On having a Happy New Year

Last post of the year. Last post of the decade. Now THAT, my friends, is crazy.

I recall New Year's Eve 1999 and thinking we were all going to die from the dreaded Y2K. I was in high school people. HIGH SCHOOL. Does that not seem totally impossible? I remember like, 2 percent of my high school years and yet they are not even a full decade in the past. I maintain this forgetfulness is due to the extreme crappiness that is high school. Or the teen years in general.

So, on the eve of a new decade, I thought I'd reminisce about some of the highlights of the 2000's--a decade that was very important to me, for so many reasons.

1.) Graduated aforementioned teen hell (aka local high school.)

2.) Made the arduous journey to the fabulous Ball State University and found I loved it so much I decided to stay four years.

3.) Met my bebe (bebe meaning, of course, hetero life mate and friend extraordinaire), Amanda Jo. We had the same English class our Fall semester of freshmen year and happened to live in the same building. Every day after class, she walked approximately 10 feet behind me the whole way home. I sort of noticed this, but as I was in the front of this two person parade, I really had no idea she was back there. That is until she ran up to me one day and said, "I walk behind you every single day. Now I'm just gonna walk next to you." She has never left.

4.) Discovered I love working in libraries. Yay for geekdom!

5.) Met countless friends, both lasting and passing, who helped shape me in to the person I am today. Although the years have not proven to be helpful in maintaining contact, I think of all of you from time to time and realize how lucky I am that none of you killed me for my stupidity. Thank you.

6.) Became an aunt several times over. The 2000's were a busy time for my siblings.

7.) Against all odds, (read: seriously slacking off senior year) I graduated with my B.A. in English Studies, the most useful of all degrees.

8.) Met and fell in love with my husband, Brian. It still shocks me to think that he was right under my nose our whole lives, yet it took me 21 years to find him.

9.) Got married. It was awesome.

10.) Bought a house. Never, ever, ever buy a house that is up for short sale unless you are a zen master. Although I really do love our house. It was worth the wait.

11.) Quickly realized just how much I hate wall paper.

And now, we can look forward to another decade that will bring with it so many unknowns. Some will be good, others will be bad, but based on the success of this last decade, I think the new one will be just as it should.

Happy New Year!

Holidays and Penicillin

My apologies. I wrote this last Wednesday and thought I published it. I did not. So, a little belatedly, a new post for you.



Well world, I'm sick.

I've been trying to deny it for at least 2 days now, but the fact of the matter is that I am under the weather.

***If I may, can we have a little sidebar here? I mean, what is "under the weather" anyway? Does anyone know? Seriously, I'd like to know. Aren't we ALL under the weather, ALL the time? I guess you could be in a plane during a storm and be over the weather but really other than that you are under the weather.***

Anyway, I pretty much knew this illness was coming because I haven't had a healthy Christmas in years. I think it's karma's way of keeping me humble.

Take, for instance, Christmas of 2007. It was actually a really really awesome Christmas. No fighting, no hurt feelings, no stress. But, Brian and I were both sick. We actually skipped out on a Christmas Eve festivity due to our illness. We stayed home with a bucket of KFC (mmm...unnaturally raised chicken) and an ER marathon of the Christmas themed episodes from County General's past. What in the world took Hathaway so long to realize she should be with Doug and not that psychopath Shep?

But, I digress.

So, yes, I do sort of remember that particular Christmas fondly, but I also really like to fondly remember this little thing called breathing in and out with no hint of struggle. So there you go.

Against the medical advise of pretty much every doctor I've ever known, I'm self-medicating. Meaning that I had a penicillin refill from a tooth extraction a few months ago and I am now taking said penicillin for the sinus infection that I'm positive I have.

It seems to be working. I'm no longer breathing like a donkey with sleep apnea and I've been able to inhale through my nose all day. Huzzah! Who needs a fancy M.D. when I can just fix myself. Thank you, internet and history of nasal problems for pointing me in the right direction.

