Walks yesterday and today

We went out to the reservoir yesterday – it was nice but hot.  The dogs went into the lake – Bennie loves to plow into the deep end but Baxter won’t go higher than the tops of his legs. 

Today, because it is drizzling, we went on a mile walk on the bike trail near my house.  It is where we would normally walk before we started going to the reservoir so not much new there.  However, I did see some beautiful flowering trees so took a few pictures there.

This bloom is on a tree – anyone know what type it is?

White starshaped flowers

Small purple flower is everywhere now.

Baxter stalking a squirrel

My very dirty hiking boots

Leaves on the BIG trees now!

Pretty aren’t they?

Blooms on the tree

Today its about yesterday

We all have those nostalgic days where we wonder what would have been if we had made other choices.  I suppose no one can go through life without wondering and reassessing the choices they made.  Most people could probably come up with a few things they would do differently if they could do it over knowing then what we know now.  Unfortunately, that isn’t the way it works.

Our choices are made by what information is available to us at that time.  We assimilate the data and choose what we hope is the best course of action.  Hind sight is always 20/20 – the future never is.  Ten years from now I will probably look back on this time of my life and be able to pick out some things I could have done differently – though right in the here and now, I am blinded to those options.

Sometimes I wish I could see the “big” picture – that I could see how my life will unfold so I can be prepared.  But really, how boring life would be if we knew exactly what we’d be doing, where we’d be doing it, who we’d be doing it with, and why we’d be doing what we were doing ten, twenty, thirty years from now.  It takes away possibilities and options – it steals hope.

So instead of spending my time today wishing I could change things in the past, I am spending it looking to the future with optimism, enthusiasm, and yes, hope.  I don’t know how it will all unfold – I fear there may be a few heartaches ahead of me but I also know that I will cope with them when they present themselves.  Really, what choice do I have? 

Rogue

I’m watching Rogue while uploading pictures and cooking brunch…who says I can’t multi-task?  I love Radha Mitchell – she should do more movies that are either American made or released to America like this one was.

Today I want to run away.  Surprisingly not to a small cabin in the wilderness but to some place with more cultural things like museums.  I feel like going to a big museum like in chicago or New York.  Someday I’m going to be able to go where I want, when I want.

Our walk today was chilly and gray – I don’t know if it is suppose to rain today but it feels like it could.  There must be a good chance of it with the clouds being as thick and dark as they are.  I say bring it on.  Rain means people will stay inside so I won’t be that busy at work.

The pics pretty much speak for themselves so I won’t go into a commentary on what each one is.

I took this door off the entertainment center for him – cute huh?

Baxter is hiding under the cover – it drives Bennie nuts!

Home At Last…

Capt. Richard Phillips  has been rescued safe and sound from the clutches of modern day pirates thanks to the Navy.  Good job guys and gals. 

Phillips, as we all know, was kidnapped when his ship was attacked by pirates in an area where piracy is at an all time high.  In a selfless act, Phillips surrendered to the pirates to save his crew – something that makes him a hero right there.

The Navy kept the pirates in sight at all times and tried negotiating for the Captain’s release but talks broke down on Saturday prompting the Navy crew, with the blessing of President Obama, to attack the pirates to retrieve him.  In a daring night rescue, the Navy stormed the boat.

It is such a heartwarming story of how American’s ban together to seek the release of one of their own.  Millions of prayers went out for the Captain and his safe return. 

I do want to also mention – though I know it is kind of off the wall – that the pirates do deserve some consideration for not having killed or tortured the man.  Overseas there are so many stories of kidnappings that result in beheadings, torture and other grisly forms of death – it is nice that these guys refrained.  Granted they might have killed him had the Navy not stepped in but at least they didn’t kill him when they realised they’d never make it to shore.  They could have cut their losses, so to speak.

Welcome home, Captain Phillips!

Starving

I am absolutely starving.  My stomach was growling but now it is cramping because I didn’t bring anything to eat.  Like a fool I figured that, because I was full when I got here that I wouldn’t be hungry again tonight.  So I ate almost 12 hours ago…I really thought it would last all the way till 7am.  How could someone eat a steak and still eat again in the same day?

