Random Wednesday thoughts

It’s the middle of the week (for those of you that have been doing NaNo and lost track of time and place), so I thought I would just throw out some random thoughts about whatever pops into my head. Just warning you – this could be dangerous. Proceed at your own risk! If you make it to the end, there’s cake!

Now that NaNo is over, it is time to step away from, as my writing friend Jeanne V. Bowerman says, the word vomit you have been spewing for the last month. Get some sleep, eat some food, re-introduce yourself to your family and friends. Make sure you have identification with you so you can verify who you say you are to those who have forgotten what you look like. Work on some other projects that you have neglected during the last month. When you are ready to look at your NaNo novel again, read this very informative article by Chuck Wendig to help you start the editing process.

Why is there never a box of Puffs around when you need it?

The Christmas holidays are upon us now, if you haven’t noticed by the endless Christmas carols playing for the last month and all the displays in Wal-Mart that have been up since Halloween. Time for those yearly family holiday traditions: traveling far and wide for those deep discounts, shoving an elbow into an elderly lady’s kidney because she has grabbed the last available item that is on your list, and standing in those long checkout lines behind the guy who ate refried beans before he went shopping. You lug all of your loot home, shove it into the closet and wait until you have an empty house to begin wrapping them, only to realize you forgot to buy wrapping tape. Whoops. Hate when that happens! Hours of work will pay off on Christmas morning as everyone tears into their gifts and asks for the receipts. You just have to wonder who the genius was that came up with gift cards.

Lest I sound cynical to some, rest assured I am not. I like to look at all things with a sense of humor. One of my favorite sayings is “Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Fart, and you stand alone.” Frankly, I’d rather have people laughing all around me at something I might say versus running away because of other things.

Our holiday traditions involve Christmas Eve services, followed by cruising around looking at Christmas lights. The next morning, we get up, select one person to be “Santa” and wait as they wade through the gifts and sort them out. For me, it isn’t what I get, it is the time I get to spend with my parents. I do not get to see them as often as I would like, so my time with them is precious and fun. Remember that. Remember the reason for the season, and trust me, it is not the after-Christmas sales at JcPenney’s, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, Target, etc.

Does anyone REALLY care that LeBron is going back to Cleveland to play? I mean, come on, Miami isn’t playing that great, but then again, neither is Cleveland now that LeBron is gone. Whoops, I probably shouldn’t point that out, should I? Moving on!

If you have kids, please remember to support their teachers! Be active in your child’s education. It may drive them (your kids) nuts, but trust me, if you want to know how your child is doing in class, email their teacher and ask. Bad test grades? Email the teacher and ask when the next one is, then help your child study. A little bit every day leading up to the test WILL help. Granted, the whining, moaning and groaning will make you wish you had settled for a root canal, but it is worth it (whether your kid will admit it or not!).

I told you this was random stuff today. I am all over the place, aren’t I?

Ok, one last thing before I shut this random flow off or we could be here all day. Hug your kids, hug a friend, hug your spouse. Smile at a stranger, grab that shopping cart that someone left in a parking space and put it up, open a door for someone. It will make you feel good and will brighten someone else’s day.

Hopefully, my thoughts will be more organized next time. Until then…laugh! It’s good for your health!

Teresa

PS: About that cake I promised would be here at the end…I ate it.