Observations from a moving window

Some things I observed (mostly in the car) to and from Plano this weekend:

• A sign that said “Johnson Equipment”
• Two traffic-enforcement vehicles (state trooper and a cop?)  reining in a loose cow
• Plano has changed so much
• Plano hasn’t changed at all
• I can’t believe I lived in and near Dallas. Those drivers are crazy!!
• “This American Life” helps pass the time. I love podcasts!

I know there was more… just can’t think of them now.

As for upcoming blogs… if there’s a pass word, I’m sure you can ask.

Itching

I’m so itching to write. It’s there. Tip of the Tongue phenomenon.

I just don’t know what it is. Yet.

It’s there. Creative juices are flowing. I’m using most of them for knitting, though.

Tag–YOU’RE it!!

Lina tagged me. Because I’ve got some creative juices to get flowing, here are 20 random things about me, some of which may or may not be news to you.

1. I love eggs over medium, especially if I have good bread with it.
2. I hate “falling back.”
3. I like finding notes people have left for me. More than that, I like to leave secret notes for people. In their calendar, in their dresser, behind pictures…wherever. I once left 10 or so notes at a friend’s house. I still don’t think she’s found them all.
4. I’m extremely lucky that I love all 4 of my parents. And they all get along. When I was in a bad car accident with my mom and step-dad, my dad and step-mom came to see us all. They even did stuff for my mom, like bring her a milkshake.
5. I’ve learned a lot from my dad. I want to be more like him and I hope the man I marry is like him.
6. I once secretly paid for someone’s dinner. It was a mom and her daughter. It was 800 times more awesomer than a “dine and dash.” I can’t wait to do it again.
7. I still feel like I’m in my 20s sometimes. Like I’m not old enough to do things like get married and have a house and have kids. I still feel like people with kids MUST be older than me, even though that’s not often the case.
8. I got the sentence for my “post secret” thought out. I just need to find the picture to send it off.
9. I’m not happy at my current weight.
10. I can’t stand clutter, yet I can’t keep it at bay. It’s driving me crazy.
11. If I didn’t do what I do, I don’t know what my occupation would be. I have no vision of “my ideal job.”
12. I have a weird thing about numbers. I can tell you: my phone number at my mom’s (from 4-7 grade or so), my best friend’s number (at the same time), my high school ID number (5 numbers), my college ID number (9 numbers), my bank account number (10 numbers), all from memory. I’m ruined by cell phones. I can’t tell you the people’s numbers I call the most.
13. I don’t think dreams offer predictions, but I do think they offer deep insight into my mind and what’s going on. When I was so very unhappy in Plano, I had lots and lots of water dreams. Of all sorts.
14. I’m not a girly-girl. I have to (actually, get to!) wear a bridesmaid’s dress in a few weeks. I had to go in to try the dresses on and was clueless.  I had no idea where to start. Now that the dress is in, I have to find the bra and the shoes I’m going to wear. This makes me nervous because I canNOT walk in heels. Also, I’m nervous about my nasty ankle and the shoes I’ll have to try to find.
15. Carol of the Bells is my favorite Christmas song to hear (not necessarily to sing!).
16. I love un-tangling knots.
17. I’m really good at starting knitting/crocheting projects. Really good at starting them.
18. I’m still waiting for the Great Accident.
19. I really want to lose weight. This means I don’t eat certain things often. I miss pizza.
20. I often take advantage of how lucky I am.

p.s.  Here’s the small-print stuff the lawyers made me include:

Official rules:  Once you have been tagged you have to write a blog with 20 random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end choose 10 or more people to be tagged, and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment (tag, you’re it) to read your blog. You can’t tag the person who tagged you.  And since you can’t tag me back, let me know when you’ve posted your blog so I can see your answers!

Time for Change

I’m just gonna go ahead and say it.

