in my fridge

in my fridge there is an egg that looks like this:

Why?

Because that is the way my husband lets me know it's been boiled....

& is now, wait for it....

HARD.

npr junkie

yes, that is me. I listen to it all the time especially in the car.  But right now listening to it makes me want to spend time in the arms of a giant, fuzzy hippo.

I know hippos aren't fuzzy. I suppose that's why God sent me Rebs, who is. 

I love it! And the rest of him!

maybe

Q: Why do I get sick every 3 weeks or so?

A: Perhaps because this is my main food sources (note: untouched banana) & I work a lot....

I need a nap.  I cannot get sicker, only better because there is a retreat this weekend.  Must find some vitamin C... No, really must nap.

from my shiny, new facebook- about me:

1. I am a neat freak, not a clean freak. I don't really consider germs a problem since I can't see them.

2. I consider it an act of aggression when people show up early to an activity I'm involved in. Clearly, I won't be ready.

3. I like presents! Picture Rebs saying, "She really likes presents." with an eye roll.

4. "I'm always the hostess! When I was a little girl the kids brought their dollys to my tea parties! I served the best air!"  (If you know what this is from we should be best friends.)

5. I would rather be caught without pants than without mascara.

6. I use pet names for everyone, including myself - when I talk to myself, in my head they're said with a Southern accent. Right, Babycakes?

7. I read a lot. For fun. On purpose. A lot. Like several books a week. If you do not like to read don't tell me- I will equate it to you telling me you ran over your grandmother with a car.

8. I believe in fairytales. And miracles.

9. Want more deep thoughts & minutiae? I blog.  Yeah, I'm vain like that.

10. I like making lists & cookies & out (with my husband).

gratitude month

I always mean to celebrate Gratitude Month in November & write a card of thanks to someone special everyday. How many did I write last year: 2 This year: 0 

And that is just wrong when you think about how many wedding thank you's have yet to be sent. 

SIGH. There's always next year.

Yes, when I feel insecure about not having anything exciting to write I do attach unrelated & flattering photos of myself. Thanks for asking.

Look at that hair! Why, oh why did I cut it???

seriously

wow.

Rebs won't even let me wear the same color as him. 

He thinks the matching names & jobs are enough.

tired monkey

I am one. I was at my office today for 10 hours. Please note I did not say I was working for 10 hours because that is not the truth but I was there which meant:

I was not easy like Sunday morning.

I was not making banana pancakes with the husband.

I was not lying on a beach feeling the warm rays soak into my skin while the sound of the waves reminded me, "Peace. Peace." which is what waves always tell me.

I was not lying on the sunny spots of the carpet in my parents sunroom reading the Sunday comics.

I was not organizing my closet.

I was not getting the second & much-longed for facial of my life.

I was not hiking around tiny waterfalls or autumn flavored trees.

I was not reading poetry by Mary Oliver, Hafiz, or e.e. cummings.

I was not doing laundry.

I was not hanging out with my grandparents or my beautiful & crazy nephew, Cowboy.

I was not sitting in the hot tub.

I was not creating, shopping for, & making a healthy meal.

I was not sitting in a coffee shop & journaling.

I didn't even sit on the porch of my office & enjoy the great view there.

My point is two-fold:

1. I'm tired & about to eat chips & salsa for dinner.

2. I shouldn't complain because chances are on my next day off I won't do most of these things either.  I need to seize those days!!!

today

I am BraveHeart & my battlecry is  "FREEEE-DAHHHH!" I can't wait until Saturday.

Poor Rebs.

Now, I'm off to vote. Now, you go!

Word.

but on the bright side

SYNCHRONICITY!!!

Frida Kahlo's work is on display at the San Jose Museum of Art!!! Oh, wait as I was getting the link I realized that they don't actually have much of her work rather it is photographs of her. But that works too because I just watched the movie & read one of her biographies (including footnotes, I'm a dork.) & in general have been obsessed with Frida lately. YAY!!! I CANNOT WAIT to go check this out!

I do this. I get a bit crazy when I see a movie or read a book I like & them I want to find out EVERYTHING I can about that person (it's usually a person). Past bio-plunges have included: Truman Capote, Queen Elizabeth, Anne Boleyn, Evita, the Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Drew, Van Gough... & that's all that I can list off the top of my head.  

somethings that got me down today

are the following:

1. I went to return something at a store & a teenage girl was excitedly talking to a friend on her phone about finding colored jeans with zippers at the ankle.
   
