SLO MO

Is anybody getting tired of seeing photos of the woods on my property?

Good Gawd - everybody raised their hand! You'd think some people would have lied just to humor me.

Well, you won't have to worry about seeing any more photos after today. At least not for awhile. The autumn foliage is fading fast and nearly gone. 
And
my digital camera batteries died. There's no way in hell I'm going to venture to town to buy new ones. It used to be easy in Texas when I lived half a mile away from WalMart.

Here in the Tennessee wilderness, going to town is a major excursion. I need pack mules and Indian guides. The very thought of the ordeal sends shivers up (and down) my spine and transports my delicate psyche into hitherto unknown regions of anxiety. 

Come to think of it, I'd better go before our eight month winter sets in. If it's going to be anything like it was last year, it won't thaw out until August.

I initially and mistakenly thought Tennessee had mild, brief winters. When I saw ice floes and penguins last March, I started to get worried.

  Presently the weather has been unseasonably warm for November. It was near 70 degrees today - and all the annoying insects have canceled their winter reservations to Acapulco. I'm presently plagued with aggressive wasps and rampant Asian beetles. Or Japanese beetles. Whatever. They're like ladybugs on steroids, with an attitude.

Slo Mo?
My entire life seems to be unfolding in slow motion. Like I'm treading quicksand. I'm in a perpetual state of lethargy. It takes me forever to do the smallest tasks and I have no semblance of energy or enthusiasm.

A quick reverse:
In California, in my mid-twenties. I was a music major and also a student piano teacher at college. At the same time I was an accompanist for several instrumentalists and numerous singers. I was also giving concerts throughout Southern California. As if that weren't enough, I was balancing two relationships - one in Los Angeles and one in Orange County. And I still found time to attend operas, ballets, plays, parties, and go bar-hopping.
In essence, my Dance Card was full.

Nowadays,
it takes all my energy just to clean the cat's litter boxes. When I'm done emptying the shit, I have to sit down and catch my breath. What the hell happened?? Old age is a bitch and a half.  

By the way, if you've never heard of a dance card, you're too young to be reading this blog. 

I am, admittedly, making some progress in the mountainside shack. I've cleared out most of the junk and arranged things to make the place livable. I'd call it progress. Trying to fit 4,000 sq. ft. of stuff into a 1200 sq. ft. house was no easy task. It took months of intricate maneuvers.

The garage still looks like an explosion at a Dollar General store, but I'll eventually conquer the rubble. If I live that long. 

And, I might as well admit it.
It's not easy living with three rambunctious cats, especially in a small place. They sap much of my time. I can't even rest in bed. Bosco and Scruffy sleep with me. Scratch is jealous because she wants to sleep with me.
  
Hey, I remember a time when hot sexy people used to scuffle over wanting to sleep with me. My descent from the top has been swift and cruel......

This post is too long. I'll take my leave before you start throwing rotten tomatoes.


For those who can't get enough, you can always visit my photo blog at:
Cabinet of Curious Treasures