Crackberry Friday: Things to Do...

Due to technical issues I was not able to post this until today.



1. Go to work...ok call in sick to work because of migraine because dog threw up on the bed in the middle of the night.


2. Make sure I have enough Halloween candy.


3. Get cool 'fire' cauldron out for decoration.


4. Have lunch with Dad.



I hope I didn't freak you out or anything. Today is the anniversary of my Dad's death. I wrote a poem about it for Writer's Workshop a couple weeks ago. In that poem I mentioned the idea of celebrating "Dia de Los Muertos" because my Dad was a fan of Latin Culture. Seeing as this anniversary occurs the day before Dia de Los Muertos I celebrated is today with him.

It was a gorgeous day. The cemetary looks like a golf course, rolling hills beautiful trees and the only thing you can see that would cue you into the actual use of the land is the vases that are on most in ground plaques. I got a Wawa hoagie, bottle of water and Reeces Peanut Butter Cups (which he liked very much). I also brought flowers. (You'll notice in the pic, there is a Phillies flag. I am not sure who put it there but it was with a rose as well. I think it must have been my brother becuase he was born about 2 months after the last time the Phillies won the World Series.) So I sat on my yoga mat next to his resting place and enjoyed the silence, the blue sky, sounds of the birds and the peace I felt from knowing that beautiful place was where he rested.

Writers Workshop Thursday: A Glassy Tale

Now this is different.

After someone partakes of my fluid, I am usually placed on a circular, stone object. Today I seem to be next to a foot, overlooking what appears to be a deep crevice. I cannot see very far. I am not sure whether it is the scent emanating from the foot or just my poor depth perception (I am curved you know) as to why I cannot see the next level. I wonder if the foot is aware of the state of affairs or if it remembers I am here. If it doesn't remember I am here, there may be a problem.

Usually, I sit awaiting orders in that enclosed cabinet thingy. While there I hear the rumors of others like me who have never returned to the home base. I hear strange tales of having 'extras' on hand in the event of a tragedy on the stone patio. Then there is a frightening tale of a long whip like object that comes out of nowhere, slapping us to the floor with ferocious might. Some have returned to tell the tale but refuse to give commentary on those who didn't make it. They say, recycling was in their future. They say the word 'recycling' with such a shuddering horror that I don't dare ask more questions.

Ack! The foot touched me! I am slightly closer to that drop. Also, that nasty thing touched the rim. Who is going to partake of me now? Ooof! What was that clinking noise? Oh, ice melting. it sounds so loud at times, echoing in here the way it does. Wait, the sound seems to have stirred the foot and a hand appears, pushing me away from the drop. Whew! I was beginning to seriously condensate. If I am not on the round stone the female with the pretty painted toes will start making loud noises and...

whaaaat...IS...that? There is a jingling sound, like the olive picks in the cocktail shaker.

OH MY OCEAN!

IT'S THE FURRY WHIP...IT'S COME FOR ME!

It has taken everything in it's path and I am next, oh smelly foot SAVE ME, SAVE ME!!

BUUUUUUAAAAAHHHHH!!! SPPPPPLLLLAAAASSSHHHHHH!

Bad Wife

I wish I was talking about anyone else but me. P has been working on the kitchen. The paint is done and then last night he started on the floors. It is all coming together but I have been NO help at all.

You see, there are a few things that I asked him to do BEFORE the painting began. The walls in the kitchen are not in great shape. Sections needed to be slightly repaired before more paint went on the walls. We spoke about it extensively many times before painting began. What did he do? Paint over the sections that needed to be repaired instead of fixing them. Does it look good? No. Did we get into a blow out over it? Yes. I can't even get into the nuances of the fight here because they were so moronic (on his side) I almost collapsed on the floor in a 3 year old fit. Actually, I might have, the rage was quite blinding. Bottom line, he didn't feel like doing it so it didn't get done. I am still not over it.

My problem is, from outside the kitchen, the paint and the flooring that is being worked on now, looks really good. Let me repeat, from outside the kitchen. Who spends lots of time in the kitchen? Me. It's my place. P has the family room with his huge tv, extensive stereo gear and XBox. I have the kitchen with it's warmth, good scents and cookbooks. So now, I am torn daily between rage that he didn't care enough about my area (BTW, I also cook for him on an almost daily basis, where?) and guilt that I don't appreciate the fact he is doing this.

