Simply Unbelievable

Life is incredible. The endurance of the human heart and mind never ceases to astound me. How someone can turn something so bad into a "learning experience" and then have the strength to help others away from hopelessness, how time can help mend a broken heart, and how we constantly adapt to the changes in our lives though we are creatures of habit that yearn for the invariable.

I find it simply delightful that every spirit has been given the gift of compassion (though some choose to neglect it). On the other end of the spectrum I do realize everyone has also the potential to destroy life. Which reminds me of the saying "I trust everyone, it's the devil inside them I don't trust."

I take comfort in knowing that we have the knowledge to perpetually grow and learn and advance in our worldly views. I find it unbelievable the potential we would all have if we could use more than a quarter of our brain. I find it amusing that we can laugh about making mistakes and cry about joyous moments.

That we have the endurance to perform daily for hours on end doing something we disdain. That we can survive with only a few hours of serene and pleasant activity a day.

I also find it incredible that a mood is something changeable by will that has been implanted by the mind, and that we all seem to take for granted the ability to control our emotions as well as our actions (although a tiring effort).

I believe I need to be thankful to be alive even when life seems catastrophic. It is generosity in some and greed in others that give people the variety and spice to life.

After all, "Any idiot can survive a crisis. It takes a hero to survive daily life."

Find a Happy Place

"Please excuse my friend, he's a little slow"

One of my favorite movies is Dumb & Dumber. It is one of those movies you would love to hate, but just can't. It relieves the stress of day to day living and there is nothing like it that can give you encouragement and self esteem. Just knowing there are stupid people like that out there makes me feel so much better about myself when I goof up. Even reliving the lines and faces of Harry and Lloyd bring a smile to my face in the most dire circumstances. I understand people have different tastes in movies, but this one is a classic that you just can't hate because it is so dumb and everyone needs some form of mindless entertainment now and again. Speaking of entertainment, I did like the movie Office Space. There is a part where this guy is sitting in his cube overhearing the receptionist next to him saying "Thank you for calling, please hold" over and over again in this annoying voice. He is really going to loose it because he is so sick of sitting in a cube and doing piddly work.
That is kinda how I feel today. Not that I can help the repetitive phone voices as I do work in the call center; but do we all have to use our happy phone voice all the time? I have been tempted to call in a British accent (even though I couldn't fool my dog) or in a deep gruff voice just to throw people off. But no, we have to have the stewardess tone. "Please put your chairs and tray tables in their upright and locked position." It more like "Sit up straight and fold up the damn tray in front of your face."
My first inclination that I was a bad mood is when I found myself, once again, chewing my phone cord. Maybe next time I will go stick a screwdriver in the oven.

The Worst Part of Good Intentions

In a way I think good intentions are a curse. There are many things that turn out good from bad intentions. It is easier to see the good in the bad when you see the glass "half full." Sometimes I wish we never had to have good intentions to do good deeds. Like you could live your life for you and you alone and have marvelous good things happen to your friends, strangers, and yourself. But, that is far from reality. Not that I don't enjoy revolving my life around good deeds and good life stewardship, but it is so darn draining!

In church yesterday I was royally confused. Mr. Ted starts talking about The Sabbath and how we don't need to honor it as those times have passed and we are under a new law. Then, he says God spoke to him and told him he would live to be a hundred if he honored The Sabbath. (He has this weird thing about his family dying at 55 of a heart attacks.) So, in the end he decides that we need to honor The Sabbath even though he doesn't know what the requirements are (what exactly can't you do?). I think the last sentence was "...Now since I ruined your day you we are done." What is up with that? I go to church to learn, not be completely confused! I turned to my husband and asked if he learned anything and he goes, "to honor The Sabbath". I have a hard time taking that away from the sermon when the first thing he said was pertaining to our dismissal of the old law. Stumped!

