Day after day life basically goes along at the same pace, in the same circles or squares, with the same faces in predictable places. The most unusual thing in your day is the beets with your Manwich, instead of corn.
I like it when life takes a different road once in a while. It is refreshing to see things from another angle, and experience something new. Breaking out of the typical helps my brain function. Old nagging problems become easier to solve with a fresh perspective. If life is a little too routine, I change things up a bit. Most of the time it isn't any big deal, just change the route I normally drive home, or shop at a different store. By seeing new things, or old things from a different direction, my brain can jump the track out of the rut, and start thinking productively again.
The last string of days have been the opposite of mundane. Last week Ryker was at Boy Scout Camp. The camp here in Hawaii is located on top of a mountain and the drive up there is magnificent. I love that drive. There is such variety and all of it is amazing. I hadn't been up there in a year, then, wham - 3 times in a week! The last time, was at sunset - spectacular! Sorry, no photos, that wouldn't have been safe. It was hard enough just keeping my eyes on the road. Early in the drive, as you are coming up over a hill of wide open fields, you see the ocean before you. The horizon is way out there and it seems as if you can see the Earth curving. It is majestic. Looking at the enormity of the ocean opens possibilities in my mind.
On one of these trips, Ryker was the driver. I have been teaching him to drive and this was the longest stretch of time he was behind the wheel. It was great to actually get to look out the window for more than a few seconds at a time. I have such mixed feelings about my kids driving. Ryker is a very good driver. He is cautious and careful. He obeys the traffic laws and wants to do everything the right way. I guess I am like all parents and worry about all the idiots out there that might hurt my kid. All these milestones seem to be arriving on top of one another. I barely get up for air and slam, another one hits me on the head.
Quincie turned 16 last week. She wears my clothes, I wear her shoes. She certainly isn't a baby anymore. This is the first year she didn't have a birthday cake. She didn't want one. Weird, but true. She had been saving for a long time for a computer and between her savings, and a present from Carl, she finally had enough on her birthday. We took a trip to the Apple store to make her birthday wish come true. That is one COOL store! I could have stayed and played for hours. Gadgets galore! That night we went to see the new Harry Potter. It was the first day so I bought tickets online early. We had nearly a whole row of friends with us. That movie was looooong! Q had a great day, as yet another of life's milestones wacked me in the face.
Ryker's proposed Eagle Scout project was approved. Now he has 2 weeks to get it done. Planning, writing, rushing, waiting, calling meeting, talking - ahhhhh! I am so glad that he is taking the lead on all of this. Stand by for updates as this one proceeds.
I had big plans for Saturday. Q and I were going to go hiking with Angela to check out the hike for girl's camp which is this week. I had an appointment to donate blood at 8am and figured by 1pm I would be good to go. What do they say about the best laid plans??? I am not sure I am ready to write about saturday morning yet. I think I will save that story for it's own entry. Suffice it to say, I didn't go hiking.
Sunday morning I had to speak in church. I have had to speak at least once a year since we moved here. Usually more like 2 or 3 times a year. It's weird. I don't mind speaking to groups of people. What I do mind is the anxiety of waiting my turn. I was last. I have this thing about waiting. It's the same thing with amusement park rides. I love the ride, but I HATE to be buckled in first and have to wait for the ride to start. My mind starts thinking of all these crazy scenerios. Like ... what if while I am strapped in, waiting to go, an ax murderer shows up and tries to kill me? I am strapped in, I can't get out, I can't run way, and I get axed .... So, sitting on the stand waiting for my turn to talk is kind of the same. I walk in, exactly on time, and I am the only one of 3 speakers up there. The other 2 haven't arrived. I start thinking of how I can stretch my talk to cover that much time. Then I start thinking if there is a way I could bail too, if they don't show. Once they show up, and the services starts, I start thinking of all the reasons I would like to get up out of my chair, which of course I wouldn't do, because everyone would see me, and I am not going to walk throught the entire congregation while someone else is speaking, that would just be rude. But anyway, I need to use the bathroom. I drank a big glass of water just before I left so I wouldn't be dehydrated, and it is ready to vacate. I can't get up, but I really need to. If only I had been able to speak first, instead of last. Miraculously, once it was my turn, that urgent urge seemed to vanish.
Today I rescued a friend who locked her keys in her car. Usually it is me that does the locking of the keys in the car and someone else that gets to do the rescuing. It felt good to see it from the other side for once. It's much less stressful and embarrassing from this position. I think I like it better.
Tonight I went to a meeting where we introduced a new website to a group of realtors. I have been involved in this project since it was just a concept. It is not my idea, but I have been around while it has taken shape over the last couple years. I have always thought it was a great idea and believed in the project's ultimate success. Tonight, seeing the faces of those realtors as they came to understand was an experience hard for me to describe. This good idea has become real. I saw it on my own computer as it grew and was amazed and impressed all along the way. Watching people experience the full, working website, for the first time was very, very cool. Let me try to explain it better. This idea was nothing, just a thought, and now, it is real, and others, who did not share in that original thought, are now experiencing it. It works, and they like it. The thought was good, and the hard work it took to get it to this point are not relavent to them. All they see is the finished, working product, and they like it. What an interesting process. I am glad I have been along for the ride.
I am excited to see what the rest of this week will bring. If it's anything interesting, I will be sure to let you know.
