The Smallest Details Matter the Most

There's nothing more unfair than a day that the kids have no school but I still have to work. I will say, however, that one of the benefits is the ability to schedule an early early morning meeting (8:20 is PAINFULLY early), arriving back at the house to a hot breakfast that is ready to be served. 10:00 is the perfect time of day for breakfast, in my opinion.

I could smell the bacon before the door had completely unlatched, and two smiling faces peered out of the kitchen doorway. "Do you want to try the BEST pancakes EVER made?"

I knew the kitchen would be a mess. I knew the dog was eating bacon drippings on his dried out dog food at this point in the morning. I knew the pillows and blankets had not yet been cleaned up from the sleepover in the living room and that the television (along with every other energy draining appliance in the house) was still on. But the smell of bacon negates all of that in the blink of an eye.

Endless Possibilities for an American Icon

Until today, I've only caught bits and pieces of the economic strife of the Twinkie. Mostly headlines...things like "Hostess CEO Blames Union Strike" (you mean when people don't come to work, things don't get done?) "Price of Twinkies Skyrockets as Hostess Plans to Shut Down" ("skyrockets??" Like from a quarter to 50 cents?) or my personal favorite so far, "Will Twinkies Be a Sweet Deal for Mexican Billionaire?" It's my favorite because apparently Grupo Bimbo has put a bid in for the second most disgusting food on the planet (the first unarguably being Balut, from the Philippines (I encourage you to Google the article entitled "The 6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World" and try to hold your breakfast down).

At any rate, it's my favorite turn of events in the Hostess story of demise, simply because I am curious if those futbol teams who currently harbor the marketing nightmare of wearing the word "Bimbo" across their chests will rise to the even greater challenge of the word "Twinkies" plastered everywhere.

Still More Than I've Done Yet

The media loveLOVES a good "falling from grace" story. The cure for cancer could have been discovered, Communism could crumble, nuclear weapons could be wiped away from the planet for good...none of that would matter if a once-hero from America was caught doing something horrendously human.

I do believe that when in the public eye, especially when touting humanitarian efforts, you have somewhat of a duty to live up to a high ethical standard. I think you have that duty anyway, whether in the public eye or not, actually. Perhaps I just think that those in the public eye are just not so tremendously bright to think that either a) they're above those silly little rules that we like to call "morals" or "values" or 2) they're just so incredibly sly and witty, there isn't a chance they're going to get caught.

I remember sitting around an enormous walnut table in the dining room of a grandiose house on East Bay a number of years ago. I don't remember who exactly was there, it was a book group made up of moms from school, and it was one of the last I attended, for whatever reason. We were eating Sweet Potato Chili, which has since turned into a wintertime staple around here. Amazingly delicious, especially for something that is so good for you. And we were discussing "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson.