I don’t know about you, but there are a few songs that make me dance in my seat. Yes, I mean that literally!
I have a plethora, ooh, big word, yeah! that make me get up and dance, and sing, and twirl, and make me smile, and make me feel good, and so much more, and yes, dance in my seat. If you are ever driving behind me when I have the top down on Annie2, my VW Beetle-Bug Convertible, I have been told you can’t see me! But if you pull up next to me, the music is blasting, I love it to the point of the mirrors shaking! and I am usually dancing in my seat! What could be more perfect! Dancing down the road in a convertible!
This is one of my dream cars! 1979…sigh
As I mentioned, there are many songs that make me dance, but dance in my seat, that’s another story. I have Pandora radio on while I work and depending on the station I am listening to, there are songs I can’t help but dance to. Today, it’s Queen Radio. What inspired me at the moment is Rusted Root’s Send Me On My Way, which is a great song, and featured in the movie Matilda, starring Mara Wilson and an amazing cast of actors, but we’re not here to talk about the movie, maybe another time! The Peanuts theme song will make me dance in my seat, but that ultimately leads me to getting up and dancing around the room like all the Peanuts characters, it also happens to be my all time favorite song.
I know there’s more, but right now, I have to keep working and if we kept talking about this, we’d never get anything done! So…you know what makes me dance in my seat, I must know…What song makes you dance in your seat? Happy chair dancing!
I say this with all the love and affection in the world. I think he’s hysterical, talented, goofy, yummy, among other things, but he’s a pusher! Let me ‘splain!
About 7 or 8 years ago, I used to play these 4 “Free Fall” Disney games. Each one came out after the movie premiered, these included Frozen Free Fall, Maleficent Free Fall, Inside Out: Thought Bubbles, and Cinderella Free Fall. I absolutely loved those games, to the point when I was getting a new phone and transferred all the apps over, I refused to reset the old phone until…I had confirmed my four games transferred over, with all my levels successfully. For those of you who are not gamers, this might not make sense, but for anyone who is a gamer, thank you for nodding your head! Hey, I had spent months, even years playing these games, getting my points, stats, and levels to where they were, I wasn’t about to lose and start all over again!
Now…that being said, when I get a new device, like a tablet, I love starting over, it’s so much fun! Because I have played these games so much, I know the moves and what to do, that when I start on a new device, I can usually play for hours without losing a life! And for anyone who has done this, wah to the hoo!
Unfortunately, those games, while still on my phone, hit a wall and there were glitches that I could not get past and I haven’t really played them much and if I have to start over, I’m ok with it, one I even really enjoyed, but when I got to the same place and hit the same wall, the joy has run out.
One of the things with pc games, even when you play on your phone, unless you pay to not have ads, there are ads, great…commercials on my phone while I’m playing a game. Normally, I don’t watch them, I find they get in the way, but about 4 years ago, one caught my eye…and that brings us to my post. This was an ad with Ryan Reynolds for Toon Blast and I was hooked at the first Toon Blast commercial! I found and watched them all! I think my favorite is still the one when he gets a tattoo of the last level he made!
I immediately downloaded the game and started playing and I kept playing, and kept playing, and kept playing, o m g! I was hooked. It’s fun, as advertised ‘The Funniest Cartoon Puzzle Adventure” and it is! Every level is something different. I will say, there are some levels that seem like they repeat, but I’m ok with that, I’m on level 2408, it’s bound to happen. There are three characters, Cooper Cat, Wally Wolf, and Bruno Bear, and after 50 levels are achieved, an episode is unlocked. Pirates, boxers, travelers, adventurers, dessert, chemistry, they even get dressed up for different holidays. It really is a lot of fun.
The thing I like about the game is that you have five lives per turn and if you complete a level, you move on to the next, if you don’t complete a level with your five lives, you have to wait 25 minutes to play again. I play for as long as it takes to go through five lives, sometimes, depending on the level, it’s quick, then other times, I can play for a loooonnnggg time! Something they started recently is one free hour of play! OMG! I love those times, I can play, and play, and play, and it doesn’t run out, well, for an hour at least, then I don’t feel so bummed if I don’t finish a level.