I'm now ready to celebrate the holidays. We've got a Christmas morning gathering and another gathering that afternoon. This pretty much guarantees that we'll be busy all day long and will want nothing more than to crash at home by the end of the day. I'm really looking forward to it actually.

For Christmas Eve, we are more or less playing it by ear. It's supposed to be terrible weather and the last thing I want to be is dead for Christmas. Brian and I are thinking that maybe another holiday at home (a la 2007) might be in order. Make some beef and noodles, pop in a video, and just relax.

Oddly enough, this coincides perfectly with my plan to bake delicious things and nap. It's amazing when these things come together like that.

Happy Holidays!

And now, an open letter to Starbucks:


Dear Starbucks,

I've been watching you for some time now. You may not have noticed me, I come and go so quickly through your always speedy and cheerful drive-thru. At first, it was all too innocent. I'd stop by and get a mocha, chilled or hot depending on the season. I could go weeks, nay, months without a sip of your delicious beverages with nary a whisper of discontent.

But that all changed when you began enticing me with your flavored lattes.

First, it was the pumpkin spice. Had I ever known true happiness before that first drink? I can't remember now--it's all caught up in a spicy haze. What is that? Cloves? Nutmeg? The essence of pure bliss?

And oh my, the whipped cream. You are incorrigible.

I had to have another. And another. And before I knew it, you pulled the rug out from under me. You took away that which I held closest to my coffee-laden heart. I feared it would be the end of our relationship. I just couldn't go on.

Oh, sure. I went back to the mocha. But it never really understood me. Not like pumpkin spice. It was simply a means to an end. A way to stay alert and warm on cold winter days. I was deep in grief.

Do you remember the time I was so tired I forgot to specify that I wanted a mocha latte? I know, I promised not to bring it up again. It's just that it hurt like so much coffee milk.

I knew you would sense this. You always know what will cheer me up. Thus, the Caramel Brulee Latte.

Until that moment I never knew how much you cared.

I know there are others. I see that girl sneaking out the door with a red cup. I know your heart is too big for just one person. I forgive you your humanitarian nature. For they need you as much as I do. After all, I will always have Del Taco. You understand, don't you?

Of course you do.

And so it is, my dear Starbucks. Ours is a love to be shared with the whole world. Let us sing it from the rooftops! The world needs to understand what it means to be truly loved. I entrust this task to your mighty coffee beans. You never let me down.

Always yours,

Rachael

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Or, you know, Wednesday. Wednesday with snow and wind. Hooray?

We went Christmas shopping this past weekend. Oh my. Can I just say that I would never (Read: NEVER) stand in a huge line with no end in sight just to get my little paws on a mechanical hamster. Seriously? Unless that thing is going to make my breakfast, I'm not wasting my time.

And, in the midst of all that craziness, we found an entire shelf full of the original Tickle Me Elmo. My kingdom for a time machine. Now THAT would lead to some Christmas cheer.

I'm probably about half way done with the gift shopping. This year I've kind of just let go of my neurotic gift buying tendencies. It makes for a much more pleasant experience. No anxious worry about whether or not someone is going to spit in my face and tell me what's what just because I got the wrong flavor of lip gloss. No! Now it's replaced with the thought "Who wouldn't want a full sized plastic unicorn? Let's get 5."

In all reality though, we've toned it down this Christmas due to that ol' recession there. Lots of time spent watching the sales and hunting for bargains. And I'm sure that's probably true of most folks out there.

I do recognize that we are very blessed. We are able to buy gifts for our near and dears. Not everyone can do that. But, in a way, this cost effective mindfulness has actually given me pause and caused me to think about the purpose of the holiday. Isn't Christmas really about family and love? Sharing a good meal with those who know you best?

