Potpourri

It’s the first Saturday in December. I’ve been remiss in keeping up with my blog posts. No excuses.

So, in the interest of valuable time and word economy, here are things I’ve thought of blogging about but didn’t because the world has changed so much in the last 18 months that most of these topics now seem quite insignificant. Which they are.

That said, and with all due respect, as we used to say in our interminable weekly PR staff meetings, here goes nothing:

Everyone wanted: Even though the U.S. unemployment rate in November was 4.2% — and flirting with pre-pandemic lows — just about every local business is having trouble finding and keeping workers. What gives? Driving along Rochester Road near Auburn recently, I passed a sign that said, “Now hiring motivated car wash workers.” (To quote Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 film “The Karate Kid”: “Wax on, wax off.”) And this gem inside the lobby of a Troy restaurant: “The whole world is understaffed. Please be patient.” On the flip side, with so many of these same businesses struggling for patrons, there was this sign of the times outside the nearby Parrot Cove restaurant: “Customers wanted. Will train.” Touche.

Paper power peace: All modesty aside, I have a history of finding the best birthday cards for friends and family. No lie. Sometimes I buy them so far in advance that I forget where I put them. (More on that later.) But now, most cards cost $4 and above. I used to have Hallmark’s ecard online subscription, but they discontinued it, probably realizing that $9.99 a year wasn’t quite affecting their bottom line. So, I went back to buying greeting cards. I still believe there’s power in a $5 folded piece of paper. And, I’m back to sending greeting cards again. Not ecards. Real cards. Be on the lookout at your next birthday. You’re welcome.

You’ve got mail: You’ve seen them. Heck, maybe you’ve got one. An email signature file is that block of text at the bottom of emails. You can make it say anything you want by going into your mail settings. Could be a rehash of business card info, a Bible verse or something about blaming typos on stupid autocorrect. Mine says this: “Wishing you a day anchored in gratitude.” I like the sound of it and the sentiment. Can’t remember where I heard it or read it. Doesn’t matter. But I’ve seen some obnoxious ones that make me go … “Hmmm?” As in, “Cheers,” particularly if you’re not British. What does yours say about you? Is it a window to your soul?

Finding your roots: As keeper of the family archives, I take pride in discovering things about our relatives and their pasts. Honestly, I love this stuff. It’s a worthy intellectual pursuit, like solving a puzzle at the highest level. The reward is you get to find out about your family. I’ve even created two short iMovies about our family trees on the maternal and paternal sides. But whatever you do, know that once you start digging, there’s a danger of falling down a rabbit-hole. You’re on a roll uncovering tidbits about your third cousin twice removed, and it’s suddenly 3 a.m. Been there, done that.

Take fewer steps: I read something in the NYT that walking 10,000 steps a day (about 5 miles) was more a marketing accident than based on science. Taking far fewer steps, it turns out, may have notable benefits. This really ticked me off. Rebecca and I have owned several fitness tracking devices over the past few years, including various Fitbit models and now the Apple Watch 3, which barely holds a 24-hour charge. I’m ready to ditch it for a Timex. Apparently, the 10,000 steps target became popular in Japan in the 1960s. A clock maker mass-produced a pedometer with a name that, when written in Japanese characters, resembled a walking man. It translated as “10,000-steps meter.” Well, now. Isn’t that a kick in the you-know-what? Today’s best science suggests we don’t need to take 10,000 steps a day – or every two days, for that matter – for the sake of our health or longevity. For the average person, about 5,000 a day should do it, according to a 2019 Harvard study. Add a few thousand more if it makes you feel empowered. Just keep it to yourself.

Fridge food fight: There’s a longstanding joke in our house that when I drive Mustang Sal to that big parking lot in the sky, I will have this etched on my tombstone: “She expired on (date).” This is mostly because I throw out old items from the fridge, usually on or after the date (if they’re lucky to make it that long). I’m trying to do better since most of those dates are determined by food producers who want you to throw them out and buy more stuff. Sorry, but if it’s slimy, moldy and resembles a high school experiment, it’s history. Unless, of course, it’s Rebecca’s turn to take out the trash.

Forget about it: This is a delicate subject. The older I get, the more I forget. Little things, like why I added this item to my blog post. Seriously, we have a ceramic hot plate with a design that says, “Now what did I come in here for?” We’ve all done it. Sure, it’s funny. So funny I forgot to laugh.

Watch your language: As a freshman, I took Italian in high school since my mother was fluent and Nonna, my failing grandmother, lived with us. It was wonderful to know what they were saying behind my back, even though their northern dialect wasn’t the “high-class” formal Italian taught in school. One time, my mother actually turned up her nose when I came home with some foo-foo phrase. “My, aren’t you highfalutin.” I had to look that one up. Anyway, I picked it up fast, and over the years I quit speaking it. During last year’s pandemic lockdown, I signed up for a refresher course. I figured it would come in handy next fall if we take the river cruise that ends on land in Lake Como and meet relatives in person. I tried using those free online apps, Babbel and Duolingo, but lost interest after a few months. Funny how words and phrases you learned nearly 50 years ago remain embedded in your brain. “La tua salsa di pomodoro ha un buon sapore?” Translation: “Does your tomato sauce taste good?”

Why, yes, it does, thank you.

Now, what did I come in here for?

Cover photo caption: Woman Making Potpourri by Herbert James Draper, 1897.