Midnight Musings

Would I trade the privilege of employment for time to goof off and do absolutely nothing productive? Stay up all night watching trashy movies on TV, giggle over the absurdities of life and sleep obscenely late the next day, throw my biological clock out of kilter for at least two more days? Some days, it's an unequivocal, "YES!!" followed by major pangs of guilt considering my all-too-recent period of unemployment. Gotta love time off.

I feel the power of haiku overtaking my fingers - SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

But wait, there's more!

Get me Ginsu knives
Kitchen helpers, pasta pots...
just a cookbook, please

Women who can't shave
without injury or bumps
shave balloons quite well

I can't decide if
I'd rather call 900
numbers or buy flags

'night

The question is, why? Some people only like those who are similar to themselves. Others gravitate towards those drastically different. There are people who want to be seen with those who will advance their careers and/or social standing. I have no patience with that. I like those who make me smile for whatever reason and I smile readily.

Whenever I take stock in my friends, their variety amazes me. People of different cultures, educational backgrounds, experiences and abilities, many of whom have precious little in common and some of whom I haven't seen in many years. Yet I care for them as much as ever. Even the few I consider to be close are drastically different from each other.

Earlier (yesterday) I was reunited with someone who would not be at fault in not considering me to be family and yet he treated me as such. We don't seem to have a great deal in common but the affection was evident and the time spent together was very pleasant. Or maybe it was just the wine talking.

Omigosh, what is wrong with everyone? Is it just that we have too much time on our hands? I know that's a problem in itself but this is full-moon-type goofiness. This afternoon I typed "bingding" instead of "binding" and giggled for the rest of the day. Naturally, I still find it amusing but it's late and I'm entitled. (You don't have to be in my head - you have a choice.)

But here we are in the season celebrating the birth of the Savior of the world and what are we doing? Seeing relatives with whom we're not comfortable spending time, buying gifts that will likely be given to someone who will in turn give them to someone for whom they forgot to buy a gift, cleaning house only to make a bigger mess than ever, and coming up with these goofy things to say in mock holiday cheer. As I said, they do make me laugh but they also make me wonder. Case in point:

Reindeer cheer

There is a difference between laughter, joy and giddiness. I believe in all of them. Above all remember, wise men still seek Him.

'night

Act like a fool, make your mistakes, fall on your face, friends love, support and remind you of the reasons they value you as their friend. There are always those who feel superior when they try to overlook your failings. True friends, the ones you can count on as well as take for granted, always tell you how wonderful your good qualities are just when you feel as if those very qualities are completely overshadowed by your moronic behavior. Everyone deserves to have at least one person in their lives who thinks they are wonderful in spite of all the evidence to the contrary. I am blessed with such friends.

Tell someone you think they are wonderful today. It might be the first time they hear it.

The question is, why do it? Make a resolution, good intentions notwithstanding, and one is merely setting oneself up for failure, self-recrimination, ridicule or worse. Make a public announcement of your plan and live in fear? I think not. Expecting your friends to keep you honest and accountable is just so much doubletalk. All it portends is surreptitious backsliding and eventual amnesia. And that's what I think about that. 'night

Another nor'easter blew through this weekend. The roads were treacherous and tonight's rain will be frozen by tomorrow.

Sleep and dream on in peace
in blissful ignorance
the world is growing cold
even the raindrops wince

The gentle raindrops freeze
and slick the roads with ice
crystal coats the tree limbs
such beauty, such a price

brrrr. 'night

Everyone understands what is meant by that command but I find it odd. What did Will do? And how has he managed to survive when everyone is always shooting at him? I sometimes wonder if the expression is used in actual battle but I don't suppose I really want to know. It's just in my nature to worry about those who are in harm's way even if they exist only in my musings.

On a somewhat related topic, people speak incorrectly and, rather than continuing to hold the line, those in linguistic authority bow to the masses. When did "a tad" become so ambiguous that "bit" had to be appended to it for clarification? Why is "Sam and I" always acceptable in intelligent conversation, even when it's incorrect? (People give things to Sam but never to "I". It's not all that difficult a concept.) Whose idea was it to equate, "I could care less," with the correctly phrased, "I couldn't care less"? If you could care less, then you're more ambivalent than disinterested. Trivial note: the television program "Saturday Night Live" was originally entitled just, "Saturday Night." So few of the show's fans could remember the show's proper name that the network surrendered to popular misconception and renamed it. Where would Millard Fillmore be if he changed his name because people remembered it incorrectly? Perhaps he's not the ideal example because a skeleton by any other name would still be dead.

Oh, well. Fire at William Safire. There's some symmetry to it as well as poetic justice.

'night

Food is so interesting. It represents much more than just sustenance. It's comfort. It's a refuge. It's addictive. It's healing. It's entertaining.

Today's musing is about curries, chilis, garlicky pasta dishes, hot sauces. I enjoy them, myself, and because I do, I've noticed what people who favor more bland fare never would - that a good percentage of the truly hot sauces made by and for hot sauce aficionados have really dirty names. Many of them have to do with sex and I'm not sure why. Others focus on a particular body part (due to the after-effects of over-indulgence on the inner workings) and many are just vulgar for the sake of vulgarity. This disturbs me on many levels - partly because it's so unnecessary, partly because the shock value doesn't amuse me since I left puberty, partly because I can't have them in my home since the labels are inappropriate for children. My children enjoy hot sauces, as well, and I don't understand the predilection of the sauce makers towards obscenity. I feel as if the mentality of those who enjoy the taste adventure is presumed to be very low-level and gluttonous. (That's gluttonous, not glutenous.)

