Oh, hello! Chicken and veggie tacos tonight. Soft shells. So good. Eat up.
Something was brought to my attention today. I just told you about the fabulous t-shirts you can get over at megandali.com and that site was created by Mr. Meg, aka my coworker, Frank. Turns out, if you tell someone that you are going to hype his wife’s business on your blog, they check it out to make sure you don’t say something bad. Whoopsie!
Well, despite the fact that in that post, I told Frank to NOT read anything else, Mr. Nosey-parker did. (Giving Frank the *stinkeye*). It was there he found out that I referred to him as Frank, the napkin dispenser filler. (Jeez. It’s his job. What am I supposed to do? Lie?) RUDE.
Then Frank pointed out that I didn’t introduce the whole team of freaks with whom I work at the Gas ‘n Stuff. I thought I wouldn’t because I don’t know that I want to bring work to here. But, in case I ever do want to discuss my day, I think it might be a good idea. So, without further ado, I give you my team: (think “Clerks” ( “I wasn’t even supposed to be on today!”) mixed with “Office Space” (“Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a MO-ment”):
The Leg Jiggler – You’ve heard about him a lot. Nice guy, but he drives me batsh*t crazy. I have no doubt that he knows he drives me crazy. I very likely drive him crazy too. And not in a good way.
Frank – the napkin dispenser filler. He likes to pick on me and crush my spirit. Then, he says, he builds me back up. I’m still waiting for that part, but…. moving on.
Velma – you’ve heard about her. She is the one who convinced me to try composting. Always happy. Always doing *something* outside of work.
Aubrey and Wesley – you’ve met them too. They are co-chief gas pumpers. Wesley and his wife just had the most adorable baby. Those who know me, know I don’t say that lightly. I’m not a fan of babies, as a rule. But this little munchkin is precious. Aubrey is awesome and one of those people who you *know* you would have hung out with in high school.
The Friar – I have lately been working with her more than others. She is a TALKER. Seriously, sista can talk a cat off a tuna wagon. But she makes me laugh. Plus, she has a great dog.
Italia – this man is so unbelievably brilliant at his job that it’s scary. I am completely intimidated by him, and I’m fairly certain he thinks I am a moron. I’ve decided the problem is that he is SO smart, and knows his job SO well, that he cannot “dumb” it down enough for normal people to understand. He can’t think like a normal person.
Carla – she is lovely. Spanish and sweet and funny.
Mingo – I’m convinced that there is more to this woman. There is no doubt in my mind that, outside of work, there is a whole “Bizarro Mingo” who will rock it out. But at work? Still waters.
Lovely Little Lady – I LOVE this woman. She is the sweetest, quietest, loveliest lady I know. She is gorgeous, and has gorgeous children and lives in a gorgeous house. Yeah. I pretty much want to be her.
Whew, there are more. But I’ll stop now. That’s enough. I’m tired. And I want another taco.
Happy, Frank? *stinkeye*
Oh, hello! Good to see you. Tonight we are having penne pasta with a red sauce, with meatballs and sausage. That will be followed up with glasses of Airborne.
I’m getting sick. A cold, I think. I was a little sick last week when I was on vacation (I KNOW!) but I thought I was over it. Nope. Scratchy throat, snotty nose, swollen glands. (I’m so pretty.)
And best of all, I get to fly to Toronto Monday morning. Up, up and away with some very likely sickies, who will be coughing and snotting and horking up a lung at 50,000 feet. I. Can’t. Wait. Maybe if I hide in bed all weekend, away from, you know, people, I won’t get sick. And I’ll have built up my immune system to be the super-power of germ fighting!!
No? I didn’t think so either.
More Airborne?
Oh, hello! Let’s snack on some dry roasted peanuts, and some sleepy-time tea.
Where we left off last week:
They went back to individuals, and their original colors.
Rebecca (pink) – 223 -4 to 219. She has immunity.
Liz (brown) – 221 – 3 – 218. (below the yellow line)
Tracey (purple)- 197 – 3 to 194. She’s not happy. (is she ever??)
Allen (green) – 262 – 9 to 253. (safe)
Rudy (blue) – 341 – 9 to 332. (safe)
Amanda (pink) – 214 – 7 to 207 (safe)
Danny (brown) – 345 – 12 to 333. (safe) (97 pounds so far!)
