On Frozen Food and Laziness

I'm a reasonably active person.  I walk a lot, I enjoy activities at the gym when I go, I enjoy scurrying around the house when I clean up, and I play a bizarre version of basketball in our basement with my son.  For some strange reason, though, when our upstairs freezer is full, I will attempt extreme and unconscionable moves to make more items fit in.  Suddenly, I'm too lazy to go downstairs and put an item in a freezer that's sitting, waiting, with lots of room.  I would like to understand why.

Our basement isn't scary - our family room, laundry and rabbits are down there.  It's not like I don't have the energy.  But I will do terrible things to avoid a trip downstairs.  And, through my attempts to ram the door shut when it is clearly impossible, I have caused damage to the icemaker.  We weren't using it anyways but now we can't.  And there are exposed wires.

The easy way out isn't always the best way out.  I'll try to remember that the next time I have something big to put in our upstairs freezer.  Sadly, though, I don't guarantee that I will do things differently in the future.  But, everyone does things like this, right?  Please.  Anybody?

JAHD

Comparing

Ideally, we do not compare ourselves to others.  Everyone has their own path, their own stories, their own reasons.  I find it hard sometimes to live up to that ideal.

Today I ran into someone that I know and like.  We had a nice time together but she told me about her astonishing career success.  Especially today, it wasn't what I needed to hear.  I was already feeling down.  I have no career success, astonishing or otherwise, to share.  While there was no malice intended, there was also no clue about how sharing this information would make me feel.  I felt bad.

I don't know how I couldn't compare myself in this situation and I don't know what the appropriate response is when someone shares news like this and you're not in a place to happily receive it.  Perhaps, at times, it's better to be in the company of people who understand us well, appreciate where we are at in our progress, and cheer us on as we progress even more.  When we do the same for these people, we all move forward and feel supported as we do.

I applaud everyone who is succeeding at what they want to do and everyone who is struggling to find their way.  We are all trying and we are all worthy.  I hope we can remember these things no matter who crosses our paths.

JAHD

Golf Information

The Masters golf tournament is on now.  I know that this means a green jacket will be placed on someone at the end of play on Sunday and that this tournament takes place in August, Georgia.  I know that Tiger Woods won this tournament at least once and that it was a big deal when he did.  That was at a time when it was easier to be a fan of Tiger Woods.

Other than those few things about the Masters, I know very little.  And I'm fine with that.  I don't follow golf.  It usually doesn't follow me.  This weekend has been different, however.  Golf information has even followed me into the bathroom.  That's never happened before.

My husband is interested in this tournament and particularly in the play of Fred Couples.  I know because he's told me various details about Mr. Couples.  The information hasn't really harmed me but the communication of it to me has annoyed me a little.  I'm simply not that interested.  And I don't need to be continually informed of new Fred Couples trivia.  Yes, he's an older golfer.  That's nice.  Yes, he hasn't won as often as you might expect.  Interesting (maybe).  But why was he telling me these things?  Really, why?

This morning things crossed a strange line when I was, um, sitting in the bathroom.  He called to me to tell me that Fred Couples had won the Master tournament one time.  Wow.  What does one do with that information in a situation like that?  I believe I looked around with an incredulous look on my face.  I don't have witnesses to back that up.

I haven't heard a lot more about the golf or Fred Couples since this incident and our talk afterwards.  I love that my husband likes sharing things but sometimes I don't see the point.  I even have some trouble when we're both reading the paper and he reads portions to me.  I tend to find the things I want to read on my own and I consider reading to be a solo sport.  I probably do this too though so I'll try to let that go.

Really, it's funny and kind of sweet that my husband is so excited about the golf, the play of Fred Couples and sharing his enthusiasm.  I still don't care about golf but I do care that my husband is having a nice, relaxing weekend off work, and that he's found something he finds interesting.  I bet sometimes he's not quite as excited as I am about my rabbits, my writing and my other interests.  And I have followed him to the bathroom to tell him things.  Wow, I guess I'm just as weird.  Just not about golf.

JAHD

Finding a New Way

My family drove through the Garrison Woods area of Calgary today.  I love that area - the houses, townhomes, stores, parkland.  I find it beautiful and believe it deserves the acclaim it has received.  It mixes housing from the former military base in Calgary with new construction and does it well.  I've been to a similar area in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  There too, a beautiful development has arisen at a former military base.  These 2 large areas have a lot of potential and from what I've seen, it is being realized.

One thing would make me like these areas more.  It's big.  I wish that these large areas of land and housing were available because we had moved beyond the need for the military.  Rather than mere movement of military operations to other locations, I wish that things had wrapped up and the world had found better ways.  Soldiers still fight, soldiers still die.  Enjoying the gentle beauty of these nascent communities, it is easy to believe that those things are in the past.  I hope that some day that is true.  I hope that some day, all military facilities can be used for nicer purposes.  I like the dream of that reality.

