I am old dog, but I learned a couple new tricks this past week, some of them unexpectedly.
The most memorable experience happened a couple days ago when I attempted to cook spaghetti squash in my microwave. I’d seen my friend Phyllis do it a while back; and, while I didn’t watch closely, I thought I got the general gist. Wash the squash, stab it considerably, cook for twelve minutes, and then cut and core. Wanting to err on the safe side, I did the first three things attentively. I even reduced to time to ten minutes; but at about eight minutes my squash exploded like a cannon, forced the microwave door open and spread stringy squash everywhere. Worse than that, the microwave blew a fuse and refused to work. I did have a repairman come, but you might say it was a pricey vegetable learning experience.
Other such recent experiences can be distilled as follows: Gnats are difficult to kill, even with insecticide, although a neighbor told me that they like red wine and will drink themselves to death if you leave a jigger of it on your counter. I haven’t tried this remedy yet. Cream that is a month out of code should not be smelled before being discarded. Squirrels and raccoons like stale flatbread, dried buns, and leftover garlic toast; but they don’t like fruit or soup. This observation is based on extensive testing of the various foodstuffs mentioned.
And, finally, a new car is a target for everyone else on the road. At least that’s how I feel since picking up my new Scion five days ago. I am becoming paranoid that people stop at stop signs, give me the right-of-way (if it’s mine) and don’t follow too closely. I park at the outermost spot in a parking lot and have already washed and waxed my new mechanical palace, even though it lives in a garage most of the time. I don’t buy a new car very often, so in itself it’s a learning experience. Much has changed in the automotive world since I bought my previous car, which makes learning about my Scion the most fun I had this week.
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