#247 - Banana Pudding Dreams

We both slept in today.

No regrets. It was another perfect day outside. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the temperature was perfect.

I started the day off by fixing some painted backgrounds that needed some extra attention. I think the artist that painted them was in a hurry because the work was from a few episodes ago. Painters, like puppies, don’t like being left behind. We are all guilty of this.

I didn’t want to send the work back again, so I took it on for myself to revise. I was able to avoid any meetings today and let me get extra work done. Today was one of those days where I needed my full attention on what I was doing. Any disturbance from my concentrations was like getting gut punched in the head. Very disturbing and it takes a bit to get back into what you were doing before the interruption.

I had a simple breakfast of sourdough toast and a banana with a cup of earl grey. I wanted some eggs, but I was too lazy to make them. I played some videos while I worked and before long it was already noon.

We headed to the provincial park to take our walk. It’s our preferred area to take a stroll and when the sun is out it’s the best place. The trees give us plenty of cover and waking into the forested area you could feel the temperature drop about ten degrees Celscius.

And because the trail runs along the top of tall ravine, there is always a nice breeze to cool you down. There was a lot of spider webs and inch worm lines to walk through today. I spent a good deal of time wiping them out of my face. Even still, I prefer this walk over the regular trails behind our subdivision which offers no shade at all.

There were plenty of dogs and dog walkers about this afternoon and only a few cyclists. The number of people riding their bicycles has dropped from last year. Either all the cyclists are too busy right now, or they all found a better place to race around.

I brought my clippers with me to do a little trail maintenance if necessary. Right out of the car, there was a tree with thorny branches that crossed over head, but low enough that you could poke out your eye. I gave the branches a few quick snips and we were off on our walk.

The greenery was doing well, but there wasn’t much need for any trimming. At least until we got to an area of small trees and shrubs that gets a lot of daily sunlight. There is twenty-foot area that run along the sunny part and things grow well here. I stopped to give a few of the trees and bushes a snip, but it wasn’t too bad compared to other years.

There are more downed trees than the year before, and in some cases, it caused us to veer around them on a new path that was starting to get worn in already. Most of the fallen trees don’t provide to much effort to bypass and the extra movement and stretching is something I need more of, not less.

We returned to work reluctantly.

Robyn received a call from the tire shop to say her car was ready for pickup, so we made plans to get it around three to avoid the rush hour traffic. The shop closed at five and we wanted to make sure we could get there in time.

So after doing some more revisions it was time to drop her off. I admit that I was deeply focused on my work when she said it was time to go. My mind did not want to stop focusing on my work and it made me a bit grumpy for a few minutes. I quickly recovered, dropped Robyn off, and headed back home to get more work done.

I worked until four before I took another short break. I played a game of online chess as my form of stress relief. It changes how my mind is working for long enough for me to return to work ready to get back to things. I happened to win this game, but a slightly better player would have beat me as I made some silly mistakes.

I got some more work completed before the end of the day and spent the last ten minutes organizing myself for tomorrow. I sleep better when I get everything lined up for the next day.

My order of raspberry with rose water Perrier arrived today and I found it to be an acceptable flavour. It’s nice to have something different now and again. I’ve had two of them already so I must like a little.

The CD I bought my niece arrived today for her birthday as well and she texted me to say thank you. I hope she enjoys her Irish anxiety riddled, punk rock, emo music. I’d rather have my raspberry rose water flavoured bougie Perrier thanks.

I continued working while playing Netflix’s ‘Unchosen,” in the background. By five thirty I was ready to pack it in.

With Robyn’s car now fitted with summer tires, I could book my car in for an appointment to see about the intercooler leaking and my turbo that doesn’t produce any extra acceleration. It’s sure to cost me plenty of dough to get it repaired. But I don’t like driving the car without the turbo. It’s a gutless pig without the added horsepower. Terrible for merging onto the highway and just for general acceleration speed.

And if we are heading up to the new cottage in a few weeks, I would feel better if the car had more get up and go.

After making the booking we had laundry to put away. One of my least favourite things to do, but it must be done. We put on the Daily Show while we worked and then settled into watch the rest of the show. Jason Bateaman was the guest and Jogn Stewart was the host. It was obvious that these two knew each other and enjoyed each other’s company. They bantered back and forth like old friends which made for a better interview than you normally get on that show.