I feel like crawling UNDER the bed.

RANT: Philly Fan and Proud of It

There was an article by a lazy journalist in the St. Petersberg Times today that really made me angry. I wasn't really angry about the fact that he was complaining about Philadelphia sports fans. Everyone complains about the few bad apples they either 'hear' about or read about. What I can't take is lying and sloppy journalism. Basically what Romano did was take something EVERY sports writer outside Philadelphia writes about and try, poorly at that, to rehash it because their team is behind in the World Series.

"Children were cursed at, and one 9-year-old boy had beer poured on him."
- Do you know how much beers ARE at Citizens Bank Park? $7.50. I don't think there was any wasting of alcohol. There might have been spillage when big plays were made but no, I am sorry, that was not going to happen.

"A Rays family member stayed locked in a bathroom stall because, he said, Phillies fans were banging on the walls and threatening him."
- The family members of the Ray were sitting in a specific section of the ball park with more security and additional ushers to handle problems. No, I don't think this happened either.

"In a game that did not begin until after 10 p.m., giving fans more booze time"
-Beer sales were stopped after the 4th inning so that the vendors were not open any more time that usual.

"Does this sort of thing happen at other stadiums? Without a doubt. And I'm sure it has happened on occasion at Tropicana Field, too. But no city has the reputation of Philadelphia."
- Glass houses, even those with domes break. If you are going to berate us SOLELY on reputation, you are a POOR journalist.

"Team officials were reluctant to talk about the situation for fear of stirring up more hostility."
- If ANY of this had truth to it, it would have been on the news here in Philly (because you know we love to hear about what we do to other fans and the media LOVES to report it) AND in Tampa.

The worst one of all that CAN be proven a lie.
"Really, the biggest part is the families, if we could do something about that. Throwing mustard packs at my granddaughter is not very cool. The other part, I'm good with."
- There are NO mustard packs at CBP. None, period. They have the kegs o' mustard that you need to use to put on your food out by the vendors. Even the vendors outside the stadium don't use them very much.

When you need to stoop this low, to quote unnamed sources, take all hersay and print it and BLATANTLY make up lies, you are FINISHED as a journalist and might as well change careers to writing bad fiction.

On the other hand, those that STILL call us brutal and Neanderthals; I am proud to be from Philly. I am proud that we have the fans that we have. Santa has remained unscathed for YEARS. LET IT GO!

Crackberry Friday: Evil Pumpkin

This is a mere 10 steps from my desk. It calls to me but no one else can hear. When you open it's top, it is noisy so everyone can hear you.

The plastic spoon only holds 3 at a time and all can hear as you futilely try to get as many as possible on the spoon at once, the corn clicking against the cheap plastic and echoing in the glass. Until, finally in your desperate need for sugar (at about 2pm daily) you snatch it off the desk and pour the corn syrup and honey goodness into your hand (trying to avoid the 'chocolate' ones b/c they suck and trying to get the last pumpkin one) and run back to your desk where your tea and warm chair remind you that you are only human and THAT is an evil pumpkin.

Things I Learned While Watching VH1 Tonight

1. Harp beer and candy corn actually goes pretty well together.
2. Gary Busey and Jeff Conway BOTH on Celebrity Rehab this season. SERIOUSLY!?

Jammed!

My brain is totally jammed today. I can't think of what to blog or what to make for dinner. I am avoiding chicken b/c I might be roasting one tomorrow from my CSA but I don't know if it will come frozen in which case I can't cook it tomorrow. I am a freak. My brain stopped working because I cannot figure out what to make for dinner. This video describes how my brain feels.

My Island: A New Inhabitant

For those of you that are new to this blog, I have a virtual island. No, you really don't want to go there. Why? I send people there that I think really don't have a purpose in life other than to annoy me and others. Here is a link to the first post I did about it in case you have any questions.
Here is what the population looks like right now:

Flying Stand-by:
Jamie Lynn Spears
Elizabeth Hasselback

On the island:
Ann Coulter
Rick Santorum
Brittany Spears
Amy Winehouse
Lindsay Lohan

