I find parenting to be an interesting endeavor. You have a child, who depends on you to make somewhat rational decisions. However, I myself don't always feel fully qualified to be making all the snap decisions I find myself making.
With a second baby on the way in about 4 weeks; Greg and I decided to move Gwen into a toddler bed rather than purchase a second crib. We had the toddler bed already and thought this would be a simple thing after a week or so of adjustment. I decided that with Gwen in the toddler bed and full of new-found freedom, we would not just conveniently lock her in her room at night and naptimes...but rather consistently put her back in bed just like I saw on Nanny911 and SURELY, after some consistency here, Gwen would simply go to sleep when it was time for bed - door open and all.
For those parents who may be reading this blog; stop smirking.
I am constantly amazed at my daughters very pleasant way of stubbornness. There are no tantrums really, no wailing or sobbing, but rather; about 20 times every evening after we put her to bed; she gets up. Again, and again, and again. You say 'it's time for bed' or 'go to bed' and she happily says, 'K!' and trots on back to bed only to revisit in about 1 minute.
Greg is not quite the authoritarian I am, and so he may read her a story, or simply let me deal with it until exasperation kicks in and then he'll shut the door. Which instantly escalates the situation, of course. Occasionally, we have waited 2 and a half hours for her to fall asleep. Sometimes, she goes to sleep right away. There is no real pattern to this bedtime ritual.
I can only think/hope that consistency will continue to be key here, and so I will continue to get my exercise in after 7pm trotting up and down the stairs telling Gwen to go back to bed. As parents, its up to us to decide the best way to handle this situation, but as I stated above; having no prior experience, it's only a guess that this is a good way to deal with it. We haven't done this before, and a shoddy TV show with British Nannies serving as our guides does not necessarily inspire confidence.
Still, confidence will get you further than a ton of self doubt; so tonight, for the 3rd week in a row; we will put Gwen to bed with the door open and begin the ritual all over again.
4.18.2010
4.15.2010
My Excuse
Not that I seriously believe anyone is following this blog anymore, but, before I launch back into the world of blogging; I feel I should provide an excuse (or a couple) as to why my last post was over 3 (YIKES!) years ago.
First, I had a baby. In September of 2008. However the shock of finding out I was going to have a baby pretty well squelched any level of creativity that may have snuck its way into a blog. Most of my pregnancy was a long panicky dialogue that hoped everything was going to work out OK.
Luckily it did, and she’s beautiful and amazing and everything Greg and I hadn’t thought to have hoped for.
Then I started an MBA. I’m still doing this though I’m better at time management these days than I was last summer.
Then, I became pregnant again. He’s due next month, but I have some time between now and then and figured I’d get going blogging.
I had considered starting up another blog, but figured these old posts still had some entertainment value and also made it LOOK like I’d been blogging for quite some time. I like the appearance of that. Lends me 2010 credibility from 2007 efforts.
So, off we go…
First, I had a baby. In September of 2008. However the shock of finding out I was going to have a baby pretty well squelched any level of creativity that may have snuck its way into a blog. Most of my pregnancy was a long panicky dialogue that hoped everything was going to work out OK.
Luckily it did, and she’s beautiful and amazing and everything Greg and I hadn’t thought to have hoped for.
Then I started an MBA. I’m still doing this though I’m better at time management these days than I was last summer.
Then, I became pregnant again. He’s due next month, but I have some time between now and then and figured I’d get going blogging.
I had considered starting up another blog, but figured these old posts still had some entertainment value and also made it LOOK like I’d been blogging for quite some time. I like the appearance of that. Lends me 2010 credibility from 2007 efforts.
So, off we go…
12.03.2007
Hair Cuts
I am working on growing my hair out. I’ve gone from shoulder-length to lower shoulderblade in the course of about 7 months. Big accomplishment and if I can stay patient…I’ll just keep right on going until it gets to mid- back.
I’ve never had my hair trimmed on a regular basis – I do try but it’s only when I notice it’s a bit frizzy do I remember that it’s been 3 months since my last cut. Time flies, what can I say? But there is something that happens EVERY TIME I get my hair trimmed.
I get in the chair, the girl examines my hair and asks what I want…I say something like ‘A trim’ and she starts fluffing my hair out to get a good idea of the work in front of her. And then she always says “Oh my, who cut your hair last time?! Jeeze. I need to take off at least (add an inch to our current agreement here).”
Each time. They complain.
I have even tested it and gone to the same girl 2 times in a row…and it was the same schpiel. I think perhaps they teach you to say that in hair school, so constant is it. Anyways, just thought I’d throw that out there.
I’ve never had my hair trimmed on a regular basis – I do try but it’s only when I notice it’s a bit frizzy do I remember that it’s been 3 months since my last cut. Time flies, what can I say? But there is something that happens EVERY TIME I get my hair trimmed.
I get in the chair, the girl examines my hair and asks what I want…I say something like ‘A trim’ and she starts fluffing my hair out to get a good idea of the work in front of her. And then she always says “Oh my, who cut your hair last time?! Jeeze. I need to take off at least (add an inch to our current agreement here).”