Every day, you get to pick a card, so to speak, and you get an extra something, could be coins, could be lives, could be something to help you in the game. The last one I don’t care as much about, I am very stubborn, in case you didn’t know, and I almost never use the game aids, I just like to play. Every 20 levels, you get to open a Star Chest, there are extra treats, and at certain levels, you get a Toon Chest, more treats! How can you go wrong!?
One of the things I really like about this game is the graphics, they are clear and inviting, like the colors, and I like the strategy of trying to win the level. Sometimes, when a level is hard, and they can be, I have struggled with some levels for days or even weeks, I say out loud, and I know this is silly ‘This level is driving me nuts, I’m going to quit this game’ and miraculously…I beat the level…sometimes!
I just looked it up and there are 4000 levels in Toon Blast! O M G! I’m on my way! When you get to the end, you get in a Champion’s League. I am SO there!
This leads me to the next game…Toy Blast. This is the other game, by the same company, Zynga, who also publishes Words with Friends2, we’ve talked about that one, Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells, might have to check that one out! and others. I enjoyed Toon Blast, as you know, so I looked for other games, since I could only play 5 lives, I wanted something similar and I found Toy Blast, here’s a very cute Toy Blast holiday commercial, which will only truly make sense if you play.
When I first started playing, when I got into some higher levels, all of a sudden, I would get 30 minutes unlimited, then 1 hour unlimited, then it even went to TWENTY FOUR HOURS!!! O M G! I know we’ve talked about the fact that I don’t sleep, so…there may have been one or two days where I did nothing but play Toy Blast! It is entirely possible, not during work hours, this would be a weekend! At the very least, every time I played, it was free! And that was what propelled me farther in this game than Toon Blast, even though I’ve been playing it longer. I’m on level 3637 and it turns out there are 4150 level…what will I do then?!
One of the big differences between the two games…when you want to play extra lives, if you don’t have any left, you can buy some with your coin bank. Toy Blast is 25 coins, reasonable, Toon Blast is 100, seriously? Also…if you don’t complete a level, you can buy 5 extra moves, those cost either 25 for Toy Blast or 100 for Toon Blast, I only click that button by mistake!
There is so much more I can tell you about these games, but if you don’t play…go download them! If you do play, you already know what I’m talking about! I gotta go…my lives just replenished in both cames!
Today started like any other Sunday. We went to hot yoga, crazy…8am! We didn’t have to get up before the sun to go to yoga, wahoo! The class was a little crowded, I wasn’t crazy about it, it felt cramped. The odd thing about this location is that you don’t have to wear a mask in the studio, I think I’ve told you about it. PSM and I both wore our masks, but with the current state of affairs, it’s odd to see people put their masks on leaving the yoga studio to walk into the lobby. It is what it is.
After yoga, we needed to go to Costco, but since they weren’t open, we went to breakfast at Uncle Bill’s Pancake and Dinner House, open 24 hours, and nice enough, no wait for a table. They were definitely observing social distancing, it was nice. We definitely enjoyed ourselves this time more than the last time. The food is good, but it’s the service really, they have a great and friendly staff. The food is simple and tasty, what more do you want?
After brunch, we headed to Costco. Gas first, you know the advantages there, renewed our membership, walked into the store and realized that since it’s Sunday, the pharmacy is closed, no bueno! Oh well…back to the house to get some stuff done, PSM had to prep to head out of town for work this week. After a bit, before it was time to go, we had lunch, yummy leftovers from last night’s dinner.
When it was time for PSM to head to the airport, I took the pups for a w-a-l-k, have to spell it out, they understand the word walk! ha ha. And for those of you who have kids and no dogs, you thought you were the only ones who had to spell in front of the wee tots! nope! We spell lots of words, w-a-l-k is one of them, t-r-e-a-t or g-o-o-d-y is another. And…I know that as you’re reading this, you actually spelled out the words! CLASSIC! I took them for a w-a-l-k for two reasons…to take them out and make it easier when PSM leaves, so they don’t notice and whine! Smart!