I am an idiot.  I did this exact same thing last time I ate at the Texas Roadhouse before coming to work.  That night I almost fainted before it was over because my blood sugar started to drop.  Why didn’t I learn?

I’m going to have to stop at BK for breakfast before going to get groceries or I’ll never make it.

What is worse is that there is nothing to do to get my mind off how hungry I am.  We are pretty dead – I thought we might be so had some stuff I wanted to look at on the internet but can’t concentrate because I’m too hungry.  I’m such a moron.

You would think I’d be able to give one of my officers some money and he’d pick me up something at McDonalds or something – but we don’t do that here.  Goodness, I’m starving.

Sleeping A Lot

My three days off have been mostly spent sleeping.  Granted I hadn’t slept well lately so felt very tired but even so, I slept more than I should have.  Yesterday I even found myself thinking that I must be in the clutches of minor depression to be sleeping all the time.  It is one of the things I do when I’m down – shut my eyes and live in my dream world for awhile.

While I wouldn’t say I have been feeling depressed – I know my symptoms well enough to see that it is heading that way if I don’t take steps now to avert it.  It is hard to force oneself to do things though when all they want to do is hide from the world.

Yesterday I forced myself to go for a 2 mile walk and that helped for a couple of hours.  Tonight I made myself go on another one even though it was after 11pm because I hoped the cool night air would help again and it did.

I must say though, I could crawl into bed right now and be asleep within minutes but I have chores to do that I should have done earlier today.  Obviously I can’t vacuum this late so I’ll get it out to remind myself to do it first thing in the morning.  Tonight I’m going to clean the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.  A bed frame fell from the sky so I need to get my bed on it.  Really someone moved and put it out at the dumpster but it is in excellent condition and fits my bed so couldn’t ask for anything more.

Earlier I watched Stephen King’s “It” which is 3 hours and 13 minutes long.  I enjoy it right up until the end which I have always thought was a bit cheesy and beneath King.  I get the hankering to watch it about once every decade or so – I don’t know why.

Think I will put The Shining on now to keep me company as I clean.    I feel much better emotionally than I have felt on any of my days off…kind of a drag since I have to work tonight but good too in that I don’t want to be feeling down at work when I know we will be so very busy.

One of my friends in Florida just found out her mother has stage four ovarian cancer that is inoperable.  They are going to start her on chemo right away in hopes of combating it that way.  I feel for my friend who is the exact age I was when my mother died of cancer.  It is so devastating to lose your mother so young.  Hopefully she will be spared that agony and pain.  My prayers are with her.

Cold

The snow might of missed us but obviously the cold did not.  It is 30 degrees out right now making me wish I had checked the temp before I took the dogs out for a short walk wearing only a light jacket and no gloves.  The sunshine was so deceiving.  My fingers were so frozen it took several tries to unleash the dogs when we got back.  I’m about to wrap them around a nice toasty cup of tea so that should help.

I’m glad the weekend is behind me now and I just have two more work shifts to work till my days off.  It was a wickedly crazy weekend with little sleep when we were so busy.  I have to admit I’m going to make breakfast before I go to bed – normally I make it when I get up the first time but I am starving! I didn’t get my first break till after 3am and then was too busy to get my second one so haven’t eaten in 14 hours.

Wow, I’m so very tired….

Bad Weather

We are forecasted to have more snow and bad weather this weekend.  I am so sick of winter!!

They say it will start raining late tonight – maybe that will keep the students inside for a change.  Ugh.

Don’t think so

I don’t think those are daffodils…not sure what they are but the more I look at them the more I see that they don’t look like I remember daffodils looking.

Flowers

This is the only picture I managed to take on my walk today.  Are they daffodils? I don’t know my flowers all that well unfortunately – guess I’ll have to get a flower book to help me identify them better if I’m going to take pictures of them.

The flowers are in the beds under the windows of our apts.  Mine has a bush so I don’t know if I’ll get any flowers though on the other side of the door there appears to be a single plant growing.  My neighbor on the end gets the most sunlight on her beds which is why I think her flowers bloomed first. 

Still no buds on the trees – am anxious for leaves. 

It's great to see some flowers blooming!!