Tidbits...

A random post of bits and pieces because I'm too lazy to create a post for each one or, much more likely, before I forget that I wanted to post about any of this in the first place.

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I read an article the other day (holy cow, look at that!  I actually have the link!  Miracles DO happen!) about gratitude.  Considering all that is going on right now in the world it would be easy to sink into a pit of despair; instead I am choosing to be grateful.

At any rate, this one bit really hit home for me:

Challenge #2: In your transactions with cashiers, baristas and others, take the time to look them in the eye and really thank them.

Yes, I AM polite to those I interact with out in the world - I'm not a complete boor.  I am not talking on my phone (or even have it out) as I am checking out or what have you.  I say please and thank you with the best of them.  But looking them in the eye?  Do I do that?  Maybe - depending on the day and the errand.

Armed with this knowledge, I have spent the past few days making concerted effort to do just that and here is what I've discovered.  

Quite a few of those that I've interacted with don't even attempt to make eye contact with me during the transaction.  I'm just another person to get out of the way in order to move on to the next one.  But those that do?  Seem to smile a little brighter when their eyes connect with mine during the transaction.

Technically, I probably COULD have crafted a whole post around this subject but I'm tired and I don't want to forget about the other bits I wanted to mention before they are lost forever...

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In other news...

The Husband called me this morning and informed me that his check engine light just came on and, as we were speaking, apparently began bucking and generally not acting right.  *sigh*

And his car is the "reliable" one!

My car's check engine light has been coming on and off sporadically for a month or more (most likely more like a couple of months) now and our car guy seems to think it is directly related to the last problem this car had (spoiler - it wasn't the alternator but some sort of sensor - somebody remind me to never buy a car that is a push button start again.) and since it's probably still under warranty we should take it back to the dealer to fix. *UGH!!*

But then the light would go off for a few days before coming back on.  Maddening.

But the car was driving fine.  While The Husband's wasn't.

Fingers crossed that the dealership is open tomorrow and that it's an easy fix; luckily it is still under warranty.  After that we NEED to get my car in and dealt with and figure out what our plan is in regard to the cars.

For years we went with the philosophy that we would drive our cars until the wheels fell off.  This is a poor philosophy, we've since discovered; as it has bitten us in the butt on more than one occasion.  What can I say, sometimes it takes getting bitten more than once to learn the lesson.

We would prefer to only have one car payment at a time but - with my car being the older and supposedly less reliable one (glaring at The Husband's car) - we figure we need to ditch it while we can still get something out of it.  

Thus, the necessity of actually coming up with a plan is upon us.

*sigh*

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Now what WAS the other thing I wanted to share? See how quickly it disappears?  And I've only just sat down to write this in relative quiet (I'm hiding away in my closet as The Husband is watching football LOUDLY in the other room).

Ah yes!

The most random, weird thing just happened right after I sat down with the laptop.

I watered all the plants.  I like the way it sounds like I've got a veritable greenhouse in here.  In reality, there aren't many that need "watering."  Maybe four.  But I've got a zillion orchids (why? I don't know.  Apparently, they make beautiful gifts and people keep gifting them to me; despite me telling everyone I know that there isn't enough sunlight in this house to keep the four houseplants I have half alive) that need to be watered with ice; except for that one weird one.  

I know.  Don't ask.

I also watered the "temporary" plant.  This is an amaryllis that was given to me over Christmas (what IS it about me that make people want to give me plants?  Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for them and I DO like plants; I just don't have a house that is nurturing and welcoming to them).

My plan was to get this amaryllis to bloom and call it done.  Throw the bulb in the woods to either perish or thrive.  This amaryllis was SO close to blooming.  How in this house, I'll never know.  But every day I would look at it waiting for it to open.

Today, as I iced all the orchids - except for that weird one - and watered the plants; I gently watered the amaryllis and called it done.

A few minutes after I made myself comfortable prepared to spend some time in blog land the impossible happened.

I heard a giant thud.  At the time, The Husband wasn't home so I knew it wasn't him.  The sound had come from the kitchen so I started there.  And stood in shock when I witnessed the mayhem.

The amaryllis had, somehow, devised its own demise.  Impossibly, it had jumped from the counter to the floor - with nary a jostle - snapping each of the two blooms that were ready to blossom - and leaving a damp, muddy pile of dirt all over the kitchen floor.

In true Gigi fashion - no picture; I didn't think of it until after I cleaned up the entire mess, of course.

And there is no possible explanation for how that plant jumped.  The Husband was not home.  I wasn't in the room.  We don't have any pets.

That was one plant that just did not want me to see it bloom, I guess.

So to sum it up...look people in the eye, cars can suck it, and some plants are suicidal.  The usual.