Random Thursday Thoughts

I *think* Spring is finally here.  (Or at least I thought so until I walked into my office suite in my nice Spring blouse and skirt and found that the A/C was at full blast.  Even with the sun beaming through my window which usually makes my little cubicle toasty warm, it was only 64 degrees.  Hence I have my little space heater on as I try to warm up.)  Today when I went out to walk (while it was still pitch black out...I'm eagerly awaiting those late May/June days where the sun is almost up before 4:30 in the morning), I wasn't cold in my sweats (I only walk outside when it's 40 or higher because I don't want to slip and kill/maim myself) and I actually was quite warm by the time I got home. Hoorah!  And as I often do, I started thinking of a myriad of things while I was powering my way around town.  (Or doing the middle-aged, over-weight lady version of powering.)

• When is the town and/or county going to remove the rest of the tree branches/brush that came down as a result of the March storms?  There is one business on the main roadway that has had this HUGE pile in front of it which covers the sidewalk and almost goes into the street.  Which is where I have to walk to avoid it.  (It covers a good portion of the lawn too.)  I'm not sure whose responsibility it is as this IS a business and it is on a county road. (But everything else was picked up by the town weeks ago.)  Nearly a month later and this getting pretty old.

• I seriously jinxed myself with my driving tips post the other day.  Yesterday there was a major accident on the highway that leads directly to my office.  Smart me decided that I could figure out how to get there using back road.  Well, I flubbed it BIG time.  First off, because of the accident and weather traffic was horrendous on all the back roads.  Then I made a misstep of going on East X Avenue (because after all my office is EAST of where I was) instead of West X Avenue.  I had no idea where I was.  I had Waze on, but my dashboard went dark(ish) (because clearly the car thought it was night out because it was so dark and gloomy).  I pulled over and tried to stay calm (which I NEVER am when I don't know where I am headed) and figure out where I was.  (Clearly, I need to install and learn the "Google, Where the F am I?" and "Google How the F Do I Get to Work When I Have No Clue Where I Am?" apps.)  I was 45 minutes into my drive (on a good day it take 20 minutes to get to the office; most days it takes around 30), when I got on the ramp for the parkway (because at least I know where some of that leads) only to find out that I was practically back to where I started!  I am definitely showing my age because even technology can't help me (or I couldn't understand it).  So I drove BACK HOME and worked from there all day. Which was a good thing because once there I could calm down and actually be productive rather than panicking about the weather, the traffic and a million other things.

• Someone actually DID read my driving tips post and learned from the Indiana Police Officer video what a directional signal is.  I'm so proud of this person!  However, once they've moved into the lane that they wanted to be in, they need to remember to turn it off.  And if they want to move into the far LEFT lane; they should not use the RIGHT directional.  It's a little confusing to the drivers around you.  (And I know the whole directional thing is a "new" concept and maybe take some time to learn.)

• If it IS really spring, I need to think about purchasing some flowers for my "welcome" planter in front of my house.  (Which currently holds dead daffodils from Easter which I hope to plant in the ground to have them come up NEXT spring.  That is if something doesn't dig them up and eat them before then.  Whenever I plant something I hope for the best, but figure if I fail, at least something is getting a meal out of it!)  I am a little hesitant because we've had such bad weather thus far AND (despite all the bad weather) I've been trying to keep my "new" car clean.  Putting plants in the back spells disaster...or at least one pot will fall over and spill dirt/plant stuff all over.

• Speaking of filling up my car with "stuff" I also need some new outdoor chairs for the season.  I LOVE the plastic Adirondack chairs.  They are inexpensive and easy to store.  HOWEVER, the plastic cracks.  I'm lucky if I get two years out of them before I put them on the curb for recycling.  I know the "real" thing is better, but they are EXPENSIVE (at least in my book) and getting them from the store to my house...well, that would be a sight to see.  AND then there is the question of storage.  Thoughts?

• Spring also means we are about to enter the season of CCRAP.  When is it going to end?  I'm not against standardized testing necessarily, but I am against the countless hours it takes away from the classroom where real learning is found.  When are we going to let teachers teach?  When are we going to let our children learn beyond the "common core?"  (I"m still not sure what that means.)  Opt out?  Opt in?  Either way, it seems like our students are the losers.

• Once the CCRAP is over, the school years really starts to wrap up.  Can my son really be heading into his last year of middle school?  Of course if you look at him you'd think he was a junior in high school.  But as we all know, looks are often deceiving.  Under that teen dream/heartthrob look is still a developing young man with raging hormones.  (Couple this with a middle-aged mom with hormone issues of her own and you'll understand the screaming, crying and general chaos that often reigns in our home.)  Old photos keep popping up in my social media feed and as part of my computer wallpaper.  I miss that little boy who used to snuggle up with me.  I LOVE the young man that he is becoming, but that little boy...I'm not alone in feeling this am I?

I'm clearly thinking (or over-thinking) too much this Thursday morning.  Time to stop thinking and start working!  (Does that make any sense?)  Until next time...