Shortly after we got back, and PSM was well on his way to the airport, I put the girls into the crate and headed out. This year, virtually, I am participating in the Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k. I started doing the race in Atlanta and even though I did the race twice in Denver, I still did it in Atlanta, same year, and I travel back to Atlanta to do the race. It’s an opportunity to participate in the same city I started in, and 2013 was the inaugural run in Atlanta. I started doing the 5k and eventually moved to the 15k.
This year, just like almost everything, it was virtual and you could do it wherever you wanted. I checked the distance and decided to walk to the park that PSM and I like to go to and now take the dogs to. It was about 3 miles to the park, then about 3 miles around the lake, then 3 miles home and next thing you know… I walked a 15k! 9 miles. Go figure.
Let’s just say it was c c c c c c cold! 16 degrees when I headed out. I was layered up, leggings, jeans, Cuddle Dud layer, Hot Chocolate sweatshirt, their swag really is the best!, my favorite winter coat, long and quilted, and my winter boots. I was nice and toasty! Headphones in, off I went. The boots kept my feet warm, but not the best for distance walking, well, with keeping a steady pace anyway.
The walk to the park was ok, not a lot of people on the road, I passed a few people actually walking in the park, so I wasn’t completely alone. There was snow on the ground, it was so quiet, at times you couldn’t hear anything and other times, all you heard were the ducks and geese. It was serene, peaceful, and beautiful.
After I walked around the lake, I walked the path to get back to the main road to walk home. Let’s just say, by the time I got to my neighborhood, which is about the same mileage I always start to question my decision to do this race! HA HA Every year I promise myself that I’m going to start training for this and this will be the year I actually run it and every year I forget that goal and promise to myself, oh well. Maybe one year I’ll listen to myself!
I got home, immediately put on my pj’s, I wasn’t going anywhere else! I let the dogs out of the crate, we played, they had dinner and I collapsed on the couch! Let’s just say right now, my body is questioning my sanity and I don’t think I’m going to argue with it! Hot yoga in the morning and a 15k in the afternoon? Sure, why not!
Did you know it’s Groundhog Day? Hopefully when you wake up tomorrow, it will be Wednesday, February 3rd! Fingers crossed for all of us!
Let me back up! Today is Tuesday, February 2, 2021 and it’s Groundhog Day. This is the day that Punxsutawney Phil, the official groundhog in Punxsutawney, PA, comes out of his hole, the temporary home he has in Gobbler’s Knob, to tell us if Winter is here to stay, well, for at least 6 more weeks, and today…Groundhog Day 2021, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and we will have 6 more weeks of winter folks. Oh joy…
“We have passed the darkness of night but now see hope and morning’s bright light. But now when I turn to see there’s a perfect shadow cast of me. Six more weeks of winter there will be!” club vice president Tom Dunkel read from the chosen scroll.
This event, which is more of a festival and celebration now, has been going on annually since 1887! Can you believe it! Well, more to the point, can you believe that this is the same groundhog that has been making a prediction since the tradition started? Yup, that’s right folks, well, that’s what the “Inner Circle” or Phil’s “Inner Circle”, identifiable by their top hats and tuxedos, want us to believe, isn’t that fabulous!
Whether or not Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions are true or not, it’s still a fun tradition to keep up and behold. This year, in keeping with Covid-19 rules, the ceremony was held virtually, well, not by everyone! Phil was there, along with his inner circle, hey, someone had to verify if Phil saw his shadow and read the proclamation. And…except for the three intimately involved…the guy holding Phil, the guy reading the proclamation, and the guy with the microphone, everyone else had a mask on, no, not Phil, duh!
I’ll be honest, as a kid, I knew about the groundhog and Groundhog Day, the tradition of the groundhog coming out and predicting the 6 more weeks of winter, or not, but I didn’t know it was such a BIG deal until I saw the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, who plays a self-absorbed weatherman who ends up living the same day over and over and over again, well, until he gets it right.