People who actually compete in the amount and the intensity of the heat of their dishes mystify me in the same way as people who look at me with (disgust? amazement? admiration?) when they eat with me and observe how I spice up my portion. It's only food and it's only my personal taste. It's not a talent, a personality trait or a skill of any type. It's not as if I've tried to eat an entire two-pound steak in a three-minute time period. And no, I don't get heartburn, so long as I don't eat too much or too late at night. (I have heard of a restaurant in New Orleans that advertises a meal so spicy that if a patron can eat the entire dish without drinking any water, it's on the house. Again, what is the fascination?) Why does it inspire such emotion? Any thoughts on this?

To sleep, perchance to dream...of wasabi. 'night

I'm a weeper under the best of circumstances but I never cried during the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" in my entire life until I heard it played by Queen Elizabeth's Coldstream Guards in September, 2001. I still tear up when I think about it. I live about 40 miles from New York City and the skyline has always been a frequent background to my travel routes. I obsessed over the World Trade Center for months after 9/11 and still look away when I see it on television. The first time I went to Newark airport after the tragedy and saw all the National Guardsmen it felt like a funeral. I mouthed, "Thank you," to the first one who met my eye and he nodded and flashed me just the briefest of looks of relief before setting his jaw again. They have to put up with so much and are given so little...

Things have settled into a nervous kind of lull. There's always that simmering tension underscoring our day-to-day actions but patriotic displays tug at my heartstrings like never before. Selfishly, I'd rather feel removed from terror than part of it. I suppose we all would. I am part of this world, so that is neither realistic nor possible. Someone sent me this web site last month and I can't even imagine coming across the actual display. I would probably have to pull off the road and cry.

On a Rock in Rural Iowa

tends to gather dust bunnies. So, it is actually doing something, if something relatively useless. Giving sanctuary to homeless, unwanted dust bunnies could be commendable if seen in the right light - the right light being low enough to avoid seeing the dust bunnies at all. They say what I don't know won't hurt me. I hope they're right - someone must be right, mustn't they? I like being right, myself.

Dust bunnies are scary
small and grey and hairy
making fearsome shadows
in the flashlight beam shows

Ignorance is bliss, now
just avoid the knowhow
Don't ask and don't tell me
Don't look, see? It's easy

Pretend they are not there
Think about the March Hare
Anything but what's down
underneath the dark brown

sofa

Oops. That was a bit like haiku. Please forgive me for any coincidental resemblance to actual haiku, whether living or dead. It was purely unintentional, as is much of the content of this blog. It will be donated to science upon its demise.

nothing, really. The sky should be black but it's dark grey with snow and clouds, and the snow is coming down hard enough that not much else is visible. Local schools let out two hours early this afternoon but my office did not. Two of us brushed off my car (thanks, Lori) and my 13-minute drive home took about an hour. There's an anomalous tropical storm raging in the Caribbean (the meteorologists on The Weather Channel are having a collective cow because it's five days past the end of hurricane season. I always wondered why the weather kept to such a strict schedule down there) and a blizzard is now forecast for the northeastern US where I am. So, it looks like the program for tomorrow is digging out, mopping up, tidying a bit, cobbling together some meals from the pantry and freezer and listening to/playing some music. Who says you can't get something for nothing? :) Or is it something *from* nothing? You definitely can't get something *from* nothing, so it must be the first one. I just re-read that and it doesn't look like what I meant. Anyway...that's the whole problem with the big bang theory and dark matter. No one can prove it exists but it must because otherwise the theory requires production of matter from nothing which is impossible. Silly rabbit - tricks are for kids. I have a bumper sticker that says the big bang theory is, "God spoke and - BANG! - it happened". At least that works without making anything up.

'night

Brownies and fudge squares and peppermint patties
kisses and syrup and chocolate chunk cookies
frosting and fondue about which to sing
These are a few yummy chocolate things

Devil's food cake and hot fudge sauce beside
crisp chocolate coating where ice cream can hide
rich chocolate pudding, dipped pineapple rings
These are some more yummy chocolate things

When my diet seems too healthy
and my mouth's asleep
I simply indulge in some chocolate things
and then I sigh ohhhhhhhhh so deep

Chocolate souffle and dark chocolate mousse
Fat free sorbet that won't spread my caboose
Peanut butter cups and hot cocoa springs
These are some more yummy chocolate things

When my diet seems too healthy
and my mouth's asleep
I simply indulge in some chocolate things
and then I sigh ohhhhhhhhh so deep

Mother Earth News: For Love of Chocolate (includes recipes)

I think I'll be dreaming of chocolate, now. 'night :)

Poor grammar. Bad spelling. Incomplete sentences. One expects this from children but not from adults and certainly not from the media. (What planet am *I* from??) It shouldn't but it bothers me when I see misspellings in magazines and on CNN and hear actors playing highly educated characters using idioms incorrectly and saying "I" when they should say "me". I know it's because of the whole "you and I" fiasco but wrong is wrong. And what about these commercials that one would think have to pass through a panel of some kind for final approval before reaching our television sets? Hotels.com is one of the moment. A nicely-dressed woman holding the end of a measuring tape marches purposefully up a flight of steps, stoops to touch the tape to the walkway of her destination point and then releases it. Watching the tape make its way back through the city to its point of origin is cute, I'll grant you, but unless she communicated telepathically with the doorman holding the other end of the tape as to when she reached her destination, how did she know how far she'd walked when the doorman was the only one who could determine that???
My all-time favorite is an old car commercial. A motivational speaker is motivating away in front of his audience and then says, "Now, I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you're driving...THIS!" The television audience presumably sees the film he motions towards of a car hugging the curves of a mountain road but...did he or did he not just tell the nice people to close their eyes? What exactly were they supposed to be imagining? Airforce One? The batmobile? A sampan? A surrey? (Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry.) How did these things get past every single person who reviewed them? Am I the only person who cares? Here's a quarter - call me.