Random Thoughts

33 this morning, hazy sun most of the day. Warmed up to the 40s but still felt chilly.

Just random thoughts this evening: like, why is my blog showing the January 31 post on the home page, but not my more recent post? I wonder how long this has been going on. I use my phone more now than my laptop, so I didn't notice if it's happened before.

And, consider how much thought, design, engineering, testing and so on to make things we use actually work like they're supposed to. I don't mean big things, but little things, like the exactly right angle on a knife blade, the correct heft and thickness to a spatula. Or recipes: they have to work no matter what. Even if I were to measure a little more than the recipe calls for in the liqid measure, or a little less. And take into account the oil, milk or whatever liquid that sticks to the measuring cup and never gets into the mix. Or my oven is a few degrees one way or the other, still the recipe has to work. So much has to be taken into account, allowed for, and planned into the final product. And we just take it for granted, don't we?

The same goes for services, of course. I well remember the hundreds of two-hour meetings I had to attend as a librarian as we worked our new or changed policies, planned programs, designed facilities, etc, and the people we did it for, the public, probably had no idea of the time, thought and effort that went into making these things work for them. My son and I were discussing this the other day. He's a banker, and the same holds true for them. I remember the hours he spent in the design and construction of his bank's main branch renovation. 

So today I have been appreciating all those little tihngs, right down to this laptop I am typing on now. What a marvel it is. It stores my photos and documents, lets me search for a wide array of information and trivia, and even lets me communicate with all of you, wherever you are. Amazing.

One other random thought: our governor. What an embarrassment the man is when he speaks in public. The other night I was listening to the radio and the reporter was interviewing someone who I thought was a state legislator. I was thinking, "Oh my goodness, how could that county/district have elected this moron? His English is atrocious, he uses all those verbal tics we have all been schooled to avoid, and he knows nothing about the issues the reporter is asking him about." And then the reporter called the man "Governor". Oh my blessed blue socks. And he's been elected twice! I wish I had counted the number of times he said "you know", "at the end of the day", "and everything"--just a few of the repetitive phrases that make me crazy. Well, on the plus said, he didn't say he had "curated" anything. That newest buzz word is so overused it has lost its meaning, I think.

Enough for today! I had a long day of planting some bulbs, packing and listing ebay, and painting furniture, and now it is time to stop and enjoy the evening. I think Larry has a fire in the fireplace, and that is just what I need. See you all tomorrow, friends.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.