The movie had a great cast, including Andie MacDowell, as his producer and eventual love interest, Chris Elliot is his goofball cameraman, Stephen Tobolowsky an old classmate of Billy Murray’s character and an insurance salesman with two of my favorite lines in the movie “BING!”, I know you have to watch it, and “Watch that first step…it’s a douzy”. Then, there’s Billy Murray’s brother, not movie brother, but actual brother, Brian Doyle Murray, a great character actor, Angela Paton, she’s one of those actors I don’t always remember her name, but I like seeing her. Rick Overton, who plays one of the guys in the car when Phil Connors, Billy Murray’s character drives off a cliff, Michael Shannon, who has a small role and I always forget that it’s him because had such a baby face in the movie, he was playing a teenager or just barely out of his teens and then, Harold Ramis who co-wrote, directed, and had a small role in the film.
The fun part is to watch Bill Murray’s character grow into an actual human being with all the experiences he has. He starts off, when he realizes that he’s stuck, is to do all the things we might think about doing, since he can’t get in trouble, or trouble that lasts past midnight, when the clock or day resets itself. Then he starts to take life a little more seriously, while still enjoying it. The day resets, but he doesn’t, so he has no choice but to grow. On the last day, well, the day that doesn’t reset itself is the day we get to see the new, maybe who he really was all along, just buried, Phil Connors. Who knows.
The hard part is to watch him try over and over to get out of this day and then you sit there wondering ‘just how long was Phil Connors stuck?‘ Harold Ramis said “It takes at least 10 years to get good at anything,” said Ramis, “and allotting for the down time and misguided years he spent, it had to be more like 30 or 40 years.” Just ouch!
Before I leave you…a bit of Groundhog Day movie trivia before I say farewell. The movie takes place in Punxsutawney, PA, but actually, it was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois! But JJ, how do you know that!? Well, first, if you look up the movie, you can find that out, but…I happened to be in Woodstock, Illinois for a project and the people at the office told me that the town square, about two blocks away, was where they filmed the movie! OMG! Of course, I had to take a stroll. How cool is that!
Well, here’s to 6 more weeks of winter and I’m hoping the radio doesn’t wake me up to I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher. If it does, I’m going back to bed. What would you do?
Today I started a new job and that means a new adventure! And what a day to start! And what starts! A new month, first day of the new month, and the first day of the week of the new month. What are the odds. What a way to start!
I had been looking for a new opportunity, something different from what I had been doing for the past several years. Now, by different, I mean the products and media that I use to create, not a different career path. I was on the lookout for an Instructional Designer and/or Software Trainer, two roles I am incredibly proud of. As a Software Trainer, I absolutely love explaining how a product or application works. I always say that an application is an application is an application, and by that, I mean it doesn’t matter to me what it is, I want and can learn it and turn around and teach it to you. I don’t even need to understand it completely to teach it, I have to understand it and be able to help you understand how to use it in your day to day job. As I teach, I learn, meaning that no matter how many times or how many years I teach something I learn something new every time I teach!
I didn’t know for a long time that being a good trainer was not as easy as I thought it was. I found out, years ago, that I have the ability to learn an application in a short amount of time and be able to turn around and teach it. I’ve been brought on projects and put in front of a class in a week or less. I would prefer to have more time to prep, but I am always up for the challenge. I really do live for it, I have the best time in front of a class, could be in part, not only my love of teaching, but my gift of gab, which I had way before I kissed the Blarney Stone! I have said in the past, I get a runner’s high when I teach, I do! When it’s a good or great class, I thrive and float, my feet sometimes don’t touch the ground for a few hours after I am done! I absolutely love seeing the look on someone’s face when they get it! I can see the proverbial ‘lightbulb over their heads’!
I will also take the time to explain something to someone until they get it, I want them to understand. I am also very honest that when I teach, I have the patience of a saint, but personally…I have the patience of a gnat! No patience, none, if a website hasn’t started in 3 seconds, I’ve started over! It’s true! Ask anyone who knows me! But for you, in my class, I have all the time in the world! Let’s dance! I am, after all, the product of two amazing and gifted teachers!
On the opposite side, when it comes to writing, I’ve always been a good writer, at least that’s what I have been told! ha ha! It must be true, for some reason you keep coming back to see what I have to say! I didn’t enjoy writing as a kid, I could write a book report, but I’m not sure it gave me the joy I get now. Now, reading, that I enjoyed, and I could tell a story, just didn’t feel much like writing it down. Later, in college, I got high marks on my stories, very descriptive and inviting. I remember writing a paper about my grandmother’s house and my professor said they could see it clearly in their mind and wanted to go and visit.
