Random and nonsensical ramblings on a Tuesday
Okay, so enough of this mopey crap. I do this every single year. Once I’ve survived the holidays and packed up the Christmas stuff I go into a funk. It doesn’t help that this funk coincides with the post-holiday return to work and sending the kids back to school and selling of the Girl Scout cookies and living through the Pinewood Derby sawdust. It’s my annual pre-Spring funk. And when I’m in a funk the very LAST thing I want to do is share that with people. Mostly it makes me want to go to bed and stay there until the funk passes.
I think part of the annual funk is due to the fact that I probably suffer slightly from the lack of regular and abundant sunlight. (My mother is a cactus, I swear. One cloudy day and she turns yellow and puckers up.) I’ve said for years that I photosynthesize. The older I get the more my biological functions bear that out.
Partly it’s also trying to get back in a post-holiday day-to-day routine that both comforts and saddens me. (Work continues to infuriate, but my flexible work arrangement makes it hard for me to move to another position.) And yes, I know it’s FEBRUARY already. I’m slow on the uptake, people. You should all be used to that by now.
Several funny things have happened to me lately that have caused me to pause and smile. Yesterday I took my son to his piano lesson as I do every Monday. His piano teacher is a lovely woman who is a former Miss Virginia (1967, I think) and the pianist at our church. She has three grown children and several grandchildren and is the kindest and sweetest person you would ever want to meet. I love her, even when she’s a little TOO sweet. Yesterday my son is relating a minor key in the song he’s playing to the POTC Dead Man’s Chest theme. A conversation followed that went something like this:
Miss Barb: Oh, I LOVE Pirates of the Caribbean! *Turning to me* That Johnny Depp. He’s definitely for me.
Me: …
Miss Barb: He’s so handsome!
Me: (somewhat recovered from the shock) You mean if Bob hadn’t entered the scene…(her very handsome and distinguished looking husband of something like 40 years)
Miss Barb: Well, yeah! And that Orlando Bloom isn’t bad either! He’s really good-looking!
At this point my poor son asked who Johnny Depp is, since he only knows him as CAPT Jack Sparrow. Barb patiently explained. Then:
Miss Barb: Yes, Orlando Bloom is really gorgeous, too!
Me: *cringe at thought that son is now going to associate these HOT guys with mother and past-mid-life piano teacher*
Miss Barb: But Johnny Depp. He’s the best.
Me: Yeah, since Orlando Bloom actually turned 30 this year I don’t feel as bad about liking him.
Miss Barb: One of my sons is 30!
She laughed, rolled her eyes at me, and continued the lesson without a beat. All without the slightest hint of shame or awareness that someone might consider her predilections odd.
Okay. Let’s stop and reflect. She’s at least…60. And she not only knows the names “Johnny Depp” and “Orlando Bloom”, but is willing to admit to me that she thinks they are “hot.” (Not her words, but definitely her intention.) I was more than slightly surprised. It was - and I don’t exaggerate here - life-affirming for me. LOL. I was starting to worry about the fact that I’m getting ready to turn 40 and I have SUCH the hots for these guys! And yet, someone MUCH OLDER THAN ME likes the hot boys and isn’t afraid to say so. Heh. I DARE someone to tell me I’m pervy now. I’ll just pass this little story along. I hope her verve is indicative of what I’ll be gaining with age.
I picked up my knitting recently. I quickly put it back down and started crocheting myself a scarf, which I finished fairly quickly. I’m stupid excited about it because it’s the first thing I’ve made that I haven’t given away as a gift. At the same time I started crocheting a baby blanket that is coming out somewhat crooked around the edges. And yet I plow on. I’ve restarted it twice. There’s no going back now.
I’ve started dropping weight again since I gave up sugar last month. Which is good because I have quite a few pounds to go before I reach my goal weight. I know that when it starts getting warm out again I’ll start walking more. Until then I’m dependent on eating properly. And while I managed to kick sugar by substituting things like Chex mix and barbeque potato chips for cookies, now I have to go back and start excising those little no-nos from my diet again. Still, it’s nice to see the scale going down again. I was on a plateau for a very long time.
I did our taxes on Monday and filed them already. We’re getting back enough from the federal return to pay off most of our debt, which is lovely. We’ll still have the mortgage, of course, and a few other things, but nothing that can't be taken care of with some discipline. Plus, I can get a new oven which I desperately need. So, yay. I’m actually early with the taxes for the first time in years! Go me!
I just noticed that I smell a little manly today. I ran out of deodorant this morning. (Does anyone else hate how the deodorant stick completely crumbles all over the place as it gets to the bottom?) I grabbed a new stick of my husband’s deodorant out of the linen closet. He usually wears an unscented variety. Apparently, he hasn’t used this stuff yet because it is DEFINITELY scented. I think it smells like Old Spice, but I’m not sure what the actual fragrance is. Anyway, it’s a little odd to be sitting here and smelling like a man. The worst part is that I forgot to pick up more GIRLY deodorant when I stopped at CVS today.
And finally, I’m completely happy because we are getting tons and tons of ice right now. I’m definitely going to be staying home from work tomorrow. And even though I know I have to work this weekend, my family will be out of town visiting my in-laws, so I’ll still get to play with friends without having to coordinate a thousand schedules. And I can sleep late. And watch whatever I want on the telly. And just loll about. Bliss, I tell you. Absolute bliss.
