For the first time in a long time, I’m late with a daily update. I apologize. I blame the post holiday hangover. I’m back at work, back on a regular schedule, so, obviously, falling off the schedule for something else.
It was hard to get up this morning. My dogs had gotten so used to sleeping in, that neither of them got up with me this morning. The little one did not even wake up. The big one looked at me like I was crazy, thumped his tail when I gave him a pat, and went right back to sleep.
You know the old saying, its better to give than to receive? As a kid, I didn’t buy it. I loved getting presents. There was nothing better. As an adult, though, I love to give much more than I like to receive. In fact, I have a really hard time waiting to give people gifts. If I’ve found the perfect item, I want them to have it, now. Seeing the look of surprise and joy on the other person’s face is the best gift.
Of course, there is also anxiety. What if they don’t like it? But its mild anxiety.
On Christmas morning, my brother and I weren’t allowed out of our rooms until 7am. For years, my brother would come down the hall and get me. Together we would go into the living room to see what goodies Santa had brought. It was always a cornucopia of wonderful items, which we would then, one by one, rush back to our parents to show them- hence the 7am rule.
When we were older, I would wake my brother, but we still always went out together. It was what I missed the most the first year we didn’t spend Christmas together.
My favorite tradition from when I was a child, was that on Christmas Eve, my brother and I each got to pick one present to open. We waited until after dinner, and weren’t allowed to pick “the big” present, but we always had (more than) enough to choose from.
I do remember one year when we opened our presents in the afternoon, and my brother didn’t get a choice. He opened a rifle from our grandparents, and then we went out and shot it. He wasn’t allowed to shoot it again until the barrel no longer came past his waist.
Thank you, MythBusters Build Team. You have now given me the excuse I need to slap idiots when they are behaving idiotically. I love that the slap some sense into someone myth was confirmed. Though we did wonder during the first half what poor Grant had done to deserve being the guinea pig.
I know this myth was supposedly about Hitler, but for me, it was really about surviving bombs. Apparently, what type of building you’re in doesn’t matter as much as your position relative to the bomb. So my advice, run away from bombs if you have the chance.
Hydrostatic water pressure is one of my least favorite phrases because if I’m using it, it means my basement has flooded, again. One of the first times it flooded, we thought a pipe had burst because water was geysering up around a pipe. No, just that much water pressure in the ground.
Two years ago the city made improvements to our neighborhood to help with flooding. It appears to have made it worse in our house. Now, we have water coming in from two places, the new one in the finished portion of the basement. Time for a professional opinion.
Today is my birthday, my 35th birthday. It is also my grandparents’ 65th wedding anniversary. That’s a milestone I look forward to reaching. But for now, I am happy with where I am.
I have a husband I love, 2 dogs who bring joy to me every day, a job I like, a house that is our home, and an amazing and diverse group of friends.
I am lucky enough that I will get to spend time in the presence of those friends this evening, at my favorite restaurant. Mango curry and good conversation- what more could a girl want.
I like a split government. I would actually like it even more if we had more than two major parties. I think more gets accomplished when the differing sides have to work together. This is the way our government is supposed to work. I may not like all of the compromises, but they almost certainly better represent the American people than just doing what I would want done. And, I’m not always right. It is good to hear the arguments from all sides. I don’t think either party should ever be able to hold the government hostage to its whims.
There is a Bible story about Joseph interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream of seven fat cows followed by seven starving cows. Joseph tells the Pharaoh that it means that there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and that in order to make it through the famine years, they should save during the years of plenty.
This is sound fiscal advice, advice I wish our government would follow. We may not know when the lean years will come, but they always do. They ALWAYS do. During the years of plenty, we should be funding our future.
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