A Two Weeks In A Row Friday Why Files!

WHY #1: Why do the little things always mean so much? I am thoroughly ecstatic today, because I was able to get my Inbox at work below 30 emails. It's been sitting between 180 and 300 this last month, so I consider this quite a feat. And now I will do a little happy dance of joy. I know you can't see it, but I'm sure you can picture it. If not, here is a brief pictorial for your enjoyment.





WHY #2: Why do some celebrities still believe "there's no such thing as BAD publicity?" YES, THERE IS. I'm pretty sure of it.

WHY #3: Why can't we keep our spinach clean? I can't live without my salads. *sniffle*

WHY #4: Why is this such a short Why Files? (because I have too much work to do!)

And that concludes Today's Friday Why Files. Happy Long-Weekend to all my US and Canadian Bloggy Friends!

Reach Out, Reach Out and Touch Someone... but not literally.

Ever since our class reunion this past weekend, I've been thinking about what a crappy job I do at staying in touch with people. Yes, our family is crazy busy with a million little things... but it makes me really sad that there are so many people I've just "lost." Even worse, many of those people live relatively close to me.

I pride myself at how well I manage email, how quickly I respond to people at work... but my personal email is turning into nothing but adverts and subscriptions. BORING. But why would I expect to RECEIVE emails if I rarely INITIATE them?

So here is my August resolution (I can have a resolution in August... I don't have to wait for New Year's, because I'm just cool that way!):

* I resolve to keep in contact with friends via email, via blog, whatever it takes. There's no excuse for me to go for more than a week without blogging.

* For my truly, close friends, I resolve to call at least once a week.

* For my friends who are separated by distance, I resolve to email at least once a month.

That should be a good start, don't you think?

What about you? Do you have a knack for staying in touch with your friends, old and new?

We Partied Like It Was 1987... but not really.

The reunion was fun... the informal night was better than the formal night, but that's to be expected. Saw a lot of people I hoped would come. Learned that I don't look as old as I think I do. I suppose that's a good thing. The Farm Boy was a total trooper. I owe him big time.

Quick quiz!

While at the reunion, I learned that one of my former classmates is now a(n):

a) doctor
b) lawyer
c) teacher
d) famous adult web site star
e) all of the above


Yep... lots of talent in our class, I must say.

And a question for you... is it completely narcissistic of me to be more thrilled that I had a good hair day for the dinner/dance than I was in reconnecting with some old friends??? Yeah? I thought so, too. So, umm... I guess I wasn't actually more thrilled about the hair, but it was a close second. ;-)

That's all I have... it was okay and fun at times, but nothing much really to post about.

A Could It Really BE... Friday Why Files

I'm awake early on my day off, so what else would I be doing? Yeah. The Friday Why Files. I don't even know how long it's been since I've done one of these, and I'm WAY too lazy to look it up.

WHY #1: Why, if I keep a stack of sticky notes, a journal for jotting down thoughts and doodles, AND a digital voice recorder, a Crackberry, and other digital handhelds, do I not use them to keep track of all the blog post ideas I've had in the last month? I've HUNDREDS (okay, maybe TENS) of ideas... all shot to hell, because I didn't jot them down or speak into a little red circle recorder to store them for later. Gah. I'm an idiot. I'm sure they all would have been pure gold, too. ;-)

WHY #2: Even though I've vowed never to discuss her parents, why do I see pictures of little Suri and just smile? Well, I guess you'd be that adorable, too, if you were genetically engineered by aliens. But you have to admit she's cute.

WHY #3: SPIN Rage? Wha? Huh?

WHY #4: Wh... uh, hmm. This one just makes my brain hurt. A man embarrassed by the size of his own manhood asks brother to secretly take his place. During sex. Yep. Hilarity Criminal charges to follow.

WHY #5: Did you see this score? 30-3? Although it looks like a minor trouncing in football, it's actually a record-breaking baseball score. Yes, baseball. The interesting part is the Orioles scored 3 in the first 3 innings. The Rangers were scoreless until the 4th. Maybe this is less of a WHY and more of a "HOW do you lose 30-3 in baseball when you're up 3-0???"

