Good afternoon –
I’m having a lovely late lunch of pork and veggies. Help yourself!
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I have missed this blog. Where have I been?
Let me just say this. 3 family members, 3 surgeries, 3 weeks, 3 recoveries, 3 hospitals, 2 lonely cats, lots of visiting time, lots of miles driven, lots of exhaustion.
I keep telling myself that it’s worse for them, and that this is temporary, and that you don’t say no to family.
But it doesn’t leave me any much time for myself and my cats. Therefore, no time for even taking 10 minutes to write something here.
So, hopefully the worst is over, and things will go back to normal shortly.
This has been a week and a half in 4 days. So to end the week, I’m going to fluff. I heard about fluffing from here who heard it here.
Clearly, the survey is written by a young person. But, this is a way to chill and be silly.
Without further ado:
Do you have a crush right now?
A Orange Crush? No. I do like Orange Crush, though, even though it’s so sweet, it makes me need to spit. Which is hella attractive. So no wonder there isn’t a person I’m crushing on.
What is your favorite color?
My favorite color what? M&Ms – green. Hair color – red. Sky – blue. You really need to be more specific in your queries.
What about your favorite animal?
What about it? My cats are pretty freakin’ awesome. I love puppies. Flamingos are slamming. OOO! I know! Fainting goats.
Choose one … 😉 =) 
:-{D
Um. No.
Did you ever have an F on your report card?
Would I be alive today if I had? I’m going with NO.
What about straight A’s
Often. I’m really quite brilliant. Or nerdy. Maybe that.
If you could go back in time and change one thing that you did, what would it be?
I don’t know that I would. Everything that happened made me who I am. I might change that I didn’t stand up to those bitchy mean girls. That was f*cked up.
Do you enjoy singing?
I do. You should hear me in the car. The acoustics are FANTASTIC!
If so, has anyone ever told you that you can sing well?
I tell myself that all the time.
Again…Choose one… , * , @(^_^)@
Um. Again. No.
Are you listening to music right now?
Yep.
If so, what song are you listening to?
Who knows. Everything sounds the same these days.
If not, what song do you WANT to be listening to?
Relentless, by Audry Sessions.
What is your favorite subject in school?
Um. I don’t go to school. School is wack. Not really. I liked English. And math. Latin was fun.
What is the month of your birthday?
May.
Do you like country music?
Sometimes. I think I like the earlier stuff though.
What about rock?
Rock is always good to liven things up.
….rap?
Not so much. I like Luda in some other people’s songs.
If you had to eat one fruit for a month straight…what would it be? oranges, bananas, grapes, apples, or kiwi? (or other)
Any! Except bananas. Bananas have a very short window of opportunity for perfect ripeness. Otherwise, I’d pick any.
Do you like roses or tulips better?
Of those? Roses. White roses. But Gerber daisies make me smile. And lilies. Gorgeous.
QUICK THINK OF A NAME!!!
Gwen
Was the name that you just thought of a member of your family?
Nope. I don’t know anyone named Gwen.
What about a close friend?
No.
Ok…what about your crush?
No.
Do you watch SpongeBob?
What exactly is SpongeBob?
What is the name of your best friend?
Growing up it was Julie. Then Cheryl. Then a different Julie. But Cheryl and Julie II both f*cked me over. So now, my closest friend is Kim. But I hang most with my brother. But not in a creepy way.
Do you like fish or chicken more?
I like fish if it’s done right.
Are you a vegatarian?
Not anymore.
What about your steak…Rare, Medium, or Well done (for me … well done :P)
Medium Rare. YUM!
Did you like this random survey?
No. This was long and sort of boring.
Last thing…..Pick a # out of these… 1,2,4,7,14
14
Hmmm. Ok. Maybe this wasn’t a good one to start with.
Don’t stop reading this blog based on this fluff.
So the name of this one is called “It’s a Brand New Day”.
I thought it would be good for the new year.
Whatcha think?
So, after such a horrible post yesterday, I thought I would post something mindless and superfluous.
These are just questions that rattle around my brain, in regards to fashion dos and don’ts.
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Why are scrunchies so vilified? I missed the memo about why we hate these. Can someone enlighten me, please? I don’t find them offensive. And I’d let to get on board with the hate.
