Misfits, Freecycle, winnowing and Together -influenced food

 Yesterday the winnowing involved shoes. I hsve very few pairs,  one for winter walking and places where my feet will be under a table, one for more dressy requirements, one clean summer sneakers, one gardening SS. 

There's another pair for when dressy becomes walking and walking becomes trash. 

But I also had two pairs-in-waiting of nice corduroy boots. They were a repeat of another pair, so I just put them on the shelf ready, assuming they were fine. 

Yesterday I tried them to see if I'd like to wear them. And found this batch was so narrow I couldn't get my foot in. Probably a change of mfr. This has happened to me before with shoes made in China. At first fine, the next order cut so shallow impossible to insert a foot. And too late to find the paperwork for a refund.

Freecycle

Posted less than five minutes before  three requests arrived. By eight last evening they were in a new home. 

I had warned about the narrowness issue when I wrote the posting, so I hope the recipient has a narrower foot than mine and will enjoy them.

And, a bonus, I winnowed a reusable insulated bag to contain them, yay.

Maybe today will be about ragged paperback books which I have on my Kindle anyway.

Food yesterday was a sidebar from Together, using their recipe for berbere, they'd approve, with onions and garlic and greens, they'd approve, to make a tuna filling for pita, they'd approve.

Hot yesterday, second half-filled pita just warmed today, equally good. Definitely doing this again. It used up the last of my onions and garlic, so fortunately Misfits came over the hill

Complete, in perfect condition, and ready for various plans. I haven't had celery in a long time, so maybe salad, maybe soup, maybe both.

The yogurt is by far the best of the various brands I've tried, nicer consistency than Dannon, not waxy like that Greek stuff, cheaper than Icelandic but as good quality.

I always buy whole milk plain so I can use it in various ways. I find flavoured yogurts, except for the lovely mango I used to get at the Asian store that moved away, metallic with a nasty sort of aftertaste.  So if I want a flavor, I'll add it.

The box arrived after I got home from donating a couple of puzzles to the library puzzle-lending collection, where they were happily received, after a Monty Python type of bureaucratic sequence.

First person at circ. desk, the usual first stop said no, sorry we're not accepting donations. I appealed to the person next to her, who accepted my last donation, and he said, if it's puzzles, which he could see, we are, but not here. You need to go to the inquiry/reference desk .. which was two steps away, in fact she'd heard the dialogue to date.  I did so, saying I've been referred to you, which amused her hugely, and two puzzles from Rose are now in the collection. The Farmer's Market might be on the public puzzle table. 

I also overcame a fear Mary will probably relate to, about another bureaucracy, the state motor vehicle agency. Mary, I feel about getting my car in for inspection the way you feel about certain appointments.

I do know why though. The guys at the agency inspection stations are notorious for bullying and screaming at the women drivers bringing their cars in. They're more civil to men 

I've had awful experience, unable to hear and understand what they wanted, when it used to be a full-blown safety inspection. 

You couldn't make appointments, just had to wait in line, sometimes for hours, as they slowly got through the cars ahead. No way to leave, one car width between inspection equipment. And it was annual, by law.

 At some points you stay in the car operating lights, horn etc in the exact order they say, or shout, sometimes pull forward to have emissions equipment attached and run, sometimes drive forward fast then hit the brakes to test stopping distance. Sometimes you have to get out of the car, if they want to jack it up to see underneath,  sometimes stay in, bellowed at if you guess wrong. 

It was a whole lot of items, very good for vehicle safety, legally required annually. And a shattering experience. The inspectors were answerable to nobody.  

Successive governors tried to reform the process, fired all the bullies, and ended up with a new name for the agency, new logo and paint job. And new bullies. It seems to be the sort of job that attracts petty dictators.

So when they opened up private inspection options, at dealerships and repair garages, I started getting my auto dealer to do it, and any adjustments it needed in order to pass. 

I gladly paid the, pretty steep, fee. I could sit in the dealership waiting room with a cup of complimentary coffee and a bagel, while polite mechanics did the doings.

But now the inspection is for emissions only, much briefer, and I've been wondering if I should save money and brave the no-fee agency.  

After worrying about it a couple of days I called the dealership instead, and set up an appointment for next week, and added in a couple of routine checks while I'm there. I decided my peace of mind was worth the $.

Meanwhile back on the art front, I've calmed down and cheered up, and the head for the moment is guarding the cookbooks while I think about my plans.

 I suspect part of my upset was related to Covid coming next door, and the sight of my across the street neighbor looking terrible as she made her way to the car for yet more chemo. 

It's a gruelling period for her,  and she's so depleted it's hard to see. Little I can do other than the occasional text. She's been able to set up drivers to get her to her treatments in the absence of Gary, till he tests negative. The plan had been for him to drive. But I did feel very helpless and pulled down about it all.  You do, when you care about someone, You know how it is.  Then the art debacle, oh well.

Anyway, equilibrium more or less restored, have a good day, everyone, try to keep your balance when all around are losing theirs.

Poland is sending fighter jets and there will be drone jamming equipment for Ukraine, too. Especially in light of the Rxxxxn spraying and downing of a US drone into the Black Sea. Not retrieved, so they didn't gain much by downing it. 

And Ben and Jerry's true colors have come out, attacking Biden with lies online, and anti Ukraine propaganda. Another business on my don't go there list. I know they sold it, but I expect they still get some benefit. I had no idea they were so right-wing. They'd always portrayed themselves as hippie businessmen.