Let The Wild Rumpus Start

Let the wild rumpus start:

Yep, the bathtub surround is gone, two big dudes came in and ripped it out. It is the beginning of my bathroom improvement. Savings, plus severance, plus tax refund, plus payment from Social Security gave me the confidence to "get 'er done." They said 1 week, Roger said un-uh. They quoted a price, Roger said un-uh. He suggested a good rule of thumb is twice as long, twice as much.

So here is the plan. Get the bathroom finished and then skedaddle to Oklahoma.

It seems as though there is always a reason to celebrate. Super Bowl -- over. Mardi Gras - over. Oscars -- approaching. My celebration will be skedaddling to Oklahoma. Year of the Monkey -- starting.

It seems as though everything is monkey-ish in my world. Is it just me or does everyone need to attempt a task three/four times before it is completed. Example; I wanted a new mail box key and went to my local Post Office to get a new one. She, kindly, said we don't handle that here you have to go to the Post Office in Everett. The lady in Everett, kindly, said we don't do keys we put in a whole new lock and it costs $65.00, but this key you can have made by any locksmith. Where is Kenny when I need him? So I went to Home Depot for a key and out of 9,000 blanks guess which one they didn't have? He, kindly, said Fred Meyer has the same system they should be able to make it for you, but by then I gave up and went home. That was the week I felt like crap. Feeling much better now.

Julia how are you feeling?
Cathy how are you feeling?
How is everyone feeling today?

The saga of the "key" was just one example. Everything else in my life is going just as smoothly. It seems as though it is always effort times three. Whether I'm trying to find something on a website (Advantage insurance anyone? Advantage pharmacies anyone?) or something much more mundane like a new ink cartridge for the printer or a dying DVD player to work. Jean gave me a card one time that said, "Sometimes the only way out is through the muddle." I'm still in the muddle.

"Life is hard even when blessed." I read that on Facebook.

Does anyone else forget to buy what they need to buy and then buy what they don't need? Which is why I have 3 jars of Low Sodium Kikkoman Soy Sauce and no Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce.

I'm blaming everything on stress and high blood sugar; thirst, headaches, fuzzy concentration, fuzzy vision, fatigue, and stomach troubles. There should be some weight loss in there, but that hasn't happened yet. I put myself on a high protein diet and feel better. Almost a high protein diet, I'll be honest here, I've cheated a bit.

I also cheated on The Book Challenge Book; the one set in the future. I reread one. I reread The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Love that book. It is one of my comfort books. I really tried to find a book I hadn't read before but fuzzy brain got in the way.

Book club is tomorrow night at my house, I hope they will pardon my dust. This month the book was Gilead. A wonderful, fantastic, lovely, thoughtful, interesting book that I will recommend heartily. I'm glad I read it before my brain became so fragmented.

I read a sentence in a book review and know it is false but I can't quite put my finger on why. Back to fuzzy brain I think."How does the fact that we're all mortal influence the way we think about our lives?' There is an untruth lurking in that phrase that I haven't been able to suss out. The author was talking about the book When Breath Becomes Air, by Dr Paul Kalanithi.

Open letter to Cara who wrote on FB February 8th, "Being a parent is hard..."

Dear Cara, being a parent isn't hard; a little fun in the hay, nine months of incubation, a birthing, and you are a parent. The real true statement is "being a good parent is hard..."

Teething, tantrums, homework, science projects, make up, boys, or girls as the case may be, driving, trust, braces, sickness, dirty socks, dirty rooms, dirty tubs, dangers, divorces -- all of it taking time, thought, guidance, herding, care, patience, kindness, and lots and lots of love can be and will be exhausting to the good parent.

Sorry young lady but you have already chosen your path -- the hard path. Not being in the middle, or muddle as the case may be, but gazing at you from some distance, a vantage point of perspective, you have lots more to get sucked out of you before it is over, it is all renewable resources so just hang on. You are in the midst of a wild rumpus.

Now I am going to go make soup for The Bear Book Club meeting here tomorrow night.
When the rumpus is over I'll be in Oklahoma.
Ahhh the rewards of muddling through.

Love to all