Glen has gone to spend the night with his friend in ICU again.
He's struggling. I meant Glen there, although it is impossible to tell if his friend is struggling or not. His condition is such that it is time to discuss alternatives in his care. And Glen, despite not being related to him, feels very strongly he knows what his friend would and would not want at this point. The man's only real relative beside his wife is a sister with whom he is not close at all. And really, it's the wife who has to make the hard decisions and Glen's not sure he has any right to try and influence those decisions while at the same time feeling as if he needs to be his friend's ally.
He is, to say the least, conflicted. He wants so badly to do the right thing and yet...what is that? Who can really know?
Things will unfold as they will, of course, but there are no easy answers here. I feel so sad that he is having to go through this with such a close friend. And literally two weeks ago, they were out fishing. But for tonight, he's going to sleep on that little recliner again. He has FSU football on the TV in the room and he's taking it all as it comes.
He did some work in the garage today, trying to clear it out enough to park his (our) new car in it. We have purchased the car Tom owned when he died. There's a whole story there about WHY Tom needed a new car and let's just say he was not driving it legally. But it's a good vehicle, a Suburu, and is comfortable for him. It's a little higher off the ground than the Camry he's been driving for years for his in-town errands and when we take our trips. So it's easier for him to get in and out of. It has more computerized shit in it than anyone needs and all sorts of warnings and alarms making it practically impossible for a driver to run into anything or drive off the road or, hell. I don't know. Sing out of tune? I would not be surprised. He's going to disable a lot of that stuff because it's annoying.
And all of this would be fine with me. Glen's always been the guy who picks out what we drive based on all sorts of criteria which range from dependability to resale value to gas milage to...well everything.
And he never buys anything new.
So yes, I trust Glen to buy the right car for us at the right time but I have a major problem with this car. Extremely major. And that is...the car is brown.
It is brown, brown, brown. And the interior? Browner still.
Oh, it's super cool that the seats have air-blowing, cooling abilities. It's cool that it's a very, very safe car. It's cool that there's lots of storage room. All that and a lot more is terrific.
But the brown?
I get a true visceral reaction from it and it's not a good visceral reaction and I have made that very clear and he's made it very clear that he's sorry but that's the way it is.
This reminds me of the log cabin situation and yes, that project has come to a halt with the whole dealing-with-Tom's-estate thing and now this situation with his friend but that cabin, inside and out, was brown too, although he did put up sheetrock which he has painted and can paint so there's not quite as much brown.
And I am ashamed of myself for getting so upset about such a small issue and I know it's the perfect example of a first world problem and I need to shut up because he's not going to change his mind but the thought of going on long journeys in that car depresses the hell out of me.
Suck it up, buttercup. Get over it.
I mean- you can get internet in that car.
Today was the first time I'd actually seen the interior. We drove in it to Monticello for lunch just as little together-outing. We went to a supposed barbecue place we'd been to once several years ago and it sucked today as much as it had then.
As Glen said, "In Monticello, it's pretty much the Mexican restaurant and everything there tastes the same."
"Yes," I told him, "But it's a good taste."
And I am right.
But it was nice just to be out with my sweetheart and then, to make the date even more romantic and exciting, we went to Aldi's to pick up a few things and once again, the aisles were almost empty but luckily, this time I was not held hostage by anyone.
I wanted some tofu because there's a recipe I want to try for crispy tofu and tonight would be the perfect time to do that. What I think I'm going to eat along with the hopefully incredibly crispy tofu, I do not know. Perhaps peppers and onions. Whatever.
But the thing that has brought me the most joy today was planting my lettuce seeds. I planted one row of these:
And one of these:
The greens you see up there at the top left of the picture is the arugula.
And, if this picture is any indication, Glen's okra plants are about to get blooms.
But what I wanted to say is that mixing compost into the dirt and sprinkling seeds into the rows I made with it and then patting them down like I was patting the sweet, plump bottom of a baby gave me such pleasure.
Look how tiny they are.
I'll water them in tomorrow. The soil wasn't dry because of the watering I did for the collards and mustards.
