Robyn's Ramblings...

Some things I've learned this week:

Alarm Cat: Nothing jolts you awake quite like the sound of a screaming, hissing cat. When we found her at the front patio door at 5:45 a.m., she was face to face with the evil white barn cat that roams our neighborhood and decided to taunt her from the other side of the glass. Thankfully, it didn't awaken Carter, who (in protection of his princess kitty) has already declared on several occasions, "I wish we could just kill that white cat!" We try to tell him that as long as those two cats are on opposite sides of the glass, Sylvester should be OK. Just can't let her escape again...

Frigid Physics: According to Professor Carter, even on a chilly evening, you should feel warm eating a bowl of ice cream under a blanket on the couch "because two negatives make a positive." I won't argue with anything that allows me to have ice cream year-round.

Campaign Crunch: With the election just a few weeks away, we are getting inundated with campaign commercials and phone calls. The other night, when I was checking voicemail, I deleted a message after realizing it was just a recorded message from Obama's camp. I didn't realize Carter was listening, too, but the next time we heard McCain's name on some ad, I heard Carter say, in his best booming yet deliberate radio voice: "John McCain just doesn't get it." (The old Campus Democrat in me is smiling.)

Hoarding Heredity: It's scary sometimes when we see what traits our children inherit. Yes, there is a clutter gene in my family. I'd like to think that we were "green" before it was trendy. We save things we think we'll use some day. But "some day" never comes. Last night I was trimming some paper for a project and I had Carter helping by throwing away the scraps as they came off the trimmer. When he realized there were several that were the same small rectangle size, he said, "Mom, we should save these for when we need to write names down and draw them from a hat." And just when would that be? Oh boy, what have I created?!

No Pain, No Gain: I admittedly am a huge chicken when it comes to anything with pain potential. Call this a banner week in Robyn Bravery. I had a flu shot yesterday and my first-ever (I'm 40 now) mammogram today. Yes, the Mammo-Mobile rolled into town and how could I not do it when the service is right there in our parking lot. Funniest thing heard: I'm standing there, posed for a picture and the technician says, "Hold still." Yeah, like I am going anywhere with a major part of my anatomy locked in a vise. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Sort of like getting your blood pressure checked -- but they forgot to pull the release valve!