Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday Favorites

I hopped aboard the VentHardNow Train yesterday, and now it's time to hop off and head for that greener pasture. It's time for optimistic, numbered joy-sharing. Friday Favorites, sponsored by Janna Bee (in her words, "Friday Favorites are the things that got us through the week, big and small.") Lezzgo.


1. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, policeman and firemen and civil servants have the roughest, most thankless jobs for which we should be MOST thankful. And I really am**.

2. So, this is a makeup post, then? (No!) You felt a little bad, though, right? (Yep.)

3. My husband.

4. Gifted French Truffles from my adorable Aging Asian Yogi.

(Yes. They are open now.)

5. All the new Followers* of Fingers&Paws. Strap yourselves in!

6. Black Mountain Pinot Noir.
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7. The nursery at the gym. See #4. And every previous post referencing Thin Mints.
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8. Ad-hoc post-meeting Happy Hour with the girls, where I picked up the phrase, "That REALLY flipped my pancake". Also, much sex talk. Also, $2 drafts.
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9. Being a guest poster at What It's Like to Be Mie on Tuesday.
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10. Coming up with a brilliant, enlightening post for my 100th post.. which is coming up next week. (Finally. The Kevin Costner post.)
:

IF I come up with something brilliant for OMW's Friday Fiction, I'll post it for the weekend. Let's ask the Magic Eight Ball...

"Looks doubtful."


* Capitalizing F makes you sound like Disciples, and I PROMISE that is the furthest thing from this raised-good-Catholic-and-still-tries-hard-to-make-Mass-though-lack-of-a-nursey-and-screaming-toddler-just-does not-work Mom.
** I have a lot of people in my life that have dedicated their careers and lives to serving the needs of others in the form of federal government, law enforcement, intelligence, and .. my Mom. They can never know how much I appreciate and admire them.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Writer's Workshop: Crime and Punishment

Mama Kat's Writing Workship (workship? What is that? Are we all out to sea? A ship you work on? Like a navy ship?) Workshop chosen prompt:
4.) What inspired you? Write about a time when you were impassioned to write.
(writingfix.com)

Dear Mr. F'x County Police Officer Who Gave Me a Parking Ticket In Front of My Own House Last Week:

I understand there is a budget shortfall the likes of which you've never experienced in the County. I understand better than anyone Sir, because I bought a HOUSE in this County. That makes me a TAXPAYER. That means I pay YOUR salary. And just because harsh reality bites, and there is no more money in the police budget for doughnuts, it does NOT mean you get to go around ticketing random cars. In the rain. At 7:30PM at night. All sneaky, when we didn't see you do it and the useless dogs didn't alert us to the moonlight sanity RAID.

It was bad enough peeling the wet ticket(s) off our TWO cars that were sporting TWO tickets... God forbid we see any curtains peeled back for idle snickering from neighbors.

We had a lot of SNOW last week, and our road was covered in the white fluffy stuff ALL DAY because the COUNTY did not come to plow it. This has been the case the past two winters, and up until now, has been acceptable. Because I did not have to PAY to park in front of my own HOUSE. This is no longer acceptable.

Honestly, if I saw you do it, I think we would have had a raucous laugh:
"Oh, what in the world do you think you're doing? I live here, Sir!"
"Oh, ma'am, do you live here? What a nice place. Listen, I need ya to swing her around for me."
"Swing her around?"
"You're parked facing the wrong way."
(Here, I would pause, with a half smile creeping over my face.)
"Oh, you're KIDDING! You don't ACTUALLY spend POLICE time keeping track of which way people are parked in their NEIGHBORHOODS, when bad guys are out there STEALING CARS and FIRING UNLICENSED WEAPONS! Right?"
"Ha, ha. Yes, ha, ha. Got me. I was only joshing. But it woulda sucked if I'd given ya a ticket! Yeppers!"

That could have, would have, and should have, been a funny story for my blog. INSTEAD, I am forced to write this nagging letter explaining to you why you are wasting valuable tax dollars using up gas to patrol around looking for CRIMINAL PARKING ACTIVITY.

Because this crime was so ludicrous in nature, and because other crimes I have committed that went unpunished were SO MUCH WORSE, I have decided to write my Congressman and tell him that we need you to direct traffic at the preschool for the next nine years.