And this concludes today's Friday Why Files.

Where Does the Time Go?

I'm still in shock at how busy things are at work. My work year always has it's peaks and valleys, but there's not a valley in my sights right now. Gargh. Without looking back, I can't even tell you when I last posted here. This makes me a Sad Frump.

So, again... here's a quick list of stuff on my mind, since I don't have time for anything else.

1. Humidity sucks. I have stick-straight hair... I work hard to make it look "decent." And it does. Until I walk outside. I've worn my hair in an up-do more than I care to think about lately. Bring on fall weather, please!

2. I don't know why, but I can't stop craving sushi. I would eat sushi every day if I had the chance. We've had sushi probably 5 times in the last two weeks. Even the Bobblehead* was eating some sushi on the Food Network last night. Not helping the cravings.

3. People who have never lived through the destruction of a tornado do not understand the urgency of taking shelter immediately after a warning is announced. Yes, Farm Boy, this means YOU. We were lucky during this last storm... no tornado, but it was one hell of a storm. We were driving through 70-80 mph wind gusts. Scary.

4. I'm sort of looking forward to my class reunion this weekend. There are a lot of people I can't wait to see.

5. Farm Boy joined a gym. He wants me to join, and I'm all for it... unless it's a bunch of "plastics" who go at the same time I do. I left my last gym for that reason. When I go to a gym, I don't want to worry about what I look like... I just want to work out. If I have to get on an elliptical next to Barbie Anorexic with the DD implants, I'm sooooo outta there.

That's all I've got for now. I have a day off on Friday to help College Daughter move into her dorm, and then I'll be readying myself for the reunion activities (read here: try not to look older than I actually am). At any rate, it should be good for a few posts... that is, if I have time to post anything!

Over and out.


*You know who she is.

Catching Up...

Huzzah! The busiest work week of the year is past me. W00T! I might actually be able to post and read blogs again on a regular basis. Imagine that. Here's a quick peek into my brain today:


1. Thanks to those of you who gave me such fabulous suggestions for my day off this coming Monday. I decided, since the weather is so BLAZING hot and thus would prevent any outdoor activities, that I would spend some time at a day spa. I will be the recipient of a fabulous 90 minute massage. Yes. 90 minutes. That should be sheer heaven. Also on the menu is a much needed mani/pedi. Can't wait!!


2. Could this weather be a little more miserable, please? *insert sarcasm here* It's been 95 degrees F or higher with insanely high dew points... pretty much feels like you're walking around in a steam room.


3. We finally bought a new fridge. The old one was somewhat broken... it kept food cold, but mostly froze everything on the bottom shelves. Ever had a frozen head of lettuce? Yikes. Oh, and it leaked a lot, too. Yay. Old and busted fridge is gone. New fridge is in. So, the Farm Boy insisted we take a picture of it. (Sometimes, he scares me.) He even made me pose like an idiot in front of the new fridge. Trust me, under that purple blockhead is the cheesiest grin I can manage. It's a pretty cool (no pun intended) fridge. I would have preferred stainless steel, but that wouldn't match the rest of the kitchen. Oh, well.

4. I'm extremely depressed about my reading progress. Usually by this time of year, I've finished about 25-30 books. So far this year: 15. A stinking 15! It took me 6 weeks to finish my last book, mostly because I rarely had more than 5 minutes or so to devote to reading on any given day. How am I going to read 35 more books by the end of the year? Yeah. It's probably not going to happen. Gah. So depressing.

5. Daughter #1 learned yesterday that she will actually get to live on campus! Super W00T! We'd been told all spring and summer that housing was unavailable-- that she was on a huge waiting list and wouldn't be able to get a room. I was worried that she'd have to live at home and would have a tougher time getting involved in campus life. However, a room opened up yesterday, and she's in. She moves in a couple of weeks. Talk about last minute, but I'm not going to complain. She thinks I want to kick her out of my house; I just want her to be able to experience college life to the fullest. If she lived at home, it would be too much like going to high school... with a longer drive. I think I'm more excited for her new housing than she is. :-)

6. Daughter #2 and I went to Target tonight for the annual back-to-school purchasing. She starts on Monday. BUT... we couldn't find a "cute" book bag. I found several really cool book bags that would be sturdy enough... tons of pockets and cool features. Nope. Not "cute" enough. Gah. I'll be so glad when we're not 14 anymore. So, we purchased everything but a "cute" book bag, AND... I spent less than $100. I have to note these times (for posterity or something), because we rarely ever get out of Target for under $100. In fact, lately we're lucky to get out of there under $300. I love Target. So. Much.

