When Last we Left Our Heroine

I opened up the back of my Dell and blew dust and cat hair out of it and used that wonderful can of compressed air that freezes to your hand and that seems to have done the trick. The fan still hums, unlike my work computer which is quiet. But the tower has pretty much hummed since I've had it. It will be four years old at year end so I'm sure Ill be due for a new one. In the meantime I think I need to get myself a zip drive to save and back-up all the shit I think is important to save but probably isn't.

Last Friday I took the Day off and road tripped with mama IG. We headed down into Litchfield County CT to White Flower Farm. My second trip to Connecticut in 8 days. I grew up where NY, CT and MA meet. My home ski area of Catamount where I spent most of my teen winters would see me skiing across the NY/MA state line and back. Litchfield County is that NorthWest corner of Connecticut where it meets NY and MA and is full of charming little towns and prep schools.

I had some ideas of what I was looking for but the day was miserably cold and rainy and flowers weren't on my mind. Plus a lot of the plants weren't blooming yet and its hard to buy something when you have an idea of what you want it to look like but aren't sure it will grow into just that. But Tomato-mania was going on and I did buy some tomato plants, actually about 4 or 5 different varieties. I got some nice San Marzano plants which are great for "gravy" aka sauce another type of Roma tomato, a yellow tomato plant and some regular old Beef steak type tomatoes. I also bought pepper plants and herbs (dill, basil (regular and purple), and sage and a Rosemary tree.

Now, my mom and I are very good friends and very close but we are two very different people. I am not sure if it is her age or what but she has this awful habit of talking about people she sees like they are invisible. For example, we were seated near the french doors of Tosca grille on Mothers Day. A man walks towards the door, kind of heavy and he's leaning forward as he walks and kind of shuffling. He's like right in front of the table and my mom says...."See that man?" I immediately cringe and give her the look and mutter 'Mother, people can hear you!" I'm thinking she's going to be critical about his weight but instead she says. "No, he cant. and I wonder if he has spinal stenosis?" . My mom has been diagnosed with it but it hasn't effected her yet. "That's how people get when the stenosis gets bad"

I am happily cavorting in the rain looking at tomatoes and herbs (not the smokeable kind you potheads out there) and my mom is complaining that I told her to leave the umbrella behind in the car. Anyway she comes out from under the tent to look for some tomatoes herself. She announces: "I want a patio tomato" and "Do you have patio tomatoes". One of the worker bees, a woman about my age or so, brings her over to the regular tomatoes and says any of these varieties would be good. They are early tomatoes (meaning they have a shorter time to maturity which means to the table quicker and better for a short growing season like we have in the NorthEast). She points to one and my mom snorts. "UHHH, I won't buy anything that says BUSH!!! " I had to stifle a huge laughter because the woman's mouth just about fell to the grass. I looked at my mother and said. "Good one mom, you know we just happen to be in Republican territory (Litchfield County is horsey rich, second home to NYC executives country)."

Later that weekend I am catching up with Snake. I'm telling him about my road trip with mama and make this statement. Well shes not really a bad driver but this is what she did -She takes her hand off the steering wheel on a rainy day to dab her lipstick and I see the guardrail on my side looming very very close to my window on a twisty part of Rte 8 near OTis. And I have to tell her how she should have two hands on the wheel (I want to live to see another day!) So, Snake says to me.. IG that does not make sense. You just said she gets sidetracked just like my father does and my father is not a good driver therefore your mother isnt a good driver because she doesnt keep her mind on the driving. I immediately felt like I had to defend my mother till I realized he was right.

On Sunday I run into my old neighbor Terry who has just retired. He tells me his wife is driving him crazy as she will always say. 'Do you remember....?" and Terry tells me he looked at Linda and said. 'Linda, I'm a man we invented Instant Replay. I cant remember what I had for lunch and you expect me to remember something from last week?" So I look at Terry, and chuckle and say. "Well, men are like dogs Terry you only have a small 200 word vocabulary. I totally realize that when we women start yapping you men shut down after about 5 sentences."

After chatting it up with the retirees: Terry and Snake and exchanging some emails with Rob in California who told me he liked what we were doing on Coventry but he wasnt going to listen to that Franti dude because he cant stand him, I was left wondering and thinking about how does this all work with men? How is it that we ever find that common denominator. And I already no that one or more of my male readers is going to type into a comment the answer is..........