2. This reminded me of running in above mentioned jeans in elementary school gym while our teacher played one of these 3 songs: La Bamba, Achy Breaky Heart, & the one by the Beach Boys that says, "Hey baby why don't we go..." & then lists a bunch of islands. Seriously, that was it. It must have been a very short mixed tape made by her one true love & she played it all the time. No wonder I hate running.
   
3. At the same store another girl was wearing IN PUBLIC the same pajamas I just bought only with rocket ships on them. IN PUBLIC & with imitation Uggs!  Do I even need to reassure you that I have officially graduated from said store & will not be shopping there again?
4. I saw a woman buy 2 tallboys for herself & a hot cocoa for her 5? 6? 7? year-old daughter  at a 7-11 & then proceed to light up a cigarette & begin screaming into a cell phone before getting in to a car with her daughter.

Perhaps I'm being too judgmental or perhaps I'm running with the wrong crowd but these things made me think, "What is the world coming too?"

Hoping, hoping that it will be coming to something AWESOME with tomorrow's election. Which leads me to the last & final thing that got me down.

5. I realized that instead of obsessively watching the election results come in tomorrow (preferably surrounded by friends, likeminded & otherwise at a local watering hole since we do not have a television with a connection to, well, TV) I'm supposed to be in a class that is only loosely related to what I am doing with my life, that I am attending under duress anyway, & for which there is no credit at the end. 

MORAL DILEMMA! I really, really want to skip.  I'l probably refer this decision to Rebs, my own personal, Jimminy Cricket.

But my vote will be my own.

throwback

to schooldays.  My BBF & I would write our notes to each other in a thin Crayola marker in a color that represented the boy we currently had a crush on, because, let's face it that was mostly what the notes were about. 

Today I wrote my to-do list in this color which was the color for a boy I had a crush on in 11th grade. We meet at a coffeehouse we spent every Friday night at. We never actually dated. Unrequited, you know.

I could go for some coffee now. My office is COLD!

i'm a bit of an addict

to comics strips.  This is one of my favorite ones. I'd put an example in here but I'm a bit worried about copyright laws.  Wait, it's not like I'm saying I wrote it right? Good point.  Here it is:

best junkmail ever

A few weeks ago I lost my favorite pen. Although it was a freebie from a funeral home & I'm not sure how I ever got it since I've never been to that funeral home it was a pretty blue & fit into my paw perfectly.

Today a fundraising company sent me a freebie of their product. A pen that is an even prettier blue WITH MY NAME lasered onto it. Maybe I won't lose this sucker.

YAY! 

It's the little things,  people.

Also, the ministry will not be selling or purchasing any pens anytime soon so my keeping the freebie is not a bribe.

bloggie pride

I am impressed with this whole thing. I am impressed I was able to format this enough for a beauty-lovin' Libra to feel satisfied for now. 

I consider myself quite a dumbo when it comes to any-beyond-the-basic computer skills but I have tenacity & have come up with some gypsy MacGyver solutions to do what I've wanted to do.

Yay me.

After all, I climbed a mountain in Thailand. With the help of this stick.

I really loved that stick.

pleasure center activated

I really, really like watching previews at movies or on DVDs.  I especially love it when there are so many & they are so good that I forget what movie I'm actually there to watch.  I can physically point to the part of my brain that feels joy when doing it.  I think it's the anticipation of future viewing.  

Mostly, I just like any kind of anticipating. I'm a bit too future-oriented. I wish I could be just as thrilled with the present moment.

But seriously, I would watch an entire DVD of previews & probably be just as happy as watching a real movie. 

clumsy monkey

Rebs & I were headed off to dinner at a friends. I had  a poopy day.  All we had to bring was some cookies- so easy.

But as I wrapped them in plastic wrap I accidentally pushed the plate off the counter.

I stamped off to cry a minute (not really about cookies) & Rebs, the good guy, came to hug me. Which was nice but then we missed the 2 Second Rule. 

I know, I know that doesn't apply to food you are taking over to someone else's house to eat.

We salvaged some cookies that had landed on other cookies. Rebs grabbed a floorcookie for the road.

I had to ask,  "Was it floorific?"

setting bar high for 29th

Yesterday was my birthday. It was my 27th but Rebs sent out the evite (yes, we still use those, really should hop on the Facebook train) with the title ---- Swanky 29th Birthday.  I made him print a retraction.  I think he really wants me to join him in the 30s club. All in good time.

