Quoting My Father

Dec 292012
 

I have been lazy, lazy, LAZY the last couple of days.  So lazy in fact, that I haven’t even wanted to think about writing or reading any blogs.  Heck, the TV is only on as quiet noise in the background, nothing more.

I am on vacation, after all.

Instead I have been engraving my backside in the comfy recliner in the living room, soaking up the warmth of the fireplace, occasionally becoming a comfy pillow for Thor, and reading books off my Kindle.

It has been bliss.

However, my subconscious decided to pay me a visit and every-so-kindly reminded me that I forgot to send birthday greetings to 2 very important people in my life.

Oh contraire, subconscious, this is simply not the case.  To quote my Father “I did not forget, I am just late.”

IMG_3912 NWW

Happy Birthday Nichole & Brady!

xoxo

10 Things I Learned This Christmas

Dec 262012
 

1.  The older your kids get, the longer Christmas lasts.  This year it lasted 4 days and came in 2 waves.  Everyone survived.

Alexis

2.  Watching young ones open presents is the best experience in the world.

Rick

3.  It is critical to have someone on wrapping paper collection duties.  This year it was Rick’s turn and he did a fantastic job.

4.  I do not have enough forks.

5.  I do not have enough plates.

6.  My dishwasher was run so often that it is threatening to go on strike.

7.  A ten-year-old playing computer games will have a bladder of steel.

Chris & Erik

8.  Watching the reactions of adult children opening their gifts… priceless.

Nichole2

9.  A Christmas stocking from when your child was little can bring the biggest smile of all.

10.  The real gift of the holiday are not the presents, but the people you spend it with and the memories that are created.

 

Just Call Me Grace

Dec 212012
 

I had a dream.  Actually, it was more of a goal, and a lofty goal at that.

It was a goal to do a marathon cleaning session before the kids & grandkids showed up to celebrate the Christmas holiday with us.  And I was a third of the way there with the bathroom completely succumbed to my supreme cleaning abilities.

And then Thursday happened.

I was at work, minding my own business, heading up to the front of the college to deliver some paperwork and I noticed a familiar face enter the building.  Being the ever-so-kind person that I am, I hollered “Hello Bill ” as he made his way through the doors,   And as I rounded a corner I was immediately attacked.

The villain was no more than 12 inches tall, but its intent was deadly as it reached an arm out into my path.  Unaware of the vicious plans of this unknown enemy, I was quickly taken down.

In one split second I went tumbling* over my enemy and with outstretched hands prepared to meet the hard tile floor that awaited me.

Thwump !

For a moment I layed motionless as I tried to determine if I had come through the attack unscathed.  As voices spoke to me and strong arms reached down to me offering assistance, I realized that I was in fact, not OK.  There was a terrible pain in my left knee and my right hand had the searing sensation of a 100 fires in it.

Trying to bring my brain to a complete halt after the free-fall my attacker had launched me on, I allowed myself to be seated into a chair as a crowd of colleagues gathered around me.

…..

…..

OK, let’s just cut to the chase here:  I tripped over a box that someone had left outside their door and took a digger.  (The prologue is completely true albeit slightly glamorous for effect.)

Needless to say I endured 3 hours in the emergency room and came away with the diagnosis that I f’d up my knee pretty good and sprained a ligament in my hand.

As of the time of this post I feel like I have been hit by a Mack Truck.  OK, maybe not a Mack Truck, possibly a Pinto Wagon.  The bruises are starting to form and every muscle in my upper body feels like they have been used as a punching bag.

Outline

This is how my co-workers let me know that they care about me and hope I get better soon.

I wouldn’t expect anything different.

 

*Actually, I was told later that it was probably the most graceful fall that anyone had ever seen.  I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted on YouTube yet.

 

Frenzy Fest

Dec 192012
 

Remember those days when  you were young and you always kept your house clean?  How you would designate a certain weekend day and do your dusting, vacuuming, sweeping… you know, the normal maintenance stuff?

And you didn’t hem and haw and swear under your breath about what a CHORE it was.

So riddle me this:  Where the hell did those days go?  I mean, I’m at the point in my life where I’ll look at the shower and go “Well, it’s a a little dirty, and if I don’t look at the creepy stuff growing in the corner, it can wait to be cleaned for a while.”  And by a while I mean, when the kids come up to visit.  “They won’t be up for 3 months?  COOL!  Maybe the creepy stuff will grow bigger and I can just break it off! ”

But before you know it 3 months is over and you have 3 days to get the whole house clean for the arrival of family for the holidays.  And those are not weekend days either.  Those are plan-to-fit-all-the-scrubbing-mopping-vacuuming-sweeping-dusting-in-after-a-nine-hour-work-day-frenzy-fest.

Which is what I am trying to pull off before Friday evening.

Actually, I’m not that bad, but I do tend to go a couple weeks without vacuuming and dusting.  And as far as the bathroom from hell goes, that can stay in the 3 month category, because I still haven’t found anything to break through that damn hard water deposit that has plagued my shower for years (and I did use a Magic Eraser this time as someone suggested… fail! ).

And I swear that the toilet is now in cahoots with the shower because it has decided to join the Drive Sandy Crazy party.

So if I seem a little sparse on the posts this week, you know what’s up and won’t send the posse out looking for me.

Not unless the posse can get my shower sparkling clean again.

 

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