Mel's Musings (and Rants)

There have been many times I've had random thoughts pop into my head and I want to post about them, but it doesn't really warrant a full post. I've decided to clump all these thoughts together and put them in a single post (kind of like I did here). Get ready, something tells me this type of post won't be a one time occurrence :)

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Let's start with email etiquette, shall we? When forwarding an email that has been forwarded 1500 previous times, it really pays to take the extra seconds to delete all of the other emails listed in the body of the message. Yes, I'm lazy when it comes to email, and I can't tell you how many I've deleted simply because I got tired of scrolling. Don't judge me.

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I love most everything about the Christmas season: Cold weather, hot chocolate, fires in the fireplace, Christmas decorations and music, Christmas Eve church services and plays...yep, I love most everything, except Christmas shopping. Why do we have to go and ruin perfection by adding in the stress of gift giving (have I mentioned that I hate shopping)? Don't get me wrong, I love buying gifts for kids and seeing their little faces light up, but it's so much harder to buy for adults. Generally, when adults want or need something, they go out and buy it, so when Christmas comes around you have absolutely no idea what to buy them. This then creates a headache for everyone involved. I have an idea. NO GIFTS FOR ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 18. Who's with me? Seriously, I'm too young to be this stressed out.

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Speaking of Christmas shopping, I have a general PSA. When driving around in the overly crowded parking lots, it actually helps to use the turn signals on your car. I know it's just the parking lot and not the "real road", but it helps the 15,000 other manic shoppers know where the heck you are going. Yes, I realize my OCD is showing.

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lit⋅er⋅al⋅ly [lit-er-uh-lee] –adverb

1.	in the literal or strict sense: What does the word mean literally?

2.	in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally.

3.	actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy: The city was literally destroyed.

4.	in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually.

definition taken from dictionary.com

Nothing drives me crazier than to hear the word literally used incorrectly. I'm sure I use plenty of words incorrectly, and I'll string a fragment together like nobody's business, but for the love of all that is holy, can people please use this one word properly?

Correct: I went to Walmart Saturday, and I literally stood in line for 30 minutes to buy 2 items.

This statement is quite accurate, and without even a hint of exaggeration. I stood in line for 30 minutes to buy garland for our Christmas tree.

Incorrect: While waiting in line at Walmart, my head literally exploded.

Although I felt like my head would explode, I performed a thorough search of the floor, and I didn't find a single portion of my brain on the ground.

Is that clear? Good.

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Ian is 20 months old (17 months adjusted), and I think I'm beginning to get a glimpse into why the two's are so terrible. Here you have a small person, that has definite opinions, likes/dislikes, and desires, but doesn't have the vocabulary (nor do I have the gift of interpreting tongues) to express exactly what he wants. God help us.

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Speaking of Ian's age, I'll be so glad when he turns two years old. Why? So I can stop describing his age in freaking months! I've tried telling people how old Ian is in years, but for some reason if I say "My son is about 1 1/2 years old," people get this confused look on their face as if I've answered their question in a foreign language. So then I back track and say "He's 20 months old," and then the light bulb goes off above their head and all is right with the world.

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Whew! That felt great. I guess I'll go ahead and end things on this note. I should probably introduce my crazy in spurts instead of all at once.