But it was a FANTASTIC birthday! & now the bar is set VERY high for my real 29th. As my mom wrote in me card, "Enjoy your 29th birthday & this years too."

Anyway, I spent the day outside of my socioeconomic class (in a higher one, I don't know if it would be as fun if I spent time in a lower one).  I went to an amazing spa with a gift certificate left over from my bachlorette party.

Time out for trials of a short girl:

The spa doors were HUGE- like the doors to the Emerald City. I wrestled one open & then had to approach the desk. The desk was taller than my nose. I was wearing heels & still had to stand on my tip-toes to peek over & say, "Hi, I'm here for my appointment."  So intimidating.

Anyway, after that the spa situation improved immensely with a big fluffy robe, amazing facial, frivolous magazines, a hot tub, gorgeous showers with lots of expensive products. sigh. It was so relaxing. I could have stayed all day except the house wasn't ready to have people over. Next time (hoping there will be a next time) I will make sure I have the WHOLE DAY.

After the spa I shopped at Anthropologie for the first time in my life & fell in love. I also got this amazing & perfect dress for my birthday dinner. Plus it goes perfectly with my lavender wedding shoes. I've been looking for things that match them.

Then back to the casa to decorate with my fun neighbor J who volunteered to help.

Later, we met friends at one of my favorite restaurants & lots of people showed up including my beautiful nephew E-man. He's getting so big & was dressed in kid clothes instead of baby ones - he looked like people!  And he was happy & cuddly for the whole dinner.

Then people came over to our place. It was decorated beautifully & we had a cupcake bar. It was my idea & it was really fun. Now I want there to be a cupcake bar at all my parties. 

Later we played Catch Phrase, (my friend are a bit addicted) but by then I had had so much wine I couldn't track very well. I did my best & was slightly dozing surrounded by friends, cupcakes, presents, confetti, & Rebby. It doesn't really get better than that. 

Also 2 friends announced their engagement at the party! SO great! Rebs & I totally started the marrying trend. AND I'm taking credit for their meeting because without one of them volunteering at my youth ministry & thence helping with the Tahoe retreat they wouldn't have met. 

I've always wanted to be cupid.

I've always wanted to be anything that involved wings.

Maybe doesn't sound like the most exciting birthday but it was near perfect for me. Also it beat the socks off last year when I was: homeless, owned a melted car, it was a Wednesday, Andy didn't have time to hang out because he had a retreat the next day. :( 

Clearly, in comparison 27 is treating me GOOD.

And a final thought: this new anthropologie affair is going to be a problem.

oh yes

I bought these:

with money my parents sent for my birthday.

I'm wearing them right now.

Poor Rebs.  It's hard to turn to a girl with lust in your eyes & have to say the words, "Let me unzip you from your blanket sleeper."

get your talons off me you flat chested temptress

Background: 

I have not owned a TV since 2002.  By choice. And it was working for me.  More time to read, sleep, clean, socialize, dream, brainstorm, live.  I would watch movies on my laptop when the desire struck, in case you're wondering.

Until about June 1, 2007:

Rebs & I got our first apartment together. The move-in bonus for this place was a huge, flat screen, wall mounted TV.

My reaction to this news:

Can we get cheaper rent if we don't want it?

Rebs reaction:

Are you KIDDNG??? We WANT it!

And now we have it.  I have to admit watching movies on a screen that is bigger than a notebook is awesome.   Facial expressions do improve actor performances. All was going well. Rebs & I decided not to get cable & to only use the TV for movies & Mario Party.

But then:

JJ (our neighbors) lent me Season 1 of Ugly Betty.  

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? WHAT WAS I THINKING? I know how I am. I know how addictive I can get.  And having a whole season of a TV show at my fingertips after such a long hiatus is like giving a famine survivor a Trader Joe's gift card & a loft above the frickin store.

But really I think famine survivors should get this & I would like to give it to them.  I do not think I should get back into TV watching.

It's not like I haven't fallen off the trolley before. There was the Season 1 of Lost incident where Rebs & I didn't sleep for about 3 weeks after my old roommate hooked us up. Having a whole season at your fingertips really is like crack. Especially these shows that end each episode with a cliff hanger. 

Or do all TV shows do that? 

On purpose?

That's so devious! AND obvious now that I think about it.

Thank God, Rebs gave up all TV viewing for Lent that year & that snapped us out of it. (This was back when he was living in a TV'd house.) 

Please, Lord, help me. I want my life back.