Sincerely,

Mad, Mad Ma'am

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Spin on Surviving Madmen in March

A recent, actual conversation involving college basketball, about which my husband feels more passionately than the three S's virtually anything:

Me: "So you must be pretty psyched about the Tournament this year, huh?"
Husband: "YES."
Me: "And if we win all our games, leading up to the Final Four?"
Husband: [quivering] "YES! Very excited."
Me: "And our TV will be only allowed on...."
Husband: "College basketball, baBY!"
Me: "And what if we are IN the Final Four? Where is it this year... in Texas, right?"
Husband: [pause] "Yeah. Right. In Texas North."
Me: "Texas Nor..."
Husband: "Otherwise known as Detroit."
:

So, where's the survival part?--I'm being totally serious here, I finished the last sleeve of Thin Mints while my husband was working late. Then I emailed him to let him know.

Payback is hell.

For newer, shinier Survival stories from the street, visit Jen at Sprite's Keeper!

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St. Patty's Day Post

Today I'm guest poster (3/17/09) at What It's Like to Be Mie. Mie graciously asked me to guest post in honor of her Terrible Two-year old Blogoversary. I think this is a fantastic accomplishment and cannot imagine why she would allow me to take over her blog for the day. But! It's her party and she can cry (later) if she wants to. Plus, she's a nurse, and can likely handle any minor skin irritations I present.

Getting started, we've already established that I am:
guest posting, right. And as a circus poodle, I'm prone to any number of entertaining qualities (keep it clean, fine readers!) Though, you would not believe the porn out there when "Kiss Me" is typed into Google Images. Suffice it to say, those ladies didn't even look Irish.

It's a good thing poodles are hypo-allergenic, because Mie is having issues with her allergies right now. I would not want to send her into a sneezing fit!

Anyhoo! I promised poetry, already provided pictures, and perhaps a peck of alliteration prose. Since it is St. Patrick's Day, a limerick (or two) seems most appropriate.

There was a young lass called Mie
Who caught the blog bug and named Me
Her guest poster du jour
By consequence I adore
Her every word, post, tweet and feed!

St. Patrick's Day came with a hurry
Spring attempting to chase away flurries
Wear some green, if you dare
Don't get pinched anywhere
Bottoms up that Guinness in a fury!

Mie's blog is about to turn TWO
It is read by the masses, and you.
We celebrate her success
But to come is the best
When it's back to Mie crafting, adieu!

Kiss Me, I'm Guest Posting!

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Monday, March 9, 2009

Tuesday's Random Thoughts

It's so totally random that Keely chose Tuesdays to share random weekly thoughts. It's all part of her master plan. Go check out the other RTT posts.

Why are oyster crackers called oyster crackers? Do they contain evaporated oyster juice? Do you have to have them with oysters? Was the inventor just looking for a catchy cracker-phrase, and happened to be eating oysters at the time?

Every time I gain a new Follower, I feel as if I have a new best friend lease on life. The highest of the highs. Everything is coming together, exactly as it should. I am where I am meant to be. The sky is blue, the sun is shining. And then I go back and read my last post and think, "what are they thinking?"

When I see that a fellow blogger is holding a giveaway, and that they chose their winner based on a Random Number Generator, I always, without fail, think to myself, "Why didn't they just ask me? I can pull random out of my ____!"

You can't always get what you want. But if he could, I'm pretty sure my husband would quit his job, forward his phone, toss his laptop, hole himself up in front of a large HDTV and watch the entire college basketball post-regular season including every conference tournament and NCAA tournament coverage non-stop without eating. This scares me.

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue. When will we get out Of this economic gloom?

Apparently, I have a deep-seated sense of entitlement about Girl Scout Cookies (don't worry, it doesn't go further than that.) At Trader Joe's this weekend, the little cherubs were camped outside, calling directly to me as I left the store. I bought a make-up box of Thin Mints, (and makeup Tagalongs) which I proceeded to plow through even before arriving back home. Note: when I said you can't always get what you want, I did not mean me. As I type this, I'm finishing my husband's Tagalong.

Wait, not ready to dump that subject yet. Last time I mentioned my pummeling of a box of Thin Mints in three days, I got "amateur." "Shows restraint." "Talk to me if it's three hours." What I failed to mention, joyful commenters, is that after said Thin Mints, I finished an entire bag of Mint Milanos, package of frozen cookie dough (had help there), and nearly the balance of playgroup brownies that my husband didn't off.

One of my Asian Yogis gave me a present after class today! As I took the shiny gift bag from the adorably sweet 76-year old, I had the thought that it could be a bag of rancid bananas, and I would still be so touched and thrilled. (It wasn't. Apparently even my Asian Yogis know about my growing addiction. See below.)

Doesn't this just describe your addictions perfectly? It does mine!

