Something Sitting Bull Said

—“It is not necessary for eagles to be crows.”

—“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.”

—”The earth has received the embrace of the sun and we shall see the results of that love.”

My Brilliant Thought

Last night, while watching a really good robot fight on BattleBots, a brilliant blog idea popped into my head.  Usually, when such an idea strikes, I immediately jot it down on a notepad. 

Not last night.

The robots were clashing constantly, throwing sparks and fire, knocking each other across the fighting floor.  Exceptionally good stuff.  At the end of the match, I watched a recap.  I also watched interviews with the robot builders.

This morning, as I sat down to write my blog, I suddenly remembered I had a really great idea for a blog last night.

And that’s all I remember.  Therefore, this is my blog.

—Mitchell Hegman

Starting with a Mess

I worked construction for nearly thirty years.  One of the first lessons I learned on construction sites is that making a mess is required while getting stuff done.

Remodeling is twice as messy.  In remodeling, you need demo the old, clean up, and then fly in a brand-new mess.  Yesterday, a crew of three started replacing windows at my house. 

A quick and complete mess, that.

Window replacement creates a sprawling mess outside and an explosive mess inside.

Sprawling Mess Outside

Explosive Mess Inside

New Window

—Mitchell Hegman

Eyebrows

I understand why Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) has eyebrows.  But for the rest of us, they just sit there.

My eyebrows have gotten downright squirrelly over the years.  The hairs have seemingly cross-bred with corkscrews.  They twist out in all directions.  And, somewhere in more recent years, a single (long and conspicuous) hair has appeared smack in the middle of the space between my eyebrows.

This solitary hair is like a unicorn’s horn.  It grows long and straight, and grows remarkably fast.  I am forced to regularly snip this hair.

If you get all sciencey and google the reason for having eyebrows, you will find they are a sort of mini-visor intended to prevent moisture from running down into your eyes.

Fine.

What’s the purpose of a unicorn hair?

—Mitchell Hegman

Another Question

The Earth is a round and singular thing.  We know this.  Why, then, do we humans constantly try to make sides of it?

—Mitchell Hegman

The Long-Distance Chef

I found an amazing chef I can consult with each night as I prepare my dinner.

It’s my girl Desiree.  My long-distance chef.

Over the last few weeks, we have been working together on the production of my meals.  Though Desiree is in Manila and I am here in Montana, we prepare and cook my meals together by means of a video chat.  While Desiree sings out her instructions and suggestions, I do my level best to follow along:

“Add half an onion.   Stir from the bottom.   Maybe taste that and see if you want to add salt.  A bit of garlic would be perfect!”

I dance along to Desiree’s cooking song—inordinately happy in doing so.  And there is a certain intimacy to our long-distance teamwork.

I don’t feel alone.

Last night we made spaghetti with spaghetti squash.  Our end product was delicious.

The process for making it was better.

  

Spaghetti Squash and Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Squash

—Mitchell Hegman

My First Thought of the Day

I crawled into bed last night without a firm idea for a blog subject.  I decided I would write something about the first full thought I entertained after getting out of bed in the morning.  First—as a matter of full disclosure—I am naked and without rational thoughts for the first few minutes of the morning.

Here, then, my first thread of thought for the day (a question occurring as I fed my 20 pounds of housecat): “What would carrot hunting be like if we had to hunt them instead of pull them from the ground?”

—Mitchell Hegman