We’ve started running, and for the first time, Caleb is putting in more miles than I am. It’s not a race or a competition, but we do our cardio in opposite directions or on different loops — because Caleb doesn’t want to have to run the same lap twice if he doesn’t have to. This is unlike many of our neighbors, who get their steps in by doing circles in the community, which reminds me of my familiar route with two blind dogs, as it seemed easier to walk a repetitive path, so they would bump into less. Perhaps I shorted them of new smells and other adventures we could’ve otherwise had, but this keeps the elderly in the shade, on smooth pavement, and close to home in case there’s a bathroom or friend in need.

It’s neat to see the switch in my friends’ group ages. As a child, I was in the same grade or friends with their older and younger siblings. Perhaps I enjoyed the company of my parents’ friends, but I never confided in them the same as I did my generation. In my twenties, I gave up hanging out with teenagers for those in their third decade of life, as we changed between jobs and locations. My thirties have been spent with a more international array of companions, and the ages are ever growing upward as I continue to mature. These days, a majority of my conversations are with people over 60. I appreciate their time with me and their dedication to themselves.

I finished reading The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America by H.W. Brands for the October book club, where we will discuss the bloodshed of this book and of our combined knowledge of the history of this country. Many of the women chose not to finish the book, as it just reminded them of their school days, but I would read another book or visit a museum, or a park of history, because I appreciate the message. I suppose this is also why I don’t watch the news, and why, when I’m their age, I might feel the same way. The November book is The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. It’s about a bunch of women and their stories (some merging of historical characters and some interesting truths).

The other books I’ve finished this month are Doctors and Distillers: The remarkable medicinal history of beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails by Camper English, How the World Eats: A global food philosophy by Julian Baggini, The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli, and A Crack in Creation: Gene editing and the unthinkable power to control evolution by Doudna and Sternberg (on loan from Roberto) who has many more books on his shelf that I might eventually read including Educated by Tara Westover. He likes to take notes in the margins and writes definitions too, so I get a peek at his perspective.

I’ve tried scrubbing the glass shower doors, and so has Caleb. We have removed the soap scum, but the years of limescale remain until we use more elbow grease and a better cleaning agent. I’m glad replacing the air filter was easier, but the amount of gunk on there reminds me of someone’s house that was covered in mold (even in the freezer!) People worry about saving enough for retirement, and silly me, I thought that was only for food, rent, and medical bills, but we will need to keep the modern currency (cash, card, Venmo, Bitcoin) handy when we’re ancient and need help cleaning around the house.

I have a gardening friend, Russ, and I’m not sure what his plan was, but he wanted pictures of my yard so he could send me something. I called him when I didn’t hear back, and he laughed, thinking I was joking about the few bushes I claimed. He knew me better when I had a large backyard, but I’m also great at container gardening and love having plants inside — so why don’t I yet — oh ya, because retirement is cheap when you’re sleeping in the woods or on a spare bed at a relative’s house, but the bills show up and all those plans of shopping and flying around the world have to be done as the budget allows.

Ryan and Fallon entering Universal Studios

I got some mail for a guy named Keith. Turns out he never lived here, but whoever he’s hiding from is still looking. We got a knock on the door, and I was unusually excited that the man was here to serve Keith papers; something I’ve only seen in the movies. People are more susceptible to having their mailboxes be used this way if it doesn’t lock, so I don’t know what his plans were, as junk mail follows us everywhere. I bought us tickets for an evening at Snappers Comedy Club to see Flip Schultz, and he wasn’t the only one providing entertainment. We got to listen to the woman behind us complain about her meal (repeatedly), and there was a heckler in the crowd with his magnifying glass (even though he was half-dressed to wear a monocle).

Sarah, our friendliest neighbor, invites me to the pool to meet Susie, and I’m not sure if we will swim, read, or just chat, so I put on sunscreen and bring a hat and drink. Caleb joins us, and we sit for an hour, then Caleb and I get in to cool off as Susie goes to check on Christine’s cat, Dar (which means gift in Russian). We return home to bake cookies for a road trip the next day. We will meet at Fallon’s and ride with her and Ryan to Orlando for a delayed birthday excursion because Halloween Horror Nights doesn’t run in September. Brandi will join us at Saltgrass Steak House for dinner and too much chocolate cake before we go to the park.

