The carpet estimator will be here this afternoon to take measurements. Really hope they can install it on Saturday instead of next week! 

There is so much change yet so much repetition online that sometimes it drives me crazy. Sites change layouts and features faster than I change clothes, yet people still want to talk about the SOS. Even if it’s something I like and can relate to and understand well, hearing the SOS gets old after a while, but I guess that’s just human nature and I know I can get a bit repetitious myself. 

Becky, my VH sister in the east, commented about a new Facebook layout but it looks the same to me. Figured they’d change it any time now. Just when you get used to one layout, they go and they change it. I’m there less and less these days and that’s part of why. I like sites that jump on their glitches as soon as they’re aware of them. Facebook will wait until the next upgrade to maybe fix things. 

Went out walking and running this morning just after dawn. Passed an older guy further down my street and exchanged hellos. At two different locations, I passed a group of 3 women also out walking. Then I passed Bob, who was carrying a bag. I couldn’t tell what was in it. I just didn’t expect to catch him on that particular street because it wasn’t a bordering street. Maybe he was bringing some tomatoes to someone. 

So then I’m just about finishing my usual running/walking route when I spot what I think is Bob coming around the corner and onto our street. I said, “Wow, you made it back to home base fast.” 

But then the guy’s brows wrinkled with confusion and he said, “What’s that?” and I realized it wasn’t Bob. He introduced himself to me as Jim, and I remembered that he and Tom once met. The problem with a lot of these old gray guys is that they all look the same. There are a few exceptions, though. The guy across from Bob is huge and so they’re easy to tell apart. I don’t take my glasses with me when I run and so people’s faces are fuzzy, and forget about reading the time on my iPod or anything like that. 

Anyway, Jim planted tomatoes too, had a heart attack in 2000, used to run until he turned 85, and asked me how I like it here so far. I love it, I told him, I just wish it were a little less landscape-happy. 

Really, I didn’t tell him this much but I wish they’d designate just two days a week for that for both the park and the individual homeowners, but I know there is too much park and too many homes to get it all done in just two days. A little traffic-happy in back too, but I otherwise love living with old people and it’s nice to finally have quiet neighbors after 28 years of what’s been mostly chaotic, loud, rude, inconsiderate and obnoxious neighbors. The only thing they do next door that can get annoying at times is pull the SUV out of the garage in the mornings and slam its doors without actually going anywhere. Like they’re loading something into it. I still think they may own a store or business of some kind. With a minimum of 3 trips out, even on weekends, I find it hard to believe it’s all about doctors and tomatoes. They’re both doing something out there now by the front and I hear something in the garage, too. Maybe they’re planting new trees and flowers? 

Both Jim and Bob mentioned being annoyed by the freeway depending on the direction of the wind, but freeway noise doesn’t bother me unless someone’s blasting a stereo when they go by. 

Anyway, Jim told me that going around the circle 10 times is 2 miles. That’s cool to know. He and Bob are both in great shape and they’re also slender as well. 

Poor Andy. The bitch in the house next door with the mutt got a new puppy and it woke him up at 8:30 after not getting to sleep till 3:00. I have suggested a sound machine many times, but he obviously doesn’t want one. 

Ok, next door, will you please go somewhere now if you’re going to open and slam your SUV doors? Yeah, now I’m getting a bit annoyed. Eh, it’s going to be in the 90s today. That’ll burn them indoors. They’re definitely morning people anyway. Yes, I’m really getting annoyed now. They’ve never slammed doors like this before. If they were loading shit into their vehicle it would be nice if they just left the damn door open until they were done. 

Back to Andy if they’ll stop distracting me. The kid next door cried for an hour the other day. Again, I don’t understand why he can’t put on some music or something to drown the thing out. He said the thing’s favorite song the mother plays it is This Old Man, but that day nothing seemed to shut it up. 

An older lady in Michigan asked for my help coding her diary with her own tracking code… OMG, this is driving me crazy! Will you guys get the fuck out of here? I wonder if this would wake me up if I were asleep? 

Anyway, some guy’s setting up a diary site similar to the old OD site and it’s in total disarray because it’s new. She offered to give me her PW to set it up, but as I told her, she didn’t have to go that far. It was simple enough. Just a pain in the ass, since you have to code each individual entry. She cracked me up, though, saying that after I showed off my “mad Mac skills” she wanted to take that opportunity to ask for help. Another Michigan follower asked something else and she noticed my response to her. She asked about inserting special characters and I told her that Macs have a thing where you hold down the letter you want to make special and up comes your options for that letter. 

Oh, good fucking riddance! After nearly an hour of intermittent slamming, Virginia just left. Hopefully, Bob will be a good boy and either stay quiet or go inside.