Some things are just right and some are just not.
We lived in the Midwest until we graduated from college when the Navy took Gary to New England and I moved to Rhode Island to teach. We lived in the East for 17 years before we moved back to the Midwest and have lived there for 30 years now. After 30 years we are thoroughly accustomed to TV schedules in the Midwest and the national news comes on at 5:30. In fact, national news comes on at 5:30 not just in the Midwest but also in Arizona and California where we have spent the last 5 winters, though, the anchor says ‘Welcome to the West Coast edition of the Evening News’ or some such phrase at the beginning. No matter, it still comes on at 5:30 and our stomachs have gotten used to eating at 5:30 to the tones of Brian Williams and the national news. That’s just the way it’s supposed to be. And if our dinner is longer or I serve just a bit late, after Brian has had his say, we can turn to Judy and Gwen on PBS’s News Hour.
However, now we are in the Eastern time zone and the national news comes on at 6:30. They’ve got local news at 5:00. 5:30 and at 6:00. Does the local news change so much that they need 3 different broadcasts? But, you can’t hear national news until 6:30 and PBS until 7:00. My stomach is in rebellion - it needs food at 5:30. That’s just not right.
My second discombobulation is that we are on the western edge of the Eastern time zone. For all 68 years of our lives we have been in the middle of the time zone or on the eastern edge, where the sun first hits. Thus, when we get up at 7:00, the sun is up already. It’s light at 7:00. I can lie in bed, raise the blind and look out to see the blue sky and the sun on the nearby trees. On the western edge of the time zone, where we are now, the sun comes up after we get up - today it was at 7:18 and we were already on our way. At 7:00. it’s barely light out. That’s just not right.
Today I realized that I will not be able to watch Downton Abbey this Sunday since our local PBS station does not carry it. And, I speculate that we will not be able to watch it when we are in the Everglades National Park nor when we are on the Keys. I miss more that I see.
When we awoke at 7:00 today it was 48 degrees. As we sat there eating out breakfast, I looked out and saw a couple speed walking through the campground in shorts. Yep, I’m sitting inside in wool hiking socks and a hoodie and they’re outside in 49 degree weather in shorts. Then, as we were walking around the campground, we saw this. Tenting but they’ve got their dish (I’ll bet they could get Downton Abbey - maybe I should make some new best friends.)
This couple has gone all out.
On the other hand, it’s been a productive morning. Gary called Atwood, the maker of our water heater, and learned that the probably culprit to our water heater humming problem is the check valve between some pipe couplings. So, while I was rinsing the dishes, I used the hot water and Gary sat with his ear on the valve. Sure, enough, that is probably the problem. Now to get it fixed.
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