Oh, hello! We’re having Mediterranean Veggie Sammies today – with cilantro hummus. Have one.
Do you wish? Not just on birthday candles, or about big things. I mean about anything. Do you ever find yourself saying “I wish I could…”?
Reading the lovely Jose’s blog (found at http://www.fabergemonkey.com/) I found myself thinking, “I wish I could write poetry. It doesn’t even have to be lovely poetry.” I’ve said in the past: I wish I could…
- speak French
- run without my knees hurting
- lose 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-pounds
- live in Paris
- save money
- blah blah blah
I guess the real thing I have to ask myself is “Why can’t I…” I’ll tell you why. I can’t because I think I can’t. I bet if I changed it to “I am going to…”, that after a few false starts, I would be doing whatever it is I put my mind to.
I wish it were Friday. I wish it were sunny. I wish I had a better/different/easier/more challenging job. I wish I had bought that bag/shirt/wallet/perfume. I wish it were 5pm. I wish I could drink/stop drinking/smoke/stop smoking.
Does any of that sound like you? What are we waiting for? Why are we wishing our lives away?
On the other hand, does wishing give you hope? Is it a form of prayer? Does it give you something to look forward to? Or does it deny hope by reminding you of what you don’t have? What you lack? What you only think you want – regardless if it is really the best thing for you?
Do you wish?
Oh, hello! Have some beef stew!
So, I had a recent visitor to this little adventure who didn’t seem to like what I had to say. I was asked “what brought this on”. I responded “It’s my blog and I felt like it.” Well, this person saw that and thought my response was too sharp. I did thank the person for her opinion. I really have no issue with anyone disagreeing with me. But don’t be all snotty about it.
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I went back to work today after 2 weeks off. My post-vacation glow lasted all day. I haven’t taken a 2 week vacation in a long time. I’m thinking that next year? I’m going to do it twice. A one week vacation is all about decompressing and getting rid of the work ick. Long about Friday, you are feeling pretty good, but you know you have to go back to work on Monday. Tack on a second week and that is all cake. You all but forget there is a job to go to. FAB-U-LOUS!!! If you have the time and ability to take 2 weeks together, I highly recommend it.
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Last night, Herb took me out for pizza at my favorite place. He was supposed to meet his girlfriend, so I was second choice, but I don’t care. It was still deeeeeeeeeeeelish! Steak and onions and mushrooms (my half) and green peppers (his half) and garlic on a beer crust. YUM! And there was enough left to bring home for dinner tonight too! SQUEE!
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I got notice today that my mortgage has been sold. This? Is a HUGE pain in my arse! I have the payment automatically drafted and now I have to change that, and I think there was already half a payment drafted this month. I have to track that down and find out if it can be recovered and sent to the new place. Oy. What a nightmare. I can totally envision this becoming a full time job to get straightened out.
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Okay. I think I’ve blathered on about nothing enough. More tomorrow. Hopefully.
Oh, hello! Chips and salsa, with guacamole? Help yourself.
**DISCLAIMER: This is only my opinion. Don’t sue me.***
I used to be a huge fan of Oprah. I was one of her sheep. I saw the show where she first revealed her big weight-loss. Remember that wagon full of fat? I followed along with her book club. I read her choices religiously. But I stopped… my goat, those books were SO depressing!!
Then she came out with her magazine. The magazine where she herself is on the cover, EVERY FRIGGIN MONTH! The magazine where she forgot her poor roots and now continually advertises $1,000 watches, and $500 blankets, all as things that her faithful flock “need” to have.
Then she “gave” everyone in her audience a car. She didn’t pay for them. And these people all had to pay the taxes etc on the cars. Some gift.
And finally, there was her on-air character assassination of James Frey. Yes, his book was published as a memoir, and contained fictional parts. But, if that book helped even ONE person turn their life around, then really. Who cares? It was an interesting story, and he deserved good publicity. He did NOT deserve to be humiliated on national television.
