Predictable

Predictable. That's me alright. Or is it?  I often hear that I am. I hear that I am other things too but this is a family blog so I won't go there. Family blog?  Sure, haven't you noticed that I don't swear any longer. Mr Clean, that's me. Not to say that from time to time I won't slide one in - just saying that I don't need to swear in my blog. How did I make that change you wonder. I had an intervention, spent 30 days in the "clinic", and washed my mouth out with soap every time I slipped.  Thank goodness for the Costco soap pack. Those 48 bars not only cured me but occasionally bubbles pop out when I burp.

See, I'm rambling. Predictable, I ramble. Sometimes I don't even know I'm talking. It's clear that I'm probably saying something very important. Why else would I be talking? Am I afraid of silence? A case of quietaphobia? I think not. I say things as they flow into my brain. They're floating around in there and bam, next thing I know I hear myself talking. It's such a short trip from brain to mouth. Is that why men sometimes think with their other er, brain? A little more distance helps right? Nope, that one just spells trouble - seems to be more of a divining rod than a brain. Either way, it's not much of a thinker.

Does being predictable make me boring?  Or safe and comfortable? Truth be told, I like a good routine. I'm not a fly by the seat of my pants kind of guy. It's best to lay out a plan and follow it. Control it. That's my happy place. I wake every day at 4:00am except for weekends when it's 5:30am. Bedtime is 10:00pm. Granted that's only 6 hours of sleep but it seems to work. I usually eat the same 4-5 meals for dinner and lunch is either a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with mustard (never the deadly mayo) and a slab of cheese or it's a can of tuna. I eat it right from the can. Easier. Faster. Not a dish wasted. I make my lunch, lay out my clothes, and pack my gym bag the night before. The heat turns on at 3:30am and off at 4:30am. Back on at 5:30pm and off at 9:30pm. I buy gas at the same station, have done 90% of my grocery shopping at the same Albertsons for 14 years. Same Dry Cleaner for 12. My latte is 16oz non fat no foam 180 degrees.

I could go on but sh**, I'M starting to find myself boring. Having said all that I believe I am becoming more flexible. Fine - are you done with your little laughing fit yet?  I do step out of my comfort zone. Case in point - swimming. Frickin dislike water more than you know but I am in the pool every week. Sundays at noon, Thursday at 8:00, with a Monday and/or Saturday thrown in for good measure. The secret? Water Angels. Enough said. I'm teaching Taylor how to drive and didn't even flip out when he drove up and curbed a tire. No, he wasn't driving my car but that's not the point....

My friends are helping me stretch myself and I appreciate it even though I might not tell them often enough. They help me more than they know, each in their own way. I bought shoes that I would never have bought on my own. Jeans that cost more than $35 and go down well past my ankles. I don't always tuck in my shirt anymore. If a sock has a hole in it I throw it away instead of turning it over and getting another six months out of it. I have however stepped out a little too far and like the guy pushing his luck at the Blackjack table, finally lost...big. You can never win your money back. The harder you try the more you lose. The best thing to do is to stop, count your losses, and step away from the table. I'm looking for balance and I think I'm closing in on it. There are things I need as much as the air I breathe and I will always embrace them, never take them for granted, and appreciate them daily. I think I'll like that guy. He is safe. Comfortable. Dependable. A person you can count on. Predictable.