Oblivious

“I didn’t do it!”

Sounds like something a seven year old child would say when caught in the act of perpetrating a misdeed doesn’t it? Well, you’re close it was my 80 year old mother-in-law when she stained our brand new living room carpet. The word OBLIVIOUS explodes in my mind; lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention. I’m trying to be civil. But with absolute certainty, it’s lack of mindful attention!

You see each year my mother-in-law invites herself for the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner Lori so lovingly prepares. Then proceeds to stay until after January of the new year, anyway . . .

This whole episode started in late October, our aquarium leaked and ruined what was left of our carpet. It was a slow leak and wasn’t noticed for a couple weeks. What a mildew mess. So now we have no choice but to replace it. Without hesitation we shopped around and found just the perfect carpet, at a great price, in hopes of having it replaced before Thanksgiving. Sadly it was not to be. The Monday after Thanksgiving the carpet installers show up and do a beautiful installation.

You’ve all experienced it, the pride of ownership. Our home had a facelift, no stains from previous pet accidents, no threadbare tracks from the mother-in-law’s walker, no ugly paths from the living room to the kitchen. We were so proud.

Then the disgusting tracks from the walker began to appear.

“Don’t worry,” said Lori it’s just the nap from the carpet. “This carpet is thicker and once vacuumed it will return to its new look.”

“Ok, if you say so,” I said.

A few days passed. Our new living room looked like a train had passed over the carpet from multiple directions. It was time to vacuum. I’d seen enough.

I fired up the Dyson. If you’ve never used a Dyson before let me just say this, it has the power to suck ground squirrels from their burrows. Well, not really, but you get the idea. To my astonishment the tracks from the walker were lifted. The carpet regained it’s plush, even appearance except for . . . The grease stains left in the pile.

“What! Grease stains!” I ejaculated.

Immediately came the infamous words, “I didn’t do it.”

“Then who did?” I asked. “The cat?” Oblivious . . .

I immediately tipped the walker up to examine its wheels. And what to my wondering eyes did appear but a big wad of despicable, greasy gum stuck to the wheels.

“Did you check your walker after going shopping?” I asked.

“No. I’m very careful not to run over anything,” she said.

“Then where did this wad of grease come from?” I was fuming. I just shook my head, shut my mouth, and cleaned the mess - Oblivious . . .

All I can say is when faced with the ultimate in selfish stupidity it’s best to go for a long walk to calm your nerves. Did the grease come off? Thankfully, it did.

Once again, the unexpected joy of family and the holidays - enjoy yours!

Oblivious . . .

Comments

Night Before Christmas

I n this episode, Night Before Christmas . . . (In the spirit of Edgar Albert Guest) I’ve wrestled with the tangled lights the way I always do— With just enough patience left to see the project through. I climb the ladder carefully; the years have taught me how. To take my time with every step and keep a steady brow. We hang the faded ornaments I’ve known since I was small, the chipped, the cracked, the tilted ones—I love them best of all. Santa’s lost a bit of paint, the stars’ leaning right, but oh, it casts a holy glow across the room tonight. The kitchen hums with activity, with laughter, and with cheer, as voices drift like echoes from a long-forgotten year. The floor is strewn with paper scraps, the clock is ticking slow, As Christmas finds its own sweet pace and sets our house aglow. The hallway grows a little still; the lights are dimmed, and low, Small shoes are lined in messy pairs to wait for morning’s snow. The fire's warm, the room is full, the world is deep and wide,...

Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way

🎩 In this special episode. How to Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way It’s 2026! Yes— this is the year! A different kind of start—you feel it right here? No lists! No demands! No fix-all-your-flaws! No “New You by Tuesday!” No rules! No laws! Those resolutions? Bah! Dusty and dry! We’ve tried fixing everything —so let’s ask why. Why rush and correct and improve and compare, When noticing quietly gets you right there ? So here’s a new project—no charts, no clocks, No boxes to check in your mental inbox. It’s bigger than busy and smaller than grand, It’s called Un-Working —now give me your hand! Un-Working’s not quitting or hiding away, It’s setting things down that shout “Hurry! Hey!” The hustle! The bustle! The faster-than-fast! The gotta-win-now or you’re stuck in the past! That’s the work of Un-Working— plop! —set it free! The titles! The labels! The “Look-At-Me!” The crown that kept sliding and pinching your head— You never looked comfy . . . let’s try this instead: Pick up a tel...

How to Catch A Reindeer–Christmas 2025

🎧 In this episode, How to Catch A Reindeer Merry Christmas, everyone — and welcome to this year's special holiday edition of On the Fly! Since 2020, Lori and I have been happily creating a special Christmas gift for our nephews, nieces, and close friends: a children's story recorded in our voices, filled with delightful sound effects, music, and just the right touch of seasonal magic to make Santa smile. It's become one of our most cherished traditions — and honestly, it's way easier than trying to wrap a real reindeer! Over the years, we've shared some favorite classics: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Night Before Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Santa's Toy Shop. (We've created our own North Pole audiobook library.) This year, we're excited to introduce a new book: How to Catch a Reindeer by Alice Walstead. And let me tell you — this one is a ride. It's a high-flying, whimsical Christmas Eve chase starrin...

Stamps and Snow

In this episode, Stamps and Snow . . . You don’t usually walk into the local Post Office expecting a time warp . . . but here we are. All we wanted were stamps for this year's Christmas cards— yes, the old-fashioned paper ones that require licking, sticking, and hoping the Postal Service is feeling ambitious this week. But holiday errands have a talent for slowing you down, almost like the universe whispering, “Relax. You’re not getting out of this line any faster anyway.” So we waited. And while we waited, we talked (Are you surprised?). Because the Post Office is one of the few places where people still look up from their phones long enough to talk . . . Maybe it's because they're holding packages. It’s the modern town square: part civic duty, part free entertainment, part sociology experiment. The discussion began with holiday specials streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and other services during this time of year. One gentleman who has lived in Vista since 1958 told us,...

On The Fly

Search This Blog