Jess, Caleb, Brandi, Fallon, Ryan at Universal

For guys, or the squeamish, maybe don’t read this paragraph. I debated sharing this, but I want to look back in twenty years and still laugh at its absurdity. I went to the bathroom and proceeded to make a mess all over my legs, the toilet, and the floor. I cleaned the public property but failed to do as good a job on myself, which Caleb pointed out to me once I was back in line. There was dried splatter all over the back of my legs, so I spit-cleaned them and told our friends it was mosquitoes causing the fuss because I didn’t want to admit what had happened with all my years of experience, but it would have been hilarious.

What wasn’t funny was having a guy cough on the back of my neck while we yet again stood in another line — yay, theme park! I wanted to turn around and punch him in the throat, but I calmly told him how his behavior was unkind. With wait times of over an hour, portable fans and drink carts were set up to provide relief from the heat and humidity. Brandi tried to scare me in one of the haunted houses, but I bumped into her and thought she was an employee. I overheard, “There should be a Terminator House, but the likeness of ‘Arnold’ is too expensive.” I definitely showered when we got home after 3am.

We watched Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy documentary. There is a drama series of the same name. We also watched (years ago) Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and these two have so much in common, except for when the police ask questions (if they bother at all). Murder is usually portrayed in films as comedy, drama, and action — explosions and hero suits, even though there’s a wide audience who watch true crime shows and write to inmates to learn more about their rituals and reasons. There is a gruesome reality to the dangers we expose ourselves to, especially when getting in a stranger’s car or going to their house, something I still see kindness in.

I got an email from our energy company about installing EnergyWise products on our water heater and A/C (as the old ones were outdated and not currently enrolled), which can get us rebates on our bill. The wiring in this place is hectic, and when Colin went to adjust some wires, he tripped the main breaker. He also left the light on in the attic all night because I didn’t notice it until morning. The changes are designed to be unnoticeable and maintain comfort. They also provide a surge-protection plan, but that comes with a monthly fee, and I’m sure they’ll get plenty of those while we live here.

posted for sale

I got us tickets to a local farm, thinking it would be a fun way to spend the day, but I was sadly mistaken. They had so many activities listed on their website, but most of them weren’t available while we were there. It’s a good thing Fallon was busy making brownies for a kid’s Halloween party and feeding us the edges so she could use the gooey centers to make hearts, pumpkins, and brains. It was quite a process to paint the veins with chocolate and then peel them from the molds. Caleb ordered me a keyboard stand so that I could sit and play comfortably instead of kneeling in front of it while it was set on our shoe bench (that we got rid of).

I’m using an app that can listen to me play and teach me how to use my left hand — and then both at the same time! I knew the process wouldn’t be easy, so I look forward to the struggle of my daily lessons as I can hear myself improving, especially as I learn to read more notes. The app also slows down play, which feels more difficult, though I usually practice slower than that because it has a wait mode, even though I’m excited to get to a point where I can play the songs at their intended speeds. The day is not over as Sarah invites us to dinner and a show at Dunedin Brewery. We met a couple with matching hops tattoos that they got on their fifth anniversary after being wed in a different brewery.

Jess between some Witches of Dunedin

We moved to the other side of the venue and met a Canadian programmer and her computer geek husband with their daughter, who was reading a book before she kindly got up to get me a stool (that I didn’t ask for) after her dad gave his up for Sarah. We watch the Witches of Dunedin arrive on their decorated golf carts, and perform one dance before a fifteen-minute photo opportunity with the crowd, before they ride their electric brooms to the next stage of the evening. They do this every weekend in October and change their charity of choice every year. We finish the evening with a sweet treat, one that I need to walk off a bit after Sarah drops us home.

