Friday! Stars, startles and hitting send/receive
Ahhhh FRIDAY!
It was a bonkers day today. (Yeah, this is going to be one of those ‘Dear Diary’ posts, but don’t avert your eyes in voyeurism shame, you’re invited to flip through the pages of my life.)
So, I awoke at 2:15 am. Yes, we’re starting from the beginning, because I had the best giggle of the day over what ensued.
The dog was the source of my early hour awakening (shocking, I know.) Got up, trotted after the dog – no, wait, SHE trotted, I begrudgingly shuffled along after her, like the beta of our pack that I am.
Let her outside, and – instead of shuffling back to my cotton sheets – I noticed how clear the sky was and how gorgeous the stars were. I mean, even with half-opened eyes I’m noticing this, so you KNOW they were stunning.
Decided to sit outside and wait for her. Be one with nature for a few moments.
So, I’m sitting outside, star-gazing, and I notice light coming from the kitchen. The fridge is open and my son is stood staring at the contents.
Oh this is great. I’m already rubbing my hands together in mischief. Butters is ready to go back in, and so am I.
I walk in the front door and got the reaction I was hoping for from Nic. He did the full on, trying to find purchase with his feet, mouth agape, arm flail STARTLE move. Classic. Absolutely classic.
Tangent time:
I have never ONCE responded to a scare with a blood curdling scream – not once. Why is that the way they portray it in movies?? My response is usually a “SShit!” combined with some sort of body shudder. I call shenanigans on authentic movie scare responses.
Anyway, Nic’s response was authentic, and OH so satisfying.
I nonchalantly continued to my room, in a cloud of smug. 🙂
SO worth the 2:15 wake up.
Was up anyway so checked my email. Found the email I wanted (and pathetically live for these days – the send receive button is hit more than my snooze button and my knee on my desk lately.)
NOW I could go back to sleep. Content. All was right with my little world.
Then came the alarm … and preparing to conquer the mortgage world alone.
The loan officer I process for is on a mini-cruise, and, I already had a TON of work waiting for me.
I braced myself and confidently entered the building.
Day started off with an offer for an additional job. So, that would make 3. I took it. Hey – I am not turning down an opportunity to make extra money!
I have to be able to support myself in the manner to which I’d like to become accustomed – you know, like, having groceries and paying the rent AND being able to look at the ‘nice’ shampoo section.
After that, things went pretty well considering. (Except for having no access to the VA website and three VA files desperately in need of me HAVING access.)
Discovered what it must feel like to be a pet today too … one of the realtors was filling his M & M jar.
I heard that sound and my ears pricked up and my head tilted to one side. Came prancing out to make sure it was in fact candy, and not kibble being deposited in a bowl. Nope. M & M’s for sure. My afternoon was looking up.
I won’t bore you with the exciting life of loan processing (saving that for an entire post lol) Fast forward to now … here I am, sharing my exciting day with you lovely people, and looking forward to hitting send/receive on my email.
Because:
Happy Friday everyone!
What happened to responsible journalism – mini rant
I had this romantic notion of journalism. I envisioned journalists traveling corners of the world for truth. Verifying through extensive research and fact checking, the validity of their stories.
I picture a journalist much like an archeologist – actually, in my head, my inner-journalist is wearing an Indiana Jones outfit, sans whip, and has just landed in the nick of time to get his story to the editor at the last minute – again. But the editor doesn’t mind – he knows the story will be good. The story will have substance. And he knows his journalist has sources he probably won’t disclose, but he has them – to back up his words.
That’s the way I picture it anyway.
But it’s not really the case these days is it? Such a shame, because some media outlets today have turned a dignified profession into an embarrasing tabloid one.
There are a couple of books I read and really enjoyed that enlightened me more on this topic – having more to do with how the press affect on-going cases in the public eye. We now have a ‘court of public opinion’ rather than a ‘jury of our peers’ when it comes to high profile cases, thanks to the media.
Jodi Picoult “The Pact” and Gillian Flynn “Gone Girl” touch on this powerfully. Not everything is as it seems …
During research (yes, I do research) for a piece I wrote, I had the misfortune to read some articles by a ‘respected’ journalist that has made my blood boil. Much to my chagrin, I keep reading it too. But, there are others who read the same piece that do not consider there is ‘another side.’ Or that *Shock* perhaps the journalist isn’t being entirely truthful.
I won’t mention the author or the topic – but suffice it to say, his work was peppered with his own obvious tainted feelings on his subject of choice. It’s hard to refrain from a rebuttal, but I promised I would. I keep my promises.
You could say that my last few paragraphs are equally guilty of being biased – but, this is my blog – stuffed full of my own opinions, I’ve certainly never claimed to be a resource for fact and news.
On the upside, I haven’t thought of Jodi Arias in a while – the media moves on and so do our thoughts. Of course, when a new jury is selected for the penalty phase of her trial, we’ll be inundated with her again.
Musings from the Laundromat – Giving and Receiving
First I’d like to thank Butters for only waking me up 4 times in the night.
Then, I would like to thank my weekend alarm (set when Nic was still a young school boy, you know … a few weeks ago) that went off at 2:16 am.
It had been set for something he was going to that I had to wake him up for. What was it?? … I can’t think of it.