I find that my favorite part of the Christmas holiday is when I get a chance to sit down with my family and just relax. Talk about nothing in particular, maybe watch a movie, and continue trying to eat most of the northern hemisphere. (Sidenote: Two years ago, my sister and I spent weeks discussing what would be the main dish of our Christmas feast. WEEKS. Let alone discussing the side dishes. But, we ended up deciding on prime rib, so it was totally worth it...right?)

So, this year, maybe don't worry about gifts so much. Just eat a cookie, joke with your family and friends, and maybe take a nap. That, my friends, is true happiness.

Just don't make me watch that stupid Christmas movie with the fat kid again. I CANNOT TAKE IT.

Running low on ideas right now. So, it's time for bullets.

• Thanksgiving went well. Turkey was not dry or burnt to a crisp and it actually got a few compliments. A successful turkey was really my only goal. Well, that and stopping any potential bloodshed. I hear it's nearly impossible to get blood out of carpets. Nearly.
  
  
• I can not believe Christmas is almost here. Could it have anything to do with this ridiculously nice weather? I submit that it does.
  
  
• Please Mother Nature, do not cause a blizzard to engulf my house tonight while I sleep.

• If you don't watch Modern Family on ABC (or, as I like to call it, The Manny Show) then I don't care to know you. Tune in folks! You can thank me later.



• I need a new CD to listen to. Any suggestions?
  
  
• For serious, I cannot think of what to buy people for Christmas. Is it acceptable to give everyone an I.O.U. until I think of appropriate replacements?
  
  
• This reminds me, I need to send out Christmas cards. However, I have lost my address book. Well, it's not so much a book as it is a loose stack of papers that I tend to keep under the couch. I just can't imagine how that got lost, can you? If you don't get a card this year, apologies in advance. Know that I am sending you all a card in my mind...hmm, will this strategy work for the aforementioned present debacle? Thinking cap time!
  
  
• Apparently, I need an address book for Christmas. Take note, relatives.
  
  
• This year we put up two Christmas trees. This is mostly because our basement reaches near sub-zero temperatures in the winter. As we spent most of our free time in the basement, this can be a bit problematic once snow sets in. Especially since we want to keep all of our appendages free from frostbite. So, this winter we've migrated upstairs to our rarely used living room. I just couldn't deny the basement its tree, even if we weren't going to be spending as much time down there. But, I also knew that we had to have a tree to enjoy whilst whittling away the hours upstairs. Thus, two trees.
  
  
• Does anyone else find it odd that I worry about hurting the basement's feelings? I mean, it's a room. That right there is the same problem that makes it impossible for me to throw away food. Four mozzarella sticks down and one to go? Someone's gonna eat that stick, dammit. I don't want it to feel sad for not being chosen.



• Sidenote: In what crazy world is there ever an unwanted mozzarella stick? I should have picked a better example. Apologies.
  

Here is our basement tree. Note the majestic quality of its branches.

And here is our upstairs living room tree. Note the sparse, yet inviting, tree limbs. This is what determination, hard work, and ten dollars at Target's after Christmas sale will get you.

Do you smell that? That, my friend, is the smell of Christmas.

Turkey Day

So tired...Thanksgiving went well. I'll relate it to you all in another post. For now, I'm going to bed. Here's a post I wrote on Tuesday but forgot to publish.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


Thanksgiving is but a few days away! Never in my life have I had such a humongous turkey in my refrigerator. Or really any turkey, for that matter. Brian refers to it as "Birdzilla." I'm more than just a little worried about roasting the thing. Last year I roasted a turkey breast for just the two of us, but that in no way compares to this 20ish pound behemoth that is currently taking up an entire shelf of space in my fridge.

My fear is that I won't cook it right and, come lunchtime, I'll have 20-30 hungry people on my hand just waiting to mock me for my stupidity. Worse things have happened, I suppose.

Like giving those same people a food borne illness. Hmm...I'm sensing a dry, but thoroughly cooked bird in my future.

Honestly, I don't really have that much to say right now. My brain is so preoccupied with Thanksgiving preparations that I fail to notice much else.

