A good day for hot chocolate

It's April...but you'd never know it by standing outside. Yes, April in New York is often rainy and sometimes a little gloomy - but it should be warmer than 33 degrees.

I was checking out Rags to Stitches this morning. I'm always a little bummed that I can't view the video at work. As I write this, I don't know what Alissa tells us during her coffee date - but I figured I'd share the link, and what I'd say if we were having coffee (hot chocoate for me) today.

- I spent a little more than I meant to at Sephora yesterday. They were having a VIB Event (for reward card holders), so I had a coupon. Spending a certain amount got you a free tote with samples. I usually spend "a certain amount" in Sephora anyway...and yesterday was no exception.

- Last weekend was rough for me. Too much going on, and I had people coming at me from all kinds of directions. I'm hoping this weekend will be a little more boring.

- The Cornerstone Group is in the home-stretch of putting together this year's auction. It looks like it will be a really fun time, and for a really good cause! We'd love to see you there. (Follow this link if you'd like to purchase a ticket or donate to Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region.)

- Speaking of, I need an outfit. Choosing a wardrobe this time of year is such a challenge. The calendar says we should be able to wear lighter clothes (both in color and fabric). The aforementioned temps, however, suggest I should be bundled up in wool.

- Whatever I do, my shoes won't be white. No worries.

- I was going to tell you about my current pet peeves - but then I realized one of them was people who whine and complain, and that's exactly what I'd be doing.

- So I'll just tell you that sometimes people bug me, just a little. Another reason why this weekend needs to be boring.

Happy Friday!

Dribs and drabs

When I'm nervous, I talk a lot, and really fast. That's a formula for disaster. When your mouth gets ahead of your brain, there's no telling what you might say.

The rest of the time, I'm quiet. Until I get on a roll. That's confusing sometimes - makes people think I'm dull or have nothing to add. Really, I'm just listening and observing, waiting for my chance to say something helpful, and intelligent.

Sometimes that translates over here...and I'm left with not a lot to blog about. Or at least, nothing that will make a whole post - right now, anyway.

I checked out the NaBloPoMo prompts for April, but the theme is environmental issues (which makes sense for the month). It's important, but not something I can talk about for very long, or particularly well.

I was going to write about my dislike for April Fools Day, and practical jokes. But my comment over on Baking Suit's post and my last tweet pretty much say it all. I just think there are some things that aren't funny - like failing health or marriage. Why does something so awful elicit laughter?

Last week I burned the roof of my mouth, on hot cheese of all things. My mouth is still sore, which is making me cranky.

As I get older, I realize I have less and less desire to spend time with people who make me anything less than happy. This includes my family (all except my dad, whose like the only person on Earth who I always like).

Today is Opening Day for Major League Baseball. Thank goodness. Though there's no Derek (yet) I'm still happy to see the Yankees play. Of course - it looks like we're in for a rough start to the season. Hey - at least there's baseball.

I have decided that by my fortieth birthday (July 15, 2014 - sigh) I would like to have sold my house and moved. I think the next decade of my life needs to start with a new address. Everyone tells me 40 is when life really begins. I'd like my life to begin with a little more money and fewer worries.

Along those lines...my requirements wishlist for an apartment is pretty specific. I found one complex in the area that could give me everything I want - but it'll come at a high cost (basically no less expensive than my mortgage plus other monthly cost of living at the house). Availability will be tight, and of course timing is everything.

Guess we'll see what happens.

Friday Fill-In Fun

This blog has my back when I can't come up with a fun Friday post...

1. Paisley is not my thing.


2. Court is Crafty made me a hat - with bling!

3. Where is the weekend already?!

4. That was the end?!

5. Sometimes, less is really just less.

6. Give me horseradish mustard over Grey Poupon any day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner, tomorrow my plans include New York in Bloom, and Sunday, I want to eat and watch the Daytona 500 and then the Oscar Red Carpet (uninterrupted!).

Girls want to be brides

As soon as they can walk, little girls start playing dress up. One of their favorite dress up games? Wedding.

They start thinking about the dress they want, their favorite flowers. what sort of ring they'll wear - oh, and yeah, if there'll be a guy there or not - long before they ever go on a date or have their first kiss. When we're young, we understand that the dress and the shoes and the jewelry are much more important than the guy. It's not until we get a little older that boys arrive on the scene and screw up our priorities.