JAHD

Happy Babies

I ate dinner last night in a restaurant with a young crowd.  By young, I mean a lot of tables had diners who had not yet celebrated their first birthday.  One little person might have been celebrating her first week out of the womb.  High chairs were in high demand.  Three and four year olds were the older kids.  My son, at eleven, could play the role of kindly older gentleman.  I didn't see a seniors' menu.

A restaurant with so many babies is not a place that everyone would want to be.  Babies cry, they can throw and drop things, and they don't worry about behaving in ways that lets other diners enjoy their meals.  They don't seem like ideal guests.

Last night, however, I watched a few babies as we sat at our table.  The actions of one in particular surprised me.  Her parents had brought her food from home and she ate it before they were served.  I guess she was happy with a full belly but she also seemed to really enjoy herself.  She played with a toy or two, she drank from her sippy cup (and only threw it on the floor once) and she looked around with a happy expression on her face.  She was in no way a disturbance to other diners and I think she liked the chance to look at all the people and movement.  Her parents got to enjoy their meal too.

For me, it was interesting to be reminded that babies are really happy little people at times.  They can't tell us everything they'd like us to know and they're kind of helpless in a lot of ways but with so many new things to experience, people to meet and life to savour, they find a lot of reasons to be joyful.  The presence of a baby is not a thing to be feared - it is a delight to behold.  I am so glad that we went to that restaurant last night and saw the babies.  They almost made up for the food.

JAHD

Thanks for Asking

This morning I was walking along an almost bare sidewalk when I came to some ice.  I navigated it carefully although I remembered that it was on a clean, dry sidewalk that I tripped and broke my finger a few years ago.  I don't need ice to fall.

Thinking about the broken finger led me to thinking about the attention the bandaged hand received.  Strangers felt free to comment on it and some were eager to learn the story of what had happened.  I believe it was my friend Kim who suggested I say that I had been wrestling a bear.  Along that line, I came up with the following responses to the question "What happened?"  Please feel free to use any or all of them if you find yourself in a similar situation.

1.  I killed a wild boar with my hands and broke my finger.  The meat was good but I have to wear this bandage for a while.

2.  My goldfish bit me.  Again.  I think I'll have to put him on a leash.

3.  I have a strange affliction.  It's wildly contagious.  I can show you the rash.

4.  I clobbered someone in my sleep.

5.  I did a lot of damage in a fit of rage.  It's my hair-trigger temper; anything can set me off.

6.  Oh that.  A tropical insect crawled under my nail and laid eggs.  The scientists want to maintain the integrity of the site until the eggs have all hatched.  It shouldn't be more than six months.  I don't mind but I do look forward to washing my hand again.

7.  It's an artistic piece I created.  It's won two awards.

8.  I was tortured by representatives of a foreign government.  Believe me, I had it coming.

9.  It was a little home surgery mishap.  I probably won't try that again.

10. A dog with rabies bit me.  Well, the dog has rabies now.  We're not sure who gave it to whom.

I don't have immediate plans for another hand injury.  But, there's a lot of bare sidewalk out there so you never know.  At least I am ready, and so are you.  These answers are somewhat more interesting than the standard "I fell."  Please, don't fall, but if you do, have some fun!  You're welcome.

JAHD

37 Seconds

I set the microwave today to heat up some coffee for 37 seconds.  There wasn't much left of this morning's brew and I felt a need to drink some coffee, however foul-tasting and sad it was.  Again, yes, I have a coffee problem.  Please don't judge me.

While the bad coffee was heating, I loaded items into the dishwasher.  They had been sitting on the counter, waiting.  I loaded them up and while there were other items in the kitchen I could have loaded too, the work I did in that 37 seconds made a visible difference.  For me, it did more than that though.

Realizing that doing only 37 seconds of work makes a difference shows me that it is possible to get things done quickly and with less suffering than I sometimes think.  Emptying the dishwasher, sorting out printed photos, doing the laundry and so many other things can seem like big, horrible, impossible tasks until they're attempted.  Once they're attempted, all of them are possible and none of them are that horrible.  Laundry does accumulate quickly but it is possible to have it all done for at least a few minutes.

Getting things done is so nice and realizing we have more time to do pleasant things is great.  There's even more time to drink coffee than I'd realized.  Or perhaps to get the help I need to get over my addiction to that vile brew.  Either way, it's nice to have more time available.

JAHD

If We Can't Trust Snack, Crackle and Pop...

I saw an ad recently for Rice Krispies that are made with brown rice.  I am not a food expert (although I offered lots of thoughts on the topic in my January 4 entry.  That entry, one of my personal favourites, dealt a devastating blow to the cracker industry I'm sure.  But let's get back to today's topic, whatever it is) but I know that brown rice is considered to be nutritionally superior to white rice.  Up to this point, evidently, white rice was used.  It is good that there will be a healthier version of this cereal available and really good if, as the ad suggests, children will still enjoy the taste and eat the cereal. 

