Searching for the impossible...the story of my life

This weekend found me scrambling all over town - I'm hosting a baby shower brunch next week and am in need of supplies.

Man-Child also requested that I search out some Frisbees for his classes.  Did you know that you can't just walk into any old store at the tail end of January and find a plethora of Frisbees?  I didn't but I do now.  Apparently, this is more of a "summer" activity.  Who knew?

Truth be told I spent more time searching for the flying discs than anything else.  I finally located some and promptly bought their entire meager inventory.  And upon returning home was pressed into helping him perfect his throw - because the teacher needs to remember how to do it perfectly before he can start to teach.  I am also woefully out of shape because the 30 minute exercise of walking all over our huge yard to retrieve the disc that never quite made it to my hands (except for the one that hit my hand and ricocheted up to hit my nose) wore me out.  But, it was fun.  We may need to make this into a regular activity...acting like kids out in the yard.

This weekend also found me in search of the perfect coffee cake recipe.  So far, I've made two.  The first one looked perfect and the crumbly struesel topping was delicious, the cake itself? Meh.  The second cake looked anemic and lacked the crumbly struesel topping but was amazing.  Now I find myself looking to make another cake tomorrow - third times the charm, right?

I think I have found a recipe that will fill the bill but who knows...at this rate I'll be making a cake every night this week until I find one that I deem perfect enough for this shower.  Do you have a tried and true recipe that you want to share?  Please?

I'm turning into my mother...and I *think* it's in a good way.

We've all thought it, at one time or another.  Sometimes it's a good thing and sometimes, we'd think it's not such a good thing.

Particularly if you are a parent, you have surely found yourself saying to or doing something with your child and it dawns on you - your mother used to do/say the exact same thing to you.  I remember, with great clarity, when I once told Man-Child that if he was so bored that I had a list of "things" (chores) to keep him busy.

And while, I now agree in theory, when I was a child this infuriated me beyond belief every time she said it.  As a child, I quickly learned not to complain that I was bored otherwise I would find myself dusting the baseboards.  I have to give it to her, she followed through.

At any rate, this morning as I was reading the paper I came across two little snippets of information that I thought would be interesting for two of my friends.  I quickly found the one article online and texted it to one friend and then headed over to the cubicle next door to hand the other friend the actual article.

And then it hit me.  I'm turning into my mother.

Way back in the days before the internet my mother would clip articles she thought I needed to see - this started around the time I was in high school and continued into my early adulthood before she died.

As a teen, I suffered through it, sullenly reading the article and silently thinking, "WHY is she making me read this drivel?"  As a young woman, I thought "Well, this is interesting but it is information I could probably live without."  As a young mother, I teetered between the two thought processes and occasionally thought, "Wow!  I'm really glad I read this."

Then we moved to North Carolina - and although she called, she wasn't big on actually sending the articles so she would just mention them.  And I listened.  Sometimes, I admit, with limited patience.

It's been years since I'd thought of those carefully clipped articles that would be waiting for me.

Until today, when I digitally "clipped" an article and sent it and then actually clipped another article and handed it over.

And I realized what was actually behind all of those articles...love and caring.  She looked at those articles and thought of me.  Just as I'd looked at these two articles this morning and thought of my friends.

And passed along the articles...and the love.

And all of this reminiscing brings to mind something else my mother used to say..."If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all!"  But THAT is another post for another day...

***

After typing this, I began to wonder if I'd ever posted anything else about turning into my mother.  So I did a search of my blog.  The first thing I learned is that apparently, I've been at this blogging thing since 2009!!!  Who knew?  It feels like only yesterday.  The second thing I learned...I DID post about turning into my mother before.  The third thing I discovered...sifting through your archives is amazing.  I remembered things I'd forgotten, I remembered the voice I had back then and the carelessness about posting.  I was also confronted with the differences of blogging today vs. then.  Then there was many more comments; today this is less common.  Back then there was a lot of focus on "fun" and "awards".  Today it seems to be more about "sponsorship."  Not that there is anything wrong with that; but I kinda miss the old days - the fun and the comments.  Any chance we can bring that back?

NC DOT - you can expect a call from me tomorrow and it's your own fault.

As I mentioned in my last post, we've been snowed in.  Today was the third day of the incarceration.

The Husband was able to make it out to work but told me to stay home as the roads in our neighborhood weren't safe.  So being the good, little wife that I am, I stayed home.  So having eyes in my head that could see the street in front of the house but little else, I stayed home.  And slowly went insane.

When he came home this evening, I insisted that he get me out of this house, even for just a few minutes.  He obliged and took me to the grocery store two minutes up the street - it took at least ten.  I almost wish he hadn't.  I knew that the bit in front of our house was bad but I had no idea just HOW bad the rest of the roads were.  Once we made it to the main road it was fine but the roads in our neighborhood and one of them getting out were solid sheets of ice.  I had my eyes closed the whole time - it was terrifying.