So it's not really news that women plan their wedding before they even have a proposal.

Haven't women been doing this for...well...ever? Wasn't there an episode of Friends where Monica dragged out a binder full of wedding ideas she started pulling together when she didn't even have a prom date?

Now, thanks to the magic of the internet and social media, women are pinning their way to the perfect wedding...and none of those pins have anything to do with the groom. 

Some think this makes women desperate. That they're so excited to have the wedding of their dreams, they'll marry the first guy who asks, just for the chance to put their plans in action.

I disagree.

Some women like to plan. They know exactly what they want, and they want to be sure they can put it in place when the time is right. Planning a wonderful wedding takes a while. There are million (give or take) possible ideas - no reason not to make a note-to-self for future reference.

As far as the groom's importance.... Let's face it. A husband might be important to the success of a marriage - but these women aren't planning a marriage. They're planning a wedding.

At the wedding, a groom is really just one more accessory.

Chris P. Bacon

At the gym, I try to use an arc trainer that puts me right in between the TV with CNN and the TV with ESPN. This is how I ensure I do at least 30 minutes. 

Yesterday, there was a story about the cutest baby pig who was born without the use of his hind legs. A vet built him a wheelchair out of K'NEX. 

I want to adopt him.

Meet Chris P. Bacon...

Found it here

Right place, right time

This morning, my neighbor couldn't start her car because it was so cold outside. She drives a new Mercedes. My little used Honda, with a million miles on the engine, started right up. I pulled out of my driveway and started my commute.

Less than two minutes from my house, I witnessed a pretty bad car accident. As I pulled over to call 911 and wait for help, it occurred to me that had I left my house just a teeny bit earlier, it could have been me in the car that was hit.

His airbag deployed; and I bet mine would have, too. When you're five feet tall, an airbag deployment is no joke. It's as likely to kill me as the accident.

Those two things are related somehow, in my mind. Somehow, I guess it all comes back to life is full of surprises. It's easy to get annoyed at the little things, but it's important to realize that everything really does happen the way it's meant to, and you really are right where you're supposed to be.

Airing my grievance

I have a lot of grievances. Yesterday was Festivus, so I thought in honor of that, I'd air just one. That was a tough choice...here's what I got.

Visit bureauofcommunication.com

I never liked to beg

 
My first Halloween costume ever was Wonder Woman. I was 5 years old. It was one of those awful, plasticy costumes with the horrible masks that were oh-so-popular in the 70's and 80's. I liked dressing up as Wonder Woman, but I remember wondering - why am I begging strangers for candy? This seems unsafe - and unnecessary. Can't we just go to the store and buy this stuff?


Me dressed up as a sparkly, coordinated witch.
Not a stretch.



Much to my father's relief, after that I sort of lost the taste for trick-or-treating. I think I may have gone once or twice more, but mostly, I just wanted to go to parties or shaving creme fights where I could dress up (with minimal effort) and have fun without begging.



I dressed up once in college - finally realizing my life-long dream of being one-half of a couples costume. Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. Because X was (and is) such a good guy - I did not have to beg.



As an adult, I only dress up if there's a party. When I do, I'm minimally creative, and unwilling to invest a whole lot of effort (or money). I don't enter costume contests, and I won't wear anything that isn't an outfit I'd normally wear, anyway. Nothing uncoordinated, no cheap makeup, no bad wigs.

Since I live in a house, I hand out candy. If I'm not going to be home, I leave a basket on the front step. I'd say I do this to be a good neighbor, but mostly it's because I don't want the little beggers to trash my front lawn.

I guess I never got the point of a holiday that celebrates dressing up as someone else - as if who you are isn't fabulous - and begging others to give you something you should know how to get for yourself.



.

I'll admit...

...that I got this idea from Baking Suit

...that I have two posts that have been sitting in draft-stage for weeks, because I keep getting distracted.

...that I probably don't need any more shoes.

...that I'd love to resign from my job, but I'm very attached to the quality of life the salary affords.

...that I should be more careful with my money.

...that I sometimes give in to feelings when I shouldn't.

...that some of my best stories are born from bad ideas.

...that I sometimes know something is a bad idea, but might do it anyway.