There is something about the ancient alchemy of combining seeds and dirt and sun and water to create food that never fails to thrill me.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Love...Ms. Moon








Brown Subaru inside and out? I read that and something whispered "seat covers"...
ReplyDeleteSo I looked.
And found: https://www.amazon.com/TOADDMOS-Blossoms-Colorful-Universal-Protector/dp/B08D77BJW2?sr=8-25
Just an idea you understand.
Pretty cool seat covers. Of course they'd block the cool air of the seat coolers. But that is a good idea.
DeleteAlmost forgot: I do really enjoy reading your blog. You remind me of my Granny.
ReplyDeleteWell, I am a granny. I suppose I act and sound like one too. Thank you.
DeleteBrown is a very fine colour - on a big old grizzly bear. And brown eyes are beautiful too, many in my family have brown eyes. But a car? Inside and out? NO. I have never in my life bought anything with a thought to its eventual resale value.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has brown eyes and I love them. Same with my grandchildren.
DeleteBut eyes are not cars, are they?
And if you'd ever been a car dealer, you definitely WOULD have thought about a car's eventual resale value.
Would some brightly coloured seat covers help mute that brown interior somewhat?
ReplyDeleteYes. Not sure Glen would go for that but the main problem is that the seats have SEAT COOLERS and if you put covers on them they would block the magic cooling vents.
DeleteAnd I imagine we may use those here in Florida.
I like the idea of colorful seat covers and I feel so sorry about Mr. Moon and his friend. People need to legalize their desires before next of kin take over.
ReplyDeleteAmen, honey.
DeleteMy family know how I feel about being kept alive, just a hard no. No feeding tubes, no ventilators, just let me go. That's me but not everybody feels like that and I respect that we all have different beliefs when it comes to dying. Poor Glen. It's hard watching someone you love die slowly. Modern medicine has extended people's lives but at a price. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.
ReplyDeleteSending hugs to both of you.
You are so right- just because we can, doesn't mean we should.
DeleteAnd honestly, keeping someone alive who is not really there is not right. It's just not. A body in which the heart still beats does not make it a sacred thing. That's my opinion.
When we were rebranding UPS we did many focus groups regarding the color of everything from the package cars to the socks the drivers wear. Everyone told us that they loved brown. We were told over and over to stick with the brown. Then after we worked for two full years and launched the rebranding on the very day W decided to invade Iraq, suddenly everyone hated brown. Why did we keep the brown. Why didn't we go with a better color. Oh well, what's done is done. Sorry that you will have to put up with a brown car. Hopefully you can just quit seeing it at some point.
ReplyDeleteSomehow the fact that UPS trucks and the drivers' uniforms are brown does not bother me. But it really isn't the most attractive color, is it?
DeleteI think your last sentence really cheered me up. Yes. Hopefully I'll just quit noticing it.
I def. would not fancy a brown car.........here in UK the majority of cars are either black, white, silver, or various shades of grey. Car parks look very drab. I insisted that when I changed my car a few years ago it had to be red! On a trip I once counted 22 cars in a row coming the other way without a "colour,".
ReplyDeleteI used to have a red Prius. Now I have a white Prius. There are an awful lot of white cars over here too. Not so many black ones. I think the heat here makes black cars less desirable. I've noticed that some car companies are really getting into some excellent colors. What's taken them so long?
DeleteYou and Glen just have to wear good colors whenever you drive to counteract all that brown. I haven’t grown anything from seed since I was a kid. I loved it. My heart breaks for Glen, his friend and his friend’s wife.
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea! I will only wear bright red and bright aqua in that car. I shall make Glen wear Hawaiian shirts. He does have a few.
DeleteYou should grow a little pot of something you start with seeds. Herbs? Flowers?
Yeah. My husband is doing his best but I can see how much this is taking out of him.
Just…. If the doctors don’t know what’s wrong with friend…. Regret would be devastating, if an optimistic diagnosis were determined after it was too late…
ReplyDeleteThey do have a diagnosis now. It is not optimistic.
DeleteI agree with you on a brown car. My husband's brother just bought a Cadillac and it is brown - yuk! I will say though, that it would be easier to find in a parking lot. We have a white SUV and when I exit the grocery store or Target - I only see a "sea" of white SUVs!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, you're right about it being easier to find in a parking lot.
