Sands in an Hourglass

Seriously, I have no time for anything lately. I still have gifts to wrap, and baking to do, and groceries to get, and dogs to board, and Guilder to frame for it.

Just seeing if you’re paying attention.

Every year I tell myself the same thing: I’ll start to wrap and decorate early. And as usual, something happens. Obviously, the accident played a HUGE part this year. But c’mon! I can use gift bags instead of wrapping paper. I just have this….block, for lack of a better term. The Christmas tree is finally up, but I have yet to put up the stockings. Or the garlands. Or the mistletoe ball.

And I just remembered the outside lights. Eh, forget that. I don’t have enough strings of lights to spell “D-I-T-T-O” anyway.

Maybe if I do the tree like that next year, I won’t have to worry about gift wrapping.

I hope I’m not the only one procrastinating. Am I?? 😀

Hello, Monday…. We Meet Again

I would say I am happy to see you, as I usually am after the weekend, but not today.

You made me very unhappy. Seriously?? A cold front to greet me?? What have I ever done to you, to deserve such treatment? I cheer for you every Sunday night as my kids drag themselves to bed. I wake up with a smile to greet you. I hail your presence as I eagerly drop them off to school. And yet, today you decided to just… forsake me!!

The 54*F (12* C for my foreign readers) doesn’t bother me. But that 28*F (-2* C) ?????

WHAT THE HADES???

I’m sorry, Monday. I’m breaking up with you. It’s one thing for a cold front to come in any other day, but heartbreaking when it comes on what was my favorite day of the week. You’ll have to shower me with sunshine next week to make up for it.

Or shower with water. We sure could use either 😉

On Being Lonely

November is the beginning of National Blog Posting Month at WordPress. Basically it entails writing a blog entry a day, which I pretty much do anyway. lately though, I have been running low on inspiration, so I thought I would look up some suggestions at the Daily Prompt. Some of them were quite fun and others were not really for me, but one of them caught my eye:

When was the last time you felt really, truly lonely?

I read that yesterday afternoon, and have been quietly pondering it since. My first thought was, how can I possibly be lonely?? The second? WHEN DO I HAVE THE TIME TO BE LONELY??? But the thing is, one can be lonely surrounded by loving people, while being busy as a parent, and even in the midst of joy.

I can’t think of many times I have been lonely. There are plenty where I am alone, though. The most recent memory of loneliness was a bad one for me. The walls seemed to close around me and all I could do was escape to the closet and cry for hours, where no one could find or hear me. My faith was strained that day, a very dark, bleak day. But somehow I managed to pull myself back from that darkness and embrace my faith again, because it was the one thing that had stayed with me. There are days when I feel the need to close myself off from everyone, and just shut down every feeling and every care. But I can’t. Not “won’t”, mind you. I can’t help but care and feel, even towards those who have shut me out of their lives.

Loneliness is only a small phase in the course of Life. When handled well, we can learn much about ourselves. The trick is to make sure it is a small phase, and not one that takes over your soul. That is the path I choose to take 🙂

Another One of Those Days

….when I don’t have much to say.

This too, shall pass.

It Feels Mondayney

Because it is.

It all began with setting the wrong time on my alarm: PM for AM. I overslept, and the dogs barking at the door roused me from a rather interesting dream where I was selling mangoes by the side of the road and Richard Burton buying a peck for his crush, Lindsay Lohan. I asked him if he knew he was dead, and he said he did, but he “came back” for Lindsay. I asked him if he was interested in dating her, and he said she thinks it’s just for dating, but that he needs to fill a roster for the Grim Reaper.

If I were Ms. Lohan, I would take rehab seriously.

Anyway, I took the kids to school, dropped off my neighbor’s little girl, and came back to the smell of colitas spray paint, rising up through the air. Turns out Hubby drove over a can of spray paint in the garage. So, not only is one of Eldest’s things for her room ruined, he got spray paint on his car, too. Luckily, I know how to take that off. Then it was off to take my BIL back to his barracks, and then finally to take Little One’s PE clothes to school, because since everyone overslept, she forgot.

I ask you: why do I have to be the one to wake everyone, when they ALL have their own alarm clocks??

Anyway, this week can’t get any worse, right? RIGHT?? Here’s hoping y’all’s doesn’t, either 😉

Possible Death of a Salesman

I am NOT a happy camper right now.