...that I can (almost) always handle the consequences when that happens.

...that sometimes, I really don't like when friends offer opinions or advice.

...that I sometimes just want to stay home, eat unhealthy food, and watch stupid TV.

...that sometimes I wish I was the sort of person who could just unplug - but that's just not me.

...that there are some things even I won't admit here.

...that sometimes it feels good to admit things - so feel free to do so below.

Thirty Days of Me: Day Six

The challenge for day six.... Photo of an animal you'd like to keep as a pet.

I mean really - could he be any cuter?

I'd rather

I stole this from Baking Suit, who borrowed from here.

Because while I love fun posts like these, I'm terrible at thinking them up. So I'd rather borrow ideas from elsewhere, then give credit where it's due.

Right now, I’d rather:

* Not be at work
** Have sushi for lunch, instead of leftovers
*** My shoes were slightly more comfortable

Tomorrow, I’d rather:

* Sleep in
** It not rain
*** Be going to see the Yankees play the Mets

In general, I’d rather:

* Life was slightly easier
** I liked vegetables more than I do
*** People were more honest

One of those days

Have you ever had one of those days where everything goes wrong? You can't get out of your own way while getting ready for work, your outfit or hair (or both) just isn't working, and everything you say or do is just off.

You comment on a facebook status and end up starting an argument. Or you post a facebook status - and not even crickets comment. You write a blog and get nothing but nasty comments. You text a friend and she ends up upset with you for something you didn't even know you did.

Everything you touch at works just falls to pieces, and you end up having to re-do your own work several times, just to get it right. You forget appointments, or to-do list items, and have to scramble to make up what you missed.

I hate days like that; especially when they last for a whole week.

Retail nightmares

Though I'm not crazy about my current job, it's definitely not the worst I've ever had. That honor goes to the job I had as a sales associate/cashier/service desk associate for two year, for a large big-box store. You know the one - the world's largest retailer; it begins with the letter "W."

I worked there in college. Ironically, I took the job because my abusive boyfriend wanted to get me away from my mall job - and all the friends who were encouraging me to get out of the relationship. I met X at the retail job, and broke up with Jerk-Face a couple months after changing employers. Everything really does happen for a reason. 

I have about a million stories I could tell about why it was a tough place to work: No breaks, we worked for hours after closing with no real scheduled "end" time, and I won't even get into how they handled the fact that I was dating another associate (which was frowned upon at that time). 

For my last year at "W" I worked at the service desk. I was that employee who you would talk to about returning merchandise. It was a job no one wanted - long hours, no real relief and cash drawers that almost never balanced. I worked for hours on end without so much as a bathroom break, never mind a chance to eat a meal. Once, a person being escorted out by police threw a phone at me, just because she was angry. 

For my trouble, I made .25 extra an hour. 

To this day, I don't shop at "W." Over the years, I've wandered in there to save some money (though never to the store where I worked), but in the past 10 years or so, I've really stopped going altogether. When I think of how I was treated, I just can't stomach the idea of giving them my money. 

Something else I really don't like is when people are rude to retail workers. Listen, not all retail workers have a great work ethic. But it's no different than any other profession. Not all government employees are lazy, and neither are all sales people, even if it does seem that way sometimes. Plenty of retail employees are hard-working, motivated, smart people trying to work their way through school, or jump-start a career in retail management. Plenty are happy to help - but just like anyone else, they're much more likely to help those who treat them with some respect and courtesy. 

On my last night at "W," I had an incredibly long line at the service desk. It was wrapped around the counter, and nearly out the front door. A woman said to me angrily, "Can't you get some help?"

I thought to myself, "Don't you think if I could, I would?" It was 10:30 at night, I'd been standing there since 5:30 without sitting down, eating dinner or going to the ladies room. There was no end in sight, and this person thought I was doing that to myself?

Since it was my last night, I let my edit-chip fly, and I said to her, "If I could, I would. I'm not any happier about this line than you are." 

She was quiet after that, and so was everyone else on that line. I have not complained to a retail worker since, even though I haven't been one in almost 15 years. 

Holiday crazy

It's certainly not breaking news that holidays, especially Christmas, are overly commercial. As evidenced by the crowds I saw this weekend, the craziness to find the perfect gift starts earlier and earlier every year, with more and more pressure to buy the right thing. It's enough to make some people downright sick of the whole thing, and even boycott the holidays. 

