Bubbles*

I arrived at my computer this morning to discover a green bottle of bubbles waiting for me. I thought maybe Maureen had brought me a present along with the to-do list with my name at the top next to the words “work widgets.” More work. The to-do list was sitting right next to the bubbles, and my name stood out. I thought it was from Maureen, but upon closer inspection I noticed the “from the desk of Heidi L. Sura” on top. OK, I can deal with Heidi giving me a list of things to do before 8 a.m.

It’s a good thing because Maureen was going to end up on my shit list if she had brought the to do list. After all, here she was blabbering away about the to-do list and all the things they were going to add onto it for me to do. Plus her books were all over my space, and yesterday, well yesterday was pretty bad — she brought chocolate. And she didn’t bring the cheap chocolate you can ignore. No, not Maureen. She brought the Dove chocolate and Bliss chocolate in all kinds of flavors.

Plus Maureen is the one who told me about the podcast walk/run thing, and I was up early this morning and walking/running, and I realized Ferris is a very hilly campus especially when you are going up hill when the little chimes sound indicating you should start running.

It’s a good thing I like Maureen. And chocolate. It is probably also a good thing Maureen has a good sense of humor and tends to be a little sarcastic herself. I think I need more coffee this morning, plus now I have bagel seeds in my teeth. I bet Maureen brought the bagels, too.

Edited to add: Maureen shared her writing first, and she talked about being a kid vacationing at her uncle’s cabbage (cottage). Apparently, someone (a brother?) wasn’t pronouncing words well, and he even called Maureen “mean because he couldn’t pronounce his rs.” Right. That is why. You betcha.

Edited again to add: The bubbles were actually from Lavon. Thanks, Lavon!

But this was supposed to be about bubbles this morning. The other day at the Little League game (because all of my days in June seem to involve Little League games), there was the cutest little kids chasing bubbles. One large bubble flew out over the ball game and way up into the air. Autumn, Steve and I watched it go, and we were amazed by how long it lasted. We thought it would pop any moment, but it kept going all the way across the field, pass the outfield and into the tree line where after thinking it just might escape, it finally popped against the branch of a tree. It was nice to take time out to watch a bubble float on the air.

I used to buy bubbles by the gallon. My kids loved blowing bubbles when they were little, and I have a hard time saying that without thinking about that stupid joke involving Bubbles the clown, but I shall move past, drink more coffee, and continue. Anyway, I’d buy the stuff by the gallon. We didn’t just use the bubble wands in the jar of bubbles. We also had toys that blew bubbles. I think there was a lawn mower. I’m not sure. But now bubbles are the small jars again.

And I need more coffee.

*This post was written as the writing prompt for Crossroads Writing Project’s advanced institute for technology: Day 2