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Sunday, March 8, 2009

Joy Is.. Hungry, Hungry Hippos

I feel like I haven't posted in DAYS. That's because I haven't. Count your blessings.
But! I am a total freak and had to share why. Yesterday, it was 70 degrees after a millennium of cold, freezing dreariness. I don't know how my Irish ancestors dealt with clouds. So I'm coming home from Trader Joe's avoiding the return home back to my visiting mother-in-law, taking a detour to take further advantage of free babysitting and rolled down all the windows, opened the sunroof, cranked up the Yes song that was on XM ("Roundabout",) not generally a groovin' & cruisin' song, but hey. This is my high that we're on. And I proceeded to sing, careen around corners, unable to see for the hair blowing in my face, and swerve around children it was grand.

In other joy news, we are lucky to have a kick-a** zoo down the road, where the elephants are trained, good sports that they are. Joy is... being a kid again while watching your own revel in his youth. Amazing, these giant ton-weighing hippos eat the same thing for snack as we do: apples!

There were also gorillas and orangutans hanging from the rafters.Speaking of apes, don't miss watching Dook crumble under the pressure of our Carolina Tarheels this afternoon! A more suited rival we couldn't have..

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Friday, March 6, 2009

Friday Favorite: Loyalty

(Today's photo on Pictures, Poetry and Prose is mine!) Thank you Laura Jayne! Here is how it inspired me:

Soulful
and appeasing
Dying to be
Pleasing
Please, toddler,
Stop teasing
I really want to rest.

To avoid all the
Wheezing
And cold outside
(It's FREEZING)
Carpe Diem, my
Seizing
Gazing up: you're the best.

I intended to do an entire list, but, in his quiet resilience to all that is hardship, his undying love for his patron Toddler, and his steadfast sureness of foot and playful of heart, I give you.. my Echo.
Friday Favorites is sponsored by Janana Bee, check her out! And her cool button:


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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Writer's Workshop: All of That and More

Start: 10:18 PM
My evening was pulled out from underneath me through no fault of my own because I procrastinate. Something about a college basketball game, tomorrow's playgroup brownies being attacked by my husband (guess he's bitter about the Thin Mints), and a Lifetime movie based on a book I just finished (Memory Keeper's Daughter. SKIP IT. READ THE BOOK.) That's right. Lifetime. We ALL watch it. Only I admit it.

Check out Mama Kat's Writing Workshop, rocking it on Wed. night! The prompts:

1.) Write a limerick; 2.) Normal is...
There was an attention-starved Lady from Normal
Dressing up and then down for the formal
Pretty lace that she wore
Fluttered fast to the floor
With the help of the gent who had scorned her.

3.) Describe a memorable camping experience.
Set up the tent two feet from the banks of a gushing river in CO, thinking that would be a nice sleep aid. It kept me up ALL NIGHT because I kept having to pee.

4.) What's the best thing that has happened this week?
I went with my 21-mo old toddler to a friend's house to play this morning. It's been a rough week, he's getting over his fifth ear infection and was a total peanut-sized a**-- train wreck every day. One or two of the days I'm pretty sure he was trying to kill me. This wore on my nerves and started to grind me down, causing me to revert to my childhood where things were solved by yelling, making menacing faces and exasperated, drawn out sighs.

This friend was a quiet, calming influence, everything smooth, nothing is that big of a deal. Her daughter is a quiet, calm sweetheart. In one powerful moment, I saw my child growing up to be a yelling tyrant if I didn't change my actions and - more important, equal and opposite reactions. Starting today and everyday thereafter. And that's what I've done. I brought the savasana back to our daily lives. Focus on the breath.

5.) Did you have a childhood hideout? Where? Describe it.
My diary.


6.) Words that hurt me.

I'm a red-headed, fiery-tempered, mostly Irish, partly (1/12th) Cuban, youngest of three, female Scorpio... everything bothers me!

(But what doesn't kill you... makes you smarter.)

End: 10:48PM

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Monday, March 2, 2009

Random Tuesday Memes

And thoughts. Vodka Mom passively-tagged everyone to post 10 Random Things about themselves, as she did (in 8.) This fits perfectly with Keely's Tuesday Random Thoughts. I realize I posted my 25 Random Things meme just a month ago, but if I hadn't said that, you'd never have known. Plus, this one is intended to make you laugh. Let's see.

randomtuesday

1. When I was 10, I was skiing all day with a friend near where I grew up in Upstate NY. I had to go to the bathroom very badly, but was stuck in the middle of the mountain, waiting for her. Since it really helped me to do the "pee dance" when I had to go even now as a kid, I wriggled and wriggled my butt back and forth, trying to focus my attention on my skies instead. So, I was bent over, literally wriggling my ass off , when I heard shouts from behind. I turned and was astonished to see the entire lift line above me, previously undetected, laughing their asses off.

