What I Miss

You know what I miss?  I miss auto-publishing. 

Yep, you read that right.  I used to -- years and years ago -- have a bot called Networked Blogs that would automatically publish my blog links to Facebook and Twitter.  They shut down ages ago, but for some reason, those links have suddenly been showing up in my Facebook memories.  I can't follow the links to the posts, which is a bit of a bummer, but seeing them just reminds me how convenient that bot was, rather than having to manually share blog links to every other site I'm on.   

For a while, I was sharing to Instagram, too, but they don't let you share links, per se.  I'd have to take a screenshot, publish that, then beg people to go find the link in my bio.  I wasn't getting a whole lot of traffic from there anyway, so I stopped doing it.  Every so often, I'll post something about having a blog.  Maybe if I posted more knitting photos over there, people would be more interested.  I don't know.  

By the way, my post complaining about the USPS got over 100 hits, but usually I only run about 30-40.  I'm thankful for everyone who reads, but I can't really imagine the mundane details of my day to day life would be all that interesting.  

You know what else I'm thankful for?  I was going to mention this in my Thanksvember series, but I think I forgot. Or I just had a hard time narrowing down what I'm thankful for, because there is so much.  OK, OK, I'll get to the point.  

I'm thankful for Dwight David Eisenhower,  and think he's probably one of the most underappreciated presidents we've ever had.  This became abundantly clear to me when I drove from Grenada, Mississippi to Sedalia, Missouri -- all 460 miles -- on state highways and back roads.  

But what does that have to do with Eisenhower?  Because unlike most presidents, Eisenhower signed a bill authorizing a system that most Americans use nearly every day, and is actually a benefit instead of a burden -- which most government programs are --and I know about halfway through Arkansas, I was thinking I'd never take it for granted again.  

In case you haven't figured out what I'm talking about....the interstate!  I'd mentioned it back when I first got back from Missouri, but there is one thing about the interstate that I neglected to mention in that post.  And that one thing is...rest stops!  I'd never realized how much I'd come to appreciate having a good rest stop until I took a trip that didn't have any.   For a single woman traveling alone, having a safe place to stop and wee is a Godsend. 

OK, now that that bit of nonsensical rambling is out of the way, I have to tell you the bad news.  

We have a locally owned grocery store here in town called Spain's.  I absolutely hate that store with a pink and purple passion, because it's small, cluttered, and always always always crowded.  Frankly, I don't understand why people even go there.  It's got the same stuff as Walmart -- just more expensive.  

For some reason our HR department out at the plant is obsessed with giving us gift cards to Spain's every single year.  And I hate that store so much, I still haven't even spent last year's card.  But I needed a few more things for Christmas, so I was determined to go and spend my Spain's cards.  Bound and determined. 

It didn't happen.  I got there and the place was so crowded, I couldn't even get in.  I had to turn sideways and sidle between bodies just to get into the store.  And the aisles are so narrow that if someone else is in front of you, you can't pass him.  You have to stand there and wait until that person has gotten whatever he wants and moves on.  I managed to fight and claw my way halfway through the store, and hadn't even seen any Christmas candy, so I said "Forget this! It's not even worth it."  

So I sidled and squeezed my way back outside without even buying anything.  Really, I want to throw those gift cards in the garbage, but can't bring myself to toss out money like that.  Even though it wasn't my money.  Next year, I don't think I'll even go pick up the stupid card.  Yes, I hate that store that much. 

Once back in the fresh air, I got into my car and drove to the other locally owned grocery store, Grocery Basket.  It wasn't nearly as crowded, and as I walked in and was looking around, a young man who worked there noticed and asked me if I was looking for something.  

"Christmas candy," I said, and he directed me to where it was.  Alas, it was only a tiny little selection on an end cap -- and nothing that Walmart didn't have to boot.  And Walmart was where I went next...after a quick stop at CVS pharmacy to see if they had any Christmas candy.  They did, but again, only a very small selection, and not Hershey's cherry cordial kisses or Pearson's mint patties, which is what I was really wanting.

It was at this point I decided I didn't really need that particular candy anyway.  I've got plenty of other candy -- that I don't really need either.  

Walmart was also a madhouse, but at least there I know where everything is and could make my way through the store fairly quickly.  I made my purchases, then stopped at Dollar General and bought some Palmer's mint patties -- not quite as good as Pearson's or York, but a whole lot cheaper.   Then I came home and declared that if there is something I don't have, we'll just live without it this year. 

When I got home, I discovered that one of my cans of crescent rolls had busted in the car, so I tossed the ones that were sticking out of the can, cooked the rest, and that was my lunch -- after which I settled in for some Christmas movies and knitting. 

Honestly, I'm having a bit of trouble getting into the Christmas spirit.  Wait...let me rephrase that.  I'm having a bit of trouble getting into the Christmas baking spirit.  I've already decided I'm not going to fix nearly as much sweet stuff as I did last year.  I'm going to make chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles, and chocolate fudge and that's it.  I even cheated and bought a frozen monkey bread.  I was going to buy frozen sausage balls, too, but them suckers were expensive.  I saw the price and decided to stick with home made.  

I don't know what Cody and Brennan are going to be doing, and to tell the truth, they probably don't either.  It will depend on Brennan's work schedule, and I figure they'll go to her parent's house for Christmas anyway.  You know what they say, a son is a son until he takes a wife...  I'll just do my usual Christmas thing, and if they show up, fine.  If they don't, that'll be fine too.  

Even if they do come, they don't take enough home with them, and I certainly don't need to be trying to scarf down 12 dozen cookies like I did last year.  Heck, I've still got some cookies and candy vacuum sealed and in the deep freeze.   

Well, I've gone on and on, but I do have to tell you one more thing about the saga of the gift my sister ordered for her daughter in law.  I asked her about it today, because it still hasn't shown up.  She said she'd contacted Amazon and they recommended she just get a refund, so that's what she's going to do.  I told her to make sure to leave the seller a bad review, too.  

So, all that said and done, today's advent figure is another camel;

And they set out; and there, ahead of them went the star that they had seen at its rising..  Matthew 2:9