Yesterday turned out all different.

But in sort of a good way.

I went to the Honda dealership to get that work done on my car that they had “recommended.” And this time, a really enthusiastic and exceedingly energetic young woman checked me in — instead of the usual “guys”.

And she looked over my files on her computer and told me that the only thing I really needed done yesterday was to get the new wiper blades — if I wanted them (and I did). (Yay — it was looking like maybe it would take 10 minutes!!)

She said that the other stuff that had been recommended wasn’t really needed right now since my car didn’t have a ton of miles on it yet (yes, gone are the days where I keep driving back and forth to NYC and now I fly instead!) — and that the other stuff was a lot more expensive.

She added cheerfully, “If it was my grandmother, I’d want her to know she didn’t have to spend all that money if it wasn’t really necessary.”

Yeah, well. That was awesome. Being compared to her grandmother, right off the bat.

But I really did appreciate not having to spend all that money… Especially since my shifts this month have been cut way back.

But I mentioned that the warning light for my tire pressure had just come on again and it seemed weird, since it had only been 2 weeks since the last time…

Long story short — it turned out I had a nail in the tire, so I was really glad I had brought that up. But it was patchable — lots cheaper than needing a new tire. Yay.

And then two and half hours later…

But, the good thing — while I was sitting there and waiting, and waiting, I decided that I would forego the meeting last evening and just stop in at the Agency on Friday and get my new uniform and my new ID badge then.

So that made me feel great! Suddenly, I felt like I had all the time in the world!!

And it was a sunny day! Great for driving home on the backroads, listening to my thrilling playlist — which suddenly served me up THIS amazing gem — yay!!

And then guess what?? I had completely forgotten that THIS amazing machine would be waiting for me on my kitchen porch when I got home!!!

My new vacuum cleaner!!! Big YAY!

So, with that extra time I suddenly had, I vacuumed the whole house again and I could not believe the difference.

I am so glad I bought that thing, gang. Between that, and the Bissel carpet shampooer — my house is back to looking like it did when I bought it 7 years ago (when I had a mere EIGHT cats).

Anyway. Wow. It turned out to be a really great day.

And today will be even better– I only have the one shift with my favorite 94-year-old Japanese man (it’s sushi-sashimi day!), and then I’ll have plenty of time for yoga when I get home, and even to work on those changes on the play to send to Sandra!

Which also means that tomorrow, all I have planned is to spend time at the shooting range and then work on my novel!!

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And, btw — thank you to everyone who visited my substack page yesterday and checked out the new excerpt I posted there from The Curse of Our Profound Disorder.

It’s been 6 months since I’d been able to post any of my writing there, so it was great to see some traffic there again.

[Please note that my substack page, in general, is intended for adults only.]

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Okay!!

This happened yesterday!!

Nick Cave’s Solo Tour of Europe, with Colin Greenwood on bass, kicked off in Zurich to a sold out audience.

Based on comments on Instagram, it looks like it was another spellbinding show, gang. (Those “solo” shows he does with Colin Greenwood are really just breathtaking. They truly are.)

He’ll be there for 2 more nights, but they are also sold out. (3 shows this summer still have tickets available, buy them here.)

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Other than that, I guess I’ll get moving here. It’s another stunning day in the Hinterlands and I’m looking forward to a beautiful drive to town.

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Our Daily Feature continues!

Gifts Keith Richards gave me when I was a wee bonny girl!!

Wherein I regale you with “songs Keith loved, that he would talk about in an interview in some magazine, and then I’d go out and try to find the record and then buy it with my babysitting money, and then I’d listen to it alone in my intense little room, playing it on the portable record player that my dad bought me, and the song would change my life. “

Today’s selection!!  The fantastic Slim Harpo!!

Here he is with his song, “Shake Your Hips”, 1966 — which the Stones did a fantastic cover of on their album Exile On Main St. 1972.

Slim Harpo, “Shake Your Hips”, 1966. Enjoy, gang!!

“Shake Your Hips”

I wanna tell you ’bout a dance
That’s goin’ around
Ev’rybody doin’ it
From the grownups, down

Don’t have to move yo’ head
Don’t have to move yo’ hands
Don’t have to move yo’ lips
Just shake yo’ hips

And do the hip-shake, baby
And do the hip-shake, baby
Do the hip-shake, baby
Shake yo’ hips, baby

Now, if you don’t know
Don’t be afraid
Just listen to me
And do what I said

Don’t move yo’ head
Don’t move yo’ hands
Don’t move yo’ lips
Just shake yo’ hips

Do the hip-shake, baby
Do the hip-shake, baby
Do the hip-shake, baby
Shake yo’ hips, baby

Now, ain’t this easy?

Well, I met a little girl
In a country town
She says, ‘what’d you know? ‘
‘There’s Slim Harpo!’

I didn’t move my head
I didn’t move my hands
I didn’t move my lips
She shook her hips

She did a hip shake, baby
Did her hip shake, baby
Did her hip shake, baby
Shake yo’ hips, baby

Now, ain’t this easy?

c – 1966 James Moore