A Valentine

My husband has gone out to dig out our driveway. We've been at it for four days. He brought out the stereo for musical motivation. The CD?

The sound track of "A Bridge Too Far."

For those unfamiliar with the film (a worthy watch of the heroism and insanity and luck and courage and sadness of Operation Market Garden); there are many quotable scenes but the one that perhaps gets used the most in our family is a discussion between two officers about a heavily fortified bridge that must be captured.

Brigadier General Gavin: What's the best way to take a bridge?
Maj. Julian Cook: Both ends at once.

Brigadier General Gavin: I'm sending two companies across the river by boat. I need a man with very special qualities to lead.
Maj. Julian Cook: Go on, sir.

Brigadier General Gavin: He's got to be tough enough to do it and he's got to be experienced enough to do it. Plus one more thing.

He's got to be dumb enough to do it... Start getting ready.

We switch roles based on who starts the conversation but here are a few examples:

What's the best way to clean the basement?
What's the best way to tackle the laundry?
How are we going to manage 5,6,7, 8, 9 children?
How are we going to pay for college?
How are we going to shovel all this snow? (They're predicting more tomorrow).

Junior Officer: what was all that about, Major?
Maj. Julian Cook: Well someone's come up with a real nightmare. Real nightmare. (Sending out all the junior officers to shovel as we speak).

Being the eternal optimist of the family, I'm now hunting through our collection of music for a different soundtrack; The Incredibles.

Rebellion

I put on Jimmy Buffet.

I ate ice cream.

I imagined the hottest stickiest most mosquito crazed lazy hazy day at the Bolivar Penninsula, the type that would make one pine for even the slightest cough of a breeze. I thought of hearing the crickets and the frogs and all the undefined critters that make up the back ground noise of baywaters and the gulf when there's no wind. I could see the cows flicking their tails lazily, barely lifting their heads to chew and smell the ozone saturated with salty sand flavors of the beach.

I watched the sun slink below the skyline turning all the bay grasses black against the brightness as it disappeared, somehow ignoring the road and constant traffic inbetween. I willed myself to visualize the stars as they slowly appeared in the ever deepening sky and allowed my brain to summon the constant dull roar of nighttime waves crashing on themselves. The moon seems bigger here, as it makes the foam of the waves glow...

"We've shoveled through 1/2 of the driveway. Can we have hot chocolate?"
"I need help unzipping my coat!" "I fell in the snow and some of it got in my shoes." "I can't feel my fingers."

I will return to the dreamscape of Sherry later. Maybe this time, I'll try a bit of fishing.

Today I promise to....

Fire up the SUV.  Rent an extra one and leave it running. 

I will roll down the windows and turn up the heat.

I will ruthlessly throw cans and newspaper in the trash and egg shells and bananna peels down the disposal and will feast on red meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

I will put ethanol in my car so that it operates less efficiently and has the double effect of using what could be food for fuel, and still pollutes. 

I will commence drilling for oil  in my back yard and along all coastal regions. 

I will barbecue and use fresh wood.

I will buy every aresol can type product I can and run the water when I brush my teeth. 

I will take up smoking and encourage others to do so as well.

I will drink bottled water and then Belch.
I will own dogs, feed them meat, let them drink bottled water and let them belch.

Today I will leave all the lights on in every room after I switch  them all back to incandescent lamps.  I will make sure the computers, tv's and radios go 24-7 like the news cycle.

Today I will only buy new.  I will not Reduce.  I will not Recycle. 


Why?

The news has predicted 10 to 20 more inches of snow Tuesday night.  After there feet over the weekend, I'm committed to creating just a bit of global warming RIGHT NOW!

I'll go back to saving the Earth when it's warm.  Thank you. That is all.