Leslie Nord's Random Thoughts on Friends, Family and Life

Intimidate seems to be too strong a verb. I found this at Vocabulary.com “A pet rat might intimidate your sister’s friends, keeping them out of your fort.” I found it to be a humorous example of the usage of the word but it was an inaccurate verb. Although in the definition of the word another transitive verb stood out – overawe.

The definition of overawe “to restrain or subdue by awe” included the word “restrain”. Of course, my first thoughts were of some sort of physical restraint. Then I thought, the restraint isn’t physical nor does it have to come from the speaker but from the listener.

All of this searching for the right word is to use in a question – have you ever been so overawed by someone that you restrained (held back) from saying what was on your mind?

This is so me, trying to find a “softer” word to describe something.

I heard this song while shopping today. It stopped me, made me listen, then search for the title and artist.

I just realized that I’ve posted the same comment twice within the past 8 months. Maybe I need to find a better way to keep track of phone numbers (now I’ve said it three times).

I’ve been trying to make updates and changes to my blog. I had lost the photo gallery integration so I’ve been looking for something to replace a very outdated piece of code. I have found something but the time it’s going to take to transfer everything is not something I have to spare.

I added a feed to the Facebook page for the Wiesbaden High School HH Arnold Alumni Association’s announcement for the all-classes reunion. I probably shouldn’t keep it there, it just reminds me of something I won’t be able to do. I received a personal email from the individual organizing the Rhine River cruise, he had stopped by my other website, he was wondering if I was a computer genius or had lots of training. I had to tell him it’s neither. If I were smart enough I would have figured out how to make more money, instead, I spend too much time helping others without billing them. That will explain why I don’t have enough time (or money) for myself.

I’ve also added a different Twitter feed app. The old one stopped working and is no longer supported. I really liked how it would create posts from my “tweets”. Twitter lets me “scribble” down a random thought that pops in my head.

I still haven’t written the blog post I wanted to write about my thoughts on the “Butterfly Effect”. I need to make an appointment with my Veterans Service Officer. Maybe he can find the paperwork for my Air Force Commendation Medal. It’s hard to prove something that was sent to you after being discharged.

So many things on a to-do list that starts with “If I had more time”.

I am so far behind on my blog posts. I have a couple of topics cued up but just haven’t written the post for them yet.

The evening before I was flying out to San Diego for the Miva Conference, I was rushing around the house trying to get everything packed and ready to go. I came down the stairs and rounded the corner to the living room when somehow I managed to catch my left foot between the three foot tall cat stand and the wall/door frame to the living room.

I felt that immediate “crack” but continue toward the kitchen past the couch all the while saying all the Lenten appropriate words I could think of. As the wave of nausea past I knew what I had done. It was another one of my klutz toe breaking moves. I decided to “sleep on it.”

In the morning I saw that two toes on my left foot were bruised and swollen. I truly debated putting on my walking boot but the memories of a TSA pat down still lingered in my mind. I am an “expert” at buddy taping but this would be a challenge. Both the little toe and the one next to it needed to be stabilized. I managed to get them secured. The next challenge would be getting a shoe on. I wouldn’t have to take it off since I was at least TSA Pre-Check. I found a rather worn pair of shoes, pulled the inserts out and manged to get the shoe on my foot.

You can use you imagination to visualize me trying to get from one gate to the next in Atlanta. I hobbled as fast as I could. The airlines were accommodating, allowing me to pre-board which was a good thing with Delta’s cheap seats – I was at the back of the “bus”. Delta had assigned me an aisle seat which would have put my foot close to the “danger zone”. Thank goodness the pregnant lady next to me wanted to swap seats. I wound up in her husband’s window seat and she got the aisle putting her close to the lavatories.

The resort the conference was at (the Rancho Bernardo Inn) was beautiful but it felt like the rooms were a mile away from the venue. I easily got 10K worth of steps in each day. I did try wearing my flip-flops for a little while but I was terrified someone would step on my foot. Thank goodness the room had a beautiful big tub.

Two weeks after the “incident” I went to the doctor, the bruising was still there and things were not getting better. I wound up back in my walking boot (from when I had broken my big toe) for 8 weeks.

Yes, I seem to have some sort of klutz gene.