I remembered hearing as a child but my Dad’s sister didn’t recognize it. Not that I have tons of details. Just that I remembered hearing that one of my grandfather’s brothers had been something of a hobo during the Great Depression. It sounded familiar to her but not much more. Turned out my Dad was at hand, tho, and she asked him. He’s also hazy on the details now. He couldn’t remember for sure if it was his Uncle Rufus or Uncle Rufus’ son, Buster. Rufus was a half brother to my grandfather and a good deal older. Their Dad died when my grandfather was young and his mother re-married. So a lot of details are lost to us. The more my Dad talked about it, the more I think it was Rufus. Dad said whichever one it was traveled looking for work and sent money home to his family. He was what Dad called a working hobo – i.e. he was supporting his family not a runaway.

Okay, time for bed. Going to try to get up and get back on the treadmill. While I was painting, I slacked off again. But it helps the seasonal depression if I exercise. Oh, and I think I have my poor mans lightbox now. I found that several companies are putting out daylight bulbs now. I bought a set of fluorescent ones and have them in my desk lamp and in strategic places around the house. I wouldn’t quite say they are daylight quality of light, but they are close and there is just something about the light which is affecting me positively. ahhhhh… I may have to get one for my desk light at work.