I hate the time change in the fall. I hate that at 7:40, it felt like 9:00. Yes, it’s like that to our bodies, but sun-wise, I don’t like it.

I don’t mind getting up when it’s dark. I get up so damn early on the weekdays anyway, that it doesn’t matter all that much. I’d so much rather that it’s lighter, longer.

I feel like the day stops (figuratively) when the sun goes down. And then I stop doing stuff.

Yes, I’ll get used to it. Doesn’t mean I won’t complain about it for a few days here at the beginning.

Cake Wrecks

I’m not sure how long I’ve wasted on this site: Cake Wrecks, but I sure have had fun.

A few to whet your appetite:

And after I kept clicking and had already posted, apparently the cake that started it all:

Ooops and maybe fries

Okay, maybe this is one of my favorites of ALL time. I can’t hear Fur Elise without thinking of this commercial and singing “Oh I wish I were already there.”

“I do it all the time”

One of my favorite commercials of all time:

This is the way the world ends; Not with a bang but a whimper

Another t.s. eliot quote.

So there’s that whole thing about how the world could explode or disappear or something.  Look it up on cnn or your preferred news source, if you don’t believe me.  The button in Europe could cause black holes, blah blah blah.

Now, that pisses me off. I mean, really, that would suck. And not suck in the “I still have to say sorry to grandpa, and I still have to climb K12 and I have to start a charity” sort of way.

Things are good right now. I’m having my fair share of problems and stresses and all that. Yes. And, yes I wish some things were easier.

But, I will say this. Things are good now.

I just bought a house. It’s fairly clean. I have a cat. She’s pretty normal some of the time.

My job is okay (although I was annoyed at first today–story for another time),  most of the time. I like what I do.  Parts of today were pretty awesome.  Hugs (side) from kids who don’t know you all that well is pretty awesome.  I love summers.

I have amazing friends. I’m making more. I’m making progress in things that I wanted to make progress in. I’m learning how to make progress in other areas of life. I read a bunch this summer. I learned to knit socks. I joined a CSA. I love cooking. I love wine. I’m taking steps. I’m doing all these cool things.

It would really just suck if the world ended tomorrow.

I’m not ready for that yet.

She’s still here…

So, many moons ago, I blogged (over on that lame ole myspace) about Yoshiko Shephard. The poor woman. I feel for her.

See, to sum it up from the other blog, I kept getting calls for her from doctor’s offices and from pharmacies.  Occasionally I’d talk to a real live person. Other times I’d get a recording. One time a collection agency called me. I called back (rather nervously), and they told me her name. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Nope, not me. Take my number off.

She went away for awhile.

Well, she’s back.

When I had come back from Asia this summer, as I stood waiting for the tram at O’Hare, I listened to my 800 messages. One of them–you got it–was a collector for Yoshiko. I ignored it.

They’ve been calling again. Usually it comes in from an “Unknown” number and I don’t answer them. Well, sometimes when mom calls, it comes in as “unknown,” so I’ve been answering. I usually hang up (when it’s a recording “from the business office.”). One time, though, the message said that they had an important message for “me.” I pressed one as I was told.

I waited. For about a minute, when the message said, “your call cannot be answered at this time.” (or something to that effect) *click*. And then it hung up. Wow. Glad they weren’t calling for the real me. All I was gonna say was, “Yoshiko don’t live here no more.”

“Unknown” called again just now. I answered. I was real nice about it. I said, “Ya know, I’ve gotten lots of calls for her at this number, and she is not at this number.” The woman on the other line apologized and said she’d remove the number. (Note to all–I was nice; she was nice back.)

I feel like I know a lot about this Yoshiko (Yoshika?) person. She’s been in the hospital, she’s seen lots of doctors, she’s had prescriptions filled, she’s late on bills (lots) and she wrote her number wrong on at least one place at least one time.

I still hope she’s able to figure her life out.

On the bright side, at least I know that if I ever get so out of control in debt, I have lots of chances.