Adventures in Interior Design cont.

WH and I continue to wrestle with what to put up on a number of our walls. 

This morning, we had the following conversation:

WH: Here's a crazy idea.  What if we made our own artwork? 
Me: [pause]
WH: No, wait, it would be great!  We could take a class on making a canvas and then we could just paint them!
Me: But what if we don't like them?
WH: Then we won't put them up!
Me: But what if I don't like yours and you really like it?
WH: Then we'll put it up.  Because I worked hard on it.

Me: Aw, honey... Thanks for writing my blog post for me this morning. 

I didn't want to have to do this...

...but I've been witness to too many close-calls in the last little while, and seen too much evidence that the following is badly needed.

That being the case, please take a seat and make yourselves comfortable, whilst I explain, carefully and hopefully without too much condescension, how to navigate a round-about or, as I know it, a traffic circle.

Driving in a traffic circle should be very simple and very straight-forward, provided that everyone does it properly and doesn't act like a weenie.

Let me explain that one of the primary methods that I see employed by my fellow drivers, what I refer to as the "close my eyes and drive and hope nobody hits me" method of driving in a traffic circle is THE WRONG WAY. No good comes of this.

So here are the rules, some of which are actual rules, and some of which is just good advice:

1. People inside the traffic circle always have the right-of-way over people who are outside it. This means that nobody inside the traffic circle will stop to let you into it. Do not proceed into the traffic circle until you have an adequate window in which to do so.

2. Don't change lanes inside the traffic circle.

3. Turn signals are an important tool when navigating a traffic circle. When you are inside the traffic circle, you should be indicating a turn to the left (in North America). When you reach the quarter of the traffic circle at which you are exiting, you should be indicating a turn to the right.

4. Within the traffic circle, people in the inside lane have the right-of-way over people in the outside lane. The easiest way to manage this is to use the outside lane only if you are exiting at your first opportunity. Use the inside lane when you are exiting anytime after your first opportunity.

5. If you insist on driving in the outside lane passed your first opportunity to exit, YOU MUST (and this is key) YIELD TO DRIVERS EXITING FROM THE INSIDE LANE AT EACH EXIT. This means that each time you are passing an exit in the outside lane, you must slow down and check to see if there is anybody in your inside lane who is exiting. If there is, you must stop and let these people exit. If you don't do this, do not be surprised when that person in the inside lane runs into you with their car and then looks at you like this:
6. If you are driving in the outside lane and you yield to a person exiting from the inside lane and somebody behind you honks at you and flips you the bird, don't worry about this person. Clearly, this person is a dweeb. Drive away puffed up with pride that you have made Chorus very proud.

7. If this rule about yielding the right-of-way to the inside lane seems confusing, believe me when I say that it is much simpler if you just use the outside lane for immediate exits and the inside lane for all other exits. This way, you don't have to worry about yielding to anybody; you should just be able to drive!

I believe that a properly driven traffic circle is smoother, faster and safer than your average lit intersection. But if you drive them like a jackass, you endanger not only yourself but everyone around you. So don't do that.

Person in the dark-blue Chevy Tahoe who cut me off when I was exiting yesterday, THIS MEANS YOU.

Being the Choir Wyf, Part 1

Singing in choirs conducted by my husband is a wonderful gift, one for which I am thankful everyday. I would not trade sharing these unique musical experiences with him for ANYTHING.

At the same time, there are challenges. Note that these are not challenges in my relationship with him, but rather, challenges that... um... how shall I put this? Well, let's just say that I am sometimes challenged not to get up and smack other people in the choir in the mouth when they act like dingbats. That is my challenge.

This is a particularly great challenge because I know, and fully appreciate, that my chief contribution to our choral communities is to smile, and participate in a positive manner, and be a totally cheerful soul. To be anything else in these circumstances is unforgivable, chiefly because it would make WH's job so much harder. And really, being that positive influence is pretty easy 95% of the time. I'm a naturally positive person, I LOVE singing, and there are some terrific people with whom I am blessed to sing.

So I am working hard this Lent to acknowledge the behaviour that gets under my skin and to find a more positive way to deal with it. So, to the woman who interrupted WH's rehearsal last night to say something like, "I have absolutely no business saying this, but [insert patronizing and stupid criticism of WH's rehearsal style here]," I would like to say that I am impressed by your dedication to this choir and your clear passion for the quality of our work. Thank you so much for your comment. I am amazed at how much confidence it must have taken to speak out in that blatantly condescending and insulting tone of voice, to make a comment that was both rude and incorrect. You are a dingbat. [smack]

Oh. I seem to have gotten derailed there. Good thing there are 40 days in Lent.

Incoming Joy!

Wonderful husband and I are in the middle of a kitchen renovation. We have torn out old cabinets, installed some drywall to repair old plaster damage, primed, painted (red!), cleaned, moved appliances, re-wired, re-plumbed etc. The cabinet makers are hard at work trying to get our new cabinets level... this is especially challenging in an 83 year old house with plenty of uneven bits (they add character). WH is at home supervising, engaging the contractor in interesting conversation (contractor was a choir-boy; he and WH have much in common!), and keeping the cats out of the new cabinets as much as possible.

All this means that in a few short days, I will get to PUT THINGS AWAY IN THE KITCHEN EXACTLY WHERE I WANT THEM IN A SYSTEM THAT MAKES SENSE ONLY TO ME!! This is one of the great joys, for me, of having a kitchen. Where will things go? How many things can I fit and still have them accessible? What beautiful things will go behind the new glass doors? Oh, the intrigue, the excitement! A chance to re-alphabetize the spice rack!! Huzzah!!!! I am, actually, really, truly, giddy. I love organizing a kitchen. And now, with more cabinet space, more counter-top real estate, deeper drawers.... this will be great fun!

Now, Wonderful Husband, who does a fair amount, if not most of the cooking in the household, knows that I feel this way about kitchen re-organizing. He has said, wisely, "Babe, you do whatever you like. I might have a few IDEAS, mind you, but you do whatever you like." And that's why I love him, folks!!