Random Thoughts About Old Boots

This morning when I went out to take care of the horse — he’s a lonely guy these days, Amber is at the trainer learning to be ridden — I noticed that my old barn boots have a leak in them. It’s too late in the year to buy new ones. Besides, they will be all out of my size anyway, and I hate breaking in a new pair, so I’ll put it off until next year. Time for a little creative duct tape. My old barn coat might last another year. It’s still got all its snaps, but it’s getting a little threadbare. It’s not as warm as it once was, but thankfully, now that I’m much smaller than I was, there’s plenty of room under there for a hoodie. It’s an old friend. I would hate to lose it after only 20 years of faithful service. The newer gloves and hat are cool. They are made of some synthetic fiber that dries very quickly when you get it wet. I wore my skinny jeans. They need to go in the wash today. I need to get another pair. I think wearing them for five days straight isn’t good. I’m fond of wearing them and looking in the mirror at this new person in my life — me. Like a kid with his favorite blankie in the dryer, I’ll be sad without them for a considerable time. I fed the horse and let him outside. I fed the chickens and “accidentally” spilled some of the scratch grain in the barn aisle for the sparrows. They were up in the rafters chirping excitedly. They knew I would, and they couldn’t wait before swooping down almost literally at my feet to get their treat. I put some more outside for the barn swallows who, though friendly, have better table manners than the sparrows. The snow is retreating. We’re having a warm spell, but it will come at a price. There will be freezing rain overnight. My jaw is finally healing and much less painful. Maybe soon I’ll be able to eat some actual food, although I’m getting good at doing smoothies. Meanwhile, my protein supplement makes an amazing café mocha (it’s chocolate flavored). I stir it into black coffee. “Yum!” I was thinking that I could make it into chocolate pudding by adding some unflavored gelatin and chilling it. I’ll try that later today. I have loads of matches at Match.com. It seems there’s a new guy that’s interested every week or so. They’re all strangers, and I don’t know how to relate to them. It seems there is a plethora of lonely, crabby old men who just want to get laid. Not my thing. Not the “getting laid”- I would love that — but not with a stranger. I don’t like to be touched by strangers. I don’t know what the solution for that is. How do you get to know someone without going through the whole “breaking in” a new person thing? I think for now, I’m better off alone with my writing. Maybe next year.