A few days had passed and the incident slipped my mind. I began my pre-summer preparation of my property. A few years back I had work done to ensure I wouldn't loose any land by the growing shoreline. I'm glad I got on top of it when I did, last year my neighbor lost a large amount of property in the winter thaw and it has yet to recede.
I went for my yearly drive to Red's. A local place that sold flowers and plants for a fair price. I usually plant my own crops from seed, but my flowers, I like to see the results right away. It takes about twenty minutes to get there and I spend a fairly good chunk of my morning picking out the best flowers to decorate and complement my piece of the lake. I spared no expense. Some people buy clothing, or shoes, maybe they gamble or smoke. My obsession is my property. My yard never looks the same twice. Every year is a blank canvas and I enjoy seeing what my creativity invents. Maybe because im such a recluse with people I feel the need for them to connect with my home. I like that people slow down to look as they drive by. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. And their glowing red brake lights is all the approval I need.
I get to work with the things that no one really enjoys doing, but needs doing. First, I inspect the trees on my property and cut any limbs damaged from the winter storms and wind. I collect all the fallen sticks and logs that wash up on my self made beach. I stack them in the back behind my barn. Nothing goes without a use here. I could use it for crafts, or I could burn it over the long winters or the campfires we have at my parties. Everything is turned back into my life on the lake. After that, I rake all the left over leaves and add them to my compost pile. Once my yard is cleaned of all Debee, I rake the remaining sand on my beach. Every year, I have had to add new sand but, the results are worth it. It gives the lake an almost tropical feel on the really hot sticky days of summer. Since, I am adjusted to the ebb and flow of the seasons, I always pre-order my sand. It is a long tedious chore and it takes me more than one day. It has pearly white sand on one side of the dock, and, fine black lava, sand on the other side of the dock. I like to view it as my own personal yin and yang tribute. Its the one and only continuous thing I have on my property, even though it appears to be different.
Once the beach is cleaned, filled and raked to perfection, I bring out my beach gear, which consists of my tiki bar, tiki style pub tables and chairs with colorful bright umbrellas. I sent up my canopy tent with the grilling and dinning items underneath. Once that is finished, I build up my Caribbean style fire pit, with log style benches surrounding it. When I feel my vision is complete, I add the new decorative pieces and the flowers, to finish out the look. The docks go in by crew since, I can not do that myself. This year I invested in a all season dock and boat launch so that I didn't have to remove it every year. I'm skeptical how long it will last with these brutal winters, but if it does what they say, it will be worth it. I also decided to add some solar panels to my roof, which will cut my electric bill and ill begin collecting checks if I add to the electricity supply. I would throughly enjoy receiving a check instead of having to pay them. I look at it as the best middle finger you could give the monopoly monsters.
After the yard is how I want it, the garden is planted, I look at the property itself, this year I needed to install new windows on the greenhouse which are also solar powered. I found my previous carefully planning to be lacking. I hoped these new solar windows would last a bit longer. I always power wash the deck, restrain and paint the shutters. I power wash the house and get the windows and the buildings professionally cleaned. I believe it is bad luck to start a season without the best foot forward. Which means the house is in order, functioning well, beautifully decorated and the most important of all, all the previous items are put away and the next are brought out. I sort through them, keeping what I want, getting new or giving away. I also view these as my own personal traditions. I may not have a family but I do have things that are my own.
After all my chores are finished, I get back to work building up winters sale items. I always build winter items in summer, and in winter I make seasonal and summer items. I am pretty good at making things that move quickly, that people would like or give as gifts. After all the point is to make money right. I try to stay in touch with style and trending items by reading magazines I subscribe to. I watch TV at night, watching as others live their lives in the open. The total opposite of myself. I may not talk to many people but Im just as current as everyone else. I consider myself a connected hermit.
After a few days of settling back into my routine, things begin to take a turn. The lights began to flicker. No matter what light I turned on, it flickered like a strobe light. I called three separate electricians and no one could give me a real explanation to why it was happening. After a few days, things would start to disappear, and the bruise on my knee wasn't healing. In fact, it was getting worse and I still couldn't feel a thing. I debated on going to the doctor, but all it was, was bruised. I decided I would give it a little more time before I began to freak out about it. I wasn't sure what was happening, but someone like me wasn't going to sit around and take it. I went around to every single light balb and put a new one in. I kept only the room light I was in lit, the rest of the house I would light with candles. I lit some sage and sweet grass and walked the house. I didn't think it had anything supernatural to it but I did know sage calmed the nervous and I needed to relax. I noticed that slowly the lights stopped being effected, and I was able to go on like it never happened. I still had no answers, but that feeling that something was still very wrong sat in my gut.
My very first craft fair was coming up and I got to work selecting the stock, pricing it and packaging it. I have a caravan that I use for traveling, since its just me I only need the two front seats, the rest I fill with my equipment and my goods. I drive out jammed full and I return home with just my equipment. I sell out usually a few hours before the fairs end, so I can look around for things to buy for my home. I get some pretty good deals and sometimes I trade my stuff for someone else's. Thats why I like the craft store circuit, It gives me a sense on how things used to be in a early city market place. You also see things that are not on the store shelves all over the country. I like things that are old and antique, but I don't want my home to look like an elderly women decorated it. I buy a lot of things that should belong to a home by the sea. I like things that look a little bit rugged but beautiful at the same time. It suites me.
