miscellany.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

A double rainbow. Just because.
As I scrolled through my blogroll this morning, mining for inspiration, the first sentence of most posts started along the lines of Thank goodness it's Friday! This felt like the longest week! I don't disagree. Kiddo has 2.5 weeks of school left. (I'm counting down the days until our 6a wake up call takes a hiatus.) Then we have 1.5 weeks to pack up all our earthly belongings and drive a 26' Penske truck across the country... while towing a SUV, while driving a second car, while transporting a dog, a cat and a kid. I proposed the idea of stopping at every national park along the way and Mario just stared at me like I'd sprung horns. I had some sort of romantic notion of sleeping under the stars on protected land... with a cat? Time to start downloading some audiobooks. We live in the country so our internet is out of the Dark Ages and it will literally take four weeks to download enough content onto my iPod to fill our drive. But I digress.

Precisely one month from today we move. Four weeks! Thirty days! The pre-move hubbub has officially begun. My ruggedly handsome fellow is driving home from the Boston airport as we speak. Swoon. Tomorrow brings a goodbye party for the CrossFit coach of my dreams. I'm crying inside. How am I going to lift without her? (See what I did there.) After the hangover wears off on Sunday, I'm headed to a double-unders clinic. I'm going to learn how to jump rope before we move if it kills me. Next weekend we are throwing an end of the school year/we're getting the heck out of Dodge shindig at our house. I foresee a martini and Bloody Mary bar in our driveway. (The perfect way to use up condiments, no?)

Here's a little of what has been ruminating in my brain as of late:


// A while back I read a blurb somewhere about mixing coconut oil in your morning cup of joe to get your daily fix of the wondrous plant fat. I've done it for a while, but because I drink my brew with a straw, the good stuff stays floating on the top. Then I came across a blog post on Sincerely, Kinsey about this very issue and had a Why didn't I think of that? moment. Back in the day I had a habit of gifting Mario with random kitchen gadgets when the mood struck, and on one such occasion sprung for an Aerolatte frother. I'm still scratching my head over that one. I dug that bad boy out of the odds-n-ends drawer, dusted it off, and now use it every day. I spoon a bit of coconut oil out of the jar, leave the utensil in the mug, and let the coffee melt it off as it brews (we use a Keurig). Then I froth it for a minute to incorporate. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit I've hosed off the surrounding area with coffee on several occasions. Note to self: use an adequately roomy mug.) It could be totally in my head, as I'm certainly not immune to the placebo effect, but I swear the coconut oil adds a little oomph to my coffee. Bonus: the oil and a dollop of almond milk imparts a certain smoothness. Oh, and if you haven't yet, try "Jamaica Me Crazy". Wolfgang found a winner in that one. //

// I've talked about my crotchety scalp before. It's the bane of my existence. Only, I've found my head skin's soul mate. In a recent moment of desperation, I starting grabbing products off the shelf of my local co-op. My scalp had been driving me mad for a couple months... flaking, itching, burning and the like. Badger Balm's Jojoba Hair Oil has been my saving grace. (Mario loves the word jojoba. Jojoba. Jojoba. Hoooohhh-hoba says he.) I wash my hair every other morning, and the night before washing I lightly coat my scalp in this magic potion and sleep on it. For the first time, perhaps ever, I've found peace. It's pricey and I go through a bottle quickly, but the ingredients are commonplace so I decided to try my hand at making it. For the cost of two (2 ounce) bottles, I made about 6 ounces of oil and have enough essential oils left to make dozens more. I feel so domestic and crunchy. Winning. (Is anyone besides me still saying that?) //

