I have just returned from hell. I had a doctor’s appointment in Hyannis. It is cloudy so every tourist is on the road looking for entertainment. I sat through so many light cycles my car started growing weeds and assorted greenery. From today onward, my dance car is empty. Hallelujah!

When I was a kid, every summer day was a busy day. I always found something to do. My town was filled with places to visit. The most expensive spot was the pool at the cost of a dime. I remember the teenagers lying on their towels around the pool. They were couples. The lifeguard kept an eye on them. Many summer days the pool was so crowded you couldn’t really swim, but you could dive. I loved diving off the board. I used to stand on the end, aim at the water then dive. I was probably ten or eleven. Rainy days meant staying inside reading or playing in the cellar. I remember my cowgirl days when I’d pretend to be riding a horse better known as the bannister and the end of the railing going down the cellar stairs. It was a speedy horse.

When I was in my teens, we used to go out more at night. I remember when Carrol’s, the burger joint, opened on Main Street. Hamburgers and milkshakes were 15 cents each. French fries were a dime. It was the spot to be, to hang around, to drive through the lot. It was always crowded. Sometimes we went to the drive-in. The closest was in North Reading. You paid by the car load so my friends and I filled the car. Some nights, we’d go bowling. I was terrible at bowling. We’d miniature golf. I was pretty good at golfing, but sometimes the windmill stymied me.

Fast forward to now. I prefer to be a sloth, to stay home, to wear my cozies and to read or watch movies. I don’t get bored. I like naps. I hate traffic. I’m just fine staying home, my very happy place.