Where is my Christmas spirit???

I was mad at my little brother on our way to the Christmas Eve service...

He knew I really wanted to get to church early, but he didn't seem to care... He was dragging his feet and making silly jokes. When we finally started heading to the car, he turned around and said that he had to go the bathroom; which irritated me even more! We didn't speak much on the way to church. He apologized after a little while and we made up.

Fast forward to after the service... We all get home, and here is a gift card, sitting on my bed, carefully placed by my brother while he went to the "bathroom". He even put a nice bow on the card!

Boy, did I feel ungrateful, mean and stupid!

It's now my turn to apologize...Sorry sweet little brother!

Merry Christmas!

EED

Winter anxiety

-"Breaking news! One snow flurry has officially touched the ground! We'll be back with how this will affect your morning commute... Stay tuned!"

One thing I don't really like about winter (besides driving in inches of snow) is the exaggerated daily weather reports on the local news. I am not sure how it works in other parts of the country, but the every 10-minute updated traffic updates are an integral part of the morning news. Yes, they are useful, don't get me wrong, but I simply don't understand why they have to sound so dramatic.

I used to wake up every morning to alarming reports of back ice and possible snow showers, only to find a dusting of snow and a gray sky waiting for me outside. I would give myself panic attacks watching these reports. I snapped out of it one day last year, after canceling an appointment, because the weather and traffic reports sounded too alarming. I am still not sure of what video footage they used, but when I finally made it outside, I felt REALLY silly. Not only was it not snowing, the sun was shining brightly that day!

A big part of it, is me being a chicken (I am not going to deny it)... but still... Nowadays, I just walk outside, or better yet open my blinds!

Happy winter!

EED

1 more fun fact about me...

I suffer from a condition called: ornithophobia, also referred to as an irrational fear of birds

Here is the Webster definition of this condition:

"An abnormal and persistent fear of birds. Sufferers from ornithophobia experience undue anxiety about encountering and even being attacked by birds although they may realize their fears are quite irrational."

I am usually fine with smaller birds... I actually find hummingbirds very gracious and fascinating. The bigger the bird, the scarier, and the more nervous I get. Yes, I know this is quite irrational... What can I say?

EED

Math lesson

This high school memory is one my favorites.

Scene: senior year, math class with Mr. B, the meanest math teacher I have ever met (every year he would start a rumor that he would retire over the summer, but he always came back!). I had just finished solving a problem on the blackboard.

Mr. B: Are you done?

Me *nervously*: Yes...

Mr. B: Are you sure?

Me: Hmm... Yes....

Mr.B: Well, I want you to grab the eraser, and erase the last line... and the line before that... and the line before that... and the line before that... in fact, just erase everything, and go back to your seat. It's all wrong!!!!

My friends got a great laugh out of that at recess! I was embarrassed for a minute, but I laughed too, because I knew that Mr B. was mean to everyone.

Sometimes, that's really all I can do... look back at some the stuff I did, and just laugh about it!


EED

2 fun facts about me

These fun facts are kind of embarrassing, but I think they also show what kind of person I am…so here goes:

Fact #1: I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old!!!

I read somewhere that sucking your thumb is frequent in withdrawn and lonely children. Not sure if that is true or not. I went through phases really. I could be sociable for some period of time, but really shy and quiet sometimes. I like to think that this is true of most people, we all need some quiet time once in a while… in my case, my quiet time could last longer than most people. I had to hide from my friends and family anytime I felt the urge/need to suck my thumb (I am convinced my mom knew, moms always know these things...). I don’t know... it just felt really comforting for some reason. I would suck my thumb and play with my ear at the same time (if you pay close attention to me when I am bored or nervous, you can still catch me playing with my left ear…).
On the eve of my 13^th birthday (we were visiting in Togo that year), I decided that it was time to quit, and become a big girl. I never looked back… By the way, this is why my teeth are kind of crooked, but I don’t mind.

Fact # 2: I learned to ride a bicycle at age 23!!!!

My mom (bless her heart) didn’t think it was appropriate for girls to ride bicycles. So, I never learned as a kid. I would watch with envy as my younger brother would ride his white and yellow bike. As I grew older, I just forgot about it… but one weekend, my ex and I were very bored and I asked him to teach me how to ride a bicycle. I didn’t know what I was in for... there is a reason why it is easier to learn as a kid: you are not scared to let go or fall. At 23, all I could think about was “If I take my feet off the floor, I will break something” or “Why am I going so fast HELP!!!”. I tried my best, but after a couple of hours, I was ready to give up. It was too funny and weird to be covered with bruises at that age… The next weekend, I decided to give it another try, and low and behold, I did it! YAY!
Writing this reminds me that I need to fix the chain on my bike… I would actually love to buy a new one… maybe soon…

EED