I'll have you know that it's precisely 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night and I had no intention of writing a post for Sunday but then I decided to quickly write a really short post so I just hope you aren't expecting anything great because you're not going to get it. What you will get is run on sentence.
Before we get to David, a brief synopsis of how the rest of my week has gone. Fine. My week has been fine. Actually, our city got shoved into the next highest COVID category which wasn't very fine.
I'm no authority but I would make a bet that we're shut down completely again within the length of time it takes to move your clothing from the washer into the dryer - which translates to approximately 2 weeks for me which is why sometimes I smell musty.
That means ZOOM Christmas. In other Christmas news, I went to Dollarama today and managed to leave without buying any tacky-yet-comforting cheap Christmas chachkas. I left only with a salt shaker, the only 3 packages of fire starters left in the city and cheesecloth. And yes, I do make my own fire starters, but I like to have some of these on hand.
Now what were we talking about? That's right, David.
When last we met, I had made my new friend David. If you haven't met David yet, you'd better go read this post first. As you know, I had big plans to give him a few logs to chop. I rethought those plans. The truth is I'm out of kindling and have been so busy that I haven't had time to chop any. I thought if my new friend hinted that he needed something to do I'd have him chop kindling because - I really do need it and really don't have time to do it.
So I watched out the window. I'd check out the front door. I wasn't obsessive about it but I did do it every 7.5 minutes for 168 hours. No dice. My new friend had disappeared into the wind - or maybe into one of the many superhero sized piles of leaves I haven't raked up.
Then this morning as I was walking to my car to get groceries (one of the few things we're still able to do) up walks David.
We met in the exact same spot we encountered each other before and had a talk again. David is the perfect conversation companion. We are interested in the same things, we hold similar opinions, and he doesn't stand and talk for hours.
The conversation headed towards wood immediately because it is the fibre that bonds us. He asked if I'd been having fires and I said, Yes, I had actually, now that the temperature has dropped. Here we go. My opportunity I thought.
You know, I haven't had any kindling though, I haven't had any time to chop any. David, as it turns out, had just chopped kindling the day before. All kinds of it from dry scaffolding wood. David did not offer to chop any kindling for me, lol.
Which I saw as a good sign. I don't think David needs to be needed. Or pretend needed. I think David's life is probably pretty full and happy. It's now my opinion that David is just generous. Nice.
After we had exhausted kindling we started talking about fire starters and chimney cleanings. He mentioned he had just picked up a few fire starters at the local hardware store. I told him, I get mine at Dollarama, that I really like them and they're safe for chimneys. David has tried the chimney cleaning logs you can buy and deems them crap. So do I. I told him that I get my chimney cleaned once a year and maybe I should up it to two.
He thought No, once should definitely be enough. I agreed, I thought so too, the only reason I thought I should up it to two cleanings is that I had a terrifying chimney fire one year.
Oh! Me too! said David At 10 o'clock on a Sunday night.
Really? I blinked. That's weird. Me too. My chimney fire was at 10 o'clock on a Sunday night.
David didn't seem to think that was as cosmically charged as I did.
And then he asked, How's your mom?
Ohhhhh David. Betty is fine, lol.
She should come for coffee.
But Coronavirus, she can't! And you aren't supposed to even let anyone else in your house right now.
We'll sit outside.
When he saw this probably wasn't going to happen today we moved onto discussing Trump, the Red Lobster and shopping locally.
After 10 minutes or so we were both done and went our ways. Before leaving, David told me he liked talking to me, that it was a nice break. I told him I liked it too and then I got invited for coffee. Suck on that Betty.
The rest of the today consisted of digging up my dahlia tubers, getting a few groceries, possibly killing my sourdough starter by accident, going to the garden to pick lettuce and as I said, going to Dollarama.
Add in cleaning up the kitchen, washing pots from what I think is probably the entire week and making a coffee and we land here. Now 10 o'clock at night.
I forgot to mention. After running around all day, ruining my sourdough starter and lugging in the groceries something caught my eye on my front porch. It was a box.
David had left me a box of kindling.
I emptied the box, left it on the porch and placed 2 of my fire starter packets in it.
You have yourselves a good remainder of your weekend. Please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors, but I did warn you this wasn't going to be a very good post.
What I did this Week
Just some of the stuff.
How to Divide & Store Dahlia Tubers.
I got them dug up (in the dark) but I still have to wash and split them which I'll do tomorrow.
Heirloom Tomato Soup.
I know. Weird. I have all kinds of tomatoes that have ripened from green to red in my mudroom (these tomatoes are good, but typically don't have as much flavour.) So instead of turning them into sauce I think I'm going to make Heirloom Tomato Soup with them. Is that weird at this time of year?
The Best Christmas Gift Guide with Ideas for Everyone on Your List!
In case you missed it, I released my Christmas Gift Guide on Monday!
Angela
I've been thinking of David lately, and I see that it has been almost 2 years since this update. How has he fared 'this virus situation'?
Karen
Hi Angela, I haven't seen David in a while but as of a few months ago he was doing well and working out at the gym every day! ~ karen
Becky G.
1. Did David come back to take and try the firestarters?
2. How did you know you were having a chimney fire and what did you do to put it out? How scary!
3. Running out of kindling is the worst. This thing is the BEST. I go to my brother's house just to use his. It's so easy and doesn't take long at all: https://www.amazon.ca/Kindling-Cracker-Firewood-Splitter/dp/B01KKU8Z0Q
Becky G.
Haha, nevermind #3! I just saw your gift guide!
Sadie The Lady
Your blog just popped into my noggin' today and I was so happy to see that you're still going strong - used to follow you years ago - you are funny, insightful, kind and a great writer................and you just made my day!
Karen
Well you just made mine. So there! ~ karen
Tanis Halladay
What a lovely encounter with David. I know the Corona Virus Pandemic is perfectly awful, and terrible, affecting families, leading to deaths, and destroying the economy. But. For some people, it has really caused us to slow down, and get to know our neighbours, and question our priorities in life. I love to hear stories like yours of how people have come together despite of the pandemic, or even because of the pandemic. Stay healthy.
PMMK
Karen, David sounds like a treasure.
Karen
I like him. ~ karen!