I started blogging, as you know, and that seems to be going well, ha ha. I’ve updated or written resumes for people, hopefully it has helped. I’ve written dating profiles, those I really enjoy! I even wrote one for a guy I was dating at the time! It helped him meet his current wife, go figure! And…four people have gotten married from the profiles I’ve written! I’ve even written them for people I didn’t know, my favorite was someone I met on a train. It was pretty good, if I do say so myself!
When I got into writing professionally, it was really the same way I fell into training. It started with “We got this new application, teach us how to use it” huh? Ok…then I was in one position and I knew I was going to be out of the office for a bit, so I wrote instructions on how to do my job and when I got back, the person who was filling in had no questions and was able to follow everything as if I was walking them through it step by step. Then I started getting jobs as a writer, sometimes updating existing training materials, sometimes building new materials and then one job or project led to another and here we are.
When I write training materials, I really get into what I’m doing, when I know how to start. Sometimes, I have to sit and look, and look, and think, and look, and think before my brain clicks and I think…oh yeah, this is the way we’re going and we’re off and running! If you know me, you know I don’t turn something in until I am proud of it, I’ll work through the night, hence the 80-120 hours I got in trouble for submitting sometimes! I love testing a product every which way to see how it works, if I click this, what happens? If I click that, where does it take me. Can I break it? How do I explain this so it flows just so. How can I write this so the trainer can teach it, even if it’s not me, and the student can understand it. Where do I add a screenshot? Oh man, I do love a screenshot! I’m being serious! How much is too much information? How many details derail the point or the materials? On my last project, I built a lot of the materials I was teaching, based on the data given to me, and some of the materials I had updated what was given to me. As I was teaching, I realized that some things just didn’t flow right and I rearranged things, moved things around, made them flow better and I have to tell you, when I was done, I was so very proud. And that was at 4 o’clock in the morning, I’m not kidding, I was driven and I was going to turn in something I was happy with. And…I’ve heard that others were happy with it, it made more sense, and that to me was everything!
So…as I mentioned, I was looking for something different, not in the role, but in the software, I had been writing and teaching the same product for the last five years and it was time for a change. And that’s where we are today! Today I started with a new company and it’s a whole new ballgame! I am going to be updating some existing materials and building brand new content, I am so ready to jump in and get started. What I really love about writing assignments is that each client has different mediums they want to use. Some use Word, at this point, I’m an expert for building training materials! some use PowerPoint [PPT], I have since become quite the PPT aficionado, it doesn’t intimidate me anymore!, some Adobe Captivate, I’ve dabbled, some Articulate, I’ve experimented, RoboHelp, it’s been a while, and now, with this new job, I’m getting to use two new mediums, Skilljar and Genially, and from what I’ve seen when I investigated them, I’m excited!
As I get more into what I’m doing I’ll definitely share! I know you know that! For now, Monday, February 1st, new adventure! Liferay, here I come!
Today was a day in, cold and freezing rain, we took the pups for a walk, then settled in for…settling in!
I was texting with my sister for a minute, then the phone rang, what a treat! We are both so crazy busy that we don’t always get time to chat, so…when we do, as I said…what a treat! We talked, and talked, and talked. Like my blog, about everything and nothing. We talked family, spouses, kids, four legged fur babies, work, tv shows that we like, what we binge, wearing sweat pants, you know…the usual! Then dad called and I conferenced him in, that was a serious treat! When we hung up the phone about an hour and a half had passed and I don’t know about her, but it felt like no time at all!
A while after I got off the phone, PSM had some errands to run and off he went and my next catch up/treat…a text from JCT who I haven’t spoken to in a few months. Work, as you may or may not know had been crazy for the past few months so…unfortunately, some of my relationships suffered and for that, I am truly sorry. We texted or had a few moments on the phone, but never a serious chat like we used to. The holidays came and went, work, and life got in the way and one day led to the next and here we are, in January and we were able to get on the phone and catch up. And catch up we did…over THREE HOURS! O M G! It was FABULOUS! Like almost all of my friends, and one of the things I value more than anything…we pick up as if we just spoke the other day and I have to tell you, I la la la love it! Don’t you? That is true friendship, when you pick up the phone and talk as if no time has passed and I thank you!
