Every week these little green men fly down from Mars. They ride around outside our new home on scooters eating up all the grass. Some of them use noisy sticks to chomp up the bits of grass the scooter Martians cannot reach. Not sure what its all about but it saves me from mowing the lawn.
I hate snow, I hate shoveling snow, I hate it so much that we winter in Florida every year to avoid the mid-Atlantic winter.
nosnow n nomow!
Now that I am in Retirement
My days are dedicated to:
Riding my bike
WRiting
Relaxation
I have managed to combine these activities into my daily routine but that all came undone recently when we decided to sell our home and move to another house
The process of preparing a home for listing, vacating for showings, dealing with agents, viewing properties to buy, home inspections, signing contracts, buying, selling, packing and moving became a full time job for an entire summer
There was no time left for Riding, wRiting or Relaxation
Thankfully we managed to survive all the stresses of moving and we are now in our new home albeit surrounded by unpacked boxes
I have started Riding my bike again and its amazing how much fitness you lose after a two month layoff, it will probably take me a good six months of training to get back to my my normal fitness level
Not much time for Relaxation yet but I do hope to get back into my wRiting routine
So here are some of the things we have learned from this housemoving adventure
Its impossible to live a normal life while your house is going through showings
You cannot cook meals and generate cooking smells which might put off potential buyers
All of your normal ‘stuff of life’ has to be removed from every surface so that buyers will not be distracted by clutter
Buyers want everything to be perfect and move-in ready so you have to do that overdue remodeling before listing it for sale
Finding a house to buy is mostly a virtual activity by browsing through listings, looking at photographs and videos to draw up a shortlist of potential purchases
Buyers agents basically just show up at the houses for sale that you found yourself on the internet
Buyers remorse can quickly set in after signing a contract, fortunately there are off-ramps to cancel a contract providing your agent guides you diligently through the process
Packing up for moving is a painful process as you quickly discover all the crap you have accumulated and hidden away for decades. Then you become emotionally re-attached to stuff you had forgotten about and refuse to part with it. It all gets packed into boxes that sit unopened after the move until you get tired of looking at them so you put them into storage for another decade or so
However much you like your newly purchased home, you will inevitably set about changing it by decorating, remodeling, etc in a subconscious effort to completely eliminate the style of the previous owners
Whatever budget you set for moving and upgrades, it will never be enough so just double it
Cheeky Monkey on the move, life in boxes,
No time for prose, no time for foxes.
In this whirlwind of change and transition,
A moment of pause, a brief intermission.
The treasures packed away, memories stored,
In this new chapter, they’ll be explored.
But for now, the chaos and clutter surround,
As Cheeky Monkey’s world is unwound.
But fear not, dear friends, for this is not the end,
Just a temporary pause, around the bend.
Once settled and unboxed, the tales will resume,
Entertaining prose will light up the room.
So bid adieu for now, and wish them well,
As Cheeky Monkey’s story continues to swell.
With each new adventure and each passing day,
We’ll eagerly await their return our way.
The Cheeky Monkey team is in the middle of moving to a new home, please forgive us for not keeping up with daily poetry and stories during this busy period.
Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly.
Thank you for your understanding.
We spent the weekend in St Michaels MD
A welcome retreat in a waterfront cottage
Breathtaking views of sunset over the creek
A place to do nothing except soak up the serenity
A trip into town for lunch and supplies
Bustling with tourists and preppy second homers
Galleries selling expensive artwork
Stores selling high end trendy furniture
The harbor bustling with expensive yachts
A sure sign of high net worth residents and visitors
Taking advantage of the two hour drive from the city
Close enough for a comfortable week end commute from the city
Far enough to be deep into the Eastern shore countryside
Devoid of city sky light pollution
The clear night sky is adorned with millions of stars
We enjoyed the company of good friends
Chatting well into the evening
The next morning we woke after sunrise
Watching ducks paddling in the creek
We felt like we were floating too
A hearty breakfast overlooking the water
Friendships were honored by breaking bread together
Food tastes so much better with a view
Abi took Gails advice and said nothing to Andrew
who spent more and more time out of the house
she noticed that Judith had stopped calling and texting her
how could my best friend do this to me she asked herself
Abi visited with Gail frequently
who was most impressed with Abis ability to understand the black cat
they would visit the woods together to talk with the other animals
while sending the back cat on reconnaissance missions
the black cat came to visit Abi at her home almost every day
they played games and watched TV together
Abi learned to understand the intricate details of cat language
which is a complex mixture of sounds and gestures
the black cat had an extensive vocabulary
and was really good at the most difficult crossword puzzles
they laughed to gather and made fun of folks who dont understand catspeak
Abi was most happy when Andrew was not around
she faked being pleased to see her husband when he arrived home
even though she despised him for cheating with her best friend
she never gave him or Judith any clues that she knew of his infidelity
having lost her first husband she had insisted on extra life insurance for Andrew
Abi took a break from her freelance writing work
the black cat encouraged her to write a novel
and gave Abi lots of ideas for the story
it was a murder mystery called she talked to animals
one evening there was a knock at the door
Abi opened it to find a policeman with a glum face
I have some bad news your husband has been killed in an accident
witnesses say he swerved when a cat ran in front of his vehicle
Abi received a very large check from the life insurance company
she snuggled with the black cat on her bed
the cat purred and asked Abi a question
now that we have dealt with Andrew what shall we do with Judith