I must tell you about the big event this weekend! My parents were having the "richest people in the city" over for dinner on Saturday night. It was something my mom had been dreading and planning for months. When she woke up to lightly drifting snow and swirling winds she thought she might be blessed with canceling guests. No such luck. I was reserved for puppy sitting that night, so I was looking forward to a night of cozy movie watching and a double melt pizza from Domino's after getting off of work. (A true sign of a desperate employee is one that will come in at 8 AM on a snowy day!) Anyway, my mom called while I was working in tears. Apparently, her fairly new stainless steel state-of-the-art oven had a quirk - after a cleaning cycle it needed to be reset. To reset the beast, some panel has to be pulled off and a button must be pushed. I am sure the manufacturers of this oven didn't intent for determined stubborn women to be prodding around behind panels of their product. When resetting this button (with a screwdriver, none the less) it slipped off the button and into a hole where there were two live wires so conveniently surged together with the touch of the tool. Sparks flew, smoke billowed and the shiny screwdriver turned a charcoal black. So blew the oven that was meant to cook 5 dishes for the guests that evening. I spent the remainder of the day picking up dishes, cooking them, and returning them. I got some puppy peace after 6 PM after the guests arrived. I heard it was a great success and they impressed. I did find it weird that my mom spilled the beans and told them the whole story. Ha! Another example of good intentions gone haywire.

I did have Cheyanne sleeping ever so soundly on the bed last night. There is not many things that are more comforting than a dog's snore. Looking forward to bed already!

The Gift of the Dog

Most of you all probably know I am an animal person. If not, where have you been?! I have experimented with numerous animals after I was hitched which I attribute to my parents restraints on me when I was a kid. My sister was the one who got to try them all out. From hamsters to fish and horny toads to gerbils! By the time I was born and coherent I was blessed to have... a dog. It was the only pet that had survived the approving glares of my beloved parents. So, my whole life I have had at least one dog in my life. At times I have had as many as three.

So, now that you know my wonderful history you can understand why my mother calls my dog her "grand-dog" (how scary is that?). Yesterday she called to ask if she could spend the day (and night) with her grand-dog to keep their new puppy entertained. You see, I bought my dog as a wedding present from us to us. Since I promised to be kidless for at least five years, mother dearest had to settle for a furry friend instead. My dog's name is Cheyanne. She is a yellow lab that had her 5th birthday this last August. She is a great dog, well trained, and playful. What a blessing to grace my mom with such a well behaved beast!

You would think that we would be happy to have the 90 pound waggly friend out of the house for a night, right? (This is the dog who had to have her tail amputated 4 inches because she slammed it on the wall so much it bled constantly). She makes it hard for Jay to sleep because she starts out on her rather large square orthopedic mattress (which is just a glorified foam about four inches thick) on the floor, but sneaks her way onto the bed after we fall asleep. It is not that she is just on the bed, but she sleeps between Jay's legs! Poor guy looks like he is dreaming of doing the splits. She would not dare try that with me because I kick hard when I am groggy and harder when I am sleeping. Then, at seven-thirty workday or weekend, she wakes up and bounces her paw on the bed. She doesn't claw at you or lick your face, rather sits on the side of the bed looking at you and patting the bed. It is rather cute (as she wakes Jay up and doesn't touch me). After she gets to go outside and has breakfast she crawls back in bed with me until I decide it is a suitable hour to arise from slumber. Granted, it is not this graceful on the weekdays. It is those days where I let her out and then she crawls back in bed with Jay. (And I thought I would never let him share the bed with another!)

Last night I felt really weird. Going to bed without letting her out. I have to clean her ears each night because she is constantly battling an infection, and not doing that threw me off balance. I woke up late this morning and slept crappy last night. Since I didn't wake up to her wagging tail I am in a crappy mood as well. I have had a hard time concentrating and I am convinced she is the reason for it all.

Now that it is Friday I should be looking forward to the weekend so I can have more personal time and fun time to do things with friends and family. In reality, all I want to do is go home and see my dog. Did I tell you her nicknames? My favorites for her are "The Yellow Turd" or "The Golden Booger." Thought I would leave you with a laugh. Happy hangups, gals!

Cheers to the Death of Health!

