Five Little Ducks...stories played out!

The children's song about the little ducks leaving the nest to fly away has always been one of my favorites.  Every mother has seen their babies fly away and rejoiced. Life comes full circle. Animals live that same cycle. Babies grow up. Birds leave the nest. Life goes on.

So when the three ducks show up every year near my patio I am not surprised. But I am puzzled that it always seems to be the same three. Something just doesn't seem right. It appears the one did not fly away at all.

Five little ducks

Went out to play

Over the hills and far away.

The mommy duck went "quack, quack quack,"

Four little ducks came swimming back...

And then Three

Two

and One.

A drake, a female duck (a hen) and a not quite a drake but still not a hen gather here on the 5th green of the golf course. She leads and the other two follow along obediently. They eat, sleep, and guard each other. Each and every day this time of year they come. 

I have not named them. Jinxing them would be very possible. See, an eagle and a very large owl live in the trees next to the street. Naming them just doesn't seem like a good idea.

So I just watch. Each time they come, I am more interested and puzzled.

It has been suggested that this is a m

énage à trois 

but it just doesn't appear to be a romantic threesome. Then someone suggested that the not quite a Drake or a hen was a teenager who refused to leave home. I believe that could be possible. Does that happen in the duck community? 

A month had passed when one day she took a break from Drake and the teen. I suppose she was tired of being followed around. I was worried. The Drake didn't go to sleep on the ground but stood on one leg watching. She was gone that day but as surely as the sun came up the next day, there she was. 

When this extra drake showed up, Drake and Drake/hen acted very cool and disinterested.  But he came back the next day. He was intruding and Drake and Drake/hen did not like that. Within a short time, they were in hot pursuit. They all waddled into the bushes...only two came out...the Drake and the Drake/hen. The extra guy flew away and I haven't seen him since. I will always wonder what happened.

I have a lake just on the other side of my backyard golf green. A large flock of ducks gather every spring and a few nest close by. It is a hard life...the nest is constantly under attack but if the hen can help them survive until they can swim it seems they have a chance. 

As for the teen flying over the hill and far away...he may never do that. Maybe he will stay behind guarding his flock. That is my hope. Like mommy duck, I want him to be safe.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Oh and stay posted...just in case she actually builds a nest and has a new clutch of babies!

b+

Things that Go Bump in the Night

Do you live alone? Are you afraid? Do noises make you jump?

My little dog is a barker and noises make her jump. She barks at her reflection in the mirror, a shadow on the floor and the people walking on the sidewalk a block away. She is vigilant, careful, and noisy. Other than that she is perfect. At less than 5 lbs her personality is very big. If she is really onto something, she will come and find me to make sure that I know. Things like the yellow Preen container or anything that she has not seen before will send her into action. 

A wagon full of flowers
and Annie

But things that go bump in the night? This is a whole new thing. I was going about my evening routine when she turned inside out and startled me. "Oh...Annie what are you doing? It is fine"...I sounded so sure and confident until I heard it too. I couldn't locate the sound. Was it on the roof scrape, scratch, drag, thump!!! What in the world was going on? Where and what was that.

Annie calmed down but my heart was thumping. What was that? Of course, I will never know. I know our neighborhood owl does hunt. Owls seem really big to me but what do I know. I hope the owl and a lively catch had a battle royal on my roof. If that is not the case, I might be a little concerned.

I went to bed, covered up my head, and, wonder of wonders, woke up in the morning! Everything was fine, Annie was sound asleep beside me.

But when I had the roof inspected the next day, no one said a word about owls or carcasses. Surely someone would notice that sort of thing don't you think?

Am I afraid?....no, not at all. I am more apt to get up and look. But things that go bump in the night and a barking dog will get my attention.

How about you? Are you afraid?

Hope you are having a wonderful March.

b+

Don't Dither...Be Smart!!

My Grandparents,
 He lived to be 74 and 
she to age 82. They both lost all
their teeth in their 40s.

I know you are drowning in advice if you are an aging retiree. As we all know, people like us are in charge. We don't change our minds willingly.

Once we are over 65 my friend said, our children want to be our parents. She didn't like that. It doesn't seem like that to me but in many cases, it is true. Children of any age can be age blind. Fear might be playing a part for them. They do not understand aging so they project their fears onto us. 

Age blindness has children giving advice on issues they know nothing about. It all looks so simple to them. In my friend's case, a daughter wants her to move back to the East Coast to be nearer to her. It would simplify the daughter's life. Her mother believes that leaving this snowbird life would be the last nail in her coffin...life would be over. The daughter doesn't understand her mother's fears.

