Chaos theory as applied to my life
I don't pretend to understand the full scientific ramifications of chaos theory. But its basic premise--that small changes to one part of a system can have big unintended impacts to another, seemingly unrelated part of the system--sure seems to hold true in my experience. To wit: The Husband is sick, therefore I did not wear a belt to work today.
It's not that I intentionally chose not to wear a belt as a direct response to his illness. It was an unintended consequence to a seemingly unrelated aspect of our domestic ecosystem. You see, he woke me up early. That was intentional. I needed to go to the hospital for some blood work (follow up from my recent doctor visit). I had to do this on an empty stomach, which for me requires advanced planning. So last night we agreed that I would not eat after 7:30, he'd get me up early, and we'd swing by the hospital (their lab opens at 7:30 a.m.) and then someplace with food on the way to my office.
But when 6:10 this morning rolled around, he informed me that he'd already been up for a few hours, throwing up. That meant I had to get myself ready this morning, including the ironing, the driving, etc., plus remember to go to the hospital and then get some sustenance. Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I am NOT a morning person, so my success in getting to work on time with proper nutrients and presentable attire is largely a function of his assistance. By the time I got to the office --shirt ironed, blood work done, and Starbucks in hand (I had a slice of banana bread before my latte)--I realized I did not have my briefcase. It wasn't until noon that I realized I wasn't wearing a belt.
I hope he gets better soon. Apparently there's a particularly vicious strain of flu going around this year. Of course it could be rabies; he went out on the deck last night when the raccoon was milling around. Maybe I'll go check for foam around his mouth...
Meanwhile, my dad called tonight to check on us, because he'd heard on the news that there was a magnitude-8 earthquake somewhere in northern California. It turned out to be a magnitude-5.6 quake that happened at 8 p.m., 300 miles south of us. I hadn't heard anything about it until I checked CNN.com while he was on the cell.
T-minus four days until birthday time. I've decided that 37 is the magical age when you transition from "mid-30's" to "almost 40."
It's not that I intentionally chose not to wear a belt as a direct response to his illness. It was an unintended consequence to a seemingly unrelated aspect of our domestic ecosystem. You see, he woke me up early. That was intentional. I needed to go to the hospital for some blood work (follow up from my recent doctor visit). I had to do this on an empty stomach, which for me requires advanced planning. So last night we agreed that I would not eat after 7:30, he'd get me up early, and we'd swing by the hospital (their lab opens at 7:30 a.m.) and then someplace with food on the way to my office.
But when 6:10 this morning rolled around, he informed me that he'd already been up for a few hours, throwing up. That meant I had to get myself ready this morning, including the ironing, the driving, etc., plus remember to go to the hospital and then get some sustenance. Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I am NOT a morning person, so my success in getting to work on time with proper nutrients and presentable attire is largely a function of his assistance. By the time I got to the office --shirt ironed, blood work done, and Starbucks in hand (I had a slice of banana bread before my latte)--I realized I did not have my briefcase. It wasn't until noon that I realized I wasn't wearing a belt.
I hope he gets better soon. Apparently there's a particularly vicious strain of flu going around this year. Of course it could be rabies; he went out on the deck last night when the raccoon was milling around. Maybe I'll go check for foam around his mouth...
Meanwhile, my dad called tonight to check on us, because he'd heard on the news that there was a magnitude-8 earthquake somewhere in northern California. It turned out to be a magnitude-5.6 quake that happened at 8 p.m., 300 miles south of us. I hadn't heard anything about it until I checked CNN.com while he was on the cell.
T-minus four days until birthday time. I've decided that 37 is the magical age when you transition from "mid-30's" to "almost 40."
posted by PDSH | 11:06 PM
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