Windshield time

You know you never seem to miss something until it is gone. I learned that about windshield time this week. For those of you who don't know what windshield time is, it is the amount of time you spend driving a vehicle. I logged five hours of windshield time yesterday and it got me to thinking...

When I left my last job, which included a 30-minute commute, to start my new one where I don't even have to turn on my car most days, I thought this is great! I don't have to be wasting an hour a day, five hours a week or 260 hours a year sitting in my vehicle doing nothing besides getting from point A to point B. My realization yesterday, though, was that the time I spent was more than just sitting in the car. It was valuable time to process my day. To think about what I was going to do at work, what I was going to do when I got home, and what I was going to do about life in general.

Now that my commute is no more than a walk up or down the stairs, I don't get a lot of think time in. Almost instantaneously I'm thrown from my work life into my home life and vice versa. Don't get me wrong, I'll take spending an hour with my family over spending an hour in the car most days, however I think I've been missing time to think - at least that's what I thought of yesterday during my five-hour drive.

During the drive, I recalled all that I accomplished in my regular commute, some of which included planning my wedding and determining the right steps to take upon winning the lottery - a game plan every Powerball player needs because you never know when the lucky moment will strike.

In my drive yesterday I accomplished some big things. I figured out what to get my dad for his birthday, which was very important because his birthday happened to be yesterday. I was then even able to acquire said gift during my travels. I also figured out the cream pie I will take to my family Thanksgiving party. Who knows this could be another Stoughton Fair champion in the works. Lastly I figured out a way to reduce the size of the floor plan in my future home. Not that I'm moving or building anytime soon, it's always a good plan to have in your back pocket.

Hopefully with it being meeting season and all, I'll be able to log a little more windshield time and get the rest of life's troubles sorted out.

Our new 'house' guest

Just today I was thinking I really need to update my blog, but no great ideas were coming to mind. And then, it came to me. Yes, literally came to my back door...in the form of this cute cat.

 

Okay, well she/he is a little squinty, but that's from my camera flash. Really the cat is rather adorable, which says a lot coming from me. I am more a dog person than a cat person.

I must credit my mother with my great ability to care for stray cats. As the keeper of 20 to 30 barn cats, my mom always had a new cat to try to tame, and she usually had a scratch or two to show for it. Yet Mom insisted that every cat on her property needed to learn where the food was and how to run with the pack.

Therefore when this creature was spotted at the back door she/he immediately was treated to a bowl full of turkey followed by a bowl full of milk. 

I then got to thinking about how the cats on the farm always had a comfortable place to be at night and that we couldn't offer such a place. So with the help of my family (who shall remain nameless), we secured a box and blanket and coaxed the cat from the back door around to the shed where hopefully it can curl up and stay warm through the night. 

Another warm place would be in the house, but while I'm on the fence about being a cat person, I definitely know that I am an outdoor animal person. I have enough work to do cleaning up after the creatures that already live in my home that I certainly don't need to add another.

I'm not sure how long this cat will be here, but we'll do our best to provide good food and the bed in a box for as long as it chooses to stay. Maybe it will decide it's not such a bad place and will stick around for awhile. Our mouse population may not like it, but since I really don't like them that's not a problem. Maybe it will decide to travel back to its home, which may be right down the road. That will be okay too since home is the best place for everyone.

Although we aren't terribly attached yet, we have started to work on names. At this point it has been called Lola (that's the name of the daycare lady's dog and what most furry animals are called) and ya-ya (because that's how the little one says meow-meow).