Bottom line? In my opinion, Ms. Winfrey does not do anything that doesn’t benefit her in some way. She also doesn’t do anything without making sure the entire world knows about it. Nothing she does is altruistic or selfless. She has lost sight of her roots, her humble beginnings, where she started. I truly admire what she has been able to accomplish – she is one of the most famous people in the world. And I get why people love her. Sort of.
But there is more to life than money. There is more to life than paying people to like you. More and more of her shows are about the famous, the rich. Her famous friends. The famous doctors. It’s not about who she can help anymore. It’s about her. And only her. She doesn’t deserve the adulation. She doesn’t deserve the worship. And, in my opinion, it’s disgusting.
Oh, hello. Cocktails this afternoon. Martinis, I think.
Before I start ranting about hair dye, how is it that Maggie’s fur is soooo much softer than Seamus’s? I wonder if she uses a different conditioner. I must research that I think.
Usually, if I need to get my hair done, I head down town to the Salon of Awesomeness. This place is a little oasis of heaven, right in the middle of the city. Everything is shiny and white and smiley and pretty. All the stylists are shiny and smiley and pretty. No one person handles more than one job. (I know!) So I get to see Ashley for my color, and Hannah for my style. There are assistants who bring you wine or coffee or water or snacks. Yes, wine. Even early in the morning! Seriously. Salon of Awesomeness.
However, as of late, my checking account has not been accommodating my need for Salon time. *sob* Finally, I broke down and bought a box of root-touch-up goop. The box said, and I may be paraphrasing here, “Guaranteed to match any color, no matter what brand!” It said it on the box, so it must be true, right? *snort*
I mix up the goop, brush it on to the 1 inch roots/gray, and am supposed to wait 10 minutes. I may or may not have gotten distracted by something shiny, and remembered the goop burning my skull 20 minutes (or so) later. So, yeah, it’s way darker than I anticipated, but the gray is gone. (Most likely due to them being burned from my head) (not really. I’m exaggerating) (sorta).
I used to be really good at self-dying. I would go to the beauty supply store and become my own little chemist. Mix a little of the white stuff with a little of the color stuff, shake, and you’re good to go. Although, there was the one time, years ago, when I dyed my hair 3 times in one weekend. I didn’t like the color it turned out, so I kept doing it over. FYI: so NOT a good idea. I’m sure I have mentioned before that I have very curly hair. After that, um, display of genius, my hair was toast. And straight. For a long time. Until it completely grew out again. So not pretty. *sigh* The things we do in the name of vanity.
I’m hoping that I will be able to visit the Salon of Awesomeness again next month. I miss Ashley and Hannah. I miss the shiny, smiley prettiness. I miss the free HUGE glass of wine.
Oh, hello! Have some buttered popcorn!
I went to a movie tonight. K2Kid and I went to see Julie & Julia. We were both a little skeptical about it, because we don’t have the best track record when it comes to picking movies. We saw “The Women” when it came out. I think the theory was that it would be a good “strong independent woman” movie. Two words: SUH-UCKED!! It was awful. Then we saw Mamma-Mia. Even the ticket guy said, “it’s not a good movie”. But we went into it with no expectations, and it was fun. I mean, how good can a 2 hour Abba video really be? It was fun, until Pierce Brosnan tried to “sing”. *shakes head sadly*
Anyhoo. Julie and Julia. LOVE LOVE LOVE Meryl Streep. LOVE even more Stanley Tucci. Not a fan of Amy Adams. We were thinking that we would tolerate the Julie scenes and really hope for more scenes of Julia. It was that way to a point, but the Julie scenes weren’t as painful as we thought. I haven’t seen Chris Messina, the guy who played her husband, before. I liked him. He was good.
Meryl Streep rocked it, as usual. She’s so good. (Plus she got to wear kick-ass shoes!!) And she and Stanley Tucci, as her husband, are so cute together. He needs to do more.
