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Saturday, October 14, 2023

It's been a year!

Hard to believe--one year ago Kitty went to the  vet for the first time. One year ago I had no car and was resigning myself to scavenging for rides. I wonder where I was going with that. I stopped to make lunch and lost it completely.

I did some housekeeping this morning. I looked in every cupboard and found my stash of light bulbs in the second drawer I opened. I replaced a lightbulb that went into the lamp when I bought it, probably about 2018. It's been in use all day every day. These bulbs are crazy long lasting now. And cost fifty cents each to throw away at the recycling center.

First thing this morning, after breakfast and the cat station, I went to the local BMV and transferred my old license plate to the new car. The road hog. The beast. The Honda my dinner mates assure me will drive on and on and on. I've had Honda motorcycles, though never long enough to test super mileage. 

My brother Walt once rode a Honda 750 year round, through sunshine and snow storms. He was being macho, as only Uncle Walt could, and rolled who knows how many thousands of miles. He finally got tired of carrying groceries on the bike, and went back to a car.

The Honda gets its first inspection Monday, by a local car dealer that will be its forever mechanic if I am happy with their work. In fact, I am so far. I took the Subaru to them when lights came on and they returned with a list of which I was already aware; it came with the car when I bought it. To sweeten the pot, when I explained the Honda's complaints, they said they would come for it. That way they have a ground zero to work from.


We had a mild winter here last year. I have no sense of what this will be. Like finding a new DMV, I don't know my way around Portage County. It's still very more rural than Summit ever was. Sort of the Summit County of my childhood. The Atrium, where I live, was the Sea World hotel. I visited Sea World with my children, and later with my mother, and we never would have considered staying at a destination hotel.

I look down on this courtyard every time I go to the elevator. I see friends basking in the sunshine down there, through the summer and early fall. Now I am seeing lots of birds gorging themselves on sunflower seeds, from the several plants residents have furnished the little buggers. 

It seems they also find sustenance on the top of the table umbrella and even under the rain guard. Yes, those are little birds backing out. Perhaps it only had something to do with sparrows, who I believe will inherit the earth.

 

26 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    A year for Kitty already??? I can scarcely credit that... blink and it's gone... Hope the Honda gets a clean bill of health to see you through another year. YAM xx

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  2. Joanne, you seem to have settled in well; you, Kitty, new car, and all. Hope you stay well through the winter... and please, no falls!

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  3. A year? Already? I do hope this coming year is gentler. To you and to the world.

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  4. Happy Anniversary for Kitty's first vet session. Good luck with the car's check-up.

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  5. The Honda will serve you well. My neighbor, only buys Honda and he says they are very reliable. His last Honda van had regular maintenance and in 15 years only had one major problem. The backseat door stopped working. It certainly does not seem like Kitty has been with you for a full year.

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  6. Look at those darling sparrows. That is a very fine thing to look out upon when you go to the elevator.
    Good for you for taking care of car business. That's the kind of thing I hate to do. Well, I guess no one really likes it.
    Tell Kitty I said Happy Anniversary to her. I'm sure she'll appreciate that.

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  7. It's her gotcha anniversary! And I only reluctantly traded in my 20 year old Honda civic for a Fit, when the bodywork started aging out. The engine was still good. Never failed to start once.

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  8. Today I went to a free community service event where a group checks your car and lets you know if there is anything wrong. It's for senior citizens in the area and they check 30 things - lights, fluids, tires, etc. They were so nice and I'm glad my old car is not doing so badly!

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  9. Hope the car inspection goes well.
    It doesn't seem a year....
    Sparrows always go mob handed! Safety in numbers I suppose..funny to see them in the top of the umbrella...nesting or just hunting insects?

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  10. That seems like a delightful view.

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  11. Good luck with the car. You always wonder with an old car, don’t you? Just like us, they do have problems as they get older!

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  12. Hondas are indeed reliable - well the old ones have proven to be. Still waiting for results on new ones - you can't speed up aging.

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  13. Those birds intrigue me. I wonder if they are finding insects under there? It hardly seems possible that you've had your cat for a year. Honestly, where is the time going?

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  14. a year with Kitty already? doesn't seem like that long. watch out world, Joanne has wheels again.

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  15. I can't believe you've already had Kitty a year! Time really does fly. I would have said six months at the most.

    I hope your Honda gives you lots of miles and good service.

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  16. A year, I find everything going at a hell of a clip these days. My father had warned me of this and it's so amazingly true. I remember the years of my childhood crawling by.
    Well done on the kitty anniversary!
    XO
    WWW

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  17. This year has gone by so fast.

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  18. Interesting about the birds and the umbrella. I can't see the top of our umbrella so I wonder if birds go underneath to feast on any little critters that may be under there!

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  19. Wishing you great traveling in your car. I've owned Honda, Toyota and Subaru. Currently, I would say Toyota is better than the other two. That's just my experience. I believe the same model car can have different results for different people. I've heard people say it depends on which day of the week the car was finished. ???

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  20. Good luck with the work to be done on your car. And yes, time seems to go faster and faster the older one gets.

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  21. You’re right about the sparrows. They will sing gloriously through it all!

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  22. Sea World...i used to love that place, not being a ride person. The favorite spot for me and my daughter was feeding the dolphins. I don't think i even noticed the hotel since it was a day trip. I had no idea it was converted to Senior Living.

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  23. I am really astonished to read that you had your cat now for a year - time flew by! Good to have a car again - here I read on a selection poster: "The word for freedom in rural areas is - car!" Very true - I drive again.

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  24. I want to drive around a lot too, all year tound...

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