Miss Popularity she was not.

To add to our frustrations this afternoon, which were many, I just accidentally deleted everything I had written, making this the perfect end to a very aggravating day.  Don't ever let your wrecked car be impounded by Parker's Towing.  After three hours of arguing about whether or not they would accept payment from our insurance, and lots of phone calls between agents and managers and clerks (one of whom I mentally named Snarly) simply to allow us to visit our poor Subaru one last time, to get the license plate off, we finally, finally were allowed to do so.  I'm pretty sure no one else could see the steam coming out of my spouse's ears but I certainly could.  I can't wait for them to send us a Satisfaction Survey. 

Here's our last look at "Old Red."  On the brighter side, we will be taking delivery of "New Blue" on Thursday.

cookies!!!

 Today, again thank you to my west coast brother for the info, is "National Cookie Exchange Day."  In my much younger, but still old enough to have children, days, I vaguely remember being involved in some cookie exchanges, and they were fun, but honestly I've never been that thrilled with decorated cookies.  Don't get me wrong, I love seeing them and eating them, I just don't want to be involved in making them.  The cookies I make to share are more likely to be snickerdoodles or chocolate chip or molasses cookies.  Happily, I have great memories of my grandchildren helping me make those kinds of cookies.  Especially snickerdoodles.  If I had to make a big batch of these cinnamon sugar delights (and what would be the point of making a small batch?) my grandchildren would delight in rolling the dough into balls and then rolling the balls in a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar.  Then carefully arranging them in rows on the cookie sheet.  They were delicious served with a glass of milk, especially right out of the oven.  As an added bonus, there was usually enough of the cinnamon sugar mix to sprinkle on buttered toast for breakfast the next morning.  I may not be the master of elegantly decorated cookies, but I am near the top when it comes to easy to make, fun to eat comfort cookies.  Happy holidays everyone.

not according to plan..

 My west coast brother informed me earlier today that today is "National Look at the Bright Side Day."  As it turned out that was very good advice.  My spouse and I set out this morning on a pre-Christmas series of errands, pick up the ham we had ordered, pick up the bakery rolls, buy a few groceries, etc.  All was going well, until about a mile from home, CRASH! BANG! POOF! we collided with another vehicle (a big old tow truck to be exact) who didn't stop as expected at the four way stop.  A policeman later informed us that there have been several accidents at that intersection.  Actually not very comforting to know.  That poof! that I mentioned was the airbags inflating very rapidly.  Did you know that it costs $5,000 to replace a deployed airbag and there are almost always two involved, making any accident where the airbags go off considered a total?  Did you also know that airbags smell funny and leave lots of white dust floating in the air?  I didn't either until today.  I sat there in the passenger seat, stunned and bemused, watching white stuff float around a sad deflated big old balloon, while trying to figure out if I was hurt. I was, my chest hurt like someone had walloped me with a ball bat.  You've obviously figured out that, since I'm able to write this blog, the whole episode could have been much worse.  My spouse was fine, able to get out of the car quickly, have civil conversation with the other driver, call 91I, take pictures of the damage (considerable), talk with the police, etc.  My son, who lives right around the corner from us, came as soon as I called him and helped us get everything out of the car, wave good bye to our faithful Subaru, and then drive us home.  The next stop was the ER where I spent a fun afternoon while the professionals checked for any possible damage to  my chest.  Did you know that, once they have determined, after a CT scan and other fun tests, that a person has a cracked sternum (which I do) they then need to check to make sure one doesn't have a bruised heart (I don't)? That's why we're looking on the bright side.  Especially now that I'm fairly high on pain pills.  In case you're wondering, my wonder spouse was able to buy everything on our list, and Christmas dinner will go on as planned.  Although I may not be hugging everyone as firmly as I would like to.  Cheers everybody.   Keep looking on the bright side.

technology...