DeleteI have mistaken other cars for my white Prius in the Costco shopping lot more than once.
I think planting and digging around in the dirt has got to satisfy some deep primordial need in all of us, because it just feels so GOOD. A brown car would not be my first choice, but if it's easier for Glen to get in and out of, maybe it makes sense? Brown is never my favorite color for anything -- in fact that was my chief objection to our previous couch. Who wants a brown couch?! Nobody, that's who.
ReplyDeleteYou are SO right about the primordial need. Right now it's raining and I feel a deep sense of satisfaction that my seeds are getting that good rain water.
DeleteWe do have a brown couch. It's leather so there is that. Guess who picked it out?
Hint: Not me. It's in the Glen Den and there you go.
Home grown lettuce fresh from your garden will be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe store-bought lettuce is causing problems. People are still getting sick.
As for the brown Subaru, Glen must know someone that paints cars and that would be an easy fix.
With all the medical tech and resources today, it is unusual to not have a diagnosis and treatment put forth. That said, some things cannot be put on a blog. Life and death are complicated.
Susan
Getting a car painted, if it's done really well, is not inexpensive. I mean, it costs a LOT! And Glen, being Glen, and actually, me too, are too practical to paint a car whose current paint job is practically perfect. Not for a cosmetic reason.
DeleteAnd some viruses are extremely hard do diagnose. Things can indeed be complicated.
Brown? Really? They paint new cars brown? Well, it can always be repainted.
ReplyDeleteI gather Glen's friend is...unresponsive? Does he have a DNR?
So far I've bought dirt and compost and some little plants and some seeds but that was as far as I got Saturday as my daughter went out for a mani pedi.
I know! I had no idea there were brown cars. I think the situation was that Tom wanted a new car THAT DAY. And there is no way he should have been driving. Anyway, he didn't have time to wreck this one and here we are.
DeleteYes. Unresponsive. Two weeks tomorrow.
I am so happy to be getting things in the ground. Now let's see what grows.
My biggest car colors complaint is the many shades that look like ashphalt! My aging eyes don't like it! Bright colors are sooo much better!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE brightly colored cars and they are really making some nice ones these days. Too bad we don't have one of those.
DeleteI like the suggestions that some of the commenters have made about the car - have it painted and get seat covers - easy solution. I don't think I would mind a brown car, tho, if it was a good car and a good deal. ;)
ReplyDeleteGot my computer monitor changed so I am much happier. My son's friend Sam is a computer guy and we had an old monitor in the basement and Sam brought cables to hook it up. All good. :)
Painting a car can cost over $4000. If it's done right. And trust me- if it wasn't, Glen would not be able to handle it. He's a little tiny bit OCD about some things.
DeleteGlad you got your monitor changed! Let's hear it for computer guys who are either family or friends of the family. As I always say- you gotta know a guy.
I posted, and it's gone. Again! I was wondering about painting, but I see that's not a good option.
ReplyDeletelate to the thread as usual...your *lemon slice* moon pic is wonderful! So sorry to hear still about your/ Glenn's friend...and dire issue..... no...not good all way around... and a brown car...inside AND out? not what I would want but hey...it's a fucking Subaru...the cream of the crop. I guess I'd just have to learn to live with the color... which you will! LOL
ReplyDeleteSusan M
I forgot to say as you were describing the new brown beauty, I thought it sounded like another cabin situation. Whereupon you said exactly that. Another unattractive item with no input. Hm.
ReplyDeleteOur 'new' car, the Honda, is Kona Coffee Metallic. Quite honestly, as long as the car is reliable, I don't care about the color. Perhaps you could think peaceful thoughts about coffee?
ReplyDeleteIt is very cathartic playing in the diet isn't it? Wait...dirt is brown...plant lettuce in the back seat??
Our current car is a metallic bronze, AKA brown. It was the only non grey or white or black alternative of its type and actually it is SO EASY to find in a parking lot that I have gotten quite fond of it. Not predicting you will go that far but it does have some redeeming features.
ReplyDeleteCeci