A backlit red canopy, and your smiling face

I had one of those weird real life dreams where you wake up absolutely relieved to learn that it was all a dream because it was ONE CRAZY NIGHT. However, there were parts of it that I would like to have been true.
The red blanket on the bed that somehow became a huge red umbrella to segue into the next scene in traffic, and yet again became a big lit up red tent over that wild heavy metal concert. I don't know who the band was, but I did enjoy my date.
And he enjoyed me as well.
Thoroughly.
But that's not even the part I wish was true.

I sure would like for somebody to smile at me like that.

In real life.

Actually...

maybe...

just him...

sigh...

Threes again.

Achievements

1. Woke up breathing once again.
2. Wrote a page of Jess Harper's life.
3. Vacuumed.

Dissapointments

1. Woke up breathing, once again.
2. Only wrote one page.
3. Had to vacuum.

The Day of Three

I have a bad habit of listing things. I think it's because I like to pretend I'm organized and clutter free. Listing things...all things...gives me a false sense of order in my hectic and chaotic life. (This might possibly be an unknown form of Obsesseive/Compulsive Disorder. I should submit it to the Rulers of Psychiatry for further analysis. They'll publish it and I'll go down in Psychology Textbooks everywhere as being the discoverer of 'Order Disorder.' There will be a luncheon in my honor. I'd win an award and give a speech and I could list all the people I'd like to thank and help the caterer list all the people who'd rather have the fish..)

AnyHoo, on with the blog.

There's almost always a list in my pocket. Whether it's a list of things that are going on Ad this week, signs I need to make, my grocery receipt, Facebook on my phone- all lists, bringing a quiet hum of blissfulness into my day. I love it. I'm so very organized.


So I follow this great blog called 3BT, or Three Beautiful Things. It is written by a woman named Clare who believes that no day should pass without being appreciated. She is amazing. She finds beauty in the oddest things sometimes. Everyday. She lists three things. I admire her restraint. Only Three...

And so I think everyday about the things that I find beautiful. It's a hard task, since I am probably the whiniest, bitchiest and most opinionated person you will ever know. I look sweet in my picture, but I assure you, it is farce...

So, Clare, hats off to you. Here's my lists.


BEAUTIES

1. Scott, who is the King of Meat, offered me a rollaway cooler specifically for the dreaded Reduced Section. This will keep me from needing to reset the counter twice a day. All hail The King of Meat.
2. Our house sold to a new landlord who turns out to be quite a cutie and doesn't seem to mind my dog.
3. There are plenty of mint chocolate chip creamcicles to share with Neighbor Kid. One for me, one for Matt and one for Neighbor Kid (Jeremiah? maybe)

UGLIES

1. The dog was left inside all day.
2. Hives.
3. Dirty Laundry.

Ignorance.

We will make such fools of ourselves.
We will trample forward
Fists raised
Mouths twisted in defiance
Blinders firmly in place
Screaming
and demanding
and slashing at everything
in our path
Oblivious to the damage we will cause.

We fools.


.

Thundersnow...

This is the reason I can't (won't) get in my car and go to Wal-Mart and get some Benadryl to soothe my itchy hives. The weather and my hives have both become steadily worse overnight. However, Jacob finally decided to share something with Matthew- a stomach flu. So I may have to get out in the weather anyhow to find some 7-up and crackers. (Poor kid.)

After a while, Crocodile...

I like the little kids, and all the little kids like me. (They think I am one.) I had my share of fun ones in the store today. One little boy couldn't stop saying "BYE" to me. He was all of two or three years old, and he liked the way I looked in my blue smock,  I suppose. His mom worried that I would be annoyed by him, but I rarely am.

 
He sat in his grocery cart and waved, "BYE!"
I waved back, "Bye-bye!"
He grinned and waved again, "BYE! BYE! BYE!"
And I returned it, whispering and slowly waving like a pageant queen in a parade, "bye...bye...bye..."
"BYE!"

and then a passerby decided to get in on the fun. She was a friendly older woman who seemed to be enjoying our little interaction.
"See ya later, alligator!" she said in a little sing-song voice, obviously pleased with herself for coming up with something other than our generic "byes."

And the friendly little boy with the big grin suddenly creased his brow and scowled at her and said in a low, threatening voice..."NOT YOU!"