Daniel (orange) – 272 – 11 to 261. (safe)
Shay (orange) – 402 – 9 to 393. YAY. Good for her. (safe)
Crazy went home. YAY!
This week, 2 people are supposed to go home.
We start with them all talking about how they all want to be at the finish.
They walk out to the lawn and see Sami. Sami tells them that 2 are going home. They’re all bummed. Lowest percentage of weight loss will fall below a new red line and will go home immediately. There will also still be a yellow line, and a regular elimination after that.
Pop challenge. Winner gets a 1 pound advantage at the weigh in. They are facing a wall with 50 tennis balls velcro-ed to it. They have to jump up and get the balls, and put them in a bucket. The first to put all their balls in the bucket will win. Allen is kicking ass. Shay is struggling. Rebecca is doing pretty well. Rudy is doing well. They really have to jump up to get the top row of balls. It’s down to Rebecca v. Allen. Allen wins. Rebecca is pissed. Liz couldn’t play for some reason. “Medical”.
Rebecca and Amanda want Liz below the red line. Bitchy. They are all discussing how there are 4 older people and 4 younger. It’s a lot of game play in the works. (We find out Liz has a knee issue.)
They all start telling the trainers about the red and yellow lines. B&J are freaking and reworking the workouts. Bob is shocked. And bitchy. In front of the fatties. Jill sends all the fatties away to talk to Bob. Jill is talking about Shay needing to stay. Bob is trying to not play favorites. Jill wants to focus on who needs to be here as opposed to who will do okay at home. Bob doesn’t like this but is going to go along with it. All I can say is that I’m shocked. SHOCKED! You mean this show is manipulated? It isn’t really about each fattie doing it for themself? The trainers play favorites? Shocking. *eye roll* (It’s about time the producers came clean with that.)
Rudy is hurting. Bob is being really bitchy with him. Jill is bitching at the folks on the treadmill. Danny says his hip hurts. He’s feeling lethargic. And almost collapses. Jill sends him out. Bob is leading a spin class. This is like a last chance workout. everyone seems to be falling apart. Jill is picking on Shay who is wheezing and panting. Jill actually just said “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Loser. OMG. Shay is crying and sweating like a faucet. Jill is telling her that she needs to stop crying and do every thing she tells her to do. Jill is pretty much ignoring any one else.
Now Jill is picking on Rebecca. Shay must be dead. Rebecca is pushing back. She’s drained emotionally. And she stops and walks out. She’s crying on Amanda’s shoulder. They hug.
Bob goes to find Danny and tells him to get back to working out. We see pictures of young Danny with his mullet. He tells Bob that he just gave up on himself. But he’s getting his old confidence back. I like Danny. He seems like a nice man. He and Bob hug it out.
Jill pulls Shay and Rebecca out to talk to them. They are both sweating the red line. Jill is telling them it’s okay. If they go home, they know what they need to do. Eat better and exercise. Ick, Jill just said “‘nother” (as in “a whole ‘nother level.) And Rebecca just said something about “finishing her story.” Oh, what-the-phuck-ever. Could they put MORE trite statements into one episode?
(OMG. They just showed a DOOL commercial. Sami is working with a really cute baby!)
Okay, challenge. They are at a circus. Rebecca hates clowns. They have to jump through actual hoops. They are jumping through the opponents’ hoops. Every time they go through is a point. They are out at 100 points. The last one standing gets immunity. It seems a bit of a free for all. The young fatties seem to be focusing on Liz. The older fatties want to focus on Amanda. Liz is out. Amanda will be next out. Daniel is out. Allen is out. Rebecca is out. She’s pissed. Shay is pissed. Danny and Rudy are targeting Shay. Shay is losing her mind. Shay is out. Danny v Rudy. Danny is out. Rudy has immunity. The game play is gross.
The young ones stole two spin bikes and some medicine balls up to Shay’s room to get extra workout time, while the old ones sleep. Is it wrong for me to hope their plan backfires?
Bob comes in. Jill isn’t there for whatever reason. Bob is getting caught up on what happened. Shay is being petulant and Rudy is trying to be the bigger man. Product placement. Larabars. (I’ve had these. They are awesome!! And no sugar. Really. Try them.)
