Hey kids, what time is it?

The time change has messed up my sleeping schedule.  Since 2:00 a.m. (standard time), I lay in bed dozing and then jerking awake every 10 minutes or so to look at the clock to see what time it was.  Then I had to do a calculation in my head, “OK, the clock SAYS that it is 3:14, (standard time) but it is REALLY 4:14, (daylight savings time).”  And then again, “OK, the clock SAYS that it is 4:27, (standard time), but it is REALLY 5:27, (daylight savings time).”  Arghhhh!

Why am I so weirded out about the time, I hear you ask?  Because I need to be up and out of bed by 7:00, (daylight savings time), this morning.  You see, I have a breakfast date – with my daughters.  In case you don’t remember from this post, I have three children.  One son and two daughters.  All three are grown and moved out of the house, so I truly do not get to see them as often as I would like.  Therefore, periodically we make dates with each other for breakfast, or maybe lunch, or even dinner.  There have been times that we will make dates to go to the market, just to have an excuse to spend some time together.

This morning’s breakfast will be just us girls, my daughters and me.  I am really looking forward to it.  Not that I do not appreciate being with the men in my life, my husband and my son, but there is just something about us girls being together that makes my mommy heart sing. 

It could have something to do with the unique camaraderie that we share as females.  It could have something to do with the lack of testosterone at the table.  However, it may well be a result of the 4 years when it was just us girls living at home.  4 years before I met The Man, The Boy left home to join the Army.  This left just us girls at home.  I did not notice at the time how our relationship was changing, but in hindsight, that time really did have an impact.  The three of us became closer, we became more open with each other, a bond was built between us that is different than the bond that I have between me and my son.

I am looking forward with anticipation my breakfast date with Artsy & Young’un.  I am looking forward to the chit-chat.  I can’t wait to catch up on all of the happenings in their lives.  I look forward with delight the moment when I can hug them close and breathe in their love. 

No 'bleeping' time change is going to mess up my morning.

Road Rage Rant

What’s the deal, Mr. Jerk in the beat-up old truck with too-big tires?  Why the aggressive driving, Soccer Mom in the over-priced Hummer?  What’s your hurry, Pimped-Out Ford Escort with the spinny rims?  We all need to share the road, and if we do so with a little common courtesy and patience, maybe we will all get to our respective destinations alive.  Just a thought.

So there I was….  I was driving to work this morning taking my normal commute on the freeway.  (Yes, yes, I know that the freeway here in Spud Land is NOTHING compared to the freeways in other areas.  I know…  But for us Spuds, this is enough traffic to make some of us a little grey around the edges.)  Anyway, I digress…  So there I was on the freeway.  I admit that I was speeding, but only by about 3 – 4 miles an hour over the posted speed limit.  Considering that I was speeding, and I was traveling along at a wee faster clip than some vehicles, I was in the “fast lane.” 

As I began to pass a slower vehicle in the right-hand lane, I saw a vehicle approaching behind me very rapidly.  Mind you, my commute is quite early in the morning, so it was dark and everyone had turned on their headlights.  The vehicle behind me came right up to my rear bumper very, very closely.  Now, even though as I already stated, I was speeding a bit beyond the posted speed limit, clearly I was not going fast enough for Mr. Jerk behind me.  So how did he express his displeasure that I was in his way?  He turned on his brights!  Yes, that is correct…  On the freeway, right on my tailpipe, Mr. Jerk turned on his bright lights.  Why?  Did he think that I was going to move over into the right lane and shove the slower vehicle into the ditch?  Did he think that I would speed up even faster than I was already going?

Unnecessary rudeness.  Listen, Mr. Jerk in the vehicle behind me, if you don’t think that I am speeding fast enough, just wait your gosh-darn turn and when it is safe to do so, I will more than gladly get out of your way.  You go right ahead, speed on up there, and see if there are any Highway Patrolmen waiting to give out tickets.  You just get all over that, Mr. Jerk.

Random Thoughts

I know…  I know…  I’ve been a very bad blogger.  I’ve neglected posting to my blog in… well in a very long time.  I have been here, but instead of offering anything new to my own blog, I have been lurking around on other people's blogs.  I have no excuse, except maybe pure laziness, and maybe just a little bit of shyness knowing that the whole world could potentially read my words.  It is unlikely that the whole world would read what I have to say, but once those words are out there… Well, they could be read by just about anyone.  For the last few months, I have been shy and extremely hesitant to post anything knowing that my thoughts and feelings would be exposed to just about anyone.  I suppose I need to get over that. 

Anyway…  What’s been going on here in Spud Land?  Not much, to be honest.  Thanksgiving came and went with no family drama.  No family drama on Christmas either.  The only notable occurrence at Christmas was the sudden onset of some kind of vile stomach illness, which knocked me right on my keester on Christmas day.  No warning, no bells, no whistles…  I was innocently sitting at the table eating the awesome Christmas dinner that I had cooked, when *WHAM* Montezuma’s Revenge hit me upside the stomach.  I spent the remainder of Christmas day and a few days after Christmas cuddled up on the floor next to the cool porcelain of the nearest commode, alternately heaving up my stomach lining and praying for deliverance.  Merry Christmas, and a “Ho ho ho” to me!    