I find it somewhat disturbing that Christmas is just around the corner. Even more disturbing to realize that our Christmas tree will be up by the end of the day Friday. Seriously?

Yes, seriously. Every year we put up the tree on the day after Thanksgiving. It's the official start of the Christmas season, in my book. Also the official start of me realizing I have 90% of my shopping to finish. E-gad.

I am super excited about two of my Christmas finds though. I haven't decided who they'll go to yet, so I can't tell you about them. But suffice it to say YOU ARE LUCKY, RECIPIENT. Whoever you may be.

Just yesterday Brian and I went to purchase our annual tree ornament. Normally, we do this much earlier in the month. This year time got away from us so we had to do it quickly. I imagine this weekend we'll go out and find another one with a bit more flair. But, we simply had to have a new one before we put up the tree. It's tradition.

We started buying ornaments our first Christmas together, when we realized that between the two of us we had the equivalent of a Q-tip and tinsel with which to decorate our tree. So, ever since then we've gone out a week or so before we put up the tree and each picked out an ornament to take home. Over the years we have purchased such fine ornaments as: a glass pickle, an anthropomorphic hot pepper wearing a cowboy hat and twirling a lasso, a football-bodied snowman, and this year's crowning glory--a tiny wooden hedgehog.

We promptly named him Jeremy and welcomed him to our family. I'll be sure to place him far away from that hot pepper. If I remember correctly, that pepper also has a gun.

Well my dear blogging world, I'm about to host my first extended family Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if it was a seizure that overtook my body and first suggested the idea to me, or perhaps aliens. We may never know. But, host I shall.

No, I kid. I'm actually looking forward to it. I think you need to come from a big family to understand the appeal of a large crowd. My poor husband is not from a large family and so he tends to pick a spot and sit quietly while contemplating the meaning of life and (I'm positive) how he got himself into this mess in the first place.

He has my sympathies.

I figure I've got upwards of 20-25 people coming for sure, with about 10 people who may or may not show. Thus the conundrum of blended families. Always more than one place to go. But, I'm not going to worry about that right now. I may not worry about that ever. I figure if stretching food is the height of your concern, then you are doing pretty well.

Wait a minute, what am I thinking? When has this family ever had to worry about stretching food? Answer: not in a million years. We are a bulk buying, bulk baking, bulk eating group.

What's that? For Thanksgiving? Oh. Sure. Yeah. Only on Thanksgiving...

Anyhow...Although it is rather stressful to plan a gathering of this magnitude, it's comforting to know that these people sign up to attend these holidays year after year. To know that no matter what, they are going to be around. Probably eating. Probably laughing. Probably asking you the very questions you hoped they wouldn't ask but of course want to know because they are your people and they love you and want to annoy you. Out of love.

It's touching, really.

You know that movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? At the end, when everything has turned out just oh-so-swell and they are all dancing in a circle and the main character talks about her family? I get it. Almost every single thing in that movie rings true (minus the Greek heritage and weird accents.) As they say in the movie:

My family is big and loud but they're my family. We fight and we laugh and yes,
we roast lamb on a spit in the front yard. And where ever I go, what ever I do
they will always be there.

My family is loud. My family is big. Oh, and trust me, we fight. We do not, however, roast lamb on a spit in the front yard. Although I kinda wish we did. Imagine the stares from the neighbors! Plus, I have seen Dad eyeing the Windex on more than one occasion. Coincidence?...but I digress.

Thanks Nia Vardalos (writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.) For putting in to words what generations of crazed family members knew all along.

Sometimes, I think Fridays are the best way to prove God loves us

Whew! This has been a week.

But now it is Friday and I'm just going to go ahead and put it all behind me. Right after I complain about it here.