Hope you all have a fantastic Valentine’s day, if you celebrate. If you don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, have a terrific Single’s Awareness Day. (I’ve been told by the guys in my office that this is how they see it, anyway.) Or, you know, you could just celebrate Hump Day for lack of anything better. At any rate, take the day as an opportunity to binge eat chocolate and tell someone that you love them.
I think part of the annual funk is due to the fact that I probably suffer slightly from the lack of regular and abundant sunlight. (My mother is a cactus, I swear. One cloudy day and she turns yellow and puckers up.) I’ve said for years that I photosynthesize. The older I get the more my biological functions bear that out.
Partly it’s also trying to get back in a post-holiday day-to-day routine that both comforts and saddens me. (Work continues to infuriate, but my flexible work arrangement makes it hard for me to move to another position.) And yes, I know it’s FEBRUARY already. I’m slow on the uptake, people. You should all be used to that by now.
Several funny things have happened to me lately that have caused me to pause and smile. Yesterday I took my son to his piano lesson as I do every Monday. His piano teacher is a lovely woman who is a former Miss Virginia (1967, I think) and the pianist at our church. She has three grown children and several grandchildren and is the kindest and sweetest person you would ever want to meet. I love her, even when she’s a little TOO sweet. Yesterday my son is relating a minor key in the song he’s playing to the POTC Dead Man’s Chest theme. A conversation followed that went something like this:
Miss Barb: Oh, I LOVE Pirates of the Caribbean! *Turning to me* That Johnny Depp. He’s definitely for me.
Me: …
Miss Barb: He’s so handsome!
Me: (somewhat recovered from the shock) You mean if Bob hadn’t entered the scene…(her very handsome and distinguished looking husband of something like 40 years)
Miss Barb: Well, yeah! And that Orlando Bloom isn’t bad either! He’s really good-looking!
At this point my poor son asked who Johnny Depp is, since he only knows him as CAPT Jack Sparrow. Barb patiently explained. Then:
Miss Barb: Yes, Orlando Bloom is really gorgeous, too!
Me: *cringe at thought that son is now going to associate these HOT guys with mother and past-mid-life piano teacher*
Miss Barb: But Johnny Depp. He’s the best.
Me: Yeah, since Orlando Bloom actually turned 30 this year I don’t feel as bad about liking him.
Miss Barb: One of my sons is 30!
She laughed, rolled her eyes at me, and continued the lesson without a beat. All without the slightest hint of shame or awareness that someone might consider her predilections odd.
Okay. Let’s stop and reflect. She’s at least…60. And she not only knows the names “Johnny Depp” and “Orlando Bloom”, but is willing to admit to me that she thinks they are “hot.” (Not her words, but definitely her intention.) I was more than slightly surprised. It was - and I don’t exaggerate here - life-affirming for me. LOL. I was starting to worry about the fact that I’m getting ready to turn 40 and I have SUCH the hots for these guys! And yet, someone MUCH OLDER THAN ME likes the hot boys and isn’t afraid to say so. Heh. I DARE someone to tell me I’m pervy now. I’ll just pass this little story along. I hope her verve is indicative of what I’ll be gaining with age.
I picked up my knitting recently. I quickly put it back down and started crocheting myself a scarf, which I finished fairly quickly. I’m stupid excited about it because it’s the first thing I’ve made that I haven’t given away as a gift. At the same time I started crocheting a baby blanket that is coming out somewhat crooked around the edges. And yet I plow on. I’ve restarted it twice. There’s no going back now.
I’ve started dropping weight again since I gave up sugar last month. Which is good because I have quite a few pounds to go before I reach my goal weight. I know that when it starts getting warm out again I’ll start walking more. Until then I’m dependent on eating properly. And while I managed to kick sugar by substituting things like Chex mix and barbeque potato chips for cookies, now I have to go back and start excising those little no-nos from my diet again. Still, it’s nice to see the scale going down again. I was on a plateau for a very long time.
I did our taxes on Monday and filed them already. We’re getting back enough from the federal return to pay off most of our debt, which is lovely. We’ll still have the mortgage, of course, and a few other things, but nothing that can't be taken care of with some discipline. Plus, I can get a new oven which I desperately need. So, yay. I’m actually early with the taxes for the first time in years! Go me!
I just noticed that I smell a little manly today. I ran out of deodorant this morning. (Does anyone else hate how the deodorant stick completely crumbles all over the place as it gets to the bottom?) I grabbed a new stick of my husband’s deodorant out of the linen closet. He usually wears an unscented variety. Apparently, he hasn’t used this stuff yet because it is DEFINITELY scented. I think it smells like Old Spice, but I’m not sure what the actual fragrance is. Anyway, it’s a little odd to be sitting here and smelling like a man. The worst part is that I forgot to pick up more GIRLY deodorant when I stopped at CVS today.
And finally, I’m completely happy because we are getting tons and tons of ice right now. I’m definitely going to be staying home from work tomorrow. And even though I know I have to work this weekend, my family will be out of town visiting my in-laws, so I’ll still get to play with friends without having to coordinate a thousand schedules. And I can sleep late. And watch whatever I want on the telly. And just loll about. Bliss, I tell you. Absolute bliss.
Hope you all have a fantastic Valentine’s day, if you celebrate. If you don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, have a terrific Single’s Awareness Day. (I’ve been told by the guys in my office that this is how they see it, anyway.) Or, you know, you could just celebrate Hump Day for lack of anything better. At any rate, take the day as an opportunity to binge eat chocolate and tell someone that you love them.