About a year ago, one of those college/ vocational/ tech institute students came by selling magazines. My heartstrings are always plucked like chicken feathers. Anyway, he was just a few “points” from getting the level and so I decided to choose a couple of harmless magazines. That usually means family or cooking oriented. Well, they had Family Fun, which I like because it has a lot of ideas for young kids, which can also be adapted for older ones. And since he begged so nicely, I decided to order Rachael Ray’s magazine.

No, I don’t like Rachael Ray. Her perkiness drives me nuts, and feels like a cheese grater on my nerves. But it was the only cooking magazine that wasn’t labelled as “light” or “healthy”. And no, before you freak out I am NOT against eating light or healthy. I just like to do the healthy substitutions or tweaking on a regular recipe if I wish to do so. It’s easier to trim down a regular fat recipe than fatten up a thinned out one. I think I’m rambling and y’all don’t understand, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I ordered her magazine with the full intent to be more creative in my cooking, and instead, I got Newsweek.

I have nothing against Newsweek. Obviously, I don’t care for its political slant, but they have the freedom to do that. No, what bothers me is that I ordered a cooking magazine, and GOT A NEWS MAGAZINE INSTEAD!!!

And on what world does the spelling of Every Day with Rachael Ray look like Newsweek?? He wrote the title, and the numbers that corresponded were not even close to each other. I swear I’m being tested.

And if another salesdude or chick comes by selling magazines, I will greet them with machete in hand. 😉

My Empire for a Pillow

This post has been 30 years in the making. At least, it feels like it.

I have owned the same pillow since I was sixteen years old. I love my pillow. It’s latex, not feather, and I do get it dry cleaned on a regular basis, so don’t get all icky on me. Anyway, everyone tells you that you must replace your pillow every so-many-years, since pillows tend to “break”. And I have tried. Boy, have I tried….

The first replacement I bought in college. It was a feather/foam type. As soon as I lay on it, it just flattened. I was so disappointed, because the salesperson absolutely guaranteed I would sleep like a baby. Turns out I did. A colicky one.

The second time, I found a latex pillow, and I was ecstatic! It was JUST LIKE MINE!! We were in the process of moving from San Antonio to Fayetteville, NC, when I realized my pillow had been packed with all the household goods. GAH!! We went to some big name housestuff store, and I found it. It was just the right size, too: three inches at the middle thickness. That is important, as you will see later. Anyway, we drove out from Houston to Pensacola, and stayed at a La Quinta overnight. And in my hurry to pack up in the morning, I left my pillow in the hotel room!!

Some hotel staffer is sleeping well in Pensacola.

The third time was only two years ago. I decided to splurge on a memory foam pillow, because that’s all the rage and it’s supposed to conform to your head, blah, blah, blah… So I do. I spend $50 on a pillow, but I am prudent enough to keep my old one, just in case. I try it out that night, hoping against hope that it works.

And I ended up waking up feeling rather stabby. GAH!! This time, Little One ended up with the premium pillow. At least she loves that thing, so it wasn’t a waste of time or money.

I scoured all over town for latex pillows, and finally found one. Number Four was latex, and firm, and awesome. But it was four inches thick, and I ended up waking up with a crick in my neck every morning. So, Son becomes the proud owner of a very nice latex pillow, and Momma once again literally dusts off her old pillow for her use.

Fast forward to last Saturday. Hubby and I had been contemplating a new mattress set. The old one was fine, but the box spring tended to creak horribly if you so much as looked at it. So, you can let your imagination wander here. And….you can stop now. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t conducive to a good night’s sleep, either. So, we went to get a new set, and while purchasing the mattress, I spied another foam pillow. The salesman told me it was a top seller, and I tried it out. Seemed the right height, so I added it to the final purchase. I awaited its arrival in eager anticipation. FINALLY, a new pillow for me!!!

And after two nights of waking up in discomfort, I have to take it back. Short of me shaving off an inch from the pillow top, I don’t see how it can work for me. So, either Eldest will end up with it, or the store will.

All I know is, my old, trusty pillow will probably be with me forever. At least, until I get cremated. Then we will have to part, because burning latex can be toxic, and I don’t want that ending up in the sewage along with my ashes 😉

A Little Fun Between Strangers

My poor dog Lenny had a miserable night. Her ears are infected, and that necessitated a trip to the vet. Thankfully, she loves, and I mean LOVES going to the vet. That wasn’t going to be the issue.