Can I just say that if you are a doctor and it takes your patient calling in to remind you to read their bloodwork because they know something is wrong, YOU ARE A CRAPPY DOCTOR. Especially if it turns out the patient is right and their medication needs adjusting. And it had already been 2 weeks of waiting for the results. Good thing my insurance doesn't cover anyone else, or you'd be so far down on my list you would never again see the sun. And by sun I mean my bright smiling face.

I guess I'll just check out some medical books from my local library and diagnose myself from now on. Oh wait, I do that already. It's called hypochondria.

What I love best about having a chronic condition is that when my medicine is off, I get to stay up ALL NIGHT and think about it. It's so much fun. Insomnia--it's not just for drug addicts anymore!

And another thing that gets to me--if someone asks you a question, I think the most polite thing to do is to answer them. Don't you agree? I find this applies to all walks of life. Respond to questions, people!

On another note, you should watch I Love You, Man if you haven't already. I feel I need to rectify some bad energy concerning this movie. When it was first released I thought it looked like a pile of dog crap adorned with a shiny gold ribbon (Paul Rudd, you are the shiny gold ribbon.) So, naturally, when people began to ask my opinion on whether or not they should watch it, I hinted that I thought it looked stupid and perhaps a better use of their time would be picking the lint out of their dryer traps.

Oh my, how I was wrong. Sure, the movie is not going to win any awards. It's totally stupid. I recognize this fact. But, if you are a fan of laughter, I recommend giving it a whirl. I've been going around calling people Jobin and telling them I'm "slappin' da bass" for weeks now.

The stares are getting a little annoying.

So, that's why I think you should watch the movie. Let's get this thing goin' on a national level! I'm just gonna go ahead and say you're welcome now. You're welcome.

If you can ignore the stupid intro, here's the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeZ1YyZZ86Q

Also, and bear with me here because you are seeing this out of context and the beginning of this clip is kinda boring, here's Paul Rudd "slappin' da bass."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUOXXAK55C4

Happy Weekend, my lovelies!

Friday Night Media News

It's Friday evening, I have a frozen pizza in the oven, a fresh bottle of rum and Dr. Pepper (suck on that rum & Coke enthusiasts!), and Netflix has sent us Nothing Like the Holidays starring some people whose names I forget. I belive John Leguizamo is in it. I find his voice somewhat hypnotizing. Kind of like a leprechaun.

This is a recipe for big fun.

I can tell I'm old because this is seriously my idea of a good time. I figure I went out to the bars plenty enough in my wasted youth (pun possibly intended...let me think about it) so that now I can just sit home and enjoy a fine comedy film and feel fine about it. Although, it would be nice to be able to do this with my big city friends. I miss them. (Who am I kidding, really? We'd end up either ignoring the movie, or going out to recall said days of misspent youth.)

In other news, I am currently listening to the soundtrack from the movie New Moon. I know, I know, this potentially makes me a crazed Twilighter. But hear me out--the soundtrack is actually pretty good. Sure, at first the songs make you want to kill yourself with their incessant glumness...song after song after song about being sad and losing love. I GET IT. You're upset. Can we move on? But it features the song stylings of such fine acts as Deathcab for Cutie, The Killers, and Grizzly Bear, just to name a few.

After about the 3rd round of listening I got over the teenage angst and found a couple of tracks that I really enjoy (Not that I'm dissing teenage angst...I did read the Twilight books. All four of them. Twice.)

So I guess what I'm saying is that any of my family reading this can safely purchase the New Moon soundtrack for me for Christmas. Or, you know, precious gems.

Either is acceptable.



:)

November Days

So Halloween came and went. We had fewer trick-or-treaters this year than we did last year, but still a good turnout. We ended up with about 75-80 kids. As always, they were adorable. There was a family dressed up as the Incredibles, which may have been my favorite costume of the night. There were, however, a large (somewhat disturbing) number of tweens and teens who were not dressed up at all. Not a mask or painted face to be seen. I chalked it up to the economy. Why spend $20 on a costume when you could buy, what? 8,000 packs of ramen noodles with that kinda cash?

