Out of the Zone

Today I went bowling. You should know that I did not choose bowling, would not choose bowling, and I have serious reservations about people who bowl.

Bowling is just wrong for so many reasons in my world...

The EWW Factor. I know they spray those shoes with industrial strength anti-bac (or maybe it's just Lysol - you don't know) I can't even use a public microwave and this sport wants you to put a stranger on your feet. My skin literally crawled for 2 hours as I felt the fungal infection permeate my socks and attach itself to my very non-athletic feet. Even after arriving home, immediately removing my socks and cleaning my feet the feeling of violation still lingers. If you have never experienced this just look around you next time you are at the lanes...guy with sweat spraying from his forehead with every lob was wearing your shoes last Tuesday night. - you're welcome.

As if the shoes where not enough, at some point around mid hurl of ball 3 (I say hurl - because that's how I bowl) I realized that not only were my feet submerged in footwear as well used as a subway restroom, my fingers were repeatedly being stuffed into the communal holes of a 10 pin bowling ball. I worked my head around it, avoiding the thought of the microbial contamination assaulting my fingers. Then snacks arrived and every one began commenting about how well the ball would slide off your hand with the finger holes lubed up with pizza grease. Eww, Ewwww, ewww,eww, EWW!

The Reliving - No event like a corporate bonding bowling afternoon will go unmentioned. Tomorrow I'll be reliving the cringe, skin crawling nightmare all over again.

Gratitude today that a few hours in someone else's shoes have reminded me to keep working at my own game. Oh, a gratitude too that my kids never ask to go bowling.

Gratitude, hope and smiles are meant to be shared,

Michelle

Keep watching the Space for a big project announcement

Chain Reaction Shopping

We made 3 major purchases this past weekend.

We had to breakdown and purchase some new cutlery.
We had our old set for 20 years, that's pretty good.
Most of the spoons now reside in the cafeteria garbage, consequently
I was eating yogurt with a camping spork last week. I have even borrowed
spoons from the neighbour recently to have company for chili Saturday.

Everyone is going to be happy with this purchase!

I bought underwear. Perhaps the biggest purchase over the 3 days of shopping.
I don't buy underwear. Having to do so makes me irate actually. I needed some however and I had a gift card so I hit the mall. Don't let the teeny tiny bag fool you. There is some serious underwear inside.

Our first 2 purchases led to this purchase. I can't help but think that if I avoided purchase #1 I would not be so discouraged by purchase #2.  None the less #3 might be the most important purchase. I used to walk an hour everyday, I used to do a job that had me on my feet burning 1200 calories. Now I walk to the car - from the car to my desk where I collect calories not expend them.

Gratitude today to Michael who got fed up with eating cereal with a fork, believes in new underwear and has faith in my commitment to improving my health. (or my guilt -time will tell)

Gratitude, Hope and Smiles are meant to be shared.

Michelle

Celebrating I.I.Y.D.

I'm home today. Squeezed into an 18" section of the couch. The remainder of the space occupied by a fevered 9 year old huddled under a Pittsburgh Penguins blanket.

18" is just enough room to stick my legs out straight to rest them on the coffee table and balance my computer on my lap. I started out by checking my e-mail and sending an update to my boss on E-man's condition, (thanking him profusely for being a parent too and a truly compassionate human being willing to let me work from home for a second day.)

E-mails done and work arranged, I moved on to update myself on the world beyond my cushion with a stop on facebook.  Not much changes. So and so is still sick of work, blah, blah, blah, everyone's horoscopes have been updated, fortune cookies delivered, KJ spent a great deal of time on quizzes last night (I hope some were homework related) it's sunny in Mexico and family in Australia have escaped the worst of the quakes. My cards are pointing at love today and spending time with a close relation. That card app is so accurate...the only time E-man was closer to me was that 9 month stint we spent together before he was born.
Facebook never fails to disappoint me, none the less I feel compelled to update my status "working from home again today"

The girls have left for school, the TV is stuck on some newage japanamation cartoon that I clearly do not understand but can't change because the converter is just beyond my reach. Within my reach however is what remains of my 6am coffee, it's cold and gross and I keep shifting my gaze from the cup to the converter hoping by some telekinetic phenomenon to transpose their positions.

I surf a little, looking for somewhere for my mind to wander. I check the weather, the news, I look for new and great quotes to savour. Then I remember "International Chocolate Cake Day" (If you missed it check the post "Eat Your Gratitude" ) Maybe, just maybe, there is some international event worth acknowledging and celebrating today. If so, the next 45 minutes of confinement could be used to wish everyone on my friends list and contacts list and very "happy wear brand new socks day" or "best wishes for merry grapefruit day." What a great idea, clearly confinement brings out my resourceful nature.

Do you know what I discovered?....Today is "International Inconvenience Yourself Day." I kid you not, I couldn't make that up.

I look around me, satisfied that I am doing a bang up job of celebrating an observance I wasn't even aware existed.