Probably should stop with six list items... but I can't.

7. The Farm Boy and I went to Chipotle this week. It's been a loooooooooooooong time since we've gone. I got that little nervous, giddy feeling in my stomach right before we walked in. Can one have a crush on a burrito? I think "yes." One can, and one does. It was so superly tasty-licious! Of course, I couldn't finish my whole burrito (and I even asked for half the rice), but it was so worth it! I do have to mention, however, that this particular franchise is on my naughty list. This was only my second Chipotle venture in a matter of months, and both times this particular franchise had an "Out of Order" note on the Diet Coke. No other diet soda available. Boo. One cannot enjoy one's burrito with a cup of water... or lemonade. Blech. If it happens again, I might have to get cranky with them. (Or maybe just bring my own bottle of DC with me. )

Okay. Seven list items is a good place to stop. Happy Weekend!

Tell Me What I Want... (what I really really want)...

Instead of whining (again) about how busy I am, I have decided that I should come to you, O Friends of the Bloggy Cosmos, for ideas of what I should/could do to de-stress. After my "two weeks in hell" are over, I will take a day or two off (a Monday and possibly a Tuesday) for mental health.

Please send me your recommendations for my mental health day(s) via the comments. There's always the fall-back massage or pedicure (massage AND pedicure would be nice, too)... but I'm betting you all have amazing ideas that my brain is not capable of conjuring at this moment in time.

There are limited funds, of course... and because I have children, I probably can't jet off to Paris... or even anywhere outside the burgeoning metropolis I call home. Those are your limits, but you can go crazy with the rest of the details.

Thanks for playing.

Detonation in Three, Two, One...

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!



Sorry... had to get that out before I exploded.


Am having busiest season of all time at that PLACE THAT SHALL NOT BE BLOGGED ABOUT*. It will all be over in two weeks, but all the same... I feel like jumping off a cliff. I hate this time of year.

On top of that, was offered my dream job, but had to turn it down. Because.Of.Money. Gah! If it were even close, I would have jumped on it, but it would have been substantially less money. With Daughter #1 starting college in a month (and three more to follow in only a few years)... no way. Even if we didn't have a child starting college, we couldn't have done it. Can I just say how much that sucks? I have literally trapped myself in this income bracket... yes, there are a lot of sacrifices we could make, but those would be sacrifices that we ALL would have to make, not just me. Plus... I'm approaching 40... is it practical to go back to the scrimping and saving and scraping by that I did in my 20s? I don't think it is. I need to be practical and think about retirement and other responsible crap like that. Gah. This SUUUUUUCCCCCKS. Oh, well. C'est la vie.

I think someone has it in for me. ** Busiest, most stressful time of work ever, PMS, and shifting weather fronts which have the tendency to give me migraines. I'm going to be such a peach this coming week!

Okay. Ending self-pity party now.




So, how was YOUR week? ;-)


On a much lighter and more fun-like note, here is my Simpsons avatar. You can make yours at the Simpsons Movie site. Please to enjoy.









* I know it's grammatically incorrect, but I really don't give a rat's bum this time.


** Of course, not really. But maybe. Perhaps?

A HodgePodge of Nothing Remotely Related...

I don't have one specific topic for today, so here are the thoughts that have been crossing my mind lately...

I think my mirror-image is more attractive than my real image. My face is ever so slightly asymmetrical, and it definitely appears to be better looking in the mirror. This is the reason that I can be fully satisfied with how I look while I'm in front of the mirror and getting ready, and so completely horrified when I see myself in pictures. Perhaps I will invent a device that only allows people to see my mirror-image.... or else I will just walk around with a bag over my head for the rest of my life. Said bag, of course, would be square and purple.