So, the down part of the evening? Some chick sat directly behind me, and kicked my chair THE ENTIRE TIME!!! Excuse me, are you 5?? Between that and the cackling, it was very distracting. I finally moved seats. She just crossed her legs and kept right on kicking. OH. MAH. GAH. Don’t make me punch you in the throat.
So, the point? This is a movie based on 2 true stories (that’s what the credits said, anyway) and Julie has a book out about he experience. I’ve picked up the book, thought about buying it, and couldn’t do it. It just sounded boring. K2Kid did buy it. She said she made it through 3 pages, and yes, it really is boring. How did this woman get a book deal? I’ve read other blogs with writers who deserve a book. I deserve a book. I don’t know what she had to go through to get published, but mayb
Oh, hello. Come on in and help yourself to some pizza! It’s still warm.
I am a geek. I admit it. I’m the stereotypical bookworm who has too many books. I love books. I love reading. (Jeez! could I say “I” more frequently??)
Anyhoo. The problem with too many books? Sometimes you end up with duplicates. That? is way annoying. So one of the apps on my iPhone is a spreadsheet on which I have a list of every book, both on my Kindle and on my bookshelves, I own. Also, I keep a list of the books I have read. Is that a little OCD? I can’t tell. It has helped with the whole purchase of dupicates, though. So I guess it’s a win.
Geeks Rule!
Oh, hello! Pull up a chair and help yourself to some fresh cut pineapple.
I spent today with my mother. She wanted to go to one of the local discount stores for material. She makes the most gorgeous quilts, and she had a new pattern to get material for. I was her designated chauffeur. Then we were going to lunch and the yarn store, because she also knits like a pro.
My mother drives me crazy. True, unadulterated, bat-shit crazy. At the same time, I really do consider her one of my heroes. Also, since she is now “of a certain age”, I know that the time we have together is growing more limited. Spending big blocks of time of her is a wonderful test of my patience and a way to calm down my ADD. I need to remember that she’s not as young as she was – she doesn’t move as quickly; she doesn’t make decisions as quickly; she needs more attention.
Part of Mum’s challenge is that she was recently sick. I won’t go into the details, because they aren’t mine to tell, but as well as she’s doing, she is still not feeling “right”. I’m worried about her; and I know she is worried about it, but won’t say anything because she doesn’t want to be a burden.
Mum came over here to the states in the early 60s. That’s huge. I have great admiration for anyone who leaves their comfort zone – be it their job, their state, their country! – to take on a whole new challenge. A new culture. My mom did that. Hero reason #1.
Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. We weren’t poor, but we didn’t have “extra”. I only figured this out after the fact. I can’t speak for my brother Herb, or The Sister, but I never was aware that our family had any money issues. We never had all the big name brand stuff, but that was okay. I love that both my parents worked so hard and made us feel loved. Hero reason #2.
My mother is one of the most generous people I know. She is willing to do most anything for anyone at any time. There are times when she goes overboard – food related times mostly – but it’s all done with the best intentions. She is loving and caring. Hero reason #3.
On the downside, Mum can talk. Good gravy, Mabel. She can talk a cat off a tuna wagon. For real. The 5 hours we spent together today – she probably spent 3 1/2 of it talking. I hardly got a word in. And if I did try to relay some story, she interrupted and took the tale off in some random direction. For this reason, I need to get into the right frame of mind before I spend a lot of time with her. I don’t want to get irritated with her or mad at her for something so silly. Who knows – in another few years, I could end up longing for one of these days together. I hope it’s longer than a few though.
So that’s Mum. My hero. I love her. And she is a big reason why I am the person I am. I hope she’s around for a long time yet. If I’m lucky, she will be.
Oh, hello! We’re having dinner this evening – barbecue pulled pork, brown rice, steamed Brussel sprouts. Dig in!
Recently, I wrote a post about being lonely, which if I may say so was a big hit. That wasn’t why I wrote it, but I’m thankful for the praise I’ve received.