My mother asked me what she would do after she could not manage her home anymore. I was dismissive of her. I remember suggesting we could find help so she wouldn't have to move. It never occurred to me that she was ready to move and actually wanted to do that. What she might have had in mind was moving in with me. So, her staying in place was easier for me.

There are so many things going on as our life progresses. Being independent is very important to many. the trick is to do that smoothly and keep our families happy. My advice at the age of 82 is:

1) Never appear to be in your dotage if you are not. Being helpless is a way to get attention but it will come back and bite you. 

2) Always take care of medical issues. Hearing aids, glasses, and teeth are medically expensive. When you retire, make sure you have money to deal with those things. If you cannot hear, younger people think you are senile when all you are is deaf. Don't be oblivious to the world around you...wear your glasses. As for your teeth... your whole body is damaged when your teeth are bad. Besides that, it is not attractive to have rotten teeth. (Tooth Decay: Can it Kill You?)

3) Learn what is happening and what will happen as you age. There are signs of deterioration so learn about those and how to overcome those that can be overcome. You need to understand where you are at the onset of aging issues.  (Dementia),  (What to Expect while Aging, Mayo Clinic)

4) Include your children in big financial decisions. They will appreciate that and it will make their life much easier as time goes by.

5) Discuss what your life will look like as you become less capable.

5) And lastly, the obvious is to remain active. Our children will trust you if you exercise, write, read, and socialize. PERIOD

I will repeat: use whatever devices you need to function. Hearing aids, glasses, and medication are important. Don't dither. Act smart and your children will think you are perfect because you truly are! 

What is your advice?

b+

PS: I have a confession...I take a dose of CBD every night. I believe (that is important) it helps!

The Readers Responsibility

 The discovery that my readers have a responsibility when they read my or anyones writing was an epiphany. I had always thought that I needed to tell every detail so my reader would understand. The color and setting and even the mindset of the person telling the story needed to be put on the paper. Then it occurred to me as a writer that the reader is also responsible.

In blog reading there are rules. 

    -If you are a troll that controls your world by tearing it down, go away. Bringing the writer down with you is not right. It is mean and hurtful. 

    -Every reader needs to bring to writing a willing and imaginative mind. Not all writers write "literally". The words should allow you to create your own color and location. If I give you a recipe with exact measurements, that is one thing. If I am writing philosophically, exploring thoughts, or telling a story, that is different. 

    - Many writer need encouragement to grow with the reader. Comments are appreciated.

Having said that, I for one recognize that each person brings their own meaning to the words. The story I wrote about Frog lately required you to just go with the concept of "talent". It was not specific in the "who what where when" and I did received feedback. When I wrote about being Perfect, some thought that striving for perfect was too much. In my mind Perfect was very different from Perfection. But you bring your own meaning to words so that is what I want you to do.

If I were to tell the whole story you would have had to see the world through the eyes of a small, dusty, well used village located in a small valley in Oregon. Streets would have been unpaved with potholes filled with water. Coal fired stream engines would have filled the air with coal smoke and cinders that appeared in the laundry hung on the lines. Dogs would be mating in the streets and the teacher that lived beneath the hill would be entertaining her very handsome husband. It would be Saturday night.

I would tell you about my Swedish great-grandmother that came to live in a tent house before she had her 4 children and a great-grandfather that signed his name with an X. You would know that he had helped build the bridges on the railroad, those same railroad bridges that are still in use. The year would be 1953.

My husband's parents. The hills 
behind them are the hills I grew
up climbing.

The story would have begun with a small house that I came home to as a boby just 5 miles away from that dusty little town. It would have included a company town built around a mine. 

Yet, in the story with thoughts about two characters that grew up in that world, you didn't need to know that. You could have found those characters in the deep south of the USA or in the outback of Australia. It was up to you.

So, dear readers, are you working at living up to your responsibility so I can write for you? Is this the year, 2024, when you will let your imagination run wild? I certainly hope so.

b+

On Being "PERFECT"...this year we will get it right!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                    

I use that word quite a bit. In the world that I live in, pictures, people,

The perfect Palo Verde bloom.

and life are at any given moment perfect. And yet here I am...making resolutions, again! Didn't I do that last year and the year before? 

Yet the notion is so wonderfully hopeful. This year I will get it right...maybe. 