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If horizontal stripes are such a huge issue, why do designers still use them? (I was going to write more, but really? That says it all.)
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Why, in the name all kittens, are designers making t-shirts sheer? I know I have complained about this before, but jeepers! I don’t want to look at others’ bras, not do I expect they want to see mine. I like to wear them to work under a jacket or sweater, with the knowledge that if it gets hot, I can take the top layer off behind the slurpee machine and not be scandalous. No more, it seems.
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Crocs. Really?
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I don’t understand the people who stretch their ear lobes with those big pipe-like things, where there used to be an earring. And they keep increasing the size of said pipe-like thing. I’ve seen people who, evidently, went too big and the lobe ripped. *hork*
I am all for piercings. Go crazy. I wouldn’t do it personally, but eyebrow, nose, lip, whatev…if it makes you happy, do it. But that stretching thing? Nope. I don’t get it.
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Pantyhose. I *know* many women look better with them. I *know* that many workplaces require them. But, they are SO. PHUCKING. UNCOMFORTABLE. The nylon does not keep it’s shape. They sag. They pull. They snag. They start making your feet burn if you have to walk any distance. The crotch sags. Le sigh. Who made up the rule about hose?
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Short shorts.
Belly shirts.
Micro-minis.
I hate all these trends.
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I very likely have NO business with this query, but WHAT is up with dressing little girls like slutty, 25 year old women?? When I go to Target (a magical place where nothing bad ever happens) and walk by the “Girls” department and glance at what is currently being offered to young girls as fashion?? Oh Em Gee. Mothers? I’m so sorry for you. My mother would not more allow me to wear some of that garb *in* the house, let alone out in public. And I mean NOW. When I was a kid? (Back in my day…). Pants. Turtlenecks. T-shirts – long, NOT belly shirts. Skirts – knee-length or longer.
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That’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll come up with more. (Oh, and an update about my post yesterday. I am seeing my doctor Tuesday.)
I’ve read that if something bugs you, you need to either write about it or talk about it – just get it out, or it will eat at you. So here goes….
People. Not *all* people, of course. But the ones who walk around completely oblivious to the world around them. You know who I mean – they cut you off in a store without a second thought; they park their shopping cart randomly in the middle of an aisle and ignore your attempts to get around them; they stay on their cell phone at the checkout line.
What in the world has happened to common courtesy?? I have even tried to act like these people. I was mortified for myself. The total disregard for anyone around me made me feel like I was the biggest jerk. Ever.
Lately, when I go to Target – a magical place where nothing bad ever happens – I leave thinking “I need to not be out among people”. I find myself less and less tolerant of this type of behavior. Thank goat for online shopping.
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Commercials. When did we, as a culture, become so stupid? 98% of the ads I see on television make me cringe. Apparently, ad companies think it is okay to treat consumers as if they have the collective IQ of a dandelion. Cartoon bears to sell toilet paper? Cartoons to sell car insurance? Cartoons to sell *anything* to adults?? I get it if they are using cartoons to sell to kids. (I don’t know that it’s appropriate, but I get it.) But to adults? Really?
And restaurants who show how big their portions are? Do we *really* need a 2 pound calzone? Or tacos the size of a loaf of bread? How about we just get a real portion and pay less?
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As-seen-on-TV-products. Don’t get me wrong – I love me some info-mercials and shopping TV. I am a WEN girl because of the info-mercial. And I got my ped-egg from seeing an info-mercial.
But have you seen some of the other things that are being hawked? The plastic egg cooker things that make it “so much easier” to make hard-boiled eggs? The premise is that peeling hard-boiled eggs is *really* hard. And takes forever. Really? Is that a huge problem of which I am not aware?
And the bags that save you space? On one hand, I do get that. But the ad shows a closet where everything is stuffed in and it seems that they have 4,319 comforters and 80 pairs of pants and 24,941 sweaters. Perhaps the problem isn’t that you don’t have room. Maybe you just HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!! I’m just spit-balling here.
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Blogs that require a verification every time you comment. I don’t like spam any more than anyone else, but if I comment on a blog frequently enough, I should be “approved” to comment. OR if you don’t like what I comment, delete it.
