Random musings on a Wednesday

I was preparing to deliver my Random Musings for the week when we began suffering from PSI (Painfully Slow Internet). With any luck, it should be fixed today, assuming they can find our cable under the eight inches of new snow in the yard.

Meanwhile, Spouse has been playing Larry the Cable Guy. He checked our still-unburied cable (they never buried it when they fixed it last time) and found a scraped spot. Spouse wrapped it in packing tape (that's the high-class version of duct tape), and sure 'nuff, the internet connection is sort of working again. Intermittently.

So without further ado, here is my list of meaningless thoughts for the week. Is it a good sign that I've had fewer meaningless thoughts this week? Does this mean that my thoughts have been more meaningful in general? Or perhaps there has been less thinking going on. You be the judge.

* We now have a new light fixture in the dining room (the old one was sort of a disco gold color). And while I like the new one, I'm starting to think that it would be suitable for the Olympic Flame.

* Cats do not always land on their feet when they fall from high places, such as stair railings.

* How is it that I can NEVER find the right lid to go with the 192 travel mugs which sit in our kitchen cupboard?

* On the subject of travel mugs, you know that little plastic thing on the lid that you slide to create an opening? On the opposite side of that opening, there might be a tiny little slot. Here's a tip: It works a lot better if you drink from the side of the lid with the actual opening. Just a tip. Not that I've ever seen this happen, mind you.

* Lily has been measuring the distance to the new dining room light. I'm quite sure that soon you'll see photos of her riding in it.

* A woman arrived at my class last night carrying a purse made from SOCK MONKEY fabric! She had designed and made it herself. People, sock monkeys are the NEXT BIG THING! The Sock Monkey Train has left the station! Get on board!

* You know how it is when you get to the end of the bag of chips and there is nothing left but chip dust? If nobody is looking, you (theoretically speaking) might open your mouth really wide and dump the dust into your mouth directly out of the bag, right? Here's a tip: Tap very gently on the bag -- not too hard or chip dust will miss your mouth and go all over your face. I share this just in case you ever find yourself in this type of situation.

* My friend Darci's daughter was looking at some old scrapbook pages recently and coined a new phrase: "Step away from the decorative scissors." Love it. I could have used some of that advice way back when.

* Last week, I provided you with a new term for cat litter: kitty tidy. Today I'm providing you with a new word for the TV remote control: troller. It's the official name for that particular device around here. Just don't say it in public. People look at you kind of strangely. Trust me.

* I am WAY past due for both a piano tuning and an oil change.

* It is only a matter of time before I back out of the garage without opening the garage door.

* No offense, but I really don't understand the appeal of battery-operated candles.

* When Tinsel yawns, her ears go way back and her entire face gets distorted, not unlike an alien. But I realized today that in all the time we've had Lily, I've never seen her yawn. Why is that? Does she yawn? Or does she not? Or is she yawning when I'm not looking? And if that's the case, what does she have to hide?

* Things I've Gotten in Trouble for This Week: leaving cupboard doors open, leaving drawers open, leaving curling iron plugs on the floor where Spouse can step on them in the dark, and not properly winding up cords.

* Regardless of your political affiliation, I think it's awesome that so much interest and excitement has been generated around the presidential race this year.

* What is the deal with chandeliers appearing on scrapbook paper? I am certainly in favor of owls, sock monkeys, and even mushrooms, but I just don't get the notion of chandeliers as a design element.

* There are only so many things you can do with meatballs before you have a mealtime revolt on your hands.