// I've been in a TV funk lately. My old DVR standbys are failing to entertain me. But all is not lost. Mario and I decided to give The Good Wife a go a couple weeks ago and go hooked; I was staying up way past my bed time so we could watch just one more episode. He's been traveling all week so I'm going through withdrawals. In the meantime, I've been trying out Black Box. The jury's still out on this one, but I'm definitely fascinated. My saving grace may be the release of the new season of Orange is the New Black which came out today. Do you ever go through those weird phases where you settle on a channel and it doesn't change for an extended period of time? It's happened before with The Food Network. Right now, it's HGTV. Property Brothers, Flip or Flop, Love It or List It... I can't get enough. Home improvement shows have become the soundtrack of my home life. Burnout must be coming soon, I'd think. Then I discovered Fixer Upper last night and my love was renewed. It's not that the format is original, far from it, but I like their rustic style. Which brings me to my next subject... //

// I wrote earlier this week about my nervous energy and its propensity to manifest itself in the electronic world. Social media, specifically. It's why I didn't take my laptop into the house for a couple weeks. Then I read a post on The Art of Simple this week and had a profound realization: television has taken over my life. It's on way more than it used to be and I have been using it to escape real life. An escape from packing for our move. From the loneliness that comes with missing my husband. From dealing with life's uncomfortable moments and the thoughts that accompany them. I'm reading less, interacting less, barely blogging or writing, and in general using television as a mind numbing device. I'm missing out on life and valuable moments and I have to get it under control. In that moment of clarity, I flashed back to the boys playing a board game at the table while I watched House Hunters from the couch. (This happened more than once, I'm ashamed to admit.) Gosh was that post an awakening for me. It seems like such a little thing, an easy fix, watching too much television. Still, it shook my foundation. Nagging boredom and the incessant need for external diversions signals a state in need of adjustment. //


// And while we are on the subject of being present, I read a quote this week about listening to your kids. I am usually all ears when it comes to Jared, but it made me think about those times when I murmur ohs and ahas and uh huhs, meanwhile looking down at my iPad or phone while he's telling me about Star Trek or the physics of the universe or Doctor Who or a joke he's made up. We talk a lot and have a great relationship. But do I really look him in the eye and take it all in with the attention he deserves? No, not always. Not enough, anyway. And that has to change as well. His brilliant mind calls for nothing less than my undivided attention when I have it to give. My time with him is fleeting, after all. Earlier this week I offered to return his books for him so he wouldn't have to carry them during his weekly after school trip to the library. As I was picking them up to put them in the bin, I became keenly aware of what he'd been reading in his spare time all week. How many kids read books about physics when they don't have to? I knew he read this sort of material, but I was struck by the wonder of it all. What a kid. A truly spectacular specimen. And he's mine. I won't take that for granted. //

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27ve_Got_Mail

// Kiddo loves the movie You've Got Mail. Loves it. My boy child loves a Nora Ephron movie. A movie with nary an action, sex, or alien-containing scene. Curling up on the couch to watch it with him, while discussing what that noise the internet used to make is exactly, makes my heart bloom. Watching a Nora Ephron movie about bookstores and interpersonal relationships with my main man is the opposite of distracting background noise. //

// On the topic of books and bookstores and the like, I was unaware of Amazon's fight with book publisher Hachette. I read the news every day, but somehow missed the controversy. Stephen Colbert, who I unabashedly love, waged war with Amazon this week and now I'm up to date. (This segment elaborates on the issue.) What is a girl with a Prime membership to do? I love real, hold-in-your-hands books but also love getting them in two short days (and let's be honest, at a discount). But I love independent booksellers and up and coming authors more. We are moving to Portland, home of Powell's, the most wondrous of all independent booksellers. So I'm going to do what my heart compels me to do. No more books from Amazon until they get their act together. //

And that's that. For today, anyway. My lack of blogging has left me with a subject list so long that including it all in one post would be insufferable. Because I know you are waiting with baited breath, more miscellany is in the wings. And then I'll start acting like a proper blogger and start writing with some regularity. (Instead of watching Beach Bargain Hunters.)


3 comments :

  1. hahahahahaha......I watched Beach Bargain Hunters last night instead of working on a deadline that is looming over my shoulder!!!

    Love your thoughts.......always makes me smile. And think!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! What is it about HGTV? It's an obsession these days. My poor husband. :)

      Delete

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