But Hubby’s car is in the shop, and the van has issues, and so Hubby took my Pathfinder to work this morning, which meant I had to borrow a vehicle, which meant my niece’s Isuzu. My niece is 18, just graduated from high school, and does all the seniors-are-cool stuff to her car.

1. Tassel on rear view mirror: check!
2. “Acquired” Whataburger™ table number*: check!
3. Obligatory “2012” signage: check!
4. Phrase written in shoe polish: check!

Wait, what??

Great….just great. I get to drive all over town with this. The good news is, no one will recognize me while driving around. It’s a big enough area. Anyway, I get to the vet’s and Lenny is beside herself wanting to make several new friends, including two parakeets, a trio of ferrets, a Scottish Terrier, a huge dog probably bred from bears, and a very nasty cat. I say nasty as in mean, not icky. Her own owner doesn’t like her. Moving on, I go outside to wait for them to bring me Lenny, since the place is packed, and the gentleman that arrived at the same time I was parking struck up a conversation.

Gent: I take it you like to dance?

Me: Well, yes… like most people, I guess.

Gent: Country dancing, huh?

Me: No, more along Big Band and Waltzing, why?

Gent: *points to niece’s vehicle*

Me: OMIGAWD!! Sorry, I didn’t write that. It’s my niece’s vehicle, and I had to borrow it today.

Gent: So does that mean you’re a waltzing babe?

Me: No, it means I am taking that car to the nearest car wash.

Gent: *laughs*

I must have turned three different shades of red. But he had a good laugh, and if I helped to make someone happy, then I win, right?

*For those not familiar, Whataburger™ is a Texas chain, and a lot of graduating seniors always feel compelled to abscond with one of their little numbered table signs. It’s a right of passage 😉

My Name is Aggie, and I Remember EVERYTHING

It’s a gift, and a curse.

I was blessed with a very good memory. Well, some call it a blessing. I call it The Curse of a Thousand Gnats. Why? Because that’s what it feels like, to have so much stuff floating around in my grey matter. Seriously, who cares if actress Jennifer Tilly is a poker champion? Or that there are 119 grooves in a U.S. quarter? Or that there are 20 kisses described in the Kama Sutra?

Ok, that last one may be helpful. Don’t ask how I know.

The other day, we were visiting my sister’s and Hubby remarked that the only other people he personally knew to have owned boxer dogs were his grandparents.

Hubby: She was a very nice dog. Gypsy.

Me: No, her name was Queenie.

Hubby: Are you sure?

Me: Yep. I never met Gypsy, only Queenie.

Hubby: Crap, I’m losing it.

And it’s not just useless trivia and random memories. It’s remembering what my 23 year old niece was wearing the last time I saw her, when she was a toddler. It’s remembering the last view of my grandmother as we drove away. It’s remembering the scent of the flowers at a friend’s grave.

But it’s also remembering the first time Hubby kissed me. And it’s also remembering the nail polish I wore on my wedding day as Hubby slipped the ring on my finger. And it’s remembering the joy at holding each of my babies in my arms for the first time. Sometimes memories serve to remind us of the wonderful successes and even the tragic failures we have experienced so that we may better appreciate the paths we have chosen.

I just wish sometimes I could stop remembering that the shoelace tip is called an aglet 😉

Guess What???

I’m still busy. I know. Y’all are just SHOCKED. I can tell.

Today I was up before 6 AM to take the older two kidlets to the ROTC Fish Camp. Then I drove through traffic so congested it needed Nyquil™ in order to drop off my BIL at the barracks in time for his appointment today. I raced home, only to remember to stop to get some groceries, because dishes need dishwashing liquid in order to get clean. Also I was out of coffee creamer, and I was actually doing the kids a favor by getting some. That way they wouldn’t have to deal with a cranky mom tomorrow, when I have to do this all over again, only with a trip to the mall included. Oh, and school registrations are this week, along with prep days and school portraits and my appointment at the hospital, and packing for our vacation.

Hopefully a week at the lake will relax me.

I get the funny feeling I’ll be doing pretty much the same stuff I do here, only with a lake attached. Whatever…as long as there’s wine and the noise is lower than 1200 decibels 😉