Tomorrow, I actually have some phone dates scheduled, how excited am I! Best news…with my new adventure starting Monday…I’ll have more time at reasonable hours for catching up and even some quick chats and I cannot wait! Lookout ‘Ma Bell’ I’m comin’ for ya!
Tonight was date night! Sunday is the 6th anniversary of our first date! Wow, has it really been six years? Yes it has, and it’s been an amazing ride, even this last year!
As you know, or at least I think you know, we’ve gone out over the last year, into restaurants, pubs, and bars when some places were closed for indoor dining. When St Louis county closed everything down, St Charles did not, so we went to some of those restaurants. We always look inside, if it looks like they are following the limited capacity and social distancing, we stay, if they aren’t, see ya.
About a week ago, I think it was, at least! I texted PSM and said ‘the SIXTH anniversary of our first date is this weekend! Let’s have a date night!’ And…we went to an Irish pub for our first date, let’s do that! I don’t know if you remember, but I had just gotten back from Ireland a few months earlier and Irish pub it was! I loved Ireland, thought about staying when I visited, I even looked for a job while I was there! But…par for the course…I digress!
PSM agreed and even though the date is actually Sunday, the weather is going to be cruddy all weekend and he’s not available Sunday, so…Friday night it is! We both looked for an Irish pub and came up with the same one. It was one that we had tried to go to a few weeks ago and didn’t get in, I think they closed by the time we go there, oh well, so tonight it was!
I called to see if they had a wait and luckily, no wait. We headed towards the pub and then GPS took us another way and as we started talking, I had mentioned that there were two locations. I called one and PSM was going to the other one, what are the odds?! We arrived and there was a 15 minute wait, ok, sounds good. We hung out in the lobby with the other waiting patrons, socially distant of course. We took a look around and it didn’t look much like an Irish pub, aside from the Guinness posters, a few advertisements for a few other beers, and the crest for the pub on the wall, slightly disappointing, from an Irish pub perspective.
We were able to get a seat at the bar, which was nice, because those tend to be the most socially distant spots in restaurants or pubs. Well, some of them anyway, this time, for sure. The server was brand new, day 2 of her new venture and she was very nice, well the two times we talked to her, she was very nice.
The best part about date night was…well, my date! We had such a good time, despite anything and everything else, we had such a good time. It was like the first time, but better, we know each other. We reminisced about what the first date was like, touching, awkward, interesting, informative, and fun. I remembered what I was wearing, his overcoat, the weather, and the fact that he looked like Adam Sandler. Yup, but I’m not the only one who says that, he’s a cutie and a keeper!
We talked about everything and nothing and there was such a feeling of familiarity, of course, we’ve been together for just about 6 years, I know, but it’s not like that for everyone. It was much nicer than a first date, no nervousness! We talked, laughed, cajoled, teased, shared, talked, laughed some more. We lingered long after the meal and drinks were gone and then it was time to go home. Together.
We stopped at the market for some ice cream, to share as we snuggled on the couch. Got home, let the dogs out [Who, Who HA HA HA come on, click the link!], had some doggie play time, then…ice cream!
The best part about this date? Yes, we got to go home together. One of my favorite things about being married…A forever date. Sigh…
That actually used to mean something to kids! HA HA. I remember…back in my day…oh brother! groan, eye roll, when it snowed like this, we got the day off from school. Now…with Covid routines in place, if you’re remote learning or hybrid, do you still get a snow day? Probably not!
Didn’t I just leave all of this behind in Colorado? Apparently, it followed me through Colorado and Kansas, back to Missouri, sorry neighbors! It started sometime in the early morning. PSM went to yoga, there wasn’t availability when I went to sign up, darn, no 6am hot yoga? I’m crushed! Ha ha. That did give me a few extra minutes to sleep! He was very quiet, I just happened to hear him, oh well. So…I slept in for a bit and then at about 7am, got motivated and got the dogs out for a walk.