That said, my post tonight is NOT about me being lonely, but it is about me being restless. Restless in my life. Restless in my job. I feel like I would love to shake things up and move away and change jobs. But of course, if that were to happen, I would freak out and cry and not want to go. Because, as the saying goes, wherever you go, there you are. Moving away and changing jobs won’t cure my restlessness. And can I tell you why? Can I?
BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M RESTLESS!! If I knew that, I could fix it. Maybe I look around and see others making changes or maybe it’s because things at the Gas ‘n Sip are changing, and I’m either jealous or anxious or scared. (Things at the Gas ‘n Sip ARE changing. I believe they are getting rid of the Slurpee Station, so I may end up at the Nacho Bar or on the Wiener Wheel. I think I would really like the Wiener Wheel – I would totally bogart some of that melty orange cheese from the nachos for the wieners. Sales will skyrocket!! More about that at another time.)
What I think I need to do is to spend a little time trying to figure out what is bothering me. What is it that is making me fidgety? Why am I unsatisfied? What am I unsatisfied with? Oh, these huge existential philosophical conundrums with which I am dealing. Sometimes it’s hard to to be me. Wait, conundrums? Conundra? Hmmm. I think I need to go check that.
Oh, hello! We’re starting with sapphire and tonic this evening. Can I get you one?
I? Am officially on vacation!!!!!!!!!!!! For 2 weeks!!!!! The Gas ‘n Sip can suck it for the next two weeks. Then when I get back, we will be about a month away from merging with Pump ‘n Stuff and will become The Burger Mart. I found out yesterday that once that happens, I may or may not still be the slurpee manager. JMJ. Will things ever be settled??
I don’t know yet what I’m going to be doing, but there will be a HUGE amount of reading and relaxing. In fact, I think I will start now. So for the next 2 weeks? SUCK IT, GAS ‘N SIP! SUCK IT HARD!!
BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
Oh, hello! Popcorn?
Four years ago today, a poor abandoned cat gave birth to Black and White Kittens #s 1-4. That cat, Maggie (I know, right?!), was lucky enough to reside at the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook. They took very good care of Momma Maggie, while she, in turn, took very good care of Kittens 1-4.
Fast forward to 8 weeks later. I decided to go visit the shelter to see if, by chance, there were any kittens who were ready for their forever home. I knew I wanted 2 – they need to keep each other company. I knew I wanted a boy and a girl. And I knew I was going to name them Seamus and Maggie. (I love the name Seamus. And I had thought that if I ever had a son, I would have wanted to name him Seamus. But I wouldn’t have, because kids are vicious!! And I knew he would be taunted – because it wasn’t a “normal” name. Whatev.) (Also, I love the Irish names, because Mum is from Ireland.)
Anyhoo. I start looking around. There are some BEAUTIFUL older cats who need a forever home. However, I am hesitant because one can never be sure what happened to the pet at the hands of the previous owner or at the hands of other animals. And since I knew that I wanted 2 cats, I also didn’t know how 2 older pets would do with each other.
Then I get to Maggie’s cage. I told Ms. Shelter Lady that I wanted to see 2 of the kittens and that they had to be a boy and a girl. She handed me the gloves to put on, and she put my babies in my hands. I sat there while their little needle clawed destroyedmy favorite sweater. Black and White kitten #2 weighed 1.8 pounds. Black and White kitten #3 weighed 1.6 pounds. (Those were their official shelter names.) They were feisty, and teensy, and soft, and mewling like… well, like baby kittens. *heh*
Ms. Shelter Lady put them in the “holding cell” while I filled out the adoption papers. After about 45 minutes of red tape, Maggie and Seamus were on their way to their forever home. (BTDub, while I was doing the paperwork, someone totally tried to bogart my cats!! Fuckers.) Their food and water were set in place. The litter box was tucked away. The grand-people were called to come meet their new grand-cats.
They have been an endless source of fun, laughter, frustration, love, and joy. I am absolutely thrilled they are in my life. I will love them forever.
Thank you Seamus. Thank you Maggie. I love you both. Thank you for letting me give you a place to live.
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