my mind the internet

For a long time now, (as long as I've known about the world wide web), I've thought of my mind as, (a) a building with many rooms with doors, and (b) very similar to the internet. Oftentimes, I feel like I'm surfing the web that is my brain, clicking on link after link and only staying on each site for a couple of seconds, almost like someone who is viewing porn or some other forbidden sites who doesn't want to stay too long on any one page. (Sorry if that description was a bit disturbing, dear readers--I don't view porn in my mind...or on the internet for that matter...)

Tonight the clicking went from sites about Jessie's car troubles, Herschel and Jake's trip through the snowy canyon (which is nothing like the beautiful six inches mentioned in an earlier post), electronic document retention (a work project), Jake's most recent driving incident (one per year, that's all we ask...apparently), my earliest childhood memories, Stuart's latest doctor appointment, and the 2007 edition of the LIST OF STUFF TO DO BEFORE CHRISTMAS! !!

The LIST ! !! with bullets is as follows:

• Put up decorations
• Decorate tree
• Send out cards
• Make cheeseballs
• Bake cookies--spritz, Russian teacakes, and frosted sprinkle cookies, at least
• Make candy--fudge (Grandma's recipe), divinity (yeah, right. Mom, if you love me, you'll make me divinity again...), toffee (see if I can get it right this year), caramels (I feel very hopeful about caramels)
• Make list of presents to shop for
  
• Shop for presents
  
• Wrap presents

So far, I must thank Jake for accomplishing the first two items on the LIST! !! I think I will eliminate the third item (what would I write in the cards, "This year has been ???what???--good because we met Audrey, or crazy, because, well, it's been a bit crazy).

I need to get right on cheeseball production--for neighbors, co-workers, etc. But first, I need to buy the cheese and crackers. Cheeseball production will need to be a high priority, because everybody loves a good cheeseball and I make a good cheeseball, if I do say so myself (if there is such a thing as a good cheeseball since they are made from fake cheesefood...)

As far as the cookies and candy go, there is still a good chance that I'll make all of the usual cookies and perhaps some ginger cookies too. I believe the candy list will shrink to only caramels, but perhaps I'll buy some dipping chocolate and nuts and turn some of the caramels into turtles or whatever those nut/caramel/chocolate things are called.

I've given serious thought to the list of presents to buy and thought I had it all figured out, but there is always the need to discuss it with Jack (the name I'm giving to the great guy I've lived with forever because he is a Jack-of-all-trades and I mean that in only a good way). Jack always has some clever ideas about gifts when we hit the stores, so I'm looking forward to that.

You may have guessed by now that I haven't made much progress on the shopping for gifts. I did purchase my first gift a couple of days ago (unless you count all of the clothes Jake picked out for himself and promptly wrapped and place lovingly under the tree, which is as much as I've completed on the last item on the LIST! !!)

I am certain that now that I've written this all down, I'll be able to go right to sleep, like a baby, because that is the way it goes when you're a listmaker.

And in case you're interested in my earliest childhood memories, they are:

1. I remember laying between my brother and my dad in my parents' bed when my mom went to the hospital to get another baby, yet another brother. I felt so safe and loved between them.
2. I remember bringing that new brother home in my parent's blue 1947 Oldsmobile, Old Blue. I rode in the back seat with my mother, who was holding my brother on her lap (no, Virginia, there were no seat belts or car seats back then). My brother was wrapped in a blanket and I remember seeing some little white spots on his forehead that my mom later told me were probably baby powder, but I think they were those baby zits.
3. I remember a Christmas when I was probably four or five when I got a baby doll from Santa. Apparently I was sick that day (probably ate too much candy or perhaps my mom didn't have it in her to wrestle with me in church--it was a Sunday), but she let me stay home with my dad from church. I remember laying next to him on his bed, he was laying on his side, with me next to him and my doll next to me. He fell asleep with his arm around me and my doll, but I lay awake, trying hard to stay still and not wake him. Again, I felt very safe and loved and protected.

All very good memories.

Time to go to bed so I can think about shopping tomorrow. Keep thinking, Jack.