Last chance workout. Bob takes them to some studio. They are working out with trapezes with some woman named Yumi (I think). Bob just let Shay in on the fact that they are going to do whatever they can to keep her there. Again, SO not fair to the rest of them. They don’t seem to be working as hard, but they say they are spent at the end. Who knows.
Jill is back. and they are having yet another last chance workout. She’s taunting them and making them sweat even more. Rudy falls off the treadmill and calls it done.
Weigh in:
Rudy (blue): has immunity: 332 – 8 to 324 (2.41%) SAFE
Rebecca (pink): 219 – 10 to 209 (4.57%) SAFE
Liz (brown): 218 – 12 to 206 (5.50%) SAFE
Allen (green): has a 1 pound advantage: 253 – 10 to 243 (4.35%) SAFE
Amanda (pink): 207 – 5 to 202 (2.42%) Below yellow line.
Danny (brown): 333 – 17 to 316 (5.11%) SAFE and has lost 114 pounds in 9 weeks.
Daniel (orange): 261 – 5 to 256 (1.92%) Below the red line. He’s going home.
Shay (orange): 393 – 17 to 376. (4.33%) She’s lost 100 pounds in 9 weeks. Jill is stunned. Below yellow line.
There are many tears and hugs. And he’s gone. He wants to get to 175.
Shay and Amanda are up for elimination. Shay is sobbing and begging to stay. Amanda is begging to stay. And is making some good arguments.
Rebecca votes for Shay. Allen votes for Shay. Danny votes for Amanda. Liz votes for Amanda. Rudy votes for Shay.
At home updates:
Shay: wants to lose a total of 213 by finale.
Daniel: is at 239 pounds. Looks good. His loser partner from last season is still fat and still has a bad attitude.
Next week is makeover week with Tim Gunn and Tabitha.
**IDK if anyone actually reads this recap, but if so, next weeks will be posted on Wednesday. I’m going out of town and won’t be able to see it live.
Oh, hello! Have some chicken stew. Homemade.
So, I wanted to tell you all about a very cool little enterprise. I happen to work at the Gas ‘n Stuff with Meg’s husband, so I have been hearing about this little company for a few years.
These t-shirts are, in a word, GORGEOUS! The cotton is soft, and the appliques are made from fabulous fabric. The best part is that every t-shirt is unique. You and your friend might both order the brown long-sleeve with the blue peace sign. But, while the blue might be of similar fabrics, they won’t be in the same order or strips of the same size.
See what I’m talking about?:
I first saw the shirts a few years back a one of the summer festivals. The company was smaller then, but the level of quality was very high. These are not t-shirts that are just slapped together – even the stitching is beautiful.
The bad parts? In my opinion, the sizing is too small. Those of us who are built for comfort, not speed, can’t wear the shirts. Yes, I know there are several women “of size” who would wear a shirt that’s too small, but these are too nice to stuff oneself into. Based on that, I also think the price is a little high. I do think that if the sizes fit me, I would pay that. (Yes, I’ve already told the husband these things. He knows I’m “not thin” and also? Cheap.)
The good parts? Quality. Fabrics. NO SHIPPING CHARGE. Unique pieces. Also, no tax outside of Maine. Cool, right?
Future offerings, from what I’m told, will include hats (I can’t wait!!) and some of the fabrics themselves. I can’t wait until the hats are offered. I’m definitely getting one of those.If I sewed? I would order some fabric too.
So, take a browse around the site, and see what you think. If nothing else, you will see pictures of my friend’s very pretty friends.
The holiday’s are coming. You could even think about buying some for your own very pretty friends.Just sayin’…
* I was not paid to write any of this. I think in the radio world, you could say “This was NOT a paid endorsement.” I told my friend that as soon as the site was up, I would tell all of you about his wife’s business. (Really, how could I get paid? Are they going to give me a t-shirt that would fit my cat?) I just thought that since I’ve seen the shirts, and know the quality, you might like them too.
**Now, if you are Meg’s husband, and you are checking in to see what I wrote? You can stop now. Nothing else I have ever posted on this site has any interest to you. Mmmmmkay??
Oh, hello! Have some pretzels. And beer. Hockey tonight, so I’m getting ready.
