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I still don't quite have the hang of this thing quite down yet. Is that the worst mixed metaphor ever? I don't even know if it is technically a metaphor, but it is the worst mixed something ever. Anyway, I am still not thinking like a journaller. Oh sure, I go about my day like I always do, but I'm not remembering or documenting these events like I should. Particularly in the area of the digital camera. Two examples:
I asked Claudine to remove all the ornaments and such off the tree because it was way past time to take down the tree. She took them down yesterday morning, leaving me only the tinsel garland, the lights and the angel to remove and pack away. I've been ignoring the tree since before New Year's. This is a departure from past years where I would religiously check the water level of the tree every morning. Not so this year. I watered it a couple of times before Christmas but basically forgot it existed after the 25th. So when I get to the tree to remove the rest of the decorations, it is a withered, gnarled husk of a tree. I am wading through ankle-high piles of needles. I have never seen a tree this bad off before. I start to take the garland off and I find that the tree won't let go of it. Its little branches have curled around the garland, grabbing on like an elderly woman holds her walker. I had to really yank the stuff off of the tree which resulted in clouds of even more needles exploding off the tree onto the living room carpet. The lights were even worse. This tree was not giving anything up easily. I finally got all three strings of lights off the tree while shooting needles across the house. I take off the angel and put her back in the box. (As an aside, does anyone who uses an angel on their tree feel they are violating their angel somehow? I always feel a little strange ramming this lovely little vision of peace down onto the top branch of the tree. Like it hurts her somehow.) I drag the tree down the stairs and out the front door. And yes, it is flinging needles like mad at this point. This tree is having its revenge. I drag it and the stand out through the snow to the curb. Then I walk back to survey the damage. I finally decide that the regular vacuum cleaner won't cut it and go out to the garage to get the shop vac. You know one of those wet/dry jobbies they sell in Home Depot? I'm half way through vacuuming up the literal piles of needles -amazed at how many needles there are and how gnarled the tree was - when it hits me that I should have been taking pictures of the all the carnage from the beginning. No one reading this (snicker... as if anyone is reading this) can really envision how many needles there were or how bad the tree was. And I'm not that good of a writer to get my point across. Pictures... pictures! Idiot. I should have thought of it earlier.
This morning I was driving to work on that main U.S. artery, Interstate Route 80. We got to some kind of a slow down in traffic. Not a complete stop, but a little bit of a back up and some stop-and-go traffic for about 3/4 of a mile. I'm in the left lane and when I finally get close enough, I find that there is a mini-van leaning nose down against the divider over in the oncoming lanes. I can see the bottom of the van as I am approaching. There are people milling about the van. They don't look incredibly shocked or upset. There are no ambulances around. I either got there after they left or no one really got hurt. There weren't many signs of violence that are present at so many accidents The nose wasn't horribly smashed in. It looked like the van was involved in a slight fender-bender except that when it was done the van was placed gently up against the divider. Much, much too late I realize I have my camera in my backpack. You see, I've started carrying the camera with me now to be able to take interesting pictures of the events of my day - like this one. As I said, much, much too late. I'm fumbling to get the camera out while making sure I don't cause an accident and end up with my truck gently placed - nose down - against a highway divider. I get the camera switched on and desperately snap a picture vaguely pointing the camera in the direction of the mini-van. After getting back up to speed after the accident, I look down and find I have cleverly documented my arm resting near the window and door lock controls on the driver side door of my truck.
So it is obvious that I don't think like a journaller. I'm amazed I even thought of this fact to be able to use it in an entry.
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