Monday Missives

First of all, I should post about doughnuts more often. For some inexplicable reason, I got a huge spike in blog hits on yesterday’s post.

I had no idea people loved doughnuts so much. Maybe Homer Simpson is on to something.

Secondly, it’s Monday. Some of y’all are probably dragging today, thinking about the other four days y’all must live through before enjoying the weekend. Y’all are not seeing the bigger picture here! Monday is the day when you should be channelling your inner Conan and crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you, and hearing the lamentation of their….significant others. Well, men can lament too, you know. And I don’t mean this in a literal sense, so don’t go out with a machete and start taking whacks at those who would make your life difficult. You just have to go out there and show Monday who is the boss of you.

I don’t care if y’all judge me here. Ahnold was sure eye candy, and he has a point.

Third and last, remember this simple missive: if all else fails, and you feel down and trodden, make a Voodoo List™. A Stab List™ is good, but that can be considered a death threat, or fifteen. You want to go with obscure and mystical here. That way if the management overlords find it, they will be the ones that end up looking like idiots for believing in Voodoo. You can just give them the pity look and say, “Really, you think I practice Voodoo? Well, do you??” Believe me, they won’t take that chance. I speak from experience here.

So, go take on Monday, like a boss!! 😉

Reflections

I’m not very good at looking inward. I try to just go along and do what needs or has to be done because there is no other alternative. When I was giving birth to Eldest, I dilated so fast, I had to start pushing without the aid of an epidural. I had no choice in the matter! I see Life in pretty much the same way. One can reflect on alternatives that are available, but I usually fall back on Occam’s Razor™. The simplest solution is usually the best one.

Sometimes, it fails. That’s usually when I do have to take the time to reflect on the various possibilities available to me, either to grow, or to find happiness, or to deal with loss and pain. I am not one to ask myself if I’m happy. I assume I am since my family is doing well, and there are no major calamities wreaking havoc in our lives. Usually that is enough for me. But for the rest, I do take the time to analyze what has to be done. Sometimes going the simplest route is not an option.

I suppose the trick is in knowing when to cut to the heart of the problem, and when to carefully trim away the excess. I’m still learning, and trying to do what is best for everyone. It will be a long time before I can make decisions solely based on me. Being part of a family precludes that luxury. But in the end, it’s totally worth it 🙂

Terminal Madness

Hubby got back from Hungary last night. Normally it’s a long trip. This time, it was a nightmare. Plane delayed due to a passenger’s missing paperwork in Heathrow, then plane redirected to OKC due to bad weather, then missing the connecting flight here, only to get the last flight out, which in turn was delayed on the tarmac due to many flights having been redirected. He finally arrived at 1 AM. At least the drive home was without traffic.

Anyway, while I was waiting for him, I kept busy watching people. I have to admit I do enjoy people watching. It’s fun, and I tend to make up stories about them. Like the gentleman who was wearing a business suit and carrying a garment bag. He obviously looked like a travelling business man, but could be a hitman just as easily. Oh, and the lady looking at her watch was obviously waiting for her significant other, but could also just be watching for the coffee shop to open. Kids are easy, though. They just run around and have fun in wide open spaces while ignoring their elders commands to shut up and sit down. However, sometimes you find one person from which you just can not tear your eyes!!

Most of us hope for Brad Pitt or Kate Upton, but I got the equivalent of Rebecca Black.

She was sitting behind me, flirting with a young man who was waiting for his ride home. Her voice was as smooth as sand in cogs. Her attire was appropriate for being out and about, especially the streets. But is was her sheer stupidity that drew me like moth to Bonfire™. Apparently she was waiting for someone to come in on a flight, she was just unaware of which flight. All she knew was that he would be carrying an instrument. Suddenly she spied a gentleman with bulky baggage, and practically sauntered in her 5 in platform wedges to him, asking him if he had been waiting long for her, etc. Confused, the man kept shaking his head, and pointed to the baggage, saying something that made her titter and leave. She comes back to her friend and laughs shrilly, saying he was carrying golf clubs!! I just cringed. Finally the flight came in, and she went to meet it. And her friend, the man that was supposed to be carrying an instrument, turned out to be a woman carrying a tote bag. And she said she forgot. How do you 1) confuse genders, and 2) confuse baggage?? Well, she managed, but not before running into an older gentleman and insisting his name was Mr. Peterson, something the man vehemently denied, four times.

Last night I came so close to weeping for the future. Thank goodness I was wearing mascara.

In Vita Veritas

There are people alive today simply because I do not wish to go to prison.

There is nothing that napalm and white phosphorus can’t cure.

Never confuse education with intelligence.

Every day you break a record for the most consecutive days you have lived.

Women should concentrate on finding someone who will ruin their lipstick, and not their mascara.

Minds that wander seldom come back.