Today I was checking out CNN as I do often during the day. I usually don't check out the videos while I am at work...not because I am at work but because my phone sometimes interferes with the speakers and it annoys me. I usually keep them off. Today, however, I came across this headline, "Soldier Threatened Over Lawn". I was intrigued. I turned on my speakers, sat through a commercial (aren't those annoying?) and watched as the story unfolded. I will embed the video at the end of the post but I know that sometimes, like me, you can't watch a video. Short story, there is a soldier in Kennewick, WA who bought a home in an area that has a homeowners association. When he bought the home he was required to landscape it. Right before he was due to leave for active duty, his landscaper skipped town. The developer of the area, also the president and sole member of the homeowners association, a 'man' named Chick Edwards, said to a local paper " I really don't give a (expletive) who he is or what his problem is." Basically, he wanted to sue the soldier for not landscaping his property. This soldier has a pregnant wife and young son staying back east with family while her husband is on active duty overseas. Some very nice people got together and landscaped his property so that Mr. Edwards would stop harrassing the family. There is more in the video and in the link to the article I provided.

So today, I am adding Mr. Chick Edwards to my island. He is a supercilious 'man' (yeah I am using quotes because I think he is trying to make up for something in that department by being a bully) who obviously cares more about the view than this country. He really serves no purpose for the general population of the world and we would be best served if he joined the people on the island. I am sure that he and Rick would be able to get along. They are just both so into themselves they can't see the light of day. I think the other women would ignore this 'man' becuase well, he's really not a man.

I took out the video b/c it was causing loading problems on the blog. If you'd like to see it, go to CNN and search 'Soldier threatened over lawn'.

Google: Fun With Keywords

Someone who did a search with this phrase:

"passive aggressive husbands that murder"

visited my blog.

Now I am slightly frightened because P is extrememly passive aggressive and I have always assumed that he would drive ME to murder. Now I am seeing I might be wrong. eeek!

Otherwise Google Analytics is fun!

Crackberry Friday: A Tranquil Setting

Isn't this pretty? This is the Schuylkill (SKOO-kil) River. It is one of two rivers that flow through the Philadelphia area. This section happens to be next to my office building in a town called West Conshohocken (go ahead and try to say it). This is where we stand when we are chased out of the buiding by fire drills.

Have you heard of Boat House Row in Philadelphia? If you've ever watched a game with the Eagles in it they show that section of the river where the boathouses are outlined in lights. You know you've seen it. This river is part of the same one.

I took this pic with my handy Crackberry because I loved how the water was reflecting the trees. This river is almost always this peaceful. Even when it the current is swift it still just flows. I should really go out more and take advantage of this scene.

Writers Workshop Thursday: What do you love to create?

The thing I love to create instills peace, harmony and balance. The thing I like to create has restorative properties like nothing else I know. It is a creative process as well. There are so many things that are born out of my favorite creative process that it has to be the most wonderful thing in the world.

What I like to create is:


order


I wrote it small because I realize that it is difficult to understand. It is also sometimes viewed in an ugly way as 'controlling' or 'freakishly detail oriented' or 'a prescription for mutiny'. You'd think that if I like to create order in my life that I am a germ o phobe or maybe one of those people whose homes always look perfect and smell of fresh linen.

Sigh

If only, you see I have a husband and a dog (do you know how many times I had to type the word 'god' before I typed dog? 3, weird) and they are orderless, with out order, rhyme or reason almost 100% of the time. I have to threaten bodily harm to the XBox or the DVR recorded soccer games to get P to actually not ruin what I have cleaned.

When I have created order my body relaxes and I look around the room (not the house because there is no way in hell our whole house would look nice at once) with a sense of accomplishment. I can see the reasons that I like our home. My mind calms down and I can see the fun creative and decorative things I'd like to try. When my home is in disarray, all I can think about it cleaning it. It taps me on the shoulder (or slaps me in the back of the head depending on how bad it is) when I am trying to read or cook saying "I'm messy and I look like crap. If you won't fix me I'll make you miserable." Oh, and it does. I will trip over P's soccer team jersey carrier, I'll kick the door on G-dog's crate and scratch myself in the process, I'll track dead leaves into the house. It just keeps getting worse.

When I have cleaned and all is in order, the house brightens and the birds chirp and a choir of angels sings...of course this is all in my head so maybe I am crazy.

Happy Birthday to a Very Special Blogger!

Yea!!!!! Today is Jen's birthday over at Buried with Children some one who loves her lots (also in the picture) informed her bloggy friends of her special day. As you can see from this pic, she already celebrates a lot of birthdays in her family, 3 at the same time!

