Monday, November 30, 2009

Miscellanea

I’m too full of pecan pie to write something meaningful, with an actual narrative, so I’m jotting down random thoughts about the holiday just past:


  • I’m thankful for a lovely meal with my dad’s family. I don’t want to offend any of the womenfolk, but my Cousin Josh’s chocolate chip pecan pie was the absolute best thing about the meal. Well, that & my nephew (B2) climbing up into the tree to hang my dad’s star. The neighbors were probably wondering why 30 people were milling about daddy’s yard staring up into the sky.
  • I’m thankful that I thought I smelled marshmallows toasting & happened to mention it, which sent daddy into the basement where he found that a pillow had been tossed up against the stove & was minutes away from conflagration. Yikes!
  • I’m thankful that Dr. M spent some quality time with his folks & came up with some strategies to help in this difficult time. And I’m thankful that the nursing home where his mother lives seems to be the perfect place for her right now.
  • I’m thankful that I had some catch-up time with my cousin Kim – we could probably talk for 8 hours straight & not run out of things to say. And they’re all important things! Really!
  • We traveled back Saturday evening, getting home a little after 11:00. I had planned to enjoy looking at Christmas lights. But let me tell you, there are not very many homes along I-77, I-64 or I-35. Very dark country that is (except for the gleaming capital dome in Charleston, WV). So I spent a lot of time keeping deer watch. Thankfully, the ones that we saw decided not to have a close encounter with our windshield.
Lastly, an open letter to a rest area.

Dear Mile Marker 59 Rest Area:

You are beautiful to behold. Your landscaped grounds are soothing and lovely. Your automatic toilet paper, automatic flush, automatic water, automatic soap & automatic hand dryer are wonderfully hygienic. There’s just one problem. I might be am probably exaggerating, but I do believe that walking the length of a football field and up a number of steps to get to your facility is cruel & unusual punishment. I waited for two hours to get to you. Do you really think that I should have to earn Weight Watchers Activity Points just to make use of your services? Next time I believe I’ll hold out for your more humble cousin down the road.

Love, The Bug

10 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great time with family.

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  2. I'm glad you had a good time with your family and a great Thanksgiving meal.
    (Not always, and not in every family gathering holidays are a pleasure, you know.).

    The open letter to the rest area - very well put.

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  3. Automatic toilet paper? How does that work? No, don't tell me.

    Good catch on the marshmallow/pillow situation.

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  4. The auto toilet paper actually didn't work! It was supposed to be like the paper towel ones - where the next piece comes out after you tear off a piece. I had to turn the little dial to make it work...

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  5. What a wonderful list of things for which to be thankful :-) Food, family, and house still standing make for a great list!

    I'm sure there are many things that are worse than that long trek to the rest area, but none of them are easily springing to mind. Relief....All...The...Way...Over...There is hardly relief at all!

    Cruel and unusual rest stop design, I say! Think of the full bladders of the world, desperately toddling forward, cursing each step. "By the time I got back to the car, I needed to go again!" is not a wise design, I'm telling you.

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  6. Do you think the rest area designer was a man? As in "Ahh, I'll just go behind that perfectly placed and manicured tree over there..."

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  7. Being a kid from the midwest we live and die by rest stops. I hate the ones where you need a canteen and hiking boots. Scenery aside...just get me to the loo!!

    I am glad you had a great time!!

    Amy

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  8. i think that long walk to the rest area keeps it clean -- many are deterred and leave! or don't make it to the actual rest area....

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  9. Loved reading all the things you are thankful for. It sounds like you all had a memorably good time!

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Thanks for stopping by - I'd love to hear what you have to say!

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