So why do people try to cram as many cars as possible into things like parking  lots or through a green light?  We're like ants in a row, or some other animal that tries to cram as many of themselves as possible in one little spot.  I was thinking about this question while driving home today. 

I was on a road with construction, making it one lane in the direction I was traveling.  By the way, this is very annoying because the city had just redone this road a couple months ago, snarling traffic, and now it's all torn up again.  Anyhow, I was behind this guy who paused at the yellow light, then decided to go anyway and didn't really make the light.  That left me as the first in line at the red light.  As I watched the cars line up behind me, I noticed the drivers were getting impatient because I was going straight and they wanted to turn right.  But, because of the aforementioned construction, they were stuck waiting for the light to turn green and for me to go.  So as I sat there thinking about their impatience and the guy who considered stopping but decided to run the light, I decided to do a little experiment.  I inched for about 2 feet.  Then watched every other car in line behind me (about 15) get as close to the car in front of them as possible without actually hitting that car.  Why do people do that?  Personally, it's one of my pet peeves.  Sure, sometimes I do the inch-forward thing, but for the most part I try not to.  Is a few feet really going to make a difference?  Is there really a need to creep forward?  It won't give me a jump when the light turns.  In fact, it's the opposite- that few extra feet will give you a chance to get up your speed.  You know, so you can then slam on your brakes to avoid rear ending the car in front of you.  So what's our fascination with getting there first?  Rushing through the light?  Are we really that important or in that big of a hurry we can't wait the extra 3 minutes (or 2 feet!)?

I recently cut all my hair off to donate.  I have a friend whose daughter has done it a few times and I have two friends that have done it as adults.  When my daughter heard about this she wanted to know more about it, so I told her what they do with the hair and how it goes to people who have lost their hair due to diseases.  She thought that was cool and decided to do it herself.  She'd never had her hair cut more than a trim, so she had a lot to cut off.  And that got me thinking. 

If my kid could be so selfless, why couldn't I?  I mean, it's just hair.  It will grow back.  (On a side note, I've never understood why people are so opposed to getting their hair cut.  Look at those makeover shows.  People freak out at the haircut part.  Who cares?  It will grow back!)  So a bit later I started growing mine out to cut.  It was really short then and it took me 18 months (almost exactly!) to get it long enough, but 2 weeks ago I went and got it all cut off.  I donated 8 inches to make wigs, then they had to cut another 2 inches off to give it some style.  But all in all, I'm pretty pleased with myself.  I'm fortunate- I don't have a disease that makes me lose my hair or one where the medicine to cure makes my hair fall out.  I can grow more.  It's pretty short, but not too bad.  And if I want to, in about a year it can be long again.

Look at that!  It worked!  I sent this from my cell phone.  Here's a picture of the coffee cup that matches my tank top. 

Now that I know I can use my cell to post pics (because the camera cord is already packed), think of the possibilities!  It's amazing what cell phones can do these days- you hardly need a computer anymore. 

Funny story.  Over the summer we took the kids to one of those paint your own pottery places, where you paint the stuff, leave it, they fire it, and then you come back in a couple days and pick up the finished piece.  Well, way back when I was pregnant with our first kid, I went to one of those places with friends and made a coffee cup for myself.  Now, years later, it's been dropped, hit, bumped around and there are cracks and chips in it (apparently they don't have the highest quality dishware at those places).  So I wanted a new coffee cup. 

When we went, I picked out a new cup that was almost like my old, giant one.  I painted it in colors that I thought would be pretty.  It's a speckly white with a turquoise rim and turquoise polka dots, then the inside and the handle are a purplish muave color.  I'd show you a picture, but when we were boxing up things to move the cord for the camera apparently got packed because I can't find it anywhere to download pictures.  So just use your imagination. 

Here's the funny part.  About a 2 weeks ago I was wearing my favorite tank top and drinking coffee and I noticed that my coffee cup matches my tank top.  Yep.  I somehow managed to match the colors- perfectly- to my favorite tank.  How funny is that?  I wasn't even wearing it when we painted, but I guess subconsciously I really liked those colors.  Crazy.

Today marks 6 months since I broke my elbow.  Has it really been that long?  The good news is that it's way better than the doctor expected.  It's the only real bone I've broken though (I broke a toe once and had a stress fracture in my foot), so I really had no idea what to expect.  The last time I was at the doctor, 2 months after surgery, he told me my arm would never straighten and that I'd be "permanently disabled" if it had happened at work.  That wasn't the greatest doctor's appointment I've ever had and I came home pretty despressed.  Because, at that time, I still wasn't able to use it much and had trouble doing basic things, like putting my hair in a ponytail.  But guess what?  It'is way better than he told me it was going to be.  My husband thinks that the doc purposely set my sights low so I wouldn't be disappointed.  That, and most elbow breakes are from old poeple, so their recovery wouldn't be neary as good.  Anyhow, But the other day we were eating dinner and my husband noticed that I can bend my arm.  All the way.  As in bend my elbow and touch my shoulder.  How cool is that?  I have no idea when it happened, but sometime over the last 6 months I got almost full range of motion back.  Nice.  It is still a little weak- like when packing boxes and carrying them out to the garage and my elbow ached for days, or after about 45 minutes of biking when it starts to hurt from putting pressure on it.  And I can't straighten it all the way, but all in all I'm pretty happy with where it is now. 

Ahhhhh.... Labor Day, come and gone.  Most people think of it as the end of summer.  I like to think of it as the beginning of fall.  Sports start.  School starts (well, ours starts a month ago, but most reasonable places start around now).  Football starts.  It's the beginning of that great fall weather which is perfect for working out in the great outdoors. 

However, I was unable to enjoy the fact that yesterday was 80 and cloudy- near perfect for running.  My husband took the oldest cross country this weekend to look for a place for us to live when we move in a month or so.  I'd like to have a place already rented (we plan to rent till we sell our house which, God willing, will be quick!) so the moving van and my Fitness magazine know where to go.  I'm picky like that. 

So the hubby and oldest are out looking for dwellings and, when I talked to him last night, the kid is acting like a saint, despite the 3-hr time change, long flights, lots of driving around, and non-normal eating schedules.  It always amazes me when the kids come through.  They can be total brats at home (don't judge.  You know your kids have been bratty before), then pull of an "I'm the most perfect kid ever" routine when out in public.  Drives me nuts.  Can I get some of that agreeableness and good will at home?  Every once in awhile?  I'm not going to lie- I'm kind of dreading the teen years.