Tuesdays with Buddy the Dog (and toad skin)

Because Roberta has a class that meets on the fourth Monday of the month, I worked yesterday for her and she is working for me today. One nice thing about this is that I get two days in a row off from work -- a sort of midweek weekend.

Last night I went to the library to pick up four items they had on hold for me. I had forgotten what I had ordered, but now I have the following things checked out: Mordred, Bastard Son -- a novel based on the Arthurian legends; and four audio books: Beowulf -- translated from the Old English and read by the Irish poet, Seamus Heaney; Shakespeare: His Life and Work -- read by biographers Richard Hampton and David Weston with selections from the plays performed by Judi Dench and Timothy West; Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson; and Dry -- a memoir by Augusten Burroughs about his treatment for alcoholism and the aftermath.

Incidentally, I find his account very interesting, but he goes against one of the most basic principles of Alcoholics Anonymous by violating anonymity. Maybe later on in the recording he will explain why. I do assume that all the details and names he uses -- other than his own -- are changed to protect the innocent and guilty.

After taking Buddy the Dog for a short walk (his official morning walk on a leash), I went to the bank to deposit a couple of checks, and then by Wal-Mart to pick up a prescription. The pharmacist neglected to punch some button and I wound up having to pay for everything else at the register, then return to the pharmacy to have that cleared and pay for the prescription there. This is the second time in the last month that there has been a glitch of some kind with a prescription, and I told Colleen that the pharmacy and I seem to be having "issues." She said they just wanted to see me more often, and then suggested I get my prescriptions for three months at a time. This would save me two bucks over a three month period for each prescription, or about thirty-two dollars a year. So I guess I won't complain too much. It's like getting one prescription free for three-quarters of the year.

Today was the day Joe and Evelyn took their grandkids to the train. Since I wasn't there, Joe gave me a call to see how I am doing. He also told me that they were able to hire a new office assistant who seems to be working out very well. I am glad to hear that, and it was nice of him to check up on me.

Tom is the volunteer conductor all day, so it is one of my days to cook. It is a hot and muggy day, so I have opted for an elaborate southwestern salad -- layers of lettuce, carrot strips, red onion, black beans, kernels of corn, avocado, strips of grilled chicken, salsa, shredded cheese, black olives, walnuts, dried cranberries and crumbled tortilla chips. For dessert I got something called a piel de sapo melon. This unfortunate name means "toad skin" in Spanish, but the melon itself looks like a small watermelon on the outside and a honeydew on the inside. It may be common, but I think it will be the first time I am having it.

Hope I don't get warts.