Anyway, in trying to turn off said alarm, I:
1) woke the rare sleeping dog
2) knocked my phone off of the nightstand, and
3) sent my glass of kiwi-watermelon drink flying – only to land in between the bed and the wall. A nice tight space for cleaning up.
I don’t know if that is the actual flavor by the way … I’m guessing based on the portion of my carpet that is now a lovely kiwi-watermelon color.
Heard my son up several times in the night too – and when I left the house this morning, he was rocking moves like Jagger.
A sleeping Jagger, but moving like him none the less.
Speaking of moves, yesterday I modeled a dress for a good cause. CASA is a program that benefits abused and neglected children in the area.
It was a lot of fun to meet the other models and attendees.
It was also a little hilarious to be half-naked getting ready in a room closed off from the event, whilst facing a huge, wall sized window facing the river.
I don’t think any of us really cared. The people going by on their jet skis probably were going by too fast to notice. (Not sure about the people on the beach.)
I noticed some things though.
I noticed that I didn’t have the fears I had in my 20’s or 30’s to stand in a slip and a bra in public view.
And I noticed that I thought the other ladies, in all shapes and sizes were beautiful. Just as they were.
They were even more beautiful to me because of why they were there. Women giving their time, wanting to do what they could to help such an amazing non-profit organization.
I refer to my growth again as a lot of things are changing. 44 has been pretty amazing so far.
It’s so wonderful to be comfortable in my skin, comfortable in my head and full of hope and joy and promise.
Life is amazing. And if you’re patient enough, and do the next right thing, it turns out life has gifts you didn’t even know were coming.
I’m still processing this.
But, as someone very special to me said recently, it is nice to sometimes receive after all the time we gave.
Yet, I can never forget that there is nothing worth receiving unless I keep giving.
Restless dog syndrome
I learned a very short sentence in German. Mein hund. Probably it’s not even a complete sentence, but since it’s only 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning and I am not close to thinking in complete sentences yet … I can’t be sure.
I learned this after wanting to learn some German, and because ‘mein hund’ is slowly driving me to the brink madness. And ‘mein hund’ is of late, at the forefront of my ‘things that come out of my mouth to mention when called upon to answer the “how are you?” question.’
I do not sleep through the night anymore.
It’s like having a newborn in the house again. Only, without the instant dissipation of frustration and loathing for sleep deprivation I experienced when I did lay eyes on my actual baby. (18 years ago)
Lack of sleep has taken its toll. I can’t remember the last time I hit REM mode during the night. And I would remember. Yes I would. I have a knack for remembering my dreams.
My only dream currently is that of an entire night with my eyelids touching.
Not the left and the right ones … the top and the bottom ones.
And why I had to clarify that is a testament to the fact that I’ve probably rolled and crossed my eyes so many times in the past few months to actually convince my tired brain the first scenario is actually possible! (And yes, I’ve gone from possible incomplete sentences to definite run-on sentences, that’s what mein hund has brought me to!)
SO there’s that going on.
Can’t focus, losing weight (What that has to do with lack of sleep, I don’t know. Probably due to increased nocturnal exercising and lack of daytime energy to chew.)
She has the audacity now, after I’ve given up on any chance at more Z catching, to lay adorably at the foot of the bed, head rested on her paws – and nap.
I should go crawl over to the edge of the bed, stare at her, breathe in her face and *thwack* the wall with something that would make a similar sound to that of her tail. Turn-about is fair play.
I would do it too! If I weren’t lacking the energy and motor skills to crawl over near her.
Summer (Or, ‘Didn’t I say last year I wasn’t staying in the desert?’)
Summer has crept into the desert wearing steel toed boots.
Got into my car after work today greeted by a balmy 121 degrees (that’s 49.44 Celsius). Cooled down to about 119 by the time I arrived home and was able to safely remove my cardigan.
It’s that time of year that you sleep on top of the covers, listen to the night song of the air conditioner whirring. The time of the year I find my dog laying directly on top of the floor vents – hogging the relief of cool air.
You know that ‘whoosh’ of hot that hits your face and arms when you open a pre-heated oven? That’s pretty much how it feels to open the front door in the morning.
The thing is, you get used to it. Even when tar from the store parking lots stick to your flip flops, there is no flinching. Just a knowing and respectful acknowledgment.
Getting used to the juxtaposition of ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ is a skill you acquire too. Layers. Layers of Summertime ‘outside’ undergarments and air conditioned ‘inside’ outerwear is required. (Say that three times fast.)
Being English, I do not ‘tan’. I keep my fair complexion, and I’ve adapted.
I marvel at the tourists in their tank tops and shorts, panting as they reach the oasis that is the door to their destination. I was that person years ago!
Now I slowly stride near them, in my long sleeved work tops with an air of ‘Yes, I am of the desert. My people do not fear the heat’.
I jest. I fear the heat. It’s directly related to fear of the electric bill.
I HAVE to have a cover on me at night. I sleep under a cotton sheet with a fan at the foot of my bed. The A/C is set at 85 in the house. Much to the chagrin of guests who keep their homes in the 70’s.
Good thing I don’t have many guests I suppose.
Unless we’re counting the Summertime creatures … but that’s for another post.
Debauchery Soup 