Since I hadn’t been home, PSM had been taking them for all their walks solo and Bee had been a bit of a pickle, I don’t know if you remember me telling you about her aversion to walking on the frozen or almost frozen ground. Well…I put the harnesses on and we were off, no issues! What?! It was snowing steadily and they were both champs. [No wellies required for the walk!!!] Now, for the afternoon walk, Ruby and I had words, it was slippery and she kept pulling, she’s a strong dog, but momma set her straight. Ok, it took two talkings to, but it finally worked. It also helps when you keep a firmer grip on the leash!
They were both so cute, coming up from sniffing, noses all covered in snow and Bee, well, she’s a beagle and they have longer ears, so…nose covered and ears tipped in snow! They were both really enjoying it, how could I not laugh! We made it around the block, through the neighborhood getting more and more covered in snow. Look at my car, the only way you can tell it’s my car is that it’s red! But she has a lot of snow on top! [kind of like me when I don’t color my hair! HA HA HA]
It continued to snow all day and I honestly have no idea when it stopped, but everything looks so pretty, the trees laden with snow, the houses, backyards, streets, especially before the first footsteps. Sigh…
When you’re a kid, naps are part of your day, it starts when we’re babies, we go down for naptime, then we grow a little and we go down for naptime, I still have memories of being in kindergarten on my mat for naptime.
Then…as we grow, we fight naptime, afraid we might be missing something, we fight it, but we succumb. Then, we get a little older and napping is for babies, we don’t do it, we rest our eyes, we’re not napping. In college, we’re taking a break in between classes, but we’re not napping.
Then…as adults, we look at little kids and think…you don’t know how good you’ve got it! I would kill for a nap! There are cat naps, which are very short naps, longer naps, not sure what those are called! There are so many classifications of naps! Where to begin? Or end?! Have you ever taken a nap, woken up and not realized where you were, what day it was, who you were? Oh, those can be the best sometimes!
I remember growing up, when my family had a summer house on Long Island, we would go to the beach and I never slept as well as those naps in the sun on a beach blanket or towel on the sand. The sound of the ocean, the feel of the spray, the warmth of the sun on my back. Yes, I know it sounds like a movie or an advertisement, but that’s what it was like and I can tell you…I have never slept as fabulously deep and well as I did those summers, or since. We know I’m not a sleeper, but there are times the beach still manages to call out to me!
As we’ve talked about, I’m not a sleeper, I’m not even a napper really, but…there are times when my body just says “Hey!” and honestly, I don’t hear another word because I am unconscious! Today was one of those times. I was at my desk working on something and I realized I wasn’t focusing and I’m not 100% sure which end was up and I said to myself, ‘you need to lie down’ and I did. Well, not right there, I got up, walked the very long walk, about 10 feet, ha ha, to my bedroom, closed the door, got under the covers, and, as much as I would like to say I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, it took a few to get there, but when I did…I slept like the you know what. I woke up about 90 minutes later and I thought I had missed a whole day!
It took me a few minutes to realize where I was, so I sunk back into the bed and pulled the covers up over my head. Isn’t that the best feeling? When you sink into the bed? There’s nothing like it. Eventually, I picked up head up and tried to focus, this wasn’t one of those naps you wake up so refreshed that you could run a marathon, come on, who does that anyway! This was one of those naps that, honestly, I’m not sure if, at this particular moment, I have truly woken up from! I feel like I’m still a little groggy, and that was about four hours ago!
I think everything finally caught up with me…the lack of sleep last week, and lets face it, most of the time, altitude in Denver, skiing, the crazy long drive back from Colorado and only getting a few hours of sleep last night. That was some nap and…between you and me my friends, I’m thinking about sinking into the bed and going back to wherever I was! I don’t have far to go…I’m in my jammies, sitting cross legged in bed, under the covers with the ceiling fan doing it’s thing to help combat the flannel sheets I am enjoying right now.
When your body tells you something, like maybe you need a few zzzzzz’s, you should listen. And friends…that’s what I’m about to do, I’m going to listen to my body, my eyelids are getting heavy…you’re getting sleeppppppyyyyyyyyyyyy….
