Friday, January 31, 2014

Tricky, Trendy, and Warm(ish)

Random bit of info.

Putting skinny jeans on top of thermal underwear...it's actually even harder than it sounds.

But so totally worth it when you have to be outside for hours in windy temps in the 30ºs and having to look fashionably trendy.

OK, on with your day now.


P.S. Taking said skinny jeans and thermals back off at the end of the day is much easier than putting them on.

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

He's Lyin' about Bein' a Lion

Our little kitten.

He imagines himself to be a great golden predator...seeking out and attacking his prey.

Only thing is, his prey is our ankles as we walk by the bed and he takes a great leap out capturing us in his great claws.   And our feet under the covers, any move we make is attacked and he clampes down upon our toes with his mighty jaws.

I love our little King of the Jungle.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Missing Getting up at the Crack of Dawn...For Real

Call me crazy, but I'm finding myself missing getting my kid up at the butt crack of dawn (as it's known in our house) so we could drive in the pitch dark to school so he could go to wrestling practice.  I really liked hanging out with the kid....even though he was a bit grumpy when he got up...and griped about the cold...and spent the time in the car completely under a blanket...and never really talked to me (except for the griping, of course).  It was still really lovely mom/son time together.

I think I need to push him to join whatever sport is in season right now.

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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Who you sayin' has wee little mousy muscles?!?!

My little guy has been going to the gym with me lately.  He's rather funny.  Sort of.  He zooms around doing his own thing and then checks in with me when I'm doing the weight machines.  Really, it's quite lovely.  I mean how many moms have fifteen-year-old sons who don't mind hanging out with them?  I shouldn't complain...really I shouldn't.  But the little toot, along with stopping to chat, always, always makes sure to point out how light the weight is that his mom is using. 


Me:  "Um, dude, you weigh thirty more pounds than I do."

Me:  "Think about it, I'm thirty-one years older than you."

Me:  "Hey!  Check out these guns!"  <me flexing...and hoping I don't give myself a cramp whilst doing so>


I figure this conversation we keep having is simply one of those things that we just do.  He smirks a bit, but mostly smiles.  I complain a bit, but mostly I feel loved.

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Monday, January 27, 2014

Low Tech Customer Tracking

You know how there's pretty much no secrets any more.  Seems there's always some way that businesses find out the scoop about what you want and need, and many, many other things about our personal lives.  It's all so very high tech and all.

Well, turns out there's a very low tech method being used at a store here in town.  I was checking out at Trader Joe's and the lovely checker lady said, "You've been in California."

OK, creepy...creepy because it's totally true.

Checker lady:  "You've got California bags.  All except this one from Texas."

OK, not so creepy.  And actually, I rather liked it.  Nice having data collected by a real person with some delightful conversation to go with it.  All with no intention of trying to get even more money out of me.  Good stuff.  Well played, Trader Joe's.

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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Mad Science - Parsons Style

We conducted an unintentional experiment the other night.  It froze here.  Down to about 27º.  And here's what the Parsons family did...in the name of science, of course.  We did two things as an experiment to see what will freeze and what will not.

1. We left our plants outside.  We only have 3 because we happen to have conducted this same experiment in the past.

2. We left a case of Gatorade in the car.


Results:

1. Plants freeze.

2. Gatorade doesn't.


Not sure what we'll do with our results...except perhaps consider putting Gatorade in our radiators (Do cars even still have them or did they go the way of the carburetor?).  Somehow I don't think we've really learned our lesson about plants.

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Saturday, January 25, 2014

First Neck Tweak...Then Ocean Terror

My little guy got his neck tweaked today at a wrestling meet, which reminded me of....


Sometime in the mid 80s I was in Galveston.  I'd slept funny, so my neck was all outa whack.  I dove into the ocean thinking, "Salt water cures everything, right?"

Out I swam and swam and swam, way out over my head.  I bobbed in the waves.  It was quite pleasant. And then a big wave came along and seriously smacked me up-side the head.  And I tell you what, it was the most fabulous neck pop ever!

I leaned back and floated, looking at the sky, utterly and completely at peace...until a small plane with a "Jaws 4, The Revenge" banner fluttering behind it flew directly overhead.

Yes I did set a swimming P.R. that day.

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