A birthday blog

Because it is Tauna's birthday, I feel compelled to (gasp!) actually post a blog! It's a shocking kind of gift that I hope she will appreciate, especially because she's one of the only people who reads this thing!

I'm writing on my lunch break, even though I have so much work to do, because I know that any good intentions I'll have tonight will never morph into good actions. Plus, Dancing with the Stars is on and will require my full attention for a large chunk of the evening. Curse my mom for ever getting me hooked on that thing!

My leftover macaroni & cheese is quickly diminishing and that makes me sad because a) it's tasty and b) it's not filling and it's six some hours until my next meal by the time I drive home, plan what to eat, and cook it. There's my night right there: food and dancing.

Which brings me to my next topic: my grandpa. Today is his birthday as well as Tauna's (and my Uncle Joe's, too!). I was telling my work friend Cindy about all the birthdays today and she asked whether I was going to take my grandpa out for a meal this weekend or anything. I think she forgot that I have no family here in Omaha! No, Grandpa is in North Royalton, Ohio, probably watching Fox News and eating lunch, the second big endeavor of his day.

Grandpa is my last living grandparent, so I try not to take that for granted. He is known to drive all my Ohio relatives crazy. But since there are several hundred miles between the two of us, he's not quite so maddening to me. In fact, he can be endearing.

There are two people I've been frightened to compare myself to lately: George Costanza and Grandpa. George is a complete jerk, and I don't compare myself with him in general, yet there are times on Seinfeld where his neuroses seem vaguely familiar. I quickly shrug this thought off with a, "yes, but you're nice, Nicole..." And then there's Grandpa. He once asked me, now that I'm out on my own, whether I cook at night. I told him that I try to, and then he went on and on about how it's a wonder if I cook that I am able to do anything else! He essentially explains his days like this: "When I get up in the morning, it's time to start thinking about breakfast. By the time I prepare food, eat and clean up, it's time to start thinking about lunch. By the time I prepare food, eat and clean up, it's time to start thinking about supper. By the time I prepare food, eat and clean up, it's time for bed." I make fun of this, but I kind of get his point! If I know I actually have to cook supper, it becomes a huge production. I'm inept in the kitchen, so making the simplest things takes me twice as long! By the time I get home from work, make food, eat and clean up, it's time for bed, essentially. I'm so pokey! I need to learn some efficiency.

My macaroni & cheese is gone. Drat. Happy birthday, Tauna. I hope you like my blog. Happy birthday, Grandpa. I'll be thinking of you when I cook my supper.