Next up...Thanksgiving! Stay tuned for what will no doubt be the beginning of the long and harrowing journey known as The Holidays. Drink your coffee!

On a more serious note, my sister's surgery went worse than planned. So, thanks to the assistance of my way too kind and forgiving boss, my work schedule has been cleared and I spent today helping my sister in all the ways that no human being ever really wants to be helped. Suffice it say that one never realizes how important a knee can be until it is gone...or in this case, immobile. I'll be there through Thursday, at which point we are hoping that she'll be able to make it through a day on her own. After spending time with her today, I'm somewhat optimistic that she'll be okay by herself on Friday.

The silver lining in this armpit of a situation is that I will get to spend more time with my sister than I have in about two years. We used to spend inordinate amounts of time together, to the point that our respective spouses wondered what in the world was left to talk about. What can I say? We speak each other's brand of crazy.

Other than that though, totally unfun. But she's my family and she's probably my best friend. And I love her. And I'll gladly help her stand up, and make her lunch, and help her do her painful knee exercises, and look at her stitches and staples all week if it means I can make her laugh through the pain.

I know she'd do the same for me.

Sick Time

Good news everyone!

Operation Do Nothing went off without a hitch. It was 2 straight days of bliss.

And now, as if to prove to me that sloth has consequences, The Universe has seen fit to make my neck immobile. I can look right with no problems...looking left? No, not so much. For a while I was convinced I had meningitis but in the absence of , oh I don't know, symptoms...I decided I probably don't.

This week my sister has surgery, my mom has swine flu, her partner-man is recovering from surgery, and I have ceased to appreciate the beauty of everything to the left. I'm thinking one of us is slightly less inconvenienced than the others...SISTER, I'M LOOKING AT YOU.

No, not really. I know I'm fine (although this is one wicked muscle cramp) while everyone else is dealing with rough stuff. It's just that in times like this, when it feels like everything is falling apart or broken, it's easier for me to make light of the situation than deal with it head on. In reality I'm very concerned about these developments, but what can you do except wake up and hope that nothing else goes wrong?

In my heart of hearts I know that everything will turn out alright. And really, none of this directly affects me. It's just always a bummer when people you love are dealing with difficult situations that you can't influence either way.

I'll be happy when everyone is well again and/or healing.

This reminds me of a Demetri Martin quote. He said, "I see cards that say 'Get Well Soon.' **** that. Get well now."

My sentiments exactly.

Another Friday is upon us. I am supremely excited about this because I have decided I'm not doing ANYTHING this weekend. Well, let me rephrase: I will be eating, sleeping, watching tv/movies, and perhaps carving a pumpkin, but other than that I won't be doing ANYTHING.

I feel guilty about this. I plan to do as little as possible which, in itself, seems a little selfish. But, every now and then, I just need to drop off the radar and reboot. I was talking to a coworker about this, and she pointed out how so many women share the same feeling. If we aren't actively helping someone or doing something productive, we feel guilty. What's that about? Does everyone feel this way? Or is it just women? Do you feel this way?

I suppose I could babble on about why this happens, how it's socially ingrained into women from day one that they need to take care of others, blah, blah, blah. Point is, I find it unfair.

So, I've decided that the PC thing to do is to be okay with my sloth. At least I know it's only temporary. If this were an every day occurrence I'm sure my husband, along with several major creditors, would have something to say about it. Not to mention the lard that would accumulate on my person, and potentially make friends with the lard that's already around. The last thing I need is an uprising among my fatty cells. The sheer force of their combined will might lead to something crazy, like exercise.

And now, an anecdote.

Yesterday at work I found a pile of magazines on my desk, waiting to be processed and shelved. This is not unusual, as I am the person who tends to process such things. However, this time the pile was affixed with a note that read "miscellaneous issues." I couldn't help but wonder if that phrase wasn't why they were put on my desk and not the desk of someone less likely to write an entire blog about why she shouldn't feel guilty for taking a few days to relax.