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I know how Harry Potter ends. And I'm not telling ANYONE. ;-)

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These are my cute new shoes. They go really well with my suit that has super long pants. I loved that the peep toes show my perfectly nicely adequately pedicured toes today. Or something like that.

Is This A Sign???

My lucky bamboo plant is dying. The same plant that I've had for over three years and which has grown and flourished. It used to look like this.

Now it looks more like this:



I am sad. :-(

A Bookseller's Dream....

I have a queue of seven books right now (eight, if you count the one I'm reading). I rarely let them pile up beyond four at time, but I can't stay away from Barnes & Noble lately. And if I walk in the store... I. Must. Buy. Something. It's a sickness, really.

I'm so hooked on reading, and I always have been. There's a website called What Book Got You Hooked... if you login and write a quick note about the book that hooked you, you can help your state (US only, I think) win 50,000 books or something. Click and find out.

Better yet, leave me a comment and tell ME which book(s) got you hooked on reading. I know I don't have just one, and I probably won't remember all of them, but here are some of mine:


Shel Silverstein's Where The Sidewalk Ends
Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever
Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal
The Paddington Bear series
The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring (do you really need the links?)
The Little House series... yes, including Farmer Boy


I'll stop now; otherwise, this list will be longer than any of my posts to date. Those on the list only represent my pre- and early elementary/primary school favorites. We haven't even touched the Judy Blume years. Or Narnia. Or John Saul. hahaha

Tell me yours!

Random nothingness... and a LIST!

Apparently, I can't add a title to this post. What's up with THAT, Blogger???

I've decided just to post about random nothingness, because I don't want to be a downer. So, instead of blogging about anything going on in my life, I'll just blog about a whole lot of nothing. Of course that means LISTS will be involved. W00T!

Today's list:

Completely Inappropriate and/or Unexplainable Crushes -- these are not people I drool over or would even necessarily want to meet; just have a little tiny crush on them. The Farm Boy need not be worried.

I know I'm not the first person to do this.... I'm pretty sure metalia had one at some point, but I'm far too lazy stressed out and busy right now to go find the link. :-)
*Okay, scratch that. I found the link. Here are metalia's five weird crushes.

And now... here is my list.

1. Nick Simmons, offspring of the Lord of Rock himself, Gene Simmons. We'll call this one inappropriate, because he's far too young for me... but he's very clever and witty. Never seen or heard of him before? Watch one episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewels, and perhaps you'll understand.

2. Hugh Grant. I don't think he's hot or anything; I found him rather pathetic after hooking up with Divine Brown whilst he was in a relationship with Liz Hurley... so let's call this one unexplainable. There's something about him that makes me watch his movies. Yes, even Music & Lyrics. Yes, he really sang in that movie, too. Yes, I'm embarrassed now that I have divulged this one.

3. James Earl Jones. Definitely unexplainable. I think it's the voice. And that's all I have to say about that.

4. Harry Potter. I know. Totally inappropriate and way too bandwagon. Again, I'm not drooling over him, nor am I trolling the internetz for his Equus pics (even though I'm sure my daughters are). I'm not even going to type his real name, because I should just go crawl in a hole right now.

5. Jason and Grant from Sci Fi's Ghost Hunters. Again, unexplainable. It's probably more Jason than Grant (I like grumpy bald guys???), although I do love to hear Grant say, "What the frig?" everytime something possibly paranormal happens. What the frig??? How cute is THAT?!?! hahahaha Anyway, I love that show, so that's the only thing I can come up with as an excuse.

6. 1950's Bobby Darin. Both inappropriate and unexplainable. Inappropriate because I hadn't yet been born during that time, and unexplainable because Bobby is up in that great nightclub in the sky. Although... who knows. This could be the start of a whole new list-- dead guys upon whom I have little crushes. Hmmmm....

Maybe I should stop while I still have a little dignity left. What's that? I have NO dignity left? Okay. *ahem* Well, thanks for stopping by. Guess I'll head back down into that hole now...

A Downer of A Return...

Overwhelmed.