I love reading her blog because she always makes me laugh. I think my favorite post is this one. Hearing the kids laugh and seeing them so happy playing with their Dad with a simple game. It made me laugh when I wasn't watching it. :)

So I wish you, Jen, the happiest of birthdays and hope you have an absolutely wonderful day! Maybe you can go to the spa.

Blogathon --- Etes Vous Pret? Parte!

Translation - Are you ready? Go! That used to be what the starter would say at the beginning of a rowing race.



I am saying are you ready for some bloggy good fun? GO to The Secret is in The Sauce or SITS for short. They are having a blogathon and giving away prizes every hour! SITS is a place to meet and read about bloggers. The hosts Tiffany and Heather, two bloggers that I began reading when I started blogging. They started a site that is kind of a meet and greet for bloggers. If you register with them, they will feature you blog at some point! That is the BEST day! You get SOOOO many visitors and comments and new friends.



For the blogathon I am to introduce you to some of my fave bloggers.



Live. Love. Eat - someone who loves food like I do

Canidid Carrie - she is just the biggest hearted person you will ever meet

A French Fatum - she is living the life in France and totally deserves it

Buried with Children - Jen totally rocks with her triplets and oldest boy

American in Norway - Tree-sa ;) just LOVE her and her stories about life in a beautiful place

BS5 Calls This a Controversal...

...meme (ha ha! sucked you in)
...I'll just call it loaded. ;)



If you could kill someone and get away with it, would you? Wow...um...well...since this is a public blog, um...no. ;)

Have you ever felt you may go mad? Yes

If you were the opposite sex, would you have sex with yourself? Yes but not now. I need to lose a couple pounds. ;)

Have you ever pretended to like something to make yourself feel cool? Yes, smoking cigarettes.

How long would you last under interrogation? If they were only hurting me, long. If they tried to hurt someone I care about or an animal, not long at all.

Have you ever knowingly forwarded a spam email? No.

How often do you use the word C**t? NEVER. I have seriously never used it because I hate it so much.

Have you been head over heels in love yet? Yes

If it was your choice, would you unfreeze Walt Disney?No. I think he had his time and now others are expanding on his good ideas. I am glad they are not expanding on the bad ones.

Do you believe in fashion? I believe that simple clothes that are well chosen will always be classy. I decided to use the same response at BS5 b/c I think he said it so well and I totally agree.

If the world was to end and you had the power to save only one friend, who would it be? My husband, he's my friend.

Did you have to think about the last question? No.

Is Chi real? Yes, very real.

Do you actually hate anyone? Yes. The list is short and I am not proud of it but I do feel hate. I wish I could turn it into indifference but I am not sure if that is better or worse. Non e of them are the people I have sent to my island. I think you need to actually know a person to hate them.

If Frogs did turn into people when you kiss them, would you go looking for one? No, happy with my current frog.

Do you have an alternative explanation for death? "That's all she wrote."

Did you like 'Sunscreen' by Baz Lurman? Yes. It is a little cheezy but also very true.

If you could be a Transformer, who would it be? Ga! I don't remember them well enough. :(

Imagine you lived in the Star Wars universe in your underground house on a small desert planet looking after your nephew, but you had all the knowledge of all the Star Wars movies. A Stormtrooper comes knocking on your dome and asks you if you've seen 2 droids and an irritating young boy.....what would you do? Send them in the direction of the Sand People and hope for the best.

Multiple Choice. You get to punch someone, it has to be one of them..1. George Bush, 2. Lenny Henry, 3. Jesus, 4. Stephen Hawking, 5. Gary Coleman......who would it be? George Bush the younger, no doubt. I'd have to lean over to hit Gary.

I am not going to tag anyone but if you would like to do this one, I'd beinterested in reading your answers. You can even just do it in the comments if you'd like.

Dennis the Manatee

Below you will find a video of a manatee that found its way into Sesuit Harbor on the Cape. He was not well and I like to think that he went to the Cape to live out his days. There were some people that thought that "rescuing" him and taking him back to Florida was the way to go and sadly he did not make it.
I know those people thought they had his best interest at heart (for the most part). It broke my heart though because if I wanted to go to the Cape to live out my last days, I would hope that my friends and family would respect that.
Take a look at the video if you have a moment. After the talking guy there is a couple minutes of 'Dennis' the manatee swimming around my most favoritest harbor in the world, Sesuit Harbor in East Dennis to some relaxing music that sounds like it was composed just for him.

