We have all been affected by the good-news-bad news syndrome. Seems a few years back, someone coined the phrase." I have some good news and some bad news," followed by. “Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?” In my opinion this phrase has been overused when telling about situations or telling jokes, etc. Even though I think the phrase has been overused. I am going to tell you about some good news-bad news situations that have happened around our house in the past week. The good news followed by the bad news has happened to the teenie bopper who lives in the Massey household, namely “Trixie.” “Trixie” will be sixteen years old (going on twenty five) come next January Anyone knows when you are almost sixteen going on twenty five, good things and bad things happen to you all in the same day.

Christmas, 1985 is over and all that is left to remind us of Christmas at our house is a lonely old dry Christmas tree slumped over in the family room, some leftover fudge and green Christmas tree cookies and several new toys to trip over while walking through the family room. All the presents have been put in their proper places. All the work and worry is over for another year. It was a good Christmas at the Massey household…one to be remembered. One to be remembered all year for two reasons. The first reason being…the good time we had with all our kids on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The second reason being…remembering to buy. Remembering all year to buy batteries for all the toys that Santa left under our Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

Well. I did it. .. me-the person who considers herself the most careful driver to ever grace the streets and highways-has done it. Yep, you guessed it, old Ms. “no driving record” me, has managed to ding her brand new car. After thirty plus years of driving wonderfully. I found out first hand that an approximately 16 foot car will not fit into an approximately 15 foot 11.5 inch parking space. I also found out the hard way that 1985 plastic car chrome and lights are no match for an old beat up pick em up truck with a big bumper.

Today is Tuesday, January 28th. As usual I have spent all day Monday and Tuesday morning, procrastinating. Procrastinating writing this column, knowing full well that I have a deadline on Tuesday afternoon. Also as usual I decided to watch, “The Price is Right” while contemplating what unimportant subject I would write about this week. With ten minutes left until turn off the television and go to work CBS Special Report appeared on the television screen. My first thought was of terrorists. That maybe somewhere in the world, terrorists had committed another horrible in- humane act involving innocent people. Then while watching the saddened and shocked face of Dan Rather, I heard him say that the space shuttle Challenger had exploded one minute and twelve seconds into its flight. I had seen and heard a few accounts of Challenger, but I paid little attention to it. Space shuttles seem to have become what most things become in our lives, a “So-what another space shuttle.” A completely taken for granted situation. I certainly did not bother to watch it on live TV, after all the first couple of space launches were new and exciting, but what is the thrill of watching the same thing over and over again. As I watched the videotape of the liftoff and then the horrible explosion, my taken for granted attitude turned into stark reality of how fragile anything human is. As I finally realized what had happened, I cried.

It does not seem possible that one week has passed in 1986. It also does not seem possible that we are now on the downhill slide in the decade of the eighties. With this in mind. I am proud to announce that I have not written 1985 on my check for one week now. I have remembered to put 86 behind that little 19. The reason I am so proud of this seemingly unimportant feat is because it usually takes me until March to catch up with the years. .. in my mind. My body is doing a great job of keeping up with the years, it is my memory that is running last. To quote my friend Becky. “I am getting to the point where l can remember things that happened twenty years ago. I just can’t remember where I put things yesterday.” This probably sums up a middle-aged memory.

I find that this is the time of year when there is not much to occupy my time. The most ex- citing thing that I have to look forward to this week is watching the Super Bowl Game on TV next Sunday. Now that alone should give you some indication of how dull it is around our house after the holidays are over. Right after Christmas and New Year’s Eve there is not a lot to do.

The reason I say. “I think” is because I am not really sure. I am not sure if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you have been shopping since about the middle of October. you are probably as confused as I am, About the middle of October was when the stores started decorating their Christmas trees and playing Christmas music on their PA systems. I have waltzed down the isles past the Christmas trees in the department stores, to the beautiful strains of “Joy to the World”. for so long now that I am completely out of the mood for Thanksgiving. Seems like Christmas should be tomorrow. I am even starting to feel guilty because my Christmas shopping isn’t done and my cards aren’t addressed and mailed out. If this trend continues for the next couple of years. I will be expecting a Christmas tree and Christmas presents for my birthday in July.

If I had to rate housework on a scale’ from 1 to 20, with number 1 being my favorite pastime and number 20 being tantrum time. I would rate it at 19. that’s a little worse than 18 which is going to the dentist to have an impacted wisdom tooth removed, and a little better than number 20, ironing.

Housework has to be the most thankless job in the world. You can spend $2.50 and drive your car through the robocar wash, and sure as shootin’ someone will say,“Gee, your car looks nice.” but you can spend six hours of slave labor, cleaning the house, and nobody says a word.

It appears to me that spring has sprung, fall has fell, winter is here and it’s colder than…usual. It hardly seems fair that winter has to make us cold and miserable so soon. I certainly would not mind one bit if the temperature down here on the plains would stay around 72 degrees until January and then get nice. With all this cold weather, snow and bad roads I find myself in what I like to think of as my “go ahead and make my day” mood. On the front of our refrigerator there is a magnet with a little wooden sign attached that says mom’s mood is “GOOD” or “BAD”. depending on which side of the sign is turned toward the room. You guessed it. “Clark changed the fair weather “good” side to the bad weather “bad” side when the first snow flake fluttered from the heavens and he hasn’t had a reason to change it since.

I have a confession to make. I am a people watcher. I have found that being a good people watcher takes a lot of skill and practice. When you make a hobby out of people watching. you have to be very careful to be sneaky enough so the people that you are watching are nut aware that they are being watched. When you have your skill perfected you will find yourself sitting in the back row of church and at the table closest to a dance floor. Another thing that people watchers like to do is to get to the air- port at least an hour before their flight is scheduled to leave. And it is not unusual for a people watcher to fight for the side of the booth in a restaurant that is facing the door.