Each time. They complain.
I have even tested it and gone to the same girl 2 times in a row…and it was the same schpiel. I think perhaps they teach you to say that in hair school, so constant is it. Anyways, just thought I’d throw that out there.
11.14.2007
Like a freight train
Sometimes, being silly is not always funny...when you're talking about freight trains. Observe:
MARYSVILLE, Calif. (AP) - A 54-year-old woman was recovering in the hospital after being hit by a Union Pacific freight train south of Marysville.
Deborah Thompson told authorities afterward that she drank a bottle of whiskey before she wandered to the railroad tracks and tried to wave the train to a stop. When asked why, she told Yuba County sheriff's deputies she was just being silly. Instead, the train hit her and knocked her 20 to 30 yards.
Thompson suffered head injuries and a fractured thigh bone but was conscious and talking after the accident.
I suppose I'd want to know the baseline before the doctors confirm what kind of head injuries she has....sounds like there may be some sort of pre-existing condition.
11.06.2007
Something strange here?
I was wandering through Barnes and Noble this evening, and this lime-green display of books caught my eye. Then I did a double-take as I saw the advertising:
"Inspired by....The Bible Experience Companion Bible"
Wow.
"Inspired by....The Bible Experience Companion Bible"
Wow.
Now, I'm not sure just how many Bibles you may need to have an experience...but if you're already moving on to a companion, after reading something inspired by the 'Bible Experience'....well - good for you I suppose, but it sounds very convoluted. No doubt it's changed lives and yadda yadda yadda...but c'mon people - just how dumb do we as Americans need to be treated before we start catching idiocies like this? Let me spell it out for you:
There is a bible.
You can gain knowledge from it, and some people have had spiritual experiences from it.
There is no companion bible to the bible. Sorry - it doesn't get any simpler than cracking it open and reading it. Perhaps you will have an experience, perhaps not.
And in case you don't belive me:
10.31.2007
Bickering
This morning we were driving to work. Greg pulled a rather high-speed, and in my opinion, dangerous maneuver where he zoomed up on a semi in order to cut around a car on the left and get in the fast lane – ahead of this other guy.
A session of bickering broke out after I criticized the action, and we went back and forth for a while before losing interest in the topic.
Rather, we ALMOST lost interest in the topic if it weren’t for this final comment:
“You know Christa, if you were more aware of your surroundings you wouldn’t make these kinds of statements because then you’d know the full situation.”
Funny how bickering can flare right up again after statements like that.
A session of bickering broke out after I criticized the action, and we went back and forth for a while before losing interest in the topic.
Rather, we ALMOST lost interest in the topic if it weren’t for this final comment:
“You know Christa, if you were more aware of your surroundings you wouldn’t make these kinds of statements because then you’d know the full situation.”
Funny how bickering can flare right up again after statements like that.
10.19.2007
The Mile High Cosmos
I have this amazing garden out in our backyard. I was much more meticulous with it at the beginning of the year – cultivating it to have a wild, English Cottage sort of look. I planted delphiniums, larkspur, goblin daisies, irises, hollyhocks, snapdragons, marigolds…a couple of catnip plants for Cider (So she could roll around in one while the other was trying to recover from her affections – thank God catnip plants are like weeds) all of those sort of things.
Oh yes, I also had a few packets of Cosmos seeds…and so I threw them around by the fence not expecting very much. We have horrible clay soil, and so I really have a hard time growing much from seeds.
Now, in October it is very clear that I have underestimated Cosmos.
They started growing nicely in the spring, which just thrilled me – but then as expected, I had a number of seedlings die off from crowding and what I thought were soil conditions…so I thinned out the rest and remained hopeful that they’d do something. And for a number of weeks nothing happened. They shot up to about 4 inches tall and then just stayed there – not growing, not dying…just hanging out. So I assumed they’d be dying any day now because they hated the soil.
Well, maybe they were mutating…or perhaps they were adapting…or even just storing up energy much like a biker loads up on carbs right before the big race….but come August they TOOK OFF. Shot straight up in the air and kept going. And going, and going. Not many blooms, but they just kept growing. Cider soon began to love her ‘forest’ comprised of thick cosmos stems (about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter) and hardly any leaves (down by the ground) up top it was nothing BUT leaves in all their feathery green glory. Not that many blooms, just a lot of height – the day they went over Greg’s head was a big day (he’s 6’6”)…the day we couldn’t touch the top stems was even bigger. I figure that they’re around 12-15 feet high now.
And it just when they peaked like that that the blooms finally decided to show – in October. And their blooms are just as vivacious as their growth, it’s a sea of purple, maroon and white in the back corner of the yard. With those flowers came butterflies by the dozens – I think they were Monarchs. 2 Saturday’s ago I went outside and was amazed to see the whole backyard all a-flutter with butterflies all over the place. They’d come for the cosmos, of course, but were landing in the grass, on the trees, on the back fence, by the back door…it was an amazing sight. They must have been migrating somewhere, but I’ve never seen anything like it, and have no doubt there was magic in the backyard that day.
