A well-protected day off

My well-protected day off started with two meetings outside the Jesuit Center by 8:30 a.m. So much for sleep. I am hoping sleep comes more easily these days. I was finally able to strip the sleeping bag off my bed because I finally found a memory foam mattress. The absence of the sleeping bag will make it easier to make my bed more presentable each morning, and the foam mattress might give my aches and pains a little respite. Tonight is the test, though I’m tired enough to nap now.

Let me see. What are the curious events of recent memory.

Oh, the parking lot. I was told on November 20^th, that the cover to the parking lot would begin on November 21^st and would be finished by two weeks (Dec. 5^th.) I asked, “Two months,” because I am a planner, organizer, work-flow person and scheduler. The reply was, “No, two weeks,” so I asked, “Two months?” The answer was a firm “two weeks.” I said it will be ready in two months. Well, it is now ready for use. In fact, it was ready for use on January 21^st!!!  Two months!!!!!!!

Mind you, the parking lot was not done according to the plan. If you want to have people in the Middle East park orderly and respectfully of others, you must put up some physical guides to help them put their cars in a slot. This was the intent. Imagine my disappointment when lines were painted. Oh, no! Of course, the spaces are too thin and then we have a ¾ slot that could have been the space used to widen the other slots, but that was not to be. And of course, on day one, everyone parked crooked and made it intolerable for the person next to them, and of course, my car was swiped by another car. I really had low expectations. I just think when you are paying for something, you can get what you want.

Onto other news.

I had a breakthrough today as I was in a supermarket. I started singing along to the song on the public address system. When I realized it, I was very happy since it is an Arabic song.

Since it is my day off, I did some kitchen detail by washing off all the sauces from the meats and vegetables. Most times, I just want plain food.

I decided to keep my two-foot Christmas tree in the office yearlong. I was going to make it into a Patriots-49ers Superbowl Tree, but I’ll start making Valentine’s decorations, then St. Patrick’s Day, and so forth.

I was very happy to read that the Amman Municipality will stop issuing and renewing licenses for Argileh in cafes! This is such good news for me. Each argileh is worth 15-19 cigarettes. I’m very fine with people who choose to smoke, but it is nice that non-smokers are being considered as well.

The temperatures outside are great. I hear of the cold weather that besets much of the U.S. and it remains about 74 degrees in mid-January. Very nice.

I have emerged from my winter doldrums. I had been weighed down by parish demands that never seem to stop. I don’t have a secretary, staff, or other people to whom I can offload some of the work because I still try to find out what is going on behind the diverse requests. I have a case of 12 baptisms to  schedule.

I’m back to painting, which is helping my spirits. I’m enjoying it and it gives me great energy. I might be able to send some of these paintings to the U.S.

O.K. I’m going to lie on my bed to see if the mattress pad makes any difference.