I’ve been kind of lazy about writing lately. What spurred me into sitting down and getting some thoughts on paper was a comment I received today. It got me to thinking about the two types of personalities; the praisers and the discipliners. Of course, no one fits neatly into one or the other, but I think it fairly accurately explains the dichotomy we see in our political system. The praisers believe we (yes, I’m a praiser) make the world better by working together, and by saying, “nice job” when it is deserved. The discipliners seem to believe that things get done by saying nothing when they’re satisfied, and screaming bloody murder when things go poorly. Praisers think about the group, and discipliners think about themselves. So hearing something nice about the blog struck a chord in me that chimed nicely.
On an after-supper walk this past weekend, Steve, Franco, and I were lucky enough to observe the aurora. I’m out walking in the dark quite often in the winter, and this is the first one I’ve seen in a good long time. It is a good way to injure yourself, because while looking up in the sky, you can walk off the road and into the ditch.
I started another class for firefighting last night. This one is Firefighter II, which is the second in a series. I’ll be busy Monday and Wednesday evenings through about mid-March. I hope I’ll be able to keep up with everything during the maple sap run, which is heaviest in March. One nice picture of heaven is having lots of things to do that you enjoy. I guess I’m in heaven by that definition.
I watched the State of the Union address on youtube yesterday afternoon. After the 8 years of agonizing addresses during the Bush years, I thoroughly enjoyed most of what President Obama had to say. I laughed out loud several times as I watched John Boehner in the background. There is something about his face that reminds me of an alcoholic that really really needs a drink. I laughed watching him decide when to applaud and when not to. My favorite “hands in the lap” moment was when the president suggested it was time to repeal the billions of dollars of tax breaks the oil companies currently receive, and instead spend that money on renewable energy. VP Biden’s body language said, “Oh yeah!” Boehner’s said, “God, I need a drink.”
Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from the dentist telling me I had an appointment for a cleaning and exam the next morning at 8:15. Yikes! I had no idea this was coming up. Fortunately my schedule was open. I got to drive to Hancock during morning rush hour, which brought back memories of my working days. I can safely say I haven’t missed it a bit. The hygienist I have is a real sweetheart. She is such a gentle person, and has chosen a profession in which she jabs people in sensitive areas with curly pointed instruments. Fortunately, one of my good habits is regular flossing, so my gums are used to it, and as I almost always tell her, the job she does on my teeth feels great. She told me today that I am one of about 3 patients that have told her that is how they feel. The rest dread the experience, and from what she has told me, often have trouble sleeping the night before their appointment.
After that quick trip to town, I drove to Tapiola for breakfast at our local restaurant. For the past several days, I’ve been trying to reduce the junk I’ve gotten into the habit of eating. Oatmeal for breakfast fills you up (briefly) but quickly becomes a breakfast you don’t look forward to. Having a real eat-out breakfast and all the hidden butter it entails, is a pleasure. It kind of reminded me of the last backpacking trip I took to the canyon. On one of the hikes, I was running low on water, so would take frequent sips of water into my dry mouth, and swish it around as much as possible. It almost immediately disappeared down my throat, however. That is what happened to breakfast this morning. Lubricated by the extra fat in the food, that lovely breakfast disappeared down my throat just like a loon swallowing a fish.
Ted – It’s a sincere pleasure to read your blog! I have it bookmarked in my ‘comics’ tab for daily reading… I’d hate to miss a thing.
I know what you mean about praisers and discipliners… I seem to work in an office of the latter, with only a couple exceptions. It is difficult to go from day to day knowing that the only time you’ll be recognized is when you screw up. (Which I’ve been doing plenty of, due to the weather – not being able to get to where you need to work makes keeping up with it impossible.)
I’ll have to watch the SOU address myself – I caught last years live, but was unable to catch it this year. It certainly is nice having a President who is articulate, intelligent, and a praiser!
Comment by Mel Powers — January 28, 2011 @ 9:40 am