Today was a long long day. And yes, this is post #301 of this new iteration of the rants.

Due to the storms and rain last night, there were downed powerlines all over the place and my train line was running on a modified schedule since they had no electric trains running (diesel only) and only had one track available at any time for all the trains operating on the line. So, we had to wait at two of the larger transfer stations so other trains could pass us… thus, I was about 20 minutes late to work.

I sat down at my desk, checked my email and started doing things and just didn’t stop until the end of the day. It really was non-stop… and I left work feeling a little cruddy because I only checked off five items on my ten-item to-do list, and added another four while I was at it. But I did get a lot done, all in all. I went home - on another very full train since the trains home were having the same problems as the morning trains.

Theresa met me at my house and we went out and got some dinner, then stopped at Shop-Rite to do some ingredient shopping, and came back here to do some cupcake baking. I just finished up five minutes ago since, of course, I picked a recipe for cupcakes that required multiple stages of work and use of the big Kitchen Aid mixer (which I love - so I’m not complaining.) They are cream-filled devil’s food cupcakes from the Retro Desserts cookbook by Wayne Harley Brachman, so we made the batter from scratch and baked them, then made a cream filling, then after Theresa left, I stayed up “coring” the cupcakes, filling them with cream, plugging up the cores, and frosting them. Then there was cleanup. My fingers are still pruny from dishwater. I have everything together for tomorrow, though. Carrying the cupcakes to work is going to be less than fun, but I’ll find a way. I have them in cake tins with lids so the icing won’t be damaged… but if I can find a bag in which to place them, that would be ideal.

I forgot to mention a small anecdote from the other day: while at Costco, I noticed a woman in line at another register who was surrounded by a group of children - seven of them, to be exact. A few seconds of closer observation allowed me to notice that all the children were boys, that they varied in age from about a year old (being held on the woman’s shoulder) to about 16, and that they were apparently all children of the woman standing with them. They had the same smiles, freckles, coloring, etc. I can’t imagine the situation at home - one woman, then seven male children, and a husband? Craziness. Additionally, did they plan on seven boys, or were they trying for a girl after son #3 then 4, then 5, etc.?

I got out into the parking lot and noticed a minivan parked not too far from the entrance which had two bumpers stickers - the more pedestrian, “Our God is an Awesome God” (which I have problems with on a purely semantic level) and then another one that was yellow and black and said, “DETOUR” in large black bold letters and then in tiny letters to the right of that, “from sin.” Somehow, I think that van may have belonged to the woman with the seven sons.

Now I grow increasingly tired. I got a little second wind from the baking and cleaning and whatnot, but now I am feeling the pain in my lower back - from standing, bent over the cupcakes while pouring batter, coring them, filling them and icing them… it’s not the most natural or comfortable position.

I think I’m going to go to Marshall’s tomorrow and buy those Lilly Pulitzer shoes. These are the shoes, except the ones I want are in pink with the same brown flower detail. They could spruce up some things I own and they were quite comfortable. Yeah. If they’re still there, they’re mine. If not, I have fewer shoes, but more money.