Things I learned this week (August 29 – September 2)

Hello, September.

I thought you’d never get here.

That means there are only 21 days left until the official start of fall and 114 days until Christmas. Tick-tock. Better start working on that list and checking it twice.

Since last Friday, we’ve been allotted a few passing showers – though temperatures have not been any less scorching. However, in the midst of one random rain shower on Tuesday morning, I believe I smelled a hint of fall. Or maybe it was just this cold Megan was kind enough to share. Hard to tell.

This week I learned:

…that I sadly, I jumped the gun last week when I reported there were no new bear attacks. It seems that on Friday, they found the body of a hiker killed by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. This makes two for them this year. You can read more about this attack (here). I think something hinky is going on with this nation’s bear population. Perhaps they are plotting a hostile take over.

…that reading page after page of text regarding dawning civilizations (the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Arameans, Philistines, Hebrews, Assyrian, Persians…) right before bed will give you very bizarre dreams. I also learned in regard to these readings, that the hours I spent glued to A & E’s Mysteries of the Bible and the History Channel’s Engineering an Empire were not in vain, contrary to what my family said.

…that sometimes you just have to say enough is enough. No matter how much it hurts.

…that hearing my beautiful, sweet-natured eleven year old daughter announce that something, “just sucks, mom” and that she just didn’t “give a crap” will leave me speechless and floundering for a response. (It should be noted that this was her way of voicing her frustration over something that happened at school and not in response to something I said or did to her. There would have been a decidedly different outcome if that had been the case. I don’t do sass.)

…that Dick Cheney still reminds me of the Penguin.

Cheney look alike — The Penguin/Dick Cheney

…that Mother Nature seems to be having a bad case of PMS. Tornados, fires, floods, endless scorching temperatures, hurricanes. I think somebody needs a hug and a big box of chocolates – the really good expensive ones and not that milk chocolate crap.

…that I miss the music of my youth; the music of my parents’ youth. You know, music that had a soul. By and large, popular music today sucks – no soul. Sure it’s catchy – gets stuck in your head – but it has no relevance and therefore, no staying power. I say this now because I watched today’s biggest artists “perform” their over played, auto-tuned bullshit on the VMAs this weekend. I’ve come to the conclusion that humanity, as we know it, is doomed. I blame the hip-hop. Seriously.

…that the local weather folks have pulled the old switcheroo on us again this week. When we began the week, we were to be in the 90s by Thursday with a good chance of rain by the weekend. Now, it looks like we will have to wait until next week for relief from the temperatures and can kiss the promised chance of rain goodbye. I think the weather folks are spin doctors and liars. Just like our politicians.

…that sometimes bears get what is coming to them. You can read about this heroic Alaskan hairdresser who saved her dog by punching a bear in the snout (here). She is my hero.

…that in all the excitement of the last couple of weeks, I forgot that my favorite sporting event began on Monday. I’ve missed the first week of competition at the U.S. Open. I hear Robin Soderling has dropped out. Maybe Rafael Nadal will retire, as well. I’d like to see my ~~boyfriend~~ favorite player, Roger Federer, win again.

…that I am suddenly hungry for some pumpkin pie.

…that there is a Mrs. Smith’s pumpkin pie left over from last Thanksgiving still in my freezer. Wonder if it’s any good? Hm.

…that I just can’t resist clicking on the headline “Raccoon Found in Naked Man’s Car Near NASCAR Track”. I understand that it takes all kinds of people to make this little world of ours go ’round, but come on. Shouldn’t there be some sort of law against this kind of stupid. Anti-reproduction clause, at the very least?

…last but not least – our week-ending awwww moment: