What the Heck Wednesday

I was sitting in LAX today, listening to a college-age girl talking loudly on her cell phone making fun of a lady working in the terminal who has a little bit of two tone hair. This arrogant post-teen spoke as if visible roots are the worst possible thing in the universe. No compassion, no manners. Then I had to listen to her talk about how so and so is a "douche bag" Yes, she was saying that in a public space with everyone around her… Sad state of college age people that all they can speak about is how wretched everyone is around them. Then she busily cracked her knuckles with impatience when her cell phone call was dropped. Thank goodness for small favors. No more senseless prattle. I was young once too, but I NEVER sounded like that. But now I am complaining...

So anyhow, I had time to write a post while waiting at the airport since my flight home had been delayed one hour and I really had no billable work. Here are my random thoughts that I should have reported earlier for Random Tuesday Thoughts, but was too lazy to get my post together in time.

On Traveling

I have been flying to LA rather frequently for work and as the plane descends, I take the time to gaze over the urban sprawl that is the Los Angeles basin. I can see tidy roads lined up facing east to west. They are framed by a backdrop of the steep San Gabriel Mountains to the east. From coast line to mountain there lays the hive that constitutes some form of humanity. While hard to justify and impossible to prevent, I no longer lament the fact that concrete covers large portions of the landscape.

This line of thought transports me back to almost three decades ago when I was about 10 years old and driving home from a hiking outing. Our trip brought us over the southern end of the San Francisco Bay and views to the west were of a fading pink and orange haze hugging the shoreline. Grey smudged teeth poked up through the pollution where the buildings occupied the landscape. The bay has been filled with earth to make room for more homes and human structures.

The damage was done well before I was even born. I never had a chance to see it before it was plundered and destroyed. All I felt was doom. What had we done to our land? The slow tears of sadness and disgust were impossible to hold back. Almost thirty years later and I have built immunity to it all. Just how does that happen?

My Truck

I will reveal this embarrassing fact: When driving my truck, which is a diesel, I will catch my self turning the stereo volume down, when in fact it is not even on. Then I realize that it’s my truck making all that noise. Somehow, subconsciously, I want to turn my engine noise down with the volume controller.

Starbucks

I am a snob, or rather an unchangeable old lady. At Starbucks I refuse to order drinks by their size names. I am not sorry to say I will not order a small by asking for a TALL.

And a medium drink is not a GRANDE, to me that would mean a large.

And extra large should be just that. Not Venti…

The Baristas try to trick me into saying their Starbucks names by asking, “Do you mean a Grande?” And I always say, “Yes, a medium, please.” It will always be small, medium and large for me.

I refuse to conform.

My Kids

I was shopping at the grocery store with both kids walking around me on their own recognizance when the cell phone rang. It was an important call, so I had to take it. Dangerous grounds with two loose children. And immediately my voice on the phone stimulated my kids to dive under the produce shelves. Seriously, they were crawling under the stands on their hands and knees, cackling in laughter the instant I said, “Hello.”

Note to kids: I will flail you next time you crawl on the floor of the grocery store!!!

Ella’s Lids

This pink and brown hat came from a swap I did with Sara at the Handy Hooker!!!

This hat is made by Doris at Crocheting in Georgia!

Thanks Ladies!!!

Someone I know is a bit spoiled in hats!

I am Cheating on You

I am aware that I have markedly reduced the number of posts per week on this blog. I have a reason.

I am cheating on my blog. Yes, I said it. I am cheating.

Two things have come between me and my blog. I am writing a children’s book and I am playing volleyball again two nights a week. And I have been trying to sew some stuff for Christmas. So that’s really three things interfering…

When I get the book in a presentable format it will be available here since I will have no qualms about pimping myself, for myself.

My return to the volleyball court after an 18 year hiatus was not without physical pain and debilitation. Be assured I have been served my punishment for neglecting my blog. I was hobbling with muscle pain for about two weeks. Now things have stabilized and I am having fun. I even got invited to play on a real team for old ladies. We’re going to play in tournaments this winter.

Sewing two pieces of fabric together is easy. Sewing two pieces of fabric together in a straight line is hard. Matching squares up to get even spacing on a grid is very hard… But my children will not notice. I hope.

I can’t distinguish between my car engine and the radio, my kids continue to be wild, willful beasts, and I am cheating on ya'll. So that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.