The Travels of Mattie

 Quite the impressive windstorm yesterday; thankfully, I missed most of it, as I was helping some friends set up (and then attend) a fundraiser.  It is vaguely incestuous, all helping each other with each other's charity work, but it is a good cause, and these things can use the money, so I suspect it evens out -- who among us is pro-cancer!  (Don't answer.)  Far as I could tell, I did not lose power, and the only damage was to the tree in front (I guess it IS dead), which lost some bigger branches.  When the ground dries a bit in the back I will add them to the compost pile, and I guess I have to get the rest removed -- it is suspiciously close to the house.

One thing yesterday -- I was bouncing from a couple of tables -- was how people were discussing the Trump/DeSantis battle.  It seemed (and it was maybe a third each and a third undecided) that those who liked Trump felt he best represented their message and that maybe he was cheated.  The DeSantis crew were more focused on electability, it seemed; that and those who were parents liked what he was doing with education.  This heartened me, since his push to victory will have to come from the suburbs, and if he is winning parents... 

I did notice at the OC today that the critter issue seemed to be less -- didn't hear them running amok, and yesterday we noticed less evidence of their presence, as well.  I think I will call the exterminator again and see if we can flood the zone, if you will; not saying I like it but we have the cash and the volunteers are for it.  There is a scent of death -- I suspect a couple ran afoul of the poison and died in the foundation.  Not the most pleasant of odors but I rather approved.  In the summer we can get some foundation work done and hopefully reduce this...

The Gonzaga loss means that all of my pools are officially in the dumpster.  Alas, as the Zaga one, I was the only one who had selected them, so... had they gone on, I would have been in the money round.   Alack.

So, today I went to pick up some clothes from one of our Polish parishioners -- she said she had several bags, which she did... she also invited me for coffee and snacks, which I accepted -- normally I don't -- but it was quite delightful.  She was a bit deaf, and English was not her first language (the few words of Polish I know should not be used around elderly ladies, I suspect), but we chatted about many things, and I daresay I made a friend!  I then went back to the OC with the "loot" (still no critters) and deposited them in the clothing room storage area...which was completely empty.  I have not seen it devoid of garments for years, so this was slightly unsettling, but also good -- the volunteers do a nice job of getting stuff or distribution and getting them on the racks, and our clients, of course, pick them apart (in the nicest manner possible).  I hate to say it, but maybe we soon will need another call for donations.