This blog post is probably my most random attempt at writing, but at least it got written!!

Hope y’all have a great day!! 😀

Sunday Sithy

Well, I overslept. Hey, I needed it. I have been having trouble sleeping for the past few weeks.

Get your minds out of the gutter.

My anxiety is rearing its ugly head again, which is odd, since Hubby is home now. However, last night I slept deeply and had no heart palpitations to wake me, so that was good. Now, I have to get some coffee in me before the headache gets out of hand.

The Force™ is with me, and it’s nice and smooth! Have a great relaxing Sunday!! 😉

The Heart of Cooking

Sometimes my titles are a bit misleading. Actually, most of the time. But this one is pretty literal.This is one of my favorite pots, a gift from Hubby for Valentine’s Day long ago.

I love my Le Creuset™ pots. I own only three, but use them regularly. Just last night I made beer-braised beef in my 5 quart Dutch oven. This one I use for small casseroles and rice dishes. And of course, the 3 quart is for everything. I’m finding that I prefer cooking in porcelain cast iron far more than non-stick. And let’s face it: the color is far prettier than the dull charcoal of most non-stick pots and pans. It makes me happy to cook in a pretty pot, and if Momma is happy, she tends not to burn anything 😉

Losing Marbles

I received a chain email from a friend this morning. I usually read and delete, since I really don’t like to send along “forwards”. This one actually gave me pause. It was about a man who had calculated the average amount of Saturdays in the average lifespan. In 75 years, you have 3,900 Saturdays (75×52= 3,900). That is the average amount of Saturdays a human being has to enjoy. Admittedly, when that human is very young, it has no concept of “enjoying a Saturday”, but then again that same human has only the responsibility to investigate his or her environment, so it is enjoying pretty much every single day of the week. The man went on to tell of how he only had 1,000 Saturdays left to enjoy, so he went out and bought 1,000 marbles. Every Saturday he would take a marble, and throw it away.

By throwing the marble away, he could see Time running, and focus on what is most important in his life. There’s nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

By my calculations, I have 1,545 Saturdays left on this Big Blue Marble™. Now, I’m not going out to buy a bunch of marbles. If I did, the kids would end up playing with them. But I will concentrate on enjoying my Saturdays with my family, while keeping a journal of how I spent each one. That way, when I finish the 1,545th entry, I can then appreciate the little extra time I have been gifted on this Earth that much more 🙂

Trying to Write a Post While Operating With Only Three Hours of Sleep is Like Herding Koalas Through Bamboo

I have tried writing something, anything for today, but I am too fuzzy minded. Well, more so than usual. All I know is that waking up from a really vivid dream at 2 AM does not make for a happy Aggie.

It doesn’t make a very lucid Aggie, either.

Nor a coherent one.

I guess my plans to trim the loquat branches using my machete will have to wait. Bad enough to lose sleep. I don’t need to lose a limb, either.

At least the koalas look happy… 😉

Just Breathe

Yesterday, though a milestone, was still a hectic day. I spent most of the day running to and fro, conducting errands and taking care of a sick kid. It used to be that I had time for me, but lately I have forgotten about that. I find myself saying that I can just do “that” later, or I can go “there” next week, or perhaps have “this” done at the beauty salon sometime…. but it doesn’t happen. Not because I don’t have the time, but because I don’t make the time.

As I was driving back from the post office yesterday, I was passing a local farm. Yes, we have farms within our subdivisions here. I was looking at the beauty of the field, when I suddenly stopped the car, put the hazard lights on, and stepped out to enjoy the view.

I must have stood there, leaning against the fence just looking, and enjoying the peace and serenity. I hadn’t noticed how long I had been there, until an older gentleman stopped to inquire if I were having car trouble. I told him no, just wanted to stop and look at enjoy the flowers. And then he parked his car, put his hazard lights on, and came to stand by the fence, telling me that as many times as he drives on that road, he had never noticed the field before. We chatted for a bit, until the cattle started to moo, and then we parted. But not without humor.

Me: Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Him: That’s very profound…. Hemingway?

Me: Nope. Ferris Bueller.

Him: HAHAHA!!

But it’s true, isn’t it? Life does move pretty fast. And we should always stop and look around, take a deep breath and enjoy it. 🙂

The Week in Review

Some things I have learned this week:

• Never underestimate travel time. Everyone is constantly on the road during Spring Break.

It took me half an hour to travel six miles on the highway last night. And that was going in the opposite direction of Rush Hour.

• Enjoy the time kids sleep in.

Once they wake up, thinking is out of the question.

• Always wear jeans and socks and shoes to work in the garden.

You would be surprised how many insects can find your sweaty shoes comfortable.

• As a corollary to the above, do not do gardening when surrounded by dogs.

You would be surprised how many insects find their fur comfortable.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of JAM2:

And now I’m going to go drink more coffee, and get the day started!!