I suppose that it was just after 9:30 p.m. last evening when I put myself to bed after watching just one episode of a T.V. show. I was suspecting that it might be possible that my younger brother was not going to come home from wherever he was drinking, but I did not wish to chance matters by sitting up for a second T.V. episode.
As it was to prove out, my brother did indeed stay overnight at the home of his girlfriend Bev.
I wanted to ensure that I would feel up to getting away in the early morning on a walk, so I did my best to remain in bed overnight for as long as I comfortably could. However, after checking the time at 3:22 a.m. and finding myself every bit as wide awake 20 minutes later, I decided then to get up.
A mug of hot, black instant coffee was in order.
I felt more weary than I did the morning before, and I found myself still suffering from the exertions I experienced on that early outing.
Perhaps because this morning's outing had no true purpose like yesterday's did, I was rather short on motivation this morning. However, I did have my brother's monthly expenses reconciliation cheque to deposit, so I at least had that as a goal beyond the mere exercise of being out walking.
I never left here until something like 6:22 a.m., and basically invented my route as I walked. Ultimately, I benefitted from a round trip of no less than five miles.
I had decided that I would see about doing some produce shopping at the No Frills outlet four blocks from here as my early morning's final accomplishment. The store supposedly returned to its former 8:00 a.m. opening time after having adopted a 9:00 a.m. opening over the past couple or so months due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, so I was targetting myself to arrive there very soon after that earlier opening.
And I succeeded ─ I made it to the store within 10 minutes following its opening, espying a woman already enter it as I was crossing the shopping plaza parking lot.
The store has an outer set of doors, then a small vestibule where one often finds the latest flyer and some shopping baskets conveniently piled, and then a set of inner doors.
There was a male employee in that vestibule fussing with the shopping baskets, and rather blocking my way to the second set of doors. The young South Asian fellow was garbed in the dark outfit that seems to serve as a sort of store uniform, and he may have had the word "Security" across his back in white lettering.
Upon my entry, he essentially mumbled something of which I thought I could only pick out the two words "employees only".
So I pointedly enquired, "Employees only? Until when?"
According to the store's Facebook page which I had earlier checked, the store was to have the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. reserved as "dedicated shopping" ─ an hour exclusively for seniors and those customers with mobility and compromised immunities.
At my questioning, the employee mumbled something that this time was entirely incomprehensible to me.
Now, my left ear has been blocked or partially deaf since early last year when I suffered what I self-diagnose as being a bad flu infection, and I now have a lot of trouble hearing what people are saying. That ear was actually my superior hearing ear ─ thus, its decline has been quite a debacle.
So I know that I was largely at fault in this situation, but the employee was definitely not speaking at all loudly or clearly.
As he spoke whatever it was that he said that second time after my questioning, he pointed toward the smaller pile of shopping baskets. I looked at them, trying to figure out what he could possibly be intending to convey.
However, nothing twigged. And I was beginning to take offence ─ perhaps the young fellow did not actually consider me to be a senior (I am 70 years old). I also happened to be dressed in a blue denim jacket and bluejeans, so I wasn't exactly looking classy.
As well, I was very weary.
I suddenly became awash with irritation at what I perceived to be the entire nonsense; and without a word, I just turned and stormed off for home.
I was so agitated as I headed away that I resolved that I would never shop there again.
I cooled off anon, but I have not actually shopped there in several months already ─ maybe even the entirety of the year thus far; so I might well continue with that trend for a long, long time.
I was back home by about 8:15 a.m. As yet, my brother was still away, and neither of my two stepsons had risen.
I found myself declining rather quickly, so I decided not to sit up uselessly just wasting time. By 8:30 a.m. I was back in bed, and I soon was enjoying a decently long block of sleep. It was 10:00 a.m. when I roused enough to be curious on the time.
It was time for one of my deliciously rich hot caffeinated beverages.
As I awaited the boiling of water in the kettle that I had set upon a stove burner or element, my brother finally showed up.
I know that he sleeps very poorly at Bev's home because she is a smoker with a dreadful recurring cough, so I wondered if he would be taking an early nap. Perhaps he was tired, but he held out on this occasion, and never did seek his bed until possibly into the latter half of the noon hour.
Meantime, I tried a little exercising, but I have of late felt overexercised, and yesterday's early outing is something I have yet to fully recover from. This morning's walk also seems to have added to the strain.
When I attempt some exercise, I feel like my body is set to cramp up, or maybe something will tear or snap ─ I feel so darned tight and stiffened.
And I feel weaker than normal.
I do not like this at all.
I had an early afternoon meal, and then returned to bed for another nap. This time, I was probably in bed for about an hour before rousing and checking the time.
The afternoon appeared to be predominantly sunny. Since I have not sat outside to bathe in the sunshine for several days, I decided to have a go at it. I changed into a pair of cutoffs and then went out into the backyard to slouch low in a deck or lawn-chair, taking off my shirt and placing my bared feet on the ground.
Beginning at 1:12 p.m., I spent just over 40 minutes in that relative posture, facing into the Sun. I experienced no cloud's passage, but there was an unpleasant breeze constantly kicking up.
Anyway, when I returned into the house, I found that my brother had already driven off for the afternoon.
oooooooooooooo
Oh, I've overshot things! I took a break and had more exercise, despite thinking that it might be impossible.
I only want to take the time now to post a few photos ─ beginning with this collage that Google Photos created just today from some that my wife took when she was in Rome just about exactly two years ago to visit a sister of her who lives there:
If I had the time, I would try and research just where that fountain is. Anyway, the very first photo in the collage at the upper left could be any of several that my wife took in quick succession, so I had to guess which of them might have been used in the collage.
Here, then, are what may be the five images that Google Photos used in the collage:
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