Caleb patched my paddleboard and we were going to take them out at Sunset Beach, even if the temperature was 68°, but it was smelly tow tide when we arrived, so we walked the sand instead. We get into the hottub upon return and the bubbles are furious as they attempt their escape from the chlorine soup. While visiting with Sarah later, a neighbor, Jan, comes over and she gifts me one of the scones she brought. We exchange numbers and I get back to the house so Caleb and I can dog sit Macaroni for a few hours and then join Terry, Karley, and Al for dinner at Shaker & Peel.

gift from Jessi to Caleb

The next day we meet Agim, our new maintenance guy, after the hottub and then get invited poolside by Jan so we can meet her husband Adrian. They’ve been together 18 years and he’s got some musical background so he offers to come over and teach me the thumb-under-finger transition on the keyboard. We’ll spend a couple hours at our place, and Adrian will play us a few songs before we walk to theirs so Jan can cook the stir-fry she had planned for their evening meal. The next day, Jan and Adrian bring by sourdough starter for Caleb.

Caleb’s desk arrives first so he’ll spend the afternoon putting it together and arranging scissors, yarns, needles, and other accoutrements for his crafts while I help Sarah rehang some of her art after she had some work done at her place. This book club meeting, being my second, gives a chance for us to go more in-depth about our histories in the mansions and fields of Chicago, the horses and guns in North Carolina, the siblings in Long Island, and the simplicity of riding around in Ohio (which reminded me of my mom’s high school years in Kansas).

My desk arrives three days later and I’m excited to put my pens, papers, and decorations in their place. It’s been years since I’ve had a designated writing spot that wasn’t Caleb’s kitchen stool at the couch or on my cellphone in a quiet corner or cafe. I’ll spend six and a half hours at Fallon’s with her floofer Zeus letting him outside to chase squirrels and lizards, then back inside to catch his breath and cool down before he returns to the chase and heat. Caleb has gone with Fallon to fix her son’s car, but who wants to replace a transmission when they can get a new ride. They agree to tow it home in the morning while I find glow-in-the-dark sea animals to adorn my creative corner.

I’m out the door one morning after an evening rain and a plant waters my ear and releases its weight so it can return to being out of my way. I do my short run even though my program suggests I run five miles at a 7:50/m pace. I don’t think so. When I get home I realize it’s been five weeks since we moved in and I still don’t have an electric bill. The guy who answers tells me to call back next week to ensure they’re doing their job. I don’t think so. Turns out, it takes six weeks for them to read the meter even though I could see my daily use.

thanks to Phil Watson at shaaark.com for the animal inspiration

We set off on a late morning walk and instead, Caleb helps solder a woman’s chewed wire in her car after finding out the dealership would want over $1,000. The squirrel had left his partially-chewed nut behind and Caleb was able to get that out, too. Then I go to Sarah’s to help her offload some of her art supplies onto me. I thought I had color pencils already, but hers are specifically for faces, landscapes, and shading among the other sets she gifted me. I’m looking forward to exploring a new hobby! Caleb’s sister has found she enjoys cross-stitching and will gift Caleb a framed piece for his desk.

Jan and Sarah invite us to dinner to meet more neighbors, Deb and Bill, and the David’s who don’t eat cucumbers. We were able to get more talking done after we were fed and especially once we moved outside to a quieter atmosphere. We sang Siobhán, a passing stranger, “Happy Birthday” and then took pictures with the statues in front of the Dunedin History Museum which we agree we should come back and visit. The next day, Mary Jo is driving me to Largo so we can explore her friend’s estate sale. I return with the wrong size frame for the intended piece, but found a map that fit perfectly.

As we continue to unpack, taking our sweet time, Caleb is able to get the cuckoo clock up and running. After being in a box for so long, one of the chains was tangled. It’s still off on telling the accurate time, but I love listening to the chimes, so I’m not concerned about adjusting the pendulum. I’m just so glad to have it out, even if it has to be above eye level for the weights to have room to move. I do prefer it silenced while I practice on the keyboard though. A few songs I’m working on — Bella Ciao, Italian Traditional; Rondo Alla Turca, Mozart; Fields of Gold, Sting; and Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky.

No month would be complete without a visit to Mellow Mushroom, except all the other excellent months that have passed without a trip to our favorite pizzeria. This dinner would be unlike any other and this restaurant is a great place for making memories. We got a medium pie on a small tray and when I went to grab a slice, I dumped half the pizza on the floor. Caleb was devastated thinking he would have to eat floor pizza, but the waitress was kind enough to get the kitchen to make us another.