I’m not quite sure to break this news, maybe everybody but me already knows it. But if you don’t, this might sound really weird.

There is something strange about the—I’m searching for the word but can’t find the precise one… so I’ll go with this: I have discovered something strange about the physics of the North Beach. It could be energy field or power vortex or even portals into an alternative universe. I’m not kidding.

Please lend me your ears and eyes as I lay it all out…

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Strange thing #1

We moved to the wonderful North Beach nearly four years ago. Since that time, I have been using a container of JR Watkins foaming hand soap to wash my hands. Yes, the one container. Here’s the thing. It never runs out of soap. I’m not kidding. It looks empty but soap keeps coming out of it. And this has been going on for a very long time. And lest you think I rarely wash my hands, let me assure you I do, and even way more in pandemic times. How could this never-ending soap phenomena happen?

Strange thing # 2

But wait, there’s more… I brought along a stick of partially used deodorant from our former life in the move here. I am still using that same deodorant this many years later. And it never goes down. I never have to turn the dial on the bottom, it’s always exactly the same and has been ever since I used it for the first time four years ago. Yes, I do use it. I promise. I practice personal hygiene, even in the time of social distancing. So how could this be?

Really Strange thing #3

I was willing to just keep these unicorn observations to myself until the latest thing happened. When we moved here, we had a bunch of bowls we had purchased from an amazing potter/decorator duo (jampdx.com) whose unique work has become well known. And over the years, one by one, many of the bowls have broken, so our stack of bowls was getting mighty low. Foreseeing a bowl-less future, I ordered eight bowls of Fiesta Ware in an assortment of eight different colors. (We already had Fiesta Ware plates, but had never had their bowls.)

When the box arrived a few weeks ago, I discovered that one of the bowls had broken in transit. So I contacted Fiesta and emailed a photo and the nice woman told me to just go ahead and throw the bowl away and they would send me a replacement. The missing color was butterscotch and sure enough, before long a new butterscotch bowl arrived and our Fiesta bowl pack was complete. All was right in our cupboard world.

But then, sit down for this, a ninth bowl appeared in the stack. We didn’t order one, one didn’t come in the mail, no UPS or Fedex truck brought it by. It just materialized out of nothing. Or one of the bowls cloned itself. It’s a green one that matches one included in my order of eight. So how did this happen? There has to be a force at work that started in my bathroom and has now expanded to a kitchen cupboard. We’ve had a lot of experience having fewer bowls over time as we (mostly my husband actually) break them, but never have we seen an unaccounted-for increase in bowl population. 

It kinda feels like there is a gnome or fairy or entity hereabouts that performs magic so you don’t have to buy new versions of select items. 

Has anyone else had this happen? I have not found an explanation for any of this that seems possible in our known universe. I’ve lived in many abodes in other places over the decades and have never witnessed anything remotely like this, so I figure it has to be the North Beach.

Is it just me? Does this happen to you? If so, how did it progress? Where did it start? Does it keep expanding to new items and rooms until the whole house is under this spell? Does it ever go bad, like start reversing and ruining things you’ve never used?

My senses are on high alert now. I feel like I have to be ready for anything. Maybe the magic surrounding me will become so powerful that one day when I’m out walking in the woods of the North Beach I will be the one that actually finds ultimate proof of Sasquatch. Could happen.