I said no to the woman who offered me a volunteer role in my golf league. My back seized up mid-round, I could barely finish and now I’m popping blue buddies (Advil) while I rest at home for a few days. And they say there are no coincidences. Anyway, here’s my response:
“Thanks so much for thinking of me. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to say no this time around. I do understand the needs of our group and will consider volunteering in the future.”
She said OK, thanks for thinking about it. And many thanks to Retirement Confidential readers for the thoughtful feedback! Your advice, coupled with new evidence of annoying behavior helped me decide.
In golf, every hole has a mowed area where you hit your first shot. The tee box. Markers define the edges, and you stand behind an imaginary line between the two markers facing the target.
Yesterday I played with one of the big wheels in the first group, and she religiously spread the markers on each hole as wide as possible. I asked why, and she said lefties complain the hole doesn’t line up for them properly unless the markers are spread wide. I said presumably there are left-handed men, and no one shuffles their markers around, and she said, “Women are picky.”
I rest my case.
The Taste Test
For the finale to my first season as a gentlewoman cannabis farmer, I taste-tested my haul, and it’s very nice weed, indeed! This particular strain is called Jack Herer, known for relieving stress and producing a pleasant buzz. I’m always careful not to overdo it … just enough to feel the beginnings of a smile.
I put a seed in water today to germinate … this one is going in a 5-gallon pot with the aim of increasing my yield. Since I am still so new at this, I decided not to re-use the soil from my first grow. It’s probably just a matter of fertilizer, but I went with the expansion kit from A Pot for Pot.
Don’t mess with aunt bee
This morning’s newspaper had an article about a movie featuring Andy Taylor of Mayberry … being filmed in Indiana. Fans are furious they would film it anywhere but North Carolina.
Having lived in South Carolina, I am familiar with Andy Taylor, who was played by Andy Griffith in “The Andy Griffith Show.” The show was based in Mayberry, a fictional representation of Mount Airy, N.C., where the real Andy grew up.
The show is iconic in the South. The Carolinas, anyway. I remember watching re-runs in the chemo room at the hospital in South Carolina, where I was treated for ovarian cancer 21 years ago. Andy was always on, and it didn’t matter if you were black or white or had cancer or not, if you changed the channel you were dead.
Later, I complained about it to a co-worker. I said the worst of it was that sanctimonious Aunt Bee.
I can’t adequately describe the reaction. Shock quickly accelerating to outrage? Like how is that possible? What’s not to love about Aunt Bee?
It would not be completely accurate to say no one spoke to me again after that, but there was always an edge. Like, oh, yeah, you! What a great presentation smarty pants, but aren’t you the one who said you didn’t like Aunt Bee? It’s the kind of thing that follows you around.
My advice to the moviemakers. Suck it up. Go to North Carolina. Say nice things about Aunt Bee.
New Crime fiction
In the category of crime fiction, I recommend the first two books in what I hope will be a long series by Louisa Luna. “Two Girls Down” is the first, and the second is “The Janes.” The character is Alice Vega, a tough and brilliant young freelance detective who finds missing children. She partners with a disgraced former cop named Cap.
Alice is different than your run-of-the-mill female detective. Stoic is the word that comes to mind. Totally focused on getting the job done and not much interested in normal pleasures like food and sleep, she uses bolt cutters to take bad guys down. Bolt cutters aside, the violence is relatively minimal.
Hey there, fellow bass-ass retiree! I’m enjoying your blog. I write Carole Jean’s Capers and I live in Capitola near Santa Cruz. Where in Northern California are you?
Hello! I love Capitola! We’re in El Dorado Hills, just outside Sacramento and Folsom on the way to South Lake Tahoe. Heading over to check out your blog …
Ahhhh…was hoping you were closer so we could sit on Zelda’s deck and talk writing. I just read my comment – major typo! Bad-ass not bass-ass. I crack myself up! Distracted writer.
Hi Carole-Jean, I see I live near you. Nice to know there is a blogger nearby. I will look for your blog.
Dear Donna – the Aunt Bee folkloric is intriguing. Where we live in deepest, darkest South Devon, folklore is part of life. Such as, one of the persons buried in the local church cemetery is supposed to be a descendent of Pocahontas (who died in England). The main contender of course is King Arthur and you have to be careful what you say about him in the company of true locals, who will not hear of any doubts about him. Then we have the Mayflower 400th anniversary hoo-ha coming up later this year. No doubt you are descended from one of them?? BTW, we had our honeymoon in North Carolina, along with two teenagers! Fun. Alan
How interesting! When we lived in Germany, we used to say there were breweries older than the United States. With such rich heritage, you must have tons of great folklore.
I’ve done a bit of genealogical research on my family, and we are not descended from the Mayflower. My father’s parents came over on a boat from Hungary or thereabouts. My mother’s side was in America longer — my grandparents came over on a boat from Czechoslovakia or thereabouts. I say thereabouts because that whole region shuffled around a lot, and most of what I know is folklore from the family. Not a lot of hard facts to come by.
Interesting tidbits about Aunt Bee….Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee) was only 58 when she assumed the role of Aunt Bee, (seemed much older). Also reports have it that she was a very difficult person and she and Andy did not get along.
I read that about Aunt Bee, too! See — there’s a crack in the Aunt Bee armor.
I had read the same thing about Ms. Bavier. I really didn’t like her either, which kind of ruined the whole show for me as a kid.
So funny how one character can make it or break it.
South Carolina better up their game to attract film production. There is a show that is very popular around here called Letterkenny. It’s based on a town 40 minutes away from me yet filmed in another town 4 hours north of THAT town. Because: grants and a town that welcomes movie and TV crews.
My own city is case in point. It has subbed for many an American town (my particular part of town subs for one that is set in the 60’s or otherwise down on it’s luck…HAH!) because the city and BIAs go out of their way to attract and bend over backwards to film crews. If you watch 22-11-63 you can see my building behind James Franco as he is walking “downtown”. They also shoot outdoor scenes along the river for The Handmaid’s Tale in my city.
Yeah, women are picky and they have looooong memories. I’m glad you came to the decision that was right for you, Donna.
Deb
Wow! 22-11-63. I did not know they made a series out of the book, which I loved. I’m a freak for time travel. Will add it to my watchlist. I’ll look for your building!
Yes, economic incentives go a long way toward attracting the film industry.