Meme: I need to share 6 secrets or 6 things you may not know about me.

My apologies to Kristen at La Dolce Vida for my late response...



1. I like The Andy Griffith Show reruns.

2. I had a southern accent when I lived in NC and for a short time after. This is why I don't make fun of Madonna for taking on the UK accent. I understand. It just happens sometimes.

3. I occasionally stalk people on FB when I am bored.

4. I have not cleaned my engagement ring/wedding ring in months.

5. I am watching the stock ticker and cheering and booing.

6. I cried last night while watching CSI

An Award!

Sarah Mae over at A Warm Cup of Coffee gave me this award on Friday. I have to tell you that she truly reminds me of that warm and comforting feeling you get from a warm cup of coffee. We don't always have the same point of view but I know when I visit her blog, I'll come away with provoking thoughts and happy that I visited. :)

The fun part about this award is, it comes with a questionnaire. Here goes:
1. Do you have the same friends since childhood? I do! I have a group of girlfriends from high school. We are very close but I have also added many friends over the years that I consider family (yeah, I'm talking about you French Fatum).

2. What do you value most about your friends? That we are all different people, have different opinions but love each other to the ends of the earth.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards? My husband is my first sounding board really. Then it's a tie between friends and my mom.

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends? Dinner out!

Now I get to pass this award along to four of my bloggy friends. Are you ready? Here's to you!

Hullabaloo

Mama Dawg at Two Dogs Running

Sue at As Cape Cod Turns

Kristen at La Dolce Vita

Crackberry Friday: Farm Share Week 1

First, let me say, please check out my earlier post today for an explanation of my poem. I know there were a few of you that were interested.

Second, I promise that Crackberry Friday will not only be pics of veggies. I was just very excited this week for my fall farm share to begin that I had to take a pic of my haul. If you have been reading my blog, you know how much I love food and cooking.

This was my haul

7 Tomatoes grown by Green Valley Organics

1 head Boc Choi grown by Scarecrow Hill Organics

2 sweet dumpling squash grown by Hillside Organics

1 bag (1/2 lb) wildfire baby lettuce mix grown by Elm Tree Organics

1 bag (1/2 lb) arugula grown by Farmdale Organics

3 special zucchini (some of the ones I could choose from were round!)

1 celeriac

1 bunch Swiss chard (not in pic 'cause I ate it)

____________________________________________________________________

I have been looking up fall veggie recipes for 2 weeks in anticipation of my farm share beginning. I have heard mixed reviews of chard so I decided that since P had hockey and would not be eating with me, this was the night to give it a try. I found a recipe for sauteed chard with garlic, right up my alley. As I was preparing the chard, I found myself excited at the prospect of trying something brand new. I chopped up the stalks and then rolled up the leaves and cut them into 1/2 inch wide strips. The recipe didn't call for it but I cooked the stalks too, just sauteing them longer than the leaves. I reheated my pasta and added the chard to it. I was in heaven! The chard was so good and the pesto pasta was perfect to round out the meal along with a bottle of red wine, of course. This was a excellent way to start my fall farm share. :) I am so excited to cook so many new things!

Explaination of My Poem Below

When the fall days ripen into an orange haze, That beautiful color that seems to hang in the 'gloaming' of a fall twilight
When the shop windows fill with leaves and candles and webs All the fall and Halloween decorations
I think back to a time where we still laugh and wish
For full pillowcases We used to use our pillowcases for trick or treating when I was little

When the streets hush early, In our neighborhood it seems like dinner happens earlier on Halloween so that the kids can eat and then get ready for trick or treating.
When the first tiny children step out as something other than themselves The younger kids get out earlier and are dressed up in a costume
I tie the ribbon in a foolish way ‘round my head to hide I like to dress up a little to hand out candy. I always wanted one of those cool masquerade masks. Ya know?
My face and maybe tears Might be a little sad seeing kids with their Mom and/or Dad.

When the lights bob down the way, Parents and kids carrying flashlights and glow lights to light the way
When the laughter and joy fills the streets Kids happy and excited.
I’ll ponder the delicious fragility of this travesty of the day My Father died on October 31st, 2003
That celebrates the thin veil between this world and the next. On Halloween it is said that the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest.