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There are so many more things. I’ll complain more, I’m sure. But I needed to get that stuff off my chest.
If any of the above hits a nerve with you, I’m sorry. I am fully aware that I bug people. All. The. Time. And I’m sorry for that too.
Oh, hello! Come in and have coffee and a sticky bun.
Sorry for the title. I may have been channeling Brigit Jones…
I say that this is more for the single folks than for people who have a partner, but perhaps it’s just because that is the perspective from which I am writing. IDK. You can judge for yourself.
Most of the time, I consider myself self-sufficient. I guess I have to be, since there isn’t anyone there to do “it” for me. I am responsible for my bills, for my house, and the maintenance of that house, my cats and their upkeep, and on and on. And most of the time, I am fine with that. I have to be, of course, but it really is true.
Then there are other times… I get sick to death of cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, shovelling the snow, doing laundry, etc. But, in my case, there is no one there to pick up the slack for me. This is where the smug marrieds have an advantage. They can look at their partner and ask/beg/nag for help, and there is a probability that the partner will do it, even if it’s not done the way they would want.
But, here is where I feel I need to clarify. I *know* that being part of a couple does not mean that each member of the pair is not self-sufficient. They are (usually).
I’m not saying this very well. But in my usual mode of just putting things out there without spending too much time picking nits, here it is.
My theory is that it is harder for singletons to ask for help than it is for the smug marrieds. And why do I think that? Because I live it. Every. Damn. Day. My feeling is that when I ask someone for help, it becomes another item on their “To Do” list. The people I could ask for help have their own lives and problems and chores and bills. And while that is also true of coupledom, at least the person you might ask for help ALSO has a vested interest in your happiness. They aren’t solely responsible for it, of course, but they see you every day and want what you want. Hopefully.
So, when is it okay to ask for help? I’ve never been clear on when it is appropriate. There have been times in the winter, when I’m out moving snow, that I have just said F*CK IT, and flagged down a passing truck with a plow and begged them to clear my driveway. But then, I am throwing money at them, so it is win-win.
Overall, I suck at asking for help. I get frustrated, then overwhelmed, then turn into a sobbing mess, and come out the other side a little bruised, but moving forward anyway. I could maybe avoid all that by asking for help sooner, but how do I ask without it being an imposition? Without becoming a nuisance? Without appearing weak? Without feeling indebted?
What do *you* do? Do you ask for help? How did you learn to do it or is it something that comes naturally?
Help!
Oh, hello! Come on in and have a taste of blueberry pie. But watch the stains on your teeth. I have extra toothbrushes for those who need them.
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A quick hello to Mr. Farty! I think you commented for the first time. I will be honest – I SQUEEd when I saw your comment… including the fart. Welcome to my very neglected blog.
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I haven’t been around much. Not for any major or catastrophic reason though. More as a function of the fact that I really didn’t think I had anything to say. And if *I* think I’m boring, I certainly don’t want to subject *you* to that. You’re welcome.
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K2Kid and I went to see SATC2. Oh. Mah. Gah. If you haven’t seen it yet, and are thinking about it, or thinking about waiting to get it on DVD, don’t even bother. It was that bad. It was forced, and contrived, and it tried WAY to hard. The ladies have NOT aged well… or at least the cameras made it seem that way. Samantha is still slutty, Charlotte is still a goody-goody, Carrie is still nagging Big, and Miranda is still icky. This isn’t even a fun, rainy-day movie that you could pop in for something mindless. Save yourself $9 and 2 hours and watch the first one again. Or watch Mamma Mia. At least those two were fun. And mindless.
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My seeming year of reading memoirs continues with “The Year We Disappeared” by Cylin Busby and John Busby. It’s the story of John and what happens to him and his family after he gets shot in the face on the way to work one night. He was a cop on Cape Cod. The chapters switch back and forth from John to Cylin, who is John’s daughter. She was 9 at the time this happened. Her chapters are written from the perspective of her 9-year-old self. His chapters are told from his perspective at that time. The shooting occurred in 1979. Overall, it was an interesting story and it read very fast. I would have liked to hear more about the wrong cops who failed to properly investigate, but I guess that might be another story. I’d give it 7 out of 10.
