A MONOCHROME DAY
Winter returned today. The temperature this morning was 9 degrees Celsius. Rain showed up later in the day as did the fog which made the scenery appear to be monochrome. As I looked at the photograph I took of my second favourite tree outside my patio door, I noticed it could have been a black and white photograph. It was not.
Catalogues stacked in a pile stared back at me as I entered the room upstairs. I decided to go through them, record the ones I wish never to receive, and toss them in the recycling bin. The list I would use to call the companies to ask to be removed from their mailing lists. Not only is it a nuisance, but a waste of paper.
Most of the physical mail in my mailbox can be tossed but this morning I saw a purple envelope addressed to my daughter from my boyfriend. A card for her birthday which I will have her open when she comes to stay with me after school. The lemon cake she requested as her birthday cake I will make tomorrow whilst she is in school but I have yet to write the recipe. She also requested to spend her birthday with me - 'all alone', she said, without her brother.
After sorting through the catalogues, I went to the gym albeit later than usual. Then it was to the store to buy the lemons before returning home. Upon checking my email, I noticed my gas bill in my inbox. The amount on my screen shocked me and I wondered if there was a mistake. As I ate my salad, I waited on the phone to talk with a customer service representative at Texas Gas.
The customer service guy let me know the previous owners had a bill double the amount of mine last January. I attribute this high cost to the poor insulation and especially the cold coming from the windows, of which there are many. Once off the phone, I switched off my heating and decided to keep warm with my down comforter. Tonight, the upstairs was far too cold to bear, so I ended up turning on the heater. I wouldn't mind so much if the downstairs unit would work as I spend more time there.
Sometimes life's solutions seem clear as if in black and white. Other times the solutions are anything but clear. Instead they are obscured by the complexities of colours. In time, things will be figured out, such as the path to take which will lead me to the next step in this new beginning. Austin has been my home for the past almost ten years but perhaps the time has come to find a new place to live.
Today was a nice day due to the fog and rain. It brought with it a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Winter arrived and might stay awhile. My children are arriving soon too and things will once again be colourful as they tend to make my days when they are with me.
