I Wonder If I Remember How To Do This.....

Wow!  It's been a while..... 

As this is January 1st, 2014, and the start of a brand new year and day, and all that jazz...I thought I might start up the ole' blog and see what kind of thoughts I can commit to paper...uh....virtuosity.

Lots of things have changed in my life since the last time I was here.  Some good and some bad, but all necessary in the grand scheme of things, I suppose.

I no longer substitute teach.  I have a full-time job as the office manager at the License Office (read: DMV).  My boys have grown older, taller and more "themselves", The "hubs" has made tremendous changes in his life as well. 

For those of you who have never lived with an addict/alcoholic, you have NO IDEA how blessed you are!!!  And for those of you who have, well, God Bless You, and I hope you someday know the joy I feel now that I live with a RECOVERING/FORMER/NON-PARTICIPATING addict/alcoholic.  It's a whole new life, and I had to adjust to a new lifestyle in many ways, as well.  Some changes were easier to get used to than others...  But when your whole "sphere of living normally" changes, it's an adjustment for everyone!

My favorite part of "his" new and improved persona is the frequent, out-loud LAUGHTER!  He finds so many things funny these days that he ignored or scoffed at before.  His sense of humor isn't as well developed as mine...so he still doesn't laugh at everything he "should", but he's coming along nicely. *laugh track here

Okay, enough for now...If I get too good at this blogging thing too quickly, I won't have anything to aspire to!  I'll be back to practice more later!

I Wonder if you've Missed Me?

Wow! Look at this place...cobwebs all over the title box and dust bunnies under the preview link. Sorry. I've really let things go lately! Yeah, okay, whatever...

So, I've been busy. Did I have five minutes to post a random thought once in a while? Sure. I could have done it while ignoring the laundry, or while driving back and forth to town or to Marquand, two and three times a day somedays. But I didn't. Done explaining, no excuses. I just neglected this blog shamelessly! And I feel horrible about it I really do!

I haven't lacked for topics to ramble on about. And I have had some really neat ideas come to me at the oddest times. But never when I could do anything about it. But never fear...I still have lots to say, not that anyone who knows me has EVER feared that I'd run out of words!

I may work up to an End of the Year update soon. I'll try to make time in my busy schedule to entertain the troops.*movie quote coming, everyone duck!* I'LL BE BACK!

I wonder how I remembered phone numbers before I had a cell phone...

I wonder how I remembered phone numbers before I had a cell phone…

A friend of mine recently lost her cell phone, and I learned from her what a tremendous upheaval is was to her life. Losing contact information for so many people we have relationships with would be traumatic…As I myself learned today when my husband had my cell phone and I had his….

Picture it…Sicily… well, really it was highway 67, but this always sounded so picturesque when Sophia Patrillo said it…anyway, just picture it, I was driving Gary to meet his ride to work, when he realized he forgot his phone at the house. Of course I had mine, because what woman wants to be out at 4:30 a.m. and break down or get a flat tire, without a cell phone??? Anyway, back to our originally scheduled blog…

Since I had my phone, and being the kind wife that I am oikll;pkm vaoi w98degfuw-943rjtopiw---sorry, excuse me..coughing fit…anyway, the kind wife that I am, I told him that he could take mine and I would take his for today…

Thus the feeling of total isolation that I have now regarding my link to everyone that I know. I hope I don't have to call the dog groomer…her number is in my phone, but do I know how to reach her without the contact list? NO! And I hope I don't want to call the dentist, eye doctor, or my satellite Internet provider before Gary gets home this afternoon. My relationship with all of these entities is on hold until such a time as I have my cell phone back in my possession.

Even more alarming is the fact that I cannot call my brother or my sister on their cell phones at the moment. I don't need to talk to them at the moment. Which is good, because I don't KNOW their cell phone numbers. I have them saved to the contact list in my phone, but I don't KNOW them in my brain to be able to call them without my phone in my hand!!! And they're FAMILY!!! Although it may take me just a second, I WOULD be able to call them at home. But, they aren't probably at home! ? Duh!

