Potpourri

(pronounced as Dick Martin did on Laugh In)

I got a couple of positive strokes last week, and as I am supposed to avoid negative thinking, I’d like to share them with you. First, the exercise specialist at my gym was watching me to my triceps exercises. (He walks around, checking on everyone, but for some reason, my triceps always seem to interest him.) When I finished a set, he said, "I can see you triceps working through your shirt." Second, I went to buy my monthly supply protein bars, and the employee who routinely serves me (and who is very strong looking) said, "You’re getting thinner." If I get enough of those comments, it might start erasing twelve years of gym class memories! (Come to think of it, a guy with whom I occasionally worked out in college commented about my triceps, too.)

I visited my parents for a long, Independence Day weekend (courtesy of the university’s energy saving efforts). My dad taught me how to repair a leaky toilet. It seems simple in concept, but getting my hands to work in synch with my brain is another matter. Now that I know how to do it, it still doesn’t mean that I want the toilet to break in the first place.

There’s a guy at work who does nothing but complain or pick on other employees’ habits. Friday, he walked into my office and said, "You guys forgot to plug the ice machine back in. All the ice will be gone by Monday." That was irritating enough, but when I went to refill my cup at the water fountain, I saw that the ice machine was still unplugged! Wouldn’t it have been easier, faster, and far less annoying (to me) if he plugged it in himself?

We’ve had rain about every other day this week. This is highly atypical. First, it’s rather early for monsoon season. Second, it doesn’t usually rain that often, even in monsoon season. Third, it rained in the morning on Wednesday and Saturday. (Monsoon rains usually fall in later afternoon.) El Paso and Cd. Juarez really got whomped Thursday afternoon, but all we got was clouds and wind.