Minutiae of my Life

I've been entertained these days by an eclectic collection of minutiae.

minutiae:  (noun) the small, precise, or trivial details of something

Stuck here in a winter that just won't give up its grip on our area, I'm learning to notice and/or find amusement out of the tiny, simple things that go on around me.  Here are a few:

1.  Daughter Lindsay and I laughed ourselves silly and peed a little too watching this runaway cart in a shopping center parking lot.  It literally seemed to have a mind of its own, and traveled probably 200 yards past cars and around cars, avoided several light poles, and finally stopped merely inches away from this vehicle.  

It was almost as if it was being controlled remotely.  Were we on Candid Camera?  Perhaps, but whether we were or not, we laughed about that silly cart the rest of the day.

2.  I went to my local Tiny Free Library the other day to get a new book.  This little library is installed our front of our local Baptist Church and maintained by the church members.  Imagine my surprise when inside the library I discovered a copy of "The Book of Mormon."  Something just doesn't jive with that for me, but I did find another good book.  

3.  The other morning I was in our second floor bathroom deslobbifying myself, when I heard this sound:  dit dit dit dit dit....

After excavating under the sink I discovered the beginning of a water leak.  Thankfully we've determined that this leak had just begun, but now the husband/lover/plumber has a project to take care of.  And in this 1890's house, I know how that often goes.  Nothing is simple, and this will likely lead to an entire bathroom gutting and remodel.

The under-the-sink stuff is still spread all over the floor up there.  Stay tuned on this one folks....

4.  I've noticed that McDonald's is heavily advertising that their yearly March Shamrock Shakes are now available.  I have enjoyed these in years past, but after reading a recent nutritional report about them, I can probably cross Shamrock Shakes off my list of mini splurges.

According to an article published by The Huffington Post, consuming a 22 ounce Shamrock Shake dumps 820 calories, 23 grams of fat, 135 grams of carbs, and 115 grams of sugar into your body.  Add to that several known-to-cause-cancer coloring and other additives.

Having one 22 ounce shamrock shake is equivalent to eating 1.5 hamburgers, 3.6 small orders of french fries, or 8 soft baked chocolate chip cookies.

I don't think I'll be having one this year.  Or any year.

5.  Our silly puppy, Sheila, never fails to amuse us.  Here she is, keeping son Caleb company, as he does his morning reading.  How can you not love a face like that?

6.  Finally, I'm happy to report that the recently predicted 12-18 inch snowstorm completely stayed way south of us.  Although we only got a dusting, the current and ongoing below average temperatures are showing us that Old Man Winter is not letting go of our area just yet.  Spring is just 16 days away, though, and I AM COUNTING.

Today I'll be doing some trip planning.  I sent away for some good maps and travel guides on the Washington, D.C. area, so I'll be putting together a trip to that area.  If you have any suggestions of not-to-be-missed sites of interest, please let me know.  You know I always love me a good road trip.