Abi became very depressed after losing her baby
she could not focus on her work
spending a lot of time at home alone
Andrew was frequently away on business trips
Abi took her morning walk before writing in her diary
six months since losing my baby and still no sign of the black cat
later that afternoon a scratching noise caught her attention
she opened the door to find the black cat sitting on the step
What do you want she asked the cat
knowing that the cat understood and would communicate back
the cat ran towards the street and then paused to look back
so you want me to follow you said Abi
will this be a long or short walk she asked the cat
the cat immediately lay down outstretched
oh I see this will be a long walk said Abi who went inside to get her coat
the cat led her into town and stopped in a parking lot
what am I looking for asked Abi
the cat lifted a paw and pointed to a vehicle
Abi recognized Andrews car
the cat started to move again and Abi followed
a few blocks away the cat sat down in front of Judiths house
Abi kept out of sight and sent Andrew a text
she saw him in the window picking up his phone
the reply said working late tonight don’t wait up for me
Abi yelled at the cat take me to see Gail now
the cat took her to a large house nearby
Gail answered the door saying I have been worried about you
come inside and lets talk
Abi told Gail she thought she lived in the woods
I only visit there to talk with the animals laughed Gail
please tell me what I should do about Andrew cried Abi
Gail hugged her whispering we will let the black cat deal with that situation
Abi walked home from the pharmacy followed by the black cat
when she opened her front door the cat sat in the driveway
she knew the cat was there to find out if she was pregnant
I’ll tell you the results in s few minutes she yelled at the cat
she went inside to use the test kit returning a few minutes later
the cat was still sitting in the driveway
you can tell Gail I am pregnant she said smiling
the cat immediately took off and ran down the street
Abi sent Andrew a short text – congrats dad
he responded immediately with a happy face
they went to their favorite restaurant that evening to celebrate
Abi put her hand over the wine glass to stop the waiter pouring
Abi was the happiest she had ever been
she still walked every morning through the pregnancy
always looking along the trail for the mysterious black cat
who seemed to appear at every critical moment her life
Abi worked from home as a technical writer
preparing manuals and operating guides for medical equipment
she had never seen the equipment in use
until she went for an ultrasound check on her baby
Abi watched the technician type commands into the keyboard
she could have operated the machine herself
its ok you can tell me the sex
the technician smiled and said its a boy
Abi had been friends with Judith since her schooldays
Judith came round more often during the pregnancy
Abi got very tired easily and had to rest a lot
Judith would make dinner for the three of them and frequently stayed over
Abi woke up one morning in a hospital bed
she recognized the monitoring equipment beside her
from the sad faces around her she knew she had lost her baby
the black cat was watching from the hospital window
Abi was surprised by the marriage proposal prediction
its probably time to go now said Gail
you have a lot to think about
she told the cat to lead Abi back to the trail
Abi followed the cat who kept looking back to check on her
when they reached the trail the cat ran back into the woods
Abi spent the rest of the day thinking about her time with Gail
she wanted to tell everything Andrew but decided it was best to say nothing
she prepared a special dinner at home
Andrew was a little more attentive than usual
Abi was still not sure if she wanted to get married
she was only thirty seven and had been a widow for five years
Abi drank more wine than usual during dinner
hoping it would calm her nerves
they sat on the couch after the meal
Abi was both exited and afraid at the same time
Andrew got down on one knee to propose
Abi caught sight of the black cat sitting on the window sill outside
she hesitated for what seemed like an eternity
the cat looked on as Abi whispered yes
Abi did not see that cat the next day on the trail
she wanted to ask Gail a lot of questions
but was preoccupied in wedding planning
they got married in the late fall of that year
it was a small ceremony at a local venue with family and close friends
when it was time for Abi to say I do she saw the black cat sitting at the back
nobody else seemed aware of the cat
who ran away when Abi uttered those memorable words
Abi had no children from her first marriage
Andrew begged her to start a family
a few months later she was at the pharmacy buying a pregnancy test kit
she glanced out of the window behind the checkout and saw the black cat
come Abi sit down said the old lady pointing to a tress stump next to her
Abi sat down and asked who are you
the old lady smiled and said my name Gail is and I see you walking near here every day
I told my cat to bring you here this morning
Abi had a strange feeling that she knew Gail
who was very well dressed and surprisingly clean looking
despite apparently living like a hermit
thats quite an intelligent cat you have there said Abi
oh she understands everything we say
she tells me everything thats going on around here
Abi looked at the cat who was now purring on Gail’s lap
Gail told Abi that the cat can hear our thoughts also
I know you are doubting so lets do a demonstration said Gail
I want to you think of an object a color and a number
just repeat those three words in your head please
Abi went along with the party trick
the cat purred more and Gail listened with closed eyes
she tells me its a black car with the number eleven
Abi was amazed but still skeptical and asked for another try
this time let me just think of something random
she though about todays headline news and her breakfast
the cat purred more as Gail listened
you ate eggs for breakfast while listening to the news about an earthquake
and you are now even more curious what this is all about
Abi felt this whole experience was surreal
an old lady living in the woods with a mind reading cat
I suppose you know all about my life then said Abi
has the cat been watching me at home
the cat purred more as Gail shed a tear and said
you live alone and you are often sad since your husband died
you have found a new love but you are afraid of commitment
his name is Andrew and he will ask you to marry him after dinner this evening
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 