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I was going to do a post about how this year I have decided to embrace my “girliness”. You know, more dresses, matching unmentionables, high heels, better makeup, blah blah blah. But then the week that causes me to HATE being a girl happened and blew that out the window. Maybe another time.
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I have been participating in an online class workshop exercise something that is meant to encourage participants to take more time to rest and play and generally enjoy life. The purpose is to be kinder to yourself and ultimately get more out of your life. What have I learned so far? I have no idea how to play.
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What else….. I don’t know. I guess that is it for…. OH!
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I’ve been thinking about NaNoWriMo. I only found out about it last year in the last week of October, so I had no time to prepare. It’s a writing event, designed to encourage free writing of quantity over quality. 50,000 words in 30 days with no editing. It’s a wonderful way to stretch your creative muscles and write a novel in a month. I signed up last year and only made it to about 15,000 words. And what started out as a “novel”, with a “plot line”, devolved into more of an online journal. And it was BAD!
So I’ve been thinking about it for this year. And I thought I would start to develop an outline or at least characters on which to build a story. Yeah. I think any writing creativity has left the building. I know I should “write what I know” but if I am to base a story on my life? SNOOZE FEST!!! I will likely be skipping the even this year. But I will be there cheering on others who I know are participating!!
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Okay. That’s it. I’m done. Have a lovely day.
Oh, hello! Welcome. Come and have some beef stew.
A big Mag and Moo welcome to Fiona! HI! *waving*
So, last night, I was in that really deep sleep where waking up feels like you are swimming to the surface through melted Nutella. (Just go with it. I’m hungry.) (But… HOW GOOD WOULD THAT BE? Melted Nutella?? I’m going to have to try that now.)
Anyway. You know the kind of sleep I mean. Well, last night, as I swam to the surface, I thought I heard a very angry baby crying. I was thinking, oh, someone is so not happy. They brought the child outside. But something didn’t sound quite right. The baby’s cry didn’t have that sort of inhale pause.
So I realized it was a cat. Normally, the Wonder Twins each take up a post at the foot of my bed, like matching gargoyles. They keep me safe at night. I start to think that it is one of the Wonder Twins. OMG. What if I left the inside door to the garage open and one of them is hurt!?! I felt around with my feet and felt the 2 solid lumps. Whew.
The crying was outside. And it wasn’t just crying. It was real-live horrific screaming and crying. The poor cat had to have been terribly hurt. Just crying and screaming and wailing. So loud. So forlorn. My heart was breaking. I thought I should get up and go see if I could find the poor little nugget. But, really. What would I do then?
The crying stopped. Whew. But no. Whatever had done the damage came back. There was one final loud cry. Then everything was quiet.
I have no idea what became of the little critter. Or what set the whole thing off.
But I do know that hearing that noise that reached into my head and heart is something I hope to never hear again. It was so tragic.
I get that wild things act like wild things and survival of the fittest and all that. But, JMJ. I gave each of the Wonder Twins an extra hard hug and extra smooch before going back to sleep. And then again before I left for work this morning. I know they sit in the window during the day and watch the world go by. And they might even want to go outside. But last night confirmed to me that having them inside, and spoiling them rotten, is the right decision. I can’t imagine one of them getting killed by something bigger and meaner and never really knowing what happened. Or having them come home, all skun up (skun? It’s a word.) (Yeah huh!) from fighting back. It would break my heart every day. I adopted them to love them.
And I hope to keep doing that for a long, long time.
RIP little wild nugget. I’m sorry it was such a painful death. 😦
Oh Hello! Come in. Sorry about the dust and cobwebs. I’ll tidy up. But have some pasta salad.
I haven’t been around. I didn’t have much to say for a while. Now it seems I have a whole bunch of things, and hope I remember all of it so I can get it down here.
Let’s see… Last Thursday, I participated in the UW Day of Caring by helping to beautify the local YMCA. Weeding, mulching, etc. It was a long day, with a lot of work, but I’m glad I did it. While I was weeding, one of the residents came over to “help” me. Recently, the city closed a YWCA, so there are women living there too. So, this resident that came over to help me – I never did get her name – was very nice. I’m pretty sure she was a little bit crazy, but she seemed nice enough. She was telling me about her huge house 2 towns over, and the house on the beach in another state. Yes, she lives at the shelter and goes to another shelter for her food. She has a 15-year-old daughter with whom she doesn’t get along.
