Working every other week- including the weekends- has helped me appreciate so much. I don't have the opportunity to associate with my ward as much so the time I do get I thoroughly enjoy. I suppose it also helps that they are fantastic people. I was playing cards with some girls from the ward last night and I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have such amazing and fun people in my life. I get to associate and play with great people. And isn't that what life is all about- our relationships with others. Of course a conversation about men came up- it was brief- I think we have gotten to the age where we just don't dwell on it like before. There was the classic sigh followed by why is there such a lack of men- real men? Ashley summed it all up with- yeah- I mean all I'm looking for is a man who looks like Hugh Jackman and acts like Pres Hinckley. At that point we all rolled with laughter because that was the exact summary of "The Man of our Dreams". And that was the end of that conversation.
On top of playing a bit more, I have been steadily working to clean the house. So many ugly things I have chosen not to see the last year- out of self preservation- because I didn't have time to see it. If I don't see it then I don't have to clean it. For example: the refrigerator. I firmly believe the place where you store the food you plan to consume should in and of itself should be clean. I know- crazy talk! Slightly extreme- but I'm not taking it back. That is just my personal belief and you can choose for yourself what you believe. I 'm not imposing my belief on anyone.
Look! White and Sparkling!
The funny story behind cleaning the frig was when I did it. Okay- not actually a funny story but I'm going to tell it anyway. It had been on the list of things to do during my week off for a month and I was bound and determined not to let it go one more time. But my scheduled frig cleaning day was flying by fast and furious. The day stared with a dance class from the Rire-Woodbury Advanced Summer Camp I took every weekday morning this 7 day off - which FYI was fantastic. I was proud that I got out of bed and made it to morning class every day. All I have to say is INTENSE- well at least for me- I was flying through the air to the ground back up to throw myself back down to the ground. Twisting turning and LIVING! Bruises on my legs, red sweaty face and salt lines on my clothes from the sweat. It was fantastic! After class on Friday I had a great lunch date with my Aunt Marilyn and since we were on temple square I thought it a great time to catch my temple session for the week. During which the thought- "Martha thou art careful and troubled over many things but only one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen the better part." It was a note to self to let go of the "doing" and experience the precious moments, especially the ones that bring us to Christ. Anyway... I got home and thought- "I have 1 1/2 hours. Plenty of time to scrub the carpet and clean the frig before my double date." (I think I have a hard time not being Martha). So I scrubbed the carpet- look below! I know it's a bad picture... but- No major black arc marking our favorite pathway from the front room to the kitchen!
My mom actually got me hooked on that project. Note to self- when the whole carpet is in need of cleaning, Oxi cleaning the dark stain spots doesn't produce the desired results. Instead of dark stains we had white spots dotting the carpet...
Then I moved along to the frig. I have an hour- no problem- right? Let me tell you I was a whirling white tornado. There was a lot of scrubbing- refrigerators have a lot of surface space- and dangerously frightening crevices! I finished 2 minutes before my date and I was sweaty. Yikes! Fortunately we were going hiking so I didn't need to be pristine. I was ready minus only my shoes with the doorbell rang. Miracle. (I think they may have been a few minutes late) The date was fun- minus being mauled by some one's over eager big dog and getting cold enough I was loosing some circulation to my fingers. It gets cold when the sun goes down. But it was kinda fun to go home and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate on July 31st.
And while we are on the subject of dating... I have stepped, certainly only temporarily, into a dating vortex. It is kinda fun. 3 dates with different people in basically just one week. That is my typical 3-6 month count. So far they have all been fun. Not one dating disaster or painfully long hours. I have one date left and I know I will like that one- Cirque du Soliel! Very excited. The other dates were hiking, nickle arcade, and mini golf. I honestly loved them all, I felt like I was an undergrad again. Fun, fairly inexpensive dates with interaction and talking. I felt a lot of the real me coming out- something which I realized was missing in my last "relationship". So refreshing. And I was treated very well- something I am really sad to say was also missing previously. I was reminded that I really do like being me. Me- is a fun person! I don't think there will be any continued dates with them-just not my match- but it is good to be going out.
My most dangerous adventure has been my stand off with- The Wasp Nest. I was walking up my back stairs after work 2 Sundays ago when I happened to look down at Ken's kitchen window. In utter horror I realized there was a busy, humming, thriving wasp nest the size of a volleyball! Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture until I had significantly harmed the nest. I found that I couldn't just walk away once I knew it was there. Kinda like my cleaning- once I see the problem I have a difficult time ignoring it. I tried to lay down and take a nap- which was the scheduled plan so I could be vivacious for a BBQ since I was on day 6 for work. But I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about the B rated horror movie that was occurring just below my bedroom window. So I gave up and began my attack. I started by hanging precariously over my back porch with a broom and poking it with the broom handle. I'm not sure what I was trying to accomplish, but I think I was hoping to knock it off. It remained quite firmly affixed but I did manage to poke a nice hole through the top- I immediately ran behind the safety of the back laundry room firmly closing and crazily enough, locking ,the door behind me. Don't Judge! I know locking didn't make me any safer from the wasps- But for some reason I FELT safer. Poking turned out to not be the most effective method. So I turned to throwing buckets of water at it from up above- always immediately turning and running back inside closing and- perhaps- locking the door behind me. There may have even been a squeal or two accompanying the plight to safety. You may have squealed too if 300 wasps ran out angry from their nest! Again- don't judge. I managed to break off 3 tiers of the nest in this manner- mostly destroying the nest. This is when I did think to take pictures.
This is what was left of the nest after the 3 tiers had fallen. The wasps were starting to calm down a little so I felt safe enough to take the picture. Still a rather impressive grouping.
This is looking down on to the main part of what had broken off. Unfortunately I couldn't get the top piece of the nest to dislodge from the top of the window and the wasps were anxiously engaged in restoration of their castle. I wasn't about to stand under them and attack without the protection of my locked door so, I settled that it would have to wait.--- 1 week and 2 bottles of wasp spray later... I have come off conqueror!
Some of the fallen
And that about somes up some of the highlights. And that is only from this week. It's been a good summer!
No comments:
Post a Comment