Counting it Down

-
We have a calendar on our fridge where we write in our appointments on a monthly basis with a black marker, and a wet-erase board. Kathy is in charge of putting the month in order because her handwriting is so much better than the rest of us.

I distinctly recall the nuns beating the holy hell out of me because my penmanship sucked. And now everyone uses the computer. When was the last time you made a perfect cursive 'S'?

The nuns taught it for the simple reason that they could bash us over the head with something when we went outside the lines on the paper.

Anyway, Sam has recently been changing the days on the calendar to coincide with how many days there are left until all that shopping money officially goes out the window.

The only problem being that each night as Sam reduces the day count by one, he does it by wetting a rag, erasing the number, and then putting in the new number. The wet rag causes holy hell with the rest of the board, leaving smudges and words that are half-formed. Those nuns would have a shit-fit as we call it.

And it is also enough to drive a mentally-challenged, obsessive-compulsive, parental figure crazy. (Perhaps we are on to something...maybe the nuns made me crazy).

Why do things have to be so neat and orderly when the rest of the world is chaotic and willy-nilly?

Someone solve this for me.

Anyway...the other day....with Sam at my side, I looked at the smudges and the black streak of marker down the center...and you know what I did?

I laughed!

Perhaps we are on the verge of a breakthrough!

I laughed because he is so fired up about Christmas arriving, and truth be told, I am too.

He's excited. I'm excited.

10 more days.

Now off to practice my 'S's'.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more