I really am trying to get home! As much as I didn’t want to leave Colorado, I almost never do when I visit, I did want to get home to my family. Apparently Mother Nature thought it would be funny to make my 12+ hour drive a 14+ hour drive, not funny.
I actually slept later than I had all week, go figure! Every day that I had wanted to sleep past 7/7:30am, no dice, this morning, I got up at almost 8am! And…this is the day I wanted to leave a little earlier, maybe by 8am so I could take advantage of the daylight for driving. I didn’t set an alarm thinking I kept getting up early, but no dice. So…the plan was to leave between 8:30 and 9am, just like I had when I left St Louis for Denver.
I got on the road, no issue, then…apparently it had snowed, and snowed a lot, outside of Denver, the entire state of Colorado, then Kansas, and if you’ve ever made that drive, you know both states seem to go on fore…ever!!! There was snow on the ground, in the fields, it was white, white, white! There were some places I couldn’t see ahead of me or on either side of me, then it would clear, ahhh.
I filled up my gas tank and it was just slushy, but when I pulled into the first rest stop along the highway, not only did I inch my way up to the house, I actually had to put on my waterproof winter boots with the fur because the snow was at least 6 inches in some places and a foot in others. Pretty to look at, not fun to walk in, with Chucks on!
Some of the roads had snow and some ice on both lanes, other areas it was clear on one side, where the trucks had been driving over the road. I loved when cars or trucks would go by and slosh my car with wet, grey snow, thanks a lot! This was a drive that had to be made carefully for a lot of it. There were a lot of electronic warning signs up along the highway.
There were some areas that were absolutely beautiful and some areas, well…even snow couldn’t make it pretty!
I have to say, I’m glad I didn’t wash my car after skiing on Friday or even Sunday. I knew I would be driving and thought about getting her washed before I headed out this morning, really glad I didn’t. Almost every rest stop and gas station, I was getting the packed snow out of the wheel wells, washing the windshield and wiping as much of the ice from the car doors. Fun! Bottom line, she will be getting a bath this week in St Louis!
Now, you’ll love this…or maybe it’s just me. And that was pure sarcasm…At some point during the week, the driver’s side washer fluid nozzle seemed to stop working…the passenger side is fine, driver side, not so much. So…if I crane my head to the right, I can drive looking out the passenger side! HA HA! I did a lot of window washing, let me tell you! Then…somewhere around Topeka, KS, I turned on the wipers, they swished and the driver’s side wiper FLEW OFF! really?! I promptly found an Auto Zone and $70 later, I am now the proud owner of a pair of Rain-X Quantum Wiper Blades, huh? I don’t remember them being so expensive, but they are! And really expensive for something that only lasts about a year and a half! But…I really like the Rain-X brand, and they are on snug as a bug in a rug, so I am quite happy and when I got home…they are still on! HA HA
I was tired of the food I had been munching on for the week and decided to stop for some grub. There aren’t a lot of options for me, but I know I can get a sandwich at Subway, I have always liked their veggie patty, and then I started to want one. I stopped at no less than FIVE Subways along the road, the first…the toaster was out. I would have asked about the patty, but you have to cook it, so no dice. The next location had just closed, and they just started closing earlier the day before. The next two locations didn’t carry the patty and the last location, the girl behind the counter had no idea what I was talking about. Sigh…vegan ham and cheese it is! At least my stomach stopped grumbling!
Back on the road, munching on my sandwich and listening to a podcast or some comedy on Pandora radio, I didn’t get tired until about 11:30p, I had effectively been on the road about 12+ hours at that point and I had about another 2 hours to go. I was doing alright and didn’t start to get tired until about midnight and at that point, I was so close to home, I wasn’t getting a hotel. I did, however, stop at almost every rest stop and every few gas stations on the way!
Best part…pulling into my driveway, walking into the house, peaking in on the fur babies, who had noticed that I was home [I had to ignore the whining! SO hard!], putting on my pjs and crawling into bed, pulling up the covers and…zzzz…
Peaches Prattlings 