I don’t typically watch the news. Mostly because I find it inordinately depressing. Life is hard enough without adding more depressing events. Happy pills can only help so much.
But over the past few days, there have been a couple of very tragic shootings in the south, for which I have tuned in to MSNBC and CNN to hear about details. A couple of weeks ago there was another big story, that MSNBC reported on. The one a few weeks ago, there was supposed to have been a little boy in a balloon that was loose. MSNBC spent several hours reporting on this. It was a hoax. No one interviewed the parents in all that time.
Yesterday there was a horrific shooting in Texas. The first brilliant thing that the talking head on MSNBC said is that “he was a soldier with an Arabic sounding name”. That’s super. Let’s get everyone whipped up into anti-terrorist sentiment without finding out the reason for the problem. Next, he went to Virginia Tech, “which is ironic” – presumably ironic since there was a shooting at Virginia Tech not too long ago. Then he had been shot. Dead. Um, no, he isn’t dead. Stable condition. Today, they are targeting the fact that the “alleged” shooter is Muslim. And “it looks like he decided to go with his religious beliefs”. Really, MSNBC? What part of the Muslim religion espouses this type of violence?
So today, there was a shooting in Florida. “The shooter has been apprehended”. “The shooter is still in the building.” “The shooter escaped the building and is at large.” All of this was reported in a 5 minute time span. Then we switch back to Texas, where we’re told, “We’re going into this 2 minute moment of silence. Let’s go to Fort Hood and listen in.” Listen in? Really? WTF?
What has happened over the past 2 days is horrible. So much violence. So many people dead. And having the media add hate and ignorance to the fire only makes it worse. It fuels hatred and fear and will only instigate additional violence. I can’t handle seeing things like that. I’ll go back to just reading headlines.
I’m back off the news.
Oh, hello! Have some tea and a cookie.
I have been noticing lately that some of the shows on television that I claim to love aren’t doing it for me anymore. And I don’t know why that is.
Is it because the writing has gotten worse, or changed somehow so that it seems worse to me? Has my tolerance for violent cop shops diminished to the point where I have no desire to watch? Have my tastes changed so dramatically over the summer that these shows could go off the air, and I’d be okay with that? What’s really going on here?
Criminal Minds used to be at the top of my list. I loved it when Mandy Patinkin was on it. I think he’s brilliant anyway though. But the stories were good and very thought-provoking, I thought. Sure, there was violence – that’s what crime shows show. But it’s gotten really bad. It’s not on my DVR list any more.
CSI (the original one) doesn’t hold my interest either. And it’s not because Sara and Grissom left. I was THRILLED when they left. And I love Laurence Fishburn. He’s fabulous. I really think that the writing on that show has gotten really bad. And I don’t need the special effects autopsy scenes. That doesn’t add to my enjoyment, even a little. In fact, it makes me gag a little. So come on, CSI writers, bring back the awesome scripts!
NCIS LA is a new one this season. I am an admitted late comer to NCIS anyway, but I like the show. I could do without Gibbs smacking them on the head, and the other two always picking on McGee, but over all, I like the show. I thought it would be cool to see another city. But I just cannot get interested in these characters. I’m not dissing Chris O’Donnell or LL Cool J, but the characters they have been given are NOT engaging, IMO. That’s off the list. (Oh, and if the original NCIS keeps bringing back Mike Franks? That’s off the list too. Don’t like his character, at all.)
Even some of the other new shows. Accidentally on Purpose is new this season. I love Jenna Elfman. I was so excited to see her on TV again. I haven’t stopped recording the show, because I really hope it will get better. It just doesn’t. The story is trite. And the scenarios are annoying and unrealistic, at best. I would be very surprised if this got a second season.
Eastwick is another new one that I had high hopes for. But after this weeks episode, I will very likely be off it’s viewer list. The acting is just SO BAD! I’m sorry Rebecca Rjomin (or whatever). You’re really pretty and all. But acting? Not so much.
That’s enough complaining about TV for now. And I know what you are thinking. If I don’t like it, I don’t have to watch it. But really – how many books can one girl read? I’m on track for 75 +/- this year. Turning off the TV to read isn’t a choice. Yeah, I can blog. I can journal. I could probably even learn to knit, but sometimes, you just need to slip into something mindlessly entertaining. So, it’s the “entertaining” part I’m struggling with.