That's what I am. I can't even begin to list all the crap that's weighing on my mind. The sad thing is that I have some time to deal with things right now, but there's so much to do that I don't even know where to begin.

I wish I could say that our vacation was helpful, but not really. The conference I attended in Atlanta was okay, but not great.

Ever been in the place where you stare at the ceiling in the morning, dreading what awaits you as soon as you get out of bed? I'm not depressed. Honest. There's just TOO MUCH stuff. I've even tried delegating, but ha. ha. HA! Not helping.

GAH. I hate being in this place.

So yay... I'm back. Sorry it's not more cheerful. I'm sure I'll be back to my grumpier self soon with some typical, snarky posts (not to be mistaken with actress, Markie Post, oh she of the Lifetime Movie of the Week).

See? Even my attempts at humor suck. ;-)

I'm Home... but not for long!

We arrived home from California very early this morning, and I am headed out to a conference in Atlanta very early tomorrow morning. Talk about jet lag!

Here's a quick recap of what we did in CA (I'll post more later):

6/15: arrived in Ontario (California, not Canada); drove to Menifee where brother-in-law lives. Stayed in Menifee/Canyon Lakes area.

6/16: drove the kids to Hollywood for the afternoon. Spent more time on the freeway than we did in Hollywood, but knew that was going to happen.

6/17: spent Father's Day waiting for the guys to golf and then ate dinner at BIL's house. Also spent much time being annoyed with the Farm Boy's twin. I definitely have the good twin!!

6/18: went to Knott's Berry Farm and Soak City for the day.

6/19-21: half of us sailed and half of us ferried from Long Beach/San Pedro area to Avalon on Catalina Island. Were only scheduled to stay there a day, but the sail snapped on the sailboat, and those who were sailing were stranded in the middle of the ocean for a while. Finally, they motored into Avalon. Instead of going on to Two Harbors, we stayed at Avalon the entire time. We did some horseback riding, snorkeling, beachcombing, glass-bottom boating, kayaking, eating.... you name it. The Farm Boy was able to go scuba diving with his siblings and saw the resident 300 lb black sea bass named Fred. The weather there was absolutely beautiful! I'll post some pics later!

6/22: Sailed/Ferried back to Long Beach/San Pedro. Spent some time on the boardwalk in Long Beach at Shoreline Villages... wanted to take the older kids on the Queen Mary, but ran out of time. I'm pretty bummed about that. Drove back to Menifee.

6/23: had a quick lunch at a relative's house in Upland, then drove into Ontario to the airport for the flight home. Returned just after midnight.

We had a good time, but I can definitely say that a person who is a planner to a fault (ME) will always have a stressful experience with people who decide what to do at the last minute (Farm Boy and all his family). I know the kids had a good time, as did the Farm Boy, so that's all that really matters. I will spend three days in a [NICE!] hotel all by myself while at my conference, so that's where I'll have MY vacation. ;-)

And with that... I need to get back to packing. I have lists to check off and minute details to fret over. W00T!

Sunny CA... here we come...

Not that I've been around much lately anyway... but now we're off to California for a family trip. For NINE DAYS. Can I handle being around all our kids AND the Farm Boy's family for that long??? We'll see. I don't have that much sanity left as it is. haha

I'm hoping to be able to catch a little blog time while I'm there, but who knows.

Right after we return, I'm off to Atlanta for a conference. Ugh. Atlanta in late June. My hair is already wimping out just thinking of the humidity. Oh, well.

I've been in and out of most of your blogs to see what you've been up to for the last month or so. Sounds like everyone is as busy and crazy as usual. I'm still surprised at how much I value blogging and the bloggy friends I've made. I've only ever had one "blate*," but am hoping to meet more of you someday. I don't plan to give up any of it at this point, even if I don't have a lot of time to post or read right now. So there. I'm still here to stay.

Anyway, hasta la vista, my babies. See you again soon!


*"blate" is a bloggy friend date, but I can't remember who coined the term. -R-? Stefanie? metalia? I want to be sure to credit whoever it was!

Ann Curry is Making My Brain Bleed...

