It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

In case you watched the debates, read a newspaper, or experienced grief in your day…here you go:

Driving along the interstate I was met with the exact same road closure that has been instituted all summer. (In Colorado, btw) The road narrows to one lane, speed drops from 75 to 55, and NOTHING is occurring on either side of this major road.

However, I got excited when the flashing sign read, “Caution. Various Crews ahead.” What in the world could that mean? Was I actually going to see something of interest? Various? Not just one kind of crew, but different types all going about the business of reopening this road, which they have had all summer to do for the 12 miles that have been slowed. (Previously we went to 45 mph, so we are doing a little better.)

I was getting in another snit, when it occurred to me that this is how things operate at my home, too. We thought about replacing the deck three years ago. We talked about it for a good year and a half. We got some estimates. We finally decided to do it ourselves. Perhaps this road is still being discussed over coffee and rolls?

For Christmas I think I will give family members orange traffic cones. This will be our way to say, “We’re thinking about a change, but haven’t quite committed or decided. Please don’t bother asking about it. Slow your ruminating on this subject.”

I wouldn’t charge $22 for them either.

That is exactly the tune for airline travel these days. As everyone is masked up from the point of entry into the parking arena of departure until arrival at the hotel in the chosen city, all a person does with fellow human beings is wink a smile, blink a smile, or nod in a communal understanding mode.

I have perfected the head nod, having had practice with that Midwestern driving technique. Blinking my eyes seems to be easier for me than winking, since I usually have one eye shut in squinting mode anyway. And as a recent airline passenger, masks do make conversation nearly null and void. Great for you in the event you aren’t a chatty person that day. So what additional means have we to communicate other than winking, blinking, nodding and yelling through our masks?

If you’re walking along the Mount Vernon Trailhead, which parallels the highway, you can wave over the concrete walls to passing motorists and truckers. Lots of honks and others waving back can give your little heart a boost. Or, you can also dance through the international terminal at Dulles without any repercussion, as there is absolutely no audience available.

Go forth waving and dancing is our mantra for today.

Even my spell check wonders about this word! It happened to be in my feed for the day, and it happened to be what we experienced at my nephew’s wedding last night.

Yes, it feels like the wedding feast at Cana may be coming to an end after this weekend. We have had such a wonderful time celebrating two marriages in our family in one week. And such beautiful new members have joined our clans. To celebrate last night’s event, the dining menu was truly pantophagous. I find it impossible to list all of the delectable appetizers and desserts served. My salmon was outstanding though!

Once again there was swaying and gyrating to some wonderful tunes, and once again, the familiar, “Snap, crackle and pop,” of my joints has been my alarm. With over 20,000 steps for yesterday, I look forward to continuing the march as we head out to tour the sights, whether they are open or not.

I hope to dance through my day again.

Watch the furniture commercials. EVERY single female actress hawking furniture does the EXACT same maneuvers. Walk forward while making the introduction or wrap-up, stop, put the right or left leg slightly up with the knee bent. It really drives me NUTS!

I’m just assuming the same film crew and director are in charge. There is a little difference in hand motions. Either the arms are at the side, or folded together in front. I guess that’s what helps them stand apart? Ha!

Obviously, I have to find a new project. I’m just biding time until I tackle the ones awaiting me in the storage side of my garage. My husband deserves a bit of a break.

Okay – so I am definitely having dinner at the restaurant which is putting plastic “snow globes” in their outdoor dining venue! How fun is that anyway? I don’t remember the name of the downtown eatery, but I’ll find it. They were featured on the news.

I wondered how we were going to handle the inside dining business now that the weather is turning. This photo, sent to me by a bridge colleague, does not appeal to me at all.

However, there is the fact that I want to spend a night in the ice hotel over in Norway or wherever it is. So, maybe I could dine in the middle of the street during a snowstorm? I did survive the Antarctica snow. (Okay…Summer time) Proper equipment is the answer!

(I did keep those silly panty hose from my “clean out” adventure. Anyone who ever wore them knows they keep you warm and uncomfortable at the same time. Now I know why I have them in storage.)

You’d think the weekend would have been celebration enough, and yet, we continue today with the joyous remembrance of the birth of our son! Fortunately for us, unfortunately for him, we are home this year and there is no shindig being hosted at our house. Today’s sticky floors are not attributable to him.

His birth day is pretty much ingrained in my head as it snowed that day, his time of birth was the same numerical stamp as my room number, and they whisked him away from me as they worried about a possible complication. I don’t remember being too concerned, but I was antsy to see him three hours later! He was fine.

So there is a saying in our family which originated with my daughter when she was a little girl. It’s called the “Walking down the street thing.” It goes something like this:

“Son, if I saw you with another mother walking down the street, I’d wish you were my little boy.”

It’s still true today.

Someone on that Next Door Neighbor app was advertising, “free pine needles.” ?

I just spent time raking and sweeping millions of needles for the second time this summer, and I skipped a majority of them. What would they be good for? They’re lovely in the mountains, but not on my driveway. Then I started to think, “If I would have advertised that same exciting opportunity would someone have come and raked them all for me?” I guess that’s a consideration for the next mitigation event.

A shout-out to my neighbor who is letting me throw three million of them in her garbage pick up this week. And if anyone wants some of those craft-potential, mulching agent, desiccated, free pine needles, I saved some. Just bring your rake.

Coming across the APAB wire, (Associated Press ala Babs) was this lovely little notice from cleaning guru, Marie Kondo.

I think it’s a typo. She meant to add a zero to that. Or perhaps she meant to say, “Ideally, keep fewer than 30 in any given room.” That’s what I seem to have going on here, and I’m pretty organized.

As a matter of fact, it’s lunch time and I’m considering my book and a nap to follow. Oh wait…I have a list to finish in my attempts to be organized. That nap and good read might have to wait another month.

It’s wedding week here, and in preparation, we are sewing bean bags. Okay, we are doing other things, but that is one little duty to which I had to attend. Whilst sewing and stuffing my daughter and I watched, “Finding Nemo,” for the hundredth time. It just happened to be on and always elicits laughs.

During the scene where Dory is speaking “humpback” to the whale, we start laughing at her attempts to convey her message in different whale-speak. She’s just so matter-of-fact and happy, looking at the bright side and not seeing any downside to trying! My bride-to-be daughter calmly states, “We should be more Dory and less Marlin.”

Going for it! Dory is it!