Be honest… how many things can you do in one day that could’ve had a better result if you’d just used your brain? My personal number for that question is… MANY!
Yesterday started out great!
My first cup of coffee after letting the dogs out at 7:00 AM was relaxing. I RARELY get up that early but the HVAC guy was to be here around 8:15. I was thinking how early mornings ain’t so bad as I took coffee #2 with me to the shower.
That’s when MANY things went bad because I didn’t use my brain. Here are just four examples…
I got in the shower and forgot to turn on the fan. The smoke alarm blared for 15 minutes scaring the dogs and almost making my ears bleed. It was still going off when the AC guy arrived 35 minutes early. I knew better.
I went car shopping with my favorite son, Ben. I’m an ugly car shopper and he’s learned from the best. There were not any cars to test drive even though websites listed them as available. He put a deposit on a new car he’s never seen or driven, and must wait who knows how long to get it. I thought we’d kill each other before we got home. I knew better!
Knowing weigh in was scheduled for today, I ate a huge portion of spaghetti from Fazolis anyway. When you’re watching carbs, that’s about as bad as it gets. I knew better!
I mowed for 1.5 hours with the push-mower from Hell. You know… the one that started this whole back/leg/hip thing I’m currently fighting. Der! I knew better.
I’m going to use my brain today! Probably. 😉
A new coil for the 2nd AC unit is waiting on a part — that is about the only bad thing that happened that wasn’t my fault. But it’s a new day! And it’s going to be amazing!
Now you know: Key West had a fire chief named Bum Farto that was convicted of drug trafficking and disappeared before his sentencing, never to be seen again.
My Pap-pa passed away just a few short months after the birth of my son, Ben, in 1982 — it will be 41 years ago this September 16th. He was only 78.
A long time ago, old people would tell me how fast time flies and how I was living the best days of my life. Now? I’m the old people! How has it been over 40 years since his passing?
I think about how Pap-pa would play rummy with me, watch TV while sitting in a straight-back dining room chair with a Chihuahua on his knee, and mow grass without a shirt (embarrassing for a young person thinking he was ancient and showing white chest hairs in public). He loved spending time at the barn around horses and took me daily. (To own a horse, I had to ride every day… through sleet and snow and pouring rain… just like a mailman.)
He loved to tease — like telling me he was going to take out his false teeth at my kindergarten graduation and yell, “That’s my granddaughter!” My family then wondered why I preferred NOT to be the center of attention. Would you? (Not to mention I thought I could die at any second because he told me I had lumpuckaroo in my bowels.)
I remember Nanny letting me set off firecrackers under pap-pa’s bed while he was sleeping. Yes, seriously. (I’m guessing this was payback for all the teasing endured.) Our family went on vacations with Nanny and Pap-pa… my brother and I riding in the back of a blue station wagon with our feet sticking out the windows.
Nanny and Pap-pa were married Aug. 3, 1930 and celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary before his death. Nanny passed at age 98 on August 26, 2009. She was in a care facility for the last of her days and she would often ask to wear her diamond rings. Afraid they would get lost (or stolen) we’d make excuses. One time, I asked why she wanted them and she snapped back like that was the dumbest question ever — she said that she wanted everyone to know she was married. Pap-pa had already been gone over 25 years by then. ❤️
If you’re reading this, please know that no matter how old you are — time does indeed fly by and you’re living the best days of your life. 🙂
Today’s brain food: Because of the continuing ongoing dispute between Canada & USA over the Machias Seal Island, anyone who is born on it is given the claim of dual citizenship of both countries.
What are your weaknesses? You know… what are the things you want and simply have a difficult time resisting?
I love expensive perfume and hair products… I love jewelry. But I can resist those things without a huge amount of effort. Expensive sunglasses and shoes? Don’t get in my way. 🙂
Steer me clear!
Don’t let me surf Zappos. Whatever you do, don’t let me even walk by a place that sells Maui Jim sunglasses. It doesn’t matter that I have a bajillion pair of shoes or multiple pair of sunglasses — I always want just one more of each.
