Short Nights and Long Days

Quiet moments have been hard to come by this week. Not only is it the busiest time of our season, slap in the middle of a big holiday weekend, but I have had the pleasure of seeing four of my grandchildren. Four lively ones, with all the chaos that comes when you have two nine year olds, an eight year old and a five year old in your house. Or should I say tiny house .......

Sleep eludes me. Insomnia has not visited lately, I just need opportunity. Sleep deprivation leaves me a little(?) cranky and critical of my fellow man. Today is going to be one of those days. I keep putting one foot in front of the other, but I am weary. I warned my family that I will either be civil, or Sybil.

Everyone is treading lightly, including the canine contingent. At 4 AM, the boy cat, known as Martha, tried to climb onto Gavin's cot. Gavin's dog Max,who sleeps beside him at home, was in bed with me and 3 of our dogs. Wall-E was in bed with his boy, claiming his rightful place, as protector. He barked a warning to Martha, which alerted ALL the dogs into "kill the intruder" mode. I jumped from sleep and raced to the room Gavin was sleeping in and removed the cat and tried to shush the dogs.

Adrienne and I were up and got all warm bodies back to their sleeping spots. The men, you say, where were the men. Asleep. Blissfully unaware of the commotion. How they managed to not hear a thing is beyond me.

So, today, as I string all the kites and direct all the traffic and explain the concept of darkness a thousand times, I would like to recognize all those who seem to want to make me miserable .......

Thank you to the mother or father who left the swim diaper on the floor of the rest room (it wasn't just wet) ....

Thank you to the person who ate ribs at some point and decided to empty your plate in the bathroom trashcan and encourage all the bugs to start a trail in ......

Thank you to the person who peed in the bathroom trash can, I so enjoyed spilling it on my foot, not to mention the entire roll of toilet paper you stuck in it, yes, thank you.

Thank you to all the drivers who fail to stop at the stop sign and look offended when I bring it to your attention. Yes, I do realize you are not a child and I am not sorry I spoke to you like I was speaking to a child. I assumed that you did not know how to read and that I should speak very slowly so that you would absorb my message. Yes, I do realize you did not care to hear what might happen should you hit a child on a bicycle when you failed to stop at my stop sign. I had to assume that you had never given practical reasoning a thought and could not seem to help myself as I decided to educate you.

Thanks to the man who swore to me that he was "just idling along" as he flew by the the office leaving a trail of gravel dust in his wake. I am not sorry that your child witnessed your reprimand. Perhaps I won't have to correct him when he begins to drive. Yes, I was serious when I suggested that you keep your foot on the brake as you "idle" by. I was also seious when I suggested you take your vehicle to a mechanic to see why it speeds as you idle.

Thank you to the person who put two ice cream bars on top of the ice cream freezer to melt. I always enjoy taking a profit loss and cleaning up your mess. It is because of people like you that prices go up.

Thank you to all those of you who decide to toss your candy wrappers and ice cream sticks and yes, even your McDonald's trash all over my park. I have you to thank for not having to empty all the trash receptacles we placed in various locatrions for your convenience .........

It is not even noon yet. The day is young. Now that I have unburdened myself, I think I might just make it. Maybe. The day is still so very young.