Hey, all! Let us be thankful we have good things still happening, hwoever smal, okay?  (Dahlia typo!)

For example, I can still add and subtract in my head.

I was at Starbucks. I handed them cash. NEVER do this.

It took the cashier and a manager over a minute to try to work out the change due to me. I finally relieved them of their mental agony by letting them know it was thirty-five cents, and have a nice day, thanks. Oh, what a math talent I am, they said... Sincerely... Uh... No. You owed me thirty-five cents. One dolalr = 100 cents. If the amount ends in sixty-five, then I'm owed thirty-five to make it to that hundred. Math. First-grade level. Add, subtract. Basics, right?

Not in the world of a cash register that won't even show what change is due during cash transactions b/c nobody uses cash often enough to warrant that feature.

I could go the route of feeling very old and cranky (and did) but mostly, I'm glad I didn't need to ask a manager to come use her phone to find out what change was owed to someone... I suck at calculus, freely admitted. I'm no math genius. Soooo.... Yeah. That left me grateful for the drills in math that bored me at the time.

***

Meanwhille, one of my godsons was thrown out of Sunday school for acting up so much. Yep. Tossed outta Sunday school. That takes talent. He promptly had his father whinging that his sons will face bias b/c schools are set up to favor girls.

When you stop laughing --- c'mon, now --- there we go --- breathe slow and steady ---

I pointed out to his father (our longtime friend) that his kid was a chronic behavior problem. Not even "has" one. He *is* one. He's the instigator, the one who sets it up and then takes a bow. Great way to deal with parental divorce? Not really. Nor is excuse-making. I've sat this kid. You gotta sit on him. Turn your back and it's mayhem that isn't his fault even if you have it on video. (Which, btw, the Sunday School did... OMG.)  So, no, the school systems of the world aren't all in favor of girls. They're against disruptors of classtime. And, let's face it, when your kid has hit the point he's been kicked outta Sunday School? I ddin't even know that could happen! And I was raised old-country Catholic. Y'know, sneeze in church and GOd hates you sorta thing...

So once my day was officially boggled, along with my mind --- and I love my godsons ---

I wrapped presents!

I binge-shopped at the dollar store. I got a slime "dart board" for Hubby for CHristmas, LOL. You throw slimy balls (imagine Silly Putty with a bit more squishy to it) at what is effectively a dart board. Kid game? Yes. Stress relief? Oh, I hope so! Also got cute little things for the nieces that the SIL and BIL's wife will hate --- oh, will they ever --- and the kids will probably love. Finger painting, glow-in-the-dark socks, weird stuff like that. To help round out the Very Proper Gifts.

SIL's kid only wanted fancy stuff, no shock, but we still sent her goofy fun stuff. The home chemistry kit for her age group to grow rocks and slime and things. Weirdly, those come in "girls" and "boys". The difference is apparently which color of slime you get. ??? 

***

INteresting trivia: Ther eis a poem from the early 1800s that rhymes (no joke) "Homer" and "misnomer". Horace Smith's "Address to the mummy". HSmith was a pal of th emuch more famous (and infamous) Percy Shelley, and was quite good with money as well as quite generous with it. (Always useful in a friend, I'm sure Shelley would've said!)  Anyway, yeah. Also rhymes "dummy" with "mummy". When you wonder why some poets make it into the schoolbooks and some don't... That poem tends to remind me of the reasons. https://www.bartleby.com/360/6/86.html

***

And on that note, off to prepare for home invasion of the Tree Trim Guys. Finally! Our pine tree grew crazy this summer, and if we get a high wind, a few branches could be a problem...

TGIFriday!