Now, as far as I'm concerned - that's crazy-talk. 

I love presents. Love. Not just getting them (though I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to get presents), but giving them, too. Especially to kids. There is nothing better than knowing I'm the one bringing the present that will send my cousin's smile over the top. 

Of course, I also like getting presents. Hey - I'm the only child of divorced parents, who is also a daddy's girl and my Santa dad has a big gift budget. You'd like getting gifts, too, if you were me.

But I don't think it has to be a choice. I don't have to choose between really liking presents, and understanding the true meaning of the holiday. I think a person can do both - and I think I'm pretty good at the balance. There's no reason you can't bring joy to others, either by giving a gift or donating money or time - and look forward to a lot of few pretty packages under your tree.

But to have to choose between making others happy, enjoying yourself, and appreciating the real "reason for the season?" 

That's just crazy.

No Words Wednesday: November

From Urlybits.com

Friday Five: Halloween

Mine was not nearly this cool.

I love Halloween. I decorate for Halloween the way most people decorate for Christmas - except a tree. I don't have a Halloween tree. Yet.

Since this weekend will probably be a three-day celebration of All Hallows Eve, I figured it was as good a time as any to list my Top Fives for Halloween - tricks, treats and costumes.

Treats - Hershey's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Way, Snickers (notice a theme?) - and money.

Tricks - Candy corn (What is that about?), anything gummy (bears, fruit, etc.), Warheads, toothbrush, fruit

Costumes - Paul Stanley (Yes, I did.), 60's Girl, punk rocker (which was my costume basically every year from the time I was 10 on), Little Red Riding Hood (as part of a couples costume) - and Wonder Woman, when I was 5.

Columbus Day

Man: Christopher Columbus never needed directions - and neither do I!


Woman: Yes, dear.  You do realize Columbus never actually got where he was going, right?

Anniversaries and milestones

Life is full of milestones. The first day of school; graduation - most likely, more than one of those. Your first job, first kiss, first car. Depending on your religious beliefs, there's probably a slew of those milestones. There's your first house, getting married...

...Getting divorced, your first gray hair, your first wrinkle, the first time you realize you need glasses. The first time you have to ask your parents for help, the first time you get laid off from your job, the first call from a collection agency....

Not all milestones are good; but they are all turning points.

This weekend is a one-year anniversary for me. It was a painful goodbye; the end of a relationship that, as it turned out, was a really big deal in my life - but not for the reasons I thought.

A year ago, I never would have imagined all the ways my life would change. I couldn't have seen all that was coming; new work ventures, new opportunities, new friends - all while finding a new strength for myself that I had no idea was even possible.

Life is full of tough times; it's full of challenges, of heartache and loss; it's full of frustration and sadness. There's no way to avoid those moments - that first gray hair or pink slip is just as inevitable as your first kiss or straight A report card. They're also just as important.

The trick isn't avoiding those times; the trick is to learn from them. If you keep moving, learning, growing - if you find a way to make yourself better - then you turn that loss into a gain. You win.

A year of learning and growing, and I can honestly say, I'm a better person that I was last fall. I'm also a happier person. Which is something I never thought I'd be. That's the great thing about life - you just never know what might happen next.

"Tomorrow may be the best day of your life; you just gotta get there." Unknown

Friday Five: Banned books

September 24 - October 1 is Banned Books Week. Did you know that? I didn't, until the other night.

I think banning books should be a sin - or at least illegal. I'm of the opinion that there is no greater right than the freedom to express ourselves - and books are an expression, a representation of how things really are (or perhaps how they should be). Either that - or they're purely entertainment, and who on earth would want to ban people from being entertained? If you don't like it - just don't read it.

It's amazing when you look at a list of banned classics - many of which were later "unbanned" - and made part of high school curriculum. I read several of these in high school - and banned or not, they still bored me to tears.

A Separate Peace, Jonathan Knowles

Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut

Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

Animal Farm, George Orwell

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

If only someone would have banned Old Man and the Sea. Oh - how I hated that book.

What banned books have you read? 

No words Wednesday: Creepy

Not surprisingly, no one purchased this at the garage sale.