Thinking

Saturday, January 7, 2022

Things I was thinking about today:

Drivers! C’mon. Follow the rules of the road. If you screw up, it doesn’t mean you can just drive where you aren’t supposed to and make it dangerous for everyone else. Seriously. We almost got taken out by people traveling on the wrong side of the snowy road (because they were driving TOO FAST and couldn’t take the curves/corner) in the two blocks it takes to get out of OUR NEIGHBORHOOD! Don’t even get me started on driving across the city.

Why do people order things other than Dutch Pot Pie Pannekoeken at Pannekoeken? It is the best. You can even get it for breakfast (because I have). Well, to be fair, we have recently discovered the everything hashbrowns, so now I order both. We know it is too much food, but since it is a real treat to eat there (35 minutes from home, so we have to be going across town for some other reason to eat there), I go for it. I bring my own storage container in a bag and put the half I don’t eat into it. I assume it is tacky, but I just can’t help taking a reusable (and I go really fast when I think no one is paying attention). It is not a fancy restaurant, and we are usually the only people around, because we always go at weird times, so I rationalize it just fine.

How many times has Keith laughed when I am dancing? I mean in total – across 40ish years. It was at least seven today.

After I worked reallllly hard to put 15 ornaments in a get-rid-of pile, should Keith just put them back in with the rest? I’m down-sizing. It has to start somewhere. He says downsizing is dying and letting your kids say, “Why did they have this?” and hopefully laughing hysterically. I see his point, but, still.

Malls that are not the Mall of America are different. Who shops in January? What do you shop for in January? We were returning pants that did not fit (hysterical laughter) Benjamin. I hid down the mall while Keith did the returning. I have never returned anything. I always hide down the mall. I wonder why. I have no idea.

I actually think the direction-giving-lady-in-the-car is disappointed in us when we get off the track. She doesn’t even sound mad, but, man, I want to get right back on the right road and make her proud of us. We took a sudden detour today and I needed to just turn her down so I didn’t know she was so sad.

Then tonight I had to wonder if Alexander was dead. We sent a message at 3pm about bringing him Pannekoeken, which he hadn’t seen yet at 9pm. We actually dropped it off at his house, petted the kittens, and came home about 4:30. I just assumed he was out and about, but by 9:00 when he hadn’t even seen the message yet, I started to wonder. What if he fell down upstairs and was unconscious the whole time we were there? What if he fell down in the garage and was freezing? What if…..all the things?! I texted and messaged and called. Nothing. Benjamin hadn’t talked to him. We have zero contact information for his friends. Uh oh. Worry worry worry. Say to self no need to worry. Do not listen to self. Then Keith thought to use Facebook to find a friend of his. His friend thought that he was at a Chicago LARP event. His friend checked the registration. Alexander is registered. Keith drove over to his house anyway – rechecked on the kitties – checked upstairs – checked the garage – and everything seems okay. No fallen down Alexander anywhere. If he is LARPing, he does not have his phone with him and he wouldn’t have signal anyway. Worrying is done.

6 thoughts on “Thinking”

  1. Both the worry and the stopping worrying made sense to me. I’m sure the kitties would have told you where he was if they could–or maybe not.

    You’re nicer to disembodied voices than we are. After the gazillionth time Siri says “return to the route” when we’re trying our best to do it, or when it’s impossible, we tell her to shut up. It doesn’t help, but it adds some satisfying emphasis to turning her off. I wondered if somebody was studying how people interact with various versions of AI, and sure enough, Wikipedia says there’s a discipline called cyberpsychology. Something else I’ve learned as a result of your blog, so thanks!

  2. I too become very annoyed when my satnav tries to send me on the shortest route which takes longer!! Also Alexa often is turned off at the mains. I am a human with a brain and still intend to use it. There is something quite satisfying telling it to ‘shut up’ though.

    1. I find Alexa way more annoying than the car lady. Alexa doesn’t really seem to like to listen to me. Actually, she pretends to listen (Alexa, turn on the TV. She says, Sure, but then doesn’t turn on the TV) I never know if she is dumb or just spicy

  3. Just my opinion…
    Get rid of the stuff. Otherwise, your kids someday will not go through each thing, since there are so many things and just get rid of the whole box because it is completely overwhelming. My experience…
    Not keeping everything you’ve acquired in life is a true gift to your kids. Just keep the good stuff. The important stuff.

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