Reproduction

I get it.  Reproduction in living things, that is.  I understand there's parts and there's other parts and somehow those parts can combine to make a whole separate part that becomes another living thing.  I get that part.  I just don't get how reproductions happens in non-living things.  Let me explain.

When I clean (or should I say whenever I clean, and it's not very often), my method is to clean a room and take all that room's offending junk to another room, usually known as the "holding" room (which is usually the dining room because the only thing that rarer than my cleaning is anyone actually eating on the dining room table in the dining room).  Anyhow, I will methodically sweep through the room being cleaned and take a load to the holding room, thus making the "cleaned up" room actually appear to be clean.  Here's where the my reproductive ignorance steps in.

Invariably, in the short span of time that it takes for me to get from the room being cleaned to the holding room and back to the room being cleaned, apparently reproduction has taken place.  It would seem that the more I clean out of a room, the more there is to clean out.  And apparently the obviously fertile junk is also doing its thing in the holding room, as the pile of junk there gets larger and larger, IN BETWEEN TRIPS FROM ROOM TO ROOM.  It's scary, because it would seem that junk reproduction knows no boundaries, either.  Books seem to give birth to doll clothes, pencils, and paper cups.  And don't even get me started on the boxes full of garage sale stuff.  Apparently that subset of junk is even randier, because I can walk away from a box with two things in it and upon my return, the box is so full I can barely close it.

So if anyone understands junk reproduction, please let me know so I know what things to keep separate.  Or at least let me know of junk birth control!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley and Everley time; Sam bringing Baja Burritos for dinner

Join Udderly Pink (Without Walking a Step)!!

First, watch these and get inspired.  First, from 2007:

Then, from 2009:

So, are you ready to walk 60 miles in 3 days? Not so much? What if you could join our team and NOT WALK A SINGLE STEP? Well, you can. Here's how:

First, say to yourself, "Yes, I want to join Udderly Pink!" To be an honorary member, all you have to do is donate $230 (that's 10% of what we have to raise) to one of our team members. I know that's a lot of $, but you don't have to pony it all up yourself. Get 23 of your closest friends to donate $10, or 230 to donate $1, or 46 friends to donate $5, or one really good friend to donate $200 and a merely good friend donate $30. Somehow, come up with $230, click on our website here, pick a team member and donate your proceeds.

Don't think you can donate it all now? Comment on this blog or email me at LuanneDavidson@gmail.com and tell me you want to be an honorary member, and I'll put you on the list. We don't walk until October, so you have February/March/April/May/June/July/August/September to get in your $230 (that's 8 months, which is a little less than $30 a month, or a dollar a day - if you figure your friends into this, you're gonna need a calculator).

Once you've committed to being an honorary member, we will send you your honorary member package.  What is in it?

You will receive one of our deluxe team jackets, complete with our team name and your name (or a name of your choice) embroidered on it (we do have black jackets for you dudes out there).

You will also have your name put on our Day 1 shirts, which you will get in September.

You will get a copy of our training walk schedule, if you want to join us here or there, and we'll even throw in a chocolate bar for you to enjoy in bed, thinking of us on the weekend we have training walks of 18 miles on one day and 15 on the next.

There will be other surprises in the package - we just have to figure out what they will be!  But most of all, you will be a part of us as we walk 60 miles in 3 days to raise money to fight breast cancer and help those who are affected by this disease.

We'll send you your honorary member package just as soon as we hear you say you want to join us.  We figure with a bright pink jacket hanging in your closet, you won't forget your commitment!

So, all you need do now is donate, comment, or email and let us know your jacket size.  It will be the easiest 60 miles you've ever walked!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley time; Maribeth bringing dinner; jacket pickup; 3-day planning

Words

There are a lot of words.  I know several of them.  There are nice words and not-so-nice words.  And I know several of both kinds.  And I've used both kinds.  But the thing is, when someone directs words at me that I don't like, it tends to deflate me.  And I don't like any of it - the words, the person, or the message.  And it doesn't matter if there are ten good word messages received at the same time - it's the bad message that I let get the best of me.

So maybe today I will make a change.  Or maybe even two.  Maybe starting today, I will let the deflating words just blow away like a deflating balloon.  I will wave them goodbye, and hold on to the good message words like holding on to a $10 Disney World balloon - worth savoring because you don't get them everyday.  But more importantly, I will stop using those hurtful words, realizing that it's not my place to correct someone's opinion, or point out how they're wrong in my eyes, or blast my thoughts on top of someone else's just because I can.

Words - forget the sticks and stones - they can hurt much worse.  But more importantly, they can heal and make things all better.  You just have to use the right ones.

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Everley time; Maribeth bring bar-b-q for dinner; seeing Molly's bathroom remodel progress; 2 slow miles in the 'hood; getting car spruced up and car place people

A Good Monday

Today I finally got back on track.  After last week's post-cruise food-eating debacle, I wasn't planning to weigh in.  But I decided to be accountable (that would be accountable to me - not you - at least not yet) and I got on my scale.  I somehow managed to stay the same as last week - no loss but no gain either.  I could deal with that.  Then I actually got my butt out the door and walked two miles, even though it was super slow.  I managed to eat on program and keep away from temptation by staying busy and drinking lots of water.  I prepared a lunch and dinner - okay, so I microwaved something - but at least I didn't go through a drive-thru.  Now if I can hang tough for the rest of tonight, then I'll start over tomorrow, hoping that by taking it one step at a time (no matter how slow), I will have another successful day!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  2 slow miles; emailing with KB, Marilyn, and Kat; staying on track; getting bills paid; clean sheets

My Fashion Statement

A long time go, when I was in the "family way" (that's what we called being "with child"), maternity fashion was pretty simple - the more material you could put into a garment, the better, because it just made it more fluffy, thus hiding the obvious.  In fact, it was a given that big fluffy sleeves were even more important, to give proportion to your big mid-section.  And it was considered an even bigger bonus if your outfit had a humongous big bow or ruffle on the front - as if that would disguise the big bump that you were growing in front.

These days it seems that less is more.  Now it's better to accentuate the obvious, I guess so that every kick can not only be felt by those parties most closely involved with the unborn, but seen by any random passerby.  Maybe it's because women now just wear their regular clothes for the nine months after impregnation, and they get a little snug (unlike some of us who started wearing maternity clothes pre-impregation).  Maybe it's because this is the only time in their lives these women will have a chubby part, and it so fascinates them that they feel the need to accentuate it.  Maybe it's just the fashion.

I'm just glad that I was a part of the fluffy generation and not the present one.  I just don't think there would be enough spandex to cover all of me and mine!!

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The Good Stuff From Today:  Lindley and Everley time; chili lunch with most of the family; Steve's ING Miami Half-Marathon finish; phone chat with post-Hawaii KB