The return trip was even worse as we had to turn around because of an accident and go another way which involved several steep hills covered in ice while maneuvering around several large Duke Energy trucks parked in the street.

I can already tell that I won't be going to work tomorrow either.

And this was after the NC DOT came through yesterday and "plowed."

Well, whomever they sent in should be ashamed of themselves - these roads were NOT plowed in any way shape or form.

At first, I thought since they didn't get to us until late yesterday that they'd be back today.  They have not.

Which brings us to the WHY of me having to give them a call.

Our little town does not have the resources to remove snow and ice and so it is the responsibility of the NC DOT according to our town website.

So upon returning home (safely, thank God!) I went to the NC DOT webpage.  I clicked on the Contact Us button as I couldn't find a complaint form or a service request form.  And started typing.  I wasn't being long-winded but wanted to explain where we were and what the problems we were having.  And then...I couldn't type anymore.  I physically couldn't type anymore.  Apparently, I'd hit the character limit, which was ridiculously short.

So I looked up the phone number and as it's well after 5:00 pm, tomorrow I will have to actually pick up the phone, navigate an infuriating phone tree to get to a human to explain the problem, once I've done all that navigating, I will be frustrated and bad tempered.

And to be honest?  That irritates me more than the shoddy "plowing."

Snowed in...

Last night we got anywhere between 6 to 8 inches of snow.  That's quite a lot for this area.  While I hear that the main roads are clear, I wouldn't actually know since I've been stuck in the house all day as the DOT has yet to venture into our subdivision.

You would have thought I'd done something productive with all this down time.  But no, I haven't even bothered to get out of my pajamas today!  The laundry remains undone.  The plants remain unwatered.  I didn't even bother to set my little minion to work.  Heck, I didn't even bother to venture outside to take a picture of the very pretty landscape for this post.

Lazy.  That's what today has been.

I spent a portion of it goofing off on the computer.  A little bit more time wiping the floor with Man-Child during a fierce game of Rummy - today instead of playing it safe and biding my time, I played a more daring game and it paid off; much to his dismay.  But the majority of the day was spent quietly reading, something I actually haven't being doing much of lately.  Oh sure, I read a bit each night - usually a chapter or two before turning in, but I haven't sat down and spent a long stretch just reading.

It was delightful.

Our newest neighbor came by and invited us to come over - but I was ensconced in my pj's with my book and the boys were watching football so we stayed in.  Maybe tomorrow.

For now, I'm content to sit here and compose this post while my guys discuss whatever it is they are discussing in the other room.

Tomorrow there will be plenty of time for chores while we wait for the snow plows to come dig us out.  And, most likely, more time to snuggle down with another good book.  And maybe, if I'm lucky, another successful game of Rummy.

Now?  Now, I think it's time to watch some Netflix; any suggestions?

So this is what 2017 looks like AND I now have my very own minion!

Rainy and clean.

It has been raining for what seems like an eon.  And there's no end in sight.  Well, the weather people claim that it will only rain for a couple more days; but at this point I don't believe them.

At any rate, I splurged on something a few days ago.  I have been coveting one for the past couple of years now.  The Husband thought I was crazy.  He also assumed that it didn't work as advertised and lamented how lazy we are becoming as a people.

This year, I thought, was THE year.  I pooh-poohed The Husband's doubt and did it.

I bought an iRobot Roomba.  The Husband was stunned.  And convinced that I would be returning my new minion after it didn't do what it should.  He also moaned about laziness again.  Yet, here's the deal - we aren't necessarily lazy but we ARE busy people.

We both work full time and despite the best intentions, vacuuming does not get done as often as it should.  With this thing, I can turn it on in the morning and come home to clean floors.  What could be better than that?

The Husband finally saw the Roomba in action the other day and I think he was duly impressed as he kept asking me how it knew to return to it's dock when it was done and other random questions.  I am head over heels in love with this thing.

It is so cool to watch it head out to do it's job.  It's cool to be in another room and have it come around the corner whirring away.  And it is extremely cool to have my floors clean EVERY DAY!  So far this thing has been worth every penny.  And when you do the cost per (daily) use; it's actually worth it.

We have discovered that we DO need to close a few doors.  I turned it on the other day before we left the house and when we came home we couldn't find it anywhere.  Eventually, it was discovered in The Husband's closet where it had somehow become trapped.  After that incident, it was determined that the closet and Man-Child's pigsty room need to be closed off since for whatever reason (laziness?) there is stuff all over the floors in those two areas - ah well, at least the mess is confined to those two areas that I don't have to look at every day.

Today I came home and found it tangled up in a extra long tablecloth that I have put off hemming.  I guess I need to go ahead and hem that sucker?  See?  This thing isn't making me lazier - it's making me more productive.

I have my very own minion - it makes me unbelievably happy.

I understand they have a different one that will also mop the floors for you...I may have to look into that.  Now if only they had a robot that could clean the bathroom and do the laundry...

Happy New Year to you all - let's make 2017 a great year filled with kindness and love.

xo