The Mysterious Beyond…

Back when we lived in Gaithersburg, MD, my older boys and their friends from our townhouse development had a area that they used to go to which they called “The Mysterious Beyond” (I’m pretty sure I have that right.)  It was an area, to the best of my memory, that to them held some mysterious nature because it was not easy to get to and also because there was, reportedly, some illicit activity that took place there at times.    Naturally we, as concerned parents warned them to be careful, but being the “Jr. Detectives” that they thought they were, they were intent on ridding their neighborhood of crime and pestilence.

 

The Commuter lot where I park in the morning has such an area– minus the illicit activity (at least I thought.  More on that in a minute).  There is a main lot and then there are additional parking spaces that go much, much farther back.  I drive that direction when I leave the lot in the evening before make a U-turn at the boundary; but there is just hint of a hill, enough so that you can’t see past the first few spaces unless you actually enter.  I had never entered and I often saw people come from that direction or cars just mysteriously appear over the horizon that appear to be uninhabited until they reach you. Just my mind playing tricks on me, right?

Well today I was running late. Let me define late… my alarm obviously went off, but I was so tired that I was quite oblivious to that fact that I shut it down.  I have a backup alarm that rings a half hour later… Must have shut that one off too!  When I did open my eyes and saw the time, I toyed around with the idea of staying home for the day and working from there, but “The Boss” has been out on an irregular basis and I’m second in command.  It was a  good thing I came in.  She’s out again today.  Uh oh I sense the beginning of a rabbit trail.  As, my old English 101 Prof. used to say… “Back to the Ranch..” This morning late meant that instead of getting to the commuter lot at 5:30 AM, I was pulling into “The Mysterious Beyond” at 7:52 AM!  The Mysterious beyond was larger than the main parking lot.  And, like the energizer bunny, it just kept going, and going, and going.  I pulled my Chevy Cobalt into a parking space next to another Chevy Cobalt.  Little did I know that this was the Cobalt parking area until I got out of my car and saw my Cobalt was one among 6; three of which were the same color blue as mine.  I’m not sure which car I’ll be driving  home.   My first thought was this area is pretty remote, I hope my car is safe.  Then I  decided that so many people park here that it must be.  I no sooner locked my car door and started making the long trek on foot to the bus stop when a County police car came cruising by slowly and deliberately.   It just so happened that this morning was a cold morning so I had on my black winter coat with my black knit cap pulled over my head and black gloves.  Did I mention that I was black?  My only thought at the moment was, ‘oh boy, this does not look good.’  Of course with my son and his fiancee being county police officers, I at least would have two credible people who could vouch for me… I think! 🙂

Well the lady police officer looked me up and down, saw I was reasonably dressed as somebody who was on their way to work, smiled and kept  on trucking.  I now had to navigate my way out of the mysterious beyond on foot and hopefully get out in time to catch my bus– If I could even get out!     When I did emerge I stopped for minute to see if I could hear Rod Sterling telling me that I had just entered the Twilight Zone.  It was quite a trek.  You get spoiled at how much you don’t have to walk when you drive.  Hopefully The Mysterious Beyond will still be there when I return and my car will not have been assimilated by the Borg.  Of course, the one thing I haven’t considered is that all of the other cars were being assimilated by Chevy since there were so many Cobalts around.  Hmmmm.  If you don’t ever see another blog post from me, send in the troops!  Well, my five minute break is up .  Time to get back to work.

Amen!

My HOT coffee form 6:30 AM is now cold

My cold banana pudding also from 6:30 AM (borught in as a treat by a co-worker) is now warm

My workload is tripled because my boss is out as well as someone assigned to a high profile project….

The project that I declined because I did not want another high profile project just yet…

My debt is going through the roof for reasons I cannot yet mention

My back is killing me and now so is my neck

None of my Christmas presents are even close to getting wrapped

I have a todo list at home longer than Yao Ming is tall

And I can’t seem to get anything done when I do have the time because something else comes up…

But you know what God is still on the throne and he has a plan for me and my life that will outshine all of the things that I look at right now as inconveniences.   Yet and still I gripe.   Why?  It’s his schedule not mine.  I feel he’s about to use me for something big.  So Amen to that.

‘Nuff Said.

I hate crew socks

I positively, absolutely HATE crew socks.  Some people would say, “You know it really doesn’t make a difference.”  Well I would beg– YES!  I’m begging– to differ on that one.

I have always had a preference for the “Over the Calf” sock style.  On me it feels better.  Comfort is a factor right?  There I stood yesterday in the Mens Department at Wal-Mart.  I needed some more blue dress socks.  I could not believe that the entire aisle that I was in was ALL dress socks.  So I locate the socks and to my great dismay, while they had socks in my size  and the color that I wanted and in every style that has ever been introduced in the world, they did NOT have the socks that I wanted in the variety that I was looking for.  No blue over the calf socks.  It was crew or nothing.   So I stood there and did what any respectable man would have done… I stood there and argued with myself for 10 minutes.  Having now worn the socks I can tell you that I definitely lost.

What’s wrong with crew socks?  You’re probably asking yourself.  Well, strange though it may be, I like my socks to feel secure.  These socks feel like they’re going to creep right off my leg.  No respectable over the calf sock would ever make you feel that way. I’m pulling my socks up every 5 minutes– even when I am just sitting here at my desk!!   GRRRRRR!  I knew better but I convinced myself that maybe I have been wrong about crew lo these past 38 years (I’m figuring I was 10 when I developed this preference).  So I convinced myself that crew length would be OK.   I am so glad that the black socks that I bought yesterday are over the calf!  As long as it is within my power, I will never, ever, ever, ever, buy crew length socks again!  They are for the rest of the crew but they are definitely NOT for me!

So… What now?  I make the decision that any respectable man who has made a bad purchase makes…  I go to Amazon.com and find what I need and add it to my cart– BUT WAAIT!!!  Don’t place that order yet.  Yes we men are frugal!  I’ll just let it sit in the cart because I know I’ll be back.  Have capitalize on the free shipping so the next time I come back I may go over $25.00  THAT’S when you place your order!

And then… Anticipation… when will they get here.  O when will I once again feel my sock hug my upper calf and not threaten to fall off or feel like it IS falling off.  Unfortunately, as of this writing I am only at the sock hating stage.  I have not gotten to get online and order stage.  Hmmm can I return them now that I’ve worn them.  I supposed they expect me to wash them first.  Frankly I think I’m out  $5 and change.  Well at least I have gained the experience that nothing has changed.  Over the calf is still the sock for me.