And the butterflies left – but my cosmos keep growing – I’ve put in some pictures for you to see just how amazing they are – I’m hoping for a repeat production next year.
Oh yes, I also had a few packets of Cosmos seeds…and so I threw them around by the fence not expecting very much. We have horrible clay soil, and so I really have a hard time growing much from seeds.
Now, in October it is very clear that I have underestimated Cosmos.
They started growing nicely in the spring, which just thrilled me – but then as expected, I had a number of seedlings die off from crowding and what I thought were soil conditions…so I thinned out the rest and remained hopeful that they’d do something. And for a number of weeks nothing happened. They shot up to about 4 inches tall and then just stayed there – not growing, not dying…just hanging out. So I assumed they’d be dying any day now because they hated the soil.
Well, maybe they were mutating…or perhaps they were adapting…or even just storing up energy much like a biker loads up on carbs right before the big race….but come August they TOOK OFF. Shot straight up in the air and kept going. And going, and going. Not many blooms, but they just kept growing. Cider soon began to love her ‘forest’ comprised of thick cosmos stems (about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter) and hardly any leaves (down by the ground) up top it was nothing BUT leaves in all their feathery green glory. Not that many blooms, just a lot of height – the day they went over Greg’s head was a big day (he’s 6’6”)…the day we couldn’t touch the top stems was even bigger. I figure that they’re around 12-15 feet high now.
And it just when they peaked like that that the blooms finally decided to show – in October. And their blooms are just as vivacious as their growth, it’s a sea of purple, maroon and white in the back corner of the yard. With those flowers came butterflies by the dozens – I think they were Monarchs. 2 Saturday’s ago I went outside and was amazed to see the whole backyard all a-flutter with butterflies all over the place. They’d come for the cosmos, of course, but were landing in the grass, on the trees, on the back fence, by the back door…it was an amazing sight. They must have been migrating somewhere, but I’ve never seen anything like it, and have no doubt there was magic in the backyard that day.
And the butterflies left – but my cosmos keep growing – I’ve put in some pictures for you to see just how amazing they are – I’m hoping for a repeat production next year.
10.15.2007
We're Up!
Ok, if you've not seen on the blog now - we're up and constantly feeding weather data of a most excellent nature. Our full page site is here: http://www.wunderground.com/swf/Rapid_Fire.swf?units=both&station=KCOFREDE2
10.11.2007
Not Fair.
How is it that I cannot keep a perfectly matched red tea kettle on the top of the kitchen stove because it ‘clutters up the place’…and yet Greg is perfectly willing to permanently place a clunky laptop, weather station, and webcam trained on our backyard on the far left-hand side of the kitchen counter to keep up with his happy little weather hobby?
How is that not cluttering up the place?
Not happening.
Not in my kitchen.
How is that not cluttering up the place?
Not happening.
Not in my kitchen.
The Weather Station
Today is the day that The Weather Station arrives.My brother really wanted to get Greg something special for his birthday (he’s hit the big 30 now, BTW), and asked me for my thoughts. I said that though we had a small, $20 weather station…that Greg would love, love LOVE a new, larger weather station with more capabilities….
My brother balked at this. It didn’t appeal to his idea of a manly gift. He wanted to buy Greg a knife, a gun, or some other instrument of death and protection…and that’s just not Greg. So he said he’d think about it while he was out and get Greg something later on. I said that was fine with me.
So he stayed with us…and began to notice just how big weather is in our house. Every morning while making coffee Greg would check the current temperature and announce the low of the night before. He’ll then turn on The Weather Channel and let us know what the high of the day will be so we can dress appropriately. In the evening, he walks by the weather station and see just how hot it got that day and what the temperature is currently…and before bed he watches the Weather Channel again to see how tomorrow is going to go.
And on and on and on…I’ve become used to it, and actually appreciate it because I do dress according to Greg’s weather observations…my brother has never experienced anything like it before, and a few days before he left sighed and admitted that it would be, by far, the best gift he could get Greg.
So he showed Greg a good website that sold a myriad of weather stations….and told him to pick one.
Greg almost died, and spent the next 3 hours solidly researching the most appropriate weather station for our house/location/needs. He chose the one that is pictured here…1 major post, that will communicate wirelessly with the main station inside the house, which will tell us all sorts of helpful information about what’s going on outside. This, in turn, will connect with a laptop which will be dedicated solely to weather-related activities…which will be connected to the internet and will feed information constantly to the Weather Underground site, who will give us our own website so people can check our weather (I’ll attach it to this blog once it’s up).
Oh, we’ll also have a webcam trained on our backyard so if one is really worried that it may not be raining like the website is telling them…well, they can check the webcam.
So there you have it. My brother purchased Greg what is clearly the Best Birthday Gift Ever. Greg’s leaving work early today so he can be there when the package arrives.
And I have a feeling I’m going to be mighty sick of the weather in about 3 weeks.
10.08.2007
Of Fall
My apologies for the delay in getting anything posted to the web lately. My whole family was in town for a while, and then we went on vacation, and then I had a large meeting at work last week…and things were just too busy and I find that much of my humor is sucked out of me during large meetings.