Oh, hello. Sorry I didn’t have time to cook anything today. I’m sure I have something in the freezer I can reheat. Take a look.
Midterm elections were held yesterday. There were many things of interest throughout the country, but the one I was watching most closely is the question about repealing the recently enacted law that would allow Gays to marry. Yes would repeal, No would keep it on the books.
If we, as a state, won the No vote, we would have been the first state in the country to have this law on the books by the popular vote. Yes would make us just like the 31 other states who have repealed the law.
Do I need to tell you what happened? We, as a state, suck. The Yes vote won. The popular vote is to repeal the law.
Yes won by 32,000 votes. So, granted, the outcome was close, but the closed-minded, homophobic vote won out. Now, just like the other 31 states who have had to deal with this issue, Gays and Lesbians will not be afforded equal rights under the law with regards to marriage.
Fear ads were prevalent. The religious aspect was highly touted. I believe that this is NOT a religious issue. It IS a civil issue. It is a fairness issue. And I also believe that if “God” did not like Gays, “he” wouldn’t have created them.
So, today, I am not proud to be from Maine. I am sad for my gay friends who are once again relegated to the background. I do think it is somewhat encouraging that the vote was so close, so the next time this comes up, the open-minded option should win. Let’s hope this is the case.
My home-state pride will come back. But please don’t blame the ENTIRE state. Many of us were with you.
Oh, hello. Come on in for some salad before the show.
Last week:
Blue team: Won the weigh in. Black team has to send someone home.
Liz -7 (Down 46 so far this season) Won the face off.
Rebecca -9 (Down 56 so far this season) Won the face off.
Tracey -5 (Down 41 so far this season) Won the face off.
Allen -8 (Down 63 so far this season)
Rudy -14 (Down 101 so far this season) Won the face off. Broke Dane’s record. 100 pounds in 7 weeks.
Black team:
Abby -3 (Down 46 so far this season)
Amanda -4 (Down so far this season) (Has the 2 pound advantage)
Danny -12 (Down 85 so far this season) Won the face off. Has immunity for the elimination.
Daniel -5 (Down 40 so far this season)
Shay -9 (Down 74 so far this season)
Abby went home and looks great.
This week: they are going to Washington DC. Oh, and more drama with Crazy.
WTF? Voting results interrupting the show… This sucks.
Joining the show in progress…
They are individuals again? They all go back to their original colors. Pop challenge: they have an hour to go thru DC and recruit people to do a public workout at the Washington Monument. Who ever wins gets an advantage at the Challenge. They are handing out stickers to identify their recruits. The winner team also gets fed at Subway. They are trying to take recruits from each other.
People start gathering. Allen has recruited a bunch of firemen – they come in trucks. (Cool!) Sami introduces the fatties. Everyone is cheering. The crowds are separated by fatty. It came down to 1 vote. Liz v Allen. Liz won. She got the most people there. Now, out come B&J. Bob is talking on the stage. Jill is in the crowd yelling at them. Picking on “total strangers”, she says. It looks like they are having fun. Liz is now taking her group to Subway. (She’s kind of annoying, IMO). Jill is there with them. I’m sure the staff at Subway is probably freaking out – a bus pulled up. (BTDub, if you would like to hear a new perspective on sandwich shops, check out my friend Clay’s blog – he makes me laugh with every post.)
Now they are going to meet members of congress, who are sitting looking suitably somber, as congress members are wont to do. (Okay, there are 2 Senators. HUGE turnout.) Daniel is telling them his story. Jill is nodding somberly. “Better health education in school curriculum”. That’s what they got out of it. (DUH! springs to mind.) Rebecca is telling her story. Tears. Oh, goat. Crazy is having her moment meeting the senators. I wonder if they will lock her up.