It all goes back to that writing class I took at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Arizona. Optimism springs eternally from my breast and I continue to hope to improve. I licked my wounds after writing for that group of writers. I need to be not exactly perfect but the best I can be at what I love to do. I want to write with other writers again.

In that class, we were challenged to describe what "voice" means to us. Anthony Horowitz should have been the example I used. He is a genius at using the first-person position as though it could be his voice. I want to be able to do that. He packs action, conversation, and authentic emotion into what he writes. If you listen and watch carefully, he is truly there.

The Word is Murder felt almost autobiographic yet I don't believe it was. For example, another character reacts strongly and offensively to a gay. Horowitz as the storyteller is greatly insulted. It turns out Horowitz bills himself as "a defender of gays and alternative lifestyles, a moderate on abortion, and a civil rights activist". It is all in the story much like Chekov's gun on the table. 

The Word... is written in the first person voice as though he were telling his story to you verbally. What an inspiration it was for someone like me who does write that way yet is in the process of making the stories...well...almost acceptable. I am daring to dream I suppose.

What do you think? 

So, for 2024 the resolution is to get better at whatever I set out to do. Perfect would be the goal, but I would settle for just getting a notch better at life. 

What do you hope for? 

Happy New Year everyone!

b+

Revisiting Frog

We all had talents but none quite like
Frog and Arvid's. 

I have been told that we are born with a talent. Figuring out what that talent is can be the hard part. If you are a "gifted" writer or musician or even an artist you are fortunate. But not all of us are gifted with beautiful talents. The plumber or electrician does not get an audience. Still, we value those people. But what about all the others.

What about the gifted liar. You know that person... they cannot open their mouth and tell the truth. The lie was there and that was that. I knew a boy named Arvid. His mom was a really nice woman. But Arvid stood out. He got to skip school sometimes because he was such a gifted liar he could convince his mom that there was no school on Fridays. 

The lovely mother of Arvid finally caught up with him so then he could not take any days off even when there was no school. He would go by our house early in the morning with his lunch box ready for a day at school even when there was no school. 

"Where are you going Arvid. There is no school today."

"I told my mom but she didn't believe me," he answered in disgust.

His talent was grudgingly admired in our little community. 

Many years ago I wrote about a character named Frog. I had known someone like him when I was a child playing in the dusty streets on summer nights. That boy that I later named Frog could cuss a blue streak. Where he learned those words only he knew. And his cuss words were colorful as well as descriptive. They appeared in places that were not needed just out of the clear blue sky.

"Well, #@_#@" he would say. My eyes even watered sometimes.

He was redheaded like his mother and freckles covered his face and nose. Dirty hands and necks were common but his face was always clean and so was his hair. His mother was a good mom. You could see him coming a block away. Frog was fun although just a bit scary. When I was caught jumping up and down on the bed, it was probably Frog's cuss words I was using. I blamed it on my aunt but really it was Frog.

Frog was one of those talented children. What he did with that talent is hard to imagine. Liars can be politicians but cussers?

School must have been torture for him.

I had a hard time picturing him in the classroom without the cuss words showing up in the middle of his reading or during math exercises. Thank heavens our teacher was well-used and weather-worn. She knew a good cuss word when she heard it.

I always wondered what became of Frog and if he ever tamed the demon of words that lived in his mind. They just seemed to come out of nowhere and I always felt like Frog was as surprised as we were when he opened his mouth to talk.  I suppose Arvid felt the same way. It was hard for them.

But again, what good is a talent if you don't use it?

What is your talent?

b+

What is that sound?

Paper #5 Barbara Torris
WHAT IS THAT SOUND I HEAR?

Is that my Voice or is it yours?

I have been taking a class presented by the University of Arizona's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The class, Writing for Self-Discovery, is a commitment that has me writing a story, 900 words long, that is submitted on the weekend and then reviewed by fellow students in the class. It satisfies me. I like that.

This week we were asked to talk about what we think the term "Voice" means. We were given a quote from Janet Conner from Writing Down Your Soul, pointing out that we all have a unique Voice that is waiting for us to listen.

I am not one to admit that I hear a Voice inside my head. That might not be a sane thing. Yet I think I need to let you understand that it is there. Just under the surface of the din around me, the Voice waits to have its say. It is my inspiration. It is the way I write and speak.

My life is not perfect. I have always quoted Popeye the Sailorman when I make a mistake or people don't like me. "I yam what I yam and that’s what I yam," I say and shrug my shoulders. What are we, my Voice and I, going to do? Then I might sigh. Mistakes happen. As for people not liking me, I laugh and think “Really, what’s not to like.” I try to laugh even though it may be painful.