Miscellaneous issues, indeed.

OH MY GOSH MY BRAIN HURTS.

For the past few days I've been getting headaches pretty much everyday. This is due, in large part, to the fact that every single person in the Northwest side of the city has recently decided to come to the library. Which, I might point out, is great for the library. For my brain, not really.

I am complaining about a stupid thing, I know. But as a person who is relatively headache-free in her normal life, this is seriously annoying.

On a different note, we did not carve pumpkins this weekend as it is due to hit the high 60's in temperature tomorrow. I remain unconvinced. Mother nature is a fickle woman, and I think she lies. Oh, I'll wear a short sleeved shirt tomorrow. You know I will. And you know what? She'll make it snow. Cause that's all she has to do with her time--mess with me.

Oh...also, could anyone explain what delusions of grandeur actually are? Thanks.

I've been in a real wedding state of mind lately. I think it's because of all the wedding-based television so popular today (Thanks, TLC.) I need someone to get married so that I can quiet the wedding withdrawal shakes I've got going on over here.

I've always been a big proponent of weddings. In college I looked online for dresses and cakes and all that jazz (theknot.com is possibly the best thing that ever happened to a teenage Rachael.) Not because I thought I'd get married soon. No, no. It's because I was crazy. I just think weddings are nice. I'm not alone. My college roommate had a similar affliction when we met. Must have been something in the water.

Still though, at a wedding you get to see everyone all dressed up and smiley. Plus there is cake. I like cake. Possibly more than I like weddings. My waistline is a living testament to that statement. Well, that statement and many others concerning my questionable eating and drinking habits. But I digress.

If you are thinking of getting married, why not go for it? Make quick work of it, too. That way I can attend. How's December sound? Great.

Bring Ibuprofen. At this rate, I might have a headache.

Yay for Friday.

As always, I'm really excited for the weekend. Although I have been working on a blog that is not quite ready for publication, I'm feeling guilty for not having a post this week. So, I'm going to go with random bulleted thoughts.

• I'm thinking this weekend we might carve pumpkins. But then again, the weather might heat up and leave us with carved raisins. Decisions, decisions.
  


• Does anyone else think it's kind of creepy to see adults dressed up for Halloween? I don't know. I mean, it's fun, but a little surreal to see your businessman neighbor dressed up as a sea creature.


• For some unknown reason, a Beatles song popped in to my head this morning. Ask me the last time I heard this song. A LONG TIME AGO. I'll never understand the synapses in my brain and how they conspire against me. Do I remember that coworker's name? No. Do I remember nearly every word of dialogue in Wayne's World? Yes.
  


• I'm sick of Jon and Kate and their eight psychiatric cases. I feel for those kids. And I can't wait for Maddy or Cara to publish their tell-all in a few years. Mommy Dearest, anyone?
  


• I've begun Christmas shopping. If only I had any idea what to give the other 15 people on my list. Gum?
  


• There is a distinct part of my brain that is considering appletinis right now. I may have to oblige.
  


• So, I checked out the CD Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear. Umm...not sure about it. I want to like it, I really do. But it's a bit odd. It might work on some kind of zen level, the kind of level achieved by years of meditation and yoga, but it definitely doesn't work in my car after work. I'm sorry.

Please, to enjoy...our pumpkins from last year:

With that I say enjoy your weekend, friends.

What time is it?

Last night as I was checking my email and whatnot, trying to figure out if I'd missed any shocking events over the weekend, I discovered that this website did not have accurate time stamps. I was reading old posts and discovered that according to Blogger, I am the worst employee ever. What with my constant posting during work hours and all...

Suffice it to say, I promise this is not the case. I was set to Pacific Time. I guess my wishful thinking for warmer weather extended all the way to my supposed location. For the record, I do not live in California. I live in Indiana. I'm positive.

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure I fixed it. Oops. Apologies all around.