What seems less good to me is that this cereal is only being changed now.  I would expect that food companies know more about nutrition than I do and know it sooner than I do.  If they have known for a while that brown rice is healthier, why have they been willing to produce an inferior product and market it to children?  I think Snack, Crackle and Pop appeal to a young demographic.  The members of that demographic deserve good food.

Perhaps the argument would be that food companies cater to consumer demand and consumers are only now demanding ingredients such as brown rice.  But does a food company bear no responsibility to lead people to healthier choices?  Could they not offer us the information they know and let us make choices?  I suppose it would put them in an awkward spot if they produced various types of food and then explained why some of them were less healthy options.  It would also be awkward if they only produced healthier food and then lost customers who chose competitors' less healthy and less expensive options.  Producing healthier foods may be more expensive.  Consumers' buying habits are a consideration.

Food companies must take into account many factors when making product decisions.  As they are companies, the need to make a profit is one of those factors.  They want us to buy their foods.  While it would be nice to believe that they wish the best of health for consumers, and hopefully they do, we cannot rely upon them blindly to feed us well.  We have to share in the responsibility of understanding food and trying, with the knowledge we have, to eat well.

I don't hold any animosity towards Snack, Crackle or Pop but I trust them a little less than I used to.  Who would have ever thought that 3 cartoon characters could not be relied upon to lead us to healthy food choices?  Who else can't we trust?  Oh no, not the Keebler elves...

JAHD

As Is

After deciding that I couldn't pretend to be interested in a classic car display today, I found myself with time to look around some heritage-themed stores.  Products ranged from candies and small toys to large pieces of antique furniture.  Prices had a large range too and some were over $1000.  I bought a notebook.

Before I bought the (rabbit-decorated) notebook, I had been very interested in buying one piece of furniture.  It was an old "Hoosier" kitchen cabinet piece with drawers, doors and a counter space.  It was fascinating.  It was being sold "As Is", was very beat up, and had a broken pane of glass in one display window.  Those were the visible problems - it could have had additional problems that were not apparent.  These issues were not deterring me though and the "As Is" tag had me thinking that the price was good.  I left the store wondering what I should do. 

I decided (I think) not to buy it so I will not know if this piece was a good bargain or would fall apart within a few days.  Assuming, however, that it was structurally sound, I see two approaches that could be taken with an old piece such as this one.

In the hands of a skilled furniture restorer (like my sister-in-law whose skills would make me really dislike her if she wasn't so nice), this piece could become a beautiful piece of furniture with the stain colour-coordinated to furniture in any room of the house.  It would be lovely.

To me, though, this piece of furniture is lovely now.  It is beat up, it has been used and one can only hope that it's not infested with bugs.  But its use and the visible wear and tear enhance its design.  It is interesting to think of how it was used and to imagine the people who used it.  While restored furniture can be beautiful, in this case, it might be best for the cabinet to stay "As Is." 

I don't think I will go back and buy it.  I don't know where I would put it and I'm not looking for ways to spend money.  Some time, though, it might be nice to buy an antique and let its story be told through its rich, worn appearance.  I'm sure antiques have quite the stories to tell.

JAHD

Give Him a Chance

While having coffee in a Safeway Starbucks today, I began eavesdropping on a young man's job interview.  It was for a job at Safeway.  I didn't have much choice but to listen in - I was sitting there, it was quiet, I could hear it.  I'm nosy too.  There's always that.

One of the very first questions the interviewer asked troubled me.  She asked if there was a reason why the applicant had not applied online.  He had an explanation and regardless of what it was, I have to wonder why the answer to that question is relevant.  He had applied for the job in some manner, the interview had been arranged, and he had shown up.  At that point I would hope that determining his suitability for the position would be the goal.  Unless scheduling is done online, I don't know how computer access would impact his job suitability.

Was the question meant to ask about his living situation - i.e. does he have a home?  Were they asking if he or his family is poor?  I know that computers are common but maybe not in every household.  I don't think it has to matter and if he is qualified and eager to work, I hope he is considered fairly for the job.  Did they want to know if he had any computer skills?  That could be relevant for the position but his application must have been impressive enough to lead to an interview.  Perhaps he could pick up whatever computer skills are required.

A few years ago, the mother of another baseball player in my son's league phoned me occasionally to gather baseball information.  She was making progress but hadn't fully embraced computer usage.  She had paid the fees for her son's baseball, though, and she wasn't receiving the information she needed to get her son everywhere he needed to be.  The coach didn't have an email address for her and he didn't phone her.  While I understand that he was likely busy with a job, family and team to coach and didn't have a lot of time for phone calls, I also understand her frustration.  It wasn't fair that her son was left out because his family didn't use a computer.  He still wanted to play ball, attend picture day and have the option of attending team social functions.

I didn't hear all of the interview today as my coffee companion arrived quickly and we started talking.  The young man sounded confident and he seemed to have had good work experience.  If the job at Safeway is right for him, I hope that he gets it.  I hope that whether or not he has computer access has nothing to do with the hiring decision.

JAHD