Tech items (yes, I probably have at least one of everything and duplicates of more than I could begin to list) are tied with jeans for 2nd.
I have at least 20 pair hanging in one closet — and more in other closets. Who needs that many pair of jeans?? And I don’t like the cheaper brands… oh no. 🙄
Dharma’s weakness is shrubbery after a rain.
Perry’s weakness is anything sweet.
(Everything he wants falls under the heading “sweetie cakes” — even donuts.)
What about you?
I’ll betcha the entire time you’ve been reading this you’ve been thinking about the things you can’t resist. Maybe it’s stuff to cook with… maybe it’s fishing equipment… or tools… or yard equipment… (Mr. Pesky falls under both the last 2) — or maybe you have the same weaknesses that I do.
Life’s short — whatever your weakness… treat yourself every once and awhile! (So long as it’s legal.) 🙂
Today I Learned: Missouri has some of the loosest alcohol laws in the US. Hard liquor can be sold in grocery stores and gas stations; bars can double as liquor stores; public intoxication is legal; and open containers are allowed in most areas, including by passengers in vehicles.
If you simply change around a quote I guess it’s yours.
“Happiness equals reality minus expectations.” –Elon Musk “Happiness is results minus expectations.” –Morgan House (The Psychology of Money book) “Reality minus expectations equals happiness.” –Shelley Erwin
And just like that… I have my own quote. 😉
Managing expectations is probably one of the hardest things to do in life. It’s part of the long-game journey, but no matter how hard we try to control what we expect (or want… or think we deserve), it simply doesn’t always turn out that way. Sadly, those struggles are also a part of the long-game journey.
It’s really only a fancier way to say we should be happy with what we have, isn’t it? It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for greater things — or make an effort to change the things you want to be different. But you should appreciate and be happy with what you have and grateful even when your efforts aren’t as fruitful as you want them to be.
Honeysuckle woes…
I read someplace that you can start honeysuckle just by putting trimmings in water. That was my expectation — honeysuckle starts to replant along the ditch. Round two without a single root hair, I’m happy I have a place to cut wild honeysuckle and that I can smell its fragrance from a glass jar on my table.
“Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.” — Unknown
Today I Learned: The average man picks his nose around four times a day.
Although Merida is usually the troublemaker around here, Dharma is the early riser that I could choke every morning. A 6:00 AM grunt call on a Saturday morning is unfair and incredibly aggravating. As I’m writing this at 7:00 AM, the fog is almost gone, but at 6:00 AM…
Recap of the past week — all the stuff I didn’t post already.
Activities to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals meant Colette not only got to hit her Dad in the face with a pie…
But she also got to hit him with water balloons. (And they fixed her up with a bucket of water too. Either because she’s special or they just loved seeing Ben get soaked.)
Coco also ate “bar food” for the first time (prepared by Katie just for her), tested the offerings from 2 taco trucks (Crothersville’s is better by 110%), and special ordered breakfast every morning.
I spent some time on the new deck without Contractor Tim’s music blaring from his truck. That was great, but might’ve been better without my 4-legged company.
Lots of work and relaxation planned for today. REMC buried the cable this week (cut by the pool installers) and the backyard is a mess. The weather is supposed to start warming up (yippee!) and buying a new push mower is on the agenda. No way am I limping that old one with 3 wheels through another week!
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to figure out what’s next.
Katie called last night and asked what we were doing for 4th of July this year. That means she’s planning to come here. Last year, we had fireworks at Mom’s… I guess the location has changed for 2023. Coco will be here then too (every other week through the summer belongs to Mom and Dad) so we should probably pick up some fireworks. Not sure how the hounds are going to like that. 😬
And you?
No matter when you’re reading this, I hope you take time to reflect on YOUR past few days. Give your brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos and sort through your experiences. It helps you learn more about what makes you happy and reveals what you might want to plan for — or avoid — in the future.