Sami meets them at Constitution Garden, looking like a farm-girl with pig tails. Very cute. The challenge has 4 stages. Taking place at 4 of the historic places in the city. The winner of all 4 wins immunity at the weigh in. Liz wins a pass to skip one of the stages since she won the pop-challenge. Stage 1: They have to run 1 mile around the garden. Crazy is having week 1 flashbacks and starts crying. (Of course she does). First 6 finishers go on to the next portion of the challenge. Last 3 are out. And they’re off. Rebecca and Allen are in the lead. Crazy passes Shay at the back of the pack. Shay is walking, but is determined to finish. Showing each fatty with a flashback to week one for comparison. Rebecca finishes first, then Daniel, Allen, Amanda, Rudy, and Liz. Danny is in 7th place. Crazy will be 8th. Shay is last, but is finishing.
Stage 2. They are the Watergate steps in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. There are 17 thousand + pennies. They have run down the steps, pick up pennies and run back up to put them in a bank. The first 4 move on. Liz sits out, so only 3 move on. Rudy is using his ginormous hands to his advantage, and is going 2 steps at a time. Rudy is kicking everyone else’s ass, due to his paw size. Daniel is going on to the next stage. It looks like down to Allen and Rebecca. Sami is FREAKING OUT! It’s kinda funny.
Back from the commercial, Sami still freaking out. Rebecca wins the final spot for the next round. Liz, Daniel, Rudy, and Rebecca now playing for immunity. Stage 3: US Capital. Balance challenge. They are going to be standing on a platform, on a narrow ledge, with a Pilates ball over their heads. Final 2 go on to the final stage. Rudy is struggling with his size 15 feet. Liz is wobbly. Daniel is wobbly – and falls off. Rudy is very wobbly. Rebecca is steady. Liz is out. Rebecca and Rudy are fighting for immunity in stage 4.
Stage 4: They are in front of the white house. 206 steps (for the number of contestants on the BL so far) onto a step aerobic step. First one to 206 wins. Rebecca has a slight lead. Now she’s killing it. Both are struggling. Rebecca wins immunity. She’s giddy!!
They all find out that tomorrow they will be going on a tour of the white house. And, with that, Sami leaves. (BTDub – is it gross that I liked the song they played during stage 1? Yes, I know who sings it. DON’T JUDGE ME! *sob*)
One on one time with Bob and Amanda. Must be product placement time. Extra sugar-free gum. And we’re at the white house, and my local channel goes to election coverage. *GAH* But, I suppose, the weigh-in is the most important…
And we’re back. The fatties are at the last chance workout. With singles, the trainers are training everyone again. We just saw Rudy carrying Jill up the stairs. (Pretty funny.) Danny’s gut is hanging out from under his shirt. Jill is focused on Crazy. (heh). BL is about changing your life – inside and out. Crazy is crying. What a shocker. She is now Jill’s biggest fan. Bob is trying to get Shay under 400 this week. Bob and Amanda are flirting bonding. It’s kinda gross. He’s asking her about her meltdown last week. All she wanted to do then was talk to Bob. So now she is. So Bob is having her do what Jillian tried to have her do. And of course she is. That’s a big F-U to Jill, IMO. (BTDub, I hope she makes it to makeover week. I’m sick of that twisty thing she does with the front of her hair. And the black eye-liner.)
This week’s weigh in: (at the Lincoln Memorial) (Cool.)
Rebecca (pink) – 223 -4 to 219. She has immunity.
Liz (brown) – 221 – 3 – 218. (below the yellow line)
Tracey (purple)- 197 – 3 to 194. She’s not happy. (is she ever??)
Allen (green) – 262 – 9 to 253. (safe)
Rudy (blue) – 341 – 9 to 332. (safe)
Amanda (pink) – 214 – 7 to 207 (safe)
Danny (brown) – 345 – 12 to 333. (safe) (97 pounds so far!)
Daniel (orange) – 272 – 11 to 261. (safe)
Shay (orange) – 402 – 9 to 393. YAY. Good for her. (safe)
The choice is between Liz and Crazy to go home. Please goat. Let it be Crazy. They have time to discuss. Shay doesn’t think Liz wants to be there any more. Now we hear from Crazy. Daniel asks her about her game play earlier on. Of course she tells them what they want to hear.
Voting: Amanda: Crazy; Shay: Liz; Danny: Crazy; Daniel: Crazy; Rebecca: Crazy; Allen: NA; Rudy: NA
WOOT!!!! CRAZY IS GOING HOME!!!!!!!! Praise Goat above!!!!! Scared as she shoots the *stinkeye* at the rest.
