Wednesday, January 29, 2025

White socks

   I

There is a story why in my youth I was always wearing white socks
Many photos of me, pants leg too short, revealing white socks

I lived on a hill above the river, took many walks down, and across the bridge, to the boys club wearing white socks

So many times walking across the bridge, the wooden sidewalk boards sometimes missing, wearing white socks

Still dream about walking that bridge stepping among the broken boards, usually a nightmare, especially with white socks

Got rubbed inside the elbow to see if we were clean, before allowed into the free swim, at the boys club without white socks

Free on multiple points; free to club members, shower first, no bathing suit required, and of course, no white socks

  II

A foot infection was picked up freely walking on the wet pool deck, and tiled showers, at the boys club without white socks

Not just one foot but both, needed to be soaked, cleaned, medicine applied, and then wear the white socks

Couldn't take a chance with colors running, to worsen the condition, it was weeks without swimming, wearing white socks

Walking at times was painful, the feet were so bad, isolated in the house, no exercise, medical attention, and white socks 

As my healthy feet returned, I left the pool for the ball games, baseball and basketball, where it was okay to wear white socks

Athletic again, stylish almost, when my dress pants were long enough to fit better, to cover the ever present white socks

So Sherlock, free swim seemed to change your life, any regrets about dealing with the stigma of white socks?

Wednesday, January 01, 2025

One at a time

 I

The nut and screw collection grew over the years, 
now it needs to be sorted one at a time

The task is not really impossible, if you focus 
on taking the steps one at a time

So many threaded types of screws; machine, wood, 
drywall, and other specialties one at a time

Bubble sorting, making the initial pass, picking 
those screws with nuts attached, mated one at a time

Next bubble; by size, the larger ones stand out 
so pick them for their own pile one at a time

Next bubble; picking out the nuts, square or hex, 
are the most prevalent one at a time

  II

So many screws, where did they come from, what project 
were they left over from one at a time

Some carry paint, a possible clue to the work once done, 
somewhere, and saved one at a time

Many are left over from a “some assembly required” 
project, I did projects like that one at a time

Intermixed with the screws, nuts, and bolts are 
the special connections for those one at a time

The backing of bookcases or bureaus were 
cardboard and fastened with brads one at a time

Flat head or finish nail, drywall or flooring, 
roofing or tack also mixed in one at a time

So Sherlock, now that they are all sorted, easier to 
find the right size, or type, to finish one at a time



A "putter day" project