SO, how in the world did I remember phone numbers before I had a cell phone to save them for me? Well,it was a little easier when I was very young, (not that I used the phone to call anyone very often, when I was very young…but I digress.) because at one time, we only had to know 5 digits to make a call locally. Then it was all 7 digits, still not bad, because the first 3 were the same for almost anyone I needed to get on the line.

Now with SO MANY prefixes and the ability to access cell towers in other area codes even, it takes a major mnemonic (thank you, George McKenney) to think of anyone's telephone number and be able to dial it from memory alone! Truly a troubling and depressing state of affairs.

I used to feel relatively intelligent. ( If you know my relatives, you know why!...oh snap! Just kidding!) I mean, I think of myself as a smart person, in general. Are we just so overwhelmed with digits that we are not capable of remembering the numbers anymore? Or are we just spoiled and lazy because technology has lulled us into letting go and relying on our various devices?

Try this...go to a landline phone, IF you even have one or can find one...and try dialing a few people you talk to on a regular basis, without looking at your contact list. If you can dial at least ten of the numbers by heart, you may not be in a hopeless situation. Or better yet, have someone scroll through your contact list and QUIZ you on the numbers you have stored! You may be surprised with the results.

I don't think I'd do very well with that scenerio. I have some numbers stored that I very rarely need to call, but when I DO, I don't want to take the time to look them up, so I have them saved. I would not be able to tell you the numbers for Dog & Suds drive-in, or the union hall. But if I have my phone in safely back in hand this evening, I will be able to call them if I want to!!

Hurry home from work Gary, and keep my phone safe today!

I wonder if I should even be telling this...

As a woman, I feel the need to present a "put together" image when I leave the house to be seen in public. If you see me out, just know that I have made a little effort (usually) to fix my hair, match my clothes and be generally well-groomed. If you were to stop by my house on a random day, you may not be as lucky. This morning for example, I sat on the front deck with my laptop and my coffee, perusing Facebook updates and reading my e-mail, in my nightgown, until a little after 10 a.m. Not a good look for receiving visitors.

I don't have expensive tastes when it comes to clothes or accessories. To be honest, I have gotten the most compliments on things I have bought second hand at yard sales, or from friends getting rid of things they no longer wanted. (Thanks for the purses, Kim! Everyone loves the striped one!) I like to find unusual items that you can't find in stores any longer. Sometimes they are BACK in style, or VINTAGE, if you prefer. Sometimes they remind me of favorite things I used to have or wear. Sometimes they just feed one of my random moods for variety.

I love yard sale or clearance rack finds! I suppose I am just a cheapskate in a lot of ways. But I do understand when it is necessary to pay a little more for quality. I can shell out good money for shoes or for jeans that fit just right. But for the most part, my money is not spent on name-brand clothes, accessories, or the various other things that are necessary for a woman to make herself presentable. I use inexpensive hair-care and make-up items. I have costume jewelry and watches that I wear because I like them, or they match a certain outfit. (And I LOVE LOVE LOVE watches! BF, (read-before the fire) I could wear a different watch almost every day of the month. I had all colors of straps: tan, chocolate, white, black, silver, gold, two-tone, and all colors of faces, some Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Angels, Santa, etc.) And most of them were just the inexpensive type from Wal-Mart or where ever, that I bought because they "jumped out at me" or looked neat. I probably spent more buying watch batteries and replacing bands than I ever did on a particular watch!

But, back to my original thought-looking presentable in public...I have to admit to a particularly worrisome recent purchase for my personal hygiene care. I recently purchase the Smooth Away Personal Hair Removal System. GLORIFIED SAND PAPER for your body! And even more worrisome, I have USED it...TWICE!!! I scraped a sanding sheet across my body for the sake of ...well, not BEAUTY probably, but VANITY definitely! SAND PAPER!!! I kid you not! It's a little black section of rough material that wouldn't look out of place on Rob's wood-shop workbench!

In my defense, let me tell you that I have an aunt who literally has almost a moustache, sideburns and goatee of dark hair on her face and I do not want to look like the bearded lady at the fair as I age! (I love her, but heredity is not a kind beautician on that side of the fam!) So, yeah, I have sand-papered my face for the sake of my vanity. And I'm only a little ashamed to admit it!

