Brain Lint

Some readers might appreciate, I've washed out my mouth. (Does gin count as a cleansing agent?)   
No more rants!  

(For the foreseeable future,) 

I'm not sure if it's a coping mechanism ... but with so much chaos surrounding us, I made a decision last year to go 'audio-less' during my weekday commutes.  

That's 20 hours each week I can allow my thoughts to run amok.

Some are purpose-driven, some prayerful; others plain silly.

... prompting me to wonder:

Do bona-fide celebrities, sports stars and billionaires have to renew their drivers licenses like the rest of us?

Tales from the DMV

Granted, I'm a poor backer-outer ... but why on earth, when there are plenty of pull-through spots available, would motorists do this?

... Says she who will drive to the furthest reaches of a lot to find a pull-through spot.
(Drives my DH nuts!)



Speaking of DH ...
Have you ever seen anyone arrange their hangers in this fashion?


... Maybe it's a guy thing?  a military thing?  a Polish thing?



What in the heck is eyebrow threading?

I can't help but imagine something out of a National Geographic photo essay.



Last, but not least ...

Why?!?!

If a motorist is blatantly ignoring the suggested speed limit, I don't get why he/she deserves a warning.
Jus' saying ...



Hope y'all are enjoying this sweet day......

Let's chat later!

Myra

PS - 

Thank you to those who held Tom in your thoughts and prayers.  He's feeling pretty good, actually.... we're looking forward to hearing what his surgeon has to say this afternoon.

Geesch!

... and good grief!

Those who follow me on Facebook may recall my recent hissy-fit.

Normally my daily commutes are pretty boring.  

Except, last Wednesday something amiss caught my eye.

Slowing ... turning into the lot of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse I sat open-mouthed.  Dismayed.

My resulting post took on a life of its own.

Yesssss!  I was gratified when several commenters echoed my sentiments.  At the same time, I was miffed puzzled by another's response which read, in part: "The creator of this gesture needs our love and prayers."

Honestly?  I wanted to counter her suggestion: 
"The creator of this gesture needs a 2'-by-4' up the side of the head."

... and what good would that do?

Being our work stations sit but a few feet away from each other, I bit my tongue.

In the 'upside down world' (her words) in which we live, I realize my thoughts, my reactions are part of the chasm.

I must sound like an enormous contradiction.

... espousing Good Thoughts one minute, then asking Mr. God to "look the other way" while I hit back.

My boss is overly-fond of telling us,  "Perception is reality."

With that in mind, I study my office-mate ... she of the Pollyanna persuasion ... my friend, my confidant.

She, who drives me stark raving mad!

I can laugh about it now, but for 3-4 days I refused to acknowledge D's existence after hearing her complain that the breakfast sausage I'd warmed in the office microwave made her coffee taste like meat.  (Vegetarian, uh-huh.)

The next minute, she astounds with a (sort of) kindness:  

Grousing to no-one in particular because breakfast burritos were being passed around the office and I wasn't offered one, D challenged, "Come on ... when was the last time you actually ate one?"

(Me) "At least it would have been nice if someone had offered."

Are y'all ready for this? ...

(D)  "Well, you have manners because you were raised in the South."

Huh?!?!

Not only was I not raised in the South, but I'm annoyed that anyone believes good manners are exclusive to a certain region.

One of President Reagan's former speechwriter observed (that) even when suffering the sad effects of Alzheimer's,  her boss was "hard-wired for courtesy."
Even while in great pain during her last days, I observed my mother thank each of her caregivers for each ordinary task they performed.  She, too, was hard-wired.

I wish the same could be said for her daughter.
But, I'm working on it!

* * *


Just because it makes me smile 
and I'm weary of the chaos on CNN ...


Sarah and Daniel's Molly Jane at her other great-grandparent's place in Marian, AL.

Hugs from Phoenix!

Myra

   

M'Week That Was

Happy Independence Day weekend, friends!

Since my days have been (comfortably) Predictable for a few years now, I thought I'd share a few blips from my week that was.

OK?  Okay!

* * *

"Hon, I'm seeing red."
This, from DH a couple of weeks ago ... his overly casual tone belying the words.   

Struggling to comprehend, I made him promise to call his doctor the next morning.

... Which resulted in our sitting, waiting to see a retinal specialist early Monday morning.   Thankfully(!), his diagnosis wasn't nearly as dastardly as the results of my clandestine Google searches. Nevertheless, Tom will require surgery later this month.  Dr. Reddy says the procedure's totally routine, but will "definitely" result in a cataract.  

Deep breaths.  One thing at a time, right?

* * *

When the alarm sounded at 3 o'clock the next morning I was already awake ... trying to quell my nerves and saying a prayer I wouldn't die later that morning up on South Mountain.

You see, the Big Corporation for which I work is keen on community outreach ... giving back.   

Me, not so much when it involves working out of doors in June.

Donning my best pair of parachute pants ala-Goodwill, I traded these ...

for these

... grabbed a shop towel, swallowed a couple of baby aspirin and headed out the door.   

4:45AM.  My phone announced it was presently 97-degrees and 37% humidity.

6:00AM.  A dozen or so of us gathered under a swollen sky to get our marching orders.   

"Watch your footsteps ... the snakes are out."  The first time Ranger Romo spoke, my boss and I traded uneasy glances.  When she mentioned rattlers for a third time, everyone began studying the ground.  The thought of a coronary incident didn't seem so far-fetched. :)   Then and there, I decided to stick close to my AGM, a former firefighter/paramedic.

Fortunately, there was a nice steady breeze up at the top.  Maybe my eyebrows wouldn't melt off, after all. 

UNfortunately, spotting all the food wrappers, cigarette butts and broken glass, I concluded (some) folks are Thoughtless Pigs.

  

Isn't this a pretty view of the city?
Except my grabber looks like a white cane!

By the time my second bucket was near full, a little voice in my head advised me to grab a water bottle and sit a spell. Except, scrabbling for purchase up the incline I came too close to a low-lying jumping cholla.  (OK, I blindly plowed through it.)  

Yep it was kind of embarrassing having to sit still while two park rangers used needle-nose pliers to extract the needles from my pants legs and shoes.   

No harm, no foul!  In retrospect, I discovered a new-found camaraderie with a couple fellows ... who even had the grace to chuckle at my rendition of "The Bear Went Over The Mountain."

At least we didn't have to wear orange jumpsuits ...

* * *

Wednesday involved more community outreach ... this time, I volunteered to help deep-clean the kitchen facilities at our adopted charity.  (Can you say, air-conditioned!)
The majority of our team represented the housekeeping department -- and wow, what an example they set!  

Not being familiar with industrial kitchens, I was a bit in awe ... happy to take their direction and tackle the baked on greasy oven racks.  

You know, for the second time in as many days, what I fretted over never materialized.  (Yay.)  Though I don't understand Spanish, several of the ladies and men and I were able to communicate and best of all, laugh:   Twice, the cleaning solution ate through the thumbs of my rubber gloves, my t-shirt's a goner ... but it was a good day. 

* * *

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the neatest part of the week  -- having an opportunity to enjoy lunch at Cheesecake Factory yesterday with blog-friend Betty and her funny, congenial hubby.  (Bloggers are the best!)

White chocolate, caramel, macadamia nut ...  

a consolation prize from me to me for having survived South Mountain!

Say, thanks for reading along all this way!  
Personally, this old lady's looking forward to a more predictable week behind her desk.  :)
  

Whatever's on your agenda, I hope your holiday is safe and especially yummy!  

Let's chat soon!