adult content: check

I had to change the settings of this blog to adult content.  Kind of hated to do it but after bringing up Gang Rape I really couldn't defend any other choice.  Sorry that it makes an extra step, but life is ugly and I try to keep an accurate record, since that has fallen out of fashion in the media these days.  As usual I am flying by the seat of my pants and still have a lot of stuff to learn about blogging. 

I assume this is obvious.

I found the missing earring this morning.  If you love something, let it go...........Remember that poem, circa whenever you were in about 6th grade?  If it comes back to you, it is yours.  This works.  It has returned to me once again, as many things have. :)  Not everything, though, and thanks to such life experiences I now have MUCH material to blog (insert evil laugh, picture Cruella DeVille, but with an electric cigarette).  Just kidding. Probably (insert another evil laugh here).   A happy ending here, for today, and that is enough.

I am still smoking the lowest nicotine cartridge in my magic stick.  I am too afraid to go to just water vapor.  I tell you this with the full knowledge that it is also ridiculous.  Apparently, I am perfectly comfortable doing completely ridiculous things out of fear, despite a formidable logic that resides in my brain.  What can I say?  I'm an enigma, a work in process, an addict, an extrovert, even if I'm only talking to strangers on the internet, tired, MANY things, some as yet undiscovered.  At least I'm  honest.  As a kid I was always the first one on the roller-coater, the first one to jump off the big cliff, the one who wasn't afraid to say pretty much anything.  Apparently I used up all my fearlessness in my youth.  I am working on it, more than that I cannot do.

I have started saving posts with just general ideas in them as they occur to me and live with the constant fear that I have posted them by mistake.  Paranoia can be your friend, and I find it useful in small doses.  It can be a really good motivator if used properly..  at least I think I am using it properly.  Why?  What have you heard? 
Just kidding.
Little paranoia joke......
Ok, I'm done.  I have a bag of candy to devour.

Victory is mine

Yesterday the Grand Finale and I went to visit The Beautiful Redhead.  It was one of the few days where I dared risk the trip, as the weather was warm and it was just supposed to rain.  We drove through a lot of fog to get there.  Our view looked like this:

It was easy to forget where you were during a long trip. This picture is a good analogy of the picture of my life, incidentally, much of the time.  I mean, I always know I'm on the way to somewhere, but I often cannot fathom where because I cannot seem to see too far ahead.  Probably just God's plan so I don't give up too soon.  But I digress.  I do it beautifully, don't I?  So, we made it and picked up The Beautiful Redhead and spent the afternoon shopping.  Not anything exciting, rather Sam's Club for tp and trash bags, but we got to eat out.

This is quite a thing for us these days.

I want you to know that for the first time in my memory, my children asked me where I wanted to eat.  Which is maybe not so shocking to you, but then they ate where I wanted to eat without one word of complaint.

Yep.

It was so shocking, to me, that I reflected all the way through the meal that we actually had a good time the whole day.  Not one drink was spilt.  Not one rude word was exchanged.  The Grand Finale even sat next to each other, in a restaurant with actually glass glasses and real silverware and bread plates and EVERYTHING, man, and never even threw elbows into each other's ribs.  They passed things, used their napkins, and I'm pretty sure the waiter was half hitting on The Beautiful Redhead, but she took it in stride without seeming interested.  I don't think she was interested, you understand, but if she was I am pretty sure she would not want me to know it.  Hopefully this stage will end soon. 

In other words, it is my great pleasure to announce that we have made it.  Where we have made it is hard to define, but any parent who has spent the last 15 years in "restaurants" that feature ball pits or mouse mascots paying you attention will know instinctively what I mean.  We are in a good place, where we are able to simulate a normal family without arousing suspicion.

I almost had some wine to celebrate, but then I remembered it just makes me go to sleep now and I couldn't afford to supply the under aged Beautiful Redhead with a liquor source.  Let her explore her luck with the friendly waiter.  He didn't look 21 to me either, but these days nobody does until they are about 30.

So on our way home it looked like this:

And this, very cool.  It made me want to hear The Year of The Cat terribly, and I don't have that recorded on a CD.  Can you believe that??  A classic song like that?  Note to self made.

When we left Columbia, it was 64 degrees and misty.  The Cyclist called me a little upset about some storm warnings and possible tornadoes.  I started home immediately.  By the time we got to Moberly it was 36 degrees, raining, and very very foggy.  Every once in a while you could tell it was lightening because it looked like a flash had gone off, but I was beginning to worry about tornadoes.  By the time we got to New Cambria, a tornado warning for Randolph Co. came on the radio.  We had missed it by about 30 minutes.  It continued to rain hard almost all the way home, but we made it safe and sound.

You never know what a day will bring.  Especially in Missouri.  That makes us have to trust God a lot, not to mention, be aware and prepared.

Take time to enjoy your victories, no matter how small they might seem.  No victory is small.  They add up and before you know it, you are living your dream.  At least, parts of it.  Nobody has everything ALL the time.

Distracted much?

I was so excited last night to catch up with one of my dearest, best friends in the world, who was coming to my house for dinner.  I was in such a good mood that I agreed to let the Grand Finale have 3 of their friends spend the night.  They promised to be quiet and good, and they were as good as their word.

So this morning I got up, fried a dozen eggs, made a load of toast, and told the boys to get around because I had to go grocery shopping.  Running around the house getting my list made, throwing in laundry, doing dishes, etc., etc.

I get to Wal Mart and forgot my list, which I have learned doesn't really matter anymore.  For some reason if I wrote it down and forgot the list I can still remember what was on it.  I have checked myself many times and found that I have about a 98% chance of getting everything even without the list in my hands at the time.

It worked this time to. 

VICTORY!

 Except that after I got home and the boys all helped unload the groceries I happened to catch sight of myself in the mirror as I put up the toilet paper, and realized that I had just spent at least an hour wandering around Wal Mart, talking to people the whole time, with only one hoop earring in.  I remember putting one in and not being able to find the other one, then grabbing more dirty clothes to put in the laundry and making a note to myself to find the other one where I seemed to remember laying it down.  It is important to note that I did not write that down, just thought I would remember.  This has made me laugh several times already.  If you can't laugh at yourself, your life is going to seem endless and much too long.  Whether anyone noticed or not remains a mystery, but if you hear that I'm wandering around looking like a hot mess, rest assured that it is both true and not anything serious to worry about. :)

The moral of the story is to write stuff down.  Also it is always a good idea to look at yourself in the mirror before you leave the house.  As you get older, or maybe it's only if you have kids, you quit looking at yourself in the mirror much.  Whether this is due to the fact that you just don't care anymore or it never mattered in the first place, I will let you decide, dear reader. 

Write things down, double check, and don't feel like the Lone Ranger if it happens to you, folks.  There really is nothing new under the sun.

Have a good weekend!  I'll be looking for 1 hoop earring, no telling when it will turn up, or where.