Bateman was flogging his new show DTF in St. Louis, which will be airing on HBO soon. I have to say that I have really enjoyed all his recent projects. The Ozarks and Black Rabbit were particularly good. I like when he takes things to a slightly darker place. Or as he called it, “…dark, but with khakis.”

I read a Mick Herron short story after that, and Robyn did a little reading as well. But it was too nice to sit inside, so I made my way out to the back deck to hammer away at me daily word quota. I do like writing in the early evenings, when the sun is still up, in the golden hours, and there is still plenty time left in the day.

 Robyn and the kiddo left to go walk down by the lake, leaving me here to write undisturbed. They will likely eat while they are out, so I ordered a burger from a place I haven’t tried before called Rosie’s burgers. I also got a banana pudding as well. It sounded like I’d like it.

I toured around the garden, as I do most days and things are growing well. The transplanted ferns seem to be happier with a little more sunlight. And the donated Bleeding Hearts is looking healthy. There are hearty plants anyways, so I wasn’t too worried about them.

After work tomorrow, I am going to stop by Home Depot and see if they have any more Lemony Lace bushes. I like to add more perennials every year and so far, all I have is the donated Bleeding Heart. And not to knock a Bleeding Heart, but they aren’t my favourite plant.

My peony plant, which I have had for years looks like it might actually bloom this year. What looks to be a bud is forming on one of the branches. It would be amazing to finally get a flower out it. The plant is the largest it’s ever been and looking full of vitality this year.

And my So Van Gogh Siberian Iris is doing amazing this year with at least seven to eight blooms. And it’s as tall as I’ve ever seen it. I might need to move it further back if it stays at its current height. It’s sitting along the front edge of the garden bed at the moment.

My roses are coming in nicely, and the cutting I took last year survived the winter and is beginning to grow well.

The order from Rosie’s Burgers arrived and the burger itself was okay. Nothing wrong with it, but it wasn’t meaty enough. And it has a sauce on it that I wouldn’t get next time. The crinkle cut fries were nice and crispy even after a ride in an Uber. The big star for me though, was the banana pudding. I could eat that again. Maybe even share it because it is rich and decadent, yet light and fluffy at the same time.

I’m glad I only got the small pudding. I couldn’t finish it after the burger and fries. Luckily, it comes in a resealable container to save for later. And I will be back later.

The texture of the pudding is a little like that marshmallow stuff you can get out of a can. And with the graham cracker crumbs and real slices of banana it would be hard not to like this. You’d have to be a bananaphobe. Or Antifruit.

Kiddo #1 just sent us some artwork she did that she made into stickers to sell. She has a really good colour and design sense. I hope she gets to use it as the year pass and the uncertainty of the animation business continues. Anyway, I am proud of her for putting in the effort to make the products, source out the printers and have a bit of fun with her friends as she does it.

I stopped to take a short break to rest my back and to soak it in some hot water. The bubble spa machine to the rescue once again. My laptop needed to be charged up as well. So, win, win.

My back started acting up yesterday, so I am being a little careful with it this evening. Last night I woke up at three AM in it was twinging depending on how I moved. I gout out of bed and headed into the ensuite so I would wake anyone while I stretched and groaned.

There also happened to be a full bottle of Advil in there, which I partook of toute suite.

Both things seemed to help. I was able to get out of bed sans the noises of a dying ox and managed to maintain my dignity. I popped another advil in the morning after brushing my teeth and it didn’t give me too much trouble. I could feel the muscles were stiff when we took our lunch hour walk, but it didn’t hurt the entire time.

I think the long writing session I did on the back deck might have been why it started to hurt again. I have to be careful of my sitting posture.

And where was I this evening? Writing on the back deck, sitting in the same chair and in the same fashion. Masing those keys and not paying attention to my posture.

I’m a bad sitter.

That’s all there is to it.

I fired up the massage gun and drilled it into my hips, buttocks and lower back. The pain seems to run up the right side from ass to the middle of the back.

I give my myscles another quick go over now that I am warmed up from the tub and swallow another Advil just to make sure I get a good sleep.

The perils of aging.

But I think this is all for today. I’ll finish the night with my sleep aids and a little light reading before throwing in the towel.

I want to go to sleep around ten thirty do I am fresh as a daisy for my seven AM wake up.

Until tomorrow.