But here I am, back and breathing again . . . and in all that rush and jumble, I was able to see Fall spread over the high Colorado mountains like Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors. When we first began the camping trip the bulk of the color was on ridges above us a few hundred feet. Day by day that ribbon of gold and red crept down the slope, progressing with each cold night, and by the 3rd and 4th day we were surrounded in a place that one could only describe as magical.
We’ve been going to Silverjack since I was 2. It was the place that first convinced me that magic existed; and this year, in all the frustration I’ve had with what I do and where I’m at….it reminded me that not only does magic exist…but sometimes it can completely overwhelm you with beauty and wonder.
But here I am, back and breathing again . . . and in all that rush and jumble, I was able to see Fall spread over the high Colorado mountains like Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors. When we first began the camping trip the bulk of the color was on ridges above us a few hundred feet. Day by day that ribbon of gold and red crept down the slope, progressing with each cold night, and by the 3rd and 4th day we were surrounded in a place that one could only describe as magical.
We’ve been going to Silverjack since I was 2. It was the place that first convinced me that magic existed; and this year, in all the frustration I’ve had with what I do and where I’m at….it reminded me that not only does magic exist…but sometimes it can completely overwhelm you with beauty and wonder.
9.17.2007
The Garage Sale
So, I’m sure at this point many of you are wondering how the garage sale went. Well, it went fairly well, for a while, then it went not-so-well at all. Here’s the sequence of events:
Friday Afternoon: I call my mom to verify that she and C (my sister) are coming up for the night to help me finish tagging everything that’s piled high in the living room. Mom says that they’ll come up that night, but she has other stuff to wrap up, so it will be a little later in the evening. I conclude that I will be finishing the tagging myself.
I then go out and hang up about 30 bright pink ‘garage sale’ signs I have made around town.
Friday Evening: I tag a bunch of items, bring up a few more things from the basement. Mom and C show up around 8:00 pm, when I’m ready to sit down and veg for a while. I order pizza, we all eat and watch TV. Mom falls asleep on the sofa, C starts drifting off to sleep in the chair – I send everyone to bed and clean up the kitchen.
Saturday Morning: Up at 5:30, shower and dress, wake C and mom up at 6 – we have coffee and begin to take everything outside. 6:45am first customer shows up.
Saturday Morning: 7:00 C leaves. She has paperwork to fill out back at my parents’ house and can’t stay. Fine with me, mom and I wave goodbye, refill our coffee and prepare to have a nice chatty morning on the driveway. Customers are scouting out the place and I’ve already made around $20.
Saturday Morning 7:30: Phone call from C, her car has overheated on the freeway and apparently exploded. Smoke billowing from engine compartment, oil covering everything. She is not happy. Mom calls a tow truck.
Saturday Morning 7:45: Call C to find out exit number so tow truck can come get her. Get head bitten off as she yells hysterically that she’s handling the situation. Promptly get call from Greg who is boarding a plane in California asking why the hell C is calling him for help with the car and can I please take care of this? Garage sale customers are coming and going, I’m up to around $30.
Saturday Morning 8:00: Mom leaves to go pick up C off the freeway and take her back to their house (1 ½ hours away) so she can fill out the paperwork, and then, much like MacArthur swearing to his troops he’ll return….my mother says much the same thing. I go and get a book.
Saturday Morning 8:15-10: Meet many lovely people all-too-willing to purchase my stuff. Having a pretty good haul, even met a nice lady who does housekeeping – may hire her to do my house. Get scattered phone calls from Mom and C….tow truck will be coming in a while, C at home safe and sound, paperwork filled out.
Saturday Morning 10:00: A Frederick Community Services truck pulls up to my front yard and a lady in uniform steps out holding one of my signs like a dead fish. She announces that she has pulled down all but one of my garage sale signs from around town, as it is apparently unlawful to hang signs on public property. . . BUT I can go back around and ask property owners if I can re-establish my signs on their lawns. I decline, she takes my signs and drive off.
Saturday Morning 10:15: Business slumps dramatically. The sun has warmed things up a bit, I continue to sit out with the stuff, fall asleep in my chair.
Saturday 12:00: Get a phone call from Greg, he’s wondering why he just saw my mother on the side of the freeway on his way home from the airport. I call mom – she’s waiting for the tow truck.
Saturday 12:30: Greg gets home, sees the stuff in the driveway, promptly reclaims 5 items and I am given a long speech about how big stereo speakers never depreciate in value. Mom calls, tow truck is there, she will meet us for lunch.
Saturday 1:00: Greg and I break down the garage sale and head off to a Chinese restaurant where mom meets us a half hour later. We celebrate the success of selling off junk and the fact that Greg is home. My total takings for the day is about $117….for 3 hours of work and a nap I guess I can’t complain.
Conclusion: All in all, it was something of a success. I feel really good about it anyways, and I’m still getting craigslist users asking me if I still have this or that item for sale. Regardless of the rather sad sign situation…I have a cleaner basement and a less-cluttered home. I can live with that. C’s car is in the shop having been safely towed….looks like she blew a timing belt and aside from an elevation in blood pressure, she’s fine too. Next weekend I’m sitting back and drinking some beer.
