13 years ago

13 years ago today, I had braces affixed to my teeth. It was a rather cruel realization that I would not be participating in the Thanksgiving feast as my teeth would be sore. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love all the food that Mom prepares and the noise of everyone sitting around the table eating mounds of turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberries. I can only guess that the appointment maker in the house didn't connect the dots between braces and Thanksgiving. I spent Thanksgiving that year eating raspberry jello and mashed potatoes, and while I do like both of those, I did miss out on many other once a year delicacies. I have, of course, forgiven my mother for that mistake, but I do like to bring it up every once in awhile just because I like to watch her response. And since I survived my almost food-less Thanksgiving, I figure now it makes a pretty good story. Seriously, what kid gets their braces put on the day before Thanksgiving?

Observations

~Last night the half-moon hung suspended near the tree line and it looked like a glowing paper lantern.
~Babes (a strip club of some sort) had this announcement on their sign: Opens at 3pm.
~My little town already hung all their Christmas decorations.
~Very boring but rewarding shopping--sock shopping.
~4 day work weeks make me happy.

Curiosity

People intrigue me. I think they always have. I'm the girl who is distracted from conversation in restaurants because I'm people watching (it's fascinating to see how people chew, how they talk with they're hands, how they generally interact).
Tonight as I was driving home from work (it took me nearly 45 minutes), I drove over I-74. A few cars were parked on the overpass and there were at least 6 people milling around watching the interstate below. At a quick glance all I could see were several fire engines, an ambulance, and absolutely no moving traffic. And the people above were so interested in the issues down below that they just stopped to watch the details unfold in the fading sunlight. Do people not have destinations? People to go home to? Appointments to keep? How can they just stop to satisfy their curiosity for so long?
Perhaps I am too tied to time constraints and therefore do not afford myself the luxury of stopping to watch disasters.

Head in the Clouds

After the dreary, drippy start to the day (my awake time started even earlier than normal with mighty thunder waking me in the 5 o'clock hour), the sky brightened into a late evening sunset. As I was driving to church, I noticed a fling of cotton candy clouds shaped like a two-headed rabbit (one head at each end with the body between) with ears pressed back and paws stretched forward. It was leaping in an arc. For a fleeting moment I wished to be that rabbit.

What happens when I'm gone 8+ hours a day?

Last night after I got home from work and book club, I sat at my desk to check email. Perched in the corner of my desk, just a few inches from my computer, was a lime green BB pellet. I just cleaned--dusted and vacuumed--Wednesday and my room is mostly closed to through traffic. So, where did that little bugger come from?

My Tuesday in an Image

As I was walking towards my section at work today, I passed a boy waddling because he'd peed his pants. Sure enough, when I walked to my cart, about a foot away was a darkened circle of pee on the carpet.

And so the week goes...

(P.S. I won't do these image posts everyday, but there have been such fitting ones this week.)

My Monday in an Image

At Target tonight I lifted up a box of colored stationery; the bottom opened up and papers spilled all over the floor.

Confrontation

Well, somehow my last entry disappeared and now I'm losing my momentum to re-type. But, here goes...

I am an avoider of confrontation. Probably to a fault. However, last week I received a credit card bill that required unusual attention as I had a surprising fee charged to my account. So, earlier in the week I put on my confrontation hat and called the 1-800 number. I got a voice message system that wouldn't take me to a person. I found another number on their website and when I dialed it took me to the exact same machine. I found yet another number--this one for direct banking which I had no interest in, but dialed anyway--and when I pressed my selection, it took me back to the original message. Frustrated, I quit. Tonight I finally got around to calling back (after talking to Dad and receiving the advice of pressing '0' until I got an operator). I did finally got to a new automated voice that said my call would be answered, but I'd be waiting at least 10 minutes due to the high volume of calls.

Therefore, I started my conversation with Kat--I semi-foreign girl--a little put out. We suffered through a lengthy, far from succinct conversation where she repeated rote script throughout. Finally she asked me if she'd been able to help me and I said, "Well, you helped me with one thing, but not with the other." Lest I sound rude, let me explain. I have been a very faithful, timely customer to this company for over 3 years and the thanks I've gotten include: abysmally low credit limit that has increased maybe $200 since I joined them and now this fee. I realize that Kat is just the peon that answers the phone and deals with annoyed customers, but seriously, from our conversation did she really think she'd helped me? She did waive the unnecessary fee after about 7 minutes of me talking, but the credit line increase was refused. And you know what she had the audacity to say? Something along the lines of, Well, it is always good to be on time with your bills. (This is my americanized version of what she said.) I have always paid every bill on time and in full. What does this company want in a customer?

Perhaps I'll take my business elsewhere.

Cautionary Command

A Starbucks employee leaning out the drive-thru window handing me two hot teas: PLEASE be careful. They're 200 degrees each. (As if they would be 200 degrees together.) Brought a smile to my face.

What am I reading...

I've always thought of myself as an avid reader. Somehow to prove that to myself this year, I set a goal to read a book a week. With only something like 8 weeks to go in the year, I've read maybe 30 books, falling woefully behind. I may not reach my goal, but I'll keep reading.
One shelf in my bedroom is devoted to books I plan to read. Instead of shrinking, the number of books is ever expanding.
I keep at least two books going at one time--a work book and a home book. Currently at work I'm reading The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man. This was a suggestion from a literary co-worker and I'm finding it a quick read. Perhaps not the most interesting book, but the author discusses being a coloured man in the north and the south and his impressions of relationships between blacks and whites. At home I was reading Barbara Kingsolver's newest book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but I had to set it aside to make it through my book club book The Time Traveler's Wife. So far I prefer the former book, but as book club is next week, that read takes precedence. Until I've completed the book I won't say anything more on it because I'm still trying to sort it out.
To aid in my literary well-roundedness I try to balance the fiction and non-fiction reading. Some years I feel that I focus too much on the fiction and neglect the amazing works of non-fiction. However, this year I've erred more to the side of non-fiction. However, the best work of fiction this year was Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. This Australian author has an amazing ability to handle language. I read sentences that caused me to stop and revel in their beauty. I wholeheartedly recommend this book! I've read several very good non-fiction books this year. The most amusing, though, was definitely Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. He is always good for a laugh.
I love discovering new books. This year I found in my bookstore the section that contains books about books. I read several about rare book collecting or avid readers. Very fascinating!
When it comes to books I could go on for ages, but I'll leave it at this for now. My reading is never-ending. I know I'll return to this subject in future posts because books are a crucial part of life. As I encounter the people, stories, knowledge found in the pages of books, I believe that I become a part of what I read. I never close a book as exactly the same person I was when I opened it, the words and worlds bring change--big and little. There is an awesome power in books and reading!