Gah. I don't mean to be a stranger. Really, I don't. It's just that there's so much to do, I'm so very tired still (c'mon... it's been a month now. I want to feel NORMAL again!!!), and blogging is moseying its way down the list of priorities right now. Gah.

Here's something I had to get off my chest, though.

Please, for the love of Bob, NBC, PLEASE stop letting Ann Curry do interviews. PLEASE!

As a person, I think Ann Curry might be kind of a nice woman. In fact, she might be fun to hang out with, shoot the breeze, go shopping... you know. She seems like a very pleasant person with a decent sense of humor. A nice girlfriend-type. She also seems like a great, caring mom... I love to listen to her talk about her daughter.

As a journalist, she's fabulous reading the news. She also does great "special assignments" when she heads over to places such as Kazakhstan, Nepal, Iran*.... very interesting with the serious news. What I'm trying to say is she's a very intelligent woman with a lot of strengths.

HOWEVER...

... as a "fluff" journalist, interviewing celebrities and whatnot, she is truly painful to watch. Did anyone see her interview with the Hoff? Yes, we know all about the Hoff's little problem, but let him promote his show (it's not really his show, but let's run with it). Okay? Or how about the one with cute little Bindi Irwin and her mom, Terri? I seriously had to change channels during that one... I was that uncomfortable! I'm not even going to talk about the Brangelina interview. Yikes.

Ann, please just stop. I know you don't mean to offend your guests, but you do. You interrupt awkwardly, you say things you shouldn't, you react even more awkwardly... I find myself actually holding my breath listening to one of your interviews!!

Please just stop. Please. You're such a nice, pretty lady. You have gorgeous hair. And I'm sure you have a fabulous brain! I don't want you to leave altogether... just no more interviews, m'kay????

Thanks for listening.



*Okay, so maybe she didn't have special assignments in those places per se, but she is really good at those wherever they may be.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Do you ever have those days when EVERYBODY is on your shit list? I keep thinking, "why is everyone intent on pissing me off?"

Then I realize, of course, it can't be everyone else. It has to be me. Gah.

I can't wait until this month is over. Two more days. I might be normal again after that.

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Thanks to you all for the well wishes and thoughts while I was "out" losing my gallbladder. You're all so thoughtful, kind... and funny!!

And no, wire, they didn't let me keep my gallbladder. I think I signed a paper that donated any tissue to science. I can't be entirely certain, as I was mostly out of it that morning. ;-)

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Daughter #1 graduated Sunday and is currently on her way to our nation's capital. Like I need one more thing to worry about. haha I'm sure she'll have a great time. Daughter #2 celebrated a birthday over the weekend. I'm really glad that she doesn't feel too old to hug her mom. Yet.

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My poor Farm Boy is bearing the brunt of our busy life and his 'ailing' wife. Poor, poor Farm Boy.

The Return of the Creature from the Grumpy Lagoon....

A check-off list of sorts:

1. Gallbladder removal surgery- CHECK
2. Daughter #1's Graduation Open House party (10 days after surgery)- CHECK
3. Recuperation from gallbladder removal- HALF CHECK


Still to do:

1. Daughter #1's Graduation ceremony Sunday
2. Catch up at work (like that will ever happen)
3. Catch up on blogs (very likely never to happen)

I've missed you. Hope to see you all soon.

Yet Another Short Hiatus...

Surgery is scheduled for this Thursday. See you after recuperation! Who knows... maybe I'll be able to read blogs while I'm out of commission!

A Couple of Updates...

Update #1: Thanks to all who encouraged me to see a doctor. My gallbladder is indeed the culprit, and it is necessary to have it removed. So, surgery is looming in the very near future, along with graduation parties and everything else we're doing this month. BUT, I know it's important to take care of this, so time will be made.

While I'm glad that I now know what the problem is, I'm not thrilled about having surgery. On the bright side, I'm definitely glad that it's treatable and am fully aware that it could be something much, much worse. For that, I'm sooooo grateful.

So, thanks again for all your advice and support!

Update #2: I chickened out. No drastic hair change. Just highlights and a slightly different, slightly shorter cut. I'm such a wuss! ;-)

Of course, I don't have the AFTER picture with me. I'll try to post that later tonight. :-)