At home update: On the ranch, she went from 238 to 194. She’s going home on a helicopter. In a really ugly purple dress. Big crowd to meet her. Her husband says she is his soul mate. Read: he’s crazy too. The kids? Yep. Probably crazy. She ran the “original” mile and finished in less than 12 minutes. Now she is at 85 pounds down and is training to run a full marathon in December. I hate to say it, but she looks good.
Next week: 2 people go home.
Oh, hello. Come in and have a glass of port. It’s delightful.
I’m on vacation. Again. I know, right? It seems like I was just on vacation.
Now that the Gas ‘n Stuff is doing PTO, I get the equivalent of 7 weeks off. If we went back to regular vacation time, I would have 4 weeks vacation, 5 sick days, and 10 paid holidays. Same thing. But now I don’t have to take the day off for the random paid holidays like Columbus Day, or Flag Day, or Arbor Day. (Okay, so I didn’t ever really get those last 2 off, but you get my point.) I mean, I understand why we have a Veterans Day, or a Presidents Day or a MLK Day. But short of having any real celebrations, those are just a day to sleep in and do nothing. I would rather do that when I choose, not when someone tells me to.
I didn’t know if I would like this whole PTO thing, but I’ll be honest. It’s pretty good. When I choose to go into work on the “holiday”, usually no one else is there, so it’s kind of like a day off anyway! Win/win.
So what did I do today? I slept in, and snuggled with the twins. Then I read some of my book. Then I napped. (Reading is hard, yo!) Then I took the screen out of my front door and put in the storm glass. It’s officially winter when I do that. (Well, that and the fact that it’s friggin’ dark at 4:30.) Tomorrow, I’ll probably do more of the same.Well, that, and I need to go vote. Big question on the ballot this year is whether or not to repeal gay marriage in the state. Fingers crossed for that one. (And no, I’m not going to tell you which way I’m voting. Again. I’m pretty sure I made that clear before.)
Anyhoo. There really is no point to this post. Other than I get to tell you that I am on vacation. And to avoid humiliating myself further with NaNoWriMo and the fact that I wrote NOTHING towards that today. (Another chance for me to make myself feel like a failure. Good times.)
More wine?
PS: I just stood up and my foot is asleep. I hate that. Now it’s going to be up all night!
Oh, hello! Help yourself to some cheesy-poofs.
So, I just recently found out about this thing called National Novel Writer’s Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. It’s a challenge for would be writers to commit to writing 50,000 words, or a novel of about 175 pages, in 30 days. Quality is not the focus. Quantity is. It’s a way to challenge yourself, and IMO give yourself a kick in the butt to get writing.
My friend K2Kid has often said that she wants to get a book published. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that she is one of the most brilliant people I know. So, when I heard about NaNoWriMo, I sent her a text with a link to the website, and 3 words: I dare you. I would love to see her do this and maybe get published. I mean, let’s be honest, there is some real dreck out there. If that can get published, something smart should be able to, right?
K2Kid signed up. And then challenged me to do it with her. YIKES! Have I ever wanted to be a writer? I don’t know. I mean, look how long it took me to start a friggin’ blog! And now, 50,000 words?? What in goat’s name would I write a novel about? I’m not one of those people who “see” their characters in their minds and know what they will be doing 100 pages in.
But, peer pressure being what it is, I signed up. In the back of my mind, I figure I can always sign up and cheer on K2Kid, along with Debra of Reflecting fame, and Jose of FabergeMonkey fame. I mean, I’ll give it a go for a few days, but quite honestly, 1,500 words in and I’ve already learned that OH MY GOAT I’M BORING!! If I’m boring myself, how in the name of all that is good and holy will anyone else want to read it. No amount of editing will save this.
I’m going to look at this as a great way to challenge myself, and definitely get out of my comfort zone. If nothing else, maybe I can use this as a way to be introspective and find out what’s going on inside. Maybe even find out how my fun got broken. A journaling intensive, if you will. I won’t be disappointed if I don’t make it to the 50,000 words. I know that it was a huge step for me to even sign up. And no matter how far my friends get, I will be there cheering them on for the same accomplishment.
FMI, or if you want to sign up or donate, go to www.nanowrimo.org.
MagAndMoo's Blog 