It's Friday Fragments Time

It's Friday already and time for Friday Fragments, which is where I get rid of all those random thoughts that are tickling the inside of my head. Anybody can fragment, thanks to our lovely and talented hostess, Mrs. 4444 from Half Past Kissin' Time. She keeps track of all the FF-ers over at her site, and you should stop by and check it out. Actually, if you're not reading her regularly, why aren't you? She's funny AND nice - a perfect combo!

* Thanks for all the positive energy around my second interview on Wednesday. I think it went well, and I did find out that they called my references yesterday, which I hope is a good sign. I very much liked everything about this place, especially the people, and hope to have some really good news to share with you soon. I’m trying not to get too excited. I’m afraid if I don’t get it, I’ll be incredibly disappointed. Oh well, nothing to do but wait.

* Did you ever lose something that it is impossible to lose? Like something that it so big that it couldn’t be hiding anywhere? Or something you use every day, that only ever gets put in the same place, and has never left the bathroom? Doesn’t that drive you crazy? I was walking across the living room floor, holding an empty bowl and two chopsticks in one hand, when I stopped to pick something up off the floor. When I straightened up, I had only one chopstick. Could I find the other one? Nope. I looked everywhere, on my hands and knees, for half an hour. It literally couldn’t be anyplace else, and I still can’t find it. The biggest bummer is that it was one of the cool, shiny bamboo chopsticks, of which I only have four. I mean, three. I think my mother was wrong. Things really do sprout legs and walk away. If you ever see a shiny bamboo chopstick with legs, it’s mine.

* Having Alex back in the household is wonderful, but it sure has required me to adjust my grocery list. He is a snacker. We all snack, of course, but Alex has raised the idea to an art form. He would rather graze all day on snacks, and never have to sit down for an actual meal. Unlike Brandon, who loves to create elaborate meals using every single pot and pan that I own, Alex has no patience for food prep. He wants to grab and go. That box of granola bars that was lasting a week this summer is now empty in two days. The omelet breakfast does not work for Alex – cross off eggs and jot down bagels. Get more snack-size baggies (he’ll eat healthy food if it is in grab-able bags!) and serving-size pudding and yogurt. I’d love to hear your favorite grab-and-go snacks – what can you recommend?

* I think that if you drink decaffeinated coffee, it’s really important to get the good stuff. In my opinion, good decaf – which means spending more than $5 - for the 13 ounce bag that used to be a pound of coffee, but don’t get me started on shrinking packages and rising prices – is almost as good as real coffee. This week I’ve been drinking some store-brand swill that I bought in a moment of stupidity (or poverty). I can’t afford to throw it out, so I’m drinking it, but I’m pissed off about it. Ironically, because it sucks, it’s lasting longer than my usual brand.

* Do you know what high school kids can wear for gym class up here? ANYTHING THEY WANT. Yup. They can wear anything they want, as long as it is not the clothes they came to school in. They are required to change, but it doesn’t matter into what. You can wear jeans and a t-shirt to school, and change into another pair of jeans and a different t-shirt, and it’s totally allowed. Alex usually brings long basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Boy, things have changed since I was in high school. We used to have to wear these horrible stretch knit shorts and a horizontally striped, polyester polo shirt. Life is so unfair. Maybe this is one of the reasons I hated gym class, and only took the minimum amount I needed to graduate, and Alex signs up for it as an elective every year.

* When I was housesitting recently, I noticed that they had an air freshener in their bathroom that was called Moroccan Bazaar. I think Febreeze makes it - very elegant packaging, too. When I was growing up, we had two choices for freshening the air: Lysol and FLORAL. And neither of them was refreshing. Lysol makes me gag to this very day, and we all know what those bathroom smells are like when you add floral scent. Hallie, I know you have smell issues at work. Maybe you should try spritzing a little Moroccan Bazaar and humming “As Time Goes By” from Casablanca. Let me know how it works out.

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend (if you’re in another country that doesn’t have Labor Day, I hope you have a wonderful regular weekend!) and I’ll be by to visit your blogs!