When the sun rises tomorrow, November 1st
When the stone warms to my touch and the grass is scented My Father's grave is in a beautiful cemetery with rolling grass and his grave stone is stone and a plaque set in the soil, flat on the ground.
I’ll take my cakes to your resting place November 1st is Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. In Mexico, families go to the graves of their family members who have passed to invite them to join the living family in a celebration of their life. People bring food and drink and basically picnic in the cemeteries with their ancestors. They make Day of the Dead bread or cakes to take with them.
And share them with you. I plan on upholding this tradition because I think it is lovely and my Dad was a great lover of Latin culture.

Writes Workshop Thursday: Ode to Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos

When the fall days ripen into an orange haze,
When the shop windows fill with leaves and candles and webs
I think back to a time where we still laugh and wish
For full pillowcases

When the streets hush early,
When the first tiny children step out as something other than themselves
I tie the ribbon in a foolish way ‘round my head to hide
My face and maybe tears

When the lights bob down the way,
When the laughter and joy fills the streets
I’ll ponder the delicious fragility of this travesty of the day
That celebrates the thin veil between this world and the next.

When the sun rises tomorrow,
When the stone warms to my touch and the grass is scented
I’ll take my cakes to your resting place
And share them with you.


I am happy to explain this poem if you are interested or you can hazard guesses. I have not written poetry in a very long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks Mama Kat!

Update: I will explain it in tommorrow's post, ok?

CC

Wow. 200 Posts. This is how many posts I have in calories.


This is sad to me because I like me some butter. That pat is a poor excuse for the number of posts I have had.







This is a little better. Cheetos are always good and it looks like a fairly good amount.



Pics courtesy of www.wisegeek.com

Ok, I am stalling. Truth is, I am not exactly sure what to talk about in my 200th post. I though about tackling an important topic like this election year or going green but nothing was really grabbing me about those topics today. I thought that maybe I'd talk about some huge significant moment in my life but I didn't want to get too heavy on you. I got so concerned with what I shouldn't write that I got stressed out and couldn't think of what to write about at all. Then it hit me...I'll write about bloggers block!

Bloggers block it more serious that mere writers block because we have SOOO many modes of communication at our fingertips that if we can;t come up with SOMETHING to blog there is MUST be something wrong. What do I do when this happens to me? I get a cup of tea. Now if I am at the office, it's easy. There is a Keruig machine to do it for me and I add honey. No big deal. If I am at home, there is boiling and steeping (or is it seeping) involved. I usually let it stee..see...soak for about 5 minutes (yes dear Suburbia and BS5, I know how to make a cuppa w/o a teabag). Then I strain and add honey but I have to wait for the honey to melt its way off the spoon so I don't have to take the spoon with me. Hits me in the nose when I am trying to drink. Now I can relax and think about what to write.

Well, heck I just wrote about making a cup of tea, the meaning of life cannot be far away. While I am sipping I'll check my email, Facebook, CNN and local news to see if anything captures my attention. Since lately it has all been economic stuff (deal with that at work don't want to blog about it) or the election (mind already made up and loathing the other side) there is not much I can find

WAIT! Is that a story about a woman giving birth in a tree. Oh, no wait. Page wasn't loading correctly, captions now straightened out. Seems there are too many bears in trees in areas that are being overdeveloped in Jersey. Shocker. Not much to see here. Same stuff different day.

This is what I am worried about. Writing about the same stuff everyday. I also worry about writing things that will cause my followers to drop off my list. There is a lot in me that is just waiting to come out but I haven't put it out there yet because I was cultivating my garden of bloggy friends. Now I realize. I was hiding again. So 200 to me means that I will not be hiding anymore. I will continue to post stuff like you have been seeing but I will also be posting things that might be opinionated and/or controversial. I promise to get my facts straight before I rant if you promise to stick around. Is that a deal?

That Kind of a Day

Update: I have to do this in update form...Please visit me tomorrow. Tomorrow is a special day for me...200 posts. :)

I just went into the bathroom and when I looked in the mirror, I realized that I forgot to put on ANY make up. My face is naked.

I look every single day of 36 years old right now. It's a good thing we don't have clients coming in because I would scare them something silly. Heck, at least they might forget about that whole economy crisis thing though.

Fall Stuff

There is a roast in the oven roasting.
There is a heather gray long sleeved tee shirt cuddling.
There is a glass of red wine dwindling with a cheese plate in need of more crackers.

