Weekends

Is it just me, or are weekends getting shorter?

I don't feel like I have any time during the week - a long commute and a few evening responsibilities. And when the weekend comes I try not to schedule anything more than laundry and groceries. But I barely get one or two things crossed off my "to do" list and it's already Sunday afternoon.

How do other people do it? I don't have expectations of a life of ease (though, wow, would that be cool) but some of the things I want to do are just for me. I used to be able to read a book a week - now it takes me a month.

Short of dropping back to part-time work status, or finding myself a sugar daddy, I don't see a solution.

Any suggestions?

Funny Videos

I found a show on TV today that was funny video clips of people getting hurt. You know the type - people send in videos of of their family or friends. Some are hilarious, some look really painful.

I just want to go on the record saying that if I ever get hurt in a funny way and it happens to be caught by a camera - I will definitely hurt any family member who sends it to any TV show. Why would family members do this?

Granted, many of the videos are of people doing incredibly stupid things. . . or things that they really shouldn't be doing. I would say that either youth or alcohol is involved - or both. But what kind of family members would make these embarassing events public.

I'd like to think my family would rush to my aid if I ever got hurt in a funny way. Well, at least right after they stopped laughing.

I Did It!

I feel invigorated! Alive! Almost giddy!

Tonight I did something I've been wanting to do for weeks, but was too timid to actually do. After all, it would have annoyed one of my neighbors who is particularly bitchy and self-absorbed. I have thought about it, but I thought that I would avoid a confrontation if at all possible.

What did I do? I moved her garbage can that was "holding" her parking space since the first flake of snow fell a few weeks ago. Actually, the same family has been holding 3 spaces, so it's been difficult parking for weeks.

I was able to avoid the confrontation for a few weeks - simply because I managed to find another space. But tonight I didn't want to park around the corner. I didn't want to park on someone else's street. I wanted the space directly in front of my house. It's a public street and I've lived here longer. I wanted it bad!

I didn't take it at first. I went around the block. Then I went around the block again just in case some other parking space became free. Finally I neared the space for the third time and saw that there were no lights on now in their front room - it was time. It was my street too. I could get out and move the can and park quickly and be inside my house before anyone in their house noticed.

That would have been perfect, but that's not the way it happened. The can was heavy and it made noise when I put it up on the sidewalk. Then I simply forgot how to park and had to back up a few times to try to get close enough - and finally gave up even though I was probably 8+ inches from the curb, but because I have a small car I was still inside the lines.

I gathered my work bag and purse and tried to close the car door quietly - I was parked directly in front of their front door. They'd hear it. But I closed it so quietly that it didn't latch. I could have taken out my keys and opened the door again, but that would take too long -- so I just gave it a push with my butt. Finally, I heard the click.

I scampered across the street and into my house as quickly as I could. Did I mention she's quite a loud and mouthy bitch?

Finally inside, I started to laugh. I was grinning from ear to ear. I did it! I'd taken back my street.

It's the little things that make life worthwhile.

Winter Olympics

Are you watching the Winter Olympics? I'm not. I don't think I've watched the Olympics - Winter or Summer - in years. I guess I just can't get interested in any part of it. I just don't understand the attraction. People slide around on the ice, people slide down hills, people slide down hills on their backs, and people race each other on the ice. In allmy years, I've never been able to find anything exciting about watching these sports.

But, to be fair, I think most sports are boring to watch. Well, except football.

Dogs vs. Cats

While there are many other types of pets, most of the world is divided into the dog camp or the cat camp. I am a living example that we don't always voluntarily select what camp we're in.

I like cats. Cats suit my personality. I like the size of cats. I like the independence of cats. I like the feel of cats. I like the purring of cats. I just like cats.

When I was young I lived on a farm and we always had cats. Most lived under the porch and hung out on the porch most of the time. Some were barn cats and you couldn't get close enough to them to enjoy them.

But . . . I'm very allergic to cats. So I have a dog. And the dog I have now is smaller than most cats.

Sometimes you get to make choices in life, and sometimes the choices are made for you.

Fast Food

I stopped at a fast food establishment on my way home from the college tonight because I was starving and didn't want to have to wait to cook something.

Instead of having the drive through menu at the beginning of the driveway, it was at the same location as the speaker. Within second of driving up I had some cheerful person asking me what I wanted. I paused. Umm. Ahh. "Just a minute." I read as quickly as I could. What did I want? I told her one item and did a few more Umm's and Ahh's

Why is it that I felt the need to order quickly just because I was at a fast through drive through? There was no one behind me. It was nearly 8:30 at night. I was alone in the drive through. But I felt pressured. Finally I just ordered two of the first item just to get something out.

The order taker was apologetic when I got to the window. She commented that the building was going to be torn down in 6 months to rebuild and she's hoping they will put the menu further back on the drive so people have time to study and decide. I just smiled. She understood.

Time Zones

Being on the East coast, I know that most of the rest of the US is behind us in time. I have no trouble remembering this. I never remember where geographically the time zones oficially change, but the concept I get. Who decided that Tennessee should be half in one zone and half in another? Texas has all but a tiny corner in the Central time zone - why? Same with Idaho and Florida. What made them decide this - shouldn't the state be entirely in one time zone? And North Dakota has the lower left corner in the Mountain zone - but parts that are just as far west in the upper left corner are in the Central zone. This is just craziness. Since this seems to be (for the most part) an arbitrary geographic deliniation, why not just make it follow state boundaries? Or at least make it a straight line from North to South?

My other problem with time zones is that when I travel I never seem to be able to think the other direction. I still think everyone is behind me. So when I call East, I may be getting them an hour later than I wanted to. When my son was a senior in high school, I went on a business trip into the Central Time Zone. I was supposed to call in the morning to wake him up (since he wouldn't otherwise go to school) but I invariably called him too late. I would call him at 8:00 am, thinking I was reaching him at 7:00 am, and I was really calling him at 9:00 am. It was no use, I couldn't wrap my head around times changing in the other direction.

Now when I travel with my job I have no expectations of calling anyone at the right time. I just call their cell and if they answer. . . they answer. If they don't . . . oops.