One word would describe this month for my aunt and uncle on my dad's side: discouraging. Last year my aunt was diagnosed with the rarest form of pancreatitis that exists. She was in the hospital for four months. Not only the general hospital room where you get a television and a curtain to separate beds. She was in the ICU unit - for all four months. I think she had something like 12 surgeries, including exploratory, and packing her organs to stop internal bleeding. She was on a ventilator and had supervision of family 24 hours a day. The prognosis was never good. She made it out, however. With some major setbacks and lots of follow-up visits. We thought she was pretty much out of the woods.

My uncle, on the other hand, is the all around healthy good lookin' guy that helps all the neighbors and always volunteers to save someone in a crisis. He has never had more than the flu and at the young age of 60 something looks like early 40's! Having been diagnosed with a simple case of acid reflux, he was taking some kind of medicine for about 3 months. It had been getting more intense, so during a trip to the doctor requesting a stronger prescription, he mentioned a tingling in his arm. He was ordered to the E.R. on Friday. To our surprise, he needed open heart surgery! Not only that, but a quadruple by-pass! He was rushed into O.R. on Sunday. The procedure went smoothly, but after he awoke he was having a hard time breathing and there was fluid in his lungs, which was probably caused by the million dollar surgeon cutting his lung by accident. My mother made it sound like he was dying and when I went to visit I was informed he was doing quite well and would be released on Friday.

I then received a call Saturday night that Uncle Dave was back in the hospital complaining of pressure in his arm, but had been released. I hung up the phone and turned my attention back to the movie I was watching. The phone rang again and again it was my mom saying Aunt Darlene was now in the hospital for vomiting a liter of blood. They do not know what caused it and are bewildered as usual. And, of course, are pushing her home sometime tomorrow.

So, here we are having Uncle Dave unable to drive, holding a pillow to his chest so when he coughs his incision doesn't bust open. While my aunt is in the hospital hooked up to who-knows-what kind of machines. I have a hard time taking the whole situation with grace.

I have been forced to take a hard look at life and be thankful for how well I have it. That I am not soon anticipating saying farewell to my parents (even though it could happen anytime) and my family is pretty healthy. Makes me consider drinking another chocolate milk or eating the next piece of pizza that call my name in the cafe.

Everyone has heard of the "Little ole Lady" whether she be watering her garden or sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. Maybe she is baking cookies for her grandkids or buying a witch decoration at Michaels. The picture of this lady warms my heart as I think of how content she looks in her ripe old golden years. And hopes that myself along with friends will be able to enjoy these years like she is fills me for hope of the years to come when depends is more than an answer to a nagging teenager's question to go to a party on a school night. On the opposite side, do you ever wonder why you never hear of the "Little ole Fat Lady"? It's because she is either dead or so huge she can't get out of her wheelchair and walk outside. I want to be the little ole lady! That is what I have told the slim lady at the weight center when she asked my why I wanted to lose weight. She smiled and continued to write "doesn't want to get old" in the blank.

Glitter In The Sky

The title reminds me of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." What a glorious day (from inside, of course).

I awoke this morning to a sheet of ice beckoning to me and my truck. Oh, what glee to drive such a monster and have the feeling of a elephant stomping on tulips! I used to drive a plastic Geo Prism where every move I made could have me dead or a slide into a curb could make a thousand dollars of damage. To drive such a beast I have now makes snow, ice and mud (how I love mud) not even unpleasant, but actually desired! I was unusually eager to scrape the thick layer of ice off my windshield so I could venture the one mile journey into work. I know a mile is sad, but it is convenient!

Anyway, now that it is noon and the snow has melted into an ugly soppy mess, I am looking out the window at the blowing snow. It seems like God had a handful of diamonds and glitter he tossed over us with joy. There is nothing like snow in the sunshine. This may seem crazy, but for us folks who live in Colorado, it can rain, snow, hail and sunshine in the same day! The weather can change within the hour here! I guess that is the only change I can handle with grace!

So, in hoping you are all having a glorious Monday, let the diamonds fall!