And it WORKS! My face is as smooth as a baby's bottom, as they say. And I get to smile a bit at THAT thought any time I get a kiss on the cheek!!! :-)

dw

I Wonder What They're Like...

I watch entirely too much T.V. I have admitted it before and stand by my conviction.
*stands up* "My name is Dawn and I'm an entertainment junkie."

But even more concerning to me than the VOLUME (and I don't mean how loud it is while I'm watching...) I mean sheer time periods that I spend watching or at least peripherally watching...even more troublesome, is the emotion I expend on the shows I follow. I laugh, I cry, I squirm, I slap my forehead in exasperation. I get entangled in the lives of people I don't know and will never meet.

And I know that I won't meet them, or talk to them about what has me so captivated about their situations. MAINLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT REAL!!! THEY ARE CHARACTERS WRITTEN BY A WRITER; MADE UP IN EVERY DETAIL. I get it, really I do! So why then, do I let them get to me so emotionally?

When ER ended this past Spring, I bawled like a newborn spanked by the doctor! I loved those people...I mean CHARACTERS!!! I was invested in what happened to them and wanted to know that they were going to be okay. I spent as much time with that hospital as I did in real life hospitals and I find myself now really missing it. I found out over the summer that another fave, The Unit, will not be returning this fall....AAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! So, since they aren't coming back, and I will have no closure to my relationship with them, I am forced to worry about them! Is Molly REALLY leaving Jonas? Will Tiffie and Mack be okay? Hector just got married...how's that working out? And Bob and Kim and the kids....and on and on and on!!! The network just didn't seem to notice that I CARED what these people were going through!!!

I am ferociously loyal!!! Both in my personal life and my TV-mania. I DVR about 10 different shows! And I feel just as personally connected to the people...yeah, yeah, I mean "characters"...in each of these shows. I want to be friends with Pamela, Denise, Roland, Claudia Joy and Roxie on Army Wives. They seem like a great bunch of friends to have around! And I want to learn how to kick butt with Mary on In Plain Sight. And I want to investigate crimes with the gangs on NCIS, Criminal Minds and SVU. I could help them! I figure it out before they do a LOT of the time already!!!

Am I deranged? I prefer to think of myself as an extremely avid fanatic viewer of series programming! But even if you agree with me, don't tell me about it...you could get me hooked on your favorite shows next, and I already have enough people !!!!CHARACTERS YES!!! THEY'RE CHARACTERS!!!!! to keep up with.

RE-BLOGGING (or, I Wonder What's in Your Fire Safe?)

Having gone through a house fire this year, I know from whence (*and wince*) I speak. To coin a phrase, been there, done that, no longer have the t-shirt because it burned up! Suffice it to say, this topic has been on my mind recently.

One of our first purchases, after clothing to wear (we left the house in sleeping pants, t-shirts and shoes/no socks), and personal hygeine items (didn't even have a brush or comb), was a fire proof box. We bought a file folder size box with a lock in order to keep our important documents safe in the (please, Lord!) unlikely event of another tragedy.

Now—as a procrastinator of the first order, I haven't put EVERYTHING in there that needs to be. But, even so, it's getting fuller. There are things inside that need to find their true home in the regular file cabinet with everyday papers. And, there are things we salvaged from the house after the fire, that need to be secured in the fire safe now that we have one.

I'd like to put all sorts of things I want to protect inside and keep them out of harm's way. I still think of things I lost (IF you know me, you know I am talking about my extensive collection of books!) that I wish we had be able to save. I now know more than ever how precious photographs and momentos are. And I can think of other material things I miss that I wish could have been saved -- a favorite pair of jeans, or my most comfie shoes, CDs, video tapes…I could go on, but you get the idea. Many/most of these material things are eventually replacable.

Sometimes I'd like to put my sons inside to protect them from the world in general. But the box we bought is just not large enough. Plus I'm not sure it would be considered "fireproof" once I added the air holes!

So, now to the real point of my message…What do we deem important enough to save and protect? What material posessions do you place in high regard? Include them in your fire safe. -- But, don't forget that your REAL treasures can't be stored on Earth.

dw