Down On Ferry Farm

Currently, there’s a meme traveling around Facebook entitled “25 Random Things About Me” where you list 25 things about yourself and send it to 25 friends. Then they send theirs to 25 friends (including you) and so on. I don’t plan on doing this myself because everything about me is random. Instead, I plan to explore 10 things about my life that I’ve never done. This is not to say I will never accomplish these things but, as yet, I have not done these things in my life to this point. I admit some of these are unbelievable – the fact that I haven’t done them but, to the best of my ability, are true. So, to this point I have never: Ridden in the back of a stretch limo – I have been to several weddings and funerals where one of these vehicles was present. I have looked in the back of a stretch limo but never ridden back there. At a party one time a limo was ordered and I thought to myself “this could be it” but it was basically a modified Lincoln Towne Car and would definitely not qualif

I must admit that my neighbors haven’t given me much of an issue lately but that’s only because they haven’t been to their house lately. Let me catch you up. For a number of years I have lived next to this average family. They are of African-American descent, but that doesn’t really factor much into this story. The father looks like he worked a physical job – maybe construction – but is retired due to disability. He walks around his yard sort of like Fred Sanford. A while back I recall seeing an older daughter but I think she’s long since moved away. The two sons I see quite a bit. They seem to be moving all the time. If they’re not coming from or going to work, one of their friends is coming by to pick them up and they’re off. I only know this because I hear the loud music being played when people are coming or going. One of them had a problem with their tire and asked if I couldn’t drop them off at a nearby gas station so they could fill it with air. I was running a little late but I

Friday night. Date night. I went out with Number 13. I was there early, she was there earlier. It was cold last night. I had to walk a half a block from where I parked my car. It wasn’t the cold so much as the wind that did me in. By the time I arrived I was shivering – way more than I wanted to in front of my date. She looks like Joni Mitchell. She has a nice smile. She thinks that our “not immediately jumping into warm conversation” is a problem. I assure her it’s not. This is the first date I’ve had in a very long time where I felt like I was doing most of the talking. When she spoke it was very quiet. A couple of times I had to ask her to repeat what she said because it was so quiet and the bar was so loud (Really? THAT many people are ordering drinks that need a blender? Seriously?) We went to “Don’s Place”. I had been there a couple of times before. I’d love it if my house were designed that way. Maybe I’d have a little more carpet on the floor but otherwise very nice. I drank a

Coffee is not my cup of tea (ha ha) but tea is my cup of coffee (hmm, that doesn’t work). Here’s how I make the perfect cup of tea: Ingredients – 1 Large cup 1/8 cup sugar 3-1/2 cups water 1 teabag 1 spoon 1 timer (optional) 1 water kettle (optional) Milk, to taste (optional) Directions - ** Pour water into water kettle to heat. Water kettle will turn off when the water has been heated to a full rolling boil. (If you don’t have a water kettle, heat water to a full rolling boil) ** Place teabag into large cup. ** When water has finished heating, pour water over teabag. DO NOT place dry teabag into a boiling cup of water. Fill until the water level is approximately one-quarter of an inch from the brim of the cup. ** Set timer for 4 minutes. Let teabag steep. (A variety of “black” tea is assumed for the 4-minute mark. If you are using a “white” or “green” tea, set the timer for 3 minutes). ** When tea has properly steeped, remove the teabag from the water with the spoon. DO NOT SQUEEZE TH

Sometimes it’s good to be unseen. I don’t like it when I drive in traffic, though. People make me feel invisible by swerving in front of my vehicle, missing me by mere inches. When it happens two or three times in a given trip, I feel like I’m invisible. When I was younger I would go to parties and (intentionally) sit in the corner of the room and watch everyone. I was “the observer” in the room. After having done this a few times it was pointed out that what I was doing was considered “kinda creepy”. I did not mean it to be like that. I wanted to become invisible. When I’m out with friends, even if I’m sitting next to someone, they turn to the person on the other side of them and have a conversation. I’m the proverbial 5th wheel and they treat me like I’m not even there. Even with my family get-togethers there are greetings upon first seeing everyone and then I sort of melt into the background. I guess I shouldn’t complain… there are worse things in life. Of course, now that I’m looki

It’s a new year with new chances to start things, or to start over. Of course, we get that every day – a chance to begin again. I start this New Year the same way I started the last one. I’m unsure of what’s happening most days. There are times during the day I have to think hard about what day of the week it is. Either the tide will turn or the waves’ll crush me. I recently found an old computer and a lot of old files I had written (don’t believe this is my first outing at pouring my soul into words). There are a couple of things that I notice about what’s written. First of all, my spelling and word usage were atrocious. Second, I don’t seem any more happy or fulfilled now than I was back then. Reading some of these words I feel like I should be shocked at the attitudes I had then and how different I am now. The fact of the matter is: I’m not. Granted I’m a bit more mature and I know the difference between how to use “you’re” and “your” correctly, but the sadness and distant feelings