Writing in my authentic writing Voice helps me keep those things that go wrong in perspective. Obsessing about anything is not good for me. At 82 years of age, I need to tame my obsessions and use writing to help work out what is happening or even why. I used to say that I had to write almost daily. But of late, it is getting very quiet. I don't feel as inspired as I once was. I am still hoping that the class will get me back to myself. We will see.

Back in the day when I began blogging around 2006, trolls would call you out or make disparaging remarks. It was necessary to have a thick skin. Those who persevered were rewarded with better skills and even better understanding of their Voice.

At one time I had a disclaimer on this blog because of trolls. It asked the reader to overlook what I missed in rereading. I learned from people like the NYT’s Frugal Traveler (https://www.nytimes.com/video/frugal-traveler). He had stayed at a roadside motel in Florida and extolled its virtues. When I researched it, I commented on his blog that it did not look safe. He called me out on the comment then went to my blog and called me amateurish. It was the truth. However, I was allowed to be inexperienced. My goal was to put myself out into the world enough times so that I would improve. Readers were kind and supportive. If others read, I needed to acknowledge their presence. They help me be very careful about editing etc.

But if someone tries to silence my Voice or even change its tenor, what will happen? See, taking a class in writing makes it necessary to listen and learn. We learn by listening to other's Voices and being allowed to have our say. It is a give-and-take. 

When beginning a story, the Voice is given free rein. The story emerges without any concern for what the reader does not know. I know that telling a story requires two things: 1) A story that reveals just enough, and 2) A reader with an imaginative mind. If the story doesn't engage the reader with an imaginative mind, then it is all for nothing. 

If those people want to see their own writing style and make an effort to change mine to fit their desires, I need to be careful to take what I need and leave the rest behind. It is our job to become better at listening to others while remaining true to ourselves. Bending to the desires of what is popular is not helpful and can destroy our confident Voice in the end.

Voice....do I even understand what it is? Those words inside my head that have me being grateful and hopeful when I awake, and creative when I write are mine. That is the way I write and even talk I suppose.

The challenge this week in the class has been a wonderful thing. I write in a “first person Voice”. It is in the end all about me here on my blog. My Voice may not be perfect, but I am still blogging after all these years! Amazing.

What are your voices telling you?

 b+

Thank you for reading.
FYI Articles recommended in class

Reference:
Louise De Salvo, Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives (1999) Janet Conner, Writing Down Your Soul (2008) 

New to Retirement? Oh Dear!: HOBBIES

 I have been retired for what seems like an eternity! I began in 2006 or 2007 after taking a trip to Shanghai, China to visit my son. My husband and I stayed for 3 weeks so I had time to absorb what the world of expat educators was all about...and they were a busy, talented and progressive group of people. 

That was when I began to blog...it was a hobby worth doing. I learned so much along the way.

That was that time when the boomers were coming down the track and all of those people were wondering what they were going to do with their time on a dime. Times were tough for new retirees. This conversation is an ongoing one...filling day with things that interest you and bring you satisfaction is no easy task. RETIRE IN STYLE BLOG II  has a lot of posts sharing my experience.

*Because of the age of this post, some of the links don't work. Sigh. 

Back in the Day....20 Hobbies for 2018  2023

This is so much fun...I made this list and then went out to see if I could find a "how-to" for each one. Here are the ideas AND a link to the information on what to do if you want to take up that hobby! WOW!

I could have included travel but that would have been too easy! (Dubai)

You know...back when the world was young...20 years ago. Blogging was just getting attention and we were not carrying iPhones or probably even an iPad. We did have a laptop and it traveled around the world with us.

Back then, retirement was very much in jeopardy. The economy was struggling. So, those people who retiring did not necessarily think of going to a desert island or to the South Pole. They were trying to figure out what they could do with what disposable cash they had.

The talk was all about "Hobbies" or turning a hobby into "A Second Job". That was when I came across a list of hobbies...100 of them. (100 Cheap Hobbies) That list made me laugh over and over because I kept going back to it for this blog about retirement.

I could make a hobby out of making a list of hobbies. Truly, there is no end to what might be of interest to people. I was thinking of some today.