Friday Afternoon: I call my mom to verify that she and C (my sister) are coming up for the night to help me finish tagging everything that’s piled high in the living room. Mom says that they’ll come up that night, but she has other stuff to wrap up, so it will be a little later in the evening. I conclude that I will be finishing the tagging myself.
I then go out and hang up about 30 bright pink ‘garage sale’ signs I have made around town.
Friday Evening: I tag a bunch of items, bring up a few more things from the basement. Mom and C show up around 8:00 pm, when I’m ready to sit down and veg for a while. I order pizza, we all eat and watch TV. Mom falls asleep on the sofa, C starts drifting off to sleep in the chair – I send everyone to bed and clean up the kitchen.
Saturday Morning: Up at 5:30, shower and dress, wake C and mom up at 6 – we have coffee and begin to take everything outside. 6:45am first customer shows up.
Saturday Morning: 7:00 C leaves. She has paperwork to fill out back at my parents’ house and can’t stay. Fine with me, mom and I wave goodbye, refill our coffee and prepare to have a nice chatty morning on the driveway. Customers are scouting out the place and I’ve already made around $20.
Saturday Morning 7:30: Phone call from C, her car has overheated on the freeway and apparently exploded. Smoke billowing from engine compartment, oil covering everything. She is not happy. Mom calls a tow truck.
Saturday Morning 7:45: Call C to find out exit number so tow truck can come get her. Get head bitten off as she yells hysterically that she’s handling the situation. Promptly get call from Greg who is boarding a plane in California asking why the hell C is calling him for help with the car and can I please take care of this? Garage sale customers are coming and going, I’m up to around $30.
Saturday Morning 8:00: Mom leaves to go pick up C off the freeway and take her back to their house (1 ½ hours away) so she can fill out the paperwork, and then, much like MacArthur swearing to his troops he’ll return….my mother says much the same thing. I go and get a book.
Saturday Morning 8:15-10: Meet many lovely people all-too-willing to purchase my stuff. Having a pretty good haul, even met a nice lady who does housekeeping – may hire her to do my house. Get scattered phone calls from Mom and C….tow truck will be coming in a while, C at home safe and sound, paperwork filled out.
Saturday Morning 10:00: A Frederick Community Services truck pulls up to my front yard and a lady in uniform steps out holding one of my signs like a dead fish. She announces that she has pulled down all but one of my garage sale signs from around town, as it is apparently unlawful to hang signs on public property. . . BUT I can go back around and ask property owners if I can re-establish my signs on their lawns. I decline, she takes my signs and drive off.
Saturday Morning 10:15: Business slumps dramatically. The sun has warmed things up a bit, I continue to sit out with the stuff, fall asleep in my chair.
Saturday 12:00: Get a phone call from Greg, he’s wondering why he just saw my mother on the side of the freeway on his way home from the airport. I call mom – she’s waiting for the tow truck.
Saturday 12:30: Greg gets home, sees the stuff in the driveway, promptly reclaims 5 items and I am given a long speech about how big stereo speakers never depreciate in value. Mom calls, tow truck is there, she will meet us for lunch.
Saturday 1:00: Greg and I break down the garage sale and head off to a Chinese restaurant where mom meets us a half hour later. We celebrate the success of selling off junk and the fact that Greg is home. My total takings for the day is about $117….for 3 hours of work and a nap I guess I can’t complain.
Conclusion: All in all, it was something of a success. I feel really good about it anyways, and I’m still getting craigslist users asking me if I still have this or that item for sale. Regardless of the rather sad sign situation…I have a cleaner basement and a less-cluttered home. I can live with that. C’s car is in the shop having been safely towed….looks like she blew a timing belt and aside from an elevation in blood pressure, she’s fine too. Next weekend I’m sitting back and drinking some beer.
9.13.2007
Unhinged
"All living beings have actions (Karma) as their own, their inheritance, their congenital cause, their kinsman, their refuge. It is Karma that differentiates beings into low and high states."
I suppose this might be true. I was driving home yesterday, and somehow severely ticked off a woman behind me driving a Mercedes. I'm not positive why she was so ticked, but I think when our lane was ending, and myself and another driver merged over - she had been trying to accelerate and cut us off.
Anyways, her reaction was pretty surprising, given that I wasn't even sure of the crime. She was screaming in her car, flipping me off repeatedly with one and and then another, just off the scale as far as reactions go. Thinking I didn't necessarily want to get shot that day...I stayed in my lane, and waved cheerfully as she zipped by, screaming obscenities like a crazy person.
Whatever, I went back to singing to my music and tra-la-la-ing down the freeway.
Until about 5 miles up the road, I see some traffic doing not-normal things, people are slowing down and a car is quickly manuevering to the side of the road. It was her. Crazy Woman. She'd blown a tire....badly. Bits and pieces of it were flying down the road in her wake.
Perhaps the rage was just too much and the universe could no longer contain that energy, perhaps whatever energy you expend you also attract.
