13 January 2008

There are so many ways to waste time on your computer. I thought I'd write a mid-day post before finally settling down to read. The dashboard showed I was on post 501, which I didn't think was right. I went to edit, and saw a lot of drafts. Unless I'm missing something, you have to delete them one by one. You know, hit delete, on say, post 258, then view post 258 and hit, yes, I really want to do that, then the screen refreshes and brings you back to post 1 and you have to scroll to find post 259. Well, it's cleaned out. I did find 2 meme drafts. They're the only drafts I kept. Cause one day, you know,...

I met Kit at our lodge. See, it's changed from Caribou to 'the lodge' to 'our lodge'. I had a conversation with a woman sporting a Caribou duffel bag. She was just settling into a leather lounger with a book. I asked if she worked there, as I noticed her logo-ed bag. She showed me her Caribou shirt, and told me she just loves to hang out there. She lives nearby with her husband and teenage sons, but comes in about three times a day. Wow! My once a week is nothing!

I went to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for a couple of meals. When I was checking out I saw a man rush in, pick up a store circular, and page through it. As I was walking to my car, I saw him hurriedly get into the car next to mine. I worried that he was going to back out without looking. Glancing in his car as I opened my door, I saw him reading the circular. Strange..he had been in such a rush. Then I looked in the back and saw twin babies strapped in their car seats. He had left them alone in the car! In the middle of a busy, big shopping center. Shame on him. Whatever he was looking for was not worth the risk of leaving those babies alone.

I thought about doing something 'exciting' today, but Emily wanted to watch the football games on her friend's big screen TV, and there was really nothing I wanted to do. I read Summer's blog, and got to thinking about happiness. She was talking about memories of her grandmother's kitchen, and how happy the sounds and smell of the running water in that kitchen made her. It made me think of how lucky I am to be happy with my little life. How the sounds of my chimes bring me real pleasure. How I can sit on my porch in nice weather and just be content. How I like my routines. I'm content. Would I like a more exciting life? In some ways. I'd like more friends. I'd like to be asked to do stuff, to be invited, to be part of a group. But I'd still need my alone time. I'm never lonely. I wouldn't mind hanging out with a bunch of you. I'd name names, but I wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. (It's the middle child thing...middle sister, I should say) Some of you have exciting lives, and I'd like to experience that. I'd like to live in Palm Springs, and WA, and Florida and AL. And GA with my sister. But, I'm here, and I'm alright. Reading about the lives of my blogging friends lets me travel along with you. So ladeda.

I made the dough for Ree's Oatmeal Crispies earlier today. It's in logs in the refrigerator waiting to be baked. I bought pork chops and Shake and Bake and we'll have that and broccoli and couscous for dinner. I used Happyone's recipe for Eggplant Parmesan, and made two pans of it. I ate a slice for lunch and it was delicious. I'll bring one of the pans to my mother tomorrow. I thought of making bread and looked through a cookbook, then thought, why? I was busy enough. I did a few loads of laundry. Listened to Em's iTouch while browsing through the papers. And did this writing instead of reading my book. Ah well. There's always tomorrow. And with that, I'll sign off and start the dinner.

17 comments:

C.A. said...

Cheryl, I don't think you give yourself enough credit. It may not be that others live "exciting" lives...their lives are just....different. I'd LOVE to be able to sit at your "lodge" or have a Panera's close enough to blog from.

I can't believe that guy left those babies in the car to get a dumb sale flier!

I hope youre having a wonderful Sunday and that your week is full of joy and peacefulness!

Hugs...

Cindi Ann

Jay said...

Well I know that I'm not one of the people with the "exciting" lives you are talking about. LOL

I would love to live in FL or WA too. Not so much in AL. LOL Nothing personal against people in AL, but I live in AR so it just wouldn't be that much different. haha

Hey, remember if you have drafts that haven't been published and you decide to go ahead and post them you need to change the date or blogger will just post it in order and it won't show up in people's Readers. Did that make sense? Blogger won't move it to the top if you don't change the date on it. ;-)

Andrew said...

I think your life is just fine. I would trade you anyday to have a job I loved, a cool kid, and to hang out at "our lodge" in my down time. I am just so thankful you share it with us. I'll trade you a Ferret for a lodge! LOL Have a great night, Cheryl!

beachgirl said...

