13 on 13

It's the 13th day of September and since I have approximately 13 random thoughts today, this post makes perfect sense.  In fact it kind of wrote itself.

1.  I've loved these past few days spent with my daughter2.  I'm staying in her apartment and she's made it so cozy.  She's teaching 5th grade this semester so she gets up at the crack of dawn and packs her lunch and then I drive her to school so I can use her car during the day.  There is something very satisfying about watching your grown up child be grown up.

2.  Speaking of grown up tasks...daughter1 phoned this morning to say she'd just come from the dentist.  Now this may seem like a little thing to you, but I have been
NAGGING!!! gently encouraging her to find a new dentist ever since she moved to DC.

A year ago last April.
I know.
She was pretty pleased with herself.

I was pretty pleased with herself too.

3.  My daughter2 and I spent some time talking about our own memories of 9-11 on Tuesday.  She shared with me that they'd discussed the events in her 5th grade class that morning and we were both taken aback by the fact that only one or two of the kids in her class were even born then.  That 9-11 is now in a 5th grade history textbook. That the world changed that day and these children will never know the before, only the after.

They had so many questions.
There are still no easy answers.

4.  Daughter2 has an extremely busy and exhausting schedule just now so I had plans one afternoon to make a couple of meals for her freezer.  Daughter2 has a very well stocked kitchen...a big crock pot, an electric kettle, an immersion blender, but I turned the place upside down and could not find a can opener.  I texted her to ask where it might be and she told me she meant to buy one because recently she opened a can using a knife and scissors.  Oi.  Hubs-don't read that last bit.  I insisted she go that very day to get a can opener.  I'll sleep better at night knowing she isn't attempting knife stunts in the kitchen.  Hubs will say she is her mother's daughter.

5.  When I visit my girls I can count on doing three things...filling a frig, filling a gas tank, and running a car thru the car wash.

6.  Not complaining, just keepin' it real.  I can also count on shopping, eating out, and lots of talking so it's all good.

7.  I have to applaud and smile a little too, at my daughter's efforts at energy efficiency.  She was walking behind me turning off lights.  Ha.  That's what happens when you pay your own utility bills.

8.  Now for a mini blog rant-word verification.  AARGH!  Is it really necessary??? I don't allow anonymous comments on my blog which helps reduce spam, and I do have comment moderation running which also helps, but the word verification feature is off. It very nearly sends me over the edge on Wednesdays when I visit the Hodgepodge posts.  Sometimes it takes as many as four tries to get the word/number combo correct.  After two tries I am more than ready to move along. It's like some kind of test or something.   Word verification...just say no!

9.  Hubs is in China and texted me a picture of a dinner option on the menu -turtle.

Earlier in the week it was a pigeon.  On a menu where you have poultry, beef, lamb, and seafood exactly where does turtle fit?  My dad used to like turtle soup which gave us kids the heebie jeebies. As the saying goes, different strokes for different folks.

10.  Have you seen this?  A couple who are new parents of twins were flying with them for the first time and they made little goody bags with candy and earplugs for all the passengers.  Kindness makes the world a nicer place.

11. What's the deal with 'chevron'?  Suddenly it's everywhere.  Again.  Except when I was 12 we called that zigzag.  I do love this dress though.

12.  Do you watch Toddlers and Tiaras?  Me neither.  But I did catch a news clip recently of a 4-year old contestant in the costume portion of the pageant whose mom dressed her as Sandy from Grease.  Bad Sandy.  The one in black leather with the cigarette hanging out of her mouth.  The 4-year old's ciggy was fake but as she took to the stage her mom instructed, 'Don't forget to smoke!'  Now I'm a big believer in pretend play but this is in.sane.   Is it any wonder kids have so many issues in this crazy mixed up world?

13.  I hate to leave here tomorrow.  Knowing when I land I'll go directly to the train station and collect daughter1 for a weekend at home helps.  I'm beginning to come round to the notion of a family compound.