Success

At the gas station this morning on my way to work I saw a man with a pet raccoon. It made me wonder a) where he was from; and b) if he was in control of his mental facilities. My knowledge of raccoon's is that they're messy, can drown a dog, don't back down and are just generally mean. However they do make fantastic hats. Why anyone would have one on a leash, let alone in a car with them, is beyond me. 

At work Megan and I baked a cake. On break. In the microwave. (No, there were no fires). With two ingredients.  

Yup, all you need to make a cake is a box mix and a 12 oz can of soda. Sprite or 7-up for a white yellow cake and I think Coke or Pepsi for chocolate. That's it. Mix and nuke about 8-10 min. Or put it in the oven.

I must admit the top doesn't turn brown with microwaving, so if you go that route, definitely throw some frosting on. The cake's quite moist although oddly crumbly. I don't really know how to explain it. Try it and you'll see what I mean. 

After that I contributed to making a kid cry. (Future note, a kid wanting to look at a Disney key, it isn't just cause they want to look at it. They actually want a real key and to buy it with their own money. I'm pretty sure a) didn't know what a real key was and b) did not have $5 bucks burning a hole in my pocket at that age). 

All in all a successful day. 

Happiest Place on Earth?

I had a really clever way to start this, but I can’t remember it now. That’s what I get for waiting several days before typing.

I visited Santa Cruz last Tuesday for a fantastic day of Redwoods, ocean, acai, chilling, mudslides, Harry Potter, and friends. Needless to say I was rather tired at the end of my 8 hour shift Wed. My faithful friends were very kind in allowing me to affirm my coming last minute. Why last minute? Because my family was going to Disneyland, (well over half of them anyway) and I wanted to go.

It was a rather last minute trip in itself. Mom started planning the day after Christmas, trying to figure out logistics. Last Tuesday’s dental appointments threw a kink in the plan that couldn’t be worked out until less than a week before the launch making it impossible for me to get time off from work. The thought of not getting to experience Disneyland with my sisters yet again was bitter. After expressing my displeasure Sunday (before I went to Santa Cruz) Mom threw me a bone mentioning they were going to be back in Disneyland Monday and part of Tuesday before heading home. 

My hopes soared; maybe, just maybe I could get Monday off and get to join them for a glorious day of fantastic adventure. I texted my manager on her day off to ask; I would have ignored it, but she responded promptly and next thing I knew I had it off! Watch out Disneyland here I come!!!!!!!!

I was on a high, pure joy that lasted approximately 10 minutes. Then I started thinking and became a little dissatisfied, if I didn’t have the Sunday Morning kid programs I could have had more time. More time for ME. More time with my FAMILY. More time to CHILL.  I was done at 4 pm Saturday, if only….. Ridiculous! I’d just been given an unexpected, priceless gift and I wasn’t satisfied, I wanted more.  After all I deserved more. I’ve worked hard and faithfully, and I just need a break. Maybe I could make it work; maybe I could shuffle things around???

Almost as soon as I thought it I realized the problem, but it still irked me. Even as I laughed, I didn’t want to give up on the dream; I wanted to fix things to make what I thought was best for me. It might have worked, part of me still wonders, but I realized I needed to surrender my schedule and trust the One who made me with it. The alternative was stress and frustration.

So here I sit, Saturday night. Tomorrow after Church I’m catching a train to head down south. I won’t get in as early as I’d like, but its ok. I have time to get things, like packing, done. And I’m not dumping my responsibilities on others causing them stress. Added bonus, I got to hang out and chat with Aunt Judy tonight, and I think I might get to catch a quick bite with my brother for lunch tomorrow. Extra presents that were definitely not part of my “plan”.

In order to have peace, contentment and enjoy my trip, I had to give over. My plan was to write this on the train. But Mom says pack light, so I’m leaving my comp and writing tonight.

Dude, I’m on my way to Disneyland!

Father Knows Best

"When it comes to babies 'accidentally' getting hurt, Mom's are like OSHA; there are no accidents."

- Dad 
New Year's Day 2013


No babies were injured during the inspiration for this quote.

Delayed, but not Snuffed Out.

Christmas is over. No longer do I have to listen to the same 10 Christmas carol’s 8 hours a day, or worry about excommunication and the Church Christmas pageant. The stress has ended. It actually ended the night before Christmas Eve and I've spent the week following Christmas finally enjoying the season. As pointed out in Church on Sunday, there are 12 days of Christmas. By my count I've still got a few more days to go. Bring on the Christmas specials, lights, and goodies. The smoldering embers of the Holiday Spirit has flared to life!



In the spirit of Christmas, author accepting any delayed, spontaneously given gifts. Wrapping paper required.