Or perhaps life is full of strange coincidences and it was just her day for a flat tire.
I felt badly, but was too scared of her to go see if she needed help.
I suppose this might be true. I was driving home yesterday, and somehow severely ticked off a woman behind me driving a Mercedes. I'm not positive why she was so ticked, but I think when our lane was ending, and myself and another driver merged over - she had been trying to accelerate and cut us off.
Anyways, her reaction was pretty surprising, given that I wasn't even sure of the crime. She was screaming in her car, flipping me off repeatedly with one and and then another, just off the scale as far as reactions go. Thinking I didn't necessarily want to get shot that day...I stayed in my lane, and waved cheerfully as she zipped by, screaming obscenities like a crazy person.
Whatever, I went back to singing to my music and tra-la-la-ing down the freeway.
Until about 5 miles up the road, I see some traffic doing not-normal things, people are slowing down and a car is quickly manuevering to the side of the road. It was her. Crazy Woman. She'd blown a tire....badly. Bits and pieces of it were flying down the road in her wake.
Perhaps the rage was just too much and the universe could no longer contain that energy, perhaps whatever energy you expend you also attract.
Or perhaps life is full of strange coincidences and it was just her day for a flat tire.
I felt badly, but was too scared of her to go see if she needed help.
The garage sale part deux
Greg has been gone on his trip, but of course we're still communicating by phone and IM. And apparently he's found my ad on Craigslist for the garage sale.
Ring, ring.
ME: 'Hello?'
Greg: "Hey babe, it's me. Guess what? I was searching on craigslist for 'coleman' and found an ad that said they had a garage sale with some camping gear for sale, and I got all excited until I started reading and found out it's MY camping gear!!! haha! It's a pretty good ad, I'm reading it now....(Uh oh, I think to myself) You're selling the area RUG??? I really like that rug, why are you selling it?"
ME: "Well, I don't like it that much and it doesn't match with the living room and that's why I figured I'd just sell it off"
Greg: "I don't know why you would sell it though, we just bought it, I mean...YOU LISTED THE TV?!?!?"
ME: "Yeah, but you agreed to that!"
Greg: "Well I did, but I thought we'd sell it seperately, in a little while. I can't believe you're selling that - what else is going to be sold that I need to know about???"
ME: "Oh, not much...just a few odds and ends, the post is a really good description overall, you know."
Greg: "Well, make sure you get a good price for the rug and TV, I'm really attached to those things, and I really like them and would rather they didn't go anywhere."
ME: "OK"
And then we chatted about other things...but he's been monitoring the cragslist postings ever since - I just know it. I can't wait for Saturday, I sure hope a lot of people show up early...he might just catch the first flight home to make sure the selling doesn't get out of hand. :)
Ring, ring.
ME: 'Hello?'
Greg: "Hey babe, it's me. Guess what? I was searching on craigslist for 'coleman' and found an ad that said they had a garage sale with some camping gear for sale, and I got all excited until I started reading and found out it's MY camping gear!!! haha! It's a pretty good ad, I'm reading it now....(Uh oh, I think to myself) You're selling the area RUG??? I really like that rug, why are you selling it?"
ME: "Well, I don't like it that much and it doesn't match with the living room and that's why I figured I'd just sell it off"
Greg: "I don't know why you would sell it though, we just bought it, I mean...YOU LISTED THE TV?!?!?"
ME: "Yeah, but you agreed to that!"
Greg: "Well I did, but I thought we'd sell it seperately, in a little while. I can't believe you're selling that - what else is going to be sold that I need to know about???"
ME: "Oh, not much...just a few odds and ends, the post is a really good description overall, you know."
Greg: "Well, make sure you get a good price for the rug and TV, I'm really attached to those things, and I really like them and would rather they didn't go anywhere."
ME: "OK"
And then we chatted about other things...but he's been monitoring the cragslist postings ever since - I just know it. I can't wait for Saturday, I sure hope a lot of people show up early...he might just catch the first flight home to make sure the selling doesn't get out of hand. :)
9.11.2007
The Garage Sale
This weekend, I plan on having a garage sale. We have way too much stuff in general, and as I paw through various rooms in the house, I'm astounded at how much we've accumulated over the past 4 years. Greg is gone this week on a business trip, and that is part of the scheduling for the garage sale (though he is aware it's happening). He has this strange attachment to every little household item we own.
I'd already gone through the kitchen (MY territory, he really doesn't do much work in there) before he left, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth as he went through the various items that were in the 'to go' box. A ladle was rescued, a serving spoon saved, much conversation was had about various bowls until I re-directed his energy and sent him upstairs to clean out his closet instead.
He disappeared for about 4 hours and came back out with a large garbage bag full of clothes that no longer fit him - he's a bit thinner now than he was when we were first married, but still has the larger clothes in his closet. Really, up until a few days ago - his closet spaced dwarfed mine by far. A few clothes turned up in the laundry hamper that I've not seen in a while, and there was an emotional conversation when he wanted to know if I had saved my matching Hawaiian shirt we bought for our honeymoon (no, was the answer - though I did offer to save it for a uqilt someday).