Then she started telling me about her husband, and how he beat her. She worked 2 jobs while he went to school, so now he’s educated and she’s not. And for some reason, she seems to think she can’t go to school now.
While she’s telling me all this, part of me was screaming in my head – I JUST WANT TO WEED!! I CAN’T HANDLE ALL THIS INFO!! But I tried to be sympathetic and most of all, just listen. I think that’s what she wanted most of all. I know that much of what she said was probably not true. And that’s okay. She wanted someone to listen to her.
She must have thought I was nice, too, because she went inside and brought out Minnesota. What? Yeah, Minnesota is a kitten. Probably 6 months old. Double paws. White with 2 different color eyes. OH EM GEE. What a sweet little boy. She was very proud of her little boy.
So, I’ll admit that my initial reason for volunteering for DoC was to get the day off from work, and also to add to my list of volunteerism. That is now part of my annual review – how much I help in the community.
But after that day? I have a new perspective. It is very easy to see a homeless person and marginalize them; avert your eyes; walk by without “seeing” them. But they all have a story. They all have a past. They all came from somewhere. What’s that saying? There but for the grace?
I’m not saying that I’m going to go sign up to work with the homeless or volunteer at the shelter. But it’s nice to get a new perspective and to see things from outside my comfort zone once in a while. I appreciate what I have so much more.
Oh, hello! I haven’t been here in so long! You must be starved! I have a full breakfast buffet for you. Anything you want. Help yourself, or ask a server.
Part of the reason I haven’t been around is that I was sick of myself whining. OMG. Shut up already, self! So I wanted to be in a better mind-frame. Well, that and I really didn’t have anything to say. As usual. So here are some random things to tide you through.
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My brother, Herb, did something for me on Friday last that is going to change my life. (No, it’s nothing dirty. Gross, you pigs.) I asked him for a HUGE favor and felt like a HUGE asshole while doing it. For the very fact that my life had come to the point where I had to ask it. And, do you know what? He did it. With no questions. No judgement. No scorn. And because of what he so generously did, my life is about to get infinitely better. I won’t tell you what he did, or what I asked for, but I will tell you that right now, my big brother? Is my hero. Also, I have had 4 awesome days in a row! Big change for me and it’s all due to Herb’s awesomeness.
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I have become obsessed with the show “Lie To Me”, thanks to Netflix. I hadn’t watched it when it was first on, but I’m looking for it now. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about this guy, Cal Lightman, played by Tim Roth, and his company who analyze microexpressions on people’s faces to determine if they are lying and why. You know those times when you are talking to people and you think you see a flash of something on their face, but you don’t know what it is? These guys see it too and can tell you what it means. It’s so fascinating! Kelli Williams is in it too. IDK what else she has been in, but I find that I really like her acting. I’ve never seen Tim Roth in anything either, and find him odd, but I guess he’s perfect for the role. Check it out.
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So, on Twitter, there are always people giving something away. I’m pretty sure I bitched about it here before. (It’s how I roll.) But, evidently, I entered a giveaway by an actual person (not a company) for a Coach bag. Yesterday, I got an email from Sweetney LETTING ME KNOW I HAD WON!!! OMG! I was so excited!! I only vaguely remember entering the contest, so I’m not entirely sure what I did to win, but SQUEEEEEE!!! I was going to post a picture of it, but the security-nazis at work have mucked up wordpress, so I can’t. But I will when I get it. YAY!!! (And thank you again, Sweetney!!)
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The season of Celebrity Fit Club just ended, and whoda thunk that Kevin Federline would end up being my favorite. He seems like a pretty cool guy, especially when I was expecting a cocky, punk jerk. Most of them looked so much better. I still hate Nicole – what a biznatch!! But now I can look forward to the next round.
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OH! And speaking of reality “celebrities”…. Guess who started following me on Twitter? Kendra from Celebrity Rehab/Sober House, whatever. She followed me first. It’s my little brush with fame. So, I’m following her back. So far her tweets are very nice. I hope she stays sober.
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Okay. That’s it for now. I guess I should go to work.
MagAndMoo's Blog 