Yes…it snowed and it “blowed” and it is still blowing.  If you read yesterday’s blog…just wanted to followup and tell you there were no surprises!

Our 4-wheel drive pickups have always had the manual shifter on the floor between the seats for switching into 4 wheel drive.  I’ve always had an, “ahem” warm feeling when sitting in the passenger seat….he’s over there in his heavy coat with his big ole leather gloves on, he reaches down grabs ahold of that shifter and manipulates it into 4 wheel drive.  It is such a sexy move – I look forward to it every year….until this year…we bought a Nissan and it has a little dial on the dash.  Talk about dash…dashing sexual appeal for their big ole truck commercials…that’s right..he just pushes a little button…whoop-d-doo…this morning he leaned over and simulated controlling the shifter.  whew…..

Until next time….

This will be my 28th winter as a 911 dispatcher.  This job kills the joy of winter!  For you non-Iowans, we have a forecast blizzard warning for the state tonight and tomorrow…a lot of  folks are posting about how excited they are for the snow/blizzard so they can sit home and drink hot chocolate…meanwhile I’m reading these comments and thinking…are you people just nuts?  But I get it…

A winter storm blizzard to me means drivers in the ditches and everyone who has a cell phone calls to tell us about it..we call them cell phone heros..they don’t stop…they just call…it’s nothing to get 10 calls about 1 vehicle in the ditch when you magnify that by 50 cars in the ditch, you can understand how difficult it is to do anything else other than answer the phone….like page ambulances or other emergency vehicles.  When it gets that bad..usually we just have to tell people that they are patrolling and will get to you when they can…normally the state puts a tow ban on which means that unless you are sitting in the middle of the highway, your car is in the ditch until it is safe to pull out…of course, there are those who want to remain in their car…even when told that it could be a couple of days before they can get a wrecker..at first…you can’t pry them from their cars…of course the cell phone heros continue to call about them…eventually it sinks in and they want to be picked up.  When the ice and snow take the power down, what do you do…call 911..well there are a lot of people who do.Why would you possibly call 911 when your power goes out…I cannot and never will be able to turn on your power…why not call the post office when you need an ambulance.  I think I’ve probably said about all that needs to be said about hating winter as a 911 dispatcher.

Now.  If I’m off work and “he” is off work and the kids are safe.  I LOVE A BIG SNOW!!!  I love to walk on those nights when it is very still…big snow flakes coming down and the layer of snow cushions all noise…I have thought before that it just doesn’t get any better than this!

Until next time…..

I hope this isn’t just old age sentimentality…or maybe I do because then I would have a reason for this mood I’m in…part of me feels like I’m back home with myself and the other part of me wishes I could just quit tearing up about songs and the thoughts about friends. 

I spent last night with my new bluetooth speaker which plays awesomely loud.  I was trying to find just the right version and singer for O Holy Night…found lots I like but none that made my heart smile and chills up and down my arms.  I did find 3 of my favorite songs David Reynolds put on his album a gillion years ago and I cried big ole tears remembering sitting on the piano bench in a practice room at Ozark Bible College while he sang and rocked those keys..David..if you are reading this….still a blessing after all of these years.  I’m thinking really tender thoughts about old friends…some of them are drawn closer to me when I hear a song…others there are no particular songs, just that ooey gooey feeling about how much I miss and love them.

Yes…here I am…my second night…sitting on my yoga ball as recommended by Dr. Laurel to start strengthening my core muscles…A little Kenny Rogers got me tearing up like a faucet.  … perhaps it is just the season…

Until next time…..

There are a few things I did as a child that I wish I hadn’t done…and there are a few things in my past that I think..WHAT WAS I THINKIN’ and perhaps wish I hadn’t done…although all of those things shaped me into the person I am today.  At least I can look back on those things with a little remorse..I guess I’m one of the lucky ones with a conscience and in spite of the belief that I was raised by disfunctional parents, I was taught the difference between right and wrong.  While I didn’t have a gray area when I was younger…it was either black or white and anything else was totally breaking the rules…I now see that there is a gray area in anything.  I think it is probably better not to lounge around in the gray area but sometimes I may hang around there until I decide whether it is closer to black or closer to white and/or how fast I think I can run if someone else has a definite opinion about it…actually that’s not true…I don’t run anymore.  I might say..ya know..you may think it is gray..but I’m comfortable here..so mind your own business and move on…there’s nothing to see here.  Ya…that’s what I do.  Sometimes when I’m really pent up with anxiety or boredom…I think about escaping to a little gray area just to see what it would be like..

But to get right down to it.  What is going on with our society?  The craziness on the left and on the right..yes…both sides have their extremes… just totally blows my mind.  Or we could call it the religious right and the left athiests?  I personally don’t think the religious right are God fearing people…and I totally don’t believe that those on the left are all athiests…Hell, I don’t know what to call it…but those of us in that huge gray area between the extremest want to know how to get free of them…and how to get free of them NOW.

Until next time.