Writing Random (or Roller Coaster)

My husband and I used to call our son Michigan J. Frog when he was a baby. Do you remember that character from Merrie Melodies?

He would do all sorts of "fascinating" baby tricks for the two of us, but then cease performing when new audiences came. 

I feel like blogging is taking on a similar shade for me these days. The amount of material swirling around in my brain during active moments nearly requires a traffic cop. Would that not be awesome? Having some order to the chaos? Unsavory thoughts escorted right on out? Some sort of way to keep things in line, a signal of some sort if we lose our train of thought. DING, DING, DING! Oh, thanks...I was headed somewhere to draw a parallel to an animated frog, wasn't I? Well, when I sit down and open the computer, it's like my mind goes blank. I guess the major difference between the frog and me, aside from our complexions, is that I want to blog with at for you. I want to write...about everything and nothing at all.

There is some small delight in the comforting sound the pencil makes when I craft the grocery list. I try to throw some ten cent words into text messages every now and then. The safety net spell check offers is greatly appreciated, until the moment it completely messes with whatever I am trying to say, thereby negating any attempts at flowery prose. Some conversations find me trying to hash out words aloud that would be far more fine tuned in print.

The more I think about the current state of affairs, I realize that it is not so much that my mind goes blank. Rather, my ability to focus has wandered off. I am not going to change what I wrote up there a ways because that would be very distracting and seemingly counterproductive. Nothing like a good old fashioned random ramble, right?

Right now I cannot drag myself away from what is going on here. 

This rollercoaster set from Christmas, over a decade ago, migrated up to the family room. (One "perk" of being a pack rat.) Are the kids are now old enough and skilled enough to have better luck than we ever did before with assembly? Such suspense! How could I even consider dividing my attention? I need to be RIGHT HERE*. What if they need my help? Based on the shushing and "no we do not need your help" it seems safe to say that their young minds recall how inept I was with this construction project. They must realize that I have not done anything in the past eight years that would elevate my skill set for this task. Look at them with their physics classes and engineering courses. Conquering broken pieces. So showy.

Sadly, those broken pieces were essential and made for challenging foes, as did what were deemed to be design flaws. The directions were thrown aside and creativity is about to take over. I know who I am rooting for!

Are you still reading? Wow! Thank you!

*I did actually move to the kitchen where I could be more of a less conspicuous and casual observer, who still wandered in to take photos every now and and then.