By The Bespectacled Reader

          When you see that word “homecoming”, you immediately think of a warm welcome, perhaps smiling faces, good food in the refrigerator, maybe even flowers, all awaiting your return, all saying, “You were missed!”  Well, I really didn’t expect that.  I knew my friends were glad I’d returned and, in some ways, that was enough. But not completely enough!

          Some of what faced me, I was aware of.  For example, a houseful of dead bugs!  Disgusting!  My dear neighbors, when checking my house during my stay in Maine, had discovered the infestation and had opened the house to my pest control company, twice! Now I want you all to know that before I left back in early June, I had gone through my pantry, tossing food stuffs that were open or putting the packages in zip-lock bags.  This horrific mass of dead bugs throughout the house, especially in the pantry, even the cupboard where my cookbooks are stored, was what greeted me, not smiling faces, not breakfast foods in my refrigerator, and certainly not beautiful flowers in a vase on my counter!  Oh, did I mention that I hired a cleaning lady for the first time in my life?  I knew I had to have help in ridding my abode of this ugliness!

          Last Sunday I undertook the task of cleaning the pantry.  Thank heaven Monday is Trash Day because i filled a barrel with any food stuffs with a flour base and stored others in plastic containers with lids.  The pest company came back on Wednesday, sprayed the pantry again, and checked the whole house, upstairs and down. One would think that would be the end of it.  It isn’t——every day I find more of those little black dots, not dead, but moving!  Not for long, of course… I sweep them into my dustpan and down the drain they go!

          As if that isn’t enough of a greeting.  I found that the yard service has not trimmed my hedges or shrubs during the entire four months!  They are pressing hard against my lanai screens,  I registered a complaint through the portal, but so far, no action.  Hello! Welcome home!

          Because of two factors, a driveway that is not quite level and all the rain we had over those 4 months, puddles sat. I had to call the company that resurfaced it last spring.  They agree that repairs are necessary. Happy yet, Marty?

          Lastly, ever since I returned, my email has been acting up.  Alex, my Apple guru, couldn’t help.  Several calls to AT&T, my service provider, and two to Apple Support have solved only part of the problem.  It’s when things go awry that you realize your dependence upon that form of communication. See what I mean about my homecoming?

          But, (there’s always a “but”), I am glad to be back, playing tennis, seeing my wonderful friends, and realizing that the parts of my life that are not going well are far fewer than those that are good——for those, I am grateful.  The others will pass.

The Bespectacled Reader

              Marty Round