Sunday Speculations on Technology and Phobias

Jamal (Beauty), 19 Jamál (Beauty), 173 BE - Sunday, May 15, 2016 about 8:11 AM Pacific Daylight Time 

If I were superstitious then Friday's incident with technical difficulties would make me make me afraid of Friday the  Thirteenth. Despite the problems I had Friday everything seems to be working well today. I am not superstitious about things like that. I do not know what caused the problem on Friday, but it appears cleared up  today. 

I have to admit that technology could make a person prone to phobias. I am not saying a person does not have something to fear from technology especially if you have liquid around a computer. A leak in the roof above a computer could cause problems as well. However, none of these warrant unreasonable fear and that is what a phobia is. 

I really do not need to acquire any more phobias. I finally managed to deal with arachnophobia and I can now kill a spider in my house without screaming. I can also deal with mice without jumping up on a chair and screaming, but I am not sure I can say the something about rats. Of course, we do not have any rats in the apartments I live in. We do have mice, but no rats. 

I saw a nightingale this morning

Jamál (Beauty), 14 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Sunday, July 26, 2009 about 8:39 PM Pacific Time

I saw a nightingale this morning. At least, I think it was a nightingale. I know we have nightingales in the neighborhood because I hear them singing. The bird was walking in the sun around the area where I had the pine tree removed month or so ago. I don't know what the bird was looking for, probably something to eat or nesting material.

Who knows what kind of insects are in my yard? I'm more interested in making sure there aren't any six-legged or eight-legged creatures in my house then I'm interested in what type of insects, bugs or whatever is in my yard. We have birds in the neighborhood, so they can deal with creepy crawlers in my yard.

The birds are welcome to any thing the find to eat in my yard. The more insects, bugs or spiders they catch in the yard, the fewer I have to worry about getting into the house. I like having birds in my yard and trees, besides catching insects, bugs, and spiders they sing beautifully. I enjoy hearing birds sing especially nightingales and mourning doves, both of which we have in this neighborhood.

I remember Sunday afternoon with my Grandparents

Jamál (Beauty), 5 Sharaf (Honor), 165 BE – Sunday, January 4, 2009 about 7:14 AM Pacific Time

It is January. It is winter. I am remembering a Sunday afternoon in summer that I spent with my Grandparents. It was a Fourth of July holiday and we were waiting for sunset to "set off the fireworks". We were staying at the lot they rented on Lake Blackwell for the night. Grandma and Grandpa had a "trailer house" (most people call them mobile homes anymore) on that lot.

I remember the mobile home had a bathroom, but when we used the toilet, we had to go to a wooden outhouse. I think we could take a cold shower in the bathroom, but I am not sure about that because I was a child and the events occurred a long time ago. I remember the outhouse because there were spider webs in it and I was afraid of spiders.

As I said, it was a Fourth of July holiday and we were waiting for Sunset. My siblings and I were setting off firecrackers. In addition, Grandpa took us in his motor boat for a ride up and down the lake. Grandpa water-skied that day as well, but the real excitement would come after sunset when we set off the "real" fireworks.

Waiting for sunset
we passed time lighting
firecrackers and skiing.

I am working on a group of poems about my childhood and my grandparents. I also think I will write a poem about the outhouse. Most places have indoor plumbing anymore and outhouses are things of the past. I think we need to remember them.

The wooden outhouse
had spiders and smelled
the spiders made me nervous.