On a different note, I've been attempting to eat more consciously as of late. I even joined (read: rejoined after months of neglect and ice cream eating) the website caloriecount.about.com.

This site is glorious. It is a little time consuming since you have to look up all your foods, or build a meal from ingredients sometimes, but man oh man is it helpful. It gives you the full breakdown of what you are eating and even helps you set a goal date for weight loss. Seeing as I don't own a scale, I have no idea if it is working yet, but I'm on what you might call the "slow and steady" plan. I'll keep you posted. Or, if I eat a bag of Oreos, I won't. Those are the breaks, my friends.

And finally, Happy Columbus Day everyone! In the spirit of our (and I use this word loosely) forefather, let today inspire you to steal a country of your very own...wait, that's not right...is it? What is this holiday for anyway? Maybe we should rename it Accident Day. Ooohh...or maybe Serendipity Day? That might put a positive spin on this armpit of a situation.

At any rate, it's a holiday and I am not baking a cake. Now that? That is what I call progress.

Rainy Friday

Today was the first day that I've really felt those wintertime blues. And I'm not the only one who's noticed. One of my lovely co-workers made the same comment yesterday. It's just so blah out. Winter is approaching.

So, I just wrote this really long-winded paragraph about Swine flu and regular flu and all that jazz, but it seemed way too depressing so I deleted it. All I can say is those who are sick; I pray for your speedy recovery. Those who are healthy; I pray you stay that way. Those who don't get the vaccine; wash your hands. Those who do get the vaccine; wash your hands.

Let's all look forward to sunnier days.

On a lighter note, Lady Gaga has stopped being in my head. Look! I can even say her name without thinking of that song...Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga.

She has been replaced by my new favorite song, Coney Island by Death Cab for Cutie. In no way, shape, or form is this an actual new song, but it is relatively new to me and I have decided I like it.

I got this link from YouTube. Looks like it's just a couple of dudes who made a video to the song, (maybe just listen to the song part...unless you really dig water and lighthouses) but it says they are from St. Joe so I'm trying to do my part in representing Michiana. Enjoy!

And Happy Friday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j0FR8y0RNk

So I thought I'd actually try to keep this thing up for a while even if it turns out that I'm the only reader. I figure that it will be kind of funny to look back later in life and see what sorts of topics were troubling my young mind.

Randomness--

• I basically never listen to the radio. However, I happened to catch Lady Gaga's song "Paparazzi" several times while scrolling through stations and now it's in my head. Like, really in my head. This displeases me. And simultaneously pleases me. Stupid catchy tune.
  

• Plus, what the heck is wrong with that woman? Does she need help? Call me if you need to talk, Ms. Gaga. I'm listening. (channeling my inner Frasier Crane)

• The holidays are just around the corner. Well, not really. But there's something about the fall that instantly makes me think of Christmas. Not really fair to Halloween though. Or Thanksgiving. Must resolve to appreciate said holidays more.
  

• Although, last year we gave out full size candy bars on Halloween. Let me tell you, there is nothing like it. NOTHING. The kids instantly love you. Plus, it's not really that much more expensive. If we didn't spend it on candy, we'd spend it on something else. Why not make 'em happy?
  

• And, I have to say, if we ever get egged on Halloween, I'm hunting you down. Unappreciative bastards. My love is not free. Just ask Brian. That man is a saint for what he puts up with.
  

• Just realized I equated love with candy bars. Hmm...what does that say about me? Any ideas, Mother? Sister? Future child I have yet to ruin?
  

• I'm pretty sure the food thing is why I like Christmas too. I may have to do some soul searching. Or candy bar eating. Which, in all honesty, is way more fun anyway.
  
  
• I'm making Zatarain's for dinner. Oh how I love you, jazz playing Zatarain's man. I don't know if you are supposed to be Louis Armstrong, but you sound like him. I would recommend the Smothered Chicken or Dirty Rice mix, if you have not already experienced the beauty.
  

And that is what I like to call Wednesday.