family planting

today was lovely outside, so after i took clay for a walk, i planted some raspberry bushes. after i had done that, i went to plant my blackberry bushes, and then wondered if i was planting to early. so i waited.

later on, i was talking to a friend on the phone, and i mentioned that i had been planting, and wondered if it was too early.

"oh, no!" she says. "i mean, you have a lot going on with work and school, but Clay is getting older now, so its a good time."

(what?!) i sit in silence, pondering her response. what is she talking about, and why would work and school and Clay getting bigger affect whether or not a frost killed my blackberries?

maybe i missed something. "so you don't think its too early," i say again, tentatively.

"no," she says again. "whatever time is right for you."

i realize i know what she thinks i am talking about, right about the same time i realize i have missed my exit (i was going a new way to work). being completely distracted, i don't try to tell her that i'm not wondering when to have more kids, i'm trying to PLANT something. plant. with a T.

apparently, she thought i was talking about planning. as in family planning.

i'm still trying to figure out how she thought that... but... she did. perhaps it was because she was watching a movie (she was telling me about it) and wasn't really listening.

thus, i'm a bit mystified as to why she called me if she didn't really want to listen in the first place... and i still don't know if its too early to plant blackberries. am i that boring? is it more exciting to listen to a lecture on dust? hmmmm....

perhaps i am. people don't always read my emails, either. i just sent an email out the other day at work, carefully explaining that there was a problem with some paperwork i had needed somone to fill out (for insurance) and that it had been filled out wrong; so could they please make the corrections so that my insurance would be active. the person who was supposed to take care of it actually called me back and told me (like i was stupid) that if they didn't have the right information it must be because i hadn't given them the paperwork to fill out, and that when you're working with insurance, they always require you to fill out paperwork...

what is the point of writing or speaking to people who don't listen? and why does it always seem that they are the ones who are in charge of everything -- the ones you have to go through to try to get things done? another thing that baffles me.

just some perplexing mysteries of the universe that keep me awake at night.

incidentally, i did figure out what exit i am supposed to take on that new route, so at least i learned something. whether or not its safe with our weather conditions to plant yet... that's another story.