JAWS has been playing on AMC. What the heck? It’s been a while since I’ve watched it so I decided to watch it again.
humor
Things I’m blaming on Daylight Saving Time
The switch has come. We lost a precious weekend hour (so not cool). It takes at least a good solid week to adapt to the time change. And to quit responding, “…but it’s really [insert a time one hour earlier than the clock time]” when asked the time.
Thanks WYDOT
Due to being stuck in Utah over Mother’s Day weekend last year, I signed up for email alerts from Wyoming’s Department of Transportation. You may wonder why and if you are currently wondering then I know you’ve never traveled in Wyoming before. Have you?
The iron-capade of ’15
This, unfortunately, is a true story.
It was time to do my weekly ironing. I went into the washroom and got the ironing board out and set it up in the living room. I then went back to get the iron. No iron.
“Well, that’s the doggonedest darndest thing,” I said in not so many words. “Where can it be?”
Our wash machine keeps walking and it just had an episode last week where it tried to walk away. This has been the cause for thing to get knocked off the shelf by the dryer (see detergent escapade). But if the iron fell it would have had to leap over the row of items next to it. Not a possibility though I looked several times.
Over
The dentist
A couple of months ago I went to the dentist. Not a big deal, right? No, not for most people but for me it was a little different. I hadn’t been to the dentist for over ten years. Before you tsk-tsk me I have to proudly tout the fact 0 cavities. None. Zilch. But I did have a filling separating from the tooth that “should probably be replaced.”
So I went this week to have it replaced.
I told my co-worker I was leaving early to go to the dentist. She said, “It reminds me of that old Christmas movie of the elf that wanted to be a dentist. Which one is that?”
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” I replied without hesitation.
“What?” another coworker chimed in.
“It’s Herbie the Elf,” I decided to go into detail. “He sings the song, ‘why am I such a misfit? I am not just a nitwit.”
“Yeah,” my first coworker said. “He was a misfit.”
“I guess I have never watched that,” our coworker said.
How in the world can you be a true American and never have watched Rudolph at Christmas time? It’s not possible. Maybe my coworker is a spy?
“Silver and Gold,” I continued to sing and my first coworker joined me, “silver and gold…”
“Huh,” our coworker watched us slowly.
“I also use Herbie as my hair guide. When I get a little flip in front like he has (that I call my ‘Herbie-do’) I know it’s time to get it cut.”
This brought silence and a polite smile from my first coworker.
“You need to watch Rudolph this year,” I finished.
“Apparently I do,” my deprived coworker agreed.
To be honest though, when I think of the dentist I never thought of poor lil’ Herbie. I think of Bill.
My Fourth of July
I decided to make a night of it.
It’s been my goal to attend the temple on a monthly basis this year. So far, so good. But July’s calendar looked exhausting on my phone. Almost every day had a little dot associated with it. Those dots generally represented to-do’s or places I needed to be.
Ugh, I thought. When am I going to squeeze in a 200 mile round trip to the temple?
Since I had the fourth off I decided that would be my best bet. But the temple was closed for the holiday. Hmmm. I had a lot on my plate to think about, what if I went down Thursday after work, attended the temple, then stayed for the night? On Friday I could mosey my way home and do a little sightseeing that I’m usually too pressed for time to enjoy.
Yes, I’d make a night of it.
Thursday went rather smoothly all according to plan.
Friday I woke up and decided to start my way back home. My first stop was Taco Bell to grab some breakfast. While ordering noticed groups of people walking in a common direction.
“Is there going to be a parade this morning?” I asked my friendly Taco Bell worker.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Is it going to be on that main road?” The main road out of town. Also known as my escape route.
“Yep.”
“Is there another way out of town?” I asked.
“Oh, well you take a right out of the parking lot then a left, then do kind of a zig-zag….” her directions went on but she lost me at the zig zag. When she finished she looked at me and asked, “Do you want me to write this down?”
I scoffed. We stood in Po-dunk USA. Surely, it would not be that complicated to find my way out of town.
I enjoyed my breakfast burrito and took my tray to the trash. Instead of emptying the contents of my tray, I accidently let go and threw the whole tray away. Never done that before? It’s embarrassing, let me tell you. (sigh) And, unfortunately, a good indicator how the rest of my trip would go.
It turns out it is possible to get lost in Po-dunk USA. I figured I would eventually connect with the highway out of town. I figured all wrong. I drove for several minutes. The houses turned into ranches. The ranches became sparse. I continued my way determined the roads would intersect.
Finally, I realized the road I was on was never going to connect with the highway. I checked the map app on my phone to confirm (because I was sure the highway was just over the “next hill”). It couldn’t even tell me where I was. I had no choice but to back track.
No worries! Just an added adventure to my day.
I finally made my way to the highway and pointed in the right direction started for home.
For the past ten years since I’ve been attending this particular temple, I noticed a fun trail alongside the road. I’m usually in too big of a hurry to stop and hike it thought. But today, today would be the day. I pulled over to the trail head and was surprised I was the only car in the parking lot until I saw the sign.
Well, crud.
So, I climbed in the car and continued on my way. It wasn’t the only stop I was going to make that day. I still had another one a ways down the road.
There were a couple of mishaps along the way but thankfully I was watched over and protected. One was my fault the other another driver’s. But I made it safely to my next destination. It was a place I had visited years ago with my family. I knew there were trails to follow and a visitor’s center. The exact details were a bit fuzzy since it had been so many years ago.