1. Dumpster diving...you never know what you may find.
2. Finding stuff...I had a man tell me he "found" several hundred dollars worth of stuff every year. Here is a company that will take you one a scavenger hunt.
3. Geocaching...this a hobby created by hiding stuff, leaving a link to the geographical location on a website. I have never done it but if you are into treasure hunts, you will love this.
4. Collecting things...key, computers, watches, keys, buttons, etc. I am good with three of most things but I can see how a person could get obsessed. Top 10 Things to Collect
5. Reading all mysteries one year and nothing but biographies the next. A challenge but still fun I think. Top 10 books for 2017 (Publisher's Weekly)
6. Running...from or to somewhere I suppose. Or even just running in a circle. People love to run. How to Run Correctly
7. Walking...more my speed. 10 Ways to Get the Most out of Walking
8. Tracking your walking/running with charts and logs. Tracking Your Walks
9. Photography...mix it up with telephoto lens catching the world unaware. 10 Tips for Great Telephoto Pictures
10. Art...this could have 100 subtitles I think but just saying you are an artist makes you more interesting. Quick Beginners Guide for Drawing
11. Sewing...make a quilt or sew a dish rag. Get the machine out and sew like crazy. 40 Sewing Hacks You Should Know
12. Embroidery...the world is waiting for your next tablecloth or wall hanging. 19 Artists Creatively Pushing the Boundaries of Embroidery
13. Upcycle...If you buy an old something and redecorate it, the world is your apple. Ideas for Upcycling?
14. Learn to Play Golf...that will keep you busy for at least 20 years. Online Golf Video
15. Golf...if you have alway golfed, take lessons and find out how wrong you have doing it all these years. How to find a Golf Instructor
16. Write a blog...join Blogspot, set up a blog and learn about that wonderful world of people you did not even know existed. How to Start a blog...2023
17. Learn to write computer programs...it might be fun and not that hard. How to Start to Learn Computer Programing
18. Buy a new computer...if you are a PC user buy an Apple. You will have a whole new way to entertain yourself. Buy a book: Apple for Seniors
19. Volunteer to do something totally out of your comfort zone. Dicovery Corp and traveling to volunteer.
20. Clean your house...over and over. A hobby worth doing. :) from Popular Mechanics (seriously) Fifteen Secrets to Cleaning you House in Half the Time I would never had thought to look for this information in the PM magazine...how about you?
21. 
    

Do you have a unique hobby?

Have fun.

Here are some others:

20+ Hobbies: Slightly Dangerous and Weird

How important is your hobby?

You Don't Need to be Bored in Retirement: Hobbies

Whose Example Did You Follow?

Harret Elen Torris age 89.

 In this time children may find it hard to worship a hero...I really have no idea how that works for children anymore. Actually even in my days as a child I did not even think about such a thing. I wanted to be like the people that were popular. Did their "look" or attitude or even academic ability matter? I think so. Those people were the ones I wanted to be like. 

But an example remains important even at my age. So, I have been channeling my mother-in-law lately. In a strange kind of way, this woman that I really never knew guided me. She didn't do it by talking. She simply did things and I watched.

She died at the age of 90 in 1990. Up until she had to go to a nursing home a little while before she passed away, she smoked a pack of Camels a day. That I didn't and don't admire. But that little woman was strong as a horse. She was barely 5' tall but she had very large hands, long arms and big feet. 

She picked cotton as a young woman and was married 3 times. Her home as a child was in Oklahoma. I am assuming she married at a very young age but I don't really know that for sure. She bore 4 children, two by a previous married and two by my husbands father.

She had very little education but she read each and every day. Zane Grey was her favorite. She loved crossword puzzles. She wrote letters to family in Oklahoma and Texas. And she kept track of what was done for her and to her. 

There was never a telephone in their home. If you wanted to talk to her, you went to her house. 

She never gave me a name that I could call her. My sister-in-law called her Mrs. Torris but I just didn't call her by that name. I was Mrs. Torris too. Another sister-in-law called her mom. I didn't call her that because she was not my mother. It was a very strange relationship. We were both stubborn.

She didn't like me very much for many years because I took her baby son away. But, in the end, I was the one she looked to for help. I was glad for that.

She was methodical, patient and tenacious. She planted a giant garden and fed everyone that would have her produce...she wouldn't pick it for people but if they were able to come and get it, they were welcome to take what they needed. No weeds grew in her garden and a flock of bantam hens kept bugs at bay. Even today I can picture her leaning on a hoe.

When she baked, the batter bowl would be scraped so clean you would swear the dog had licked what was left in there. But no, she did that with a spoon methodically and slowly. 

The batter bowl has inspired me many times during my life...patience to complete a tedious tasks is my goal as I work.