Hi Cheryl,
I have an idea. How would you like to take some pictures of Caribou Lodge. For some reason we don't seem to have any in Florida. That way I can get a visual.
My weekend was spent on or near the beach. I finally finished a book I was reading and started another one. The gym and on my motorcycle. Followed by Football, football and more football. I really enjoyed the Green Bay game and all that snow.
I don't usually have such a deep tan this time of year. But I am enjoying spending so much time on the beach. And the weather has been warm, even for us, But I count that as a plus.

Have an awesome week.

Carol

Happyone said...

Glad to hear you liked the recipe. I made another good one tonight for supper - manicotti.

I feel like you - my life isn't all that exciting, but I'm happy and enjoy each day.
Happy and content is good! :-)
It's more than a lot of people have.

Lena said...

We don't have a Caribou Lodge around here, either.

I will be on the look out should they pop up.

We do have Panera Bread close by and I am so intent on stopping there to blog and have lunch...but never seem to make it.

Mary said...

Cheryl, There is much to be said for a quiet, content, peaceful life. I've had just that since Feb 28, 2003, and have never been bored.

I had a fast paced life for almost 20 years. I saw a LOT of the world in a whirlwind of work-related travel, was familiar with airports in many major cities (and some not so major), experienced different cultures and customs and learned, first hand, that the world really is a small place. But when it was over I never looked back. There really is no place like home.

Your dinner sounds yummy. Aren't Ree's recipes the best? I've tried a few and they've all been a success. Your baked pineapple recipe is the winner with my gang. They requested it for next week. "Will you make two pans - big pans?" Of course I will.

Mo said...

Oooh, What did you make for dinner?

Whatever it was I am sure it was absolutely fab and puts my Trader Joe's spinach pie and orange to shame.

I find peace and comfort in my alone time, especially when I am traveling for business. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like sitting in my space, around my things, and just being that compares.

I like to read about your life. You seem very happy and blessed. Something we should all be so fortunate to have.

Anytime you want to visit, WA is waiting for you. Can you handle cats? If so, you're in!

Moohaa said...

I think you live an exciting life! You are always doing something and have a great job. And you're so talented with the cards and decorating.

WA is a really great place to live though, I'll give you that!

Jamie said...

If you want to see a truly b-o-r-i-n-g life, you need to live in my town in IOWA. Then you would feel so blessed to have the excitement that you do! I think your life sounds wonderful, and I really think it's awesome that you are happy, so very few are. :)

bonnie said...

The only Caribou I know is coffee. I must be missing something. I think I'd like to live in San Francisco all year round, Seattle briefly, Vancouver in the summer, and Scottsdale in the winter.

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

Okay, When my heart is swallowed back down to where it's supposed to go, I'll be back..that paragraph about the father and his children really got to me.
Nothing upsets me more than reckless ignorant parents like this man..we all make mistakes,but something like this? He might as well allow them to sit free in the back seat of the car without seatbelts, reckless reckless man..

OOOHhh..oatmeal crispies..they sound delicious!!
ANd "our Lodge" is so cute. You two should have shirts made up with that..no one would know what it means but the both of you from glanced at by passerbys.
:)
Have a fantastic final end to your weekend, today!! :)

Always,
Elizabeth

SOUL said...

you are so oooooo much more patient than me. i have never ONCE been able to leave a ROLL of cookie dough in my fridge for an hour--or overnight-- only to roll it out--or slice it etc.. id much rather slosh it around in a bowl for a few minutes -- or skip it altogether.

and as for the deleting blog posts one at a time--- why in the world is it like that?? i just got carpel tunnel doing that-- i deleted over five hundred posts on my blog-- one at a time-- click here scroll there go over here-- click-- over and over. i thought it would kill me.

but anyhow-- oh.. and "a slice" of eggplant? how do you eat one slice? that's like a bite. i would have to have a plate full to get the true effect. sounds good though.

happy monday

Billy said...

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

dawn said...

i am still omGing over those poor babies in the car.

your life is so exciting to me. i love reading your blog...

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

How's the day going???
Hope good? ANy lodge visits?
your life is a great read, my dear friend!
Always your friend,
Elizabeth

heiresschild said...

leaving babies in the car--sometimes people just don't think!

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