Spud Land remains locked in winter’s icy grip.  We have had one or two days of pseudo Spring, when the overly anxious folks trekked down to the local greenhouse and purchased their annual spring plantings.  Premature, people… it is too soon!  I tried to tell them, I really did.  But they wouldn’t listen, and now their newly planted buds are being snowed on as I type.  When will they learn?  This is Idaho, folks, not So Cal!

Alrighty…  I suppose that’s enough randomness for one day.  So…  In the infamous words of Porky Pig, “Th-th-th-that’s all, folks!”

Winter Wonderland

Wow.  OK, why was I whining a few days ago about the sudden arrival of winter?  I'm wondering, because it got SO much worse! 

Just so you know, over the last 20-30 years, winter snow fall here in the Idaho valley in which I live has decreased year by year.  This year, we may be reaching record snow fall - all in about 24 hours. 

I'm home today from work, because the driving conditions are so treacherous from my house into town, that I decided not to risk life & limb this morning.  Luckily for me, my job and my boss are flexible enough to allow a Snow Day every now & then.  Yay! 

Gir & Snoopy have enjoyed playing in the deep snow, but they keep losing their tennis ball toys!  See the pictures of the dog houses?  Notice that there are very few doggie footprints leading into the houses?  That's because these lovely spoiled ladies have been outside today only long enough to relieve their bladders, and then back into the house they go.  They have been stretched out in front of the wood stove all morning.  What a life, huh? 

10 inches overnight!

*singing*  Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland!  *ahem*  Sorry about that, folks.  Couldn't help myself from breaking out in song.  I hope I didn't sting any of your ears.  

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B-r-r-r-r.... It's COLD out there!

Although the calendar doesn’t agree, winter has arrived in Spud Land.  Blizzard conditions.  Snow.  Ice.  Freezing rain. Freezing fog.  Treacherous driving conditions.  Blasts of arctic air.  More snow.  Skiers and snowboarders are thrilled, because this early arrival of winter means that the local ski resorts are opening for business earlier than usual.  Those of us who do not habitually play in the cold white stuff are less than thrilled.  You might hear griping and complaining from us.  Bitching and groaning.  It is COLD out there! 

I was standing outside watching Gir & Snoopy play in the snow.  More snow was floating to the frozen ground.  I was shivering and quivering and trying to keep my fingers from freezing.  And I noticed… the quiet.  The stillness.  The hush that surrounded me.  The whisper of the wind gently moving the nearly bare limbs of the trees.  The silent hiss of the snow landing on the super-heated chimney on the roof.  The occasional rustle of a chilly varmint searching for food.  

What I really didn’t notice right away was my shivering and quivering slowing to a stop, my staccato breathing becoming more steady and quiet, and my teeth no longer chattering.  The silent night had begun to sink into my soul.  The peace on this earth became MY peace.

Ode to Thanksgiving

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I thought I would honor one of my family’s traditions and express my thankfulness.  I am thankful.  Not in a “thank the Almighty” sort of way.  Rather in an “I appreciate and am grateful” sort of way.  Don’t get me wrong, I completely support a person’s right to thank a higher power for something in their lives, I just choose be appreciative of the good things in my life without feeling that these good things were “bestowed upon me” by an all-knowing supreme being.  All that being said…  I am grateful.

I am grateful for my children.  I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again.  My three offspring are the very best things in my life.  I can’t imagine my life without them.  Yes, there have been some conflicts, some struggles, and some differences of opinions.  However, even with all of those, the good far outweighs any bad.  The beautiful far outshines the rough spots.

I am grateful for my freedom.  I live in a country where I have the freedom to type out anything my heart desires in this little blog.  I have freedom of speech, even if no one agrees with my words.  I have the freedom to choose where and when I will work.  I can attain any goal I set for myself, with no constraints other than those I inflict on myself.  I have the freedom to believe, or not believe, in any supreme being I choose.  I. Am. Free.

I am grateful for the men and women who have sacrificed so that I can have the above stated freedom.  To the mothers and fathers who have lost their precious children, the wives and husbands who have lost their spouse, the brothers and sisters who have lost their sibling, the children who will never know their parent, to the aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, lovers…  And of course to the soldiers who have sacrificed a part of themselves, or even the whole of themselves….  To those, I say “Thank You!”

I am grateful for my family.  My children, my husband, my sisters, my mother, my brother, all of my in-laws and out-laws, my nieces, nephews, etc.  They have all touched my heart in one way or another, and they have enriched my world.  I am so lucky to have all of them in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Only in Idaho...

So there I was…  The Man and I were toodling along a state highway this weekend, driving approximately the posted speed limit of 55 mph.  In the distance, we could see emergency lights flashing and stopped traffic. 

We began to fear the worst.  Would this be a terrible vehicle accident?  Would we be exposed to the horrors that one might see when high speeds don’t mix well with hardened steel and asphalt?  Would there be gore and blood?  Would we have to sit for who-knows-how-long while the emergency responders clean up the highway enough for other vehicles to squeeze past?

As we approached the commotion, we realized what awaited us. 

Cows.

Two cows had escaped from their respective pastures and were taking a stroll along the highway.  The sheriff’s deputies were out of their vehicles directing traffic around these two errant bovine, and were also attempting to herd the Bessies back into their pens. 

Were the drivers on the highway angry?  Were they impatient to go on about their day?  Surprisingly, and dare I say pleasantly, they were not.  Everyone was patient and understanding. 

Only in Idaho will you see traffic come to a complete halt while two cows take a stroll down the highway.