Miscellaney

We had a really crappy, stressful, unexpected event happen yesterday -- I won't go into details, but it was (interestingly?) my first "test" in my fork-in-the-road analogy. The event occurred and I forced myself to face that fork -- how am I going to let this affect me? It was difficult, I have to admit. My initial physical/emotional reaction was unconscious -- my heart felt like it was being squeezed, I wanted to cry, my stomach felt upset. But I recognized that I had a choice to make, so I made myself do just that. I must have looked rather foolish, talking to myself in the car (very loudly) as this occurred, but it was the only way that made it real for me, and as difficult as it was, I made the choice. So at the end of the day, when I picked Don up from work and he slumped into the car with that all-too-familiar look of depression, I said to him, "Come on, Don -- what fork are you going to take? Make the choice." I'm not sure if it worked on him. It just felt angry -- not at him, but at the situation. Not fear or depression or sadness -- just anger. The problem isn't resolved, so this is going to be a long, pins-and-needless kind of weekend. But I hope we can continue to make that same choice, not to let this ruin our days.

But if that doesn't ruin my day today, then other events will. I am in mourning, for three reasons. First of all, my entire post here mysteriously vanished, so I am forced to write it all over again. What a complete drag. And then last night -- Wednesday night -- was my last sacred night for the season. I was glued to the season finale of "America's Next Top Model," and while it was a great episode (as expected), and I successfully predicted the outcome, it still has come to an end. I have to admit that I did enjoy my weekly escape into the world of high fashion modeling (crazy!). I also have to admit that I did feel rather couch-potato-ish, sitting there quite blobbily while watching these young women wearing some negative-size clothing strut around like funny horses. But hey -- at least for that hour I didn't have to think about anything.

The other item of mourning stems from the outrageously ridiculous and downright stupid results from "American Idol" (my other "reality" vice), where "America" -- which knows absolutely nothing -- booted off the best, most amazing vocalist this show has ever seen in all its years on the tube. This woman is beyond fabulous, and now she's gone -- which once more proves that this show is not a true singing competition but a popularity contest. Don and I were absolutely dumb-struck. I immediately emailed my friend Jen, another aficionado, and she and her husband were equally appalled. I suppose I have a fierce love-hate relationship with this show, and it's due to stupid situations like this where "hate" becomes the operative word. I'm not even sure I want to watch the finale next week -- while the two remaining contestants are fun in their own way, neither of them deserve the title as much as the other.

So now I must await my doom to the wasteland of summer television. In other words, I'll be doing a lot of reading, which is a good thing. One highlight of the summer, though, is highly anticipated by both Don and myself: "Hell's Kitchen." If you haven't seen this "reality" show, and you love food and crazy people, it is well well worth it.

What a lame entry today. That's OK -- I'd rather delve into this realm of complete un-reality than deal with the other stuff. Today I'm heading back out into the garden to plant the last of the flowers we purchased yesterday, making the proverbial hay while the sun doth shine, for tomorrow rain is forecasted again. Don is taking the day off tomorrow, as well as Monday (a promised four-day weekend, due to his work at the expo last week), so we have lots of errands and other tasks to catch up on. One way-overdue task is to pay a trip to the DMV to finally get our car transferred over to NJ and get new plates (we already have new licenses). So off I go to greet the sunshine and take care of the last of my portulaca, coleus, and ageratum. Here's hoping for a good day.