Life's Too Short

My cousin, Dixie, was in town keeping me company while Brad was away.  We did lots of fun things, but mostly we cooked and ate what we cooked and talked about what we were going to cook and eat next.  

Anyway, while all this cooking was going on we took turns being the chef (or chief) and sous chef (or Sioux Chief) depending on whose specialty we were concocting.  When I was chefing, I would ask her to bring me this spice or that spice from the pantry, and every time when we were done with it, she'd ask "So where does this one go?"

"In the spice rack," was always my answer, and she'd come back looking confused.  

After about three or four of these episodes I said, "Dixie, why do you keep asking me where they go?  They all go in the spice rack."

"I know," she said, "but where in the spice rack do they go?  I've been trying to remember where I got them, but there's no system."

Wha?  Wasn't my system obvious?

It had literally never dawned on me to organize my spice rack.  Why on Earth would anyone, unless they are an actual chef, need their spices organized?  

"Dixie, there is no system; just put them on the rack.  Life's too short."

This prompted me to think of other things I've decided I refuse to do or not do moving forward.  

This is not a list of things like "To go to bed mad" or "Not to say I love you" or "To worry about what other people think."  Yes, those are all valid things that life is to short for, but these are real, actual things that I feel either take away valuable time or valuable pleasure from my life.

So, for your approval:

Life's Too Short...

1. To organize your spice rack (unless you love organizing then knock yourself out)

2. Not to push the button 
There's a button on our refrigerator that says "Ice Plus" and has a little frost symbol by it.  For over a year I have thought about that button every time I've gotten ice, but I have not pushed it.  Maybe because I didn't know what it would do or I thought maybe I'd get in trouble (by whom?  Brad?  No.  I'm the boss of him.)  But yesterday, I pushed the button.  I still don't know what it does, but our ice seems a little shinier, and I'm so happy I pushed it!  

3. To find the manual
I realize that in situations such as the one above, I could probably find out somehow what The Button does, but I'm not going to do that.  A. I don't know where the manual is or if we even have it anymore and B. I'm satisfied that nothing bad happened with the ice and that I didn't get in trouble by anyone.  I will just continue to speculate and know that our ice is just a little better thanks to me.

4.  To eat bad cheese
Not like rotten cheese, no one should do that.  I'm talking about bad cheese.  Like American cheese.  I hate that the worst most processed cheese is called "American" cheese too.  Like it it the epitome of America and our values?  What?  No!  No, I say to you American cheese, I won't eat you.  In fact, in my mind you are Un-American cheese.

5. To eat at Chili's
Unless I am in a desperate situation, like I have no other way of eating food, Chili's is never, ever an option.  Just, no.  I've had enough battered chicken with soft corn on the cob that is exactly like all the other battered chicken and soft corn on the cob I've ever had there for a lifetime.  

6. To pair socks
Yes, there will always be one missing.  No, I will never find it.  So I just buy a bunch of the exact same socks, throw them all in a drawer and grab two when I need them.  Done. 

7. To ignore babies
I don't get it when people don't smile and play with cute babies in front of them at the grocery store.  There is a cute baby in front of you in a shopping cart looking at you with his/her cute little eyes.  LOOK back and him/her and smile!  There are only so many babies in the world, and one of them is looking at you!  Play with the kid for two seconds. 

8. To make the bed
Unless I know for sure someone is coming to my house, I do not make the bed.  Pretty much ever.  Why?  I'm just going to throw those pillows on the floor again in about 15 hours and start the whole process over.  If someone happens to drop by, they just don't go in our room.  Or if they do, they're a dear friend or a paramedic, neither of whom will care that the bed is unmade.

9.  To listen to Top 40
At one point in American history, I believe Top 40 was pretty good (Elvis and The Beatles come to mind), but I'm sorry, music is in a terrible state.  Everything is synthesized and auto-tuned, and frankly just sucks.  Even if it doesn't suck, it gets played 10 times an hour and then you end up hating it in about a week.  Plus, now it's not like we need the radio to tell us what music we like.  There is a whole world of musical experiences thanks to iTunes, YouTube, Satellite Radio and the interwebs.  Therefore, Top 40 no longer has a place in my life- and I officially don't know what the kids are listening to these days.

I wish I could come up with one more so that there would be 10, but apparently, everything else in my life is necessary, so I'll stop there before I get frustrated.  Because hey...