2. Continue the theme. The thing that freaked me out the most when I was pregnant was, henceforth after the delivery, peeing a little when I laughed. I read this in one of those make-you-laugh-even-though-pregnancy-is-way-freaking-harder-than-anyone-warned-you books. An easy thing to obsess over!

3. Just after we'd adopted our two crazed, mentally-unstable, anxiety-ridden but adorable Labrador retriever mixes mutts Meritage blends, my husband, in grad school and "studying" from home, brought them to meet me for lunch. We tied them to the leg of my stool, where we were sitting outside the sidewalk cafe. When a man slammed his door shut a very scary 10 feet away, both dogs FLIPPED out and bolted, knocking me off and dragging said stool behind them. The line snapped, the stool bounced off of a nearby (newly dented) Explorer and the dogs went running around downtown Charlottesville. Traffic stopped, I ran after Echo, hubby ran after Cayuga, passersby pointed. "That way!" I nearly despaired several times, broke down to a traffic cop, followed the pointing. Broke down again, ran more, nearly got struck by several vehicles. And FOUND THEM. Scared, but safe.

4. I'm tired after all that running. Love Thai, hate Brussels sprouts.

5. I finished an entire box of Girl Scouts Thin Mints in three days while my husband wasn't home. (That's not funny, is it? That's disgusting.) 'S ok, I weigh less now than before my child was born and before my wedding in 2003.

6. This past Saturday, at the kid yoga class that I teach, we had an energizing, somewhat chaotic class and were in the middle of our imaginary "trip" to the "Magic Forest." Since it was Magic , anything was game. One kid said a frog prince. Another, a princess. A talking horse. Then, there was a quiet beat and one little girl said with a deep sigh, "a BED?"

7. I have very poor vision (-7.0) that only gets worse. I have always been self-conscious of this. At my last eye exam, I lead the witness teased my eye Doc that I was legally blind, "Right?" He said, carefully, "well.. the definition of legally blind is that you are not able to see 20/200 without correction. But you can be corrected!" Sweet.

8. Between this blog, your blog(s), comments, email, comments to email, Craiglist, freecycle, cyber stalking, trading alerts, playgroup reminders, writing, editing, re-writing, Mom's club listservs, "Hookah Times", Nigerian email scams, Facebook alerts and my Mom, I could spend all day long on the internet. And usually do.

9. For a short time, I worked at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. One day, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg* made a surprise visit and the Director at the time asked me to take some photos of her around the grounds--incognito, as a tourist. This after several other employees turned down this hot, sought-after job. He handed me a disposable camera, and I started hiding, like regular paparazzi. When I spotted secret service types in the bushes spotting me, I turned the camera around and acted like I was taking my own self-portrait. To make this act more believable, I half-heartedly joined a group of tourists grouped, listening to a guide.. I never figured out if it was Japanese they were speaking.

10. Growing up, we had a wood-paneled Chrysler station wagon which, by the time I was 11, only had one door that was operational - the driver's side. Various incidents and accidents, mostly my Mom, were responsible, including the time my brother left the back left door open and she backed out of the garage, wrenching the door beyond its flex. Once crammed shut, never to open again. Thus, every time we went somewhere, we'd climb in and hop over seats. This is also the car whose engine we discovered a raccoon hiding out in. We kept him and named him "Bandit." (True story. I fed him hot dogs.)

* NOte: UNauthorized use of her name. She did really visit, and is a lovely person. But doesn't like cameras.

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Surprise! Snow Fear


I wasn't going to post this morning (see Friday.) But a wondrous thing happened:

Snow Fear

Splashes of blue upon a white canvas, daybreak, cantilevered light
Snow bunnies buried in nests, look about. Then hiding in fright
Gusting, swirling and gusting, blinding with wind and with white

A pile so thick our door stays shut, Nor'easters' lesson: snowed in like King Tut
The risk exists that one little twist makes me a blissful nut:
We're very well stuck here all day, it would seem, caught in a veritable rut.

Change the outcome, realign the maligned focus, treat it like non-annoy
Channel the innermost memories and remedy the way for childlike joy
A huge red sled, two siblings and gravity pulling us down with a ploy.

Screams and shouts of happiness, ignoring wet and cold at our peril
Fresh tracks and smiles, memories solidified, forever with me carrying
Savor moments as these in perpetuity, forever etched, ne'er impaired.

Bundle up my love, and enjoy uncomplicated paradigm of Play
The sheer, unadulterated joy of a young child's first Snow Day.


(The sun has come out since I've composed this. Can't wait to devour this with the 35 mm!)

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