Tuesday 5: Moving Stuff

1. I’m not sure I really have five things this week. We’re getting down to the brass tacks of moving. The pantry is almost empty and dinner is becoming like an episode of “Chopped.” I just made something along the lines of home made Hamburger Helper for dinner. Some turkey italian sausage, a can of diced tomatoes, and the last of some egg noodles that were hiding behind the regular pasta in the pantry. Throw in some random spices, and the kids acted like they’d never had anything quite so delicious.

2. I saw Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman on TV a couple of days ago. Their idea of a date night looks like it must be a visit to the plastic surgeon. It’s a pity, too, because they were both very attractive before they started nipping and tucking and botoxing. 

3. For Mother’s Day, I got an iTunes gift card so I can stock my iPod with some new music for the upcoming move and roadtrip. Any suggestions for new music? I like a little of everything. I keep meaning to check out some new Florence and the Machine and Avett Brothers, so any suggestions from them would be helpful. I’d also like upbeat suggestions for when I’m driving. 

4. For Mother's Day, we also took everything out of the master bedroom closet and stuffed it in all the other closets. Now, our closet is the "Do Not Pack" room for when the movers come. I'm also tearing apart and making messes everywhere. The art supplies, kid books, kitchen stuff, all of it, and trying to get rid of stuff. Ugh. I'll be glad when it's gone, it's getting through everything that takes too much work.

5. I don't have anything for this one because The International Man of Intrigue wants to use my laptop and it’s making me feel rushed and I can’t think under pressure.

Tuesday 5: People We Like and People We Don't

1. Sorry I missed you all last week. We had to be out of the house for a showing and by the time I got back and got life back on track, I was out of ability to form coherent thought. I did try. Here is the one item I wrote last week: “I’m currently sitting in a controversial chicken restaurant, watching the kids run around like crazy people, while I wait for the house to be shown. I had big plans to type this on my wireless keyboard, but I ran off and left it, my tote bag, and some coupons on the counter. My realtor says a clean and uncluttered kitchen is the most important thing. Now the potential buyers will walk in, see my Joann’s coupons, and walk out, leaving us to wallow in non-sale misery.”

2. Now, on to this week. We started off the week by having some old friends over for a cookout on Sunday. We were stationed with them back when Amelia Earhart and Gertrude Bell were born. They moved to our area a year (or two?) ago, and we had been remiss in not seeing them. We had a great visit and our kids had a great time playing together. We should have done that years ago. Literally.

3. In the complete opposite direction, today The International Man of Intrigue had a conversation with one of his bosses. The boss was referring to something The International Man of Intrigue was working on and stated very matter of factly, “I don’t like this. I don’t like…I don’t like you. I’ve never liked you.” What the heck??? Now, this guy is sick, so maybe his internal monologue isn’t working, but I think that’s a weird thing to just let someone know in passing. 

4. I prefer to handle people I don’t like in a more discreet manner. Yesterday I was at Costco filling up my van, Van Halen, with gas, when I realized there was someone I knew at the pump behind me. It was the wife of a family we vaguely knew at a past duty station. The husband works with The International Man of Intrigue and The International Man of Intrigue has been “accidentally” forgetting to give the guy my number to pass along for the last two years. I very carefully let my hair blow in my face while I finished filling up and jumped back into the safety of Van Halen as soon as I could get the gas cap back in place.

5. Yesterday I was listening to NPR and heard a story about alternative food sources. They were discussing flour made from crickets. Surprisingly, the thought of eating something made out of cricket flour does not gross me out. What about you, Fellow Adventurers?

6. (Bonus since I skipped last week.) I’ll end with a classic conversation with Arthur Dent. We were on the way to school last week when he asked if I’d help him put his socks on. I told him I couldn’t do it while I was driving. He responded, “I know, I know. It’s because you only have two arms. What if you had four arms? Then you could totally help me with my socks.”