So said a babysitter to me in the mid 1970s. Spoiler alert: summer always wins.

It’s windy and gray and then rainy and then sunny and 85 degrees. Why do I start with the weather? Do you care?

I guess I start because it tends to define the atmosphere of my reality. However, I am cheerful and feeling a little feistier than normal. I’m not itching for a fight but I’m trying to make some moves. Just a few and very slowly.

I am now working and it feels so good. The cats are wild at night and seem to feel entitled to bug us to pet them at 4 AM. I know they know better than this and I’m hoping this behavior fades. They do not like to be bothered when they sleep, so I know they know better.

That said, it’s only when one goes to the bathroom that a cat arrives demanding pets and sitting on one’s person. I try to provide the pets but not for more than five minutes, max. Sleep time is money, my friends.

Yelled at the neighbor this week

I try not to. If she’s outside, she usually says something mean to me and I ignore it. I am afraid if say something, she’ll exact revenge through blasting music or a dirty trick.

I had no hours to work on Monday and Tuesday—I’m not a fan of this agency yet. They are jerks about hours. You booked me, you should pay me.

So here’s the scene: It’s a nice day and she and her helper are outside gardening. That means Maggie sits on the stoop drinking beer, smoking, playing Paul McCartney on her phone and hollering orders to the helper.

I walked out the door and go up the block. I’m almost out of earshot and she yelled, “You’re so ugly.”

For the record, I’m sensitive about my dowdiness. I’m feeling my age and I am sensitive. But I ignored her. Also, I look way better than she does so why bother taking that insult seriously? Why take any insult from a crazy person seriously? Well, I’m sorry but she gets to me.

The next day I went out to the liquor store and this time I fixed my eyes upon hers and smiled big and said, “Hello Maggie. How are you?”

She said: “Why hello Wendy! You are looking so ugly today. Especially your hair.”

So I call back, “Hope you get to walk again someday.”

Then she said, “Your hair looks terrible.”

And I said, “How’s your family doing?”

Then I don’t recall but I did yell LOSER at her as I neared the top of the block.

Then I came back from my errand and just ignored her. She did say, “Hope you get a job soon, sis,” and that made me laugh. I have a job, but have felt like I need a job, so I decided to take that insult in a friendly way, which was not how it was intended but that is fine.

Then nothing happened. No music. No cops in the middle of the night. Nothing.

If something nefarious happens in the next few weeks, we can look back at this entry and say, that’s where it began. But you try living next door to someone who insults you as you leave your house and not yell back once in a while.