I followed the signs to the restaurant and store. Nothing about it looked familiar. I asked the clerk for details about the trails. He pulled out a couple of maps. “This one will take you to the overlooks,” he said. “It’s only about ¾ mile there and another mile to the visitor’s center.” I nodded and ignored the other map he had out with day long hikes. “Can I drive to the visitor’s center?”
“You can, but I suggest you hike it and leave your car here.”
Okay. So, I set off to see the overlooks. Should I change shoes? I wondered and looked at the sandals on my feet. Nah, it’s only ¾ mile.
Yeah, it’s only ¾ mile from the sign down the road. I walked along the dusty trail. The only visitor on it at the time. Although remnants of horses dotted the path. I continued on in my sandals. After all, I’m the girl who wore flip-flops to the Grand Canyon.
I arrived at the first overlook and looked over the canyon.
I tried to go to the second overlook but saw this.
“Oh, c’mon,” I muttered.
Then I heard the rumble of thunder and looked up at some pretty dark clouds. Oh dear. I decided to head back to the car. Truth be told, I just didn’t want my phone to get wet. I walked pretty fast back to the car.
I decided to try and drive to the visitor’s center. It took two minutes. I walked around the trail close to the center and had the eerie feeling of familiarity but not quite remembering the details. I remembered being there before years ago and seeing the tree struck by lightning. But it was all rather fuzzy and not coming in clear.
I decided it would be real nice to be home. So, I climbed in my car and continued on my way. Nothing else exciting happened and arrived home in the afternoon. Just in time to take a nap before I headed over to my brother’s house for dinner.
It wasn’t a bad way to spend the Fourth. Maybe I’ll even make it a tradition?
The trouble with heroes
Is it possible to be disappointed in another person? What do you say? Has someone ever let you down? Not lived up to your expectations?
Ah, that’s just it, isn’t it?
It’s technically impossible to be disappointed in someone else. Because when someone lets you down it only means that person didn’t live up to your expectations. The person didn’t accomplish what you deemed him or her capable of accomplishing. We are let down in our assessment of the person. In our hope we have for the other person.
We are constantly assessing and judging. We judge our situation. We judge our lives. And we judge other people. We assess them and determine what they are capable of. Then, when they do not live up to our assessment we are disappointed in them. Is it any fault of theirs if they teeter off the pedestal we stuck them on?
The old man looked at the young man barely standing in front of him. His grandson avoided his eyes and looked intently at the floor. His posture bent and if it wasn’t for the wall behind him his grandfather was sure he would have collapsed to the floor.
The old banker licked his dry lips. “I am disappointed in you, son,” he said slowly.
The young man forced a sick grin and for the first time made eye contact. “Whose fault is that? I never asked for the burden of being your grandson.”
His grandfather nodded his head. He was there when his grandson had been born. He watched him grow from baby to toddler to a busy child to an aloof teenager and finally to a young man. He had been present for every life event along the way. But for the first time, he realized he did not know the young man standing in his office. How could he be around someone for twenty years and find out you are strangers?
What’s your story?
Sometimes when I’m driving and I see a pedestrian I wonder what his or her story is. Not every time. Someone walking down the sidewalk does not catch my interest. A swisher jogging with headphones in her ears I choose to ignore. A young father doing yard work? Not even a blip on my radar. It takes more than that to even catch my eye.
I can do this. I can. I can. I can?
I decided to quit complaining. It’s a talent of mine, to whine and complain. But not a particularly endearing trait. I realized those deemed confident and competent do not indulge in pity parties. They handle conflict with grace and sometimes even a smile.
Okay, I can do this. I need to do this. My goal is to not become “that person.” You know, “that person” no one wants to deal with.
Step one seems obvious. Don’t complain. And maybe smile more.
Shortly after making this goal I completed a huge project I helped plan. And failed. Miserably.
Okay, not a problem. Take the lumps and call it a learning experience.
I got this.
Next, I was given an assignment. A long term commitment that I kind of hoped I could side step. No side stepping here.
Really? Okay, not a problem. It’s not the end of the world.
I may have indulged in some complaining about this one to a close friend. What? Relapses are to be expected.
I don’t want this but I got this.
I went to a college graduation. My niece’s husband graduated from college. In the noisy gym filled with well-wishers, we were told we were too loud by the older gentleman in front of us when we clapped and hooted.
Seriously? Ooookay. He may have been kinda joking. Not a… problem.
I. Got. This.
I went to bed all is well. Other than complaining to my friend the other night, I hadn’t complained vocally. Well, not a lot anyway. It’s true, I might have felt a tad grumpy.
When I woke up in the morning, I checked my email. Twenty-two new messages? That’s odd. I never receive that many at one time.
Turns out, my email was hacked. The irony is the fact I had kept my same flimsy password since opening the account fifteen years ago. That is, until the end of March this year when Outlook insisted I change it to beef up my security. Fifteen years and not one hack. Less than two months and I already had to change it again.
Oh, c’mon! Really? Seriously?
Maybe I’m not so confident or competent after all. Maybe those qualities are overrated. Maybe I have thrown off the balance of things by trying to become somebody I’m not.
Sigh. Smile and wave, just smile and wave.
ck's days 