The Flan Incident

Life throws curveballs.  No doubt about it.  I suppose it would be boring if it wasn't like that - if we knew what would happen every day, and it was the same as the day before, that would be torture.  It's good to have a little variety once in awhile.  A little bit of a challenge.  To a point...

When I woke up yesterday, I could not have predicted I would be running with flan at the end of the day.  That would have never crossed my mind.  But that's what happened.  Observe.

I went on a long run about a week ago, and slightly injured my left foot.  So I haven't been out for a run in about 5 days.  So I was itching to continue my regimine yesterday.  I woke up and got ready to go.  I had a staff meeting at lunch time, and some fighting on the playground for dessert.

So, when I finally made it home around 5:00, I was a little exhausted and a little fed up.  I was ready to put my aching foot up and relax.  I was greeted at the door by 5 smiling faces, and a little song and dance number besides. :) I was told we were having takeout mexican for dinner, which suited me just fine, but then I wanted to make sure I got a run in, or I'd feel too guilty.  So I went and picked up the food, but when I got back it was pushing 5:30.

So, the forgot the side of sour cream.  That's okay, but we did pay for it so I wanted to go back and get it.  We fed the kids, but I wanted to wait to eat until I ran, so I didn't run with a belly full of rice and beans (not a good throw up combination).  So around 6:30 I took off out the door for a run.

On the way, I thought I'd go ahead and pick up the sour cream.  The restaurant was very nice, but I was in a hurry.  When the guy came out with the sour cream, he also had a to-go container.  I gave the perfunctory "no, that's okay, you didn't have to do that, etc..." but then he was gone.  And I was holding a flan.

What do you do?  I don't want to waste the flan.  So I picked up the dog's leash and started back toward home, running at a 25 minute mile pace (a little ahead of my normal time!).  How did I get here?  I'm sure if anyone saw me I was a little peculiar.  "He went for a run: great!  He got take-out while he was running? - not so great" they would say as I passed by.

But by that point, with custard sloshing about so much it was running down my arm, I was not going to waste this flan.  I was not going to be another wasteful American - I was an ingenious pioneer American who took what life threw him and made the best of it. I was running with the flan.

When I got back it was basically sloshed around so much it was soup, and most of that had run out the sides of the container.  So it was a waste.  But I had never felt so alive.

I think he's a prodigy (don't all parents?). Best male 5 year old colorer I've seen in years!
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Rex doesn't love the camera. Or else he's just hiding from the world. You can't put your head in the sand forever!
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Putting up the Christmas Decorations

You might think it's too early to put up the Christmas decorations, but this Saturday was the perfect time for me.  Why?  Because I was already out in the yard taking down the Halloween decorations, and I'm not crazy enough to sign up for Thanksgiving decorations.  Next thing you know I'll have to put up Memorial Day decorations and Columbus Day decorations.  Don't we have enough days we have to put out a specific themed tablecloth and towels for?
I am all about efficiency, and if I'm out on the ladder taking down a bunch of pumpkin shaped lights, theres no reason not to put out a few candy caned shaped ones at the same time, right?  And the brilliance of that system is, it was pretty good weather this saturday.  The worst part about Christmas decorations is the wet, cold, miserable weather you have to endure while doing it, always picturing the ambulance ride after you slip on the icy ladder.  And picturing the 500 dollar deductable attached to it.
So we put them up.  The kids helped me, and did a great job at it.  The littlest only broke 4 bulbs, the new 5 year old only choked one other person with a cord of lights, and the two girls did a great job when I asked them to wrap the rope lights around the fence posts.  Of course, they wrapped all the rope lights around only one fence post, but I didn't specify the quantity of posts to light up, so I think they did a great job.
It's fun for the kids to help you out with those sorts of things, and a test of your patience besides.  I got a B- this weekend on my patience test, and I think that's pretty darn good.
But, they'll remember those things forever. Just think about when you're old, and they're tellilng stories about their childhood.  If you don't pay in memories now, it's going to be hell in the old folks home later.  Remember that.