Day One-hundred-and-thirty-six: Setting things right

I'm $8.82 poorer but that much morally richer. Part of it was three vegan cookies I shouldn't have purchased in the first place, let alone eat, but after accidentally ringing up $372 for a couple of heirloom tomatoes the clerk at Pacifica Farmers Market had to re-ring up the entire grocery purchase to correct what would have been a rather steep overcharge. In the second pass she didn't ring the three vegan cookies. Today, while I was shopping for some other groceries I knew could only be found at that store I bought three cookies and with her knowledge returned them to their shelf. I didn't compound my problem by buying yet more of those delicious but fat laden treats that I shouldn't eat. The other part was a purchase of an organic yam from Safeway. In this case, I couldn't find it when I got home so I returned to Safeway for a replacement. When I got home, I found the first one while putting the second one away. More than accidentally cheating Safeway out of the money, I wonder what this means for my mental condition. I hope I am too young for senility.

It felt good to correct both of those inadvertent thefts.

On another matter, I called Comcast once again. This time they explained that they had installed the trap but hadn't noted on the work order that they were to pick up the cable box. So, I delivered it to them. While their Pacifica "store" was difficult to find, even with the Prius Navigation System, it truly wasn't out of my way as I was on my way to the Apple Store where I bought my MacBook. I now have an extended AppleCare Protection Plan and a padded sheath for my MacBook. The sheath is just thinking ahead for my future motorcycle rides. It appears that I also still have basic cable, which means that regardless of what they claim they haven't truly installed the trap. I've called them at least three times so I'll just let it rest.

One of my errands was to visit the North Coast County Water District offices and find out what I needed to do to be gone the six or so weeks on my road trip, pay $60 on the account the first of December. (The road trip was also the reason for the timing in buying the AppleCare. It may be too late to do so when I return.)

Winter overcast and fog are definitely here. I need to get out and water plants and mow, hopefully for the last time before I leave. I bought some groceries for making some Thanksgiving treats, although I forgot to buy more olives. I don't think I will be making more olive bread than the olives I have remaining so not having more olives will reduce the temptation. However good olive bread is, it isn't all that good for me. I don't think I could exercise as much as it would take for me to burn off what I would eat of it. In many ways, my Life after Layoff is too much of a good thing, or too much of too many good things.

Tonight is my Toastmasters meeting, where I am the Table Topics Master. This means that I have made up some questions on the Toastmaster's theme of Cruising. Not that I am overly proud of my questions, but I thought I would include them here:

After the introduction of the car many young people have cruised up and down the main drags of their towns. What would be your dream vehicle for cruising?

This question includes a reference to the MTV television show and online game but the answer doesn’t. If you had a choice of any main drag in the world to be tooling around in your pimped up ride, where would you like to be cruising?

You were told you were cruising for a bruising. Where were you and what were you doing?

The saying is, "any port in a storm," but in nicer weather, into which port would you like to go cruising and why?

On many cruise ships, they have up to five meals a day with snacks in between and after. Other than food, what would be your favorite activity while cruising on the high seas?

If cruise control did it all rather than just allow a constant speed, what would you be doing in your car instead of driving while cruising?

And now some other musings:

Last night, well when I woke up this morning, I had another insight to write in my bedside note book, and that is that faith, or belief, cannot be truly tested, at least by the principal. For the principal to test his or her faith is to doubt, which is tantamount to not having sufficient belief.

Over the weekend I had an interesting discussion with my youngest daughter and her husband on the nature of magic, which as scientists they dismiss out of hand. In point of fact, I have my own level of disbelieving but would never admit it to them as it would change the nature of our discussion. However, my son-in-law made a statement that math is the only precise science. While I don't think we articulated it well, working magic could be defined as influencing possible but improbable outcomes. Now, the real question is does this "influence" really exist and if so, is it something that can be regularly done. I'm looking forward to testing this at the craps or roulette table.

And no, if my youngest daughter is ever reading this, I haven't gone around the bend to your definition of insane. Although, if you truly love me, you'll overlook inoffensive eccentricity.