Anecdotes from the Archive

I was reminded of this amusing incident by a post on another website where I'm a contributor.  This falls under the category of "Things you never told mom."

When my brother was in his early teens, he had jaw surgery which resulted in his mouth being wired shut for several weeks.  He was not supposed to go to school, a precaution to make sure he didn't get bumped or jostled too much while healing.

At the time, I was in the midst of an interstate move.  In an effort to alleviate some of his boredom, I asked Tom to join me on my drive to California.  We listened to music, enjoyed the scenery through Lake Tahoe, and I had lots of fun at Tom's expense...  It's fortunate that he was a good sport. 

When it came time to eat, Tom didn't have many choices.  In fact, he usually ordered a milkshake because that's all he could sip through a straw.  Of course, I pretended not to know what he wanted to order, and insisted on making him place his own orders at the drive thru window.  It still makes me giggle a little when I think about how many times he had to repeat himself so they could understand him!

Of course, I was in a bit of a hurry, and Tom was supposed to be navigating.  I'm not sure if it was inept navigating or a streak of vindictiveness, but he took us on quite a roundabout journey. 

Regardless, we made it.  We spent time at the beach, sipping milkshakes together.  It was beautiful... 

A Pictorial Post

This is my bedroom.  It's probably nothing special, but I like it...
I like the big windows.

I like the view of the mountains.

I like lounging on the couch with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

This is the reading light by my bed.

I love the hot fudge sundae pendant--even if my kids call them the cow lights.

This is my nightstand table.  It's not anything special either.

But it's a great place to keep the telephone, a book, the tv remote,
and a drink of water...

This is the netbook I keep bedside for late night googling,

or insomniac blogging moments.  It gets a frequent workout.

Did you notice the glass of water in all these pictures?

Each night I put a fresh glass of water on my nightstand as I go to bed.

I drink the water when I take my evening vitamins. 

Last night I forgot to take my vitamin at bedtime.

This morning, the water still filled the glass.

I'm sure glad I didn't take my vitamin in the dark last night.

If I had, I would have gotten quite a surprise.  Yuck!

A Herd of Elephants

Each morning the elephant herd marches down my hallway.  It's always too early, and too loud, and it makes me grouchy. 

The reality of the marching elephants may seem shocking to some, mostly because I do not currently live on the African savanna.  But the marching herd has become an expected ritual at our house.

I first became aware of the marching elephants when my daughter enrolled in a semi-private tumbling class with another dance friend.  As the inexplicably petite girls ran laps around the gym, the coach began to snicker.  She then confided in me that she can always tell the dancers from the tumblers during warm-ups.  When I raised my eyebrows, she told me to listen to the way they run...

The gymnasts and tumblers ran quickly around the mats, with nary a sound to be heard...  My little dancer and her friend clomped around like, you guessed it, a herd of elephants...

What is it about those lithe, little bodies that create such a ruckus?  It really seems inconceivable that such little people can make such loud noises.  I think it must have something to do with the way they are programmed to be so deliberate in their movement.  Each move they make is choreographed to hit a certain position or angle.  They are taught to be aware of placement, and to move with intention.  Maybe that precision of movement is what makes them place their feet so firmly on the floor.

Or, maybe they just don't know how to run quietly...  Regardless, I think I need to look into elephant training.  Do you think elephants can learn to be light on their feet?  I certainly hope so...

Not an auspicious beginning.

Some days everything goes smoothly from the moment you roll out of bed.  Today was not one of those days...

5am:  You know it's gonna be a rough day when you wake from a bad dream and can't get back to sleep.

6 am:  It's not likely to get better when your daughter yells at the top of her lungs for help.

6:05am:  The day rapidly progresses in the wrong direction when you realize your daughter is screaming because she's being terrorized by a mouse.

6:30am:  It really isn't helpful when the cat (who normally lives outside) would rather lounge on the bed than catch the mouse...

7am:  This day is off to an interesting start...


Oh yeah...  It's gonna be a beautiful day...