Leigh's Views

I’ve been to someone’s house twice for coffee now.   Both times she put salt not sugar in it.   As the old saying goes, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.   I’m not sure why she finds it so hard to tell the sugar from the salt.   Most people don’t keep it anywhere near each other.   In addition, most people put the salt in much smaller containers than sugar.   So, there she was, for the second time, rushing around telling everyone not to drink the coffee.   I, laughing as I said it, told her, no offense, but I wasn’t ever going to drink anything she offered me again.   She laughed right along with me and said it might be for the best.   Now mistakes happen.   It’s how we learn and grow.   Recently, I made the mistake of thinking it would be a good idea to do something nice for someone.   He would’ve preferred something else and was quick to point this out to me.   Now I know not to surprise this pers...

I finally got a new drivers license for the state I’m now living in.   Let me tell you it wasn’t easy.   I showed the woman at the counter all of my documents, including my old drivers license.   She stated she couldn’t read the license.   Okay, I know the thing was hard to read.   My old state has the licenses which have a coating on them that start to rub off the second they are printed.   But it’s not like it’s my fault my home state apparently prints licenses in the basement of the state prison with printers that are older than the state is.   So, being the kind person I am, I offered to read it too her.   I have no problem reading the darn thing.   I’ve been reading the numbers off of it for people ever since I landed in my new state.   And well, don’t even get me started on the day the lady at the return desk at Walmart tried to have me arrested for passing off a fake ID.   Like anyone would use a fake ID to return a couple ...

Okay, I recently went on a road trip with someone who has a fairly new car.   This car has all the bells and whistles.   Like seat warmers.   So my friend, who was driving, was fiddling with the a/c.   No problem so far.   A few minutes later, I started to feel somewhat warm.   Then I just got warmer and warmer.   I started to wonder if I was getting ill.   I began to adjust myself in my seat to try to get more comfortable.   Then my friend played with the a/c again.   And that’s when I noticed the button just under the a/c button was glowing.   Looking closer at it, I realized it was the button for the seat warmer for my seat.   Well that explained why I was so warm!   He must have accidently hit the button when he played with the a/c the first time.   Laughing, I asked him to turn off the seat warmer.   He looked at me rather funny, asked me when that had gotten turned on.   When I told him the first tim...

So how much of your identity is wrapped up in what you do rather than who you are?   I ask this because of two incidences I witnessed recently.   The first was rather innocent.   A friend of mine’s mother is depressed.   To the point she's faking illnesses so her family will have to pay attention to her.   Why?   Because now that she’s retired she's bored to tears.   She hates being around ‘old’ people – all they want to do is sit around all day and talk about the ‘good ol’ days’.   This ain’t her idea of fun.   Plus, she can only watch so much T.V. in a day.   This poor woman has no clue what to do with herself now that she isn’t working and she’s become a widow.   My suggestion was to find a really good charity for her to volunteer for or find the lady a man or both.   The second case was a wee bit scary.   A friend’s husband is gravely ill and for months she’s been trying to get him to retire early.   Well, he fi...

I recently asked a business to perform a customized task for me.   This is a service that they offer to customers on a regular basis, so I thought nothing about the request.   But when the time came to honor the request, it wasn’t done.   Upon inquiring with the business about what was going on, they agreed to look into the matter.   The reply I got?   “We have a new employee who couldn’t understand the request.”   Uhm, okay.   The employee then showed me the request.   It was written in plain English.   As in – do this on such and such a date per customer request.   The only way someone didn’t understand it was if they didn’t read.   And how can any business hire someone who doesn’t read for a job where reading is rather essential?   It made no sense to me.   But, being the polite person that I am, I rolled with it.   Instead of getting upset, I asked if the request would be completed the next day.   The respo...

Why do people show up at your door unannounced at awful times of the morning?   Here I was, sleeping peacefully, when the doorbell rings.   I wasn’t expecting anyone.   Nor was I expecting a package.   So, I ignore it.   Then it rings again, and again, and again.   Fine, I grab my robe and answer the door.   It was a guy from the city to inspect some of the work I’ve been doing on the house.   Okay, uhm, I didn’t call for an inspection yet.   It was 8 a.m.   Who thought this was a good idea?   Turns out the one contractor I had used for something I couldn't do myself had called the city.   And then failed to let me know.   Great, just great.   The guy from the city tell me he’s sorry, he thought the house was vacant given the amount of work being done or he would’ve called first.   Guess he just thought someone would magically be at an empty house.   Not like this is the first time this has happened – frie...

I don’t know how many of you have been fascinated by the story playing out in the news about the adult son who was evicted by his parents.   It seemed like a rather drastic step for any parent to take.   Yet so many parents allow their children to become permanent moochers.   Okay, lets be honest, it often starts out simple with the Bank of Mom.   Now, I’m a bit harsh about how and when my son can make a withdrawal from the Bank of Mom.   Son calls, he’s broke and can’t pay his car insurance.   My reply?   Well, maybe sweetheart, you should’ve thought about that sooner.   Like before you and your buds took off on a 500 mile road trip to see some band.   No way am I baling him out after that.   Several of my friends and I have been having conversations about this.   Actually for months now.   Mostly about where to draw the line between being supportive and going overboard.   Back to the case of the man evicted by his pare...

     I was sitting on the floor the other day cutting some fabric.   I don’t have a table big enough so the floor seemed the perfect place.   A friend of mine was observing me doing this and was horrified.   Why you may ask?   Because I was wearing shorts and my feet were bare thus part of me was touching the dirty floor.   Okay, I had just sweep and mopped the floor because I knew I was going to be doing this craft project.   The floor was fine and I told him so.   He then stated that I didn’t understand.   We were in the middle of a city thus there were germs, bacteria, infections everywhere.   Sure, maybe out there somewhere but not in my home.   Fine, I’m not what you would call a neat freak or anything.   However, I do clean my home on a regular basis.   There isn’t ever a mound of dirty dishes in my sink.   I don’t leave trash around the house.   I shower every night – hope that isn’t to persona...