He left on Sunday with a lighter heart and fewer things in his possession, and now I've been tackling the rest of the rooms, chucking more things that we've acquired and just don't use.
It's funny how attached we become to things, and how much those things can get in the way of simplicity.
I'd already gone through the kitchen (MY territory, he really doesn't do much work in there) before he left, and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth as he went through the various items that were in the 'to go' box. A ladle was rescued, a serving spoon saved, much conversation was had about various bowls until I re-directed his energy and sent him upstairs to clean out his closet instead.
He disappeared for about 4 hours and came back out with a large garbage bag full of clothes that no longer fit him - he's a bit thinner now than he was when we were first married, but still has the larger clothes in his closet. Really, up until a few days ago - his closet spaced dwarfed mine by far. A few clothes turned up in the laundry hamper that I've not seen in a while, and there was an emotional conversation when he wanted to know if I had saved my matching Hawaiian shirt we bought for our honeymoon (no, was the answer - though I did offer to save it for a uqilt someday).
He left on Sunday with a lighter heart and fewer things in his possession, and now I've been tackling the rest of the rooms, chucking more things that we've acquired and just don't use.
It's funny how attached we become to things, and how much those things can get in the way of simplicity.
9.04.2007
Our Camping Weekend
We just purchased a pop-up camper this weekend. It was a heck of a deal, because the guy who was trying to sell it lived about 3 hours out of town…and we got it for about $2200 below NADA. So – off we went to buy it, and we finagled it to where we could pick it up Friday to have an inaugural camping trip over Labor Day weekend.
We went to our favorite camping spot way out of town (there was a LOT of driving last week), and set up camp. Because it’s relatively unknown, we had no problems with space, it was us and 4 other campers (yes, it’s a great spot). But one of these campers didn’t fully understand Camping Ethics. They ran their generator for hours at a time, placing it far away from their spot, but very close to ours with the help of an insanely long extension cord. Greg and I let it slide. They turned it off for 2 hours, and then ran it for another 4…we took a deep breath and decided to go for a quick 4-wheeling trip.
When we returned, they had turned on a baseball game on their car stereo and were blasting it into the forest. Loud, deep, sports-sounding voices and crowds screaming. Far too much noise for any sort of camping ‘peak’ experience.
I was frustrated, and paced around camp thinking whether or not it would be worth going over and asking these people to turn down their noise. Greg and I went over to the truck we had borrowed from my dad to pull the camper (no, we don’t have one of those yet) and looked to see what he had by way of obnoxious CDs that I could use as ammunition. Good ole dad never lets us down in the obnoxious CD category. He travels a lot and had a wide assortment of middle-eastern music as well as a few ‘Learn to Speak Hindi’ CDs.
Greg looked them over critically, and then looked at me.
“I’m going to go over there, and ask them to turn it down. If they don’t, today we’re learning Hindi.
We’re ALL learning Hindi.”
And with that he marched down to their campsite. I watched the gestures, and heard a “SURE! Not a problem, really sorry!” And I suppose I was a bit disappointed, because really, revenge is so much sweeter…initially. But I really didn’t want to learn Hindi, I just wanted silence. And my manly husband grabbed the bull by the horns and dealt directly with the problem rather than indirectly.
Which caused me to look at myself and my actions and realize that I’m getting way too ‘city-fied’ for my own good. And it also made me look at Greg in a whole new light.
And laugh each time I think of the line “We’re ALL learning Hindi”.
We went to our favorite camping spot way out of town (there was a LOT of driving last week), and set up camp. Because it’s relatively unknown, we had no problems with space, it was us and 4 other campers (yes, it’s a great spot). But one of these campers didn’t fully understand Camping Ethics. They ran their generator for hours at a time, placing it far away from their spot, but very close to ours with the help of an insanely long extension cord. Greg and I let it slide. They turned it off for 2 hours, and then ran it for another 4…we took a deep breath and decided to go for a quick 4-wheeling trip.
When we returned, they had turned on a baseball game on their car stereo and were blasting it into the forest. Loud, deep, sports-sounding voices and crowds screaming. Far too much noise for any sort of camping ‘peak’ experience.
I was frustrated, and paced around camp thinking whether or not it would be worth going over and asking these people to turn down their noise. Greg and I went over to the truck we had borrowed from my dad to pull the camper (no, we don’t have one of those yet) and looked to see what he had by way of obnoxious CDs that I could use as ammunition. Good ole dad never lets us down in the obnoxious CD category. He travels a lot and had a wide assortment of middle-eastern music as well as a few ‘Learn to Speak Hindi’ CDs.
Greg looked them over critically, and then looked at me.
“I’m going to go over there, and ask them to turn it down. If they don’t, today we’re learning Hindi.
We’re ALL learning Hindi.”
And with that he marched down to their campsite. I watched the gestures, and heard a “SURE! Not a problem, really sorry!” And I suppose I was a bit disappointed, because really, revenge is so much sweeter…initially. But I really didn’t want to learn Hindi, I just wanted silence. And my manly husband grabbed the bull by the horns and dealt directly with the problem rather than indirectly.