So, it has been very obvious to me that she was one of the people whose example I followed. There are so many others....my parents and grandparents were truly awesome I think but their examples led to success in studies and business. But my mother-in-law...she was the daily bread on our table...she taught me the value of patience. That is very important. 

So, the question would be: "Whose example did you follow?"

b+

Discombobulated

I don't know what Alice was on but one day she just went down the rabbit hole. What seemed like a very good idea just didn't work out. It might be what I do. Sometimes I know what I should do but don't HAVE to do so I don't! I often choose to follow Alice's example. I know for fact it can be very dark down in that hole.

 The choice is a problem...in fact it always has been. I know what I would like or need to do but I don't want to. If that makes sense to you then you are one of us...the discombobulated ones.

You all remember the children book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". It is the one that has the mouse changing direction because he is distracted by hunger. Then someone gave him a cookie and if you give a mouse a cookie, he will need a glass of milk, a plate, a napkin and so it goes.  By the time he gets done the kitchen is a mess and the milk, napkins....all of it is out and strewn about.

I possibly am the perfect example of the mouse in real life. I am often accused of being discombobulated! And my house/life can be in great disorder. 

Definitions from Oxford Languages 

discombobulated

/ˌdiskəmˈbäbyəˌlādəd/

adjective

HUMOROUS

confused and disconcerted.

"he is looking a little pained and discombobulated"

 https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1878

I go to the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays for a class that I love...I like to go there. First of all my daughter normally goes to the gym on that day too. We visit in the car and solve tiny problems that need my attention. And I like the people. It is a very happy time for me.

The dog, the 4 lb. mini wonder, sleeps with me and sometimes wakes me up at night. I suffer from sleep deprivation much like a young mother. She is also very, very fast. I go on a drag with her everyday...she drags me and I walk really fast. 

She wants to go with me everywhere but the minute I utter the word "go" or "walk" she goes in a state of absolute ecstasy running in circles and avoiding getting caught. It takes me several minutes each time we leave to just catch her. She is a cute little stinker. 

So...this morning my daughter had a meeting and could not go to the gym, I over slept because I was tired and just could not make myself do what I like to do....I really would have liked to go but for some reason I didn't want to. I was discombobulated. Darn!

In my haste to make a decision, I decided to go to the gym at 12 am instead of 11 am. I had some papers to deliver and, in my infinite wisdom, I chose to take Annie Tuppence with me. We could walk and she could see Marisa (our friend). But Annie would not be caught, escaped the garage door and ran across the street to a visiting plumber. Yes, I know, I am the grown-up adult owner of this dog but.....she is so freaking cute and so I am helpless. I was too late to do what I wanted.

So, I finally got her in the car and on a whim pressed "update" on my Tesla, started to back the Tesla out but she refused to move because like all computers, she takes a lot of time to update. And she would not go because the Tesla aka Ruby is nothing but a big computer on wheel and she does not function when she is being updated. I am sure you can all relate.

So I decided to write a blog post but when I tried to add pictures, my computer froze. In fact everything I have touched today had gone awry. There is more but I cannot bring myself to tell you.  It is not a bad day but it is a very discombobulated one.

Now I am wondering what combobulated means...without the "dis" in front of it...I wonder.

 

As you can imagine, I am feeling a little discombobulated. How about you? What rabbit hole did you go down today?

b+

actinomycesact up

agenesisamazoniteanastigmaticancillaantibacterialanticlinalanticlockwiseanti-povertyarc lampart theaterAtlantic timeaudiometeravascularavicultureazo dyebaby boombaby grandbad actorbeanerybeauty contestbillfoldbiotechnicalbirefringenceblasting capblastosporeblood thinnerbolivarboll weevilbowdlerizedbrushstrokeBrythoniccacacachoucampoutcardiopulmonarycascaracash registercatch-upcensus clausechionodoxachromophorecladophyllclaustrophobiaclobbercoccidiumcollecting tubuleconcussedcorn oil

actinomycesact upagenesisamazoniteanastigmaticancillaantibacterialanticlinalanticlockwiseanti-povertyarc lampart theaterAtlantic timeaudiometeravascularavicultureazo dyebaby boombaby grandbad actorbeanerybeauty contestbillfoldbiotechnicalbirefringenceblasting capblastosporeblood thinnerbolivarboll weevilbowdlerizedbrushstrokeBrythoniccacacachoucampoutcardiopulmonarycascaracash registercatch-upcensus clausechionodoxachromophorecladophyllclaustrophobiaclobbercoccidiumcollecting tubuleconcussedcorn oil