Friday, May 5, 2017

Thoughts For A Friday Evening

Hello, dear reader. I would like to apologize for the recent lack of posts. I've been busy with several different things. I do have a rather detailed post that I want to revise and edit before putting it here for everyone to see.

In the meanwhile, here are some odds and ends that really don't fit anywhere else.

1. I had a good workout earlier today. I walked a mile without stopping to rest in thirteen and a half minutes. To put that in perspective, that's just a minute and a half longer than it took me in the spring of 1984, when I was timed in gym class.

2. It was sixteen years ago that I cooked an authentic Mexican meal for the very first time. I did it for myself, my late wife, my cousin, her daughter and her daughter's best friend. The food came out really well, and after we ate, we all went bowling. It was just an all around fun time.

3. The weather in this area has been bad for several days. We've had a lot of rain, with daytime temperatures ranging anywhere from five to twenty degrees below normal. The forecast for early next week calls for light snow on Monday or Tuesday. The latest I can remember ever seeing snow in spring is the third week of April. The rain and gray skies are something I can handle short term, but once we pass a full week, which we will tomorrow, it's just so depressing.

4. I bought a pair of Levis blue jeans six weeks ago and I would like to find at least two other pairs of the same exact design. These jeans are both the most stylish pair I've ever owned and the most comfortable.

5. I was in the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City yesterday at a little after 1 in the afternoon. The mall was so empty it shocked me. That mall has lost a lot over the years. It no longer has a movie theater. It no longer has a McDonalds or a Burger King. The CVS closed last year (or the year before, my memory is unsure) and Macy's closed earlier this year.

 I went there to try to find a good kitchen knife from the house wares section in the Burlington Coat Factory outlet, because I'd been able to do so before. Again, shocked is the only word that fits for how I reacted. Literally half of the store has been walled off and is sitting empty. Their selection of merchandise is not anywhere as extensive or as nice as what I'm used to seeing.

I walked out of the store without buying anything. I walked to where CVS used to be, wanting to buy a copy of our local newspaper. I had forgotten the store was closed.

So, in a half hour at the mall, all I bought was a milkshake from the Carvel stand. It was reasonably priced and tasted really good. But wow, except for that, what a waste of time the whole excursion turned out to be.

They say that the retail industry in America is fading, and I believe it. I'm sad to see that happen, because once upon a time, I made a decent living working in retail.

6.  My wishes go out to you for a good weekend.

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