Work Smart, Not Hard.

I like to think that I'm smarter than the image I sometimes project.  It's not true.  But I like to think it.  It gives me a little hope for the future.  Someday, I'll have it all together.  I'll file my taxes sometime before mid-April.  I'll save money for the future.  I'll actually take the time to tie that shoelace right when I notice it is dangling.  I'll not wait until I'm on the sprawled on the ground and trying to tell people that it was easier to do it once I was closer to the earth rather than spend precious energy bending forward to secure my footwear.  No one believes that anyway.  Most people are pretty smart and don't have to worry about being more intelligent than they look.

But, every once in a blue moon, I do something that makes others wish they were me.  I pulled myself from the arms of Morpheus this morning, cut short fabulous dreams where it rained chocolate and yarn and got myself to the grocery store by 8:00.  I'd actually planned to get there a bit earlier than that...but I am only randomly responsible so we don't expect miracles, here.  I thought I did well to be pulling into the parking lot when I did and to be wearing matching shoes.  (with well-tied laces, I might add)

Maine is, once again, bracing for a Winter Weather Event.  I know.  You're getting sick of hearing about the weather here and I don't blame you one little bit.  I also don't have a rich life filled with fabulous parties and interesting encounters with mysterious strangers who wish to whisk me away to tropical locales.  With me, you get weather.  For what it's worth, there was an odd little man in an ill-fitting coat who followed me around the store the other day.  If you stretch your imagination a bit, you could probably find a way to turn that into an Interesting Encounter.

Any-hoo...

The storm bearing down on us is going to be a biggie.  We here at the coast should see a mix of snow and sleet.  (I first typed "sow."  That would be interesting.  Maybe pigs will fall from the sky tonight, thus saving me from yet another  run-of-the-mill weather-related post!)  We won't get the foot+ that other parts of the state will be getting, but it will certainly be enough to keep me tethered to hearth and home for the day.  I suspect it will wrap itself up in time for me to make it to school on Monday, though.  Hence, I am ranking this storm as a Nuisance rather than as Useful.  

Nuisance or not, however, a trip to the store was in order if I planned to have snacks on hand for the day and lunches for next week.  And I suspected that there were others out there thinking the same thing.  Happily, none of them had my foresight and willingness to venture out into the world unwashed and under-coiffed.  If there were twenty people in the store at that hour today, I'd be surprised.  Which is good, because I was already a little surprised to see that so few people thought of going early for the storm prep and that much surprise is not good for the hearts of Middle Aged Sheep. 

The shopping was completed in short order, the groceries transported home without incident and tucked away into wherever they were supposed to be tucked before 9:30 a.m.  I also managed to toss together a batch of chocolate dipped pretzels before I even took off my Goin' Out Shoes.  Most responsible, if I do say so myself.  

(The part where I ate half the pretzels rather than packaging them up for gift-giving this week was not responsible, but I don't want to talk about that.)

I'm not really built for responsibility, though.  The whole process tired me out and, once I took a moment to sit down, that was pretty much it for me.  Maybe it was just all the Storm Stress coursing through my veins.  Whatever the cause, a nap of epic and monstrous proportions pretty much took over the rest of the day.  However, I like to think that, while I was napping the afternoon away, the rest of the world was at the grocery store picking over my leavings in a desperate attempt to ensure their survival over the next 24 hours.  

With travel out of the question tomorrow, I do believe that I will be able to finish the second version of the Villandry Lace Scarf.   Scarf 2.0 is, shall we say, "interesting."  For the moment, it is shrouded in mystery and living with the working title of, Villandry Lace Scarf WDTF."  Interesting or not, it is going to be gifted before next week is finished and the recipient will just have to have a sense of humor about the whole thing.  Hopefully, I'll have it finished for tomorrow's post and we can all sit back and enjoy the irony that is my ability to take a perfectly lovely pattern and make it "interesting."

After all, it wouldn't do for me to be so darned smart all the time, now would it?

SA