This is my idea of a perfect fall evening. It is supposed to go down into the 40's tonight and I planned well. I got a roast, there are potatoes roasting as well. There is fresh local broccoli ready to be steamed and 2 more bottles of wine just in case this one goes. The only thing missing is dessert and I am trying to decide between baked apples and No Pudge Brownies.

Football Saturday: Injury and Irritation

Update: Egads my grammer was terrible! I fixed a glaring error and hope that you forgive me.

So not only did we lose, I rolled my ankle during the first drive. It didn't end up hurting until later. I am ok. Ibuprofen, ice and a nap seems to have made it so I can limp around. When I got home, I couldn't put weight on it at all.

Anyway, what really sucks is that we should have beat this team we had 2 really bad calls against us. What was worse was it was because the ref clearly did not know the rules well enough and it has to do with what constituted a 'girl-play' (play where a woman is involved, either has to catch, qb or run the ball forward). I then was asked to sub in a game because a team did not have the required number of women to play (you have to have at least 3 out of 8 on the field at all times). Anyway, they didn't utilize their women correctly, rendering them useless and making them window dressing for their team. It makes me so angry when this happens because I am good. The women I play with are good AND the purpose of co-ed play means that you work as a whole team. I am looking forward to playing against this team because we will pick them apart if they play this way.

These are the teams I love to beat because they are so unaware that women can be athletic. For awhile we had a team that was mostly women and a full time woman quarterback. It made me so angry when other teams and even refs sometimes would act like we were doing something wrong. It totally threw the other teams off their game and we won a championship one season (and were undefeated) and made it to the semi's or the finals for several seasons. It was always such a good feeling to beat a team that looked down on us. Also, you've seen my pic. Were were not a manly looking crew. We were good looking women who just happened to be able to kick ass at football. :)

Now some of us still play, some have moved on because we don't have the time to play on more than one team anymore. Some of us are married, some are mothers. We all are football players.

Sick

I was out yesterday due to some sort of raging sore throat so I am not prepared with my picture. We'll see if I can come up with something interesting from my surroundings.

Writers Workshop Thusday: Hiding

Do you remember the movie, The Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere? Well if you were to over dramatize my life and toss in a couple funny wedding scenes, you'd have me.

There were times in my life I didn't hide who I really was inside from a male. When I was 6 years old and the boy who lived across the street from my Grandmother kissed me behind a rock while we were playing hide and seek was the first. The others came later as revelations.

For most of my life I hid who I was in relationships. For most of that time, I don't even think I realized I was doing it. I just thought that I was learning about that person and sharing their experiences. In high school it was all very innocent. Guys were interested in getting to the next base. Pretty easy to figure out. There was one exception and maybe I'll write about him someday. As high school went on though, I started to get lost in the boys I was dating. This boy liked soccer, ok, I was going to be interested in it. That boy liked the drums, ok, I will start listening to percussion music. Like I mentioned earlier, it started innocently enough.

As I moved on to college, my unease with my chosen major should have been an indicator that I was not really sure who I was or who I wanted to be. I dated, I latched on and threw myself in to what others wanted me to like whether they knew it or not. Does that make sense? With B it was the pharma industry and heavy metal and detailing cars. Whenever I hear something really hard I still get nostalgic for the Mad Monk in Wilmington, NC and a bit of head banging. Don't get me wrong I learned many things that would help me in life the biggest of all being this was the relationship that finally opened my eyes to the hiding.

For the longest time I could not figure out why I was always so worried he was going to break up with me. We were together for 4 years yet I was frantic. Ok, my intuition told me that he probably cheated on me and I DID find out that was true but that is not the point (I just like to point it out). It didn't hit me until I cheated on him with another person what the problem was. I was afraid the B would figure out that I wasn't the person he wanted because...I wasn't sure who I was. I was so hidden, I didn't even know myself. It had gotten so scary and things had gotten so out of hand that I was miserable. I hated me, I hated feeling like I wasn't good enough. I turned to someone else.

Unfortunately, what started out as me being me with someone for the first time since I was six eventually deteriorated into me turning myself inside out again. Only this time, this person was completely and utterly innocent of it. If I had not shown such an enthusiasm for hockey, he would have been ok with it. If I had not been crazy about venison, he would have still wanted me in his life. The problem was, I didn't know what to do other than mold myself into someone else for the other person. Of course that relationship ended as did others that followed it for the same reason and I still didn't realize it.