Which caused me to look at myself and my actions and realize that I’m getting way too ‘city-fied’ for my own good. And it also made me look at Greg in a whole new light.
And laugh each time I think of the line “We’re ALL learning Hindi”.
8.09.2007
A Revelation
Sometimes, it's the tiny things that can really make you smile. Listerine makes these little spray pumps...I forget what they're called, but they're powerful. It's all part of the agony our culture likes to call ‘Freshening our Breath’.
That whole trend has been rather fascinating to me. I remember growing up gum, tic tacs and those little pink and white peppermint candies were the main tools (aside from brushing) that one could use to keep from offending others when your expelled air was less-than-savory.
Well, SOMEone invented a rather painful mint, marketed it brilliantly, and a whole slew of tastebud-erroding breath fresheners filled up the candy section of the supermarket for the public to buy.
I occasionally am one of the public - little gimmiks, neat packaging, I'm a sucker for such things. Thus, I have this Listerine spray that sits in my car for months on end until I work up the courage (or forget the anguish) and use a bit.
And I've found that it always makes me sneeze. However many times I pump that spray is how many times I can be expected to sneeze. This brought on a bit of experimentation...Altoids (mint) also make me sneeze, as do the really powerful square pieces of gum. Fascinating.
Greg thinks its hilarious, and will often offer to spray my mouth for me (what a gentleman!) and then wait expectantly for the oncoming sneeze. He did that in the car yesterday....and it's crazy how funny something like that actually is.
At least to us.
7.27.2007
Four Years Later....
You know you are (still) in love with someone when, for your 4 year anniversary….you volunteer to go to The Simpson’s Movie…because HE’S a big fan and the producers of the movie thought July 27th was such an auspicious date that they had to release it then.
And really – for such a momentous occasion (the movie – not the anniversary), it’s really much better if you’re in line with everyone else waiting to be among the first to see it.
I remember when we heard this movie was coming out a year and a half ago…and I thought to myself – if he thinks we’re going to see THAT on our anniversary – he’s got another thing coming.
It’s funny how things change, and how you mellow out as even small bits of time go by. It’s only been 4 years, but we’ve come a long way.
And really – for such a momentous occasion (the movie – not the anniversary), it’s really much better if you’re in line with everyone else waiting to be among the first to see it.
I remember when we heard this movie was coming out a year and a half ago…and I thought to myself – if he thinks we’re going to see THAT on our anniversary – he’s got another thing coming.
It’s funny how things change, and how you mellow out as even small bits of time go by. It’s only been 4 years, but we’ve come a long way.
7.24.2007
Culvers
My husband loves the fast food chain, Culvers. When we go on roadtrips, he likes to plan our stops around Culvers locations because we don't have them here in our part of Colorado. Their butter burger and the peanut butter shake is enough to make him weak in the knees.
So imagine our surprise when we were driving through a seldom-visited part of our town this morning in search of a quick breakfast sandwhich...and there it was - a brand new Culvers. I didn't notice right away....until, that is, Greg yelled:
"OOOOOOOoooooohhhhhhh MMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!"
I just about dropped breakfast and looked around wildly to get a last look at the oncoming car that was clearly going to take our lives.
But no. It was the Culvers dining facility that caused such an outburst and then an excited conversation.
And then at work, a serious of excited emails.
And now, this evening, guess where we're going out to dinner?
So imagine our surprise when we were driving through a seldom-visited part of our town this morning in search of a quick breakfast sandwhich...and there it was - a brand new Culvers. I didn't notice right away....until, that is, Greg yelled:
"OOOOOOOoooooohhhhhhh MMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!"
I just about dropped breakfast and looked around wildly to get a last look at the oncoming car that was clearly going to take our lives.
But no. It was the Culvers dining facility that caused such an outburst and then an excited conversation.
And then at work, a serious of excited emails.
And now, this evening, guess where we're going out to dinner?
7.12.2007
An Internet Forward to Share....
For whatever reason, this made me laugh, and I had to post it.
Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer.
They had been going at it for days, and God was tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally fed up, God said, "That's it! I've had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours; and from those results, I will judge who does the better job."
So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They typed letters.
They e-mailed.
They e-mailed with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They created labels and cards.
They created charts and graphs using PowerPoint.
They used Excel for accounting work.
They did every job known to man.
Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency, and Satan was faster than hell.
Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers.
Satan started searching frantically, screaming: "It's gone! It's all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!"
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.
Satan observed this and became irate.
"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?"
God just shrugged and said, "Jesus saves."
Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer.
They had been going at it for days, and God was tired of hearing all the bickering.
Finally fed up, God said, "That's it! I've had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours; and from those results, I will judge who does the better job."
So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.
They typed letters.
They e-mailed.
They e-mailed with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They created labels and cards.
They created charts and graphs using PowerPoint.
They used Excel for accounting work.
They did every job known to man.
Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency, and Satan was faster than hell.
Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers.
Satan started searching frantically, screaming: "It's gone! It's all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!"
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.
Satan observed this and became irate.
"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?"
God just shrugged and said, "Jesus saves."
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