"Better get that looked at"

I came home today to a weird noise. It was like a cricket trying to break a Guinness record for longest chirp. I managed to trace it to the basement, somewhere around the furnace and hot water tank area. I looked around, not sure what exactly I was looking for, and then the noise magically stopped. Satisfied, I went back upstairs. Of course, the noise came back and has continued to intermittently sound throughout the night.

Tracy called me around 5pm to ask if we were still on for tonight. I had promised her I would cook dinner and then we could watch The Hills season 3 premiere. I had really been looking forward to the evening. Ask anyone at work, I told them all about my plans. I’m such a dork! So yes, of course we were still on.

I had taken out pork to thaw with plans of trying a recipe for Pork Mango Salad. It was super simple and tasty looking.

When she got to my place Tracy had to vent about work and the parents. She just bought a new bed for herself but mused that maybe she should have bought a futon to put in my spare room. We’ve always been close but it seemed especially nice that I can now offer her a place where she can relax a little but still feel at home.

My salad turned out great and Tracy was impressed. We headed out shortly after 8pm for Dairy Queen so we’d have a cool sweet treat to enjoy when the show started.

Just before we left I complained about being itchy.

“What’s your problem?” Tracy asked.

“I don’t know! I’m just crazy itchy!” I said, wondering if my Poison Ivy Paranoia was coming back.

As a joke, while I was on my way out the door and she was already jumping in the car, Tracy called out loudly, “Better get that rash looked at!” Then she noted more subtlety, “oh whoops, your neighbour is right there.” We just smiled and waved.

“You have to tell me where to turn,” Tracy said on our way back.

“I don’t really know…”

“You don’t know how to get to your own house?”

“I don’t usually go this way!”

We did make it back in time, having found the right turn-off (remember the Co-op gas station). Back home in front of the TV and between commercial breaks we talked about friends and guys. I was once again comforted when I realized how well my sister knows me and how she’s not afraid to give it to me straight instead of being diplomatic.

As she was leaving she said, “Yeah, that noise is definitely coming from the basement.”

“That’s one persistent cricket I have down there.”

“No, you know what it sounds like? Like when a belt in your car is going, y’know?” No, I didn’t know. Tracy’s the expert on driving dud cars (I’m sorry, but it’s true). I didn’t really want to hear that it sounded like something from the basement no less, was going. I haven’t had the air conditioning on for a week, is it just trying to remind me that it’s still there? I hope I can worry about it later. I was planning to get the furnace checked and cleaned in the fall.

If I can block out the noise and get a decent sleep tonight, or even if I can’t, it will still have been an absolutely wonderful evening.