Too Many

I am late writing this evening.  My day was a little busy and then I got home late and Rock had to remind me I hadn’t written.  I’ve had several topics floating around in my head for a couple of weeks. Nothing has settled with them yet, though.

Except maybe this thing. Too many.  Too many choices.  Too many opportunities.  Too many decisions.  When there were only a few choices of ice cream flavors, I could easily decide on chocolate.  Nowadays, it is hard to find the chocolate among all the many flavors available.  Interestingly, I now prefer vanilla or strawberry.  Blue Bell vanilla is easy to find. Strawberry is not.

When there were only three channels to watch, it was easy to just turn off the television and go do something else.  Maybe not so much more interesting than a favorite show, but better than what happened to be on at the time.  Now, there are so many “may be interesting” things to watch on so many different channels, plus the options to record many shows at one time for later viewing, I get caught up in too many from which to choose.

Coffee has become complicated.  I used to buy one kind of coffee and make in a plain old coffee maker.  I have an electric percolator now that I like to use, but I also have several blends of coffee to brew. I have flavored instants and a French press, too.  And several “favorite” coffee cups.

So many different recipes and foods to choose. Restaurants on every corner with all different types of cuisine.  Bottled beverages of such profusion, the cooler section takes up large walls in convenience stores.  Chips are even coming in limited edition varieties.  As if there weren’t enough flavors to figure out. 

Bookstores look like supermarkets.  Supermarkets look like malls.  And I am even lost and confused in garden centers sometimes. 

All this pondering has a recent trigger.  I would like to paint the bathroom.  That means the daunting task of selecting a paint color.  Just the right shade.  Not too light. Not too dark.  Not too green. Not too blue.  That leaves a few dozen to consider.  I really not that tired enough of the pale blue on the walls to go through all that effort.

I have never been one of those people who could say I like this and only this and that over there isn’t this, so I am not interested.  I don’t know if I am too curious or too uncertain of my own choices.  It took me forty-five years to decide on my favorite color.  Nearly that long to choose a favorite flower. 

I can barely work my way through the complicated process of a coffee shop.  I usually just get a café au lait or vanilla latte.  Though my pal and I got pumpkin spice lattes just for fun last week.  One time I ordered a Marilyn Monroe.  Though I am pretty certain, cream and sugar were her only options when she was around, this one had white chocolate in it, I think.

I came across a line someplace that basically advised to pick something and stick with it. I am trying to apply it to my thoughts.   Just figure out once and for all what is preferred by me and stop jumping around trying to not miss the latest flavor or flower or candle scent or color or style trend. 

Poor Rock. I will still be rearranging the furniture and swapping where I keep things.  But maybe he won’t be subject to so many other topsy turvy situations where I am concerned.  Maybe, I said.

He is pretty tolerant of my rearranging everything, though he makes fun of it and acts like it drives him crazy.  He is actually very tolerant and very supportive of most of my hare brained schemes.  He does help me not fall off cliffs, too.  I can never say too many times how blessed I am being his wife.  Never too many hugs.  Never too many kisses.  Never too many “I love you” whispers between us.

Tech Wars

I don’t know what battles to fight and which ones to walk away from.  I have several types of tech devices.  I can use a few functions on each of them.  None of them satisfy all my uses completely.  That leaves me switching from laptop to iPad to phone and back again.  I shouldn’t forget my nook and iPod, too.  I remember when an AM/FM radio that picked up radio stations from the larger towns an hour away and an 8-track tape player were wow stuff! The televisions all over the house with dozens of channels and push of a button recording options boggle my mind when I think of what life was like growing up.  We didn’t even have all three networks till I was in high school.  Only two would come in on our television antenna. Adding to my own misery, I have four social media streams I keep up with and this Raining Orchids. 

I sure am whiny today.  No telling why. Just one of those days.  Got up on the wrong side of the bed we used to say.  I’m just glad I rattle around in this house solo most of it so no one else has to listen to my attitude.

Sorry. Now I have subjected you to it!  (Click away here-I’m not done!)

I know very well I can shut everything off. I can close accounts. I can get rid of devices.  Most days I just skim through things. Some days, I avoid tech altogether.  I have my own choices to make.  I suppose I keep pushing myself to use them so I won’t grow even more out of date than I am now.  My part time job has demands for tech work that I really am struggling to learn.  Old dogs and new tricks.  All that. 

The final reason I won’t shut off tech is that it is the main way I see up to the minute items from my closest family and friends.  I get bits of their day-to-day doings that don’t get communicated otherwise.  I am not a great phone chatter and I text too painfully slow to tolerate much of that.  My texts have lots of emojis for that reason. I will continue to slug away at tech devices.  Learning new tricks and tips every once in a while.  Just want to keep up with the duchesses and all.

This is short and sweet in a sweet and sour sort of way.  Tired already of typing on a laptop. I’m going to dig out a paper and ink book to read this evening, I think.  Maybe even an old western paperback. 

Till next week.