 Today, according to my west coast brother, is "Underdog Day."  This is how he spelled it, but I'm not sure if they mean an underdog like someone who is downtrodden or the amazing Under Dog of cartoon fame.  Today is also "Cathode-Ray Tube Day" when we salute whoever invented these tubes and the role they played in the development of television.  In one entry the invention was credited to Karl Ferdinand Braun, with a nod to Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton.  For details look them up.  I'm pretty sure that our first color television, which we purchased in 1969 (just in time for the first moon walk) had cathode-ray tubes, or CRTs if you prefer. It certainly wasn't flat and light weight.  Which brings me back to Under Dog.  My first spouse and I quickly discovered that there was a lot of fine tuning involved in getting the color right in dramas, news casts and other similar shows involving real live people.  On the other hand cartoons showed their colors brilliantly.  Since we both worked during the week, Saturday mornings became our favorite TV watching time.  Such classics as George of the Jungle, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and, of course, Under Dog satisfied our Saturday morning thirst for fine TV watching.  If you were also watching these cartoons way back when, I know you won't judge (they were very funny) and if you never watched them, I'm really sorry.  

loud noises and music

 Today evolved around me from noise, the demolition of my husband's shower, which involved lots of thumping and bumping, to music.  After listening to thuds and banging all day, we now have a shower lined with Go Board by Johns Manville.  This material is, I am assured, far superior to ordinary dry wall.  It won't disintegrate or dissolve or get moldy behind the ceramic tiles if the calking happens to develop cracks, which, after 20 years or so, it probably will.  So tomorrow and Saturday should actually be quieter days.  Affixing tiles to the walls can't be that noisy, can it?  But that's for tomorrow.

This evening, after the tile team left at 6:30pm (they do work long hours) my spouse and I went to the Holiday Pops.  Music is a lovely antidote to rhythm-less noise.  It was a joy to hear the Fort Wayne Children's Choir sing, and the Philharmonic choir and orchestra were as wonderful as always.  Now I can go to  sleep with melodies like 'The Twelve Days of Christmas,' 'Rudolph' and 'White Christmas' weaving through my dreams, instead of thump, bump, clatter, bang.  Hooray for Christmas music.   

elfs and plungers...

 Happy Wednesday.  (One week 'til Christmas).  According to my west coast brother today is "Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day."  I'm told that Buddy the Elf says "This is Buddy the Elf. What's your favorite color?"  It's up to you to decide if you want to answer the phone that way.  Personally, I think a simple "Hello" works well.  But how many of us actually answer the phone these days?  I much prefer texts and emails.  However, today is also "National Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day" if you want to celebrate in a different way.  Again, I'm just a bearer of information.  I don't recommend this at all, especially in the weather we're having.  A wooly knit stocking cap or a Russian style hat with fur lined ear flaps is much preferable in my opinion.  But, if you want to attract lots of attention, the plunger might be an option.  Do make sure it's a clean one.  And don't stick it on too hard if you're bald.  You might create some suction there and you will be wearing a plunger, whether you want to or not for a long time.  Of course you can ask someone in your family to help you get it off,  but you will need to wait patiently until they stop laughing.  

Wright? write? right? rite?

 Today, again thank you to my west coast brother, is Wright Brothers Day.  Quite coincidentally, Mr. Wright from Wright Brothers came to our house today to start the process of renovating our kitchen.  Not one of the original brothers of course.  He came with his assistant who is not anybody's brother, but has some very good ideas for spiffing up a kitchen.  Thirteen years ago this same company did an excellent remodel of the kitchen in the last house I owned.   Wright Brothers Renovation and Design is the name of the company, and I am happy to recommend them.  We will be meeting with them on January 3, to get their estimate, and, if that's acceptable, to pick the style of cabinets and flooring we want.  Such fun.  But, about those original Wright brothers - my maternal grandmother's maiden name was Wright, and I was always told that we were related to the Wright brothers and also Frank Lloyd Wright.  I know that last is true because when I was in my teens, an attorney came to our door with a check for my mother from the estate of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Evidently he died without a will, and his assets were being divided among all the living heirs that could be found.  I believe my mother's share was $38.  Woo Hoo!  Isn't it great to be related to someone rich and famous?  Perhaps I should ask today's Mr. Wright for a family discount?