When P and I got together, it was after I got out of an abusive relationship. I was stripped bare and was still working out how to build myself back up. I was working on it from scratch because well, I wasn't sure where to start. As I built myself up, I guess he saw me, really saw me and liked me then loved me. I love him for that.

I can honestly say that at 35 I have done a 180 from them person I was in my teens and twenties (I know you are supposed to be BUT this is very different). Not all of it is good (just ask my Mom) but it is all ME. I am still figuring it out at 36 but I am making sure that I am not hiding ME from anyone anymore.

Pilfering an Idea...

Ok, I am tired and coming down with a cold and have nothing really interesting to say today. I need to save it up for my Thursday Writers Workshop. So here's a meme that Cherlyn did today.



What are your initials?

JZS



What is your favorite thing to wear?

Scrubs pilfered from a hospital I did work in and heavy tee shirt.



Last thing you ate?

Tomato bisque soup



Name one thing that scares you:

Not finding my 'thing;'



I say Shotgun, you say:

wedding



Who was the last person in your bed?

G-dog



What were you doing at 7:00am?

slapping snooze button



Last person you hugged?

P



Does anyone you know want to date you?

Nah, I am married.



When was your last encounter with the police?

I was a tad upset with one blocking the area where I needed to park for football a couple weeks ago.



Have you ever driven without a license?

No



The last place you went out to dinner?

Talula's Table :)



Do you like your name?

It's a little boring. (Sorry Mom)



What time of the day is it?

2:04pm



Who/What made you angry today​?

The fact I had to get out of bed made me angry.



Baseball or Football?

Football



Do you want anyone?

take the 5th



Do you like birds?

Yes, but not when they are hunting in my front yard.



Favorite holiday?

I am in the process of figuring that out.



Do you download music​?

Yes but not very recently



Do you care if your socks are dirty​?

YES



Opinion of Chinese symbol tattoos?

Nah. I'd go for something in elvish though.



What are you doing tonight?

Sleep



Do you like to cuddle?

Sometimes



Do you love anyone?

Sure, many people.



Whose bed did you sleep in last night​?​​

Mine



Have you ever bungee jumped?

No but I might.



Have you ever gone whitewater rafting?

Yes. Ages ago.



Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?

Yeah



How many pets do you have?

One



Have you met a real redneck?

I dated one



How is the weather right now?

Eh. I wish it was a bit dryer.



What are you listening to right now?

Classical music.



What is your current favorite song?

I don't have one at the moment. My iPod is temporarily down.



What was the last movie you watched?

In the theater? - Sex and the City, On Cable - Marie Antoinette



Do you wear contacts?

No



Where was the last place you went besides your house​?

Lottery Yarn



What are you wearing?

Khaki's and a black shirt.



What's one thing you've learned this year?

Sales Job = on the job drinking



What do you usually order from Starbucks?

Right now, Non fat pumpkin spice latte. Usually, Non fat, sugar free vanilla latte



Ever had someone sing to you?

Yes



Have you ever fired a gun:

Yes



Are you missing someone?

Especially now



Favorite TV show?

Right now, Life



What do you have an obsession with?

Food, but in a healthy way. ;)



Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb?

Not in awhile



Who ??

When I had short hair, Princess Di



Who would you like to see right now?

The person I miss



Ever had a near death experience?

I don't think so.



Are you afraid of falling in love?

No



Have you ever been caught doing​ something you weren't supposed to?

My brother caught me an a high school bf in the basement...nuff said



Has anyone you were really close to passed away recently?

Not recently



Our Lady Peace or Nickelback​?

Nickelback



What's something that really bugs you?

Ignorance



Do you like Michael Jackson?

Not now. Refuse to listen to his music



Taco Bell or Burger King?

Neither, seriously.



Next time you will kiss someone?

tonight



Favorite baseball team?

Phillies if I have to pick.



Ever call a 1-900 phone number​?

Not on purpose.



Nipple or Nose rings?

Nipple rings on guys are cool. I like nose rings on girls if they are small.



What's the longest time you've gone without sleep​?​​​​​

36 hours



Last time you went bowling?

Probably like 4 years ago



Where is the weirdest place you have slept​?

A car.



Who was your last phone call?

A client



What does your last received text message say?

"I quit smoking!" It was from my brother. :)



What's the closest orange object to you?

The hangup button on my phone.