ememby

That picture has nothing to do with anything, but posts with visuals are inherently more interesting than posts without them, don’t you think? [Confession: I had to use spellcheck to figure out how to spell the title of my post… and then I googled the word to make sure that was indeed the word I wanted because I really did not believe it had the second “t” in it, but lo, it is right and though I may never say the word aloud for fear of mispronouncing it, I am using it here. Aren’t words fun?]

I have no excuse for my lack of posting, again, it’s not for lack of content or ideas floating around in my head. But it is for lack of motivation or focus… or just sheer procrastination. Work has been busy (good). I have been sick (bad). The kids have been crazy (the worst). Simon and I finally had a much-needed date night (the best). And my mind has been full of other things (so many things). But still, I have missed being here and sharing the various detritus of my life… yes, the discarded details is an accurate definition. I have been reading lots of things, interesting things that resonate with me and make me want to fist pump and also explore all of my feelings about all of the things in life. Perhaps I will share my reading list with you soon…or at least some thoughts.

I have also been thinking of the holidays and closing down 2013 and starting up 2014… as if a calendar creates a clean break in life. Thinking about what the future holds and what has happened in the last year. Also been spending lots of time in the car, carting the children around and fielding their questions about any and all things. Halloween came and went. Rugby season has come to a close. Liam has had his first wrestling match (not sure it is his thing, but he does seem to be enjoying it). Jack amuses me to no end (as does Liam, but in different ways).

[sidebar, a conversation Jack and I had last night:
Jack: Why are boobs squishy?
Me: Because that’s how God made them.
Jack: Did he say, “Let there be boobs?”

sidebar, the second:
Jack likes to say, when he has said something wrong, “Sorry, my voice got out of control.”

sidebar, part three:
Liam cannot, for the life of him, get the knock-knock joke right where you say “Banana” in response to who’s there a number of times and then finally say, “Orange.” (“Orange, who?”) “Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?” And it never ceases to make me laugh.]

Life is good and hard and busy and just so lifey. But I miss sharing that with you, with myself. Writing down words that mean something to me and perhaps mean something to you. So hang in there, I’m working my way back. Here are two post titles I’ve been kicking around in my head: “Muscle Memory” and “We All Fall Down.”

In the meantime, there’s a Facebook post thing going around where you have to tell everyone via status update a certain number of things about yourself, things that people may not know. Rather than post there, how about I post it here? I’ll give you ten (for reference, there’s a whole list of things about me here, here, here and here. In fact, there’s a whole category about me here… if you can stand so much of me at once, I am sometimes witty) things:

1. I enjoy doing crossword puzzles and other mindless puzzle games you find in the newspaper.
2. I find soggy bread utterly disgusting, which is what keeps me from enjoying bread pudding, even though I have had it in the past and enjoyed it but there is always the possibility for sog and just, no.
3. I don’t have the best memory and often worry it is related to Alzheimer’s, like it’s an early sign. It does run in my family.
4. I’m a starter and not a finisher, probably because I’m a procrastinator, but not entirely because of that.
5. After my first date with Simon, I drove to my old roomie’s house and told she and her husband that I thought I might have just had my last first date ever. I was so right.
6. I was once kidnapped in Kazakhstan… it was a fake kidnapping for my birthday while I was there on a mission trip in college to get me out of the dorm while they decorated for the party, but I still imagine it must have looked strange to people driving by since I was blindfolded and being led around outside by a group of boyish looking men. I think that could be labeled under ill-advised. [Bonus item: I still think about this spicy shredded carrot salad we got there from the Korean food truck at the market… and the multi-layered honey cakes we had for birthday celebrations. Two things I’ve never been able to replicate but can still imagine tasting, AGES later.]
7. Like my friend, Kate, who coined the term, I suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when it comes to social situations.
8. If I find a cute basket, at an affordable price, I almost always have to buy it. My husband does not relate to this compulsion.
9. The number one deciding factor for a shampoo purchase is scent; the secondary factor, which determines a repeat purchase, is if it has a positive impact on my hair. I buy a lot of shampoo.
10. I am an open book. I will 99% of the time answer any question you ask me honestly and am not offended by pretty much any question that you could ask me (which doesn’t mean that I won’t think about the question or my response to it long after our conversation is done if it is something that struck a nerve or chord with me).