The night before I'm due to leave, I like to get a early start on my sleeping. I drive as far out as las Vegas for some of these craft fairs. They are a lot more popular down south then they are up north. My first stop would be Tampa Florida and it was going to be a long drive to get there and to get home. I always packed light, I'm more of a person who dresses to be comfortable. I don't wear a potato sack or anything, but I prefer function over femininity. The van is always gassed up, tuned up and all the fuss and muss. My bags and favorite road side snacks are placed where they always are. I always pack a cooler of things. I don't eat much fast food. Sometimes I crave something greasy but I am on my eating healthy kick and that is hard to do that on the road. I mapped out the entire trip and i still use a gps. I like to plan for any outcome. Basically, anything you could possibly need on a road trip is in my van. I'm a bit of an over-doer. Id rather be prepared then in need.
I take my long bath with lavender soap shortly after eating dinner. I slip into bed and after twenty minutes of struggling I finally fall asleep before the sun is down for the night. My alarm goes off at three am and I reach over to shut off my alarm but I feel a cold hard wall. I open my eyes and am surrounded in darkness. The first feeling is confusion but I blink rapidly as my eyes adjust to the dark. I get up slowly trying to feel around, my stomach knotted in fear. Where the hell was I? Using the wall, I walk forward slowly. It feels like an eternity but it is only a few feet. I feel a light switch with my hand and I turn it on. I am in my own basement. How the hell did I get here, you cant get into the basement unless you go outside. I must have walked out here in my sleep. This is where I stormy stock and I was thinking about the trip to Miami. I tried to piece together the logic as i made my way out of the basement. I shut the doors and put the pad lock back on the metal doors. I walk to the back deck and see that the sliding glass door is wide open.
"Shit."
It had rained, so I had a mess to mop up, but I made quick work of it. I didn't want my schedule to get pushed back. After a hot shower to get the stiffness out of my bones, I make my bed and dress, eat breakfast and lock everything up, like i always do. By 4:30 am, I'm headed out the drive way. I like to make cds for each trip, so that im not stuck listening to the same stuff all the time. I just pop a CD in and play it from the first track to the last track and its always songs I like. It helps me pass the time, jamming out as I hit the open road. I'm usually filled with this sense of freedom and adventure. This time I didn't even bother to hit play on the CD player, I didn't feel free. I felt like i spent the night on a hard floor. And I was tired already. I wasn't going to go off plan. So I hit play, rolled my window down and put the pedal to the medal.
Some time around ten, I pulled into a rest stop, fueled up and ate my lunch on a picnic table, used the rest room and walked around for ten minutes to wake myself up and get the stiffness out. I bought the biggest cup of coffee and hit the road again. Around three, I pulled in again and repeated my routine with the dinner I packed. I had planned to drive until 3am. I was bone tired, but I hadn't been nodding off so I pushed onward with my trip. At four in the morning i pulled into the hotel I had a reservation at. I went up and ordered a big breakfast making sure nothing was greasy. I ate wishing i had a plate full of bacon. I suppose i was experiencing some sort of withdraw from fatty foods. I would just have to move past it.
As I was getting ready for my shower, I noticed I had another large bruise on my left side, it was just as violent and purple as the one on my knee. What was happening to me? How did I get this? I must have fallen when I was sleep walking. Again, I felt no pain. Maybe I just had a high pain tolerance. I shrugged off the nagging feeling of danger and took a shower. It didn't take me long to fall asleep. My alarm sounded at 1pm and I hit the road. I was due to arrive in Tampa around dinner time. I slept better and I wasn't so tired, the rest of the trip i got back into my old routine. Just like the distance passing from me and my home, I pushed back the feelings I didn't want to face.
I arrived to the craft fair grounds at six the following morning. It wasn't due to open until eight but I needed some time to set up and get organized. Theft is easy here, so I like to make sure I set it up where I can keep an eye on everything even when I'm ringing people out. I rarely have a problem with losses but it happens from time to time. The first day is usually pretty busy, its the beginning of the season and people are excited for their summer rituals. I make a large amount of sales, but I anticipated as much. The fair closes at dark. I usually stay an extra hour to restock and organize, then I lock up my tent. There is security that stays there twenty four hours but I still like to be careful. I know a pad lock can be easily broken into, but they will have to make noise for that.
The second day goes as I expect and I sell more of my goods. By midday the final day I have nothing left to sell. I break down my area and load up my van, stopping by the office to pay the venue rental fee's. After that I walk the park and buy what I want. A little after dinner time I go back to the hotel. Just like before I left, I would get a lot of sleep and stick to the same routine coming down. I count my money from the sales and deduct my supply fees, the profit I deposit before heading home in the nearest Key bank to the hotel, previously goggled. I wont stay in a hotel that isn't close to one. The longer you have the cash in hand, the longer the risk of getting robbed. I suppose I am a bit paranoid, but I never like holding that much cash at one time.
I made it home and pull into the drive way just as the sun is setting. For the first time in my life, im not happy to be home.
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