Archive: February 2007

… and I feel like my brain is fried. I’m in the midst of a streak where I wake up tired in the mornings, wanting to succumb to the pull of gravity on my body and the lure of soft t-shirt sheets on my skin. I’m unable to resist dozing past my alarm. I dread the inevitable moment when I need to fling the covers off and trudge to the shower, where the water wakes me up, but not in a way that stops me from leaning against the acrylic, off-white wall with my eyes closed. It’s a temporary escape from the world of neon-green, digital numbers and the countdown to when I need to leave the house, but time doesn’t stand still, not even in the bathroom. I blink my contacts into place and try to settle on an outfit for the day before blasting my hair with the hair dryer and trying to hide my fatigue with makeup.

I drive to work and realize that after 25 minutes, I’ve arrived at the office and I don’t remember the ride at all. It bothers me a bit because I know I should be more aware. While my computer boots up, I hang up my coat, put my lunch in the fridge, peel an orange. My co-workers float in as the next half hour goes by and I offer them a cheerful face and a hi-how-are-you-how-was-your-night. I try not to seem tired, but my office mate can’t help but notice my frequent yawns and eagerness to eat lunch. Work keeps me busy, but not interested. I guess one out of two isn’t bad.

At the end of the day, I’m glad to push my chair back into place and tie a scarf around my neck. I notice that my shoulders relax as soon as I get into the car and pull out. My grip on the wheel is looser than in the morning. I’m much more energetic during my commute back home. I sing along to the radio and look forward to being home, a comforting haven where my husband and a good dinner are bound to show up; seeing JG is the first thing I’ve looked forward to all day. After giving my mind a break during an hour of primetime television, I head down to bed after JG – we operate on teacher time. I reverse my morning routine, donning pajamas and glasses to read a couple of chapters. JG turns in before I do and we exchange a good-night hug and kiss. When I can’t hold up the book any longer, I turn off my bedside lamp and burrow down into the covers. The morning comes far too soon.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe I need more sleep or less sleep. JG says I need to drink more water. I know I should do yoga in the mornings. Maybe that’s it. Common sense tells me that it’s too early to be yearning for the weekend, but my tired mind and body don’t agree.

Those leftover marshmallows were annoying me. They’d been sitting by the microwave for months, holdovers from the chocolate fountain dipping bonanza at our New Year’s Eve party. Marshmallows don’t go bad, right? I didn’t know what to do with them, other than make s’mores, but it’s hardly campfire season. And then I bought a box of Rice Krispies. Oh, yeah.

It had been way too long since I made Rice Krispie treats and I can’t let myself forget their high ease-to-yumminess ratio. I watched the marshmallows melt into the yellow puddle of melted butter and suddenly, I was back in my parents’ kitchen. I was wearing a striped apron with sundry kitchen utensils poking out of the top of a big front pocket, standing on a footstool, and dumping cupfuls of Rice Krispies that my mother had measured into the mixture of butter and marshmallow. This time around, my arm ached a little as I folded in the cereal and I regarded it fondly, remembering how I never could incorporate it fully. Mom always had to finish it up for me. Then, we’d push it into a baking dish and it was cruel punishment to wait until it was solid enough to cut into bars. Why not just eat it gooey and warm, straight out of the pot? I would pull at the stubborn, stuck clusters of puffed rice on the side of the pot, stretching marshmallow strings until they gave way and that sweetened clump was all mine.

In preparation for baking cupcakes earlier in the week, I had inadvertently bought a package of no less than seventy-five valentine-themed cupcake wrappers (who needs that many?!). The stack of remaining cups inspired a stroke of genius around this particular project, if I do say so myself. Why make regular Rice Krispie treats when you can make cupcake ones? I lined a muffin tin with a dozen cupcake wrappers and used soup spoons to drop in chunky dollops. I topped them off with red, white, and pink sprinkles, which made for quite festive Rice Krispie treats. My co-workers were very pleased and not one of the snacks came home with me at the end of the day.

Fortunately, I had enough leftover “batter” to fill up two mini loaf pans, so now we have own stash at home. JG was also very pleased.

We have harsh weather today. The neighborhood is blanketed with a quiet layer of snow, but pellets of ice are raining on the windows, as though someone is tossing small marbles against the house. Thankfully, I’m able to work at home, so I’m sitting in the living room, typing away on my laptop, wrapped in a blanket. There was no way I was going to brave those slippery roads just to sit at my desk in the office.

Even better, the school where JG teaches closed for today! Along with the excitement of the first snow day of this school year, it’s such a bonus that we’re home together and on Valentine’s Day. It’s certainly a far cry from last year, when we were apart for the entire day and only managed to have dessert together. Despite the icy, rattling weather, we’re making today a day for hot beverages, dark chocolate cupcakes, and gifts tied with red ribbons. Being snowed in has never had better timing.

Guess what! I’m writing a column!

Two weeks ago, I started to write at a site focused on long relationships, like dating and marriage. The plan is to share my reflections on my married life so far, give suggestions to couples out there, and comment on relevant articles and the like. I would love for folks to hop on over, check out the site, and offer any comments or feedback. I hope to have content that’s helpful and entertaining, so suggestions are always welcome.

The blog is part of the 451 Press network, which publishes websites on all sorts of topics, like entertainment, hobbies, and parenting, so click around and check out what’s available! 451 Press is always looking for new talent, so if you’re interested in writing about a specific topic, I encourage you to apply and see if it’s a good fit.

Of course, I’ll still post about life in general over here. If you have a spare second or a glimmer of curiosity, click on the link in my sidebar - there will be something new to read over there every weekday morning. I hope to see you there!