In the Name of All That Is ADD

Today's theme is Random. Let us begin.

I know you're all dying to know the outcome of the "What the Hell is THAT?!" contest. I do wonder how you've managed to sleep, eat, and, yes, even give sweet lovings to your honey in the interim between call and response. Well, wait no longer, my friends, it is time to reveal all!

And the winner is.......

YES!

You're all correct. Technically, Moi nailed it (as we knew she would with that tightly packed brain of hers) with the Chino Open Pit Mine just outside of Silver City. So the big rah-rahs and hoo-rays go to her. But the rest of you are correct in spirit. And we all know how important that is. AJ, to say that it came to you in a dream is just the rightest of the right. Places like this often exist in dream worlds and Tajique. I know because I've been to both of them. The only difference is that in Tajique there is a dog that endlessly crosses from one side of the road to the other, and in the dream world he brings you mojitos on every fourth crossing. And Doris Rose, the hardest thing in the world is to know the answer and not raise your hand, so big kudos to you as well. Thank you all for playing.

In other news of no great substance, I would like to tell you of my three kindergarten boys. They are small and talky and enthusiastic about life and Miss Wicked. When I come to get them off the playground (yes, they give up recess!), they run toward me with total abandonment and crash into me somewhere around my kneecaps. They are often accompanied by two or three other kindergartners who get confused by the running and think it's time to go in. So I separate the wheat from the chaff and I take my little charges inside and down the long, long halls to my office. Usually I walk side by side with my kids and chat with them about their day or what they ate for lunch or did they see that outfit the principal was wearing?! It's bonding time. But these three guys, they don't go for that. No, they're too busy working their hallway etiquette to notice me. They line up, one behind another (well, I guess that would be a line, wouldn't it?) and trot silently with their hands tucked behind them all the way to my room. Honestly, I feel like nothing so much as a mother duck. It tickles me to no end.

The three little ducklings were still in my office today when the menacing blare of the fire alarm went off. Imagine flashing lights, deafening horns, and thundering feet as the pygmies rushed down the halls to escape the building. Now, in an interesting twist of timing, the fire alarm coincided with the beginning of a rainstorm. At first it was a beautiful, gentle thing. But by the time I had gotten my three little ducklings up and outside, it had taken on a more stinging presentation. And by the time we made it the 42 miles to the fence on the other side of the playground, we were soaked. Well, they were soaked, but since I had had the foresight to bring my rain slicker, I was good. And anyway, aren't kids supposed to love rain and mud?? So don't call me selfish for bogarting my own darn slicker, man.

On yet another note, I hope that you all were able to take some time yesterday to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Arrrrrrr, ya lilylivered scaliwags, it's the holiest of days, don't ya know?? Anyone who didn't light a candle to Blackbeard will be walkin' the plank, mateys.

Moving right along on the continuum of randomness, has anyone else noticed that Wal-Mart seems to have an overabundance of mobility-impaired shoppers? I'm not talking wheelchair-bound or even crutch-reliant, I'm...just...talking...slow. And they seem to frequently come to a dead stop in the middle of the aisle. For no evident reason other...than...to...pause...a...minute. I hate it when I accidentally bump into these folks with my cart. Hard. Accidents happen, you know, and who am I to prevent them?

Well. I think you will be relieved to know that I have purged myself of all my compelling thoughts and so I now release you into the pleasure of your own company. Thank you so much for participating in today's Whatever Comes Into Wicked's Head episode.

p.s. For those of you who are also a little ADDy, I recommend the following web site: http://play.blogger.com/ . It plays a constant stream of pictures recently added to blogs. It's great entertainment for those who crave brevity and constant change.