Breaker, Breaker 1, 9

What I need, really need, is a police scanner. My grandma had one on her nightstand and she knew all the goings on of the whole town at her whimsy. Police dispatches and fire alarms were broadcast in beeps and static. Sometimes it was simply on; a low hum in the background and sometimes, when things were looking serious, she pulled up a chair and gave the radio her full attention. Her police scanner coupled with the fact that my grandpa drove a semi-truck with an awesome radio, could have had influence on my early career aspirations to be a truck driver. I guess I like me some CB radio.
Yesterday, the kids and I passed the scene of an accident. As is the Mullins tradition, we all closed our eyes (except me, of course, I was driving) and said a prayer that everyone would be ok and that God would help the person who was hurt. Following closely on the heels of the Mullins traditional prayer for safety, was the Glenn tradition to know exactly what happened. I wanted to know who was hurt, who was at fault, how many ambulances were called, you know all the necessary and pertinent information. This “need to know” has been faithfully modeled by my father who is probably the nosiest ambulance chaser ever, but that is a story for another day.
When we got home, I Googled the local news sites frantically; looking for some scrap of information, but nothing could be found. I had to read it in the paper this morning. Hence you see my urgent need for a scanner. Laters.

The Mullins Have Gone To The Dogs

I don't know if I've introduced you to the newest member of our family. This is Holly Berry, a close cousin to the actress, Halle, but she has less money. Sher got her for Christmas and I have to say that she might have been the most well-received gift I have ever given. Sher was ecstatic! Holly is settling in well with the family and she goes on her pee pad at least 30% of the time, sometimes with no prompting. She is a messy eater, and I sweep up a lot of dog food, but she is very cute and that makes up for it. Holly has also perfected what I call the "cobra strike." As you hold her, she appears very benign and passive, then without warning, she lunges up for a quick bite or lick on the chin. She is very fast, and my reflex jerk away is often not fast enough. I say "no-no" loudly to her, but she doesn't seem very sorry for her poor behavior. She has slept all night the past two nights so things are looking up for K and me. I had almost run out of dark circle eye cream to mask the sleepless nights. Now if we can reduce the accidental poops, I will be the one who is ecstatic. Laters.

Late For A Very Important Date

As a fellow commuter and I were commiserating this morning over the lateness of the trains and the amount of coldness we were experiencing while we waited, I thought of something funny. We tend to migrate and converse about the bad. I don’t remember ever striking up a conversation with a stranger by saying, “Hello, stranger! I would like to tell you about the perfectly pleasant day that I am having.” Usually shared misery that is the bond that glues strangers together.

This complete stranger and I struck up a conversation. He said, “Man, the trains are really late today.” And I agreed and we chatted for a while about the train that we normally take, which one we take if we are running late and how full the 7:57 usually is. We heard the announcement of “mechanical difficulty” around 8:20, and as we chatted, the 8:01 passed us by without stopping. It chugged right on past and left us standing in the cold, our breaths puffing out in clouds of steam. He was a jovial fellow and didn’t seem too worried. I, on the other hand, was a touch more peeved. My train is a local and they are less frequent. As was true in ancient days that all roads lead to Rome…….so all trains end up in Grand Central Terminal, which is where he wanted to be. Not so for Cos Cob, my humble stop. He told me that he had his laptop and planned to work on the train, so he was less concerned than me; presently laptop-less. As the next train pulled in (an express to GCT, I might add) he hopped on and we wished each other good days. I gave up on my hope for an on-time local and called K for a ride.
Today is not looking good so far, for me to have the perfectly pleasant day, but the next time I experience one, I plan to tell everyone, strangers and friends alike. Laters.

Going Out With Hottie

As I was telling a friend, I love Red Lobster with a deep and abiding love. More specifically, I love the cheesy biscuits. If they are fresh and hot, they are a taste bud explosion. And who doesn’t love watching banded-claw lobsters swimming in a tank of doom right before they eat? The Red Lobster fits perfectly with the Mullins creed of sit, eat, leave, and on to the next item on the agenda. I have asked K to on a date for Friday night and that is where I intend to take him, nothing but the best for my hubby. I will personally have the “Create Your Own Feast” 2 portion combo. Shrimp scampi and shrimp pasta with a Caesar salad, dressing on the side. Just like I always do. I am a girl who likes her routine. But wait, I forgot about current special where two people can eat for $29.99. Hmmm, I might have to forgo the routine for the price break. Laters.

Once In A Blue Moon

While walking this morning in the frigid air, I had a few moments to recollect. I thought to myself that 2009 was a pretty decent year, I learned a lot, mended a few fences, and grew into my own skin a little more than last year. I like the feeling.
I felt pretty satisfied when I closed my eyes after ringing in the New Year by watching a car fly over water on ESPN. This was a show my kids picked, not me, but I almost wet my pants when the driver made the leap safely. I suppose that the Mullins family New Year's eve tradition will be watching extreme stunts from our beds in a hotel room.
I also made a resolution to look around a little more, to be aware, to live in the present. I thought of how there was a blue moon in December, which is rare event. I thought about how someone watched the phases of the moon close enough to know that there were two full moons in one month, and how those only come around once in a while. I realized that I often tend to be so unaware that I would never say, “Oh, look, another full moon!” I would just be busy and preoccupied and look at the night sky and think, “Oh, the moon is out,” and never realize that I had missed an event that only happens every few years.
This will be a good year and I don’t want to miss anything. Laters.

Candlelight

I can see in the window of my neighbor’s house. My view is from my kitchen into theirs. Normally the view is vanilla, they make dinner. I make dinner. Sometimes I see him early in the morning moving about in a white undershirt; that is the extent of the raciness. I try not to get caught picking my nose or walking around in my granny panties. I am sure they would be suitably thankful if they knew this.
For Christmas, they have put electric candles in each window. Just like mamaw used to have. I feel teary and sentimental every time I see them. I remember the long, long drive to my grandmother’s house; turning down the street that led to her house, the winter air pitch black around us and hardly any other lights on the road. Then all of a sudden, there they were, the Christmas candles, alight with welcome, and the promise of family and warmth. Hers always had orangey, red bulbs, tiny red pinpoints of holiday cheer.
My neighbor’s bulbs are a clear white, but that’s ok, I don’t mind. They still take me home. Laters.

We've Got S-P-I-R-I-T Yes We Do!

I really want to put on the perfect Christmas, but something always happens. I want to be Martha Stewart and bake a steady, never-ending stream of cookies and strudel, make homemade ornaments, and hand- carve special treats for my kids out of wood that I found in my backyard. I want to hand flock my Christmas tree and have special Christmas dishes, kitchen towels and throw pillows for my couch. Oh, I am such a Christmas failure.

The reality is that some years, the ordeal of getting out the tree and decorations is such a chore for me and I am more like the Grinch than I want to admit. I have had better years than this one. Despite all the Christmas parties, I have had a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit. Last year, K and I went out on black Friday and got almost all of our gifts, and I was smug all season knowing that my basement hidey-hole was full of presents. It was so easy- all I had to do last year was drink eggnog and eat cookies. This year I have done practically nothing. And that stresses me out. I am feeling distinctly stressed. But as K said to me this morning, “Don’t worry, these things always work out.”
And I guess they do. Laters.