She and her hubby used to use “143” on the pager to say “I love you” as many people did. The numbers relate to the number of letters in the three words and had been around for over a century, from when a lighthouse in the Boston area of the US used the sequence for its light in the late 1800s.
She had not thought of the number for years after her spouse passed away in 2015. But then a friend called and said, “I’m sending you a photo.”
The photo was of a car odometer. It was reading 143143. The friend related, “I was driving on the highway, looked down and saw that on the odometer. I knew what it meant for you so I wanted to pull over, take a photo and send it to you. But I couldn’t pull over then. I kept going a bit and finally pulled over, sure that it was going to be ruined. I was surprised that it still said 143143. As I snapped the photo, I heard your husband said, ‘Tell her that she’s going to be alright.'”
Floofblurb(floofinition) – A short description or comment about animals.
In use: “Social media emerged as the center for people to post photos of animals, especially their pets, often with floofblurbs about the animal’s sweetness, intelligence, humorous antics, or beauty.”
You were warned. It’s December 1, 2022. The year’s final month. The countdown has begun to the year’s end. It’s the final countdown, other than the various countdowns that will used in conjunction with the month’s holidays and sales. Oh, and don’t overlook the final final countdown at the common year’s end, when we countdown to midnight to start the new year. Once the new year begins, we’ll begin a new countdown of 2023. In the U.S., they’ll probably begin a countdown to the 2024 elections. Let’s hear it for countdowns!
Today is Thursday. The heater is running to ward off cold air. 33 F is the outdoor temperature. Snow tops the mountains and their firs and pines, a lovely black and white contrast to blue sky, smoky clouds, and the autumn golden, brown, and green remnants streaking the valley. Our high is 39 F and it’ll drop to 22 tonight. Prepare thyself, the advisories tell us. Sunrise was a bright 7:20 AM affair. Sunset ends December’s first day at 4:40 this evening. There’s another countdown I’m following: the days until solstice and the day when the days start gaining more daylight.
I love pies. I’m not fond of the national pie day, nor an international pie day. What is the point of those things? Same with the ones for pancakes, beer, coffee, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, etc. All good stuff but are they worthy of their own day of recognition and celebration? Being a minor cynic, I say no. That’s just me, innit.
But today is National Rosa Parks Day in the U.S. That is a holiday I can support. It reminds us of the division that once enthralled the nation, where your skin color dictated what water fountain you used, where you sat on a bus and other vehicles, what doors you used, and what services, rights, and stores were available to you. Land of the free and home of the brave, we were, so long as you were the right color at the right time. Change was needed and Rosa Parks helped deliver change. More changes are needed, not just based on skin color. We’re working on it. It’s a long frigging arc to full and true equality for everyone.
Today’s theme music is owed to my wife. She had some confusion about days and dates. When I clarified it for her, she gave me big eyes and exclaimed, “Oh my God, we’ve been through a time warp!” The Neurons immediately began playing “Time Warp ” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show outta 1975. It’s the song where the chorus sings, “Let’s do the time warp again.” Let it be my gift to you as December 1st’s theme music.
I already have coffee — was a chilly morning and I craved a warm bevvie. Hot coffee does it for me in the AM stirrings. Stay positive, test negative, and so on. Here’s the music. It’s a little rock and rolly so feel free to sing and dance along. Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 